mail archives

[jbd at codemeta.com]

> What level of traffic are we talking about?  My server could probably
> handle a moderate load in addition to its other tasks, and both Chris
> and I already have access.  I would likely be willing to give some
> sort of access to at least one other person.
>
> --DTVZ
>
>
> On Fri, 28 Jan 2005 20:30:10 -0500 (EST), Benjamin Scott
> <bscott at ntisys.com> wrote:
>> On Thu, 27 Jan 2005, at 11:22pm, kevin_d_clark at access-4-free.com wrote:
>> >>   If you have your own server, you could put up your own archives
>> with
>> >> your own Perl script, and likely many would thank you.  I would.
>> >
>> > Throughout this thread I've been interested in solving a technical
>> > problem that I was led to believe existed in the existing mail archive
>> > server.
>>
>>   *exasperated sigh*
>>
>> <FLAME level=mild>
>>
>>   No.  The problem is not a lack of Perl scripts.  The problem is one of
>> Real Life and Management and Manpower and all those other Real World
>> things
>> that get in the way of fun.  I believe I've stated that more then once.
>>
>>   Here's the deal: The archives currently live on a server that's
>> running
>> "production" tasks for other people.  In other words, paying customers.
>> Bruce Dawson has been kind enough to let us use pre-existing resources
>> on
>> that server for GNHLUG stuff.  We can't go mucking around with somebody
>> else's production server without a lot of planning, change management,
>> and
>> that sort of thing.  We can't load the server up with code without being
>> careful to make sure it won't bring the server down if an atypical load
>> hits
>> it (e.g., mailbomb).  We can't just start upgrading everything to enable
>> the
>> new version of Mailman or whatever work.  In short, we're guests.
>>...

Thanks Ben... A lot of people who don't live in the real world wrt their
Linux affections don't realize this. Thanks for explaining it so often -
and to the extent that it required a baseball bat. And you are right - I'm
currently up to my eyeballs in real world/work situations. Even the
Caribbean locale doesn't make up for the liability and second guessing of
what these offenders can do when they're back on the street - let alone
the client when it discovers it doesn't have enough money to do the job
right.

Here are the numbers that Drew wanted (all taken from January's mailman
logs up to about 9am this morning):

448 posts
1364 bounces
282 members

You'll have to go to the archives to see the number and size of the messages.

I do believe a small and dedicated server could handle this load without a
problem. But as Digital, Compaq, and I have discovered, merely getting the
archives up is just the tip of the iceberg. I would love for some other
members of the group to find this out for themselves too! (Then we can sit
back and chuckle quietly when they try to pace their mailing list through
the first major software upgrade).

Once other archives are up, we can post them on the GNHLUG web site.

--Bruce