Is the "Listserv" name protected by copyright or patent? I am appending a strange exchange of messages. Yesterday tried to set myself NOMAIL on one of the lists to which I subscribe. This is what I did: To: SMTP%"[log in to unmask]" CC: FACSHAFERI Subj: set christlit nomail This is the response I received (I edited out large chunks in the headers in all the following messages): Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 22:14:20 -0600 Subject: Error Condition Re: Invalid request X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Comment: Bethel College List Manager >SET CHRISTLIT NOMAIL Invalid SET option NOMAIL Syntax: set <list> [<option> <arg[s]>] option: mail, password, address, conceal arg for 'mail': ack/noack/postpone/digest args for 'password': <current-password> <new-password> args for 'address': <current-password> <new-address> arg for 'conceal': yes/no So I wrote to the listowner: To: SMTP%"[log in to unmask]" CC: FACSHAFERI Subj: Are you using listserv? I just tried to set myself nomail and received an odd error message that didn't sound at all like the listserv error messages I ordinarily receive. In addition, several of the available commands looked quite alien--more so than the difference I might expect between versions of listserv (I am used to 1.8b). Anyway, I signed off for the time being. I hope *that* command did what it was supposed to do. Pax, Ingrid Shafer [log in to unmask] & [log in to unmask] http://astro.temple.edu/arcc Date: Wed, 13 Mar 1996 22:39:54 -0600 Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]> From: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: SIGNOFF CHRISTLIT X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas You have been removed from list [log in to unmask] Thanks for being with us. Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 09:30:54 -0600 Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]> From: "Daniel E. Ritchie" <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: "Daniel E. Ritchie" <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Are you using listserv? Yes, we use a listserv Dan Ritchie ********************************** Am I justified in writing back to Ritchie and telling him that "listserv" is not a generic term for list distribution software? Presumably the "Listprocessor-Version: 6.0b -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas" they are using functions somewhat like listserv but isn't the same program, and calling this a "listserv" is even more noxious and misleading than referring to the individual list as a "listserv" (something else I've been trying to discourage). People should be able to expect consistency in command structure if they sign up with something called "listserv@*"! Am I being unreasonable? Should I pursue this? Is there something else I need to know? Ingrid Shafer [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] Listowner: [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask] http://astro.temple.edu/~arcc