

                                  ECHOLIST
                        The Echomail Conference List
                                 ELIST FAQ
6 June 99                                                    ELFAQ907.TXT


The Echobase Echolist Robot
echolist 1:1/21    elistin@fido261.qis.net
The Echolist Keeper
Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352     baltimoremd@baltimoremd.com
July 3, 1999

  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


NEW EMAIL ADDRESS
   The echolist Robot now uses elistin@fido261.qis.net for submissions
and queries.     

|| 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
   official Zone 1 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 robot at 1:261/1352 and the official Zone 1
   Echolist, 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/elist/
   Visitors may download EMOD215.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