1619 lines
70 KiB
Plaintext
1619 lines
70 KiB
Plaintext
F I D O N E W S -- | Vol. 9 No. 2 (13 January 1992)
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The newsletter of the |
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FidoNet BBS community | Published by:
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/ \ | "FidoNews" BBS
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/|oo \ | (415)-863-2739
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(_| /_) | FidoNet 1:1/1
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_`@/_ \ _ | Internet:
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| | \ \\ | fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org
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| (*) | \ )) |
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|__U__| / \// | Editors:
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_//|| _\ / | Tom Jennings
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(_/(_|(____/ | Tim Pozar
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(jm) |
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----------------------------+---------------------------------------
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Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international
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amateur network. Copyright 1991, Fido Software. All rights reserved.
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Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes
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only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews.
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Paper price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00US
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Electronic Price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free!
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For more information about FidoNews refer to the end of this file.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL ..................................................... 1
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Editorial: Revelation! ........................................ 1
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2. ARTICLES ...................................................... 3
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Cost Recovery (Yes!) .......................................... 3
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Geography and Fidonet ......................................... 6
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New version of WorldPol released .............................. 9
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3. RANTS AND FLAMES .............................................. 23
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4. LATEST VERSIONS ............................................... 24
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Latest Greatest Software Versions ............................. 24
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5. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .......................................... 30
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 1 13 Jan 1992
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======================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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======================================================================
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Editorial: Revelation!
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by Tom Jennings (1:1/1)
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Us FidoNet sysops have been outdone at our own game. There's a group
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with higher expectations, less willing to put forth effort, regardless
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of consequences.
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U.S. automakers. Un-be-liev-able.
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OK, so Pres. Bush and the big-three CEOs (Ford, GM, Chrysler) visit
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Japan to "do something" about the massively declining U.S. auto sales.
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Japan is unfair to the U.S., is the assertion.
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An article in the S.F. Examiner (8 Jan 92) goes on and on about this
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Japanese showroom vs. that, sales figures, etc. Depressing. However a
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few glaring details leak out.
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Example: a Jeep Cherokee cost twice as much, with half the MPG (at twice
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the fuel price!) as an equiv. Nissan product. And the steering wheel is
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on the left side! (Japanese cars are righthand drive.) "It's too
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expensive to change this for the Japanese market", says Chrysler
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spokesman Izumi Kato.
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(Many American cars used to be made with provisions for either-hand
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drive; my 1963 Rambler has obvious provisions in the sheet metal, and
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factory parts catalogs show RH drive parts. (Ramblers were sold in
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Australia and Brazil, for instance.))
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Oh yes, and they don't seem to advertise their cars on Japanese TV. Kato
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said it's too expensive (huh?!). Chrysler's ad budget in '91 was $1M
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(less than 1/4th Lee Iacocca's '91 salary!), and 1/10th of Nissan's US
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ad budget.
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And American car dealers in Japan do there what they do here -- sit in
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showrooms waiting for customers to come to them. Except, in Japan, car
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salesman go door to door, and have lots of salespeople -- Toyota's
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42,000 to Honda's with 12,000. Ford and GM have only a few dozen in
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their showrooms!
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In another article in the same paper, an unnamed Bush administration
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official said, regarding Japanese consessions to what Bush & co. are
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asking: "Culturally, they'll never change. We'll have to ram it down
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their throats." (Of course we here at FidoNews! also recognize that
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there's only one way to do things -- OURS! I assume you all do too.)
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Whatever happened to the open market?
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 2 13 Jan 1992
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In yet another article (which I don't have in front of me for direct
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quotes), a United Auto Workers union official was quoted to the effect,
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"we build the best cars we can with what we're given". Seems they know
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who's fooling whom.
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We've been outdone, boys and girls. Can we take the hint?
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 3 13 Jan 1992
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======================================================================
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ARTICLES
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======================================================================
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Original Message Date: 08 Jan 92 08:52:16
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From: Reinhart Behm on 2:242/38
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To: Tom Jennings on 1:1/1
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Subj: Fnews
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^AINTL 1:1/1 2:242/38
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Hello Tom,
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as the archiver of embbs and fnews for the nodes of Berlin I'd like to
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have the very old fnews issues (below 650).
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Could you give me a fido address of someone in germany or at least europe
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which (to the best of your knowledge) holds these files? Or, if you don't
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know, would you agree to receive a letter from me with diskettes, envelope
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and postage and to copy these files for me in a lonely and boring hour?
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cu :-) Reinhart
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Cost Recovery (Yes!)
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by Jack Winslade (NEC 285)
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1:285/666 (DRBBS Technical BBS)
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jsw@drbbs.omahug.org
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('Net 285, where few people run an IBM-PC, but nobody holds it
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against you if you do.')
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This is in response to Joe Jared's article in _Fidonews_ 901. For
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the past 1 1/2 years, I have coordinated a successful cost-sharing
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plan for Net 285 which appears to be well-received by all. I'd like
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to respond to some of Joe's remarks, and I have taken the liberty of
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including brief quoted sections where appropriate.
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Right after Joe's article, 'Cost Recovery (hah)', appeared in
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_Fidonews_, another sysop wrote to me in our local sysops' conference
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asking '... do you and Larry {our alternate 'gatekeeper'} ever take
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any of the flak like that guy {Jared} did?' I replied that no, we do
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not, and with rare exception, our Net 285 sysops are appreciative,
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helpful, and seldom complain. I've also never heard anyone try to
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excuse themself from paying their fair share of the load.
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When I was elected NEC of Net 285, we had never had an echomail cost-
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sharing plan. Sysops imported echomail on an individual basis, most
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often at the lower speeds, and phone bills in the hundreds of dollars
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per month were frequent. My goal was to establish a cooperative
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echomail 'gateway' which would be funded by all who receive echomail
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through it.
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 4 13 Jan 1992
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When I proposed the gateway to the local network, we agreed on the
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following principles under which it should operate:
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o It should be voluntary. Each sysop should be free to join or get
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echomail elsewhere at his/her own expense. It was my hope that the
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cost savings would be the incentive necessary for almost everyone
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in the local net to join.
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o It should be convenient and reliable. To me this meant that it
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should have its own dedicated processor, modem, and phone line.
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The processing and delivery of echomail should not have to compete
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with regular BBS usage.
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o Cost to the member systems should in all cases be less than what it
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would cost the sysop to obtain the desired quantity of data using
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independent means.
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o It should be self-supporting. Nobody should be financially burdened
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by it.
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o It should pay its own way in the nationwide Fidonet echomail system.
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Not only should it pay its own way locally, but it should contribute
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to its upstream feeds (the members recently voted a 20% 'tithe') to
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help with recovery of their costs.
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> I'd like to know how anyone can justify accounting for echomail on a
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> echo for echo basis.
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I can sum that up in one sentence. It's the only fair way to do it.
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In Net 285, the ratio of echomail volume between the system receiving
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the most and the system receiving the least is close to 100 to 1. It
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is simply unfair to ask the sysop who receives one low-volume echo to
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pay the same as the one who receives many medium and high-volume
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conferences. (A standing joke at our local users' group meetings is
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for two of the low-volume sysops to speculate if their combined bills
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for the month are enough to buy me a soda from the machine. ;-)
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If all sysops wanted roughly the same volume of data, I could see how
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a flat-rate scheme might work, but in our case (as I am sure is the
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case in many other networks) the low-volume sysops would be subsidizing
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those who had higher volume.
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> When it's all averaged out, the cost of accounting would
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> significantly outweigh the cost of charging a toll for backbone
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> echomail.
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The cost of accounting ?? What cost ?? We let the machine do the
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grunt work of keeping track of who gets what. It maybe takes a few
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extra minutes of machine time per month at most. The accounting
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utility is a simple 'c' program driven by a called batch file which
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runs every time the message areas are cleaned up and purged.
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Something like this can easily be written in less than an hour by
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anyone who has had a couple of programming courses. I'm sure that many
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teenage hackers with no formal instruction could easily write such a
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program. It's almost trivial. It could even be done (although more
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slowly) by redirecting each message directory to a text file and
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processing the result with an AWK script just prior to cleanup.
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 5 13 Jan 1992
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> I don't believe for a minute that any single node can pickup
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> even 1 echo with the speed and reliability of a backbone net hub
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> for less than it costs if everyone contributed.
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There are cases where it will not pay for someone to use our system,
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and I believe it should be the choice of the individual sysop whether
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or not to join a plan such as ours.
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We have one node that cannot benefit from our cost-sharing plan. Due
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to the oh-so-close-but-yet-so-far extortive in-state telephone rates,
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he can call the regional hub directly for less than he can call us.
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(We're working on some innovative [and legal] ways around this, but
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as of this time we do not have an effective solution to this problem.)
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If he were to join the gateway, he would pay twice, once as his share
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for getting the data to the gateway, and another to get the data from
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the gateway to his node. Certainly this extra burden would far
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outweigh the cooperative cost savings.
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Some numbers ...
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One local system always comes in under a dollar each month. He is
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certainly saving. Some systems exceed $20 per month, but those are
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the exception and not the rule. Most systems fall somewhere between
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the extremes. The cost of a 2-3 minute long distance call each day
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easily exceeds what many systems pay for echomail using the gateway.
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If we assume a reliable 9600 bps feed, a plan with a major long
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distance carrier that charges about $.10 per minute for phone time,
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and a 50% compression of echomail using ARC or ZIP, it should cost
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right around $0.0089 to import each kilobyte (unpacked) of echomail
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into the local network. Now when we take into consideration the
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sharing of some of these echoconferences, the actual cost of each
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kilobyte typically runs $0.007 or so at most, even considering the
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inefficiencies of session startup, orphan portions of minutes, etc.
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We can even add a 20% 'tithe' to our upstream feed and come in
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lower than the 100% efficient cost.
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Toward the future ...
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Our network is small, but growing. As more systems join the network,
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more echoconferences are shared, and everyone's cost per kilobyte
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drops. As sessions grow longer, the overhead of session startup and
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unused portions of minutes becomes less and less significant. Since
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our gateway system is dedicated, it will be able to meet the echomail
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needs of the network as it grows and requires more volume of data.
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In conclusion, I will say that there is no such thing as a one-size-
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fits-all echomail scheme. What works for one network might not work
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for another. However, I think that any cost-sharing plan, in order
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to serve the network to its best, must be voluntary, equitable, under
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the control of the network sysops as a whole, and should not be a
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financial burden to anyone.
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 6 13 Jan 1992
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Good day JSW
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. . . . .
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Geography and Fidonet
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by Daniel Tobias, 1:380/7.0
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Once again, the question that has led to much political strife within
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FidoNet rears its ugly head: the issue of whether nets, regions, and
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zones must be strictly constrained by geographical boundaries, or
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whether a more "creative" interpretation should be applied to permit
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nodes to overlap these boundaries where it suits a need.
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The latest volley in this battle is the article by Dennis McClain-
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Furmanski (1:275/42.0) in FidoNews 901. In it, he raises a valid
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gripe of inconsistency on the part of the FidoNet hierarchy: they
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vehemently disallowed the addition of Cuban notes to his U.S. net,
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even though due to a geopolitical quirk those nodes (on a U.S.
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military base) were actually more directly connected, in telephone
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topology, to Net 275 than to the "geographically-correct" Zone 4.
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However, in an unrelated squabble later, the same hierarchy "looked
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the other way" at some blatant violations of geography on the part of
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an adjacent net (which seems to be having a "turf war" with net 275,
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from the looks of things). This is blatantly inconsistent, and
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results in feelings of unfairness on the part of those affected by
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these rulings, whatever the reasons for them might have been.
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However, McClain-Furmanski's response hardly seems likely to improve
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the Fairness Quotient. Rather than attempting to get the hierarchy to
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reach a consistent, impartial resolution of the geographical problems
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that affect Net 275, he has (on what authority?) unilaterally declared
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these two decisions to both be reversed, to agree with HIS desired
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positions. In case no other FidoNews reader has noticed, this mirror-
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reversed position is STILL fundamentally inconsistent; it is just
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fundamentally inconsistent in the direction of supporting Mr. McClain-
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Furmanski's wishes, which presumably is thus regarded as fairer by him
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and his friends, but not by anyone on the other side of the issues in
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question. It is certainly not a generalized solution to the problem
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of geography. While the hierarchy disallowed Cuban nodes for Net 275
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but allowed another net to "raid" its territory, the new "solution" is
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to arbitrarily ban geographical exceptions for the neighboring net,
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but allow them for Cuban nodes.
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No lasting solution to FidoNet's political woes will result from
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different people unilaterally declaring the geographical exceptions
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THEY want to be good, and those that THEY dislike to be bad, and
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attempting, successfully or not, to make their wishes binding on
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everyone else. To end such squabbles, it is necessary to have a
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universal, binding rule that everyone can live with. Two
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possibilities:
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 7 13 Jan 1992
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1) Allow no exceptions whatsoever to geography. All nodes would be
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forced to join the zone, region, and net of their location. Somebody
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can take a world map and parcel things out so there isn't a square
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inch of land anywhere that isn't covered.
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ADVANTAGES: If the net/region/zone affiliation of a node is
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predetermined, one can hope there would be fewer squabbles about
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whether some particular node assignment should be made. Also, the
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nodelist would have a very logical structure, making it easier for a
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newcomer to locate nearby nodes wherever he might be, or wherever he
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might have a friend he'd like to send FidoNet mail to.
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DISADVANTAGES: Often, due to the peculiarities of phone systems or
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other unusual circumstances, people would be forced into a net or zone
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which is inconvenient for mail-routing purposes. Also, to the extent
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that the coordinator structure serves as politicians as well as
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technical administrators, some people would end up subject to
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political "fiefdoms" they dislike, with a monopoly of power over their
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areas much like feudal lords.
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HOWEVER: This needn't be insuperable, given intelligent management of
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the net. Echomail feeds needn't be constrained by zone or region
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membership, though some net politicians seem to want to force this.
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Intelligent mail-routing software can be made to send mail in
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appropriate channels regardless of the actual node numbers involved.
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And if the coordinator structure sticks to mere technical coordination
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rather than powermonging, it needn't be an intolerable situation to be
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compelled to be a member of a particular part of the net.
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2) Remove all mandatory geographic restrictions. Assign each zone,
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region, and net a geographical area and encourage nodes to follow it,
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but don't make it a rule that they must. Somebody wishing to join
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elsewhere, and finding a NC who agrees to allow it, should be
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permitted to do so, regardless of who else bellyaches about it.
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ADVANTAGES: This would also hopefully end the squabbles about whether
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some particular exception should be allowed, as they all would be.
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Also, such a laissez-faire policy would promote general freedom,
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discouraging the "fiefdom" mentality on the part of power-hungry
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coordinators at all levels. People finding one ruler intolerable
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might change their affiliation to another. This could defuse some
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squabbles by providing an exit route.
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DISADVANTAGES: The nodelist would acquire a crazy-quilt appearance,
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with many nodes in apparently-illogical positions, making it more
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difficult for newcomers to figure out, or for people to locate a node
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in a particular place. Nodes who were excommunicated for valid reason
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might try to pop up elsewhere in the net to cause more trouble. And
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some of the power-mongers might simply trade a "feudal lord" mentality
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for a "used car salesman" one, and begin making a pest of themselves
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running "ad campaigns" to entice nodes to switch their affiliation to
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one net instead of another.
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 8 13 Jan 1992
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HOWEVER: Controls can be put in place to prevent excommunicated nodes
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from rejoining the network at any point without permission of the Zone
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Coordinator. And most nodes will probably prefer to remain in their
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geographical nets, so the nodelist might not be as mixed-up as some
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would think. Anyway, Usenet and Internet get along fine with domains
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and topologies that have barely any connection to geography. People
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looking for nodes in a given area can still do a text search of the
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full nodelist with any of a number of different programs.
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In closing, I think some sort of consistent policy should be adopted
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regarding geography, rather than a patchwork of exceptions in some
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places and strict enforcement in others. But, more importantly, a lot
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of the problems would be solved if everyone would just lighten up a
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bit; this is just a hobby, after all. Is it really the end of the
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world if some neighboring net is allowed to "aggrandize" itself by
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adding nodes that "by rights" ought to be in your net? On the other
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hand, is it catastrophic if you are compelled by the hierarchy to
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obtain a node number with a different net or zone at the head of it
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than the one you like best? You can still send and receive mail from
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anyone else regardless of what arbitrary numbers you are assigned, and
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your friends can set their configuration files to send it directly to
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you even if the nodelist structure says it should go through a "zone
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gate." The whole issue really isn't such a big deal for any sysop or
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coordinator who is primarily concerned with the technical aspects of
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the network; it only "matters" when people want to turn the network
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into a big political playground, populated by coordinators who like to
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ego-trip by increasing the number of nodes beneath them and the level
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of power they have over them; and sysops who see all actions of
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coordinators as a massive, evil conspiracy they must fight. Under
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these mindsets, it's a "big deal", but it doesn't particularly matter
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to the rest of us who are just trying to run our boards.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Sara Gordon
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1:227/190
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VFR Systems AntiVirus BBS
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(219) 273-2431
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Net 1:227 mourns the loss of Gerald Opperman (1:227/125) who passed away
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January 1, 1992. Gerry was a driving force behind Net 227 for a number
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of years, having served as NC, sysop, adviser and friend. Gerry did it
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all and did it well.
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As sysop of River City Network, Gerry brought multi-line BBSing into its
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full bloom in Michiana. He was always found on the other local boards
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as well, chatting into sun-up; always there to lend a hand, to help in
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anyway, with any thing.
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 9 13 Jan 1992
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Gerry's contribution to sysops and users alike is immeasureable. It is
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said that generosity of the spirit is the measure of a man. It was true
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in his case; he was a great man and a good friend to all who knew him.
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Gerald Opperman
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July 8, 1946 -- January 1, 1992
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* On a personal note, Gerry always told me he wanted his epitaph to read
|
|
"NO CARRIER"
|
|
|
|
He did perform this ultimate hack, as now all the machines and modems in
|
|
the world now pay him daily tribute. He'd be proud of himself.
|
|
Warpspeed, old friend. I'll never forget you.
|
|
|
|
Sara Gordon
|
|
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
The WorldPol Project
|
|
4:4/50@FidoNet
|
|
|
|
INTRODUCING WORLDPOL VERSION 2C
|
|
|
|
A new update of the FidoNet Worldwide Policy Document proposal
|
|
has been now released. It reflects the changes being discussed in
|
|
the WORLDPOL echo.
|
|
|
|
The WORLDPOL echo is a public echomail conference open to anyone
|
|
wishing to participate in it. It is distributed worldwide by the
|
|
Independent Distribution System, and currently available at the
|
|
following locations:
|
|
|
|
Zone-1: 1:128/77, 1:133/411, 1:142/928, 1:157/603, 1:250/99,
|
|
1:273/909 and 1:367/1. You can request a feed from any of these
|
|
systems or from your echomail coordinator if you are in Region 12
|
|
(Eastern Canada).
|
|
|
|
Zone-2: 2:257/102 is the European gateway. Check with Noel
|
|
Bradford for your nearest link.
|
|
|
|
Zone-4: 4:900/130, 4:900/202 and in any system of the Zone-4
|
|
backbone.
|
|
|
|
Zone-6: 6:600/300 in Singapore and 6:720/13 in Taiwan.
|
|
|
|
|
|
W o r l d P o l
|
|
The FidoNet Worldwide Policy Document
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 10 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
Version 2c, 11 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
This Worldwide Policy document has been released for vote by the
|
|
members of FidoNet and is not yet in force.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 FidoNet
|
|
|
|
This document establishes an international (inter-zonal) policy
|
|
for system operators who are members of the FidoNet network of
|
|
FidoNet-compatible electronic mailers. FidoNet is defined by a
|
|
list of nodes (NodeList) issued on a weekly basis by each of the
|
|
Zone Coordinators, on behalf of the International Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.1 Scope
|
|
|
|
A node is understood to be a "member system" of FidoNet. The
|
|
collection of nodes is classified into Zones, Regions and
|
|
Networks.
|
|
|
|
Each FidoNet Zone is entitled to issue its own policy document
|
|
according to its own needs and customs. This International Policy
|
|
determines general rules common to FidoNet nodes in all zones.
|
|
|
|
Regions and Nets may also issue their own policies according to
|
|
the provisions in any corresponding Zone Policy, provided that
|
|
they do not contradict this policy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
1.2 Overview
|
|
|
|
FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its
|
|
participants and operators are unpaid volunteers and/or
|
|
hobbyists. From its early beginnings in 1984 as a few friends
|
|
swapping messages back and forth mainly in North America, it
|
|
consists now of an International community of more than 13,000
|
|
nodes worldwide.
|
|
|
|
FidoNet is not a common carrier or a value-added service network.
|
|
FidoNet is a public network only as much as the independent
|
|
member nodes may individually provide public access to the
|
|
network via their system.
|
|
|
|
FidoNet exists to provide electronic mail services to its
|
|
member nodes. To efficiently provide such services, various
|
|
structure and control mechanisms have been established. The
|
|
structure and administration of FidoNet is detailed in this
|
|
document.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 11 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
This document outlines procedures at the international level of
|
|
FidoNet as well as some general policies common to all levels.
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 Language
|
|
|
|
Each zone has the right to determine its own official language.
|
|
|
|
For practical purposes, FidoNet adopts English as its official
|
|
language at the international (inter-zonal) level. All the
|
|
FidoNet documents issued at the international level must exist in
|
|
English. Translation into other languages is encouraged.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 Admittance to FidoNet
|
|
|
|
FidoNet membership is open to everyone fulfilling the technical
|
|
standards described on a document released by the network's
|
|
Technical Standards Committee (FTS-0001 at this writing).
|
|
Lower-level policies may issue additional restrictions only if
|
|
specifically authorized by the Zone Coordinator Council.
|
|
|
|
|
|
3.1 Anti-discrimination Policy
|
|
|
|
Discrimination is not permitted within FidoNet.
|
|
This means that any type of restriction imposed to a member of
|
|
the network that has no technical justification is unacceptable.
|
|
|
|
No technical requisites will be demanded to any member of the
|
|
network than those specifically authorized by this or lower-level
|
|
policy documents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 Organization
|
|
|
|
The organizational structure of FidoNet has been developed to
|
|
distribute the administration and control of FidoNet to the
|
|
lowest possible level, while still allowing for coordinated
|
|
action over the entire system.
|
|
|
|
Effective administration is made viable by operating in a
|
|
top-down manner. This means that a person at any given level is
|
|
responsible to the level above, and responsible for
|
|
administrating the level below.
|
|
|
|
If a person at any level above sysop is unable to properly
|
|
perform their duties, the person at the next level may replace
|
|
them temporarily, until new elections are held. For example, if
|
|
a Region Coordinator fails to perform, the Zone Coordinator may
|
|
cause the Coordinator to be replaced.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 12 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coordinators may also be removed by a majority vote of the level
|
|
below. For example, if network Coordinators in a region lose
|
|
faith in the ability of a Region Coordinator to effectively
|
|
perform, they may vote to have a new Coordinator elected.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.1 Zone Coordinator Council
|
|
|
|
The Zone Coordinator Council (ZCC) consists of the Zone
|
|
Coordinators and the International Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
Each Zone Coordinator has one vote at the ZCC. The International
|
|
Coordinator may only vote in the event of a ZCC vote tie, but
|
|
does not regularly have voting power.
|
|
|
|
The Zone Coordinator Council is the legislative body of FidoNet,
|
|
it represents each of the zones in FidoNet. It is the highest
|
|
authority of the network's Top-Down organization.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.2 International Coordinator
|
|
|
|
The International Coordinator (IC) is the Executive Officer of
|
|
FidoNet and coordinates the joint production of the master
|
|
nodelist by the Zone Coordinators. The International Coordinator
|
|
is responsible for creating new zones in FidoNet, but can only do
|
|
so with the approval of a simple majority of the members of the
|
|
Zone Coordinator Council.
|
|
|
|
The International Coordinator is selected by unanimous vote of
|
|
the Zone Coordinators, and removed by a majority vote of the Zone
|
|
Coordinators. In the case of absence of the International
|
|
Coordinator, the Zone Coordinator Council replaces her/him by
|
|
voting on all IC resolutions to be approved by a simple majority.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.3 Zones and Zone Coordinators
|
|
|
|
A zone is a grouping of Regions generally consisting of several
|
|
countries, whose borders are determined by the Zone Coordinator
|
|
Council.
|
|
|
|
The Zone Coordinator is the Executive Officer of the Zone, and
|
|
the zone's representative to the other zones.
|
|
|
|
The Zone Coordinator compiles the nodelists from all of the
|
|
regions in the zone, creates a master nodelist and a difference
|
|
file, which is then distributed over FidoNet within the zone. A
|
|
Zone Coordinator does not perform message-forwarding services for
|
|
any nodes in the zone, whereas the Zone Coordinator is
|
|
responsible for the formation and/or administration of one or
|
|
more zone-gates to provide inter-zone mail facilities.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 13 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
The method used for selection of Zone coordinators is left to
|
|
the discretion of the relevant Zone Policy. In the absence of a
|
|
Zone Policy selection method, Zone Coordinators are elected and
|
|
removed by a simple majority vote of the Region Coordinators in
|
|
the Zone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.4 Regions and Region Coordinators
|
|
|
|
A Region is a defined geographic area containing nodes which
|
|
may or may not be combined into networks. A typical Region will
|
|
contain many nodes in networks, and a few independent nodes which
|
|
are not part of the Region's other networks.
|
|
|
|
The Region Coordinator maintains the list of independent nodes in
|
|
the region, and accepts nodelists from the Network Coordinators
|
|
in the Region. These are compiled to create a regional nodelist,
|
|
which is sent to the Zone Coordinator. A Region Coordinator is
|
|
encouraged to perform message-forwarding services for nodes
|
|
within the region, but is not forced to, unless the appropriate
|
|
Zone or Region policy imposes such a requirement.
|
|
|
|
The method used for selection of Regional coordinators is left to
|
|
the discretion of the relevant Zone or Region Policy. In the
|
|
absence of such a policy selection method, Region Coordinators
|
|
are elected and removed by a simple majority vote of the Ncs in
|
|
the Region.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.5 Networks and Network Coordinators
|
|
|
|
A network is a group of related nodes. Networks coordinate their
|
|
mail activity to decrease cost.
|
|
|
|
The Network Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the list
|
|
of nodes for the network, and for forwarding netmail sent to
|
|
members of the network from other FidoNet nodes. The Network
|
|
Coordinator may make arrangements to handle outgoing netmail, but
|
|
is not required to do so, unless the appropriate Zone, Region or
|
|
Net policy imposes such a requirement.
|
|
|
|
The Network Coordinator is required to assign a valid node number
|
|
to each and every qualifying petitioner within 3 weeks from the
|
|
request. A petitioner may only be deemed unqualified if she/he
|
|
cannot meet current Fidonet Technical Standards. The NC must
|
|
inform the petitioner of the grounds for any rejection.
|
|
|
|
The method used for selection of Network coordinators is left to
|
|
the discretion of the relevant Zone/Region/Net Policy. In the
|
|
absence of such a policy selection method, Network Coordinators
|
|
are elected and removed by a simple majority vote of the Nodes in
|
|
the Network.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 14 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.5.1 Network Routing Hubs
|
|
|
|
Network Routing Hubs exist only in some networks. They may be
|
|
appointed by the Network Coordinator, in order to assist the
|
|
management (especially routing tasks) of the network.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.6 Individual systems (Nodes)
|
|
|
|
The smallest subdivision of FidoNet is the individual system,
|
|
corresponding to a single entry in the nodelist. The system
|
|
operator (SysOp) formulates a policy for running the board and
|
|
dealing with the users. The sysop must mesh with the rest of the
|
|
FidoNet system to receive and send mail, and the local policy
|
|
must be consistent with other levels of FidoNet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.6.1 Users of an individual system
|
|
|
|
The sysop is responsible for the actions of any user when they
|
|
affect the rest of FidoNet (i.e. if the user is annoying, the
|
|
sysop is annoying). The users have no rights under this policy
|
|
document.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.6.2 Points
|
|
|
|
A point is a system that is not in the nodelist, but communicates
|
|
with FidoNet through a node defined to as bossnode.
|
|
|
|
The bossnode operator is responsible for all mail originating at
|
|
the point. All mail sent to a point is addressed to the
|
|
bossnode's address.
|
|
|
|
Points are generally regarded as users of an individual system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
4.7 The FidoNet Technical Standards Committee
|
|
|
|
The FidoNet Technical Standards Committee, abbreviated as the
|
|
FTSC, exists for the purpose of establishing minimum requirements
|
|
in software and hardware to be able to interface with FidoNet.
|
|
|
|
These minimum requirements must be obeyed at every level. Nodes
|
|
not meeting these requirements are ineligible for a node number
|
|
(see section 5.9). These requirements are subject to change at
|
|
any time by the FTSC.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 General Procedures for All Coordinators
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 15 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.1 Making Available Difference Files and Nodelist
|
|
|
|
Each Coordinator is responsible for obtaining and making
|
|
available for file request, on a weekly basis, nodelist
|
|
difference files and complete nodelists.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.2 Making Available FidoNews Documents
|
|
|
|
FidoNews is the Official Newsletter of FidoNet. Each
|
|
Coordinator is responsible for obtaining and making available
|
|
for file request on a weekly basis, FidoNews Documents.
|
|
|
|
This requirement may be waived in the event that a majority of
|
|
the Sysops served by the Coordinator have no desire to read or
|
|
receive FidoNews.
|
|
|
|
If a Zone Coordinator is not able to get FidoNews into her/his
|
|
Zone, he should immediately request help from the FidoNews
|
|
Editor. If the Editor can arrange a way to have it delivered to
|
|
the Zone Coordinator, FidoNews must be necessarily available to
|
|
the rest of the Zone. Otherwise, the Zone Coordinator may
|
|
unilaterally waive this requirement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.3 Processing Nodelist Changes and Passing Them Upstream
|
|
|
|
Each Coordinator is responsible for obtaining nodelist
|
|
information from the level below, processing it, and passing the
|
|
results to the level above. The timing of this process is
|
|
determined by the requirements imposed by the level above.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.4 Ensure the Latest Policy is Available
|
|
|
|
A Coordinator is responsible for making the current version of
|
|
the International Policy available to the level below, and to
|
|
encourage familiarity with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.5 Minimize the Number of Hats Worn
|
|
|
|
Coordinators are persuaded to limit the number of FidoNet-related
|
|
Coordinator functions they perform. A Coordinator who holds two
|
|
different positions, compromises the appeal process. For example,
|
|
is the Network Coordinator is also the Region Coordinator, sysops
|
|
in that network are denied one level of appeal.
|
|
|
|
Multiple hats are also discouraged due to the difficulty of
|
|
replacing services when a coordinator leaves the net.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 16 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.6 Be a Member of the Area Administered
|
|
|
|
A Coordinator must be a member of the area administered. This is,
|
|
a Network Coordinator must be a member of the network s/he is to
|
|
coordinate. A Region Coordinator must be either a member of a
|
|
network in the region, or an independent in a region.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.7 Encourage New Sysops to Enter FidoNet
|
|
|
|
A Coordinator is encouraged to operate a public bulletin board
|
|
system which is freely available for the purpose of distributing
|
|
Policy and Nodelists to potential new sysops. Dissemination of
|
|
this information to persons who are potential FidoNet sysops is
|
|
important to the growth of FidoNet, and Coordinators should
|
|
encourage development of new systems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.8 Tradition, Precedent and Technical Management
|
|
|
|
A Coordinator is not bound by the practices of predecessor.
|
|
However, it must be clear that Coordinators are bound by all
|
|
requirements of this document, both as FidoNet sysops and as
|
|
Coordinators. The holding of a Coordinator title does not grant
|
|
license to annoy others or to flaunt policy.
|
|
|
|
The primary responsibility of any Coordinator is technical
|
|
management of network operations. Decisions should normally be
|
|
made only on technical grounds. A Coordinator has the
|
|
responsibility to act as objectively as possible; objectivity
|
|
must be considered an essential factor when making a decision.
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.9 Exclusivity of Zone Mail Hour
|
|
|
|
Zone Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when network
|
|
mail is passed between systems. Any system which wishes to be a
|
|
part of FidoNet must be able to receive mail during this time
|
|
using the protocol defined in the current FidoNet Technical
|
|
Standards Committee publication (FTS-0001 at this writing). It
|
|
is permissible to have greater capability (for example, to
|
|
support additional protocols or extended mail hours), but the
|
|
minimum requirement is FTS-0001 capability during this one hour
|
|
of the day.
|
|
|
|
This time is exclusively reserved for netmail. Many phone
|
|
systems charge on a per-call basis, regardless of whether a
|
|
connect, no connect, or busy signal is encountered. For this
|
|
reason, any activity other than normal network mail processing
|
|
that ties up a system during ZMH is considered annoying behavior.
|
|
User (BBS) access to a system is prohibited during ZMH.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 17 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
Zone Mail Hour will be defined by each Zone Policy. In the
|
|
absence of a Zone Policy, it will be defined by the Zone
|
|
Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
Zone Mail Hours for all zones should be published every week in
|
|
FidoNews, as well as in the nodelist.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 Election and Referendum Procedures
|
|
|
|
Any election or referendum at any level of FidoNet must comply
|
|
with the standards described in this chapter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.1 Democratic Qualities of the Election
|
|
|
|
All sysops in FidoNet have a vote and must be allowed to
|
|
participate in an election or referendum.
|
|
|
|
All sysops in FidoNet are entitled to be candidates to any
|
|
elective position, provided that the requirements for each
|
|
position described on this and lower-level policy documents are
|
|
satisfied.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.2 Particular election mechanisms
|
|
|
|
Each zone will issue its own election procedures, which may
|
|
involve direct participation or indirect participation (electoral
|
|
college approach).
|
|
|
|
In any case, all the sysops in the zone must be allowed to vote.
|
|
In the case of an indirect elections, the electors must be chosen
|
|
by direct vote of the sysops.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.2.1 Coordinators acting as Electors
|
|
|
|
Coordinators will automatically be qualified as electors
|
|
representing their network or region in an indirect election only
|
|
if they have been chosen by direct vote of the sysops in the
|
|
administered area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
6.3 Worldwide elections and referendums
|
|
|
|
In worldwide elections and referendums with the participation of
|
|
all zones, the Zone Coordinator Council will determine the
|
|
election procedures and whether vote will be direct or indirect.
|
|
This will be done in each particular case by form of a ZCC
|
|
resolution.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 18 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 Policy Referenda
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.1 International Policy
|
|
|
|
A referendum on International Policy modification is invoked by
|
|
the International Coordinator at the direction of a majority of
|
|
the Zone Coordinators, or a majority of the Region Coordinators
|
|
of all zones, a majority of the Network Coordinators of all
|
|
zones, or by one third of all the sysops in all zones.
|
|
|
|
All the members of FidoNet are entitled to vote on an
|
|
International Policy referendum, which is to be held according to
|
|
the procedures described by the Zone Coordinator Council before
|
|
the election is called.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.2 Zone Policy
|
|
|
|
A referendum on Zone Policy modification is invoked by the Zone
|
|
Coordinator, by a majority vote of the Region Coordinators in the
|
|
zone, by a majority vote of the Network Coordinators in the
|
|
zone, or by one third of all the sysops in the zone.
|
|
|
|
All the members of the zone are entitled to vote on a Zone
|
|
Policy referendum, which is to be held according to the
|
|
procedures described on the Zone Policy. If such document does
|
|
not exist, the procedures will be determined by the Zone
|
|
Coordinator with the approval of the Zone Coordinator Council.
|
|
|
|
The formulation of Region and Network Policy documents is
|
|
encouraged, and must be regulated by the Zone Policy documents in
|
|
each zone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
7.3 Transition to a 'Worldwide Policy environment'
|
|
|
|
After the approval of this Worldwide Policy, the previously
|
|
existing policy will still be in effect for the Zone level until
|
|
the approval of a new Zone policy, according to the methods
|
|
provided in this document.
|
|
|
|
All the procedures introduced by this Worldwide Policy document
|
|
adjourn the procedures existing in the previous policy document.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 Resolution of Disputes
|
|
|
|
The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules:
|
|
|
|
1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 19 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
2) Thou shalt not become excessively annoyed.
|
|
|
|
The parties involved in a dispute are encouraged to solve their
|
|
problems directly, without the intervention of a Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.1 Mediation Requests
|
|
|
|
Any of the parties involved may request the intervention of the
|
|
respective Coordinator: Network Coordinator if a dispute between
|
|
members of the same network, Region Coordinator if a dispute
|
|
between members of different networks on the same region; Zone
|
|
Coordinator if a dispute between members of different regions on
|
|
the same zone; International Coordinator if a dispute between
|
|
members of different zones.
|
|
|
|
The Coordinator requested to act as "mediator" will ask each
|
|
party to provide all information relevant to the request within
|
|
two weeks from the request being made and will make a decision
|
|
within forty-five days after s/he received all the information
|
|
from the involved parties.
|
|
|
|
A Coordinator, unable to resolve a dispute, may name a third
|
|
party to act as "mediator," provided the parties involved in the
|
|
dispute agree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.2 Appeals to a Mediator's Decision
|
|
|
|
A mediator's decision may be appealed to the immediately superior
|
|
level if considered unfair: Region Coordinators handle appeals
|
|
from decisions made by Network Coordinators; Zone Coordinators
|
|
handle appeals from decision made by Region Coordinators; the
|
|
International Coordinator handles appeals from decisions made by
|
|
the Zone Coordinators; and the Zone Coordinator Council will
|
|
handle appeals from decisions made by the International
|
|
Coordinator, decisions of the Zone Coordinator Council are not
|
|
subject to appeal.
|
|
|
|
For appeals to a decision made by a third person named by a
|
|
Coordinator to act as mediator, it will be as if the Coordinator
|
|
made the resolution and the previously enumerated sequence of
|
|
appealing will be appropriate.
|
|
|
|
For appealing to a decision made by a mediator, the same terms
|
|
and procedures as for any Mediation Request apply.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.3 Statute of Limitations
|
|
|
|
A mediation request may not be filed more than 60 days after the
|
|
date of discovery of the source of the infraction, either by
|
|
admission or technical discovery of the source of an infraction,
|
|
either by admission or technical evidence. Mediation requests may
|
|
not be filed more than 120 days after the incident, unless they
|
|
involve suspected unlawful behavior, in which the legal statute
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 20 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
of limitations of the country involved shall apply.
|
|
|
|
|
|
8.4 Echomail and File Distribution Networks
|
|
|
|
Each FidoNet Zone is encouraged to establish in it's Zone
|
|
Policy, the manner of handling Echomail and File Distribution,
|
|
and the resolution of disputes arising from both distributions.
|
|
|
|
No sysop may be required to carry an echomail conference or a
|
|
File Distribution as a condition of joining or remaining in
|
|
FidoNet, with the exception of a single restricted traffic
|
|
announcement echo used to pass important information to nodes
|
|
within a network.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 "CCC": Comments, Credits and Copyright!
|
|
|
|
This section will be automatically removed upon approval of this
|
|
document.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.1 Comments on Implementation
|
|
|
|
This document is not final. No FidoNet policy is or will ever be.
|
|
|
|
WorldPol is an open enterprise where every member in FidoNet is
|
|
encouraged to participate. It is a unique experience, so far
|
|
successful.
|
|
|
|
If you disagree with any point of this document, you have a real
|
|
opportunity of have your voice be heard and contribute to the
|
|
future of FidoNet.
|
|
|
|
All FidoNet sysops are encouraged to make suggestions for
|
|
changes, as well as comments, which can be addressed to FidoNet
|
|
node 4:4/50 (WorldPol Project). The WORLDPOL echo is also a good
|
|
means of doing this; contact 1:102/631 for information on how to
|
|
access the independently-distributed WORLDPOL echo.
|
|
|
|
This World Policy will be adopted according to the mechanisms
|
|
provided on the present policy document.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.2 Credits
|
|
|
|
WorldPol has received either directly or indirectly, input from
|
|
the following individuals (in alphabetical order): Raul Artaza,
|
|
Don Benson, Bill Bolton, Steve Bonine, Randy Bush, Billy Coen,
|
|
Phillip Dampier, Jack Decker, David Deitch, Daniel Docekal, Ron
|
|
Dwight, Luis Garcia-Barrio, Hector Gomez, Tomas Gradin, Jackson
|
|
Harding, Rob Hoare, Jesse David Hollington, Alejandro Hopkins,
|
|
Tom Jennings, Glen Johnson, Daniel Kalchev, Raymond Lowe, Rick
|
|
Moore, George Peace, Vince Perriello, Bob Satti, Jerry Schwartz,
|
|
Jan Stozek, Erik Van Riper, Matt Whelan, and Gustavo Zacarias.
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 21 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thank you all.
|
|
|
|
Special thanks are hereby given to Thomas Jefferson whose ideas
|
|
were still in the 1990s an important source of inspiration for
|
|
this document.
|
|
|
|
|
|
9.3 Temporary Copyright
|
|
|
|
This document is Copyright (C) 1992 by Pablo Kleinman.
|
|
Todos los Derechos Reservados / All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
This document is protected under international copyright laws.
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
|
|
* When YOUR the fan, duck! [New Year; Same Shit!]
|
|
|
|
When YOUR the fan, duck!
|
|
By Trevor Merritt (1:161/600)
|
|
|
|
If you were a fan, and the shit was about to hit, don't you think it
|
|
would be a good idea to duck? If only the majority of us could.
|
|
This article has quite a bit... Some.... Little (very little) to
|
|
do with Fidonet, except that I operate a BBS (okay, I'm a Hub system)
|
|
in it.
|
|
|
|
Since this is the first article I have submitted to FidoNews, let me
|
|
start by letting you all know who I am, why I am writting this, and
|
|
what I intend you the reader to gain from it.
|
|
|
|
My name is Trevor Merritt, and I live in Fairfield, California, USA.
|
|
For those of you that don't know where it is, don't look for it on
|
|
a map. Look for San Francisco and Sacramento California. Fairfield
|
|
is in-between. I have operated a BBS for about three and a half
|
|
years. Recently, the NC of the Net I was in decided that he didn't
|
|
want to BBS any more, and assumed that nobody wanted the Job. To
|
|
some extent he was right. So, I immediately re-joined the Net I was
|
|
in before. Seems a bunch of the rest of them wanted to remain in
|
|
Fidonet as well, so I became a Hub. Other than running a BBS, I also
|
|
work (if only I didn't have to). I work for a Credit Union, although
|
|
sometimes people think I live there. Hey, what do you expect when
|
|
your title is Computer Operations Coordinator.
|
|
|
|
I am writting this article because... I have better things to do and
|
|
just don't feel like doing them right now. Also, I wanted the let
|
|
those people out there who had a terrible new years eve/day know
|
|
that they aren't the only ones.
|
|
|
|
Hopefully, the reader will gain something. I don't rightly know
|
|
what it will be, and don't care, but you'll probably find it
|
|
funny at the least. So, here we go, my New Year [Same Shit].
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 22 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
31Dec91 - Things started going wrong just about the time everyone
|
|
was prepareing to leave work, and go out partying. Not me, by my
|
|
own choice I would be starting later; I had decided to close and
|
|
perform the year end backup of the system myself. The time was
|
|
5:18 PM (console logs don't lie). Year end, and everything needs
|
|
to be done in exactly the right order. Okay, here we go. I stop
|
|
transaction logging. I set the date forward. I backup the system
|
|
to tape. I run the year end job file..... Uh oh.... SHIT!!!
|
|
I wasn't supposed to set the date forward! The software won't
|
|
allow the date to be turned back, because the year end processing
|
|
has already started! Okay, don't panic... You can still be outa
|
|
here by midnight. We just need to do a reload from last nights
|
|
backup. All the transactions are on the logging tape... Except
|
|
the batch runs. Those need to be keyed in again. That means that
|
|
recieved files (Electronic Funds Transfers, Etc.) will need to be
|
|
reloaded for those batch jobs that process them. No problem.
|
|
|
|
01Jan92, 1:25 AM - Almost done. Just one more file to reload so
|
|
that it can be processed. Okay... And the ATM transaction journal
|
|
is over $350,000.00 off!!! How can that be! Hmmm.... No, that can't
|
|
be right... the date on the file is December 26th. Someone didn't
|
|
put the right tape number in the log book!
|
|
|
|
Well, for the sake of making this article a little shorter, I'll
|
|
abreviate the rest. Finally located the RIGHT tape, had to reload
|
|
AGAIN. Executed all the Batch jobs, the journals still aren't
|
|
correct, but close enough considering that I haven't done the
|
|
recovery posting from the transaction logging tape. Revovery posting
|
|
completes, and everything balances. Okay, I make another backup, and
|
|
run the year end job. Okay, now I can go home! And look, it's only
|
|
6:34 AM!!! Let's see, I arrived at work on 31Dec91 at 8:55AM, and
|
|
left work 01Jan92 at 6:34 AM. Not counting luch hour, that makes
|
|
20.5 hours straight! Now the funny part. I'm salaried, exempt.
|
|
No over-time. But, you know the next time I want a comp day, I
|
|
better get it!
|
|
|
|
In parting, I'm sitting here now reading the latest copy of LAN
|
|
TIMES (December 30, 1991, Vol.8, issue 24). I just love the
|
|
"In The Trenches" article they fill the inside back cover with.
|
|
And I quote "Then we sent a message telling everyone [on the LAN]
|
|
that it would be down for a few hours for maintenance. (heh, heh,
|
|
heh, users can be sooooo naive)". Ain't it the truth! Oh, and
|
|
I also loved the statement that Ron Skates of Data General made.
|
|
"...We've got a terrible budget deficit. There's no reason we can't
|
|
fire 25% of the government tomarrow..."
|
|
|
|
Thank you for reading the rabblings of a fellow computer warrior.
|
|
If you have a direct comment to make on this article please send
|
|
NetMail to 1:161/600, Bushido BBS - The [Computer] Warrior's BBS.
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 23 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
======================================================================
|
|
RANTS AND FLAMES
|
|
======================================================================
|
|
|
|
_(*#$_(*@#(* (*^$+)#(%&+| #$)%(&*#_$ @_#( @$
|
|
^@#+)(#&%$*+)$%&*+$*%&#@(@#_|)*%|)#%&)#*%&+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@###
|
|
*&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#*$&$ _(#$*#$+)#($&*+#)$ &#+$*&#
|
|
()*&#$_(&^#$_(#*$_#($^&#_$(^&#_$(&^#$_(&#^ damn right _(#^&$_(#^&
|
|
$*&#$_+(* #)$&(%($%+)($%*+$)%($* it's ugly _#&%^# &
|
|
#($_*#$_ FidoNet (*$&%_@#_(*&@#_(@*#&_ @#_(*&@#_(*
|
|
)*&#$ Flames *^$+)#(% (not for the timid) @_#(
|
|
(*#$_(*^@#+) and #_|)*% &+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@###
|
|
(#$*&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#* Rants *&+#$*&#+$*&#
|
|
)*&#$_(a regular feature)^&#_$(&^#$_ $^&#$_(#^
|
|
(*^#$_*#^&$)*#&$^%)#*$&^_#($*^&#_($ Section #&%^_
|
|
_(*#&$_(#* #($*& #$* _(*&@#_(@*# *&@#_(*&
|
|
)&*+_)*&+)*&+))&*(*&
|
|
(*&_(*&_(*&
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 24 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
======================================================================
|
|
LATEST VERSIONS
|
|
======================================================================
|
|
|
|
Latest Greatest SoftWare Versions
|
|
Last Update: 01/02/92 - Happy New Year!!!!
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
MS-DOS Systems
|
|
--------------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software NodeList Utilities Compression
|
|
Name Version Name Version Utilities
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- Name Version
|
|
Aurora 1.32b EditNL 4.00 --------------------
|
|
DMG 2.93 FDND 1.10 ARC 7.12
|
|
DreamBBS 1.05 MakeNL 2.31 ARJ 2.20
|
|
Fido/FidoNet 12.21 Parselst 1.33 LHA 2.13
|
|
Genesis Deluxe 3.2 Prune 1.40 PAK 2.51
|
|
GSBBS 3.02 SysNL 3.14 PKPak 3.61
|
|
Kitten 1.01 XlatList 2.90 PKZip 1.10
|
|
Lynx 1.30 XlaxNode/Diff 2.53
|
|
Maximus-CBCS 2.00
|
|
Merlin 1.39n
|
|
Opus 1.73a* Other Utilities(A-M) Other Utilities(N-Z)
|
|
Oracomm 5.M.6P@ Name Version Name Version
|
|
Oracomm Plus 6.E@ -------------------- --------------------
|
|
PCBoard 14.5a 2DAPoint 1.50* Netsex 2.00b
|
|
Phoenix 1.07* ARCAsim 2.31 OFFLINE 1.32@
|
|
ProBoard 1.20* ARCmail 2.07 Oliver 1.0a
|
|
QuickBBS 2.75 Areafix 1.20 PKInsert 7.10*
|
|
RBBS 17.3b ConfMail 4.00 PolyXarc 2.1a
|
|
RemoteAccess 1.10 Crossnet 1.5 QM 1.00a
|
|
SimplexBBS 1.05 DOMAIN 1.42 QSort 4.04
|
|
SLBBS 2.15C* DEMM 1.06 RAD Plus 2.11
|
|
Socrates 1.11 DGMM 1.06 Raid 1.00
|
|
SuperBBS 1.12* DOMAIN 1.42 RBBSMail 18.0
|
|
SuperComm 0.99 EEngine 0.32 ScanToss 1.28
|
|
TAG 2.5g EMM 2.11* ScMail 1.00
|
|
TBBS 2.1 EZPoint 2.1 ScEdit 1.12
|
|
TComm/TCommNet 3.4 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18 Sirius 1.0x
|
|
Telegard 2.5 FGroup 1.00 SLMail 2.15C
|
|
TPBoard 6.1 FNPGate 2.70 SquishMail 1.00
|
|
TriTel 2.0* GateWorks 3.06e StarLink 1.01
|
|
WildCat! 2.55 GMail 2.05 TagMail 2.41
|
|
WWIV 4.20 GMD 3.10 TCOMMail 2.2
|
|
XBBS 1.77 GMM 1.21 Telemail 1.27
|
|
GoldEd 2.31p TGroup 1.13
|
|
GROUP 2.23 TIRES 3.11
|
|
Network Mailers GUS 1.40 TMail 1.21
|
|
Name Version Harvey's Robot 4.10 TosScan 1.00
|
|
-------------------- HeadEdit 1.18 UFGATE 1.03
|
|
BinkleyTerm 2.50 HLIST 1.09 VPurge 4.09e
|
|
D'Bridge 1.30 IMAIL 1.20 WildMail 2.00
|
|
Dreamer 1.06 InterPCB 1.31 XRS 4.99
|
|
Dutchie 2.90c Lola 1.01d XST 2.3e
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 25 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
FrontDoor 2.02 Mosaic 1.00b YUPPIE! 2.00
|
|
InterMail 2.01 MSG 4.2 ZmailH 1.25
|
|
Milqtoast 1.00 MSGED 2.06 ZSX 2.40
|
|
PreNM 1.48 MsgLnk 1.0c
|
|
SEAdog 4.60 MsgMstr 2.03a
|
|
SEAmail 1.01 MsgNum 4.16d
|
|
TIMS 1.0(mod8) MSGTOSS 1.3
|
|
|
|
|
|
OS/2 Systems
|
|
------------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Other Utilities(A-M Other Utilities(N-Z)
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
Kitten 1.01 ARC 7.12 oMMM 1.52
|
|
Maximus-CBCS 2.00 ARC2 6.01 Omail 3.1
|
|
SimplexBBS 1.04.02+ ConfMail 4.00 Parselst 1.33
|
|
EchoStat 6.0 PKZip 1.02
|
|
EZPoint 2.1 PMSnoop 1.30
|
|
Network Mailers FGroup 1.00 PolyXOS2 2.1a
|
|
Name Version GROUP 2.23 QSort 2.1
|
|
-------------------- LH2 2.11 Raid 1.0
|
|
BinkleyTerm 2.50 MSG 4.2 Remapper 1.2
|
|
BinkleyTerm(S) 2.50 MsgEd 2.06c SquishMail 1.00
|
|
BinkleyTerm/2-MT MsgLink 1.0c Tick 2.0
|
|
1.40.02 MsgNum 4.16d VPurge 4.09e
|
|
SEAmail 1.01
|
|
|
|
|
|
Xenix/Unix 386
|
|
--------------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
BinkleyTerm 2.32b ARC 5.21
|
|
C-LHARC 1.00
|
|
MsgEd 2.06
|
|
|Contact: Jon Hogan-uran 3:711/909, | MSGLINK 1.01
|
|
|Willy Paine 1:343/15 or Eddy van Loo| oMMM 1.42
|
|
|2:285/406 | Omail 1.00
|
|
ParseLst 1.32
|
|
Unzip 3.10
|
|
VPurge 4.08
|
|
Zoo 2.01
|
|
|
|
|
|
QNX
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 26 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
QTach2 1.09 QMM 0.50s Kermit 2.03
|
|
QCP 1.02
|
|
NodeList Utilities Archive Utilities QSave 3.6
|
|
Name Version Name Version QTTSysop 1.07.1
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- SeaLink 1.05
|
|
QNode 2.09 Arc 6.02 XModem 1.00
|
|
LH 1.00.2 YModem 1.01
|
|
Unzip 2.01 ZModem 0.02f
|
|
Zoo 2.01
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apple II
|
|
--------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
DDBBS + 8.0* Fruity Dog 2.0 deARC2e 2.1
|
|
GBBS Pro 2.1 ProSel 8.70*
|
|
ShrinkIt 3.30*
|
|
|Contact: Dennis McClain-Furmanski 1:275/42| ShrinkIt GS 1.04
|
|
|
|
|
|
Apple CP/M
|
|
----------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
Daisy 2j Daisy Mailer 0.38 Filer 2-D
|
|
MsgUtil 2.5
|
|
Nodecomp 0.37
|
|
PackUser 4
|
|
UNARC.Com 1.20
|
|
|
|
|
|
Macintosh
|
|
---------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
FBBS 0.91 Copernicus 1.0 ArcMac 1.3
|
|
Hermes 1.6.1 Tabby 2.2 AreaFix 1.6
|
|
Mansion 7.15 Compact Pro 1.30
|
|
Precision Sys. 0.95b EventMeister 1.0
|
|
Red Ryder Host 2.1 Export 3.21
|
|
Telefinder Host Import 3.2
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 27 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
|
|
Paragon 2.082+ ConfMail 1.12
|
|
TransAmiga 1.07 ElectricHerald 1.66
|
|
XenoLink 1.0 Compression FileMgr 2.08
|
|
Utilities GCChost 3.6b
|
|
Name Version Login 0.18
|
|
NodeList Utilities -------------------- MessageFilter 1.52
|
|
Name Version AmigArc 0.23 Message View 1.12
|
|
-------------------- booz 1.01 oMMM 1.50
|
|
ParseLst 1.66 LHARC 1.30 PolyXAmy 2.02
|
|
Skyparse 2.30 LZ 1.92 RMB 1.30
|
|
TrapList 1.40 PKAX 1.00 Roof 46.15
|
|
UnZip 4.1 RoboWriter 1.02
|
|
Zippy (Unzip) 1.25 Rsh 4.07a
|
|
Zoo 2.01 Tick 0.75
|
|
TrapToss 1.20
|
|
|Contact: Maximilian Hantsch 2:310/6| Yuck! 2.02
|
|
|
|
|
|
Atari ST/TT
|
|
-----------
|
|
|
|
BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
FIDOdoor/ST 2.5.1 BinkleyTerm 2.40n9 ApplyList 1.00@
|
|
FiFo 2.1v The Box 1.95* Burep 1.1
|
|
LED ST 1.00 ComScan 1.04
|
|
MSGED 1.99 ConfMail 4.10
|
|
QuickBBS/ST 1.06* NodeList Utilities Echoscan 1.10
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 28 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name Version FDrenum 2.5.2
|
|
-------------------- FastPack 1.20
|
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Compression ParseList 1.30 Import 1.14
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Utilities EchoFix 1.20 oMMM 1.40
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Name Version sTICK/Hatch 5.50 Pack 1.00
|
|
-------------------- Trenum 0.10
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ARC 6.02
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LHARC 2.01i*
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PackConvert
|
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STZIP
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UnJARST 2.00
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WhatArc 2.02
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Archimedes
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----------
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BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
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Name Version Name Version Name Version
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|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
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ARCbbs 1.44 BinkleyTerm 2.03 ARC 1.03
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BatchPacker 1.00
|
|
ParseLst 1.30
|
|
!Spark 2.00d
|
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Unzip 2.1TH
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Tandy Color Computer 3 (OS-9 Level II)
|
|
--------------------------------------
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BBS Software Compression Utility Other Utilities
|
|
Name Version Name Version Name Version
|
|
-------------------- -------------------- --------------------
|
|
RiBBS 2.02 OS9ARC (Arc) 1.0 Ascan 1.2
|
|
OS9ARC (Dearc) 1.0 AutoFRL 2.0
|
|
DEARC CKARC 1.1
|
|
UNZIP 3.10 EchoCheck 1.01
|
|
FReq 2.5a
|
|
LookNode 2.00
|
|
ParseLST
|
|
RList 1.03
|
|
RTick 2.00
|
|
UnSeen 1.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
|
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Key: + - Netmail Capable (Doesn't Require Additional Mailer Software)
|
|
* - Recently Updated Version
|
|
@ - New Addition
|
|
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
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|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 29 13 Jan 1992
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|
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The Complete List is Available For FReq as VERSIONS from 1:103/250
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|
|
Utility Authors: Please help keep this list up to date by reporting
|
|
all new versions to 1:103/250 in this format:
|
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|
|
1) Software Name & Version 2) FileName.Ext
|
|
3) Support Node Address 4) Support BBS Phone Number
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|
|
Note: It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those
|
|
which verge on necessity. If you want it updated in the next
|
|
FidoNews, get it to me by Thursday evening.
|
|
|
|
--David French, 1:103/250
|
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
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FidoNews 9-02 Page 30 13 Jan 1992
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|
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|
|
======================================================================
|
|
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
|
|
======================================================================
|
|
|
|
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
|
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|
|
Editors: Tom Jennings, Tim Pozar
|
|
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Periello
|
|
Special thanks to Ken Kaplan, 1:100/22, aka Fido #22
|
|
|
|
"FidoNews" BBS
|
|
FidoNet 1:1/1
|
|
Internet fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org
|
|
BBS (415)-863-2739 (9600 HST/V32)
|
|
|
|
(Postal Service mailing address)
|
|
FidoNews
|
|
Box 77731
|
|
San Francisco
|
|
CA 94107 USA
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
FidoNews is copyright 1991 Fido Software. All rights reserved.
|
|
Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes
|
|
only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews (we're
|
|
easy).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OBTAINING COPIES: FidoNews in electronic form may be obtained from
|
|
the FidoNews BBS via manual download or Wazoo FileRequest, or from
|
|
various sites in the FidoNet and via uucp. PRINTED COPIES mailed
|
|
may be obtained from Fido Software for $5.00US each PostPaid First
|
|
Class within North America, or $7.00US elsewhere, mailed Air Mail.
|
|
(US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
|
|
|
|
Periodic subscriptions are not available at this time; if enough
|
|
people request it I will implement it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
|
|
from 1:1/1 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC".
|
|
|
|
FidoNews 9-02 Page 31 13 Jan 1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
|
|
trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco
|
|
CA 94107, USA and are used with permission.
|
|
|
|
-- END
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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