On  Mon, 3  Oct 1994  17:36:23 CST  Bill Harvey  <[log in to unmask]>
said:
 
>If I could  rephrase the question slightly: Has LSoft  given any thought
>to  implementing a  BITEARN-NODES-independent  way to  do  this kind  of
>thing? There's  nothing wrong  with the  :newnode approach,  except that
>it's not very useful for  non-BITNET members. But the ":newnode concept"
>is still a significant problem for the Internet as a whole.
 
That's true, but I'm afraid it's a problem the Internet has to solve. The
BITEARN  NODES file  is  maintained by  a number  of  NJE providers  (not
L-Soft), where  NJE sites can centrally  register that they are  about to
change a  name or leave BITNET.  LISTSERV can then use  that information,
because  it  is  available.  Similarly,  the  Internet  could  develop  a
structure  whereby  people  can  register  name  changes  with  their  IP
providers, or  maybe a DNS  extension. LISTSERV  could then, at  least in
theory, use the information. But somehow  the network manager has to take
the initiative to register it, and  someone has to have the authority and
manpower to make this registration and make the information available. If
L-Soft designed some mechanism to  register new addresses with L-Soft, we
would just  collect bad  press and  not solve  the problem,  because most
people would not know  about it, and if they knew  they would whine about
non-standard  proprietary solutions  and  not take  advantage  of it.  Of
course, sites  that do use  LISTSERV would use  it. But the  problems are
usually with  recipients at other  sites. BYU, for instance,  doesn't run
LISTSERV.
 
  Eric