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F I D O N E W S -- Vol.13 No. 9 (26-Feb-1996)
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS |
| _ | +1-519-570-4176 |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editors: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MORE addresses: |
| |
| submissions=> editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Don -- don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies of fidonews or the internet gateway faq |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
========================================================================
Table of Contents
========================================================================
1. Editorial..................................................... 1
2. Articles...................................................... 2
Problem User--Please Help!.................................. 2
FIDOTIPS.................................................... 11
Fidonet and Politics........................................ 18
FIDONEWS SUBMISSION......................................... 20
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 22
========================================================================
Editorial
========================================================================
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 2 26 Feb 1996
I am sitting at my computer, and looking at Ex_Libris BBS,
my Fidonet BBS. It runs on an old AT hooked up by ethernet to
my network. I has a 30 meg hard disk, a monochrome monitor, and
640K. Not that the size matters, the dik drive is only a
bootstrap device anyway. The fact is, though, that when that
old AT goes, I wonder if I will bother putting the BBS back
online.
I enjoy Fidonet. I enjoy it very much, and I like the people
that I know in the net. They are like familly, in a way. I
have known them through two marriages now, and followed the same
old tired threads with amusement through a generation of new
sysops. I am not even that early a member, having joined late
in the 80's.
But the fact is, that Fidonet is dying. Not through lack of
will, nor through lack of need. We are facing technological
obsolesence. We have allowed our software particularly to
become as obsolete as that old AT of mine. In another 10 years,
there will not be a machine in existance that will run our
software.
As a computer professional, I cannot afford to stay in the
dark ages of communications technology. As a hobbiest, I do not
want to. I have to move over to the internet style of
communications. The next node I put up will be an internet
node. Fidonet? Do I run two BBS's? Just for nostalgia's sake
for a few years? Probably. For a few years.
It would be real nice to have a migration pattern. I want
to hook in and get mail at dtees@fidonet.org. I want my users to
get mail at joe_smith@exlibris.fidonet.org.
How do we get there from here? We have a year, maybe two.
========================================================================
Articles
========================================================================
Problem User--Please Help!
by Sarah Nunez, 1:130/604
THE SITUATION:
There is a BBS user in San Antonio by the name of Joe Falls, who has
been exceedingly disruptive in several FidoNet echoes, including
AVIATION and FLYING. We lost quite a number of highly-respected,
extremely knowledgeable participants because of Joe's behavior. He also
repeatedly violated other rules of the echo, and flamed the moderators
every time they tried to enforce them. As a result, he has been
permanently banned from both of these echoes. However, he still reads
the two echoes, and is continuing his attacks via Internet e-mail from
the address shbjsale@ix.netcom.com. For reasons known only to him, he
often sends carbon copies of his messages to as many as 20 people at
once, sometimes to people who weren't even party to the original echo
discussion to which he refers. Approximately 30 of us are his usual
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 3 26 Feb 1996
targets. E-mail to the postmaster of his Internet Service Provider
has been to no avail.
He continually needles people about minor details (spelling, grammar,
typos), refuses to follow simple rules, and flames anyone who disagrees
with his sometimes-distorted views of reality. He is obnoxious,
antagonistic, vindictive, rude, unmannerly, belligerent, and behaves not
at all like the officer and gentleman he supposedly once was (he's a
retired USAF colonel). He has particular vendettas against several
well-respected, long-time participants of the two echoes, and has no
qualms about venting his opinions of them. Anyone who comes to their
defense, or who even politely suggests that he tone it down
immediately becomes his next target. Some of Joe's attacks have
included racial slurs. He also includes, at times, thinly veiled
threats of (groundless) legal action (such threats are a violation of
FidoNet Policy), character assassination, and insults to his target's
family.
THE SOLUTION:
If he can no longer read the AVIATION and FLYING echoes, he will have
nothing about which to harrass other users. In light of that, please do
not give him even *read* access to either of these two echoes. He often
logs on to BBSes in other parts of the country, sometimes under one or
more aliases, since time, distance, and money are apparently no object
to him. Sometimes he "borrows" the name of one of his primary targets
to use as his alias, so twit filters and auto-deletion programs aren't
much help, although his writing style is very distinctive. If he uses
an alias to log onto your BBS, though, you can always catch him with a
call-back verifier. (At your request, I will netmail you the phone
number he calls from.) Also, please circulate this article to others in
your net/region who might not regularly read FidoNews. We greatly
appreciate your help in our endeavor to rid ourselves of this man's
tirades.
You may reach me via direct netmail to 1:130/604 *ONLY* between midnight
and 5am Central. You may also route netmail through my NC (1:130/0) or
my hub (1:130/600) anytime.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
File date: 15 February 1996
This file, FIDOTIPS.TXT, includes information on Echo Etiquette on FidoNet
(as well as on similar nets). Included are message writing, quoting, netmail,
advertisements, test messages, personal discussions, off-topicness,
chain letters and blanket messages, subject lines, and other things of
interest to all readers. The purpose of this file is to educate echo
users in basic echo etiquette.
A companion file, also concerning FidoNet, is called FIDOFAQ.ZIP. That
file is available for download/freq from 1:202/701 or 1:202/711, Pacific
Rim Information, San Diego, CA, anytime except ZMH.
Echo moderators are welcome to use these tips in their moderator duties.
Sysops are welcome to use these tips as bulletins or in other BBS areas,
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 4 26 Feb 1996
or make it available for download/freq by users and other sysops.
Please leave the information as it stands. If there is information to
be updated or corrected, please netmail the author (FidoNet/FamilyNet
address below) for possible adjustment in a later release.
WRITING A MESSAGE
I see these messages in the conference areas. Do these people all know
each other?
Most echo participants have never met in person. The purpose of
conference areas are for exchange of information and conversation. Many
people stay in the same conference areas and begin to get to know each
other as pen pals, so they seem like friends who have known each other
for awhile.
How can I get involved?
Read an echo whose topic interests you for a month or two. If
the conversations interest you, and you are aware of the echo rules,
find the Reply key on your BBS editor or offline reader and hit it.
Using normal typing (upper and lower case), respond. Most likely you'll
get a response to your message within a week or so. Many people find
that getting messages is like getting personal mail in your snailmail
box...more fun than bills! As one sysop said about messages: "ya gotta
write 'em to get 'em!"
WRITING A ONE-SIZE FITS ALL MESSAGE
I want to thank more than one person for their advice or commentary
on a thread I was interested in...what do I do? Or...I find myself
saying the same thing to several people....what do I do?
Rather than writing each person an individual message, write
a blanket message that conveys the information you want to relay, and
then address your message to ALL. If you want to ensure that someone
in particular (or everyone) gets credit, thank them
individually within one message.
One message (vice a dozen) saves echo bandwith, sysop phone bills,
and moderator wrath. :)
QUOTING
How much should I quote?
It is standard to quote only those portions of a message
that will remind the recipient of what the conversation was about. Four lines
is usually plenty. Quoting the taglines, origin lines, message
headers, or anything similar is a waste of bytes. If you're not sure how
to quote, either read the docs to your offline reader, or ask a sysop or
another informed user for help.
I agree with something someone said, but don't have anything to
add to the conversation. What do I do?
It's not really necessary to reply unless you have something
more to say.
SOMEONE IS OFF TOPIC
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 5 26 Feb 1996
I see a message where someone is off-topic on the echo, and I want to
respond to the topic. How should I handle it?
There are several ways of responding. One method is to let the person
know you saw their message but that you know it's off-topic, and ask if they
have access to a more appropriate echo or to netmail. Or, if you know they have
access to netmail (or suspect that they do), respond via netmail. A third
way, a very appropriate way when seeing ads or blanket messages in echoes,
is to ignore the message and let the moderator handle it. If you think
the moderator may not have noticed the off-topic thread, or if it's
really bugging you, contact the moderator via netmail. Chances are that
the moderators have already taken care of the matter, though.
I see a message where someone is suggesting doing something
illegal. What do I do about it?
Sit back and ignore the message if you can, as the
moderators have probably already taken care of it. If you can't ignore it,
contact the moderator via netmail. It's not necessary to create more
bandwith and junkmail in the echo by continuing the thread.
How can anything be "off-topic"? This is a free country, and the Bill of
Rights guarantees me free speech!
FidoNet is not a democracy, nor is there any guarantee of free
speech within FidoNet or its echoes. FidoNet is a network for amateur
computer modeming hobbyists.
Echoes with topics were created so that people could read
threads/conversations on topics they enjoy. If everyone gets off
topic, the echo overflows and people have to wade through the mess just
to find the messages that interest them.
CHAIN LETTERS AND BLANKET MESSAGES
Should I respond to a message that is obviously a chain letter?
No. The best advice is to ignore it, and let the moderator
handle it. Usually, a chain letter is perpetrated by a "hit and
run" participant. The person drops the chain letter into every echo that
a given BBS has, and never responds to further echomail on the
subject. Regardless of what the letter may say, you aren't asking for bad
luck by not responding...at least not in this author's humble opinion.
Should I turn this chain letter into the Post Office?
Most FidoNet moderators would *not* want you to. Unless the
chain letter promises that something bad will happen if you don't
respond to it, the Post Office won't get involved anyway.
Are those stories really true?
Here's a brief synopsis of the most popular chain letters
and blanket messages sent via modem, and their stories:
"Craig Shergold wants cards": boy is not dying any more, he was
cured. "Modem tax": the bill lasted about 5 minutes before it was
killed on the floor. "$250 Cookie Recipe": Neiman Marcus never sold
chocolate chip cookie recipes. Any other versions
of the story (including Mrs. Fields' cookie) are also equally
false. "Religious broadcasting ban by FCC": Was also killed before it came
up for a vote. "Dave Rhodes": is in jail, we're told.
If it sounds too good to be true, or sounds illegal, don't
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 6 26 Feb 1996
react to it.
SUBJECT LINES
I get so aggravated when I see a subject line that does not match
the content of the message. What can I do?
It would be helpful to all readers if all message posters
would check the subject line after they hit the Reply key, and change it
if necessary. Most software makes this quite easy to do these days.
If you are unsure about how to do that, either read the offline reader
docs or ask your sysop.
TEST MESSAGES
Why are there test messages? Should I answer them? How can I test
an echo to see if it's working?
If you are setting up an echo on a board or offline reader,
it is better to enter an initialization message or an on-topic message than the
boring "TESTING" type message into a new echo. If your system has
been carrying echoes all along, you shouldn't need a test message
anyway. Test messages belong in regional echoes, not in international
backbone conferences. If you receive an answer to your initialization or
on-topic introductory message, you will know your message got out.
If you are a user and see a test message in a backbone conference,
sit back and let the moderator/s respond.
Examples of "test" messages that would qualify:
"Sopwhith Camel BBS is now echoing this conference, would
the moderator/s please forward a copy of the rules for our users?"
"I'm John, and I've been interested in xxxx all along.
Would xxxx be an example of.....(continuing along the topical lines)"
PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS
Oops...where am I?
On some BBS software, it is very easy to be in the wrong
conference at the wrong time. Please be sure you are in a local area, netmail,
or "Comments to the Sysop" area before posting private messages.
This message is getting way off-topic and I'll just bet it's only
of interest to two of us. What should I do?
If you are in the midst of a backbone echo, and your
conversation appears to be only to the interest of two of you, consider taking
the conversation to netmail.
Can I just set the Private bit on my message so that no one else will
read it?
No. Somewhere along the line, the Private bit will be stripped
and your private message will be released to the public anyway. It's the
nature of various software. Use netmail or snailmail for privacy.
ADS OR FOR SALE MESSAGES
Can I write or answer an ad in a FidoNet echo?
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 7 26 Feb 1996
There are a few echoes where ads are encouraged. These types of
echoes usually have the words "FOR SALE" in their name someplace.
Other than those, ads are specifically off-topic in many FidoNet echoes.
If you have something for sale, and want to advertise it, look for an
appropriate echo. Then watch for the echo's rules posting to ensure that your
ad would be considered topical. Be sure to note the difference between
a personal ad and a commercial ad. Ads for BBS's are allowed in some,
but not all, echoes.
If you see an ad in an echo where you know it is off-topic, treat
it like an off-topic message. Sit back and let the moderators handle
it.
I want to let everyone know of a product that I've found to be helpful,
but I have no financial interest in the product. Is that considered an
ad?
Probably not, but it's best to keep an eye on the echo's rules
and "flavor" before saying anything at all.
May I share an address of a store or mail order place, or is that an ad
for that place?
It will depend, again, on the echo in question. Check on the
echo's rules before posting anything, or netmail the moderator and ask.
NETMAIL
What is netmail? How does it differ from echomail?
Netmail is a personal message. If you want to send someone
a message that you don't want everyone else to read, send it netmail
if you can. If echomail is the party line of years past, netmail is
the private lines of today.
However, "personal" can be misleading. Depending on how the
netmail is sent, more than just the sender and receiver could read
this message. If absolute privacy is necessary, send it snailmail!
How do I access netmail?
If you are a BBS user, you may want to discuss netmail
privileges with your sysop. Since netmail often costs money, you
may have to be a subscriber of a system, or offer a few dollars
donation in exchange for the privilege. It may be called Matrix Mail.
Why does my sysop allow me to receive netmail, but not send a
reply? OR Why don't I get incoming netmail?
These are problems to discuss with your sysop. Your sysop
should be able to forward incoming netmail to you in another forum, if the
bbs software does not allow users to receive mail in the netmail area.
Outgoing netmail may cost your sysop some money. (See "How do I
access netmail?")
No matter what, my sysop still won't allow me to access netmail.
However, I'm going way off topic in the echo. Can I explain in the echo
that I don't have netmail privileges so that I can continue my
conversation?
It usually won't work...most moderators will not want you off
topic in the echo. Explanations don't help..and neither does the
tagline that says "I'll get back on topic, I swear, Mr. Moderator!"
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 8 26 Feb 1996
You can take several different steps. See "How Do I Access
Netmail"...money works wonders with many sysops for netmail privileges.
How about if I just hit "Yes" when the editor asks me if I should mark a
message "Private"? Won't that solve the netmail problem?
It rarely works. Believe it or not, there is still BBS software
out there that will not allow a message with a private bit set (a
private message) in an echo. So, it strips the private bit from the
message, and sends it on. Anyone getting the message after it hits that
system will see it in the echo...including the moderator.
The "Private" setting is usually safe in the (C)omment to Sysop
message area and in the netmail area. In echomail areas, it's best to
type "No" when the editor asks "Private?"
INTERNET E-MAIL
I've heard that FidoNet users can access Internet e-mail. How is this
done?
Many boards connected to FidoNet are also Internet carriers.
Some of them have the proper software to "gate" netmail between FidoNet
and Internet.
Can I get Internet e-mail on the BBS that I use? Can I send Internet
e-mail?
It will depend on your sysop. The best way to find out is to ask
your sysop. If you *are* the sysop, and you can send/receive FidoNet
netmail, then you have Internet e-mail privileges already.
What's my Internet address?
Ask your sysop.
How do I send an Internet e-mail?
Address a message in a netmail folder/area to your
local UUCP gate (check your nodelist or ask around your net to find your
local gate). Use a subject line just like you would in a netmail
message.
The first line of the netmail message should contain TO: and the
address of the recipient. Skip a line, then start your message on the
third line of the netmail message. Sign as you would a FidoNet netmail
message. You may want to include your own e-mail address somewhere in
the body of your message, if the recipient does not keep your address on
hand.
A new way to address an Internet email is in the TO: line. Just
put the entire Internet address of the recipient in the TO: line of the
netmail, then the local Fido<>Internet in the address field.
You can send the netmail via crashmail to the gating site, or
you can route it to the gate.
How do I receive an Internet e-mail?
It will arrive just as regular netmail, and look similar as
well. Some UUCP gates will send it crashmail, and others will route it
with outgoing routed netmail.
Is it reliable?
It will depend on your local gate. Be aware, tho, that each
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 9 26 Feb 1996
gate may not have software
that will "bounce" a misaddressed e-mail like might happen from a
regular Internet site.
`
INFORMATION TO BE SHARED
Is it considered safe to post my address and phone number in an echo?
This will depend a lot on the echo itself, and on your own feelings of
safety and privacy. People have had different experiences with this, so
it is best to make your own decision. One may feel safer posting an
address or phone number in one echo but not in another, because of the nature of the
echo.
MODERATOR DECISIONS
Who is the moderator of an echo/conference?
The moderator is the host or hostess of an echo, there to ensure
that FidoNet policy and echo's rules are being followed. Some echoes
have a moderating team. To find out who the moderators are, consult the
ELIST file, or watch for the echo's rules posting. Most moderators place
their name/s at the end of the rules posting, or in the header, along
with their FidoNet address. Rules are usually posted monthly, or more
often.
I don't like a decision that a moderator has made regarding an echo
rule infraction. What can I do about it?
Most moderators consider their decisions in their echo as final,
and FidoNet has no policy to define that. Complaining about it in the
echo is in bad taste, and many times considered "off topic". Consider
contacting the moderator via netmail to register (tactfully) your
concern for a decision, comments (positive and negative) about the echo,
or questions about what is topical and what is not.
I don't like the way an echo is run. What can I do about it?
You may want to contact the moderator to clear up any
uncertainties or questions about an echo. Perhaps you are in an echo
that doesn't meet your expectations because the topic is not what you're
looking for. The moderator may give you a suggestion towards a more
appropriate echo. Of course, this is most appropriately done via
netmail in most echoes.
If that doesn't work, then you may want to vote with your feet.
Stop reading that echo. Consider starting your own echo. True, there are
a lot of duplicated topics within FidoNet backbone, because of this
option, but in several cases, an echo with a Hitler-type moderator has
disappeared entirely.
I've been invited to leave an echo that I really didn't want to leave.
Can I appeal to someone?
Moderator decisions are final. If a moderator decides that you
must leave an echo (either temporarily or permanently), you will be
leaving. NECs and RECs will, in most cases, back the moderator,
since they are not authorized by current policy to become mediators or judges.
If you have been asked to leave temporarily, you will have to
contact the moderator to ask if s/he will contact your feed to
reinstate, or if it will be up to you to reinstate yourself. This
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 10 26 Feb 1996
should, of course, be done via netmail.
I'm in an echo where the moderator doesn't seem to be present. What
should I do?
First, check the ELIST (a monthly file listing of backbone
echoes and their moderators). If the echo is listed in the ELIST,
netmail the moderator. If the echo is not listed in the ELIST, then you
can make discreet inquiries about who the moderator was/is. This is best
done via netmail, asking the persons who seem to have been around the
echo for a long period of time about the status of the moderator.
Ofttimes an interim moderator is taking over and the echo is only
temporarily un-elisted.
If all comes up negative, the echo could hold an election for a
new moderator.
COMMON-NAME-ITIS
My name is John Smith, and I keep getting echomail for another John
Smith. What can I do to ensure that I get only my own echomail?
If you have a common name, chances are that you may meet someone
with the same name on the echoes. Most BBS software will be triggered to
hand you any mail addressed to your name. The software isn't able to
distinguish between John Smith in Pocatella, Idaho, and John Smith in
Norfolk, Virginia. You will get all mail addressed to John Smith, even
in echoes that you do not regularly read.
First way to combat the problem is not to respond to any
messages that are in echoes that you don't read. Then, consider adding a
middle initial to your log-on name or to your offline reader. When
logging onto any new board, remember to add the middle initial. If you
need help in doing this, ask your sysop for help.
ALL-CAPS-ITIS
Why shouldn't I type in all caps?
Typing in all capital letters is a strain on the reader's eyes.
It is much easier to read a combination of upper and lower case letters.
In messaging, typing in all caps is like shouting, done only when you
really need to emphasize a point.
If it is at all possible on your computer system and editor,
please turn the Caps Lock key off.
Donna Ransdell
Echo Mom/Moderator, PARENTS
Co-Moderator, CONSUMER_REPORT
Co-Mod,SEW_&_QUILT
1:202/211 FidoNet
8:7705/11 FamilyNet
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 11 26 Feb 1996
Update: 15 February 1996
This file is intended to answer some of the "Frequently Asked Questions"
concerning messaging on FIDOnet. To help, I've divided it into questions
concerning messages themselves, echoes, netmail, and special terminology. This
should explain how messages are written, get from place to place, as
well as various abbreviations and terms that are used within FIDOnet
echoes.
FIDOnet is an amateur network started by Tom Jennings, who wrote
software called FIDO. Thus, FIDOnet is a trademarked term. It started
primarily as a way for sysops to communicate with each other. Netmail
was (and still is) its primary responsibility. Echomail is a subsidiary
and still isn't addressed very well within FIDOnet standards.
MESSAGE WRITING
How do I reply to a message?
This will vary on each BBS, as there are
different software and editors used from board to board. Look on the
bottom of your screen for a menu line, for the key to use to reply. In
many cases it is R, or Alt-R. If in doubt, ask your sysop.
How do I enter a brand new message?
On the message menu, there will be a
key to use to Enter a New Message. If in doubt, ask your sysop.
How do I quote someone else's message?
There are as many ways to do this as there are medicines in this
world. The best suggestion is to look for a menu bar, or ask your sysop
for help.
It seems like some people have a preoccupation with colons and
parenthesis markings. What are those?
Turn your face sideways. You will see a smiley face. :-)
Occasionally, other symbols are added or substituted. See a wink, ;-), a
halo @:-), a sad face :-(, a face with glasses 8-), a surprised
expression :-0. We can't see facial expression in writing, so this is a
way to ensure that our writing is taken the way it would if we were
discussing this face to face.
You may also see ((grin)) or (VBG)-very big grin, and others in
message writing. Once again, this will convey feeling to your message.
Please feel free to use these, particularly if you are making a joke or
play on words.
I see lots of abbreviations that I don't understand. What do they mean?
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion.
BTW - By The Way.
OTOH - On The Other Hand
ROFL - rolling on the floor laughing
MIL, FIL, SIL, BIL - your inlaws
There are many of these, but these are the most common ones.
In addition, some echoes will have abbreviations that are common only to
their echoes. If in doubt, question it! You'll probably get a friendly
reply...we were all new at this at one time or another.
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 12 26 Feb 1996
What's an offline reader?
To save time on-line, and perhaps your phone bill, consider the
use of an offline reader such as BlueWave, XRS, OLX, etc., if you find
yourself hooked on messages. Ask your sysop if his/her bbs supports an
offline reader, and for suggestions for your system.
Anything I shouldn't do?
First of all, watch out for an echo's guidelines/rules. Know
them before you post (write) your first message. One thing that gets
many first-time-posters is typing in all caps. That's like shouting! so
turn off your Caps Lock key if you have one. Another thing...if it isn't
easily typed from the keyboard, don't use it. Some first-timers love to
use that "high ASCII" that has to be typed with the Alt key held down.
This is highly controversial within FIDOnet, so be careful where you use
it! Also note that most echoes cannot handle Private messages, so be
sure to send anything private via netmail. (See Section below about
netmail.)
What is the terminology I would use to describe a message?
Header: part containing the From/By, To, Subj/RE, and Status
lines.
MSGID: Message Identification. The normal user and sysop doesn't
really need to worry about this line. They're usually hidden anyway.
Quote: The portion of the message quoting the message one is
replying to. Usually 4 lines is sufficient to remind the recipient what
one was talking about. Usually preceded by >, initials, or **. Most
offline readers will indent these or place them in different colors,
with proper configuration of the offline reader or editor.
Body: The actual message itself.
Tagline: A funny or political saying, usually short.
Origin line: Usually the name of the originating board and the
FIDOnet address in parenthesis. Some editors eliminate the tagline, so
the origin line doubles as a tagline.
Path statement: Helps the sysop determine how the message got
from the originating system to his/her system. Usually, these are
hidden.
Seen-bys: Often hidden, these lines show some (but not
necessarily all) of the nodes seeing the message.
ECHOES
What are echoes?
Echoes are also known as conferences or sub areas. There are
three main types of echoes: local, regional, and national/international.
Local message bases are only on one or two bbs's in a given area. An example
would be the (C)omment to the Sysop area on most bbs's. (It should be
noted that the [C]omment to the Sysop area is a private area, not
readable by anyone else except the writer and the sysop.) Another type
of local area might be a User Chat or Forum area. This one is only
readable by users of that system, and is usually a place where one user
can leave another user a message. A regional echo
is an echo that is carried only in one net or region. Many nets have
echoes for chatting and so forth. Your sysop can point these out to you.
A national/international echo goes out of the region, and you can find
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 13 26 Feb 1996
yourself chatting with someone across the country or in another country.
International? Do I need to know another language?
Most international echoes use the English language as a
standard language. You could find yourself in trouble posting in a
foreign language.
How are echoes run?
Each echo has a moderator, or a host/hostess, that sets the tone
for the participants. Echo rules or guidelines are usually posted
monthly, or more often. A list of echo moderators is available in a file
called the ELIST, published monthly. Moderators are generally either the
originator of a conference, appointed by the originating moderator, or
elected democratically on the echo.
What kinds of rules are common?
Most moderators seem to use the Golden Rule as an example: do
(write) unto others as you would have them do (write) unto you. Be nice,
play fair, no foul language, stay on topic, and don't overquote, are
those that are common. It is best to wait until you have seen the
echo's rules/guidelines before you post (write) a message.
I see references to Privately Distributed and Backboned Echoes. What's
the difference?
A Privately Distributed echo is not as easily available as one
"on the backbone". It means some sysop is calling another system
directly to obtain an echo. This could mean higher phone bills! An echo
"on the backbone" is distributed with over 800 other echoes,
consolidating the phone bills along the way. That means availability is
easier.
800 echoes???!!!!
Yes, FIDOnet has over 800 echoes available "on the backbone".
Chances are that if you have an interest, there is an echo on the
subject already available. If not, start one! :)
My sysop tells me he can't get an echo for me. What do I do now?
There are a couple of ways to go. If you live in an area
populated by bbs's, try another board. If your sysop runs the only board
in town, you may want to try to find out what the trouble is...lack of
space on the board or in the bbs software, not available from the net's
mail server, or not on the backbone might mean financial liability for
the sysop.
What happens if I change boards? Will I still get my mail?
Most BBS software does a search for all mail addressed to your
name in the echoes that it carries. Therefore, you can get any mail
addressed to you at any board in the country, providing they carry the
same echo/es that you post in. This can be handy for those that like to
travel with a laptop, or visit someone else with a computer and modem.
Just be sure to always log in using the same derivation/spelling of your
name. The BBS will not know that Billy and William Jones are the same
people!
What if I don't like a moderator, or the way they're running an echo?
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 14 26 Feb 1996
The best thing to do would be to drop the echo. If you're really
interested, start your own echo with a different tagname. Moderator
policies vary. It's rather difficult to overthrow or oust a moderator,
particularly if s/he is the originating or duly elected moderator.
OK, so how do I go about starting a new echo?
Create a new echo by coming up with a tagname for the echo.
Tagnames are all in capitals with underscores for spaces, usually short.
Find someone willing to hub the echo and get it started by private
distribution methods. You'll need a moderator and the echo should be
elisted. Once you meet the requirements for backboning,
the moderator/hub may request backbone status for the echo.
Once all requirements have been met, the echo may be placed on the
backbone and will be available at the regional mail servers ("Stars").
Requirements for backbone status change quite often; see your NC/NEC for
help in determining the most recent requirements.
MESSAGE TRAFFIC PARTICULARS
What's an address?
All bbs's in FIDOnet have an address. It is broken down into
zone: net/node number/point number (opt). For instance, my system is
1:202/211. Zone 1 signifies North America, 202 is Net202 (much of the
619 area code, in our case), 211 is my specific "box number" within
net202. My point's address is 1:202/211.1. That is someone
running a mailer under me.
I see these terms (board, hub, mail server, net, stars). What are they?
A board...another name for a bbs.
A hub....larger nets have several boards that act as a hub, in
much the same way that the airlines use hubs. Our net has 16 hubs, each
with about 6 to 9 boards under them. There are also regional and zone
hubs.
Mail server...some larger nets have one computer dedicated to
the passing of echo and netmail. It's really nice for those larger nets!
Net....a net is a small local area within FIDOnet.
Region....a group of nets in a geographical area.
Stars...there are six national mail servers within the US. The
nets mail server or acting mail server machine will contact one star on
a daily basis.
Cost-share...most larger nets will share the costs of the phone
bills from the mail server (or equivalent machine) to the star. Usually,
all nodes getting backbone echoes will contribute, in a manner similar
to the way a coffee mess is run in some businesses. (He who drinks the
coffee helps pay for it.)
So how does my message get to its recipient?
You type your message on your bbs' editor, or prepare it on your offline
reader. Your offline reader will create a special file which you upload
to your bbs the next time you call. The bbs will "pack it up"
and send it to the hub. This may be done immediately or at specific times
of the day, depending on the sysop. The hub will take the mail, process it,
pack it up, and send it to the mail server (if there is one). The mail server
packs all the incoming mail and sends it to the Star. The Stars all
exchange mail with each other. The Stars then send incoming mail down
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 15 26 Feb 1996
the line, to the Mail Servers. The mail servers send to the hubs, who
send to the various boards under them.
This is the way that echomail is handled, as well as routed
netmail. It's similar to the local bus...lots of stops along the way.
That may account for the occasional message that gets lost..it got off
at the wrong stop and didn't get back on. :)
What is Planet Connect? PageSat?
In a nutshell (and not technical), these are satellite systems
capable of sending echomail via satellite instead of using
the telephone lines. It should be noted that routed netmail does NOT go
via satellite - it still goes through landlines.
NETMAIL
What is netmail? How does it differ from echomail?
Netmail is a personal message. If you want to send someone a
message that you don't want everyone else to read, send it netmail if
you can. If echomail is the party line of years past, netmail is the
private lines of today.
However, "personal" can be misleading. Depending on how the
netmail is sent, more than just the sender and receiver could read this
message. If absolute privacy is necessary, send it snailmail!
Netmail is NOT for commercial messages, conferences, mailing
lists (Internet), newsgroups, file attaches, encoded files, pyramid
letters, or chain letters. Its purpose is for Personal Messages only.
How do I access netmail?
If you are a BBS user, you may want to discuss netmail
privileges with your sysop. Since netmail often costs money, you may
have to be a subscriber of a system, or offer a few dollars donation in
exchange for the privilege. It may be called Matrix Mail.
How does netmail get sent?
There are three ways to send netmail. One is Direct. Your BBS
calls the recipients' bbs directly. This adds to a phone bills if the
phone call is a toll call. That's why you may need to pay money for the
privilege!
A second way is Semi-Direct. Your netmail may go from your bbs
to a receiving bbs, such as the recipient bbs's hub or NC.
A third way is Routed Netmail. Your netmail gets attached to the
echomail and stops a lot of places along the way. Important netmail
should *not* get routed.
Why does my sysop allow me to receive netmail, but not send a reply? OR
Why don't I get incoming netmail?
These are problems to discuss with your sysop. Your sysop should
be able to forward incoming netmail to you in another forum, if the bbs
software does not allow users to receive mail in the netmail area.
Outgoing netmail may cost your sysop some money. (See "How do I access
netmail?")
SPECIAL TERMINOLOGY
What is a freq?
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 16 26 Feb 1996
"Freq" is an abbreviation for File Request. To aid in exchanging
files, a sysop with a mailer may access another sysop's files without
logging on to the bbs and going through the download motions. This saves
time, and ultimately, phone bills. If you wish to ask your sysop to
"freq" a file for you, be sure to have the full name of the file you
want (including proper extension), and the system's FIDO address that
has the file, including zone:net/node number.
What is a mailer?
Have you ever had to log on to a BBS and "Press Escape to Access
BBS"? If so, you are going around the mailer. It's like knocking on the
front door...and as a matter of fact, a popular mailer is *called* "Front
Door"! Other popular mailers are Binkley and Intermail. The mailer is in
charge of answering the modem when it rings, and supervises the chores
of packing and tossing mail, and maintaining the message base. Few
mailers run by themselves...most need a driver, a message tosser (such
as GEcho, Squish, FMail), a maintenance utility, and a nice long file
called a nodelist.
What's a nodelist?
It is a listing of all the nodes in FIDOnet. At full length,
with 6 zones and around 25,000 nodes, it takes up a lot of disk space.
It's like a big phone book!
What's a point?
It's an offshoot of a bbs. Most points are either someone that
really* likes echomail, or someone about ready to set up a BBS and
needs a place to solve the problems before getting their own node
number.
A point either uses mailer software that's specifically for
points, such as EZPoint or PPoint, or sets up like a bbs. It depends on
the point sysop's intentions and patience.
What does "crashmailable" mean?
The bbs can receive netmail or echomail at any time of the day.
CM really stands for "continuous mail", but most folks use the term
"crash".
What does "mail only" mean?
That's a system that is set up with a mailer and the software
required to make it run, but does not have a BBS under it. Only another
mailer can call an MO system. A human using telecommunications software
will be rejected. Some MO systems are crashmailable, others are not.
What's "ZMH"?
That's Zone Mail Hour, a one hour period of the day where all
FIDOnet nodes are up and capable of receiving netmail. Normally, BBS
nodes do not accept callers during ZMH. Zone 1 ZMH is from 4 am - 5 am
EST.
What is a "private node"?
This is a node that is set up for the operator's convenience. It
is up to the NC of a net whether the reason for the request for private
node is a valid one. Normally, private nodes are for extenuating
circumstances only.
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 17 26 Feb 1996
What's a "file distribution network/FDN/filebone?"
In order to get shareware/public domain software out to the
public quickly, there is a backbone method of sending files around.
There are various FDN's. Ask your sysop for further information.
FIDOnet STRUCTURE
What is the FIDOnet chain of command?
At the bottom of the heap, there is USER. Users are the reason
behind echomail, but users have no say in things. (If one wants to be
technical, users do not exist in FIDOnet policy. But we all know that
users do! That's why we have BBS's.)
Next highest is SYSOP. It is s/he to whom the "lowly" user may
complain. Sysops with a node number are worth one vote in any policy
that may be voted upon (if any). Hubs count the same as sysops unless
they hold an office. (It should be noted that most voting takes place
within each net. If Fido ever gets around to voting on a new Policy to
replace Policy 4, the actual nodes won't do the voting on that - it will
be done similar to Congress voting on our new laws: contact your NC to
state your opinion, but your NC will do the voting.)
Up from there is the NC, Net Coordinator. This person is
responsible for seeing that all the sysops conduct themselves in a
manner becoming to FIDOnet, and to take action upon any that don't. This
person is responsible for maintaining the net's nodelist and making
corrections/additions/deletions as necessary.
The NC is assisted by the NEC, Net Echomail Coordinator. This
person is responsible for the echomail coming in and out and to ensure
that the sysops/hubs are acting properly with echomail distribution.
NC's usually refer all echomail problems to the NEC. (Technically, NEC's
-and REC's- jobs aren't really discussed in FidoNet policy. However, like
users, we all know they exist. The job of the NC would be too big for
most nets to handle by themselves without the NEC.)
Over the NC and NEC are the RC and RECs, Regional Coordinator
and Regional Echomail Coordinator. These jobs are detailed in Policy 4,
but suffice it to say that they are "de bosses" of the NCs and NECs in
their region.
At the top are the ZC and the ZEC. The ZC is the Zone
Coordinator and the ZEC is the Zone Echomail Coordinator for each zone.
Their responsibilities are detailed in Policy
4, too. "Dems duh big bosses", folks.
There is also an IC, International Coordinator, but this person
has no EC counterpart. This is the person that oversees the whole thing.
For the names and FidoNet addresses of these personnel, ask your
sysop for the most recent information.
Where do moderators fit into this chain?
Mmm, excellent question. Policy 4 doesn't really cover moderators.
However, in the past, it depends a lot on what the problem is.
If they're posting a policy complaint, they have to be a sysop
or above. If it's a matter concerning their echo and not a policy
complaint, then they have other ways to take care of the problem.
If you're complaining about a moderator, there's no real answer.
It is difficult to remove an originating or duly elected moderator.
Sometimes it is best just to leave the echo, and start your own if
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 18 26 Feb 1996
you're so inclined.
AND, IN SHORT....
This is quite a lot of information to read and understand. Please feel
free to print it out, to learn in smaller chunks.
If you are a sysop or moderator, please feel free to disseminate this
information as it reads. If you are a user, please feel free to pass
this file to other users or bbs's. Please leave the file intact. All
corrections and updates should be sent to the author via netmail
(address below). This file can also be freq'ed from 1:202/701 or
1:202/711, Pacific Rim Information, San Diego, CA, anytime except ZMH,
under the file name FIDOFAQ.ZIP.
Donna Ransdell
1:202/211
The Education Station, MO
Moderator/Echo Mom, PARENTS
Co-Mod,CONSUMER_REPORT
Co-Mod,SEW_&_QUILT
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonet and Politics
Part 1 of ?
By Patrick Driscoll
Pardon me if I sound like I am rambling in this letter, but I
couldn't find a better way to say what I have to say.
As with any organization, politics seem to creap into Fidonet more
and more. Here in Region 18, it seems extremly hard to keep the politics
down to a lower level and the hobby aspects of running a BBS up at a
higher level. We are presently involved with elections for Regional
Coordinator in R18, and this is simply some observations from the time
span from last election till now.
Our last election was more than a little messy, with sides taken
early on and flames and anti-canidate rumors flying in all directions.
You would have thought the office open was for the Republican nomination
for president and not for the Regional Coordinator of a HOBBY echomail
system. After the smoke cleared, Clif Bright was the winner. You would
think that things would settle down and get back to normal. Wrong! Now
you had the "Clif Bright" people, and "Clif Bright must go!" people.
When Clif had some personal problems that caused him to let his duties
slide for a while, the dogs attacked. None of them asked to help or what
they could do to help, all I heard was "Clif must go!" Clif survived
that attack and is now running again. Why, I don't have a clue. After
some of the attacks he weathered, I would have said "keep your little
club...I'm outta here."
One of the tenets of R18POL, the policy that defines Region 18 is
that all nets in Region 18 should have a written policy on file with the
RC on how a successor for NC and NEC are chosen, when they are chosen,
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 19 26 Feb 1996
who chooses them, ect...you get the point. After talking with Clif, I
brooched the subject with the local net. Boy, that was a bag of hornets.
The NC of 372, Dan Folk, has done a great job for the net, and I want
to see him continue to be NC as long as he wants. My main concern was
what would happen if he suddenly quit or something worse happened, who
would take over? The 'Old Guard" put up a hell of a fight, saying the
following;
1) We don't need a written policy. Any questions can be decided by us
(the Old Guard) later.
2) NC should not be voted on position. The present NC should appoint a
replacement.
3) To be NC you have to have been NC of another large net to qualify to
be NC.
4) The present NEC should become NC and appoint another NEC.
5) Maybe if we just got rid of Patrick Driscoll, this issue will go
away.
To Dan Folks' credit, he did write up a rough draft of a local
policy and did post it in the local sysop conference. It called for, if
I remember right, an election to replace the NC when the NC quits, and
that the NC appoints the NEC. That was as far as it got...the rough
draft. It just kinda died out. The queries to whatever happened to it
have remained unanswered.
VERY political, if you ask me. We have a NEC who wants to be NC so
bad he can taste it, and a group of the 'Old Guard' who wish to control
the net as much as possible, without some upstart shaking the boat, and
a shrinking membership, not just in the local 372 net, but in all of
Fidonet. The main reason is the Internets' growth in popularity. That
doesn't explain all of Fidonets problems, though. A great part of it is
the politics involved in this network. You have NC's who have been NC
since the dawn of time, and you either 'play by my rules or I'll kick
you out of the sandbox'. You have systems that have no morals or ethics
...that will do whatever it takes to get a node removed from the
nodelist, including lawsuits and straight-forward forgery of netmail
messages. You have a higharchy who sold out the net to services like
Planet Connect, ect.. You have RCs and ZCs with no backbone, and are
willing to compromise the future of the net to maintain their profit
margin.
Over the past year or so I have read in the Snooze about nets that
kick systems out because they won't 'play by our rules' or that rock the
boat too much. I have read about whole nets disolved for no reason,
other than a sysop with friends in high places didn't win an election.
The requests to be relisted by the affected systems have fallen on deaf
ears. I have read about the powers that be relisting systems because of
threats of lawsuits, systems that really should have been removed for
good. I have seen moderator fights between the moderator of support
areas against the author of the software who holds the copyright to the
software name, and the conference win due to nothing more than 'who the
moderator knows'. Strictly politics, nothing more. We are losing good
support areas run by the author's of the of the software because of some
small minded moderators and Z*'s who decide to run competing conferences
with blatent copyright violations by using the software name that
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 20 26 Feb 1996
belongs to the author. The conference that comes to mind is the TRIBBS_
SUPPORT conference, and the official Tribbs support conference that Mark
Goodwin, the author of TriBBS, ran. If I was to try and start a FidoNews
support conference where I made all the rules, I would be run out on a
rail. If I was a friend of the 'powers that be', I might actually be
allowed to start the area and get support when the Snooze people came
after me.
If we remove the 'for-profit' Cost recovery Programs (CRP's) we
will get even more systems interested. Nothing is more disgusting than
contacting a NEC who feeds mail and files and be told that it'll cost
$50.00 a month for a full feed, when you know that he has 25 systems
already paying $50.00 a month for the service. The cost to him to run
the mail/file feeds, under $75.00 a month for the Internet account and
the feed. A tidy profit of over $1200.00 a month. The idea of a for
profit CRP goes against all that Fidonet stands for, we might as well
just change the name to Fido-pay-me-house-payment-net. This does more
harm to the net then you think. If the net allows it's structure to
operate 'for profit', Fidonet becomes a 'for profit' business, with the
legal liabilities of a 'for profit' business.
In conclusion, if we get the politics out of the net, the net will
prosper. The *C and *EC higharchy should get back to the roots of the
net and help the net prosper, not to just see how much power/money/
friends they can get by using their positions to advantage the few while
ignoring the many. Don't get me wrong, there are many NC's doing a great
job, but the few bad NCs make the whole net look bad. If we, as a net,
call for local NC/NEC elections every 2 years, with any nodelisted sysop
in that net, allowed to run for office, the net will be a better place
for all systems. If we require the same rules for RC/REC and ZC/ZEC
positions, the net will be even better. If all local nets were to have
written policies in effect that cover the issues of NC/NEC replacement,
Fidonet will be less confusing to newbie systems. Bring back a real CRP,
civil people and the 'hobby' of the net, it will be a better place. With
the new Telecommunications Act of 1996, this may all become a mote issue.
If the law is upheld, none of the United States sysops will be able to
afford the liablity of running a system that has echomail.
Any flames, death threats,ect. welcome,
Pat
1:372/19
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Vern Faulkner <Vern.Faulkner@f44.n340.z1.fidonet.org>
FIDONEWS SUBMISSION
I read with some interest a little while ago about the fact that
fido is dead, (Internet killed the FidoNet Star) and that internet
is taking over.
It is, in fact the truth. This article will be relayed via
internet, although I have a fidonet account. Why? Because netmail is
unreliable for whatever reasons - and has been for some time. That's
just the way it is.
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 21 26 Feb 1996
What has killed FIDOnet? Well, look back through the articles
awhile, and see how many of them do _not_ have someone arguing about
some power-mad moderator or *C doing something vile.
I've been there myself - an argument with the NEC over unregistred
software being used for a year, and serious questions about the amount
of money being made by the CRP, and how much of that is actually
requried to pay the bills. Same old stuff, really.
I'm just another grunt sysop, been here for about five years. I
still have a FIDO address - but lets look at the reasons why. I don't
carry backbone echomail anymore, because I am making a statement by
not contributing to the CRP until the NEC installs budgeting software
and declares their bills so that we, the grunt sysops, know how much
of our money is going where. Until then, no deal. So, in short, no
mail because of dumb fido politics.
I don't send netmail, unless CRASH, because it doesn't get where
it is supposed to. I do, however, send gated material through the
internet. Internet bounces bad mail. If you don't get mail back, it
got to where it went to.
In short, I am not 1:340/44, but more the person at the end of
vern.faulkner@f44.n340.z1.fidonet.org. I have mail gated by a local
provider who holds the MX records for my node. I can guarantee you
that wherever you are in the world, you can send mail to the internet
side of things (even though it is the same physical location as
1:340/44.0) and it will get through. Can't say the same for FIDOnet.
Then I think back to some of the crap I've run into over the
years. One of my fondest moments was watching Bruce Bodger having a
power-fit over RA_SUPPORT and banning taglines. 72 characters,
archived, each message, was somehow bad for us. Even more fun was the
moderator of one of the abuse-support echos who despite a policy of
no abuse in the echo, was one of the most insulting people I have ever
encountered in echomail.
I ponder the year and a half that I co-moderated an echo with a
chap from Texas. Pretty basic stuff - save that I used to send a lot
of my "don't do this" and "here's the guidelines, don't do anything
naughty again" stuff by NETmail. Half the sysops at the other end, it
would seem, didn't even allow their users access to NETmail.
And funny - despite that the most common whine I see around here
is about power-mad moderators, the basic truth is that as a moderator
I didn't *have* any power. I couldn't really stop anyone from posting
a rant about any topic they chose.
But on the flipside, the whole thing about P4 (which isn't a valid
document anyhow, as it wasn't ratified by P3 rules) is that it gives
far too much range to the general truism of human society - people
with lousy motives will often gravitate to positions of power. Which
is why the *C positions of the nets are so full of power-grubbing
madmen (and madwomen!) which gain far more notice than the people that
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 22 26 Feb 1996
actually do the job of *C for altruistic reasons.
Typical situation here - the NEC won't run budgeting software to
show where the money goes. Maybe he's fleecing us. Maybe he isn't.
Until something happens and a change of ways comes along, (such as a
policy that says NEC's have to be accountable with the CRP finances to
the general populace) situations such as this *can* develop. Some CRPs
will be run sensibly. Some won't. More political crap.
With an internet provider, one simply pays one's money, and takes
one's chance. Because money is involved, _and there are alternatives_,
if there is a problem with one source to the net, one can always take
one's money to another provider.
FIDO politics doesn't give one that option. If I have a feud with
a local *C, there isn't another alternative I can find to get a
connection re-established. The idea behind it is good, but in the end,
its bad. Too much power.
But FIDO *IS* dying. I use FTN technology to send my local BBS
mail to 'points' (one whom is a FIDO node, the other an internet
node - kind of symbolic, really) in the area, and that and the
internet address through the MX records is the ONLY reason I am in
FIDO. A few local chaps are interesting, the rest... not worth my
effort.
FIDO will change, or die. End of story. Either people wise up and
realize that the geographical tyranny that characterizes FIDO must by
logic end, or the concept of FIDO will die. There are 'FIDO' systems
on the internet here in Victoria, off in Texas, Ohio, and the like.
They are, by FIDO rules, within reach of each other, and ought to be
in the same net! Obviously, P4 is a peice of trash, along with the
outdated political power-structure embodied within it.
I might move far away from my current location, and put up a
system with an internet connection (through OS/2 utilities) and ask to
be re-instated to my old net. After all, who gives a rip about ZMH
anymore? Most everyone runs CM mail anyhow, the nodelist is a complete
technical joke, and most of the people at the top don't yet realize
that their mis-management of the net is causing the very demise of
their own feeble powerbase anyhow. Congratulations to the FidoGawds,
for they are the masters of a crumbling domain that is falling apart
to the power of market ecomony and personal will. Fido won't be here
in two years, not in any real sense....
----------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
Fidonews Information
========================================================================
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 23 26 Feb 1996
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editor: Donald Tees
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar
Tom Jennings, Sylvia Maxwell
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
more addresses:
Don -- 1:221/192, don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews
154 Victoria St. S.
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 2b5
voice: (519) 570-4899
Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of the FIDONET
INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ELECTRONIC MAIL system. It is a compilation
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FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
Copyright 1996 Donald Tees. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use
in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or the eds.
OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
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PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above paper-mail
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SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
FidoNews 13-09 Page: 24 26 Feb 1996
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
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' ' disgreement is actually necessary,
or we'd all have to get in fights
or semethin to amuse ourselves,,
and create the requisite chaos."
-Tom Jennings
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