F I D O N E W S -- Vol.11 No.27 (34-Jun-1994) +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 | | FidoNet BBS community | Published by: | | _ | | | / \ | "FidoNews" BBS | | /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: | | | | \ \\ | Donald Tees 1:221/192 | | | (*) | \ )) | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 | | |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: editors 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Internet addresses: | | | | Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com | | Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) | | editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies and other boring but important details, | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ======================================================================== Table of Contents ======================================================================== 1. Editorial..................................................... 2 2. Articles...................................................... 2 Fidonet in the U.K. & Europe. (Zone 2)...................... 3 Rainbows.................................................... 5 NOT Another Information Highway Article..................... 6 Roadkill on the Information Superhighway.................... 8 Dear Reverend Visage,....................................... 9 Literary Masturbation. A view on policies and dead cats!.... 10 berr beer ! !.............................................. 11 Fido Newsletter Content..................................... 12 Beyond cat torture: KID_TORTURE............................. 13 A Stop-Gap Suggestion For The Nodelist...................... 13 New Remote Access <==> UUCP utility confusion............... 14 uploads..................................................... 15 A Report on Guams Trials and tribulations................... 15 Dearest MADam Emilia,....................................... 17 Announcing Creation of ASKAPI............................... 18 The SLIME Network!.......................................... 19 3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 20 FidoNews 11-27 Page: 2 34 Jun 1994 ======================================================================== Editorial ======================================================================== well, here goes... i spent two days fretting and worrying and feeling almost ill with the prospect of publishing the Child_torture echo ad. i'm bracing misself for losts of flack. i even logged on the the board of the sysop who submitted the article, out of curiosity and wanting to have my hand held {i'm such a wimp}. I liked the sysop. Then i read my favorite echo, which is big on easing tension with thoughtful nonsense, to escape and be calm. The Child_torture echo ad cuts close to my bones, it upset me, for a while. I had been told a week ago that if the word "child" was substituted for the word "cat" in the Cat_Torture ad, i would have tossed it into the bit bucket without a second thought. This presumptuous statement made me angry. Anything, anything, is "fit" to publish, because censorship is *always* worse than free speach. I truly believe that wrongness is caused caused by REPRESSION of ideas, not by expression of ideas. People can not think clearly or behave freely while in mental cages. i think the author of the Child_torture ad is brave. He knows he's going to be railed. Truly, after worrying for days, i finally came to peace with myself about this article. I want anyone who thinks i'm insenitive to this issue to know that i spent 10 years of my own life alternately being anorexic and puking up my guts over "abuse" [i'm tired of this word but lack another one]. Last night, when all of me thoroughly decided to run the article in peace, i danced around the living room to the Butthole Surfer's "annoying song" with a LOT of energy, then ate a huge meal, and fell asleep and had good dreams. Censorship, whitewashing, temerity, silence, are all bullshit. sincerely, sylvia [heavy mode permanently OFF. wanna berr?] ======================================================================== Articles ======================================================================== FidoNews 11-27 Page: 3 34 Jun 1994 Fidonet in the U.K. & Europe. (Zone 2) From: John_Bone LOTT_SysOp (1:8193/8215) To: ALL (1:288/8309) ------ History of FidoNet in Europe -------- The Following item was in an issue of PERSONAL COMPUTER WORLD (PCW) magzine in the UK. -------- sometime around 1988/9 ------------ TO: (ALL) NEW READERS FROM: Peter Toothill (Liverpool Mailbox - SysOp) SUBJ: "MESSAGE from FIDO" Fido Net started as the plaything of two comms enthusiasts, in 1984. Today, it's a worldwide electronic mail system linked to more than 20,000 sites. ========================================================== Peter Tootill charts the rise of the professional network, still run by "amateurs" . ========================================================== Most bulletin board users, know that there is some sort of link-up between "Fido" bulletin boards - but many don't realise that Fido Net (as it's called) is now a fully-fledged (international) electronic mail system. These days, too, Fido Net covers a lot more than just Fidos: other bulletin board systems (BBSs) such as Opus, TBBS, and Wildcat can join in too and there are even some stand-alone electronic mail systems that use FidoNet(tm) "email" protocols and can link into the "fidonet" mail system. WORLDWIDE NETWORK Technically, Fido Net is a non-real time packet switching message system - in simple terms it is a sophisiticated international electronic mail system. However instead of using a small number of mainframe computers like the commercial systems do, it runs on a large number of microcomputers which are all independently operated. There are currently about 20,000 nodes on the world list - and I mean WORLD list. There are participating networks in North America (of course), most Western European countries, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the southern and western pacific area. You can send a message to anyone using any of these systems simply by entering it on your nearest participating bulletin board system. The cost is very reasonable as well. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 4 34 Jun 1994 A message can be sent to the USA for not much more than the cost of an airmail letter (the actual costs vary because they are set by the sysops of the individual BBSs themselves). FIDO was the brainchild of an American called Tom Jennings. He and a friend, john madill, lived on opposite sides of the United States and wanted a straight forward way of communicating with each other. This was in June 1984 and the first Fido Net messages were soon bouncing across the country. Other bulletin board operators became interested and joined in. By August 1984 there were 30 nodes and in the spring of 1985 nearly 200 nodes. The network has spread widely simce then. Today there are over 20,500 nodes of which about 20,000 are publicly accessible. The rest are private systems, that are members of the Net for some particular reason. The basic comcept of Fido Net is very simple. Each participating BBS closes down at a set time (usually 3.30am - 4.30am local time) and assembles any outgoing messages into packets. It then automatically dials other nodes and sends the packets, waiting between calls for incoming packets from other systems. This process continues for about an hour, with systems alternately dialing and listening, after which they turn back into ordinary BBSs. The receiving system unpacks the the messages and stores themin the bulletin boards messages area, ready for the addressee(s) to call in and read them. In the early days, each node simply dialed other nodes direct, and sent the messages. This soon became un-workable because of the number of systems trying to call each other and more complex structures were devised as a result. The world was divided into six ZONES. Each Zone is divided into Regions and these are sub-divided into nets. Nets usually consist of a few dozen or so BBS "fido" systems within the local call area of their Host system. Messages are routed via these Hosts. This has several advantages: it cuts down on congestion and makes for more economocal operation - the only long distance calls are between Hosts and this mail is usually compressd and sent using high speed modems. The whole system is designed to keep the actual online time, and hence running costs, to an absolute minimum. Fido Net is operated entirely by amateurs. The node list is maintained by a group in St. Louis and there are a series of levels of co-ordinator: one international co-ordinator, then three Zone co-ordinators, about 60 regional co-ordinators and probably ovr 1000 net co-ordinators. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 5 34 Jun 1994 The whole set-up is overseen by the International Fido Net Association (IFNA). Despite the amateur nature of the system, it all appears to be run in a very professional and businesslike manner. Indeed it has to be, with 20,000 plus systems participating, there is no room, for sloppiness! ECHOMAIL & CONFMAIL A welcome enhancement to Fido Net is called Echomail. This adds conferencing to Fido Net's electronic mail capabilities. Until the introduction of Echomail, Fido Net was just a point-to-point system, in which a message was addressed to a node, and then sent to that node. With Echomail, several BBSs join together to carry a conference on a particular topic and all messages that are entered in that relevant section of each BBS are echo-ed to all that "echo's" participating BBSs. -------- [ends] [Text revised at LOTT 2:256/17 on 22-06-1991] [Liverpool Mailbox , online in the UK since 1983] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rainbows tomj@wps.com (Tom Jennings) > What is the rainbow crowd? The Rainbow Family is a giant (10,000+) nomadic cultural thing in North America. They look more or less like "hippies". You don't see to much of them usually. They are genuinely nomadic, and hold various Gatherings, usually a big annual one. Each year in a different US state. About 10,000 people show up, sometimes less. They take advantage of US Federal homesteading laws, much to the chagrin of authorities. Gatherings are free, and everyone pitches in -- or not. They don't worry about it. There are communal meals (pretty minimal though, poverty is an assumption so far in the background it's startling) made up of donated/liberated/dumpster-dived food. They aer not necesseraily vegetarians. They have no or barter or minimal economy. I have an ex-roommate who is a Rainbow person now. They are definitely way far outside the usual channels. They're quite serious. They tend to be vehicle-people, white, babies'n'dogs. They disdain alcohol, smoke lots of pot. Usually quite trsutworthy. They are dirty. Their methodology for gatherings is unique. They have a "welcome committee" up where vehicles come in, who tell you where things are, where to park, etc. They also scope people out; if they have alcohol -- generally the only thing forbidden besides firearms -- instead of a lecture or whatever, they say "got any alcohol? Let's drink it! Here's some of my pot!" and try to get the owner to consume it on the spot. Usually works. Two years back, in Nevada, the Great Circle gave Welcome Committee FidoNews 11-27 Page: 6 34 Jun 1994 duty to the Faerie camp (the gay/lez bunch within the Family) because they did an excellent job of (1) defusing a bunch of asshole bigots with fun instead of anger and (2) "took over" a small stage devolving into bland ordinary faux hippy folksy music and turned it into a big open party. It was a great honor, apparently. Too much hippy for me, though the gatherings are definitly worth checking out. They are always the first week in July. A Council of oldtimers (which apparently anyone can attend and provide input, listened to or not I know not) picks the next years site, many months in advance. A few months before, a seed group goes to the site, and chooses a location distractingly near the real site. This draws fire from the locals and authorities, if any trouble arises, and keeps eyes of the actual site. They usually rent an apt or something an have a stable mail address. Word is spread mouth to mouth and hand to hand. No advertising of any sort is generally done, and as far as I can tell, is frowned upon. They deal with legal issues (more and more every year I guess) and all that. About a month before the actual event, another seed group populates the site and starts to prepare it. In Nevada, it took place partly on private land; the worked out a deal with the owner that they would leave it utterly spotless and would install a water system based upon a water-hammer ("free" water pump power). I can attest to the cleanliness thing. In nevada, I was there and left early, so there were only a few thousand people. It was *spotless*. On a mian trail, someone had dropped about a half-dozen cellophane candy wrappers. It was a Big Deal. It was an issue at the Great Circle, and instead of castigation and finger pointing (they the do all this stuff internally of course, at big gatherings they tend to be fairly cool cuz there's fresh faces and fresh energy) they went on about how important it was they left the place clean. Seems to work. It's a retty cool thing, iff you like hippies, eating oatmeal as your main source of nutrition, walking 6 hours into the woods, carrying water, being asked to eat food just cooked as you walk down a trail, LSD, get really dirty, dig shitters, keep damnfools from shitting in the stream, etc etc. There are some christian hippies. There are more queer ones. I hate tie-dye, and mistrust peace and loveism. I own guns and like computers. Oh well. -- Tom Jennings -- tomj@wps.com -- World Power Systems -- San Francisco ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOT Another Information Highway Article Chris Harper (1:2215/10) Editors, Here's a message reply I made to someone in my local net, that FidoNews 11-27 Page: 7 34 Jun 1994 I'd like to put in Fidonews. A little "my dog's better than your dog" ditty. ;-) Ä NET 2215 Chat (1:2215/10) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ 2215CHAT Ä Msg : 30 of 30 - 29 From : Chris Harper 1:2215/10 Mon 27 Jun 94 00:56 To : Norm Smith Subj : Article ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ On June 26 1994, Norm Smith of (1:2215/240) wrote to All: NS> Hi Everyone - in case you hadn't heard, there's going to be NS> an article in next Monday or Tuesday's about NS> local BBS's. It will be on page <#?> of the local section, NS> so you can check to see if its there before you spend that NS> quarter :) Should be a pretty neat article - check it out! NS> NS> Norm I'm wondering if it'll be ANOTHER "information highway" article that completely ignores FidoNet while touting Internet as the state of the art. That really bugs me. FidoNet handles full 8 bit file transfers while Internet won't even allow high ASCII half the time, and they make like Internet is the next best thing to water. Sure, it's "realtime", but it has it's delays like anything else, and it's about as flexible as Mount Rushmore. Fido may be slower, but most of the time it gets there with fewer conversions (which reduces the odds of errors), and is always one heck of a lot cheaper (that is, efficient), too. Centralized-DEcentralization, is the key here, that makes that work. It maintains organization, while dividing up the load of distributing the data, through cooperation of all those who use it. FidoNet is "a shining example" of what the gerneral public can do "when they all pull in the same direction". A world-wide, batched processed, computer network, that works, and fairly well, too. Sure, it's not 100% reliable, but what do you expect from a volunteer organization? And it's reliability keeps getting better and better, with time filtering out unreliable routes, and those who abuse it, through censorship and excommunication. And now with the filebone growing within it, FidoNet's versitility and utility both, by far exceed what most expect from Internet. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 8 34 Jun 1994 But above all, it's economicly feasible for EVERYONE to get! So, it REALLY bugs me when the media touts Internet, with it's cost in the thousands per node per year, compared to Fidonet's less than one hundred per year, as being "the way to go", and that "the information superhighway" is something that awaits us in the future. The information superhighway already exists, right here, right NOW, in FidoNet! Chris Harper, 1:2215/10.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Roadkill on the Information Superhighway Ryan R Snyder forwarded by Tom Jenning [ a few ">"s and "--"s deleted by editor to make it fit on the page ] ___________________ ___----'// \ | | ___--- // \ | Information | ___--- //____ \ | SuperHighway I-S | ___--- // /____\ \ |___________________| ___--- /// |==__==| \ | | ___--- /// ~||~~||~ \ | | ___--- //// ' \ | | //// // \ | | //// \ | | //// // \ | | //// \ | | // // /// \ | | // // \ | | // // . ,& YOU ARE \ | | // // . `;//* HERE \ | | // // . `|/^\@'< ' ./___| \ // // `_/x@=%$P/,', \ \ // // >@#)*?o$%( , \ // // \.X#j~\===B \ // // \ // // \ // // \ -- Ryan Snyder | Consultant & Gopher Administrator | University of Montana ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^[I have Thumbs of Thunder]^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ All that is now and all that is gone and all that's to come and everything under the sun is in tune but the sun is eclipsed by the moon. -PF:TDSOTM:E FidoNews 11-27 Page: 9 34 Jun 1994 Note to Editor-being prelude: Charles Herriot, of Fido 1:163/110 is honored to share more war correspondence from Doc Logger, pharmaceutical adviser and stringer for the not so widely read "Swamp Swine Magazine." In this latest missive, to the Reverend & Senator Richard Visage, Logger whines about the usual dangers of working with mid-sized lethal animals and low flying bats. Roll da' flick, Sylvia... June 30, 1994 Somewhere in Region12 It's Just a Step to the right Dear Reverend Visage, Why is it that we play poker I always seem to lose the important bets where you drew Serbo-Croatia and I got stuck with a venue which is truly twisted and dangerous. Not even the largish, horse-bollus, sized tranquilizers that you thoughtfully included seems sufficient to halt the rampaging hordes of policymongers in this area. If we still have that fleet of waterbombers that we used to defoliate half of Southeast Asia with Agent Orange, we might want to convert them to spray Valium aerosols over this region. As you may not know, the Region12 Co-ordinator has run amok. It seems that nets in the Southern Ontario axis have been swapping nodes as though they were playing the sort of chess that would have made Dean Rusk and Johnson blush through their blood-crazed eyes. One particular net, attempted to hold their departing nodes hostage by imposing extortionate echomail cost recovery refund surcharges. When that failed, they sniveled to Rick Johnston, the RC-being. Rick was, by all accounts, a good and decent individual. (Hell, I even let him have a dance with one of my favourite sheep at one of our social gatherings...er or should that be "flockings.") In a move that pushed the envelope on the wrong side of boneheaded stupidity, Rick decreed that he would impose specific geographic constraints upon *one* net, while leaving other nets to poach nodes with wild abandon. (Quite frankly, I have never enjoyed poached nodes... not even using that recipe that you provided where they get boiled in Glenlivet and then served on raw armadillo livers.) What made this move a sure candidacy for some recovery time in the Betty Ford Clinic For The Thinking Impaired, was that Rick's own net contained nodes which clearly violated his own myopic notions of geographic rigidity. That which he cited as "determined by policy" wasn't applied to his own net. When the usual polite inquiries were made... and I think James Korolas used a word that begins with "F" and ends with "K" and which isn't "firetruck"; ... Rick scampered into the despotic refuge of policy scoundrelry and even invoked the august name of Bob Satti,ZC as legitimizing reasons. (Pausing FidoNews 11-27 Page: 10 34 Jun 1994 here to kneel, after mentioning Bob's name, and to proclaim: "We're not worthy. We're not worthy.") We may not want to enter Rick in the olympics because there is a rumour that his response approached the 'roid-rage variety. Rick told the democratically elected NC of net250 that he was removed from office and was barred from running in a subsequent election. When Net250 informed Rick, again politely, that he should remove himself from the presence of sharp instruments and policy before he suffered self-inflicted wounds; Rick went even more ballistic and arbitrarily removed Luke Kolin from the nodelist. As you are aware, I have always been amazed by the metamorphosis that seems to spontaneously occur in various *C-beings. It seemed like only yesterday that Rick Johnston was sucking up to the region's sysops as he campaigned on a platform of representing the wishes of sysops, as opposed to supporting the Divine Right of Kings philosophy. We are now blessed with his shameful retreat behind the skirts of policy. Why is it, that when someone cites policy, that it invariably means that the statement is a postlude to neural malfunctioning? Why is it, when you read the words "I've already checked this with Bob Satti" (again, pausing to sacrifice a virgin hamster in deference to invoking Bob's name) that you *know* that what follows will defy logic, natural justice and good sense? In any event, I must send this off. Your secretary has been screaming at me for hours, and this really has nothing at all to do with the fact the nuclear blast warnings have sounded outside Rick's bunker. Give my regards to the nuns. Regards, Doc Logger, Small Animal Psychology Dept., Swamp Swine Magazine ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Literary Masturbation. A view on policies and dead cats! RICK LITHGOW (1:2601/574) BOP, POLICY 4, Dead cats... Spout policy while wearing spats??? Complain of DEAD_CATS while playing with our thing Doesn't the obove have a remindful thing??? Policy, shmolosey, hunger and blight.... Dictators make-love to BOP in the light Flights of fancy, flights of adventure, Killing cats are delusions of grandeur You can't do this, you can't do that Take your policy and stuffit in your hat So much arguing, so much shit..... FidoNews 11-27 Page: 11 34 Jun 1994 I'd rather naw on a peach pit.... So many kings, so many queens..... And oh yes! So many dingalings! Sing a song, bang a gong.... C'mon peoples let's get along! This has not been a haiku! And remember, before you bitch, kvetch and generally complain about this, remember......Life's a virgin, a bitch is too easy! There are more things in life than to worry about content of msgs, policy, and other stupid crap... Rick Lithgow * WCE 1.5/2295 * What! Me Worry?! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- berr beer ! ! FROM FLESH, flesh (Flesh) Top 10 Reasons Why Beer Is Better Than Jesus ------------------------------------------------- 10. No one will kill you for not drinking Beer. 9. Beer doesn't tell you how to have sex. 8. Beer has never caused a major war. 7. They don't force Beer on minors who can't think for themselves. 6. When you have a Beer, you don't knock on people's doors trying to give it away. 5. Nobody's ever been burned at the stake, hanged, or tortured over his brand of Beer. 4. You don't have to wait 2000+ years for a second Beer. 3. There are laws saying Beer labels can't lie to you. 2. You can prove you have a Beer. 1. If you've devoted your life to Beer, there are groups to help you stop. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 12 34 Jun 1994 Fido Newsletter Content Neil Lauritsen (1:3603/120) * Forwarded from 1:3603/120, Cat House in Clearwater Fl * Originally to ED KELLY on 1:3603/190 > Neil, > Every week, when I receive the Fido newsletter, I edit the file so > that my users may view it online as a bulletin. My "editing" usually > consists of removing the end page code from in front of the page > statement so that online viewing is enabled. > While editing/reading this weeks Newsletter, I came across a copy of > a message on pages 31/32 that contained unacceptable language for a > family-oriented BBS. > The words that I objected to were: "seduce me" "masochism" "a bitch > with a nice ass". > The entire context of the message had sexual connotations and should > not have been included in a world-wide distribution of FidoNews. > I am not a prude, but I do my best to keep this kind of crap away > from young, impressionable, questioning eyes. > Thanks, > Ed Kelly, Sysop SPARE TIME BBS > --- GOMail v1.2 [92-0309] Dear Ed..I agree and I run an Adult Oriented BBS. I also strongly object to encripted passages or signatures as also appeared in this issue. I do have a right to refuse to forward to distribute materials which are encripted (and I am a Net Host) as you also have the right to refuse to accept articles with unacceptable language as part of your FIDO news. Freedom of speech cannot be used as an argument to condone these violations of our trust in the editor. His decision to print these type of articles for general distribution will cause some of us to no longer be willing to forward to them to others or carry them on our respective boards as bulletins for our users. Neil - NC3603 Dear Editor, Please do not forward for distribution to my net any articles which contain any form of encription either in the text or in the signature. Nor any articles containing language which you would not use in your own house of worship. Please pass this request to ALL of your downlinks. Thankyou. Neil Lauritsen, Sysop Cat House BBS! Systems - Net Host PinellasNet 1:3603 * Forwarded by Neil Lauritsen on 1:3603/120, Cat House in Clearwater Fl FidoNews 11-27 Page: 13 34 Jun 1994 Beyond cat torture: KID_TORTURE Beyond cat torture: KID_TORTURE by Steve Fredette (1:163/551) (apologies to Michael Johnson) Hello FIDOnetters! I want to announce a new echo that I am hoping will get off the ground real quickly and make backbone status. I am counting on you to help me meet this goal as soon as humanly possibly so that we can all surf the cyberwave on KID_TORTURE....which is hosted from 163/551 Yes, we aren't your run of the mill "I hate children" type people. No. We are the folks who love to yank Junior's hair...and then swing him/her around in the air by it before releasing said infant into a substantial firmament...such as a concrete wall. We are creative, caring, loving compassionate people who just plain despise children. We discuss such interesting topics as... *- How to train a pit bull to 'play' with your toddler. *- Using your belt for discipline. *- Making your own kiddie-porn! *- How to humiliate a child with a simple trip to the barber. *- Hiding razor blades in Halloween candy. AND MORE! *- Luring children into your car without arousing suspicion *- Stealing and selling children for profit. *- Seldom used child labour laws that could actually turn your hobby into a golden opportunity to earn cash and make the "big time"! I would appreciate a response ASAP from all of the kid hating sysops out there so that we can get this thing moving. We need to get on the backbone so that we can share our tips and hints with all of the other kid-o-phobes and start making this a great nation like it was intended. People point their fingers at the liberals and demorats and accuse them of bringing this country down, but I happen to know that it is those damn rugrats. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Stop-Gap Suggestion For The Nodelist from Lester Garrett FidoNews 11-27 Page: 14 34 Jun 1994 1:125/101 I suspect this is not likely to sit well with many, but how about this as a stop-gap measure for reducing the size of the ever-growing NodeList until a better solution can be agreed upon. Why not eliminate all BBS names from the Nodelist? And in order to avoid breaking current software, replace them with a single character place-marker in the BBS name field. While most of us are probably quite fond of our BBS' names, is there really any _need_ for them in the Nodelist? And nothing prevents us from keeping them in our Origin lines and elsewhere. Well, just a thought. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- New Remote Access <==> UUCP utility confusion Fredric L. Rice The Skeptic Tank (1:102/890.0) The Skeptic Tank has been getting quite a few messages and telephone calls from individuals who have reviewed the new release of Remote Access and have found a stand-alone, third-party software package called RAUUCP which provides gatework between a UUCP host and the Remote Access system; they think it's my software package (first released 1992)called UUCP-RA and there is some confusion. This short note, I hope, will help end the confusion. UUCP-RA works on the Remote Access *.BBS message files and FidoNet *.MSG message files. It doesn't work on JAM or any other format and it doesn't dial the UUCP host directly. It scans Remote Access' RA/RBBS *.BBS folder(s) for mail destined for Internet and creates *.MSG files addressed to a UUCP<===>FidoNet gateway. It then scans the inbound FidoNet *.MSG network mail directory for internet messages and creates messages in a Remote Access folder. The result of UUCP-RA is that users on Remote Access systems may send and recieve Internet mail easilly providing a front-end like Front Door is on top of things performing the mailing. UUCP-RA does the translations and allows the rest of the SysOps software have their way with the result. The newest version of Remote Access has included in its release, it seems, a software package which takes this idea and expands upon it by allowing the UUCP host to be called directly -- I'm not certain what is done as I've not reviewed the release. What is certain is that I am unable to answer questions about the software package which comes with the new Remote Access release. It does not apear as though it duplicates the utility of UUCP-RA so I will continue to provide functionality updates to UUCP-RA whenever requested. (Indeed, I'm back in the United States and can attend FidoNews 11-27 Page: 15 34 Jun 1994 such things now.) UUCP-RA.LZH is currently at version 1.8 and may be FileRequested 24 hours a day from The Skeptic Tank, 1:102/890.0. (818) 335-9601. If you have a question about the other software package, don't ask me, I am not responsible. /Fredric. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- UPLOADS I have just uploaded some files to ftp.fidonet.org well one of his little friends. They should be available for DL tomorrow. File names are: bush.art discription and history of Fidonet by Randy Bush sabol.txt Sabol and Finster resign net postions. Anyone who doesn't know THAT story ask. policy3.doc circa circ oct 1986 policy4.txt policy 4.07 June 1989 fidostuff.zip a collection of text documents from TJ's files |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| | mrobbins@wps.com | |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: : It was the best of times It was the : : worst of times : : : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Report on Guams Trials and tribulations Contributor: Todd Cochrane 6:670/6 A Report on Guams Trials and tribulations Guam, Fido, Internet, Guahanet Guam were the %@&# is Guam well that is the response most of us here have heard from time to time. Guam is approx 7500 miles SW of Hawaii. Luckily Guam is the Hub for several TransPacific Fiber Cables. Thus data communications are possible at normal transfer speeds... A group of us decided a few years ago that we wanted to bring the world of fido to our 650 plus users. But the history of making that possible was interesting. Our troubles started In 1991 when Guahnet (our local network) attempted to get initial node numbers. We were treated like ROTTEN STEP CHILDREN that had the PLAUGE no one wanted. We first went to Hawaii and they helped us out reluctantly in getting initial node numbers. Then about a month later the Fido FidoNews 11-27 Page: 16 34 Jun 1994 Power Mongers decided that Guam a US territory should not be in Zone 1. They then deleted us from the Nodelist!! We sent Netmail messages off to Australia and Japan to see who wanted the Guam bastard children we really felt that way. After several months we ended up in Zone 6 and have had permanent node numbers since... Getting the final Node numbers took over a year. I bet were the only US Territory to have a Zone 6 node number, 6:671 to be exact. Like all networks outside the Continental US getting Echo-Mail is a pain. 1. Calling Japan cost over $2.00 per minute 2. Calling Australia was over $3.00 per minute. 3. Calling the Mainland is $1.00 per minute. Easy choice go with the Mainland. The second problem was to find a system that was willing to feed us Echo Mail. Thank goodness for old friends and the cooperative network our feed belongs to. The cost are still hard to swallow We were running bills as high as $1000.00 monthly on long distance We have been lucky to pull a few dozen echos on a CRP. The majority of Guam BBS Operators are military and do not have a high amount of disposable income. Plus military folks move every 2-3 yrs thus we changed host for awhile like one would change under ware. Then the Internet came to Guam at a semi affordable price (Thank God) Several of us Sysops have set up UUCP feeds and started sucking on usenet and reliable E-mail like it was going out of style. Because of the small amount of Fido Echo mail and the cost to bring it in anything was great. Being most of us have grew up on Fido Echo Mail we missed the clean almost always on topic Echo mail. Just imagine yourself pulling the full backbone one week none for the next year then only getting a few dozen echos for another year it SUCKS.. We may have come up with a solution to the lack of Fido Echo Mail since the Internet provider recently has established a full time 57.6k line to the Mainland. We are going to pull the full load through the Internet via a UUCP connection to the host then pump it to the network and distribute like everyone else. It is my understanding that Zone 2 & 6 receive there echo mail this way now with permission from all parties involved. Easy enough but now the quandary continues most of the Major BBS here are once again on the move including myself. Back to the states (jumping for joy) the land of the stable power supply and low long distance cost. Were a Fido feed is Usually a local call away. The users want the entire backbone the Sysops want it also. So with luck and a little patience it will happen. So this is a small segment of Fido in Guam I believe the Network is here to stay and will continue to grow. To those of you that really helped us in beginning Thank you. For the ZC's & RC's that told us to bugger off well I would hope when some other small territory or country get's online that you help them instead of thumbing your noses.. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 17 34 Jun 1994 I am a Sysop on the move. I have a added note people complain about systems that are flagged DOWN in the nodelist well we will be DONE for 6 weeks. If you have ever moved it is a lot easier to get a new node number if you already have one. Look forward to coming to the 1:2612 area and fighting the looming echo mail delivery and associated cost there.. If you have been following the Fido Echo's you will know what I am referring too.. =================================================================== Internet: Cochrane@hafa.guam.net | Guam USA were America's Compuserve: 74720,3212 | Day Begins... Not Tornado Fido: Todd Cochrane 6:670/6 | Alley Typhoon Alley..... Hafa Adai Exchange BBS (Down to Relocat)| Hafa Adai!!!! =================================================================== ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Dearest MADam Emilia, Q: What do you think of using net resources to "find" people who don't want to be found? A: Please be VERY careful. It is not nice to muck with the privacy of any individual. Even if you are careful, have great intentions, are a wonderful person, you might assist in developing tools which could be used by idiots. Q: I have read rumours that Tim Pozar is no longer IC of F I D O N E T. Could this possibly be true? A: To solve this issue once and for all, Tim Pozar is not now and always will be IC. Q: I am extremely bothered by use of the terms "seduce", "masochism" and "bitch with a nice ass" in the last issue of Fidonews. I am hotly upset. Say something to appease my indignation. I do not want my children to read such obnoxious verbiage. A: Try reading a Fredudian analysis of Grimms Fairy Tales, and then justify to me your attidude about censorship. Also, try reading the dictionary. "Seduce" can mean "coax" or "tempt", as in "seduced by the smell of coffee". Masochism can mean "the enjoyment of what appears to be painful or tiresome". A "bitch with a nice ass" can mean a female dog with a lovely donkey for a pet. You chose what you want to read, even while reading particualar text written by someone else. What do you mean by "bothered"? The difference between connotation and dennotation is variable and potentially vast. Q: Stop patronizing me. A: k. But you did ask. Would you prefer me lying?? FidoNews 11-27 Page: 18 34 Jun 1994 Announcing Creation of ASKAPI by Ted Barker, co-sysop Clink Communication Moderated by Bob Croslin-Sysop This is the first opportunity I have had to reach out to the entire Fido network regarding a pet project of mine: ASKAPI. Essentially, I am letting all of you bbsers out there know of the existance of an echo that has been localized on Bob Croslin's fine Dallas BBS, the PIBBS or more well known as Private Eye's:214-475-8708. ASKAPI is a general interest echo for PI's and the public at large to discuss the Investigative bussiness. The host bbs is a special interest group oriented bbs for the Private Investigative community to exchange information and to relax as well. Other doors on the host bbs have Legal Reform issues and I co-sysop that area. Message bases for the Sierra Club, diverse games, and a private Adult area, for those who choose adult topics. But, the reason for writing today is to generate interest or focus attention on the need for a Private Investigative echo on Fido. General public questions regarding domestic uses of PI's, "how to" questions, and assisting adoptees or the "skip-outs" that make up the daily grind in the business. Serious needs for regional data easily accessed on Bob's bbs can be queried on the echo. This is not an endorsement for any particular PI or investigative person, rather an example of what may transpire on such an echo. How to assist? How about you sysops that have interest start polling the echo locally in North Texas for starters. Any support should lead to getting to the backbone where everyone in Fidoland could take part. You end users can ask for the support of your sysops. Get them to carry the feed. Get out there and learn something of what goes on in Private Investigating. Thanks for lending an ear, I certainly hope to see this take off. By the way, the PIBBS is one of the longest running BBS's in North Texas. Bob has been using TBBS as his window on the world now for nine years. He is a great sysop and patient with all who ask questions regarding the PI business. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 19 34 Jun 1994 Ted Barker >1:124/8023 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name: Ted Barker - BBS located at 1:124/8023 E-mail: tbarker@.onramp.net - PIBBS/LRRC- host for net Legal Reform Resource Center-Dallas - Line #1: 214-475-8708 06/28/94 21:58:28 - Line #2: 214-412-0903 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The SLIME Network! The SLIME Network Gary "Satan's Helper" Gilmore FidoNet 1:2410/400 Please don't tell anyone about this info. Thanks!! As featured in Jun'94 Popular Satan Digest and Aug'91 Online Sacrifice *************************************************************** * __________ _ ___ ________ * * | | | |\ /| | * * | | | | \ / | | * * | | | | \ / | |______ * * |--------| | | | \/ | | * * | | | | | | * * | | | | | | * * ________| |________ _|_ | | |_______ * * * * 'The "son" never sets on the SLIME network' * *************************************************************** * (& PreRupture(sm) International Heathen Exchange) * *************************************************************** Hubs in North Podunk, South Jersey, Deleware OH, and a small phone booth next to the White Castle on High St. & Long, in Columbus, OH (and growing, much like a slime mold!) SLIME really is the Only True Heathen worldwide network on earth. * Both "Hate-your-fellow-man" -and- non-religious conferences. * A hole-some, humanitarian oriented network with a strict policy for profanity, blasphemers, obscenity, and painful rectal itch. Listen to these total lies presented like real reviews: "I liked it, it made me itchy!" -E. Postnews "It was better than Cats!" -Satan "I'm dead!" -E. Presley "You're going straight to hell! Damn you all!" -S. Autumn Features echos on uneducational and nontechnical topics. * Elaborate Plastic Dashboard Jesus Statuette Discussions * * "False Profit" discussion with "fingerpointing" lessons. * * True Whiners Exposed, With Accompaning GIFs to Prove It! * * "Direct-to-hell" access! * FidoNews 11-27 Page: 20 34 Jun 1994 -={ HOLY_SATAN Echo Conference }=- Available through the SLIME Network and on the FidoNet Zone 1 (parts) and Zone 9 Thighbone * The only true Satannical Conference in FidoNet * ******** Floyd 2:38 *++++++* Time 3:55pm *+ ** +* ************+ ** +*********** *+++++++++ ++++++++* ******** HOLY_SATAN *****+* *+++++++++ ++++++++* ************+ ** +*********** *+ ** +* Christians: 0 *+ ** +* Lions: 22 ******** HOLY_SATAN, WHOLLY_MOSES, and HOLY_COW! (C)Copyright 0 (a.d.)-1994 Amalgamated Evil, Ltd. A wholly owned subsidiary of Sin-Co. All rights reserved in the known universe and beyond. (with contributors being stoned to death.) A very strict conference designed to expose flakes by requiring that doctrines be proven with quotes from Star Trek. (HOLY_SATAN is in no way affiliated with the CAT_TORTURE echo, the American Red Cross, Proctor & Gamble, or any other group. Batteries not included. Canadian residents add GST/PST, and/or just send your VISA card to Ottawa. Offer void where offered. Allow 4-97 weeks for eternal damnation.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================== Fidonews Information ======================================================================== ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar Tom Jennings "FidoNews" BBS FidoNet 1:1/23 BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS) Internet addresses: Don & Sylvia (submission address) editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews 128 Church St. FidoNews 11-27 Page: 21 34 Jun 1994 Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2H 2S4 Voice: (519) 570-3137 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 1994 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews (we're easy). OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue of FidoNews in electronic form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet. PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE big enough to fit about 20 paper pages to 128 Church Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, N2G 2S4, or trade for copy of your zine...or even for the ADDRESS of your zine. INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you would like a FAQ, or have questions regarding FidoNet, or UUCP<==>FidoNet gateways, please direct them to David Deitch (1:133/411@fidonet) at deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org. 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 BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it. "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission. Asked what he thought of Western civilization, Madam Emilia sed, "civilization is a fine dance on an uneven floor with everyone in costume".. Q: What would it be like if we took the masks off? ----------------------------------------------------------------------