FM> This is *Bad NEWS*, Paul. To you intend to fix 'Tobruk', or go back to a
FM> decent mailer?

PE> What BBS did you used to dial that allowed you to route files?

BG> None, but that's NOT what Frank is talking about.

PE> I know some do allow file-attaches, but I thought it was rare.

BG> He's talking about attaching files for points off a particular node, 
BG> whether crashed to somebody else's boss node, or simply uploaded to another 
BG> point off the same node, not routing same (which is
"illegal" anyway).  
BG> IOW, either somebody crashing your board with a file for one of your 
BG> points, or one of your own points attaching a file for another.  In fact, I 
BG> have NEVER seen any board which didn't allow that.  Not a single one.

When you were previously a normal BBS user, if someone wanted to
crash a file to you, they couldn't.  Most sysops simply don't
allow points, thus your "not a single one" is grossly understated.
Prior to becoming a point, Dieter was a user on Paragon, followed
by a user on the BBS here.  It was only after a lot of effort that
I eventually got him to become a point.  The idea wasn't to open
up a great new can't-live-without-it file-delivery service, but to
make this system a more reliable mail system.  Try to understand
this simple concept.  Whatever you would have done when Dieter was
a QWK user on Paragon is what you should expect from TML in the
way of files.  I have actually provided some additional facilities,
which includes a user-area SPECIALR, which you can both add and
delete files from under your control.  That is way above and beyond
what I consider to be the objective of this system.  Another thing
that isn't guaranteed here is for me to be running with compression
on, or at a speed greater than 19200, to make up for dorks who
don't send compressed data.  Which reminds me, I'll go and change
it back to allow modem compression now, since no-one's gathering
modem stats.  There's also no guarantee that I will do things like
hold 3.5 meg of mail for Anthony "arsewipe" May.  While I have
55 meg free on the BBS drive, I can afford to wait him out.  At a
later date, I may impose a once/week call, 1 meg limit or something.

PE> This BBS is for reliable mail, not files, which is why that not being 
PE> available doesn't concern me.

BG> Well it should.

Not as much as the mail.

PE> The TIC mechanism is there if you wish to make something publicly 
PE> available.  

BG> What a complete wank, and a royal PITA to boot.

It's there, it works.  If you'd rather send something by post
than use the TIC mechanism, you're mad, and that's your problem.

PE> Routing files is a very minor thing. 

BG> Pity nobody does that, and it's not what Frank is discussing anyway.

It is routing you dork.  It's routing them through me.  If you
don't want to route files through me, you don't have a problem.

PE> so the chances of the person you wanting to route the file to being on this 
PE> system are pretty remote.

BG> Complete and utter one-eyed bullshit.  I had to send Dieter a bloody disk 

Liar liar, pants on fire.

BG> via snail mail the other day, all because your stupid board wouldn't allow 
BG> me to file-attach it for him.  All that fucking about for a lousy 215Kb 
BG> too...

No, because you were too stupid to use the TIC mechanism.
Which is in fact even more convenient than what you would
normally have done on a normal BBS.  Try to understand that
this system is here purely for reliable mail.  If I provide
any facilities above that, it is purely by chance, and can
disappear at any time.  If you have a problem with mail, I'll
see if I can help.  One other point is that due to the fact
that I'm running Tobruk, I can now pass unlimited-length
messages, so files can be uuencoded if you want.  Compressed
uuencodes are about 7% larger than the original compressed
raw file, in my tests.  However, since Dieter uses PQWK, 
which has a 60k limit on message length, that probably
won't help too much.

The other choice you have is to put your own system into
auto-answer mode and get the person to ring you.  That's what
BBS users normally do.  This is not a grand file transport 
system.

One other choice is to get off your arse and write the 
enhancements to Tobruk yourself.  I won't be holding my breath 
though.

BFN.  Paul.
@EOT:

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