Release 1.7c will change the default mailing list behaviour to "Mail-via=
DISTRIBUTE"  rather  than  "Mail-via=  Direct".  There  are  two  equally
important reasons for  this change: first, many lists  are being operated
without DISTRIBUTE because the owner  doesn't know about the option. When
DISTRIBUTE was  first introduced, in 1986,  it was logical to  have lists
operate  as  before by  default,  for  compatibility.  But now  that  the
DISTRIBUTE system is  well tested and so widely used,  having lists waste
bandwidth by default violates the principle of least surprise.
 
The  second reason  is  that the  changes  made in  1.7c  no longer  make
"Mail-via= Direct"  a more  efficient distribution mechanism,  unless the
list is  very small  (thus saving  the setup  overhead of  the DISTRIBUTE
processor)  or very  large (DISTRIBUTE  requires more  virtual memory  to
accomplish the same thing). For  an average list, cutting multiple copies
for local users is now faster via the DISTRIBUTE code, which does not use
a REXX loop and EXECIO for every copy.
 
In addition, having  two instances of the same function  to maintain is a
nuisance; some of  the newer options (eg 'SET listname  BSMTP') only work
for mailing lists that use DISTRIBUTE, or are painfully supported through
code that provides roughly but not exactly identical behaviour. This code
may need to  be modified "soon" to introduce support  for mail with lines
longer than 80 bytes, and I do not  want to have two places to change. If
and when this  happens, or if the mailing list  processor is converted to
PREXX, the "Mail-via= Direct" code will  be left out and this option will
be ignored.
 
If you have lists that *must  not* operate with DISTRIBUTE, please change
their  list headers  now to  avoid  disruption when  installing 1.7c.  In
addition,  please post  a description  of the  reasons why  you need  the
ability not  to use  DISTRIBUTE, so  that I  can try  to find  a workable
arrangement for that problem.
 
  Eric