Well, it's Friday afternoon after a unusually big lunch, so I feel brazen
enough to pose a possible feature which could enhance the ListServ system.
The recent discussions of ListServ/NetNews brought to mind the following
idea which I leave to others to cut up.....
 
What about supplying the user with several options on how s/he gets mail
from a ListServ machine?  The options which come to mind are things like:
 
Immediate delivery - This is the current mode.  Mail coming in gets sent
  to these users ASAP.
 
Overnight delivery - The ListServ would send out the day's submissions
  to users with this flag one time daily.  Mail would still be sent as
  separate items.  (answer's the "I don't like being interupted" folks).
 
<time period> digest - The ListServ create and send out a digest of the
  list submissions over the <time period>.  Time period would probably
  be a limited set such as weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.
 
<time period> abstract - The user would receive a database 'INDEX' of
  submissions over the <time period>, i.e. recall #/date/time/subject.
  Possibly, a function for easily recalling a set of notes from the
  archives could be added, e.g. RECALL <listname> <recall #>...
 
A lot of these can be 'cobbled' together with multiple lists, automatic
digesters, or LSVWAIT jobs which hold/release lists.  However, none of
them would be as simple and clean cut as having a SET <list name>
<delivery option> command.  Also, mail loops could be better protected
against by having such features closely coupled to the ListServ code.
This would also limit confusion over which list to reply to (the digest
list or the daily list or ....)
 
Some of the 'cons' that come to mind are:
 
1) Does sending multiple jobs add a lot to the CPU burden on the host sites?
   Each submittion may have to be processed 3 or more times.  However, the
   extra times can probably be scheduled during slack cycle times.
 
2) All lists will have to be archived for at least the maximum digest time
   period.  This is an additional host site burden. However, don't most
   sites already archive lists?
 
3) Network traffic may go up with multiple list distributions.  However,
   many of these would be during low use periods.  Also, digests would
   actually save time because the mail handlers only have to deal with one
   file.
 
4) Is increasing the 'propagation time' of a list a good thing?  IMHO one of
   the advantages that ListServ has over NetNews is timeliness.  If you need
   help NOW!, it gets your request on people's 'desks' NOW.  NetNews is
   often full of redundant answers because folks have not seen that the
   question has been answered.  ListServ is not immune but it is better
   in this respect than NetNews.
 
5) All the stuff I haven't thought of.....
 
Eric, I know that you have just finished a new release.  I am putting forth
these ideas for general discussion and for you to consider for the future.
 
Greg Monroe  <[log in to unmask]>
Duke's Fuqua School of Business
Durham, NC  27708-0114