Hi Marceline,
In a message to Mauro Veiga you wrote:

Only one QWK packet can be open for reading at any time, therefore I
can only see a part of a thread at any time (depending on which QWK
packet I have open). By keeping the REP packets in sync whith their corresponding QWK packets, locating and viewing the original messages
is easier.

Sounds like something like Sempoint (which I am using to demonstrate now) or Durango, would be your solution. Sempoint saves all QWK messages for each echo in squish format.

I posted a modest video from screen-capture (my first ever!) on what Sempoint looks like here:

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.avi ,or
https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.zip

For example I archive all my QWK downloads (eg. VERT0001.QWK,
VERT002.QWK etc). I also archive all my REP packets (eg.
VERT0001.REP, VERT0002.REP etc). So if I am viewing "VERT0002.REP", I
know the originating messages must be in "VERT0002.QWK" and vice
versa.

Yep. Totally nuts. I encountered the same issue with following a thread or needing to refer to an earlier message. That's the reason I switched to Sempoint.

Today, I find that even a better solution is to use something like OpenXP. See screenshots here:

https://openxp.kolico.ca

Even an NNTP solution and a reader of your choice to match your OS platform is a good option.

When uploading REP packets to Synchronet, I have to do it one file at
a time. I see no reason why it cannot be done by batch upload.

QWK was designed to speedup online use. That is [1] visit BBS [2] read NEW messages [3] reply to NEW messages. [4] Repeat 1-2-3 at next visit.

QWK is for people who do not want to refer to older messages.

..Regards,
Ogg

* SeM. 2.26 * Everybody remember where we parked. -- Kirk
--- SBBSecho 3.13-Linux
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757.2)

Quoting August Abolins to Marceline Jones <=-

QWK was designed to speedup online use. That is [1] visit BBS [2] read
NEW messages [3] reply to NEW messages. [4] Repeat 1-2-3 at next
visit.
QWK is for people who do not want to refer to older messages.

Not here. :-)
QWK is the best way to store and backup old messages. I have QWK /
BW packages from dead 90's systems that I like so much to read. It
would be impossible to rescue them today.



[]'s
³
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Mauro R. Veiga Ä abutre.no-ip.org:2323 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ * ÄÄÄÄÄÄ
³

MeSSaGe SiTTeR 1.00 - Full Version
Live Long and Prosper

... "Captain, I protest! I am NOT a merry man!" - Worf
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: Ninho do Abutre 2 - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil * (4:801/194)

Hello Mauro Veiga!

** On Sunday 07.03.21 - 12:23, you wrote to me:

QWK was designed to speedup online use. ... QWK is for
people who do not want to refer to older messages.

Not here. :-) QWK is the best way to store and backup
old messages. I have QWK /BW packages from dead 90's
systems that I like so much to read. It would be
impossible to rescue them today.

I commend you for maintaining a scheduled routine (your 30-day
rule) and being organized.

But why not just "toss" all those messages into something like
Squish format and use something like Sempoint (which handles
both QWK and BW in the same program automatically!) to read them
whenever you want? No more repeat unpacking and searching
required. ;)

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Ola August!

** 07.03.21 - 10:56, August Abolins wrote to Mauro Veiga:

QWK was designed to speedup online use. ... QWK is for
people who do not want to refer to older messages.

Not here. :-) QWK is the best way to store and backup
old messages. I have QWK /BW packages from dead 90's
systems that I like so much to read. It would be
impossible to rescue them today.

I commend you for maintaining a scheduled routine (your 30-day
rule) and being organized.

Thanks. :-)

But why not just "toss" all those messages into something like
Squish format and use something like Sempoint (which handles
both QWK and BW in the same program automatically!) to read them
whenever you want? No more repeat unpacking and searching
required. ;)

Seems a good way but i don't know Sempoint. Need to test and understand. Thanks for tip.

Has many ways to store messages. I use BlueWave (and a long retention
on my system) because i like so much BlueWave visual, style and tools.
A NNTP server also is a good store option.

[]'s
|
---------------- telnet://abutre.no-ip.org:2323 ----------- * ------
|


--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: Point da Coruja - Brasil * (4:801/194.1)

Hello Mauro!

** On Sunday 07.03.21 - 17:34, you wrote to me:

But why not ... Squish format and use something like
Sempoint (which handles both QWK and BW in the same program
automatically!)

Seems a good way but i don't know Sempoint. Need to test
and understand. Thanks for tip.

Sempoint is for Windows. It's a 16-bit prog, but works very
nicely in Win7. There are ways to make the installer cooperate
in Win10.

Sempoint also requires to operate from a C: drive. (I tried to
install it on my larger H: partition, but I couldn't get it to
work.)

Sempoint also automatically limits filenames to the 8.3 naming
format, and all caps.

Has many ways to store messages. I use BlueWave (and a long
retention on my system) because i like so much BlueWave
visual, style and tools. A NNTP server also is a good store
option.

I think you would like Sempoint if Windows is a suitable
environment. Its Squish system can handle upto 5000 msgs per
echo. You could delete the messages that are clearly taking up
space and have more for the ones that are keepers. AND.. you
could just as easily rename or archive the .SQL, SQD, .SQI files
as a group on a regular basis - and that wouldn't need to be
every 30 days, but maybe every 180 days.
--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: The ONLY point that matters --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Quoting August Abolins to Mauro Veiga <=-

Has many ways to store messages. I use BlueWave (and a long
retention on my system) because i like so much BlueWave
visual, style and tools. A NNTP server also is a good store
option.

I think you would like Sempoint if Windows is a suitable
environment. Its Squish system can handle upto 5000 msgs per
echo. You could delete the messages that are clearly taking up
space and have more for the ones that are keepers. AND.. you
could just as easily rename or archive the .SQL, SQD, .SQI files
as a group on a regular basis - and that wouldn't need to be
every 30 days, but maybe every 180 days.

As soon as I have time I'll test it. But the limit of 5000 messages
per area is boring. It forces me to the same work that I already
have with QWK to create several files, only bigger. I'll try.

Thanks for tips.



... "Don't underestimate the POWER of the Blue Wave" - Darth Vader
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: Ninho do Abutre 2 - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil * (4:801/194)

Hello Mauro!

** On Monday 08.03.21 - 11:41, you wrote to me:

could just as easily rename or archive the .SQL, SQD, .SQI
files as a group on a regular basis - and that wouldn't
need to be every 30 days, but maybe every 180 days.

As soon as I have time I'll test it. But the limit of
5000 messages per area is boring. It forces me to the
same work that I already have with QWK to create
several files, only bigger. I'll try.

Ya.. but the 5000 "limit" is a whole lot more than any one QWK
could ever carry, and you wouldn't need to unpack as many files
to do your searches.

You could store the AREANAME.SQL/SQD/SQI triplets as AREANAME-
yyyy.zip or something, and with a little batch program unpack
them as required. Sempoint has a fine built-in Search feature.

Sempoint allows changing the font, build an address book, steal
tearlines... and many other OLR features.

Since Sempoint supports BW and QWK, it could be a pretty good
solution to consolidate and preserve all your message bases with
one management program.


--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: The ONLY point that matters --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Quoting August Abolins to Mauro Veiga <=-

As soon as I have time I'll test it. But the limit of
5000 messages per area is boring. It forces me to the
same work that I already have with QWK to create
several files, only bigger. I'll try.

Ya.. but the 5000 "limit" is a whole lot more than any one QWK
could ever carry, and you wouldn't need to unpack as many files
to do your searches.

Nope. :-)
By curiosity before writing this reply, I set my system's QWK
message pointers for the year 2001 in all areas and downloaded a
monster package of 28MB as 100000 messages. Some areas with more
than 20000 messages, and worked fine on BlueWave and Multimail.

It is not practical. Any search takes too long. But it shows that
the QWK/BW system has the ability to handle with bigger data.

You could store the AREANAME.SQL/SQD/SQI triplets as AREANAME-
yyyy.zip or something, and with a little batch program unpack
them as required. Sempoint has a fine built-in Search feature.

Sempoint allows changing the font, build an address book, steal tearlines... and many other OLR features.

Since Sempoint supports BW and QWK, it could be a pretty good
solution to consolidate and preserve all your message bases with
one management program.

I'll test.



... "Don't underestimate the POWER of the Blue Wave" - Darth Vader
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: Ninho do Abutre 2 - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil * (4:801/194)

Hello Mauro!

** On Monday 08.03.21 - 18:11, you wrote to me:

Ya.. but the 5000 "limit" is a whole lot more than any one QWK
could ever carry..

Nope. :-) By curiosity before writing this reply, I
set my system's QWK message pointers for the year 2001
in all areas and downloaded a monster package of 28MB
as 100000 messages. Some areas with more than 20000
messages, and worked fine on BlueWave and Multimail.

I stand corrected. QWK and BW's apparent unlimited capacity
seems to be pretty good then.

You could probably even just leave everything in those formats
and just use something like winrar to S)earch within the files
within the archives. I find winrar's ability to do that very
handy at times.

It is not practical. Any search takes too long. But
it shows that the QWK/BW system has the ability to
handle with bigger data.

Sempoint, for example, would provide a nicer presentation for
that whole lookup proceedure. When you find the message you
need, you are ready to steal the tagline, compose a reply, save/
print the message, copy it to another area, etc.
--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: The ONLY point that matters --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Quoting August Abolins to Mauro Veiga <=-

Nope. :-) By curiosity before writing this reply, I
set my system's QWK message pointers for the year 2001
in all areas and downloaded a monster package of 28MB
as 100000 messages. Some areas with more than 20000
messages, and worked fine on BlueWave and Multimail.

I stand corrected. QWK and BW's apparent unlimited capacity
seems to be pretty good then.

As I mentioned, it doesn't good with too big files. But works.

You could probably even just leave everything in those formats
and just use something like winrar to S)earch within the files
within the archives. I find winrar's ability to do that very
handy at times.

I hadn't thought of using Winrar. I took a test but found only a
few words, many fails. But a tool to search text in compacted files
is a good idea.

Multimail has a good search tool for text in multiples packets. The
unique feature that I miss in Bluewave.

It is not practical. Any search takes too long. But
it shows that the QWK/BW system has the ability to
handle with bigger data.

Sempoint, for example, would provide a nicer presentation for
that whole lookup proceedure. When you find the message you
need, you are ready to steal the tagline, compose a reply, save/
print the message, copy it to another area, etc.

I'll test Sempoint in laptop.



... Futile, resistance is. --Yoda of Borg.
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: Ninho do Abutre 2 - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil * (4:801/194)

Sounds like something like Sempoint (which I am using to demonstrate
now) or Durango, would be your solution. Sempoint saves all QWK
messages for each echo in squish format.

I posted a modest video from screen-capture (my first ever!) on what Sempoint looks like here:

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.avi ,or https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.zip

Those links are dead.

Maybe you should have uploaded to YouTube.

Yep. Totally nuts. I encountered the same issue with following a
thread or needing to refer to an earlier message. That's the reason I switched to Sempoint.

Is there a QWK and REP file merge tool ?

Today, I find that even a better solution is to use something like
OpenXP. See screenshots here:

The OpenXP documentation is in German. Therefore it is totally useless to me.

Even an NNTP solution and a reader of your choice to match your OS platform is a good option.

NNTP is getting too far from BBS's for me.

If I wanted SMTP/POP/NNTP then I would use Linux.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.13-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Hello Marceline!

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.avi ,or
https://kolico.ca/fidonet/echos/files/sempoint.zip

Those links are dead.

Oops. I must have moved them in the last minute.

They are here now.

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.avi ,or
https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.zip

Maybe you should have uploaded to YouTube.

Meh. Nah.

Is there a QWK and REP file merge tool ?

I have no idea.

Today, I find that even a better solution is to use
something like OpenXP. See screenshots here:

The OpenXP documentation is in German. Therefore it is
totally useless to me.

If you just rely on getting the program from sourceforge, then
yes, the English helps seems to be missing. :( I had some
guidance when I got started with Openxp by a fellow who wrote an
English "Startup User Guide".

If you visit https://openxp.uk/doc/ ..look for oxpguide.pdf

Just follow the steps in there for 1st-time use. Both linux and
windows instructions are included.

Even an NNTP solution and a reader of your choice to match
your OS platform is a good option.

NNTP is getting too far from BBS's for me.

Hmmm. Wrt olr messaging, I see nntp as fine improvement when a
BBS offers it.

If I wanted SMTP/POP/NNTP then I would use Linux.

BTW.. OpenXP supports those things too, but you don't have to
use that part.
--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: The ONLY point that matters --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Hello August!

*** Sunday 14.03.21 at 08:47, August Abolins wrote to Marceline Jones:

[snip]

Today, I find that even a better solution is to use
something like OpenXP. See screenshots here:

The OpenXP documentation is in German. Therefore it is
totally useless to me.

If you just rely on getting the program from sourceforge, then
yes, the English helps seems to be missing. :( I had some
guidance when I got started with Openxp by a fellow who wrote an
English "Startup User Guide".

If you visit https://openxp.uk/doc/ ..look for oxpguide.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ahem :)

That document is also included in the "doc" directory of the Windows
version and in the /usr/local/lib/openxp/doc/ directory of the Linux
version.

Regards,
Martin

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: Bitz-Box - Bradford - UK (2:310/31.3)

Hello Martin!

If you visit https://openxp.uk/doc/ ..look for oxpguide.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ahem :)

Did I get something wrong?

That document is also included in the "doc" directory of
the Windows version and in the /usr/local/lib/openxp/doc/
directory of the Linux version.

Indeed it is! I kinda snuck in there in Feb'21 since the .49
release?


--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: The ONLY point that matters --> . <-- (1:153/757.21)

Hello August!

*** Sunday 14.03.21 at 15:14, August Abolins wrote to Martin Foster:

If you visit https://openxp.uk/doc/ ..look for oxpguide.pdf

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ahem :)

Did I get something wrong?

Nope :)

Regards,
Martin

--- OpenXP 5.0.49
* Origin: Bitz-Box - Bradford - UK (2:310/31.3)

They are here now.

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.avi ,or https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.zip

FYI only the AVI file exists.

Maybe you should have uploaded to YouTube.

Meh. Nah.

Are you afraid you will only get 1 view ?

Hmmm. Wrt olr messaging, I see nntp as fine improvement when a
BBS offers it.

I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Hi Marceline,
...Greets from my Telegram app!

They are here now.

https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.avi ,or
https://kolico.ca/fidonet/files/sempoint.zip

FYI only the AVI file exists.

Maybe you should have uploaded to YouTube.

Meh. Nah.

Are you afraid you will only get 1 view ?

Hmmm. Wrt olr messaging, I see nntp as fine improvement when a
BBS offers it.

I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30

re YT, nah.. I have my own file areas that I can control, and the vid is intended for a fido audience.

re nntp add-on for MS Outlook.. I tried it many years ago. It's terrible. I wouldn't recommend that one to anybody.

Ciao!
/|ug (https://t.me/aabolins)

... Searchable Help for OXP https://openxp.kolico.ca
--- tg BBS v0.6.4
* Origin: Fido by Telegram BBS from Stas Mishchenkov (2:460/256)

I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

re nntp add-on for MS Outlook.. I tried it many years ago. It's
terrible. I wouldn't recommend that one to anybody.

NNTP is for Usenet. BBS puritans do not use it. It is like converting *.msg to emails (ie. an abomination).

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On 27.03.2021 10:34, Marceline Jones wrote:

MJ> I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

AA> re nntp add-on for MS Outlook.. I tried it many years ago. It's
AA> terrible. I wouldn't recommend that one to anybody.

NNTP is for Usenet. BBS puritans do not use it.

NNTP is also for fidonet. Fidonet is not BBS, and BBS is not fidonet.

'Tommi

---
* Origin: - rbb.fidonet.fi - Lake Ylo - Finland - (2:221/1)

Hi Tommi,
...Greets from my Telegram app!

On 27.03.2021 10:34, Marceline Jones wrote:

MJ> I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

AA> re nntp add-on for MS Outlook.. I tried it many years ago. It's
AA> terrible. I wouldn't recommend that one to anybody.

NNTP is for Usenet. BBS puritans do not use it.

NNTP is also for fidonet. Fidonet is not BBS, and BBS is not fidonet.

'Tommi

I meant to add to my previous reply that Thunderbird's ng feature does a much nicer job than Outlook's add-on which I think it even required a $-registration after a while.

But a really slick piece of nice work was FidoLOOK for Outlook Express. It did an amazing job generating the quoted look just from the name info in the headers. Configuring colours for different quote levels was a nice visual bonus. FidoLOOK was a cool way to introduce some people to echoes since they were already familiar with OE.

But.. sadly OE died a horrible death as its .db message structure turned out to be very unreliable after certain size and age.

Now.. a JamNNTP server does a very nice job to retain the From and To names.

Ciao!
/|ug (https://t.me/aabolins)

... Searchable Help for OXP https://openxp.kolico.ca
--- tg BBS v0.6.4
* Origin: Fido by Telegram BBS from Stas Mishchenkov (2:460/256)

MJ> I might as well get a NNTP add-on for Microsoft Outlook.

AA> re nntp add-on for MS Outlook.. I tried it many years ago. It's
AA> terrible. I wouldn't recommend that one to anybody.

NNTP is for Usenet. BBS puritans do not use it.

NNTP is also for fidonet. Fidonet is not BBS, and BBS is not fidonet.

No, NTTP is used to gate messages in and out of Fidonet. This was originally done by frontend mailers. Like HTTP, NNTP is just a modern convenience that detracts from the BBS experience.

___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

On 04.04.2021 19:20, Marceline Jones wrote:

No, NTTP is used to gate messages in and out of Fidonet.

Not true.

'Tommi

---
* Origin: nntp://rbb.fidonet.fi - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360)