1017 lines
49 KiB
Plaintext
1017 lines
49 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 7, Number 34 20 August 1990
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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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| FidoNet (r) | | \ \\ |
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| International BBS Network | (*) | \ )) |
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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: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication
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and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only.
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For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software.
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FidoNews is published weekly by the System Operators of the
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FidoNet (r) International BBS Network. It is a compilation of
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individual articles contributed by their authors or authorized
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agents of the authors. The contribution of articles to this
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compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous
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Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day.
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Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
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Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are
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used with permission.
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Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors
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and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software.
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Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every
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responsible submission received.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
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FidoNews Archiving -- the view from the City Desk ........ 1
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2. ARTICLES ................................................. 4
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Something We Can All Agree On ............................ 4
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LHARC, The Snooze, IFNA, and Iraq ........................ 7
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TechCon-I, the Report (part 1) ........................... 9
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3. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 15
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 15
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4. NOTICES .................................................. 18
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MetroFire [1:135/14] Moves Again! ........................ 18
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 19
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 1 20 Aug 1990
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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A funny thing happened this summer. FidoNews changed its default
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archiver. It broke a few batch files. And FidoNet survived!
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Thank God for those little miracles.
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This has been a fascinating story. Certainly the best one I know
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of that concerns FidoNews itself. But it's starting to get
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boring now, and I'm going to have to bring it to a close.
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I have heard the words "insolent" and "arrogant" used to describe
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our actions. I'm not really sure where the insolence comes in.
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I'll have to wait until somebody explains that to me. As for
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arrogance -- if you're a software author in FidoNet and you're
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not arrogant yet, just wait a week or so, it's a communicable
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disease here. I've seen no cure as yet either, except perhaps
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for complete removal of the cause. So I'm arrogant. So sorry.
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That doesn't mean that I don't care about FidoNet at large. I
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do. Enough to be keeping my eyes open for potential problems and
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to take action when it appears warranted. I saw a potential
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problem. It appeared to require action. I took action. Harry
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took the heat. His call. I was willing to. I do now.
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There have been several objections to the change. Most of them
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were not objections to the dropping of ARC. Most actually
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protested the use of LHArc rather than ZIP. We'll cover that
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issue later in this editorial. The complaints which I want to
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address first are from those who felt we had acted unreasonably
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in making the change without advance notice.
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Did your batch file break? I apologize. Should I have given you
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some warning so you could fix it beforehand? Maybe. Would this
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advance notice have been interpreted as license to start a
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NET_DEV-style filibuster? I think so.
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I'm a great fan of Grace Hopper, whose favorite admonition is
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that it's often (I think she says "always" rather then "often",
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actually) easier to apologize than to ask permission. With that
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in mind, we decided to avoid the filibuster by presenting you
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with a fait accompli.
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However, before FidoNews went out in a .LZH file, I consulted the
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International Coordinator, the Zone 1 Coordinator, and the holder
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of the Trademark. Nobody cautioned me not to do it. Nobody told
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me not to do it. I had either an implicit or explicit go-ahead
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from each (though TJ made a point of not wanting to "meddle", one
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way or the other). Nobody felt that the world would come to an
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end if I made the change. Nobody felt that Dan Quayle would wind
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up as the U.S. President as a consequence of the lack of advance
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notice. End of story. We did it.
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 2 20 Aug 1990
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That's why there was no advance notice. I still feel that it was
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the only way to make this change. To those of you who are still
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offended that I didn't appear at your doorstep, prostrate myself,
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and ask for your divine consent -- I'm sorry. But you're the
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kind of person Grace had in mind, and I'll not be asking your
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permission the next time I have an idea either.
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Let's get down the the "ARC versus the world" issue now. When
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you really get down to cases, it's the only part that matters.
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This has nothing to do with the SEA vs. PKware lawsuit. I made
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this decision before reading the materials that seem to be
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floating around the net -- in fact, I haven't read them yet for
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this very reason.
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ARC 5.12 was a standard that is still very widespread. But SEA
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is breaking this standard themselves in their new product, which
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works best in its (DEFAULT!) incompatibility modes. This is
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nothing new for ARC. It's part of ARC's evolutionary history. I
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know that many of you are familiar with the message "Sorry, I
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can't unpack this archive. You need a newer version of ARC."
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This inconvenience was offset by the improvements offered, and
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for those people who were using ARC on other platforms -- new
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source code to port.
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ARC 6.0 changed all that. For apparently obvious reasons, the
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widespread distribution of source code ended. As the gain
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involved in moving to 6.0 was small and the public was still
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angry over the Katz lawsuit (whether they were right or wrong in
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this regard, the fact remains that they were ANGRY), not too many
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people in FidoNet actually used it -- and those people were
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generally savvy enough to keep 6.0 archives off the public net.
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ARC 7.0 is a better product than 6.0. In fact, MUCH better. It
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will sell, in my opinion. To neophytes, in many cases. This
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makes the .ARC extension a shaky one for people who are still
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running ports of 5.12.
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Why? Consider those users who have no archiving software. They
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download FNEWSxxx.ARC. Then they download XARC or whatever to
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unarc it. In the process of registering their shareware ARC
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software or using XARC etc, they are very likely to find
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themselves on the business end of a sales pitch for ARC 7.0.
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Many people confronted with this pitch are likely to buy -- hell,
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why not? Then they archive something up. Then they upload it.
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Then if you're not running DOS or OS/2 you will not be able to
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access the contents of that archive, since there is no source
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available for any dearchiver and SEA is only releasing DOS and
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OS/2 software. That's intolerable.
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 3 20 Aug 1990
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I hope the people at SEA do well. They are hard-working people
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and they deserve to benefit from the fruits of their labors. But
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I don't want to be in a position to help confuse the .ARC
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standard, which in my opinion is now locked at 5.12, through
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indirect marketing of ARC 7.0. I also do not want to somehow
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become victimized by it through receipt of ARC 7.0 archives that
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I can't unpack. So I won't distribute .ARC files.
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Most people think that if I don't use ARC, I should use ZIP. I
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think not. I know that there is code about for unzippers and
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that archive formats are documented. But ZIP could wind up on
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the same path as ARC, and since there are other archivers which
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are not being developed or distributed with commercial gain in
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mind, I'd rather pass on ZIP.
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Zoo is another standard. It's not too bad, in terms of
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compression. It's about on a par with ARC 5.12, in fact. But
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these days that's not too good. Rumors abound that Rahul Dhesi
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is adding better compression methods to it, but as yet --
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nothing. That's the only bad thing I can say about it. Its
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structures are well thought out, in terms of portability. In
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fact, its portability is outstanding.
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LHArc is Freely Available with source in both Intel assembler and
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ANSI C. No marketing pitch, no fancy sales talk, always up to
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date on all platforms. And it's about as good as anything else
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(and MUCH better than ARC 5.12!). It's slower than most, but the
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bottom line is connect time. Smaller archives cost less to move.
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I chose LHArc because it was unencumbered with commercial intent
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or pretense (as is also the case with Zoo), and because it
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compresses much better. I intend to stay with it. There will be
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no change in archive format for the forseeable future. We've
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made our change and we're going to stick with it.
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I might add that for those of you who are getting FidoNews via
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file request from 1:1/1, you can request FIDONEWS to get the .LZH
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file and FIDOTEXT to get the uncompressed .NWS file. I don't
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know of anyone who can do file requests but can't uncompress a
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.LZH file, but you never know.
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Thanks for listening. This thread is now ended. Let's try to
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get conversation regarding FidoNews back to what's in it and not
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what it's in.
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Cheers,
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Vince
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 4 20 Aug 1990
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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John Passaniti
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Fidonet 1:260/201
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I am one-half of the Fidonet hub for Rochester, New York
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(260/2xx). Part of the thrill of being in Fidonet is wondering
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what other people are going to do, and how it will affect you.
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The recent Fidonews fiasco is a beautiful case in point.
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A well-meaning individual decided to make a change for the
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better, and used LHARC to compress Fidonews. That well-meaning
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individual probably didn't consider the number of people in the
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network who _expect_ or _need_ to have Fidonews be compressed as
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something resembling an ARC file. (Reminder: please write a
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"registered trademark" symbol after "ARC" in the preceding
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sentence on any printouts of this issue of Fidonews.)
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I really wouldn't have minded so much if I would have been given
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warning. As it turns out, we have a node in our hub which cannot
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decompress LHARC files-- he is running on a Tandy Color Computer,
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and nobody has ported LHARC for his machine. This means I have
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to spend time and effort in decompressing and recompressing the
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Fidonews for him. Should I have to?
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But enough of my bitching-- anyone can complain. I have a
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solution that with enough people's help can eliminate this sort
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of problem.
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THE PROBLEM:
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To some people, compression programs aren't a practical matter of
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concern-- they are a religious issue. There is an awful lot of
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"emotional liability" involved with some compression programs.
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Some people refuse to use ARC (again, don't forget the
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"registered trademark" symbol) because of the court case between
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SEA and PKware. Some people refuse to use PKZIP for the same
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reason. Both kinds of people probably don't have enough depth to
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understand what the court case was really about, and waste the
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time of the rest of us with their nonsense.
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If recent comments in Fidonews are to be believed, some people
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object to the use of LHARC because it is was written by a
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Japanese person. Wow-- futile nationalism comes to software!
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I'm sure there are others who have strong objections to using
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programs like ZOO, and whatever other compression programs I
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haven't mentioned.
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 5 20 Aug 1990
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Others may have more valid (non-religious) reasons for objecting
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to certain compression programs. Some programs may not be ported
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to their machine. Some programs might go outside the bounds of
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what a particular machine can do (such as amount of memory
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needed, or disk I/O limitations).
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THE SOLUTION:
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What is needed is a _true_ Fidonet compression standard. This
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standard should be 100% public domain, and be written in as
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portable a manner as possible to promote it to be ported to as
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many machines as possible.
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ARC, PKZIP, LHARC, ZOO, and whatever others are out there fail in
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various respects. The source code for ARC isn't portable without
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tedious work, and it certainly isn't public domain. PKZIP offers
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no source code. LHARC offers source code, but it isn't as
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portable as some would lead you to believe. And ZOO-- well, ZOO
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is about the best candidate of the bunch, but I'm sure someone,
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somewhere out there has some objection to it-- valid or not.
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This new Fidonet compression standard would be used for the
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weekly Fidonews and "nodediff." It would also replace ARC as the
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_base_ standard for echomail compression. Note that this doesn't
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prevent two consenting adults from using any echomail compression
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program they want on the privacy of their own system.
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Note that the purpose of this compression standard wouldn't be to
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compete with other compression programs. The authors who write
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those programs have interests other than Fidonet in mind. This
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new compression standard would be both BY Fidonet members, and
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FOR Fidonet members.
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MAKING THE SOLUTION A REALITY:
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Software doesn't appear out of thin air, and while my mythical
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compression standard doesn't yet exist, nothing is preventing a
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few programmers who are interested in such a project from getting
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together and making it a reality.
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Such a group would include programmers who were familiar with
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portability issues; who could work both independently and
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together with others; and who could port the compression standard
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to as many machines as possible.
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Every single machine that now can participate in Fidonet would
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NEED this compression standard ported to it, or it would be
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useless as a standard.
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 6 20 Aug 1990
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To start this project, I offer an echo conference to anyone who
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would like to participate in it. The conference will be
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unmoderated, and available initially from Fidonet 1:260/228. If
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you are interested, please send mail to me at 1:260/228, and I'll
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set you up so you can poll for it.
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CLOSING WORDS:
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Virtually every technical specification needed to participate in
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Fidonet is available-- from either the Fidonet Technical
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Standards Committee documents which are available, or from the
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wealth of source code that many authors have contributed.
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The only technical specification that isn't similarly documented
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is a compression standard. This is a glaring oversight that
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needs to be corrected as soon as possible.
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Fidonet has grown far beyond anyone's imagination, and continues
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to grow. The lack of a technical specification for a compression
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standard is something that must be addressed. With your help, we
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can create such a standard, and promote the spread of Fidonet.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 7 20 Aug 1990
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LHARC, The Snooze, IFNA, and Iraq
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---------------------------------
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By Kwityer Bychin
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Well folks, here I am once again to agitate and irritate the
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masses. Being that the masses are so easily agitated and
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irritated.
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We'll start this week's column with a little talk about the
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most recent Earth-shaking, life threatening, disaster to
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strike Fidonet; Vince & Harry's switch to LHArc FOR THE
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SNOOZE!! (Dun Dun DUNNNN!)....
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Oh boy this REALLY IS A BIG DEAL now, ain't it folks?! I
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mean, the entire membership of Fidonet literally SCRAMBLES to
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read the Snooze every week now don't we? I mean, it plays such
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a major part in our lives, that any attempt to change it is
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sacreligious!
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Now, let's take a look at this thing like the mature
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well-adjusted adults that we are shall we? <whew!>
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Here we have Vince Perriello, a NICE GUY. He is, really.
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I've met him. He spent 4 days at Conclave '90 doing this 'n
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that, but not ONCE did he engage in ANY sort of devil-worship
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whatsoever. Nope. No horns, no tail, just a couple bottles of
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BINK BEER and a copy of Fight-O-News, cruising through the
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conference.
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch, all kinds of people are
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foaming at the mouth because Commandant Perriello had the
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audacity to change COMPRESSION METHODS for the Snooze. And to
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our absolute HORROR, he didn't even ask PERMISSION. Woooo. Bad
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dude, that Perriello.
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Vince whips out his copy of LHarc, compresses the Snooze,
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ships it off, and all kinds of PEOPLE start whining WAAAAAAH!
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WAAAAAH! YOU BROKE MY BATCH FILE!! WAAAAAH!! As if NOTHING
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ever went awry with their systems.
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You say can't decompress the LHarc archive? Well guess what
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Virigina? The source code is available! MAKE IT WORK ON YOUR
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SYSTEM. What? You say you don't WANT to port the code over?
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Y9ou don't know HOW? You want someone to make a version FOR
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YOU? OHHHH!! Right Away!
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Hey, this is a HOBBY, this ain't LIFE & DEATH here. If your
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batch file's broke, FIX IT.
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OH WAIT!! There's a GIF PICTURE in Snooze #733! Oh my GOD
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this is terrible! We can hear the bawling already! WAAAAAHH!!
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The archive is too big now!! WAAAAAH!! TWO FILES in the
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archive broke my new batch file that I just fixed!! WAAAAAH!!
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I WANT AN RLE PICTURE!!! WAAAAH!! I CAN'T VIEW IT ON MY
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TIMEX/SINCLAIR!!
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 8 20 Aug 1990
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And as far as IRAQ is concerned, we could end that conflict
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over there by giving Hussein a node number and sending him and
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his buddies the SYSOP echo. And maybe a copy of the NEW
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IMPROVED FIDONEWS! Then they could spend all their time
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FLAMING AND KILLING EACH OTHER, just like WE DO!
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Wow. Chemical weapons in the SYSOP conference....
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Now I'm supposed to talk about IFNA. Remember IFNA? NO???
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Where have you BEEN for the last week or so? Well, for those
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of you that know what IFNA was, IT'S DEAD. Yep. The membership
|
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and the BoD voted it into oblivion on August 4, 1990. TRASHED
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it. And You know what? Since the thing kicked the bucket,
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traffic in the IFNA echo skyrocketed! Pretty good huh?
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Speaking of the IFNA echo, you GOTTA check this one out.
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Read the stuff in there by this guy named FRED. He wants to
|
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BAN BETA TESTING OF MAILERS. He wants to make an FTSC with a
|
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minimum AGE requirement of 25. He wants to do all kinds of
|
||
INTERESTING STUFF.
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If you're too young to remember Joe McCarthy, HERE IS YOUR
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BIG CHANCE.
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Hey kids! You're old enough to drive, old enough to vote,
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old enough to DIE FOR AMERICA IN SAUDI ARABIA, but FRED SAYS
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you AIN'T OLD ENOUGH to evaulate BINKLEYTERM!
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Hey, let's hear it for Fred huh! <clap clap clap> A big
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hand, come on!
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Oh and before I go, how about that BOB MORAVSIK eh?? <clap
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clap clap> Let's give him a big hand! How can I possibly end
|
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such a violent column without taking a couple shots at
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MAHATMA-RAVSIK??!! Didja read last week's SNOOZE ?? (Oh,
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that's right I forgot. You can't decompress it). Well anyway,
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||
an article in last week's Snooze says MAHATMA-RAVSIK was named
|
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IC! PRETTY FUNNY STUFF EH? I'll bet that if that really
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happened, he'd file a complaint against himself, and be
|
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EGGS-COMMUNICATED. Oooooh. BAD EGG that Moravsik.
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Well folks, that's enough drivel for this issue. Now WHIP
|
||
OUT those word processors while your blood pressure is still
|
||
200 over 150 and SEND IN THAT HATE MAIL! Let's see just how
|
||
good a job LHarc REALLY DOES!
|
||
|
||
K.B.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 9 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jan Ceuleers
|
||
2:295/53
|
||
|
||
TechCon-I, the Report (part 1)
|
||
|
||
|
||
OK, so here it is folks: the first part of the TechCon-I
|
||
report. "What is a TechCon?", I hear you ask?
|
||
|
||
TechCon-I was the first 2-day conference which was entirely
|
||
devoted to FidoNet Technology. It was held at the same time and
|
||
in the same hotel as EuroCon-IV: on July 14th and 15th in
|
||
Antwerp, Belgium.
|
||
|
||
Anyway, if this is the first you hear of TechCon, you haven't
|
||
been reading FidoNews regularly, because it was announced well
|
||
in advance, and already commented upon by FidoNews' editor,
|
||
Vince Perriello.
|
||
|
||
Vince wasn't at TechCon simply as the FidoNews Editor (in fact,
|
||
that's not why he was there at all). He'd also brought Bob
|
||
Hartman and the new BinkleyTerm with him. Moreover, Rick Moore
|
||
had appointed him as the official FTSC representative at
|
||
TechCon.
|
||
|
||
Obviously, there were a lot of other interesting people among
|
||
the attendants (me, for one ;-). I'm not going to name any,
|
||
because I'd have to list all of the attendants in order not to
|
||
forget anyone interesting.
|
||
|
||
Anyway, here we go...
|
||
|
||
|
||
BinkleyTerm 2.40 Release - Bob Hartman and Vince Perriello
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
It had been quite a while since the Trio released BinkleyTerm
|
||
2.30 (September 5th, 1989), so something was to be expected.
|
||
We were nevertheless semi-surprised and delighted that Bob
|
||
and Vince came to Europe to give their first public
|
||
presentation on BinkleyTerm 2.40 at TechCon.
|
||
|
||
The features:
|
||
- Most of the messages BinkleyTerm displays and puts in its
|
||
log are now configurable, in order to accomodate non-English-
|
||
speaking users. This will probably break every log analyser
|
||
in existence, but what the heck :-). The messages are
|
||
contained in a separate file (BINKLEY.LNG) which can be
|
||
generated by a language file compiler. The structure of this
|
||
file is published (by means of the Binkley source code), so
|
||
log file analysers should make use of this structure, and
|
||
compare the messages they find in the log to the ones they
|
||
find in the .LNG-file.
|
||
- Janus, the long-awaited full duplex file transfer protocol,
|
||
has finally been added on an experimental basis. It is
|
||
important for users to understand that it might break. (As it
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 10 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
happens: evidence that there was indeed a problem had been
|
||
popping up earlier that day. During the rest of their stay,
|
||
Bob and Vince worked with their local beta team to start
|
||
solving this and other problems, JC). Janus is rather
|
||
counterproductive on HST connections, because of the long
|
||
line turn-around times. It does work very well in V32
|
||
situations though.
|
||
- A state engine has been implemented, providing a relatively
|
||
simple way to implement new protocols should the need arise.
|
||
This has also helped in assuring compatibility with FTS-0007
|
||
and FTS-0008, much to the delight of SEAdog users.
|
||
- BinkleyTerm now supports 5D-addressing, that is: zone, net,
|
||
node, point and domain. This includes support of FSC-0045 and
|
||
FSC-0049. The nodelists for each of the domains are separate:
|
||
they no longer have to be compiled into a set of huge files.
|
||
A drawback is that no packer easily supports this new feature
|
||
as yet. It can be done with some intricate batch file
|
||
programming though.
|
||
- The first pop-up windows have been added to Bink: Alt-G
|
||
(interactively generates a file request), Alt-S (a file
|
||
attach) and Alt-K (removes all mail for the named node from
|
||
the outbound). This required another extension of the Colors-
|
||
statement in the config file.
|
||
- BinkleyTerm can now exit with a configurable exit code upon
|
||
receipt of one or more files with a certain extension (say,
|
||
.TIC). Comes in handy for SDS nodes.
|
||
- Support for yet another multitasker was added: PC-MOS.
|
||
Also, if no multitasker is detected nor declared, Binkley
|
||
will call the DOS idle interrupt (0x28) whenever it would
|
||
have called the multitasker's time slice release routine, had
|
||
a multitasker been installed. This tremendously speeds up
|
||
background tasks under DOS, such as the $25 Network.
|
||
- Another long-awaited feature is MaxBytes: a limitation of
|
||
the number of bytes a certain class of nodes is allowed to
|
||
request during one session. Insufficient time was left before
|
||
TechCon started for Vince to implement a limitation based on
|
||
time (or baud rate, if you like) as well. This will be
|
||
incorporated in a future release.
|
||
- In order to avoid the dead-time between the CONNECT message
|
||
from the modem and the start of the session, an MNP and V42
|
||
Modem Protocol Negotiation Filter has been implemented. The
|
||
3-second delay was required for the classic case where a non-
|
||
MNP modem was called by an MNP modem. The MNP handshake had
|
||
to be skipped, since it could contain an ESC, which would
|
||
obviously cause Binkley to drop to the BBS. It is now
|
||
filtered instead.
|
||
- A Terminal-mode initstring was added.
|
||
- Curmudgeon mode will no longer throw out new nodes who use
|
||
the net/-1 or net/9999 convention, so as to allow NCs who
|
||
like Curmudgeon mode to take calls from nodes in spe.
|
||
- In order to support multi tasking even better, semaphore
|
||
files are being placed in the outbound areas during sessions.
|
||
Other tasks can look for these files (.BSY extension) and not
|
||
do anything that might interfere with the ongoing session.
|
||
Binkley will refuse to send files to a node if it detects
|
||
that that same node is engaged in a session with a Binkley in
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 11 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
another task (or on another workstation of the LAN).
|
||
- The screen can now be unblanked during a session. The
|
||
unblanking functionality can now also be selected: should the
|
||
screen unblank when a key is pressed, or whenever something
|
||
happens?
|
||
- BinkleyTerm is definitely dolphin-safe. No Bink has ever
|
||
killed a dolphin. (This is an undocumented feature, JC).
|
||
|
||
Question time.
|
||
|
||
(The following questions and answers reflect my
|
||
interpretation of the discussion, JC).
|
||
|
||
Q: Could you please implement a file request limit based on
|
||
time as well?
|
||
A: Yes, we're working on it. It could have been in this
|
||
release, but we ran out of time.
|
||
|
||
Q: Why does an .RSP-file need to be a file. Couldn't you send
|
||
a packet like D'Bridge ?
|
||
A: You can't always send a packet and expect the other side
|
||
to know that you've sent mail. Not all protocols support
|
||
sending more than 1 packet per session in each direction.
|
||
|
||
Q: Can a BinkleyTerm user put a file on hold for a point that
|
||
is not his own without knowing the point's private net?
|
||
A: No. The reason why BinkleyTerm isn't fully 4D is that this
|
||
poses a problem with Opus 1.03. Wynn defined a 4D structure
|
||
in the hello-packet, but subsequently didn't use it himself.
|
||
Therefore, if we were to implement this (Bink hasn't changed
|
||
in this respect since 2.00), a point using BinkleyTerm would
|
||
pick up the mail destined for his boss. This was not
|
||
acceptable, because of the large number of nodes (a few
|
||
thousand) that were using barefoot Opera, and the release of
|
||
Opus 1.10 was far from imminent. Now that this problem has
|
||
been addressed in Opus 1.10, the importance of this argument
|
||
has obviously diminished, but we still don't think that the
|
||
number of nodes that would have to change over overnight is
|
||
sufficiently small yet. But we will address this problem in
|
||
the near future ("It'll probably be in the next release").
|
||
|
||
Q: What do you think about EMSI?
|
||
A: The way we see it, EMSI should address 3 problems: we'd
|
||
like to see a novel way to update the nodelist, it would be
|
||
nice if two nodes could exchange all the mail for their
|
||
respective AKAs during a single session, and we'd like to be
|
||
able to talk to mainframes, that have front-end processors
|
||
requiring CRs between input records, as well as 7-bit data.
|
||
The first two are indeed addressed by EMSI as of now, but we
|
||
feel that the third-one is much more important, in view of
|
||
the fact that large companies have offered us (FidoNet) their
|
||
excess capacity for free. We're sure Chris and JoHo will work
|
||
with us towards a solution to this problem.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 12 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
Message Digest -- Henk Wevers
|
||
-----------------------------
|
||
|
||
Henk is a professional crypto-analyst. He talked about the
|
||
MD4 method of message authentication, which was devised by an
|
||
American corporation with the cooperation of M.I.T.
|
||
|
||
The algorythm creates a 128-bit (16-byte) fingerprint which
|
||
would take 2^128 computations to fake. Due to its simplicity,
|
||
MD4 is very fast. Henk provided sample source code in Pascal
|
||
and C (the files MD4PAS.ARC and MD4C.ARC are available from
|
||
2:295/27). He urges everyone to take a look at this, and to
|
||
propose a way to utilise it in FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
Before this, or any other method of authentication, can be
|
||
used, we need to define exactly what the 'message text' is.
|
||
Kludge lines are certainly not a part of the message text in
|
||
this respect: they should be skipped when calculating the
|
||
message digest, because they can change as the message
|
||
progresses through the network. The problem is that there
|
||
isn't really a definition of what a kludge line really is.
|
||
Henk has been talking to Randy Bush about this, specifically
|
||
about the definition of a 'physical line'. This must be
|
||
solved first.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Edifact -- Henk Wevers
|
||
----------------------
|
||
|
||
The type 2 packet, as it is currently in use, has proven to
|
||
be problematic, in that many of its uses are too loosely
|
||
defined, and that too little flexibility is allowed for. We
|
||
therefore need a solid standard on message structure, for
|
||
which there are two well-known contenders: X.400 and Edifact.
|
||
The X.400 standard is very difficult to implement, so let's
|
||
concentrate on Edifact.
|
||
|
||
Edifact is an entirely text-based (not necessarily ASCII)
|
||
message standard, which is very simple to implement. (As a
|
||
matter of fact, the commercial version of Dutchie already
|
||
supports Edifact.) The standard comprises specifications on
|
||
the message format and on the bundling of those messages.
|
||
|
||
The bundling part of the standard is very straightforward:
|
||
messages are simply concatenated in a file to form a bundle.
|
||
As for the message format: a group of people planning to
|
||
exchange Edifact messages is free to define its own message
|
||
building blocks, in addition to those that are predefined in
|
||
the standard. The FTSC could be the body that maintains a
|
||
list of building blocks for use in FidoNet: a database of
|
||
centrally allocated building block definitions.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 13 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
The character set in use in most Edifact implementations to
|
||
date is 7-bit ASCII, because of the wide range of platforms
|
||
the messages need to be processed on. The standard is already
|
||
in common use in the transportation, the medical and the
|
||
banking sectors.
|
||
|
||
Edifact allows for the easy implementation of forms: a
|
||
company could send its customers an Edifact message
|
||
containing a form for them to fill out, to order certain
|
||
goods, for example. Likewise, an NC could send such a message
|
||
to an applicant for a node number. Form fields can be
|
||
mandatory or optional, conditional, repetitive, etc. This
|
||
implies that a message editor for Edifact looks more like a
|
||
form processor than like a 'conventional' message editor.
|
||
|
||
This standard is not difficult to implement, and it'll gain
|
||
us a lot of credibility in the world at large.
|
||
|
||
For more info on Edifact, please ask Henk Wevers in netmail
|
||
how to order a copy of the standard.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Echomail -- Vince Perriello
|
||
---------------------------
|
||
|
||
A brain storming among a few attendants during the coffee
|
||
break caused Vince to bring a subject up that had previously
|
||
been discussed by a subcommittee of the FTSC: a way to
|
||
distribute conferences without having to insert PATH and
|
||
SEEN-BY information (or its equivalent).
|
||
|
||
Vince's version of this concept was based on the idea that
|
||
each node has a maximum of one uplink for a certain area, and
|
||
that a bit in the message header (like the file request bit,
|
||
which isn't used in echomail anyway) would specify whether a
|
||
message is on its way up in the topology, or on its way down.
|
||
|
||
After a number of questions from the audience, this mechanism
|
||
was proven not to be immune against dupes, and it was agreed
|
||
that any type of conference distribution system without PATH
|
||
or SEEN-BY information should be.
|
||
|
||
Bob pointed out that GroupMail actually does all the things
|
||
we want, and that it's a mystery why the GroupMail standard
|
||
hasn't been used more widely. The standard is published, and
|
||
there is no reason why groupmail processors could not be
|
||
written that support different compression programs than Arc.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
OK, so that's the first part. The rest of it will appear in the
|
||
next issue, or so I hope...
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 14 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jan Ceuleers (2:295/53)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 15 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
LATEST VERSIONS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Latest Software Versions
|
||
|
||
MS-DOS Systems
|
||
--------------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
DMG 2.93 Phoenix 1.3 TAG 2.5f*
|
||
Fido 12s+ QuickBBS 2.64 TBBS 2.1
|
||
Lynx 1.30 RBBS 17.3A TComm/TCommNet 3.4
|
||
Kitten 2.16 RBBSmail 17.3A Telegard 2.5
|
||
Maximus 1.00 RemoteAccess 0.04a* TPBoard 6.1
|
||
Opus 1.13+* SLBBS 1.77* Wildcat! 2.15
|
||
PCBoard 14.2 Socrates 1.00 XBBS 1.13
|
||
|
||
Network Node List Other
|
||
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
BinkleyTerm 2.40* EditNL 4.00 ARC 7.0*
|
||
D'Bridge 1.30 MakeNL 2.20 ARCAsim 2.30
|
||
Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ARCmail 2.07
|
||
FrontDoor 1.99c* Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00
|
||
PRENM 1.47 SysNL 3.11 Crossnet v1.5
|
||
SEAdog 4.51b XlatList 2.90 EMM 2.02
|
||
TIMS 1.0(Mod8)* XlaxDiff 2.35* Gmail 2.05
|
||
XlaxNode 2.35* GROUP 2.16
|
||
GUS 1.30
|
||
InterPCB 1.30*
|
||
LHARC 1.13
|
||
MSG 4.1
|
||
MSGED 2.00*
|
||
PK[UN]ZIP 1.10
|
||
QM 1.0
|
||
QSORT 4.03
|
||
Sirius 1.0w
|
||
SLMAIL 1.35
|
||
StarLink 1.01
|
||
TagMail 2.20
|
||
TCOMMail 2.2
|
||
Telemail 1.20
|
||
TMail 1.15
|
||
TPBNetEd 3.2
|
||
TosScan 1.00
|
||
UFGATE 1.03
|
||
XRS 3.40
|
||
ZmailQ 1.12*
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 16 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
Macintosh
|
||
---------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Red Ryder Host v2.1b10 Tabby 2.2 MacArc 0.04
|
||
Mansion 7.15 Copernicus 1.0d* ArcMac 1.3
|
||
WWIV (Mac) 3.0 StuffIt 1.6b1*
|
||
FBBS 0.91* TImport 1.331
|
||
Hermes 0.88* TExport 1.32
|
||
Timestamp 1.6
|
||
Tset 1.3
|
||
Import 3.2
|
||
Export 3.21
|
||
Sundial 3.2
|
||
PreStamp 3.2
|
||
OriginatorII 2.0
|
||
AreaFix 1.6
|
||
Mantissa 3.21
|
||
Zenith 1.5
|
||
UNZIP 1.02b
|
||
|
||
Amiga
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
Paragon 2.06+ BinkleyTerm 1.00 AmigArc 0.23
|
||
TrapDoor 1.50* AReceipt 1.5*
|
||
WelMat 0.35 booz 1.01
|
||
ConfMail 1.10
|
||
ChameleonEdit 0.10
|
||
ElectricHerald1.66*
|
||
Lharc 1.10
|
||
MessageFilter 1.52*
|
||
oMMM 1.49b
|
||
ParseLst 1.30
|
||
PkAX 1.00
|
||
PK[UN]ZIP 1.01
|
||
PolyxAmy 2.02*
|
||
RMB 1.30
|
||
TrapList 1.12*
|
||
UNzip 0.86
|
||
Yuck! 1.61*
|
||
Zoo 2.00
|
||
|
||
Atari ST
|
||
FidoNews 7-34 Page 17 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailer Other Utilities
|
||
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
FIDOdoor/ST 1.5c* BinkleyTerm 1.03g3 ConfMail 1.00
|
||
Pandora BBS 2.41c The BOX 1.20 ParseList 1.30
|
||
QuickBBS/ST 0.40 ARC 6.02*
|
||
GS Point 0.61 LHARC 0.51
|
||
LED ST 0.10*
|
||
BYE 0.25*
|
||
PKUNZIP 1.10
|
||
MSGED 1.96S
|
||
SRENUM 6.2
|
||
Trenum 0.10
|
||
OMMM 1.40
|
||
|
||
|
||
Archimedes
|
||
----------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Mailers Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
|
||
ARCbbs 1.44* BinkleyTerm 2.03* Unzip 2.1TH
|
||
ARC 1.03
|
||
!Spark 2.00d*
|
||
|
||
ParseLst 1.30
|
||
BatchPacker 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 7-34 Page 18 20 Aug 1990
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
Christopher Baker
|
||
MetroFire, 1:135/14, Miami_FL_USA
|
||
|
||
This Time it's More than a Phone Number!
|
||
|
||
MetroFire is changing numbers AND locations this time. As
|
||
of Nodelist.229 on 17 Aug 90, MetroFire will cease to be
|
||
1:135/14 and will become 1:374/14 in Titusville_FL_USA.
|
||
|
||
135/14 will continue to be listed in Net 135 for a couple
|
||
weeks while I make the transition to my new locale and get
|
||
the requisite dedicated line. It will appear as a Hold Node
|
||
in both Nets 135 and 374 during the changeover.
|
||
|
||
Those of you who have active links to MetroFire are advised
|
||
to note this change and to change any passwords or links to
|
||
1:374/14 from 1:135/14 after you've compiled Nodelist.229.
|
||
|
||
Those linked to Echos that I originate [FHCOOK and
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY] will continue to get those Echos sent to you
|
||
directly. You will not be able to poll the new listing for
|
||
a couple weeks, at least.
|
||
|
||
This move is sudden and a direct result of a Workmans
|
||
Compensation case I've been embroiled in for some time. I
|
||
have received a judgement in my favor but it still has not
|
||
been paid and I can no longer afford to live in Miami while
|
||
my former employer attempts to reverse it on appeal.
|
||
|
||
I apologize to anyone who is being inconvenienced by this
|
||
change. I am not leaving FidoNet or BBSing but I must move
|
||
to Titusville [and was going to anyway when the case was
|
||
settled] where my family resides before the sheriff throws
|
||
me out [I haven't been paid since 29 Mar 90]. [grin]
|
||
|
||
Mail sent to either Node number will eventually make it to
|
||
me but I suggest you start using 1:374/14 as soon as you
|
||
compile Nodelist.229.
|
||
|
||
My thanks to Net 135 for their generosity and cooperation
|
||
and Hello to Net 374! Here comes trouble. [snicker]
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FidoNews 7-34 Page 19 20 Aug 1990
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The Interrupt Stack
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5 Oct 1990
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||
21st Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
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||
|
||
6 Nov 1990
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||
First anniversary of Van Diepen Automatiseert, 2:500/28
|
||
|
||
14 Nov 1990
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||
Marco Maccaferri's 21rd Birthday. Send greetings to him at
|
||
2:332/16.0
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||
|
||
1 Jan 1991
|
||
Implementation of 7% Goods and Services Tax in Canada. Contact
|
||
Joe Lindstrom at 1:134/55 for a more colorful description.
|
||
|
||
16 Feb 1991
|
||
Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush.
|
||
|
||
7 Oct 1991
|
||
Area code 415 fragments. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
|
||
will begin using area code 510. This includes Oakland,
|
||
Concord, Berkeley and Hayward. San Francisco, San Mateo,
|
||
Marin, parts of Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay
|
||
Islands will retain area code 415.
|
||
|
||
1 Feb 1992
|
||
Area code 213 fragments. Western, coastal, southern and
|
||
eastern portions of Los Angeles County will begin using area
|
||
code 310. This includes Los Angeles International Airport,
|
||
West Los Angeles, San Pedro and Whittier. Downtown Los
|
||
Angeles and surrounding communities (such as Hollywood and
|
||
Montebello) will retain area code 213.
|
||
|
||
1 Dec 1993
|
||
Tenth anniversary of Fido Version 1 release.
|
||
|
||
5 Jun 1997
|
||
David Dodell's 40th Birthday
|
||
|
||
|
||
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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|
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