Harold Pritchett wrote:

> Actually, -L stands for "list"  It was a convention which was
> started back in the earliest days of mailing lists, back then
> software wasn't and lists were just lists of addresses which
> were manually maintained.  [...]
> Eric Thomas wrote the "revised listserv" to fix some of the major
> problems with this software.  It allowed addresses of listname@node
> (same BITNET style addresses) and had automatic subscribe and
> unsubscribe functions.  I know this since I was the first beta
> tester for the new version.  The listserv nodes were given serial
> numbers, with number 1 being FRECP11, the BITNET node where Eric
> developed the software.  Node number 2 was UGA.

We jumped on board early as well (those were the days).  Eric used
Listserv not only for list discussion, but also to distribute his
software.  I think he started, or at least continued, the -L thing
so that:
   <name>-L:  Discussion List about <name>
   <name>-D:  Used for Distribution of software for <name>
   <name>-M:  Used for discussion by Managers (Maintainers?) of <name>

The old BITNET "RELAY" chat was about the same era, and was my
contribution to what later evolved into IRC (and later AIM, ICQ, etc).
Our listserv hosted RELAY-L, -M, and -D.  Eventually the "-D" went away
as both Listserv and Relay adapted themselves to automatic updates.

> The listserv system (all of the systems world-wide which are running
> Eric's listserv software) share data on lists.  All non-confidential
> list names are added to a database to allow you to send subscribe
> commands to any listserv and it will be forwarded to the right place
> for the list.  Because of that, only one SCUBA-L can exist in the
> listserv system.

It still exists, as CataList (at www.lsoft.com).  But Listserv did allow
duplicates to exist if a list was "peered".  You subscribed (or were
automatically forwarded) to the nearest peer (in network distance) for
efficiency.

Enough nostalgia for tonight :-)

Jeff