Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site allegra.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!don
From: don@allegra.UUCP (Don Mitchell)
Newsgroups: net.mail
Subject: Allegra and Domains
Message-ID: <5203@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Oct-85 12:52:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: allegra.5203
Posted: Thu Oct  3 12:52:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Oct-85 05:43:32 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 18

No one has dared to find out what allegra's phone bill is here.  Most
estimates are in the area of 100K or so per year.  In addition to the
phone bills, there is the cost of maintaining a VAX 11/750 that is
totally dedicated to handing the mail traffic.  A dedicated CPU became
necessary when we switched to the new Berkeley mailer (sendmail) which
is stunningly inefficient.  There has been some debate here about
switching to a better mailer, such as the one used in UNIX V8.

There is no interest here at all in supporting domains.  With the
exception of Grapevine, I don't believe there has ever been a major
electronic mail system designed by people who were experts in
communication protocols and networking.  It is a pity that our
community has been served so poorly.  All sorts of interesting things
grew up around Grapevine, because it was so simple and general.

However, as Linderman said, we want to see the USENET survive and
function.  Despite the randomness of its design, it ties together an
interesting community of people.


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