Edward B. (Ted) Weiler, TWeiler@Eskimo.com, asked:
>Is it just me or do others notice a strange randomization of message
>delivery. I had thought I was imagining it until today. I received the two
>responses to the quesiton about the MG spare tyre, read them, and wondered
>what the full question had been. Five minutes later I received the message
>that had prompted the responses. Where had it been? How did you folks know
>to answer the question before it was asked? Does the name of this list have
>some influence on the way the computer smoke flows? Is it a coincidence?......
This happens all the time. Packets of data move around the net
pretty much as they see fit, and messages may get to one of us before
any other. If I get e-mail, reply to it, and send it, you may get my mail
before the original simply because the original sender may be on a system
that "queues mail up" before sending it, or because the other user if
further
"away" from you than I am.
The net (and e-mail) is very random. The amazing thing is that it works.
The protocol for e-mail is called "SMTP", for "Simple Mail Transfer
Protocol",
but I assure you, it is anything but!
Scientists and Engineers try to make the future some sort of theme park.
Humanist Intellectuals wish the future did not exist.
Ecologists point out that the future may not exist, after all.
james fischer jfischer@supercollider.com
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