910 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
910 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 17 28 April 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| - FidoNews - /|oo \ |
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| (_| /_) |
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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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| (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
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Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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FNEWSART.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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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.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL
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Challenging the Right of an Information Industry to Exist!
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2. ARTICLES
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DECUS Dallas FIDO On-line
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Kermit versus XMODEM
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SEAdog and Fido
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3. COLUMNS
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Why Own a Modem?
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Bug Report Column (or Does Fido have Fleas?)
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Notes from Abroad
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4. FOR SALE
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Entertainment Software for your PC!
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Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
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Special Offer to FidoNet Sysops
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5. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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DoubleDOS Help Node Change
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FidoRead version 1.5 Now Available
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Aviation Net Proposed
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Fidonews Page 2 28 Apr 1986
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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This week's editorial is by an anonymous author.
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Challenging the Right of an Information Industry to Exist!
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The "Information Industry" is presumed to include any company
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that collects information, using intelligence or technology
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sources, and which then sells that information somehow to a
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limited audience. For the purposes of argument, that industry
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includes the media (TV, newspapers) as well as conventional
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research agencies, analysts, and so on.
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1) Suppose a private weather bureau receives information from its
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privately-owned satellite indicating that a major hurricane is
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about to strike the Florida coast. This information is given
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to the firm's private clients who have subscribed to its
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weather service but not to the general public. As a result,
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since no other weather service detects the storm in time and
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none of the clients divulge the information to non-clients,
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thousands of people are killed and billions of dollars worth
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of property is destroyed.
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Counter-argument: This wouldn't happen; the bureau would
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reveal its knowledge out of humanitarianism or in an effort to
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gain publicity. Rebuttal: that the bureau would do so simply
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proves that certain information cannot, should not, may not be
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considered private.
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2) Suppose a private company starts an On-Line Service (OLS). OLS
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obtains non-exclusive rights to store copyrighted articles in
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its database, which can be searched easily using fancy
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retrieval techniques. OLS also obtains public-domain
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information from government documents and non-copyrighted
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publications. The information base grows rapidly, and soon
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OLS becomes a very useful tool in gathering information.
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If the OLS database is used to search for a solution to
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several pressing world problems, those problems could be
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solved more easily and millions of lives would be enhanced.
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But OLS charges $10 per hour to access its database. These OLS
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charges are not affordable by some independent and government-
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funded social services researchers, who consequently cannot
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collect the information necessary to solve the problems.
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Because these researchers do not have access to the informa-
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tion, ten million more people die of starvation and
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malnutrition before answers are found.
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Few would argue with the comment in the first example, that the
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private company is compelled, morally and probably by law, to
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reveal its privately-collected information to the public. It
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would, in fact, be hard to pretend that any human being would
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Fidonews Page 3 28 Apr 1986
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conceal that information.
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Few would argue that in the second example, in which the exact
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cause and effect relationship is unprovable, that OLS is com-
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pelled to provide free searches to all those who might benefit
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from them. OLS needs to pay its expenses. As a result, informa-
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tion will be partially overlooked. While it is clear that free
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access to vast databases would almost certainly improve the
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quality of life, it is just as clear that such free access cannot
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be expected.
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As technology progresses, it will be possible for more and more
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information to be more and more accessible. But because the cost
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of collecting information is not falling as rapidly as the cost
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of "publishing" and distributing it, it is quickly becoming
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obvious that more firms will be visibly selling "information"
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rather than "goods."
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And as it becomes obvious how advantageous it is to have access
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to wide libraries of information, what will the reaction be? Will
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information collectors be permitted to charge the maximum
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possible fee for their information, thus limiting its distribu-
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tion? Or will they be forced to sell that information at cost or
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to exchange it for free, thus reducing their incentive to collect
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the information and in turn reducing the collection of
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information?
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This is not an opinion: this is a question.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 4 28 Apr 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Fritz Howard, 107/23, 124/300
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DECUS Dallas FIDO On-line
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Hey all you RAINBOW people out there (IBM, SANYO, etc. too)...
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DECUS Dallas FIDO 124/300 is now on-line and will be running from
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April 28 through May 2 during the Spring DECUS Symposium in
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Dallas.
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Sponsored by the DECUS PC-SIG, DECUS Dallas FIDO will have a vast
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array of new and useful public domain software for the Rainbow
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and other MS-DOS machines. When you call in, you'll also have
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the chance to leave messages to DEC's Personal Computer
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Engineering Group, and the PC-SIG, and find out the lstest
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happenings at DECUS. As a final added feature, we'll be offering
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free FIDONET(tm) mail to any FIDO in the continental US.
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The phone number was not available as of this writing, but if you
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check with any of the following boards, you'll be able to get the
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number and give us a call:
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Hitchhiker's Guide
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Rainbow Corner
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Washarug
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DECUS Central
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Illini Data
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Rainbow Data
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We'll look forward to hearing from you...
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 5 28 Apr 1986
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Comparing Kermit with Other Packages
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by Frank da Cruz
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First let me say that there seem to be two major kinds of
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commercial packages: the kind that use some variation of MODEM
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protocol, and the kind that use their own proprietary protocols.
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First, MODEM (please, any MODEM aficionados feel free to correct
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any of this)...
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MODEM and Kermit are similar in that they both use back-and-forth
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ACK/NAK protocols over asynchronous telecommunication lines.
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However, MODEM sends fixed-length packets with 128 8-bit data
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bytes, KERMIT sends variable length packets (up to 96 characters
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in length) with either 7- or 8-bit data bytes. The MODEM packet
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control fields use all 8 bits; Kermit control fields only use 7.
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There are several consequences of all this:
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MODEM can't work at all over a 7-bit channel, even for text
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files, because the checksum and other control fields will be
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wrong. This means that MODEM can't be used over public packet-
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switched networks like TELENET, or with hosts that require use of
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character parity, like IBM mainframes. Kermit can send both text
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and binary files over either 7-bit channels or 8-bit channels,
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but the data gets longer if you have to squeeze it through a
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narrower hole.
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Certain computing or communication equipment cannot accept 128
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characters at a time. Their buffers aren't that big. Kermit can
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accommodate these systems, but MODEM cannot.
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Many systems cannot accept all ASCII characters, particularly
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control characters, transparently. MODEM provides no mechanism
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for encoding otherwise taboo characters.
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Non-CPM systems, which do not necessarily allocate files in units
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of 128 bytes or follow the CTRL-Z end-of-file convention, will
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often have junk at the end of a file received by MODEM.
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MODEM, to the best of my knowledge, does not have a good
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mechanism for transmitting a group of files; Kermit has it built
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into the protocol. Kermit protocol also includes optional
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features for management of remote files; directory listings, file
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deletion, quota checking, etc. Many of the Kermit programs
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support these optional features.
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MODEM sends the file bytes exactly as is, whereas Kermit gives
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you some options for reformatting and compressing. A "text" file
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is transformed to "canonical form" by Kermit, i.e. a stream of
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ASCII characters with the "records" (lines) separated by
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(encoded) CR/LF sequences, so that it may be stored in useful
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form on the target system. Thus, Kermit may be used on record-
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oriented systems (like IBM VM/CMS) or on stream-oriented systems
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like Unix where there record boundaries may be different (LF
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instead of CRLF); Kermits on those systems that don't store text
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files in the canonical manner do the appropriate conversions. In
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addition, Kermit may also be told to send files as-is.
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Fidonews Page 6 28 Apr 1986
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On the other hand, MODEM works nicely between like systems
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(especially CP/M systems). It's more efficient than Kermit
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because it doesn't have to encode and decode the data, and the
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packets are somewhat longer. Also, much greater attention has
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been given in MODEM programs to modems themselves, and MODEM
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programs are typically able to control dialout modems from
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various manufacturers, and to run in "remote mode" when dialed up
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from the "back port" of a micro (but the forthcoming MS-DOS
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Kermit will have this ability also). MODEM provides the ability
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to dynamically switch between 8-bit and 16-bit block checks
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depending on the error rate; KERMIT provides 6, 12, and 16 bit
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block checks, but one of these must be selected ahead of time and
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will be used throughout the transfer.
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There's more, but in short I think that, on balance, Kermit is
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more flexible and more easily adaptable to new systems; hence its
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rapid spread to a wide variety of micros, minis, and mainframes.
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Now, as to commercial packages with proprietary protocols, well,
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who knows? In some cases, these protocols may be superior to
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Kermit in every way. But you have certain problems with any
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commercial package:
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Are implementations available for all the systems you want them
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for? If not, will the vendor write the missing implementations?
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When? For how much money?
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Does the protocol make assumptions (like full duplex
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communication, 8-bit data path) that would lock out certain
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classes of systems?
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Do you have enough money to buy the software licenses for your
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mainframes and each and every one of your micros? Some sites
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have thousands of micros. A typical commercial file transfer
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package costs $500-$5000 dollars for the mainframe end and $50-
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$500 for each micro.
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Can your vendor fix bugs in a timely fashion? If you had
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sources, you could fix them yourself, but most vendors don't
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provide sources.
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Many commercial packages are very fancy, both in the protocol and
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the user interface. But they often tend to be specially tailored
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to a certain combination of systems and/or applications. Kermit
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is not as fancy as a commercial product that knows how to dial up
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Dow-Jones and look up your stocks, reformat the data as it comes
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in, and display it in a color pie chart, all upon a single
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keystroke. But then that package probably can't exchange text
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and binary files with 50 or 60 different kinds of systems in a
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relatively uniform and consistent way.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 7 28 Apr 1986
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Thom Henderson, 107/8
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Reprinted from the third edition of the SEAdog manual
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(C) COPYRIGHT 1986 by System Enhancement Associates
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Reprinted by permission of SEA
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SEAdog and Fido
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It is possible to run Fido under SEAdog. SEAdog will answer the
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phone and determine whether or not a caller is trying to send
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mail, and pass them on to Fido if not.
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First, SEAdog must be told to pass non-mail callers on to Fido.
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This is done with a BBS statement in the CONFIG.DOG file, like
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so:
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bbs RUNBBS *b
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SEAdog will pass a human caller to Fido by invoking another
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generation of DOS and giving it whatever command you specify in
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your BBS statement.
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Fido must now be told that it is being passed a user, and that it
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should return control to SEAdog when the user is finished. This
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is done by way of the /N and /E switches. Your RUNBBS.BAT should
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contain a statement something like this:
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fido_ibm %1/n 5/e
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The "%1/n" (where %1 is replaced with a baud rate) tells Fido
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that it already has a user at the specified baud rate. The "5/e"
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tells Fido that it should terminate with an error level of 5 when
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it is finished with the user. Fido won't terminate if you use
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"0/e".
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You will probably want to add other switches as needed to
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configure your system. See the Fido manual for more details.
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You should use somewhat different mail events when operating on
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FidoNet. We recommend some variation of the following:
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Event H all 3:00 3:30 ;Locals to hubs
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Event G all 3:30 4:00 ;Hubs to outbound gates
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Event T all 4:00 5:00 ;National Mail Hour
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Event V all 5:00 5:30 ;Inbound gates to hubs
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Event W all 5:30 6:00 ;Hubs to locals
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Check with your network host for the exact times. If your net
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does not have hubs, then you can leave out events H and V. If
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you do not have an outbound host, then you can leave out events H
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and G. If you are in a region, then we recommend a single event
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A, as with Fido.
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If you have an outbound host, then you will need to modify the
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St. Louis node list. You would do this by placing an OGATE
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statement in your XLATLIST control file. For example, if your
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Fidonews Page 8 28 Apr 1986
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outbound host is node 107/16, then your XLATLIST.CTL file should
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contain:
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OGATE 107/16
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You should place XLATLIST and ROUTEGEN in SEAdog mode by removing
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the FIDO statement from their control files. We advise that you
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use SEAdog implicit routing wherever possible. Fido-style
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detailed route files can be used, but are not needed.
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You will need to define external events in Fido to correspond to
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all of your SEAdog events. Otherwise, Fido won't know when it
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has to force a user off. For example, if you are using the
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events given above, then you should tell Fido that it has an
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external event starting at 0300, with a 180 minute window. This
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event should exit with the same error level as that of the "/e"
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switch, since they both mean the same thing (return to SEAdog).
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We suggest that you have SEAdog handle all of your "normal"
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external events.
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If you wish to use Fido's O)utside or sysop zero commands, then
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you'll need to set your error levels and your batch file
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properly. Here's an example of a RUNBBS.BAT for Fido with the
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sysop zero command:
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echo off
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:loop
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fido_ibm %1/n 5/e 10/w 15/a
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if errorlevel 15 goto outside
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if errorlevel 10 goto dropdos
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goto seadog
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:outside
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watchdog on
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remsysop /c
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watchdog off
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goto loop
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:dropdos
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watchdog on
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ctty com1
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echo Type EXIT to return to Fido.
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command
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ctty con
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watchdog off
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goto loop
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:seadog
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You can't just "run off the end" for remote system access,
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because DOS will exit and return to SEAdog. Instead, you should
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invoke a new generation of DOS by giving the "COMMAND" command.
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It will terminate when you type "EXIT", and you will loop back
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into Fido. The meaning of "%1" will be retained, and Fido will
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Fidonews Page 9 28 Apr 1986
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start up at the proper baud rate.
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If you do NOT need any DOS access from Fido, then you don't need
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a RUNBBS.BAT file at all. Instead, you can have SEAdog invoke
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Fido directly. The BBS statement in your CONFIG.DOG file would
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then look something like this:
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BBS fido_ibm %1/n 5/e
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SEAdog's default banner states that it is a private mail system,
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and asks the caller to hang up. You will want to change this.
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You can use either or both of two methods. The first is the
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BANNER statement in your configuration file. Whatever follows
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the word "BANNER", up to the end of the line or a semicolon, is
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displayed instead of the default banner. A typical example might
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be:
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BANNER SEAboard system -- stand by for Fido
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You can also create a text file named BANNER.DOG, which will be
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displayed instead of the banner string to any callers outside of
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mail events. This file may contain anything you like, and may be
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as long as you like, but we recommend that you keep it short, as
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SEAdog banners cannot be interrupted.
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If Fido gets "stuck", which can easily happen if a caller hangs
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up before Fido finishes loading, then don't worry. Fido will
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return to SEAdog properly after the next caller or at the next
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event. You will not, however, be able to receive mail while Fido
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is in control.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 10 28 Apr 1986
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=================================================================
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COLUMNS
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=================================================================
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WHY OWN A MODEM?
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by Mike Guffey
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In the words of Stewart Brand, publisher of "The Whole Earth
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Software Review" ("TWESR"), 'computers are automobiles of the
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mind. They empower. They can also estrange, but information has
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a greater capability for self-correction than gasoline and steel.
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(Also a greater capability for acceleration.)' If what he says is
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true, then consider a modem a combination set of 'booster cables'
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and a 'siphon hose'. A device to extract information that will
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give both you and your machine an extra boost, a quick start,
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more range and versatility.
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A start to WHERE, you might ask? If you don't own a modem
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(and don't plan to acquire one soon) you may feel you are well on
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your way into the computer age. Thousands of dollars worth of
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technology at your fingertips must mean you're heading SOMEPLACE.
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Right? -- Wrong.
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You've packed the trunk and are ready to do a minimum of
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cruising around the block. And you're ready to drive back and
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forth to work. But you are as limited as some pedestrians. You
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can't take a long trip. You have neither enough 'juice' in your
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battery nor enough fuel in your tank. For that you need a modem.
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It doesn't matter how big your engine is or how many bells and
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whistles are under the hood. Sooner or later you are going want
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or need to go places your model won't take you.
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One solution is to replace your hardware. Or your software.
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Or something. Whatever it is, it is likely to be expensive. And
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you will again be at the mercy of salespeople who mean well but
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just can't understand your needs as you do. (That's neither bad
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nor good, it just IS.)
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Enter the modem. Prices start at around $100 and go up,
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depending on your needs. Public domain CP/M software is
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available for most machines and for most needs. The price of
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full-featured commercial communications software is accelerating
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downward.
|
||
|
||
(Just WHAT do you need in a modem? Try "The Complete
|
||
Handbook of Personal Computer Communications" by Alfred
|
||
Glossbrenner. Remember, this article is about 'WHY', not
|
||
'what'.)
|
||
|
||
In an article on telecommunicating in the premier issue of
|
||
"TWESR", Art Kleiner points out four good reasons to own a modem.
|
||
First, information retrieval. The availability of facts and
|
||
figures from the proliferation of databases is, simply, amazing.
|
||
Second, is software access. By connecting either to the 'free'
|
||
computer Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's) and Remote CP/M systems
|
||
(RCP/M'S) around your town and around the world you can get
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
software to make CP/M much, much more user friendly. The cost?
|
||
The price of the phone call. And by connecting with commercial
|
||
firms you can purchase and acquire software 'online' that may be
|
||
just what you needed. Third, are the electronic transactions
|
||
that are 'just around the corner'. Electronic banking and
|
||
shopping, both local and long distance -- all from your easy
|
||
chair. And the final reason is communicating with 'like-minded'
|
||
people. There is no other method to quickly access information
|
||
about computing, about software problems, about most computer
|
||
subjects on a 24-hour, seven-day-per-week basis than by accessing
|
||
BBS's, RCPM's or databases such as "The SOURCE" and "COMPUSERVE".
|
||
|
||
To quote Art Kleiner, "For anyone who's comfortable writing
|
||
and reading, computer [telecommunicating] is a warm... satisfying
|
||
form of communication different from but complimentary to the
|
||
telephone."
|
||
|
||
So, why own a modem? Better, perhaps, to ask, why NOT own
|
||
one?
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
David Dodell, Fido Bugs West, 1/98
|
||
Marvin Shelton, Fido Bugs East, 1/99
|
||
|
||
Fido Bugs
|
||
East and West
|
||
|
||
|
||
This is the first in what we hope will NOT be a regular column of
|
||
FidoNews. We hope that Fido will be rid of all its "fleas" but
|
||
the column will help to point out problems that Fido does have
|
||
and any solutions or comments from Tom Jennings.
|
||
|
||
The Bug Nodes have been averaging about 10 messages a week. Most
|
||
of these messages are not truly bugs, but rather sysop error or
|
||
configuration error. We will attempt to talk about only
|
||
documented bugs here.
|
||
|
||
The only documented bug this week came from 107/210. He reports
|
||
that there is a discrepancy between the summary at the end of
|
||
each mail session and the actual log itself. The discrepancy
|
||
seems to be in the file attach area - did a file actually get
|
||
transferred, or not.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Here is Tom Jennings response:
|
||
|
||
This file attach business: that is a genuine bug. The log isn't
|
||
real consistent, ie. did the attaches go or not. You are right in
|
||
that the running log is more accurate, the table at the end is
|
||
not. Or is it the other way around! File attaches are "optional",
|
||
ie. if an attach fails the transfer is considered OK as long as
|
||
the mail went. This is for many reasons, the biggest one is that
|
||
if the receivers disk fills up and the caller will keep trying to
|
||
send over and over, the protocol doesn't tell different kinds of
|
||
failures, just go or no-go. And, a long time ago, it was
|
||
considered a "needless frill", hence it was not designed in.
|
||
Hindsight is wonderful ... I wouldn't do it the same way today,
|
||
that's for sure!
|
||
|
||
I will see about fixing the log biz in the future.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
That's it for this week.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Notes from Abroad
|
||
|
||
|
||
Hello, here it is again, regular as French Nuclear tests in the
|
||
Pacific, the one and only European FidoNewsLetter!! It's about
|
||
4:00 AM here in Woking at the moment and I'm still beavering
|
||
(translation: English slang for working) away, halted only
|
||
occasionally by the keyboard locking up as FidoNet (in foreground
|
||
partition of MultiLink) dials up Henk Wevers in an attempt to
|
||
send some important bit of FidoGossip. I don't think we should
|
||
call it FidoMail yet; but it's getting there.
|
||
|
||
I hope you see the point I'm trying to make. The last few
|
||
newsletters have been dominated by my pleas for FidoNet activity.
|
||
It seems that my pleas have not fallen on deaf ears. Almost
|
||
every night now I either send or receive mail, on a good night -
|
||
both. I have a free offer on for FidoMail at the moment on my
|
||
node (4403,4404) in an attempt to get more people using the net.
|
||
Most people on my board hardly even bother to look at the mail
|
||
section. Fido is just a big free software library as far as they
|
||
are concerned. Am I the only one who has this problem?
|
||
|
||
We have just changed over to Daylight Saving (to use the American
|
||
term). In English I think that means the end of summer time
|
||
(summer I hear you say - I only hope yours was better than ours
|
||
in the UK).
|
||
|
||
Our two London Fido's (Dataflex and Microway) are still off air
|
||
at the moment. Their sysops (Bob Manekshaw and Nik Spicer) are
|
||
both keeping in touch and say that only minor problems are
|
||
holding them up. Jim Richardson (4405) has been off-line for a
|
||
while and as of now he is still not yet back on line. Jim says
|
||
has had a few hardware problems and also a slipped disk (in his
|
||
back!). Get well soon Jim.
|
||
|
||
Rod Smallwood has returned to the Fido scene after a short
|
||
illness. I'm sure Rod would like me to say "Hello", so there it
|
||
is. If you do wish to contact Rod a mail message addressed to
|
||
him on 4403 would be the best way.
|
||
|
||
We still have modem problems but I think the 300 baud modem
|
||
problem has been cracked by the Dataflex modem. It still has a
|
||
couple of bugs but on the whole I'm pleased by the performance.
|
||
For your interest the main bug is that it doesn't recognize the
|
||
dial tone properly. If someone calls in and hangs up half way
|
||
through the connect sequence, the modem hangs and tries to
|
||
connect thinking the dial tone is a 2400 baud incoming call. Bob
|
||
Manekshaw says he has a fix in the pipeline. He says the cure is
|
||
to monitor the dial tone current as opposed to the dial tone
|
||
itself. As yet he doesn't know whether the fix is going to be in
|
||
software or hardware yet. When I have more news on this I'll let
|
||
you know.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC!
|
||
|
||
SUPERDOTS! KALAH!
|
||
|
||
Professional quality games include PASCAL source! From the
|
||
author of KALAH Version 1.6, SuperDots, a variation of the
|
||
popular pencil/paper DOTS game, has MAGIC and HIDDEN DOT
|
||
options. KALAH 1.7 is an African strategy game requiring
|
||
skill to manipulate pegs around a playing board. Both games
|
||
use the ANSI Escape sequences provided with the ANSI.SYS
|
||
device driver for the IBM-PC, or built into the firmware on
|
||
the DEC Rainbow. Only $19.95 each or $39.95 for both
|
||
exciting games! Please specify version and disk format.
|
||
These games have been written in standard TURBO-PASCAL and
|
||
run on the IBM-PC, DEC Rainbow 100 (MSDOS and CPM), CPM/80,
|
||
CPM/86, and PDP-11. Other disk formats are available, but
|
||
minor customization may be required.
|
||
|
||
BSS Software
|
||
P.O. Box 3827
|
||
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
|
||
|
||
|
||
For every order placed, a donation will be made to the Fido
|
||
coordinators! Also, if you have a previous version of KALAH
|
||
and send me a donation, a portion of that donation will also
|
||
be sent to the coordinators. When you place an order, BE
|
||
CERTAIN TO MENTION WHERE YOU SAW THE AD since it also
|
||
appears in PC Magazine and Digital Review.
|
||
|
||
Questions and comments can be sent to:
|
||
|
||
Brian Sietz at Fido 107/17
|
||
(609) 429-6630 300/1200/2400 baud
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!
|
||
|
||
Public Domain collection - 300+ "ARC" archives - 10 megs of
|
||
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When
|
||
unpacked, you get approximately 17 megabytes worth of all kinds
|
||
of software, from text editors to games to unprotection schemes
|
||
to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc...
|
||
|
||
This collection is the result of more than 10 months of intensive
|
||
downloads from just about 100 or more BBS's and other sources,
|
||
all of which have been examined, indexed and archived for your
|
||
convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board System? Want to add on
|
||
to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This
|
||
is the answer!!!
|
||
|
||
To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check,
|
||
postal money order or company purchase order) to:
|
||
|
||
Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 103/511
|
||
Post Office Box 4296
|
||
200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
|
||
Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296
|
||
|
||
Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.
|
||
|
||
Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain
|
||
software in this collection. The price is applied entirely to
|
||
the cost of downloading the software over the phone lines,
|
||
running a BBS to receive file submissions, and inspecting,
|
||
cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files. Obtaining this
|
||
software yourself through the use of a computer with a modem
|
||
using commercial phone access would cost you much more than what
|
||
we charge for the service...
|
||
|
||
Please specify what type of format you would like the disks to be
|
||
prepared on. The following choices are available:
|
||
|
||
IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
|
||
Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
|
||
DSBackup
|
||
Fastback
|
||
Plain ol' files (add $50, though, it's a lot of
|
||
work and takes more diskettes...)
|
||
|
||
Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more
|
||
expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling charges.
|
||
California residents add 6% tax.
|
||
|
||
For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
SEAdog Electronic Mail System
|
||
Special Offer for FidoNet Sysops
|
||
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates, the makers of the popular ARC file
|
||
archive utility, are proud to announce the release of the SEAdog
|
||
electronic mail system.
|
||
|
||
SEAdog is a PC-based electronic mail system which is fully
|
||
FidoNet compatible. In addition to all the functionality of
|
||
FidoNet mail, SEAdog adds the following:
|
||
|
||
o User directory support, for automatic lookup of node numbers
|
||
|
||
o Return receipts
|
||
|
||
o Audit trails
|
||
|
||
o Message forwarding, with or without a retained copy
|
||
|
||
o Twenty four hour mail reception
|
||
|
||
o High priority mail for immediate delivery
|
||
|
||
o The ability to request files and updates of files from other
|
||
SEAdog systems.
|
||
|
||
o No route files needed!
|
||
|
||
o A full screen user interface that our beta test sites fell in
|
||
love with!
|
||
|
||
SEAdog is NOT a bulletin board system, but it can be used as a
|
||
"front end" for Fido (version 11q or later), allowing you to add
|
||
the full functionality of SEAdog to your existing system.
|
||
|
||
SEAdog normally sells for $100/node, but for a limited time only
|
||
we are offering SEAdog to registered FidoNet sysops for only $50!
|
||
Orders may be placed by sending a check or money order to:
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates
|
||
21 New Street, Wayne NJ 07470
|
||
|
||
Or by calling (201) 473-5153 (VISA and MasterCard accepted).
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
3 May 1986
|
||
FidoBaby's first birthday.
|
||
|
||
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 FidoNet node 1/1.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
DoubleDOS Help Node Change
|
||
|
||
The DoubleDOS Help node (1/105) has been changed. Oscar Barlow,
|
||
otherwise known as node 104/56, has turned it over to David
|
||
Melnik, otherwise known as node 107/233.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
(========================================================)
|
||
| FidoBetaKappa FIDO | PHONE: (513) 874-5417 | 24 HOURS! |
|
||
(==========================================================)
|
||
|SYSOP:David Eason__________________ |
|
||
| | _____________ | Telecomputing desig-|
|
||
| __I'm here!| | | | ned for those seeking|
|
||
| / \ / | | WELCOME | | current knowledge in|
|
||
| / ^ ^\/ | | ~~~~~~~ | | science & technology|
|
||
| (__\ |) ===> | | PH:874-5417 | *| (with a bit of humor,|
|
||
| | \@/ | |_____________| *| of course). |
|
||
|\__| |> |__________________| >>CALL US AND SEE!<< |
|
||
| | | _______|____________|______ YOU'VE SEEN THE |
|
||
|Rec-\ \ | _______ _______ | REST, NOW HERE'S |
|
||
|ieve|____| | IBM-PC |===@===|| 640k | | _______ THE |
|
||
|Netwrk\ \ ||||||||||_______||_______| | |_______| BEST!! |
|
||
|E-Mail \ \ |___________________________| |1200B| ~~~~~~ |
|
||
(==========================================================)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Richard Polunsky, 106/2
|
||
|
||
FIDOREAD 1.5 NOW AVAILABLE
|
||
|
||
|
||
The utility FidoRead, which lets you read, print or file Fido
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 28 Apr 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
messages from the DOS level is now available in an upgraded
|
||
version. Version 1.5 has the following features:
|
||
|
||
- Subdirectory name on the command line
|
||
- Better feedback messages
|
||
- Message suppression
|
||
- Supports merged file output
|
||
|
||
Version 1.5, like previous versions, will only work at the local
|
||
keyboard, not in remote mode. Also, please note that the syntax
|
||
has changed in order to support subdirectories.
|
||
|
||
FidoRead is available on 106/2, and will be made available
|
||
various other boards as time allows. The "bombing run"
|
||
distribution method used back in December will not be repeated
|
||
this time.
|
||
|
||
DISTRIBUTION METHOD: Archived File (FIREAD15.ARC)
|
||
|
||
REPLACES: FIDOREAD.ARC, FIREAD12.ARC
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Mark Stappenbeck, 14/609
|
||
|
||
NIGHT FLIGHT PROPOSES NEW NET
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Night Flight, Fido 14/609, of Wichita, Kansas is looking for
|
||
other nodes with an interest in aviation. No, you don't have to
|
||
be a pilot to get in on this. Night Flight's current main
|
||
emphasis is in the airline area, but there must be other boards
|
||
that are interested in any area of aviation. Those nodes with an
|
||
interest in developing an aviation based net treating areas such
|
||
as, General Aviation, Corporate, Homebuilt or Airline are
|
||
requested to drop a note to 14/609. Please include your primary
|
||
field of interest. The previously mentioned areas should not be
|
||
considered exclusive.
|
||
|
||
Night Flight will be happy to act as a clearing house for
|
||
suggested net parameters and operations. With the increased use
|
||
of microcomputers in the entire field of aviation, there must be
|
||
a number of users with an interest in such a net out there.
|
||
Let's hear from you airplane nuts!!
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|