FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
Association as its official newsletter. 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.
Copyright 1987 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.
Nine Weeks to FidoCon!
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
Is IFNA Stealing FidoNet? ................................ 1
2. NOTICES .................................................. 3
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 3
Latest Software Versions ................................. 3
IFNA Board of Directors Ballot ........................... 4
International FidoNet Conference Registration Form ....... 7
FidoNews 4-23 Page 1 15 Jun 1987
There's been some talk about how IFNA is trying to "steal"
FidoNet, and even FidoNews for that matter. Hey, serious stuff!
Is it true? And just what is this IFNA thing, anyway?
FidoNet was originally created by Tom Jennings. But managing a
network is a hassle, and a far cry from the happy hacking that TJ
was really into, so he turned it over to Ken Kaplan. Ken ran the
net quite well for a long time. Many of us still remember the
days when the way you got a node number was you asked Ken for
one. In a similar manner TJ started FidoNews and published the
first few issues. But that too turned into a boring drudgery of
daily details, so he gave it to me and I've run it since.
So who ran FidoNet? It looks to me like Ken Kaplan did. Oh, he
had help. Ben Baker worked out most of the technical details of
making it actually operate, and I chipped in with my thumb-
fingered assistance and loud voice. Later when we established
multinet operation we off-loaded a lot of work on a hierarchy of
network and regional coordinators, and we found guys overseas to
fob work off onto. But mainly Ken ran it.
That works fine for a small group, but it starts to hit problems
when you get big enough. For example, what if Ken decides he's
tired of it? Who takes over? When the whole net consists of
fifty people who all know each other it's no big deal. Someone
will step forward and do it sooner or later. But when the net
has over a thousand sysops most of whom have never met, making
sure that everything will keep running becomes a major concern.
Here's another example: Ken's done a fine job so far, but what if
we someday decide that he needs to be replaced? How do we do
that? The FidoNet Policy and Procedures Guide, version 3
(Policy3) says in effect that Ken Kaplan is the Lord of FidoNet,
not subject to veto by anyone. Read the section titled "Problems
with the International Coordinator". It says you have three
choices. Live with it, drop out, or start your own net. It says
that because there's no mechanism for replacing the International
Coordinator. There never has been. Ken has always been The
Boss, and we've never had a problem.
So for those reasons (among others) Ken Kaplan felt that we
needed some sort of formal organization to be in charge, and the
rest of We Who Ran Things agreed, so we set up IFNA. From day
one IFNA was created to be the organization that runs FidoNet,
and that's what it is today.
Did IFNA steal FidoNet? Heck, no! The people who were already
running FidoNet created IFNA to handle it. Did IFNA steal
FidoNews from the sysops? Again, no, because the sysops never
owned FidoNews in the first place -- I did. Do I think IFNA
FidoNews 4-23 Page 2 15 Jun 1987
should own FidoNews? Take a look at the banner on the title page
of this issue, or any issue for over a year, and I think you'll
be able to figure out my answer.
So given that IFNA is running FidoNet, is that good or bad?
Well, it kind of depends on what IFNA does with it. The interim
board of directors is the same people who were running it all
along, so for now it hardly matters. We'd do the same things
whether we called ourselves IFNA or not. After August it'll
matter, because the new board of directors will be elected then.
At that point IFNA will cease to be a tight little oligarchy and
will be (one hopes) representative of its membership. From then
on it's up to you.
22 Jun 1987
Submissions deadline for echolist #103. All updates should be
sent to Tomas Kenny at 107/316.
1 Aug 1987
Third Annual BBS Picnic in Edison, NJ. Please register before
July 10th. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for 12 and under,
free for 5 and under. Contact Paul Kelley at 107/331 for
details.
20 Aug 1987
Start of the Fourth International FidoNet Conference, to be
held at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel in Alexandria, VA.
Contact Brian Hughes at 109/634 for more information. This is
FidoNet's big annual get-together, and is your chance to meet
all the people you've been talking with all this time. We're
hoping to see you there!
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 1:1/1.
Utility authors: Please help keep this list as current as
possible by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our
intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on
necessity.
Bob Morris 141/333
Chairman, Elections and Nominations Committee
The next two pages are your Official ballot for the Election of
the IFNA Board of Directors. The following are the few rules
which must prevail in this election:
1. You must send a legible copy of this ballot to the address
listed on the ballot. It must be signed and bear your
net/node number.
2. You may vote for any one person in your region for the
position of Regional Director. This vote is to be cast in the
LEFT column of the ballot.
3. You may vote for any eleven people in any regions for the
position of Director at Large. These votes are to be cast in
the RIGHT column of the ballot.
4. Voting will continue until the end of registration at the
Conference in August. The results will be read during the
opening of the business meeting on the first day of the
conference.
5. Write-in Votes will be accepted and are requested during this
election.
FidoNews 4-23 Page 5 15 Jun 1987
IFNA Board Of Directors
Ballot
Regional At Large
Region 10:
Steve Jordan _________ ________
Region 11:
Ryugen Fisher _________ ________
Theodore Polczynski _________ ________
Region 12:
Region 13:
Don Daniels _________ ________
John Penberthy _________ ________
Thom Henderson _________ ________
Gee Wong _________ ________
Brian Hughes _________ ________
Region 14:
Ben Baker _________ ________
Ken Kaplan _________ ________
Brad Hicks _________ ________
Region 15:
David Dodell _________ ________
Larry Wall _________ ________
Region 16:
Bob Hartman _________ ________
Hal Duprie _________ ________
Region 17:
Rob Barker _________ ________
Randy Bush _________ ________
Bob Swift _________ ________
Region 18:
Wes Cowley _________ ________
FidoNews 4-23 Page 6 15 Jun 1987
Region 19:
Mark Grennan _________ ________
Wynn Wagner _________ ________
Name ______________________________ Net/Node ___________
Signature______________________________ Date ___________
Please complete this and mail it to:
Robert Morris
IFNA Elections Committee
210 Church Street
West Haven, Ct. 06516
or bring it with you when you come to the conference in August.
These ballots will be counted by myself since with 200 members
the charges for a CPA would be very high. Hard copies will be
made available to anyone wishing to insure that their vote was
included.
OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FIDONET CONFERENCE
RADISSON MARK PLAZA HOTEL
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
AUGUST 20 - 23, 1987
Name _________________________________ Date _____________
Address ______________________________
City & State _________________________
Phone (Voice) ________________________
Net/Node Number ______________________
Phone (Data) _________________________
Number in Your Party _________________
Staying at the Radisson? _____________
Number of Rooms? _____________________
Arrival Date? ________________________
Departure Date? ______________________
Registration Fees: How Many Total
Full Conference $60.00 each ________ $________
Late registration $10.00 each ________ $________
(after Aug. 1)
Friday Night Banquet $30.00 each ________ $________
Saturday Luncheon $16.50 each ________ $________
Total Amount Included (Registration and Meals) $________
IFNA MEMBERS ONLY:
How many in your party will
be attending the Sunday morning
Board of Directors meeting? ________
Send your registration form and a check or money order to:
Fourth International FidoNet Conference
212 E. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20003
Attn: Brian H. Hughes -- voice: (202) 543-4200
This registration form does not include hotel accomodations. If
you wish to stay at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel, please contact
them directly and mention you are with the FidoNet Conference.
Conference room rates are $80/night for single or double
occupancy, and $20/night for an extra cot.
Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel
5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va. 22311
1-800-228-9822
