Xref: utzoo comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d:365 comp.sys.ibm.pc:16206
Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!scs!spl1!laidbak!att!alberta!access!edm!rroot
From: rroot@edm.UUCP (Stephen Samuel)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Source code newsgroup for MS-DOS
Message-ID: <3128@edm.UUCP>
Date: 2 Jun 88 14:43:16 GMT
Article-I.D.: edm.3128
References: <4732@dasys1.UUCP>
Organization: Unexsys Systems, Edmonton,AB.
Lines: 46

From article <4732@dasys1.UUCP>, by tneff@dasys1.UUCP (Tom Neff):
> John Nelson makes some interesting points about shar vs. ARC or whatever
> for posting sources and binaries to Usenet.  Let me make a couple of points
> of my own.
I'l just repeat the arguments -- Mainly: ARC/ZOO files result in binaries
which are a BITCH to read from inside of rnews/etc or any other time when
ARC/ZOO isn't directly accessable, while, on the other hand, ARC gives nice
checksumming.
also: ARC results in a binary file which has to be UUENCODEd to transmit.
A uuencoded file eats more
(1) disk space 
(2) cpu time to decode if you're trying to read it 
(3) transmission bandwith (even if it's compressed by the transmitter) 
(4) serenity
  (a) (I get PISSED OFF when I try to read an article only to find
	some endoded GARBAGE)
  (b) To get one source set onto floppy so I could give it to a friend,
	(the arc file wouldn't fit on one floppy) I had to:
	i.   find an ARC for my system
	ii.  compile ARC 
	iii. save the program I wanted
	iv.  peel the headers
	v.   combine and UUDECODE it, 
	vi.  unarc it
	vii. kermit the pieces over to my PC
Had it been shared, I would have been able to work with it a LOT more easily.

(5) very few errors that a char count doesn't:
Checksums CATCH, but do not FIX transmisson problems.
Usenet (uucp/ftp) ALREADY does a CRC check in transmission so, for the most
part, ARC's checksum is redundant. Almost all errors seem to be in filesize
(truncation).  This is why a file size count is generally sufficient.
(it probably catches WELL over 99% of all USENET errors)

>  * So we have a slight dilemma.  But I propose that Rahul give us a
> technical solution!  He can add a new feature to ZOO that *generates
> a shell archive* from the input files, instead of a compressed

Yes, yes, yes!! I like!! 
  Just one thing: ZOO must create an ENTIRELY UNBINARY format in this case..
Even the 'magic number' must be ascii.
-- 
-------------
 Stephen Samuel 
  {ihnp4,ubc-vision,vax135}!alberta!edm!steve
  or userzxcv@uofamts.bitnet