Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!coolidge
From: coolidge@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu (John Coolidge)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: "Lines:" (Re: Supersedes problems with rapid-fire articles)
Summary: still optional, but recommended
Message-ID: <1989Sep2.200616.8524@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 2 Sep 89 20:06:16 GMT
References: <1989Sep1.220844.300@sq.sq.com>
Sender: news@brutus.cs.uiuc.edu
Reply-To: coolidge@cs.uiuc.edu (John L. Coolidge)
Organization: U of Illinois, CS Dept., Systems Research Group
Lines: 31

msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader) writes:
>I am also strongly in favor of widespread use of C News, and anyway there
>would be widespread use of C News whether I was in favor or not.  Since the
>"Lines:" header, if present, should be put on at the originating site,
>I too am asking that C News be changed to do so -- and not optionally.

I think the Lines: feature in C News should still be optional, as long as
Lines: is not a required header in the RFC. I also think the RFC needs
a rewrite, and at that time it should be decided if Lines: is worth
making required.

That said, I think the C News _should_ make Lines: a default setting,
and include instructions on how to turn it off if desired. If Geoff
and Henry aren't willing to do that, than they really should put in
explicit notice in the installation script saying "default is to not
generate Lines:, but most of the net thinks it's a good idea; do you
want to generate Lines: [n]?".

>If the only gain by its elimination is the 10 bytes or so of the article
>header, I suggest that many more bytes could be saved by reverting to the
>old style serial numbering in the Message-Id field, as this would shorten
>the "References:" lines also.

I agree. Saving bytes isn't an overriding reason to delete a feature.

--John

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
John L. Coolidge     Internet:coolidge@cs.uiuc.edu   UUCP:uiucdcs!coolidge
Of course I don't speak for the U of I (or anyone else except myself)
Copyright 1989 John L. Coolidge. Copying allowed if (and only if) attributed.