1226 lines
54 KiB
Plaintext
1226 lines
54 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 36 22 September 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
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Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association.
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All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted
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for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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The contents of the articles contained here are not our
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responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
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Everything here is subject to debate.
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Table of Contents
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1. ARTICLES
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HELP!!! Copyright Violation
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OUTER is here! A new program for the "O" command
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Pittsburgh Area BBS Picnic
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Sweden and their Vikings!
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An Unsolicited Testimonial
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Shareware Authors: Under Attack?!
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Who Reads FidoNews?
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2. COLUMNS
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MS-DOS Directory Trees
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Computer Industry Spotlight
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FidoUtil ver 1.10 review
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3. FOR SALE
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DataCare Hard Disk Utility
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Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
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4. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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ListGen warning!
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Pixie and Sched update
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Fidonews Page 2 22 Sep 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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By: Brian Walsh
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Sysop 109/640
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COPYRIGHT VIOLATION
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-------------------
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MOVBASIC.COM,MOVBASIC.ARC
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I have recently noticed a program called MOVBASIC.COM and I
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also noticed that it was very similar to a piece of commercial
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software that my company is currently beta testing. I then
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downloaded the file MOVBASIC.ARC. When I unarced it and checked
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it out I relized that it was the beta test version of our
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package with the messages changed a bit. I then called all the
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people that we had beta testing and asked them about it and I
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found that one person had inadvertantly uploaded it to a RBBS-PC
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system. I was given a copy of the message left to the sysop of
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the Board after he relized what he did but couldn't "kill" the
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file. I will list it below. (Names Changed for our security)
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TO:SYSOP
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FROM:John Doe
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Subj:PAKBASIC
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sysop,
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Please delete the file PAKBASIC.COM From your
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file listing and you hard disk as in it was
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mistakenly uploaded and is a beta test version
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of a commercial package that I am testing.
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Thank You VERY much!
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John Doe
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The Sysop Did delete it but somewhere someone must have
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gotten it before he could delete it.
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The Only Thing I ask Is that All Fido Sysops PLEASE delete it
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from your board and put in you files.bbs:
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MOVBASIC.ARC NOT P.D. Commercial Software
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I Thank You For This and Hope that you will call out BBS
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Soon.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 3 22 Sep 1986
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OUTER is here! A new program for the "O" command
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There has been a program floating around for some time
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now called OUTSIDE that was a "mini BBS" and could be
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used in conjunction with the "O" command from FIDO's
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main menu. The problem was that OUTSIDE was unreliable -
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it would occasionally cause the system to hang up, and it
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was hard to use. Upon contacting the author, I found out
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the program was written in what he called "an antiquated
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language" and he was not willing to release the source.
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I realized it was time to re-write the whole thing. Jim
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Fullton did most of the work, and I've been making fixes
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and small improvements from the beginning. The program
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is called OUTER, and we believe that it will soon replace
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OUTSIDE.
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From Grant Fengstad (134/0) Alberta Fido Coordinator:
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DATE: 10 Sep 86 23:32:12
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TO: Ron Bemis
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SUB: Howdy
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Hi Ron. I recently rec'd your Outer program and I must
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say "Fantastic". I had used Outside previously, but your
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program puts it to shame...
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The comments are rolling in, and the program hasn't even
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been released yet! Some of the advantages:
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o Single keystroke execution of commands
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o SysOp-selectable access by privilege level - no passwords
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o Built-in watchdog timer/carrier detect monitor
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o Control-C and Control-Break disabled
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o Absolute security when used with IBMAUX
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o Checks SCHED.BBS so a user can't "over-run" an event
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o Displays "time left" each time a user sees the menu
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o Easy to understand and set up command file for control
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o Optional help and welcome messages may be displayed
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o Complete accountability of user activity
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The program can be downloaded from file area #5 on Fido
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151/104 Nibbles and Bytes. A first-time user can download
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it. C source code is available for "registered" users.
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Oh, and for the folks that got the program before it was
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released - we're now in version 1.15 and there are quite
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a few goodies in the ARC that you probably don't have.
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Ron Bemis
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Fido 151/104
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(919) 942-9267
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 4 22 Sep 1986
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Clay Zahrobsky
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FIDO 129/26 Sounding Board
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Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Pittsburgh Area BBS Picnic
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Recently the Pittsburgh Area BBS SysOps got together and
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organized the 1st BBS picnic for all FIDO users in the
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area. Before the SysOps had SysOp picnics but they decided
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to have one that involved everyone. A nearby picnic area
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was chosen and directions and info was distributed
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through out the net. Not being a SysOp (Hoping to be one
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soon) I was excited about this type of gathering. I was
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wondering about the people I would meet. Would they
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meet my expectations that I have associated their
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messages with their personality? Then the day came, and
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to say the least I was not disappointed!!! It was very
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interesting to meet all the people that I have typed to
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and have had discussions (sometimes arguments) with.
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Some met their type of messages and some even over
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my expectations. All day people ate, drank, played and
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of course talked SHOP. SysOps gave info on how to run
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FIDO more efficiently and correctly. Some also brought
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defective equipment to see if anyone could figure out
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how to fix it. There was one Tandon Hard drive that even
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Tandon would not want to fix.
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I would advise all other nets and such to try to
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organize something of this nature. All the users that
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showed up did not go home disappointed. This is a great
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way to get people closer together and to make new friends.
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I can't wait for the next one.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 5 22 Sep 1986
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By Joaquim Homrighausen
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Sysop at Future Hacker Central 501/4609
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September 7th, 1986 at 3:49 am!
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Hello all people out there. This should be an unusual place
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to receive an article from. Here in Sweden, things are growing
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rapidly, and as times goes by it gets colder. But what the heck
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we're vikings right?! And we're born from a packet of ice with
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a label on it telling wether it's a female or a male.
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Let's get serious. The main reason for this article is to let
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people (mainly FIDO sysops of course) listen to the voice from
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this part of the foreign world. And don't worry, Tjernobyl has
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not poluted these bytes in which this letter resides! But
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anyway, I've just finished a "hot" dispute with my fellow sysop
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(or co-sysop). And we've come up with some (from a "poor" guy
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like me) interesting facts. Fido started all up as a Public
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Domain and there weren't any problems opening a new BBS because
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it was all free. Sure great, I can just download the CORE files
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and then open a FIDO BBS of my own, and then eventually join
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the net. Sounds good to me, except for the terrifying "news"
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from the "good-old-US" (yes, I've been working at both Apple,
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Commodore, and IBM in the United States of America, so I'm not
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a total outsider) that Fido probably won't be "Public Domain"
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anymore.
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What's this (my co-sysop said BULLS??? about it), we're getting
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greedy aren't we? OK, let's look at it from this angle. How
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many hours do you think people have spent all over the world
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creating new FIDO utilities to make life easier for users/sysops
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of a FIDO BBS? Several (me included), and how many hours
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compared to that do you think the developer(s) of FIDO have
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spent? About a ten to one ratio would be very close. So let's
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start charging all users/hosts and sysops all over the world so
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we could get something in return for all the work we have put in
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to it. THINK (yes with those gray things called cells)! WHY do
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"we" have to start charging people for this GREAT service? Huh?
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This is not IBM nor is it DEC, or IS IT? Since when did Public
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Domain BBS go off the market? Well, I guess it started with a
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program called FIDO, or something like it uh? This is really
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a "John Cleese" (M.Python) classic. I mean BE SERIOUS.
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Well, I'd like to have some FEEDBACK on this, my Net/Node number
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was at the top of this article, so start typing. And to the
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author(s) of FIDO I'd like to dedicate this last line. If a
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machine isn't anything without good software what good is the
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core of an apple without the "goodies" around it?
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 6 22 Sep 1986
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Christopher Baker
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Metro-Fire Fido, 135/14(0)
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SEAdog, I Love It!
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This is an unsolicited testimonial. I have no financial interest
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in SEAdog or in S.E.A. I have never met Thom Henderson or any of
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his S.E.A. cohorts. I am writing this to encourage other Sysops
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to become SEAdog capable (XP:) and make their systems much more
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flexible.
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SEAdog is a stand-alone, E-Mail processing program. It sells, on
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the open market, for $100.00. It is designed to provide a method
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for corporate users to automate their message and file handling
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between branches or offices during regular business hours or
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after the offices close for the day. It allows corporate users
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to get more value from their computer installations by making
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them work nights when they might otherwise be idle.
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SEAdog has an added benefit for Fido system operators. In
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addition to its mail and file handling abilities, SEAdog can
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invoke a BBS by setting a command line and executing a batch
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file. When run in front of a Fido board, SEAdog becomes a 24
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hour, mail handling system and allows your system to send or
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receive mail at any time. With SEAdog on-line, you are no longer
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restricted to the National FidoNet window for message or file
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transfers.
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The SEAdog package comes with several utility programs that
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further enhance the operation. Included are two powerful file
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handling utilities; GET and SEND. With these programs, it is
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possible to send or request files to or from other SEAdogs at
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any time. The MAIL program also allows you to request updates of
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files you already have and the files will only be transferred if
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the remote SEAdog has a NEWER version of the file than you do.
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If you are in a hurry, you can send mail or make file transfers
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immediately by invoking a CRASH event. The MAIL program is also
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a sophisticated message editor that allows you to FORWARD
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messages to other Nodes, operate under different Net/Node
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numbers (useful for Hosts and private Net participants), print
|
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messages, write messages to files, send 'Carbon Copies' of
|
||
messages to other Nodes while writing the message to one Node,
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enter messages by entering the name of the person you are
|
||
sending it to while SEAdog adds the appropriate Net/Node number,
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and many other features.
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This Node has been operating under SEAdog 3.80 for several
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months and the support from S.E.A. has been terrific, both by
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telephone and by Net mail. I have had several weird problems in
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fully implementing SEAdog due to my peculiar hardware and Thom
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has been patient with my myriad questions and helped me at every
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turn. I've also received a lot of help from the IBM HELP, SEADOG
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HELP and MODEMS EAST HELP Nodes in resolving some of the more
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arcane problems.
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Fidonews Page 7 22 Sep 1986
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SEAdog is available to Fido Sysops for the ridiculously low
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price of $50.00. This is a special offer to Fido Sysops only.
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SEAdog requires an IBM or compatible computer and a Hayes or
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compatible modem. There is a DEC version in beta-test on 1/0,
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even as I write.
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I suggest you send for the program as soon as possible. You will
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find it much more valuable than the fifty dollars it costs and
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your system will be tied into the growing number of SEAdog
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capable Nodes and become a 24 hour NetMail system. Your system's
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efficiency and capabilities will be dramatically enhanced.
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I love it. If you are into NetMail, you will too!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 8 22 Sep 1986
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From: Mark J. Welch, Fido 161/459 [WelchNet, Berkeley, CA]
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Shareware Authors: Under Attack
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[Even if you skip the article, please read the request at the
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end.-mjw]
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I have just been notified that PC-SIG's attorney is sending
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threatening letters to a number of firms engaged in the
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business of selling disks that contain Shareware and public
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domain programs.
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For those who don't realize, PC-SIG is not a user group. It
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is a profitable business, owned by an individual. It has a
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rapidly-growing staff of paid employees, and is planning to
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release a CD-ROM disk soon with its entire library on it. Its
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main business is selling disks with MS-DOS Shareware and
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public domain programs on them for $6 each.
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I have not yet seen the letter, but was told it makes the
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following demands:
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a) The recipient firm must cease using the PC-SIG numbering
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scheme. (Trivia question: where did PC-SIG get its
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numbering scheme?)
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b) The recipient firm may not include the PC-SIG disk summary
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files on disks being resold or in their own catalogs. PC-
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SIG is claiming copyright ownership of that text, despite
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the lack of any copyright notice on the disk or file.
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c) The recipient firm is ordered to put a notice in its
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newsletter or other brochures advising all its customers
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that it is not PC-SIG, does not represent PC-SIG, and
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including PC-SIG's address and phone number.
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Several firms, not having the financial resources to
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investigate their legal options or resist this intimidation,
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have complied with the first two demands, adopting new
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numbering schemes and creating their own "disk summary"
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files.
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In my opinion, these letters are intended to intimidate
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legitimate individuals and companies who wish to assist
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Shareware authors and their customers, and who usually want
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to make a few dollars from that enterprise. The immediate
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effect is that several such companies have pulled GAGS and
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other programs from their software libraries until they can
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review the disks to create their own summary files.
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In other words, fewer copies of GAGS are being sold, and PC-
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SIG is thus attempting to monopolize the market for my
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program (and others).
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[This is not to say that all of the folks out there selling
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Fidonews Page 9 22 Sep 1986
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disks are good guys. Many are themselves selling GAGS
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(and other programs) illegally, since they haven't requested
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my permission to do so, as required in the documentation. But
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at least one firm that properly asked for my permission was
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later forced to pull the disk while he re-did the summary
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file.]
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I would like to gather as much information about all of this
|
||
as possible.
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REQUEST:
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||
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I am trying to gather information on the facts and legal
|
||
issues surrounding all of this.
|
||
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1) Please send me the names and addresses of any organization
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||
(commercial or non-profit, user group, individual, or
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||
business) which sells disks containing public domain and
|
||
Shareware programs.
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||
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||
2) Please let me know if you, as a Shareware author or
|
||
vendor, have been treated in an unexpected way by any
|
||
vendor or author. (In other words, have any authors been
|
||
screwed over, or vendors received threatening letters?
|
||
Also, has anyone been exceptionally nice to you?)
|
||
|
||
3) Please point me to any legal authorities, articles, or
|
||
such, which discuss the legal issues involved in
|
||
Shareware. Have there been any legal actions yet?
|
||
|
||
4) Please let me know of other authors who have placed a
|
||
price-per-disk restriction on PC-SIG's right to sell their
|
||
programs. (Their CD-ROM disk will sell for considerably
|
||
more than the $8 maximum I allow.)
|
||
|
||
PLEASE: Don't assume that "someone else" will provide me with
|
||
information you know about! Every little piece of information
|
||
will help! Thanks.
|
||
|
||
I will try to gather the information together and will
|
||
summarize the results in a future issue of FidoNews.
|
||
|
||
Mark J. Welch
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P.O. Box 2409
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San Francisco, CA 94126
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(415) 845-2430 [voice: Berkeley CA]
|
||
Fido: 161/459 [private]
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||
BIX: 'mwelch'
|
||
|
||
|
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[Disclaimer no longer needed: as noted earlier, I no longer
|
||
work for InfoWorld or BYTE. I am now a law student and
|
||
freelance writer. -mjw]
|
||
|
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|
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 10 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
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|
||
Robert A. Rudolph
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||
FIDO 109/628
|
||
|
||
Who Reads FidoNews out there?
|
||
|
||
A few weeks ago I wrote an article for FidoNews enthusiastically
|
||
praising a product I know and have come to love, DataCare. I did
|
||
this because I thought it to be a good, worthwhile product, and
|
||
had learned that not many people out there in FidoLand have ever
|
||
heard anything at all about it, good or bad. So I wrote this
|
||
article, and it appeard, and I looked at it, found a misspelled
|
||
word and asked myself, "If I read this, would it interest me?",
|
||
and myself replied "It sure would!".
|
||
|
||
The reason for the rhetorical question that is the title is that
|
||
the author of the product read the review (he probably got it off
|
||
my board, wlthough I am not sure) and left me mail thanking me
|
||
for my effort, as he had not known of my intentions to review
|
||
his product. HE liked the review. He also found the misspelled
|
||
that I thought nobody would find.
|
||
|
||
I ran into him at lunch today and asked "Have you had any feed-
|
||
back from that review?", expecting that he had been inundated
|
||
with inquiries as a consequence of having had his product re-
|
||
viewed in FidoNews. He responded that he had had ONE inquiry.
|
||
|
||
So I thought I would write this article soliciting FidoMail from
|
||
anyone reading it, just to see if the response I get is about
|
||
the same in quantity as the inquiry volume he got.
|
||
|
||
Please do not misunderstand - I look forward to each new issue
|
||
of FidoNews - I really enjoy reading them, and just made the
|
||
dumb assumption that everyone else did. With the number of
|
||
Fidos that we know about, the network connections, the number
|
||
of potential users and readers, FidoNews readership should be
|
||
eclipsed only by the readership of the Wall Street Journal.
|
||
|
||
I will continue to write articles to FidoNews as long as they
|
||
continue to be published. I would like to think they were being
|
||
read, but most folks who write would, as I do, write for their
|
||
own amusement only if there were no other audience. But I would
|
||
like to hear from folks out there in FidoLand, as to who reads
|
||
FidoNews, and what they seek in it.
|
||
|
||
We have a very powerful vehicle here for the dissemination of
|
||
ideas and information - an idea and medium that exists nowhere
|
||
else in the (known) universe - a totally unorganized network,
|
||
amorphous in topology, largely unmanaged, that actually works.
|
||
FidoNet sets historical precedent on a daily basis. With the
|
||
vehicle of FidoNews there is not any excuse for us not to be
|
||
informed about any issue that impacts our precious BBSes.
|
||
|
||
But two things are needed -
|
||
1. Someone's gotta write the stuff;
|
||
2. Someone ELSE has got to read it.
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
is anybody out there???
|
||
|
||
s
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
CLIMBING TREES
|
||
|
||
By Bill Ross
|
||
|
||
The only advantage to the study of history is that it might allow
|
||
us to learn from past mistakes. In this regard, MS-DOS is the
|
||
child of CP/M. Like most children though, it does things a
|
||
little differently than its parent. And in many cases, a little
|
||
better.
|
||
|
||
For some of us, one of the greatest irritants to CP/M is the
|
||
limitation of 64 floppy disk directory entries, even on a double
|
||
sided disk. If we keep copies of short correspondence, such as
|
||
letters, on a disk, we usually run out of directory space long
|
||
before we exhaust disk file storage capacity. MS-DOS is a little
|
||
better; a single sided disk provides 64 directory entries and a
|
||
double sided disk allows 112. The availability of hard disks
|
||
muddied the water. Although there was no longer a realistic
|
||
problem on directory space, they presented another problem: how
|
||
to keep track of so many directory entries.
|
||
|
||
For CP/M somebody, I'm not sure who, finally wrote LIBRARY, a
|
||
program that allows you to keep track of numerous files under one
|
||
directory space. And for hard disks, CP/M resorted to User
|
||
Areas. These are both good solutions, with only minor flaws.
|
||
LIBRARY is a program external to the operating system and User
|
||
Areas are awkward and still limited. MS-DOS utilizes a
|
||
combination of both ideas. Technically, it's called pathing but
|
||
most of us commonly refer to it as Trees.
|
||
|
||
The term trees comes from the fact that the main directory of a
|
||
disk under MS-DOS is, in fact, only the root of a potential
|
||
structure of inumerable subdirectories that spread out much like
|
||
the branches of a tree. Each directory space may be utilized to
|
||
build a completely isolated "user" area with as many files as
|
||
necessary to fill its particular needs. The advantages of such a
|
||
system are immediately apparent. We now can have as many "user"
|
||
areas as we are allowed directory entries on a disk (SS-64, DS-
|
||
112, or Hard Disks-512), and the size of the area is limited only
|
||
by the total capacity of the disk on which it resides.
|
||
|
||
As an illustration, let us suppose that we might wish to place
|
||
all MicroPro programs in one area utilizing a root directory name
|
||
of STAR. Each program would then be listed under the root as
|
||
follows:
|
||
|
||
WORDSTAR
|
||
DATASTAR
|
||
CALCSTAR
|
||
REPORTSTAR
|
||
|
||
These programs would not, in actuality, lie one under the other
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
of course; each would be directly acccessible from the root as in
|
||
the following illustration:
|
||
|
||
STAR
|
||
|
||
WORDSTAR/ DATASTAR/ \CALCSTAR \REPORTSTAR
|
||
|
||
and the subfiles under these programs would reside in a similar
|
||
manner:
|
||
|
||
STAR
|
||
|
||
/ / \ \
|
||
|
||
|
||
WORDSTAR DATASTAR CALCSTAR REPORTSTAR
|
||
|
||
/ \ / \ / \ / \
|
||
|
||
WS.1 WS.2 DS.1 DS.2 CS.1 CS.2 RS.1 RS.2
|
||
|
||
The subfiles above might include any of the program files
|
||
required to make the named programs functional (i.e. WSMSG.OVR,
|
||
WINSTALL.COM, etc.) and were limited to two here just to
|
||
illustrate the tree like structure that pathing generates. For
|
||
those of you who fail to see any semblance of a tree, turn the
|
||
page upside down.
|
||
|
||
Pathing is accomplished with the aid of three internal MS-DOS
|
||
commands: MKDIR (MAKE DIRECTORY), CHDIR (CHANGE DIRECTORY), and
|
||
RMDIR (REMOVE DIRECTORY). More commonly used but fully
|
||
functional short forms for these commands are MD, CD, and RD.
|
||
They are relatively simple to use.
|
||
|
||
Let's generate the pathway directory structure of the previous
|
||
illustration. Utilizing MD we first generate the STAR
|
||
subdirectory listing in the disk root directory.
|
||
|
||
A>MD STAR(Return)
|
||
|
||
We can view the results by calling up the disk directory.
|
||
|
||
A>DIR(Return)
|
||
|
||
DOS shows the file STAR:
|
||
|
||
Volume in drive X has no label
|
||
Directory of X:\
|
||
|
||
STAR <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
1 File(s) 360448 bytes free
|
||
|
||
If we want to view the contents of a subdirectory we address
|
||
it specifically:
|
||
|
||
A>DIR STAR(Return)
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
and will see the following:
|
||
|
||
Volume in drive X has no label
|
||
Directory of X:\star
|
||
|
||
. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
.. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15A
|
||
2 File(s) 360448 bytes free
|
||
|
||
Even though we just created this subdirectory, it would seem that
|
||
two files all ready exist in it. These <DIR> subdirectory file
|
||
entries are reference files only and are generated for the use of
|
||
the subdirectory functions. For the moment, note their presence
|
||
but don't worry about them.
|
||
|
||
We can, if we desire, now copy each of the programs we want into
|
||
the subdirectory, but in this case it would not be a good idea.
|
||
The reason for this is that each program is composed of multiple
|
||
files and, after we transfered them in, they would be listed
|
||
amongst the files of the other programs, as well as any working
|
||
files we might generate as we use them. Gad! how confusing. No,
|
||
the purpose of this system is to maintain order so let's go one
|
||
step further by generating additional subdirectories for each of
|
||
the programs to occupy. In this way, we can actually provide
|
||
each with its own private "user" area in which to reside and
|
||
work.
|
||
|
||
We do that in a similar manner in which we made the first one.
|
||
The primary difference is that these subdirectories will reside
|
||
at a lower level and we must use specific instructions to MS-DOS
|
||
so they will appear where we want them. In this case we want
|
||
them all to reside within the area commanded by STAR. In order
|
||
to place them there, we give the command:
|
||
|
||
A>MD \STAR\WS(Return)
|
||
|
||
This command instructs MS-DOS to (MD) Make a Directory (\) below
|
||
STAR (\) under the name WS. Since we still physically reside in
|
||
the Root Directory, we utilize these \ (reverse slash) marks to
|
||
show the PATH to the place in which the new subdirectory is to be
|
||
generated. We generate subdirectories for each of the other
|
||
programs by repeating this procedure with appropriate titles and,
|
||
to save space, will not repeat it here. and, if we perform a DIR
|
||
STAR, we will then see:
|
||
|
||
Volume in drive X has no label
|
||
Directory of X:\star
|
||
|
||
. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
.. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
WS <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
DS <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
CS <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
RS <DIR> 07-23-85 8:15a
|
||
6 File(s) 358304 bytes free
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Well now that we have this orderly layout of directories under
|
||
which to organize our programs, how do we get the programs in
|
||
them so that we can utilize them? We simply use the same
|
||
commands that we have always used, except that we add Path
|
||
directions. For the purposes of illustration, we will assume
|
||
that we have generated STAR on the Drive B. In order to copy our
|
||
WordStar program and its supporting files into the WS
|
||
subdirectory, place the disk with these files in Drive A and
|
||
issue the command:
|
||
|
||
A>COPY *.* B:\STAR\WS/V(Return)
|
||
|
||
and MS-DOS will echo each file as it copies and then state how
|
||
many files were copied.
|
||
|
||
We can check our work by requesting a directory listing of the WS
|
||
subdirectory. Using path directions we enter:
|
||
|
||
A>DIR B:\STAR\WS(Return)
|
||
|
||
and MS-DOS displays the following directory:
|
||
|
||
Volume in drive B has no label
|
||
Directory of B:\star\ws
|
||
|
||
. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:23a
|
||
.. <DIR> 07-23-85 8:23a
|
||
WS COM 21375 01-01-80 11:02a
|
||
WSOVLY1 OVR 41216 03-16-84 8:02a
|
||
WSMSGS OVR 29056 03-16-84 8:02a
|
||
5 File(s) 7726496 bytes free
|
||
|
||
And of course we repeat this procedure for each of the programs.
|
||
|
||
All right, now that we have everything where we want them, how do
|
||
we use them?
|
||
|
||
Up to now, we have done everything from the root directory. We
|
||
have generated subdirectories, copied files into them and
|
||
examined the directory listings without moving ourselves at any
|
||
time. This is all well and good for disk maintenance and the
|
||
like, but things become very awkward if we try to use
|
||
subpositioned programs from such a lofty position. To begin
|
||
with, program functions seldom recognize the path instructions
|
||
that would be necessary under such conditions. So, if the
|
||
mountain can't come to Mohammad, then Mohammad must go to the
|
||
mountain. Our magic carpet in this case is CHDIR or, more
|
||
simply, just CD.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
William/Eunhee Hunter
|
||
Fido 109/626
|
||
Computer Industry Spotlight on:
|
||
|
||
COMPUTER SCIENCES CORPORATION -- CSC is one of the world's
|
||
largest, most diversified information service companies. Clients
|
||
range from NASA to FORTUNE 500 companies around the world. CSC
|
||
experts are responsible for the analysis, design, and
|
||
implementation of large-scale communications and management
|
||
information systems for government and commercially based
|
||
clients. There are ongoing entry-level positions for programmers,
|
||
systems analysts, computer scientists, and customer service
|
||
representatives. There is also tuition reimbursement for
|
||
company-approved courses.
|
||
Contact: Corporate College Relations, Computer Sciences
|
||
Corporation, 650 N. Sepulveda Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
123/6
|
||
|
||
|
||
In this article i will attempt to give you a synapse of the
|
||
features of FidoUtility version 1.10. This program was written by
|
||
Benn Mann and Marshall Presnell of Fido 151/10 and 151/2.
|
||
|
||
I found the first version of this amazing utility on the Region
|
||
18 coordinators system and after toying around with it for a few days
|
||
I decided to go ahead and send the message to the author (sneaky
|
||
wasn't he). I discovered that the first version used a hidden read-
|
||
only file as the key to testing for the message send prompt. He has
|
||
since changed this.
|
||
|
||
Ok on to the good stuff.
|
||
|
||
In version 1.10 he has implemented the following utilities:
|
||
|
||
Killsrvr Lastuser Twituser
|
||
Bounce Ricochet Killto
|
||
Killfrom Waittime Month
|
||
Userlist Wait Weekday
|
||
Killrobt Status Password
|
||
Setpriv Adopt Twix
|
||
Robot Sched
|
||
|
||
Although all of the programs reside in this utility, some are
|
||
limited in scope (and in my opinion, use). Marshell and Benn have
|
||
done an admirable job of implementing those that are there however
|
||
and they are to be commended for their efforts.
|
||
|
||
I will take the utilities one-at-a-time from the top of the
|
||
above list.
|
||
Killsrvr
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This will follow the fidomail message path and kill ALL messages
|
||
generated by server whether they have been sent or not. If you run
|
||
server on your system then you can run this as a scheduled event
|
||
after sending the messages to insure that the same message is not
|
||
sent twice. This program has limited application in that it is NOT
|
||
selective as to which server messages it kills. An improvement here
|
||
would be to add the ability to kill only those messages that have
|
||
been sent, or all messages, selectable by switchline command.
|
||
|
||
Lastuser
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This will tell you the name of the lastuser and print it to the
|
||
standard output device. While there may be a need to know this
|
||
information sometime I find no valid use for this program as all the
|
||
system operator need do it TYPE the "lastuser.bbs" file to see who
|
||
was the last one on the system. The authors do however make
|
||
provisions for generating an errorlevel if the lastuser on the system
|
||
matches a name entered on the command line. The only use I can think
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
of for this would be remote triggering of a non-standard event by the
|
||
sysop by placing a call to the system. One could have the RUNBBS.BAT
|
||
file trap an errorlevel 2 and if the last user to call before a
|
||
specified time was in fact the sysop (or some other user specified on
|
||
the command line) then this errorlevel could trip a non- standard
|
||
event to run.
|
||
|
||
Twituser
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This is useful for those of us who like to "lurk" on our side of
|
||
the keyboard. I have occasion to have to RAPIDLY twit a user if they
|
||
are the type that likes to call right before midnight use up all
|
||
their time and log off at 23:59, only to call right back at 00:01 to
|
||
go to it again. This type person can be taught a QUICK lesson by
|
||
simply breaking out of Fido typing the command to TWIT him and re-
|
||
booting Fido. When the user calls back they are surprised to find
|
||
they can do little other then get off. The command line again
|
||
contains the name of the user (exactly as shown in the userlog) to
|
||
twit.
|
||
|
||
Bounce
|
||
------
|
||
|
||
This sends the message back to it's originator, why I don't
|
||
know. If a person sends a message to me that I do not care to get I
|
||
simply kill it when I read it. Why bother (not to mention the cost)
|
||
to send their own message back to them. I find this utility totally
|
||
useless, and will not go into any detail here on it.
|
||
|
||
Ricochet
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This one is GREAT. Kind of like call forwarding for messages!
|
||
The command line contains the net/node to forward to and if
|
||
applicable the name to send it to. If no name is specified then it is
|
||
sent as a message to ALL. The only flaw with this utility is that if
|
||
the message being forwarded is from out of town then the REPLY link
|
||
is broken since the from line in the header is changed to read
|
||
FIDOUTIL RICOCHET and the net/node number is changed to read your
|
||
net/node number instead of the original senders. I suggest the
|
||
authors change this to keep the original senders name and net/node
|
||
number.
|
||
|
||
Killto & Killfrom
|
||
-----------------
|
||
|
||
These utilities will kill any messages either to or from the
|
||
username specified on the command line. You must also specify the
|
||
area # to kill messages in. This is handy for cleaning up after a
|
||
user has gone berserk and left illegal (or profane) messages all over
|
||
your system. You simply kill them all with one fell swoop. I suggest
|
||
that the author make a switch to kill messages either to or from a
|
||
user in ALL areas at one time (very handy). I also suggest that you
|
||
TWITuser immediately after running this utility.
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 19 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Waittime & Wait
|
||
---------------
|
||
These two do just what the names imply. Waittime will stall a
|
||
batch file until a specified time and then resume execution, while
|
||
wait (if invoked without any switches) will wait till the next
|
||
minute. If Wait is invoked with a number after it (ie WAIT 15) then
|
||
it will stall that many seconds and then resume. This is nice for
|
||
those 1 minute events that actually take 15 or 20 seconds to execute,
|
||
thus keeping Fido from cycling thru the same thing over and over till
|
||
the next minute when the window closes.
|
||
|
||
Month
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
Month if used in conjunction with the runbbs.bat file will
|
||
return an errorlevel based on the month of the year (ie 0 for January
|
||
and 8 for September...etc.). While this may be useful for certain
|
||
things, I have yet to find any of these to use this particular item
|
||
on.
|
||
|
||
Userlist
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This one is used to get a listing of certain information from
|
||
the userlog. It will list either:
|
||
|
||
Username, password, times called (command switch "/p")
|
||
Username, last date on, times called ( " "/d")
|
||
Username, Privilege level, times called ( " "/r")
|
||
Username, Fidomail credit, times called ( " "/$")
|
||
|
||
With no command line switches it will list the username, city,
|
||
and times called. Handy for a quick printout.
|
||
|
||
Weekday
|
||
-------
|
||
|
||
Like month this will return an errorlevel based on the day of
|
||
the week. I find this one more useful the month since I run different
|
||
things on different days at odd hours.
|
||
|
||
Killrobt
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This one acts like Killsrvr and kills any messages from ROBOT
|
||
found in the network message area. Again I suggest a switch to kill
|
||
only SENT messages.
|
||
|
||
Status
|
||
------
|
||
|
||
Probably the BEST status report layout and information content I
|
||
have ever seen! This utility is GREAT. The information it lists is
|
||
EVERY system?.bbs file you have showing the path for u/l and files
|
||
and messages and privilege, etc. It also list the info set with the 4
|
||
command (ie net/node # , alt net/node #, etc). It will also list out
|
||
Fidonews Page 20 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
the schedule file showing all events you have whether enabled or
|
||
disabled. The whole program is worth it for this utility alone. I
|
||
forgot to mention it will also list out your route?.bbs files and
|
||
what they contain. A GREAT UTILITY guys !
|
||
|
||
Password
|
||
--------
|
||
|
||
This one as the name implies allows you to change a users
|
||
password. You invoke it with the NEW password and the username on the
|
||
command line, in that order. Handy for changing the sysop password
|
||
easily.
|
||
|
||
Setpriv
|
||
-------
|
||
|
||
This will allow you to change the privilege level of any user
|
||
from the command line. You use the first letter of the privilege and
|
||
the username to change. Handy for reversing Twituser.
|
||
|
||
Adopt
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
Allows you to adopt those orphan messages for a retry at sending
|
||
them out. Simple straightforward and easy to use.
|
||
|
||
Twix
|
||
----
|
||
|
||
Works exactly like the free-standing utility. This will list to
|
||
the printer messages that are NEW. It is also able to list to the
|
||
screen.
|
||
|
||
Robot
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
This is a limited use version of Thom famous automated file
|
||
transfer utility. The author of FidoUtil says it operates in the
|
||
interactive mode. I say it operates PERIOD. It does what it is
|
||
supposed to do when it is supposed to do it.
|
||
|
||
Sched
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
This one allows you to change the scheduler from outside Fido.
|
||
While this is not a bad idea I think most of us dummies would like to
|
||
have a printout on the screen to look at while we make the changes
|
||
needed. As it is not you must either use the status to get a hard
|
||
copy printout and work from that, or go into Fido to make the
|
||
changes, or use some other utility. Suggestion here is to add a
|
||
switch to list the entire scheduler to the screen, then allow the
|
||
sysop to change as he needs.
|
||
|
||
There are a number of other things about FidoUtil that make it
|
||
nice. These are the savings in disk space as mentioned by the
|
||
authors, due to the smaller size of the file as opposed to the size
|
||
Fidonews Page 21 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
of the combined utilities. Also this program has a config file that
|
||
takes the place of the config files of the other programs that make
|
||
use of one. This file is also smaller then the config files of the
|
||
rest combined.
|
||
|
||
The authors have gone to great trouble to put EXTENSIVE help
|
||
files into the setup for each utility involved with such info as the
|
||
syntax for the command line, what switches are available, and the
|
||
version number of the individual utility involved. They have also
|
||
done a good job on the documentation included in the ARC file of
|
||
their program. I commend them for a job well done. I also say that
|
||
they continue to do the job as they are making every effort to ad at
|
||
least one new utility a month to the package. Pretty soon we can use
|
||
one program to do it ALL.
|
||
|
||
The authors request that any bug reports be sent to Fido 151/10.
|
||
Although I haven't as yet found any I will pass this info along. The
|
||
latest version of FidoUtil is available from either 151/2 (the
|
||
authors system) or mine (123/6). Again I take my hat off to these two
|
||
men for an excellent job. (Benn and Marshall....I believe bows are in
|
||
order here gentlemen)
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
123/6
|
||
(901)353-4563
|
||
300/1200/2400
|
||
24hrs 365 days
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 22 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Ellicott Software
|
||
Fido 109/628
|
||
|
||
DataCare, a PC Magazine choice in its recent review of hard
|
||
disk products, is available at a new low price - $49.95, down
|
||
from $129.95. This is the same product that has been favorably
|
||
reviewed. The price is for a limited time only.
|
||
|
||
This product is used by a number of Fido BBS's in net 109, and
|
||
has found favor with many people that are not SYSOPS in the
|
||
Baltimore - DC - Virginia area.
|
||
|
||
Three-week trials are available from any user of the product.
|
||
The review can be read in the PC magazine issue that had as its
|
||
emphasis EGA boards. A review has also appeared in FidoNews
|
||
Volume 3 Issue 29, written by the Sysop of Fido 109/628, the
|
||
Reindeer Shed in Reisterstown, who uses and loves the product.
|
||
|
||
DataCare is published by:
|
||
|
||
Ellicott Software, Inc.
|
||
3777 Plum Hill Court
|
||
Ellicott City, MD 21043
|
||
|
||
(301) 465-2690
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 23 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!
|
||
|
||
Public Domain collection - 550+ "ARC" archives - 20+ megs of
|
||
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size!
|
||
When unpacked, you get approximately 28 megabytes worth of
|
||
all kinds of software, from text editors to games to
|
||
unprotection schemes to communications programs, compilers,
|
||
interpreters, etc... Over 66 DS/DD diskettes!! This
|
||
collection is the result of more than 15 months of intensive
|
||
downloads from just about 150 or more BBS's and other
|
||
sources, all of which have been examined, indexed and
|
||
archived for your convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board
|
||
System? Want to add on to your software base without
|
||
spending thousands of dollars? This is the answer!!!
|
||
|
||
To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check,
|
||
postal money order or company purchase order) to:
|
||
|
||
Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 166/1
|
||
Post Office Box 4296
|
||
200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
|
||
Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296
|
||
|
||
Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.
|
||
|
||
Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain
|
||
software in this collection. The price is applied entirely
|
||
to the cost of downloading the software over the phone
|
||
lines, running a BBS to receive file submissions, and
|
||
inspecting, cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the
|
||
files. Obtaining this software yourself through the use of a
|
||
computer with a modem using commercial phone access would
|
||
cost you much more than what we charge for the service...
|
||
|
||
The following format choices are available:
|
||
|
||
- IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
|
||
- Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
|
||
- DSBackup
|
||
- Fastback
|
||
- ACS INTRCPT 720k format (Requires a 1.2m floppy
|
||
drive and PC-DOS 3.2)
|
||
- Plain ol' files (add $50)
|
||
|
||
Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more
|
||
expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling
|
||
charges. California residents add 6% tax.
|
||
|
||
For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 24 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
24 Aug 1989
|
||
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you have something which you would like to see on this
|
||
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
I.P.R. Echomail
|
||
|
||
( Interpersonal Relationships )
|
||
|
||
|
||
Are you interested in the discussing the moral,social,
|
||
and ethical issuses of our time? I have had quite a bit of
|
||
success offering such a message sig on my B.B.S. It has
|
||
encouraged a great deal of intelligent interaction. Have
|
||
several issues often passed through your board on today's
|
||
controversial subjects like Euthinasia, Divorce, Abortion,
|
||
public aide programs, Genetic Engineering Etc.? Well then
|
||
you may be interested in hooking your users into I.P.R.
|
||
National Echomail. This forum is assured to spur users to
|
||
engage in stating the various viewpoints in an interesting
|
||
fashion that will get all involved. It is an enjoyable sig
|
||
for everyone.
|
||
|
||
For information on how to hookup please Netmail a note to:
|
||
|
||
Randall Kobetich 150/130
|
||
|
||
Wilmington, Delaware
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The ListGen program, used to translate node lists into Fido-
|
||
usable form, currently has a limit of 1400 node list entries. As
|
||
of next week, the FidoNet node list will be too large for ListGen
|
||
to handle. You are advised to make other arrangements for
|
||
translating your node list.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
I've recently received several notes from people who are
|
||
using old versions of these utilities. Because of this
|
||
I think an update notice is in order.
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 25 22 Sep 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Pixie's latest version is 1.31. This is much faster than
|
||
older versions and depending on the version you have may
|
||
have several new features, as well as a few bug fixes.
|
||
This will be the last major release in a while as major
|
||
changes are planned for Pixie.
|
||
|
||
The latest version of Sched is 5.0. This version allows
|
||
completely initialization of a file and specification of
|
||
the filename to work on. Both of these changes were made
|
||
to facilitate Sched's use with a stand-alone scheduler
|
||
which is currently on the back burner here at the Ark.
|
||
|
||
Both of these utilities may be File Requested or downloaded
|
||
from node 137/19. Pre-registration is required if you come
|
||
in person so send me a password first.
|
||
|
||
Wes Cowley
|
||
Ark Tangent
|
||
Fido/SEAdog 137/19
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|