net.sources format request
Gerald M. Aden
aden at orion.UUCP
Fri Nov 7 02:30:12 AEST 1986
In article <1260 at hoptoad.uucp>, rdm at hoptoad.uucp (Rich Morin) writes:
> THIS IS NOT A FLAME!!! - but I do have a request to make.
>
> I regularly scan net.sources, looking for useful goodies. I find,
> all too often, postings of the following nature:
>
> > Subject: posting XXX arc file, if you want XXX - here it is!!!
> >
> > ...
> >
> > Here is a copy of XXX along with documentation. You must first
> > use the uudecode on it and then use "arc" (on your pc - this was
> > arc'd with version 5.2, the command should be "arc x filename)
> > to break it into it's components (XXX.com and XXX.doc). Good Luck.
> >
> > ...
> >
> > begin 644 XXX.arc
> > M&@-!4TU'14XN0T]-``34DB@``"8,C:V1/@`L``#\O``!H0(`C,LKP_;$\'0%
> > MN/__ZP2Q!-/@HX,H+9XN<@4]``%S!KK9)^GH`+J2`K at C)<TAOH$`Z`4-=0/I
> > ...
>
> I don't object to the twenty skedillion kinds of encoding that are
> being used; presumably there is a reason for them. The author is
> to be congratulated, in fact, for delineating all the necessary
> operations for decoding the message.
>
> I do think, however, that it would be useful to be able to find out
> what "XXX" is without performing the decoding operations, then
> (most likely) scanning through the decoded text looking for an
> illuminating comment.
>
> I therefore suggest that authors, somewhere near the top of the
> posting, explain the nature of their offering, as:
>
> XXX is the famous wysiwyg defrobulator written by elmer hack, of
> Chaotic State U. Unfortunately, it doesn't translate PostScript
> to anything at all. Still, it's very useful for varplefurtzing.
>
> The extra bandwidth required for this is small, compared to the
> typical net.sources posting. I suspect that the payoff (in reduced
> hassle and frustration, let alone increased usage of posted code)
> would be adequate. :-)
> --
> Richard Morin, proprietor {hoptoad,leadsv,lll-lcc}!cfcl!rdm
> Canta Forda Computer Lab. +1 415 994 6860
> Post Office Box 1488 Full spectrum consulting services
> Pacifica, CA 94044 USA for science and engineering.
I wholeheartedly agree with this request !
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