1535 lines
68 KiB
Plaintext
1535 lines
68 KiB
Plaintext
F I D O N E W S -- | Vol. 8 No. 41 (14 October 1991)
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The newsletter of the |
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FidoNet BBS community | Published by:
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_ |
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/ \ | "FidoNews" BBS
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/|oo \ | (415)-863-2739
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(_| /_) | FidoNet 1:1/1
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_`@/_ \ _ | Internet:
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| | \ \\ | fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org
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| (*) | \ )) |
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|__U__| / \// | Editors:
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_//|| _\ / | Tom Jennings
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(_/(_|(____/ | Tim Pozar
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(jm) |
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----------------------------+---------------------------------------
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Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international
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amateur network. Copyright 1991, Fido Software. All rights reserved.
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Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes
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only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews.
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Paper price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00US
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Electronic Price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free!
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For more information about FidoNews refer to the end of this file.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL ..................................................... 1
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Editorial: Less is more ....................................... 1
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2. FIDONET NEWS .................................................. 2
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(No FidoNetNews this week) .................................... 2
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3. ARTICLES ...................................................... 3
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Path Transmission in WaZOO Sessions ........................... 3
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APPLE MICROSOFT Wars .......................................... 5
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A Different Perspective ....................................... 7
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VList Submission DEADLINE! .................................... 8
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The Fort Worth Nodelist v3.2.3 ................................ 9
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Nodelists, and Other Comments on Recent Articles .............. 13
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PHILATELY echo ................................................ 16
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MENSANS_ONLY Echo Notice ...................................... 17
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SIERRAN Echo Anyone? .......................................... 18
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A_THEIST Echo now on Backbone! ................................ 19
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4. RANTS AND FLAMES .............................................. 21
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5. CLASSIFIEDS ................................................... 22
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6. NOTICES ....................................................... 23
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The Interrupt Stack ........................................... 23
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7. LATEST VERSIONS ............................................... 24
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Latest Greatest Software Versions ............................. 24
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 1 14 Oct 1991
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======================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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======================================================================
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Editorial: Less is more
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by Tom Jennings (1:1/1)
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Amazing. An entire week and I wasn't flamed at. Whew. (Or maybe I'm just
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getting numb to them, and what was a flame a year ago is now merely a
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disagreement.)
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There are actually a couple of technical articles in this weeks
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FidoNews! Thank you thank you!!! A suggestion to FidoNet-compatible
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authors: copy the behavior of tech trade rags (ELECTRONICS, EDN,
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COMPUTER DESIGN, etc) and write a short article describing the features
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and functions of your program that makes it unique.
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Instead of foolishly insisting that authors be "objective", they simply
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give a short bio on the author ("Mary Monster is head of engineering
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Acme Rocket Modem Co. and is in charge of design of their 8008-based
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1024-line BBS program"), so you simply are aware of the bias, and
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further request that the author stick to more or less technical issues,
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though in FidoNews! info on obtaining a copy, flaming at competitors,
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etc should be acceptable.
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As a matter of fact, it would be nice to know just what makes program X
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more desirable that program Y. I wrote one a few years ago about
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Fido/FidoNet's router design, and I will consider dusting it off for
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republishing.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 2 14 Oct 1991
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======================================================================
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FIDONET NEWS
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======================================================================
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################################################################
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FidoNetNews -- a weekly section devoted to technical and factual
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issues within the FidoNet -- FidoNet Technical Standards Committee
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reports, *C reports, information on FidoNet standards documents
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and the like.
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################################################################
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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There were no FidoNetNews submissions this week. Tune again in
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next week!
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 3 14 Oct 1991
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======================================================================
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ARTICLES
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======================================================================
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Path Transmission In WaZOO Sessions
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Greylock Software 1:321/202
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[What follows is a fragment from the MilqueToast 1.10 release
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notes, documenting a feature we find useful. It has impact on
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the net at large, so we are trying to disseminate this
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information as widely as possible. There is an early gamma of
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Milq available on JonesNose that implements this feature,
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although we make no commitment to support it exactly as
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currently implemented. To get this version, freq MILQGAMM. We
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would appreciate any feedback you may have to offer. There's
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at least one large problem we've encountered since this was
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written; it's left as an exersize to the reader to point it out
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to us!]
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Milq will send, receive, and use path information in ZedZap and
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Janus sessions.
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This feature is a powerful one, with great potential for system
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abuse. We do not recommend you enable it until you think you
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thoroughly understand it.
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I program for myself, figuring what I find useful, someone else
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might as well. We do all our backups using FidoNet technology.
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We LHA our work into a set of archives every day, and exchange
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them between a few systems. At 9600, this can take an hour, but
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who cares? It's a local call, and this way the backups are done,
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period.
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Way back when, we used EMCL (TICK) technology to handle this, but
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we ran into problems doing this. We needed finer control of
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where the mail agent put the files. We needed access to ZSkip.
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Initially, we put some code in Bink that allowed for node
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specific individual inbound directories, if they existed. Still,
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even this caused problems. While it isolated my files from the
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"general inbound", it made difficult the task of discriminating
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between files sent for backup, and files sent for other reasons.
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We have abandoned these changes, although I believe there's still
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something to be said for them, they may be restored in
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conditionally compiled code. We needed still finer control of
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where the mail agent put the files. We need to be able to
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transfer and map path information, in effect, providing full
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access to any path on the system.
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Three config file verbs are added: PathMap, KnownPathMap, and
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ProtPathMap. These each take a filename as an argument, pointing
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to a file of lines of the following format:
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 4 14 Oct 1991
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\SrcPath D:\DstPath
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Slashes are not "directional sensitive"!
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We plan on allowing the nesting of these files, using
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@filename.ext. We also plan to allow prefix only substitution
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(for now, an exact match is required.) And we plan to allow (in
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a controlled manner) for some systems to be able to create paths
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that do not exist in the substitution table.
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Currently, this only is used on the receive side. We will
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probably implement it on the send side as well, which would allow
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you to "hide" your directory structure while still taking
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advantage of the feature.
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Three other verbs control the SENDING of paths (SendPaths,
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KnownSendPaths, and ProtSendPaths).
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There are restrictions on this feature. It will only work when
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you are communicating with a Bink, Igor, or Milque which also
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supports this feature, something determined by examining the
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product code information transmitted in the YooHoo handshake.
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Currently, only beta level software supports this. (Milq 1.01+
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and Bink 2.51/GS handle it.)
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Why these restrictions? Well, first the easy one. So far as we
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can tell, only ZModem based protocols have provisions to transfer
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path information. This doesn't completely explain the product
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restrictions, since many products support the appropriate
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protocols. When we first enabled this feature, we discovered
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that at least one mailer does not properly implement ZModem, and
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is quite unhappy if you send it a path. Rather than code in the
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"bad" mailers, we coded in the "good" ones. In addition, even
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the Janus code within earlier versions of Bink (Igor and Milq)
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exhibits this weakness.
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WARNING! As of this writing, ONLY the 2.51-YYMMDDHHMM version of
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Bink (the one we produce) will properly handle this, and there
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could be problems with Janus sessions if Bink proper does not
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nuke paths on the receive side with betas at or above 2.51!
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At the current time, these restrictions are contained in a hard
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coded table. We will probably move this table to either the
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resource or language file, to allow the enabling of this feature
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with other products as possible without recompiling.
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In addition, we are still considering mechanisms to regulate this
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feature on a node by node basis, in addition to the "node class"
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basis initially implemented. We are trying to accomplish this
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with a minimum of node specific files.
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 5 14 Oct 1991
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Let's briefly outline some of the inherent "gotcha's" in this
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little ditty. If you allow someone mapped access to your the
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directory the running MT.Exe is in, very odd things could happen
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if someone uploaded a new MT.Exe. I don't even want to think
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about this one.
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If you happen to map his "outbound" information to somewhere
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other than your inbound, mail might not get unpacked properly.
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If you allow mapped access to configuration directories, backup
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directories, or program directories, obvious security breaches
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are possible.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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APPLE MICROSOFT Wars
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Press release from Techno Junk and Grey Matter, Christchurch, New
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Zealand, 2:41am Oct 01,1991. Copyright reserved. Publication by
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electronic media is hereby granted.
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APPLE/MICROSOFT Decision reversed
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_________________________________
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Recently reported in the ZNPC Magazine distributed in the Public BBS
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networks was an interesting article. This was notable for its
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contradiction of an earlier press release that discussed this ruling.
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In the prior news, we read of the possible outcomes as draconian as
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complete withdrawal of the MicroSoft WINDOWS Graphical User Interface
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from the market. The article is quoted :
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AN APPLE-MICROSOFT 'LOOK AND FEEL' SUIT RULING IN FAVOR OF
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APPLE HAS BEEN REVERSED. Judge Vaughn Walker now says that
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Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard DO have the right to challenge
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Apple's visual interface copyrights and patents, rather than
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confining the case to the validity of Apple and Microsoft's
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1985 GUI agreement. Previously, Judge Walker refused to hear
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such motions. The judge did warn the two defendant companies,
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however, that (it) will need to prove that Apple directly and
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knowingly copied earlier designs for use on the Lisa and
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Macintosh.
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28/08/91
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The beginnings of this story begin in Palo Alto, the home of PARC, Rank
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Xerox's research and development centre. It is here that the GUI was
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born, manifesting itself in a product that looked and felt remarkably
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like an APPLE Lisa. PARC was a centre player in the SILICON VALLEY
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techno-revolution. The computer was known to the author as a XEROX Star,
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and was a quantum leap in ease of use computing.
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 6 14 Oct 1991
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To anybody who has been to PALO ALTO, and knows the EL Camino Real area,
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they will have seen the Palo Alto Square Building. This where the High
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Tech Law firms operate from. In Palo Alto alone, there is over 900
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lawyers (1984), up from 150 in 1964. In one day, one law firm signed 20
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million dollars in deals for start up companies alone... another company
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was signing up new startup companies at a rate of one per day.
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||
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||
Anybody quess as to what the figures are today, when you add in the
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litigation cases and revenue contribution.
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We, the consuming public, as software/hardware users are indirectly
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paying for this.
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The big issue at stake here is one that concerns all technology based
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business houses, irrespective of size. This is an issue in which the
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||
outcomes of the APPLE/MICROSOFT case is likely to have far reaching
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ramifications.
|
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||
What is at stake is a determination and precedent for the issues
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||
relating to technology transfer by way of employee/employer transition.
|
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|
||
The difficulty in this determination is finding some one who has the
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||
Bachalor of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science qualification, and
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||
Commercial Law expertise in Copyright, and Intellectual Property, to
|
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make correct and appropriate decisions.
|
||
|
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Required are the skills to determine if an entrepeneur is taking (or
|
||
aquiring benefit from) trade secrets from his former employees, or from
|
||
the former employees of personel under his/her control.
|
||
|
||
In a more global perspective, all this defacto technology transfer, has
|
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had some spin off. Consider the following...
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"the unique strength of the US. Semiconductor industry
|
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derives from its firms rapid copying of each others'
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innovative chips."
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US Federal Trade Commission.
|
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|
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To a large extent this applies to the software industry as well.
|
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Quite apart from the job mobility problems, are the issues of corporate
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assimilations, the impact of the network of who knows who, and who owns
|
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what, liquidations, share markets, reputations, sucesses, and new
|
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products, thru to downright rumours, and corporate espionage. Add to
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that the close proximity of the player companies, with the increased
|
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opportunity for co-incedental liason, then, distinguishing facts, from
|
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fallacy is a vertible minefeild.
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Even the time to take on board the required information to make an
|
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informed decision has an impact, a month is a long time in SILICON
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VALLEY.
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 7 14 Oct 1991
|
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It is for all these reasons that the process of litigation, as a medium
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of dispute resolution, is imperilled over time by the advent of new
|
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process, new market expectations, new corporate structures and
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objectives and/or technology. The consequence of a decision in favour of
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one or other parties becomes almost irrelevant in the time frame that it
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takes to resolve litigated cases.
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The only two things that we get from this are rich lawyers, and media
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copy.
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If the 10% of the annual budget on litigation, was directed towards
|
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increased customer support, then we would find an industry with greater
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investment confidence, and a more stable employment force.
|
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If precedent were to prevail, the case of SEA vs ARC, over the look and
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feel of a DOS command line, and its punative decision, might well become
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more significant.....
|
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Especially notable in this senario is the quiet partnership between IBM
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and Apple, and the competative strugle for control of the GUI standards.
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We already have seen the pendulum swing to and fro with WINDOWS vs OS/2.
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( whoever wanted 1/2 an operating system anyway ).
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In a profession as incestous as the computer industry, the bodies
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corporate can ill afford to argue.
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In respect of the APPLE/MICROSOFT case, I predict an out of court
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settlement just at the point somebody's self interest will be about to
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spill the beans over who really copied what.
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Lets hope its sooner rather than later....
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Cheers, Blair Anderson.
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Christchurch, New Zealand.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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by Eddie Rowe @ 1:19/124.0
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A Different Perspective
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In my not so humble opinion, FidoNews should maintain its previous
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and longstanding tradition of printing everything it receives which
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conforms to tech standards. Yes, I too EXTREMELY DISLIKE this
|
||
religious material that has creeped into the Snooze on a regular
|
||
basis, but I know where the page down key is in List. Have we all
|
||
given thought to the guy out there operating at a blazing 1200 baud
|
||
(or less???) who calls long distance to pick up the Nodediff and
|
||
Fidonews weekly? Do you recall what it is like to get 115 cps if you
|
||
are lucky? I know of one such person who did that religiously a year
|
||
ago. Why? Because he lived in BFE and Fidonews was his only way of
|
||
reading about tech stuff to learn how to better run his system. What
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||
of the off-topic articles? Well, they provide relief when the tech
|
||
stuff taxes the mind (which often it does). So why are the guys who
|
||
have the HST's bitching and complaining about it costing them money
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 8 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
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to handle the Snooze when they are talking well over 1100 cps for such
|
||
a small file? I really don't know except that they can. <grin>
|
||
|
||
Now I can see the potential need for a publication for the distribution
|
||
of just official type FidoNet stuff, but can't we have the best of both
|
||
worlds? I truly enjoyed the Church of Elvis issue, particularly since
|
||
it originated from Louisiana and the land of Jimmy Swaggart! If we
|
||
must change Fidonews to publish only Fidonet related stuff (which I do
|
||
not want to see happen), why couldn't we start another publication for
|
||
the other articles received?
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
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By David French
|
||
Version List Submission Standards
|
||
|
||
WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING
|
||
WARNING SOFTWARE AUTHORS, AND/OR SUPPORT PERSONNEL, BE ADVISED...
|
||
|
||
Your current listing in the version list will be dropped it I do not
|
||
hear from you by October 31, 1991.
|
||
|
||
Get a copy of VLIST###.LZH(### Current FidoNews number). If you're
|
||
listing is not complete, it will de deleted on Oct 31, 1991.
|
||
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
--*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*--
|
||
...FidoNews Version List Submission Guidelines...
|
||
--*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*-+-*--
|
||
|
||
|
||
All submissions to the FidoNews Version List MUST have the following:
|
||
|
||
1. Software Name & Version
|
||
2. FileName.Ext (If Commercial, Info FileName)
|
||
3. Support Board Network Address
|
||
4. Support Board Phone Number
|
||
|
||
If your software is commercial(Not Shareware, etc...) Please so state.
|
||
|
||
Submissions not meeting these standards will be ignored.
|
||
|
||
The Complete Current Listing is available from 1:103/950 under the magic
|
||
name VERSIONS, or the filename VLIST###.LZH (### is the current fidonews
|
||
volume number)
|
||
|
||
This file contains the complete Version list along with file names, node
|
||
addresses and phone numbers.
|
||
|
||
Here's a couple of examples:
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 9 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
InterMail v2.01 (Commercial)
|
||
IM-INFO.ZIP (Info File)
|
||
1:1/133
|
||
(305)436-1085
|
||
|
||
------------------------
|
||
|
||
RemoteAccess v1.01
|
||
RA_101.ZIP
|
||
1:1/120
|
||
(918)254-6618
|
||
|
||
|
||
Send your update notices to David French
|
||
1:103/950@fidonet
|
||
45:512/105@vnet
|
||
65:571/2@ournet
|
||
69:11/108@a_links
|
||
93:9702/2@podnet
|
||
|
||
PS: a copy of your software dropped into my inbound would be nice too,
|
||
but not necessary...hint...hint...<g>.
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Aaron Goldblatt Will Schlichtman
|
||
1:130/32.1 FidoNet 1:350/59.0 FidoNet
|
||
50:5817/150 EchoNet
|
||
|
||
The Distribution Nodelist
|
||
The Fort Worth Format Version 3.2
|
||
-=* Part III *=-
|
||
|
||
by Aaron Goldblatt (1:130/32.1@fidonet)
|
||
Development Manager: Will Schlichtman (1:350/59.0@fidonet)
|
||
|
||
Last week we continued the release of Version 3.2 of the Fort Worth
|
||
Nodelist format. The first section covered an overview of the format,
|
||
including general line entry definitions. Last week specific field
|
||
definitions were covered, as well as the dreaded "dialing translation"
|
||
section. A sample nodelist entry was provided.
|
||
|
||
This week we cover the format of the optional file, CITYLIST.nnn.
|
||
We also look at ????DIFF format. We do a numerical analysis of the
|
||
Fort Worth Nodelist versus the St. Louis Nodelist, both in raw format
|
||
and in several archive formats.
|
||
|
||
As in the first article, some information has been deleted because
|
||
formats from the St. Louis Nodelist remain unchanged. These portions
|
||
are indicated by text explaining what was deleted in [brackets.]
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 10 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
3.0 CITYLIST.nnn
|
||
----------------
|
||
Some sysops like to know _where_ they are calling, not just who. Some
|
||
sysops, on the other hand, have no interest in where they call, so long
|
||
as the mail gets through. In order to satisfy both sysops, the former
|
||
by giving them the location of the called system, and the latter by not
|
||
taking up precious disk space with useless information, the location
|
||
information resides in a separate, optional file.
|
||
|
||
As stated at the beginning of this document, there are two types of
|
||
lines in CITYLIST.nnn, data lines and comment lines. As in
|
||
NODELIST.nnn, comment lines are preceeded by a semicolon (;). The CRC
|
||
value for CITYLIST.nnn is calculated and noted in the same manner as
|
||
NODELIST.nnn.
|
||
|
||
For any non-comment line only one field exists: city_st
|
||
|
||
Locations are matched on a line-by-line basis with nodes in
|
||
NODELIST.nnn, so that the 335th node listed in NODELIST.001 has its
|
||
location noted on non-comment line 335 of CITYLIST.001.
|
||
|
||
Any alphanumeric character is valid except the space ( ) and comma (,).
|
||
Maximum field length is 40 characters. A valid example is:
|
||
|
||
Fort_Worth_TX
|
||
|
||
Lines end a CR/LF pair, as in NODELIST.nnn.
|
||
|
||
There are some instances where two or more lines may have the same
|
||
information, such as:
|
||
|
||
Fort_Worth_TX
|
||
Fort_Worth_TX
|
||
Fort_Worth_TX
|
||
|
||
In order to conserve space, instead of repeating the information three
|
||
times, it is noted only once and a ditto string is used. The ditto
|
||
string is two quote characters: "" If this is spotted in CITYLIST.nnn
|
||
it means that the previous location applies. So, the above three lines
|
||
would be listed as:
|
||
|
||
Fort_Worth_TX
|
||
""
|
||
""
|
||
|
||
4.0 NODEDIFF.nnn and CITYDIFF.nnn
|
||
---------------------------------
|
||
With more than ten thousand nodes as of this date, the nodelist, even
|
||
in archive form, is a substantial document (or file). Since distribution
|
||
is via electronic file transfer, this file is NOT routinely distributed.
|
||
Instead, when a new nodelist is prepared, it is compared with the
|
||
previous week's nodelist, and a file containing only the differences is
|
||
created and distributed.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 11 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
The distribution files, called NODEDIFF.nnn and CITYDIFF.nnn, where nnn
|
||
is the day-of-year of publication, is actually an editing script which
|
||
will transform the previous week's list into the current list. A
|
||
definition of its format follows:
|
||
|
||
The first line of xxxxDIFF.nnn is an exact copy of the first line of
|
||
LAST WEEK'S list. This is used as a first-level confidence check to
|
||
insure that the right file is being edited. The second and subsequent
|
||
lines are editing commands and editing data.
|
||
|
||
[More material delted. Information covered:
|
||
|
||
o DIFF editing commands, same as St. Louis format
|
||
o CRC calculation for LIST/DIFF accuracy
|
||
o Archiving and naming of LIST/DIFF files in SEA ARC format, same
|
||
as St. Louis format
|
||
o "Official" Section 5.0, credits]
|
||
|
||
[end of document]
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
-=* Size Comparisons *=-
|
||
|
||
In a marathon session of processing, I converted NODELIST.256 into a
|
||
Fort Worth format nodelist, with CITYLIST file, and then archived the
|
||
files up in the five different formats, for size comparison. I set this
|
||
up as a batch file, and ran the thing at 01:00 one morning. I got up
|
||
six hours later and it wasn't finished.
|
||
|
||
The archive formats were:
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates' ARC v6.00 ARC
|
||
NoGate Consulting's PAK v2.51 PAK
|
||
Haruyasu Yoshizaki's LHA v2.13 LHA
|
||
PKWare's PKZIP v1.1 ZIP
|
||
Robert K. Jung's ARJ v2.20 ARJ
|
||
ZOO v2.01 - the EXE didn't identify the author ZOO
|
||
|
||
In all cases I used default compression, that is, no special command
|
||
line switches. I chose the six formats I did because I have seen
|
||
nodelists distributed in all of these formats, and because these are the
|
||
ones I have on hand. I would have done DWC, too, but I don't have a
|
||
copy of that engine. Politics was not involved.
|
||
|
||
Three numerical fields are listed. They are:
|
||
|
||
o Size
|
||
o Bytes Saved
|
||
o Bytes Saved Over Raw
|
||
|
||
o Size is a file's length expressed in bytes.
|
||
o Bytes Saved is a a file's uncompressed size minus it's compressed size.
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 12 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
It is valid for archived files only. The formula is:
|
||
rawfile - compressed_file = bytes_saved
|
||
o Bytes Saved Over Raw is the length of NODELIST.256 minus the file's
|
||
length in bytes, regardless of compression technique. The formula
|
||
is:
|
||
NODELIST.256 - compressed_file = bytes_saved_over_raw
|
||
|
||
Bytes Saved Over Raw for CITYLIST.* has been calculated in a slightly
|
||
different manner. Instead of doing a straight comparison, the equation
|
||
is:
|
||
NODELIST.256 - (NODELIST.FW + CITYLIST.256) = bytes_saved_over_raw
|
||
|
||
When CITYLIST.* is archived, the equation is:
|
||
NODELIST.256 - (NODELIST.?FW + CITYLIST.???) = bytes_saved_over_raw
|
||
where ??? represents the same archive format - ARC and ARC, ZIP and
|
||
ZIP, etc.
|
||
|
||
Bytes Saved Arch
|
||
Filename Size Saved Raw Fmt.
|
||
------------ | ------- | ------ | ------ | --- |
|
||
NODELIST.256 | 1045043 | 0 | 0 | raw |
|
||
NODELIST.A56 | 562092 | 482951 | 482951 | ARC |
|
||
NODELIST.P56 | 404474 | 640569 | 640569 | PAK |
|
||
NODELIST.L56 | 393358 | 651685 | 651685 | LZH |
|
||
NODELIST.Z56 | 405987 | 639056 | 639056 | ZIP |
|
||
NODELIST.J56 | 384136 | 660907 | 660907 | ARJ |
|
||
NODELIST.O56 | 521217 | 523826 | 523826 | ZOO |
|
||
| | | | |
|
||
NODELIST.FW | 503474 | 0 | 541569 | raw |
|
||
NODELIST.AFW | 271993 | 231481 | 773050 | ARC |
|
||
NODELIST.PFW | 213716 | 289758 | 831327 | PAK |
|
||
NODELIST.LFW | 206882 | 296592 | 838161 | LZH |
|
||
NODELIST.ZFW | 216517 | 286957 | 828526 | ZIP |
|
||
NODELIST.JFW | 202611 | 300863 | 842432 | ARJ |
|
||
NODELIST.OFW | 253345 | 250129 | 791698 | ZOO |
|
||
| | | | |
|
||
CITYLIST. | 137900 | - | 403669 | raw |
|
||
CITYLIST.ARC | 61999 | 75901 | 711051 | ARC |
|
||
CITYLIST.PAK | 40452 | 97448 | 790875 | PAK |
|
||
CITYLIST.LZH | 38904 | 98996 | 799257 | LZH |
|
||
CITYLIST.ZIP | 40299 | 97601 | 788277 | ZIP |
|
||
CITYLIST.ARJ | 38828 | 99072 | 803604 | ARJ |
|
||
CITYLIST.ZOO | 57830 | 80070 | 733868 | ZOO |
|
||
|
||
This shows that, with the Fort Worth Format nodelist, without CITYLIST,
|
||
transmission time can be cut by almost 360k, and even with CITYLIST, the
|
||
savings is still be as high as 320k, depending on archive format used.
|
||
For the average 2400 bps system, that's about a half-hour. Thirty more
|
||
minutes in which you could be polling for mail instead.
|
||
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 13 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
Next week there will be a few concluding comments from Aaron Goldblatt.
|
||
If you read the first article you know that at first only three were
|
||
planned, but developments warranted a fourth.
|
||
|
||
For a copy of the full FSC-style document, including all text that was
|
||
deleted from the FidoNews article, FREQ magic name FWNLSPEC from
|
||
1:130/28, USR HST/V.32/V.42bis. It is archived in SEA ARC v6.00.
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Nodelists, and Other Comments on Recent Articles
|
||
Jack Decker
|
||
FidoNet 1:154/8
|
||
|
||
NODELISTS, AND OTHER COMMENTS ON RECENT ARTICLES
|
||
|
||
Fidonews 8-40 contained a couple of articles that merit a brief
|
||
response. First, Bill Jones of 1:231/370 wrote an article
|
||
defending the Saint Louis Nodelist Format. His prime objection
|
||
to a new format is that (and I quote verbatim from his
|
||
article:) "Converting to a new format would certainly alienate
|
||
a large portion of the non-MSDos systems out there (me
|
||
included) while they patiently wait for someone to write a new
|
||
NodeList processor for their environment." He then goes on to
|
||
suggest that unpublished systems should be removed from the
|
||
nodelist, along with certain modem flags. What bothers me
|
||
about this is that one could just as easily suggest that all
|
||
non-MSDOS systems be removed from the nodelist (and there would
|
||
certainly be some advantages to MS-DOS people to not have to
|
||
deal with other platforms!) and then Mr. Jones would be the one
|
||
left out in the cold. How dare he suggest that a certain
|
||
segment of Fidonet nodes be dropped?
|
||
|
||
This is really an old argument, but there are many reasons that
|
||
nodes are private, unlisted. If we allow that there are at
|
||
least SOME valid reasons for a node to be unlisted, then we get
|
||
to the question of who decides which reasons are valid and
|
||
which aren't? Some coordinators would say there are no valid
|
||
reasons for having a private node, others would let anyone have
|
||
one, still others would give them freely to those they happen
|
||
to like and withhold them from those they don't like. There
|
||
would be Policy Complaints flying fast and furious.
|
||
|
||
The reason we have this problem is because the software authors
|
||
and the political types in Fidonet haven't been thinking along
|
||
the same track. The political types have long been saying that
|
||
the nodelist is getting too large, but so much of the software
|
||
used in Fidonet depends on the idea of a "fully-coupled"
|
||
nodelist, where every possible reachable node is listed. There
|
||
are BBS's that won't let you enter a message to an unlisted
|
||
node, message trackers that will bounce messages destined for
|
||
unlisted nodes, and mailers that won't accept file requests
|
||
from unlisted nodes.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 14 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
These considerations are among the big reasons that sysops of
|
||
private nodes don't want to become points. Mr. Jones wants us
|
||
to stay with the current nodelist processing software because
|
||
he's afraid he might not be able to upgrade to a new format,
|
||
yet he totally overlooks the fact that there is still BBS
|
||
software out there that can't properly handle sending a message
|
||
to a point. If you want to retain compatibility with all older
|
||
software, Mr. Jones, then you don't want to force people to
|
||
become points!
|
||
|
||
As for the file-request problem... many mailers allow sysops to
|
||
deny file requests to unlisted nodes, and when you give sysops
|
||
a capability, some are bound and determined to use it, and
|
||
never mind that any technically-capable user of a mailer
|
||
program can easily set up his system to impersonate a listed
|
||
node. So when you use this feature, you deny file requests
|
||
only to scrupulously honest sysops, and force others to
|
||
impersonate another (listed) node, with the result that you
|
||
don't know who REALLY freq'ed that file and you also run the
|
||
risk that if they pick the right node number to impersonate
|
||
(and you don't password-protect all your regular links), they
|
||
could pick up any mail that you have on hold for the node
|
||
they're impersonating. Still, some sysops would prefer to be
|
||
able to make file requests the honest way, using their own node
|
||
number, and unless they enjoy dealing with rejection they can't
|
||
do that with just a point number.
|
||
|
||
(Oh, you say the BossNode could make the request for the point?
|
||
Why should the BossNode have to go through that hassle, and
|
||
either bear the expense of the request himself or have to
|
||
collect from the point?)
|
||
|
||
Point-ops have always been considered "second-class citizens"
|
||
in Fidonet, so my response to Mr. Jones is that the day you are
|
||
willing to allow all non-MS-DOS systems to be dropped from the
|
||
nodelist and forced to become points (which, by the way, would
|
||
end your need to use ANY nodelist processor!) will be the day
|
||
I'll agree that some of the current private, unlisted nodes
|
||
should be forced to become points. As someone once said, it
|
||
all depends on whose ox is being gored, and I just can't
|
||
believe that people are really so selfish as to suggest that
|
||
OTHERS should be kicked out of the nodelist so THEY don't have
|
||
to deal with the relatively small amount of additional entries
|
||
(by the way, folks, run the numbers... private nodes really
|
||
make up only a very small percentage of the total nodelist,
|
||
probably less than one percent. If you think that chopping
|
||
less than one percent of the nodes out of the nodelist is going
|
||
to resolve ANY problem in Fidonet for longer than two or three
|
||
weeks, I feel VERY sorry for you (and how did you get out
|
||
without your keeper, anyway!?)).
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 15 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
In contrast we have Pablo Kleinman's article. Pablo is
|
||
much-maligned (mostly by the existing power structure in
|
||
Fidonet) but is one of the few people who is really trying to
|
||
do anything positive in Fidonet. Pablo unfortunately hits the
|
||
nail right on the head when he states:
|
||
|
||
"Those that submitted proposals to reduce the nodelist's size:
|
||
do you think you are even paid attention to? Ask me, I know
|
||
you're just talking to walls. What about us working in having
|
||
the ridiculous and truly nauseating Policy4 replaced? I doubt
|
||
under current circumstances we'll arrive to good port. There is
|
||
an echomail conference adequately called NET_DEV. Yet the head
|
||
of the FTSC refuses to read it... bienvenido progreso!"
|
||
|
||
I've been accused of launching unwarranted attacks on the FTSC
|
||
chairman in the past. It's no secret that he and I don't seem
|
||
to like each other very much, but I would just ask you to
|
||
consider the question of whether we really need the FTSC (for
|
||
that matter, why is it called the Fidonet Technical Standards
|
||
COMMITTEE when the word "committee" implies that there is more
|
||
than one person actively involved?). What does the FTSC
|
||
actually DO, other than act as a library of documents? It
|
||
certainly doesn't seem to be very effective in enforcing
|
||
standards or promulgating new standards. Well, I'm not going
|
||
to beat THAT horse again just now.
|
||
|
||
The problem is that anyone who really wants to do anything
|
||
positive in Fidonet seems to get shot down fairly quickly. In
|
||
the meantime, I have noticed that echomail traffic in some
|
||
conferences has dropped to something like one-third of what it
|
||
was even five or six months ago. Is this a sign that Fidonet
|
||
is beginning to die from stagnation (at least here in Zone 1),
|
||
or am I just reading the wrong conferences? My SUSPICION is
|
||
that some folks have discovered the higher quality of UseNet
|
||
conferences and are beginning to migrate over to those, while
|
||
curtailing their participation in echomail. Not only are those
|
||
conferences of higher quality, but the political structure in
|
||
Fidonet can't really control their distribution (with only a
|
||
few exceptions, the *EC's generally don't handle converted
|
||
UseNet newsgroups, so they can't impose geographic or other
|
||
restrictions on their distribution). Besides that, UseNet
|
||
offers truly moderated conferences, which can seem like a real
|
||
blessing after you've seen the damage that just one "loose
|
||
cannon" can cause in an unmoderated echomail conference.
|
||
|
||
Of course, Fidonet COULD support newsgroups... we could have a
|
||
newsgroup processor that would handle UseNet newsgroups in
|
||
their native format (not shoehorned into echomail format, at
|
||
least not until the destination system is reached). I've even
|
||
been trying to program such a thing but it's very slow going
|
||
because I'm not much of a programmer to start with, and I'm
|
||
using QuickBASIC (which is GREAT for handling strings, but has
|
||
other limitations that have to be worked around).
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 16 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
(Yes, I have looked at 'C'... and it's just too confusing, I
|
||
just prefer to use what I know best to get the job done, and I
|
||
already know how to get around some of the most galling
|
||
limitations of QuickBASIC).
|
||
|
||
To expand on this thought just a bit, what currently happens
|
||
when a newsgroup is brought into Fidonet is that it is
|
||
converted to echomail format at the gateway system, then
|
||
distributed as echomail within Fidonet. This causes a lot of
|
||
problems... header and control information present in UseNet
|
||
messages is often lost, long messages are lost or truncated,
|
||
replies are lost or not properly identified as replies, and to
|
||
put it simply, the conversion is imperfect, to say the least.
|
||
My theory is that UseNet newsgroups should be carried within
|
||
Fidonet in their native format, as defined by RFC-822 (and
|
||
other RFC-*) specs, and only converted to a Fidonet-type format
|
||
(such as the *.msg format) at the local level, so that they can
|
||
be read on BBS systems. In other words, rather than sending
|
||
around Fidonet-type mail packets (with all the SEENBY's and
|
||
assorted other garbage) we could handle the RFC-822 style
|
||
transport mechanism, which (by the way) is MUCH simpler to work
|
||
with, although NOT necessarily more efficient in terms of space
|
||
used (we have extraneous SEENBY's, they put lots of extraneous
|
||
information in message headers).
|
||
|
||
Now, I recall a year or two ago when folks were seriously
|
||
suggesting that we consider a "Type 3" message packet format
|
||
that was text-based and therefore much more compatible with the
|
||
UseNet formats. These got about as much positive response as
|
||
the current proposals to shorten the nodelist. Everyone seems
|
||
to say "Ho hum, why bother, let the status quo alone as long as
|
||
I'm getting my echomail!" Well, folks, if the bright folks all
|
||
leave for other nets, you may just find that whatever echomail
|
||
you're still getting really isn't worth the time you spend
|
||
reading it!
|
||
|
||
I know some of you will dismiss this as "a typical Jack Decker
|
||
message" but my whole point is not to predict "doom and gloom"
|
||
so I can gloat and say that I was right at some point down the
|
||
road, but rather to ask you to ask your coordinators to
|
||
ENCOURAGE innovation, experimentation and new ideas in Fidonet,
|
||
and to not just be satisfied with things as they are. Any
|
||
organization either changes or it dies. Let's see some
|
||
positive changes that will revitalize this hobby!
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
PHILATELY: Philatelic Discussion Conference
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 17 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
In ELIST110, a new echo was listed of the tagname PHILATELY.
|
||
However, since the average SysOp doesn't have the time to stroll
|
||
through the 470K ELIST on a monthly basis, I thought I'd mention it
|
||
here, as well. :-)
|
||
|
||
PHILATELY is a conference for anything and everything relating
|
||
to the hobby of stamp collecting. Used, unused, U.S., foreign, and
|
||
First Day Cover collectors, as well as collectors or potential
|
||
collectors of any other stamp-related items, are welcome!
|
||
|
||
PHILATELY is not on the FidoNet backbone at this time, and as
|
||
a new conference is small. I'm very hopeful, however, that it will
|
||
grow when given a little time. If you're interested in establishing
|
||
a link to PHILATELY, please contact me here at 1:260/205.
|
||
|
||
Best regards!
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Jason DeCaro, 1:260/205
|
||
ethyl@rochgte.fidonet.org
|
||
PHILATELY moderator
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
Christopher Baker
|
||
1:374/14, Titusville_FL_USA
|
||
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY Echo
|
||
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY is open to any verified member, past or
|
||
present, of any Mensa organization.
|
||
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY is not connected with American Mensa, Ltd.
|
||
[The High IQ Society], or any other Mensa organization
|
||
anywhere. MENSANS_ONLY has no opinions. Any opinions
|
||
expressed are those of the writer and any replier.
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY exists solely to provide a convenient forum
|
||
for electronic conversation between accepted members of any
|
||
Mensa organization. Any other inference you may glean from
|
||
perusing this Echo is all in your head, which is where it
|
||
should stay.
|
||
|
||
It is Hosted and Moderated from Rights On! in
|
||
Titusville_FL_USA at 1:374/14. It is intentionally withheld
|
||
from the FidoNet Backbone distribution system and is
|
||
offered for point-to-point links only. Any Backbone system
|
||
discovering this Echo traversing their system should
|
||
immediately remove it and notify anyone sending or
|
||
receiving it through them to desist unless said Backbone
|
||
system is an active and verified participant of
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 18 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
Anyone may read the traffic in this Echo but only verified
|
||
members may post in this Echo. Non-members interested in
|
||
more information about Mensa are directed to the general
|
||
Mensa Echo of the same name [MENSA] available from the
|
||
FidoNet Backbone and Moderated by Dave Aronson of
|
||
1:109/120.
|
||
|
||
Sysops who link into MENSANS_ONLY agree to abide by the
|
||
access restrictions above. The content of that Echo is not
|
||
restricted to any single topic or idea.
|
||
|
||
The number of systems linked to this Echo and the volume of
|
||
traffic in this Echo varies. Traffic is generally light
|
||
which is typical of non-Backbone, special interest Echos.
|
||
|
||
Anyone interested in linking into MENSANS_ONLY, should send
|
||
Netmail to: Christopher Baker at 1:374/14 {Rights On!,
|
||
Titusville_FL_USA}.
|
||
|
||
The following is a list of primary links for M_O:
|
||
|
||
[Zone 1:] 109/120 109/446 109/508 114/18 114/70 114/72
|
||
114/74 114/800 135/71 250/416 266/71 374/14 374/98 380/7.
|
||
|
||
The Sysops of the above systems may link others into
|
||
MENSANS_ONLY based on the acceptance of the restrictions,
|
||
imposed above, by the link requesting Sysop.
|
||
|
||
Anyone requiring a direct feed or further information
|
||
should send Netmail to me at 1:374/14. Rights On! is a 24
|
||
hour system currently at 9600+ bps. It is now at 9600+ on a
|
||
USR Courier HST dual standard courtesy of their Sysop
|
||
Purchase Plan.
|
||
|
||
TTFN.
|
||
Chris
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
by Eddie Rowe @ 1:19/124.0
|
||
SIERRAN Echo Anyone?
|
||
|
||
The SIERRAN Echo is dedicated to the thousands of Sierra Club members
|
||
and friends throughout the United States and world. Just about any
|
||
subject that relates to the environment is welcome - especially Sierra
|
||
Club events and happenings.
|
||
|
||
The SIERRAN Echo is currently available at v.32 speeds (or less) from
|
||
Eddie Rowe @ 1:19/124.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 19 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
Christopher Baker
|
||
Rights On! 1:374/14
|
||
|
||
A_THEIST Echo Available
|
||
|
||
|
||
A_theism means free of religion in the way a_political means
|
||
free of politics or a_sexual means free of sex
|
||
characteristics or drives.
|
||
|
||
With that in mind and ever cognizant of the continued
|
||
pressure of religion to intrude itself into our government
|
||
and its operations, the A_THEIST Echo is provided to inform
|
||
and alarm and hopefully wake up the sleeping and too long
|
||
silent majority to the peril on our doorstep.
|
||
|
||
It is now a Zone 1 Backbone Echo Hosted and Moderated
|
||
by Rights On! [1:374/14] and Christopher Baker [card
|
||
carrying member of American Atheists, Inc.]. Initial links
|
||
may be obtained from your local Backbone source connection.
|
||
Zone 3 is being fed through 3:681/857 and Zone 2 through
|
||
2:243/11 via a Gate at 1:102/901 until direct links can be
|
||
made to those Zones via the international Backbone links.
|
||
|
||
The Echo is open to anyone who can discuss, without
|
||
proselytizing, the extreme desirability of maintaining the
|
||
absolute separation of State and church in this country as
|
||
provided for in our Constitution.
|
||
|
||
A sample of the first few messages and the statement of
|
||
purpose of the Echo is available as A_THEIST.ZIP from this
|
||
system anytime except 0100-0130 ET and Zone 1 ZMH [USR HST
|
||
ds online] if you wish to get an idea of whether to commit
|
||
disk space to the Echo. An archive of the past traffic from
|
||
the Echo is also available as A_ECHO1.ZIP, A_ECHO2.ZIP, and
|
||
A_ECHO3.ZIP.
|
||
|
||
Backbone status has been approved. Ask your Backbone
|
||
connection to get it for you! The complete info is available
|
||
in the current ELISTnnn.XXX file available from your NEC or
|
||
REC or here. [Request ELIST.]
|
||
|
||
I hope you will join us or ask your Sysop to request a link
|
||
via their regular Backbone connections!
|
||
|
||
TTFN.
|
||
Chris
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 20 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 21 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
RANTS AND FLAMES
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
|
||
_(*#$_(*@#(* (*^$+)#(%&+| #$)%(&*#_$ @_#( @$
|
||
^@#+)(#&%$*+)$%&*+$*%&#@(@#_|)*%|)#%&)#*%&+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@###
|
||
*&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#*$&$ _(#$*#$+)#($&*+#)$ &#+$*&#
|
||
()*&#$_(&^#$_(#*$_#($^&#_$(^&#_$(&^#$_(&#^ damn right _(#^&$_(#^&
|
||
$*&#$_+(* #)$&(%($%+)($%*+$)%($* it's ugly _#&%^# &
|
||
#($_*#$_ FidoNet (*$&%_@#_(*&@#_(@*#&_ @#_(*&@#_(*
|
||
)*&#$ Flames *^$+)#(% (not for the timid) @_#(
|
||
(*#$_(*^@#+) and #_|)*% &+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@###
|
||
(#$*&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#* Rants *&+#$*&#+$*&#
|
||
)*&#$_(a regular feature)^&#_$(&^#$_ $^&#$_(#^
|
||
(*^#$_*#^&$)*#&$^%)#*$&^_#($*^&#_($ Section #&%^_
|
||
_(*#&$_(#* #($*& #$* _(*&@#_(@*# *&@#_(*&
|
||
)&*+_)*&+)*&+))&*(*&
|
||
(*&_(*&_(*&
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 22 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
CLASSIFIEDS
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
|
||
ADVERTISEMENT POLICY: Submissions must be 20 lines or less each,
|
||
maximum two ads per advertiser, 70 characters per line maximum. No
|
||
control codes except CR and LF. (Refer to contact info at the end of
|
||
this newsletter for details.)
|
||
|
||
Please notify us if you have any trouble with an advertiser. FidoNews
|
||
does not endorse any products or services advertised here.
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 23 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
1 Nov 1991
|
||
Area code 301 will split. Area code 410 will consist of the
|
||
northeastern part of Maryland, as well as the eastern shore. This will
|
||
include Baltimore and the surrounding area. Area 301 will include
|
||
southern and western parts of the state, including the areas around
|
||
Washington DC. Area 410 phones will answer to calls to area 301 until
|
||
November, 1992.
|
||
|
||
2 Nov 1991
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
3 May 1992
|
||
The areacode for northern and central Georgia will change from 404 to
|
||
702. The Atlanta metro area will remain area code 404. Area code 912 in
|
||
southern Georgia will remain the same. Affected areas will share both
|
||
the 404 and the 702 area code from May 3, 1992 until August 3, 1992 when
|
||
the change will become permanent.
|
||
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 24 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
LATEST VERSIONS
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
|
||
Latest Greatest SoftWare Versions
|
||
Last Update: 10/10/91
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
SOFTWARE AUTHORS, AND/OR SUPPORT PERSONNEL, BE ADVISED...
|
||
|
||
|
||
Your current listing in the version list will be dropped it I do not
|
||
hear from you by October 31, 1991.
|
||
|
||
I need the following from those who have their software listed:
|
||
|
||
|
||
1. Software Name & Version
|
||
2. FileName.Ext
|
||
3. Support Board Network Address
|
||
4. Support Board Phone Number
|
||
|
||
Send your update notices to David French,
|
||
1:103/950
|
||
45:512/105
|
||
65:571/2
|
||
69:11/108
|
||
93:9702/2
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
MS-DOS Systems
|
||
--------------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
Aurora 1.32a*@ BinkleyTerm 2.40 2DAPoint 1.40*
|
||
DMG 2.93 D'Bridge 1.30 ARCAsim 2.31*
|
||
DreamBBS 1.05@ Dutchie 2.90c ARCmail 2.07
|
||
Fido/FidoNet 12.21+ Dreamer 1.06@ ARC+Plus 7.12
|
||
Genesis Deluxe 3.1 FrontDoor 2.02* Areafix 1.20@
|
||
GSBBS 3.02 InterMail 2.01 ConfMail 4.00
|
||
Kitten 1.01 Milqtoast 1.00* Crossnet 1.5
|
||
Lynx 1.30 PreNM 1.48* DEMM 1.06@
|
||
Maximus 1.02 SEAdog 4.60 DGMM 1.06@
|
||
Opus 1.71* TIMS 1.0(Mod8) DOMAIN 1.42
|
||
PCBoard 14.5a EEngine 0.30*
|
||
Phoenix 1.3 EMM 2.10*
|
||
ProBoard 1.16*@ NodeList Utilities 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18
|
||
QuickBBS 2.66 Name Version FileGroup 2.23
|
||
RBBS 17.3b -------------------- FNPGate 2.70
|
||
RBBSmail 17.3b EditNL 4.00 GateWorks 3.06e*
|
||
RemoteAccess 1.01 FDND 1.10 Gmail 2.05
|
||
SimplexBBS 1.04.02*+ MakeNL 2.31 GMD 3.00*
|
||
SLBBS 2.15b* Parselst 1.33* GMM 1.21@
|
||
Socrates 1.11* Prune 1.40 GoldEd 2.31p*
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 25 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
SuperBBS 1.10 SysNL 3.14 GROUP 2.23
|
||
TAG 2.5g XlatList 2.90 GUS 1.40*
|
||
TBBS 2.1 XlaxNode/Diff 2.52 HeadEdit 1.18
|
||
TComm/TCommNet 3.4 IMAIL 1.20*
|
||
Telegard 2.5 InterPCB 1.31
|
||
TPBoard 6.1 Lola 1.01d*
|
||
TriTel 1.11* Compression MSG 4.1
|
||
Wildcat! 2.55 Utilities MSGED 2.06
|
||
WWIV 4.20* Name Version MsgLnk 1.0c@
|
||
XBBS 1.17 -------------------- MsgMstr 2.02*
|
||
ARC 7.00 MsgNum 4.16d@
|
||
ARJ 2.20 MSGTOSS 1.3
|
||
HYPER 2.50 Netsex 2.00b*@
|
||
LHA 2.13 Oliver 1.0a
|
||
PAK 2.51 PolyXarc 2.1a
|
||
PKPak 3.61 QM 1.00a*
|
||
PKZip 1.10 QSort 4.04
|
||
Raid 1.00@
|
||
ScanToss 1.28
|
||
SeaMail 1.01
|
||
Sirius 1.0x
|
||
SLMAIL 1.36
|
||
StarLink 1.01
|
||
TagMail 2.41
|
||
TCOMMail 2.2
|
||
Telemail 1.27
|
||
TGroup 1.13
|
||
TMail 1.21
|
||
TPBNetEd 3.2
|
||
Tosscan 1.00
|
||
UFGATE 1.03
|
||
VPurge 4.09e*@
|
||
WildMail 1.01b*
|
||
XRS 4.51*
|
||
XST 2.3e
|
||
ZmailH 1.25*
|
||
|
||
|
||
OS/2 Systems
|
||
------------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
Maximus-CBCS 1.02 BinkleyTerm 2.50* ARC2 6.01*
|
||
SimplexBBS 1.04.02*+ BinkleyTerm(S) 2.50*@ ConfMail 4.00
|
||
BinkleyTerm/2-MT EchoStat 6.0
|
||
1.40.02*@ LH2 2.11*
|
||
MsgEd 2.06c*
|
||
MsgLink 1.0c
|
||
MsgNum 4.16d*
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 26 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
oMMM 1.52
|
||
Omail 3.1
|
||
Parselst 1.33*
|
||
PKZip 1.02
|
||
PMSnoop 1.30*@
|
||
PolyXOS2 2.1a
|
||
QSort 2.1
|
||
Raid 1.0
|
||
Remapper 1.2
|
||
Tick 2.0
|
||
VPurge 4.09e*
|
||
|
||
|
||
Xenix/Unix 386
|
||
--------------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
BinkleyTerm 2.32b ARC 5.21
|
||
C-LHARC 1.00
|
||
MsgEd 2.06
|
||
|Contact: Jon Hogan-uran 3:711/909, | MSGLNK 1.01
|
||
|Willy Paine 1:343/15 or Eddy van Loo| oMMM 1.42
|
||
|2:285/406 | Omail 1.00
|
||
Parselst 1.32
|
||
Unzip 3.10
|
||
Vpurge 4.08
|
||
Zoo 2.01
|
||
|
||
|
||
Apple II
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
DDBBS + 8.0* Fruity Dog 2.0 deARC2e 2.1
|
||
GBBS Pro 2.1 ProSel 8.70*
|
||
ShrinkIt 3.30*
|
||
|Contact: Dennis McClain-Furmanski 1:275/42| ShrinkIt GS 1.04
|
||
|
||
|
||
Apple CP/M
|
||
----------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
Daisy 2j Daisy Mailer 0.38 Filer 2-D
|
||
MsgUtil 2.5
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 27 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
Nodecomp 0.37
|
||
PackUser 4
|
||
UNARC.COM 1.20
|
||
|
||
|
||
Macintosh
|
||
---------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
FBBS 0.91 Copernicus 1.0 ArcMac 1.3
|
||
Hermes 1.6.1* Tabby 2.2 AreaFix 1.6
|
||
Mansion 7.15 Compact Pro 1.30
|
||
Precision Sys. 0.95b* Eventmeister 1.0
|
||
Red Ryder Host 2.1 Export 3.21
|
||
TeleFinder Import 3.2
|
||
Host 2.12T10 LHARC 0.41
|
||
MacArc 0.04
|
||
Mantissa 3.21
|
||
Point System Mehitable 2.0
|
||
Software OriginatorII 2.0
|
||
Name Version PreStamp 3.2
|
||
-------------------- StuffIt Classic 1.6
|
||
Copernicus 1.0 SunDial 3.2
|
||
CounterPoint 1.09 TExport 1.92
|
||
Timestamp 1.6
|
||
TImport 1.92
|
||
Tset 1.3
|
||
TSort 1.0
|
||
UNZIP 1.02c
|
||
Zenith 1.5
|
||
Zip Extract 0.10
|
||
|
||
|
||
Amiga
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
Falcon CBBS 0.45 BinkleyTerm 1.00 AmigArc 0.23
|
||
Paragon 2.082+ TrapDoor 1.80* AReceipt 1.5
|
||
TransAmiga 1.07 WelMat 0.44 booz 1.01
|
||
ChameleonEdit 0.10
|
||
ConfMail 1.12
|
||
ElectricHerald 1.66
|
||
LHARC 1.30
|
||
Login 0.18
|
||
MessageFilter 1.52
|
||
oMMM 1.49b
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 28 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
ParseLst 1.64
|
||
PkAX 1.00
|
||
PolyxAmy 2.02
|
||
RMB 1.30
|
||
Roof 44.03
|
||
RoboWriter 1.02
|
||
Rsh 4.06
|
||
Skyparse 2.30
|
||
Tick 0.75
|
||
TrapList 1.40*
|
||
TrapToss 1.20*@
|
||
UNZIP 1.31
|
||
Yuck! 2.01*
|
||
Zippy (Unzip) 1.25
|
||
Zoo 2.01
|
||
|
||
|
||
Atari ST/TT
|
||
-----------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
FIDOdoor/ST 2.5.1* BinkleyTerm 22.40n9* Burep 1.1@
|
||
FiFo 2.1v The BOX 1.20 ComScan 1.04
|
||
LED ST 1.00 ConfMail 4.10
|
||
MSGED 1.99* EchoFix 1.20
|
||
QuickBBS/ST 1.04*@ Echoscan 1.10
|
||
FastPack 1.20
|
||
FDrenum 2.5.2*
|
||
Compression Import 1.14
|
||
Utilities oMMM 1.40
|
||
Name Version Pack 1.00
|
||
-------------------- Parselist 1.30
|
||
ARC 6.02 sTICK/Hatch 5.50
|
||
LHARC 2.01e* Trenum 0.10
|
||
PackConvert 1.10
|
||
STZIP 0.90*
|
||
UnJARST 2.00
|
||
WhatArc 2.02
|
||
|
||
|
||
Archimedes
|
||
----------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
ARCbbs 1.44 BinkleyTerm 2.03 ARC 1.03
|
||
BatchPacker 1.00
|
||
Parselst 1.30
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 29 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
!Spark 2.00d
|
||
Unzip 2.1TH
|
||
|
||
|
||
Tandy Color Computer 3 (OS-9 Level II)
|
||
--------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
BBS Software Compression Utility Other Utilities
|
||
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
||
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
||
RiBBS 2.02@ OS9ARC (Arc) 1.0@ Ascan 1.2@
|
||
OS9ARC (Dearc) 1.0@ AutoFRL 2.0@
|
||
DEARC @ CKARC 1.1@
|
||
UNZIP 3.10@ EchoCheck 1.01@
|
||
FReq 2.5a@
|
||
LookNode 2.00@
|
||
ParseLST @
|
||
RList 1.03@
|
||
RTick 2.00@
|
||
UnSeen 1.1@
|
||
|
||
|
||
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
|
||
Key: + - Netmail Capable (Doesn't Require Additional Mailer Software)
|
||
* - Recently Updated Version
|
||
@ - New Addition
|
||
# - Commercial SoftWare(Not In Use Yet)
|
||
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
|
||
|
||
Utility Authors: Please help keep this list up to date by reporting
|
||
all new versions to 1:103/950 in this format:
|
||
|
||
1) Software Name & Version 2) FileName.Ext
|
||
3) Support Node Address 4) Support BBS Phone Number
|
||
|
||
|
||
Note: It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those
|
||
which verge on necessity. If you want it updated in the next
|
||
FidoNews, get it to me by Thursday evening.
|
||
|
||
--David French, 1:103/950
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 8-41 Page 30 14 Oct 1991
|
||
|
||
|
||
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
|
||
|
||
Editors: Tom Jennings, Tim Pozar
|
||
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Periello
|
||
Special thanks to Ken Kaplan, 1:100/22, aka Fido #22
|
||
|
||
"FidoNews" BBS
|
||
FidoNet 1:1/1
|
||
Internet fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org
|
||
BBS (415)-863-2739 (9600 HST/V32)
|
||
|
||
(Postal Service mailing address)
|
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FidoNews
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Box 77731
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San Francisco
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CA 94107 USA
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Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international
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amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual
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articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The
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contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the
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rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those
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of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews.
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FidoNews is copyright 1991 Fido Software. All rights reserved.
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Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes
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||
only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews (we're
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easy).
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OBTAINING COPIES: FidoNews in electronic form may be obtained from
|
||
the FidoNews BBS via manual download or Wazoo FileRequest, or from
|
||
various sites in the FidoNet and via uucp. PRINTED COPIES mailed
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||
may be obtained from Fido Software for $5.00US each PostPaid First
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||
Class within North America, or $7.00US elsewhere, mailed Air Mail.
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||
(US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
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Periodic subscriptions are not available at this time; if enough
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||
people request it I will implement it.
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SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
|
||
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
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||
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
|
||
from 1:1/1 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC".
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FidoNews 8-41 Page 31 14 Oct 1991
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"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
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trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco
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CA 94107, USA and are used with permission.
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-- END
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