Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only.
For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software.
FidoNews is published weekly by the System Operators of the
FidoNet (r) International BBS Network. It is a compilation of
individual articles contributed by their authors or authorized
agents of the authors. The contribution of articles to this
compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors.
You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous
Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are
used with permission.
Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors
and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software.
Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every
responsible submission received.
Table of Contents
1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
CIMN Update .............................................. 1
Why ISDN? ................................................ 2
FIDOCON 1990 REGISTRATION FORM ........................... 4
2. COLUMNS .................................................. 7
A View from the Bridge ................................... 7
3. FOR SALE ................................................. 9
New DESQview Utility ..................................... 9
4. WANTED ................................................... 11
Beta-Testers Wanted for an Amazing New BBS System ........ 11
5. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 12
And more!
FidoNews 7-09 Page 1 26 Feb 1990
For those of you who have been file requesting CIMN(sm) each
month I would like to bring you up to date. Computer Information
Monthly News for the month of March will be released on 1 March
instead of 10 March. In addition for those of you who have been
requesting both the color version and the black and white version
effective with the March issue this will not be necessary.
CIMN.ARC or CIMN.ZIP will be the only files necessary the
DISKazine has been programmed to provide both color and non color
with the one file.
I would also like to take the oppounity to Thank each of you
again for file requesting the program and making it available to
your users.
=================================================================
HIGH MESA RANGER'S BBS (301/1) JAKE HARGROVE
HIGH MESA PUBLISHING, 13 OSAGE DR, LOS LUNAS, NM 87031 USA
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FidoNews 7-09 Page 2 26 Feb 1990
Michael Bloemer
FIDO 1:396/5.8
WHY ISDN?
What is ISDN? In 1981 the International Telecommunications Union
(ITU) defined ISDN as:
"A NETWORK EVOLVED FROM THE TELEPHONY INTEGRATED DIGITAL NETWORK
THAT PROVIDES END-TO-END CONNECTIVITY TO SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF
SERVICES, INCLUDING VOICE AND NON-VOICE SERVICES, TO WHICH USERS
HAVE ACCESS BY A LIMITED SET OF STANDARD MULTIPURPOSE CUSTOMER
INTERFACES."
Unfortunately, this very broad description really doesn't tell
us much at all. ISDN was conceived as a technology standard in
the late 1970's. AT&T determined to merge the different types of
analog circuits its customers were using into a single totally
integrated digital transmission scheme. In 1980, the CCITT got
involved to establish a worldwide set of standards for a
universal Integrated Services Digital Network. ISDN was born. In
the United States, AT&T no longer controls ISDN standards setting
activities. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) now
controls this activity. Most standards setting activities were
completed by the mid 1980's. ISDN trials began in 1986. Needless
to say, progress has been slow. As a result, many of the initial
reasons for ISDN have been supplanted by other technologies.
These include LANs, fiber optics, and private T-1 networks. These
technologies do not negate the need for ISDN, however. After all
how many homes have fiber optic links or T-1 circuits in them.
ISDN in many ways represents the networking alternative with the
broadest potential reach. It represents the most all-encompassing
network of the future.
ISDN was designed to provide a worldwide mechanism for delivering
standardized telecommunications services among the world's
end-users. For once, the world's telephone companies are being
far-sighted. Of course, this far-sightedness is not because they
are nice guys. The major motivation is profit. This profit comes
in a number of ways. Utilization of the same physical
transmission medium for data, voice, video information, and other
services is more efficient. Fewer lines are required. In
addition, the various phone companies would like to add very
profitable value-added services like advanced call handling,
electronic mail, videotext, and public data base access.
Will ISDN revolutionize the BBS world? Most definitely. Access to
services and other end users is enhanced by the great increase in
speed offered by ISDN. ISDN is an all digital network. Digital
technology is far superior to analog for data transmission. It
also extremely resistant to errors. Line noise becomes a thing of
the past. A PC to PC connection is completely digital. The modem
is replaced by an ISDN Terminal Endpoint Type 1 or 2 (TE1 or
TE2). The TE1 is used for devices which are ISDN compatible. PCs
FidoNews 7-09 Page 3 26 Feb 1990
with integrated voice/data hardware and software will use this
interface. Older PCs with RS-232 interfaces or LAN connections
will require the TE2. Soon ISDN ports will be as standard as
serial and parallel ports are today on PCs.
ISDN access by the home consumer is via the Basic Rate Interface.
The BRI is 144k bit/sec. It is divided into three channels. Two
are 64k bit/sec and the other is 16k bit/sec. Either one of the
two high-speed channels may be used for voice or data. The 16k
bit/sec is generally used for control information (call set-up
and shutdown), but may be used for packetized data. The BRI is
meant to provide ISDN access to end-user devices like terminals,
PCs, telephones, and faxes. The BRI provides the standard access
interface for most end users.
What does this mean to the average consumer? Today, not much.
ISDN is being marketed to large corporations and the government
for telemarketing and networking applications. ISDN's limited
availability and its orientation toward the business market
restrict its ability to deliver its promised worth. When ISDN
reaches into the home, it will reach its full potential.
Applications like call forwarding, video telephony, voice/data
mail, and videotext, are some of the most exciting for ISDN.
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FidoNews 7-09 Page 4 26 Feb 1990
The Secret Sysop Society presents __
*** Conclave '90 *** / \
The SYSOPS Convention /|oo \
Home of FidoCon 1990 (_| /_)
Lyndhurst, New Jersey _`@/_ \ _
August 1-5, 1990 | | \ \\
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Rate Schedule: Before 6/1/90: Before 4/1/90:
-------------- --------------
A. Single Occupancy.......$595.00 $545.00 $495.00
B. Double Occupancy.......$450.00 $400.00 $350.00
C. Conference w/ meals....$300.00 $250.00 $200.00
D. Conference w/ Banquet..$205.00 $155.00 $105.00
E. Conference only........$175.00 $125.00 $ 75.00
F. Banquet only...........$130.00 $80.00 $ 30.00
(Those registering before 4/1/90 get a $100.00 discount, those
registering before 6/1/90 get a $50.00 discount on all plans.)
You must pay by Check, Money Order, or Credit Card. Please send
no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds. Checks should be
made out to: "Conclave '90"
The following registration form must be completed and mailed to:
PO Box 12
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/90 for
processing. Rename it to ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number. US Mail
confirmation is required within 72 hours of electronic filing.
If you are paying by credit card, please include the required
information. For your own security, do not route any message
with your credit card number on it. Crash it directly to 1:1/90.
The official Conclave '90 airline is American Airlines.
American offers a 5% discount the lowest applicable round-trip
fare, including 1st class travel, subject to availability of
inventory. All fare rules and restrictions apply. In addition,
American offers 40% off their round trip unrestricted day coach
fare. International travelers qualify for special benefits,
including complimentary admittance to the Admiral's Club Lounge
at any American Airlines terminal. Newark is an American Air-
lines city with direct flights to most major cities. When making
reservations, you must call American's Toll-free reservation
number at 800-433-1790, and reference Star number 13704F.
FidoNews 7-09 Page 5 26 Feb 1990
C O N C L A V E '90 R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M
Howdy! Sorry, I didn't make it into last week's episode. Did
you miss me? ;-)
Well, I'm back. What shall we babble about today? Sorry, I
can't hear you, I'm on a different time track somewhere in your
past.
That's the advantage to writing. Its the only way I know of
sending messages into the future.
Anyways, if luck holds, you'll see a registration form for
FidoCon in this issue of FidoNews. If you plan to go, please
don't delay. There's a $100.00 discount for registering before
4/1/90, and that ain't hay. If you can't register by then,
there's a $50.00 discount for registering by 6/1/90. It looks
like we're going to have a lot of fun. BTW, the 'costume ball'
is going to be held at the new Medieval Times Dinner &
Tournament that just opened here. Those of you in Kissimee
(sic) and California may be familiar with their locations there.
You have dinner, eat with your fingers, order from your 'beer
wench', and watch a medieval tournament, and those attending
will be in costume, which is mandatory. I highly recommend it.
On an unrelated note, (ANDY ROONEY ON:) Did you ever wonder what
it is that causes some people who sit in front of a computer see
something that someone else is doing, and start spewing lies &
misinformation about it when it doesn't even affect them?
(whew!) I do. (ANDY ROONEY OFF:)
I mean, what is it about some people that they only way they can
get off is by bashing others? Whether it be guys in a different
network, people who use a different bbs than they do, a certain
type of modem that others use, or even their conference mail
processing program? What is it about certain people that their
only goal in life is to make sure that YOU don't have fun? If
you run up against these people, I'd advise you to ignore them.
Their ignorance speaks for itself in most cases.
There are some people who feel they have a 'right' to determine
whether or not *I* run a groupmail processor. Frankly I don't
understand this. As long as it's not causing dupes, or
affecting others, what business is it of anyone else's WHAT I'm
doing here? But no, they'd rather spread lies about how 'buggy'
the software is, or how it's used for censorship, or some other
crap. Of course THEY'VE never run the program!
FidoNews 7-09 Page 8 26 Feb 1990
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FidoNews 7-09 Page 9 26 Feb 1990
=================================================================
FOR SALE
=================================================================
George Adam Stanislav
Fidonet 1:129/39
Announcing ControlD
ControlD is the language which allows you to control DESQview
from the command line and batch files. Its main program, DO.EXE,
is the interpreter. It controls DESQview with commands, such as:
DO NOT ALLOW MENU
DO HIDE
DO KEY D1
DO ALARM IN 13 HOURS, 35 MINUTES AND 27 SECONDS
There are many more. It is also possible to write a series of
commands into a file, similar to DOS batch files and have DO.EXE
interpret them all.
ControlD is much more than an interpreter, though. It allows you
to password-protect DESQview windows, permit opening of windows
only on certain days of the week, or to disable some or all
menus each time a window is open, then re-enable them once the
window is closed.
When I wrote DVEXEC, the grandfather of ControlD, I stated in
the docs this was my last shot on shareware. In all the years I
have been posting my programs on bulletin boards, I only
received one check, for $25, while I spent many thousands of
dollars in the process. DVEXEC became an overnight sensation (it
was file-requested all the way from Australia the day after I
posted it on a BBS!). Not one person in the whole world
registered the program.
ControlD is my first commercial program. It will be "officially"
released on March 15, and will cost $65. However, I will send it
to any Fidonet sysop who orders it before March 15, 1990, for
just $45, plus $5 S&H. I will be even willing to send it C.O.D.
within the United States of America for an additional $4. In
Pennsylvania, please add 6% sales tax.
You can order ControlD by sending me a check for the appropriate
sum (US currency only). In your letter please state your Fidonet
zone:net/node number. You must be listed in current Fidonet
nodelist to qualify for the sysop offer, and your order must be
postmarked on or before March 15, 1990. Please make the checks
payable to George Adam Stanislav. The address:
FidoNews 7-09 Page 10 26 Feb 1990
George Adam Stanislav
322 Mall Blvd., Suite 174
Monroeville, PA 15146
For C.O.D. orders you can send me a netmail message to 1:129/39.
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FidoNews 7-09 Page 11 26 Feb 1990
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by
reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list
all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.
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FidoNews 7-09 Page 15 26 Feb 1990
MetroFire is no longer operating as a project of the
Metro-Dade Fire & Rescue Department. It has moved and
changed numbers.
FidoNews 7-09 Page 16 26 Feb 1990
1:135/14 is now operated as a personal, hobby project from
my home in Miami_FL_USA. The new number is 305-382-4016 and
has been noted as such in the last four Nodelist issues.
If you were a User of MetroFire, your records are still
intact. The system still operates the same Echos and
message and file areas. The general operation has not
changed; only the place and telephone number. [grin]
I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused
anyone.
