Re: [Pan-users] Thanks and comments/offer

[Duncan]

On Sat 15 Feb 2003 09:41, Lee Reynolds posted as excerpted below:
> Another nice feature of NewsBin pro that should be easier to implement
> was the ability to eliminate ie.. not save images in a download
> directory that were exact duplicates.  How difficult, or where would I
> look to add a few lines of code that would check for duplicate filenames
> (already done with the _copy_ tags) and a CRC-64 checksum on a selected
> saved file with the the temporary downloaded file, before it's saved?

This has been talked about a bit.  The db switch could be used here, as well, 
I suppose, as one way to do it would be to track MD5 or whatever checksum and 
size, and probably have a three way always/ask/never option on what to do if 
there was a match.  (The never might turn off tracking, or that might be a 
separate option, for the paranoid, and those that d/l such volumes that the 
checksum database itself becomes a performance issue.)

A reason for that method, of course, would be that it would be name-neutral, 
so renamed pix wouldn't be saved, either.  Thus, the tracking at save.  The 
other alternative is to do a check if there's a name colision, which would 
certainly be better than present, but would retain far more duplicates as 
stuff is cycled out of the d/l target location for archiving, or across 
different groups.  

The flip side is the potential IDing of saved material now off the machine, 
based on the tracking d/b.  This has already come up in regards to yenc and 
the way some readers handle it with similar anti-duplicate tracking.  The 
paraniod see that db, and wonder just what all goes into it, and if there's 
an ulterior motive and reporting of the data, to someone at some point.  
Formerly, I would have figured only certain folks in China, etc, would have 
to worry about that, but with Ashcroft and co.'s anti-privacy anti-freedom 
activities of late, one does have to wonder how long it will be until those 
types of things are commonly used here, as well.

BTW, PLEASE turn off your HTML!!  Do you realize how HTML has contributed to 
security problems in mail and news?  How many vulns would OE and Outlook have 
if they didn't render HTML?  How does ZERO strike you?  HTML mail is a 
favorite if the spammers, both because it allows tracking (if your reader 
allows scripting or off-site fetching of images, for instance), and because 
it allows them to do the equivilant of placing flashing lights around their 
mail, in an effort to get attention.  If it can't get my attention in plain 
text, I have better things to do with my time.  I filter HTML mail to my 
trash folder (you'd be amazed at how effective just that single filter is for 
spam), and that's where yours went.  Only the fact that I scan the subject 
lines b4 closing my mail client and having them auto-deleted, saved your post 
to be read.

-- 
Duncan
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little
temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." --
Benjamin Franklin