TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2002-05 > 1020652467


From: Lee Hoffman <>
Subject: Re: [TMG] Message delays to the list
Date: Sun, 05 May 2002 22:34:27 -0400
References: <LOBBKOOEANNIIOJMJAELAEJKEAAA.earbar@netway.com><5.1.0.14.0.20020504063811.009f9aa0@pop.sprynet.com><5.1.0.14.0.20020504212852.009ff6e0@pop.sprynet.com><009b01c1f416$51e981c0$f79bf243@reed><009d01c1f44e$1ef23220$b9b20150@oemcomputer>
In-Reply-To: <00df01c1f488$06c83c00$a9b00150@oemcomputer>


Caroline Gurney wrote:
>I posted 3 messages to the list this afternoon, at 17.01, 17.06 & 17.19 BST.
>The message which was sent last came back to me first, almost
>instantaneously. The first 2 messages came back to me at 19.51 & 19.55 BST
>respectively - a delay of nearly 3 hours.
>
>Can anyone explain why this happens & whether the problem is with Rootsweb
>or my ISP?

You're talking about the Internet and that is more or less the nature of
the beast. At the time a message is receive by the TMG-L server and
transmitted (first come, first transmitted), the messages goes more or less
at the "whim" of the Internet and is based on a number of factors including
the amount of traffic, the number of "stops" (or way-points just like
regular mail) between TMG-L's server and your ISP. In some cases, the mail
may be sent to one way-point because it is available to receive mail and
thus expected to get to you fastest. Then as it is re-transmitted to the
next way-point, a similar situation may occur and the mail continues in
this matter until your ISP receives it. Then there is the chance that
somewhere along the way, a way-point goes down or cannot for some reason
transmit the message to the next way-point and thus the message is delayed
in reaching you until the way-point is fixed or the next way-point can
receive a transmission. There are other factors that speed up or slow down
delivery, but this is the general idea.

If you compare the two messages (one received quickly and the other much
later), looking at the full headers, you will likely see more "stops" in
the later one. It might be like someone posting a letter from
Southend-on-Sea to Mildenhall. It probably normally goes via London and
Cambridge. But this time, it goes to London and then is sent to Oxford and
Northampton before arriving on Cambridge and then to Mildenhall.

As to whether it is your ISP, well, that is just as good a possibility as
any other way-point.

Hope this helps -

Lee Hoffman/KY
TMG Tips: <http://www.tmgtips.com>;
My website: <http://www.tmgtips.com/lhoffman>;
A user of the best genealogy program, The Master Genealogist (TMG)

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