[Harp-L] missing post? some reasons why

[owner-harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx]

All posts to harp-l have to be composed in one of 3 formats; plain text,
multi part alternative or multi part mixed text.  The list has a pass
filter on all incoming mail.  First we see if the address is a match
against the subscriber list.  If it isn't the post is thrown away.  If you
have multiple addresses and one of them isn't subscribed and you post from
it, poof the post will disappear.  Once it is determined that a post is
from a subscriber the mail is run against a pass filter.  If the text type
doesn't match one of the 3 listed above it is held for approval.  In the
case of no match approving the post doesn't solve the problem because if
it doesn't match then there isn't a plain text component so once the post
is demimed it will get rejected anyhow because it is html.

The other thing we filter for is size.  If a post is over 15 kb in size it
gets held.  The reason for this is the digest used to be quoted in posts a
lot.  You'd see 1 or 2 lines of comment and then an entire digest.  By
making the digest always be larger than the posting limit we can be sure
accidental posts of digests no longer occur.  It is very possible to
compose a post in multi part alternative or multi part mixed and have it
be way over the size limit without a digest included.  Once we demime the
post if gets cut down in size by well over one half.  The problem is this
requires a manual override and it might take some time for us to find your
post.  So if you suspect your post has gone missing look at the size of
your sent mail message.  If it is over 15kb that's why it isn't showing
up.

The other reason posts get held is multiple cc's and bcc's.  If you use
bcc on a post it will ALWAYS be held.  Spammers use bcc and this is a
defense of last resort for the list.  We do catch people sending in
announcements to the list this way all the time.  Please use the gig list
if at all possible for announcements.  Multiple cc are the same thing; a
defense against spam.  Just the other day we had a subscribed address try
and post spam to the list in plain text so it would have posted except
there were hundreds of addresses on the cc list.  This was a case of an
infected computer sending mail without the owner of the computer knowing
that it was happening.

With the exception of the size limit rule which is mainly about quoted
digests all of the content rules and filters are to prevent harp-l
subscribers from being exposed to malware viruses and trojans.  Plain text
hasn't ever been used to hide evil software.  It is a simple and very
effective to deal with this problem.

Finally if you don't see your post on the list try checking either,
http://harp-l.org/pipermail/harp-l/ or
http://groups.google.com/group/harp-l  for messages.  Posts archive very
quickly.  If you don't see your post please do write me and we'll figure
out what happened.  Realise I don't monitor this account 24 hrs a day so
sometimes there will be a delay in my response.  Even the wicked need to
rest.  fjm harp-l-listowner