1123 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
1123 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 1 6 January 1986
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| / \ |
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| - Fidonews - /|oo \ |
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| Fido and FidoNet _`@/_ \ _ |
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| Users Group | | \ \\ |
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| Newsletter | (*) | \ )) |
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| ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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Publisher: Fido 1/1
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Review Editor: Allen Miller
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 1/1. You are
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encouraged to submit articles for publication in Fidonews.
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Article submission standards are contained in the file
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FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 1/1.
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Disclaimer or don't-blame-us:
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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. EDITORIAL
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FidoNet Policy Guide released
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2. NEWS
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Running Fido with a Cermetek 1200 SPC Modem
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Fido Related Ramblings
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Computer Group Association Formed
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3. COLUMNS
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Fido Utilities, What, Where and When part 1 by Henk Wevers
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Rainbow Corner
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4. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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Special notice to Jim Filgo
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Special notice to Henk Wevers
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============================================================
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EDITORIAL
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============================================================
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A New Year, A New Net
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Well, not really a new net. Maybe just one that's a little
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easier to figure out.
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FidoNet has grown a lot over the past few years. Its
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organization has changed a few times to accommodate its
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increased size. The latest change was when multinet
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operation was added, distributing control of the net to
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dozens of people scattered all over the place.
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Sometimes this has caused confusion. A plaintive sysop
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demanding "Who's in charge here?" might have a hard time
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finding out. Many people seem unsure just how to get a node
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number, or how form a net, or where to turn when things
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don't seem to be working right.
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Some policies have been developed since multinet operation
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was established, but not much has been said about what they
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are. A new coordinator or net host has a hard time figuring
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out how everything works.
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So a FidoNet Policy and Procedures Guide has been compiled,
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and is being distributed with this issue of Fidonews. The
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guide doesn't set any new policies, it just describes the
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ones we already have. We think you'll find it a useful
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reference.
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Fidonews Page 2 6 Jan 1986
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============================================================
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NEWS
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============================================================
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Robert Plamondon
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Fido 10/624
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Running Fido with a Cermetek 1200 SPC Modem
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I just bought a Cermetek half-card modem for my Fido system.
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This is a more-or-less Hayes-compatible 1200 baud modem
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which sells for $199 at Fry's Electronics in Sunnyvale (and
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probably at similar prices elsewhere).
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The modem seems very nice so far. The obvious differences
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from a stand-alone modem are the lack of indicator lights
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and the terrible speaker. I don't find these to be much of
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a problem. The main problem was that the generic Hayes
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setup for Fido doesn't work.
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Fortunately, there is a simple fix. On the command line for
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Fido, you need to specify 16/v instead of the more common
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128/v. This will get Fido to look at the correct bit for
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carrier detect.
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You need to set up the modem for auto-answer (DIP switch 4
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off), and set up the modem for numeric codes. Numeric codes
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can be had by default by setting DIP switch 3 on, or you can
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leave it off and create a FIDOMDM.BBS file with the line
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ATV0
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in it. This will turn off the English-language status
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messages and use the Hayes numeric codes.
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All other settings can be left at their defaults.
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Fidonews Page 3 6 Jan 1986
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John Plocher
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Fido 121/90
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Fido Related Ramblings
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Ever since I started using Fido about a year and a half
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ago, I have been bothered a bit about the way FidoNet is set
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up. Why must FidoNet be a synchronous event? Namely, why
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is there a distinction between a person calling your Fido
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and another Fido calling it? There is already a
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verification scheme in Fido which makes sure that it is
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talking to a Fido and not a user, so why restrict the times
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when systems can access each other?
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If I want to send mail to you, I need to generate your
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outgoing packet, call up your machine, send the packet. You
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don't need to do anything with that packet till you want to.
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If you wait till after the national mail slot to unpack it,
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so what. Things would still run as they do now. If,
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however, you set up your event schedule so that the unpack
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routine got called every 2 or 3 hours, your system could
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have a faster 'message response time'.
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This would also remove a bottleneck which exists right now:
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the mail slot can run out before you got done sending all
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your outgoing mail.
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Allowing a Fido to make outgoing calls anytime wouldn't
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mean that you would have to make changes in your current
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routing setup if you didn't want to change your habits. All
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that this would do is remove the restriction that the Fido
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you want to talk to has scheduled a mail event at the same
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time you do. Remember, routing files only effect SENDING
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mail!
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Also, why can't (?shouldn't?) I be able to tell the local
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"Fido" system to call a remote "Fido" and request info from
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it like:
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FORWARD MY MAIL
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LIST DIRECTORIES
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LIST FILES IN directory
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DOWNLOAD file
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UPLOAD file
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I could then leave a "message" on my local machine which
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would result in my getting the latest version of RENUM from
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Bob's system or a list of the file areas on one of the St.
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Louis systems. I could also allow normal users (if they
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have credit) easy access to files on other systems.
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All right, I know Fido will never allow this since Tom J.
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has said that 10l, will be his last version (I haven't the
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foggiest who did 11a), but if Bob Hartman reads this, it
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might rub off onto Rover. If it does, I'll provide a flea
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collar!
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Thanx for 'listening' to my ramblings!
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Fidonews Page 4 6 Jan 1986
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John Plocher
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User on 121/90 - MidNet
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Madison, WI
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Fidonews Page 5 6 Jan 1986
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Computerists Form
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International Computer Users Groups Association
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Incorporation papers will be filed next week in
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Lexington, Kentucky for a new non-profit scientific,
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literary, educational and charitable organization to be
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known as the International Computer Users Groups
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Association, Inc. (ICUGA).
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The organization, being incorporated by computerists
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from four states, is designed to aid local computer users
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groups in promoting use of computers and themselves and to
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allow computer users groups to share information.
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"The idea is to allow computer users groups to speak to
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one another, to know more of the trends of the computer
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industry and to help them better serve their members,"
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explained David Reed, one of the founders of ICUGA and
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president of the Central Kentucky Computer Society, Inc. "We
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are writing to all known computer users groups inviting them
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to join with us in forming this organization. We want to
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have as much input as possible from the various users groups
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and are offering them the opportunity to have a role in the
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formation of policy and direction for this organization."
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Charter dues for ICUGA will be only $25 per users group
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and will enable member organizations to help form the future
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plans of the international organization.
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Among the ideas being considered by ICUGA is an 800
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number to allow new computerists to call to find out about
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member users groups in their area; a newsletter for user
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group presidents; a clearing house of information for those
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wishing to form new users groups; a speakers' bureau to help
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users groups learn of those willing to make presentations to
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groups; working with computer manufacturers and suppliers to
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obtain user group discounts for ICUGA-member organizations;
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to provide an exchange service for newsletter articles for
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local user group publications; to provide a liaison between
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member users groups and other non-profit organizations to
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allow computer groups to perform public service activities;
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and to explore other aspects of the organization which will
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benefit the local users groups.
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"We've just gone through 15 months of growing pains
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with our new local computer society and realize how
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difficult it is for a local group to gain information about
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how to form a group and what is needed to obtain non-profit
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tax and mailing status and suggested by-laws for such a
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group," Reed explained. "After talking with various user
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group presidents around the country, it appears an
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organization such as ICUGA is needed. We don't want to be a
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parent organization for users groups -- just a support
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service for them, allowing them to use whichever services we
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offer as they decide locally."
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ICUGA will incorporate as a non-profit corporation
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Fidonews Page 6 6 Jan 1986
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under Kentucky law and will seek 501 (3) (c) tax-exempt
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status from the Internal Revenue Service and non-profit
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mailing rights from the U.S. Postal Service.
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Founders and members of the initial board of directors
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of ICUGA are:
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* David Reed, president of the Central Kentucky
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Computer Society, Inc., Lexington, KY. Reed is
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Director of Library Services for the Lexington
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Herald-Leader Co., a Knight-Ridder newspaper.
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* Bob Van Cleef, former president of the San Diego
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Computer Society, the nation's second-largest
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computer users group.
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* Charles Bowen, a Huntington, WV, freelance writer and
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one of the authors of "How To Get The Most Out Of The
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Source" and "How To Get The Most Out Of CompuServe."
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He is also a contributing editor of CompuServe's
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OnLine Today publication and electronic service.
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* Wendy Woods, San Francisco based freelance writer and
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editor of Newsbytes(tm), an computer news weekly
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available online on The Source.
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* Mike Guffey, an Arlington, Texas, computer user and
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editor of the Kaypro Knews, a user publishing service
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on The Source.
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* Arthur A. Abshire, a Lexington, KY, attorney and
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computer user and treasurer of the Central Kentucky
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Computer Society, Inc.
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* John Newby, an internationally known combustion
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engineer, computer user and immediate past vice
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president of the Central Kentucky Computer Society,
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Inc.
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The ICUGA board of directors will also appoint an
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advisory committee comprised of well known computer users,
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movers and shakers of the industry.
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Users groups interested in ICUGA and not wishing to
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wait for their informational mailing may contact the
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organization at:
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International Computer Users Groups Association, Inc.
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c/o Abshire & Abshire, attorneys
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Suite 100
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Security Trust Building
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Lexington, Kentucky 40507
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For more information contact David Reed at (606) 269-6431
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evenings.
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Fidonews Page 7 6 Jan 1986
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============================================================
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COLUMNS
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============================================================
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Fido utilities, part 1 : The "complete" list
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--------------------------------------------
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by Henk Wevers Fido 3101/1
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Many times I wished there was a complete list of available
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Fido utilities with a short description of what each utility
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does and where to find it. If you know that I live in
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Holland, Europe you will understand my point. Its awfully
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expensive to browse through the software of many Fido sys-
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tems. Well, the list is here now for the same reason that a
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lot of Fido software is "popping" up: if it doesn't exist,
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do it yourself. I hope this list will help you, especially
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if you are rather new to the Fido scene. I will try to make
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this a three part article with the different parts published
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about a month after each other. This first part merely lists
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all Fido utility software I am aware of, the second part
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explains how to use a lot of these utilities in a batch file
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letting Fido taking care of most of its maintenance (THAT's
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different from a real dog!) and the third part talks about
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how to use some of these freestanding utilities to make the
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life of a Fido dog owner much easier.
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The list of available Fido utilities following this intro
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and the upcoming articles will be distributed as three files
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so new sysops can pickup easely from there. I hope to keep
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the first file called FIDOUTIL.DC1 current, but I need your
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help here. Note that I have only included programs I have
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tried out. There may be a lot of other utilities I am not
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aware of. Please let me know if you use some other utility.
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I really wouldn't mind if you attach it to the message you
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are going to send to me. Beware, the message and files go
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straight to europe, it may cost you a little here. If you
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tell me where I can find it, and the program looks interes-
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ting I will probably pick it up some day. And oh yes, the
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comments on the programs are mine and very personal. I
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don't try to be offensive here, I really appriciate all the
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work done to make a Fido utility. It just happens that we
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have some duplicates here and that some programs do the job
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in a better way for my situation. Anyway, If you object or
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want to add something to my comments, just let me know.
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FILE: FIDOUTIL.DC1
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FIDO UTILITIES PART ONE : THE "COMPLETE" LIST
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See also FIDOUTIL.DC2 : How to set up Fido batch files
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See also FIDOUTIL.DC3 : Free standing Fido utilities
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------------------------------------------------------------
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This list is compiled on December 23, 1985 by Henk Wevers
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Fido 3101/1. Please forward all updates, changes and
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additions to me on Fido_nl1, (3101/101, try Europe for a
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Fidonews Page 8 6 Jan 1986
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change), and I will distribute the updated list through
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Fidonews as need arises. Please attach the new/changed Fido
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utility so I can include short comments about it.
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Comments are personal and in now way mean to criticize all
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those people contributing Fido utilities. They are only
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included to give a short personal impression on this growing
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number of programs. If I have seen things wrong, just let me
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know and I will correct them as soon as you convinced me.
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============================================================
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See also the text files FIDOUTILS.DC2 and FIDOUTILS.DC3 if
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you need a tutorial on how to use these utilities in the
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Fido setup.
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============================================================
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Note: Most fees are for commercial use only. Please check
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with the programmer.
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Utility version date programmer Fee ? net/node
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======== ======= ======== ================= ======= ========
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DAYNBR 1.0 85/10/26 Ben Baker 100/76
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---------------------------------------------------
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Edits a DOS command to contain reference(s) to
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julian day-of-year and then executes command. Hosts
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and other major Fidoforces use it all the time. It
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can help you too.
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---------------------------------------------------
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EDIFIDO 1.09 85/09/26 Bob Klahn 107/50
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---------------------------------------------------
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Edits about everything in a Fido message including
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"SEND" bit, attached file field etc. Does not (yet)
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edit the message body. Most useful when the body
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editing is been added.
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---------------------------------------------------
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EVENT 85/11/19 Ben Baker $ 25 100/76
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---------------------------------------------------
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An alternative method of maintaining Fido's
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schedule file with features not provided by Fido
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(Gosh, why don't I use this ?)
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---------------------------------------------------
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FIDOUSER 1.0 84/12/21 Allen Miller 108/10
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---------------------------------------------------
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To print last name, first name, times called, last
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date, password and security from the USER.BBS file
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to screen/printer/file in a fixed or comma
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delimited format.
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---------------------------------------------------
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FIDOXREF 1.0 85/10/13 Bill Becker 16/209
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---------------------------------------------------
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Lists differences between real directory and
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FILES.BBS Basically OK, but SHUFFLE can do this
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also and more.
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---------------------------------------------------
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FILELIST 1.3 109/602
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---------------------------------------------------
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Makes a list of all files in your FILES.BBS files.
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Output goes to printer, console or a user download-
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able file. Includes size and download time for
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Fidonews Page 9 6 Jan 1986
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every file. Useful switches to keep some files a
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secret. Be nice to your long distance callers,
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make an external event running this program, arcing
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the result and placing the arced file in an
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accessible area. They'll bless you.
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---------------------------------------------------
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FILER 2.0 85/08/11 Vincent. E. Perriello 110/491
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---------------------------------------------------
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REMARK: use FILELIST instead, except if you have a
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space problem, Filer makes a more comprehensive
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list with but with less features (no download times
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for instance.
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---------------------------------------------------
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LISTGEN 2.00 85/09/08 John Warren $ 20 102/401
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---------------------------------------------------
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Nobody can run Fido without this neat program. It
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must be run on the distributed node list to get a
|
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working node list and route files for Fido
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---------------------------------------------------
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PRGUSERS 1.0 85/08/03 David Horowitz 107/2
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---------------------------------------------------
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User files can become big, especially with one time
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callers. With TJ's SYS_XXX user file maintenance
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program you can purge the users you want, but that
|
|
means leaving Fido and manually starting the pro-
|
|
gram. PRGUSERS does the same, but automatically
|
|
from batch using an external event. Keen sysops use
|
|
this.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
READMSG 2B 84/11/25 Kurt Reisler 109/483
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Read messages outside Fido. The only reason to use
|
|
this one instead of several others is that you can
|
|
print the message to a file. As soon as Rover can
|
|
print messages you can delete this one.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
READQ 1.1f Robert Lederman 16/42
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
If your users get a low first time privilege then
|
|
you must upgrade them manually by reading the
|
|
ANSWERS or ANEWUSER file and then updating them
|
|
with TJ's SYS_XXX. A long and time consuming way.
|
|
Well this program does all that and you can append
|
|
the answer file to a XX.SAV file, so you can start
|
|
with a fresh file next time. The program is OK and
|
|
saves a lot of time, but the speed of the program
|
|
could use a lot of improvement.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
RENUM 1.1 85/08/28 Bob Hartman 101/101
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
A companion to PRGUSERS. This one can renumber and
|
|
delete messages from batch (actually simulating
|
|
sysop's 2 and 8 commands). I don't see how you can
|
|
do without this one.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
RESEND 1.1 85/07/25 Ben Taylor 102/411
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
And then it happened, the message was marked SEND
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 10 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
but it got lost somewhere and never arrived. If you
|
|
are like me, you hate to type in things twice. Use
|
|
RESEND instead. If you marked your message to be
|
|
killed after sending, you have run out of luck.
|
|
You can do some little tricks with this one, like
|
|
regular distribution of files, but most of us use
|
|
ROBOT for these kinds of things.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
ROBOT 3.30 85/09/27 System enhancement $ 20 107/8
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Used to distribute messages and files on a regular
|
|
basis, like Fidonews, node list updates, route
|
|
files, etc. Hosts must have it, and will probably
|
|
use it together with DAYNBR.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
ROVERMSG 2.14 85/12/03 Bob Hartman $ 15 101/101
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
What can I say? I use it every day. It's a mimicry
|
|
of Fido's message base but has some cute extensions
|
|
like editing already saved files and editing with
|
|
your favorite word processor. Will grow into a
|
|
complete Fidoclone (with sources I hope). The only
|
|
thing I miss is the ability to send messages read
|
|
to the printer or a file (like twix, but for all
|
|
areas as a sysop only command). Get this one !
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
ROVERTWX 1.00 85/08/13 Oscar Barlow 104/56
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Should be better than the original TJ's TWIX, that
|
|
doesn't know about nets. Yeach... this one mixes
|
|
up the nets too, so no big deal (yet). Still you
|
|
must get this one or TWIX, they both will print all
|
|
unread message in the mail area. Run it every mor-
|
|
ning to get a hard copy of your new mail.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
RSYSOP 1.62 Dave Purks 109/456
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Emulates the SYS_XXX file to maintain the user
|
|
list. You can start this from inside Fido with the
|
|
0 command. Good for remote sysops (you should have
|
|
one during the holidays anyway). If you're gonna
|
|
use this make sure you run watchdog too !
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
SHIPUSER 1.0 85/05/21 David Horowitz 107/2
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
In an effort to make a list of all Fido users, you
|
|
are asked to run this program on your user list and
|
|
ship the result to 107/1. They will compile a
|
|
nationwide (worldwide ??) "Fido" book so you can
|
|
look up where to send someone a message. Personally
|
|
I think this is a goal that can't be achieved as
|
|
Fido grows as fast as it does now. Most likely it
|
|
will gobble up all available disk space next year
|
|
or so. Still, if Fido's too big we'll probably
|
|
split up the book in different parts for different
|
|
countries and regions, so keep sending the files to
|
|
107/1.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 11 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SHUFFLE 2.00 85/11/17 Robert Lederman 16/42
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Yep, another goldie. You MUST get this one. It's
|
|
for maintaining your files and FILES.BBS files
|
|
(thats a lot of files in this sentence, do you
|
|
Americans have another word ?). Just get it and use
|
|
it!
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
SYSOP 2.07 Mark. W. Buse $ 5 206-634-0122
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
An cute alternative for the sysop user maintenance
|
|
SYS_XXX. Full screen. A matter of taste if you
|
|
use this one or TJ's.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
SYSREPT 1.43 85/11/14 Allen Miller 108/10
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Another Fido Classic. (What Classic? Fido is still
|
|
a puppy!) I run this one as a batch file every week
|
|
at 23:59 on Saturday. It provides me with a
|
|
comprehensive sysop log, utilization report and a
|
|
report on up and downloads. If you want to analyze
|
|
your system's usage this program can also make an
|
|
import file for DBII and others.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
SYS_XXX 85/01/26 Tom Jennings 125/1
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Just for reference here, it comes with Fido. Used
|
|
to maintain the user list.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
TESTLIST 1.2 85/10/23 Ben Baker 100/76
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Ok, only for hosts and region coordinators. Tests
|
|
your local node list and reports errors.
|
|
Optionally updates the distributed World node list
|
|
locally.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
TWIX 85/09/08 Tom Jennings 125/1
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
See ROVERTWX. Everybody seems to have this one, but
|
|
the program keeps telling me it's not public
|
|
domain.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
USERLIST 1.0 85/07/08 Ben Baker 100/86
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Another "print the users" program.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
USERLIST 1.0 Jim Ryan 141/400
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
What the name says. We got more of these, will try
|
|
to report the differences in the future. I NEVER
|
|
print the user list so I am not sure which one to
|
|
use.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
USERSORT 1.22 Lennart Svensson 101/4602
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
First European contribution. I use it as an exter-
|
|
nal event once a day just before mail. Sorts the
|
|
user list and puts the last callers first. Users
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 12 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
can see now with the "U" command if somebody called
|
|
in lately.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
WATCHDOG 84/08/15 James R. Reinders don't know
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
If you are going to use the "0" command you MUST
|
|
use watchdog. Otherwise if you get disconnected the
|
|
next caller can drop into DOS. Watchdog reboots the
|
|
system after the carrier is lost. With an
|
|
appropriate AUTOEXEC.BAT file Fido will restart.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
WEEKDAY 85/11/13 Ben Baker 100/76
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Like DAYNBR and ROBOT, useful in batch files. Exits
|
|
with error level set to the day number. You can
|
|
control the flow of events in your batch file with
|
|
this one.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
WHATSNEW 1.1 85/11/28 David Stickler 101/45
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Converts an uploaded file (whatsnew.txt) into a
|
|
message to all. Tried it, and it works, but why
|
|
should I use it. Anybody out there who knows?
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
WRITEMSG 1.3 Net Systems $ 10 115/396
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Makes a text file into a message (AHA now we can
|
|
make Loooooong messages without files attached).
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well that completes the list. I have thought about including
|
|
the World famous ARC in this list, but that's not really a
|
|
FIDO utility. It's a utility for all MS-DOS computer users.
|
|
It's available on ALL Fido systems. Oh well, here we go:
|
|
|
|
ARC 4.45 System Enhancement 107/7
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
Archives, squeezes, crunches and god knows what
|
|
other kind of compression techniques it uses now.
|
|
If you don't have it either go get it NOW or stop
|
|
running a Fido board.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 13 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rainbow Corner
|
|
by Theodore Needleman
|
|
|
|
Reader Mail...
|
|
|
|
As usual, first order of business is reader mail. B.R.
|
|
McMahon, a volunteer instructor for the Senior Citizen
|
|
Activities Program in Colorado Springs, calls me to task
|
|
about April's column. He has some questions about (and
|
|
criticisms on the use of) computer jargon. Well, Mr.
|
|
McMahon, I apologize. Not for the use of jargon, after all
|
|
every discipline has its own vocabulary, but for not
|
|
defining some terms as I went along. Sometimes I forget how
|
|
frustrating it is to be just starting out and have everyone
|
|
talking over your head. To address your questions, Terminal
|
|
Mode is the Rainbow's built in Terminal Emulation program.
|
|
When you turn on the system, after the self-test is
|
|
completed, you are provided with a screen which asks which
|
|
drive you wish to boot from. If you choose "T" from this
|
|
menu, you will be in "Terminal Mode".
|
|
|
|
Mr. McMahon's letter goes on to ask where in DEC's
|
|
documentation the information about Terminal Mode and Print
|
|
Screen is located, and requests a definition of "Screen
|
|
Dump". Well, sir, "Screen Dump" is jargon for transferring
|
|
whatever's on the CRT into hardcopy via the printer. In
|
|
other words, performing a "Print Screen". The information
|
|
about Terminal Mode is to be found in the Rainbow 100 User's
|
|
Guide in Chapter 4 ("Communicating with Another Computer"),
|
|
and the description of the "Print Screen" function is on the
|
|
last page of that chapter under "Using a Printer". Granted,
|
|
you do have to hunt a bit for it, but it is in there (and in
|
|
the index to the User's Guide). I do agree with you that it
|
|
is not particularly easy to "zero-in" on a specific piece of
|
|
information. A "Master" index, covering the "Owner's" Guide,
|
|
"User's" Guide, and CPM/86-80 and MS-DOS manuals would seem
|
|
to be a good idea. This would direct you not only to a
|
|
particular page, but also a specific manual. This wouldn't
|
|
be any big deal to do (just merge the four current indexes),
|
|
but I don't see anyone at DEC being particularly anxious to
|
|
do it.
|
|
|
|
Next letter is from Michael Victoroff M.D. who writes (in
|
|
part) "Please continue all possible sarcasm, jibes,
|
|
needling, and other taunting of the (...people) at DEC who
|
|
don't see the importance of PC's".
|
|
|
|
You've got it, Mike. But it's important that you and the
|
|
other "Corner" readers realize that I don't do this simply
|
|
to be vile-tempered or curmudgeonly. The simple fact is
|
|
that I, like the rest of you, own a Rainbow, and I want to
|
|
use it as something more than a expensive paperweight (hell,
|
|
I already have an Apple /// for that!) So it tends to get me
|
|
a bit upset when DEC blows a beautiful piece of hardware out
|
|
of the water with inept marketing (for DEC's latest gaff,
|
|
see this week's Business Software Beat). It's easy to use
|
|
(or misuse) these forums as a vehicle to vent some spleen,
|
|
but that's not really the point of my tirades and rantings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 14 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The object is to express both (from the letters I've been
|
|
receiving,) your, and my own, displeasure at the way DEC has
|
|
been handling the Rainbow. There's an old adage that "the
|
|
squeaky wheel gets the grease". Maybe if we all "squeak"
|
|
loud enough...
|
|
|
|
Reader John Wheeler writes in asking about a port of
|
|
Sublogic's (and Microsoft's) Flight Simulator. Sorry, John,
|
|
there are two factors precluding a port of this particular
|
|
program to the Rainbow. The first of these is that the
|
|
program is copy-protected. To copy the software onto RX-50
|
|
diskettes, you'd first have to break, and take out, the copy
|
|
protection. Even if it was possible to get the Flight
|
|
Simulator onto a DEC format disk, it still wouldn't run on
|
|
the Rainbow. The reason this particular package is used as
|
|
a test of IBM-PC compatibility is that it makes extensive
|
|
use of the PC graphics mode. And, as we all know, graphics
|
|
on the IBM, and graphics on the Rainbow, are two very
|
|
different animals.
|
|
|
|
John also goes on to ask what kind of support and assistance
|
|
a software vendor can expect to receive in porting a program
|
|
over to the Rainbow. Actually, John, this is one area where
|
|
DEC is doing a good job. DEC is prepared to offer not only
|
|
marketing assistance, but technical assistance as well. A
|
|
special ISV (Independent Software Vendor) support group has
|
|
been formed for this purpose. Jim Alosi, who has been
|
|
mentioned several times before here at the "Corner", has
|
|
been named ISV Support & Development Manager. I speak to
|
|
Jim fairly often, and I believe that he is committed to
|
|
getting as much software as possible up on the Rainbow. All
|
|
my jibes at the DEC bureaucracy aside, Jim and his team did
|
|
a tremendous job on the Referral Guide, and I expect that
|
|
his Support & Development group will be an invaluable
|
|
resource in getting software ported over to the Rainbow. He
|
|
requests that any software vendors interested in getting
|
|
their programs ported on the Rainbow contact him (by mail
|
|
ONLY, please!) His address is: Jim Alosi, ISV Support &
|
|
Development Manager, LJ02/14, Digital Equipment Corp., 30
|
|
Porter Road, Littleton, MA. 01460.
|
|
|
|
Speaking of porting software, my "Project Transport" (May
|
|
issue) proposal has generated a bit of mail, most of it in
|
|
favor of the project. However, at this writing, not enough
|
|
input has come in to make worthwhile the enormous investment
|
|
in time required for such an undertaking. Now granted, not
|
|
a lot of time has passed. Due to the "publishing lag", the
|
|
May issue of Hardcopy has only been out about 3 weeks as
|
|
this is being written. The "powers that be" at the magazine
|
|
tell me we have over 30,000 Rainbow owners reading Hardcopy.
|
|
I'd like to see input from at least 1% of you before I make
|
|
a decision. I know most of you never write to a magazine,
|
|
after all, I very rarely write to magazines either. But I'm
|
|
asking you to make an exception in this case. I'll hold off
|
|
making a "go/no-go" decision on "Project Transport" until
|
|
August 1st. If you haven't already given me your "two cents
|
|
worth", please take a moment to do so now. The addresses
|
|
are: paper mail to IDEA TECHNOLOGY, P.O. Box 668, New City,
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 15 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NY 10956, MCIMail to "Theodore Needleman", and SourceMail to
|
|
TCA920. A good turn-out will be impressive not only to the
|
|
software producers I'll approach if "Project Transport"
|
|
takes off, but will demonstrate to DEC that there is
|
|
considerable interest in keeping the Rainbow alive and well.
|
|
|
|
I'm about out of room for this week, though not out of
|
|
reader mail. Oh well, maybe there will be a bit of extra
|
|
room next week! One last thing before I sign off. Several
|
|
readers have taken me to task about the sparse mention I
|
|
made of the FIDONET system. No slight was intended. I hope
|
|
to sign on a few more FIDO BBS around the country during the
|
|
next week. I'll report on this, and the "FIDONET
|
|
Philosophy" in a bit more detail next week. Also coming up
|
|
next week are "mini-reviews" on a public domain program
|
|
called DAC, and on "DO-IT" from VU-SOFT. And, of course,
|
|
reader mail! See you then.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(c)opyright 1985 by Ted Needleman-all rights reserved
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 16 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
============================================================
|
|
NOTICES
|
|
============================================================
|
|
|
|
The Interrupt Stack
|
|
|
|
|
|
24 Jan 1986
|
|
Voyager 2 passes Uranus.
|
|
|
|
9 Feb 1986
|
|
Halley's Comet reaches perihelion.
|
|
|
|
9 Feb 1986
|
|
Diana Overholt (109/74) has another birthday.
|
|
|
|
11 Apr 1986
|
|
Halley's Comet reaches perigee.
|
|
|
|
19 May 1986
|
|
Steve Lemke's next birthday.
|
|
|
|
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 Fido 1/1.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Will Jim Filgo, node 131/445, please call node 1/1 to pick
|
|
up his mail?
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Will Henk Wevers, node 3101/1, please call node 1/1 to pick
|
|
up his mail?
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fidonews Page 17 6 Jan 1986
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|