Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site cbosgd.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!ucbcad!ucbvax!cbosgd!mark From: mark@cbosgd.UUCP Newsgroups: net.general Subject: Re: ARPA mail, etc. Message-ID: <133@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Fri, 22-Jul-83 15:27:10 EDT Article-I.D.: cbosgd.133 Posted: Fri Jul 22 15:27:10 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 23-Jul-83 22:20:22 EDT References: <71@vortex.UUCP> Organization: Bell Labs, Columbus Lines: 32 I wish Lauren hadn't posted this information, but now it's too late. The problem is that, now that the method has been widely published, the volume of traffic through ucbvax will increase dramatically. If the volume gets too high, Berkeley will shut off the gateway. (They shut it down once before for exactly this reason - their machines couldn't handle the high load.) Please remember that this service, provided by Berkeley, is out of Berkeley's generousity. It is NOT something they are being paid or encouraged to do. If anything, ARPA is discouraging them. Please DO NOT send mail through Berkeley to the ARPANET frivolously. If you have work that must be done or another good reason why your message is important, fine. But don't shoot the breeze through the gateway. And try to avoid sending mail about non-work related topics, such as rogue, wine tasting, or science fiction. And especially, please do not send large numbers of messages or long messages - they make the problem much worse. (When I looked this morning, the load average on ucbvax, a 750, was 22. It timed out while I tried to log in. Nobody lives on this machine, it's there strictly as a gateway. They certainly don't need any more traffic.) CSNET will soon be providing an "official" gateway (or, more accurately, a mail service between the ARPANET and their Phonenet sites). Anyone in the USA can join CSNET, but it costs big money ($30,000/year, I think). I understand deals can be worked out with educational institutions and impoverished sites to get substantial discounts. Don't contact me to get onto CSNET - I am not on it. I think one can contact Mike O'Brien at Rand, Larry Landweber or Marvin Solomon at Wisconsin, Dave Farber at Delaware, or Peter Denning at Purdue. (I'm unsure about this.) Mark Horton