>your question raises many more, such as who *owns* the list...or the
>posts and knowledge contained within the database.  I do not recall
>signing away any rights to anything I publish on the list when I
>subscribed.  Can any one just mine the archive and write a book based on
>the info in the archives?

No.  As of now, the web pages have the following copyright:

     "The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright � 1994-1998,
      with the author and the vanagon mailing list administrators
      holding the copyright. Printing messages from this archive
      without the express permission of the copyright holders is
      forbidden.

      Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards
      the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list
      and vanagon mailing list web site."

I've also added the following to the message folks see when they subscribe:

   +---------------+
   |  Permissions  |
   +---------------+

   One of the great things about the Vanagon mailing list is
   the large quantity of information exchanged by the members.
   In order to ensure that this information, submitters to
   the vanagon mailing list grant the list managers the right
   to printed and electronic distribution of submitted articles
   into compilations. List managers and their agents also have
   the right to make edits which, in their sole opinion,
   improve the clarity of the submission. Submitters warrant
   that, as far as they know, they have the right to submit
   the material in question for publication.

   Any profits from list compilations will go exclusively
   towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing
   list and vanagon mailing list web site.

Comments?

Coyote