Hi out there in binaryland,

For those who may have found my DL series interesting and informative I
present a another lesson in downloading. I am posting in A.B.M.E. because
my server doesn't make A.B.M.E.d. available and the unknowing wouldn't
find it there anyway.

The information presented here is directly applicable to a fast PC running
Windows95 but should work for any reasonably fast machine using Win3.1 and
the appropriate version of any programs listed.

Title: Learning to Play in the A.B.M.E World (and others) (pt. 4)

Content: Answers to those nagging questions about downloading which you
         have always wanted to know but were afraid to ask, such as:
         1. Why all the zipping and passwording?
         2. Is there life after zipping and passwording?

Well - here we go again!!

1. Why all the zipping and passwording?
    a. Zipping
        1. Zipping uses less space and therefore bandwidth in posting and
        downloading.
        2. Zipping helps keep these files out of the hands of those who
        really don't NEED them.
        3. To view the zipped files one has to truly work at it.
            a. Inconvenient - yes,
            b. Practical - yes
        4. How to live with it?
            a. Get a good zipper/unzipper. PKunzip 2.04, WinZip, PKWin
            are all available shareware. Search with your browser.
            b. Learn how to use it.
    b. Passwording
            a. Why? Increase the unlikelyhood that the uninitiated will
            casually open these files.
            b. How to get around this? You don't. Want to view the pictures?
            Go through the process.
                1. Make a file of everyone's password (only a few posters
                make an effort to hide/change this once established).
                2. Generally the password is a statement of non-minority.
                ie; you are an adult.
                3. Many of the posters use the same password.
                    a. I group all posters with a particular PW.
                    PWA, PWB, etc. with the poster names listed under
                    b. Then I look on my list while DLing and make a
                    note as to PWA, PWB, etc.
                4. It doesn't take long to know them all. So far I have
                only 5 with one additional poster who made a challenge out
                of it. Something on the order of:
                    What is the velocity of a European Swallow....
                    or was it
                    Who is Shadow - really...
                    I forget!

2. Is there life after zipping and passwording?
    I hope so - else what do I do with all these pictures?
    I'll probably become a bacterium and have no idea what they represent....

Thanks for listening, and help stop the whining and spamming,

My thanks to all the posters!!

I do not profess that these lessons are all inclusive, exclusive, or
encompassing - only what I have learned by trial and errrrror.

Refrigeraider