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From: ecl@mtgzy.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Why distributions don't work
Message-ID: <2421@mtgzy.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Feb-87 15:44:10 EST
Article-I.D.: mtgzy.2421
Posted: Sun Feb 22 15:44:10 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Feb-87 02:31:54 EST
Organization: AT&T, Middletown NJ
Lines: 29
Keywords: routing

For quite a while now, people have been complaining about messages targeted at
a specific area getting sent to the whole world.  They have asked why the
"Distribution:" option isn't being used.  Well, I've tried using it, but the
messages still go to the whole world.  I think I finally see why.

I have several times now seen articles that originated in New Jersey but have
come to my site (also in New Jersey) via Colorado.  This is undoubtedly due
to the practice of routing Usenet traffic via the cheapest route available.
In our (AT&T's) case, we have "free" (non-uucp) routes to other AT&T sites 
and so often route there.  If I make a posting in New Jersey that has a
distribution of "nj", one of two things can happen:
	1) The site in Colorado that gets the article on the way to another
		New Jersey site can reject it because of the distribution.
		But then the other NJ site doesn't get it and complains.
	2) The site ignores distributions and passes everything.  Since
		traffic is free, these sites have no incentive to throw out
		"incorrect" distributions.  Eventually the article leaves
		AT&T--possibly not in NJ--and then people get upset.

So you tell me: how does one manage the sys files so that all the NJ sites
get "nj" postings and no one else does?  Consider that the internal routing may
be something like NJ->CO->CO->IL->NJ.  I suspect this is not entirely an AT&T
phenomenon either--other companies surely have leased lines that are used for
interstate transmission.

					Evelyn C. Leeper
					(201) 957-2070
				UUCP:	ihnp4!mtgzy!ecl
				ARPA:	mtgzy!ecl@rutgers.rutgers.edu