The F I D O N E W S Volume 19, Number 12 25 Mar 2002 +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | |The newsletter of the | | Fido, Fidonet and dog-with-diskette are | | | FidoNet community. | | US Registered Trademarks of Tom Jennings| | | | | San Francisco, California, USA | | | ____________| | | | | / __ | Crash netmail articles to: | | | / / \ | Editor @ 2:2/2 (+46-31-944907) | | | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | Routed netmail articles to: | | \_______\(_| /_) | Bjorn Felten @ 2:203/0 | | _ @/_ \ _ | Email attach to: | | | | \ \\ | bfelten@telia.com | | | (*) | \ ))| | | |__U__| / \// | Editor: Bj”rn Felten | | ______ _//|| _\ / | | | / Fido \ (_/(_|(____/ | Newspapers should have no friends. | | (________) (jm) | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ Copyright 2002 by Fidonews Editor for Fidonews Globally. Table of Contents 1. INSIDE ................................................... 1 The Fidonews at a Glance ................................. 1 2. FIDONET REGIONAL NEWS .................................... 2 Flashcon 2002 in Datteln/Germany ......................... 2 3. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 5 BBS? I Was Calling Granny! ............................... 5 Catcalls from the Cheap Seats ............................ 8 4. REBUTTALS TO PREVIOUS ARTICLES ........................... 10 Response to "Catcalls from the Cheap Shots" .............. 10 5. FIDONET'S INTERNATIONAL KITCHEN .......................... 12 Japanese Stuffed Squid #2 ................................ 12 6. CLEAN HUMOR & JOKES ...................................... 13 BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL #10 ........................... 13 The Math Professor Problem ............................... 15 7. TODD COCHRANE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................. 16 Fidonet Software List .................................... 16 8. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 20 Fidonet-related sites .................................... 20 9. SPECIAL INTEREST ......................................... 25 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 25 10. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .................................... 27 How to Submit an Article ................................. 27 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 28 FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 1 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= INSIDE ================================================================= The Fidonews at a Glance This week Bob Short writes about "The Hidden Treasures of BBS's" in our General Articles section. The Catcaller is back with more "Catcalls from the Cheap Seats" and then Andrea Santos has a rebuttal on a previous Catcall about the US health care system in "Response to...", which should make Luke happy I guess. In the Regional News section, Michael Haase reports from "Flashcon 2002" in region 24 and Robert Bashe gives us some background information on the gathering. Carol makes a second version of her "Japanese Stuffed Squid" in this week's "Fidonet's International Kitchen". The tenth episode of "BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL" (published with the expressed permission from the author) in the Clean Jokes... plus another joke from Ol'wdb, "The Math Professor Problem". ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 2 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= FIDONET REGIONAL NEWS ================================================================= Flashcon 2002 in Datteln/Germany By Michael Haase, 2:2457/280 This event was Ward's idea and it was a great idea! Because of the short planning time not everybody who would have liked to come was able to participate. But nevertheless it was fun to see each other again in real life. Meeting others is in my opinion the main advantage of FidoNet over the newsgroups in Internet. And sometimes true friendships can be made. Ok, back to Datteln 2002. Besides Ward Dossche (IC and ZC2) there were Werner Blatt (RC24), Sven Dueker (REC24), Alex Woick (Ex-RC24), Robert Bashe (he organized the restaurant), Gisbert Rudolph, Andreas Capito, Walter Konezna and Michael Haase. The ones who had been early met at Robert's house, the others came directly to the Chinese restaurant. It was a lovely evening. We talked about several things, only few related to Fido. For the doubters, we did not make intrigues, a black list or something else. :-) Hopefully there will be more Flashcons like this one! - - = = * * * = = - - By Robert Bashe, 2:2448/44 Michael Haase, 2:2457/280, has already mentioned that some of us met recently in Datteln to renew old acquaintances and get to know some others whose names were and are familiar, but whose faces were mutually unknown up to then. It might surprise some that our "Flashcon 2002" originally developed from a remark David Moufarrege, former Z1C, made to me in an email some years ago. David, who lived in Rochester, New York at that time, noted that his mother lives near Datteln (my place of residence, a town of some 30,000 near Dortmund, in the eastern Ruhr area of Germany), and that he would be visiting her there. I thought this would be a nice opportunity to get to know David, who had been writing some messages in our regional node echo (nodes.024), and maybe acquaint him with Ward and some others here in R24, so I asked David if he would be able to stop by Datteln sometime during his visit. He was pleased to do so, and asked that I invite Ward and a couple of others as well. This first "Datteln Con" shortly after Christmas of 1998 was attended by David, Ward Dossche, Gisbert Rudolph and myself, FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 3 25 Mar 2002 and was held at my house. We talked about various Fido affairs, but mainly we just got to know one another. As at the other meetings, we spoke a mixture of German and English, concentrating on one language and then on the other, throughout the evening. David is bilingual in German and English, as am I, Ward speaks at least four languages, and the others speak German and at least passable English. Thus, there were no language problems and in fact it was quite amusing to listen to the blend of languages throughout the evening. The next time, around a year later, Alex Woick, at that time RC24, was also here, and we renewed acquaintances and discussed the situation in R24 until fairly late in the evening. I should mention that these "Datteln Cons" were always very informal affairs, with people arriving around 6-7 PM and leaving late the same evening at or slightly after 12 PM. Since Datteln is geographically located near the middle of Germany, it's fairly easy to reach even from Belgium, where Ward lives. Even so, I was always impressed that so many people were willing to do the necessary driving to attend a social meeting lasting only a few hours. This was and still is one of the real strengths of Fido. Sadly, this was the last meeting David Moufarrege attended. I wrote him again, but he had some personal trouble and was very stressed with business affairs and never was able to make it to Datteln again. The "Datteln Cons" paused for a while, as we were all busy and had enough to do in other respects. But when Ward sent me a message in February 2002, suggesting a "FlashCon" and asking me to do the (minimal) organization, I was happy to comply. We invited all the "regulars" and a couple of people with interesting views as well, and posted an open invitation in nodes.024 to anyone else interested. Unfortunately, several people who would have liked to attend were busy on the selected date (a Saturday, to try to make it easy for people to attend), and at least one (located south of Stuttgart, around 4-5 hours drive from Datteln) simply found the long drive excessive for even such an enjoyable evening. Even so, the attendance was far from disappointing, and in fact we spent the evening discussing nearly everything _except_ Fido, some of us eating - in the Chinese restaurant - something Ward termed "cremated" (naturally: "baked") bananas ;-) We broke up around 1:30 AM and everyone managed to get home by around 3:30 AM (whew!), but since it was Sunday, there was plenty of time to get back into shape for the new week. From my own personal point of view, such an evening is the real reason for Fido. Not the technology, although that's important too. And not the politics, since that's only a necessary adjunct of any kind of organization. Just the people that make up Fido, like in real life some good, some bad, but most of us in the middle - decent people you like to associate with. FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 4 25 Mar 2002 And that's a bit of background on the "FlashCon 2002". Cheers, Bob ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 5 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= GENERAL ARTICLES ================================================================= BBS? I Was Calling Granny! The hidden treasures of Bulletin Board Systems by: Bob Short 1:105/38 bsbbser@juno.com OK, your wait times are unbearable at Almost OnLine, and now you have nothing to do except play Duke 3D and Doom. You're just dying for more online time -- but what are you going to do, subscribe to a second ISP? Or, you've just spent 6 hours on the World Wide Wait, finding and downloading the latest version of Quake, but it's too late at night to try it. How about logging on to a home page and sweating it out while downloading a dozen images -- so you can jump to yet another page or two? Ah, the Internet! Well, maybe the Internet's not quite that bad. With the proper filtering software or parental direction, it can be a safe, educational, and entertaining experience for children. For adults, the World Wide Web can be an invaluable tool to access programs and support for both personal and business needs, creating a new marketing revolution. Another Dimension There's another dimension to cyberspace that they don't mention at the computer store, one that can provide many of the same features as the Internet and some that it doesn't. It not the intention of this article to make comparisons or to infer that one is better than the other, as both are unique in their own ways. Rather I write hoping to educate the reader to an aspect in telecommunications that has served the community since before the World Wide Web was conceived, and has been somewhat overshadowed by the highly publicized and popular Web. This alternative is the "Bulletin Board System" (BBS), an online service offering a wide variety of online games, files, one-on-one chat, message areas, private mail, and participatory forums. All this can be found at many of the local BBSs via the communications software that came bundled with your operating system (HyperTerminal for Window 95, Terminal for Win 3.x). You can find a list of BBS numbers for your community at your local computer club, or by doing a web search for "BBS lists" There are many different styles of Bulletin Board Systems; each BBS is customized in form and appearance by its system operator, the person known as the SysOp. Boards range in size from those operating over a single telephone line from a home PC to full-featured, multi-line systems run on a LAN server. Their look and feel can range from straight black-and-white text to 256-color SVGA graphics. Many BBSs charge you nothing to call and offer 30-60 minutes access per day, while others might charge a nominal subscription fee to access the more popular features like multi-user chat or CD-ROM files areas, or to allow you more daily online time. Still others might offer full-fledged (and feebased) Internet access in addition to their standard BBS services. The majority of these boards are operated by FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 6 25 Mar 2002 computer hobbyists who put their time, money and equipment at the disposal of the community simply for the joy of doing so. Quite often, the SysOp will run his BBS to promote a special area of interest, while others have a more general appeal. One of the most enticing aspects of BBSs is the personal attention many SysOps give to their callers. Some even go out of the way to help their users with software and hardware problems, making them a valuable resource for technical assistance and advice. Opening an account is as easy as calling and answering a few simple questions. Most fee-based BBSs offer a free trial period to give you a feel for the system before subscribing. Free boards often have a Call Back Verifier which calls your computer to check your phone number and then automatically validates your account. Once a member, you will become part of a family of users who consider their favorite BBS a place to meet, play, share programs and ideas, and an indispensable resource for sending messages across town or around the world. At your BBS, you can truly enjoy a sense of closeness and community. SysOps often host gatherings where members can meet one another. As mentioned above, there can be many activities available on BBSs that inform and inspire, entertain and enhance. Offering a relatively safe alternative to some areas of the Internet, BBS SysOps usually require phone number verification, real names for the user records (though aliases might also be allowed) and, where access to adult material is available, proof of age and sex. These requirements seek to guarantee a comfortable environment for both men and women, children and adults. It is not uncommon to see users ages 8 to 80. Here are the features found at many BBSs. You're bound to find something enlightening on your very first call. Messages This was the main feature when BBSs appeared some 20 years ago, hence the name Bulletin Board System. In message areas you can easily place or read an advertisement or announcement, post a question or answer, or browse through any of hundreds of specialized subject areas for interesting information. If your BBS is connected to a network of systems such as FidoNet, most messages will be "echoed" around the globe to some 10,000 other BBSs which pass messages and files via telephone line, satellite and the Internet. If you have problems with hardware or software, you'll find that many computer companies and programmers visit these message areas to answer questions and offer support. There are currently over 700 FidoNet echoes (topic areas) that cover more than 500 subjects. Files The local BBS is a great place to download the latest shareware, freeware, and public domain software. You will often have download privileges on your first call, and the compressed files you download are easily uncompressed with a variety of freeware or shareware archiving programs. If your primary connection to the Internet is via modem, you're in for a pleasant surprises. First, file transfers from a BBS typically proceed more quickly than modem-based FTP (file transfer protocol) downloads on the Internet because you're not FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 7 25 Mar 2002 sharing the data line between you and the file source with anyone else. Or, maybe you have had a multi-megabyte transfer interrupted toward the end of the download. BBSs usually support download protocols that allow you to pick up where left off -- without having to re-download what's already on your system. Chat Multi-line BBSs may offer user chat, or even "forums" where any number of people can gather to discuss common issues. Once online, you can usually see a list of users who are also online and page someone for one-on-one chat, or invite them into a private chat room. This feature can really help to instill a sense of "family" and belonging. E-mail Where some smaller systems may have private e-mail strictly between users on that BBS, others might have mail across their network (NetMail), or even give you an Internet e-mail address. The SysOp may allow file attachments, enabling you to mail a favorite shareware game to a friend just like over the Internet. Telnet & FTP If you join a board with multiple lines and an Internet connection, you'll have the ability to call out to other BBSs. This allows you to log on to another telnet-able BBS, anywhere in the world, with no long-distance phone charges. A multi-line BBS can also utilize open lines to access FTP sites, where you can obtain files that might not otherwise be available locally. Coupled with the home system's file bases, this creates an enormous resource for finding an unlimited variety of programs. Faxing Some systems have online fax capabilities that allow you to send a fax via the Internet, eliminating long-distance charges. This is usually as secure as sending e-mail. Games Last, but not least, are the ever-popular door games. Everything from Acey Deucy to Yahtzee can be played on a BBS. Card, dice, board, word search, adventure, and role-playing games abound. Even the new 3-D rendered games are possible at connections of 14,400 bits per second or higher. You play these games while online against a computer opponent or another caller. If your BBS has more that one line, you can play many of these head-to-head against another person online. There are also many information doors such as skiing and road conditions, electronic magazines, stock quotes, weather, horoscope and matchmakers. Whether you are a kid stuck indoors on a rainy day, a mom with time between laundry loads, on lunch break at the office, disabled or retired, you are sure to get your fill of whatever sparks your interest at many of the local BBSs in your area. Why not strike up FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 8 25 Mar 2002 your modem and discover a whole new cyber-world right in your own back yard? (Originally published in the ComputerBits magazine June, 1997) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Catcalls from the Cheap Seats By Luke Kolin Our Editor being paid me the ultimate compliment of positive mention in his editorial last week, and this catcaller reacted by basking in Bjorn's reflect glow for the better part of a week. Today I'm faced with my unofficial Friday deadline, and as I actually have work to do at the office I'm tempted to drag out my viritol-filled rant against Andrea Santos from several months back to fill space. Maybe not. I'm not sure if that battle, against the slack-jawed defenders of 'order', is really worth fighting over and over again. In some senses, this freedom-loving observer isn't much different than the forlorn Marxist revolutionaries of yesteryear (and today's university professors) who sit dispiritedly while the working class outdoes itself in getting exploited by the capitalistic system. Ownership of the means of production, you say? I'd prefer ownership of the means of watching the WWF on a 52" screen instead! Not participating in any FidoNet echo conferences these days leaves me with somewhat of a shortage of material, as well as determining if my lonely print crusade is having an effect. I think for a moment or two on Tuesday I was sufficiently self-gratified to believe that a groundswell of opposition was forming to the Policy non-change, that the sysops would see the idle futility of the change, and.... the Socialist Workers' Party nominee for president will sweep Dubya out of the Oval Office in two and a half years time. To quote Daddy, "Not Gonna Happen." In some senses, the sysops of FidoNet aren't much different than the average US sitcom viewer; they from time to time don't like to think, and much prefer someone else to do the thinking for them. (As an aside, isn't it interesting how commentators only claim that this is hapenning when those same folks don't agree with them?) After a long day at work, the average American doesn't mind plunking down in front of the TV and NOT trying to think for an hour or so at a time. It is often argued that freedom to do must encompass freedom from doing - the right to think freely should involve giving that right to someone else, who has the right to think freely on my behalf. It is much the same concept as arguing that a nation where voting is compulsory does not have a truly free ballot. Dissertations and moaning aside, I went looking for a current nodelist earlier this week, to see just how far Zone 1 had fallen. Based on the numbers I saw, I'd be highly interested in seeing the average distinct sysops names per network broken down by Zone - there's a lot of Zone 1 networks with 1 or 2 sysops only, compared to a lot of very large networks in Zone 2. I'm surprised that no one has argued that the FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 9 25 Mar 2002 latest non-amendment is merely a way of entrenching the often-claimed Zone 1 dominance of FidoNet from its earlier days; it looks to me like a Zone 1 sysop's vote is worth far more than a Zone 2 sysop's. However, since FidoNet still hasn't grasped the concept of the universal franchise, the idea of "one man, one vote" is far too much for this individual to ask for. Speaking of a lack of democracy, I should point out to our Russian friend, Maxim Zhukov, that the disqualification of Russian athletes is not related to any acts by the US government at all, and he's just engaging in some time-honoured Russian paranoia. He should be aware that the International Olympic Committee, run by that old paragon of Falangist democracy Juan Antonio Samaranch, was corrupt enough to make Lenoid Brezhnev's Soviet Union look like a Boy Scout convention. You weren't screwed by the United States - the IOC is scrupulously above petty squabbles like nationality when it decides to cheat. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 10 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= REBUTTALS TO PREVIOUS ARTICLES ================================================================= Response to "Catcalls from the Cheap Shots" By Andrea Santos It's obvious Mr. Kolin's view on the wonderous state of health care in the United States is painted by an ever shrinking segment of Corporate America. Should he ever decide to leave those hallowed halls, the awakening will be a cruel one. Mr. Kolin's sister was wise to point out that over 40 million people in the United States have no health insurance at all ... a looming National disgrace. The only reason why it's not higher still is because more people now qualify for Medicaid and the CHIPS program for kids. Combine this group with Medicare recipients, and we're left with some astronomical figure like 1 in 3-4 Americans with NO health insurance coverage. Those numbers should appall any reasonable person. To add insult to injury, Doctors all over the country are now turning away seniors, whether recipients of Medicare or Medicaid, because of Federal reimbursement cuts. In short, as baby boomers begin retiring this decade, we could be faced with a crisis of mass proportions, where Seniors will find it difficult or impossible to see a private Doctor. The 40+ million uninsured are the self-employed, full time workers at countless small businesses and persons holding down multiple part time jobs at many of America's richest corporate retail and food service institutions, ie., Walmart, Target, McDonald's, Burger King, tc. A $100.00/month contribution to ABC HMO from any of these behemouths will hardly make the $300.00-$400.00 monthly premiums affordable to someone earning $5.15-$10.00/hour. For the self-employed and others not covered by a company plan, monthly family premiums range from $500 for HMO coverage, to well over $1000 for "Fee for Service" with Major Medical. IOW, these millions of "not smart" individuals are faced with monthly payments which often exceed the average monthly mortgage or rental payment and these rates have gone up over $50/month for 4 consecutive years with no end to the lunacy in sight. In reality, it's the corporate covered employees who are being duped. The rest of us have no choice but to see the inequities. The "white shirt, red tie, Oxford" crowd are getting nailed too but they don't acknowledge the severity of the problem because their "hits" are disguised in the form of lower wages. Instead of a 3% annual wage increase, they'll receive 2%. The "missing" 1%, which went to defray the annual insurance increase, never appears on the pay stub, so they don't miss what was never in full view. What does appear is $10-$20 month increase which doesn't burn as big a whole in the pocket. This explains why real wages have barely budged in years. As for $75/month "cut price" family health insurance, Mr. Kolin knows FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 11 25 Mar 2002 not of what he speaks or is purely dreaming because this doesn't exist. Having done extensive investigation on a myriad of insurance plans available in my state, I will go as far as saying that yes it's possible to get a plan or two for about $350/month with the following conditions: - Major Medical either excluded entirely or not before a deductible of $2500.00 to $5000.00 is met first. Even one hospitalization would likely wipe out anyone whose only affordable option is such a plan - No prescription drug coverage - No maternity coverage - No preexisting conditions need apply - A host of ailments/procedures not covered With coverage like this, a person in my state is better off to forgo insurance entirely and rely on the Public Hospital for emergencies and life threatening diseases and their Satellite facilities which will offer reduced rates based on income, while you wait up to an entire day to be seen by a Doctor. Whether the Canadian system is better or worse than ours is debatable to some extent, but it's not really the issue. Healthcare in the United States is sufficiently broke and there isn't a politico in the country with the guts to stand up and demand it be fixed because it's going to take additional revenues that covered employees don't want to pay and a whole lot of reform not suitable to Insurers, Lawyers, Pharmaceuticals and Corporate America. As for Fidonet, there are no sufficient parallels. While the Canadian system may not be better in terms of service, the current state of US healthcare has shifted over the last 20 years to a class system. Truly "gold plated" insurance plans where you can see any Doctor you want, anytime you want, and receive care at any hospital you desire are available to a fraction of our overall population with everyone else covered by Preferred Provider Organizations, Managed Care Systems, both of which limit choice and access, or nothing at all. We've got the best hospitals and Doctors in the world, yet fewer and fewer of our people can avail themselves of the facilities and services without going broke or even dying in the process. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 12 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= FIDONET'S INTERNATIONAL KITCHEN ================================================================= Japanese Stuffed Squid #2 1 lg Squid, about 7 inch body 1 lb Shrimp 1/4 lb Hot sausage 1 ea Head Nappa cabbage 3 ea Bok choy stalks 3 ea Large carrots, grated 1/4 c Grated radish (daikon) 1 c Cooked short/medium rice More squid landed at my feet and we tried yet another way to make it here in Japan. This is very close to how many here make it. When Charlotte saw it, she asked if it 'died because someone stuffed it'. (No dear, not quite ). Clean the squid as normal (many show directions, ask me if you dont have a set). Chop the veggies and shrimp up then make a filling with them. Heat a large oil deepfryer or bake with frequent brushings of sesame oil. To deepfry, takes about 15 mins. Baking at 350 takes about 25 minutes. These should best be served cold and in slices, 1 or 2 to a person unless you are Charlotte in which case you might need more! For a full meal, add: Udon Nabe, Green Beans blanched with black olives, and sweet adzuki beans over rice. From the kitchen of: xxcarol ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 13 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= CLEAN HUMOR & JOKES ================================================================= BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL #10 I get invited to a lecture as a guest speaker in "Computing Operations Fund- amentals", so I leave the control room in the capable hands of Sam, the janitor and cruise on down. The lecture starts and goes ok, then there's a 10 minute period where students get to ask a "real operator" questions that they have about operations. I get out my pad and pen. "Before we get started" I say, "could you just call out your username before you ask me a question, I find it easier to apply your problem to terms you would understand better" The lecturer eats all this up - the personal touch really gets to them. "First Question, You over there.." "What do you think of the privacy of individuals on a shared system?" "What was your username please?" "CMS1103" Scratchy scritch< "Computer Privacy... Hmmm. This is a toughy really. You mean stuff like reading the email between you and your counsellor about you not wanting to come out of the closet?" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!" "AH. Well, he seems to have left - must have picked a bad COMPLETELY RANDOM example. Next question. You, over there..." "CMS1136. I was.." "Ah yes, 1136 the only person on campus who subscribes to alt.sex.buggery.by. sailors.dressed.in.mums.clothing" "It's purely for research purposes!" "I'm sure it is. You do a lot of story posting for a researcher don't you?" "NNGggggAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHGH!" "Next please..." ... .. Two minutes later, the lecture theatre's empty. That's the problem with students today, they just don't want to learn. FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 14 25 Mar 2002 I go back to control and Sam's asleep at the console again. I think he's after my job. I make a mental note to tap into the salary database and cancel his health and accident insurance payments. You can't be too careful.. I put the phone on the hook for the first time this afternoon and it starts ringing almost immediately. THAT'S IT! I redirect it to 911 catch a bit of shuteye. That'll teach them. OOPS! Almost forgot to turn over the excuse calendar. "STATIC FROM NYLON UNDERWEAR" Nope, too plausable - although in some cases I could do an on-site check. Nah, can't be stuffed. I'll pick another one. "STATIC FROM PLASTIC SLIDE RULES" Now THAT'S one with a challenge! I un-redirect the phone and drag the rubbish bin so it rests on the printer's stacker - another job well done. The phone rings - this could be the big one! "Hello?" "Hi, Um, how do I spell-check my file?" "Simple, just type `spell' and the filename" "Thanks" I'm so bloody nice this morning. Especially as I know that my version of spell introduces errors instead of detecting them. Things like changing friend to freind and vice-versa. What the hell. The phone rings - it's them again. "There's something wrong with spell" "What makes you think that?" "Because my file is all corrupt now!" "That doesn't sound like spell to me. Are you logged into thru PC?" "Yes, but I can.." "Please, leave the technical diagnosis to me... Now, is there a plastic ruler somewhere on or in the desk?" "Um clunka<, yes..." "Right. You've got a static buildup on your hard-drive caused by the changing electrostatic field generated by the ruler - the same one that makes bits of paper stick to it when you rub it up and down your arm..." DUMMY MODE ON "Oh. What do I do?" "You know how you get paper off a ruler by hitting it on a table lots FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 15 25 Mar 2002 of times? Well do that with your PC. Say 20 times - lift it about a foot off the desk & drop it." "Oh. OK" crash< crash< crash< "Um, the screen went dark" "That's ok, it's supposed to do that - keep going. And when you're finished, do the screen as well, that static may have gone up the wires to it." crash< crash< crash<... I hang up. I get up and go out to the public area to put honey in the floppy drives when a guy who looked like Lee Harvey Oswald runs up to me and shoots me, only the sound comes from the machine room, and I can hear the ex System-Managers chuckle.... Later, in the ambulance, I realise. I forgot to get the guys username... Then everything goes dark ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Math Professor Problem By Warren Bonner "A wealthy man dies and leaves ten million dollars. One-fifth is to go to his wife, one-third is to go to his son from his first marriage, one-sixth to his butler, and the rest to charity. Now, what does each get?" A student in the back of the room answered, "A lawyer?" ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 16 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= TODD COCHRANE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ================================================================= Fidonet Software List By Todd Cochrane Type: B=BBS D=Door M=Mailer T=Tosser C=Communication (terminal) U=Utility P=Point Software I=Internet (telnet, BinkP...) <+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+=-=+=-=-+-=-=+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+> ( Software Name ) |Type| ( Author/Contact ) <+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+=-=|=-=-|-=-=+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+> |BBBS Home Page |B | b@bbbs.net | | | | www.bbbs.net/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |ELEBBS The Elevator |B | elebbs@elebbs.com | |Software Production | | www.elebbs.com | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Hermes II Project |B | info@HermesII.org | | | | http://www.hermesii.org/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Maximus BBS Support |B | sales@lainus.com | |Page (Non Official) | | http://www.vector11.com/maximus/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |MBSE BBS |B | Michiel Broek | | | | mbroek@users.sourceforge.net | | | | http://mbse.sourceforge.net | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Mystic BBS |B | http://www.mysticbbs.com/mystic/ | | | | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Nexus Bulletin |B | groberts@nexusbbs.net | |Board System | | http://www.nexusbbs.net/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Proboard, Searchlight, |BC | info@telegrafix.com | |Telegrafix | | http://www.telegrafix.com | |Communications | | 540-678-4050 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |RemoteAccess |B | Bruce Morse | |Central | | bfmorse@rapro.com | | | | http://www.rapro.com/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Spitfire BBS |B | MDWoltz@AOL.COM | |Buffalo Creek Software | |http://www.angelfire.com/ia/buffalo/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Synchronet BBS |BT | sysop@vert.synchro.net | | | | http://www.synchro.net | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Telegard BBS |B | support@telegard.net | | | | http://www.telegard.net/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Wildcat Interactive |BTMI| sales@santronics.com | |Net Server | | http://www.santronics.com | FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 17 25 Mar 2002 |Plantinum Express | |(305)248-3204 | | | | Santronics Inc. | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Bentstone Capabilities |D | info@stonebenders.com | |Group | | http://www.srupc.com/mall | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Jibben Software |D | scott@jibben.com | | | | http://www.jibbensoftware.com/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |JNS Software Door Games|D | Rusty Johnson | | | | rustyjohnson57@hotmail.com | | | | 304-733-0113 | | | | http://www.geocities.com/jnssoftware/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Legend Of The Red |D | | |Dragon Reborn | | | |(L.O.R.D.) | | http://www.lordlegacy.org/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |PC Pursuits |D |brucep@pop.kis.net | | | |(301)240-6653 | | | |http://www.pcpursuits.com/products.htm | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |S and T Software |D |Mark Bappe | | | |mark.bappe@bozax.iainc.net | | | |(770)788-6843 | | | |http://bozax.iainc.net/public/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Shinning Star BBS Doors|D |nannette@shiningstar.net | | | |http://www.shiningstar.net/bbsdoors/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Sunrise Door Software |D |Al Lawerence | | | |al@sunrisedoors.com | | | |(404)256-9518 | | | |http://www.sunrisedoors.com/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |The Brainex System |D |info@brainex.com | | | |http://www.brainex.com/brainex_system/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Trade Wars Door Game |D |jpritch@eisonline.com | | | |http://www.eisonline.com/tradewars/ | | | |1:299/110 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Vagabond Software |D |Bryan Turner | | | |vagabond@darktech.org | | | |http://vagabond.virtualave.net/ | | | |1:124/7013 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |FMail Support |T |wijnstra@fmail.nl.eu.org | | | |http://fmail.nl.eu.org/ | | | |2:280/1076 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Squish Tosser |T |http://www.lanius.com/squish.htm | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Argus RITLABS |M |argus@ritlabs.com | | | |373-2-246889 | | | |http://www.ritlabs.com/argus/ | FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 18 25 Mar 2002 | | |2:469/84 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |FrontDoor |MTPC|Definite Solutions | |FrontDoor APX | |sales@defsol.se | |Mailer/Point Software | |http://www.defsol.se/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |BeeMail Home Page |M |http://beemail.gexonline.net | | | |Stephen Proffit | | | |1:211/405 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |BinkleyTerm XE |M |http://btxe.sourceforge.net/ | |Frontend Mailer | | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |BinkD |MI |maloff@corbina.net | | | |http://2f.ru/binkd/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Fidogate |UIT |Martin_Junius@m-j-s.net | | | |http://www.fidogate.org/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Fidonet to Internet |IM |Bo Bendtsen | |Mailer | |sales@terminate.com | | | |http://www.terminate.com/fido2int.htm | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |GiGo Software |UI |http://www.gigo.com/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Internet Rex |IM |cruden@cs.ualberta.ca | | | |http://plaza.v-wave.com/InternetRex/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Tmail |IM |http://www.tmail.spb.ru/index-19.htm | |(Russian /w English DL)| | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |TransX Multiboard |M |support@multiboard.com | |Communications Inc. | |http://www.multiboard.com/software/ | | | |transx.html | | | |1:2401/305 | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |TransNet |I |transnet@ressl.com.ar | | | |http://www.ressl.com.ar/transnet/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Watergate |I |ramon@sbbs.se | | | |http://www2.sbbs.se/hp/ramon/ | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |JetSys-Home of JetMail |TU |http://www.jetsys.de/ | |JetStat and other Atari| | | |Fidonet utilities | | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |APoint (Author) |P |http://www.apoint.websale.net/index.htm| | | |http://www.apoint-mail.de (Co-Autho) | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |CrossPoint |P |("Original" version) | | | |http://www.crosspoint.de | | | |http://www.apoint-mail.de | | | |(OpenXP Projekt) | | | |http://www.openxp.com (English) | | | |http://www.openxp.de (German) | | | |CrossPoint (XP2 Team) | FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 19 25 Mar 2002 | | |http://www.xp2.de | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |WinPoint95 |P |http://www.schenksmir.de/wp/english | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |The OpenXP CrossPoint |P |http://www.happyarts.de/xp | |Projekt | | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |Terminate Terminal |P |http://www.terminate.com | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| |PPoint-FTS compatible |P |http://www.alcuf.ca/ppoint.htm | |E-Mail System | | | |-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------| \====================================================================/ ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 20 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= FIDONET BY INTERNET ================================================================= . -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- . | FIDONET-RELATED SITES | ` -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- ' 2002-03-23 Please send updates, corrections and suggestions to Shannon Talley, 1:275/311 or fbi@fidotel.com. Please ensure your website is operational before submitting. All websites will be checked several times per month. If your website is down, or if it is a commerical website advertising products or services, it will be removed from the queue. FidoNet Email subscriptions: http://www.fidonews.org http://www.fidotel.com FidoNet Homepage: http://www.fidonet.org FidoNews: http://www.fidonews.org [HTML] ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/ http://www.fidotel.com/public/fidonews Echolist: http://www.tlchost.net/echolist/ SDS Files: http://fidobbs.dk/download (Web Access to SDS) FTSC page: http://www.ftsc.org/ General: http://www.writebynight.com/fidonet.html http://www.fidotel.com Parody: http://www.fidonet.ro/ Zone 1: http://www.z1.fidonet.org Region 10: http://www.r10.org Net 102 http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/net102.htm Net 103: http://www.webworldinc.com/club103/ Region 11: http://www.vector11.com/region11/ Net 2410: http://www.vector11.com/net2410/ Region 12 Net 229: http://net229.darktech.org/ Region 13: http://www.ispaceonline.org/region13/ Net 261: http://www.baltimorepress.com/~net261/ Net 275: http://www.ispaceonline.org/net275/ Net 267: http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/net267/ Net 275: http://www.ispaceonline.org/net275/ Region 14: Net 282: http://www.rxn.com/~net282/ Region 15: http://www.bobsplc.com/public/reg15 Region 17: http://www.region17.net Net 140: http://www.nwstar.com/~net140 Region 18: http://techshop.pdn.net/fido/ Region 19: http://bise.tzo.com/r19 Net 124: http://www.DallasInet.com/net124/ http://pages.sbcglobal.net/flv/ Net 393: http://www.chatter.com/~wb/ FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 21 25 Mar 2002 Zone 2: http://www.z2.fidonet.org Region 20: http://www.fidonet.pp.se (in Swedish) Region 23: http://www.fido.dk (in Danish) Region 24: http://www.was-ist-fido.de/ (German) Fido-IP: http://home.nrh.de/fido/ (English/German) Region 26: http://www.nemesis.ie Region 27: http://telematique.org/ft/r27.htm Region 29: http://www.rtfm.be/fidonet/ (French) http://Welcome.to/skynetbbs/ Region 34: http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (Spanish) REC34: http://www.fidospain.org Region 38: http://public.st.carnet.hr/~blagi/bbs/adriam.html Region 41: http://www.fidonet.gr (Greek/English) Net422: http://www.fido.sk (Slovak/English) Region 50: http://www.fido7.com/ (Russian) Region 53: http://fido.bitsoft.ro/ Net 5010: http://fido.tu-chel.ac.ru/ (Russian) Net 5015: http://www.fido.nnov.ru/ (Russian) Net 5085: http://www.fidonet.uz/ (Russian) Zone 3: http://www.z3.fidonet.org Zone 4: Region 80: http://fidobrasil.8m.com (Portuguese) Net 904: http://members.tripod.com/~net904 (Spanish) Zone 5: http://www.eastcape.co.za/fidonet/ Zone 6: http://www.z6.fidonet.org Region 65: http://www.cfido.com (Chinese) Fidonet Via Internet Hubs Node# | Operator | Facilities (*) | Speed,| Basic Rate | | |latency| -----------+-------------------+----------------+-------+------------ Zone 1 | | | | 10/3 | Brenda Donovan | FTP,UUE,BinkP | 384K,30| n/c 10/345 | Todd Cochrane | FTP,BinkP,VMOT | T1,! | n/c 18/500 | Ross Cassell | FTP, BinkP |128K+,!| n/c 103/5 | Mark Luetger | BinkP | CABLE | n/c 103/301 | Joe Jared | BinkP,FTP,NFS | 384k,!| n/c 103/401 | Warren Bonner | BinkP | aDSL,!| n/c 105/8 | Russ Johnson | FTP,BinkP,VMoT | 384k | n/c 105/72 | Larry James | FTP, BinkP | aDSL | $50/yr 106/1 | Steve Loupe | BinkP, FTP | 768k | FREE 106/2000 | Bob Juge | BinkP VMoT FTP TX| ??? | n/c 106/6018 | Lawrence Garvin | FTP, VMoT | aDSL,60| n/c 107/453 | Jeffrey Estevez| FTP,BinkP,VMoT,UUE| 56k,60| $10 mo. 134/11 | Michael Grant | FTP, BinkP, VMoT UUE, IFCICO,TransX FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 22 25 Mar 2002 aDSL, 60 | n/c 138/146 | Marc Blakely | BinkP,FTP | ??? | n/c 140/1 | Bob Seaborn | FTP,BinkP | T3,30 | $5/$16 142/906 | Chris Griffin | BinkP | ??? | n/c 150/220 | Dave Nemeth | UUE | ??? | n/c 153/7715 | Dallas Hinton | BinkD, FTP | CABLE | ??? 167/133 | Stephen Monteith | BinkP | 128k+ | n/c 167/166 | Jesse Dooling | POP? UUE TX FTP| ??? | n/c 218/109 | Matt Munson | BinkP,UUE,TX | 33.6k | n/c 220/10 | groberts|nexusbbs.net |BinkP,FTP,UUE|1.5M+ | n/c 229/1 | Phil Simpson | BinkP UUE FTP | ??? | n/c 229/2000 | Robert Couture |BinkP FTP UUE TX| ??? | 229/622 | Dave Hamilton | BinkP | ??? | n/c 249/116 | Carl Austin Bennett | FTP, UUE |ADSL,60 | n/c 250/98 | Darin McBride | BinkP FTP TX | ??? | n/c 250/99 | Brent McLaren | FTP BinkP | ??? | n/c 250/102 | Darin McBride | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c 267/169 | Philip Lozier | FTP TX | ??? | n/c 261/1380 | Joe Davis | UUE TX | ??? | n/c 275/311 | Shannon Talley|FTP,BinkP,FTP,VMoT,QWK| T1 |n/c 280/169 | Brian Greenstreet | FTP | 33.6 | $2mo. 297/11 | Michael McCabe | TX | ??? | n/c 323/120 | Craig Healy | VMoT FTP | ??? | n/c 342/3 | Richard Dodsworth | BinkP,FTP | 128K+ | n/c 360/5 | Bennie Hutto | FTP VMoT | aDSL | n/c 379/1 | Dale Ross | FTP, BinkP,UUE | 256K+,! n/c 379/1200 | Chris Cranford | BinkP FTP TX | ??? | n/c 395/670 | Arthur Stark | BinkP VMoT FTP | ??? | n/c 396/45 | Marc Lewis |BinkP FTP UUE TX| ADSL | n/c 396/48 | Ben Ritchey | UUE:BFDS? | 33.6k | n/c 2215/300 | Dennis Haddox | UUE,TX | CABLE | n/c 2320/38 | Janis Kracht | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c 2410/400 | Gary Gilmore | FTP BinkP | 384K,60| n/c 2410/213 | Kevin Bentz | FTP, BinkP, UUE| Cable | n/c 2604/104 | Jim Mclaughlin | FTP,VMoT,UUE | 33.6 | $1mo 2624/306 | David Calafrancesco | VMoT | 33.6 | n/c 3613/1275 | @ jyates@bsdi.ldl.net | UUE,FTP | 28.8 | n/c 3407/4 | Robert Todd |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | n/c 3632/84 | Robert Todd |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | n/c 3830/5 | Jeff Schrunk |BinkP FTP TX UUE| ??? | n/c -------------------------------------------------------------- Zone 2 | 20/11 | Henrik Lindhe | BinkP | ??? | n/c 22/222 | Kim Heino | BinkP | ??? | n/c 28/1 | Lody Caenen | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c 31/1 | Gabriel Plutzar | BinkP | T1+ | n/c 37/37 | Gabor Z. Papp | BinkP | ??? | n/c 47/999 | Andrej Kirejev | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 53/558 |Vladimir Hrusca|POP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP,ifcico|2mbs|?? 201/329 | Mats Wallin | VMoT TX | ??? | n/c 201/505 | Goran Eriksson | BinkP | ??? | n/c 201/600 | H†kan Andersson |BinkP,FTP |512kbps| n/c 203/600 | Mikael Karlsson |BinkP,FTP,TX,UUE| 512k | n/c 211/37 | Torbjorn Mohn | BinkP | 8/2mb | n/c 221/360 | Tommi Koivula | BinkP,UUE | ??? | n/c 236/205 | Michael Kaaber | BinkP | ??? | n/c FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 23 25 Mar 2002 240/6298 | Steve Tell | BinkP UUE | ??? | n/c 246/2098 | Volker Imre | BinkP | ??? | n/c 252/110 | David Rance | UUE | ??? | n/c 255/90 | Simon Avery | UUE | ??? | n/c 263/950 | Sean Rima | TX UUE | ??? | n/c 280/1027 | Lukas de Groen | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c 280/1601 | Jeroen VanDeLeur | FTP,UUE | 64k | n/c 280/4312 | Jos Huijnen | BinkP ifcico UUE TX| ??? | n/c 280/5003 | Kees van Eeten | BinkP ifcico | ??? | n/c 292/620 | Eddy Missoul | VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 64k | n/c 292/624 | Steven Leeman | UUE | 64k | n/c 292/854 | Ward Dossche | BinkP UUE TX | ??? | n/c 292/907 | Bart Verhaeghe | BinkP,VMoT,UUE | 64K | n/c 292/2003 | Eric Vaneberck | BinkP | 768k | n/c 301/1 | Peter Witschi | BinkP | 768k | n/c 332/807 | Roberto Mascolo | BinkP | ??? | n/c 333/0 | M Gianformaggio | BinkP | ??? | n/c 335/534 | Mario Mure | BinkP,VMot,UUE | 64k | n/c 335/610 | Gino Lucrezi | UUE | 33.6 | n/c 341/14 | Rafael Suarez | BinkP VMoT | ??? | n/c 341/51 | Jose.Maria Tejada | VMoT | | 341/66 | Angel Ripoll | VMoT | | 343/168 | Jose Casanova | VMoT | | 344/201 | Julio Garcia | BinkP | ??? | n/c 346/3 | Carlos Navarro | UUE | ??? | n/c 347/1 | Javi Polo | UUE | | 348/105 | Alejandro Estraviz| BinkP UUE | | 382/100 | Sinisa Burina | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 400/555 | Ofir Michaeli | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 400/557 | Marius Kaizerman | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 423/81 | Milos Bajer | BinkP | ??? | n/c 461/256 | Andrew Rutkas | BinkP | ??? | n/c 461/640 | Alex Semenyaka |BinkP ifcico UUE| ??? | n/c 465/204 | Va Milushnikov | BinkP | 33.6k | n/c 469/84 | Max Masyutin | VMoT | 256k | n/c 469/128 | Oleg Vasenyoff | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 480/112 | Adam Sarapata| FTP, VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 128k | n/c 550/4077 | Serguei Trouchelle| UUE | ----- | n/c 2410/201 | Karsten Ebeling | BinkP UUE | ??? | n/c 2411/413 | Dennis Dittrich | UUE,BinkP | 64k | n/c 2432/200 | Sven Dueker | BinkP TX UUE | ??? | n/c 2446/301 | Lothar Behet | BinkP,VMoT,UUE,FTP | 64K | n/c 2474/275 | Christian Emig | UUE | 64k | unkn 2487/3000 | Steffen Gross | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5002/5002 | Victor Belyakov | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5014/4 | Alex Bagmanov | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 5020/52 | Peter Didenko | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5020/54 | Serge Wizgounoff | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 5020/69 | B Chernivetsky | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5020/238 | Sergey Gubanov | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5030/115 | Andrey Podkolzin | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5030/1251 | K Stepanekov | UUE | ??? | n/c 5100/8 | Egons Bush | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5020/1159 | Gennady Kudryashoff | UUE | 33.6 | n/c 5049/12 | Amir Shabashvili | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5054/3 | Andrew Popov | BinkP | ??? | n/c FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 24 25 Mar 2002 5080/80 | Eugene Zorin | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 5083/21 | Alexander Uskov | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c 5090/2 | Andrew Titov | BinkP | ??? | n/c 5100/8 | Egons Bush | BinkP | ??? | n/c -------------------------------------------------------------- Zone 3 633/260 | Malcolm Miles | FTP,BinkP | 64K | n/c 640/954 | Rick Van Ruth | FTP,VMot,UUE,BinkP| 56K| n/c 712/311 | Bob James | TX | ??? | n/c 774/605 | Barry Blackford|BinkP,VMoT:10023,ifcico,FTP |33.6| n/c -------------------------------------------------------------- Zone 4 801/161 | Renato Zambon | UUE | 33.6 |n/c 902/18 | Javier Tejedor | UUE | 33,6 | n/c -------------------------------------------------------------- Zone 6 65/3000 | Lawrence Fan | UUE | 33600 | free 653/1009 | Maorong Chen | UUE | ??? | free 654/0 | Bin Li | UUE,BinkP | 33600 | free 654/1501 | Lawrence Fan | UUE,BinkP | 28800 | free -- * FTP = Internet File Transfer Protocol * VMoT = Virtual Mailer over Telnet (various) * UUE = uuencode<->email type transfers * BinkP = front end mailer for TCPIP networks * TX = TransX * NFS = Linux Networking * ifcico = ifcico-compatible virtual mailer * QWK = Quick Packets/Offline mailer "networking" capable ---------------------------------------------- Fidonet oriented news servers news.fidotel.com (currently offline) news.osirusoft.com news.tardis.net nntp://fido.bitsoft.ro nntp://bbs.bitsoft.ro Fidonet oriented chat rooms. room #fidonet 5PM (PDT 11AM GMT) Sundays irc.osirusoft.com (Peers wanted) irc.sinoptix.ro : malay, chinesse, english, #fido, #fidonet, #wwb irc.bitsoft.ro : 6667 russian, english, hebrew, #fido, #wwb irc.tsua.net : 6668 russian, english #fido ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 25 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= SPECIAL INTEREST ================================================================= Nodelist Stats Input nodelist nodelist.081 size 1120.8kb date 2002-03-24 The nodelist has 10084 nodes in it and a total of 12991 non-comment entries including 6 zones 65 regions 472 hosts 697 hubs admin overhead 1240 ( 12.30 %) and 909 private nodes 335 nodes down 423 nodes on hold off line overhead 1667 ( 16.53 %) Speed summary: >9600 = 925 ( 9.17 %) 9600 = 8634 ( 85.62 %) (HST = 184 or 2.13 %) (CSP = 1 or 0.01 %) (PEP = 12 or 0.14 %) (MAX = 0 or 0.00 %) (HAY = 1 or 0.01 %) (V32 = 4843 or 56.09 %) (V32B = 515 or 5.96 %) (V34 = 5749 or 66.59 %) (V42 = 4717 or 54.63 %) (V42B = 538 or 6.23 %) 2400 = 108 ( 1.07 %) 1200 = 6 ( 0.06 %) 300 = 411 ( 4.08 %) ISDN = 1063 ( 10.54 %) ---------------------------------------------------------- File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems ---------------------------------------------------------- XA Frontdoor <1.99b 3684 Frontdoor 2.02+ Dutchie 2.90c Binkleyterm >2.1 D'Bridge <1.3 TIMS Xenia -------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 26 25 Mar 2002 XB Binkleyterm 2.0 8 Dutchie 2.90b -------------------------------------- XC Opus 1.1 10 -------------------------------------- XP Seadog 6 -------------------------------------- XR Opus 1.03 62 -------------------------------------- XW Fido >12M 401 Tabby KittenMail -------------------------------------- XX D'Bridge 1.30 4466 Frontdoor 1.99b Intermail 2.01 T-Mail -------------------------------------- None QMM 1447 -------------------------------------- CrashMail capable = 3308 ( 32.80 %) MailOnly nodes = 5450 ( 54.05 %) Listed-only nodes = 790 ( 7.83 %) Other = 536 ( 5.32 %) [Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100] [ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208] ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 27 25 Mar 2002 ================================================================= FIDONEWS INFORMATION ================================================================= How to Submit an Article If you wish to submit an article for inclusion in the Fidonews, here are some guidelines, if you send it as an attached file; the preferred method if you want reasonable control over how the published article will appear in the Fidonews: a) Plain ASCII text. If you could type it on your keyboard, it's probably quite OK... b) Put a title to the article. Put the title in two times. The first time, on the first line, with an * before it. The second time, on the second line, without the * and centered. This will help in the format since the title with the * is removed and used in the index, the second line will become the headline. On the third line, put your name and FidoNet address, present or former. If former, you may want to add some other address where you can be reached for personal comments. c) Deadline for article submission is Sunday, 01:00 UTC. Help the Editor by following the above guides. Below are some subjects and the file extension for the article as set in the configuration file for the making of the Fidonews. The file name can be anything up to 8 characters. Please help by putting the file extension of the correct subject on the file name if known.. Ideas for Subject areas: Subject File | Subject File ----------------------------------|---------------------------------- From the *C's *.css | Rebuttals to articles *.reb Fidonet Regional News *.reg | Fidonet Net News *.net Retractions *.rtx | General Fidonet Articles *.art Guest Editorial *.gue | Fidonet Current Events *.cur Fidonet Interviews *.inv | Fidonet Software Reviews *.rev Fidonet Web Page Reviews *.web | Fidonet Notices *.not Getting Fidonet Technical *.ftc | Question Of The Week *.que Humor in a Fido Vein *.hfv | Comix in ASCII *.cmx Fidonet's Int. Kitchen *.rec | Poet's Corner *.poe Clean Humor & Jokes *.jok | Other Stuff *.oth Fidonet Classified Ads *.ads | Corrections *.cor If you don't know or are not sure, send the article anyway. Put a .TXT on it and I'll try to figure out where it should be in the Fidonews. If you follow these simple guidelines, there should be little problem in getting your article published. If your submission is too far out of specs for the Fidonews, it will be returned to you and/or a message sent informing you of the problem. This DOES NOT mean that your article is not accepted. It means that there is something in it that I can not fix and I need your help on it. FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 28 25 Mar 2002 Send Articles via E-mail or Netmail, file attach or message to: Bj”rn Felten Fidonet 2:2/2 E-Mail bfelten@telia.com Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article. That way I will know to look for it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Editor: Bj”rn Felten, 2:2/2, editor@fidonews.org | | Crash mail attached: Editor@2:2/2 | | E-Mail attached: bfelten@telia.com | | Webmaster: Jim Barchuk, jb@fidonews.org | | Columnist: Joe Jared, 1:103/0, joejared@osirusoft.com | | (Fido Via Internet Hubs column) | | Columnist: Warren Bonner - Ol'WDB's Corner | | Columnist: Jack Yates when in the Gawga mood | | Columnist: Frank Vest - (reserved for future use) | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince | | Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, | | Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink, | | Doug Meyers, Warren D. Bonner, Frank L. Vest | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission. Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of Fidonet. Fidonews is Copyright (C) 2002 by Bj”rn Felten, though authors retain rights to their contributed articles. Opinions expressed by the authors is strictly their own. Noncommercial duplication and distribution within Fidonet is encouraged. Authors are encouraged to send their articles in ASCII text to the Editor at one of the addresses above. The weekly edition of Fidonews is distributed through the file area FIDONEWS, and is published as echomail in the echo FIDONEWS. These sources are normally available through your Network Coordinator. The current and past issues are also available from the following sources: + -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | File request from 2:2/2: | | current issue FIDONEWS | FIDONEWS 19-12 Page 29 25 Mar 2002 | back issue, volume v, issue ii FNEWSvii.ZIP | | ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/ | | http://www.fidonews.org | | email subscription: majordomo@fidonews.org | | (subject: help body: list) | | ftp mail: ftpmail@fidonews.org (subject: help) | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + -----------------------------------------------------------------