Version 1.13b - November 25, 2001
(Items that have changed since the last edition of this FAQ have been marked with an asterisk.)
1. I don't have anything to contribute, can I just receive the mailout?
A: Yes. Spectators are as welcome as contributors.
2. The graphic and sound files don't come out right - they're all ASCII gibberish. What happened, and how can I get the binary files?
A: All binary (8-bit) files must be encoded into ASCII (7-bit) text to be sent through the internet. Most mailer programs automatically decode these, so the user never has to bother with it. If, however, if your mailer does not so this, don't panic. Decoding is easy. All you need is a program that can decode MIME files. These are available from many software libraries as freeware. Wincode and several other decoding programs, and directions on how to use them, are available from the DAFT Archive and from the DAFT Hatchlings pages. These pages also have links to sites from which you can download mailer programs which will decode files.
3. Is there a DAFT archive, and where is it?
* The two DAFT archives have been combined, and can be found here: http://www.lambdapsiphi.com/daft. The most recent mailouts, as well as other "special items", are available from the DAFT Hatchlings page (http://members.aol.com/honywumpus/welcome.htm).
4. I don't see much from my favorite series here. Why?
A: Simply put, the mailout is made up of contributions. I mail out what I receive. I do not discriminate against any Disney Afternoon series; it simply means that people have not contributed much material for that series. Yet. Please feel free to start a trend!
5. Who or what is a "honywumpus"?
A: What: a shortened version of "Honey Wumpus", Darkwing and Morgana's term of endearment for each other. Who: the Negaverse Morgana McCawber.
6. I have lost/deleted something that was sent in the mailout. Could you re-send it?
A: No. That takes up more connect time than the mailout already does. You can retrieve anything that you missed from the DAFT Archive or DAFT Hatchlings pages.
7. I have a new E-mail address; could you send the mailouts there?
A. No problem. Just send me a letter from your new address, stating that you'd like to receive DAFT there, and what your old address is.
8. How do I unsubscribe?
A: Simply send an E-Mail message titled "UNSUBSCRIBE" to Honywumpus@aol.com. This E-mail message must either come from the address which is subscribed to DAFT, or must state the address to be removed.
9. I have a fast modem, but my downloads go so SLOW! What is causing this, the decoding process?
A. If you have a PC, it could be a hardware problem. In some older PCs the
UART chip (the chip that controls the communication ports, including the
modem) simply cannot handle downloads at speeds of over 9600 baud. If you
are using DOS or Windows, to check if this is the case go to the DOS prompt
and type MSD. This will bring up Microsoft Diagnostics. Check your COMPORTS.
If you are using Windows 95, you can find the same information in your
Control Panel. If the UART listed is an 8250, this is your problem. That
chip may be able to send data at higher speeds, but when files come in too
fast it overloads the buffer, greatly slowing the download and even occasionally
corrupting the files.
So what can you do if you're in this spot? I know of two solutions. You can
try to replace the serial board with one that has an 16550 UART chip, which
can handle high-speed downloads. (If you do this, I wish you luck; I went
through a lot of grief when I tried.) Another option is, before you log on
to download files, simply to set your modem speed down to 9600. The UART
can handle incoming data at this speed, and the downloads will actually go
much faster because the chip's buffer won't be overloaded.
10. Would you only send me stories/Gargoyles stuff/the table of contents/etc?
A. No. This list has over 250 members as of this writing, and it would add a lot of extra work to cater to the specific tastes of each person.
Many other topics, such as file size and content restrictions, are covered in the DAFT guidelines.
-- Honywumpus@aol.com
