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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!lll-lcc!ptsfa!amdahl!sun!oliveb!epimass!jbuck
From: jbuck@epimass.UUCP (Joe Buck)
Newsgroups: net.news.adm
Subject: Re: a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
Message-ID: <432@epimass.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Aug-86 21:19:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: epimass.432
Posted: Fri Aug 29 21:19:17 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Aug-86 04:55:16 EDT
References: <5048@decwrl.DEC.COM> <15454@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: jbuck@epimass.UUCP (Joe Buck)
Organization: Entropic Processing, Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 32

In article <15454@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> jordan@ucbarpa.Berkeley.EDU (Jordan Hayes) writes:
	[ Quote from Brian Reid about bad #L lines ]

>ps: I agree that this is a problem and should be cleared up. I also
>    think that the maps in general could use a shakedown. Wouldn't it
>    seem reasonable to reject map changes that are in the wrong format?
>    Who is taking care of the bay area maps?

No, it's not reasonable at all.  Accurate connection information
benefits the net as a whole; rejecting someone's entry because of an
error in the #L line is foolish.  If someone sends a map update, it's
quite likely because the current map may cause mail to be lost.

It the person came close, the best solution would be for the
map-maintaining volunteer to fix it, and mail back the corrected copy
to the sender.  If that's too much work, I'd rather have an incorrect
#L line.  

One way of putting pressure on people to improve their #[A-Z] lines
would be to post some software that actually does something
interesting with them.  As long as they are just comments, there's
little incentive to maintain them.

On the other hand, out-of-date information is worse than no
information.  Having map entries expire after, say, two years
(or even one year) would probably improve the accuracy tremendously.



-- 
- Joe Buck 	{ihnp4!pesnta,oliveb,nsc!csi}!epimass!jbuck
  Entropic Processing, Inc., Cupertino, California