[Mailman-Users] mail to non-existing list

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

Jeff Bernier writes:

 > If someone posts a message to a list that does not exist in my
 > Mailman system,

If you have a stock Mailman installation, the answer is: Because it
wasn't posted to the nonexistent list, it was posted to the list where
the moderation request is (as a BCC or similar).  The nonexistent list
just happens to be in the To: or Cc: field.

 > My questions are... Why is it being held if the list does not
 > exist? Can I alter the behavior of Mailman to discard the message
 > instead?

Not easily.  Since your system doesn't have the list that is visible
in the headers, you would need to set up a filter that could guess
that a particular address at your site is a nonexistent list.  I don't
think that's easy.

It would be possible to have the spamfilter or a milter reject any
message that contains an address that is not valid at your site, but
that would surely bring the wrath of the gods on you, since people who
write to two people at your site and typo one of them would have their
message rejected!