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F I D O N E W S -- | Vol. 10 No. 1 (4 January 1993)
A newsletter of the |
FidoNet BBS community | Published by:
_ |
/ \ | "FidoNews" BBS
/|oo \ | +1-415-863-2739
(_| /_) | NEW!--> 1:1/23@FidoNet
_`@/_ \ _ | [email protected]
| | \ \\ |
| (*) | \ )) | Editors:
|__U__| / \// | Tom Jennings
_//|| _\ / | Tim Pozar
(_/(_|(____/ |
(jm) | Newspapers should have no friends.
| -- JOSEPH PULITZER
----------------------------+---------------------------------------

/*********************************************************************
* IMPORTANT NOTE: The FidoNet address for FidoNews has been changed. *
* The new address is: *
* *
* FidoNews = 1:1/23 *
* *
* Starting January 1993 email sent to the old address will not be *
* forwarded! You were warned! *
*********************************************************************/

For information, copyrights, article submissions, obtaining copies and
other boring but important details, please refer to the end of this
file.

Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ..................................................... 1
Editorial: Oops ............................................... 1
2. ARTICLES ...................................................... 3
3rd Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy -- CFP'93 .... 3
Zone 1 ZEC Election Rules ..................................... 15
Rich Wood for ZC - The Sequel ................................. 16
The Events in the ZEC Echo .................................... 19
A Perfect Fidonet ............................................. 21
Horse Back Computing or (Home on the Range) ................... 22
All this political crap in Fidonet ............................ 23
FidoNet Lite? ................................................. 24
The Swedenborgian Ideas Echo (correction) ..................... 26
3. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .......................................... 27
FidoNews 10-01 Page 1 4 Jan 1993

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EDITORIAL
======================================================================

Editorial: oops

by Tom Jennings (1:1/23)

Three things this week.

Two are actually related. One, I was taken to task for the execrable
grammar and content of previous editorials. While I think the approach
was a bit snotty ("Barely respectfully yours...") I admit I was
getting a bit too hurried and sloppy. The use of a spell-checker was
mentioned but I'll ingore that. (nyuk nyuk)

The other is more serious, and has to do with making FidoNews
basically inaccessible, by being too heavy-handed on my part,
editorializing on this current pick-your-/0, throw-the-bums-out,
"democracy" thing. By so roundly criticizing supporters of the
status-quo I was preventing other opinions and statements from being
aired in these ephemeral pages.

I admit to the heavy-handed part, and starting NOW I will simply back
off. I will say however that for all this, I have not yet seen one
writing about why the current method is the one to continue with, and
why it should be continued. It's not like I'm preventing them from
being written, as I'm sure not receiving any, and you'd think it would
be a perfect opportunity to make an ass out of the editor.

I also admit to being completely obtuse, in spite of my verbosity.
I'll state my personal position on this once here, and I'll henceforth
back off.

I also have not invoked the "resolving controversies" clause on all
this "zone 1 coord" blather, because it's not devolving into personal
warring, which was the main bummer. However I will consider it, or
another solution, if someone will suggest one.

I'm not so much "pro-democracy", where democracy seems to mean
"voting", really, as much as I'm in favor of accountability.
U.S.-style voting so frequently devolves into mob rule, and
large-scale disenfranchisement. I truly don't know of a system that
will work in our environment.

It wouldn't matter so much how the "bums" (sic) got there, if there
was some way to force a change when those affected directly have had
enough. And "force" is the right word; it has to be able to be done
against some elected/appointed/whatever persons will.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 2 4 Jan 1993

As an example of that sort of accountability, look at NCs: as horrible
as any particular one might be, in one way or another they remain
accountable to their direct net members, who can easily conspire
against them, rightly or wrongly (bad comes with the good, don't
forget). It's very possible to have an angel NC, and have scumbag net
members pitch them out in favor of another scumbag. You can't
legislate behavior, but you can legislate process.

OK, so I'll shut up now.

PS: Sorry the Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference article is so
long. It is also available from the FidoNews BBS by download or
filerequest as filename "CFPC". Please make it available to your
callers.

I've attended two CFPC's, and they're incredibly interesting,
enlightening, and not just "preaching to the choir". Watch law
enforcement people argue with civil-liberties types, and worse,
realize they're not always enemies. Lots of far-ranging technical and
social expertise all in one place. Get in arguments with CIA people
who won't admit they're there (I did). Hear about how credit bureaus
*really* work, and how they collect data, and what they do with it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

FidoNews 10-01 Page 3 4 Jan 1993

======================================================================
ARTICLES
======================================================================

The Third Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy -- CFP'93
9-12 March 1993, San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel, Burlingame, CA

Sponsored by: Association for Computing Machinery,
Special Interest Groups on:
Communications (SIGCOMM)
Computers and Society (SIGCAS)
Security, Audit and Control (SIGSAC)

Co-Sponsors and Cooperating Organizations:

American Civil Liberties Union
American Library Association
Asociacion de Technicos de Informatica
Commission for Liberties and Informatics
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Freedom to Read Foundation
IEEE Computer Society
IEEE-USA Committee on Communications and Information Policy
Internet Society
Library and Information Technology Association
Privacy International
USD Center for Public Interest Law
U.S. Privacy Council
The WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link)

Patrons and Supporters (as of 24 December 1992):

American Express Corp.
Apple Computer, Inc.
Dun & Bradstreet Corp.
Equifax, Inc.
Information Resource Service Company
Mead Data Central, Inc.
National Science Foundation (pending)
RSA Data Security, Inc.

CFP'93 Electronic Brochure 1.2

SCOPE:

The advance of computer and telecommunications technologies holds
great promise for individuals and society. From convenience for
consumers and efficiency in commerce to improved public health and
safety and increased participation in democratic institutions, these
technologies can fundamentally transform our lives.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 4 4 Jan 1993

At the same time these technologies pose threats to the ideals of a
free and open society. Personal privacy is increasingly at risk from
invasion by high-tech surveillance and eavesdropping. The myriad
databases containing personal information maintained in the public and
private sectors expose private life to constant scrutiny.

Technological advances also enable new forms of illegal activity,
posing new problems for legal and law enforcement officials and
challenging the very definitions of crime and civil liberties. But
technologies used to combat these crimes can pose new threats to
freedom and privacy.

Even such fundamental notions as speech, assembly and property are
being transformed by these technologies, throwing into question the
basic Constitutional protections that have guarded them. Similarly,
information knows no borders; as the scope of economies becomes global
and as networked communities transcend international boundaries, ways
must be found to reconcile competing political, social and economic
interests in the digital domain.

The Third Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy will assemble
experts, advocates and interested people from a broad spectrum of
disciplines and backgrounds in a balanced public forum to address the
impact of computer and telecommunications technologies on freedom and
privacy in society. Participants will include people from the fields
of computer science, law, business, research, information, library
science, health, public policy, government, law enforcement, public
advocacy and many others.

General Chair
-------------
Bruce R. Koball
CFP'93
2210 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510-845-1350 (voice)
510-845-3946 (fax)
[email protected]

Steering Committee
------------------
John Baker Mitch Ratcliffe
Equifax MacWeek Magazine

Mary J. Culnan Peter G. Neumann
Georgetown University SRI International

Dorothy Denning David D. Redell
Georgetown University DEC Systems Research Center

FidoNews 10-01 Page 5 4 Jan 1993

Les Earnest Marc Rotenberg
GeoGroup, Inc. Computer Professionals
for Social Responsibility
Mike Godwin
Electronic Frontier Foundation C. James Schmidt
San Jose State University
Janlori Goldman
American Civil Liberties Union Barbara Simons
IBM
Mark Graham
Pandora Systems Lee Tien
Attorney
Lance J. Hoffman
George Washington University George Trubow
John Marshall Law School
Donald G. Ingraham
Office of the District Attorney Willis Ware
Alameda County, CA Rand Corp.

John McMullen Jim Warren
NewsBytes MicroTimes & Autodesk, Inc.

Simona Nass
Student - Cardozo Law School

Affiliations are listed for identification only.

Pre-Conference Tutorials:
On Tuesday 9 March, the day before the formal conference begins, CFP'93
is offering a number of in-depth tutorials on a wide variety of subjects
on four parallel tracks. These presentations will range from interesting
and informative to thought-provoking and controversial. The tutorials
are available at a nominal additional registration cost.

Conference Reception:
Following the Tutorials on Tuesday evening, you are invited to meet new
and old friends and colleagues at an opening reception.

Single Track Main Program:
The technological revolution that is driving change in our society has
many facets and we are often unaware of the way they all fit together,
especially the parts that lie outside of our own expertise and interest.
The primary goal of CFP'93 is to bring together individuals from
disparate disciplines and backgrounds, and engage them in a balanced
discussion of all CFP issues. To this end our main program, starting on
Wednesday 10 March, is on a single track enabling our attendees to take
part in all sessions.

Registration is Limited:
CFP'93 registration will be limited to 550 attendees, so we advise you
to register as early as possible and take advantage of the early
registration discounts.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 6 4 Jan 1993

Luncheons and Banquets:
A key component of the CFP conferences has been the interaction between
the diverse communities that constitute our attendees. To promote this
interaction CFP'93 is providing three luncheons and evening two banquets
with the cost of conference registration.

EFF Pioneer Awards
All conference attendees are invited to the Awards Reception sponsored
by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Wednesday evening, 10
March. These, the second annual EFF Pioneer Awards, will be given to
individuals and organizations that have made distinguished contributions
to the human and technological realms touched by computer-based
communications.

Birds of a Feather Sessions:
CFP'93 will provide a limited number of meeting rooms to interested
individuals for special Birds of a Feather sessions after the formal
program each evening. These sessions will provide an opportunity for
special interest discussions that were not included in the formal
program and will be listed in the conference materials. For further
information contact CFP'93 BoF Chair:

C. James Schmidt
University Librarian
San Jose State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192-0028
voice 408-924-2700
voice mail 408-924-2966
e-mail [email protected]

CFP'93 Featured Speakers:

Nicholas Johnson

Nicholas Johnson was appointed head of the Federal Communications
Commission by President Johnson in 1966, serving a seven year term. In
his role as commissioner, he quickly became an outspoken consumer
advocate, attacking network abuses and insisting that those who use the
frequencies under the FCC license are the public's trustees. He has been
a visiting professor of law at the College of Law at the University of
Iowa since 1981 and is currently co-director of the Institute for
Health, Behavior and Environmental Policy at the University of Ohio.

Willis H. Ware

Willis H. Ware has devoted his career to all aspects of computer
science--hardware, software, architectures, software development, public
policy and legislation. He chaired the "HEW committee" whose report was
the foundation for the Federal Privacy Act of 1974. President Ford
appointed him to the Privacy Protection Study Commission whose report
remains the most extensive examination of private sector record-keeping
practices. Dr. Ware is a member of the National Academy of Engineering,
a Fellow of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers, and a
Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science.
FidoNews 10-01 Page 7 4 Jan 1993

John Perry Barlow

John Perry Barlow is a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, a lyricist for
the Grateful Dead, and a co-founder of the Electronic Frontier
Foundation. He graduated from Wesleyan University with an honors degree
in comparative religion. He writes and lectures on subjects relating to
digital technology and society, and is a contributing editor of numerous
publications, including Communications of the ACM, NeXTworld,
MicroTimes, and Mondo 2000.

Cliff Stoll

Cliff Stoll is best known for tracking a computer intruder across the
international networks in 1987; he told this story in his book, "The
Cuckoo's Egg" and on a Nova television production. He is less known for
having a PhD in planetary science, piecing quilts, making plum jam, and
squeezing lumps of bituminous coal into diamonds.

CFP'93 Tutorials:

Tuesday 9 March - Morning Tutorials

Information Use in the Private Sector
Jack Reed, Information Resource Service Company
Diane Terry, TransUnion Corp. Dan Jones, D.Y. Jones & Assoc.

This tutorial will deal with the use of personal information from the
point of view of some private sector information vendors and users. It
will include a discussion of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the
"Permissible Purposes" for obtaining a consumer credit report.
Information used for purposes outside the FCRA will be discussed in
relationship to privacy and societal needs for businesses and
individuals.

Access to Government Information:
James Love, Director, Taxpayer Assets Project

The tutorial will examine a wide range of problems concerning citizen
access to government information, including how to ask for and receive
information under the federal Freedom of Information Act, what types of
information government agencies store on computers, what the barriers
are to citizen access to these information resources, and how citizens
can change government information policy to expand access to taxpayer-
funded information resources.

Exploring the Internet -- a guided journey
Mark Graham, Pandora Systems Tim Pozar, Late Night Software

This tutorial will give participants a practical introduction to the
most popular and powerful applications available via the world's largest
computer network, the Internet. There will be hands-on demonstrations
of communications tools such as e-mail, conferencing, Internet Relay
Chat, and resource discovery and navigation aids such as Gopher, WAIS,
Archie and World Wide Web. Extensive documentation will be provided.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 8 4 Jan 1993

Constitutional Law for Non-lawyers (1/2 session):
Mike Godwin, Staff Counsel, Electronic Frontier Foundation

This tutorial is designed to inform non-lawyers about the Constitutional
issues that underlie computer-crime and computer civil-liberties cases.
The tutorial focuses on the First and Fourth Amendments, but includes a
discussion of the Fifth Amendment and its possible connection to the
compelled disclosure of cryptographic keys. It also includes a
discussion of the appropriateness of "original intent" as a method for
applying the Constitution in the modern era.

Civil Liberties Implications of Computer Searches & Seizures (1/2 ses.):
Mike Godwin, Staff Counsel, Electronic Frontier Foundation

This tutorial assumes only a very basic knowledge of Constitutional law
(the prior tutorial provides an adequate background), and outlines how
searches and seizures of computers may raise issues of First and Fourth
Amendment rights, as well as of federal statutory protections. It
includes a discussion of what proper search-and-seizure techniques in
such cases may be.

Tuesday 9 March - Afternoon Tutorials

Practical Data Inferencing: What we THINK we know about you.
Russell L. Brand, Senior Computer Scientist, Reasoning Systems

What do your transaction trails reveal about you? Are you a good risk
to insure? Are you worth kidnapping, auditing or suing? Which products
should I target at you? Are you a member of one of those groups that I
would want to harass or discriminate against? This tutorial will be a
hands-on approach to digging for data and to piecing it back together.
Time will be divided between malicious personal invasions and sweeping
searches that seek only profit, followed by a brief discussion about
improper inferences and their practical impact on innocent files and
lives. Legal and moral issues will not be addressed.

Telecommunications Fraud
Donald P. Delaney, Senior Investigator, New York State Police

Illegal call sell operations in New York City are estimated to be a
billion dollar industry. This tutorial will provide an overview of the
problem, from finger hacking to pay phone enterprises, and will include
an up-to-date assessment of the computer cracker/hacker/phone phreak
impact on telephone company customer losses. Also discussed will be
unlawful access of telephone company switches; unlawful wiretapping and
monitoring; cards, codes and 950 numbers; New York State law and police
enforcement; methods of investigation and case studies.

Private Sector Marketplace and Workplace Privacy
Ernest A. Kallman, Bentley College, H. Jeff Smith, Georgetown University

FidoNews 10-01 Page 9 4 Jan 1993

This tutorial will give participants a general overview of privacy
issues affecting uses of personal information (e.g., medical
information, financial information, purchase histories) in the
marketplace as well as privacy concerns in the workplace (e.g., privacy
of electronic and voice mail, work monitoring). The tutorial will also
set the boundaries for privacy arguments in the middle and latter 1990s.

SysLaw
Lance Rose, Attorney and Author "SysLaw"

The SysLaw tutorial session will explore in depth the freedom and
privacy issues encountered by computer bulletin boards (BBS), their
system operators and their users. BBSs are estimated to number over
45,000 today (not counting corporate systems), and range from small,
spare-time hobby systems to systems with thousands of users, grossing
millions of dollars. BBSs are a grassroots movement with an entry cost
of $1,000 or less, and the primary vehicles for new forms of electronic
communities and services. Subjects covered will include: First Amendment
protection for the BBS as publisher/distributor; data freedom and
property rights on the BBS; how far can sysops control BBS user
activities?; and user privacy on BBSs today.

Note: Tutorial presenters will offer expert opinions and information.
Some may advocate particular viewpoints and thus may put their own
"spin" on the issues. Caveat Listener.

CFP'93 Main Program Sessions:

Wednesday 10 March

Electronic Democracy
Chair - Jim Warren, MicroTimes and Autodesk, Inc.

The effects of computer and telecommunications technologies on
democratic processes and institutions are increasing dramatically. This
session will explore their impacts on political organizing, campaigning,
access to representatives and agencies, and access to government
information that is essential for a free press and an informed
electorate.

Electronic Voting -- Threats to Democracy
Chair - Rebecca Mercuri, University of Pennsylvania

This panel session will invite representatives covering a broad spectrum
of involvement with the controversial subject of electronic vote
tallying to address such issues as: Is a secure and reliable electronic
voting system feasible? What threats to these systems are identifiable?
Should electronic voting systems be open for thorough examination? Can
auditability be assured in an anonymous ballot setting? Can voting by
phone be practical and confidential? Did Congress exempt voting machines
from the Computer Security Act?

FidoNews 10-01 Page 10 4 Jan 1993

Censorship and Free Speech on the Networks
Chair - Barbara Simons, IBM

As online forums become increasingly pervasive, the notion of "community
standards" becomes harder to pin down. Networks and BBSs will link--or
create--diverse, non-geographic communities with differing standards,
laws, customs and mores. What may be frank discussion in one forum may
be obscenity or defamation or sexual harassment in another. This session
will explore the questions of what kinds of freedom-of-speech problems
face us on the Net and what kinds of legal and social solutions we need.

Portrait of the Artist on the Net
Chair - Anna Couey, Arts Wire

Computer forums and networks make possible both new artforms and new
ways of remote collaboration and exhibition. The growth of the Net
creates opportunities for the blossoming of dynamic and interactive
artforms and of artistic cultures -- provided that networks become
widely accessible and remain open to artistic expression without
political interference. This session will examine the potentials and the
problems of art and artists on the Net.

Thursday 11 March

Digital Telephony and Crypto Policy
Chair - John Podesta, Podesta and Associates

The increasingly digital nature of telecommunications potentially
threatens the ability of law enforcement agencies to intercept them when
legally authorized to do so. In addition, the potential widespread use
of cryptography may render the ability to intercept a communication
moot. This session will examine these issues and the proposals that
have been put before Congress by law enforcement agencies to address
these perceived problems.

Health Records and Confidentiality
Chair - Janlori Goldman, American Civil Liberties Union

As the new Administration and Congress consider proposals to reform the
United States health care system, it is imperative that confidentiality
and security safeguards be put in place to protect personal information.
Currently, no comprehensive legislation exists on the confidentiality of
health information. This session will explore the current and potential
uses of health care information, and proposals to safeguard the
information.

The Many Faces of Privacy
Chair - Willis Ware, Rand Corp.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 11 4 Jan 1993

Privacy at any cost is foolish, unwise and an untenable position, and
privacy at zero cost is a myth. This two-part session will explore the
balancing act between the two extremes and the costs and benefits that
accrue. The first part will present several examples of systems and
applications in the public and private sectors that stake out a position
in this continuum. The second part will be a panel discussion
exploring the issues raised by the examples previously presented.

The Digital Individual
Chair - Max Nelson-Kilger, San Jose State University

We are all represented by personal records in countless databases. As
these records are accumulated, disseminated and coalesced, each of us is
shadowed by an ever larger and more detailed data alter-ego, which
increasingly stands in for us in many situations without our permission
or even awareness. How does this happen? How does it affect us? How will
it develop in the future? What can we do? This session will investigate
these questions.

Friday 12 March

Gender Issues in Computing and Telecommunications
Chair - Judi Clark, Bay Area Women in Telecommunications

Online environments are largely determined by the viewpoints of their
users and programmers, still predominantly white men. This panel will
discuss issues of freedom and privacy that tend to affect women -- such
as access, identity, harassment, pornography and online behavior -- and
provide recommendations for gender equity policies to bulletin board
operators and system administrators.

The Hand That Wields the Gavel
Chair - Don Ingraham, Asst. District Attorney, Alameda County, CA

An inevitable result of the settlement of Cyberspace is the adaptation
of the law to its particular effects. In this session a panel of
criminal lawyers addresses the fallout from a hypothetical computer
virus on the legal responsibilities of system managers and operators.
The format will be a simulated court hearing. Attendees will act as
advisory jurors in questioning and in rendering a verdict.

The Power, Politics, and Promise of Internetworking
Chair- Jerry Berman, Electronic Frontier Foundation

This session will explore the development of internetworking
infrastructures, domestically and worldwide. How will this
infrastructure and its applications be used by the general public? What
will the global network look like to the average user from Kansas to
Kiev? How will politics, technology and legislation influence the
access to, and cost of, the Net? How can the potential of this powerful
medium be fully realized?

FidoNews 10-01 Page 12 4 Jan 1993

International Data Flow
Chair - George Trubow, John Marshall Law School

The trans-border flow of information on international computer networks
has been a concern for governments and the private sector. In addition
to concerns for privacy and data security, the economic and national
security implications of this free flow of information among scientists,
engineers and researchers around the world are also cause for concern.
This session will assemble a number of speakers to compare the various
perspectives on the problem

Some of the Speakers in the CFP'93 Main Program:

Phillip E. Agre, Dept. of Communication, Univ. of California, San Diego
Jonathan P. Allen, Dept. of Information & Computer Science,
University of California, Irvine
Sheri Alpert, Policy Analyst, author: "Medical Records, Privacy, and
Health Care Reform"
William A. Bayse, Assistant Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
William Behnk, Coordinator, Legislative Information System, State of
California
Paul Bernstein, Attorney
Kate Bloch, Hastings College of the Law
Anita Borg, DEC Network Systems Lab
Richard Civille, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Roger Clarke, Reader in Information Systems, Department of Commerce,
Australian National University
Dorothy Denning, Chair, Computer Science Department, Georgetown
University
Janet Dixon, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Robert Edgar, Simon and Schuster Technology Group
Kathleen Frawley, American Health Information Management Association
Emmanuel Gardner, District Manager, Government Affairs, AT&T
Mike Godwin, Staff Counsel, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Joe Green, University of Minnesota
Sarah Grey, Computer Department, We The People, Brown presidential
campaign organization (invited)
Will Hill, Bellcore
Carl Kadie, Co-editor, Computers and Academic Freedom News newsletter
Mitch Kapor, Chairman, Electronic Frontier Foundation
David Lewis, Deputy Registrar, Department of Motor Vehicles,
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
James Love, Director, Taxpayers Assets Project
Judy Malloy, Associate Editor, Leonardo Electronic News
Irwin Mann, Mathematician, New York University
David McCown, Attorney
Rob Mechaley, Vice President, Technology Development, McCaw Cellular
Communications, Inc.
Robert Naegele, Granite Creek Technology Inc., Voting Machine Examiner,
FidoNews 10-01 Page 13 4 Jan 1993

consultant to NY State
Barbara Peterson, Staff Attorney, Joint Committee on Information
Technology Resources, Florida Legislature
Jack Reed, Chairman, Information Resource Service Company
Virginia E. Rezmierski, Assistant for Policy Studies to the Vice
Provost for Information Technology, University of Michigan
Jack Rickard, Editor, Boardwatch Magazine
Randy Ross, American Indian Telecommunications
Roy Saltman, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Robert Ellis Smith, Publisher, Privacy Journal
David Sobel, Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
Ross Stapleton, Research Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency
Jacob Sullum, Associate Editor, Reason Magazine
Greg Tucker, Coordinator, David Syme Faculty of Business,
Monash University, Australia
Joan Turek-Brezina, Chair, Health and Human Services Task Force on
Privacy of Private-Sector Health Records

Registration:
Register for the conference by returning the Conference Registration
Form along with the appropriate payment. The registration fee includes
conference materials, three luncheons (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday),
two banquet dinners (Wednesday and Thursday) and evening receptions
(Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). Payment must accompany registration.

Registration Fees are:
If mailed by: 7 February 8 March on site
Conference Fees: $300 $355 $405
Tutorial Fees: $135 $165 $195
Conference & Tutorial $435 $520 $600

Registration is limited to 550 participants, so register early and save!

By Mail: By Fax:
(with Check or Credit Card) (with Credit Card only)
CFP'93 Registration Send Registration Form
2210 Sixth Street (510) 845-3946
Berkeley, CA 94710 Available 24 hours

By Phone: By E-Mail:
(with Credit Card only) (with Credit Card only)
(510) 845-1350 [email protected]
10 am to 5 pm Pacific Time

CFP'93 Scholarships:
The Third Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy (CFP'93) will
provide a limited number of full registration scholarships for students
and other interested individuals. These scholarships will cover the full
costs of registration, including three luncheons, two banquets, and all
conference materials. Scholarship recipients will be responsible for
their own lodging and travel expenses. Persons wishing to apply for one
of these fully-paid registrations should contact CFP'93 Scholarship
Chair, John McMullen at: [email protected]

FidoNews 10-01 Page 14 4 Jan 1993

Hotel Accommodations:
The Third Conference on Computers, Freedom and Privacy will be held at
the San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel in Burlingame, CA. This
facility is spacious and comfortable, and is easily accessible from the
airport and surrounding cities. Because of the intensive nature of the
conference, we encourage our attendees to secure their lodging at the
conference facility. Special conference rates of $99/night, single or
multiple occupancy, are available. Our room block is limited and these
conference rates are guaranteed only until 9 February 1993, so we urge
you to make your reservations as early as possible. When calling for
reservations, please be sure to identify the conference to obtain the
conference rate. Hotel Reservations: (415) 692-9100 or (800) 228-9290.

Refund Policy:
Refund requests received in writing by February 19, 1993 will be
honored. A $50 cancellation fee will be applied. No refunds will be made
after this date; however, you may send a substitute in your place.

Registration Form

Name (Please print):__________________________________________________

Title:________________________________________________________________

Affiliation:__________________________________________________________

Mailing Address:______________________________________________________

City, State, Zip:_____________________________________________________

Country:______________________________________________________________

Telephone:_____________________________Fax:___________________________

E-mail:_______________________________________________________________

Privacy Locks:
We will not sell, rent, loan, exchange or use this information for any
purpose other than official Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference
activities. A printed roster will be distributed to attendees. Please
indicate the information you wish to be excluded from the roster:
__Print only name, affiliation and phone number
__Print name only
__Omit all information about me in the roster

Registration Fees (please indicate your selections):
If mailed by: 7 February 8 March on site
Conference Fees: $300__ $355__ $405__
Tutorial Fees $135__ $165__ $195__
Conference & Tutorial $435__ $520__ $600__

FidoNews 10-01 Page 15 4 Jan 1993

If you have registered for the Tutorials, select one from each group:
9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
__Information Use in Private Sector
__Constitutional Law for Non-lawyers & Civil-liberties
Implications of Computer Searches and Seizures
__Access to Government Information
__Exploring the Internet

1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
__Practical Data Inferencing: What we THINK we know about you.
__Telecommunications Fraud
__Private Sector Marketplace and Workplace Privacy
__SysLaw

Payments: Total Amount____________

Please indicate method of payment: __Check (payable to CPF'93)
(payment must accompany registration) __VISA
__MasterCard

Credit card #______________________________Expiration date____________

Name on card__________________________________________________________

Signature_____________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Zone 1 ZEC Election Rules

From: Dave James@1:209/209

Now that all of the REC's have spoken up, 6 have asked me to go ahead with
holding an election for ZEC. Article follows.

Nominations are open from Jan. 7 at 00:01 PST to Jan. 14 at 23:59 PST.

Discussion follows from Jan. 18 at 00:01 PST to Jan. 28 at 23:59 PST.

Voting period will be from Feb. 01 at 00:01 PST to Feb. 5 at 23:59 PST.

Term of office is one year from date elected.

Requirements:
-------------
Any Zone 1 SysOp listed in the Jan. 8th, 1993 Nodelist is eligible to be
nominated.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 16 4 Jan 1993

All nominations MUST include a note from the nominee, accepting the
nomination.

Only RECs are eligible to vote so be sure to let yours know how you
feel.

The RECs will have one vote each and will consult their region to see
how to cast it.

Notifications:
--------------

This election announcement posted in FidoNews and Z1_ELECTION echo on
Jan. 4.

The nominees will be posted in FidoNews and Z1_ELECTION echo on Jan.
18

Results posted in FidoNews and Z1_ELECTION echo on Feb. 8.

Notes:
------

RECs are encouraged to cross post into their respective local RGNal
echos.

Send your nominations, in net mail, to Dave James at 1:209/209.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

by Glen Johnson 1:2605/269
Media Executive Rejected in bid for Zone Coordinator - Part III

Hello folks!

Now let's see, where were we ...

Oh yes! Thanks for all the netmail; keep those cards and letters
coming. I'm happy to say I've heard from the sysops in many nets;
thanks to EVERYONE that wrote, keep it up! Oh yeah, I guess I should
mention that I've also heard from a contingent in Zone 2 as well.

Well, hidden deep in the bowels of last week's nodediff, you'll find a
note that says the RCs just can't seem to settle on a replacement for
Zone 1 Coordinator. So, they've decided to stop trying to break their
5-5 tie. Well, like I said in LAST week's Fidonews, maybe if the field
of candidates weren't so LIMITED, they'd have an easier time of it.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 17 4 Jan 1993

The note, apparently from George Peace, which Tom Jennings was good
enough to reproduce in Fidonews, else noone would have ever seen it,
went on to say that "my rules have been appropriately discarded".

Gee whiz, now I wonder what THAT means? Does that mean that sysops are
going to be allowed to vote? Or does it mean that we are going to be
allowed to run for ZC?

Now one thing we CAN'T let 'em get away with is letting them USE US to
break their tie FOR them. If they say that sysops can vote, but you
gotta vote for one of the candidates we give you, what good is that?
Oh its good for THEM allright. That way they could shut us up by
saying they gave us a say in the matter, while at the same time, still
restricting the field to current or former RCs. Nope. Don't buy it.

Oooh. Maybe they'll go the OTHER way! Maybe they'll let a grunt sysop
like Rich Wood run, but limit the voting to just the RCs! Hey, THAT'D
be a neat trick, wouldn't it?? "Ok Rich you can run. Oops! Sorry
Rich, we don't want you; you lose. Now get lost".

Nice try. That ain't gonna work either.

Wanna know what's REALLY going on? Me too. If you ask OUR RC what's
going on, he tells you to read Fidonews. He's a real full-disclosure
kinda guy. Doesn't even tell the NCs of his region what he's up to.

I got a great idea! Perfect compromise. See, us low life sysops have
the nerve to want to choose our coordinators. And a bunch of
coordinators want to continue the tradition of appointing each other.
So how about if the RCs APPOINT Rich Wood ZC! That'd make THEM happy,
right? And with Mr. Wood as ZC, that'd be the LAST time anyone gets
APPOINTED ZC, I guarantee it. Hehehe.

Somehow, I don't think they'll want to pull their own plugs by
appointing Rich Wood though. Pity.

Now I'll try to stop being sarcastic for just a wee bit and see if I
can dissect this for everyone.

Nobody, or let's say, the sysops, really have any idea WHY George
Peace wants out. And we don't really care. Fact is, he wants out. And
he wants one of his "own kind" to take over. And I believe the
majority of his "own kind" think that's a good idea. (What a surprise.
Oops, sorry, no sarcasm).

Now, hearing of Peace's resignation, and seizing an opportunity to
change the system, Rich Wood decides he wants to be Zone Coordinator.

The masses hear about this, and think this is a good idea. Rich Wood,
grunt sysop, experienced mail hub, current net echo coordinator, head
honcho of the WOR Radio Network, tracked down and interviewd by the
Wall Street Journal about Fidonet, nice guy,
sysop-empowerment/democracy freak, spent his entire professional life
in the communications industry, thinks sysops should be allowed to
choose who their coordinators are, wants to be Zone Coordinator. This
sounds good to sysops.
FidoNews 10-01 Page 18 4 Jan 1993

But the current ZC doesn't think this is a good idea at all. He
completely ignores Rich's qualifications and rejects him because he's
not a Region Coordinator. He's a firm believer in coordinators coming
from the level directly below. After all, THOSE people have
DEMONSTRATED their ability to handle such a DIFFICULT JOB, right?

Of course, Rich makes decisions on a daily basis that affect people's
lives, incomes and entertainment. But that's no demonstration of your
ability to be a FIDONET ZONE COORDINATOR AND RUN MAKENL! (damn, I *AM*
a sarcastic SOB aren't I?).

Well, GUESS WHAT?

See, if its SO IMPORTANT that higher level coordinators are chosen
from the ranks of LOWER LEVEL coordinators, *I* would like to know how
our exalted Zone Coordinator got to BE Zone Coordinator in the first
place! In order to be a ZC, according to his rules, you gotta be an RC
first, right? Ok. Well then doesn't it stand to reason that in order
to be an RC you have to be an NC first? Makes sense, doesn't it?

OOPS! It seems our ZC was NEVER a net coordinator before he became RC!
FOR *SHAME*! Tsk tsk tsk. Guess those ideas about coming up through
the ranks applies to everyone but him, huh!

Well, let's all send a netmail to 'ol George at 1:1/0 and tell him
what bus to get on. Hey George! Us peons want a highly qualified FAIR
AND HONEST person for Zone Coordinator. We want someone that's one of
us, that has OUR best interest at heart. We want an NON-FIDO
POLITICIAN. We DON'T want someone that favors his buddies or a
particular class of Fidoperson. We want RICH WOOD. Are you paying
attention??

We'll see ...

Oh yes. The John Souvestre thing. I got two netmails from people
chastising me for beating on John Souvestre in my last article. I
wanna clarify why I did what I did, and what has developed since.

See, Souvestre threw two people out of the ZEC conference for talking
about ZC elections. Me & Big Mouth Bob Moravsik. He threw us out
illegally (cuz the rules say you gotta provide two netmail warnings
first. He didn't do that). That's why I dumped on him. Power mongers
are real easy to spot.

Now, Marge Robbins apparently is the co-moderator of that conference.
She's identified as such in the latest Elist. She's been telling
Moravsik that he's gonna stay out of the conference until he files an
OFFICIAL APPEAL with her, then she'll "investigate" .

Hehehehe. This gets good. Turns out, 'ol Margie knew from the VERY
BEGINNING that Souvestre illegally cut the links, and has been working
hard to cover it up! Yep. She confided in a friend; told her the whole
story. And that friend SQUEALED ON HER! Yep. That friend posted a big
'ol giant message in a public conference telling everyone how Margie
called her up, told her Souvestre screwed up, and didn't know what to
do about it. So of COURSE, instead of just fixing it, she proceeded to
FidoNews 10-01 Page 19 4 Jan 1993

COVER JOHN'S BUTT. Can't embarass the Great FidoGod that runs the
Southern Star Backbone System now CAN we? And Margie has the nerve to
tell Bob Moravsik to file an appeal with her, and she'll investigate,
and RULE on it? Hahahahaa!!! I'm sure she'll have NO TROUBLE
investigating being that she was IN ON IT all along.

Whew! Anyway, that's all I'm gonna say about Margie & Johnny. Its
really just a side issue. But it IS humorous to watch control freaks
squirm when you corner them :)

I'll leave you with this thought ...

I can't TELL you HOW MANY TIMES I've been told by "big shots" in
Fidonet that the average sysop DOESN'T CARE about democracy. They
don't CARE who runs Fidonet or how they get there.

And you know what? That's ABSOLUTELY TRUE. Most sysops couldn't give a
fuzzy rats ass how things operate.

But that doesn't give YOU license to use that as an EXCUSE to dominate
the people that DO.

Drop me a line and tell me what YOU think.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

By Shawn K. Quinn (1:106/7550, [email protected])
The Events in the ZEC Echo

First off, let me correct/comment on what Glen Johnson submitted to
the last FidoNews of 1992. His comments included the following
(rewrapped at 70 characters):

GJ> But I *DO* want to warn you lowly sysops about WHERE you voice
GJ> your opinion on this issue! *I* just received the dubious honor of
GJ> being cut from the ZEC conference for discussion ZC elections!
GJ> They said it was off-topic. Funny, the last TWO Zone Echo
GJ> Coordinators were APPOINTED (oops, there we go with that
GJ> appointment stuff again!) by the ZC, so I'd think there'd be a
GJ> pretty CLOSE RELATIONSHIP there, don't you?? Don't matter though
GJ> ...

Notice that Glen admitted to posting in the ZEC echo about ZC
elections, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT IS OFF-TOPIC. IMHO, who appoints the
ZEC is irrelevant here. It is the ZEC echo, not the
ZC_ELECTION_BULLSH*T echo. Marge Robbins, who has been recognized as
the ZEC Co-moderator for quite some time, appointed John Souvestre as
temporary moderator of the echo until Marge recovered from illness I
believe. In regards to Glen's other comments (again re-wrapped):

FidoNews 10-01 Page 20 4 Jan 1993

GJ> Me, and another famous Big Mouth, Bob Moravsik, were yanked from
GJ> the conference by JOHN SOUVESTRE. Souvestre claims he's the
GJ> moderator of the ZEC conference, and has the authority to throw us
GJ> out.

Later comments include the fact that neither John Souvestre nor Marge
were listed as moderators of the ZEC echo. This was due to a software
glitch, which has since been corrected, I believe. The fact remains
that Marge is the co-moderator, and has been since I left FidoNet back
in April of this year, at least. Whether or not the ELIST software
belched doesn't matter. MARGE IS THE CO-MODERATOR. The real moderator
is the ZEC, but there isn't one right now, probably because the new ZC
will appoint one, or call for an election of one. It was stated
several times that the ZC election would be on-topic in the SYSOP
echo.

What I feel REALLY stinks is the fact that the NEC asked the moderator
why the link should be cut, and had the guts to tell the moderator to
"GO POUND SALT." I would NOT want that person as NEC of MY net for
sure. Eighty-eight SysOps lost their link because the NEC and REC and
whoever else doubted the authority of the moderator over HIS
CONFERENCE. Let this be a lesson to those NECs who will dare to tell a
moderator to "GO POUND SALT" that it is not tolerated very long in
several nets, including FidoNet and (of course, you knew I was going
to say this) DuckNet.

GJ> Hey, why not make this Souvestre guy Z1C?? That's the kind of guy
GJ> we want, right?? A total dictator that admits it! Yeah!!!

An attempt at satire. A really bad one, but an attempt nevertheless.

GJ> Anyway, the REASON Rich Wood enjoys popular support, is because HE
GJ> supports checks and balances so that people like Souvestre can't
GJ> go on a rampage like this unchecked. People like that MUST be held
GJ> accountable to the rank and file.

I was personally annoyed, almost EXCESSIVELY ANNOYED (BIG HINT), at
what was posted in the ZEC echo that *I* thought was off-topic. I pay
to move this cr*p around, and I don't like to see my money wasted.
Souvestre did his best to restore ORDER in the ZEC echo, instead of
the total PANDEMONIUM going on previously.

In short, I support democracy in FidoNet, but I disapprove of how the
Rich Wood for ZC movement is being handled. Posting of off-topic
material in an echo has ruined a couple of organizations I have been a
part of, and I have no desire to have it occur three times.

Replies to the address at the top of this article, flames to
/dev/null.

SKQ

FidoNews 10-01 Page 21 4 Jan 1993

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A Perfect Fidonet
by David Conger

Lately, all I've been reading about is the ZC1 election. It seems that
mudslinging isn't just in the political parties. Now it extends to
Fidonet. Well, I realize that our ancestors fought for our freedom of
speech, but then I think our ancestors had a lot more manners then we
did. They may have been a bit crude, but they did manage to get it
done.

I read in the latest fidonet news about how George Peace said that a
RC or previous RC should get his job. Well Mr. Peace, if your
concerned about the position being filled, why leave in the first
place? You must have done something right or you wouldn't have lasted
this long. We appreciate your concern, but most of us are big boys and
girls now, making everyday life decisions. I'm sure that we can pick
our new ZC1 ourselves. Because of your narrow minded attitude toward
this, we may not get the right person for the job. It's like your
telling us that out of almost 25,000 nodes, only a handful should be
considered . Is that really fair? When you leave, we're the ones that
suffer or applaud your sucessor. Since it's our necks in the noose,
shouldn't we be allowed the chance to put it there ourselves, or have
you decided that what our ancestors died for is a worthless cause now
that we're in the 90's. Come on George, give us a chance.

Further on I read an article written by someone that is trying to make
a ridicule of Fidonet. I know we have some problems, but the way you
approached it made me feel that you were more of a raving lunatic. You
looked more ridiculous than the person that you were commenting about.
I would have to think twice about the person who you were supporting.
You were my first impression of him, and all you did was rant, rave,
complain, and ridicule. It might have not been as exciting to just
state your case and offer your solution, but I think I would have
received it better. I truly believed you were wronged, and I believe
the gentleman that wronged you was wrong. But you did no better than
he did with your comment.

I wish we could do less politicing and more personalization. But it
any organization where popular support is needed, you will always have
politics. It seems that our volunteer organization has grown up. Are
we going to be good parents and nurture it, or see what we can gain
from it?

I would like to see our organization be the best that it can be. We
need a leader that can work with even the hardest to get along people.
Someone who can make a diplomat out of dictator. Someone that can sell
ice cubes to Eskimos. Someone who can bring a nationally scattered
group of individuals together to function as one entity, and since
Superman isn't available, it will have to be one of us. But whoever it
is, I hope we will have the chance to acknowledge in some way that
they are the person that we want to represent and be responsible for
us.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 22 4 Jan 1993

Sincerely,
David Conger
1:130/903
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Rick Richard
1:106/461

Well another year has passed and it's about time for me to get on my
saddle and take to the Salt Grass Trail Ride again. This is my yearly
communion with nature.<G>

The Salt Grass Trail is a route taken by our ancestors in their quest
for the big bucks in the selling of cattle in Houston, Tx. It is
approximately 60 miles long and takes two weeks on horse back now.
That's because we just play alot and don't do alot of cattle business.
The real cowboys drove cattle for about 150 miles to Houston and only
made about 15 miles aday. All for very little money.

This my account of last years ride.

Now here's my horse and me walking along all depressed because my
portable phone won't connect to my notebook computer. I'm growing more
and more agitated as the ride progresses, I can't get my EchoMail!
Dog Gone it! Dash Burn it! I'm a rootin tootin cowboy on the FidoNet
range but can't even get a carrot of echo for my horse and me.

We stop nightly in pastures owned by ranchers to bed down our horses
and ourselves and of course to eat, get drunk and carouse the nights
away two stepping and cotton eye joe ing.(that's dancing for you city
folks). On the third night I found what I was looking for! A rancher
with a computer and modem. It took the better part of an hour to
convince him that I wasn't going to trash his Breeder program by
calling my home system and downloading my mail. You know how computer
novices are. I got thru on the first try (I had my horse's shoe for
good luck, cause my system is very busy).

So I pick up my mail and copy by floppy to my notebook and mosey on
back to the campfire. Ah computer bliss! I read the FidoNews, catch
up on my personal stuff and then realize that I have no way to place
my replies in the Fido loop. $#%*&&@. The rancher is gone and there's
nothin' I can do but press the save key and drift off to sleep under
the stars and sweet perfume of horse and cattle.(pew wee!)

I awake the next morning to find the friendly rancher is gone to town
and we're movin' out before he'll be back. What to do, what to do...
I saddle up and strap my trusty notebook in my saddle bags in hopes of
a chance at another rancher's PC. You must remember that after 4 days
of no mail a man gets pretty lonely with just his horse to comfort
him, and I just got a taste of the echo but no reply would be like
sex with no orgasm. I just had to find a way to input my mail some-
where.

FidoNews 10-01 Page 23 4 Jan 1993

As luck would have it we stopped at a feed store on the highway for
supplies and low and behold and PC was sitting on the owners desk.
I couldn't believe my eyes, a hick town with a pc at the feed store.
I guess technology is everywhere. But alas even though the owner
agreed to let me use it, it had no modem. Well being a pc cowboy you
have to be prepared so I whipped out my swiss army knife and
dis-assembled my notebook and robbed the modem. Next time I'll take
a pocket modem. I shoved it in the pc and quickly transferred the
communcation program as I was about to be left by the Trail Boss.
I logged on to the first BBS that my dialer program hit and uploaded
my replies. WoW! what a feeling of self worth and importance.

When I got home I realized that two weeks of cowboying is underated.
It can be more fun than shootin flies off the barn, but it ain't no
match for Modeming Along and Singin' my Song on FidoNet.

So come on you lonesome cowboys join in the fracaous and get yourself
a notebook computer (with a pocket modem) for those days when your the
deer and the antelope just don't fill your boots with fun and cows
just remind you that your eating beans tonight instead of steaks.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

By: Rob Butler 1:124/3109
All this political crap in Fidonet

Its been a while since I've written anything for Fidonews or
otherwise, primarily because I'm senile at 21... Why am I writing it
now? Because Cheers is a re-run, and I've basically got nothing
better to do right now at this point in my life.

That, and the fact that I'm sick of all the political turmoil that is
threatening to turn Fidonet (primarily zone1, which is what I'm
concerned with most :-) over on its collective behind. I mean, come
on, guys.. Get some Perspective.. This is a hobby! -- Notice that I
haven't said who is in need of some adjustment yet. Hint.
The lower half of the alphabet (Z, R, and NC) has got some problems.
They're tight fisted (substitute your favorite 5 letter word beginning
with 'a' for "fisted") hippocrates who have delusions of godhood and
other stuff like that. Its a "good-old-boy" club that is impossible
to get into unless you "have connections".

The other people not mentioned here also fall into the lower half of
the alphabet (Sysops, Users, etc...) They lack perspective, and don't
have either the experience or dedication that those other guys have.
They have little idea of the effort and EXPENSE necessary to get a
system setup and running reliabily (did I mention expense?)

Well, if you've read this far and still haven't hit the pg-dn a few
times, I've basically said everything I wanted to (remember the
limited attention thing that Ross Perot challenged? Get your point
across in the first few paragraphs...)

FidoNews 10-01 Page 24 4 Jan 1993

Where do I get off telling both sides they've got a serious additude
problem? I don't (as I'm sure some amusing netmail will tell me.)
However, I do have extensive experience on both sides... I'm a
common, do-nothing peon sysop in Fido; I'm also a ZC, RC (two nets)
and NC (also for two nets.)

I've been doing all this for quite some time now, and I can tell you
that it is _very_ tempting (esp if I use my ZC aka) to tell one of the
little weinie boards to get it through their thick skulls and get
their system setup correctly, OR ELSE! <victor price laugh>.

I've also been the victim of a co-ordinator like that before, and
its not fun.

Again, (and for the last time because I'm sick of writing and
there's a Twilight Zone on I haven't seen) Get some Perspective!
Personally, I'd just _love_ to begin to work my way up through the
ranks of Fidonet and start smacking some people upside the head and
asking them why they are such asses.

later.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------

By Gary Gilmore 1/2410/400
FidoNet... Fat-Free? (FidoNet Lite?)

Well, here we are, 1993. Fight-o-Net begins yet another year.
Peace on earth, excepting the places that modems reach, or so it
appears.

Say, look at the Nodelist lately? Yippie! We have MORE confusing
flags! Let's have a look:

HST USR Courier HST
H14 USR Courier HST 14.4
H16 USR Courier HST 16.8

This -is- getting a little ridiculous, isn't it? What's next?

FAX Modem with fax ability
HSCORP Hayes 9600 with a Scorpio sysop?

Wouldn't it have been a little less confusing to do these like this?

HST USR Courier HST
DS4 USR Dual Standard 14.4
DS6 USR Dual Standard 16.8

FidoNews 10-01 Page 25 4 Jan 1993

It's bad enough that the nodelist is swelling like a pregnant whale,
but do we really need things like this? (below, from the nodelist)

;S The following flags define the type(s) of compression of mail
;S packets supported.
;S
;S Flag Meaning
;S
;S MN No compression supported

Please, shoot me now! Who, other than the nodes hub, really needs to
know this? Do you get mail packets from people that you don't know?
(Me either...) More wasted space.

Agreed, we DO need to define some things that have been neglected, but
I think there's better ways. When are we going to see a 14,400 flag??
And please, if/when we get those, I'd like to propose they be "14.4k"
or "16.8k" rather than "16800". (After all, we're trying to save
space, remember?)

How about some other gripes, while I'm at it. I thought, somewhere
in the wonderfully vague document that is POLICY4, you had to use
your REAL NAME when applying for a node number. It's very interesting
to see, in the nodelist, an entire net full of aliases. Even the NC
of this (un-named) net uses an alias in the nodelist. Hey, who's
letting this by?

Specifically, POLICY4 states that you supply "Your name". Well, MY
name is on my drivers license. That's the name in my nodelist entry.
That should pretty much define "Your name".

There's all this yell about trimming down the nodelist, let's start
there. I'm sure that "John Doe" takes up less space than "The Exalted
Wombat".

After we get things in order there, let's cut down on the "The" and
"BBS" entries in the nodelist. Now, I have BOTH of these. Why?
Because, there's another "Bloom County" in the nodelist, so I have to,
to avoid confusion.

Really, it all boils down to the NC's. They need to assure the proper
flags get assigned to the nodes. No more, no less. (I refer all to
the excellent article in FNEWS952 by Nils Hammer...well done!) They
also need to be more attentive to nodes that "glitz" up their listings
with characters like "*" or ">", etc. Many PVT systems are nothing
more than fancy QWK readers for their owners. (Of course, there's no
way to prove that, unless we want to appoint a "FidoNet Ghestapo"
force... "Cardinal! Get the comfy chair!")

While we're all losing weight here...

FidoNews 10-01 Page 26 4 Jan 1993

One last note. I'd be ever so happy if some sysops would start paying
attention to what their users are doing. I just finished reading one
of the more active echos. There was THIRTY-SEVEN replies from one user,
all in a row, to ANYthing ANYone said. Ok, that's his right, BUT this
user quoted _every_ message, in its entirety, including origin lines!

An alert sysop should have caught that, (gently) smacked the user in
the back of the head, and told him how impolite it is to over-quote.
("But I can't keep up with everything!", you cry...)
If you can't keep an eye on your system, maybe you should pare it
back a little. (Or get extra help.)

Feel free to send letter bombs, flaming dog feces, etc. to me in
Netmail. Cheers! (Remember... vote Powdered Toast Man for ZC!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

by Lee Woofenden
Synthesis, 1:3401/101 (206) 293-8856

The Swedenborgian Ideas Echo (correction)

OOPS! In my article on the Swedenborgian Ideas Echo in the December 14
issue of FidoNews (#950), I gave a wrong number for my own BBS at the
bottom of the article. <banging head against wall> The number at the
top of the article was correct. I apologize to anyone who tried the
wrong number and to whoever has that number for any inconvenience this
may have caused.

Here, again, are the BBSs that carry the SWEDENBORG echo, with their
right numbers:

Synthesis Guemes Island, WA (206) 293-8856 (1:3401/101)
Electronic Educator Washougal, WA (206) 837-3299 (1:105/114)
The Magic Bus Royal Oak, MI (313) 544-3653 (1:120/418)

In the past few weeks, we've been talking about the meaning of
Christmas, the relationship between science and religion, the creation
of the universe, the differences between men's and women's minds, and
various other topics.

Come join us!

--Lee Woofenden

----------------------------------------------------------------------

FidoNews 10-01 Page 27 4 Jan 1993

======================================================================
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FidoNews 10-01 Page 28 4 Jan 1993

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Asked what he thought of Western civilization,
M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea".

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