Since the 27th of March, when the Utoronto changed machines that the
Listserv ran on some changes have been noticed. While mailing to, and
receiving mail from the list has basically remained unchanged, some
traumatic changes have occurred also.
Specifically, the index option for receiving a list of messages at the end
of the day, with an opportunity to order the ones you want to receive, is no
longer supported. This was an option that those receiving 'to much mail'
could use to pick and choose the topic of the day, of their choosing. This
option was also useful for those in countries that charge by the minute online.
The author of the Listserv program has indicated that the index option will
return in future versions of the program....in the future.
The database functions that we used the 'tools' for, are not present in the
flavors of Listserv that run on the various 'boxes', hosts institutions are
converting to. The newer, faster, cheaper machines use different operating
systems than the main frame and minis that Listserv was originally written
for. The old machines were on a common world-wide network called Bitnet.
This network will cease to exist after the end of this year. The Bitnet
world is changing to the internet style of addressing and traffic handling.
The old Listserv program expected the machine that was running Listserv to
be connected to the Bitnet network and sent all of the outgoing mail to a
'gateway' which was a Bitnet machine that was connected to not only Bitnet
but the internet. Internet mail then was sent directly to the recipient over
common carriers, from this 'gateway'. The new machines are connected
directly to the internet.
WHAT WERE THE DATABASE FUNCTIONS THAT ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE?
Previously every message sent to Parkinsn was indexed with a number and put
in the archives. Every message during a particular week was archived in log
file. The log files dated from the first message sent to the list to the
last. Each one of these log files was like a file cabinet.
HOW MANY MESSAGES DO THESE LOG FILES CONTAIN?
Month Messages/Month AVG Message/Day
Feb 95 299 10
Mar 95 432 14
Apr 95 379 13
May 95 486 16
Jun 95 459 15
Jul 95 592 20
Aug 95 789 26
Sep 95 776 26
Oct 95 630 21
Nov 95 778 26
Dec 95 652 22
Jan 96 727 24
The first six months in 1995 = 15
The last six months in 1995 = 25
The length of these messages vary from 2 or 3 lines to 600 to 700 lines.
Studies and articles in the archives average about the latter.
Under the old Listserv program any thing and everything could be searched
using the 'tools'. Under the 'New' Listserv, you can only order individual
logfiles using the GET command sent to the listserv. Any searching will have
to be done once that file is on your machine. Special software will be
needed to index the words for specific searches. Ordering logfiles will
require longer times to download your mail which the logfiles are sent as.
The reference works and studies in the archives will be on the most part
inaccessable to the bulk of the Parkinsn list subscribers.
The gopher files which some searched online are not being maintained. The
machine on which these logfiles reside is due for retirement.
Catching up on messages received while you had your subscription set to
nomail will be more difficult now. In order to see those messages you will
have to GET the applicable logfiles for that period.
In short, things evolve. In terms of the heritage of the Parkinsn list, our
archives have been made inaccessable to many and more difficult to find the
proverbial 'needle in the haystack' for those who used to access them
regularly. The archives were accessed about 30 times a day by those who made
use of this resource.
Statistically, only about 1% of the Parkinsn list members made use of the
archives and another 2 or 3% who ordered the studies and articles of the
"Current Topics...." message monthly. The author of Listserv and his
successor company, didn't consider the impact of eliminating the database
functions from Listserv ported to other machines would have on the research
community. Institutions license the software and therefore are the 'end
user' rather than us, the 'real' end users. We had no voice, nor a seat at
the negotiating table. The author was real defensive when it was announced
by the researchers that 'the Emperor wore no clothes'.<grin>
HOW WILL I GET BY WITHOUT THE ARCHIVES?
Read your mail, save what interests you. Once you have deleted it....it will
be gone.
Other avenues are being sought out.
John Cottingham "The parkinsn list brings Knowledge, Comfort, Hope, and
Homeboy Friendship to the parkinsonian world."
LibraryH Parkinson's Chat on the Undernet 8:30 PM CST -6 Daily.
If you access the Internet through a provider with a
[log in to unmask] PPP/SLIP account, free IRC chat software is available. WFD
