One of our subscribers kindly pointed out a loop on one of our lists today. Seems there is another gateway with original Subject and which failed to include the original headers as promised! At the very least you may all want to do a tell listserv serve [log in to unmask] off I will include the bad message as it was broadcast on the list as well as my note to the person who was kind enough to point this out and the postmaster at the GE.COM gateway. This follows a similar case in the UK recently (there they headers might be returned but LISTSERV doesn't recognize the sender as its own list since it was in the form <[log in to unmask]>... ). I hate to open a religious debate but are there any standards for a "subject" on mail bounces. While many contend this cannot be fixed as long as the Sender: points to an automated list, there are many other mail reading programs out there that can be affected by "original" behavior... -------------------- Looping Message as Forwarded by LISTSERV ----------------- This was not detected because the following tests failed: Subject: Was not one of the common ones as noted below. From: Did not look like a daemon Headers: Did not include the original headers in the text as promised. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 15:02:00 EST Reply-To: ROOTS-L Genealogy List <ROOTS-L@NDSUVM1> Sender: ROOTS-L Genealogy List <ROOTS-L@NDSUVM1> From: [log in to unmask] Subject: VMSmail Gateway nondelivery notification Delivery of this message through the Gateway had the following results: LUKE::PHOWE - timeout period expired; The original message follows: --------------------------------- Above was all... ---------------------------- ------------------ For what it's worth - my response to the report ------------ Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 15:54:06 CST From: Marty Hoag <NU021172@NDSUVM1> Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network Subject: Re: Weird things... To: "Harold L. Caldwell" <00HLCALDWELL@BSUVAX1>, [log in to unmask] cc: [log in to unmask], Alf Christophersen <[log in to unmask]> In-Reply-To: Your message of Fri, 29 Dec 89 13:48 EST On Fri, 29 Dec 89 13:48 EST you said: >Marty: > I have just received 4 copies of this transmission from ROOTS-L, >and I though you may want to see one. I hope, for your sanity, that this is >not an endless loop. > Hal Caldwell Thanks for mentioning this. I have removed the GE.COM subscriber and turned off service for that gateway/daemon. The problem is obviously at CRDGW2.DNET.GE.COM because it did NOT include the original neaders nor use one of the "well known" subject lines or daemon names. Either of these would have stopped the loop immediately. I would urge the GE.COM folks to fix their gateway so it DOES include the original message (or at least all the headers). An additional precaution would be for the gateway to follow the practice of the more popular gateways. It makes it much easier for folks who write mail handling scripts, etc. Left(subj,9) == 'UNDELIVER' |, /* Crosswell or FAL */ Left(subj,22) = 'UNABLE TO DELIVER MAIL' |, /* Mult*cs */ subj = 'RETURNED NETWORK MAIL' Then /* VAX-type MAILER */ Thanks for the note Hal. Sorry I didn't get this sooner. Have a Happy New Year. If the folks at the gateway have any questions Please let me know! I know we all fiercly want to be original but with mail bounces it is just not very helpful... ;-) Marty ----------- Marty Hoag ND Higher Education Computer Network US Mail: NDSU Computer Center Phone: (701)-237-8639 Fax: (701)-237-8541 PO Box 5164 / UCCS Bitnet: NU021172@NDSUVM1 (NOTE 0 = ZERO) Fargo, ND 58105 Internet: [log in to unmask] UUCP: ...!uunet!ndsuvax!vm1.nodak.edu!NU021172 > >============================================================================ > >Received: from JNET-DAEMON by BSUVAX1.BITNET; Fri, 29 Dec 89 13:40 EST >Received: From UICVM(MAILER) by BSUVAX1 with Jnet id 6781 for > 00HLCALDWELL@BSUVAX1; Fri, 29 Dec 89 13:40 EST >Received: by UICVM (Mailer R2.03B) id 6998; Fri, 29 Dec 89 12:42:05 CST >Date: Fri, 29 Dec 89 13:35:00 EST >From: [log in to unmask] >Subject: VMSmail Gateway nondelivery notification >Sender: ROOTS-L Genealogy List <[log in to unmask]> >To: "HAROLD L. CALDWELL (00HLCALDWELL@BSUVA" <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-to: ROOTS-L Genealogy List <[log in to unmask]> >X-To: [log in to unmask] > >Delivery of this message through the Gateway had the following results: > > LUKE::PHOWE - timeout period expired; > >The original message follows: