From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npois!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:CAD:ESVAX:Cory:cc-18 Newsgroups: net.news.b Title: Re: full names in news 2.7 - (nf) Article-I.D.: ucbcory.744 Posted: Fri Jun 11 21:30:24 1982 Received: Sun Jun 13 02:18:33 1982 Reply-To: -18 "The GCOS field is used only when communicating with that system, and in other installations can contain any desired information." --passwd(5), from V7 Unix Programmer's Manual. The Berkeley Manual, however, DOES contain (see gecos(5)) an explicit structure for the GCOS field. The GCOS field consists of semicolon-separated strings; the structure is: struct gecos { char *gc_crn; /* charge record number */ char *gc_games; /* games-allowed flag */ char *gc_loglim; /* login limit in half-hours */ char *gc_spare[7]; /* new fields to be added later */ }; extern struct gecos *pwgecos(); I think the case against using the GCOS field for net-wide software is clear. I suggest, instead, that netnews squirrel away somewhere a list of real names for people; that enrollnews checks this; and that the real name appear at the top AND bottom of the article, if possible. Yes, I know 'enrollnews' doesn't exist yet, but I think it should! Then all the "how do new users get a .newsrc"/"how does inews find out what my name is"/"I want to tell everyone on my site not to talk about the FOOBAR project" issues can be addressed in one place. Michael Chastain ucbvax!cory:cc-18 (UUCP) Cory.cc-18@Berkeley (ARPA)