An update on a few issues. Delivery may have appeared spotty last week. I
updated the mailserver software on Sunday the 22nd, but began experiencing an
intermittent bug that sometimes slows delivery of the mail. The mailserver's
developer is working on an update that fixes this problem and I expect it to
be released shortly.
I was hoping that the upgrade would help fix some of the WARNING problems that
people have been experiencing, in particular hotmail subscribers. The new
server software has some additional bounce controls that I have been
adjusting, but WARNING problems persist. I am still working on this issue and
am not happy that I have not yet solved it.
About various virus comments that people have been making: To my knowledge, no
virus or worm has ever been spread via the list itself. Several times in the
past, list members have received viruses from other list members. In such
cases, the viruses/worms have masqueraded themselves as list posts from the
infected member, not because the viruses know about the list or use it as a
mechanism to spread themselves, but because they extract information from the
infected person's address book and inbox contents and use that information to
disguise themselves. One clue that a message has not come from the list
although it may otherwise appear to is the presence of an attachment
containing the virus's payload. Since the list began, I have configured the
list software to reject any message containing an attachment, which has been
enough to turn away 99 and 44/100s of all virus-infected mail. It is not a
guarantee that the list will always be virus-free however, so you must remain
on guard against them. Though it isn't a guarantee against infection either,
you would be wise to install and regularly update an anti-virus utility. And
always be suspicious of attachments. Please do not use the list to spread
warnings of viruses, or in fact warnings of anything that have nothing to do
with the private ownership of military vehicles.
As far as splitting the list goes, people are of course free to implement
whatever lists they wish through other venues. A number of portals offer list
management of one sort or another. I have not considered splitting mil-veh
because the traffic is still quite light compared to lists about other topics.
Also, one of the strengths of the list is the cross-pollination that occurs
when people with slightly different but still closely related areas of
expertise exchange information within a comfortable environment. If people
really wanted it, I could, for example, set up several separate lists and also
redirect all those postings into the independent uber-list of mil-veh. People
would then have the choice of following the more topic-specific list only or
enjoy the amalgamated list. This has its own problems, though, not the least
of which would be the inevitable fragmentation of expertise as well as the
confusion that would ensue. How to divide them up? Where would posts go for
topics that don't quite seem to fit in a more specific list, but *possibly*
could? If the list was much more popular, with a few hundred postings a day,
it would be easier to justify several lists. One final reason to not split the
list is the camaraderie that you have all built over the years. Though not a
huge community by most standards, you have built a very solid, very upbeat,
and very supportive one. With no other pressures on the list, I personally
don't see a need to risk those strengths. Another alternative, and one that I
would be much more receptive to, would be to start another list called
off-topic@mil-veh.org. This would be an appropriate outlet for all the posts
have no relationship to the private ownership of military vehicles but do
relate to the friendships that have formed. I wouldn't subscribe the mil-veh
membership to it; rather, I would offer it as a channel of expression for any
other topics that you all would like to talk about amongst yourselves. For
example, I do not want discussion about administrative matters and my messages
in particular to be conducted on the list, but off-topic@mil-veh.org would be
an excellent place for it. I really don't know what might come of such a list,
but it is one possibility for additional communication.
I also depend on you to keep the list going. I urge you to maintain civility
in your posts. I have enough to do to work on the projects of my employer and
keep the list and archive website and net connection running. I don't run the
list with a heavy hand and I don't want to have to. Keep your discussions both
polite and on-topic, and you will be helping the list remain a friendly,
useful place.
--Arthur
Mil-Veh List Admin
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue May 01 2001 - 07:42:42 PDT