Newsgroups: bit.listserv.lstsrv-l
Date:         Wed, 2 Sep 1992 10:59:09 CET
From:         Cristina Blanxer <ZCOCBF01@EBCESCA1.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: My experiences with LISTEARN
              1 Sep 1992 21:51:35 EDT from <HARRY@VM.MARIST.EDU>

   Hello to everybody.
  I'm the postmaster at listserv @EB0UB011.
  I would like to make some comments to what Harry Williams seems to have
suffer.
  First of all, it must be notice that since Miguel Angel Campos and
Jose Maria Blasco left the University of Barcelona, NOBODY has taken
care of ANY server AT ALL. Time to time some part time people tried
to get them surviving, bat that was all.
  To this situation has to be added that the IBM3090 that holds all the
servers was given to a new center (CESCA) by the Univerity. This center
sarted a year and a half ago. In total, we are not more than 20 people,
and (till 4 months ago) ONLY 1 person in comunications who also was in
charge of all the servers (netserv, listserv, trickle,relay..). When I
arrived (in january), the other person left.
  I think that Harry Williams never has tried to learn how a EARN-server
works wihtout on-line help. Otherwise, he would have realize that the
lack of GOOD documentation is the normal situation. Only thanks to the
cooperation and help of extremely good professionals of the net, I've
been able to do something more than just have the servers runing.
  Just before the summer I started worrying about LISTSERV. As it is
running under HPO and this will be stooped, it was decided to migrate
it to XA (at the same machine). That could be the best, and install
a new LISTSERV and keep it updated and runing in good conditions, ins-
talling the fixes when necessary and doing something as simple as loo-
king at the error messages everyday to try to solve them.
  So I started getting documentation (my good, had work||), learning
about LISTSERV and LISTEARN ( ??; here,I get lost), installing the new
list server and getting in contact with list owners (and when the owners
said they didn't know what to do, getting in contact with postmasters).
  That's when I get in contact with the golbal owners (BITNCGLO KEYWORDS)
of all the BITNIC lists and find no much cooperation. Which on the other
hand is allright whith me: first, now exists Bitnet-II and second, Spain
is at the bottom of Europe and maybe it's not the most logical place to
have a server that distributes users far at the top. Plus the fact that
if I want to give good service, it will be easier with less lists (still
only me for EARN stuff and other duties).
  I appreciate all the hard work Harry Williams is doing.The funniest
thing is that i could have done all this work, as I'm one of the global
owners (I use the same userid that had Miguel Angel Campos) and sure it
would have been esier from here. Plus the fact that maybe I know a bit
better LISTEARN and could have help Harry with his troubles.
  I want to remark that i don't know what (and why ) differences exist
between LISTEARN and LISTSERV. But the server here would have work nicely
if somebody had taken care of it constantly over the years.
  Finally, thanks to all for getting till the end of this disclaimer, and
reamrking that this list has been another important way of getting
information.

            Cristina Blanxer.
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU