Volume 3, Number 20                                   19 May 1986
    +---------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                                  _            |
    |                                                 /  \          |
    |    - FidoNews -                                /|oo \         |
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    |  Fido and FidoNet                              _`@/_ \    _   |
    |    Users  Group                               |     | \   \\  |
    |     Newsletter                                | (*) |  \   )) |
    |                                  ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
    |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
    | (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA     (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
    |                                                     (jm)      |
    +---------------------------------------------------------------+
    Editor in Chief:                                   Thom Henderson
    Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings

    FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International  FidoNet
    Association,  and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
    You  are  encouraged  to  submit  articles  for  publication   in
    FidoNews.  Article submission standards are contained in the file
    FNEWSART.DOC,  available from  node  1/1.

    The   contents  of  the  articles  contained  here  are  not  our
    responsibility,   nor  do  we  necessarily   agree   with   them.
    Everything here is subject to debate.


                      HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STEVE LEMKE


                            Table of Contents

    1. EDITORIAL
       Whiz Kids and Communications
    2. ARTICLES
       Defending the Amiga
       Born Again
       Fido and Fidonet computer and modem compatibility.
       Happy Birthday to ... Dolores????
       Employment Opportunities Listings
       Fido & Novell Advanced Netware
       Creating a Fido Interest Index
       Electrical Fires
       Comparison of Utilities
    3. FOR SALE
       Entertainment Software for your PC!
    4. NOTICES
       The Interrupt Stack
       Daylight Savings Time and the Mail Schedules




    Fidonews                     Page 2                   19 May 1986


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

                       Whiz Kids and Communications
                           by Richard P. Wilkes

    During the past eight years,  I have been heavily  involved  with
    "bulletin  board"  systems running on micros and mainframes.  I'd
    like to give a few examples of the  destructiveness  of  many  of
    these "kids."

    Most  have probably heard of or called an RCP/M.  Five years ago,
    I wrote a similar type system for a  TRS-80.  This  software  ran
    for  3.5  years  without  a  problem.  But now,  as more and more
    potential crackers have access to communications equipment,  this
    system has been crashed repeatedly.

    When  I was back in high school,  the big thing was to find a bug
    in the OS.  But,  once we found it,  instead of using it to  keep
    the system flat on its back,  we documented it and sometimes even
    fixed it.  Doesn't seem like that is the case anymore...

    On this system, some caller breaks in, deletes all the files, and
    then writes a program which keeps the drives selected; this burns
    out the motors on 5.25" drives,  especially  when  they  run  all
    night.  This was done so often, the system was brought down for a
    long time (until a trace could be put on the dial-up).

    I run my own system and publish software that turns a TRS-80 into
    a  mail  and  message  system.  I  have  sat  and watched callers
    SYSTEMATICALLY attack the system.  This takes several forms:

    1) All commands, series of commands, and options are tried.

    2) The system is assaulted with all manners of control sequences,
       trying to get some unexpected result.

    3) I have even seem someone drop and then re-initiate carrier  to
       see if they could get somewhere.

    If  that doesn't work,  they begin to crack passwords.  They know
    what they are doing...  in one case,  I watched as  someone  went
    through   what   looked  like  the  beginning  of  the  Webster's
    Dictionary trying to get superuser status.  Since most people use
    words, not a bad idea, right?  Less intelligent ones start with A
    and just try and try and try.

    Oh,  by the way,  they are definitely using auto-dial modems  and
    software to do this.

    If  all  else fails,  they simply tie up the system.  They choose
    the most obviously disk intensive command,  and execute it  again
    and  again.  Since  many  systems  only timeout after inactivity,
    this could tie up the system for many hours (not to  mention  the
    wear and tear on the equipment).
    Fidonews                     Page 3                   19 May 1986


    These   little   bastards   certainly   aren't   doing   anything
    constructive.

    Seven years ago,  I called up MIT-MC and got  a  tourist  account
    which  I  kept for three years until I got an authorized one.  It
    was a free account on an open system;  the only strings were that
    I  use  it  after  hours  and not tie up too many resources.  But
    things have changed.  You can't have totally open systems anymore
    without many precautions and  almost  constant  supervision.  For
    example,  I have had to add many security features to these small
    systems:

    1) Three  attempts  and  you  lose  the connection.  Nine illegal
       attempts at a user name  without  a  correct  login  causes  a
       suspension.   Anyone  trying  to  login  under  that  name  is
       immediately suspended (with some exceptions).

    2) Connection limited use.

    3) Application process reviewed by sysop before someone  can  use
       all features, or even use the system.

    4) Isolate   the   user  completely  from  all  operating  system
       functions,  even to the point of modifying the DOS to hang  or
       reset when necessary.

    I do have one little "joke" up my sleeve.  There is an account on
    these  systems  called  SYSOP.  Now,  if I was going to break in,
    that is where I would start.  I've put a  little  patch  into  my
    host.  After  39  incorrect tries on that account,  IT ALLOWS THE
    CALLER THROUGH.  He gets a welcome message  and  Sysop  command:.
    He can renumber messages,  change the date and time,  even delete
    from the directory,  change user names and passwords.  He can  do
    all the things that a sysop can do.  Of course, he isn't *really*
    doing  anything  (he he he!) After,  oh say,  10 minutes,  output
    stops. 24 linefeeds are issued and the following appears (slowly,
    as if from a TTY):

        HELLO INTRUDER!  Gee,  I want to thank you for hanging around
        for  the past ten minutes while we had a chance to trace your
        call.  It is  too  bad  that  some  people  just  can't  live
        responsibly.  But,  I  guess  that  is the reason we have the
        police and FBI, right? {disconnect}

    I don't know what the answer is, but I do know that treating this
    type of behavior casually must be stopped.  There will always  be
    people   who  will  try  to  circumvent  all  security  measures,
    sometimes out of curiosity,  but recently  more  often  with  the
    intention of doing something destructive.

    It's  too bad that the days of the unsecured systems is coming to
    a close,  but with hundreds of people scanning the exchanges with
    their auto-dial modems looking for carriers,  armed with 10 pages
    of pirated MCI access codes, we don't have much choice.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Fidonews                     Page 4                   19 May 1986


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

    Matt Gertner, 141/320

                           Defending the Amiga


    While the article by Mike Roberts (Fido 120/5) in  FidoNews  #314
    certainly  pointed  out some of the Amiga's weak points,  I don't
    think it did credit to what I am increasingly inclined to believe
    is one hell of a machine.  While it certainly can't compete  with
    the IBM XT in terms of software, or with the Atari ST in terms of
    price,   it   can  compete  with  both  on  an  the  basis  of  a
    price/performance comparison.

    The complaint that the Amiga does not have as  much  software  as
    the XT is,  of course,  legitimate.  However,  it also applies to
    EVERY  other  computer  on  the  market,   bar  none  (even  100%
    compatibles  have some problems).  No computer who doesn't try to
    be compatible with the XT can even come close. However, Commodore
    has done a very good job a) encouraging software developers  with
    some  excellent technical manuals and b) bridging the gap between
    the Amiga and the XT with a very well designed emulator  package.
    I cannot agree that the emulator is overpriced. The lastest quote
    I  have  heard  is  $500 with accelerator hardware and IBM drive.
    Compare this to the over $1500 that is  charged  for  MacCharlie,
    the Mac/IBM link.  Now if someone can show me where to get an IBM
    compatible for that kind of price,  I will happily send the check
    off today!  In fact,  my major complaint with the emulator is its
    late release date.  While I don't think the term  "vaporware"  is
    accurate  in  this  case,  I do think CBM has been a bit sluggish
    with the emulator release. As always, we'll see.

    Whether the Amiga should or should not have  been  aimed  at  the
    market  place  already  occupied  by  the  IBM  is rather a shaky
    question.  The fact is,  no one can expect to beat IBM on its own
    territory.  The Amiga,  however,  does offer some features the XT
    can't hope to match. The graphics are superlative and FAST (three
    dimensional animation so fast you'll think its really happening),
    and the 4-channel stereo sound has to be heard to be believed. As
    far as I can tell,  almost as many Amigas are  being  bought  for
    artistic purposes (by musicians or artists) as for home use.  And
    while I have yet to see some really good  business  software  for
    the  Amiga,  that  does  NOT mean it doesn't exist,  as I haven't
    tried to get my hands on  any.  Some  packages  sound  very  nice
    (notably  VIP  Professional),  and  claim (wheeze) to be shipping
    now.

    As far as the Amiga's price is concerned, I have to admit that it
    was rather overpriced.  However, the monitor is now free with the
    system,  which  the  brings  the 512k system price down to $1495.
    This is compared to $995 for the color  512k  Atari  ST.  But  it
    doesn't  stop  there  - the Amiga also multitasks,  has drives of
    twice the capacity of the Atari and the sound  and  graphics  are
    Fidonews                     Page 5                   19 May 1986


    indisputably better.

    While the Amiga is by no means a sure success,  I don't believe a
    cursory glossing over it (well,  IBM has more software and the ST
    is  cheaper)  does justice to the machine.  My exposure to the ST
    side of things is VERY limited (I have no  idea  what  the  Atari
    software  scene  is like),  but looking through either of the two
    Amiga magazines I have seen (AmigaWorld and Amazing Computing)  I
    feel more and more confident of the Amiga's success. After heated
    debate with a Tecmar employee over the price of their hardware, I
    saw  the  T-Disk  (20  meg  drive)  and  T-Card (1 meg of memory,
    clock/calendar,  serial port) advertised for nearly one  half  of
    list  price.  What  this  means  is that a 1 1/2 meg Amiga is now
    available for a little over $2000.  I have  no  idea  what  Atari
    offers  in  terms  of expandability,  but it's hard to beat that;
    especially when the next step is an $850 20 meg  hard  drive.  As
    with  all new products in the computer arena,  time and software,
    not initial impressions, will be the final test.

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

    Fidonews                     Page 6                   19 May 1986


    Mike Hamilton, 103/501

                                Born Again


    Following is a reprint by permission of a  message  left  in  the
    Bible  message/discussion  area  on my board giving some ideas on
    defining Born Again.  I  thought  some  others  might  gain  some
    pleasure from reading it.

    MESSAGE:

    There  are several terms that we hear today which are synonymous.
    Among these are "born again",  "saved",  "trusting in the  Lord",
    "the  new  birth",  etc.  One thing you'll find when you read the
    Bible is that there are only two kinds of people in the word.  It
    is not broken down into the good and bad or the right  and  wrong
    or  me  and  them.  It  is simply broken down between those "born
    again" and those not born again.

    In John 3 the Lord Jesus gave the most concise and simple  answer
    to  your  question.  We  enter into this physical life through an
    experience called 'birth', the act of which we call being "born".
    If we wish to enter into a spiritual relationship with  God  then
    we  have  to experience a "re-birth" or be "born again".  In Acts
    16 someone asks the question:  "What must I do to be saved?"  The
    reply  was  simple:  "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  " But it
    goes further than just a mental assent that He  lived  or  was  a
    good guy.

    In  Romans  3  we see our inadequacies from GOD'S STANDPOINT (not
    our dealings  with  our  fellow  man).  It  is  not  so  much  an
    indictment  of  our CHARACTER as it is our CONDITION.  That's why
    we can't just quit doing 'bad' and start doing 'good' to be  O.K.
    We  can  clean  up the outside but we can't touch the inside - it
    virtually takes a 're-birth'.

    If your interested I can go farther into this.  I haven't  talked
    about being redeemed by the "precious blood of Christ";  the gift
    of God; the forgiveness of sin;  our mediator with God - the Lord
    Jesus, etc.

    If you want a little more let me know.


                                        Ron

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

    Fidonews                     Page 7                   19 May 1986


    Bill Allbritten, 11/301

            Fido and Fidonet Computer and Modem Compatibility


    The following systems and modems have been found by users to work
    with FIDO.  The author takes no  responsibility  for  support  or
    accuracy.  On a more positive note, please keep the compatibility
    information  coming to Bill Allbritten on 11/301.  I have decided
    to keep this list up to date on a rolling basis; so if you obtain
    new hardware not specifically  discussed  in  the  original  Fido
    documentation  or  in  this listing,  please drop me a message on
    11/301 so I can keep this list going.  I  will  publish  it  from
    time  to  time;  the  two files containing the information are in
    file area 5 of 11/301 as FIDOCOMP.TXT and  FIDOMODM.TXT.  Several
    users  in  England  are  desperate for compatibility information.
    Just use a format  similar  to  the  report  that  follows.  Bill
    Allbritten, sysop, 11/301

    Compatible Computers

    BRAND NAME   AMT 86
    DEALER NAME  AMERICAN MICRO TECH.
    DEALER ADDR  1322 E.EDINGER SANTA ANA CA. 92705
    DEALER PHONE 714-972-2945
    RAM AVAILABL 1024
    ACCES BDS 1  QUADRAM EGA+
    ACCES BDS 2  AMI SER/PAR
    VIDEO CARD   QUADRAM EGA+
    MULTTASKING  DOUBLEDOS
    COMMENTS1    USES ATronics motherboard-can
                 use IBM ROMS to run BASICA
    YOUR NAME    JUAN JIMENEZ
    YOUR ADDR    PO BOX 4296 BALBOA CA 92661-4296
    PHONE        714-675-7106 DATA

    BRAND NAME   MINDSET PC
    DEALER NAME  MINDSET CORPORATION
    DEALER ADDR  SUNNYVALE CA 94086
    RAM AVAILABL 256
    ACCES BDS 1  RS-232C (2)
    ACCES BDS 2  SASI HD INTER.
    VIDEO CARD   BUILT IN
    COMMENTS1    GRAPHIC COMPUTER DESIGNED FOR VIDEO OVERLAYS
    COMMENTS2    Sysop of MINDSET FMUG  Fido 16/635
    YOUR NAME    JAMES PALLACK
    YOUR ADDR    BURLINGTON VT 05401-4759
    PHONE        802-658-2494 DATA

    BRAND NAME   ZENITH Z-148
    DEALER NAME  ANY ZENITH DEALER
    RAM AVAILABL 640
    ACCES BDS 1  NOVELL ADV.BD
    VIDEO CARD   BUILT IN
    MULTTASKING  NONE
    COMMENTS1    PURCHASED THROUGH VOLUME PURCHASE AT WORK
    Fidonews                     Page 8                   19 May 1986


    COMMENTS2    NOVELL BOARD DOESNT WORK WITH FIDO_IBM YET
    YOUR NAME    TIM RAND
    YOUR ADDR    #8 HILL-N-DALE ST. LOUIS MO 63132
    PHONE        314-658-2158

    BRAND NAME   LAZER DIGITAL
    DEALER NAME  THE SOFTWARE STORE
    DEALER ADDR  MEMPHIS TN 38118
    DEALER PHONE 901-362-7926
    RAM AVAILABL 640
    ACCES BDS 1  WEST.DIG HD CON
    ACCES BDS 2  IO+ MULTI FUNC
    VIDEO CARD   MONO AND COLOR
    MULTTASKING  DOUBLEDOS
    COMMENTS1    SEAGATE ST 225 AND IBM DOS 3.1
    YOUR NAME    JOHN PELLICCIOTTI
    YOUR ADDR    1717 DENISON MEMPHIS TN 38111
    PHONE        901 761 3614 DATA

    BRAND NAME   Turbo PC
    DEALER NAME  Texas Computer Systems
    DEALER ADDR  Box 531198 Grand Prarie TX 75053
    DEALER PHONE 800-433-5184
    RAM AVAILABL 640
    ACCES BDS 1  multifunction
    VIDEO CARD   monochrome
    MULTTASKING  DESQview
    COMMENTS1    Ask for Tim Proctor at TCS
    COMMENTS2    Have not tried computer in Turbo Mode

    Compatible Modems

    BRAND NAME   FOUNTAIN M12
    DEALER NAME  THE SOFTWARE STORE
    DEALER ADDR  MEMPHIS TN38118
    PROTOCOLS    212A V.22BIS
    MODEM MASK   128
    COMMENTS1    SWITCH SETTINGS 1U 2D 2D 4U 5U 6U 7U 8D
    COMMENTS2    FULLY HAYES COMPATIBLE
    COMMENTS3    EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL MODELS
    YOUR NAME    JOE R. PELLICCIOTTI
    YOUR ADDRESS 1717 DENISON, MEMPHIS TN
    YOUR PHONE   901-761-3614 DATA

    BRAND NAME   Volksmodem 12
    DEALER NAME  Texas Computer Systems
    DEALER ADDR  Grand Prarie TX
    PROTOCOLS    300/1200 Bell
    MODEM MASK   128
    SWITCH SET   all down
    COMMENTS1    All switches down give Hayes emulation.
    COMMENTS2    Modem takes longer to identify
                 baud rates and switch than Hayes

    BRAND NAME   Prometheus PRO 1200 modem
    DEALER NAME  1st. Place Computer
    Fidonews                     Page 9                   19 May 1986


    DEALER ADDR  Phoenix, AZ
    PROTOCOLS    300/1200
    MODEM MASK   128
    SWITCH SET   ++-+-+--+-
    COMMENTS1    +=on, -=off
    COMMENTS2    /1 1/j 5/s /u 128/v other switch
                 settings in command line
    COMMENTS3    Hayes Compat.Command Set
    YOUR NAME    Thomas Kenney
    YOUR ADDRESS 107/316
    YOUR PHONE   201-286-2546

    Again,  let's keep this list going by sending new information  to
    Bill Allbritten on 11/301, (502) 762-3140 24 hrs.

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

    Fidonews                     Page 10                  19 May 1986


    Tom Smith, 14/619

                    Happy Birthday to ... Dolores????


    Ever had a birthday that went by without anybody noticing?  Well,
    I have a friend,  a very close friend,  with that problem.  She's
    about to turn 27,  thinks she's getting old,  kinda lonely as all
    her friends keep getting married.  Anyway,  she *claims* that she
    never gets any cards for her birthday,  so she might as well quit
    having them.  I'd like to help her out, and you can help.

    Why not send her a card?  Yes,  you!  I tried a similar thing  on
    another  friend  a  few  years  back  in  college.  Called all my
    friends around the country and enlisted their  aid;  they  called
    their friends etc.  Total turnout:  over 250 birthday cards for a
    young lady who said she never got anything for her birthday.  She
    loved it!  And that was without the power of FIDONET!

    So how 'bout it?  Make her day,  and make  her  believe  all  the
    things  I've  told  her  about  the nice people running around on
    bulletin boards.  Send that card to:

            Dolores
            6097 Westbrook
            Brook Park, OH 44142

    Her birthday is  May  21.  Tell  your  friends,  tell  everybody.
    Let's make this a birthday she'll never forget!

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

    Fidonews                     Page 11                  19 May 1986


    W.R.Hunter/E.S.Hunter, 109/626

                     On-Line Employment Opportunities

         After joining the FidoNet BBS system in March of this  year,
    we  have been at a loss as to how best serve our user's and other
    Fido Sysop's.  Finally after drifting along rather aimlessly  for
    a few months,  we decided that perhaps the best way was with what
    we do best,  providing  timely,  extensive,  complete  employment
    vacancy information dealing with the Computer Industry.

         Currently we do produce regular employment newsletters which
    are  utilized  by other businesses,  and made available to people
    via libraries and  colleges.  We  thought  perhaps  some  of  the
    people  associated  with  FidoNet  could  make  use  of  the same
    information.   Employment  listings  available  immediately   are
    placed in two files, as follows:

                EMPLOYJR.??? - Entry/Mid-level positions
                EMPLOYSR.??? - Senior level positions

         File  extensions  will  be  .TXT  for text files that can be
    viewed while on-line,  or .ARC files that can be  downloaded  and
    reviewed  at  your own convenience (much better for long distance
    calls.) The positions will include vacancies nationwide, although
    admittedly more from the Washington,  D.C.  area (due to the vast
    influx of new businesses in the Metro area),  and will be updated
    on a weekly basis (each Sunday).

         There is no charge associated with this service,  instead it
    is  to  be  run  via the "contribution if-it-works-for-you" idea.
    Should you benefit from any information,  such as finding gainful
    employment,  all  we ask is for a donation of any amount you deem
    appropriate.  The same applies to companies or recruiters, should
    they wish to have any openings included in any issues,  there  is
    no  charge  directly.  Should  any  respondents prove to be "well
    received" and they feel the listing worked well, any contribution
    deemed appropriate will be greatly appreciated.  Please note, 25%
    of all contributions received will be sent to  Tom  Jennings,  in
    thanks  for  the  very  wonderful FidoNet BBS system we all enjoy
    using today.

         If any in the FidoNet would like to have these listing  sent
    to  then  via  FidoNet  Mail,  please  contact  us via netmail to
    NOVA_WEG 109/626 or directly at:

                               WEG Systems
                               P.O. Box 5072
                               Springfield, Va  22150

         If the "requests for listings to-be-sent" is large enough we
    will investigate the best way to set-up and coordinate that  type
    of activity.  This information may prove most valuable (again) to
    colleges  or networking hobbyists where individuals are "looking"
    for that perfect position.  Do let us know your thoughts.

    Fidonews                     Page 12                  19 May 1986


         We do  hope  that  in  providing  this  information  we  can
    contribute in a meaningful way to the "upward pursuits" of all of
    you involved in the Computer field.

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

    Fidonews                     Page 13                  19 May 1986


    Kurt Vanderwater, 147/5
    Netware_HELP, 1/103

                      Fido & Novell Advanced Netware

    Well,  for any of you out there with these two pieces of software
    I suppose you may have tried to put them together and had  a  bit
    of a problem.  I know I did when I tried.  However,  for me there
    was little choice.  If I wanted to run a Fido, I had to have them
    working together.  You see,  we had just put a second network in-
    house and my AT is the file server.  So...  head scratching time.
    After watching the symptoms for a few minutes the  problem  began
    to  look  kinda  familiar.  Then I remembered seeing somewhere in
    the documentation (don't ask me where) that Fido was linked using
    Plink86 and that overlays were being used.  BINGO.  It is a known
    problem that I have had with some  other  software.  The  fix  is
    quit simple.  Below you will find a generic version of it as I am
    not sure but that the  location  of  the  fix  will  change  from
    version to version.

    This  assumes  some  knowledge of IBM's Debug utility.  If you do
    not  have  any  knowledge  of  it  I  suggest  you  look  in  the
    documentation.

        1).  Locate a four byte Hex sequence as follows:
                 B4 EF CD 21

             For your information this translates to:
                 MOV    AH,EFH
                 INT    21H

        2).  Change these 4 bytes to hex 90.  This replaces  the  two
             instructions above with 4 NOP instructions.

        3).  Save the file

    That's all there is to it.

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

    Fidonews                     Page 14                  19 May 1986


    Christopher Baker, 135/14

    This is a reprint of an article that appeared in these pages last
    year. I am submitting it again to stimulate more responses.  This
    will be NEW to many new Nodes.

                        ON THE INTERESTS OF FIDO:
                       A COLLECTION PROPOSAL TO ALL


    Kurt Reisler's idea of centralizing the collection of information
    on  where  various  versions  of the Fido system can be found has
    spawned an imitator (the SINCEREST form of flattery, Kurt) with a
    similar plan to collect a different bunch of information.

    When I  show  someone  the  FidoList,  their  first  reaction  is
    amazement.  The  next  question  they  ask  is "What do all those
    people do on all those systems?".  I give them the  general  low-
    down on Fido and how the Net operates, but they want to know what
    each node is into, specifically.

    There is a small amount of information to be gained from perusing
    the  titles  of  the nodes but what would the uninitiated make of
    'YAFIP' (109/610), for example?  For that matter,  what would the
    seasoned Fidoite make of it?

    With  this info as background and for the sake of idle curiosity,
    I propose the following:

    1. Any and all members of the Network send a FidoMail message  to
       me  with  a  capsule summary of the main thrust of their board
       and a list of the types of computers they support  with  files
       and/or message areas.

    2. All  nodes  submitting  this  info  also include any unique or
       specialty areas of interest they support,  i.e.,  Fire/Rescue,
       Amateur   Radio,    Equestrians,    Antique   Autos,    U.F.O.
       Observations, etc.

    In turn,  I will compile all the info that comes in and make  the
    resulting  file  available to FidoNews or other Fidos by FidoMail
    or download.

    So,  send those cards and letters folks and let's find  out  what
    kind  of resources we really have in this Network.  FidoMail your
    responses to:  Metro-Fire Fido, 135/14, (305) 596-8611;  the more
    the merrier.

    Thanks in advance for your assistance.

                               * * * * * *

    This  article  generated  a very small response (thirteen,  to be
    exact) when it was  first  published.  I  have  received  several
    requests  for  the  results in recent days and don't have much to
    send out.  So...I am soliciting responses,  once again,  from any
    Fidonews                     Page 15                  19 May 1986


    and all Nodes everywhere.  If you would like to have other people
    know what your Node offers, send a Net message to: Sysop, 135/14.
    Include a list of message and file areas and a brief statement of
    why your Node exists.  It doesn't matter whether you are a public
    or commercial node, large or small, send in a description and you
    will be included. If you have any special access requirements, be
    sure to include them in the message.  If you are a SEAdog capable
    Node,  include that  info  too.  After  I  receive  at  least  50
    responses,  I will generate a Fido Interest Index and send it out
    to all Region Coordinators and requesting Nodes.

    Don't put it off, this time!

    By the way, YAFIP stands for "Yet Another Fido In Potomac".

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

    Fidonews                     Page 16                  19 May 1986


    Louis Davidson
    Fido 135/14

                       Electrical Fire Prevention.


    Many fires are caused by loose  electrical  wire  connections  in
    factories, hotels, and homes.  I have made a prototype and tested
    a circuit that will trip a convenience outlet circuit if a  loose
    connection develops.

    The  method  that  I  have  developed  works  fine.  However  the
    installation cost is too high for it to be a marketable  product.
    The  idea  is sound,  and warrants pursuit.  As some may know,  a
    circuit breaker,  that is now used as a circuit  protector,  only
    trips if there is a short across the circuit wiring. If there was
    no  breaker  the wires would over heat from excessive current and
    burn,  causing a fire.  There is no protection for a loose joint,
    that  can  also  cause a fire.  The loose joint arcs like a small
    electrical welder.  If there is a load on the line,  this  arcing
    causes the joint to deteriorate rapidly, and become a hot spot.

    There  is  some  protection  as  the wire should be enclosed in a
    metal box.  However, if the load is not released the heat becomes
    intense enough to cause a fire.  The circuit draws  less  current
    as  the  arc increases,  so the breaker will not trip.  My device
    trips and closes down the circuit.  I am open to suggestions, and
    ideas that I will experiment  with.  If  interests  are  aroused,
    then  contact  me  via Fidonet.  Many lives will be saved if this
    system can become an inexpensive product.

    Anyone with any ideas or suggestions, can contact:

                                       Louis Davidson
                                            Via
                                       Fidonet 135/14
    Thanks.

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

    Fidonews                     Page 17                  19 May 1986


    Robert Friesen, 10/26

                            Utility comparison


    Many good utilities are available on bulletin boards  around  the
    country.  Most of these are useful,  some are indispensable a few
    can cause real harm.

    With several utilities providing the same function  the  question
    is,  which  one  will work best in a given situation?  An example
    are utilities which move files from one sub directory to another.

    In the files section of Fresno Micro  Fone  AT  I  found  4  such
    utilities:

         Cmove - File move utility - rev 1.4 5-15-85
         (C) 1985 Daniel Doman

         REDirect (C) 1985, Dickinson Associates Inc.

         MV - Move or Rename Files/Sub-directories
         Version 2.03 - June 9, 1985
         For PC-DOS Versions 2.0 and Above
         (C) Copyright 1985 Harry G. McGavran, Jr.

         MOVE.COM  -  Allows  you  to  actually  move a file from one
         directory to  another  without  an  intermediate  copy.
         (C) Copyright SoftWorks Development, 1985, 1986

    Included  are  copyright,  version,  date  and author information
    where this was available with the software.

    I would like to know if you use any of these utilities and  which
    one  you  use.  I suspect there may be other similar programs out
    there,  if you use something else I'd like  to  know  about  that
    also.  If you have tried more than one of these,  tell me why you
    chose the one you using.  If any of these have created  problems,
    I would like to know that also.

    I  know  this  survey  will  be  of  interest to those of you who
    respond.  If I receive a good responses,  I will publish these in
    a future issue of Fido News.  If there is enough interest in this
    type  of  information,  I  will conduct similar surveys for other
    types of utilities.

    Let me hear from you.

    Robert Friesen 10/26

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

    Fidonews                     Page 18                  19 May 1986


    =================================================================
                                FOR SALE
    =================================================================

                 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC!

                         SUPERDOTS!  KALAH!

    Professional quality games include PASCAL source!  From  the
    author of KALAH Version 1.6,  SuperDots,  a variation of the
    popular pencil/paper DOTS game,  has MAGIC  and  HIDDEN  DOT
    options.  KALAH  1.7  is  an African strategy game requiring
    skill to manipulate pegs around a playing board.  Both games
    use the ANSI Escape sequences  provided  with  the  ANSI.SYS
    device driver for the IBM-PC,  or built into the firmware on
    the DEC  Rainbow.  Only  $19.95  each  or  $39.95  for  both
    exciting  games!  Please  specify  version  and disk format.
    These games have been written in standard  TURBO-PASCAL  and
    run on the IBM-PC,  DEC Rainbow 100 (MSDOS and CPM), CPM/80,
    CPM/86,  and PDP-11.  Other disk formats are available,  but
    minor customization may be required.

                            BSS Software
                            P.O. Box 3827
                        Cherry Hill, NJ 08034


    For every order placed,  a donation will be made to the Fido
    coordinators!  Also, if you have a previous version of KALAH
    and send me a donation, a portion of that donation will also
    be sent to the coordinators.  When you place  an  order,  BE
    CERTAIN  TO  MENTION  WHERE  YOU  SAW  THE  AD since it also
    appears in PC Magazine and Digital Review.

    Questions and comments can be sent to:

                     Brian Sietz at  Fido 107/17
                     (609) 429-6630    300/1200/2400 baud

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

    Fidonews                     Page 19                  19 May 1986


    =================================================================
                                 NOTICES
    =================================================================

                         The Interrupt Stack


    14 Jun 1986
       The Next Occasional MetroNet Sysop Meeting, to be held in West
       Milford, New Jersey.  Contact The Wizard at node 107/16 for
       details and directions.

    24 Aug 1989
       Voyager 2 passes Neptune.


    If you have something which you would like to see on this
    calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1.

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

    Ben Baker, 100/76

               Daylight Savings Time and the Mail Schedules


         We have again entered our semiannual Period of Confusion.  I
    had hoped this year would be easier,  since  FidoNet  mail  times
    didn't really change, but, alas.  .  .

         For  the record, if when the country shifts it clocks you do
    nothing, your mail schedules will be right!   If  you  prefer  to
    reset  your  system  clock  to match "wall clock" time, then move
    your mail schedules in the same direction and your still right.

         The following table lists the start time  for  the  national
    mail event for the "contiguous 48." and is correct year 'round:


                     Pacific Standard Time    1:00
                     Pacific Daylight Time    2:00

                     Mountain Standard Time   2:00
                     Mountain Daylight Time   3:00

                     Central Standard Time    3:00
                     Central Daylight Time    4:00

                     Eastern Standard Time    4:00
                     Eastern Daylight Time    5:00

         Just  pick out the time by which you set your clock, and set
    your mail schedules so that the start or your national mail event
    corresponds to the time in the table.

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