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To: Roger Fajman <[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Subject: Interest in LISTSERV-like capabilities [was: ..dummy user add
 request]
Date: Sat, 23 Mar 91 11:11:25 -0500
From: [log in to unmask]
Message-ID:  <[log in to unmask]>
 
Hi,
 
You may be interested that we are in the process of starting an IETF
working group to look at developing a LISTSERV-like capability for the
Internet community.  We started with a BOF at the IETF meeting in St.
Louis last week.
 
David Lippke (UT Dallas) gave a fine overview of the BITNET LISTSERV
package and its many capabilities.  We followed with a very preliminary
discussion of what functions we might wish to see in an "Internet LISTSERV".
We concluded by agreeing that there was probably enough interest to form a
WG, that we would start such a WG at the July IETF meeting in Atlanta, and
we would start an email list for some continuing discussion until the
Atlanta IETF meeeting.
 
Chris Myers (Washington University, St. Louis) took the action to
start the mailing list ([log in to unmask]).  It turns out he
already has a package that implements some of the subscribe/unsubscribe
features of LISTSERV.  He sends the following info to sign up to the
list:
 
 ``To subscribe send e-mail to [log in to unmask] with a body part of
 "add listdev".  To unsubscribe send e-mail to [log in to unmask] with
 a body part of "delete listdev".  To send a message to the list send e-mail
 to [log in to unmask]
 
 I'll have a listdev-request alias set up later today for people who want
 to deal with things in the usual fashion.''
 
Russ Hobby (IETF Applications AD) and I took the action to see that the
WG gets formally organized in time for the July IETF meeting.  This
includes identifying a WG chair (or co-chairs), seeing that a suitable
charter gets written, and then that the WG meeting gets scheduled for
July.
 
Therefore, I suggest that we move this discussion from the main IETF list
to the "[log in to unmask]" list.
 
Plus, I encourage all of you with an interest in developing a LISTSERV-like
capability for the Internet to sign up on the "listdev" mailing list.
Your comments and input will be important to prepare for the initial
meeting of the WG in July.
 
Thanks,
Phill Gross
IETF Chair