from
Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)
plan file
n.
[Unix] On systems that support {finger}, the .plan file in a user's
home directory is displayed when the user is fingered. This feature
was originally intended to be used to keep potential fingerers
apprised of one's location and near-future plans, but has been turned
almost universally to humorous and self-expressive purposes (like a
{sig block}). See also {Hacking X for Y}.
A recent innovation in plan files has been the introduction of
"scrolling plan files" which are one-dimensional animations made using
only the printable ASCII character set, carriage return and line feed,
avoiding terminal specific escape sequences, since the {finger}
command will (for security reasons; see {letterbomb}) not pass the
escape character.
Scrolling .plan files have become art forms in miniature, and some
sites have started competitions to find who can create the longest
running, funniest, and most original animations. Various animation
characters include:
Centipede: mmmmme
Lorry/Truck: oo-oP
Andalusian Video Snail: _@/
and a compiler (ASP) is available on Usenet for producing them. See
also {twirling baton}.
from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
plan file
<operating system> On {Unix} systems that support {finger},
the ".plan" file in a user's {home directory} is displayed
when the user is fingered. This feature was originally
intended to be used to keep potential fingerers apprised of
one's location and near-future plans, but has been turned
almost universally to humorous and self-expressive purposes
(like a {sig block}). See also {Hacking X for Y}.
A later innovation in plan files was the introduction of
"scrolling plan files" which are one-dimensional animations
made using only the printable {ASCII} character set, {carriage
return} and {line feed}, avoiding terminal specific {escape
sequences}, since the {finger} command will (for security
reasons; see {letterbomb}) not pass the {escape} character.
Scrolling .plan files have become art forms in miniature, and
some sites have started competitions to find who can create
the longest running, funniest, and most original animations.
A compiler (ASP) is available on {Usenet} for producing them.
Typical animation components include:
Centipede: mmmmme
Lorry/Truck: oo-oP
Andalusian Video Snail: _@/
In the mid-1990s {WWW} {home pages} largely supplanted .plan
files, providing a much richer forum for the publication of
personal minutiae and digital creativity.
See also {twirling baton}.
[{Jargon File}]
(1998-01-16)