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From: timcc@csv.viccol.edu.au (Tim Cook)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: How can I remain calm?
Message-ID: <2423@csv.viccol.edu.au>
Date: 16 Oct 89 16:18:23 GMT
References: <1989Oct11.211031.10051@ee.rochester.edu> <1989Oct11.235430.9923@eda.com>
Organization: Computer Services, Victoria College, Melbourne
Lines: 33

In article <1989Oct11.235430.9923@eda.com>, jim@eda.com (Jim Budler) writes:
> deke@ee.rochester.edu (Dikran Kassabian) writes:
> 
> } Under what circumstances can my sys file get requested by and sent to others?
> } For what purpose?
>
>	...
> 
> Nothing to worry about, unless you really truly don't want people to
> know about your news connections for some reason.
> 
> However, given that you are running cnews, if you chose to be paranoid
> about it, you can edit the script /usr/lib/newsbin/ctl/sendsys like so:

[context diff to make Cnews paranoid deleted]

Please note that modifiying Cnews to respond to a "sendsys" message with a
message containing "Sorry, we don't do sendsys", will leave you with a
non-standard news system.  It is quite clearly stated in the Usenet news
RFC that your sys file is regarded as public information, and therefore
response to a "sendsys" message is regarded as the fulfillment of a right,
and a mandatory part of the news software, designed to make the attainment
of this right automatic.

Also, should an effort be made to save all the sendsys responses being
received by moocow?  Surely they would be valuable.  This could be known as
the Great Usenet Census of 1989.

--
Tim Cook	Systems Administrator, Victoria College Computer Services

parrot - n.  An animal that has the ability to imitate man, but not the
             intelligence to refrain from doing so.