Subj : Echolist FAQ To : All From : Thom LaCosta Date : Tue Aug 01 2000 12:53 am * Copied (from: elist) by Thom LaCosta using timEd 1.10.y2k+. ECHOLIST The Echomail Conference List ELIST FAQ 1 August 2000 ELFA008.TXT The Echobase Echolist Robot echolist 1:1/21 elistin@fido261.qis.net The Echolist Keeper Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352 baltimoremd@baltimoremd.com August 1, 2000 The echolist is copywritten by Thom LaCosta. The Echolist Robot is maintained by Thom LaCosta(1:261/1352, baltimoremd@baltimoremd.com). The Robot is listed in the Fido Nodelist as Echolist 1:1/21 || Notes new or modified information ||THIRD PARTY UPDATES || Moderators may make use of third party update services. Moderators || are cautioned that all confirmation messages are sent to the || submitter, thus a third party, NOT the moderator, will receive || confirmation messages when the echo is updated by that party. || Moderators are responsible for insuring that accurate information || is contained in any update, whether submitted by the moderator or || a third party. ||REVIEW OF THIRD PARTY UPDATES || The Echolist Keeper reserves the right to review any MOD UPD message || submitted by a Third Party. In certain cases, as determined by the || Echolist Keeper, moderators of echoes that have been updated by a || third party will be contacted to validate the information in the || listing. || The Echolist Keepr may take action if it appears the information || submitted by a third party is not an accurate description of the || echo and/or moderator(s) of same. RULES FILES VIA INTERNET Rules files may be submitted to the Echolist Robot either as a standard MOD RUL message or, in the case of very large rules files, they may be sent to rulesin@fido261.qis.net. If the later method is used, the second line of the message must specify the name of the rules file as it it listed in the MOD UPD message. Rules files submitted in this manner will NOT generate a confirmation message to the submitter. MULTIPLE ADDITIONS A new version of the Echolist Robot software has eleiminated the previous problem with multiple add messages causing inaccurate listings. NEW WEB SITE The echolist web site has been moved to: http://www.baltimoremd.com/echolist/ Visitors to previous sites are redirected to the address above WEB SITE ADDITIONS Visitors to the Echolist web site can now submit MOD UPD, MOD DEL, MOD RUL and ECHO QUERY messages to the echolist robot via a convenient form. GROUP Keyword The GROUP keyword may be used to identify which Fido Zone or Network the moderator wishes. For FidoNet the group keywords may be used as follows: FIDO1 - Zone 1 FIDO2 - Zone 2 FIDO3 - Zone 3 FIDO4 - Zone 4 FIDO5 - Zone 5 FIDO6 - Zone 6 NEW EMAIL ADDRESS The echolist Robot now uses elistin@fido261.qis.net for submissions and queries. MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS In some instances the echolist robot does NOT process multiple messages from the same moderator correctly. It is STRONGLY suggested that moderators send a MOD QUERY message to the robot to ascertain the correctness of their listing(s). FAULTY SUBMISSIONS Please insure that there are NO extra spaces or tabs between the keyword and the text in your submission messages. The robot will NOT process them. ECHOLIST Area The ECHOLIST echo is now a Read-Only Area. It is reserved for announcements from the Robot or the Echolist Keeper. Discussions and questions can be posted in the ELIST echo. MAY ECHOLIST The May, 1999 Echolist contains information that covers March, 1999 through May 3, 1999. Information for that time period is included due to the late publication of the April Echolist. APRIL ECHOLIST The April Echolist publication date was delayed due to a technical problem caused by the ISP used for the gateway at 1:261/1352 RULES SUBMISSIONS VIA EMAIL Some rules files submitted via email exceed the limits of the gateway in use at 1:261/1352. Moderators may submit rules files via email to rulesin@fido261.qis.net. These submissions will be manually processed by the Elist Keeper. FEBRUARY ECHOLIST The February Echolist publication date was delayed due to a technical problem caused by the large(over 400) number of entries that were purged from the system based on expiration dates. The problem required a re-write of the Echobase software, with numerous tests by the author and the Echolist Keeper to insure that the new version was operating correctly. With the February Echolist, a new file, ELBURN.TXT has been created. The file lists echoes that were deleted from the database by the robot, based on non-reception of a MODerator UPDate message for the echo. ECHOLIST CONTENT The echolist is designed to publish current information relative to echo conferences as provided by moderators. Moderators are urged to submit information for inclusion in the Echolist Database. The intent of the Echolist is to provide information submitted by moderators about echoes for which they have responsibility. EXPIRATION WARNING MESSAGES Expiration Warning messages are generated on a monthly basis. They are netmailed to the address shown for the moderator if the last updated field in the database is 150 or more days older than the system date when the function is invoked. A list of conferences for which warning messages have been generated is posted in the Fido ECHOLIST and ELIST echoes, and such other echoes as the ELIST Keeper feels will provide wide coverage. The following information details changes to the echobase software and other items of interest to Echolist users. MESSAGE REJECTION The reasons for rejection of update messages are listed below, with the most common appearing first: 1. Incorrect Abbreviations - While most abbreviations used with the Echolist Robot are accepted, the major difference is the TITLE of the echo. The Echobase Robot expects an abbreviation of TITL, rather than TIT . 2. Insufficient information - TAG, TITLe, MODerator, MODerator Address, PASSword and DESC are the minimum requirements. 3. Incorrect address for Robot - ECHOLIST, ECHOBASE are the only "names" that the Echobase Robot recognizes at 1:1/21 NON FIDO(OTHERNETS SUBMISSIONS) The Echobase Robot accepts submissions from non-Fido addressed moderators. The response messages are placed on hold at 1:261/1352 Messages on hold will be held for a maximum of 2 weeks. Moderators from Othernets are responsible for polling to get their confirmation messages. SUBMISSIONS VIA EMAIL The Echobase Robot and a companion application authored by Thom LaCosta process incoming email messages sent to elistin@fido261.qis.net, a gateway system hosted by 1:261/1352 The email messages should be in the form of a netmail submitted message, with the requirement that the first line of the email text body contains FROM the_email_address TAG the echotag The remainder of the lines can be in any order. A sample submission message is included in ECHOBASE.HLP ANNOUNCEMENTS Echo announcements from the Echobase Robot are presently posted in the ECHOLIST echo. Discussions pertaining to the Echolist and the software in use may be made in ELIST. SUBMISSION TOOL A companion application, designed to assist in automating moderator submissions to the Echolist Robot at 1:1/21, and other robots using the same submission criteria is available for File Request at 1:261/1352 with the magic name of ECHOMOD. The file can also be acquired via the World Wide Web. WORLD WIDE WEB A webpage specializing in the Robot and associated matters may be accessed at http://www.baltimoremd.com/echolist/ Visitors may download EMOD331.ZIP, ECHOHELP.ZIP and view sample Echolists in HTML format, a sample .na file, and view a help file designed for moderators wishing to make submissions to the Echobase Robot. The web page is updated with each publication of the Echolist. HELP FILES The moderator help file for the Echobase Robot can be File Requested from 1:261/1352 with the magic name of ECHOHELP and the file name of ECHOHELP.ZIP. The file is identical to the documentation file contained in ECHOMOD submission tool. For the convenience of moderators, the help file is included in the distribution of the Echolist. QUESTIONS Questions about the echolist, echotags, lost passwords, missing moderators and disputes should be addressed to Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352 or via email to baltimoremd@baltimoremd.com On July 15 and July 16, echo information that was NOT submitted by moderators was imported into the echobase database from the previous Zone 1 Echolist. In January, 1999 these imported echo tags which had not been updated were purged from the database. Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352 baltimoremd@baltimoremd.com http://www.baltimoremd.com/echolist/ --- * Origin: Home of The Other Robot (1:1/21) .