I hope nobody minds my combining two postings in this reply.  I've been
following the discussion with interest but have had nothing to add until
now.  I have a question in reply to one of Eric's postings and a comment
in reply to another posting.
 
> FTP is great if  you are looking for an excuse to  twiddle your thumbs 15
> minutes at work while reading the  paper.
 
What does this mean?  I don't understand what ftp has to do with thumb-
twiddling.
 
> and the TELL features that make listownership a breeze instead of a
> bear!
 
I'm listowner for two lists on a remote site since our system can't run
LISTSERV.  I have my choice of bitnet or internet in communicating with
the site that runs my lists.  I find using internet mail quicker and
easier than using bitnet interactive commands:  the internet mail gets
there faster; I don't have to worry about whether the link is up; the
response arrives as mail rather than hopping onto my screen in a disruptive
way.  This, of course, is not really relevant to the main point of
discussion since I would not be running LISTSERV lists at all if the
remote site was not able to provide LISTSERV for me.  But my point is that
a listowner has no need of bitnet (except in the sense that somebody has
to be running LISTSERV somewhere if LISTSERV lists are going to exist).
If our site drops bitnet, my life as a listowner will not be affected
at all.
   --Natalie ([log in to unmask])