Before we go any  further, let us assume that LISTSERV  keeps the file in
its reader in HOLD status rather  than transferring it to the postmaster.
This is not what it is doing, but I will fix it to do so.
 
So,  the  "present" behaviour  is  that  list  owner and  postmaster  are
informed of the problem,  and no mail is sent. When  the problem is fixed
(either  by  the list  owner  deleting  old  logs  or by  the  postmaster
increasing the disk size), you FREE the list and processing resumes.
 
What you are  proposing is that distribution should take  place, that the
postmaster and list owner should be notified, and that the file should be
kept somewhere so that it can be  logged when the problem is fixed. Fine,
but how  do you do it?  I suppose the  file should be kept  on LISTSERV's
reader in HOLD status (so that  it doesn't get received by the postmaster
if he runs Rice MAIL for instance), but it has to be marked as "log only"
and a mechanism has  to be provided for the file to  be released when the
problem has  been solved. It  is not so easy  to mark an  arbitrary spool
file whose spoolid can  change at any time and whose  FORM and DIST codes
must remain unchanged, and there is a  fair amount of code to be added to
cause such files  to be released, the  error condition to show  up in the
same way  as for a  held list,  etc. I am  opposed to any  solution which
requires intervention  by the postmaster  (or someone with access  to the
local node), because  in case the site  policy is "you were  given 10 cyl
for your list, use  it as you want but we won't give  you more", the list
owner is not able to fix the problem  all by himself and has to depend on
the local postmaster for restoring the list archives to a usable state.
 
  Eric