The F I D O N E W S Volume 21, Number 18 03 May 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 3. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 3 Fidonet Remembers ........................................ 3 4. FRANK'S COLUMN - FRANK VEST .............................. 4 5. BEN RITCHEY'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................... 6 FIDONet Software References .............................. 6 6. SPECIAL INTEREST ......................................... 11 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 11 7. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 13 How to Submit an Article ................................. 13 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 15 FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 1 3 May 2004 ================================================================= FOOD FOR THOUGHT ================================================================= Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. -- John F. Kennedy ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 2 3 May 2004 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= If you remember all the things that Frank Vest writes about in the general articles section this week, maybe you even remember what BBSing was like, before the advent of fidonet? The BBS concept wasn't old before people started having ideas about connecting two or even more BBSs, or rather their message bases, so that the users shouldn't have to log on to more than one BBS, but still be able to have discussions and other communications with users on other BBSs. The first attempts to make what we today know as echomail and/or netmail, were made by programs or even scripts, that called the next BBS in the chain and logged in as a user, and then "uploaded" the messages just as if a user had typed it in. No archmail packages there... Needless to say, this was very unreliable. More often than not something went wrong, and the process could even hang totally, waiting for e.g. a menu that had been changed by the sysop of the receiving BBS, forgetting to tell the sysop of the transmitting BBS, or for many other reasons. Obviously the process was almost never run unattended... Well, then came fidonet and the rest is, as they say, history. But nowadays too many fido sysops seem to have forgotten, and some even deny, that fidonet is and always has been a BBS network, with the only purpose to make it possible to treat all connected BBSs as one big BBS, all for the benefit of the users. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 3 3 May 2004 ================================================================= GENERAL ARTICLES ================================================================= Fidonet Remembers By Frank Vest 1:124/6308.1 Do your remember; When the Fidonet Nodelist had some 30,000 Nodes listed in it? When a Node that was listed as "CM" without the "MO" flag would most likely have a BBS online? Going to the library or magazine store to get the latest BBS list publication? Even the Fidonet Coordinators operated a BBS? What a BBS is? Getting hundreds of message in every echo each day? When a Moderator requested a feed cut, the cut was made *before* the mail feed asked "why"? One list of echos that all feeds carried? Fidonet.na? The mention of broken link would cause an "all nighter" to figure out and fix the break? When the Fidonews Publication had enough articles that you didn't see dumb "Do you remember;" articles like this one? :) ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 4 3 May 2004 ================================================================= FRANK'S COLUMN - FRANK VEST ================================================================= Is this real? By Frank Vest It's early in the morning. You're standing in a parking lot talking to a group of people you just met. The wind is calm and it's just before sunrise. "What a beautiful day." This was planned a few weeks ago and the day is finally here. It's a short ride to a chosen place. You and the rest of the people climb out of the van. There's a lot of activity. You're looking at a large basket that was just unloaded onto the ground. A big bag is unloaded and the contents spread out on the ground in front of the basket. You're called over and you listen to the instructions. Sounds ok to you. Lots of activity. Cables are being connected and chatter going on. You notice that the basket is now on it's side. "Why?" You hear an engine start and feel air moving. "Wow! That thing is getting big!" "Was all that in that one bag??" You take as many pictures as you can of everything. One of the people you just met has you pose for a photo. "How are they going to get that to stand upright?" It looks like such a mess of cables and stuff. There's a loud noise and you feel heat. "Whoa!" "That's a big fire!" "Oh wow!" "Would you look at that?!" "So that's how they get that thing to stand up!" "Are you ready?" - you are asked. Well of course you are. This is what you've waited for all this time. You're told that there is no graceful way to get in - "Just climb in." There's some last minute instructions. Another photo is taken. You hear that loud noise and feel the heat from that flame again. It's right over your head this time. You hear the people telling you to have fun and enjoy the ride. Then you look around and realize that you're not on the ground anymore. The trees are getting shorter and you think to yourself - "The elevator at work is scarier than this!" As you look around, you see Plano, Dallas and other cities. You notice that the fields look so small and so pretty. They are plowed in rows and the cars in parking lots look like the toys you had as a child. It's so quiet and calm. The only sound is the occasional noise from the burners above your head. Then you realize that you really are in a hot air balloon. Have a great flight! We'll be waiting when you land. :) FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 5 3 May 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 6 3 May 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 21-18 Page 7 3 May 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 21-18 Page 8 3 May 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 21-18 Page 9 3 May 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 21-18 Page 10 3 May 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 21-18 Page 11 3 May 2004 ================================================================= SPECIAL INTEREST ================================================================= Nodelist Stats Input nodelist nodelist.121 size 896.8kb date 2004-04-30 The nodelist has 7559 nodes in it and a total of 10328 non-comment entries including 6 zones 56 regions 426 hosts 533 hubs admin overhead 1021 ( 13.51 %) and 1082 private nodes 319 nodes down 347 nodes on hold off line overhead 1748 ( 23.12 %) Speed summary: >9600 = 629 ( 8.32 %) 9600 = 6557 ( 86.74 %) (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 = 3412 or 52.04 %) (V32B = 329 or 5.02 %) (V34 = 4432 or 67.59 %) (V42 = 3705 or 56.50 %) (V42B = 339 or 5.17 %) 2400 = 70 ( 0.93 %) 1200 = 6 ( 0.08 %) 300 = 297 ( 3.93 %) ISDN = 620 ( 8.20 %) ---------------------------------------------------------- File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems ---------------------------------------------------------- XA Frontdoor <1.99b 2475 Frontdoor 2.02+ Dutchie 2.90c Binkleyterm >2.1 D'Bridge <1.3 TIMS Xenia -------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 12 3 May 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 306 Tabby KittenMail -------------------------------------- XX D'Bridge 1.30 3385 Frontdoor 1.99b Intermail 2.01 T-Mail -------------------------------------- None QMM 1327 -------------------------------------- CrashMail capable = 2310 ( 30.56 %) MailOnly nodes = 4214 ( 55.75 %) Listed-only nodes = 591 ( 7.82 %) Other = 444 ( 5.87 %) [Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100] [ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208] ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-18 Page 13 3 May 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 21-18 Page 14 3 May 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 21-18 Page 15 3 May 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 | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + -----------------------------------------------------------------