The F I D O N E W S Volume 21, Number 17 26 Apr 2004 +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | |The newsletter of the | | | | | FidoNet community. | | Crash netmail articles to: | | | | | Editor @ 2:2/2 (+46-31-944907 | | | ____________| | | | | / __ | Routed netmail articles to: | | | / / \ | Bjorn Felten @ 2:203/0 | | | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | | | \_______\(_| /_) | Email attach to: | | _ @/_ \ _ | bfelten @ telia dot 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 Spam, spam, spam ......................................... 2 3. BEN RITCHEY'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................... 3 FIDONet Software References .............................. 3 4. SPECIAL INTEREST ......................................... 8 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 8 5. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 10 How to Submit an Article ................................. 10 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 12 FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 1 26 Apr 2004 ================================================================= FOOD FOR THOUGHT ================================================================= If noone writes anything for the Snooze, there will be nothing to read. -- Fidonews Editor ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 2 26 Apr 2004 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Does spam really have anything to do with fidonet? Well, of course it has. Maybe not directly, since almost all of our gateways seem to be extremely good at preventing spam coming into fidonet. But indirectly it has. As you may remember I recently had to ask the postmaster at fidonews.org to disconnect me from the old editor account there. And after that spam was reduced by at least 75% here. Internet email is a wonderful invention, why should all of us millions and millions of users have to put up with abt. 100 U.S. companies abusing this invention? Because whatever anyone says, if you follow the dollar trail (rather than just looking at the email header that's so easily forged), when it's time to enter your credit card number, you're almost always on a US site. Several attempts have been made over the last decade to extended the protection of the current U.S. law, banning unsolicited commercial fax, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. para. 227, to also cover unsolicited commercial email. Under such a ban individuals would still be free to solicit advertisements (an opt-in system), so one could request commercial solicitations if one prefers. A critical feature of this approach is the private right of action, which allows individuals to sue violators for US$500 per violation, plus damages up to $1,500. This gives victims a real tool to force junk emailers to stop their trespass. Unfortunately, an organization called Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has been sponsoring U.S. senators and congress people to an extent that they have lots of them right in their pocket, so every attempt to extend the TCPA has been successfully blocked, over and over again. So, current U.S. legislation is totally insufficient. Junk email legislation, currently being considered, recently had this individual right of action removed, while in committee by allies of the DMA. Under the current proposed legislation, you would have to convince a state attorney general to sue the spammer on your behalf. What the world can only hope for, to make this spam problem go away, is that enough U.S. citizens get pissed enough to write to their congress (wo)men and senators, telling them what a really bad idea it is to block the spam extension to the TCPA. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 3 26 Apr 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 21-17 Page 4 26 Apr 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 GEcho |T |ftp://ftp.nwstar.com 1:140/12 | | bob@nwstar.com 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 FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 5 26 Apr 2004 | | v0.99.41.001 beta on Jun 10th 2001 Proboard BBS |B |http://www.proboard.be | | 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 FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 6 26 Apr 2004 | | v4.06 on Feb 5th 2001 Lord-II IGMs |D |http://www.shelby.net/wizards/lord2igm/ 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 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 7 26 Apr 2004 Allfix |U |ftp://ftp.nwstar.com 1:140/12 | | bob@nwstar.com | | v5.13 (v6?) 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 21-17 Page 8 26 Apr 2004 ================================================================= SPECIAL INTEREST ================================================================= Nodelist Stats Input nodelist nodelist.114 size 898.3kb date 2004-04-23 The nodelist has 7577 nodes in it and a total of 10349 non-comment entries including 6 zones 56 regions 425 hosts 533 hubs admin overhead 1020 ( 13.46 %) and 1081 private nodes 322 nodes down 349 nodes on hold off line overhead 1752 ( 23.12 %) Speed summary: >9600 = 631 ( 8.33 %) 9600 = 6569 ( 86.70 %) (HST = 137 or 2.09 %) (CSP = 1 or 0.02 %) (PEP = 11 or 0.17 %) (MAX = 0 or 0.00 %) (HAY = 1 or 0.02 %) (V32 = 3417 or 52.02 %) (V32B = 328 or 4.99 %) (V34 = 4438 or 67.56 %) (V42 = 3712 or 56.51 %) (V42B = 338 or 5.15 %) 2400 = 71 ( 0.94 %) 1200 = 6 ( 0.08 %) 300 = 300 ( 3.96 %) ISDN = 622 ( 8.21 %) ---------------------------------------------------------- File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems ---------------------------------------------------------- XA Frontdoor <1.99b 2477 Frontdoor 2.02+ Dutchie 2.90c Binkleyterm >2.1 D'Bridge <1.3 TIMS Xenia -------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 9 26 Apr 2004 XB Binkleyterm 2.0 8 Dutchie 2.90b -------------------------------------- XC Opus 1.1 12 -------------------------------------- XP Seadog 6 -------------------------------------- XR Opus 1.03 40 -------------------------------------- XW Fido >12M 304 Tabby KittenMail -------------------------------------- XX D'Bridge 1.30 3401 Frontdoor 1.99b Intermail 2.01 T-Mail -------------------------------------- None QMM 1329 -------------------------------------- CrashMail capable = 2315 ( 30.55 %) MailOnly nodes = 4233 ( 55.87 %) Listed-only nodes = 594 ( 7.84 %) Other = 435 ( 5.74 %) [Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100] [ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208] ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 10 26 Apr 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. If you could type it on your keyboard, it's probably quite OK. No line may be longer than 70 characters. b) Put a title to the article. Put the title in two times. The first time, on the first line, with an * before it. The second time, on the second line, without the * and centered. This will help in the format since the title with the * is removed and used in the index, the second line will become the headline. On the third line, put your name and FidoNet address, present or former. If former, you may want to add some other address where you can be reached for personal comments. c) Deadline for article submission is Sunday, 12:00 UTC. Help the Editor by following the above guides. Below are some subjects and the file extension for the article as set in the configuration file for the making of the Fidonews. Please help by putting the file extension of the correct subject on the file name if known.. 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 | Letters to the Editor *.let 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 21-17 Page 11 26 Apr 2004 Send Articles via E-mail or Netmail, file attach or message to: Bj”rn Felten Fidonet 2:2/2 E-Mail bfelten @ telia dot com Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article. That way I will know to look for it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-17 Page 12 26 Apr 2004 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | Editor: Bj”rn Felten, 2:2/2 | | Crash mail attached: Editor@2:2/2 | | E-Mail attached: bfelten @ telia dot com | | Webmaster: Jim Barchuk, jb@fidonews.org | | Columnist: Frank Vest - Frank's Column | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - 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. Vest | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of Fidonet. Fidonews is Copyright (C) 2004 by Bj”rn Felten, though authors retain rights to their contributed articles. Opinions expressed by the authors is strictly their own. Noncommercial duplication and distribution within Fidonet is encouraged. Authors are encouraged to send their articles in ASCII text to the Editor at one of the addresses above. The weekly edition of Fidonews is distributed through the file area FIDONEWS, and is published as echomail in the echo FIDONEWS. These sources are normally available through your Network Coordinator. The current and past issues are also available from the following sources: + -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- + | | | File request from 2:2/2: | | current issue FIDONEWS | | back issue, volume v, issue ii FNEWSvii.ZIP | | http://www.fidonet.ca/fidonews | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + -----------------------------------------------------------------