david@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (David Robinson) (06/14/91)
In article <1991Jun13.141538.21196@oar.net> karl.kleinpaste@osc.edu writes: >So test your ability to reach the known universe: > > [52] [10:04am] ashley:/usr/lib/news> fgrep .test newsgroups [...] > misc.test For testing of network software. Very boring. [...] > vmsnet.test Test messages. [...] >Pick one or more; I recommend misc.test with a world distribution. >Auto-responders for *.test the world over will babble happily at you >about your postings, if and when they get them. Lack of response is a >wonderful indicator of failing software. If necessary, you can then >argue with your feed's newsadmin over the issue. Great idea. Those of us that are well connected get inflicted with the rash of bounce messages from sites that auto-reply to Path: headers and create incorrect To: lines. True, a lack of response is an indicator of failing software, but that does not guarentee that the failing software is the one you are trying to test. Death to auto-repliers! -David -- David Robinson david@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov {decwrl,usc,ames}!elroy!david Disclaimer: No one listens to me anyway! "To Protect and Serve and Treat You Like a King" - New LAPD motto
DOUG@ysub.ysu.edu (Doug Sewell) (06/14/91)
In article <1991Jun13.182844.16363@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov>, david@elroy.jpl.nasa.gov (David Robinson) says: > >Great idea. Those of us that are well connected get inflicted with the >rash of bounce messages from sites that auto-reply to Path: headers >and create incorrect To: lines. True, a lack of response is an indicator >of failing software, but that does not guarentee that the failing >software is the one you are trying to test. > The 'Path:' statement can't be trusted for a path back to the source for e-mail. Sometimes it's just plain wrong, sometimes it's trying to go back through one-way links, and sometimes it's really round- about. We have an auto-replier program. It uses the Reply-To: header if it's there, otherwise the From: header. Path: is ignored. Our mailer bounces responses without a domain name or non-bitnet unqual- ified domain name. Our SMTP-server bounces mail with bad FQDNs. As a general rule, the only ones that bounce after leaving our site are user@node.uucp, user@node.bitnet, and mx'd sites, and that's usually because of a nonexistent userid. Doug -- Doug Sewell, Tech Support, Computer Center, doug@ysub.bitnet Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH 44555 doug@ysub.ysu.edu Only dead fish go with the flow.