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F I D O N E W S -- Volume 13, Number 38 16 September 1996
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet community | "FidoNews" |
| _ | 1-407-383-1372 [1:1/23] |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editor: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Christopher Baker 1:374/14 |
| |__U__| / \// | |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MORE addresses: |
| |
| submissions=> cbaker84@digital.net |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE ASCII ARTISTS OUT THERE?
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
How long should FidoNews be? and other musing ............ 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2
Response to Mr. Rice and Mr. Frezberg .................... 2
3. FIDONET HISTORY .......................................... 4
The IFNA Primer had some good info ....................... 4
4. REVIEWS .................................................. 23
Six Mail Processors Reviewed [V] ......................... 23
5. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 26
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 257 ...... 26
6. ECHOING .................................................. 27
Backbone Echo Changes [Jul-Aug] .......................... 27
7. WE GET EMAIL ............................................. 29
ZCs rated by Nodelist performance ........................ 29
8. NET HUMOR ................................................ 31
Let it C? ................................................ 31
9. COMIX IN ASCII ........................................... 33
Cownt on George for ASCII Art ............................ 33
10. QUESTION OF THE WEEK .................................... 35
Pictures in FidoNews? .................................... 35
11. NOTICES ................................................. 36
Future History ........................................... 36
12. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................ 38
Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 38
And more!
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 1 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
Does it really matter how long FidoNews or any of its component
sections becomes? Is there a qualitative difference between a FidoNews
of 50K and one of 110K? With today's high speed modems and byte
scrunching archivers, is concern about a 150 line Masthead genuine or
just that habit of complaint so common in many FidoNet venues? Let's
stop picking nits for sport and start making actual contributions to
this hobby. Break the habit. Send something positive into FidoNews. We
still need ASCII art for the Comix section [even if it adds 10K to the
weekly Issue]. [grin]
Nearly three months after the change and we still have NO UPDATE to
the Zone 3 section of our Nodelist in Zone 1. Who is sitting on their
hands in this lack of exchange? Somebody please step up and get us an
accurate Nodelist! Would an IC be a good idea? [sheesh]
Don't forget that FidoNews goes into ZIP archive format beginning with
Issue 1340 on 30 Sep 96. Get those batch file adjustments ready.
NOTE: NODELIST.257 shows 1:1/23 and 1:1/113 [FidoNews & OpusHelp]
with the NEW phone numbers in Edgewater_FL but they were
changed two weeks EARLY so DON'T try to send to them now. Use
my primary Node [1:1/374] or put the current number in as an
override for 1:1/23 and 1:1/113. The current number is:
1-407-383-1372 in Titusville_FL.
The new number [1-904-409-7040] will not be active UNTIL
27 Sep 96!
Thanks.
C.B.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 2 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
What do we want FidoNet to be?
by Fredrik Bennison -- 2:205/300, lomaxx@dalnet.se
I'm glad to see that my articles stirred up some response, that at
least shows that this old Snooze of ours still manages to be
interesting enough
to read.
I'd like to comment on two articles in FidoNews 1337, to clarify my
point of view and to perhaps inspire others to write their views as
well.
Firstly, Mr Fredric Rice (nice name by the way... 8) states that it is
better to vote NCs that doesn't perform certain duties out of office
rather than implementing more rules regarding their behaviour in
Policy. I agree, if a NC or RC or whatever doesn't perform the duties
that can be expected of them, one should try to remove them
democratically and replace them with another person that would perhaps
perform more satisfactorily. But the question of routed netmail is
such a basic service in a mail network like this that it should be
clearly stated in Policy that routing netmail is one of the NCs
required duties.
Besides, if Policy _doesn't_ require this, who is to say that an NC
isn't performing his duties?
Next, a reply to Mr Zorch Frezberg who asked where in P4 it says that
message content is grounds for excommunication. The answer to that is
simple;, nowhere. P4 hardly mentions EchoMail at all, except for the
part which was quoted in FidoNews 1337 and which I won't repeat here.
What P4 _does_ state however is
"If a node in your network is acting in a sufficiently annoying
manner, then you can take whatever action you deem fit, according to
the circumstances of the case." (Section 4.3)
In other parts it mentions that echomail cannot be allowed to degrade
the performance of the network and that bombing runs are considered
annoying. But annoying behaviour does not in itself constitute
grounds for Excessively annoying behaviour. It is only when such
annoying behaviour persists that it can be deemed XAB.
I would also like to point out that I am not primarily talking about
message _content_, but more specifically of the impact of the messages
in question. If a sysop (or user) persists in sending obscene
material in a family echo despite repeated warnings from the
moderator, he is excessively annoying. The same goes for a sysop who
repeatedly spams several echoes with nonsense messages, or messages
that is clearly off-topic. I'm not talking first time offences, but
offences repeated over a period of time and which persists after they
have been pointed out to the sysop.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 3 16 Sep 1996
I want no more than Mr Frezberg a Fidonet where the freedom of speech
is impaired by a holier-than-thou *C-structure, but what I don't want
is a Fidonet which disintegrates into a hopeless state of disarray
much like the UseNet newsgroups are today with spammers and a
impossibly low S/N-ratio.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 4 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
FIDONET HISTORY
=================================================================
[IFNA was the first and only attempt to make FidoNet a legal entity-
part of the continuing series of FidoNet histories. IFNA no longer
exists so don't try to contact it.] Ed.
__
The World's First / \ New-Sysop
BBS Network /|oo \ Orientation
* FidoNet * (_| /_) Information
_`@/_ \ _
| | \ \\ published by IFNA
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \// (International FidoNet
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ / Association)
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Steve Bonine (115/777) editor
Version 1.1
2/22/88
Copyright (c) 1987, International FidoNet Association. All rights
reserved. May be freely copied and distributed for noncommercial
purposes.
Fido(tm) is a trademark of Tom Jennings.
FidoNet(R) is a registered trademark of Tom Jennings.
The ASCII dog-with-diskette is a trademark of IFNA.
The purpose of this little treatise is to provide introductory
information for persons who are interested in starting a computer
bulletin board system or connecting an existing system with FidoNet.
In this one document you will find an introduction to many different
aspects of running a bulletin board and information on where to go for
more information in those cases where the introduction sounds
interesting.
This document is distributed under the auspices of IFNA, the
International FidoNet Association. IFNA's chief responsibility is the
maintenance and administration of the network which forms the backbone
of this collection of diverse bulletin board systems. Part of this
job involves orientation of new members of the network. The growth
and health of FidoNet speaks well of the ability of the systems and
the operators of those systems to work together, and you can't work
together if you don't know the ground rules.
Introduction to FidoNet
------------ -- -------
The network is a loose coalition of many different bulletin board
systems. "FidoNet" and "Fido" are registered trademarks of Tom
Jennings; a formal agreement allows IFNA to use these in the name of
the organization. The network is by no means limited to the Fido
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 5 16 Sep 1996
software; there are several "FidoNet compatible" systems which
interface with the network. By joining, you as a sysop can take
advantage of the expertise of thousands of other users.
A short history lesson will help in understanding FidoNet. Tom
Jennings was in San Francisco, and John Madill was in Baltimore, both
working on the Fido BBS software. In the spirit of finding out if it
could be done, they decided to add code to the system to support a
dialup connection with no human intervention during the wee hours when
the sysops were sleeping and the systems were free. This quickly
became a useful function, since both systems and both sysops were busy
and it was a convenient method of exchanging information.
From this chance beginning in May 1984, growth was phenomenal. By
August 1984, there were 30 nodes; by September there were 50. By
February 1985, there were 160 systems, and a group of sysops in St.
Louis had taken over the administration of the list of systems. In
June 1985 the network converted to the currently-used two-part
addressing scheme to support the growth. As this is written in late
1987, the size of the network has passed 2000 nodes and change
continues with a zone-based nodelist to facilitate communication with
systems overseas. But we get ahead of the story . . .
Network Organization
------- ------------
Today's network is organized into geographical divisions of zones,
regions, networks, individual systems, and points. A zone is a very
large division; zone 1 is North America, zone 2 is Europe, and zone 3
is Australia, New Zealand, etc. Of more interest are regions,
networks, and points.
North America is divided into regions. For example, the central
region, region 11, includes Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan,
Ohio, and Wisconsin. Regions are assigned 2-digit numbers to
differentiate them from networks.
Regions are further broken down into networks. A network usually
covers a rather small geographic area, such as a metropolitan area.
Chicagoland is network 115.
Individual systems are assigned a node number within the appropriate
network or directly within the region if no network covers that
specific location.
A point is a usually a one-person BBS.
There is an analogy with telephone numbers. Think of the zone as the
country code, the network as the area code, the node number as the
telephone number, and the point as an extension for the individual.
This is written as zone:network/node.point. For example, Chicago is
covered by network 115, and is in zone 1. The specific BBS which has
been assigned node 100 in the Chicago network would be 1:115/100. If
there were point systems served by this BBS, they would be
1:115/100.1, 1:115/100.2, and so on.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 6 16 Sep 1996
The purposes of this organization are twofold. First,
decentralization means that no one person has the task of
administering the entire network. Since it is a volunteer and amateur
operation and such an assignment would be a big job, it became obvious
early in the life of FidoNet that decentralization was necessary to
support growth of the network.
The second reason for such a hierarchy is to improve the flow of mail.
One system in each network takes on the responsibility of Network Co-
ordinator, and that BBS becomes node zero in the network. One of the
tasks of the Network Coordinator is to forward incoming mail. Thus,
if I have ten messages for different systems in the Chicagoland
network, I need to make not ten telephone calls but only one -- to
system 115/0, which is the NC for Chicagoland. The mailer software
automatically routes messages for nodes in network 115 to 115/0,
saving me money and making the network work better.
The Nodelist and FidoNews
--- -------- --- --------
All of this is held together by two documents, each published weekly.
One of these is a list of every system in the network, with
network/node address, telephone number, and other useful information;
this is called the NODELIST. The other document is a newsletter,
FidoNews. Both the nodelist changes and FidoNews are distributed
using the network; once your system is up and running you will have a
source for the most current information.
What's in it for Me?
------ -- -- --- --
This is all well and good, but other than the thrill of being a part
of all this exciting technology, what good is FidoNet to the average
sysop? Through the magic of echomail, your system can have thousands
of callers a day, posting messages, asking questions, and receiving
answers. This use of the network has eclipsed the original sysop-to-
sysop communication, although this is still a strong motivation,
especially when used to exchange data and/or programs. More about
echomail later.
What Must I Do?
---- ---- - --
There are really only two rules to follow to be a part of the network.
The first is that your BBS system must be "FidoNet compatible" and
able to receive network messages during one hour each day. The second
is that you must not unduly annoy other members of the network, or
yourself be unduly annoyed. Like a large family, the members of the
network must all learn to live together, if not in perfect harmony, at
least working together.
A formal policy document exists which states in more detail the
expectations of systems as members of the network. It should be
available from the same source where you found this document; for
example, as an additional file in the ARC or an additional file in the
download area where you found this. Look for POLICYx.ARC.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 7 16 Sep 1996
How do I join FidoNet?
--- -- - ---- -------
If you live in an area covered by a network, you will normally join
that net-work; if your geographic area is not covered by a network
then you can join the region as an independent system.
The method for becoming a part of the network is described in the
policy document mentioned above. It involves actually using your BBS
to send a message to the network coordinator. This insures that you
have a working system, providing an important cross-check on your
request. (This became important early in the history of the network
as wrong numbers crept into the nodelist. Imagine explaining to
someone why their telephone rang dozens of times between 3 and 4 AM,
with no one on the other end when they answered it.)
Many networks have a document available to prospective members which
supplements the Policy document and contains local requirements. The
best course of action is to find a BBS in your area and quiz the sysop
on local procedures. Failing this, find a nodelist (see below) and
send a message to the General Help node listed in Region 1.
The Nodelist
--- --------
Perhaps the single most-important file on your system is the nodelist.
From it, your system obtains the information necessary to communicate
with other systems, be they across the street or in another country.
The most basic format of nodelist is described by the FidoNet
Technical Standards Committee (FTSC) and is generally called the "St.
Louis format" nodelist. If you find a file named NODELIST.nnn, where
nnn is a number, that is an FTSC nodelist. The number is the date
associated with the nodelist; for example, NODELIST.275 was issued on
day 275. Nodelists are often ARC'ed; NODELIST.A75 is the ARC'ed
version of NODELIST.275. (No, Virginia, all ARC files don't end with
.ARC.) FTSC nodelists (which no longer come from St. Louis) are
issued each Friday.
The FTSC nodelist contains information on every BBS in the network.
Luckily, it is rare that you will need to transmit or receive an
entire nodelist. CHANGES are distributed each week in a file named
NODEDIFF.nnn. For example, let's say that you are running with
NODELIST.267. When the next nodelist is ready, you will obtain a file
named NODEDIFF.275. When you run the XLATLIST program (see below) it
will automatically apply the changes in the nodediff file, and as if
by magic you will have NODELIST.275 on your system.
Here is an excerpt from NODELIST.275 which illustrates the FTSC
format:
Host,115,Chicagoland,Homewood_IL,Rick_Moore,1-312-799-4790,2400,#CM:
,333,Solar_Wind,Homewood_IL,Rick_Moore,1-312-799-4790,2400,#CM:
,500,Sit_UBU_Sit_HST,Skokie_IL,Henry_Senk,1-312-982-5092,9600,#CM:
,108,Samson,Arlington_Heights_IL,Larry_Miglore,1-312-394-0071,2400,
Down,123,Chicago_DECUS,Elk_Grove_IL,Chuck_Garrett,1-312-640-5667,1200,
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 8 16 Sep 1996
,640,Computer_Guild,Elk_Grove_IL,Dick_Sonka,1-312-640-7980,2400,RE:
This is part of the definition of network 115 ("Host,115"). The
network coordinator is listed first, and becomes node zero in the
network. After that, individual nodes are listed. Notice that
115/333 is really the same BBS as 115/0. System 115/123 has been
marked in the nodelist as "down", which gives other systems notice
that it is unavailable.
The FTSC nodelist is the only file which is consistent throughout
FidoNet. Virtually all systems process this file into other forms
before it is actually used by the BBS software. In the interest of
attempting to clarify, the current process for MS-DOS will now be
described. If your system does not use this method, don't let the
explanation confuse you -- instead consider it an example of nodelist
processing.
For most systems, the next flavor of nodelist is NODELIST.BBS. This
one is similar to the FTSC format, but some of the information is
dropped (name of sysop, for example), and some is customized (for
example 1-312 in the telephone number could be removed if you are in
area-code 312). NODELIST.BBS is created by a program named XLATLIST.
This program and its documentation are usually found in a file named
XLATRGEN.ARC. (Another program in the same ARC file is ROUTEGEN.
XLATRGEN=XLATlist+RouteGEN. ROUTEGEN will not be discussed here; if
you choose to use it read the documentation carefully.) Input to
XLATLIST is the FTSC nodelist, optionally a nodediff file containing
changes for the week, and a control file, XLATLIST.CTL. The control
file specifies options like telephone-number customization and how
much you want to charge your users to send mail to various locations.
Here is an example of the same segment of the nodelist as it might
appear in NODELIST.BBS:
HOST 115 0 2400 Chicagoland 9-799-4790 Homewood_IL
333 0 2400 Solar_Wind 9-799-4790 Homewood_IL
500 0 9600 Sit_UBU_Sit_HST 9-982-5092 Skokie_IL
108 0 2400 Samson 9-394-0071 Arlington_Heights_IL
640 0 2400 Computer_Guild 9-640-7980 Elk_Grove_IL
Notice that the sysop name is not included and the format is slightly
different. The telephone number has been "customized" based upon the
XLATLIST.CTL file -- this system needs to prefix local numbers with a
"9". The zero after the node number is the cost of calling that
system; these are free calls for the example system. The system
marked "down" in the FTSC nodelist was not included in NODELIST.BBS.
The last flavor of nodelist is created from NODELIST.BBS by your BBS
software, and is specific to the system (Opus, SEAdog, etc.). This
step is called "compiling" the nodelist. Its exact implementation
varies with the type of BBS software, but usually there is a program
similar to XLATLIST which takes NODELIST.BBS as its input and creates
internal files used by the BBS while it is running. For example, Opus
has a program named OPUSNODE.EXE which creates NODELIST.SYS and
NODELIST.IDX. During actual execution, Opus uses these files to look
up information on network addresses.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 9 16 Sep 1996
Finally, a real-life example from my system, running Opus with an
address of 1:115/777. The current nodelist is NODELIST.268. On
Saturday I receive from my network coordinator a file named
NODEDIFF.A75 which when un-ARC'ed becomes NODEDIFF.275. Being a
conscientious sysop who knows that maintaining a current nodelist is
one of the requirements of FidoNet policy (and also not wanting to
jangle someones telephone at 0400) I will update the nodelist. I have
a file named XLATLIST.CTL which looks like this:
node 1:115/777
seadog
nocomments
DIAL
1-312- ;
;
END
cost 0 0
1-312 0
end
This is a simple control file which tells XLATLIST I am node
1:115/777, that I want a SEAdog-format NODELIST.BBS, that I don't want
to see the comments in the nodelist, that the text "1-312" should be
removed from telephone numbers, and that the cost for all calls is
zero.
After un-ARCing the NODEDIFF, I execute XLATLIST.EXE. Its input is
NODELIST.268, NODEDIFF.275, and XLATLIST.CTL. Its output is a short
summary on the screen, NODELIST.275, and NODELIST.BBS.
Now I execute the command "OPUSNODE -f". This creates Opus' internal-
format nodelist files. And that's it. Next week, I'll receive a file
named NODEDIFF.282 and repeat the process. Very painless, actually.
Which BBS System is the Best?
----- --- ------ -- --- ----
You will find no answer to that question here, as each sysop has good
reasons for choosing a particular system. You must decide for
yourself, based upon what you observe as a user of the system and what
you may be able to find out from sysops of that particular type of
system. A quick overview of the various types of software available
will be provided here, and even that is done with fear and trembling,
since new versions and new products are upon us always.
There are two distinct components required for a FidoNet BBS: the
part that interfaces with the NETWORK (which we'll call the MAILER)
and the part which interfaces with the USER (which we'll call the
BBS). Some products contain both of these functions (Fido, Opus),
some contain only the BBS portion (TBBS, RBBS), and some contain only
the mailer function (SEAdog, Dutchie, BinkleyTerm). This provides the
flexibility to interface existing BBS products such as TBBS and RBBS
to the network.
Specific information on how to obtain the systems is provided at the
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 10 16 Sep 1996
end of this document.
Full-Function: BBS and Mailer
-------------- --- --- ------
Fido: This is where it started. Fido version 11 is copyrighted
software which may be used for free if the use meets certain
conditions (free access and non-commercial are two). Fido version 12
is a commercial product with a list price of $175, available to IFNA
members for $100. Fido version 12 has several new features, including
the ability to receive network mail any time and locks/keys for
message areas. An echomail conference exists for Fido support.
Opus: A more recent entry in the Fido-compatible BBS field is Opus.
This BBS is copyrighted software which is free to users who observe
the restrictions of the license, and from the caller's perspective
behaves much the same as Fido; this makes the conversion from Fido to
Opus easy for the caller. For the sysop, the conversion is also easy
as Opus supports the user list, file areas, and messages from Fido.
However, from the sysop perspective, Opus is significantly different
from Fido, more flexible, and supports 24-hour mail. Several echomail
conferences exist devoted to Opus support.
BBS-function (User Interface) Only
------------ ----- ---------- ----
TBBS: In the opinion of many, this system is the premier BBS. It
costs $299.95, plus $99.95 for SEAdog to handle network mail. (Note:
Because of the method used to package the extension to TBBS for
network operation, it is not possible to order SEAdog through IFNA and
TBBS from the vendor. The TBBS mail processors and SEAdog are bundled
together.) TBBS is a very flexible system from the sysop perspective
and very easy to use for callers. TBBS will even support a multi-line
and online chat option if you want to get fancy. An echomail
conference exists for TBBS sysops.
QBBS: A shareware clone of TBBS, this BBS combines much of the
flexibility of TBBS with the economy of a shareware product ($25
registration). It requires a mailer front end to interface with the
network; BinkleyTerm works nicely for this purpose. It can use
outboard echomail processing (e.g. ConfMail) or integral echomail
utilities. A QBBS echomail conference exists.
RBBS: A recent entry in the FidoNet arena by virtue of interfacing an
existing BBS how to a mailer. RBBS uses a separate mailer system to
interface with FidoNet and a program written by Bob Westcott (132/114)
to convert netmail-style messages into the RBBS message base. RBBS is
public domain, available from most sysops which run it.
PCBoard: There is now a Door written by Peter Vernaglia (101/149)
that lets PCBoard V11 or V12 be FidoNet compatible by using SEAdog or
BinkleyTerm. PCBoard is a commercial BBS that must be purchased from
the author, Fred Clark. The version that supports Doors costs $120.
PCBoard's main features are that any file can be downloaded from the
main menu, it can be networked to support multiple phone lines and is
very easy to set up and maintain.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 11 16 Sep 1996
Mail-function (Network Interface) Only
------------- -------- ---------- ----
There are two options when using a separate mailer system. The mailer
can answer the phone and, if it detects a human caller, load the BBS.
Or the mailer can be run only during specific time periods, such as
during National Mail Hour, to send and receive network messages. With
the first option, the system is able to receive network mail at any
time, but callers are slightly inconvenienced by waiting for the BBS
to load. With the second, network interface is limited to the
specific time period. The best choice for an individual system
depends upon whether it is primarily human-caller oriented or
primarily FidoNet-mail oriented.
SEAdog: SEAdog began its life as a commercial mail system for
standalone use. It became popular in FidoNet as an improved mail
processor for Fido version 11. SEAdog is a commercial product of
System Enhancement Associates, costing $100; it is available to
members of IFNA for $60. A SEAdog echomail conference exists to
provide support for those who obtain the product thru the IFNA offer.
DUTCHIE: Dutchie began its life in FidoNet as the first system
designed specifically to operate as a point, but has since grown to a
full FidoNet mail system similar to SEAdog, but with a more amateur
user oriented interface and setup. Unlike SEAdog, Dutchie is free to
non-commercial users.
BinkleyTerm: This package can be used as a mailer for a BBS, as a
terminal program, or to support a point system. It is copyrighted
code, distributed with source code with no charge for use in
noncommercial applications. The authors request recognition for their
work, which may take the form of a simple "thank you", a post card, or
best of all, helpful hints on special applications or new utilities.
A BinkleyTerm echomail conference exists for support questions.
EchoMail: What is it?
-------- ---- -- --
For many sysops, echomail is the primary reason to hook up to FidoNet.
It provides the opportunity to share information with large numbers of
callers on other BBS's which may be in other parts of the world. This
is a particularly important advantage for those BBS's which do not
have large numbers of local callers, or for those subjects in which
the interest level on any particular BBS is low.
The concept of echomail operation is simple. A group of systems
decides to form a conference on some topic. Each of them sets aside a
message area on the local BBS. Then any message posted on one board
is automatically echoed to all the other systems. Functionally, it is
as if all the participants were dialing into the same local BBS.
This concept was invented in late 1985 by Jeff Rush, a sysop in
Dallas. Growth since then has been phenomenal, with network volume
associated with echomail eclipsing person-to-person volume.
Conferences exist today on hundreds of topics with more being started
every week. Computer/technical topics are covered (programming,
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 12 16 Sep 1996
general-technical, mainframe) as well as non-computer topics (debate,
Bible, music, disABLED, humor), providing every sysop with a wide
variety of interesting conferences, even in subject areas that have
limited local expertise.
The advantages of echomail are obvious, but it has a few
disadvantages. In most cases, the sysop pays telephone charges to
obtain echomail; the routing discussed above is not used for echomail
because of the volume involved. Connecting to other systems to obtain
the conferences can be a headache, depending upon how well the local
network has organized echomail. There are delays in response which
take some getting used to, and there can be "too much of a good thing"
with active conferences averaging in excess of 100 messages a day.
Like anything, echomail is best taken in moderation, and the sysop
must use good judgement. For example, an attempt to maintain 50
echomail conferences with a 10-meg hard drive is doomed to failure.
Operation of EchoMail
--------- -- --------
Various echomail utilities are used to move the messages between the
mail area and the message area. The words used to describe the
operation of these utilities are different with the different BBS
software, but the same functions are performed in all cases. A
summary of processing using several popular packages is provided after
the "generic" explanation.
Several fields within the message are used to control this process.
Some of these fields may be invisible, depending upon the type of
software and parameters specified when it was installed.
There are two basic functions required to support echomail. Messages
posted by local users must be sent to all the other systems
participating in the conference; we'll call that EXPORT here.
Messages arriving from other systems must be placed where the users
can see them; we'll call that IMPORT here. The import/export process
is controlled by information within the message itself, and the
utilities use a control file named AREAS.BBS or ECHO.CTL.
The first line of each echomail message, when it is sent through the
network, is AREA:something. The "something" is what determines into
which area the message will be placed. A file named AREAS.BBS or
ECHO.CTL controls the correspondence between this field and the BBS
area; in other words, AREA:MAINFRAME might correspond to area 12 on
your BBS and area 3 on mine.
Near the end of each message is a SEEN-BY line. This is the control
field which is used to determine which system(s) have not yet seen the
message. Again, AREAS.BBS or ECHO.CTL lists which systems see
messages, based upon the AREA:something.
The last piece of control information in the message is the Origin
line, near the end of the message, which is placed there during the
export process. This is primarily for us humans to know from which
system the message originated; it is not used in routine operation of
the echomail utilities.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 13 16 Sep 1996
A few examples may make this easier to understand. The syntax of the
ConfMail product is used in the examples, but consider them generic to
the echomail process, rather than specific to one product.
Assume that the following line exists in AREAS.BBS:
c:\msg\mframe MAINFRAME 115/123 115/234
which defines the message area corresponding to the conference with
AREA:MAINFRAME to be subdirectory c:\msg\mframe, and defines systems
115/123 and 115/234 as recipients of this conference. Also assume
that this is system 115/777.
Example 1:
A user on this board (115/777) posts a new message in the area.
The export process will find no SEEN-BY line at the end of the
message. It will add a SEEN-BY line to the existing message which
reads SEEN-BY 115/123 234 777 It will also add an Origin line to the
existing message. Then that message will be sent to systems 115/123
and 115/234.
Example 2:
A incoming netmail message has as its first line AREA:MAINFRAME, and
it's SEEN-BY line lists 115/123 and 115/777.
IMPORT moves the message into the MAINFRAME message subdirectory,
c:\msg\mframe. The first line, AREA:MAINFRAME, is removed.
When EXPORT runs, it compares the SEEN-BY line with AREAS.BBS and
discovers that the message has not been seen by 115/234. A copy is
sent to 115/234 via netmail. (The copy sent to 115/234 will have
AREA:MAINFRAME as its first line.) The SEEN-BY line in the message in
the local area is also updated to indicate that the message has been
sent to 115/234.
Echomail Terms
-------- -----
One thing that makes echomail difficult for many people is that each
echomail processor uses different words to describe the same thing.
The discussion above used the vocabulary of Bob Hartman's popular
ConfMail system. Messages are IMPORTED from the netmail area into the
actual conference, and EXPORTED from the conference to the netmail
area. Other products are available to process echomail: Jeff Rush's
original utilities, Opus, TBBS, and MGM.
ARCMAIL is a utility normally used in connection with echomail
processing, although its application is not limited to echomail.
Early in the life of echomail, it became obvious that thousands of
messages sent as normal network mail were causing problems. To
address this problem, Thom Henderson at SEA provided the ARCMAIL
utility. ARCMAIL searches through the netmail area and finds all
messages which are to be sent to a system and packs all these
messages into one ARC file. It then deletes these messages from the
netmail area and creates one message to that system, with the ARC file
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 14 16 Sep 1996
attached. This saves significant connect time for the systems
involved, and provides the side benefit that a point-to-point routing
will be used since the message has a file attached. Of course,
ARCMAIL also provides the function of expanding the ARC file into
netmail messages at the receiving system; if you receive a funny-
looking file attached to a null message, chances are it is an ARCmail
file. ConfMail has the ARCmail function integrated; in other systems
it is a separate step.
The original Jeff Rush echomail utilities used the terms TOSS and SCAN
--messages were TOSSED from netmail into the conference, and the
conferences were SCANNED, creating the outgoing messages in the
netmail area.
Opus uses the Jeff Rush terms -- scanning and tossing can be done
automatically by the Opus system, or an external processor like
ConfMail can be used. There are restrictions on what Opus' internal
scan/toss mechanism can handle, but these restrictions will not affect
the casual sysop -- only the active echomail hub.
MGM also uses the Jeff Rush terms. Its operation is similar to the
original echomail utilities. Incoming messages are unARC'ed using
ARCMAIL and tossed (from the netmail area to the actual conference
area) using MGM TOSS. MGM SCAN is similar to the original scan
function, in that it moves messages from the actual conference to the
netmail area. However, once in the netmail area, all messages are
addressed to your own system. An additional step, MGMFWD, is required
to address the outgoing messages to their actual destination.
Finally, ARCMAIL is normally used to pack the outgoing messages.
TBBS has an interesting situation, since it uses SEAdog to interface
with FidoNet. TBBS maintains all message subboards in one DOS file,
as opposed to the Fido method of one message per DOS file which is
used by SEAdog. Thus, there is a utility named PREMAIL which searches
the TBBS message file for messages which need to be sent out and
converts them to messages in the SEAdog netmail area. There is a
similar utility named POSTMAIL which pulls the messages back into the
TBBS file from SEAdog's area. The ECHOLINK utility establishes reply
chains within the TBBS message base and also checks for duplicate
messages. Finally, if there is a need to forward to additional
systems, the ECHOFWD utility handles that chore.
Routing of Echomail
------- -- --------
It is not unusual for a moderately-sized echomail hub to handle dozens
of conferences and thousands of messages a day. This volume would
quickly swamp the structure which was set up to handle person-to-
person communication in which mail flows into a network through the
network coordinator. For this reason, separate structures have been
established to expedite the movement of echomail conferences.
Echomail coordinators have the responsibility to administer this
activity. In some cases, the same individual handles both the job of
a network or region coordinator and echomail coordinator; many times
these different jobs are performed by different individuals.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 15 16 Sep 1996
There are entire systems dedicated to the movement of echomail. These
"echomail backbones" serve as repositories for large numbers of
conferences and links to the next level down on the hierarchy.
The actual topology of echomail is unimportant. The point is simple -
- do not route echomail through normal channels! Send a few hundred
echomail messages to some network coordinator and find out the real
meaning of "annoying behavior".
To get started in echomail, first get a working BBS. Get into the
network, and get settled. Then talk with your network coordinator, or
perhaps by then you will have found out who the echomail coordinator
is. Regional echomail coordinators are listed in Region 1 of the
nodelist, with the help nodes. You should start by receiving a small
number of conferences from another node and you will route your
traffic (that is, messages your users enter) back to that node. As
your knowledge and confidence grows, you can ask for more conferences.
Echomail Etiquette
-------- ---------
There are a few simple things you can do to make echomail more
pleasant for everyone. These are common-sense issues but they may not
be immediately obvious when you are just getting started with
echomail.
Do not send person-to-person messages using echomail. If you have a
message for Joe Klutz, and no one else is interested in it, then use
standard netmail. Even if you mark the message private, every sysop
in the conference will pay to receive it! A message between two
sysops across town in New York, received on a BBS in California, isn't
likely to win any friends.
Every conference has a subject; don't get too far off of it. Most
conferences have a moderator who will step in and shout if the topic
strays too much. Unless you have been involved in a conference and
have a good grasp of its scope, be cautious about starting a new
topic.
When you reply to a message in echomail, mention enough of the
previous message so that readers can tell what you are replying to.
It is maddening to see someone discussing the merits of a previous
message when you can't figure out what the previous message is about.
Remember, reply chains in echomail are imperfect at best and some
echomail processors don't even attempt to reconstruct reply chains.
Also, remember the delay inherent in echomail. If you post a
question, don't expect a response tomorrow. If you reply to a
question, realize that many others may be replying at the same time, a
flood which will pour in over the next several days.
Flames
------
The term "flame" is used within FidoNet to describe a "hot" message
which disagrees violently with some issue. Unfortunately, flames
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 16 16 Sep 1996
often are attacks on persons, not ideas. This can be very annoying,
using the term in its "technical" context from FidoNet policy.
There is no excuse within FidoNet for personal attacks by one
individual upon another individual, yet it happens all the time. When
you compose a message, remember that the electronic media does not
convey facial expressions or voice tones. This can make it very
difficult to convey the real meaning of what you are trying to say.
Flames are contagious. If you see an attack on something you believe
in, or on someone you like, it is human nature to want to answer the
challenge. Instead, think about whether you really should reply. If
you violently disagree with what you just read, a reply may not be the
best idea. . . at least not until you have had time to calm down. It
is bad form (although altogether too common) to spend more time in the
reply discussing personalities than the real issues. Calm reasoning
will win over more support than calling your opponent names. Remember,
it's not the COMPUTER you are jousting with; there is a real human
being out there, with feelings. Sure, the modem does a great job of
insulating you, but don't say anything in an electronic message which
you would not say face-to-face.
On the other hand, if someone attacks YOUR ideas, don't take it
personally. Humor is often the best response to a flame. Remember,
everyone has a right to their opinion, and the lack of verbal queues
in echomail makes disagreement sound like attack. It is not necessary
to respond to each and every message which states an opinion different
from your own. There are times when ignoring a message is the right
thing to do, even though it is much more difficult than replying to
it.
An Alternative for EchoMail Junkies
-- ----------- --- -------- -------
Are you the type of person who is addicted to echomail? You call up
your local BBS and spend hours online reading all the messages in
twenty different conferences? Perhaps the major reason you're even
considering opening a BBS is to have your own local source for
echomail, where you can sit in front of your own computer, and read
without worrying about tying up a telephone line.
Welcome to the world of POINTS and SERVERS. There is an alternative
to much of the hassle which you've just read about -- instead of
starting a full-service BBS, become a POINT instead. Here's the way
it works.
A POINT system operates as an adjunct to another system which is a
traditional nodelisted FidoNet system, the SERVER. The POINT system
is much like a one-person BBS. The point system dials the server at
some pre-arranged time, usually in the wee hours, and downloads
echomail. Then the owner of the point can read it, enter replies, and
upload this information at the next call.
This has many advantages for all concerned. (1) The point system
doesn't tie up the server BBS for hours reading messages online in the
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 17 16 Sep 1996
traditional way. (2) The owner of the point may save lots of money in
telephone charges if there is a connect-time charge involved in the
call. (3) The point owner doesn't have to worry about busy signals,
and can peruse the messages at any convenient time. (4) If the point
owner types slowly, this is even more of an advantage. (5) The point
system isn't listed in the nodelist, but can still participate in
network mail. With growth of the nodelist, this is a serious
consideration. (6) Compared to setting up a full-service BBS, setting
up a point is easier.
The disadvantage of being a point is that you must have a server.
This is becoming less of a problem with the development of
point/server software. If you routinely tie up a popular system for
hours reading mail, the sysop will likely be more than happy to
provide you with point access, since it will make the BBS more
available for other callers. If you fall into the category of
"echomail junkie", consider discussing point/server with your favorite
sysop; it may be what you really want to do rather than open a full-
service BBS.
There are several alternatives available now for point/server
software, and the capabilities of the software are growing by the day.
DUTCHIE was the first package, and introduced the concept. Other
alternatives include ConfMail, MGM, and BinkleyTerm. Obviously the
point must use a system which is compatible with the server.
Common "Gotcha's"
------ ----------
Here's a collection of little tips that may save you from having to
ask your fellow sysop when something looks bad. . . or keep your
system running more smoothly.
You'll have an interesting problem once a year with XLATLIST. It
"knows" that the most current changes to the nodelist are in a file
named NODEDIFF.nnn where nnn is the largest. What happens at the
first of a new year? Guess what -- it's not true, once a year, that
the most current nodediff file has the "highest" name. So watch for
this; it can keep your nodelist update from working correctly in early
January. The solution is simple: Rename the old nodelist (the one
you want the nodediff applied to) to NODELIST.000, and make sure that
there aren't any other NODELIST.nnn files present in the
subdirectory.
A similar problem exists with Daylight Savings Time. FidoNet does not
observe daylight savings time. If your area does, then the LOCAL time
for your National Mail Hour changes twice a year -- once in the spring
when DST begins, and once in the fall when it ends. When you change
the time on your computer (using the TIME command), remember to also
change the time for your mail events in whatever mailer program you
are using. If you don't change both at the same time, you'll be
observing National Mail Hour during the wrong hour.
Many new FidoNet sysops find out the hard way that messages which have
files attached do not follow normal routing. No matter which BBS
software you are using, if a message has a file attached it will be
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 18 16 Sep 1996
sent direct to its destination, and no routing that you request will
affect it. This can come as a shock to the new sysop who thinks that
all the outgoing messages are routed to another local system; attach a
file to a message and your system will gladly call Australia if you
let it.
Sources
-------
To obtain help on FidoNet or a related software product, use FidoNet!
The best source is a local sysop who has done what you want to do.
There are echomail conferences on many of the products discussed in
this document. Refer to the echomail section to discover how to join
them.
The first part of the nodelist, "Region 1", contains help nodes for
many software products and functions. This is a partial list (taken
from the current nodelist):
1/0 International FidoNet Coordinator 1-602-235-9653 Scottsdale AZ
1/1 FidoNews Editor 1-216-642-1034 FidoNews Editor
1/10 International FidoNet Association 1-314-576-2743 St Louis MO
1/11 IFNA Finance 1-808-533-0190 Honolulu HI
1/12 IFNA Legal 1-201-326-9870 Parsippany NJ
1/16 IFNA Membership data 1-216-291-3048 Cleveland OH
1/17 IFNA Membership information 1-216-883-0578 Cleveland OH
1/20 FidoNet Technical Standards 1-503-297-9145 Portland OR
1/88 FidoCon 88 1-606-727-3811 Cincinnati OH
1/100 General Help 1-201-245-6614 Clifton NJ
1/102 BinkleyTerm Help 1-615-875-4131 Chattanooga TN
1/113 OPUS Information 1-916-893-9019 Chico CA
1/114 Quick BBS (QBBS) Help 1-516-328-7064 Floral Park NY
1/116 Dutchie Help 1-314-334-6359 CapeGirardeau MO
1/117 Fido Help 1-408-296-2329 San Jose CA
1/200 National Echomail Coordinator 1-415-672-2504 Concord CA
1/201 EchoList Coordinator 1-201-286-2567 Toms River NJ
1/210 Region 10 Echomail Coordinator 1-714-544-3369 Tustin CA
1/211 Region 11 Echomail Coordinator 1-216-883-0578 Cleveland OH
1/213 Region 13 Echomail Coordinator 1-201-249-1898 E. Brunswick NJ
1/214 Region 14 Echomail Coordinator 1-612-377-3398 Minneapolis MN
1/215 Region 15 Echomail Coordinator 1-303-973-9338 Littleton CO
1/216 Region 16 Echomail Coordinator 1-603-888-8179 Nashua NH
1/217 Region 17 Echomail Coordinator 1-206-848-5317 Puyallup WA
1/218 Region 18 Echomail Coordinator 1-901-853-3116 Memphis TN
1/219 Region 19 Echomail Coordinator 1-405-691-0863 Okla City OK
1/300 SoftWare Coordinator 1-301-574-1984 Essex MD
1/302 SoftWare Distribution West 1-915-857-1974 El Paso TX
1/311 Software Distribution Region 11 1-312-982-5092 Region 11
1/313 Software Distribution Region 13 1-412-856-1428 Region 13
1/314 Software Distribution Region 14 1-612-377-3469 Region 14
1/315 Software Distribution Region 15 1-303-252-9235 Region 15
1/316 Software Distribution Region 16 1-617-433-8452 Region 16
1/318 Software Distribution Region 18 1-305-226-3310 Region 18
1/319 Software Distribution Region 19 1-405-848-2828 Region 19
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 19 16 Sep 1996
Any user of FidoNet is eligible to join the International FidoNet
Association to assist in the administration of the network and to take
advantage of special offers on software available to members. An
application blank and order form can be found at the end of each issue
of FidoNews, and are included below:
__
The World's First / \
BBS Network /|oo \
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
_`@/_ \ _
| | \ \\
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Membership for the International FidoNet Association
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
increase worldwide communications.
Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________
Address _________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________________
State ________________________________ Zip _____________________
Country _________________________________________________________
Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
BBS Name ________________________________________________________
BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
Your Special Interests __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
US Funds to:
International FidoNet Association
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
700 Bishop Street, #1014
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-4112
USA
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
insure the future of FidoNet.
Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
membership in January 1987. The first elected Board of Directors
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 20 16 Sep 1996
was filled in August 1987. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your
input to this Conference.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
ORDER FORM
Publications
The IFNA publications can be obtained by downloading from Fido
1:1/10 or other FidoNet compatible systems, or by purchasing
them directly from IFNA. We ask that all our IFNA Committee
Chairmen provide us with the latest versions of each
publication, but we can make no written guarantees.
Hardcopy prices as of October 1, 1986
IFNA Fido BBS listing $15.00 _____
IFNA Administrative Policy DOCs $10.00 _____
IFNA FidoNet Standards Committee DOCs $10.00 _____
SUBTOTAL _____
IFNA Member ONLY Special Offers
System Enhancement Associates SEAdog $60.00 _____
SEAdog price as of March 1, 1987
ONLY 1 copy SEAdog per IFNA Member
Fido Software's Fido/FidoNet $100.00 _____
Fido/FidoNet price as of November 1, 1987
ONLY 1 copy Fido/FidoNet per IFNA Member
International orders include $10.00 for
surface shipping or $20.00 for air shipping _____
SUBTOTAL _____
HI. Residents add 4.0 % Sales tax _____
TOTAL _____
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN US FUNDS:
International FidoNet Association
c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
700 Bishop Street, #1014
Honolulu, HI. 96813-4112
USA
Name________________________________
Zone:Net/Node____:____/____
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 21 16 Sep 1996
Company_____________________________
Address_____________________________
City____________________ State____________ Zip_____
Voice Phone_________________________
Signature___________________________
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For information on International FidoNet Association:
IFNA
PO Box 41143
St. Louis, MO 63141 USA
314 576-4067 (voice)
NOTE: If you wish to avail yourself of the IFNA sysop offer for
SEAdog or Fido, please use the order form above; do not contact the
vendors at the address below to take advantage of the IFNA offer. One
of the reasons that the IFNA offer can exist is the ability of IFNA to
offer distribution and support services.
For information on ConfMail:
Bob Hartman (132/101)
Spark Software
427-3 Amherst Street
Nashua, NH 03061
For information on commercial purchase of Fido:
Fido Software
164 Shipley
San Francisco, CA 94107
415 764-3785
For information on Opus, please provide a self-addressed stamped
envelope and write to:
Opus "Snail"
PO Box 16410
San Francisco, CA 94116
or
request information from the following FidoNet nodes: 1:1/113 (Chico,
CA), 3:3/113 (North Ryde NSW Australia), 1:133/302 (Atlanta, Ga),
1:125/9 (San Francisco, CA), 1:150/1 (Wilmington, DE).
The author of QBBS is Adam Hudson, 8020-A Holland Ct, Arvada CO
80005; his FidoNet address is 104/24. Claude Warren (104/51) wrote
the documentation for QBBS.
For information on System Enhancement Associates' products, including
SEAdog: System Enhancement Associates
21 New Street
Wayne, NJ 07470
For information on TBBS:
eSoft, Inc.
4100 S. Parker Road #305
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 22 16 Sep 1996
Aurora, CO 80014
303 699-6565 (voice)
A nationwide listing of echomail conferences is available from Thomas
Kenney, 107/316. Request ELST*.ARC.
Acknowledgments
----------------
This document is a group effort. It has to be; no one person can know
every piece of software which is in common use in the network. When
you run a particular type of BBS software, you become familiar with
that piece of software and the utilities that it uses; that doesn't
help the potential sysop who isn't using your configuration.
So, readers, if you have made your way through the implementation of
something which is not covered here, and you want to share your
experience with your fellow users, please write something and send it
to me. I would be happy for this document to grow so that more topics
are covered. To corrupt a popular phrase. . . send prose!
Information was adapted from published documents by the following
persons:
Bob Hartman -- ConfMail and the history of EchoMail
Tom Jennings -- FidoNet history
Thanks to the following individuals for "sending prose":
Randy Bush -- Dutchie and the term "public domain"
Norm Henke -- PCBoard
Thom Henderson -- SEAdog and TBBS
Ken Kaplan -- Specific <tm> information and IFNA background
Brian McCullough -- A careful reading; many useful suggestions
Vince Perriello -- BinkleyTerm
Dick Sonka -- TBBS
Bob Westcott -- RBBS
James Zachary -- MGM
Steve Bonine 115/777
-30-
[Please note that many of these addresses and phone numbers are NOT
current. This is HISTORY not a Nodelist. {grin}] Ed.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 23 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
REVIEWS
=================================================================
Six Mail Processors Reviewed [V]
Damian Walker, 2:2502/666
Last week's article was about IMail, the 386 echomail processor by
Andreas Klein. In this, the penultimate article of this review
series, I will move on to JMail by PROZ Software. Next week's article
will include a full feature table for all six mail processors.
JMAIL
JMail 2.80 is the creation of Jason Steck of 1:285/424. It is a
shareware product, costing $15. The evaluation period is 30 days,
after this period there will be delays during the program's execution
to remind you that your registration is overdue.
This evaluation version is dated 2/95. Although I do not know
what later versions are available, I have seen messages from Jason in
the NET_DEV echo with tear lines mentioning version 2.81. Whether
this version has been released or not, I have no idea.
First Impressions
I first heard of JMail last year some time when, in a local
conference, someone was asking about mail processors which processed
large messages. Without even looking at the package, this will make
JMail a good choice for many sysops, since it is one of a very few
programs which claims to handle messages of any size.
The advantages of unlimited size messages are apparent after only
a few moments thought. For anyone reading gated Usenet newsgroups,
the size limits imposed by most mail processors will cause missing or
truncated messages; this is especially apparent with autoposted tables
and informational bulletins-- just the sort of thing you _don't_ want
to see truncated. If the gating software allows large messages, a
sysop using JMail will not have this problem.
Upon unpacking the archive, the first surprise I got was that
there is no full-screen setup program. I should have expected that
some programs of this type would be configured using text files, but
my experience of mail processors before I started on this series was
limited to only a few packages (all with setup programs). Although I
have nothing against text file configuration myself, it did take the
fun out of browsing around the package's setup :-)
On Further Examination...
In the absence of a full screen set-up program, I settled down
with a cup of tea and JMail's documentation. At 48 pages it isn't too
big; in fact it's surprisingly small considering the fact that text
files are used to configure the program. You'd expect software using
this configuration method to need a lot in the way of examples and
explanation.
However, part of the manual's reduced size is explained by the
sample configuration files. Like many packages configured using text
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 24 16 Sep 1996
files, the sample configuration files contain extensive commenting.
Each option keyword is provided with information and examples in the
setup file itself.
This is handier than having to constantly switch between the
configuration file and the manual, as the information you need is in
the file you are editing. The manual is needed only to get more
information about a particular keyword.
For those of you who are in doubt about the merits of
configuration using normal ASCII text files, ponder for a moment upon
the seemingly unrelated subject of batch files, especially in such
improved command shells as 4DOS. Because the configuration and area
files are plain text, they can easily be modified by batch files
automatically. If you're not scared of batch file editing, or even
writing little 'quick & dirty' programs in QBASIC or C, the
possibilities of automation quickly become apparent when you look at
JMail's system of keywords (or that of any text-file configured
software).
Now that I have dwelt excessively upon JMail's method of
configuration, let's move on and look at some other aspects of the
package.
JMail boasts the best support for message bases of any package
reviewed here, although this support is implemented in an unusual way.
JMail supports the Hudson, *.MSG, JAM, Squish and GoldBase message
bases (it's the only program reviewed to cover GoldBase). However,
each of these message base types (with the exception of *.MSG)
requires a different installation of JMail. There are separate
distribution archives for Hudson, JAM, Squish and GoldBase message
bases, although each of the JMail versions also supports *.MSG and
pass-thru areas.
As I could only find the Hudson version locally, I was unable to
investigate the practicalities of using multiple JMail installations
in a setup where multiple message base types are used side by side.
This also dictated that the only speed tests given for JMail are
Hudson and *.MSG.
The manual specifies that you need an existing message base to
start using JMail, and this is indeed the case. Usually, you will
have created your message base using your BBS software, but in the
case of points, mail-only nodes, and me doing this review, this is not
the case. Luckily, I had to hand 4 other mail processors which are
capable of creating a Hudson message base :-) It is a minor niggle,
but bear it in mind if you are planning to use JMail with a BBS-less
system.
JMail provides an elementary AreaFix feature, which can be
addressed using any name the sysop chooses; this allows JMail to be
used for systems with downlinks, without the aid of an external
AreaFix program.
Oddly, JMail appears not to have a message base maintenance
feature included.
Users who count speed as a very high priority will probably not
wish to use JMail, unless they also need unlimited size messages. The
speed test used for JMail is the same as for the other software, that
is, a 91-message 50k package, imported into a newly-created Hudson
base and empty *.MSG areas.
Strangely, JMail came up with the same timings for Hudson and
*.MSG areas-- 34 seconds. This may or may not be a direct consequence
of the special algorithm required for processing unlimited length
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 25 16 Sep 1996
messages, since JMail does not achieve this by simply using a large
buffer in memory (messages would be limited by available memory if
this was the case).
One feature which seems to be posessed by JMail alone (among the
packages reviewed) is the twit filter. Although not going under that
name, the no-import feature which can be used to exclude messages from
certain people is the closest thing I've seen to the twit filter
feature of many point systems.
Summary
JMail is most suitable for systems where its principal advantage
is a priority-- the ability to process messages of unlimited size.
Systems which gate Usenet newsgroups are obvious candidates which
spring to mind.
It is seemingly oriented towards BBS's rather than mail-only
systems. This is suggested by the lack of two essential features
which are often performed by BBS software rather than the mail
processor-- the initial creation of a message base, and message base
maintenance tools such as purge and pack.
When comparing JMail to the other software on test, bear in mind
that it costs only $15 to register. If JMail contains all the
features that you want, this more than offsets its simplicity compared
to some other mail processors.
Next week brings the final article in this review series. I will
be looking at Squish, a package for those using the Squish message
base (surprisingly enough). That final article will also contain a
feature table to help you decide which package best suits your needs.
Squish does, however, have its own message base maintenance utility.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 26 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
COORDINATORS CORNER
=================================================================
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 257
By Ward Dossche, 2:292/854
ZC/2
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
|Zone|Nl-229|Nodelist-236|Nodelist-243|Nodelist-250|Nodelist-257|%%|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 1 | 12530|12435 -95 |12313 -122 |12131 -182 |11962 -169 |40|
| 2 | 16408|16391 -17 |16366 -25 |16311 -55 |15412 -899 |51|
| 3 | 1023| 969 -54 | 966 -3 | 958 -8 | 958 0 | 3|
| 4 | 637| 638 1 | 634 -4 | 630 -4 | 630 0 | 2|
| 5 | 99| 99 0 | 99 0 | 100 1 | 100 0 | 0|
| 6 | 1020| 1020 0 | 1020 0 | 1020 0 | 1020 0 | 3|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 31717|31552 -165 |31398 -154 |31150 -248 |30082 -1068 |
+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 27 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
ECHOING
=================================================================
Backbone Echo Changes [Jul-Aug]
by Lisa Gronke, 1:105/16
lisa@psg.com
Summary of backbone & quasi-backbone echo changes during Jul & Aug.
Brought to you courtesy of (unix) diff.
diff (backbone.na + backbone.no) 30-Jun-96 08-Sep-96 [edited].
Echotag changes
---------------
< XPRESS_SUPPORT Silver Xpress OPX/QWK Reader Support [old tag]
> PLATINUM_XPRESS Silver Xpress OPX/QWK Reader Support [new tag]
< XPRESS_SYSOP Silver Xpress OPX/QWK Mail Door SysOp [old tag]
> SILVER_XPRESS Silver Xpress OPX/QWK Mail Door SysOp [new tag]
Note: I suspect the descriptions of the new echos did not get updated
in backbone.na. ELIST609 shows them thusly:
PLATINUM_XPRESS
Platinum Xpress Frontend Mail Server for WC! Conference.
SILVER_XPRESS
Silver Xpress OPX/QWK Offline Mail System Conference.
Echotag deleted; echo merged with AMIGASALE
-------------------------------------------
< AMIGA_SALE (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
Added to the backbone
---------------------
> AOP Association of Online Professionals
> BBSDOOR_DISCUSSION The BBS Doorgame and Utility Discussion Echo
> BUSINESS For Business Discussions
> CAR_AUDIO Car Stereo Discussion
> CRIME_QUEST Crime Quest doorgame discussion area
> CYBER_AUCTION The CyberSpace Auction Echo
> DESCENT Descent Players Echo
> DIRTY_DOZEN Warnings on Trojans, Viruses, Bombs etc
> FIDONEWS FidoNews Discussion Echo
> HOT_SITES Hot Sites on the Internet
> MOVIETV Movies, Television, and Video Rentals
> NETSCAPE The Netscape Discussion and Support Echo
> OS2FORSALE For buyers and sellers of OS2 compatible
products
> OSDEBATE Operating System Debate
> QUAKE Discussion of id Software's Quake
> RAPTORBBS Raptor BBS Software Support Echo
> SHOTGUN (low traffic since 8/1/96)
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 28 16 Sep 1996
> SHOTGUN Shotgun Professional SVGA BBS Support
> SINGLE_DADS (low traffic since 8/1/96)
> SINGLE_DADS Information relating to Single Fathers
> STARTREK_RUMORS Startrek Rumors
> TEEN_SYSOP National Conference for TeenAge Sysops
> TENNIS Tennis Conference
> WIN_VS_OS2 Windows VS OS/2 Discussion
Note: DIRTY_DOZEN is a returning echo. Echos with two entries
(SHOTGUN and SINGLE_DADS) are listed both in backbone.na
and backbone.no, which is probably a mistake.
Removed from the backbone or quasi-backbone
-------------------------------------------
< CB_RADIO_C4SALE CB Radio Commercial For-Sale
< CREDIT (low traffic since 6/1/96)
< CW_BATTLES (not in EchoList since 5/1/96)
< DB_NOVICE (low traffic since 5/1/96)
< DW_GAMER (low traffic since 5/1/96)
< GRAPEVINE GrapeVine BBS Support
< GUNS (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
< IEEE (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
< INTEL_MODEMS Intel Modems
< LAW_&_FREEDOM Discussions on Law & Freedom
< MCMOO_SUPPORT (low traffic since 5/1/96)
< MIDRANGE (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
< MOD1000 Tandy 1000 Personal Computers Users Conference
< NETXPRES (not in EchoList since 4/1/96)
< NEURAL_NET (low traffic since 6/1/96)
< NEWTON (low traffic since 5/1/96)
< NEW_WORLD_ORDER (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
< OCI.TECH OCI Technical Support
< OJ_SIMPSON (not in EchoList since 5/1/96)
< OPTOMETRY Optometry
< PARALEGAL (low traffic since 6/1/96)
< PETADOPT (low traffic since 6/1/96)
< RELOAD (not in EchoList since 6/1/96)
< RYBBSOP RYBBS Support Echo
< SAR Search and Rescue Discussion Conference
< SOFTNET McSoft - Motor City Software Support Echo.
< TBB4SALE The Bread Board Distribution System
< THI_CVA Brain Injuries
< TOTT_SOS Survivors of Suicide Loss
< ULTRASUP UltraBBS Support Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------
o There are 792 echos in backbone.na [08-Sep-96] (down 42)
o There are 71 echos in backbone.no [08-Sep-96] (up 35)
o for a total of 863 backbone & quasi-backbone echos (down 7)
[actually 861 echos, see Note above]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 29 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
WE GET EMAIL
=================================================================
--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:374/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Sep 12 10:33:15 1996
From: John Souvestre @ 1:396/1
To: Christopher Baker @ 1:374/14
Date: 12 Sep 96 02:57:52
Subj: NodeList
Hello Chris.
Feel free to post the following message in FidoNews.
John
===
* Original to FN_SYSOP echo at 1:396/1 in "FN_SysOp"
* Forwarded Thu Sep 12 1996 03:00:26 by John Souvestre at 1:396/1
cc: Bob Satti 1:153/6
Ward Dossche 2:292/854
David Nugent 3:632/348
Ariel Nardelli 4:4/0
Henk Wolsink 5:7104/2
Kazuyoshi Shinada 6:730/9
ZONEGATE echo
FN_SYSOP echo
Hello all.
This is a follow up to my message of July 6, 1996. Here is a summary
of the files in the ZSEGS area from 7/10/96 to 9/11/96 (9 weeks):
Zone 1: 9 diff's
Zone 2: 1 segment, 8 diff's
Zone 3: (none)
Zone 4: 10 segments
Zone 5: 3 segments
Zone 6: 2 segments
Based on the above, this is how I rate the ZC's in the performance of
their single most important duty:
Zone 1: C Diff's are useless if even one is missed.
Zone 2: C+ Diff's are useless if even one is missed.
Zone 3: F What can I say? Will Zone 3 die like the FTSC did?
Zone 4: A+ Hurray!
Zone 5: B- One segment a month isn't timely enough.
Zone 6: B- One segment a month isn't timely enough.
Regards,
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 30 16 Sep 1996
John
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 31 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
NET HUMOR
=================================================================
From: "Mike Riddle" <mriddle@novia.net>
To: "Baker, Christopher" <cbaker84@digital.net (Christopher Baker)>
Date: Sun, 08 Sep 96 12:52:54 -0500
Reply-To: "Mike Riddle" <mriddle@novia.net>
Subject: Fwd: sing along now...
==================BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE==================
>From: Gracely_James/NUC_SUSQ1@papl.com
Write in C (to the tune of the Beatles' "Let it Be")
When I find my code in tons of trouble,
Friends and colleagues come to me,
Speaking words of wisdom:
"Write in C."
As the deadline fast approaches,
And bugs are all that I can see,
Somewhere, someone whispers:
"Write in C."
Write in C, Write in C,
Write in C, oh, Write in C.
LOGO's dead and buried,
Write in C.
I used to write a lot of FORTRAN,
For science it worked flawlessly.
Try using it for graphics!
Write in C.
If you've just spent nearly 30 hours
Debugging some assembly,
Soon you will be glad to
Write in C.
Write in C, Write in C,
Write in C, yeah, Write in C.
Only wimps use BASIC.
Write in C.
Write in C, Write in C
Write in C, oh, Write in C.
Pascal won't quite cut it.
Write in C.
Write in C, Write in C,
Write in C, yeah, Write in C.
Don't even mention COBOL.
Write in C.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 32 16 Sep 1996
===================END FORWARDED MESSAGE===================
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 33 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
COMIX IN ASCII
=================================================================
--- Following message extracted from Z1_POLITICAL @ 1:374/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Aug 31 02:22:20 1995
From: George Vandervort
To: James Ray
Date: 30 Aug 95 14:57:03
Subj: Maturity 'vs' Livestock?
=====================================================================
Monday August 28 1995 16:04, James Ray wrote to Elaine Loveless:
JR> Whew! I promise to leave the livestock along. :-)
Hello James!
U_FLAG This!!! <grin>
=== Cut ===
HERE ya go..."Cows of the Fido echos":
(__) (__)
/ oo ______ / @@ ______
| /\_| | \ | /\_| | \
| |___ | | | |___ | |
| ---@ |_______| | ---@ |_______|
* | | ---- | | | | ---- | |
\ | |_____ | |_____
\|________| *____/|________|
CompuCow CompuCow After an All-niter
(__) (__)
/ -- ______ / .\/. ______
| /\_| | \ | /\_| | \
| |___ | | | |___ | |
| ---@ |_______| | ---@ |_______|
| | ---- | | * | | ---- | |
| |_____ \ | |_____
*____/|________| \|________|
CompuCow Asleep at the Keyboard CompuCow Discovers U_FLAG in Nodelist
(__) * (__) * (__) ( )
(oo) \ (oo) \ (OO) ( )
/-------\/ ..\-------\/ \-------\/ ( ( )
/ | || . | || / \\ ( ) )
* ||W---|| . ||----|| //------\\ ( )
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Cow about to Cow giving Cow who's just Cloud of dust
give milk U.H.T. milk seen a McDonalds where same cow
was before
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 34 16 Sep 1996
(__) (__) s * )__(
(oo) (@@) s / (oo)
/-------\/ /-------\=== (__) \--___--\/
/ | || / | || /------(xx) | |
* ||----|| * ||----|| * \ /\/ /\----/ \
WWWWWWWWWWWWW ^^ ^^ ===----==== ^ ^ ^ ^
Cow standing in Cow SMOKING Dead cow Mad Cow
long grass grass
(__) (__) (___) * (___)
(00) (oo) (@ @) \ (* *)
/-------\/ /-------\/ /-------\ / \-------\ /
/ | || / | || / | |O | |O
* ||----|| * ||O---|| * ||O---|| ||@>--||
^^ ^^ [__]. ^^ [__]. ^^ ^^ ^^
Norwegian cow Calf having Calf making Same bull after
drink mistake calf went away
\ (__) (__)
\\(oo) (\/)
/-----\\\/ /-------\/
/ | (##) / | ||
* ||----||" * ||----||
^^ ^^ ~~ ~~
This cow plays bagpipes. Cow from Beijing
(__) (__) (__)
(\/) ($$) (**)
/-------\/ /-------\/ /-------\/
/ | 666 || / |=====|| / | ||
* ||----|| * ||----|| * ||----||
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Satanic cow This cow is a Yuppie Cow in love
(__) (__)
(oo) (oo)
/-'''''-\/ /-------------------\/
/ |'''''|| / | ||
* ||''''|| * ||----------------||
^^ ^^ ^^ ^^
Cow in Argyle Stretch Cow
Cows to ya!
=== Cut ===
Regards,
George Vandervort - NEC Net382
InterNet: gvandervort@ima.infomail.com (No FTP)
Origin: Lounge Lizard's Retreat <tm> (1:382/8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 35 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
=================================================================
Many years ago, a previous Editor toyed with the idea of adding
pictures to weekly Issues of FidoNews. The pictures weren't embedded
in the Issue directly. They were noted in the text and added as
separate files within the FidoNews archive for that week.
The Question of the Week is:
Would you like to see picture files in the FidoNews? If so, what
format is most universally accessible across platforms? Should there
be a size limit on picture files?
As always, send in your answers as Netmail, email, Echomail in the
FIDONEWS Echo [Z1 Backbone and others], or as an .ART file for
publication. See Masthead for mail details.
Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 36 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
Future History
12 Oct 1996
General Elections, New Zealand.
29 Oct 1996
Republic Day, Turkey.
5 Nov 1996
Election day, U.S.A.
5 Nov 1996
Guy Fawkes Day, England.
1 Dec 1996
Twelfth Anniversary of FidoNews Volume 1, Issue 1.
12 Dec 1996
Constitution Day, Russia
26 Jan 1997
Australia Day, Australia.
6 Feb 1997
Waitangi Day, New Zealand.
16 Feb 1997
Eleventh Anniversary of invention of Echomail by Jeff Rush.
29 Feb 1997
Nothing will happen on this day.
11 Jun 1997
Independence Day, Russia
26 Jul 1997
FidoNews Editor turns 48.
6 Dec 1997
Gallileo takes close-ups of Europa to resolution
of 11 meters at the north pole.
1 Dec 1998
Fifteenth Anniversary of release of Fido version 1 by
Tom Jennings.
31 Dec 1999
Hogmanay, Scotland. The New Year that can't be missed.
15 Sep 2000
Sydney (Australia) Summer Olympiad opens.
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 37 16 Sep 1996
-- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this
Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 38 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING
=================================================================
Latest Greatest Software Versions
by Peter E. Popovich, 1:363/264
I'm glad to say, I'm moderately up-to-date. My inbound is pretty much
caught up. I gained a new skill in the process: I can now type "My
apologies for the delay. It's been a mahdouse over here." from muscle
memory... ;-)
In an effort to avoid confusion at this point, I'll point out that I
crash mail to Zone 1 and tothe Zonegates. I do not crash overseas. If
you're outside Zone 1 and you've sent in info that isn't listed
below, chances are there's mail on the way to you asking for a
clarification.
Phased out this week: DMG 2.93.
Phase-out highlights:
This week: Genesis Deluxe 3.2 Deadline for info: 26 Sep 1996.
Last week: DreamBBS 1.05 Deadline for info: 19 Sep 1996.
-=- Snip -=-
Submission form for the Latest Greatest Software Versions column
OS Platform :
Software package name :
Version :
Function(s) - BBS, Mailer, Tosser, etc. :
Freeware / Shareware / Commercial? :
Author / Support staff contact name :
Author / Support staff contact node :
Magic name (at the above-listed node) :
Please include a sentence describing what the package does.
Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264
-=- Snip -=-
MS-DOS:
Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FidoBBS (tm) 12u B S Ray Brown 1:1/117 FILES
FrontDoor 2.12 M S Joaquim Homrighausen
2:201/330 FD
FrontDoor 2.20c M C Joaquim Homrighausen
2:201/330 FDINFO
GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 INFO
Imail 1.75 T S Michael McCabe 1:297/11 IMAIL
InfoMail 1.11 O F Damian Walker 2:2502/666 INFOMAIL
InterEcho 1.19 T C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IEDEMO
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 39 16 Sep 1996
InterMail 2.29k M C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IMDEMO
InterPCB 1.52 O S Peter Stewart 1:369/35 INTERPCB
IPNet 1.11 O S Michele Stewart 1:369/21 IPNET
Maximus 3.01 B P Gary Gilmore 1:1/119 MAX
McMail g5 M S Michael McCabe 1:1/148 MCMAIL
Opus CBCS 1.73a B P Christopher Baker 1:374/14 OPUS
PlatinumXpress 1.1 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PX11TD.ZIP
Silver Xpress
Door 5.4 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 FILES
Reader 4.3 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 SXR43.ZIP
SquishMail 1.11 T P Gary Gilmore 1:1/119 SQUISH
TriBBS 10.0 B S Patrick Driscoll 1:372/19 TRIBBS
TriDog 10.0 M S Patrick Driscoll 1:372/19 TRIDOG
TriToss 10.0 T S Patrick Driscoll 1:372/19 TRITOSS
WWIV 4.24a B S Craig Dooley 1:376/126 WWIV
OS/2:
Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 INFO
Maximus 3.01 B P Gary Gilmore 1:1/119 MAXP
SquishMail 1.11 T P Gary Gilmore 1:1/119 SQUISHP
Windows (32-bit apps):
Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Maximus 3.01 B P Gary Gilmore 1:1/119 MAXN
PlatinumXpress 2.00 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PXW-INFO
Unix:
Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ifmail 2.8f M G Eugene Crosser 2:293/2219 IFMAIL
ifmail-tx 2.8f-tx7.7 M G Pablo Saratxaga 2:293/2219 IFMAILTX
F: B-BBS, M-Mailer, N-Nodelist, G-Gateway, T-Tosser, C-Compression,
O-Other. Note: Multifunction will be listed by the first match.
S: P-Free for personal use, F-Freeware, S-Shareware, C-Commercial,
X-Crippleware, G-Source
Old info from: 01/27/92
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MS-DOS Systems
--------------
BBS Software NodeList Utilities Compression
Name Version Name Version Utilities
-------------------- -------------------- Name Version
DreamBBS 1.05 EditNL 4.00 --------------------
Genesis Deluxe 3.2 FDND 1.10 ARC 7.12
GSBBS 3.02 MakeNL 2.31 ARJ 2.20
Kitten 1.01 Parselst 1.33 LHA 2.13
Lynx 1.30 Prune 1.40 PAK 2.51
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 40 16 Sep 1996
Merlin 1.39n SysNL 3.14 PKPak 3.61
Oracomm 5.M.6P@ XlatList 2.90 PKZip 1.10
Oracomm Plus 6.E@ XlaxNode/Diff 2.53
PCBoard 14.5a
Phoenix 1.07*
ProBoard 1.20* Other Utilities(A-M) Other Utilities(N-Z)
QuickBBS 2.75 Name Version Name Version
RBBS 17.3b -------------------- --------------------
RemoteAccess 1.11* 2DAPoint 1.50* Netsex 2.00b
SimplexBBS 1.05 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18 OFFLINE 1.35
SLBBS 2.15C* ARCAsim 2.31 Oliver 1.0a
Socrates 1.11 ARCmail 3.00* OSIRIS CBIS 3.02
SuperBBS 1.12* Areafix 1.20 PKInsert 7.10
SuperComm 0.99 ConfMail 4.00 PolyXarc 2.1a
TAG 2.5g Crossnet 1.5 QM 1.00a
TBBS 2.1 DOMAIN 1.42 QSort 4.04
TComm/TCommNet 3.4 DEMM 1.06 RAD Plus 2.11
Telegard 2.7* DGMM 1.06 Raid 1.00
TPBoard 6.1 DOMAIN 1.42 RBBSMail 18.0
WildCat! 3.02* EEngine 0.32 ScanToss 1.28
XBBS 1.77 EMM 2.11* ScMail 1.00
EZPoint 2.1 ScEdit 1.12
FGroup 1.00 Sirius 1.0x
Network Mailers FidoPCB 1.0s@ SLMail 2.15C
Name Version FNPGate 2.70 StarLink 1.01
-------------------- GateWorks 3.06e TagMail 2.41
BinkleyTerm 2.50 GMail 2.05 TCOMMail 2.2
D'Bridge 1.30 GMD 3.10 Telemail 1.5*
Dreamer 1.06 GMM 1.21 TGroup 1.13
Dutchie 2.90c GoldEd 2.31p TIRES 3.11
Milqtoast 1.00 GROUP 2.23 TMail 1.21
PreNM 1.48 GUS 1.40 TosScan 1.00
SEAdog 4.60 Harvey's Robot 4.10 UFGATE 1.03
SEAmail 1.01 HeadEdit 1.18 VPurge 4.09e
TIMS 1.0(mod8) HLIST 1.09 WEdit 2.0@
ISIS 5.12@ WildMail 2.00
Lola 1.01d WMail 2.2
Mosaic 1.00b WNode 2.1
MailBase 4.11a@ XRS 4.99
MSG 4.5* XST 2.3e
MSGED 2.06 YUPPIE! 2.00
MsgLnk 1.0c ZmailH 1.25
MsgMstr 2.03a ZSX 2.40
MsgNum 4.16d
MSGTOSS 1.3
OS/2 Systems
------------
BBS Software Other Utilities(A-M Other Utilities(N-Z)
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
Kitten 1.01 ARC 7.12 oMMM 1.52
SimplexBBS 1.04.02+ ARC2 6.01 Omail 3.1
ConfMail 4.00 Parselst 1.33
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 41 16 Sep 1996
EchoStat 6.0 PKZip 1.02
Network Mailers EZPoint 2.1 PMSnoop 1.30
Name Version FGroup 1.00 PolyXOS2 2.1a
-------------------- GROUP 2.23 QSort 2.1
BinkleyTerm 2.50 LH2 2.11 Raid 1.0
BinkleyTerm(S) 2.50 MSG 4.2 Remapper 1.2
BinkleyTerm/2-MT MsgEd 2.06c SquishMail 1.00
1.40.02 MsgLink 1.0c Tick 2.0
SEAmail 1.01 MsgNum 4.16d VPurge 4.09e
Xenix/Unix 386
--------------
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
ARC 5.21
C-LHARC 1.00
MsgEd 2.06
|Contact: Willy Paine 1:343/15,| MSGLINK 1.01
|or Eddy van Loo 2:285/406 | oMMM 1.42
Omail 1.00
ParseLst 1.32
Unzip 3.10
VPurge 4.08
Zoo 2.01
QNX
---
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
QTach2 1.09 QMM 0.50s Kermit 2.03
QCP 1.02
NodeList Utilities Archive Utilities QSave 3.6
Name Version Name Version QTTSysop 1.07.1
-------------------- -------------------- SeaLink 1.05
QNode 2.09 Arc 6.02 XModem 1.00
LH 1.00.2 YModem 1.01
Unzip 2.01 ZModem 0.02f
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
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 42 16 Sep 1996
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
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 Host Import 3.2
2.12T10 LHARC 0.41
MacArd 0.04
Mantissa 3.21
Point System Mehitable 2.0
Software OriginatorII 2.0
Name Version PreStamp 3.2
-------------------- StuffIt Classic 1.6
Copernicus 1.00 SunDial 3.2
CounterPoint 1.09 TExport 1.92
MacWoof 1.1 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
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
4D-BBS 1.65 BinkleyTerm 1.00 Areafix 1.48
DLG Pro. 0.96b TrapDoor 1.80 AReceipt 1.5
Falcon CBCS 1.00 WelMat 0.44 ChameleonEdit 0.11
Starnet 1.0q@ ConfMail 1.12
TransAmiga 1.07 ElectricHerald 1.66
XenoLink 1.0 Compression FFRS 1.0@
Utilities FileMgr 2.08
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 43 16 Sep 1996
Name Version Fozzle 1.0@
NodeList Utilities -------------------- Login 0.18
Name Version AmigArc 0.23 MessageFilter 1.52
-------------------- booz 1.01 Message View 1.12
ParseLst 1.66 LHARC 1.30 oMMM 1.50
Skyparse 2.30 LhA 1.10 PolyXAmy 2.02
TrapList 1.40 LZ 1.92 RMB 1.30
PkAX 1.00 Roof 46.15
UnZip 4.1 RoboWriter 1.02
Zippy (Unzip) 1.25 Rsh 4.07a
Zoo 2.01 Tick 0.75
TrapToss 1.20
|Contact: Maximilian Hantsch 2:310/6| Yuck! 2.02
Atari ST/TT
-----------
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
FIDOdoor/ST 2.5.1 BinkleyTerm 2.40n9 ApplyList 1.00@
FiFo 2.1v The Box 1.95* Burep 1.1
LED ST 1.00 ComScan 1.04
MSGED 1.99 ConfMail 4.10
QuickBBS/ST 1.06* NodeList Utilities Echoscan 1.10
Name Version FDrenum 2.5.2
-------------------- FastPack 1.20
Compression ParseList 1.30 Import 1.14
Utilities EchoFix 1.20 oMMM 1.40
Name Version sTICK/Hatch 5.50 Pack 1.00
-------------------- Trenum 0.10
ARC 6.02
LHARC 2.01i
PackConvert
STZip 1.1*
UnJARST 2.00
WhatArc 2.02
Archimedes
----------
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
ARCbbs 1.61 BinkleyTerm ARC 1.20
Odyssey 0.37 2.06f-wimp !AskFor 1.01
RiscBBS 0.9.85m BatchPacker 1.00
DeLZ 0.01
MailED 0.95
NetFile 1.00
ParseLst 1.30
Raul 1.01
!Spark 2.16
!SparkMail 2.08
!SparkPlug 2.14
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 44 16 Sep 1996
UnArj 2.21
UnZip 3.00
Zip 1.00
Tandy Color Computer 3 (OS-9 Level II)
--------------------------------------
BBS Software Compression Utility Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
RiBBS 2.02+ Ar 1.3 Ascan 1.2
DeArc 5.12 AutoFRL 2.0
OS9Arc 1.0 Bundle 2.2
UnZip 3.10 CKARC 1.1
UnLZH 3.0 EchoCheck 1.01
FReq 2.5a
LookNode 2.00
ParseLST
PReq 2.2
RList 1.03
RTick 2.00
UnBundle 1.4
UnSeen 1.1
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Key to old info:
+ - Netmail Capable (Doesn't Require Additional Mailer Software)
* - Recently Updated Version
@ - New Addition
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 45 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY
=================================================================
[this must be copied out to a file starting at column 1 or
it won't process under PGP as a valid public-key]
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: 2.6.2
Comment: Clear-signing is Electronic Digital Authenticity!
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Pending a formal decision about including 'encrypted' material inside
FidoNews from the Zone Coordinator Council, the guts of the FidoNews
public-key have been removed from this listing.
File-request FNEWSKEY from 1:1/23 [1:374/14] or download it from the
Rights On! BBS at 1-407-383-1372 anytime except 0100-0130 ET and Zone
1 ZMH at 1200-9600+ HST/V32B.
This section will contain only this disclaimer and instructions until
a ZCC decision is forwarded to the Editor.
Sorry for any inconvenience.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 46 16 Sep 1996
=================================================================
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
=================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editor: Christopher Baker
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar,
Tom Jennings, Sylvia Maxwell,
Donald Tees
"FidoNews Editor"
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS 1-407-383-1372, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(ds)
more addresses:
Christopher Baker -- 1:374/14, cbaker84@digital.net
cbak.rights@opus.global.org
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews Editor
P.O. Box 471
Edgewater, FL 32132-0471
U.S.A.
voice: 1-407-264-2994 [1400-2100 ET only, please]
[1800-0100 UTC/GMT]
------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews is published weekly by and for the members of the FIDONET
INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ELECTRONIC MAIL system. It is a compilation
of individual articles contributed by their authors or their
authorized agents. The contribution of articles to this compilation
does not diminish the rights of the authors. OPINIONS EXPRESSED in
these articles ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS and not necessarily those of
FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
Copyright 1996 Christopher Baker. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For
use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or
the Editor.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews Editor via manual download or
file-request, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above postal
address. File-request FIDONEWS for the current Issue. File-request
FNEWS for the current month in one archive. Or file-request specific
back Issue filenames in distribution format [FNEWSDnn.LZH] for a
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 47 16 Sep 1996
particular Issue. Monthly Volumes are available as FNWSmmmy.ZIP
where mmm = three letter month [JAN - DEC] and y = last digit of the
current year [6], i.e., FNWSMAY6.ZIP for all the Issues from May 96.
Annual volumes are available as FNEWSn.ZIP where n = the Volume number
1 - 12 for 1984 - 1995, respectively. Annual Volume archives range in
size from 48K to 1.2M.
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via:
http://www.fidonet.org/fidonews.htm
ftp://ftp.fidonet.org/pub/fidonet/fidonews/
You can read the current FidoNews Issue in HTML format at:
http://www.geocities.com/athens/6894
STAR SOURCE for ALL Past Issues via FTP and file-request:
Available for FReq from 1:396/1 or by anonymous FTP from ftp.sstar.com
in the FIDONET\FNEWS directory:
FNEWSTOC.ZIP FidoNews, Table of Contents, all issues (1984 - 1995)
FNEWS1.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 1, all issues (1984)
FNEWS2.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 2, all issues (1985)
FNEWS3.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 3, all issues (1986)
FNEWS4.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 4, all issues (1987)
FNEWS5.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 5, all issues (1988)
FNEWS6.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 6, all issues (1989)
FNEWS7.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 7, all issues (1990)
FNEWS8.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 8, all issues (1991)
FNEWS9.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 9, all issues (1992)
FNEWSA.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 10, all issues (1993)
FNEWSB.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 11, all issues (1994)
FNEWSC.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 12, all issues (1995)
FNEWSD01.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 13, Nr. 01 (January 1, 1996)
FNEWSD02.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 13, Nr. 02 (January 8, 1996)
(etc)
FNEWSD34.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 13, Nr. 34 (August 19, 1996)
FNEWSD35.ZIP FidoNews, Vol. 13, Nr. 35 (August 26, 1996)
(etc)
Each yearly archive also contains a listing of the Table-of-Contents
for that year's issues. The total set is currently about 11 Megs.
=*=*=*=
The current week's FidoNews and the FidoNews public-key are now also
available almost immediately after publication on the Editor's new
homepage on the World Wide Web at:
http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fidonews.html
FIDONEWS 13-38 Page 48 16 Sep 1996
There are also links there to jim barchuk's HTML FidoNews source and
to John Souvestre's FTP site for the archives. There is also an email
link for sending in an article as message text. Drop on over.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
A PGP generated public-key is available for the FidoNews Editor from
1:1/23 [1:374/14] by file-request for FNEWSKEY or by download from
Rights On! BBS at 1-407-383-1372 as FIDONEWS.ASC in File Area 18. It
is also posted twice a month into the PKEY_DROP Echo available on the
Zone 1 Echomail Backbone.
*=*=*=*=*
Anyone interested in getting a copy of the INTERNET GATEWAY FAQ may
file-request GISFAQ.ZIP from 1:133/411.0, or send an internet message
to fidofaq@gisatl.fidonet.org. No message or text or subject is
necessary. The address is a keyword that will trigger the automated
response. People wishing to send inquiries directly to David Deitch
should now mail to fidonet@gisatl.fidonet.org rather than the
previously listed address.
*=*=*=*=*
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews Editor, or file-requestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". ALL Zone Coordinators also have
copies of ARTSPEC.DOC. Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, P.O. Box 410923, San Francisco, CA 94141,
and are used with permission.
"Disagreement is actually necessary,
or we'd all have to get in fights
or something to amuse ourselves
and create the requisite chaos."
-Tom Jennings
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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