On Fri, 12 Feb 1993 11:03:39 EST Matthew Simpson <054340@UOTTAWA> said:
>Now I know that PSYCGRAD must die. It's a real shame, especially given
>the new digest features (not to mention all the others). I do think,
>however, that it is a shame that the program won't work without RSCS in
>a system. It's a great loss, I think.
I will try one last time.
First, you could move your list to any of the 280 other LISTSERV sites
and maintain it without RSCS. Hundreds of lists are maintained that way,
you know.
Second, as I said the problem is not that LISTSERV can't work without an
RSCS link. You could keep the list without an RSCS link, as long as you
updated the configuration files to reflect the fact that you no longer
had an RSCS link. You would lose functionality in that your server would
be totally isolated, the rest of the network wouldn't know you run
LISTSERV, subscription requests wouldn't be forwarded, there would be no
DISTRIBUTE because there wouldn't be any topological information any
longer, and so on. But the list would keep working.
The problem is that U. of Ottawa will no longer be allowed to run
LISTSERV, even for local lists, when they leave BITNET. The license is
linked to the BITNET membership. This is a political decision I have made
in order to inconvenience sites which leave BITNET to save a few thousand
dollars a year. A LISTSERV that can't talk to the other servers is a
royal pains in terms of user confusions and it generates a lot of
questions and complaints to me, both from the local site and from users.
In practice, sites that leave BITNET would terminate all network-wide
lists because of the problems I mentioned, but would keep enjoying the
software for local administrative lists. The users I wrote the software
for can no longer use it, but local administrative tasks are not
impacted. That is not what I want, hence the rule.
If you think this is silly, let me give you an example. The rektor (head)
of our university has arranged for an electronic debate on the
privatization of the university to be organized, based on LISTSERV. This
was successful and they now want to use LISTSERV for all sorts of
administrative lists, it is going to be a key component in a wide plan to
get rid of the tons of paper we get in our mailboxes.
Now, say my management decided BITNET is obsolete and we should drop off
to save a few thousand dollars a year. The rektor probably doesn't know
or care what BITNET is - and why should he? This just isn't his job. If
my management said we should leave BITNET, he wouldn't even want to know
about it, and if someone brought it to his attention he wouldn't take any
action - and why should he? But removing the administrative mailing lists
to save a few peanuts is something he would never allow. The service is
worth more to him than this amount of money - end of story.
Within 6 months LISTSERV will probably be able to fully interoperate with
servers without NJE connectivity. This version will be free to BITNET
sites, and licensed to non-BITNET sites at a higher cost than the average
BITNET membership so that leaving BITNET but keeping LISTSERV would not
save you any money.
Now, if instead of complaining on this list and posting misinformation,
you had made a business case to your management saying that your teaching
will be impacted by this attempt at saving a minor amount of money, maybe
they would listen to you and change their mind.
Eric
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