[EBB Sightings] Microsoft Blacklist - Administrator Message

 From time to time, our Sightings list gets blacklisted at major 
internet service providers.  That can happen simply because of the 
volume of email that 700 subscribers receive from our list, or it can 
happen when our dear subscribers accidentally click our messages into 
their spam folders.  Our list generates over 7,000 individual email 
messages each month (subscribers x messages).  That can look 
suspicious to providers.

We are currently blacklisted at Microsoft, something that affects our 
subscribers with hotmail or msn email accounts.  That has been the 
case since before Christmas.  I thought it would be resolved quickly, 
but with Microsoft nothing is easy.  Thanks go to Judi Sierra for 
working on this problem on behalf of the 50+ people who are blocked. 
The first question I always face from your providers is "why are you 
spamming our customers?"

This problem has previously occurred at Yahoo, and 4 times at good 
old Comcast which is infamously bad for mail lists.  We've been on 
ATT's blacklist for two years.  ISPs make a conscious choice to harry 
mail lists.  They do this as a tradeoff for better spam prevention, 
and some are more aggressive than others.

There is an excellent chance that your provider will blacklist us at 
some time in the future.  When you suspect it happening, see if mail 
has been coming into the archive, and write the administrator (me). 
The admin's email address as well as links into the archive are 
available on the Sightings homepage.  The URL of the Sightings 
homepage is at the bottom of every list message you receive.  There 
is a "block" section permanently there with some scanty information 
on some providers. 

(I sincerely hope that this message does not prompt a discussion 
about blacklisting since it is off-topic and will annoy most of 700 
people! )

Regards,
Patrick