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Volume 5, Number 14 4 April 1988
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| _ |
| / \ |
| /|oo \ |
| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
| _`@/_ \ _ |
| International | | \ \\ |
| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
| (jm) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Editor in Chief Dale Lovell
Editor Emeritus: Thom Henderson
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
Contributing Editors: Al Arango
FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
node 1:1/1.
Copyright 1988 by the International FidoNet Association. All
rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
Everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
received.
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
An Editor's Ramblings .................................... 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 3
CD-ROM When two 66 MEG HD's just aren't eoungh ........... 3
Censuring FidoNews????? .................................. 4
FidoNet: Use in Education ................................ 8
Local EchoList for Users ................................. 9
What the heck is going on here????? ...................... 11
3. COLUMNS .................................................. 13
The 10 Point Gothic Column ............................... 13
Let's YACK about Electronic Voting ....................... 15
4. WANTED ................................................... 17
Programmer Wanted ........................................ 17
5. NOTICES .................................................. 18
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 18
Latest Software Versions ................................. 18
FidoNews 5-14 Page 1 4 Apr 1988
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
An Editor's Ramblings
Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. I had hoped to
gather enough articles for an "April Fools" edition of FidoNews.
Unfortunately, there just wasn't the time to make it happen this
year. Maybe next year everything will work out. In the meantime,
if you'd like to start writing an article for an April Fools
edition (or any other holiday for that matter) feel free to send
it in early. Just remember to leave me a message telling me when
it should be published as I don't have the time to go over every
article. Most weeks, I'm lucky if I can find the time to browse
the articles for major problems in content. I do find the time to
respond to most of the mail I receive, so if you have an idea for
an article drop me a line and I'd be happy to discuss it with
you.
As I write this, yet another long group of long time members
of FidoNet are about to leave us. I wish them well and hope they
succeed in their efforts. While I can't sanction what they're
doing, I can understand many of their reasons. One of the biggest
problems in FidoNet is how much we seem to have lost. The days of
mutual trust and respect seem to have vanished. The case of the
twit sysop in the policy documents seems to have been forgotten,
or perhaps it just needs to be amended. I have the great
pleasure to be in a closely knit net (157). I have met and talked
with many of the local FidoNet sysops (and a good number of non-
FidoNet sysops) and I believe we all know each other to a
degree. I can always to find something to admire and/or respect
in each of these fine individuals who dedicate at least part of
themselves to the telecommunications community.
Some of this is due to the face-to-face meetings with these
people. While our electronic medium has many advantages, there is
nothing that can help establish respect for these peers as a
normal conversation. This makes "get togethers" like FidoCon very
important. Over the next few months, you're going to see a lot of
information on the upcoming FidoCon in Cincinnati, and hope that
many of you will find time in your busy schedules (and tight
budgets in my case at least) for this event. Sometimes when I
read the messages that come across the net, I can almost follow
the thoughts and see the expressions on those who I have come to
know. This only helps us to communicate better, which is one of
the things we're after...right? I also hope that all if our
FidoNet family will attend, even those who may have left us for
one reason or another. Perhaps at FidoCon we can even find the
time to help heal the wounds that have caused the separations.
I think all of us would agree that FidoNet is spreading
almost out of control. I firmly believe this is a good thing. I
can not say that the results we're seeing are good however. In
this growth we should be striving to improve communications and
understanding. Instead all I see is people who seem convinced
FidoNews 5-14 Page 2 4 Apr 1988
that their way is the one true way. We should all try to be a
little more understanding of our fellow sysops (and users). We
need to learn how to be more tolerant of each others views. A
disagreement is not a reason to start a "blood feud." People like
the "Neuter-Net" crowd does nothing for the net. Regional and
network coordinators should be trying to remove people like this
from FidoNet. I know of no decent and upstanding sysop that would
tolerate behavior like that from his users, and likewise I can
find no place for people like that in FidoNet.
Being a FidoNet sysop carries a responsibility and duty
towards the net. I know those aren't exactly popular words today,
but we need to remember them. Each sysop is responsible to the
net as a whole, and also has a duty to work with it instead of
against it. I'm not talking about "political" topics here, I
talking about COMMUNICATING and RATIONALLY DISCUSSING topics. I
myself have grown tired of the flaming and the personal attacks,
for they have NO place in FidoNet. I have no problem with a
friendly argument, just the almost violent fights that seem to be
breaking out in many of the echomail conferences.
Oh well.... This is getting me depressed. I really hate getting
up on a soapbox and preaching. But I refuse to sit in the
sidelines and watch FidoNet get torn apart by what's going on.
While I know we can never return to the wonderful spirit of
cooperation that once existed, I firmly believe that we should be
able to discuss our disagreements on a civil level. As I warned
in one of my old columns, I shoulda been a preacher. Editorials
like this convince me I could have written one hell of a sermon.
Hmmmm.... There's an idea in there somewhere, maybe it will
mature in the following weeks. Until later...
Your Editor,
Dale Lovell
1:1/1 (1:157/504)
216/642-1034 (data)
Home Work
3266 Vezber Drive Parma Computer Center
Seven Hills, OH 44131 5402 State Road
216/524-1875 (voice) Parma, OH 44134
216/661-1808
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 3 4 Apr 1988
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
151/2
Ben Mann
684 MEG On-Line
After reading with great interest the last two issues
of Fido News. And reading many articles on the new CD-ROM
technology I decided that two 66 MEG HD's just weren't
enough.
After all our mainframe has 200 MEG per drive and my ALR
'386 was way behind at 132 MEG HD. So I called Compact Disk
Products, Inc., 217 East 85th. Street, New York, New York,
10028, 1-121-996-6999. A nice sounding gentleman answered
the phone and informed me they had both an Hitachi
CDR-1503S and the PC-SIG CD disk in stock.
I said sent it "AIR". The next day a nice new Hitachi
CDR-1503S was mine.
The hook up was stright foward despite the warning about
use with different BBS systems. A nicely done INSTALL
program comes with the PC-SIG CD-ROM disk and in just under
1/2 hour I had the new toy installed.
Re-boot and WOW. DIR the beast and there's over 111,000,000
FREE. That's over 440 MEG of files on my new drive E:.
I had to write a program to convert the .UPP files
(list of files on each disk) to a TBBS readable format.
Change a few menu's. And there I had it. The FULL PC-SIG
library on-line.
Now the mainframe people come back and say "552 MEG on
T H A T ???". A short course on the DIR command. Many page
fulls of files scroll by and away they go mumbling
something about learning "C".
If you would like to have a look, call Alert Data TBBS
at 1-919-274-7000. It's in Greensboro, NC. It used to be
five lines no waiting. Now days it's eight line, some
waiting.
By the way. You can daisy chain up to four per system.
That's 2.2 GEGbyte. And if you have a hard time selling
your better half on the idea, it plays audio CD's. Just
tell them it's a computerized CD player. The sound is
GREAT.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 4 4 Apr 1988
Jerry Hindle
1:18/6
Well this is the 3rd article I have written tonite and I
hope it is the last. This is on the subject of "editing FidoNews"
and is directed at BOTH sides of this debate.
In this corner weighing in at XXX lbs we have FidoNews,
publication of FidoNet, under the auspices of IFNA, by and for
the FidoNet sysop, user, groupie. This prestigious publication,
started by Tom Jennings, has grown from 2 pages a month to over
30 pages some weeks. It has published the controversial, the
sublime, the ridiculous, and even some material the national
scandal mags would not touch with long poles. This publication
has published (for lack of a better word) some articles that
would light fires under a lot of us and on the other hand has
been (sometimes) the ONLY source of information to the "grunt"
sysops of the net. The management has decided to institute an
editorial policy of not publishing obviously libelous or
deceitful articles (a good point), and also offensive articles.
This I must disagree with. While I may not "like" what Fnews
publishes I can always "turn the page". This is akin to me saying
that if I do not like the constitution, that it may not be
printed because I "might" read it and be offended. If I read it
and am offended, then I can only say it is my own fault for
reading it. I am not forced to read FidoNews (nor any other
publication for that matter) nor am I bound to believe what is
written therein.
In the other corner we have the management, weighing in at
XXX lbs. These prestigious gentlemen say they are "looking out
for us" by not publishing "offensive articles". Why? If I say in
this article that the moon is a devil worship symbol, does that
make it true? NO. If I say that BinkleyTerm is not a mailer
program, does that make it true, NOT LIKELY (it is an excellent
mailer by the way guys). But what it does do ( and it's only
faault) is "offend" someone. Hey, tough luck folks, if it bothers
ya, don't read it. I have always wondered how these book burners
found "exact quotes" from offensive books. What did they do, sit
and read it, yup every single word. Yet they chose AFTER the
fact that they read it to try to stop me from even having the
opportunity to judge for myself whether it offends ME by having
the book, mag, article removed from print. If they can read it
why can't I?
To the management of FidoNews (whomever that may be) I say
this.....publish EVERYTHING with only 2 exceptions and those
being articles with OBVIOUS criminal intent of any kind and
articles containing OBVIOUS LIES. Beyond that you should not
concern yourself with offensive as the law does not cover
offensive except in pornography mags aand even then they say that
it is offensive only if sent to someone without them asking for
it. We ask for FidoNews by the simple fact that we call and
download it (ask your system to send it to us) which the courts
say means the contents are not offensive to us.
FidoNews 5-14 Page 5 4 Apr 1988
Besides astronomy has always fasinated me to no end.......
Jerry Hindle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 6 4 Apr 1988
Jerry Hindle
1:18/6 (aka 7:48/0)
I have been reading this weeks Fnews (512) and have been
giving connsiderable thought to the DAK controversy and IFNA's
handling of that situation. I have come to the following
conclusions on this matter:
1) While I do believe that IFNA tried to handle this
matter to the best of their limited ability I find that thru no
fault of their own they have been WHITEWASHED by DAK. I feel that
DAK (as big a company as they are) was well aware that their
"deal with one sysop" (not named by the way), was in no way,
shape or form a true attempt to promote BBSing. They have lawyers
there who fully know the meaning of the word COPYRIGHT. If they
truely believed for even a split instant that permission from one
sysop was in fact legal they are in for serious trouble down the
road. Just suppose for an instant that I owned a copyright on
Lotus 123 <tm> (which I DO NOT), and that someone gave them
permission to use the opening screen in their ads. Lotus would sue
the pants off DAK forr un-authorized use of copyrighted material
not to mention TradeMark infringement. DAK knew full well they
were violating a copyright when they did what they did. Their
only interest in the pamplet was to sell products to go along
with it (as evidenced by their claim of 50,000 moddems sold) and
as an after thought they decided to "donate" any profits to the
American Cancer Society (a very worthy cause I must say). They
did this only to "cover their A$$" as it were since they could
always claim no profits were made (although they failed to
menntion how much the production costs of said pamplet were) and
thus they were legit. They got caught and proceeded to whitewash
IFNA with promises of this and promises of that. They said they
will provide IFNA with free copies of the pamplet to distribute,
but what they failed to mention is that the cost of production of
those pamplets will be taken out of the future donations to the
cancer society. They failed to mention that their cost of
production was already covered in the profit margin of the sales
associated with the pamplet give-away. They failed to mention
these little items for one reason. They are in this for one
reason and one reason ONLY, to make MONEY. They could give two
hoots about BBSing, they care even less about IFNA or FidoNet.
The pamplet in question was made for the purpose of generating
sales in a slumping sector (ie computer add-ons) and beyond that
they are not interested.
Now the way I see it, this is what "should have happened".
DAK distributes the pamplet with FidoNets blessings, BUT
they absorb ALL costs of production and distribution AND they
give a set fee per copy to the American Cancer Society (like 5
cents each or something). This will benefit everyone in that DAK
business write-off for their taxes, the American Cancer Society
will get even more money and IFNA will get the free copies and
the free publicity promised by DAK. For the "sin" of failing to
get official permission before-hand DAK should be required to
turn over to the American Cancer Society ALL funds received from
FidoNews 5-14 Page 7 4 Apr 1988
the nominal charge they levied on the pamplet and do this in
IFNA's name and not theirs. They eat the production costs on
those too.
Now I realize this may not seem like much to you but I must
also make this point here. The article also states that should
you NOT wish to have your node published in future copies of this
pamplet that YOU ARE REQUIRED to send via SnailMail an official
requesst to remove your node from the list. My question is this--
---WHY????? I did not violate a copyright! I did not give DAK
permission to use my name etc in any way shape or form and I
certainly did not give IFNA permission to release ANY info on me
to a corporaton to be used to "make a profit". The way I see it
is that if they wanna use my name in their little scheme (which
by the way they already have) then they owe ME the proceeds from
that venture in the form of a "standard contract" from the Actors
Guild. That contract I believe is now up to $200 + a DAY. Now
that means that if they started this little venture even as late
as a week ago from the date of this writing (3/24/88) that they
owe me standard contract wages of $1400.00 and they owe the same
to every sysop in FidoNet (less the one who gave them
permission). I should not be required to "do" anything to stop
them from using my name and node info. They should be required to
obtain my "release in writing" which they have not done. I am
awaiting their letter with amusement in that I will probably be
long dead before it arrives. For thier info my mailing address
is:
Jerry Hindle
P.O. Box 16223
Memphis TN 38186-0223
and my net/node number is at the top of this article. I am also
awaiting the check for my past due "wages", wanna bet on whether
I get that or not?
DAK should have to EAT ALL PRODUCTION COSTS and donate all fees
collected to the American Cancer Society. That is just one of the
pitfalls off "doing business" when you do not get the proper
perrmission IN ADVANCE!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 8 4 Apr 1988
FidoNet: Use in Education
Chris Regan
1:141/525.0
This is part one of what will hopefully be a series of articles
in the FidoNews. This is a request for all System Operators
that use FidoNet interfaced with an Educational Institution.
(ie. College, High School, Trade School, and/or any who are
interested in the use of FidoNet in Education)
This is a request for the people who fit the above criteria to
send a NetMail message to the 1:141/525.0 and leave information
containing the following:
1) School/University Name
2) Net/Node Number
3) Type of System
4) System Operator
5) Some information about the System
(intents, services, who uses?)
6) Address, Voice Telephone/Data Telephone
7) What software?
You will be placed on a list and receive information on
the use of Education and FidoNet, A Monthly Newsletter
and a listing of the systems involved and a listing of
software/hardware that are new on the market that deal
with education, and a review of Each (if available).
Send to :
The Cyber Foundation
c/o Christopher Regan
IFNA Node 1:141/525
SEAdog/OPUS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 9 4 Apr 1988
Stu Turk
SoundingBoard 1:129/26
A local EchoList for Users
If you live in a area that contains a large number of
boards running EchoMail, you may want to get together with other
Sysops and produce a list of public Echos available in your
calling area. You will find that your Users appreciate such a
list.
A while back I received a number of messages from Users
asking if I knew where they could read certain Echo conferences
or if I could pick up Echos that I already carried but to which
the User asking did not have access. It was pretty much like the
messages you read from Sysops asking where they can pick up an
Echo. But in this case, the Users just wanted to read them.
Although the Echos on my BBS are, for the most part,
ones that interest me personally, the entire idea of Echos is for
the BBS's Users to be able to participate. And since no BBS can
carry _all_ the available Echos, Users must call from board to
board, looking for Echos on topics of interest to them - often
not finding them because many boards don't make the list of Echos
available to first-time callers. Sysops, of course, can locate a
source of Echo feeds through various lists supplied by the Echo
Hubs. This got me to thinking about a User list of Echos in my
area.
After discussing the project with the NC, I posted the
idea in our Net's Sysop Echo asking Sysops located in Pittsburgh
or its suburbs to netmail me a list of their public Echos. Most
Sysops sent me their MSGAREA.BBS file and the original list took
a little sorting out due to several boards having slightly
different area descriptions for the same Echo.
PGHECHO contains a one-screen description of what
EchoMail is and how it works. Some general instruction such as
"stick to the topic of the Echo area" is included. Then the list
is divided into sections for General Interest, Health and Public
Service, Communications, Sight and Sound, and Computer Hardware
and Software. The last category is the largest, listing Echos
from Amiga to VAX. Under each category the Echos are listed by
EchoName, followed by a description (EchoNames themselves are
often misleading) and then under each Echo, a list of Pittsburgh
area boards which carry it. At the end is a listing of
Pittsburgh BBSs that participate in EchoMail, the phone number
and Sysop's name.
After finishing a draft copy of the list, I sent it to
several Sysops and received some suggestions and error
corrections (that's when I found out there are different
descriptions for the same Echos). Once corrected, a final ASCII
file was sent to George Stanislav, 129/39, a member of my Net who
developed the OECC program for use with Opus's *.BBS files.
George added the OEC command and color keywords then compiled it
with his program. We then distributed PGHECHO.OEC, the file with
the keywords. It was intended to serve as an OECC sample and to
permit Sysops who wished to do so to change the colors by simply
using a word processor's "find/replace" feature and recompiling.
PGHECHO.BBS is an OECC compiled file meant to be inserted into
FidoNews 5-14 Page 10 4 Apr 1988
the BULLETIN.BBS Menu where it can be read in color on Opus
BBS's. PGHECHO.LST is a straight ASCII file for our TBBS members
and Opus boards that did not use the Bulletin menu.
User acceptance and reaction has been very positive from
the beginning. It ranged from "Hey, I found a neat file on [some
other] BBS" type of message, to one User who downloaded the ASCII
copy and said he was going to upload it to other boards. I
caught him and explained that it had been distributed by netmail
already but that some Sysops had not yet had time to post it. It
appears to be second only to the list of local BBS's for files
that are read by Users. I've since passed control of the list
to another PittNet Sysop, Joe Fossati, 129/50. He keeps the list
up-to-date, adding new Echo listings as they become available and
updating the names of the boards on which each echo is available
as boards pick up or drop Echos.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 11 4 Apr 1988
Jerry Hindle
1:18/6
(901)353-4563
2400bps
Can someone tell me just what in the heck is going on here?
I "thought" when I joined FidoNet, that I was joining a group of
"hobbyists" in the telecommunications arena. I "thought" I was
attempting to get to know great folks the likes of Tom Jennings,
Thom Henderson, Ben Baker, Ken Shackleford, Ken Kaplan, Bob
Hartman, and others simply too numerous to name. I "thought" I
was going to "do my part" to further the field of personal
computing thru telecommunications. I even "thought" that someday
(given a lot of luck and a little assistance) that I might even
join the ranks of the "widely-known" names in FidoNet. I find
instead that I have joined a group of amatuer flamers, ner-do-
wells, and "lawsuit larrys" (pun intended). I have even fallen
prey to this generalization myself in that I "flame" from time to
time, I speak out on what I think, and instead of "debating" the
points of each sides views, I go completely out in left field and
throw rocks at the other side. I am therefore making a resolution
for myself right now that should I be confronted by flames, I
will turn away. Should I be confronted by a sensible "debate" of
the points of a disagreement, I will debate the points (and
refrain from demeaning the debator) and will speak out on
injustices where I find them. I grew tired of all the flaming and
joined "AlterNet" where I am quite content to debate others and
actually have managed to win a round or two there. All the
arguing going on in FidoNet reminds me of a semi-famous Richard
Pryor special I saw on cable wherein he was speaking of trying to
talk rationally to another person and all they could do was hurl
racial slurs back at him. As he put it he was no longer a man but
he was instead a (such and such) (deleted the exact statement
here for the sake of social politeness). I feel just about like
that. Anyone calls me names (as have a few folks in the past) and
I will simply stop talking to them (or typing as the case may
be). This I feel would be excellent advice to everyone in FidoNet
at this point in time. Debate the views, to be sure, but refrain
from turning on the firepower and demeaning the debator. He, like
you, as just another person, no better, no worse. He has his
views and you have yours. It is not life threatening that you
convince he he is wrong. You will not die if you modify your
position a bit and see where he is "coming from" and you will
certainly need less of the Rolaids <tm> and less of the aspirin.
I guess the bottom line is this. Treat the other person the same
way you expect to be treated. If you wanna be called names and
told that you are lower the whale poop, then call him names and I
can almost guarantee that you will get what you want. BUT if you
want to try to understand what the other person is saying then
LISTEN to him and then he will in turn LISTEN to you and if he
doesn't then no amount of arguing or screaming or name calling is
going to change their minds. Try this for 45 days....if someone
calls you something or says something you feel offends you then
ignore it completely. They do NOT sign your paycheck, they do NOT
FidoNews 5-14 Page 12 4 Apr 1988
pay your bills and they certainly HAVE NOT yet "walked the mile
in your moccasions". I bet that after 45 days you will have
almost complete forgotten what was said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 13 4 Apr 1988
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
The 10 Point Gothic Column
--------------------------
The Hermit's Point of View
Greg Glynn - The Airlock Hermit
From 3:712/502 - Home of the Brave
The Hermits Software Selections for This Week.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
MYTHWARE.ARC - Bulletin Board, Comms Program, MailMasher,
NodeList Compiler, Message Router, Database,
Spreadsheet, Word Processor. And most
incredible of all the size of the whole program
is only 408 bytes.Sounds impossible? You're
right!
LOCKIT.ARC - 412Kb program that locks your Keyboard, Modem
and your microwave oven up for no apparent
reason. Breaks the ice at parties.
FRISBEE.ARC - Great new program that actually picks your
computer up and throws it across the room. An
incredible piece of programming from the people
that brought you "Chip-Heater" and
"Motherboard-Melter".
LEECHOFF.ARC Written by a sysop who was tired of users
continually downloading without uploading!
Looks like a 67Kb R-Rated game but when they try
to download the final 2 bytes of info, cosmic
rays come out of their Computer screens and fry
their brains. Won "Program of the year" at the
NASA PC-Fair. Be careful downloading this one
for the first time.
GALAXY.ARC - This great new game is an intercosmic stellar
war simulation. Requires 12 ATs connected in
series and 4 gigabytes of internal memory just
to load the Online Help File. Definately NOT
for the faint hearted!
SYSOP.ARC - Real-Time simulation of an OPUS Bulletin
Board. Try to run 30 EchoMail conferences, 200
users, 50 different file areas and a marriage
simultaneously. A genuine game of skill.
FREEDISK.ARC - Calculates the amount of free space left on
your hard disks. Requires 12MB of storage space.
- Look for more exiting Software from the Hermit -
FidoNews 5-14 Page 14 4 Apr 1988
- coming to a Bulletin Board near you! -
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 15 4 Apr 1988
YACK
Yet Another Complicated Komment
by Steven K. Hoskin
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 )
Episode 5: Electronic Voting
I don't know about y'all out there, but I want to see a
democratic FidoNet. You know, where each FidoNode gets one vote
on matters that concern the InterNational FidoNet.
I thought originally that was why the InterNational FidoNet
Association went corporate; so there'd be rules to follow about
collective voting.
As it turned out, for whatever reasons, IFNA did not turn
out to be that voting tool, that graceful central coordinator of
the collective will of all FidoNet SysOps. One of its problems
is that members of FidoNet are NOT necessarily members of IFNA.
Therefore, IFNA cannot do things to control FidoNet, as FidoNet
SysOps don't get to vote on IFNA matters if they're not IFNA.
To join IFNA costs $25. You should NEVER have to pay to
vote on something that affects the way you run your life.
Period.
I joined IFNA because I thought it would help to insure the
survival of FidoNet during hard times. That may still hold true,
and I will probably be an IFNA member for life, but one thing has
become clear to me: IFNA IS NOT ESTABLISHING NET-WIDE DEMOCRACY.
Don Daniels, president of IFNA, has requested ideas for ways
to establish a fully democratic FidoNet, BE IT VIA IFNA OR SOME
OTHER MECHANISM. Now there's a man who's interested in FidoNet.
Well, here we go again, folks, YET ANOTHER idea: Electronic
Voting.
Reserve a FidoNode, just like 1:1/0 does the NodeList, and
1:1/1 does the FidoNews, to handle strictly Electronic Voting.
For sake of example, I'll use 1:1/9. I don't know if this Node
number is being used for anything, but that's my example.
For starters, if IFNA is to be retained (as many of us would
STILL like to see), we must adopt a by-law (if nothing stronger
can be used) that states in whatever legal wording is needed that
IFNA as an organization MUST ABIDE BY FIDONET SYSOP VOTE RESULTS.
And that IFNA MUST ISSUE BALLOTS FOR VOTE ON ANY RESOLUTION
REQUESTED BY ANY FIDONET SYSOP.
Then get 1/9 going. An automated system, disallowing human
tampering, whereby ballots and resolutions are sent to the node,
1/9 sends the ballot via Network mail AUTOMATICALLY to ALL Nodes
FidoNews 5-14 Page 16 4 Apr 1988
in the NodeList DIRECTLY, and waits for some predetermined amount
of time for a vote result.
If one month is the predetermined time, have 1/9 re-send
ballots to any Node from which no vote has been received on a
weekly basis until either a vote is received or the time limit
has been reached.
As vote "ballot" messages come back to 1/9 via Network Mail,
in some predetermined format such that a relatively
unsophisticated program can determine the vote, 1/9 tallies the
vote, stores the message, and sends a verification message via
Network Mail DIRECTLY to the node that allegedly sent the ballot.
Duplicate Node votes would be cancelled and the ballot
reissued to the Node in question with a note commenting on the
duplication.
A password could be set up for each Node and placed
somewhere in the Ballot return vote message. Improperly
passworded ballots would cause 1/9 to send a message DIRECTLY to
that Node informing him or her that a password failing had
occurred. A place for changing of passwords could also be added
to the ballot return message.
This should eliminate "bogus" node voting, as the SysOp of
the REAL Node could then be aware that somebody is trying to
break into his or her vote.
When all Nodes have responded OR the time limit is reached,
1/9 forwards the vote results to anybody that wants it, either
via Network Mail or as an Echo Area.
Have a preformed message format for requesting a ballot,
which could be sent to 1/9 such that no human could interfere
with the request for the vote. This eliminates interference with
the vote request system if someone feels that their
ballot/resolution has not been properly sent to 1/9 by IFNA.
Improper resolutions thusly sent could be construed as being
"excessively annoying" and multiple occurrences of such could
then be voted on by the Network for possible EXCOMMUNICATION of
the offending Node.
Choosing who runs Node 1/9 is a sensitive subject, since
that person could theoretically tamper with things. There's
simply going to have to be SOME kind of trust out there.
This is not a full overview, as I am trying to limit the
size of this column. Replies, questions, comments, etc. contact
me as STEVE HOSKIN at Node 1:128/31. I'd love to see this thing
implemented. I'd even write the software. :-)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 17 4 Apr 1988
=================================================================
WANTED
=================================================================
Daniel Tobias
1:380/2
PROGRAMMER WANTED
Full-Time or Program-at-Home
SOFTDISK, Inc. is looking for very talented programmers for BIG
BLUE DISK, our monthly diskmagazine for the IBM PC, along with
our other successful diskmagazines-- SOFTDISK for the Apple II
and LOADSTAR for the Commodore 64. A thorough knowledge of MS-
DOS programming and software, as well as creativity and
imagination are required.
We also seek contributing editors for BIG BLUE DISK as well as
our other products. Contributing editors program at home and
receive payment for programs published on our monthly disks.
This is a good opportunity-- please write if you are qualified.
Al Vekovius, President
SOFTDISK, Inc.
PO Box 30008
Shreveport, LA 71130-0008
P.S.: Attention Mac-Hackers: we're also launching a new
diskmagazine for the Macintosh, and have similar openings for
Mac programmers and contributing editors.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 18 4 Apr 1988
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
16 May 1988
Digital Equipment Corporations Users Society Spring Symposium.
Will be held May 16-May 20 in Cincinnati, OH.
25 Jun 1988
EuroCon II starts in Tiel, Holland. Sponsored by the Dutch
Hobby Computer Club. Will run for 2 days. Contact Hans
Lichthelm at 2:2/999 for information.
16 Jul 1988
A new areacode, 508, will form in eastern Massachusetts and
will be effective on this date. The new area code will be
formed from the current areacode 617. Greater Boston will
remain areacode 617 while the rest of eastern Massachusetts
will form the new areacode 508.
25 Aug 1988
Start of the Fifth International FidoNet Conference, to be
held at the Drawbridge Inn in Cincinnati, OH. Contact Tim
Sullivan at 108/62 for more information. This is FidoNet's big
annual get-together, and is your chance to meet all the people
you've been talking with all this time. We're hoping to see
you there!
24 Aug 1989
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Latest Software Versions
BBS Systems Node List Other
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
Dutchie 2.81* EditNL 3.3 ARC 5.21
Fido 12g* MakeNL 2.03 ARCmail 1.1
Opus 1.03b Prune 1.40 ConfMail 3.31
SEAdog 4.10 XlatList 2.86* EchoMail 1.31
TBBS 2.0M MGM 1.1
BinkleyTerm 1.40*
QuickBBS 1.02
* Recently changed
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by
FidoNews 5-14 Page 19 4 Apr 1988
reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list
all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 20 4 Apr 1988
__
The World's First / \
BBS Network /|oo \
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
_`@/_ \ _
| | \ \\
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Membership for the International FidoNet Association
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
increase worldwide communications.
Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________
Address _________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________________
State ________________________________ Zip _____________________
Country _________________________________________________________
Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
BBS Name ________________________________________________________
BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
Your Special Interests __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
US Funds to:
International FidoNet Association
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
700 Bishop Street, #1014
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-4112
USA
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
insure the future of FidoNet.
Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
membership in January 1987. The first elected Board of Directors
was filled in August 1987. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your
input to this Conference.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-14 Page 21 4 Apr 1988
INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
ORDER FORM
Publications
The IFNA publications can be obtained by downloading from Fido
1:1/10 or other FidoNet compatible systems, or by purchasing
them directly from IFNA. We ask that all our IFNA Committee
Chairmen provide us with the latest versions of each
publication, but we can make no written guarantees.
Hardcopy prices as of October 1, 1986
IFNA Fido BBS listing $15.00 _____
IFNA Administrative Policy DOCs $10.00 _____
IFNA FidoNet Standards Committee DOCs $10.00 _____
SUBTOTAL _____
IFNA Member ONLY Special Offers
System Enhancement Associates SEAdog $60.00 _____
SEAdog price as of March 1, 1987
ONLY 1 copy SEAdog per IFNA Member
Fido Software's Fido/FidoNet $100.00 _____
Fido/FidoNet price as of November 1, 1987
ONLY 1 copy Fido/FidoNet per IFNA Member
International orders include $10.00 for
surface shipping or $20.00 for air shipping _____
SUBTOTAL _____
HI. Residents add 4.0 % Sales tax _____
TOTAL _____
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN US FUNDS:
International FidoNet Association
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
700 Bishop Street, #1014
Honolulu, HI. 96813-4112
USA
Name________________________________
Zone:Net/Node____:____/____
Company_____________________________
Address_____________________________
City____________________ State____________ Zip_____
Voice Phone_________________________
Signature___________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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