Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!udel!burdvax!gvlv2!kleonard
From: kleonard@gvlv2.GVL.Unisys.COM (Ken Leonard)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: grape.ecs.clarkson.edu traffic jam
Message-ID: <471@gvlv2.GVL.Unisys.COM>
Date: 21 Dec 89 15:05:40 GMT
References: <209@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Unisys Defense Systems, NISD, Great Valley Laboratory
Lines: 39

In article <209@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM> greene@venice.sedd.trw.com (John Greene) writes:
* This is in regards to grape.ecs.clarkson.edu archives.  Lately it has been
* really difficult to get into this machine because too many people are trying
* to get files from it at the same time.  I thought that it may work better if
* people starting using script files to do their downloading which would make
* the process of downloading quicker and therefore making it easier for people
* . . .
That's great _if_ the available ftp can do script files.

* . . .
* First it helps to download either the "allfiles" file or the "files.bbs"
Well, now, I've been into -grape- a few times myself, and I've downloaded
-allfiles- because the meaning of the name was rather obvious, and then
found that it doesn't tell a blooming thing _about_ any of the files!

And I've noticed the file called -files.bbs-, but what is there that should
give me any idea that I should look at it unless I'm interested in BBS
operations software?

Yes, this is a bit of a flame at the keepers of the grape, but there _are_
a number of open or semi-open anon-ftp systems that don't even have 
something as simple as -allfiles-.

And I am appreciative of those folk who open part or their systems to
unknown others.  It takes at least a bit of guts and definitely costs some
money and is too often under-appreciated.

And I try not to demand that they provide all kinds of help to me.  But if
they want to help themselves (as in minimizing incoming workload), they
can best do it by offering some help (like indices of things) to their
anonymous user community.

And if they _are_ going to offer help, it's
probably a good idea to sort of "hold it up in plain sight" and make
it fairly obviously a helpful thing (to get first and examine "at home"
before starting a lot of workload).
-----------------
regardz,
Ken