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From: smith@nrl-aic@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.cpm
Subject: MDM711.ASM
Message-ID: <3645@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 30-Jul-83 09:52:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3645
Posted: Sat Jul 30 09:52:00 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 1-Aug-83 05:47:48 EDT
Lines: 61

From:  Russ Smith 

Being out of step doesn't bother me too much, apparently I usually am...

I only recently started accessing the ARPANET hence missed your note on
AR100 (AR100 isn't in the last DIRLST for example). I'm looking
for something that works for my particular machine. Whether it's
transportable to someone else's (or even to any other machine I get
in the future) really doesn't matter at this point. I DO, however, get
real enjoyment from taking something good (such as mdm711) and 
modifying it in ways which make it a "better" program. For example,
I dislike most programs' user interfaces. Whether I'll like mdm711's
will be seen. If not, I'll change it to be screen oriented in a
style which meets whatever criteria that's pleasant to ME, perhaps
with pertinent status info displayed as well as graphic oriented
menus. This is something I'd do just for the Hollywood aspect of the
resulting process. Perhaps I'd take the output and send it to my
512x480 point plot display. Perhaps I'll just take the algorithms
behind the program, write them in MY idea of good C language, and
include all the bells and whistles which I think are nice.
Whatever...for these and other reasons I like to have my hands on
the source of programs I use. The fact that what I end up with
wouldn't be mdm711 is irrelevant. I WOULD end up with a program
which would allow my current system to access other systems using
the same protocol and whose basic algorithms had withstood the
tests of time. This is what's important to me; not that I have
the actual same program as others, but only that I can communicate
effectively with others and at the same time have a user interface
which appeals to ME, not necessarily only to the original designer.
MDM711 is the latest and greatest of the many MODEM programs, so
that's the source I feel would be best to start off from. Other
programs may use identical basic algorithms, but maybe mdm711
does something else better. Maybe I'll be COMPLETELY satisfied
with the way mdm711 is and not change it at all. That's for ME
to decide, though, not for others who believe they know what's
good for me.

Sorry about the rather rambling reply, it's just that the statement
about "confusing the issue" touched a raw nerve. It may be that
endusers of publicly distributed (and publicly touted) software
may want to make their own decision on whether to be confused.

In conclusion, to assume that someone who doesn't agree with
instructions on installing mdm711 hasn't read the same also is a
mistake. Indeed, I accessed and read just about everything I could
on the system in hopes that someone had slipped in a copy of
the source. I, of course, didn't access the "hidden" (to this
naive user, at least) AR100.

The contents of this note to the contrary, I truly appreciate the
rapid and helpful responses I received over the net re my original
plea. (I'd be willing to bet that more than a few other users of the
net also appreciate the responses...)

Needless to say, I'll be doing some happy hacking now that
I can get my greedy little hands on the source for mdm711.


Thanks to all (in particular to KP at MIT-MC),

Russ (Smith@nrl-aic)