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In 1999, I wrote "A History of List Servers" article for NetProfessional Magazine. This article is also available online at the Lyris web site. In April 2001 "Domino Power" magazine printed an updated version of the article, which is reproduced below from their web site.
A history of list servers
====== The killer application on the Internet has always been email. It's the single most-used function online, far outstripping file transfers, Web browsing, and game playing. This is largely because of email's utility. Adding to its one-on-one correspondence function, email quickly expanded its functions to include distribution of messages for discussion groups and dispersal of periodical publications. These add-ons have become indispensable parts of the online experience. Consequently, list server software that makes email discussion lists and email broadcasting possible has also become an integral component of electronic commerce.
In 1981, BITNET (Because It's Time Network) was among the earliest networks that existed before the Internet. It was created in the United States to connect computer systems run by The City University of New York and Yale University. Development of the U.S. BITNET network was funded by a grant from IBM. BITNET was run by CREN (Corporation for Research and Educational Networking) in the U.S., while EARN (European Academic and Research Network) ran BITNET in Europe. In 1982, CREN and EARN used a leased telephone circuit to connect their two networks. EDUCOM in Europe created the first list server software used on the BITNET network. The initial goal of the list server was to enable scientists in Europe to quickly share research with colleagues in other parts of the world, thereby increasing the rate of scientific progress. The first list server ran on an IBM VM mainframe, since BITNET used IBM's NJE (Network Job Entry) protocol for inter-machine communication. The VMS operating system also supported this protocol. Consequently, many Digital VAX (Virtual Address Extension) minicomputers (which also ran VMS) were connected via BITNET. The administration of the first list server was quite primitive and lacked automation. For instance, each discussion group had a single email address set up as a simple email "exploder" that automatically sent each received message to all members of the list. To subscribe or unsubscribe from the mailing list, members sent an email message to the address LISTSERV@BITNET-HOSTNAME. The listserv@ address wasn't a front end for a software program. Instead, it was an email address for a human who would read the message and manually add or remove people from the distribution list file. Still, this primitive list server was a great help to people. Before this first list server, a member of a mailing list discussion had to know the email addresses of all other members in order to send a carbon copy message to each person on the list. With this first list server, one static email address automatically distributed to the entire dynamic list, a process that simplified communication among group members. As the email list service became popular and more lists were created, the need for automation increased. It became clear that a computer program that could add and remove people would be a great time-saver. Eric Thomas, at the Ecole Central de Paris in France, wrote such a program in 1986. Thomas named his program Revised Listserv, since it was a revision of the original listserv idea. Revised Listserv was eventually shortened to the all-capital LISTSERV. Initially, Revised Listserv was free to members of BITNET and ran on IBM mainframes that used the VM operating system. Thomas later ported Revised Listserv to the VMS operating system that ran on Digital Vax mini-computers.
Although Revised Listserv (the first automated list server) was available for machines that ran the VM or VMS operating systems, it wasn't available for machines that ran the UNIX operating system. At the time, UNIX systems were becoming very popular and widely available. A great appeal of the UNIX operating system was its ability to run on less expensive machines compared to costly machines that ran the VM or VMS operating systems. In response to the growing demand for a UNIX list server, Anastosias Kotsikonas, more commonly known as Tasos, wrote a UNIX list server program called "Listserv for UNIX." Tasos later changed the name to ListProc to avoid confusion with Thomas' LISTSERV. At the time, ListProc was free as C source code and ran on a variety of UNIX platforms. Eventually, Tasos sold a later version of ListProc (version 6.0) to CREN. After parting ways with CREN, Tasos began work on another list server. Tasos was later replaced at CREN by Rob von Behren, who helped ListProc rise to a new level by developing features that allowed fast mail scanning and confirmation of subscribe and unsubscribe messages. By this point, the government-funded Internet was emerging. To keep ListProc's features technically current, Rob von Behren worked on the development of a Web interface, incorporated a database for storing subscriber attributes, and increased the program's customizability. While ListProc's advanced features appealed to many UNIX users, some users preferred a simpler program. Consequently, a large number of home-brewed list servers appeared on the scene during the early 1990s. One example of a home-brewed program was Majordomo, written by Brent Chapman. Chapman volunteered to act as postmaster when the System Administrator's Guild decided to create over a dozen mailing lists. With limited time, Chapman was most interested in finding a list server program that could automate subscribe and unsubscribe requests, simultaneously manage numerous mailing lists, and automatically process other end-user requests. Disappointed by the features of available list server programs, Chapman decided to write his own list server with the Perl programming language, a popular UNIX-based scripting language. Chapman used Perl because he needed a programming language that would allow Majordomo to effectively parse emailed instructions, process text files, and generate email responses. Text parsing and processing was key to Chapman since interaction with Majordomo users was strictly in email form. As a result of its simplicity and easy-to-learn Perl code, Majordomo's popularity grew rapidly. A user community arose around Majordomo, spawning a rich world of hacks, modifications, and extensions.
In 1993, creator Eric Thomas decided to port Revised Listserv to UNIX. Since members of BITNET (one of the earliest computer networks) used Revised Listserv, Thomas asked CREN and EARN to fund development of the project. CREN and EARN ran the BITNET network in the United States and Europe. The parties were unable, however, to agree on terms, so Thomas founded L-Soft. L-Soft allowed him to control the destiny of his program and maintain commercial licensing rights. Thomas first negotiated licensing arrangements with CREN and EARN to allow BITNET members continued use of Revised Listserv. CREN chose not to continue its use of Thomas' software, however, and instead acquired ListProc from Anastosias Kotsikonas. CREN's aim was to develop a list server that would continue to serve the goals of their academic and research oriented members. With the Internet overshadowing BITNET, CREN decided to offer a free license for ListProc as an incentive for members to remain on BITNET and pay membership dues. ListProc 6.0 was the current version at that time, and it was available free to anyone who wanted to download and install it. CREN later charged a fee for upgraded versions (ListProc 7, 8.0 and 8.2). The free 6.0 version remains available today because CREN can't force Internet sites to remove ListProc source code from FTP download sites. To this day, ListProc 6.0 is still downloaded and installed, although the superior (but not free) later versions are available from CREN.
Amid the development of the big three list servers (ListProc, Revised Listserv, and Majordomo), I founded a small software company called Walter Shelby Group (WSG). As president of WSG, I developed InfoMagnet, a graphical front end to L-Soft's LISTSERV that ran on Windows. At its 1994 release, InfoMagnet's graphical interface was a revolutionary step in an Internet-based application. InfoMagnet's user-friendly interface made it easy for end-users to locate any LISTSERV list on the network, search its archives, subscribe or unsubscribe, and perform other common list member activities. About two years after the release of InfoMagnet, L-Soft and WSG parted ways and WSG eventually discontinued InfoMagnet. Considering the emerging power of the Internet, I recognized that list servers, as an application category, were sorely in need of redesign. I visualized a list server program with features that facilitated business applications and allowed full integration with the growing Internet. Since the U.S. government had recently decided to pull out of the Internet, commerce was suddenly legal. This timing was perfect for a user-friendly commercial list server designed specifically to automate information dissemination for business or personal purposes. My goal was to build a list server with a database foundation and Web interface to replace old-fashioned email commands. After moving my company from Maryland to California, I worked with two other programmers for more than a year to write Lyris ListManager. We released the first version in 1996. ListManager eliminated many of the shortcomings of previous programs, such as lack of effective Web interfaces and difficulty of administration. As a result of its easy-to-use interface and high-end features for UNIX and Windows, ListManager quickly gained mass acceptance-especially from corporate users who didn't have access to mainframes or BITNET membership. Since its release in 1996, ListManager has enabled nearly 3,000 businesses to manage hundreds of thousands of opt-in email lists comprising tens of millions of members. Five years later, ListManager is on its fourth release and has lead to a version for SQL servers that enables integration with outside databases.
As more organizations discover the value of communicating directly through mailing lists, email will play an even greater role in our Internet experience. Advanced list servers--with their ability to automate distribution of product announcements, customer surveys, and newsletters--have already become a crucial component of online commerce. The next generation of these applications is poised to eliminate the distinction between an isolated list of subscribers and a database of customers, thereby enabling refined message targeting. One result of this growth in technology and usage is, of course, the debate over "permission" email. The Internet community will likely find a way to resolve this hot topic, so that future list servers enable better communication and increase the value of email. Product availability and resources For more information on CREN, visit http://www.cren.net. For more information on EDUCOM, visit http://www.educom.com. For more information on LISTSERV, visit http://www.lsoft.com. For more information on ListProc, visit http://www.cren.net/listproc/index.html. For more information on Majordomo, visit http://www.greatcircle.com/majordomo/. For more information on L-Soft, visit http://www.lsoft.com. For more information on Lyris ListManager, visit http://www.lyris.com. Bulk reprints Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874. John Buckman, CEO and founder of Lyris Technologies at http://www.lyris.com.
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