It came to my attention, while downloading the very cool DGT Templates, that Dan "DD" Nichols from the PFO, created. I was surprised to find in the ZIP FILE not only the POZEWORKS.PZS, but also another little file in it entitled "POSER FORUM.PZS". I was unsure what this file was and shrugged, figuring it to be a needed file. However, it wasn't. Instead, what it did was change the Web Links in my POSER 4 program. Now when I click the web link in my Poser to go to Renderosity as I have done, I -instead- found myself at the PFO. Trying again, the same thing happened. I questioned someone and found out what happened. It seems that the "POSER FORUM.PZS" file that I allowed to load on my system replaced the link that was on my program without my knowledge. There was no mention of it in the ZIP file and this sort of ticked me off. Why? Not the fact that the link was changed on my program pointing to the PFO, but that the link was changed without my knowledge!! It seemed to me to be "sneaky" and downright RUDE! What gave him the right to invade my program and make changes to it? Is that action supported by the creators of the program? What else in my program can be changed by downloading a file? Why did he feel the need to do it secretively? Is that an action by a responsible Administrator of the Poser Forum Online? To change your links without you knowing about it? To me, that is just wrong!! Not wrong to have change or make a link to point to their forum, but to do so without my knowledge or permission!! So instead, I offer all of you this solution, a simple one really, one that the PFO could have informed you of, rather than change your program without your knowledge.

If you want to change the Web Links in your POSER 4 program to point to any Web Site you want, this is what you do.... They're VERY easy to make.... 1. Create a text file 2. Type in http:// (the URL of the website) 3. Save the file. 4. Rename the file to the website, say PFO.PZS or RENDEROSITY.PZS 5. Install that file in your Poser 4/runtime/WebLinks/ (name of the website again) And then you are finished!! I do not have a problem what you have on your links, be it "Janise's All Night Whorehouse" or the "PFO", what I do care about is when people change your program without your knowledge... kinda makes you wonder what else they will change without your permission. Thanks Legume for telling me how to fix the problem!! Just my 2 cents Jack

i am agree with you and when i see this kind of file with pzs extension i was questionning myself about it .What is pzs extension means?

I'm in total agreement with you Jack, and thanks to you and the Doc for providing a fix Paul

Martial, under Poser's Help menu there is a listing of Poser web sites. By clicking on one of the listings, Poser will launch your Browser and take you to the any of the sites on the list. These sites are listed in PZS files.

This is basically the the same thing that robtwhiz posted for starting your applications from Poser. With the right format, a PZS can do quite a few things. Does anybody want a "patch" to fix what DD did to their PZS files? And, Jack, I just looked, and this "trick" is mentioned in the readme of the ZIP that I downloaded. Quote "It (the ZIP file) also contains new web links for your Poser 4 menu, one to my own site and one that gives the proper URL for the Poser Forum Online." Personally, I always go through all the files of anything I download before I extract it to Poser.

Ditto. I always use Winzip to look inside any zipfiles and self-extracting .EXE's first. Myself, after several years in the VIRUS-L email group reading about other people's mishaps with Trojans etc, I tend to treat self-installing .EXE's in the same class as an unmarked van turning up at my door and it is a long way down on its springs and swaying about even when stationary. Like in the old days here in Britain it was all too often "um heap bad medicine" to break eggs straight into a mixture rather than each separately into a cup first.

Has anyone tried to contact DD on this? He should not be doing things that may change someone's presonal settings with what he considers "the proper URL for the Poser Forum". Make him aware of it... if he includes stuff like this he may find that someone will be a hell of a lot more upset.

I downloaded that item from PFO and not renderosity. I ALWAYS check every file in a zip before I unzip them out to my drive. When saw that I just assumed it was a link to the PFO so I renamed it to poserforum2 before placing it in the directory it wanted to go in. Especially since Winzip lets you see what directory things desire to go to before you unzip. Although I will say that I have never used the weblinks inside of poser. Until I make my PC upgrade I simply don't have the power to run Poser and anything else at the same time... Drives me nuts. :) Got the money, just can't choose the darn boards... :)

Not to be the voice of dissent, here... DD clearly stated in the ReadMe what the file was for, and what it did (Yes, I always read these before I do anything). Perhaps it's because I have remained neutral in the politics that have gone on... but I don't think there was malicious intent, here. My take: Knowing that the people who follow his work and have been looking for updates to these templates, he simply wanted to provide the link to the PFO that he belongs to. This forum doesn't officially go by PFO anymore, does it? I dunno... I may be wrong... I will say that I have seen a lot of childish behavior on both sides of the rift - spamming of forums and galleries, etc... I am NOT pointing fingers to one side or one individual here... there have been members of both "sides" who are guilty of such conduct. It's sometimes difficult to talk about our common interests in either "house" these days... and that's truly a shame. From my few interactions with DD (and I haven't interacted on this particular subject)... I don't get the impression of maliciousness. Take this as my well-intended two cents. This is not flame-bait. -ScottK

Yes you are right, it was in the readme file, sorry. But I didn't read the Readme until I had extracted. What is Winzip? Is it better than PKZIP?? Jack

The same but a newer ver. Spike

Another ZIP utility is ZipMagic, available from mijenix.com It will open ZIP files as folders, and let you use them without unzipping them. I have used it for a couple of years, and I really like it.

Thanks guys, someone also suggested rather than unzipping it directly into the folder it is intended to go into, unzip it into a temp folder then go through it. I may do that as well. Thanks again!! Jack

Winzip runs under Windows. In Windows Explorer, if you click a .ZIP file (or some other packed modes), it shows a directory of what is in the file. If you right-click a file, the resulting menu has extra lines which pack the selected file or files into a zipfile. If it is a self-extracting .EXE file, that menu has an option to see what is inside the file.

Sweet, that sounds ten times easier that what I've been doing. Been doing it the DOS way... (don't ask):o) Sweet, I just tried www.winzip.com and am downloading it. Thanks for the heads-up!! Jack

Jack, I believe "WinZip" is a MS product. PK also has a newer version called "PKZIP for Windows". Heck, I downloaded my current version in '96 and it does the preview-before-extract thing. btw, what is this "DOS" you mentioned? (now didn't that make you feel really old?) :-)

ouch...damn if that doesn't thanks Nance, you reminded me that I have to take my Gerital (sp?) LOL Jack

vas is der dos? Dos is vat I do in der afternoon.. I lay down und haf a liddle dos... ven I get upt I am ready for a brisk valk around der room und den I lay down und haf a nuder dos...

...can I name my dragon after you?

Well, malicious or not, it seems a better solution would have been to do exactly what Jack has done. Give directions in the "read me" file for changing the link in your program. That would give a person the choice to do it or not. Not do it for you, possibly without your knowledge. I don't have that problem, because being on a Mac I usually have to install files myself, not automatically, but I certainly wouldn't want something going into my program and changing anything without my knowledge. And I don't think Jack is trying to further the "war" here. He is just trying to keep us informed. That's his job. Diane

Nance... Minor nit: WINZIP is not a MS product, thought it is a MS Windows Program. Niko Mak Computing is the creator of said program.

I suggest just deleting this thread :o) Causes nothing but arguing and heartache with people who come to both forums. It was written in the readme. It wasn't DD's fault that wasn't read. Jack learned something new. It's done, over with and kaput. Deleting this thread would be the best thing to do to maintain peace.

My mistake - that's what I get for making assumptions. Thanks for the correction dlfurman.