996 lines
49 KiB
Plaintext
996 lines
49 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 5, Number 14 4 April 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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An Editor's Ramblings .................................... 1
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2. ARTICLES ................................................. 3
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CD-ROM When two 66 MEG HD's just aren't eoungh ........... 3
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Censuring FidoNews????? .................................. 4
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FidoNet: Use in Education ................................ 8
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Local EchoList for Users ................................. 9
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What the heck is going on here????? ...................... 11
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3. COLUMNS .................................................. 13
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The 10 Point Gothic Column ............................... 13
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Let's YACK about Electronic Voting ....................... 15
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4. WANTED ................................................... 17
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Programmer Wanted ........................................ 17
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5. NOTICES .................................................. 18
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 18
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 18
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 1 4 Apr 1988
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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An Editor's Ramblings
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Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. I had hoped to
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gather enough articles for an "April Fools" edition of FidoNews.
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Unfortunately, there just wasn't the time to make it happen this
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year. Maybe next year everything will work out. In the meantime,
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if you'd like to start writing an article for an April Fools
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edition (or any other holiday for that matter) feel free to send
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it in early. Just remember to leave me a message telling me when
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it should be published as I don't have the time to go over every
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article. Most weeks, I'm lucky if I can find the time to browse
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the articles for major problems in content. I do find the time to
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respond to most of the mail I receive, so if you have an idea for
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an article drop me a line and I'd be happy to discuss it with
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you.
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As I write this, yet another long group of long time members
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of FidoNet are about to leave us. I wish them well and hope they
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succeed in their efforts. While I can't sanction what they're
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doing, I can understand many of their reasons. One of the biggest
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problems in FidoNet is how much we seem to have lost. The days of
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mutual trust and respect seem to have vanished. The case of the
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twit sysop in the policy documents seems to have been forgotten,
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or perhaps it just needs to be amended. I have the great
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pleasure to be in a closely knit net (157). I have met and talked
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with many of the local FidoNet sysops (and a good number of non-
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FidoNet sysops) and I believe we all know each other to a
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degree. I can always to find something to admire and/or respect
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in each of these fine individuals who dedicate at least part of
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themselves to the telecommunications community.
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Some of this is due to the face-to-face meetings with these
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people. While our electronic medium has many advantages, there is
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nothing that can help establish respect for these peers as a
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normal conversation. This makes "get togethers" like FidoCon very
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important. Over the next few months, you're going to see a lot of
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information on the upcoming FidoCon in Cincinnati, and hope that
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many of you will find time in your busy schedules (and tight
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budgets in my case at least) for this event. Sometimes when I
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read the messages that come across the net, I can almost follow
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the thoughts and see the expressions on those who I have come to
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know. This only helps us to communicate better, which is one of
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the things we're after...right? I also hope that all if our
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FidoNet family will attend, even those who may have left us for
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one reason or another. Perhaps at FidoCon we can even find the
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time to help heal the wounds that have caused the separations.
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I think all of us would agree that FidoNet is spreading
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almost out of control. I firmly believe this is a good thing. I
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can not say that the results we're seeing are good however. In
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this growth we should be striving to improve communications and
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understanding. Instead all I see is people who seem convinced
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 2 4 Apr 1988
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that their way is the one true way. We should all try to be a
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little more understanding of our fellow sysops (and users). We
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need to learn how to be more tolerant of each others views. A
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disagreement is not a reason to start a "blood feud." People like
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the "Neuter-Net" crowd does nothing for the net. Regional and
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network coordinators should be trying to remove people like this
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from FidoNet. I know of no decent and upstanding sysop that would
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tolerate behavior like that from his users, and likewise I can
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find no place for people like that in FidoNet.
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Being a FidoNet sysop carries a responsibility and duty
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towards the net. I know those aren't exactly popular words today,
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but we need to remember them. Each sysop is responsible to the
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net as a whole, and also has a duty to work with it instead of
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against it. I'm not talking about "political" topics here, I
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talking about COMMUNICATING and RATIONALLY DISCUSSING topics. I
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myself have grown tired of the flaming and the personal attacks,
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for they have NO place in FidoNet. I have no problem with a
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friendly argument, just the almost violent fights that seem to be
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breaking out in many of the echomail conferences.
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Oh well.... This is getting me depressed. I really hate getting
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up on a soapbox and preaching. But I refuse to sit in the
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sidelines and watch FidoNet get torn apart by what's going on.
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While I know we can never return to the wonderful spirit of
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cooperation that once existed, I firmly believe that we should be
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able to discuss our disagreements on a civil level. As I warned
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in one of my old columns, I shoulda been a preacher. Editorials
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like this convince me I could have written one hell of a sermon.
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Hmmmm.... There's an idea in there somewhere, maybe it will
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mature in the following weeks. Until later...
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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 5-14 Page 3 4 Apr 1988
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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151/2
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Ben Mann
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684 MEG On-Line
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After reading with great interest the last two issues
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of Fido News. And reading many articles on the new CD-ROM
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technology I decided that two 66 MEG HD's just weren't
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enough.
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After all our mainframe has 200 MEG per drive and my ALR
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'386 was way behind at 132 MEG HD. So I called Compact Disk
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Products, Inc., 217 East 85th. Street, New York, New York,
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10028, 1-121-996-6999. A nice sounding gentleman answered
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the phone and informed me they had both an Hitachi
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CDR-1503S and the PC-SIG CD disk in stock.
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I said sent it "AIR". The next day a nice new Hitachi
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CDR-1503S was mine.
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The hook up was stright foward despite the warning about
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use with different BBS systems. A nicely done INSTALL
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program comes with the PC-SIG CD-ROM disk and in just under
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1/2 hour I had the new toy installed.
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Re-boot and WOW. DIR the beast and there's over 111,000,000
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FREE. That's over 440 MEG of files on my new drive E:.
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I had to write a program to convert the .UPP files
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(list of files on each disk) to a TBBS readable format.
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Change a few menu's. And there I had it. The FULL PC-SIG
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library on-line.
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Now the mainframe people come back and say "552 MEG on
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T H A T ???". A short course on the DIR command. Many page
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fulls of files scroll by and away they go mumbling
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something about learning "C".
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If you would like to have a look, call Alert Data TBBS
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at 1-919-274-7000. It's in Greensboro, NC. It used to be
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five lines no waiting. Now days it's eight line, some
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waiting.
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By the way. You can daisy chain up to four per system.
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That's 2.2 GEGbyte. And if you have a hard time selling
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your better half on the idea, it plays audio CD's. Just
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tell them it's a computerized CD player. The sound is
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GREAT.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 4 4 Apr 1988
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Jerry Hindle
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1:18/6
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Well this is the 3rd article I have written tonite and I
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hope it is the last. This is on the subject of "editing FidoNews"
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and is directed at BOTH sides of this debate.
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In this corner weighing in at XXX lbs we have FidoNews,
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publication of FidoNet, under the auspices of IFNA, by and for
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the FidoNet sysop, user, groupie. This prestigious publication,
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started by Tom Jennings, has grown from 2 pages a month to over
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30 pages some weeks. It has published the controversial, the
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sublime, the ridiculous, and even some material the national
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scandal mags would not touch with long poles. This publication
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has published (for lack of a better word) some articles that
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would light fires under a lot of us and on the other hand has
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been (sometimes) the ONLY source of information to the "grunt"
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sysops of the net. The management has decided to institute an
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editorial policy of not publishing obviously libelous or
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deceitful articles (a good point), and also offensive articles.
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This I must disagree with. While I may not "like" what Fnews
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publishes I can always "turn the page". This is akin to me saying
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that if I do not like the constitution, that it may not be
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printed because I "might" read it and be offended. If I read it
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and am offended, then I can only say it is my own fault for
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reading it. I am not forced to read FidoNews (nor any other
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publication for that matter) nor am I bound to believe what is
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written therein.
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In the other corner we have the management, weighing in at
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XXX lbs. These prestigious gentlemen say they are "looking out
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for us" by not publishing "offensive articles". Why? If I say in
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this article that the moon is a devil worship symbol, does that
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make it true? NO. If I say that BinkleyTerm is not a mailer
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program, does that make it true, NOT LIKELY (it is an excellent
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mailer by the way guys). But what it does do ( and it's only
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faault) is "offend" someone. Hey, tough luck folks, if it bothers
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ya, don't read it. I have always wondered how these book burners
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found "exact quotes" from offensive books. What did they do, sit
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and read it, yup every single word. Yet they chose AFTER the
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fact that they read it to try to stop me from even having the
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opportunity to judge for myself whether it offends ME by having
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the book, mag, article removed from print. If they can read it
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why can't I?
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To the management of FidoNews (whomever that may be) I say
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this.....publish EVERYTHING with only 2 exceptions and those
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being articles with OBVIOUS criminal intent of any kind and
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articles containing OBVIOUS LIES. Beyond that you should not
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concern yourself with offensive as the law does not cover
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offensive except in pornography mags aand even then they say that
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it is offensive only if sent to someone without them asking for
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it. We ask for FidoNews by the simple fact that we call and
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download it (ask your system to send it to us) which the courts
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say means the contents are not offensive to us.
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 5 4 Apr 1988
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Besides astronomy has always fasinated me to no end.......
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Jerry Hindle
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 6 4 Apr 1988
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Jerry Hindle
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1:18/6 (aka 7:48/0)
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I have been reading this weeks Fnews (512) and have been
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giving connsiderable thought to the DAK controversy and IFNA's
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handling of that situation. I have come to the following
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conclusions on this matter:
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1) While I do believe that IFNA tried to handle this
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matter to the best of their limited ability I find that thru no
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fault of their own they have been WHITEWASHED by DAK. I feel that
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DAK (as big a company as they are) was well aware that their
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"deal with one sysop" (not named by the way), was in no way,
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shape or form a true attempt to promote BBSing. They have lawyers
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there who fully know the meaning of the word COPYRIGHT. If they
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truely believed for even a split instant that permission from one
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sysop was in fact legal they are in for serious trouble down the
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road. Just suppose for an instant that I owned a copyright on
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Lotus 123 <tm> (which I DO NOT), and that someone gave them
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permission to use the opening screen in their ads. Lotus would sue
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the pants off DAK forr un-authorized use of copyrighted material
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not to mention TradeMark infringement. DAK knew full well they
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were violating a copyright when they did what they did. Their
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only interest in the pamplet was to sell products to go along
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with it (as evidenced by their claim of 50,000 moddems sold) and
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as an after thought they decided to "donate" any profits to the
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American Cancer Society (a very worthy cause I must say). They
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did this only to "cover their A$$" as it were since they could
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always claim no profits were made (although they failed to
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menntion how much the production costs of said pamplet were) and
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thus they were legit. They got caught and proceeded to whitewash
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IFNA with promises of this and promises of that. They said they
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will provide IFNA with free copies of the pamplet to distribute,
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but what they failed to mention is that the cost of production of
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those pamplets will be taken out of the future donations to the
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cancer society. They failed to mention that their cost of
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production was already covered in the profit margin of the sales
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associated with the pamplet give-away. They failed to mention
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these little items for one reason. They are in this for one
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reason and one reason ONLY, to make MONEY. They could give two
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hoots about BBSing, they care even less about IFNA or FidoNet.
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The pamplet in question was made for the purpose of generating
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sales in a slumping sector (ie computer add-ons) and beyond that
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they are not interested.
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Now the way I see it, this is what "should have happened".
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DAK distributes the pamplet with FidoNets blessings, BUT
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they absorb ALL costs of production and distribution AND they
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give a set fee per copy to the American Cancer Society (like 5
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cents each or something). This will benefit everyone in that DAK
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business write-off for their taxes, the American Cancer Society
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will get even more money and IFNA will get the free copies and
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the free publicity promised by DAK. For the "sin" of failing to
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get official permission before-hand DAK should be required to
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turn over to the American Cancer Society ALL funds received from
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 7 4 Apr 1988
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the nominal charge they levied on the pamplet and do this in
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IFNA's name and not theirs. They eat the production costs on
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those too.
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Now I realize this may not seem like much to you but I must
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also make this point here. The article also states that should
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you NOT wish to have your node published in future copies of this
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pamplet that YOU ARE REQUIRED to send via SnailMail an official
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requesst to remove your node from the list. My question is this--
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---WHY????? I did not violate a copyright! I did not give DAK
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permission to use my name etc in any way shape or form and I
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certainly did not give IFNA permission to release ANY info on me
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to a corporaton to be used to "make a profit". The way I see it
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is that if they wanna use my name in their little scheme (which
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by the way they already have) then they owe ME the proceeds from
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that venture in the form of a "standard contract" from the Actors
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Guild. That contract I believe is now up to $200 + a DAY. Now
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that means that if they started this little venture even as late
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as a week ago from the date of this writing (3/24/88) that they
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owe me standard contract wages of $1400.00 and they owe the same
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to every sysop in FidoNet (less the one who gave them
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permission). I should not be required to "do" anything to stop
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them from using my name and node info. They should be required to
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obtain my "release in writing" which they have not done. I am
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awaiting their letter with amusement in that I will probably be
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long dead before it arrives. For thier info my mailing address
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is:
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Jerry Hindle
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P.O. Box 16223
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Memphis TN 38186-0223
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and my net/node number is at the top of this article. I am also
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awaiting the check for my past due "wages", wanna bet on whether
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I get that or not?
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DAK should have to EAT ALL PRODUCTION COSTS and donate all fees
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collected to the American Cancer Society. That is just one of the
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pitfalls off "doing business" when you do not get the proper
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perrmission IN ADVANCE!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 8 4 Apr 1988
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FidoNet: Use in Education
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Chris Regan
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1:141/525.0
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This is part one of what will hopefully be a series of articles
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in the FidoNews. This is a request for all System Operators
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that use FidoNet interfaced with an Educational Institution.
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(ie. College, High School, Trade School, and/or any who are
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interested in the use of FidoNet in Education)
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This is a request for the people who fit the above criteria to
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send a NetMail message to the 1:141/525.0 and leave information
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containing the following:
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1) School/University Name
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2) Net/Node Number
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3) Type of System
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4) System Operator
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5) Some information about the System
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(intents, services, who uses?)
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6) Address, Voice Telephone/Data Telephone
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7) What software?
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You will be placed on a list and receive information on
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the use of Education and FidoNet, A Monthly Newsletter
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and a listing of the systems involved and a listing of
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software/hardware that are new on the market that deal
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with education, and a review of Each (if available).
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Send to :
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The Cyber Foundation
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c/o Christopher Regan
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IFNA Node 1:141/525
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SEAdog/OPUS
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 5-14 Page 9 4 Apr 1988
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Stu Turk
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SoundingBoard 1:129/26
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A local EchoList for Users
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If you live in a area that contains a large number of
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boards running EchoMail, you may want to get together with other
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Sysops and produce a list of public Echos available in your
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calling area. You will find that your Users appreciate such a
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list.
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A while back I received a number of messages from Users
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asking if I knew where they could read certain Echo conferences
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or if I could pick up Echos that I already carried but to which
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the User asking did not have access. It was pretty much like the
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messages you read from Sysops asking where they can pick up an
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Echo. But in this case, the Users just wanted to read them.
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Although the Echos on my BBS are, for the most part,
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ones that interest me personally, the entire idea of Echos is for
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the BBS's Users to be able to participate. And since no BBS can
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carry _all_ the available Echos, Users must call from board to
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board, looking for Echos on topics of interest to them - often
|
||
not finding them because many boards don't make the list of Echos
|
||
available to first-time callers. Sysops, of course, can locate a
|
||
source of Echo feeds through various lists supplied by the Echo
|
||
Hubs. This got me to thinking about a User list of Echos in my
|
||
area.
|
||
After discussing the project with the NC, I posted the
|
||
idea in our Net's Sysop Echo asking Sysops located in Pittsburgh
|
||
or its suburbs to netmail me a list of their public Echos. Most
|
||
Sysops sent me their MSGAREA.BBS file and the original list took
|
||
a little sorting out due to several boards having slightly
|
||
different area descriptions for the same Echo.
|
||
PGHECHO contains a one-screen description of what
|
||
EchoMail is and how it works. Some general instruction such as
|
||
"stick to the topic of the Echo area" is included. Then the list
|
||
is divided into sections for General Interest, Health and Public
|
||
Service, Communications, Sight and Sound, and Computer Hardware
|
||
and Software. The last category is the largest, listing Echos
|
||
from Amiga to VAX. Under each category the Echos are listed by
|
||
EchoName, followed by a description (EchoNames themselves are
|
||
often misleading) and then under each Echo, a list of Pittsburgh
|
||
area boards which carry it. At the end is a listing of
|
||
Pittsburgh BBSs that participate in EchoMail, the phone number
|
||
and Sysop's name.
|
||
After finishing a draft copy of the list, I sent it to
|
||
several Sysops and received some suggestions and error
|
||
corrections (that's when I found out there are different
|
||
descriptions for the same Echos). Once corrected, a final ASCII
|
||
file was sent to George Stanislav, 129/39, a member of my Net who
|
||
developed the OECC program for use with Opus's *.BBS files.
|
||
George added the OEC command and color keywords then compiled it
|
||
with his program. We then distributed PGHECHO.OEC, the file with
|
||
the keywords. It was intended to serve as an OECC sample and to
|
||
permit Sysops who wished to do so to change the colors by simply
|
||
using a word processor's "find/replace" feature and recompiling.
|
||
PGHECHO.BBS is an OECC compiled file meant to be inserted into
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 10 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
the BULLETIN.BBS Menu where it can be read in color on Opus
|
||
BBS's. PGHECHO.LST is a straight ASCII file for our TBBS members
|
||
and Opus boards that did not use the Bulletin menu.
|
||
User acceptance and reaction has been very positive from
|
||
the beginning. It ranged from "Hey, I found a neat file on [some
|
||
other] BBS" type of message, to one User who downloaded the ASCII
|
||
copy and said he was going to upload it to other boards. I
|
||
caught him and explained that it had been distributed by netmail
|
||
already but that some Sysops had not yet had time to post it. It
|
||
appears to be second only to the list of local BBS's for files
|
||
that are read by Users. I've since passed control of the list
|
||
to another PittNet Sysop, Joe Fossati, 129/50. He keeps the list
|
||
up-to-date, adding new Echo listings as they become available and
|
||
updating the names of the boards on which each echo is available
|
||
as boards pick up or drop Echos.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 11 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
1:18/6
|
||
(901)353-4563
|
||
2400bps
|
||
|
||
|
||
Can someone tell me just what in the heck is going on here?
|
||
I "thought" when I joined FidoNet, that I was joining a group of
|
||
"hobbyists" in the telecommunications arena. I "thought" I was
|
||
attempting to get to know great folks the likes of Tom Jennings,
|
||
Thom Henderson, Ben Baker, Ken Shackleford, Ken Kaplan, Bob
|
||
Hartman, and others simply too numerous to name. I "thought" I
|
||
was going to "do my part" to further the field of personal
|
||
computing thru telecommunications. I even "thought" that someday
|
||
(given a lot of luck and a little assistance) that I might even
|
||
join the ranks of the "widely-known" names in FidoNet. I find
|
||
instead that I have joined a group of amatuer flamers, ner-do-
|
||
wells, and "lawsuit larrys" (pun intended). I have even fallen
|
||
prey to this generalization myself in that I "flame" from time to
|
||
time, I speak out on what I think, and instead of "debating" the
|
||
points of each sides views, I go completely out in left field and
|
||
throw rocks at the other side. I am therefore making a resolution
|
||
for myself right now that should I be confronted by flames, I
|
||
will turn away. Should I be confronted by a sensible "debate" of
|
||
the points of a disagreement, I will debate the points (and
|
||
refrain from demeaning the debator) and will speak out on
|
||
injustices where I find them. I grew tired of all the flaming and
|
||
joined "AlterNet" where I am quite content to debate others and
|
||
actually have managed to win a round or two there. All the
|
||
arguing going on in FidoNet reminds me of a semi-famous Richard
|
||
Pryor special I saw on cable wherein he was speaking of trying to
|
||
talk rationally to another person and all they could do was hurl
|
||
racial slurs back at him. As he put it he was no longer a man but
|
||
he was instead a (such and such) (deleted the exact statement
|
||
here for the sake of social politeness). I feel just about like
|
||
that. Anyone calls me names (as have a few folks in the past) and
|
||
I will simply stop talking to them (or typing as the case may
|
||
be). This I feel would be excellent advice to everyone in FidoNet
|
||
at this point in time. Debate the views, to be sure, but refrain
|
||
from turning on the firepower and demeaning the debator. He, like
|
||
you, as just another person, no better, no worse. He has his
|
||
views and you have yours. It is not life threatening that you
|
||
convince he he is wrong. You will not die if you modify your
|
||
position a bit and see where he is "coming from" and you will
|
||
certainly need less of the Rolaids <tm> and less of the aspirin.
|
||
|
||
I guess the bottom line is this. Treat the other person the same
|
||
way you expect to be treated. If you wanna be called names and
|
||
told that you are lower the whale poop, then call him names and I
|
||
can almost guarantee that you will get what you want. BUT if you
|
||
want to try to understand what the other person is saying then
|
||
LISTEN to him and then he will in turn LISTEN to you and if he
|
||
doesn't then no amount of arguing or screaming or name calling is
|
||
going to change their minds. Try this for 45 days....if someone
|
||
calls you something or says something you feel offends you then
|
||
ignore it completely. They do NOT sign your paycheck, they do NOT
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 12 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
pay your bills and they certainly HAVE NOT yet "walked the mile
|
||
in your moccasions". I bet that after 45 days you will have
|
||
almost complete forgotten what was said.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 13 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The 10 Point Gothic Column
|
||
--------------------------
|
||
The Hermit's Point of View
|
||
Greg Glynn - The Airlock Hermit
|
||
From 3:712/502 - Home of the Brave
|
||
|
||
The Hermits Software Selections for This Week.
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
|
||
MYTHWARE.ARC - Bulletin Board, Comms Program, MailMasher,
|
||
NodeList Compiler, Message Router, Database,
|
||
Spreadsheet, Word Processor. And most
|
||
incredible of all the size of the whole program
|
||
is only 408 bytes.Sounds impossible? You're
|
||
right!
|
||
|
||
LOCKIT.ARC - 412Kb program that locks your Keyboard, Modem
|
||
and your microwave oven up for no apparent
|
||
reason. Breaks the ice at parties.
|
||
|
||
FRISBEE.ARC - Great new program that actually picks your
|
||
computer up and throws it across the room. An
|
||
incredible piece of programming from the people
|
||
that brought you "Chip-Heater" and
|
||
"Motherboard-Melter".
|
||
|
||
LEECHOFF.ARC Written by a sysop who was tired of users
|
||
continually downloading without uploading!
|
||
Looks like a 67Kb R-Rated game but when they try
|
||
to download the final 2 bytes of info, cosmic
|
||
rays come out of their Computer screens and fry
|
||
their brains. Won "Program of the year" at the
|
||
NASA PC-Fair. Be careful downloading this one
|
||
for the first time.
|
||
|
||
GALAXY.ARC - This great new game is an intercosmic stellar
|
||
war simulation. Requires 12 ATs connected in
|
||
series and 4 gigabytes of internal memory just
|
||
to load the Online Help File. Definately NOT
|
||
for the faint hearted!
|
||
|
||
SYSOP.ARC - Real-Time simulation of an OPUS Bulletin
|
||
Board. Try to run 30 EchoMail conferences, 200
|
||
users, 50 different file areas and a marriage
|
||
simultaneously. A genuine game of skill.
|
||
|
||
FREEDISK.ARC - Calculates the amount of free space left on
|
||
your hard disks. Requires 12MB of storage space.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Look for more exiting Software from the Hermit -
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 14 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
- coming to a Bulletin Board near you! -
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 15 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
YACK
|
||
Yet Another Complicated Komment
|
||
|
||
by Steven K. Hoskin
|
||
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 )
|
||
|
||
Episode 5: Electronic Voting
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
I don't know about y'all out there, but I want to see a
|
||
democratic FidoNet. You know, where each FidoNode gets one vote
|
||
on matters that concern the InterNational FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
I thought originally that was why the InterNational FidoNet
|
||
Association went corporate; so there'd be rules to follow about
|
||
collective voting.
|
||
|
||
As it turned out, for whatever reasons, IFNA did not turn
|
||
out to be that voting tool, that graceful central coordinator of
|
||
the collective will of all FidoNet SysOps. One of its problems
|
||
is that members of FidoNet are NOT necessarily members of IFNA.
|
||
Therefore, IFNA cannot do things to control FidoNet, as FidoNet
|
||
SysOps don't get to vote on IFNA matters if they're not IFNA.
|
||
|
||
To join IFNA costs $25. You should NEVER have to pay to
|
||
vote on something that affects the way you run your life.
|
||
Period.
|
||
|
||
I joined IFNA because I thought it would help to insure the
|
||
survival of FidoNet during hard times. That may still hold true,
|
||
and I will probably be an IFNA member for life, but one thing has
|
||
become clear to me: IFNA IS NOT ESTABLISHING NET-WIDE DEMOCRACY.
|
||
|
||
Don Daniels, president of IFNA, has requested ideas for ways
|
||
to establish a fully democratic FidoNet, BE IT VIA IFNA OR SOME
|
||
OTHER MECHANISM. Now there's a man who's interested in FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
Well, here we go again, folks, YET ANOTHER idea: Electronic
|
||
Voting.
|
||
|
||
Reserve a FidoNode, just like 1:1/0 does the NodeList, and
|
||
1:1/1 does the FidoNews, to handle strictly Electronic Voting.
|
||
For sake of example, I'll use 1:1/9. I don't know if this Node
|
||
number is being used for anything, but that's my example.
|
||
|
||
For starters, if IFNA is to be retained (as many of us would
|
||
STILL like to see), we must adopt a by-law (if nothing stronger
|
||
can be used) that states in whatever legal wording is needed that
|
||
IFNA as an organization MUST ABIDE BY FIDONET SYSOP VOTE RESULTS.
|
||
And that IFNA MUST ISSUE BALLOTS FOR VOTE ON ANY RESOLUTION
|
||
REQUESTED BY ANY FIDONET SYSOP.
|
||
|
||
Then get 1/9 going. An automated system, disallowing human
|
||
tampering, whereby ballots and resolutions are sent to the node,
|
||
1/9 sends the ballot via Network mail AUTOMATICALLY to ALL Nodes
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 16 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
in the NodeList DIRECTLY, and waits for some predetermined amount
|
||
of time for a vote result.
|
||
|
||
If one month is the predetermined time, have 1/9 re-send
|
||
ballots to any Node from which no vote has been received on a
|
||
weekly basis until either a vote is received or the time limit
|
||
has been reached.
|
||
|
||
As vote "ballot" messages come back to 1/9 via Network Mail,
|
||
in some predetermined format such that a relatively
|
||
unsophisticated program can determine the vote, 1/9 tallies the
|
||
vote, stores the message, and sends a verification message via
|
||
Network Mail DIRECTLY to the node that allegedly sent the ballot.
|
||
|
||
Duplicate Node votes would be cancelled and the ballot
|
||
reissued to the Node in question with a note commenting on the
|
||
duplication.
|
||
|
||
A password could be set up for each Node and placed
|
||
somewhere in the Ballot return vote message. Improperly
|
||
passworded ballots would cause 1/9 to send a message DIRECTLY to
|
||
that Node informing him or her that a password failing had
|
||
occurred. A place for changing of passwords could also be added
|
||
to the ballot return message.
|
||
|
||
This should eliminate "bogus" node voting, as the SysOp of
|
||
the REAL Node could then be aware that somebody is trying to
|
||
break into his or her vote.
|
||
|
||
When all Nodes have responded OR the time limit is reached,
|
||
1/9 forwards the vote results to anybody that wants it, either
|
||
via Network Mail or as an Echo Area.
|
||
|
||
Have a preformed message format for requesting a ballot,
|
||
which could be sent to 1/9 such that no human could interfere
|
||
with the request for the vote. This eliminates interference with
|
||
the vote request system if someone feels that their
|
||
ballot/resolution has not been properly sent to 1/9 by IFNA.
|
||
Improper resolutions thusly sent could be construed as being
|
||
"excessively annoying" and multiple occurrences of such could
|
||
then be voted on by the Network for possible EXCOMMUNICATION of
|
||
the offending Node.
|
||
|
||
Choosing who runs Node 1/9 is a sensitive subject, since
|
||
that person could theoretically tamper with things. There's
|
||
simply going to have to be SOME kind of trust out there.
|
||
|
||
This is not a full overview, as I am trying to limit the
|
||
size of this column. Replies, questions, comments, etc. contact
|
||
me as STEVE HOSKIN at Node 1:128/31. I'd love to see this thing
|
||
implemented. I'd even write the software. :-)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 17 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
WANTED
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Daniel Tobias
|
||
1:380/2
|
||
|
||
PROGRAMMER WANTED
|
||
Full-Time or Program-at-Home
|
||
|
||
SOFTDISK, Inc. is looking for very talented programmers for BIG
|
||
BLUE DISK, our monthly diskmagazine for the IBM PC, along with
|
||
our other successful diskmagazines-- SOFTDISK for the Apple II
|
||
and LOADSTAR for the Commodore 64. A thorough knowledge of MS-
|
||
DOS programming and software, as well as creativity and
|
||
imagination are required.
|
||
|
||
We also seek contributing editors for BIG BLUE DISK as well as
|
||
our other products. Contributing editors program at home and
|
||
receive payment for programs published on our monthly disks.
|
||
|
||
This is a good opportunity-- please write if you are qualified.
|
||
|
||
Al Vekovius, President
|
||
SOFTDISK, Inc.
|
||
PO Box 30008
|
||
Shreveport, LA 71130-0008
|
||
|
||
P.S.: Attention Mac-Hackers: we're also launching a new
|
||
diskmagazine for the Macintosh, and have similar openings for
|
||
Mac programmers and contributing editors.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 18 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
16 May 1988
|
||
Digital Equipment Corporations Users Society Spring Symposium.
|
||
Will be held May 16-May 20 in Cincinnati, OH.
|
||
|
||
25 Jun 1988
|
||
EuroCon II starts in Tiel, Holland. Sponsored by the Dutch
|
||
Hobby Computer Club. Will run for 2 days. Contact Hans
|
||
Lichthelm at 2:2/999 for information.
|
||
|
||
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 Cincinnati, 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 2.81* EditNL 3.3 ARC 5.21
|
||
Fido 12g* MakeNL 2.03 ARCmail 1.1
|
||
Opus 1.03b Prune 1.40 ConfMail 3.31
|
||
SEAdog 4.10 XlatList 2.86* EchoMail 1.31
|
||
TBBS 2.0M MGM 1.1
|
||
BinkleyTerm 1.40*
|
||
QuickBBS 1.02
|
||
|
||
* Recently changed
|
||
|
||
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 19 4 Apr 1988
|
||
|
||
|
||
reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list
|
||
all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 5-14 Page 20 4 Apr 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 5-14 Page 21 4 Apr 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___________________________
|
||
|
||
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|
||
|
||
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