On 06 Mar 11  23:43:09, David Collins said the following to Mark Lewis:

DC> xml format for easy parsing goodness unlike file_id.diz.  SO you get 
DC> stuff tags like  and whatever so the bbs could possible search 
DC> for files made by that person.  If you run down the list at say,
DC> http://archives.thebbs.org/ra91c.htm you dont see a lot of author names
DC> in the file_id.diz.

The problem is adaptation of that format... for starters.

So many BBS-related archives have adapted the use of the DIZ format.

Software authors usually don't like it if someone were to insert additional 
files into their archives... akin to the days of ASCII files inserted by 
test-doors like THD Proscan, for example. So theres that problem.

There is absolutely no incentive for Sysops to use a new description format, 
as most feel that DIZ works fine. Unless the Sysop or BBS software author 
enjoys recompiling code to support the new format.

The other problem is that the new format is introducing things that are the 
job of the BBS to handle... ie. file creation date, author referencing, 
popularity/download counters, etc.

I know I'm talking exactly like those who shot down my proposal to add 
XML-like metatags in the Fido nodelist :)

Nick

--- Renegade vY2Ka2