user information
Joining
Subscriber requirements
Each address subscribed to a list must identify an individual.
Other lists may not be subscribed! Participants of another list who wish to receive the email can be invited to subscribe individually.
Sometimes subscriptions are requested for pipes to files, news systems, etc. If (and only if) these are designed to meet troubleshooting requirements, they might be allowed. See the section on pipes, below.
Staying on the list
Addresses stay listed until they are
- unsubscribed by the owner,
- removed by the administrator at the owner's request, or
- pruned because of problems (returned or refused email).
Typical problems include:
- abandoned email accounts;
- storage quota or time allowed for pickup exceeded;
- expired forwarding arrangements or domain remappings;
- persistent uncorrected refusals due to sloppy anti-spamming measures or erroneous "loop" detection;
- broken pipes to file or news systems; or
- infinite loops.
The administrator tries to notify users of problems. These efforts often fail, because their email addresses are not reachable. Up to 20% of the list has been pruned without notice each year.
The administrator will suspend delivery to a problem address and monitor it for a while before pruning.
Pipes
Pipes to files, news systems, etc., should not use unmonitored addresses. If the list administrator sends email to a subscribed address, a response from an individual is expected, even if the pipe breaks. (They usually do, eventually.) This can be achieved by subscribing the individual, then filtering that person's email and diverting the portion that comes from the list.
Note: Subscribing the pipe and filtering email that does not appear to come from the list is not equivalent. As long as it works, no one can tell the difference; when it breaks, the administrator can't send notice.
If a pipe breaks, and it becomes apparent that it has not meet troubleshooting requirements, the subscription may be deleted.
The most reliable way to identify email from the reflector (if your software can use it) is the Sender header field, which has one of these formats:
| for the 802.1 list: | Sender: "IEEE 802.1 list HELP only" <user-name@domain> |
| for the Architecture list: | Sender: IEEE 802 Architecture list HELP only <user-name@domain> |
Some email interfaces may limit the filters to less reliable techniques. With the default subscription options, list email has a subject line tag in brackets (either [802.1 - seq#] or [802-ARCH]) which will not appear on direct mail from the administrator. (Be sure to include at least the opening brackets in the filter pattern; you can expect mail from the administrator to refer to the list.)
Ways to join a list
Please note: Subscribing takes multiple steps and involves processing delays. Repeating your request won't help, unless there's doubt it was properly sent.
You can subscribe via ListServ Web pages. See the "Web interfaces" page.
You can also subscribe by email. See the "by email" section for mail links.
Subscribing by email
Please note: Subscribing takes multiple steps and involves processing delays. Repeating your request won't help, unless there's doubt it was properly sent.
Use the appropriate link below to generate an email subscription request, and send it from the email account you want subscribed to the list.
The list server sends a confirmation request, with instructions for confirming either via a Web link or by email reply.
If you don't see the confirmation request, check (if you are able)
- your sent mail to be sure you sent the subscription request, and
- your filtered mail to see if it is there.