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As always in human nature, the busiest of these were the sites that contained files for download. As the internet developed, it too needed a means to post messages to all interested, and Usenet was formed. Sadly, the net heads that set the protocols for Usenet weren't interested in posting files as well, so the system they designed was set up to handle SMALL posting units (much smaller than the data contained on this page).
Well, those people who DID want to post binary files started to patch together a method to pass each other their collective utilities, programs, etc., and groups like AB (alt.binaries), came along with the strange tools to rip, send, and reassemble are the result.
The "Web" is HTTP, or HyperText Transfer Protocol. ("Hypertext" refers to the links you see in web pages and help files.)Information traveling over the Internet is sent in encoded "packets". Many binary files (programs, sounds, multimedia) are larger than the "packet" size allowed by Usenet, so these articles must be broken into pieces, posted, then linked together on the other end. These are called "multipart" files (see downloading)
Web pages can contain text, videos, music, javascript - just about anything.File Transfer Protocol is FTP. Again, just about anything can be held by FTP servers.
E-mail servers use SMTP, or "Simple Mail Transfer Protocol", which is limited to ASCII text.
But wait - "Can't you can email binary attachments?", you ask? Read on!Usenet is Network News Transfer Protocol (or NNTP), with articles sent from one news server to another like with email.
Each article is first stored on that server's hard drive, then forwarded to the server's "mailing list" of other news servers. Each of them in turn stores it on their hard drive, and sends the articles to their list of servers, and so on. Usenet articles ripple out from the originating site, taking varying amounts of time and various routes to travel to you. Usenet was never meant to handle binary material ; just ASCII text.To work around this limitation, methods were devised to convert (encode) binaries into text for posting, and then back to their original binary form (decode) after downloading. Many encoding schemes are available, but UUencode/UUdecode is the most accepted Usenet standard.
The other problem is the usage. Simply put, there are a lot of idiots out there using Usenet very badly. And as broadband connections become the norm, this is likely to continue to put a strain on the resources. The current servers in place are having problems keeping up.
Think of the most congested road in the city where you live, then pass a law requiring every car in the city to drive both ways on that road each and every day. Pretty jammed up, uh? Now what would be the easiest way to fix up that road so it would handle the traffic? Shut it down, close it off, and rebuild the whole thing from the beginning? But then no one could use it. And chances are that during the time the road was being widened to handle the existing load, the traffic trying to use it would get even bigger, so that when it reopened it would still be jammed up.
Now go back and replace the word "city" with "Usenet", "car" with "data packet", "road" with "bandwidth", and "jammed up" with "missing packets" and you might begin to understand what can go wrong between the poster's machine and yours.
You can get up to speed on any area of the Net that is new ground for you with these resources:
On the Web, start with: Newbie.net Netlingo; or read your Internet Service Provider's FAQs.4. LOOK FOR A DISCUSSION GROUP.
In Usenet: news.answers and alt.answers (FAQs in both).
Also, find out if your provider hosts any "local" newsgroups for members needing tech help.
It usually has the same name as the binaries group, with the addition of a "d" on the end.
ABEB is currently in the process of creating it's own .d group, which when done, will be alt.binaries.e-book.d
Don't post your chat in a binaries group if there is a d group! In most cases, you will either be ignored or flamed into oblivion.5. DON'T SHOUT unless you mean it. In posts and email, THIS IS SHOUTING. Turn off that caps lock.
6. CONSERVE BANDWIDTH
This is defined as the amount of information that can flow through a channel. All Usenet resources are limited. The ever-increasing demands on news servers have led to tons of lost posts, shorter retention times and dropped newsgroups.
Wasting bandwidth hurts the whole community, especially in terms of complete posts reaching you.This includes, but is not limited to, posting a file looking for fills (known as a HWIH or "Here's What I Have" post), when a 6 line note in ABEB could produce the file you're looking for much faster, and without getting flamed by a regular. This is a big-time bandwidth saver.
Much as reported, the phrase "Spam!" came from that wonderful lunch meat, and our fond memories of the Monty Python song cleverly titled...wait for it..."Spam".
The following is from a "Spam Cancel" I collected during some of me early spam-fighter days. No longer practiced quite like this, it still provides a reference point for understanding.
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) on 31 Oct 1995
...."There are rules on Usenet regarding the posting of multiple copies of the same article. When the thresholds are exceeded, the posting is termed "spam", and cancels for the postings can be issued. The spam determination is not determined by content: only article count and cross-posting index. Excessive Multi-Posting (EMP) means the same as the term "spam" usually does, but is more accurate and self-explanatory. The Breidbart Index (BI) is defined as the sum of the square roots of how many newsgroups each article was posted to. This is a measure of Excessive Crossposting (ECP) also known as "Velveeta".
The heuristics for cancels are based _only_ on one or more of the following measures:
1) 20 or more separate copies of essentially the same article were posted (EMP),
2) 5 or more separate copies of essentially the same articlewere posted and the BI is > 20 (ECP)
3) is a continuation of a previous EMP/ECP, within a 45 day sliding window. That is: if the articles posted within the past 45 days exceeds the thresholds in (1) or (2), it gets removed. _Unless_ the originator has made a clear and obvious effort to cease spamming (which includes an apology and undertaking to do so in news.admin.net-abuse.misc).
4) broken gateways regurgitating old articles with new messageids.
The first three are generically called "spam". The fourth is a "spew". General consensus puts the spam cancel threshold strictly as a BI of 20. These cancels have nothing whatsoever to do with the contents of the message. It doesn't matter if it's an advertisement, it doesn't matter if it's abusive, it doesn't matter whether it's on-topic in the groups it was posted, it doesn't matter whether the posting is for a "good cause" or not, if it breaks these thresholds it will be cancelled. Therefore, these cancellations are non-content based. They're not based on _what_ was said, they're based only on _how_ it was said....."
Some of the posts sent to ABEB are original, (such as poetry or stories) created just for posting to ABME for review by other book lovers. Others are posts from readers' own HC collection that they have scanned and created themselves.(These methods are explained in further detail in other parts of this FAQ. See 'Creating E-books') With very few exceptions, ABEB scanners, posters and reposters are NOT associated with commercial sites or publishing vendors. They volunteer their own time and effort to produce the files that you can then download (aren't they nice?) It's all free to you. Download what you like and pass up what you don't like or can't view.
You, the downloader, have an obligation as your part of the transaction. If your news server is inadequate, subscribe to a better one or be satisfied with what you get. Don't waste the space, or the groups time complaining about your inferior service, and DON'T constantly ask for reposts if your newsfeed is less-than adequate. It also means acquiring the skills and software you need to view/decode/combine the material. The majority of what is posted to ABEB is plain old ASCII text files (this ensures that damn near anyone can read them on damn near any system). If you have a favorite reader/format for your system - don't whine. We don't care. Learn to convert your own files, or pass up what you can't use. If you look for long enough, you'll see that there's usually something available for everyone's tastes in materials. Posts from commercial sites are not necessarily precluded, but posts from such sites like the Project Gutenberg Web Site or any other freely accessible web site are frowned upon. There's no need to waste space by posting a file, when a simple note with a link to the URL would do. Conserve space. Any ads without file contributions are spam, as are all picture posts not specifically requested for a book compilation, used for and accompanied by an e-book post. Don't post if you don't know what you're doing.
Q. Is ABEB moderated?A. No, ABEB's rules and standard are discussed and "voted" upon by the members and regulars of said group, and then are put up here in the FAQ for general reference (you'll know when a proposal is being made - look for any thread with 500 replies to it).
Q. Then what's with all these rules?
A. ABME is controlled by its charter and these FAQs, and by the willingness of its users to write complaints to the ISP's of those who consistently violate the concept behind them. These are time tested practices for keeping the newsgroup healthy, pleasant and available.
Most ISP's consider and posted FAQ for a group to be the "law" for that group, and will take measures to prevent it's customers from abusing their privilege (not right) to access Usenet, up to and including canceling the account in question.
Don't say you were never warned.Q. Is there an FTP site e-books or utilities?
A. No, you're better off getting software from established archive sites or the author's page. If someone announces an FTP site offering e-book material, use it at your own risk. Just remember that you can never be sure of who's watching those log files.
Q. Is there an IRC channel where I can talk with ABEB posters?
A. Presently - Yes!. There's a few of our regulars who hang out in #bookz or #bookwarez on undernet. See here for some nicely written directions on how to access them (thanks Namtillaku!) There is also a "talker" (kind of like a MUD only there's no games being played except for the ones with your head) that is OP'ped by one of the members in ABEB. To access this "talker", point your choice of telnet client to the following:
The Freehold
(http://freehold.signwave.com/)
Admins: Tiny & EllisDeetelnet://freehold.signwave.com:1313
Bring beer, questions and a sense of humor. Tell 'em "The FAQ guy" sent ya.
"Kids", Trolls and troublemakers alike
GET LOST!
YOU HAVE BEEN FOREWARNED