2194 lines
92 KiB
Plaintext
2194 lines
92 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 4, Number 25 6 July 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 published weekly by the International FidoNet
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Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
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submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
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standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
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node 1:1/1.
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Copyright 1987 by the International FidoNet Association. All
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rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
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noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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Six Weeks to FidoCon!
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Table of Contents
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1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
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A word from the Broadcast Echos .......................... 1
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National EchoMail Conference List ........................ 3
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FREEWARE: The End of Amateur Programming? ................ 14
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Once Upon the Future ..................................... 16
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New EchoMail Area for Mainframe Folks .................... 18
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More Talk About PK vs. ARC ............................... 19
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Mail Relays .............................................. 20
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Turbo C - V 1.0 - A Product Review ....................... 22
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Does IFNA Matter Outside the USA ? ....................... 25
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The creation of FUN ...................................... 27
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US Naval Observatory Time Now Available .................. 28
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NEW FIDO(tm) OPUS(tm) SEADOG(tm) UTILITY ................. 29
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2. COLUMNS .................................................. 31
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Borland's Turbo C: Review, part 1 ........................ 31
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The Regular Irregular Column ............................. 34
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3. FOR SALE ................................................. 38
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COMPUTER PACKAGE FOR SALE ................................ 38
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4. NOTICES .................................................. 39
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 39
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regarding fnews424 ....................................... 39
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 39
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International FidoNet Conference Registration Form ....... 41
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IFNA Order Form .......................................... 42
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 1 6 Jul 1987
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Glen Jackson
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Fido/SEAdog 100/517
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Updates and such
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First of all, It's sure good to be back into the net. We went
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down around May 10th for our big move, and with the move came a
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new phone number. Please, if you are at all interested in the
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Broadcast Echos, jot this number down. 100/517 is now at
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1-314-928-2501.
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We're slowly growing in our little echo. We now carry three
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seperate message areas dedicated the broadcast industry. They are
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1)Conversations for the public and broadcasters, 2) Jobs and
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situations in the broadcast industry, and 3)for Broadcasters
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only.
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To keep you up to date, these nodes carry the echos. If you would
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like to participate, drop us netmail at 100/517, and we will co-
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ordinate you into the topology. PLEASE - we would prefer to do
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the co-ordinating so we can keep track of this echo. Here is who
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currently participates:
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113/1 Small_Biz_Net Honolulu, HI
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501/4697 SVT_Public_TV Stockholm, Sweden
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135/1 Ram_Soft Miami, FL
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104/69 Metroplex Denver, CO
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151/301 BNC_Connector Boone, NC
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125/406 KLOK_FM San Francisco, CA
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151/108 Drums_Opus Cary, NC
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11/107 Bourbonnis_BBS Bourbonnis, IL
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19/3 Dark_Cavern Lawton, OK
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150/614 Charis_TBBS Philadelphia, PA
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135/11 FL
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104/108 Micro_Link Littleton,CO
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969/500 NY
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150/600 Philadelphia_Hub Pydal, PA
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We currently set aside the time between 1:15 AM and 1:45 AM
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(Central) for polling. Since we now have SEAdog, polls can be
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accepted at any time.
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NEXT - MSGDB
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Recently we introduced a new utility, MSGDB. This is for OPUS and
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FIDO sysops that want to do full message bit editing in all of
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their message areas, or move a message from one area to another.
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It can be file requested from either 100/510 or 100/517. The file
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to ask for is MSGDB.ARC.
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FINALLY - another BBS interface
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 2 6 Jul 1987
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We are also working on a full implementation of a WWIV BBS
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network interface. If any of you have had experience with WWIV,
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or logged on to a WWIV system, you know that this is a good
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message base BBS. When we finish, WWIV will be able to handle all
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netmail and echomail capabilities. If you have any comments on
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this, just leave me a note.
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NOW - the soapbox
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Short, but sweet. This week I dropped the SYSOP ECHO. After not
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being on the network for 6 weeks, I picked up all of my back
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logged sysop echomail. Nothing has changed much. No sense in
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carrying the same old same old and wasting disk space with it.
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LET'S FINISH
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We have a few TV people on the Broadcast echo that are asking for
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more participation. It seems like the radio people do all the
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talking. Is the reason the TV people are so quiet on the echo
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||
because they want to be seen as well as be heard? Let's hope not.
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I want to thank all of you for the support you've been over the
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last few weeks. I certainly enjoy the network!
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Give us a shout with any comments, etc at 100/517!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 3 6 Jul 1987
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This is the FIDONEWS version of the ECHOLIST. A more detailed
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version showing networks served, secondary "contact" nodes,
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||
approximate traffic volume, number of participating nodes and
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more can be File Requested as ECHOLIST.ARC from
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||
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107/316 Thomas Kenny
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107/269 Mitch Kessler
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We hope that more SEAdog running BBSs will want to help
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distribute the ECHOLIST. Ideally such a board would allow first
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||
time callers to File Request or download the list at 2400 Baud.
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||
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There's been a bit of a change in the format of the FidoNews
|
||
version of the list this month: proposed conferences are at the
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||
end of the list in their own section, and ECHOS that do not name
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||
a moderator or coordinator are not listed.
|
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****************************************************************
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AA_NA (Recovery) David Dodell 114/15
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Abled David Dodell 114/15
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||
Handicapped forum
|
||
|
||
ADAM Discussion Bill Freads 11/700
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||
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||
ADAM Technical Bill Freads 11/700
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||
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ADS Tracy Graves 138/39
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THIS CONFERENCE IS DEAD.
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||
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Adults
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||
Adults only conference.
|
||
(John Penberthy 129/28)
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AFNA
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||
Australian FidoNet Association
|
||
|
||
AI Richard Clark 107/222
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||
Artificial Intelligence conference.
|
||
|
||
AIDS/ARC Bob Kovach 125/31
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||
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||
Amateur Radio John Dashner 133/10
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||
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Amiga Grey Mist 124/206
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||
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||
Amiga Prog Richard Clark 107/222
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||
Amiga programmers technical information
|
||
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||
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Animation Mike Bader 120/17
|
||
Conference for animation info & discussion
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||
includeing Japanese animation.
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||
|
||
APL Chris Lincoln 107/103
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||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 4 6 Jul 1987
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Apple Bob Abbott 157/511
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||
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||
Apple II Gary Vedrick 102/2801
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||
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||
|
||
Asian-American Arnold Chu 107/16
|
||
Asian-American Community happenings
|
||
|
||
ASM Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
|
||
Astronomy Don Epand 114/18
|
||
alias StarNet
|
||
|
||
AT&T Mark Pinkstone 150/613
|
||
Poll/Pickup from Host (138/39, 0150-0225 PDT)
|
||
|
||
Atari Gary Vedrick 102/2801
|
||
Atari technical conference
|
||
|
||
Audio Advisor Larry Digioia 129/17
|
||
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||
|
||
Automotive Marcel Schmelzer 129/42
|
||
|
||
|
||
Beyond War Andy Kanter 101/301
|
||
National peace issues forum.
|
||
|
||
Bible Bob Hoffman 129/34
|
||
Bible forum
|
||
|
||
Bicycles Mike Talbot 151/103
|
||
Bicycle use in sports, touring, racing & transportation.
|
||
|
||
Bitch Jim Bacon 103/507
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||
|
||
Bloom Net Sysops Bob Stubbings 127/60
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||
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||
Books, Great Jim Bacon 103/507
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||
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||
Broadcast Glen Jackson 100/517
|
||
Radio engineering, programming & marketing.
|
||
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Broadcasting Jobs Terry Travis 104/69
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||
Broadcasting jobs/situations.
|
||
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||
Business & Economics Randall Kobetich 150/130
|
||
Business information conference
|
||
|
||
Buy&Sell Jim Deibele 105/3
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|
||
Bylaws Bob Hartman 132/101
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Only for Bylaws committee members?
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||
|
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Bylfedbk Tom Marshall 107/324
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 5 6 Jul 1987
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DISCONTINUED
|
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C Language Ed Rauh 141/215
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Career Discussions Lee Johnson 125/612
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Host will poll/pickup
|
||
|
||
|
||
Christ Net Baddlard Shackleford 108/70
|
||
Christian BBS only by coordinator approval.
|
||
A non-argumentative forum for Bible study,
|
||
prayer requests and fellowship.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Cincy Jesse Armontrout 108/64
|
||
Local sysop conference
|
||
|
||
COCO Echo Brian Bream 112/3
|
||
Tandy Color Computer
|
||
|
||
Commodore Marv Shelton 107/311
|
||
C64 & C128 technical conference
|
||
|
||
Commodore (local) Gary Vedrick 102/2-801
|
||
|
||
Conejo For Sale Gary Vedrick 102/2801
|
||
|
||
Conejo Music Gary Vedrick 102/2801
|
||
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||
|
||
Conejo Tech Gary Vedrick 102/2801
|
||
|
||
Consulting Tracey Graves 138/39
|
||
Business of consulting.
|
||
|
||
Cosmopolitan Hal Duprie 101/107
|
||
Boston Metro Area: Books, Food & Good
|
||
Things of Life
|
||
|
||
dBASE Alex Hartley 100/500
|
||
dBASE users forum
|
||
|
||
Debate *NONE*
|
||
Detroit, Chicago, Colorado.
|
||
There may be to separate conferences!?
|
||
|
||
DEC Rainbow Dave Rene 101/27
|
||
Host is 101/27 who polls all the nodes.
|
||
|
||
DesqView Bob Spivack 143/3
|
||
DesqView users forum
|
||
|
||
Doggies Tracy Graves 138/39
|
||
Fido clones & compatibles confernce,
|
||
i.e. SEAdog, Collie, Guardian, etc.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 6 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Dr Debug's Laboratory Larry Digioia 129/17
|
||
Questions/answers on all computers & software
|
||
(mostly IBM compatibles).
|
||
|
||
Dungeons & Dragons Eric Daymo 102/2803
|
||
Dungeons & Dragons role playing game.
|
||
|
||
Echomail Coordinators Jon Sabol 124/210
|
||
For echomail coordinators only
|
||
|
||
|
||
Educators Tracy Graves 138/39
|
||
|
||
|
||
Feminism Kim Storment 100/523
|
||
|
||
|
||
FireNet Christopher Baker 135/14
|
||
Fire/Rescue/EMS news and information exchange.
|
||
|
||
Fish Net Leo Bores 114/14
|
||
Conference for Aquarists & fish keeping hobbyists.
|
||
|
||
Fortran Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
|
||
Forum Tracey Graves 138/39
|
||
Private personal communications/sharing.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Freemess Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
Los Angles Chatter
|
||
|
||
Gaming Robert Plamondon 143/12
|
||
Role playing games conference.
|
||
|
||
Gammaw Peter Kranz 102/2802
|
||
Gamma World role playing game.
|
||
|
||
Genealogy Ken Whitaker 143/26
|
||
The national genealogy conference (NGC).
|
||
|
||
Grand_Rounds (Mednet) David Dodell 114/15
|
||
Medical Related Discussions, primarily health
|
||
care professionals.
|
||
|
||
HACK, PC Kurt Reisler 109/483
|
||
*NET_109* PC HACK Q&A and war stories conference.
|
||
|
||
HAM Eric Daymo 102/2803
|
||
Ham radio technical conference.
|
||
|
||
Health David Page 109/604
|
||
Health related issues (MDs participating)
|
||
There is also a larger group that exchanges files only.
|
||
|
||
Healthnet David Dodell 114/15
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 7 6 Jul 1987
|
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|
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Heath/Zenith Joe Rock 128/15
|
||
Heath/Zenith series 89, 90, 100-120
|
||
(not for Zenith 150 & up series)
|
||
|
||
Help Wanted Eunhee Hunter 109/626
|
||
|
||
HOWSWA Bill Bertholf 107/102
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||
How's the weather in WA state!
|
||
|
||
HP3000TALK Tracy Graves 17/43
|
||
HP3000 conversations.
|
||
|
||
Hunger Chris Irwin 108/68
|
||
|
||
IFNA Policy & Politics Ken Kaplan 1/10
|
||
International Fido Net Association.
|
||
Restricted to SYSOPs only.
|
||
|
||
INTERPER Randall Kobetich 150/900
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||
Opinion forum: moral, ethical, social issues.
|
||
|
||
Jobs Tracy Graves 138/39
|
||
Computer-related Employment Echo (Job Listings, etc.)
|
||
|
||
JR-MSG Phil Kaiser 104/904
|
||
PC jr conference
|
||
|
||
Laptops Ej McKernan 15/20
|
||
Laptop technical conference
|
||
|
||
Law Mark Pinkstone 150/613
|
||
Lawyers technical/substantive forum
|
||
|
||
Literature Steven Barnes 138/49
|
||
Conference about writers & writing.
|
||
|
||
Lotus Randy Van de Loo 124/110
|
||
Lotus users forum
|
||
|
||
MacIntosh (local) Eric Daymo 102/2803
|
||
MacIntosh technical conference
|
||
|
||
MacIntosh Leo LaPorte 125/2
|
||
MacIntosh technical conference.
|
||
|
||
Magick Brad Hicks 100/523
|
||
Merged with Alternative Religion conference.
|
||
|
||
Meadow Chuck Lawson 124/102
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||
Opus Sysop's conference.
|
||
|
||
Mensa Jim Kay 109/612
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||
National conference of Mensa run boards or where there is
|
||
substantial membership interest.
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||
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Menasn only Christopher Baker 135/14
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FidoNews 4-25 Page 8 6 Jul 1987
|
||
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|
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Restriced to Mensa members.
|
||
|
||
Metroforum Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
*NET_107* help conference for users
|
||
|
||
Metronet Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
*NET_107* Sysop Conference
|
||
|
||
Miaminet David Gilbert 135/1
|
||
*LOCAL_MIAMI* information exchange forum
|
||
|
||
MIDI Bruce Oblander 161/594
|
||
|
||
Mindset PC James Pallack 16/635
|
||
Conference was dissolved but is back to life now!
|
||
|
||
MOD1000 Neal Curtin 138/14
|
||
Tandy Model 1000 technical conference (Tandy T1K).
|
||
|
||
Modula-2 Randy Bush 105/6
|
||
Modula-2 programming language conference
|
||
|
||
Net 102 For Sale Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
*NET_102*
|
||
|
||
Net 108 Chatter 108/68
|
||
THIS CONFERENCE IS DEAD.
|
||
|
||
Net 108 Forsale Steve Sullivan 108/75
|
||
*NET_108*
|
||
|
||
|
||
Net 108 Programmer Jesse Armontrout 108/64
|
||
*NET_108*
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Astronomy Rick Ward 109/635
|
||
*NET_109*
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Classifieds Alexander Wall 109/606
|
||
*NET_109* advertising, items for sale.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 dBASE J Liebsch/A Griffin 109/605
|
||
*NET_109* dBASE users conference.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 General chatter Alexander Wall 109/606
|
||
*NET_109* user chatter
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Help Jim Kay 109/617
|
||
*NET_109* User questions & answers.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Lotus Jim Kay 109/617
|
||
*NET_109* Lotus users conference.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Meeting J Liebsch/A Griffin 109/605
|
||
*NET_109* 12 Step Program - Experiences.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 9 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Mensa Jim Kay 109/617
|
||
Metro Washington DC Mensa conference.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Opinion/Oratory Robert Rudolph 109/628
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Politics Glenn Ford 109/658
|
||
*NET_109*
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Recovery Rick Ward 109/635
|
||
*NET_109* 12 Step Program - Chatter.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Reviews Kurt Reisler 109/74
|
||
Reviews of "anything".
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Seniors Brian Hughes 109/634
|
||
Senior Citizens conference.
|
||
|
||
Net 109 Sysop Kim Wells 109/652
|
||
*NET_109* Net 109 sysop conference.
|
||
|
||
Net 124 Sysop Jon Sabol 124/210
|
||
|
||
Net 133 Sysop John Dashner 133/10
|
||
|
||
|
||
Net 138 Sysop Steve Butler 138/3
|
||
|
||
Net 138 Team Steve Butler 138/3
|
||
|
||
Net 143 Sysop Todd Looney 143/27
|
||
|
||
Net 161 Sysop Butch Walker 161/2
|
||
|
||
Networking Dave Oshea 107/35
|
||
|
||
NY Mets Jean Coppola 107/301
|
||
NY Mets baseball team conference.
|
||
|
||
Officers Ric Wentz 138/39
|
||
Conference about & for law
|
||
enforcment professionals.
|
||
|
||
Ohio Phil Ardussi 157/502
|
||
|
||
Park Richard Clark 107/222
|
||
US National Park Service only
|
||
|
||
|
||
PIB Bob Klahn 150/1
|
||
|
||
Pitt Fido Sysop Stu Turk 129/26
|
||
Pittsburg area Fido sysop conference.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Policy Jim Bacon 103/507
|
||
Conference for discusion of the
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 10 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
create of the policy4 document.
|
||
|
||
Politics Bill Bertholf 107/102
|
||
Politics and public policy forum
|
||
|
||
Political (local) Stu Turk 129/26
|
||
*LOCAL_PITTSBURGH* religion & current events debate forum
|
||
|
||
Programming Butch Walker 161/2
|
||
Programmer's conference.
|
||
|
||
Prolog Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
|
||
QNX Ken Mcvay 340/10
|
||
Quantum Software's QNX Operating System
|
||
|
||
Questions & comments Gregg Zegarelli 129/29
|
||
Questions & comments concerning current issues.
|
||
|
||
RBASE Leo Bores 114/14
|
||
RBASE User's Forum
|
||
|
||
Real Estate Al Arango 107/323
|
||
Real Estate and finance
|
||
|
||
Records Roger Smith 18/14
|
||
Record collecting and music in general
|
||
|
||
Region 15 David Dodell 114/15
|
||
*REGION_15* general news/info
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 17 Sysop Rob Barker 138/34
|
||
Region 17 Sysop conference
|
||
|
||
Region 17 Tech Steve Butler 138/3
|
||
|
||
Rights Steve Butler 138/3
|
||
Shareware author rights, information exchange.
|
||
THIS CONFERENCE IS DEAD
|
||
|
||
Robert Arnz show Glen Jackson 100/517
|
||
Robert Arnz call in radio talk show.
|
||
|
||
Science Fiction Authors David Dyer-Bennet 14/341
|
||
Science Fiction and Fandom. Discussion of science fiction
|
||
movies, television, book, comics, and all other media.
|
||
Doctor Who, Star Trek, Hitchhiker's Guid to the Galaxy,
|
||
Zelazny, Moorcock, Asimov, Danger Mouse, Battlestar
|
||
Galactica, etc!
|
||
|
||
Science Fiction/Fantasy Mike Jacobs 150/900
|
||
Conference for fans of science fiction and fantasy.
|
||
|
||
Scuba Rod Lamping 104/610
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 11 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Shortwave Listening Larry DiGioia 129/17
|
||
|
||
Sirius Bob Klahn 150/1
|
||
Sirius users forum.
|
||
|
||
SMART Neal Curtin 138/14
|
||
SMART Software System package from Innovative Software
|
||
|
||
SOBnet Anne Capola 107/107
|
||
Adult HotChat by Coordinator approval
|
||
Non-argumentative uncensored adult topics
|
||
|
||
SOCAL Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
|
||
Software Careers Lee Johnson 125/612
|
||
Merged into Career Discussions.
|
||
|
||
Spark Beta
|
||
Spark Software Beta testers
|
||
|
||
Sports Ed Meloan 360/1
|
||
All national sporting events.
|
||
|
||
Sysop Jon Sabol 124/210
|
||
*NATIONAL* THE National Sysop conference.
|
||
Fido bugs/fixes, news and sysop chatter.
|
||
Restricted to Sysop's ONLY!
|
||
|
||
TBBS Dave Dodell 114/15
|
||
|
||
Tech Butch Walker 161/2
|
||
*NATIONAL* *TECHNET*
|
||
|
||
Telecomm Hal Duprie 101/107
|
||
Telecommunication conference.
|
||
|
||
Telix Rob Benner 148/1
|
||
|
||
UNIX Mike Johnson 170/329
|
||
Merged into C_ECHO.
|
||
|
||
USA Wide Rick Ward 109/635
|
||
Small national general chit-chat conference.
|
||
|
||
VAX Barry Dobyns 102/140
|
||
DEC VAX technical conference.
|
||
|
||
Vietnam Vets Todd Looney 143/27
|
||
Vietnam Vetern's conference.
|
||
|
||
Wildlife Richard Clark 107/222
|
||
Discussion of nature, outdoors,
|
||
hunting, fishing, conservation.
|
||
|
||
****************************************************************
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 12 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
PROPOSED CONFERENCES
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
Applications (James Deibele 105/3) 10/17/86
|
||
|
||
Autocad (Jim Quiesner 104/18)
|
||
|
||
Aviation Net (Mark Stappenbeck 14/609)
|
||
Airline & General Aviation
|
||
|
||
Boating (Paul Esterle 157/697)
|
||
|
||
Desktop Publishing (Larry Kayser 102/2800)
|
||
|
||
Divers (Rod Lamping 104/610)
|
||
|
||
EQUUS (Mark Indictor 104/606)
|
||
Equestrian related topics.
|
||
|
||
Fido Developers (Jim Ryan 141/9)
|
||
Share source code for FidoNet Compatible systems
|
||
|
||
Fossil (Vince Perriello 141/491)
|
||
|
||
Health Net, Allied (Bill Hliwa 260/10)
|
||
|
||
IEEE (Bill Wilkes 107/211)
|
||
|
||
Lifestyle Alternatives (Adam Selene 107/269)
|
||
Polyfidelity, Family Synergy, Celibacy, Feminism, Communalism,
|
||
Single Parenthood, Foster Parenting, ... For anyone whose lifes
|
||
path is not "mainstream".
|
||
|
||
Packet Amateur Radio (Jim Brooker 124/13)
|
||
|
||
Photography (Bill Thomas 132/225)
|
||
|
||
Portables (John Penberthy 129/28)
|
||
|
||
Region 19 (David Drexler 147/1)
|
||
|
||
Star Trek (Eric Daymo 102/2803)
|
||
|
||
Turbo Pascal (Bob Klahn 150/1)
|
||
get ECPROG for this topic
|
||
|
||
Users (Tom Baughman 119/13)
|
||
|
||
Womens Space (Gillian Boardman 107/269)
|
||
By and For Women
|
||
|
||
WordLore (Hilda Stubbing 127/70)
|
||
Discussion of word usage, nuances, grammer, etc.
|
||
|
||
WordPerfect (Mark Pinkstone 150/613)
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 13 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Writing (Christopher Baker 135/14)
|
||
|
||
*****************************************************************
|
||
** Echomail Conference List, Issue 1, Number 2 (6/4/87) **
|
||
** Copyright 1986,87 by Thomas E. Kenny. All rights reserved **
|
||
*****************************************************************
|
||
-- ATTENTION ECHOMAIL COORDINATORS AND CONTACTS --
|
||
-- PLEASE send updates to IFNA node 107/316 --
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 14 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
FREEWARE: The End of Amateur Programming?
|
||
-----------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
"Why aren't there very many new programs being uploaded any
|
||
more?", she asked after looking over the file areas on the board.
|
||
|
||
"Now that's a good question.", I replied. "I really don't know.
|
||
It looks as if nobody is writing any of their own programs
|
||
anymore. I wonder why....."
|
||
|
||
That is a part of the conversation that prompted this article. I
|
||
don't know if the rest of you are noticing a similar lack of
|
||
original software being uploaded by your users but it is
|
||
certainly very evident here at The Power Station. Now, that is
|
||
not to say that there are no uploads, just that there is no
|
||
uploading of local, original software.
|
||
|
||
It doesn't seem that long ago (not more than 2 or 3 years) when
|
||
almost EVERYBODY who owned a computer was writing software for
|
||
it. Most of the programs were written in BASIC and were kludgy
|
||
and slow as molasses in the spring, but all that aside, the
|
||
programmer was PROUD to have contributed something and couldn't
|
||
wait to share their offering with others. All of that seems to
|
||
have changed, now. The reason.... FREEWARE / SHAREWARE / User
|
||
Supported Software!
|
||
|
||
There is an abundance of good (in fact EXCELLENT) software
|
||
available to do almost anything a person needs or wants. This
|
||
software is of sufficient quality to rival a large portion of the
|
||
commercial software available at a fraction of the cost (for
|
||
those who choose to pay for it - but that's a different story).
|
||
Why would anybody want to slave away for hours (or days) piecing
|
||
together a program to do something when there is a FREEWARE
|
||
package readily available that does the same thing faster and
|
||
easier?
|
||
|
||
The tremendous amount of software available is largely
|
||
responsible for more and more computer systems being purchased by
|
||
people with no desire to learn to program. These people view the
|
||
systems as tools to be used to make a job easier or faster just
|
||
like any other tool.
|
||
|
||
We are becoming "users" as opposed to the computer "hobbiests"
|
||
and "enthusiasts" that used to be the norm! This is becoming
|
||
increasingly evident by the number of program requests and "wish
|
||
lists" being passed around.
|
||
|
||
Those of us who do still take the time to "patch together" the
|
||
occasional utility in BASIC, are ashamed to show it to anybody
|
||
else because we cannot compete with the software readily
|
||
available and are afraid of being ridiculed for our "obvious"
|
||
lack of programming skills.
|
||
|
||
Don't get me wrong, I am very pleased with the vast selection of
|
||
quality software available and would probably not be a part of
|
||
FidoNet without it, but I can't help feeling a little sorry for
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 15 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
all the "average" programmers out there that will never get the
|
||
chance to experience the joy associated with sharing their
|
||
efforts and, in some small way, being recognized for it.
|
||
|
||
FREEWARE: The End of Amateur Programming? Think about it the
|
||
next time somebody uploads something that is less than perfect!
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bob Swift
|
||
The Power Station (140/24)
|
||
Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 16 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
James Zachary 115/537
|
||
|
||
"Once Upon the Future"
|
||
(c) 1986
|
||
James Zachary
|
||
|
||
|
||
The location is an unnamed park, in an unnamed Midwestern city,
|
||
sometime in the future. A young boy approaches an old man
|
||
sitting on a park bench.
|
||
|
||
"Mister..."
|
||
|
||
The young boy is insistent.
|
||
|
||
"MISTER!"
|
||
|
||
The old man looks around nervously then puts a finger to his
|
||
lips to silence the child. He then takes his thermos of coffee
|
||
and pours it over the bracelet on his left wrist. After a few
|
||
moments of wincing from the pain, he speaks.
|
||
|
||
"The only way to knock off the protein bio-chip in these dang
|
||
monitor bracelets is heat, a LOT of heat. The government still
|
||
hasn't figured how to fix that glitch. Dang things let them
|
||
know where you are and everything you say. You'll be required
|
||
to wear one as soon as you turn 13. NOW, we have only about 15
|
||
minutes to talk before "The Monitors" pull up to find out why
|
||
my bracelet went dead. I'll just say I spilled the coffee by
|
||
accident. When you see a strange vehicle or person
|
||
approaching, just stop talking and walk away. Talking in
|
||
public is not allowed ya know, especially to an old person..."
|
||
he winks, "we remember too much of the past that they want
|
||
forgotten."
|
||
|
||
"Mister, why don't they let people say what they think? Did
|
||
people talk much in the old days?"
|
||
|
||
Leaning back on the park bench with his face glowing from
|
||
pleasant memories, the old man answers.
|
||
|
||
"Surely they did, child! Back even before my time, long ago
|
||
when the country was still young, towns used to have meetings
|
||
in the square for folks to talk. They had debates and
|
||
arguments. No topic was taboo. Then telephones came along and
|
||
you could talk to anyone, anywhere in the world that also had a
|
||
phone. Nowadays, you have to have a license for a phone and
|
||
anything you say is digitally recorded and checked for
|
||
"subversive" talk by those super-smart computers. Television,
|
||
radio and newspapers were not owned by the government back
|
||
then. You could read, see and hear many facts that would help
|
||
you make up your own mind as to what was going on. We also had
|
||
CB and HAM radio, and something we called the BBS..."
|
||
|
||
His voice trails off as he again looks around nervously.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 17 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
"What was a BBS, Mister?"
|
||
|
||
A deep sorrowful sigh comes before his words.
|
||
|
||
"Back in the 1980's the BBS was kind of a throw-back to the old
|
||
town meetings. Literally hundreds of people could call a
|
||
Bulletin Board computer with their personal computer and leave
|
||
messages, tell jokes, chat, argue politics, make friends..."
|
||
|
||
Tears fill the old man's eyes.
|
||
|
||
"Then the government must have figured that so many people
|
||
talking wasn't healthy, too many diverse opinions and ideas.
|
||
So, they started regulating and licensing all forms of speech,
|
||
all ways of thinking. Was gradual at first but they finally
|
||
closed them all down. I was both a D-dialer and a BBSer! We
|
||
all had real names back then instead of government numbers, but
|
||
we also had handles, kind of like nicknames. Lord, I remember
|
||
meeting some special, wonderful folks like Lady Galadriel, Lord
|
||
Ming, Bruiser, Zap, Ingvar, Oods, K-9, Badger, Hex40, Hose,
|
||
Hoagy, Mac The Navigator, Lawyer John, Grumpy, Haus Frau, Poet,
|
||
By Tor and Reiny, Opti and Falcon, The Masked Twinkie, Deep
|
||
Thought, Air Wolf, Double M, Boysie Oakes, Rocker, Multi, P.C.
|
||
Kid, Ziggy, Prak and hundreds of others just like 'em! "
|
||
|
||
"What ever happened to them all, Mister?"
|
||
|
||
"Oh, the government had trouble putting them down, they were
|
||
fighters! They were finally captured at the battle of
|
||
Staehle's vineyards. Some say MadZax escaped from the
|
||
institution," he smiles slyly, "but no one really knows for
|
||
sure."
|
||
|
||
"Who were you, Mister? What was your handle?"
|
||
|
||
The old man makes a slight hand gesture to the child,
|
||
indicating that someone is approaching. As the child begins to
|
||
walk away the old man whispers a parting thought.
|
||
|
||
"Don't matter who I was then, son. I'm nobody now..."
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 18 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Steve Bonine
|
||
Cope BBS, 115/777
|
||
|
||
Proposal for New Echomail Area
|
||
|
||
I attended a seminar a few weeks ago which was hosted by one of
|
||
the mainframe software vendors. They [the vendor] have a product
|
||
which is a BBS for mainframe systems programmers. For only $2600
|
||
a year, you can call it and swap problems and solutions with your
|
||
peers. The speaker at the seminar was extolling the wonders and
|
||
advantages of bulletin board systems. We've been familiar with
|
||
those for some time, haven't we?
|
||
|
||
I'm not prepared to charge anyone, so I guess that means that any
|
||
service which we might provide via echomail couldn't possibly be
|
||
as valuable as what this vendor was offering. However, it did
|
||
point out to me that there exists a potential market for a new
|
||
echomail area. As far as I know there is nothing currently in
|
||
place which addresses issues important to those of us who earn
|
||
our living ministering to large mainframe-based systems.
|
||
|
||
If you are in this category, please indicate your interest by
|
||
sending me a netmail message on 115/777. If there is enough
|
||
interest, I'll start something. This conference might even give
|
||
you a legitimate excuse to call your BBS from work, or even to
|
||
run a BBS sponsored by your company.
|
||
|
||
Maybe the subject is too broad. After all, I'm not even sure
|
||
what the definition should be for "mainframe". Maybe we'll end
|
||
up with several conferences. Maybe I only THINK that many of you
|
||
who participate in FidoNet are involved with mainframes.
|
||
|
||
I'll handle the initial distribution, and if we grow then we'll
|
||
worry about how this topology should be built. It would be
|
||
helpful in the "I am interested" message if I knew whether you
|
||
can accept crash mail, and what hours might be best.
|
||
|
||
Any other comments are more than welcome. If something like this
|
||
already exists, my project is redundant. If interest is
|
||
indicated, I would like to get started around the middle of July.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 19 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Alan D. Applegate
|
||
The Entertainment Line Fido 104/36, Lakewood (Denver), CO
|
||
|
||
Further Observations About PK vs. ARC
|
||
|
||
It seems that the discussion about PKARC/PKXARC versus ARC will
|
||
never cease. Both of these programs make our lives easier and
|
||
save space on our disk drives.
|
||
|
||
Much has been said about the incompatibility of PKARC's archives
|
||
with ARC. Not often, if ever, is PKARC's "/oct" switch mentioned
|
||
in comparative testing.
|
||
|
||
The "/oct" switch simply forces PKARC to make archives that use
|
||
file compression and time stamping techniques that ARC and other
|
||
compatible programs will understand. When this switch is used in
|
||
making the archive, either PKXARC or ARC can be used for file
|
||
extraction.
|
||
|
||
My underlying question, then, was whether PKARC still would make
|
||
smaller files than ARC, despite the absence of the newer
|
||
compression method that PKARC usually employs. The answer is
|
||
yes.
|
||
|
||
In my testing, I used four files with a total of 76,799 bytes,
|
||
with one .DOC file, one .SYS file, one .EXE file and one .COM
|
||
file. ARC made an archive of 46,523 bytes. PKARC made an
|
||
archive of 45,930 bytes, a savings of 593 bytes. Time was not a
|
||
tested element here; let it suffice to say that PKARC was
|
||
substantially quicker.
|
||
|
||
The results were not amazing, but in theory (actual results may
|
||
and probably will vary) 2 megabytes of ARC's archives, if re-
|
||
archived with PKARC using the "/oct" switch, would take up around
|
||
25,500 bytes less. Without the "/oct" switch, I would venture to
|
||
guess that they would take up even less space.
|
||
|
||
As a control, I used ARC to de-arc the archive made by PKARC, and
|
||
used PKXARC to de-arc ARC's archive. Both were successful.
|
||
|
||
To summarize, although PKARC performs better WITHOUT the "/oct"
|
||
switch, it still appears to out-perform ARC in both speed and and
|
||
archive file size categories. When PKARC is used with the "/oct"
|
||
switch, substantial time savings are realized during the
|
||
archiving process, without sacrificing compatibility with ARC.
|
||
|
||
Direct inquiries to: Alan Applegate, Sysop
|
||
The Entertainment Line Fido, 104/36
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 20 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Mail Relays
|
||
|
||
In regards to the article on overly large nodelists, I wonder if
|
||
the following routing scheme might work?
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE:
|
||
|
||
Mail originates from my node 137/71 bound for a node in
|
||
California. Instead of direct routing, this mail would be sent
|
||
to his Relay Node.
|
||
|
||
|
||
137/71 160/33 160/20
|
||
(A) Origin ------->Relay ------->Destination
|
||
|
||
|
||
The thought behind this is that the originating station calls the
|
||
Relay station, this Relay station would be in the same city as
|
||
the destination station, where a long distance call is not
|
||
required to reach the destination Node.
|
||
|
||
If you have 30 nodes in one city, then one of them will be the
|
||
Relay Node for the other 29. That eliminates 29 Nodes from the
|
||
Nodelist and this is just one city! It would eliminate a lot of
|
||
Nodes from the Nodelist and get it back down to a reasonable
|
||
size, which would be much easier to work with.
|
||
|
||
What about Crash Priority Mail, or mail with attached files?
|
||
|
||
No problem, the Relay Nodes would have a batch file written to
|
||
immediately forward Crash mail to destination upon receipt of
|
||
same. Attached files; same as regular mail.
|
||
|
||
How will we know which Node serves which other Nodes?
|
||
|
||
Publish one Master Nodelist, showing the Relay Nodes and the
|
||
Nodes they serve. This would be an ascii text file and could
|
||
then be updated when Relay Nodes add or drop Nodes they serve.
|
||
Only the updates would be published as each Node already has the
|
||
Master Nodelist.
|
||
|
||
Nodes being served might have to help out the Relay station in
|
||
terms of some kind of monetary help, as he might need a large
|
||
hard disk for temporary message storage if he is handling a large
|
||
volume of mail each night. I'm sure this could be worked out
|
||
between the Relay and Destination Nodes without too much problem.
|
||
They would have to have a volunteer Relay station, but there
|
||
should be no problem here either, since some are already serving
|
||
as inbound gates, etc.
|
||
|
||
In large metro areas, two or more Relay stations might be needed.
|
||
In small rural areas the Relay station might be the destination
|
||
station.
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE: NET 137
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 21 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
137/71 is the only node in Naples, so I would be my own relay
|
||
station.
|
||
|
||
(1) Nodes other than Relay Nodes would have a Nodelist
|
||
consisting of only Relay Nodes for the entire Network. All
|
||
traffic would be routed to these Relay Nodes for forwarding
|
||
to destination Nodes.
|
||
|
||
(2) Relay Nodes would have a Nodelist consisting of all Relay
|
||
Nodes in the Network and the Nodes they serve.
|
||
|
||
Regional Coordinator duties and policies might have to be
|
||
redifined to some extent to include the Relay stations, etc.
|
||
|
||
Also, I wonder if all Regions/Networks/Nodes could switch to GMT
|
||
time? This would eliminate the problem of different time zones.
|
||
Sysops could inform their users that they were now using GMT time
|
||
for mailing purposes. I don't know of any user who calls a BBS
|
||
for a time-of-day check, so this shouldn't be a big problem. We
|
||
wouldn't have to worry about daylight savings time, EST, CST, MST
|
||
or any of the time zones, as all would be indicating the same
|
||
time, year round.
|
||
|
||
You asked for input, so here is mine. Keep up the good work.
|
||
|
||
Sincerely,
|
||
|
||
Bud Rogers, Sysop
|
||
CRT Classifieds
|
||
Naples, FL
|
||
137/71, 813-775-9444
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 22 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
-- Borland International
|
||
Product: Turbo C (R) (Version: 1.00 )
|
||
|
||
Program: Turbo C (R) -- A C compiler
|
||
|
||
Author : Borland Intl. (Address Below)
|
||
|
||
Purpose: Turbo C is a C language compiler. It has a
|
||
compiler, linker, integrated package, make, and
|
||
libraries.
|
||
|
||
Requirements: MS/PC-DOS Version 2.00 or higher, 1 - Floppy Drive
|
||
or Hard Disk (Recommended) Amount of Memory to
|
||
operate: 384 K (Minimum) Computers that product
|
||
runs on: The MS/PC-DOS Family of Computers
|
||
|
||
Program
|
||
Functions: Turbo C features a full integrated development
|
||
environment, as well as a command line
|
||
compiler/linker/make development envronment. Some
|
||
Features include:
|
||
|
||
-- Full ANSI C standards
|
||
-- Integrated Development (With editor)
|
||
-- Command Line Compiler, Linker
|
||
-- Fast Compiler using Memory instead of Disk
|
||
-- Full Featured Libraries (See Below)
|
||
-- Make Utility
|
||
-- Lint Utility
|
||
|
||
Program
|
||
Upgrades: First Version Introduced.
|
||
|
||
Obtaining
|
||
Program: Turbo C can be purchased from Borland Intl, or
|
||
most computer software stores, (mail order as
|
||
well).
|
||
|
||
Product
|
||
Availability: Turbo C is a Commercial Program.
|
||
You must purchase a copy of it.
|
||
|
||
Turbo C V. 1.0 Cost: $ 99.95
|
||
Borland International (Retail)
|
||
4585 Scotts Valley Drive
|
||
Scotts Valley, CA 95066-9987
|
||
1-800-255-8008 -- 1-800-742-1133 (in CA)
|
||
|
||
Product
|
||
Support: Borland offers various support for Turbo C. They
|
||
are available on Compuserve (type: GO BOR), or by
|
||
US Mail [Attn: Tech Service Dept] at above
|
||
address.
|
||
|
||
Program
|
||
Quality -- "The reviewer's opinion of the product"
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 23 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
After using Microsoft C (4.00) for only the period of
|
||
December - May 1987, and only having that much experience
|
||
with C itself, I can't say I'm very qualified to speak of a
|
||
C compiler. Currently, however, I (we) have switched over
|
||
to Turbo C from MSC because of the advantages of the
|
||
Integrated Package.
|
||
|
||
The 2 books that come with Turbo C (A "User's Guide", and a
|
||
"Reference Guide" -- In Softbound book form), are easier for
|
||
a novice to digest than the MSC. The User's Guide devotes a
|
||
full chapter to the Turbo Pascal User who is just getting
|
||
into C (a nice chapter to include!) with examples side by
|
||
side of Turbo Pascal, and Turbo C. The Reference book goes
|
||
through the Libraries, and the ANSI language extentions that
|
||
Turbo C provides, complete with examples on selected
|
||
material.
|
||
|
||
I found the libraries to have more useable functions than
|
||
the MSC. Such as:
|
||
|
||
BIOSCOM (comm ports),
|
||
BIOSEQUIP (equipment),
|
||
BIOSDISK (Disk I/O),
|
||
BIOSMEMORY (Memory Size),
|
||
FILELENGTH (filesize in bytes),
|
||
FINDFIRST (First filename in dir),
|
||
FINDNEXT (next in dir)
|
||
[both return a structure of the DIR
|
||
information, EG: Attrib, time, date,
|
||
size, name],
|
||
FNMERGE (Filename Merge -- name with path),
|
||
FNSPLIT (Filename split -- name and path),
|
||
POKE (send value to mem),
|
||
LOCALTIME (converts date/time to struct),
|
||
and others.....
|
||
|
||
Needed
|
||
Improvements: A CodeView type Debugger, or make the code
|
||
CodeView compatible. Help screens could be better
|
||
written/designed, and be referenced more (EG: See
|
||
xxx for more details). There are others, but lets
|
||
not detract on a good review for some minor
|
||
adjustments.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Overall: A worthy opponent to MSC 4.00. Should be interesting
|
||
to see how well the "establishment" views it.
|
||
Excellent purchase for the "novice" C programmer, and
|
||
for the experienced C programmer.
|
||
|
||
PS: Some of those who might have assumed that this was
|
||
vaporware, were wrong. There's no way that they
|
||
could have put this product out that quickly, because
|
||
of it's quality.
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 24 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Reviewer: David Gilbert (Sysop)
|
||
RAM-SOFT BBS (135/1) (305) 226-3310 (2400 b)
|
||
RAM-SOFT Archive Library (now over 1,300+)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 25 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Steve Townsley
|
||
Opus / SEAdog 2:510/17
|
||
CCITT V21,V23,V22,V22bis
|
||
|
||
Does IFNA Matter Outside The USA ?
|
||
|
||
One of the interesting observations made about the USA from this
|
||
side of the Atlantic is your use of grand titles. I refer
|
||
particularly to things like 'The First National Bank of
|
||
Smallville'. In the online world 'The Source' sounds like some
|
||
great prophet from the Ten Commandments rather than a computer
|
||
information bank.
|
||
|
||
Equally we English can also get confused with the 'World Series'
|
||
and in FidoNet 'The International FidoNet Association',
|
||
incorporated in Missouri !!??
|
||
|
||
In fact, after last years' conference at Colerado Springs IFNA
|
||
looked a lot like the World Series. (A strange game with a grand
|
||
title that only Americans played.)
|
||
|
||
People began writing in FidoNews that WE had created a new
|
||
international organisation. Others talked of a kind of new Mafia
|
||
wanting to 'control' the net. The surprising thing was in the
|
||
echomail conferences that got to this side of the Atlantic this
|
||
bitching was even worse because it was seen out of context,
|
||
without any common reference points.
|
||
|
||
Then the by-laws arrived. Well, my users thought it was a good
|
||
laugh. I took a copy of the by-laws and put them up on my system,
|
||
that provoked some interest. As a foreign language exercise it
|
||
was quite interesting to try to discover what the by-laws were
|
||
actual saying about an INTERNATIONAL association.
|
||
|
||
That hurdle was followed by further waves of apathy, if you can
|
||
have apathic enthusiasm, for the interim elections to the board
|
||
of directors.
|
||
|
||
Of course the major problems faced by British sysops were; how do
|
||
I get reliable communications with the USA, what happens when
|
||
Fido cannot handle the nodelist, how can we participate in
|
||
helping to develop Fido Compatible software, what is the Usenet
|
||
gateway and are there other gateways?
|
||
|
||
Then later on we wanted to know: what is Opus, how can we get
|
||
news about it, participate and help those in the USA working on
|
||
software for it, what do Help nodes actually do(!), how can I
|
||
join IFNA as a foreign sysop ?
|
||
|
||
I could add a further 1001 pratical questions that we, as Net 510
|
||
Hosts, have dealt with over the year since the Colorado
|
||
Conference including the almost daily use of Norton Utilities to
|
||
get Fido to PULSE DIAL instead of TONE when a new sysop gets a
|
||
distribution copy of Fido, (which of course he has wrongly
|
||
guessed does not work!).
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 26 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Yet, we have grown. One year ago only one Net (503) in the UK now
|
||
there are four nets, new sysops, new ideas. Some of the old
|
||
favourites like Frank Thornley of Compulink have gone on to
|
||
very different things far outside FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
At present IFNA matters little to the UK sysop. The day to day
|
||
struggle of getting batch files to terminate for odd combinations
|
||
of mailer programs is the main pre-occupation. If we want to just
|
||
be in the nodelist , then "prune" and "nodesiev" are the weekly
|
||
routine of running a Email-ing BBS so that it can indeed Email
|
||
someone!
|
||
|
||
My most common requests as Host are for cut down customised
|
||
nodelists, ie a nodelist that includes Europe and Australia (its
|
||
a shame that Texas won't fit on, with the 1200 limit!).
|
||
|
||
However there is hope. The new sysops in the UK, like ourselves,
|
||
joined FidoNet in order to talk to the world. Little things like
|
||
an incomprehensible constitution, poor communication of
|
||
International aims in IFNA, illegal non-standard modems (sorry
|
||
Ma-Bell), and the whole of the world outside North America
|
||
dropping off the nodelist won't stop us.
|
||
|
||
IFNA does stand a chance. If you have a good conference, report
|
||
accurately what you discuss, explain your decisions and argue in
|
||
'friendly' way we may even take what you do seriously.
|
||
|
||
There is a massive expansion of FidoNet in Europe and most of it
|
||
is new blood.
|
||
|
||
If you involve us, however remotely, in the decisions which
|
||
affect the software we have on our systems you may get an
|
||
international association.
|
||
|
||
To those of you, both for and against the IFNA, the case for
|
||
membership, even for existance at all has not yet even been put
|
||
to Europeans in a way we can respond to. A lively conference
|
||
where you concentrate on all Fido's, not just North America, will
|
||
help people over here see relevance in what you do.
|
||
|
||
I personally think IFNA could be a big worldwide organisation of
|
||
amateur computer communications enthusiasts associated via
|
||
FidoNet. I want to join. By running a successful conference
|
||
please encourage us to want to get others over here to join too.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 27 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
I was thinking of fun things to do and decided to officially
|
||
create an un official organization for the elimination of UN_FUN.
|
||
|
||
Now this isn't an easy task, first I had to define what the major
|
||
objectives would be.
|
||
|
||
First to mind was just eliminate all those things in our lives
|
||
and hobbies that aren't fun. After giving that some thought I
|
||
realized that most of us don't know how to have fun so if we
|
||
eliminated the UN_FUN aspects we would have nothing left.
|
||
|
||
So the next idea (and the one I like the most (I don't work too
|
||
hard on any problem)) was to replace the doldrums with something
|
||
fun to do. What that means is if your getting tired of doing
|
||
something, don't just stop doing it but find some way to improve
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
The second major objective would be to eliminate the UN_FUN being
|
||
forced upon us by UN_FUN people, when someone gets on our case
|
||
just tell them they are vying for the UN_FUN person of the week
|
||
award. We will have a vote, not tally the results and tell
|
||
everyone nominated that they won. Hopefully they can be brought
|
||
into the societies fold.
|
||
|
||
Maybe we will have contests and guest speakers on how to have fun
|
||
once again and award the winners and speakers with a resounding
|
||
round of laughter.
|
||
|
||
Now I know many of you are going to want to join this elite
|
||
organization so I will tell you what you need to do to become a
|
||
FUN person.
|
||
|
||
First of all have a good laugh, second take the sacred OATH.
|
||
Repeat after me "I am a FUN person and I vow to eliminate UN_FUN
|
||
where ever I may encounter it." There, now you are a member.
|
||
|
||
Lastly comes the matter of money, we all know how important this
|
||
organization is, so what I think would be fair is that you
|
||
allocate $25.00 and take someone out for a FUN time, maybe the
|
||
kids to a miniature golf course, or the wife out to dinner.
|
||
Remember though that you have to have FUN or it doesn't count.
|
||
|
||
Lastly (this time for real), you can tell people that you belong
|
||
to a non secret organization dedicated to the overthrow of UN_FUN
|
||
in your signature.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bill
|
||
|
||
President and Chairman of the Board of FUN, an elite organization
|
||
for the elimination of UN_FUN.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 28 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jean Coppola 107/201
|
||
|
||
US Naval Observatory Time Now Available
|
||
|
||
UPDATE.EXE is a utility to load the exact time generated by the
|
||
U.S Naval Observatory time clock directly into your PC's DOS
|
||
CLOCK. The program accesses your modem and calls Washington,
|
||
D.C. When the USNO answers it spits out repetitively the date
|
||
and time. This version does not extract the date. A future
|
||
version will.
|
||
|
||
If you really want time accuracy then this is the program for
|
||
you. It has been designed to work as an eXternal event from both
|
||
opus and seadog systems.
|
||
|
||
I heard about this service USNO had, so I thought I would try to
|
||
use it to my advantage and this program is the result.
|
||
|
||
NOTE: If you have a clock calendar card, that will have to be
|
||
reset by whatever software came with it. Only the DOS clock
|
||
gets updated.
|
||
|
||
Credit has to be given to Bill Boyer for steering me in the
|
||
proper direction.
|
||
|
||
This and many other fine utilties are available on 107/201.
|
||
Request UPDATE.ARC from 107/201 for this program.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 29 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
NEW FIDO(tm) OPUS(tm) SEADOG(tm) UTILITY
|
||
|
||
|
||
COMPLETE Message Editor for FIDO(TM) OPUS(tm) and SEADOG(tm)
|
||
systems...released by the S1S Partnership Project:
|
||
|
||
Rits Board (314)-426-7144 OPUS/SEAdog 100/510
|
||
Broadcast Software (314)-427-4064 Fido 100/517
|
||
|
||
Complete pre-registration release of MSGDB will be available for
|
||
downloading from these two boards on May 25th, 1987.
|
||
|
||
What IS MSGDB ???
|
||
|
||
MSGDB allows you to change the attributes on each message in each
|
||
area you have set up. The following can be changed with MSGDB:
|
||
|
||
private/public
|
||
crash
|
||
recv'd
|
||
sent
|
||
file attached
|
||
forward
|
||
orphan
|
||
kill/sent
|
||
local
|
||
hold
|
||
res/sent
|
||
file request
|
||
recpt request
|
||
return recpt
|
||
request audit
|
||
|
||
You can also change FROM, TO, SUBJECT, COST, and # READ.
|
||
|
||
PLUS (there's more!)... how many times have you wanted to easily
|
||
move a message from one area to another without complicated batch
|
||
procedures, renaming and/or renumbering? MSGDB allows you to move
|
||
a message to another area, and gives you the option to leave the
|
||
original message in the original area, or delete it and keep it
|
||
only in the new area.
|
||
|
||
How are we distributing it? Well, for those of you that keep up
|
||
with the Sysop echo, we kind of like Bob Hartmans' idea of
|
||
FLIRTWARE. We'll have a working copy available on May 25th for
|
||
downloading on both of the boards listed. The Rits Board also
|
||
uses SEAdog, so you can file request it from area 8. The copy you
|
||
will get will do most of the basic editing functions, and will
|
||
come with some limited docs.
|
||
|
||
We're going to ask for a registration of $20.00, and this is to
|
||
cover cost of updates and new releases, plus the time we're
|
||
taking to offer such a FANTASTIC Utility. (you know how it goes).
|
||
Registered owners will be sent a FULL BLOWN working copy that
|
||
will do everything but blow your nose, along with FULL
|
||
documentation.
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 30 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are more utilities in the works, and registered users will
|
||
be automatically sent out copies of new Utilities from the S1S
|
||
Partnership Project.
|
||
|
||
By the way, if you haven't yet sent Bob Hartman $35.00 for the
|
||
full set of the FASTSCAN series, it's well worth it. Saves MUCH
|
||
time on scanning and tossing.
|
||
|
||
One more thing. MSGDB obviously is a SysOp only utility. We
|
||
thought long and hard on whether or not to include the ability to
|
||
change a private message to a public message. It is our
|
||
conclusion that it should be there, for one important reason.
|
||
Many times newer users will ask technical/help questions
|
||
privately to another user or to the SysOp. These questions, and
|
||
later answers, would in most cases be beneficial to ALL users. If
|
||
you have any thoughts on this, communicate to us through the
|
||
SysOp echo.
|
||
|
||
Mark Peters 100/510
|
||
Glen Jackson 100/517
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 31 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Eric Ewanco, private SEAdog 130/3
|
||
|
||
Borland's Turbo C:
|
||
Review, part 1
|
||
|
||
For a long, long, time, Borland has promised us Turbo C. Ever
|
||
since I contracted a passion for learning C, I have been dying to
|
||
get it. I have finally realized that dream. And I must say, in
|
||
all truthfulness, Turbo C is *THE* compiler of the century. Turbo
|
||
C is what we've all been waiting for.
|
||
|
||
Many people, include myself to some extent, were disappointed
|
||
with Turbo BASIC. Somewhat bug-ridden, non-standard, and to a
|
||
degree weak (keep in mind I'm speaking from a "C and Pascal
|
||
snob"'s point of view), it reflected the usual disadvantages of
|
||
all BASICs. Don't let Turbo BASIC give you a bad impression of
|
||
Turbo C. Turbo C is all that you would expect in a good C
|
||
compiler.
|
||
|
||
Borland has long been known for fast compiling and executing,
|
||
inexpensive compilers, packed features, good documentation, and
|
||
excellent customer acknowledgement. However, they are also known
|
||
for non-linking, non-libraries, non-standards, and compilers that
|
||
just don't fit in well. Turbo C ends all that. Before I got Turbo
|
||
C, I feared that it would be packed with annoying "extensions"
|
||
and be essentially another language only similar to C, like Turbo
|
||
Pascal. Do that was fine for Pascal, but C is different; I
|
||
thought if Philippe tried to make a splash with a new twist to C,
|
||
he'd drown. But all my fears have been laid to rest. Turbo C is
|
||
ENTIRELY K&R C, with almost all UNIX functions implemented by
|
||
MicroSoft C (what I considered the very best compiler and closest
|
||
to UNIX, a consideration I may have to rethink) and a full
|
||
implementation of ANSI draft C. (ANSI C has not been approved; it
|
||
is only a draft, so a conformity to "ANSI C" cannot be claimed,
|
||
only to "ANSI C draft.") Turbo C also offers many more functions,
|
||
surprisingly, they are along the lines of the UNIX functions that
|
||
MS C missed and some nice hardware dependent stuff. Borland did
|
||
not forget that C is a low level language and was meant to be
|
||
hardware oriented, a concept that if neglected could be fatal for
|
||
marketing. Philippe in his infinite insight did not neglect that
|
||
concept.
|
||
|
||
I have found no glaring bugs in Turbo C that I didn't already
|
||
know about; and in fact, one bug that was listed on the Borland
|
||
forum I tried to correct and it was already corrected. Another I
|
||
saw in Echomail had to do with some obscure convolution of the
|
||
environment, but not something you'd run into every day, or even
|
||
in a year, probably. I have complete faith that any bugs that ARE
|
||
in there will be corrected in the usual Borland style, with
|
||
upgrades sent free to users with bugged versions.
|
||
|
||
RUN TIME LIBRARY
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 32 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
The run time library is the most complete I've seen, with
|
||
over 300 functions. Strangely missing, but not very missed, are
|
||
the Borland screen I/O, graphics, sound, and other extensions
|
||
found in Turbo Pascal, Turbo BASIC, and Turbo Prolog. Since C is
|
||
a language not meant for such applications, I will not miss it.
|
||
Turbo Pascal 4.0 will surely have them, and have them in a
|
||
library we can steal from.
|
||
|
||
Borland does offer some striking functions. For instance, the
|
||
much-needed findfirst() and findnext() functions are included,
|
||
used for processing wildcard specs. searchpath() will search the
|
||
current directory then the PATH spec for a specified file. keep()
|
||
will terminate and stay resident and take care of the nasty
|
||
memory cleanup. hardxxxx() routines are used for handling
|
||
annoying "Abort, Retry, Ignore?" errors. fnmerge() and fnsplit()
|
||
process a file spec and its individual components; drive, path,
|
||
filename, and extension. getpass() is a conio function that
|
||
prints a prompt, disables echo, reads in up to 8 characters, and
|
||
returns them in a string. Absolute disk i/o is supported. You can
|
||
get and set a file's time or date. Set the DOS time or date. Get
|
||
country dependent information. Binary search, quick sort, and
|
||
linear searches. Signals. printf with pointer value display. Math
|
||
error trapping. Sharing and locking. Get FAT information. Many
|
||
time functions. Get disk free space. Full and complete string
|
||
functions. Sleep so many seconds. Set interrupt vector. And every
|
||
function in MS C except 4 functions (mentioned below). Every one
|
||
is labelled with portability considerations and cross references.
|
||
It also supports predefined macros that expand to compile time,
|
||
compile date, Turbo C version number, line number, source file
|
||
name, memory model, ANSI C compatibility, and much more.
|
||
|
||
COMPATIBILITY
|
||
|
||
As far as I can see, Turbo C is virtually identical to MS C
|
||
with the exception of a few functions. Some functions are named
|
||
differently in Turbo C and Borland was very thoughtful and
|
||
included #defines in the header files to take care of this. The
|
||
only glaring exception is that signal() is implemented as
|
||
ssignal(), but as far as I can see that's the only difference.
|
||
Turbo C has an explicit method for handling control break, but
|
||
I'm not sure if it can be done via ssignal() like it can in MS C.
|
||
|
||
The functions I found not supported explicitly in Turbo C
|
||
that are found in MS C are the following:
|
||
|
||
tempname(), tmpfile(), tmpname() (mktemp and creattemp exist)
|
||
rmtemp() onexit (implemented as atexit())
|
||
|
||
and that's about all. Turbo C is not wimpy; it implements all
|
||
global variables MS C does (error strings, error numbers,
|
||
_osmajor, _osminor, __LINE__, __FILE__, sys_errno, etc.).
|
||
|
||
In porting MS C programs to Turbo C I had little problem,
|
||
even programs from a book published by MicroSoft Press for MS C
|
||
(as soon as I changed the signal() to ssignal()). Turbo C offers
|
||
ANSI only code generation (disable extensions), optimization
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 33 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
speed/space, optimization of redundant jumps and reorganization
|
||
of loops and switch statements (don't ask), turn off stack
|
||
checking, string merging (ever wonder why two string constants
|
||
with the exact same value take up separate places in the object
|
||
file? Turbo C resolves that), suppression of "redundant load
|
||
operations by remembering the contents of registers and reusing
|
||
them as often as possible," nesting of comments, nesting of
|
||
#includes, selectable 1-32 significant character identifiers,
|
||
80186 instructions, enabling/disabling of 27 different warnings
|
||
(including unreachable code, code has no effect, 'x' is assigned
|
||
a value that is never used, function should return a value,
|
||
possibly incorrect assignment (like "if (a=b)", usually an error)
|
||
and various portability warnings), assembly code output, and
|
||
enable/disable register variables. Clearly Turbo C is no wimp.
|
||
|
||
Turbo C also includes startup source, a main() that does not
|
||
access the library, and a statement saying you can get the
|
||
complete library source licensed for $295. I get the sincere
|
||
impression that Turbo C will be well supported. Do I see a source
|
||
code debugger in the works?
|
||
|
||
Next week I'll discuss the environment, benchmarks, codesize,
|
||
and hardware interfacing (writing interrupts, TSRing, converting
|
||
to .COM files, inline assembler, etc.)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 34 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
-- The Regular Irregular Column --
|
||
Dale Lovell
|
||
157/504
|
||
|
||
This has not been a good week. I'm beginning to believe that
|
||
I'm cursed. It started out well enough, but come the weekend it
|
||
became a disaster. As a result, I didn't have a chance to look
|
||
over too many of the new products that have arrived here. Maybe
|
||
by next week I'll have looked over some of it. In the meantime,
|
||
I've learned a lot over the past week and taken a look at one
|
||
very interesting program.
|
||
|
||
-- The Curse --
|
||
|
||
It started off innocently enough, with a visit to my local
|
||
dealer Friday night. While I was there he showed me one of the
|
||
new AT clones he's just starting to carry in quantity. He's
|
||
usually had two or three AT clones in at any one point in the
|
||
past, but since the prices started dropping he's decided to
|
||
change over. Instead of stocking XT clones in quantity, he's
|
||
going to start stocking a variety of AT clones. This wasn't a
|
||
major revelation to me. In the past year prices have dropped
|
||
dramatically. A year and a half ago I bought my first IBM
|
||
compatible system from him, and have been very pleased with it.
|
||
It has never given me any trouble, and he's always been able to
|
||
help me when it came time to expand (hard drive, modem, etc.).
|
||
The problem is that I can now get an AT for what I paid for my XT
|
||
a year ago. Since he was finally buying ATs in quantity, his
|
||
priced had dropped to something I could afford. I'd been able to
|
||
afford an AT for some time but didn't want to go the mail-order
|
||
route. My dealer has always been able to help me out when I had
|
||
any questions, and usually lets me look over any software package
|
||
I'm interested in buying (in the store).
|
||
|
||
Well, I decided to take one home that night. He tried
|
||
talking me out of it because the first shipment of ATs had just
|
||
come in, and none of the machines had been tested yet. My problem
|
||
is that I'm impatient. We opened up one of them (a 10 mhz machine
|
||
none the less) and hooked everything up and tested it. Fifteen
|
||
minutes later I was satisfied that everything was working and
|
||
talked him into letting me take it home that night. Saturday was
|
||
spent transferring boards and the data on the hard drive between
|
||
my old XT and the AT. This took a while as I wanted to make sure
|
||
everything came through this minor surgery in one piece. After
|
||
everything was transferred I called up a friend who had been
|
||
drooling over the XT and proceeded to sell him my old machine.
|
||
MAJOR MISTAKE!!! Later that night the keyboard on the new system
|
||
died (or close to it). I had a meeting after work on Monday night
|
||
and it wasn't until Tuesday that I was able to get back to the
|
||
store and swap keyboards. In the meantime the system stayed up
|
||
(for my night calls) and polled my host for mail. I was even able
|
||
to get the AUTOEXEC.BAT file set up to automatically bring up
|
||
SEAdog in case of a power failure. The problem was I wasn't able
|
||
to get any work done on this column until Wednesday (the day I
|
||
usually send 'em off to Thom). There are two lessons I learned
|
||
from this experience. 1) Never rush your local dealer, they
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 35 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
usually know what's best and 2) Never get rid of your old
|
||
equipment until you've been using your new equipment for some
|
||
time. Please don't make the same mistake that I made. My dealer,
|
||
and hopefully yours, was very understanding when I got back and
|
||
promptly gave me a new keyboard. I am very glad that I didn't
|
||
pick up the system from a mail-order company. It could have taken
|
||
over a week with everything being sent through UPS.
|
||
|
||
-- QubeCalc (FormalWare Co. $49.95 Registration) --
|
||
|
||
Ever since Visicalc was introduced, everyone has tried to
|
||
improve on the basic idea. Multiplan added sorting to the
|
||
spreadsheet, and Lotus added graphing capabilities. That pretty
|
||
much sums up all the improvements made to spreadsheets in over 5
|
||
years. I was pretty much convinced that the area had been "panned
|
||
out" until I came across QubeCalc. While QubeCalc can't cover as
|
||
much 2 dimensional space as something like Lotus 1-2-3, it does
|
||
do some things that Lotus (and many other expensive, commercial
|
||
spreadsheets) can't do. Since the product is marketed under the
|
||
shareware/user supported software/etc. plan, you should be able
|
||
to download from a local board and decide if it will work for
|
||
you. If it does, send in $49.95 and you'll receive the latest
|
||
version, the full typeset manual (a partial manual is included in
|
||
the publicly distributed program) and they'll make sure you know
|
||
about any updates or new versions as they come out.
|
||
|
||
The basic difference in QubeCalc is that it isn't limited to
|
||
the two dimensions of most commercial spreadsheets. Instead of
|
||
representing one page, QubeCalc represents several pages stacked
|
||
on top of each other. This means you no longer have to arrange
|
||
your spreadsheet with every month's data being in another section
|
||
of the page. Instead you can have a different page for each month
|
||
with the sums of a section going "down" instead of scattering
|
||
them over a spreadsheet. You don't have to remember how you
|
||
organized the years statements, instead each month or weeks
|
||
statement is on its own "page" with one page being a grand total
|
||
of all the pages. QubeCalc also lets you rotate the data so you
|
||
could turn the "pages" into a column with the old columns
|
||
becoming the pages. I've never seen a program that allows you to
|
||
rotate and analyze data before, so I'm pretty impressed! Some of
|
||
the other features that I've been impressed with include the
|
||
capability to recalc a specific block of the "spreadcube" (my
|
||
term, not theirs), and a DataFill command that can generate all
|
||
types of curves (versus a constant step rate).
|
||
|
||
I've been using the product for several days and have been
|
||
wishing I had acquired it a year earlier. I had been working as a
|
||
night auditor for a hotel and ended up spending most of a day
|
||
working on a spreadsheet to generate my daily report. My problems
|
||
all came about because of the three dimensions of my report
|
||
(month-to-date totals, daily totals, and column of figures). It
|
||
would have greatly simplified my life if I could have gone in,
|
||
instead I had to go sideways like crazy. This program could have
|
||
saved me several hours of work. This brings up the major strength
|
||
of QubeCalc. Since it has several pages of data, you can EASILY
|
||
have it generate regular reports without having to worry about
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 36 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
going sideways or down and possibly running out of room before
|
||
the end of the week/month/year. The only limitation is the
|
||
version I was given (version 1.01) only handles a cube of
|
||
64x64x64. This means you can go to 64 columns, 64 rows and 64
|
||
pages. This limits you to 262,144 cells. While this may not sound
|
||
like much, think about how many reports you do that would exceed
|
||
this limit. I don't think it would be very many (if any at all).
|
||
While I don't think it's a serious limitation, I do hope that it
|
||
has or will be increased in the near future.
|
||
|
||
I had no problem becoming used to QubeCalc's commands. Just
|
||
about anyone who is familiar with Lotus 1-2-3 should be able to
|
||
use it without any problem. My only difficulty was that all
|
||
formulas start out with the equals sign ("="), and I'm too used
|
||
to starting my equations with either an "@" sign or a plus sign.
|
||
Many of the menus look similar to Lotus, and as long as you read
|
||
the menus instead of trying to operate on "full auto" it
|
||
shouldn't be that difficult to use. The setup program included
|
||
allows you to set it up to run from any directory (it has
|
||
overlays and needs to know where they are) and set the screen
|
||
colors to your personal preferences. The installation program
|
||
does a nice job of letting you "personalize" the program. I've
|
||
seen quite a few commercial programs that were nowhere near as
|
||
friendly as QubeCalc. Overall it is a very impressive program.
|
||
Anyone who is dealing with a regularly prepared report should
|
||
look into QubeCalc as it can often handle these reports easier
|
||
than many commercial spreadsheets. Consider the $49.95 price, and
|
||
you come out far ahead on my spreadcube!
|
||
|
||
-- Winding down --
|
||
|
||
Unfortunately, I spent the most of the weekend without a
|
||
machine, so I didn't have a chance to look over any games this
|
||
week. I did have a chance to go over several books and found
|
||
several I enjoyed. One of those was "Programmer's at Work, 1st
|
||
Series" with interviews by Susan Lammers (Microsoft Press, list
|
||
price $14.95). This is another of the books like "Hackers" or
|
||
"The Soul of a New Machine." Instead of concentrating on a
|
||
particular program, language, or technique; it looks at the
|
||
people who are actually creating these strange machines (and
|
||
programs). Some of the more well known names include Bill Gates
|
||
(one of the founders of Microsoft) and Dan Bricklin (VisiCalc and
|
||
Dan Bricklin's Demo Program). Each "chapter" is an interview with
|
||
a programmer and starts off with some background on the
|
||
individual. Each programmer was asked to donate some actual piece
|
||
of work. While most of the code pieces are incomplete, there are
|
||
a few "complete" pieces of work that can be keyed in and run. I
|
||
found the book fascinating, as I learned the design concepts
|
||
behind several of today's most popular programs or the beginnings
|
||
of some major advances in personal computing. If you enjoyed the
|
||
other people computer books I've looked at, here is one more you
|
||
should consider adding to your library.
|
||
|
||
That ties it up for this week. I'd enjoy hearing what you
|
||
think on anything I've written about (or missed writing about).
|
||
Many thanks go out to the many of you who have been reading my
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 37 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
column on Usenet. I try to respond to all the mail received,
|
||
although I do miss one every now and then. Below you'll find my
|
||
US mail, FidoNet, and uucp address (I now have several more sites
|
||
for you Usenet people). FidoNet people should route mail to me
|
||
through 157/1 or 157/0 as I'm a private node.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Dale Lovell
|
||
3266 Vezber Drive
|
||
Seven Hills, OH 44131
|
||
|
||
FidoNet: 157/504 (or 1:157/504.1 for an extended address)
|
||
uucp:
|
||
decvax\
|
||
>!cwruecmp!hal\
|
||
cbosgd/ >!ncoast!lovell
|
||
/--!necntc/
|
||
ames---\ /
|
||
talcott \/
|
||
harvard /
|
||
sri-nic/
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 38 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Jean Coppola Sysop 107/201
|
||
|
||
Computer & Software Package For Sale
|
||
====================================
|
||
|
||
Panansonic Sr. Partner
|
||
640K Internal Ram
|
||
8087 Co-Processor Installed
|
||
Built In Printer
|
||
Built-in Monochrome Monitor
|
||
Two 5 1/4 Inch Drives
|
||
One 22 Megabyte Hard Drive
|
||
Tandy RGB Color Monitor
|
||
Hayes Type 1200 Baud External Modem
|
||
All Cables, Power Cords, Etc;
|
||
|
||
|
||
Software Included In Above Package
|
||
====================================
|
||
|
||
PC DOS 3.1 Software Carousel
|
||
MS DOS 3.2 Print Shop
|
||
Turbo Prolog Lotus 1-2-3
|
||
Disk Optimizer dBase III+
|
||
Cubit Norton Utilities
|
||
Microsoft Windows Mace Utilities
|
||
Microsoft Quick Basic Compiler Norton Commander
|
||
Copywrite Doctor Dos
|
||
SEAdog PcTools
|
||
DoubleDos 1Dir
|
||
SuperKey Fastback
|
||
NewsRoom Pro Turbo Pascal
|
||
IBM PC LAN And Much Much More......
|
||
|
||
Best Offer Over $1200.00 Gets This Package
|
||
|
||
Contact Sysop 107/201 For More Details, etc;
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 39 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
1 Aug 1987
|
||
Third Annual BBS Picnic in Edison, NJ. Please register before
|
||
July 10th. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for 12 and under,
|
||
free for 5 and under. Contact John Kelley at 107/331 for
|
||
details.
|
||
|
||
20 Aug 1987
|
||
Start of the Fourth International FidoNet Conference, to be
|
||
held at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel in Alexandria, VA.
|
||
Contact Brian Hughes at 109/634 for more information. This is
|
||
FidoNet's big annual get-together, and is your chance to meet
|
||
all the people you've been talking with all this time. We're
|
||
hoping to see you there!
|
||
|
||
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 1:1/1.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
I'm sorry to say that Edition 103 of echolist will be delayed...
|
||
Since I'll be on vacation July 5-11 I don't expect to have every
|
||
thing done til sometime around July 20th (I hope). Again sorry
|
||
for the delay!
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
If it wasn't the middle of the summer, I would have sworn
|
||
that issue 4-24 of Fidnews was an April fools issue. The
|
||
editorial was a bit of a downer but the rest of the issue
|
||
was uniformly light harted. Could it be that our editor
|
||
actually edited that issue instead of the old FIFO system?
|
||
Could it be that our editor just was fed up with trojan
|
||
hackers and disk crashes and decided to celebrate April 1
|
||
on June 29? Will we ever know? Do we want to know? Why
|
||
am I asking all the questions? Why don't I find something
|
||
usefull to do?
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Latest Software Versions
|
||
|
||
BBS Systems Node List Other
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 40 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
Dutchie 2.51* EDITNL 3.3 ARC 5.21*
|
||
Fido 11w LISTGEN 05.25.86 ARCmail 0.60
|
||
Opus 0.00 Prune 1.40 EchoMail 1.31
|
||
SEAdog 4.00 RouteGen 2.81* FastEcho 2.00*
|
||
TBBS 2.0M* TestList 8.3* Renum 3.30
|
||
XlatList 2.81*
|
||
|
||
* Recently changed
|
||
|
||
Utility authors: Please help keep this list as current as
|
||
possible by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our
|
||
intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on
|
||
necessity.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 41 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM
|
||
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FIDONET CONFERENCE
|
||
RADISSON MARK PLAZA HOTEL
|
||
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
|
||
AUGUST 20 - 23, 1987
|
||
|
||
Name _________________________________ Date _____________
|
||
Address ______________________________
|
||
City & State _________________________
|
||
Phone (Voice) ________________________
|
||
Net/Node Number ______________________
|
||
Phone (Data) _________________________
|
||
|
||
Number in Your Party _________________
|
||
Staying at the Radisson? _____________
|
||
Number of Rooms? _____________________
|
||
Arrival Date? ________________________
|
||
Departure Date? ______________________
|
||
|
||
Registration Fees: How Many Total
|
||
|
||
Full Conference $60.00 each ________ $________
|
||
Late registration $10.00 each ________ $________
|
||
(after Aug. 1)
|
||
|
||
Friday Night Banquet $30.00 each ________ $________
|
||
Saturday Luncheon $16.50 each ________ $________
|
||
|
||
Total Amount Included (Registration and Meals) $________
|
||
|
||
IFNA MEMBERS ONLY:
|
||
How many in your party will
|
||
be attending the Sunday morning
|
||
Board of Directors meeting? ________
|
||
|
||
Send your registration form and a check or money order to:
|
||
|
||
Fourth International FidoNet Conference
|
||
212 E. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20003
|
||
Attn: Brian H. Hughes -- voice: (202) 543-4200
|
||
|
||
This registration form does not include hotel accomodations. If
|
||
you wish to stay at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel, please contact
|
||
them directly and mention you are with the FidoNet Conference.
|
||
Conference room rates are $80/night for single or double
|
||
occupancy, and $20/night for an extra cot.
|
||
|
||
Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel
|
||
5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va. 22311
|
||
1-800-228-9822
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 42 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
|
||
ORDER FORM
|
||
|
||
Publications
|
||
|
||
The IFNA publications can be obtained by downloading from Fido
|
||
1/10 or other FidoNet compatible systems, or by purchasing them
|
||
directly from IFNA. We ask that all our IFNA Committee Chairmen
|
||
provide us with the latest versions of each publication, but we
|
||
can make no written guarantees.
|
||
|
||
Hardcopy prices as of October 1, 1986
|
||
|
||
IFNA Fido BBS listing $15.00 _____
|
||
IFNA Administrative Policy DOCs $10.00 _____
|
||
IFNA FidoNet Standards Committee DOCs $10.00 _____
|
||
|
||
SUBTOTAL _____
|
||
|
||
IFNA Member ONLY Special Offers
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates SEAdog $60.00 _____
|
||
SEAdog price as of March 1, 1987
|
||
ONLY 1 copy SEAdog per IFNA Member
|
||
|
||
International orders include $5.00 for
|
||
surface shipping or $15.00 for air shipping _____
|
||
|
||
SUBTOTAL _____
|
||
|
||
Mo. Residents add 5.725 % Sales tax _____
|
||
|
||
TOTAL _____
|
||
|
||
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:
|
||
IFNA
|
||
P.O. Box 41143
|
||
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 USA
|
||
|
||
|
||
Name________________________________
|
||
Net/Node____/____
|
||
Company_____________________________
|
||
Address_____________________________
|
||
City____________________ State____________ Zip_____
|
||
Voice Phone_________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Signature___________________________
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 43 6 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
*IFNA Membership Application
|
||
__
|
||
The World's First / \
|
||
BBS Network /|oo \
|
||
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
||
_`@/_ \ _
|
||
| | \ \\
|
||
| (*) | \ ))
|
||
______ |__U__| / \//
|
||
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
||
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (jm)
|
||
|
||
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 Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted
|
||
by the membership in January 1987. An Elections Committee has
|
||
been established to fill positions outlined in the By-Laws for
|
||
the Board of Directors. An IFNA Echomail Conference has been
|
||
established on FidoNet to assist the Elections Committee. We
|
||
welcome your input on this Conference.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-25 Page 44 6 Jul 1987
|
||
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||
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