F I D O N E W S -- | Vol. 9 No. 20 (18 May 1992) The newsletter of the | FidoNet BBS community | Published by: _ | / \ | "FidoNews" BBS /|oo \ | (415)-863-2739 (_| /_) | FidoNet 1:1/1 _`@/_ \ _ | Internet: | | \ \\ | fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org | (*) | \ )) | |__U__| / \// | Editors: _//|| _\ / | Tom Jennings (_/(_|(____/ | Tim Pozar (jm) | ----------------------------+--------------------------------------- Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international amateur network. Copyright 1992, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews. Paper price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00US Electronic Price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free! For more information about FidoNews refer to the end of this file. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ..................................................... 1 Editorial: Same but different ................................. 1 2. ARTICLES ...................................................... 3 What is FIJA? ................................................. 3 FidoCon '92 First deadline approaching! ....................... 4 The LO NodeList Flag .......................................... 6 The Black Hole ................................................ 7 New Echo: SCI&TECH -- Where Science Comes First!! ............. 8 3. LATEST VERSIONS ............................................... 11 (no) Software List ............................................ 11 4. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .......................................... 12 FidoNews 9-20 Page 1 18 May 1992 ====================================================================== EDITORIAL ====================================================================== Editorial: Same but different by Tom Jennings (1:1/1) A couple of smallish items this week. Back issues of FidoNews -- I do not have anything here at 1:1/1 except the current issue; not even last week's. I get lots of requests for back issues, and I don't know what to tell people. Does anyone have all or many of older FidoSnooze's? Possibly if there are a number of sources of various vintages, I can list them here, and have a .FAQ (Frequently Asked Question) file to answer requests. How big is the total, all volumes 1 - 9? * * * * * Subj: Book mention From: asuvax.eas.asu.edu!world.std.com!aboba (Bernard D Aboba) To: Tom.Jennings@f1.n1.z1.fidonet.org Date: Thu, 7 May 92 16:57:52 -0400 Thanks for mentioning my book in the recent FidoNews. As it happens, BMUG isn't answering their phones anymore, due to recent layoffs, so that the book is now being sold by several bookstores over the net. These include Quantum books (quanbook@world.std.com), and Silver City Software (1:213/777). * * * * * I still get lots of mail erroneously addressed to "zone 1 net 1 node 1", by a combination of "operator error" and buggy software; when a bad or missing address is entered or something, the mailer program mails it to 1:1/1. I have long since given up forwarding these things. Sysops, please check your installations carefully, and look at your logs (at least for a few months) and check that your mail is going where you think it is. Mailer authors, make sure that "operator error" or other failure modes (missing/wrong nodelist files, etc) are clean, and don't simply send mail into the ether. * * * * * FidoNews 9-20 Page 2 18 May 1992 I also get mail from nodes whose "from" FidoNet address is not in the nodelist, therefore making it impossible to reply. Sometimes it's a non- FidoNet address, ie. RBBSNET, etc, and I just K)ill those; I am only a member of FidoNet. Otherwise, I simply try again "later", in the hopes that when the new nodelist comes the errant node will be in it. Rarely does this fix it. If it's not answered within 20 days (my systems old- message purge time) it simply goes into the bit bucket. * * * * * FidoNet VERSIONS file: the problem is becoming acute. This week, there will be no versions list, because it is so damn old. The person who had volunteered to do take it over, and had shown me excellent examples of the changes to be made, disappeared, and hasn't replied to messages for many weeks now. Hopefully the *next* person who volunteers will get the job done. * * * * * And last but not least -- I received a rather inflammatory comment to my editorial about the LA Riot/Rebellion/Whatever, which I am declining to run in FidoNews. Even if I wasn't the target of the article, it's a flame, and would not run. See for yourself: it is available for filerequest or download in it's unedited entirety as file "WEAVER". +1-415-863-2739 3/12/2400/HST, fidonet 1:125/111 or 1:1/1. (In some eyes, everything not law'n'order party-line is "liberal" party-line. Not.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 9-20 Page 3 18 May 1992 ====================================================================== ARTICLES ====================================================================== What is FIJA? by John R. Graham (* ED NOTE: Sorry to our non-US readers for boring you with administrivia of the U.S. legal system. -- tom j *) FIJA stands for two things. First, it stands for Fully Informed Jury Association, which is a nationwide organization dedicated to educating people about the powers and duties of jury service. The jury is the one and only place in American government where the people really have control. Judges and attorneys have usurped that control, placing statutes and judge's instructions above the Constitutional and Common Law powers of the jury. Those powers include, but are not limited to: 1) "The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy." John Jay, 1st Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. 2) "The jury has the power to bring in a verdict in the teeth of both law and fact." Oliver Wendell Holmes, US Supreme Court, 1902. 3) "The law itself is on trial quite as much as the cause which is to be decided." Harlan F. Stone, 12th Chief Justice of US Supreme Court, 1941. 4) "The pages of history shine on instances of the jury's exercise of its prerogative to disregard instructions of the judge..." US vs. Dougherty, 473 F 2nd 1113, 1139 (1972). Judges have stolen this very basic right from the American people by telling juries that their job is only to decide whether the defendant broke the law. "Whether you believe in the law or not is not at issue here..." is heard over and over again in courtrooms across the country. The opposite is in fact true. The right of the jury to nullify bad laws (known as jury nullification) dates from medieval England, when the king and his ministers passed all sorts of odious laws. A revolution led to the signing of the Magna Carta, guaranteeing certain rights to the citizens of England. One of those rights was that no matter what the law said, a citizen could not be punished unless a jury of his peers agreed that he had done something wrong. In America, this tradition was carried over and violations of King George's anti-trade laws were not enforced by juries of American colonists. After the revolution of 1776, some states put the right of jury nullification into their constitutions, but most thought it was so basic that Americans would never forget they had that right. The state of Maryland's constitution requires that every juror be told at the time of swearing in that they have the right to judge both the law and the facts of a case. FidoNews 9-20 Page 4 18 May 1992 FIJA also stands for Fully Informed Jury Amendment. Many such amendments are currently being proposed to the voters in various states. The California FIJA amendment missed getting enough signatures during the qualifying period to get on the ballot this year, but it will be brought up again. Jury nullification was an import part of the Abolishionist Movement prior to the Civil War. Juries in northern states refused to apply the "Fugitive Slave Laws" because the jurors decided the laws were unjust. It's only in the last two decades that judges and attorneys have gotten so arrogant, and American people so ignorant, that this right could be abridged. It's time we informed the people and took back what is ours. ______________________________________________________________ John R. Graham is Managing Editor of the Enterprise News, PO Box E, Pixley, California 93256. Ph# (209) 757-3124 FIJA National Headquarters: PO Box 59, Helmville, Montana 59843. Ph# (406) 793-5550 FIJA California: (510) 889-9216 Other state organizations are available through the National or by contacting local Libertarian groups. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Registration Form FidoCon '92 "Gateway Networking" September 4-6 Summit Hotel Dallas, Texas ------------------------------------------------------------- Price schedule -------------- Single occupancy for 2 nights, airport transportation, conference with breaks, lunch each day, Saturday banquet ..................... $172.80 Double occupancy for 2 nights, airport transportation, conference with breaks, lunch each day, Saturday banquet ..................... $244.80 No sleeping room, conference with breaks, lunch each day, Saturday banquet ...................... $64.00 Thursday night early arrival .......................... $49.00 Saturday banquet only ................................. $30.00 FidoNews 9-20 Page 5 18 May 1992 Conference and breaks only ............................ $10.00 Credit Card fee ....................................... $10.00 Registration postmarked after May 30 .................. $10.00 Registration postmarked after July 31 ................. $20.00 Official FidoCon '92 T-Shirt .......................... $12.00* At the door ...................................... $15.00 Size: S M L XL Official FidoCon '92 Mug .............................. $8.00* At the door ...................................... $10.00 Official FidoCon '92 Cap ............................... $6.00* At the door ...................................... $7.00 Galleria Mall Day Bus Trip ............................. $1.00 ------------------------------------------------------------- Name: Network address: Mailing address: Voice phone number: Please circle the items from the above list that you desire, and indicate quantity if applicable. If you wish to split the cost of a double occupancy room and want us to find you a roommate: You must pay the full price for a single occupancy room at the time you register. We will refund the difference at the conference if we are able to find you a match. Please indicate if you have any preferences about your roommate (i.e. smoking/non-smoking). If you will be sharing a double occupancy room, please give us the name of the other person: Would you like a room with a modular phone jack? Do you require any special (i.e. wheelchair) facilities? FidoNews 9-20 Page 6 18 May 1992 Do you desire information about rental cars? What date/time do you plan to arrive in Dallas? What date/time do you plan to leave? Since the hotel rooms cannot receive direct-dialed calls without going through the hotel operator, we're considering installing an external line as a "FidoCon hub" to route netmail to the various hotel rooms. If you're planning to bring a portable computer with modem, do you have any interest in participating in this? * If you're not planning to come to the conference, souvenirs may be shipped to you if you include appropriate shipping and handling charges. Any surplus will be refunded. However, these souvenirs will be available only in limited quantity, and people showing up to claim them in person will have first choice. If you miss out, we will refund your money. ------------------------------------------------------------- Please make your check or money order out to "FidoCon 92". Note the May 30th and July 31st deadlines and associated late charges above. If you wish to pay by credit card, please contact 1:1/92 for more information. Mail your payment to: FidoCon '92 PO Box 550542 Dallas, TX 75355-0542 For more information, send netmail to 1:1/92 or 1:124/6119, or call John Summers voice at the FidoCon '92 Hotline 1-800-899-3585. Exhibitors and speakers are currently being sought. Please send your proposal to the address above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The LO NodeList Flag Michael Toth The Round Table BBS! 1:115/439.7 I'm writing this because there has been a BIG push to rip redundant flags out of the NodeList. While I feel that this is good, I'd like to take this time to bring to your attention the TOTAL LACK of those people that accept FREQs from Listed nodes Only. That's the LO flag. While I understand the reasoning of SysOps on wanting people that are FREQ to be a known entity, and therefore have to be in the NodeList, then they should have that flag in their List entry. FidoNews 9-20 Page 7 18 May 1992 Whenever I see in RA_UTIL, or another EchoArea, that someone has a program up for FREQ, I check the NodeList to see if they have the LO flag set. If they do, then I know it's worthless for me to FREQ from them as I am a point. If I don't see the LO flag, then I should be safe to assume that it's safe for me to FREQ. This, unfortunately, is not the case. There have been MANY times that I've tried to FREQ a file, just to find the next morning that I've had 12+ failed sessions. The event that I have setup for that is after Midnight CDST, so I'm rarely ever watching the screen. It's VERY costly when that happens. I understand that that's sometimes the case being a point. I can live with it. But if they had enabled the LO flag, then I would have NEVER started that FREQ. I *DO* have to say that there are many SysOps that use the LO flag. Also, MANY that allow FREQs from unlisted nodes/points. To those SysOps, I have to tip my hat and thank them. They have saved MANY people a lot of money and time. Also, I'll be changing to a full node soon, so most of this problem will have been eliminated for my part. But if you think that a LOT of EchoAreas get gated to other networks, and most SysOps don't carry EVERY nodelist from all those other nets, then anything from SIGnet to FidoNet is from an unlisted node. It can get VERY costly in the long run. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Michael S. Toth Wonder Lake, IL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Black Hole by Peter Danevicius 1:247/205 A black hole. One envisions images of massive voids in outer space, spaceships getting sucked into them and lost forever, the captain of the Enterprise issuing frantic orders to avoid it, the great unknown void... Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with my article. I will speak of a phenomenon that has plagued all of Fidonet since its inception; The Black Hole of Fidonet. Where did that message go? A typical situation: I'm talking to Joe Blough in the FLAME echo about training my Airedale to attack unwanted religious solicitors that appear at my front door. The moderator rules this conversation off-topic, so we decide to resume this discussion in netmail. Aren't we the ideal Fidonet participants? I send off a netmail message to Joe in an attempt to re-establish our conversation, via my NC or whatever means I use to send routed net mail, and receive no reply. Two weeks later, Joe posts a message in FLAME, telling me how he hopes FidoNews 9-20 Page 8 18 May 1992 my Airedale poops in my petunias because I didn't answer his net mail. Sound familiar? What happened to the message I sent him? What happened to the message he sent me? Answer: The Black Hole of Fidonet. It's there, it lives. It feeds on our messages. It must be stopped. We are all pleased at the liberation of former USSR countries. It always amazes me to see so many Eastern-bloc countries joining Fidonet in such large numbers. Am I making an incorrect assumption that just because they are in the nodelist I can send them mail? I have, on several occasions, tried to send routed net mail to Lithuania. I've sent messages in both English and Lithuanian in attempts to establish contact. All of these attempts have, apparently, failed. Not being satisfied, I sent netmail to several sysops of "key nodes" and the *C structures in Europe asking if they could help trace my messages. Apparently, these messages have failed to reach their destinations also. Once I've finished recovering from my last phone bill (it was a doozie!), I'm going to try a direct phone call to Lithuania. I'm anticipating this effort will be successfull, but my concern will still remain: How do we rid ourselves of The Black Hole of Fidonet? I have conducted netmail conversations with people in Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Switzerland and, of course, the USA. The foundation of a properly functioning network is there. It's a great feeling when it actually works. Why does it occaisionally fail? What is going wrong? What can I do to help? I'm not trying to affix blame to anyone here. I believe there are problems that could and should be corrected. I don't imagine I'm alone in my quest to contact people in other countries and, no doubt, peole in other countries may want to contact me or us. Is this too high an expectation? Again, I humbly ask: What is going wrong? What can I do to help? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SCI&TECH: Science & Technology Discussions without the nonsense! David Bloomberg, 1:233/12 Are you tired of the so-called "science" echos where more time is spent arguing over religious, philosophical, moral, and political issues, rather than science itself? Well, you're not alone. To cope with the need for an echo strictly devoted to today's world of science and technology, we have created the SCI&TECH echo. This is THE place to discuss the newest discoveries the world of science has to offer, or to talk about something you learned years ago, but never really quite understood. Come to learn, or come to teach. Talk about the latest articles in the popular press, FidoNews 9-20 Page 9 18 May 1992 or in scientific journals. The SCI&TECH echo is open to all levels, whether you're a scientist or a student. So, if you're interested in discussing science and technology without having to wade through all the religious/moral/political echo noise involved in SOME echos, check out SCI&TECH! Currently, the SCI&TECH echo is available from the Region 11 backbone, or from Hector Mandel at 233/15. We are only one or two steps away from the backbone, so if you can't afford to pick SCI&TECH up yourself, request it from your NEC and REC. For more info, talk to Hector Mandel at 233/15 or David Bloomberg at 233/12. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- * The AIRGUN Echo by Jim Henry (1:273/408) The AIRGUN Echo AIRPOWER Airgun Echo Now Available! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AIRGUN, the EchoMail version of the AIRPOWER airguns message base is now available for importation by other Fido-Net Systems! If you are the system operator of a FidoNet member BBS and would like to carry the Airgun Echo, contact me via Netmail for more details and to arrange a feed. AIRPOWER has been online 24 hours per day since March of 1990, serving users across the nation interested in the pleasures of shooting and collecting precision adult airguns. Activities covered include collecting, silhouette, field target shooting, small game hunting, pest control, and many technical and legal issues. Precision airgunning represents shooting pleasure on a human scale, without the excess power, noise, smoke, and harsh recoil of firearms. Message volume currently averages 5 to 10 a week. If you are interested in carrying the AIRGUN Echo on your system, I only ask that you poll at least once a week in order to present a current message base to your users. CONTACT: Jim Henry (1:273/408) at yo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- *CONFERENCE FOR BODYWORKERS NOW AVAILABLE ON BACKBONE... Massage and Bodywork Conference (BODYWORK) now 'boned FidoNews 9-20 Page 10 18 May 1992 Do you know the difference between shiatsu and acupressure? When is massage most beneficial to a pregnant woman? What are the pros and cons of National Certification in Professional Massage and Bodywork? Did you know that JH Kellogg (of cereal fame) also was a major proponent of massage in America? How can you protect your major assets - your hands - from occupational injuries such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? What makes a "good" massage "good"? These are but some of the topics that are discussed in the Massage and Bodywork Conference, now on the Fido backbone. BODYWORK is a public forum linking up massage practitioners and bodyworkers from different parts of the county, sharing information and questions, trying to create a common "language" between the many different styles and approaches to working with the body. It is also an area for the non-professional to ask questions, to discover what the myriad forms of bodywork are all about, to share their experiences. BODYWORK is a place to investigate "healing" touch, to educate and to learn about the body, and to discuss recent developments in this rapidly growing field. Please join us. Moderator: Barry Kapke Fidonet 1:125/33, DharmaNet 96:101/33 (510) 836-4717 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 9-20 Page 11 18 May 1992 ====================================================================== LATEST VERSIONS ====================================================================== Latest Greatest SoftWare Versions Latest Update: 01/27/92 [...] Well, since as of this writing it's been four (4) months since the last update, and no word from the project leader, I'll consider the list dead for now. I also no longer have copies of all the list-update-requests sent to me during that time. It may be time to rethink this entire project. Possibly it should be spawned off as a completely separate project by competely different people? Whew, what a nice short newsletter this is. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 9-20 Page 12 18 May 1992 ====================================================================== FIDONEWS INFORMATION ====================================================================== ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Tom Jennings, Tim Pozar Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello "FidoNews" BBS FidoNet 1:1/1 Internet fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org BBS (415)-863-2739 (MAY 92: 2400 baud ONLY) (9600 HST/V32) (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews Box 77731 San Francisco CA 94107 USA Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews. FidoNews is copyright 1992 Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews (we're easy). OBTAINING COPIES: FidoNews in electronic form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and via uucp. PRINTED COPIES mailed may be obtained from Fido Software for $5.00US each PostPaid First Class within North America, or $7.00US elsewhere, mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.) Periodic subscriptions are not available at this time; if enough people request it I will implement it. SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable from 1:1/1 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". FidoNews 9-20 Page 13 18 May 1992 "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are used with permission. -- END ----------------------------------------------------------------------