Archive-name: hongkong-faq/part4πLast-modified: Tue Mar 16 10:13:29 EST 1993πVersion: 2.1ππππ O F F I C I A L ππ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) ππ FOR ππ SOC.CULTURE.HONGKONGπππ PART IV - HONG KONG PICTURES ARCHIVE (HKPA)πππIf you have any questions regarding addition/deletion/modificationπto this FAQπ please contact Thomas Wong at "twong@civil.ubc.ca".πYour comments will be appreciated.ππ--------------------------------------------------------------------------------ππHONG KONG PICTURES ARCHIVE (HKPA)π=================================πFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS edition 1.20π=======================================ππOriginally written by Alan Yim (HO OAI) <akwy@mundil.cs.mu.oz.au>, Sept 1992.πMaintained by Thomas Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca> now to whenever.... 8)ππTABLE OF CONTENTS:ππ3000) TOPICS: INTRODUCTION TO HKPAπ3001) What is HKPA and where is it?π3002) What is GIF files?π3003) What picture format is being used in HKPA?π3004) Are there any picture formats other than GIF?π3005) What is the history of HKPA?π3006) What picture categories are available in HKPA?π3007) Are there any other ftp sites (mirror sites) for HKPA?π3008) What is the structure of HKPA?π3009) What is a subdivided archive (or sub-archive)?π3010) Where should I make a request for particular picture(s)?π3011) Where can I read the news on HKPA matters?π3012-3019) RESERVEDππ3020) TOPICS: QUICK GUIDE ON GETTING, VIEWING, & PRINTING PICTURESπ3021) How do I get pictures from HKPA?π3022) How do I get pictures from Usenet newsgroups?π3023) How do I view pictures on Unix X-Windows?π3024) How do I view pictures on IBM PC compatibles (MSDOS)?π3025) How do I print pictures on a postscript printer under Unix?π3026-3049) RESERVEDππ3050) TOPICS: GENERAL GUIDE ON DONATING PICTURES/OTHER CONTRIBUTIONSπ3051) How do I post a picture to the newsgroups?π3052) Are there any easier ways of donating pictures?π3053) Can I send pictures to HKPA ftp sites myself?π3054) How do I maximize the quality of a picture from a scanner?π3055) What kind of pictures does HKPA wanted?π3056) What other picture formats does HKPA accept?π3057) Can I & how do I organize a new subdivided archive HKPA.***?π3058) What else can I contribute?π3059-3069) RESERVEDππ3070) TOPICS: MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONSπ3071) Where else can I find a copy of this FAQ?π3072) What should I know when I access the ftp sites by IP number?π3073-3139) RESERVEDππ3140) TOPICS: SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTπ3141) Who are our big brothers?π3142) Who are the crew members of HKPA?π3143-3149) RESERVEDππ3150) TOPICS: HKPA.MISC SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ3151) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.MISC and are wanted?π3152) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.MISC?π3153) Can I upload pictures to ftp site myself for HKPA.MISC?π3154) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?π3155-3199) RESERVEDππ3200) TOPICS: HKPA.POPSTARS SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ3201) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.POPSTARS and are wanted?π3202) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.POPSTARS?π3203) What is the file naming convention for HKPA.POPSTARS?π3204) What if I don't know the name of the popstar but want to donate?π3205) Can I upload pictures to ftp sites myself for HKPA.POPSTARS?π3206) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?π3207-3249) RESERVEDππ3250) TOPICS: HKPA.SCENIC SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ3251) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.SCENIC and are wanted?π3252) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.SCENIC?π3253) What is the file naming convention for HKPA.SCENIC?π3254) Can I upload pictures to ftp site myself for HKPA.SCENIC?π3255) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?π3256-3999) RESERVEDπππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3000) TOPICS: INTRODUCTION TO HKPAπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3001) What is HKPA and where is it?ππWelcome to Hong Kong Pictures Archive (HKPA), the first ever collectionπof Hong Kong related pictures on Internet. HKPA is located atπ/pub/hongkong/hkpa directory of ftp site: asia.lcs.mit.edu [18.52.0.62].ππThere are already many ftp sites around the world which keep an archiveπ(a collection/storage) of GIF images. However, images which related toπHK are still kept privately these days. The generation of HKPA is toπopen a way to exhibit the HK culture around the world.ππPeople are free to obtain picture files from the site and are encouragedπto contribute pictures which are related to Hong Kong.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3002) WHAT is GIF files?ππGIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It is a data representationπof a graphics image in binary form. GIF files can be put on the background πof your workstations or PC's or viewed in a separate window. It records upπto 256 colors, and it offers a very good data compression without losingπthe picture quality when viewing.ππIn order to view GIF picture files, one must have a picture viewer softwareπwhich supports GIF format.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3003) What picture format is being used in HKPA?ππAs GIF is so popular which offers a very good reproduction quality and dataπcompression, it is being used for storing pictures in HKPA.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3004) Are there any picture formats other than GIF? ππThere are lots of other picture formats apart from GIF. Just to name a few:πBMP, TIF, TGA, JPG, PCX, and XPM. Their characteristics are mainly differedπby the following:ππ- Number of colours supported (GIF supports 256 (8-bit) colors)π- Performance on data compression (some formats have no compression whichπ always end up a very large picture file)π- Performance when viewing (does the format require complex viewers thatπ slow down the display process?)π- The extent of software support (from merely viewers to image processorsπ and desktop publishers)ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3005) What is the history of HKPA?ππAt the very beginning (Nov 1991) the idea was only on the collection ofπHK popstar pictures, which was known as the HK Popstar GIF CollectionπScheme (HKPGCS). Later on, an idea of HK scenic GIF collection came up.πAs there are quite a lot of potential on adding more picture categoriesπin the future, we decided to re-structure the 2 collections into one bigπarchive called HKPA.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3006) What picture categories are available in HKPA?ππThe structure of HKPA is as follows:ππHKPA ------- HKPA.MISC ----- HKmisc.indexπ | |--- README.DONORSπ | |--- <other notices & readme files>π | |--- <*.gif pictures available>π |π |--- HKPA.POPSTARS ----- HKstar.indexπ | |-- README.DONORSπ | |-- GUESSING.GAMEπ | |-- <other notices & readme files>π | |-- <*.gif pictures available>π | |-- guess --- <pictures of unknown popstars toπ | be figured out>π |π |--- HKPA.SCENIC ----- HKscenic.indexπ | |-- README.DONORSπ | |-- <other notices & readme files>π | |-- <*.gif pictures available>π |π |--- HKPA.<future category1>π : ................π |--- HKPA.<future categoryN>ππSo there are 2 categories currently under HKPA:ππHong Kong Pictures Archive - Popstar Collection (HKPA.POPSTARS)π- in ftp directory /pub/hongkong/hkpa/popstarsππHong Kong Pictures Archive - Scenic Collection (HKPA.SCENIC)π- in ftp directory /pub/hongkong/hkpa/scenicππIn addition, there is a generic archive calledπHong Kong Pictures Archive - Miscellaneous Collection (HKPA.MISC)πwhich accepts pictures of other un-specified categories.ππHKPA.***** is called a subdivided archive.ππInside each subdivided archive, there are few special text files ofπinformations. The common ones are the following:ππHK****.index List of pictures available in a subdivided archiveπREADME.DONORS Rules and how to contribute pictures for a particularπ subdivided archive.ππThere are other information files for each subdivided archive. Pleaseπread the topics for each subdivided archive for updated information.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3007) Are there any other ftp sites (mirror sites) for HKPA?ππUnfortunately, we don't have any mirror sites which contain the fullπduplication of HKPA file base. However, there is one for HKPA.POPSTARSπthough. The location is:ππftp site: nic.funet.fi [128.214.6.100]πdirectory: /pub/pics/gif/pics/tv+film/HKstarππThis site is situated in Finland. Users in Europe are encouraged to obtain πpictures from nic.funet.fi, in order to reduce the net traffic in πasia.lcs.mit.edu.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3008) What is the structure of HKPA?ππPlease refer to question 3006.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3009) What is a subdivided archive (or sub-archive)?ππThose collection of a particular picture category under HKPA is called aπsubdivided archive (or sub-archive). They are assigned the name HKPA.*****πPlease refer to question 3006 for details.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3010) Where should I make a request for particular picture(s)? ππAs the picture contributors of HKPA probably read soc.culture.hongkong,πplease post your requests to soc.culture.hongkong newsgroup for bestπchance of feedbacks. If posting news is not allowed in your site, you canπthen consider asking the person-in-charge of a particular sub-dividedπarchive, to which your request is related, to post it for you.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3011) Where can I read the news on HKPA matters?ππAll news on HKPA including news on new pictures available are posted toπsoc.culture.hongkong. New pictures are also posted to alt.binaries.picturesπand alt.binaries.pictures.misc, in multi part uuencoded form.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3020) TOPICS: QUICK GUIDE ON GETTING, VIEWING, & PRINTING PICTURESπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3021) How do I get pictures from HKPA?ππThere are 2 ways:ππi) By using the command 'ftp' in an Unix/VMS(VAX) account:ππYou can login to asia.lcs.mit.edu by ftp & get files as follows:π(Note that U means Unix ftp & V means VMS ftp, no letters specified in stepπ number means it applies to both ftp versions.)ππStep 1) Unix/Vax prompt> ftp asia.lcs.mit.eduπ [a bunch of text]π 2U) Name (asia.lcs.mit.edu:your login): ftpπ 2V) ASIA.LCS.MIT.EDU> login ftpπ 3) Password: your login@hostnameπ [a bunch of text]π 4) ftp> binary /* set binary mode, use this modeπ unless you obtain text files */π 5) ftp> cd pub/hongkong/hkpaπ 6) ftp> cd popstars /* goto HKPA.POPSTARS archive */π ORπ ftp> cd scenic /* goto HKPA.SCENIC archive */π ORπ ftp> cd misc /* goto HKPA.MISC archive */π 7) ftp> dir /* list of archive directory */π 8) ftp> get <filename> /* get file which is saved intoπ the local working directory */π 9) ftp> bye /* logout the ftp session */ππ You may use the command '? [command name]' or 'help [command name]' forπ the online help screen during a ftp session.ππii) By using ftp mail server, ONLY if you don't have access to 'ftp' in yourπ account. You are required to send a request mail, which contains a set ofπ commands, to the mail server. Those commands include the functions like-π a) Which ftp site you want to connect to; b) The directory where theπ requesting file is in; c) What the file type is; d) What file you want toπ get; e) What kind of encoding scheme you want to encode the file beforeπ sending back to you; and f) whether you want the encoded file to beπ splitted and the size of each piece.ππ Then the mail server will ftp to the site specified in a), go to theπ directory specified in b), set to binary/ascii mode according to c),π get the file you want as specified in d). Then the server will send itπ back to you by mail in uuencoded or other format (if applicable)π according to e). We recommend the use of uuencode mode for e). If youπ specify in a command that you want the file to be splitted, it willπ mail the file piece by piece, with each piece of size specified in f)π bytes. We recommend the split mode as some mail system cannot handleπ large mails.ππ There are only a few ftp mail servers available so far. Here are theπ ones I got.ππ 1) ftpmail@decwrl.dec.comπ 2) ftpmail@cs.uow.edu.auππ You can obtain a help mail from those servers by sending a mail to theπ above address, with nothing in Subject: line. Then type 'help' on theπ first line follow by 'quit' on the second line of the mail body.ππ Below is an example request mail to get files from asia.lcs.mit.edu.π It applies to the mail server 1). Subject line of the request mailπ can be any.ππ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<MAIL BEGIN>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>π connect asia.lcs.mit.eduπ chdir /pub/hongkong/hkpa/popstarsπ binaryπ uuencodeπ get <FILE>π quitπ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<MAIL END>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ππPlease also get and read the information text files in the archive.πPlease get the file HK****.index from a particular subdivided archiveπfor a list of brief description of the pictures. You don't need to setπuuencode mode for the text files. Only binary files are necessary.ππAfter sending the request mail, you may need to wait for about half toπa day for the files. After receiving the files in mail, you need toπuudecode those mails to recreate the original binary files, if they areπsent uuencoded. To uudecode a file, type 'uudecode <filename>' at Unixπprompt. If you are a VMS(VAX) user, please read question 3022 part iv onπhow to uudecode a received file.ππIf you want a binary file to be splitted, you have to append the mailsπinto one file before uudecode.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3022) How do I get pictures from USENET newsgroups?ππNew incoming pictures are also posted to the Usenet newsgroups:πalt.binaries.pictures, alt.binaries.pictures.miscππThe pictures are uuencoded and posted in a number of articles (parts).πOne must save and append them together in the order of part number.πRemove the "-----Cut Here-----" lines and uudecode the appended file.ππi) For those running 'rn' or 'trn' in Unix:π - g <desired newsgroup>π goto the newsgroup you wantπ - ... use your favorite method of jumping to the message withπ part #1 of the GIF file you wantπ - w file1π save as a file with the part no (ie. 1) attached to filename.π - ... repeat the above two procedures to save all the parts toπ different files by jumping to part 2, save with filenameπ with 2 attached, then part 3,.... and so on until done.π - another way is to save it all in one shot with (in rn)π /<rootname>/w filename.π - ... remove all lines above and including the "-----Cut Here-----"π line near the start of the file.π - ... remove all lines below and including the "-----Cut Here-----"π line near the end of the file.π - append all the files into one file IN ORDER of part number.π - uudecode <filename>π <filename> being the big file containing all the parts inπ order. This will recreate the GIF file.ππii) For those using rn and have the uuconc program:π - list all the Subjects with the "=" commandπ - write the postings in order to one file in append modeπ (ie. {msg# of part1},...,{msg# of last part} w {filename})π - when it asks if you want full pathname, type "n"π - feed this file through uunconc (ie. "uunconc filename")π and there you have it.ππiii) For those using 'nn' in Unix:π - G <desired newsgroup>π goto the desired newsgroup, in this case alt.binaries.pictures...π - press 'a' to list all the articles or 'j' to list only the unreadπ articles.π - select the parts which construct a picture you want.π - press 'W' to save the selected parts. When the prompt "save on"π appears, you can edit the path of the file to be written on.π The parts will be saved and appended in the order from theπ uppermost selection to the bottom-most.π - remove the "-----Cut Here-----" lines and the text in-betweenπ manually by an editor.π - uudecode <saved file>π decode the file back to binary GIF file.ππiv) For those using 'news' in VMS(VAX):π - NEWS> select <desired newsgroup>π goto the desired newsgroup, in this case alt.binaries.pictures...π - find out the news parts which construct a picture you want.π - NEWS> extract <filename> <first news item no.>-<last news item no.>π e.g.: extract iwan02.uu 5120-5124π Where iwan02.uu is the file for the parts to be saved. The newsπ of items number 5120 to 5124 are saved in order and appended.π - remove the "-----Cut Here-----" lines and the text in-betweenπ manually by a text editor.π - transfer the saved file back to the local machine where a viewerπ software is available. (In most cases, such a machine is a PC).π You can transfer it by using the command 'kermit' in VMS.π Remember you must set the following in VMS kermit prior to theπ transfer:π kermit-VMS> set block 3 /* use CRC error check */π kermit-VMS> set file type binary /* binary file transfer mode */π kermit-VMS> send <filename> /* then start the transfer */π /* then use 'receive' command/function on the PC kermit program */π You must also set the kermit program in PC (the local machine)π to the above modes. It depends on what kermit program you use.π The one which has a set of similar commands to VMS kermit isπ called MS-kermit for PC. It is available in most popular ftpπ sites. In addition, Telix, Telemate & Procomm also support kermit.π - uudecode the transferred file in the local machine back to binaryπ GIF file. Then you can view it in the local machine.π uudecode program and similar variants can be obtained from mostπ popular ftp sites. There is one for PC in ftp site: ahkcus.orgπ [192.55.187.25]. The file is uuduue20.exe in directory /src/pc.π If you don't have access to ftp, you can use ftp mail server (seeπ question 3021 part ii). In this case you need to obtain the fileπ uudecode.bas instead. It is a source code written in BASIC. Youπ need to run it on qbasic which comes with MSDOS 5.0 at the veryπ first time. It then creates 2 executable files: uuencode.com &π uudecode.com. Then you can type "uudecode" at the MSDOS prompt.π Type the name of the transferred file. It'll then decode the file.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3023) How do I view pictures on UNIX X-Windows?ππFor more complete information, you are referred to comp.graphics groupπand its FAQ. As far as I know, news on new viewer and image processorπsoftware can also be read in newsgroups such as alt.graphics.pixutils andπalt.binaries.pictures.utilities.ππI'd strongly suggest the viewer software 'xv'. Read its manual byπ'man xv' for operating instructions. If you don't have access to it,πyou have to obtain its source code (src) file from ftp sites andπcompile it using the command 'make' in usual cases. (Please also read **)πExample viewer software which support GIF are as follows:ππi) xloadimage, xsetbg, xview -π Works on b&w or color displays, see the manual pages to viewπ the GIF file as a window or to set the image on theπ background, it should be available on most sites, otherwise,π src is obtainable via anonymous ftp, export.lcs.mit.eduπ [18.24.0.12], /contrib/xloadimage.3.01.tar.Z). ππii) xv - src inπ foo.{x,y}.ext means there are 2 files called, foo.x.ext andπ foo.y.ext. The newer version (2.11 up) takes both JPEG and TIFFπ formats as well. The sites and full pathnames are---π - export.lcs.mit.edu, /contrib/xv-2.{11,21}.tar.Zπ - nic.funet.fi [128.214.6.100],π /pub/X11/contrib/xv-2.{20,11}.tar.Z)π - ftp.cis.upenn.edu [130.91.6.8], /pub/xv-2.{11,21}.tar.Zππ** Note on how to obtain and compile source code files such as *.tar.Z:ππ - You can recover the files by working from right to left toπ resolve the suffices using the following rules, an exampleπ will follow.π - .Z - Get the src file from ftp site the same way as gettingπ picture files. When you are in the shell, use uncompress(1)π to restore the .Z compressed files (read compress(1) man pageπ as well).π - .tar - In the shell, type "tar xvf foo.tar" to extract theπ files, the details can be found in the man page for tar(1).π - example - Assuming the file xv2r1.tar.Z is now residing inπ the current directory, the steps to be taken are -π a) uncompress xv2r1.tar.Zπ You will then get xv2r1.tar at the end after a).π b) tar xvf xv2r1.tarπ The source file and subdirectories will be formed, you canπ then change its Makefile (see make(1)) to do the compilation.π - If you don't know C and/or makefiles, you better findπ someone at where you're at so that they can help you becauseπ you'll need expereince before you can reconfigure theπ Makefile and know how to answer the questions for yourπ system. ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3024) How do I view pictures on IBM PC compatibles (MSDOS)?ππNews on new viewer and image processor software can be read in newsgroupsπsuch as alt.graphics.pixutils, alt.binaries.pictures.utilities andπcomp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives.ππI'd suggest the following software: Paint Shop Pro (PSPRO101.ZIP) orπlatest versions for Windows 3.x. Make sure your Windows 3.x is installedπa SVGA video driver. So that it can display at least 256 colors.ππThere are many programs available and some of them enable you to printπthe pictures. The binaries can be obtained at the following ftp site: π- wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.235.4], /mirrors/msdos/gif for MSDOSπ software; /mirrors/msdos/windows3 for Windows 3.x software. The indexπ is "00-index.txt", get that file and then choose what you want.ππGet the *.ZIP file like getting picture files. i.e.: use binary mode.ππThen you've to transfer the ZIP file back to the PC before you can run it.πThe safest transfer protocol program is Kermit. It is usually available inπUnix/VMS(VAX). Please read question 3022 part iv on how to transfer a fileπusing Kermit. (VMS Kermit works the same as the Unix one.)ππLikewise, you need to transfer the picture files from your account back toπthe PC before you can view them.ππIf you've an Unix account, you may try Zmodem instead of Kermit. The commandπis 'sz'. It works faster, but it is more sensitive on your local networkπsetup. Please consult your local experts on file transfer problems, as suchπproblems may be related to the network setup. You must set your modem toπ8 data bits, no parity communications in order to use Zmodem.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3025) How do I print pictures on a Postscript printer under UNIX?ππOne way is to use 'xwd' and 'xpr' to print the images to a postscriptπprinter (I am sure there are some better ways). Read the man pages ofπthose commands for operating instructions.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3050) TOPICS: GENERAL GUIDE OF DONATING PICTURES/OTHER CONTRIBUTIONSπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3051) How do I post a picture to the newsgroups?ππOf course you are free to post any pictures you want. However, if youπwant to contribute your posted pictures for a particular subdividedπarchive of HKPA, you must notify the person-in-charge of that archive,πthe availability of your pictures. Please read the topic specific forπthe subdivided archive you are concerning with, for the address ofπthe appropriate person-in-charge you have to contact, as well as theπcontribution rules of the archive concerns.ππ** The person-in-charge of some subdivided archive doesn't recommendπ this way of submitting pictures. Please check that.ππYour contributions must be posted to the following newsgroups:ππalt.binaries.pictures, alt.binaries.pictures.miscππ-PROCEDURE OF POSTING A GIF TO PICTURES NEWSGROUPS:π - uuencode the GIF file first.π - split the uuencoded file into parts less than 1000 lines. π This can be done using the Unix "split" program.π - add the lines:π "BEGIN--------------------Cut Here--------------------"π at the beginning and the lineπ "END----------------------Cut Here--------------------"π at the end of each split file.π - crosspost each part to "alt.binaries.pictures" ANDπ "alt.binaries.pictures.misc". This can be done by typing inπ "alt.binaries.pictures,alt.binaries.pictures.misc" when askedπ for the name of the newsgroup to post to.π - when posting, be sure to include "(chinese: HKPA.***)" in theπ Subject: line to identify this posting as a part of our HKPA GIFsπ - and include the filename and part number of current part beingπ posted. ( eg. Subject: file.gif (chinese: HKPA.***) [part 1/3] )π - post a part number 0 first (eg. [part 0/3]) which has a shortπ description of the content of the picture, for example:ππ filename : vchow02.gifπ description: Full portrait of Vivian Chow (Chow Wai Man),π a Hong Kong pop singerπ category : female Hong Kong popstarπ image : 583x1052x256π filesize : 309424 bytesππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3052) Are there any easier ways of donating pictures?ππYes, but I can't say whether all the person-in-charge of their archivesπoffer some other alternative ways of submission. Please refer to theπtopic specific for the subdivided archive you are concerning with forπmore details.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3053) Can I send pictures to HKPA ftp sites myself?ππStrictly NO for nic.funet.fi, the mirror site for HKPA.POPSTARS.πGenerally NO for asia.lcs.mit.edu for most archives.ππHowever, we don't recommend this way of submitting pictures. The person-πin-charge of each archive will take care of your contributions in termsπof public announcement of availability, and putting the pictures to ftpπsites for you. In addition, the person-in-charge will post your picturesπto newsgroups for you as well, if that archive offers such service. Againπplease read the topic specific for that particular archive for more info.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3054) How do I maximize the quality of a picture from a scanner?ππThis is not an easy question. It depends on what scanner softwareπyou have. If you have a color scanner which offers 256 (8-bit) colorsπor less, don't expect too much from it.ππIf your color scanner offers more than 8-bit colors, but the pictureπdoesn't look "smooth" or looks grainy, the problem may be in one/moreπof the following: ππi) The scanner software. How it records the information from theπ scanner. If the software can save in 16 million color (24-bit)π picture format such as TIFF, TGA, BMP, the problem may be inπ the next items. If the software can only save in 8-bit colorπ format, don't worry. Read the next items first!!ππii) The paper quality. You won't get good quality scan from picturesπ on un-smooth glossy paper. Also, it is no good too when you scanπ small pictures on thin magazine paper (such as the paper usedπ in the large "nosey megazines"). Matte paper is the best.ππiii) The quality of publishings. All pictures you see in every kindsπ of publishings are dithered (i.e.: consists of tiny dots/pixels.π Look at a picture closely and you'll see). Depends on the dotπ pattern and size, you may see the "wrinkles" on the scannedπ picture. The quality can be improved by turning the source by aπ small angle and rescan it. Also, use lower resolution (200 DPIπ or less) with large picture source may help. Photographs don'tπ have such problem anyway.ππIf the scanned image is a bit out of focus, you can apply sharpness orπedge enhancement filter in your image processor to improve the focus.πHowever, it also emphasizes the "wrinkles" if scanned from publishings.πMoreover, excessive application of filtering will degrade image quality.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3055) What kind of pictures does HKPA want?ππVirtually all kinds, as long as it is related to Hong Kong. However,πplease contribute more to the existing subdivided archive rather thanπHKPA.MISC. Pictures which aren't fitted into the existing subdividedπarchive will be put to HKPA.MISC. Please also read the topic specificπfor each subdivided archive for the info of pictures wanted.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3056) What other picture formats does HKPA accept?ππOther than GIF, we accept most of the popular picture formats includingπthose which support the giant 16 million color (24-bit). If you haveπproblems converting from a 24-bit color picture file to a 256 colorπ(8-bit) GIF file, please feel free to consult with either Thomas Wongπ<twong@civil.ubc.ca>. Please also notify the person-in-charge prior to πsend the picture file of format other than GIF.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3057) Can I & how do I organize a new subdivided archive HKPA.***?ππAs there will be a tendency of more new pictures of other categories,πHKPA welcome any sincere volunteers to organize and maintain a GIFπcollection of a new category. A new category must be of course,πrelated to Hong Kong.ππIn general, pictures which aren't fitted into the existing subdividedπarchive HKPA.*** will be put to HKPA.MISC, if the pictures are relatedπto Hong Kong. The chance of a new subdivided archive becomes better asπthe number of pictures of a similar category increases in HKPA.MISC.πWe'll then call for volunteers to maintain a new subdivided archiveπanyway.ππPlease contact Thomas Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca> for more details. ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3058) What else can I contribute?ππYes! Any other constructive contributions you can think of for HKPA willπbe greatly appreciated! Another way of becoming our "crew members" is toπhelp us look for new mirror sites for HKPA. We'll help you establish itπbut you'll probably be needed to help us maintain it. It's not a hardπtask though.ππCrew members of HKPA can join in every internal discussions on HKPAπmatters. Any other privileges? Please contact Thomas Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca>πfor more details.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3070) TOPICS: MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONSπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3071) Where else can I find a copy of this faq?ππA copy of this document is also available in /pub/hongkong/hkpa directory,πof ftp site: asia.lcs.mit.edu [18.52.0.62]. The file is called FAQ.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3072) What should I know when I access the ftp sites by IP number?ππNot much. However, the IP number may be changed more frequently than theπtext address. If you cannot access the site asia.lcs.mit.eduπ[IP no.:18.52.0.62] one day, let us know and we will find out for you.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3140) TOPICS: SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3141) Who are our big brothers?ππWilliam Ang <ang@theory.lcs.mit.edu>:π- system admin of asia.lcs.mit.edu who offers HKPA a perfect environment.ππKauto Houpio <huopio@lut.fi> and other GIF admin of nic.funet.fi:π- GIF admin group of nic.funet.fi who offers us a mirror storage forπ HKPA.POPSTARS.ππJohn Ho <john@jho.com>:π- who organizes and maintains the FAQ, initiator of HKPA.SCENIC.ππSPECIAL THANKS TO all the picture contributors!!ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3142) Who are the crew members of HKPA?ππThomas Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca>:π- In charge of HKPA.SCENIC & HKPA.POPSTARSππFran Kan <wskan@vela.acs.oakland.edu>:π- In charge of HKPA.COMICS & HKPA>MISCππEddie ? <cs911364@ariel.yorku.ca>:π- In charge of HKPA.POPSTARSππAlan Yim (HO OAI) <akwy@mundil.cs.mu.oz.au>:π- Was in charge of HKPA.POPSTARS & HKPA.MISCπ- But has left and gone back to Hong Kong hence no more network access.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3150) TOPICS: HKPA.MISC SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3151) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.MISC and are wanted?ππAll kinds of pictures which aren't fitted into other existing subdividedπarchives, as long as it is related to Hong Kong.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3152) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.MISC?ππThere are two ways. THE FIRST ONE IS THE BEST!!ππi) -Uuencode the GIF file and email the uuencoded file to Thomasπ Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca>.ππ Example:π uuencode <GIF filename> <GIF filename> | mail twong@civil.ubc.caππ -Tell Thomas in mail about the picture and the reason why youπ want it in HKPA.MISC.π -Contributors are deserved to have credits. So please specifyπ whether your name or alias will be printed on the HKmisc.index.π If nothing are specified, the default will be the email addressπ of the contributor.ππii) -Contributors can post the pictures to the pictures newsgroups.π Please read question 3051 for the procedure.π -Please state clearly in part 0 post what the picture is about.π -After posting the pictures, please mail Thomas Wong for π notification of availability.π -Contributors are deserved to have credits. So please specifyπ whether your name or alias will be printed on the HKmisc.index.π If nothing are specified, the default will be the email addressπ of the contributor.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3153) Can I upload pictures to ftp site myself for HKPA.MISC?ππNot recommended. However, if you insist on uploading pictures this way,πplease mail Thomas first with a good reason.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3154) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?ππThe most important rules are already mentioned in this topic. However,πcontributors must read the complete official rules in the fileπREADME.DONORS as well.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3200) TOPICS: HKPA.POPSTARS SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3201) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.POPSTARS and are wanted?ππAs the name says, the archive has the collection of well known showπbusiness people of Hong Kong. We also collect popstars who born inπcountries other than Hong Kong but their career are mainly based onπHong Kong. Of course they must be well known in Hong Kong too.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3202) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.POPSTARS?ππThere are two ways. THE FIRST ONE IS THE BEST!!ππi) -Contributors will get the full benefit by uuencoding the GIF file andπ email the uuencoded file to Thomas Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca>.ππ Example:π uuencode <GIF filename> <GIF filename> | mail twong@civil.ubc.ca ππ -Please name the GIF file according to the naming convention (seeπ question 3203)π -Contributors are required to mail Thomas a description file, where theπ description must contain the name of the popstar(s) in the picture.π -Contributors are deserved to have credits. So please specifyπ whether your name or alias will be printed on the HKstar.index.π If nothing are specified, the default will be the email addressπ of the contributor.ππii) -Contributors can post the pictures to the pictures newsgroups.π Please read question 3051 for the procedure.π -After posting the pictures, please mail Thomas Wong π <twong@civil.ubc.ca> for notification of availability.π -Contributors are deserved to have credits. So please specifyπ whether your name or alias will be printed on the HKstar.index.π If nothing are specified, the default will be the email addressπ of the contributor.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3203) What is the file naming convention for HKPA.POPSTARS?ππi) 1-star GIF filesπ-------------------- πPeople should take the popstar's English name as first preference such asπ πvchow01.gif (for Vivian Chow)π πIn other words, the format is INITIAL + LAST NAME + 2 (or more) DIGITSπ πIf the English name is not known, then useπ πwmchow01.gif (for Chow Wai Man)π πIn other words, the format isπINITIAL OF 2ND NAME + INITIAL OF 3RD NAME + LAST NAME + 2 (or more) DIGITSππNumbering Schemeπ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^πAs only the initials are taken, there may be chances to have 2 or moreπpopstars having the same initial. So the first digit is to distinguishπsuch popstars. The digit ranges from 0 to 9. Say, we have pictures ofπPauline Chan & Priscilla Chan. They will come up the same file name:πpchan##.gif. In this case, they are distinguished as follow:ππpchan01.gif pchan02.gif... For Pauline Chanπpchan11.gif pchan12.gif... For Priscilla ChanππThe second digit (or the one follow) is the count. The order is as follows:ππ1,2,...,9,a0,a1,a2,...,a9,aa,ab,...,az,b0,b1,b2,...,b9,ba,bb,....,zz (last one)ππii) GIF files with more than 1 starπ------------------------------------ πm1f3-01.gif where m1 == 1 male, f3 == 3 females, which indicates there areπ one male and three female popstars in a GIF.πf2-01.gif where there are 2 female popstars in a GIF.π πIf the number of any sex exceeds 9, then stars01.gif will be used.π πNumbering Schemeπ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^πThe two digits are used for the count. However, the order is similar toπthe one for 2.1:ππ01,02,...,09,0a,0b,...,0z,10,11,12,...,19,1a,1b,...,1z,.....,9z (last one)ππThe numbering at the end of each file will be amongst the group of GIFsπof the same type. Such as:πm1f1-01.gifπm1f1-02.gifπf2-01.gifπf2-02.gifπ ππWhen you submit the picture to Thomas, you don't need to append the digitsπat the end of a filename. We'll work it out for you.ππ(Special thanks to Anthony Wong <aywong@ohm.berkeley.edu> for the idea ofπ this convention)ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3204) What if I don't know the name of the popstar but want to donate?ππPlease try your best to find out the name of the popstar(s) in the picture.πIf possible, please check out the English name and correct spelling ofπChinese name from magazines as well. This will certainly reduce ourπworkload and your picture will be processed very efficiently before itπis available to the public.ππIf you really can't work out, just mail the uuencoded picture to Thomas.π<twong@civil.ubc.ca>. He'll then run a "guessing game" to determine theπpopstar name for the description. Please read GUESSING.GAME file inπ/pub/hongkong/hkpa/popstars of asia.lcs.mit.edu for details of the guessingπgame.ππIf you aren't sure whether the name spelling is correct or if you don'tπknow the English name, try you best to work out the words which soundπlike the name. Mail Thomas the description with the picture. Then heπwill ask the public to check the name for you. However, like the guessingπgame, it is a slow process.ππThe pictures to be solved will be put into /pub/hongkong/hkpa/popstars/guessπfor the period from 1 week to a month. Depends on the situation.ππPlease note that if no one suggest us a name during a guessing game (usuallyπlast for a month), the picture will be discarded.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3205) Can I upload pictures to ftp sites myself for HKPA.POPSTARS?ππStrictly NO! We'll upload them for you. As we need to verify the popstarπnames and the picture, as well as the way to update HKstar.index,πuploading pictures to ftp sites yourself will complicate our task.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3206) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?ππPlease refer to question 3154.πππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3250) TOPICS: HKPA.SCENIC SPECIFIC INFORMATIONπ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3251) What kind of pictures are in HKPA.SCENIC and are wanted?ππAs the name says, the archive has the collection of scenic picturesπof Hong Kong. From landscapes to buildings. In particular, picturesπof beautiful architecture (both interior and exterior) are wanted.πOf course the pictures must be taken in Hong Kong.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3252) How do I donate pictures to HKPA.SCENIC?ππ-Uuencode the GIF file and email the uuencoded file to Thomasπ Wong <twong@civil.ubc.ca>.ππ Example:π uuencode <GIF filename> <GIF filename> | mail twong@civil.ubc.caππ-Please name the GIF file according to the naming convention (seeπ question 3253).π-Tell Thomas in mail about the picture in terms of what districtπ it was taken, and other info about the scene.π-Contributors are deserved to have credits. So please specifyπ whether your name or alias will be printed on the HKscenic.index.π If nothing are specified, the default will be the email addressπ of the contributor.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3253) What is the file naming convention for HKPA.SCENIC?ππWe have a naming convention for the GIF picture filenames for πHKscenic files. Pictures are separated into three categories:πHong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territory. The year of the πpicture is also attached to the filename to indicate the timeπof this picture. Then a counter is tagged onto the end which is πincremented as the number of files grow. The basic syntax isπas shown below where YYYY is for the year and [a-z] is theπletter that I will tag on as the archive grows. π πFilename syntax:π π HK Island, use hkYYYY[a-z].gifπ Kowloon, use kwYYYY[a-z].gifπ New Territory, use ntYYYY[a-z].gifππFor the files which you don't know the exact year, you canπround it off. For example, if you know a picture was takenπin the 90's you can just use 1990 for the year. That shouldπbe close enough. Or if you can be more exact, for example,πuse 1990 for early 90's and 1995 for late 90's. That's fineπtoo.ππWhen you send the picture to Thomas, you don't need to append theπletter [a-z] after the year in the filename. He'll work that outπfor you.ππ(Special thanks to John Ho <john@jho.com> for the idea of convention)ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3254) Can I upload pictures to ftp site myself for HKPA.SCENIC?ππNot recommended. However, if you insist on uploading pictures this way,πplease mail Thomas first with a good reason.ππ-------------------------------------------------------------------------------π3255) Are there any other rules I need to know for donations?ππPlease refer to question 3154.ππ----------------------------------END-OF-FAQ-----------------------------------πππ-- πJohn Ho from Dallas, Texas, USA. (john@jho.com) π-- πJohn Ho from Dallas, Texas, USA. (john@jho.com) π
