F I D O N E W S -- Vol.11 No.43 (24-Oct-1994) +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS | | _ | +1-519-570-4176 | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | Small animal psychology and | | (_| /_) | Spiritual guidance Department: | | _`@/_ \ _ | Rev. Richard Visage 1:163/409 | | | | \ \\ | | | | (*) | \ )) | Editrix: | | |__U__| / \// | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/192 | | _//|| _\ / | Donald Tees 1:221/194 | | (_/(_|(____/ | Tim | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: editors 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Don -- don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Tim Pozar -- pozar@kumr.lns.com | | David Deitch -- 1:133/411.411, deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org | | submissions=> editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies of fidonews or the internet gateway faq | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Table of Contents ======================================================================== 1. Editorial..................................................... 2 2. Articles...................................................... 2 Planet Connect.............................................. 2 What the hell is happening to Fido?......................... 3 MILPOL NET INTERNATIONAL.................................... 9 I'm baaaaa-aaack!........................................... 4 Copyright ? Copywrite ?.................................... 6 09 Oct 01:51:26 NOBO Msg 27: found FUCK.................... 7 Bullshit?................................................... 10 Slavenet - A New Network.................................... 11 squibby..................................................... 12 WORDS with Madam Emilia..................................... 12 3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 14 FidoNews 11-43 Page: 2 24 Oct 1994 ======================================================================== Editorial ======================================================================== Please notice the criticism of my holding copyright for Fidonews. i think it is very interesting, so this week i'm changing the message to "copyleft", to see if the sky will fall. After looking at the recent issue of Practical Anarchy Online, i'm not convinced it was the best thing for me to do to have gotten an ISSN number for fidonews. I would very much appeciate reading opinions concerning the use of copyright and its effects in e-space. My reasoning/rhetoric for leaving the copyright message in place most of the time, is that i do not want Fidonews to be used for commercial purposes. "Fidonet is a hobby", cycles through my mind as i attempt to believe this. I would like to apologize to the Terminator for failing to grant him his well deserved torching for addressing his article in 1142 to "Gentlemen", and thank Joseph Klemmer for his gentle and amusing shedding of light. Dear Terminator, here is your due tribute: FFFFFFFFFF / * \ FFF / * \ FFF / * \ FFFFFFFFF < * * * * * * * * * * * > FFF \ * * * * * * * * / FFF \ * ***** * * * * * * * * * / FFF \ * * * * * * * / FFF \ * * * * * * * * * * / ======================================================================== Articles ======================================================================== PLANET CONNECT First of all, I agree with you about "putting all our eggs in one basket" with Planet Connect. At the same time, though, it sure is convenient to have a one stop shopping place for Fido and other networks. Jumping into the Censorship fray, I find it a little curious that some people are getting annoyed by Planet Connect performing the same screening function on messages that many sysops already perform anyway. Why should they be barred from doing it on a national basis when others do it on a local basis? Furthermore, there seems to be a misunderstanding of the First Amendment (I can't speak on the Canadian Charter of Rights since I've never read it). It reads in part "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech or of the press..." This means simply that the government has no Constitutional grounds restricting what we say or write. This does NOT stop individuals or businesses from imposing restrictions. FidoNews 11-43 Page: 3 24 Oct 1994 On a Constitutional basis, Planet Connect is well within its rights to scan and delete what it considers to be offensive messages. Saying that, I am rather concerned if these allegations turn out to be correct. I am under the impression that Planet Connect is a pass-through service, not an actual Fidonode. If that's the case, then they should let the local sysops worry over scanning messages. Even if they are a Fidonode, they may be in violation of Fido Policy. I look forward to hearing Planet Connect's response to these allegations and hope a reasonable solution can be reached. Robert Parson Author BBS-PR16.ZIP: The BBS Guide to Public Relations Jackalope Junction BBS 501 785 5381 (Fido 1:3822/1) Internet r.parson@genie.geis.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: RICK LITHGOW (1:2601/574) Hey Editor What the hell is happening to FIDO? It's really amazing ya know? FIDO was started by a bunch of people to message back and fourth and have conferences of general interest. But in the last year it's really gone down hill with the amount of juvenile pranks and maliciousness of some people out there and the C's aren't anywhere to be found! First off, Steve (Holy Roller) Winter finally gets kicked out of FIDO, HOLY_BIBLE gets yanked out of the FIDONET.NA list and yet some of his brethren are still blatantly routing NETMAIL to him as well as gating FIDO to him. This is in contrast to POLICY 4 and yet Bob Satti and every other *C is no-where to be found or they're not willing to stick to their guns concerning him. After talking with a few head honchos at the EFF their position is not to support Winter in any type of lawsuit that may come about. And according to one honcho over there (who wishes to remain nameless) they unofficially feel that it's a case of, "It's their ball and they don't have to share it if they don't want to". So the *C's shouldn't be afraid of the goob. Geez guys do something about blatant policy infractions!!! Secondly. How about the proliferation of "The NuKe" Boys, AKA. The Puke Boys, and their juvenile msg tampering in the echoes?? Specifically in VIRUS_INFO and the other virus echoes on FIDO. For the last month they've been crossing legitimate message headers with adult messages (probably from kink-net) and releasing them into the normal echoes. Now the first time it was funny, but after 700 straight messages about enema's and golden showers it's gotten FidoNews 11-43 Page: 4 24 Oct 1994 extremely stale to the point of annoyance. This whole barrage is pretty bad. Again, where are the *C's? So the final questions are... Where are the *C's? Do they even care about FIDO as a whole anymore? Do the *C's care about anything? Are they so concerned about the implementation of BOP and masturbation that they don't have time do stop this crap? Geez people, get off your asses and give us a hand in trying to make FIDO a respectable network again. Because FIDO will fall apart without the help of the *C's and everyone else who wants FIDO back to it's good old self. Regards. Rick Lithgow 1:2601/574 <-I used to be a necrophilliac.. Then I got a divorce!-> Rick Lithgow (Internet) rlith@ios.com * WCE 2.0/2295 * * * * <- Tribbles _ _ _ <- After fight with Godzilla ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm baaaaa-aaack! Matt Ion (1:153/7040.106) Good morning, Sylvia! How you doing? Guess it's been a while since I've shown my smiling character set around here, but then, the 'snooze (apporpriately) has been pretty dull of late. Did ya miss me? :-) Ah, but finally, iss.#1142 gives me a couple brief things to comment on. BTW, I don't feel like digging up ARTSPEC.DOC today. Hope you don't mind too much. Seems most people just ignore it anyway. Interesting stuff, these Planet Connect goings-on. Irritating? Sure. Frightening? Hardly. Not unless, as Kevin McCarthy puts it, "it turns out that the Fido structure itself has "ok'd" this type of activity, and Planet Connect is acting on the demands of said Fido structure..."... well now, THAT'S frightening. Really, we're not talking about a government agency gone amok (or maybe we are? Who really knows??? >:) - we're talking about a commercial service that is apparently screwing up the job they're being paid to do. If any other company does that, you drop their "services" like a hot rock. If their mistakes (intentional or otherwise) have caused damage, you demand compensation (give us our money back?) and, if necessary, take it through legal channels (I suppose one could make a case for a large cash award to FidoNet to cover the phone costs that must now be incurred since PC's actions have deprived us all of the cheap mail we were promised). It's not like we're really going to be left out in the cold, though. I know Net153 has a solid contingency plan in place to return FidoNews 11-43 Page: 5 24 Oct 1994 to the use of land-lines at a moment's notice, should the satellite system fail; remember, this is still a very new technology for moving mail, and open to all manner of technical difficulties, both natural and man-made. Any Nets that DON'T have a land-line-based contingency plan in place, IMHO, are stupid and deserve the loss of mail anyway if this whole thing falls apart. Knowing how capable our Net153 and R17 *EC personnel are, however, I suspect we could return to the old system without a hitch and barely a hiccup in the mail. Heck, outbound R17 mail still flows via land-line. Mr. McCarthy makes his point quite well, but I think a couple Vallium are in order. It's only a hobby, Kevin, and we're not umbilically(??) tied to Planet Connect. On to other things. I really enjoyed Chris Cancilla's letter (BTW, Chris, that's "Patience", not "Patients" ... or maybe you are a "patient" after banging your head on your monitor so many times? :) I was pretty much out in the cold when I starting using my modem back in, oh, early '88 or so. Not much help from sysops, although I did have the good fortune to make some of my first calls to boards that seemed to be set up with the new user in mind... and of course, I've always been quite intimate with my trusty old C-64, so there were no surprises from her. Because of my experiences, I, like Chris, try to help out new users on my system as much as I can, too. I've tried to make the system as friendly to new users as possible, although I can't help in chat much, since the system is not at my home and I'm pretty much a "remote sysop". In the end, the overwhelming gratitude and loyalty to my system of most of the users I help is worth the extra work. Finally, a comment on Vern Faulkner's "logical deduction". I believe he's misread, misinterpreted, or misquoted "Mr. Terminator's" point in regards to the ANTI_VIRUS echo. You point to such other "commercial" echoes as FRONTDOOR, RA, PKWARE, etc. As I don't receive any of these, I can't comment on them specifically, but I know that most support echoes of this type (including the ones I do pull in, such as SUPRAFAX) are not run by the company they're "supporting", and not, as Mr. Hamm claims ANTI_VIRUS is in his letter, moderated to the exclusion of all other conversation. SUPRAFAX, for example, was created by a friend of mine who had just bought a new Supra modem and wanted to create an echo to get help for it from other Supra users. It took close to a year of prodding and cajoling to get Supra BBS to add FTN capability to their BBS and pick up the echo... and even now, Supra Corp. doesn't hold any special position in the echo. A few of their tech-support people are users in the echo, just like any other users, and Supra BBS just happens to be the point at which they access it. (Incidentally, one or two of their tech-support personnel became active in the echo via another BBS even before Supra BBS carried it.) Again, they still fall under the same "non-commercial" guidelines as all the other users of the echo, with the exception that they may post product announcements and press releases, things that normally get posted by users anyway. FidoNews 11-43 Page: 6 24 Oct 1994 The same holds true for MUFFIN, BINKLEY, and other support echoes I'm in: they were created, and are run, by USERS of the software they support. That they are occaisionally attended by the authors of that software is just a bonus. The very echotag "ANTI_VIRUS" suggests an echo in which to discuss anti-virus technology and techniques, PERIOD. From Mr. Hamm's letter, it appears that discussion of any type of anti-virus software aside from Thunderbyte leaves the poster open to serious reprisals from the moderator. What's wrong with this picture? Of course, I can only comment on this topic based on what I've read in the past two issues... Anyway, enough of that. I think I'm going to go out and enjoy some fresh air... it's been kind of foggy/misty all day. Typical early-fall-type day on Canada's west coast. Quite refreshing. As one of my BBS users, recently moved here from California put it, the city remains "freshly rinsed" :) Matt Ion 'The Soundman' -= Team OS/2 =- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright ? Copywrite ? I hate to be the one to say this Sylvia, but you do not have the authority to "copyright" fidonews. It is the official news arm of fidonet and as such is not subject to a copyright of any kind. Since you have decided to copyright something you do not own. I am refusing distribute the fidonews in its' present copyrighted form. Thank you Jerry Hindle FidoNews 11-43 Page: 7 24 Oct 1994 PLANET CONNECT DID NOT CENSOR ECHOMAIL!! Planet Connect did NOT censor echomail! by Lee Bonnifield, 1:3615/50.1, Planet Systems Inc Relax, folks, Planet Connect never censored the echomail and has no intentions to! Those messages were DELIVERED. I'll explain the confusion but if you're in a hurry here's the post that reassured everyone who was paying attention: --- Following message extracted from PCSITES @ 1:3615/50.1 --- By Lee Bonnifield on Fri Oct 14 15:11:12 1994 From: Boyd Goodin To: Randy Edwards Date: 13 Oct 94 21:32:20 Subj: Re: Censorship? Attributes: > What other criteria, besides 20 day old messages, are used in the > deletion scheme? > Specifically, what words are you censoring out? Could you give me > a list of swear/cuss words that you're censoring? From now on none. I have removed it and will only be using NOBO as a dupe checker. ...Boyd --- DB 1.58/004770 Origin: Planet Connect Satellite Uplink. Newport Tn. SATU.(1:3615/50) Boyd Goodin is the sysop at 1:3615/50 and the Technical Director at Planet Systems. Actually no words had been censored "out", just delayed for technical reasons, not for purity. Here's what happened. It is not a long story; the first post I noticed mentioning the issue was in PCSITES just 2 days earlier. An alert Planet Connect sysop had been examining the daily NOBOGUS.LOG file he received on Oct 9. Planet Connect sends that log out multiple times every day and requests that every sysop check it to see if any of the messages they send to Planet Connect fail to meet technical standards. (Are you tired of seeing duplicates of messages? THAT is what the NOBOGUS program is trying to stop.) If every sysop would search for his node number in NOBOGUS.LOG daily and FIX the mail problems coming from his system BEFORE he sends them to Planet Connect Boyd might get needed sleep. This sysop was doing just that and noticed the log listed several messages that came thru his node: 09 Oct 01:51:26 NOBO Msg 25: found FUCK 09 Oct 01:51:26 NOBO Msg 26: found FUCK 09 Oct 01:51:26 NOBO Msg 27: found FUCK FidoNews 11-43 Page: 8 24 Oct 1994 He wondered why they were included in Planet Connect's NOBOGUS.LOG because there was nothing wrong with the messages. He quoted a piece of the log in his PCSITES message, deliberately including the word "FUCK" spelled out exactly as it had been sent to him by Planet Connect, because he wanted to see if that would cause his message to be censored. John Hrusovszky was the alert sysop, and his query and later responses in PCSITES were entirely reasonable, because the way Planet Connect used NOBOGUS had not been explained. Here's an excerpt from what he posted two days later, after he received a reply to his PCSITES post. JH> Does this indicate that PC is censoring mail? DO> Calm down John, while I can't speak totally for Boyd, I will DO> say that this is a common means of screening for bogus messages DO> since most if not all if them are cross post from adult links. DO> When a high percentage of the packet contains these type of DO> words, it's time to quaranteen it until it can be more closely DO> examined. At worst it may delay the processing slightly. At DO> best it can eliminate another batch of bogus messages. JH> If that is all it was doing ... slowing down for closer scrutiny, JH> I have no problem with that. The same day, Boyd confirmed that. He was answering RE's questions about how the NOBOGUS program is used by MANY hubs for standardizing echomail: RE> I also have to wonder about killing messages due to a bad, or RE> old, date. How many times has a Sysop's CMOS gone screwy RE> botching up the date? If that happens and someone's date is RE> messed up, are we just to kill off that node's messages because RE> the Sysop didn't notice that her/his clock was off until s/he RE> got home from work? BG> Messages older than 20 days get deleted. Every star runs it BG> that late and they also do the four letter word thing. This is BG> mainly for crossposted messages. The "four letter word thing" does NOT delete messages! Boyd and the other stars use it to SET ASIDE mail packets for inspection because there is a high probability the packet is BOGUS. If inspection shows the packet is technically valid (like JH's packet was) then it is put back into the datastream. Due to the way Planet Connect processes the mail it is delivered only one day later than it would have been if it had not triggered NOBOGUS. NOBOGUS is not perfect! If it could identify exactly which packets contain messages that were not written for the echo they are about to be posted in, sysops who use NOBOGUS would not have to use the inexact tricks like looking for "FUCK". In case you haven't figured out the connection, apparently there are people who like to disrupt Fidonet. They "bomb" an echo by flooding it FidoNews 11-43 Page: 9 24 Oct 1994 with duplicate messages or garbage messages. If the messages don't look well-formed they won't get past the quality control software that mail hubs run. So to save themselves effort the crackers take a block of messages from somewhere else and tamper with them enough so that they will make it into the bombed echo. Enough of these juvenile crackers are excited/obsessed by "adult" topics that that is where they get their bogus messages, from an adult forum. It happens often enough that the word "FUCK" is a good indicator for spotting bogus packets. I hope you understand now that censorship has never been Planet Connect's purpose or practice. To avoid confusion Boyd reconfigured NOBOGUS so that it does not delay mail because it contains special words. The messages were never deleted for that reason. Also please note how quickly this issue made it into FidoNews! And with such emphasis, even an editorial! I saw FidoNews 11-42 come over Planet Connect on October 17, four days after Boyd had resolved the questions that were first raised on October 10. I'll bet that the volume of the complaints against Planet Connect in that issue were longer than all the related intelligent comments that appeared in PCSITES where the topic was raised and answered within 3 days. And no doubt we will all see MANY MORE posts trying to raise anger against Planet Connect. I see there has already been speculation that this use of NOBOGUS reveals that Planet Connect is a CIA front. :-) You should wonder if there are some ex-bigshot landline hubs with KNIVES OUT for Planet Connect, spreading rumors whenever they can think one up. Expect many more, but relax; Planet Connect has never censored echomail. This article has been approved by Boyd and the president of Planet Systems, Joe Overholt. You can netmail them at 1:3615/50. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MILPOL NET INTERNATIONAL by Martin Riley MILITARY/POLICE NET INTERNATIONAL. Hi all. My name is Martin Riley and I am the International Coordinator for Milpol Network International. Milpol comes from two words: (Mil)itary and (Pol)ice. Milpol Network International is a young, serious, and growing Network dedicated to serving those who are in uniform, whether they happen to be in retired or active service is of no matter. Milpol Net was started during 1994 in Calgary, Alberta Canada, by myself, a Canadian military veteran. In Milpol network you will find a small but dedicated group of individuals who all share a common goal...That of providing a avenue of fellowship for Military and Police personnel, whether that be via E-Mail conversations on one of Milpol's many diverse FidoNews 11-43 Page: 10 24 Oct 1994 echoes, or via our file support line. We are currently looking for nodes in Canada, the USA. Nodes from other nations are also more than welcome as well. Here is some minor information on Milpol Network: (A) MilPol Network is open to everyone regardless of nationality, age, race, color or creed. Although MilPol Network International is geared towards service men and women, past or present Military or Police experience is not required to join Milpol Net. (B) Milpol Network carries over 20 echoes on several different topics. Echoes include our locally famous "Red neck echo" to other echoes that contain information on hobbies, gaming, firearms, and small unit Military and Police tactics. Veteran echoes for operation Desert Storm, Vietnam, Korea, and WWII are also represented and supported within Milpol Network. Unlike other Military or Police Networks, there is no time consuming application processing down time, there are no network board members to vote on your application based on previous Military or Police records. Milpol's application file is contained in it's information packet, and is approved when it arrives, no questions asked, and no delays. I would ask you to please consider joining us, not only for the bettering of your BBS with a quality network such as Milpol Net, but also for the Military and Police personnel in your area. If you feel you would like to become part of our growing network, then please file request MILPOL.ZIP from 1:134/98 Fido or contact me via Net mail and I will more than happy to send you our information packet on my dime. Thank you for your time and consideration. Martin Riley International Coordinator, Milpol Network International. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Bullshit? RICK LITHGOW (1:2601/574) Hey Editor Something is of a bullshitish nature amongst FIDO/Planet Connect. After reading the snooze and it's barage of messages from people upset with Pc's possible censorship of echomail and the fact my PC reciever is do here tommorrow(10/19/94) I felt it in my best interests to call back Planet Connect and find out what the hell was going on. Well, whom should answer the phone but Mr. Joe Overholt, the owner of planet systems himself. Mr. Overholt seems to be a very nice and reasonable person and FidoNews 11-43 Page: 11 24 Oct 1994 I point blank asked him what the hell was going on. I told him about the most recent FIDO news and what alot of the complaints were about and he was very interested in what I had to say. He was also very distressed and informed me in no way was any mail being censored. He did tell me that they were using Nobogus to check for dupes, but in no uncertain terms were they deleteing msgs that had shit, fuck, cunt, etc... in them. He also told me he was going to get togeather an offical response to post in the major Sysop echoes as well as one for The Snooze. I hope this alleviates some peoples concerns of censorship via PC. Now for something even more interesting. As I was reading the snooze I noticed that The Terminator posted PC's Nobogus log. A few things came to mind. 1>The Terminator and the NuKe boys (AKA. PUKE boys) have been cross crosslinking echoes from kinknet and the such into the virus echoes. The msgs consisted of normal msg headers with the msgs scrambled to talk about golden showers and enemas. These are very juvenile pranks. 2>The Terminator as also been identified as an imature idiot whom has nothing better to do than such as the above and flaming people whenever he get's the chance. 3>How the fuck would he get a legitamate copy of Planet Connects No Bogus log? I doubt very much if he broke into their system and stole it. More than likely it was manufactured to stir up controversy like the Steve Winter Article. Cmon people, something is definatly amiss. Mr. overholt did say he isn't carrying the Alt.Binaries groups right now because of possible legal actions against beaming into certain "Bible Belt states". But that's about it. So before everyone goes into hysterics. Please call Joe Overholt and confirm whats going on from him before you decide to crucify anyone. As for me, I'm reserving judgement, and I may start throwing a dummy msg here and there to certain people and find out if they got it via the echo. If not, then I think we should investigate. Regards Rick Lithgow (Internet) rlith@ios.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SLAVENET - A NEW NETWORK by Jerry Fairfield - 1:352/601 Slavenet - A New and Different Network ******************* Announcing ************************************** Slavenet - A network devoted to and for those either in or interested in the lifestyle of the Dominant and submissive types. This network was formed to bring together for support and amusement of all those individuals who consider this lifestyle of interest. Slavenet was the fruitful development of a couple of submissives with too much time on their hands...or shall I say their minds. The conferences were developed with that in mind and gave voice to those who would otherwise not know of each other's existence. It's premice FidoNews 11-43 Page: 12 24 Oct 1994 is to advise, cultivate and bring together the community of those who desire to live this lifestyle. This obviously is directed to the more mature users of your BBS. Therefore, it is required that the System Operator be of the age of majority in your given location. An example of conferences provided are; Chatter, where all may meet and mingle; Dominants, where the Masters and Mistresses meet to discuss their techniques and methods; Slaves, we all know how they like to chatter among themselves; Training, for Doms and subs alike; Events, to announce and report special occasions and get togethers; Personals, for those looking for new Masters or slaves. If you like what you see, or have users that might enjoy meeting with others, file request the information packet available at Slavenet Central. We are currently filling regional positions in the southern states. If you wish to aid in building this network, or just want to provide a different look to your messages, request slavenet.zip from the address above. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- squibby "By the end of this text Schopenhauer has argued that the university is inextricably compromised by the interests of the state, that this necessarily involves it in the perpetuation of the monotheistic dogmas that serve such interests, and that the consequent subservience to vulgar superstition completely devastates it ; degrading it to a grotesque hypocritical sophistry, fuelled by a petty careerism spiced by an envious hatred of intellectual independence, and articulated in a wretchedly obscure and distorted jargon that allows its proponents both to squirm away from the surveillance of the priests, and to hypnotize a gullibly adoring public." Nick Land. The thirst for Annihilation. London, Routledge,1992 PLEASE USE FREELY- SLM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WORDS with Madam Emilia. Q: I want to have a word with you. A: Oh,,, about having had words with your friend, in the manner of an argument? Q: Ahh, yes, i will partake of words in your company. i will share FidoNews 11-43 Page: 13 24 Oct 1994 them with you, as best i can. But how should i do this? How can we truly share words, when we each hardly know what we mean? And we may intend differing meanings with the same words? Eight bits says i can't tell you _anything_, absolutely coherently. For example, we were reading our currently favorite book again this morning, "Jake's Thing", by Kingsley Amis. You would read a page and i would read the same page, over and again. A: Yes, I sailed smoothly over a passage containing the phrase, "works like a black". Q: And i balked at the phrase, becoming extremely upset that such a fine book should employ racist language, and that YOU should enoy it. Q: What's racist about the use of what i took to be the British idiom implying working hard as a black shire horse, or the frontier phrase implying working hard as a black-smith over fire and iron. Q: Oh... err, i hadn't thought of that. I read the phrase as referring to black slaves being forced to work, which is abhorrent and should never be used. Q: And what about our friend who is interested in linguistics who entertains his friends by imitating accents? Q: I asked him about that. He said that he is very concerned about avoiding offending people. He said that he feels better if he can laugh at stereotypes, that he does not want to unconsciously use them. Q: Doesn't that reinforce stereotypes rather than alleviating their destructive qualities? Q: I do not know. I used to be appalled by "jokes" involving stereotypes of any kind whatsoever. "Newfie" jokes, "blonde" jokes, "jock" jokes. Pugh. Bletch. Q: I remember that phase of yours. You also entirely lacked a sense of humour in any normal sense whatsoever, at that time. Q: Oh, yeah. i remember that. Then, being "politically correct" became fashionable. I did like some of the general cultural effects of political correctness being de rigeur; however, its insidious numbing qualities bothered me. There came to be required mincing and particular forms of social etiquette demanding particular affectations of speech, without sufficient reasoning and understanding supporting them. Q: Yes, oh Thou of the greater dictionary. What would you rather have happened? Q: Agh. The mind boggles. It would seem that occasionally the good and proper motivation for political awareness became trivialized when it became political correctness. The onus is on the individual to display how non anything-ist one is, rather than FidoNews 11-43 Page: 14 24 Oct 1994 to hear and consider the statements of others with impartiality for the purpose of understanding others as clearly as possible and edifying the self. Q: That's an aweful lot of work, and it can never be done perfectly. Q: Yes it is, and no it can't. ======================================================================== Fidonews 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) more addresses: Rev. Richard Visage -- 1:163/409 Don -- 1:221/192, don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca sylvia -- 1:221/194, max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews 128 Church St. Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2H 2S4 max & Don voice: (519) 570-3137 Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of the FIDONET INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ELECTRONIC MAIL system. It is a compilation of individual articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews. Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is Copyleft 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 the eds. Articles by Madam emilia may be retransmitted freely through cyber-space. FidoNews 11-43 Page: 15 24 Oct 1994 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 to the above paper-mail address, or trade for copy of your 'zine. INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. Anyone interested in getting a copy of the INTERNET GATEWAY FAQ may freq GISFAQ.ZIP from 1:133/411.0, or send an internet message to fidofaq@gisatl.fidonet.org. No message or text or subject is necessary. The address is a keyword that will trigger the automated response. People wishing to send inquiries directly to David Deitch should now mail to fidonet@gisatl.fidonet.org rather than the previously listed address. 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. "the pulse of the cursor is the heartbeat of fidonet"... -- END ----------------------------------------------------------------------