Volume 4, Number 23 15 June 1987 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | International | | \ \\ | | FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. Copyright 1987 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. Nine Weeks to FidoCon! Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 Is IFNA Stealing FidoNet? ................................ 1 2. NOTICES .................................................. 3 The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 3 Latest Software Versions ................................. 3 IFNA Board of Directors Ballot ........................... 4 International FidoNet Conference Registration Form ....... 7 FidoNews 4-23 Page 1 15 Jun 1987 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Is IFNA Stealing FidoNet? There's been some talk about how IFNA is trying to "steal" FidoNet, and even FidoNews for that matter. Hey, serious stuff! Is it true? And just what is this IFNA thing, anyway? FidoNet was originally created by Tom Jennings. But managing a network is a hassle, and a far cry from the happy hacking that TJ was really into, so he turned it over to Ken Kaplan. Ken ran the net quite well for a long time. Many of us still remember the days when the way you got a node number was you asked Ken for one. In a similar manner TJ started FidoNews and published the first few issues. But that too turned into a boring drudgery of daily details, so he gave it to me and I've run it since. So who ran FidoNet? It looks to me like Ken Kaplan did. Oh, he had help. Ben Baker worked out most of the technical details of making it actually operate, and I chipped in with my thumb- fingered assistance and loud voice. Later when we established multinet operation we off-loaded a lot of work on a hierarchy of network and regional coordinators, and we found guys overseas to fob work off onto. But mainly Ken ran it. That works fine for a small group, but it starts to hit problems when you get big enough. For example, what if Ken decides he's tired of it? Who takes over? When the whole net consists of fifty people who all know each other it's no big deal. Someone will step forward and do it sooner or later. But when the net has over a thousand sysops most of whom have never met, making sure that everything will keep running becomes a major concern. Here's another example: Ken's done a fine job so far, but what if we someday decide that he needs to be replaced? How do we do that? The FidoNet Policy and Procedures Guide, version 3 (Policy3) says in effect that Ken Kaplan is the Lord of FidoNet, not subject to veto by anyone. Read the section titled "Problems with the International Coordinator". It says you have three choices. Live with it, drop out, or start your own net. It says that because there's no mechanism for replacing the International Coordinator. There never has been. Ken has always been The Boss, and we've never had a problem. So for those reasons (among others) Ken Kaplan felt that we needed some sort of formal organization to be in charge, and the rest of We Who Ran Things agreed, so we set up IFNA. From day one IFNA was created to be the organization that runs FidoNet, and that's what it is today. Did IFNA steal FidoNet? Heck, no! The people who were already running FidoNet created IFNA to handle it. Did IFNA steal FidoNews from the sysops? Again, no, because the sysops never owned FidoNews in the first place -- I did. Do I think IFNA FidoNews 4-23 Page 2 15 Jun 1987 should own FidoNews? Take a look at the banner on the title page of this issue, or any issue for over a year, and I think you'll be able to figure out my answer. So given that IFNA is running FidoNet, is that good or bad? Well, it kind of depends on what IFNA does with it. The interim board of directors is the same people who were running it all along, so for now it hardly matters. We'd do the same things whether we called ourselves IFNA or not. After August it'll matter, because the new board of directors will be elected then. At that point IFNA will cease to be a tight little oligarchy and will be (one hopes) representative of its membership. From then on it's up to you. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 4-23 Page 3 15 Jun 1987 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack 22 Jun 1987 Submissions deadline for echolist #103. All updates should be sent to Tomas Kenny at 107/316. 1 Aug 1987 Third Annual BBS Picnic in Edison, NJ. Please register before July 10th. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for 12 and under, free for 5 and under. Contact Paul Kelley at 107/331 for details. 20 Aug 1987 Start of the Fourth International FidoNet Conference, to be held at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel in Alexandria, VA. Contact Brian Hughes at 109/634 for more information. This is FidoNet's big annual get-together, and is your chance to meet all the people you've been talking with all this time. We're hoping to see you there! 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 1:1/1. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Latest Software Versions BBS Systems Node List Other & Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version Dutchie 2.51* EDITNL 3.3 ARC 5.21* Fido 11w LISTGEN 05.25.86 ARCmail 0.60 Opus 0.00 Prune 1.40 EchoMail 1.31 SEAdog 4.00 RouteGen 2.81* FastEcho 2.00* TBBS 2.0S TestList 8.3* Renum 3.30 XlatList 2.81* * Recently changed Utility authors: Please help keep this list as current as possible by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 4-23 Page 4 15 Jun 1987 Bob Morris 141/333 Chairman, Elections and Nominations Committee The next two pages are your Official ballot for the Election of the IFNA Board of Directors. The following are the few rules which must prevail in this election: 1. You must send a legible copy of this ballot to the address listed on the ballot. It must be signed and bear your net/node number. 2. You may vote for any one person in your region for the position of Regional Director. This vote is to be cast in the LEFT column of the ballot. 3. You may vote for any eleven people in any regions for the position of Director at Large. These votes are to be cast in the RIGHT column of the ballot. 4. Voting will continue until the end of registration at the Conference in August. The results will be read during the opening of the business meeting on the first day of the conference. 5. Write-in Votes will be accepted and are requested during this election. FidoNews 4-23 Page 5 15 Jun 1987 IFNA Board Of Directors Ballot Regional At Large Region 10: Steve Jordan _________ ________ Region 11: Ryugen Fisher _________ ________ Theodore Polczynski _________ ________ Region 12: Region 13: Don Daniels _________ ________ John Penberthy _________ ________ Thom Henderson _________ ________ Gee Wong _________ ________ Brian Hughes _________ ________ Region 14: Ben Baker _________ ________ Ken Kaplan _________ ________ Brad Hicks _________ ________ Region 15: David Dodell _________ ________ Larry Wall _________ ________ Region 16: Bob Hartman _________ ________ Hal Duprie _________ ________ Region 17: Rob Barker _________ ________ Randy Bush _________ ________ Bob Swift _________ ________ Region 18: Wes Cowley _________ ________ FidoNews 4-23 Page 6 15 Jun 1987 Region 19: Mark Grennan _________ ________ Wynn Wagner _________ ________ Region 2: Henk Wevers _________ ________ Write-in candidates: ___________________ _________ ________ ___________________ _________ ________ Name ______________________________ Net/Node ___________ Signature______________________________ Date ___________ Please complete this and mail it to: Robert Morris IFNA Elections Committee 210 Church Street West Haven, Ct. 06516 or bring it with you when you come to the conference in August. These ballots will be counted by myself since with 200 members the charges for a CPA would be very high. Hard copies will be made available to anyone wishing to insure that their vote was included. Thank You Bob Morris Elections and Nominations Committee ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 4-23 Page 7 15 Jun 1987 OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FIDONET CONFERENCE RADISSON MARK PLAZA HOTEL ALEXANDRIA, VA. AUGUST 20 - 23, 1987 Name _________________________________ Date _____________ Address ______________________________ City & State _________________________ Phone (Voice) ________________________ Net/Node Number ______________________ Phone (Data) _________________________ Number in Your Party _________________ Staying at the Radisson? _____________ Number of Rooms? _____________________ Arrival Date? ________________________ Departure Date? ______________________ Registration Fees: How Many Total Full Conference $60.00 each ________ $________ Late registration $10.00 each ________ $________ (after Aug. 1) Friday Night Banquet $30.00 each ________ $________ Saturday Luncheon $16.50 each ________ $________ Total Amount Included (Registration and Meals) $________ IFNA MEMBERS ONLY: How many in your party will be attending the Sunday morning Board of Directors meeting? ________ Send your registration form and a check or money order to: Fourth International FidoNet Conference 212 E. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20003 Attn: Brian H. Hughes -- voice: (202) 543-4200 This registration form does not include hotel accomodations. If you wish to stay at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel, please contact them directly and mention you are with the FidoNet Conference. Conference room rates are $80/night for single or double occupancy, and $20/night for an extra cot. Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel 5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va. 22311 1-800-228-9822 -----------------------------------------------------------------