From: zerkle@toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu (Dan Zerkle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.announce
Subject: Software and FTP Upload Announcement Guidelines
Keywords: administrivia
Date: 15 Oct 92 17:59:39 GMT
Expires: 5 Dec 92 08:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu (Dan Zerkle)
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Organization: U.C. Davis - Department of Computer Science


           Guidelines for Software Announcements,
                   Including FTP Uploads

                  as of October 15, 1992.


This file is a supplement to the document "Instructions for
Submissions," which is posted at the same time as this one.
Read the "Instructions for Submissions" document before you
read this document.  This document gives specific
instructions on how to write an announcement for a software
package, including an FTP upload.  If you follow these
guidelines, you can be reasonably sure that your
announcement will be accepted.

You do not need to follow the exact format given here.
However, you should include all the information noted.

While the comp.sys.amiga.announce newsgroup is intended for
all kinds of announcements about the Amiga computers,
announcements of FTP uploads seem to be quite common.
However, I have had to ask many of the authors to re-write
their announcements.  Most of the time, this was because
they left out some important information.

While this document is mainly a guideline for FTP upload
announcements, most of it also applies to other software
software packages, such as commercial software or posts to
comp.binaries.amiga and comp.sources.amiga.  While typical
commercial press releases are acceptable, they usually get
edited (cut mercilessly) to remove inappropriate material,
such as hype, denigrating comparisons with competing
products, and quotes from departmental managers.  If you
would like to write an announcement from scratch, this
document provides a good guideline.

It is important to include full information about FTP
uploads.  Many FTP users have to go through a considerable
amount of difficulty to execute a download.  Those in Europe
and those on Bitnet, in particular, can have a lot of
trouble.  Therefore, when you post an announcement, make
sure the readers can tell right away whether they want to
download your files.  Even people with direct access to FTP
don't want to spend hours downloading a file, only to
discover that they can't use it.

A software announcement is fairly straightforward.  Just
make sure to include the following items of information:

TITLE

     Give the name of the software package, animation,
     picture, font package, or whatever.

VERSION

     Most programs have version numbers.  If there is more
     than one release, make sure to give the version number.

COMPANY

     If the package is a commercial product, give the name
     of the company that publishes it.  Also include an
     address and telephone number that customers or dealers
     can contact for further information.  Other methods,
     such as FAX numbers and e-mail address should also go
     here.

AUTHOR

     Let everyone know who made the software.  If you wrote
     it, give yourself credit.

DESCRIPTION

     Give a general overview of the software package.  List
     the important features, and any interesting details.
     If there are similar packages already, make sure to
     state what makes this one special.  Don't overdo the
     description.  Users can always read the documentation.
     Similarly, don't simply submit the documentation as
     your announcement.

NEW FEATURES

     If this is an update, give a short list of what is new.
     Even if you need this section, still include the
     DESCRIPTION section.  Not everybody has heard of your
     package already.  Again, don't overdo it here.  Simply
     saying "This version improves the user interface and
     fixes a few nasty bugs" is adequate.  Some people try
     to submit an entire detailed list of everything that
     they changed.  That is entirely inappropriate for this
     group.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

     If the package needs a hard disk, a modem, over 512k of
     memory, version 2.0 (or 2.1) of the OS, the AGA chip
     set, a PAL video system, special hardware, or anything
     else that not everybody has, state here what is needed.
     If another piece of software is required to use your
     software, state that here, including instructions on
     how to get the additional software.  If some unusual
     archiver is needed (anything but zoo or lharc), note
     that here as well.  Include this section even if you
     only say "none."

HOST NAME

     Include this section if your software is available via
     anonymous FTP.  Include the full Internet address of
     the anonymous FTP server, with both the name and the
     number.  For example, you might list
     "wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4)." Another popular
     one is amiga.physik.unizh.ch (130.60.80.80).

DIRECTORY

     MORE PEOPLE FORGET THIS THAN ANYTHING ELSE.  So pay
     attention.  Include this section if your software is
     available via anonymous FTP.  List the directory in
     which you upload the files.  Many sites have separate
     "incoming" directories.  If this is so on your host,
     list BOTH the "incoming" directory AND the eventual
     home directory.  If you don't know where the file is
     going to end up, ask the administrator of the archive.
     Posts listing only the "incoming" directory will be
     rejected.

FILE NAMES

     Include this section if your software is available via
     anonymous FTP.  List the names of all the files needed.

PRICE

     Give the list price or the requested shareware fee, if
     any.  If it is free, say so.

DISTRIBUTABILITY

     Give the distributability: Is is public domain?
     Copyrighted (by who)?  Gnu Public License?  Shareware
     (fee requested)?  Or what?

OTHER

     If there's anything left out, but that you feel is
     important, include that, too.

AND FINALLY

     One of the readers requested that I ask people who make
     FTP uploads to always include in the upload a short
     README file that is separate from the main archive.
     That way, people can download the README without
     downloading the whole archive, and decide if they want
     the whole thing.  This README should include a complete
     description of the upload, as opposed to the
     announcement, which is supposed to be a summary.

--
Read all administrative posts before putting your post up.  Mailing
list: announce-request@cs.ucdavis.edu.  Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu.
MAIL ALL COMP.SYS.AMIGA.ANNOUNCE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu.