wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU (Bill Wisner) (02/05/88)
I recently stated in comp.sources.d that I would collect information on archive sites that make various items available for anonymous FTP or UUCP, list them, and maintain that list in the future. Various mail I have received indicates two things. First, this list is going to be BIG. Second, there is probably some demand for a newsgroup for distributing this stuff. I propose a moderated newsgroup, to be named misc.archives or comp.archives. A misc heading seems more appropriate to me, since there is more out there than just source code. There would be two main functions of the group. The moderator (myself?) woulf send out new announcements as they are received, and incorporate them into a master list. The master list would be reposted at regular intervals. I also see a list in index format. "mh -- available from udel.edu" This would facilitate locating specific packages. I'm taking votes on this until March 3. Send them to wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU or mit-eddie!wisner. ..bill
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (02/06/88)
In article <8084@eddie.MIT.EDU> wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU (Bill Wisner) writes: >I recently stated in comp.sources.d that I would collect information >on archive sites that make various items available for anonymous FTP >or UUCP, list them, and maintain that list in the future. >Various mail I have received indicates two things. First, this list is >going to be BIG. Second, there is probably some demand for a newsgroup >for distributing this stuff. I haven't yet decided which way I would vote on this, but I think it needs some discussion. My point is that perhaps news.lists should be used for this, instead of creating a new group. - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu, ...iuvax!silver!creps, creps@iubacs.bitnet "F-14 Tomcat! There IS no substitute."
ejablow@dasys1.UUCP (Eric Robert Jablow) (02/08/88)
In article <8084@eddie.MIT.EDU> wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU (Bill Wisner) writes: > > ......... ......... ......... > >I propose a moderated newsgroup, to be named misc.archives or >comp.archives. A misc heading seems more appropriate to me, since >there is more out there than just source code. There would be two main >functions of the group. The moderator (myself?) woulf send out new >announcements as they are received, and incorporate them into a master >list. The master list would be reposted at regular intervals. I also >see a list in index format. "mh -- available from udel.edu" This would >facilitate locating specific packages. > >I'm taking votes on this until March 3. Send them to >wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU or mit-eddie!wisner. > >..bill Since I started this whole discussion, I'd might as well summarize the various responses. Ken Yap (ken@cs.rochester.edu) wrote in this newsgroup: Message-ID: <6388@sol.ARPA> Yes, yes, yes. Where to get free software via ftp/uucp/whatever seems to be word-of-mouth knowledge. I know quite a few machines with goodies (Kermit, X, CP/M, etc) but I'm sure we all would love a list of lists. If somebody would volunteer to maintain this list, I'd be glad to send in what I know. Ken ------------- Article 1114 of comp.sources.d: Bill Wisner (wisner@fenchurch.MIT.EDU) wrote originally in this newsgroup (Message-ID: <8016@eddie.MIT.EDU>): References: <2777@dasys1.UUCP> <6388@sol.ARPA> A fine idea. I will probably regret this, but here it is. I volunteer to maintain a list of archive sites. In fact, perhaps two are in order, one of ftp sites and one of sites that offer anonymous UUCP, although I only know of two of the latter. (reply to wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU.) --------- However, I received the following responses in private email: From Russell Lawrence (uunet!wpg!russ): From mstan!uunet!wpg!russ Sun Jan 31 Status: R Thanks for the posting about the one-liners. I've been bitching to myself about this thing for nearly 6 months but it never occured to me that there IS and alternative. BTW, if you get any good replies, how about copying me or posting to the net??? Thanks. --- Russell Lawrence, WP Group, POB 306, Metairie, LA 70004 AT&T: +1 504 456 0001 COMPUSERVE: 72337,3261 UUCP: {philabs,hpda,nbires,amdahl,...}!uunet!wpg!russ But someone whose letter I unfortunately deleted said that man-pages were too much, that what were needed was for the archivists to put forth a paragraph detailing what a program required (BSD, streams, getopt,and so on), and just why it's better than a predecessor. I conclude that what we need is first, a listing of all the archive sites, their contents, hours of operation, preferred geographical area of operations, methods of transmission (ftp, UUCP, and don't forget BITNET!), and second, a standard way of indexing all the software available. In other words, a program should come with an ABSTRACT, as well as a man-page and a README note. P.S. Does anyone want to adapt the Dewey decimal system to software? It would be hard to do, but after a while, the phone bills would go down. I vote yes on Bill Wisner's proposal. -- Eric Jablow {allegra,philabs,cmcl2}!phri\ Big Electric Cat Public Unix {bellcore,cmcl2}!cucard!dasys1!ejablow New York, NY, USA Soon to be eric@fawn.sb.edu. Copyright 1988 First Category Press
marcus@illusion.UUCP (Marcus Hall) (02/10/88)
In article <8084@eddie.MIT.EDU> wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU (Bill Wisner) writes: > > ......... ......... ......... > >I propose a moderated newsgroup, to be named misc.archives or >comp.archives. A misc heading seems more appropriate to me, since >there is more out there than just source code. There would be two main >functions of the group. The moderator (myself?) woulf send out new >announcements as they are received, and incorporate them into a master >list. The master list would be reposted at regular intervals. I also >see a list in index format. "mh -- available from udel.edu" This would >facilitate locating specific packages. > >I'm taking votes on this until March 3. Send them to >wisner@eddie.MIT.EDU or mit-eddie!wisner. > >..bill Before going off and creating yet another newsgroup, I think that it would pay to look at what newsgroups currently exist that would be appropriate for this. There is a newsgroup news.lists which gets lists periodically reposted already. Looking at the articles spooled there, I see newsgroup statistics, Some how-to articles, list of moderators, publicly accessible mailing lists, list of active newsgroups, and changes to various lists. It seems that the periodic posting of a list of archive sites would fit nicely into this group. As for posting new archive information, is there really a lot of new information that can't wait for the periodic reposting? Can this traffic hapily exist in comp.sources.d? Currently, archive information is posted periodically in comp.sources.unix (or is it comp.sources.misc, possibly both) but that inforation is only for archives for those groups. I agree that the archive information is very useful and not very easily located (in general), but I'm not convinced that there is any need for another newsgroup devoted solely to archive information. Marcus Hall ..!{mcdchg,ihnp4}!illusion!marcus