362 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
362 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
F I D O N E W S -- Vol.13 No.17 (22-Apr-1996)
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+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
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| A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
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| FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS |
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| _ | +1-519-570-4176 |
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| / \ | |
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| /|oo \ | |
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| (_| /_) | |
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| _`@/_ \ _ | |
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| | | \ \\ | Editors: |
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| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
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| |__U__| / \// | |
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| _//|| _\ / | |
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| (_/(_|(____/ | |
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| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
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| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
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+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
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| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| MORE addresses: |
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| |
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| submissions=> editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
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| Don -- don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
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| obtaining copies of fidonews or the internet gateway faq |
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| please refer to the end of this file. |
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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========================================================================
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Table of Contents
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========================================================================
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1. Articles...................................................... 1
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The demise of Fidonet....................................... 2
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SHARING-the FidoNet World Class, Global Communication Echo.. 3
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2. Fidonews Information.......................................... 6
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========================================================================
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Articles
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========================================================================
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 2 22 Apr 1996
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The demise of Fidonet
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"Goodbye Fidonet" - A prelude to the network's demise
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by Gamey Garcia Varela, Fidonet Zone 4 Coordinator
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Many of you might have noticed that in recent times, the years-old
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lack of innovation and progress in Fidonet has turned into a
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forthright disintegration of the network, as more and more nodes
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leave. Obviously, the advancement and popularity of the Internet
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has much to do with this, but I believe that the main reason is
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owed to the inaction of those in charge of the top admninistration
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of the network, amongst whom I should include myself.
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It's been two years already that we have had no International
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Coordinator. The coordinators of zones 2, 4 and 6 many months ago
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urged our counterparts to choose an "activist" I.C. that would
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promote innovation and progress in Fidonet. We nominated Pablo
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Kleinman, known by many for being the only one to ever put forth -
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without success- a proposal to reformulate the present autocratic
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and outdated Fidonet Policy.
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But the same forces that several years ago made fail all efforts to
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promote changes to Fidonet policy, or to implement new mechanisms
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for the adoption of more updated technical standards, have used
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every possible maneuver and subterfuge to prevent the election of
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a reformist as the new I.C. With the leadership of Afrikanner Henk
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Wolsink, the apparatchik of the "odd zones" (1, 3 and 5) is once
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again responsible for the failure of Ward Dossche and myself, with
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the explicit support of the zone 6 coordinator, to promote changes
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that would have saved Fidonet from further sinking into
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cyberspace's antiquity.
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Pablo Kleinman won the election for I.C. 3 to 2 (the other
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candidate was Wolsink, who received the votes of Bob Satti and
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Colin Wheat), but since he's not presently a Zone Coordinator,
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Wolsink and friends refuse to accept this result, saying Mr.
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Kleinman, a former ZC, isn't elegible. Curiously enough, the two
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previous I.C.'s were both former ZC's at the time they were
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elected.. And a past policy interpretation issued by a former I.C.
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allows for both present and past ZC's to contend for the
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position. However, this group is pushing to get Mr. Wolsink,
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"ZC-for-life" of the most backward, smallest and stagnant zone in
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Fidonet to be the new "I.C.-for-life" and therefore guarantee the
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impossibility of any sort of future reform in the network's
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administration and operation.
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I am extremely fatigued and sick of having to deal with the
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uscrupulous parasites whose only evident interest is maintaining
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"control" of the network amongst the same old clique, or at least
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the leftovers of it. These people are indeed responsible for the
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lack of advancement and stagnation of Fidonet, and still today,
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as Fidonet begins its slow demise, they continue to block the
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necessary and long-overdue reforms. And the dinosaurs have finally
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driven me too to giving up: I have already sent my resignation to
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 3 22 Apr 1996
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the RC's in my zone, and once a new ZC is in place, I will
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permanently withdraw from Fidonet.
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The future demise of Fidonet has been guaranteed by the same group
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who for years has stood in the way of change and prevented Fidonet
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from changing and progressing along with the rest of cyberspace.
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Naming names, they are: Bob Satti (the "ZC-in-absentia" who managed
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to singlehandedly delay the election process for months at a time),
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Colin Wheat (evidently the current representative of the infamous
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anti-change establishment from zone 3) and the Afrikanner Wolsink,
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head of the most backwards and slowest-growing zone who has never
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withstood an election since becoming ZC in the late 80's, and who
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now also aspires to become FidoNet "I.C. for life" as well.
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"Till [Fidonet's] death do us apart." --Henk Wolsink?
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Goodbye, Fidonet. And good luck to Ward Dossche who from now
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on will remain as the only loud voice in the ZCC who's still
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committed to change and the eventual survival of Fidonet.. See you
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on the Internet.. (gamey@mx.net)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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SHARING-the FidoNet World Class, Global Communication Echo
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Christopher Baker
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Rights On!, 1:374/14
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Titusville_FL_USA
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There's a new Echo in town dedicated to the REAL spirit of FidoNet
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Sysoping. It's called SHARING. Here's the blurb from the EListing:
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What Sysops will see and learn in SHARING will make it "the
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place to be." What they will see will be up to them but there
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will be laughter and wonders and mysteries of FidoNet technology
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will be explained. SHARE the wonderful experience of our hobby.
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This Echo will be Awesome. It's the Swiss Army knife of information!
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There's plenty to learn. Sysops can SHARE everything!
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Every Sysop in the FidoNet phonebook [Nodelist] is invited to
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participate but we will have a few simple rules. POLITENESS to each
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other is EXPECTED! It is REQUIRED! The few off-topic topics are
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contained in the accompanying SHARING.RUL file. The Moderators
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reserve the right to declare off-topic any subject getting out of
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the bounds of politeness and cooperation. The Backbone or any
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backbone is off-topic automatically except as noted in the rules.
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mod Christopher Baker, 1:374/14
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mod jim barchuk, 1:141/355
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mod Debra Milner, 1:112/285
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mod Emeritus-Don Dawson, 1:150/730
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Backbone status has been in effect for months so Areafix a link from
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your local Backbone feed or contact any of the Moderators for a direct
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link via Netmail.
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 4 22 Apr 1996
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Here's the SHARING Echo Guidelines for those without a copy of the
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current ELRUL file:
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--- Following message extracted from SHARING @ 1:374/14 ---
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By Christopher Baker on Sat Apr 20 23:38:03 1996
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From: Christopher Baker
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To: All
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Date: 15 Apr 96 00:52:32
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Subj: SHARING Echo Guidelines - regular repost
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From: [by Don Dawson]
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To: Y'all
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Date: 4 Aug 95 22:27:48
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Subj: Da Rulz
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Sorry, it's dirty work but someone has to do it. :-)
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What is this echo?
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------------------
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FidoNet is a World Class, Global, Communications Network of, by and for
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FidoNet Sysops around the Globe. There are other FTN networks but
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none are of the size of FidoNet.
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What Sysops will see and learn in SHARING will make it "the place to
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be". What might they see? We don't have an agenda, hidden or
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otherwise, but I'm sure we'll laugh at ourselves, cry for each other
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and everyone will be "just themselves".
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The wonders and mysteries of FidoNet Technology will be explained!.
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Learn how and where files fall into dishes. Learn how and where files
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pop out of the InterNet tunnel. Learn how to eat the Echomail Elephant
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rather than have it eat you! Learn how to send e-mail to anywhere on the
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Globe often with a local phone call, including to AOL, Prodigy, C$erve,
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and perhaps that office down the street. Learn there's no such thing as
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FREE!
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SHARE the wonderful experience of our hobby. This echo is Awesome, it's
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the Swiss Army knife of information! There's plenty to learn, learn,
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learn and it doesn't matter what hardware, operating system, mailer or
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BBS Software a sysop uses.
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Sysops can share those funny experiences we all have. One of mine is a
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brief story about NERF.BAT. We can laugh with each other and cry with
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each other. Yes, tragedy, sometimes simple, sometimes bizarre, hits us
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all. Why not share it? There's good news too: someone is a new parent
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for the first time, a new grandparent even.
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Sysops find good deals on all sorts of goods and services. Why not
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SHARE where, how much and how good so we can all get the most out of our
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hobby budget?
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Please!
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--------
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 5 22 Apr 1996
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What won't you see? No anger. No threats. No intimidation. No
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inappropriate language. And none of that politistrivial junk so common
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in other Sysop Echos. No Zeroes. No Binary addresses allowed. If
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you're a 0 or a 1, stay away! No a.k.a.'s allowed! Use your real,
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primary address or stay out, especially those 0's and 1's! Simple
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enough?
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Every Sysop in any FTN phonebook is invited to participate, invited to
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just be themselves and SHARE the FidoNet Technology Experience. FidoNet
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Technology Sysops are *very* special people, this echo is by, for and
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about them.
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Politeness to each other is EXPECTED! It IS REQUIRED. Almost no topic
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is "off topic" except as noted below. The Moderators reserve the right
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to BAN any topic. I reserve the right to "suspend discussion" of a
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topic for a time certain. Be CERTAIN of your FACTS, NAME names, don't
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take the cowards way out by using "They said, He said". Be SPECIFIC.
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There are three Moderators. They are:
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Christopher Baker;
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jim barchuk; and
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Debra Milner.
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They are the only ones who will make Moderatorial pronouncments to
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anyone else. Leave any Moderating to them. We don't expect to have to
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do much in the way of moderating in a friendly and cooperative Echo.
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Definitions:
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------------
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Phonebook: The Nodelist
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FidoGawd: (or its variations) are prohibited from this Echo.
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Fight-o-Net: (or its variations) are also prohibited.
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Policy: Policy4 as indicated in the nodelist. The ONLY policy. If
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your zone/region/net also has a local policy, be specifc.
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If you use Policy by itself, POLICY4 is assumed.
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EchoPol: It does not exist, never did. Maybe never will.
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CRP: Cost Recovery Plan/Program. I prefer Cost Sharing but you
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call it what you wish.
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CRaP: Something that sometimes accompanies particpation in a CRP.
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It is and is intended to be an unflattering term.
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Grunt Sysop: All 30,000+ PEOPLE in the FidoNet phonebook and or any FTN
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phone book.
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backbone: or Backbone, whichever you prefer is OFF Topic [except we
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we will share how to get an Echo on the Backbone if asked.]
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 6 22 Apr 1996
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As Mr. Bartles and Mr. James are known to say: Thank you for your
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support!
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Short and sweet (?)
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Moderator Emeritus, former 1:150/730
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B-) Don
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TTFN.
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Chris
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Christopher Baker
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jim barchuk
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Debra Milner
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Moderators, SHARING
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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========================================================================
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Fidonews Information
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========================================================================
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------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
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Editor: Donald Tees
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Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
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Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar
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Tom Jennings, Sylvia Maxwell
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"FidoNews" BBS
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FidoNet 1:1/23
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BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
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more addresses:
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Don -- 1:221/192, don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
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(Postal Service mailing address)
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FidoNews
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154 Victoria St. S.
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Kitchener, Ontario
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Canada
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N2H 2b5
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voice: (519) 570-4899
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Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of the FIDONET
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INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ELECTRONIC MAIL system. It is a compilation
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of individual articles contributed by their authors or their
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authorized agents. The contribution of articles to this compilation
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does not diminish the rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in
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these articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of
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FidoNews.
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Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
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Copyright 1996 Donald Tees. All rights reserved. Duplication
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FidoNews 13-17 Page: 7 22 Apr 1996
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and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use
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in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or the eds.
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OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
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form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or
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Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
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PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above paper-mail
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address.
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INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org,
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in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews.
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Anyone interested in getting a copy of the INTERNET GATEWAY FAQ may
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freq GISFAQ.ZIP from 1:133/411.0, or send an internet message to
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fidofaq@gisatl.fidonet.org. No message or text or subject is
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necessary. The address is a keyword that will trigger the automated
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response. People wishing to send inquiries directly to David Deitch
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should now mail to fidonet@gisatl.fidonet.org rather than the
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previously listed address.
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SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
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from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
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"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
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trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission.
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' ' disgreement is actually necessary,
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or we'd all have to get in fights
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or semethin to amuse ourselves,,
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and create the requisite chaos."
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-Tom Jennings
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-- END
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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