ts@uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi) (12/08/90)
In article <864@pdxgate.UUCP> jgriffin@eecs.UUCP (Jon Griffin) writes: > >Some files, such as SCANVxxx.ZIP get updated so often as to be a problem just >keeping up with the current name. Is it possible to always name these files >the same name? SCANVxxx.ZIP could always be SCANV.ZIP and the version number >could be in the comments field. This way those of us who use autoftp would >be able to get the file the first time. Now we autoftp a name only to find >out later the name doesn't exist. Then we autoftp the simibm.arc to find the >current name and finally we autoftp the current name. This is something I have occasionally pondered, and also discussed with Keith, and even if there are pros and cons, the better answer is to use the version names as they come. If we were to have a different naming system from the rest of the InterNet, FidoNet, and al the rest of the PC community, endless confusion would just follow. In fact I have strongly exhorted submitters of their own programs to use some version numbering convention. This way users will know a newer version from an older. There is no other sensible way that would work considering the worl-wide nature of PC PD and shareware community. Index files of ftp sites and BBSes are a different matter since it is their nature to be regularly updated. In fact many BBSes update their file lists automatically each and every night. ................................................................... Prof. Timo Salmi (Moderating at anon. ftp site 128.214.12.3) School of Business Studies, University of Vaasa, SF-65101, Finland Internet: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi Funet: gado::salmi Bitnet: salmi@finfun