1660 lines
78 KiB
Plaintext
1660 lines
78 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 5, Number 8 22 February 1988
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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 Dale Lovell
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Editor Emeritus: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Contributing Editors: Al Arango
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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 1988 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 at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
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at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
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The contents of the articles contained here are not our
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responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
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Everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
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received.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
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2. ARTICLES ................................................. 3
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(COLLEGE - A new echo) ................................... 3
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Linking FidoNet to Other Networks ........................ 7
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Packet BBS to Dial-Up BBS Linking ........................ 12
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DOCUMENTATION FOR OZONE.EXE Version 2.11 ................. 13
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Quick BBS And Trade Wars...A Superb Combination .......... 15
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(REPORTER, the SEAdog.log analyzer) ...................... 18
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Star of Bethlehem Explained .............................. 19
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3. COLUMNS .................................................. 23
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Let's YACK about IFNA Powers ............................. 23
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4. NOTICES .................................................. 27
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 27
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 27
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5. COMMITTEE REPORTS ........................................ 28
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 1 22 Feb 1988
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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Well, it has been awhile since I graced these pages. While I had
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meant to have an editorial in almost every issue, personal
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demands on my time have not allowed it until now. First off I'd
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like to thank all of you who have been sending in articles. I may
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not have sent some of you any reply, but your work is greatly
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appreciated. If I see any sign on an article being submitted
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(usually at least a null message in my netmail area), I try and
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remember to send out a thank you message. The only problem is
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that I can't count on any such message these days. If you sent in
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an article and didn't receive any reply, my apologies as I do
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appreciate the fine articles I have been receiving.
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In the "good ole days" all we had to deal with was Fido and
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SEAdog. While many of us may reminisce about these times, I think
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we all appreciate the variety that has appeared in FidoNet.
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Thanks in no small part to the FidoNet Technical Standards
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Committee, we now have a multitude of different software packages
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from which to choose. No longer do we argue on which version of
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Toss/ScanMail to use, instead we have at least four different
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packages to worry about. While some of these are specific to
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bulletin board programs that do not use the FidoNet message
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structure, we must still keep in mind how any change will affect
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all users. FidoNet has grown up. Anytime a new package is
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written, the author MUST keep in mind how it will affect those
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not running their program(s). No matter how far advanced network
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software becomes, there will always be those who only run Fido
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version 11w.
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While this may not make much sense to some of us. These people
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have gotten their software to work reliably and are reluctant to
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change to anything new (to them). There is nothing wrong with
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this attitude, it is an old saw about how when something works-
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don't touch it. Many of us have spent a large number of hours
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trying to learn how these programs work (and don't work) and only
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now are achieving any degree of reliability. While some will
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always choose to try the new, there should also be a place for
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those who are content with what they have.
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Why do I bring this up? Because FidoNet is based on RELIABLE
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communication between systems. While many may only be concerned
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about EchoMail, there is much more to FidoNet than EchoMail. This
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isn't to say that EchoMail isn't important these days, because it
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is. EchoMail may be one of the most important concepts ever
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introduced to FidoNet. But EchoMail is only a part of FidoNet,
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and even it is based on reliable communication. While catching up
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on some EchoMail conferences this past weekend, I noticed how
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this idea seems to be fading. If it ever does vanish, we may very
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well see the end to FidoNet. After all, if I can no longer count
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on my mail getting through, why bother sending it at all.
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Another idea that seems to be vanishing is RESPONSIBILITY.
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FidoNet is not a right. When you joined FidoNet you were
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 2 22 Feb 1988
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accepting the responsibility for several things. Primarily to
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"not excessively annoy others," "not be easily annoyed," and most
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important of all to make your node available only to other nodes
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during National Mail Hour (NMH). While NMH may be a little
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outdated these days with so many running continuous mail programs
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like SEAdog and BinkleyTerm, it is still important to observe
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NMH. Many nodes are unable to process mail at anytime of the day,
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and can only send and receive mail at specified times. To these
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people, NMH is the only way they can reliably send and receive
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mail. When the nodes they're trying to contact are always busy
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due to receiving a large batch EchoMail or allowing users, it
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only serves to annoy others. In time, it could even be classed as
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excessively annoying.
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New software could easily cause the net to come apart in days.
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The base FidoNet protocol is very important. Any program meant
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for use in FidoNet NEEDS to be able to fall back and use this
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original. Without this, no one would ever know where it was safe
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to try sending mail. While this may be considered archaic by
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some, it is the basis of this network. Without complete
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compatibility, we are endangering something that many of us have
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worked hard to see continue. I ask that all network software
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authors keep this in mind, lest they become known as the
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destroyer of FidoNet just because they need the ego trip of a
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"title" like creator of whateverNet.
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This is getting depressing and I need to take a break. Let's hope
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the echo conferences leave me in a better mood by next week. In
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the meantime, feel free to contact me on any ideas you might have
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on an article. I'd be happy to help out if possible. If you do
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send an article, please try and make it match the submission
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guidelines (which can be file requested SEAdog style as
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ARTSPEC.DOC from 1:1/1). I'm receiving an awful lot of articles
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that don't even come close and it's creating an awful lot of
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work. I'm sure you want your submissions to be printed as
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quickly as possible, and if something doesn't match specs it will
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usually add another week to seeing it go out.
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Your Editor,
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Dale Lovell
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1:1/1 (1:157/504)
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216/642-1034 (data)
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Home Work
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3266 Vezber Drive Parma Computer Center
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Seven Hills, OH 44131 5402 State Road
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216/524-1875 (voice) Parma, OH 44134
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216/661-1808
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 3 22 Feb 1988
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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COLLEGE - A new echo
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Michael Keyles
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1:107/320
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COLLEGE is for those people running or using an electronic bulletin
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board system at a high school, college or university. Hopefully we
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will cover such topics as: funding, getting new hardware/software,
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how to support users, helping non technical users with computing and
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running gateways to other networks. Perhaps we can even share user
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documentation and ideas on providing new services, extending the user
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base, etc.
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If you have any ideas, or just want to get some information, please
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feel free to join in. If you know of other schools that run a BBS,
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please let them know about us!
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You can link in by sending me mail at 1:107/320. I will send to you
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if you are in a PC Pursuit city.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 4 22 Feb 1988
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EchoList: Past, Present, Future.
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I wrote this article in able to get the story straight regarding
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the sad shape the EchoList has deteriorated to! Along with some
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praise there have been many flames. I hope this article will
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explain it all.
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Many moons ago (April 1986) I became a Fido Sysop. Much thanks go
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to Gee Wong for alot of hand holding and assistance when I
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started up. I was a long time user of a couple of Fido BBS and
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thus I knew the terrain of FidoNet. I had read all the back
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issues of FidoNews before becoming a sysop so not much was new.
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Little did I know this was going to be the dawn of EchoMail!
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There were only a handful of conferences. The ones I recall were
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SYSOP, TECH and MAGICK. Believe it or not you could count the
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number of conferences on both hands! It didn't take long before
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conferences were springing up everywhere.
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The growth was so rapid that nobody knew how many nor what type
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of conferences existed. I wanted to know! So I took it upon
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myself to collect data about what conferences existed and share
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it with whomever was interested. In the summer of '86 I worked
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out a draft and I then begged for information but almost nothing
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came. I then put Plan B into action. If the data won't come to me
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well I'll have to go to the data! I spent many months collecting
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echomail conference information from any and every source.
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I published that first official list in Jan '87 and then EchoList
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became recognized as a place to list and find conferences. There
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were still other sources for echomail information, but EchoList
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was the only publication of its kind.
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Well Plan B worked but this fame had its price, now not only did
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I scan many echos collecting data to update the EchoList I was
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getting updates from moderators as well and even would be
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moderators. The burden was getting to heavy and delays started to
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occur. I asked for assistance and got some replies. I attempted
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to deligate some tasks to aid in automation but but I guess my
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selection of assistants was poor because after they would get the
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spcification of what I needed they would fade away. I was
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attempting to off load my work to others and it wasn't working.
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This additional fustration slowed me down even more.
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The flames stared rolling in about how out of date EchoList was
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so I got frantic and rushed to get an update done. I did it but
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it burned me out. This was the June '87 issue and I was about to
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throw in the towel and pull the plug on the PC for good. Yes the
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EchoList was bigger and better than previous versions but that
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also meant big and better flames as well :-) Then guess what
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happens... IFNA presents an award to me at the Aug '87 Fido
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convention. Well the recogniztion cheered me up a bit and I went
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back to the old habbits of applying updates from moderators and
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other sysops which wanted their net listed as well as scanning
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the echos for updates and everything else! Well I should have
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taken a fresh new direction but I didn't....
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 5 22 Feb 1988
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I got a list published in Dec '87 but it didn't have time to
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apply all the updates. I thought some updates would be better
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than none. Well not everybody agreed :-( After this issue and one
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more failure in recruiting some help I saw it was time for me to
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get things done. I just had to automated this beast it's time was
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long overdue!
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I talked to a few sysops and kicked around a few ideas. I'm
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finally (sigh of relief) going to learn from my mistakes :-) In
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the past I wanted everthing listed. I don't know why, just call
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me crazy (and maybe a perfectionist?). I had some sort of idea
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(carried from the old days) that I had to collect the data
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because not everybody would send it to me. If I did get updates
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well that would be gravy. As Echomail Scribe I can't do it all,
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I'm only a human not a computer. What this means is rather than
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put all the responsibility at the top we need to push it down to
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the "moderators". What this means is that if the moderator really
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wants to support the conference they will need to send in an
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update at least once a month. If this is not done the conference
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will not be listed. This way I won't be banging my head against
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the wall doing all the work. You (the moderators) of course will
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get a share some of thoese flames :-)
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A deadline will be fixed at a later date for monthly updates.
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With this policy we will no longer have listings carried over
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from list to list. That means no outdated garbage! AMEN (the
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number one complaint). I am working on the specification for the
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format of an EchoList update message. That should appear shortly.
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I and a couple of sysops are currently working on the programs
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that will be used. Everything will be automatic! At this time I
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would like Echomail moderators who currently produce regional or
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net conference lists to contact me. We might as well share these
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utilities so we can all benifiet. I know the format of these
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reagional/net lists are different but I am certain we can work
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something out.
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Of course this new method is radical if not revolutionary but I
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think it's time has come. If the conference moderators can't take
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the time to send information well there is nothing I can do about
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it. If the topic is that important I'm certain somebody will be
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responsible enough to volunteer to be the moderator.
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All this brings us to a sticky point. What about all those
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conferences that don't have moderators? Well somebody will have
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to step forward or they won't be listed it is as simple as that.
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You may be wondering about how to get conferences which don't
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exist listed. I mean the "if anybody wants to start an echo about
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ABC contact me" listings... I must frankly say, I don't know what
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I'm going to do about that. They might be listed or there might
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be a seperate "wish list" produced. I have to think about this
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one and I welcome your comments.
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The future? Well I have many things I would like to see happen.
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For example one of the most frequently asked questions I get is
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where can I link into XYZ conference? Well I just refer them to
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the moderator. What I would like to see is a utility like
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 6 22 Feb 1988
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megalist that can run online and assist in such queries, as well
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as topic searches. Maybe even a program that would be a server to
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do this via netmail! As well, I would like to draw maps of the
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topology for a conference and even compute routing delivery
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times. I realize there are many other things people would want
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and of course I can't do it all so I want to pulish a database
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version of the list which can be used by anybody's utilities.
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Well alot of water has passed under the bridge both good and bad.
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I hope this story has given you insight into the problems I've
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had. With this new vision I hope I can count on your assistance
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and support! It isn't going to be easy. I'm certain we'll have
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some growing pains, but in the end we will have something that
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serves the network as a whole. United we're echomail, devied
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we're just netmail. Keep an eye out for the EchoList update
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message format coming soon.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 7 22 Feb 1988
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FidoNet: An experiment in COMMUNICATION
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----------------------------------------
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by Steven K. Hoskin
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( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/11 )
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Introduction:
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The header on the FidoNet NewsLetter says to encourage users
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to submit to the NewsLetter; I am a user; this is an article.
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I'm planning on joining IFNA, though I'm not yet a member.
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I'll be putting up a part-time BBS presently; when I can afford
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another computer I'm going to dedicate it to the FidoNet as a
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full-time FidoNode. I'm a computer programmer, both by trade and
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by hobby, and I'm familiar with the concept of the FOSSIL, though
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I'm not intimately familiar with using it...yet.
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I therefore consider my input to be of some minor value, but
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currently I feel its of value due to my status as an "outsider
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looking in" on the problems with FidoNet in its current
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situation.
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I speak of dissent. I speak of flames. I speak of
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attitudes. I speak of AlterNet. I've been reading the IFNA Echo
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off a friend's board, and I don't like a lot of what I've read. I
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still read it, hoping to see the old FidoMood return ("...be
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reasonably polite..."). Occasionally it does, but mostly I see
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flames. While I commonly use the terms FidoNet, FidoNode,
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FidoList, FidoMood, FidoPolicy, FidoDoc, FidoLink, FidoManners
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and FidoSysOp, please note that I do not use the term FidoFlames;
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I consider them quite unbecoming to the intent of FidoNet.
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A lot of the flames have to do with AlterNet. Why?? Oh,
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sure, they broke away from FidoNet, but the FidoNet Policy
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documents up to and including Policy3 have all said that's one
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of your options if you don't like what's happening here.
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You could raise the argument of split nets and problems
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therefrom, and all I will say is I agree. Their breaking away
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from FidoNet now leaves two nets, whereas one controlling entity
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- the NodeList - kept the system manageable. I don't like the
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FACT that they broke away from FidoNet, but I don't hold it
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against them.
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FidoNet is an experiment in COMMUNICATION. Not
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EXCOMMUNICATION. Not CENSORSHIP. COMMUNICATION. To quote
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somebody from the IFNA echo, "...communication is the name of the
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game...". I couldn't agree more. Look, AlterNet was quite
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clearly formed because a group of FidoNet SysOps were getting
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tired of the flaming out there on FidoNet. I consider their
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reason a good one. I personally think they should've kept in
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there, batting it out, working to make a better FidoNet; that's
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MY opinion and I AM entitled to it. The SysOps of AlterNet are
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entitled to theirs also.
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Okay, so they broke away. What do we do now? IFNA Echo
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FidoNews 5-08 Page 8 22 Feb 1988
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can tell you a lot about what COULD be done; there are thousands
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of possibilities. The upcoming article is geared towards
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expressing MY opinion about which of the multitude of options
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really ought to be used. If you wish to respond to my article,
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you can reach me as STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/11 and I W E L C O M E
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your responses. Do not send me E-Mail on the IFNA Echo; I am not
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permitted to send mail on that Echo. If you respondto me
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||
directly at the board I call "home", then you will probably get a
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direct response. If you "flame" me, I suppose you are entitled
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to do so, but I feel this is in violation of the intent of
|
||
FidoNet and may think the lesser of you. Besides, you probably
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won't get a reply. If you politely state your views and politely
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express weaknesses in mine - I can almost guarantee you a
|
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response. In my book, insults are about the weakest form of
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communication known to man. Insults are perhaps second only to
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assumptions and silence as being the strongest form of
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non-communication.
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Okay, the wordy stuff is out of the way, here comes the
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meat of this article -- MY opinion on what should be done about
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AlterNet.
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AlterNet: What to do?
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----------------------
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by Steven K. Hoskin
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( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/11 )
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- In each human heart are a tiger, a pig, an ass, and a
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nightingale. Diversity of character is due to their
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unequal activity.
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- Ambrose Bierce
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AlterNet has formed; SysOps have either left FidoNet or
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have gone dual-identity because they were tired of violations of
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one of FidoNet's first rule: Thou shalt not excessively annoy
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others. Many hoped for peace of mind in AlterNet; many simply
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joined it in case it worked well and still maintained FidoNet
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connections, hoping that one day the nets would work together,
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||
and their node could be a gateway. Nobody but the SysOp who
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joins AlterNet knows why, but the solid fact remains: ALTERNET IS
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||
HERE.
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Okay, what do we do about it? The IFNA Echo is loaded with
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opinions on AlterNet and what to do about it.
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For the most part I see two REAL options:
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1. Leave them alone and hope it fails so they come home to
|
||
FidoNet; hopefully they will help us grind through the
|
||
problems of being a Non-Profit Organization and getting
|
||
the controls we're legally required to have and the
|
||
freedom we need to keep FidoNet in its current
|
||
structure. Perhaps they would then get back in the
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 9 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
batter's box, helping us to clean up FidoNet, assisting
|
||
in enforcing policies that encourage SysOps to politely
|
||
state their point of view, rather than stoop down to
|
||
what has apparently become known as "flaming".
|
||
|
||
2. Communicate with them, regardless of their success rate,
|
||
and find a way to link both NodeLists together in such a
|
||
way that Me, the NitNoy user in FidoNet, can send a
|
||
message to my friend in an area best covered by
|
||
AlterNet, or better yet, to my friend who has called an
|
||
AlterNet BBS his "home" board and sees no reason to
|
||
subscribe to another.
|
||
|
||
Note that option 1 does not mention any kind of censoring.
|
||
Censorship is a price of its own virtue; it induces a lack of
|
||
communication; this is a destructive force. Communication is
|
||
meant to be a positive force. There is no need for censorship in
|
||
an adult community. I think of FidoNet as an adult community. I
|
||
hope it does not prove me wrong.
|
||
|
||
Well, AlterNet is succeeding and AlterNet is growing. It's
|
||
toolatefor the first of those two options: ALTERNET IS HERE TO
|
||
STAY.
|
||
|
||
That leaves the other option: cooperation, teamwork and
|
||
COMMUNICATION. That's what it's all about, isn't it?
|
||
Communication? Not communication in FidoNet. Communication.
|
||
Plain and simple. The logistics and technical specifications of
|
||
this form of communication aren't simple, but the concept of
|
||
communication IS.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Technical Issue: How do I call AlterNet?
|
||
|
||
I've seen three messages in the IFNA echo that prompted this
|
||
article. I will not name names (as I don't remember them) and I
|
||
will not copy the text of those messages into this article. I may
|
||
quote (or attempt to, from memory), but that's as far as it will
|
||
get. My point here is to bring out an idea that may make
|
||
communication between FidoNet and AlterNet possible without TOO
|
||
much work from the average SysOp. In fact, what work could be
|
||
done by the average SysOp would be optional; failure to do the
|
||
little extra work might result in a more expensive operation, but
|
||
the extra few minutes would not be required.
|
||
|
||
The third article I read was actually the trigger. It got
|
||
me to thinking (perhaps a dangerous thing to do), and while
|
||
thinking, I started recalling other messages I'd read. The
|
||
author of this message is obviously a sensible fellow; he's
|
||
already based his message on the assumption that FidoNet and
|
||
AlterNet will be attempting to communicate. This message
|
||
discussed gateways to AlterNet. It commented on how just having a
|
||
few gateways isn't the way to go; the AlterNet node you were
|
||
trying to call might be in the same town, yet the message would
|
||
go to New York and back to find the gateway (New Yorkers, use
|
||
Sacremento as your example :-) ). Rather, the message
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 10 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
directing software would have to be smart enough to find the
|
||
closest AlterNet node, so the SysOp wouldn't have to manually
|
||
look things up in the NodeList.
|
||
|
||
The second article I read sarcastically discussed Zone
|
||
organization. The ending of the message said something like
|
||
"...why not base the zones on area codes? Naw, that'd be to
|
||
easy...". I'm sorry the individual felt he had to be sarcastic
|
||
to get his point across; though it worked, I think I would've
|
||
still seen this message if it weren't sarcastic; I feel that I
|
||
would've received the author's point if it were not sarcastic;
|
||
and I feel that I would have been able to apply its logic
|
||
quicker if I were not distracted by the sarcasm. The author may
|
||
have had previous messages go unnoticed, so perhaps the sarcasm
|
||
was well-founded, or at least well-meant, but I feel that it
|
||
distracted my application of the concept.
|
||
|
||
The first of the three articles commented on the Zone
|
||
system, apparently responding to some previous message about
|
||
making AlterNet a separate Zone in our NodeList, and responding
|
||
VERY negatively. The author got sarcastic, going on about how
|
||
all different Nets could break off and be little Netletts in the
|
||
NodeList, each one under a different Zone. The sarcasm was
|
||
again not well taken by me, but there was a point in the message
|
||
that made me think about the AlterNet/FidoNet link problem.
|
||
|
||
The sarcasm borders on what I believe are currently being
|
||
called "flames", but these messages gave me an idea, and I
|
||
discussed this idea with another programmer, Terry Curtis
|
||
(also a user at 1:128/11), and he augmented my idea some. Here's
|
||
what we came up with:
|
||
|
||
Let's say FidoNet and AlterNet, sensible entities that they
|
||
are, are ready to communicate; both parties have dropped any
|
||
prejudices and dogmas, have agreed that communication is the way
|
||
to go, and are interested in allowing cross-communications. At
|
||
least for the direct International In/Out type message area.
|
||
Those of you familiar with the operation of Echos will have to
|
||
tackle the usability of this concept with EchoMail. But for the
|
||
average user out there, who just wants to compose his message on
|
||
a local board and have it sent cheaply to another BBS user on the
|
||
other net, and have that user read it on his local BBS, here's an
|
||
idea that might make it work.
|
||
|
||
The NodeList is compiled, or so I've gathered from my
|
||
limited reading of FidoNews and FidoDocs. Therefore, there's some
|
||
kind of data file or database out there at EACH AND EVERY Node on
|
||
the Net. Or, if I'm technically incorrect and NetWork mail is
|
||
routed through the Network and to the Coordinators, then perhaps
|
||
a more technically correct statement is that the data file or
|
||
database is AVAILABLE FOR USE, directly or indirectly, by every
|
||
Node in the Net. In the case of AlterNet, they're taking the
|
||
same logical structure with them, so the same theory should
|
||
apply. If there's a data file or database out there, then it can
|
||
be accessed by a program. Obviously, or the Fido/Opus/SEADog/
|
||
TBBS/anything else program wouldn't be able to automatically call
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 11 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
other BBSs in the Net.
|
||
|
||
Well, the NodeList is currently Zoned anyway, why NOT place
|
||
AlterNet in a special Zone? It eliminates problems emminating
|
||
from multiple occurances of Net/Node numbers (since this is
|
||
technically now Zone:Net/Node), and makes communication possible
|
||
on the technical level, while maintaining two seperate
|
||
controlling entities, one in each of the respective networks.
|
||
|
||
Okay, now that we can get AlterNet's NodeList into ours as
|
||
a special zone, and ours into theirs, how about the automated
|
||
cost-cutting procedures? Well, the NodeList has the area codes
|
||
in it, so there's one way to narrow down the costs. Also, how
|
||
about a program that each SysOp COULD run to further reduce costs
|
||
by allowing him or her to enter the local exchanges? There can be
|
||
long-distance billing involved even in a call to a place in the
|
||
same area code, so let each SysOp enter a list of exchanges that
|
||
are consideredlocal calls. Now the program has some criteria as
|
||
to which node in Zone 55 (or whatever Zone AlterNet becomes) is a
|
||
good node to call. Now the program narrows it down to the same
|
||
area code, and, if possible, the list of SysOp-approved
|
||
exchanges.
|
||
|
||
From what I can see, for Network Mail anyway, this should
|
||
provide some sort of cost-effectiveness to the cross-net
|
||
communications. When possible, the program will call within
|
||
the same area code; when possible, it will also make a local
|
||
call within that area code. Which removes this problem as a
|
||
reason to NOT communicate with other Nets.
|
||
|
||
Even AlterNet.
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
I read a few messages and got an idea.
|
||
|
||
I talked with a friend about the idea and made it better.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now THAT's what communication is all about.
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 12 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bob Arnold KB2ECI
|
||
Random Access BBS (260/320)
|
||
|
||
|
||
Linking a PBBS to an OPUS/FIDO System
|
||
|
||
I've been looking at the possibilities of linking an amateur
|
||
radio packet bulletin board system into my OPUS based dial-up BBS
|
||
to provide faster mail forwarding than now currently possible by
|
||
"normal" packet channels. Some background is in order for the
|
||
non-hams reading this.
|
||
|
||
A PBBS differs considerably from the dial-up systems commonly
|
||
found in the FIDO(tm) network. A PBBS is a computer system (most
|
||
often an IBM) using special software and a special modem called a
|
||
TNC (Terminal Node Controller) connected to an amateur's radio
|
||
equipment. Many PBBS's are found between 145.01 to about 145.09
|
||
Mhz in many areas of the country. A national channel at 145.01
|
||
Mhz carries much of the message traffic forwarded across the
|
||
country. Since channel usage is so high, much of the message
|
||
traffic takes from 3 to 10 days to make it from coast to coast.
|
||
|
||
I believe there is a cost effective way to speed things up
|
||
until such time as a high speed national RF backbone system is
|
||
available to handle the bulk of the message traffic. Here's the
|
||
plan.
|
||
|
||
I've noticed quite a few amateur radio operators running
|
||
network compatible dial-up BBS's from my messages concerning this
|
||
subject and some preliminary developments in a few of the echo
|
||
conferences. If some of those ham operators running network
|
||
compatible dial-up systems also run a packet radio BBS on another
|
||
computer (or the SAME machine using a multi-tasker) it's possible
|
||
to forward messages between compatible PBBS software by sending
|
||
plain ASCII text files using the dial-up network. The technique
|
||
has received some testing in various areas of the country but
|
||
never has been tried in the scale I propose to set up.
|
||
|
||
I'll not bore FIDONEWS readers who are not hams with the full
|
||
details but instead encourage interested and suitably equipped
|
||
ham radio/ BBS operators to contact me at 260/320 via normal
|
||
netmail. I'm attempting to get a development echo going so that
|
||
interested hams can participate. All it takes is a message to me
|
||
for more information. I'll give you the name of a file to request
|
||
for that information and set you up for the developer's echo to
|
||
be hosted by my system.
|
||
|
||
Bob Arnold KB2ECI (260/320)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 13 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
Released 02-11-88
|
||
|
||
WHAT IS OZONE.EXE
|
||
=================
|
||
|
||
OZONE is a useful utility designed to make the
|
||
incorporation of the Anetlist into the Nodelist.
|
||
|
||
Using Xlatlist 2.85 you can add nodes from the Anetlist
|
||
into the nodelist using the OZONE statement in the control
|
||
file you use with Xlatlist.
|
||
|
||
However, as the Anetlist gets larger, this will mean
|
||
adding new entries by hand. So OZONE.EXE was born to help
|
||
in making this task easier.
|
||
|
||
OZONE.EXE will read the Anetlist and produce a straight
|
||
text file you can add to the Xlatlist.ctl file. It saves
|
||
you from typing in new OZONE statements each week.
|
||
|
||
|
||
HOW DO I RUN OZONE.EXE
|
||
======================
|
||
|
||
The correct command line has changed in this version.
|
||
|
||
OZONE ZONE# INPUT.FILE.NAME OUTPUT.FILE.NAME
|
||
|
||
ZONE# GETS REPLACED WITH THE ZONE NUMBER TO BE PROCESSED.
|
||
|
||
INPUT.FILE.NAME GETS REPLACED WITH THE PATH AND NAME OF THE
|
||
ANETLIST YOU WISH TO PROCESS.
|
||
|
||
OUTPUT.FILE.NAME GETS REPLACED WITH THE NAME OF THE FILE YOU
|
||
WISH TO CREATE OR YOU CAN USE LPT TO SEND IT TO THE PRINTER.
|
||
|
||
DOS redirection is now possible by use of the > Dos command.
|
||
|
||
OZONE does not in any way alter either the Anetlist or the
|
||
Nodelist that is being processed.
|
||
|
||
|
||
WHERE CAN I GET OZONE.EXE
|
||
=========================
|
||
|
||
You can either file request it from 107/246 or download
|
||
it from that same board. The request name is OZONE.ARC and
|
||
will be honored at all times except NMH and the hour
|
||
before and after NMH.
|
||
|
||
|
||
DO I HAVE TO PAY TO USE OZONE.EXE
|
||
=================================
|
||
|
||
No payment is required at this time.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 14 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 15 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
By Gene Coppola 1/114 (107/246)
|
||
|
||
I have received many questions on how to set up Quick
|
||
BBS to allow Trade Wars to run properly. This article will
|
||
try to explain what needs to be done to run Trade Wars at
|
||
the current time.
|
||
|
||
First, in the ensuing discussion I will be referring
|
||
to TW2.EXE, TWINT500.EXE and TWEDIT.EXE. These and all
|
||
the other files come out of the archive file which is
|
||
named TW2E151B.ARC with a date of 10-02-87 and a file
|
||
length of 277315 bytes. You will also need RBBSDOOR.EXE
|
||
which is available on most Quick BBS systems.
|
||
|
||
While the routines presented below may work with most
|
||
versions, they definitely work with the version in the
|
||
archive file listed above.
|
||
|
||
Step 1 is simple. Extract the files from the archive
|
||
into your Quick BBS sub-directory. At this time this is
|
||
the BEST place for the Trade Wars files.
|
||
|
||
Step 2 is also simple. Extract the files from RBBSDOOR
|
||
into this directory as well. Follow the directions with
|
||
RBBSDOOR and edit the .DEF file to reflect your Name, the
|
||
COM port in use and System Name. Now copy RBBS-PC.DEF to
|
||
RBBS.LOC and edit the .LOC file to reflect a COM port of 0
|
||
instead of your current COM allocation. Both of these
|
||
files will be used later.
|
||
|
||
Step 3 involves setting up your menus. Create or add
|
||
to your doors menu a line for Trade Wars. Use menu TYPE 7
|
||
with the following command (data) line:
|
||
|
||
RBBSDOOR.EXE *B *F *L *G TW2.EXE
|
||
|
||
Assuming that you have done everything properly, this
|
||
will call and run Trade Wars AFTER the steps below have
|
||
been followed.
|
||
|
||
Step 4 asks you to exit the menu editor and run
|
||
TWINT500.EXE. Answer the few questions and let it create
|
||
the data files for you. Please READ (Yes, Ollie) READ the
|
||
docs for TRADE WARS at this time! Also included in the
|
||
archive file is a file name READ-ME.DOC. Yes you guessed
|
||
it, this one MUST BE READ. There are several files that
|
||
must be in this sub-directory for Trade Wars to run. They
|
||
are listed in READ-ME.DOC. Check and make sure they are
|
||
all there, or you will certainly be driven crazy later!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Step 5 gets a little more complicated now. Due to the
|
||
way Trade Wars was designed you need to do the following
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 16 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
to run it in LOCAL mode from the console. First create a
|
||
batch file called TWLOC.BAT as follows:
|
||
|
||
echo off
|
||
|
||
cd \AAAAAAAA
|
||
;changes to Quick BBS Sub-Directory (Change to Yours)
|
||
|
||
copy rbbs-pc.def rbbs.bak /v
|
||
copy rbbs.loc rbbs-pc.def /v
|
||
|
||
; copies the .DEF to a backup and the .LOC to the
|
||
; useable .DEF (changes COMx to COM0)
|
||
|
||
rbbsdoor.exe 0 First_Name Last_Name 0 tw2.exe
|
||
|
||
; calls RBBSDOOR and creates the needed files
|
||
; Then runs Trade Wars For You In Local Mode
|
||
; change the _Names to YOUR Name As Logged In As Sysop
|
||
|
||
copy rbbs.bak rbbs-pc.def /v
|
||
|
||
; copies the backup file to the .DEF file
|
||
; (changes COM0 to Whatever COM You Use)
|
||
|
||
cd \AAAAAAAA
|
||
;changes back to Quick BBS sub-directory
|
||
|
||
Please DELETE all lines that start with a ; as these
|
||
are comments for you to help understand what is going on.
|
||
|
||
Assuming you have done ALL of the above you can now
|
||
run Trade Wars in the LOCAL mode from the console simply
|
||
by typing TWLOC and RETURN.
|
||
|
||
You can also set up a menu line for you to run the
|
||
Editor while on QuickBBS in -L (local) mode by using the
|
||
following command line:
|
||
|
||
C:\COMMAND.COM /C :\AAAAAAAA\TWEDIT.BAT *B *F *L *G
|
||
|
||
The TWEDIT.BAT file looks like this:
|
||
|
||
echo off
|
||
cd \AAAAAAAA
|
||
copy rbbs-pc.def rbbs.bak /v
|
||
copy rbbs.loc rbbs-pc.def /v
|
||
rbbsdoor.exe %1 %2 %3 %4 twedit.exe
|
||
copy rbbs.bak rbbs-pc.def /v
|
||
cd \AAAAAAAA
|
||
exit
|
||
|
||
|
||
Finally here are some tips while a caller is using
|
||
Trade Wars.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 17 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
F9 turns ON the snoop mode and allows you to see what
|
||
is going on while he is on-line.
|
||
|
||
F8 allows you to change the callers time remaining in
|
||
the Trade Wars Game.
|
||
|
||
Trade Wars handles both carrier detect and i/o re-
|
||
direction so NEITHER a watchdog program nor the use of
|
||
CTTY, IBMAUX, or GATEWAY is needed.
|
||
|
||
Many thanks to Paul at 107/337, The Head Doctor at the
|
||
Mental Ward, and Bob Westcott for their help with this.
|
||
|
||
Bob writes the DOOORWARE for RBBS systems and is
|
||
planning on converting almost all RBBS DOORWARE to Quick
|
||
BBS format in the near future! (I Can't Wait!!)
|
||
|
||
If you need any of the files they can be requested
|
||
under the following names from 107/246.
|
||
|
||
TW2E151B.ARC Trade Wars Software
|
||
|
||
RBBSDOOR.ARC Needed To Run DOORWARE
|
||
|
||
TWBAT.ARC My batch and .MNU files for Trade Wars
|
||
|
||
Oh yes, there is a Trade Wars echo mail also.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 18 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
REPORTER, the SEAdog.log analyzer
|
||
|
||
Michael Keyles
|
||
1:107/320
|
||
|
||
|
||
REPORTER, from CM Computing, will give you a lot of information
|
||
about how your SEAdog system is running, but in a more compact
|
||
format than SEAdog.log.
|
||
|
||
REPORTER.ARC is available via file request from 107/320. File
|
||
requests are not honored from 3am-6am.
|
||
|
||
Version: Demo 0.9
|
||
|
||
Function: Analyzes SEAdog.log and generates a report.
|
||
|
||
Features: The report details the following information:
|
||
|
||
- Period that SEAdog.log covers
|
||
- Total time SEAdog was up
|
||
- Total time SEAdog was down
|
||
- Percentage of time SEAdog was up
|
||
- Total number of incoming and outgoing calls
|
||
- Number of actual connections
|
||
- Details on incoming and outgoing calls
|
||
- Number of human callers
|
||
- Total number of file requests
|
||
- Summary of files requested
|
||
- Total number of files received
|
||
- Summary of files received
|
||
|
||
Price: This program is shareware. Please send a check for
|
||
$25 to CM Computing for a registered copy.
|
||
|
||
Updates: Reporter is constantly being upgraded. Please check
|
||
with us for the current version.
|
||
|
||
SEAdog is a trademark of System Enhancement Associates
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 19 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
Star of Bethlehem Explained
|
||
Fredric Rice
|
||
(103/503)
|
||
|
||
Original reference material may be found at Griffith
|
||
Observatory, located at 2800 East Observatorty Road, Los
|
||
Angeles, California. 90027. Request back issue of Griffith
|
||
Observer, December 1890, page 9, for Ronald A. Oriti, "The Star
|
||
of Bethlehem". Direct requests to Dr. Edwin C. Krupp and staff.
|
||
You may aquire subscriptions to the Griffith Observer through
|
||
the same address. It provides a great quantity of understandable
|
||
information concerning astronomy, (And is well worth the price!)
|
||
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
Perhaps the greatest asked question concerning the brith of
|
||
Chist is an astrological event described in the New Testament.
|
||
The Star of Bethlehem has been questioned and researched by
|
||
many science and astrological groups with widely differing
|
||
opinions. We might even say we may never know.
|
||
|
||
Here is an opinion held by many as the to explination for the
|
||
Star of Bethlehem. Though what is contained herein does not in
|
||
any way mean it's the actual truth, it is what scientist have
|
||
that fits the facts.
|
||
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
During the rein of the Romans, a calendar was used based upon
|
||
the founding of the city of Rome. The Romans defined this year
|
||
as year 1 A.U.C, or "ab urbe condita" which means "from the
|
||
founding of the city". The Romans did not have the concept of
|
||
zeros at the time Rome was founded. (It was to be thought of by
|
||
the Arabs much later).
|
||
|
||
The calendar was changed more than 500 years after Christ had
|
||
been killed, and the new calendar was based upon his birth.
|
||
Dionysius Exiguus changed the calendar in the year 533 A.D. He
|
||
had researched his records to determine the year of Christs
|
||
birth and had found a statement made by Clement of Alexandria
|
||
which said that Christ was born during the 28'th year of the
|
||
rein of Augustus Caesar. Augustus was proclaimed Emperor in the
|
||
year of 726 A.U.C. so he added 28 years to it giving the year
|
||
754 A.U.C. as the birth year of Christ. This year he called
|
||
1 A.D.
|
||
|
||
Dionysius was unawair that Augustus had ruled under the name
|
||
of Octavian for four years before the title of Augustus was
|
||
given to him by the Roman Senate. For this reason, we would need
|
||
to subtract four years from his calendar to find the correct
|
||
birth year. This would turn out to be 4 B.C., or the year 750
|
||
A.U.C.
|
||
|
||
This is fine if you want to rely on historical records, which
|
||
at that time were hundreds of years old, to be free from error.
|
||
These records were hand written and could not be photocopied.
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 20 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
The New Testament in Matthew says that Christ was born in the
|
||
days of Herod. Josephus who lived in the first century said that
|
||
Herod died a few days after an eclipse of the moon visible in
|
||
Jerico a few days before the Passover. This date can be
|
||
calculated with a good deal of accuracy to an eclipse on March
|
||
13, 4 B.C. Passover was on April 12'th. Herod, then, died
|
||
somewhere around the first of April, 4 B.C.
|
||
|
||
Remember that Christs parrents were required to pay their
|
||
taxes in the city of Bethlehem. There are three major tax
|
||
collections recorded on the walls of temples in Ankara, Turkey.
|
||
They were 28 B.C., which is too early for our tax collection
|
||
year, 8 B.C., and 14 A. D, which is too late). This leaves us
|
||
with the major tax collection year of 8 B.C. This lands us close
|
||
to the 4 B.C. that agrees with our other information.
|
||
|
||
The month and day can not be infered from any information we
|
||
can piece together at the moment, yet we do know that early
|
||
Christians celebrated the birth of Christ on December 25'th
|
||
because that day was a holiday for the Romans who used to feed
|
||
the Early Christians to lions, (December 25'th was the Winter
|
||
Solstice during that time. The daylight hours start to grow
|
||
longer).
|
||
|
||
If you would like to narrow the month down a little, you
|
||
might look again at the Bible at Luke which states that the
|
||
shepherds were guiding their flock by night. It was the practice
|
||
of the time to guard flocks during the time of year that the
|
||
lambs were giving birth.
|
||
|
||
So there we have it. We might be looking at the spring of 6
|
||
A.D or 7 A.D., (A year or two before the taxes were due). We
|
||
must then discover an astrological event that occured sometime
|
||
around these years.
|
||
|
||
Fireballs, comets, eclipes, all of these were known to the
|
||
peoples of Earth, in the East and in the West. For this reason,
|
||
we can exclude these type of astrological events. If every time
|
||
a a comet was seen in the skys, we would have wise men seeking
|
||
everywhere all the time.
|
||
|
||
We can assume that the "Three Wise Men" were astrologers. Who
|
||
else would be able to detect an event in the heavens that
|
||
described the location of the King of the Jews?
|
||
|
||
Astronomers have determine the planetary posistions for the
|
||
suspect years and the results were quite interesting.
|
||
|
||
Calculations show that on May 27'th, 7 B.C. , Jupiter passed
|
||
within one degree North of Saturn, falling into the same
|
||
celestial longitude and were therefore in conjunction. This is
|
||
expected to happen once in about 20 years.
|
||
|
||
This particular conjunction occured in the constellation of
|
||
Pisces. In those days, Pisces was thought of as the "Hebrew
|
||
Sign". Saturn was also thought of as the "Hebrew Wanderer".
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 21 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
This made the conjunction very important for the Jewish people.
|
||
|
||
The Magi might have read this conjunction as a sign that a
|
||
great man was to be born to the Jews. Stellar events were not
|
||
over with yet, though, more important movements in the skys
|
||
further enforced this belief.
|
||
|
||
After passing Saturn, Jupiter began to slow down, and on the
|
||
15'th of July, it stopped. Then it began to back up and passed
|
||
Saturn for a second time! (Backwards motion as seen from the
|
||
Earth is known as retrograde motion). The second passing had
|
||
taken place on the 5'th of October.
|
||
|
||
Twice! This was indeed a great man being born.
|
||
|
||
Retrograde motion ended and Jupiter began to proceed forward
|
||
again on November 10'th. Once again Jupiter passed Saturn on
|
||
December 1'st.
|
||
|
||
Three passes of Saturn in one year, and all in Pisces!
|
||
Further, in Febuary of 6 B. C., Mars came into the picture and
|
||
joined the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Three planets in
|
||
Pisces the Hebrew sign, and three passes of Jupiter, (are these
|
||
three planets and passes the reason for describing three wise
|
||
men?), all within the same year! Let's go find this great Jew!
|
||
|
||
You can ignore all of these facts as conjecture and guess
|
||
work, because that's what they really are. We do know that the
|
||
three conjunctions did take place, and in Pisces. Whether this
|
||
is enough to cause astrologers to look for Jeasus is unknown.
|
||
In the end, it is you, reader, who has to weigh the facts and
|
||
believe what you will believe.
|
||
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
Additional information:
|
||
|
||
1) The first conjunction of 27'th of May, 7 B. C., would have
|
||
been visible from the East in the morning.
|
||
|
||
2) The second conjunction of October 5'th would have been
|
||
visible in the South at midnight.
|
||
|
||
3) The third conjunction of December 1'st, 6 B.C. would have
|
||
been visible in the West before sunset.
|
||
|
||
4) It is said that the Star of Bethlehem moved to stand over the
|
||
spot where the King of the Jews was to be born. Taking into
|
||
account the previous three items of additional information,
|
||
we might say that the "Star" moved from the East to the West.
|
||
|
||
5) For clairification, the word "Star" may mean any astronomical
|
||
object, being one item or many. This is much the same as
|
||
describing fish. You may say, "See the fish?" and mean one or
|
||
several. "Star" can also be used to describe a conjunction of
|
||
stars or an occultation of astronomical objects.
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 22 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
6) There are computer programs being marketed that will describe
|
||
the attributes of planetary objects for the astrologer.
|
||
Though I must admit, I wouldn't spend a cent on an astrology
|
||
package, these would offer accurate posistionings. There are
|
||
Public domain software packages that do the same thing, yet
|
||
at a less than highly accurate result. The best PD package is
|
||
ASTR-3 or ASTR-4, mailed to all Regional nodes last year.
|
||
|
||
7) If you would like to write your own rograms for figuring
|
||
planetary posistions, the library will contain books with the
|
||
required formula and tables. There are also several books in
|
||
print that offer the astronomer and astrologer BASIC
|
||
programs, though again I wouldn't spend a cent on them; PD
|
||
has enough.
|
||
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
Additional Reading:
|
||
|
||
1) If interested, read the Bible. Matthew and Luke offer the
|
||
best information available to the common questioner of the
|
||
Star of Bethlehem.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 23 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
YACK
|
||
Yet Another Complicated Komment
|
||
|
||
by Steven K. Hoskin
|
||
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/11 )
|
||
|
||
Episode 1: IFNA Powers
|
||
|
||
Introduction:
|
||
|
||
I seem to have formed a lot of opinions about FidoNet
|
||
lately, so I figured it was time to send in my IFNA membership
|
||
application and start a column. My understanding is that the
|
||
latter may occur without the former, but I feel strongly about
|
||
FidoNet and its survival, so I'll pitch in my $25 and my 2 cents.
|
||
|
||
I can't say specifically what this column will cover, it's
|
||
kind of a catch-all; but I suppose for awhile my emphasis will be
|
||
on technical issues of FidoNet and political issues of IFNA. The
|
||
primary feature to remember is that this is MY opinion, and I
|
||
believe that EVERYBODY is entitled to one. I do also believe,
|
||
however, that one should express one's opinions in a clean and
|
||
polite manner. An old Chinese proverb goes something like this:
|
||
|
||
"The first man in an argument who strikes his opponent has
|
||
just admitted that his argument is no longer valid."
|
||
|
||
I therefore consider resorting to insults and injury (flames
|
||
and censoring?) to be indications that someone has just accepted
|
||
the fact that he or she has lost an argument, and is unwilling
|
||
or incapable of maturely handling that concept.
|
||
|
||
As far as I'm concerned, FidoNet IS an adult community, and
|
||
immaturity has no place here - except in general humor.
|
||
|
||
This week's openner is going to touch a lot of soft spots -
|
||
and for those who are close to becoming FidoNet burnouts,
|
||
perhaps a hardenned spot. If anyone is hurt by this, contact me
|
||
via Network Mail and we can discuss it. Perhaps your point will
|
||
get published in future editions of this column. But I air here
|
||
my opinions, and I certainly am NOT out to piss anybody off.
|
||
|
||
Enough sales pitch, let's delve into this one. Today's
|
||
topic is -
|
||
|
||
IFNA: What should it do?
|
||
|
||
Yes, there are thousands of answers to this question;
|
||
peruse the IFNA Echo sometime. Well, here's MY opinion. IFNA
|
||
was originally meant to be just another special interest group,
|
||
or so I was given to understand at the time. I've seen several
|
||
recent messages to the effect that this is PRECISELY what IFNA
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 24 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
was when it started.
|
||
|
||
Fine, things change (don't we ALL know that), and now IFNA
|
||
is trying to become the "guardian of FidoNet's future." It's
|
||
a nice thought. A group of people, originally meant to just be
|
||
just another SIG, now attempting to be a constructive AND
|
||
RELIABLE source of emergency administration of the day-to-day
|
||
operation of the Net. And a democratically controlled group, at
|
||
that.
|
||
|
||
Some people appear to have the opinion that IFNA should
|
||
control the net. Some people are afraid that IFNA is TRYING to
|
||
control the net. Some people have the opinion that IFNA should
|
||
go crawl away and die. Some people are of the opinion that IFNA
|
||
HAS crawled away and might just as well die. Some people aren't
|
||
sure what they think IFNA should do, but that it should do
|
||
SOMETHING. And some people haven't said didly-squat about what
|
||
they think about IFNA.
|
||
|
||
With notable exceptions, the messages on the IFNA echo are a
|
||
strong indication that this last group is the most desirable. At
|
||
least THEY'RE not out to insult anybody.
|
||
|
||
FidoNet started (and I hope my memory of the facts are in
|
||
order) with a group of friends passing messages back and forth;
|
||
eventually it got big enough where some kind of control over the
|
||
NodeList was needed, and Fido Policy was formed. In the early
|
||
Policy DOCs, the National Coordinator was "top dog" (pun
|
||
intended). He could do ANYTHING he wanted to ANYBODY in the net.
|
||
Right down to excommunicating a node. It WAS his option. But the
|
||
Policy document stated that such high-level interference would be
|
||
avoided unless the situation was deemed of importance to the
|
||
survival of the Net. Appeals in the structure were allowed for
|
||
case decision, and a fair amount of justice was dealt. With the
|
||
power came the responsibility. And everybody assumed that such
|
||
responsibility would be well-bourne.
|
||
|
||
I doubt if you'll find many people that would say that it
|
||
was not.
|
||
|
||
But the NodeList kept growing; Users from all over the
|
||
world found a great idea in FidoNet; a "free" network service for
|
||
its users (with the added bonus of cheap Network Mail), allowing
|
||
the speedy communication of Network Mail at the highest Bps rate
|
||
in the area. Many such users became FidoNet SysOps so that they
|
||
could provide this great service to their respective areas.
|
||
|
||
And the story goes on. And the National Coordinator
|
||
position gave way to the InterNational Coordinator as the "top
|
||
dog", and the idea that one person might someday be overtaxed in
|
||
attempting to keep the NodeList current and properly and fully
|
||
distributed began to form. And protection of the NodeList as a
|
||
constantly changing and potentially annoying document became more
|
||
of an issue (I'm referring to the old lady with the 2am phone
|
||
call from a computer user using an outdated NodeList). And the
|
||
FidoNet's friendly association of gathering, known as The
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 25 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
InterNational FidoNet Association, thought that the power of many
|
||
might succeed where the power of one might someday fail. And
|
||
thus was born the idea that perhaps IFNA could take over certain
|
||
key responsibilities within the FidoNet structure, and thereby be
|
||
available to step in when the usual source of such administration
|
||
became disabled.
|
||
|
||
I faded from FidoNet about this time, so my history of how
|
||
the IFNA charter was formed, the going Non-profit, the election
|
||
of the BoD and *Cs is somewhat misty. I am trying to catch up on
|
||
it, but to be honest I'm still not TOTALLY sure just what a *C
|
||
is.
|
||
|
||
I returned to FidoNet, only to find massive unrest in the
|
||
Net. Mostly over this IFNA/control thing. And though I liked the
|
||
idea of an organization whose interests were to keep FidoNet
|
||
running, I had no idea just WHERE I stood on the just what power
|
||
and what limitations should be granted to IFNA. Until now.
|
||
|
||
The National Coordinator's job was to keep the Net running
|
||
and help in appeal decisions when needed, and butt out
|
||
otherwise. And, for the most part, this worked.
|
||
|
||
IFNA, as I see it, is just a voted-in, multi-person entity
|
||
replacing that position. Let IFNA produce the NodeList; let
|
||
IFNA own the NodeList from a copyright protection standpoint;
|
||
let IFNA be prepared to step in if net RULES are being blatantly
|
||
disobeyed; and let IFNA butt out for anything else, except for
|
||
those things that IFNA has done in the past, such as prepare
|
||
FidoCon and sundry SIG gatherings.
|
||
|
||
This is fine, but "net rules" is a broad and mostly
|
||
undefined term. The original FidoNet had 3 rules:
|
||
|
||
1) Thou shalt not be excessively annoying;
|
||
|
||
2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed;
|
||
|
||
3) Thou shalt honor the National Mail Hour.
|
||
|
||
This set of rules worked great; why not just keep them?
|
||
They're simple, they're direct, and without a lot of legal
|
||
wording they get the point - the CONCEPT - of network
|
||
communication and cooperation across. So why change them?
|
||
|
||
The National Coordinator was TRUSTED to use good judgement
|
||
in the application of his right to step into Net operations; so
|
||
why not TRUST IFNA the same way? The IFNA BoD members are voted
|
||
in by the SysOps, so theoretically they will act as desired by
|
||
the SysOps they represent or lose the job. This indirectly
|
||
gives the SysOp a say in just what IS annoying and what is NOT.
|
||
This gives the SysOp a say in just what constitutes not honoring
|
||
the NMH (is it now the IMH?) and what constitutes a forgivable
|
||
flounder or an unfortunate mishap. Through communication
|
||
(something FidoNet SHOULD be intimately familiar with (-: )
|
||
between SysOp and BoD member, the SysOp now indirectly does what
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 26 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
used to be done by the National Coordinator.
|
||
|
||
As it should be.
|
||
|
||
FidoNet is a collection of SysOps; therefore the SysOps
|
||
should run FidoNet. If this means IFNA must drop its Non-Profit
|
||
status - do it. If we are spending as much money as I think on
|
||
IFNA stuff, then there won't be any taxes to pay anyway.
|
||
|
||
I don't see much reason for other powers to be granted
|
||
IFNA, as the day-to-day operation of the Net usually requires
|
||
work by each and every SysOp, Network Coordinator, Regional
|
||
Coordinator, Zone Coordinator and InterNational Coordinator.
|
||
|
||
It always has.
|
||
|
||
It always will.
|
||
|
||
So why should there be administrative interference in this
|
||
technical-level operation? No reason I can dream of. Just let
|
||
the IFNA top brass take over the real heart of FidoNet - the
|
||
NodeList. And make it responsible for producing it ON TIME -
|
||
EVERY TIME. Without fail. With reasonably planned contingency
|
||
procedures, backup copies of NodeLists and trained people to do
|
||
whatever is needed to get the NodeList out to everybody as if
|
||
nothing had gone wrong.
|
||
|
||
Even if the InterNational Coordinator died in a fire that
|
||
consumed him and his entire computer system.
|
||
|
||
Even if the IFNA president's computer decided to drop its
|
||
read-write heads onto track 0 of the hard disk.
|
||
|
||
Even if 11 people on a 12-person IFNA BoD came down with
|
||
Bubonic plague. Number 12 could step in to produce and
|
||
distribute the NodeList ON TIME.
|
||
|
||
And, in keeping with the tradition started by the National
|
||
Coordinator, allow IFNA to step in if the members of the net
|
||
decide that the operation and survival of the Net is in danger
|
||
and a situation MUST be corrected.
|
||
|
||
Forget all the other aspects of politics. Forget legal
|
||
problems of going Non-profit. Just run the net. And keep your
|
||
mitts off if things happen to be working okay right now.
|
||
|
||
FidoNet kept working through thick and thin because all
|
||
FidoNet SysOps shared many threads, one of which was respect for
|
||
each other. This rarely broke down, since the rules were rarely
|
||
broken.
|
||
|
||
Why change that? It worked, you know. And it will
|
||
continue to work, as long as that's all IFNA tries to do. Keep
|
||
the net running. Absolutely its primary and possibly only task.
|
||
Just keep that ol' net arunnin'.
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 27 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
16 Jul 1988
|
||
A new areacode, 508, will form in eastern Massachusetts and
|
||
will be effective on this date. The new area code will be
|
||
formed from the current areacode 617. Greater Boston will
|
||
remain areacode 617 while the rest of eastern Massachusetts
|
||
will form the new areacode 508.
|
||
|
||
25 Aug 1988
|
||
Start of the Fifth International FidoNet Conference, to be
|
||
held at the Drawbridge Inn in Cincinnatti, OH. Contact Tim
|
||
Sullivan at 108/62 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.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Latest Software Versions
|
||
|
||
BBS Systems Node List Other
|
||
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
Dutchie 2.80 EditNL 3.3 ARC 5.21
|
||
Fido 12e* MakeNL 1.10 ARCmail 1.1
|
||
Opus 1.03a Prune 1.40 ConfMail 3.31*
|
||
SEAdog 4.10 XlatList 2.86* EchoMail 1.31
|
||
TBBS 2.0M MGM 1.1
|
||
BinkleyTerm 1.30*
|
||
QuickBBS 1.02
|
||
|
||
* Recently changed
|
||
|
||
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date 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 5-08 Page 28 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COMMITTEE REPORTS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
* * * N E W S F L A S H ! ! * * *
|
||
|
||
|
||
At 10:02 am Chairman of the Board Ken Kaplan called to order the
|
||
third official meeting of the IFNA Board of Directors. At that
|
||
time, 21 of the 22 directors were present or represented, and
|
||
the 22nd arrived (after a six-hour drive) within the hour.
|
||
|
||
Initial reports indicate that the meeting, which so far has
|
||
spanned a fourteen hour period, has been very successful due to
|
||
the implementation of rules which resulted in the automatic
|
||
assignment to sub-committee (for review and recycling) of those
|
||
items of business for which resolution was not reached in
|
||
pre-determined time limits of discussion.
|
||
|
||
Among the various items of business were discussions of legal
|
||
implications peculiar to Missouri by IFNA Registered Attorney
|
||
Mark Rubin, presentation of the 1987 Financial Report, reports
|
||
by Divisional Directors and standing committees, and a slate of
|
||
two dozen additional items of old and new business.
|
||
|
||
Of particular note was a very exciting presentation by the
|
||
FidoCon '88 organizing committee which indicates that this
|
||
year's will be the biggest and best ever!
|
||
|
||
Minutes, financial data, condensations of reports, and
|
||
presentations of the many items of business handled are scheuled
|
||
to be reported in these pages during the coming weeks.
|
||
|
||
|
||
* * * * * * * * * * * *
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 29 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
IFNA Publications Committee Report
|
||
December 1987 - February 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
PROGRESS DURING THIS PERIOD:
|
||
|
||
1. Thom Henderson resigned as editor of Fidonews.
|
||
|
||
2. Dale Lovell became new editor of Fidonews effective
|
||
January 1, 1988.
|
||
|
||
3. Fidonews is being published weekly as before.
|
||
|
||
4. The 'Open' publication policy is still in effect.
|
||
|
||
|
||
PROBLEMS:
|
||
|
||
Thom Henderson's resignation and subsequent handing over of
|
||
duties to Dale Lovell was accomplished with very little trouble.
|
||
Thom stopped publishing 1 issue earlier the he had agreed which
|
||
meant 1 week without Fidonews, but Dale has kept things running
|
||
smoothly ever since.
|
||
|
||
We still receive article submissions that don't even come close
|
||
to specs. This is resulting in Dale spending much more time than
|
||
should be necessary preparing each week's issue. He has
|
||
contacted the worst offenders and is planning on mentioning this
|
||
topic in an upcoming editorial.
|
||
|
||
|
||
PROGNOSIS FOR THE NEXT PERIOD:
|
||
|
||
1. Fidonews business as usual.
|
||
|
||
2. Review documents submitted by Steve Bonine to be used as
|
||
general pamphlets about IFNA/Fidonet.
|
||
|
||
3. Provide services as needed.
|
||
|
||
|
||
COMMENTS:
|
||
|
||
The committee feels and recommends that the current policy on
|
||
Fidonews submissions continue. In short that policy is:
|
||
'Anything received is published'. The exception to this is
|
||
anything the Editor feels is libelous, very offensive, or as
|
||
criminal intent. Who decides these things? The person we've
|
||
chosen to act as Editor. After choosing him/her, we must trust
|
||
this person to do the job for which he was appointed. If we find
|
||
we cannot trust him, we must find someone else.
|
||
|
||
As head of the publications committee I feel I should be in
|
||
charge of deciding when it is time to replace the Editor.
|
||
However I am always responsible to recommendations from the BOD
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 30 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
when necessary.
|
||
|
||
Respectfully submitted, Tim Sullivan, Chairperson, 108/62
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 31 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
|
||
The World's First / \
|
||
BBS Network /|oo \
|
||
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
||
_`@/_ \ _
|
||
| | \ \\
|
||
| (*) | \ ))
|
||
______ |__U__| / \//
|
||
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
||
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
|
||
|
||
Membership for the International FidoNet Association
|
||
|
||
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
|
||
pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the
|
||
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
|
||
increase worldwide communications.
|
||
|
||
Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________
|
||
Address _________________________________________________________
|
||
City ____________________________________________________________
|
||
State ________________________________ Zip _____________________
|
||
Country _________________________________________________________
|
||
Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
|
||
Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
|
||
Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
|
||
BBS Name ________________________________________________________
|
||
BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
|
||
Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
|
||
Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
|
||
Your Special Interests __________________________________________
|
||
_________________________________________________________________
|
||
_________________________________________________________________
|
||
In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
|
||
_________________________________________________________________
|
||
_________________________________________________________________
|
||
Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
|
||
US Funds to:
|
||
International FidoNet Association
|
||
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
|
||
700 Bishop Street, #1014
|
||
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-4112
|
||
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
|
||
and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
|
||
membership in January 1987. The first elected Board of Directors
|
||
was filled in August 1987. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
|
||
established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your
|
||
input to this Conference.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-08 Page 32 22 Feb 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
|
||
ORDER FORM
|
||
|
||
Publications
|
||
|
||
The IFNA publications can be obtained by downloading from Fido
|
||
1:1/10 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
|
||
|
||
Fido Software's Fido/FidoNet $100.00 _____
|
||
Fido/FidoNet price as of November 1, 1987
|
||
ONLY 1 copy Fido/FidoNet per IFNA Member
|
||
|
||
International orders include $10.00 for
|
||
surface shipping or $20.00 for air shipping _____
|
||
|
||
SUBTOTAL _____
|
||
|
||
HI. Residents add 4.0 % Sales tax _____
|
||
|
||
TOTAL _____
|
||
|
||
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN US FUNDS:
|
||
International FidoNet Association
|
||
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
|
||
700 Bishop Street, #1014
|
||
Honolulu, HI. 96813-4112
|
||
USA
|
||
|
||
Name________________________________
|
||
Zone:Net/Node____:____/____
|
||
Company_____________________________
|
||
Address_____________________________
|
||
City____________________ State____________ Zip_____
|
||
Voice Phone_________________________
|
||
|
||
Signature___________________________
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|