2775 lines
122 KiB
Plaintext
2775 lines
122 KiB
Plaintext
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Volume 5, Number 24 13 June 1988
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief Dale Lovell
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Editor Emeritus: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Contributing Editors: Al Arango
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FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
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Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
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submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
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standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
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node 1:1/1.
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Copyright 1988 by the International FidoNet Association. All
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rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
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noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
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at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
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Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
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Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and
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are used with permission.
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The contents of the articles contained here are not our
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responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
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Everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
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received.
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Table of Contents
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1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the #CM: Fla .. 3
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Indios (A Network Yarn) .................................. 7
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A proposed International Policy .......................... 10
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Kids & Computers ......................................... 13
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A Sample Net Policy Document Neal Curtin 1:343/1 ......... 16
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Proposed Zone 1 Policy ................................... 23
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2. COLUMNS .................................................. 36
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What is the Price of ECHOMAIL ............................ 36
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Top Downloads 5/27/88 - 6/3/88 ........................... 39
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3. NOTICES .................................................. 42
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 42
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 42
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And more!
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FidoNews 5-24 Page 1 13 Jun 1988
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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IDEAS FOR A NEW -AND BETTER- FIDONET
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(Let's make some changes...)
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Time goes by, and FidoNet grows every day faster. I don't
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think that, when creating the Fido Bulletin Board System, Tom
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Jennings knew he was starting something this big.
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I have lately read some articles, where sysops express
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their discomformity regarding the way things are going right
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now, specially with IFNA.
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Some sysops chose to form another, parallel net (like
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Ryugen Fisher, for example), some others just expressed their
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disappointness, and/or moved away from the "BIG net".
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Trhu this article, I want to give your my opinion, and to
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present you a new idea, a new idea that also contains new
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concepts.
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From my point of view, DEMOCRACY (not a "new concept"!)
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doesn't exist on FidoNet. And when one of the basic things
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needed for a large group to survive is not present, it is likely
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to fall in an anarchy, where everyone does what he/she wants, no
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matter what.
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When you live in a country that has a democratic
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constitution since 1853, and that while democracy lasted was one
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of the most rich and one of the TEN worldpowers and when it lost
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democracy, went from being THE RICHEST in the world to one of
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the poorest (yes, Argentina was *the richest* country in the
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world after WW2, and please, don't ask how it is right now...),
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you learn how important democracy is, for something to survive.
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I think something MUST BE DONE in FidoNet, before it is
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"too late".
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The FidoNet nodelist has already 3000+ members, in all
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the 5 continents of the world, on about 30 countries. FidoNet
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has become a totally INTERNATIONAL network, rather than an
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"American one with some nodes overseas".
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One of the main purposes of this new concept is to
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prevent the desintegration of FidoNet, as well as to make the
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actual conditions (a lot) better.
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In Latin America we are just starting with the net. There
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is still a "familiar climate" within the net, and everybody
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cooperates with each other, but as we read some echomail
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conferences or FidoNews, we ask ourselves: "Is it gonna happen
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the same way down here? Are we working so hard just to get to
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that point?".
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What I want to propose is the following:
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One "FidoNet Association" is created for each of the 4
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zones (I'm assuming Latin America as Zone 4).
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Those associations may vary in their internal
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organization, since each zone's requirements and neccesities are
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very different.
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When they are finally established, each designates 3
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members to take part on the International FidoNet Council, that
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is finally formed by those 12 representants of the 4 zones.
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FidoNews 5-24 Page 2 13 Jun 1988
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Each zone has the right to have the presidency of the
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Council for 6 months a year (each has the right to preside the
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council once every two years).
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The Council's president must be one of the 4
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representants sent by the zone who designates him/her, and has
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the right to a double vote when a votation is tied.
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The International Council is in charge of various things,
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like designating the International Technical Coordinator,
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setting the technical standards (either directly or by naming a
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"technical comitee"), publishing the net's official newsletter,
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and establishing the net's basic, international rules.
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Comprehensive rules are established by each zone's
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association.
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The International Council also acts as a "supreme
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tribunal" for interzonal disputes. Any disputes within a zone
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are to be arbitrated by the zone's association.
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The Zonal FidoNet Associations are to be TRANSPARENTLY
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DEMOCRATIC, which ensures the democratic qualities of the
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International FidoNet Council, as well as of the net itself.
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The Zonal Associations have the right to name the
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coordinators for all the networks, regions as well as the
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zone's.
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I personally think this idea has still to be shaped
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up. Anyway, the "main idea", that puts a special emphasis in
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democracy, as well as on each sysops' right to determine their
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coordinators, authorities and delegates to the main,
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International Council, is there.
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I would like everybody to participate in the development
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of this new idea, to ensure it's representability of all the
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sysop's wishes.
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Please, send mail to node 1200/1 with your opinions (in
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North America, you can send it thru 135/14 which is the gateway
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to Latin America).
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If FidoNet's current authorities, as well as IFNA's
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AND a large group of sysops consider the idea feasible, an
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echomail conference could be created to ensure everybody's
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participation on the development of this new idea.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this article, and
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thanks IFNA for maintaining a publication where everyone can
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express oneself freely.
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Pablo Kleinman (1:1200/1 aka 1:60/0)
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Sysop's Elected Latin American RC
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Buenos Aires, 28 de Mayo de 1988.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-24 Page 3 13 Jun 1988
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and then Some.
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Recently there has been a push to clean up the baud flags in the
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nodelist. It seems they often get misused and it also seems
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that sysops are not following any standard in their use or
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nomenclature. Apparently there is a host of new software
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becoming available that depends on the correct use and code for
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the baud flags, and so an effort is underway to get these
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nodelist flags cleaned up. Therefore, this seems like an
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opportune time to talk about the use of the #CM: flag.
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From my discussions with local sysops it would appear that the
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#CM: flag is greatly misunderstood and often misused. To begin
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with, the #CM: flag refers to "CONTINUOUS MAIL" capability, not
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"CRASH MAIL" capability. There is a distinct and important
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difference. Many sysops are running bulletin board and/or
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mailer software that supports CRASH mail, but do not have their
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systems available for incoming mail 24 hours per day. The #CM:
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flag means that you are able to accept mail anytime day or
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night, 365 days out of the year (barring unforeseen acts of God,
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or nuclear holocaust). In other words, to qualify for the #CM:
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flag, you have to have CRASH mail capability AND be running a
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system that accepts incoming mail at all times.
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The above description would probably get you past the FIDONET
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boarder patrol in terms of qualifying you for the #CM: flag, but
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there is more to consider. A #CM: "purest" would argue that to
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REALLY qualify, you would have to be able to release any
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outgoing mail destined for a system that happens to call your
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system delivering mail. For example, lets say you are system
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X/1 and have some mail to go out to system Y/1. Your outgoing
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mail for Y/1 has not been labeled as CRASH mail. Your intent is
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for the mail for Y/1 to go out during your next regularly
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scheduled mail event (perhaps National Mail Hour). But prior to
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your next mail event, system Y/1 happens to call your system to
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deliver mail (completely unaware that you have mail for him).
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The ideal #CM: system would release the mail to Y/1 at that
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time, eliminating the need to wait until X/1's (your) next mail
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event, and also preventing X/1 (you) from picking up the cost
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for the mail intended for Y/1. Having this kind of continuous
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mail capability requires a little more routing finesse. In
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order to build a system with this "mail releasing" capability
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requires you to have outgoing mail "bundled" at all times
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because you cannot predict when a call will come in for which
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you happen to have some outgoing mail. How do you do that? It
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is really quite easy. The following description refers to how I
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do it using SEAdog. I am sure there are other ways to
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accomplish the same thing (perhaps even better ways, though I
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doubt it). I do not know how this would be accomplished using
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OPUS, or Binkley, or any of the myriad other mailer programs. I
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only speak SEAdog, I've never learned OMMM (is that some
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mystical East Indian mantra???). You'll have to suffer through
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someone else's description of this stuff to learn how to do it
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with other software.
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FidoNews 5-24 Page 4 13 Jun 1988
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The idea, as I said before, is to have all outgoing mail bundled
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and to give SEAdog permission to release all outgoing mail at
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all times. With this in mind, the routing commands are
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straightforward:
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Hold All
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Send-to All
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Give-to All
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This combination of routing statements bundles all of your
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outgoing mail with a "hold" flag on each parcel, and gives
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SEAdog permission to release any parcel when the destination
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system happens to call in. Now, all that remains is to give
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this set of commands a routing tag and stuff that Schedule in
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between all your other events. Lets say you give this set of
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commands the Schedule J tag (that just happens to be the tag I
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am using for this purpose). Now lets say a segment of your
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CONFIG.DOG looks like this:
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event X40 All 01:00 ;some external event
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event C All 01:00 02:00 ;a 1-hour mail event
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event D All 03:00 04:00 ;another mail event
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You have an hour in there (from 2 until 3 in the AM) when you
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are not in a mail event. You are going to want to stuff your
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Schedule J in there so that, if a system for which you have
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outgoing mail happens to call during that time period, your mail
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to him will be released. The revised CONFIG.DOG segment would
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look like this:
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event X40 All 01:00 ;some external event
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event C All 01:00 02:00 ;a 1-hour mail event
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event J All 02:00 03:00 ;HERE'S THE BEEF
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event D All 03:00 04:00 ;another mail event
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As described in the preceding example, you would go through your
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entire schedule of events in CONFIG.DOG and stuff "event J" in
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between all of your other events such that you are running
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"event J" at all times that you are not involved in some other
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scheduled event.
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There are a couple of other considerations: Most of you
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probably are running a bulletin board as well as running a
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mailer, and want the ability to have incoming "human" callers
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(although I have heard more than one sysop say that they could
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run a really neat BBS if people would just stop calling it...).
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Remember to add the "BBS" statement in conjunction with each
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"event J" so that SEAdog will know to relinquish control to your
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BBS when a human calls in during one of those events.
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event J All 02:00 03:00 BBS
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^^^
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Secondly, you are likely to have large blocks of time where you
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have no other scheduled events and will want to be running
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"event J". For example, I don't have any events to speak of on
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FidoNews 5-24 Page 5 13 Jun 1988
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my board between 6am and midnight the following day. It is
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possible to put one "event J' in there to fill in that entire
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block of time. However, that is not extremely desirable because
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it limits your use of CRASH mail events. Let me give you an
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example. Lets say it's noon and I'm on my lunch break (one of
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the few times during the normal business day when I get to play
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with my bulletin board). I decide to send some CRASH mail, so I
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compose the messages and attach the CRASH flag, then go and eat
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my day-old tunafish sandwich. The system will go about its
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business attempting to send out my messages, but if the
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destination system happens to be busy and the mail does not go
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through, then "event J" would be re-installed and the system
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would not attempt to send the CRASH mail again until the next
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time I have a scheduled event, which in this fishy example, is
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not for several more hours. The way around this problem is to
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avoid an "event J" that covers multiple hours. Instead, start a
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new schedule J every hour when you have large blocks of time in
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the day without other scheduled events. Here is an example of
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another segment of my CONFIG.DOG that demonstrates this:
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event J All 12:00 13:00 BBS
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event J All 13:00 14:00 BBS
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event J All 14:00 15:00 BBS
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...and so forth and so on
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Oh...if that weren't enough... to bore you even further with
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additional trivia about the #CM: flag, there is one more
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consideration that comes to mind. We need to turn this thing
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around and look at it from the opposite direction. Lets say you
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are sending out CRASH mail and the destination system happens to
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have mail waiting for you to pick up, and the sysop of that
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destination node has read this silly article and has sprinkled
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"event J's" throughout his CONFIG.DOG. His mail for you is
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properly bundled and waiting for your call, and his SEAdog has
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permission to release mail to you if you happen to call in.
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Unfortunately, if you are using SEAdog's predefined "Schedule S"
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|
|
for your CRASH mail event, you won't pick up your mail even if
|
|||
|
|
the sysop of the destination node has gone to the trouble to set
|
|||
|
|
it up this way, because SEAdog's Schedule S is defined as "Send-
|
|||
|
|
only" (that's what the "S" in Schedule S stands for guys). So
|
|||
|
|
your system will not look for mail addressed to you when it's
|
|||
|
|
out delivering your CRASH mail. There is a quick fix to this
|
|||
|
|
problem however. Simply define a "Schedule S" in your ROUTE.DOG
|
|||
|
|
and give it one simple command:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Schedule S
|
|||
|
|
Pickup All
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you follow the above suggestions, you will have a system that
|
|||
|
|
truly qualifies you for the use of the #CM: flag. You will
|
|||
|
|
accept incoming mail at all times, you will have outgoing mail
|
|||
|
|
bundled and will release those mail packets if they are
|
|||
|
|
addressed to incoming "mail" callers, and you will pick up mail
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 6 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
addressed to you when you are sending out CRASH mail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Remember, the #CM: flag is preceded with the "#" sign. It is
|
|||
|
|
one of a group of baud flags that indicate the time of day your
|
|||
|
|
system is available for incoming mail. The other members of
|
|||
|
|
this group reflect the beginning of an hour in Greenwich Mean
|
|||
|
|
Time:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
#09: Accepts incoming mail beginning 0900 GMT
|
|||
|
|
#18: Accepts incoming mail beginning 1800 GMT
|
|||
|
|
...and
|
|||
|
|
#CM: Accepts incoming mail any ol' time
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and lastly (as if that weren't enough), remember that the #CM:
|
|||
|
|
flag is followed with a colon (:). All baud flags are followed
|
|||
|
|
with a colon. If you have several baud flags assigned to your
|
|||
|
|
system, they should be separated by a comma. For example, the
|
|||
|
|
baud flags for my system are:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
XP:,#CM:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Next month we'll talk about the XP: flag (gag! belch!...)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dave Davidson
|
|||
|
|
OPTOMETRY ONLINE
|
|||
|
|
100/514
|
|||
|
|
(Region 14 Coordinator)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 7 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
James Zachary 445/2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Indios (A Network Yarn)
|
|||
|
|
(c) 1988
|
|||
|
|
James Zachary
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"JERKS!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron jumped up from his desk and began pacing furiously.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Stupid self-serving twits!" he bellowed at his computer
|
|||
|
|
screen.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A shadow in the doorway startled him.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Indios? Oh! I wasn't ... I mean ... sorry if I disturbed
|
|||
|
|
you."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Indios was the caretaker and general handyman for the
|
|||
|
|
condominium complex where Ron lived. Rarely did he pay much
|
|||
|
|
attention to anything other than his duties.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Your sink is fixed." he said with his deep, gravely voice.
|
|||
|
|
"What upsets you?" the old Indian then asked through lips that
|
|||
|
|
barely moved.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Ahhhhh, I dunno! I am sick and tired of everyone treating me
|
|||
|
|
like dirt!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
His dark, withered face frowning, Indios shuffled his large
|
|||
|
|
frame to an overstuffed chair and sat down.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"How do they do this? I am not understanding."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron was surprised. In over 2 years he had never known Indios
|
|||
|
|
to solicit a conversation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Well, some people are real idiots and think they know it all.
|
|||
|
|
They like to lord over other people, pretending they are
|
|||
|
|
smarter or better. All they really have are big mouths! I am
|
|||
|
|
going to start defending myself! I am going to be more
|
|||
|
|
assertive!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Tell to me the difference of you being 'assertive' and them
|
|||
|
|
having 'big mouths'?" Indios asked without expression.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron did not answer.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"You sit in front of this for hours," Indios continued,
|
|||
|
|
pointing to the computer on Ron's desk, "and it angers you.
|
|||
|
|
How can this be?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"It started off to be fun," Ron answered, "then everyone
|
|||
|
|
started flaming at each other!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron could see that he was only confusing Indios.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 8 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"See, with the computer, a bunch of people can leave messages
|
|||
|
|
to each other. It's like a big hobby for computer buffs.
|
|||
|
|
There is an amateur network that I belong to where we can leave
|
|||
|
|
mail. It was fun until it became too crowded. Now everyone
|
|||
|
|
just fights with each other. If someone misspells a word,
|
|||
|
|
someone jumps on him. If someone asks a question or has an
|
|||
|
|
idea that someone else thinks is stupid, then the name calling
|
|||
|
|
starts. We call it 'flaming'."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Indios grunted and nodded that he understood.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"So, you meet people on your machine so you can get angry at
|
|||
|
|
each other. You go to work and your clubs and get angry at
|
|||
|
|
others. Driving your car makes you angry at others ..."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Exactly!" Ron exclaimed. "Unless you stand up for yourself,
|
|||
|
|
someone will walk all over you! Believe me, when someone
|
|||
|
|
shoves it to me I am going to pay them back in spades!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Indian brushed his long, white hair back with his weathered
|
|||
|
|
hands and looked sadly at Ron.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"So much anger ... This will make you better than them? Anger
|
|||
|
|
can at times be a tool but, like a surgeons knife, it should
|
|||
|
|
only be used when all else has failed and the cause is just ...
|
|||
|
|
only then with great care and control. Most swing this blade
|
|||
|
|
recklessly and wound themselves."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I am sick and tired of reading this crap! I am sick and tired
|
|||
|
|
of these pious bastards jumping on every little thing I do!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Maybe they have a fear ... maybe they have a need. The
|
|||
|
|
smallest pups always growl the loudest. The others that are
|
|||
|
|
secure will allow this because they know these pups have needs
|
|||
|
|
that only can be provided for by their pretending dominance.
|
|||
|
|
Even with wolves, the strongest and fastest in the pack will
|
|||
|
|
allow the pretenders their moments, as they know it is their
|
|||
|
|
need and all they can really achieve."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now Ron was puzzled. "You mean I should just ignore these
|
|||
|
|
twinks?! That I should let them say vile things about me and
|
|||
|
|
others?!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Do they strip you of your honor? Are you denied all dignity?
|
|||
|
|
Your family was not threatened, your ability to provide for
|
|||
|
|
those that depend on you was not threatened ... your honor was
|
|||
|
|
not taken."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"I have my pride!"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Pride is not honor. You must know when NOT to fight before
|
|||
|
|
you will ever know when it is proper TO fight. Your words of
|
|||
|
|
anger are that of a child. Show me the burial sites of those
|
|||
|
|
killed by mere words ..."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron knew he was losing the debate. This one was face to face
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 9 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
and the words had texture, tone and emphasis ... not like text
|
|||
|
|
written on a flat monitor screen.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Take what is good with this and all else in life and leave
|
|||
|
|
behind what is bad." Indios continued, leaning forward, his
|
|||
|
|
eyes fixed in a gaze at Ron. "I know enough about you to say
|
|||
|
|
that you were granted neither the natural gift of a powerful
|
|||
|
|
body nor a powerful mind at birth. You were granted a more
|
|||
|
|
valuable gift, the gift to build whatever body and mind you
|
|||
|
|
choose. There are no boundaries for this gift. All you do,
|
|||
|
|
every day, in all walks, makes you what you are and what you
|
|||
|
|
will be."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Indios then stood and walked to the doorway. Ron remained
|
|||
|
|
silent.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"Will you build your body and soul of sound materials or will
|
|||
|
|
you use the waste of the earth and become all that you
|
|||
|
|
despise?" Indios asked with a hint of a smile as he departed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ron strolled slowly back to his desk and sat down in front of
|
|||
|
|
the computer. He hit a key to awaken his blank screen and then
|
|||
|
|
began rereading the message that had upset him earlier. After
|
|||
|
|
a moment he moved on to the next message, leaving the hate
|
|||
|
|
unanswered.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"We're just puppies ... " he mumbled under his breath. "I
|
|||
|
|
guess Fido grew up and had a whole lot of puppies ..."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
He then began a reply to a message from a friend in Puerto
|
|||
|
|
Rico. "Take what is good ..."
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 10 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Neal Curtin
|
|||
|
|
1:343/1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Proposed International Policy
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Section I: FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
1. What is FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet is the worldwide collection of Bulletin Boards that
|
|||
|
|
operate under a protocol established by Tom Jennings called Fido.
|
|||
|
|
The basic structure of the network is as follows, from the lowest
|
|||
|
|
point to the highest.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
POINT: A point is the lowest subdivision, and is a system
|
|||
|
|
that is mail only and will only connect to a parent or BOSS node.
|
|||
|
|
It is not listed in the nodelist.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NODE: A node is the lowest public position in the nodelist.
|
|||
|
|
It is normally a fully functional system that can act as a
|
|||
|
|
bulletin board and also send and receive mail and files.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
HUB: A hub is a system which is set up to provide a service
|
|||
|
|
to a small group of nodes that is a sub geographical group of a
|
|||
|
|
net.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NET: A net is a geographical collection of Nodes that has
|
|||
|
|
banded together in order to share common interests or reduce
|
|||
|
|
costs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
REGION: This is a collection of nets and independent nodes
|
|||
|
|
that are contained in a larger geographical or geopolitical
|
|||
|
|
entity. The net may also be a special interest group.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ZONE: The zone is a larger collection of regions and nets.
|
|||
|
|
Currently there are three zones, zone1 is North and South
|
|||
|
|
America, zone2 is Europe and Africa, and zone3 is Australia and
|
|||
|
|
the South Pacific area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are additional zones, but these are large networks that
|
|||
|
|
do not want to directly participate in the FidoNet Nodelist. They
|
|||
|
|
are zone7, AlterNet, and zone99, GoodEggNet. Communication can be
|
|||
|
|
established with these zones either by means of zone gates or by
|
|||
|
|
including them in your local nodelist.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SECTION II: LEVELS OF FIDONET
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The FidoNet Network is broken down into many different
|
|||
|
|
levels much as the hierarchy within any efficient
|
|||
|
|
organization. Thru past history, the following hierarchy has
|
|||
|
|
developed:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. All System Operators (SysOps) taken collectively
|
|||
|
|
(FidoNet). This is the highest level of the structure, and
|
|||
|
|
represents the entirety of FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 11 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. International Coordinator (IC) This position is an
|
|||
|
|
administrative position and is responsible for the publication of
|
|||
|
|
the Nodelist. The IC is also the court of last resort in disputes
|
|||
|
|
between zones.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. Zone Coordinator (ZC). This position oversees one Zone
|
|||
|
|
of FidoNet and is responsible for the smooth functioning of
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet within that Zone. The ZC is the court of last resort
|
|||
|
|
within his zone, unless the dispute is inter zonal in nature.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Regional Coordinator (RC). This position oversees
|
|||
|
|
one Region within a Zone and is responsible for the smooth
|
|||
|
|
functioning of FidoNet within that Region.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. Network Coordinator (NC). This position oversees one
|
|||
|
|
Network in one Region and is responsible for the smooth
|
|||
|
|
functioning of FidoNet within that Network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. SysOp. This is the singular unit of FidoNet. The
|
|||
|
|
SysOp runs his or her own FidoNet capable software such that their
|
|||
|
|
system can function as part of FidoNet within the guidelines
|
|||
|
|
imposed by the various levels of FidoNet above the SysOp level. Those
|
|||
|
|
guidelines are formulated over time as defined in this document.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SECTION III: RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
|
|||
|
|
Disputes are bound to arise, and the solutions are
|
|||
|
|
many. This document is cover only disputes which are between
|
|||
|
|
zones. Each zone is to develop it's own policy statement for
|
|||
|
|
disputes within it's own area, and each region/net is encouraged
|
|||
|
|
to set up it's own policy, not to conflict with a higher policy.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. A zone council will be set up comprised of three regional
|
|||
|
|
coordinators from within each zone. In case of a dispute between
|
|||
|
|
zones, a disinterested zone will be selected to act as a court.
|
|||
|
|
Each zone will submit their side of the dispute, not to exceed 10
|
|||
|
|
pages, to the selected zone council. The zone council shall then
|
|||
|
|
make their decision with 10 days of the submittal. The majority
|
|||
|
|
rule applies. Appeals may be made to the IC, who may also form a
|
|||
|
|
council. The IC decision will be final, and there will be no
|
|||
|
|
further mediation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. The IC council will consist of at least 2 regional
|
|||
|
|
coordinators from each zone. They will review the same submittal
|
|||
|
|
as the zone council received, and will make their decision in 10
|
|||
|
|
days.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SECTION IV: POLICIES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Each zone is responsible for setting up a zone policy.
|
|||
|
|
This policy will detail the requirements for a Zone Mail Hour
|
|||
|
|
(ZMH), the handling of echo mail, the responsibilities of the
|
|||
|
|
various regional coordinators, and any special conditions which
|
|||
|
|
may exist.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 12 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Section V: INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Because of the high position of trust that the IC must
|
|||
|
|
hold, the position must be filled by someone who has not only the
|
|||
|
|
technical qualifications, but must also be free from political
|
|||
|
|
constraints. For this reason, the IC must not hold any other
|
|||
|
|
position with the entire FidoNet community. When the position
|
|||
|
|
becomes vacant, the senior ZC will assume the position until a
|
|||
|
|
new IC can be elected.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The election procedures are as follows:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. The RC's will nominate a slate of potential
|
|||
|
|
candidates from within their zone. These candidates will then be
|
|||
|
|
proposed to all the NC's, RC's within the zone will elect one
|
|||
|
|
candidate for a inter zonal election.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. The candidates from the zone elections will then
|
|||
|
|
submit their position in the FidoNews for reading by all the
|
|||
|
|
members of the community. The election will then be held.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. The time frame for the election of the IC must be
|
|||
|
|
short, and should be accomplished within 30 days.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Voting will be done by nets, regions, and zones.
|
|||
|
|
Each net will hold an election process, results to forwarded to
|
|||
|
|
the Region. The Regional independents will vote through the RC.
|
|||
|
|
The RC will forward the Region vote to the ZC. Only votes will be
|
|||
|
|
counted. Abstensions will not count. A pure majority will decide
|
|||
|
|
the outcome.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RECALL procedures.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. A recall can be initiated at any level.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. A majority in a net or a region or a zone is
|
|||
|
|
required to start a recall election. The recall election will be
|
|||
|
|
conducted in the same manor as the IC election, but will be a yay
|
|||
|
|
or nay vote only. Upon completion, the IC must abide by the
|
|||
|
|
decision.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. Each operating area will only be able to start one
|
|||
|
|
protest per year.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 13 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Claude Witherspoon
|
|||
|
|
Fido 100/525
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
KIDS ECHO CONFERENCE GUIDELINES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. PURPOSE: The purpose of this document is to deleniate
|
|||
|
|
responsibilities, guidlines, and proceedures for the users
|
|||
|
|
of the KIDS Echo Conference.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. SCOPE: The KIDS Echo Conference was established to allow
|
|||
|
|
young people up to the age of 18 to have freedom of
|
|||
|
|
information interchange in an environment that is directed
|
|||
|
|
primarily toward an adult audiance. Allowing our children to
|
|||
|
|
have an area of thier own is necessary to give our kids the
|
|||
|
|
opportunity to expand their capabilities in the age of
|
|||
|
|
electronics and home computing. Our children are our most
|
|||
|
|
valued resources in the persuit of a future for a nation
|
|||
|
|
with strong goals in computers. Our future belongs to them.
|
|||
|
|
They are our destiny. The KIDS Echo Conference was designed
|
|||
|
|
with them in mind. Therefore, each adult should encourage
|
|||
|
|
its use and give it direction. Direction without
|
|||
|
|
interferance except to insure that the echo is wholesome and
|
|||
|
|
that it grows with common decency as viewed by the public as
|
|||
|
|
a whole.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. GENERAL: Teachers are encouraged to allow students to
|
|||
|
|
send traffic such as Pen-Pal letters, history, trivia, and
|
|||
|
|
anything that will encourage and assist in the growth of
|
|||
|
|
their students. Utilize the echo as a training aid limited
|
|||
|
|
only by your knowledge and immagination. Encourage the
|
|||
|
|
exchange of information between students of different
|
|||
|
|
geographical locations for computer science, history,
|
|||
|
|
cultures, etc. Spread the knowledge of this echo to local
|
|||
|
|
school boards and faculty for future projects in computer
|
|||
|
|
science and as a aid in the students growth in a nation with
|
|||
|
|
multiple goals in the arena of computer science.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Parents are encouraged to assist thier children in the
|
|||
|
|
utilization of this echo. This will develope healthy
|
|||
|
|
computing habits and keep the echo interesting for the
|
|||
|
|
children. Parents are also encouraged to promote the echo at
|
|||
|
|
school meetings like the Parent Teachers Accosiation (PTA),
|
|||
|
|
open house funtions at the schools, and through any medium
|
|||
|
|
that will assist the growth of thier children in this area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Users are encouraged to submit suggestions, comments, and
|
|||
|
|
ideas to help with the growth of this echo. The users are
|
|||
|
|
the heart of the echo and its existance is dependant upon
|
|||
|
|
your utilization of it. Promote a healthy environment which
|
|||
|
|
is suitable for children. Use peer pressure as necessary to
|
|||
|
|
stop any misuse of the echo. Remember the children of this
|
|||
|
|
great nation are our future and they hold the key to the
|
|||
|
|
advancement of a nation with strong goals in the computer
|
|||
|
|
field.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. RESPONSIBILITIES:
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 14 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. SYSTEM OPERATORS (Sysops): Sysops that request and allow
|
|||
|
|
the KIDS Echo Conference on thier Bulletin Board System must
|
|||
|
|
monitor the echo to insure thier users do not abuse other
|
|||
|
|
users or the echo as a whole. This includes reporting any
|
|||
|
|
misuse that the sysop cannot control to the Net Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
or Echo Moderator as necessary. Sysops will not allow foul
|
|||
|
|
language for any reason, missuse of the echo by adults and
|
|||
|
|
children alike, and not allow what is commonly known as
|
|||
|
|
"Flames". If a user utilizes the KIDS echo for message
|
|||
|
|
traffic that is better served by another echo, then the
|
|||
|
|
sysop will direct that user to the appropriate area/echo.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
b. USERS: Users are responsible for the echo as a whole.
|
|||
|
|
Therefore, misuse by the users can cause the termination of
|
|||
|
|
the echo in part or as a whole. You must insure that foul
|
|||
|
|
language is not tolerated and not used. Peer pressure is
|
|||
|
|
your tool. Tell another user that he/she is incorrect in
|
|||
|
|
using foul language and that this echo is directed toward
|
|||
|
|
children under the age of 18. If the other user continues,
|
|||
|
|
report it immediately to the System Operator. This can be
|
|||
|
|
done in private as necessary. If the sysop does nothing in a
|
|||
|
|
reasonable leangth of time, report the problem to the Net
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator or to the Echo Moderator. You must utilize the
|
|||
|
|
echo in the context of its design. Keep a healthy acceptable
|
|||
|
|
attitude and enter messages that are suitable for the
|
|||
|
|
children that use the echo. Promote the free exchange of
|
|||
|
|
information and discourage misuse. Traffic such as love
|
|||
|
|
letters, private messages, sexual remarks, racist remarks,
|
|||
|
|
religous comments, and "Flames" are forbidden in this echo.
|
|||
|
|
There are other echoes that allow that kind of abuse or
|
|||
|
|
harrasement (Go there!). Wars are not allowed i.e. Johnny
|
|||
|
|
picking on Joe, Grade 12 verses grade 6, Texas against Porta
|
|||
|
|
Rico, country against country, unless they are in the
|
|||
|
|
context of learning and then they must be from the text
|
|||
|
|
book approved by the Educational Departments.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. GENERAL INFORMATION: The following information is
|
|||
|
|
submitted for your use as necessary:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. KidsNews Newsletter: The kidsNews newsletter was created
|
|||
|
|
by Brandy Witherspoon, age 13, of Edwardsville, Illinous,
|
|||
|
|
Net/Node 100/525. She is the Editor and Chief of the
|
|||
|
|
newsletter and has done an outstanding job in its content.
|
|||
|
|
The newletter is maintained and utilized by the users of the
|
|||
|
|
KIDS echo in sharing information, ideas, articles,
|
|||
|
|
editorials, programs, trivia, etc. for the audiance which
|
|||
|
|
the echo is designed for (kids 18 and below). Distribution
|
|||
|
|
of the newsletter can be arranged through the Echo
|
|||
|
|
Moderator or Echo Coordinator. If you would like to submit
|
|||
|
|
articles in the newsletter, send it in the KIDS echo area or
|
|||
|
|
through NetMail to Claude Witherspoon, 100/525. This will
|
|||
|
|
ensure your article is included in the newsletter in a
|
|||
|
|
timely manner.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
b. Echo Coordinator: Paul Witherspoon, Net/Node 19/42, San
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 15 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Angelo, Texas. Data-(915) 949-5645.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
c. Echo Moderator: Claude Witherspoon, Net/Node 100/525,
|
|||
|
|
Edwardsville, Illinois. Data-(618) 656-5447.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. These guidelines are just that "Guidelines". The success
|
|||
|
|
or failure of the KIDS echo is dependant upon your use or
|
|||
|
|
misuse of the echo. Please give comments and thoughts of a
|
|||
|
|
constructive nature to the Echo Coordinator and Echo
|
|||
|
|
Moderator on any topic that has been covered here. You will
|
|||
|
|
recieve a reply I assure you. Thank you for your time and
|
|||
|
|
attention in reguards to the echo. I hope to be talking with
|
|||
|
|
most of you in the future.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Claude Witherspoon
|
|||
|
|
Net/Node 100/525
|
|||
|
|
KIDS Echo Moderator
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 16 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
F I D O N E T
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Policy and Procedures Guide
|
|||
|
|
Net 343 version
|
|||
|
|
Version 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chapter 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OVERVIEW
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1.1 The Levels of the Net
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Net is grouped on several levels. These are as follows:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Network; The network is a collection of nodes,
|
|||
|
|
specifically the city and surrounding territory of Seattle,
|
|||
|
|
reachable from the central area of Seattle by a no-charge fee
|
|||
|
|
from Pacific Northwest Bell.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Hub; Any Hub will be an extension of the network coordinator
|
|||
|
|
so as to increase the calling capability, or to extend the
|
|||
|
|
net into a new area, until such time as they may be able to
|
|||
|
|
form their own net. Hubs will be established for Echomail,
|
|||
|
|
and for other purposes as may arise.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Node; A node is a single FidoNet address, and is the
|
|||
|
|
smallest recognized unit of FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Points; A point is a node on a private network which is
|
|||
|
|
accessible through a node on FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1.2 Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Network Coordinator; A Network Coordinator maintains the
|
|||
|
|
list of any nodes in his network that are not served by
|
|||
|
|
a hub and accepts node lists from the Hub Coordinators in
|
|||
|
|
his network. He compiles these lists to create a
|
|||
|
|
network node list for his network, which he then sends
|
|||
|
|
to his Regional Coordinator. A Network Coordinator is
|
|||
|
|
also responsible for forwarding any mail addressed to nodes
|
|||
|
|
in his network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Hub Coordinator; A Hub Coordinator maintains the list of
|
|||
|
|
nodes in his hub and sends it to his Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator. A Hub Coordinator is also responsible for
|
|||
|
|
forwarding any mail addressed to nodes in his hub.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Echo Coordinator; The node in the net that acts as a
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 17 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
gateway to the regional echo coordinator. The Sysop (or
|
|||
|
|
system operator) of that node then acts as the coordinator
|
|||
|
|
for the network. This Sysop will be responsible for the
|
|||
|
|
coordination and distribution of all echo mail within the
|
|||
|
|
net. Cooperation with the net coordinator is expected, but is
|
|||
|
|
not required. The final decision on echo distribution will
|
|||
|
|
reside with the echo coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Sysop; A Sysop formulates his own policy for running his
|
|||
|
|
board and dealing with his users, so that will not be
|
|||
|
|
discussed in this document. However, a Sysop must also
|
|||
|
|
mesh with the rest of the FidoNet system if he is to send and
|
|||
|
|
receive mail, and that will be discussed here.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The primary responsibility of any coordinator is technical
|
|||
|
|
management of network operations. Management decisions should
|
|||
|
|
be made strictly on technical grounds.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SYSOP Procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A sysop of an individual node can pretty much do as he
|
|||
|
|
pleases, as long as he observes the mail events, is not
|
|||
|
|
excessively annoying to other nodes on FidoNet, and does
|
|||
|
|
not promote the distribution of pirated copyrighted software.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when
|
|||
|
|
network mail is passed between systems. Any system which wishes
|
|||
|
|
to be a part of FidoNet must be able to receive mail at this
|
|||
|
|
time. NMH is defined as 1 AM to 2 AM, pacific STANDARD time.
|
|||
|
|
This does not vary with daylight savings time. Additional time
|
|||
|
|
for mail within the net is from 2 AM to 2:30 AM PST. This is to
|
|||
|
|
allow for any mail received by the host (Coordinator) to be
|
|||
|
|
distributed. THIS TIME IS TO BE A RECEIVE ONLY TIME. Only the
|
|||
|
|
host will be sending during this time. During NMH and the net
|
|||
|
|
mail time, no users (callers) are allowed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Failure to observe the proper mail events is sufficient
|
|||
|
|
grounds for any node to be dropped from FidoNet without notice
|
|||
|
|
(since notice is generally given by FidoNet mail).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2.1 How to get a node number
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You must first obtain a current node list so that you can send
|
|||
|
|
mail. You do not need a node number to send mail, but you must
|
|||
|
|
have one in order for others to send mail to you.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once you have a node list, you must then send Net mail to the
|
|||
|
|
host, 343/0, during NMH. Your application for a node number must
|
|||
|
|
be sent to the coordinator by FidoNet mail, and must include at
|
|||
|
|
least the following:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Your name.
|
|||
|
|
2) The name of your system.
|
|||
|
|
3) The city and state where your system is located.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 18 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4) The phone number to be used when calling your system.
|
|||
|
|
5) Your hours of operation.
|
|||
|
|
6) The maximum baud rate you can support.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2.2 If you are going down
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If your node will be down for an extended period (more than a
|
|||
|
|
day or two), then you should inform your coordinator as soon as
|
|||
|
|
possible. If you do not do this, then other systems will still
|
|||
|
|
try to reach you while you are down, much to the annoyance
|
|||
|
|
of everyone. Do not under any circumstances put an answering
|
|||
|
|
machine or similar device on your phone line while you are down.
|
|||
|
|
If you do, then calling systems will get the machine
|
|||
|
|
repeatedly, racking up large phone bills, which is very
|
|||
|
|
annoying. See the section on Resolution of Disputes for details
|
|||
|
|
on what happens to annoying people.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you will be leaving your system unattended for an extended
|
|||
|
|
period of time (such as while you are on vacation), you should
|
|||
|
|
notify your coordinator. Systems do have a tendency to "crash"
|
|||
|
|
now and then, so you will probably want your coordinator to know
|
|||
|
|
that it is a temporary condition if it happens while you are
|
|||
|
|
away.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
COORDINATOR PROCEDURES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This chapter describes the procedures followed by the
|
|||
|
|
coordinator at the NET level.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The coordinator has four primary duties. In order of
|
|||
|
|
decreasing importance, they are:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Administrative tasks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Node list distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) Newsletter distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4) Network mail distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At first glance it would seem that network mail distribution
|
|||
|
|
should be the highest priority, since after all that's why
|
|||
|
|
we're running a network in the first place. But the first
|
|||
|
|
three priorities are needed to ensure smooth operation of
|
|||
|
|
the network, and hence must have a higher priority.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Administrative tasks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
First and foremost, every coordinator is also the sysop of
|
|||
|
|
his own node. It must be possible for others to reach you by
|
|||
|
|
network mail. So in addition to the other tasks of a
|
|||
|
|
coordinator, you must also observe all of the requirements for
|
|||
|
|
being a node.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 19 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Maintaining the node list
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A coordinator at any level must maintain his portion of the node
|
|||
|
|
list. Almost any coordinator will have some nodes in his node
|
|||
|
|
list which are not a part of any subgroup. For example, a
|
|||
|
|
Zone Coordinator must maintain a list of administrative nodes
|
|||
|
|
for his zone, and a Regional Coordinator must maintain a list of
|
|||
|
|
independent nodes in his region. A Hub Coordinator (or the
|
|||
|
|
Network Coordinator in a network without hubs) must maintain the
|
|||
|
|
list of all nodes in his area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A coordinator is responsible for seeing to it that his portion
|
|||
|
|
of the node list is kept reasonably accurate. You should
|
|||
|
|
attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes, and
|
|||
|
|
so forth in this node list as soon as possible. You should also
|
|||
|
|
check from time to time to ensure that all of the listed
|
|||
|
|
nodes are in fact capable of accepting network mail. How best to
|
|||
|
|
accomplish this is left to your discretion.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Assigning node numbers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A node number will not be assigned until a formal request from
|
|||
|
|
that system has been received by FidoNet mail. This will ensure
|
|||
|
|
that the system is at least minimally operational. Additionally,
|
|||
|
|
that system will be checked to ensure that it can receive both
|
|||
|
|
mail and files. Before accessing echomail, the system will have
|
|||
|
|
to demonstrate that it can use the echomail system by using the
|
|||
|
|
local NET343 echo. The strict maintenance of this policy has
|
|||
|
|
been one of the great strengths of FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Network mail will be used to inform a new node of his node
|
|||
|
|
number, as this helps to insure that he is capable of receiving
|
|||
|
|
network mail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Problem resolution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the problem is caused by a node within the net, then you will
|
|||
|
|
contact the net coordinator, who will attempt to resolve the
|
|||
|
|
problem. If the problem is outside of the net, then you should
|
|||
|
|
contact the coordinator of the other net, but be sure that you
|
|||
|
|
send a copy of the complaint to your own coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the problem is with the region, send the complaint to the
|
|||
|
|
network coordinators concerned, and to the regional coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Any complaints received by the network coordinator will be
|
|||
|
|
forwarded to the regional coordinator for information purposes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Formulating local policy
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is your responsibility to formulate any local policies
|
|||
|
|
which are required for the smooth operation of your assigned
|
|||
|
|
area. Any policies you establish must not conflict with any
|
|||
|
|
policies established by a coordinator above you or with this
|
|||
|
|
policy document.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 20 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Node list distribution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The node list is posted weekly on Saturday, along with a
|
|||
|
|
"difference file" giving the changes for the week. The
|
|||
|
|
nodediff will be distributed to each node as soon as possible.
|
|||
|
|
It is recommended you make it available for download by the
|
|||
|
|
general user, but this is not required.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.3 Newsletter distribution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The newsletter, called FidoNews, is published weekly on Monday
|
|||
|
|
and is distributed as an archive named FNEWSvnn.ARC, where "v"
|
|||
|
|
is the volume number and "nn" is the issue number. It will be
|
|||
|
|
distributed in the same manor as the nodelist. It is also
|
|||
|
|
desirable that you make it available for download by the
|
|||
|
|
general user in both archive an non archive form, but this is not
|
|||
|
|
required.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Anything else
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You should encourage sysops and users in your region to
|
|||
|
|
contribute to FidoNews. If you receive any submissions, you
|
|||
|
|
should forward them to the FidoNews publisher. Think of yourself
|
|||
|
|
as being a regional bureau chief on the FidoNews editorial
|
|||
|
|
staff.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews and the node list are the glue that holds us
|
|||
|
|
together. Without them, we cease to be a community, and become
|
|||
|
|
just another random collection of bulletin boards.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Specific coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator is responsible for assigning node numbers
|
|||
|
|
to any nodes within his network which are not managed by a Hub
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator. A Network Coordinator is also responsible for
|
|||
|
|
allocating any hubs within his network and for appointing a
|
|||
|
|
Hub Coordinator for each hub. If a Network Coordinator assigns
|
|||
|
|
any Hub Coordinators, then he also assigns a pool of numbers
|
|||
|
|
to each Hub Coordinator for use in assigning node numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is the responsibility of a Network Coordinator to
|
|||
|
|
receive all inbound mail for nodes in his network and to
|
|||
|
|
forward it to its recipients. How to accomplish this is
|
|||
|
|
left to the discretion of the Network Coordinator. However,
|
|||
|
|
there are a few exceptions:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Once in awhile a node will try to make a "bombing run"
|
|||
|
|
(sending one message to a great many nodes). Bombing runs are
|
|||
|
|
considered to be annoying, and will be cause for a formal
|
|||
|
|
complaint.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Occasionally a user will appear who receives a great
|
|||
|
|
deal of traffic. If a single node is receiving enough mail to
|
|||
|
|
interfere with mail delivery to the other nodes in his
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 21 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
network, then his Network Coordinator can refer him to his
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator for reassignment as an independent node.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator is responsible for assigning any additional
|
|||
|
|
mail events which may be required for operation of his network.
|
|||
|
|
Any node in a network may be excommunicated for failing to
|
|||
|
|
observe these additional mail events.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator may appoint a node as the outbound
|
|||
|
|
gateway for his network if he so desires and if one can be
|
|||
|
|
found. In no case should a node be appointed as an outbound
|
|||
|
|
gateway unless the sysop of that node is willing and able to
|
|||
|
|
provide reasonably reliable service. Note that a Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator is not required to appoint an outbound gateway. If
|
|||
|
|
a Network Coordinator chooses to appoint an outbound gateway,
|
|||
|
|
then it is left to the Network Coordinator to establish any
|
|||
|
|
rules, policies, and procedures relating to its use.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hub Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Hub Coordinator is responsible for assigning node numbers to
|
|||
|
|
nodes in his area. Each Hub Coordinator will be assigned a pool
|
|||
|
|
of numbers to use when assigning node numbers. A Hub
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator should never assign a node number outside of this
|
|||
|
|
pool, and should never assign the same number to more than one
|
|||
|
|
node. If a Hub Coordinator assigns all of the numbers in his
|
|||
|
|
pool, he should apply to his Network Coordinator for additional
|
|||
|
|
numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is the responsibility of a Hub Coordinator to receive all
|
|||
|
|
inbound mail for nodes in his hub and to forward it to its
|
|||
|
|
recipients. How to accomplish this is left to the discretion
|
|||
|
|
of the Hub Coordinator. However, the same exceptions apply
|
|||
|
|
here as for a Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Hub Coordinator may have additional duties, as assigned
|
|||
|
|
by his Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The world not being perfect, sometimes troubles crop up.
|
|||
|
|
Any organization larger than a cub scout pack needs some sort of
|
|||
|
|
grievance procedure, and FidoNet is no exception.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In other words, there are no hard and fast rules of conduct,
|
|||
|
|
but reasonably polite behavior is expected. Also, in any
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 22 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
dispute both sides are examined, and action could be taken
|
|||
|
|
against either or both parties. ("Judge not, lest ye be judged!")
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In any case of annoying behavior the person to complain to
|
|||
|
|
is the coordinator of the person who is annoying you. For
|
|||
|
|
example, if you have a problem with a point or a user you would
|
|||
|
|
complain to his sysop, or if you have a problem with a
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator you would complain to his Zone Coordinator,
|
|||
|
|
and so on.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the coordinator you complain to fails to resolve the problem,
|
|||
|
|
then you can complain to his coordinator. For example, if
|
|||
|
|
you had a problem with a Hub Coordinator, you would first
|
|||
|
|
complain to his Network Coordinator. Then if the Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator does not resolve the problem, you would complain to
|
|||
|
|
his Regional Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do not ever skip over a coordinator when filing a complaint.
|
|||
|
|
That in itself is annoying.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This net shall be the one noted for non-flames. No one in this
|
|||
|
|
net shall flame another in the net. If you are thinking of
|
|||
|
|
flaming someone outside the net, be forewarned, a complaint filed
|
|||
|
|
against you by someone outside the net, will be taken seriously,
|
|||
|
|
and steps will be taken. We are friendly, loyal, trustworthy, and
|
|||
|
|
HONEST.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 23 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Neal Curtin
|
|||
|
|
1:343/1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
F I D O N E T
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Policy and Procedures Guide
|
|||
|
|
Zone 1 version
|
|||
|
|
Version 0.001
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
* * * P R O P O S A L * * *
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chapter 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OVERVIEW
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of
|
|||
|
|
its participants and operators are non-paid volunteers. From
|
|||
|
|
its early beginnings as a few friends swapping messages back and
|
|||
|
|
forth, it has now grown to (August 1987) over 2000
|
|||
|
|
different systems on four continents.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet is large enough that it would quickly fall apart of
|
|||
|
|
its own weight unless some sort of structure and control were
|
|||
|
|
imposed on it. Multi net operation provides the structure.
|
|||
|
|
Decentralized management provides the control. This document is
|
|||
|
|
an attempt to describe the procedures which have been
|
|||
|
|
developed to manage the network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1.1 The Levels of FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet nodes are grouped on several levels. These are as
|
|||
|
|
follows:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o FidoNet; This indicates the entire public amateur mail
|
|||
|
|
network, as administered by the International FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
Association, and as defined by the weekly node list.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Zones; A zone is a large geographic area containing many
|
|||
|
|
regions, and covering one or more countries and/or
|
|||
|
|
continents.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Regions; A region is a well defined geographic area
|
|||
|
|
containing nodes which may or may not be combined into
|
|||
|
|
networks. A typical region will contain many nodes in
|
|||
|
|
networks, and a few independent nodes, which are not a part
|
|||
|
|
of any network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Networks; A network is a collection of nodes, usually
|
|||
|
|
in a relatively small geographic area. Networks coordinate
|
|||
|
|
their mail activity to decrease cost and increase mail
|
|||
|
|
throughput.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 24 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Hubs; A hub is a subdivision of a network that assists in
|
|||
|
|
network management by routing mail to, and by
|
|||
|
|
coordinating for, a collection of nodes in that network.
|
|||
|
|
In general only the larger networks will have hubs.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Nodes; A node is a single FidoNet address, and is the
|
|||
|
|
smallest recognized unit of FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o Points; A point is a node on a private network which is
|
|||
|
|
accessible through a node on FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1.2 Coordinators
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Each subdivision at each level is managed by a
|
|||
|
|
coordinator. A coordinator is a person who coordinates the
|
|||
|
|
technical aspects of network mail. This entails both
|
|||
|
|
administrative and technical tasks, which will be described
|
|||
|
|
later. The following levels of coordinators are currently
|
|||
|
|
recognized:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The International Coordinator; The International
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator compiles all of the node lists from all of the
|
|||
|
|
regions and creates the master node list, which is then
|
|||
|
|
distributed over FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Zone Coordinator; A Zone Coordinator maintains the
|
|||
|
|
list of administrative nodes in his zone and accepts node lists
|
|||
|
|
from the Regional Coordinators in his zone. He compiles
|
|||
|
|
these lists to create a zone node list, which he then sends to
|
|||
|
|
the International Coordinator for inclusion in the master
|
|||
|
|
node list. A Zone Coordinator is also responsible for
|
|||
|
|
overseeing any zone gateways in his zone.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Regional Coordinator; A Regional Coordinator maintains
|
|||
|
|
the list of independent nodes in his region and accepts node
|
|||
|
|
lists from the Network Coordinators in his region. He compiles
|
|||
|
|
these lists to create a regional node list for his region, which
|
|||
|
|
he then sends to his Zone Coordinator. A Regional Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
does not perform routing services for any nodes in his region.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Network Coordinator; A Network Coordinator maintains the
|
|||
|
|
list of any nodes in his network that are not served by a
|
|||
|
|
hub and accepts node lists from the Hub Coordinators in his
|
|||
|
|
network. He compiles these lists to create a network node
|
|||
|
|
list for his network, which he then sends to his Regional
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator. A Network Coordinator is also responsible for
|
|||
|
|
forwarding any mail addressed to nodes in his network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Hub Coordinator; A Hub Coordinator maintains the list of
|
|||
|
|
nodes in his hub and sends it to his Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
A Hub Coordinator is also responsible for forwarding any mail
|
|||
|
|
addressed to nodes in his hub.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Point Coordinator; Any node in FidoNet can act as a
|
|||
|
|
gateway to a point network. The Sysop (or system operator) of
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 25 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that node then acts as the coordinator for his point network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o The Sysop; A Sysop formulates his own policy for running his
|
|||
|
|
board and dealing with his users, so that will not be discussed
|
|||
|
|
in this document. However, a Sysop must also mesh with the
|
|||
|
|
rest of the FidoNet system if he is to send and receive mail, and
|
|||
|
|
that will be discussed here.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
These levels act to distribute the administration and
|
|||
|
|
control of FidoNet to the lowest possible level, while
|
|||
|
|
still allowing for coordinated action over the entire mail
|
|||
|
|
system. Administration is made possible by operating in a
|
|||
|
|
strict top-down manner. That is, a coordinator at any given
|
|||
|
|
level is responsible to the coordinator immediately above
|
|||
|
|
him, and responsible for everyone below him.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For example, a Regional Coordinator is solely responsible to his
|
|||
|
|
Zone Coordinator for anything that may or may not happen in
|
|||
|
|
his region. From the point of view of the Zone
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator, the Regional Coordinator is totally and
|
|||
|
|
completely responsible for the smooth operation of his
|
|||
|
|
region. Likewise, from the point of view of the Regional
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator, the Network Coordinators are totally and
|
|||
|
|
completely responsible for the smooth operation of their
|
|||
|
|
networks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If a coordinator at any level above sysop is unable for any
|
|||
|
|
reason to properly perform his duties, he can be replaced by his
|
|||
|
|
coordinator at the next level up. For example, if a Regional
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator is failing to perform his duties, then his Zone
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator can appoint a new Regional Coordinator to replace
|
|||
|
|
him.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The primary responsibility of any coordinator is technical
|
|||
|
|
management of network operations. Management decisions should
|
|||
|
|
be made strictly on technical grounds.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chapter 2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SYSOP PROCEDURES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A sysop of an individual node can pretty much do as he
|
|||
|
|
pleases, as long as he observes the mail events, is not
|
|||
|
|
excessively annoying to other nodes on FidoNet, and does
|
|||
|
|
not promote the distribution of pirated copyrighted software.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when
|
|||
|
|
network mail is passed between systems. Any system which wishes
|
|||
|
|
to be a part of FidoNet must be able to receive mail at this
|
|||
|
|
time. A system which is a member of a network may also be
|
|||
|
|
required to observe additional mail events, as defined by his
|
|||
|
|
Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 26 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Failure to observe the proper mail events is sufficient
|
|||
|
|
grounds for any node to be dropped from FidoNet without notice
|
|||
|
|
(since notice is generally given by FidoNet mail).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Network mail systems generally operate unattended and place
|
|||
|
|
calls at odd hours of the night. If a system tries to call an
|
|||
|
|
incorrect or out of date number, it could cause some poor
|
|||
|
|
citizen's phone to ring in the wee hours of the morning, much
|
|||
|
|
to the annoyance of innocent bystanders and civil
|
|||
|
|
authorities. For this reason, a sysop who sends mail is
|
|||
|
|
obligated to obtain and use the most recent edition of the
|
|||
|
|
node list as is practical.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A system which has been dropped from the network is said
|
|||
|
|
to be excommunicated (i.e. unable to communicate). A node
|
|||
|
|
which has been excommunicated may or may not be listed for a
|
|||
|
|
time in the "dog house", which is included in the comments at the
|
|||
|
|
end of the node list. If you find that you have been
|
|||
|
|
excommunicated without warning, then that means that your
|
|||
|
|
coordinator was unable to contact you. You should rectify
|
|||
|
|
the problem and report back.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The exact timing of National Mail Hour is set for each zone
|
|||
|
|
by the Zone Coordinator. In zone 2 National Mail Hour is
|
|||
|
|
observed from 0900 to 1000 GMT every day, weekends included.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet does not observe daylight savings time. In areas
|
|||
|
|
which observe daylight savings time the FidoNet mail
|
|||
|
|
schedules must be adjusted in the same direction as the
|
|||
|
|
clock change. Alternatively, you can simply leave your system on
|
|||
|
|
standard time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2.1 How to get a node number
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You must first obtain a current node list so that you can send
|
|||
|
|
mail. You do not need a node number to send mail, but you must
|
|||
|
|
have one in order for others to send mail to you.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first step in obtaining a current node list is to locate a
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet bulletin board. No help there; you're on your own.
|
|||
|
|
Most bulletin board lists include at least a few FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
systems, and usually identify them as such, so this shouldn't
|
|||
|
|
be too hard.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the sysop of any FidoNet system does not have a node list
|
|||
|
|
available for downloading, then he can probably tell you where to
|
|||
|
|
get one.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once you have a node list, you must determine which
|
|||
|
|
coordinator to apply to. The coordinator of any network or
|
|||
|
|
region is always node zero of that network or region. A
|
|||
|
|
Hub Coordinator will always be indicated in the node list by a
|
|||
|
|
"HUB" prefix.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You should apply to the lowest-level coordinator that covers
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 27 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
your area. For example, if you are located within the hub of
|
|||
|
|
a network, then you would apply to the Hub Coordinator. If there
|
|||
|
|
is no network that covers your area, then you would
|
|||
|
|
apply to the Regional Coordinator for your region.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Your application for a node number must be sent to the
|
|||
|
|
coordinator by FidoNet mail, and must include at least the
|
|||
|
|
following:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Your name.
|
|||
|
|
2) The name of your system.
|
|||
|
|
3) The city and state where your system is located.
|
|||
|
|
4) The phone number to be used when calling your system.
|
|||
|
|
5) Your hours of operation.
|
|||
|
|
6) The maximum baud rate you can support.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Your coordinator may want additional information. If so, he
|
|||
|
|
will contact you. Please allow at least two to three weeks
|
|||
|
|
for a node number request to be processed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2.2 If you are going down
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If your node will be down for an extended period (more than a
|
|||
|
|
day or two), then you should inform your coordinator as soon as
|
|||
|
|
possible. If you do not do this, then other systems will still
|
|||
|
|
try to reach you while you are down, much to the annoyance
|
|||
|
|
of everyone. Do not under any circumstances put an answering
|
|||
|
|
machine or similar device on your phone line while you are down.
|
|||
|
|
If you do, then calling systems will get the machine
|
|||
|
|
repeatedly, racking up large phone bills, which is very
|
|||
|
|
annoying. See the section on Resolution of Disputes for details
|
|||
|
|
on what happens to annoying people.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you will be leaving your system unattended for an extended
|
|||
|
|
period of time (such as while you are on vacation), you should
|
|||
|
|
notify your coordinator. Systems do have a tendency to "crash"
|
|||
|
|
now and then, so you will probably want your coordinator to know
|
|||
|
|
that it is a temporary condition if it happens while you are
|
|||
|
|
away.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2.3 How to form a network
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If there are several nodes in your area, but no network, then
|
|||
|
|
you may wish to form your own. You may also be requested to form
|
|||
|
|
a network by your Regional Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Your first step is to contact the other sysops in your area. You
|
|||
|
|
must decide which nodes will comprise the network, and which of
|
|||
|
|
those nodes is going to be the Network Coordinator. Your next
|
|||
|
|
step is to inform your Regional Coordinator. You must send him a
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet message with the following information:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) The region number(s), or network number(s) if a
|
|||
|
|
network is splitting up, that are affected by the formation of
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 28 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
your network. The Regional Coordinator will inform the
|
|||
|
|
coordinators of any affected networks that a new network is in
|
|||
|
|
formation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) The name that you wish to call your network. Please try to
|
|||
|
|
select a name that relates to your grouping. For example,
|
|||
|
|
SoCalNet for nodes in the Southern California Area and
|
|||
|
|
MassNet for Massachusetts Area. Remember if you call
|
|||
|
|
yourself DOGNET it doesn't help others know what area of the
|
|||
|
|
country (or even what country) your group is in.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) A copy of the proposed network's nodelist. The nodelist
|
|||
|
|
file should be named Frrr-nnn.NET where rrr is the
|
|||
|
|
proposed host's current region or network number and nnn
|
|||
|
|
is his current node number. For example, if the proposed host
|
|||
|
|
is currently listed as node 5 in region 13, then you would
|
|||
|
|
name the file F013-005.NET. This file should be sent attached to
|
|||
|
|
the message of Application for a Network Number.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Granting of a network number is not automatic. Your
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator will review your application and
|
|||
|
|
inform you of his decision.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do not send a network number request to the Zone Coordinator. All
|
|||
|
|
network number requests must be processed by the Regional
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chapter 3
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
COORDINATOR PROCEDURES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This chapter describes the procedures followed by all
|
|||
|
|
coordinators at all levels. Later we will go into more detail
|
|||
|
|
on those procedures which are specific to any given type of
|
|||
|
|
coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All coordinators have four primary duties. In order of
|
|||
|
|
decreasing importance, they are:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Administrative tasks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Node list distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) Newsletter distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4) Network mail distribution.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At first glance it would seem that network mail distribution
|
|||
|
|
should be the highest priority, since after all that's why
|
|||
|
|
we're running a network in the first place. But the first
|
|||
|
|
three priorities are needed to ensure smooth operation of
|
|||
|
|
the network, and hence must have a higher priority.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 29 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.1 Administrative tasks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
First and foremost, every coordinator is also the sysop of
|
|||
|
|
his own node. It must be possible for others to reach you by
|
|||
|
|
network mail. So in addition to the other tasks of a
|
|||
|
|
coordinator, you must also observe all of the requirements for
|
|||
|
|
being a node.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.1.1 Maintaining the node list
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A coordinator at any level must maintain his portion of the node
|
|||
|
|
list. Almost any coordinator will have some nodes in his node
|
|||
|
|
list which are not a part of any subgroup. For example, a
|
|||
|
|
Zone Coordinator must maintain a list of administrative nodes
|
|||
|
|
for his zone, and a Regional Coordinator must maintain a list of
|
|||
|
|
independent nodes in his region. A Hub Coordinator (or the
|
|||
|
|
Network Coordinator in a network without hubs) must maintain the
|
|||
|
|
list of all nodes in his area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A coordinator is responsible for seeing to it that his portion
|
|||
|
|
of the node list is kept reasonably accurate. You should
|
|||
|
|
attempt to implement name changes, phone number changes, and
|
|||
|
|
so forth in this node list as soon as possible. You should also
|
|||
|
|
check from time to time to ensure that all of the listed
|
|||
|
|
nodes are in fact capable of accepting network mail. How best to
|
|||
|
|
accomplish this is left to your discretion.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.1.2 Assigning node numbers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You may assign node numbers to new nodes in your list, but keep
|
|||
|
|
in mind the following:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) It is your responsibility to ensure that the node number you
|
|||
|
|
assign is unique within that region or network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) You should try to avoid assigning node numbers when an
|
|||
|
|
existing subdivision of your area already covers the location
|
|||
|
|
of the new node. For example, a Regional Coordinator should
|
|||
|
|
try to avoid assigning independent nodes in a city that has
|
|||
|
|
its own network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You may also change the numbers of existing nodes in your area,
|
|||
|
|
though you should check with the respective nodes before doing
|
|||
|
|
so.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You should not under any circumstances assign a node number to
|
|||
|
|
any system until you have received a formal request from that
|
|||
|
|
system by FidoNet mail. This will ensure that the system is at
|
|||
|
|
least minimally operational. The strict maintenance of this
|
|||
|
|
policy has been one of the great strengths of FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is also recommended, though not required, that you call a
|
|||
|
|
board which is applying for a node number before assigning it a
|
|||
|
|
node number.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 30 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You should use network mail to inform a new node of his node
|
|||
|
|
number, as this helps to insure that he is capable of receiving
|
|||
|
|
network mail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.1.3 Problem resolution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
From time to time you may be called on to resolve a problem in
|
|||
|
|
your area. This could be a technical problem relating to the
|
|||
|
|
four primary duties of a coordinator, or it could be related to
|
|||
|
|
annoying behaviour on the part of someone in your area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the problem is caused by a node or a coordinator immediately
|
|||
|
|
under you, then it is your responsibility to resolve the problem
|
|||
|
|
in whatever manner you deem fit. If the problem is in a
|
|||
|
|
subdivision of your area, then you should first refer it to
|
|||
|
|
the appropriate coordinator. If that coordinator does not
|
|||
|
|
resolve the problem satisfactorily, then you can appoint a
|
|||
|
|
replacement.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.1.4 Formulating local policy
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is your responsibility to formulate any local policies
|
|||
|
|
which are required for the smooth operation of your assigned
|
|||
|
|
area. Any policies you establish must not conflict with any
|
|||
|
|
policies established by a coordinator above you or with this
|
|||
|
|
policy document.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.2 Node list distribution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The node list is posted weekly on Saturday, along with a
|
|||
|
|
"difference file" giving the changes for the week. It is your
|
|||
|
|
responsibility to obtain the difference file from your
|
|||
|
|
coordinator every week and to distribute it to the
|
|||
|
|
coordinators below you. The method of distribution is left
|
|||
|
|
to your discretion. It is also desirable that you make it
|
|||
|
|
available for downloading by the general user, but this is not
|
|||
|
|
required.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.3 Newsletter distribution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The newsletter, called FidoNews, is published weekly on Monday
|
|||
|
|
and is distributed as an archive named FNEWSvnn.ARC, where "v"
|
|||
|
|
is the volume number and "nn" is the issue number. It is your
|
|||
|
|
responsibility to obtain this archive from your coordinator
|
|||
|
|
every week and to distribute it to the coordinators below you.
|
|||
|
|
The method of distribution is left to your discretion. It is
|
|||
|
|
also desirable that you make it available for downloading by
|
|||
|
|
the general user in both archived an unarchived form, but this
|
|||
|
|
is not required.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 31 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.4 Network mail distribution
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is your responsibility to ensure that network mail in your
|
|||
|
|
area is operating in an acceptable manner. Exactly what this
|
|||
|
|
involves will depend on what level you are at, and will be
|
|||
|
|
discussed in more detail below.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.5 Anything else
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You should encourage sysops and users in your region to
|
|||
|
|
contribute to FidoNews. If you receive any submissions, you
|
|||
|
|
should forward them to the FidoNews publisher. Think of yourself
|
|||
|
|
as being a regional bureau chief on the FidoNews editorial
|
|||
|
|
staff.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews and the node list are the glue that holds us
|
|||
|
|
together. Without them, we cease to be a community, and become
|
|||
|
|
just another random collection of bulletin boards.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6 Specific coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The above outlines the procedures which are followed by
|
|||
|
|
all coordinators. We will now discuss additional procedures
|
|||
|
|
followed by specific types of coordinators.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6.1 International Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The International Coordinator is elected by all regional
|
|||
|
|
coordinators in all zones. In case of a vacancy, the senior zone
|
|||
|
|
coordinator will assume the position until such time as a new
|
|||
|
|
coordinator can be elected.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The International Coordinator is responsible for format of the
|
|||
|
|
node-list and the update files.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The International Coordinator is responsible for allocating
|
|||
|
|
zones, assigning zone numbers, and for appointing the Zone
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator for each zone.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6.2 Zone Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Zone Coordinator is responsible for dividing his zone into
|
|||
|
|
regions, assigning region numbers, and for appointing the
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator for each region. A Zone Coordinator also
|
|||
|
|
assigns a pool of numbers to each Regional Coordinator for use in
|
|||
|
|
assigning network numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Zone Coordinator is responsible for locating nodes willing to
|
|||
|
|
act as zone gates for passing mail between his zone and the other
|
|||
|
|
zones, if at all possible. A Zone Coordinator should not
|
|||
|
|
appoint any node as a zone gate unless the sysop of that node is
|
|||
|
|
willing and able to provide reasonably reliable interzone mail.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 32 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Zone gates are highly desirable, but if provided they must be
|
|||
|
|
reasonably reliable.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Zone Coordinator maintains the list of administrative nodes
|
|||
|
|
within his zone. The administrative nodes will always have a
|
|||
|
|
region number the same as the zone number. For example, the
|
|||
|
|
administrative nodes for Zone 3 will always be in Region 3.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Zone Coordinator may use administrative node addresses for
|
|||
|
|
whatever he likes, except that any node number which is the
|
|||
|
|
same as another zone number is reserved for the zone gate to that
|
|||
|
|
zone. For example, in Zone 3 the network address "3/2" is
|
|||
|
|
reserved for use by the zone gate that passes mail from Zone 3 to
|
|||
|
|
Zone 2.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Zone Coordinator may not assign a region number that is the
|
|||
|
|
same as any other zone number. This is because administrative
|
|||
|
|
regions are, by definition, present in all zones.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A zone coordinator is responsible for the weekly zone and world
|
|||
|
|
nodelist to be published in his zone on Saturdays.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6.3 Regional Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Regional Coordinator is responsible for approving new
|
|||
|
|
networks, assigning network numbers, and for appointing a
|
|||
|
|
Network Coordinator for each network.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Each Regional Coordinator will be assigned a pool of numbers
|
|||
|
|
to use when assigning network numbers. A Regional Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
should never assign a network number outside of this pool, and
|
|||
|
|
should never assign the same number to more than one network. If
|
|||
|
|
a Regional Coordinator assigns all of the numbers in his
|
|||
|
|
pool, he should apply to his Zone Coordinator for additional
|
|||
|
|
numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Regional Coordinator should try to avoid the needless
|
|||
|
|
proliferation of networks. Networks should not be allocated on
|
|||
|
|
any basis other than technical and practical considerations
|
|||
|
|
relating to network mail operations. For example, persons
|
|||
|
|
wishing to establish networks on the basis of special interests
|
|||
|
|
or for company mail should be encouraged to investigate the
|
|||
|
|
alternatives, such as echomail conferences and point networks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Regional Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the
|
|||
|
|
list of independent nodes within his region. This will consist
|
|||
|
|
primarily of those nodes which are not within the coverage
|
|||
|
|
area of any network. There are, however, certain cases where a
|
|||
|
|
node should not be a member of a network, such as a
|
|||
|
|
commercial system with a large volume of traffic which would clog
|
|||
|
|
the network. The resolution of such special cases is left to
|
|||
|
|
your own discretion.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If several independent nodes in a region are in a "clump",
|
|||
|
|
then the Regional Coordinator should encourage or require
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 33 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
them to form a network. Refer to the sysop procedure on
|
|||
|
|
forming a network for more details.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note that this does not mean that a Regional Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
should encourage the formation of trivial networks. Obviously,
|
|||
|
|
one node does not make a network. The exact number of
|
|||
|
|
nodes required for an effective network must be judged according
|
|||
|
|
to the circumstances of the situation, and is left to the
|
|||
|
|
discretion of the Regional Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is the responsibility of a Regional Coordinator to ensure that
|
|||
|
|
the networks within his region are operating in an
|
|||
|
|
acceptable manner. This does not mean that he is required to
|
|||
|
|
operate those networks; that is the responsibility of the Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinators. It means that he is responsible for seeing to
|
|||
|
|
it that the Network Coordinators within his region are acting
|
|||
|
|
responsibly.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Regional Coordinator is obligated to maintain direct and
|
|||
|
|
reasonably frequent contact with the networks in his region. The
|
|||
|
|
exact method of accomplishing this is left to the
|
|||
|
|
discretion of the Regional Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6.4 Network Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator is responsible for assigning node numbers
|
|||
|
|
to any nodes within his network which are not managed by a Hub
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator. A Network Coordinator is also responsible for
|
|||
|
|
allocating any hubs within his network and for appointing a
|
|||
|
|
Hub Coordinator for each hub. If a Network Coordinator assigns
|
|||
|
|
any Hub Coordinators, then he also assigns a pool of numbers
|
|||
|
|
to each Hub Coordinator for use in assigning node numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is the responsibility of a Network Coordinator to
|
|||
|
|
receive all inbound mail for nodes in his network and to
|
|||
|
|
forward it to its recipients. How to accomplish this is
|
|||
|
|
left to the discretion of the Network Coordinator. However,
|
|||
|
|
there are a few exceptions:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Once in awhile a node will try to make a "bombing run"
|
|||
|
|
(sending one message to a great many nodes). Bombing runs are
|
|||
|
|
considered to be annoying, and may be dealt with accordingly.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Occasionally a user will appear who receives a great
|
|||
|
|
deal of traffic. If a single node is receiving enough mail to
|
|||
|
|
interfere with mail delivery to the other nodes in his
|
|||
|
|
network, then his Network Coordinator can refer him to his
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator for reassignment as an independent node.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3) The most common source of routing overload is echomail.
|
|||
|
|
Echomail is a nice invention, and offers great benefits, but
|
|||
|
|
it cannot be allowed to degrade the ability of FidoNet to handle
|
|||
|
|
normal message traffic. If a node in a network is
|
|||
|
|
routing large volumes of echomail, the sysop can be asked to
|
|||
|
|
either limit the amount of echomail, or even to stop
|
|||
|
|
routing his echomail completely. The design of echomail is such
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 34 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
that it is a simple matter to do either of these.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator is responsible for assigning any additional
|
|||
|
|
mail events which may be required for operation of his network.
|
|||
|
|
Any node in a network may be excommunicated for failing to
|
|||
|
|
observe these additional mail events.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Network Coordinator may appoint a node as the outbound
|
|||
|
|
gateway for his network if he so desires and if one can be
|
|||
|
|
found. In no case should a node be appointed as an outbound
|
|||
|
|
gateway unless the sysop of that node is willing and able to
|
|||
|
|
provide reasonably reliable service. Note that a Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator is not required to appoint an outbound gateway. If
|
|||
|
|
a Network Coordinator chooses to appoint an outbound gateway,
|
|||
|
|
then it is left to the Network Coordinator to establish any
|
|||
|
|
rules, policies, and procedures relating to its use.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3.6.5 Hub Coordinator procedures
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Hub Coordinator is responsible for assigning node numbers to
|
|||
|
|
nodes in his area. Each Hub Coordinator will be assigned a pool
|
|||
|
|
of numbers to use when assigning node numbers. A Hub
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator should never assign a node number outside of this
|
|||
|
|
pool, and should never assign the same number to more than one
|
|||
|
|
node. If a Hub Coordinator assigns all of the numbers in his
|
|||
|
|
pool, he should apply to his Network Coordinator for additional
|
|||
|
|
numbers.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is the responsibility of a Hub Coordinator to receive all
|
|||
|
|
inbound mail for nodes in his hub and to forward it to its
|
|||
|
|
recipients. How to accomplish this is left to the discretion
|
|||
|
|
of the Hub Coordinator. However, the same exceptions apply
|
|||
|
|
here as for a Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A Hub Coordinator may have additional duties, as assigned
|
|||
|
|
by his Network Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chapter 4
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The world not being perfect, sometimes troubles crop up.
|
|||
|
|
Any organization larger than a cub scout pack needs some sort of
|
|||
|
|
grievance procedure, and FidoNet is no exception.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In other words, there are no hard and fast rules of conduct,
|
|||
|
|
but reasonably polite behavior is expected. Also, in any
|
|||
|
|
dispute both sides are examined, and action could be taken
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 35 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
against either or both parties. ("Judge not, lest ye be judged!")
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In any case of annoying behavior the person to complain to
|
|||
|
|
is the coordinator of the person who is annoying you. For
|
|||
|
|
example, if you have a problem with a point or a user you would
|
|||
|
|
complain to his sysop, or if you have a problem with a
|
|||
|
|
Regional Coordinator you would complain to his Zone Coordinator,
|
|||
|
|
and so on.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If the coordinator you complain to fails to resolve the problem,
|
|||
|
|
then you can complain to his coordinator. For example, if
|
|||
|
|
you had a problem with a Hub Coordinator, you would first
|
|||
|
|
complain to his Network Coordinator. Then if the Network
|
|||
|
|
Coordinator does not resolve the problem, you would complain to
|
|||
|
|
his Regional Coordinator.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do not ever skip over a coordinator when filing a complaint.
|
|||
|
|
That in itself is annoying.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(many thanks to Henk Wevers, who did most of this policy doc.
|
|||
|
|
Minor editing is all that was needed to bring it into conformance
|
|||
|
|
with the changed IFNA doc and the companion IPOLICY.TXT)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 36 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
COLUMNS
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jake Hargrove
|
|||
|
|
Fido 301/1
|
|||
|
|
High Mesa Ranger's
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What Price Echo Mail
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This article is going to deal with a subject which is getting
|
|||
|
|
very close to my pocket book and many others as well. In recent
|
|||
|
|
months it seems echomail has not only become popular with SySop's
|
|||
|
|
but users as well. An the question has arisen who should pay for
|
|||
|
|
echomail. This question like most others is fair, and deserves
|
|||
|
|
an answer. Even if it may not be what most folks want to hear.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In recent weeks the feed for most of this region (15) has been
|
|||
|
|
down. I find out by reading echomail, the feed is running six
|
|||
|
|
(6), 9600 baud HST modems (wish I just had one). An he is
|
|||
|
|
getting flamed left and right in almost every echomail area I
|
|||
|
|
read. Then I am politely reminded by a little bird on my
|
|||
|
|
shoulder. I do not know this guy from Adam, he is providing a
|
|||
|
|
service to me and many of the other nodes in the western United
|
|||
|
|
States, and his so called fellow sysops are Flaming him.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
So I ask the QUESTION.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
"WHAT IS THE PRICE OF ECHOMAIL?"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Like most everyone else except for a few I started picking up
|
|||
|
|
echomail when it really got started. Presently I use two feeds,
|
|||
|
|
one here in Region 15, and one from Region 19. Both are long
|
|||
|
|
distance calls and presently average 10-15 minutes each. It just
|
|||
|
|
so happens both feeds have been affected by the loss of the
|
|||
|
|
western feed. So for a couple of weeks now, messages have been
|
|||
|
|
sporadic to say the least.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I now carry 23 echo areas, some of which are used solely for
|
|||
|
|
myself, and most which are forwarded to other nodes locally. But
|
|||
|
|
I read every single message that comes into this board.
|
|||
|
|
Basically since I have very few users, because I have not
|
|||
|
|
advertised the BBS very much. The BBS is largely a message base,
|
|||
|
|
in fact recently when my internal clock was reset to the year
|
|||
|
|
1990 by a game my son plays. I lost or rather had killed over 7
|
|||
|
|
megs of messages because they were over 15 days old. Yes, I had
|
|||
|
|
read all of them but it makes you wonder. If I am a small system
|
|||
|
|
and have over 7 megs of messages what do some of the other larger
|
|||
|
|
systems have.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Recently purchasing a 2400 Baud Ven-Tel modem I hope to cut my
|
|||
|
|
cost, I do not expect it to be cut in half or anything like that,
|
|||
|
|
even a 50 dollar cut off of 137.00 will help. An if I figure it
|
|||
|
|
right, a 50 dollar cut would pay for my new modem in about 8
|
|||
|
|
months.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 37 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I now turn the topic of this article to the real subject. Just
|
|||
|
|
who should pay for echomail? I say this cost MUST be shared by
|
|||
|
|
all of us. If it cost my feeds $80.00 each a month to pickup
|
|||
|
|
their echo mail, and they use a 9600 baud modem. You can figure
|
|||
|
|
the cost of your echo mail using the following formula.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
9600 100% 75% 50% 25%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
9600/9600 = 1 80.00 60.00 40.00 20.00
|
|||
|
|
9600/2400 = 4 320.00 240.00 120.00 80.00
|
|||
|
|
9600/1200 = 8 640.00 480.00 320.00 120.00
|
|||
|
|
9600/300 = 32 2560.00 1920.00 1280.00 512.00
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2400 100% 75% 50% 25%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2400/2400 = 1 320.00 240.00 120.00 80.00
|
|||
|
|
2400/1200 = 2 640.00 480.00 320.00 120.00
|
|||
|
|
2400/300 = 8 2560.00 1920.00 1280.00 512.00
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1200 100% 75% 50% 25%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1200/1200 = 1 640.00 480.00 320.00 120.00
|
|||
|
|
1200/300 = 4 2560.00 1920.00 1280.00 512.00
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am most certainly willing to support my feed in any way I can
|
|||
|
|
but if I were to pickup all the echomail he received in a months
|
|||
|
|
time frame, I would have already paid 4 times what he paid just
|
|||
|
|
to get mail from him. But since I do my planning a little bit
|
|||
|
|
ahead I am only picking up those areas I want to read. So my
|
|||
|
|
cost is is not going to be the full cost of echomail to him.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
An it would not matter to Ma Bell who gives them the money. If
|
|||
|
|
my feed decided he was no longer going to allow me to poll him
|
|||
|
|
for mail. If he was going to make all the calls and then charge
|
|||
|
|
me a rate comparable to his phone cost. He would in fact, be
|
|||
|
|
doing me a favor, except it would still cost me XX dollars per
|
|||
|
|
month. It is now up to me to decide what I am willing to pay for
|
|||
|
|
my end of echomail.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
So what I am going to PRESUME IS:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. It will cost me to call my feed.
|
|||
|
|
2. Or it will cost me to have him call.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Either way, I will be paying out of my pocket.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I now ask, which is easier? Of course, I call him. I do it at
|
|||
|
|
my own time, when he allows me to do so, normally between 0200
|
|||
|
|
and 0500 in the morning. The cheapest time to call. So
|
|||
|
|
basically it means: ECHOMAIL is going to cost me exactly what I
|
|||
|
|
am willing to pay for it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As the local and Net 301 feed, I am making several proposals to
|
|||
|
|
those who I distribute mail to on how WE can solve this problem
|
|||
|
|
which will soon face us. They are the only ways I know of US
|
|||
|
|
maintaining our connection.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 38 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
So it all comes down to these few simple FACTS.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What Price of EchoMail is what you and I are going to be willing
|
|||
|
|
to pay for it. I personally want it as cheap as I can get it.
|
|||
|
|
My wife wants it cheaper. Even if as she put it, it means
|
|||
|
|
cutting back in the number of areas I receive, or telling those
|
|||
|
|
nodes who I make distribution to locally presently at no cost,
|
|||
|
|
except to one who has already agreed to pay his fair share, they
|
|||
|
|
will have to find other means of obtaining the echos they want.
|
|||
|
|
But then if I was a distribution point I would not want 3 or 4
|
|||
|
|
nodes from the same area making pickup. So one way or the other,
|
|||
|
|
MY price for EchoMail will be my monthly PHONE Bill.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 39 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Top Downloads: 5/27/8 - 6/3/88
|
|||
|
|
A weekly report of the most popular downloads
|
|||
|
|
from contributing FidoNet systems. Report created
|
|||
|
|
on June 9.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Contributing systems:
|
|||
|
|
135/1
|
|||
|
|
(380/2 - I guess you couldn't get through because of our disk
|
|||
|
|
problems).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Because I'm getting ready to install, format and copy 170
|
|||
|
|
floppies worth of files onto a new hard drive as well as change
|
|||
|
|
some of the look of RAM-SOFT, I'm just presenting you with a
|
|||
|
|
higly edited (not all files are listed) version of the system
|
|||
|
|
report from LogRpt. For those seeing this column for the
|
|||
|
|
first time, this is NOT the way it usually looks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Although we managed to be up for all but 3 national mail slots in
|
|||
|
|
the past two weeks, we have been down during the day quite often
|
|||
|
|
and the stats look sick compared to previous weeks. Hopefully in
|
|||
|
|
the 6/20 issue we'll be back to normal. (Our other sysop picked
|
|||
|
|
a great week to take a vacation!)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Report for the days 27 May through 02 Jun for a total of 7 days
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Percentage of use per hour
|
|||
|
|
%
|
|||
|
|
.... ...
|
|||
|
|
55| * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
50| * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
45| * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
40| * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
35| * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
30| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
25| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
20| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
15| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
10| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
5| * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
|
|||
|
|
+------------------------------------------------------------+
|
|||
|
|
0 1 2 3 ... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Statistics based on the board being available for 22.0 hours per
|
|||
|
|
day with a total of 50.0 calls possible per hour.
|
|||
|
|
Total number of calls: 185
|
|||
|
|
Total minutes BBS was in use: 2501 Min.
|
|||
|
|
Average call duration : 13.52 Min.
|
|||
|
|
Utilization of the BBS : 32.48 %
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File transactions Average per day
|
|||
|
|
---------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
Downloads: 137 19.57
|
|||
|
|
Uploads : 11 1.57
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Number of new calls: 96 (starting from 0 users, that isn't bad)
|
|||
|
|
Busiest hour was : 0000
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 40 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
File Name # DL's
|
|||
|
|
------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\misc\arc-set.arc 9
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\info\oliomac.arc 3
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\fixpcp11.arc 3
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\bbsp\colossus.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\info\macpics2.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\misc\firework.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\misc\say.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\clean.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\faskbak.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\pcplus11.arc 2
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\bbsp\newsysop.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\bbsp\renum40.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\bbsp\xlatlist.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\a86a.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\csrturbo.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\cxmodem.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\d86a.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\edipage.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\f-m2doc.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\f-m2util.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\scrn-c.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\sort-bas.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\sorts.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\lang\tccmisc.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\bacopy.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\colblnk1.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\cpu1b.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\dog101a.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\emcach.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\reboot.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\rmap.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\saytime.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\sdir1.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\show.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\sortdir.pas 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\sst.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
d:\opus\files\util\tt.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\dtpall.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\gt1400-3.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\gt1400-4.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\gt1400-5.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\ibmaux20.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\pcplusrt.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\ultra3.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\updload.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
e:\opus\files\comm\xfer121.arc 1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Transfer methods total
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------
|
|||
|
|
SEAlink download/upload: 21
|
|||
|
|
Telink download/upload: 8
|
|||
|
|
Xmodem download/upload: 77
|
|||
|
|
Ymodem download/upload: 11
|
|||
|
|
Zmodem download/upload: 31
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 41 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
External download/upload: 0
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If there are any other systems interested in having your
|
|||
|
|
download stats included in this weekly column, please send me
|
|||
|
|
your system via net-mail at 135/1. The complete system report
|
|||
|
|
from LogRpt so I can include utilization stats would be ideal
|
|||
|
|
but is not required. If there are filenames that may not fully
|
|||
|
|
indicate what the file is, please let me know. If there is a
|
|||
|
|
file you particularly want me to list, let me know. I need
|
|||
|
|
to have the information by Monday's Net-mail time in order to
|
|||
|
|
get the stats compiled. Please keep your reports at 7 or 8 days,
|
|||
|
|
Friday to Friday if possible and no longer than 10 days. (We
|
|||
|
|
can accept net-mail anytime of the day [when our HD works] and
|
|||
|
|
are PC-Pursuitable).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
James Gilbert
|
|||
|
|
RAM-SOFT Archive Library (9600HST)
|
|||
|
|
1:135/1
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 42 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
NOTICES
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once you thought it was safe to go back into the water...
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BEACH : Beach and Resort Echomail returns!
|
|||
|
|
run by Randy Kobetich, the Pervert under the BoardWalk
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
available directly from 150/199 or through appropiate channels.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Mike J
|
|||
|
|
The Grey Sysop...
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Interrupt Stack
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
18 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
Area Code 407 takes effect in East/Central Florida. All Sysops
|
|||
|
|
should adjust their Nodelist entries immediately.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
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
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 43 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dutchie 2.81 EditNL 4.00* ARC 5.21
|
|||
|
|
Fido 12h* MakeNL 2.10* ARCmail 1.1
|
|||
|
|
Opus 1.03b Prune 1.40 ConfMail 3.31
|
|||
|
|
SEAdog 4.10 XlatList 2.86 EchoMail 1.31
|
|||
|
|
TBBS 2.0M XlaxNode 1.02 MGM 1.1
|
|||
|
|
BinkleyTerm 1.50* XlaxDiff 1.02
|
|||
|
|
QuickBBS 2.01* ParseList 1.10
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
* Recently changed
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by
|
|||
|
|
reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list
|
|||
|
|
all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 44 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
COMMITTEE REPORTS
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Don Daniels, President
|
|||
|
|
International FidoNet Association
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet 1:107/210
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IFNA Status Report for June 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PROGRESS DURING THIS PERIOD
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
General
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
First of all, I'd like to report that FIDOCON '88 preparation is
|
|||
|
|
still charging ahead. There is a great deal of preparation and
|
|||
|
|
additional effort being expended to make this the biggest and
|
|||
|
|
best FIDOCON ever.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
From what I hear, there is an exciting key-note speaker lined-up:
|
|||
|
|
one of the innovators and "mavericks" of the industry. I'll let
|
|||
|
|
the Conference Organizing Committee give you the details when
|
|||
|
|
they're positive that everything is finalized, but it looks like
|
|||
|
|
this will be another highlight. The Committee seems to be going
|
|||
|
|
all out to provide a wide-range of topics, from the very
|
|||
|
|
technical to the important political issues that need to be
|
|||
|
|
resolved. If you hurry, I think you may still have a chance at
|
|||
|
|
the drawing for the U.S. Robotics 9600 HST modem, so get your
|
|||
|
|
registration in now!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Meanwhile, quite a few other activities are underway that sound
|
|||
|
|
very exciting. Should they continue in the direction they appear
|
|||
|
|
headed, it looks like we will have a lot of work to do, but will
|
|||
|
|
stand a very good chance of bringing real distinction to FidoNet
|
|||
|
|
through IFNA.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first of these, headed up by David Drexler, involves support
|
|||
|
|
for the younger set. There already is a KID'S NET which was
|
|||
|
|
started by the Witherspoon family, I believe. They've given us
|
|||
|
|
some ideas and help and Dave has been able to make several
|
|||
|
|
contacts in related areas. In one such undertaking, several
|
|||
|
|
hundred schools in the U.S. and Australia are already linked
|
|||
|
|
through a commercial network supported as a pilot project by one
|
|||
|
|
of the major carriers. It looks like that support may not
|
|||
|
|
continue into the fall and there may well be a chance for us to
|
|||
|
|
step in and provide some real cost-effective assistance to the
|
|||
|
|
schools that wish to continue.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In another project led by IFNA Vice-President Mark Grennan, a
|
|||
|
|
specially modified mailer is being developed that can be used by
|
|||
|
|
the blind. Several institutions that support the blind are very
|
|||
|
|
interested in the potential of this approach and have indicated
|
|||
|
|
various levels of support. There are still a few problems to be
|
|||
|
|
worked out, but hope is high that we can make quite a
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 45 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
contribution to this segment of our population.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Still another project deals with support for the deaf. Due to
|
|||
|
|
manning problems, we've had difficulty in getting this one
|
|||
|
|
underway. We could use help on all these areas, but particulary
|
|||
|
|
this one which has initial contacts in the D.C. area.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
These and other activities going on behind the scenes hold a
|
|||
|
|
great deal of promise for FidoNet to make even a far greater
|
|||
|
|
influence than it already has. But with this potential comes
|
|||
|
|
considerable responsibility and it it very necessary for us all
|
|||
|
|
to settle some of the political and technical issues that
|
|||
|
|
separate us, thereby making it possible for those that wish to
|
|||
|
|
and can support such beneficial endeavors to do so.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please, if you believe in such activities, make a real attempt to
|
|||
|
|
come to FIDOCON. We need your support and energy to clear some
|
|||
|
|
of the obstacles between us and some really worthwhile
|
|||
|
|
contributions to the public.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Unfortunately, Greg Small, who filled the empty Chair of this
|
|||
|
|
committee, has been beset by some overpowering personal
|
|||
|
|
considerations and has had to drop out. This leaves us again,
|
|||
|
|
without a leader for this important area. Certain aspects are
|
|||
|
|
proceeding along regardless, such as the financial work by
|
|||
|
|
Leonard Mednick and various projects by Steve Bonine. But we do
|
|||
|
|
need someone who can organize a great many administrative
|
|||
|
|
services and requirements to make us all more efficient.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The BoD has resolved the technical difficulties encountered with
|
|||
|
|
its recent management changeovers. Voting reports appear weekly
|
|||
|
|
in IFNA, so I'll not repeat them here.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BY-LAWS AND RULES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
No formal report was received from Steve Jordan. However, we
|
|||
|
|
have been involved in several discussions regarding some
|
|||
|
|
much-needed amendments to the By-laws. Steve's committee is
|
|||
|
|
finalizing the rules for this summer's vote on the suggested
|
|||
|
|
amendments.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As most of the members of the Executive Committee are forced to
|
|||
|
|
do double duty on other matters, the efforts involved in
|
|||
|
|
replacing Tom Marshall who resigned as Secretary due to personal
|
|||
|
|
and professional concerns, have taken up most of the available
|
|||
|
|
time.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 46 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
My personal thanks to Tom who has contributed a great deal of
|
|||
|
|
service to FidoNet.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
No official report was received from Henk Wevers, but he has told
|
|||
|
|
me that they are expecting 120 or more for EuroCon II. Those of
|
|||
|
|
us that will be attending are looking forward to this event - in
|
|||
|
|
my case, I expect it to provide additional input towards our
|
|||
|
|
preparation for FIDOCON.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Phil Ardussi informs me that the tapes from last FIDOCON are
|
|||
|
|
finally ready and will be available at this year's conference.
|
|||
|
|
Plans are already underway for next year's conference. They are
|
|||
|
|
putting the finishing touches on the forms and processes for
|
|||
|
|
evaluating bids for FIDOCON '89. It is expected that bids will
|
|||
|
|
be requested and received in time to make the decision and
|
|||
|
|
announcement at this year's conference.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The chairmanship of this committee was just changed from David
|
|||
|
|
Garrett to Rob Barker on the request of the BoD. Although the
|
|||
|
|
By-laws don't specifically say so, it appears that their intent
|
|||
|
|
was to maintain separation between the IFNA Secretary and the
|
|||
|
|
functions of this committee. Therefore, as David Garrett has
|
|||
|
|
just been elected the new Secretary of IFNA, he was asked to
|
|||
|
|
relinquish the chair. Our thanks to David for his recent efforts
|
|||
|
|
in handling the nominations and working toward the establishment
|
|||
|
|
of the rules for the upcoming election.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PUBLICATIONS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
No report was received on this matter from Tim Sullivan (who
|
|||
|
|
is presently concentrating his efforts on FIDOCON!).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TECHNICAL STANDARDS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
No report was received from Randy Bush.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ETHICS COMMITTEE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
No specific report was received from Bill Allbritten, but I did
|
|||
|
|
get a copy of a draft of a Standard of Ethics for the leadership
|
|||
|
|
of IFNA. I was very impressed with this document, as it appears,
|
|||
|
|
in addition to spelling out various standards of performance and
|
|||
|
|
conduct, to really provide the membership with an independent
|
|||
|
|
mechanism for monitoring the officers and directors of IFNA.
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 47 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are still some details to be cleaned up, but I'm confident
|
|||
|
|
everyone will be impressed at the reasonable scope of this
|
|||
|
|
document.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
VP-TC
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dave Dodell did not provide a report.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FIDOCON LIAISON
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Tim Sullivan's report was summarized above.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PROBLEMS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As can be seen from the above, the extra burdens and lures of the
|
|||
|
|
encroaching summertime have cut into the remaining time available
|
|||
|
|
for FidoNet. This demonstrates that there are plenty of
|
|||
|
|
opportunities for others to get involved and take on some of the
|
|||
|
|
load. In fact, I would really like to call for a maximum limit
|
|||
|
|
on the number of "hats" an individual can wear, due to the
|
|||
|
|
difficulty so many have trying to meet the many other requirments
|
|||
|
|
of life and sysoping.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PROGNOSIS FOR NEXT PERIOD
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We are really looking forward to some of the various projects
|
|||
|
|
currently underway coming to fruition.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
And of course, FIDOCON should be a marvelous opportunity for us
|
|||
|
|
to get together and continue the new understanding and desire to
|
|||
|
|
work towards solutions that seems to have started to take hold
|
|||
|
|
throughout the Net.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 48 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ken Kaplan 100/22 Chairman of the Board
|
|||
|
|
Don Daniels 107/210 President
|
|||
|
|
Mark Grennan 147/1 Vice President
|
|||
|
|
Dave Dodell 114/15 Vice President - Technical Coordinator
|
|||
|
|
Tom Marshall 107/524 Secretary
|
|||
|
|
Leonard Mednick 12/1 Treasurer
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DIVISION AT-LARGE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
10 Steve Jordan 102/2871 Don Daniels 107/210
|
|||
|
|
11 Bill Allbritten 11/301 Hal DuPrie 101/106
|
|||
|
|
12 Leonard Mednick 12/1 Mark Grennan 147/1
|
|||
|
|
13 Rick Siegel 107/27 Brad Hicks 100/523
|
|||
|
|
14 Ken Kaplan 100/22 Ted Polczyinski 154/5
|
|||
|
|
15 Jim Cannell 128/13 Kurt Reisler 109/74
|
|||
|
|
16 Vince Perriello 141/491 Robert Rudolph 261/628
|
|||
|
|
17 Rob Barker 138/34 Greg Small 148/122
|
|||
|
|
18 Christopher Baker 135/14 Bob Swift 140/24
|
|||
|
|
19 Vernon Six 19/0 Larry Wall 15/18
|
|||
|
|
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 Gee Wong 107/312
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 49 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoCon '88 - Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|||
|
|
At The Drawbridge Inn and Convention Center
|
|||
|
|
August 25-28, 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Attendee Registration Form
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Name: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Address: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Address: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
City: _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ___________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Country: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Phone Numbers:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Day: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Evening: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Data: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Zone:Net/
|
|||
|
|
Node.Point: _______________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Your BBS Name: _______________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BBS Software: _____________________ Mailer: _________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Modem Brand: _____________________ Speed: _________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
What Hotel will you be Staying at: ____________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do you want to share a room? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are you a non-smoker? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do you want an in room point? ______
|
|||
|
|
(Tower rooms at Drawbridge only)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do you need special accommodations? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(If so, please explain) ____________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
____________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 50 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are you a non-Sysop? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are you an IFNA Member? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If so, will you be attending the
|
|||
|
|
Sunday IFNA brunch/BoD meeting? ______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Additional Guests: ______
|
|||
|
|
(not attending conferences)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Comments: ____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
____________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Costs How Many? Cost
|
|||
|
|
--------------------------- -------- -------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conference fee $60..................... ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
($75.00 after 7/31)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thursday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thursday Dinner $18.95 .............. ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Friday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Friday Banquet $24.95 .............. ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Saturday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
======== =======
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Totals ................................ ________ _______
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
You may pay by Check, Money Order or Visa/MC
|
|||
|
|
Please send no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds.
|
|||
|
|
Checks should be made out to: "FidoCon '88"
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This form should be completed and mailed to:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoCon '88 Registration
|
|||
|
|
P.O. Box 9294
|
|||
|
|
Cincinnati, OH 45209
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you pay by Credit Card you may also register by Netmailing
|
|||
|
|
this completed form to 108/62 or 1/88 for processing. Please
|
|||
|
|
complete the information below and be sure to include a voice
|
|||
|
|
phone number above so that we can contact you for Credit Card
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 51 13 Jun 1988
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
verification. Rename this file ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
|
|||
|
|
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
[ ] Visa [ ] MasterCard
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Name as it appears
|
|||
|
|
on credit card: ___________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Credit Card Number: ___________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Signature: ___________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
(If you mail in registration)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNews 5-24 Page 52 13 Jun 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___________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|