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Volume 6, Number 12 20 March 1989
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| _ |
| / \ |
| /|oo \ |
| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
| _`@/_ \ _ |
| International | | \ \\ |
| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
| (jm) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello
Editors Emeritii: Dale Lovell
Thom Henderson
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
Contributing Editors: Al Arango
FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for
network mail 24 hours a day.
Copyright 1989 by the International FidoNet Association. All
rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and
are used with permission.
We don't necessarily agree with the contents of every article
published here. Most of these materials are unsolicited. No
article will be rejected which is properly attributed and legally
acceptable. We will publish every responsible submission
received.
Table of Contents
1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
A Domain Proposal For Fidonet(tm) Based Networks ......... 1
New Nodelist User Flags - Intents and Usage .............. 3
2. COLUMNS .................................................. 8
The Old Frog's Almanac - Update II ....................... 8
Facts And Questions ...................................... 10
Let's YACK about Egg On The Face ......................... 12
3. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .................................... 13
4. WANTED ................................................... 15
Wanted - Recipe Conversion Program! ...................... 15
And more!
FidoNews 6-12 Page 1 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
A Domain Proposal For Fidonet(tm) Based Networks
jim nutt
Chair, FTSC Domains Working Group
1:114/15.11@fidonet
A. Rationale
A recent proliferation of alternative networks based on Fidonet(tm)
technology has brought to light the difficulty of maintaining a
fully coupled addressing method for Fidonet(tm). It is therefore
proposed that a system be established whereby geographical or
political sub units of the network can be broken off into an
independent network called a "domain". These networks will be
fully independent, even to the point of having duplicate net/node
numbers. This will allow continued growth of Fidonet(tm) without
necessitating that the nodelist grow to an unmanageable size (if it
isn't already there). Among the advantages of this type of system
are reduced nodelist overhead, easier inter-network communication
and greater autonomy of alternative networks.
B. Description
It is proposed that domain addressing be implemented in a fashion
similar to the current ZONE extended addressing method. Domain
names will be a maximum of eight alphanumeric characters in length
and case insensitive. The domain extended addressing line will be
comprised of a leading SOH (^A, 0x01) followed by the keyword
"DOMAIN", the destination domain of the message and then the full
address (zone:net/node.point) of the destination node in that
domain, followed by the source domain of the message and the full
address of the originating node. The line will be terminated by a
<CR> (0x0d) and an optional linefeed (0x0a), fields within the line
will be separated by one or more spaces or tabs. i.e.
^ADOMAIN dstdmn dz:dne/dno.dp srcdmn sz:sne/sno.sp
Where dstdmn is the destination domain, dz the destination zone,
dne the destination net, dno the destination node and dp the
destination point (if any). Srcdmn, sz, sne, sno and sp are the
corresponding source fields. Message editors and other programs
supporting domains should present and accept addresses of nodes in
domains other than the default in the format "z:ne/no.p@domain".
This makes it easy for non-domain aware packages to ignore the
domain address. This system is NOT designed for interfacing to the
Internet or through Usenet, it is intended solely for use between
Fidonet(tm) compatible networks.
C. Summary
Domains are independent Fidonet(tm) style networks that are fully
decoupled from the IFNA nodelist. Message traffic is passed back
FidoNews 6-12 Page 2 20 Mar 1989
and forth between domains via domain gateways that can understand
the DOMAIN extended addressing line and act accordingly upon the
message. The advantages include reduced nodelist size and easier
communication with other Fidonet(tm) based networks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 3 20 Mar 1989
User Flags - Intents and Usage
David Dodell, FidoNet International Coordinator, 1:114/15
Rick Moore, Chairperson, FidoNet Technical Standards, 1:115/333
Definition Of The USER FLAG
============================
The new FidoNet Technical Standards Committee publication, FSC-
0005, regarding the specification of the form and content of a
FidoNet Nodelist added a new flag to the "flags" field. This
flag was called the USER FLAG and was rather vague as to the
intended purpose and application of the USER FLAG. It was
defined as "Ux....x" wherein the x....x portion was
representative of up to 32 alphanumeric characters and containing
no space (ASCII decimal 32) characters. Additionally, if present,
the USER FLAG must be the last item on the nodelist entry line.
The Problem
===========
One alarming possibility of the USER FLAG is that should all 5600
FidoNet nodes (the size of the FidoNet nodelist when USER FLAGS
were first mentioned) decide to add 33 characters to their
nodelist entries, then the distribution nodelist would grow by
180K overnight and that no real benefit to the net would be
obtained from that growth.
If we assume that the typical FidoNet Node has a 2400 baud modem,
then the combined additional telephone time to transfer just the
USER FLAGS portion of that week's NODEDIFF file would amount to
over 1200 HOURS. Assuming that 10% of the NODEDIFF files are
sent via toll calls, then 120 hours of long distance calls would
be added to the normal (over)load. If a typical minute of toll
call is $.20 (intrastate rates), then it would cost FidoNet
participants about $1400 ADDITIONAL to distribute it. If hard
disk storage costs $12.50/Megabyte, the cumulative storage costs
on all of the 5600 nodes would amount to $12,600 of disk
capacity.
With no attempt at SOME standardization of the content, there is
not much possibility of gaining any real benefits from the USER
FLAG.
Some Clarifications from FidoNet Administration
===============================================
Due to confusion and lack of guidelines as to the purposes
intended for application of the USER FLAG, the use of that flag
was temporarily suspended until some clarification was available.
The following guidelines regarding the new FidoNet Nodelist USER
FLAG were developed jointly by the International Coordinator and
the Chairman of the FTSC.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 4 20 Mar 1989
General Intent of the USER FLAGS
================================
The nodelist is a list for the functional uses of fidonet
mailers, it is not a BBS listing.
Also the U flag was not intended as a replacement field for flags
that were removed from the nodelist, i.e. "RE" which defines a
BBS user limitation, does not belong in the nodelist, or in the U
flag. The same goes for restricted hours, etc. A mailer only
needs to know if a node is in ZMH mode, or CM mode. It doesn't
care if a system comes up a 6 p.m. and goes down a 6 a.m. to be
able to deliver mail.
Some Specific Comments Regarding USER FLAGS
===========================================
(1) The suggested uses from the *C structure need to be just
that... not rigid specifications, but guidelines.
(2) Anything after the U flag should be of a technical or
administrative nature. Experimentation of new software functions
using this flag should be encouraged.
(3) Advertisement is strictly prohibited.
(4) Mention of specific software is prohibited. It is not for
the use of advertising the specific software you are running, or
the size of your hard drive.
(5) It should not be used for denoting alternative addresses,
either in FidoNet or any other network.
(6) The flag should be used to minimize duplicate listings in the
nodelist, i.e. a node that has UNEC does not need a separate
listing in his network. Since use of a USER FLAG for an NEC or
an REC could serve to reduce the bulk of the nodelist, this use
of the User Flag is the preferred method of denoting a *EC in the
nodelist.
(7) Any information found in the U flag should not duplicate
information already found in that listing, or can be found any
place else in the nodelist (i.e. A couple of nets had after the
xxx/0 listing UNC).
(8) It is not a total free form field for anything to appear.
(9) The *C structure has the ultimate responsibility for what
appears in the nodelist, including the USER FLAG.
(10) By standardizing certain USER FLAGS, it may then be possible
for software developers to put the USER FLAGS to some beneficial
uses.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 5 20 Mar 1989
A Standard (Defined) Set of Available USER FLAGS
================================================
The USER FLAGS which seem to offer the greatest possibilities for
real benefit to the general network are:
Established Software Distributors
=================================
USDS for Software Distribution System nodes
USDN for Shareware Distribution Network nodes
UTDN for TBBS Distribution Network
EchoMail Coordinators
=====================
UNEC for Net Echo Coords
UREC for Regional Echo Coords
UZEC for Zone Echo Coords
- Allows those both in and outside the net to scan the
nodelist for Addressing information regarding EchoMail
help. Assuming mailers can be made to use this
information as well, some of the parts of a standard
Zone:Net/Node address could be obtained from the *EC's
location in the nodelist, or his "real" address could
simply be substituted when outbound dialing is required.
UPCP:x...x
==========
- Potentially allows mailer software to glean PCP routing
and dialing data from a USER FLAG. Example: UPCP:NJNEW
UHUB
====
- Note that there are TWO kinds of hubs.....
- Some HUBs are like mini-NC's since they do inbound
mail routing and/or maintain a nodelist segment for
the NC. They usually distribute the NODEDIFF and
FNEWS files, as well.
- The other type of hubs are only set up to pass along
the NODEDIFF and FNEWS files, do not do any mail
routing nor do they maintain any nodelist segments
- The FIRST type of hub listed above NEEDS a separate
(duplicate) nodelist entry, since it does mail routing
service. The nodes which he serves are to be listed
below his entry and before the next HUB (or end of the
local net's segment) in the nodelist. His primary
nodelist entry is also listed as "under" his HUB entry.
His primary address should be set and the HUB address
is set as his AKA address. The first kind of HUB does
NOT get a UHUB flag.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 6 20 Mar 1989
- The SECOND type of hub listed above DOES get a UHUB
flag and the nodes to which he forwards the routine
files should still be listed between his listing and
the next hub (or end of the net segment) so that those
nodes will know who to contact should there develop a
problem with receipt of the files. This type of hub
does NOT have an AKA address.
UPNx..x
=======
- This flag denotes the Host of a Private Net.
- Only those Private Net Numbers assigned by the Zone
Coordinator, or by his designate, should be used in this
flag.
- Don't use this flag unless there is a GOOD reason. There
are many reasons, including the potential to become an
unwitting "OutBound HOST" for the world, to not advertise
too openly your private net host status.
Suggested Implementation Method
===============================
As always, the front line of the nodelist is the Net Coordinator.
The Net Coordinators will make most of the USER FLAG assignments.
The NC is authorized to employ any applicable USER FLAGS from the
"defined set". If more than one USER FLAG is appropriate for a
given node, they may be all placed in a single USER FLAG and
separated by a comma. There is no implied order of precedence of
one flag over another.
Example - suppose a node is an NEC and is also an SDS node and is
a nodediff and FNEWS distributor as well. His USER FLAG could
look like one of these:
USDS,NEC,HUB
- or -
UHUB,SDS,NEC
- or -
UNEC,HUB,SDS
Non-Standard USER FLAGS
=======================
There will be times when, for software development work, that one
or more nodes may need a non-standard USER FLAG. Such flags
SHOULD be allowed, as it is a goal of FidoNet to encourage the
development of new and better telecommunications software.
The Local Net Coordinator is authorized to assign such non-
standard flags, provided they are not for trivial purposes.
"Trivial purposes" include, but are not limited to, "vanity"
listings, advertisements, and listing of baud rates not supported
by the nodelist processors.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 7 20 Mar 1989
The rest of the *C structure may from time to time examine non-
standard flags and occasionally may request clarification of them
from the NC.
Since non-standardized USER FLAGS are intended for development
and experimentation purposes, it expected that most of them will
either eventually become a part of the standard set or else will
disappear when the experimentation period is completed.
Modifications to the Defined Set of USER FLAGS
==============================================
The International Coordinator, or his designate, may add or
remove USER FLAGS from the standard defined set as is deemed
necessary.
When a developer has successfully completed his experimentation
and has implemented a useful USER FLAG, he should advise the IC,
or his designate, that a new USER FLAG is available for general
application by others. Upon satisfaction of purpose, it may then
be added to the standard set of defined USER FLAGS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 8 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
"Too zoon oldt unt too late schmart..."
by Ken McVay, 1:153/20
Part the Two
The Sirius routine has not changed - but everything else has.
Using the FOR command, which I had seen but never bothered to
understand, he eliminated 250 lines from SEAdog.Bat and replaced
them with:
@ECHO OFF
f:
FU LOG C:\logs\system.log EGREP Begin
if %ALMANAC% == OFF goto END
cd\WORK
SET E=EGREP -V
SET P=PAK U
FOR %%X IN (*. ) DO CALL EREP.BAT %%X
:CLEANUP
SET E=
SET P=
SET T=
:END
I:
FU LOG C:\logs\system.log EGREP End
My method, as you may recall, was to include a separate section of
about 4 lines to handle the EGREP routines for each topic...as the
list grew, of course, so did SEAdog.Bat....consider: at the time
Ken showed me how to do this, there were 220 Almanac topics being
extracted, each requiring 4 lines to handle. Simple arithmetic
will tell you why the batch file grew. Not only that, but the
margin for errors due to mis-spelled labels, etc. was far too
high, and the system crashed regularly - ah, who out there knows
not the morning greeting "Label Not Found" followed with a flashing
C:> prompt? All of these space-killers were eliminated with the
above batch file and EREP.BAT, which simply accepts variables from
ALMANAC.BAT, above:
:EGREP
f:
cd\WORK
SET T=%1
%E% "^SEE ALSO " %T% | %E% "^--- " | %E% "^--\[SEEN-BY: \]" >tmp
%E% "^.#[0-9]*" tmp | %E% "AREA:" | %E% "^REPLY TO ">tmp1
%E% "^.?$" tmp1 >> \f1\%T%0389.MSG
del %T%
%P% F:\f6\%T%0389 F:\F1\%T%0389.MSG
del TM*.*
:Note that the FILE AREA PATH must now be changed each month,
:along with the filespec/date.
I:
FidoNews 6-12 Page 9 20 Mar 1989
PRESTO! Over 1200 lines of commands became less than 20, with NO
possibility of error, since whatever Sirius created for a flat file
was simply passed through the entire system unchanged. I couldn't
see the forest for the trees :-)
The batch file above (EREP.BAT) also eliminated 220 lines later on
in the batch file which looked in each working archive and updated
it if the text file had changed. Now, of course, the system only
processes whatever files Sirius left it, and PAK updates each
archive that needs it, and ignores the rest.
I also (finally!) got my hands on a copy of the manuals for Sirius
V0.50, and discovered hundreds of un-needed script lines in all of
my Sirius scripts. I also learned how to make Sirius return to DOS
on error, instead of hanging the system up until I awoke in the
morning, and how to write to the system log from within Sirius, so
I could tell when an error had occured and deal with it the
following morning.
I won't post the changes here, since they are all available within
the file ALMANAC.PAK, should anyone want them. If your copy of
ALMANAC.PAK is more than 10 days old, you should get it again -
it'll save you lots of hassles. Included in the file are all the
appropriate batch files, three sample Sirius scripts with the new
coding and error-trapping, and a complete list of all of the files
available from The Almanac's topical extraction system.
One note: Binkley users should use PLEASE or BARKREQ, since I run
a SEAdog system.
Another note: I have received several notes from Europe, asking
how these files might be obtained. I am certain that Sirius is
available somewhere in Europe, and would appreciate hearing from
anyone in Zone 2 that has either Sirius or EGREP V1.0, so I can
refer European inquiries there. As to ALMANAC.PAK, I will be happy
to send it to the zonegate (1/2), if he will make it available for
request, or to any other system (HST) regularly serving Zone 2
connections. Just send me a netmail request and I will attach it
to you immediately.
Ain't this grand?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 10 20 Mar 1989
Michael Aikman
Fido 1:340/12
F & Q
-----
(The Fact & Question of the Q&A)
Fact: 9 out of 10 Canadians believe Christmas is too
commercialized.
Question: "Where are you going to shop for John this year?"
Fact: Forty years after the bomb was dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki birth defects are still
showing up.
Question: "Daddy, why do they have Nuke-lear bombs?"
Fact: Every year the rich get 15% richer at the
expense of the poor getting 15% poorer.
Question: "They can't buy it from anybody else so why
shouldn't we raise our price?"
Fact: Tropical rain forests are permanently destroyed
or are seriously injured more than any other
form of vegetation each year; mostly for the
purpose for the purpose of producing beef for
the first world countries.
These forests produce over 70% of the earth's
oxygen.
Question: "Hey, John, wanna go grab a burger to eat?"
Fact: Television has allowed millions of North
Americans to see horrors of the third world
starvation firsthand.
Question: "Can't you turn that warped starvation
B.S. off?"
Fact: The world has more than enough to feed everyone
in the world adequetaly but millions of people in
third world still starve or are malnourished.
Question: "If you aren't going to eat the rest of it
then why don't you just throw it out?"
Fact: The attitudes we instill in our children
today are the ones they will still have when it
comes our time to let tyhem run the future.
Question: "Mamma, can you get me some G.I. Joe action
figures for my birthday?"
Fact: Of the the 15,000 babies born every hour only
1 in every 15 will be born in a good enviroment
with a good genetic background.
Question: "So you're having your abortion tommorow?"
FidoNews 6-12 Page 11 20 Mar 1989
Fact: The world is headed for a major period of
decision making.
Question: Do you care?
-M.D.A.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 12 20 Mar 1989
YACK
Yet Another Complicated Komment
by Steven K. Hoskin
( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 )
Episode 24: Egg On The Face
Okay. I guess we all come to some difficult times in our lives.
The first date. The first speech. The first bad grade you have
to show your parents. The first time you caused somebody trouble
and had to say "I'm sorry". The missed basket or home run that
would've saved the game. The day you land your airplane at an
airport and have to ask which one you landed at.
The day you claim a virus hit your machine and it really didn't.
Awhile back in YACK 17 I rambled on about my hard disk crashes
and was convinced, after moderate examination, that I had become
the victim of a virus.
I work in a computer services center at a help desk; a great deal
of my day is either recovering lost files from disks or
confirming/denying alleged virus attacks. I am well equipped
(normally) to unquestionably state that a given situation is not
a virus attack simply because other evidence clearly indicates
some other fault. And so, after examining my disk after its
second or third crash and finding the root directory and most of
the FAT of the C: drive scrambled, I came to the conclusion that
I had actually been hit. Especially when reformatting the D:
drive, my BBS, seemed to permanently solve the problem on C:.
Well, okay, permanently for a month. Then the machine died again
-- same symptoms as before. Now wait a minute.
Well, I did the (YET AGAIN!!!) reinstallation of the hard drive
very differently this time. I was starting to suspect hardware
and I wasn't very happy with just how strong that new opinion
seemed. Well, the new approach to setting up the drive seems to
have solved the problem. I haven't crashed in two months (knock
on wood!) and things seem to be operating just fine.
As luck would have it, of course, now that I'm RELIGIOUSLY
backing up my system it won't fail; when my backup was weeks or
even months old, of COURSE that's when it died. Murphy's Law, I
guess.
Anyway, the virus scare that I get so disgusted with every day at
work just bit me in the tail feathers. Scrambled eggs...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 13 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
=================================================================
From: Michael Nelson of 143/20.0
To: Vince Perriello of 1/1.0
Subj: FrontDoor Article
Hello... In the latest FidoNews, there is an article about
the FrontDoor Mailer. I wrote that article for our local Net 143
Newsletter, the NET 143 RAG, about a month ago.
I was very suprised to see it appear in FidoNews, since I DID
NOT SUBMIT IT or give permission for it to be published there.
Please understand that it was originally written for a small,
local audience. As such, in that article I encouraged people to
send me NetMail if they had questions, and I also encouraged them
to freq it from me.
Since this unauthorized appearance in FN, I am being deluged
with file requests for the program from all over North America, and
people are sending me NetMail requesting assistance and advice on
FrontDoor. Normally, I am the first to jump in and help a fellow
sysop, but I cannot AFFORD ($$$$) to do all this long distance
assistance on my nickle!!
I would appreciate your help. #1, I would like to know who
it was that submitted the article. I have checked within our net
and nobody will own up to it. I have put a message in the FDECHO
requesting other FD sysops to post a message in their local net
echo areas advising people that the file is available locally, from
them, and that assistance is available locally too. #2... since
this unauthorized appearance in FidoNews has caused me nothing but
grief, I would appreciate it if you could put a notice in the next
issue, stating that the article was published in error, and that
the author (Me, Michael Nelson) requests that those requiring
assistance with FrontDoor should contact Joaquim Homrighausen, on
135/20.
In any case, if you can't see your way clear to helping me
with item #2, I would really like to know who has caused me all
this trouble, so please let me know where you got the article.
Thank you very much..... Michael Nelson
------------------------------------------------
From: Vince Perriello of 141/491.0
To: Michael Nelson of 143/20.0
Subj: FrontDoor Article
I don't know what to tell you about who submitted the FD article.
It was already in Dale's directory of to-be-published items. It
was in the form of an article, which means that someone went to the
effort of doing that. All I did was clean up the ragged line
FidoNews 6-12 Page 14 20 Mar 1989
breaks and frequent FF hex codes in the file before running
MAKENEWS.
Future submissions to Fidonews are under my control and will be
much more carefully monitored for origin, objectionable content and
potential legal liabilities, but I haven't the $$$ to confirm the
source of everything Dale had, nor can we afford to scrap what had
already been assembled. I can only assume that the materials he
had were OK. Unfortunately, in this case, they apparently were
NOT.
Needless to say, seeing an FD article there on the eve of a new
BinkleyTerm release presented a quandary to me as to whether it
should be published right away or not. I chose to publish, since
it had already apparently lain in Dale's area for a while, and I
wanted to avoid any "favoritism" charges, which could possibly have
surfaced had I assembled and published an article about BinkleyTerm
2.10 (which I had been considering). So I took the path which I
thought was that of objective journalism, and got burned. I'm
sorry, first for the grief I caused you, and second, for not being
a jerk and putting my own stuff there -- since doing so would have
saved you the hassle.
On the article itself, I differed personally with several of your
points but thought that in general it was a really good piece. I'd
like to encourage you to submit future work to FidoNews. I assure
you that future work from you will only be published if my log
shows that the file actually was SENT by you. Third party
submissions will only be allowed by explicit individual
arrangement; unsolicited third party submissions WILL NOT BE
PUBLISHED.
I will try to remember to put in a notice at the end of FidoNews
about Jo being the point of contact for FD, I know the cost of
being "world famous"... and I don't blame you for being put out
about the whole thing. Again, my apologies.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 15 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
WANTED
=================================================================
Christopher Baker
MetroFire, 1:135/14(0)
Miami_FL_USA
If anyone is aware of a shareware or freeware program that
handles recipe storage, analysis, and conversion to larger
and smaller sizes, please send Netmail to me at 1:135/14
and tell me where I can find and obtain such a beast.
It would be very helpful if the program could take
ingredient measurements by volume (cups, tsps, etc.) or by
weight (lbs, ozs, etc.) and convert from one system to
another.
I have one program that does nutritional analysis but it
only stores ingredients not instructions and doesn't
convert recipe size or measuring methods.
Maybe this is too much to ask of a shareware program? If
so, does anyone know of a reasonably priced commercial
program of this nature? [grin]
Thanks, in advance, for any info.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 16 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
LATEST VERSIONS
=================================================================
Latest Software Versions
Bulletin Board Software
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Fido 12k* Opus 1.03b TBBS 2.1
QuickBBS 2.03 TPBoard 5.0 TComm/TCommNet 3.4*
Lynx 1.22 Phoenix 1.3 RBBS 17.1D
Network Node List Other
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
Dutchie 2.90C* EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.01*
SEAdog 4.50* MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 2.0*
BinkleyTerm 2.10* Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00
D'Bridge 1.18* XlatList 2.90* TPB Editor 1.21
FrontDoor 2.0 XlaxNode 2.32* TCOMMail 2.1*
PRENM 1.40 XlaxDiff 2.32* TMail 8901*
ParseList 1.30 UFGATE 1.02*
GROUP 2.04*
EMM 1.40
MSGED 1.99*
XRS 1.2*
* 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 6-12 Page 17 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
8 May 1989
Digital Equipment Corporations User Society (DECUS) will be
holding its semi-annual symposium in Atlanta, GA. Runs
through May 12. As usual sysop's will get together and chat.
19 May 1989
Start of EuroCon III at Eindhoven, The Netherlands
24 Aug 1989
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
24 Aug 1989
FidoCon '89 starts at the Holiday Inn in San Jose,
California. Trade show, seminars, etc. Contact 1/89
for info.
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.
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Christopher Baker
MetroFire, 1:135/14(0)
An Echo whose Time has Come:
The FidoNet Democracy Echo
This is to announce the formation and operation of a
new, NON-Backbone Echo conference called DEMOCRACY.
The purpose of this Echo is to discuss the best way to
implement a fully representative democracy within FidoNet.
This is not a *C bashing area. This is not a place to keep
saying 'You can't do this.", "Democracy in FidoNet is
impossible.", or "You are preaching treason and will be
excommunciated."
This area is for rational discussion and debate on HOW we
will make FidoNet democratic not IF we will.
When you enter this Echo and participate, you accept the
premise that making FidoNet fully representative is a
foregone conclusion and your purpose here is to discover
HOW it will be done and WHEN it will be done.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 18 20 Mar 1989
Personal attacks of any kind will not be tolerated. Name
calling, libelous or slanderous pronouncements, deliberate
distortion of facts or insertion of misinformation will not
be tolerated. This Echo is not going to be allowed to
degenerate into a shouting match or an ego contest.
All are welcome and encouraged to make constructive comments
and to offer solutions. We all know what the problems are.
There is no sense in belaboring the problems beyond some
initial outlines. Don't play the "Yes, but..." game. Devil's
advocacy should be confined to constructive illustration of
discussion topics and not an excuse for forensic debate.
This is not a college course. This is living, breathing
FidoNet. Everyone will be encouraged to use their common
sense and to offer well thought out plans of action.
At present, you may link into DEMOCRACY at 1:135/14,
1:135/10, or 1:133/302. DEMOCRACY is being co-moderated by
Steve Antonoff and yours truly. The Echo is open to anyone
with a REAL interest in the goals stated above and the
intent to observe the simple conference guidelines.
Alternate Network links may be established as required or
requested. The FidoNet, EggNet and AlterNet Nodelists are
maintained at this system. Other Networks may be supported
at other systems linking in.
That said, let's get started! [grin]
Thanks, for your attention.
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Christopher Baker
MetroFire, 1:135/14(0)
Miami_FL_USA
A NEW Fire Service Related Echo
This is to announce (or remind you of) a new, NON-Backbone
Echo conference called FHCOOK.
The FireHouse Cooking Echo is originated at MetroFire,
1:135/14, operated by the Metro-Dade County Fire & Rescue
Department in Miami_FL. Anyone who wishes to link into
this Echo is welcome to send NetMail to 1:135/14 for a
connection. It is also available on the FireNet Leader at
1:128/16 in Colorado Springs_CO and probably a few more
distribution points; hopefully AROUND the world! (There are
Firehouses everywhere are there not?)
What's different about Firehouse Cooking that should require
a separate, cooking-type Echo, you ask? Well, I'll tell
you [grin].
FidoNews 6-12 Page 19 20 Mar 1989
First off, FireHouse cooks are some of the most accomplished
improvisational cooks around. This is sometimes due to
necessity and sometimes due to having ALL those guinea pigs
to experiment on at the station [evil grin]. Second, cooking
for an entire station full of people requires LARGE amounts
of everything and major adjustments not normally needed for
a family size meal. Get the idea?
So, this Echo is for REALLY BIG recipes (serving ten or
more), FireHouse cooking trade secrets, and anything related
to getting the chow on the table from planning and
purchasing to prepping and preparing to consuming and
cleaning up [grin]. Anecdotes related to any of the above
are also welcome. We may have some contests over chili,
barbeque sauce, and the other things FireHouse cooks
consider their personal domain. We'll also hear from the
smallest meals (in the really rural stations) to the biggest
ones (airport stations come to mind).
That being said, this Echo is open to anyone who wants to
talk FireHouse cuisine, who wants to keep it friendly, and
who wants to make contact with other Fire/Rescue Service
types or big eaters [grin]. Arguments about whose chili is
best are okay so long as they do not become violent or
abusive [wider grin].
This is a Moderated Echo and I am the Moderator. I'll only
have to put my Moderator Hat on if somebody gets WAY out of
line (which I don't expect to happen but you know Echos).
Got it? All set? Okay, let's go!
FireNet East Coast Hub
FireHouse Cooking Host and Moderator
MetroFire, 1:135/14, 1-305-596-8611, Miami_FL_USA
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Announcing a new Backbone Echomail Conference--- THI_CVA
PURPOSE: The purpose of this conference is to provide for the
discussion of Traumatic Head Injuries, Cerebrovascular Accidents,
and other related Intracranial Malformations. It is hoped that
this conference will provide a clearing house for information on
the above topics, on facilities that specialize in the treatment of
Intracranial problems, and most importantly a conference where
victims and their families can meet to discuss problems, concerns,
and successes. An electronic international support group.
CONFERENCE RULES: This is a Fidonet Echomail Backbone Conference,
however participation by networks other than Fidonet is highly
encouraged. The basic rules are simple.
FidoNews 6-12 Page 20 20 Mar 1989
1) If you distribute this conference to another system, please do
everything in your power to assure that no duplicate links are
created.
2) The purpose of this conference is to help and support, therefore
no FLAMING of any sort will be tolerated.
3) The discussions WILL remain on topic. The moderator or
co-moderators will be the judge/judges as to whether a message is
on topic or not.
MODERATOR: This conference was started by Butch Walker
(1:161/1&2). The current moderators are: Butch Walker - 161/1 -
Data - 415-672-2504 or 415-672-9408 Susan Beck - 346/1
Why is this conference being formed?
When I was a teenager my grandfather suffered a stroke. That
didn't mean much to me at the time other than it was tougher as a
kid to be at my grandparents home. When I was in college a friend
of my mother's suffered a stroke, again not much meaning, I really
didn't know the lady. Several years ago, another friend of the
family had a THI, but she was a thousand miles away and I wasn't
there to see the pain, suffering and frustration, so again it
really didn't hit home.
On January 24th of this year, everything became more clear and very
personal. My wife Ellen (who will be participating in this
conference) suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by a Arteriovenous
Malformation. Unlike those listed above, she was only 29 years
old. Talk about reshaping your concept of reality.
Since that time, Ellen has spent time in 4 different facilities,
had a 5 1/2 hour brain surgery, gone through weeks when she could
not move her limbs on her left side, nor talk coherently, nor
remember from one moment to the next what was just said.
Thankfully she has made a great deal of progress.
For me, the most frustrating part of the ordeal was the lack of
information, and the lack of people to talk with that had
experienced something similar. I am hoping that through this
conference, someone, sometime will not feel the same frustration
that Ellen, I, and our families have felt.
We look forward to your participation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 21 20 Mar 1989
=================================================================
REPORTS
=================================================================
From The St. Louis IFNA Board of Directors Meeting:
FidoNews Policies
by Mort Sternheim, 321/109
Chairman of the Board
International FidoNet Association
This article is mostly about the FidoNews policies adopted at the
IFNA Board of Directors meeting held February 17-19th in St.
Louis. However, let me first introduce myself. I replaced Hal
DuPrie as an at-large member of the Board in December, 1988 and
was elected Chairman of the Board at the St. Louis meeting. In
fact, looking at the list of IFNA officers at the end of this
FidoNews issue, you'll see a lot of new names, or at least old
names in new slots. That's at least part of the reason that it
is taking a bit longer to report on the meeting than we'd like.
Although I'm new to the IFNA Board and also to the position of
Chair, I am not new to FidoNet. As a FidoNet sysop for nearly
four years, I'm not one of the first pioneers, but rather an
early settler. If you read the Educator, Science, or Physics
echoes, you may have seen the not-so-profound remarks entered by
me as Mort sysop. I'm a Net Coordinator, Net Echomail
Coordinator, SDS and SDN point sysop, etc., and I organized two
successful regional sysop conferences. I run a users group bbs
as well as one for teachers. Unlike many sysops, I'm a
physicist, not a computer professional, but I've been using
computers in my work since before FORTRAN (ugh!) was developed.
Now let's get back to the FidoNews policy question. In St.
Louis, we had extensive discussions of FidoNews policy matters.
At the request of the IFNA Board, Publications Committee Chair
Rick Siegel had invited FidoNews readers to send him netmail
comments on whether FidoNews should limit the range of materials
printed. Rick submitted a written report to the Board which
indicated that over 80 percent of those who accepted his
invitation favored an open Editorial policy. This was a self-
selected group of responders, not a random sample or Gallup Poll
survey of FidoNet sysops, but nevertheless we believe that the
tally does reflect the prevailing desires of those who read
FidoNews. Hence the Board rejected any suggestion of limiting
the scope of the material published.
However, the Board did enact two rules concerning FidoNews
submissions. They are as follows:
1. All submissions must include the real name and electronic
mail or postal address of the submitter.
2. Articles with any illegal content, or that may include
language that may be considered obscene or libelous, or may be in
FidoNews 6-12 Page 22 20 Mar 1989
conflict with copyright laws shall be rejected for publication by
the Editor. Anything that the Editor chooses to not publish is
subject to review by the Publications Committee and, on appeal by
the submitter, to the Executive Committee of IFNA.
Rule number 1 means that the submitter - who need not be the
author - has to tell the Editor who he/she is. That means that
the Editor has the opportunity to verify the authorship if there
is any doubt about the source of the article, or to discuss the
material if there are questions about it. It does not mean the
Editor will publish the submitter's name if he/she wishes it
withheld, but anonymous contributions will no longer be accepted.
It also enable the Editor to contact the submitter if there is a
need to discuss questions relating to rule 2.
Rule 2 is intended to protect all of us - the Editor, IFNA
officers, the RC's and NC's who distribute FidoNews, sysops, etc.
- from the possible legal repercussions of including articles in
violation of the laws. No disclaimer posted in FidoNews nor in
any other publication will stand up in court if anyone with deep
pockets cares to sue over a libelous article or one that violates
copyright laws. For example, no matter how noble our intentions,
we cannot publish copyrighted material without permission. Also,
FidoNews is not the Humor or Flame echo, and the type of language
contained in it ought to reflect the fact that FidoNews is
available to a wide range of readership, and that it is
distributed in many countries where sysops can run into serious
legal problems with local obscenity laws. In short, FidoNews is
the official publication of IFNA, and we are legally responsible
for its contents.
Under the policies in effect until now, the Editor could let
FidoNews go to press completely automatically - untouched by
human hands, if you will. Run from a batch file, the MakeNews
program can produce a newsletter from articles submitted in a
given format without any help from the Editor. This will no
longer be possible under our new rules; the Editor or an
assistant will have to review everything. However, we are not
trying to make the job of FidoNews Editor overly burdensome.
The point of the Board is that REASONABLE STEPS should be taken
to ensure that we are not entertaining serious liability, nor
creating situations which would be untenable for those in other
locales regarding content. Every article has to have a source,
recorded in some private file of the Editor if not in the article
itself. Must the Editor personally verify every single
submittal? Is that reasonable - considering the salary? No, the
Editor should spot check and generally make sure that all seems
OK. If anything looks dubious, the Editor should look into it,
communicate with the submitter about possible changes, and
ultimately decide to withhold the article from publication if
that seems best. In those cases, however, the Publications
Committee is to review the article and make a "final"
determination regarding publication. "Final" is in quotes
because the author only may appeal the Publications Committee
decision. In such a case, the Executive Committee acts as the
FidoNews 6-12 Page 23 20 Mar 1989
Supreme Court and can override the earlier Publications Committee
decision and cause something to be published.
In sum, it is the hope of the Board that establishing standards
for articles will enable FidoNews to become a more positive
force, attracting an increasing readership and a playing a
greater role in the FidoNet community.
I'd like to thank Don Daniels and David Drexler for helping to
draft the policies we have adopted and the language clarifying
their intent. Even more importantly, I want to acknowledge the
contributions of Dale Lovell, who has resigned as FidoNews
Editor. He has produced an issue every week without fail for the
better part of two years. Many voluntary organizations have
trouble getting out a monthly newsletter, so this is indeed a
remarkable accomplishment! Vince Perriello, who is well known in
the FidoNet community, has assumed the Editorship. Let's all
help him by sending him the articles he needs do an outstanding
job.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 6-12 Page 24 20 Mar 1989
OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Chairman of the Board
Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 President
Matt Whelan 3:3/1 Vice President
Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Vice President-Technical Coordinator
Linda Grennan 1:147/1 Secretary
Kris Veitch 1:147/30 Treasurer
IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS
Administration and Finance Mark Grennan 1:147/1
Board of Directors Mort Sternheim 1:321/109
Bylaws Don Daniels 1:107/210
Ethics Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390
Executive Committee Bob Rudolph 1:261/628
International Affairs Rob Gonsalves 2:500/1
Membership Services David Drexler 1:147/1
Nominations & Elections David Melnick 1:107/233
Public Affairs David Drexler 1:147/1
Publications Rick Siegel 1:107/27
Security & Individual Rights Jim Cannell 1:143/21
Technical Standards Rick Moore 1:115/333
IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIVISION AT-LARGE
10 Courtney Harris 1:130/732 Don Daniels 1:107/210
11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Mort Sternheim 1:321/109
12 Bill Bolton 3:54/61 Mark Grennan 1:147/1
13 Irene Henderson 1:107/9 (vacant)
14 Ken Kaplan 1:100/22 Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5
15 Scott Miller 1:128/12 Matt Whelan 3:54/99
16 Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Robert Rudolph 1:261/628
17 Neal Curtin 1:343/1 Steve Jordan 1:206/2871
18 Andrew Adler 1:135/47 Kris Veitch 1:147/30
19 David Drexler 1:147/1 (vacant)
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233
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FidoNews 6-12 Page 25 20 Mar 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 ________________________________________________________
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
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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