Subject: Mail/news off-line

From: Lunney Paul Michael <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 13 Mar 1995 06:40:22 +1000

Hi,

I have a severe hearing impairment and mail/news is my lifeline. I am 
forced to work at home generally, but reading my mail and news on-line is 
via a 2400 line which is too slow.

Is there ANY way (pine or other) that I might be able to in effect read 
mail/news off-line? eg for mail using the folder directly or exporting to 
a big text file, for news I guess I'd have to export. But how can I deal 
with these big text files - is there a program (PC PINE?) which can 
'handle' them?

Thanks for any help with this one,
Paul Lunney
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Bob Brody)
Date: 17 Mar 1995 09:06:47 GMT

> with these big text files - is there a program (PC PINE?) which can 

Paul, I am terribly new to Pine and have been looking around for a faq or 
news articles which might help me setup Pine to tie in with Usenet and my 
subscribed groups, so I can't respond to your question with experience.  
That said, I've been on Usenet and BBSes since 1983 and have come across 
all manner of offline reader software.  I don't know if that's what 
you're referring to.

For example, as a DOS user, I use programs commonly referred to as QWK 
mail.  Such software permits me to login to the net (or a BBS), execute a 
command which then automatically grabs all mail that I've pre designated 
(such as subscribed-to groups, personal email, conference mail, etc., 
latest bulletins, new uploaded files list, etc.).  All this is compressed 
into a pkzip format file with the extension .qwk, and is then uploaded to 
my computer and I logoff the net.

At that point I have a file, say, BIGNET.QWK, on my disk.  At my leisure, 
I then run my qwk program, it unpacks the BIGNET.QWK file and presents 
everything to me in a similar fashion as though I am online.  I can scan, 
browse, read, reply, etc.  I can do this as time permits as a bookmarking 
feature is built-in and keeps track of where I left off, etc.

My replies (you can tell the program which editor/word processor you want 
it to call up when you opt to write a reply) are all then collated by the 
program and it creates a file, say BIGNET.REP.  The next time I login to 
BIGNET, I can again execute the program or manually upload BIGNET.REP and 
all my replies will be automatically posted in their proper place.  I 
then log off and that's it.

Rather convenient and frankly the most convenient for me when I'm pressed 
for time.  Plenty such qwk programs are around as shareware, many flavors 
to chose from.  Bear in mind that if you have a 2400 modem and you have 
lots and lots of mail to download, it can take some time, same as 
downloading a 500k file, etc.  All depends on how much mail and/or how 
many active groups you subscribe to and how long between visits.  A once 
or twice daily routine should keep things quite manageable.

Again, if this is *not* what you're talking about, major apologies for 
telling you something you already know and my misunderstanding your 
post.  (If perchance you know how I can tie Pine into Usenet, I wouldn't 
mind an email on this.)

Regards, Bob