Subj : Re: Offline Mail Reader
To : mark lewis
From : Jon Watson
Date : Mon Oct 11 2004 12:35 pm
Hi Mark,
======>>> mark lewis, 1:3634/12 wrote:
Originally to: Jon Watson
FWIW2: i think it would be best to do FTN stuffs in the FTN way instead of
converting back and forth to fit some other format... why generate MSGID
numbers
just to throw them away and use something else locally? pull the messages out
of
the binary FTN PKT file and spit them into a properly designed database that
recognises and works properly with FTN tech... then write or convert a "bbs"
package to work with /that/... the current methods remind me too much of the
mess we have with QWK tech in the FTN networks that breaks many things and
causes many problems... "but it is just a message!" fooey! it goes a lot deeper
than just skin deep ;)
i like phpBB and use it on my site but i won't try shoving FTN into that mainly
due to the structural differences...
)\/(ark
<<<====== end quote
The message ID's ARE generated locally by SMF (not PHPBB, but same idea) and
those message IDs are what must be preserved in order to allow SMF to thread
messages properly. Therefore, any message that originated here MUST come back
here with the original SMF message ID intact or it won't thread (well...none of
this is implemented yet, so actually nothing will thread right now regardless
of what it comes in with). Because these message IDs must come back, I'm
skeptical of the success of this method. It's somewhat unrealistic of me to
expect every node through which my messages pass are going to preserve some
proprietary headers I've added for my own system.
In response to your FWIW2 - you're missing the point of what I'm doing here.
I'm not interested in re-creating the wheel by coding yet another web forum
software package to handle FTN messages. I'm interested in taking something
that your average web user (read.."OMG..What's that BLACK SCREEN?!?!?") is used
to and comfortable with and using it to provide FTN echoes. There are many
projects out there, some more successful than others, that are putting Fido on
the web via a complete recreation of a system as you recommend. I see no need
to add another when with a little tweaking, existing systems can be integrated
to provide the same, or nearly the same, functionality.
I'm not creating an interface for current FTN users (although they are more
than welcome to use it). Those users have already proven that they are willing
and able, and maybe even prefer, telnetting around the internet. I'm going for
the users that don't even know what Telnet is in an effort to get more users
involved in various FTNs.
WRT threading, I think I'll code to the subject matching thing for now....I
don't see a healthy future for any other method at the moment.
Jon
--- Internet Rex 2.29
* Origin: The gateway at The HeatSink BBS (1:134/703)
