I personally agree that DISTRIBUTE should be open for use by anybody.
 
HOWEVER...
 
I don't see why this particular case can't be implemented as a mailing list,
though. This has SEVERAL advantages:
 
1) You don't have to screw with any of the gateway software already in place.
The WISCVM stuff is screwey enough *without* having to worry about
repackaging some files, maybe, if it's needed...
 
2) You know beforehand who is on the list.  All I'd have to do is get LISTSERV
to not run lists flagged as being in a certain class (junk mail, off-node,
whatever). (Hint - this is a mod request... :-)
If all else fails, I can always just run those lists off a second LISTSERV
which would get AUTOLOGGED late at night.
 
3) You don't have to worry about the digest at the other end making up the
distribute list.  I know for a fact that this could get VERY hairy at the ARPA
end, as currently the digesters mail one copy to each person on the list.  It
would require that for DISTRIBUTE, the digester program flag all BitNet users
and lump them for special processing.  With a mailing list, they just have to
add the one address to their target table, and remove all the .BITNET user
addresses.  No hassle.
 
4) LISTSERV will make a user subscribe to the appropriate server.  Just have
the digest lists at a fair number of places, with open subscription.
 
5) With a mailing list, control is back in the hands of the postmaster, as
some sites have requested.
 
6) With a mailing list, we can fix it so that MAIL can read it, and probably
also fix the Reply-To: to point back at the master list on the ARPA side so
that their reply gets put into the digest rather than floating around Bitnet.
This is currently a flake with the Unix-Wizards digest, where a lot of the
postings arrive seperately, because they did not go through the digester.
 
 
Given all of this, I cannot advocate any solution that uses DISTRIBUTE.  I'm
not saying that it's not a good idea, I'm saying that it is not a good
solution for THIS particular problem.  If you can get DISTRIBUTE to overcome
all of these problems, then I'll change my mind.
 
                                   Valdis Kletnieks