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F I D O N E W S -- Vol.11 No. 4 (23-Jan-1994)
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | |
| FidoNet BBS community | Published by: |
| _ | |
| / \ | "FidoNews" BBS |
| /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: |
| | | \ \\ | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet addresses: |
| |
| Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com |
| Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) |
| editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies and other boring but important details, |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
========================================================================
Table of Contents
========================================================================
1. Editorial..................................................... 1
2. Articles...................................................... 2
NEW Handyman Echo!.......................................... 3
What An Editor Is For....................................... 3
My baby is NOT ugly!........................................ 6
Nueva conferencia sobre politica: POLITICA.INT.............. 8
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 11
========================================================================
Editorial
========================================================================
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 2 23 Jan 1994
I'm not in a great mood. Sorry. Everyone anywhere who wants to
tell me what to do should go away. Anyone even trying to
entertain themselves or get something else done, i can tolerate
easily. Someone just told me what to do by adding some whine to
some soup i was intensely concocting without even gesturing
first that that was what they were going to do to MY soup, so i
thought about the scene for five minutes then threw the soup pot
away, hot into the sink (Editor's note: against the wall,
actually), amidst spashes of reddish liquid enhanced with
flowering fresh thyme.
Rebellion has its place. When no-one wants to hear what you
have to say, sometimes it makes sense to yell. That's why i'm
not so completely shamed by much of the input we've been getting
lately, about how we should censor the Snooze. Of sourse, i'll
hear about how wrong i am. Maybe in the future some articles
that are very boring will become lost in the bit bucket.
But those articles which don't make sense to me, i want to print
those. What if they do make sense? I did not at all understand
that article about dark fibre from months ago, and now look what
is happening with the telephone networks! Fringe statements
tend to have some girth to them. They suggest more than they
portend.
i know there's lots of whining going on. What's the opposite of
that? Everything in it's place and all buttons polished? Some
people do have sensible bitches to make. Not everyone, but some
people.
One of the purposes of this newsletter, i believe, is to ensure
that there exists some last ditch forum for whines. Hopefully
everything is tickey-boo and whining will be minimal. What am i
saying!
Everything isn't fine. I interrupted a conversation in some
echo, which involved a couple of pseudo-or-real women, and was
about what it's like to log on a BBS as a woman compared to what
it's like to log on to a BBS as a man. I asked them to write an
article. I hope they respond.
Someone has offered to write a monthly "Mac User's" column. i'm
hoping to hear from you too. Another purpose of the Snooze is
to air some very interesting technical stuff in a forum where
there are people willing to try new things.
TTYL
========================================================================
Articles
========================================================================
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 3 23 Jan 1994
NEW Handyman Echo!
by Mike Griffin
Handyman and Woodworkers Echo
Looking for a Woodworking Echo? Want to talk about that new
power tool you just bought? Wanna swap some ideas on woodworking
projects and crafts? Wanna talk about that deck you have been
meaning to build? Need some tips on electrical, plumbing or
carpentry?
I am proud to announce the HANDYMAN echo available now!
The echo will consist of all topics including home repair,
woodworking, remodeling, plumbing, electrical, project design
and planning, general tips, powertools and anything related to
the HANDYMAN. This is an excellent place to swap those plans you
drew up on the computer with someone else who might have just
what you're looking for. We will cover from the smallest scroll
saw cuts to building your dream home. Get tips from people who
work in these fields everyday. Share your knowledge with the
weekend do-it-yourselfer's.
If you would like to carry this echo please contact the
following person for feed info via NETMAIL. Dust off those tools
and let's get crankin'.
Contact:
Mike Griffin
1:106/5
The Unnecessary Habit BBS
Echotag: HANDYMAN
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What An Editor Is For
What An Editor Is For
Dennis McClain-Furmanski 1:275/429
I've watched for years as various editors of the Snooze have
implemented various editorial policies, and have frequently had to
bite my tongue -- or more precisely fingers. I've also seen some
pretty hefty hunks of diatribe tossed at us through this channel, each
shovel load of self-interest followed closely by several more of
adrenalin charged replies and accusations of or appeals for
censorship.
Recently, in FN 11 #3, Mike Bilow of 1:323/107 made as elegant an
appeal for application of editing in the Snooze as any I've ever seen,
or could muster myself for that matter. In apprehensive anticipation
of some of the standard slams I expect him to get, I feel a need to
offer some experience on just exactly what it is he's asking for. I
still expect the diatribe and even some flack for facts such as the
following. I just want to make sure that the emotional outbursts which
will inevitably continue will do so with the knowledge that most of
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 4 23 Jan 1994
the world uses as guidelines for publication. I have six years
experience as the senior editor of one international publication and a
year and a half as contributing editor of another local. I was asked
to work for the second because of the job I've done on the first; I
know my job.
An editor is to edit his or her publication. They are to select those
pieces which serve the needs of the audience. They should be selected
for their ability to make decisions as to which serve those needs. It
is their job to select from the submissions those pieces that they
feel will make their publication good. This means rejecting those that
do not serve to improve the quality.
"Reject? But that's *gasp* CENSORSHIP!"
Not just no, but HELL no, it's not. If it were censorship for an
editor to reject those pieces which are not suitable *in their
opinion*, then you'd be seeing pornography in Newsweek, Pat Robertson
on CBS Evening News, and every twit with a nit to pick in every
publication of every sort; everything submitted would have to be
published. Life isn't like that, for those that haven't noticed.
Censorship is when a governing body controls what a publication may
publish. This is control from OUTSIDE the publication. Control
exercised from INSIDE the publication is an editor doing his or her
job. Hold your lunge for the Webster's (being a recognizable name
associated with dictionaries, it is used as a marketing label by any
publisher who wishes to; Webster's has no authoritative weight). If
you're having the urge to look up 'censor' or some variation, hear
this paraphrase from the recent movie Philadelphia, "We don't live in
the dictionary, do we?" Live in the real world here. This is how
things are, not how books say things are when they're taken as
individual words, which is about as far out of any context as you can
get.
Somewhere around this point sputtering screeches of FREEDOM OF SPEECH
resound. I have a hard nut to chew for those with a fixation on this
phrase. The vast majority of you have no idea what this means, and
therefore what your rights really are (as may be applied by your
particular country of origin). Your right to free speech means you can
say anything you want. And you can. Try it. See? Now go look at your
national list of freedoms and see where it says that someone has to
provide you with the means by which to say it. You won't find it.
Nobody has to give you anything in the way of assistance in getting
your point across. Want to talk? Fine. Want to publish? Go ahead. Want
me to carry your words in the publication that I am responsible for
producing? Bite the bugs off my windshield, bub, it ain't gonna
happen, unless it fits what I as editor determine is appropriate
material for that publication. You do not have the right to force your
material into my publication.
A right only exists when there also exists a corresponding duty on
someone's part to provide you with the ability and/or means to do what
the right allows. You may or may not have the right to speak your mind
in public; check your local listings. There is no duty expressed or
implied by any laws that I know of requiring the Snooze or any other
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 5 23 Jan 1994
publication to print your opinion. Most every publication which does
print your opinion either does so as a source of material -- it exists
at least in part for that purpose -- or merely as a voluntary service.
Has the Snooze an editorial policy? Mostly in the existential sense
that most everything goes in because nobody rejects much of anything.
Is that the desirable policy? If so, fine. If not, you as the audience
need to let the editors know. You are after all their bosses. It's not
even necessary to write an article about it. In fact, that's probably
not even a good idea, as it'll just clog the thing with what amounts
to a vote. A simple letter to the editor should suffice. If they
choose to put it in, that's their karma.
Everything and most kitchen sinks has been the policy so far, for the
current and most past editors, making them more correctly collators,
overseeing the technical process of manufacture more than selecting
editorial content. Our current editors are no exception. But this is
not to fault them for the job so far. They have done it the way it has
been done, and have received little other direction. They've done fine
with what they have to work with.
But I feel that it's time that they review the editorial policy, by
whatever means they find useful, and clarify for the readership what
this policy is to be. Having done so, hopefully with the knowledge of
what WE want in the Snooze, I charge them to do their job, regardless
of the claims made by people who refuse to educate themselves on
exactly what the rights they have are. Choosing to print everything is
fine. Printing everything because everybody whines that you HAVE to is
to succumb to ignorance and the pressure of the highly vocal minority
which attacks every publication that they find they might be able to
intimidate.
Now, it seems to me that several people have complained about the
content. ANY time this happens, an editor should take a look at what
they're doing and reassess. This should be a constant process. And
when many people complain the same way, an editor should listen hard.
They should also try as best they can to determine if it's that vocal
minority again. If any medium lends itself to investigation of
opinions, it's this one. Ever hear of random sampling? Try sending out
netmail to members at random and soliciting their opinion privately
(offering to make it public if they wish).
A driving concern for a product such as the Snooze should be is this
the appropriate place for this? Consider; this medium provides
enormous opportunity to express opinion. Let people express their
opinions on topics of limited interest in their echomail areas of
limited interest. Is it of network concern? Then maybe the network as
a whole needs to know it. Does the network as a whole need to know
about a particular view on (to choose a recent example) homosexuality?
How will this particular opinion benefit the network?
Finally, with a feeling for what the readers want, coupled with the
resolve to represent the aim of the publication even in the face of
disagreement, the editor must look at the available material and
choose to publish or reject. Mercilessly and without favor. Or else
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 6 23 Jan 1994
step aside for someone who can.
The reader also has a say in it. If they don't like the editorial
policy of the publication, they can not read it. Hell, give them their
subscription money back. They can also send complaints to the editors.
If they expect every single opinion to be expressed publicly, then
they're ignorant, or worse yet, spoiled by an editorial policy bound
to waste a great deal of time and space on topics of little interest
to most
Please, editors: Decide, clarify and state. We need a consistent
editorial policy. Once this is done, no matter what it is, someone
won't like it. But at least we won't have to listen to the constant
blather about what should and should not be in, because there should
be no need to provide space for that.
And once you decide, edit. That's your job.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
====================
My baby is NOT ugly!
====================
Don Dawson 1:141/730
In FidoNews Vol.11 No. 2 (09-Jan-1994), Randy DeVaux - 1:141/701, from
The Brookfield Community Internet BBS submitted an article called:
=======================================
The Nodelist - Quality is *NOT* job one
=======================================
This is an open reply to RanD (as he's known to all, including the
nodelist).
You've recently mentioned to folks in our region, net, and local
sysop echoes that you gave me my node #. Actually it was about April
of 1987. If you would like me to return it, fine.
When echomail distribution was a disaster 5-6 years ago some of us
got together and decided to do something about it. Echomail
distribution has been almost problem free ever since. You chose not
to participate. Fine.
When SDS and SDN were started some time ago, you chose not to
participate, except to take files from my system. Fine.
For years you've been telling me your system supports file requests.
But each time I try, including a couple weeks ago, it fails. When I
ask about the failure, you assure me file requests work however hours
are limited. You neglect to mention the hours during which I could
try again. Fine.
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 7 23 Jan 1994
You always successfully file request files from my system. Fine.
I often find unexpected files in my inbound area that have arrived for
no apparent reason from your system. Fine.
You often send new echoes to my system un-announced. Fine.
Early this year you decided to help your daughter with a Girl Scout
project and you applied for and received a Government Grant to connect
Connecticut schools to the InterNet. You decided to no longer be a
Hub Coordinator. Fine.
You nominated Tom Ruddy as an RC candidate in the RC election this
Spring. You chose not to be a candidate yourself. Fine.
You were properly nominated for NC of our network in the election held
this summer. At the 11th hour, you withdrew. Fine.
When the MailNodes were formed for the purpose of expediting netmail
with local phone calls around most of Connecticut, you chose not to
participate. Fine.
Since getting involved with your InterNet project you've written
message after message about FIDONET.ORG. I (and others) have
asked you what FIDONET.ORG is, time and time again. You haven't
answered. Fine.
In recent months, and again as recently as this week, you've suggested
Connecticut needs another FidoNet network yet you can't (won't?) tell
anyone why. Fine.
If you sincerely believe Connecticut needs another net and it can meet
FidoNet requirements (at least 3 nodes, geographically contiguous,
etc). Fine.
When you told everyone that Santa brought you a CDROM writer and were
asked how much a blank CD cost, you avoided answering the question.
Fine.
You recently resigned as moderator of CT_USER. You then withdrew your
resignation and remain moderator. Fine.
A few days ago your system sent me some Windows files and *.TICs that
your system sent here early in the month. Fine.
In your FidoNews story, you've complained about 141/1001 as a private
entry in the nodelist. You've known it's a machine I installed in a
closet in Ridgefield that sends echo and net mail between Danbury and
Wilton (a LD) phone call. Want the nodelist entry and the machine
removed? Fine.
With all of these fine things, why am I writing?
Your FidoNews story has several errors. For example:
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 8 23 Jan 1994
-----------------------------------------------
Morton Sterheim - Network Coordinator 1:321/0
-----------------------------------------------
321 0 - No Nodes Private or Down!
------------------------------------------
If you re-check, you'll see that 321/163 was down in nodelist.007.
--------------------------------------------
Larry Kolada - Network Coordinator 1:327/0
--------------------------------------------
327/475 74 Down Down Down Down Down
327/485 89 Down Down Down Down Down
323/1000 75 Private Private Private Private Private
--------------------------------------------
Node 323/1000 (above) is actually 327/1000.
--------------------------------------------
Mark Goodwin - Network Coordinator 1:328/0
--------------------------------------------
328/865 77 Down Down Down Down Down
-------------------------------------------
Mike Girard - Network Coordinator 1:329/0
-------------------------------------------
329 0 - No Nodes Private or Down!
-----------------------------------------
Node 328/865 above is really 329/865. Mark had "No Nodes Private and
Down". Not so with Net 329, Mike Girard. There is no 328/865 node.
I "know" all of the above NC's. I'm certain they're too gentlemanly
to embarrass you publicly as you have embarrassed them.
You complained in the region sysop echo that your hub was sending you
echomail during ZMH but failed to tell your hub until much later.
When you finally did mention it to your hub, he corrected the error in
a New York minute. He had a typo in his event file.
I've seen much of the mail you've sent to our NC in the last 5 months
harassing him about trivial issues. There's only one word I can think
of to describe it: disgusting.
My baby isn't ugly. Fidonet is still going and going and going...
If InterNet is now your fancy, please go for it! Remember though,
you're spending real money: OUR tax dollars.
Lighten up, this *is* just a hobby.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nueva conferencia sobre politica: POLITICA.INT
Nueva conferencia sobre politica: POLITICA.INT
por Pablo Kleinman
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 9 23 Jan 1994
Desde hace unas pocas semanas que ha comenzado a ser distribuida
una nueva conferencia de echomail, llamada POLITICA.INT. La misma
se distribuye actualmente en varios paises de las zonas 1, 2 y 4,
y esperamos sea un foro interesante para la discusion de temas que
hacen a la politica tanto interna como externa, de los paises
hispanos, y del mundo.
A continuacion de esta nota, copio el reglamento del area, donde
tambien hay un resumen sobre la orientacion y temas de la
conferencia.
Esperando verlos a todos por alli,
-Pablo
Normas de la conferencia POLITICA.INT:
--------------------------------------
ETIQUETA (TAG)
POLITICA.INT
TITULO
Area internacional en espanyol sobre politica.
MODERADORES
ZONA 1: Pablo Kleinman (1:10/100)
ZONA 2: Manuel Fuentes (2:348/201)
ZONA 4: Pedro Aguilera (4:880/1)
TEMATICA
Esta conferencia se destina al intercambio de informacion y
opiniones sobre temas de politica internacional.
NORMAS
El idioma oficial de esta conferencia es el espanyol. El ingles
esta permitido como idioma oficial de Fidonet a nivel mundial.
No obstante esto ultimo, se recomienda a todos los participantes
en esta conferencia, el uso preferente del idioma espanyol. No
se permitiran mensajes ni respuestas privadas. Los seudonimos no
seran permitidos, pues una elemental norma de cortesia exige el
uso de nombre y apellidos reales en las cabeceras o pies de los
mensajes. Estan permitidos el uso de los caracteres ASCII de 8
bits necesarios para la correcta escritura de los idiomas
oficiales de la conferencia que, ademas, se recomienda utilizar
para tal fin. Por el contrario, se ruega no usar el resto de los
caracteres ASCII de 8 bits que no sean imprescindibles para tal
finalidad.
INFORMACION GENERAL
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 10 23 Jan 1994
Se ruega a los participantes predisposicion a una mentalidad
abierta y espiritu tolerante, cortesia y educacion. No se
admitiran ataques personales o insultos, actividades ilegales,
mensajes difamatorios, ni informacion fraudulenta o
conscientemente erronea.
INCUMPLIMIENTO DE LAS NORMAS
A los autores de los mensajes que no cumplan estas normas se les
advertira de la siguiente forma:
Primer aviso: El moderador pedira que cesen las anomalias que
pudieran darse lugar. Este aviso sera hecho por Net-Mail. De
cual quier forma, no debe responderse a estos mensajes en el
Eco, ya que se generarian multiples e innecesarios mensajes.
Segundo aviso: Si la anomalia continua, el moderador pedira
al/los autores de estos mensajes que cesen en sus acciones en un
corto mensaje puesto en la misma conferencia. Cualquier res-
puesta a este mensaje, debera ser hecha por NetMail.
Tercer aviso: Si la anomalia no cesa, el moderador indicara al
NEC la desconexion de el/los sistemas implicados, por un tiempo
que oscilara entre 3 y 6 meses.
La reincidencia en la no observacion de estas normas, dara lugar
a la excomunicacion indefinida y permanente de esta conferencia
de los sistemas implicados.
En cualquier caso, se tendra en cuenta que los Sysops son los
responsables de las acciones que realizen sus usuarios.
Todas las quejas deberan ser enviadas al moderador de la
conferencia y solo despues de esta medida si es necesario
directamente, en primer lugar al NEC, despues al REC y por
ultimo al ZEC.
DISPONIBILIDAD DE ESTAS REGLAS
Estas reglas estaran disponibles bajo el nombre de POLITICA.RUL
en los sistemas de los moderadores de la conferencia.
Es recomendable que ademas, todos los Nodos que distribuyan esta
conferencia la tuvieran, asimismo, a disposicion de sus
usuarios.
FECHA DE LA ULTIMA ACTUALIZACION DE ESTAS NORMAS
25 de Diciembre de 1.993
Manuel Fuentes (2:348/201)
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 11 23 Jan 1994
========================================================================
Fidonews Information
========================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, Tim Pozar
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello,
Tom Jennings
IMPORTANT NOTE: The FidoNet address of the FidoNews BBS has been
changed!!! Please make a note of this.
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
Internet addresses:
Don & Sylvia (submission address)
editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com
(Postal Service mailing address) (have extreme patience)
FidoNews
128 Church St.
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 2S4
Published weekly by and for the members of the FidoNet international
amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual
articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The
contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the
rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those
of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
copyright 1994 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or
distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in
other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews
(we're easy).
OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue-ONLY of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or
Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained from Fido Software for $10.00US each
PostPaid First Class within North America, or $13.00US elsewhere,
mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in
directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you have questions regarding
FidoNews 11-04 Page: 12 23 Jan 1994
FidoNet, please direct them to deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org, not the
FidoNews BBS. (Be kind and patient; David Deitch is generously
volunteering to handle FidoNet/Internet questions.)
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission.
Asked what he thought of Western civilization,
M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea".
-- END
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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