> Do files just stay in the rtfm.mit.edu FTP archive forever??
Files in non-*.answers directories stick around for three months,
unless the List of Periodic Informational Postings indicates that
they're posted less frequently than that, in which case we judge each
one indiviually. Files in *.answers directories are only removed at
the discretion of the moderators. Typically we kill them when they're
either six months or about three posting cycles overdue, whichever is
longer, after trying to reach the maintainer-of-record and anyone else
whose email address seems to be connected with the files.
At least, that's how it's supposed to work. Realistically, processing
messages in the queue has higher priority than clearing old files out
of the archive. I haven't had a chance to perform archive maintenance
for several months. I do hope that once there are a few more
moderators around, we'll be able to keep up with it better.
> Is there any way to determine if the people who created these files
> still want them in the ASD directory of the rtfm.mit.edu FTP archive
> even tho they are no longer being posted to ASD??
We don't deliberately archive files which aren't being actively posted
(at least annually, preferably at least quarterly), regardless of the
wishes of the maintainer. Usually, we remove inactive postings from
the archive when we take them out of the LoPIP, but if they changed
Subjects at some point, old copies may be left behind in non-*.answers
directories, to be cleared out in the (nominally) quarterly
housekeeping.
If an old file in the archives is causing problems, write the
moderation address and I'll remove it by hand.
- Pam