[Tutor] How this list works

[Alan Gauld]

Over the last few months I've had several emails asking me to delete
certain
posts (including one from mid 2018!).

The usual reason for this is that the sender has included personal
details that
they do not wish published. I thought I'd better make it clear how the list
works and the limits of our (the moderators) abilities.

When you post a mail to the list it comes to the server and possibly into
the moderation queue. (Only a small proportion go to the queue, most
go straight through. If it comes to the moderators there is a very narrow
window in which you can catch or attention and prevent it being posted.

If approved, (either automatically by the server or by a moderator) it goes
to the mail relay server which then sends new email copies out to every
subscriber (or adds it to the digest for those who use that feature) -
that's
currently over 800 people in total . 

Once those emails go out they *cannot be retrieved*.
This is not Microsoft Exchange!

Some of the addresses on the list are mail archive sites (there are at
least
3 that I know of). When they receive the email they automatically publish
it on their archive site, subject only to their local security policy.

Those sites are independent of the mailing list (even the python.org
archive)
and we do not have any control or access to them. We do not even know
how many there are for sure. These sites can be accessed by potentially
tens of thousands (even millions!) of viewers - anyone on the internet
in fact.

So, in summary, when posting to the tutor list be mindful that it is a
public message and do not include any personal information that you
are not happy to share with the world. Once posted it cannot be retrieved.
It is effectively a permanent record on public display.

-- 
Alan G
Author of the Learn to Program web site
http://www.alan-g.me.uk/
http://www.amazon.com/author/alan_gauld
Follow my photo-blog on Flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alangauldphotos