One of the shortcomings in using the nntp method for replying to messages in fidonet is the way some typical newsreaders re-quote.

Instead of using the initial of the original poster and an angle bracket, they just use the angle brackets.

A standalone program called ReformatorQoter by Alexander Koryagin can come to the rescue.

The author writes on 18/10/2019:

"Just in case I remind people that long ago I had made a program for making good quoting in Fidonet echos, USENET group, WEB forums etc. Maybe it can be useful, or at least you can try it."

"First, select the text from your echo/forum window. Paste it to ReformatorQuoter via Windows clipboard. After making quoting and necessary editing you put the text back to the old place, in the same way. More info is in the built-in help."

"The official page of the distributive is here:

https://www.facebook.com/ReformatorQuoter

or you can use the direct link to the zip at my google drive:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1zHjMdx2CUDWzsKH5YvhICjzxAd8cdXIT

"PS: BTW, this utility can repair bad quoting. I've been using this program for
a long time, and I can repair bad quoting or even rebuild the quoting if it is absent. So she can write her messages in any way."

Kudos to people like Alexander for a contribution like this that promotes the Fidonet-style of quoting.

...AA

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* Origin: nntp://rbb.fidonet.fi - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360)

Hello Alexander!

Here's hoping that you will see this reply eventually.

** 27.12.19 - 18:24, August Abolins wrote:

A few tips from the author of the Reformator program mentioned previously:

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2019 10:33:42 +0200
From: Alexander Koryagin : August Abolins <0@360.221.2>
Newsgroups: fido.english_tutor

BTW.. I am liking your Reformator program very much! I think I got
the right routine of copy-paste-quote-copy-paste that works for me.
I like the way it skips quoting the citing section.

I also want to clarify some formatting options. If you do just
"format" it means that both quoted and not-quoted text will be wrapped
- the lines will be chopped by "line length".

Understood. But I use the program a bit differently so that I don't have
to do any unwrapping or unformatting. More later, below.

If you make "unformat not-quoted text only" the quoted paragraphs will
be formatted, but the simple text paragraphs become in the form of one
long line -- the form that looks well on the screens of any size.

At first, I used the program to construct my whole reply. Now I just do
this:

[1] copy the whole message of the original as-is to clipboard.
[2] paste the clipboard into Reformator
[3] configure "Intial-1" to what I need.
[4] execute "Format+level"
[5] copy the whole result to clipboard
[6] initiate "reply" in my nntp reader
[7] replace the contents of that with the clipboard.
[8] complete final editing in nntp reader.

The editor in the nntp reader automatically generates the free-flow unformatted text of my actual reply.

That's why we rather should not format "our simple text" while writing
messages to the Fidonet. Now many people write messages to the Fidonet
using small gadgets with narrow screens (like smart phones). We should
think of them.

I like the unformatted / free-flow behaviour of text as well.

I tried reading and working with nntp messages on my iPod Touch several
years ago. It was fine for some reading, but working with replies was a horrible experience on a tiny/narrow screen. I abandoned the practice quickly. I don't see the practicality of nntp on anything smaller than 2"
on the narrow part. Tilting the iPod to give me a landscape view with
about 3" viewable width wasn't that much better and made for a shorter
field of view.

After completing your message it is a good idea to select all the text
(except the title) and make "unformat not-quoted text only".

I don't have to do that if I create my non-quoted original reply text in
the nntp editor. <g>

Usually, when you read messages, standard Fidonet software unformat
the paragraphs with quotation by itself, so they look well at the
screens of any size. But simple text in the form of chopped lines will
look badly on small size gadgets.

I did not know that there was Fidonet software that can "unformat the paragraphs with quotation" and free-low that to accommodate different
screen view sizes.

Which particular systems do that?

PS: But nobody demands to write here in a super perfect way! ;-))

There is that! I hope.


../|ug

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* Origin: /|ug's Point, Ont. CANADA (2:221/1.58)