Martin Little wrote:
> > > > Perhaps this would be a good time to add a challenge-response mechanism
> > > > to the subscription process -- an initial piece of mail requiring the
> > > > subscriber to confirm the subscription.
> > >
> ...
> I think there was a misunderstanding about the problem.
>
> The problem isn't bad email addresses in the list, it's about some moron
> who likes to subscribe people who irritate him/her to a bunch of high
> traffic mailing lists like this one.
Thank you for a much clearer explanation than I provided.
To those who have never experienced a mailing list challenge, it's
really pretty painless. The new subscriber receives email approximately
like this:
"You have just subscribed (or someone has subscribed you) to the
Door-Hog mailing list, a discussion forum about the merits of live
hedgehogs as decorative doorstops. If you do not wish to receive mail
from the Door-Hog mailing list, IGNORE THIS MAIL. Print it out on a
high-quality laser or inkjet printer, tear the printout into little
bits, and stomp on the bits. We will never bother you again.
"If you DO wish to continue receiving mail from the Door-Hog mailing
list, please respond to this message within the next 15 seconds."
The subject line, and hence the response subject line, includes a
hashcode that maps to the subscription request, allowing for easy
automated processing. It's an effective way to weed out bogus
subscription requests. It also offers the opportunity to track the real
return address associated with bogus requests (if the perpetrator isn't
too clever), should that be desirable :-).
Nathan
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