lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) (10/24/88)
A number of sites appear to be running the same mail based archive server software (send a help msg, index msg, or send msg). What I have noticed is that if I use a path command to tell these sites to return items via my bitnet address, the software gets truncated at 80 columns, tabs turn into multiple spaces, and some characters get mangled. Has anyone improved this software so that bitnet users (and others?) get the software distributed in chunks of uuencoded format? Or use bitnet commands to format the data into netdata format? Also, I notice that if an item is larger than about 60k some sites along the path fail to allow the data thru. In my case, it happens to be the ONLY backbone site who can talk uucp to my home site. When that is the case, it becomes almost impossible to get the data to me. It sure would be nice if the archive servers would break larger items up into multiple 60k chunks (AFTER uuencoding!!!) -- Larry W. Virden 75046,606 (CIS) 674 Falls Place, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 (614) 864-8817 osu-cis!n8emr!lwv (UUCP) osu-cis!n8emr!lwv@TUT.CIS.OHIO-STATE.EDU (INTERNET) We haven't inherited the world from our parents, but borrowed it from our children.
dave@galaxia.zone1.com (David H. Brierley) (10/25/88)
In article <668@n8emr.UUCP> lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) writes: > >A number of sites appear to be running the same mail based archive server >software (send a help msg, index msg, or send msg). What I have noticed >is that if I use a path command to tell these sites to return items via >my bitnet address, the software gets truncated at 80 columns, tabs turn into >multiple spaces, and some characters get mangled. Am I being overly single-minded today or were other people bothered by this complaint? This guy wants me to change my software because his mail delivery program is not capable of handling the data? Gimme a break! My software works perfectly fine for the systems it was originally intended for, which includes any system running an intelligent mail system. The systems that use my archive server software tend to appreciate the service I provide. If they whine and fuss like this guy they tend to get a response of "if you dont like the way my archive server works feel free to go elsewhere". Particularily in the case in point, where it is not my software that is causing the problem but his. On the other hand, if this guy were to ask for a copy of the software so that he could figure out how to get it to work with his mail system and then send me back the changes I would *consider* putting those changes into the program as long as they didn't break anything else. In my opinion, this guys whinings are tantamount to biting the hand that feeds you or at the very least accusing the person of cruelty because they gave you a hamburger and you really wanted a pork chop. If you are hungry enough you will take the hamburger and learn to live with it. If you want the software that the various archive sites have available you should learn to accept what they are offering and massage it into whatever format your system requires. One final note: please dont get the idea that I write my programs to tailor fit into a tiny little world and if you dont fit that world then you are out of luck. Most of the programs I write start out on one of the systems at work and then quickly get propogated to the other systems at work and usually to my system at home. In the process the programs are required to be portable enough to run under BSD2.10, BSD4.[23], SunOS3.2, SunOS4.0, Pyramid OSx 4.[014], System V, the dreaded VMS, and sometimes the even more dreaded MS-DOS. Oh yeah, did I mention HP-UX? Anyway, you get the idea. By the time the program has gone through all of that, if it's not portable it's never going to be. Ah, but I just realized that I just reinforced my snobbery. Almost all of the systems I just named are UNIX systems. I guess I'll have to dust off my JCL decks and brush up on CICS and TSO. -- David H. Brierley Home: dave@galaxia.zone1.com ...!rayssd!galaxia!dave Work: dhb@rayssd.ray.com {sun,decuac,gatech,necntc,ukma}!rayssd!dhb
lyndon@nexus.ca (Lyndon Nerenberg) (10/27/88)
>In article <668@n8emr.UUCP> lwv@n8emr.UUCP (Larry W. Virden) writes: >> >>A number of sites appear to be running the same mail based archive server >>software (send a help msg, index msg, or send msg). What I have noticed >>is that if I use a path command to tell these sites to return items via >>my bitnet address, the software gets truncated at 80 columns, tabs turn into >>multiple spaces, and some characters get mangled. Bitnet nodes are well known for this type of anti-social behaviour. About all you can do is try to avoid Bitnet sites wherever possible (not a great answer if your only mailbox is on Bitnet). If you can, get the file(s) delivered to a nearby site where you can uuencode them prior to final delivery on the Bitnet machine. (Use the newest version of uuencode. It's a bit more robust when sending through Bitnet mailers.) In article <522@galaxia.zone1.com>, dave@galaxia (David H. Brierley) whines: >Am I being overly single-minded today or were other people bothered by >this complaint? Didn't bother me, although your reply left something to be desired ...