Mailing from a script - 2 (fwd)

[Edgar Allen]

Forwarded message:
>
>Um...  Why not simply add an "include" line to /etc/aliases?  As I recall,
>the syntax is
>
>list-address:	:include:/some/path/to/users.txt
>
>This lets you manage addresses in users.txt while being able to send a
>single message to list-address.  It's more efficient in that sendmail only
>gets called once.
>

    Rereading this I get the feeling that it might be interpreted as
    a flame.  Not my intent but I don't have time to clean it up at the
    moment.

    So please accept my assurance that my words are not meant to be harsh.

    I will try to be less ambiguous in the future.

Because all the deliveries are done sequentially, only recipients at the
same domain are delivered as a batch, delivery of mail to some users can
be delayed because of their position behind a failing address.

Delaying email for a couple of days because some nimrod cannot keep his
Exchange server running does not seem reasonable to me and apparently
not to the author of 'fastmail' either.

I often use alias lists myself but almost always where all but one or
two names are at the same destination and then that "foreign" address
goes first in the list so that it gets delivered last.  Sendmail builds
a stack for deliveries so it is "First In, Last Out".

By making each message a separate delivery then everybody gets it as soon
as their system will accept it without clogging up the mail queue because
of full mailboxes or bad addresses, which become a major pain if the list
gets big.

I read his request as wanting to get timely delivery with the minimum of
hassles/delays.  I guess we have differences of opinion about how valuable
computer cycles versus human delays are.