1185 lines
54 KiB
Plaintext
1185 lines
54 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 4, Number 3 19 January 1987
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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) 1987, 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. ARTICLES
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What ever happened to real BBSes?
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International Informatics Access Conference Announcment
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Shareware Vendor Abuse - Last in an Irregular Series
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2. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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Bylaws Vote in Progress
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Fidonews Page 2 19 Jan 1987
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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What ever happened to real bulletin-board systems?
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First off, I'd like to make it perfectly clear that I cannot
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be objective in these notes. These are observations, but they
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are from 1) a Sysop
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2) a user of 8BBS, the greatest BBS ever evolved
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3) a boy ... who's become a boyish programmer
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4) an old timer....1977 was when I first started
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using BBS systems.
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5) the author of a BBS system
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If you're expecting objectivity, then don't bother reading
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on. I have a rather unique perspective on the entire BBS scene.
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I've been around since close to the beginning, and I'm wondering
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what has happened. Have BBS's gone the way of CB? Is the entire
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system in a slump? Is there anything wrong at all?
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I'm going to try to present these questions and show how
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things have changed...for the better, and for the worst.
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HISTORY:
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A long time ago, in a city far-far away, two men had an
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insight. Ward Christensen and Randy Suess wanted a way to leave
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notes and messages to their programmer/engineer friends. Back
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then, modems were used by field-engineers and some high-level
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executives to talk to their companies computers. A 300 baud
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modem was extremely fast, as most people were using 110 baud
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TeleTypes. Ward and Randy devloped the concept of the BBS. They
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called it CBBS, for "Computer Bulletin Board System." CBBS was
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the first of its kind. It was an enormous program written in
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8080 assmebly language. By our standards today, it was kludgy
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and bug-ridden, but back then it was heavenly. Users could enter
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messages and read messages... that was about it.
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CBBS was a wonderful concept, but it was localized to the
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Chicago area. Ward and Randy were the only ones who were running
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the program. Then Bill Blue came along and wrote ABBS, which was
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designed to "emulate" the CBBS system. I feel it was ABBS,
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rather than CBBS which made the real breakthrough. While ABBS
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was much less powerful, and more difficult to use, it could be
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run on a "universal" machine: --The Apple ][--
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Anyone with an Apple ][ and a D.C. Hayes MM][ modem could
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run ABBS. This program could be installed in a matter of
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minutes, and anyone could have their own bulletin board system.
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Soon after the release of ABBS, several other BBS programs (for
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various computers) soon followed. ABBS was the king for many
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years, just because there were more ABBS systems than any other
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BBS program available.
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Fidonews Page 3 19 Jan 1987
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It is this time that I would like to refer to as the "Golden
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age of the BBS." It wasn't as golden as you might think. Most
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Sysops would come home every evening from work to find that their
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BBS had crashed because of yet another bug. Even back then,
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user's logged in under false names and left obscene messages.
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The one point that made that age golden was the users.
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Without users, a BBS is just a program. With users, it gains a
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personality, and if I may be metaphysical, a soul. The users
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MAKE the BBS. A Sysop may have the greatest BBS program in the
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world, but without active users, he just has a computer wasting
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line-current.
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LIFE IN THE "GOLDEN AGE"
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A user would think nothing of spending his Saturday helping
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"The Sysop" find an intermittant bug in the BBS program.
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A user would not only answer his or HER mail, but also butt
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into other people's conversations and throw in his/her two cents
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worth.
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A user would suggest improvements to make the system easier
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to use.
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A Sysop would care for his BBS like a baby. He'd spend 2
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hours each night writing messages and playing with modifications
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to the program.
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A Sysop would NOT restrict conversation to one particular
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topic...such as CP/M software.
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A Sysop would tolerate kids who were just learning how to
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use modems. He'd even give them a hand getting things working.
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A Sysop would [on his own preference] dilligently weed out
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obscene or "pseudo-illegal" messages, -- or -- promote them as
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he saw fit.
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Users would start clubs, such as the well known "Gabber
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Gang" and later the infamous "Phone Phriekers" who figured so
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prominently into BBS history.
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The government didn't try to restrict BBS users. It was
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just "us" against tyranny (at that time "Ma Bell"). Although
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most users did not approve of "Phone Phrieking", everyone talked
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about it, and was interested in it for curiosity sake if nothing
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else. [Hard to believe, but true.]
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Uploading and downloading of programs did not exist.
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BBS's were few and far between. When I wrote the OxGate,
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the two closest other CP/M based machines were Kelly Smith in
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Simi Valley (375 miles away), and "Jim C" in Larkspur (100 miles
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away). People tended to congregate on the local system.
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Fidonews Page 4 19 Jan 1987
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WHAT HAS KILLED BBS SYSTEMS:
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1) Program uploading and downloading.
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People just get their programs and leave.
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2) The technical clique's retaliation against "gabbers"
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who just used the systems for personal communication.
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3) Too many BBS systems in one area.
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BBS's are still alive and healthy in low-density areas.
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4) The loss of "anonimity" among BBS users.
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The BBS used to be the place to escape. Where no one
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had to be "themselves." Users such as "James Bond"
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and "Captain Scarlet" were given free reign to vent
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their fantasies. Today, most systems do not allow
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false names so they can keep track of users.
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5) The anti-hacker movement.
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More and more people today think the word "hacker"
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means "phone phriek/computer crasher."
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All it ever meant was "great programmer." You would
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feel proud if someone labeled you a "hacker."
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6) The press' ignorance of the BBS community.
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By trying to make a scandal out of all of it, they
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ruined a great form of communication.
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In particular, the magazine "InfoWorld" has done more
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harm to the BBS community than other press organization.
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While they actively TRIED to HELP the community, they
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have caused more harm in their mis-reporting of info.
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7) Sysop's ignorance. Quite frankly, the average quality
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of "Sysop" has dropped. Sysop's are (on the whole)
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less active and less responsive than 5 years ago.
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More and more of them are technically incompetent, they
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couldn't fix a bug if it bit them in the nose.
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All of these problems are inter-related. We can't solve any of
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them until all of them are solved. From my descriptions it
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should be obvious that the "golden age" certainly wasn't all
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gold. People like "James Bond" and "Sam Daniels" had to be
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stopped, but the pendulum has swung too far to the opposite
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side.
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These observations are very general. I've noticed this swing,
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and it has taken place on 95% of all of the system's I've called
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across America. It's sad that these problems have stabbed us in
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the back, but it's not too late to try and bring about a change.
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I don't have the answers, but maybe these observations will
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prompt thought into this death of a virtual "art form" of
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communication.
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There is one possible solution to this problem... the acceptance
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of children again. For too long we've been kicking off kids
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(both phyiscal and "kids at heart"). They've been disruptive,
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Fidonews Page 5 19 Jan 1987
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and caused fights galore. Many have even tried to crash the
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systems they used.
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"If there's any hope, it lies with the proles."
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-- George Orwell, _1984_
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Perhaps the thing to do is call a few local Commodore and Apple
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boards and let the users know that they're just as welcome on
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your super-fancy 100mb 2400 baud RCP/M system as any of your so-
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called "serious users" . . . "serious users" who can't even bring
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themselves to answer their own mail. Saddening.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 6 19 Jan 1987
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INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87
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MARCH 17-20, 1987
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DALLAS, TEXAS USA
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IIA '87 - MARCH CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
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===================================
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Many of us feel the need for more dialogue and cooperation which
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can lead to enlightened policies regulating and promoting the
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management of information. Many also feel it important to look
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more carefully at existing practical applications of computer and
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communications technologies particularly for the developing
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world. Toward both of these ends, a series of international
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conferences on information access is being planned. The first
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conference of its kind
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-- INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87 (IIA '87)--
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is scheduled to be held in Dallas in March 1987. This event, its
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preparation and follow-up, will provide a forum for policymakers,
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technical staff and those applying informatics to exchange ideas
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and develop plans of action. Preceding and following the
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conference the participants will be accessible to each other via
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an international electronic network.
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WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87?
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IIA '87 is the first in a series of biennial conferences on the
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role of international information exchange in developing
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countries. In keeping with the focus on developing countries:
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* The Keynote speaker for each conference will be from a
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developing country whose address will highlight that country
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for the development of informatics
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* All future conferences will be held in Third World countries
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* Fifty percent of the conference delegates will be from
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developing countries
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WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF IIA '87?
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The Planning Council will request leading international
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informatics and communications organizations or individuals for
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nominations of participants in the following areas:
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Policy
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Technical
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Network/User
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These delegates will be selected based on criteria approved by
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the Planning Council and based on the degree of activity and
|
||
knowledge in the field of informatics. It is expected that fifty
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Fidonews Page 7 19 Jan 1987
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percent of the delegates will come from Third World countries.
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In addition, Resource Participants will be invited as conference
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observers. They will be able to attend all conference activities,
|
||
but will have limited participation roles in the roundtable
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||
sessions.
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A monthly Conference Newsletter will begin publication in August
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1986, and will be mailed without charge to individuals or
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organizations who have asked to be on the conference mailing
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list. This publication will keep all interested parties apprised
|
||
of the activities in preparation for the conference as well as
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provide relevant information on developments in the field of
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informatics.
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All delegates selected will have an electronic mailbox on an
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international communications network. The fee for each mailbox
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will be paid for by the conference for three months prior to and
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six months after the conference. This service is provided in
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order that the delegates be in a position to maintain the link
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formed and continue the discussions initiated at the conference
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and themselves form a new international network.
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There will be four principal addresses during the conference.
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The addresses will focus on the current issues in the areas
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of:policy, technical and network applications in informatics.
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Each will a focus on the integration of traditional and emerging
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||
technologies. The keynote speaker will address the issues of the
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potential for informatics in the context of international
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development and understanding and how this technology can be used
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for the betterment of society. Each presentation will be
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followed by delegate roundtables to discuss the address as well
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as to bring pertinent information from personal experiences.
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A conference Resource Guide guide is being developed to maximize
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the contributions of the IIA '87 delegates to the conference.
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This guide will be published as a special edition to an
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international journal and distributed to delegates one month
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prior to their arrival.
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The Planning Council will also publish a Conference Proceedings.
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This will include the speakers' texts, and comments from the
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roundtable discussions and will serve as a point of reference for
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organizations and individuals interested in developing
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multinational electronic linkages. This publication, like the
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Resource Guide, will be published by as a special edition of an
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international journal.
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WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF IIA '87?
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* To prepare and disseminate a comprehensive guide of the
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current activities of groups involved in the promotion and
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exchange of informatics skills/technologies for development
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purposes.
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* To initiate intense discussion on the relation of
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informatics to development and the policy, technical, and
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Fidonews Page 8 19 Jan 1987
|
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programmatic issues in this field.
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* To develop a "roadmap" for organizations interested in
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exchange of informatics skills/technology for development,
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in order to expand and initiate priorities for such
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cooperation.
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WHAT TYPES OF DELEGATES WILL BE INVITED TO IIA '87?
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IIA '87 will have four types of participants:
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Policy Delegates (12) - Individuals involved in the senior level
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decision-making process with regard to informatics in developing
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countries
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Technical Delegates (12) - Individuals who have expertise and a
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knowledge of the technical systems deployed to meet informatics
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needs
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Networker Delegates (26) - Individuals who are now using
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informatics within their work environments.
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Resource Participants (15) - Individuals selected from major
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international organizations who can serve as a resource of
|
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information on policy/technical and network/user issues.
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Resource Participants will be able to attend all conference
|
||
activities, but will have limited participation roles in the
|
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roundtable sessions.
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Important Delegate Selection Deadlines
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November 30, 1986
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Completed Delegate Nomination Forms Due
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December 31, 1986
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IIA '87 Delegate Selection Committee Invites Delegates
|
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WHERE WILL IIA '87 BE HELD?
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Baylor University Medical Center has a state-of-the-art
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conference center located on the 17th floor of the new A. Webb
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Roberts Hospital. This center has a large reception foyer, an
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auditorium that seats 155, a large banquet room that seats 150,
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||
several small dining rooms, three classrooms and the Boone
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||
Powell, Sr. Management Library. Staff of the A. Webb Roberts
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||
Center for Continuing Medical Education will be available for
|
||
facilitating the conference. In addition, volunteers from local
|
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microcomputer users groups or people with an interest in
|
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telecommunications will be available to assist in hosting the
|
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conference.
|
||
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WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL CONFERENCE LANGUAGE?
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English is the official conference language. The Plaza of the
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||
Americas does have a multi-multilingual staff available and will
|
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be able to assist with hotel needs and Dallas sites and
|
||
Fidonews Page 9 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
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attraction information.
|
||
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WHERE WILL IIA '87 PARTICIPANTS STAY IN DALLAS?
|
||
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||
The Plaza of the Americas combines restaurants, shops and office
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||
towers in the heart of downtown Dallas. The prime business and
|
||
entertainment districts and the new Dallas Museum of Fine Arts
|
||
are a brief stroll away. Trusthouse Forte, one of Europe's
|
||
grandest hotelier, operates the 442-room hotel. A multilingual
|
||
staff, foreign currency exchange, and telegram/cable/telex
|
||
services are a few of the amenities provided by the Plaza of the
|
||
Americas. The hotel's Plaza Suite will serve as the conference
|
||
Hospitality Suite throughout the conference.
|
||
|
||
WHAT ARE THE COSTS TO THE IIA '87 DELEGATE?
|
||
|
||
All on-site conference costs will be provided by the conference.
|
||
No registration fee will be charged. Meals (with the exception
|
||
of Friday evening), transfers (with the exception of the return
|
||
to the airport), and conference materials, etc. will be provided
|
||
by the conference.
|
||
|
||
Conference participants will be responsible for travel and hotel
|
||
accomodation payments. Tower Travel Agency will work with the
|
||
delegates in coordinating these arrangements and will be able to
|
||
offer conference discounts. In order to offer these discounts,
|
||
all travel and hotel arrangements must be handled by Tower Travel
|
||
using the conference hotel and airlines. The conference has a
|
||
very competent agent assigned and she will have an EMAIL box on
|
||
ECONET.
|
||
|
||
WHERE WILL IIA '87 EMAIL BE CHECKED ON A DAILY BASIS?
|
||
|
||
SERVICE ID
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
WHOLE EARTH LECTRONIC LINK [WELL] hmg [Harry Goodman]
|
||
UUCP hplabs!well!hmg
|
||
ARPA well!hmg@LLL-CRG.ARPA
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
This meeting is for you!
|
||
|
||
Baylor University Medical Center has been involved in developing
|
||
an electronic network linking several medical research centers in
|
||
Latin America with the Latin American Cancer Research Information
|
||
Program sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization.
|
||
Issues encountered in the development of this electronic
|
||
application are the same issues facing each of us as our networks
|
||
develop. The exchange of ideas between individual participants
|
||
at IIA '87 will allow each of us to return to our respective
|
||
countries and organizations with ideas and concepts which we did
|
||
not bring to the assembly.
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 10 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
We would be delighted to have you join us and we invite you to
|
||
participate in IIA '87 by returning the Nomination Form.
|
||
|
||
* THE FORM MUST BE RETURNED TO US BY NOVEMBER 30, 1986 *
|
||
|
||
Additional information may be obtained by writing to:
|
||
|
||
INTERNATIONAL INFORMATICS ACCESS '87
|
||
c/o Baylor Research Foundation
|
||
3500 Gaston Avenue
|
||
Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
|
||
|
||
or
|
||
|
||
Harry Goodman
|
||
Harry M. Goodman & Associates
|
||
1739 Bridgeway, Suite A
|
||
Sausalito, California, U.S.A.
|
||
|
||
UUCP: {apple,hplabs,lll-crg,ptsfa}!well!hmg
|
||
ARPA: well!hmg@LLL-CRG.ARPA
|
||
MCIMAIL: HGOODMAN
|
||
BIX: harryg
|
||
CIS: 72267,2572
|
||
WELL: hmg
|
||
|
||
|
||
Nominations are due by November 30, 1986.
|
||
|
||
Sincerely,
|
||
|
||
The IIA '87 Planning Council
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Shareware Vendors: Last in an Irregular Series of Articles
|
||
|
||
by
|
||
Mark J. Welch
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
[Preface: three earlier articles detailed my problems (and other
|
||
Shareware authors') with various Shareware copyright and
|
||
distribution concerns. As in the past, I will briefly repeat some
|
||
portions of the earlier articles for the benefit of those who
|
||
might not have seen them.]
|
||
|
||
|
||
Tying up loose ends:
|
||
|
||
First, I'd like to correct an error in an article I wrote a few
|
||
months ago. At that time, I thought that I had not provided PC-
|
||
SIG with a copy of my program (the Generic Adventure Game
|
||
System), nor with permission for them to distribute it, and at
|
||
that time PC-SIG had indicated that this was a possibility. In
|
||
fact, my records show that I did provide PC-SIG with a copy of
|
||
GAGS very early on, and though I did not give them formal
|
||
permission to distribute it at that time, I don't believe they
|
||
acted in bad faith when they began distributing the program
|
||
thereafter. I'd like to apologize to PC-SIG for this error.
|
||
|
||
Second, I'd like to invent a term: program-disk vendor. Firms
|
||
like PC-SIG, Public Brand Software, and the like, all sell
|
||
Shareware and public domain software programs on floppy disks.
|
||
Since no "generic" term has been established to refer to the
|
||
growing legions of such vendors, I'll call them "program-disk
|
||
vendors" in this article. I'm not going to take a position as to
|
||
whether or not the category of "program-disk vendors" should
|
||
include non-profit users' groups.
|
||
|
||
Next, I'd like to update my dispute with PC-SIG. After we
|
||
exchanged several letters and phone calls, we finally sat down
|
||
and discussed the matter last October, and decided at that time
|
||
that the ideal disposition would be for PC-SIG to write a letter
|
||
clarifying its policies and acknowledging its awareness of the
|
||
fact that Shareware authors have expressed concerns over some of
|
||
its activities. As I stated then, my goal in obtaining such a
|
||
letter is to prevent PC-SIG from later claiming to some other
|
||
Shareware author that he was the first to voice a complaint. At
|
||
that meeting, Mr. Petersen also provided me with a partial copy
|
||
of a revised version of the letter he is now sending to
|
||
competitors whom he believes are violating his firm's property
|
||
rights, and this revised version does not make the broad or
|
||
general claims that were in the earlier letters.
|
||
|
||
In essence, PC-SIG and I have agreed to be nice to each other,
|
||
and PC-SIG has stated (as clearly as they believe they can) what
|
||
their policies will be. My understanding is that they intend to
|
||
use reasonable efforts to determine that they are properly
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
distributing authors' works, and will shortly contact the authors
|
||
of programs in their library to let them know what PC-SIG is
|
||
doing. In exchange for PC-SIG's letter, I've agreed not to pursue
|
||
any legal claims against the firm for what I believe was improper
|
||
distribution of my program on CD-ROM.
|
||
|
||
Rather than paraphrase PC-SIG, however, I'll simply provide a
|
||
complete copy of the letter I received from Richard Petersen,
|
||
president and owner of PC-SIG:
|
||
|
||
Dear Mr. Welch:
|
||
|
||
I am writing this letter to you to clarify for you how we
|
||
interact with authors. I am taking the time to do this
|
||
because I believe you when you say that you are only
|
||
intereted in seeing that PC-SIG and organizations like
|
||
ourselves in the business of distributing user-supported
|
||
programs behave in a way which is not contradictory to a
|
||
program author's interests.
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG does not claim to own copyrights to the programs
|
||
in its library. Each author of a Shareware program
|
||
retains copyright ownership, but has granted PC-SIG a
|
||
non-exclusive right to distribute the program. Authors of
|
||
Public Domain programs have abandoned all claims to those
|
||
programs, and the programs are not copyrighted.
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG does not pay authors any fee or royalty for the
|
||
distribution of the author's programs. What we do do and
|
||
will continue to do is strongly encourage donations to
|
||
authors of programs. We recognize that it is through the
|
||
efforts of shareware authors that we have been able to
|
||
create PC-SIG. It is our hope and belief that we have
|
||
also had a beneficial effect toward legitimizing the
|
||
shareware concept and increasing the revenue received by
|
||
program authors.
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG's policy is to distribute Shareware and User-
|
||
Supported programs with permission of the author. PC-SIG
|
||
presently checks disks being added to the PC-SIG library
|
||
to make sure that we have received permission directly
|
||
from the program author. If not, we attempt to contact
|
||
the author directly for permission to distribute their
|
||
program.
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG does not claim trademark rights to the names of
|
||
the programs in its library. PC-SIG has the non-exclusive
|
||
right to use the name to identify the author's work if it
|
||
is included in the PC-SIG library.
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG also claims copyright ownership of its printed
|
||
catalogs and newsletters, of its catalog disks, and of
|
||
custom written text files or programs included in the
|
||
disks distributed by it. PC-SIG claims to own copyright
|
||
to the overall collection of disks, as assembled, and to
|
||
the numbering system used to identify the disks.
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
We apologize for the impression you got from our
|
||
September 1986 Newsletter that the typical Shareware
|
||
author earned over $40,000 per year per program. This
|
||
figure is very misleading. It was based on a very small
|
||
sample of the more successful authors which is not
|
||
necessarily representative of what the majority of
|
||
shareware authors receive. It should be remembered that a
|
||
few authors have done very well, earning well into the
|
||
millions.
|
||
|
||
As part of our new directory project we are sending out a
|
||
mailing to all program authors (which we have addresses
|
||
for) confirming our new directory listing for disks which
|
||
they are on and asking for any updates they may have both
|
||
for the new directory and our next release of the PC-SIG
|
||
Library on CD ROM. We plan to do periodic mailings of
|
||
this type in the future. We welcome suggestions from
|
||
program authors about how we can better serve them.
|
||
|
||
As part of my understanding with you, you have agreed to
|
||
distribute an apology to PC-SIG for accusing us of taking
|
||
your program without your permission. We expect that you
|
||
will distribute this through all of the same channels you
|
||
distributed your original accusations.
|
||
|
||
Sincerely,
|
||
Richard Petersen
|
||
|
||
|
||
[letter reproduced with permission]
|
||
|
||
|
||
[the rest of the article is by Mark Welch]
|
||
|
||
As I stated in my earlier articles, my concerns have been to make
|
||
Shareware authors aware of the problems being created by vendors
|
||
who distribute Shareware, and the response has been quite varied.
|
||
|
||
First, I was surprised (but shouldn't have been) to learn that
|
||
many authors make a substantial portion of their income through
|
||
distribution of their programs by PC-SIG, with one authors
|
||
claiming that more than half of the payments he receives are
|
||
based on purchases from PC-SIG. On the flip side, one author was
|
||
inspired by my article to contact PC-SIG and for the first time
|
||
discovered that his utility programs were being distributed by
|
||
the firm. I was not surprised at the negative (anti-PC-SIG)
|
||
opinions that came my way, since I was aware of earlier problems
|
||
that Shareware authors and others have had with PC-SIG.
|
||
|
||
At one point, a fellow called me to encourage me to start an
|
||
aggressive publicity campaign against PC-SIG in the popular
|
||
press. I didn't do that, and don't believe that such a move is
|
||
appropriate, because I don't believe that what PC-SIG has done,
|
||
for the most part, has been substantially against the interests
|
||
of Shareware authors. As I stated to Mr. Petersen, I believe that
|
||
PC-SIG has made a substantial contribution to the success of
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
user-supported software, and I believe that if PC-SIG were driven
|
||
out of business, the Shareware business would suffer as a result.
|
||
|
||
I believe that PC-SIG has made a strong effort to convince me
|
||
that they have the best interests of Shareware authors in mind,
|
||
and that they do not wish to harm Shareware authors in any way.
|
||
This does not reduce my belief that PC-SIG has taken several
|
||
actions that have harmed Shareware authors, the worst of which
|
||
were its intimidation of its competitors (innocent and illegal
|
||
alike), its unauthorized distribution of programs on CD-ROM, and
|
||
its reckless comments about the "average" profits of a Shareware
|
||
author.
|
||
|
||
As the oldest and best-established of program-disk vendors, PC-
|
||
SIG has a duty to aggressively study each disk in its library to
|
||
make sure that it can properly distribute the programs on it.
|
||
|
||
|
||
I'd like to suggest some guidelines that I believe PC-SIG and
|
||
other program-disk vendors should evaluate and, ideally,
|
||
implement:
|
||
|
||
- Each vendor must carefully study the "Shareware rules"
|
||
(actually a license to distribute) included on the disk with
|
||
each Shareware program, to make sure that its distribution
|
||
of the program is legal. Each author has slightly different
|
||
conditions, and it is (and ought to be) the program-disk
|
||
vendor's duty to make sure that he is not violating U.S. and
|
||
international copyright laws by improperly distributing the
|
||
work. When a program-disk vendor desires to distribute a
|
||
program using a method not explicitly invited by the author
|
||
(such as CD-ROM), it should obtain written permission before
|
||
doing so.
|
||
|
||
- Even where the "Shareware rules" or license terms allow
|
||
program-disk vendors to distribute a program without written
|
||
permission, the vendor should notify the author that the
|
||
program is being distributed by the vendor. This enables the
|
||
author to provide update notices (including lurking-bug
|
||
fixes) and to promptly assert any complaints if the author
|
||
believes the vendor's distribution is improper.
|
||
|
||
- Program-disk vendors should bear the cost of obtaining
|
||
updates to disks, at least by providing a disk and return
|
||
mailer when programs are updated. Certainly, when a program
|
||
is updated once a week, a program-disk vendor is justified
|
||
in updating its library less frequently, and the vendor also
|
||
cannot be expected to provide updates if the author doesn't
|
||
notify the vendor.
|
||
|
||
- Program disk vendors should be especially vigilant against
|
||
improperly including illegal or dangerous programs in their
|
||
libraries. Like any BBS sysop, a program-disk vendor should
|
||
recognize obvious "trojan horse" programs whose main
|
||
function is to wipe out a hard disk. Likewise, the vendor
|
||
should recognize that a cleanly-polished commercial-quality
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
program with a name like "Zaxxon" or "Program Shift" isn't
|
||
really public domain, but is actually a pirated and hacked
|
||
program. Program-disk vendors, like BBS sysops, should
|
||
refuse to distribute complex programs if they don't contain
|
||
valid author-contact information.
|
||
|
||
- Program-disk vendors also have a duty to make sure that they
|
||
are distributing complete and (reasonably) current programs.
|
||
A program without needed documentation, or a program that
|
||
works only with DOS 1.1, should be clearly marked as such or
|
||
removed from the vendor's catalog.
|
||
|
||
- While vendors can't be expected to test every possible
|
||
configuration and use of a program, no program-disk vendor
|
||
should ever distribute a program that simply doesn't work on
|
||
*any* hardware configuration.
|
||
|
||
- Every program-disk vendor should be aware of copyright,
|
||
trademark, and unfair-competition laws in the juridictions
|
||
it sells in. Vendors should expect that any violations of
|
||
these laws will result in lawsuits by shareware authors or
|
||
competitors, with possible penalties of up to $50,000 per
|
||
program illegally distributed.
|
||
|
||
- Every program-disk vendor should make a reasonable effort to
|
||
encourage its customers to register Shareware (User-
|
||
Supported) programs. Any vendor who actively or recklessly
|
||
discourages such contributions should expect prompt and
|
||
aggressive responses from both authors and consumers.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The above guidelines also put some duties on authors, who already
|
||
have a number of responsibilities:
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Program authors should provide clear, precise rules for
|
||
distribution of copyrighted programs. Where possible,
|
||
authors should not choose terms or rules that are radically
|
||
different from other Shareware authors' terms, and ideally
|
||
Shareware authors should develop similar terms.
|
||
|
||
- Authors must provide reasonably prompt notice of upgrades
|
||
(to vendors and registered users alike).
|
||
|
||
- Authors who do not plan to update the program, or who decide
|
||
to switch from Shareware to another distribution channel,
|
||
should let vendors (and registered users) know of those
|
||
plans.
|
||
|
||
- Authors should be aware of copyright, trademark, and unfair
|
||
competition laws in the jurisdictions their programs are
|
||
distributed in, and should take the proper steps to protect
|
||
their works by registering them. Shareware authors should
|
||
be careful to properly identify their programs' status to
|
||
avoid having the works fall into the public domain, and
|
||
should particularly check to make sure that their programs
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
and documentation do not identify the work as being "public
|
||
domain."
|
||
|
||
- Authors should also be aggressive in notifying vendors of
|
||
improper distribution of their programs, and taking legal
|
||
action (alone or together with other authors) to stop
|
||
willful continued violations by program-disk vendors. Where
|
||
possible, authors should also advise other authors of
|
||
improper activities that affect them.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Sometime in February, I will cease to be a bona-fide Shareware
|
||
author, because, like many other authors, I am releasing the next
|
||
version of my software as a commercial program, rather than as
|
||
Shareware. I will, of course, notify registered users and
|
||
vendors. I will allow program-disk vendors to continue to
|
||
distribute earlier versions of GAGS, and registered users will
|
||
have a very generous upgrade path.
|
||
|
||
[Last-minute note 1-7-87: version 2.00, the "international"
|
||
version, is now ready. I'll post a note in FidoNews when the
|
||
manual is rewritten and printed (it won't be available on
|
||
disk). The Mac version should also be available within a few
|
||
months.]
|
||
|
||
Despite my escape from the immediate Shareware market, I still
|
||
believe that Shareware authors should stick together and keep in
|
||
touch with each other.
|
||
|
||
While I don't believe any "trade organization" or tightly-
|
||
organized group is necessary, I do believe that Shareware authors
|
||
should share whatever resources they do have, including good and
|
||
bad experiences, written policies, legal advice, and mailing
|
||
lists where appropriate. If a program-disk vendor, online service
|
||
or end-user should violate a number of authors' rights through
|
||
the same actions, the affected authors should band together to
|
||
defend their rights using whatever means are available.
|
||
|
||
Another goal for Shareware authors might be some sort of unified
|
||
numbering system for Shareware and public-domain programs. I had
|
||
believed that PC-SIG's numbering system was available for other
|
||
firms to use until it began sending its nasty nine-page letters
|
||
to its competitors last year; until then, its catalog (available
|
||
at one time even through bookstores) provided a useful
|
||
arrangement of disks. Now that PC-SIG has asserted its ownership
|
||
of that numbering system, I hope that a group of authors or some
|
||
enterprising individual creates a Library-of-Congress style
|
||
numbering system for the available program-disks, with a cross-
|
||
index indicating what alternate sources those programs are
|
||
available from (for example, providing a cross-reference into the
|
||
PC-SIG numbering system, just as auto parts vendors provide
|
||
tables of compatible parts). Such a catalog system should enable
|
||
new vendors to enter the market more easily, reducing the prices
|
||
of Shareware and public domain program-disks, and thus increasing
|
||
the availability of the programs.
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
----
|
||
|
||
Last, but not least, I'd like to provide a list of the people
|
||
whom I've contacted (and been contacted by) since I wrote the
|
||
first Shareware-abuse article in FidoNews last year. While I
|
||
currently don't plan any further activities or articles regarding
|
||
this issue, I hope my exit from the Shareware market won't end
|
||
the discussions I've sparked.
|
||
|
||
The following people and organizations haven't asked to be
|
||
included in this article, and as a result I'll try not to get
|
||
anyone in trouble but will still try to make connections
|
||
possible.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
1) Richard Petersen Thomas Caudill
|
||
owner/president Attorney-at-Law
|
||
PC-SIG (Personal Computer (PC-SIG's attorney)
|
||
Software Interest Group) 1025 North Fourth St.
|
||
1030D East Duane Ave. San Jose, CA 95112
|
||
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 298-4844
|
||
(408) 730-9291
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG's letters threatening its competitors with massive
|
||
lawsuits, and its distribution of my program on CD-ROM, were
|
||
the two sparks that led me to address the issue at all. In
|
||
addition to Petersen and Caudill, I've been in touch with Tom
|
||
Yarr (VP/Marketing) and Tom Smith, who is in charge of
|
||
contacting authors and verifying that new programs are OK to
|
||
add to the PC-SIG library.
|
||
|
||
|
||
2) National Public Domain Software Rental Co. & PJS Company
|
||
Paul Jones
|
||
1533 Avohill Drive
|
||
Vista, CA 92084
|
||
(619) 749-0322
|
||
|
||
PC-SIG filed an unfair-competition lawsuit against this firm
|
||
(docket number 605640, filed in Santa Clara Superior Court on
|
||
June 24, 1986). I have a multiple-generation copy of a letter
|
||
from Jones, stating that the firm has gone out of business
|
||
because of the legal action, and referring its customers to
|
||
the Public Domain Software Interest Group in Nevada (see 4,
|
||
below).
|
||
|
||
|
||
3) Harold Babylon
|
||
Software Club
|
||
4811 Myrtle Avenue
|
||
Sacramento, CA 95841
|
||
(916) 334-2161
|
||
|
||
Software Club was the first program-disk vendor to notify me
|
||
that it had received PC-SIG's nine-page letter threatening a
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
lawsuit. As a result of the letter, Software Club asked for a
|
||
confirmation of my previously-given permission to distribute
|
||
GAGS, since PC-SIG's letter seemed to claim exclusive rights
|
||
to programs in its library.
|
||
|
||
|
||
4) Public Domain Software Interest Group (PD SIG Inc.)
|
||
2400 S. Santa Rita Dr.
|
||
Las Vegas, NV 89104
|
||
(702) 732-0169
|
||
|
||
Other than the reference by Mr. Jones (see 2, above), I know
|
||
nothing about this firm. I called and received PD-SIG's
|
||
catalog, which offers titles from the PC-Blue and other disk
|
||
libraries. (See also 8, below.)
|
||
|
||
|
||
5) Pink Panther Data Systems
|
||
Richard E. Andrew
|
||
P.O. Box 271098
|
||
Escondido, CA 92027-0732
|
||
(619) 741-7779 (voice)
|
||
(619) 941-8680 (BBS)
|
||
|
||
I bumped into this program-disk vendor at two computer shows
|
||
in Silicon Valley, and discovered that it took more than one
|
||
request to convince Mr. Andrew that I was serious about my
|
||
repeated insistance that for-profit program-disk vendors must
|
||
obtain writtern permission to distribute GAGS. He elected not
|
||
to request my permission, and thus the firm may not distribute
|
||
GAGS.
|
||
|
||
|
||
6) U.S. Soft Club
|
||
a division of Bi-Tech Enterprises, Inc.
|
||
Thomas E. Vande-Stouwe, director of software selection
|
||
10 Carlough Road
|
||
Bohemia, NY 11716-2996
|
||
(516) 567-8155 (voice)
|
||
(800) 645-1165 (outside NY)
|
||
CompuServe: 70007,1767
|
||
MCI Mail: BiTech
|
||
BBS: 516-567-8267 (24 hours)
|
||
|
||
In November, I received an interesting letter from Mr. Vande-
|
||
Stouwe, and spoke with him on the phone for nearly an hour
|
||
(burning my "Budget Gourmet" frozen dinner to a crisp). His
|
||
firm plans to offer some very interesting (and tempting)
|
||
benefits to Shareware authors who elect to have U.S. Soft Club
|
||
distribute their programs, but apparently the exact terms are
|
||
confidential, so I'll not repeat them here. However, I'd like
|
||
to encourage Shareware authors to give him a call and look
|
||
over his proposal; I chose not to participate, but I'm sure
|
||
others will think differently.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 19 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
7) Public Domain Software Copying Company
|
||
Don Johnson
|
||
33 Gold St., Suite 13
|
||
New York, NY 10038
|
||
(212) 732-2565 800-221-7372
|
||
|
||
This program-disk vendor sells disks from the PC-Blue library.
|
||
Mr. Johnson also received a letter from PC-SIG threatening his
|
||
firm with a lawsuit unless he altered his business' operation.
|
||
|
||
|
||
8) PDSSIG, Public Domain Software Special Interest Group
|
||
(formerly PD-SIG, Public Domain Software Interest Group)
|
||
full name: Robert Allen Plimley
|
||
3515 San Felipe Road
|
||
San Jose, CA 94135
|
||
(408) 270-4085 (BBS)
|
||
also, Bob Allen
|
||
3124 Pan Mure Court
|
||
San Jose, CA 95135
|
||
|
||
This one gets confusing. I don't even remember whether he
|
||
called me or I called him first. PC-SIG sent Mr. Plimley a
|
||
letter [to "Bob Allen" and "John Lawrence"] asking that the
|
||
firm's BBS cease using the name PD-SIG because it was
|
||
confusingly similar to PC-SIG's name. Mr. Plimley advised me
|
||
that he does not sell disks individually, but runs a BBS from
|
||
which callers may download programs and also sells the
|
||
programs on disks, mostly in large sets to other sysops. He
|
||
said he received the letter from PC-SIG after he registered
|
||
the name PD-SIG, and planned to fight PC-SIG's claims until he
|
||
learned that another firm was already using the name PD-SIG
|
||
(see 4, above).
|
||
|
||
|
||
Some other people interested in Shareware and the issues
|
||
addressed in my earlier articles, along with a number of program-
|
||
disk vendors, are listed below, in the same random order they
|
||
appear in my notes:
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
More program-disk vendors:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Domain::Generics The Public Domain Exchange
|
||
P.O. Box 4408 2074C Walsh Ave., Dept. 75
|
||
Stanford, CA 94305 Santa Clara, CA 95050
|
||
(408) 496-0624
|
||
Ron Chadwick Orders: (800) 331-8125
|
||
Fun-Ware
|
||
15735 Camino Del Cerro Shareware Express
|
||
Los Gatos, CA 95030 31877 Del Obispo, Suite 101
|
||
(408) 358-2353 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
|
||
(714) 240-1322
|
||
Dynacomp Inc.
|
||
Fidonews Page 20 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
1064 Gravel Road Public Brand Software
|
||
Webster, NY 14580 P.O. Box 51315
|
||
(800) 828-6772 Indianapolis, IN 46251
|
||
(716) 671-6160 (317) 856-1001
|
||
(716) 671-6167 (800) IBM-DISK [800-426-3475]
|
||
|
||
MicroCom Systems P.C. Soft Share
|
||
P.O. Box 51657 Mike Bowers
|
||
Palo Alto, CA 94303 24365 San Fernando Rd. #154
|
||
(415) 325-6500 Newhall, CA 91321
|
||
(805) 255-7072
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Public (software) Library, Nelson Ford, P.O. Box 35705,
|
||
Houston, TX 77235-5705, (713) 721-6104, (713) 721-5205 (latter
|
||
number for orders only). (This is apparently a separate
|
||
enterprise run by Diskcat author Nelson Ford, who is also
|
||
connected in some way with the Houston Area League of PC Users
|
||
(HAL-PC).) The firm issues a monthly newsletter commenting on
|
||
many of the programs in the library and providing some news of
|
||
interest. HAL-PC will sponsor a convention for PD and Shareware
|
||
authors on February 21, 1987 in Houston.
|
||
|
||
BBS Mailorder Software, P.O.Box 17868-B001, Irvine, CA 92713-
|
||
7868. (Their catalog-request form, which I picked up at a swap
|
||
meet 1/3/87, says "BBS now carries the complete PC-SIG and PC-
|
||
Blue libraries," and "BBS has been recently acquired by Caltech
|
||
Institute, a non-profit organization.")
|
||
|
||
Computer Bin, 371 Wilkerson St., Suite H, Perris, CA 92370, (714)
|
||
657-7821. (I just discovered [January 3] that this firm was
|
||
selling GAGS without permission at a Swap Meet; they agreed to
|
||
pull the disk until they request and receive permission to
|
||
distribute it.)
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
Ted Lester, P.O. Box 8404, Santa Cruz, CA 95061. (Mr. Lester
|
||
apparently called me and asked for information about my dispute
|
||
with PC-SIG. My notes are sketchy, so I'm not exactly sure what
|
||
interest he had in the matter.)
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
James P. Morgan, 5226 Via Hacienda #115, Orlando, FL 32809,
|
||
(305) 859-5658 (Mr. Morgan is a Shareware author.)
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
San Francisco PC Users Group
|
||
3145 Geary Blvd., Suite 155
|
||
San Francisco, CA 94118
|
||
|
||
Charlie Vella, Software Librarian, 415-387-2315
|
||
Phillip Jacka, Software Library Editor, 415-648-1012
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 21 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
Sacramento PC Users Group
|
||
P.O. Box 685
|
||
Citrus Heights, CA 95610
|
||
(916) 332-1944
|
||
|
||
Tony Barcellos, software librarian and editor, SacraBlue
|
||
(newsletter), 916-756-4866
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
TRS Nybblers
|
||
"MS-DOS TRS CP/M Users"
|
||
25555 Hesperian Blvd.
|
||
Chabot College, Hayward, CA 94545
|
||
|
||
(This user group exhibits regularly at many swap meets and
|
||
computer shows in Silicon Valley).
|
||
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
|
||
THE AUTHOR:
|
||
|
||
Mark J. Welch
|
||
P.O. Box 2409
|
||
San Francisco, CA 94126
|
||
(415) 841-8759 (voice, Berkeley)
|
||
Fido 161/459 [SEAdog, private node]
|
||
BIX: 'mwelch'
|
||
|
||
(Author of the Generic Adventure Game System, formerly available
|
||
as Shareware; formerly an editor at BYTE magazine and reporter
|
||
for InfoWorld; now a freelance writer, contract programmer, and
|
||
law student in Berkeley, California.)
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
[This article may be reproduced and distributed in any
|
||
publication of a non-profit organization, and may be re-posted on
|
||
online services and electronic bulletin boards. If possible,
|
||
please send the author a copy of any newsletters that include
|
||
this article. Thanks. -mjw]
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 22 19 Jan 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
17 May 1987
|
||
Metro-Fire Fido's Second Birthday BlowOut and Floppy Disk
|
||
Throwing Tournament! All Fido Sysops and Families Invited!
|
||
Contact Christopher Baker at 135/14 for more information.
|
||
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The CPA is now tallying the votes on the IFNA bylaws. With any
|
||
luck, we hope to have a final tally in time for next week's
|
||
edition of FidoNews.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|