1362 lines
63 KiB
Plaintext
1362 lines
63 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 6, Number 29 17 July 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: Vince Perriello
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Editors Emeritii: Dale Lovell
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Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
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Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
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submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
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standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
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node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for
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network mail 24 hours a day.
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Copyright 1989 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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We don't necessarily agree with the contents of every article
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published here. Most of these materials are unsolicited. No
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article will be rejected which is properly attributed and legally
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acceptable. We will publish every responsible submission
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received.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
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2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2
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Update to Policy 4 Appeal ................................ 2
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A letter from a FidoNet Sysop ............................ 8
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Microcomputer Communications ............................. 11
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File Compression - an Update ............................. 15
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Number nine, number nine, number nine, .................. 17
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View From The Trenches on Fidonet, *C's, etc ............. 19
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3. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 22
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 22
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4. NOTICES .................................................. 24
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And more!
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 1 17 Jul 1989
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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Hello again, as always.
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In this issue, I have decided to add Mac and Amiga to the
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Software Versions section. I don't have much for Amiga right now
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except for a full-function BBS that does netmail, and I think
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that I have too much for Mac, as the list sent me seems to
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include stuff that has nothing to do with FidoNet, but it's a
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start.
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Amiga owners, could you send me info on nodelist processors/mail
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editors/archive programs/etc?
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Mac owners, could you help me pare that list? StuffIt doesn't
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really get used for FidoNet operations, does it? Is there
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anything else on that list that can be taken off?
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One more thing. Please don't send text of articles, etc in
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messages, I might not remember to extract them. Additionally, in
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the near future I'll devise a naming convention for archived
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articles and add it to ARTSPEC. I'll let you know when I put a
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new one up.
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Hey, this is all supposed to be fun. So let's have some FUN!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 2 17 Jul 1989
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Update to Policy 4 Appeal from Doug Thompson 1:221/0 - 221/162
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drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . . drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . .
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"Oh boy, the phone's ringing again . . . I'm never gonna finish
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reading my netmail today . . . <sigh>"
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drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . .
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"Hello", says Doug rather gruffly.
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"Hi Doug, it's David Dodell. My WATS line isn't working to Canada
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today, are you in a position to call me back?"
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"Hmmm. For this one, yeah, sure, what's your number?"
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Thus began a very interesting discussion about fidonet and policy
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that lasted for about 3 hours which leads me to want to add a lot
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to the policy appeal I sent in to fidonet earlier this week.
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Some of my most serious concerns were alleviated. The most
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important things to my mind (David's quite capable of speaking
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for himself) in that conversation:
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1) David assured me that no one would be removed from the
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nodelist for any opinion or statement about policy 4, including
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an expressed refusal to comply with it. The only grounds for
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excommunication remain technical and *repeated* violations of
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policy must occur before an excommunication would occur. That is
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to say a violation will get you a warning, repeat violations can
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get you excommunicated. Refusing the acknowledge the legitimacy
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of policy 4 can't get you either.
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In fidonet it continues to be "legal" to speak your mind and say
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darned near anything you want without fear of direct punishment.
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Our coordinators will not be taking a cue from the Ayatollah and
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issuing death-warrants for calling Mohammed a devil, cursing Tom
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Jennings' mother or even, presumably, cursing their coordinator.
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2) David expressed surprise at the result of the p4 vote. He had
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expected it to be defeated. So had I. Understandably this
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intensifies my concern that the room allowed for electoral abuses
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actually might well have been used more than once or twice.
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3) As for "real democracy", the major stumbling block appears to
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be two-fold. First, the logistical problem of how do we hold a
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ballot among all sysops. The second is more complex.
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Coordinators are administrators first, but we are also political
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representatives.
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 3 17 Jul 1989
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In the P 4 deliberations coordinators were called upon to act as
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legislators and political representatives of their nets. Most of
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the time coordinators merely administer policy. These are very
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different jobs and in most organizations are quite separate.
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Normally the political reps are the masters of the
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administrators. In fidonet we have both functions and roles
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wrapped into one job. While the political rep should obviously
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be elected in order to assure that s/he is representative,
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electing administrators is somewhat questionable. While it is
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basically not suitable for an elected rep to be subject to
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removal from above (imagine the President removing congressmen he
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didn't approve of) it is necessary that a postmaster be able to
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discipline, or even remove an incompetent letter-carrier, even if
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the letter-carrier was "elected" and is very popular.
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This duality of role has something to do with the lack of
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agreement we've seen concerning who should be elected by whom,
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and who should be appointed by whom.
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A comment ....
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Some years ago the idea emerged of creating a non-profit
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organization with an elected governing "council" which would
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protect the nodelist and be responsible for writing policy,
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holding elections, organizing the defence of sysops brought
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before the courts, and that sort of thing. Such an organization
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would enable the "political" and "administrative" functions to be
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separated.
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That idea resulted in the creation of IFNA which did not,
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regrettably, come together as hoped. It has not achieved true
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representative status because you still have to pay a $25 fee to
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get a vote, it's not open to all in the nodelist.
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If we have to have the administrator and the political rep in one
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job and one person, then it is important that there be ways in
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which the individual can be removed both from above and below as
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well as ways of selecting a suitable individual. David brought
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this up, I entirely agree.
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4) There are two very different aspects to fidonet. One is
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technical, and one is social. On the technical side the major
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concern is simply the efficient movement of mail between the
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sender and the addressee. On the social side is that whole realm
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of concerns which arise because we are a volunteer organization
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and have a lot of tasks to be apportioned to various people. We
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know how to move the bytes, now, how do we get the necessary
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people to do the appropriate things such that the know-how is
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implemented? Motivating people to do things, encouraging their
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creativity, and getting people to comply with rules, etc., are not
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technical problems, they are wholly political and cultural
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problems. They may have to do with solving technical problems,
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but there are no technical solutions to people problems.
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 4 17 Jul 1989
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On the social side too is the whole area of social
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impact of new technology. To some extent fidonet is a community
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of people, and it has relations with other groups in society such
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as other networks, regulatory agencies in many jurisdictions,
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companies wishing to market to us or market our nodelist, etc.
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While most of these issues have technical attributes, they are
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not primarily technical problems.
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Then there is conflict resolution. A lot of stupid conflicts
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arise. Coordinators are assigned the task of resolution. This
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"judicial" aspect of the job is another of the non-technical
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parts of the role. Some countries do elect judges, and it seems
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to work. But clearly while a higher court can over-turn a
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decision of a lower one, a judge must be "independent" and should
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not have to worry about public opinion, or anything else but
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achieving a just resolution of a conflict. S/he should not be
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subject to removal if s/he makes decisions which don't happen to be
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popular. A good judge nevertheless takes the public mood into
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consideration when sentencing. Finally, real judicial systems
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have juries and juries often enough kill old laws and make new
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ones by refusing to convict people for things of which they are
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clearly guilty. This is one way that law is "democratized".
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Regardless of what the law says, if you can't find a jury that
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will bring in a guilty verdict, you don't have a conviction. And
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after that, you don't have a law.
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David Dodell put it quite eloquently, stating that primarily "we
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are moving data. The movement of that data can accomplish great
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social things".
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I see things just a little differently. The end, or goal, is not
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the movement of data, that's only the means. The end is the "great
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social things". To get the great social things, we need to move
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data effectively. After all, if our messages all consisted of
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random bytes we could move them just as efficiently but there'd
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be no point would there? The successful movement of a message
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from Europe to Oceania in minutes for less than the cost of a
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postage stamp is impressive technically, but it's also a very
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great "social thing". And if it were not a great social thing few
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of us would bother doing it.
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I'd add one further proviso. Unlike AT&T mail, or Envoy 100,
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fidonet depends on voluntary labour from many people to move data.
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Unless the perception is there that the "great social things" are
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happening, or about to happen, the supply of volunteer labour is
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liable to dry up and then the movement of data ceases.
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Excessively authoritarian management, while possibly effective in
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the short term, ultimately alienated volunteer creative input and
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thus ends up defeating its own purpose.
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Remember fidonet should be "fun". By that I *do not* mean, a joke
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or merely a recreational activity. I believe work should be "fun"
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in the same way, and I'm willing to "work" very hard at having
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meaningful "fun". I mean that fidonet should encourage creative
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expression, innovation and invention. If it is not highly
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enjoyable it can't attract new people so easily and it will
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 5 17 Jul 1989
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alienate current participants. Autocratic *Cs can do more to dry
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up the fun than *anything* else. It's no fun having a bully
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ordering you around, threatening to excommunicate you for
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"insubordination". This is not AT&T mail. This is not the army.
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There is no oath of allegiance to any monarch or any flag
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required. This is a part of the first wave of the information
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revolution in which *people* and the information they possess are
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the ultimate value. Of much greater value than money. That
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information is usually enhanced in value if it can be moved.
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Excommunicating a node if it is at all possible not to is
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directly equivalent to a bank burning hundred dollar bills
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because they cause some annoyance. It is an attack on the very
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fundamental basics of the whole operation.
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5) So we agree we have lots of problems with policy 4, and we
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agree that the best bet is to forge ahead with a policy 5 process
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that will aim at learning from our mistakes.
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What are the challenges for policy 5?
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There is nearly universal recognition of the need for the net to
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be ultimately bottom-up, which means that any administrative
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hierarchy must be controlled by the bottom through democratic
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avenues of some sort. Maybe we should think about getting rid of
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the hierarchy entirely? There is nearly as universal a
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recognition that the strictly technical organization of the net
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is not, primarily, a political or social issue, but wholly a
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technical one. Politicising it could be inefficient.
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I've not heard anyone challenge the usefulness of the technical
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role of the coordinators to assign node numbers, edit the
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nodelist, and make sure it is accurate and quickly dispatched
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throughout the net. I really don't think it would help anyone to
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get into political debates about who should get which node
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number, for instance.
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On the other hand, coordinators end up making a lot of political
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decisions about who is or isn't in the net, and there are those
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questions which have both technical and social attributes, such
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as geographic boundaries for local networks. Those get very
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political without losing a technical aspect. They cause a lot of
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unrest because while they are both social and technical issues,
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they are only being addressed by policy as technical issues.
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Trouble is wholly predictable when that mistake is made.
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Technical rules cannot solve political problems, and the attempt
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to do so inevitably exacerbates the situation.
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Policy 4 bans the use of encryption which I find slightly
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bewildering since it is being so rapidly embraced by the rest of
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the world, and enhances the value of e-mail so much. That is the
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sort of decision which is wholly political since the "technology"
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would be mostly unaffected.
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 6 17 Jul 1989
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That's just mentioned as an example of something which should be
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decided in a political process by the bottom.
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What we need therefore is a device to enable meaningful
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participation from the bottom, from any sysop who wants to
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participate. If we don't create that kind of a device the
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"bottom-up" aspect of fidonet will cease to exist and it will be
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run much like a feudal fiefdom by its coordinators forever.
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We are extremely fortunate at the moment in having a wise,
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intelligent, fair-minded International Coordinator who is
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concerned to see these problems untangled. I've had occasion to
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exchange quite a lot of mail with David since he was appointed IC
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by IFNA in December of 87 and while we've certainly had our
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disagreements, I have seen the man persuaded by solid arguments
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many times and generally do the right thing. We are *very* lucky.
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Given all the givens, we might not be so lucky next time.
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C'mon Fidonet, let's seize the opportunity *now* and do some
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creative organizational work which results in both an efficient
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administrative system and representative, open, and democratic
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social policy-making system!
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Really, the basics are pretty simple. Technically we need to
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ensure software compatibility and mail-hour integrity and
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accuracy of the nodelist. Socially and politically we need to
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assure that no political, ideological, racial or other
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discriminatory practices are used anywhere in fidonet to
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exclude people or systems from being listed.
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That one paragraph addresses the necessities to have a net that
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works and a net that is basically open to the whole human race,
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regardless of religion, race, nationality, political affiliation,
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gender, or opinion about policy 4!
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All that's left is the implementation and the process of making
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decisions about things.
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By and large I think we in fidonet agree on the basics. In a
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couple of weeks I'll have more thoughts to send fidonews on the
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details.
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We may discover that these objectives are impossible. We may
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discover that people will use and abuse the technology with
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complete abandon no matter what we do. We may discover that we
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are not "organizable". It's certainly not a simple and
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straightforward issue. BUT - we'll never know unless we make a
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determined effort.
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=Doug
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 7 17 Jul 1989
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 8 17 Jul 1989
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A letter from a FidoNet Sysop
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Pablo Kleinman (4:1200/101)
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FidoNet Coordinator for Zone 4
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Dear colleague,
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To start, I give you my apologies for choosing such an
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"ordinary" topic for this letter.
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We have all seen and sometimes participated (and still
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see and sometimes still participate) on a big discussion that
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involved (and still involves) a big (if not all) of FidoNet
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during the last months.
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POLICY4 was (is) the controversial matter, the very
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center of that discussion.
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I, myself, had some problems with the International
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Coordinator regarding the new POLICY: I don't agree with a lot
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of things, especially with the distribution of power along the *C
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structure, to which I belong both as Regional and Zone
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coordinator, and with the methods adopted for elections.
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If I would be power-hungry, I could just sit down and say
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nothing: I'm probably the most power-secure individual in the
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net, as it is impossible to anyone (following the procedures
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specified in POLICY4) to remove me.
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But I'm obviously not (I'm writing this, right now). And
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I expressed that from the beginning to David Dodell and others.
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Before voting for POLICY4, we [Z4 sysops] protested
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because we were not invited to participate on its writing, and
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informed the IC that we wanted a chance to propose some changes
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before it was finally approved. But David Dodell didn't give us
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any answer at all, he simply ignored the text.
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POLICY4 was unanimously rejected by the whole *C
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structure of Zone 4, especially by myself. The reason: while
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I'm not sure if "democracy" would be the best way to handle the
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net, I'm positively against any kind of "aristocracy".
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POLICY4 is definitely aristocratic, and that aristocracy
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is made up by the RCs and ZCs.
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That does not mean that the RCs and ZCs are the bad guys
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on this story, or that they have bad intentions. I have treated
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the ZCs for a while already, and sincerely trust on the ZCs good
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intentions. I'm a Regional and Zone coordinator myself, and
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trust on my good intentions :-).
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FidoNews 6-29 Page 9 17 Jul 1989
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But the legitimacy of the power structure at FidoNet is
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questionable for many.
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But with more discussions and x-large FidoNews we won't
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change anything, or at least, we won't get any positive results.
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In Zone 4, POLICY4 was approved only last week (by Z4's
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*C structure), and if it was, it was done on a "preliminary
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basis", which means that the decision could be reverted if the
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same people vote against it anytime.
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We [the representatives of Zone 4] voted for POLICY4 just
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to avoid more trouble with the IC.
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But I won't wait a second this time: something has to be
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done, as soon as possible.
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I personally don't trust in revolutions: they always
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bring more problems than the ones they eradicate.
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My proposal is to "go slowly but steadily": let's
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propose some essential changes in POLICY4.
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For example, I'd like the NCs to participate in the
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elections; and think this could be a good start for bringing a
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democratic form of administration for FidoNet.
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I took the initiative and added a node named "Change
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Policy4!" in the nodelist, with the number 4:4/5 (the Policy5
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Project).
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The Policy5 Project will write a Policy5 proposal, that
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when finished, will be presented to the whole *C structure to be
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voted.
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But if we want a Policy representing the views of the
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majority of FidoNet, we definitely need participation. Consider
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yourself from now, invited to participate in the Policy5 Project.
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We do need YOU! FidoNet needs YOU!
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We will soon start an echomail conference to talk about
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each matter, and to let everyone express his/her views and make
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proposals for each topic. And we need desperately YOUR help, to
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distribute the P5PROJECT echo in zones 1, 2 and 3.
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Please, contact us right now: this is your best chance
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to get involved.
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I hope you got the basic idea. If you have further
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||
questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 10 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Thank you in advance for all your help in writing a
|
||
better policy for a better FidoNet, and for taking the time to
|
||
read this text.
|
||
|
||
My best regards,
|
||
|
||
Pablo Kleinman (4:1200/101)
|
||
FidoNet Coordinator for Zone 4
|
||
Buenos Aires, Argentina
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 11 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Claude F. Witherspoon
|
||
Fido 1:288/525
|
||
Home of KidsNews & NCLM (tm) Echo
|
||
|
||
Microcomputer Communications
|
||
|
||
In following the KIDS echo conference, KidsNews learned that the
|
||
area in which more information is needed is microcomputer
|
||
communications. Therefore, we offer the following information to
|
||
assist you in understanding some of the terms you see mentioned
|
||
as you communicate with the various BBSes, Mainframes, etc.
|
||
around the nation.
|
||
|
||
MODEM is an abbreviation for MOdulator/DEModulator. A modem is
|
||
necessary when communicating between computers using a phone
|
||
line. The phone system is analog (using tones of different
|
||
frequencies) and computer output is digital (0 or 1, ON or OFF).
|
||
The modem's job is to convert (modulate), the computer's digital
|
||
signal to analog and demodulate the analog to digital at the
|
||
receiving end. Consequently, two modems are needed for data
|
||
exchange over a phone line between computers.
|
||
|
||
The Hayes Smart Modem 300 was first introduced in May of 1981 and
|
||
quickly became the industry standard, with a data transfer rate
|
||
of 300 bits per second (bps). Larger numbered modems indicate a
|
||
higher transfer speed; e.g., the Hayes Smart Modem 2400 tranfers
|
||
data at 2400 bps. A modem's speed is measured in bits per second,
|
||
although this is commonly inaccurately referred to as "baud."
|
||
Modems can be either internal (on a card inside your computer) or
|
||
external (a seperate box with visible lights to indicate when it
|
||
is on and operating).
|
||
|
||
Data can be sent either SERIAL or PARALLEL. Serial means one bit
|
||
at a time. Parallel sends one character (8 bits) at a time.
|
||
Modems are serial devices.
|
||
|
||
Amplifiers are used to boost the signal when transmitting long
|
||
distances on analog lines, but this results in increased noise
|
||
levels. If the signal were digital, regenerators would be used
|
||
instead of amplifiers, and less noise and higher accuracy would
|
||
result. These benifits, plus greater speed and capacity, are what
|
||
make fiber optic lines so attractive. The phone industry is
|
||
headed towards digital transmission, so modems may someday be a
|
||
thing of the past.
|
||
|
||
When a signal is sent, it is either synchronous or asynchonous.
|
||
Asynchronous is the most common. It always has a start bit (0)
|
||
and one or more stop bits (1). Synchronous sends a 128k packet of
|
||
information and is used in communicating with mainframes. Modems
|
||
are asynchronous devices. A typical signal would look like the
|
||
following:
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 12 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
start / data / parity / stop
|
||
0 / ####### / 1 / 1
|
||
|
||
PARITY refers to error checking. There are three choices for
|
||
error checking: ODD, EVEN, or NONE. NONE means no error checking
|
||
will be done. This results in a faster transfer rate, but low
|
||
reliability. EVEN means a 1 will be placed in position 9, if
|
||
needed, to keep the total number of occurrences of (1s) even. ODD
|
||
will use the same position to make the sum of ones an odd number.
|
||
|
||
(If you are running a BBS, set your machine to NONE. This will
|
||
accept a caller using ODD, EVEN, or NONE. Otherwise, they will
|
||
have to use the same parity that the BBS modem is using.)
|
||
|
||
PROTOCOL is the term used for "method of communication". We as
|
||
humans in America have a protocol of English: one person talks
|
||
then the next talks, etc. The most popular, standard protocol is
|
||
XMODEM, which involves the following:
|
||
|
||
SOH BLK#1 BLK#1 DATA CKSUM
|
||
|
||
The SOH character (start of heading), followed by teo block
|
||
numbers, signals the start of one 128 byte block transfer. The
|
||
block number and its complement assure accuracy and proper
|
||
sequencing. Data can be any size up to 128 bytes (or characters).
|
||
The CKSUM, known as check-sum, uses the modulo sum of the ASCII
|
||
values of each character in the data field. If the checksum
|
||
received equals the checksum transmitted, an acknowledgement
|
||
(ACK) is sent back from the recieving computer. If a NAK is sent,
|
||
(negative acknowledgement), then an error was detected and the
|
||
same block of information is re-sent. After all blocks are sent,
|
||
an EOT character signals transmission finished.
|
||
|
||
XMODEM CRC works the same way as XMODEM, except the CRC (Cyclic
|
||
redundancy check) algorithm, is a more sophisticated error
|
||
checking scheme. KERMIT is fast and uses full duplex (half duplex
|
||
transmits one direction at a time, full duplex transmits both
|
||
directions at the same time). It sends a whole stream of data
|
||
before stopping to see if there was an error. A more recent
|
||
protocol, YMODEM, uses XMODEM, CRC checking, and variable packet
|
||
sizes.
|
||
|
||
We hope this will bring some light to some of the questions we
|
||
have seen in the KIDS echo conference as well as give a better
|
||
understanding of some of the terms used in telecommunications.
|
||
|
||
If you have something you would like to share with the KIDS,
|
||
please send articles in the FidoNews standard format to Fido
|
||
1:288/525 for insertion in the KidsNews newsletter. Our kids will
|
||
be greatly appreciative. Thanks...
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 13 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 14 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
jim nutt
|
||
'the computer handyman'
|
||
1:114/30.0@fidonet (and proud of it!)
|
||
|
||
Some Questions
|
||
|
||
Just some food for thought....
|
||
|
||
Is it just me or has anybody else noticed that all the policy
|
||
wars are beginning to sound more and more like a bad soap
|
||
opera?
|
||
|
||
Have any of these people who are complaining actually
|
||
taken a look at the work it takes to be an *C?
|
||
|
||
What power does a *C REALLY have? I mean, there isn't really
|
||
anything there to get on a power trip over, now, is there?
|
||
|
||
Does Fidonet work for the vast majority of sysops?
|
||
|
||
Do the vast majority of sysops even care about the petty
|
||
bickering that is going on over Policy4?
|
||
|
||
Are alternative networks the solution? (I say no, if anything,
|
||
they are in worse shape than Fidonet)
|
||
|
||
Is the main reason for all the complaining about policy simply
|
||
a case of too much free time and too little real work?
|
||
|
||
Why in the world would anybody WANT to be a *C?!?!?
|
||
|
||
I have been in and out of Fidonet for years, I write software
|
||
for the net and enjoy participating in the echos. I also
|
||
firmly believe that Fidonet will survive in spite of itself.
|
||
After all, what is Fidonet but a loose collection of people who
|
||
let their computers run up huge phone bills? Fidonet sysops
|
||
are an incredibly diverse group, with interests ranging from
|
||
the ridiculous to the sublime... yet we all manage to
|
||
work together. Abiding by policy is a terribly simple thing to
|
||
do for the privilege (yes, it is a PRIVILEGE to have a node
|
||
number, NOT A RIGHT!) of being able to communicate with
|
||
thousands of people worldwide.
|
||
|
||
SO QUIT BELLYACHING AND START ENJOYING YOURSELVES AGAIN!
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 15 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
John Herro
|
||
1:363/6
|
||
|
||
FILE COMPRESSION - AN UPDATE
|
||
|
||
|
||
In my article "Will ZIP Replace ARC?" in FidoNews 611, I predict-
|
||
ed that ZIP will replace ARC as the compression standard for bul-
|
||
letin boards, because of the superior performance of ZIP.
|
||
|
||
However, in a Letter to the Editor in FidoNews 614, Robert Heller
|
||
mentioned that program performance isn't the only criterion.
|
||
Compatibility with non-DOS systems is important in some situa-
|
||
tions, and ARC 5.12 and ZOO 2.01 are the only compression pro-
|
||
grams at present that have been ported to a variety of systems.
|
||
Mr. Heller has a point. The rest of this article will discuss
|
||
only selection of a file compression program where compatibility
|
||
with non-DOS systems isn't a factor.
|
||
|
||
Since I wrote "Will ZIP Replace ARC?" I came across two other
|
||
file compression programs: DWC and LHARC. Despite its name,
|
||
LHARC isn't compatible with ARC. It came here from Japan and
|
||
seems to offer even greater file compression than ZIP, at some
|
||
cost in speed. It produces .LZH files, named for Lempel-Ziv com-
|
||
pression with adaptive Huffman coding. DWC was named for the
|
||
initials of its author, and it seems to be very rarely used.
|
||
|
||
Also, I was mistaken in the way I interpreted SEA's announcement
|
||
of ARC version 6 in FidoNews 607. Fortunately, this _IS_ still a
|
||
Shareware program, available on bulletin boards.
|
||
|
||
I benchmarked all seven programs on the computer I use at work,
|
||
identified only as a Printer Mate 12.5 MHz AT-compatible. (I
|
||
didn't test PKPAK, because it's the same as PKARC except for the
|
||
file extension.) Using each of the seven programs, I compressed
|
||
version 1.22 of my ADA-TUTR (Ada Tutor) program, which contains
|
||
34 files totaling more than 700K. The files are of a variety of
|
||
types and sizes. In all cases where several compression choices
|
||
were available, I selected maximum compression. Here are the re-
|
||
sults, sorted according to the amount of compression achieved:
|
||
|
||
COMPRESSED SECONDS SECONDS
|
||
PROGRAM BYTES TO PACK TO UNPACK
|
||
|
||
ARC 6.01 w/ ARCE 340,592 48 40
|
||
ZOO 2.01 323,320 49 52
|
||
PKARC 3.5 321,004 28 33
|
||
DWC A5.01 303,161 31 34
|
||
NoGate PAK 1.6 288,460 57 66
|
||
PKZIP 0.92 257,867 76 32
|
||
LHARC 1.13 234,470 130 73
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 16 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
The results show that, although PKZIP is significantly faster
|
||
than LHARC, the winner is clearly LHARC if maximum compression is
|
||
desired. For most bulletin boards, telephone charges are the
|
||
biggest expense, and therefore maximum compression is the most
|
||
important consideration. Also, LHARC is free, while PKZIP is
|
||
Shareware. Again I emphasize that I'm considering only cases
|
||
where compatibility with non-DOS systems isn't a factor.
|
||
|
||
We'll have to wait to see what version 1.0 of PKZIP will offer.
|
||
It is well worth paying for Shareware registration if the program
|
||
is superior, especially since file compression programs are used
|
||
so frequently. There are now a number of boards using PKZIP and
|
||
a number using LHARC. Mr. Heller is right: it's too early for
|
||
one system to be selected as the standard. Let's hope that one
|
||
compression method will prevail soon, so that there will again be
|
||
one standard. In the meantime, if you'll pardon the pun, it's a
|
||
Zoo out there!
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 17 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Number nine, number nine, number nine, ...
|
||
|
||
Decentralizing the FidoNet <tm> Nodelist
|
||
Decentralizing FidoNet Power
|
||
Randy Bush, FidoNet 1:105/6
|
||
|
||
|
||
Think of FidoNet as a confederation of local nets. Forget
|
||
regions. Forget zones except as a way of saving telco charges by
|
||
concentrating messages and as a way to segment the total
|
||
nodelist. FidoNet returns to being a collection of local nets,
|
||
as it was before the region and zone hierarchies were added just
|
||
a few years ago.
|
||
|
||
In each zone there is an echo, call it ZnnnLIST, to which every
|
||
NC in that zone subscribes. In the North American zone, it is
|
||
Z001LIST. For the moment, do not worry about the security or
|
||
reliability of this echo, but things like sequence numbers,
|
||
checksums, and RSA public key signatures can be used to address
|
||
such problems (you are aware that RSA can be used to send a
|
||
validatable signature, yes?).
|
||
|
||
When an NC's net (or hub) segment undergoes significant change
|
||
(significant is that which would be likely to affect callers from
|
||
outside one's own net), then the NC posts a processed version of
|
||
that segment to the ZnnnLIST echo. The processing could be to
|
||
create a difference file, compress the file, maybe RSA signature
|
||
encode it, or whatever else is deemed necessary. A simplistic
|
||
scheme to start is a collection of lines of the form
|
||
|
||
add z:n/n <new node line>
|
||
del z:n/n
|
||
chg z:n/n <altered nodel line>
|
||
|
||
similar to the prerevolutionary nodediff file.
|
||
|
||
By placing the processed segment in the ZnnnLIST echo, each net's
|
||
nodelist segment(s) will be automatically distributed to all
|
||
other nets within that zone. This is the essence of the scheme.
|
||
|
||
Each NC automatically accumulates the changes to the zone
|
||
nodelist as they pass by in the ZnnnLIST echo for their zone.
|
||
Once a week (or two), they create a difference file against last
|
||
week's accumulated zone nodelist, and distribute this new
|
||
difference file within their local net. The nodes within the net
|
||
are thus insulated from all change, and do not have to change
|
||
their prerevolutionary batch files or programs.
|
||
|
||
The zonegates exchange periodic diffference files for their
|
||
zones, and make the lists (or difference files) of the other
|
||
zones available within their own, likely via the local ZnnnLIST
|
||
echo. Since the advent of zonegates, one need not know much
|
||
about a node in another zone, only the sysop's name and the node
|
||
number. So we could choose to reduce the size of lists we keep
|
||
of other zones, if the thought is not too scary.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 18 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Note that a first prototype of this methodology could be
|
||
constructed from existing software plus a few days of coding.
|
||
|
||
--------
|
||
Credits:
|
||
o FidoNet is a trademark of Fido Software and Tom Jennings.
|
||
|
||
o UucpNet/Internet distribute the maps via their equivalents of
|
||
echomail.
|
||
|
||
o This idea in this general form was first spoken of by Tom
|
||
Jennings in the FIDOBETA echo in May '89.
|
||
|
||
o Ken Ganshirt refocussed my attention on it when I whined
|
||
about the current FidoNet hierarchic power structure.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 19 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
View From The Trenches on Fidonet, *C's, etc.
|
||
Mark Earle, 1:160/50 (512)-850-9102 [HST] (NEC)
|
||
|
||
First, let me point out that the (NEC) doesn't mean much,
|
||
except that I've agreed to pay a somewhat outlandish fee to
|
||
Ma Bell for the privilege of sharing my echomail habit with
|
||
my net. "Being" *The* Net Echomail Coordinator is NOT a *C
|
||
type of position, at all. NC is the lowest recognized 'power'
|
||
position. Having said that...
|
||
|
||
I've followed the Jim Grubs/Net 154 situation, and note that,
|
||
in nodediff.188, Net 154 is back in the picture. Mostly, it
|
||
seems like a squabble, with lots of mis-quotes, doubts, and
|
||
private messages distributed publicly. I'm not sure, at this
|
||
point, that *anyone* can finger out what the 'facts' are.
|
||
Surely the original parties know. But the rest of us 'know'
|
||
only through conflicting accounts on various echoes. So I am
|
||
not going to comment on "the facts", whatever they may be.
|
||
|
||
I don't view Steve Bonine as "anything" yet, beyond the
|
||
elected ZC. Let's give him a chance. It appears Jim Grubs
|
||
will be back in the Nodelist, as is Net 154. That shows that
|
||
the parties are willing to back down, a bit, and decide to
|
||
Press On.
|
||
|
||
Hey-just what *is* FidoNet? Bob Hartman says it's different
|
||
to almost EVERY sysop. He's RIGHT. To me, it was a NEAT and
|
||
CHEAP way (compared to Compuserve) to get my daily
|
||
Information Fix, as a user, who started with a Model 100 at
|
||
300 baud (!). It has become a way for me to share my echomail
|
||
habit with others in my local area. It was not, at first, a
|
||
way to send private messages. That was a side benefit. Now
|
||
though, Netmail is an important part of my FidoNet
|
||
activities. Chicken and Egg, though; my Netmail habit grew as
|
||
a result of meeting interesting folks on the Echoes.
|
||
|
||
This view of mine may (should) differ from yours. What keeps
|
||
us all together is NOT IFNA. It IS technically compatible
|
||
mail software, and The NodeList, AND adherence to Policy.
|
||
|
||
The IFNA does *NOT* make The NodeList. That is done by each
|
||
Net Coordinator. This is a significant change from the 'early
|
||
days' when Fido 51 did all number assignments (and no, I
|
||
wasn't around then, this was gleaned from reading the
|
||
FidoNews). Now this assigning of numbers is done at many
|
||
different locations. IFNA only owns the copyright to the
|
||
whole nodelist as a compiled entity, not the individual
|
||
sections submitted by the NC's.
|
||
|
||
My *own* opinion is, that NETS and Individuals SHOULD NOT be
|
||
summarily deleted from the NODELIST. BUT, as a sysop, you are
|
||
agreeing to agree to current policy as a condition to joining
|
||
FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 20 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Membership in FidoNet is based on agreeing with policy,
|
||
meeting ZMH, and running technically compatible mailer
|
||
software. If you don't like the current policy when you join,
|
||
then don't join. If a new policy pains you so much, simply
|
||
request your NC to drop you from FidoNet. Then, if you feel
|
||
you still want to participate in changing things, simply log
|
||
in as a user to the echoes being used as a media of change
|
||
and offer your input. But saying you won't abide by a policy,
|
||
doing "annoying" things, *AND* expecting to stay in FidoNet
|
||
are pretty unreal expectations. Also, there are *always* the
|
||
"other" nets.
|
||
|
||
Jim Decker: while a simple non-political nodelist is an
|
||
interesting idea, that in and of itself still won't make a
|
||
network. What makes FidoNet 'go' is that, I can find out the
|
||
rules, join, and have access to NetMail and EchoMail, using
|
||
pretty well defined, standard, procedures. Simply having a
|
||
list of 5000 bbb's running mailers, means I can mash the
|
||
button an send anyone direct a message; but removes the
|
||
routing, echomail, and other capabilities of FidoNet. To get
|
||
those, you'll have to mimic much of FidoNet. And I, in the
|
||
trenches of Texas, see no need for *me* to participate in
|
||
multiple nets. Not enough time to fully support the one as it
|
||
is! Now, maybe if I'd been excommunicated, I'd feel more
|
||
passion. Or maybe if in FidoNet longer, would be ready for a
|
||
change.
|
||
|
||
My NC, Tom Harper, *DID* send me policy4, ask for my
|
||
comments, and my vote, as he did with each sysop. His vote
|
||
was what the Majority of Sysops voted. I feel that I *DID*
|
||
have a voice. The NC also has, on *many* occasions, helped
|
||
me, particularly when trying to get OPUS and Binkley running.
|
||
It's nice to find a person willing to donate time, energy,
|
||
tips, *.bat files, etc. to help another sysop, for free. I
|
||
try and pass a little of that spirit on. And from what other
|
||
nets tell me, it's pretty much the same, except for a few
|
||
sour grapes nets, who don't want new members, change,
|
||
software, or anything that "rocks the boat". Along the way, a
|
||
new sysop may 'make a boo-boo' that'll cost me 25 cents in a
|
||
wasted LD call, or something; but If *I* had to *pay* $ for
|
||
each mistake I've made at the keyboard.... well, it's nice
|
||
that others in my net understand, and forgive, and we go on
|
||
and have fun.
|
||
|
||
When I first joined, my activities were "rocking the boat"
|
||
quite a bit. But Tom gave me advice, shared history, and
|
||
mostly, pointed me in directions where, as it turns out, I
|
||
drew my own conclusions, and agreed that the existing net
|
||
structure was pretty hard to beat. It may not be *exactly*
|
||
what it should be, but surely, at least *here* it's pretty
|
||
close.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 21 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
While saying 'nice things' let me point out that, when the NC
|
||
was not available, the RC answered my queries quickly, on his
|
||
nickel, and to my satisfaction. Now, maybe it ain't that way
|
||
in your neck of the woods, but, overall, it seems to work
|
||
hereabouts.
|
||
|
||
Maybe y'all need to step back, WAY BACK, and instead of
|
||
yelling, kickin', and screaming, simply QUIT, and go find
|
||
something FUN to do with your computers. I understand EggHead
|
||
still has copies of Flight Simulator, and Adventure... :-)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 22 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
LATEST VERSIONS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Latest Software Versions
|
||
|
||
MS-DOS Systems
|
||
--------------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Fido 12n+* Phoenix 1.3 TBBS 2.1
|
||
Lynx 1.30 QuickBBS 2.03 TComm/TCommNet 3.4
|
||
Opus 1.03b+ RBBS 17.2A TPBoard 5.2
|
||
|
||
|
||
Network Node List Other
|
||
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
BinkleyTerm 2.20 EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.02
|
||
D'Bridge 1.21* MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 2.0
|
||
Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ConfMail 4.00
|
||
FrontDoor 2.0 Prune 1.40 EMM 2.02
|
||
PRENM 1.47 XlatList 2.90 GROUP 2.10
|
||
SEAdog 4.51A* XlaxDiff 2.32 LHARC 1.13*
|
||
XlaxNode 2.32 MSG 3.3
|
||
MSGED 1.99
|
||
PK[UN]ZIP 0.92*
|
||
QM 1.0*
|
||
TCOMMail 2.2
|
||
TMail 1.11
|
||
TPBNetEd 3.2
|
||
UFGATE 1.03
|
||
XRS 2.3*
|
||
ZmailQ 1.09*
|
||
|
||
Apple Macintosh
|
||
---------------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Red Ryder Host v2.1b3 Tabby 2.0* MacArc 0.03
|
||
Mansion 7.0 ArcMac 1.3
|
||
StuffIt 1.51
|
||
TImport 1.0
|
||
TExport 1.0
|
||
Timestamp 1.6
|
||
Tset 1.0.2
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 23 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Timestart 1.1
|
||
Tally 1.1
|
||
Mehitabel 1.2
|
||
Archie 1.60
|
||
Numberizer 1.5c
|
||
MessageEdit 1.0
|
||
|
||
|
||
Commodore Amiga
|
||
---------------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Paragon 1.00+*
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
+ Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
|
||
* 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 6-29 Page 24 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
20 Jul 1989
|
||
Twentieth anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first moonwalk.
|
||
|
||
2 Aug 1989
|
||
Start of Galactic Hacker Party in Amsterdam, Holland. Contact
|
||
Rop Gonggrijp at 2:280/1 for details.
|
||
|
||
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 1:1/89
|
||
for info.
|
||
|
||
5 Oct 1989
|
||
20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
|
||
|
||
11 Oct 1989
|
||
First International Modula-2 Conference at Bled, Yugoslavia
|
||
hosting Niklaus Wirth and the British Standards Institution.
|
||
Contact 1:106/8422 for more information.
|
||
|
||
11 Nov 1989
|
||
A new area code forms in northern Illinois at 12:01 am.
|
||
Chicago proper will remain area code 312; suburban areas
|
||
formerly served with that code will become area code 708.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
KESHERnet Announcement
|
||
by Roger Froikin
|
||
1:108/185
|
||
|
||
KESHERnet Growing
|
||
|
||
KESHERnet(tm), a new international Jewish Affairs
|
||
communications network is now operating, currently linking
|
||
BBS's in several American communities with BBS's in London
|
||
and Israel.
|
||
|
||
Plans include expansion to every American city where there
|
||
is a Jewish community, affiliation of BBS's in major
|
||
European, Latin American, and Austrailian cities, and
|
||
expansion of services to Jewish computer enthusiasts and
|
||
their communities.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 25 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you'd like information about KESHERnet, net-mail your
|
||
request to Roger Froikin, 1:108/185.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 26 17 Jul 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 Vic Hill 1:147/4
|
||
Executive Committee Bob Rudolph 1:261/628
|
||
International Affairs Rob Gonsalves 2:500/1
|
||
Membership Services David Drexler 1:147/47
|
||
Nominations & Elections David Melnick 1:107/233
|
||
Public Affairs David Drexler 1:147/47
|
||
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 1:102/732 Don Daniels 1:107/210
|
||
11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Mort Sternheim 1:321/109
|
||
12 Bill Bolton 3:711/403 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 3:3/1
|
||
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 1:147/47 (vacant)
|
||
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 27 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
|
||
The World's First / \
|
||
BBS Network /|oo \
|
||
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
||
FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California _`@/_ \ _
|
||
at The Holiday Inn Park Plaza | | \ \\
|
||
August 24-27, 1989 | (*) | \ ))
|
||
______ |__U__| / \//
|
||
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
||
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
|
||
|
||
|
||
R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M
|
||
|
||
|
||
Name: _______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Address: ____________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
City: _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ______________
|
||
|
||
Country: ____________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Phone Numbers:
|
||
|
||
Day: ________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Evening: ____________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Data: _______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Zone:Net/
|
||
Node.Point: ___________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Your BBS Name: ________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
BBS Software: _____________________ Mailer: ___________________
|
||
|
||
Modem Brand: _____________________ Speed: ____________________
|
||
|
||
At what hotel will you be staying: ____________________________
|
||
|
||
Do you want an in room point? (Holiday Inn only) ______________
|
||
|
||
Are you a Sysop? _____________
|
||
|
||
Are you an IFNA Member? ______
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 28 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Additional Guests: __________
|
||
(not attending conferences)
|
||
|
||
Do you have any special requirements? (Sign Language translation,
|
||
handicapped, etc.)
|
||
|
||
______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Comments: ______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Costs How Many? Cost
|
||
--------------------------- -------- -------
|
||
|
||
Conference fee $60 .................... ________ _______
|
||
($75.00 after July 15)
|
||
|
||
Friday Banquet $30.00 ................ ________ _______
|
||
|
||
======== =======
|
||
|
||
Totals ................................ ________ _______
|
||
|
||
You may pay by Check, Money Order, or Credit Card. Please send
|
||
no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds. Checks should be
|
||
made out to: "FidoCon '89"
|
||
|
||
|
||
This form should be completed and mailed to:
|
||
|
||
Silicon Valley FidoCon '89
|
||
PO Box 390770
|
||
Mountain View, CA 94039
|
||
|
||
|
||
You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/89 for
|
||
processing. Rename it to ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
|
||
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number. US Mail
|
||
confirmation is required within 72 hours to confirm your
|
||
registration.
|
||
|
||
If you are paying by credit card, please include the following
|
||
information. For your own security, do not route any message
|
||
with your credit card number on it. Crash it directly to 1:1/89.
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 29 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
Master Card _______ Visa ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Credit Card Number _____________________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Expiration Date ________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
Signature ______________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
No credit card registrations will be accepted without a valid
|
||
signature.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Rooms at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at
|
||
408-998-0400, and mentioning that you are with FidoCon. Rooms
|
||
are $60.00 per night double occupancy. Additional rollaways are
|
||
available for $10.00 per night. To obtain these rates you must
|
||
register before July 15.
|
||
|
||
The official FidoCon '89 airline is American Airlines. You can
|
||
receive either a 5% reduction in supersaver fares or a 40%
|
||
reduction in the regular day coach fare. San Jose is an American
|
||
Airlines hub with direct flights to most major cities. When
|
||
making reservations, you must call American's reservation number,
|
||
800-433-1790, and reference Star number S0289VM.
|
||
|
||
The official FidoCon '89 automobile rental agency is Alamo Rent a
|
||
Car. Rates are as described below. All rates include automatic
|
||
transmission, air conditioning, radio, and unlimited mileage.
|
||
|
||
Economy car (example: Geo Metro) $32 day/$109 week.
|
||
Compact car (example: Chevy Cavalier) $34 day/$120 week.
|
||
Midsize car (example: Pontiac Grand Am) $36 day/$135 week.
|
||
Standard car (example: Buick Regal) $38 day/$165 week.
|
||
Luxury car (example: Buick LeSabre) $40 day/$239 week.
|
||
|
||
To take advantage of this rate, call Alamo at 1-800-327-9633 and
|
||
request the convention rate. Mention FidoCon '89, the location
|
||
and dates.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 30 17 Jul 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.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 6-29 Page 31 17 Jul 1989
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|