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From: rosenber@ra.abo.fi (Robin Rosenberg INF)
Newsgroups: alt.sources
Subject: RE: Plan'
Message-ID: <151@ra.abo.fi>
Date: 14 Sep 89 13:42:18 GMT
Organization: Abo Academy, Finland
Lines: 20

A .plan file is created with a text editor that allows you to insert terminal
control codes. There was a time two-three years ago here when everybody tried
to have the most advanced plan file. There was everything from simple scrolling
text to redefinition of character sets with smooth scroll. I think almost 
every trick a Televideo Vt220 terminal could do was exploited. The most
advanced .plan file I saw lasted some two-three minutes.... 
  The problem was that if you had a vt52 terminal it would lock up. The 
.plan-war ended by itself, mostly because it was a waste of time to create 
those plan files. 

  For the one that asked: .plan files are used on VMS and UNIX systems. 
Typically they contain the user's address, telephone numbers and other 
information the user want to make available to other. I.e your not suppose
to have animations and such garbage in it. Typically you get at the plan file
with a command like FINGER username.

 BTW, you could create very nice typeset plan files using TeX and a previewer.
Of course, people will be annoyed since they have a terminal which is 
incompatible with the control codes in you .plan file.

Robin Rosenberg