After waiting a  couple hours for the combined power  of AOL's sixty mail
delivery machines to  process my little test messages, I  am finally in a
position to  offer the following  temporary solution to the  AOL problem.
The host  HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM has  been configured  to allow  relaying of
mail to  AOL.COM addresses, while  stripping source routes from  the MAIL
FROM: field.  In other words,  if your current  mail system is  unable to
deliver mail  to AOL.COM because  of the recent  change made by  AOL, you
will be  able to restore service  to your users by  arranging for AOL.COM
mail to be routed to HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM  instead. This is a free service
and there will be nothing to pay, now or ever. However, I do want to make
a number of things clear:

- This is a  TEMPORARY MEASURE that we are offering  principally in order
  to help those of  our customers who will not be able  to apply a better
  circumvention in a reasonable time frame.  This is NOT a substitute for
  AOL solving  the problem  (or for customers  finding another  long term
  solution). We intend to pull the plug on July 1, 1997.

- You should use  this circumvention and route your AOL  mail through our
  server ONLY  if your current mail  system is unable to  deliver mail to
  AOL.COM users because  of the "source route in MAIL  FROM:" problem. If
  you are not sure whether a particular  bounce is due to this error, ask
  for assistance on the list.

- HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM will not act as  a general purpose mail relay. Only
  mail  for AOL.COM  will  be accepted.  If you  attempt  to relay  other
  destinations  through this  machine,  including AOL.NET,  they will  be
  bounced.

- The service is provided at no cost and with no guarantee, you use it at
  your own risk, etc.

- By using the service, you agree to  direct all flames to AOL where they
  belong, and not blame L-Soft when we pull the plug on July 1 :-)

This,  of course,  is assuming  that the  press does  not treat  us to  a
masterpiece  on one  of the  most  insidious challenges  the Internet  is
facing - "'BIG BOY' MENTALITY COULD BE INTERNET'S DOWNFALL", or something
along these lines. Somehow I think  that AOL would promptly apologize and
remove the filtering if that were to happen.

  Eric