[-empyre-] another explanation in re lost posts

[Christina McPhee]

Hi -empyre-

The COFA systems adminstrator, Damien O'Brien,  has introduced himself  
with the note, below. He has also made himself a moderator of our  
list.   He's suggesting that the 'suspicious header' problem might be  
caused by  hidden coding in gmail accounts.  So that's a new  
explanation, and if it proves correct, then our fears are unwarranted.

Thanks for your patience in this matter.

-cm

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Damian O'Brien <damian at cofa.unsw.edu.au>
> Date: January 15, 2008 5:06:56 PM PST
> To: christina at christinamcphee.net
> Cc: lukedsico at yahoo.com.au, melinda at anat.org.au, bastoslistas at gmail.com 
> , sbasbaum at gmail.com, empyre at cornell.edu, naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com, editor at intertheory.org
> Subject: Re: Mailman post from christina at christinamcphee.net  
> requires approval
>
> Hello Christina
>
> I find it more than a little surprising and a tad offensive that  
> your first reaction is to assume that a university would be actively  
> censoring posts due to the reasons you expressed.  It is nonsensical  
> in the extreme both from a technical and operational perspective,  
> and to be frank ridiculous.
>
> To the matter at hand.  The address naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com is  
> subscribed to the empyre list, and it is set to avoid moderation.
>
> Your mail suggests that you have received requests for moderation  
> regarding posts from the address in question.  When you receive a  
> moderation request, included in the request is a reason that the  
> post is being moderated.  Here is an example:
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> As list administrator, your authorization is requested for the
> following mailing list posting:
>
>     List:    Mailman at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>     From:    christina at christinamcphee.net
>     Subject: COFA list administration problem re-empyre-
>     Reason:  Post by non-member to a members-only list
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>
> Even when an address is set to avoid moderation, it will still be  
> held for moderation if it triggers any one of a number of server- 
> wide conditions.  Examples of conditions are:
>
> * If a post is larger than the maximum size (Empyre currently has a  
> maximum message size of 30kb, any of the numerous empyre list  
> administrators can change this at the administration page for the  
> list).
> * If the list address is included in the BCC: field of the mail.
> * If there are more than 4 addresses in the To: or CC: field of the  
> mail. (also can be modified in the Administration area).
>
> A message passing through the COFA mail server will be quarantined  
> if it fails tests for spam or viruses.  We have this occur more  
> often for gmail and yahoo addresses (which often contain embedded  
> advertisements) than other addresses. However I have checked the  
> quarantined messages on the server, and no messages from the address naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com 
>  were found.
>
> In order to resolve this issue I have added myself as a moderator  
> and administrator for the list.
>
> Christina, can you please forward to me the posts from the list  
> system requesting moderation for posts from  
> naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com.  They will contain the reason that the  
> post was held for moderation in the first place.
>
> Naeem, can you please post a new message to the empyre list (simply  
> containing the words test in the body will do).  No other moderators  
> for the empyre list are to process the moderation request.  I have  
> included all moderators in this post so that they are informed and  
> know not to touch any further posts from Naeem.  I will moderate it  
> myself and try to follow it on the mail server to identify the path  
> it takes.
>
> If anyone has any further information which may be useful regarding  
> identifying the problem at hand, please contact me directly.
>
> Christina I would suggest that you take more time to consider the  
> logic behind your assertions, especially when they are as  
> potentially defamatory as those made both in this post and those  
> made to the empyre list.  If people such as yourself are jumping at  
> shadows and accusing the university which hosts your list of racial  
> profiling I fear that the powers which generate such hysteria have  
> already won.  I ask that you post to the empyre list to retract in  
> full your allegations.
>
> Regards
>
> Damian
>
> _____________________
>
> Damian O'Brien
> Systems Administrator
> College of Fine Arts UNSW
> Ph: 02 93850672
> Fx: 02 93850706
> damian at cofa.unsw.edu.au
> _____________________
>
>
>
> On 16/01/2008, at 4:08 AM, mailman-owner at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au wrote:
>>
>>
>> From: Christina McPhee <christina at christinamcphee.net>
>> Date: 16 January 2008 4:04:52 AM
>> To: lukedsico at yahoo.com.au, mailman at gamera.cofa.unsw.edu.au
>> Cc: melinda at anat.org.au, bastoslistas at gmail.com,  
>> sbasbaum at gmail.com, Renate Ferro and Tim Murray  
>> <empyre at cornell.edu>, Naeem Mohaiemen <naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com>
>> Subject: COFA list administration problem re-empyre-
>>
>>
>> hi Luke,
>>
>> you are on our -empyre- website when I click for Nigel Kirsten, so  
>> I guess you must have his job now at COFA?
>>
>> regarding the -empyre- list,  your  Mailman filter settings are  
>> censoring posts by our guest Naeem Mohaiemen! -- who is a member of  
>> the listserv.  But why?  I have approved all his posts. Also his  
>> posts are supposed to go through without moderation.  Instead the  
>> posts disappear.  The only way I can get his posts to appear on the  
>> list is to forward them myself.
>>
>> Is the mailman software filtering his email because he has a Middle  
>> Eastern name?  I think his name is being blocked because when i  
>> repost his content under my  name it goes through.  So the filters  
>> must be changed to allow Arabic, Muslim, Middle Eastern  
>> nomenclature.  We don't mind lowering the filter standards on the - 
>> empyre- list in order to be sure that speech remains accessible to  
>> everyone on our list. I am assuming this is the problem.  IT's  
>> incredibly embarrassing, and there doesnt seem to be any way I as a  
>> list moderator can fix this.   Please help us out.  This is an  
>> international list and such a thing should not be happening.
>>
>> Thanks, and I hope you can respond really soon,
>>
>> Christina McPhee
>>
>> -empyre-
>>
>
>
>


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