Sun, 03 Feb 2002 21:55:39 -0500: In attempt to throw the authorities off his
trail, "Ronald J. Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> transmitted:

> > Actually, do you have your /etc/packetsize.conf to 'useMetric = "yes" ' ?
> > (Mandrake does this by default, being a French distro)
> > 
> > If you are sending metric TCP/IP packets, they're larger than American
packets> > and will therefore, travel much more slowly. Especially over thin
wires.> 
> Just in case mine was set like that, I looked. I couldn't find a file named
> packetsize.conf in /etc... I tried locate and whereis as well...
> 
> Perhaps its another file? Or somewhere else?

Oops. The dangers of plain text humour. There is no "metric" setting for
TCP/IP packet sizes. I was kidding. Back in the day SmartAss SysAdmins used to
blame slow performance on "fat electrons" which tend to get stuck in the
curves and bends of printed circuit boards. "Sunspots" was another good pseudo
explanation you'd offer to particularly stupid users. e.g.:

Luser: "I can't find my data files!"

S.A.S.A: "Did you look in your /home directory?"

Luser: "Oh, there they are. I swear they weren't there a minute ago!"

S.A.S.A.: "Well, sunspots, you know. Cause all sorts of fluctuation in the
magnetic encodings of harddrives."

Luser: "Wow! I never knew that!"


So "metric TCP/IP packetsizes" are a joking way to dismiss the lag that
Anuerin G. Diaz has been experiencing with delivery from this list. I figured
that, since he signs his mails as a "Design Engineer", he'd get the joke.

Hey, give yourself some credit. You at least knew how to check /etc/ to see
what your settings were!

- Chris


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