Earlier today, Roger Burns wrote:
 
> For one thing, the NEW-LIST database at vm1.nodak.edu is by no means
> limited to Revised Listserv lists -- it contains announcements for all
> kinds of lists.  Also there's the List of Lists (I forget its current
> address -- help, anyone?).
 
        On July 22, Vivian Neou ([log in to unmask]) sent the following
note on NEW-LIST with the subject header "List of Lists location and
update":
 
> I have almost completed a major revision of the List of Lists. This is
> the list of e-mail lists that was originally started by Rich Zellich
> back when there was only an Arpanet. I am sending this notice out now
> rather than when I am completely done because I will have time for the
> next couple weeks to make quick updates if you find mistakes in the
> current version - so if you are a list owner, please check your entry in
> the list and let me know if there are errors.
>
> This is the first complete revision of the list in many years. I have
> attempted to verify that all the lists are still valid. However, there
> are over 900 entries in this list and I cannot guarantee the accuracy of
> each listing.  If you find errors please let me know!   I also
> appreciate getting entries for lists that are not included in the
> current LoL.
>
> The new list is on SRI.COM and may be retrieved via anonymous FTP or
> through the e-mail server at [log in to unmask] (include the command
> "send interest-groups.txt" in your message).
>
> I am looking for a few new official sites for the list, since SRI will
> not be able to host it much longer. If you are interested in officially
> hosting the list, please let me know (I will continue to do updates on
> my system at home - I would just like to make the list available on one
> or more sites with good connectivity).
>
> Please send updates to me ([log in to unmask]) rather than to the old update
> address ([log in to unmask]). I will probably be
> putting up new versions of the list every 3-4 days through the beginning
> of August.  After the list has settled down, I will only be putting out
> new versions once a month.
 
        If in fact there are only 900 entries, it can hardly be
considered comprehensive, but I think that's the goal.  I suspect she
now has far more than 900, but still....  My guess is that if one
combined the listserv, listproc, majordomo, mailbase, and other lists,
there would be more like 5000 or so.
 
        There's also a multi-part listing called "publicly accessible
mailing lists" or some such thing that is published at regular
intervals on Usenet, but that seemed even more incomplete the one time
(earlier this year) that I looked at it.  I wrote to the person who
maintains it, Stephanie da Silva, asking what the criteria were for
inclusion, since so many lists seemed to be missing, and she replied
that there were no criteria--if someone tells her about a list, she
includes it, if they don't, she doesn't.
 
        Joan Korenman        Internet: [log in to unmask]
                             Bitnet:   korenman@umbc