(Excuse duplicates if you are on both lists... it applies to both)
 
The June BitNews reports that there is now a 'NODEINFO FILELIST' on the
LISTSERV at Bitnic.  It has BITONLY/NETNORTH/EARN/MAILER/XMAILER/DOMAIN
NAMES files plus NODES INFO1/NODES INFO2 and another odd file or two.
They suggest you get files from LISTSERV now and further suggest that
you AFD/FUI them if you need them.  BITEARN NODES/VERS* NODUPDT were not.
(Incidentally, they say they have MAILER NAMES but it's not on the filelist).
 
If that comes as a surprise to you, don't feel alone; I'm on LSTSRV-L,
NODMGT-L, LIAISON, XMAILER, MAILBOOK, TRAFIC-L, MAILDIST, and some other
lists and it was news to me.  I don't use the node names files but do use
the mailer names files; currently I have AFD'ed them from NETSERV.
 
So, now we have, apparently:
   NETSERV:  BITEARN NODES, VERSyymm NODUPD, mailer NAMES, no split node names
  LISTSERV:  all of the above plus split node names now
  NODUPD-D:  (Some list which distributes VERSyymm NODUPD and BITNET LINKS)
  NICSERVE:  (Not sure which of the above they are keeping now)
 
Now, NODUPD-D is the 'fastest' way to get VERSyymm NODUPD, at least in the
states.  LISTSERV will not do AFDs by DISTRIBUTE because of the prolog text
(or will it now, Eric?) so the NODUPD-D distribution of the file is faster
than AFD to either NETSERV or LISTSERV.  There are a lot of hooks involved
here... but...
 
(1) LISTSERV@BITNIC has NODEINFO FILELIST as GET=ALL.  Anybody can AFD them
    and AFDs will invite traffic rather than reduce it (again, assuming the
    AFDs are processed flat, due to prologtext limitation).
 
(2) MAILER/XMAILER/DOMAIN NAMES are generally retrieved as a group, and you
    can safely assume that everyone with a mailer gets them (or should get
    them!).  Similarly, everyone with the Croswell MAILER should be on the
    MAILDIST list to get mailer code.  Can't Alan (or somebody) simply AFD
    the list to NETSERV (or LISTSERV) for those files and we be done with
    it?  That would send out the files as DISTRIBUTE and take care of 80%
    or more of the people that need those files.
 
(3) In more general terms, for these 'bulk' files, it would be better to
    setup a list that recipients would SUBSCRIBE to, and AFD it to the files
    in question.  This would allow the files to be DISTRIBUTEd rather than
    sent out flat.
 
(4) (Don't shoot me Eric, its just a thought...) ...or else have LISTSERV
    send out AFDs for everyone with a blank prologtext as a DISTRIBUTE job,
    then back up and send out 'customized' ones if necessary for prologtext
    (again, if it's not doing it already... I wouldn't be surprised, but it
    wasn't the last time I checked).