Volume 6, Number 34 21 August 1989 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | International | | \ \\ | | FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello Editors Emeritii: Dale Lovell Thom Henderson Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day. Copyright 1989 by the International FidoNet Association. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141. Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and are used with permission. We don't necessarily agree with the contents of every article published here. Most of these materials are unsolicited. No article submitted by a FidoNet SysOp will be rejected if it is properly attributed and legally acceptable. We will publish every responsible submission received. Table of Contents 1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1 What needs to be done, and NOW! .......................... 1 What is CLF & NCLM? ...................................... 4 Text of Policy Complaint Against David Drexler ........... 6 Contest for Students ..................................... 11 An Event of Galactic Importance .......................... 15 2. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 17 Latest Software Versions ................................. 17 3. NOTICES .................................................. 19 The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 19 FidoNews 6-34 Page 1 21 Aug 1989 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= What needs to be done, and NOW! by Phil Buonomo, 1:107/583, 7:520/583, 9:807/1 For several months, you've been seeing articles written by yours truly here which have been critical of the *C administration. These articles began with my outrage over several RC's attempts to wrest control of editorial privilege from the Editor of FidoNews based on the idea that "they pay to have it distributed". This incident was only one of a series of incidents involving the *C structure which date back to the original creation and "passing" of Policy 4. Even before it was adopted, we had people like Steve Bonine threatening an NC in his Region with removal because the NC hadn't "jumped high enough" or fast enough, in installing certain nodelist flags. Then Policy 4 was 'voted in' in a secret ballot (ask Dave Dodell to publish the FULL results, not just the vote count) in a two week period (for a six thousand node network!?!). Zone 2 rejected it, and Zone 4 rejected it, but it was shoved in place by the US RC's anyway. Then Jim Grubs was thrown out of the nodelist (by Steve Bonine, no less) for defying the legitimacy of Policy 4. Net 154 was thrown out in its entirety for having 3 nodes which were "outside the traditional geographic boundaries" of its network. It didn't matter that these nodes were nowhere near being close to any other network. It was the failure of the NC to cowtow to the RC that caused the networks removal "for the good of FidoNet". Net 170 had an NC appointed by the RC, and when a vote went against the new NC, it was disallowed by the RC because it was "against policy". An NC/NEC admits to automatically 'echo chopping' someone's mail, and gets away with it without so much as a "Boo!" from the *C's. Now, certain NEC's talk about running the backbone as if the systems belonged to them! At last year's FidoCon, Butch Walker and Ray Gwinn both supported the idea that conferences belonged to the moderators, not the *C's or FidoNet, or the backbone. Yet people are now taking up 'network sides' about who can or can't participate in a conference! FidoNews 6-34 Page 2 21 Aug 1989 Is it just me, or does anyone else see a pattern here? Listen, gang. I've gotta tell ya something... All the *C's in the world may be a great bunch of guys, but when a network policy in place makes it IMPOSSIBLE for the little guy, the nodes, to have a say in things that affect him, its just plain wrong. Now, a few weeks ago, Vince wrote an editorial telling people that wanted democracy that they had missed their chance by not supporting IFNA. I've come to the realization that they were right. I suggest that you join IFNA. Make it strong, and make it a voice that can be heard. Then, maybe you can make the following proposals I have come true: 1) A self-perpetuating coordinator structure is wrong. 2) Network nodes should select their OWN NC, not have him appointed by some guy 3 states away that's never been in touch anyway. 3) The IC should be appointed by the IFNA BoD. That's the way it was done in the first place, and it was a good idea because... 4) Everyone in the nodelist should be an "At-Large" member of IFNA, and get to vote for the "At-Large" BoD seats. With that in mind, I have no problem with the IC appointing the ZC's (with ratification by the RC's), and RC's being appointed by the ZC. This plan gives democracy a chance, while maintaining technical integrity at the top of the organization. It also gives the individual node TWO voices in the management of his network, one in the direct election of his NC, and one in the election of the IFNA BoD, which appoints the IC. People talk about the benefits of Top-down and Bottom-up management. Well, this plan gives us all the advantages of both. It puts the responsibility right back where it belongs, and doesn't compromise the technical operation of the network. It also promotes a strong IFNA, an idea for which I have to thank Vince Perriello, and his editorials in FidoNews. With all that's happened lately, don't you think its time the *C's stopped stepping on the individual nodes, and started being responsible TO them (read: YOU)? FidoNews 6-34 Page 3 21 Aug 1989 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 4 21 Aug 1989 Butch Witherspoon Fido 1:288/525 WHAT IS THE COMPUTER LEARNING FOUNDATION & WHY A COMPUTER LEARNING MONTH? Developing computer competency among our youth is critical to the future of Canada, the united States and our children. It can play a major role in maintaining our competitive edge and in addressing major concerns of literacy ,school dropouts and job training. Technology also offers powerful benefits to children today and thier futures. Increasingly, people are being required to use computers and software at work. By the year 2010, when our children are in the prime of thier careers, experts predict all jobs will require somme use of technology. Millions of children, however, are not yet recieving the full benefits of technology, as confirmed by a recent study by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. While many children are being exposed to computers in school,in most cases,the depth of thier experiences is severely limited. On average, there is only one computer to every 30 students, and often there are far less. A recent study by the Office of Technology Assessment,Power On, also revealed that almost 2/3 of our teachers have recieved less than ten hours of training about computers. As our teachers and parents did not grow up with computers, they both need help understanding the benefits computers and software offer children and ways to provide them with meaningful computer experiences. The Computer Learning Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation serving the United States and Canada. While our overall goal is to increase the number of people recieving the benefits of technology, our primary focus is on developing computer competency among our youth. To achieve our goal, we provide numerous programs and materials that provise parents and teachers with the information and resources they need to assist our children. The computer competency the Computer Learning Foundation is striving for is of far greater signifigance than learning to program. Computers and Software are means to an end, not ends in themselves. We encourage parents and teachers to consider computers and software as tools for assisting children, just like a dictionary, a pencil or a calculator, and not as an isolated activity. We need to integrate children's experiences with computers into other activities in thier lives--writing papers, learning history or math, creating pictures, doing home projects and the like. Every October, the Computer Learning Foundation hosts Computer Learning Month, a monthlong focus of events and activities for learning new uses of computers and software, sharing ideas and helping others gain the benefits of computers and software. While Computer Learning foundation materials are available all year, new ones are released each year for computer learning month. We FidoNews 6-34 Page 5 21 Aug 1989 offer numerous books and programs to help parents and teachers gain the information they need. For parents, we offer three books. For teachers, we offer numerous lesson plan materials, teacher training workshops at major educational conferences and a weekly television series, School Vision, on public broadcasting stations. We also offer materials to assist people hosting local computer learning events. In addition, we host numerous contests to recognize students, educators and parents to thier inovative ideas. Thousands of dollars worth of computers and software are awarded to winning entries. These ideas and innovative programs are disseminated to the public the following year. You're not alone if gaining the benefits of technology for yourself and your children seems overwhelming and you don't know where to begin. You're not alone if you are using a computer, yet feel like you're not recieving it's full benefits. Millions of people are just like you. That's why the computer learning foundation exists and what computer learning month is all about. We invite you to participate in computer learning month this year. Experience the benefits of computers for yourself, and share these experiences with your children. Together, discover the magic of computers and software as tools--for research, creativity, communications, productivity, learning and entertainment. As you help your kids key into computers, You Won't Believe What You'll Achieve! For additional information please write to NCLM, P.O. Box 8045, Granite City, IL 62040-8045 or NetMail via Fido 1:288/525. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 6 21 Aug 1989 Policy Complaint - Bob Hartman vs. David Drexler, filed August 17, 1989. The following is the text of a message I sent to Jim Oxford (NC of net 147), and (to keep them informed) John Summers (RC of region 19), Steve Bonine (ZC of zone 1), Pete White (RC of region 16), and Vince Perriello (one of the affected parties). Since I have asked for an apology to be printed in FidoNews, I feel it is only fair for the readers to know what is happening. At the end of this article, you can read the initial response I received from Mr. Drexler. First off, my original message: ************************************************************ This message is being sent to initiate a formal policy complaint against David Drexler. I am complaining under the clause in Policies 3 and 4 which states that you should not be excessively annoying to others. Mr. Drexler has been excessively annoying to me by his recent behavior in the SYSOP echomail conference. In that conference, Mr. Drexler stated that I was working, or had supplied work to Datastorm Technologies for their next version of Procomm. I denied the accusation, but still it persisted. He replied that he did not believe me, since he had "proof" which consisted of a photo of the President of Datastorm (Tom Smith) which clearly showed my personal trademark in the picture, as well as a telephone conversation with Mr. Smith. I couldn't imagine what he was talking about was true, so I called Datastorm this morning and spoke with Tom Smith about it. The results of the conversation were VERY interesting: 1. The supposed "trademark" of mine that was in the picture of Tom was apparently an Opus doll. Tom was looking at the picture and could find nothing else that could be even remotely related to me. I have not seen the picture myself, but it is in the February issue of the CompuServe on-line magazine. As MOST people in FidoNet realize, I was associated with the Opus project for only a short time, and it included writing some code within the file transfer modules, and that was all. Mr. Smith said that the Opus was only in the picture because the photographer wanted to get a sense of Tom's personality. He also had a bottle of Perrier in the picture (since Tom apparently drinks bottled water all day long), as well as a computer. The doll happened to be on Tom's desk, and had nothing to do with the Opus CBCS. FidoNews 6-34 Page 7 21 Aug 1989 2. Tom claims he has had no voice conversations with Mr. Drexler since December of 1985. At that time, Tom and his partner Bruce were moving from California to St. Louis and stopped in Oklahoma City. Mr. Drexler and Mark Grennan met with them at a bar for drinks and conversation. That is the only time Tom remembers talking voice with Mr. Drexler. Therefore Mr. Drexler's proof of a phone conversation with Mr. Smith is suspect at best. If it did occur, Tom assures me that it would not have had anything to do with me, or FidoNet, because either or both of those subjects would be so far removed from normal conversation that he would have remembered it. 3. Mr. Drexler also claimed to have inside knowledge of some of the new features of the next release of Procomm. In particular, he claimed to know that it included code from BinkleyTerm, supplied by me to Datastorm, and that the next Procomm would become an easy to install point package with my help. Tom Smith claims this is not the case, and they are not working on any mail capabilities whatsoever. Mr. Drexler's charges in this regard are the crux of the matter of this policy complaint. He has accused me of selling and/or giving away software which I do not own (BinkleyTerm source code). In particular, the source code was jointly written with Vince Perriello, and contains several other pieces used with the permission of Wynn Wagner, and Rick Heubner. Mr. Drexler's accusations, if true, would mean that I was defrauding friends and a business associate (Vince, Alan Applegate and myself recently incorporated Bit Bucket Software, Co.). This was a cause of a very volatile situation between Vince and myself, because he caught me out of the blue with the accusation put forth by Mr. Drexler. It caused a great deal of friction in our personal relationship which is VERY important to me. Apparently a totally blank look when confronted with it was enough to convince Vince that I really had no idea what he was talking about, but it was something which he had held inside for a few days before talking about. It was almost the end of the Binkley Trio as the rest of the world knows it. Tom Smith can confirm any or all of the facts which I attribute to hearing directly from him. He can be reached at (314) 474-8461 if necessary. Since he is busy running a business, he would appreciate it if the calls were kept to a minimum, but since these accusations also affect his company, he wants to see some justice done here. Facts concerning the trouble Mr. Drexler caused between myself and Vince Perriello can be substantiated by asking Vince. FidoNews 6-34 Page 8 21 Aug 1989 I really hate to bring a Policy complaint about this, but someone has severely impacted my reputation, my personal life, and my business life. I can't sit idly by and let that happen. I am willing to let this go without pursuing an excommunication if Mr. Drexler provides in the SYSOP conference, as well as FidoNews, a full public apology to myself, and Tom Smith of Datastorm. Nothing short of that will stop me from pursuing this complaint to the highest levels of FidoNet. ************************************************************ Now, Mr. Drexler's initial response: ************************************************************ From: David Drexler of 147/47.0 To: Bob Hartman of 1014/1.0 Subj: what it is, mama Attr: private recvd ------------------------------------------------ Early last spring, I was privy to a phone call to Tom Smith (that other Tom Smith, not the Procomm guy), prompted by curiousity about the CI$ (not CompuServe) photo. Tom said that he was interested in eventual Fido (maybe it was "Alpo", or "Midal") compatibility. He said it was a low priority. He said he'd talked to Bob Hartman in recent weeks (not you, some other Hartman--or was it Hortman?) No release date was mentioned. No features were described. Binkley was not even hinted at. This phone call took place in a phonebooth on Mars during a hallucinatory flashback from a past lifetime when I was but an oyster. Harry's msg in SYSOP was the first I'd heard the story about Binkley being embedded in Procomm. He needn't use me as confirmation; I don't believe it. I don't even care. --david Voice: [voice number removed prior to FidoNews submission] ************************************************************ Now Mr. Oxford's initial response: ************************************************************ From: Jim Oxford of 147/20.0 To: Bob Hartman of 1014/1.0 Subj: Policy complaint Attr: private recvd ------------------------------------------------ FidoNews 6-34 Page 9 21 Aug 1989 * Forwarded from 147/20, Torii Station, Midwest City OK * Originally to David Drexler, 147/47 * Forwarded by Jim Oxford, 147/20, 11:26 8/18 David, I have forwarded you a copy of the policy complaint made by bob hartman against you. I can see no reason for not following through with it unless you submit the apology in the sysop echo as he requested. If I have not heard from you within three (3) days I will assume that you do not plan to do this and will then take the requested action. ************************************************************ To Mr. Oxford, I would like to say a simple Thank You for upholding the ideals of FidoNet. There are many people that are friends of mine, and feel that I am being much too tolerant in my handling of this situation. Hopefully Mr. Drexler will realize that I am giving him a final easy way out of a tough situation. There are many other people that would pursue the most extreme punishment, right to the end. My own views of FidoNet won't allow me to do that. I've always felt that excommunication should be avoided when it is possible to do so. As the editorial in FidoNews last week stated - the goal of settling a policy complaint should be to keep BOTH nodes intact if possible. I feel I have given enough slack to allow that to happen. I only hope that Mr. Drexler sees the light. To everyone else: If you feel inclined to check the facts presented above, please do so. The people mentioned in my complaint all suffered as a direct result of Mr. Drexler's accusations. To tarnish a person's FidoNet reputation is one thing, but to cause their personal and business life harm is quite another. I think we all realize that our life outside of FidoNet is MUCH more important than our life within FidoNet. If there ever came a day when I had to choose between my friends, family, or business on one side, and FidoNet on the other side, you can bet that I would no longer be part of FidoNet. Mr. Drexler almost didn't give me that choice when I was blindsided by his rumors. It is an aspect of our medium of communication which is VERY difficult to deal with. Put yourself in my situation, and ask yourself how you heal the wounds that can be inflicted by something that is so difficult to defend against? Starting a rumor is so simple - stopping it and defending one's self against it is quite another matter. FidoNews 6-34 Page 10 21 Aug 1989 - Bob Hartman - SysOp of FidoNet node 1:132/101 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 11 21 Aug 1989 Butch Witherspoon Fido 1:288/525 National Computer Learning Month 1989 CONTESTS FOR STUDENTS 1. Storybook on Using Computers & Software as Tools. 10 Grand Prizes: One grand prize winner in each category. The winner and his/her school or organization will both recieve a computer system. 40 Second Prizes: Four second prizes in each category. Each winner and his/her school or organization will be awarded software programs. 40 Third Prizes: Honorable mention certificates for winning students. Categories: Elementary (Kindergarten- grade 5) Middle (grades 6-8) Secondary (grades 9-12) Primary Special Education (Kindergarten-grade 6) Secondary Special Education (grades 7-12) Description: This year's writing contest focuses on the use of computers and software as tools. The storybook may be fiction or non-fiction. The book might be a collection of students' stories about how computers and software are used as tools at home, school and work, or a fiction story on how children discover the value of a computer as a tool or how it changed thier lives. Rules: To enter this contest, submit one copy of your original storybook. The storybook may be created with a computer or using any other materials; however, the storybook should include both words and pictures and the theme must be the use of computers and software as tools. If created with a computer, you may use any software you choose, for example, word processor, desktop publishing or graphics program. Entries will be judged on originality, contene, writing skills, design, illustration, layout and overall attention to detail. For additional information please write to NCLM, P.O. Box 8045, Granite City, IL 62040-8045 or NetMail Fido 1:288/525. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 12 21 Aug 1989 Les Kooyman, 1:204/501 FidoCon Committee Co-Chairperson JOHN DVORAK TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT FIDOCON '89; FINAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED Preparations continue for FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California. FidoNetters will be converging on the Holiday Inn Park Center Plaza (282 Almaden Boulevard at San Carlos, 408-998-0400) begin- ning Thursday, August 24. The conference runs through Sunday, August 27. John C. Dvorak, well-known computer industry gadfly and columnist, will be the Keynote Speaker at the banquet Friday night. Mr. Dvorak is known for his sometimes outrageous observations on the industry, and is currently engaged in writing a comprehensive book on computer telecommunications. You can still netmail your convention and/or banquet reservations to 1:1/89; just be sure to follow up your netmail message with US Mail within 48 hours. Confirmation of your conference reservations will be made by netmail, with a mailing including tourist informa- tion for both San Jose and San Francisco by US Mail. As we get closer to the convention date, the welcome packets will be held for you when you register. Schedule for FidoCon '89 Sessions Revised: August 12, 1989 Registration: Thursday, August 24 Registration begins 3:30pm. Reception with No-Host Bar and Hors D'ouevres from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Schedule Number, Time Friday, 8/25 Saturday, 8/26 #1.) 9:00 - 10:00 Bob Hartman, BIX Mort Sternheim, processing of Fido IFNA and the Future mail of FidoNet #2.) 10:00 - 10:15 BREAK BREAK #3.) 10:15 - 11:15 Joaquim Homrighausen, Tim Pozar, Front Door UFGATE #4.) 11:15 - 11:30 BREAK BREAK #5.) 11:30 - 12:30 BMUG Randy Bush/Panel, BMUG CDROM/Mac Sysops International FidoNews 6-34 Page 13 21 Aug 1989 Networking #6.) 12:30 - 2:00 LUNCH LUNCH #7.) 2:00 - 3:00 Phil Becker, Vince & Bob, TBBS BinkleyTerm #8.) 3:00 - 3:15 BREAK BREAK #9.) 3:15 - 4:15 US Robotics, Chuck Forsberg, High Speed Tech. ZMODEM/Protocols #10.) 4:15 - 4:30 BREAK BREAK #11.) 4:30 - 5:30 Rick Heming, Tom Jennings, Wildcat Fido/Routing #12.) 5:30 - 5:45 N/A BREAK #13.) 5:45 - 6:45 N/A Democracy in FidoNet #14.) 6:45 - 7:00 N/A BREAK #15.) 7:00 - ? N/A BOFS: DASNET Mac Sysops New Product Introductions #16.) 7:30 - ? Banquet, N/A Keynote Speaker John C. Dvorak Sunday, August 27 IFNA Board Meeting: open to all IFNA Members 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Conference registrations are $75. Banquet tickets are $30 each. A Saturday-only conference ticket may be purchased onsite for $35. Pre-registration may be by US Mail to: Silicon Valley FidoCon '89 PO Box 390770 Mountain View, CA 94039 or purchased onsite. Banquet tickets are subject to availability. Banquet attendance and conference attendance are separate; it is not necessary to attend one to attend the other. FidoNews 6-34 Page 14 21 Aug 1989 Rooms at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at 408-998-0400, and mentioning that you are with FidoCon. Rooms are $60.00 per night double occupancy. Additional rollaways are available for $10.00 per night. These rates are not guaranteed after July 15, but may remain available. The official FidoCon '89 airline is American Airlines. You can receive either a 5% reduction in supersaver fares or a 40% reduction in the regular day coach fare. San Jose is an American Airlines hub with direct flights to most major cities. When making reserva- tions, call American's reservation number, 800-433-1790, and reference Star number S0289VM. I'd like to take a moment to thank the many hardworking members of the FidoCon '89 Planning Committee. These folks have made a some- times difficult job a joy to do: Jim Cannell (1:143/21), who has done a great job of serving as Co-Chairperson and overall Facili- ties Organizer; Diane Smith (1:161/7), our Financial Wizard and Official Chief Morale Officer; Don Kulha (1:125/7), in charge of souvenirs (tacky and non-tacky) and Official Visionary; Marc Lawrence (1:204/69) Printed Program and Official Archiving Scribe; Gene Rodrigues (1:143/25) Printed Program and Official Desktop Publishing Ace; Wally Schwarz (1:204/6969), Registration Software Programmer; and last but not least Michael Wallis (1:161/148), PointNet Alchemist. Thank you all for making FidoCon '89 happen against ALL odds! Recorded Information Line (Requires Tone Telephone) 415-573-8983 (Touch: FIDO#) Silicon Valley FidoCon '89 PO Box 390770 Mountain View, CA 94039 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 15 21 Aug 1989 An Event of Galactic Importance Voyager 2 Passes Neptune! by Phil Buonomo, 1:107/583, 7:520/583, 9:807/1 It's been there for years, at the end of FidoNews. How well we all know it by now: 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune Well, this is the last newsletter you'll ever see the above in. This week, after 12 years, and billions of miles, Voyager 2 is about to complete its mission in our solar system. This friday, at 12:00am EDT, Voyager will pass over Neptune's north pole, only 3,000 miles from its surface. This remarkable event culminates a journey which began with a launch on August 21, 1977. Since then, Voyager 2 has visited and photographed Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and now Neptune, dis- covering fascinating information along the way. These discover- ies have given us insights into the formation of our solar sys- tem, and its place in the cosmos. At Jupiter, Voyager discovered atmospheric motions, faint rings, studied the geology of major moons (including discovery of volcanic action on one!), and three new moons. At Saturn, its beautiful rings were studied, with remarkable results. "Spokes" were discovered, and even a "braided" ring, an explanation for which scientists are still searching, was found! Additionally, three new moons were also discovered. At Uranus, two new rings were found around the planet, along with a unique "tilted" magnetic field. Ten new moons were also discovered, and their geology studied. Now, Voyager is about to visit its last planet before it moves on into interstellar space. It has already discovered a large spot in Neptune's atmosphere, not unlike the "great red spot" of Jupiter (thought to be a permanent hurricane big enough to swal- low our own planet several times over), and four new moons. The most remarkable discovery to date, however, is the presense of "ring arcs", partially formed rings surrounding the planet, like the fully formed rings circling Saturn and Uranus. These par- tially completed rings have stirred major discussion amongst NASA scientists to explain their origin. This entire journey is made all the more remarkable by the fact that it was planned that Voyager would only visit Jupiter and Saturn. Along the way, Voyager has lost its main radio receiver and suffered damage to its backup, computer memory and televi- sion camera platform. But like the Volkswagon Beetle of a past decade, the spacecraft keeps plugging along on 22 watts, about enough for a good flashlight. FidoNews 6-34 Page 16 21 Aug 1989 The best is yet to come, however. After passing above Neptune's north pole, Voyager 2 will disappear behind the planet for 49 minutes. About four hours later, it will cruise by Triton, the only discovered moon in our solar system to have an atmosphere. Some scientists believe Triton to be covered by seas of liquid nitrogen. Others predict a rocky surface. Soon, we may know the truth. Once it passes Triton, Voyager may continue to transmit data for up to 25 years. It will move into interstellar space, taking it outside the known limits of our solar system on a course that will not take it within one light-year of any known star for the next 958,000 years. Will Voyager's journey outlast man's existence in the universe? We may never know. But the information it has provided us with in its short lifespan has been invaluable. Voyager carries with it greetings from planet Earth to any far flung civilizations in the cosmos it may one day come across. In the meantime, it has brought to life the words of science fiction we all know so well; "...to explore strange new worlds..." and "...to go where no man has gone before!" Except that in this case, we are not seeing fiction. We are living our childhood dreams and seeing them come true. My friends, the future is HERE! Let us not forget that space IS the "final frontier", or that the Voyager mission was drastically cut back for lack of funds. Let us continue our quest for knowlege in the great void, to continue to advance our space program. Let us continue to try to make those dream of our childhood become reality. Let us build that moonbase, the space station. Let us GO to Mars and beyond. Let us not forget the dream because our pockets are too shallow. Let us move FORWARD! So many years ago, Thom Henderson put the Voyager message in the calendar of FidoNews. Perhaps it was half-joke, half-necessity (to make the calendar work), perhaps not (I know that Thom is a big supporter of space exploration). But what was once a trivial line in a newsletter month after month, has taken on a rare sig- nificance: the discovery of a new planet. Let us not forget the importance of the Voyager mission as we move towards the new Millenium. With that, we bid adieu to Voyager. She was a great experiment, one which paid off handsomely, beyond any of her designer's wildest dreams. Perhaps someday we may meet up with her again, and who knows? Perhaps she wil have some new secrets to tell us. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 17 21 Aug 1989 ================================================================= LATEST VERSIONS ================================================================= Latest Software Versions MS-DOS Systems -------------- Bulletin Board Software Name Version Name Version Name Version Fido 12n+* Phoenix 1.3 TBBS 2.1 Lynx 1.30 QuickBBS 2.04* TComm/TCommNet 3.4 Opus 1.03b+ RBBS 17.2A TPBoard 5.2 Network Node List Other Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version BinkleyTerm 2.20 EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.02 D'Bridge 1.21* MakeNL 2.12 ARCmail 2.0 Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ConfMail 4.00 FrontDoor 2.0 Prune 1.40 EMM 2.02 PRENM 1.47 XlatList 2.90 GROUP 2.10 SEAdog 4.51A* XlaxDiff 2.32 LHARC 1.13* XlaxNode 2.32 MSG 3.3 MSGED 1.99 PK[UN]ZIP 0.92* QM 1.0* TCOMMail 2.2 TMail 1.11 TPBNetEd 3.2 UFGATE 1.03 XRS 2.3* ZmailQ 1.09* Apple Macintosh --------------- Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version Red Ryder Host v2.1b3 Tabby 2.0* MacArc 0.03 Mansion 7.0 ArcMac 1.3 StuffIt 1.51 TImport 1.0 TExport 1.0 Timestamp 1.6 Tset 1.0.2 FidoNews 6-34 Page 18 21 Aug 1989 Timestart 1.1 Tally 1.1 Mehitabel 1.2 Archie 1.60 Numberizer 1.5c MessageEdit 1.0 Commodore Amiga --------------- Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version Paragon 1.00+* BinkleyTerm 1.50 ConfMail 1.00 ChameleonEdit 0.10 + Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software) * Recently changed Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 19 21 Aug 1989 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune. 24 Aug 1989 FidoCon '89 starts at the Holiday Inn in San Jose, California. Trade show, seminars, etc. Contact 1:1/89 for info. 5 Oct 1989 20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" 11 Oct 1989 First International Modula-2 Conference at Bled, Yugoslavia hosting Niklaus Wirth and the British Standards Institution. Contact 1:106/8422 for more information. 11 Nov 1989 A new area code forms in northern Illinois at 12:01 am. Chicago proper will remain area code 312; suburban areas formerly served with that code will become area code 708. 23 Nov 1989 26th Anniversary of "Dr. Who" - and still going strong 30 Dec 1989 Telephone area codes (5, 3 and 0) are abolished in Hong Kong If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 20 21 Aug 1989 OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Chairman of the Board Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 President Matt Whelan 3:3/1 Vice President Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Vice President-Technical Coordinator Linda Grennan 1:147/1 Secretary Kris Veitch 1:147/30 Treasurer IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS Administration and Finance Mark Grennan 1:147/1 Board of Directors Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 Bylaws Don Daniels 1:107/210 Ethics Vic Hill 1:147/4 Executive Committee Bob Rudolph 1:261/628 International Affairs Rob Gonsalves 2:500/1 Membership Services David Drexler 1:147/47 Nominations & Elections David Melnick 1:107/233 Public Affairs David Drexler 1:147/47 Publications Rick Siegel 1:107/27 Security & Individual Rights Jim Cannell 1:143/21 Technical Standards Rick Moore 1:115/333 IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS DIVISION AT-LARGE 10 Courtney Harris 1:102/732 Don Daniels 1:107/210 11 Bill Allbritten 1:11/301 Mort Sternheim 1:321/109 12 Bill Bolton 3:711/403 Mark Grennan 1:147/1 13 Irene Henderson 1:107/9 (vacant) 14 Ken Kaplan 1:100/22 Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5 15 Scott Miller 1:128/12 Matt Whelan 3:3/1 16 Ivan Schaffel 1:141/390 Robert Rudolph 1:261/628 17 Neal Curtin 1:343/1 Steve Jordan 1:206/2871 18 Andrew Adler 1:135/47 Kris Veitch 1:147/30 19 David Drexler 1:147/47 (vacant) 2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 David Melnik 1:107/233 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 21 21 Aug 1989 __ The World's First / \ BBS Network /|oo \ * FidoNet * (_| /_) FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California _`@/_ \ _ at The Holiday Inn Park Plaza | | \ \\ August 24-27, 1989 | (*) | \ )) ______ |__U__| / \// / Fido \ _//|| _\ / (________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm) R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________ City: _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ______________ Country: ____________________________________________________ Phone Numbers: Day: ________________________________________________________ Evening: ____________________________________________________ Data: _______________________________________________________ Zone:Net/ Node.Point: ___________________________________________________ Your BBS Name: ________________________________________________ BBS Software: _____________________ Mailer: ___________________ Modem Brand: _____________________ Speed: ____________________ At what hotel will you be staying: ____________________________ Do you want an in room point? (Holiday Inn only) ______________ Are you a Sysop? _____________ Are you an IFNA Member? ______ FidoNews 6-34 Page 22 21 Aug 1989 Additional Guests: __________ (not attending conferences) Do you have any special requirements? (Sign Language translation, handicapped, etc.) ______________________________________________________ Comments: ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Costs How Many? Cost --------------------------- -------- ------- Conference fee $60 .................... ________ _______ ($75.00 after July 15) Friday Banquet $30.00 ................ ________ _______ ======== ======= Totals ................................ ________ _______ You may pay by Check, Money Order, or Credit Card. Please send no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds. Checks should be made out to: "FidoCon '89" This form should be completed and mailed to: Silicon Valley FidoCon '89 PO Box 390770 Mountain View, CA 94039 You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/89 for processing. Rename it to ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number. US Mail confirmation is required within 72 hours to confirm your registration. If you are paying by credit card, please include the following information. For your own security, do not route any message with your credit card number on it. Crash it directly to 1:1/89. FidoNews 6-34 Page 23 21 Aug 1989 Master Card _______ Visa ________ Credit Card Number _____________________________________________ Expiration Date ________________________________________________ Signature ______________________________________________________ No credit card registrations will be accepted without a valid signature. Rooms at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at 408-998-0400, and mentioning that you are with FidoCon. Rooms are $60.00 per night double occupancy. Additional rollaways are available for $10.00 per night. To obtain these rates you must register before July 15. The official FidoCon '89 airline is American Airlines. You can receive either a 5% reduction in supersaver fares or a 40% reduction in the regular day coach fare. San Jose is an American Airlines hub with direct flights to most major cities. When making reservations, you must call American's reservation number, 800-433-1790, and reference Star number S0289VM. The official FidoCon '89 automobile rental agency is Alamo Rent a Car. Rates are as described below. All rates include automatic transmission, air conditioning, radio, and unlimited mileage. Economy car (example: Geo Metro) $32 day/$109 week. Compact car (example: Chevy Cavalier) $34 day/$120 week. Midsize car (example: Pontiac Grand Am) $36 day/$135 week. Standard car (example: Buick Regal) $38 day/$165 week. Luxury car (example: Buick LeSabre) $40 day/$239 week. To take advantage of this rate, call Alamo at 1-800-327-9633 and request the convention rate. Mention FidoCon '89, the location and dates. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 6-34 Page 24 21 Aug 1989 __ The World's First / \ BBS Network /|oo \ * FidoNet * (_| /_) _`@/_ \ _ | | \ \\ | (*) | \ )) ______ |__U__| / \// / Fido \ _//|| _\ / (________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm) Membership for the International FidoNet Association Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that pays a specified annual membership fee. IFNA serves the international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to increase worldwide communications. Member Name _______________________________ Date _______________ Address _________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________________ State ________________________________ Zip _____________________ Country _________________________________________________________ Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________ Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________ Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________ BBS Name ________________________________________________________ BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________ Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________ Board Restrictions ______________________________________________ Your Special Interests __________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in US Funds to: International FidoNet Association PO Box 41143 St Louis, Missouri 63141 USA Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to insure the future of FidoNet. Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the membership in January 1987. The second elected Board of Directors was filled in August 1988. The IFNA Echomail Conference has been established on FidoNet to assist the Board. We welcome your input to this Conference. FidoNews 6-34 Page 25 21 Aug 1989 -----------------------------------------------------------------