The F I D O N E W S Volume 21, Number 08 23 Feb 2004 +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | |The newsletter of the | | Fido, Fidonet and dog-with-diskette are | | | FidoNet community. | | US Registered Trademarks of Tom Jennings| | | | | San Francisco, California, USA | | | ____________| | | | | / __ | Crash netmail articles to: | | | / / \ | Editor @ 2:2/2 (+46-31-944907) | | | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | Routed netmail articles to: | | \_______\(_| /_) | Bjorn Felten @ 2:203/0 | | _ @/_ \ _ | Email attach to: | | | | \ \\ | bfelten@telia.com | | | (*) | \ ))| | | |__U__| / \// | Editor: Bj”rn Felten | | ______ _//|| _\ / | | | / Fido \ (_/(_|(____/ | Newspapers should have no friends. | | (________) (jm) | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ Copyright 2004 by Fidonews Editor for Fidonews Globally. Table of Contents 1. FOOD FOR THOUGHT ......................................... 1 2. EDITORIAL ................................................ 2 The BBS-network? ......................................... 2 3. FIDONET CURRENT EVENTS ................................... 3 Policy Ammendment Effort ................................. 3 4. FRANK'S COLUMN - FRANK VEST .............................. 4 Fidonews ................................................. 4 5. HUMOUR IN A FIDO VEIN .................................... 6 THE HISTORY OF THE BBS USER .............................. 6 6. CLEAN HUMOUR & JOKES ..................................... 12 Jokes and the language barrier ........................... 12 7. BEST OF FIDONET .......................................... 14 Special echoes ........................................... 14 8. PHILIP LOZIER'S FIDONET SOFTWARE NEWS .................... 16 BBS and FidoNet Software News ............................ 16 9. BEN RITCHEY'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................... 19 FIDONet Software References .............................. 19 10. SPECIAL INTEREST ........................................ 24 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 24 11. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .................................... 26 How to Submit an Article ................................. 26 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 28 FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 1 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= FOOD FOR THOUGHT ================================================================= Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was 'shut up'. -- Joe Namath ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 2 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= The BBS-network? Whenever I see how some people have a hard time properly understanding our policy, I can't help thinking it must have something to do with the fact, that so few of the so called sysops in our present nodelist never actually have been *real* sysops. A sysop, according to fidonet terminology, is someone that operates a bulletin board system, a BBS. And you don't have to read more than the very first sentence of our policy, to understand that fidonet is nothing but a BBS-network. Or at least it used to be... After the original pioneers paved the way, the politicians followed suit, just like when the Wild West of the North American continent were "conquered". And like there, our politicians managed to make a total mess of the conquest. When more and more ordinary users are allowed to be listed as nodes in this BBS-network of ours, rather than become points as would be proper, of course the understanding of the policy will suffer. If you never have spent all that time making a BBS work, you can never be able to understand our policy properly, and you can never be able to read between the lines, all that stuff that the authors of this document never could imagine they had to spell out. And as more and more coordinators are appointed on political merits rather than technical, in direct violation of 3.8 in our policy, how can we ever expect nodes, nets and even regions, that closed shop years ago, to be removed from the nodelist, rather than being cherished like gold, just so that a coordinator will not be left alone in his/her segment? In this issue we can read more about the ongoing attempt to update our policy. The biggest problem with that seems to be, that in the old version, the authors could not foresee a situation where some 20 RCs do not even exist! How easy is it to get an absolute majority when one third of the voters simply isn't there to vote? As a "follow up" on the BBS efforts from yester-years, I also include an old classic from that time, as a nostalgia trip for all *real* sysops and to give all the rest a feeling of what it could be like, by then. Finally I took the liberty to publish, in the Best Of Fidonet section, an RFC from Matt McCarthy that I thought deserved a better fate, than just passing by almost unnoticed. More on the moderator issue, and it's relationship to the BBS:ing in the old days, next week... ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 3 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= FIDONET CURRENT EVENTS ================================================================= Policy Ammendment Effort Ward Dossche @ 2:292/854 To the RC's: As the discussion about the "Bob Short Policy Ammendment", which was published in Fidonews previously, seems to have come to an end it is now time to let your opinion known to the IC and decide to put this up for a full-vote or just forget about it. Since nobody seems to lead the initiative for collecting opinions I will now do so. Your opinions will be collected away from echomail to discourage tampering and abuse by third parties, however in the end I intend to publish your opinion myself when I sum up things. So far I have received 7 unsollicited opinions on the matter and that opinion is split. Please send your "aye" or "naye" or "abstain" or whatever substitutes for it in netmail to 2:292/854 (pstn, ip or email-node) or in email to ic@fidonet.org. Please add a password, any password, that will be published alongside so that you can verify the authenticity of the opinion published. I will be looking forward to a March 15th 2004 unofficial deadline. If by that time I did not receive anything then I'm assuming the matter has dropped from the agenda or the opinion was not favourable. Greetings, \%/@rd Dossche IC (Published in IC, FIDONEWS as well as sent "routed" to every listed RC in the nodelist) ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 4 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= FRANK'S COLUMN - FRANK VEST ================================================================= Fidonews By Frank Vest 1:124/6308.1 It appears that a battle is brewing in the Z1C echo over moderatorship of echos, echomail distribution in general and the echolist. If I understand right, the discussion (or something similar) is taking place in the Fidonews echo as well. Since I don't carry the Fidonews echo, I have no knowledge of what is going on in there. At any rate, here is an article on something resembling something. :) Definitions: Fidonews publication: The weekly publication of the Fidonet newsletter. Fidonews echo: A Fidonet echo for the discussion of articles in the Fidonews publication (although it generally gets more than just discussion of articles in the Fidonews publication). Fidonews Editor: The person, who is a member of Fidonet, that accepts articles and performs the task of editing and producing the Fidonews publication. With that said; Tradition is that a new Fidonews Editor is chosen by the outgoing Editor. This has been in place with one exception that I know of. The sudden death of Doug Myers left the position open. Tradition is that the moderator of the Fidonews echo is the Fidonews Editor. According to the Echolist, the moderator is the person listed in the "Moderators" portion of the Echolist listing for that echo. (try saying that fast three times! :) Now, who is the moderator? If we follow tradition, the moderator is the person who is the Fidonews Editor. If we go by the Echolist the Moderator is the person(s) listed in the echolisting for that echo. If I understand correctly, the person submitting the listing to the echolist must be listed as a moderator. There may be others listed as well, but this one person *must* be listed as a moderator? So, do we follow tradition, the echolist or change the echolist to not force the person listing the echo into the moderator position?? FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 5 23 Feb 2004 Many who have argued that the echolist indicates who the moderator is have also argued that tradition should be followed and/or that the echolist should be changed to not force the person listing the echo into the moderator position. I dunno. Maybe we should all just go home and forget it. :) ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 6 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= HUMOUR IN A FIDO VEIN ================================================================= THE HISTORY OF THE BBS USER A Musical Drama in -V- parts PART I -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: I am a new uzer. I am ate yearz old and I have just gotten my first modem. I like to download lotsa files as long as you don't hafta upload in return. Pleez give me access on your bord. Joe Blow. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: I have given you minimal access in the kiddie file and message areas. We suggest that you learn to spell and learn your proper place in this community before attempting higher levels of access. SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: I kant figure out how to D/L [note user's discovery of BBS abbreviations]. I have tried to use XModem with no sucsess, and then I tried ZModem and everything went kablooie. Please help me so that I can download your good filez. Joe Blow. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You're an idiot, but we like you. We think you have potential. I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to teach you how to use the file section, but you're going to learn to use it by UPLOADING [imagine teary-eyed face cringed with fear at this prospect]. Next time you log on, page me to chat and I'll show you how to upload a file. The SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: Okay. Joe Blow -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Transcript of first chat with SysOp follows ] Select [M, F, E, C, P, G]: P Paging your SysOp! . . . . . . . The SysOp is here! Hello, Joe! NO CARRIER [ Joe hangs up, torn with fear ] -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Transcript of second chat with SysOp follows ] Select [M, F, E, C, P, G]: P Paging your SysOp! . . . . . . . The SysOp is here! Hello, Joe! [ Long pause ] Heelo. Do you want me to show you how to upload, now? FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 7 23 Feb 2004 [ Another pause ] Yes. Okay...I'll walk you through it. Exiting chat ... Select [M, F, E, C, P, G]: F Select [U, D, C, L, F, S]: C Change to which area? 1 Changing to upload area (1). Select [U, D, C, L, F, S]: U Select a protocol XModem YModem ZModem The SysOp is here! Okay, Joe. Tell your program you want to upload by pressing PgUp when you want to start the transfer. Exiting chat ... Select [X, Y, Z]: X Enter filename to upload: APROGRAM.ZIP Begin your upload procedure... 1 file(s) transfered successfully! The SysOp is here! See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Nnno. Well, to download, you do the same thing in reverse. Okay! Cool! By the way, what was it you uploaded, anyway? I don't know...I got it from one of my friends. It's something called a virus. NO CARRIER -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: I looked at the program you uploaded. If you ever upload a virus again, I'll kill you slowly, and your little dog too. You have a lot to learn, kid. The mildly pissed SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II (one year later) -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: I uploaded those files you asked me for. My upload ratio is now better than my download ratio. Can you pleez let me in on some of the better file areas? Joe -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: Okay. I think you deserve it. I'm going to let you into some of the other file areas. By the way, don't upload anything that has the words "cracked by" on it anymore. I could get in big trouble. By the way, a protocol is a way to transfer files, not a matter of etiquette. The SysOp FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 8 23 Feb 2004 -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: Okay. I just thought you might like that game. Something about those Amazon Women just appeeled to me. Joe -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You skip school to call here, don't you? Can't you call somewhere else for a change? The SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: You mean there are other BBSes out there? Why didn't you tell me about them before? Joe Blow -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You never were this annoying before. Try the "Weirdo's Hideaway", 555-6543. The SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ The user does not call for 7 weeks, as he discovers other BBSes ] [ Eventually, he decides to call back and batch upload all the warez ] [ That he collected on his leech festivals ] -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: I learned how to phreak last week! It's a lot of phun and you don't have to pay when you download philes [ it is obvious that the kid has been calling California boards, where they spell all "f" sounds with "ph"]. Among the warez I'm uploading to you is a program called Code Thief. It will help you phreak too! Joe -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: Phreaking is a bad business. Don't you think they can figure out where those calls you are making are coming from? They can. I suggest you stop before you get yourself and your parents in trouble. Your SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: What's wrong with phreaking? It's not like it's illegal or anything. Joe. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You're so full of s**t, you stink. Your SysOp -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: One of my friends that I met on a board in California [ see! we told you ] had something happen to him called "getting busted." What does that mean? Joe -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: It means that he was arrested. Probably for phreaking. He'll FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 9 23 Feb 2004 probably tell the feds that you phreak too in order to get a lighter sentence. You're f***ed, kid. In fact, I'll probably delete you from here in case the feds start sniffing around. The SysOp. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ When the kid logs on next, he sees the following message ] Two four six eight, who do we appreciate? NOT YOU, NOT YOU, YEAH! Your access has been lowered to sub absolute zero. You are nothing. You can do nothing. Don't ever call here again or we'll shoot you with lime jello and throw you in a bathtub with Roseanne Barr. NO CARRIER Just kidding. NO CARRIER -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- PART III -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ About a month later, the kid calls the board under an assumed name ] [ By assumed name, I mean that the SysOp can do nothing but assume ] [ that it's the little leech. ] -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: I am a new user and would like lots of access so I can upload and download. I don't use message bases because I think they're stupid. Joe Blow [ the kid realizes his mistake in putting his real name and tries in ] [ vain to use the message editor so he can remove his name and put ] [ in his alias ] *** [ He fails miserably and winds up with: ] Joe Blow Assumed Name How the Hell???? NO CARRIER W d h i I ? a d o t d -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You haven't learned anything in the past two years have you. You're an a***ole. If you have a dog, I hope it dies. F**k you. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: What do you mean? I am a new modem user. I have never called a BBS before. Assumed Name. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Assumed/Joe/Whatthef**keveryournameis: You're a little liar. Go to hell and don't ever call here again or I'll rape your sister. Eat me. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear SysOp: My sister's only 5 years old. [ SysOp breaks into chat ] FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 10 23 Feb 2004 The SysOp is here! That's all the better. I'll bring my shoehorn!!! [ Line noise, SysOp is screaming into phone with the wind of the big ] [ bad wolf ] NO CARRIER -+------------------------------------------------------------------- PART IV, in which the kid stops calling the board for a time to lay low. In the interim, the feds have come to his house to question him. He cracks under their interrogation and spills everything. The little shit names the BBS he has been calling for the last two years as his favorite computer hang out. How stupid. He must be a cabbage or something. After cracking under the pressure of the FBI he calls the SysOp to warn him and to make ammends. He fails miserably. NO CARRIER. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- [ After several attempts at logging on under his real name (which has] [ been locked out of the system) he uses the name John Smith (how ] [ original...remember the cabbage?) and leaves a message to the ] [ SysOp ] Dear SysOp: I just thought I'd warn you that someone tipped the feds off about your board and that they'll be coming to question you about your illegal activities. Maybe you should go into hiding. Joe Blow, S**t...how do you edit a line...f**k f**k f**k. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Joe: You little prick!!!!!! What the hell did you tell them. I don't run no illegal board. I think I'll shoot you AND rape your sister and kill your little dog, too. As a matter of fact, I'm on my way. S**t, there's a knock at the door. It BETTER not be the feds. F**k you eat me suck my dick you little f**ker. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- PART V, in which the kid and the SysOp make a court appearance and exchange heated words. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- The courtroom is filled with credit card frauders and phreakers, much to the SysOp's dismay because it makes him look bad. The only thing that keeps going through his mind (driving him nuts) is "Good morning, the worm, your honor." He wishes he had a shotgun so he could shoot the kid. He does, however, have his shoehorn. -+-------------------------------------------------------------------- PROSECUTOR: Mr. SysOp, you have a user on your BBS system named Joe Blow, is this correct. SYSOP : No, I used to, but I locked the little s**t out. DEFENSE : Objection your honor, he's a little prick, not a little s**t. JUDGE : Sustained. Mr. SysOp, I will kindly ask you to keep your answers truthful. [ Welcome to hell. How DO you like it??????? ] FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 11 23 Feb 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 12 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= CLEAN HUMOUR & JOKES ================================================================= Jokes and the language barrier. By Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555) When debating in international echos I often get to hear: "you have no sense of humour". Absence of a sense of humour however is not the problem in most cases, the problem is that jokes differ from culture to culture and very much depend on language. It is difficult to tell a joke in such a way that it makes it across a cultural barrier. It is also difficult to formulate a joke in such terms that it makes it across a language barrier. It is even more difficult when the joke has to make it across both barriers. That explains why we so often meet with a blank stare, or even a hostile response, when we interject a joke in an international forum without explicitly labelling it as a joke. The kind of joke that is easiest to get across those barriers is a joke about language and cultural barriers. So here is one: An Englishman and a Frenchman decide to go on a cruise. The Frenchman does not speak English and the Englishman does not speak French. But as they are both single and all the other passengers are paired up in some way, the steward decides to have the two of them share a table at dinner. So when they meet at the table for the first time, the Englishman ties up his jacket, straightens his tie, extends his hand and says: "How do you do, my name is Jones". The Frenchman takes his hand to shake it and says: "Bon App‚tit". Whereupon they sit down and enjoy their meal in silence. The next day, they meet at the same table. The Frenchman extends his hand and says "bon app‚tit". The Englishman is a bit puzzled, but nevertheless ties up his jacket, straightens his tie and says: "How do you do, my name is Jones". Whereupon they sit down and enjoy the meal in silence. But the Englishman is not satisfied. So when the meal is over, he approaches the steward and asks why the French introduce themselves not only on the first encounter but on every one following. The steward asks "what were his exact words?" The Englishman says: "Bow Nap Tea". Ah, says the steward, that is not an introduction, what he said was "bon app‚tit", it's French for "enjoy your meal". The Englishman thinks to himself: "I'll remember that". So on the third evening, when they meet again at the dinner table, the Englishman thoughtfully addresses the Frenchman in his own language FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 13 23 Feb 2004 with: "Bon app‚tit". .... Whereupon the Frenchman ties up his jacket, straightens his tie, shakes his hand and says: "How do you do, my name is Jones". ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 14 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= BEST OF FIDONET ================================================================= Special echoes --------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 12 Feb 04 01:30:21 From: Matt Mc_Carthy, 1:396/45.17 To: Matt Bedynek, 1:106/1 Subj: Priorities --------------------------------------------------------------------- AREA : FIDONEWS MB> I would no more recognize Michiel as the moderator as I do Jack MB> Yates. This echo is traditionally moderatored by the fidonews MB> editor and until the editor decides to delegate that authority or MB> pass the torch that is the way it shall remain. Again, the MB> echolist entry is just for show - means nothing .. Here we go again... If over the past 10 years any of the 'brass', IC, ZCs and ZCC, RCs and RCC, had done their jobs properly, P4 would have been continually updated to keep up with the times. FidoNews is an official FidoNet publication, the EchoList is not. Moderatorship of "Official Echos" should have been spelled out in P4 a LONG time ago. If moderatorship of ZCC-PUBLIC (and a dozen other admin echos) were spelled out in P4, locked in stone so to speak, Bob Moravsik would never have gotten off square one, and few if any of us would have 'learned' to hijack echos. Bob was a lawyer, and lawyers are hell-bent on finding loopholes and they thrive on them, often for no other reason than the confusion they cause, simply because they CAN! This would be an excellent item to be included into the proposed revision of P4, as well as several "Zone Admin" type echos that are more or less 'cast in stone' as to whom their moderators are. P4: XXX. Additional Duties / Responsibilities. IC - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "IC". ZxC - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "ZxC". ZCC - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "ZCC". RC - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "RC". RCC - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "RCC". FidoNews Editor - Moderator of and responsible for all echos beginning with "FIDONEWS". [Any other "Official" echos? - add them here.] This would delineate the "Official Fidonet Echos", which are a part of FidoNet. Leave the EchoList for us non-official peons to sort out who moderates the myriad of non-official echos. ????????? Comments? ????????? FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 15 23 Feb 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 16 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= PHILIP LOZIER'S FIDONET SOFTWARE NEWS ================================================================= BBS and FidoNet Software News submitted by: Philip Lozier 1:267/169 : Items submitted are gathered from various sources. The notes on the programs listed are by no means original descriptions by me, but are submitted as found for the informational purposes only. *** MBSE BBS For Unix version 0.50.0 Stable released *** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 09-Feb-2004 MBSE BBS for Unix is a full multiline FidoNet mailer, tosser and bbs with ANSI screens which looks like most popular DOS based bbs packages. Supported platforms: Linux intel 386 and better CPU's. Linux Sparc. Linux Alpha (not fully tested). Linux HP-PARISC, tested with Debian 3.0. Linux PPC. FreeBSD, tested with FreeBSD 4.7. NetBSD, tested on a Sun Sparcstation 2. Highlights of this release are: * Hydra and Binkp zlib packet compression. * Installation support for Gentoo. * Partly done French Language. * Binkp protocol upgraded to binkp/1.1. * Mailer telnet connection (ITN) finally works. * Added support for T-Mail fileboxes. * Lot's of small fixes. For further details read the ChangeLog. Homepage : http://www.mbse/dds.nl/mbse/mbsebbs/index.html *** Bluemail V 1.2 Released *** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11-Feb-2004 BlueMail is a multi-format offline mail reader for Unix, DOS, Win32, and other systems. It should compile under all Unix-compatible (POSIX) systems. BlueMail supports the Blue Wave, QWK, QWKE, SOUP, OMEN and Hippo packet formats, the Hudson and BBBS Message Bases, Unix mail and FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 17 23 Feb 2004 Eudora. It has a full screen, colored user interface built with the curses library and is designed to be a reasonable alternative to the Blue Wave mail reader. Among the new features are: * UTF-8 decoding support * filter and search functions now accept '!' as logical NOT * areas can be marked for a kind of personal favourite area list * new sort option for letter list: sorting by sender's last name * scrolling of subject in letter list * different quote styles for FidoNet and Internet style areas * support for direct reply in personal area * bug fixes and improvements Homepage : http://home.wtal.de/ib/bluemail/ *** VBBS & VADV BBS Support Center Back Online *** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 16-Feb-2004 Support provided by : Aspect Technologies Updated all of the AT2k VADV scripts today. I removed the install.com that was still present in several of the archives and updated a few of the scripts with versions that had been running on my system. The AT2k Message Update Utility (MsgUpd) v1.1 for Virtual Advanced was released today. This new version will not reset any ignored subs. A problem with AspectNet and Windows XP was found today. Apparently the ftp.exe that comes with Windows XP will screw up a batch file. A fix for this is to replace it with the version from Windows 2000. About virtual advanced: Virtual Advanced is still considered an "advanced" BBS software even today! While its true that Virtual Advanced (VADV) is no longer being supported by its author, it can be seen now exactly how advanced it was years ago. Modern BBS software has only recently implemented many of the features that VADV has had for years. * Internet eMail, IRC chat, and newsgroup support * Create your own mailing lists * Acts as its own web server * Creates HTML pages from internal VADV filebase info and ASCII test files * Acts as its own ISP for dial-up callers, allowing them to access the internet directly through your BBS * Supports FidoNet, VirtualNet, WWIVnet, QWKnet, UUCP, and NNTP * Completely customizable with the VScript scripting language * Built in QWK door FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 18 23 Feb 2004 For additional features, see the support pages. Homepage : http://www.at2k.org/aspect/news.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 19 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= BEN RITCHEY'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ================================================================= -=:{ FIDONet Software Reference }:=- Type: M=Mailer T=Tosser B=BBS D=Door C=Comm/Terminal P=Points E=Editor I=Internet U=Utility ?=Info .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -. |Software: Author |Type |URL, Contact, Ver, Notes Help Node| `- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -' Argus |M |http://www.ritlabs.com/argus/ 2:469/84 | | argus@ritlabs.com Tel: 373-2-246889 | | v3.210 on Mar 20th 2001 BeeMail: |M |http://beemail.gexonline.net 1:105/10 Stephen Proffit | | beemail@gexonline.net BinkleyTerm XE |M |http://btxe.sourceforge.net 1:1/102 | | v2.60XE/Gamma-6 on Nov 11th 1998 BinkD |MI |http://2f.ru/binkd/ | | maloff@corbina.net | | v0.94 on Jul 24th 2000 FIDO-Deluxe IP |MPUI |http://www.fido-deluxe.de.vu 2:2432/280 Michael Haase | | m.haase@gmx.net | | v2.4 on Sep 26th 2003 Fidonet to Internet: |MI |http://www.terminate.com Bo Bendtsen | | sales@terminate.com | | v2.00 on Mar 23rd 1997 FrontDoor, FD/APX: |MTPC |http://www.defsol.se 2:201/330 Definite Solutions | | sales@defsol.se 1:1/101 | | v2.26SW & v2.33ml FD, v1.15 APX Husky Project |MTPUI|http://sf.net/projects/husky/ | | v1.4 RC2 on Sep 22nd 2003 InterMail, InterEcho |MT |http://www.ifido.com 1:1/133 | | bob@nwstar.com | | v2.50 IM, v1.19 IE Radius (based on |M |http://radius.pp.ru 2:5012/38 Argus) | | fido5012@zaural.net Tel: 7-3522-469463 | | v4.009 on Jan 2nd 2003 Terminate |MBP |http://www.terminate.com | | v5.00 on Aug 7th 1997 Tmail |MI |http://www.tmail.spb.ru v2608 WildCat! Interactive |MTBEI|http://www.santronics.com FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 20 23 Feb 2004 Net Server, Platinum| | sales@santronics.com Xpress: Santronics | | Tel: (305) 248-3204 Software, Inc. | | AUP 450.2 on Jul 9th 2002 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ Fidogate |TUI |http://www.fidogate.org | | Martin_Junius@m-j-s.net v4.4.4 FMail |T |http://fmail.nl.eu.org 2:280/1076 | | wijnstra@fmail.nl.eu.org v1.60 JetMail: JetSys |TU |http://www.jetsys.de js@jetsys.de (ATARI ST only) | | v1.01 on Jan 1st 2000 Squish |T |http://www.lanius.com | | sales@lanius.com v1.11 | |http://www.vector11.com/maximus/ Watergate |TUI |http://www2.sbbs.se/hp/ramon/ | | ramon@sbbs.se | | v0.93p9 on Dec 14th 1998 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ BBBS |BI |http://www.bbbs.net b@bbbs.net | | v4.00MP on Oct 25th 1999 2:22/222 ELEBBS: The Elevator |B |http://www.elebbs.com Software Production | | elebbs@elebbs.com | | v0.10.RC1 on Jun 9th 2002 EZYCom BBS |BT |http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~dcbbs/ | | pjs@optushome.com.au 3:633/104 | | v2.0 on 3 May 2003 Falken BBS |B |http://falkenbbs.com | | v12.0 on Feb 2nd 2002 Hermes II Project |B |http://www.hermesii.org | | info@HermesII.org v3.5.9 Beta Final Maximus BBS |B |http://www.lanius.com | | sales@lanius.com v3.01 | |http://www.vector11.com/maximus/ MBSE BBS: |BI |http://mbse.sourceforge.net 2:280/2802 Michiel Broek | | mbroek@users.sourceforge.net | | v0.33.21 on Jun 4th 2002 Mystic BBS |B |http://www.mysticbbs.com | | v1.07.3 on May 13th 2001 Nexus BBS |B |http://www.nexusbbs.net | | groberts@nexusbbs.net | | v0.99.41.001 beta on Jun 10th 2001 Proboard BBS |B |http://www.proboard.be FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 21 23 Feb 2004 | | v2.17 on Jun 9th 2002 RemoteAccess BBS: |B |http://www.rapro.com 1:1/120 Bruce Morse | | bfmorse@rapro.com | | v2.62.2SW Spitfire BBS: Buffalo|B |http://www.angelfire.com/ia/buffalo/ Creek Software | | MDWoltz@aol.com 1:1/150 | | v3.6 on Aug 20th 1999 Synchronet BBS |BT |http://www.synchro.net | | sysop(at)vert(dot)synchro(dot)net | | v3.10L Beta Telegard BBS |B |http://www.telegard.net | | support@telegard.net | | v3.09g2 SP4 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ Atlantis Software |D |http://www.jimmyrose.com/atlantis/ | | last update: Jun 2002 BBS Central |D |http://www.rpcomputers.com Bentstone |D |http://www.srupc.com/mall Capabilities Group | | info@stonebenders.com Cheepware: |D |http://www.midnightshour.org/cheepware/ Sean Dennis | | hausmaus@midnightshour.org 1:11/200 DDS (Doorware |D |http://www.doorgames.org 1:2404/201 Distribution System)| | ruth@doorgames.org Ruth Argust | | DoorMUD |D |http://www.dmud.thebbs.org | | v0.98 Jun 1st 2002 Elysium Software |D |http://www.elysoft.com | | mpreslar@mailcity.com Jibben Software |D |http://www.jibbensoftware.com | | scott@jibben.com | | 1995-99 Release dates JNS Software: |D |http://www.geocities.com/jnssoftware/ Rusty Johnson | | rustyjohnson57@hotmail.com | | Tel: (304) 733-0113 John Dailey Software |D |http://www.johndaileysoftware.com | | support@johndaileysoftware.com LORD (Legend of the |D |http://www.lordlegacy.org Red Dragon) Reborn | | mike@lordlegacy.org | | v4.06 on Feb 5th 2001 Lord-II IGMs |D |http://www.shelby.net/wizards/lord2igm/ FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 22 23 Feb 2004 PC Pursuits |D |http://www.pcpursuits.com | | brucep@pop.kis.net | | Tel: (301) 240-6653 Shining Star |D |http://www.shiningstar.net/bbsdoors/ | | nannette@shiningstar.net Sunrise Doors: |D |http://www.sunrisedoors.com Al Lawrence | | al@sunrisedoors.com | | Tel: (404) 256-9518 The Brainex System |D |http://www.brainex.com/brainex_system/ | | stanley@brainex.com 1994-99 Releases Trade Wars |D |http://www.eisonline.com/tradewars/ | | jpritch@eisonline.com | | v3.09 (DOS-32) in 2002 Vagabond Software: |D |http://www.vbsoft.org 1:124/7013 Bryan Turner | | vagabond@vbsoft.org | | last update: Jul 17th 2002 (various) |D |http://www.webnexus.com/users/etow/ +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ APoint |PI |http://www.apoint-mail.de | | dirk.pokorny@apoint-mail.de | | v1.25 2:2426/1210.13 CrossPoint (XP) |P |http://www.crosspoint.de | | pm@crosspoint.de v3.12d Dec 22nd 1999 FreeXP |P |http://www.freexp.de 2:2433/460 | | support@freexp.de | | v3.40 RC3 Aug 31st 2003 (Snapshot) OpenXP/32 |PI |http://www.openxp.com 2:248/2004 | | mk@openxp.de v3.8.7 beta Aug 3rd 2002 PPoint |P |http://www.alcuf.ca 1:249/114 | | v3.04 on Jan 10th 2000 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ GoldEd+ |E |http://mik.nu/golded-plus/ 2:203/6600 | | v1.1.5 Snapshot on Feb 28th 2003 SqEd32 |E |http://www.sqed.de | | v1.15 on Dec 15th 1999 TimEd |E |http://blizzard.dnsalias.org/fidonet | | mail@ozzmosis.com /timed | | v1.11.a5 in March 2003 3:633/267 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ Allfix |U |ftp://ftp.nwstar.com 1:140/12 | | bob@nwstar.com | | v5.13 (v6?) FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 23 23 Feb 2004 GiGo |UI |http://www.gigo.com | | v0109 on Jan 9th 1997 Internet Rex: |UI |http://members.shaw.ca/InternetRex/ Charles Cruden | | telnet://xanadubbs.ca 1:342/806 (Khan Software) | | v2.29 on Oct 21st 2001 PeopleComm Terminal |CUI |http://www.peoplecomm.org 1:128/148 (BBS & Telnet w/ | | edward.williams@adelphia.net ZModem) | | v1.01a on Feb 11th 2003 TransNet |UI |http://www.ressl.com.ar/transnet/ | | transnet@ressl.com.ar | | v2.11 on Jul 18th 1998 TransX: Multiboard |UI |http://www.multiboard.com/software/ Communications, Inc.| | support@multiboard.com 1:2401/305 | | v3.5 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ National BBS List |? | http://www.usbbs.org Hispanic FIDO/BBS's |? | http://www.conecta2.org/pucela_bbs/ (in Spanish only) | | (Extensive software & BBS Listings) +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ File Archives: http://archives.thebbs.org http://www.filegate.org http://sysopscorner.thebbs.org http://www.juge.com http://www.dmine.com/bbscorner/ http://garbo.uwasa.fi http://www.simtel.net http://wuarchive.wustl.edu http://hobbes.nmsu.edu Note: most also provide FTP access (use ftp:// vice http:// above) *=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=* Note: Please send corrections & additions to: Ben Ritchey, 1:393/68 ( or FReq Magic INFO direct for E-mail address ) WildCat! BBS at +1-337-232-4155 24/7 33.6kBps,8,N,1 Internet: http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/fidosoft.txt Emeritus: Todd Cochrane, Frank Vest, Peter Popovich ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 24 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= SPECIAL INTEREST ================================================================= Nodelist Stats Input nodelist nodelist.051 size 912.5kb date 2004-02-20 The nodelist has 7790 nodes in it and a total of 10512 non-comment entries including 6 zones 56 regions 426 hosts 544 hubs admin overhead 1032 ( 13.25 %) and 1040 private nodes 315 nodes down 335 nodes on hold off line overhead 1690 ( 21.69 %) Speed summary: >9600 = 653 ( 8.38 %) 9600 = 6754 ( 86.70 %) (HST = 140 or 2.07 %) (CSP = 1 or 0.01 %) (PEP = 11 or 0.16 %) (MAX = 0 or 0.00 %) (HAY = 1 or 0.01 %) (V32 = 3548 or 52.53 %) (V32B = 344 or 5.09 %) (V34 = 4550 or 67.37 %) (V42 = 3815 or 56.49 %) (V42B = 359 or 5.32 %) 2400 = 72 ( 0.92 %) 1200 = 6 ( 0.08 %) 300 = 305 ( 3.92 %) ISDN = 641 ( 8.23 %) ---------------------------------------------------------- File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems ---------------------------------------------------------- XA Frontdoor <1.99b 2544 Frontdoor 2.02+ Dutchie 2.90c Binkleyterm >2.1 D'Bridge <1.3 TIMS Xenia -------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 25 23 Feb 2004 XB Binkleyterm 2.0 7 Dutchie 2.90b -------------------------------------- XC Opus 1.1 11 -------------------------------------- XP Seadog 6 -------------------------------------- XR Opus 1.03 40 -------------------------------------- XW Fido >12M 315 Tabby KittenMail -------------------------------------- XX D'Bridge 1.30 3517 Frontdoor 1.99b Intermail 2.01 T-Mail -------------------------------------- None QMM 1350 -------------------------------------- CrashMail capable = 2381 ( 30.56 %) MailOnly nodes = 4326 ( 55.53 %) Listed-only nodes = 606 ( 7.78 %) Other = 477 ( 6.12 %) [Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100] [ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208] ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 26 23 Feb 2004 ================================================================= FIDONEWS INFORMATION ================================================================= How to Submit an Article If you wish to submit an article for inclusion in the Fidonews, here are some guidelines, if you send it as an attached file; the preferred method if you want reasonable control over how the published article will appear in the Fidonews: a) Plain ASCII text. 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Ideas for Subject areas: Subject File | Subject File ----------------------------------|---------------------------------- From the *C's *.css | Rebuttals to articles *.reb Fidonet Regional News *.reg | Fidonet Net News *.net Retractions *.rtx | General Fidonet Articles *.art Guest Editorial *.gue | Fidonet Current Events *.cur Fidonet Interviews *.inv | Fidonet Software Reviews *.rev Fidonet Web Page Reviews *.web | Fidonet Notices *.not Getting Fidonet Technical *.ftc | Question Of The Week *.que Humor in a Fido Vein *.hfv | Comix in ASCII *.cmx Fidonet's Int. Kitchen *.rec | Poet's Corner *.poe Clean Humor & Jokes *.jok | Other Stuff *.oth Fidonet Classified Ads *.ads | Corrections *.cor Best of Fidonet *.bof | If you don't know or are not sure, send the article anyway. Put a .TXT on it and I'll try to figure out where it should be in the Fidonews. If you follow these simple guidelines, there should be little problem in getting your article published. If your submission is too far out of specs for the Fidonews, it will be returned to you and/or a message sent informing you of the problem. This DOES NOT mean that your article is not accepted. It means that there is something in it that I can not fix and I need your help on it. FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 27 23 Feb 2004 Send Articles via E-mail or Netmail, file attach or message to: Bj”rn Felten Fidonet 2:2/2 E-Mail bfelten@telia.com Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article. That way I will know to look for it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-08 Page 28 23 Feb 2004 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Editor: Bj”rn Felten, 2:2/2, editor@fidonews.org | | Crash mail attached: Editor@2:2/2 | | E-Mail attached: bfelten@telia.com | | Webmaster: Jim Barchuk, jb@fidonews.org | | Columnist: Warren Bonner - Ol'WDB's Corner | | Columnist: Frank Vest - Frank's Column | | Columnist: Luke Kolin - Catcalls from the Cheap Seats | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince | | Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, | | Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink, | | Doug Meyers, Warren D. Bonner, Frank L. 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