Re: FYI

[Sean Kamath <kamath @ pogo . WV . TEK . COM>]

[In a message on Tue, 28 Nov 1995 09:15:36 MST,
	"Ernie Longmire" wrote:]
>>> 4.  The sender receives this letter, and confirms the request by mailing
>>> the new email with the token random number back to the listserver.
>> 
>> So what your suggesting is, for every list I wish to subscribe to, I
>> have to ask twice.
>> 
>> If only there were a better key distribution system in place for PGP
>> keys.  Then I could attach a digital signature to my request, and be
>> done with it.
>
>So what you're suggesting is, if I want to use mailing lists, I have to use
>PGP.

Not quite.  Close, but not quite.  What I'm suggesting is that a
mechanism be put in place to allow a "once-only" confirmation to allow
further subscriptions to be done without a verification pass.  I don't
care if you use DES or a Clipper Chip ;-).  If you want, make it a
simple as creating a password for the server, then when you subscribe,
you send your password for your e-mail account, and it knows it's you.

>Why is this "good" and requiring that users confirm their subscription
>requests "bad"?  It seems to me that the latter is just as effective and
>is a lot less work in the long run.

The latter works, but is klunky and a pain.  Every time I have to
subscribe to a list, I have to do it twice.  I want to do it once.
Computers are supposed to make things easier, not a large pain in the
butt.  Implimentation usually involves a few people, but affects
thousands.

Actually, I'm not really suggesting squat.  I don't have time to
impliment diddly, so they're just ideas, not really suggestions.

Sean Kamath
kamath@pogo.wv.tek.com
CPID Engineering System Administration
(503) 685-3399 voice
(503) 685-3118 fax
Tektronix, Inc.
MS 61-901
Wilsonville, OR 97070-1000

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