F I D O N E W S -- Volume 13, Number 34 19 August 1996 +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet community | "FidoNews" | | _ | 1-407-383-1372 [1:1/23] | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | | | | | \ \\ | Editor: | | | (*) | \ )) | Christopher Baker 1:374/14 | | |__U__| / \// | | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | submissions=> cbaker84@digital.net | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ SEE FIDONEWS AT http://www.geocities.com/athens/6894/ Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 A light Issue is not a trend again? ...................... 1 2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2 IC-selection .. a candidate .............................. 2 So what if the Nodelist is shrinking? .................... 4 3. FIDONET HISTORY .......................................... 6 Whatever happened to Fido? FidoNet History from 1985 ..... 6 4. REVIEWS .................................................. 8 Six Mail Processors Reviewed [I] ......................... 8 5. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 12 Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 229 ...... 12 6. NET HUMOR ................................................ 13 Secrets of Life? ......................................... 13 7. COMIX IN ASCII ........................................... 15 Do you know what it's like to be Kabongged? .............. 15 8. QUESTION OF THE WEEK ..................................... 17 Why don't we have an up-to-date Nodelist? ................ 17 9. NOTICES .................................................. 18 AT&Ters Save big money 24 HOURS a day U.S. to overseas ... 18 Future History ........................................... 18 10. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................ 20 Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 20 11. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ..................................... 27 This Space intentionally left blank? ..................... 27 And more! FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 1 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= This will not be a large edition of FidoNews. I hope we're not going back to the Editorial being the only thing in the newsletter. FIDONEWS Echo is now fully connected over the Z1 Backbone. Reports from Z2 say it is also getting over there. I haven't heard anything from Z3-Z6. Speaking of which, WHERE is the Zone 3 Nodelist update? Hello, ZC3! Do you need someone to move the files from down under? We're having a long-distance sale at AT&T [see article later] up here and there shouldn't be any reason for this interminable delay in updating, should there be? There is an active seeker for the IC slot reporting in this week's Issue. We have been completely stagnant on that front for WAY too long so maybe some action will be generated. Stop putting off that article! What ever happened to all those ASCII artists we used to have? Send in some Comix! I can keep recycling the old cow pictures but there's only so much mileage in that clunker. Whatever happened to Doc Logger? Who else wants to write a weekly column? FidoNetting minds want to know! And how about you FidoNet codgers? Let's have some of those .BIOs for the 'youngsters'. [grin] C.B. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 2 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= IC-selection .. a candidate .. By Ward Dossche 2:292/854 Colleagues, A number of RC's in Zone-2 as well as 2 ex-ZC's have requested me to become a candidate in the IC-selection process. We have now been without an IC for over a year, the (s)election- process has come to a grinding halt without any conclusion and this is now beginning to harm Fidonet. I have considered the plea made to me and hereby confirm that I am a candidate as of now. Fidonet used to follow from very close the technical evolutions in the telecom-world. I don't see this happening anymore, at least not in an organised way. Further it seems we are being overtaken by events, i.e. large numbers of nodes disappearing from the net and moving to other quarters, presumably the internet. Now this in itself needs not to be a negative thing. Fidonet has known years of growth beyond expectation and what we are noticing could very well be just a trimming-down to real proportions, i.e. shedding dead wood. In this case losing a number of nodes does not mean a loss of quality. Now is there still a life for Fidonet, is there a need for it? Undoubtedly the advent of the internet has meant a change and turning the clock back will be impossible. But why consider this a dissadvantage and not turn it into an advantage? It has been argued in the past that Fido should not get its hands dirty on the internet, but is that really the case? Is sticking to PSTN-access not rather a symptom of a lack of vision and a bigger danger for the net than embracing the goodies the internet and other oportunities could mean? What goodies? What about nodes with full IP-access? Impossible? They already exist and work wonderfully well ... ask Basil Dolmatov, he'll tell you all about it. FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 3 19 Aug 1996 What about HAM-access between Fido-nodes? It exists! What about X25-access between Fido-nodes? It exists! But these nodes remain hidden as 'Pvt'. If we have an advantage over the internet then it is our flexibility to adapt our technology to other transmission modes. There are a bunch of other items that need tackling such as : * The officially unresolved status of ZyXEL-flags; * The unresolved status of V34-systems; * What about cellular nodes ... they're there already; * Worldwide implementation of proper ISDN-flags; * Stopping the Zones from drifting apart; * Everything that affects connectability, communicativity, and connectivity? * What about ZMH- and FTS-0001-compliancy in an environment which is technically more and more unable to offer direct connects between different modulation-, transmission- and/or access-methods? Everyone with their heads in the right spot will come to the conclusion that Fidonet in future will have to respond to demands, not necessarily purely technical even, beyond the ones that are now catered for by present structures. Do we have to close eyes and rule out any technical evolution because that's what we're bound to do by a policy which is becoming more and more obsolete? Here comes another IC-challenge ... changing the current policy, an exercise which hasn't had any success over the past ... erhhh ... 7 years. So, yes, I am willing to be a candidate in the IC-selection process. But mind you, not at any price. If it is to be the object of a bashing-contest then I'll gracefully bow out. If anyone wants information on what I stand for and think which direction we should move in, then please consider this text as the memorandum to Fidonet on the minimum programme which I think an IC should commit him/herself to. I know the IC-(s)election is a "ZC-only"-matter but it is my feeling that there is no reason to remain secretive about this. Hence the publication of this message/mail/announcement in FIDONEWS, REGCON (Does it function? Is it alive?), REGCON.EUR (Zone-2 only), ENET.SYSOP (Zone-2 only) and ZCC (ZC's and invited guests only). Please crosspost to where-ever deemed necessary. Kind regards to all, Ward Dossche FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 4 19 Aug 1996 ----------------------------------------------------------------- It's no big deal if the Nodelist shrinks Date: 15 Aug 96 14:50:00 From: Christopher Baker To: Dave Hatch Subj: shrinking Nodelist normal [Was: Re: Nodelist evolution] ______________________________________________________________________ > R>>> Please note that despite a 20% decline in grunt sysops, DH> May not be. We just got a shock - one of our nets disappeared DH> completely, with one poor soul left looking around and plaintively DH> asking "where did everybody go?" It didn't show at all until this DH> week - the net in question lost the NC first, so no updates came DH> in to show the departures. it's a cooperative venture this FidoNet thing. those appointed/elected to the Coordinator slots are only volunteers and in any volunteer organization there are those who do it with vigor and those who don't. if each level above pays no attention to the level below then sooner or later surprises such as the one you've related occur. it is inevitable. DH> Wonder how much of THAT is going on? some folks are concerned that FidoNet is shrinking. so what's wrong with that? for years all they did was moan about how the Nodelist was getting too big. FidoNet Nodes are not an endangered species. the falloff doesn't begin to approach the original growth rate. it's no big deal. i'd say it was a normal shakeout after years of unchecked expansion. in the dim time, it took a certain amount of technical skill and determination to put up a FidoNet Node. the mechanism for granting Node numbers was cumbersome and slow. originally, it was just a hobby for geeks who liked to play with computers and modems; sending a few msgs or files around. it grew then, too, and lost Nodes but with smaller numbers overall it didn't seem like a big deal. i propose it's still no big deal. the gross rates are probably comparable. the ease with which one can start up a Node now makes it simpler for dilettanti to crank up a system, get it in the Nodelist, find out it's too much trouble or expense, and then quit. many of those who joined up in the past expansion were here only for the Echomail fix or to make a buck. a lot of them have moved on to the Internet for that sort of thing. FidoNet never needed them in the first place. they didn't contribute to the hobby; just to the size of the Nodelist. let them leave. so what? it's a fundamental law of nature that what goes up must come down. the artificial expansion of the Nodelist is bound to level off and then seek a real level. i submit that's where we are now. this 'shrinkage' that has some in a tizzy is a natural and normal effect and nothing to FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 5 19 Aug 1996 be concerned about. the only thing we need to worry about is that some folks who want to join aren't getting the opportunity because of Coordinators who have retired in place without notice. the only way to shake that up is to get Coordinators at upper levels who understand the hobby and commit to their responsibilities. when each level up is paying attention to the level below, Nodes and Nets DON'T get lost. the rest is just hysteria. [grin] TTFN. Chris Origin: Rights On!-Real FidoNet Sysops?-Titusville_FL_USA (1:374/14) ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 6 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= FIDONET HISTORY ================================================================= [Original filedate 12 Apr 85 - Note the single part Node number.] Creating FIDO Source by Robert Briggs, SYSOP, FIDO node 464 I, at least, am willing to take on Tom Jennings' challenge to create source public domain source code for FIDO. Therefore, I am creating a special section on my board for FIDO internal use only , devoted to handling source code for a FIDO re-write. This section will be available to anyone who sends me a FIDO-NET message - just leave your log on name and desired password in the message. There are some ground rules that I feel should be observed. The source should be able to be compiled by either Lattice 'C', Microsoft 'C' (about the same thing), or CIi-C86. That means that any features peculiar to either compiler will have to be stuck in a library of routines and they have to be duplicated for both compilers. Since I am the author of the CHEAPWARE c- function libraries, this is "right up my alley", so to speak. FIDO uses both interrupt driven send and receive routines. I have have only the interrupt driven send routines available for both compilers. I will put the code up on the board and let people somewhat more skilled in assembly language "hack" on it. FIDO also implements several protocalls, such as KERMIT and TELELINK that I know nothing about. I am sure that there is a WIZ or two out there that could write something. Please note that I am not offering to write FIDO, just take on the responsibility of keeping track of a multitude of routines that need to be done before we even have a good start on a re-write. This is no small job, imagine several hundred people submitting changes and ideas.... Anyway, everyones feed-back, comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. are welcome at my node. One thing that I do insist on, the SYSOP must be able to sign onto the local terminal just like a remote user, and without having to take FIDO down. I have implemented a rudimentary version of this feature, and a (extremely) rough copy of a program that answers the phone, sends the file WELCOME.DAT out the modem, and then asks for the users name. Not much I will admit, but a start. Please respond to the programmers technical BBS, FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 7 19 Aug 1996 Pro_Tech_BBS, node 464. The number is (801) 264-8290. I would like to currently limit access to the section to those who can send me FIDO-NET mail. Others later? It's all up to the FIDO network SYSOPs. I would hate to have to cancel this whole thing for lack of interest, knowing full well that TOM gets many requests for info about the source code. Must be some interest out there somewhere... [Was there?] Ed. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 8 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= REVIEWS ================================================================= Six Mail Processors Reviewed [I] Damian Walker, 2:2502/666 This article starts of a six-part series which aims to bring to light the capabilities of six mail processors (or echomail tossers, if you prefer). These mail processors are FastEcho, GEcho, FMail, IMail, JMail and Squish. Each individual article will look at a single mail processor, examining its strengths and weaknesses, and giving the results of a few tests. Rather than list and discuss every feature of every package (many features being common to all of them), I shall concentrate on the things which make each package stand out from all, or most, of the rest. I will try to keep my personal preferences out of the reviews (since I am a user of one of the programs myself). The final article will also contain a feature table to help you decide which of the six programs is most appropriate for your requirements. The software will be evaluated on an ageing IBM PS/2 386, and I will be looking as much at the supporting documentation as the program itself. I will be testing each program for speed and stability, and a compiled feature table will be included in the last article of the series. The speed tests will be performed on a copy of my normal personal daily echomail packet (about 50k), rather than on the larger packets supplied to my node. The reason for this is stability and consideration for my own points, who would have good reason to get irate if their mail was interrupted because of my experiments. Due to the nature of my humble hardware, I am limited to reviewing the DOS versions of software, albeit in 386 DPMI versions where available. Bear this in mind when I quote mail processing speeds (this machine is a 386DX/20, with a Norton speed index of around 17). DISCLAIMER :-) Although I will make a best attempt to make sure these articles are accurate, I cannot guarantee anything. For instance, certain features of the software may not be easily tested or examined in detail, so I will be taking a lot of information about the packages from their own documentation. When choosing your mail processor, it is a good idea to make a thorough examination of it yourself before installing it ready for permanent use at your system. Make sure it has the features _you_ need before committing yourself. The speed tests are taken from the timestamps in the log files produced by the software, so they should be as accurate as my system clock (which is reasonably accurate), but make sure you take note of the version I'm testing; don't compare speeds of 386 and 8086 versions when making your choice. On to the reviews themselves... FASTECHO FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 9 19 Aug 1996 FastEcho is an extremely popular mail processor written by Tobias Burchardt of 2:2448/400. It is available for DOS machines (in 8086 and 386 DPMI versions), and also for OS/2. The version I am looking at is 1.45a, the 8086 DOS version. There may be versions for other platforms that I do not know about. First Impressions I must admit to some prior knowledge of this package. Some local nodes are very enthusiastic about FastEcho, and a friend of mine often tacitly suggests that I change over to FastEcho from GEcho, my mail processor of choice. Let's see how this program has gained such a reputation. FastEcho is quite a large package with quite an impressive range of features. It is shareware, with the point version costing $15 and the full node version costing $25. The evaluation version lasts for a limited time period (around 1 month) before it stops working. Upon first looking at the package, it boasts a sizeable executable, which in itself means nothing, and a rather large document file (too large to load up in QEdit-- time to learn how to use LIST). So at least we know that the documentation is comprehensive. Moving on to the other files in the directory, we see that FastEcho includes a setup tool-- a boon to those who do not like configuring their software with text files. It also contains another executable for the message base tools. On Further Examination... It is rather difficult to point out features which make FastEcho stand out from the other mail processors. Most of FastEcho's features, even the advanced ones, are shared with one or more of the other packages. This is no bad thing, however, when you consider that FastEcho's feature count is high; that is, although it has few exclusive features, the number of features it does have makes it a very good all-rounder. Lets look at some of the features where FastEcho excels. The message base support is excellent. FastEcho supports Hudson, JAM, Squish and *.MSG echomail areas fully; the only other package reviewed here which can boast this versatility with message bases is IMail. Although not unusual, the cross-platform availability is a good point for the package. As has already been mentioned, versions are available for DOS, DOS DPMI and OS/2. The full screen message toss is something which will appeal to those who like a more aesthetically pleasing screen display. Rather than the usual ASCII scrolling screen display, FastEcho has the option of a full screen display where progress is shown using percentage bars and fixed-position screen fields, rather like a BBS download or a mailer file transfer. Another useful feature is FastEcho's ability to automatically add areas when new mail arrives. This differs from the more widespread feature, where an echomail processor adds a new area while forwarding a request from a downlink. FastEcho can add a new mail area when mail arrives in that area, as an alternative to using a bad echo area. It can also automatically update configuration files for other FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 10 19 Aug 1996 software, such as FM (the message editor that comes with FrontDoor) or RemoteAccess BBS. This feature is invaluable for points, where an echo can be added to all the necessary software with only the effort of an areafix message, and it is also valuable for BBS sysops who want to add echoes to their system with the minimum of fuss. Particularly impressive, to my mind, is the carbon copy feature. Most mail processors and point systems have some way of copying personal mail into a specific message area, allowing you to give it priority. FastEcho takes this feature a little further, allowing you to flag messages according to From, To or Subject fields, or even contents of message kludges. Such a versatile system has many uses; you can prioritize messages not just to yourself, but also from those whose messages have particular importance. Software authors like myself can keep tabs on messages about (or written using) our own software, no matter what the echo. Another useful feature is the ability to shell out to other software during the mail toss process. FastEcho has the ability to shell to other software before packets are processed, and afterwards as well. The final point which impresses me with the program itself is the interface of the full screen setup program. This uses a pull-down menu interface which is mouse compatible; this is not often needed, or even noticed, on machines in which every available serial port is needed for a modem, but some of us are lucky enough to have a PS/2 mouse and port :-) The setup program sports a useful context-sensitive help system, which has occasional hypertext references to other topics. Unfortunately, there appears to be no central help index, which thwarted my attempts at casual browsing. The documentation to this package, as has been mentioned already, is very large, and very comprehensive. Although I have not had time to read it all, I have found that the manual lives up to my own expectations for documentation (which are probably unreasonably high). After the initial licensing agreement and introduction, there is a length tutorial showing you in great detail how to set up the software. This tutorial is around 100 pages, so be ready to settle down for a good long read. After the tutorial there are two sections for reference. The first details with the FASTECHO executable itself, and explains in detail all the options and commands for that program. The second section is for the FEUTIL program, which contains message base utilities such as purge/pack, post and sort. In addition to these sections, there are miscellaneous sections about things such as 386 considerations and areafix messages, and at the end of the manual is a full, clear index. Speed Test Despite its name, FastEcho's speed was slightly disappointing in the tests I ran. The fact that this is not the 386 version of the program does have to be taken into account, yet the 4-year old evaluation copy of GEcho proved to be slightly faster than FastEcho for Hudson and *.MSG areas. Whether this says more about the speed of GEcho or of FastEcho is a matter on which I wouldn't like to speculate. Using a newly-created Hudson message base, FastEcho FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 11 19 Aug 1996 tossed 91 inbound messages in 15 seconds (its own stats make this 10 messages per second, taking into account the time it takes to unarchive the packets). With JAM the time was 20 seconds, Squish took 21 seconds and *.MSG areas took 14 seconds to process. These figures are best to compare with GEcho, since it is unfair to compare the speeds for the 8086 version of FastEcho given here with the 386 versions of FMail and IMail reviewed later. If I can find a copy of the 386 version of FastEcho locally before the sixth article in this series I will rerun the tests with that version for the final feature table. Summary I would have no problem recommending FastEcho to anyone. It is what could be known as a good all-rounder; its automatic handling of new areas makes it good for points, yet its more advanced mail handling features make it a good choice for major mail hubs as well. Next week's FidoNews will (hopefully) see the second article in this series, in which I take a look at the GEcho mail processor written by Gerard van der Land. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 12 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= COORDINATORS CORNER ================================================================= Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 229 By Ward Dossche, 2:292/854 ZC/2 +----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+ |Zone|Nl-201|Nodelist-208|Nodelist-215|Nodelist-222|Nodelist-229|%%| +----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+ | 1 | 12897|12786 -111 |12691 -95 |12622 -69 |12530 -92 |40| | 2 | 16471|16462 -9 |16462 0 |16426 -36 |16408 -18 |52| | 3 | 1023| 1023 0 | 1023 0 | 1023 0 | 1023 0 | 3| | 4 | 635| 636 1 | 637 1 | 637 0 | 637 0 | 2| | 5 | 99| 99 0 | 99 0 | 99 0 | 99 0 | 0| | 6 | 1228| 1018 -210 | 1018 0 | 1020 2 | 1020 0 | 3| +----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+ | 32353|32024 -329 |31930 -94 |31827 -103 |31717 -110 | +------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 13 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= NET HUMOR ================================================================= Secrets of Life? From: "Mike Riddle" To: "Baker, Christopher" Date: Tue, 23 Jul 96 15:19:53 -0500 Reply-To: "Mike Riddle" Subject: Re: [Fwd: A few observations on Life...] On Tue, 23 Jul 1996 15:01:50 -0500, jenniferrose wrote: From: Roshan Sembacuttiaratchy Subject: A few observations on Life... * Life is what happens to you while you are making other plans * If nobody uses it, there's a reason * You get the most of what you need the least * You are never really successful until someone claims he sat beside you at school * To err is human, to admit it, superhuman * A modest man is usually admired, if people ever hear of him * It is not real work unless you would much rather be doing something else * When the plane you are on is late, the plane you want to transfer to is on time * Trouble - The supply exceeds the demand * You cannot successfully determine beforehand which side of the bread to butter * Anything can be made to work if you fiddle with it long enough * It works better if you plug it in * As soon as you mention something; if it is good, it goes away, if it is bad, it happens * Spend sufficient time confirming the need and the need will disappear * An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance * Never let hold of what you've got until you've got hold of something else * Eat a live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day * For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism * It is easier to get forgiveness than permission * Life is the greatest bargain - we get it for nothing * Needs are a function of what other people have * If things were left to chance, they'd be better * If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, maybe you just don't understand the situation * For every human problem, there is a neat, simple solution; and it is always wrong * If you have watched a TV series only once, and you watch it again, it will be a rerun of the same episode * It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 14 19 Aug 1996 * Never take a cross country trip with a kid who has just learned to whistle * The trouble with being on time is that no one is around to verify it * Do you ever feel like your life is in instant replay? * It takes two to tango but one has to bend backwards * Life begins at 40, but only a fool waits that long * The good thing about growing old is you only have to do it once * Calories don't count; they multiply * Life is a grindstone; whether it grinds you down or polishes you up depends on what you are made of * You're never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you're never as bad as they say when you lose * Children aren't happy with nothing to ignore. And that's what parents are created for * When things are bad, we take comfort in the though that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better * I'd enjoy the day more if it started later * There's nothing so irritating as to have someone go on talking when you're interrupting. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 15 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= COMIX IN ASCII ================================================================= Quick Draw McGraw this ain't! Date: 11 Apr 93 13:41:20 From: Kay Shapero To: Aaron Goldblatt Subj: Threads _____________________________________________________________________ On , Aaron Goldblatt (1:130/103.1) wrote to All: AG>A couple months ago someone posted a text file they use to AG>"kabong" worn out threads and declare 'em temporarily off topic. AG>Could you please repost it? Gays in the military needs kabonging AG>in INTERUSER ... thanks. That was me - I figured getting whomped with a guitar fit the theme of the FILK echo, it being one of the most popular filk instruments. Here you go; let me know if it works. \ ! / _ _ O %==(_^_) \!/ O ! \!/ / \ ! / \ KABONGGGG!! This is followed by one of the following paragraphs: if it's off topic to start with I use: This thread has been officially KABONGED by reason of being off topic. Feel free to continue this discussion via netmail, but keep it off the echo. Thank you for your consideration! If it's ON topic but developing into a flamewar (or everybody just repeating themselves without anyone adding anything new), I use: This thread has been officially KABONGED due to excess argument. Feel free to continue this discussion via netmail, or to reopen it in a month's time after all parties have had time to cool down. Ye Moderator, and El Kabong impersonator, Kay Shapero I don't warn folks when the month is up, I just keep track myself. That way if people REALLY think the subject needs discussion someone will bring it up and otherwise, why should *I* poke it up again? :-> FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 16 19 Aug 1996 Origin: StormGate Aerie/West LA Netmail Hub/HST (1:102/524) ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 17 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= QUESTION OF THE WEEK ================================================================= In these days of Internet access and reduced long-distance rates from competition amongst the carriers it seems incongruous that we cannot get six individuals to coordinate the most basic function in FidoNet. The Question of the Week is: Who is clogging up the bitstream and when are we going to get a fully integrated and timely Nodelist? As always, send in those answers as .ARTs, Netmail, email, or carrier pigeon if necessary. See the Masthead information for contact points and methods. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 18 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= HOT Info for AT&T TrueWorld customers! [from 374SYSOP Echo] Msg # 64 Date: 14 Aug 96 21:16:39 From: Christopher Baker To: All Subj: attention AT&T TrueWorlders! ______________________________________________________________________ i was just asking AT&T about rate windows for Argentina so i could send something to ZC4 cheap and they told me about a new promotion you might want to get aboard right smartly. they call it World on Sale and starting tonight at midnight and running until 9 Feb 97, all overseas calls will be drastically reduced AND these reductions are good 24 HOURS a day! 9 cents to Canada. 41 cents to Japan. etc! you have to call the AT&T TrueWorld folks [check your statement for the number. i got transferred by the AT&T operator.] and tell them you want to sign up. there are no additional costs but they aren't allowed to link you without your permission. they didn't send me a notice but they're famous for summer promotions without notice to their customers. the operator told me it's been on t.v. [grin] check it out if you do a lot of overseas calling. TTFN. Chris Origin: Rights On! - 'Just a Node' - Titusville_FL_USA (1:374/14) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Future History 12 Oct 1996 General Elections, New Zealand. 29 Oct 1996 Republic Day, Turkey. 5 Nov 1996 Election day, U.S.A. FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 19 19 Aug 1996 5 Nov 1996 Guy Fawkes Day, England. 1 Dec 1996 Twelfth Anniversary of FidoNews Volume 1, Issue 1. 12 Dec 1996 Constitution Day, Russia 26 Jan 1997 Australia Day, Australia. 6 Feb 1997 Waitangi Day, New Zealand. 16 Feb 1997 Eleventh Anniversary of invention of Echomail by Jeff Rush. 29 Feb 1997 Nothing will happen on this day. 11 Jun 1997 Independence Day, Russia 26 Jul 1997 FidoNews Editor turns 48. 6 Dec 1997 Gallileo takes close-ups of Europa to resolution of 11 meters at the north pole. 1 Dec 1998 Fifteenth Anniversary of release of Fido version 1 by Tom Jennings. 15 Sep 2000 Sydney (Australia) Summer Olympiad opens. -- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 20 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ================================================================= Latest Greatest Software Versions by Peter E. Popovich, 1:363/264 More netmail, more updates. Things do seem to be moving along. I've received a couple of good lists of authors; I've beat the bushes some, gotten a few responses so far. Each one seems to require some change to the format: a new F or S type, or it won't fit in the allotted space. Of course, it could be worse. At least I'm getting the info in and organized. ;-) I've gotten some suggestions on how to "phase out" old entries. Of them, my favorite is to highlight one per week. If anyone at all writes in with info, even just to say "I still use it", I'll leave it in. If nobody writes in, I'll drop it. Highlight of the week: ADTBBS 1.50. Deadline for info: 30 Aug 1996. Caveats: Obviously, I'll re-add dropped packages upon receipt of up to date info. In a month or so, I'll review the progress and see if we need to increase the number of items to be phased out per week. My goal is to only drop packages that aren't being used at all any more. Errata: I misspelled Pablos Saratxaga's last name last week. It should be fixed now. -=- Snip -=- Submission form for the Latest Greatest Software Versions column OS Platform : Software package name : Version : Function(s) - BBS, Mailer, Tosser, etc. : Freeware / Shareware / Commercial? : Author / Support staff contact name : Author / Support staff contact node : Magic name (at the above-listed node) : Please include a sentence describing what the package does. Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264 -=- Snip -=- MS-DOS (pending verification or other work on my end): Remove Tritel 2.0; Add TriBBS 10.0, TriToss 10.0, and TriDog 10.0 by Mark Goodwin 1:328/104, shareware Update: D-Bridge 1.58, BinkleyTerm 2.60, ARJ 2.50, ARC 6.02 (7.12 commercial), PKZIP 2.04g Investigate: FrontDoor 2.20 or 2.30 (varies: 2.02.nc, 2.12.sw, etc.) Xlax 2.54 (need clarification, XlaxDiff is up to 2.57) FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 21 19 Aug 1996 Add: Announcer by Peter Karlsson, 2:204/145.42 MORON and QRATIO by Melle Koning, 2:281/731.29 MS-DOS: Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 GIGO InfoMail 1.11 O F Damian Walker 2:2502/666 INFOMAIL InterEcho 1.19 T C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IEDEMO InterMail 2.29k M C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IMDEMO InterPCB 1.52 O S Michele Stewart 1:369/21 INTERPCB IPNet 1.11 O S Michele Stewart 1:369/21 IPNET Opus CBCS 1.73a B P Christopher Baker 1:374/14 OPUS PlatinumXpress 1.1 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PX11TD.ZIP Silver Xpress Door 5.4 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 FILES Reader 4.3 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 SXR43.ZIP Windows (32-bit apps): Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PlatinumXpress 2.00 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PXW-INFO Unix: Program Name Version F S Contact Name Node Magic Name ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ifmail 2.8e M G Pablo Saratxaga 2:293/2219 IFMAIL ifmail-tx 2.8e-tx7.6 M G Pablo Saratxaga 2:293/2219 IFMAILTX F: B-BBS, M-Mailer, N-Nodelist, G-Gateway, T-Tosser, C-Compression, O-Other. Note: Multifunction will be listed by the first match. S: P-Free for personal use, F-Freeware, S-Shareware, C-Commercial, X-Crippleware, G-Source Old info from: 01/27/92 --------------------------------------------------------------------- MS-DOS Systems -------------- BBS Software NodeList Utilities Compression Name Version Name Version Utilities -------------------- -------------------- Name Version ADTBBS 1.50@ EditNL 4.00 -------------------- Aurora 1.32b FDND 1.10 ARC 7.12 DMG 2.93 MakeNL 2.31 ARJ 2.20 DreamBBS 1.05 Parselst 1.33 LHA 2.13 Fido/FidoNet 12.21 Prune 1.40 PAK 2.51 Genesis Deluxe 3.2 SysNL 3.14 PKPak 3.61 GSBBS 3.02 XlatList 2.90 PKZip 1.10 Kitten 1.01 XlaxNode/Diff 2.53 Lynx 1.30 Maximus-CBCS 2.00 Merlin 1.39n Other Utilities(A-M) Other Utilities(N-Z) FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 22 19 Aug 1996 Oracomm 5.M.6P@ Name Version Name Version Oracomm Plus 6.E@ -------------------- -------------------- PCBoard 14.5a 2DAPoint 1.50* Netsex 2.00b Phoenix 1.07* 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18 OFFLINE 1.35 ProBoard 1.20* ARCAsim 2.31 Oliver 1.0a QuickBBS 2.75 ARCmail 3.00* OSIRIS CBIS 3.02 RBBS 17.3b Areafix 1.20 PKInsert 7.10 RemoteAccess 1.11* ConfMail 4.00 PolyXarc 2.1a SimplexBBS 1.05 Crossnet 1.5 QM 1.00a SLBBS 2.15C* DOMAIN 1.42 QSort 4.04 Socrates 1.11 DEMM 1.06 RAD Plus 2.11 SuperBBS 1.12* DGMM 1.06 Raid 1.00 SuperComm 0.99 DOMAIN 1.42 RBBSMail 18.0 TAG 2.5g EEngine 0.32 ScanToss 1.28 TBBS 2.1 EMM 2.11* ScMail 1.00 TComm/TCommNet 3.4 EZPoint 2.1 ScEdit 1.12 Telegard 2.7* FGroup 1.00 Sirius 1.0x TPBoard 6.1 FidoPCB 1.0s@ SLMail 2.15C TriTel 2.0* FNPGate 2.70 SquishMail 1.00 WildCat! 3.02* GateWorks 3.06e StarLink 1.01 WWIV 4.20 GMail 2.05 TagMail 2.41 XBBS 1.77 GMD 3.10 TCOMMail 2.2 GMM 1.21 Telemail 1.5* GoldEd 2.31p TGroup 1.13 Network Mailers GROUP 2.23 TIRES 3.11 Name Version GUS 1.40 TMail 1.21 -------------------- Harvey's Robot 4.10 TosScan 1.00 BinkleyTerm 2.50 HeadEdit 1.18 UFGATE 1.03 D'Bridge 1.30 HLIST 1.09 VPurge 4.09e Dreamer 1.06 IMAIL 1.20 WEdit 2.0@ Dutchie 2.90c ISIS 5.12@ WildMail 2.00 FrontDoor 2.02 Lola 1.01d WMail 2.2 Milqtoast 1.00 Mosaic 1.00b WNode 2.1 PreNM 1.48 MailBase 4.11a@ XRS 4.99 SEAdog 4.60 MSG 4.5* XST 2.3e SEAmail 1.01 MSGED 2.06 YUPPIE! 2.00 TIMS 1.0(mod8) MsgLnk 1.0c ZmailH 1.25 MsgMstr 2.03a ZSX 2.40 MsgNum 4.16d MSGTOSS 1.3 OS/2 Systems ------------ BBS Software Other Utilities(A-M Other Utilities(N-Z) Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Kitten 1.01 ARC 7.12 oMMM 1.52 Maximus-CBCS 2.00 ARC2 6.01 Omail 3.1 SimplexBBS 1.04.02+ ConfMail 4.00 Parselst 1.33 EchoStat 6.0 PKZip 1.02 EZPoint 2.1 PMSnoop 1.30 Network Mailers FGroup 1.00 PolyXOS2 2.1a Name Version GROUP 2.23 QSort 2.1 FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 23 19 Aug 1996 -------------------- LH2 2.11 Raid 1.0 BinkleyTerm 2.50 MSG 4.2 Remapper 1.2 BinkleyTerm(S) 2.50 MsgEd 2.06c SquishMail 1.00 BinkleyTerm/2-MT MsgLink 1.0c Tick 2.0 1.40.02 MsgNum 4.16d VPurge 4.09e SEAmail 1.01 Xenix/Unix 386 -------------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- ARC 5.21 C-LHARC 1.00 MsgEd 2.06 |Contact: Willy Paine 1:343/15,| MSGLINK 1.01 |or Eddy van Loo 2:285/406 | oMMM 1.42 Omail 1.00 ParseLst 1.32 Unzip 3.10 VPurge 4.08 Zoo 2.01 QNX --- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- QTach2 1.09 QMM 0.50s Kermit 2.03 QCP 1.02 NodeList Utilities Archive Utilities QSave 3.6 Name Version Name Version QTTSysop 1.07.1 -------------------- -------------------- SeaLink 1.05 QNode 2.09 Arc 6.02 XModem 1.00 LH 1.00.2 YModem 1.01 Unzip 2.01 ZModem 0.02f Zoo 2.01 Apple II -------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- DDBBS + 8.0* Fruity Dog 2.0 deARC2e 2.1 GBBS Pro 2.1 ProSel 8.70* ShrinkIt 3.30* |Contact: Dennis McClain-Furmanski 1:275/42| ShrinkIt GS 1.04 Apple CP/M FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 24 19 Aug 1996 ---------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Daisy 2j Daisy Mailer 0.38 Filer 2-D MsgUtil 2.5 Nodecomp 0.37 PackUser 4 UNARC.Com 1.20 Macintosh --------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- FBBS 0.91 Copernicus 1.0 ArcMac 1.3 Hermes 1.6.1 Tabby 2.2 AreaFix 1.6 Mansion 7.15 Compact Pro 1.30 Precision Sys. 0.95b EventMeister 1.0 Red Ryder Host 2.1 Export 3.21 Telefinder Host Import 3.2 2.12T10 LHARC 0.41 MacArd 0.04 Mantissa 3.21 Point System Mehitable 2.0 Software OriginatorII 2.0 Name Version PreStamp 3.2 -------------------- StuffIt Classic 1.6 Copernicus 1.00 SunDial 3.2 CounterPoint 1.09 TExport 1.92 MacWoof 1.1 TimeStamp 1.6 TImport 1.92 Tset 1.3 TSort 1.0 UNZIP 1.02c Zenith 1.5 Zip Extract 0.10 Amiga ----- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- 4D-BBS 1.65 BinkleyTerm 1.00 Areafix 1.48 DLG Pro. 0.96b TrapDoor 1.80 AReceipt 1.5 Falcon CBCS 1.00 WelMat 0.44 ChameleonEdit 0.11 Starnet 1.0q@ ConfMail 1.12 TransAmiga 1.07 ElectricHerald 1.66 XenoLink 1.0 Compression FFRS 1.0@ Utilities FileMgr 2.08 Name Version Fozzle 1.0@ FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 25 19 Aug 1996 NodeList Utilities -------------------- Login 0.18 Name Version AmigArc 0.23 MessageFilter 1.52 -------------------- booz 1.01 Message View 1.12 ParseLst 1.66 LHARC 1.30 oMMM 1.50 Skyparse 2.30 LhA 1.10 PolyXAmy 2.02 TrapList 1.40 LZ 1.92 RMB 1.30 PkAX 1.00 Roof 46.15 UnZip 4.1 RoboWriter 1.02 Zippy (Unzip) 1.25 Rsh 4.07a Zoo 2.01 Tick 0.75 TrapToss 1.20 |Contact: Maximilian Hantsch 2:310/6| Yuck! 2.02 Atari ST/TT ----------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- FIDOdoor/ST 2.5.1 BinkleyTerm 2.40n9 ApplyList 1.00@ FiFo 2.1v The Box 1.95* Burep 1.1 LED ST 1.00 ComScan 1.04 MSGED 1.99 ConfMail 4.10 QuickBBS/ST 1.06* NodeList Utilities Echoscan 1.10 Name Version FDrenum 2.5.2 -------------------- FastPack 1.20 Compression ParseList 1.30 Import 1.14 Utilities EchoFix 1.20 oMMM 1.40 Name Version sTICK/Hatch 5.50 Pack 1.00 -------------------- Trenum 0.10 ARC 6.02 LHARC 2.01i PackConvert STZip 1.1* UnJARST 2.00 WhatArc 2.02 Archimedes ---------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- ARCbbs 1.61 BinkleyTerm ARC 1.20 Odyssey 0.37 2.06f-wimp !AskFor 1.01 RiscBBS 0.9.85m BatchPacker 1.00 DeLZ 0.01 MailED 0.95 NetFile 1.00 ParseLst 1.30 Raul 1.01 !Spark 2.16 !SparkMail 2.08 !SparkPlug 2.14 UnArj 2.21 FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 26 19 Aug 1996 UnZip 3.00 Zip 1.00 Tandy Color Computer 3 (OS-9 Level II) -------------------------------------- BBS Software Compression Utility Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- RiBBS 2.02+ Ar 1.3 Ascan 1.2 DeArc 5.12 AutoFRL 2.0 OS9Arc 1.0 Bundle 2.2 UnZip 3.10 CKARC 1.1 UnLZH 3.0 EchoCheck 1.01 FReq 2.5a LookNode 2.00 ParseLST PReq 2.2 RList 1.03 RTick 2.00 UnBundle 1.4 UnSeen 1.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Key to old info: + - Netmail Capable (Doesn't Require Additional Mailer Software) * - Recently Updated Version @ - New Addition -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 13-34 Page 27 19 Aug 1996 ================================================================= FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ================================================================= [this must be copied out to a file starting at column 1 or it won't process under PGP as a valid public-key] -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Clear-signing is Electronic Digital Authenticity! 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