[tex-eplain] Homepage has wrong pointer..

[john@wexfordpress.net]

On Fri, 02 February 2001, Dorai Sitaram wrote:

> 
> > 
> > Had some computer problems but I am back on the list
> > 
> > There is a hompepage for eplain which offers a pointer to this list. It generates a message to majordomo@tug.org. This bounces because tug.org doesn't use the majordomo mailinglist software. I spent some time chasing my tail on htis issue. Either the site should be corrected or if it is no longer maintained perhaps it should be taken down.
> > 
> > The eplain site I found was at:
> > http://www.cs.rice.edu/~dorai/eplain/index.html
> > 
> > I could not determine the email address of the sponsor, else I would have writtten him directly.
> > 

> 
> Thank you John.
> 
> It looks like the archiving of tex-eplain@tug.org is
> broken, although we can continue to send/get
> email from this address.  I've sent a message to Denis
> Girou (mentioned on the tug.org lwgate as the contact)
> to see what's wrong.   
> 
> I've recently put eplain 2.8.1 on CTAN.  I am also
> aware from messages on comp.text.tex by John Culleton
> and Robin Fairbairns that the situation is
> unacceptable.  If a quorum (of sorts) here agrees that
> http://www.cs.rice.edu/~dorai/eplain should to be taken
> down and has a transfer plan, I will comply with
> good cheer.  
> 
> Since eplain 2.8.1 is safely on CTAN now, I guess all I
> need to do is erase all the eplain-related files from
> my website.  In case transitional help is needed, I
> will email in detail with whoever wants to take
> over.
> 
> My address is ds26@gte.com, if the tex-eplain@tug.org
> the address should also conk out. 
> 
> Regards,
> 
> --d
> (Dorai Sitaram)
> _______________________________________________

Thanks for the reply. Let me be precise about what I thought should be done. The link on your page which offered a subscrition to the eplain mailing list does not work. However it is possible to correct it to point at tex-eplain-request@cs.umb.edu with a one-line message saying subscribe you@your.preferred.address. This works. 

There probably needs ot be an eplain homepage somewhere, possibly a subpage to tug.org or your page or whatever. We don't need multiple pages however. There is your page and also a page on www.cs.uakron.edu. We need to agree on one home page and make sure that the links are correct.. 

Robin Fairbairn, if I read his note correctly, objected to the latest version of eplain not being posted to CTAN.  He views CTAN as the canonical site for all things TeX related and most would concur. If we keep the CTAN version of eplain.tex up to date I think his objections would go away. Since 28.1 is on CTAN now that appears to solve the problem of the moment..

To recap: I suggest settling on just one eplain homepage, keeping it up to date, and ensuring that the latest greatest version of eplain is also posted to CTAN. I think the eplain community has made moves toward resolving these issues, but a few more moves are needed.

Those of us who use TeX, eplain etc. without contributing much to development or maintenance are of course properly grateful to all those who have done the spade work. Please do not interpet anything in the above as critical in any way of the efforts of others. I merely pointed out a problem that I had getting back on the mailing list.

Best,

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