GNKSA Evaluation Form 2.04 Product Name : nn Product Version : 6.5.1 Tested on platform : Solaris 2.6 Intel Edition Available for platforms: Unix, Next Evaluation date : 1/14/98 Evaluated by : richard@alumni.caltech.edu (Richard M. Mathews) Conclusion ========== nn 6.5.1 fails to satisfy some basic GNKSA requirement(s), hence does NOT qualify for the Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval. Summary ======= Pass Fail Total Pass/Fail% MUSTs 33 6 39 85%/15% SHOULDs 13 14 27 48%/52% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 85%M %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 48%S [GNKSA Score-O-Meter] Details ======= Regarding the strict GNKSA requirements (MUSTs), nn 6.5.1 FAILS on the following points: 1c Does not show the groups the article was posted to (Newsgroups) 1d Fails to show where to followup to (Followup-To) 1e Does not show where to reply to (Reply-To) 7c Does not restrict references sensibly 11b Will not refuse to post articles without subject 12b Fails to refuse to post messages with syntactically incorrect From: nn 6.5.1 violates `soft' GNKSA requirements (SHOULDs) in the following way: 2d Fails to use standard terminology 3b Does not warn when posting to a large number of groups 3c Fails to encourage setting a Followup-To on large crossposts 7e Fails to omit `broken' Message-IDs. 9b Does not support posting instead after replying 9d Mail message not preceded by notification when posted and mailed 10d Does not omit (proper) signatures from quoted text 10e Does not let the user indicate which part to followup to 12c Can use a bogus e-mail address 13b Does not enable users to supersede their own articles 14b Fails to warn for excessively long lines 14d Does not support rewrapping quoted text correctly 14e Fails to check basic hygiene of output from external editor 15b Does not warn on, or refuse, excessive signatures nn 6.5.1 offers the following nice net-keeping features unmentioned by the GNKSA: * "Selection Mode" menu shows one line descriptions of messages and lets you pick which articles to read. * "Selection Mode" menu groups articles by Subject and sorts by date within each Subject. Creates an effect similar to threading. * The "kill" file can also specify auto-selection of articles you really want to see. * Interactive interface to the most important kill/select options, so you don't have to know how to edit the kill file. * Checks for unknown Newsgroups when posting. * Splits digests into multiple articles. * On-line help. Additional Comments: 1ab. Default display shows From and Subject (and Date) in a one line message. On an 80 column display, these will usually be abbreviated in some way. Users can set "header-lines" to FSnWR to see all of the headers required by GNKSA on all messages or use the 'h' command to see the full header of one message. 9a. The method to change your mind and send mail is not obvious. Use the 'c'opy command to send a copy of the message to the author via e-mail, then use the 'a'bort command to abort and not post the article. 16abcd. The actual check is that you are required to make some change to the article before posting. You can cheat by just adding a blank line or deleting some of the included text. Checklist ========= (M)UST / (S)HOULD 1) Displays all essential header information Software clearly displays: [Y] a) Article's author (From) M [Y] b) Article's Subject M [N] c) List of groups posted to (Newsgroups) M [N] d) Where (and how) to direct followups (Followup-To) M [N] e) Where to reply to if not the From-address (Reply-To) M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 2) Provides clear, separate commands for new posting, followup, and e-mail reply [Y] a) for posting a new article M [Y] b) for posting a followup article M [Y] c) for replying by e-mail M [N] d) Uses standard terminology S [Y] e) Avoids ambiguous terminology S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 3) Provides cross-posting functionality [Y] a) Allows specifying multiple groups M [N] b) Warns about, or prevents, posting to large numbers of groups S [N] c) Strongly encourages setting Followup-To: on large crossposts S (`Y' if large crosspostings are disallowed) [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 4) Allows users to change essential headers [Y] a) Allows editing Subject at all times during composition M [Y] b) Allows specifying new Subject of at least 70 characters M [Y] c) Allows setting "Followup-To: poster" M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 5) Ensures followups and e-mail replies contain a correct Subject [Y] a) Prepends "Re: " if (and only if) not already present M [Y] b) Preserves entire original Subject (modulo minor repairs) M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 6) Directs followups to the correct newsgroups [Y] a) Initiates e-mail reply rather than a followup posting on "Followup-To: poster", clearly informing the user M [Y] b) Posts to groups in Followup-To if present M [Y] c) Posts to groups in Newsgroups otherwise M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 7) Make sure followups contain valid References [Y] a) Creates References header with Message-ID of original article as the last element M [Y] b) Includes last three References from original M [N] c) Ensures References will fit in 998 characters M [Y] d) Keep as many References from original as fit S [N] e) Does not propagate broken Message-IDs in original References S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 8) Direct e-mail replies to the correct address [Y] a) Uses Reply-To if present M [Y] b) Uses From address otherwise M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 9) Allow the user to change her mind about whether to post or mail (or do both) and behave if doing both [Y] a) Allows users to change their mind and mail rather than post after having initiated a followup message S [N] b) Allows users to change their mind and post rather than mail after having initiated a reply message S [Y] c) Does not offer both posting and mailing as default behaviour M [N] d) Inserts a notification that the message was posted as well as mailed in the e-mail copy when both posting and mailing a followup article S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 10) Provide adequate quotation and attribution facilities [Y] a) Allows including quoted original M [Y] b) Clearly distinguishes quoted material M [Y] c) Prefixes quoted material with `>'/`> ' S [N] d) Omits correctly delimited signatures from quoted material S [N] e) Provides a means of indicating which part(s) to followup to S [Y] f) Attribution line containing original author precedes quotes M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 11) Provide a user-specified "Subject: " header [Y] a) Requires non-empty, user-specified Subject for new articles M [N] b) Refuses posting articles without, or with an empty, Subject M [Y] c) Does not provide default Subject if user did not set one M [Y] d) Allows changing the Subject at any time while editing M [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 12) Provide a valid "From: " header [Y] a) Sets "From: " header to syntactically valid e-mail address M [N] b) Refuses posting articles without a syntactically valid "From: " header M [N] c) Uses correct e-mail addresses (valid and belonging to the user) only, as far as it can possibly know S [N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 13) Allow users to both cancel and supersede their own articles (and _no_ others!) [Y] a) Allows cancelling articles S [N] b) Allows superseding articles S [Y] c) As far as possible, does not allow cancelling or superseding other peoples' articles M [Y] d) Uses standard terminology S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 14) Try to respect the 80-character line-length convention [Y] a) Articles are posted as edited, with linebreaking intact S [N] b) Warns about lines over 80 characters S [Y] c) Does not refuse to post articles containing long lines S [N] d) Allows rewrapping quoted text S [N] e) Enforces formatting requirements on article after external editing (`Y' if there is no support for external editors) S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 15) Separate signatures correctly, and don't use excessive ones [Y] a) Uses (and enforces) standard signature delimiter S [N] b) Warns against or refuses to use excessive signatures S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 16) Try to prevent obvious user errors [Y] a) Warns when attempting to post empty articles M [Y] b) Refuses posting empty articles S [Y] c) Warns when post articles containing quoted material only M [Y] d) Refuses posting quoted-text-only articles S [Y] e) Warns against posting multiple copies (`Y' if impossible) M [Y] f) Prevents multiple posting entirely S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 17) Post human-readable articles unless ordered otherwise [Y] Does not (and can not) encode or encrypt articles unless on explicit user demand M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 18) Provide self-protection [Y] Allows filtering out annoying articles (killing) S [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M 19) Be kind to servers, leave room for others [Y] a) Does not unnecessarily open multiple connections M [Y] b) Does not generate excessive server load otherwise M [Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs M