[NLRS] NLRS Reflector news from your list-admin

[Bruce Richardson]

Hello NLRS members:

Our email reflector is hosted at QTH.net.  That is a place that hosts
over 200 ham radio related reflectors. It was started by a guy named Al
Waller but is now operated by KA9FOX, K5TR, and other volunteers.  NLRS
sends support dollars every year to QTH.net and is one of the stronger
supporters in the nation (financially).

I am your list (reflector) admin. If you ever have problems with the
list, come to me first. I can help you keep multiple addresses
subscribed (so that you can post from whatever address is convenient)
but yet turn off delivery to some of the addresses so that you don't get
swamped with duplicate emails.  I can help you set up "digest mode" if
the daily email traffic is too much and that way you can periodically
check up on what you missed when the "digest" bundle is spit out.  The
drawback to the digest, is that you lose any timeliness about VHF-DX
spots :-) .

Since VHF is so regional, and our reflector is regional (with nationwide
lurkers), don't hesitate to make VHF-DX posts to the NLRS lists and help
out your NLRS brethren.  But just make sure you put your Callsign, the
time, and your location in your posting.

QTH.net operates on just a few IP addresses. Occasionally, one of the IP
addresses gets placed on a "real-time blocking list" for perceived
abuse.  Usually, within a few hours, the IP address is removed from the
RBL because the perceived abuse is not continuing.  The problem comes
when a provider like ameritech.net, msn.com, hotmail.com, mts.net, and
others rely on the "real-time blocking lists" and then bounce NLRS
emails because the QTH.net IP address is currently on the RBL.  KA9FOX
and his team do what they can to keep the QTH.net IP addresses OFF of
any "real-time blocking lists" but it happens occasionally.

This reflector uses something called "mailman" software.  The software
detects when your provider is rejecting NLRS email and attempts
redelivery. When the attempts to deliver email to your provider exceed a
threshold, the software turns off delivery to you for a temporary period
(about a week). Then it turns on delivery again. Usually I'm sent
warning emails about this. Sometimes, I let the software do its thing
and sometimes I jump right into the membership management page and turn
on delivery to those addresses that had been temporarily disabled.

This has been a long way to let you know that over the past 10 days,
ameritech.net, hotmail.com, msn.com, mts.net, live.com, and one or two
others have bounced a fair amount of NLRS traffic.  You can check the
archives for what you missed.  KA9FOX has tried to work these providers
to get them to whitelist the QTH.net IP address. They have not been
cooperative.  KA9FOX wrote me this morning:

     "Bruce, we keep complaining to AT&T and they keep removing 
     our IP from the block, but then they just put it right back 
     again.  We keep asking WHY but they never respond with a 
     reason.
     
     Perhaps the only thing that can be done is for users to 
     COMPLAIN to their provider, and show copies of the bounce 
     message to them, so they understand the situation.  Maybe 
     if enough customers complain they will actually take action 
     and tell us what the problem is.  
     - Scott"

At the moment, all things are "green" and things are flowing smoothly.
But I wanted you to know that there have been some "hiccups" recently.

Lastly, KA9FOX also runs QTH.com. While QTH.net is gratis, free, and
donation only, QTH.com is "for profit".  Since the names are so similar,
it's easy to get confused.  When we have a problem with our reflector,
we need to confine our service requests to QTH.net channels so that they
stay in the "donation only" area and don't burden support channels for
the QTH.com side.  I must tell you that the support on the QTH.net side
has always been quick and helpful.  In general, I should be your first
contact if you have ANY problem with the NLRS reflector and I will
elevate issues I can't solve.

If there is an NLRS member who is interested in also being a reflector
admin, let me know because I'm the only guy at the moment :-) .

73
Bruce Richardson W9FZ