Subject: RE: Proposal: Mailing list archive requirement(s)

From: Paul Hoffman / IMC <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 13:51:17 -0700

At 01:43 PM 7/27/1999 -0700, Dan Kohn wrote:
>2) The mailing list should have a web-based archive that supports
>searching and threading.

I'm fine with threading, but I suggest that we don't mandate searching. As 
veterans of the apps area can attest to, the IETF is not good at defining 
"searching". If you rely on any search engine for email lists, you are 
likely to be disappointed by the results. I believe that getting the 
text-only archive and grepping is much more reliable. There is also the 
fact that good search engines cost money and take more maintenance than 
threading archives.

Having said that, I'm about to add searching to the lists IMC hosts. But I 
consider this experimental, not a service anyone should rely on.

--Paul Hoffman, Director
--Internet Mail Consortium

---

From: Lloyd Wood <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 23:43:51 +0100 (BST)

> fact that good search engines cost money and take more maintenance than 

Some maintenance - yes. Certainly some initial setup. That goes for
most things.

But cost money? Next you'll be telling me that good mail agents cost
money too...

htdig <http://www.htdig.org/> is one example search engine that
springs to mind that is quite good, useful and free - and can even be
set to index and combine results for multiple domains, so searching
across multiple WG mailing lists to span an IETF area with a single
search would not be impossible.

I'm sure others can suggest other good free search tools.

> consider this experimental, not a service anyone should rely on.

In general, the web is experimental and not a service anyone should
rely on.

L.

much amused by Ultraseek engine searches returning 'licence expired -
contact administrator'.

> --Internet Mail Consortium

<[email-masked]>PGP<http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/>

---

From: Lloyd Wood <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 23:43:51 +0100 (BST)

L.