Re: Asking Old Questions Again

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From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_cs.ucc.ie>
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 18:50:21 +0100 (BST)

Nick Hollingsworth affirms that:
> It would be a major resource if anyone could provide an undigested
> archive of all the messages from the various incarnations and
> versions of the mailing list under one search engine.

It's a nifty idea. But do you know of off-the-shelf software to do this, untouched by human hand?

> Hopefully the thread structure could be maintained too - much like what
> Deja News offers for newgroups.

I don't think that'll work. The Digest format doesn't preserve a "references" field, and what's more, most postings don't even have threaded subject lines. (To wit, most people either type a subject by hand, or leave it as the wonderfully specific "Re: The Glorantha Digest V6 #80". Certain individuals even _start_ a new thread with a "Re:" in the subject, which has _really_ gotta make your software's head hurt...) Changing this only seems feasible if most posters end up reading (and hence, replying to) the Digest in undigested form. (Which a few of us Hard Core types already do.)

Slainte,
Alex.

End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #84