Just as a datapoint - in my FAQs, I have "Followup-To: poster" and
a Reply-To: to a specific autoresponder thanking people for their
submissions to the FAQ.
I tend to get lots of spam to these autoresponders, the occasional
dumb question, screaming demands to "remove me from your list" (what
list? ;-), and people who simply seem to be using my posting as a way
of testing their emailer, and they send me a complete copy of my FAQ back.
Out of this, for the FAQ that gets the most responses, the autoresponder
message now looks like:
[I've gotten one rather testy letter back complaining about the "tone"
of my message.]
|Hi,
|
|This is an automatic message to $from.
|
|I received your message on/about/regarding the $faq.
|
|I collect commentary on the faqs that I publish together, then process
|them all at once just before I post them the next time. I usually work
|on them every two weeks. Though, upon occasion it may be months. At that
|time I will reply personally to your message. Though, since a copy goes in
|my mailbox at the same time, I may answer more quickly.
|Please be aware that all I do is edit/publish the "How to become a
|Usenet Site FAQ", which describes how _you_ turn your own system into a
|Usenet site.
|
|I am not the registrar of "Usenet Sites", so I cannot confer that
|status upon you. You have to do it yourself by following the steps in
|the Site FAQ.
|
|I'm not net god, so I can't create groups for you - see
|news.newusers.questions on how to create groups.
|
|I am not the administrator of your site, so I have no idea why you
|don't get a group, nor how you can get it - ask your site
|administrator.
|
|Nor do I have any other type of "authority" of what goes on on the net
|or your site.
|
|I created this mailbox mainly for suggestions on how to improve the
|FAQ. Such as new provider listings, URL corrections and the like.
|
|I don't usually have the time to provide detailed answers to questions
|about how to become a Usenet Site, how to create groups, or any other
|topic. I'd prefer you consult other resources for this information.
|Good sources are: "Managing UUCP and Usenet", Krol's "The Whole
|Internet Guide", and "Managing Internet Information Services", all
|published by O'Reilly, and *all* very good reads. Other sources
|include news.answers FAQs, particularly the ones cross-posted to the
|news.newusers.questions and news.lists groups (such as how to create
|newsgroups, how to act on Usenet, etc) the "Usenet Software; History and
|Sources" FAQ posted by Mark Moraes, and special topic ones like the INN
|FAQ posted by Heiko Rupp. Most of these FAQs are posted every 2-3
|weeks, and, on well run sites, the latest version can be found in the
|groups I mentioned, or news.answers.
|
|If you've asked a question, rather than making a suggestion, and you
|don't hear from me within a few days, you're best advised to go
|researching yourself in some of the areas I've suggested above. Any
|answer from me will almost always be a reference to some other FAQ or
|book anyways.
|
|If you've sent me a complete copy of the Site FAQ, like so many have
|before, thanks, but I already have a copy.
-- Rumours of my demise are greatly exaggerated. Cold but happy, please pass the thermos!For more information on spam, see http://spam.abuse.net/spam Fight spam, support Rep. Chris Smith's TCPA extension: http://www.cauce.org