volunteers needed to help with Usenet and the UUCP net

[Mark Horton]

An effort to create a UUCP map is about to get underway, and we
need some volunteers to help keep the map together.  We also
need volunteers to help write some small UUCP mail routing
programs, and to help out with the netnews software.  If you like
your network and would like to see it become more reliable and
easier to use, we need your help!

The UUCP effort will probably divide the world into 20 or so "regions",
centered around backbone sites for geographic areas or large
organizations.  For each region, we need a UUCP mail backbone
site.  These backbone sites have much of the mail traffic for
their region pass through them, and the UUCP contact person on
each backbone site will probably be responsible for keeping the
UUCP map for their region up-to-date for a limited period of time
until we can automate the process.  Administrative authority for
the region will be delegated to the regional representatives.
We need both machines and people - if you can offer only one, let
me know anyway, we'll try to work things out.  We are especially
interested in UUCP backbone sites that are not Usenet backbone
sites, in order to spread out the load and improve reliability,
but this is not essential.  (Note that we're just formalizing
what happens now - everybody sends mail through well known machines,
often with less efficient paths than might be generated with better
data and a routing program.)  [I already have a list of about half a
dozen volunteer persons - I'll be sending mail to those on the list
today, so if you don't get mail from me I didn't hear from you.]

We need volunteers to write a dozen or so small programs that will
be put into the public domain and used for mail routing.  An example
program would be a modification to /bin/mail that would accept the
user at domain syntax, look in a routing table, and pass it along to the
next machine in the best path.  We need programs to do related things,
such as automating the maintenence process (e.g. sending mail to a
special address to update your host's map entries, or requesting to
see the entry for a host.)  Some of these programs will interface to
sendmail, others will be simple standalone programs for systems that
choose not to run sendmail (primarily for size or political reasons).

We also need volunteers to take over maintenence and enhancement of
the B news software.  I'm sorry to say I am no longer able to put much
time into it, and there is a big list of bugs to fix and improvements
that need to be made.  I picture one person taking inews, another
taking expire, and a few (1-3) people taking on readnews.  Almost all
the work that needs to be done is on readnews.  I have lots of ideas
but no time to do the coding.  I will be happy to offer advice and
encouragement.

If you are interested in any of these efforts, please send me electronic
mail and let me know
(1) who you are, and the usual contact info (phone, electronic addr, etc)
(2) which items you are interested in
(3) the amount of time per week you can put into it (we're not looking
    for large amounts of time, but some people have more time than others)
(4) whether you'll be at UniForum, and if so, when you'll be arriving.
    (We hope to have a meeting of many interested people Tuesday evening.
    We realize that not everyone will be able to attend, so we may
    organize a second meeting later in the week also.)

The details of all this are very much undecided, and your input will be
helping to shape the network of the future!  We hope to hear from many
of you soon!

	Mark Horton
	Karen Summers-Horton