A guess is that people are sending HTML formatted messages to the list and either the list server, a mail server somewhere in between, or individual's e-mail clients are not able to recognize and display HTML. So you see the HTML code instead of the prettied-up text that the HTML is supposed to render. I use Outlook Express and I know that it defaults to HTML-formatted messages. Even when you set the default to "Plain Text" sometimes when *replying* it still wants to run home to mama and format in HTML--you must manually set it to "Plain Text" on a message-by-message basis. (Unless there is some hidden setting I have not found.) So. . . if no server-related setting can be fiddled-with, I recommend folks take special care to ensure they are sending "Plain Text" messages to the list and see if that helps. Just my $.02. (I am sending this as "Plain Text." Hope you can read it!) -Michael