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From: heiby@mcdchg.UUCP (Ron Heiby)
Newsgroups: news.software.b,comp.mail.uucp
Subject: Re: A Bug in "Supersedes:" and some comments on map handling.
Message-ID: <2982@mcdchg.UUCP>
Date: 18 Dec 87 16:03:54 GMT
References: <339@spectrix.UUCP>
Reply-To: heiby@mcdchg.UUCP (Ron Heiby)
Organization: Motorola Microcomputer, Schaumburg, IL
Lines: 28

Chris Lewis (clewis@spectrix.UUCP) writes:
> Secondly, even without unpacking, having the
> articles in the spool area isn't terribly useful either (if you don't
> bother unpacking them somehow, what use are they?)

The main thing the articles are useful for in the spool area is for being
sent on to down-stream sites.  If you delete them as soon as they come in
and are un-packed, then they aren't around for "sendbatch" to find.

Chris makes some interesting observations in his article.  I suspect
that with some kind of "common sense" test, the map updating could be
handled a bit more reasonably than the postings I've seen imply it is.
Changes in the entries of some sites have more wide-reaching effects than
changes in the entries of others.  Some changes have little effect on things,
like changing the value of a connection between DEMAND and WEEKLY.  But,
changing a connection from DEMAND to DEAD may have a much greater effect.
It is probably reasonable for map updates to be held until a "large effect"
change or some period of time has gone by.  Also, in the "monthly posting",
it probably is not necessary to post articles that were updated in the
last N days, where N is probably something like 10-20.

I am concerned about traffic volume.  I am also concerned about having
my mail routing be as accurate as is practical.  Perhaps the map coordinators
could say a bit more about their thinking on the trade-offs involved, and
their "philosophy".
-- 
Ron Heiby, heiby@mcdchg.UUCP	Moderator: comp.newprod & comp.unix
"Intel architectures build character."