In article <listserv%200907191100179096.0...@bama.ua.edu> you write: >I follow the list using Google Groups digest in order to be prompted to check >topics and the archives for when I want to contribute. > >From time to time with a topic which appears in the Google Groups digest in >which I may be interested I discover that a post has not managed to get into >the archives while it is found - bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - in Goggle >Groups. > >Has anyone an explanation for that and, if so, have they any standard advice >I can pass on to the contributor who very possibly is not getting to the >audience he or she thinks he or she should be reaching and possibly whose >erudite contributions will not be getting into the archive that matters to say >nothing of the contributor waiting for the gem that is going to solve >his or her >problem - possibly disguised as an "issue"?
No, its not an issue, its just an artifact of how this list works. You may not realize it but there are TWO entities called IBM-MAIN. One is a mailing list hosted at the listserver at bama.ua.edu. The second is the usenet group named "bit.listserv.ibm-main". The mailing list has a gateway to the usenet group but there is no reverse gateway. There used to be but it was taken down due to abuse. So if someone originates a post by sending it to the mailing list, it will appear there and ALSO on the usenet group. But if someone originates a post on usenet, it will not be sent to the mailing list. Google Groups is fed from usenet so it is complete. The mailing list archives are ONLY fed by the listserv so they will miss anything that was only posted on usenet. For folks who normally read usenet or Google Groups (which IS usenet although Goggle would like you to believe otherwise) here is what I do and what I suggest all usenet readers do also: 1) Subscribe to the mailing list. 2) Set yourself to NOMAIL on the listserv. 3) When responding to a usenet post, DON'T use Followup. Instead use Reply and make sure that the email address gets set to: "To: IBM-MAIN@bama.ua.edu". That way your response will be seen on both the mailing list and on usenet, and will be in the IBM-MAIN archives at bama. -- Rich Greenberg N Ft Myers, FL, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 239 543 1353 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red, Shasta & Casey (RIP), Red & Zero, Siberians Owner:Chinook-L Retired at the beach Asst Owner:Sibernet-L ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@bama.ua.edu with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
