Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: finger weather
Message-ID: <7100@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 9 Apr 91 23:50:08 GMT
References: <1991Apr4.031506.6778@athena.mit.edu> <1991Apr4.182115.3531@watson.ibm.com>
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 20

>The RFC for finger specifies fingers behavior when applied to coke
>machines. It is my understanding that CMU used to have a coke machine
>on the internet that followed the stated behavior, although this may
>be an urban legend.

Well, the specified behavior is:

  2.5.5.  Vending machines

     Vending machines SHOULD respond to a {C} request with a list of all
     items currently available for purchase and possible consumption.
     Vending machines SHOULD respond to a {U}{C} request with a detailed
     count or list of the particular product or product slot.  Vending
     machines should NEVER NEVER EVER eat requests.  Or money.
	       
When last I tried fingering CMU's Coke machine, several years ago, it
did report the status of the Cokes - or, at least, what I received back
was a report that purported to be the status of the Cokes in the
machine.  I don't know if that was a *real* status report or not; I also
don't know if the machine in question ever ate money.