| Welcome to ... The International Echolist - Frequently Asked Questions
ECHOLIST
The International Echolist FAQ
01 APRIL 2012 ELFQ1203.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
Note:
Effective MARCH, 2006 the echolist robot can be reach via routed netmail and email.
See ELHIS.TXT for details.
FEBRUARY 2012
The FEBRUARY, 2012 Echolist was produced in mARCH, 2012 due to a system
malfunction and ISP Problem.
DECEMBER 2011
The January, 2012 Echolist was produced in January, 2012 due to a system
malfunction. A backup of the November Echolist database and archived update
messages submitted in December of 2011 were used to produce the Echolist
OCTOBER 2011
Submissions to the Echolist may now be made via Routed Netmail, Email and BinkdD
Thanks to Dallas Hinton, Charles Cruden and Ross Cassell for their assistance
JUNE 2011
Due to ISP problems, the May, 2011 Echolist will be published near the end of the month.
It is anticipated that the June issue will be published in the first week of June 2011
JANUARY 2011
The November and December Echolists were not published due to a combination of internal
and external problems. Submissions made during that time period were stored and processed
January 1, 2011
SEPTEMBER 2010
Internet ReX config files corrupt....Echolist operating manually. Bink is not
active at this time.
AUGUST 2010
Echolist Rules files older than 6 months from the creation of the current echolist will
be purged on a monthly basis, beginning with the August, 2010 Echolist.
Moderators are urged to submit their rules updates at least once every six months.
JUNE 2010
Due to hardware problems, the May, 2010 Echolist was not produced until May 14,2010
DECEMBER, 2009
The DECEMBER, 2009 Echolist was produced but not distributed until
until Jannuary, 2010 due to a death in the family.
OCTOBER, 2009
In September, 2009 two Echolist problems were confirmed:
A. Echolist announcements were not being posted in the Echolist echo
This problem was solved when the batch file that operates the Echolist
Robot was modified. Apparently, a change in Windows XP caused the
batch file to malfunction. While no updates were lost, the announcements
were not being made.
B. The origin of the announcements changed, and the announcements were not
processed. The problem was recitifed when the Echolist Keeper was made aware of
the problem by 1:123/500
AUGUST 2008
Hardware problems required that all MARCH, 2008 MODerator UPDate
messages be re-processed. All dates for updates appear as 12/31/2008
MARCH 2008
The numbering system for the Echolist and the Echolist rule files has been changed
to ELISTyydd and ELRUyydd to allow for correct sorting. The MARCH and
MARCH Echolist archives will be rehatched this month with the updated
file names.
MARCH 2008
Due to equipment problems, the MARCH, 2008 Echolist was not published....the MARCH,
2008 Echolist contains information for MARCH and MARCH 2008.
MARCH 2007
Echomail/Routed Netmail problems
Reports indicate a problem with echomail in the Echolist Echo and routed netmail not being
delivered part the node that serves as uplink for the Echolist Robot. New Echomail feed has
corrected problem.
NODELIST CORRECTION
The current nodelist has a corrected listing for the Echolist.
The Echolist Keeper
Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352 fidonet@fidonet.us
The echolist is copywritten by Thom LaCosta.
The Echolist Robot is maintained by Thom LaCosta(1:261/1352,
fidonet@fidonet.us).
The Robot is listed in the Fido Nodelist as Echolist 1:1/21
END OF MESSAGE
The Echolist Robot recognizes any line that contains 3 or more
dashes --- as an end of message marker. Moderators are urged
to check their MODerator UPdate and MODerator RULE updates to
insure that the only line that contains 3 or more dashes ---
is the final line of the information being submitted.
The Echolist robot ignores ALL information following the
three dashes.
DISRUPTION 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 MARCH 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 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 MARCH 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.
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
, fidonet node number, email address
While moderator name is mandatory, an entry MARCH 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@fidonet.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 MARCH be viewed at:
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 MARCH be used to identify which Fido Zone or
Network the moderator wishes. For FidoNet the group keywords
MARCH 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 MARCH,
|| in certain circumstances, reject mail from connections with
|| dynamic domain names. those listed as open relays and any
|| listed in various SPAM databases.
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 MARCH 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 receive 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
The Echolist Robot does not recognize html emails. Please adjust your
email client to insure that the messages to the robot do not contain
any html or other encoded material.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Echo announcements from the Echobase Robot are presently posted
in the ECHOLIST echo. Discussions pertaining to the Echolist
and the software in use MARCH 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 MARCH be
||| accessed at http://www.echolist.net
Visitors MARCH 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 1:261/1352 or via email to
fidonet@fidonet.us
DATE SENSITIVE MATERIAL
Effective MARCH, 2005. Date sensitive information about the echolist
is now contained the in ELHIST.TXT file
Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352
echolist AT fidonet.us
|||http://www.echolist.net/
|
