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Path: utzoo!mnetor!genat!maccs!gordan
From: gordan@maccs.UUCP (Gordan Palameta)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Distribution of ST software on the net
Message-ID: <146@maccs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 30-Nov-86 04:28:55 EST
Article-I.D.: maccs.146
Posted: Sun Nov 30 04:28:55 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 30-Nov-86 19:40:30 EST
References: <126@maccs.UUCP> <547@uwmacc.UUCP> <132@maccs.UUCP> <136@mcdsun.UUCP>
Reply-To: gordan@maccs.UUCP (Gordan Palameta)
Distribution: na
Organization: DCSS, McMaster University
Lines: 48

In article <136@mcdsun.UUCP> fnf@mcdsun.UUCP (Fred Fish) writes:
>In article <132@maccs.UUCP> gordan@maccs.UUCP (Gordan Palameta) writes:
>>>>	...			For instance, a large
>>>>number of programs could be packed on a single floppy
>>>>disk which could be sent through ordinary *non-electronic*
>>>>mail.
>>
>>I did receive some cautionary advice in e-mail from Allan Pratt warning that
>>the amount of work involved might be considerable...
>
>I have been doing this for the Amiga for about a year now, and I can assure
>you it *IS* a lot of work.  I have 40 disks that I put together, with 5 or
>6 more currently on the way, and have received requests from all over the
>world.  I estimate that this has consumed approximately 20 hours per
>week of my "spare" time for the last year.  Be sure not to underestimate
>

Hmmm that sounds fairly horrendous.  That sounds like a part-time job, which
wouldn't be too bad if the renumeration was right... however, there are user
groups, BBSs, and computer stores that collect general PD software and sell
disks for about $10 each...

What I have in mind is something more modest, namely just "Usenet-specific"
software, for the purpose of putting an end to plaintive repost requests.
Under this category, I'd include the following:

ARC (archiver utility), FORMAT+ (custom format utility),
reset-proof RAMDISK, GEM Kermit, Uniterm, VIX, MicroEmacs,
MONST (monitor, disk and memory editor & disassembler) with docs in English

and possibly a grab bag of others like STSPEECH, ALITE, etc.

The idea would be to create a standard disk (or two or three) containing
these programs (all ARCed to save space, except for ARC itself)
which could be requested through the postal service.  When a request was
received, the standard disk would be disk-copied as a whole onto a blank
disk and mailed (disk-copy rather than custom mix-and-match file-copies, to
minimize the work required).

I currently have all the programs mentioned above (except for VIX) and could
distribute them.  However: i) right now, we're flying in the face of the
Xmas mail rush  ii) I'll be off the net (and unreachable) for the second half 
of December (end-of-term Xmas vacation).  So January seems a more auspicious
time to start, unless someone out there is incredibly desperate...

The above list of "canonical" Usenet software is naturally open to suggestion.

Gordan Palameta    Usenet: {!seismo, !utzoo} !mnetor!genat!maccs!gordan