Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!mintaka!bloom-beacon!dont-send-mail-to-path-lines
From: mouse@lightning.mcrcim.mcgill.EDU (der Mouse)
Subject: Re: bitmaps
Message-ID: <9105080307.AA24153@lightning.McRCIM.McGill.EDU>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Date: 8 May 91 03:07:58 GMT
Lines: 26

> ftp access is available to anyone with e-mail.
> Try sending a help request to 
> ...bitftp@pucc.bitnet
> or
> ...uunet!pucc.PRINCETON.EDU!BITFTP

There are UUCP sites that block mail to (or, presumably, from)
anonymous-ftp-by-mail addresses as a matter of policy; I know of at
least one in our immediate (electronic) neighborhood.  The problem is
that it's very easy for a naive user to ask for 60Mb of stuff without
realizing that it has to flow through a 2400bps link (say), which tends
to, ah, impair performance for everyone else.  To say nothing of
running up phone bills, if any call along the path is a pay call.

It is true that the site I mentioned that I know is blocking such
things does have a mechanism in place for allowing users who are
trusted to not abuse the service to get through.  I don't know whether
other such sites do; I would hope so.

So while there is such a service available, it may not be possible to
get through, or it may be possible but not easy....

					der Mouse

			old: mcgill-vision!mouse
			new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu