F I D O N E W S -- Volume 15, Number 21 25 May 1998 +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet community | "FidoNews" | | _ | 1-209-251-7529 [1:1/23] | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | | | | | \ \\ | Editor: | | | (*) | \ )) | Zorch Frezberg 1:205/1701 | | |__U__| / \// | | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | submissions=> editor@fidonews.org | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Keep it moving, keep it limber... Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2 Region33 (Italy): change of all phone numbers ............ 2 Netmail routing in Zone 2 ................................ 2 3. COLUMNS .................................................. 4 Sysop Bill of Rights ..................................... 4 4. WE GET EMAIL ............................................. 7 5. NOTICES .................................................. 9 Future History ........................................... 9 6. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ...................................... 10 FidoNews PGP Public-Key Listing .......................... 10 7. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 11 8. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 13 FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 1 25 May 1998 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Important information from Zone 2...it is much appreciated to see that there are those who understand the purposes of the FidoNews. For those of you making international connections to Zone 2, or to Italy in particular, the two articles should be of interest to you. Likewise, the introduction of the inter-Zone IP link via BinkP/ARGUS is welcome news for the future of FidoNet's development. If any. The doomsayers are out in force once more, claiming that FidoNet is soon to die, and without realizing what it is that FidoNet offers to the world of the InterNet. Jim Cannell, SecureMail international coordinator, and I were discussing the fact that, like routed netmail or echomail, there is no real "direct link" between one Internet node and another...all of the packets are routed, and accessible to intervention. What we had discussed was a way to generate encrypted packets over the InterNet which securely linked mail from one IP node to another, so that the only way to intercept mail would be to delete it. This would all but eliminate packet-ramming; it would enhance the ability of a moderator to be sure that order could be maintained in a highly volatile echo...moreover, it could even be used to bring echomail to the functionality of a UseNet newsgroup while also insuring only that FidoNet-sourced nodes could feed to it. After all, the two largest objections to bringing Fido to the level of the InterNet is lack of moderation and the likely appearance of 'spamming' or pornography offers...encrypting the packets, as well as password-protecting connections through BinkP and ARGUS connections, would bring these down to the level where if it did happen, it would be a simple matter to locate the exact source of the mail and have it stopped, since it would be a FidoNet node making the connection. An idea to consider, no? -zf- ### 30 ### ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 2 25 May 1998 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= Region33 (Italy): change of all phone numbers by Paolo Faustini, 2:33/0 (hbetty@fidoitalia.net, hbetty@tin.it) Starting from 19 june 1998, Telecom Italia, our national phone company, will change all the italian phone numbers, to get space for additional number sets destinated to mobile and other private phone companies. So, from that date, phone calls originated outside Italy to Italian phones, must have a "0" between region and local prefix. An example, based on my node phone number: *before* 19 june, you must compose "0039-2-89150967" to call my node, *after* 19 june, you will compose "0039-02-89150967". As my RC33 charge, I started the nodelist segment conversion process, with deadline for 17 june, so the nodediff generated for 19 june will have new phone numbers for R33. Conversion process and nodelist updates are transparent for Fido Sysops of other Regions and Zones, they will not do anything but applying nodediff as usual. But, there is always something that goes wrong, in nodelist conversion or, more probabile, Telecom Italia updating process (Italy counts about 25 millions of POTS and 10 million of mobile phone), so, *please*: if you cannot be able to contact italian Fido nodes after 19 june, send me an e-mail, with your name, your Fido address, Fido address and phone number of node you don't connect with, and symptoms you have noticed during connect (e.g. voice message to warn callers). Thank you in advance. Paolo Faustini, Region Coordinator 33. E-mail: hbetty@fidoitalia.net hbetty@tin.it ### 30 ### ----------------------------------------------------------------- Netmail routing in Zone 2 by Albert Ulmer, 2:318/11 (ws35.cable.vol.at) Hi there, I'm a node in Austria and I'm using Argus/IP as a mailer. In the past few months, I have made connections with other nodes using IP-mailers. FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 3 25 May 1998 Realizing the potential of Fidonet-via-Internet technology, I have decided to offer the following to nodes interested: You can route netmails for the regions 20, 21, 22, 23, 33, 47, 49, 50 and 51 in Zone 2 as well as netmails for Zones 5 and 6 through my system for fast delivery. This is done free of charge, of course. I'm also looking for other IP-nodes who would like to participate and set up a link for bidirectional routing, especially in Zone 1, France, Great Britain and Spain. All the best, Albert. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 4 25 May 1998 ================================================================= COLUMNS ================================================================= Dear Editorbeing, This article is submitted by Doc Logger(163/110) who was recently plagued by an unusual number of low flying bats. Mercifully, the good editors at Swamp Swine Magazine provided suitable ingestibles to ease the condition long enough for this missive to be carved into the husks of coconuts and floated off to the Snooz. Roll da flic, Zorch.... Dear Reverend Visage, I've just returned from watching the movie version of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas." If I didn't know better, I'd swear that the hotel scenes had been filmed in your living room. Who'd have thought that art directors on movies would be able to independently create the same six inch deep flotsam of backed up sewage and the lampshades nailed to walls with Marlin spikes. The movie is excremental so you can safely avoid watching it. The book wasn't as badly trashed as the movie version of "Even Cowgirls Get The Blues" but the film misses the whole point of a savage journey into the heartland of America. The visual effects were quite pleasing since they rendered Young Republicans appropriately as reptilian carnivores. Speaking of reptiles, I see that Bob Kohl has carried through with his threat and removed Gerry Calhoun as the NC of his net. Naturally, this occurred while Bob "noted" Satti slumbered. Poor Satti didn't fire enough neurons to head off Kohl's nastiness and now will have to bleat his usual piffle about the sanctity of policy. Since Kohl is one of the few fartcatchers left in the elflord domain who support Satti, it must be heartbreaking to see a protege make Fidonet so enjoyable for the serfs in the Region 10 domain. The good news is that both Moravsik and Tannacore continue to add their bottomless wit in support of Bob "comatose" Satti's narcoleptic rule. Our prayers and our edible underwear should go out to them in their few picoseconds of sentient thought. His Zorchness has been strangely silent in the echos recently, which must mean that he has taken advantage of his newly reconstituted set of wheels to venture to far off places. I was hoping he'd cough up an interview with Rosanna Arquette but he probably had someone less fascinating in mind. I am including a rather lengthy quote today, written by Fred Ennis (163/136). Mr. Ennis has served as NC of Net163 and RC FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 5 25 May 1998 of Region 12. Mr. Ennis invites comments and suggestions to the Sysop Bill of Rights. "1. Nodenumbers shall be granted on request to sysops who: -are able to negotiate mail sessions properly; -keep an up to date nodelist; and, -maintain operations during mandatory hours. 2. No sysop may be removed from Fidonet for anything other than repeated technical non-compliance. 3. Any sysop can obtain an echomail feed wherever the sysop wishes. Conversely, no one is required to provide an echomail feed. 4 Every sysop in Fidonet shall have the right to vote by secret ballot for their NC, RC, and ZC at least every two years. 5. All Fidonet sysops may run for *C positions in their nets, regions and zones. 6. Voting in elections shall be held by secret ballot, and returning officers shall ensure that sysops can verify that their ballot was counted properly. 7. Policy complaints, evidence and decisions are public information. *C's are accountable for maintaining a history of decisions and passing them on to their successors. 8. In the event of a conflict between policy and this Bill of Rights, the Sysop Bill of Rights will be the authority." I think that Fred's approach is probably the way to go with respect to returning Fidonet to some semblance of sanity and fairness. Rather than try to convince the cretins who now infest the elflord positions, perhaps it is time the sysops themselves took the initiative and declared their rights which supersede any rule created by the self-serving and self-perpetuating efforts of the elflords. Mr. Ennis hasn't declared his intentions with respect to the Sysop Bill of Rights, but I think it would be marvelous if the document were submitted to a Zone level sysop vote. If adopted, it would certainly carry more jurisprudent weight than the current Peefour abomination. I must go Visage, David Moufarrage is alleged to be sitting on the roof singing a rousing chorus of "Nearer My Bob To Me" and I'll have to get him down before he disturbs the peacocks. By the way, Walloonetta phoned and asked my permission, in your absence, whether she could get miscellaneous body piercings. I told her to go ahead and that as her father, you'd thank me later. FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 6 25 May 1998 Regards, Doc Logger, Furlang Island, South Pacific ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 7 25 May 1998 ================================================================= WE GET EMAIL ================================================================= Subject: Dog with diskette Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 21:03:35 -0700 From: Joe Jared Organization: OsiruSoft To: editor@fidonews.org I found that when the puppy is set to fit on a white background, that the lines around the ears and tail have problems. Feel free to rip the puppy out of my web page if you like, which has fixes to it. While granted you will have to remove the 100.00 bill surrounding it, it should be fairly easy to fix. If you like, I can do that for you as well. -- Ways to get here from there: ICQ http://wwp.mirabilis.com/12016722 ftp://webworldinc.com/joejared http://www.webworldinc.com/joejared For windows 95 with netbeui loaded //206.135.17.202 Joe.Jared@301.sasbbs.com * Origin: Orange, CA, Where free speech is a right, not a privilege (1:103/301@Fidonet.org) ----------------------------------------------------------------- -----FW: <3567C28A.F8DFEF03@pacbell.net>----- Date: Sat, 23 May 1998 23:47:38 -0700 From: "Warren D. Bonner" To: jb@fidonews.org Subject: Applaud out loud...8^) To the Editor Zorch: Issue #19 was the best, most informative issue in years! If you can build a fire with even half of the DEAD WOOD in the nodelist, you will open a lot of eyes..specially the remaining nodes. They may then feel their worth IS important, not just part of a "was once upon a time" node And just as important is the touch of sanity in the form of humor to make the work enjoyable. Thank You Zorch. Also to Doc Logger, Thanks for an indepth touch on most of what needs to be corrected by the ZC Bob Satti, and bringing it to the national/international attention. Hopefully he will do something about King Kohl and his Konduct. I personally wouldn't care if he held his finagled ZEC, but for R10's sake remove him from R10C, which acts as R10EC also no matter what he says. Thanks for having the guts to print the truth. Kohl pulled N2004C Gerry Calhoun's flag this nodediff, for no reason other then HE cannot work with Gerry anymore because he wouldn't remove N2004EC when King Kohl got peeved at her. Nothing to do with FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 8 25 May 1998 how well the mail flows or how happy the downlinks are, only how unhappy HE is as King Kohl. WDBonner@pacbell.com 1:103/10 President Net103 --------------End of forwarded message------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 9 25 May 1998 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= Future History 3 Jul 1998 FidoNet European Convention (see issue #20 for details). 14 Sep 1998 Start of International BBS Week [thru 20 Sep 98]. 22 Sep 1998 First anniversary of the FidoNews domain of www.fidonews.org. 1 Dec 1998 Fifteenth Anniversary of release of Fido version 1 by Tom Jennings. 24 Jul 1999 XIII Pan American Games [through 8 Aug 99]. 31 Dec 1999 Hogmanay, Scotland. The New Year that can't be missed. 1 Jan 2000 The 20th Century, C.E., is still taking place thru 31 Dec. 1 Jun 2000 EXPO 2000 World Exposition in Hannover (Germany) opens. 15 Sep 2000 Sydney (Australia) Summer Olympiad opens. 1 Jan 2001 This is the actual start of the new millennium, C.E. -- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 10 25 May 1998 ================================================================= FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ================================================================= FidoNews PGP Public-Key Listing [this must be copied out to a file starting at column 1 or it won't process under PGP as a valid public-key] -----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Democracy Requires A Free And Uncensored Press. mQENAzUDQfgAAAEH/2cZjrzKxinfyk1NRYy2D78JEU8jFx6fvGyisnN2SX+QwRrA AxBbsMuseM3x60SFhHV7r93CxKWJylPCBJKvDazmWwy+vgBr+ZJvl7Ypj/IB4pWS Apngg8cmDH1h5d0VeYNORsuJ2udHZYRezkZ0eeJlaOsJCj5Xu0QImSp++VU/0oB1 6XRoNPy548xq8Qles1pLC8Kw7HU7Vff1WeaU3mPPQeaGZqn2qSAu5t6Z0Bhm27Pq zNaJ+JWNHaLCHlwrRHV+p9bCdfl3u303OxKPne0cSpxfe+gQBTlVta7B14ssgnzQ mnBFhvKWgM7LT105YD3EcWW9IJE1ByNHwo25a3EABRG0D0ZpZG9OZXdzIEVkaXRv cokAlQMFEDUKMDDrSgiY3KJNQQEB16YD/2tYVRC+dxghA/OwIWNH20GvQXw1zgfv cB6r8gYHcczTCqGu5qbjDOTftoBXY9vI3/CZNsSbvp0ibQinpN6zSgyy2+4wwPbu db/VnjXwBByq7ygTpNwQBMsYjs+iyndwTnR90dH3FewsveBCzeqjmP0Y/PJliElw zEmGKxoFr1SM =G82W -----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK----- File-request FNEWSKEY from 1:1/23 [1:205/1701] or download it from IKVHFoT! BBS at 1-209-251-7529 anytime Zone 1 ZMH at 300-9600+ V34. The FidoNews key is also available on the FidoNews homepage listed in the Masthead information. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 11 25 May 1998 ================================================================= FIDONET BY INTERNET ================================================================= This is a list of all FidoNet-related sites reported to the Editor as of this appearance. NOTE: I am looking for a comprehensive list of Telnet, VMODEM, BinkP, Argus and other TCP/IP based nodes operating FidoNet on the InterNet, either by Zone or worldwide, to post here as well. - Ye Editor ============ FidoNet: Homepage http://www.fidonet.org FidoNews http://www.fidonews.org [HTML] http://209.77.228.66/fidonews.html [ASCII] WWW sources http://www.scms.rgu.ac.uk/students/cs_yr94/lk/fido.html FTSC page http://www.goldware.dk/ftsc Echomail [MIA] WebRing http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fnetring.html [TFN] General http://owls.com/~jerrys/fidonet.html ============ Zone 1: http://www.z1.fidonet.org Region 10: http://www.psnw.com/~net205/region10.html Region 11: http://oeonline.com/~garyg/region11/ Region 13: http://www.smalltalkband.com/st01000.htm Region 14: Region 15: Region 16: http://www.tiac.net/users/satins/region16.htm Region 17: Region 18: http://techstop.pdn.net/fido/ Region 19: http://www.compconn.net ============ Zone 2: http://www.z2.fidonet.org ZEC2: Zone 2 Elist: http://www.fbone.ch/z2_elist/ Region 20: http://www.fidonet.pp.se (in Swedish) FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 12 25 May 1998 Region 23: http://www.fido.dk (in Danish) Region 24: http://www.swb.de/personal/flop/gatebau.html (in German) Region 25: http://www.trak-one.co.uk/net254 Region 26: http://www.nemesis.ie REC 26: http://www.nrgsys.com/orb Region 27: http://telematique.org/ft/r27.htm Region 29: http://www.rtfm.be/fidonet/ (in French) Region 30: http://www.fidonet.ch (in Swiss?) Region 33: http://www.fidoitalia.net (in Italian) Region 34: http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (in Spanish) REC34: http://pobox.com/~chr Region 36: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7207/ Region 38: http://public.st.carnet.hr/~blagi/bbs/adriam.html Region 41: http://www.fidonet.gr (in Greek and English) Region 48: http://www.fidonet.org.pl ============ Zone 3: http://www.z3.fidonet.org ============ Zone 4: (not yet listed) Region 90: Net 904: http://members.tripod.com/~net904 (in Spanish) ============ Zone 5: http://w3.eastcape.co.za/fidonet/index.htm ============ Zone 6: http://www.z6.fidonet.org Region 65: http://www.cfido.com/fidonet/cfidochina.html (China) ============ ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 13 25 May 1998 ================================================================= FIDONEWS INFORMATION ================================================================= ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ------- Editor: Zorch Frezberg Editors Emeritii: Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, Christopher Baker "FidoNews Editor" FidoNet 1:1/23 BBS 1-209-251-7529, 300/1200/2400/9600/V.34/V.90 more addresses: Zorch Frezberg -- 1:205/1701, zorch@repairnet.com zorch@qnis.net zorch@kumr.lns.com (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews Editor P.O. Box 642 Fresno, CA 93709-0642 U.S.A. voice: 1-209-446-9038 [voice mail = 'blind' numbers not returned] ------------------------------------------------------ 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 1998 Zorch Frezberg. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or the Editor. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic form may be obtained from the FidoNews Editor via manual download or file-request, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet. PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above postal address. File-request FIDONEWS for the current Issue. File-request FNEWS for the current month in one archive. Or file-request specific back Issue filenames in distribution format [FNEWSFnn.ZIP] for a particular Issue. Monthly Volumes are available as FNWSmmmy.ZIP FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 14 25 May 1998 where mmm = three letter month [JAN - DEC] and y = last digit of the current year [8], i.e., FNWSJAN8.ZIP for all the Issues from Jan 98. Annual volumes are available as FNEWSn.ZIP where n = the Volume number 1 - 15 for 1984 - 1998, respectively. Annual Volume archives range in size from 48K to 1.4M. INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via: http://www.fidonews.org http://www.fidonet.org/fidonews.htm ftp://ftp.fidonet.org/pub/fidonet/fidonews/ ftp://ftp.aminet.org/pub/aminet/comm/fido/ ftp://ftp.irvbbs.com/fidonews/ *=*=* You may obtain an email subscription to FidoNews by sending email to: jbarchuk@worldnet.att.net with a Subject line of: subscribe fnews-edist and no message in the message body. To remove your name from the email distribution use a Subject line of: unsubscribe fnews-edist with no message to the same address above. * You may retrieve current and previous Issues of FidoNews via FTPMail by sending email to: ftpmail@fidonews.org with a Subject line of: help and FTPMail will immediately send a reply containing details and instructions. When you actually make a file request, FTPMail will respond in three stages. You find a link for this process on www.fidonews.org. *=*=* You can read the current FidoNews Issue in HTML format at: http://www.fidonews.org STAR SOURCE for ALL Past Issues via FTP and file-request - Available for FReq from 1:396/1 or by anonymous FTP from: ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/ Each yearly archive also contains a listing of the Table-of-Contents for that year's issues. The total set is currently about 13 Megs. FIDONEWS 15-21 Page 15 25 May 1998 =*=*=*= The current week's FidoNews and the FidoNews public-key are now also available almost immediately after publication on the FidoNews Editor homepage on the World Wide Web at: http://209.77.228.66/fidonews.html There are also links there to jim barchuk's HTML FidoNews source and to John Souvestre's FTP site for the archives. There is also an email link for sending in an article as message text. Drop on over. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= A PGP generated public-key is available for the FidoNews Editor from 1:1/23 [1:205/1701] by file-request for FNEWSKEY or by download from IKVHFoT! BBS at 1-209-251-7529 as FIDONEWS.ASC in File Area X. It is also posted twice a month into the PKEY_DROP Echo available on the Zone 1 Echomail Backbone. *=*=*=*=* 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 Editor, or file-requestable from 1:1/23 [1:205/1701] as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". ALL Zone Coordinators also have copies of ARTSPEC.DOC. Please read it. "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings, P.O. Box 410923, San Francisco, CA 94141, and are used with permission. "Disagreement is actually necessary, or we'd all have to get in fights or something to amuse ourselves and create the requisite chaos." -Tom Jennings ### -30- ### --------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------