How Do You Find Anything?
okbl...@usa.net
in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
I'm having trouble finding games that I've played before, not to mention games
that I only know the title of!
What do you do when you're looking for something?
[ok]
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ne...@norwich.edu
okbl...@usa.net wrote:
> Is there some master list being kept somewhere that details where things are
> in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
>
> I'm having trouble finding games that I've played before, not to mention
games
> that I only know the title of!
>
> What do you do when you're looking for something?
I like to download the file in if-archive called Master-Index. Then I search
it with my favorite text browser.
I want to extend more special thanks to the maintainers of the if-archive,
who, I understand, update all the extremely useful index files by hand.
Thanks, Volker Blasius, David Kinder, David M. Baggett Emeritus, and Schloss
Birlinghoven. 8-)
Neil Cerutti
ne...@norwich.edu
Gunther Schmidl
are
>in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
There's "Master-Index" in the /if-archive directory. If you specifically
look for Inform games, get zfiles.z8 (now hopelessly outdated - anyone want
the job?) from if-archive/games/zcode, which lists all the Inform games
available on the net until April 98 or so.
--
+------------------------+----------------------------------------------+
+ Gunther Schmidl + "I couldn't help it. I can resist everything +
+ Ferd.-Markl-Str. 39/16 + except temptation" -- Oscar Wilde +
+ A-4040 LINZ +---------------+------------------------------+
+ Tel: 0732 25 28 57 + ICQ: 22447430 + http://gschmidl.home.ml.org/ +
+------------------------+---------------+------------------------------+
Erik Max Francis
> Is there some master list being kept somewhere that details where
> things are
> in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
What about
http://www.wurb.com/if/index.html
Last updated in 1998 Oct, though.
--
Erik Max Francis / email m...@alcyone.com / whois mf303 / icq 16063900
Alcyone Systems / irc maxxon (efnet) / finger m...@finger.alcyone.com
San Jose, CA / languages En, Eo / web http://www.alcyone.com/max/
USA / icbm 37 20 07 N 121 53 38 W / &tSftDotIotE
\
/ There is no fate that cannot be surmounted by scorn.
/ Albert Camus
Stephen Griffiths
>
> okbl...@usa.net wrote:
>
> > Is there some master list being kept somewhere that details where
> > things are
> > in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
>
> What about
>
> http://www.wurb.com/if/index.html
>
Aha, yes Baf's Guide is a nice way to search among the games that Baf
has reviewed. Other options ....
I thought I posted this info this morning but it hasn't appeared on my
newsserver so I must've dunnit wrong (if not, apologies for the
repetition :-)
As well as the Master Index file in the root directory of the IF Archive
(and its mirrors):
ftp://ftp.gmd.de/if-archive/Master-Index
(that's a 650K text file listing the filenames and descriptions of every
file at the IF Archive)
there's also the searchable index at the 'Twisty Pages' IF Archive HTML
index
http://bang.ml.org/if-index.html
I think its a very useful resource.
Regards,
SteveG.
(remove 'removethis.' from address to send me email)
John Francis
I'm in the process of trying to update the IF author list
(by, basically, going through Volker's 'additions' posts).
I've promised myself I'm not going to even install O&F until I
complete this task, so I do have more than a little motivation.
Before I invest *too* many more hours on this I'd like to poll the group:
1) Is this worthwhile (or should I just forget it).
2) Should this be a separate piece of information (currently on the
archive as info/author-list.txt), or should I try to integrate it
with one of the other IF web sites? If so, which one?
Just to remind you: here is the header of the author-list file
This is a list of authors of games to be found in the interactive fiction
archive, together with email addresses (where known). All addresses have
been verified, and permission to list the address has been granted.
As well as the name and address of the author, and a list of games, there
are several annotations.
The name of an author may be followed by a letter enclosed in [brackets].
This indicates the author's general attitude to redistribution of games.
Note that even if redistribution is permitted, it would still be polite
to drop the author a line telling him of any such distribution - he may
have a new version of a game almost ready!
Erik Max Francis
> >What about
> >
> > http://www.wurb.com/if/index.html
> >
> >Last updated in 1998 Oct, though.
>
> Check again. It was updated just the other day.
The first line still reads, "Last update October 26, 1998."
--
Erik Max Francis / email m...@alcyone.com / whois mf303 / icq 16063900
Alcyone Systems / irc maxxon (efnet) / finger m...@finger.alcyone.com
San Jose, CA / languages En, Eo / web http://www.alcyone.com/max/
USA / icbm 37 20 07 N 121 53 38 W / &tSftDotIotE
\
/ Fear is an emotion indispensible for survival.
/ Hannah Arendt
okbl...@usa.net
jfra...@dungeon.engr.sgi.com (John Francis) wrote:
>
> I'm in the process of trying to update the IF author list
> (by, basically, going through Volker's 'additions' posts).
> I've promised myself I'm not going to even install O&F until I
> complete this task, so I do have more than a little motivation.
>
> Before I invest *too* many more hours on this I'd like to poll the group:
>
> 1) Is this worthwhile (or should I just forget it).
I think so. Don't lose your family or alienate your dog over it.
> 2) Should this be a separate piece of information (currently on the
> archive as info/author-list.txt), or should I try to integrate it
> with one of the other IF web sites? If so, which one?
Separate. If someone wants to use it on their web site or you think it would
make a good match with (say) Baf's guide or something then, well, why not the
more-the-merrier?
[ok\
Mark J. Tilford
>okbl...@usa.net wrote:
>
>> Is there some master list being kept somewhere that details where
>> things are
>> in gmd and related sites? (Maybe it's on the site itself, I dunno.)
>
Check again. It was updated just the other day.
--
-----------------------
Mark Jeffrey Tilford
til...@cco.caltech.edu
Den of Iniquity
> I'm in the process of trying to update the IF author list
> Before I invest *too* many more hours on this I'd like to poll the
> group:
> 1) Is this worthwhile (or should I just forget it).
It's worthwhile. However I wonder if it should be automated in some way;
encourage authors to update information on a web-page somewhere by simply
filling in a form or something. It's in the interest of most authors to
facilitate communication to them, so perhaps they should do the work.
I do realise, however, that this approach _will_probably_not_work_ unless
a pretty comprehensive database is put in place and new authors are
routinely told where to go to 'sign up'. And as such, this may not be
desirable. Unless people think it's worthwhile, it's probably best for
someone to look after it.
On a very much related topic, what do people think about creating a form
which i-f authors must fill in when submitting anything to the if-archive?
Basically I'm thinking along the lines of the aminet form which must
accompany any upload to the aminet. At its minimum, it must contain the
first field; the rest are optional but the first four are very common:
(something like this, anyway)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short: [40 characters describing the upload]
Uploader: [uploader's name and current email address]
Author: [the author's name and current email address - if available]
Type: [effectively the directory this should go in]
Replaces: [what file to overwrite with this one]
Version: [version number; it's recommended to avoid numbers in filenames]
Distribution: [*]
[Your readme then goes underneath]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Distribution is the tricky one. Originally it was intended that people
could state whether they refused permission for the file to be included on
one of the periodical aminet CD's with the phrase "NoCD", but people have
used it to state other distributability clauses, and I think it's ideal
for the if-archive in this role.
Now, I've never uploaded anything but I understand that there's a more
informal version of this whereby an uploader emails Volker and David
saying what you've uploaded and what it runs on. A form of this nature
facilitates the process and allows a lot more automation (which is
obviously more important with an archive like the aminet). Furthermore, if
all uploaders are encouraged to fill in a 'distributability' question, it
makes John's job much easier.
In the end, of course, it's all up to Volker. And the obvious disadvantage
in introducing a system like this now is the question of who's going to
fill in the Short: Author: and Distribution: boxes for the hundreds of
files on the archive already?
I'm not saying we lift the aminet style out wholesale, but I think there's
definitely something to be said for asking authors to provide a bit of
information as and when they upload rather than later on. Any other
thoughts on this?
{ If you want to see the aminet 'in action', it's at
http://us.aminet.net/~aminet/ - you may replace the 'us' with
'uk', 'de', 'it', 'se', or 'au'
for a closer mirror }
>2) Should this be a separate piece of information (currently on the
> archive as info/author-list.txt), or should I try to integrate it
> with one of the other IF web sites? If so, which one?
I think it's important that it goes on the archive; beyond that it doesn't
matter. Maintainers of the larger, more 'complete' web-sites would do well
to include it or a pointer to it.
--
Den
David Glasser
> I'm in the process of trying to update the IF author list
> (by, basically, going through Volker's 'additions' posts).
> I've promised myself I'm not going to even install O&F until I
> complete this task, so I do have more than a little motivation.
>
> Before I invest *too* many more hours on this I'd like to poll the group:
>
> 1) Is this worthwhile (or should I just forget it).
Yes!
> 2) Should this be a separate piece of information (currently on the
> archive as info/author-list.txt), or should I try to integrate it
> with one of the other IF web sites? If so, which one?
You could keep it separate. I'll add it to the FAQ when you finish it,
if you tell me.
> Just to remind you: here is the header of the author-list file
>
> This is a list of authors of games to be found in the interactive fiction
> archive, together with email addresses (where known). All addresses have
> been verified, and permission to list the address has been granted.
> As well as the name and address of the author, and a list of games, there
> are several annotations.
>
> The name of an author may be followed by a letter enclosed in [brackets].
> This indicates the author's general attitude to redistribution of games.
> Note that even if redistribution is permitted, it would still be polite
> to drop the author a line telling him of any such distribution - he may
> have a new version of a game almost ready!
^^
Hmm?
--
David Glasser gla...@NOSPAMuscom.com http://onramp.uscom.com/~glasser
DGlasser @ ifMUD : fovea.retina.net:4001 (backup at 208.221.8.3:4001)
rec.arts.int-fiction FAQ: http://come.to/raiffaq
Sadie Hawkins, official band of David Glasser: http://www.port4000.com/
Mark J. Tilford
>"Mark J. Tilford" wrote:
>
>> >What about
>> >
>> > http://www.wurb.com/if/index.html
>> >
>> >Last updated in 1998 Oct, though.
>>
>> Check again. It was updated just the other day.
>
>
Well, go to the Date Added to Guide section. There are some new ones
there.