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Announcement: STRN Version 0.7.x (alpha testing)

	The strn (Scan/Scoring Threaded ReadNews) program will be the
first software release of the USENET Interface Project (see below).
It consists of two major (and some minor) additions to the trn program
(version 2.4) by Wayne Davison/Stan Barber/Larry Wall.  The additions
are approximately 8000 lines of C code which implement newsgroup selection
menus by user-defined "topics", an interactive article selection mode,
and fast methods of scoring articles with prioritized display and
commands similar to KILLfiles.  Read on for more details...

	I am looking for more strn alpha testers.  Over 20 people are
currently involved in testing the program, but more would be
appreciated.  While I can't guarantee anything, strn has been very
stable and has not caused problems for most users.  I am looking mainly
for ideas and more compatibility testing.  Testers will need to get a
copy of the trn source code (version 2.4: the current released version).
Instructions for getting trn by FTP are included in the documentation.
I hope to release a first public version around late March/early April 1993.
(The current code should not be considered a public version and is not
 yet freely distributable.)

	If anyone would like to help test this code, please send email
to me (caadams@triton.unm.edu).  If you are interested, but not
certain about testing, mail me and I can send more information.

Here is more information about strn and the USENET Interface Project:

ScanArticle mode:
----------
	The ScanArticle (SA) mode is an interactive article selection
mode with many features similar to trn's thread selector.  It does not
require TRN's thread database.  Articles can be displayed either
individually, or in "threads" (articles with a common subject). 
ScanArticle may display articles in score or arrival order.
Articles may be read individually or several may marked to read
sequentially.

Sample ScanArticle display
[author display turned off to protect the guilty :-]:
---------- cut ----------
sci.physics | 790 unread Fold
+x...  [  18] {  9} > Some physics questions
+x...> [  14] { 10} > The size of electrons, and Fanciful misc SAGA
+x...  [  11] {  4} > Massive Photons Tomorrow (was Scientists Plan...)
+x...  [   8] { 47} > NASA Coverup
                    Keys: Moon Neutral Point calculation
+x...  [   7] {  8} > Gravitation & massless particles (was Re: Some physics qu
+x...  [   3] {  5} > Question on Hawking radiation
                    Summary: Why don't extremal black holes radiate?
+x...  [   3] { 10} > Background Radiation and Olber's Paradox
+o...  [   1] {  1} Covariant vs. Lie Derivative in Gen. Rel.?
(score (new articles first)  order, 100% scored)
---------- cut ----------
...ScanArticle mode has many more features, and more are planned for the
future.

ScanGroup mode:
----------
	ScanGroup is a full-screen interface to newsgroup selection and
manipulation.  When it is completed it will be a replacement for the
newsgroup selection level of trn.  ScanGroup uses much of the same code
as the ScanArticle mode and most of the basic commands are similar.

	ScanGroup can also display newsgroups in hierarchical menus of
newsgroups defined by "topic" files.  These topic files are
simple to create and allow easy browsing of topics consisting of related
newsgroups.  For instance, one can have a "Computer" topic which
contains all computer-related newsgroups.  Multiple topic levels are
possible--one could have a "sources" topic within the "Computer" topic.
Here is a sample of topic hierarchies (using the sample topic hierarchy
tree included with strn):

	Here is the "top" level:
---------- cut ----------
Top Level | Top Level
      file> Favorites
      file  Americast (USA Today)
      file  USENET
      file  Networks
      file  Computers
      file  Amiga!
      file  Social
      file  Games
      file  Recreational
      file  Science
      file  Misc
      file  Hierarchies
      list  All groups in .newsrc
-ALL-
---------- cut ----------

	After selecting the "USENET" entry the screen displays:
---------- cut ----------
Level 2 | USENET
+....   31> news.software.readers
+M...    4  news.announce.newgroups
+....    7  news.misc
+....   33  news.software.nn
[Several lines deleted]
+....   54  news.software.anu-news
+....    3  news.software.notes
+....  139  alt.config
+....  201  alt.fan.warlord
+.... 2259  control
      list  foreign news
-ALL-
---------- cut ----------

Scoring + Scorefiles
--------------------
	The new Scoring system in strn allows articles to be given a
score, then sorted in score-decreasing order when presented in
ScanArticle mode.  Articles may be junked ("killed", marked-as-read) if
they fall below a specified threshold.  On machines which support the
(input-)PENDING option, scoring can take place while the user reads
articles (No more long waits "Looking for articles to kill...")
	Scorefiles are intended as a *fast* replacement for the older
KILLfiles (which are still supported in STRN).  Scorefiles consist of
simple commands and score patterns.  A short scorefile might look like this:
---------- cut ----------
##### sci.physics score file
### '#' is a comment character
# I don't want to read anything which scores <= -10
killthreshold -10

# Include the scores from the "science" file
include ~/News/scores/science

#Someone not worth reading:
-15 From: luser@nowhere.org (J. Random. Luser)
# A great physicist:
40 from: wizard@nobel.winning.com
# I'm tired of this subject:
-30 Subject: Is the Earth Really Round?
# ...But I like this one:
10 Subject: Fascinating New Discoveries in Quantum Chromatography

#Kill xposts to alt.sci.physics.weird
# (unless they are posted by high-scoring authors)
-20 Newsgroups: alt.sci.physics.weird
---------- cut ----------

	A scoring pattern consists of a score, a header name, and text
to look for in the header.  (trn-style patterns are allowed.)  Each
article is compared to every pattern, and if they match, the score is
added to the individual article's score.  For example, given the
sample file above, an article posted by "wizard@nobel.winning.com"
with the subject of "Is the Earth Really Round" would have a score
total of (40 + -30 =) 10.
	Global, local, and hierarchy ("sci.*") scorefiles are
supported.  "Interest" scorefiles may also be created, and included
from within other scorefiles.  (For instance, a "science" scorefile.)
Scorefiles may be edited from inside strn.

	Scorefiles are fast.  Strn will typically score articles in less
time than it takes to process a single KILLfile entry, even when the
scoring file has hundreds of rules.  Scores may also be saved to files
for faster processing.

USENET Interface Project:
-------------------------
	The purpose of the USENET Interface Project is to
identify and implement methods of dealing with "human bandwidth"
problems of USENET.  Its goal is to allow users to be presented with
the articles they wish to read in the order they wish to read them,
without restricting the posters of articles.  There are currently three
stages planned:

    1. Filtering/Prioritizing
	Given the articles which currently exist, delete the articles
which the user is unlikely to read and present the remaining articles
in the order of their priority (score).  This builds on and enhances
the currently existing mechanisms such as separate hierarchical
newsgroups and KILLfiles.

    2. Suggestion/Addition
	Adds more information to make the filtering/prioritizing
process more accurate (accuracy is measured by how well the presented
order matches the users wishes).  Rating services may replace
moderated newsgroups, as individuals decide which rating services to
follow and what level of quality is acceptable.  Summarizing and
keywording services can also be made available to allow better
selection and prioritizing.  This stage will introduce the problems of
distributing the additional information and security (especially since
the reputation of moderators may become much more important).

    3. Alteration/Change
	The basic idea of this stage is that what the contents of the
original posting are only a suggestion of what the reader will
eventually view.  While the original text would be propagated
unaltered, various people would propagate their suggested editorial
changes (such as hypertext links, spelling or factual corrections,
moderator's notes, or summaries).  What a reader finally views would
be the combination of the original text with the changes of trusted
editors.  Another possibility at this stage would be the "virtual
newsgroup" which is simply a collection of articles chosen by
moderator(s).

--------------------

	Again, I'm looking for ALPHA testers, but I appreciate
comments from anyone.  I can mail the current documentation to people who
are interested in the progress of strn.

				--Cliff