Path: utzoo!utgpu!NDSUVM1!NETNWS-L Date: Thu, 22 Feb 90 12:49:57 EST Reply-To: NETNWS-L Netnews List Sender: NETNWS-L Netnews List From: Bill Gruber Subject: Re: Listserv/Netnews gatewaying To: UofToronto LAN redistribution References: Message of Tue, 20 Feb 90 12:17:56 EST from Message-ID: <90Feb23.023200est.58741@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca> Newsgroups: list.netnws-l Distribution: ut Approved: devnull@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu All this talk about adding LISTSERV lists to NETNEWS reminds me of an "interesting problem" we've had. While we don't subscribe to most of the listserv lists on NETNEWS ourselves (i.e. we get them from our PSU feed), we occasionally get a request to add a particular listserv list to our NETNEWS. Our policy has been to first contact the maintainer of the listserv list to ask permission to gateway the list to NETNEWS. Interestingly enough, WE HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN. And, I'm certain there was no confusion about what we wanted to do and why - the list owner simply felt that he wasn't prepared to deal with a large volume of new articles that NETNEWS might generate. In another case, the owner felt that people interested enough to subscribe would possibly have something to contribute, but those just reading NETNEWS were regarded as people sending "junk mail". Since a list owner can disallow automatic signup, (and thus choose not to signup a NETNEWS machine if a request to do so is received), I wonder if we should be assuming that it's OK to gateway these things without asking permission first. But the fact the we were turned down twice leads me to believe that perhaps we indeed should be asking permission. But I'm not making any further judgements here - the question is perhaps a moot point. Bill Gruber City University of New York