Hello mark,

On 16 Feb 14 12:34, mark lewis wrote to Nicholas Boel:

 NB>> Don't use garbage software and you won't have that problem.

 ml> that's not the problem, nick... the problem is some descriptions are

 ml> 1. too long (trying to list everything in the doc file)
 ml> 2. look like crap when rewrapped
 ml> 3. look like crap on web pages

 ml> the descriptions are supposed to conform to the FILE_ID.DIZ spec...

Can you point me to these specs you're speaking of? The specs that I've always 
known have always been followed here. The fact that Tinytic (as well as 
some other softwares) wrap the diz in places that it shouldn't. Tinytic starts 
a file's description at column 40 or something like that, and then wraps the 
next line to the beginning of the line. Of course you're going to have messed 
up looking diz's if you don't display it properly!

 ml> the descriptions still look like crap when they get rewrapped or
 ml> displayed on web pages no matter what network they are hatched out
 ml> into...

They shouldn't be re-wrapped at all. That's a software fault. Htick seems to 
display it just fine, why can't other softwares do the same?

 NB>> You will not have any limitations as to how I will hatch out your
 NB>> network's  information packet that has been released the same way
 NB>> for years,

 ml> and they've been "not right" (as opposed to being wrong)
for all this
 ml> time...

I'd really like to know what's "not right" about it, Mark.
file_id.diz's have 
been used for 20+ years, and that entire time I've seen them in a bunch of 
different variations. Even including the ascii characters above 128. While 
mine doesn't include that, I've seen that display just fine as well.

 ml> it isn't the software that's the problem and we are trying to get
 ml> folks to conform to the DIZ specs... it is also not just robert's FDN
 ml> but all the others where this has been happening... folks are
 ml> complaining again just like they do every few years... i get notes
 ml> from users asking me why my file descriptions look like crap and i
 ml> just point to the FDN distribution and whoever created the DIZ with
 ml> the mess inside it :shrug:

Again, htick displays file_id.diz's the way they were meant to be displayed. I 
don't know why other software can't do the same?

 ml> eg: can you read the following?? i can't...


 ml> .g00r00_presents__________ _
 ml>    :     :: :  \   « ¬/ : :::  :
 ml>  _ ____:_______/     / dEMONIC :
 ml>      :: /           / pRODUCTIONZ
 ml> _   :: /     y/    /____________
 ml>     : /      /    /         « ¬/
 ml>      /      /    /    y/      / :
 ml>   _ /___________/_     ______/  :
 ml>   :     : : :: /            / ::
 ml>  _  _: _ _____/____________/_   _    _
 ml> :
 ml>   mpe add-on for mystic bbs v1.05
 ml>   allows the user to select their current
 ml>   message base via their arrow keys, using
 ml> : a lightbar system.  mpe source included

Yup. That displays exactly how it should be displayed. Even though it does 
look like it includes a few ascii characters above 128. The regular ascii 
(with the /'s and _'s) display a graphical "de" for the group
"Demonic". 
Completely legible if you know what it's supposed to be.

 ml> what about this one?


 ml> [[ >> qUICK lOGON mPE fOR mYSTIC 1.04b // ]]
 ______>> ------->\____________>\---->\_______
 ml> \_________    _//___ ________/_    _______/
 ml> __/     -/     /    -______/_  \  /-    \_
 ml> \______ _    //______ _    //___\/_     //mg
 ml> --->>_______//--->>_______//--->>______//---
 ml> dEMONIC mODDING aND cODING pRODUCTIONZ 1999!

That one looks fine too, and doesn't include anything over ascii 128. That 
logo spells out "DEM" for the same group as mentioned above. I
believe this 
one even conforms to the file_id.diz format completely.

 ml> or this one??


 ml>   ,,a. Warlock
 ml> ad$$$$aaa
 ml>   `$$$$$  `$$, `$$$$,a.
 ml>    l$$$$   l$$  l$$$$$$
 ml>    :$$$$:: :$$$: $$$$$$
 ml>     l$$$l :l$$$l $$$$$$
 ml>     :$$$$ga,._ : :$$S"'
 ml>      $$$y^       y"'
 ml>      $$

 ml> ..  Warlock Pack viewer door
 ml> door for win32, linux, dos
 ml> ---------------------------
 ml> author  Gossamer Axe
 ml> ---------------------------

That one displays fine too. That's a "W" for the group that
released it. Also 
standard ascii characters used. So I don't see a problem with this one either.

 ml> or this one...


 ml>           ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ
 ml>         °ßßß ÜÜÜÜÜ ß²ßUUU²
 ml>  ÜÜÜÜÜga ÜÜUUUUUUUUUÜ _UUU²
 ml> ßßUUUUUU²±°ßßß°°UUUUUY UY°U²
 ml>     ßUUUU²      _UUUUY °ßÜU
 ml> ÜUUY_UUUUY _ÜÜ   UUUUU UUU²
 ml> UU² _UßÜ°Y  UUUÜ UUUUU _UU²²
 ml>  U² UY ±Y   UUUU ßUUUUY UUU²
 ml>  Uß UU°°Y   _UUUU _UUUU _UU²²
 ml>  Ü _UUUU    _UUUU _UUUU  ßUU²
 ml> UYß_UUUU  °  UUUU  UUUU²  UUU
 ml> UU UUUUU     ²UUU° UUU²²Y U²²±°°
 ml> UUÜ ßUUUUܰܲ²UUUÜUUUU²ß _UUU
 ml> _UUUÜÜ ßßUUUUUUUUUUßß ÜÜUUU²²
 ml>  Uß°Y²²ÜÜ  ßßßßßß      ßUU²²
 ml> _Y   °±²    Warlock    _U²²Y
 ml> U°° °U     pack #001    _UU
 ml> ßUU²ß BBS Mods, Darkness UY
 ml>  _U   IGMs, BBS Logos    _Y
 ml>  _Y   Menus, etc.,       _
 ml>   ²   Sept/2001          Ü
 ml>   Ü    Leech It!      ÜÜUU
 ml>   _UÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜUUUUUUUU²ßß
 ml>     ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß

Now this one looks like crap. Something was converted on it somewhere. It 
probably had the ascii block and line characters in it, I'm assuming.

 ml> now, take a look at them on a web page...

 ml> http://www.wpusa.dynip.com/files2/FDIST/DDSBBS/
 ml> http://www.wpusa.dynip.com/files2/FDIST/DDSDOORS/

With that being your webpage, now take a look at the plethora of door games 
and artpack's on htt://archives.thebbs.org .. Besides the block/line ascii 
characters being translated to x's and #'s, everything seems to display as it 
should. Maybe you didn't go the extra mile to make sure yours displays 
file_id.diz's that have been done this way for the last few decades (if you 
notice there are ACiD artpacks on there from 1993 and sooner)? I don't know.

 ml> the recent artpack release with a full graphic description is really
 ml> really bad when seen on a web page... it is much worse when it is all
 ml> wrapped... then there's what happens when it is cut short... i think i
 ml> finally was able to see that it was supposed to be a skull...

It shouldn't be wrapped. It should be displayed exactly how it was meant to be 
displayed. The recent Blocktronics artpack release, I can agree, is very long, 
and is in all block ascii. That's the way they wanted to release it, and I'm 
not going to alter their artpacks in any way. Just as well, my hatching 
program displayed it perfectly. It is noone's choice but their own as to what 
software they use to take care of these tasks. I choose to use software that 
works in this case.

So my offer still stands. If anyone wants their infopacks hatched out on 
Agoranet's FDN, I'll gladly do it without altering their release whatsoever.

If the requestor doesn't want to hatch my infopack anymore, I'm completely 
fine with that, since I hatch it out in two other file areas as well as offer 
it up via FTP. But I'm not going to change how I've been doing things for the 
past however many years because someone's software can't do what mine seems to 
do just fine. Sorry. :)

Regards,
Nick

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20130910