F I D O N E W S -- Vol.12 No.13 (27-Mar-1995) +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS | | _ | +1-519-570-4176 | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | Sheep affairs desk: | | (_| /_) | Doc Logger 1:163/110 | | _`@/_ \ _ | Rev. Richard Visage 1:163/409 | | | | \ \\ | | | | (*) | \ )) | Editors: | | |__U__| / \// | Donald Tees 1:221/192 | | _//|| _\ / | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: editors 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | submissions=> editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Don -- don@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Max -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Tim Pozar -- pozar@kumr.lns.com | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | 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..................................................... 1 2. Articles...................................................... 2 The FIJA Echo............................................... 2 One Misguided editorial..................................... 3 OJ_SIMPSON Echo............................................. 5 Adept Sysops................................................ 5 Subject: Cuba & The Fidonet................................. 6 A mere peon speaks out about the "Fidogods"................. 6 EFF......................................................... 8 3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 15 ======================================================================== Editorial ======================================================================== FidoNews 12-13 Page: 2 27 Mar 1995 It is interesting that I have had more reponse to the ECROC editorial than I have had to most editorials. Only one article, but several letters. Funnily enough, the letters are evenly split, half saying how much they liked what I said and how I said it, and the other half equally adamantly opposed to the entire editorial. I am not sure where I stand at the moment, I am thinking about it. An interesting issue, and one I am going to think on a bit more. humph. you are supposed to say things with which i can argue ;) ?what are we doing here: Trying to write an editorial. Problem is, I can see both sides. Yes, there is a need for "kitchen table" style echoes, where a moderator attempts to shape the echo into a particular form. That particular form may not be susceptable to any rules but "common sense", or an attempt at it. There is also a need for echos where participants can be assured that they know the results of certain types of actions. Where certain actions result in well defined moderator action, and anger has no part in it. I simply do not see the need to eliminate the former, and the current style. Any moderator can make an echo ECROC compliant now, and no one will stop them. It is when the ECROC insist that the only method allowed is ITS method that I object. I do not think *any* way is the only way. ======================================================================== Articles ======================================================================== The FIJA Echo By: The Illustrious Echo Critic Hmmmm...got on this local board the other day and saw this new echo. FIJA? (FeeJuh?) Hunh? What in the flying pig-eye is a Feejuh? Type A21 and slam the enter key twice (I love those neet stacked commands that Maximus gives you in lieu of hotkeys) and up comes this stuff about jury rights by some character in Austin. Hmmmmm Pop the key a couple of times and eventually I come up with an uploaded text file. More jury rights. Blahhhhh puffff hufffff In hopes of finding something juicy, I scan the subject lines. Nothing but jury rights and jury rights stuff. What IS this crap about jury RIGHTS? I mean I have been on a couple of juries and nobody ever said a damned thing about ME having any rights except the right to shut up and do what the judge told us to. Bugs me...I go back to message 1 and start again. (It's local, who cares if I run out the clock but me and my sysop?) Right at the beginning...and I was there when the clock busted my connect and left me craving for more and FidoNews 12-13 Page: 3 27 Mar 1995 unable to connect for another day. I decide to cheat. Logging on as a new user, I attempt the call-back gizmo.. damn! BUSTED again! Arrrrgggghhh...NOW my sysop will probably dump me into some blackhole for users where my account will be axed forever and I'll never get to finish reading that echo..ever. I am hoping that by begging and pleading in FIDOnews that I might get a connect for FIJA in my area. One where the sysop hasn't digitally encrypted my phone number into the one single entry in his baduser file to mock my addiction for this incredible echo that is so important to the balance of world power. It's all about the only mechanism the people of the US have available to them to make right what a legislature has done wrong...one case at a time. The jury system. It's about your rights as a juror. It's about the power of the people and their right to wield that power. It's about how the government will not tell you that you have these powers...even though the rights are part of the law! It's about making the judges tell you your rights (they give the defendant his rights on arrest, why should a jury be deprived of thier rights?) and passing laws that require them to tell each and every juror what his/her rights are as part of the instructions to the jury. It's about making people aware that they have a choice to not convict if a law is unjust. It's about Justice. I gotta find that echo. I know someone out there has it...... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- One Misguided editorial One Misguided Editorial by Bob Moravsik (2606/583) In Fidonews C11 you heard misguided ravings of how echo moderators invite you into THEIR kitchen when you post. Over and over the tone is one if "its mine mine mine", something that reminds me of watching 5 year olds fight over the sand in the sand box. Let's interject some reality. A conference is not a thing. Its mearly a word use to describe the collection of messages with the same "echotag". Under current Fidonet policy, an echotag is not a protected set of characters. ANYONE may author a message with ANY echotag and route it to whoever accepts it. Conference can not be "owned". To even allude to it is the mark of an individual that has trouble with reality. There are no rules other the Moravsik's rule ie "the biggest .bbs wins". Conference moderators exist only to serve the posters. If there are any property rights the authors of the messages own them. There is no kitchen, no living room, no house. If a moderator wants CONTROL...simply deliver the messages on his/her dime. Once messages with an FidoNews 12-13 Page: 4 27 Mar 1995 area tag are routed though "others" each router may decide the conditions he/she shall use to modify THEIR areas.bbs. ECROC was a volutary code set up circa 1992 at the same time and with the same committee that tweeked policy 4 to policy 4.1c. It introduced elections into Fidonet; offered a method to "throw the bastards out" and tweeked a few abnomolies in the existing policy 4 (ex...IC doesn't have to be a ZC; appeal from a ZC decision only goes one way [now it can go up to the IC or to the RC's...DUMBBBBB]) It gave routers a p4 analog. Many routers found it reasonable. Its seems to be a way to "time out" the sandbox mentality. Some moderators found it worked OK. It doesn't put a router in the position of judging. It just insures certain minimal "due process" is present. It stops the Robbins/Winter/Johnstone mentaility of making up rules as you go and enforcing them unequally. All it requires is that the moderator produce: 1. The text of the rule that was broken. 2. The message(s) that broke the rules 3. Two netmail warnings 4. The text of messages that show that a person has ignored the warnings. If those can't be produced...well...we got a sandbox control freak. The proper response is "Pound salt". The echo splits into multiple parts and lives on. The "zec" can attest to that. (whatever a "zec" is...its not in my copy of policy 4) Hopefully someday, policy 4 will undergo a restatement with a policy that balances 5 interests: 1. The poster 2. The moderator 3. The *C's 4. Whatever policy calls the *lc, *ec *tc etc. 5. The routers. No one group should ever be allowed to unilaterally effect links. THERE MUST BE "Due process" much like policy 4. Until then, ECROC is a pretty reasonable analog. Some moderators may not like it...BUT...there are plenty of salt hammers around. OR they can distribute messages OWNED by others written with any echotag that is not owned, on their dime. MY AREAS.BBS will be changed only when I'm sure the person "requesting" the change has demonstrated that the reason behind the request was not a product of an infantile temper tantrum or a misguided mentality similar to the referenced article in FNEWSC11. Sorry Mr. Editor....it just ain't your sandbox. ---*--- FidoNews 12-13 Page: 5 27 Mar 1995 OJ_SIMPSON Echo By Don Teague An Electronic Water Cooler Discussion The trial of the century is going on out in LA right now. Now you have a place to discuss the echo. Don't like the way the prosecution presented thier case? Think the defense "dream team" is overrated? Want to talk about the echo with other people than the under educated people at work? Then this is the echo for you. We should be able to get it on the backbone fairly quickly, but we need some help. You may pick it up from one of three places. Don Teague 1:130/82 Dan Mohrbacher 1:119/1033 Gary Earhart 1:2629/1 If you know of someone who would like to pick up the echo, please feel free to pass it on to them. If you have any questions please feel free to netmail me at 1:130/82. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Adept Sysops by Robert Hilgar, 1:2623/0 AdeptXBBS is the hottest and latest trend in OS/2 PM based BBS software. People everywhere are talking about this new breed of 32bit multi-threaded BBS system. Find out what all the excitement is about by reading the Adept_Sysop conference available from Jeff Towey at 1:2623/81. This conference is designed to be a one stop place for information on the Adept product. Everything is here from basic to advanced setup, bug lists (with workarounds where possible), undocumented features, et cetera. This is a high caliber forum with everyone from the beginner to advanced System Administrator in mind. Find out tips on effectively running the BBS with services like Planet Connect successfully. Features also include discussion on the AdeptRexx interface as well as connecting your system to the Internet. Help get this excellent conference approved for backbone distribution by requesting it's addition via your NEC or REC. Thank You, Robert Hilgar - TEAM OS/2 FidoNews 12-13 Page: 6 27 Mar 1995 Subject: Cuba & The Fidonet From: JUAN PEREZ (1:3609/5) Since the staff of FidoNews and Pablo Klienan seem to be all for helping the government that is enslaving over 11 million of human beings. I would like to bring to your attention and to the attention of those who are thinking in sending computers to the cuban government the latest piece of legislation that Fidel Castro has promulgated in Cuba within the last week. Effective March 21, 1995 the possesion of home made satellite antenas is illigal in Cuba, anyone found having one of these illigal items, the first time will be fined $60.00 pesos (aprox 1 month salary), the second time will receive a jail sentence of 2 to 3 years. Sicerely, Juan F. Perez ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A mere peon speaks out about the "Fidogods" by Carl McCaskey Fidonet -- 1:3605/75 & 1:3605/316 Internet -- mccaskey@freenet.fsu.edu [The following was written out of frustration concerning the appearance of complete and utter apathy as well as clear contempt the "Fidogods" have displayed.] In recent issues, I have read editorials defending Mr. Peace's actions as well as others questioning why the "Fidogods" aren't addressing the issues/problems that exist within Fidonet. I'd like to throw my two cents in with several specific questions: 1) How many P4 complaints in the past two years have actually been upheld and not dismissed? 2) Will someone (a "Fidogod" specifically) please explain _in simple English_ what P4 actually is? And provide several specific examples of what would constitute a clearcut P4 violation. 3) Would some "Fidogod" please explain exactly what the Fidonet rules mean when it uses the term "excesively annoying"? And as with question 2, please provide several specific examples? These may sound like trivial questions to some longtime, insulated "Fidogods" but since none of them have bothered to answer them in "the appropriate echoes", I am beginning to doubt that they even know or wish to commit to any concrete, enforcable standard. FidoNews 12-13 Page: 7 27 Mar 1995 These questions also address another clear problem with Fidonet -- the lack of understandable, clearcut rules and the lack of "Fidogods" willing and/or able to take a firm stand and enforce them. For example, the term "excessively annoying" is used in an important and specific manner, but the term is so vague that no two people (especially those people who are suppose to know, those "Fidogods") can agree on a single definition. Another example is P4. P4 is constantly used in a threatening manner by certain moderators, users, etc., and is referred to often by the "Fidogods" in netmail messages, echo posts, etc., but as far as I know, no P4 complaints have been fully and completely upheld in North America by the "Fidogods" at least in the past couple of years. Which leads me to some other equally valid questions for you, the reader (and perhaps a "Fidogod" or two) to ponder: 1) Why bother having P4 when clearcut violations are constantly ignored by the "Fidogods"? 2) And for that manner, why bother having Fidonet rules when they are hardly ever enforced (and in fact certain "Fidogods" keep alleging that in fact since the net is made up of independent BBS'es there really _aren't_ any rules for the net)? 3) And since P4 and the rules (as written) taken as a whole aren't enforced, why even bother having "Fidogods" at all? Why not just go completely anarchistic and link cuts be dammned? Folks, I've been trying to get clear, concise answers to these and other questions from the so-called "Fidogods" on any and all "appropriate echoes" that I can get access to and after being ignored as well as having my chain yanked, I'm beginning to have my doubts about the competency of these so-called "Fidogods". It may be the only thing Steve Winter and I agree on. Finally, being the cynic that I am, I do not see anything getting better anytime soon. The "Fidogods" are nice and insulated up on their electronic "Mount Olympus" and we mere peons known to them as "users" have no recourse for the apathy and incompetency shown by the "Fidogods" on a day-by-day basis. Or maybe I should take a clue from Steve Winter and hire some fly-by-night lawyer to threaten some sort of lawsuit for it seems that legal intimidation is the _only_ way of getting any action out of the apathetic Fidonet heirarchy. You "Fidogods" need to realize; you shouldn't have accepted the job if you don't have the guts to enforce the rules. FidoNews 12-13 Page: 8 27 Mar 1995 From: Stanton McCandlish EFF ALERT - Join Us in Opposing Exon Censorship Bill - ACT NOW! Stanton McCandlish, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1:109/1108 (for Shabbir Safdar and the Stop S314 Coalition) CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE US COMMUNICATIONS DECENCY ACT (S. 314/H.R. 1004) (Note this is not the electronic "defeat S314" petition) Update: - Telecomm Reform bill scheduled for markup Thu 3/23/95 - Sen. Leahy (D-VT) expresses "serious concerns", seeks alternatives that protect free speech - Coalition Internet campaign has an impact PLEASE WIDELY REDISTRIBUTE THIS DOCUMENT WITH THIS BANNER INTACT DO NOT REDISTRIBUTE AFTER MAY 1, 1995 DO NOT REPRODUCE THIS ALERT IN NON-POLITICAL FORUMS Mar. 17, 1995 Distributed by the Voters Telecommunications Watch (vtw@vtw.org) ********************************************************************** [3/17/95: Yet even more organizations have joined us. Welcome aboard! Next week (Mar 23, 1995) the telecomm reform bill will be marked up in the Commerce committee. If the Communications Decency Act is added to the reform bill as an amendment, it will be *very difficult to stop*. The result of this bill becoming a law will be to change the nature of the Internet as we know it. The volume of information we take for granted will slow to a trickle. Win this battle, and we've won the fight for this year and stopped the bill. Lose it and we'll be on the ropes in the Senate for the rest of the session. Only you can make the difference, and it will only take two minutes. -Shabbir] ******************************************************************** In order to use the net more effectively, the following organizations have joined forces on a single Congressional net campaign to stop the Communications Decency Act, S. 314 (in alphabetical order): the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the American Communication Association (ACA), the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), the Center for Public Representation (CPR), the Computer Communicators Association (CCA), the Computing Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), the CyberQueer Lounge, an online resource for the gay community, FidoNews 12-13 Page: 9 27 Mar 1995 the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), (Note the above DC-based EFF has no local chapters) the Electronic Frontier Foundation-Austin (EFF-Austin), the Electronic Frontiers Australia, (EFA) the Electronic Frontiers Houston, (EFH) the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the Florida Coalition Against Censorship (FCAC), the Hands Off! the Net petition drive, the National Coalition Against Censorship, (NCAC) the National Libertarian Party, (NLP), the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN), the National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981 AFL-CIO), (NWU) the People for the American Way (PFAW), the Society for Electronic Access (SEA), and the Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW) These organizations are using the Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW) as a conduit for legislative feedback. When you contact Congress about the Communications Decency Act and send your feedback to vtw@vtw.org, that information is being fed back to all participating organizations. If your organization would like to sign on to this campaign and receive legislative feedback, contact vtw@vtw.org. (Note the Fidonet and FTN mailing directions below) ********************************************************************** CONTENTS What you can do Introduction Background Current status of S. 314/H.R. 1004 Where can I learn more about the bill? (URL & Fidonet/FTN included) Where will I learn about updates to this alert? Current list of participating organizations ********************************************************************** WHAT YOU CAN DO (IN ONLY TWO MINUTES) 1. Contact Sen. Larry Pressler (R-SD, Commerce Committee Chairman), Sen. J.J. Exon (D-NE, sponsor of the bill), and Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR, Chairman, Communications Subcommittee). Note: although contacting your own Senators is important, these members hold the keys at this point in time. If you want to contact your own Senators, that's great, but between now and Thursday Pressler, Exon and Packwood are the ones to focus on. Time is of the essence: *Phone calls* are best, faxes only partially effective, email has the least impact. P ST Name and Address Phone Fax = == ======================== ============== ============== R SD Pressler, Larry 1-202-224-5842 1-202-224-1259* FidoNews 12-13 Page: 10 27 Mar 1995 243 RSOB larry_pressler@pressler.senate.gov Washington, D.C. 20510 *Note this is the Senate Commercommittee's fax machine D NE Exon, J. J. 1-202-224-4224 1-202-224-5213 528 HSOB Washington, D.C. 20510 R OR Packwood, Robert 1-202-224-5244 1-202-228-3576 259 RSOB Washington, D.C. 20510 Urge them to keep S.314 from being incorporated into telecommunications reform legislation and to support Senator Leahy's efforts to explore alternatives to the Exon bill. Follow the communique at the bottom if you need to. 2. Feel free to use the following communique: SAMPLE COMMUNIQUE I'm a resident of _______. Please support Senator Leahy's efforts to explore alternatives to S. 314. Please keep S. 314 out of the telecommunications reform bill, and remove S. 314 from the fast track. Thanks. See below for a brief description of Leahy's initiative. His letter to CDT is in the VTW gopher. Concern over S.314 is not limited to the U.S. Among many international expressions of support, two have stood out in the first two weeks. EF-Australia is a member of the growing coalition, and IndiaNet has circulated our alert widely. If you are not a citizen of the United States you can still express your concern. A sample message to Senator Pressler follows: Dear Senator Pressler: The Exon bill will cripple the U.S. portion of the Internet and thereby devastate the growing global information community. Internation commerce and social and political cooperation will suffer greatly. I urge you to refrain from incorporating S.314 into any telecommunications reform legislation and to support Senator's Leahy initiatives to explore alternatives to S314. Both US citizens and non-US citizens should remember to be polite when speaking to legislators, even their own. 3. DON'T FORGET TO DROP A NOTE TO VTW@VTW.ORG to tell us who you contacted. (See below for FTN -> Internet emailing instructions.) We'll tally the results and feed them back to all participating organizations. It's crucial we have this feedback, even if you just got a form letter, or a "thank you" to your phone call. FidoNews 12-13 Page: 11 27 Mar 1995 Please, when you report back, tell us what state you are in! This will help us track constituent calls, which are the most effective. 4. Feel good about yourself. You've just participated in democracy without leaving your seat. 5. (Extra bonus activism) Pass this alert to your friends, especially if they're in South Dakota, Nebraska, or Oregon. These states need to have as much constituent contact with their Senators as possible. Also, you might send a thank-you note to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for his continuing efforts on behalf of free speech and the free flow of information in cyberspace. He can be reached at: P ST Name and Address Phone Fax = == ======================== ============== ============== D VT Leahy, Patrick J. 1-202-224-4242 1-202-224-3595 433 RSOB senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov Washington, D.C. 20510 Don't forget to Cc: vtw@vtw.org on your mail to him, so we can tally the response. ********************************************************************** INTRODUCTION Dear Net Citizens: Legislation has been introduced before the Senate which would severely restrict your freedom of speech, halt the free flow of information on the net, and require all telecommunications carriers to censor your public and private communications. The "Communications Decency Act of 1995" (S. 314), introduced in early February by Senators Exon (D-NE) and Gorton (R-WA), would place substantial criminal liability on telecommunications carriers (including traditional telephone networks, Internet service providers, commercial online services such as America Online and Compuserve, and independent BBS's) whenever their networks are used to transmit any material which is deemed indecent or harassing. In order to avoid these penalties, carriers would be forced to restrict the activities of their subscribers and censor all public and private communications. We must act quickly to stop the progress of S. 314. The bill may soon be incorporated into Senate telecommunications reform legislation, which is currently being drafted by the Senate Commerce Committee. The telecommunications reform bill may be introduced as early as mid March, and is expected to be considered on a fast track. If S. 314 is included in this bill, it will be extremely difficult to change or remove and could pass quickly. We are asking you to join us in urging key members of the Senate to prevent S. 314 from being included in Senate telecommunications reform FidoNews 12-13 Page: 12 27 Mar 1995 measures and to hold open, public hearings on the issue. From: Stanton McCandlish CURRENT STATUS OF S. 314/H.R. 1004 The bill was introduced on February 1, 1995 by Senators Exon (D-NE) and Gorton (R-WA). It is currently pending before the Senate Commerce Committee (chaired by Senator Pressler (R-SD)). No committee action has been scheduled as of March 9, 1995. The telecommunications reform bill is scheduled for hearing starting March 21, 1995. It is possible that S. 314 will be folded into the bill during markup next week. H.R. 1004 (worded the same as S. 314) was introduced on February 21, 1995 in the House by Representative Johnson (SD) and has been referred to the House Commerce and Judiciary committees. No committee actions in the House have been scheduled as of March 17, 1995. ********************************************************************* BACKGROUND S. 314 would expand current law restricting indecency and harassment on telephone services to all telecommunications providers and expand criminal liability to all content carried by all forms of telecommunications networks. The bill would amend Section 223 of the Communications Act (47 U.S.C. 223), which requires carriers to take steps to prevent minors from gaining access to indecent audiotext and criminalizes harassment accomplished over interstate telephone lines. If enacted, S. 314 would compel service providers to severely restrict your online activities. Your access to email, discussion lists, usenet, the world wide web, gopher, and ftp archives would be substantially reduced or cut off entirely. The bill would also force providers to closely monitor and pre-screen your electronic mail, and refuse to transmit any message or other content which may be considered to be indecent. This bill poses a significant threat to freedom of speech and the free flow of information in cyberspace. The bill also raises fundamental questions about the right of government to control content on communications networks, as well as the locus of liability for content carried in these new communications media. Recently, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has requested the Center for Democracy and Technology's Public Interest/Industry working group IWG (Interactive Working Group) to explore other solutions to the problems that S. 314 attempts to solve. The working group must be allowed to examine current legislation and explore technical alternatives that are consistent with the First Amendment and the free flow of information. We've received over 400 messages in two weeks, with our log showing FidoNews 12-13 Page: 13 27 Mar 1995 over 700 letters, faxes, phone calls, and email messages (many people contacted more than one Senator. At least two respondents wrote all 19 members of the committee!) Of course many more people have probably contacted Congress without sending that note to VTW. Almost 200 messages went to Pressler, who may be getting the point. His staff told one caller, "Why are you calling us? It's Exon's bill!" (This is why phone calls to Pressler are so important.) One citizen wrote to Senator Gorton, a co-sponsor: "I, frankly, am amazed at the audacity of your proposed bill. We are not children sir, nor do we need your misplaced guidance in raising our children!" Along the same lines, another wrote to his own Senator: "While I am pleased, being an enthusiastic supporter of anti-harassment legislation, with many of the provisions of this bill, I am frankly astounded and appalled with others." Someone came up with metaphor that frankly we aren't clever enough to have thought of: "A few years ago, a tanker laden with a crude, noxious substance ran aground in the virginal territories of the Alaskan coastline. It poisoned the land and sea for many miles around.... We are now faced with another 'Exon Valdez'... a vehicle filled with crude legislation, currently at risk of running ashore on our pristine rights." Finally, someone writing to Pressler spoke for all of us to all of us: "At a time when communications between ordinary citizens has been all but drowned out by the barrage of mass media, online communication has become the last bastion of real citizen deliberation and has become the "public square" so to speak, of the nation. This bill would destroy this great experiment in the rejuvenation of grassroots democracy. Please do all you can to prevent its passage." We are encouraged by the success so far of the campaign, and hope that you take the time to participate at this crucial time. ******************************************************************** WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BILL? (URL INCLUDED) The Voters Telecommunications Watch has set up a gopher page where you can get a copy of the bill (including analyses by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Democracy and Technology, the Electronic Messaging Association, and others). Here's the URL: WWW URL: gopher://gopher.panix.com/11/vtw/exon Gopher command : gopher -p 1/vtw/exon gopher.panix.com If you have difficulty getting to this gopher page, or if you don't have access to Mosaic/gopher, drop a note to: FidoNews 12-13 Page: 14 27 Mar 1995 vtw@vtw.org BBS Network Users: You can FREQ the files from the EFF BBS, 1:109/1108, 1-202-861-1224. The "magicword" for a list of relevant files is S314. You do NOT have to be nodelisted to get the files, or in any particular network. Just create a dummy nodelist entry with our phone number if you need to do so. Those in QWK nets or otherwise not able to File REQuest can download the files manually from the BBS, in the ALERTS file area. Feel free to login as ANONYMOUS, password GUEST to bypass newuser questionnaires. To send mail to vtw@vtw.org from FidoNet or other FTN systems, create a netmail message to your local UUCP host. Search the nodelist for the GUUCP flag, and use the address of that system: To: UUCP, [GUUCP system's address here. "To:" name MUST be set to UUCP] From: [you] Subject: S.314 _________________________________________________________________________ To: vtw@vtw.org [Message starts here on 3rd line. The second "To:" line with the internet email address MUST be the first line of the message body, and the blank line following that is REQUIRED. Mail will not be delivered by the gateways without it.] To email one of the Senators in the list above, just put the Senator's email address in place of "vtw@vtw.org" in the above example. If you are unsure whether your FTN has an Internet gateway, or suspect it may use something other than a GUUCP nodelist flag, ask your network coordinators. ********************************************************************** WHERE WILL I LEARN ABOUT UPDATES TO THIS ALERT? We will post updates to this alert in three places: -On the account vtw@panix.com (finger vtw@panix.com) -On Usenet (comp.org.eff.talk, comp.org.cpsr.talk, and alt.privacy) -Through our announcements mailing list, vtw-announce@vtw.org. To subscribe, simply send a message to listproc@vtw.org with the following in the message body: subscribe vtw-announce Firstname Lastname ********************************************************************* CURRENT LIST OF PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS At this time, the following organizations have signed onto this campaign and are receiving the legislative feedback that VTW is compiling: FidoNews 12-13 Page: 15 27 Mar 1995 American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), infoaclu@aclu.org American Communication Association (ACA), comminfo@cavern.uark.edu Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), ask@cdt.org Center for Public Representation (CPR), mgpritch@facstaff.wisc.edu Computer Communicators Association (CCA), community@pigpen.demon.co.uk Computing Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), cpsr@cpsr.org CyberQueer Lounge, tomh@cyberzine.org (Note that the DC-based EFF has no local chapters) Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), ask@eff.org Electronic Frontier Foundation-Austin (EFF-Austin), eff-austin@tic.com Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), efa-info@efa.org.au Electronic Frontiers Houston (EFH), efh@efh.org Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), info@epic.org Florida Coalition Against Censorship (FCAC), PIPKING@mail.firn.edu Hands Off! the Net petition drive, slowdog@wookie.net National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), ncac@netcom.com National Libertarian Party (NLP), lphq@access.digex.net National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN), info@nptn.org National Writers Union (UAW Local 1981 AFL-CIO), kip@world.std.com People for the American Way (PFAW), jlessern@reach.com Society for Electronic Access (SEA), sea@sea.org Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW), vtw@vtw.org Note that the Voters Telecommunications Watch does not speak for these organizations. Any opinions contained herein are those of the author, and not necessarily endorsed by participating organizations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================== Fidonews Information ======================================================================== ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Donald Tees, Sylvia Maxwell 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 FidoNews 12-13 Page: 16 27 Mar 1995 N2H 2S4 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 Copyright 1995 Donald Tees. 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. 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------