< We've run into a problem in distributing the Internet Monthly Report. It
< seems that some of the people recently added to the distribution list
< (primarily by being on the ietf list) are behind mail relays or have mail
< systems that do not handle large messages.
< This is a problem for these people, and they in turn ask us to break the
< large message into pieces and send the pieces as separate messages. This
< is more work for us. Should we do it, or should we ask that these mail
< systems be fixed?
<< I wish it was a simple matter to raise the maximum message size beyond
<< 50,000 bytes. Unfortunately, it will take a major rewrite of a lot of
<< code in order to accomplish it. (If you've every written code on a
<< TOPS-10 based system that runs with a couple of hundred simultaneous
<< users, you'd understand.)
<<< It is common practice of Internet users to send messages which may be
<<< over 50,000 bytes. If you want to participate in exchanging mail
<<< between Compuserve usesrs and the Internet in general, you will need to
<<< fix your mail service to accommodate large messages.
Compuserve is a commercial business. Other commercial email vendors (such as
AT&T Mail) have no problems with such large messages. As such, compuserve
must either respond to the needs of its customers, or the customers will
find another vendor to serve their needs.
If you have people who want to receive your messages, you have two choices:
o cater to the various minimums imposed by all networks over which your
mail will go
o or make certain that they are on a network which can handle your
mail.
The former means that you'll have to cut back the size of your mail. The
latter means that those people on compuserve will be unable to receive your
mail unless they get an account on another vendor's mail service, or unless
compuserve fixes their mailer.
What? A commercial entity listening to its customers? What a concept! :-)
Tony Hansen
hansen(_at_)pegasus(_dot_)att(_dot_)com,
tony(_at_)attmail(_dot_)com
att!pegasus!hansen, attmail!tony