F I D O N E W S -- Vol.12 No.10 (06-Mar-1995)
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS |
| _ | +1-519-570-4176 |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | Sheep affairs desk: |
| (_| /_) | Doc Logger 1:163/110 |
| _`@/_ \ _ | Rev. Richard Visage 1:163/409 |
| | | \ \\ | |
| | (*) | \ )) | Editors: |
| |__U__| / \// | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| _//|| _\ / | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MORE addresses: |
| |
| submissions=>
[email protected] |
| Don --
[email protected] |
| Max --
[email protected] |
| Tim Pozar --
[email protected] |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies of fidonews or the internet gateway faq |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
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Table of Contents
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1. Editorial..................................................... 1
2. Articles...................................................... 3
Clues, present and absent................................... 3
Snoop Project - Is anyone interested?....................... 4
The FREEBONE................................................ 5
Non-official Echos using Fidonet node system................ 7
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 8
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Editorial
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FidoNews 12-10 Page: 2 06 Mar 1995
The new Bell directory arrived a couple of days ago and
it's got all kinds of politically correct stuff in the front
pages, like where to get help in emergencies, but there are
no listings for some countries. There are two pages of "codes for
frequently called countries". What does "frequently called
countries" mean? Why isn't the listing of country codes complete?
You know how it is always good to have a back up plan if the
currrent route mapping is somehow impeded? The back up plan
isn't just computers. It is radio, small press, community
theatre, gatherings, any form of free exchange of ideas. It only
works if there's no censorship, though. Ideas scrunge and
become flopsided if their wings are clipped.
Sometimes i'm appalled at things i see and hear, and i wish
everything was _nice_, but when i think about how imposed
limitations of my senses wall me in, and how all i can ever
truly have is my own mind, it becomes clear that for anyone else
to tell me what i can and can not learn is for them to rip me
off of everything.
i'm suspicious of bandwagons and do-goodies. It's too
easy to fall, frail, in a trail grooved out by fashion. For
example, i was in an audience listening to Otis Clay and the
Fire. I was sort of there by myself, becuase no-one i knew
was going but i wanted to go becuase i used to listen to live
blues and dance myself better, so it's almost a spiritual-type
thing for me to go to blues shows.
Wierd how bodies of people merge. I thought i was alone
but i recognized lots of people there from being in other crowds
with them. Groups are better when they happen accidentally.
They tend to be more eclectic and subject-oriented rather than
factious.
The difference between Albert Speer in Nuremberg, and Bob Geldof
in 'The Wall', is that Albert Speer constructed spectacles to suck
people in and dry with glitz, while Bob Geldof made a movie to
document and warn of the compelling thrill of mob psychology.
Anyone who could watch The Wall and be inspired towards following
Nazism is a total loser who wouldn't recognize a political slogan
until it choked them while being rammed down their throat.
ooops. i shouldn't have said "choked them and...total
loser". That was violent imagery. Sorry about that. Maybe
there lots of nice people who could let themselves believe
ridiculous things because they are trying too hard to fit in
with the crowd. I challenge anyone to describe to me how
following groups could be more intellectually stimulating than
being individual and interacting with lots of other individuals.
I was listening to the CBC while driving to Toronto last
week, and heard the news that the internet is being flooded with
anti-semitic hate literature which must be stopped. I thought,
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 3 06 Mar 1995
wow, there's yet another example of people getting hyped clueless
about computer networks. I was reading a files list recently,
and it included some examples of nazi-type hate literature [i guess
it was that, from the file names]. The ik ilk was listed as
"hate literature...paranoia reaches new heights". It does not
bother me that these files exist, especially when they are
appropriately named. I suspect they are there to keep the idiots
out in the open, where we can watch them with skepticism.
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Articles
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Clues, present and absent
by Kay Shapero (1:102/524)
Well, if Mikhail Ramendik wasn't sure that the snooze was athiest-only
before, I'll bet the reaction has convinced him of it by now. Did
anybody actually READ his message, or is everyone still reacting to
Steve Winter's sporadic diatribes? So he objected a single word
meaning "to have sex" (or sometimes "to do bad things to"). This can
be attributed to culture shock - not everybody's been desensitized to
that term, and there are places even in the US where it still has the
shock value it had in the US in general about 40 years ago. For a
comparison, each of who who objected to his being upset please pick
one of the current "unmentionable" terms of racial or sexual invective
that might apply to you personally, and consider how you'd feel if
someone you didn't even know used it on or around you. You may get a
closer feel for what the problem was.)
If you're still reading this after all the recent horsehocky, Mikhail,
most of the stuff you objected to was not directed at Christianity
per se, but at an individual who for years has been doing his level
best to make of Christianity a hissing and a byword while posing as
a representative of same. (Whether or not he's doing it on purpose
I'm still not sure - but in practice this has been the result.)
However, judging by all the hoopla, it would appear some folks have
been so sensitized to this that they're seeing censors in every corner,
and defending where they have not been attacked. That and I think
some people manage tolerance of things in general by picking one
religion, culture or whatever to dump on exclusively.
But in answer to your questions, yes there are Christians in FIDOnet
and yes some of us read the snooze and no, there is no Official
FIDOnet religion or anti-religion. For which we can all be grateful.
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 4 06 Mar 1995
Snoop Project - Is anyone interested?
Fredric L. Rice
The Skeptic Tank 1:102/890
25/Jan/95
Greetings, one and all.
It might come as no surprise to you that some systems in FidoNet
do not get all of the Echo Mail messages intended for them. The
causes are many, ranging from technical malfunctions, through
operator stupidity, to willful destruction. There is no solid
way to determine if a system has not seen a batch of mail unless
an Echo Mail participant makes comments alluding to messages
which were never seen. Even at that there is no way to determine
how many messages were not seen and from which originating
systems they came from.
The Snoop Project seeks to provide statistical information on the
messages which are not seen by a system. While that might seem
to be a metaphysical problem better suited for philosophers to
contemplate, the mundane solution is to simply ask other systems
about the Echo Mail messages they have seen and for the two
systems to compare notes, reporting on messages the other did not
see.
Snoop doesn't exist yet so I'm wondering if I should expend the
week or so required to hack it up. I'm solicing input from the
boys and girls in the network who might be interested in finding
out if they have a problem and if they do, how extensive it is.
How Snoop would work is pretty simple.
1) After inbound message packets have been tossed, Snoop
is run, looking into *.MSG message directories which
contain Echo Mail messages, compiling a list of the
MSGID's and origination network addresses of all of the
messages.
2) Snoop would also check the inbound network subdirectory
for Snoop Report messages addressed to it and, if finding
any, would look for the requesting system's log history file
specified as a FileAttach in the message addressed to it,
unzip the file, and then compare the MSGIDs in the file
against those it knows about in its own local history file.
A report on the differences would be generated and a copy
would be sent to back to the requesting system and another
copy would be sent to the SysOp of the local system. The
requesting system's FileAttach files (zipped and unzipped)
would be deleted.
3) Using a command-line argument, Snoop would create a
Snoop Report Request message addressed to another system,
zipping-up its local history file and setting it up for
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 5 06 Mar 1995
FileAttach.
So from the perspective of the systems employing Snoop,
maintaining a history of seen messages and offering reports to
systems which want to compare notes is fully automatic and doesn't
cost anything. Snoop is run from the batch process which still
automates most FidoNet systems.
Requesting a report from a system would consist of running Snoop
to request the report, sending the Snoop Report Request off to
the target system, and then polling the target system later to get
the resulting report.
If a HUB were to employ Snoop, there are obvious advantages in
being able to compare notes against it.
-=- The project has already started. -=-
I'm soliciting input from everyone who might be interested in using
the program.
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The FREEBONE
An alternate concept in Echo distribution
By: Radical Notions- comments to (1:106/207)
Free thinkers are disturbed with FIDOnet. I hear it buzzing on my
netmail channels and in many echos I see movements to"clean up FIDO"
or even make all echos "suitable for children's/minors eyes". This is
perfectly normal from a sociological standpoint. Inclusion of the
massses means accomodation of the most common denominators. Good
standard structure for development to be honest. It seems T Jennings
might have a little of that sociology majik in his blood as well,
judging from his past articles to FIDOnews. If not, he at least
recognizes that diversity (snicker) exists and must be accomodated.
Kudos to the early geeks who fought the software battles and then
endevoured to include the entire world in on their secret (bless
their little mis-guided hearts) via the net. You guys did a great job
and now the nodelist is so big that you wouldn't even be able to hold
it on a typical 1984 vintage hard drive......but, it isn't just the
Parselst compilers that are choking in FIDOland.
We now seem to have a steady movement to take the FIDOnet away
from the diversity that was enjoyed in the past and supplant it with
a sort of "Universal Code of Conduct" that will be acceptable to the
common masses and thereby avoid undefined and sometimes
wholly-percieved problems that may or may not come to pass. Yes, the
legislation of FIDO is here and congress is in full swing, passing
backbone policies, making rulings that have the bearing of precedent
and with even it's own Supreme Court. Yes, we Americans in FIDO made
damned sure that eventually that this mess would get ORGANIZED and
that it would be controlled to rigid standards of conformity and we
have the POWER to do it...damn it! That is because we are right and
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 6 06 Mar 1995
the rest of the world is full of crap. If the sysops in any zone with
a number larger than 1 is involved, they had better write their
complaint in ENGLISH or they will be excommunicated for violating
POLICY and they will recieve 4 lashes with a Singapore cane before we
will let them back in again.
Right..... Well, almost. The fact is we aren't there _quite_
yet but it looms over us at every corner. Fido is getting too big for
the echo concept unless some sort of division comes about. That
division will have to be more than just a duplication of echos time
and time again to accomodate the warring factions or our conference
list might exceed the meggage of our nodelist at some point.....but,
since every Tom, Dick and Martha in the world is now getting a spiffy
14,400 modem packaged in their computer as standard equipment, we are
literally being flooded as a net. Not only do we have a heck of a lot
of nodes participating...but those nodes are racking up userlists
that a few years ago would have been unheard of....the individual
boards are being flooded on the bottom layer. Reorganization and
re-accomodation is coming and we either will accomplish it or
eventually dissolve in chaos.
I propose _adding_ a new backbone to the fido distribution
heirarchy. This backbone would carry and distribute it's own mail and
do it's own cost recovery as well as develop media-control philosophy
without regard to the BACKBONE or FILEBONE setups. This is where
echos that don't meet the starched-shirt standards of the BACKBONE
(where children have a right to see it all) are placed. This would be
where "offensive" echos could be placed and then we can let the
marketplace decide if a conference floats or boats. No sysop would
ever again be able to say that they expected "goodie nice" language
in a controversy area and got trashy smut....if they are on the
FREEBONE they have no standing and if they are on the backbone they
can file a smut-PC or something. Since all nodenumbers would be FIDO
numbers issued by the plain-ole ZC weekly, some power is given to the
backbone people to enforce persons who stray into the BACKBONE from
the FREEBONE areas that refuse to leave. Notify the sysop...nuke the
number. Simple. In return, BACKBONE would be expected to remand
complaints that originate on the FREEBONE _back_ to FREEBONE control
heirarchy for disposition. Co-operative division with structured
"national boundaries".
Some will probably find a lot of fault in this, some will find
merit. I see it as the only way to adequately control the _type_ of
information delivered to each point and squelch the whines of the
Starched-Shirt crowd. I suppose a lot of them will want to fight such
a division, because it wrests control from their hands and negates
the opportunity to force people into compliance with The Agenda. To
them, I say too bad. Power is as power was.....tell it to Hitler.
FIDO has traditionally "grown" to reasonably accomodate all of
the multiple people-types out there in the digital void. I think FIDO
can evolve again and accomodate those of sensitive mentalities
without squelching those of radical mentality.
Persons interested in the FREEBONE Project can write to me at
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 7 06 Mar 1995
1:106/207 and express your pleasure or displeasure with the FREEBONE
concept. Or, you can just snip out the following shorty and patch it
to me netmail here to voice your view:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My vote on the FREEBONE issue is: (Multiple answers are acceptable)
[ ] I think the FREEBONE is a big crock of crap and you should be
shot for subversive and treasonist action against FIDOnet.
[ ] Sure, the idea needs tweaking but I think the FREEBONE could work.
[ ] You personally disgust me, you Cat-murdering loudmouth.
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Non-official Echos using Fidonet node system
by S. C. Martin Wong
Hong Cong an Macau users can now use these 9 special echos using
Fidonet, YO!net and the Hong Cong net node system.
1. Discussion on Vivian Lai echo
Moderator: Makoto Wong 6:700/663.12
Aim: Give a place to every Vivian Lai fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Fidonet
Connection agents: 6:700/663.0, 6:701/3.0, 6:700/760.0
[email protected]
Newsgroup: ALT.FAN.CHINESE.BIG5.VIVIANLAI
2. Discussion on Winnie Lau echo
Moderator: Benny Tsang 6:700/61.8,
[email protected]
Aim: Give a place to every Winnie Lau fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Fidonet
Connection agents: 6:700/663.0, 6:701/3.0, 6:700/760.0
[email protected]
Newsgroup: ALT.FAN.CHINESE.BIG5.WINNIELAU
3. Discussion on Tacry So
Moderator: none
Aim: Give a place to every Tacry So fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Fidonet
Connection agents: 6:700/663.0, 6:700/760.0
[email protected]
Newsgroup: ALT.FAN.CHINESE.BIG5.TACRYSO
4. Discussion on Linda Wong echo
Moderator: Kevin Cheung 6:700/660.3
Aim: Give a place to every Linda Wong fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Hong Kong net, Fidonet, YO!Net
Connection agents: 6:700/663.0, 6:700/760.0
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 8 06 Mar 1995
5. Discussion on Hacken Lee echo
Moderator: under vote
Aim: Give a place to every Hacken Lee fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Hong Kong net, Fidonet, YO!Net
Connection agents: 6:700/760.0
6. Discussion on Cass Pang echo
Moderator: under vote
Aim: Give a place to every Cass Pang fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Hong Kong net, Fidonet, YO!Net
Connection agents: 6:700/760.0
7. Discussion on Priscilla Chan echo
Moderator: Chiu Ka Chun 6:700/90.5
Aim: Give a place to every Priscilla Chan fan to discuss their
idol.
Node System: Hong Kong net, Fidonet
Connection agents: 6:700/760.0
8. Cross Fire Echo
Moderator: none
Aim: Give a place to user for political problems
Node System: Hong Kong net, Fidonet, YO!Net
Connection agents: 6:700/760.0
9. Heart-Link
Moderator: none
Aim: This is a general purpose area to discuss everything!
Node System: Fidonet
Connection agents: 6:700/663.0, 6:700/760.0
If you are a system operator outside Hong Kong and Macua, but
you hope to connect to these 9 non-official echoes, you can send
Email to
[email protected] or send netmail via
Fidonet or YO!net to Martin Wong (6:700/760.0 or 6:1010/569.0).
If you need additional information or advice, send email or
netmail by the same route.
* editors note: This arrived by snail mail, and was typed in
by us. Please excuse any mistypes.
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Fidonews Information
========================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Donald Tees, Sylvia Maxwell
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar
FidoNews 12-10 Page: 9 06 Mar 1995
Tom Jennings
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
more addresses:
Rev. Richard Visage -- 1:163/409
Don -- 1:221/192,
[email protected]
Sylvia -- 1:221/194,
[email protected]
Tim --
[email protected]
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews
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Canada
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voice: (519) 570-3137
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FidoNews 12-10 Page: 10 06 Mar 1995
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
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"the pulse of the cursor is the heartbeat of fidonet"...
-- END
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