[Vision2020] Censorship

[Paul Rumelhart]

It's a standard feature of the mailman software.  I've just verified it 
by googling for the "Message may contain administrivia" message.  Here a 
code snippet from within the mailman code that shows which words trigger 
that message, and what the minimum and maximum numbers of words that can 
follow it to trigger it:

ADMINDATA = {
    # admin keyword: (minimum #args, maximum #args)
    'confirm':     (1, 1),
    'help':        (0, 0),
    'info':        (0, 0),
    'lists':       (0, 0),
    'options':     (0, 0),
    'password':    (2, 2),
    'remove':      (0, 0),
    'set':         (3, 3),
    'subscribe':   (0, 3),
    'unsubscribe': (0, 1),
    'who':         (0, 0),
    }

The message sounded way to computer-generated for me to think it was a 
human randomly censoring things.

Messages with those words above in the subject are supposed to be sent 
to vision2020-request instead of vision2020, this code is there to help 
those that inadvertently send their request to the list instead.

No conspiracy, no censorship of content, no need to worry.  Try not to 
use the above keywords with the above range of arguments as subject 
lines, and you'll be OK.

Paul

Dan Carscallen wrote:
> I've had the "to be approved by moderator" message when I mistakenly sent to
> the list with the wrong email address.
>
> Maybe a few more of us should give it a whirl to see if we get an
> administrivia message.  Then we'll know whether it's a plot against Kit or
> not.
>
> DC
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
> On Behalf Of Tom Hansen
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 5:34 AM
> To: Paul Rumelhart; Craine Kit; Vision 2020
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Censorship
>
> Paul's explanation does seem plausible.
>
> However, as long as I have been a subscriber to the Viz (and that goes 
> back a week or two), I (or anybody of whom I am aware) have NEVER 
> experienced a response (from FSR Tech or Admin) even remotely similar to:
>
> "Your mail to 'Vision2020' with the subject
>
> Help
>
> Is being held until the list moderator can review it for approval.
>
> The reason it is being held:
>
> Message may contain administrivia
>
> Either the message will get posted to the list, or you will receive 
> notification of the moderator's decision."
>
> There have been hundreds (maybe even thousands) of postings with subject 
> lines that contained various reserve words (or keywords), including "Help".
>
> Just my two cents.
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> FYI - I sent two V2020 postings yesterday that have yet to materialize.
>
>
>   
>> My guess is that the word "help" is a keyword that the list 
>> administration software looks for.  I haven't tried to verify this, 
>> though.  I think other subjects are probably keywords also, such as 
>> "subscribe" or "unsubscribe".
>>
>> The aim is probably to keep emails that are about administrative 
>> concerns ("administrivia") from clogging the list.  Presumably, someone 
>> at FSR who administrates the list verified that it was a real post and 
>> not a request for help from the system administrator, and they approved 
>> the message which then sent it to the list.
>>
>> Paul
>>
>> Craine Kit wrote:
>>     
>>> WHY WERE TWO VERSIONS OF THIS MESSAGE (ONE SENT OFF LIST) DELIVERED  
>>> TO VISION2020?
>>>
>>> Kit Craine
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 5, 2009, at 8:33 PM, Craine Kit wrote:
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> I attempted to post a message to Vision2020 asking for help for the
>>>> elderly and disabled who are unable to handle the current snow
>>>> conditions. This is what I got in return:
>>>>
>>>> Your mail to 'Vision2020' with the subject
>>>>
>>>>      Help
>>>>
>>>> Is being held until the list moderator can review it for approval.
>>>>
>>>> The reason it is being held:
>>>>
>>>>      Message may contain administrivia
>>>>
>>>> Either the message will get posted to the list, or you will receive
>>>> notification of the moderator's decision.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> WHEN DID VISION2020 INSTALL A MODIATOR TO SCREEN POSTINGS?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Kit Craine
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> =======================================================
>>>>  List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>                http://www.fsr.net
>>>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>> =======================================================
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>> =======================================================
>>>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
>>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>>>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> =======================================================
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>> =======================================================
>>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
>>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>>
>>     
>
>
> "For a lapse Lutheran born-again Buddhist pan-Humanist Universalist 
> Unitarian Wiccan Agnostic like myself there's really no reason ever to go 
> to work."
>
> - Roy Zimmerman
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------
> This message was sent by First Step Internet.
>            http://www.fsr.com/
>
>
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>
>
> =======================================================
>  List services made available by First Step Internet, 
>  serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>                http://www.fsr.net                       
>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
>
>