Bruce Toback wrote:

> PS. There ought to be a way to turn mailing list threads into
> short-lived sub-lists, so that the majority of people who aren't
> interested in a topic aren't bothered by the traffic. Seems like
> that's a mail/news client function, but I wonder if there's a way
> to get a server to do it.

Actually there is, but it is a "less than optimal" solution.  You can
setup a list with subject keywords.  Subscribers can then specify in
their subscription options which keywords they wish to follow, such
as MPE, OT (off-topic), NP (Network printing), etc.  And there is also a
catch-all "other" topic.  It is somewhat user-friendly for regulars,
but an additional confusion for newcomers.  Even for regulars, you
must know the specific keyword prefixes to use in the subject or else
your message will never be seen.

But setting up some special "topic de jour" is difficult (requires
myself or Joe to alter the topic list).  Doesn't exactly fit your
desired requirements.

Jeff Kell <[log in to unmask]>