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This is a big flame.  Its about the network response on the NIC
and the TCPHST program (hosts.txt server).  Some weeks ago a
new TCPHST program written in C was installed, replacing the
old crufty midas version.  Network response on the NIC lately
has been incredibly slow and we've noticed that its not always
the entire arpanet,  but just us.  Well, so, to get into details,
the new TCPHST program opens TCP connections in interactive mode,
which means every SOUT tries to push immediately.  It really
should be opened in the high throughput mode, which buffers data 
until there is a bunch to send.  Interactive mode is for interactive
style networking, like telnet.  High throughput mode is for bulk
transfers like FTP.  The reasoning behind this interactive mode
is that then the C program can just do network stuff to its
primary I/O and not have to even know it's talking to a network.
Could be a file or even a terminal.  AHA!  Its the UNIX philosophy
creeping into our TOPS-20 system.  It should be stopped immediately!
Networks are NOT files and terminals are NOT files.  UNIX thinks
you can generalize everything into a file conecpt and that's complete
bullshit.  UNIX does push all its TCP data as soon as it can and that's
why UNIX is screwed and why we are running TOPS-20 instead.  Please write
TOPS-20 programs with the TOPS-20 philosophy.  If you are writing a
program that uses the network then you will probably need to do
special things to make it work properly.  Once again, a network
is not a file.  It doesn't come close.  They are completely
different things.  They don't work the same way and you don't
use them the same way.  If you want to then go use Blackjack.

From the TCP documentation:
.TCMWI (1)      Interactive  mode.   Send  all  bytes  as  soon  as
                possible  (ie.  Send  data after each SOUT% or BOUT).
                This mode attempts to  give  the  most  "interactive"
                response possible by sending many small messages.

.TCMWH (2)      High throughput mode.  Hold data in local buffers until
                accumulated   bytes   are  sufficient  for  efficient
                transmission, or until transmission is requested with
                the TCOPR% or SOUTR% JSYS. The mode attempts to  give
                high  throughput  at  low  overhead  by sending large
                messages.

The TCPHST program should NOT use interactive mode.  READ IT.
It says it sends MANY SMALL MESSAGES.  The high throughput mode
attempts to give HIGH THOUGHPUT at LOW OVERHEAD.  Thats what
you want for a host table server.  I don't wanna see anymore
of this bullshit that says you access everything like its a file
and you don't give a shit what the system has do to with it.