[SFFLibraries-L] List headers, duplicated messages, etc.

[Len Hatfield]

Heigh ho, merry ole libary souls!

I wanted to pop in to our ongoing conversations to follow up on a couple 
items that I've let fall twixt the cracks (alas, a byproduct of having 
several very lively day jobs)--sorry, haven't meant to put anyone off.

First, Hal and Andy (I think) report that they've had some trouble with 
duplicate listserv-style messages coming out of the Mailman system at 
wiz.cath.vt.edu for sfra-l and for sfflibraries-l, and I'd like to 
pursue that now if you've a chance with some further questions: 1) has 
the problem continued?  2) can you please send me complete copies of the 
duplicated messages, including their header information?

    This problem may relate to some difficulties at the main Virginia 
Tech mail server during recent months, rather than to probs at 
wiz.cath.vt.edu, and if the difficulty has largely ceased, then I'm more 
inclined to think so.

Next, Fred and Leslie want to know if we can rearrange the headers on 
the routine notes that come from the list, putting them at the end or 
the like.  The short answer is no, but the longer answer explains that 
we can reduce or eliminate some of the header info if we decide to do 
so.  Longer answer: our list-robot (Mailman) can be set either to 
include industry-standard email header information of not, and further 
it can be set to include or not the headers relating to posting messages 
to the list.  The inclusion of the former is a Good Idea because it 
allows header-savvy email clients and their users to do all sorts of 
slick filtering and tracking of the mail; the inclusion of the latter is 
Nice for Newbies, but can rapidly become annoying for more experienced 
hands.  Unfortunately, these inclusion/exclusions must be done list-wide 
rather subscriber by subscriber.

We might reduce the problem in three ways: 1) ignore those with 
header-savvy email clients and just exclude all the headers; 2) learn 
how to hide the headers in our own email clients (there's usually a 
setting for this in the Options, or Preferences) --  so that we normally 
view just the message content; 3) keep the industry standard headers, 
but cut the "how-to-post" ones, on the option that only the seasoned 
would be on a list like this.  What're your wishes, dudes and dudettes?

Last but not least, you can certainly reduce the amount of header info 
by switching to digest mode in your list options--this gathers up the 
messages to the list and holds them until 1 in the morning, firing of a 
nice all-in-one message with the various messages included and handy 
table of contents at the top of the message.  That means a little delay 
in getting responses through the list, but it also means you'd get only 
one set of headers a day.

Let me know if we all decide to can the headers or some of the headers; 
and let me hear if you have questions about your particular set up and 
how to hide 'em.

Best,
-- 

/Len/
     Len Hatfield
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