Listowners-L Archives

Archiver > Listowners > 2000-08 > 0966877673


From: "George W. Durman" <>
Subject: Re: List administration
Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2000 13:07:53 -0400
References: <001a01c00b71$3b1648a0$4a0806d0@gljslj>
In-Reply-To: <39A13E84.FCF6D0B8@leo.infi.net>


At 10:36 AM 08/21/2000 Monday, Helen wrote:
*************START OF ORIGINAL MESSAGE TEXT*************
Sherry,

I quite agree with about jokes and other such triva,
cut valid, VERIFIED virus warnings ARE relevant to those
who have a collection of family data to protect from
destruction.
(snip)
Helen
**************END OF ORIGINAL MESSAGE TEXT**************

I think that the reason most of us forbid any discussion of Viruses on our
Mailing Lists is that we, from long experience, know how disruptive such
discussions can be when newbies send every notice they find on to all the
Lists to which they subscribe. (I've seen such Virus warnings sent to a
hundred private email addresses and to dozens of Mailing Lists, all at the
same time.) Then, a "virus" thread gets started and before you know it,
the majority of postings are concerned with that thread.

And, to exacerbate the problem, the majority of the time, the warnings are
HOAXes! Yes, VERIFIED virus warnings ARE relevant; however, most newbies
do NOT verify the warnings, they just jump without thinking. There are
many, many ways users can be notified about actual new viruses without
having to post to genealogy Mailing Lists.

I haven't had any virus warnings posted to any of the 2 dozen Lists I
maintain in months. The Welcome Letters contain a paragraph about NOT
posting virus warnings.

When someone DOES post such a warning, I first tell him/her to subscribe
to the VIRUS-DISCUSSION-L List and post there, AFTER verifying that the
warning is not a HOAX or Urban Legend. Then, I recommend that he/she
logon to the web site for his/her Anti Virus program and arrange for the
site to send periodic messages about legitimate new viruses.

If anyone feels it is IMPERATIVE that List users be warned of new viruses,
then, IMHO, it should only be done by the Listowner, with the caveat that
further discussion not be carried on via the List, but via the
VIRUS-DISCUSSION-L List or private email. If Listowners subscribe to
virus notifications, he/she can easily send ONE email to the Lists to
notify all the users.

Just my 2ยข worth,
SgtGeorge

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