Volume 7, Number 16 16 April 1990 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | FidoNet (r) | | \ \\ | | International BBS Network | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software. FidoNews is published weekly by the System Operators of the FidoNet (r) International BBS Network. It is a compilation of individual articles contributed by their authors or authorized agents of the authors. The contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors. 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. Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are used with permission. Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software. Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every responsible submission received. Table of Contents 1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1 Region17 Fido Convention ................................. 7 Region17 FidoCon Registration ............................ 8 2. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 11 Latest Software Versions ................................. 11 3. NOTICES .................................................. 14 The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 14 FidoNews 7-16 Page 1 16 Apr 1990 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= * Fairplay or Foulplay Jeff Aldrich (1:161/515) Peter K. Johnson Our Right To Access Information: Fairplay or Foulplay Many, and I hope most, of the FidoNet boards in California have received a file named FAIRPLAY.ZIP over the past ten days or so. This is a text file containing a proposed Constitutional Amendment to the California Constitution. OK, so what? Well, if you and your users print and sign this petition, the people of California will have the opportunity to give themselves a Constitutional Right to access specific information on the California legislature in "computer-readable" format. It is the first initiative of its kind in the nation and if it qualifies for the ballot, citizens of other states can use this as a model for reforming their government. Why send this political stuff to my BBS? Because you and your users are the citizens this Amendment will benefit the most. Besides, this is not about politics. It has very little to do with politics. It has EVERYTHING to do with the way we govern ourselves. This Amendment will plant the seed of Information Age Democracy in America and help make the "Decade of Democracy" a reality for all of us. Why amend the Constitution to gain this access? It's not likely to happen any other way. Politicians know the power of electronic information. The only electronic data the "public" can access by law in electronic format today is the voter registration rolls of each county. Why? Because politicians need to access this information to get re-elected. No other data access is granted, by law, to the citizens of California. And efforts to curb our access, like the FCC surcharge battle a few years back are expected to continue. As a fellow sysop, what can I do? Your users follow your lead and suggestions. Post a bulletin on your BBS pointing out the need to take action. Let them know FAIRPLAY.ZIP is available on your board and what it can do for all of us. FidoNews 7-16 Page 2 16 Apr 1990 Where can I get more information? Californians for Responsible Representation (CRR), (a ballot measure committee, ID#892099 Richard L. Noble, Treasurer), are forming an echomail conference precisely for this purpose. The echo will provide a forum for your users to comment and participate in discussions about this ballot initiative. CRR is willing to distribute this echo to all California area codes, so any BBS in California willing to carry the echo in their local calling area has easy access. Who should I contact to get this echo? If you contact Jeff Aldrich at 1:161/515, you will be informed of any boards in your area that already carry the echo. Or, if there are no boards in your area that carry the echo, you will be given information regarding a FidoNet board that will feed the echo directly to you. Where else may I find information? CRR will have an ad in the Western Edition Wall Street Journal on April 20, 1990, to launch this electronic citizen petition drive state-wide. In addition, FAIRPLAY.ZIP has a READ.ME file containing a release form that will allow CRR to publish your name and/or BBS phone number in newspaper ads in your local area. If you would like to help make the "Decade of Democracy" a reality for all the people of California, please print the release form and snail mail it to the address within the file -- today, if possible. So what does all this really mean? FidoNet is an amazing resource that has been vital to the growth of personal citizen-to-citizen telecommunication. This initiative provides the opportunity for California FidoNet sysops to continue this leadership -- by helping the people of California gain the Constitutional Right of public access to government information in data format. This ballot initiative places the power of electronic citizen oversight of our government in our collective hands. People all over the world are fighting for democracy. Isn't it time we join them... Thank you for helping our future, Jeff Aldrich, political science graduate student, Sacramento State University Peter K. Johnson, computer science student, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Fall 1990) FidoNews 7-16 Page 3 16 Apr 1990 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 7-16 Page 4 16 Apr 1990 * Time For Real Democracy in "Our" Network! Proposal: ALL coordinators be voted on by the part of the population they serve at a regular interval. I propose the minimum to be yearly and the maximum to be every two years that this should be done. A minimum requirement for canidates - be that they have at least one year active consecutive membership (listed in the nodelist) in FidoNet. Coordinators should not serve more than a specified amount of consecutive terms (for example if terms are yearly no more than four years should one person hold a coordinator postion) and Special considerations should be made as in the case of smaller local Networks *if* other canadates are unavaliable. Network coordinators should be selected and voted on by the local network. Regional Coordinators be voted on the Net Coordinators and so on. This is basically how it is now but, only if a position comes open. I propose that the original reason a coordinator held thier postion until they became otherwise unable or unwilling to fulfill it is null and void. Originally the size of the Network demanded that for operational proceedure once a coordinator took a position, they enact that position until they either quit or left the network. Now, with the present size of the Network the postion should be the will of the people (in our case SysOps) and shared as an elected postion. BackGround: Every organization that I have ever belonged to or heard of never let a supreme dictatorship develope. Yet here in our hobby, there is no regular vote for Coordinator postitons. This basically places a monarch in power. Is the Job of Coordinator for Life? In many places, such as my local Net, the Hats are always "passed". No one has the opportunity to "select" leadership. This is not fair for the NetWork SysOps or the Net- Work as a whole. Since the Coordinator currently empowered sets the guidelines ..if democracy is not part of thier picture it is not there. Often when a select group of people get and remain in power they tend to loose interest and the worst that can happen is true apathy in network affairs. Back when I first joined FidoNet, I heard about the "good ole boy Network". I Never really under- stood that until not too long ago there was a minor Net war in our local Net with oposing groups. I have no beef with Volunteer Positions, Its just that more SysOps should have an opportunity to serve thier community. FidoNews 7-16 Page 5 16 Apr 1990 Effect: At network level it is a boon. It allows others to become involved with the support of the local Network. This can be healthy, It allows support for members of the Network by the Network on All levels. It keeps Apathy out of our ranks and keeps inovation and growth in the Network from the local Net level on up. I am not writing this to upset current coord- inators. I communicate regularly with other Network coord- inators and feel there are quite a lot of good SysOps and Coordinators here in FidoNet. I know, I know, There are possibly a few SysOps out there to argue on specific grounds. True it does take certian "equipment" to be a REC or more specifically to be involved with massive amounts of Echo mail or compiliation of the Nodelist and such. But hey, lets face it, we all started somewhere and with a few "fail-Safes (reqiremets)" in place any special requirements can be taken care of. Remember nothing is fool proof - especially our current situation. And, I am sure the candle manufactures ralleyed against electricity at one time also . There is yet another arguement that with elected coordinators become a populatiarity contest. It seems other clubs, hobby and amature groups deal with this quite well. Are the current coord- inators so parinoid that we can have no progress in FidoNet? I would much rather have a undesirable Coordinator for a year than a lifetime. With a voteing mechanism and requirements it is more than highly doubtful that a totally unprepared or unrelaliable SysOp will get a job which requires a reliable system. There are special cases and considerations to be made. But there is *always* someone interested in the Network and helping it grow. It is healthy to get more folks involved. It is obvious that the larger the Local Network the more advantageous this is to allow the position to be shared among interested SysOps. This keeps dictatorship out of our Network. Outcome: A net we can ALL be more involved in. It should be clear to each and every coordinator that they have the support of the SysOps they serve. It is true it is a voluntary postition. All the more importance to have the support of members of the Net- work. This also keeps Apathy out of our Network. And why not, every year we have a FidoCon? We should, every year, elect our coordinators to serve us. If a SysOp is suitable and the SysOps of a Nework respect them and thier accomplishments in the Net they will undoubtly be voted in. This is how it should be - with the support of the Network. I have heard quite a bit of talk of moving in this direction. Isn't it time we made it reality. FidoNews 7-16 Page 6 16 Apr 1990 Yours in FidoNet, Kenneth "Kevin" Snively 1:116/24 EET BBS 1:116/29 the Dawg Byte Nashville, Tennessee ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 7-16 Page 7 16 Apr 1990 Janet Murray Fido 1:105/23 REGION 17 FIDO CONVENTION FidoNet Sysops and their families and friends are cordially invited to attend a Region17 convention hosted by Net105 (VanPort; aka "Home of the Curmudgeon") July 27-29 at Menucha Camp and Conference Grounds. This will be the only "Fido" convention on the West Coast this summer; guests outside the boundaries of Region17 are more than welcome to attend. Menucha was once the summer home of Julius Meier, founder of Meier & Frank department stores and a former Governor of Oregon. "Menucha" means "waters of refreshment" in Hebrew and is an apt description of the unique natural setting - 98 acres of lawns, woodlands and gardens - high on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River. The main buildings were constructed around 1914 and are historical sites. Recreation includes a 75x30 ft outdoor swimming pool, regulation tennis court, basketball, horseshoe pits, a surfaced volleyball court, table tennis, and biliards. There are also numerous trails for hiking. Menucha is located in Corbett, Oregon - 30 minutes from the Portland International airport and about 45 minutes from downtown Portland. Freeways I-84, I-5, and I-205 are close by. Oregon also offers an exceptionally unspoiled seacoast and the Cascade mountain range (including Mount St. Helens, the recovering active volcano in nearby Washington) within easy driving range of Portland. Portland's Saturday Market features arts and crafts by local artisans; the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry specializes in "hands-on" exhibits. Convention prices are extremely affordable if you register before May 15th. Menucha offers dormitories and family-style meals, with a few semi-private and private accomodations. For example, for an adult FidoNet Sysop who elects to arrive on Friday afternoon, sleep in his sleeping bag in a dorm, and stay through Sunday morning, the cost is a mere $70.50 (meals included). Reduced prices apply to children, students, and spouses. For more information and registration forms, NetMail Ken Zwaschka @ 105/54 or Janet Murray @ 105/23. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 7-16 Page 8 16 Apr 1990 Janet Murray 1:105/23 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FIDONET REGION 17 CONVENTION * * OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM * * July 27-29, 1990 * * Menucha Camp and Conference Grounds * * Corbett, Oregon * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Name _____________________________ FidoNet Address _________ SnailMail Address ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Date Sent ______ Voice phone (in case of questions): ________________________ Please indicate for each person attending, the option selected, and fill in the appropriate charges: _Number_ _Name(s)_ _Subtotals_ Registration fee @ $5 _____ (FidoNet Sysops ONLY) $ _____ OPTION A: Friday 5 p.m. to Sunday 11 a.m. DORM _____ Adult(s) __________________________ $ 65.50 _____ _____ Student(s) ________________________ 56.50 _____ (Age 12 to 18 OR Full-time student) _____ Child(ren) ________________________ 36.25 _____ (Age 11 and under) _____ Supply bedding @ $6 per person _____ SEMI-PRIVATE _____ Adult(s) __________________________ 83.50 _____ _____ Student(s) ________________________ 56.50 _____ (in parents' room) _____ Child(ren) ________________________ 36.25 _____ (in parents' room) PRIVATE _____ Adult(s) __________________________ 102.50 _____ OPTION B: Saturday 8 a.m. to Sunday 11 a.m. DORM _____ Adult(s) __________________________ 48.00 _____ FidoNews 7-16 Page 9 16 Apr 1990 _____ Student(s) ________________________ 42.50 _____ (Age 12 to 18 OR Full-time Student) _____ Child(ren) ________________________ 29.50 _____ (Age 11 and under) _____ Supply bedding @ $6 per person _____ SEMI-PRIVATE _____ Adult(s) ___________________________ 59.00 _____ _____ Student(s) _________________________ 42.50 _____ (in parents' room) _____ Child(ren) _________________________ 29.50 _____ (in parents' room) PRIVATE _____ Adult(s) ___________________________ 72.50 _____ OPTION C: Saturday 8 a.m. to Saturday 10 p.m. (Meals only, no accommodations) _____ Adult(s) ___________________________ 37.00 _____ _____ Student(s) _________________________ 32.00 _____ _____ Child(ren) _________________________ 21.00 _____ SUBTOTAL $ _____ LATE REGISTRATION FEES (_after_ May 15th): ================================================================ | IMPORTANT NOTE: Since we must estimate _and pay for_ | | the number who will be attending by mid-May, there | | will be a limited number of places for late registrants! | ================================================================ Paid by June 15th: _____ Number of reservations @ $10 _____ Paid by July 15th _____ Number of reservations @ $20 _____ Paid after July 15th _____ Number of reservations @ $30 _____ TOTAL ADDITIONS $ _____ TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED: $ _____ Make checks payable (in U.S. Funds) to: Net 105 Treasury / REG17CON FidoNews 7-16 Page 10 16 Apr 1990 Send registration to: Region 17 Convention c/o Ken Zwaschka Ken Zwaschka & Associates P.O. Box 2226 Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. 97208-2226 Reservations and room assignments will be confirmed via NetMail within 48 hours of receipt. Registration packets with a map to Menucha and information about Portland metropolitan area shopping and recreational faciltities will be mailed to all registrants on July 1st. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 7-16 Page 11 16 Apr 1990 ================================================================= LATEST VERSIONS ================================================================= Latest Software Versions MS-DOS Systems -------------- Bulletin Board Software Name Version Name Version Name Version Fido 12q+ Phoenix 1.3 TAG 2.5d1 Lynx 1.30 QuickBBS 2.62 TBBS 2.1 Kitten 2.16 RBBS 17.2B TComm/TCommNet 3.4 Opus 1.11+* RBBSmail 17.2 TPBoard 6.0 PCBoard 14.2* RemoteAccess 0.01 Wildcat! 2.10 Network Node List Other Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version BinkleyTerm 2.30 EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.02 D'Bridge 1.30 MakeNL 2.20 ARCAsim 2.30* Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ARCmail 2.0 FrontDoor 1.99c* Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00 PRENM 1.47 SysNL 3.01 Crossnet v1.5* SEAdog 4.51b XlatList 2.90 EMM 2.02 XlaxDiff 2.32 Gmail 2.05 XlaxNode 2.32 GROUP 2.16 GUS 1.30 LHARC 1.13 MSG 4.0 MSGED 1.99 PK[UN]ZIP 1.02 QM 1.0 QSORT 4.03 StarLink 1.01 TagMail 2.20 TCOMMail 2.2 TMail 1.14* TPBNetEd 3.2 TosScan 1.00* UFGATE 1.03 XRS 3.20* ZmailQ 1.10 Macintosh --------- Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities FidoNews 7-16 Page 12 16 Apr 1990 Name Version Name Version Name Version Red Ryder Host v2.1b10 Tabby 2.2 MacArc 0.04 Mansion 7.15 Copernicus 1.0d* ArcMac 1.3 WWIV (Mac) 3.0 StuffIt 1.51 TImport 1.331 TExport 1.32 Timestamp 1.6 Tset 1.3 Import 3.2 Export 3.21 Sundial 3.2 PreStamp 3.2 OriginatorII 2.0 AreaFix 1.6 Mantissa 3.21 Zenith 1.5 UNZIP 1.02b Amiga ----- Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version Paragon 2.06+ BinkleyTerm 1.00 AmigArc 0.23 TrapDoor 1.50* AReceipt 1.5* WelMat 0.35 booz 1.01 ConfMail 1.10 ChameleonEdit 0.10 ElectricHerald1.66* Lharc 1.10 MessageFilter 1.52* oMMM 1.43b ParseLst 1.30 PkAX 1.00 PK[UN]ZIP 1.01 RMB 1.30 TrapList 1.12* UNzip 0.86 Yuck! 1.61* Zoo 2.00 Atari ST -------- Bulletin Board Software Network Mailer Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version FidoNews 7-16 Page 13 16 Apr 1990 FIDOdoor/ST 1.5c* BinkleyTerm 1.03g3 ConfMail 1.00 Pandora BBS 2.41c The BOX 1.20 ParseList 1.30 QuickBBS/ST 0.40 ARC 6.02* GS Point 0.61 LHARC 0.51 PKUNZIP 1.10 MSGED 1.96S SRENUM 6.2 Trenum 0.10 OMMM 1.40 + 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 7-16 Page 14 16 Apr 1990 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack 3 Jun 1990 Comdex/Spring, which will run from June 3-6 in Atlanta, will be held at the World Congress Center and other locations. 5 Jun 1990 David Dodell's 33rd Birthday 12 Jun 1990 Fifth anniversary of FidoNet's switch to multiple nets. 13 Jul 1990 Start of Eurocon / Techcon conference in Antwerp, Belgium. Further information will follow. 27 Jul 1990 The beginning of the REGION 17 Convention at Menucha Resort in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon. For details contact Ken Zwaschka, 1:105/54. 1 Aug 1990 Start of FidoCon '90. Contact Bill Vanglahn at 1:1/90 for details. 5 Oct 1990 21st Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" 6 Nov 1990 First anniversary of Van Diepen Automatiseert, 2:500/28 14 Nov 1990 Marco Maccaferri's 21rd Birthday. Send greetings to him at 2:332/16.0 1 Jan 1991 Implementation of 7% Goods and Services Tax in Canada. Contact Joe Lindstrom at 1:134/55 for a more colorful description. 16 Feb 1991 Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush. 7 Oct 1991 Area code 415 fragments. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties will begin using area code 510. This includes Oakland, Concord, Berkeley and Hayward. San Francisco, San Mateo, FidoNews 7-16 Page 15 16 Apr 1990 Marin, parts of Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay Islands will retain area code 415. 1 Feb 1992 Area code 213 fragments. Western, coastal, southern and eastern portions of Los Angeles County will begin using area code 310. This includes Los Angeles International Airport, West Los Angeles, San Pedro and Whittier. Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding communities (such as Hollywood and Montebello) will retain area code 213. If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1. -----------------------------------------------------------------