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From: rct@occrsh.UUCP (Bob_Tracy)
Newsgroups: news.software.notes
Subject: Re: Want help for news->notes gateway
Message-ID: <130@occrsh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 3-Feb-87 11:33:47 EST
Article-I.D.: occrsh.130
Posted: Tue Feb  3 11:33:47 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Feb-87 04:37:26 EST
References: <224400002@mirror> <224400003@mirror>
Reply-To: rct@occrsh.UUCP (Bob_Tracy)
Organization: AT&T Network & Computer Systems, OKC
Lines: 32

In article <224400003@mirror> rs@mirror.UUCP writes:
>
>
>
>    Rick Adams made a casual(?) comment at Usenix that provides the
>    right way to handle this situation:  have the news->notes gateway
>    ignore any groups it can't find in /usr/lib/news/active.
>

This assumes that the news software and the notes software exist on the
same machine, or at least that the active file is conveniently accessible
via a local network.  The idea has merit, particularly when one notices
the number of bogus newsgroups that people are attempting to post to
"just to make sure that someone sees this."

Unfortunately, this solution is not as automatic as it needs to be if
the news software resides at a remote feed site.  However, I suspect
that once the USENET reorganization effort settles down a bit, the active
file will be stable enough that it won't matter that an up-to-the-minute
copy can't be had immediately.

Perhaps the news software could strip bogus newsgroups from the
"Newsgroups:" header line at the originating system.  I can see problems
with this approach as well, since "bogosity" would depend on the
originating system's active file.  (It is intended that downstream sites
would not alter the "Newsgroups:" line.)  Discussion?

All in all, using the active file as a reference is a simple, yet elegant
part of the solution.

--Bob Tracy	AT&T Network & Data Systems	Oklahoma City Works
{most AT&T sites}!occrsh!rct