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Volume 6, Number 34 21 August 1989
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| _ |
| / \ |
| /|oo \ |
| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
| _`@/_ \ _ |
| International | | \ \\ |
| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
| (jm) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello
Editors Emeritii: Dale Lovell
Thom Henderson
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for
network mail 24 hours a day.
Copyright 1989 by the International FidoNet Association. All
rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and
are used with permission.
We don't necessarily agree with the contents of every article
published here. Most of these materials are unsolicited. No
article submitted by a FidoNet SysOp will be rejected if it is
properly attributed and legally acceptable. We will publish
every responsible submission received.
Table of Contents
1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
What needs to be done, and NOW! .......................... 1
What is CLF & NCLM? ...................................... 4
Text of Policy Complaint Against David Drexler ........... 6
Contest for Students ..................................... 11
An Event of Galactic Importance .......................... 15
2. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 17
Latest Software Versions ................................. 17
3. NOTICES .................................................. 19
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 19
FidoNews 6-34 Page 1 21 Aug 1989
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
What needs to be done, and NOW!
by Phil Buonomo, 1:107/583, 7:520/583, 9:807/1
For several months, you've been seeing articles written by yours
truly here which have been critical of the *C administration.
These articles began with my outrage over several RC's attempts
to wrest control of editorial privilege from the Editor of
FidoNews based on the idea that "they pay to have it
distributed".
This incident was only one of a series of incidents involving the
*C structure which date back to the original creation and
"passing" of Policy 4. Even before it was adopted, we had people
like Steve Bonine threatening an NC in his Region with removal
because the NC hadn't "jumped high enough" or fast enough, in
installing certain nodelist flags.
Then Policy 4 was 'voted in' in a secret ballot (ask Dave Dodell
to publish the FULL results, not just the vote count) in a two
week period (for a six thousand node network!?!). Zone 2
rejected it, and Zone 4 rejected it, but it was shoved in place
by the US RC's anyway.
Then Jim Grubs was thrown out of the nodelist (by Steve Bonine,
no less) for defying the legitimacy of Policy 4.
Net 154 was thrown out in its entirety for having 3 nodes which
were "outside the traditional geographic boundaries" of its
network. It didn't matter that these nodes were nowhere near
being close to any other network. It was the failure of the NC
to cowtow to the RC that caused the networks removal "for the
good of FidoNet".
Net 170 had an NC appointed by the RC, and when a vote went
against the new NC, it was disallowed by the RC because it was
"against policy".
An NC/NEC admits to automatically 'echo chopping' someone's mail,
and gets away with it without so much as a "Boo!" from the *C's.
Now, certain NEC's talk about running the backbone as if the
systems belonged to them! At last year's FidoCon, Butch Walker
and Ray Gwinn both supported the idea that conferences belonged
to the moderators, not the *C's or FidoNet, or the backbone. Yet
people are now taking up 'network sides' about who can or can't
participate in a conference!
FidoNews 6-34 Page 2 21 Aug 1989
Is it just me, or does anyone else see a pattern here?
Listen, gang. I've gotta tell ya something...
All the *C's in the world may be a great bunch of guys, but when
a network policy in place makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the little guy,
the nodes, to have a say in things that affect him, its just
plain wrong.
Now, a few weeks ago, Vince wrote an editorial telling people
that wanted democracy that they had missed their chance by not
supporting IFNA. I've come to the realization that they were
right.
I suggest that you join IFNA. Make it strong, and make it a
voice that can be heard. Then, maybe you can make the following
proposals I have come true:
1) A self-perpetuating coordinator structure is wrong.
2) Network nodes should select their OWN NC, not have him
appointed by some guy 3 states away that's never been in touch
anyway.
3) The IC should be appointed by the IFNA BoD. That's the way it
was done in the first place, and it was a good idea because...
4) Everyone in the nodelist should be an "At-Large" member of
IFNA, and get to vote for the "At-Large" BoD seats.
With that in mind, I have no problem with the IC appointing the
ZC's (with ratification by the RC's), and RC's being appointed by
the ZC.
This plan gives democracy a chance, while maintaining technical
integrity at the top of the organization. It also gives the
individual node TWO voices in the management of his network, one
in the direct election of his NC, and one in the election of the
IFNA BoD, which appoints the IC.
People talk about the benefits of Top-down and Bottom-up
management. Well, this plan gives us all the advantages of both.
It puts the responsibility right back where it belongs, and
doesn't compromise the technical operation of the network. It
also promotes a strong IFNA, an idea for which I have to thank
Vince Perriello, and his editorials in FidoNews.
With all that's happened lately, don't you think its time the
*C's stopped stepping on the individual nodes, and started being
responsible TO them (read: YOU)?
FidoNews 6-34 Page 3 21 Aug 1989
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 4 21 Aug 1989
Butch Witherspoon
Fido 1:288/525
WHAT IS THE COMPUTER LEARNING FOUNDATION & WHY A COMPUTER
LEARNING MONTH?
Developing computer competency among our youth is critical to the
future of Canada, the united States and our children. It can
play a major role in maintaining our competitive edge and in
addressing major concerns of literacy ,school dropouts and job
training. Technology also offers powerful benefits to children
today and thier futures. Increasingly, people are being required
to use computers and software at work. By the year 2010, when our
children are in the prime of thier careers, experts predict all
jobs will require somme use of technology.
Millions of children, however, are not yet recieving the full
benefits of technology, as confirmed by a recent study by the
National Assessment of Educational Progress, funded by the U.S.
Department of Education. While many children are being exposed to
computers in school,in most cases,the depth of thier experiences
is severely limited. On average, there is only one computer to
every 30 students, and often there are far less. A recent study
by the Office of Technology Assessment,Power On, also revealed
that almost 2/3 of our teachers have recieved less than ten hours
of training about computers. As our teachers and parents did not
grow up with computers, they both need help understanding the
benefits computers and software offer children and ways to
provide them with meaningful computer experiences.
The Computer Learning Foundation is a non-profit educational
foundation serving the United States and Canada. While our
overall goal is to increase the number of people recieving the
benefits of technology, our primary focus is on developing
computer competency among our youth. To achieve our goal, we
provide numerous programs and materials that provise parents and
teachers with the information and resources they need to assist
our children.
The computer competency the Computer Learning Foundation is
striving for is of far greater signifigance than learning to
program. Computers and Software are means to an end, not ends in
themselves. We encourage parents and teachers to consider
computers and software as tools for assisting children, just like
a dictionary, a pencil or a calculator, and not as an isolated
activity. We need to integrate children's experiences with
computers into other activities in thier lives--writing papers,
learning history or math, creating pictures, doing home projects
and the like.
Every October, the Computer Learning Foundation hosts Computer
Learning Month, a monthlong focus of events and activities for
learning new uses of computers and software, sharing ideas and
helping others gain the benefits of computers and software. While
Computer Learning foundation materials are available all year,
new ones are released each year for computer learning month. We
FidoNews 6-34 Page 5 21 Aug 1989
offer numerous books and programs to help parents and teachers
gain the information they need. For parents, we offer three
books. For teachers, we offer numerous lesson plan materials,
teacher training workshops at major educational conferences and a
weekly television series, School Vision, on public broadcasting
stations. We also offer materials to assist people hosting local
computer learning events. In addition, we host numerous contests
to recognize students, educators and parents to thier inovative
ideas. Thousands of dollars worth of computers
and software are awarded to winning entries. These ideas and
innovative programs are disseminated to the public the following
year.
You're not alone if gaining the benefits of technology for
yourself and your children seems overwhelming and you don't know
where to begin. You're not alone if you are using a computer, yet
feel like you're not recieving it's full benefits. Millions of
people are just like you. That's why the computer learning
foundation exists and what computer learning month is all about.
We invite you to participate in computer learning month this
year. Experience the benefits of computers for yourself, and
share these experiences with your children. Together, discover
the magic of computers and software as tools--for research,
creativity, communications, productivity, learning and
entertainment. As you help your kids key into computers, You
Won't Believe What You'll Achieve!
For additional information please write to NCLM, P.O. Box 8045,
Granite City, IL 62040-8045 or NetMail via Fido 1:288/525.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 6 21 Aug 1989
Policy Complaint - Bob Hartman vs. David Drexler, filed
August 17, 1989.
The following is the text of a message I sent to Jim Oxford
(NC of net 147), and (to keep them informed) John Summers
(RC of region 19), Steve Bonine (ZC of zone 1), Pete White
(RC of region 16), and Vince Perriello (one of the affected
parties). Since I have asked for an apology to be printed
in FidoNews, I feel it is only fair for the readers to know
what is happening. At the end of this article, you can read
the initial response I received from Mr. Drexler.
First off, my original message:
************************************************************
This message is being sent to initiate a formal policy
complaint against David Drexler. I am complaining under the
clause in Policies 3 and 4 which states that you should not
be excessively annoying to others. Mr. Drexler has been
excessively annoying to me by his recent behavior in the
SYSOP echomail conference. In that conference, Mr. Drexler
stated that I was working, or had supplied work to Datastorm
Technologies for their next version of Procomm. I denied
the accusation, but still it persisted. He replied that he
did not believe me, since he had "proof" which consisted of
a photo of the President of Datastorm (Tom Smith) which
clearly showed my personal trademark in the picture, as well
as a telephone conversation with Mr. Smith. I couldn't
imagine what he was talking about was true, so I called
Datastorm this morning and spoke with Tom Smith about it.
The results of the conversation were VERY interesting:
1. The supposed "trademark" of mine that was in the picture
of Tom was apparently an Opus doll. Tom was looking at
the picture and could find nothing else that could be
even remotely related to me. I have not seen the
picture myself, but it is in the February issue of the
CompuServe on-line magazine. As MOST people in FidoNet
realize, I was associated with the Opus project for
only a short time, and it included writing some code
within the file transfer modules, and that was all.
Mr. Smith said that the Opus was only in the picture
because the photographer wanted to get a sense of Tom's
personality. He also had a bottle of Perrier in the
picture (since Tom apparently drinks bottled water all
day long), as well as a computer. The doll happened to
be on Tom's desk, and had nothing to do with the Opus
CBCS.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 7 21 Aug 1989
2. Tom claims he has had no voice conversations with Mr.
Drexler since December of 1985. At that time, Tom and
his partner Bruce were moving from California to St.
Louis and stopped in Oklahoma City. Mr. Drexler and
Mark Grennan met with them at a bar for drinks and
conversation. That is the only time Tom remembers
talking voice with Mr. Drexler. Therefore Mr.
Drexler's proof of a phone conversation with Mr. Smith
is suspect at best. If it did occur, Tom assures me
that it would not have had anything to do with me, or
FidoNet, because either or both of those subjects would
be so far removed from normal conversation that he
would have remembered it.
3. Mr. Drexler also claimed to have inside knowledge of some
of the new features of the next release of Procomm. In
particular, he claimed to know that it included code
from BinkleyTerm, supplied by me to Datastorm, and that
the next Procomm would become an easy to install point
package with my help. Tom Smith claims this is not the
case, and they are not working on any mail capabilities
whatsoever. Mr. Drexler's charges in this regard are
the crux of the matter of this policy complaint. He
has accused me of selling and/or giving away software
which I do not own (BinkleyTerm source code). In
particular, the source code was jointly written with
Vince Perriello, and contains several other pieces used
with the permission of Wynn Wagner, and Rick Heubner.
Mr. Drexler's accusations, if true, would mean that I
was defrauding friends and a business associate (Vince,
Alan Applegate and myself recently incorporated Bit
Bucket Software, Co.). This was a cause of a very
volatile situation between Vince and myself, because he
caught me out of the blue with the accusation put forth
by Mr. Drexler. It caused a great deal of friction in
our personal relationship which is VERY important to
me. Apparently a totally blank look when confronted
with it was enough to convince Vince that I really had
no idea what he was talking about, but it was something
which he had held inside for a few days before talking
about. It was almost the end of the Binkley Trio as
the rest of the world knows it.
Tom Smith can confirm any or all of the facts which I
attribute to hearing directly from him. He can be reached
at (314) 474-8461 if necessary. Since he is busy running a
business, he would appreciate it if the calls were kept to a
minimum, but since these accusations also affect his
company, he wants to see some justice done here.
Facts concerning the trouble Mr. Drexler caused between
myself and Vince Perriello can be substantiated by asking
Vince.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 8 21 Aug 1989
I really hate to bring a Policy complaint about this, but
someone has severely impacted my reputation, my personal
life, and my business life. I can't sit idly by and let
that happen.
I am willing to let this go without pursuing an
excommunication if Mr. Drexler provides in the SYSOP
conference, as well as FidoNews, a full public apology to
myself, and Tom Smith of Datastorm. Nothing short of that
will stop me from pursuing this complaint to the highest
levels of FidoNet.
************************************************************
Now, Mr. Drexler's initial response:
************************************************************
From: David Drexler of 147/47.0
To: Bob Hartman of 1014/1.0
Subj: what it is, mama
Attr: private recvd
------------------------------------------------
Early last spring, I was privy to a phone call to Tom Smith
(that other Tom Smith, not the Procomm guy), prompted by
curiousity about the CI$ (not CompuServe) photo. Tom said
that he was interested in eventual Fido (maybe it was "Alpo",
or "Midal") compatibility. He said it was a low priority. He
said he'd talked to Bob Hartman in recent weeks (not you,
some other Hartman--or was it Hortman?) No release date was
mentioned. No features were described. Binkley was not even
hinted at. This phone call took place in a phonebooth on
Mars during a hallucinatory flashback from a past lifetime
when I was but an oyster.
Harry's msg in SYSOP was the first I'd heard the story about
Binkley being embedded in Procomm. He needn't use me as
confirmation; I don't believe it. I don't even care.
--david
Voice: [voice number removed prior to FidoNews submission]
************************************************************
Now Mr. Oxford's initial response:
************************************************************
From: Jim Oxford of 147/20.0
To: Bob Hartman of 1014/1.0
Subj: Policy complaint
Attr: private recvd
------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 9 21 Aug 1989
* Forwarded from 147/20, Torii Station, Midwest City OK
* Originally to David Drexler, 147/47
* Forwarded by Jim Oxford, 147/20, 11:26 8/18
David,
I have forwarded you a copy of the policy complaint made
by bob hartman against you. I can see no reason for not
following through with it unless you submit the apology in
the sysop echo as he requested.
If I have not heard from you within three (3) days I will
assume that you do not plan to do this and will then take
the requested action.
************************************************************
To Mr. Oxford, I would like to say a simple Thank You for
upholding the ideals of FidoNet. There are many people that
are friends of mine, and feel that I am being much too
tolerant in my handling of this situation. Hopefully Mr.
Drexler will realize that I am giving him a final easy way
out of a tough situation. There are many other people that
would pursue the most extreme punishment, right to the end.
My own views of FidoNet won't allow me to do that. I've
always felt that excommunication should be avoided when it
is possible to do so. As the editorial in FidoNews last
week stated - the goal of settling a policy complaint should
be to keep BOTH nodes intact if possible. I feel I have
given enough slack to allow that to happen. I only hope that
Mr. Drexler sees the light.
To everyone else: If you feel inclined to check the facts
presented above, please do so. The people mentioned in my
complaint all suffered as a direct result of Mr. Drexler's
accusations. To tarnish a person's FidoNet reputation is
one thing, but to cause their personal and business life
harm is quite another. I think we all realize that our
life outside of FidoNet is MUCH more important than our
life within FidoNet. If there ever came a day when I had
to choose between my friends, family, or business on one
side, and FidoNet on the other side, you can bet that I
would no longer be part of FidoNet. Mr. Drexler almost
didn't give me that choice when I was blindsided by his
rumors. It is an aspect of our medium of communication
which is VERY difficult to deal with. Put yourself in my
situation, and ask yourself how you heal the wounds that
can be inflicted by something that is so difficult to
defend against? Starting a rumor is so simple - stopping
it and defending one's self against it is quite another
matter.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 10 21 Aug 1989
- Bob Hartman -
SysOp of FidoNet node 1:132/101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 11 21 Aug 1989
Butch Witherspoon
Fido 1:288/525
National Computer Learning Month
1989 CONTESTS FOR STUDENTS
1. Storybook on Using Computers & Software as Tools.
10 Grand Prizes: One grand prize winner in each category. The
winner and his/her school or organization will both recieve a
computer system.
40 Second Prizes: Four second prizes in each category. Each
winner and his/her school or organization will be awarded
software programs.
40 Third Prizes: Honorable mention certificates for winning
students.
Categories:
Elementary (Kindergarten- grade 5)
Middle (grades 6-8)
Secondary (grades 9-12)
Primary Special Education (Kindergarten-grade 6)
Secondary Special Education (grades 7-12)
Description: This year's writing contest focuses on the use of
computers and software as tools. The storybook may be fiction or
non-fiction. The book might be a collection of students' stories
about how computers and software are used as tools at home,
school and work, or a fiction story on how children discover the
value of a computer as a tool or how it changed thier lives.
Rules: To enter this contest, submit one copy of your original
storybook. The storybook may be created with a computer or using
any other materials; however, the storybook should include both
words and pictures and the theme must be the use of computers and
software as tools. If created with a computer, you may use any
software you choose, for example, word processor, desktop
publishing or graphics program. Entries will be judged on
originality, contene, writing skills, design, illustration,
layout and overall attention to detail.
For additional information please write to NCLM, P.O. Box 8045,
Granite City, IL 62040-8045 or NetMail Fido 1:288/525.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 12 21 Aug 1989
Les Kooyman, 1:204/501
FidoCon Committee Co-Chairperson
JOHN DVORAK TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT FIDOCON '89;
FINAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Preparations continue for FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California.
FidoNetters will be converging on the Holiday Inn Park Center
Plaza (282 Almaden Boulevard at San Carlos, 408-998-0400) begin-
ning Thursday, August 24. The conference runs through Sunday,
August 27.
John C. Dvorak, well-known computer industry gadfly and
columnist, will be the Keynote Speaker at the banquet Friday
night. Mr. Dvorak is known for his sometimes outrageous
observations on the industry, and is currently engaged in writing
a comprehensive book on computer telecommunications.
You can still netmail your convention and/or banquet reservations
to 1:1/89; just be sure to follow up your netmail message with
US Mail within 48 hours. Confirmation of your conference
reservations will be made by netmail, with a mailing including
tourist informa- tion for both San Jose and San Francisco by US
Mail. As we get closer to the convention date, the welcome
packets will be held for you when you register.
Schedule for FidoCon '89 Sessions
Revised: August 12, 1989
Registration: Thursday, August 24
Registration begins 3:30pm. Reception with No-Host Bar and
Hors D'ouevres from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Schedule Number, Time Friday, 8/25 Saturday, 8/26
#1.) 9:00 - 10:00 Bob Hartman, BIX Mort Sternheim,
processing of Fido IFNA and the Future
mail of FidoNet
#2.) 10:00 - 10:15 BREAK BREAK
#3.) 10:15 - 11:15 Joaquim Homrighausen, Tim Pozar,
Front Door UFGATE
#4.) 11:15 - 11:30 BREAK BREAK
#5.) 11:30 - 12:30 BMUG Randy Bush/Panel,
BMUG CDROM/Mac Sysops International
FidoNews 6-34 Page 13 21 Aug 1989
Networking
#6.) 12:30 - 2:00 LUNCH LUNCH
#7.) 2:00 - 3:00 Phil Becker, Vince & Bob,
TBBS BinkleyTerm
#8.) 3:00 - 3:15 BREAK BREAK
#9.) 3:15 - 4:15 US Robotics, Chuck Forsberg,
High Speed Tech. ZMODEM/Protocols
#10.) 4:15 - 4:30 BREAK BREAK
#11.) 4:30 - 5:30 Rick Heming, Tom Jennings,
Wildcat Fido/Routing
#12.) 5:30 - 5:45 N/A BREAK
#13.) 5:45 - 6:45 N/A Democracy in
FidoNet
#14.) 6:45 - 7:00 N/A BREAK
#15.) 7:00 - ? N/A BOFS:
DASNET
Mac Sysops
New Product
Introductions
#16.) 7:30 - ? Banquet, N/A
Keynote Speaker
John C. Dvorak
Sunday, August 27
IFNA Board Meeting: open to all IFNA Members
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Conference registrations are $75. Banquet tickets are $30 each.
A Saturday-only conference ticket may be purchased onsite for
$35. Pre-registration may be by US Mail to:
Silicon Valley FidoCon '89
PO Box 390770
Mountain View, CA 94039
or purchased onsite. Banquet tickets are subject to
availability. Banquet attendance and conference attendance are
separate; it is not necessary to attend one to attend the other.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 14 21 Aug 1989
Rooms at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at
408-998-0400, and mentioning that you are with FidoCon. Rooms
are $60.00 per night double occupancy. Additional rollaways are
available for $10.00 per night. These rates are not guaranteed
after July 15, but may remain available. The official FidoCon
'89 airline is American Airlines. You can receive either a 5%
reduction in supersaver fares or a 40% reduction in the regular
day coach fare. San Jose is an American Airlines hub with direct
flights to most major cities. When making reserva- tions, call
American's reservation number, 800-433-1790, and reference Star
number S0289VM.
I'd like to take a moment to thank the many hardworking members
of the FidoCon '89 Planning Committee. These folks have made a
some- times difficult job a joy to do: Jim Cannell (1:143/21),
who has done a great job of serving as Co-Chairperson and overall
Facili- ties Organizer; Diane Smith (1:161/7), our Financial
Wizard and Official Chief Morale Officer; Don Kulha (1:125/7),
in charge of souvenirs (tacky and non-tacky) and Official
Visionary; Marc Lawrence (1:204/69) Printed Program and Official
Archiving Scribe; Gene Rodrigues (1:143/25) Printed Program and
Official Desktop Publishing Ace; Wally Schwarz (1:204/6969),
Registration Software Programmer; and last but not least Michael
Wallis (1:161/148), PointNet Alchemist. Thank you all for making
FidoCon '89 happen against ALL odds!
Recorded Information Line
(Requires Tone Telephone)
415-573-8983
(Touch: FIDO#)
Silicon Valley FidoCon '89
PO Box 390770
Mountain View, CA 94039
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-34 Page 15 21 Aug 1989
An Event of Galactic Importance
Voyager 2 Passes Neptune!
by Phil Buonomo, 1:107/583, 7:520/583, 9:807/1
It's been there for years, at the end of FidoNews. How well we
all know it by now:
24 Aug 1989
Voyager 2 passes Neptune
Well, this is the last newsletter you'll ever see the above in.
This week, after 12 years, and billions of miles, Voyager 2 is
about to complete its mission in our solar system. This friday,
at 12:00am EDT, Voyager will pass over Neptune's north pole,
only 3,000 miles from its surface.
This remarkable event culminates a journey which began with a
launch on August 21, 1977. Since then, Voyager 2 has visited
and photographed Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and now Neptune, dis-
covering fascinating information along the way. These discover-
ies have given us insights into the formation of our solar sys-
tem, and its place in the cosmos. At Jupiter, Voyager discovered
atmospheric motions, faint rings, studied the geology of major
moons (including discovery of volcanic action on one!), and
three new moons.
At Saturn, its beautiful rings were studied, with remarkable
results. "Spokes" were discovered, and even a "braided" ring,
an explanation for which scientists are still searching, was
found! Additionally, three new moons were also discovered.
At Uranus, two new rings were found around the planet, along
with a unique "tilted" magnetic field. Ten new moons were also
discovered, and their geology studied.
Now, Voyager is about to visit its last planet before it moves
on into interstellar space. It has already discovered a large
spot in Neptune's atmosphere, not unlike the "great red spot" of
Jupiter (thought to be a permanent hurricane big enough to swal-
low our own planet several times over), and four new moons. The
most remarkable discovery to date, however, is the presense of
"ring arcs", partially formed rings surrounding the planet, like
the fully formed rings circling Saturn and Uranus. These par-
tially completed rings have stirred major discussion amongst
NASA scientists to explain their origin.
This entire journey is made all the more remarkable by the fact
that it was planned that Voyager would only visit Jupiter and
Saturn. Along the way, Voyager has lost its main radio receiver
and suffered damage to its backup, computer memory and televi-
sion camera platform. But like the Volkswagon Beetle of a past
decade, the spacecraft keeps plugging along on 22 watts, about
enough for a good flashlight.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 16 21 Aug 1989
The best is yet to come, however. After passing above Neptune's
north pole, Voyager 2 will disappear behind the planet for 49
minutes. About four hours later, it will cruise by Triton, the
only discovered moon in our solar system to have an atmosphere.
Some scientists believe Triton to be covered by seas of liquid
nitrogen. Others predict a rocky surface. Soon, we may know
the truth.
Once it passes Triton, Voyager may continue to transmit data for
up to 25 years. It will move into interstellar space, taking it
outside the known limits of our solar system on a course that
will not take it within one light-year of any known star for the
next 958,000 years.
Will Voyager's journey outlast man's existence in the universe?
We may never know. But the information it has provided us with
in its short lifespan has been invaluable. Voyager carries with
it greetings from planet Earth to any far flung civilizations in
the cosmos it may one day come across. In the meantime, it has
brought to life the words of science fiction we all know so
well; "...to explore strange new worlds..." and "...to go where
no man has gone before!" Except that in this case, we are not
seeing fiction. We are living our childhood dreams and seeing
them come true. My friends, the future is HERE!
Let us not forget that space IS the "final frontier", or that
the Voyager mission was drastically cut back for lack of funds.
Let us continue our quest for knowlege in the great void, to
continue to advance our space program. Let us continue to try
to make those dream of our childhood become reality. Let us
build that moonbase, the space station. Let us GO to Mars and
beyond. Let us not forget the dream because our pockets are too
shallow. Let us move FORWARD!
So many years ago, Thom Henderson put the Voyager message in the
calendar of FidoNews. Perhaps it was half-joke, half-necessity
(to make the calendar work), perhaps not (I know that Thom is a
big supporter of space exploration). But what was once a trivial
line in a newsletter month after month, has taken on a rare sig-
nificance: the discovery of a new planet. Let us not forget the
importance of the Voyager mission as we move towards the new
Millenium.
With that, we bid adieu to Voyager. She was a great experiment,
one which paid off handsomely, beyond any of her designer's
wildest dreams. Perhaps someday we may meet up with her again,
and who knows? Perhaps she wil have some new secrets to tell us.
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FidoNews 6-34 Page 17 21 Aug 1989
=================================================================
LATEST VERSIONS
=================================================================
Latest Software Versions
MS-DOS Systems
--------------
Bulletin Board Software
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Fido 12n+* Phoenix 1.3 TBBS 2.1
Lynx 1.30 QuickBBS 2.04* TComm/TCommNet 3.4
Opus 1.03b+ RBBS 17.2A TPBoard 5.2
Network Node List Other
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
BinkleyTerm 2.20 EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.02
D'Bridge 1.21* MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 2.0
Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ConfMail 4.00
FrontDoor 2.0 Prune 1.40 EMM 2.02
PRENM 1.47 XlatList 2.90 GROUP 2.10
SEAdog 4.51A* XlaxDiff 2.32 LHARC 1.13*
XlaxNode 2.32 MSG 3.3
MSGED 1.99
PK[UN]ZIP 0.92*
QM 1.0*
TCOMMail 2.2
TMail 1.11
TPBNetEd 3.2
UFGATE 1.03
XRS 2.3*
ZmailQ 1.09*
Apple Macintosh
---------------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Red Ryder Host v2.1b3 Tabby 2.0* MacArc 0.03
Mansion 7.0 ArcMac 1.3
StuffIt 1.51
TImport 1.0
TExport 1.0
Timestamp 1.6
Tset 1.0.2
FidoNews 6-34 Page 18 21 Aug 1989
Timestart 1.1
Tally 1.1
Mehitabel 1.2
Archie 1.60
Numberizer 1.5c
MessageEdit 1.0
Commodore Amiga
---------------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Paragon 1.00+* BinkleyTerm 1.50 ConfMail 1.00
ChameleonEdit 0.10
+ Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
* 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.
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FidoNews 6-34 Page 19 21 Aug 1989
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
24 Aug 1989
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
24 Aug 1989
FidoCon '89 starts at the Holiday Inn in San Jose,
California. Trade show, seminars, etc. Contact 1:1/89
for info.
5 Oct 1989
20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
11 Oct 1989
First International Modula-2 Conference at Bled, Yugoslavia
hosting Niklaus Wirth and the British Standards Institution.
Contact 1:106/8422 for more information.
11 Nov 1989
A new area code forms in northern Illinois at 12:01 am.
Chicago proper will remain area code 312; suburban areas
formerly served with that code will become area code 708.
23 Nov 1989
26th Anniversary of "Dr. Who" - and still going strong
30 Dec 1989
Telephone area codes (5, 3 and 0) are abolished in Hong Kong
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
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FidoNews 6-34 Page 20 21 Aug 1989
OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Chairman of the Board
Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 President
Matt Whelan 3:3/1 Vice President
Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Vice President-Technical Coordinator
Linda Grennan 1:147/1 Secretary
Kris Veitch 1:147/30 Treasurer
IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS
Administration and Finance Mark Grennan 1:147/1
Board of Directors Mort Sternheim 1:321/109
Bylaws Don Daniels 1:107/210
Ethics Vic Hill 1:147/4
Executive Committee Bob Rudolph 1:261/628
International Affairs Rob Gonsalves 2:500/1
Membership Services David Drexler 1:147/47
Nominations & Elections David Melnick 1:107/233
Public Affairs David Drexler 1:147/47
Publications Rick Siegel 1:107/27
Security & Individual Rights Jim Cannell 1:143/21
Technical Standards Rick Moore 1:115/333
IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIVISION AT-LARGE
10 Courtney Harris 1:102/732 Don Daniels 1:107/210
11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Mort Sternheim 1:321/109
12 Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Mark Grennan 1:147/1
13 Irene Henderson 1:107/9 (vacant)
14 Ken Kaplan 1:100/22 Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5
15 Scott Miller 1:128/12 Matt Whelan 3:3/1
16 Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Robert Rudolph 1:261/628
17 Neal Curtin 1:343/1 Steve Jordan 1:206/2871
18 Andrew Adler 1:135/47 Kris Veitch 1:147/30
19 David Drexler 1:147/47 (vacant)
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233
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FidoNews 6-34 Page 21 21 Aug 1989
__
The World's First / \
BBS Network /|oo \
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California _`@/_ \ _
at The Holiday Inn Park Plaza | | \ \\
August 24-27, 1989 | (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M
Name: _______________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
City: _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ______________
Country: ____________________________________________________
Phone Numbers:
Day: ________________________________________________________
Evening: ____________________________________________________
Data: _______________________________________________________
Zone:Net/
Node.Point: ___________________________________________________
Your BBS Name: ________________________________________________
BBS Software: _____________________ Mailer: ___________________
Modem Brand: _____________________ Speed: ____________________
At what hotel will you be staying: ____________________________
Do you want an in room point? (Holiday Inn only) ______________
Are you a Sysop? _____________
Are you an IFNA Member? ______
FidoNews 6-34 Page 22 21 Aug 1989
Additional Guests: __________
(not attending conferences)
Do you have any special requirements? (Sign Language translation,
handicapped, etc.)
______________________________________________________
Comments: ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Costs How Many? Cost
--------------------------- -------- -------
Conference fee $60 .................... ________ _______
($75.00 after July 15)
Friday Banquet $30.00 ................ ________ _______
======== =======
Totals ................................ ________ _______
You may pay by Check, Money Order, or Credit Card. Please send
no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds. Checks should be
made out to: "FidoCon '89"
This form should be completed and mailed to:
Silicon Valley FidoCon '89
PO Box 390770
Mountain View, CA 94039
You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/89 for
processing. Rename it to ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number. US Mail
confirmation is required within 72 hours to confirm your
registration.
If you are paying by credit card, please include the following
information. For your own security, do not route any message
with your credit card number on it. Crash it directly to 1:1/89.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 23 21 Aug 1989
Master Card _______ Visa ________
Credit Card Number _____________________________________________
Expiration Date ________________________________________________
Signature ______________________________________________________
No credit card registrations will be accepted without a valid
signature.
Rooms at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at
408-998-0400, and mentioning that you are with FidoCon. Rooms
are $60.00 per night double occupancy. Additional rollaways are
available for $10.00 per night. To obtain these rates you must
register before July 15.
The official FidoCon '89 airline is American Airlines. You can
receive either a 5% reduction in supersaver fares or a 40%
reduction in the regular day coach fare. San Jose is an American
Airlines hub with direct flights to most major cities. When
making reservations, you must call American's reservation number,
800-433-1790, and reference Star number S0289VM.
The official FidoCon '89 automobile rental agency is Alamo Rent a
Car. Rates are as described below. All rates include automatic
transmission, air conditioning, radio, and unlimited mileage.
Economy car (example: Geo Metro) $32 day/$109 week.
Compact car (example: Chevy Cavalier) $34 day/$120 week.
Midsize car (example: Pontiac Grand Am) $36 day/$135 week.
Standard car (example: Buick Regal) $38 day/$165 week.
Luxury car (example: Buick LeSabre) $40 day/$239 week.
To take advantage of this rate, call Alamo at 1-800-327-9633 and
request the convention rate. Mention FidoCon '89, the location
and dates.
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FidoNews 6-34 Page 24 21 Aug 1989
__
The World's First / \
BBS Network /|oo \
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
_`@/_ \ _
| | \ \\
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Membership for the International FidoNet Association
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
increase worldwide communications.
Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________
Address _________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________________
State ________________________________ Zip _____________________
Country _________________________________________________________
Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
BBS Name ________________________________________________________
BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
Your Special Interests __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
US Funds to:
International FidoNet Association
PO Box 41143
St Louis, Missouri 63141
USA
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
insure the future of FidoNet.
Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
membership in January 1987. The second elected Board of Directors
was filled in August 1988. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your
input to this Conference.
FidoNews 6-34 Page 25 21 Aug 1989
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