Re: Newsreader (Skim), Balsa and LZW (Re: Mix of Ideas ...)

[Gianluca Montecchi <gm518464 silab dsi unimi it>]

On Fri, 6 Feb 1998, Guillermo S. Romero / unnamed / Familia Romero wrote:

> >It is possible to use skim.  
> >Skim is a off-line news reader. From the skim README 
> >"Skim is a graphical offline newsreader for Linux. Skim is designed to
> >minimize the on-line time when it's used over a slow modem line (e.g.
> >14K4 Slip/PPP). "
> 
> Sounds like Free Agent for Windoze.

Possible, I never see Free Agent,so I cannot say yes or no. The fact is
that for people who connect to internet with a 14.4k PPP line skim is a
good choice.

> >Well, as I can undestand, skim also do this and it has a set of standard
> >directory and fileswhere it stores the article, newsgroup ans so on. 
> >It is also possible to set a different directory for each user, so
> >(in theory) every user had a different set of newsgroup to download.
> 
> The point was to share news. One big database with all the full list of
> newsgroups, some headers (entire group) and some articles.
> Every user has a config file where to set what is "read" / "unread",
> "replied", "forwarded" and such info.
> 
> One database of groups/headers/articles, many user configs.
> Thats the why I speak about lock to some articles, if one or more users want
> to keep an article, they can without copying files.
> Only root/admin users can be override locks.


I don't agree on this. Im my opinion it is better that every user can
choose the set of groups to donwload. I suspect that this approach also
generate less network traffic than have a big database. At least can be a
good idea to donwload the sum of the groups/article choosen by the user. 


> The manager app handles request form users to download and keep things.
> Something like a tipical news server but with a very "on demand" approach,
> instead one that gets all news.

And how this method is good if there is a single user that use the own pc
at home ? My first idea is to port skim under gtk because it have all the
thing needed and work well. The focus is the slow line, not the fast line.
I need (and it is better) to have a offline news reader taht work well
with the slow lines, if this is true it work well also with the fast line.
Skim is designed with this goal in mind. 

Gianluca

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