Re: LYNX-DEV Some things I'd like in the next Lynx package.

[Al Gilman]

  From: "Brian Tillman, x8425" <address@hidden>

  Wayne Buttles (address@hidden) writes:
  
  >How about a 6 month update nag in Lynx itself with a -no_nag switch.
  
  Lord, no!  There are often valid reasons why updating
  impractical, even if the
  sysadmin is perfectly willing.  A nag would make Lynx _way_ too
  much like PC junkware.

Consider the following scenario:

1. Assume that we have defined a recommended place in an
installation for an "About _this_ Lynx" page.  This page includes
or links to a human-readable configuration record generated by
the configure/make process.

2. We define an information spec and mailable text format for how
to describe an available lynx configuration.  This format is
dual-duty in the sense that it is reasonably legible and strict
enough for finite-state extraction of the core content by a
simple program.

3. Anyone who wants to make a binary, a patch, or an upgrade
available completes the standard version description and mails it
on lynx-announce.

4. This information can be captured to a local status cache via
mail filtering and a script that maintains the local record by
processing the updates as they come in.

5. There is a dedicated search engine running over the archives
of lynx-announce that knows the code (configuration description
format) and hence can maintain a database of what's out there
from the forms it gets in the mail.  Or this could be a totally
autonomous server that just receives the mail feed and analyzes
the product availability.

6. The "nag" is a second line on the Information Page, and/or
selected other venues, where in addition to announcing what
version the currently executing image is, there is an annotation
of what the latest available is.  Compare this with p3/27 for
pagination.  This line can be guarded with logic so that only
if the version monitor is installed, will the "latest" be shown
for comparison. 

*** Back to earth:  minimial implementation

The version description in the "information page" display is 
decorated with a "for more information" button that links to
an "about Lynx" page.  There are installation options for 
where this takes you:

        - highest and best: links to the "About _this_ Lynx"
        page locally installed.  That page would have proforma
        links to documents appropriate to this version and to
        the announce URL (e.g. http://www.crl.com/%7Esubir/lynx/release.html)
        which reliably covers the latest major rev. and ad lib
        other site specific info.
        
        - variations ad lib...

        - lowest and as-shipped default: links to http://lynx.browser.org.
        
With that in place, we can evolve toward "push media" with all
deliberate speed.

--
Al Gilman
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