Volume 7, Number 32 6 August 1990
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| _ |
| / \ |
| /|oo \ |
| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
| _`@/_ \ _ |
| FidoNet (r) | | \ \\ |
| International BBS Network | (*) | \ )) |
| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
| (jm) |
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Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
Hello, I'm Back .......................................... 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2
FidoNews Broke My System ................................. 2
LHArc vs. ARC(r) and FidoNews ............................ 3
One FidoNet Policy ....................................... 5
IFNA Minutes of the Annual Membership Meeting 8/4/90 ..... 8
IFNA Minutes of the Board of Directors 4 August 1990 ..... 11
Public Notice to All Creditors from the Treasurer of IF .. 19
3. COLUMNS .................................................. 20
Talk Me Through It, Honey ................................ 20
And more!
FidoNews 7-32 Page 1 6 Aug 1990
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
I guess I could ask you if anything important occurred in my
absence, but too many people might take it the wrong way.
Actually, two things happened in my absence. One of them was
entirely trivial but has gotten everybody's attention; and the
other was entirely important and has been generally ignored.
What I want to talk about is what occurred yesterday in Lyndhurst
New Jersey.
We put IFNA to rest yesterday. It went, not with a bang, but
with a whimper. I'm certain that everyone who had anything to do
with IFNA at any point has his or her own memory of what
happened, so I won't get into it much. Suffice to say that
FidoNet has finally arrived at the conclusion that anarchy is
what it does best -- so it's damned well going to do it.
That's OK with me. Though I thought IFNA was going to help us do
it by taking some of the other monkeys off our backs. I think it
was when somebody decided that IFNA was a bigger monkey than the
rest, that it all started to get ugly.
Well, it's all water under D'Bridge (sorry Chris) now.
By the way, since January FidoNews has been published under a
specific license from Tom Jennings to myself for use of the name.
I have also published any IFNA materials sent my way and will
continue to do so as long as is necessary to clear up the
business of dissolving the corporation.
I think I'll pass on the other issue for a week. I want to give
it all some more thought. In fact, I don't think that I'll
change compressors again without a two week notice, so let's just
say that the first issue in September will decide the issue.
We'll either go back to ARC 5.12, keep LHArc, or choose another.
I have some thoughts on what we should do and I'll try to give
them a proper presentation next week.
Cheers,
Vince
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FidoNews 7-32 Page 2 6 Aug 1990
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
FidoNews Broke My System
This week, I received my copy of FidoNews in LHARC format. It
broke my BAT file. As a consequence, several people who called and
requested FidoNews were inconvenienced.
Upon discovering the problem and unpacking the issue, I discover an
"editorial". I use the quotes because it was obviously not written
by the editor, referring in the first paragraph to Vince in the
third person. On the other hand, it wasn't signed. Considering
the content, I was led to wonder why Jack Decker had been asked to
write a guest editorial for FidoNews.
I have two comments on this distribution change to LHARC.
First, it was incredibly inconsiderate. I know that I am not the
only person who had a BAT file which depended upon the packing
method, and I'm sure that considerable inconvenience was caused to
sysops throughout the net. Much of this could have been avoided by
simply giving notice that the change was coming. Doing it without
warning was, at best, inconsiderate; at worst, excessively
annoying.
Second was the motivation for the act itself. I was amazed, upon
reading the editorial, to find that I had been forced to use
products of SEA. Silly me! All these years I've been unpacking
FidoNews using non-SEA products, and that was wrong! Strange,
though. For a year I distributed FidoNews throughout zone 1, and
I never touched it with an SEA product. SEA releases a new version
of a product I don't use, and the packing method changes for
FidoNews. A new brand of logic is born.
So, whoever you are, mystery editorial writer and packer of
FidoNews, thank you so much for breaking my system. So that you
could make a silly political statement, hundreds of people were
inconvenienced. Cheap at twice the price?
I can remember when the editor of FidoNews CARED about FidoNet.
That is obviously no longer the case. FidoNews has become a tool
for making political statements, rather than anything resembling a
newsletter. That's truly sad.
FidoNews, we'll miss you.
Steve Bonine, 1:115/777
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FidoNews 7-32 Page 3 6 Aug 1990
LHArc vs. ARC(r) vs. Zoo and FidoNews - Or what a rude awakening
Robert Heller
Locks Hill BBS
1:321/153.0
(InterNet:
[email protected])
I was somewhat irked when Harry Lee decided to change the
packaging of FidoNews Vol 7, No 31. It didn't arrive at my
system last Monday (no big deal - it is occasonally late). What
did arrive (in the NESYSOP EchoMail conference) was a note from
Harry letting us NE sysops know that the format had changed. It
would have been better if Harry had given some notice so people
could have had a chance to either have some input or at least
prepare for the change.
My system is somewhat usual - I run CP/M-68K on a Stride 440.
Under CP/M-68K I have exactly two archival programs: a CP/M-68K
port of a UNIX port of ARC (r) 5.12 and a version of LU310 I
wrote for CP/M-68K. I'm planning on changing the OS of this
beast to OS-9/68K, but that won't happen until I get a FidoNet
package running on my other system, a Force CPU-30, which runs
OS-9/68K on a 68030. *I* neither own nor use (or have access to)
MS-DOS systems (at work I use VAXes, Suns, LISP Machines, and
soon DECStations, at home 68K systems). Until about last
Wednesday, I did not have LHArc on any of these machines. The
only LHArc sources I had were one set in assembler and a set in
ANSI Draft C. The assembler sources are useless to me, since it
is 8086 assembler and the ANSI Draft C sources are not a whole
lot better (only the VAX/VMS C compiler is close enough to ANSI
Draft C to have any hope of compiling it). I had all of this on
the "back burnner" - something to port (rewrite) after many other
things had been done - probably in 6 months.
Needless to say, when Harry's message arrived on my system I was
rather irked. Suddenly, I was effectively cuttoff from my weekly
dose of FidoNews. While I could live without FidoNews, the same
could not be said of NodeDiffs. True, they are still in ARC (r)
5.12 format - but if someone decided to change them to LHArc (or
worse ZIP or PAK), I'd be instandly screwed. I'd be effectively
dumped off of the net.
The only save was I just happened to notice a version of LHArc on
UUNET.UU.NET while crusing through the index files under
comp.sources.misc (I was looking for something else at the time).
This was a port of LHArc to generic UNIX (more or less). After
some fussing I managed to compile it on a Sun 4 under SunOS
(UNIX) and this past Thursday running on my Force CPU-30. I
don't think I'll even try to get it running on my CP/M-68K
machine (it wants too many exotic functions not in the CP/M-68K
CLIB). Meanwhile, since the sysop of my hub has gone on
vacation, I have to download FidoNews from my NC's machine.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 4 6 Aug 1990
Oh one other thing: LHArc might be freeware and the sources
readily available, but those sources are not particularly
"portable". Maybe not as god aweful as ARC (r) 5.12's sources
(complete with non-standard pre-processor and tons of MS-DOS
specific library and system calls), but still not really
portable. This is unfortunately true of many MS-DOS programs.
Please people, a little thought and a bit of carefull design can
save a fellow programmer many hours of hair-pulling hassle. I
allways try to isolate O/S specific functions in a separate file
and avoid unnecessary use of non-standard constructions or when I
do need to use them I bracket them with #ifdef's.
Comments welcome. My machine runs FTS-0001 during Zone 1 ZMH
(2400 BAUD max) or you crash routed netmail via my hub
(1:321/152), which is a CM HST/DS system running BinkleyTerm. I
poll 1:321/152 three times a day (a 1/2 hour before ZMH, a 1/2
hour after ZMH, and at noon Eastern time).
Robert Heller, Locks Hill BBS, 1:321/153.0
Oh, BTW: If anyone else out there in FidoNet land needs a
version of LHArc for OS-9/68K I'd be happy to send you a copy of
the sources. Not lightning fast (Zoo is a lot faster), but seems
to work.
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FidoNews 7-32 Page 5 6 Aug 1990
Sid Rogers
Fido (1:324/100)
August 4, 1990
"One FidoNet Policy"
FidoNet deserves one complete policy. A guideline to serve all
the membership. A single document that provides all the guidance
and provision we, as single node operators, Hub, Network,
Regional or Zone Coordinators can reasonably expect to need.
The current Policy4 document is lacking certain democratic
provisions which Pablo Kleinman, with other contributors, strove
to address in "World Policy Document"(WPD), version 1f,
published here in FidoNews 730. WPD is a fine piece of work
demonstrating what can be achieved through thoughtful
considerations of the democratic process; but, it leaves way
too many holes open for an international policy document.
I propose we negotiate, draft or divine ONE policy document and
that document subscribes to the "Four Corners Rule". Under the
presented WPD, an individual node would be subjected to the WPD
Policy, Zone Policy, Regional Policy, Network Policy, Hub
Policy, FTS Policy and EchoMail Policy (if there is one or
one gets passed). That's just too many "Policy" documents!
The "Four Corners Rule" means if it isn't within the "four
corners" of the policy document it isn't policy; that one does
not have to look elsewhere for guidance; that everything is
covered by one all inclusive, specific document. That means
the basic policy, the minimum acceptable technical standards,
standards of practice and echomail policy are all in ONE
"official" document.
Tech standards, standards of practice and Email Policy can be
attached as either exhibits or amended articles or by any
other means that firmly attaches them to the one, specific,
democratically approved policy document.
While the "Four Corners Rule" is the principle problem with the
proposed WPD, there are other gaps, too. These are Financial
Disclosure, Network Sovereignty, Policy Complaint Penalties,
Standards of Practice, EchoMail Fees, and Conference Standards.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Their are two separate financial disclosure issues neither of
which are directly addressed by WPD. The first is an individual
nodes absolute right to privacy regarding its financial status.
I hold that an individual's financial arrangements are no one
else's business; that no other node may demand an accounting of
any other node's operation and that such a demand goes beyond
"excessively annoying". I would also extend this to network
financial arrangements which I consider sacrosanct to the
network itself.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 6 6 Aug 1990
This raises the second disclosure problem. Certainly if there is
any "cost sharing" plan within a network that those
participating should have access to those accounting records
which must be kept for inspection. But such inspection is
specifically limited to the parties involved. That means Network
XXX cannot demand Network YYY open its books, if any, for
inspection.
Only the principals involved may reasonably expect a full and
complete accounting.
NETWORK SOVEREIGNTY
I suggest each and every network is sovereign respective to its
own region. That means individual members of Network XXX cannot
directly call for action or make any demands, whatsoever, on
Network YYY; that such an attempt at intervention goes way
beyond "excessively annoying".
If there is a dispute between Networks, then a formal policy
must be followed to redress the grievance. Something of the
order that a plurality of network nodes petition the NC who
acts on their behalf to file a grievance against the offending
network with the RC.
POLICY COMPLAINT PENALTIES
If any penalties are to be imposed by any mediator then these
penalties need to be specific. I suggest FidoNet establish
at least three, formal penalty classes: Explusion, Censure and
Reprimand.
Explusion
You're outta here! Causes or crimes for explusion need to be as
specific as possible. But it means you are outta FidoNet.
Censure
Less drastic that explusion but to carry a mandatory "down"
listing in the nodelist for a specific time not to exceed, say,
one year.
Reprimand
Less serious than Censure but to carry a mandatory "down"
listing in the nodelist for a specific time not to exceed, say,
thirty days or three nodediffs.
I feel it absolutely paramount that penalties be specified and
meted out according to defined World Policy; not at and on the
whim of an individual moderator.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 7 6 Aug 1990
STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
Current Standards of Practices (SOPs) are not necessarily all
that specific. Maybe they don't need to be; but, as of the last
FidoNews publication some folk seem to feel others must not
break their off-line processing procedures by sending them a
file in a flavor they didn't expect. If the majority concurs
then formal SOPs should be clearly defined and included in the
final WPD.
ECHOMAIL FEES
What! You mean I gotta pay? No. Fees for mail and "cost sharing"
plans should be defined and regulated in the WPD. Some places,
like mine for instance, fall into the "you can't get there from
here" category. We've worked it out (actually Jim Greely has
worked it out) and mail freely arrives for the time being. But
others are not so fortunate and cost is a very real factor. As
an organization, FidoNet should endeavor to remove all costs
via any means at its disposal while at the same time overseeing
fees or "cost sharing" and regulating same.
CONFERENCE STANDARDS
I firmly believe the WPD should include specific subsections
dealing with the WORLDCON and ZoneCONS. This section should
include selection procedures, minimum standards, if any, and
policy regarding "seed funds" together with financial disclosure
provisions.
CONCLUSION
While the efforts to reduce the length of the WPD are greatly
appreciated, now is the time to put an end to vagueness and add
more specificity to the final document, creating ONE true World
FidoNet Policy on which the membership at large can embrace
knowing all their "rights" are truly protected.
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FidoNews 7-32 Page 8 6 Aug 1990
International FidoNet Association, Inc. (IFNA)
Minutes of the Annual Membership Meeting
4 August 1990 14:00
The Annual Membership Meeting of IFNA was opened by the
Chairman of the Board Thom Henderson at 14:10 hours in the
City of Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Members present were asked to see the Secretary/Treasurer
to verify their eligibility to vote at this meeting.
The Chairman of the Board discussed general points of
Robert's Rules of Order and the definition of a Chairman of
the Board.
The Agenda for the meeting was read by the Secretary/
Treasurer and approved.
- Agenda 1990 IFNA Membership Meeting -
I. Ammendments to the Agenda
A. None as of the opening of the meeting
II. Old Business
A. Dissolution of the IFNA
III. New Business
A. None as of the opening of the meeting
Agenda item I. was open for discussion. No ammendments
were brought forth by the membership. Agenda item I.
was closed.
Agenda item II. was opened for discussion.
Mr. Vince Perriello asked that the following statement be
entered into the minutes of the meeting - If you vote to
retain the International FidoNet Association then you must
accept person responsibility for the International FidoNet
Association.
A motion was made to dissolve the International FidoNet
Association and seconded.
The Secretary/Treasurer read the Statement of Dissolution
FidoNews 7-32 Page 9 6 Aug 1990
as recommended by the Board of Directors.
On the Future Dissolution of the International FidoNet
Association
WHEREAS:
At the Board of Directors Meeting concluded on 27 Aug 1989
a Resolution was passed to hold a Referendum of FidoNet to
determine if the International FidoNet Association, Inc.
should continue to exist, and
WHEREAS:
In the Referendum of FidoNet concluded on 1 Dec 1989 fewer
than one half of the sysops of FidoNet desired that the
Association officially represent them, and
WHEREAS:
The Board of Directors established the rule for the
election that upon failure of this Referendum the Board of
Directors would initiate dissolution of the Association,
and
WHEREAS:
Missouri statute requires receiving at least two thirds of
the votes entitled to be cast by members present at a
membership meeting in order to dissolve a corporation
therefore be it
RESOLVED:
That the Board of Directors recommends to the membership
that the Association be dissolved.
RESOLVED:
That the question of dissolution be submitted to the
membership for a vote at the next Annual Membership
Meeting, or, prior to that meeting, by consent of the
membership pursuant to Missouri statute 355.460.
RESOLVED:
That the Association take no action that is not required
by statute, Articles of Association, or Bylaws until such
time as the vote to dissolve is completed.
RESOLVED:
That the Regular Annual Board Meeting of our Association
scheduled for 16 February 1990 is hereby canceled.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 10 6 Aug 1990
RESOLVED:
That the next Meeting of the Board of Directors of the
Association shall be at the Annual Meeting of our
membership after the vote is concluded, and that all
motions now before the Board regarding the disposal of
assets be tabled until that time.
Motion was opened for discussion. No Discussion.
The Secretary/Treasurer was asked to take a Roll Call
vote.
Results of Roll Call Vote:
Yes No Abstain
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ben Baker Don Daniels
Irene Henderson Kris Veitch
Tom Jennings (proxy by Vince Perriello)
Burt Juda
Robert Moravsik
Jeffrey Nonken
Blanche Nonken
George Peace
Vince Perriello
John Roberts
Karl Schinke
Bill VanGlahn
Total 12 0 2
Motion to dissolve the International FidoNet Association
passed.
Motion to adjourn.
Seconded
Motion to adjourne passed
The Annual Membership meeting of the IFNA was adjourned
at 14:30 hours on August 4th, 1990.
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FidoNews 7-32 Page 11 6 Aug 1990
International FidoNet Asociation, Inc. (IFNA)
Minutes of the Board of Directors
4 August 1990 15:00
The meeting of the Board of Directors of the IFNA was
opened by the Chairman of the Board Thom Henderson at 15:02
hours in the City of Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Agenda Item I.
Roll Call
Attending:
Phil Buonomo
Don Daniels
Fabian Gordon
Irene Henderson
Jim Hruby
Burt Juda
John Roberts
Robert Rudolph
Ivan Schaffel
Karl Schinke
Kris Veitch
Alternates Held:
Bill VanGlahn alternate for Mark Hawthorne
Thom Henderson alternate for Steve Jordan
George Peace for Steve Barnes
Vince Perriello for Tom Jennings
Robert Moravsik for Bill Bolton
Sam Saulys for Matt Whelan
Agenda Item II.
Ammendments to the Agenda
Special Rule made to adjourn no later than
15:55 hours.
Rule seconded.
Passed.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 12 6 Aug 1990
Agenda Item III.
Reports
No Committee Reports Available
Treasurer's Report was given and approved.
Mr. Phil Buonomo asked that the minutes show
that no monies were issued to the 1990 FidoCon
committee.
Agenda Item IV.
Old Business
A. Dissolution of the IFNA
B. Dissolution of the FTSC
C. Dissolution of the VP/TC
D. Dissolution of the Publications Committee
Motion to bring back items A,B,C and D from Old
Business.
Seconded.
Appeal by Don Daniels on a new motion.
Motion reads:
RESOLUTION TO DEAL WITH THE PROCESS OF
CORPORATE DISSOLUTION
The Board of Directors shall appoint a commission of five
trustees who shall be charged with the responsibility of
handling any and all affairs of the corporation related to
its dissolution and final distribution of its assets, in
accordance with the requirements set forth in the Articles
of Association and Bylaws.
The Secretary/Treasurer is to fill one of the five seats
on this commission.
All decisions of the commission resulting in the
distribution of any corporate assets shall require unani-
mous concurrence.
Motion not seconded.
Failed.
Motion to bring back items A, B, C, and D passed.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 13 6 Aug 1990
Motion to ammend agenda to move item A to last.
Seconded.
Failed.
Motion to accept item A.
Seconded.
Passed.
Motion to accept item B.
Seconded.
Discussion on Resloved point 1 and 2.
Call for Vote.
Passed.
Motion to accept item C.
Seconded.
Passed.
Motion to accept item D.
Seconded.
Discussion.
Motion to ammend first RESOLVED and strike ",effec-
tive immediately on the publication of a copy of this
Resolution."
Motion to ammend passed.
Vote on item D. as ammended.
Passed.
Special Rule called.
Motion to Ignore.
Seconded.
Passed.
Nominations for dispursement of cash funds.
Nominations closed.
Roll Call Vote:
Nominees are:
Tomorrow's Children Vietnam Veterans
Tomorrow's Children designated as receipient of
funds.
Fabian Gordon requested that the minutes show
that the vote was unanimous. So noted.
Agenda Item V.
FidoNews 7-32 Page 14 6 Aug 1990
New Business
Motion to post a public notice in FidoNews to all
creditors to the corporation that they have 60
days to place before the Secretary/Treasurer any
debts owed them by the corporation.
Seconded.
Passed.
Motion to Adjourn.
Seconded.
Discussion.
Mr. Vince Perriello asked that it be noted:
This is not a time of celebration, a lot of mistakes
were made, and we are now at the end of a very long
road.
Thom Henderson stated his agreement.
Close of discussion.
Passed.
The meeting of the Board of Directors of the
International FidoNet Association was adjourned
at 16:10 hours on August 4th, 1990.
Detail of Items A,B,C, and D of Agenda Item IV.
Item A:
On the Dissolution of the International FidoNet Association
WHEREAS:
At the Board of Directors Meeting concluded on 27 Aug 1989
a Resolution was passed to hold a Referendum of our membership
to determine if the International FidoNet Association, Inc.
should continue to exist, and
WHEREAS:
In the Referendum of our membership concluded on 1 Dec 1989
fewer than one third of our membership desired that the Associ-
ation continue to exist, and
WHEREAS:
Under the rules established for that Referendum greater
than two thirds of our membership is deemed to desire that the
Association cease to exist
FidoNews 7-32 Page 15 6 Aug 1990
therefore be it
RESOLVED:
That the International FidoNet Association, Inc. is hereby
dissolved as of the end of the Board meeting in which this
resolution is passed.
RESOLVED:
That the Treasurer of the Association is hereby directed to
pay all outstanding debts of the Association.
RESOLVED:
That any undeposited checks for dues from our membership
are to be returned or destroyed.
RESOLVED:
That in accordance with Article XII of our Articles of
Association, any remaining funds or other material assets of
the Association not otherwise provided for are to be turned
over to [501(c)3].
RESOLVED:
That any non-material assets of the Association not other-
wise provided for, including but not limited to good will,
copyrights, and trademarks, are hereby released into the public
domain.
Item B.
On the Dissolution of the FidoNet Technical Standards Committee
WHEREAS:
There exists a FidoNet Technical Standards Committee of the
International FidoNet Association, Inc. which is responsi
ble for the development and documentation of technical stand-
ards used by FidoNet, and
WHEREAS:
The International FidoNet Association, Inc. is being dis-
solved, and
WHEREAS:
The affairs of the International FidoNet Association, Inc.
must be concluded and its assets disposed of in accordance with
Federal and state law, Article XII of our Articles of Incorpo-
ration, and the wishes of our membership
therefore be it
FidoNews 7-32 Page 16 6 Aug 1990
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
copyrights, that the Association may have in any past or
present copies of any FidoNet technical documents are hereby
released into the public domain.
RESOLVED:
That any authority anyone may have to copyright any techni-
cal document or other publication in the name of the Associa-
tion is hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
trademark rights, that the Association may have granted to the
Chairman of the FidoNet Technical Standards Committee or to any
other person to use the term "FidoNet" are hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
copyrights or patent rights, that the Association may have in
any process or method embodied in a FidoNet technical document
are hereby released into the public domain.
Item C.
On the Dissolution of the IFNA Technical Coordinator
WHEREAS:
There exists an officer of the International FidoNet Asso-
ciation, Inc. known as a Vice President/Technical Coordinator
who is responsible for the weekly publication of a node list
known as the "IFNA FidoNet Nodelist" and bearing the copyright
of the Association, and
WHEREAS:
The International FidoNet Association, Inc. is being dis-
solved, and
WHEREAS:
The affairs of the International FidoNet Association, Inc.
must be concluded and its assets disposed of in accordance with
Federal and state law, Article XII of our Articles of Incorpo-
ration, and the wishes of our membership
therefore be it
RESOLVED:
FidoNews 7-32 Page 17 6 Aug 1990
That the authority of the VP/TC to publish an "IFNA FidoNet
Nodelist" is hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
copyrights, that the Association may have in any past or
present copies of the IFNA FidoNet Nodelist are hereby released
into the public domain.
RESOLVED:
That any authority anyone may have to copyright any node
list or other publication in the name of the Association is
hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
trademark rights, that the Association may have granted to the
VP/TC or to any other person to use the term "FidoNet" are
hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
trademark rights, that the Association may have been granted
to use the term "FidoNet" hereby revert to Tom Jennings as
original holder of that trademark.
Item D.
On the Dissolution of the IFNA Publications Committee
WHEREAS:
There exists a Publications Committee of the International
FidoNet Association, Inc. which is responsible for the publica-
tion of certain documents on behalf of the Association, pri-
marily consisting of a weekly newsletter known as "FidoNews",
and
WHEREAS:
The International FidoNet Association, Inc. is being dis-
solved, and
WHEREAS:
The affairs of the International FidoNet Association, Inc.
must be concluded and its assets disposed of in accordance with
Federal and state law, Article XII of our Articles of Incorpo-
ration, and the wishes of our membership
therefore be it
FidoNews 7-32 Page 18 6 Aug 1990
RESOLVED:
That the newsletter known as FidoNews shall cease to be the
Official Publication of the International FidoNet Association,
Inc.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
copyrights, that the Association may have in back issues of the
publication known as FidoNews are hereby released into the
public domain.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
trademark rights, that the Association may have in the word
"FidoNews" are hereby released into the public domain.
RESOLVED:
That any authority anyone may have to copyright any news-
letter or other publication in the name of the Association is
hereby withdrawn.
RESOLVED:
That any and all rights, including but not limited to
copyrights, that the Association may have in any other publica-
tions of the IFNA Publications Committee are hereby released
into the public domain.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 7-32 Page 19 6 Aug 1990
PUBLIC NOTICE
As of 6 August 1990, all persons, companies, and
corporations are hereby given 60 days in which to
present the Treasurer of the Inetrantional FidoNet
Association with any and all debts due them. The
International FidoNet Association membership has
voted and approved immediate dissolution of the
corporation. Send all debts and appropriate
receipts to the following address for review:
Kris A. Veitch
Treasurer
International FidoNet Association
1405 SW 81st
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73159
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 7-32 Page 20 6 Aug 1990
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
Henry Clark
124/6120
Scattershooting from the Truck --
Man oh man, Fidonews is getting big, isn't it ?
Fortunately for me, that archive method change didn't choke my
batch file, which I'll share with you :
@echo ---NEWSPROC---
if not exist c:\netfiles\fnews*.* goto End
cd \fidonews
for %%o in ( fnews*.* ) do set OLDNEWS=%%o
cd \netfiles
for %%n in ( fnews*.* ) do set NEWNEWS=%%n
cd \binkley
if "%OLDNEWS%" == "%NEWNEWS%" goto Dupenews
del c:\fidonews\fnews*.*
copy \netfiles\fnews*.* \fidonews\
del \netfiles\fnews*.*
goto End
:Dupenews
del \netfiles\fnews*.*
goto End
:End
set OLDNEWS=
set NEWNEWS=
Actually, there is a little more to it than this, for example,
right after the netfiles delete, there is a call to a robot
sender. But you get the idea. The environment variable
comparison does the trick of avoiding duplicate file
processing.
New Software --
Last week, rather than writing this column, I installed Binkley
2.40 and Opus 1.13. These were both upgrades ( from 2.30 and
from 1.03, respectively ). This column is a lot more fun.
I have a lot of source code changes to Binkley which I like to
run. Unfortunately for me, I had scrapped the Microsoft C 5.1
compiler in favor of 6.0, and this caused several problems in
porting my changes from 2.30. Not the least of which is,
nobody else seems to be able to run my version of the program !
FidoNews 7-32 Page 21 6 Aug 1990
One of the less fancy/more useful features is a RingTries Bink
config parameter, I usually set it to 4. On a dial out, if the
other modem is RINGING 4 times, Bink gives up, hangs up and
reports NO ANSWER. I believe this is an important feature
because I don't think you should leave your line 'off hook'
when your system goes off line.
As for Opus, well, it's nice, except for the 'A' area change
command. In the old Opus, the 'A' command would give you a
list of areas. The new Opus gives you a secondary menu, and
you have to enter again. Of course, this is not explained in
the menu, it just happens that I can't type "shift ?" without
lifting my shoulder !
The Opus install program quit with a run time error, but seemed
to do enough that I didn't bother to try it again. I guess I
knew enough to be prepared for that. But now it runs, and I get
to save about 650k by no longer needing the old style nodelist.
Man oh man, that Nodelist sure is big, isn't it ?
Interesting Code Section --
I came across some assembly language that uses the CPU
pre-fetch queue to determine what type of CPU is present, and
whether or not the program is being executed by a debugger. It
uses self modifying code which will run or not run depending on
whether the CPU has pre-fetched the modified instruction. If
you run the self-modifying code under a DEBUGGER, the pre-fetch
queue is circumvented by the debugger's execution of the
program instructions. For example :
mov al,L2 ; possible address
lea si,L0+1 ; modify address
cli
mov [si],al ; overwrite jmp destination
L0: jmp SHORT L1 ; if trace active, goes to L2
; else goes to L1
L1: sti ; normal running address
...
L2: sti ; being traced address
The overwrite instruction will always modify the memory, but if
the pre-fetch queue of the CPU has already read the instruction
at L0, ( before the mov is executed ) then the jump will occur
as coded. If a debugger is active, the CPU will not have
pre-fetched the jmp instruction, and the jump will go the
overwritten address, L2.
Now the CPU detection code ( don't try to trace it ! ) :
FidoNews 7-32 Page 22 6 Aug 1990
xor ax,ax ; clear ax
lea si,L1+1 ; attempt to set
mov BYTE PTR [si],al ; al to zero
nop ; queue fill
nop ;
L1: mov al,1 ; al=1 if not i8088
lea si,L2+1 ; attempt to set
mov BYTE PTR [si],al ; al to zero or one
nop ; queue fill
nop ;
nop ;
nop ;
L2: mov al,2 ; al=2 if i386
The resulting values of al=0 : i8088, al=1 if i8086 or i286, or
al=2 if i386. PC Magazine has a WHATCPU utility that uses stack
and flag instructions to tell you exactly what CPU your program
is running on ( see V9N13 ).
'Hun'ey Checks In --
Of course the airlines destroyed Honey's bags, so right off
there's a couple of hundred. She and Kevin call everyday, so
there's another hundred. Taking everyone out for dinner, more
hundreds. New clothes, glassware, etc. : more hundreds.
Jutland, visiting cousins : hundreds. Will go to Legoland
( a hundred ) and probably Germany ( several hundred ).
Hundred, hundred, hundred. Hun is Danish for 'she', dread is
English for 'extreme anxiety'. Hundred, hundred, hundred.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 7-32 Page 23 6 Aug 1990
=================================================================
LATEST VERSIONS
=================================================================
Latest Software Versions
MS-DOS Systems
--------------
Bulletin Board Software
Name Version Name Version Name Version
DMG 2.93* Phoenix 1.3 TAG 2.5e*
Fido 12s+ QuickBBS 2.64* TBBS 2.1
Lynx 1.30 RBBS 17.3A* TComm/TCommNet 3.4
Kitten 2.16 RBBSmail 17.3A* Telegard 2.5*
Maximus 1.00 RemoteAccess .03* TPBoard 6.1*
Opus 1.12+* SLBBS 1.76* Wildcat! 2.15*
PCBoard 14.2* Socrates 1.00 XBBS 1.13
Network Node List Other
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
BinkleyTerm 2.40* EditNL 4.00 ARC 6.02
D'Bridge 1.30 MakeNL 2.20 ARCAsim 2.30*
Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ARCmail 2.07
FrontDoor 1.99c* Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00
PRENM 1.47 SysNL 3.11 Crossnet v1.5*
SEAdog 4.51b XlatList 2.90 EMM 2.02
TIMS 1.0(Mod8)* XlaxDiff 2.35* Gmail 2.05
XlaxNode 2.35* GROUP 2.16
GUS 1.30
INTERPCB 1.20*
LHARC 1.13
MSG 4.1*
MSGED 1.99
PK[UN]ZIP 1.10*
QM 1.0
QSORT 4.03
Sirius 1.0w*
SLMAIL 1.35*
StarLink 1.01
TagMail 2.20
TCOMMail 2.2
Telemail 1.20*
TMail 1.15
TPBNetEd 3.2
TosScan 1.00*
UFGATE 1.03
XRS 3.40*
ZmailQ 1.10
FidoNews 7-32 Page 24 6 Aug 1990
Macintosh
---------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Red Ryder Host v2.1b10 Tabby 2.2 MacArc 0.04
Mansion 7.15 Copernicus 1.0d* ArcMac 1.3
WWIV (Mac) 3.0 StuffIt 1.51
FBBS 0.91* TImport 1.331
Hermes 0.88* TExport 1.32
Timestamp 1.6
Tset 1.3
Import 3.2
Export 3.21
Sundial 3.2
PreStamp 3.2
OriginatorII 2.0
AreaFix 1.6
Mantissa 3.21
Zenith 1.5
UNZIP 1.02b
Amiga
-----
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Paragon 2.06+ BinkleyTerm 1.00 AmigArc 0.23
TrapDoor 1.50* AReceipt 1.5*
WelMat 0.35 booz 1.01
ConfMail 1.10
ChameleonEdit 0.10
ElectricHerald1.66*
Lharc 1.10
MessageFilter 1.52*
oMMM 1.49b
ParseLst 1.30
PkAX 1.00
PK[UN]ZIP 1.01
PolyxAmy 2.02*
RMB 1.30
TrapList 1.12*
UNzip 0.86
Yuck! 1.61*
Zoo 2.00
Atari ST
FidoNews 7-32 Page 25 6 Aug 1990
--------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailer Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
FIDOdoor/ST 1.5c* BinkleyTerm 1.03g3 ConfMail 1.00
Pandora BBS 2.41c The BOX 1.20 ParseList 1.30
QuickBBS/ST 0.40 ARC 6.02*
GS Point 0.61 LHARC 0.51
LED ST 0.10*
BYE 0.25*
PKUNZIP 1.10
MSGED 1.96S
SRENUM 6.2
Trenum 0.10
OMMM 1.40
Archimedes
----------
BBS Software Mailers Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
ARCbbs 1.44* BinkleyTerm 2.03* Unzip 2.1TH
ARC 1.03
!Spark 2.00d*
ParseLst 1.30
BatchPacker 1.00*
+ Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
* Recently changed
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 7-32 Page 26 6 Aug 1990
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
17 Aug 1990
Start of first ever Searchlight SysOps convention in Chicago, IL.
Contact Marge Robbins at 1:283/120 for details.
5 Oct 1990
21st Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
6 Nov 1990
First anniversary of Van Diepen Automatiseert, 2:500/28
14 Nov 1990
Marco Maccaferri's 21rd Birthday. Send greetings to him at
2:332/16.0
1 Jan 1991
Implementation of 7% Goods and Services Tax in Canada. Contact
Joe Lindstrom at 1:134/55 for a more colorful description.
16 Feb 1991
Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush.
7 Oct 1991
Area code 415 fragments. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
will begin using area code 510. This includes Oakland,
Concord, Berkeley and Hayward. San Francisco, San Mateo,
Marin, parts of Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay
Islands will retain area code 415.
1 Feb 1992
Area code 213 fragments. Western, coastal, southern and
eastern portions of Los Angeles County will begin using area
code 310. This includes Los Angeles International Airport,
West Los Angeles, San Pedro and Whittier. Downtown Los
Angeles and surrounding communities (such as Hollywood and
Montebello) will retain area code 213.
5 Jun 1997
David Dodell's 40th Birthday
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
