ecragg@GMUVAX.GMU.EDU ("EDWARD CRAGG") (10/04/90)
> Subject: INFO-ADA Digest V90 #179 > I'm wondering why this INFO-ADA digest was posted, since I think all > comp.lang.ada and INFO-ADA messages get cross-posted anyway. Posting the > digests from the other side of the net world is redundant, isn't it? > Mike Feldman I was going to write directly back to Mike on this one, but then I decided that there might be general interest in a brief synopsis as to how INFO-ADA and comp.lang.ada inter-connect, and what happened with respect to v90n179. On the USENEWS side: following the normal anarchical flow, all messages posted to comp.lang.ada (using Pnews or equivalent) work their way to ucbvax.berkley.edu at which point, ucbvax mails the posting to info-ada@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil. I will discuss later what happens there. On INFO-ADA side: all messages to info-ada@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu are automatically forwarded to info-ada@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil. Copies of these messages (plus any messages sent directly from places other than ucbvax) are automatically forwarded to comp-lang-ada@ucbvax.berkley.edu at which point they are posted to comp.lang.ada. (For those who are interested, this is a generic method of posting to unmoderated USENEWS groups from the INTERNET -- simply replace comp-lang-ada by the appropriate news group, replacing the '.'s by '-'s) Now, as far as the Digest goes: The messages (whether sent directly or received via ucbvax) are queued at simtel20. When the queue gets large enough, they are digested and sent out to the INFO-ADA mailing list. This mailing list includes several addresses which then furthur distribute INFO-ADA, either to local distribution lists, or to other networks such as BITNET. Everything is automatic, and unless something goes wrong I do not see any of the digest messages until the completed digest arrives. (the very first copy mailed out goes to me at ajpo, a subsequent "normal addressee" copy eventually arrives at gmuvax.) When errors happen, I either fix them or ask Frank Wancho at simtel20 to fix it. As far as V90#179 went, it actually bombed on it's initial distribution (thats why info-ada recepients got #180 first). It was re-queued and redistributed normally and I have no reason to believe that this had anything to do with the dual posting. What appears to have happened is that one recepient of the digest redistributed it locally, and forgot to edit out INFO-ADA from the address line, which set it back to simtel20. While those of you on comp.lang.ada then got a copy of the whole digest, those of us on INFO-ADA got a digest which included another digest. It appears to be an isolated accident and I am not taking any action. To complete the INFO-ADA discussion, any messages mailed to info-ada-request, whether at simtel20 or at ajpo, eventually make their way to me, and I try to process them within a day or two, although things tend to get a bit behind at the start of the semester and again during final exams. I also manually maintain the digest archives at ajpo, usually updating the archives there every 20-30 digests or so. I have the current semesters digests here at gmuvax for the use of my students, and I roll those off to PC floppies in 6 month increments. This is a bit longer than I intended, but I hope it answered your question Mike. ed ............................................................ Edward E Cragg Bitnet: ECRAGG@GMUVAX Internet: ECRAGG@GMUVAX.GMU.EDU