In Europe we have NOT set the LINKFAIL list to Mail-via= DISTRIBUTE, because this may cause mail to go through servers which do not lay in the direct path between the server housing the list and the intended recipient. For example, mail for CUNYVM people could then be routed (from CEARN) via [log in to unmask] This is not very important for a regular list, but keep in mind that LINKFAIL is used to announce down links. If we had set LINKFAIL to use DISTRIBUTE, it would have been impossible for Austrian NADs to receive notification of AWIIMC11 being down, because LISTSERV@AWIIMC11 is the only LISTSERV in Austria and would have received the distribution. Instead, we have set up peers in all the major nodes where it was deemed to be worthwile, and which mail HAS to go through to reach the destination. If LISTSERV@DEARN can't be reached, it means that DEARN is down and that germany will be unreachable anyway. The only exception to this rule is LINKFAIL@FRECP11, but then we had to do something to relieve the CEARN-FRMOP22 line, and there is no other LISTSERV in France. Eric