[W/K] :: plan file

  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.
  
  

  plan file
       
           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)