On Thu, 11 Jan 2001 13:53:39 -0500, "Margaret J. Brandt" <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>These items were 2 years old.  Why were they still there?  If the list has been running weekly for years, why were these messages waiting for a FREE command to go out?

We don't know why the List came to be in HOLD status.  You would have to examine
the back log file(s) to determine that.  There would be an entry in the log,
because a message goes out to Postmaster (and sometimes to the List Owner, but
not always depending on the reason for the error).  

As to why old files were there, the must have come from some restored process,
old backup tape or some other thing that caused ancient files to suddenly
reappear.  The files would not have been sitting in the LISTSERV spool for 2
years and then suddenly be released when you did the FREE command.  Perhpas what
caused them to arrive at LISTSERV also caused the HOLD to occur.  Again, careful
examination of the log file would tell.