>1. Suppose a list has Renewal= Yearly.  Is the renewal request sent 365
>   days after a subscriber joins the list?  Or are they sent out 365 after
>   the list was started?
 
It is my understanding that renewal processing takes place on Sunday
nights (local time).  Thus, it it at least 365 days + some fudge factor
(where fudge= 0 to 6).
 
It is keyed to the last time the user either subscribed or had done a
SET or OK command (or the list-owner on his/her behalf) -- which ever
had occurred later.
 
>2. Can we avoid have the renewals being sent just before a major holiday
>   period?  For example, renewals sent out on December 23 would probably
>   not be answered in time.
 
There is an optional (last) subparameter on the RENEWAL= keyword that is
'DELAY(n)' where n specifies the number of days between renewal
notification and actual cleanup of non-received subscription
confirmations (CONFIRM listname) -- again, this process is done Sunday
nights, so "n" is rounded (up) to a multiple of 7.
 
So, at least a week before major holidays, change/update the DELAY to a
more appropriate value.
 
While you are at it, if you have redistribution list or NETNEWS
gateways subscribed, how about --
 
QUIET SET listname NORENEW FOR NETNEWS@*
 
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