F I D O N E W S -- Vol.11 No.13 (28-Mar-1994) +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | | | FidoNet BBS community | Published by: | | _ | | | / \ | "FidoNews" BBS | | /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: | | | | \ \\ | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 | | | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 | | |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: editors 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Internet addresses: | | | | Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com | | Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) | | editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies and other boring but important details, | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ======================================================================== Table of Contents ======================================================================== 1. Editorial..................................................... 2 2. Articles...................................................... 2 Amateur Action BBS informational update..................... 2 Earth calling Latvia! Latvia, are you there?!.............. 11 New Echo -- Reef_keeping.................................... 12 RUSH_FAN --................................................. 13 DAMN P4! FULL SPEED AHEAD!.................................. 14 New Network! -- NapNet...................................... 15 New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP..................................... 17 "Dear Emily Postnews"....................................... 17 3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 18 FidoNews 11-13 Page: 2 28 Mar 1994 ======================================================================== Editorial ======================================================================== Editorial Sermon For The Week or Peace Through BBSing Part III or Anti-Propoganda Propoganda Many Snooze articles are legalistic, about the so-called *C structure, or about moderators and how "power" is cradled and ladled out. These are important issues, however minceing or redundant they seem, because they affect real people. Issues of power and control always affect everyone. There are other legalistic-type issues faceing Fido Net increasingly predominently, and i'm waiting to be deluged with articles; these issues also are about power and control, but not necessarily amidst Fido Net: What about power exerting control over Fidonet as a media? For "powers", be they political, social, or anything other than individual, to perpetuate themselves redundantly and smugly with success, the "media" must be controlled. Certain subjects of conversation, for example, must remain taboo [like "incest" was in 1950] or somebody might evolve new hence uncontrolled and possibly threatening ideas that are different from old ideas upon which beihavior is based, and justified, and judged. Similarly, other methods of communication must be controlled, or else the spheres will be trepidated and/or the sky will fall? FidoNet hasn't been controlled, has functioned practically and anarchistically, so far, mosty. I'm still waiting for that deluge of articles. Oh - remember the rule we use for avoiding scary otherness and for making everyone safely the same: "everyone ELSE is suspect"; ie., "all BBSs might be run and used by sociopaths, paedophiles, and neo-nazis", "yellow peril" and "the martians have invaded". And remember: it is good to sacrifice personal freedom, even personal freedom of opinion, to the giant cookie monster. ======================================================================== Articles ======================================================================== "This is real, and Hensen is not an idiot. Sigh, it's actually news." Amateur Action BBS informational update Amateur Action BBS informational update by H Keith Henson Date: Sun, 20 Mar 1994 22:00:15 -0800 From: H Keith Henson To: cypherpunks@toad.com Subject: Recent AA BBS stuff FidoNews 11-13 Page: 3 28 Mar 1994 3/20/94 I got a phone call today from an early player in this affair--the guy who originally turned in Amateur Action BBS to the Postal Inspectors. Turns out he had *not* hacked into AA BBS, but just read the signon screens--and was not familiar with the hype used to describe certain files. AA BBS *does* offer photos of nude "young children." What they are is nudist material, legal (as far as anyone knows) anywhere. The guy started out the call very upset that I would be involved defending someone offering child pornography. I explained to him that AA BBS had no child porn, and that the only child pron involved in these events was that the postal inspector sent to frame the AA BBS sysop. I went on to tell him that the postal folks were mainly going after the sysop *and his wife* for bestiality pictures and the like on his board. The guy was simply horrified at what he had started since he has no problem with any of that kind of stuff, or people who want to look at it. Had he paid the signup fee and been an AA BBS member for even a day, he would have realized there was nothing there to warrant bringing in the postal inspectors. If he had even called the sysop . . . . Well, it is too late now, the legal bill on this case has likely gone over $100k. One thing for sure, this case has totally shaken my belief that the legal system is fair and honest. I find that the court clerks take orders from the US Attorneys. Clerks keep the judges in the dark about letters to them and even motions on their calendars. I have found out that Magistrates provide no protection whatsoever from unreasonable searches and seizures. (Why? Because they *don't even *read* the search warrant affidavits!) I also have found out that the Western District of TN runs a profitable racket against adult BBS and other sources of erotic material. I have also found that there seems to be *NO* possible legal recourse available if a US Attorney breaks the law. The FBI is the only organization which could investigate, and they have to ask for permission---FROM THE US ATTORNEY THEY WOULD BE INVESTIGATING! Thus laws designed to protect your privacy or communications have no teath in them. I am uploading this and several other recent related files to Wildcat BBS in TN. Folks, please check things out before involving the cops. Cops have no sense of humor at all. Keith Henson 3/16/94 More very odd goings on to report in the AABBS case. As you can see from the body of this posting, there is a serious problem with the court clerks controlling what the judges see. It seems to have happened again. FidoNews 11-13 Page: 4 28 Mar 1994 I hand delivered the below letter (marked Personal and Confidential) to Judge Patel's clerk [Ms Muriyama] in open court in the presence of three lawyers. Unfortunately, Judge Patel stepped out of the court just at the instance I handed the letter to her clerk. Did Judge Patel get the letter? I suspect not. I know Judge Patel is under no obligation to respond, or even have one of her staff respond, but it would seem like this kind of report would generate a reply *if* Judge Patel received it. Does anyone have an idea of how to reach a judge if her clerks do not want her to see it? Someone has suggested paying the local law paper to *publish* it as an advertizement. Your suggestions would be most welcome since I am absolutely out of ideas. Keith H. Keith Henson 799 Coffey Ct. San Jose, CA 95123 408-972-1132 Judge Marilyn Patel Northern District of California 450 Golden Gate Ave., 19th Floor San Francisco, CA 94102 March 3, 1994 Dear Judge Patel: You may want to look into certain acts last week by some of the Court clerks. It appears they are taking orders from the US Attorney to modify your calendar. Last Thursday, Richard Williams (a lawyer from San Jose) made telephone contact with Ms Muriyama in the clerk's office. He had a motion to file for return of property and suppression of evidence in a case which itself involves a report of fraud on Magistrate-Judge Brazil's court to obtain a search warrant. (A matter about which I informed Magistrate Brazil in a letter dated January 19.) Since you were the Duty Judge in January when these events happened, it was appropriate to bring the motion to you. Ms Muriyama told Mr. Williams that the motion could be heard on the calendar of your Court on Monday, February 28, 1994 at 2:30 pm if he could get the motion filed early Friday morning. Mr. Williams had the motion filed by courier with the clerks office by about 9 am last Friday. He fully expected to be before your Court Monday at 2:30. I learned of the hearing Friday and made plans to be there myself since my affidavit is part of this motion. Two of Mr. William's staffers talked to Ms Muriyama Thursday, and are prepared to testify as to her agreeing to putting the motion on your calendar, though the option was left open that you might shift it to some other department at the same FidoNews 11-13 Page: 5 28 Mar 1994 time. Monday at 11:50 am, Vicki from Magistrate Brennan's office called Mr. William's office to tell him that there was nothing on calendar for his motion before either yourself or Judge Brennan because she said the US Attorney had ordered the clerks to take his motion off your calendar! Vicki was told that according to Ms Muriyama (as of last Thursday afternoon), the motion *was* on calendar. Vicki then alleged that Ms Muriyama had not contacted Mr. Willaim's office the previous week. She also said they had no copy of the motion for you to see (two were filed, and one given to the US Attorney after filing). A few minutes later, Ms Muriyama called saying that they had no copies of the motion for you to review, though she did not deny that she had put this matter on your calendar. Since Judge Brazil had excused himself last week, she tried to get Mr. Williams to agree to place the motion before Magistrate-Judge Brennan, and when told that a Magistrate was unacceptable, she placed the motion hearing on Judge Caulfield's calendar late on March 7, one day before the matter is to be moved to Tennessee, a move which will inflict great costs and business damage upon the plaintiffs. Though I do not know that Judge Brazil ever saw the letter I wrote to him, one of his staff called me last week and left a long message (which I preserved) on my answering machine. In it, the staff member stated that it was not a Judge's role to investigate the fraud perpetrated on his Court to which I had directed his attention, and that I should contact the US Attorney if I wished the matter to be investigated. Given that the US Attorney has manipulated your calendar to prevent these very matters from being brought to the attention of your Court, I believe this approach would be akin to getting a fox to guard the henhouse. I would greatly appreciate your looking into these matters which involve the integrity of the Court. I would also appreciate a very short phone call from you to either myself or Mr. Williams indicating only that this letter actually got into your hands. I have never considered myself a naive person. In spite of this, I have always felt that the judiciary in this country was honest. I still feel this way, but how effective can an honest Judge be when their information channels are completely controlled by one party in an action? Sincerely, H. Keith Henson PS I was quite surprised to find the Court clerks are employed by the US Attorney's office. Considering how much control clerks/staff have over what Judges hear and do, this arrangement harbors a high potential for abuse--even if only inadvertent abuse. I simply could not imagine Congressional staff members being employees of the FidoNews 11-13 Page: 6 28 Mar 1994 Executive branch! If there is a movement to put clerks under the Judges, I would be happy to lend my support. enc. Copy of referenced letter to Magistrate-Judge Brazil Copy of letter to Chief Judge Thelton E. Henderson ----- [Incidentally, Judge Caulfield was supposed to have ruled on the motion to return property and suppress evidence last Friday. Mr. Williams was called (by a clerk again) and told she would rude on his motion without a hearing, and let him know how it came out by letter. So far, nothing has showed up in the mail, and it will be a week tomorrow. My long standing faith in a fair judicial process in this country has been badly shaken.] RICHARD D. WILLIAMS, APC State Bar #92376 79 Divine St., Suite 101 San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 295-6336 Chief Judge Clifford Wallace U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Two Rincon Center P.O. Box 193846 San Francisco, CA 94119-3846 March 11, 1994 In Re: Complaint for Judicial Misconduct Dear Chief Judge Clifford: I am filing a complaint largely as a concerned citizen but also on behalf of my clients, Robert and Carleen Thomas. It is my understanding that section 372 (c) of title 28 is intended to preserve the integrity of the judiciary. I would like to see an investigation of what I consider to be an affront to the Ninth Circuit, its district courts, the American people, and my clients. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas run an adult bulletin board service. Their activities of preparing graphical and written material for public dissemination clearly makes them "publishers" within the meaning of Title 42, Section 2000(aa) (Privacy Protection Act). In addition, their system has 3,500 electronic mail users who were entitled to protection under the Electronics Communications Privacy Act. On January 10, 1994 the Thomas' entire computer system was seized pursuant to a search warrant which was purportedly signed by Hon. Wayne Brazil, U.S. Magistrate in the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of California. This warrant was applied for by a U.S. postal inspector (David Dirmeyer) from the Western District of Tennessee. They were aware of the requirements of both 42 U.S.C. 2000 (aa) and 18 U.S.C. 2703 that a subpoena be used against both FidoNews 11-13 Page: 7 28 Mar 1994 electronic mail services and "publishers" unless a specific showing of need is made by a judicial officer. On the day following the execution of the search warrant I drove to San Francisco (after the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California could find no such case number) and was told that the U.S. Attorney had the case file for a week, and that I should check back in a couple of days. As the clerk spoke, I could not help but look up and see a sign indicating that removal of any file from the clerk's office was punishable as a felony. I was also told that nothing in the file was sealed (although there was no docket sheet available for me to verify this). I went back three days later and got the same reception at the Clerk's office. Again there was no docket sheet and no file. I was given Magistrate Brazil's office phone number, and I spoke with a woman who claimed to be Magistrate Brazil's secretary. She told me that there was no record she could find that there had ever been an affidavit put before Judge Brazil, nor a search warrant issued. Someone came up and spoke to her at which time she excused herself and put me on hold for five minutes. When she returned she seemed nervous, and told me that there was a file, but that the affidavit in support of the search warrant was "sealed." This affidavit was not unsealed until January 27, 1994, the day after an indictment against my clients was filed in Western District of Tennessee. My clients were deprived of due process in that the rules were manipulated such that the Thomas' were denied their rights to seek return of the seized property under rule 41(e), instead forcing them to litigate this matter (to the limited extent possible) in Tennessee. Since the file had no usable case number in either California or Tennessee I had no way to defend my client, and hence they were denied their Sixth-Amendment rights as well. I apologize for my lengthy presentation, but I could not do this matter justice with a brief statement and no background information. This matter strongly suggests that Magistrate Brazil was conspiring with U.S. attorneys, Postal Inspector David Dirmeyer, and unknown judges in the Western District of Tennessee to deprive the Ninth Circuit of its rightful jurisdiction over matters occurring within its district, and to deprive my clients of their civil rights. If the Court of Appeals were to find such a conspiracy it would have serious implications, and represent racketeering within the meaning of RICO statutes in that their co-conspirator, Agent David Dirmeyer, has also engaged in intimidation of witnesses, extortion, attempted blackmail, and perjury. Further, Agent Dirmeyer referred to his mailing of unsolicited child pornography to unsuspecting persons as "standard investigative procedure." This case has national significance if, in fact, the federal magistrates in this country are routinely violating the civil rights of litigants in this fashion, conspiring with postal inspectors to forum shop for the most conservative jury pools in the country, and allowing the affiants to commit blatant perjury in the course of their FidoNews 11-13 Page: 8 28 Mar 1994 affidavits. I believe the clear intent of all of these proceedings was to turn my client's bulletin board into a government asset so that they could use the bulletin board to entice the members with child pornography. In support of the above serious accusation, I cite the fact that David Dirmeyer threatened Robert Thomas that he would suffer serious retaliation should he blow Agent Dirmeyer's ("Lance White's") cover on the bulletin board. This indictment and arrest followed open discussion on the board about Lance White when Thomas did not give in to this extortion. In my opinion, Agent Dirmeyer did not intend a criminal prosecution and, therefore, tried to create only enough of a paper trail to intimidate Mr. Thomas and make his business a "government asset" in their search for alleged pedophiles. This is the only reasonable conclusion for the following reasons: 1. A citizen who stumbled on something they deemed offensive on an adult bulletin board is not likely to call a postal inspector. But Agent Dirmeyer describes someone reporting their involvement in a serious felony (theft of computer services) to the postal inspectors in his affidavit. 2. Agent Dirmeyer already had copies of tapes sought under the search warrant (and had allegedly ordered from Mr. Thomas' board), and could have copied everything necessary for prosecution from his remote location in Tennessee. The only things he could not copy remotely were the electronic mail and member names and passwords. The reasons for the search warrant were to intimidate the Thomases, "frame" them with child pornography for further leverage, and to take the bulletin board off-line for five days so Agent Dirmeyer could extract member names, account passwords, and e-mail. It should be noted that Agent Dirmeyer still has the e-mail. 3. Agent Dirmeyer purports in his affidavit to have informed Magistrate Brazil of my clients' publisher status under 42 U.S.C. Section 2000 (aa) and the email content of the computer under 18 USC 2703 et seq. If so, in effect he told Magistrate Brazil that he would be committing two felonies--by title and section number--and he still got his search warrant. 4. There are several adult bulletin boards in Tennessee with similar (if not identical material) and Agent Dirmeyer chose to act in the Northern District of California. 5. The Thomases were subject to a similar search and seizure in 1992 by San Jose police acting alone, who examined the system and returned it in exchange for a promise not to sue them or Santa Clara County civilly. No items were found to be obscene by the police or Santa Clara County district attorneys. This fact was known by Agent Dirmeyer and even Magistrate Brazil. 6. Agent Dirmeyer made threats to Robert Thomas in his attempt to preserve his "Lance White" cover as a member of the BBS. FidoNews 11-13 Page: 9 28 Mar 1994 7. Magistrate Brazil's office acted as if the affidavit itself was sealed when, in fact, the application for sealing, and his own words in doing so, only sealed the exhibits (deemed obscene by Agent Dirmeyer). I am also concerned about his not releasing the affidavit (Sua Sponte) until January 27th, 1994 (the day after the indictment and 17 days after the search). 8. There is also the fact that not so much as a docket sheet was available in the interim, as well as the sudden change of attitude by the Magistrate's secretary when I called to inquire as to the whereabouts of the file (after she discussed the matter with whoever interrupted our phone conversation). 9. Last, but not least, the initial case number, (allegedly stamped on the search warrant by the Clerk of the Court), was 3005-WDB. Once the file had become unsealed, the case number became 30005-WDB. These factors leave room for and at least suggest that an ex-post- facto paper trail was created after a bluff had gone bad. I believe the court must investigate these irregularities to protect its own integrity. At a bare minimum we have extortion and forum shopping by Agent Dirmeyer with the participation of federal magistrates in Northern California and the Western District of Tennessee. I am appalled as an American at the thought of this. I am equally appalled if an agent's sending child pornography to someone "without his knowledge" (Dirmeyer's own words describing the pornography) has become standard practice for postal inspectors. Sincerely, Richard D. Williams Attorney at Law [a posting I made to the net on 3/14/94] By the time this gets distributed to the net, Robert Thomas (the sysop of Amateur Action BBS), his wife, and their lawyer will be on the way to Memphis for their first hearing on obscenity charges. The charges stem from a postal inspector getting an account on Robert's BBS, downloading files (and ordering tapes) the inspector believes to be obscene in that part of the country. I expect Robert to eventually be bled dry by legal and travel expenses. I have *real* problems with the laws being applied this way. With current technology it not possible for a sysop to control or even identify the location from which BBS members call. It is almost as difficult for *anyone* to determine what is considered obscene in a given location. Such a research project would take years of lawyer time, and would still be only a guess. It would hinge on East Nowhere allowing B&D, South Backwater allowing this plus golden showers, and West Prudence allowing neither, but not being FidoNews 11-13 Page: 10 28 Mar 1994 concerned with animal pix. North Nowhere might allow anything, including kiddy porn morphed from pictures of adults, and computer generated pictures of sex with space aliens. If a given local wants to impose restrictions, I don't have as much of a problem with that, since people can always move somewhere more liberal. But imposing local restrictions on a BBS 2000 miles away is not logical--because it imposes an *impossible burden* on a sysop. "You are responsible for knowing what you download (or order) is legal" was argued by the government against the people who downloaded child pornography from Denmark in "operation longarm" a year or two ago. [That BBS was taken over by the U.S. Government and the 140 or so people who called there were traced. Many of them--the ones who did not encrypt or erase what they downloaded--were busted, and now the taxpayers are paying to keep them in jail, while the violent offenders are let out for lack of space.] Given this history of imposing responsibility on the person downloading, it seems inconsistent (to say the least) for the Federal folks to impose the standards of the least liberal places in the country on a *San Francisco area* BBS. (San Francisco is, after all, "Babylon on the Bay.) In the AA BBS case, two years ago the local police had his computer for five weeks. They looked at every .gif and give it back-- which strongly implies that they considered the material on it within community standards. (They found no child pornography, which seems to be the only thing considered illegal here. Cops do not, after all, return contraband!). The postal inspector and the U.S. Attorneys do not seem all that sure of themselves this time either, since (after keeping the BBS for five days) they gave it back with the intent that the BBS continue operating. They have not asked the sysop to refuse memberships from Tennessee, or to remove any of the .gif files they considered obscene. (I think the gifs are just silly.) I am torn between thinking of these events as being part of a Memphis political attention play and an attempt to turn AA BBS into a "government asset" like the one in Denmark from which the postal inspectors could troll for pedophiles. They *did* get the email, member names, and passwords. [Do any of you want to guess how often Memphis gets mentioned in the national press? It turns out to be fewer than a dozen times a year if you discount articles about Elvis/Graceland. One of the biggest events of all time there was the Linda Lovelace/Deep Throat trials--which cost about 10 million dollars and accomplished nothing except some publicity for the U.S. Attorneys involved.] In spite of being extremely busy as the new president of Xanadu Operating Company (Hypertext) and doing a lot of analysis and programming, I have been assisting with the defense on this case. I am *very* annoyed by these proceedings because they are cutting into my productivity. I am more than open to ideas and help from people on FidoNews 11-13 Page: 11 28 Mar 1994 the net to generate political pressure on the feds to get them to back off from this stupid test prosecution. One possible approach might be for someone to inform the new U.S. Attorney in Memphis (Veronica Coleman) about the case-- which I bet is being run by subordinate Dan Newsom without her even knowing about it. The investigation was started under her predecessor, Republican Ed Briant, who rose to prominence in the Deep Throat prosecutions. I strongly doubt that Veronica Coleman (Democrat and graduate of Howard University) would put a (very costly) effort to suppress a *California* adult BBS high on a list of priorities for her office. Being associate with the case makes me talking to her of questionable propriety, but there must be someone out in netland who could. The local NAACP office (901) 521-1343 might provide her phone number if someone with a reasonable level of academic or other prestige were to ask. On the other hand, she might be fully behind the prosecution. Thanks in advance for help/ideas any of you can contribute. Keith Henson (408) 972-1132 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Earth calling Latvia! Latvia, are you there?! By Steve Crager, Fidonet 1:130/103 Recently - well, not _that_ recently; he's been on my behind to do this for awhile now - a user of mine expressed to me a desire to correspond with Fido folks living in Latvia {where is Latvia?}. In fact, he wanted to send netmail to _everyone_ in Latvia, but I told him: SC> Yeah. Don't. "Bombing runs", as they are called, are considered SC> annoying in Fidonet, and I could get in trouble if you sent one out SC> under my node number. He then said: > Ok let me rephrase this... I would like > to corespond with anyone from that > country (Latvia according to the > nodelist that I got from a message on > A_L) but I haven't seen anyone with that > address in the echoes. So just how would > I go about it?? Would I need to get a > BBS list for that node/area from you?? > If I have to write to an individual (if > ALL isn't allowed that is)...then who?? > Thanks for your help FidoNews 11-13 Page: 12 28 Mar 1994 Okay. So, here's my question: Who's in Latvia? Would someone be willing to correspond with my user, please? Replies to 1:130/103. Flames, insults, etc, to 1:1/1. :-) Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- New Echo -- Reef_keeping Reef_Keeping Echo Lefty Frizzell 106/449 This is just a quick information message telling you about the new Reef Conference we are trying to get off the ground. As some of us feel that the people that are primarily interested in Salt Water Fish and Reef_keeping should have their own echo to discuss the aspects of our hobby. An echo that has information directly related to the pecularities of the denizens of the salt water world. Who's doin' what The conference name is REEF_KEEPING. Eric Gray has agreed to moderate the conference. He will be responsible for the care and feeding of the conference during it's formative period. He is a respected member of the Saltwater hobby. I have been more than a little impressed with his knowledge of the hobby. His knowledge of cheap work arounds is phenominal. I know we all would like to be able to have more money to stock our tanks... rather than leaving it all at the fish store. I know I am tired of paying big $$$ for things that can be easily made at home. Do you get tired of paying $15 for a 5 pound bag of gravel when silca sand is available at welding shops and can be purchased for $5 per 50 pounds? How would you like a Venturi protein skimmer for about $35? You priced any lately? The cheapies start out at $99. Getting tired of paying $50 for a chunk of live rock only to find out that you were severely ripped off cause the rock had never been cured? Then this is the echo for you! Rules and regulations for this echo will be discussed and agreed upon by the people that are helping to get it off the ground. This is being done this way for a number of reasons: 1. It's going to be your echo. You should have a say so in the rules that make it click. 2. Part of the process of getting the echo on the backbone is FidoNews 11-13 Page: 13 28 Mar 1994 that there must be a goodly number of people participating in the conference. 3. *YOU* fill in the blank. I am Lefty Frizzell, NEC of Net 106. I have agreed to work with Eric to get the conference running and backboned. I will handle the paperwork part of this transaction, co-ordinate the distribution of the echo, and participate as a user after the echo is backboned. I will handle the Elisting of the echo with the Fidogods. I can be reached at 713 584 1905 during the week from 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs daily. I will be glad to answer any of your questions and help you get set up to receive the echo. What we need YOU to do. Send me netmail at 106/449 here in Houston, Texas indicating that you wish to be part of this project. Please indicate your name, address, voice phone, and node number. Let me know the number of times a week that you will be calling to pick up the echo. Also, a password that you will be using as a session level password. What is it going to cost? You should not have to call more than two times a week. At the cost of todays long distance rates, you should not be out of pocket more than $2 or $3 a month. Just think for $9 or $10 MAX you will soon have the echo of your dreams! That place that will answer all your questions about Salt Water Aquariums AND Reefkeeping...all in one place! WHADDA DEAL! Thanks for your help in this endeavor. Eric Gray, Moderator Lefty Frizzell, Head Gopher ---------------------------------------------------------------------- RUSH_FAN -- Get RUSH_FAN delivered to your BBS now your local hub!!! Al Filandro 1:141/885, 1:141/1885@Fidonet, Cygnusrush@Aol.com The RUSH_FAN echo goes backbone!! There is a new Backbone echo on the queue that should be available now to anyone anywhere. The RUSH_FAN echo has been going strong since late 1991 when the echo was first begun. Rush_Fan is an echo much like internets Alt.music.rush or the "National Midnight Star" mailing list in that it deals with the band RUSH, its music, ideology philosophy and pretty much any and every single facet of this incredible bands twenty-year official history of putting out FidoNews 11-13 Page: 14 28 Mar 1994 some real inspiring albums. Now! After many months of the Elist process (and many thanks to those RCs in the South and Lisa Pellegrino in Florida) the Rush_Fan echo is BACKBONE! So grab your Hubs Ticker and begin recieving the RUSH_FAN conference today! (Warning: this is not a RUSH Limbaugh fan echo :) ) Al Filandro @ Fidonet 1:141/885 moderator, Rush_FAN Internet: Cygnusrush@Aol.com Cygnus Opus BBS: (203-628-9702/203-620-0757 HST 21.6k Duals) Rush Files! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DAMN P4! FULL SPEED AHEAD! POLICY 4 OVERTHROWN IN QUIET PALACE COUP LAST WEEK Randy DeVaux, 1:141/701 - The Brookfield Community Internet BBS Hello readers. Well, a palace coup, a veritable revolution has taken place by the powers than be in the *C structure. Have you slept through it? It has to do with something so innocuous as the modem flags in the nodelist. It seems that when Policy 4 and technology collide, Zone Coordinators can choose to secede from the Fidonet "Union" and create what THEY feel are then standards for communications connectivity. Who the hell needs a Fidonet Technical Standards Committee to approve flags for communications!? They'll unilaterally create the flags they feel are appropriate for how they want to communicate. To hell with other people and any general consensus of a committee of our technical peers. In the words of Frank Sinatra "...We'll do it.......MY WAY!". Isn't that what the world has been trying to shed over the last few years? Take a look in the nodelist. There's a Z19 flag flying at 1:142/515. Take another look. There's a VFC flag flying at 1:320/124. Are they approved by the IC and listed in the bottom of the nodelist? There are many, many more. Check your copy of the nodelist out. Mine doesn't have them. If yours does, please let St. Louis know. So, we simply toss aside policy for the sake of technological expediency! Of course! Everyone communicates telepathically all standards and *BING* the answer is that it's done. See? And what of our *C structure? Are they now beginning to function like a bureaucracy and rubber stamping everything and anything because they don't yet have an IC? Are they watching out for the interests of all, or the interests of those whose few that want to install a new BYTE BANGER - SUPER WHAMMER JAMMER - WHIZ BANG modem and establish their own standard. Shouldn't we all (Zones) have to abide by the parameters established in Policy 4? How can we have effective communications worldwide when unilateral actions are taken by some outside the parameters of Policy 4. Why doesn't FidoNews 11-13 Page: 15 28 Mar 1994 our *C structure do something to re-establish the definitions of flags at the bottom of the nodelist? Until them, the BYTE BANGER - SUPER WHAMMER JAMMER - WHIZ BANG modem flags should be relegated to the Uxxx field in the nodelist as a comment. In that manner, everyone is accommodated. Let's all follow the rules we agreed to when we joined fidonet. If we want to change Policy 4, then that's a separate matter. The last thing we need to hear from the *C structure is "Don't confuse me with the facts.....I've already made up my mind!". Send your *C a netmail message and let him know how you feel on the subject. It may be dull. It may be dry. It may be even boring. But if you do it now, you won't have to do more later. An aside: I wish to stand up and give sincere thanks to my NC, Phil Palumbo and my RC, Andre Normandin for the high quality job they have done and continue to do to assure the quality of the nodelist. We may have had many heated arguments, but their commitment to increasing the quality of the nodelist listing helps all of fidonet to communicate better and that has been and will continue to be my personal crusade......better communications. Many people can remember, the January article I sent in regarding nodelist quality. Well, here in Net 141 and Region 16, they did something about nodelist pollution, and as Andre Normandin has pointed out to me, we should continue the efforts of Bowzer (our nodelist watchdog sniffer program) in the other regions of Zone 1 as well to aid in this cleanup. A clean nodelist is a job each and every one of us should particpate in. People can and do make a difference! Now on to the rest of Zone 1 Bowzer! A big thanks again to Andre Normandin and Phil Palumbo without who's efforts this never would have been successful. I propose a BOWZER column for fidonews to make people aware of areas of concern in the nodelist where problems might exist in the nodelst entry. Perhaps a different problem each week? Do we have an annual BOWZER award? What do you think? We'd like to know. Send netmail to 1:141/701. We don't shred bytes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- New Network! -- NapNet New Network! -- NapNet Matt Barton, 1:231/70 Indianapolis, Indiana A relatively small local network here in Indianapolis has decided to go national and we want YOU! We are dedicated to free and easy communication throughout the nation. The name of this network is NapNet. We operate in Zone 83 and in domain FidoNews 11-13 Page: 16 28 Mar 1994 "NapNet." We currently have about eight nodes, all here in Indianapolis. Current List Of Echomail Conferences Available On The NapNet Backbone: Echo Tag Description -------------------------------------------- NAP_500 Indy 500/Racing Discussion NAP_AD&D Advanced Dungeon & Dragons NAP_AMIGA Amiga Computer Systems NAP_ANSI ANSI Art/Music NAP_CHAT Public/General Discussion NAP_COMPLAIN Complaints About Everything NAP_CONTROV Controversy NAP_FILES File Announcements NAP_FINEARTS The Fine Arts NAP_GENE Genealogy NAP_JOKES Jokes And Humor NAP_MAC MacIntosh Computer Systems NAP_NEWS News In The Nation NAP_OFFLINE Offline Mail Systems NAP_OUTDOORS The Great Outdoors NAP_ROCKY The Rocky Horror Picture Show NAP_SYSOP NapNet SysOps NAP_TEEN Teens Only NAP_TERM Modem Communications Software NAP_TW Trade Wars Discussion -------------------------------------------- If you are interested, you must request a startup kit from 1:231/70. File Request the name NAPKIT. Included in this kit is applications and information. Once I receive your application, you will be assigned a node number. If you are the first in your area to join, you may end up becoming the host for that area of the country. Currently, there is no one in the eastern or wester parts of this country in NapNet. Anyone from those two areas can become Regional Coordinators. Let me know if you're interested. If you have any more questions, feel free to write me some netmail. Address it to Matt Barton at 1:231/70. FidoNews 11-13 Page: 17 28 Mar 1994 New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP Matt Barton, 1:231/70 Indianapolis, Indiana Yes, kiddies, there is now a TEEN_SYSOP echo dedicated to all those who are under 21 in FidoNet. This echo is restricted to SysOps listed in the nodelist that are under 21 years old. Co-SysOps and users are *NOT* allowed. All mail will be set as Hold/Direct for the receiver to poll at will. You must poll me atleast once a week, and possibly more if you're feeding others who are local to you. If someone local to you is receiving this echo, or you want to feed someone local to you, arrangements can be made. You still need to make an official request for the echo to me regardless of where you're getting the echo. If you're interested, write netmail to Matt Barton at 1:231/70. Please include Areafix password. No session or packet passwords required and pretty much discouraged. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Dear Emily Postnews" [Written specifically for USENET, but applies to echomail too. Author unknown. Please step forward!] Emily Postnews, foremost authority on proper net behaviour, gives her advice on how to act on the net. - - - - - - - - - Dear Miss Postnews: How long should my signature be? -- verbose@noisy A: Dear Verbose: Please try and make your signature as long as you can. It's much more important than your article, of course, so try to have more lines of signature than actual text. Try to include a large graphic made of ASCII characters, plus lots of cute quotes and slogans. People will never tire of reading these pearls of wisdom again and again, and you will soon become personally associated with the joy each reader feels at seeing yet another delightful repeat of your signature. Be sure as well to include a complete map of USENET with each signature, to show how anybody can get mail to you from any site in the world. Be sure to include Internet gateways as well. Also tell people on your own site how to mail to you. Give independent addresses for Internet, UUCP, and BITNET, even if they're all the FidoNews 11-13 Page: 18 28 Mar 1994 same. Aside from your reply address, include your full name, company and organization. It's just common courtesy -- after all, in some newsreaders people have to type an *entire* keystroke to go back to the top of your article to see this information in the header. By all means include your phone number and street address in every single article. People are always responding to usenet articles with phone calls and letters. It would be silly to go to the extra trouble of including this information only in articles that need a response by conventional channels! ------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================== Fidonews Information ======================================================================== ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar Tom Jennings "FidoNews" BBS FidoNet 1:1/23 BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS) Internet addresses: Don & Sylvia (submission address) editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews 128 Church St. Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2H 2S4 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. Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is Copyright 1994 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews (we're easy). FidoNews 11-13 Page: 19 28 Mar 1994 OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue-ONLY of 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 Internet. PRINTED COPIES may be obtained from Fido Software for $10.00US each PostPaid First Class within North America, or $13.00US elsewhere, mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.) INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you would like a FAQ, or have questions regarding FidoNet, or UUCP<==>FidoNet gateways, please direct them to David Deitch (1:133/411@fidonet) at deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org. 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 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it. "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission. Asked what he thought of Western civilization, M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea". -- END ----------------------------------------------------------------------