From: pe@dasc.nl (Peter J. Ebbelink)
Newsgroups: news.admin,news.groups,news.newusers.questions
Subject: Code Of Practice "Distribution: " header
Summary: Can someone point out EXACTLY how to use "Distribution: "??
Keywords: abuse ignorance
Date: 8 Apr 92 22:04:59 GMT
Organization: Data Sciences B.V.

I noticed some strangeness in the default distribution when following up
an article. Most of the times there seems NO "Distribution: " header
or the header seems wrong. Now I'm no expert on news headers and
definitely not on the Distribution item, but it always seemed to me that
the distribution header has nothing in common with the news group you
posted an article to; it rather describes the audience which will
receive the posting.  This way I could post, e.g., a dutch posting to
comp.sys.sun provided I made the distribution "nlnet" (restricting
distribution to "nlnet", which is mainly the Netherlands)
On a recent attempt to catch the use on the Distribution: header I
grepped the complete contents of my (extreemly limited) news spool
directory. What I found astounished me: Distributions that equaled the
newsgroup, an empty distribution header, distribution called "alt" or
"gnu", public, galaxy, etc. Even distribution header with "local".
Distribution items seperated by spaces, comma's or both. Etc, etc.
A uniq sorted list is attached.

COULD SOMEONE _PLEASE_ SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS MATTER AND INFORM THOSE
WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE Distribution: HEADER???
An other question: How comes I receive those postings, shouldn't those
postings be rejected by the posting software?

If someone has a tight-fit, ready to roll answer, please post, if you
know only bits and pieces, mail and I'll summarize.

Thanks,

Peter

./comp/os/msdos/apps/4004:Distribution: 
./comp/databases/6475:Distribution: all
./alt/toolkits/xview/154:Distribution: alt
./alt/sources/wanted/649:Distribution: alt.sources.wanted
./comp/archives/5396:Distribution: bc
./comp/ai/edu/118:Distribution: bionet
./bit/listserv/novell/15561:Distribution: bit
./comp/unix/wizards/4649:Distribution: comp
./comp/arch/8698:Distribution: comp.arch
./comp/databases/6429:Distribution: comp.databases,comp.object
./comp/dcom/lans/ethernet/429:Distribution: comp.dcom.lans.ethernet
./comp/fonts/2090:Distribution: comp.fonts comp.windows.ms
./comp/graphics/8218:Distribution: comp.graphics
./comp/graphics/8422:Distribution: comp.graphics.visualization,comp.graphics
./comp/lang/ada/2326:Distribution: comp.lang.ada
./comp/lang/c/12757:Distribution: comp.lang.c
./comp/lang/c/12910:Distribution: comp.lang.c , comp.sys.sgi , comp.lang.c++
./comp/lang/c/13043:Distribution: comp.lang.c++,comp.sys.sgi
./comp/lang/postscript/4482:Distribution: comp.lang.postscript
./comp/mail/misc/2783:Distribution: comp.mail.misc
./comp/os/msdos/apps/3948:Distribution: comp.os.msdos.apps
./comp/periphs/printers/1916:Distribution: comp.periphs.printers
./comp/protocols/iso/1017:Distribution: comp.protocols.iso
./comp/protocols/nfs/2192:Distribution: comp.protocols.nfs
./comp/protocols/tcp-ip/5178:Distribution: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
./comp/protocols/tcp-ip/ibmpc/4807:Distribution: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
./comp/specification/391:Distribution: comp.specification
./comp/sys/sun/misc/1425:Distribution: comp.sun.misc
./comp/sys/atari/st/11942:Distribution: comp.sys.atari.st
./comp/sys/atari/st/tech/4610:Distribution: comp.sys.atari.st.tech
./comp/misc/3510:Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
./comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/18164:Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
./comp/sys/intel/975:Distribution: comp.sys.intel
./comp/sys/novell/4907:Distribution: comp.sys.novell
./comp/lang/c/13042:Distribution: comp.sys.sgi,comp.lang.c++
./comp/sys/sun/admin/1647:Distribution: comp.sys.sun.admin, comp.sys.sun.misc
./comp/sys/sun/apps/522:Distribution: comp.sys.sun.apps
./comp/sys/sun/hardware/1008:Distribution: comp.sys.sun.hardware
./comp/sys/sun/misc/1424:Distribution: comp.sys.sun.misc
./comp/sys/sun/wanted/407:Distribution: comp.sys.sun.wanted, comp.sys.sun.apps, comp.sys.sun.misc, comp.sys.sun.hardware
./comp/unix/aix/7889:Distribution: comp.unix.aix
./comp/unix/aux/3158:Distribution: comp.unix.aux
./comp/unix/aux/3160:Distribution: comp.unix.aux,comp.sys.mac.announce
./comp/unix/misc/2748:Distribution: comp.unix.misc
./comp/unix/questions/10490:Distribution: comp.unix.questions
./comp/windows/interviews/2172:Distribution: comp.windows.interviews
./comp/os/msdos/programmer/10138:Distribution: comp.windows.ms.programmer
./comp/windows/x/16882:Distribution: comp.windows.x
./comp/windows/x/motif/5767:Distribution: comp.windows.x.motif
./comp/binaries/ibm/pc/archives/2409:Distribution: de
./comp/sys/atari/st/12059:Distribution: eunet
./comp/protocols/tcp-ip/5151:Distribution: gandalf
./gnu/ghostscript/bug/789:Distribution: gnu
./comp/security/announce/25:Distribution: inet
./local/sybase/list/2:Distribution: local
./news/software/b/4037:Distribution: news
./news/software/anu-news/1710:Distribution: news,world
./news/newusers/questions/3570:Distribution: news.newusers.questions
./news/software/nntp/987:Distribution: news.software.nntp
./news/software/readers/320:Distribution: news.software.readers
./nlnet/misc/2168:Distribution: nlnet
./comp/periphs/1153:Distribution: rec.games.misc
./alt/toolkits/xview/149:Distribution: world
./comp/sys/ibm/pc/hardware/17958:Distribution: world, galaxy
./comp/os/msdos/apps/3894:Distribution: world,inet,bitnet
./comp/sys/atari/8bit/2796:Distribution: world,local
./news/groups/18291:Distribution: world,public
-- 
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                      pe@dasc.nl (Peter J. Ebbelink)
   Data Sciences BV, P.O.Box 22669, 1100 DD Amsterdam, Voice: 31 20-6520652
         System Manager IVS & ACS2, Network manager IVS & ACS2,
            Infrastructure manager IVS/ACS2, UNIX consultant.
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