How much interest is there in Fidonet or elsewhere for a client/server
suite that does what TeleFinder does, but will operate natively on current
generation hardware and operating systems?

For those who are not familar with TeleFinder, I will provide a short
description of its capabilities.

TeleFinder is a telecommunications suite which consists of a set of server
programs that can run on a single Macintosh computer or be distributed
among a cluster of networked Macintosh computers, which is called
TeleFinder Server, and a pair of Graphical User Interface (GUI) client
programs that run on Macintosh and Windows. The Macintosh server and client
programs have some AppleEvent support, and the developer has provided some
documentation to use these routines for the creation of add-in programs, as
well as from Applescript.

The server program "TeleFinder Server" provides the connectivity
and file transfer services for multiple, concurrent logins over dialup,
TCP/IP, and AppleTalk.   It also provides a web server with support for CGI
and "server parsed" html web page content. A central web site
exists for the system, and individual user-maintained sites with all of the
features of the main site may be enabled or disabled using the "User
Manager" server program described below. Virtual Hosting and
multi-homing are supported.  TeleFinder Server's file transfer mechanism
provides for xmodem and zmodem based file transfers, as well as a high
performance bi-directional proprietary protocol that supports resumption of
failed transfers, and creation of collections of downloads. (FTP is not
internally supported).  TeleFinder clients use a "drag and drop"
mechansim to send or receive individual files or groups of files.  The GUI
clients may perform other tasks, such as reading/writing messages or
engaging in public vhats or private instant messages with the sysop or each
other while downloads are in progress. Connectivity using a text/ansi
interface is supported but the ability to perform concurrent operations or
user-to-user chats is not supported. Performance for the text/ansi
interface is much lower than the GUI interface. One of the server's dial-up
connections can be configured to hand off incoming and outgoing fidonet
crashmaill and poll connections to an external program such as MacKennel or
Tabby, using either events scheduled into the Server program via the Mail
Server program discussed below, or via the external program itself, using
the "Smart Doggie" method. 

The server program "User Manager" allows the server's
administrator to create, modify and delete individual login accounts, and
create modidy or delete "access groups" that share common access
priveleges.
The privleges include individual controls over ability to list the contents
of individual directories,  to view or download files from these
directories, to upload files to these directories, to create subordinate
directories within them, and to delete files from them, user websites, mail
and message sections.  TeleFinder Server systems can establish links
between each other for the periodic unattended exchange of messages and
mail using dial-up or TCP/IP network connections.  The server's message and
mail system allows connecting clients to customize the font family, color,
size and style of local messages and mail.

The Server program "Mail Server" program provides local
(user-to/from-user and sysop-to/from-user) mail services as well as
networked mail using SMTP and POP3 protocols.  The enhanced text support is
limited to local mail. Mail Server provides scheduling for the dial-up or
TCP/IP connections between TeleFinder systems to exchange mail and messages
in a network called TFNet. Lastly, Mail Server provides gateway connections
for third party programs such as MacKennel and Lollipop, which can provide
mail/message services for networks such as fidonet and usenet, that
TeleFinder does not internally  support.  Mail Server provides
configuration capabilities that include selection of default gateway and
domain name, control over which message sections are routed over which
gateway, which messages may be imported, exported or both, and mapping
services between local message section names to their remotly networked
feeds.

GUI clients re-create a desktop that looks very much like the pre -MacOSX 
Macintosh Finder, and most operations work in a way consistent with it.  As
stated before, drag and drop file trasnfers, and single/multiple item
selection and manipulation is supported for most items. (Directories cannot
be transferrd though). Sound and Plaintalk speech support is built into the
mac client. The default layout may be overridden using a settings file with
the Mac client, one is used for each TF system. Some sounds are built into
the Windows client. The clients provide the ability to perform multiple
operations at once, such as downloading or uploading files,  while having
several message windows open, composing an email or public reply, and
chatting with other users. They also have the ability to periodically
connect with TF systems and download the messages for offline use, then
disconnect.   An address book is also incorporated. 

---
Daniel O'Leary, Admin/WebMaster  KloneZone - A TeleFinder 5.7 BBS
Voice=> 817-367-2558  Dial-In=>  817-367-2517  Fidonet=> 1:130/1015


--- MacKennel 2.6.Y2K