No GSI E-Mail

From: prt1@merlin.etsu.edu (Philip R Tripp)

Date: Wed, 10 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000

GSI has seemed to overlook one of the oldest problems inherent to the
internet mail system-getting a binary file through the text based system.
Bottom line - AOL'ers are online, CSI'ers will be next, internetters will be
last, and then will get UUencoded files when we do get on-line. Oh, I did get
this message pasted below after I called them to see where my E-Mail turn
was.

Don't get me wrong, GSI is a great company with a superb track record as far
as I'm concerned, they just made an oversight and a misjudgement in saying
E-Mailing would begin on May 1 without first thouroughly testing.

From 72357.1041@compuserve.comTue May  9 19:03:53 1995
Date: 09 May 95 19:03:52 EDT
From: Game Systems Inc <72357.1041@compuserve.com>
To: BlindCopyReceiver:  ;
Subject: Internet email turns

Dear player,

Thanks very much for your patience during this period of transition for email
turns. We have had some problems with the CIS Mail/CIS Interface with regard to
CIS and Internet email turns. CIS has been corrupting/truncating our email files
as a result of these problems. We have been awaiting an upgrade on their
interface to solve these problems.

AOL email players have been receiving their turns fine for over a week and we
should have all of them online in the next week or so.

However, in the interim, we think we have found a solution to the CIS/Internet
file problems - at least enough to allow GSI to continue testing (and hopefully
soon to begin emailing) turns. We are running tests on CIS this week and the
results look go so far. If all goes well, then we will begin to send out CIS
turns by the end of this week or the first part of the following. We say this
with some trepidation, however, since we have thought we were close a few times
in the last several weeks... But we are optimistic!

Assuming the CIS tests go well, then we will focus on Internet. We have some
tests with this interim system and results there are encouraging. A few more
successes and we will be set to send out general tests to all pending Internet
email players (if you get this message, then we have everything we need from you
- your test file will be sent as soon as we can).

When the Internet email is online, there will be one difference between the
Internet ME-PBM email file and PDF files being sent to CIS/AOL. Both CIS/AOL can
transmit binary files (PDF is a binary file). However, Internet will not forward
such files. Therefore, GSI will "UUencode" the binary PDF file into a PDF/UUE
text file, and this we will be able to send out via Internet.

What does this mean for you? Quite simply, all you need to do is get ahold of a
"UUdecoder" - these are usually available on site at educational and commercial
nodes - ask your system administrator. Otherwise, a number of compression
products have the UUencoder/decoder built in as part of their translation
features. Furthermore, AOL and CIS should have such utilities available.

When you receive the PDF/UUE text file from GSI, simply run the UUdecoder and
this will generate the binary PDF file. You can then view the PDF using Adobe
Acroabat Reader. It is one extra step, but rather easy overall.

Thanks again for your patience. We are working dillegently to try and get all
players online for email just as fast as we can. Rest assured that until we have
you tested and ready to go for email, all your turns will sent out normal mail.
If you have not heard from us by month end, drop us a note to be sure that you
have not somehow fallen between the cracks...

Good gaming!!

Bill Feild/GSI