[2643] in WWW Security List Archive
losers .. Auto remail on a Web server??
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Todd Kaufmann)
Fri Aug 16 11:39:42 1996
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 09:28:24 -0400
From: Todd Kaufmann <toad@Imperative.com>
To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.3.89.9608151626.A28370-0100000@netcom17>
Errors-To: owner-www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
> Is it possible to place an auto remailer on a Web server?
sure, anything's possible. but that question doesn't belong here.
I concur with the earlier message: how did so many losers get on this
list? They can't read the charter, they don't know how to use a
mailing list, they probably can't read a book.
Can we make subscribing harder?
1. have them answer a questionnaire
- do you know how to use a maiing list?
- can you read a book? (then look at these web/security books: ...)
- have you read the charter
2. when they send mail to www-security-request to subscribe,
give them a confirmation code that they must send back.. people
who can't read or follow directions will be lost.
This is pretty easy to set up with procmail.
3. Make them include who they are and why they're interested,
and what they expect to find on the list (this tests whether they've
read the charter or archives on the web). Reject them for the
smallest reason, or because you feel like it.
4. Include in all descriptions of this mailing list,
"You will find plenty of losers here sending lots of unsubscribe
messages."
Be totally draconian.
Fuck'em if they can't take a joke.
I think the lowest common denominator of 'web' and 'security' people
are attracted to this list. It should be renamed to something like
NMITD, Nasty Monsters In The Dark (pardons to light-challenged readers).
Constructive:
1. put in a procmail filter to catch anything with 'unsubscribe',
'get (me )? off' etc
2. less efficient, i will trade procmail recipes with others,
and a select lucky subset will enjoy less noise. maybe this will
be called www-security-filter or nmitd-filter. there will also be
a www-security-filter-filter list to filter out this noise, etc.
losers without filter capability (ms mail or whatever) can ask to
be adopted by someone who does.
3. i'll start a new list if i'm not totally pessimistic that it could be
any better.
If you are offended by this message, good, I meant to only offend those
who are offended by it.
-todd
