CALSTATE doles out many student accounts at the beginning of each session, and
promptly deletes them after finals.  We delete their mailboxes, but do not yet
perform netwide deletions on them.  I sent the following job to LISTSERV@BITNIC-
 
the user name RFDR035 would be removed
from its test subscriptions quietly.  I assumed that any responses would be
sent to [log in to unmask]
 
>  //test_890217 JOB ECHO=NO,REPLY-TO="POSTMAS@CALSTATE",REPLY-VIA=MAIL
>  DELETE * DD=userlist (NETWIDE
>  //userlist DD *
>  RFDR035@CALSTATE
>  /*
>  //test_890217 EOJ
 
I had to send it from our Node Adminstrator's (NAD) mailbox rather than
POSTMAS@CALSTATE in order for the deletions to take effect.  POSTMAS
received the following response from BITNIC.  So far all is well.
 
>  Command replies from 1GTLMML@CALSTATE are being forwarded to you.
>
>  Your request will be forwarded to 162 servers. It
>  will be processed as soon as prime time (MON-FRI:
>  09:00-17:00; SAT-SUN: -) is over.
 
However, despite the ECHO=NO and the REPLY-TO, the following responses from
the appropriate listservs were sent to the NAD 1GTLMML, not to POSTMAS.
 
>  From:     LISTSERV@POLYGRAF  (1.5o)
>  Subject:  Message
>  To:       1GTLMML@CALSTATE
>
>  The following users have been removed from list INFO-MAC:
>   RFDR035@CALSTATE
 
and
 
>  From:     LISTSERV@BROWNVM  (1.5n)
>  Subject:  Message
>  To:       1GTLMML@CALSTATE
>
>  Global deletion process complete.
 
and also:
 
>  From:     LISTSERV@UWAVM  (1.5o)
>  Subject:  Message
>  To:       1GTLMML@CALSTATE
>
>  You must obtain a personal password in order to
>  use the DELETE command.  Please issue a "PW ADD
>  desired-password" to [log in to unmask]
>  Since your  command was  not validated  with your
>  personal password, the deletion cannot take place
>  immediately on those lists which require password
>  validation on  the DELETE  command. Note  that it
>  might be perfectly  normal for you not  to have a
>  personal password for this server.
>  List TEXHAX is not under automatic control. Your
>  requests are being forwarded to the list owners.
>  Global deletion process complete.
 
Since potentially hundreds of users may be deleted in a single blow, delivery
to the NAD's mailbox is unacceptable, especially considering the presence of
REPLY-TO="POSTMAS@CALSTATE".  I would not mind setting aside some sort of
bit-bucket mailbox to receive these, but I would think that ECHO=NO would
suppress such notices.
 
Also, the listserv sends a notice of cancellation to the now defunct user,
which in our case no longer has a valid mailbox.  Our mailer will simply
reject to LISTSERV, but this will cause a lot of wasted traffic.
 
Finally, why doesn't UWAVM know about CALSTATE's NAD.  I thought that only
a NAD could grant a password (on a secure LISTSERV---BITNIC is not secure
in this sense).  It seems that I am between a rock and a hard place if I
want UWAVM to respond.
 
Ed Skochinski
Operating Systems Support
The California State University