X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII X-Google-Thread: f996b,13bc76646532f707 X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-03-14 17:14:54 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!supernews.com!cox.net!news1.west.cox.net.POSTED!53ab2750!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art From: Faux_Pseudo Subject: Re: [info] alt.ascii-art FAQ v3.0.3.04 (draft) References: Reply-To: Faux_Pseudo@yahoo.comERCIAL Message-ID: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: slrn/0.9.7.3 (Linux) Lines: 898 Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 01:14:42 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 68.6.196.19 X-Complaints-To: abuse@cox.net X-Trace: news1.west.cox.net 1016154882 68.6.196.19 (Thu, 14 Mar 2002 20:14:42 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2002 20:14:42 EST Organization: Cox Communications Xref: archiver1.google.com alt.ascii-art:15602 Whould it be possable to get a change log on the faq drafts letting us new whats new/differnt? the only differance I see from .04 and .03 is the addition of the group name in the subject header and the time it was sent. diff output 1c1 < From colin@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk Thu Mar 14 17:10:58 2002 --- > From colin@shieldwolf.demon.co.uk Thu Mar 14 17:11:03 2002 --(Once apon a time, in alt.ascii-art,)-- --(CJRandall said it like only they can.)-- > this is the Ascii-Art FAQ version 3 (draft) > based on an unfinished work by Matthew Thomas > it is the most recent(v3.0.3.04) publication > +------------------------------------------------ > it is provided such that it may be helpful > +------------------------------------------------ > if you wish you can use it till Matthew replaces it > > does anyone ever read it ? > > >======================================================================= > > > > > | | : : :: \ \ ;; > J J : : :: \ \ ;; > L L : : __ _ _________ \ \ ;; > | | : : / |`| |`|___ ___|`-.\ \ ;; > J J : : / . | | | `-.| |`-. `-.`\ \ ;; > L L : : / /| | | | | | `-. `-\ \ ;; > | | : : / /_| | | | | | `-. \ \. ;; > J J : : / ___ | | | | | `-\ \`-. > L L : : / /`-.| | | |___ | | _ \ \-.`-._ > | | : : /_/____|_|_|_____|_|_|_(_) _ \ \ `-._`: > J J : : |__________________________| `-. \ \-.,-' > L L : : _ _ _ ___ `-. `-. \ \ | > | | :_: /\(_ / ` | | _ /\ | ) | `-. `-. `-. \ \| > J J | | /--\_)\_,_|_|_-/--\|_\__|__ `-. `-._`-\ \ > L L|_| |___________________________|`-. `-._ `-.\ \ > | | | _____ ___ ___ `-.`-._ `-._ \ ,!`-. > J J | | ___|`/ _ \`-._/ _ \`--. `-._`--._`-'||`-' > L L | | |_ / /_\ \ / / \ \ `-._ `--. `-,+.`-._ > __-------_ | _|`/ _____ \ \ \_/ /_._ `--._ `-.|X||-./ > | |/|_|_./_/_____\_\_\_____/=\`-._ `-. |X||.| > | _,--------------.____ -========\_(A)`-.._ `-|X||\ > Ool | _| ` |_`--. `-- |X||/ > /VK | | | ALT.ASCII-ART: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS / ||-. > > >======================================================================= > [Subject:] (FAQ) Welcome to ASCII art >======================================================================= > > __ __ __ _, > \\ \\ / ___ '|| ___ ___ __ _ _ ___ _/|_ ___ > \\ /\\ / //_\) || // \)// \\ ||'||'|| //_\) || // \\ > \/ \/ \\__,_||_\\__,\\_//_||_||_||_\\__, \|_\\_// > > ___ ___ ____ ____ > /\ (( / // | || || ___ _,_ _/|_ > /_\\ \\ (( || || __\\'||\) || > _/ _\\_/__)) \\__,_||_ _||_ ((_||_||_ \|_ > > > Answers to frequently asked questions about ASCII art > Author: Matthew `mpt' Thomas (spiff @ 3dmail . com) > Version: 3.0.3.04 > Last changed: 1999-05-15 mpt > Last changed: 2002-03-14 cjr > > NOTE: Usenet discussion groups. > If you are new to Usenet, please read the messages in > news:news.announce.newusers before posting. > > This FAQ may be posted to: > news:alt.ascii-art and > news:alt.ascii-art.animation. > news:alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla > news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii > > On the Web, the FAQ and other useful documents can be found in the > ASCII art Documentation Archive (ADA), at the following locations: > ******************************************************** > *** There is a wealth of information about ASCII Art *** > *** in the ASCII Documents Archive *** > > International Mirrors > http://www.sci.fi/~iltzu/ascii/ada/ (Helsinki, Finland) > http://www.ludd.luth.se/~vk/q/ada/ (Lule�, Sweden) > http://voices.vossnet.co.uk/a/atkins/ada/ (Langley, UK) > http://website.lineone.net/~martin.atkins/ada/ (London, UK) > http://martweb.hypermart.net/ada/ (Seattle, USA) <==warning spyware > [alternative free server sought for USA] > ******************************************************** > > > Contents > -------- > 1. What's going on here? > 2. What is ASCII art? > 3. What's ASCII, then? > 4. What *isn't* ASCII art? > 5. All the pictures look strange -- what's wrong? > 6.1 What program do you use for ASCII art? > 6.2 How do I draw my own ASCII art? > 7. What should I know before posting pictures? > 8. I like that ASCII picture -- can I copy it for myself? > 9. I want a picture of something -- how do I ask for one? > 10. Can someone do me some kewl lettering? > 10. Where can I find Figlet ? > 11.1 How do I convert a picture to ASCII art? > 11.2 I have a picture and I would like it Asciified? > 12. Where to find more ASCII art pictures and information? > X1. What about signature files? > X2. What is ASCII art animation? > A1. What does ObAscii mean? > A2. More Outlook? > A3. Ascii-Art 10-Commandments > > > 1. What's going on here? > -------------------------- > You're probably reading this because it's been posted to > news:alt.ascii-art or news:alt.ascii-art.animation. If you're not, > jump in and take a look. In these Usenet groups people discuss > ASCII art, request ASCII art, post ASCII art, post improved versions > or variations of other people's ASCII art, and generally have fun. > > > 2. What is ASCII art? > ---------------------- > ASCII art is any sort of pictures or diagrams drawn with the > printable characters in the ASCII character set. > (For more about ASCII, see Question 3.) > > :-) Probably the most common ASCII art picture is the smiley (-: > but it can get a lot more sophisticated than that. > ____ > .-" +' "-. Here's a small ASCII picture of > /.'.'A_'*`.\ a snow-scene paperweight, > |:.*'/\-\. ':| drawn by Joan Stark: > |:.'.||"|.'*:| > \:~^~^~^~^:/ If this picture looks very strange and > /`-....-'\ you can't really tell what it is, > jgs / \ don't panic -- see Question 5. > `-.,____,.-' > > People use ASCII art for a number of reasons. Here are some of them. > * It is the most universal computer art form in the world -- > every computer system capable of displaying multi-line text can > display ASCII art, without needing to have a graphics mode or > support a particular graphics file format. > * An ASCII picture is hundreds of times smaller in file size > than its GIF or BMP equivalent, while still giving a good idea > of what something looks like. > * It's easy to copy from one file to another (just cut and paste). > * It's fun! > > > 3. What's ASCII, then? > ----------------------- > ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) > 7-bit as defined in ISO-646 is a basic set of 128 numbered symbols > which almost all kinds of computer can display. Here are the ones > that are used for ASCII art: > > 032 [space] 048 0 064 @ 080 P 096 ` 112 p > 033 ! 049 1 065 A 081 Q 097 a 113 q > 034 " 050 2 066 B 082 R 098 b 114 r > 035 # 051 3 067 C 083 S 099 c 115 s > 036 $ 052 4 068 D 084 T 100 d 116 t > 037 % 053 5 069 E 085 U 101 e 117 u > 038 & 054 6 070 F 086 V 102 f 118 v > 039 ' 055 7 071 G 087 W 103 g 119 w > 040 ( 056 8 072 H 088 X 104 h 120 x > 041 ) 057 9 073 I 089 Y 105 i 121 y > 042 * 058 : 074 J 090 Z 106 j 122 z > 043 + 059 ; 075 K 091 [ 107 k 123 { > 044 , 060 < 076 L 092 \ 108 l 124 | > 045 - 061 = 077 M 093 ] 109 m 125 } > 046 . 062 > 078 N 094 ^ 110 n 126 ~ > 047 / 063 ? 079 O 095 _ 111 o > > There are other characters in the set (with the numbers 0 - 31 and > 127), but they can do bad stuff to Usenet readers, so PLEASE DON'T > USE THEM in your pictures (except characters 10 and or 13 which > are used to insert a new-line by a variety of Operating Systems). > > > > 4. What *isn't* ASCII art? > --------------------------- > ASCII art is a very simple medium, but people are forever trying to > make it more complicated. The following things are not ASCII art and > should not be posted to the ASCII art Usenet groups. > > * ANSI, `extended ASCII', or `high ASCII' art. Many computer > systems have an extended character set of 256 or more > characters, based on the ANSI or Unicode character sets and > having the first 128 characters identical to ASCII. These > characters should not be used in ASCII art because many types > of computer system do not display them properly, and even those > that do do not display them in a standard way, for example, the > Windows ANSI character set is different from the Macintosh ANSI > character set. Try news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii and post a > reference to it to news:alt.ascii-art. > > * HTML art. HTML, the language used in Web pages, can be used to > add special effects such as colours, font size, and blinking > text to ASCII art, and HTML can be read by some Usenet readers. > However, to many they just appear as a jumble of and are > totally unrecognizable, so don't post HTML to Usenet. Put it on > a Web page instead, and post the address to news:alt.ascii-art. > Also see > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Studios/9334/asciionpage.htm > for instructions on how to do this. > > * ASCII art animated using Java or JavaScript. > This relies, not only on the newsreader being able to display > HTML, but also being able to run Java or JavaScript. > Put it on a Web page instead, and post the address to > news:alt.ascii-art.animation and news:alt.ascii-art > > > 5. All the pictures look strange -- what's wrong? > -------------------------------------------------- > If one particular picture posted to this group looks faulty, but the > rest of them look fine, then its most likely a problem with that > particular picture, or with the poster's Usenet program. But if > *all* the pictures look bad, then your Usenet reader may be set to > display messages in a proportional font. > > ASCII art is created using a fixed-width font (like on a traditional > typewriter), because this is the only way to make it portable. > However, several Usenet readers now display messages in a > proportional font (where different characters are different widths). > > To see what your program is doing, look at these two lines: > iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii| > WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW| > If they look the same length, you're using a fixed-width font and > all should be ok. If the second line is longer than the first, you > need to change your settings to use a fixed-width font. > > In Netscape Messenger, this option is set in > Edit > Preferences > Mail & Newsgroups. > In Outlook Express, the option is set in > View > Options > Fonts [see section: More Outlook] > In Forte Agent, the option is set in > Options > Display Preferences > Fonts > and Free Agent, the option is set in > Options > General Preferences > Fonts > The AOL newsreader can not, at the time of writing, > display Usenet messages in a fixed-width font at all. > > Detailed information on how to configure other Usenet readers is > available at the: > ASCII-Art Documentation Archive (see the beginning of this FAQ). > If all else fails, copy the text of the picture from > your program and paste it into a text editor (such as Notepad). > It's a hassle, but at least you'll get to see the pictures. > > > 6.1 What program do you use for ASCII art? > ------------------------------------------ > The most common question asked on this subject is > "do you use a special program to make your pictures?". > The simple answer is no. > You can create ASCII art in any text editor, such as SimpleText or > BBEdit in MacOS, Notepad in Windows, nedit, vi, vim, or pico in > Unix, BEd or AZ in AmigaOS, edit in DOS, or any of the various Emacs > editors. > > A 'quick-start' program for learning is javE, a free Java program > that can be obtained from http://www.jave.de > > Some editors have features which make them more suitable for ASCII > art than others, but this is largely a matter of personal opinion. > Features which are both useful for ASCII art, and available in many > text editors, include the following. > * Overtype, also known as overstrike: removes the need for you to > constantly realign characters using the Backspace, Space, and > Delete keys. Try the Insert key if there is one on your > keyboard, or look in your program's Options or Preferences. > * Rectangular copy and paste: allows you to select rectangular > sections of text (not just rows or parts of rows). On programs > which have this feature, it is usually done by holding down a > key such as Ctrl while selecting text. > * Find/Change: allows you to change all the characters of one > value to another (eg change all the ~s to "s). > > > 6.2 How do I draw my own ASCII art? > ----------------------------------- > How to draw ASCII art: there is no better way to learn than to > practise. Draw your cat, your toaster, your musical instruments, > your partner, anything that will sit still long enough -- practice > makes, if not perfect, then at least pretty good. Whether you do > small drawings (less work involved) or large ones (easier to make a > drawing recognizable) is up to you.If you're interested in > tutorials, some are available from the ASCII-art Documentation > Archive. > > One good way to begin drawing is to type a row of spaces for however > wide you want your picture, and then copy this row and paste it for > however many rows high you think the picture will get. Then turn > overtype on, stick your cursor somewhere in the middle, and begin > drawing. This can save you from many Delete, Backspace, Enter, and > space bar key-presses. Saving this empty `canvas' as a read-only > file for future reuse can save you even more time. > > When drawing ASCII art, *please* remember that you must use a > fixed-width font (see Question 5). There is no such thing as a > completely standard font which is available on all computer systems, > but a picture drawn in one fixed-width font and viewed using another > is usually still very recognizable. > > Even so, there are a few characters to watch out for: > ^ caret -- differs in size depending on the font used > ~ tilde -- appears in the middle of the line in some fonts, at the > top in others (try using - or " instead, depending on what you > want) > ' apostrophe/single quote -- tilts southwest-northeast in some > fonts, is vertical in others (this also applies to the comma ,) > I letter aye -- is just a straight line in sans-serif fonts, but in > serif fonts there is a stroke (serif) at each end so perhaps > use the vertical bar (|) instead. > # hash/pound -- a hash symbol on most computers, a pound > (currency) symbol on some old British ones > > Finally, do not use any control codes, non-ASCII characters, or > word-processor-type formatting in your pictures. Not only are these > not ASCII art (see Question 4), but since they are particular to > your editor or computer system they will almost certainly not have > the intended effect on the systems the rest of us use (they may even > crash some Usenet readers). > > > 7. What should I know before posting pictures? > ----------------------------------------------- > It doesn't matter if your ASCII art isn't particularly good; we'd > like to see it anyway. We won't be rude about it (although you'd > better tell us what it is, or we might ask :-), but if it shows > potential, you may find that other people will `re-diddle' it -- > change a few characters, make it a bit better, and re-post it. > > HOWEVER, there are a few things you should check before you > post any piece of ASCII art. > > * If there are a lot of almost-blank lines in the picture, then > the message is probably suffering from `wrapping'. This > wrapping may be being done by your newsreader; see if it has an > option called `wrap long lines' or similar, and make sure it is > turned off. If this doesn't work, then the wrapping was > probably done by the news program of the person who sent the > picture, in which case there's not much you can do -- everybody > else will be seeing the same thing. > > * If there are a lot of < and > symbols in the picture, with > words like HTML, FONT COLOR, B, I, and so on inside them, then > the picture has been sent in HTML format [see Question 2], and > your newsreader does not understand HTML (most newsreaders > don't). > > Microsoft's Outlook Express program has a number of flaws, including > * deleting spaces from the beginning of lines, and > * inserting the word `file://' in unexpected places > [see section: More Outlook] > which make it very difficult to send ASCII art properly. Whether > these are bugs or features we don't know, but we do know that > Microsoft would rather ASCII art as a medium just disappeared (see > http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/digital/daily/0,2822,13735,00.html > for more information). A registry patch to fix some of the flaws > in Outlook Express is available from the ADA. > > * Are you sending it as PLAIN TEXT? Some news programs, > particularly those built in to Web browsers, read and write > messages in HTML (HyperText Markup Language, the language which > Web pages are written in). HTML allows colours and (using > JavaScript) animations in ASCII art, but few newsreaders > support it, and those which don't will show a whole lot of > garbage text with your picture hidden inside it. > > So if you have one of these HTML-sending programs, then select > the option which tells it to send messages as PLAIN TEXT only > and turn off "send MIME message". > > If you have a picture which uses HTML for a particular > feature (such as colours or animation), put it on a Web page, > and post the URL of the page to alt.ascii-art > > * Is it under 72 characters wide? Most news readers can only show > lines which are under either 72, 76, or 80 characters wide, so > if your picture is wider than 72 characters it may get wrapped > [see Question 4]. Also remove any unnecessary space characters > from the end of each line of the picture, to prevent lines from > being too long (and getting wrapped) without your realizing. > > * If it IS over 72 charaters wide? > Then a warning in the subject line [wide:110] or whatever the > original picture width and Check Your Post Output Line-Wrap > settings. [see section: More Outlook] > Previous versions of this FAQ used a system to prefix posts > such as: [pic] [info] [req] which may be used as a guide > when providing warnings. > > * Have you used any TAB characters or Control Codes? > Inserting control codes (ASCII characters 0 to 31) in a picture > can sometimes achieve interesting effect on your computer screen > or news reader, such as reversing text or changing its colour. > DO NOT post any of these pictures to alt.ascii-art, > (try alt.binaries.pictures.ascii) > for two reasons: > > 1. the effects that the control codes have on your news reader > are almost certainly going to be different from those on > the thousands of other news readers that other people use > > 2. on some news readers, control codes can cause messed up > displays, messages not appearing, or (in some cases) the > news reader crashing. > > * If your first line starts with one or more spaces, stick a > dummy line (such as -- or .) above it, to prevent the spaces > from being ignored by your news program (this only applies to > some news programs, and only to the first line of the > message). > > If you're not sure about whether your message will turn out ok, > post it to a test group (such as news:alt.test or news:misc.test) > first and make sure (using a different newsreader, if you can) that > you can read it ok. > > [See Question 8 for advice on posting someone else's ASCII art.] > > > 8. I like that ASCII picture -- can I copy it for myself? > ---------------------------------------------------------- > Don't assume that if somebody posts something to a Usenet group, > that gives you the right to use it however you like; copyright > laws still apply. For more information, see the article `Copyright > Myths FAQ: 10 big myths about copyright explained' in > news:news.announce.newusers. (It is also available at > http://www.clari.net/brad/copymyths.html.) > > Generally, ASCII artists don't mind if you copy their pictures and > repost them or put them on your own Web site, as long as you don't > make any money out of them. > There are a few important conditions, however: > > * If the picture contains a few letters in one corner which don't > seem to be part of the picture, they're the artist's initials. > DO NOT remove these initials -- would you cut away the part of > a Van Gogh painting containing his name? Leaving the initials > on is a small price to pay for being able to use the picture > for free. > > * If you're going to use a picture in your signature file, or in > a place (such as a log-in screen) which means you're going to > be using it a lot, you should really e-mail the artist (or post > to the newsgroup, if you don't know their address) and ask for > permission, because otherwise people may get the mistaken > impression that you were the one who drew the picture. > > * If you find a picture you want to use, or post, but it didn't > have any initials when you found it, a common method of marking > it has been to use the tag:- Unknown. > More recently the tag:- [nosig] appears to have been adopted. > > As for posting other people's ASCII art, after a discussion in > news:alt.ascii-art the following rules were agreed upon: > 1. If an ASCII ART picture has initials on it, leave them on when > posting it. > 2. If an ASCII ART picture doesn't have initials on it, mention > that you didn't draw it when posting it. > 3. If somebody posts a picture without initials and you have an > original copy with initials, feel free to repost the original > version. The repost ought not to be taken personally, as we all > know that ASCII art often loses proper credits. Responses to the > repost are not necessary. > > One contributor, name of Krogg, suggested the following: > 1.)Ultra polite:...ya make yer own ascii and use it. > 2.) Very polite:...Ya contact the author and ask if ya > can use it... > 3.) polite:...Ya use it but,you keep the Credits > in there like they should be. > 4.) rude:...Ya use it and strip credits. > 5.) Very rude:...Ya use it and claim that it Is > _Your_ very own creation... > > You choose ... I think the default choice is #3 but you should > make up yer own mind.... > > > 9. I want a picture of something -- how do I ask for one? > ---------------------------------------------------------- > Give your request the subject: `REQ:' or `[req]' > Whatever you're looking for a picture of, in the message describe > more exactly what you're looking for. Generally, the more specific > you are, the more likely you are to get some response. > If you just say something like: > `can someone draw me a fish, please' > then you may not get many replies, because people may not know > what size or feel they're wasting their time by drawing something > you won't want. If you don't have Web access, mention this fact, > otherwise you may get replies consisting only of URLs for the > kind of pictures you're looking for. > If someone is rude back to you directly, then please be patient, > since it may just be a troll trying to wind you up. > > [if you have a picture and want it Ascii-fied see 11.1] > > > 10. Can someone do me some kewl lettering? > ------------------------------------------- > There is a program called Figlet which does that sort of thing > automatically -- you type in `Jane Smith', and you get back > > ___ __, > ( / ( o _/_ / > / __, _ _ `. _ _ , / /_ > _/_(_/(_/ /_(/_ (___)/ / /_(_(__/ /_ > // > (/ > > in this and a whole lot of other fonts. The ASCII art text produced > by Figlet can be quite stunning, so it's best to try it first > before asking for help from the newsgroup. > > The Figlet home page is at:- http://ianchai.50megs.com/figlet.html > and links to the FTP site:- ftp://ftp.internexus.net/pub/figlet/ > where you can download versions of the program or source-code > for many different platforms. > > You can run Figlet on the Web by going to one of the following sites > and choosing your text and options on the Web page. Different sites > offer different options (e.g. multiple fonts at once, justification, > and limited line length). Some of these sites also provide an e-mail > Figlet service for people with browsers which don't support forms. > > * http://www.surfplaza.com/figlet/ > * http://home.cern.ch/~rigaut/FigletJava.html > * http://schnoggo.com/figlet.html > * http://www.inf.utfsm.cl/cgi-bin/figlet/ > * http://saigon.mit.edu/dinhyen/figlet/figlet.html > * http://www.ifi.unizh.ch/cgi-bin/bwagner/FIGLET/figlet.pl > * http://www.se.cuhk.edu.hk/~mcchau3/cgi-bin/express.html > * http://www.webserve.com/gateways/figletgateway.pl. > > If Figlet doesn't produce the kind of results you want, THEN you > can post to alt.ascii-art with your request. Make sure that you > include: > * the fact that you have already tried Figlet, or don't have > access to it (otherwise you will probably just get told to use > it) > * a description of the kind of lettering you want, along with any > other symbols or logos which you would like incorporated into > it. > > > 11.1 How do I convert a picture to ASCII art? > -------------------------------------------- > There are computer programs available which convert graphics files > of a particular format (usually GIF) to ASCII art. They go by names > such as ascgif, gifa, gifscii, and gif2ascii. Do a Web search for > any of these programs to find places where you can download them. > Try: > gopher://twinbrook.cis.uab.edu/1A/atools.70 > ftp://ftp.simtel.com/. > http://www.jave.de/. <== new > > However, the output from some these programs may often be poor so > fiddling with the picture in an image-editing program beforehand > may help. Some programs permit contrast and intensity adjustment. > > Another method is by tracing a picture, either onto clear-plastic > and sticking it onto the screen then opening an editor to trace > under or using an editor which allows the loading of a background > image to trace over. > > > 11.2 I have a picture and I would like it Asciified? > ---------------------------------------------------- > In this case, post a request to news:alt.ascii-art asking for > someone to `asciify' it, but > >>> PLEASE DON'T POST THE PICTURE ITSELF <<< > to save downloading time for people reading the messages, > if possible give the URL (Web address) of the picture instead. > > If you saw the picture on a Web page, you can find out its URL by > right-clicking on it (on the Macintosh, right-clicking, > Ctrl-clicking, or holding down the mouse button) and selecting > `Open this image' (or its equivalent for your Web browser), then > copy the URL from the Location bar to your news program (make sure > you copy it exactly). > > If the picture is not on a Web site anywhere, put it up on your own > site (if you have one), or get a friend to put it up on their site, > and post the URL to alt.ascii-art. If you can't do this, post your > request to alt.ascii-art and wait for an artist to reply, then > e-mail the picture to them. > > > 12. Where do I find more ASCII art pictures and information? > ------------------------------------------------------------ > There are a number of ASCII art Usenet groups, but > news:alt.ascii-art > news:alt.ascii-art.animation > are the only English-speaking ones which are widely used. > news:alt.ascii-art is the main group, while > news:alt.ascii-art.animation > discusses various ways of animating ASCII art often using > Java, JavaScript or scrolling displays. > news:alt.ascii-art.endless.blabla [description required] > news:alt.binaries.pictures.ascii [description required] > > To find out how to animate ASCII art using JavaScript, see > http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/4942/faq_hta.htm and > http://llizard.crosswinds.net/ascii-art/animation/animlesson.htm > > To find out how to animate ASCII art using Java, see > http://www.jave.de/. > http://www.jave.de/javeplayer/. > > Lots of ASCII artists put up libraries of their own and others' > ASCII art on their Web sites, as well as tutorials on how to draw > ASCII art: > The DMOZ Open Directory Project ASCII art sites > http://dmoz.org/Arts/ASCII/. > Allen Mullen has links to many of these sites at > http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2695/links.htm. > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > [X1] >====================================================================== > > X1. What should I know about signature files? > ---------------------------------------------- > > A signature file (or `sig' for short; not to be confused with the > initials added to an ASCII picture) is a small, personalized text > file which an e-mail or news program adds to the end of every > message a person sends -- the equivalent of a letterhead for > dead-tree (paper) mail. Usually it contains little more than the > person's name, organization, and e-mail address, and an > inspirational quote of some sort; but some people like to > incorporate ASCII art into their signature files as well. > > The biggest problem that this causes is the number of lines that > the signature file takes up. This is a topic which, despite its > lack of importance in relation to global warming, violence in > society, and so on, can be the subject of heated arguments. To be > brief, (almost) no-one will complain if your signature file is four > lines long or fewer -- and it is quite possible to draw good ASCII > pictures which are that small. Some examples are at: > > * http://wwwtios.cs.utwente.nl/~kenter/sigs.html > * http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/7373/sigs.htm. > > Some e-mail/news programs don't allow you to have a signature file > which is longer than four lines, while others just complain. Five or > six lines may be acceptable, but any longer, and you're starting to > take the risk that your signature will be longer than some of your > e-mail messages; this wouldn't really make sense on paper, so it > isn't really acceptable in cyberspace either. The exception is in > messages posted to news:alt.ascii-art itself -- we're used to seeing > long sigs, so we won't complain. > > But no matter what the length of your signature, make sure it's > fewer than 72 characters wide, otherwise it may end up a horrible > mess [see Question 6]. > > > X2. What is ascii-animation? > ----------------------------- > An animated image produced by a sequence of changing ASCII pictures. > The speed will depend on the system you are using. > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > o \ o / _ o __| \ / |__ o _ \ o / o > /|\ | /\ __\o \o | o/ o/__ /\ | /|\ > / \ / \ | \ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > > > X3. from the old-old FAQ v1.something or other > ----------------------------- > Color - You can view color ASCII pics, if you have a color screen > and 'ANSI' color compatible software or Web access using HTML. > > >======================================================================= > [Subject:] End of (FAQ) ASCII art >======================================================================= > > [A1] >======================================================================= > [Subject:] ObAscii ? >======================================================================= > 1. what does it mean ObAscii ? : > ------------------------------ > > ObAscii = Obligatory Ascii > A funny way to remind people to put a drawing in their post.(b'ger) > > Obligatory: [adj] compulsory (of a ruling) having binding force > > Ascii: [slang] ascii-art picture > > this means an ascii in every post! > (especially off-topic threads) > failure to comply can result in flaming! > this implys that if you don't include an ascii > in your post you deserve to get flamed > > it is meant to be a new ascii-art which > takes longer but allows you to > collect your thoughts so you can say > all you need in one post > > also it gives bystanders something to look at > while you climb on your soap-box and blab > > > 2. The 1st ever! ObAscii : > ------------------------ > > [snip - .hdr of Matthew Thomas] > > [snip - 3rd party flame ] > > BOLLOCKS!!! > > I am staying out of this as much as possible, Colin, because I really >:. > [snip - rant/rave ] >:. > Anyway, I think a lot of this flaming would decrease if everyone was > required to post a (different) obligatory ASCII pic in each message -- > at the very least, it would slow the flames down. > > So, to start the trend, here's my ObAscii: the Statue of Liberty. > > ^ > ,' \ > L""/ > ` | > J | > J L > | | . , > | | `v_L.' > // ,>'--\'_ > \`' \ - /-. > / /`""| > ),' `- > ( ,-' \ > ) ,' ,' h > / / / `)--.. > \/ / \ <) > < , L<' > F/ _/ ,' > L ,-' \ > | ___L > / ( F > J ___,' L > | ,' | > F ,' | > (_,--..__ mt-2|_ > ,' `"`--.._\ > ,' / \ > / (_ > > Rediddles welcome > > [snip - .sig of Matthew Thomas] > >======================================================================= > > > [A2] >======================================================================= > [Subject:] more Outlook ? >======================================================================= > > how to get rid of blue-lines in OE5: > > 1. Press the decode button twice when viewing a blue-struck image. > Because, after ROT13, OE will not parse links and so 2 x ROT13 > returns everything back to normal, but without the blue lines. > 2. Create a button in your toolbar so you can do it quickly. > In OE 5.5-6.0 the URL parsing code is slightly better and doesn't > foul as many images as previous versions. > > > How to stop Ms.Outlook giving wrapped output > if the ascii-art you are sending is wider than 72 characters: > > 1. Tools menu > 2. Options > 3. Send > 4. Both of these Mail and News format > 5. Plain text settings ____ > 6. Automatically wrap text at |____| > > > How to set your Outlook Express 6 to view ASCII art correctly: > > 1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS > 2. Select the READ tab > 3. International setings > 4. Use default encoding for all incomming messages [tick] > 5. Set the FONTS to display as western european. > set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to > LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER > 6. Click OK, then OK again. > > > How to set your Outlook Express 5 to view ASCII art correctly: > > 1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS > 2. Select the READ tab > 3. Click the FONTS button near the bottom of the box > 4. For the languages UNICODE, WESTERN EUROPEAN and USER DEFINED > set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to > LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER > 5. Click OK, then OK again. > > > How to set your Outlook Express 4 to view ASCII art correctly: > > 1. On the TOOLS menu, click OPTIONS > 2. Select the READ tab > 3. Click the FONTS button near the bottom of the box > 4. For the languages UNIVERSAL ALPHABET, USER DEFINED and WESTERN > set both the PROPORTIONAL font and FIXED-WIDTH font to > LUCIDA CONSOLE, and FONT SIZE to SMALLER > 5. Click OK, then OK again. > > > NOTE : If LUCIDA CONSOLE is not available as a font, pick another > from the list of available FIXED-WIDTH fonts. > > Examples of fixed-width fonts 1. ANDALE MONO > commonly available with ms.windows: 2. COURIER NEW > 3. LUCIDA CONSOLE > 4. LUCIDA SANS TYPEWRITER > 5. OCR A EXTENDED > > If you have followed the above steps correctly, you should now > be able to view and create ASCII art as it should be. > >======================================================================= > > > [A3] > -------------------THE ASCII ART FAQ TEN COMMANDMENTS------------------- > > \\\\`/// > / _ _| 1. Thou shalt read the FAQ. > (\'('\/') 2. Thou shalt not remove the > ______/( >(__ initials from any ASCII art. > /`- \ \_=__| `\ 3. Thou shalt not claim ownership > / /__( _____\ _____ of someone else's ASCII art. > /_ \.____ ," "." ",__ 4. Thou shalt read the FAQ. >| / _\__/_ - / \ 5. Thou shalt ask permission > \/ /____ \ASCII ART FAQ /// before using someone else's > ) / / \__\ - | ASCII art. > '-.__|_/ ///| I VI | 6. Thou shalt not sell someone > \_ | | | else's ASCII art. > | | II VII | 7. Thou shalt read the darn FAQ. > \ | | | 8. Thou shalt not post someone > / | III VIII | else's ASCII art without making > \ | | | clear that you didn't make it. > \_ | IV IX | 9. Thou shalt not assume that > \| | | ASCII art isn't art at all. > | V X | 10. Thou shalt read the FAQing FAQ. > |______b'ger______| > >======================================================================= > -- > __ ___ __ > :::/ |_ | .`):: > ::( (-| | | <::: > :::\__|___|_|_\:: -- --(tty1@faux.local|04:45|/home/faux)-- cat .sig It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word. - Andrew Jackson