ECHOLIST The International Echolist FAQ 01 OCTOBER 2004 ELFAQ410.TXT || Notes new or modified information The Echobase Echolist Robot Submissions can be made Via Netmail Via Email echolist 1:1/21 echolist@fidonet.us The Echolist Keeper Thom LaCosta 1:261/1550 fidonet@fidonet.us The echolist is copywritten by Thom LaCosta. The Echolist Robot is maintained by Thom LaCosta(1:261/1550, fidonet@fidonet.us). The Robot is listed in the Fido Nodelist as Echolist 1:1/21 DISTRUPTION OF RESPONSES/WARNINGS TO MODERATORS Recent tests indicate that there are no known problems with routed netmail from the robot to moderators. To insure that robot can send email responses, it is ESSENTIAL that all emails to echolist@fidonet.us have the first line in the body of the message contain: From: Use_your_email_address_here ECHOLIST QUERIES The Echolist Robot can respond to queries and return information to the submitting netmail or email address. Please see ECHOBASE.QUE for details. THIRD PARTY UPDATES Moderators wishing to use the service of third parties to submit MOD UPD, MOD DEL and MOD RULE messages must notify the Echolist Keeper of their intention to use third parties. The Echolist Keeper may hold update messages from third parties if there is no confirmation message from the moderator. Third party submissions MUST be from the address of the updater. IDENTIFICATION OF MODERATOR All moderator entries in the Echolist database MUST include, as a minimum, the name of the moderator and either a Fido Style address and/or an email address. The moderator name can be a person's name, or in "official" echoes, the position name of the moderator (examples: Echolist Keeper, RC13). Terms such as Trustee, Custodian, Emeritus, etc. are not proper names, and therefore can not be listed in the moderator dataline. These descriptions may be used in a DESC line. MODIFICATIONS OF LISTINGS BY ECHOLIST KEEPER The Echolist Keeper reserves the right to modify information in the Echolist database if in the opinion of the Echolist Keeper, the information is inaccurate, in question, or not in concert with the published Echolist Documents. In such instances the Echolist Keeper will make resonable efforts to contact the moderator(s) of such echoes to discuss the potential changes. The Echolist Keeper may indicate in the Echolist that a particular listing has been modified or enter other information that reflects the nature of the changed listing. 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 4. Incorrect Moderator Address - The correct format for moderator information is moderator name, fidonet node number, email address While moderator name is madatory, an entry may have a netmail address only, or an email address only, but it must have one of those addresses. 5. Incorrect From Address - The Echolist Robot senses the AT in a from address and makes the assumption that it is an email address. Do NOT use a From: nodenumber AT fidonet, since that is an incomplete email address. ||If the from address is xxxxxxxx@fidonet.org or xxxxxxxx@fifonet.net, ||you must insure that a gateway system is available to deliver the mail. 6. NOTE: Do NOT use email addresses in the form of your.name AT 1:261/1352 The Robot will not process the message. 7. REJECTING MAIL ORIGINATED BY THE ECHOLIST ROBOT Messages from addresses that automatically reject mail from the Echolist Robot due to configuration on that end and/or mis-identification of Echolist Robot messages, domain names and/or IP addresses will not be processed until the system causing these problems contacts the Echolist Keeper and indicates that problems have been rectified. Any lost of listing due to the these problems is the responsibility of the moderator/updater. 8. Other Causes for rejection - The Echolist Keeper reserves the right to delete and/or refuse listings if, in the sole opinion of the Echolist Keeper, the message origin does not agree with the sending address of the updater. WEB SITE The echolist web site has been moved to: http://www.tlchost.net/echolist/ Visitors to previous sites are redirected to the address above. 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: FID1 - Zone 1 FID2 - Zone 2 FID3 - Zone 3 FID4 - Zone 4 FID5 - Zone 5 FID6 - Zone 6 FIDO - All Zones Note: The GROUP keyword has a maximum length of 4 characters EMAIL SUBMISSIONS The echolist Robot now uses echolist@fidonet.us for submissions and queries. The ISP that provides service for the Echolist may, in certain circumstances, reject mail from dial up connections with dynamic domain names. 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). RULES SUBMISSIONS - IMPORTANT CHANGE To insure proper submission of rules files, the rules text MUST be incorporated in the body of the message to the Echolist Robot, rather than as a file attachment. The message should be addressed to: echolist 1:1/21 subject: MOD RUL The text of the message MUST begin with: TAG the_tag_name PASSword the_echo_tag_password RULEText Rules for area the_tag_name Text line of Rules next line of rule NOTE: The ECHOMOD application produces the MOD RUL messages in the proper format. RULES FILES VIA INTERNET Rules files may be submitted to the Echolist Robot as a standard MOD RUL message. 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. 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 Echolist Keeper feels will provide wide coverage. The following information details changes to the echobase software and other items of interest to Echolist users. 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 echolist@fidonet.us, 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 Internet at http://www.tlchost.net/echolist WORLD WIDE WEB A webpage specializing in the Robot and associated matters may be accessed at http://www.tlchost.net/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 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 the Echolist Keeper, Thom LaCosta 1:261/1550 or via email to fidonet@fidonet.us DATE SENSITIVE MATERIAL CHANGE IN EMAIL ADDRESSES In June, 2004 the echolist email address was changed to echolist@fidonet.us and the email of the Echolist Keeper is now fidonet@fidonet.us SOME BAD DATES IN JANUARY 2003 Due to a hardware error, the Echolist Robot was using dates in 2002 instead of 2003 from January 3, 2003 through January 10, 2003. Between MODerator UPDates resubmitted and editing of the database, it appears that all information in the database is correct. Echoes deleted and relisted by other than the moderator are subject to return to the original moderator if deemed appropriate by the Echolist Keeper. ECHOLIST HISTORY FILE RESTORED The history file used to produce various Echolist Reports was restored for the July, 2002 issue. ECHOLIST HISTORY FILE CORRUPT - April, 2002 The history file used to produce various Echolist reports was corrupted sometime in the first week or April, 2002. Thus, many of the monthly reports are missing. Please consult the master Echolist which contains accurate information ECHOLIST SYSTEM CRASH Subsequent to the the creation of the Echolist in October, 1:261/1352 suffered a TOTAL system crash. All MODerator UPDate, MODerator DELete messages, ECHOlist QUERIES and rules submissions that were submitted on or after October 1, 2001 (10/01/2001) were lost. The ECHOLIST Database was last backed up on OCTOBER 30, 2001 (09/30/2001) when ELIST110.ZIP was created. ECHOLIST SYSTEM RESUMES OPERATION The Echolist system resumed operation on October 28, 2001 (10/28/2001) When the ECHOLIST system resumed operations on October 28, 2001 it received both netmail and email messages that were on hold at the respective uplinks. These messages will be processed in the month of DECEMBER, 2001. It is important to note that many messages that were sent via Crash Netmail and/or email may not be in either the database or in the messages due to be processed. Moderators who made submissions between October 1, 2001 and October 28, 2001 are urged to resubmit their updates to 1:1/21 or via email to echolist@fidonet.us Affected moderators should also submit the response from the Echolist Robot to them to the Echolist Keeper at 1:261/1352 or ||via email to echolist AT tlchost.net Should a conflict in listings occur, the Echolist Keeper will use message dates and confirmation messages as a tool to determine the most correct updates. NAME CHANGE Effective MAY, 2001 The Echolist has been renamed The International Echolist to more accurately reflect the international nature of its contents. Thom LaCosta 1:261/1550 echolist AT fidonet.us http://www.tlchost.net/echolist/