< messaging > (General file) A mid 1980s term for text files, usually short and unpublished found on BBS s. The g-files section on BBSs contain text files of general interest, viewable on-line; this is as opposed to files in the file transfer section, which are generally downloadable but not viewable on-line.
When used on the Internet , this term generally refers to the types of file most often associated with old BBSs such as instructions on phreak ing or making bombs.
(1996-06-20)