Subj : Re: Movies
To   : August Abolins
From : Wilfred van Velzen
Date : Sun Sep 05 2021 21:06:15

Hi August,

On 2021-09-04 20:11:00, you wrote to me:

 AA> The initial comms to the bot can be performed at any time, and
 AA> some results would come back within an hour or so.  If it were
 AA> just a "user" requesting to create an echo for a topic of their
 AA> interest they would first have to convince their sysop to go
 AA> through the trouble to create it and spread the word. Whereas,
 AA> the elist-bot method [1] "creates" the echo,

It only creates an entry in the echolist.

 AA> and [3] gets a spot in a .NA file that is distributed to boards
 AA> everywhere.

It's only in the .na file that is distributed in the monthly elist*.zip file. I very much doubt anyone processes it automatically and have areas auto created and destroyed.

 WvV>> The elist and the NAB (list) are not the same thing. The
 WvV>> set of areas in both probably overlap, but are not the
 WvV>> same.

 AA> Why be burdened over that distinction?  The whole point is to
 AA> announce that an echo exists and anyone, NAB or not, can pick
 AA> it up if they want.

An elist entry doesn't mean the area exists.

An entry in the NAB's list, means it at least exists on the NAB.

 AA> At some point people interested in participating in an
 AA> echo need to consult with their sysop, or a sysop has to
 AA> perform the %LIST and request to add it anyway.  But the
 AA> initial elist-bot process is something anyone could do to get
 AA> something started at their convenience.

You could see it as a problem to. If anyone can create a listing for any area, existing or not.

 AA> Why was the elist-bot system even built in the first place if
 AA> it wasn't intended to provide a more organized way to create
 AA> and announce the existence of echos?

Control.

Bye, Wilfred.

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