Spring Cleaning

From
Date
Just a short note about miscellaneous things having to do with PaleoNet.
First, as the list grows older an increasing number of subscribers are
experiencing the effects of "age-related" problems. No, I don't mean that
it's getting more difficult to get out of bed in the morning after a night
of hard drinking (though that may be the case in some instances). Rather,
I'm referring to listserver age-related problems. Symptoms include 1.) the
listserver telling you that you are not a subscriber when you try to post a
message, even though you know you are, 2.) receiving double sets of
PaleoNet messages, and/or 3 failure to engage short-term unsubscriptions or
mail postponement options. These, in turn lead to palpitations of the
heart, increases in body temperature, reddening of the face, and, in some
cases, a desire to permanently unsubscribe from the list.

Fortunately there is a quick and easy cure that doesn't even involve any
modifications to your diet. The problem stems from changes in your e-mail
address that may have taken place since you first subscribed to PaleoNet.
When you subscribe, PaleoNet places your e-mail address and your name on a
master list. As far as this listserver in concerned you are your e-mail
address since that is more unique than your name. For security reasons all
incoming messages, commands, etc. are examined by the listserver software
and if the return address on the incoming e-mail does not match an address
on the master list the message is bounced back to the author with a request
to subscribe. Now, here's the insidious part. If your e-mail address has
changed and your outgoing PaleoNet messages, commands, etc. are labeled
with the new address, the listserver will not find the required match and
the symptoms mentioned about will ensue. Steps toward a cure include the
following.

1.) Check the address you are subscribed under by sending the following
command...

set paleonet

to the listserver command address...

Listproc@ucmp1.Berkeley.edu

If the address that is returned is your current address (which it probably
will be), everything is OK. If not, or if the listserver bounces this
command back to you, there are problems.

2.) If there is a problem resubscribe to the list under your current e-mail
address by sending the following command...

subscribe paleonet <your name>

to the listserver command address...

Listproc@ucmp1.Berkeley.edu

Note that your name (first name & last name) MUST be included in the
command. You will then need to send me your old e-mail address with a
request that I unsubscribe that address from the list. You won't be able to
unsubscribe your old address yourself because the listserver software
doesn't allow one subscriber (= address) to unsubscribe another.

As always a complete PaleoNet User's Guide, listing all commands and
procedures is available in the PaleoNet Pages at the follows url's...

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/Paleonet/Listservers/PaleoNet.Html (PaleoNet West)

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/paleonet/Listservers/PaleoNet.Html (PaleoNet East)

Also, as always, if you have any problem with your subscription, don't
hesitate to get in touch with me.

Changing topics (slightly) now, please be aware that I have been quietly
updating the PaleoNet Pages behind the scenes. There are new "Places To
Go", "Things To Do," and "Jobs" listed on the appropriate pages. Several of
the "Geological Column" pages have also been updated by the people minding
those. If you would like to manage a "Geological Column" resource page,
please contact me. Finally, I've finally gotten around to overhauling the
old PaleoNet software ftp site and replacing it with a more modern version.
You'll find the new ftp pages at...

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/Paleonet/ftp/ftp.html (PaleoNet West)

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/paleonet/ftp/ftp.html (PaleoNet East)

Right now, aside from some of my own software, we have Chris McRobert's
Taxdaddy software available. These programs are freeware, so download to
your heart's content. If you would like to make your own software available
through the PaleoNet "FTP Pages" please contact me.

All for now. Enjoy.


Norm MacLeod





___________________________________________________________________

Dr. Norman MacLeod
Micropalaeontological Research
N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk (E-mail)

Department of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum,
Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Office Phone: 0171-938-9006
Dept. FAX: 0171-938-9277
E-mail: N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk
___________________________________________________________________