>There are no more docs, and there won't be. There are LSTSRV-M archives.
>Use  LSTSRV-L. Then  in  a  different note  Eric  sends  someone off  to
>particular LISTSERV to get what I guess  is a home-grown MEMO to fill in
>the gaps, which slightly contradicts 3).
 
It doesn't really contradict 3, because  with the LISTSERV code you get a
file  called  LISTFOWN MEMO,  which  is  supposed  to be  the  "official"
file-owner  guide. This  file  is empty  and contains  a  pointer to  the
LISTSERV@ALBNYVM1  file,  ie  this   is  not  "secret"  information  only
available to me,  this is something you  will find if you  attempt to use
the documentation  you got. I  don't know of any  other such guide;  I do
know of a number of useful  informational postings on LSTSRV-L, but these
are not suitable for making into memo's and are referred to by the README
file.
 
>I'm going  to assume that if  I see a need  to ask for a  LISTMAST MEMO,
>others might also want  to see one. I'm also going  to assume Eric would
>rather do  MVS system  maintenance or  own a module  in the  shared file
>system than write more documentation.
 
Nick, you can't  begin to imagine the  amount of time I  spend doing such
fascinating things on LISTSERV as the following:
 
1. Investigate bugs in CMS 5.5 and CP6 and write circumventions.
 
2. Try to  find out the cause  of the random duplication  of some punched
   lines plaguing some lists.
 
3. Write lots  of code to support  a new BITEARN NODES  format which does
   not seem to  be making any real  progress, but I don't  want people to
   say *I* am late or have some delay attributed to me.
 
4. Write more code to get around more mailing loops.
 
5. Investigate  ways  to solve  the  CEARN  problem, which  is  basically
   unsolvable. Write  some experimental code  to see what kind  of impact
   this would have.
 
None of  this is interesting. None  of this is  what I'm paid to  do. I'm
doing it because I have to: if I don't, LISTSERV will stop working. Don't
you ever get the notion that I'm setting aside documentation because it's
boring and I  prefer to do enjoyable  things! I don't enjoy  the work I'm
doing on LISTSERV. Anybody with a good knowledge of LISTSERV (which means
hundreds of people) can write  documentation explaining how to create new
lists. Unfortunately, not  many of these hundreds of people  can look for
problems in LSVIUCV ASSEMBLE, change the  code to support the new BITEARN
NODES  format  without  breaking  anything  or  look  into  changing  the
DISTRIBUTE algorithm to get some relief for CEARN. I don't have SCRIPT on
this machine, and I  don't have a printer either; when  I want a printout
of some listing I  FTP it to a Un*x box and 'enscript'  it there. I'm not
precisely in good  conditions to update the documentation, and  even if I
was I'm  not sure  I'd spend  my time  on that,  I'd rather  do something
interesting for a change.
 
>Therefore, I will on my own time and with no particular schedule in mind
>start to write a LISTMAST MEMO.
 
Please don't  call it  LISTMAST MEMO, you  get a file  by that  name with
LISTSERV (if  you don't have  it on LISTSERV 191,  I'll be happy  to send
it). When I saw  your first note I thought it was  a typo, but apparently
it isn't. Which doesn't change anything since LISTMAST MEMO is outdated.
 
  Eric