On Thu, 30 Jan 1992 17:54:56 EST Dennis Boone said:
>We've recently started hosting a new mailing list.  The list has 260+
>subscribers at present.  Each posting to the list generates about 160
>discrete mail files, which get dumped on the SMTP service machine.
>The group which maintains the mail software (MAILER, SMTP, etc.) is
>concerned about the volume.
>
>Is it possible to get Listserv to send one file through for all addresses
>that are destined for the internet?
>
>I know, I know, not bloody likely.
>
   Not only likely but Eric did this some time ago.  He introduced various
BSMTP options.  I think if you add   Mail-Via= DIST2   to your headers
of all your "external" lists (those with significant external subscribers)
you should get the desired effect.  There are also options to set sending
to ShortBSMTP or FullBSMTP as well as the old Short and Full but you
shouldn't have to fool with those unless you are not using a default
(look at the list itself and verify there is a "space" before the date
for each user - those are defaults).
 
   The Mail-Via= DIST2 also does optimized distributions for BITNET/EARN
addresses using the network of LISTSERVs.
 
   I don't recall that there were any global options to set to make it
happen.  Even after several years of happily using DIST2 and the BSMTP
packaging I found a list the other day which I missed.  (Uff da).
If I've forgotten some details I'm sure someone will help out.
 
   You can control the maximum number of "RCPT TO" or recipients in
one mail file with  MAXBSMTP  in your local sysvars.  For example,
MAXBSMTP = 500  would limit LISTSERV to putting up to 500 recipients
in the same file.
 
      Marty