I want to create a listname.WELCOME file instead of using the generic message LISTSERV sends to new subscribers. But I can't figure out how to get rid of the generic message and I don't want both messages to go out. How do I do that?

There are actually two different ways to do this.

  • Change the generic template for your list so that it says what you want it to say. This involves changing the ADD1, SIGNUP1, and $SIGNUP mail template forms, which is most easily done via the web interface but which can also be done by mail. $SIGNUP is probably the most important form because it is the one that contains all of the information you probably are trying to change. $SIGNUP is included by the ADD1 and SIGNUP1 template forms when you manually ADD a user or when a user SUBSCRIBEs himself, respectively. The upside to this method is that you don't have a separate WELCOME file that you have to deal with, and you can use variable substitutions which can't be used in the WELCOME file (like &LISTNAME). This makes it simpler to just cut and paste templates from list to list.
  • Disable the generic templates and just use the WELCOME file, as you've already indicated you want to do. Note carefully that WELCOME files can't use variable substitutions, so everything you want to say in the WELCOME file has to be coded right into the file. In order to disable the generic templates you simply replace the text in the ADD1 and SIGNUP1 template forms with the text ".QQ", ie, 

>>> ADD1 Not needed

.QQ


>>> SIGNUP1 Not needed

.QQ


As with the other solution, this is most easily done via the web interface.