[NTLK] List Archive prior to November 2009

[Grant Hutchinson]

>> Are these numbers a true reflection of the actual activity or will
>> some not have been included?

Those numbers are fairly accurate. There have been some burps in the  
searchable archive ... for example, when the MARC service has been  
offline for whatever reason. They will generally catch up with missing  
posts, but since they're basically subscribing to the list and  
processing the messages as they come in, sometimes messages bounce or  
go astray. Likewise, when we moved the list server, the address that  
MARC was using to subscribe to NewtonTalk changed, thus causing a burp.

Since the static list archives are based on the mailbox data generated  
by the mailing list software, there should be a more accurate number  
of individual posts available than in the MARC archive.

But, not until we get those static archives back up on the site.


>> 4. Lastly....do you know when and how did the list come about? Was it
>> created by a single person or a group, corporately supported or  
>> always
>> through volunteers, how did it get going in the first place?
>
> I'm a relative newcomer to the list (2005?) so Grant has more/better
> answers. In an attempt to help you answer questions #2 & #4, I'll
> point you toward "PART 3: GENERAL LIST INFO AND HISTORY" in the
> NewtonTalk FAQ <http://newtontalk.net/faq>, specifically the "What
> happened to Planet Newton running the list?" & "What the heck does
> that mean??" sections. :)

Thanks, Morgan.

The FAQ covers most of the history of the list, but there are some  
obvious gaps. Specifically, I haven't updated the FAQ to indicate  
recent changes to the list software, how vacation or digest mode  
works, or the fact that I took over list dad duties from Victor  
Rehorst in 2007.

http://marc.info/?l=newtontalk&m=117493043507410

g.

......................................................................


Grant Hutchinson

Interface Considerations. Feature Deprecation. Typography. Rawk.

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