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Path: utzoo!utgpu!utfyzx!sq!msb
From: msb@sq.UUCP
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: Why distributions don't work
Message-ID: <1987Feb27.172927.12149@sq.uucp>
Date: Fri, 27-Feb-87 17:29:27 EST
Article-I.D.: sq.1987Feb27.172927.12149
Posted: Fri Feb 27 17:29:27 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Feb-87 08:38:20 EST
References: <2421@mtgzy.UUCP>
Reply-To: msb@sq.UUCP (Mark Brader)
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto
Lines: 21
Keywords: routing
Checksum: 61860

> 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.

Obviously with the present news software you don't*!  The easiest workaround
would seem to be for the non-New-Jersey sites that may reasonably relay nj
messages to be treated as part of New Jersey, and for readers on those sites
to realize that they may see some irrelevant articles.  Dropping the articles'
Distribution lines is definitely wrong, as it may cause them to propagate far
beyond the few relaying sites.  The only remaining alternatives are to
augment the software to allow articles to be relayed but not retained
locally*, or to not use such routes even if they are cheap.

*Actually, this may BE possible with at least some news versions --
 if the feed isn't batched.

I've waited a couple of days for a more expert response to appear before
I posted, and not seen any.  Maybe our feed is held up.

Mark Brader		"Wise wives welcome spring by moving the UNIX"
utzoo!sq!msb