VerifySub

This CGI script is intended for mailing list management.  It is a small (8k) package that automates subscription/unsubscription from a mailing list, and keeps an authentication file for use in validating sub/unsub requests.  This makes it almost impossible for users to subscribe people who do not want to be subscribed, or unsubscribe people who don't want to be unsubscribed.

The actual mailing list is assumed to be run by listserv or majordomo (or another package which accepts email commands similar to those packages).  Modifications to mesh with other mailing list management systems would be possible, with varying degrees of effort.  Also, modifications to make the script use full names, and handle multiple mailing lists from the one script, are possible.
 

VerifySub is Free.

Looking for a full-featured database-backed website management and programming tool? Check out another project of mine: Terra Cotta.

Configuration

Configuration instructions:
There are several lines in the configuration section of the script to be changed.
 
$self_url  The URL where you install the script.
$MAILPROG The path to sendmail.  Script not known to work with NT
$FROM Return address on script's email to users (support address)
$listserv The email address (listserv@somewhere) of the listserver
$list Name of the mailing list to control
$title Title on script-generated web page interactions with user
$bodystyle Body style for script-generated web page interactions with user
$verifile The filename to use for the database
Once you have set up these variables, the script is ready to run unpatrolled.  The only other thing is the first line of the file, which must be pointed to the local installation of perl, as per usual.

Maintenance Issues

The authentication database is not purged, so heavy usage and/or abuse (trying to sub/unsub unsuspecting people) will result in the database file getting full and needing to be purged periodically.

Download

Verifysub is one file.
You can download them here by clicking and saving, or right-clicking and Save_Link_As'ing, or in whatever way your browser supports.
verifysub.cgi

No working demo is available for Verifysub.  If you want to volunteer a site in which you are using verifysub, please let me know.

Other CGI scripts and web resources

 
VerifySub is copyright 1999 by Greg Billock, billgr@optics.caltech.edu
It is available for free distribution, use at your own risk, under the GNU Public License (GPL).

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