[AV Media Matters] Auto Reply Messages - Important List info.

[Jim Lindner <jim@vidipax.com>]

Lately I have been bombarded by email robots that tell me that a
subscriber is on vacation.  This message is triggered every time that
the user get's an email from the list, and the robot tries to reply to
the list to tell all of you that they are on vacation. Since this is a
moderated list - YOU are protected from this mountain of rather
uninteresting messages - but unfortunately I am not.  Please do not get
me wrong -  I am VERY glad that we all go on vacation - but there are
now over 500 people on the list and if I get a reply from every posting
- well let's see - about 4 postings a day x two week vacations @ 14 days
x 500... well you get the idea - I am getting a TON of this stuff.  So -
now that we all have been told of the issue - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE  use
the Topica web interface at www.topica.com to turn off your list service
while you are on vacation - or failing that - do NOT turn on a
autoreply.  Please do not ask ME to do it - please do it yourself at
www.topica.com.... Now if you do not do this and these messages come in,
I am forced to put the users account on suspend.  This will mean that
the user will no longer get postings to the list, and will also not get
the postings that have been made during their vacation.  The only way to
get back on the list will be for you to send me an email (sorry, I
cannot keep track of everyones return date from vacation!!). And in that
reply to that email requesting that your service be reinstated - you
might find that your moderator might be just a bit upset at having
received tons of email from your robot and then having to disable the
account - all of which could have been avoided.....

So the policy IS-
When you go on vacation - have a great time - but before you leave -
just before you check to make sure you have that great book - Make Sure
you have disabled either your list account on Topica.com OR your auto
robot on your email account.  Failure to do so will mean that your
account will be SUSPENDED, and the only way that you will be able to
reinstate it will be to right me a VERY nice email explaining that the
reason it happened was because...... (and it should be a VERY funny and
very believable reason with plenty of pretty pleases and maybe even an
email card or a scanned picture from your vacation just to make me
jealous).

THANKS for understanding.

jim
Jim Lindner
VidiPax
The Full Service M