Two new subscription options are now available for HOCKEY-L.  Since the
software is very new and we have little experience with it, let's call
this a test period: try at your own risk!
 
The new options are called DIGESTs and INDEX.  DIGESTs and INDEX are
alternatives to getting each posting as a separate mail file.
 
DIGESTs is equivalent to what HOCKEY-D is today.  If you have a HOCKEY-L
DIGESTs subscription, you will get one mail file a day (sometimes more
on very heavy posting days) containing any and all HOCKEY-L postings.
This file is currently produced at about 5am each day.  It has a table
of contents at the beginning of the file, followed by the complete text
of all postings since the previous digests distribution.  Like HOCKEY-D,
the DIGESTs distribution option is RFC1153 compliant.  Unlike HOCKEY-D,
junk or otherwise inadvertant postings are included (the DIGESTs and
INDEX distribution options are completely automated).
 
Sometime after this season, all HOCKEY-D subscriptions will
automatically be converted to HOCKEY-L subscriptions with the DIGESTs
option and HOCKEY-D will cease.
 
INDEX is the second new distribution option.  An INDEX subscriber will,
at about 5am each day, get a mail file from HOCKEY-L containing an index
of the previous days postings including such information as size,
author, and subject.  To obtain the actual postings, one would simply
send the mail file to the "Reply-To:" address (this would be the
FORWARD, REPLY TEXT, or REPLY & INCLUDE commands of your mail program).
Also, only postings of interest may be selected for return to you.
Instructions are included with the INDEX mail you will receive each day.
 
INDEX is a great mechanism to turn on when you will be away from your
mail box for a period of time.  The INDEX postings are relatively small,
thus helping to prevent your mail box from filling.
 
 
Brief instructions:
-------------------
 
   In all cases, send mail to [log in to unmask]
   and in the *body* of the mail file place the line of lines shown,
   but modified for your name and address, where indicated.
 
For a new subscription (including current HOCKEY-D subscribers), enter:
----------------------
 
      SUBSCRIBE HOCKEY-L Your Name and teams of interest, if any
      SET HOCKEY-L digesttype
 
   where "digesttype" may be INDEX, DIGESTs, or MAIL.  MAIL is a normal
   subscription that sends individual mail files for each posting.  MAIL
   is the default, if no SET HOCKEY-L line is included.
 
   For example, I might send mail with the following lines:
 
      SUBSCRIBE HOCKEY-L Wayne Smith
      SET HOCKEY-L INDEX
 
For current HOCKEY-L subscribers, enter:
--------------------------------
 
      SET HOCKEY-L digesttype
 
   where "digesttype" may be INDEX, DIGESTs, or MAIL.  If you try
   DIGESTs or INDEX and want to return to individual mail files, use SET
   HOCKEY-L MAIL.  Note that only one type of distribution option is in
   effect at a time.  If you SET HOCKEY-L DIGESTs, then you will get a
   digest tomorrow, but individual mail files to you will stop.
 
 
Finally, because this is very new, I haven't yet updated the welcoming
message to discuss DIGESTs and INDEX.  I'll do that as time allows.
 
As always, if you have comments, questions or problems with this or any
aspect of HOCKEY-L, please let me know via private mail (and not mail to
the list.  HOCKEY-L fans everywhere thank you!).
 
Yours in college hockey,
 
Wayne Smith
The College Hockey Discussion List administrator
Systems Group - CAPS              BITNET/CREN:  wts@maine
University of Maine System        internet:     [log in to unmask]