RE: [cobalt-users] Majordomo

["Jolley, Carl" <Carl.Jolley@xxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Jacobs [mailto:andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 5:25 AM
To: Cobalt-Users
Subject: [cobalt-users] Majordomo


Hi All,

Possible scenario:

Distribution list set up for customer and a competitor subscribes.  The
customer sends out special offers and the competitor knocks off 10% and then
sends and e-mail back to the list.

Is there any way to stop this, maybe by making it so that only the owner can
post or something.  I tried BCCing but that doesn't help as you can see the
address for the list in the headers.
------------------------------
If the list is a "distribution list" why is it set up so _any_ subscriber
can
post to it?

How would making the list "post-only-by_owner" (done with the restrict_post
config item) prevent a competitor who subscribed to the list from receiving
the posters offer and knocking 10% off?  All you could do is prevent the
competitor from using the list to distribute his competing  offer. What if
the competiror gets a hotmail account and calls himself friend_of_list or
what
ever and then subscribes so he can get the offers?  You can never know for
sure who your subscribers are. If the competitor can figure out the
list_outgoing
alias for the list he can still send his offer to all those who receive the
list
without it appearing to come from the list. If the who command is open  or
list he
can find out who all the subscribers are and simply generate his own mailing
list.
You need to clearly and completely alalyze and define the problem before you
can hope
to devise a robust solution. The best solution _may_ not be a technical
solution at all, simply ban competitors from subscribing to the list by
specifing only non-competitors
can subscribe in the info/intro files and when he does this kind of thing,
file suit
based on breach-of-contract, breach-of-promise,unfair competition or
wire-fraud, etc.
BTW, I'm neither a lawyer nor an attorney. (;-D)