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)

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