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Hello Barbara and all, Tue, 21 Jul 98 17:06:13 -0400 Barb Patterson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: <<<< As you are all aware, sending attachments causes problems for many of our listmembers. Not only are they unable to read the message containing the attachment but also miss out on the rest of the messages from the list. >>>> A possible (temporary!) solution on the receivers end (like e.g. Camilla) could be changing to DIGEST. Although I can't read the attachments and they make the DIGEST unnecessary long with a lot of non-readable stuff, at least I CAN get my mail in! I don't know whether this works for all providers and/or for all mailers (I use Eudora). <<<< I have been sending an 'alert' to many of our listmembers who send attachments...most of them reply that they will find out how to avoid doing that. Others never reply or acknowledge receiving my message. >>>> There are listmembers that are technical enough with the computer to change their settings, but also a lot that have no idea how to do that EVENTHOUGH they have the correct instructions. PWP that are new on the list, or PWP that are trying to send there first posting may be scared off if they are too heavily "punished" with a threat to be thrown off. For some it will be a scary giant step to send their first posting. Also because for some it's their first contact with other PWP, if not their ONLY possible contact with PWP. By deleting these people from the list to quickly, IMO an important goal of the list comes in danger: giving PWP, sometimes very recently diagnosed, a place were they feel "at home", safe, and accepted amongst other PWP. In that respect a now and again crashing mailsystem seems worth the trouble (although I DO see you have a major problem from your point of view, Camilla!, that needs high priority. So I agree it's a problem that must be solved or at least be minimized!) Then there is also the PD-problem with the memory, that can cause sending the wrong format by mistake. <<<< Many other lists give their members one notice and then delete the offender the next time they send an attachment. I don't really want to do that but it certainly doesn't seem fair that some folks miss a whole day's messages because one person breaks the rules. What do you think? How can we prevent this? I'm open to suggestions.... Barb >>>> My suggestions: There are electronical filters, that can filter out the wrong format(s). I do not know if it's possible with the current configuration of the server and with the current listserver software. That way the "wrong" messages would not get passed the server, and the problem at the receivers end would be solved. Inquiring about the possibilities at the university seems logical, also inquiring at the helpdesk of Microsoft, since they are setting the defaults, might give a solution. Or the manufacturer of the listserver-software might have a solution. Another possible problem that IMO needs inquiring about (while we are talking technical) is the year 2000. Are the listserver-software and the several PD-databases/archives year-2000-compliant?? Hope this helps, Hans.