On Mon, 8 May 1995 17:43:47 EDT Roger Fajman <[log in to unmask]> said:
 
>(1)  A way for LISTSERV postmasters to send email to all list owners on
>     their own server.
 
Send mail to [log in to unmask]
 
>(5)  A way to permit some people to create lists without intervention
>     by someone with root access on the LISTSERV machine.
 
This is a system/product/vendor specific  action and thus something to be
provided on the side. So far all the systems we support except NT require
someone with privileges  to modify some system file or  issue some system
command to update a mail alias table. This procedure varies with the mail
system you use and sometimes with  the version. This is not something for
LISTSERV to attempt using guesswork, even assuming it had the privileges,
which  usually it  doesn't have  (would you  want to  give LISTSERV  full
DIRMAINT/RACF  access???) There  are also  several methods  to bring  the
change online on some operating  systems, some of which introduce service
disruption. This is  at best something to implement through  an exit. The
simplest is for  you to develop a local procedure  allowing certain users
to create mail aliases.
 
>(6)  Simple gopher and WWW interfaces to list archives.
 
We are working on a state of  the art WWW interface for LISTSERV. Here is
an (edited) excerpt from an internal design document:
 
Functional overview
-------------------
 
The interface will provide the following functionality:
 
1. Access to  list archives: an interface  in the style of  the VM gopher
   interface at SEARN, with a search function (system dependent).
 
2. Online LISTSERV documentation: user's  and list owner's guides will be
   available through the web.
 
3. Search/display  list of lists,  list of servers, etc:  basic functions
   allowing the user to look for a list matching certain search patterns,
   to display a list of  servers (built from *PEERS.NAMES), etc. Requires
   backbone status. For servers subscribed to the LISTS database updates,
   the full list description will be available with point and click ease.
 
4. Subscriber  assistance for local  lists: users can  browse information
   about the lists  hosted on the local server, and  subscribe, set their
   options, etc. This uses the X-CONFIRM protocol to prevent spoofing.
 
5. Subscriber assistance for all  lists: users within the licensed domain
   can use  the server to  help them manage their  LISTSERV subscriptions
   with  point and  click  ease. This  is basically  #3  with the  server
   keeping track of who is subscribed to what list (local or global), and
   the necessary authentication.
 
6. List owner  assistance for  local  lists:  the  list configuration  is
   displayed in  a GUI fashion.  The list owner  can modify all  sorts of
   things by clicking around, and finally update the list.
 
To answer the obvious question, there will be some serious authentication
but I do  not want to discuss this  in public. I am not in  a position to
give a release date either because  we have not explored all the question
marks. But we are definitely working on WWW support.
 
>(7)  A way to allow list owners to store files that will be accessible
>     via anonymous FTP, gopher, and WWW, as well as by LISTSERV
>     (assuming that the filelist for the list is accessible).
 
All you have to  do is create a directory that is  somehow linked to your
FTP area and gopher/WWW servers and ask LISTSERV to put the files there.
 
  Eric