Recently I tried to subscribe REDIST-L by issuing TELL LISTSERV AT DEARN SUB REDIST-L When I received the message FROM DEARN(LISTSERV): * Your request is being forwarded to FROM DEARN(LISTSERV): * [log in to unmask] I felt fine. Until I received another message: FROM EB0UB011(LISTSERV): * Your name is unknown to this LISTSERV. You must FROM EB0UB011(LISTSERV): * specify it, for example: SUB REDIST-L John A. Doe. Ooops, of course, LISTSERV@EB0UB011 doesn't know me. But LISTSERV@DEARN knows me well enough, why couldn't it tell it's fellow LISTSERV my full name? Anyway, once again: TELL LISTSERV AT DEARN SUB REDIST-L Rainer M Woitok Now it seems to go smooth: FROM DEARN(LISTSERV): * Your request is being forwarded to FROM DEARN(LISTSERV): * [log in to unmask] FROM EB0UB011(LISTSERV): * The nearest REDIST-L host to you is FROM EB0UB011(LISTSERV): * [log in to unmask] Your SUBSCRIBE request is being FROM EB0UB011(LISTSERV): * forwarded to [log in to unmask] Ok, I don't really mind, if I'd be subscribed at all. But shortly after, I received the following: FROM DB0TUI11(LISTSERV): * Your node is outside this LISTSERV's service area. FROM DB0TUI11(LISTSERV): * Your subscription request has been denied. So back to square one. I then tried to send mail to LISTSERV@BITNIC directly and received the optimistic reply > SUB REDIST-L Rainer M Woitok Your request is being forwarded to [log in to unmask] but I never heard anything from [log in to unmask] So as a last resort I tried TELL LISTSERV AT FINHUTC SUB REDIST-L Rainer M Woitok Guess what I got. You'll never imagine: FROM FINHUTC(LISTSERV): * The nearest REDIST-L host to you is FROM FINHUTC(LISTSERV): * [log in to unmask] Your SUBSCRIBE request is being FROM FINHUTC(LISTSERV): * forwarded to [log in to unmask] FROM DB0TUI11(LISTSERV): * Your node is outside this LISTSERV's service area. FROM DB0TUI11(LISTSERV): * Your subscription request has been denied. Seems as if the whole thing is going to spin round and round. So, please, what am I suposed to do? Rainer P.S. Of cource I know that the explanation of this phenomenon is just a little bug in just a little file and that it'll be fixed in just a little while. But as good as I regard the technical concept of LISTSERVs, as week I regard its user interface (not passing on full names, having to deal with a lot of different LISTSERVs etc). And though I know, Eric doesn't find it a bright idea, I still vote for the concept of "regional" service, which I proposed earlier (regardless of whether one implements it using tables or more sophisticated functions). .----------------------------------------------------------------------. | Rainer M. Woitok | Phone : (+49 9131) 85-7811,-7031 | | Regionales Rechenzentrum | e-Mail : [log in to unmask] | | Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet | | | D-8520 Erlangen | | | West Germany | | '----------------------------------------------------------------------'