6.3. Crash and burn

Sometimes an otherwise active list will die due to a burn-out on the part of the list owner or the system on which the list is running.

If you, as an list owner/admin, feel yourself burning out, try to hand the list on to someone else. Do this before you have a nervous breakdown or just start filtering the list to /dev/null. A list without an admin (or with an absent or uncaring admin) will get messy with off-topic threads, pointless meta-discussions, misdirected administrative requests, and god knows what. It's a pity to see a good list go down the drain, so try to find a guardian for your list before this happens. You might even like to ask someone to look after the list for a month or a year while you take a break from it.

Sometimes a system failure can bring a list down. If you're lucky, someone kept a backup of the subscriber list and you'll be able to recreate the list either on the same system (when it's back up again) or on another system. If your list is really important and you're not sure of the hosting site's backup procedures, , keep your own backup of the subscriber list.

If you don't have the subscriber list and need to start the list again from scratch, you'll need to post an announcement to all relevant places (related lists, newsgroups, websites, etc) to try and reach as many of your original subscribers as possible.

If you're having trouble getting the list running again, don't be afraid to put out a plea asking for a new list host. Many people are able to provide majordomo or mailman lists on their own machines, and it's quite likely that there is at least one of these people in your net community who would be willing to help out. A popular, well-run list will always be able to find a new home.