Subj : SBBS/W32 Kermit SABOTAGE
To   : ALL
From : MICHEL SAMSON
Date : Sun Nov 07 2004 10:16 am

Hi everybody,

     About "Microsoft 0wnz U!" of November 6:

     Sometimes a SysOp who pretends to correct misinformation happens to
open the door to more misinformation, as for the following text & ~URL~:

SH> Microsoft will now allow you all to use...  ...  Kermit  ...
SH>
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/randz/protocol/royalty_free_protocol_license_agreement.asp

     Quoting the whole text for better clarity was hardly appropriate in
a case where it called for even more misleading content, most obviously:
________________________________________________________________________
Published Protocols And Royalty-Free License
HyperTerminal Kermit File Transfer
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kermit allows the following types of file transfers:

One file can be transmitted per session.
Kermit file data is transmitted in data blocks of 100 bytes or less.
A Kermit receiver acknowledges each data packet.
Kermit error detection supports check sum error checking.
An aborted Kermit file transfer must be restarted from the beginning of
the file.

....

HyperTerminal Xmodem File Transfer, HyperTerminal Ymodem File Transfer,
and HyperTerminal Zmodem File Transfer are later file transfer protocol
implementations intended to provide greater throughput than the
HyperTerminal Kermit File Transfer protocol.  They support larger data
packets and reduce the number of acknowledgement packets that must be
transmitted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     If one goes to the source he'll find somewhat different statements:

          - Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' supports Batch-Mode sessions.
          - Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' packets are 9024 bytes or less.
          - Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' supports the "Streaming" mode.
          - Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' Type 3 16-Bits ~CRC~ (CCITT)
             CheckSum used with "Set Transfer CRC On" lowers the error
             rate by 600 parts in 10E15 (0.0000000000006).
          - Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' supports Transfer Recovery.
          - `HyperTerminal's `Kermit' is at least twenty-six times
             slower than the Standard Up-to-Date `Kermit' which allows
             adaptation to most situations, including harsh noisy media.

     Read MicroSoft's implicit admission where `HyperTerminal's `Kermit'
barely meets the 1985 `Kermit' sub-standard (with its lungs ripped off):

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/randz/protocol/hyperterminal_kermit_file_transfer.asp

                                    Salutations,  

                                    Michel Samson
                                    a/s Bicephale
                                    http://public.sogetel.net/bicephale/


.... Sometimes, the cost of new features is too high, really!  Is it not?
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