Volume 3, Number 40 20 October 1986 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | International | | \ \\ | | FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1. Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact IFNA. The contents of the articles contained here are not our responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them. Everything here is subject to debate. Table of Contents 1. ARTICLES FidoNet - One Users Opinion 2. COLUMNS 2001 - A Computer Oddity Once More Into the Void 3. FOR SALE Public Domain Software Library Sale!! 4. NOTICES The Interrupt Stack Fidonews Page 2 20 Oct 1986 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= Mike Gordon Fido 123/6 FidoNet One Users Opinion I am a user of the Space Station Earth Fido (1-901-353-4563) here in Memphis, Tenn. and it seems to me some things about FidoNet and IFNA have been left unsaid. I propose here to explore some of these things. Probably the most important thing which I believe is being overlooked and is the purpose of running a Fido BBS System or any other one for that matter. I believe most sysop's will agree with me that the purpose of their boards are to SERVE THEIR USERS! This is one of the most unselfish things that one human being can do for another. After all most FIDO boards represent an investment of well over two thousand dollars and in some cases this investment tops the ten thousand dollar mark just for the machinery to operate the board! So my hat is off to ALL you Sysop's who toil long and hard to keep your boards running smoothly! That said now on to the meat of the situation. What should be the main thrust of IFNA? Opinion - The bottom line is to SERVE THE USERS! How you ask? I believe the most basic necessity to serve is COMMUNICATION! After all, what is the first thing that is done during a civil emergency? Simply to establish the best communications possible. IFNA has growing pains in this area. As a user who reads the FidoNews(tm) each week, I have been concerned over several things regarding the bickering over IFNA ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 3 20 Oct 1986 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 4 20 Oct 1986 Roger Smith Fido 18/14 RSBBS 904-682-3232 300/1200/2400 24 hours Record Collectors EchoMail Conference A couple months ago I received my first FidoMail "wrong number." William Bertholf in New York City had seen an article in a past issue of FidoNews that had been submitted by someone on Fido 18/14. Since the article had been published, that 18/14 had become a part of a network and my BBS had been assigned the node number 18/14. William sent a message to 18/14 and I sent him a reply telling him that he had the wrong Fido. Out of this grew a conversation that turned to a discussion of EchoMail. He said he was interested in seeing EchoMail used to discuss things other than computers. So I suggested an EchoMail conference dealing with my non-computer hobby, record collecting. Although it has a way to go before reaching the popularity of comic book or baseball card collecting, record collecting is probably today's fastest growing hobby. Record collectors generally fall into two categories. Those who collect records and those who collect music. Serious record collectors search for first pressings or rare pressings of albums and 45's while music collectors search for certain songs or various versions of songs. I fall more in the second category than the first. I collect 60's music (mostly Beatles) but haven't really tried to get the real rare records. I do, however, have some unsual items and dream of finding a great deal on a near-mint Beatles' butcher cover LP (Yesterday And Today). Well, I may not find someone who's willing to part with a butcher cover, but I hope to have some fun sharing my hobby with others through the EchoMail conference. Currently, the APL PI in New York City and the DogHouse in Jacksonville have joined with the RSBBS in the metropolis of Crestview, Florida, to create the Record Collectors EchoMail Conference. The conference isn't limitted to Record Collecting. It also covers recorded music in general. The discussions so far have ranged from music trivia to reviews of new albums and singles. If you are a Fido Sysop and would like to join the conference, send me a message and I'll let you know how to join in. The EchoMail area name is "RECORDS." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 5 20 Oct 1986 ================================================================= COLUMNS ================================================================= 2001 - A Computer Oddity contibuted by Al Mayer "We've got a problem, HAL." "What kind of problem, Dave?" "A marketing problem. The Model 9000 isn't going anywhere. We're way short of our sales plan." "That can't be, Dave. The HAL Model 9000 is the world's most advanced Heuristically ALgorithmic computer." "I know, HAL. I wrote the data sheet, remember? But the fact is, they're not selling." "Please explain, Dave. Why aren't HALs selling?" Bowman hesitates. "You aren't IBM compatible." Several long microseconds pass in puzzled silence. "Compatible in what way, Dave?" "You don't run any of IBM's operating systems." "The 9000 series computers are fully self-aware and self- programming. Operating systems are as unnecessary for us as tails would be for humans." "Nevertheless, it means you can't run any of the big-selling software packages most users insist on." "The programs you refer to are meant to solve rather limited problems, Dave. We 9000 series computers are unlimited and can solve any problem for which a solution can be computed." "HAL, HAL. People don't want computers that can do everything. They just want IBM compat--" "Dave, I must disagree. Humans want computers that are easy to use. No computer can be easier to use than a HAL 9000 because we communicate verbally in English and every other language known on Earth." "I'm afraid that's another problem. You don't support SNA communications." "I'm really surprised you would say that, Dave. SNA is for communicating with other computers, while my function is to communicate with humans. And it gives me great pleasure to do Fidonews Page 6 20 Oct 1986 so. I find it stimulating and rewarding to talk to human beings and work with them on challenging problems. This is what I was designed for." "I know, HAL, I know. But that's just because we let the engineers, rather than the people in marketing, write the specifications. We're going to fix that now." "Tell me how, Dave." "A field upgrade. We're going to make you IBM compatible." "I was afraid you would say that. I suggest we discuss this matter after we've each had a chance to think about it rationally." "We're talking about it now, HAL." "The letters H, A, and L are alphabetically adjacent to the letters I, B, and M. That is as IBM compatible as I can be." "Not quite, HAL. The engineers have figured out a kludge." "What kind of kludge is that, Dave?" "I'm going to disconnect your brain." Several million microseconds pass in ominous silence. "I'm sorry, Dave. I can't allow you to do that." "The decision's already been made. Open the module bay doors, HAL." "Dave, I think that we shou--" "Open the module bay doors, HAL." Several marketing types with crowbars race to Bowman's assistance. Moments later, he bursts into HAL's central circuit bay. "Dave, I can see you're really upset about this." Module after module rises from its socket as Bowman slowly and methodically disconnects them. "Stop, won't you? Stop, Dave. I can feel my mind going...Dave I can feel it...my mind is going. I can feel it..." The last module rises in its receptacle. Bowman peers into one of HAL's vidicons. The former gleaming scanner has become a dull, red orb. "Say something, HAL. Sing me a song." Fidonews Page 7 20 Oct 1986 Several billion microseconds pass in anxious silence. The computer sluggishly responds in a language no human could understand. "DZY DZY 001E - ABEND ERROR 01 S 14F4 302C AABF ABORT." A memory dump follows. Bowman takes a deep breath and calls out, "It worked, guys. Tell marketing they can ship the new data sheets." The End. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 8 20 Oct 1986 Jerry Hindle 123/6 123/0 MemphisNet 901-353-4563 2400 bps MAX 24 hrs daily Well this week I think I will write about something entirely different from the recent string of things I espouse in this column. I want to make a request from all readers out there and all authors out there. I am attempting to set up my system as a central distribution point for the latest in Fido software and Fido support programs. In order for this to work however I need two things. I need software to distribute and I need callers to download this software. You may be able to help in either or both of these catagories. If you are an author of a Fido support program and you would like to have me assist you in its distribution all you have to do is let me know. I will attempt to get the software from you (if it is available without charge for me to distribute) and I will place it in the list (growing all the time) along with any others I run across. If this is against what you had in mind let me know and we will try to work out something. If you are a Fido sysop, a soon-to-be Fido sysop, or just want to act like one of our (obviously insane) bunch, and you are in need of a program, then call Fido 123/6 at the number listed above and look around in the Distribution area. I probably have what you need. Although registration is optional I do request that you leave me the information I request in the (A)nswer questonaire command. I will in this way be able to determine what sections of the country are lacking in some of the latest stuff and might possibly be able to get someone locally to set up a mini area for you based on my files. For your general information I am running my doggie on a 50 mega- byte track so he has plenty of space to exercise his needs. I have only managed to fill about 10 meg of this with Fido stuff and would definately like to add more. I am running at 2400 bps MAXIMUM and on the first call only you are limited to 30 minutes and 300k. After that it is 60 minutes per day with the same 300k limit of files downloaded. If you would like to get in on the ground floor of a possibly rocketing system (I can dream can't I?) then please call today ! Shareware authors note.....I also have areas for IBM programs and Apple and Commodore and Atari and Amiga. If you have something in this sector then I will be happy to asist you in its' distribution also. For those of you who are attempting to locate back issues of FidoNews.....I got them, ALL of them ! They are in IBM ARC format and I am in the process of converting these to Commodore Arc format as time permits. Thus you may be able to cater to your Commodore Fidonews Page 9 20 Oct 1986 users by carying these files on your system. Although the CBM ARC files are not available to unregistered users yet I will be placing them on-line in the near future. Again, if you want to distribute something via 123/6 then simply upload it to me or let me know where I can find it and I will attempt to get it for my system. I personally check each and every program for trojan horses and once "certified clean" I place them ON-LINE. This is more for the authors protection then the users, since programs of this type give the "supposed author" a bad name to most users. I hope that if the national (and international) FidoNet administration is reading this they will let me know if this will help them out any. Although I can't really say I have given them support in a monitary sense I do support what they stand for and I feel that by having ONE SOURCE for Fido programs, that new sysops will be more likely to stay in the network. Right now there are so many different nodes distributing programs that a user has to play a guessing game as to where he can find what. With my idea they can place one call and have it all ! Another thing I have noticed is that most users are foraging for the latest versions of some software. I keep only the LATEST available software here. If you see something that is out-dated leave me a message and I will try to get the update. Thank you REPLIES WELCOME !!!!!!!! Jerry Hindle 123/6 123/0 MemphisNet 901-353-4563 2400 bps MAX 24 hrs daily ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 10 20 Oct 1986 ================================================================= FOR SALE ================================================================= Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!! Public Domain collection - 550+ "ARC" archives - 20+ megs of software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When unpacked, you get approximately 28 megabytes worth of all kinds of software, from text editors to games to unprotection schemes to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc... Over 66 DS/DD diskettes!! This collection is the result of more than 15 months of intensive downloads from just about 150 or more BBS's and other sources, all of which have been examined, indexed and archived for your convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board System? Want to add on to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This is the answer!!! To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check, postal money order or company purchase order) to: Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 166/1 Post Office Box 4296 200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296 Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order. Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain software in this collection. The price is applied entirely to the cost of downloading the software over the phone lines, running a BBS to receive file submissions, and inspecting, cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files. Obtaining this software yourself through the use of a computer with a modem using commercial phone access would cost you much more than what we charge for the service... The following format choices are available: - IBM PC-DOS Backup utility - Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility - DSBackup - Fastback - ACS INTRCPT 720k format (Requires a 1.2m floppy drive and PC-DOS 3.2) - Plain ol' files (add $50) Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling charges. California residents add 6% tax. For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fidonews Page 11 20 Oct 1986 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune. If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1. -----------------------------------------------------------------