Greetings - I thought you might be interested in what is going on
with LISTEARN:
 
  1) Numbering Mechanism
     I noticed that if we were to continue with the 1.5o, 1.5p, etc,
     we would soon be in trouble with Eric's numbering scheme, since
     we would eventually increase it to 1.6, real trouble and confusion.
     So, we decided that since this software is different, the numbering
     should start from 1.0, so the first version of LISTEARN, the one
     that is distributed to sites, is now called LISTEARN 1.0..
     (We are still trying to figure out a way to put it into PEERS NAMES
     without making the other servers think that our code is LISTSERV 1.0)
     By we, I mean four people, which includes me and three colleagues
     which Ege University provided to EARN.
 
  2) When to send new code
     I intend to distribute new code at two-months intervals on the
     average, quicker for bug fixes, and later for enhancements, since
     I like testing the code thoroughly before shipping it out.
 
  3) Things done, things to do:
     Right now, we have a new DIST2, which sped up listserv mail
     processing to a degree that more than 50 recipients were processed
     under a second by LISTEARN. (It's a 3090, but still :) However,
     I need test sites - see next chapter.
     Other changes were:
       * the server now records the information on the files that were
         sent, and gives a weekly report to postmaster.
       * A user exit for subscriptions, so that local constraints can
         be established for subscribing users to local lists.
       * (as you know) the long-header-line bug corrected.
       * Plugged several mailer loopholes, such as the last plague
         of the 'brain-damaged mailer'
     Currently, EARN is working on providing a solution to the VM/XA
     problem. I'll let you know more about it as soon as I learn.
 
     We are also working on several problems that surfaced, such as
     a mailer-to-listserver problem, and the $PACKAGE problem, that
     was stated earlier today. Shouldn't be too difficult.
 
  4) Oh, About Listgate..
 
     As you know, since we fear that the listserv and listearn soon
     shall be too incompatible to work together, we cooked up a
     'gateway for listservers' so that they can communicate.
 
     After fierce debates on LISTTECH list (closed, sorry, only open to
     listserver programmers - apply to meself for details), a good
     outline came out, and the major technical problems have been
     worked out, and it looks like the gateway will be able to provide
     most of the functions that we currently enjoy.
 
  5) Help!
 
     I need some sites which could volunteer to be 'test sites.'
     The qualifications are: (1) to already run a listserv/listearn
     software  and (2) to have some VM experience. They could run the
     modified versions of the code, for example LSVDIST2 today, and
     let me know if any problems surface..
 
Regards, -turgut