Re: [AMC-List] AMX Files (ALL PLEASE READ!!)

["Swygert, Francis G MSgt 436 CES/CECM" <Francis.Swygert3@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2007 10:08 AM
To: Swygert, Francis G 
Subject: AMX Files

Hey Frank,

Art in Idaho here.  I was wondering if you could look into why nothing I
send to the list makes it there.  I have posted a couple of items and
nothing shows up.

Thanks

------Answer----------------------------------------
Sorry for the length of this message, but it has to be to explain what's
going on!

WHY THIS HAPPENS
I can tell you why the messages aren't coming up within an hour or two.
That's because you're using the web interface at www.amxfiles.com to
send them. The website interface changes the addressing around so that
the messages appear to come from the sender instead of amxfiles.com,
which is the actual sender as far as the list software is concerned. The
website is a list member just like you, except that it displays the
incoming messages and has an interface for replies. The problem is that
some of the systems the reply goes through doesn't like the way the
addresses have been changed. Most spammers mess with the address to make
it look like it came from a legitimate address or to hide the spammers
address. The system "sees" this and flags it as possible spam. 

I say "some" systems because most go through with no problems, others
(such as even from my home address) get flagged as having the addresses
messed with. The list serve software then puts these messages on hold
until a moderator can check and release it or delete it because they
could be spam. Tom and I can't put a finger on why messages from some
users get flagged but most don't. The only thing I can think of is that
some system somewhere along the path the message takes does something
else to the address or flags it before it reaches our server. 

Tom and I both get "moderator request" messages in our e-mail (my home
e-mail, not work as I'm replying from now) when this happens. I read my
e-mail at least daily 90% of the time. When I see a moderator request I
go to the site and review the messages. If the subject looks "right" for
the list I immediately release it. That means if you send a message
after say 9 pm, it may not get released until 6-10 pm the next day --
depends on when I read my e-mail (or Tom). Since Tom and I are on
different coasts, there is usually less than 24 hours between send and
release. 

HOW TO PREVENT THIS
This is simple -- send messages through your e-mail program and NOT
through the "reply" button on the amxfiles. That's why I have my work
e-mail as a member that doesn't receive mail. Otherwise nothing I sent
would go through until I got home and released it. With most e-mail
programs you can click on the highlighted/underlined "from" name on the
amxfiles screen and a reply box to that person with the subject line
will pop up (this is how Outlook works anyway). Then you can add
"mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx" as a "to" or "cc" address, then delete the poster's
address (if you don't want to send directly to them as well). You'd have
to cut and paste any text you want to quote though. This is more work,
but your message will immediately go out to the list, and should be
posted to the amxfiles site within an hour or two.

Any message sent to "mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx" will automatically go to all
list members (including the amxfiles site). New messages can be
generated that way, or replies can be generated directly. Just make sure
you put in an appropriate subject line and cut and paste anything that
needs to be quoted. If the subject is the same as the message you're
replying to, a reader can always go back and read previous messages (no
real need to quote). I do this all the time, as I did for this message. 

WHAT ARE THE LIST MODERATORS DOING ABOUT IT?
No offense to Jim Stone, but his software was written quite a few years
ago, when the Internet was a bit friendlier (it really is a nice piece
of software). If tom and I turned most of the spam protection off
everything would be fine, but we're NOT going to do that. Tom much risk
to the server and to members. What we are doing is looking for a web
interface that we can put directly on the server that will display and
allow a reply similar to the current display format. We haven't found
anything, though I must admit it's not a pressing issue for us. If
anyone knows of such a piece of software please let us know! We can get
the source for the amxfiles software (it's available from Jims site) if
someone is programmer enough to either fix the security issue or use it
as a guide to write something that will work from the server. We don't
want to cut Jim out of the loop -- he's provided this service for way to
long to do that. If we do find another software package the amxfiles
site will remain in service as is for as long as Jim wants to maintain
it. But unless the security issue if fixed (I'm not sure it can be) this
problem will remain -- some people (for unknown reasons, and this
includes me) will have their messages placed on hold for up to 24 hours,
and in rare cases longer (doubtful that Tom and I will be away from
e-mail at the same time, but possible). 


 


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