F I D O N E W S -- Volume 15, Number 21 25 May 1998
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet community | "FidoNews" |
| _ | 1-209-251-7529 [1:1/23] |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editor: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Zorch Frezberg 1:205/1701 |
| |__U__| / \// | |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MORE addresses: |
| |
| submissions=> editor@fidonews.org |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Keep it moving, keep it limber...
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2
Region33 (Italy): change of all phone numbers ............ 2
Netmail routing in Zone 2 ................................ 2
3. COLUMNS .................................................. 4
Sysop Bill of Rights ..................................... 4
4. WE GET EMAIL ............................................. 7
5. NOTICES .................................................. 9
Future History ........................................... 9
6. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ...................................... 10
FidoNews PGP Public-Key Listing .......................... 10
7. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 11
8. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 13
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 1 25 May 1998
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
Important information from Zone 2...it is much appreciated to see
that there are those who understand the purposes of the FidoNews.
For those of you making international connections to Zone 2, or to
Italy in particular, the two articles should be of interest to you.
Likewise, the introduction of the inter-Zone IP link via BinkP/ARGUS
is welcome news for the future of FidoNet's development.
If any.
The doomsayers are out in force once more, claiming that FidoNet is
soon to die, and without realizing what it is that FidoNet offers to
the world of the InterNet.
Jim Cannell, SecureMail international coordinator, and I were
discussing the fact that, like routed netmail or echomail, there is
no real "direct link" between one Internet node and another...all of
the packets are routed, and accessible to intervention.
What we had discussed was a way to generate encrypted packets over
the InterNet which securely linked mail from one IP node to another,
so that the only way to intercept mail would be to delete it.
This would all but eliminate packet-ramming; it would enhance the
ability of a moderator to be sure that order could be maintained in a
highly volatile echo...moreover, it could even be used to bring
echomail to the functionality of a UseNet newsgroup while also
insuring only that FidoNet-sourced nodes could feed to it.
After all, the two largest objections to bringing Fido to the level
of the InterNet is lack of moderation and the likely appearance of
'spamming' or pornography offers...encrypting the packets, as well as
password-protecting connections through BinkP and ARGUS connections,
would bring these down to the level where if it did happen, it would
be a simple matter to locate the exact source of the mail and have
it stopped, since it would be a FidoNet node making the connection.
An idea to consider, no?
-zf-
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 2 25 May 1998
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
Region33 (Italy): change of all phone numbers
by Paolo Faustini, 2:33/0 (hbetty@fidoitalia.net, hbetty@tin.it)
Starting from 19 june 1998, Telecom Italia, our national phone
company, will change all the italian phone numbers, to get space for
additional number sets destinated to mobile and other private phone
companies.
So, from that date, phone calls originated outside Italy to Italian
phones, must have a "0" between region and local prefix.
An example, based on my node phone number: *before* 19 june, you
must compose "0039-2-89150967" to call my node, *after* 19 june,
you will compose "0039-02-89150967".
As my RC33 charge, I started the nodelist segment conversion
process, with deadline for 17 june, so the nodediff generated
for 19 june will have new phone numbers for R33.
Conversion process and nodelist updates are transparent for Fido
Sysops of other Regions and Zones, they will not do anything but
applying nodediff as usual.
But, there is always something that goes wrong, in nodelist
conversion or, <eg> more probabile, Telecom Italia updating process
(Italy counts about 25 millions of POTS and 10 million of mobile
phone), so, *please*: if you cannot be able to contact italian Fido
nodes after 19 june, send me an e-mail, with your name, your Fido
address, Fido address and phone number of node you don't connect
with, and symptoms you have noticed during connect (e.g. voice
message to warn callers).
Thank you in advance.
Paolo Faustini, Region Coordinator 33.
E-mail: hbetty@fidoitalia.net
hbetty@tin.it
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Netmail routing in Zone 2
by Albert Ulmer, 2:318/11 (ws35.cable.vol.at)
Hi there,
I'm a node in Austria and I'm using Argus/IP as a mailer. In the past
few months, I have made connections with other nodes using IP-mailers.
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 3 25 May 1998
Realizing the potential of Fidonet-via-Internet technology, I have
decided to offer the following to nodes interested:
You can route netmails for the regions 20, 21, 22, 23, 33, 47, 49, 50
and 51 in Zone 2 as well as netmails for Zones 5 and 6 through my
system for fast delivery. This is done free of charge, of course.
I'm also looking for other IP-nodes who would like to participate and
set up a link for bidirectional routing, especially in Zone 1,
France, Great Britain and Spain.
All the best,
Albert.
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 4 25 May 1998
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
Dear Editorbeing,
This article is submitted by Doc Logger(163/110) who was
recently plagued by an unusual number of low flying bats.
Mercifully, the good editors at Swamp Swine Magazine
provided suitable ingestibles to ease the condition long
enough for this missive to be carved into the husks of
coconuts and floated off to the Snooz.
Roll da flic, Zorch....
Dear Reverend Visage,
I've just returned from watching the movie version of Hunter
S. Thompson's "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas." If I didn't
know better, I'd swear that the hotel scenes had been filmed
in your living room. Who'd have thought that art directors
on movies would be able to independently create the same six
inch deep flotsam of backed up sewage and the lampshades
nailed to walls with Marlin spikes. The movie is excremental
so you can safely avoid watching it. The book wasn't as
badly trashed as the movie version of "Even Cowgirls Get The
Blues" but the film misses the whole point of a savage
journey into the heartland of America. The visual effects
were quite pleasing since they rendered Young Republicans
appropriately as reptilian carnivores.
Speaking of reptiles, I see that Bob Kohl has carried
through with his threat and removed Gerry Calhoun as the NC
of his net. Naturally, this occurred while Bob "noted" Satti
slumbered. Poor Satti didn't fire enough neurons to head off
Kohl's nastiness and now will have to bleat his usual piffle
about the sanctity of policy. Since Kohl is one of the few
fartcatchers left in the elflord domain who support Satti,
it must be heartbreaking to see a protege make Fidonet so
enjoyable for the serfs in the Region 10 domain. The good
news is that both Moravsik and Tannacore continue to add
their bottomless wit in support of Bob "comatose" Satti's
narcoleptic rule. Our prayers and our edible underwear
should go out to them in their few picoseconds of sentient
thought.
His Zorchness has been strangely silent in the echos
recently, which must mean that he has taken advantage of his
newly reconstituted set of wheels to venture to far off
places. I was hoping he'd cough up an interview with Rosanna
Arquette but he probably had someone less fascinating in
mind.
I am including a rather lengthy quote today, written by Fred
Ennis (163/136). Mr. Ennis has served as NC of Net163 and RC
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 5 25 May 1998
of Region 12. Mr. Ennis invites comments and suggestions to
the Sysop Bill of Rights.
"1. Nodenumbers shall be granted on request to sysops who:
-are able to negotiate mail sessions properly;
-keep an up to date nodelist; and,
-maintain operations during mandatory hours.
2. No sysop may be removed from Fidonet for anything other
than repeated technical non-compliance.
3. Any sysop can obtain an echomail feed wherever the sysop
wishes. Conversely, no one is required to provide an
echomail feed.
4 Every sysop in Fidonet shall have the right to vote by
secret ballot for their NC, RC, and ZC at least every two
years.
5. All Fidonet sysops may run for *C positions in their
nets, regions and zones.
6. Voting in elections shall be held by secret ballot, and
returning officers shall ensure that sysops can verify that
their ballot was counted properly.
7. Policy complaints, evidence and decisions are public
information. *C's are accountable for maintaining a history
of decisions and passing them on to their successors.
8. In the event of a conflict between policy and this Bill
of Rights, the Sysop Bill of Rights will be the authority."
I think that Fred's approach is probably the way to go with
respect to returning Fidonet to some semblance of sanity and
fairness. Rather than try to convince the cretins who now
infest the elflord positions, perhaps it is time the sysops
themselves took the initiative and declared their rights
which supersede any rule created by the self-serving and
self-perpetuating efforts of the elflords.
Mr. Ennis hasn't declared his intentions with respect to the
Sysop Bill of Rights, but I think it would be marvelous if
the document were submitted to a Zone level sysop vote. If
adopted, it would certainly carry more jurisprudent weight
than the current Peefour abomination.
I must go Visage, David Moufarrage is alleged to be sitting
on the roof singing a rousing chorus of "Nearer My Bob To
Me" and I'll have to get him down before he disturbs the
peacocks. By the way, Walloonetta phoned and asked my
permission, in your absence, whether she could get
miscellaneous body piercings. I told her to go ahead and
that as her father, you'd thank me later.
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 6 25 May 1998
Regards,
Doc Logger,
Furlang Island,
South Pacific
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 7 25 May 1998
=================================================================
WE GET EMAIL
=================================================================
Subject: Dog with diskette
Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 21:03:35 -0700
From: Joe Jared <joejared@webworldinc.com>
Organization: OsiruSoft
To: editor@fidonews.org
I found that when the puppy is set to fit on a white background, that
the lines around the ears and tail have problems. Feel free to rip
the puppy out of my web page if you like, which has fixes to it.
While granted you will have to remove the 100.00 bill surrounding it,
it should be fairly easy to fix. If you like, I can do that for you
as well.
--
Ways to get here from there:
ICQ http://wwp.mirabilis.com/12016722
ftp://webworldinc.com/joejared
http://www.webworldinc.com/joejared
For windows 95 with netbeui loaded //206.135.17.202
Joe.Jared@301.sasbbs.com
* Origin: Orange, CA, Where free speech is a right, not a privilege
(1:103/301@Fidonet.org)
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-----FW: <3567C28A.F8DFEF03@pacbell.net>-----
Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 23:47:38 -0700
From: "Warren D. Bonner" <wdbonner@pacbell.net>
To: jb@fidonews.org
Subject: Applaud out loud...8^)
To the Editor Zorch:
Issue #19 was the best, most informative issue in years! If you can
build a fire with even half of the DEAD WOOD in the nodelist, you
will open a lot of eyes..specially the remaining nodes. They may
then feel their worth IS important, not just part of a "was once upon
a time" node And just as important is the touch of sanity in the form
of humor to make the work enjoyable. Thank You Zorch.
Also to Doc Logger,
Thanks for an indepth touch on most of what needs to be corrected by
the ZC Bob Satti, and bringing it to the national/international
attention. Hopefully he will do something about King Kohl and his
Konduct. I personally wouldn't care if he held his finagled ZEC, but
for R10's sake remove him from R10C, which acts as R10EC also no
matter what he says. Thanks for having the guts to print the truth.
Kohl pulled N2004C Gerry Calhoun's flag this nodediff, for no reason
other then HE cannot work with Gerry anymore because he wouldn't
remove N2004EC when King Kohl got peeved at her. Nothing to do with
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 8 25 May 1998
how well the mail flows or how happy the downlinks are, only how
unhappy HE is as King Kohl.
WDBonner@pacbell.com
1:103/10 President Net103
--------------End of forwarded message-------------------------
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 9 25 May 1998
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
Future History
3 Jul 1998
FidoNet European Convention (see issue #20 for details).
14 Sep 1998
Start of International BBS Week [thru 20 Sep 98].
22 Sep 1998
First anniversary of the FidoNews domain of www.fidonews.org.
1 Dec 1998
Fifteenth Anniversary of release of Fido version 1 by
Tom Jennings.
24 Jul 1999
XIII Pan American Games [through 8 Aug 99].
31 Dec 1999
Hogmanay, Scotland. The New Year that can't be missed.
1 Jan 2000
The 20th Century, C.E., is still taking place thru 31 Dec.
1 Jun 2000
EXPO 2000 World Exposition in Hannover (Germany) opens.
15 Sep 2000
Sydney (Australia) Summer Olympiad opens.
1 Jan 2001
This is the actual start of the new millennium, C.E.
-- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this
Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor.
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 10 25 May 1998
=================================================================
FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY
=================================================================
FidoNews PGP Public-Key Listing
[this must be copied out to a file starting at column 1 or
it won't process under PGP as a valid public-key]
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File-request FNEWSKEY from 1:1/23 [1:205/1701] or download it from
IKVHFoT! BBS at 1-209-251-7529 anytime Zone 1 ZMH at 300-9600+ V34.
The FidoNews key is also available on the FidoNews homepage listed
in the Masthead information.
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 11 25 May 1998
=================================================================
FIDONET BY INTERNET
=================================================================
This is a list of all FidoNet-related sites reported to the Editor as
of this appearance.
NOTE: I am looking for a comprehensive list of Telnet, VMODEM, BinkP,
Argus and other TCP/IP based nodes operating FidoNet on the
InterNet, either by Zone or worldwide, to post here as well.
- Ye Editor
============
FidoNet:
Homepage http://www.fidonet.org
FidoNews http://www.fidonews.org [HTML]
http://209.77.228.66/fidonews.html [ASCII]
WWW sources http://www.scms.rgu.ac.uk/students/cs_yr94/lk/fido.html
FTSC page http://www.goldware.dk/ftsc
Echomail [MIA]
WebRing http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fnetring.html [TFN]
General http://owls.com/~jerrys/fidonet.html
============
Zone 1: http://www.z1.fidonet.org
Region 10: http://www.psnw.com/~net205/region10.html
Region 11: http://oeonline.com/~garyg/region11/
Region 13: http://www.smalltalkband.com/st01000.htm
Region 14:
Region 15:
Region 16: http://www.tiac.net/users/satins/region16.htm
Region 17:
Region 18: http://techstop.pdn.net/fido/
Region 19: http://www.compconn.net
============
Zone 2: http://www.z2.fidonet.org
ZEC2:
Zone 2 Elist: http://www.fbone.ch/z2_elist/
Region 20: http://www.fidonet.pp.se (in Swedish)
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 12 25 May 1998
Region 23: http://www.fido.dk (in Danish)
Region 24: http://www.swb.de/personal/flop/gatebau.html (in German)
Region 25:
http://www.trak-one.co.uk/net254
Region 26: http://www.nemesis.ie
REC 26: http://www.nrgsys.com/orb
Region 27: http://telematique.org/ft/r27.htm
Region 29: http://www.rtfm.be/fidonet/ (in French)
Region 30: http://www.fidonet.ch (in Swiss?)
Region 33: http://www.fidoitalia.net (in Italian)
Region 34: http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (in Spanish)
REC34: http://pobox.com/~chr
Region 36: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7207/
Region 38: http://public.st.carnet.hr/~blagi/bbs/adriam.html
Region 41: http://www.fidonet.gr (in Greek and English)
Region 48: http://www.fidonet.org.pl
============
Zone 3: http://www.z3.fidonet.org
============
Zone 4: (not yet listed)
Region 90:
Net 904: http://members.tripod.com/~net904 (in Spanish)
============
Zone 5: http://w3.eastcape.co.za/fidonet/index.htm
============
Zone 6: http://www.z6.fidonet.org
Region 65: http://www.cfido.com/fidonet/cfidochina.html (China)
============
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FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 13 25 May 1998
=================================================================
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
=================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION -------
Editor: Zorch Frezberg
Editors Emeritii: Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell,
Donald Tees, Christopher Baker
"FidoNews Editor"
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS 1-209-251-7529, 300/1200/2400/9600/V.34/V.90
more addresses:
Zorch Frezberg -- 1:205/1701, zorch@repairnet.com
zorch@qnis.net
zorch@kumr.lns.com
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews Editor
P.O. Box 642
Fresno, CA 93709-0642
U.S.A.
voice: 1-209-446-9038 [voice mail = 'blind' numbers not returned]
------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews is 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 1998 Zorch Frezberg. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For
use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or
the Editor.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews Editor via manual download or
file-request, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above postal
address. File-request FIDONEWS for the current Issue. File-request
FNEWS for the current month in one archive. Or file-request specific
back Issue filenames in distribution format [FNEWSFnn.ZIP] for a
particular Issue. Monthly Volumes are available as FNWSmmmy.ZIP
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 14 25 May 1998
where mmm = three letter month [JAN - DEC] and y = last digit of the
current year [8], i.e., FNWSJAN8.ZIP for all the Issues from Jan 98.
Annual volumes are available as FNEWSn.ZIP where n = the Volume number
1 - 15 for 1984 - 1998, respectively. Annual Volume archives range in
size from 48K to 1.4M.
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via:
http://www.fidonews.org
http://www.fidonet.org/fidonews.htm
ftp://ftp.fidonet.org/pub/fidonet/fidonews/
ftp://ftp.aminet.org/pub/aminet/comm/fido/
ftp://ftp.irvbbs.com/fidonews/
*=*=*
You may obtain an email subscription to FidoNews by sending email to:
jbarchuk@worldnet.att.net
with a Subject line of: subscribe fnews-edist
and no message in the message body. To remove your name from the email
distribution use a Subject line of: unsubscribe fnews-edist with no
message to the same address above.
*
You may retrieve current and previous Issues of FidoNews via FTPMail
by sending email to:
ftpmail@fidonews.org
with a Subject line of: help
and FTPMail will immediately send a reply containing details and
instructions. When you actually make a file request, FTPMail will
respond in three stages. You find a link for this process on
www.fidonews.org.
*=*=*
You can read the current FidoNews Issue in HTML format at:
http://www.fidonews.org
STAR SOURCE for ALL Past Issues via FTP and file-request -
Available for FReq from 1:396/1 or by anonymous FTP from:
ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/
Each yearly archive also contains a listing of the Table-of-Contents
for that year's issues. The total set is currently about 13 Megs.
FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 15 25 May 1998
=*=*=*=
The current week's FidoNews and the FidoNews public-key are now also
available almost immediately after publication on the FidoNews Editor
homepage on the World Wide Web at:
http://209.77.228.66/fidonews.html
There are also links there to jim barchuk's HTML FidoNews source and
to John Souvestre's FTP site for the archives. There is also an email
link for sending in an article as message text. Drop on over.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
A PGP generated public-key is available for the FidoNews Editor from
1:1/23 [1:205/1701] by file-request for FNEWSKEY or by download from
IKVHFoT! BBS at 1-209-251-7529 as FIDONEWS.ASC in File Area X. It
is also posted twice a month into the PKEY_DROP Echo available on the
Zone 1 Echomail Backbone.
*=*=*=*=*
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 Editor, or file-requestable
from 1:1/23 [1:205/1701] as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". ALL Zone
Coordinators also have copies of ARTSPEC.DOC. Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, P.O. Box 410923, San Francisco, CA 94141,
and are used with permission.
"Disagreement is actually necessary,
or we'd all have to get in fights
or something to amuse ourselves
and create the requisite chaos."
-Tom Jennings
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