1631 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
1631 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 46 1 December 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: 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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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association.
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All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted
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for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL
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What Mean These By-Laws?
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2. ARTICLES
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BackComm, A productivity tool
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Doug's Column
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FireNet IS a Reality!
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MSG - a SysOp's message utility
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Selective DOS directory search and more for Fido Sysops
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THE CHEAPEST PHONE BILL EVER!
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Let's Lease a Satellite!
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3. COLUMNS
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Responses about FidoUtil from FidoNet
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Coordinator Ramblings
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4. FOR SALE
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UNDER-C(tm) Library
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5. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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NY MetroNet System Crash
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Author Needs Help
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Fidonews Page 2 1 Dec 1986
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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What Mean These By-Laws?
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You all, I hope, saw the special By-Laws edition two weeks ago.
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What do they mean to YOU?
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Well, right off the bat, they mean that you can continue to
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operate as before with little or no change. I can't really say
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no change at all, simply because FidoNet is growing large enough
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that, for purely technical reasons, a few changes are going to
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have to happen.
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One of these technical changes will involve splitting FidoNet
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into separate "zones", but if you don't do any international mail
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(as few of us do), then that shouldn't really make much
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difference to you.
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So how else will it affect you? Well, if you do nothing at all,
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then it won't affect you at all.
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Let me explain that. The whole idea is to set up a membership
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organization called "the International FidoNet Association", or
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"IFNA" for short. To be a fully qualified, voting member of
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IFNA, one must first be the sysop of a public access bulletin
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board that is in the FidoNet node list, and then one must pay
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dues. Notice that these are separate. You can be in the node
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list without paying dues, in which case you are not a member of
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IFNA and can't vote on how to spend the money that you didn't
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contribute. But if you DO pay dues, then you get a say in how
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your money is spent. What could be more fair?
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In fact, the only problem that I see with the whole thing is that
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there really isn't much of any incentive to pay dues and be a
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member. And if there aren't many members, then IFNA will remain
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a cash-poor, starving association with almost no resources to do
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anything really constructive. I personally am hoping that IFNA
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can come up with enough additional benefits to provide to members
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that there will be some real incentive to join, so that maybe we
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can start making some progress on the many, many fronts that
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await us and challenge us.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 3 1 Dec 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Gee Wong
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Fdio 107/312
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BackComm, A productivity tool
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La Salle Micro's BackComm is no ordinary communications utility.
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It is a comgolmerate of programs integrated into a mammoth
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productivity tool. Unfortunately, a great deal of lead and lag
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time is required between using the utility and reading well over
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350 pages of well written documentation before one can become
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proficient enough to use BackComm readily. Hence, if you are
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looking for a program that you can use right away, then stay away
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from BackComm; this is definitely not the utility for you.
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However, if you are looking for a program that will do almost
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anything with a modem and a file, then BackComm may just be a
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utility which you may want to add to your software library.
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BackComm is enormous, its programs and data are distributed in
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two 360K non-copyprotected 5.25" diskettes. With a utility of
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this size, it is senseless to use the utility directly from the
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diskettes. I strongly recommend that anyone using BackComm
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installs it onto a hard drive; it is just too clumsy to execute
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from a diskette.
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BackComm also requires a minimum of 256K of memory, and it
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supports a variety of modems such as Hayes and U.S. Robotics.
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BackComm may also be installed as a resident program which can be
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entered and exited to perform background file transfers. The
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resident portion of BackComm requires a minimum of 180K of
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memory, and three protocols are supported for file transfers:
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ASCII, XMODEM, and X.PC.
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Despite its enormity, BackComm's many features may be accessed
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through a menu driven system with context-sensitive help screens.
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And although I found the default colors of the BackComm screens
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disagreeable, an interface is provided for altering the screen
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colors. Furthermore, interfaces have also been provided for
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configuring a hierarchical telephone directory which size is
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limited by the amount disk space available, and for configuring
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communications parameters so that BackComm may be used with a
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variety of modems and databases.
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BackComm also has an extremely powerful script language and a
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script generator, BackTalk. The script language may be used to
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completely automate one or more on-line sessions, and the script
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generator may be used executed in learn mode to convert the
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user's keystrokes into a script. Furthermore, BackTalk may also
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be used as a script editor for updating, creating, and merging
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scripts.
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Fidonews Page 4 1 Dec 1986
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Lastly, BackComm provides an interface for manipulating files.
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The file services offered by BackComm are similar to those found
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in 1-Dir and X-Tree. This interface may be used to: display a
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directory sorted by name, extension, size, or date; copy files;
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move files; view files; encrypt or decrypt files; compress or
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expand files.
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BackComm is an extermely large utility that attempts to do almost
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everything. Unfortunately, because of its immensity, too much
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lead and lag time is needed to develop any level of proficiency
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for my liking, but if you do not find this unsettling then you
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might find BackComm a utility worth the time and effort to become
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adept in using it.
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Product Information
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-------------------
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BackComm
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by LaSalle Micro, Inc.
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1350 Remington Road, Suite W
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Schaumburg, IL 60185
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(312) 882-5171
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Computer Bulletin Board
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(312) 882 4993
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 5 1 Dec 1986
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Doug Mohney
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Fido 109/74 "The Bear's Den"
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Doug's Column -- 10/31/86
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POSTSCRIPT IS IT: Lots of word-processing packages,
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including Word Perfect, are providing support for the
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PostScript language and Sun MicroSystems is endorsing
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PostScript as a standard to exchange graphics on its
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workstations. Since Sun is a trend-setter in the
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workstation market, expect to see lots of printer makers
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and software manufacturers rush to support PostScript.
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I know of one Atari ST software developer who will
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end up supporting PostScript in his desktop publishing/CAD
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program. Wish he'd paid up for Computerfest earlier tho'.
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DON'T DO THIS, BUT: A programmer-hacker wrote and
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maintained a payroll system for a rather important firm.
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Said firm lost some money and got RIF-fever, and among those
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to go was our programmer-hacker. When the next pay period
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rolled around, the payroll program, previously flawless,
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crashed and died bigtime.
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The company hired a <cheap> consultant to look at the
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payroll system; he couldn't find anything wrong with the
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system. Meanwhile, the rank and file were getting Very
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Pissed over not being paid for nearly a month.
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Finally, the company re-hired the programmer-hacker and
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he had the payroll system up and running without a hitch
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in 10 minutes.
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Seems he heard about the RIF in advance and had plugged
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in a simple routine which looked for his name on the payroll.
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IF NOT(hisname) THEN Crash.
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Moral of this story: Yes, this was a nifty trick. It was
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also criminal for the hacker to pull a stunt like that. I guess
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you could say the people who hired him were criminally stupid
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to be dependent on a single programmer for a vital task.
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WISHLIST FOR FIDO: I would really love to see someone
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publish a "Phone Directory" for FIDOnet, which would list all
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the nodes by geographic area/city, net and node number, phone
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number, and specialities which each board may have. There are
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FIDOs in Europe, Austrailia, and New Jersey. Lotta places.
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I hope Tom Jennings ports FIDO over to 68000-based machines
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like the ST and Amiga. My understanding is that FIDO is written
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in 'C', which is psuedo-portable. It should be relatively easy
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to port FIDO over to ST, because its' OS deals with files a
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lot like MS-DOS (e.g.: Directory-based).
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It'd be nice to also see multi-user support on FIDO, a la
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RBBS-PC, with an additional capability for chatting. Obviously,
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Fidonews Page 6 1 Dec 1986
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it would take more code to provide for file-locking, etc,
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Needless to say, this "UltraFIDO"
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would be restricted to IBM-PC/AT/? and 68000-based machines.
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JUNKO-HARDWARE DEPARTMENT: Penril "Cadet" modem. A division
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at Uni. of MD bought 6 of them in the summer, and 4 of the 6
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powerpacks have fried out. Further, it does a wonderful job of
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picking up AM radio stations.
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Another nomination is the VAXMate (I can hear the DEC
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purists scream). It took Digital 2 years to develop
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a pretty AT-Clone with lots of proprietary expansion capability
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and Ethernet built in. At $4,000 a pop for a diskless
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workstation, BFD. You can buy a PC-clone, plug in Ethernet,
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and DEC's MS-NET, and have lots of change left.
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GRAPHICS STANDARDS WANTED: EGA is old hat now and eyes
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are on the TI & Intel graphics co-processing chips. Who will set
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the next generation standards for graphics boards? Or will we
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have to wait for IBM to put out another medocre "standard"?
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The current patch is to write drives for Microsoft Windows;
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if your application will run under Window, it will take
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advantage of the higher resolution. Euh. I guess it is better
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than nothing, but it'd be very nice for company "X" to stand
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up and say "We're doing 1280 by 840, and making our specs
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public domain so anyone can make clone boards to follow in our
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footsteps." I also believe in the tooth fairy.
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BORLAND'S BLUNDER: Borland's latest promo
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gimmick, the scratch & look contest to win a trip for the
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final races for America's Cup (just like
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Roy Rogers, etc.), sounds nifty. But, YO! What happens
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if you win? You fly down to Australia, get stuck in a town
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where prices are event inflated (a la L.A. Olympics), and
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get to watch the yacht race from the shore.
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Bunkie, as any affectionaido of yachting will tell you,
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there ain't nothing to watch on the shore, cuz all the yachts
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are 3 miles and 4 miles out running around. Maybe you get on
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a boat and cruise out there, but you won't see much, because
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Aussie ocean conditions are EXTREMELY choppy. Welcome to
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seasickness. I sure hope I don't win. And second prize, a
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Suziki pickup, doesn't quite float my boat as well; the
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Suziki is one UGLY vehicle.
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I think Mr. Kahn could have better spent his money on
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reaching out to user groups better, than pouring it into Yuppie
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sports like 12-meter sailing. It would help if the boat he's
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sponsoring won a race or two. Oh well, it is his money. We
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haven't seen Turbo "C" yet, either.
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I myself am going to get into the "dBASE goes gold"
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contest. First prize, a gold Porsche 944. Second prize, a trip
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for two to Las Vegas. Or a gold watch. For some odd reason,
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I find a trip to Vegas more appealing than to Australia. And
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Fidonews Page 7 1 Dec 1986
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I'd take a Porche over a Suziki pickup any day of the week...
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YOUR OPINIONS, GOSSIP, FEEDBACK, AND MONEY WANTED: Send
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me your opinions and good gossip and I'll try to print the
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good stuff. I won't be at Comdex, but I suspect 97% of us
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"true users" won't be there either. I'm here at FIDO 109/74,
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or (301) 350-1437. No obscene phone calls, please.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 8 1 Dec 1986
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Christopher Baker
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Metro-Fire Fido, 135/14(0)
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East Coast Hub for FireNet
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FireNet Meets Echomail
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and
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The Dream is Realized!
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I have been writing articles for FidoNews since early 1985. One
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of my goals, through these articles, has been to unite Fire and
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Rescue Departments through FidoNet and generate some kind of
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meaningful exchange of information. It has not been easy to get
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departments to join in for one reason of another.
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Many departments, only now, are becoming capable of supporting
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Fido systems. Those that can are beginning to understand the
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potential. Many others are unaware that Fido exists. It is my
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intention to keep at it until EVERYONE knows about Fido, et al,
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and the possibilities for mass communication of vital data (e.g.
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Hazardous Material warnings, equipment updates, program
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availability, conference notices, new services, etc.) within the
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Fire/EMS community.
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Toward that end, a NEW Echomail conference has been established.
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The FireNet Echo, hosted by Colorado's FireNet Leader (128/16),
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is a reality and available to any Node who wants to hook in.
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This Echo is available from 128/16 in the West and from 135/14
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in the East. It encompasses the following Nodes: 128/16, 135/14,
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104/610, 138/411, and 17/38. (Colorado's FireNet Leader, Metro-
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Fire Fido, DIVE_LINK, The Dalmatian and 65' North, respectively.)
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Anyone with an interest in the technical aspects of the Fire/EMS
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services is welcome to participate in this Echo. At the moment,
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we are discussing HazMat databases, hydraulic friction loss,
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wilderness Search & Rescue, and a new CHEMTREC service via
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modem to registered subscribers.
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If you or someone you know is involved in Fire or EMS, paid or
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volunteer, and has a PC and a modem and a desire to become part
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of a new idea in inter-departmental communications, please give
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them a copy of this article and have them call me or send Net
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mail to 135/14. If anyone would like an ARC containing all of my
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previous Fire-related articles to spread around to their local
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departments, let me know via Net mail and I will file-attach it
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to you as soon as I receive your request.
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If you prefer the U.S. Mail (and who would?), send requests to:
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Christopher Baker
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Metro-Fire Communications
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5680 S.W. 87 Avenue
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Miami, FL 33173
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Telephone: 305-596-8576 (voice)
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Fidonews Page 9 1 Dec 1986
|
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1430-2230, Mon-Fri
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305-596-8611 (data).
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I would be happy to assist any department or organization in
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setting up a Fido system. Join us!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 10 1 Dec 1986
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The Urgency of Moral Outrage
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By Bernard Lown, MD
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Co-President, International Physicians for the Prevention of
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Nuclear War (IPPNW)
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Fido 101/301, 101/302
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We live in an age when intelligent people defer judgment to self-
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described experts, even on issues that concern their very
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survival. We have been conditioned to deny the evidence of our
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||
senses and to ignore the incontrovertible.
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We have been assured by experts that nuclear war will not happen.
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But the elementary laws of probability tell us that an annual
|
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risk of nuclear war, even as low as one percent, cumulates to a
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likelihood of 40% when projected over the expected lifespan of
|
||
today's young people. It is a statistical certainty that hair-
|
||
trigger readiness cannot endure as a permanent condition.
|
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Ignoring the possibility of accident ascribes to man and his
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products a godliness that can never be achieved.
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The world has been spared catastrophe, but our good fortune is
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||
fragile. Nuclear war is an accident waiting to happen.
|
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There is no dearth of warnings. Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Three
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Mile Island, Bhopal, Challenger, and Chernobyl are sharply etched
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vignettes of experience -- lessons, so to speak -- to educate us
|
||
about the world's end. We shall be given no more precise
|
||
warnings. We can only hope that the lessons will never be more
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concrete and tangible.
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The Trap of Deterrence
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||
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For two years IPPNW has been calling for a cessation of all
|
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nuclear explosions. The Soviet Union has responded with a year-
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long moratorium. The United States has not reciprocated, a
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disappointment especially great for us American physicians. Most
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||
informed commentators ascribe the US government's position to its
|
||
desire to develop space weapons, which a test ban would retard.
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Few supporters of the plan speak of a total defense of the
|
||
civilian population; the more pragmatic justify space weapons as
|
||
necessary to strengthen deterrence.
|
||
|
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If we are to comprehend the threatened escalation in the nuclear
|
||
arms race, we must examine its justification: the policy of
|
||
deterrence. In essence, this policy is based on the supposition
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||
that nuclear weapons, by threatening unacceptable damage,
|
||
restrain undesirable actions by an adversary. A number of
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||
illusions underlie this policy.
|
||
|
||
First is the illusion of numbers. If deterrence is the objective
|
||
of military policy, what is the purpose in accumulating 50,000
|
||
strategic and tactical warheads, equivalent in the aggregate to
|
||
more than four tons of dynamite for every man, woman, and child?
|
||
Why such a blatant exercise in redundancy?
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
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A second illusion is the claim that nuclear weapons have
|
||
conventional or political value. But all such claims rest on a
|
||
hidden premise of limited nuclear war -- an event as likely as an
|
||
explosion restricted to the top third of a keg of dynamite.
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A third illusion is that deterrence has been a successful policy.
|
||
It is commonly stated that the avoidance of war between the US
|
||
and the USSR during the past 40 years is due to deterrence. This
|
||
unpersuasive assertion is not amenable to proof. The two
|
||
countries were not at war before the advent of nuclear weapons.
|
||
They were, in fact, military allies. They do not dispute each
|
||
other's borders; they do not engage in significant commercial
|
||
rivalries. Fundamentally, of course, the argument that
|
||
deterrence has prevented catastrophe fails irredeemably when it
|
||
fails just once. Any guarantee of peace with such a small margin
|
||
of error is no guarantee at all.
|
||
|
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The Immorality of Deterrence
|
||
|
||
On the basis of this policy of deterrence, responsible
|
||
governments are targeting entire nations. Everyone's home has
|
||
become the front line. Infants and the aged, the sick and the
|
||
crippled are all targeted. The irreplaceable artifacts of human
|
||
history, the creative and artistic achievements of the ages will
|
||
not be spared incineration.
|
||
|
||
In the sorry recorded history of 5,000 years of endless wars,
|
||
some limits had been set on human savagery. Moral safeguards
|
||
were raised to preclude the killing of unarmed civilians and
|
||
health workers, the poisoning of drinking water, the incineration
|
||
of open cities, and the spreading of infection. But nuclear
|
||
barbarism threatens in one stroke all these painfully won but
|
||
limited constraints. Total war -- unprincipled in method,
|
||
unlimited in violence, indiscriminate in its victims, and
|
||
uncontrolled in its devastation -- is now sanctioned military
|
||
policy. Deterrence is a suspended sentence of mass murder to be
|
||
executed at any moment. The idea of pointing nuclear missiles at
|
||
entire nations is without precedent in moral depravity. We
|
||
fought Hitler to rid the world of genocide. Have we defeated the
|
||
enemy of mankind only to become infected with his immorality?
|
||
|
||
The Need for Moral Outrage
|
||
|
||
Information is not equivalent to knowledge, and possessing
|
||
knowledge does not necessarily impart understanding. Nor does
|
||
understanding consistently stimulate the appropriate activity to
|
||
achieve change. The gap between cognition and involvement is
|
||
frequently bridged by moral arousal.
|
||
|
||
We physicians, guardians of health and life, have an ethical
|
||
categorical imperative to expose the bleak immorality of the
|
||
policy of deterrence. We must not acquiesce to stockpiling
|
||
weapons of mass extermination as the guarantors of national
|
||
security. We must not permit the search for peace to proceed
|
||
through overt flirtation with death. There are no conceivable
|
||
circumstances which can justify the use of genocidal weapons.
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
We need the moral courage to go further. We need to equate the
|
||
possession of nuclear weapons with crimes against humanity.
|
||
Would the building of thousands of gas chambers not be deemed
|
||
repugnant to the laws of civilized society? It is appropriate,
|
||
from this podium in Germany, to call for activation of a new war-
|
||
crimes process, a new Nuremberg, to begin to examine the
|
||
violation of international law implicit in the stockpiling of
|
||
instruments of genocide.
|
||
|
||
Brooding over the nuclear threat for a quarter of a century now,
|
||
I am led inexorably to the conviction that without exciting moral
|
||
outrage among their intended victims, the dismantling of nuclear
|
||
weapons will not succeed: only unprecedented arousal of moral
|
||
revulsion will provide the necessary spiritual energy.
|
||
|
||
On VE day 1945, Norman Corwin delivered on radio his poetic
|
||
drama, On a Note of Triumph. I quote the last stanza:
|
||
|
||
Lord God of test-tube and blueprint
|
||
who joined molecules of dust and shook them 'til
|
||
their name was Adam,
|
||
Who taught worms and stars how they could live together,
|
||
appear now among the parliaments of conquerors and give
|
||
instruction to their schemes,
|
||
Measure out new liberties so none shall suffer for his father's
|
||
color or the credo of his choice,
|
||
Post proofs that brotherhood is not so wild a dream as those who
|
||
profit by postponing it pretend,
|
||
Sit at the treaty table and convey the hopes of little peoples
|
||
through expected straits,
|
||
And press into the final seal a sign that peace will come for
|
||
longer than posterities can see ahead,
|
||
That man unto his fellow man shall be a friend forever.
|
||
|
||
This article was from an excerpt of Dr. Lown's speech to the 6th
|
||
IPPNW World Congress in Cologne, FRG. 6/86.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
MSG - a SysOp's message utility
|
||
|
||
MSG is a program that allows the SysOp to read and modify
|
||
messages from DOS. Any part of the message may be changed.
|
||
|
||
MSG works very similarly to FIDO. You can invoke it with
|
||
a chain of commands separated by spaces, and you can type
|
||
a chain of commands at any of the program's prompts. The
|
||
program assumes an area change command to get it started,
|
||
so to avoid the initial list of areas, you should type an
|
||
area number as your first parameter.
|
||
|
||
Example: MSG 3 R 59 A P Q Q G
|
||
Will select area 3, message 59, switch the state of PRIVATE,
|
||
and exit the program. Without the trailing "G", you would
|
||
be presented with the MSG prompt, and allowed to continue
|
||
by typing other commands to the program interactively.
|
||
|
||
When you select "B" from the Message Reading menu, the body
|
||
of the message is copied to MESSAGE.TXT in your main Fido
|
||
directory, and the command "WS MESSAGE.TXT" is executed.
|
||
The program is easily patched to change the WordStar command
|
||
to that of a different editor. After editing, MSG asks you
|
||
whether or not you'd like to save the changes back into the
|
||
message.
|
||
|
||
The program doesn't need much documentation. Typing "MSG ?"
|
||
will give a quick syntax reminder. Following are the help
|
||
menus from the program:
|
||
|
||
Message Command Help
|
||
|
||
A = AREA change
|
||
G = GOODBYE (quit MSG)
|
||
K = KILL a message
|
||
L = LIST of messages
|
||
R = READ messages
|
||
? = HELP (what you're reading)
|
||
|
||
----------------------
|
||
|
||
Message Reading Help
|
||
|
||
Enter = read next/previous message
|
||
# = read message number "#"
|
||
- = read message that this is a reply to
|
||
+ = read reply to this message
|
||
A = change ATTRIBUTES of this message
|
||
B = change BODY of this message
|
||
K = KILL this message
|
||
M = MODIFY this message
|
||
N = read NEXT message
|
||
P = read PREVIOUS message
|
||
Q = QUIT reading messages
|
||
? = HELP (what you're reading)
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------
|
||
|
||
Message Attribute Help
|
||
|
||
F = toggle FILE ATTCHD
|
||
K = toggle KILL/SENT
|
||
O = toggle ORPHAN
|
||
P = toggle PRIVATE
|
||
R = toggle RECV'D
|
||
S = toggle SENT
|
||
T = toggle IN TRANSIT
|
||
Q = QUIT (save changes)
|
||
? = HELP (what you're reading)
|
||
|
||
----------------------
|
||
|
||
Message Modification Help
|
||
|
||
T = change TO
|
||
F = change FROM
|
||
S = change SUBJECT
|
||
D = change DESTINATION net/node
|
||
O = change ORIGIN net/node
|
||
Q = QUIT (save changes)
|
||
? = HELP (what you're reading)
|
||
|
||
What follows is a sample session of using MSG:
|
||
---------------------------------------------------
|
||
(C:\FIDO) msg ?
|
||
|
||
Msg V1.0 (c) 1986 by Ron Bemis
|
||
From Nibbles & Bytes Fido 151/104: 919-942-9267
|
||
This program was registered to Fido 151/104
|
||
|
||
Syntax: MSG [?] [command...]
|
||
|
||
? displays this help message.
|
||
"command..." is a chain of commands to execute.
|
||
At start-up, the program assumes an area change command.
|
||
i.e. MSG 3 R 7 Q G (to read message 7 in area 3)
|
||
|
||
(C:\FIDO) msg
|
||
|
||
Msg V1.0 (c) 1986 by Ron Bemis
|
||
From Nibbles & Bytes Fido 151/104: 919-942-9267
|
||
This program was registered to Fido 151/104
|
||
|
||
Type "MSG ?" for help
|
||
|
||
----- Message Areas -----
|
||
0 ... Messages To/From The Sysop
|
||
1 ... Messages To/From The Sysop
|
||
2 ... General Message Area
|
||
3 ... Clean & Dirty Jokes
|
||
4 ... FidoNews And Other Newsletters
|
||
5 ... * FidoNet Mail Messages
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
6 ... Triangle EchoMail Conference
|
||
7 ... Technical EchoMail Conference
|
||
12 ... Sysop's EchoMail Conference
|
||
Message Area: 5
|
||
|
||
Msg Area #5: FidoNet Mail Messages
|
||
Msg: A L R K G or ? for help: r
|
||
|
||
Read: [1] 1 - 39 - + A B K M N P Q or ? for help: 39
|
||
|
||
#39 11 Nov 87 20:50:03
|
||
From: Ron Bemis on 151/104
|
||
To: Amnon Nissan on 151/100
|
||
Subj: Test Message for MSG
|
||
|
||
This is a sample message that I'm going to play with
|
||
a little bit by using MSG. This will show some of the
|
||
capabilities of the program.
|
||
-Ron
|
||
|
||
Read: [39] 1 - 39 - + A B K M N P Q or ? for help: a p
|
||
|
||
#39 11 Nov 87 20:50:03 (PRIVATE)
|
||
From: Ron Bemis on 151/104
|
||
To: Amnon Nissan on 151/100
|
||
Subj: Test Message for MSG
|
||
|
||
Attributes: F K O P R S T Q or ? for help: k
|
||
|
||
#39 11 Nov 87 20:50:03 (PRIVATE) (KILL/SENT)
|
||
From: Ron Bemis on 151/104
|
||
To: Amnon Nissan on 151/100
|
||
Subj: Test Message for MSG
|
||
|
||
Attributes: F K O P R S T Q or ? for help: q
|
||
|
||
Read: [39] 1 - 39 - + A B K M N P Q or ? for help: m
|
||
|
||
#39 11 Nov 87 20:50:03 (PRIVATE) (KILL/SENT)
|
||
From: Ron Bemis on 151/104
|
||
To: Amnon Nissan on 151/100
|
||
Subj: Test Message for MSG
|
||
|
||
Modify: T F S D O Q or ? for help: t steve gibbons d 151 105
|
||
|
||
#39 11 Nov 87 20:50:03 (PRIVATE) (KILL/SENT)
|
||
From: Ron Bemis on 151/104
|
||
To: Steve Gibbons on 151/105
|
||
Subj: Test Message for MSG
|
||
|
||
Modify: T F S D O Q or ? for help: q
|
||
|
||
Read: [39] 1 - 39 - + A B K M N P Q or ? for help: q
|
||
|
||
Msg Area #5: FidoNet Mail Messages
|
||
Msg: A L R K G or ? for help: g
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
(C:\FIDO)
|
||
---------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL THE GREAT FOLKS WHO HAVE REGISTERED
|
||
COPIES OF MY PROGRAMS: This program was sent to you
|
||
file attached through the net. Don't bother to download
|
||
it - you neat folks get all my new stuff first. If you
|
||
haven't gotten it by the time you read this please let me
|
||
know. Thanks for your support!
|
||
|
||
To everybody who's using OUTER - did you know that
|
||
version 2.0 is now available?
|
||
|
||
Ron Bemis
|
||
Fido 151/104
|
||
(919) 942-9267
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jesse Armontrout
|
||
sysop 108/64
|
||
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
||
513-662-5884
|
||
|
||
For those sysops that list the nodediff/nodelist files, as well as
|
||
the Fido Newsletter in a file area that is available for download
|
||
by users, as well as other sysops in the area, there is a program
|
||
that will allow you to automate this process from a batch file.
|
||
|
||
For some time I have been looking for a program that would do a
|
||
selective dos directory search in order to automate the updating
|
||
of my file area that contains the latest Nodediff/nodelist files,
|
||
as well as the weekly Fido newsletter.
|
||
|
||
I have found a program that almost does that. It is called
|
||
files.com and it allows for a selective directory search and also
|
||
allows for the insertion of a comment and then outputs the
|
||
results to a file that can be copied, using DOS + command, into a
|
||
revised files.bbs. This is all done from a batch file on specified
|
||
days.
|
||
|
||
The search command line that I use is as follows:
|
||
|
||
files nodelist.a?? /x $f Friday - $d > save.txt
|
||
|
||
This does a directory search for all nodediff.a?? files in the
|
||
current directory and outputs to a file with the following
|
||
result:
|
||
|
||
NODELIST.A11 Friday - 11/07/86
|
||
NODELIST.A04 Friday - 10/31/86
|
||
NODELIST.A97 Friday - 10/24/86
|
||
|
||
or,
|
||
|
||
files nodediff.a?? /x $f week ending - $d > save1.txt
|
||
|
||
NODEDIFF.A11 week ending - 11/07/86
|
||
NODEDIFF.A04 week ending - 10/31/86
|
||
NODEDIFF.A97 week ending - 10/24/86
|
||
|
||
This can be done with the fidonews files with the same results
|
||
and the output of each can be transferred into a revised
|
||
files.bbs using the copy command. Or, if you wish, the output can
|
||
be directed into files.bbs if that is all you have in a
|
||
particular file area.
|
||
|
||
The program allows for sub-directory searches, so you can execute
|
||
from anywhere you wish.
|
||
|
||
For those who would like to have the program w/docs, it can be
|
||
picked up at 108/64 using SEAdog, or you can call, however
|
||
registration is required so it will involve two phone calls.
|
||
|
||
For SEAdog pickups, request files2.arc. For callers, look in
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
file area #7 and it is also files2.arc. File size if 16401.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 19 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Daniel Tobias
|
||
Soft Fido, 380/2
|
||
|
||
This is a contrary viewpoint to the views expressed by Joe
|
||
Lindstrom in a recent FidoNews on the subject of "open" systems.
|
||
|
||
My system, Soft Fido, has been in operation for about five months
|
||
now, and is entirely open. No special registration is required,
|
||
and there is no mandatory questionnaire. I have not adopted a
|
||
specific policy regarding the use of "handles", either pro or
|
||
con.
|
||
|
||
The results seem to be entirely opposite to the experience of Mr.
|
||
Lindstrom. The vast majority of my users log in with their
|
||
correct names, and there have been no cases thus far of people
|
||
posting abusive or "obscene" [however you might define such a
|
||
vague term] messages. One or two people have posted messages
|
||
offering or soliciting pirated software, but when I inform them
|
||
that it is not Soft Fido's policy to promote such illegal
|
||
activity, these people have cooperated by ceasing to use my
|
||
system to post such messages.
|
||
|
||
A minor handful of people have logged in under phony names, but
|
||
they seldom call back again; I guess there isn't much on my
|
||
system to interest such people. I do have a large number of
|
||
regular callers, many of whom have answered the voluntary online
|
||
questionnaire and provided their address and telephone number.
|
||
These users have participated in stimulating discussions in the
|
||
message sections, and contributed numerous uploads to the file
|
||
sections. They also enjoy the online games I provide in the
|
||
OUTSIDE section; since I have an online scoreboard giving running
|
||
scores, it is in their best interest to log in under their
|
||
correct names so their name will show up as system champion.
|
||
|
||
There have been a few extremely minor abuses of the open
|
||
policies; a couple of people have logged in under multiple names
|
||
to evade the daily time limits when doing extensive downloads.
|
||
However, nobody (to my knowledge) has attempted to crash the
|
||
system, or post abusive messages in other people's names, or such
|
||
things which are the reason why so many other boards have had to
|
||
adopt restrictive access policies.
|
||
|
||
I hope this continues, and I don't intend to restrict access
|
||
unless and until it is forced on me by flagrantly-abusive users.
|
||
Cumbersome registration requirements are a hassle to user and
|
||
sysop alike, and make it particularly hard on long-distance
|
||
callers (such as those who call to download the Fido utilities I
|
||
have written, and announced the availability of in another
|
||
FidoNews article), since they must then call at least twice (once
|
||
to register, another time to actually use the system, and
|
||
possibly several other times in between to check and see if
|
||
they've been upgraded yet.)
|
||
|
||
I like to take a general view that people are reasonable and
|
||
moral; it's only a few "bad apples" that make trouble. It is a
|
||
shame when everybody's freedom must be curtailed due to the
|
||
Fidonews Page 20 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
actions of a few. I think there are better ways to keep a BBS
|
||
from degenerating into childishness than to adopt rigid access
|
||
policies; if you set an intelligent tone to the system from the
|
||
start through such matters as your choice of message and file
|
||
areas, the tone of your editorials and bulletins, et cetera, you
|
||
will attract the kind of users who appreciate your interests, and
|
||
the morons who prefer childish bickering and harassment of each
|
||
other will stay away from your system and use other systems more
|
||
receptive to their sort of thing, regardless of what access
|
||
policies are followed.
|
||
|
||
- Dan
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 21 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Richard Epson
|
||
151/20
|
||
|
||
THE CHEAPEST PHONE BILL EVER!
|
||
-----------------------
|
||
|
||
Tom Rapone & Associates, Inc.
|
||
c/o Richard H. Epson
|
||
9920-A Plum Creek Lane
|
||
Charlotte, NC 28210
|
||
>> Fido 151/20 <<
|
||
(704) - 542 - 3895
|
||
|
||
Hello there fellow SysOps and Users! I'll bet most of you
|
||
spend well over $100.00 per month in long distance calls. If you
|
||
are a SysOp like me, you send twice or even three times that much
|
||
on long distance. Well, get this flash.....
|
||
|
||
|
||
$100.00 per month gets you...
|
||
|
||
|
||
U N L I M I T E D C A L L S
|
||
|
||
U N L I M I T E D T I M E
|
||
|
||
U N L I M I T E D A N Y W H E R E*
|
||
(* in the United States)
|
||
|
||
|
||
Watts lines have been used primarily by large corporations for
|
||
cheaper rates on volume long distance calls.
|
||
|
||
This is a program that takes average telephone users and combines
|
||
their usage to obtain volume rates.
|
||
|
||
WHY -
|
||
|
||
The divestiture of ATT has given other companies the
|
||
opportunity to compete with ATT for long distance phone service.
|
||
Many companies have done so. The company that I am dealing with
|
||
offers unrestricted, (in the United States, except Alaska), long
|
||
distance phone service for $100.00 per month. Most of the other
|
||
long distance companies are asking you to choose them or ATT.
|
||
Our service is saying keep your present long distance carrier and
|
||
also have this, now you have two long distance choices. For
|
||
heavy long distance users (like we SysOps) this is inexpensive
|
||
because we use state of the art equipment, access low cost lines,
|
||
and maximize usage. This is a supplement, not an alternative.
|
||
|
||
|
||
I am sure you are asking about long distance rates within your
|
||
state. Well, presently our service offers INTRA-STATE long
|
||
distance for the following states;
|
||
|
||
Arizona Colorado Delaware
|
||
Fidonews Page 22 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Dist. of Columbia Hawaii Idaho
|
||
Michigan Montana New Hampshire
|
||
North Dakota Oklahoma Pennsylvania
|
||
Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee
|
||
Texas Utah Virginia
|
||
|
||
....With many more on the way! While you wait for your state, you
|
||
can still call anywhere outside your state (unlimited).
|
||
|
||
|
||
ACCESS -
|
||
|
||
Upon receipt of your application your personal access code
|
||
will be issued. To access our service you only need dial an 800
|
||
number then your personal access code. It is very important that
|
||
you keep your access code personal!
|
||
|
||
|
||
BILLING
|
||
|
||
Our service does not send bills. When you become a customer,
|
||
you may (if you wish) sign up for the Check-O-matic plan. Your
|
||
$100.00 monthly long distance phone bill will automatically be
|
||
deducted from your account and you will not have to worry about
|
||
forgetting the payment and losing the service. Check-O-matic
|
||
deductions are made the 15th of each month. Otherwise payment may
|
||
be made by the 24th of the preceeding month by mail.
|
||
|
||
|
||
What a deal, huh? There is more.....
|
||
|
||
Our service is a new company that will not spend money on
|
||
advertising. They use the most effective and least expensive
|
||
form of advertising. "WORD OF MOUTH" (OR COMPUTER TERMINAL!).
|
||
For people who know friends or relatives who would be interested
|
||
in their long distance phone rates, our service offers and
|
||
incentive program that enables participants to profit from
|
||
commissions. THERE IS NO COST FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE MARKETING
|
||
PLAN.
|
||
|
||
|
||
HOW -
|
||
|
||
For each new customer who purchases our service, you will
|
||
receive a $25.00 commission each month that customer
|
||
participates. For example, if you sign up four people for our
|
||
phone service, you would receive 4 x $25.00 ($100.00), per month,
|
||
during their participation. You would still have to pay your own
|
||
$100.00 bill for your long distance service but you would receive
|
||
a seperate commission from us for $100.00. IN EFFECT, your long
|
||
distance calls would be at NO COST.
|
||
|
||
We have designed a marketing plan so that you can earn even
|
||
MORE commissions. If the first four people you sell the service
|
||
also sell the service to others, you receive a $5.00 commission
|
||
for each additional participant each month they continue the
|
||
Fidonews Page 23 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
service. This $5.00 bonus plan pays down through 5 levels*
|
||
|
||
*Where payment through more than a specified number of levels is
|
||
prohibited by state law, payment will be made only to the levels
|
||
permitted by such law.
|
||
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE -
|
||
|
||
You sell Mike $25.00 Level 1
|
||
|
||
Mike sells Tom $ 5.00 2
|
||
|
||
Tom sells Ken $ 5.00 3
|
||
|
||
Ken sells Vick $ 5.00 4
|
||
|
||
Vick sells Bill $ 5.00 5
|
||
|
||
Bill sells Richard $ 5.00 6
|
||
|
||
|
||
You may offer this program to as many people as you choose.
|
||
|
||
|
||
You are saying "What's the catch?" There isn't one!! And even
|
||
if you don't sell it to anyone, $100.00 per month long distance
|
||
is still the best deal around!
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you are interested, send a check or money order for $4.95 made
|
||
out to;
|
||
|
||
*Tom Rapone & Associates, Inc
|
||
c/o Richard H. Epson
|
||
9920-A Plum Creek Lane
|
||
Charlotte, NC 28210
|
||
|
||
*Member of The Greater Charlotte, NC Chamber of Commerce
|
||
|
||
The $4.95 is used for processing and there are no other costs
|
||
except the $100.00 per month!
|
||
|
||
ONE MORE THING!!!
|
||
|
||
NO INSTALLATION FEE IF YOU APPLY WITH THIS OFFER!!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE DEAL!!!
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fido 151/20
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 24 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Ken McVay
|
||
Fido 340/20
|
||
|
||
|
||
Let's Lease a Satellite!
|
||
|
||
As a new Fido SysOp, I tend to read my MAILER.LOG a lot. I am
|
||
part of CanWest Net, and am located 36 cents-a-minute North of
|
||
my Host, DataWest (340/10) in Victoria, British Columbia. My
|
||
routing calls for SCANMAIL just prior to the NMW; I collect my
|
||
mail, send it to Victoria, and pick up inbound. Well after NMW,
|
||
I poll 340/10 for mail received from the other nodes, and for
|
||
inbound from outside the Net. The log tells me that polling my
|
||
host is a relatively expensive proposition. Typical connects
|
||
run from 1.5 to 4.0 minutes, even if no packet is received. I
|
||
assume this has something to do with the polling process, as
|
||
NMW connects are rarely in excess of 20 seconds, unless files
|
||
are attached. In the real world, it means an extra expense of
|
||
about $30.00 a month, just to get the echo's on time.
|
||
|
||
As I have come to devote more and more time to Fido, I have
|
||
begun to realize that there are thousands of hard-working,
|
||
dedicated people slaving away to improve and expand the net.
|
||
It would appear, from my point of view, that all of this effort
|
||
has yielded spectacular results. A system has been created that
|
||
may very well grown into the most significant communications
|
||
network on the planet; as the low-cost benefits from mass-
|
||
production bring more powerful and more advanced tools within
|
||
range of those hard-working people, the costs of the services
|
||
they provide will go down, and the service will expand.
|
||
|
||
Satellite communications channels have been a fact of life for
|
||
our culture for a long time. The profusion of satellite
|
||
receiving stations in the back yards of homes and offices is
|
||
just a beginning - wait until they're only $1.99 at K-Mart, and
|
||
then watch the frantic conversion from cable TV! Commercial
|
||
use of these satellites is commonplace - the evening TV News
|
||
is evidence of the quality possible, if you've got the money.
|
||
|
||
What's this all have to do with my MAILER.LOG? I propose that
|
||
we begin to gather data relating to both the cost of leasing
|
||
commercial satellite channels, and of building our own XMT/RCV
|
||
earth stations. One friend suggests that a station capable of
|
||
utilizing commercial satellite channels could be built for very
|
||
little more than the cost of my pc - about $3000.00. As they
|
||
sell in the $20,000.00 range, I have my doubts.
|
||
|
||
I would like to alleviate these doubts, and GET THE FACTS. I
|
||
would rather, if the price was right, forget the phone and zap
|
||
the satellite with my own transmitter. If Fido's Regional
|
||
Co-ordinators utilized such technology first, with the Hosts
|
||
following next, I wonder how long it would take before we could
|
||
forget our late-night routings and communicate whenever we
|
||
damned-well pleased via satellite. I would be happy to serve as
|
||
a clearing house for data. (If there is an EchoMail conference
|
||
already, my apologies - just tell me how to link - if there
|
||
Fidonews Page 25 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
isn't, let's start with me.)
|
||
|
||
Ken McVay
|
||
1B Systems Management (Fido 340/20), Nanaimo, British Columbia
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 26 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
123/6 123/0
|
||
MemphisNet
|
||
2400 baud MAX
|
||
901-353-4563
|
||
|
||
|
||
Well, it seems that certain segments of FidoNet do not like my
|
||
assessment of them as Shareware users, while other segments seem to
|
||
agree 100%.
|
||
|
||
First for the disapprovers...... You are definitely a MINORITY
|
||
of ONE. I mean out of all the responses I got you are the ONLY one
|
||
that seemed to think I was personally attacking you! Why? I would
|
||
name you here but I feel that you should remain anonymous since you
|
||
feel that my referring to persons who use something they did not
|
||
purchase was a personal attack on you. I will only say that of the
|
||
marketing studies that were returned to Mr. Presnell by persons who
|
||
tried FidoUtil that your area/net was the 3rd largest response. I
|
||
seem to think that there is more to your flame then you are
|
||
admitting, but then again maybe not. In either case the old saying
|
||
he who denies it the most is usually the guiltiest of the bunch (or
|
||
something like that). The breakdown of responses for FidoUtil is as
|
||
follows:
|
||
|
||
1) California had the most responses with NO registrations.
|
||
2) New York had the second highest total with 1 registration
|
||
3) Colorado had the third highest response (none registered)
|
||
4) 3 states tied with 2 registrations among the three
|
||
Florida, Georgia, Tennessee
|
||
|
||
Now for the remark you made in your message to me about my not
|
||
paying for the program myself....I TRIED TO but the author declined
|
||
my money and registered my copy as a way of saying thanks. I had
|
||
written the review and sent the $$$ before it ever hit FidoNews and I
|
||
got my check back from him by return mail 3 days after the review
|
||
came out. I did go you one better... I at least TRIED ! You stated
|
||
that to your knowledge there was no one using FidoUtil in your net.
|
||
Well I will take this on faith as true since I have no need to doubt
|
||
you at this time. I was assuming that out of the 497 responses to the
|
||
marketing study that Mr. Presnell got back that about 50% of those
|
||
were one time only runs. This would leave about 250 or so that used
|
||
the program more then once and about 20% of this figure could still
|
||
be using the program. This would mean that somewhere out there are
|
||
50 persons using FidoUtil on their system (this is 10% of the total
|
||
response) of those only 5 are now registered. This means that only
|
||
1% of the total response decided the program was worth anything. I
|
||
find this HARD TO BELIEVE, NAY IMPOSSIBLE !!!!!
|
||
|
||
I have received one response from a sysop that specifically
|
||
stated that he did not use FidoUtil after trying it out. He decided
|
||
Fidonews Page 27 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
that waiting for updates to the individual modules was too much for
|
||
him, which is by the way a very good reason.
|
||
|
||
I received 10 responses from others praising me for my stand
|
||
(although one said that he agreed with my idea but said I picked the
|
||
wrong program to flame about).
|
||
|
||
So it seems that the ONLY negative response was from someone who
|
||
decided that I was attacking HIS integrity personally. All I can say
|
||
to you is this:
|
||
|
||
If the shoe fits wear it !!!!!
|
||
|
||
I am a staunch supporter of the ShareWare concept and will
|
||
continue to support it any way I can. I might not be able to send as
|
||
much as I would like to for the programs I use but I will at least
|
||
send something which is more then most shareware authors expect.
|
||
From what I can see most shareware authors decide on the front end
|
||
that there will be absolutely no return on their investment and thus
|
||
are totally shocked when they do receive any funds back.
|
||
|
||
Again responses welcome.....
|
||
|
||
P.S. this is to the one disagreeing comment I got in FidoMail....I
|
||
have done a little checking and find that this is not my first
|
||
contact with you. I also had contact with you on another program and
|
||
got no reply at all.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 28 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Rob Barker, 138/34
|
||
|
||
Coordinator Ramblings XXIV
|
||
|
||
|
||
Don't let them tell you any different; the inside of one hotel is
|
||
no different than any other hotel. I spent the weekend in
|
||
Nashua, New Hampshire, smoking too many cigarettes, drinking too
|
||
much coffee, and raising my voice in discussion too many times,
|
||
and still have no mortal idea what New Hampshire and Boston look
|
||
like. We left the hotel for a grand total of two hours in three
|
||
days, other than the drive to and from the airport. And I think
|
||
I was suppose to say "Am I having fun yet?"
|
||
|
||
Anyhow, I am ahead of schedule (for the first time in six days).
|
||
As I mentioned in my last Ramble, I was going to the BY-LAWS
|
||
Committee meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire over the weekend of
|
||
Nov 7 through 9. I spent close to twelve hours getting from here
|
||
to there, and thought I was probably the last to arrive on
|
||
Thursday night. As Ken Kaplan and I wandered around the hotel
|
||
together, we discovered we were probably the first to arrive.
|
||
(Hint - don't try to find anything to eat in Nashua after
|
||
midnight unless you have a car. No pizza deliveries. Hotel bar
|
||
closed down, and forget the restaurant.) When the first wave of
|
||
late arrivals was over, we commenced to gather in fellowship (a
|
||
nice way of saying I stayed up until after 4 am drinking beer and
|
||
talking. I don't know when the rest of them gave up, but think it
|
||
wasn't much later).
|
||
|
||
Friday started out with a dull thud. By the time people rolled
|
||
out of bed and finished breakfast (lunch for the early risers),
|
||
we were almost ready to begin. We set up a suite and began our
|
||
attempt at figuring out exactly what we were there to do. I know
|
||
it sounds easy to say we were going to formulate Articles of
|
||
Association and a set of By-Laws, but that is really an over
|
||
simplification. Believe it or not, we spent a whole day
|
||
'defining' what we were to do, set up our draft agenda and a
|
||
proposed By-Law outline. We used a dual monitor PC and MAX Think
|
||
(tm) to brainstorm our goals, desires and objectives.
|
||
|
||
Friday night was a nice dinner (the one trip out of the hotel)
|
||
and a little more socialising in the evening as the rest of the
|
||
crew arrived. We felt we had laid out a good set of plans for
|
||
the next day. It was really kind of funny because we really
|
||
hadn't accomplished that much, but then again, we had progressed
|
||
with leaps and bounds, and everyone was riding high over what we
|
||
had done.
|
||
|
||
Saturday began much quicker and went a lot longer. Now was the
|
||
day to fill in the MAX Think Outline and argue all the points
|
||
raised while building the outline. Tempers were short, but good
|
||
natured. We were constantly reminded there was a rule stating
|
||
that if a person lost their sense of humor, they would be taken
|
||
to the fourth story roof and thrown off. Dinner came, but almost
|
||
slipped us by as we refused to take a break and loose the head of
|
||
steam we had built up. We were simply cooking down the road, and
|
||
Fidonews Page 29 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
continued to do so on into the night.
|
||
|
||
In the mean time, the Fido Standards Committee was meeting in the
|
||
suite next door. They would occasionally wander over to our room
|
||
for a refill on a soda or a cold beer, but would leave very
|
||
shortly thereafter with some comment about being techie's and not
|
||
being able to handle the politicians. Personally, I took those
|
||
comments as insults, but after sitting in on their meeting for a
|
||
couple of minutes, I was happy to be labelled a politician
|
||
because I certainly had no idea what they were talking about.
|
||
|
||
Another long night Saturday, and an early start on Sunday because
|
||
we had more to finish before meeting flights at the airport. I
|
||
couldn't believe it when we started taking the equipment down 10
|
||
minutes before we were required to checkout. We could actually
|
||
take it down and not move it over the Bob Hartman's apartment and
|
||
set it up for more last minute things. We were finished with our
|
||
task.
|
||
|
||
And what did we do? Gosh, I don't know how to put it in a
|
||
nutshell other than to reference you to a file; IFNA1109.ARC (I
|
||
am ROBOTing it to all Region 17 HOSTs this evening and have it
|
||
posted on my System in File Area #1 - will move to Area #5 later
|
||
in the week). The files are the major products of our weekend in
|
||
New Hampshire. This is a proposal package that has been
|
||
presented to the Board of Directors. We were not in total
|
||
agreement on everything, and minority opinions are being written
|
||
at this time. In fact, we had hoped they would be available for
|
||
inclusion. YOU are encouraged to comment on what you read.
|
||
(Constructive comments, not just a rash of FLAMES). These
|
||
comments should be forwarded to Randy Bush (122/6). Or if you
|
||
choose, and desire an open forum, you may enter your thoughts in
|
||
the IFNA ECHO. This is the ECHO that was started for the members
|
||
to discuss the By-Laws and policy matters. Who and why it turned
|
||
into a basket weaving circle, is beyond me and I shall stay off
|
||
that subject this go around.
|
||
|
||
I will be happy to try and attempt to answer any questions that
|
||
people have, but before you ask, PLEASE READ the documents we
|
||
have presented. I believe I remember everything that was
|
||
presented, but then again I have read, and reread the darn thing
|
||
so many times over the weekend, and was involved in so many
|
||
changes, I seriously doubt I really know what it says any more.
|
||
I think I need a day or two to sort it out, then I will read it
|
||
again.
|
||
|
||
However, I am comfortable with what was presented to the Board.
|
||
I don't believe any one person dominated the group or forced us
|
||
to go in one direction or the other. It was simply a joint
|
||
effort of a group of individuals who were looking out for the
|
||
interests of others. It was neat to watch people push different
|
||
items as far as possible to see what the long range ramifications
|
||
were for each statement. We believe we have have presented a
|
||
document that will service our needs now, as well as for the next
|
||
few years.
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 30 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now it is up to YOU TO VOTE. EDUCATE yourself on the issues.
|
||
DISCUSS them rationally with others in the IFNA ECHO without
|
||
destructive flames.
|
||
|
||
Yawl have a GREAT week.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 31 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Stanley Quayle
|
||
Fido 126/1
|
||
|
||
The UNDER-C(tm) Library
|
||
|
||
Quayle Research, Inc. is proud to announce release 2.1 of the
|
||
UNDER-C Library.
|
||
|
||
The UNDER-C Library works with IBM PC-compatibles using the
|
||
following C compilers:
|
||
|
||
Microsoft C, version 4.0 (NEW!)
|
||
Lattice C, versions 3.10 (NEW!) and 2.15
|
||
Computer Innovations C86
|
||
DeSmet C
|
||
Instant-C
|
||
|
||
The UNDER-C Library:
|
||
|
||
- Has 122 functions, including BIOS, DOS, and other useful
|
||
functions.
|
||
|
||
- Includes the following utilities:
|
||
|
||
MAKE
|
||
CPRINT, a general-purpose printing program
|
||
PFS2TXT, which translates pfs:Write and IBM Writing
|
||
Assistant files to text format
|
||
|
||
- Includes functions to build screens similiar to dBase.
|
||
|
||
Complete SOURCE CODE -- No royalities -- Not copy-protected.
|
||
|
||
Includes 200-page manual and five 5-1/4" floppy disks.
|
||
|
||
Send $95 to: Quayle Research, Inc.
|
||
6548 Edgerton Road
|
||
N. Royalton, OH 44133
|
||
|
||
Ohio residents please include 6-1/2% sales tax.
|
||
|
||
For more information, contact Stanley Quayle on 126/1 or Myrna
|
||
Quayle on 157/502.
|
||
|
||
|
||
UNDER-C is a trademark of Quayle Research, Inc.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 32 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
3 Dec 1986
|
||
Start of the Electronic Mail Association conference in
|
||
Washigton, D.C.
|
||
|
||
7 Dec 1986
|
||
The Next Occasional MetroNet Sysop Meeting. Contact Gee Wong
|
||
at 107/312 for details.
|
||
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Don Daniels
|
||
107/0 (107/210)
|
||
|
||
NY MetroNet System Crash
|
||
|
||
During the weekend of Nov. 16, the inbound Host system for the
|
||
New York Metropolitan area (Net 107) had a head crash. The
|
||
system has finally been restored as of the backup of October 27.
|
||
However, all files for the host since that date and all messages
|
||
in-transit at the time of the crash have been lost.
|
||
|
||
It is suggested that you re-send any transmissions which you feel
|
||
may have been affected.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
$$$$ Business and Economics Echomail $$$$
|
||
|
||
Are you interested in investments, stock market, general finance,
|
||
and government fiscal policy? With today's highly complex
|
||
financial markets it is exteremely difficult to find adequate
|
||
information on investing. National Business and Economics
|
||
Echomail is an open forum of discussion for those interested in
|
||
investments, the stock market, and government fiscal policy along
|
||
with all related areas of finance. Both novices and professionals
|
||
are invited to to share their knowledge with others. Whether its
|
||
high or low finance all are encouraged to participate in this new
|
||
and exciting forum. Like to Dabble in the market?? Or do you
|
||
have questions about investing?? Just Ask!!!
|
||
|
||
So you want Big Buck$ ? Get the inside word and tie into
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 33 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
National Business and Economics Echomail
|
||
|
||
For information about Tie in conact :
|
||
|
||
Randall Kobetich (150/130) Wilmington, Delaware
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 34 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
|
||
The World's First / \
|
||
BBS Network /|oo \
|
||
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
||
_`@/_ \ _
|
||
| | \ \\
|
||
| (*) | \ ))
|
||
______ |__U__| / \//
|
||
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
||
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (jm)
|
||
|
||
Charter Membership for the International FidoNet Association
|
||
|
||
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
|
||
pays an annual specified membership fee. IFNA serves the
|
||
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
|
||
increase worldwide communications.**
|
||
|
||
|
||
Name _________________________________ Date ________
|
||
Address ______________________________
|
||
City & State _________________________
|
||
Country_______________________________
|
||
Phone (Voice) ________________________
|
||
|
||
Net/Node Number ______________________
|
||
Board Name____________________________
|
||
Phone (Data) _________________________
|
||
Baud Rate Supported___________________
|
||
Board Restrictions____________________
|
||
Special Interests_____________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
Is there some area where you would be
|
||
willing to help out in FidoNet?_______
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Send your membership form and a check or money order for $25 to:
|
||
|
||
International FidoNet Association
|
||
P. O. Box 41143
|
||
St Louis, Missouri 63141, USA
|
||
|
||
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
|
||
insure the future of FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
** Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
|
||
in formation and BYLAWS are presently being prepared by an
|
||
International Rules Committee. Membership requirements and fees
|
||
are subject to approval of this Committee. An IFNA Echomail
|
||
Conference has been established on FidoNet to assist the BYLAWS
|
||
Committee. We welcome your input on this Conference.
|
||
|
||
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|
||
Fidonews Page 35 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Larry Kahaner
|
||
Fido 109/612
|
||
|
||
Established author writing book about SATANIC CULTS in
|
||
America. Looking for personal and professional experiences
|
||
and anecdotes about this practice. Serious parties only.
|
||
Anonymity guaranteed (if you wish). Contact Larry Kahaner,
|
||
P.O. Box 39103 Washington DC 20016. Tell me how to contact
|
||
you. You may also contact me via Fido 109/612
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
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|
||
Fidonews Page 36 1 Dec 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
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The World's First / \
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BBS Network /|oo \
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* FidoNet * (_| /_)
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Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
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