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F I D O N E W S -- Volume 13, Number 46 11 November 1996
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet community | "FidoNews" |
| _ | 1-904-409-7040 [1:1/23] |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editor: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Christopher Baker 1:18/14 |
| |__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. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
ONLY ONE GUEST HEADLINE RECEIVED SO FAR! IT APPEARS NEXT WEEK!
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
Moving right along ....................................... 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2
Boom, boom Bob! .......................................... 2
Everything in Moderation ................................. 2
What FTS-0004 should be like ............................. 6
The Future of FidoNet...and a correction ................. 14
Speaking of Atari-related echoes ......................... 15
3. GETTING TECHNICAL ........................................ 18
FTS-0004, The Echomail Specs ............................. 18
4. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 26
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 313 ...... 26
5. ECHOING .................................................. 27
Backbone Echo Changes [Sep-Oct] .......................... 27
6. WE GET EMAIL ............................................. 29
_Policy Complaint_ ....................................... 29
7. NET HUMOR ................................................ 35
Hacker Purity Test ....................................... 35
Opus v51.1 ............................................... 50
8. NOTICES .................................................. 52
Future History ........................................... 52
PKZIP has a new version that is REAL! .................... 52
9. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 56
Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 56
And more!
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 1 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
The second FidoNet Technical Standard appears today. FTS-0004 was
lifted from the docs of ConfMail by Bob Hartman in the dim time of
Echomail operations.
FTS-0004 has a counter-point in FSC-0074 [which is way down the list
for numerical publication in these spaces], the proposal for a new
Echomail spec.
Anticipating the FTS-0004 publication today, I have also received an
adjusted version of FSC-0074 which also appears in this Issue. It
should make an interesting comparison for those of you technically
inclined.
Next week's Headline was the first and only entry to-date in the
Headline submission contest posed as a Question of the Week a couple
Issues back. You'll have to ask the submitter [Damian Walker of
2:2502/666] what it means or pertains to, however. I haven't got a
clue. [grin]
C.B.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 2 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
PC nonsense!
by Lee Kindness, 2:259/7
Bob Morasvik writes in fnewsd45:
> make it my business. By not filing a PC against me
> it is your admission that I'm right and you are wrong.
> My NC is Sean Aldrich 1:2606/0...the lines are open.
Oh, please! Can we not have a *discussion* without reverting to this
sort of rubbish! I will not waste any NC's time over a thread in
*Fidonews*, nor will I continue a discussion when this is the view
of one of the participants!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Everything in Moderation
Damian Walker, 2:2502/666
With all this talk of echo policy which is flying around echoes and
Fidonews itself, one of the subjects at the centre of conversation is,
once again, echo moderators. These people are often the object of
controversy in Fidonet. Who are they? What do they do? What should
they do? Who gives them the right to tell me what to do?!
When conversation does come around to moderators, it usually
orbits even more closely closely around the matter of feed cuts. But
why should it? Feed cuts are not the only thing a moderator can do
with their echo.
In this article, I will take a look at some of the duties of
moderators, some of the issues generating criticism levelled at them,
and suggest for those who are interested what more a moderator can do
for his or her echo.
So, first of all, what is a moderator? Most people who know enough
about Fidonet to find this copy of Fidonews probably already know what
a moderator is. The moderator, in general terms, is someone who takes
the responsibility of making sure a particular echo maintains the
purpose for which the echo was originally set up.
This 'purpose' could cover a lot of things. Usually the most
important is the topic, or subject, of the echo. Then comes its
intended readership, as an echo should allow (or restrict) access to a
certain group of people, whether this is 'sysops', 'everyone' or some
other criterion. The other one which springs to mind from my own
echoes is 'atmosphere'. Is it supposed to be a friendly, chatty echo?
Or perhaps something more efficient and businesslike, particularly
where the echo set up to get a job done, rather than existing solely
for the amusement of its readers. There could be other aspects to the
echo's purpose.
As an aside, some people question the need for echo moderators.
After all, many Internet newsgroups manage without them. Or do they?
Another school of thought suggests that a lot of the meaningless noise
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 3 11 Nov 1996
in newsgroups (which I have witnessed in some newsgroups myself) comes
about because there is no-one to oversee the newsgroup in the way that
a moderator does in Fidonet. It seems there may be a place for both
moderated and unmoderated echoes, after all. But back to the topic in
hand...
So how should the echo purpose be maintained? This varies from
one echo to another, and there may be more than just one simple way to
do the job, a fact that creates much of the controversy centred around
moderators.
The policies or requirements for some backbone structures state
explicitly what a moderator's duties should be, and make suggestions
or restrictions on how they should be carried out. Such policies
often try to achieve a balance between absolute control for the
moderator, and some form of comeback to protect genuine users from the
effects of the overly dictatorial moderators who sometimes appear.
Even then, the subject of such policies often settles immovably
upon the question of unruly users and feed cuts. Where are the more
positive aspects of moderation? Even if these should not be
regulated, the lack of suggestions might put the new or less
experienced moderator at a loss for ideas.
In practice, moderators often exercise some of both the positive and
negative aspects of moderation, although the balance is not consistent
from one moderator to the next. Even among echoes moderated by a
single person, the balance may not be the same.
Firstly, what about the negative aspects of moderation? The
rules, the warnings, the feed cuts? The first is hardly something
which can be regulated, and it is difficult even to advise upon, given
the wide range of purposes an echo may have. Usually, a moderator
will use the rules of another echo they enjoy reading as a guideline
for their own echo. Sometimes this is a good move, and sometimes it
isn't. Many moderators adjust the rules as they find things which are
undesirable or unenforceable.
The issue of warnings is clear cut in many policies. A recurring
theme is the requirement for three formal warnings before a feed cut
can be made. Personally, I prefer not to give formal warnings, since
these may alienate genuine users who have simply made a mistake in a
friendly conference, but this is just a personal issue. Some
moderators stick rigidly to the formal warning principle, where others
might try other methods such as making polite requests to stay on
topic or civil. One such moderator in an echo I used to read would
also suggest echoes in which off-topic messages might be appropriate;
such a helpful approach maintained a friendly atmosphere, even when
he was giving as many 'warnings' as in some less friendly echoes.
The final negative issue, that of feed cuts, is regularly the
object of moderator-related controversy. Although a good moderator
(or a moderator with an easy job) might have to make few of these,
discussion about them takes up far more bandwidth than their frequency
would suggest. There are a number of ways feed cuts may be
implemented. A request to the user to stop writing is rarely going to
work. A request to the sysop of the offending user is one approach,
although many sysops will want more than a simple request before
cutting a feed. Some will insist on the mandatory three warnings,
others will be less rigid, but still want to see evidence of
misbehaviour. Another approach sometimes used is to make a demand to
the sysop for a feed cut, backed up by a backbone policy, but such an
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 4 11 Nov 1996
unfriendly way of doing things may work against the moderator,
particularly when the fact that they are backed up by policy is open
to interpretation.
But now I've given these negative aspects of moderator duties more
time than I wanted to, so lets move on to the more positive aspects of
moderating echoes. What do moderators currently do?
Firstly, the moderator is frequently the person who sets up an
echo. This may be more work than it at first appears, depending upon
the requirements of a local backbone or other distribution system.
Some need a minimum traffic level, others have requirements upon
existing distribution (e.g. the echo must be distributed to at least 3
nets). Some are more lucky, in my native region 25 all we have to do
is send a copy of the echo rules (and the echo tag, description and
moderator name/address) to our REC to get an echo on the regional
backbone. But once an echo is on the backbone, or even beforehand,
there are other things to be done.
Most of this is down to promotion. The simplest way to promote an
echo is to advertise it, particularly in other echoes which are set up
for such advertising. This is the approach most often used in my own
locality, with the ECHO-NEWS conference specifically set up for
moderators (or other parties) to gain support for echoes. There are
similar echoes available in some, but not all, parts of the network.
An alternative way to advertise an echo is by including a bulletin
on your own (or your sysop's) BBS, directing users to the echo. This
is of more use on specialist BBS's, where an echo pertaining to that
system's subject is more likely to attract users.
Another common way of promoting echoes is to stimulate discussion
within the echo itself. Once advertising has attracted a user to an
echo, there should be something to read once they get there, or the
user will just assume the echo is dead, and not give it a second look.
There are a number of approaches to this. One is to forward
information from other sources, such as books and magazines, other
echoes, or conferences on different networks such as Compuserve or the
Internet. Where direct crossposting is legal, it may be used in order
to make the echo a good source of real information (as opposed to
discussion on information available elsewhere).
Another approach applicable to some echoes is merely to post large
numbers of messages as and when inspiration occurs. My own approach
is to try and post at least one message a day, a thread starter, in
order to get people talking. This is especially useful when echo
traffic drops off, and could even be a necessary procedure on
backbones which require echoes to maintain a minimum amount of
traffic. Sometimes I have no personal interest in the questions I
ask in my own echoes, but hope that somebody else does.
There are some less common activities a moderator can do in order to
maintain the echo purpose (the purpose being something which should
always be borne in mind by moderators going about their moderatorial
duties-- forget politics or ego here). I will draw these from my own
echoes and some of the other echoes I have participated in or read
about.
As for promotion, dare I raise the subject of document servers yet
again? Yes, of course I dare, since these are a good way of
distributing information about an echo, particularly more detailed
information which is not appropriate for a general echo advertising
conference or a log-on BBS bulletin. These can be particularly useful
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 5 11 Nov 1996
for directing users to related echoes as well.
Within the echo, there are some things which can maintain users'
interest. One which I have seen in an echo is a directory of echo
users, users being added either with their permission or by using
information sent by themselves. Either way prevents users appearing
in a directory when they don't want their name listed. It may be
interesting to offer this list externally (by FReq or netmail) as well
as by regular post in the echo.
A few echoes offer an echo-related file list. One echo I know of
does this by gathering the files on one system, and maintaining mirror
sites. One of my own echoes has a FReq list, which contains files
available on all participating systems from which the sysop is
prepared to send me their file list. These files are obviously
restricted to those relevant to the echo, and the list contains by
each file the address of the system which offers holds it. This
prevents the expense of sending a large volume of files to mirror
sites, but requires that the user call direct to the system offering
the file they want. Broadly similar to this is the common procedure
of allowing systems to post a new files list into the echo, for areas
pertaining to the echo subject.
Another idea is to offer some sort of brief journal or electronic
magazine for echo users. A vast array of ideas for the content of
this journal can be created by the imaginative mind, or it could
merely be a collection of material related to other ideas already
given, such as file lists, information and news from external sources,
echo user directories, or just about anything related to the echo
topic.
Where echoes of limited distribution exist, or similar echoes in
different languages, links could be established for the sharing of
information and news. This is especially useful where international
links for an echo itself cannot be found. Given suitable software at
two designated systems, selected messages and announcments could be
sent between the echoes via netmail, to be automatically posted as an
echomail message. Obviously this should only be used for a limited
amount of traffic in order that uplinks are not annoyed with excessive
traffic in netmail.
Some of these less widespread activities could be conducted by
echo participants other than the moderator, but in most cases it is up
to the moderator to instigate them, or to specifically designate
someone else to do the job, or just to make it known that they would
be welcome in the echo.
Most of the material here I have written in order to highlight the
lighter side of what moderating an echo is all about, or what it could
be about if moderators are willing, and hopefully I have managed to
convince someone of the fact that there is more to moderating echomail
than warnings and feed cuts.
Such considerations should not be forgotten when formulating a
policy for an echomail distribution system such as an official or
unofficial backbone, a large-scale cost share scheme or an entirely
separate network. It is important not only that rules and regulations
do not restrain moderators and users from making the most of their
echoes, but also that the incentive is there for people to put the
effort in to implement some of the more interesting ideas for
attracting and retaining users in our echoes.
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 6 11 Nov 1996
(Note for those who are interested: the author is the moderator and
creator of three echoes: STRATEGY, CLASSICAL_UK and INFOMAIL, and is
the creator of a fourth echo BBS-GAMES).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FTS-0004 documents a fish more than it does Echomail...
by Lee Kindness, 2:259/7, lkindnes@csl.co.uk
In this issue of Fidonews Chris will be posting FTS-0004, the
document that specifies Echomail. It is the FTSC's statement that
they only document current practise - read thru FTS-0004 and my
comments on it last week and you'll see this simply isn't true. The
worse thing is that the FTSC were submitted a proposed replacement
for fts-0004 (fsc-0074) by John Souvestre and in their great wisdom
not only altered the document before accepting it as an FSC but also
didn't replace fts-0004 with it. I mean, look at fts-0004 it isn't
even a technical document!
I have included a recent draft i have made of fsc-0074 below.
Additions and changes from the current fsc-0074 are marked by a '|'
in the first column. Deletions from the current version are discussed
after the document.
=== Proposed FTS-0004 replacement, FSC-0074.002 (draft) ==============
Document: FSC-0074
Version: 002 (draft)
Author: John Souvestre, David Troendle, Bob Davis,
George Peace, Lee Kindness
FTS: FTS-0004.002 -- proposed replacement
EchoMail Specification
June, 1992
This document began as
the Conference Mail System User Manual
By Bob Hartman t/a Spark Software
FidoNet(tm) node 132/101 (currently 1:104/501)
Used with permission
06 Jun 1991
John Souvestre, David Troendle, Bob Davis
29 Oct 1991
John Souvestre, David Troendle
28 Jan 1992
George Peace
02 Jun 1992
George Peace
Nov 1996
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 7 11 Nov 1996
Lee Kindness (| marks changes)
ECHOMAIL DEFINED
EchoMail is a technique that permits several nodes on a network to
share a message base. It is similar in concept to the conferences
available on commercial information services but is most closely
related to the Usenet system consisting of thousands of systems
world wide. All systems sharing a given conference see any messages
entered into the conference by any of the participating systems.
This can be implemented in such a way as to be totally transparent
to the users of a particular system. In fact, they may not even be
aware of the network being used to move their messages about from
node to node!
Unfortunately, EchoMail has disadvantages as well. Many users who
are not educated about EchoMail systems do not realize the messages
transmitted cost MANY sysops (system operators) money, not just the
local sysop. This is an important consideration in EchoMail and
should not be taken lightly. In a conference with 100 systems
participating the cost per message can be quite high.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ECHOMAIL
In late 1985, Jeff Rush, a Fido sysop in Dallas, wanted a convenient
means of sharing ideas with the other Dallas sysops. He created a
system of programs he called Echomail, and the Dallas sysops'
Conference was born.
Within a short time sysops in other areas began hearing of this
marvelous new gadget and EchoMail took on a life of its own. Today
the FidoNet public network boasts a myriad of conferences varying in
size from a handful of participants to Sysop conferences with
hundreds of participants. It is not uncommon for a system to carry
hundreds or more conferences and share those conferences with 10 or
more nodes.
HOW ECHOMAIL WORKS
Today's EchoMail processing is functionally compatible with the
original EchoMail utilities. In general, the process is:
- A message is entered into a designated area on a FidoNet
compatible system.
- This message is "Exported" along with some 'control
information' to each system "linked" to the conference
through the originating system.
- Each receiving system "Imports" the message into the
proper Conference Mail area.
- The receiving systems then "Export" these messages, along
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 8 11 Nov 1996
with additional control information, to each of their own
EchoMail links.
- Return to the import step.
The method is quite simple in general. Of course, following the
steps literally means messages would never stop being Exported and
transmitted to other systems. This obviously would not be desired.
The information contained in the 'control information' section is
used to prevent exporting the same message more than once to a
single system.
MESSAGE CONTROL INFORMATION
Control information is associated with each EchoMail message. This
information consists of certain special lines placed inside the
message. These lines are typically inserted automatically by the
program which prepares or processes the message, not by the person
writing it.
In FTS-0001 terminology, these control information lines shall
be inside the "text" field of a "packed message".
Control information lines shall contain only ASCII characters, from
32 to 126, except the first character of the path line and as noted
elsewhere in this document. This limitation applies only to control
information lines.
Alphabetic characters in required literal strings (AREA, Origin,
SEEN-BY, and PATH) are case-sensitive.
All control information lines shall be terminated with ASCII
character 13 (carriage return).
These required control information lines determine how EchoMail is
handled:
| The origin line, seenby and path are generated in that order, with
| no other control information intermingled.
1. Area line
There shall be exactly one area line in an exported message.
The AREA line:
- Shall be the first line of the text and thus shall
immediately follow the packed message header. This
position is "offset 0" of the "text" portion of the
packed message.
- Shall be formatted as:
AREA:CONFERENCE
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 9 11 Nov 1996
AREA: is a required five character upper case
literal.
| There is NO space between AREA: and CONFERENCE
CONFERENCE is the name of the conference. The
conference name is composed of ASCII characters in
the range 33 to 96 and 123 to 126. The conference
name shall be no more than 60 characters in length.
The AREA line is added when a conference is "Exported" to
| other systems. It is usually based upon information found
in a configuration file for the designated message area. This
field is used by receiving systems to "Import" messages into
the correct EchoMail area.
Some implementations insert a Ctrl-A (0x01) immediately
| preceding the AREA: literal (^AAREA:CONFERENCE). This is broken
| behavior but should be handled, but never created. A warning
| message to the node who created the message can, optionally,
| be sent.
2. Origin Line
There shall be exactly one origin line in a message. It shall
| be placed in the message directly after the user text and
| immediately before the remaining control information lines.
The origin line:
- Shall begin with the eleven character literal:
<space>*<space>Origin:<space>
- Is optionally followed by user/system defined data in the
ASCII range 32 to 126.
- Shall end with a FidoNet network address enclosed in
parenthesis:
([<zone>:]<net>/<node>[.<point>][@<domain>])
- Shall be no more than 79 characters long including the
required lead-in and address information.
- Shall be inserted into the message at the originating
system.
The complete line might look like:
* Origin: Conference Mail BBS (1:132/101)
3. Seen-by Lines
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 10 11 Nov 1996
Seen-by lines are the focus of EchoMail distribution control
information. They are used to determine which addresses (systems)
have received messages. There can be as many seen-by lines as
required to store the necessary information.
Seen-by lines consist of "SEEN-BY:<space>", followed by a list of
net/node numbers corresponding to the systems which have received
that message. The net/node number of each system to which a message
is exported is added to the seen-by lines at the time of export.
There shall be exactly one set of seen-by lines in a message.
Seen-by lines:
- Shall follow the origin line.
- Shall begin with the nine character literal:
SEEN-BY:<space>
- Shall contain a list of net/node numbers.
- Shall be no more than 80 characters long including the
required literal.
The complete lines might look like:
SEEN-BY: 104/1 501 132/101 113 136/601 1014/1
SEEN-BY: 1014/2 3
The list of net/node numbers:
- Shall identify at least one address. "Blank" seen-by
lines shall not be transmitted.
- Shall be sorted in ascending net/node order.
- Shall not contain repeated node numbers.
- Shall use only "2D" net/node notation.
| - Shall be stripped at zone gates (since the data is 2D).
| In essence when a system imports an echo from a system
| in another zone it will dispose of all SEEN-BY lines
| in the message and replace it with a single SEEN-BY
| that contains their net/node.
- May use short form address notation where a net number is
listed once on any one line. These 2 lines are
equivalent:
SEEN-BY: 104/1 104/501 132/101 132/113 136/601
SEEN-BY: 104/1 501 132/101 113 136/601
| The first entry in a line must be full net/node.
Some implementations insert a Ctrl-A (0x01) immediately
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 11 11 Nov 1996
| preceding the SEEN-BY: literal (^ASEEN-BY:). This is broken
| behavior but should be handled, but never created. A warning
| message to the node who created the message can, optionally,
| be sent.
4. Path Lines
Path lines identify a list of net/node numbers that processed a
message before it reached the current system. There can be as many
path lines as required to store the necessary information.
This is different from seen-by lines, in that seen-by lines list
list all systems to which the message has been sent while path lines
list the systems which have processed the message.
There shall be exactly one set of path lines in a message.
Path lines:
- Shall follow seen-by lines.
- Shall be the last line(s) in the text field of a packed
message.
- Shall begin with the seven character literal:
^APATH:<space>
The ^A is a special character which stands for Control-A
(ASCII character 1), and is required at the beginning of
each path line.
- Shall contain a list of net/node numbers.
- Shall be no more than 80 characters long including the
required literal.
The complete path line might look like:
^APATH: 132/101 1014/1
The list of net/node numbers:
- Shall identify at least one net/node number. "Blank"
path lines shall not be transmitted.
- Shall not be sorted. They shall remain in the order
representing the actual "path" along which the message
traveled.
- Shall use only "2D" net/node notation.
- Shall begin with the net/node of the originating system.
- Shall not be deleted during processing. The original
path information shall be maintained from origin to final
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 12 11 Nov 1996
destination.
ECHOMAIL TOPOLOGY
The way in which systems link together for a particular conference
is called the "EchoMail Topology." It is important to know this
structure for two reasons:
- It is important to have a topology which is efficient in
the transfer of the EchoMail messages.
- It is important to have a topology which will not cause
systems to see the same messages more than once.
Efficiency can be measured in a number of ways:
- Least time involved for all systems to receive a message
- Least cost for all systems to receive a message
- Fewest phone calls required for all systems to receive a
message.
Users of EchoMail systems have determined (through trial and error)
the best measure of efficiency to be a combination of all three
measurements. Balancing the equation is not trivial, but some
guidelines can be offered:
- Have nodes form "stars" for distribution of EchoMail.
This arrangement has several nodes all receiving their
EchoMail from the same system. In general the systems on
the "outside" of the star poll the system on the
"inside". The system on the "inside" in turn polls other
systems in a similar star configuration to receive the
EchoMail that is being passed on to the "outside"
systems.
- Utilize fully connected polygons with few vertices.
Nodes can be connected in a triangle (A sends to B and C,
B sends to A and C, C sends to A and B) or a fully
connected square (all corners of the square send to all
of the other corners). This method is useful for getting
EchoMail messages to each node as quickly as possible.
All of these efficiency guidelines have to be tempered with the
guidelines dealing with keeping duplicate messages from being
exported. Duplicates will occur in any topology that forms a closed
polygon that is not fully connected. Take for example the following
configuration:
A ----- B
| |
| |
C ----- D
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 13 11 Nov 1996
This square is a closed polygon that is not fully connected.
It is capable of generating duplicates:
1. A message is entered on node A.
2. Node A exports the message to node B and node C placing
the seen-by for A, B, and C in the message as it does so.
3. Node B sees that node D is not listed in the seen-by and
exports the message to node D.
4. Node C sees that node D is not listed in the seen-by and
exports the message to node D.
At this point node D has received the same message twice - a
duplicate was generated.
Normally a "dup-ring" will not be as simple as a square. Generally
it will be caused by a system on one end of a long chain
accidentally connecting to a system on the other end of the chain.
This causes the two ends of the chain to become connected, forming a
polygon.
In FidoNet this problem is reduced somewhat by having a regional
EchoMail star distribution architecture that maintains EchoMail
connections within regions of the world. Within that architecture
only a small number of prearranged systems (regional collection
systems) make inter-regional connections. This architecture, along
with multiple daily connections, results in an efficient topology
which typically allows global distribution within 24 hours.
THE PATH LINE AND TOPOLOGY
The PATH line stores the net/node numbers of each system having
actually processed a message. This information is useful in
correcting the biggest problem encountered by nodes running an
Echomail compatible system - the problem of finding the cause of
duplicate messages. How does the PATH line help solve this problem?
Take the following path line as an example:
^APATH: 107/6 107/312 132/101
This shows that the message was processed by system 107/6 and
transferred to system 107/312. It further shows system 107/312
transferred the message to 132/101, and 132/101 processed it again.
Here's another example:
^APATH: 107/6 107/312 107/528 107/312 132/101
This shows the message having been processed by node 107/312 on more
than one occasion. Based upon the earlier description of the
'information control' fields in Echomail messages, this identifies
an error in processing. This further shows node 107/528 as the node
which apparently processed the message incorrectly. In this case
the path line can be used to help locate the source of duplicate
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 14 11 Nov 1996
messages or topology problems.
In a conference with many participants it becomes almost impossible
to determine the exact topology used. In these cases the use of the
path line can help a moderator or distributor of a conference track
any possible breakdowns in the overall topology, while not
substantially increasing the amount of information transmitted.
Having this small amount of information added to each message pays
for itself very quickly when it can be used to help detect a
topology problem causing duplicate messages to be transmitted to
each system.
=== End ==============================================================
Sections deleted from the current version of fsc-0074:
< Six months after adoption of this document the ^AAREA: format
< shall be processed equally with the AREA: format when either
< occurs in received packets.
Replaced with:
> | preceding the AREA: literal (^AAREA:CONFERENCE). This is broken
> | behavior but should be handled, but never created. A warning
> | message to the node who created the message can, optionally,
> | be sent.
and...
< Six months after adoption of this document the ^ASEEN-BY:
< format shall be processed equally with the SEEN-BY: format
< when either occurs in received packets.
Replaced with:
> | preceding the SEEN-BY: literal (^ASEEN-BY:). This is broken
> | behavior but should be handled, but never created. A warning
> | message to the node who created the message can, optionally,
> | be sent.
The nonsense replaced was added to the original submitted version
of fsc-0074 BY THE FTSC! This is the same FTSC that 'only documents
current practise, not improvements'
Some more information for the FTSC to mull over...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
For immediate release to FidoNews:
First of all, I apologize if I have mislead anyone about U'NI-Net. I
have not actually *tried* U'NI-Net since there is no system on that
network local to me. I merely chose UN'I-Net as an example of another
network like Intelec that has much stricter rules than FidoNet. The
one thing I do have to add is that Cam DeBuck is a moderator on
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 15 11 Nov 1996
Intelec, so it's obvious where her ideas about a BBS network come
from. Enough said on that subject.
Now for the topic at hand. FidoNet *is* suffering crushing blows from
the Internet. If we intend to survive as a network, we have to appeal
to netizens. This might start with a World Wide Web site. I have not
seen www.fidonet.org, because for some reason I kept getting an error
message that the server was not responding...(this could be the fault
of the ISP, though) This article is an open letter, and a call for
action.
We need software that's easier to use. Your typical FidoNet
connection software requires understanding obscure concepts like
FOSSIL drivers and nodelists and so forth. As much as possible needs
to be shielded from the end user and there needs to be ONE software
package to do it all. A FidoNet BBS or point node needs separate
components from various vendors: a FOSSIL driver, a front-end mailer,
mail reading software (or the BBS software itself), a mail tosser (one
for Fido .PKTs and one for .QWKs for some setups), a nodelist, a
nodelist compiler, a nodediff compiler, an offline mail reader door
for some BBSes, etc. The closest approximation to a "complete"
FidoNet point setup, for instance, is Terminate 4.0. It includes a
FidoNet-compatible mailer, mail reader, mail tosser (both QWK and
PKT), terminal program, internal communications drivers (obviating the
need for FOSSILs except for a few with ISDN, or other non-standard
setups), etc. We're in the age of GUI, folks! We need to settle on a
standard for GUIs on a BBS, and make all-inclusive packages like
Terminate for end-users, and better setups for people to start BBSes
(WildCat! 5 is a start...)
We need to emphasize FidoNet's quality of messaging content. The fact
that we have Moderators and newsgroups are not usually moderated
matters. We need more echos that cross FidoNet <-> Usenet boundaries
but have their roots in FidoNet (there's at least one I'm aware of).
We need to emphasize that FidoNet can offer all of the functionality
of Usenet without the anarchy and chaos that exist on Usenet. Besides
porting FidoNet to Usenet, another idea might involve porting FidoNet
conferences into Internet mailing lists, or making them available on
the WWW.
Advertising ourselves on the Web is just as important... Like I said,
I haven't seen www.fidonet.org (if it even exists), but advertising is
key. Getting the message out that FidoNet is out there, and is a
completely viable alternative to the Usenet is the key to FidoNet's
survival.
So, software authors, users, SysOps, coordinators, UNITE! There is
much work to be done, and we should stop squandering time with all the
political in-fighting. If we don't, FidoNet's days are numbered.
Rob A. Shinn @ 1:2410/116, <surak@juno.com>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Atari-related Echos in Fidonet
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 16 11 Nov 1996
by Troy H. Cheek, 1:362/708.4
According to Peter E. Popovich (1:363/264) and his Latest Greatest
Software Versions list, Atari ST/TT software is slated to be phased
out this week. I hope that the information I mailed him yesterday
will change that to "_was_ slated..." Given the number of people
still using such software (judging by origin and tear lines seen in
various echoes), I simply assumed someone more qualified than I am
would have already given Peter all the information he needed to know.
Shows us what we get when we assume, doesn't it? :-)
If you or someone you know is using an Atari computer to access
Fidonet, or simply has an interest in Atari in general, please note
the following Fidonet echomail conferences:
Tag: ATARI_ST
Mod: Troy Cheek, 1:362/708.4
Dist: Z1-Backbone
ATARI_ST covers the Atari ST and every Atari computer since (Mega ST,
STe, Mega STe, TT, Falcon, Medusa, etc). It also covers the Lynx and
Jaguar game machines.
Tag: ST_PROG
Mod: Rodney Rudd, 1:138/34
Dist: Z1-Backbone
ST_PROG originally covered only the programming of the Atari ST and
later computers, but later expanded to include the game machines as
well. More recently, it has expanded to include programming of all
things Atari.
Tag: ATARI
Mod: Larry Black, 1:3608/121
Dist: Z1-Backbone
ATARI covers all Atari products based on the 6502 microprocessor such
as the Atari 400/800, 600XL/800XL/1200XL, 65XE/XEGS/130XE, etc. The
moderator enforces this restriction rather strictly.
Tag: VID_GAME
Mod: Troy Cheek, 1:362/708.4
Dist: Z1-Backbone
VID_GAME is dedicated to home videogames in general, including the
Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Panther, Lynx, and Jaguar.
Please note that ALL of these echoes are active, listed in the
Echolist, and are distributed on the backbone. For some reason,
people seeking these echoes have been told this is not the case.
--
|Fidonet: Troy H. Cheek 1:362/708.4
|Internet: 362-708-4!Troy.H..Cheek@river.chattanooga.net
|
| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
| River Canyon Rd. BBS <=> Chattanooga OnLine! Gateway to the World.
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 17 11 Nov 1996
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 18 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
GETTING TECHNICAL
=================================================================
[This is the second in the FidoNet Technical Standards list. FTS-0002
and FTS-0003 were obsoleted by other Standards. This standard has been
reformatted to meet the 70 column requirement of MAKENEWS and is part
of a continuing series of FidoNet History.] Ed.
FTS-0004 EchoMail Specification
This document is directly derived from the documentation of
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Conference Mail System
By
Bob Hartman
Sysop of FidoNet(tm) node 132/101
(C) Copyright 1986,87, Spark Software, Inc.
427-3 Amherst Street
CS 2032, Suite 232
Nashua, N.H. 03061
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
version 3.31 of 12 December, 1987.
With Bob Hartman's kind consent, copying for the purpose of
technological research and advancement is allowed.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT IS THE CONFERENCE MAIL SYSTEM?
Conference Mail is a technique to permit several nodes
on a network to share a message base, similar in
concept to the conferences available on many of the
computer services, but it is most closely related to the
Usenet system consisting of more than 8,000 systems world
wide. All systems sharing a given conference see any
messages entered into the conference by any of the
participating systems. This can be implemented in such a
way as to be totally transparent to the users of a
particular node. In fact, they may not even be aware of
the network being used to move their messages about from
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 19 11 Nov 1996
node to node! Unfortunately, this has its disadvantages
also - most users who are not educated about Conference
Mail do not realize the messages transmitted cost MANY
sysops (system operators) money, not just the local
sysop. This is an important consideration in Conference
Mail and should not be taken lightly. In a conference with
100 systems as participants the cost per message can get
quite high.
The Conference Mail System is designed to operate in
conjunction with a FidoNet compatible mail server. The
currently supported mail servers are Fido(tm), SEAdog(tm),
Opus, and Dutchie. Since the mail server is a prerequisite
to using the Conference Mail System, it will be assumed
you already have your mail server operating correctly on
your system, and you are connected into FidoNet or a
compatible network.
HISTORY OF THE CONFERENCE MAIL SYSTEM
In late 1985, Jeff Rush, a Fido sysop in Dallas,
wanted a convenient means of sharing ideas with the other
Dallas sysops. He created a system of programs he called
Echomail, and the Dallas sysops' Conference was born.
Within a short time sysops in other areas began hearing of
this marvelous new gadget and Echomail took on a life of
its own. Today, a scant year and a half later, the FidoNet
public network boasts a myriad of conferences varying in
size from the dozen-or-so participants in the FidoNet
Technical Standards Committee Conference to the Sysops'
Conference with several hundred participants. It is not
uncommon for a node to carry 30 or more conferences and
share those conferences with 10 or more nodes.
HOW IT WORKS
The Conference Mail System is functionally compatible
with the original Echomail utilities. In general, the
process is:
1. A message is entered into a designated area on a
FidoNet compatible system.
2. This message is "Exported" along with some control
information to each system "linked" to the conference
through the originating system.
3. Each of the receiving systems "Import" the message
into the proper Conference Mail area.
4. The receiving systems then "Export" these messages, along
with additional control information, to each of
their conference links.
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 20 11 Nov 1996
5. Return to step 3.
As you can see, the method is quite simple - in
general. Of course, following the steps literally would
mean messages would never stop being Exported and
transmitted to other systems. This obviously would not be
desired or the network would quickly become
overburdened. The information contained in the 'control
information' section is used to prevent transmitting the
same message more than once to a single system.
CONFERENCE MAIL MESSAGE CONTROL INFORMATION
There are five pieces of control information associated
with a Conference Mail message. Some are optional, some
are not. Normally this information is never entered by the
person creating the message. The following control
fields determine how Conference Mail is handled:
1. Area line
This is the first line of a conference mail
message. Its actual appearance is:
AREA:CONFERENCE
Where CONFERENCE is the name of the conference. This
line is added when a conference is being "Exported"
to another system. It is based upon information found
in the AREAS.BBS (configuration) File for the
designated message area. This field is REQUIRED by the
receiving system to "Import" a message into the
correct Conference Mail area.
2. Tear Line
This line is near the end of a message and consists of
three dashes (---) followed by an optional program
specifier. This is used to show the first program
used to add Echomail compatible control information to
the message. The tear line generated by Conference Mail
looks like:
--- <a small product-specific banner>
This field is optional for most Echomail
compatible processors, and is added by the Conference
Mail System to ensure complete compatibility. Some
systems will place this line in the message when it is
first created, but it is normally added when the
message is first "exported."
3. Origin line
This line appears near the bottom of a message and
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 21 11 Nov 1996
gives a small amount of information about the
system where it originated. It looks like:
* Origin: The Conference Mail BBS (1:132/101)
The " * Origin: " part of the line is a constant
field. This is followed by the name of the system as
taken from the AREAS.BBS file or a file named ORIGIN
located in the DOS directory of the designated
message area. The complete network address
(1:132/101 in this case) is added by the program
inserting the line. This field is generated at the
same time as the tear line, and therefore may
either be generated at the time of creation or
during the first "export" processing. Although
the Origin line is not required by all Echomail
processors, it is added by the Conference Mail System
to ensure complete compatibility.
4. Seen-by Lines
There can be many seen-by lines at the end of
Conference Mail messages, and they are the real
"meat" of the control information. They are used to
determine the systems to receive the exported
messages. The format of the line is:
SEEN-BY: 132/101 113 136/601 1014/1
The net/node numbers correspond to the net/node
numbers of the systems having already received the
message. In this way a message is never sent to a
system twice. In a conference with many participants
the number of seen-by lines can be very large. This
line is added if it is not already a part of the
message, or added to if it already exists, each time
a message is exported to other systems. This is a
REQUIRED field, and Conference Mail will not function
correctly if this field is not put in place by other
Echomail compatible programs.
5. PATH Lines
These are the last lines in a Conference Mail
message and are a new addition, and therefore is not
supported by all Echomail processors. It appears as
follows:
^aPATH: 132/101 1014/1
Where the ^a stands for Control-A (ASCII character
1) and the net/nodes listed correspond to those
systems having processed the message before it reached
the current system. This is not the same as the
seen-by lines, because those lines list all systems
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 22 11 Nov 1996
the message has been sent to, while the path line
contains all systems having actually processed the
message. This is not a required field, and few
echomail processors currently support it, however it
can be used safely with any other system, since the
line(s) will be ignored. For a discussion on how
the path line can be helpful, see the "Advanced
Features" section of this manual.
METHODS OF SENDING CONFERENCE MAIL
To this point the issue of how Conference Mail is actually
sent has been glossed over entirely. The phrase has been,
"the message is exported to another system." What
exactly does this mean? Well, for starters lets show what
is called the "basic" setup:
In this setup exported mail is placed into the FidoNet mail
area. Each message exported from a Conference Mail
area has one message generated for each receiving system.
This mail is then sent the same as any other network mail.
When Echomail was first created this was the only way mail
could be sent.
The "basic" method has some disadvantages. First, since
Echomail has grown so large it is not uncommon to get 200
new messages per day imported into various message bases.
It is also not uncommon for a system to be exporting
messages to 4 or 5 other systems. Simple arithmetic shows
800-1000 messages per day would be sent in normal netmail!
This puts a tremendous strain on any netmail system, not to
mention transmission time and the resultant phone charges.
When this limitation of Echomail was first noticed a lot of
people started scratching their heads wondering what to do.
If a solution could not be found it appeared Echomail
would certainly overrun the capabilities of FidoNet.
Thom Henderson (from System Enhancement Associates) came up
with the original ARCmail program. Having previously
written the ARC file archiving and compression program, he
knew the savings achievable by having all of the netmail
messages placed in .ARC format for transmission. As a
byproduct, the messages no longer appeared in the netmail
area, but were included in a file attached to a
message (see your FidoNet mailer manual for file
attaches). In this way the tremendous number of
messages generated, and the phone bill problems were both
solved.
Unfortunately, ARCmail required the messages to first be
placed into the netmail area before it could be run. In
effect, it caused the messages to be scanned once when
they were exported, once during the ARCmail phase, once
when ARCmail was run at the other end to get the messages
out of .ARC format, and once when those messages were later
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 23 11 Nov 1996
imported into a message base on the receiving system. The
Conference Mail System solves this problem by eliminating
the ARCmail program. Conference Mail builds the ARCmail
files during Export, and unpacks them during Import. This
way messages are exported directly to ARCmail style
file attaches, and imported directly from ARCmail style file
attaches. The scanning phases between importing and
exporting messages are totally removed and processing time
is proportionally reduced.
This is now the most common method for sending Conference
Mail between systems. The overhead involved in doing it
during the importing and exporting phases is much less than
what is involved if ARCmailing is not utilized. This was a
primary consideration in the design and implementation of
the Conference Mail System, and as a result the entire
system is optimized for this type of use. Please refer to
the Import and Export functions for specifics on how to
use the ARCmailing feature.
CONFERENCE TOPOLOGY
The way in which systems link together for a
particular conference is called the "conference topology."
It is important to know this structure for two reasons:
1) It is important to have a topology which is efficient
in the transfer of the Conference Mail messages, and 2)
It is important to have a topology which will not cause
systems to see the same messages more than once.
Efficiency can be measured in a number of ways; least
time involved for all systems to receive a message, least
cost for all systems to receive a message, and fewest phone
calls required for all systems to receive a message are
all valid indicators of efficiency. Users of Echomail
compatible systems have determined (through trial and
error) the best measure of efficiency is a combination of
all three of the measurements given above. Balancing
the equation is not trivial, but some guidelines can be
given:
1. Never have two systems attempting to send Conference
mail to each other at the same time. This results in
"collisions" that will cause both systems to fail.
To avoid this, one system should be responsible for
polling while the other system is holding mail. This
arrangement can alternate based upon various criteria,
but both systems should never be attempting to call
each other at the same time.
2. Have nodes form "stars" for distribution of
Conference Mail. This arrangement has several nodes all
receiving their Conference Mail from the same system.
In general the systems on the "outside" of the star
poll the system on the "inside". The system on the
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 24 11 Nov 1996
"inside" in turn polls other systems to receive the
Conference Mail that is being passed on to the
"outside" systems.
3. Utilize fully connected polygons with a few
vertices. Nodes can be connected in a triangle (A
sends to B and C, B sends to A and C, C sends to A
and B) or a fully connected square (all corners of the
square send to all of the other corners). This method
is useful for getting Conference Mail messages to each
node as quickly as possible.
All of these efficiency guidelines have to be tempered
with the guidelines dealing with keeping duplicate
messages from being exported. Duplicates will occur in
any topology that forms a closed polygon that is not
fully connected. Take for example the following
configuration:
A ----- B
| |
| |
C ----- D
This square is a closed polygon that is not fully
connected. It is capable of generating duplicates as
follows:
1. A message is entered on node A.
2. Node A exports the message to node B and node C
placing the seen-by for A, B, and C in the message
as it does so.
3. Node B sees that node D is not listed in the seen-
by and exports the message to node D.
4. Node C sees that node D is not listed in the seen-
by and exports the message to node D.
At this point node D has received the same message
twice - a duplicate was generated. Normally a "dup-ring"
will not be as simple as a square. Generally it will be
caused by a system on one end of a long chain accidentally
connecting to a system on the other end of the chain. This
causes the two ends of the chain to become connected,
forming a polygon.
In FidoNet this problem is reduced somewhat by having
"Regional Echomail Coordinators" (RECS) that try to keep
track of Echomail connections within their regions of the
world. A further rule which is followed is that only the
RECS are allowed to make inter-regional connections for
the larger conferences. In return, the RECS have
established a very efficient topology which gets messages
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 25 11 Nov 1996
from coast to coast, and onto over 200 systems in less
than 24 hours. If no one were willing to follow the rules,
then this system would collapse, but due to the excellent
efficiency it has remained intact for over a year.
Why a PATH line?
As was previously mentioned, the PATH line is a new
concept in Echomail. It stores the net/node numbers of
each system having actually processed a message. This
information is useful in correcting the biggest problem
encountered by nodes running an Echomail compatible system
- the problem of finding the cause of duplicate messages.
How does the PATH line help solve this problem? Take
the following path line as an example:
^aPATH: 107/6 107/312 132/101
This shows the message was processed by system 107/6
and transferred to system 107/312. It further shows
system 107/312 transferred the message to 132/101, and
132/101 processed it again. Now take the following path
line as the example:
^aPATH: 107/6 107/312 107/528 107/312 132/101
This shows the message having been processed by node
107/312 on more than one occasion. Based upon the earlier
description of the 'information control' fields in Echomail
messages, this clearly is an error in processing (see the
section entitled "How it Works"). This further shows node
107/528 as the node which apparently processed the
message incorrectly. In this case the path line can be
used to quickly locate the source of duplicate messages.
In a conference with many participants it becomes
almost impossible to determine the exact topology used. In
these cases the use of the path line can help a coordinator
of the conference track any possible breakdowns in the
overall topology, while not substantially increasing the
amount of information transmitted. Having this small
amount of information added to the end of each message pays
for itself very quickly when it can be used to help detect a
topology problem causing duplicate messages to be
transmitted to each system.
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 26 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
COORDINATORS CORNER
=================================================================
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 313
By Ward Dossche, 2:292/854
ZC/2
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
|Zone|Nl-285|Nodelist-292|Nodelist-299|Nodelist-306|Nodelist-313|%%|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 1 | 11666|11666 0 |11555 -111 |11332 -223 |11332 0 |38|
| 2 | 16341|16356 15 |16324 -32 |16307 -17 |16157 -150 |53|
| 3 | 950| 956 6 | 954 -2 | 954 0 | 942 -12 | 3|
| 4 | 610| 620 10 | 620 0 | 624 4 | 620 -4 | 2|
| 5 | 97| 97 0 | 97 0 | 95 -2 | 95 0 | 0|
| 6 | 1022| 1020 -2 | 1020 0 | 1007 -13 | 1007 0 | 3|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 30686|30715 29 |30570 -145 |30319 -251 |30153 -166 |
+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 27 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
ECHOING
=================================================================
Backbone Echo Changes [Sep-Oct]
by Lisa Gronke, 1:105/16
lisa@psg.com
Summary of backbone & quasi-backbone echo changes during Sep & Oct.
Brought to you courtesy of (unix) diff.
diff (backbone.na + backbone.no) 08-Sep-96 03-Nov-96 [edited].
Added to the backbone
-----------------------
> 2000 Software good after year 2000
> ANIMANIACS Discussions about the TV show Animaniacs
> BE BeOS, BeBox, and general Be, Inc. Discussion
> EMERG_MANAGE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
> EMERG_NOTIFY EMERGENCY NOTIFY
> FAROUT For discussing "Far Out" things.
> GUNS Guns and Defense Weaponry
> HEINLEIN The Heinlein Discusssion Echo
> ICEUTILS Ice Technologies support echo.
> LIB_NW Liberty Northwest BBS Network
> MS_SUPPORT MatrixSoft Support Echo
> NASCAR NASCAR Discussion Conference
> NEWAGE_THOUGHT New Age Thought and Discussion
> RELOAD Reloading rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges
> SLIDERS Sliders TV discussion
> THE_CURE_NETWORK Oregon State Political Discussions and News.
> TOTT_SOS Survivors of Suicide Loss
> WIN_SURFING The Windows Web Surfing Forum
NOTE: TOTT_SOS is a returning echo.
Removed from the backbone or quasi-backbone
-------------------------------------------
< ACCT_TAX (low traffic since 7/1/96)
< CASINO.GAMBLING (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< CB_RADIO_4SALE (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< CONTROV controv
< DAPIE (low traffic since 7/1/96)
< DOMINO (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< DRAMA (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< HYPER (not in EchoList since 7/1/96)
< INTELLIGENT_GROWING (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< MICROCOM (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< MOD_ROCKETRY (not in EchoList since 7/1/96)
< ONEFOS (low traffic since 7/1/96)
< PLEASE (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< POGS (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< SHOTGUN_BBS (not in EchoList since 8/1/96)
< SINGLE_PARENTING Topics and issues relating to SINGLE PARENTING
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 28 11 Nov 1996
< SOFTWARE_MARKETING (low traffic since 7/1/96)
< SPORT-FISHING.WEST (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< TCM (low traffic since 7/1/96)
< TEEN&AIDS (low traffic since 8/1/96)
< WP-TOOLS (not in EchoList since 8/1/96)
--------------------------------------------------------------
o There are 793 echos in backbone.na [03-Nov-96] (up 1)
o There are 65 echos in backbone.no [03-Nov-96] (down 6)
o for a total of 858 backbone & quasi-backbone echos (down 3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 29 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
WE GET EMAIL
=================================================================
--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Wed Nov 06 08:17:03 1996
From: Cindy Ingersoll @ 1:107/71
To: Editor @ 1:1/23
Date: 26 Oct 96 11:33:46
Subj: _POLICY COMPLAINT_
[This is a submission to Fidonews]
Doesn't look like anyone in North America is in charge. Can someone
with some ambition take over the net? Heretic, you out there? ;)
-=> Note:
Copied (from: Sent_Net) by C I A using timEd.
Originally to David Bowerman (1:1/50)
It was suggested to me to contact you in regard to a policy
complaint I have been trying to get R13C Philip Dampiere to resolve
for many months. I was wrongfully removed from the nodelist by
N2623C Bob Taylor. I've written to Philip Dampiere quite a few
times, with no replies. I've also written to Bob Satti, in regard
to Philip's failure to perform the duties of RC in regard to Policy
Complaints, with no replies..
Is there anything you can do to help?
Below is included the msgs I've sent to Philip Dampiere. Please let
me know.
-=> Note:
Forwarded (from: Sent_Net) by C I A using timEd.
Originally from Cindy Ingersoll (1:107/71.0) to Phillip Dampier.
Original dated: Aug 25 '96, 10:02
Greetings Phillip!
Here's the msgs I have been sending. As you can see from the dates,
this is an OLD complaint which you never followed up on..
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Apr 26 '96, 09:49
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Phillip Dampier
Subj : ...no news.... Still...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 30 11 Nov 1996
Greetings Phillip!
I sent a message (Policy Complaint, (TM)) about this a while ago.
Things haven't improved much since then. It's still difficult to get
the NC to perform his job as NC, particularly in making fidonews
available. I've tried being patient and helpful, but it doesn't seem
to get me anywhere. I think perhaps its time to appoint a new NC for
this net.. Isn't there enough stagnation and inertia in fido
already??
Anyway, I asked for this week's fidonews, and haven't been able to
get it. I thought the NC was -required- to make fidonews available?
He doesn't even poll to get it directly, and makes no effort
whatsoever to get it when whoever is feeding him, fails to deliver
it to him. This has been going on since September of last year (I
said that in the last message I sent you asking for help in this)!
Why can't we get the fidonews from our NC?
If I have to call LD and make the stuff available myself, then I
want the NC title along with it. I promote the net, the current NC
just drifts along, making it difficult to even get new nodes into
the net.. When I had FTPFIDO I fed the NC without any hitches, the
fidonews was always delivered weekly as it is supposed to be.
What are we supposed to do to break this inertia?? The fidonews is
the last vestage of stability in fidonet, and now we can't even get
that!
Please help!
CiAo
-!-
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : May 27 '96, 10:15
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Phillip Dampier
Subj : follow-up...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings Phillip!
It's been over 30 days and I have not received a reply to my
previous message. Please let me know what is going to be done about
assigning a NC
for this net.
CiAo
---
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Jun 08 '96, 21:20
Pvt Snt
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 31 11 Nov 1996
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Phillip Dampier
Subj : No NC, No diffs, No replies
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings Phillip!
Can you please tell me why you have not replied to any msgs? We
have no NC here, and cannot get diffs/fnews.. Are you going to
appoint another NC for this net?
CiAo
-!-
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Jun 18 '96, 15:48
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Bob Satti
Subj : R13?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings Bob!
I've been trying to get Philip Dampiere to help us down here in
net2623. I have had no replies in 3 months. Is he still R13C? Can
you look into whats going on? We have no NC, the former appointed
NEC seems to think he's taking over, and is already axing people
from the nodelist, simply because he doesn't like them. We get no
nodediffs or fidonews. Please help
Thanks
CiAo
-!-
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Jun 19 '96, 07:49
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Bob Taylor
Subj : swinging dicks
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Taylor caught All Net 2623 Nodes in the Camera Eye
Focal Parallax [Nodelist Update]
BT> These nodes are listed as down:
BT> 1:2623/36 51 56 67 68 71 75 78 102 105 110 119
BT> and will be removed from the nodelist unless satisfactory
BT> arrangements are made prior to June 26, 1996.
You wouldn't have it in for me here Bob would you? Something wrong
with my echo feed? I sent a reply to a msg a few days ago..
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 32 11 Nov 1996
I think you better wait for the RC, I have had no replies from him,
and have asked Bob Satti to look into the situation..
... Don't want to silence a desperate voice, for the sake of
security...
... By-Tor, knight of Darkness, Centurion of evil, devil's prince! ___
Feverish Flux v2.12
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Jun 28 '96, 20:59
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Bob Taylor
Subj : Down Node
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Taylor caught All Net 2623 Sysops in the Camera Eye
Focal Parallax [Down Node]
Why do you keep neglecting me Bob?
BT> -------------------------
BT> Net 2623 Nodelist Update
BT> -------------------------
BT> As of today, there is only one system that I cannot obtain a
BT> reliable connection with, and that is 1:2623/85.
BT> I believe that William still has a password set-up for 1:2623/0.
BT> He has been sent 3 or 4 messages, which he has received, asking
BT> that he remove the password. Whatever the problem, it's been 3
BT> weeks and it's not fixed. If someone can contact him, please do
BT> so. Unless satisfactory arrangements are made by 7/3/96, this
BT> system will be removed from the nodelist.
BT> The following systems are active:
BT> 1:2623/0 Bob Taylor NC
BT> 1:2623/1 Bob Taylor NEC
BT> 1:2623/20 George Siegrist
BT> 1:2623/32 Harry Foster
BT> 1:2623/45 Jay Miller -> Temporarily on HOLD pending point
BT> assignment
BT> 1:2623/47 Ken Leary
BT> 1:2623/58 Bob Taylor
BT> 1:2623/59 Jim Rachiele
BT> 1:2623/62 William Swain -> Mail Tosser Problem
BT> 1:2623/63 Bob Brown
BT> 1:2623/66 Pete Bingert -> possible part-time front-end here???
BT> 1:2623/69 Chris Connelly
BT> 1:2623/80 Bret Feldbauer
BT> 1:2623/81 Jeff Towey
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 33 11 Nov 1996
BT> 1:2623/82 Jeff Towey
BT> 1:2623/88 Stpehen Lloyd
BT> 1:2623/91 Dick Soucy
BT> 1:2623/101 Doug Holzbaur -> Temporarily on HOLD pending point
BT> assignment
BT> 1:2623/175 Michelle Havens
BT> Thank you all for your support and endurance.
BT> Keep up the good work. The best is yet to come!
BT> Bob Taylor
BT> -!- Maximus 3.01
BT> ! Origin: NEC South Jersey Net 2623 (1:2623/1)
... Sparks ignite & spread new information -Rush, _Chain Lightning_
_!_ Feverish Flux v2.12
Area: Sent_Netmail
Date : Jun 29 '96, 12:03
Pvt Snt
From : Cindy Ingersoll
1:2623/71.0 To : Phillip Dampier
Subj : N2623C
----------------------------------------------------------------------
cc: 1:1/0
Greetings Phillip!
This is a follow-up on a previous policy complaint submitted to
1:13/0
We are in need of a new NC here. You have not responded to my
netmails, so I'm assuming there's also no RC to handle policy
complaints. Please let me know what is going on ASAP.
There is a growing problem, Bob Taylor (1:2623/58) seems to believe
he is taking over as NC, and insists on writing me off the nodelist
with no reason. Given that he does not officially have the /0
designation, he cannot send in a diff that would delete my node, and
this is all that stands between me and deletion. I tried to discuss
the problem with Bob via netmail (ignored) and today via telephone,
but apparently Bob does not want to be reasonable, he stated he just
does not like me and he can do whatever he wants. This is
ridiculous. Is fidonet dead, and no one cares how bad it gets, or
can any of you *Cs still going to help with this situation? I have
sent numerous netmails to Philip and find the system down alot, and
get no replies.
Whatever Bob's problem with me is, is a personal matter, not a
fidonet matter, and his attempt to remove me is uncalled for. I use
fidonet mainly for netmail and files, what reason is there to take
my node number? I have received no complaints or warnings, and Bob
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 34 11 Nov 1996
refuses to discuss the matter.
Cindy Ingersoll 1:2623/71
wraith@styx.ios.com
CiAo
-!-
CiAo
---
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 35 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
NET HUMOR
=================================================================
From: 362-708-4!Troy.H..Cheek@river.chattanooga.net (Troy H. Cheek)
Date: 28 Oct 96 10:13:20 -0500
Subject: Hacker 'Purity' Test (long)
Organization: river.chattanooga.net
To: cbaker84@digital.net
From: hayes@psunuce.bitnet
Newsgroups: rec.humor.funny
Subject: "Purity" test for programmers -- long
Date: 1 Dec 89 11:30:09 GMT
Sender: funny@looking.on.ca
Posted: Fri Dec 1 03:30:09 1989
Reply-Path: watmath.uucp!forty2!claudio
(From NutWorks, the former Bitnet humour group)
Submitted-by: claudio@amsoft.imp.com (Claudio Nieder, Uster,
Switzerland)
THE HACKER TEST - Version 1.0
Preface: 06.16.89
This test was conceived and written by Felix Lee, John Hayes and
Angela Thomas at the end of the spring semester, 1989. It has gone
through many revisions prior to this initial release, and will
undoubtedly go through many more.
(Herewith a compendium of fact and folklore about computer hackerdom,
cunningly disguised as a test.)
Scoring - Count 1 for each item that you have done, or each
question that you can answer correctly.
If you score is between: You are
0x000 and 0x010 -> Computer Illiterate
0x011 and 0x040 -> a User
0x041 and 0x080 -> an Operator
0x081 and 0x0C0 -> a Nerd
0x0C1 and 0x100 -> a Hacker
0x101 and 0x180 -> a Guru
0x181 and 0x200 -> a Wizard
Note: If you don't understand the scoring, stop here.
And now for the questions...
0001 Have you ever used a computer?
0002 ... for more than 4 hours continuously?
0003 ... more than 8 hours?
0004 ... more than 16 hours?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 36 11 Nov 1996
0005 ... more than 32 hours?
0006 Have you ever patched paper tape?
0007 Have you ever missed a class while programming?
0008 ... Missed an examination?
0009 ... Missed a wedding?
0010 ... Missed your own wedding?
0011 Have you ever programmed while intoxicated?
0012 ... Did it make sense the next day?
0013 Have you ever written a flight simulator?
0014 Have you ever voided the warranty on your equipment?
0015 Ever change the value of 4?
0016 ... Unintentionally?
0017 ... In a language other than Fortran?
0018 Do you use DWIM to make life interesting?
0019 Have you named a computer?
0020 Do you complain when a "feature" you use gets fixed?
0021 Do you eat slime-molds?
0022 Do you know how many days old you are?
0023 Have you ever wanted to download pizza?
0024 Have you ever invented a computer joke?
0025 ... Did someone not 'get' it?
0026 Can you recite Jabberwocky?
0027 ... Backwards?
0028 Have you seen "Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land"?
0029 Have you seen "Tron"?
0030 Have you seen "Wargames"?
0031 Do you know what ASCII stands for?
0032 ... EBCDIC?
0033 Can you read and write ASCII in hex or octal?
0034 Do you know the names of all the ASCII control codes?
0035 Can you read and write EBCDIC in hex?
0036 Can you convert from EBCDIC to ASCII and vice versa?
0037 Do you know what characters are the same in both ASCII and
EBCDIC?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 37 11 Nov 1996
0038 Do you know maxint on your system?
0039 Ever define your own numerical type to get better precision?
0040 Can you name powers of two up to 2**16 in arbitrary order?
0041 ... up to 2**32?
0042 ... up to 2**64?
0043 Can you read a punched card, looking at the holes?
0044 ... feeling the holes?
0045 Have you ever patched binary code?
0046 ... While the program was running?
0047 Have you ever used program overlays?
0048 Have you met any IBM vice-president?
0049 Do you know Dennis, Bill, or Ken?
0050 Have you ever taken a picture of a CRT?
0051 Have you ever played a videotape on your CRT?
0052 Have you ever digitized a picture?
0053 Did you ever forget to mount a scratch monkey?
0054 Have you ever optimized an idle loop?
0055 Did you ever optimize a bubble sort?
0056 Does your terminal/computer talk to you?
0057 Have you ever talked into an acoustic modem?
0058 ... Did it answer?
0059 Can you whistle 300 baud?
0060 ... 1200 baud?
0061 Can you whistle a telephone number?
0062 Have you witnessed a disk crash?
0063 Have you made a disk drive "walk"?
0064 Can you build a puffer train?
0065 ... Do you know what it is?
0066 Can you play music on your line printer?
0067 ... Your disk drive?
0068 ... Your tape drive?
0069 Do you have a Snoopy calendar?
0070 ... Is it out-of-date?
0071 Do you have a line printer picture of...
0072 ... the Mona Lisa?
0073 ... the Enterprise?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 38 11 Nov 1996
0074 ... Einstein?
0075 ... Oliver?
0076 Have you ever made a line printer picture?
0077 Do you know what the following stand for?
0078 ... DASD
0079 ... Emacs
0080 ... ITS
0081 ... RSTS/E
0082 ... SNA
0083 ... Spool
0084 ... TCP/IP
Have you ever used
0085 ... TPU?
0086 ... TECO?
0087 ... Emacs?
0088 ... ed?
0089 ... vi?
0090 ... Xedit (in VM/CMS)?
0091 ... SOS?
0092 ... EDT?
0093 ... Wordstar?
0094 Have you ever written a CLIST?
Have you ever programmed in
0095 ... the X windowing system?
0096 ... CICS?
0097 Have you ever received a Fax or a photocopy of a floppy?
0098 Have you ever shown a novice the "any" key?
0099 ... Was it the power switch?
Have you ever attended
0100 ... Usenix?
0101 ... DECUS?
0102 ... SHARE?
0103 ... SIGGRAPH?
0104 ... NetCon?
0105 Have you ever participated in a standards group?
0106 Have you ever debugged machine code over the telephone?
0107 Have you ever seen voice mail?
0108 ... Can you read it?
0109 Do you solve word puzzles with an on-line dictionary?
0110 Have you ever taken a Turing test?
0111 ... Did you fail?
0112 Ever drop a card deck?
0113 ... Did you successfully put it back together?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 39 11 Nov 1996
0114 ... Without looking?
0115 Have you ever used IPCS?
0116 Have you ever received a case of beer with your computer?
0117 Does your computer come in 'designer' colors?
0118 Ever interrupted a UPS?
0119 Ever mask an NMI?
0120 Have you ever set off a Halon system?
0121 ... Intentionally?
0122 ... Do you still work there?
0123 Have you ever hit the emergency power switch?
0124 ... Intentionally?
0125 Do you have any defunct documentation?
0126 ... Do you still read it?
0127 Ever reverse-engineer or decompile a program?
0128 ... Did you find bugs in it?
0129 Ever help the person behind the counter with their
terminal/computer?
0130 Ever tried rack mounting your telephone?
0131 Ever thrown a computer from more than two stories high?
0132 Ever patched a bug the vendor does not acknowledge?
0133 Ever fix a hardware problem in software?
0134 ... Vice versa?
0135 Ever belong to a user/support group?
0136 Ever been mentioned in Computer Recreations?
0137 Ever had your activities mentioned in the newspaper?
0138 ... Did you get away with it?
0139 Ever engage a drum brake while the drum was spinning?
0140 Ever write comments in a non-native language?
0141 Ever physically destroy equipment from software?
0142 Ever tried to improve your score on the Hacker Test?
0143 Do you take listings with you to lunch?
0144 ... To bed?
0145 Ever patch a microcode bug?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 40 11 Nov 1996
0146 ... around a microcode bug?
0147 Can you program a Turing machine?
0148 Can you convert postfix to prefix in your head?
0149 Can you convert hex to octal in your head?
0150 Do you know how to use a Kleene star?
0151 Have you ever starved while dining with philosophers?
0152 Have you solved the halting problem?
0153 ... Correctly?
0154 Ever deadlock trying eating spaghetti?
0155 Ever written a self-reproducing program?
0156 Ever swapped out the swapper?
0157 Can you read a state diagram?
0158 ... Do you need one?
0159 Ever create an unkillable program?
0160 ... Intentionally?
0161 Ever been asked for a cookie?
0162 Ever speed up a system by removing a jumper?
* Do you know...
0163 Do you know who wrote Rogue?
0164 ... Rogomatic?
0165 Do you know Gray code?
0166 Do you know what HCF means?
0167 ... Ever use it?
0168 ... Intentionally?
0169 Do you know what a lace card is?
0170 ... Ever make one?
0171 Do you know the end of the epoch?
0172 ... Have you celebrated the end of an epoch?
0173 ... Did you have to rewrite code?
0174 Do you know the difference between DTE and DCE?
0175 Do you know the RS-232C pinout?
0176 ... Can you wire a connector without looking?
* Do you have...
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 41 11 Nov 1996
0177 Do you have a copy of Dec Wars?
0178 Do you have the Canonical Collection of Lightbulb Jokes?
0179 Do you have a copy of the Hacker's dictionary?
0180 ... Did you contribute to it?
0181 Do you have a flowchart template?
0182 ... Is it unused?
0183 Do you have your own fortune-cookie file?
0184 Do you have the Anarchist's Cookbook?
0185 ... Ever make anything from it?
0186 Do you own a modem?
0187 ... a terminal?
0188 ... a toy computer?
0189 ... a personal computer?
0190 ... a minicomputer?
0191 ... a mainframe?
0192 ... a supercomputer?
0193 ... a hypercube?
0194 ... a printer?
0195 ... a laser printer?
0196 ... a tape drive?
0197 ... an outmoded peripheral device?
0198 Do you have a programmable calculator?
0199 ... Is it RPN?
0200 Have you ever owned more than 1 computer?
0201 ... 4 computers?
0202 ... 16 computers?
0203 Do you have a SLIP line?
0204 ... a T1 line?
0205 Do you have a separate phone line for your terminal/computer?
0206 ... Is it legal?
0207 Do you have core memory?
0208 ... drum storage?
0209 ... bubble memory?
0210 Do you use more than 16 megabytes of disk space?
0211 ... 256 megabytes?
0212 ... 1 gigabyte?
0213 ... 16 gigabytes?
0214 ... 256 gigabytes?
0215 ... 1 terabyte?
0216 Do you have an optical disk/disk drive?
0217 Do you have a personal magnetic tape library?
0218 ... Is it unlabelled?
0219 Do you own more than 16 floppy disks?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 42 11 Nov 1996
0220 ... 64 floppy disks?
0221 ... 256 floppy disks?
0222 ... 1024 floppy disks?
0223 Do you have any 8-inch disks?
0224 Do you have an internal stack?
0225 Do you have a clock interrupt?
0226 Do you own volumes 1 to 3 of _The Art of Computer Programming_?
0227 ... Have you done all the exercises?
0228 ... Do you have a MIX simulator?
0229 ... Can you name the unwritten volumes?
0230 Can you quote from _The Mythical Man-month_?
0231 ... Did you participate in the OS/360 project?
0232 Do you have a TTL handbook?
0233 Do you have printouts more than three years old?
* Career
0234 Do you have a job?
0235 ... Have you ever had a job?
0236 ... Was it computer-related?
0237 Do you work irregular hours?
0238 Have you ever been a system administrator?
0239 Do you have more megabytes than megabucks?
0240 Have you ever downgraded your job to upgrade your processing
power?
0241 Is your job secure?
0242 ... Do you have code to prove it?
0243 Have you ever had a security clearance?
* Games
0244 Have you ever played Pong?
Have you ever played
0246 ... Spacewar?
0247 ... Star Trek?
0248 ... Wumpus?
0249 ... Lunar Lander?
0250 ... Empire?
Have you ever beaten
0251 ... Moria 4.8?
0252 ... Rogue 3.6?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 43 11 Nov 1996
0253 ... Rogue 5.3?
0254 ... Larn?
0255 ... Hack 1.0.3?
0256 ... Nethack 2.4?
0257 Can you get a better score on Rogue than Rogomatic?
0258 Have you ever solved Adventure?
0259 ... Zork?
0260 Have you ever written any redcode?
0261 Have you ever written an adventure program?
0262 ... a real-time game?
0263 ... a multi-player game?
0264 ... a networked game?
0265 Can you out-doctor Eliza?
* Hardware
0266 Have you ever used a light pen?
0267 ... did you build it?
Have you ever used
0268 ... a teletype?
0269 ... a paper tape?
0270 ... a decwriter?
0271 ... a card reader/punch?
0272 ... a SOL?
Have you ever built
0273 ... an Altair?
0274 ... a Heath/Zenith computer?
Do you know how to use
0275 ... an oscilliscope?
0276 ... a voltmeter?
0277 ... a frequency counter?
0278 ... a logic probe?
0279 ... a wirewrap tool?
0280 ... a soldering iron?
0281 ... a logic analyzer?
0282 Have you ever designed an LSI chip?
0283 ... has it been fabricated?
0284 Have you ever etched a printed circuit board?
* Historical
0285 Have you ever toggled in boot code on the front panel?
0286 ... from memory?
0287 Can you program an Eniac?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 44 11 Nov 1996
0288 Ever seen a 90 column card?
* IBM
0289 Do you recite IBM part numbers in your sleep?
0290 Do you know what IBM part number 7320154 is?
0291 Do you understand 3270 data streams?
0292 Do you know what the VM privilege classes are?
0293 Have you IPLed an IBM off the tape drive?
0294 ... off a card reader?
0295 Can you sing something from the IBM Songbook?
* Languages
0296 Do you know more than 4 programming languages?
0297 ... 8 languages?
0298 ... 16 languages?
0299 ... 32 languages?
0300 Have you ever designed a programming language?
0301 Do you know what Basic stands for?
0302 ... Pascal?
0303 Can you program in Basic?
0304 ... Do you admit it?
0305 Can you program in Cobol?
0306 ... Do you deny it?
0307 Do you know Pascal?
0308 ... Modula-2?
0309 ... Oberon?
0310 ... More that two Wirth languages?
0311 ... Can you recite a Nicklaus Wirth joke?
0312 Do you know Algol-60?
0313 ... Algol-W?
0314 ... Algol-68?
0315 ... Do you understand the Algol-68 report?
0316 ... Do you like two-level grammars?
0317 Can you program in assembler on 2 different machines?
0318 ... on 4 different machines?
0319 ... on 8 different machines?
Do you know
0320 ... APL?
0321 ... Ada?
0322 ... BCPL?
0323 ... C++?
0324 ... C?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 45 11 Nov 1996
0325 ... Comal?
0326 ... Eiffel?
0327 ... Forth?
0328 ... Fortran?
0329 ... Hypertalk?
0330 ... Icon?
0331 ... Lisp?
0332 ... Logo?
0333 ... MIIS?
0334 ... MUMPS?
0335 ... PL/I?
0336 ... Pilot?
0337 ... Plato?
0338 ... Prolog?
0339 ... RPG?
0340 ... Rexx (or ARexx)?
0341 ... SETL?
0342 ... Smalltalk?
0343 ... Snobol?
0344 ... VHDL?
0345 ... any assembly language?
0346 Can you talk VT-100?
0347 ... Postscript?
0348 ... SMTP?
0349 ... UUCP?
0350 ... English?
* Micros
0351 Ever copy a copy-protected disk?
0352 Ever create a copy-protection scheme?
0353 Have you ever made a "flippy" disk?
0354 Have you ever recovered data from a damaged disk?
0355 Ever boot a naked floppy?
* Networking
0356 Have you ever been logged in to two different timezones at once?
0357 Have you memorized the UUCP map for your country?
0358 ... For any country?
0359 Have you ever found a sendmail bug?
0360 ... Was it a security hole?
0361 Have you memorized the HOSTS.TXT table?
0362 ... Are you up to date?
0363 Can you name all the top-level nameservers and their addresses?
0364 Do you know RFC-822 by heart?
0365 ... Can you recite all the errors in it?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 46 11 Nov 1996
0366 Have you written a Sendmail configuration file?
0367 ... Does it work?
0368 ... Do you mumble "defocus" in your sleep?
0369 Do you know the max packet lifetime?
* Operating systems
Can you use
0370 ... BSD Unix?
0371 ... non-BSD Unix?
0372 ... AIX
0373 ... VM/CMS?
0374 ... VMS?
0375 ... MVS?
0376 ... VSE?
0377 ... RSTS/E?
0378 ... CP/M?
0379 ... COS?
0380 ... NOS?
0381 ... CP-67?
0382 ... RT-11?
0383 ... MS-DOS?
0384 ... Finder?
0385 ... PRODOS?
0386 ... more than one OS for the TRS-80?
0387 ... Tops-10?
0388 ... Tops-20?
0389 ... OS-9?
0390 ... OS/2?
0391 ... AOS/VS?
0392 ... Multics?
0393 ... ITS?
0394 ... Vulcan?
0395 Have you ever paged or swapped off a tape drive?
0396 ... Off a card reader/punch?
0397 ... Off a teletype?
0398 ... Off a networked (non-local) disk?
0399 Have you ever found an operating system bug?
0400 ... Did you exploit it?
0401 ... Did you report it?
0402 ... Was your report ignored?
0403 Have you ever crashed a machine?
0404 ... Intentionally?
* People
0405 Do you know any people?
0406 ... more than one?
0407 ... more than two?
* Personal
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 47 11 Nov 1996
0408 Are your shoelaces untied?
0409 Do you interface well with strangers?
0410 Are you able to recite phone numbers for half-a-dozen computer
systems but unable to recite your own?
0411 Do you log in before breakfast?
0412 Do you consume more than LD-50 caffeine a day?
0413 Do you answer either-or questions with "yes"?
0414 Do you own an up-to-date copy of any operating system manual?
0415 ... *every* operating system manual?
0416 Do other people have difficulty using your customized
environment?
0417 Do you dream in any programming languages?
0418 Do you have difficulty focusing on three-dimensional objects?
0419 Do you ignore mice?
0420 Do you despise the CAPS LOCK key?
0421 Do you believe menus belong in restaurants?
0422 Do you have a Mandelbrot hanging on your wall?
0423 Have you ever decorated with magnetic tape or punched cards?
0424 Do you have a disk platter or a naked floppy hanging in your
home?
0425 Have you ever seen the dawn?
0426 ... Twice in a row?
0427 Do you use "foobar" in daily conversation?
0428 ... "bletch"?
0429 Do you use the "P convention"?
0430 Do you automatically respond to any user question with RTFM?
0431 ... Do you know what it means?
0432 Do you think garbage collection means memory management?
0433 Do you have problems allocating horizontal space in your
room/office?
0434 Do you read Scientific American in bars to pick up women?
0435 Is your license plate computer-related?
0436 Have you ever taken the Purity test?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 48 11 Nov 1996
0437 Ever have an out-of-CPU experience?
0438 Have you ever set up a blind date over the computer?
0439 Do you talk to the person next to you via computer?
* Programming
0440 Can you write a Fortran compiler?
0441 ... In TECO?
0442 Can you read a machine dump?
0443 Can you disassemble code in your head?
Have you ever written
0444 ... a compiler?
0445 ... an operating system?
0446 ... a device driver?
0447 ... a text processor?
0448 ... a display hack?
0449 ... a database system?
0450 ... an expert system?
0451 ... an edge detector?
0452 ... a real-time control system?
0453 ... an accounting package?
0454 ... a virus?
0455 ... a prophylactic?
0456 Have you ever written a biorhythm program?
0457 ... Did you sell the output?
0458 ... Was the output arbitrarily invented?
0459 Have you ever computed pi to more than a thousand decimal
places?
0460 ... the number e?
0461 Ever find a prime number of more than a hundred digits?
0462 Have you ever written self-modifying code?
0463 ... Are you proud of it?
0464 Did you ever write a program that ran correctly the first time?
0465 ... Was it longer than 20 lines?
0466 ... 100 lines?
0467 ... Was it in assembly language?
0468 ... Did it work the second time?
0469 Can you solve the Towers of Hanoi recursively?
0470 ... Non-recursively?
0471 ... Using the Troff text formatter?
0472 Ever submit an entry to the Obfuscated C code contest?
0473 ... Did it win?
0474 ... Did your entry inspire a new rule?
0475 Do you know Duff's device?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 49 11 Nov 1996
0476 Do you know Jensen's device?
0477 Ever spend ten minutes trying to find a single-character error?
0478 ... More than an hour?
0479 ... More than a day?
0480 ... More than a week?
0481 ... Did the first person you show it to find it immediately?
* Unix
0482 Can you use Berkeley Unix?
0483 .. Non-Berkeley Unix?
0484 Can you distinguish between sections 4 and 5 of the Unix manual?
0485 Can you find TERMIO in the System V release 2 documentation?
0486 Have you ever mounted a tape as a Unix file system?
0487 Have you ever built Minix?
0488 Can you answer "quiz function ed-command" correctly?
0489 ... How about "quiz ed-command function"?
* Usenet
0490 Do you read news?
0491 ... More than 32 newsgroups?
0492 ... More than 256 newsgroups?
0493 ... All the newsgroups?
0494 Have you ever posted an article?
0495 ... Do you post regularly?
0496 Have you ever posted a flame?
0497 ... Ever flame a cross-posting?
0498 ... Ever flame a flame?
0499 ... Do you flame regularly?
0500 Ever have your program posted to a source newsgroup?
0501 Ever forge a posting?
0502 Ever form a new newsgroup?
0503 ... Does it still exist?
0504 Do you remember
0505 ... mod.ber?
0506 ... the Stupid People's Court?
0507 ... Bandy-grams?
* Phreaking
0508 Have you ever built a black box?
0509 Can you name all of the 'colors' of boxes?
0510 ... and their associated functions?
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 50 11 Nov 1996
0511 Does your touch tone phone have 16 DTMF buttons on it?
0512 Did the breakup of MaBell create more opportunities for you?
If you have any comments of suggestions regarding the HACKER TEST,
Please send then to: hayes@psunuce.bitnet
or jwh100@psuvm.bitnet / jwh100@psuvmxa.bitnet
or jwh100@psuvm.psu.edu / jwh100@psuvmxa.psu.edu
or ...!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!jwh100
--
Edited by Brad Templeton. MAIL, yes MAIL your jokes to
funny@looking.ON.CA Attribute the joke's source if at all possible. I
will reply, mailers willing.
Remember: PLEASE spell check and proofread your jokes.
--
|Fidonet: Troy H. Cheek 1:362/708.4
|Internet: 362-708-4!Troy.H..Cheek@river.chattanooga.net
|
| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
| River Canyon Rd. BBS <=> Chattanooga OnLine! Gateway to the World.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[Forwarded by Ronnie L. Grant, 1:102/836, rg@comp1.com.]
From: "Internet Oracle" <oracle-request@cs.indiana.edu>
To: oracle-list@cs.indiana.edu
Date: Mon, 4 Nov 1996 18:21:11 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Internet Oracularities #868
[snip]
--- 868-09 -----------------------------------------------------------
Selected-By: Mark Lawrence <lawrence.4@osu.edu>
The Internet Oracle has pondered your question deeply.
Your question was:
> Mr Oracle:
>
> Who wrote Opus 51 No. 1?
>
> What musical instruments is it best played on?
And in response, thus spake the Oracle:
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 51 11 Nov 1996
} Opus v51.1 was never released. Once Wynn Wagner turned over Opus
} development to George Stanislav, development virtually ceased except
} for small incremental updates. The latest version is currently
} 1.70.
}
} As to the instruments, it was originally orchestrated for a DEC
} Rainbow, but lately the instrument of choice has been an IBM PC.
}
} You owe the Oracle a decent FTSC-compatible mailer.
---
* SLMR 2.1a *
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 52 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
Future History
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.
25 May 1997
Independence Day, Argentina
11 Jun 1997
Independence Day, Russia
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.
-- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this
Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
To: cbaker84@digital.net (Christopher Baker)
From: info@pkware.com (PKWARE Inc.)
Subject: PKZIP for Windows 2.50 RELEASED!
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 17:24:21 -0600
Hello Christopher Baker,
Thanks for your interest in PKWARE. We have some exciting news to
share with members of our mailing list. Be sure to come to our web
site for more information.
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 53 11 Nov 1996
Best Regards,
PKWARE
Contact Information:
PKWARE(R), Inc. "The Data Compression Experts"(R)
9025 N. Deerwood Drive
Brown Deer, WI 53223 USA
Phone: (414) 354-8699 Fax: (414) 354-8559
BBS: (414) 354-8670
Email: sales@pkware.com Web Site: http://www.pkware.com
PKWARE(R) ships PKZIP(R) for Windows Version 2.50
Includes 32-bit support for Windows(R) 95 and Windows NT
=====================================================================
Brown Deer, WI - PKWARE, Inc., Friday, November 1, 1996, released a
new version of the worlds best-known compression utility, PKZIP for
Windows. This new release takes full advantage of the 32-bit operating
system environments found in Windows 95 and Windows NT. An enhanced
16-bit version is also included for Windows 3.1x users.
Important features of PKZIP for Windows includes the ability to:
* Create self-extracting Windows archives. This allows creation of
archives that do not require PKZIP for Windows to extract files from
the archive; self-extractor can create a program group and register
extensions in Windows 95.
* Create spanned .ZIP archives. A spanned .ZIP archive exists over
more than one diskette or other removable media.
* Span self-extracting Windows archives.
* Drag and drop files from the File Manager or Windows Explorer into
an open archive within PKZIP.
* Recognize .ZIP archives imbedded with authenticity verification by
PKZIP for DOS v2.04g.
* Retain and restore Windows 95 and Windows NT long filenames.
* Create new, open and test existing, and extract files from .ZIP
files within the Windows 95 and Windows NT v.4.0 Explorer.
* Click the right mouse button to activate a menu of the most often
used features in PKZIP for Windows.
* Have multiple .ZIP archives open simultaneously.
* Quickly and easily copy or move files between different .ZIP
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 54 11 Nov 1996
archives without having to extract those files.
* Convert archives to, or from, a normal .ZIP, a Windows
self-extracting or a DOS self-extracting file.
* View files from within an archive without extracting individual
files.
* Add, edit and view .ZIP archive comments.
* Easily uninstall PKZIP for Windows, restoring your system to the
setup previous to installation.
PKZIP for Windows also has a distribution licensed version which has
more advanced features for creating self-extracting archives.
Individuals and companies can create small, easy-to-use archives to
distribute their files and applications. With one click of a button,
the self-extracting archive will install its file contents quickly and
easily at a predefined location. After file extraction, the
self-extractor can then automatically run a program, if so desired.
"Many feature enhancements suggested by our valued customers are now
in PKZIP for Windows," said Phil Katz, president of PKWARE. "The
distribution licensed version is an especially exciting product
enhancement, since it can take the place of using a special install
program."
PKZIP for Windows is compatible with other versions available for the
DOS, OS/2 and OpenVMS Alpha/VAX platforms.
Pricing and Availability
________________________
The PKZIP for Windows version 2.50 is available immediately for $49.
Registered users of PKZIP for DOS and OS/2 can purchase the Windows
version of PKZIP for $29.
You may order direct from PKWARE by calling (414) 354-8699. Additional
information is available on the Internet at http://www.pkware.com, by
sending email to info@pkware.com or by dialing our BBS at (414) 354-
8670.
PKWARE Background
________________________
Founded in 1986, PKWARE develops and markets award-winning compression
tools and utilities for both the developer and consumer markets. Its
products include PKZIP(R), PKLITE(R), PKLITE Professional(R),
PKZFIND(tm)/PKZOOM(tm) and the PKWARE Data Compression Library(R)
products for multiple hardware and software platforms. PKWARE products
are also available through a growing network of distributors and
retailers in the US and internationally.
________________________
PKWARE, the PKWARE logo, PKZIP, PKLITE, PKLITE Professional and PKWARE
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 55 11 Nov 1996
Data Compression Library are registered trademarks of PKWARE, Inc.
PKZFIND and PKZOOM are trademarks of PKWARE, Inc. Trademarks of other
companies mentioned in this documentation appear for identification
purposes only and are property of their respective companies.
Contact Information:
PKWARE(R), Inc. "The Data Compression Experts"(R)
9025 N. Deerwood Drive
Brown Deer, WI 53223 USA
Phone: (414) 354-8699
Fax: (414) 354-8559
BBS: (414) 354-8670
Email: sales@pkware.com
Web Site: http://www.pkware.com
[The 32 bit version is available here for file-request as: PKZWIN or
PK250W32.EXE] Ed.
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 56 11 Nov 1996
=================================================================
FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING
=================================================================
Latest Greatest Software Versions
by Peter E. Popovich, 1:363/264
Wonder of wonders! Someone actually wrote in about a phase-out. I'll
be holding onto the Atari ST/TT Software section for the time being.
I'm still behind, and trying desperately to catch up. If you have
sent in a submission and haven't heard back, please feel free to bug
me about it... ;-)
Phase-out highlights:
This week: Lynx 1.30 Deadline for info: 22 Nov 1996.
Last week: Kitten 1.01 Deadline for info: 15 Nov 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 C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Act-Up 4.6 G D Chris Gunn 1:15/55 ACT-UP
ALLFIX 4.33 T S Harald Harms 2:281/415 ALLFIX
Announcer 1.1 O S Peter Karlsson 2:206/221 ANNOUNCE
BGFAX 1.60 O S B.J. Guillot 1:106/400 BGFAX
CheckPnt 0.5 beta O F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 CHECKPNT
FidoBBS (tm) 12u B S Ray Brown 1:1/117 FILES
FrontDoor 2.12 M S JoHo 2:201/330 FD
FrontDoor 2.20c M C JoHo 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
ImCrypt 1.04 O F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 IMCRYPT
InfoMail 1.11 O F Damian Walker 2:2502/666 INFOMAIL
InterEcho 1.19 T C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IEDEMO
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 57 11 Nov 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
Jelly-Bean 1.01 T S Rowan Crowe 3:635/727 JELLY
Jelly-Bean/386 1.01 T S Rowan Crowe 3:635/727 JELLY386
MakePl 1.8 N F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 MAKEPL
Marena 1.1 beta O F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 MARENA
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAX
McMail 1.0g5 M S Michael McCabe 1:1/148 MCMAIL
MDNDP 1.18 N S Bill Doyle 1:388/7 MDNDP
MsgEd 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
Opus CBCS 1.73a B P Christopher Baker 1:374/14 OPUS
O/T-Track 2.63a O S Peter Hampf 2:241/1090 OT
PcMerge 2.7 N F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 PCMERGE
PlatinumXpress 1.1 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PX11TD.ZIP
RAR 2.00 C S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 RAR
RemoteAccess 2.50 B S Mark Lewis 1:3634/12 RA
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
Squish 1.11 T P Tech 1:249/106 SQUISH
StealTag UK 1.c... O F Fred Schenk 2:284/412 STEAL_UK
StealTag NL 1.c... O F Fred Schenk 2:284/412 STEAL_NL
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAIL
Terminate 4.00 O S Bo Bendtsen 2:254/261 TERMINATE
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
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
WWIVTOSS 1.30 T S Craig Dooley 1:376/126 WWIVTOSS
XRobot 3.01 O S JoHo 2:201/330 XRDOS
OS/2:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BGFAX 1.60 O S B.J. Guillot 1:106/400 BGFAX
FleetStreet 1.18 O S Michael Hohner 2:2490/2520 FLEET
GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 INFO
ImCrypt 1.04 O F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 IMCRYPT
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAXP
MsgEd 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
PcMerge 2.3 N F Michiel van der Vlist
2:500/9 PCMERGE
RAR 2.00 C S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 RAR2
Squish 1.11 T P Tech 1:249/106 SQUISHP
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAIL2
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
XRobot 3.01 O S JoHo 2:201/330 XROS2
Windows (16-bit apps):
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 58 11 Nov 1996
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BeeMail 1.0 M C Andrius Cepaitis 2:470/1 BEEMAIL
Windows (32-bit apps):
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BeeMail 1.0 M C Andrius Cepaitis 2:470/1 BEEMAIL
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAXN
PlatinumXpress 2.00 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PXW-INFO
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAILNT
Unix:
Program Name Version F C 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
MsgEd 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
Amiga:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrashMail 1.23 T X Fredrik Bennison 2:205/324 CRASHMAIL
CrashTick 1.1 O F Fredrik Bennison 2:205/324 CRASHTICK
MsgEd 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
Function: B-BBS, M-Mailer, N-Nodelist, G-Gateway, T-Tosser,
C-Compression, O-Other. Note: Multifunction will be listed
by the first match.
Cost: P-Free for personal use, F-Freeware, S-Shareware, C-Commercial,
X-Crippleware, D-Demoware, G-Free w/ Source
Old info from: 01/27/92
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MS-DOS Systems
--------------
BBS Software NodeList Utilities Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
Kitten 1.01 EditNL 4.00 MailBase 4.11a@
Lynx 1.30 FDND 1.10 MSG 4.5*
Merlin 1.39n MakeNL 2.31 MsgLnk 1.0c
Oracomm 5.M.6P@ Parselst 1.33 MsgMstr 2.03a
Oracomm Plus 6.E@ Prune 1.40 MsgNum 4.16d
PCBoard 14.5a SysNL 3.14 MSGTOSS 1.3
Phoenix 1.07* XlatList 2.90 Netsex 2.00b
ProBoard 1.20* XlaxNode/Diff 2.53 OFFLINE 1.35
QuickBBS 2.75 Oliver 1.0a
RBBS 17.3b Other Utilities OSIRIS CBIS 3.02
RemoteAccess 1.11* Name Version PKInsert 7.10
SimplexBBS 1.05 -------------------- PolyXarc 2.1a
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 59 11 Nov 1996
SLBBS 2.15C* 2DAPoint 1.50* QM 1.00a
Socrates 1.11 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18 QSort 4.04
SuperBBS 1.12* ARCAsim 2.31 RAD Plus 2.11
SuperComm 0.99 ARCmail 3.00* Raid 1.00
TAG 2.5g Areafix 1.20 RBBSMail 18.0
TBBS 2.1 ConfMail 4.00 ScanToss 1.28
TComm/TCommNet 3.4 Crossnet 1.5 ScMail 1.00
Telegard 2.7* DOMAIN 1.42 ScEdit 1.12
TPBoard 6.1 DEMM 1.06 Sirius 1.0x
WildCat! 3.02* DGMM 1.06 SLMail 2.15C
XBBS 1.77 DOMAIN 1.42 StarLink 1.01
EEngine 0.32 TagMail 2.41
Network Mailers EMM 2.11* TCOMMail 2.2
Name Version EZPoint 2.1 Telemail 1.5*
-------------------- FGroup 1.00 TGroup 1.13
BinkleyTerm 2.50 FidoPCB 1.0s@ TIRES 3.11
D'Bridge 1.30 FNPGate 2.70 TMail 1.21
Dreamer 1.06 GateWorks 3.06e TosScan 1.00
Dutchie 2.90c GMail 2.05 UFGATE 1.03
Milqtoast 1.00 GMD 3.10 VPurge 4.09e
PreNM 1.48 GMM 1.21 WEdit 2.0@
SEAdog 4.60 GoldEd 2.31p WildMail 2.00
SEAmail 1.01 GROUP 2.23 WMail 2.2
TIMS 1.0(mod8) GUS 1.40 WNode 2.1
Harvey's Robot 4.10 XRS 4.99
Compression HeadEdit 1.18 XST 2.3e
Utilities HLIST 1.09 YUPPIE! 2.00
Name Version ISIS 5.12@ ZmailH 1.25
-------------------- Lola 1.01d ZSX 2.40
ARC 7.12 Mosaic 1.00b
ARJ 2.20
LHA 2.13
PAK 2.51
PKPak 3.61
PKZip 1.10
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
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 MsgLink 1.0c Tick 2.0
1.40.02 MsgNum 4.16d VPurge 4.09e
SEAmail 1.01
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 60 11 Nov 1996
Xenix/Unix 386
--------------
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
ARC 5.21
C-LHARC 1.00
|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
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
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 61 11 Nov 1996
Starnet 1.0q@ ConfMail 1.12
TransAmiga 1.07 ElectricHerald 1.66
XenoLink 1.0 Compression FFRS 1.0@
Utilities FileMgr 2.08
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
QuickBBS/ST 1.06* ConfMail 4.10
NodeList Utilities Echoscan 1.10
Name Version FDrenum 2.5.2
Compression -------------------- FastPack 1.20
Utilities ParseList 1.30 Import 1.14
Name Version EchoFix 1.20 oMMM 1.40
-------------------- sTICK/Hatch 5.50 Pack 1.00
ARC 6.02 Trenum 0.10
LHARC 2.01i
PackConvert
STZip 1.1*
UnJARST 2.00
WhatArc 2.02
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
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 62 11 Nov 1996
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 13-46 Page 63 11 Nov 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 [1:18/14] or download it from the
Rights On! BBS at 1-904-409-7040 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 13-46 Page 64 11 Nov 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 1-904-409-7040, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(ds)
more addresses:
Christopher Baker -- 1:18/14, 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: 1-904-409-3040 [1400-2100 ET only, please]
[1800-0100 UTC/GMT]
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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.
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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 13-46 Page 65 11 Nov 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/
ftp://ftp.aminet.org/pub/aminet/comm/fido/
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://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/
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.
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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
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.
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A PGP generated public-key is available for the FidoNews Editor from
1:1/23 [1:18/14] by file-request for FNEWSKEY or by download from
Rights On! BBS at 1-904-409-7040 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.
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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.
FIDONEWS 13-46 Page 66 11 Nov 1996
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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 [1:18/14] 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
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