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1990-12-05
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KillRQ v 2.7
Automated Message Deletion
For QuickBBS and Remote Access Systems
By Jason Steck 1:104/424@FidoNet
LICENCE: KillRQ is released as Freeware as a part of the
FreeNet Project. KillRQ is free for use so long as it is
used in a manner consistant with applicable laws and network
policies. The author retains rights to the name "KillRQ"
and to the specific source code used to create this product.
Reverse-engineering or otherwise modifying the executable
code of this product is a violation of this licence.
INTRODUCTION
KillRQ gives sysops the functionality to control the content
of their messages base. An unfortunately side-effect of
echomail has been the effect of giving "twits" an open and
widely-distributed forum for the plying of their irritating
art. As such, many echomail conferences have been, at one
time or another, all but taken over by people and/or threads
which are "twitty".
KillRQ is intended to give sysops a fast, efficient method
to automatically delete annoying messages and/or people in
the local message base. As most networks have prohibitions
on the censorship of in-transit mail, KillRQ restricts its
operation to messages already tossed into the local message
base. Users of KillRQ are advised that "re-scanning" a
message board, with FastForward (tm) for example, can lead
to a "censored feed" which may be in violation of network
policies. Accordingly, any such re-scanning should be
executed PRIOR to running KillRQ.
A NOTE ON CENSORSHIP
The following are some quotes from a newspaper column which
seemed to apply well to the concept of auto-deletion of
echomail:
"In political Newspeak, people who are perfectly free to say
whatever they want to nevertheless claim that they are being
'censored' if other people refuse to pay for their words."
"The cry of 'censorship' is raised even against private
individuals and organizations when they don't go along with
things that are said and done by those who demand not only
freedom but also an audience."
"'I have a right to say what I want to!' one musician
declared indignantly. It never seemed to occur to him that
other people also have rights -- including the right not to
touch his stuff. Once you start talking about rights as if
they override other people's rights, then you are really
talking about privileges."
USE OF KILLRQ
Killrq uses four "killfiles":
KILLBRD.BBS -- Auto-delete from certain people on
certain boards.
KILLALL.BBS -- Auto-delete from certain people
throughout message base.
KILLSUBJ.BBS -- Auto-delete all messages with certain
string in subject line.
KILLTEXT.BBS -- Auto-delete based on strings in
message text throughout message base.
These files must be in the same directory as the QuickBBS/RA
message base. KillRQ must be executed in this directory,
but it may be accessed via the path. Msgpack.exe, while not
required, is highly recommended.
The format of KILLBRD.BBS is: <board> <Name>
For example, the following line would kill all messages from
Doctor Death on board 104:
104 Doctor Death
The format of KILLALL.BBS is: <Name>
For example, the following line would kill all messages from
Evil Hacker throughout the message base:
Evil Hacker
The format of KILLSUBJ.BBS is: <Subj>
For example, the following line would kill all messages with
"satan" in the subject.
Satan
Messages would be killed if the search string is ANYWHERE in
the subject line -- even if it is contained in the middle of
a word. Accordingly, care is advised when choosing search
strings to kill -- if you want to kill a "Sysops are scum"
thread, choosing the word "sysop" in your KILLSUBJ.BBS file
would have the undesired side-effect of killing messages
with a subject line "Sysop meeting" and "Sysop Assistance"
as well.
The format of KILLTEXT.BBS is: <Text String>
KillRQ will search the message text and kill the message if
any of the text strings listed in KILLTEXT.BBS appear in the
message text.
The text search is quite time-consuming as each line of text
must be searched individually. Therefore, the text search
option is, by default, disabled. Use the /X command line
parameter to activate the text-killing capability.
COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
KillRQ may be executed with six command line options.
/P - Full message base pack after message killing.
/I - Index rebuild after message killing.
/N - No packing performed.
/T - Also kill messages TO targets.
/R - RE: stripping performed.
/L - Reset LastScan pointer.
/O - Perform logging of deletions using KILLRQ.LOG.
/X - Activate text search using KILLTEXT.BBS.
There is a design bug in the way QuickBBS treats deleted
messages. Messages with the deleted flag set will still be
displayed unless an index rebuild or message base packing is
performed after KillRQ sets the deleted flag. /I is the
default and will be used unless /P or /N are specified on
the command line. /P should be used if the sysop wishes to
have KillRQ pack and renumber the message base with
Msgpack.exe. /N should be used, for example, if MsgPack.exe
is not available. If the /N parameter is used, some message
index rebuilding MUST be accomplished separately or else the
"deleted" messages may be displayed.
KillRQ uses a KILLRQ.CTL file to remember the last message
it scanned to speed scanning in future cases. If this file
does not exist, it will scan from the beginning of the
message base.
When the message base is packed and/or renumbered, this
last-scan pointer MUST be reset to the end of the message
base. This may be accomplished one of two ways:
1) Run KillRQ with the /P parameter. KillRQ will kill
messages AND handle message base packing by invoking
Msgpack.exe. KillRQ will then reset its own LastScan
pointer.
2) Run KillRQ with the /N paramter. Then execute the
message base packer with appropriate options. Then execute
KillRQ with the /L parameter. KillRQ will simply set the
LastScan pointer to the end of the newly-packed message
base.
Use of the /T parameter will allow the COMPLETE auto-
deletion of an annoying individual. Not only will messages
FROM the people specified be deleted, but messages/replies
TO those people will also be deleted.
The /O parameter will cause KillRQ to write each deletion
and a report of the total number of deletions for each run
to a logfile -- Killrq.log.
Use of the /R parameter throws an additional "benny" into
KillRQ's operation. As KillRQ scans each new individual
message, it strips any and all "Re:" sub-strings from the
subject line. Qlink or other message threading utility can
then be executed accurately. This functionality in KillRQ
kills any need for another utility and multiple message base
scans.
QUESTIONS, ASSISTANCE, BUG REPORTS
Bug reports, questions, or requests for assistance should be
directed to Jason Steck at the following addresses:
1:104/424@FidoNet
200:5000/400@MetroNet
99:910/952@EggNet
77:1910/5@LCRNet
8:7703/10@Network
11:11/200@OPCN