01 Jan 70 00:00, mark lewis wrote to Roy Witt:   
      
      
    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.   
      
    ml> yes... that formula is FE + CRC16 of the TAG, IIRC but i'd have to go   
    ml> digging to confirm that...   
      
   Don't bother. FE is still on my HD, but not in use for more than a robotic   
   echo posting.   
      
    RW>> That makes it awfully hard to find which directory is which when   
    RW>> you're wanting to look at msgs, etc...   
      
    ml> which is why i always go back with the areas.bbs file and fesetup to   
    ml> rename and move the messages to the new area name...   
      
   One can use the NAB's distribution file to import area names.   
      
    ml>  yes, it is a PITA when there are several dozen to do... try it with   
    ml> several hundred ;)   
      
   I did that when Ross automagically signed me up for every area that he   
   distributes.   
      
    ml> i've done it and it takes a lot of time... especially when   
    ml> one has to also reconfigure their editor (Frontdoor's FM) and their   
    ml> BBS for the new areas...   
      
   Nice thing about GoldEd, it can use the AREAS.BBS output from FE (and   
   DB) to do that. I found it interesting that AREAS.BBS can be used to blow   
   GoldEd's mind by listing MT echoes, when in the process of configing DB.   
      
    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.   
      
    ml> as we all do who still use software that doesn't know what a long   
    ml> filename is ;)   
      
   I find it just as convenient to use the tilded name in that regard.   
      
    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.   
      
    ml> that's the way that FIDO message areas were configured at one time,   
    ml> too... don't let your aversion of NNTP style namings get in the way   
    ml> ;)   
      
   This is why I don't read usenet or fidonet with my email client.   
      
    ml> just remember that all it is is directory tree with each dot being   
    ml> the '\' or '/'... the last one is either a directory fill of "single   
    ml> message per file" files (akin to MSG) or the last one is a single   
    ml> file with multiple messages in it...   
      
    RW>> Yes, I know that 'special' characters like ~\!,#$%^&*() etc.,   
    RW>> don't work there.   
      
    ml> that depends on the software and the OS...   
      
   Those sites that use Linux/Unix specifically state that those characters   
   aren't welcome in passwords, etc...I think that a line as above would be   
   the perfect password, depending only on the sequence of those characters   
   to decipher.   
      
   (Note that the first two from the left look like the beginnings of a   
   six-shooter outline and the ! the smoking barrel)   
      
    ml>> MSG areas can also easily use this style...   
      
    RW>> I suppose. But that crap's not my style.   
      
    ml> over the years, i've found it much nicer to have a directory tree   
    ml> structure for message storage...   
      
   Xtree and Ztree show this type of structure all the time.   
      
                   R\%/itt   
      
      
   ... Mark Owen: "Hey, did you ever hear anything about that beer?   
   ... Fellow SEAL: "You believed that s**t, I bet you voted for change too,   
   ... SUCKER."   
      
      
   --- GoldED+/W32 with D'Bridge 3.82   
    * Origin: Texas Lone-Star - Texan, American, USAian  (1:387/22)