RW>> Kinda like putting a European echo name into FastEcho. Their   
    RW>> tendency to insert a . between two words doesn't always work out   
    RW>> like it should.   
      
    ml> it works fine for echotags... however, not all software creates area   
    ml> names based on the tags and not all software can handle long   
    ml> filenames...   
      
    RW> FE software uses self-generated numbers to define an area and   
    RW> filenames, IF it's an auto-added area.   
      
   yes... that formula is FE + CRC16 of the TAG, IIRC but i'd have to go digging   
   to confirm that...   
      
    RW> That makes it awfully hard to find which directory is which when   
    RW> you're wanting to look at msgs, etc...   
      
   which is why i always go back with the areas.bbs file and fesetup to rename   
   and move the messages to the new area name... yes, it is a PITA when there are   
   several dozen to do... try it with several hundred ;) i've done it and it   
   takes a lot of time... especially when one has to also reconfigure their   
   editor (Frontdoor's FM) and their BBS for the new areas...   
      
    RW> I use shortened names to define such directorys. Windows doesn't    
    RW> mind a 20 character directory, but a DOS interface will shorten it    
    RW> back to an 8.3 name and use a tild followed by a number to define    
    RW> the last 9-inf.xxx names. So for convenience of the sysop sake, I    
    RW> still use 8 characters for directorys and 8.3 names for files.    
      
   as we all do who still use software that doesn't know what a long filename is   
   )   
      
    ml> FWIW: those dots in the area names have their origination in the   
    ml> usenet newsgroups formats...   
      
    RW> That figures.   
      
    ml> the dots were seen as directory separators so there was easy   
    ml> conversion... i do it here with my JAMbases but am still limited to   
    ml> 8.3 lengths for each of them...   
      
    ml> eg:   
    ml> alt.audio.pro                     X:\JAM\GRPS\ALT\AUDIO\PRO   
    ml> rec.audio.pro.live-sound          X:\JAM\GRPS\REC\AUDIO\PRO\LIVE-SND   
    ml> rec.arts.movies.production.sound   
    ml> X:\JAM\GRPS\REC\ARTS\MOVIES\PRODUCTI.ON\SOUND   
      
    RW> I hate that alt.crap.stuff.goes.here format.    
      
   that's the way that FIDO message areas were configured at one time, too...   
   don't let your aversion of NNTP style namings get in the way ;)   
      
   just remember that all it is is directory tree with each dot being the '\' or   
   '/'... the last one is either a directory fill of "single message per file"   
   files (akin to MSG) or the last one is a single file with multiple messages in   
   it...   
      
    RW> Yes, I know that 'special' characters like ~\!,#$%^&*() etc.,    
    RW> don't work there.   
      
   that depends on the software and the OS...   
      
    ml> MSG areas can also easily use this style...   
      
    RW> I suppose. But that crap's not my style.   
      
   over the years, i've found it much nicer to have a directory tree structure   
   for message storage...   
      
   )\/(ark   
      
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