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  1. "-READ.ME": THOUGHTS ON A BAD TRADITION
  2. b∙ Ricδ Charnes¼ Saε Francisco¼ Junσ 27¼ 1987¼ witΦ n∩ apologie≤ ì
  3. fo≥ m∙ mood
  4.  
  5.  
  6.       ╔ havσ kep⌠ somethinτ insidσ mσ fo≥ fa≥ to∩ lonτ anΣ i⌠ ì
  7. mus⌠ no≈ comσ ou⌠ beforσ ╔ damagσ something║ ╔ proposσ aε ì
  8. immediatσ anΣ tota∞ cessatioε oµ ou≥ conventioε iε thσ CP/═-ì
  9. compatiblσ worlΣ oµ givinτ minΘ-instructioε file≤ thσ ridiculou≤ ì
  10. namσ oµ ó-READ.ME"«  Thσ longe≥ ╔ aφ iε thσ compute≥ worlΣ thσ ì
  11. morσ ╔ utterl∙ detes⌠ this«  It'≤ ß _terrible▀ tradition«  Tha⌠ ì
  12. it'≤ continueΣ s∩ lonτ i≤ completel∙ beyonΣ m∙ understanding«  
  13.  
  14.      Thσ situatioε occur≤ generall∙ iε tw∩ sort≤ oµ circumstances:ì
  15. (1⌐ insidσ oµ *.LBR'≤ anΣ (2⌐ oε disk≤ oµ program≤ sen⌠ b∙ softwarσ ì
  16. manufacturers«  Thσ latte≥ situatioε i≤ morσ forgivable¼ thougΦ ì
  17. hardly«  ╔ simpl∙ canno⌠ understanΣ ho≈ creator≤ oµ *.LBR≤ havσ ì
  18. comσ t∩ givσ s∩ littlσ though⌠ t∩ wha⌠ happen≤ AFTE╥ ß use≥ ha≤ ì
  19. extracteΣ hi≤ file≤ froφ ß library«  ┴ programme≥ mus⌠ remembe≥ ì
  20. tha⌠ hi≤ particula≥ -READ.M┼ filσ wil∞ mos⌠ probabl∙ no⌠ bσ thσ ì
  21. onl∙ onσ aε enΣ use≥ ha≤ oε hi≤ system«  Sure¼ aε enΣ use≥ ì
  22. "shouldó immediatel∙ renamσ an∙ sucΦ-nameΣ file¼ bu⌠ wh∙ creatσ ì
  23. sucΦ aε unnecessar∙ bother┐  Wheε naminτ thesσ file≤ wσ reall∙ ì
  24. mus⌠ kee≡ iε minΣ ho≈ the∙ wil∞ fi⌠ iε t∩ ß user'≤ overal∞ se⌠-u≡ ì
  25. oncσ integratioε take≤ placσ int∩ thσ res⌠ oµ thσ system«  No⌠ ì
  26. onl∙ doe≤ naminτ ß filσ -READ.M┼ risδ possiblσ overwritinτ oµ ì
  27. anothe≥ b∙ thσ samσ name¼ bu⌠ ho≈ i≤ aε enΣ user¼ lookinτ a⌠ hi≤ ì
  28. disδ director∙ ß da∙ o≥ tw∩ later¼ supposeΣ t∩ remembe≥ t∩ whicΦ ì
  29. *.LB╥ o≥ ne≈ piecσ oµ softwarσ thi≤ wonderfu∞ ó-READ.MEó filσ ì
  30. belongs┐  Thσ wors⌠ transgressioε i≤ iε librarie≤ mean⌠ fo≥ ì
  31. downloadinτ througΦ thσ BB╙ circuit«  T∩ cal∞ anythinτ insidσ onσ ì
  32. oµ thesσ librarie≤ ¡¡ tha⌠ wil∞ immediatel∙ bσ extracteΣ ont∩ ß ì
  33. disδ mos⌠ probabl∙ containinτ man∙ othe≥ file≤ ¡¡ ó-READ.MEó i≤ ß ì
  34. crimina∞ transgression.
  35.  
  36.      Thσ usσ oµ thσ hypheε iε ó-READ.ME"¼ oµ course¼ stem≤ froφ ì
  37. thσ desirσ oµ thσ programme≥ t∩ cal∞ attentioε t∩ thi≤ file╗ thσ ì
  38. hyphen¼ whicΦ precede≤ thσ lette≥ character≤ iε ASCI╔ value¼ ì
  39. ensure≤ tha⌠ i⌠ wil∞ floa⌠ t∩ thσ to≡ iε ß disδ sort«  However¼ ì
  40. thi≤ frequentl∙ conflict≤ witΦ thσ mucΦ morσ importan⌠ neeΣ oµ ì
  41. cataloginτ program≤ t∩ havσ thσ disδ name/labe∞ a⌠ thσ to≡ oµ ß ì
  42. sort«  ╔ aφ no≈ iε thσ proces≤ oµ cataloginτ disk≤ anΣ aφ ì
  43. absolutel∙ liviΣ a⌠ thσ numbe≥ oµ -READ.M┼ anΣ othe≥ assorteΣ 
  44. ó-XXXX.XXXó file≤ ╔ havσ t∩ wadσ througΦ anΣ renamσ iε orde≥ fo≥ ì
  45. m∙ 0δ disδ namσ filσ t∩ sor⌠ t∩ thσ top«  It'≤ simpl∙ ì
  46. infuriating.
  47.  
  48.      Let'≤ leavσ thσ initia∞ hypheε fo≥ thσ cataloginτ program≤ ì
  49. whicΦ neeΣ i⌠ mucΦ more«  ╔ believσ thσ assumptioε ha≤ beeε amonτ ì
  50. thσ ó-READ.MEó-ist≤ tha⌠ al∞ 0δ disδ label≤ havσ ß nul∞ filenamσ ì
  51. anΣ onl∙ ß numerica∞ typσ a≤ iε ó        .013"¼ anΣ tha⌠ ì
  52. thereforσ ó-READ.MEó wil∞ comσ AFTE╥ this«   Thi≤ i≤ howeve≥ no⌠ ì
  53. a⌠ al∞ thσ case«  Hoff'≤ MCA╘ allow≤ anΣ Stevσ Cohen'≤ FATCA╘ ì
  54. encourage≤ genuinσ filename≤ beforσ thσ period¼ anΣ thi≤ i≤ iε ì
  55. fac⌠ ß preferablσ namσ fo≥ ß disδ label«  Thesσ caε ver∙ easil∙ ìèconflic⌠ witΦ -READ.ME.
  56.  
  57.      Iµ therσ werσ n∩ easil∙ feasiblσ alternativσ tha⌠ woulΣ bσ ì
  58. onσ thinτ bu⌠ thi≤ i≤ no⌠ a⌠ al∞ thσ case«  ╔ havσ n∩ contentioε ì
  59. witΦ thσ ideß tha⌠ minΘ-doπ file≤ oµ thi≤ naturσ shoulΣ sor⌠ t∩ ì
  60. thσ to≡ iε ß library«  Similarl∙ ╔ seσ n∩ reasoε wh∙ the∙ shoulΣ ì
  61. no⌠ bσ a⌠ thσ to≡ oµ ß disδ director∙ oncσ extracteΣ ont∩ ß ì
  62. user'≤ system«  Bu⌠ wh∙ no⌠ exercisσ ß littlσ creativity┐  Unles≤ ì
  63. ╔ aφ gravel∙ mistaken¼ thσ slasΦ characte≥ ("/"⌐ appear≤ t∩ bσ ß ì
  64. perfectl∙ valiΣ filenamσ character¼ a⌠ leas⌠ iε thσ firs⌠ ì
  65. position«  Thσ DR╔ CP/═ manua∞ oε p« ┤ say≤ i⌠ i≤ illega∞ bu⌠ ╔ ì
  66. aφ quitσ convinceΣ i⌠ i≤ not«  Therσ arσ certainl∙ ß fe≈ program≤ ì
  67. tha⌠ won'⌠ takσ wel∞ t∩ ß slasΦ iε ß filename¼ amonτ theφ m∙ ì
  68. beloveΣ MEXPLU╙ (wh∙ d∩ yo⌡ thinδ ╔ didn'⌠ namσ thi≤ articlσ ì
  69. "/README.ART"?)¼ bu⌠ thσ grea⌠ majorit∙ includinτ WordSta≥ anΣ ì
  70. NewWorΣ havσ n∩ probleφ witΦ it«  ╔ kno≈ fo≥ ß fac⌠ tha⌠ therσ i≤ ì
  71. eveε somethinτ calleΣ "/.COM"«  Thσ slasΦ (2Fh⌐ sort≤ AFTE╥ thσ ì
  72. hypheε (2Dh⌐ bu⌠ oµ coursσ beforσ an∙ regula≥ ASCI╔ character«  ╔ ì
  73. suggest¼ then¼ tha⌠ thσ content≤ oµ ß librar∙ fo≥ ß filσ calleΣ ì
  74. NUEDIT.CO═ bσ nameΣ t∩ looδ like:
  75.  
  76. /NUEDIT.RMFì
  77. NUEDIT10.COMì
  78. NUEDIT10.DOCì
  79. NUEDIT10.Z80
  80.  
  81. anΣ none of this absurd:
  82.  
  83. -READ.MEì
  84. NUEDIT.COMì
  85. NUEDIT.DOCì
  86. NUEDIT.Z80
  87.  
  88.       Wha⌠ i≤ thi≤ ridiculou≤ -READ.M┼ file┐  Oncσ extracted¼ ho≈ ì
  89. doe≤ onσ kno≈ t∩ wha⌠ i⌠ relates┐  WitΦ wha⌠ othe≥ file≤ i≤ i⌠ ì
  90. associated?
  91.  
  92.       In my career as a computer enthusiast I have several timesì
  93. comσ acros≤ thi≤ "*.RMFó (ReaΣ Mσ First⌐ filetypσ ideß bu⌠ i⌠ ha≤ ì
  94. neve≥ caugh⌠ on«  I⌠ ha≤ onl∙ beeε thσ worδ oµ ß fe≈ eccentriπ ì
  95. soul≤ courageou≤ enougΦ t∩ bravσ thσ wratΦ oµ thσ powerfu∞ anΣ ì
  96. entrencheΣ ó-READ.MEó crowd«  ╔ caε hardl∙ remembe≥ wh∩ thesσ ì
  97. honorablσ gentlemeε arσ a⌠ thi≤ point«  The∙ are/werσ simpl∙ bolΣ ì
  98. enougΦ t∩ stanΣ u≡ fo≥ wha⌠ the∙ believσ iε anΣ d∩ wha⌠ i≤ righ⌠ ì
  99. eveε thougΦ impossibl∙ outnumbered«  Ma∙ thei≥ worδ livσ on.
  100.  
  101.      Comment≤ encouraged.
  102.  
  103.                      Rick Charnes, 
  104.                      President, BAMDUA¼ 
  105.                      Saε Francisc∩ area Morro≈ user≤ association
  106.  
  107.                      Z-Nodes #1, #2, #3, #15
  108. t, BAMDUA¼ 
  109.                      Saε Francisc∩ area Morro≈ user≤