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  From: Marshall Presnell                             Msg Num:   218 of   281
    To: All                                          Date: 07 Dec 91  00:47:38
  Subj: This routing BS
  Attr: Sent                                                          Read: N
  Conf: Atlanta Business ECHO
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Ok guys, time for a little history lesson:

In the beginning, there was TJ and the void.

TJ created from the void, a bbs; and he looked down upon his bbs and said 'It
is good'. And callers called his bbs, and they too sayeth that it was good.
TJ was pleased.

And then, TJ made from the software of the first bbs, a second - and he did
send it to Jon Madill in Maryland so that it would communicate to the first.
And they did communicate during a sacred time known as national mail hour;
And TJ looked upon this - and it was also good.

Then the gospel spread throughout the fields, over the mountains, and through
the valleys - and verily those two bbs systems begat a multitude. And TJ
said, This is good.

TJ personally maintained the sacred list of nodes, until it overfloweth his
storage and processing capacity. (And interfered with his weekend
skateboarding)

Then the great crisis came, whereupon TJ said "Let there be nets, to assist
me in managing this network" - and the nodes, who up until that time and
spread their tendrils to each and every other node to communicate, began to
cluster into small, geographically close areas called 'local networks' - and
it was done, and it was good.

Then TJ, in his infinite wisdom and forward thinking, said "Let there be net
hosts so that national mail hour will flow smoothly and that those net hosts
can receive mail for all the disciples in their network" - and it was done.

Then the second crisis came, when TJ no longer wished to maintain a strict
three tier network topology due to increasing numbers of converts to the
gospel of FidoNet... and TJ said "Let there be regions, which will consist of
groups of networks" - and it was done, and it was good.

Then, a lone disciple of FidoNet began sending large amounts of material host
routed through the regional coordinators for delivery to the network
coordinators for delivery to the masses - that was NOT good, and yea verily
the Regional Coordinators did complain loudly and vociferously to the
almightly TJ who sayeth, "Why art thou troubled, did you not know that you
must pay the freight?" - and the regional coordinators did spit fire and
brimstone and TJ was suitably impressed with their convictions (and
theatrics) and said "As I am a just and merciful nodelist coordinator, you
shall henceforth NOT route inbound netmail to your network hosts, and I shall
say it from the top of every mount and all shall hear my decision" - and the
regional coordinators rejoiced for they felt that their nodelist compiler was
with them, and protected and comforted them.

Another disciple of FidoNet was beginning to discover the true joy and
happiness of the network which TJ created - he was content to send messages
to the far corners of the network, but he was not content to pay the
resultant phone bill from the evil AT&T. So reluctant was he, that he began
depositing his mail on his hosts system, so that his host would, brightly
brightly and with beauty, deliver his personal mail to the far away lands of
the other networks. The net coordinator spake unto this disciple saying, "Yea
verily though you think I am here to bear the cost of your burden with the
evil AT&T, I must inform you that you are not exactly correct, and you shall
henceforth refrain from depositing your outbound netmail on my system". And
the TJ was plead to by the disciple asking for a decision so that he would
not be impure of thought and deed, but the TJ responded saying thus: "Sorry
bozo, you are out of your mind - have I not created network coordinators so
that people may communicate with you at less cost? Have I not put in place
the network and the software so that you can, yea now and forever,
communicate with those you wish? - Have I betrayed you, my disciple?" - And
the disciple respondeth saying "The evil AT&T requires a sacrifice from me" -
and TJ said, "Did you not create that problem yourself by writing to the
masses with your own hand?" - The disciple asked for forgiveness from TJ,
pleading that he would not annoy others by making them pay for his vices -
and TJ, being the wonderful creator that he is said, "Go and sin no more".

This then explains the fundamental precepts of the FIdoNet as created by TJ.

Marshall Presnell

This message copyright (c) 1991 Marshall Presnell; All rights reserved
Permission to reprint in entirety granted so long as credit is duely given.


--- Maximus/2 2.00
 * Origin: SFCBBS - Atlanta - 594-1315 (1:133/114)