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            VENDINFO -- What's in It for the SYSOP?  
                                                     
          


This is perhaps addressed most easily by answering one of the
most "Frequently-Asked Questions" about the VENDINFO system.

 >> What does VENDINFO provide a sysop that FILE_ID.DIZ doesn't?

Plenty.  :-)

Let's start with the thing FILE_ID.DIZ is good at, and see what
more VENDINFO can do in that area, namely, extraction of product
descriptions:

   o  VENDINFO will even make extraction of simple product
      descriptions better.  The VENDINFO approach will virtually
      guarantee that the description used is the author's own.
      It will prevent high-ASCII and other disruptive characters
      from entering the description.  Instead of truncating a
      description if it's too long for the BBS, it will select a
      shorter, complete description provided by the author.

   o  VENDINFO will also allow extraction of: keywords; product
      categories by code or readable text; independent extraction
      of product name, type, version, version date, and reason
      for version; information about required platform, and lots
      more.

   o  You may think this is more than you need, but two major BBS
      manufacturers have already informed me that they're adding
      many more fields to their files databases, and they regard
      the ability to extract the required information from a
      VENDINFO record as a real breakthrough.  By the way, some
      30 manufacturers of BBS and related software have already
      committed to support VENDINFO, including PCBOARD, Wildcat!,
      Major BBS, Searchlight BBS, and TBBS.

And that's all FILE_ID.DIZ can do.  There are lots more things
that VENDINFO can do for the sysop:

   o  If desired, it can automatically rename the uploaded package
      to the author's preferred name, eliminating duplication.

   o  If desired, it can automatically route packages to selected
      file areas based on the product category encoded in the
      VENDINFO record.

   o  If desired, it can build a list of older version packages
      that have been rendered obsolete by this version, so you
      can easily free up the space.

   o  If desired, it can show you the names of other required
      packages, so you can verify that you have all parts of a
      multipart product.

   o  If desired, it can detect an attempt to upload commercial
      or registered programs marked with an abbreviated VENDINFO
      "executable" record.  (late Spring, 1994)

   o  If desired, it can detect a package that has been altered
      from the original form prepared by the author.

   o  If desired, it can verify that distribution of a product
      is allowed on BBSes in general, and on this BBS in particular
      (e.g., it may be OK if users are charged a subscription fee,
      but not if they're charged specifically by download).  Most
      shareware authors don't impose restrictions on BBS
      distribution anyway, but this will allow the conscientious
      sysop to know for sure.  By the way, the VendEdit editor
      used by authors to prepare VENDINFO records recommends
      *against* restricting BBS distribution.

   o  If desired, it can automatically detect author trade
      association memberships, to allow routing to special file
      areas, marking of descriptions, etc.

   o  If desired, it can tell you whether or not recompressing
      (perhaps with a different compression program) is allowed.
      It can tell you whether recompressing internal ZIPs is
      allowed (sometimes this disables installation programs).

   o  The human-readable front text contains a wealth of
      information useful to the end-user, and it can be read
      with standard text viewers, including on-line "in-zip"
      viewers.

   o  Should the sysop need it, the VENDINFO record contains
      tools-accessible contact information for the author,
      including a variety of e-mail and network addresses,
      as well as information about the forums on which
      support is offered.

   o  If desired, it allows you to automatically build FILES.BBS
      or other customized descriptive files with great
      flexibility.

   o  The VENDINFO record provides a security layer, greatly
      increasing your confidence that you're seeing information
      as it was actually provided by the auther.

   o  The VENDINFO record actually SAVES space in the
      distribution package, because it's almost always smaller
      than the VENDOR.DOC, SYSOP.DOC, READ_ME.DOC, and other
      files it replaces.  We've often listed FILE_ID.DIZ in this
      list, and it will eventually replace FILE_ID.DIZ, but we
      recommend that authors continue to provide FILE_ID.DIZ
      files for at least the first year.  This has always been
      the intention, but some sysops have been concerned when they
      saw FILE_ID.DIZ in the list.  By the way...

   o  If desired, it can construct FILE_ID.DIZ and DESC.SDI
      files from the VENDINFO.DIZ file at the receiving end,
      should the sysop need one and the author not provide it.
      One of the six product descriptions (of varying length)
      stored in the VENDINFO record is of exactly the same
      dimensions as FILE_ID.DIZ, to insure full compatibility.
