[net.notes] Dropped notes from news

tw@hp-pcd.UUCP (Tw Cook) (08/24/83)

#N:hp-pcd:11900003:000:1722
hp-pcd!tw    Aug 23 10:05:00 1983

(Note from Donn Terry, forwarded by hp-pcd!tw)

I've had some notes disappear on the way in from news.  Since the problem
is character set sensitive, let me first make a definition, then
describe the problem.  (If I actually include the offending character,
some of you will never see this note.)

Let <lb> stand for the character "pound sign" (a.k.a. "number sign"
or (?) "octothorpe" or "that thing in the lower right of the telephone
keypad".

---

I've been seeing a problem with some notes coming over news.  They
contain the
  - (nf)
suffix, but do not contain the <lb>N or <lb>R line.  If, however, they 
contain some other <lb> (as part of the text), they are discarded
with a jump to the label "toobad".

Some examples of this are the discussion of crazy roads in net.jokes,
specifically notes form utcstat!laura and wateng!padpowell, which
use the strings "<lb>1" ... "<lb>4" in the text.  (Notes folks may have to
check the nearest news site to find these.)

(B)newsinput can be fixed to fail soft, and I plan to do so; however
a look at the programs handling the messages is probably in order to
find out where the <lb>N or <lb>R went.   If anyone has a fix for either
the real problem or (b)newsinput, I'd appreciate having it.

Donn Terry
...hplabs!hp-dcd!donn
...hao!csu-cs!hp-dcd!donn
...hp-pcd!hp-dcd!donn
(303) 226-3800 x2367

P.S.  I posted this a week ago, but it never seemed to go anywhere;
I'll try again.   

P.P.S.  This was generated on notes, and thus should have a "- (nf)" in
the title; if it doesn't, someone ate a <lb>N line between you and me.

(P.)^3.S.  I'm also going to submit a small note with the offending
character to this same group.  If you don't get it, the someone ate it
too.

tw@hp-pcd.UUCP (Tw Cook) (08/24/83)

#N:hp-pcd:11900004:000:304
hp-pcd!tw    Aug 23 10:06:00 1983

This note is submitted associated with my note
"Dropped notes from news".  It contains the offending character
 -- # --

If you get this note, and not the other, you have a very strange
news feed!

Donn Terry
...hplabs!hp-dcd!donn
...[hao]!csu-cs!hp-dcd!donn
...hp-pcd!hp-dcd!donn
(303) 226-3800 x2367