The F I D O N E W S Volume 21, Number 52 27 Dec 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 Terrorism, Real World vs. Fidonet ........................ 2 3. BEST OF FIDONET .......................................... 4 Dead echoes .............................................. 4 4. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 7 Fidonet Related Websites ................................. 7 5. ROBERT COUTURE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................ 9 FIDONet Software References .............................. 9 6. SPECIAL INTEREST ......................................... 14 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 14 7. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 16 How to Submit an Article ................................. 16 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 18 FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 1 27 Dec 2004 ================================================================= FOOD FOR THOUGHT ================================================================= The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything and the young know everything. -- Oscar Wilde ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 2 27 Dec 2004 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Terrorism, Real World vs. Fidonet This week's editorial will probably not fit well into the typical Christmas spirit, but, after all, Christmas is over for this year, maybe it can serve as a seed for anyone's New Year's Eve resolution? After all, the next issue will be published next year -- if I manage to make all the necessary changes to all the configs and batchfiles, here at Snooze head quarters, that is. - = * = - Isn't it really strange? So many of us are parents. Many of us have kids so old, we can look back at what we did wrong and what we did right when raising them, right? Yet so many people today seem to have missed how to best handle a spoilt kid, kicking and screaming for attention, i.e. simply ignoring it until it behaves properly, and *then* give it all the attention it wants and needs. This, I think, can easily be transferred to the way terrorists should be treated. Imagine if all the media of the world agreed not to mention any terrorist attacks with as much as one word, no matter what. What then? Well, we all know that the terrorists strive for attention and publicity. If that is not given to them, what good will their actions do to them? And now over to the Fidonet terrorists. You know, those that sit comfortably behind their keyboards, terrorizing the rest of the Fidonet users, trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame by stirring up as much mud as possible, with absolutely no concern for anyone else but themselves and their own agendas. Now, imagine that not a single person would reply to anything those Fidonet terrorists write, what then? Well, I leave the conclusion to our readers... Oh yes, I, for one, know that it can sometimes be very hard not to reply, but that's exactly what our terrorists want, so if you don't want to play along with them, it's important not to take their bait. After all, the terrorists will not listen to reasons, they are only out to get the most attention possible. And the rest of us know exactly what you think anyway -- there's no need to preach to the choir-boys. It's much better to spend your valuable time on discussions with all the *good* people in the echo, effectively telling the spoilt brats "Hush now, while the grown-ups are talking!". One area that's extra attractive to terrorists are societies with FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 3 27 Dec 2004 total freedom. This is, of course, because freedom is a complete package, that also includes freedom to act like a jerk. A free society simply must rely on everyone acting with responsibility and respect for all other persons. There is no other way, unless you settle for reduced freedom. The same goes, needless to say, for our Fidonet terrorists. Echoes with freedom written into the "constitution", the echo rules, are popular hunting grounds for them. That's why it's extra important that the responsible and cooperative participants take extra care in those echoes, not to respond to any terrorist attacks with anything but total silence. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 4 27 Dec 2004 ================================================================= BEST OF FIDONET ================================================================= Dead echoes By Philip Lozier (1:267/169) ST> Lastly, I just don't see the point in hubbing or carrying ST> echos that haven't ST> had traffic in them for a year or longer... It just ST> doesn't make sense. I'm going to agree with you whole heartedly on that... dead echoes present a very, very bad image of the network as a whole. Users browsing and finding large numbers of dead weight are presented with a picture that FidoNet is useless overall, and potential nodes who run BBS's view FidoNet as primarily dead weight that isn't worth the time to set up on their systems when many can hook right into QWK networks with traffic almost instantly, or some FTN networks, without the aggravation, hassles, disputes, and headaches associated with FidoNet. It is not a new problem. It has been going on for years, and is -one- of the contributing factors to the state Fido is in now... not -the- factor, but definitely one of them. Arguments go on about who owns echoes... everybody wants to be in control in some way or another, even the ones who say things shouldn't be controlled. How so? The anti-control yellers blat "there should be no control over echoes in FidoNet, I will do as I please with my echo"... they don't want control from anybody else so -they- can control it. Certain mail movers of the past, and present, scream that FidoNet has no control over echomail distribution, then set terms for distributing echoes such as e-list requirements, and procedures for user/moderator disputes, and "agreement" to SLA's so -they- can control it. Me, me, me... look at me! I'm a honcho! The network couldn't survive without me! *I* make it happen! Everybody wants control, and those who want it the most are the ones who yell the loudest about non-control. What everybody has missed over the years should be real obvious... in order for FidoNet to work effectively and in a productive nature, it has to operate as a cooperative organization. An organization needs to be organized. Being organized means that procedures, guidelines, and structure (yup... for those who don't get it... RULES) need to be in place. It very much lacks that right now, and this, before ANYTHING else, is the primary reason FidoNet is failing and falling by the wayside. Not the internet causing it... the way FidoNet is mainly being distributed now in many areas proves FidoNet works over the internet. FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 5 27 Dec 2004 Newsgroups, which have also been around forever still generate a whole lot of text based traffic, on that same glittery bells and flashing lights web hosting system, the same internet being blamed for the demise of text based forum style messaging, and believe it or not, looking lately I notice that 80 or 90 or so of some 110 or 120 I turned on recently just for observation purposes are -NOT- SPAM filled hate spewing arenas as newsgroups have so often been portrayed and generate GOOD traffic. They're being added for public access on my BBS this week. Nope... the internet isn't killing text based forum style messaging... it is what is keeping it going in venues outside of FidoNet. Now... BBS's, networks, and the internet... sorry folks... the internet hasn't killed that yet either. I am a regular on several internet based BBS's that have active participation, and funny thing... some of these carry -multiple- networks of that outdated text style forum based messaging, and they in some ways put FidoNet to shame. How? Well... first of all, they don't have hundreds upon hundreds of echoes taking up space and straining the eyes of users trying to find areas of interest... WYSIWYG... you choose an area, and guess what? Is it possible? Yup... you actually see current messages on the topic mentioned in the description lines. You don't see people arguing about policy, voting, and who owns areas and the like, because from what I've seen some of these other networks there is no voting, the network determines what echoes are distributed under their network name, and the governing body is who puts them into place and distributes them. Policy is unchangable other than b y those who formed and are in charge of the network, and you follow the rules or are gone. In my opinion, some of these other nets I have seen are much more attractive and successful than FidoNet is now... even with their small list of areas and tiny nodelists compared to FidoNets counterparts, they are organized neatly and present an image that doesn't make the public run for the hills, or another network, to participate in, and the areas they -do- carry have traffic... AND... (is *THIS* possible?) they have "USERS" posting in areas! Holy cow! Is that still possible? I notice more and more BBS's carrying multiple networks, but absolutely no FidoNet, and have asked some SysOps about joining... from the tone of some of the responses I've gotten I can almost picture the looks of horror that went onto their faces the second they saw the word "fidonet" typed in on their system. FidoNet currently has a very, very bad reputation, and is avoided like the plague by a lot of BBS SysOps. Personally, I look forward to the day when the nodelist has shrunk to a point that only those serious about wanting to have FidoNet remain operational, and successful once again, remain. It is then that the listing of echoes will be reduced to a realistic point, traffic wise, and proportional to the number of nodes and the traffic they produce, and it is then that the serious minded can develop operational standards that are beneficial to "the network" as a whole, rather than the personal, political, or social beliefs of individuals factoring in an area (operating a viable network) that such beliefs and opinions have no place influencing. The productive and continuing operation of FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 6 27 Dec 2004 the network outweighs the social opinions of the members. People (nodes) try to approach FidoNet as if it were a country, league of nations, or some other form of social structure. The only "social" aspect of FidoNet is the interaction in the echoes. Social issues do not belong on the background operational level. The issues at the level of how the network operates and what makes it successful in its presentation and attractiveness to users should be based purely upon what is best for the network itself, not what social practices outside of the network are. There is more I really want to say, but I've gone on enough about this for now... I guess its time to start writing some of those articles I had ideas about. To some, they may find whats been on my mind interesting... to others, they will "love" me even more than they do now ;> I am sure that publicly it will be those who will have ever growing "love" for me that will be spewing their nonsense that has nothing to do with beneficial operations of the network as a whole, and the others who I will be getting the more reasonable netmails I have become familiar with on some of my thoughts... the second group are the smart ones! They talk to me in netmail about some concepts, shielded from the comments of idiots who are too blind to understand the obvious, and where ideas can be exchanged reasonably about the path that needs to be pursued. Phil ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 7 27 Dec 2004 ================================================================= FIDONET BY INTERNET ================================================================= Fidonet Related Websites Thom LaCosta 1:261/1352 One approach to tracking and viewing Fidonet related websites is to visit webrings that specialize in Fidonet. A webring is a method where sites having a common theme advertise other websites with simailar themes. The advantage to the webring concept is that in theory, the sites have an interest in maintaining an accuate listing and can modify their own listings on a site by site basis. It appears that there are two fidonet webrings....the long-running system at http://b.webring.com/hub?ring=fidonet and another at http://www.fidonet.us/fidoring/ The ring at webring.com is larger, but forces the viewer to look at google ads panels. The smaller ring at fidonet.us does not depend on adverstising revenue from ads. Sysops with Fidonet related websites should consider joining one or both rings. Ring News It's a pleasure to welcome two new BBS systems to the fidonet.us webring: Pucela BBS (Valladolid, Spain) Sysop: Komunero The Realm of Darkness BBS Sysop: Ken Bowley The most current version of the list below can be viewed at http://www.fidonet.us/fidoring/sitelist.html WWW.FIDONET.US - WEBRING PARTICIPANTS BBBS Charlotte and N4RPS.net Home Page Web Page of N4RPS, Rob Sargeant, and Web portal for BBBS Charlotte, a Fidonet BBS located in Charlotte, North Carolina USA (1:379/2). http://www.n4rps.net - 6-November-2003 Fidonet - Net261 - Maryland Fidonet in Maryland - Net261 http://www.fidonet.us/net261/ - 2-March-2003 Rocasa BBS Rocasa BBS is a system accessible as both a traditional Bulletin Board System, via landline or telnet, as well as via the Web for message and file access. It is also the home of the BBBS FDN. http://bbs.rocasa.org - 16-June-2003 < E-Mail/News Gateway | | Program. Meltdown-BBS |UI |http://meltdown-bbs.sourceforge.net/ | | meltdown-bbs.project.petkan | | @spamgourmet.com | | Fido: 2:350/5 | | Meltdown-BBS is an FTN <-> | | Web/PHP/MySQL BBS forum system. MakeNL |U | http://hub2000.darktech.org/makenl | | fidonet.hub2000 [at] gmail [dot] com | | Fido: 1:229/2000 | | FidoNet Nodelist Processor FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 13 27 Dec 2004 +- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+ 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.net 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://maximus.midnightshour.org http://hobbes.nmsu.edu Note: most also provide FTP access (use ftp:// instead of http:// above) *=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=* Please send corrections & additions to: Robert Couture, 1:229/2000 E-Mail: rpa4email (at) rogers (dot) com Telnet: runekeep.darktech.org (Leave Feedback as Guest or create an account) Emeritus: Ben Ritchey, Todd Cochrane, Frank Vest, Peter Popovich ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 14 27 Dec 2004 ================================================================= SPECIAL INTEREST ================================================================= Nodelist Stats Input nodelist nodelist.359 size 828.0kb date 2004-12-24 The nodelist has 6859 nodes in it and a total of 9496 non-comment entries including 6 zones 47 regions 384 hosts 488 hubs admin overhead 925 ( 13.49 %) and 1110 private nodes 261 nodes down 341 nodes on hold off line overhead 1712 ( 24.96 %) Speed summary: >9600 = 605 ( 8.82 %) 9600 = 5893 ( 85.92 %) (HST = 120 or 2.04 %) (CSP = 0 or 0.00 %) (PEP = 1 or 0.02 %) (MAX = 0 or 0.00 %) (HAY = 1 or 0.02 %) (V32 = 3076 or 52.20 %) (V32B = 264 or 4.48 %) (V34 = 4026 or 68.32 %) (V42 = 3381 or 57.37 %) (V42B = 263 or 4.46 %) 2400 = 55 ( 0.80 %) 1200 = 8 ( 0.12 %) 300 = 298 ( 4.34 %) ISDN = 546 ( 7.96 %) ---------------------------------------------------------- File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems ---------------------------------------------------------- XA Frontdoor <1.99b 2245 Frontdoor 2.02+ Dutchie 2.90c Binkleyterm >2.1 D'Bridge <1.3 TIMS Xenia -------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 15 27 Dec 2004 XB Binkleyterm 2.0 9 Dutchie 2.90b -------------------------------------- XC Opus 1.1 8 -------------------------------------- XP Seadog 6 -------------------------------------- XR Opus 1.03 41 -------------------------------------- XW Fido >12M 280 Tabby KittenMail -------------------------------------- XX D'Bridge 1.30 3063 Frontdoor 1.99b Intermail 2.01 T-Mail -------------------------------------- None QMM 1207 -------------------------------------- CrashMail capable = 2117 ( 30.86 %) MailOnly nodes = 3844 ( 56.04 %) Listed-only nodes = 534 ( 7.79 %) Other = 364 ( 5.31 %) [Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100] [ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208] ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 16 27 Dec 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 21-52 Page 17 27 Dec 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 IMPORTANT! If you send the article via e-mail, make sure you put the word "fidonews" somewhere in the subject line! That way it will always pass the spam filter, ending up in the proper folder. Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article. That way I will know to look for it. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 21-52 Page 18 27 Dec 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 | | | | On the web: | | http://felten.dyndns.org/fidonews | | http://www.fidonet.ca/fidonews | | | | The Snooze *and* the FIDONEWS echo in your newsreader: | | news://felten.dyndns.org/FIDONEWS | | | + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- + -----------------------------------------------------------------