From: zerkle@toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu (Dan Zerkle)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.announce
Subject: Instructions for FTP Upload Announcements
Keywords: administrivia
Date: 8 Apr 92 15:50:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: ucdavis.12044
Expires: 5 Jun 92 07:00:00 GMT
Reply-To: zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu (Dan Zerkle)
Followup-To: comp.sys.amiga.misc
Organization: U.C. Davis - Department of Computer Science


         Instructions for FTP Upload Announcements

                   as of October 6, 1991.


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 of an FTP
upload.  If you follow these guidelines, you can be
reasonably sure that your announcement will be accepted.

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 useful information.

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 the files you put up.  Even people with direct
access to FTP don't want to spend hours downloading a file,
only to discover that it is useless to them.

An FTP upload announcement is fairly straightforward.  Just
make sure to include the following items of information:

TITLE

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

VERSION

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

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 different.  Don't overdo the
     description.  The users can always read the
     documentation after they download it.  In a similar
     vein, don't simply submit the documentation as your
     announcement.

NEW FEATURES

     If this is an update, give a short list of what is
     different.  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" would be
     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 of the OS, a PAL video system, or
     anything else that not everybody has, state that here.
     If another piece of software is required to use your
     upload, 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.  Include this section even if you only say
     "none."

HOST NAME

     Include the full Internet address of the anonymous FTP
     server, with both the name and the number.  For
     example, you will probably list "ab20.larc.nasa.gov
     (128.155.23.64)."

DIRECTORY

     MORE PEOPLE FORGET THIS THAN ANYTHING ELSE.  So pay
     attention.  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.  Don't post until
     you know.

FILE NAMES

     List the names of all the files needed.

DISTRIBUTABILITY

     Give the distributability: Is is public domain?
     Crippleware?  Giftware?  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.
--
Please see monthly postings for the disclaimer, the introduction, the charter,
and submission instructions.  Comments to zerkle@cs.ucdavis.edu.
MAIL ALL SUBMISSIONS TO announce@cs.ucdavis.edu (don't auto-post).