viewing .plan VT100 animations

When you finger an account, you are using a FINGER client.  The remote
software that responds with the .plan file is a FINGER server.

Many FINGER clients strip or convert any ESCAPE characters detected in
a .plan file to * or some other innocuous character to prevent any
'dangerous' ESCAPE sequences from affecting your local system (receiving
the FINGER reply).

So your local FINGER client is more often to blame than the remote
FINGER server when a .plan animation fails.

However, most FINGER servers support direct TELNET access which allows
you to bypass an over-protective client.

This takes a two-step process.  First, TELNET to port 79 on the host
you want to finger.  When connection occurs, then type the user ID
that you wish to finger.

I am the author of the "FINGER Server for OS/2" which is running on my PC.
You can test your client (PLEASE not everybody at once!) on a short VT100
animation that I created by trying the following:

   finger spi...@twinbrook.cis.uab.edu

This fails to animate for a variety of FINGER clients that I have tried.
Only the AIX client seems to work.  

Now try the following instead and DON'T FORGET the 79 at the end:

   telnet twinbrook.cis.uab.edu 79

When you are connected, then type:

   spinweb

followed by a RETURN.  This two-step process displays the animation for
every TELNET client I have tried.

Good luck!


R L Samuell
Keeper of the ASCII Art Bazaar
--
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Hello!

R L Samuell (sam...@cis.uab.edu) wrote:

: [...]

: However, most FINGER servers support direct TELNET access which allows
           ^^^^
: you to bypass an over-protective client.

All....

: R L Samuell
: Keeper of the ASCII Art Bazaar

Regards, Felix.
--
Felix Schroeter -- uk1...@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de -- dl6...@db0sao.ampr.org