Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!decvax!tektronix!reed!kamath
From: kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: GS Programs. . . Please!
Message-ID: <9165@reed.UUCP>
Date: 3 May 88 02:49:22 GMT
Reply-To: kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath)
Organization: Reed College, Portland OR
Lines: 96
Keywords: keywords

Hello, line eater. . .

OK, folks, here's what bugging me tonight.  See, I keep pretty much a
complete archive of everything for the Apple I get.  I am right now in the
process of sorting and tarring to tape those very same programs, which are
eating up more tahn 2 megs, already compressed and stripped.

So:

Folks, can you do me a *BIG* favour?  I sort my mail on Subject: lines.  If
I get something cryptic like "analog clock" or the like on the line and
nothing else, I have no choice but to bash it to my apple programs, or read
it completely to see if I can guess if it's an NDA for the GS or something.
This may seem trivial to you, but I have a *LOT* of stuff I've been digging
through.  A LOT.  And I'd *REALLY* like it if on sources/binaries (meaning
things that come out of the server or that go to comp.binaries.apple2)
people would put a subject like this:

Subject: GS: super dooper thingie no ][er  will ever ever got to see.

also, though not as important, would be keywords such as "Sound:" and
"Superhighres" or what have you.  Also, can we specify version numbers on
the subject line?

I;m sorry if I'm sounding rude, but I was real sick this morning round
4:30am, and I'm just not in the mood.  Life would be so much easier with a
concise subject line.

The following are examples from comp.binaries.apple2:

GOOD:
Subject: GS Digitized sounds 3/6
Subject: kermit 3.82 part 2/2
Subject: Phone Book and Auto Dialer (All ][s)
Subject: freewriter.doc  ALL ]['s
Subject: set time in prodos with no clock ALL ]['s
Subject: sounds 1/6  GS ONLY

these are good because they tell us what they do, what they are, and what
they work on.  Or at least give us an idea.

Maybe:
Subject: Setup for ProDOS 8 (All ][s)
Subject: BLU 2.28 execable file
Subject: Giffer picture viewer ALL ]['s
Subject: Mac files to Apple//s
Subject: Extra tracks for ProDOS disks

I say maybe because they don't say what they are.  When I first heard about
it, I had *NO IDEA* what BLU was.  Even so, it's in the maybe because it
almost in the apple vernacular, and it gives the rev number and that it's an
execable.  Most of the others are cryptic, but no too bad if you're
current.  Giffer is a .GIF reader, mac to //s implies a conversion of some
sort, though it's unclear, and extra tracks is pretty self explanitory,
though it doesn't claim to be a program or documentation.   

then:
BAD:
Subject: CCPUB2.HEX
Subject: Executioner
Subject: BLU
Subject: sys beep source and hex part 1/2

CCPUP2.HEX huh? What *is* this.  I mean, I know, I read the article, but
still. . .
Executioner.  What about it?  How to use it?  Or that we should?  Or that
this is it? what does it do?
same for BLU.  WHat rev?  Speak up, boy, I can't hear you!
sys beep.  Is this the same thing as the startup sounds? Or the bell
replacement?  What?  Only on a GS?  You know, it's possible to replace the
bell on the apple //{+ec} with a digitized noise, too!

WEll, enough.  Here's sorta what I had in mind:

Subject: {GS|II|etc} {Program name} {Program version, if any} {descript.}

so we might see something like:

Subject: GS: SYS.BEEP (1.2) (Replaces system beep)
Subject: II (enhanced): BLU (2.29) (Binary Library Utilities for the //)
etc.

It'd really make it easier to store these things, and might clearify what is
what.  Let's try something like it?  Please?

Sean Kamath

Sorry this is so long, but it might make life easier.  At least I didn't go
on about what the body should contain, or how to explain how to unpack
things. . .

-- 
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