From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

Hi,

I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet
sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed by
the user name associated with that avatar

What's the md5: field? and why do not all avatar messages have it?

I guess it's some kind of checksum base64 encoded, but not sure what for?

Also, if I choose an avatar on one synchronet BBS, and it gets exported,
is that my avatar for all synchronet BBSes? or can I choose a different
one for each bbs i visit? If I do choose a different one on each bbs,
will the avatar show for messages from me from a particular bbs?

I suppose what I'm asking is if I were to import synchronet data
messages, do I take note of their origin and associate that avatar /
username with a particular origin?

Andrew

--
|03Andrew Pamment |08(|11apam|08)
|13Happy|10Land |14v2.0|08!|07

---
þ Talisman þ HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happylandbbs.com:11892/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* Vertrauen - Riverside County, California - telnet://vert.synchro.net
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet
sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed
by
the user name associated with that avatar

OK, so I looked at the JavaScript code... it's not just base 64 it's
compressed with lz string, and the md5 is a hash of the user's full name
yes?

I have my system importing avatars from dove net, and I've written the exporting functions too, but am a bit to scared to actually export into
the SYNC_DATA channel in case there is an error.

So, I thought I'd practice in FSX_DAT.

Andrew

--
|03Andrew Pamment |08(|11apam|08)
|13Happy|10Land |14v2.0|08!|07

---
þ Talisman þ HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happylandbbs.com:11892/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* Vertrauen - Riverside County, California - telnet://vert.synchro.net
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: apam
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: apam to All on Sun Nov 14 2021 05:45 pm

I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed
by
the user name associated with that avatar

OK, so I looked at the JavaScript code... it's not just base 64 it's compressed with lz string, and the md5 is a hash of the user's full name yes?

I have my system importing avatars from dove net, and I've written the exporting functions too, but am a bit to scared to actually export into
the SYNC_DATA channel in case there is an error.

So, I thought I'd practice in FSX_DAT.

so are you intending to reply to 'all' or is that another issue?
---
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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: MRO
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: MRO to apam on Sun Nov 14 2021 08:24 am

so are you intending to reply to 'all' or is that another issue?

Looks like he replied to his own message to add to it, so he probably wanted to address his message to 'All' rather than himself.

Nightfox

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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: apam
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: apam to All on Sun Nov 14 2021 01:27 pm

Hi,

I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet
sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed by the user name associated with that avatar

What's the md5: field? and why do not all avatar messages have it?

It's an md5 sum of the user's real name, that keeps users' real names more private while still allowing the successful lookup of their avatar. Older versions of avatars.js didn't support the mapping of avatar's to user's real names.

I guess it's some kind of checksum base64 encoded, but not sure what for?

Yeah, it's base64-encoded.

Also, if I choose an avatar on one synchronet BBS, and it gets exported,
is that my avatar for all synchronet BBSes? or can I choose a different
one for each bbs i visit? If I do choose a different one on each bbs,
will the avatar show for messages from me from a particular bbs?

The avatar is mapped to the username *and* BBS, so the same username posted from a different BBS won't necessarily be the same user and thus not necessarily use the same avatar.

I suppose what I'm asking is if I were to import synchronet data
messages, do I take note of their origin and associate that avatar / username with a particular origin?

Yes. Synchronet stores the avatar data from network nodes in data/qnet/*.avatars.ini or data/fido/*.avatars.ini, depending on the network-type and uses those files to lookup a message poster's avatar for network-imported messages.
--
digital man

Breaking Bad quote #34:
Lose your hair, go on a couple stakeouts and all the sudden your Kojak? - Hank Norco, CA WX: 91.2øF, 13.0% humidity, 4 mph ENE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs --- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* Vertrauen - Riverside County, California - telnet://vert.synchro.net
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: apam
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: apam to All on Sun Nov 14 2021 05:45 pm

I'm trying to wrap my head around the avatar data messages synchronet sends out. I think it's the base64 encoded bin of the avatar, followed
by
the user name associated with that avatar

OK, so I looked at the JavaScript code... it's not just base 64 it's compressed with lz string, and the md5 is a hash of the user's full name yes?

Correct.

I have my system importing avatars from dove net, and I've written the exporting functions too, but am a bit to scared to actually export into
the SYNC_DATA channel in case there is an error.

So, I thought I'd practice in FSX_DAT.

Cool! Happy to see this feature supported in other BBS programs!
--
digital man

Synchronet "Real Fact" #41:
Synchronet's cross-platform library is called XPDEV (named before Windows XP). Norco, CA WX: 91.2øF, 13.0% humidity, 4 mph ENE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs --- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: MRO

so are you intending to reply to 'all' or is that another issue?

That was intentional

Andrew

--
|03Andrew Pamment |08(|11apam|08)
|13Happy|10Land |14v2.0|08!|07

---
þ Talisman þ HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happylandbbs.com:11892/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
* Vertrauen - Riverside County, California - telnet://vert.synchro.net
--- Synchronet 3.19c-Linux NewsLink 1.113

From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: Digital Man

It's an md5 sum of the user's real name, that keeps users' real names
more private while still allowing the successful lookup of their
avatar. Older versions of avatars.js didn't support the mapping of
avatar's to user's real names.

Ah ok, I haven't been adding it to my exports, perhaps I should.

The avatar is mapped to the username *and* BBS, so the same username
posted from a different BBS won't necessarily be the same user and
thus not necessarily use the same avatar.

That makes sense. Though at this stage I'm not sure how best to go about
that, particularly for QWK networks.

Right now, what I've done is just take the most recent username / avatar mapping and update on the disk. So if some apam sends another avatar from another bbs it will overwrite mine - except locally.

It's not ideal, but if Talisman is displaying incorrect avatars, it's not
going to hurt a Synchronet Setup.

Thanks for your help with this.

Andrew

--
|03Andrew Pamment |08(|11apam|08)
|13Happy|10Land |14v2.0|08!|07

---
þ Talisman þ HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happylandbbs.com:11892/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: apam
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: apam to Digital Man on Mon Nov 15 2021 11:12 am

It's an md5 sum of the user's real name, that keeps users' real names more private while still allowing the successful lookup of their
avatar. Older versions of avatars.js didn't support the mapping of avatar's to user's real names.

Ah ok, I haven't been adding it to my exports, perhaps I should.

It helps with Avatar supprot in networks/conferences that may require real names without revealing the BBS's users' real names unnecessarily.

The avatar is mapped to the username *and* BBS, so the same username posted from a different BBS won't necessarily be the same user and
thus not necessarily use the same avatar.

That makes sense. Though at this stage I'm not sure how best to go about that, particularly for QWK networks.

I store the name/md5->avatar mapping in a file that has the BBS-ID of the source BBS in the filename (e.g. data/qnet/happylnd.avatars.ini). I'm sure there are other ways do that (e.g. with a database).

Right now, what I've done is just take the most recent username / avatar mapping and update on the disk. So if some apam sends another avatar from another bbs it will overwrite mine - except locally.

Yeah, you'll probably want to change that behavior. :-)

It's not ideal, but if Talisman is displaying incorrect avatars, it's not going to hurt a Synchronet Setup.

Thanks for your help with this.

Sure, no problem.
--
digital man

Breaking Bad quote #9:
"Cheesedick" - I know that one [word]. How about that? - Hank
Norco, CA WX: 76.4øF, 31.0% humidity, 3 mph NNE wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs --- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: Digital Man

I store the name/md5->avatar mapping in a file that has the BBS-ID of
the source BBS in the filename (e.g. data/qnet/happylnd.avatars.ini).
I'm sure there are other ways do that (e.g. with a database).

Ah ok

Yeah, you'll probably want to change that behavior. :-)

Yep, got stuck into it and figured out a way to do it. The downside is a
lot less messages have avatars now, for example before I had an avatar
for digital man it would work on messages you post in dovenet and fsxnet,
now only dovenet (and I guess any other QWK net where your BBS name is
VERT.)

At least they should be the right ones now :)

I've just got avatars stored in bin format, in a data directory, for
example:

data/avatars/imported/21_1_182.apam.bin

and

data/avatars/imported/VERT.digital_man.bin

So the script will check the origin of the message, and if it's a local
message pull the avatar out of the local database, if not, try and pull
one of the imported avatars, if that fails display a sillouette.

Andrew

--
|03Andrew Pamment |08(|11apam|08)
|13Happy|10Land |14v2.0|08!|07

---
þ Talisman þ HappyLand v2.0 - telnet://happylandbbs.com:11892/
--- Synchronet 3.19a-Win32 NewsLink 1.113
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From Newsgroup: alt.bbs.synchronet

To: apam
Re: Avatar Data Messages
By: apam to Digital Man on Mon Nov 15 2021 03:35 pm

I store the name/md5->avatar mapping in a file that has the BBS-ID of
the source BBS in the filename (e.g. data/qnet/happylnd.avatars.ini).
I'm sure there are other ways do that (e.g. with a database).

Ah ok

Yeah, you'll probably want to change that behavior. :-)

Yep, got stuck into it and figured out a way to do it. The downside is a
lot less messages have avatars now, for example before I had an avatar
for digital man it would work on messages you post in dovenet and fsxnet, now only dovenet (and I guess any other QWK net where your BBS name is VERT.)

I deal with that with the use of my new BBSID FTN kludge. So my messages posted to fsxnet should have a "BBSID: VERT" kludge line allowing you to do that Avatar mapping still.
--
digital man

Synchronet "Real Fact" #30:
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