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List:       listar-support
Subject:    [LSupp] Re: subscriber address in the reply-to field?
From:       "Rachel Blackman" <sparks () noderunner ! net>
Date:       2001-02-28 23:49:38
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> One thing I find really frustrating in looking at different MLMs is the
> fact that most of them manage lists of addresses, rather than subscribers.
> As a result, we have the unsubscribe/subscribe issue where simply moving
> to another address can impose mail loss, and cases where a user has to
> remember how many addresses they have subscribed.  (For instance, if I am
> roger_klorese@stooge.edu but the hostnames are not masqueraded, I'd have
> to add a new VACATION'd address every time the terminal server logged me
> into a different box!)

Netcom's dialup is the big offender here; ix<dialuppool>.ix.netcom.com is a
really painful address set; ix21.ix.netcom.com, ix13.ix.netcom.com, etc. --
that's why loose-domain-match was originally written.  It will properly
assume that ix21.ix.netcom.com and ix13.ix.netcom.com are the same address.

> Given that we are looking at database design, having the concept of a
> subscriber, with one (or more) address at which they receive mail and
> optional addresses (or even regexps) from which they can post, seems a
> very good thing.

I already am planning to do that; I'd actually considered the regexps too,
though I haven't yet decided if I want to get Joe Q. HotmailUser that sort
of power. ;)

What I haven't yet figured out is how to associate subscriber configuration.
Should things like 'ADMIN' be associated with a subscriber?  Or an address?
Hrm... how about 'VACATION' or 'DIGEST' flags?  How should it work?  Should
you be able to have three addresses tied to the same subscriber and have
mail go to all three?  Should you just pick which address is your primary
and have mail (or digests) go there?

That's the problem I'm seeing.  Some flags make more sense on subscribers,
others on addresses.  But putting it on addresses - allowing you to add
additional addresses and have them receive mail as well, or have one get
normal mail and one get digests, etc. - will confuse a number of the average
users.  Restricting it to only allowing one e-mail per subscriber-record
being the primary outgoing mail and tying the flags to the subscriber will
make it more easily understood for the average non-technical user, but will
be more limiting to advanced users.

Feedback on that is welcomed, but I'd recommend anything major on the Listar
redesign be discussed over on listar-dev instead. :)

    --Rachel


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