Path: utzoo!utstat!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!van-bc!ubc-cs!alberta!cpsc.ucalgary.ca!ctycal!ingoldsb
From: ingoldsb@ctycal.UUCP (Terry Ingoldsby)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: Strange messages from B news expire
Summary: Strange dates
Keywords: expire, news, Unparsable dates
Message-ID: <502@ctycal.UUCP>
Date: 19 Oct 90 18:56:54 GMT
References: <4793@borabora.omni.com>
Organization: The City of Calgary, Ab
Lines: 25

In article <4793@borabora.omni.com>, bob@omni.com (Bob Weissman) writes:
> I have been getting *hundreds* of these messages every night from
> expire.  Can anyone tell me what they mean and how to get rid of them?
...
>   Oct 11 03:53    news    expire: : Unparsable date "184482407"

We've been getting some peculiar messages about Unparsable dates
at this site, too.  I think I've seen the above format; I've also
seen dates that look slightly more legit, but have 69 as the year.

Also, are there any problems between B and C news.  We (a B news
site) get news from a C news site.  The C news administrator gets
oodles of messages on some days indicating we are sending them
empty news batches.

I have seen my station seem to send more data than I can account
for (i.e. the Telebit shows major `send' for 10 minutes) when I'm
sure no one has sent that much news out.

Could we be returning Unparsable Date news packets?

-- 
  Terry Ingoldsby                ctycal!ingoldsb@calgary.UUCP
  Land Information Services                 or
  The City of Calgary       ...{alberta,ubc-cs,utai}!calgary!ctycal!ingoldsb