Forwarded message:

From: Eric Murray <ericm@lne.com> Subject: Re: Network of majordomos (fwd) Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 09:20:04 -0800 (PST)

Jim Choate writes:

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From: Greg Broiles <gbroiles@netbox.com> Subject: Network of majordomos

I still think you're just rediscovering Usenet technology. Instead of installing Majordomo, why not install INN, pass traffic as newsgroup(s) (if you don't like alt.cypherpunks, you could simply start your own top-level cpunks group(s)), and leave your NNTP port(s) open (or read-only, if you're an evil CIA brain-stealing censor) so that cpunks at large could connect with

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Did you get it running last nite Greg? When do you expect to be able to handle traffic?

Jim, this sort of petty back-biting is exactly what we DON'T need.

Huh? I just inquired as to whether he had done anything with his suggestion. Nothing petty or back-biting at all. We've had what 2 days warning? Already there are 2 majordomo's which are in the process of setting up, we have a third waiting on name registration and setup, and finaly one that I haven't heard back on as to the validity of the original offer. I would very much like to have a mail-to-news gateway involved. If either of you come online you are welcome to get feeds from SSZ (can't speak for the other remailer operators). There are already about a dozen test subscribers on SSZ and ask Igor about algebra.com. I suspect we will have the two list servers at SSZ and algebra connected within 24-48 hours. Right now Igor is setting up the cpunks-hosts list for planning and as soon as at least 1 more person I know of gets on we will be ready to go on the various mods on the SSZ end.

I understand how much fun it is to build something new, but Greg is correct, Usenet news already does what you want and it isn't any harder to set up than Majordomo (I've done both more than once). I'm willing to set up a news server to serve a private (not under Usenet hierarchy) cypherpunks hierarchy, as long as I'm not the only one.

So when do you expect to go live? Would you mind clarifying what you mean by the only one?

I also think that you and Igor and whoever else should go ahead with your distributed Majordomo. And people with other plans should go through with them also. I don't see the inevitable seperation of the list into fragments as being a problem (more like the cross-posting between the fragments will be the problem). Eventuallay, as the systems evolve and people switch between them one will gain the most readership and become the dominant way of propagating "the list". But the information will get out, somehow, no matter what.

It could happen. I don't hold to the 'medium is the message' theme however. If we can arrange a mail-news feed then the distinction is moot. Some people don't want to stay up to date and involved, newsgroups are great for them. Mail lists however offer a more immediate interaction. Then for the more scholarly we should have archive sites available with as much of the list/newsgroup traffic as is possible. So far no body has offered to act as a archive site, any takers? Jim Choate CyberTects ravage@ssz.com