Lex Spoon wrote:
> 
> 1-8 seconds is perceptible to me.
> 
> Many archiving programs already include checksums.  The only problem is
> that some programs try to munge around with files marked as "text"--a
> classic example of software second-guessing it's users.  So, how about
> if just mark the files as something other than text?  And download
> things in binary mode?  (My ftp program defaults to binary mode, in
> fact, and after 4-6 years I have yet to turn on ascii mode even *once*)

Another possibility would be to include a checksum, but only check it
on demand, rather than on every startup.  Then when someone is worried
that their image/changes/sources have become corrupted, they could
choose, say, a help menu item, "check for image/source corruption".
This way, no unnecessary time is wasted when the image is loaded, but
an answer is available when data corruption is suspected.

-Jesse