GNKSA Overview

This table provides an overview of an the GNKSA test results of an increasing number of newsreaders. GNKSA stands for Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval, as can be read in http://www.xs4all.nl/%7Ejs/gnksa/.

References to full reports of the individual newsreaders can be found in the horizontal row of the table. The vertical columns show the 19 main criteria against which the newsreaders were tested. These criteria are divided into subcriteria, some of which are emphasized. These emphasized criteria are soft criteria (SHOULD), which, other than the hard criteria (MUST), cannot prevent a newsreader from obtaining the Seal. In order for a newsreader to obtain the Seal, it has to

Comments on the layout of this page to ace@xs4all.nl, comments to the contents of this page are kindly directed to the maintainer of the GNKSA-pages, js@xs4all.nl.

Last updated by ace <ace@xs4all.nl> on September 4th, 1997

Evaluation of Newsreaders
Dejanews GNUS 4.1.3 Netscape 4.0.2 TIN 1.3 Forte Agent 1.5/451 Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 MacSOUP 2.2.1 NewsXpress 2.01 Pine 3.93 WinVN 0.99.9
RESULT
(number of FAILS out of 14 MUSTS)		 FAIL
(6 / 14)		 FAIL
(3 / 14)		 FAIL
(7 / 14)		 FAIL
(4 / 14)		 FAIL
(6 / 14)		 FAIL
(6 / 14)		 PASS FAIL
(5 / 14)		 FAIL
(6 / 14)		 FAIL
(7 / 14)
1) Displays all essential header information. Software clearly displays: FAIL PASS PASS FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL PASS
a) Article's author (From)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
b) Article's Subject
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
c) List of groups posted to (Newsgroups)
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
Y
Y
d) Where (and how) to direct followups (Followup-To)
N
Y
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
Y
Y
e) Where to reply to if not the From-address (Reply-To)
N
Y
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
2) Provides clear, separate commands for new posting, followup, and e-mail reply PASS PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL
a) for posting a new article
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
b) for posting a followup article
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
c) for replying by e-mail
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Uses standard terminology
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Avoids ambiguous terminology
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
3) Provides cross-posting functionality PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Allows specifying multiple groups
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Warns about, or prevents, posting to large numbers of groups
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Forces setting of a "Followup-To:" for large crossposts
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
4) Allows users to change essential headers PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Allows editing Subject at all times during composition
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Allows specifying new Subject of at least 70 characters
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Allows setting "Followup-To: poster"
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
5) Ensures followups and e-mail replies contain a correct Subject PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
a) Prepends "Re: " if (and only if) not already present
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
b) Preserves entire original Subject (modulo minor repairs)
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
6) Directs followups to the correct newsgroups FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS FAIL
Posts to groups in Followup-To if present
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Initiates e-mail reply rather than a followup posting on "Followup-To: poster", clearly informing the user of doing so
N
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
N
Dejanews GNUS 4.1.3 Netscape 4.0.2 TIN 1.3 Forte Agent 1.5/451 Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 MacSOUP 2.2.1 NewsXpress 2.01 Pine 3.93 WinVN 0.99.9
7) Make sure followups contain valid References FAIL PASS PASS FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS FAIL
Creates References header with Message-ID of original article as the last element
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Includes last three References from original
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Ensures References will fit in 998 characters
N
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
Keep as many References from original as fit
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Does not propagate broken Message-IDs in original References
N
N
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
N
N
8) Direct e-mail replies to the correct address FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Uses Reply-To if present
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Uses From address otherwise
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
9) Allow the user to change her mind about whether to post or mail FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS FAIL
Allows users to change their mind and mail rather than post after having initiated a followup message
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
Allows users to change their mind and post rather than mail after having initiated a reply message
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
Does not offer both posting and mailing as default behaviour
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
10) Provide adequate quotation and attribution facilities PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Allows including quoted original
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Quoted material is clearly distinguished
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
The prefix for quoted material starts with `>'
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Correctly delimited signatures are omitted
N
N
N
N
Y
N
Y
N
N
N
Attribution line containing original author precedes quotes
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Attribution contains Message-ID of quoted article
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
Y
11) Provide a user-specified "Subject: " header PASS PASS FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS
Requires a non-empty, user-specified Subject for new articles
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Refuses posting articles without, or with an empty, Subject
Y
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Does not provide default Subject if user did not set one
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Allows changing the Subject at any time while editing
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
12) Provide a valid "From: " header PASS FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL FAIL PASS PASS FAIL FAIL
Sets "From: " header to a syntactically valid e-mail address
Y
N
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Refuses posting articles without a syntactically valid "From: " header
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y
Y
N
N
Uses correct e-mail address (valid and belonging to the user)
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
Dejanews GNUS 4.1.3 Netscape 4.0.2 TIN 1.3 Forte Agent 1.5/451 Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 MacSOUP 2.2.1 NewsXpress 2.01 Pine 3.93 WinVN 0.99.9
13) Allow users to both cancel and supersede their own articles (and _no_ others!) FAIL FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS
Allows canceling articles
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
N
Y
Allows superseding articles
N
Y
N
Y
N
N
N
N
N
N
As far as possible, does not allow canceling or superseding other peoples' articles
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Uses standard terminology
N
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
14) Try to respect the 80-character line-length convention PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
PASS
Articles are posted as edited, with linebreaking intact
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Warns about lines over 80 characters
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
Does not refuse to post articles containing long lines
N
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
N
N
Y
N
Allows rewrapping quoted text
N
Y
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
N
Enforces formatting requirement on external editor, if any
Y
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
15) Separate signatures correctly, and don't use excessive ones PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Uses (and enforces) standard signature delimiter
N
Y
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
Warns against or refuses to use excessive signatures
N
N
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
16) Try to prevent obvious user errors FAIL FAIL FAIL PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL
Warns when attempting to post empty articles
Y
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
Refuses posting empty articles
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
Warns when post articles containing quoted material only
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
N
Refuses posting quoted-text-only articles
N
N
N
N
N
N
Y
N
N
N
Warns against posting articles multiply (if at all possible)
Y
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
Prevents multiple posting entirely
N
N
N
Y
N
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
17) Post human-readable articles unless ordered otherwise PASS PASS FAIL PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL PASS
Does not (and can not) encode or encrypt articles unless on explicit user demand
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Y
18) Provide self-protection PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS
Allows filtering out annoying articles (killing)
Y
Y
N
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
19) Be kind to servers, leave room for others PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS FAIL
Does not unnecessarily open multiple connections
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Does not unnecessarily generate heavy server load otherwise
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
N
Dejanews GNUS 4.1.3 Netscape 4.0.2 TIN 1.3 Forte Agent 1.5/451 Forte Free Agent 1.11/32.235 MacSOUP 2.2.1 NewsXpress 2.01 Pine 3.93 WinVN 0.99.9
Last changed by ace <ace@xs4all.nl> on September 4th, 1997