952 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
952 lines
45 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 6, Number 2 9 January 1989
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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. 1:1/1 is available for network mail between NMH-1
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hour to NMH+1 hour. At all other times, netmail is not accepted
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although submissions can be uploaded.
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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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Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
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Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and
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are used with permission.
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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. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
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It has to cost SOME-one something! ....................... 1
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Hints on Writing Style for Usenet (or FidoNet) ........... 3
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SDNet/Works! ............................................. 6
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2. COLUMNS .................................................. 9
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RegComm - Communications From RegCon ..................... 9
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Rogel's Corner: Tree86 2.0 .............................. 10
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Let's YACK about Letters to the Editor ................... 15
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3. NOTICES .................................................. 16
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 16
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 16
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And more!
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 1 9 Jan 1989
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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It has to cost SOME-one something!
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Echomail does have a cost attached to it somewhere.
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I feel that the day of the free ride is just about over.
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People have become so accustomed to free delivery of echomail
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that many now take advantage of it. If it is free, let's get
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more!
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This network is a hobby for almost everyone in it. It services
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both the rich and the poor. There are some folks out there with
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money to burn that have no concept of how to keep things
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organized. There are some folks out there that are brilliant
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managers that barely can make ends meet. FidoNet should not
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suffer organizationally because the "poorer" sysops have no
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recourse to recoup some costs.
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Please rest assured that I am speaking for echomail only. This
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has nothing to do with netmail. There needs to be in place a
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system that is endorsed by anyone in a management position, a way
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for some costs to be re-imbursed. I propose that REC's, NEC's
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and/or any EchoMail hub be allowed to require that system feeds
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pay their share.
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It would still be the cheapest, most efficient way for echomail
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to be passed along. Let's take a look at a simple back-bone
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structure top down.
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A Star Hub's echomail portion of his bill is $400.00. He feeds
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10 REC's. In simplistic terms, each REC owes $40.00 to the Star
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Hub. An REC's bill is $250.00. Add the $40.00 of his share to
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that, making the total $290.00. Now, the REC feeds 15 NEC's. Each
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NEC share would be $19.33. One step further now. The local NEC
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pays about $175.00 in echo calls. (The PC Pursuit folk would
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figure flat rate of $25.00). Now, add the $19.33 to the 175.00,
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we get $194.33. The NEC feeds 20 nodes. Each nodes share breaks
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down to $9.72.
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Remember: the above takes into account each system doing the
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polling to the feed above him.
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$9.72 is cheap any way you look at it to get echomail.
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Everyone's bill gets covered. It also assures that systems stay
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around. Experience teaches us that those that offer the "free
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lunch" in echomail tend to not be around for a long time.
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Co-operation and assistance makes things work.
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I welcome comments on this. I do not want to clog up any echo
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conference it, though. If you'd like to send comments, my address
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is 100/617. Even other sides of the issue. All netmail answered.
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Glen Jackson
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 2 9 Jan 1989
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REC Region 14
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1/214
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100/617 Home of the New RIXS BBS
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 3 9 Jan 1989
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Hints on Writing Style for Usenet (or FidoNet)
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Newsgroups: news.announce.newusers
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Subject: Hints on writing style for Usenet (or FidoNet)
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(Updated: 10 October 1988)
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Original-from: ofut@gatech.edu (A. Jeff Offutt VI) [Most recent
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change: 10 October 1988 by lmg@hoqaz.att.com (Larry Geary)]
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I would like to take a moment to share some of my knowledge of
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writing style. If you read the suggestions below, remember: it's
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easy to agree that they make sense but it's much harder to apply
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them.
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References: Cunningham and Pearsall, "How to Write For the World
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of Work" Strunk & White, "Elements of Style"
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The above references are both excellent books. Cunningham is a
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standard in tech writing classes and won an award for the best
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tech writing book from the Association for Teaching of Technical
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Writing. I was lucky enough to take a class from him as an
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undergraduate. Strunk is a standard in college composition
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classes. Other ideas here come from my own experience on the net
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and hints from other people.
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This is a "long article." The rest of it is simply a list of
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pointers.
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Writing style:
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* Write *below* the readers' reading level. The avg. person in
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the US reads at a 5th grade level (11 years of age). The avg.
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professional reads at about the 12th grade level (18 years of
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age).
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* Keep paragraphs short and sweet. Keep sentences shorter and
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sweeter. This means "concise," not cryptic.
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* White space is not wasted space -- it greatly improves
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clarity. A blank line only adds a byte to the article length, so
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don't be stingy if it will help make your meaning clearer.
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* Pick your words to have only *one* meaning. Vagueness is
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considered artistic by literary critics. We are not being
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literary here.
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* People can only grasp about seven things at once. This means
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ideas in a paragraph, major sections, etc..
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* Avoid abbreviations and acronyms, if possible, and define the
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ones you use.
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* There are several variations on any one sentence. A passive,
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questioning or negative sentence takes longer to read.
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 4 9 Jan 1989
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Net style:
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* Subtlety is not communicated well in written form - especially
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over a computer.
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* The above applies to humor as well. (rec.humor, of course, not
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included.)
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* When being especially "flame-boyant", I find it helpful to go
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to the bathroom before actually sending. Then, I often change
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the tone considerably. :-) Take a break before posting something
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in anger or that might hurt or anger others.
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* Subject lines should be used very carefully. How much time
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have you wasted reading articles with a misleading subject line?
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The "Subject:" header line can be edited in all the various
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posting programs (as can the "Distribution:", "Newsgroups:" and
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"Followup-To:" header lines).
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* References need to be made. When you answer mail, you have the
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original message fresh in your mind. When I receive your answer,
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I don't.
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* It's *much* easier to read a mixture of upper and lower case
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letters.
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* Leaving out articles (such as "the," "a," "an," etc.) for
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"brevity" mangles the meaning of your sentences and takes longer
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to read. It saves you time at the expense of your reader.
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* Be careful of contextual meanings of words. For instance, I
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used "articles" just now. In the context of netnews, it has a
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different meaning than I intended.
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* Make an effort to spell words correctly. Obvious misspellings
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are jarring and distract the reader. Every news posting program
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allows you to edit your article before posting, and most systems
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have some kind of spelling checker program that you can use on
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your article.
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* Remember - this is an international network.
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* Remember - your future employers may be reading your articles.
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'Nuff said.
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These suggestions are all easily supported by arguments and
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research. There's a lot more to say, but....
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--
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Gene Spafford
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NSF/Purdue/U of Florida Software Engineering Research Center,
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Dept. of Computer Sciences,
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Purdue University, W. Lafayette IN
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Internet: spaf@cs.purdue.edu
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uucp:...!{decwrl,gatech,ucbvax}!purdue!spaf
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 5 9 Jan 1989
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 6 9 Jan 1989
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Ray Kaliss
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The SDN Project
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SYSOP/CONN! 141/840
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I would like to tell all the reader of Fido news, about
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somthing new that is happening. It is called the Shareware
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Distribution Network. It's real name is SDNet/Works! and we
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call it... SDN.
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Probably the best way is for you to read my New Years
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mesessage to the sysops already participating in SDN. Although
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it won't give you the whole story, perhaps it is enough to
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invite sysops and shareware authors reading Fido news, to find
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out more.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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(New Years Message from The SDN Project SYSOP/CONN!)
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I'd like to take this time (oh, grief ...it sounds so
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professional <grin>) to thank you all again for joining us in
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SDN. You, the first sysops in, are very important to the future
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of the SDN concept.
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We should see ourselves as involved in something new, exciting
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and sure to work in time. I tried to get something going like
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this two years ago, but it fell apart. Timing was not right and
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we were guessing at how to do it. A few months ago, I passed
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the concept by Charlie, he was doing such a great job organizing
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the 800 Club and had his little busy nose into every other net
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activity. Charlie turned out to be the best person to present
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it to. Now that we have the start and semblance of a net
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function, here is my "State Of The Union", address. So you
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guys, the first in, know what's going on.
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We are set out to accomplish two things.
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> Remove the threats of virus, trojans and and hacked programs.
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> Bring a little organization to the distribution of Shareware
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programs.
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We see this really, as a benefit to all. Sysops, users and
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shareware authors.
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Shareware has matured in quality and quantity. It is really,
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a low cost alternative to high priced commercial software. In
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many cases I actually think it fits the needs of the average
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user better than $600 software designed to accommodate the
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complexities of large corporations. This may sound like a
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"goodie two-shoes" stance, but the high corporate pricing of
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application software and the desire of the average user to do
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things with his computer, is the cause of what some call
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"pirating". Shareware brings applications into the reach of the
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amateur, hobbyist... home computer nut.
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We as sysops, all know that getting good shareware programs
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for our users and ourselves is a bit like throwing a small net,
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 7 9 Jan 1989
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into a large lake, and sifting through the catch. The method of
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distribution that we call "user osmosis" (users downloading from
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one BBS and uploading to another) will always be apart of
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BBSing... but in comparison to the needs of the present state
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of growth of amateur computer communications, it is lacking.
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I don't think any one of us could venture a guess on how many
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good shareware programs are out there, how many shareware
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authors. With new ones popping in and old ones fading away all
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the time. My guess (now that I'm talking directly to authors)
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is there are 200 - 400 authors spread around out there. I've
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been told in a message to SDN by the Association of Shareware
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Authors, that the ASP is 100+ members and growing by about 10 a
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months. That is at least 100+ programs by professional
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programers, our users and ourselves, should have to pick from.
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The answer to doing this, is a benefit to us and to the
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shareware authors. It is having meeting points, focal points so
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that users and other sysops know where these distribution points
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are... and get authors to use them. An increase in the number
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of people who have access to the varieties of up-to-date
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shareware programs, can only do users and authors good. The
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place for this type of "clearing house", is on-line. It calls
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for a managed distribution effort by sysops. Once all the
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shareware programs we can get - come down through SDN, the SDN
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File area will be like browsing through a book store where all
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the books are safe, up to date and complete. An on-line
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shareware outlet.
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This means not only getting sysops interested in SDN, but
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authors too. Some authors have their stomping grounds in the
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big on-line services. Some of them may not realize that amateur
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BBSing and communications has grown to over 4000 BBS' with some
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kind of net affiliations and probably a few thousand more
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independents.
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The other side of SDN is it is time to have some assurance
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that the programs we recieve to our systems, users or sysops,
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are not trojans, not virus, not two versions old, not repackaged
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by some careless user who left out doc's and glitched the .com
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program. For hobbist and amateur computing to continue its
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growth and maturity, we need at least one safe conduit for
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programs. SDN proposes just that in its direct connection to
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authors and sysops.
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In this regard we are changing the way distribution is done.
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Not for everything, but for one valuable conduit. We are going
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against the tide, and that takes time.
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Some of you may know, The Association of Shareware
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Professionals read an ABOUTSDN.DOC that was placed on
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Comp-U-Serve, and got in touch with us weeks ago. We have
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caused quite a bit of excitement. It seems so much so with what
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they see as the potential of SDN, that myself, Charlie and
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Richard Zorovich have been extended a first. We have been
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invited into the on-line private conference area of the ASP on
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 8 9 Jan 1989
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Comp-U-Serve to discuss SDN and the concept with them.
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It has been projected to me by some, that because of it's
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cross-Net nature, SDN might become an eventual unifying bridge
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to all the independent Nets, a kind of common ground from
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which.... (Well... maybe?)
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Really, the SDN activity, is just another activity on your
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boards. It should not require much time or maintenance. It
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does require a few strict guidelines for it to accomplish its
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purpose, but these are few and simple.
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The SDN files you receive, will be small in quantity at first
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but will begin to build up. You probably will want to keep them
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all in that area rather than to shuffle them about. The purpose
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of the SDN file area is to say to all "this area is clean,
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complete and up-to-date".
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You should all have a "pro-register" attitude toward shareware
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to your users. All this means is that your attitude should be
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one of "encouraging" registration when dealing with users over
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shareware. We do not ask you to beat people or embarrass people
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or to make them go through any on-line "shareware training test"
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or anything like that. As members of the hobby community, an
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encouraging attitude is all that is proper for us.
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Official SDN policy comes from only one place - SYSOP/CONN!
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BBS, the home of the SDN Project and the holder of all legal
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rights. Until "recommendation committees" are eventually set up
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to deal with growth, policy is short and simple but designed to
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protect myself and you from legal liabilities or problems. Any
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other policy only has to do with the bare mechanics that make
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SDN function for its two goals.
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and with that...
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Happy New Year to everyone!
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*ray
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Sysops interested in becoming Distribution Ponits should
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contact 141/880 to find out who your SDN Regional Coordinator
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is.
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Shareware authors wishing to use SDN for distribution should
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contact 141/840
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SDNet/Works! is not an affiliation, but a cooperation.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 9 9 Jan 1989
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=================================================================
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COLUMNS
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=================================================================
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RegComm - Communications From RegCon.
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It seems the quickest way to assure something is not going to be
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on schedule is to announce that schedule! You may have noticed
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the new nodelist information following that theory. If all goes
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well we will hear more prior to February 1 (this year) and if
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that schedule is maintained we'll work at having full implementa-
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tion by March 1 (also this year).
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We have received a rumor that one of the *C team was having a
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real problem spending any time at his computer due to an injury.
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Word has it that members of the net he is active in got together
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and purchased a portable computer and modem for him to allow him
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to be more active. Until otherwise confirmed we'll continue to
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treat this as a rumor. The *C structure, according to some, is
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to be avoided and ignored as much as possible as they have to be
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up to something detrimental to us all, so we know this couldn't
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have really happened. But it is nice to think there is some good
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news out there. If you know of more good news, of people helping
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people, please share it with your RC so everyone knows. Not only
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can we enjoy the good news but it might give others ideas.
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There was some minor confusion over the announcement in last
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weeks column on `private' mail. There was never anything said in
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that column about setting the `private' bit in a message, and
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that wasn't even considered in any of the messages we had read in
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any of the echo conferences. Surely there must be a way to
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declare a message `private' without having to set a bit. Perhaps
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setting a bit gives our software something to react to and the
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`private' bit can help our software determine how to handle a
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message. No one wants to change that. But we also know that
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computers aren't always guilty of broadcasting a message sent
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with the intentions of it being kept confidential. At least we
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haven't noticed a computer capable of such actions without human
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intervention. If we are going to try to come up with a technical
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answer to a human problem we might consider a `confidential' bit
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to go with the `private' bit. And you are correct, that is
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ludicrous! Why won't a simple request within a message to keep
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its contents confidential be effective? The answer to that
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question is also simple.
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("RegComm" will be a weekly column in FidoNews and your comments
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are welcome. Please address your concerns and comments via
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NetMail to your Net or Regional Coordinator, you should receive
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an answer within a few days. It's your net and we are in need of
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your input in order for us to fairly represent you.)
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-02 Page 10 9 Jan 1989
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ROGEL'S CORNER: TREE86 2.0 --
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MAKING A GREAT PRODUCT EVEN BETTER
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=============================================================
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Copyright @ 1988, by Todd S. Rogel. [Permission is granted
|
||
to copy this article for noncommercial purposes only. Any
|
||
other reproduction or use is strictly prohibited without the
|
||
express written permission of the author, Todd S. Rogel]
|
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|
||
There is something very satisfying about watching a new
|
||
computer product compete with the "big boys" and emerge a
|
||
winner. For computer users, this means that development in
|
||
the computer industry will not stagnate and that the users
|
||
will be the beneficiaries of such change and innovation. On a
|
||
grander scale of things, it reconfirms that David can beat
|
||
Goliath and that real life stories can have happy endings.
|
||
|
||
Forgive my philosophical excursion in this computer column.
|
||
I have just reviewed The Aldridge Company's latest release,
|
||
Tree86 2.0, though, and am awed by their achievement: they
|
||
and their program are winners!
|
||
|
||
I previously reviewed the earlier versions of Tree86 and
|
||
found both versions to be great [2/88 and 3/88 issues of PC/2
|
||
Newsletter; posted on the TIBMUG section of Micro Message
|
||
Service (919) 779-6674]. Version2.0 is even better!
|
||
|
||
Before discussing the new features, let me give you some
|
||
background, so you will better understand my perspective.
|
||
|
||
Last October I was leafing through PC Magazine when I came
|
||
across an advertisement for Tree86 1.0. The ad implied that
|
||
Tree86 offered newer and more powerful features than its
|
||
chief competitor, Xtree 2.0.
|
||
|
||
Well, I was a fan of Xtree 2.0 and suspected that the Tree86
|
||
ad was wholly exaggerated as well as presumptuous. After
|
||
all, I had previously evaluated several competitors of
|
||
Xtree86 -- some of which cost far more than Xtree -- and
|
||
felt that, for various reasons, none came close to stacking
|
||
up to Xtree. Why should Tree86 be any different?
|
||
|
||
Tree86 was being offered at an introductory price under $30
|
||
and The Aldridge Company assured me that I could return their
|
||
product within 30-days if dissatisfied for any reason. I
|
||
decided to give Tree86 a test-drive, confirm my doubts about
|
||
this Pretender, and send its beaten and battered shell (no
|
||
pun intended) back to its maker.
|
||
|
||
Boy, was I wrong!
|
||
|
||
The previous Tree86 versions offered all that was available
|
||
on Xtree and then several additional practical features,
|
||
including: TreeDOS, Tree86's DOS-like environment, with DOS
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 11 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
command recall; a file finder, which will locate duplicate
|
||
files or do wild-card file searches in a flash; easy and
|
||
quick switching between applications and Tree86; hot key disk
|
||
navigation; and Xcopy, which permits copying of a file as
|
||
well as its subdirectory structure. Well, the new version is
|
||
even better.
|
||
|
||
I have become a believer in The Aldridge Company and Tree86.
|
||
When you see some of the new features offered in version 2.0,
|
||
I think you will become a believer as well. Here is a
|
||
sampling of the new goodies.
|
||
|
||
1. INSTANT LOGGING: This "no wait" feature is
|
||
sensational! Shell-type programs ordinarily must
|
||
read your drive every time you access the shell
|
||
(i.e., going from an application to the shell).
|
||
This is an unacceptably time consuming process.
|
||
|
||
I never operated my computer through Xtree because
|
||
it reads the disk whenever it is accessed. Instead
|
||
I only used Xtree for occasional serious hard disk
|
||
housecleaning.
|
||
|
||
The prior Tree86 versions were faster than Xtree
|
||
since they read the disk only when first executed
|
||
and also whenever I switched drives. To avoid disk
|
||
reads when I switched drives with Tree86, I instead
|
||
accessed other drives through TreeDOS (Tree86's
|
||
DOS-like environment). Obviously this relogging
|
||
problem somewhat limited Tree86's utility.
|
||
|
||
Tree86 version 2.0 now has an instant logging
|
||
option. You may easily select from 1 to 26 drives
|
||
for this instant access option. Whenever you exit
|
||
Tree86 a drive data file is updated. You are
|
||
immediately presented with a current tree display
|
||
the next time you run Tree86. I can now switch
|
||
drives through Tree86 without any wait whatsoever.
|
||
|
||
2. FILE VIEW: Version 1.0 offered a lame viewing
|
||
utility. Version 1.1 thoughtfully allowed me to
|
||
substitute my own viewing utility. Version 2.0's
|
||
viewing program is wonderful. I have scrapped my
|
||
public-domain program in favor of this beauty. As
|
||
you can see below, Tree86's viewing utility is a
|
||
full-featured program which permits line/page
|
||
scrolling, text search, and mark/print text
|
||
options:
|
||
|
||
TREE86 = VIEW A FILE KEY REFERENCE
|
||
============================================================
|
||
[Illustration omitted because of conflict with FidoNews'
|
||
formatting requirements; For those who are interested, the
|
||
original Rogel's Corner, with the illustration included, may
|
||
be reviewed on or downloaded from MMS [151/102]
|
||
919-779-6674. Look at the August, 1988 Issue of TIBMUG's
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 12 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Newsletter, PC/2, which is located in the TIBMUG area of the
|
||
Special Interest Groups section of MMS]
|
||
============================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
3. HELP: Tree86 now offers context-sensitive help.
|
||
|
||
4. COPY AND MOVE: [A] Files may be copied or moved by
|
||
the point-and-shoot method. No more typing in full
|
||
paths. [B] Automatic overwriting of files is now
|
||
available as an option.
|
||
|
||
5. EXPANDED MEMORY SUPPORT: Tree86 version 2.0
|
||
automatically uses expanded memory (LIM v.3+), if
|
||
present. For some reason, Tree86 shows that my
|
||
system contains "Extended:-31,457,280"; alas, my
|
||
8088 system contains neither expanded nor extended
|
||
memory and I am puzzled as to why this obviously
|
||
incorrect information is shown by Tree86.
|
||
|
||
6. MULTIPLE DRIVES: You can read as many as 26 drives
|
||
simultaneously.
|
||
|
||
7. ADJUSTABLE MEMORY USAGE: Tree86 version 2.0 offers
|
||
3 "memory models" for buffers to hold information
|
||
about logged drives:
|
||
|
||
(a) Small: 4,096 bytes reserved. Capacity: 82
|
||
subdirectories (on largest drive);
|
||
26 simultaneous drives.
|
||
|
||
(b) Medium: 8,192 bytes reserved. Capacity:
|
||
166 subdirectories (on largest
|
||
drive). 15 simultaneous drives.
|
||
|
||
(c) Large: 12,288 bytes reserved. Capacity:
|
||
254 subdirectories (on largest
|
||
drive); 10 simultaneous drives.
|
||
|
||
8. SORT: A "reverse" order option is now available
|
||
for sorting files by name, extension, size, date
|
||
and time, time, path, or attribute.
|
||
|
||
9. ALTER ATTRIBUTES: There are now three methods for
|
||
changing file attributes (i.e., [h]idden,
|
||
[r]ead/only, [s]ystem, and [a]rchive) by using a
|
||
simple device called an "attribute mask":
|
||
|
||
10. EDITOR: An easier method has been added for
|
||
integrating your favorite word processing program
|
||
with Tree86. Then you can load both your editor
|
||
and the file you wish to edit, by pointing to the
|
||
subject file and pressing [E]ditor.
|
||
|
||
11. QUIT: Now you can quit Tree86 from TreeDOS as well
|
||
as from Tree86. This is a nice little feature
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 13 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
since when you quit from TreeDOS, you end up at
|
||
the subdirectory shown at the TreeDOS prompt.
|
||
|
||
12. FILE TAGGING: Even this has been made easier, so
|
||
that when you tag a file by pressing the space bar,
|
||
the cursor automatically moves down to the next
|
||
file.
|
||
|
||
Tree86 offers something for everyone. For computer
|
||
neophytes, Tree86 virtually eliminates the DOS barrier. For
|
||
those who know and love DOS (or, at least, know DOS), you
|
||
have a multi-purpose, extremely practical, and easy to use
|
||
power tool at your complete command -- and you get all of
|
||
this without your typical tradeoffs of speed, access to DOS,
|
||
costs, etc..
|
||
|
||
Sure, there is room for improvement (isn't there always?).
|
||
It would be nice to be able to load TSR's from Tree86; it
|
||
would be even nicer to be able to manage TSR's from Tree86,
|
||
so that you could swap memory-resident programs back and
|
||
forth when necessary. Fortunately The Aldridge Company
|
||
always seems to stay several steps ahead of the market. They
|
||
have an excellent product and are continually trying to
|
||
improve upon it. Indeed, they already are working on TSRs
|
||
for an upcoming edition.
|
||
|
||
Tree86 is an unqualified winner. With its useful assortment
|
||
of features, its integration with my word processing program,
|
||
its "no wait" accessibility, and its powerful view program,
|
||
Tree86 has become my computer's first-team quarterback.
|
||
|
||
Rogel's Wrap-Up
|
||
+===========================================================+
|
||
| Product: Tree86 v. 2.0 by The Aldridge Company |
|
||
| Price: Lists for $89.95 |
|
||
| Product description: |
|
||
| Graphic Disk Navigation and Management Program |
|
||
| System Requirements: |
|
||
| IBM version reviewed; MacIntosh version available |
|
||
| Comments: |
|
||
| Excellent easy-to-use program; integrates with |
|
||
| your favorite word processor; superb view/text |
|
||
| retrieval utility; instant no-disk-read access; |
|
||
| capacity to read 26 drives simultaneously; |
|
||
| adjustable memory. Offers DOS-power without |
|
||
| DOS-headaches |
|
||
| For more information, contact: |
|
||
| The Aldridge Company, 2500 CityWest Boulevard, |
|
||
| Suite 575, Houston, Texas 77042 713-953-1940 |
|
||
+===========================================================+
|
||
|
||
Sincerely,
|
||
|
||
Todd S. Rogel
|
||
Raleigh, North Carolina
|
||
July 28, 1988
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 14 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Home (919) 851-2103
|
||
MMS (919) 779-6674 [151/102]
|
||
NCC (919) 851-8460 [151/100]
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 15 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
YACK
|
||
Yet Another Complicated Komment
|
||
|
||
by Steven K. Hoskin
|
||
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 )
|
||
|
||
Episode 21: Letter to the Editor
|
||
|
||
|
||
This is the sort of subject that Dale, our honorable Editor,
|
||
should probably be addressing, but, what the heck, I have a
|
||
column to fill.
|
||
|
||
There seem to be at least a few people who objected to some of
|
||
the content of one of the articles that was published in one of
|
||
the issues of FidoNews (generic enough for you?). Now how, you
|
||
ask, do I know this? Well, I read the IFNA EchoMail conference.
|
||
|
||
Now, at first glance, that doesn't seem to be an appropriate
|
||
answer; after some thought, it does, and then after some more, it
|
||
doesn't again. Let me explain.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews -- you got a problem with it? Write the editor!
|
||
Posting in IFNA doesn't immediately appear to be the appropriate
|
||
channel.
|
||
|
||
IFNA -- it runs, perhaps even "owns" -- FidoNews. Says right on
|
||
the cover that
|
||
|
||
FidoNews is published weekly by the International
|
||
FidoNet Association as its official newsletter.
|
||
|
||
Therefore, reading about problems with FidoNews in the IFNA
|
||
EchoMail conference seems, after some thought, to be an okay
|
||
thing.
|
||
|
||
Dale Lovell -- the Editor of FidoNews doesn't read the IFNA Echo.
|
||
Seems fair to say that posting your complaints about FidoNews
|
||
there isn't wise -- the only way Dale is going to hear your bitch
|
||
is if somebody else relays it to him. Now what is any normal
|
||
person going to think of someone who can't come out and talk
|
||
directly about their problems? Once again, posting complaints in
|
||
IFNA seems to be fruitless.
|
||
|
||
If you want something done about it, that is.
|
||
|
||
So if you've got a problem with something that comes out in
|
||
FidoNews; distasteful language, non-FidoNet subject material,
|
||
whatever - write a "Letter to the Editor". Maybe it'll get
|
||
published. And maybe you'll actually change something.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 16 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
24 Aug 1989
|
||
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
||
|
||
5 Oct 1989
|
||
20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
|
||
|
||
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
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Fido 12i Opus 1.03b TBBS 2.1*
|
||
QuickBBS 2.03 TPBoard 4.2 TComm/TCommNet 3.2
|
||
Lynx 1.10 Phoenix 1.3 RBBS 1.71C
|
||
|
||
|
||
Network Node List Other
|
||
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
Dutchie 2.90b EditNL 4.00 ARC 5.32
|
||
SEAdog 4.10 MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 1.1
|
||
BinkleyTerm 2.00 Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00
|
||
D'Bridge 1.10 XlatList 2.86 TPB Editor 1.21
|
||
FrontDoor 2.0 XlaxNode 2.31* TCOMMail 2.0*
|
||
PRENM 1.40 XlaxDiff 2.31* TMail 8812*
|
||
ParseList 1.30* UFGATE 1.02*
|
||
GROUP 2.04*
|
||
EMM 1.40
|
||
MSGED 1.96
|
||
|
||
* 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 6-02 Page 17 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COMMITTEE REPORTS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Bylaws and Rules Committee
|
||
1:107/210
|
||
|
||
Reminder: IFNA Bylaws Ballot due back by Jan. 16!
|
||
|
||
This is just a reminder for those of you who have not yet
|
||
returned your ballots to do so now! They must be in the hands of
|
||
the CPA by the 16th of January.
|
||
|
||
And, when you fill out your ballot, remember: there are some
|
||
complicated or subtle nuances in quite a few of the amendments
|
||
and some of them are contradictory. This is by no means a
|
||
"rubber stamp" situation, so check each item carefully to decide
|
||
whether it's support or defeat is best for IFNA and FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
If you have questions, direct then to the committee. We'll do
|
||
our best to present and explain both sides of any issue.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 18 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
|
||
|
||
Hal DuPrie 1:101/106 Chairman of the Board
|
||
Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 President
|
||
Matt Whelan 3:3/1 Vice President
|
||
Ray Gwinn 1:109/639 Vice President - Technical Coordinator
|
||
David Garrett 1:103/501 Secretary
|
||
Steve Bonine 1:115/777 Treasurer
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
|
||
|
||
DIVISION AT-LARGE
|
||
|
||
10 Courtney Harris 1:102/732? Don Daniels 1:107/210
|
||
11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Hal DuPrie 1:101/106
|
||
12 Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Mark Grennan 1:147/1
|
||
13 Rick Siegel 1:107/27 Steve Bonine 1:115/777
|
||
14 Ken Kaplan 1:100/22 Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5
|
||
15 Larry Kayser 1:104/739? Matt Whelan 3:3/1
|
||
16 Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Robert Rudolph 1:261/628
|
||
17 Rob Barker 1:138/34 Steve Jordan 1:102/2871
|
||
18 Christopher Baker 1:135/14 Bob Swift 1:140/24
|
||
19 David Drexler 1:19/1 Larry Wall 1:15/18
|
||
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-02 Page 19 9 Jan 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
|
||
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 ________________________________________________________
|
||
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|
||
Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
|
||
Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
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||
|
||
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
|
||
PO Box 41143
|
||
St Louis, Missouri 63141
|
||
USA
|
||
|
||
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
|
||
insure the future of FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
|
||
and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
|
||
membership in January 1987. The second elected Board of Directors
|
||
was filled in August 1988. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
|
||
established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your
|
||
input to this Conference.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|