Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1993 12:38:34 -1000 From: Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com (Darrin Skinner) Message-Id: <9306012238.AA18433@stuntkite.EBay.Sun.COM> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? Hi all, It seems that rec.kites is growing and that the desire to pass along pictures, drawings, and other non-text format information is increasing. As we have seen from recent emails, some people can't handle (or don't want) the binary postings in the general rec.kites news group. So, is it time for a rec.kites.binaries? This would be the repository for pictures, etc. When somebody wants to include drawings with a posting, they would simply refer to it in the rec.kites (text portion) posting and those that have the ability (and the desire) can download the drawing from rec.kites.binaries. I see 2 other options to this approach: 1) we continue to mix the text and non-text postings in rec.kites. 2) contributors to rec.kites store their non-text postings at an anonymous ftp site and reference them there. Those interested can ftp to the site and download them. Personally the first (and current) approach is ok with me ('cause I have the band width to accomodate it), but I prefer to have postings of different formats in different (and correctly labeled) news groups. The second approach mentioned has a problem in that not all readers of rec.kites have ftp capability (and I don't like games that don't permit everybody to play). What do YOU think. I have NO IDEA what it takes to get a rec.kites.binaries set up. Can someone with knowledge in this area advise us who are ignorant? Darrin (no catchy slogans...I just fly kites) Skinner = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1993 17:25:51 -1000 From: kritchie@physics.ubc.ca (Ken Ritchie) Message-Id: <1uh6jvINNhjs@iskut.ucs.ubc.ca> Organization: The University of British Columbia Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com (Darrin Skinner) writes: >I see 2 other options to this approach: > 1) we continue to mix the text and non-text postings > in rec.kites. > 2) contributors to rec.kites store their non-text postings > at an anonymous ftp site and reference them there. Those > interested can ftp to the site and download them. >Personally the first (and current) approach is ok with me ('cause I >have the band width to accomodate it), but I prefer to have postings >of different formats in different (and correctly labeled) news groups. The first approach is OK by me but I realize the problems. Another solution is to reference any GIF,JPEG, etc... picture formats to the alt.binaries.pictures newsgroup as well as to an ftp site. Those with access to the pictures group could then get them by net news and those who can't, through the ftp site. Those without ftp access could get someone in the group to mail them it. (I'm sure someone would) This gives a chance for people who check out the pictures group to also see some beautiful pictures of kites and maybe get some more interested in our favorite sport/pastime. As for technical postscipt files, they would have to be put in here or an ftp site as I don't think they fit in any other groups charter.(I could quite possibly be wrong about this) As I don't think there will be too many of these they may not be a problem. >I have NO IDEA what it takes to get a rec.kites.binaries set up. Can someone >with knowledge in this area advise us who are ignorant? I set up rec.kites. You need 100 more yes votes then no votes and a 2/3 majority. I don't think there would be enough interest to put together a r.k.binaries group. To see how it's done, look in news.answers. They tell you in a monthly posting there. If the group fails, then you have to wait 6 months to try again. Well ... that's my opinion, anyway. Ken Ritchie kritchie@physics.ubc.ca = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1993 23:06:28 -1000 From: salanne@convex.csc.FI (Simo Salanne) Message-Id: <1993Jun2.090628.28758@nic.funet.fi> Organization: Finnish Academic and Research Network Project - FUNET Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? In <1uh6jvINNhjs@iskut.ucs.ubc.ca> kritchie@physics.ubc.ca (Ken Ritchie) writes: (stuff deleted) >As for technical postscipt files, they would have to be put in here >or an ftp site as I don't think they fit in any other groups >charter.(I could quite possibly be wrong about this) As I don't think >there will be too many of these they may not be a problem. >I set up rec.kites. You need 100 more yes votes then no votes and a >2/3 majority. I don't think there would be enough interest to put >together a r.k.binaries group. To see how it's done, look in >news.answers. They tell you in a monthly posting there. If the group >fails, then you have to wait 6 months to try again. I couldn't find the rec.kites charter, just now (it used to be at the end of General FAQ?). Unless my memory fails, the charter invites all kind of kite related postings. Not limiting to textual format or certain size. Do we need a new voting to change the charter? It is possible, that any day now someone posts to rec.kites a "kite related" audio file, which can be in the magnitude of MB instead of KB! Smooth Wind Songs Simo Salanne = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1993 21:33:36 -1000 From: kevin@hawaii.edu (Kevin Mayeshiro) Message-Id: Organization: University of Hawaii Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? Darrin Skinner (Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com) wrote: [ stuff deleted... ] : I see 2 other options to this approach: : 1) we continue to mix the text and non-text postings : in rec.kites. : 2) contributors to rec.kites store their non-text postings : at an anonymous ftp site and reference them there. Those : interested can ftp to the site and download them. [ more stuff deleted... ] : The second approach mentioned has a problem in that not all readers of : rec.kites have ftp capability (and I don't like games that don't permit : everybody to play). Just wanted to let everyone know... I have been looking into the possibility of adding mail services to our ftp server. Currently, I am evaluating two "ftp by mail" packages. The first one is "mailserv" and the other is "ftpmail". I will have to seek approval >From my peers before I can offer this as an "official" service. Sorry that this is taking so long, but I can only spend a couple of hours a week working on the rec.kites archive. Most of my time has been spent on weeding through the 900+ articles Marty sent to me back in April. (Marty, thanks for the articles.) Once that has been completed, I will begin working on the late April/May articles. : What do YOU think. I try not to think. (It hurts too much. ;-) - Kevin = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1993 06:27:13 -1000 From: Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com (Darrin Skinner) Message-Id: <9306021627.AA18814@stuntkite.EBay.Sun.COM> Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? Ken Ritchie (kritchie@physics.ubc.ca) writes: -] ... Another -] solution is to reference any GIF,JPEG, etc... picture formats to the -] alt.binaries.pictures newsgroup as well as to an ftp site. Those with -] access to the pictures group could then get them by net news and -] those who can't, through the ftp site. Those without ftp access could -] get someone in the group to mail them it. (I'm sure someone would) -] This gives a chance for people who check out the pictures group to -] also see some beautiful pictures of kites and maybe get some more -] interested in our favorite sport/pastime. -] This works for me! And, it would prevent some users from having their mail, etc. systems overloaded by unexpected large files. -] As for technical postscipt files, they would have to be put in here -] or an ftp site as I don't think they fit in any other groups -] charter.(I could quite possibly be wrong about this) As I don't think -] there will be too many of these they may not be a problem. -] Is there no alt.binaries.something_other_than_pictures group???? -] >I have NO IDEA what it takes to get a rec.kites.binaries set up. Can someone -] >with knowledge in this area advise us who are ignorant? -] -] I set up rec.kites. You need 100 more yes votes then no votes and a -] 2/3 majority. I don't think there would be enough interest to put -] together a r.k.binaries group. To see how it's done, look in -] news.answers. They tell you in a monthly posting there. If the group -] fails, then you have to wait 6 months to try again. -] Once again I see the light (briefly). I agree that it is unlikely at this time to get the interest level high enough to get the votes... scratch this idea. -] Well ... that's my opinion, anyway. -] and mine. -] Ken Ritchie -] kritchie@physics.ubc.ca -] Darrin Skinner = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1993 16:07:54 -1000 From: Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite) Message-Id: Organization: Equinox Networks Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? Darrin Skinner (Darrin.Skinner@ebay.sun.com) wrote: : Hi all, : It seems that rec.kites is growing and that the desire : to pass along pictures, drawings, and other non-text : format information is increasing. As we have seen from : recent emails, some people can't handle (or don't want) : the binary postings in the general rec.kites news group. Another possible approach to this development may be indicated by some tests on PostScript Files summarised below : Tests on a recently posted PostScript File gave the following results : Bytes 0f Original File size ----- ------------- Original file COKECAN2 75271 100 After compression with PKZIP 8685 11.5 After uuencoding compressed file 12541 16.7 Download file size ( Equinox NZ ) 9550 12.7 These figures suggest that uuencoding of PostScript files could well be worthwhile ? There is no real difficulty in MSDOS users getting copies of UUDECODE.COM or any of the known Archivers, PKZIP; LHARC; ARJ; ZOO; INFOZIP; GZIP; SQZ, to name the most common ones. Copies are available on local Bulletin Boards; Archie and FTP sites; Simtel; Garbo; plus all the Servers in the USA. I think previous discussion gave the false impression that rec.kite readers did not have these tools available to them. Archiver versions and uuencode/decode are readily available for almost all systems. Have a look at the comp.compression FAQ which is posted every month and it lists the available archivers for all Operating Systems. What many of us do _not_ have is PostScript viewers and/or printers. Here in NZ we have a service at "Copyland Inc" which prints out an MSDOS PostScript file to their PostScript printer at $US 2 per page. Expensive ?? Colin Douthwaite New Zealand 3/6/93 Regards, Colin Douthwaite NZ 3/6/93 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1993 23:03:12 -1000 From: jkn@ohm.york.ac.uk (John K Nicoll) Message-Id: <1993Jun4.090312.5903@ohm.york.ac.uk> Organization: Electronics Department, University of York, UK Subject: Re: Is it time for rec.kites.binaries? In Colin_Douthwaite@equinox.gen.nz (Colin Douthwaite) writes: >[...] >What many of us do _not_ have is PostScript viewers and/or printers. >Here in NZ we have a service at "Copyland Inc" which prints out an >MSDOS PostScript file to their PostScript printer at $US 2 per page. >Expensive ?? >Colin Douthwaite >New Zealand >3/6/93 The Gnu GhostScript Postscript preview package is freely available >From several ftp sites for viewing PostScript. It can also (I believe) write out the image in a number of different formats (LaserJet, dot matrix etc. etc?), if that is all you have. There are versions which run under DOS, MS-Windows & X-Windows, at least - I can dig out more information on availability if its required -- john nicoll (jkn@ohm.york.ac.uk) Department of Electronics University of York Heslington YORK YO1 5DD U.K Tel +44 (904) 433221 Fax +44 (904) 433222 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =