I am sending a copy of how to search discussion list archives which
was posted by Judy Turner of the Milwaukee Pulbic Museum last year.
I have used it any number of times, and found it extremely useful!
 
If you ever find yourself in the situation where you are looking far
an item you saw posted on a Listserv, send the series of commands
listedbelow as an email message to the Listserv. [You can also search
a discussion list for any topic that you think may have been
discussed in the past.]
 
Type the information exactly as it appears between the cut lines:
 
<Cut here>------
//ListSrch JOB Echo=no
Database Search DD=Rules
//Rules DD *
S <topic> in <Listserv name> Since <dd-mm-yy>
index date.8 sender.30 subject.40
print
/*
// EOJ
<Cut here>------
 
Important: the email message must be sent to LISTSERV@<listserv
address> and the subject line must be left blank.
 
Replace <topic> with the word(s) you want to search, including
Boolean operators.
 
Replace <Listserv name> with the name of the discussion list.
 
Replace <dd-mm-yy> with the date from which you wish to begin the
search.  Remember, some archives only go back a few months.
 
Do not include <cut here>------ in the text of your message (sorry, I
know it's obvious, but I've been asked that before).
 
I have had a response come back in the time it took to send the
message and retrieve my other email...  What you get is a listing of
all messages from the "since" date through the last update of the
discussion list archives which match your search criteria.  You will
also get the full text of all the messages (which can amount to a
huge file, depending on the search criteria and the size of the
discussion list archives).
 
Happy searching!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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