[net.mail] bitnet gateway

glc@akgua.UUCP (08/25/84)

In reply to Peter Day at Emory;:

>I successfully sent a note to a user on BITNET using the address
>akgua!psuvax1!user@uhupvm1.BITNET (University of Houston,
>University Park campus).  The note was sent on Aug 17 but did not
>arrive until Aug 23.
>
>I have some questions:
>
>(1) Is 6 days a typical time to go through this path, or was there
>	a problem (say at psuvax1)?

The folks at psuvax1 were in the process of moving their computer
to a new location.  Consequently, it was off the air entirely for
about six days.  All mail routed to them via "akgua" was held here
until they answered their telephone.  As best I can tell, nothing
was lost; merely delayed.
 
To answer the general question; delays are usually induced by
telephone budgets.  Many sites wait until the lowest rates are in
effect before making long-distance calls.  Some sites also "batch"
outgoing mail, and only make one long call rather than four or five
short ones.

Cheers,
  Lindsay

Lindsay Cleveland  (...{ihnp4|mcnc|sdcsvax|clyde}!akgua!glc)
AT&T Technologies/Bell Laboratories ... Atlanta, Ga
(404) 447-3909 ...  Cornet 583-3909