Thanks to the members of the Macintosh RoundTable we have one of the
largest software collection on GEnie, and one of the most complete
collections of public domain and shareware programs available anywhere.
All of this software is available for only the cost of the downloaded
connect time. Thanks to David Kozinn of the IBM-RT, who created the
original document upon which this is based.
Although our members do the bulk of the uploads, your Sysops invest a
considerable amount of time in maintaining the library. After all: they
download and check ALL of the files! This document will explain about the
management of the software libraries, and point out a few ways in which
Macintosh RoundTable members can help make this maintenance task easier.
Before an upload is made available to the membership, it is placed in a
special "Sysops' area" for review. This gives the Sysops a chance to
review all files to make certain that they conform to the set of general
guidelines we use to determine its suitability.
Generally, these rules deal more with the mechanics of the file than its
content. This means that we don't referee file submissions, or reject
those that don't meet some programming standard. However, we do try to
ensure that a program isn't pirated, or isn't archived in an unusual
way, or isn't a duplicate of another posted file.
We also try to verify that the file's description accurately matches it's content. At times, a file description may be edited for clarity. In addition,
since many of our members have complained about restricted-function demos
mixed in with the regular files, we have created a special section just for demos. If an uploader doesn't upload a file to the appropriate section, we
move it to the correct one.
There are number of things that you as an uploader can do to help out:
-Please don't upload any files using the 7-bit protocol. The
only possible advantage could be a slight speed improvement, but since
uploading is free, this really doesn't matter. The downside is that
since there isn't any error checking involved, a line hit could trash
your file.
-Compressed and Archived files are allowed in the Macintosh
RoundTable. Two different compression formats are allowed, StuffIt
and PackIt. If you use a file compressor, please include the compression
format used as an EXTension of the filename (ie...FOOBAR.SIT or FOOBAR.PIT).
All files should be compressed using either StuffIt (SIT) or PackIt (PIT),
preferably StuffIt. You'll find the latest versions of StuffIt and PackIt
in the Software Library.
-If you upload either a catalog or a demo version of a program,
please be sure to place it in library 9 and please mention the demo or
commercial status in the file's long description.
-On the subject of descriptions: we get a number of files
uploaded for which the long description is missing. Please keep in mind
that users will never see both the long and short descriptions simultaneously. When you get a directory listing you see the short description, but if you browse the libraries you get the long description. A blank long description with a cryptic filename doesn't tell much about your contribution, so the
Sysop will attempt to describe the file as completely as possible.
-Please try to have the long description state what the program
does, not just the contents of the archive. In fact, unless the names of
the files are of particular interest, you should probably omit them
entirely.
-Still more about long descriptions: occasionally members will
upload a newer version of a program and request that the Sysops "move"
the long description from the original file. Unfortunately, we don't
have any easy way of moving the descriptions or keywords from one file
to another. We must capture the original file's descriptive text and
re-enter it manually into the appropriate field of the new file. While
we hope to someday have a tool that will do this automatically, we don't
yet, so you can help us out by entering the complete description
information when you enter a file.
-And, speaking of uploading new versions: if you upload a new
version of a program that you've previously uploaded, please take the
time to delete the old version yourself. There is a selection from the
library menu to do this (Menu option #7 at Page 606). Often, the Sysops
will notice the newer version, but sometimes we don't, and you'll wind up
getting all kinds of GEmail asking why there are "n" different versions of
your program in the library. If you are uploading a program that replaces
one that you didn't upload, please send mail to the Sysops letting us know
that you're uploading a replacement, and we'll take care of deleting the
older version. Please don't include it as a note in the long description,
except perhaps in a form like "Replaces FOOBAR.SIT, file number 4567".
-While we generally appreciate any useful upload, we do try to
limit the files to Mac-related material. We would prefer to stay away
from things like advertisements for money-making opportunities (even if
it's using your Mac.) There are a number of other areas on GEnie where
this type of thing may be more appropriate.
-Another no-no are "X-rated" games or graphics. Obviously, this
is subjective, and we don't expect unanimity, but we reserve the right
to edit the libraries as we see fit.
-Copyright infringment by digitized scanned images is a subjective
area also. If you wish to submit a scanned image of Miss October from Playboy
Magazine (for example), you must first obtain permission from Playboy. The
reason for this is because Playboy owns the copyrights for that picture that
you scanned. Most pictures from magazines and also Cartoon characters fall
under these same guidelines. If you do obtain permission to distribute a
scanned image from a copyrighted source, please include a small statement to
that effect in the picture.
That's pretty much it for the "Do's and Dont's". I do have a couple of
parting comments: Due to the volume of software uploaded, we regret that
we cannot send a personal thank-you to everyone. However, we do notify
people via GEmail when we do not use a program that they upload. Due to
the volume of software that we process, this is usually in the form of a
form letter. We apologize that we can't take the time to personally
explain each situation. Occasionally, we'll ask for a clarification from
the uploader of the file. If we don't hear from the uploader in a reasonable
amount of time, we will usually delete the file from the preview area.
We are often asked for the status of an upload that has not appeared
quickly. At times we get backlogged. There may be a large burst of
uploading and we just can't get the files processed quickly enough.
Please bear with us; we download every single file and then review its
contents, and this does take time. Please remember that we have regular
day jobs and maintaining the RoundTable is done during evenings and
weekends. Sometimes we just can't devote as much time to GEnie as we'd
like to. We apologize, and hope you'll understand. If we know that we
will be very late in processing uploads, we will post a notice in
advance. Normally we will always get to a file within 3-4 days, though
we are usually faster. Please wait at least a week before inquiring
about a specific file that seems to be missing. We are human, and we do
make mistakes.
Well, that's about it. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and,
most importantly, thank you for your support of the Macintosh RoundTable
