Re: Are old archives for list still needed?

["Michael Edwards" mje@xxxxxxxx]

   I recall discussion on this list a year or two back about reconstructing
archives for posts made to this list. Apparently the original archives were
deleted from the server without notice, and someone (sorry, I forget who) was
requesting copies of early messages from members, in an effort to reconstruct it
all.
   I think I stated at the time that I had some early files; but then, when I
went to look for them, I couldn't find them, and I thought I must have been
mistaken. Anyway, no-one asked me about this, so I let it go.
   Well, I have since then found the files I had in mind. They are there on
my E: drive, and I really can't imagine why I didn't find them at the time I was
looking for them, because I thought I had scoured my entire computer for them,
but in vain.
   When I joined the list maybe 4 or 5 years ago, I saved the archived files
that were there at the time. I've also kept all posts that I've received while
actually belonging to the list.
   The archive files in question are the following, and appear to be long
files containing entire years' posts (I cannot unzip them at the moment to
verify this):

XYLST94 ZIP    372,937 06-25-00 1:07a
XYLST95 ZIP   1,472,056 06-25-00 1:34a
XYLST96 ZIP    782,866 06-25-00 1:05a
XYLST97 ZIP    495,722 06-25-00 12:59a
XYLST98 ZIP    225,623 06-25-00 12:56a

   I think they covered all messages in the list before I joined - at least
those which were available at the time. The files do look a bit too short to me
to be complete - but they are zipped, and maybe the list wasn't quite so active
in those days. Anyway, I believe it is the complete archives that were
available to me from the server at the time I joined.
   I don't seem to have a file for 1999, and I'm pretty sure I wasn't in the
list for the whole of that year, although possibly I was in the latter part of
it.
   If there are still holes in the archive which these files might fill, I
would be glad to send a copy of these files to the maintainer of the archives,
upon request. I just thought I'd renew the offer, now that I've found I do have
the files after all.

             Regards,
             Michael Edwards.