Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site genrad.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!decvax!genrad!john From: john@genrad.UUCP (John Nelson) Newsgroups: net.news Subject: old news repeats Message-ID: <3814@genrad.UUCP> Date: Sat, 4-Feb-84 15:30:08 EST Article-I.D.: genrad.3814 Posted: Sat Feb 4 15:30:08 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 8-Feb-84 07:39:11 EST Organization: GenRad, Bolton, Mass. Lines: 16 Someone is spitting out old news again. Either a site was down long enough to delay the articles for longer than two weeks, or we just have some very long loops. I can't determine who is sending the news around for the second time, but it points out the need for a better expiration algorithm. The history file should not delete articles that have been deleted (expired) for some longer period of time, so that if the article shows up AGAIN, the system is smart enough to reject the article as having already been seen. This does not mean that the articles should be kept any longer (in fact, a shorter period of time might be desirable!) but that the HISTORY of articles should be kept for MUCH longer. Maybe this would not have to be implemented at all sites either, as long as the backbone sites do not try to pass on old news.