Thu 2003-08-14 00:00, William McBrine (1:106/2000) wrote to andrew clarke:

 ac>> I've always thought that anyone really serious on using FidoNet
 ac>> echomail should be encouraged to use purpose-built FidoNet software, as
 ac>> opposed to BlueWave or QWK.

 WM> But, Blue Wave IS purpose-built for Fidonet. (Check out the 
 WM> structures -- they're dervied from FTSC-0001.)

I was referring to the software that supports those formats rather than the
formats themselves, although I suppose the real advantage to using the
FidoNet stuff is when you replace:

  1. telnet to remote
  2. login
  3. traverse menus
  4. upload .rep packet
  5. download .qwk packet
  6. logoff

with:

  1. tell binkd/argus to poll the remote

In the case of a QWK session (even if you automate it with scripts/macros)
any errors during the session have to be handled with human intervention. 
In a BinkP session the equivalent of steps 1-6 are completely automated, so
you can't miss a step, or repeat a step twice - in particular,  you can't
upload your mail more than once, which was often a problem when I used QWK
(a long time ago now).  Any errors along the way are handled gracefully,
eg. a failed session (where the remote host may be down) can be re-tried
automatically.  Also, you get to keep an archive of all the old messages in
an echo for as long as you decide, in the same database (unlike QWK or BW
where your mail gets scattered everywhere).

-- mail{at}ozzmosis.com

--- timEd/FreeBSD 1.11.b1