ml>> ABRIDGE  RUL         2,697 07-30-02  10:23a

 ml>> correct filename for ARROWBRIDGE echo rules file.

 TL> That's what was in the origianl zip file

yup... note the date... that's the last time i sent them via landline using
the netmail file attach method... all the messups have been since i started
using email for submission and using the ruletext embedded format...

 ml>> INET     RUL         1,667 07-30-02  10:23a

 ml>> correct filename for INTERNET echo rules file.

 TL> Let's see...this is one of the two that blw up every month,
 TL> and every month I tell you the robot choles on them, and every
 TL> month you resend them(note, they just blew up again).

note: echomod v3.40 sent this last round... you'll note that its not the
28th of the month like when i normally send them... i spent an hour or two,
yesterday, working with echomod putting in those areas that i handle...
even in the postings in the ECHOLIST echo, i see stuff that's not the same
as normal...

where do i enter the number of nodes carrying an echo?

where do i enter the language of the echo?

why does echomod assume that
----- is a tearline and muck with it when the specs plainly state that
tearlines are three dashes only? if the tearline carries a program
identifier then the three dashes are followed by a space, and then the
identifier text? note that this sample tearline is specifically started at
the beginning of the line just like the ones that echomod mucks with (ie:
PGP signature seperator lines get modified when they should not be)...
can't echomod count to three? ;-(

why is the notes field on my submissions now carrying a /real or /rul entry
when they didn't leave here with a NOTE field in them?

why does echomod ask for the echo's "origin netw" when its really
asking for the echo's "origin address" when using the command
line "echomod add"??

in echomod's configure screen, why does the answer for "Touch Rules
Files" disappear?

there're more but i'll stop here for now...

 ml>> whatever it is that is causing this is causing the files to not be
 ml>> updated properly and appears to even be causing other content to be
 ml>> put into some of the rules files. in looking at the list, there are
 ml>> even some that are 0 (zero) bytes in size...

 TL> Bad zip file

ok... but what about the incorrect filenames being created when the 'bot
pulls the rules text from the submission? the update submission contains
the proper filename and i see no way to tell the 'bot what filename to use
other than the original landline method involving file attaching the file
to the netmail message...

heck, i've one area that a previous moderator listed the filename as
"NA None submitted yet" or something similar... i've been sending
the rules file every month for that area since it was given to me and it
has yet to correct the problem... so, where is the processing error?

does the rules file have to be submitted to the 'bot before the updates
with the rules filename and the [has rules] flags in them??

is the listing even supposed to carry the /rul flag or does the 'bot create
that entry itself?

what does the 'bot use to determine what the rules file's name is supposed
to be when reading a rules file submission from email or netmail that uses
the embedded format instead of the file attach method?

 ml>> the robot appears to be badly broken wrt processing rules files
 ml>> from internet email...

 TL> No Mark....the robot does not like you internet and os2prog
 TL> rule files....I tell that you every month.  There is something
 TL> in those files that causes the
 TL> robot to hang up, so there's little wonder that some of your
 TL> submissions get clobbered.

FYI: those rules files have been recreated from scratch several times with
several different text editors...

 TL> FWIW, over the years when people have complained about the
 TL> robot NOT processing their submissions cvorrectly, it usually
 TL> hase been something in the submitted message that's not
 TL> correct.

agreed... i've looked... do you want me to zip those rules files and send
them to you to see what you can find in them? my filters don't even find
anything... i won't even mention the bugs i found in echomod 3.40 within
minutes of running it... and the documentation errors... if echobase is
similar in nature, i can see why there are problems... for v3 of the app,
it sure seems pretty rough around the edges...

all the questions in this message are legitimate and point to some sort of
problem in the process or program...

no insult intended... just stating things as i see them... if i'm not
seeing everything clearly, i'm sure you will help me to see them better...

i know that you don't want to bother dana about the problems but if you've
the source, surely someone can take a look and fix what's broken?

)\/(ark