Re: [school-discuss] unsubscribe messages DO NOT WORK if sent here

[Leon Brooks <leon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Monday 27 June 2005 20:27, R.M.Deal wrote:
> Well, if you have patience.  I just tried this Leon's message itself
> and found the attached lines after at least a page of irrelevant
> heading.

Yes. The headings are meaningful to email handling programs. Any header 
starting "X-" is explicitly defined by the standard as meaningless 
within the standard, and therefore available for "private" functions.

The page of "rubbish" before the header you found has to come before it 
because otherwise certain picky MTAs (email transport programs) such as 
MS-Exchange will throw a hissy-fit if they're in the wrong order, even 
though the MTA standards say not to throw a hissy fit; to accept the 
headers in any order.

It is considered polite to include unsubscribe instructions in the 
headers to avoid cluttering everyone's screen with them on every 
message. However, MS-Outlook carries an unenviable distinction in being 
the least helpful MUA (Mail User Agent, what most of us call "an email 
program") in the world WRT getting access to the unadulterated email 
message.

MS-OL was also one of the first major MUAs to actively encourage TOFU 
("top-posting"). Top-posting combined with readable unsubscribe 
instructions equals reams and reams of copies of the unsubscribe 
instructions in any archive or digest of the list. So... heads you 
lose, tails they win.

MajorDomo's approach is reasonable, but I prefer MailMan, which uses 
standard headers that standards-compliant MUAs will recognise and offer 
as an "unsubscribe from this list" button.

Cheers; Leon

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