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.
Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association.
All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted
for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
please contact IFNA.
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
Everything here is subject to debate.
Table of Contents
1. ARTICLES
The Condemned (A Poem)
Cincinnati Area Bulletin Board
2. COLUMNS
Are You Being Ripped Off When You Buy Diskettes?
Computer Industry Spotlight
3. WANTED
Wanted: IBM PC programs for publication!
Looking for a Few Good CADs
4. FOR SALE
DataCare Hard Disk Utility
Entertainment Software for your PC!
Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
5. NOTICES
The Interrupt Stack
Due to the differences between the Model 1000 from Tandy
and the normal IBM type of machine, I have asked several nodes
if they were interested in the establishment of a Model 1000
echo area. So far of the six nodes that I thought might be
interested, two answered yes right away. One is here in net 138,
the other is on the East coast. What we have in mind is a free
area where all can enter the questions and whoever can answer,
answers. We will be using arcmail for the message transfers and
will try to keep the traffic out the normal outbound/inbound
channels. If interested, set up an echo mail area for MOD1000
and send me a message from it to 138/14.
SMART Echo
A second echo that we have here is for users of the
SMART Package from Inovative Software. Right now it is a local
echo but will add others if they will send echomail to me under
the name of SMART also at 138/14
When the earth was created, the powers above,
Gave each man a job to work at and love.
He made Doctors and lawyers and plumbers and then,
He made carpenters, singers, and confidence men.
And when each had a job to work as he should,
He looked them all over and saw it was good.
He then sat down to rest for a day,
When a horrible groan chanced to come his way.
The Lord then looked down and his eyes opened wide,
For a motley collection of bums stood outside.
"Oh what can they want?" the creator asked them,
"Help us," they cried out, "A job for us men".
"We have no profession," they cried in dismay,
"And even the jails have turned us away".
Said the Lord, "I've seen many things without worth,
But here I find gathered the scum of the earth!"
The Lord was perplexed then he was mad,
For all the jobs, there was none to be had.
Then he spoke aloud in a deep angry tone,
"Forever and ever ye mongrels shall roam,
Ye shall freeze in the summer and sweat when it's cold,
Ye shall work on equipment that's dirty and old,
Ye shall crawl under raised floors, and there cables lay,
Ye shall be called out at midnight and work through the day,
Ye shall work on all holidays, and not make your worth,
Ye shall be blamed for all downtime that occurs on the earth,
Ye shall watch all the glory go to software and sales,
Ye shall be blamed by them both if the system then fails.
Ye shall be paid nothing out of sorrow and tears,
Ye shall be forever cursed, and called FIELD ENGINEERS!"
Letter to Editor
Infoworld
1060 Marsh Road
Suite C-200
Menlo Park, California 94025
CIS 73267,1537
Dear Editor,
I read Scott Mace's 8/18/86 'Software Makers Force Pirate
BBS to Shut Down' regarding a Cincinnati area electronic bulletin
board carrying 'pirate' software. It was mentioned in the story
that this was a 'Fidonet-based board'.
Having just returned from an International Fido Sysop
Conference with about 100 Fido Sysop's from the United States,
Canada, Great Britain and Holland held in Colorado Springs; and
being the Cincinnati area Fidonet administrator, I was a bit
disturbed to hear this news.
I thought I would take this opportunity to try and put the
Fido name back in its more respectable light, since I now have
made a few phone calls to check out this story.
Fido is the name of an electronic bulletin board system
written by Tom Jennings. Fido Net is the informal cooperation by
which over 1,000 Fido systems on 4 continents exchange electronic
mail with each other every day. These systems are run entirely
independently by people that have no business relation with each
other.
Since we take this activity rather seriously, we do our best
to maintain the highest possible standards for the systems and
people that participate in our network. 'Pirate' boards that
participate in the spreading of commercial software against the
copyright restrictions are a definite NO-NO in the Fido Net
world. Of course there can always be the one bad apple (no pun
intended) and it is unfortunate that in this case it blemished
the Fido Net name. Coincidentally, in researching your story
further, I found that the particular Cincinnati area offender
that you wrote of was not at all a Fido Net based system.
However, he might have been, so I really can't take credit for
the fact that he actually was running some bbs software other
than the Fido software.
Anyway, as I said, there are over 1,000 Fido Net systems and
they are spread all over the WORLD. I can assure you that these
sysops, that generally go unmentioned, collectively outweigh this
one joker's bad news with their own good news to the order of a
giga times better.
Thank you for letting me use this forum to hopefully help
the Fido Net image. If there is any further information that I
can provide, please feel free to call on me.
Allen Miller
Fidonews Page 5 1 Sep 1986
Fido 108/10
Cincinnati Fido Net Administrator
CIS 70140,442
Are You Being Ripped Off When You Buy Diskettes?
Mike Guffey
Almost everyone shops for the best buys in 5.25" floppy disks.
Prices range from under $1 to over $5 per disk, depending on the
brand and type (SSDD, DSDD, DSQD). It is possible to get around
one of the big-gest "fictions" in computing by buying Single
Sided Disks for most applications. Crucial to this method is
acquistion of a magnetic bulk eraser which is used to totally
blank the disks before formatting.
Few computer store people or mail order houses will tell you that
the main (but not necessarily the =only=) difference between
single and double sided disks is that DS disks are certified on
both sides. All "name-brand" manufacturers' disks have magnetic
particles on both sides. Single-sided disks have only been
tested on one side. And 99% of single sided disks can be
formatted for DS Double Density and, in most cases, will work for
DS QUAD density formats. The "trick" is to first use the
magnetic bulk eraser on each disk, format it, then run a
commercial or public domain program to look for and lock out bad
sectors. Single sided disks will not always work for "OCT"
Density applications (i.e. IBM AT), but if they have never been
used in any lesser format, many premium brands are likely to
work.
Off-brand disks? Yes, they may be a bargain, but they may also
fail to retain data in storage. Stay with "name-brands" for this
trick.
COMPUTER AUTOMATION, INC. -- This is a multi-divisional,
multinational manufacturer of a full range of micro- and mini-
computers, high performance test systems, and distributed data
processing systems. The company's three operating divisions are:
Naked Mini Division, the firm's first and largest activity,
dedicated to producing the micro- and mini-computers for sale in
large volume; Industrial Products Division, which develops,
manufactures, and markets high-performance computer-based
automatic test equipment; and Commercial Systems Division, which
produces and markets network processing systems designed for
transaction-oriented applications requiring interactive
communications from and between remote locations to large scale
central computer facilities. The company has "abundant" career
opportunities for electrical engineers and sales associates. The
Sales Associate Training Program prepares employees by developing
a sound technical knowledge of the corporation's products and
providing training in professional selling skills or advanced
technical support techniques. The Engineering Rotational Program
is designed to give engineers experience in several areas before
they choose an ultimate assignment.
Contact: Charles Pierce, College Relations Representative,
Computer Automation, Inc., 2181 Dupont Drive, Irvine, CA 92713.
SOFTDISK, INC., the already-successful publisher of magazines on
diskette for Apple II and Commodore 64 computers, will produce a
monthly disk-based publication for the IBM PC. The first issue
of this publication, to be named BIG BLUE DISK, and which will be
contained entirely on a floppy disk, will be shipped to thousands
of retail outlets in October, including B. Dalton Booksellers and
Waldenbooks.
- - OFF-BROADWAY - -
If you have written a program for the IBM PC, please consider
publishing it on BIG BLUE DISK; it's your chance to make some
money, and get your name in print. Programs of all categories
are being accepted.
- - YOUR REWARD - -
We will select the best programs submitted, and publish them on
issues of BIG BLUE DISK. If we choose to publish your program,
we will pay you a minimum of $50, and possibly more-- as much as
$500, depending on the nature and quality of the program. This
money is for the privilege of publishing your program. You
retain full rights to it.
- - HOW TO SUBMIT IT - -
Submissions can be sent by FIDONET to node 19/216, or uploaded
directly to our BBS at (318) 636-4402. Alternatively, you can
send them on a floppy disk to: BIG BLUE DISK, PO BOX 30008,
SHREVEPORT, LA 71130-0008.
BIG BLUE DISK is a widely-distributed, carefully-prepared
publication, so make sure your programs are well-tested and
debugged, and include adequate instructions within the program.
Include a note (on paper, in a text file, or in a message to the
sysop of our BBS) describing what your program does, what files
are necessary to run it, and what system configuration (hardware
and software) is required. Please include the source code to
all compiled or assembled programs so we can make revisions if
necessary. If you have marketed your software as "shareware",
please remove all requests for money or other advertisements
from the version you submit for publication; alternatively you
can contact us for information on other terms for such programs.
- - NOTE TO SYSOPS - -
There is a finder's fee of 10% for you if you submit a program on
behalf of one of your users and it is published. Thus, you may
wish to publicize BIG BLUE DISK and our search for programs.
Searching for CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) Systems
Within the Fire Services
We are looking for Fire Departments currently using Computer
Aided Dispatch programs on any type of computer system.
If your Department is using a CAD system, we would like to hear
from you about the screen design, the types of data stored and
retrieved, access times, user interface, computer utilized,
program language, portability and ease of program alteration,
and maintenance and reliability factors. We would also like to
obtain screen print-outs and any other documentation you are
willing to share.
This Department is in the process of purchasing a VAX system and
attendant peripherals and is thinking of developing a CAD system
in "C". We don't want to reinvent anything, if it can be avoided.
If you have or have access to any of the above material, send a
FidoNet message to:
Christopher Baker
Metro-Fire Fido
135/14, 135/0.
OR by U.S. Mail to: Christopher Baker
Metro-Dade Fire Communications
DPCC Rm 151
5680 S.W. 87 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173.
Any and all information will be greatly appreciated. Anything we
develop will be available to other Departments.
=================================================================
FOR SALE
=================================================================
Ellicott Software
Fido 109/628
DataCare, a PC Magazine choice in its recent review of hard
disk products, is available at a new low price - $49.95, down
from $129.95. This is the same product that has been favorably
reviewed. The price is for a limited time only.
This product is used by a number of Fido BBS's in net 109, and
has found favor with many people that are not SYSOPS in the
Baltimore - DC - Virginia area.
Three-week trials are available from any user of the product.
The review can be read in the PC magazine issue that had as its
emphasis EGA boards. A review has been submitted to FidoNews
for publication, but it is uncertain when it will appear.
DataCare is published by:
Ellicott Software, Inc.
3777 Plum Hill Court
Ellicott City, MD 21043
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
Public Domain collection - 550+ "ARC" archives - 20+ megs of
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When
unpacked, you get approximately 28 megabytes worth of all kinds
of software, from text editors to games to unprotection schemes
to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc... Over
55 DS/DD diskettes!!
This collection is the result of more than 15 months of intensive
downloads from just about 150 or more BBS's and other sources,
all of which have been examined, indexed and archived for your
convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board System? Want to add on
to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This
is the answer!!!
To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check,
postal money order or company purchase order) to:
Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 103/511
Post Office Box 4296
200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296
Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.
Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain
software in this collection. The price is applied entirely to
the cost of downloading the software over the phone lines,
running a BBS to receive file submissions, and inspecting,
cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files. Obtaining this
software yourself through the use of a computer with a modem
using commercial phone access would cost you much more than what
we charge for the service...
Please specify what type of format you would like the disks to be
prepared on. The following choices are available:
- IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
- Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
- DSBackup
- Fastback
- ACS INTRCPT 720k format
- Plain ol' files (add $50)
Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more
expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling charges.
California residents add 6% tax.
For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.
Announcing the return of the "HIP Shack" to Fidonet, now in
Colorado Springs, CO. The files and message areas are in
the process of being reorganized, but Amateur Radio and SWL
are still the primary themes. I'm looking forward to
hearing from everyone I've been out of touch with for the
last 9 weeks...
