Re: ground

[rubywand@swbell.net]

In article <C010697235814.9164@darkcastle.ecore.fnet.org>, 
Dark_Dude@darkcastle.ecore.fnet.org (Dark_Dude) writes:

>
>
>I have been downloading several files from Ground, and a few from within the
>1WSW folder. Using ftp and later ncftp, downloading them to my GS, I tried to
>unpack them. However, I got an error (not all data may have been decompressed
>due to an error - or something similar). Has anyone else noticed this too, or
>is it my fault somewhere? Ever since I have been ftp-ing, I had the same
>method. Of course I have the protocol set to binary (the program won't allow
>me to use ascii for transfers other than with text files).
>
>Examples include: New_K...WARES/<FILENAMES HERE>
>
>Don't remember the names at all :)
>
>As far as I know, this only happens to .BXY files.
>
>

In article <5av0vt$e3k@senator-bedfellow.MIT.EDU>, pbauer@athena.mit.edu 
(Paul H Bauer) writes:

>
>
>       My experience has been that every file I have downloaded that 
>originated from the 1WSW area whether or not it is from ground or their
>home site has generated the same type of errors. I don't believe I have
>ever been able to open a file from there.
>


     In a test today, (service is AOL; computer is a PC) a total of three 
files were downloaded from the Ground AOL Games Mean 18 and War-Strategy 
areas: a Mean 18 course, a BASIC program, and a Plasma Lab add-on. The 
M18 course is an .ACU file (most course files are .SHK); the other two 
files are .SHK files. All three downloads allowed setting a destination 
folder prior to the transfer.

     The files arrived at a directory on the PC hard drive. They were 
moved to the GS via a NULL modem transfer. (After exiting AOL and 
Windows, the GS "high speed" modem cable and PC modem cable were joined 
via a NULL modem connector. A DOS program, Telemate, was started on the 
PC; and Spectrum was started on the GS. The files were transferred to the 
GS via z-modem.)

     All three files unpacked fine on the GS using GS ShrinkIt. The Mean 
18 course was tried out and played fine.

     The AOL-to-Ground transfer project is 'bumping along'. For a time, 
we are going to notice snags such as having some stuff in the wrong 
folders, linkage errors, etc..
___________________


     I've had problems getting stuff from 1WSW in the past, too. Since 
Dr. Tom uses a Mac, he did not know of a solution for a PC user. (And, 
since I know nearly zilch about web stuff, I couldn't frame a decent 
question.)

     During the session described above, I also clicked a TEXT "Index" 
file in one of the Games folders. It began to download immediately to the 
current window. Evidently, this is the standard response when a TEXT file 
is clicked on an ftp site. As, pretty much, a newbie on the web, I cannot 
say for sure.

     It seems that alot of 1WSW stuff 'looks like' TEXT; and, so, it just 
gets dumped to the current window, or, maybe, some chunk of clipboard 
memory. (There is no prompt asking/confirming a destination folder.)  
After the download, little or nothing may show on the screen. No file has 
been created; and, the user ends up wondering where the stuff went. Very 
frustrating!

     The user may, finally, catch on and try saving the window contents. 
When this is tried, there seems to be some chance of corruption. 
Possibly, a problem is that the window is likely to contain more than the 
downloaded TEXT stuff.

     Under Netscape, there seems to be a key+click combination to force a 
TEXT file to download to disk as a file instead of being dumped to the 
current window. (Probably, the same option is available under programs 
other than Netscape.) This may help with some downloads from Ground, 
1WSW, and other sites.

     Anyway, most of our problems seem to be a result of ignorance. A web 
guru's comments/suggestions would, surely, be welcome!