Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!m.cs.uiuc.edu!schwager
From: schwager@m.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Fish Archive on UXE and MRCNext
Message-ID: <7200164@m.cs.uiuc.edu>
Date: 2 Dec 89 17:38:57 GMT
Lines: 81
Nf-ID: #N:m.cs.uiuc.edu:7200164:000:4670
Nf-From: m.cs.uiuc.edu!schwager    Dec  1 14:45:00 1989


Greetings, denizens of comp.sys.amiga:

Here's the scoop on the Fred Fish archive, what you can expect, and all
that other good stuff:

We're recently had a problem with delivery of the disks; that's why the
latest batch has been late.  I have just uploaded disks 251-270 to my Sun,
so very soon mrcnext will be up to date as of disk 270.  Actually, 259 and
260 had errors, so they'll be another week or so from today.  

The Computers:

uxe is an aging Pyramid, and is being phased out.  This is a good thing,
because the administrators of that machine wouldn't give us an account on
it.  Stuff is moving to mrcnext gradually.  I don't think mrcnext is going
to be able to hold it all... there's only 140 Meg left for everybody on the
partition that the Fish disks live on.  But for now, the archive will be
split between uxe and mrcnext.  Don't expect uihub to get anything anymore.
It's going away in mid-December, anyhow.  What I think is going to happen
is that after uxe gets dumped in January, the entire archive is going to a
machine called ux1.  This is a relatively fast Sequent machine.  Like I
say, I think they're going to put *all* our disks there- I'm not sure.  At
the very least, we'll be split up between mrcnext and ux1.  All the Amicus
disks have been moved to mrcnext.  More Fish disks are on their way.  I
told the administrators to let me know before any more major moves, so I can
announce it to the net.

The Future of the Archive:

From a mainframe perspective, things look good.  They're willing to give us
the space we need.  From a supply side perspective... well, netlanders, we
need to talk.  What's been happening is that Lionel Hummel has had a
subscription with 2 other people for the disks.  The person who received
them was the local user's group librarian.  This meant that the disks were
not available to be uploaded as readily as we'd have liked, but c'est la
vie, n'est-ce pas?  But because of the erratic delivery times, Lionel has
decided not to participate anymore with that group.  Both he and I would
like to get a subscription delivered direct, so we can upload stuff as soon
as it's available from Mr. Fish.  This would mean near-instantaneous
availability, as I'd just received the disks yesterday and I've already
been able to upload (or attempt to) 20 disks via 9600 baud serial line and
DNET (thanks, Matt Dillon!).

A Fish subscription costs $300 at the cheapest rate (100 disks).  Now I
consider myself a fairly generous guy, but $150 is a bit of a chunk for my
altruistic pocketbook to handle.  So I need to find some way of lessening
the shock.  I certainly wouldn't mind $50 at all.  So I think to myself,
"How can I ease this $100 load?"  Actually, although Lionel is willing to
invest $150, I think he'd like to ease the strain a bit too.  Basically,
I'd like to raise some capital through the people on Usenet.  I can think
of two ways to do it, either:
	a) Donations, or
	b) Sub-subscriptions.  In other words, if you want a Fish disk,
	   you've got it.  You pay $3/disk, any quantity.  Although if you
	   really want a *bunch* and are anxious for a discount, I'm a
	   flexible guy.
Just off the top of my head, I'd guess that b) was more feasible.  If a)
would work, that would really be preferable to me (I've got a job and
outside interests, and shipping Fish disks is not on my list of favorite
avocations).

Getting the Fish disk subscription delivered directly to my office would
make uploading fast as lightning.  I'd really like to see it happen, and am
tempted to just commit $150 to the cause.  But my better judgment and Visa
cards say no.  So, users of the Archive, whaddya say?  I'd like to find out
if the Net would be willing to support this archive, at least in part.
This is ONLY a request for information right now... not a commitment on
anyone's part!  So send me e-mail.  When you do, please put the word "fish"
somewhere in the Subject: line (ah, the glories of MH!) If you'd be willing
to donate, give me an idea of how much you'd pledge.  Or, if you'd like
Fish disks sent to you, give me an idea of how many you'd order (eg, "I
usually see three or four from each batch that I'd like to have right
away").
-Mike Schwager
INTERNET:schwager@cs.uiuc.edu               | "I find it hard to believe you 
UUCP:{uunet|convex|pur-ee}!uiucdcs!schwager |  	don't know the beauty you are
BITNET:schwager%cs.uiuc.edu@uiucvmd         |  But if you don't, let me be your
University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci. |   eyes and enter your darkness
                                               So you won't be afraid"
                                              -Lou Reed, _Velvet Underground_