I read the INFOREP discussion about allowing more people to have the netwide
signoff capabilities.  There were a couple of problems in the discussion,
starting with assertion that it was the TECHREP who had the ability to
issue this command.  The INFOREPS wanted equal power, shall we say.   I
don't think there are any evil plots being planned, so please don't call
in the army.
 
This topic has already spread to three other lists (NODEMGT, LIAISON and
LSTSRV-L) and I think it needs some discussion.  We (here I guess I am
speaking just for BITNET, but I bet similiar, if different, problems
exist for folks in Europe and Canada) need a better way to assign network
responsibilities and priviledges to human beings.  Different sites have
different political setups and parcel duties out in different ways.
 
The NAD here handles RSCS tables and knows about spool conditions on the
various machines.  The TECHREP (a different human) handles MAILER tables
and BITEARN NODES updates.  The INFOREP (me--another human--usually)
maintains LISTSERV, all the network help info and deals with the users.
Our BIRREP travels on business a lot. :-)
 
Though we could really benefit from it, we don't use the netwide delete
command at all because the NAD doesn't understand it.  It's not his area
of expertise (I don't understand I/O gens so we're even, I guess).  He
wants me to handle all that kind of junk, because I know more about it.
I think that is perfectly legitimate and we ought to be able to decide
who is going to have what duties at our site.
 
I am not flaming Eric for giving the NAD this authority.  It was the
person whose userid was available in the tables Eric had to work with.
I'm not suggesting that the INFOREP be given this authority instead of
or in addition to the NAD, because that may not be the best for all sites.
 
For the long term I think we need to shoot for some system whereby individual
schools can assign network priviledges to individuals at their own discretion.
That way you don't have to make a single employee handle a certain subset of
duties simply because someone else decided that is what a TECHREP ought to
do.  Maybe it would be better at my site to have two different people handling
RSCS and MAILER and yet another person doing LISTSERV.  Maybe I have three
different sys. progs. who do account deletions and they all need to be able
to do a SIGNOFF (NETWIDE.  It ought to be our choice, though.
 
I know, I know.  We'll have to redesign the tables and create new software
to update them.  LISTSERV and NETSERV and EVERYOTHERSERVE will have to be
modified to handle the new tables.  It will be confusing at first.  But in
the long run, wouldn't it provide better service?  And then next year when
we suddenly need someone at every site who has the authority to issue the
BANG command to BANGSERV, we won't have to fight over which rep ought to do it
and then re-redsign the tables to include a BANGREP.
 
Get your flames in fast, I'm leaving for vacation next week.
 
Steve Middlebrook
Washington University, St. Louis