The first paragraph of this article serves as a cautionary tale for those who utilize their own virtual servers for tasks such as distributing newsletters. It emphasizes the potential pitfalls that can occur if one fails to regularly monitor their server. The author shares a personal experience where a lack of server checks led to an unfortunate incident, resulting in the loss of numerous subscribers.
Last week, as I was preparing to distribute my newsletter to my subscribers, I was informed by the server owner that it would be temporarily unavailable due to upgrades. I spent the downtime working on the newsletter, eagerly awaiting the server's return to functionality. Once it was back up, I began testing my newsletter by sending it to myself.
The software I use allows me to modify the recipient list before sending out my emails. As far as I was aware, I was the only one on that list. I conducted several tests, tweaking various aspects of the newsletter such as the links, color scheme, images, and plain text formatting.
In a playful mood, I even sent the test emails from a pseudonym, R.M. Ryder, with the email address blackmail@blackmail.com. Since the newsletter was being sent to my email address, I was under the impression that everything was functioning as it should.
However, my confidence was shattered when I received an email from a disgruntled subscriber demanding to be unsubscribed. They complained about receiving six emails within a span of ten minutes. I was baffled. Over the next half hour, I received 50 more unsubscribe requests. I checked the recipient list, expecting to see only my name.
Upon opening my FTP program, I discovered that the list from the previous week was still active. I attempted to modify the list through my software, but to no avail. The only plausible explanation was a change in the chmod settings, which indeed had occurred. Unbeknownst to me, I had sent my test emails to the entire list of subscribers from the previous week.
The server upgrade had reset all the settings in my cgi-bin. By the time I realized what had happened, I had lost over 200 subscribers. Despite this unfortunate incident, my host has been supportive and has implemented several beneficial changes to my site, so I have no intention of switching.
The primary purpose of sharing this experience is to stress the importance of regular site checks for web owners. Although the software I use is unique in its ability to change the mailing list in the cgi-bin, I've had other programs that users reported as malfunctioning. This underscores the fact that as a website owner, you must constantly monitor your site. Never assume that everything is working perfectly.
Check your server regularly
Understand the importance of chmod settings
Learn more about FTP programs
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