I know that 'computer' is just another word for 'black magic'. Nevertheless
could somebody explain this:
 
Yesterday in the evening I received a strange piece of junk mail from
my Listserv:
 
--------------- here it comes --------------------------------------
Received: by DB0TUI11 (Mailer X1.23) id 4349; Tue, 07 Apr 87 21:19:40 MEZ
Date:         Tue, 7 Apr 1987 21:16 MEZ
Reply-To:     The Revised LISTSERV Distribution List <LSTSRV-L@DEARN>
Sender:       Local redistribution of LSTSRV-L list <LSTSRV-L@DB0TUI11>
From:         "Revised List Processor (1.5i)" <LISTSERV@DB0TUI11>
Subject:      Output of your job "LSTSRV-L"
To:           Thomas Habernoll <HABERNOL@DB0TUI11>
 
> From:   IN%"Revised List Processor <[log in to unmask]>"  7-APR-1987 12:
53
Unknown command -- "FROM:". Try HELP.
 
All subsequent commands have been flushed.
--------------- here it goes --------------------------------------
 
Some hours later Eric (you know this built-in mail server at FRECP11 :-)
forwarded a piece of junk mail from his Listserv:
 
--------------- here it comes --------------------------------------
UH???? /ERIC
Received: by FRECP11 (Mailer X1.23b) id 2435; Tue, 07 Apr 87 21:19:54 SET
Date: Tue, 07 Apr 87 21:19:53 SET
From: Network Mailer <MAILER@FRECP11>
Subject: Undelivered mail
To: LISTSERV@FRECP11
 
Your mail was not delivered to some or all of its
intended recipients for the following reason(s):
 
Syntax error in field-  To
 
--------------------RETURNED MAIL FILE--------------------
Received: by FRECP11 (Mailer X1.23b) id 2434; Tue, 07 Apr 87 21:19:53 SET
Date:         Tue, 7 Apr 1987 21:19 SET
From:         Revised List Processor (1.5j) <LISTSERV@FRECP11>
Subject:      Ack: Output of your job "LSTSRV-L"
To:           "\"Revised List Processor (1.5i)\"" <LISTSERV@DB0TUI11>
 
Statistics for LSTSRV-L mailing (Revised LISTSERV discussion forum):
 Total number of (non-local) outbound files: 2
 Total number of outbound  80-chars records: 24
 Total resulting network load (link.kbytes): 8.44
--------------- here it goes --------------------------------------
 
And what's Listserv's opinion (cited from its log file)?
 
7 Apr 1987 20:53:54 Processing mail from JRLYMAN@CSUGREEN for TCPIP-L
7 Apr 1987 20:53:59 Mailing created 13 outbound files (1 local copies) for 15 re
cipients.
7 Apr 1987 20:54:00 Sent information mail to JRLYMAN@CSUGREEN
7 Apr 1987 20:54:01 Sent information mail to JRLYMAN@CSUGREEN
7 Apr 1987 21:16:20 Received file (4319) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:16:22 Processing mail from ERIC@FRECP11 for LSTSRV-L
7 Apr 1987 21:16:24 Mailing created 0 outbound files (1 local copies) for 1 reci
pients.
7 Apr 1987 21:16:30 Received file (4321) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:16:32 Processing mail from WGRCU@CUNYVM for LSTSRV-L
7 Apr 1987 21:16:34 Mailing created 0 outbound files (1 local copies) for 1 reci
pients.
7 Apr 1987 21:16:39 Received file (4328) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:16:41 From LSTSRV-L@DEARN: From:   IN%"Revised List Processor <LIS
[log in to unmask]>"  7-APR-1987 12:53
7 Apr 1987 21:16:41 To   LSTSRV-L@DEARN: * Unknown command -- "FROM:". Try HELP.
7 Apr 1987 21:16:41 Sent information mail to LSTSRV-L@DEARN
7 Apr 1987 21:19:01 Received file (4333) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:19:02 Processing mail from DPL1646@IRISHVM for LSTSRV-L
7 Apr 1987 21:19:04 Mailing created 0 outbound files (1 local copies) for 1 reci
pients.
7 Apr 1987 21:19:10 Received file (4335) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:19:11 Processing mail from SCHAFER@RICE for LSTSRV-L
7 Apr 1987 21:19:13 Mailing created 0 outbound files (1 local copies) for 1 reci
pients.
PUN FILE 4348 FROM MAILER   COPY 001   NOHOLD
7 Apr 1987 21:19:32 Received file (4348) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:19:33 Acknowledgement mail from LISTSERV@DEARN has been discarded.
7 Apr 1987 21:19:36 Received file (4346) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:19:38 Processing mail from LISTSERV@DB0TUI11 for LSTSRV-L
7 Apr 1987 21:19:39 Mailing created 0 outbound files (1 local copies) for 1 reci
pients.
* Your mail file (4346) was successfully processed for list LSTSRV-L.
PUN FILE 4353 FROM MAILER   COPY 001   NOHOLD
7 Apr 1987 21:20:39 Received file (4353) from MAILER@DB0TUI11
7 Apr 1987 21:20:41 Acknowledgement mail from LISTSERV@EB0UB011 has been discard
ed.
 
So what's happened yesterday at 21:16 Central European Time? Somewhere
in a dark corner of may brain there is a guess that IN%"some stuff"
belongs to VAXMail as a vehicel to denote internet addresses. Do you know
what your VAX is doing just now? Or was it Eric testing his RFC822
software? :-)
 
  Thomas