Date   : Mon, 23 May 1988 19:03:30 GMT
From   : tektronix!midas!copper!michaelk@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Michael D. Kersenbrock)
Subject: Posting cp/m sources and binaries

Background:  I am a person on the Usenet side of things, and I have
             contributed a goodly number of programs (all high quality
            of course :-) ) to simtel20 by emailing them to Keith P.

            In fact, I've just got working a CP/M-80 version of
            "uncompress" that decompresses files compressed with
            the Unix "COMPRESS" program (with 16-bit compress!).
            I'm currently working on assembly-language speedups for it.

            I've got a couple other programs that I already finished
            but haven't gotten around to distributing them yet.

PROBLEM:
======
         a) People want to post and receive CP/M program source and binaries.
         b) This if fine for those on the "Usenet" side of this newsgroup.
         c) This is "forbidden" on the ARPA side of the newsnet gateway.
         d) Nothing is posted to usenet side to keep the ARPA side happy.
         e) The ARPA side has ftp access to SIMTEL20, the USENET side does
            not.  Files of things I would normally post to this net
            (like other computer groups) get mailed "to" the Simtel20
            archive.  In other words:  the usenet side of this newsnet
            gives up program/source availablity  in order to keep the
            ARPA gateway.  Why this is a good deal for the USENETers is
            not clear.

SOLUTIONS:
========
        a)  Mail-server on Simtel20 that gives usenet folk access to
            simtel20 archives.  

            This was tried but turned off due to excess burden of the
            simtel20 machine.

            Maybe it could be viable if the server could access ONLY
            CP/M archives.  When it was last up, you could access
            ALL archives, and other news groups "heard about it" and
            were using it for everything.  Even the IBM pc group that
            has it's own binary and source groups!

        b)  A new USENET group for binaries and sources:

                       comp.os.cpm.sources

               (and allow both binaries and sources).

            This new group would NOT be gatewayed the the ARPA world.


        c)  Have the gatewaying program (?) look for a keyword in the
            subject line (like: _PROGRAM_) and NOT pass any that
            have that keyword in it.

            Then, require that keyword to be included in all program
            postings.


        d)  Drop the connection between the USENET side and the
            ARPA side.  This probably would be a net-gain for the
            Usenet side even if not optimum.

-- 
Mike Kersenbrock
Tektronix Microcomputer Development Products
Aloha, Oregon