If you host your newsletter with SparkLIST, you might or might not know that the broadband giant RoadRunner has been blocking SparkLIST email deliveries for about three weeks for reasons they apparently won't even share with Sparky's own people. (ISPs usually cough up at least one reason, even if it's not the *real* one, why they're blocking you.)
The block was supposed to be lifted today (Monday, July 12, 2004). That's what SparkLIST reported to the client, who then reported everything to us.

We'll know for sure whether RR has lifted the block by tomorrow, when her next newsletter is scheduled to go out (including one copy to our own RR address).

In the meantime, if you find your newsletters are getting blocked, you should call your account exec at your broadcast vendor, who might or might not be aware of the problem.

That's what our reader did. Her exec was on top of the situation and told her exactly what they were doing to solve the problem. Then, she got a follow-up phone call telling her what the current status was. (That's pretty astonishing by itself!)

If you don't host your list with an outside vendor, you'll have to go it alone to find out where the problem is. The problem with RoadRunner is there's very little information at the Web site, beyond some generic email addresses, to help you either connect with real-time help or pinpoint the problem areas.

RoadRunner does have provide some information at this Web site:
http://security.rr.com/

(Disclaimer: We used to work for a sister company to SparkLIST and had our newsletters hosted by SparkLIST before investment partner Lyris bought out the remaining shares of the company it didn't own previously.)