[R] R-help going to become "subscriber-only"

[(Ted Harding)]

On 30-Jan-08 18:46:52, Marc Schwartz wrote:
> Martin Maechler wrote:
>> Dear R-help mailing list readers,
>> 
>> After some discussion among R foundation members (and friends),
>> we have agreed that ``the spammer mafia (*)'' has momentarily
>> won a battle:
>> 
>> After more than ten years of open and free mailing lists
>> devoted to R (development, use, etc), the increasing volume
>> of spam {quadrupling within one year, I'm told by an expert}
>> and the slickness of the spam programmers have lead to regular
>> leaking of spam messages into R-help (and other mailing lists). 
>> Even though our filters catch > 99.9% (probably even > 99.99%)
>> of all the spam, our mail server has now occasionally been
>> blacklisted because of the R-help spams.
>> 
>> The consequence of this will be that .. before the weekend ..
>> only __e-mail addresses__ subscribed to R-help will be allowed
>> to post to R-help without any moderation, and we are even
>> considering outright rejection all non-subscribers, these
>> latter decision coming later.
>> 
>> Consequence: 
>>    Please subscribe to R-help __ at least in digest mode __
>>    now, and ``spread the word''
>>    so that you will be able to continue asking questions 
>>    and getting advice here.
>> 
>> Martin Maechler, ETH Zurich
>> 
>> ... a sad list administrator 
>>     looking back to the good old times ...
>> 
>> -----
>> (*) I've been told that "Mafia" is quite correct here:
>>     Spammer-programmers who want to leave the business are
>>     life-threatened; CIOs of big anti-spam organizations are
>>     getting threats...
> 
> Martin,
> 
> I salute your efforts over the years to keep this list clean
> from the annoyances of spam and related issues. You have
> facilitated an amazing resource on behalf of this wonderful
> community.
> 
> It is unfortunate that this step has become necessary, but
> know that your efforts are most appreciated and that these
> decisions are supported.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Marc Schwartz

I echo Marc's words, and add my own warm thanks and support
to Martin. R-help has been amazingly free of spam and similar
troubles until very recently. Clearly modern spam is getting
too clever, and it is right to install the barriers and insist
on the ID check.

And I echo Martin's nostalgia for the good old days! But we
must be good-humoured about it.

I'm reminded of a Gary Larson "Far Side" cartoon.

The scene: Within the large entrance foyer to a US military base.
Many personnel wandering around. All are in fact dogs, standing
on their hind legs, dressed in various uniforms.

At the security desk stands a Five-Star-General Dog.
On the other side of the desk sits a Security-Guard Dog.

Security-Guard Dog:
  "I'm sure you are who you say you are, General,
   but regulations still require me to sniff your butt."

Best wishes to all,
Ted.

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E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding at manchester.ac.uk>
Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861
Date: 30-Jan-08                                       Time: 20:14:40
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