lynx-dev GNKSA review of Lynx 2.8

[Thijs Kinkhorst]

Hello,

Below is the Good Netkeeping Seal of Approval evaluation for Lynx. 
Unfortanately, Lynx does very bad. Perhaps I misunderstood Lynx. 
If that's the case, chances will be big that new users will too. I'd 
like to have your opinion/comments on this evaluation before it 
goes final and will appear on the GNKSA webpage. More 
information about the GNKSA is at http://www.xs4all.nl/~js/gnksa/


                                         GNKSA   Evaluation  Form  v2.04


Product Name           : Lynx
Product Version        : 2.8rel.2
Tested on platform     : BSD/OS 4.0
Available for platforms: VMS, Un*x, Windows 95/98/NT, MS-DOS
Evaluation date        : July 29th, 1998
Evaluated by           : Thijs Kinkhorst <address@hidden>


Conclusion
==========

Lynx 2.8rel.2 fails to satisfy some basic GNKSA requirement(s),
hence does NOT qualify for the Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval.


Summary
=======

         Pass   Fail   Total   Pass/Fail%
MUSTs     22     17      39     56%/44%
SHOULDs    8     19      27     30%/70%

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%                                56%M
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%                                                 30%S
                                                   [GNKSA Score-O-Meter]

Details
=======

Regarding the strict GNKSA requirements (MUSTs), Lynx 2.8rel.2
FAILS on the following points:

    3a   Does not allow posting to multiple groups
    4a   The user cannot at all times choose to change the subject
    4c   Does not allow setting Followup-To: poster
    6a   Does not handle Followup-To: poster correctly
    7a   Does not include MsgID of original article as the last reference
    7b   Fails to include the last three references from the original
    7c   Does not restrict references sensibly
    10a  Cannot include quoted text from original
    10b  Quoted material isn't clearly marked as such
    10f  Fails to supply a proper preceding attribution line
    11a  Does not require a non-empty, user-specified subject
    11b  Will not refuse to post articles without subject
    11d  Will not let the user change the subject while editing
    12a  May not provide a syntactically correct From-address
    12b  Fails to refuse to post messages with syntactically incorrect From:
    16a  Does not warn when posting an empty article
    16c  Does not warn when posting quoted text only


Lynx 2.8rel.2 violates `soft' GNKSA requirements (SHOULDs)
in the following way:

    7d   Does not keep as many references as possible
    7e   Fails to omit `broken' Message-IDs.
    9a   Does not support mailing instead after following up
    9b   Does not support posting instead after replying
    9d   Mail message not preceded by notification when posted and mailed
    10c  Uses a non-standard quote prefix
    10d  Does not omit (proper) signatures from quoted text
    10e  Does not let the user indicate which part to followup to
    12c  Can use a bogus e-mail address
    13a  Does not let users cancel their own articles
    13b  Does not enable users to supersede their own articles
    14b  Fails to warn for excessively long lines
    14d  Does not support rewrapping quoted text nicely
    14e  Fails to check basic hygiene of output from external editor
    15a  Does not use or support standard signature delimiter
    15b  Does not warn on, or refuse, excessive signatures
    16b  Does not refuse posting an empty article
    16d  Does not refuse to post quoted text only
    18   Does not let the user suppress unwanted messages automatically


Additional Comments:

Lynx even lacks functions so basic even the GNKSA doesn't mention them.


Checklist
=========                                                       (M)UST /
                                                                (S)HOULD
1) Displays all essential header information
   Software clearly displays:
   [Y] a) Article's author (From)                                      M
   [Y] b) Article's Subject                                            M
   [Y] c) List of groups posted to (Newsgroups)                        M
   [Y] d) Where (and how) to direct followups (Followup-To)            M
   [Y] e) Where to reply to if not the From-address (Reply-To)         M
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

2) Provides clear, separate commands for new  posting, followup, and
   e-mail reply
   [Y] a) for posting a new article                                    M
   [Y] b) for posting a followup article                               M
   [Y] c) for replying by e-mail                                       M
   [Y] d) Uses standard terminology                                    S
   [Y] e) Avoids ambiguous terminology                                 S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

3) Provides cross-posting functionality
   [N] a) Allows specifying multiple groups                            M
   [Y] b) Warns about, or prevents, posting to large numbers of groups S
   [Y] c) Strongly encourages setting Followup-To: on large crossposts S
          (`Y' if large crosspostings are disallowed)
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

4) Allows users to change essential headers
   [N] a) Allows editing Subject at all times during composition       M
   [Y] b) Allows specifying new Subject of at least 70 characters      M
   [N] c) Allows setting "Followup-To: poster"                         M
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

5) Ensures followups and e-mail replies contain a correct Subject
   [Y] a) Prepends "Re: " if (and only if) not already present         M
   [Y] b) Preserves entire original Subject (modulo minor repairs)     M
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

6) Directs followups to the correct newsgroups
   [N] a) Initiates e-mail reply rather than a followup posting on
          "Followup-To: poster", clearly informing the user            M
   [Y] b) Posts to groups in Followup-To if present                    M
   [Y] c) Posts to groups in Newsgroups otherwise                      M
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

7) Make sure followups contain valid References
   [N] a) Creates References header with Message-ID of original article
          as the last element                                          M
   [N] b) Includes last three References from original                 M
   [N] c) Ensures References will fit in 998 characters                M
   [N] d) Keep as many References from original as fit                 S
   [N] e) Does not propagate broken Message-IDs in original References S
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

8) Direct e-mail replies to the correct address
   [Y] a) Uses Reply-To if present                                     M
   [Y] b) Uses From address otherwise                                  M
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

9) Allow the user to change her mind about whether to post or mail (or
   do both) and behave if doing both
   [N] a) Allows users to change their mind and mail rather than
          post after having initiated a followup message               S
   [N] b) Allows users to change their mind and post rather than
          mail after having initiated a reply message                  S
   [Y] c) Does not offer both posting and mailing as default behaviour M
   [N] d) Inserts a notification that the message was posted as well
          as mailed in the e-mail copy when both posting and mailing
          a followup article                                           S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

10) Provide adequate quotation and attribution facilities
    [N] a) Allows including quoted original                            M
    [N] b) Clearly distinguishes quoted material                       M
    [N] c) Prefixes quoted material with `>'/`> '                      S
    [N] d) Omits correctly delimited signatures from quoted material   S
    [N] e) Provides a means of indicating which part(s) to followup to S
    [N] f) Attribution line containing original author precedes quotes M
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

11) Provide a user-specified "Subject: " header
    [N] a) Requires non-empty, user-specified Subject for new articles M
    [N] b) Refuses posting articles without, or with an empty, Subject M
    [Y] c) Does not provide default Subject if user did not set one    M
    [Y] d) Allows changing the Subject at any time while editing       M
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

12) Provide a valid "From: " header
    [N] a) Sets "From: " header to syntactically valid e-mail address  M
    [N] b) Refuses posting articles without a syntactically valid
           "From: " header                                             M
    [N] c) Uses correct e-mail addresses (valid and belonging to the
           user) only, as far as it can possibly know                  S
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

13) Allow users to both cancel and supersede their own articles (and
    _no_ others!)
    [N] a) Allows cancelling articles                                  S
    [N] b) Allows superseding articles                                 S
    [Y] c) As far as possible, does not allow cancelling or superseding
           other peoples' articles                                     M
    [Y] d) Uses standard terminology                                   S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

14) Try to respect the 80-character line-length convention
    [Y] a) Articles are posted as edited, with linebreaking intact     S
    [N] b) Warns about lines over 80 characters                        S
    [Y] c) Does not refuse to post articles containing long lines      S
    [N] d) Allows rewrapping quoted text                               S
    [N] e) Enforces formatting requirements on article after external
           editing (`Y' if there is no support for external editors)   S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

15) Separate signatures correctly, and don't use excessive ones
    [N] a) Uses (and enforces) standard signature delimiter            S
    [N] b) Warns against or refuses to use excessive signatures        S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

16) Try to prevent obvious user errors
    [N] a) Warns when attempting to post empty articles                M
    [N] b) Refuses posting empty articles                              S
    [N] c) Warns when post articles containing quoted material only    M
    [N] d) Refuses posting quoted-text-only articles                   S
    [Y] e) Warns against posting multiple copies (if possible at all)  M
    [Y] f) Prevents multiple posting entirely                          S
[N] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

17) Post human-readable articles unless ordered otherwise
    [Y] Does not (and can not) encode or encrypt articles unless
        on explicit user demand                                        M
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

18) Provide self-protection
    [N] Allows filtering out annoying articles (killing)               S
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M

19) Be kind to servers, leave room for others
    [Y] a) Does not unnecessarily open multiple connections            M
    [Y] b) Does not generate excessive server load otherwise           M
[Y] PASS: Satisfies all MUSTs                                          M
-- 
Thijs Kinkhorst      *    Jaze Web Design    *        ICQ 432406
address@hidden  *  http://www.jaze.net  *  KeyID 0x371EFCB1
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