Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!letni!merch!sneaky!gordon
From: gordon@sneaky.UUCP (Gordon Burditt)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Universal machine-readable format?
Summary: use serial links
Message-ID: <36113@sneaky.UUCP>
Date: 20 Aug 90 12:36:22 GMT
References: <1990Aug15.165518.16675@phri.nyu.edu>
Organization: Gordon Burditt
Lines: 30

>	If you had to send some data in machine-readable form to somebody
>(perhaps many, unspecified, people), but had no idea what kind of machine
>they had, what format/media would you use to maximize the probability that
>it would be readable by the recipient?  The quantity of data is small enough

Asynchronous serial links, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, connected to a
2400 or 1200 baud modem.  2400 baud is preferred because (1) it's faster,
and (2) as far as I know there is no difference between the European
and American version of the standard for 2400 baud.  (There is for 1200 -
lots of modems support both types, but you have to tell it which one ahead
of time. I believe the situation is worse for 300 baud.)  The protocol used 
would be one of kermit, x/y/zmodem, or uucp (or a simulation of it).

>	My first guess was a plain ascii file on a 720k 5.25" DOS floppy.

Since Pizza Hut started mailing MAGNETS through the U.S. Postal service
as part of an advertising campaign, I am not optimistic about sending
any kind of magnetic media through the mail.  

I am also not enthusiastic about data interchange between different types
of floppy drives, either.  Given machine A with one each 3.5 and 5.25
low-capacity drives, and machine B with one each 3.5 and 5.25 high-capacity
drives, and A and B are within 10 feet of each other, you are supposed to be 
able to exchange data between them on either size disk, but in practice you 
had to hunt for a machine C on a different floor with two same-size drives 
of differing densities (or maybe you could transfer 10 copies of the file 
and hope one was readable, but usually the directory had read errors in it).

					Gordon L. Burditt
					sneaky.lonestar.org!gordon