On Sun, 22 Aug 1993 16:02:08 -0400 "F. Scott Ophof" <[log in to unmask]>
said:
 
>Are most sites running LISTSERV and LMail at the required version
>level?
 
No, but the site that implements the generic LISTSERV.BITNET is.
 
>Am I to understand from this that the literal string:
>   LISTSERV.BITNET
>is now a domain?  Or should I for example type:
>   UGA.CC.UGA.EDU
>ie. the domain of any site running a LISTSERV?
 
You should use LISTSERV.EARN.NET actually, except it doesn't work. It's a
complicated story. The Internet doesn't have anything similar to BITNET's
"generic" nodes (such as INTERBIT). I could have had LISTSERV.SUNET.SE or
even LISTSERV.SE  overnight, but  I didn't want  that: what  happens when
SEARN  is dumped  and the  machine  implementing the  generic service  is
moved,  probably to  another country?  It was  not acceptable  to have  a
domain ending  in a  country code,  since this is  a generic  service not
associated with any particular country (and which, in fact, is capable of
being  implemented by  several systems  at once,  just like  INTERBIT). I
don't like the  LISTSERV.EARN.NET too much, but it's a  lot better than a
country-specific  address. Unfortunately  it isn't  working yet,  I could
explain why  but it wouldn't be  very diplomatical. All I'll  say is that
it's not the fault of EARN staff.
 
  Eric