Volume 6, Number 12 20 March 1989 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | International | | \ \\ | | FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello Editors Emeritii: Dale Lovell Thom Henderson Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings Contributing Editors: Al Arango 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. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day. Copyright 1989 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 at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141. Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and are used with permission. We don't necessarily agree with the contents of every article published here. Most of these materials are unsolicited. No article will be rejected which is properly attributed and legally acceptable. We will publish every responsible submission received. Table of Contents 1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1 A Domain Proposal For Fidonet(tm) Based Networks ......... 1 New Nodelist User Flags - Intents and Usage .............. 3 2. COLUMNS .................................................. 8 The Old Frog's Almanac - Update II ....................... 8 Facts And Questions ...................................... 10 Let's YACK about Egg On The Face ......................... 12 3. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .................................... 13 4. WANTED ................................................... 15 Wanted - Recipe Conversion Program! ...................... 15 And more! FidoNews 6-12 Page 1 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= A Domain Proposal For Fidonet(tm) Based Networks jim nutt Chair, FTSC Domains Working Group 1:114/15.11@fidonet A. Rationale A recent proliferation of alternative networks based on Fidonet(tm) technology has brought to light the difficulty of maintaining a fully coupled addressing method for Fidonet(tm). It is therefore proposed that a system be established whereby geographical or political sub units of the network can be broken off into an independent network called a "domain". These networks will be fully independent, even to the point of having duplicate net/node numbers. This will allow continued growth of Fidonet(tm) without necessitating that the nodelist grow to an unmanageable size (if it isn't already there). Among the advantages of this type of system are reduced nodelist overhead, easier inter-network communication and greater autonomy of alternative networks. B. Description It is proposed that domain addressing be implemented in a fashion similar to the current ZONE extended addressing method. Domain names will be a maximum of eight alphanumeric characters in length and case insensitive. The domain extended addressing line will be comprised of a leading SOH (^A, 0x01) followed by the keyword "DOMAIN", the destination domain of the message and then the full address (zone:net/node.point) of the destination node in that domain, followed by the source domain of the message and the full address of the originating node. The line will be terminated by a (0x0d) and an optional linefeed (0x0a), fields within the line will be separated by one or more spaces or tabs. i.e. ^ADOMAIN dstdmn dz:dne/dno.dp srcdmn sz:sne/sno.sp Where dstdmn is the destination domain, dz the destination zone, dne the destination net, dno the destination node and dp the destination point (if any). Srcdmn, sz, sne, sno and sp are the corresponding source fields. Message editors and other programs supporting domains should present and accept addresses of nodes in domains other than the default in the format "z:ne/no.p@domain". This makes it easy for non-domain aware packages to ignore the domain address. This system is NOT designed for interfacing to the Internet or through Usenet, it is intended solely for use between Fidonet(tm) compatible networks. C. Summary Domains are independent Fidonet(tm) style networks that are fully decoupled from the IFNA nodelist. Message traffic is passed back FidoNews 6-12 Page 2 20 Mar 1989 and forth between domains via domain gateways that can understand the DOMAIN extended addressing line and act accordingly upon the message. The advantages include reduced nodelist size and easier communication with other Fidonet(tm) based networks. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 3 20 Mar 1989 User Flags - Intents and Usage David Dodell, FidoNet International Coordinator, 1:114/15 Rick Moore, Chairperson, FidoNet Technical Standards, 1:115/333 Definition Of The USER FLAG ============================ The new FidoNet Technical Standards Committee publication, FSC- 0005, regarding the specification of the form and content of a FidoNet Nodelist added a new flag to the "flags" field. This flag was called the USER FLAG and was rather vague as to the intended purpose and application of the USER FLAG. It was defined as "Ux....x" wherein the x....x portion was representative of up to 32 alphanumeric characters and containing no space (ASCII decimal 32) characters. Additionally, if present, the USER FLAG must be the last item on the nodelist entry line. The Problem =========== One alarming possibility of the USER FLAG is that should all 5600 FidoNet nodes (the size of the FidoNet nodelist when USER FLAGS were first mentioned) decide to add 33 characters to their nodelist entries, then the distribution nodelist would grow by 180K overnight and that no real benefit to the net would be obtained from that growth. If we assume that the typical FidoNet Node has a 2400 baud modem, then the combined additional telephone time to transfer just the USER FLAGS portion of that week's NODEDIFF file would amount to over 1200 HOURS. Assuming that 10% of the NODEDIFF files are sent via toll calls, then 120 hours of long distance calls would be added to the normal (over)load. If a typical minute of toll call is $.20 (intrastate rates), then it would cost FidoNet participants about $1400 ADDITIONAL to distribute it. If hard disk storage costs $12.50/Megabyte, the cumulative storage costs on all of the 5600 nodes would amount to $12,600 of disk capacity. With no attempt at SOME standardization of the content, there is not much possibility of gaining any real benefits from the USER FLAG. Some Clarifications from FidoNet Administration =============================================== Due to confusion and lack of guidelines as to the purposes intended for application of the USER FLAG, the use of that flag was temporarily suspended until some clarification was available. The following guidelines regarding the new FidoNet Nodelist USER FLAG were developed jointly by the International Coordinator and the Chairman of the FTSC. FidoNews 6-12 Page 4 20 Mar 1989 General Intent of the USER FLAGS ================================ The nodelist is a list for the functional uses of fidonet mailers, it is not a BBS listing. Also the U flag was not intended as a replacement field for flags that were removed from the nodelist, i.e. "RE" which defines a BBS user limitation, does not belong in the nodelist, or in the U flag. The same goes for restricted hours, etc. A mailer only needs to know if a node is in ZMH mode, or CM mode. It doesn't care if a system comes up a 6 p.m. and goes down a 6 a.m. to be able to deliver mail. Some Specific Comments Regarding USER FLAGS =========================================== (1) The suggested uses from the *C structure need to be just that... not rigid specifications, but guidelines. (2) Anything after the U flag should be of a technical or administrative nature. Experimentation of new software functions using this flag should be encouraged. (3) Advertisement is strictly prohibited. (4) Mention of specific software is prohibited. It is not for the use of advertising the specific software you are running, or the size of your hard drive. (5) It should not be used for denoting alternative addresses, either in FidoNet or any other network. (6) The flag should be used to minimize duplicate listings in the nodelist, i.e. a node that has UNEC does not need a separate listing in his network. Since use of a USER FLAG for an NEC or an REC could serve to reduce the bulk of the nodelist, this use of the User Flag is the preferred method of denoting a *EC in the nodelist. (7) Any information found in the U flag should not duplicate information already found in that listing, or can be found any place else in the nodelist (i.e. A couple of nets had after the xxx/0 listing UNC). (8) It is not a total free form field for anything to appear. (9) The *C structure has the ultimate responsibility for what appears in the nodelist, including the USER FLAG. (10) By standardizing certain USER FLAGS, it may then be possible for software developers to put the USER FLAGS to some beneficial uses. FidoNews 6-12 Page 5 20 Mar 1989 A Standard (Defined) Set of Available USER FLAGS ================================================ The USER FLAGS which seem to offer the greatest possibilities for real benefit to the general network are: Established Software Distributors ================================= USDS for Software Distribution System nodes USDN for Shareware Distribution Network nodes UTDN for TBBS Distribution Network EchoMail Coordinators ===================== UNEC for Net Echo Coords UREC for Regional Echo Coords UZEC for Zone Echo Coords - Allows those both in and outside the net to scan the nodelist for Addressing information regarding EchoMail help. Assuming mailers can be made to use this information as well, some of the parts of a standard Zone:Net/Node address could be obtained from the *EC's location in the nodelist, or his "real" address could simply be substituted when outbound dialing is required. UPCP:x...x ========== - Potentially allows mailer software to glean PCP routing and dialing data from a USER FLAG. Example: UPCP:NJNEW UHUB ==== - Note that there are TWO kinds of hubs..... - Some HUBs are like mini-NC's since they do inbound mail routing and/or maintain a nodelist segment for the NC. They usually distribute the NODEDIFF and FNEWS files, as well. - The other type of hubs are only set up to pass along the NODEDIFF and FNEWS files, do not do any mail routing nor do they maintain any nodelist segments - The FIRST type of hub listed above NEEDS a separate (duplicate) nodelist entry, since it does mail routing service. The nodes which he serves are to be listed below his entry and before the next HUB (or end of the local net's segment) in the nodelist. His primary nodelist entry is also listed as "under" his HUB entry. His primary address should be set and the HUB address is set as his AKA address. The first kind of HUB does NOT get a UHUB flag. FidoNews 6-12 Page 6 20 Mar 1989 - The SECOND type of hub listed above DOES get a UHUB flag and the nodes to which he forwards the routine files should still be listed between his listing and the next hub (or end of the net segment) so that those nodes will know who to contact should there develop a problem with receipt of the files. This type of hub does NOT have an AKA address. UPNx..x ======= - This flag denotes the Host of a Private Net. - Only those Private Net Numbers assigned by the Zone Coordinator, or by his designate, should be used in this flag. - Don't use this flag unless there is a GOOD reason. There are many reasons, including the potential to become an unwitting "OutBound HOST" for the world, to not advertise too openly your private net host status. Suggested Implementation Method =============================== As always, the front line of the nodelist is the Net Coordinator. The Net Coordinators will make most of the USER FLAG assignments. The NC is authorized to employ any applicable USER FLAGS from the "defined set". If more than one USER FLAG is appropriate for a given node, they may be all placed in a single USER FLAG and separated by a comma. There is no implied order of precedence of one flag over another. Example - suppose a node is an NEC and is also an SDS node and is a nodediff and FNEWS distributor as well. His USER FLAG could look like one of these: USDS,NEC,HUB - or - UHUB,SDS,NEC - or - UNEC,HUB,SDS Non-Standard USER FLAGS ======================= There will be times when, for software development work, that one or more nodes may need a non-standard USER FLAG. Such flags SHOULD be allowed, as it is a goal of FidoNet to encourage the development of new and better telecommunications software. The Local Net Coordinator is authorized to assign such non- standard flags, provided they are not for trivial purposes. "Trivial purposes" include, but are not limited to, "vanity" listings, advertisements, and listing of baud rates not supported by the nodelist processors. FidoNews 6-12 Page 7 20 Mar 1989 The rest of the *C structure may from time to time examine non- standard flags and occasionally may request clarification of them from the NC. Since non-standardized USER FLAGS are intended for development and experimentation purposes, it expected that most of them will either eventually become a part of the standard set or else will disappear when the experimentation period is completed. Modifications to the Defined Set of USER FLAGS ============================================== The International Coordinator, or his designate, may add or remove USER FLAGS from the standard defined set as is deemed necessary. When a developer has successfully completed his experimentation and has implemented a useful USER FLAG, he should advise the IC, or his designate, that a new USER FLAG is available for general application by others. Upon satisfaction of purpose, it may then be added to the standard set of defined USER FLAGS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 8 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= COLUMNS ================================================================= "Too zoon oldt unt too late schmart..." by Ken McVay, 1:153/20 Part the Two The Sirius routine has not changed - but everything else has. Using the FOR command, which I had seen but never bothered to understand, he eliminated 250 lines from SEAdog.Bat and replaced them with: @ECHO OFF f: FU LOG C:\logs\system.log EGREP Begin if %ALMANAC% == OFF goto END cd\WORK SET E=EGREP -V SET P=PAK U FOR %%X IN (*. ) DO CALL EREP.BAT %%X :CLEANUP SET E= SET P= SET T= :END I: FU LOG C:\logs\system.log EGREP End My method, as you may recall, was to include a separate section of about 4 lines to handle the EGREP routines for each topic...as the list grew, of course, so did SEAdog.Bat....consider: at the time Ken showed me how to do this, there were 220 Almanac topics being extracted, each requiring 4 lines to handle. Simple arithmetic will tell you why the batch file grew. Not only that, but the margin for errors due to mis-spelled labels, etc. was far too high, and the system crashed regularly - ah, who out there knows not the morning greeting "Label Not Found" followed with a flashing C:> prompt? All of these space-killers were eliminated with the above batch file and EREP.BAT, which simply accepts variables from ALMANAC.BAT, above: :EGREP f: cd\WORK SET T=%1 %E% "^SEE ALSO " %T% | %E% "^--- " | %E% "^--\[SEEN-BY: \]" >tmp %E% "^.#[0-9]*" tmp | %E% "AREA:" | %E% "^REPLY TO ">tmp1 %E% "^.?$" tmp1 >> \f1\%T%0389.MSG del %T% %P% F:\f6\%T%0389 F:\F1\%T%0389.MSG del TM*.* :Note that the FILE AREA PATH must now be changed each month, :along with the filespec/date. I: FidoNews 6-12 Page 9 20 Mar 1989 PRESTO! Over 1200 lines of commands became less than 20, with NO possibility of error, since whatever Sirius created for a flat file was simply passed through the entire system unchanged. I couldn't see the forest for the trees :-) The batch file above (EREP.BAT) also eliminated 220 lines later on in the batch file which looked in each working archive and updated it if the text file had changed. Now, of course, the system only processes whatever files Sirius left it, and PAK updates each archive that needs it, and ignores the rest. I also (finally!) got my hands on a copy of the manuals for Sirius V0.50, and discovered hundreds of un-needed script lines in all of my Sirius scripts. I also learned how to make Sirius return to DOS on error, instead of hanging the system up until I awoke in the morning, and how to write to the system log from within Sirius, so I could tell when an error had occured and deal with it the following morning. I won't post the changes here, since they are all available within the file ALMANAC.PAK, should anyone want them. If your copy of ALMANAC.PAK is more than 10 days old, you should get it again - it'll save you lots of hassles. Included in the file are all the appropriate batch files, three sample Sirius scripts with the new coding and error-trapping, and a complete list of all of the files available from The Almanac's topical extraction system. One note: Binkley users should use PLEASE or BARKREQ, since I run a SEAdog system. Another note: I have received several notes from Europe, asking how these files might be obtained. I am certain that Sirius is available somewhere in Europe, and would appreciate hearing from anyone in Zone 2 that has either Sirius or EGREP V1.0, so I can refer European inquiries there. As to ALMANAC.PAK, I will be happy to send it to the zonegate (1/2), if he will make it available for request, or to any other system (HST) regularly serving Zone 2 connections. Just send me a netmail request and I will attach it to you immediately. Ain't this grand? ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 10 20 Mar 1989 Michael Aikman Fido 1:340/12 F & Q ----- (The Fact & Question of the Q&A) Fact: 9 out of 10 Canadians believe Christmas is too commercialized. Question: "Where are you going to shop for John this year?" Fact: Forty years after the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki birth defects are still showing up. Question: "Daddy, why do they have Nuke-lear bombs?" Fact: Every year the rich get 15% richer at the expense of the poor getting 15% poorer. Question: "They can't buy it from anybody else so why shouldn't we raise our price?" Fact: Tropical rain forests are permanently destroyed or are seriously injured more than any other form of vegetation each year; mostly for the purpose for the purpose of producing beef for the first world countries. These forests produce over 70% of the earth's oxygen. Question: "Hey, John, wanna go grab a burger to eat?" Fact: Television has allowed millions of North Americans to see horrors of the third world starvation firsthand. Question: "Can't you turn that warped starvation B.S. off?" Fact: The world has more than enough to feed everyone in the world adequetaly but millions of people in third world still starve or are malnourished. Question: "If you aren't going to eat the rest of it then why don't you just throw it out?" Fact: The attitudes we instill in our children today are the ones they will still have when it comes our time to let tyhem run the future. Question: "Mamma, can you get me some G.I. Joe action figures for my birthday?" Fact: Of the the 15,000 babies born every hour only 1 in every 15 will be born in a good enviroment with a good genetic background. Question: "So you're having your abortion tommorow?" FidoNews 6-12 Page 11 20 Mar 1989 Fact: The world is headed for a major period of decision making. Question: Do you care? -M.D.A. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 12 20 Mar 1989 YACK Yet Another Complicated Komment by Steven K. Hoskin ( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 ) Episode 24: Egg On The Face Okay. I guess we all come to some difficult times in our lives. The first date. The first speech. The first bad grade you have to show your parents. The first time you caused somebody trouble and had to say "I'm sorry". The missed basket or home run that would've saved the game. The day you land your airplane at an airport and have to ask which one you landed at. The day you claim a virus hit your machine and it really didn't. Awhile back in YACK 17 I rambled on about my hard disk crashes and was convinced, after moderate examination, that I had become the victim of a virus. I work in a computer services center at a help desk; a great deal of my day is either recovering lost files from disks or confirming/denying alleged virus attacks. I am well equipped (normally) to unquestionably state that a given situation is not a virus attack simply because other evidence clearly indicates some other fault. And so, after examining my disk after its second or third crash and finding the root directory and most of the FAT of the C: drive scrambled, I came to the conclusion that I had actually been hit. Especially when reformatting the D: drive, my BBS, seemed to permanently solve the problem on C:. Well, okay, permanently for a month. Then the machine died again -- same symptoms as before. Now wait a minute. Well, I did the (YET AGAIN!!!) reinstallation of the hard drive very differently this time. I was starting to suspect hardware and I wasn't very happy with just how strong that new opinion seemed. Well, the new approach to setting up the drive seems to have solved the problem. I haven't crashed in two months (knock on wood!) and things seem to be operating just fine. As luck would have it, of course, now that I'm RELIGIOUSLY backing up my system it won't fail; when my backup was weeks or even months old, of COURSE that's when it died. Murphy's Law, I guess. Anyway, the virus scare that I get so disgusted with every day at work just bit me in the tail feathers. Scrambled eggs... ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 13 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ================================================================= From: Michael Nelson of 143/20.0 To: Vince Perriello of 1/1.0 Subj: FrontDoor Article Hello... In the latest FidoNews, there is an article about the FrontDoor Mailer. I wrote that article for our local Net 143 Newsletter, the NET 143 RAG, about a month ago. I was very suprised to see it appear in FidoNews, since I DID NOT SUBMIT IT or give permission for it to be published there. Please understand that it was originally written for a small, local audience. As such, in that article I encouraged people to send me NetMail if they had questions, and I also encouraged them to freq it from me. Since this unauthorized appearance in FN, I am being deluged with file requests for the program from all over North America, and people are sending me NetMail requesting assistance and advice on FrontDoor. Normally, I am the first to jump in and help a fellow sysop, but I cannot AFFORD ($$$$) to do all this long distance assistance on my nickle!! I would appreciate your help. #1, I would like to know who it was that submitted the article. I have checked within our net and nobody will own up to it. I have put a message in the FDECHO requesting other FD sysops to post a message in their local net echo areas advising people that the file is available locally, from them, and that assistance is available locally too. #2... since this unauthorized appearance in FidoNews has caused me nothing but grief, I would appreciate it if you could put a notice in the next issue, stating that the article was published in error, and that the author (Me, Michael Nelson) requests that those requiring assistance with FrontDoor should contact Joaquim Homrighausen, on 135/20. In any case, if you can't see your way clear to helping me with item #2, I would really like to know who has caused me all this trouble, so please let me know where you got the article. Thank you very much..... Michael Nelson ------------------------------------------------ From: Vince Perriello of 141/491.0 To: Michael Nelson of 143/20.0 Subj: FrontDoor Article I don't know what to tell you about who submitted the FD article. It was already in Dale's directory of to-be-published items. It was in the form of an article, which means that someone went to the effort of doing that. All I did was clean up the ragged line FidoNews 6-12 Page 14 20 Mar 1989 breaks and frequent FF hex codes in the file before running MAKENEWS. Future submissions to Fidonews are under my control and will be much more carefully monitored for origin, objectionable content and potential legal liabilities, but I haven't the $$$ to confirm the source of everything Dale had, nor can we afford to scrap what had already been assembled. I can only assume that the materials he had were OK. Unfortunately, in this case, they apparently were NOT. Needless to say, seeing an FD article there on the eve of a new BinkleyTerm release presented a quandary to me as to whether it should be published right away or not. I chose to publish, since it had already apparently lain in Dale's area for a while, and I wanted to avoid any "favoritism" charges, which could possibly have surfaced had I assembled and published an article about BinkleyTerm 2.10 (which I had been considering). So I took the path which I thought was that of objective journalism, and got burned. I'm sorry, first for the grief I caused you, and second, for not being a jerk and putting my own stuff there -- since doing so would have saved you the hassle. On the article itself, I differed personally with several of your points but thought that in general it was a really good piece. I'd like to encourage you to submit future work to FidoNews. I assure you that future work from you will only be published if my log shows that the file actually was SENT by you. Third party submissions will only be allowed by explicit individual arrangement; unsolicited third party submissions WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. I will try to remember to put in a notice at the end of FidoNews about Jo being the point of contact for FD, I know the cost of being "world famous"... and I don't blame you for being put out about the whole thing. Again, my apologies. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 15 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= WANTED ================================================================= Christopher Baker MetroFire, 1:135/14(0) Miami_FL_USA If anyone is aware of a shareware or freeware program that handles recipe storage, analysis, and conversion to larger and smaller sizes, please send Netmail to me at 1:135/14 and tell me where I can find and obtain such a beast. It would be very helpful if the program could take ingredient measurements by volume (cups, tsps, etc.) or by weight (lbs, ozs, etc.) and convert from one system to another. I have one program that does nutritional analysis but it only stores ingredients not instructions and doesn't convert recipe size or measuring methods. Maybe this is too much to ask of a shareware program? If so, does anyone know of a reasonably priced commercial program of this nature? [grin] Thanks, in advance, for any info. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 16 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= LATEST VERSIONS ================================================================= Latest Software Versions Bulletin Board Software Name Version Name Version Name Version Fido 12k* Opus 1.03b TBBS 2.1 QuickBBS 2.03 TPBoard 5.0 TComm/TCommNet 3.4* Lynx 1.22 Phoenix 1.3 RBBS 17.1D Network Node List Other Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version Dutchie 2.90C* EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.01* SEAdog 4.50* MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 2.0* BinkleyTerm 2.10* Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00 D'Bridge 1.18* XlatList 2.90* TPB Editor 1.21 FrontDoor 2.0 XlaxNode 2.32* TCOMMail 2.1* PRENM 1.40 XlaxDiff 2.32* TMail 8901* ParseList 1.30 UFGATE 1.02* GROUP 2.04* EMM 1.40 MSGED 1.99* XRS 1.2* * Recently changed Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date 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 6-12 Page 17 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack 8 May 1989 Digital Equipment Corporations User Society (DECUS) will be holding its semi-annual symposium in Atlanta, GA. Runs through May 12. As usual sysop's will get together and chat. 19 May 1989 Start of EuroCon III at Eindhoven, The Netherlands 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune. 24 Aug 1989 FidoCon '89 starts at the Holiday Inn in San Jose, California. Trade show, seminars, etc. Contact 1/89 for info. 5 Oct 1989 20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Christopher Baker MetroFire, 1:135/14(0) An Echo whose Time has Come: The FidoNet Democracy Echo This is to announce the formation and operation of a new, NON-Backbone Echo conference called DEMOCRACY. The purpose of this Echo is to discuss the best way to implement a fully representative democracy within FidoNet. This is not a *C bashing area. This is not a place to keep saying 'You can't do this.", "Democracy in FidoNet is impossible.", or "You are preaching treason and will be excommunciated." This area is for rational discussion and debate on HOW we will make FidoNet democratic not IF we will. When you enter this Echo and participate, you accept the premise that making FidoNet fully representative is a foregone conclusion and your purpose here is to discover HOW it will be done and WHEN it will be done. FidoNews 6-12 Page 18 20 Mar 1989 Personal attacks of any kind will not be tolerated. Name calling, libelous or slanderous pronouncements, deliberate distortion of facts or insertion of misinformation will not be tolerated. This Echo is not going to be allowed to degenerate into a shouting match or an ego contest. All are welcome and encouraged to make constructive comments and to offer solutions. We all know what the problems are. There is no sense in belaboring the problems beyond some initial outlines. Don't play the "Yes, but..." game. Devil's advocacy should be confined to constructive illustration of discussion topics and not an excuse for forensic debate. This is not a college course. This is living, breathing FidoNet. Everyone will be encouraged to use their common sense and to offer well thought out plans of action. At present, you may link into DEMOCRACY at 1:135/14, 1:135/10, or 1:133/302. DEMOCRACY is being co-moderated by Steve Antonoff and yours truly. The Echo is open to anyone with a REAL interest in the goals stated above and the intent to observe the simple conference guidelines. Alternate Network links may be established as required or requested. The FidoNet, EggNet and AlterNet Nodelists are maintained at this system. Other Networks may be supported at other systems linking in. That said, let's get started! [grin] Thanks, for your attention. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Christopher Baker MetroFire, 1:135/14(0) Miami_FL_USA A NEW Fire Service Related Echo This is to announce (or remind you of) a new, NON-Backbone Echo conference called FHCOOK. The FireHouse Cooking Echo is originated at MetroFire, 1:135/14, operated by the Metro-Dade County Fire & Rescue Department in Miami_FL. Anyone who wishes to link into this Echo is welcome to send NetMail to 1:135/14 for a connection. It is also available on the FireNet Leader at 1:128/16 in Colorado Springs_CO and probably a few more distribution points; hopefully AROUND the world! (There are Firehouses everywhere are there not?) What's different about Firehouse Cooking that should require a separate, cooking-type Echo, you ask? Well, I'll tell you [grin]. FidoNews 6-12 Page 19 20 Mar 1989 First off, FireHouse cooks are some of the most accomplished improvisational cooks around. This is sometimes due to necessity and sometimes due to having ALL those guinea pigs to experiment on at the station [evil grin]. Second, cooking for an entire station full of people requires LARGE amounts of everything and major adjustments not normally needed for a family size meal. Get the idea? So, this Echo is for REALLY BIG recipes (serving ten or more), FireHouse cooking trade secrets, and anything related to getting the chow on the table from planning and purchasing to prepping and preparing to consuming and cleaning up [grin]. Anecdotes related to any of the above are also welcome. We may have some contests over chili, barbeque sauce, and the other things FireHouse cooks consider their personal domain. We'll also hear from the smallest meals (in the really rural stations) to the biggest ones (airport stations come to mind). That being said, this Echo is open to anyone who wants to talk FireHouse cuisine, who wants to keep it friendly, and who wants to make contact with other Fire/Rescue Service types or big eaters [grin]. Arguments about whose chili is best are okay so long as they do not become violent or abusive [wider grin]. This is a Moderated Echo and I am the Moderator. I'll only have to put my Moderator Hat on if somebody gets WAY out of line (which I don't expect to happen but you know Echos). Got it? All set? Okay, let's go! FireNet East Coast Hub FireHouse Cooking Host and Moderator MetroFire, 1:135/14, 1-305-596-8611, Miami_FL_USA ----------------------------------------------------------------- Announcing a new Backbone Echomail Conference--- THI_CVA PURPOSE: The purpose of this conference is to provide for the discussion of Traumatic Head Injuries, Cerebrovascular Accidents, and other related Intracranial Malformations. It is hoped that this conference will provide a clearing house for information on the above topics, on facilities that specialize in the treatment of Intracranial problems, and most importantly a conference where victims and their families can meet to discuss problems, concerns, and successes. An electronic international support group. CONFERENCE RULES: This is a Fidonet Echomail Backbone Conference, however participation by networks other than Fidonet is highly encouraged. The basic rules are simple. FidoNews 6-12 Page 20 20 Mar 1989 1) If you distribute this conference to another system, please do everything in your power to assure that no duplicate links are created. 2) The purpose of this conference is to help and support, therefore no FLAMING of any sort will be tolerated. 3) The discussions WILL remain on topic. The moderator or co-moderators will be the judge/judges as to whether a message is on topic or not. MODERATOR: This conference was started by Butch Walker (1:161/1&2). The current moderators are: Butch Walker - 161/1 - Data - 415-672-2504 or 415-672-9408 Susan Beck - 346/1 Why is this conference being formed? When I was a teenager my grandfather suffered a stroke. That didn't mean much to me at the time other than it was tougher as a kid to be at my grandparents home. When I was in college a friend of my mother's suffered a stroke, again not much meaning, I really didn't know the lady. Several years ago, another friend of the family had a THI, but she was a thousand miles away and I wasn't there to see the pain, suffering and frustration, so again it really didn't hit home. On January 24th of this year, everything became more clear and very personal. My wife Ellen (who will be participating in this conference) suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by a Arteriovenous Malformation. Unlike those listed above, she was only 29 years old. Talk about reshaping your concept of reality. Since that time, Ellen has spent time in 4 different facilities, had a 5 1/2 hour brain surgery, gone through weeks when she could not move her limbs on her left side, nor talk coherently, nor remember from one moment to the next what was just said. Thankfully she has made a great deal of progress. For me, the most frustrating part of the ordeal was the lack of information, and the lack of people to talk with that had experienced something similar. I am hoping that through this conference, someone, sometime will not feel the same frustration that Ellen, I, and our families have felt. We look forward to your participation. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 21 20 Mar 1989 ================================================================= REPORTS ================================================================= From The St. Louis IFNA Board of Directors Meeting: FidoNews Policies by Mort Sternheim, 321/109 Chairman of the Board International FidoNet Association This article is mostly about the FidoNews policies adopted at the IFNA Board of Directors meeting held February 17-19th in St. Louis. However, let me first introduce myself. I replaced Hal DuPrie as an at-large member of the Board in December, 1988 and was elected Chairman of the Board at the St. Louis meeting. In fact, looking at the list of IFNA officers at the end of this FidoNews issue, you'll see a lot of new names, or at least old names in new slots. That's at least part of the reason that it is taking a bit longer to report on the meeting than we'd like. Although I'm new to the IFNA Board and also to the position of Chair, I am not new to FidoNet. As a FidoNet sysop for nearly four years, I'm not one of the first pioneers, but rather an early settler. If you read the Educator, Science, or Physics echoes, you may have seen the not-so-profound remarks entered by me as Mort sysop. I'm a Net Coordinator, Net Echomail Coordinator, SDS and SDN point sysop, etc., and I organized two successful regional sysop conferences. I run a users group bbs as well as one for teachers. Unlike many sysops, I'm a physicist, not a computer professional, but I've been using computers in my work since before FORTRAN (ugh!) was developed. Now let's get back to the FidoNews policy question. In St. Louis, we had extensive discussions of FidoNews policy matters. At the request of the IFNA Board, Publications Committee Chair Rick Siegel had invited FidoNews readers to send him netmail comments on whether FidoNews should limit the range of materials printed. Rick submitted a written report to the Board which indicated that over 80 percent of those who accepted his invitation favored an open Editorial policy. This was a self- selected group of responders, not a random sample or Gallup Poll survey of FidoNet sysops, but nevertheless we believe that the tally does reflect the prevailing desires of those who read FidoNews. Hence the Board rejected any suggestion of limiting the scope of the material published. However, the Board did enact two rules concerning FidoNews submissions. They are as follows: 1. All submissions must include the real name and electronic mail or postal address of the submitter. 2. Articles with any illegal content, or that may include language that may be considered obscene or libelous, or may be in FidoNews 6-12 Page 22 20 Mar 1989 conflict with copyright laws shall be rejected for publication by the Editor. Anything that the Editor chooses to not publish is subject to review by the Publications Committee and, on appeal by the submitter, to the Executive Committee of IFNA. Rule number 1 means that the submitter - who need not be the author - has to tell the Editor who he/she is. That means that the Editor has the opportunity to verify the authorship if there is any doubt about the source of the article, or to discuss the material if there are questions about it. It does not mean the Editor will publish the submitter's name if he/she wishes it withheld, but anonymous contributions will no longer be accepted. It also enable the Editor to contact the submitter if there is a need to discuss questions relating to rule 2. Rule 2 is intended to protect all of us - the Editor, IFNA officers, the RC's and NC's who distribute FidoNews, sysops, etc. - from the possible legal repercussions of including articles in violation of the laws. No disclaimer posted in FidoNews nor in any other publication will stand up in court if anyone with deep pockets cares to sue over a libelous article or one that violates copyright laws. For example, no matter how noble our intentions, we cannot publish copyrighted material without permission. Also, FidoNews is not the Humor or Flame echo, and the type of language contained in it ought to reflect the fact that FidoNews is available to a wide range of readership, and that it is distributed in many countries where sysops can run into serious legal problems with local obscenity laws. In short, FidoNews is the official publication of IFNA, and we are legally responsible for its contents. Under the policies in effect until now, the Editor could let FidoNews go to press completely automatically - untouched by human hands, if you will. Run from a batch file, the MakeNews program can produce a newsletter from articles submitted in a given format without any help from the Editor. This will no longer be possible under our new rules; the Editor or an assistant will have to review everything. However, we are not trying to make the job of FidoNews Editor overly burdensome. The point of the Board is that REASONABLE STEPS should be taken to ensure that we are not entertaining serious liability, nor creating situations which would be untenable for those in other locales regarding content. Every article has to have a source, recorded in some private file of the Editor if not in the article itself. Must the Editor personally verify every single submittal? Is that reasonable - considering the salary? No, the Editor should spot check and generally make sure that all seems OK. If anything looks dubious, the Editor should look into it, communicate with the submitter about possible changes, and ultimately decide to withhold the article from publication if that seems best. In those cases, however, the Publications Committee is to review the article and make a "final" determination regarding publication. "Final" is in quotes because the author only may appeal the Publications Committee decision. In such a case, the Executive Committee acts as the FidoNews 6-12 Page 23 20 Mar 1989 Supreme Court and can override the earlier Publications Committee decision and cause something to be published. In sum, it is the hope of the Board that establishing standards for articles will enable FidoNews to become a more positive force, attracting an increasing readership and a playing a greater role in the FidoNet community. I'd like to thank Don Daniels and David Drexler for helping to draft the policies we have adopted and the language clarifying their intent. Even more importantly, I want to acknowledge the contributions of Dale Lovell, who has resigned as FidoNews Editor. He has produced an issue every week without fail for the better part of two years. Many voluntary organizations have trouble getting out a monthly newsletter, so this is indeed a remarkable accomplishment! Vince Perriello, who is well known in the FidoNet community, has assumed the Editorship. Let's all help him by sending him the articles he needs do an outstanding job. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 24 20 Mar 1989 OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Chairman of the Board Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 President Matt Whelan 3:3/1 Vice President Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Vice President-Technical Coordinator Linda Grennan 1:147/1 Secretary Kris Veitch 1:147/30 Treasurer IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS Administration and Finance Mark Grennan 1:147/1 Board of Directors Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Bylaws Don Daniels 1:107/210 Ethics Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Executive Committee Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 International Affairs Rob Gonsalves 2:500/1 Membership Services David Drexler 1:147/1 Nominations & Elections David Melnick 1:107/233 Public Affairs David Drexler 1:147/1 Publications Rick Siegel 1:107/27 Security & Individual Rights Jim Cannell 1:143/21 Technical Standards Rick Moore 1:115/333 IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS DIVISION AT-LARGE 10 Courtney Harris 1:130/732 Don Daniels 1:107/210 11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 12 Bill Bolton 3:54/61 Mark Grennan 1:147/1 13 Irene Henderson 1:107/9 (vacant) 14 Ken Kaplan 1:100/22 Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5 15 Scott Miller 1:128/12 Matt Whelan 3:54/99 16 Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Robert Rudolph 1:261/628 17 Neal Curtin 1:343/1 Steve Jordan 1:206/2871 18 Andrew Adler 1:135/47 Kris Veitch 1:147/30 19 David Drexler 1:147/1 (vacant) 2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-12 Page 25 20 Mar 1989 __ The World's First / \ BBS Network /|oo \ * FidoNet * (_| /_) _`@/_ \ _ | | \ \\ | (*) | \ )) ______ |__U__| / \// / Fido \ _//|| _\ / (________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm) Membership for the International FidoNet Association Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to increase worldwide communications. Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________ Address _________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________________ State ________________________________ Zip _____________________ Country _________________________________________________________ Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________ Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________ Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________ BBS Name ________________________________________________________ BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________ Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________ Board Restrictions ______________________________________________ Your Special Interests __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in US Funds to: International FidoNet Association PO Box 41143 St Louis, Missouri 63141 USA Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to insure the future of FidoNet. Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the membership in January 1987. The second elected Board of Directors was filled in August 1988. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your input to this Conference. -----------------------------------------------------------------