On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:37:50 -0600, Isis <isis55423@hotpop.com> wrote:
>On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 02:40:51 +0000, Octopussi <octopuse@lds.org> wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>:While I've got your attention, I was wondering if you might critique
>:my guide, since you seem to be highly literate technically.
>:
>:========================================================
>:
>:An Abridged Guide to Configuring Your Posting Programs!
>:
>:Version: 2.9884
>:
>:This abridged guide contains only the bare essential information you
>:need in order to begin posting.
>:
>:To get a basic grounding in posting files on the usenet, please visit
>:http://www.binaries4all.com/beginners/ which has many helpful
>:tutorials.
>:
>:==============================================================================
>No Mac info from Isis!
>:==============================================================================
>:
>:
>:==============================================================================
>No Linux info from Isis!
>:==============================================================================
>:
>:
>:If you own a PC, then the following is intended for you.
>:
>:Two freeware utilities help you post files: QuickPar and PowerPost.
>:They are really essential.
>:
>:PowerPost A&A V11b:
>: http://powerpost.cjb.net (official URL - watch for popups)
>: http://powerpost.free.fr (alternative URL, may change - no popups)
>
>I prefer PowerPost GB-12 Beta 7 - v12.2.7.0, since there have been many
>bug-fixes since A&A v11b was released. It is still in beta because they
>think that we need PAR2 capability. I wish they would just forget about
>that, put Chris Morse's original sounds back in, and make their new
>annoyingly large GUI a lot smaller!
>
>:QuickPar:
>: http://www.quickpar.org.uk
>:
>:
>:Drop your source file into Quickpar. Set the Quickpar options as
>:follows. 'Limit File Size' to 10,369,536 and 'Block size' to 327680.
>:Set the recover blocks to between 5 and 10 percent, or slightly more
>:if you feel generous with your bandwidth and time. These parameters
>:have been shown to result in good completion rates on many popular
>:servers.
>:
>:Check the box that says "Split Files." This will cause QuickPar to
>:split up large files into more manageable sizes for upload and
>:download. Next, click "Create," and QuickPar will split your file into
>:multiple parts for easier and more reliable posting to the Usenet. It
>:will also create Par files which allow recovery in cases where blocks
>:are missing.
>
>I would never use QuickPar for splitting files. WinRAR is the only way
>to go.
>
>:In PowerPost, set the 'Max Lines' to 2560.
>
>How ODD!!! I would really be interested to know how you could have
>possibly come up with that number!
>
>(Hopefully, you have your yEnc line setting in QuickPar <Options> also
>set to 2560?)
>
>Why in the world do you want your yEnc articles to equal 327.68 KB!?
>
>Back in '03 many servers limited the size of articles to 256 KB, and
>since a yEnc line is 128 Bytes, then 256 KB = 2000 lines.
>
>That is why the original default yEnc PowerPost yEnc setting was set to
>1950. (You can only get so close without your article being rejected.)
>
>Soon, most servers could handle 512 KB, so the next natural setting was
>3900 lines. (2 x 1950 = 3900)
>
>Now virtually all servers will accept 1024 KB lines (except Astraweb!),
>so that is why you see most posters using 7800 lines. 4 x 1950 = 7800)
>
>It doesn't appear that 2048 KB will be a limitation for article size, so
>I am currently testing 4096 KB (32000 lines!)
>
>I began at 31600 and am gradually working my way down. While 16 x 1950 =
>31200, I am currently at 31500. Most can d/l that setting, but not all.
>In a few days I will be testing 31400, and I don't believe I will lower
>it any after that.
>
>:All parameters for various programs are listed here:
>:
>: PowerPost: Default Max Lines Per Part: 2560
>: QuickPar:
>: Limit size to: 10,369,536
>: Preferred Block Size: Exact: 327680
>: Restrict blocksize to multiples of Usenet article size: On
>: Split Files: Checked
>:
>:There are other programs used by certain posters. JAS is a file
>:splitter still being used by some people. You can use it to split and
>:splice multiple parts of a file, even though QuickPar can also do
>:that. Thus, many people today feel that JAS is obsolete. WinRAR is an
>:archival program used primarily for compressing software and very
>:large files such as movies. If you use these files, the options should
>:be set as follows:
>:
>: JAS: Options/Split: Part Size: 10,369,536 Bytes
>: WinRAR: Split to volumes, bytes: 10369536
>
>Damn, you're specific! Not just 10000000, but 10369536!
>
>Anyway, it should be at least 10 times that amount. I don't care if you
>are posting DVD's, MP3's, or even JPG's!
>
>The same goes for the yEnc settings. The size of your post is
>irrelevant.
>
>Furthermore, if WinRAR is set to the 'Store' option, it doesn't compress
>the file. (Very useful for files that don't offer much additional
>compression possibilities.)
>
>Anyway, Octopussi, I doubt if we would agree on very much when it comes
>to posting methodology. I have written posting tutorials in the past,
>and maybe someday I will do so again. Currently I am still gathering new
>data.
>
>If you might be wondering if you are qualified to write a posting FAQ, a
>good test is to look at any header on Usenet. If you can't determine
>precisely every setting that the poster used and be able to duplicate it
>exactly, then writing FAQ's may not be your thing.
>
>Take care,
>
>Isis
Quite the contrary, writing is my thing.
I did not come up with any of the info in the guide myself. My role is
more of a copyeditor and proofreader.
The numbers were taken from an old guide that was making the rounds on
many newsgroups.
The old guide was verbose and difficult to grasp. What I did is
"abridge" or take the most important parts out of the old guide.
However I am sensitive to the fact that I'm not as deep technically as
some of the Usenet old-timers. This is why I put the guide for you to
review and make comments and criticsm. However, while I respect your
knowledge to a certain extent I must counterbalance my regard for you
with my regard for the original writer, who was very knowledgable
indeed. He did not choose the numbers above lightly, but arrived at
them after extensive trial and error. They represent an attempt to
accomodate everyone, not just power users who are subscribed to a
premium news server.
I am undecided at this point whether to incorporate your suggestions.
You haven;t given me any specific reasons to support your opinions,
whereas I have had very good results in posting with the parameters
above. The specific numbers were chosen by the original writer (not by
me) to cater to ISP users who often had to deal with spotty completion
rates on their newsgroups. On Easynews it is a not an issue, but on
ISP newsgroups it most definitely is, even today in 2008. You probably
do not take that into consideration, and consequently, your posts may
not be successfully joined by ISP users for that reason. This is
really a judgement call whether the poster should even care about ISP
users, who are dwindling at any rate due to recent developments.
I will continue to refine my FAQ because it is superior to anything I
have encountered elsewhere written by supposedly "more knowledgable"
individuals who, nevertheless, lacked the capacity to get their ideas
across using the written word. The two skills - technological skill
and writing - rarely coincide in the same individual.
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