Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!aplcen!haven!grebyn!macom1!larry
From: larry@macom1.UUCP (Larry Taborek)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.games.bugs
Subject: Re: patches
Message-ID: <4946@macom1.UUCP>
Date: 12 Oct 89 14:56:53 GMT
References: <5083@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu>
Organization: CENTEL Federal Systems, Reston, VA. 22091-1506
Lines: 22

From article <5083@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu>, by VANCLEEF@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu:
> patches patches patches. why not just repost the source to nethack
> as it exists by the author. i am sure it would save everyone alot
> of aggravation.
> 
> (just a thought)

Ok, so I post "The Grand Game" in 1 shell archive file of 50,000
bytes.  Someone finds a bug and sends it to me.  I put the fix in
and its a good size fix, say 1000 bytes.  Now, if I redistribute
"The Grand Game" I will be reposting 49000 bytes of duplicate
information.  Thats alot of wasted communications going on to
propagate information thats not needed.

If I make a patch file with the fix and just distribute that, then 
all that goes out over the net and its precious bandwidth is that 
1000 byte patch and some minor overhead.

So in summary, patches make better use of the precious bandwidth
of the Usenet network.

Hope this helps...