= Сообщение: 5581 из 7128 ====================================== FTSC_PUBLIC = От : andrew clarke 3:633/267 17 Feb 21 05:36:16 Кому : August Abolins 17 Feb 21 05:36:16 Тема : ftsc prod codes FGHI : area://FTSC_PUBLIC?msgid=3:633/267+602c10a2 На : area://FTSC_PUBLIC?msgid=2:221/1.58@fidonet+ed7eaf63 = Кодировка сообщения определена как: LATIN1 ================================= ============================================================================== On Tue 2021-02-16 09:20:00, August Abolins (2:221/1.58) wrote to All:
AA> Why do the prod code assignments skip entire sections?
FSC-90 mentions they originally stopped being issued at 0xFD in 1991.
0xFE is reserved for software not yet allocated a code.
0xFF is reserved for software after 1991 that's been allocated a code, but where the actual code is "stored elsewhere in the [FTS-1] packet header at an as yet unallocated offset".
Codes 0x0100 and later in ftscprod.* are all datestamped.
Evidently nothing happened after 1991, until 1995-12-09 when 0x0100 was reserved. This was probably by David Nugent judging from the 3:3/20 address, who I believe was FTSC Chair at the time, and who also wrote FSC-90, and who I actually met at a BBS barbecue around that time. :)
Evidently no progress was made on deciding what the "unallocated offset" would be for FTS-1 Type 2 packet headers. The obvious choice would be to reuse the Baud field, but by 1995 basically everyone had migrated to Type 2+ capable mailers where the the 2+ header allows for 16-bit product codes, so it all became a bit of a moot point.
More 0x01xx codes were issued until 1998-02-16. Initially I thought whoever replaced David didn't properly understand FSC-90 and believed the 0xFF byte should be part of all newly-issued product codes, but apparently 0x0111 and 0x01FF were both issued on the same day (1998-02-16) so that explanation doesn't hold water.
I'm assuming it's for compatibility with... something, but we may never know the real reason. *spooky music*
--- GoldED+/BSD 1.1.5-b20180707 * Origin: Blizzard of Ozz, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (3:633/267)
