Only one address had a problem:
 
>    ----- The following addresses have delivery notifications -----
> <[log in to unmask]>  (unrecoverable error)
 
The problem was
 
> 550 <[log in to unmask]>... Host unknown (Name server: orca1.orcalnk.com.:
>  host not found)
 
This means that the host name (ORCALINK.COM) was looked up in the
Domain Name System and found not to exist.  That's considered to
be a permanent error condition.
 
The other errors were possibly transient and sendmail will retry those
addresses later.  That's what Deferred means.
 
LISTSERV does not send a separate copy of the message for every recipient.
Instead it sends one copy for every so many recipients (100, I think).  This
allows only one copy to be sent over the network when there are multiple
recipients on the same host and limits the number of sendmail processes
that get created to send the message (thus conserving system resources).
 
No one ever said that sendmail error messages are user friendly.  :-(
 
 
> In the following error report, one address is cited, but multiple
> addresses are mentioned, for whatever reason.  Could someone explain
> why there isn't just a one-to-one ratio.  i.e. one error message/address.
> (yes, I understand the headache caused by such an idea :)  I'm also to
> assume that each and every address here didn't receive this particular
> posting?
>
> Blaine
> Co-Owner Sex-L
> Owner - Grunge-L
> Owner of Several Baseball Lists on EWorld.com
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:39:54 -0500
> From: L-Soft list server at Texas A&M (1.8b) <[log in to unmask]>
> To: Blaine Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: SEX-L: error report from POSTAL.TAMU.EDU
>
> The enclosed message, found  in the SEX-L mailbox and shown  under the spool ID
> 9138 in the system log, has been identified as a possible delivery error notice
> for the following reason: "X-Report-Type:" field found in the mail header.
>
> ------------------------ Message in error (106 lines) -------------------------
> Return-Path: <>
> Received: from TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@TAMVM1) by TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU
>           (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 8256; Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:39:39 -0500
> Received: from TAMVM1 (NJE origin SMTPG@TAMVM1) by TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU (LMail
>           V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 8254; Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:39:38 -0500
> Received: from postal.tamu.edu by tamvm1.tamu.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP;
>    Tue, 10 Sep 96 10:39:37 CDT
> Received: from localhost (localhost) by postal.tamu.edu (8.7.5/8.7.3) with
>  internal id KAA24481; Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:46:00 -0500 (CDT)
> Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:46:00 -0500 (CDT)
> From: Mail Delivery Subsystem <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Returned mail: Host unknown (Name server: orca1.orcalnk.com.: host not
>  found)
> Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: multipart/report; report-type=delivery-status;
>         boundary="KAA24481.842370360/postal.tamu.edu"
> Auto-Submitted: auto-generated (failure)
>
> This is a MIME-encapsulated message
>
> --KAA24481.842370360/postal.tamu.edu
>
> The original message was received at Tue, 10 Sep 1996 08:54:46 -0500 (CDT)
> from postal.tamu.edu [128.194.103.24]
>
>    ----- The following addresses have delivery notifications -----
> <[log in to unmask]>  (unrecoverable error)
>
>    ----- Transcript of session follows -----
> 451 <[log in to unmask]>... IWI.UNISG.CH: Name server timeout
> 451 <[log in to unmask]>... NETALPHA.COM.BR: Name server timeout
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out during initial
>  connection with john.petra.ac.id.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out during initial connection
>  with orange.orconet.com.
> 451 <[log in to unmask]>... reply: read error from
>  mms.water.ci.detroit.mi.us.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection reset by peer during
>  client RCPT with mms.water.ci.detroit.mi.us.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection refused by mail.msn.com.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: No route to host
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out during initial
>  connection with msus1.msus.edu.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: No route to host
> <[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]
>  EDU>,<[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]>,<[log in to unmask]
>  DELBERG.EDU>,<[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out
>  during initial connection with nike.heidelberg.edu.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out during initial
>  connection with south.pacific.net.
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection
>  timed out during initial connection with cserve-hub3.inhouse.compuserve.com.
> 550 <[log in to unmask]>... Host unknown (Name server: orca1.orcalnk.com.:
>  host not found)
> <[log in to unmask]>... Deferred: Connection timed out during initial
>  connection with elwood.probe.net.
>
> --KAA24481.842370360/postal.tamu.edu
> Content-Type: message/delivery-status
>
> Reporting-MTA: dns; postal.tamu.edu
> Received-From-MTA: DNS; postal.tamu.edu
> Arrival-Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 08:54:46 -0500 (CDT)
>
> Final-Recipient: RFC822; [log in to unmask]
> Action: failed
> Status: 4.4.3
> Remote-MTA: DNS; orca1.orcalnk.com
> Last-Attempt-Date: Tue, 10 Sep 1996 10:41:21 -0500 (CDT)
>
> --KAA24481.842370360/postal.tamu.edu
> Content-Type: message/rfc822
>
> [Message Deleted]
>