Since I managed to escape a party tonight  I've had time to code all the stuff
I planned to  eventually add to the SIGNOFF *  improvement. Please consider my
previous note amended as follows:
 
- The performance  improvement now applies also  to DELETE * (both  single and
  multiple user versions), QUERY * and, to a lesser extent, LIST. To avoid any
  possible confusion, you are not saving any  CPU time for a SIGNOFF or DELETE
  where the  deletion actually takes place;  you're saving time and  above all
  I/O's when the user  is not on the list, which is the  most common case with
  the * variety of  these commands. Finally, the first time  such a command is
  issued after you've installed the changes, it's going to take much longer.
 
- Code  has  been added  to  the  ADD/SIGNUP  and SIGNOFF/DELETE  commands  to
  minimize  the   risk  that  lists   with  a  significant  amount   of  daily
  SIGNUP/SIGNOFF requests  might end  up costing  more CPU  time with  the new
  scheme than with the old one. Unfortunately this further optimization is not
  possible under CMS3, ie it will cost more  CPU time under CMS3. If this is a
  problem for you, install  a more recent version of CMS  and/or read what the
  LISTSERV statement of support says about CMS3.
 
Eric