Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!iuvax!maytag!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: news.software.b
Subject: Re: New .newsrc format [was Dynamic "smart" expiration?]
Message-ID: <72848@looking.on.ca>
Date: 6 Jan 90 08:09:33 GMT
References: <69903@looking.on.ca> <433@texas.dk> <8170@xenna.Xylogics.COM>
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd.
Lines: 18
Class: rebuttal

We may not want to force the readers to all use the same format, but if
not we have to define standard mechanisms for calling the programs to convert
to the standard format etc. etc.

That is if you want to have programs that do things like filter/KILL in the
background, or measure readership, or expire read articles etc. etc.

Having a translation mechanism all programs know how to use is clumsy.
Isn't it simpler for the reader to use whatever it wants internally, but
at the end of the session write out the standard format?

As long as the format's extensible.

While it's bulkier, we could just define a standard companion file for
the .newsrc that is extensible, and have it take the place of the
rnlast, .newsrclas and other associated hodgepodge files.
-- 
Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473