Jonathon, On June 29, I sent you the following message (to protect the privacy of the other people I sent it to, I will remove the corresponding parts): ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Jun 1994 18:48:05 +0200 From: Eric Thomas <[log in to unmask]> Subject: LISTSERV To: [log in to unmask], (...) BITNIC just sent me a list of LISTSERV nodes they will be deleting from 9407, and this includes TRINITY and (...) Once you lose BITNET connectivity, many LISTSERV functions will stop working, and in fact your free licenses for LISTSERV and LMail will expire. L-Soft can offer two solutions: LISTSERV-TCP/IP, which is the same VM LISTSERV you have been using, but with the ability to operate properly without NJE, and unix or VMS versions of LISTSERV, if you wish to migrate away from VM. LISTSERV-TCP/IP causes little or no disruption to your users, beyond that experienced from the loss of SENDFILE, and from a technical perspective it is the best short-term solution. You can later migrate to VMS or unix when the corresponding LISTSERV versions reach the same level of functionality as the VM version, in about 12-18 months, and thus minimize overall disruption. It may, of course, be your official policy to free all VM investments now. In that case, the least disruptive solution is to migrate to the VMS or unix version of LISTSERV. I assume you are leaving CREN as well as BITNET. In that case you can purchase an indefinite license for the SunOS, AIX or BSDi version of LISTSERV plus one year of service for $2,000.00. This will allow you to migrate your lists and archive file with a simple FTP command, and the users may not see the difference, as long as they don't try to use the database functions, or AFD/FUI (which are not available with competing products either). Switching to Majordomo or another free list manager will cost you a lot more than $2k in migration effort, troubleshooting, helpdesk calls, user re-training, and so on. You can get a free evaluation copy of the unix (and soon VMS) versions of LISTSERV by anonymous FTP from FTP.SPC.EDU, CD LISTSERV. Eric ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trinity chose not to purchase any of the products in question. This is your prerogative and I have no problem with that. You are, however, now using LISTSERV illegally, past the expiration of your free license. You have been explicitly warned that your license would expire upon leaving BITNET, and it is of course stated in the license agreement that came with the software. Please terminate any and all use of LISTSERV on your VM system immediately, or we will have no option but to invoice you for the license you are using, and taking all necessary steps to collect this money from your organization. Thank you. Eric