Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cica!iuvax!rutgers!umn-d-ub!rhealey
From: rhealey@umn-d-ub.d.umn.edu (Rob Healey)
Newsgroups: comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: Imminent death of UUCP Zone predicted
Message-ID: <110@umn-d-ub.d.umn.edu>
Date: 13 Jul 90 17:34:54 GMT
References: <100@raysnec.UUCP> <269B82AE.415E@intercon.com> <104@raysnec.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: U of Minnesota-Duluth, Information Services
Lines: 32

In article <104@raysnec.UUCP> shwake@raysnec.UUCP (Ray Shwake) writes:
>In article <269B82AE.415E@intercon.com> amanda@mermaid.intercon.com (Amanda Walker) writes:
>>> 		user@sitename	(specified user AT specified sitename)
>>> 		site!...!site!user	(reach user by following this path)
>>Fine so far.  However, the second is not an address.  It is a route.  There
>>are many mailers that blur the distinction, but it is there nonetheless.
>
>	Of COURSE it's a route. But it's also an address. Just like the
>	scribble on the front of the USnail envelope you received yesterday
>	is both address and route.
>
	Bzzzzzzzzzzt, but thank you for playing.

	OK, the first address is an ADDRESS. It says WHERE to go but NOT
	HOW to get there.

	The second one is a ROUTE. It tells you WHERE to go and HOW to
	get there... B^). There is a MAJOR distinction here. The address
	you put on a USnail mail is an ADDRESS only. You don't tell the
	post office how it should go about doing it's business. If you
	send two letters IDENTICALLY addressed but mailed some time unit
	apart they will both arrive at the destination, if you're lucky B^),
	but the post office may have used DIFFERENT ROUTES to send them based
	on what plane/truck was going where at a certain time.

	NOW, can we all see why a user@f.q.d.n is an ADDRESS and
	!just!a!little!bang!fest!user is a ROUTE and that the two are
	NOT the same although the end effect may be?

		I'll shut up now,

		   -Rob