ECHOLIST The EchoMail Conference List FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 01 Dec 95 ELFAQ512.TXT The Echolist Coordinator at 1:1/201 receives quite a bit of netmail asking a variety of questions on the operation of the Echolist, or Elist, and it seems reasonable to try to answer these in a publicly available document, hence this FAQ file. Contents: 1. New Elist Entry 2. Who to Contact 3. Checking information 4. Backbone Distribution 5. Reply Netmail 6. Correct Address 7. Lost Password 8. Inactive Co-Moderator 9. Missing Moderator 10. Expired Echo Tags 11. Echo Highjacking 12. Elist Numbering System 13. Elist Software 1. New Elist Entry ================== I'm new at this and I'm not sure how to get my echo on the Elist. Answer: Obtain the file ELMODnnn.ZIP either by local file request from your Echomail Coordinator or Hub, by freq from 1:1/201 using the magic name ELMOD, or from the Internet Web page http://www.portal.ca/~awalker/elist.htm. Follow the instructions contained in this file carefully, and your Elist entry will be confirmed by netmail from 1:1/201. 2. Who to Contact ================= I have some questions regarding Elisting. Whom should I contact? Answer: The Elist Coordinator is only responsible for maintaining the software and the data files, and ensuring their distribution. For reasons of time, individual inquiries can not usually be answered. Here are the best options: Elist update format: read ELMOD. Getting files locally: write to Net Echomail Coordinator. Latest Elist files: freq ELIST, ELRUL or ELMOD from 1:1/201. Other Elist questions: read ELFAQ (this file). Moderator disputes: write to the Echomail Ombudsman (Jason Steck). Echo highjackings: write to the Echomail Ombudsman (Jason Steck). Forgot Elist password: write to the Zone 1 ZEC (Bruce Bodger). Echo content objections: write to head of distribution system. Understanding help files: write to Net Echomail Coordinator. No luck after all that: write to Region Echomail Coordinator. 3. Checking information ======================= I'd like some information on my Elist entry - would you check it? Answer: Because the Elist contains over 1300 echoes, it is not possible for the Echolist Coordinator to provide information or guidance to each Moderator separately. The Elist archive (ELISTnnn.ZIP) contains this FAQ file and the ELMODnnn.TXT file which between them provide answers to most of the commonly asked questions. The ECHO QUERY function is available as an automated method of obtaining the current listing for any echo, and its format is described in ELMOD. If your question is still not answered after reading these, your next approach, in order, is to ask your sysop, your Net's NEC, and finally your Region's REC. 4. Backbone Distribution ======================== If I get my echo listed in the Elist, does that mean that it is 'on the Backbone'? Answer: No. The Elist is only a reference, providing information to anyone interested in reading it. In fact, it is used by the operators of several different distribution systems. If you wish your echo distributed by a group of Hubs, you should obtain any instructions they may have for getting added to their distribution system. This may include having an Elist entry, but that and any other steps are up to them. 5. Reply Netmail ================ I've dropped off an Elist update. How will I know whether it was received? Answer: The Elist software will generate a routed netmail acknowledgement of any message addressed to it. This includes MOD UPD messages, MOD RUL messages, and ECHO QUERY messages. Alternatively, if you have specified OPTION HOLD the reply will be waiting for you to pick up about 1 hour later (In fact it is usually ready 60 seconds later, but if the Echolist system is processing a major mail dump, your update may be processed at the end of that cycle). By using the ECHO QUERY function explained in the ELMOD file, you can obtain a copy of the latest database entry for a particular echo. Please note that Query messages are processed using the data on file PRIOR TO the arrival of the query message - any updates which arrived at the same time will not be reflected in the query. A successful update is also acknowledged by an automated daily posting in the ECHOLIST echo. Any messages incorrectly formatted, but correctly addressed, will receive a written acknowledgement, and missing data will be noted. In such cases none of the information in the update is used to update the database. If in doubt about formatting the message consult the current version of ELMOD. 6. Correct Address ================== How does the Elist software know when to process a netmail update? Answer: The Elist software is run every time inbound mail is received. It searches the netmail directory at 1:1/201 looking for any messages addressed to 'ECHOLIST' at that address. All other messages are ignored by it. In particular it is important to avoid addressing the update to 'Adrian Walker' at 1:1/201, this being one of the more common addressing errors. These messages are ignored by the Robot and get deleted. With non passworded sessions the packets are inspected automatically to make sure that they are netmail and if so they are moved into the secure inbound area for processing. 7. Lost Password ================ I've lost my Elist password. Can you send it to me? Answer: Sorry but no. The Echolist software functions largely unattended, so such requests are ignored by the Robot, and the Echolist Coordinator does not answer such requests personally. A Moderator in this position should explain the situation to the ZEC for Zone 1 (Bruce Bodger), and will need to convince him that there is good reason to provide him or her with the echo's password. If the ZEC approves of the password release, he may request that the Echolist Coordinator release the password to him for forwarding to you. This ensures that the password only goes to the legitimate moderator. The password transfer to the ZEC is conducted by a secure routed mail link. 8. Inactive Co-Moderator ======================== My co-Moderator has the Elist password but has not updated the entry which is now about to expire. I do not have the password. Can you provide it to me? Answer: Elist passwords are not divulged. If the Moderator of an echo has chosen not to give the co-Moderator the Elist password, it is assumed there is a reason for this, and the Echolist Robot will not compromise the security of the password. This is an issue which should be resolved with the other Moderator. If this proves impossible, Jason Steck, Zone 1 Echomail Ombudsman, has agreed to mediate any such disputes to attempt to help the moderators resolve their differences. 9. Missing Moderator ==================== An echo I am interested in appears to have no moderator, but is still operating. What can I do to revive it? Answer: This is an issue for the participants of the echo to decide on. Sometimes they accept a willing volunteer, and other times they hold an election. Once the decision is made, the new moderator should update the Elist entry. The ZEC for Zone 1 (Bruce Bodger) may provide an echo's password to a replacement moderator AFTER the echo has become unlisted if, in his opinion, the original moderator has abandoned the echo. 10. Expired Echo Tags ===================== I noticed that an echo I am interested in has been deleted from the Elist. Can I take over the tag and send in an update myself? Answer: It depends on how long ago the echo listing expired. When an Elist entry expires after 6 months without being updated, the listing for it is removed from the Elist distribution file. The echo's record is automatically purged from the database 30 days later, so prior to that time only the holder of the password may relist the echo. After that time, the echo tag can be listed by anyone who wishes to do so, and there is no recourse for the previous user of the tag, nor will any correspondence be entered into on the subject. 11. Echo Highjacking ==================== My echo was dropped from the Elist several months ago because I had not updated the listing and now someone else has Elisted it and claims to be the Moderator. Can you give me back my echo? Answer: The Elist does not confer Moderatorship on anyone. It only records information submitted by a Moderator, and to protect that information from alteration by others, a password feature is available and its use encouraged. If a Moderator chooses not to use the password feature, others may get access to the listing. Data for expired echo listings is not purged from the database until 30 days after the listing has been removed from the monthly distribution file. After that the tag may be listed by anyone wishing to do so. Such a listing is not considered a highjacking, and the Echolist Coordinator will not answer correspondence in these cases. 12. Elist Numbering System ========================== What does the Elist 'nnn' numbering system mean? Answer: The Elist files are numbered by taking the last digit of the year (example: 5 for 1995) followed by the month number (example: 07 for July). Thus the files issued in July 1995 are numbered 507 - ELIST507.ZIP contains ELIST507.TXT, ELMOD507.TXT and ELIST507.FAQ. 13. Elist Software ================== What software is used to process the Elist and may I have a copy? Answer: The version 3 software is written in Borland Turbo Pascal version 7 and is custom written for the Elist tasks. It runs on a DOS platform and on a single pass reads the inbound messages, prepares a response, extracts data from update messages, and performs lookup and password checking functions. Separate related programs perform the sorting, updating, expiry warning and deletion functions. It is not available for distribution. Questions which can not be answered by the appropriate NEC or REC, and which require a database search not covered by the QUERY function, may be addressed to the Echolist Coordinator (Adrian Walker) at 1:1/201 by netmail. ---ooo000ooo---