Volume 4, Number 46                              14 December 1987
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    Editor in Chief:                                   Thom Henderson
    Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings
    Contributing Editors:                      Dale Lovell, Al Arango

    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 at (314) 576-4067.

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



                            Table of Contents

    1. ARTICLES  .................................................  1
       Fee Based Bulletin Board Systems  .........................  1
       Benchmark Testing Of Archive Utilities  ...................  3
       GizLib - A Fine Improvement To Quick Basic  ...............  5
       StarSeed --  A New Age BBS  ...............................  9
       A New Kind of DUPE  ....................................... 10
       Softguard Strikes Out At Honest Pc-Users  ................. 12
    2. NOTICES  .................................................. 15
       The Interrupt Stack  ...................................... 15
       Region 18 Nodelist Changes  ............................... 15
       Latest Software Versions  ................................. 15
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 1                   14 Dec 1987


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

    Bob Allman, 161/8 and 123/7


                    Fee Based Bulletin Board Systems:
           Bill Paul's FidoNews 4-37 Article and the Responses


       Bill Paul, Sysop of The Think Tank, 123/7, Memphis, Tennessee,
    authored an article which outlined his thoughts on BBS fee
    charging practices and solicited feedback from others.  What I
    seek here is to provide a synopsis of the feedback he shared with
    me and offer my own observations.

       Bill queried the propriety of users financially supporting a
    hobby, and equated fees received with obligations incurred by the
    recipient.  He did acknowledge echomail and netmail services were
    legitimately chargeable to users of those services.  Responses
    were received from among others: 381/20, 107/16, 381/1, 148/1,
    115/478, a PC-Board SysOp, a Miami SysOp and Don Daniels,
    President of IFNA.  Here, with apologies to the respondents for
    any loss of context, are the major points made:

       - Fee payers' are better and more committed users.
       - User support, financial and otherwise, is conducive to
         system excellence and longevity.
       - Fees seperate users who want a system's services from
         curiosity seekers and twits.
       - Fees reduce system access gridlock problems.
       - Fees can be mandatory for access, tied to special
         priviledges only, or solicited analogous to the shareware
         concept (eg your donation will be gratefully accepted).
       - Fee supported systems do incur some obligations on the part
         of the operators consistant with the fee basis.
       - Users do derive benefits, systems are only as good as the
         sysops AND their users - hence BBSs' are two way streets.
       - System operation is expensive.
       - Hobby activity and community service don't have to be
         mutually exclusive.
       - FidoNet shouldn't include any system designed and operated
         exclusively to make money.
       - Bulletin Board Systems and Electronic Mail Networks are
         different; BBSs can be free, networks require management and
         appropriate financial involvement.
       - No one rule can be equally applied to every BBS.


        Having been involved in a user group initiative to provide
    funding to a Net to help defray costs, I know that responsible
    users, concerned with both the benefits received from excellent
    systems and the commensurate high costs of operating good systems
    are not unwilling to donate their time or money unsolicited by
    SysOps.  Bill's issue, I believe, was on what basis should money
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 2                   14 Dec 1987


    change hands.  Is it a form of contract, with obligations on the
    part of both parties?  I think so.  The terms "user" and
    "operator" alone impart a sense of this relationship.  I have no
    tolerance for board "rapists" and twits who believe access to
    systems are their god given right, nor SysOps who want monies up
    front without providing a trial period to permit prospective
    users to reasonably evaluate their fee-based systems.  Let them
    both be plagued with gridlock, line noise and faulty modems!  I
    believe that non-profit making fees are an acceptable option for
    System Operators.  But the option does incur obligations to
    provide services commensurate with the fee charged.  This is
    rarely a problem as most fee structures are nominal, and I know
    of no case of a system going fee-based only to shut down within
    weeks without making appropriate refunds.

        My preference is that any fee-based system be willing to
    extend to prospective new users a short "check it out" period.
    Sure, downloads and to a lesser degree, message base access can
    be limited, but no one likes to invest in anything sight unseen.
    I find too many of the "new" fee-based systems want money before
    you can see anything but the logon welcome, registration form,
    and the logoff screen.  Good systems have nothing to fear from
    scrutiny and that is the basis upon which the appropriateness of
    fees should be judged.

        To set the record straight, I have been active in
    telecommunications for number of years and, although having moved
    from Tennessee to California in July 1986, I continue to be a
    registered user of Bill's system.  I have never been a SysOp,
    although I have Sub-SysOped or SigOped for several systems.  I am
    an active user of electronic mail networks and message bases.  I
    am NOT speaking for Bill, although I publicly wish to thank him
    for providing the Think Tank's great forum.

    Replies may be addressed to 123/7 or 161/8.

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 3                   14 Dec 1987


    Gene Coppola 107/246

                  Benchmark Testing Of Archive Utilities

        With the release of version 1.5 of the Zoo archive utility, I
    decided to run my benchmark tests  and  report  on  the  3  major
    archive utilities again.

        For  those  of  you that have read my past articles,  you are
    familiar with these tests.  For new readers,  I will explain  the
    tests now.

        The test are run against a standard collection of 14 files  I
    have put aside for these types of tests. The total size of the 14
    files together are 269118 bytes. Some are .COM, some are .EXE and
    some are .OVL files.  The times reported below are the average of
    10 tests for each program I tested.

        The equipment I run the test on has changed. I am now using a
    QT/2-6 computer.

        This is a PS/60 clone  with  twelve  (12)  Megabytes  of  Ram
    installed on the motherboard.  The clock speed is 20Mhz. An 80386
    is the main processor.  An 80387 NDP is installed  as  well.  The
    hard  drive  used  for testing is a Seagate ST-251 with an access
    time of 23 ms. The price of the QT/2-6 is $2450 as tested.

        A seperate sub-directory was created  for  testing  purposes.
    The  drive  was  optimized  (Mace  4.10) between tests to provide
    accurate results.  OS/2 (Beta) was used as the  operating  system
    for these tests.

        Here are the time results of the tests.

        NAME     TYPE OF OPERATION   %  REDUCED  MINS  SECS HUDS
        ========================================================
        PKARC35  Create An Archive   34 Percent   00    09   02
        ZOO150   Create An Archive   33 Percent   00    17   06
        ARC520   Create An Archive   33 Percent   00    56   13

        PKXARC   Extract An Archive      N/A      00    05   14
        ZOO150   Extract An Archive      N/A      00    07   15
        ARCE     Extract An Archive      N/A      00    07   21
        ARC520   Extract An Archive      N/A      00    42   14

        KEY: N/A=Not Applicable In This Test

        As you can see PKARC has come in again as the fastest utility
    for  creating  an  archive.  PKXARC  is  the  fastest  extraction
    utility.  ARC520 still does not recognize other archive  formats.
    PKARC35  will  produce either it's own ARC format file or you may
    produce  an  ARC520  formatted  file.  ZOO150  creates  it's  own
    formatted file.

        As  computer  speeds get faster,  I expect to see these times
    remain relatively stable.  The work these  programs  do  is  disk
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 4                   14 Dec 1987


    intensive.  I  expect that in the future speed gains will be from
    faster drives, and not from faster computers.

        I hope this helps some of you who are new to computers.

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 5                   14 Dec 1987


                                  GizLib
                    A Fine Improvement To Quick Basic

    GIZLIB is a set of routines that are callable from either QB3  or
    QB4.  Some,  such as ERRMSG, more resemble sub-programs than sub-
    routines.  To say this is not to overstate their  value,  but  to
    point out that,  in general, they perform or can perform multiple
    functions or entire routines.

    Most of the routines are assembler based, but where it makes more
    sense,  they are in QB.  In terms of speed  and  such,  assembler
    based  is  undoubtedly  faster (though I doubt that the amount by
    which it is faster is always noticeable) QB routines on the other
    hand can be a bit more useful,  the  most  noticeable  difference
    being   that  QB  subroutines  can  alter  string  lengths  while
    assembler cannot.  The downside is that QB  routines  are  a  bit
    bigger,  but I still appreciate having them right on hand and not
    having to type them in numerous times.

    II.  Calling Conventions

    If you are not familiar with calling library  routines  from  QB,
    you  are  advised  to  STUDY  this  in the QB books,  as it is an
    important aspect of calling sub programs.

        Brief Rules:

        A.  The passed parameters shown do not need to be used
    literally as is. That is, if a routine is documented as:

            CALL myroutine(StringParm$, IntegerParm%)

            The following convention will work just as well:
            CALL myroutine(parm1$, parm2%)

            The following will not (because the variable data
            types are reversed):

            CALL myroutine(StringParm%, IntegerParm$)

           What this is saying is that called  subroutine  parameters
    are  only  POSITIONAL,  but  they  can  have  any name you choose
    ("IntegerParm%" vs "parm2%"),  and as long as the TYPE is correct
    (integer  versus string variables,  versus double precision etc),
    and as long as the passed arguments are initialized correctly.

        B.  Unless otherwise noted,  subroutines  require  non-string
    arguments  to  be  INTEGERS.  This means that either a DEFINT a-z
    statements is required  early  on  in  your  program  or  numeric
    arguments must be implicitly set to integers, ie; the "%" integer
    declaration used.



        C.  Aside  from the right TYPE of argument or parameter being
    passed,  and the use of integers,  make sure you pass  the  right
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 6                   14 Dec 1987


    NUMBER  of  arguments.  If  a  program  requires  you  to  pass 7
    arguments and either as a typo or because you  only  use  6,  you
    miss one within the parentheses,  then as they say, unpredictable
    results may occur.

        D.   In  most  cases,   the  examples  shown  will  reference
    parameters as variables.

        ie:  CALL  subr(x%,  y%,  z$);  where x,  y and z$ are set to
    certain values to get specific results from the routine.  However
    in many cases, you can pass arguments directly.

        ie:  CALL subr(1, 4, "String").  The times when you CANNOT do
    such direct passing is when the subroutine is going to modify  or
    return  one  of  the arguments passed.  Some routines will change
    one of the arguments to indicate an error or a level of success.

        Those arguments that are altered or changed by the subroutine
    MUST be passed as a variable.  For example,  if "subr" above uses
    x,  y and z$ to specify what you want it to do and  y  returns  a
    level  of success or error situation,  it would have to be passed
    as a variable:

        CALL subr(1, y%, "String")


        E.  Major QB 3.0 bug

        There is a fairly well known bug in  QB3  that  creates  non-
    executing   .EXE  files  when  your  program  performs  calls  to
    assembler routines. The work around is this:

        DO NOT compile your source from INSIDE the editor to  make  a
    .OBJ file.

        DO exit to DOS and make the .OBJ file from DOS:

        C>QB myprog /o;

        Then when you link it, the EXE file will run.

        By  "fairly  well  known  bug" I mean that most serious users
    know about it.  I have let MicroSoft know and provided 4 examples
    and they now understand what the problem is,  but DO NOT expect a
    fix  for it,  because they are more intent on OS/2 and QB4 is now
    out.

        Here is a brief list of the available commands in GizLib  and
    a brief description of each one.



                   GizLib    Quick   Reference   Guide
                               Version 1.3
                       Released: November 29, 1987

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 7                   14 Dec 1987


        GIZLIB Index
        -------------
        BOXES ........... Outline one of 6 menu type boxes to
        the screen.
    *   CHRP ............ Sound the speaker in a CHiRP
        fashion.
        CLOFF / CLON .... Disengage-engage keyboard Caps Lock.
    **  CLRKBD .......... Clear keyboard buffer of type-ahead
        keys.
        CMDLINE ......... Parse the command line into a string
        array.
        CPUINFO ......... Returns very low level system info,
        cpu type etc.
        DATE ............ Returns current day, month, year and
        day of week as integers.
        DFRMAT .......... Date Formatting.
    +4  DIR.............. Returns DOS directory in a string
        array.
        DLRFRMAT ........ Numeric string formatting to Dollar
        conventions.
        DLY ............. Delay for x number of seconds.
        DOSV............. Return DOS Version installed.
        DRVSPACE ........ Return total and free drive space.
    *   ERRMSG .......... Display temporary message with
        color, sound control.
        EXIST ........... Determines if a file exists on disk
        or not.
        EXTMEM .......... Return the amount of Extended (AT)
        memory installed.
        FADE ............ Screen fade or dissolve routine,
        maintains attributes.
        FILCNT........... Returns the number of files in disk
        matching a mask.
        FED ............. BASIC text input routine.
    **  GETDSEG ......... Returns BASIC's DS (Data Segment)
    **  GETSTACK ........ Returns the state of BASIC's Stack.
    **  GET/SET DRV ..... Get or set the default drive.
    **  GET/SET VERFY ... Get or set the system VERIFY state.
        GRAPH ........... Produce a Vertical or Horizontal
        graph from an array.
        KBLOOP .......... Enter a blind loop until a key is
        pressed.
    -3  LCASE ........... Convert a string to lower case
    **  MDLY ............ Delay processing for a number of
        milliseconds.
        NFRMAT .......... Extensive Numeric string formatting.
        NLOFF / NLON .... Disengage-engage Keyboard Num Lock
        PCASE ........... Convert string to proper case.
        PINIT ........... Initialize the printer.
    **  PFILE ........... Send a disk file to printer.
        PRTSCRN ......... Print the current display on the
        printer.
        PSTAT ........... Return the printer status.
        QUIKPRT ......... Another implementation of BYTE's
        qprint routine.
        RAMFREE ......... Returns memory installed in the
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 8                   14 Dec 1987


        system.
    **  RSTSCRN / SVSCRN. Restores a screen previously saved
        by SVSCRN
        U-,D- SCROLL .... Scroll a portion of the screen up or
        down.
    **  SCROLLER ........ Scroll the screen left or right.
        SCRLOFF / SCRLON. Set Scroll Lock Off.
        SCRNDUMP ........ Dump the current display to disk.
        SETERR .......... Sets DOS "ERRORLEVEL" code upon
        program termination.
    *   SINFO ........... Equipment info: RAM, parallel,
        serial, EGA and VGA.
    -3  STRIP ........... Strip Leading and trailing blanks
        from a string.
    -3  STRIPL .......... Strip trailing blanks and tabs from
        string.
    -3  STRIPR .......... Strip leading blanks and tabs from
        string.
        TFRMAT .......... Time formatting
    -3  UCASE ........... Converts a string to upper case
    **  WDW ............. Windowing subroutine with sound,
        color control.

        *  Minor improvement from previous version
        **  New or Major enhancement in this release
        -3  Routine is in QB3 USERLIB ONLY.
        +4  Has altered syntax or requirements in QB4 (QLB).


        GizLib  can  be  downloaded  from the author's bulletin board
    system at (316)-684-8744.

        It may also be SEAdog requested  from  107/246.  Request  the
    file "GIZLIB" (without the quotes) to get the entire package. The
    file is archived and is about 120k.

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 9                   14 Dec 1987


    StarSeed Fido 15/1001
    Jami Morgan, Sysop



    If you are interested in metaphysical  topics,  expanding  and/or
    opening  your  mind  to  new  thoughts,  or just curious then you
    should drop by StarSeed -- A New  Age  BBS  in  Albuquerque,  New
    Mexico.  It's  Node 15/1001 or you can call direct (505) 822-8268
    AFTER 10 p.m.  Mountain Standard Time (10 pm - 10 am, daily).


    A special discussion  area  called  Stargate  offers  interesting
    comments  on  a  wide  range of New Age topics.  WHAT IS NEW AGE?
    Well,  Omni Magazine took a stab at defining it in their  October
    issue.  It  was  described  as  a  consciousness,  a concept,  an
    alternative religion,  a sub-culture,  a new era,  and a holistic
    approach  to  life.  I  would say it's all of the above.  It's an
    open-minded  search  for  answers   to   life's   questions.   It
    encompasses  such  things as astrology,  sciences of the mind and
    body,  herbal  medicine,   native  american  practices,   eastern
    religion  and other alternative religions,  earth magic,  crystal
    power, the supernatural and/or para-normal.

    On the lighter side,  there  is  also  a  great  Science  Fiction
    Conference  and  "OddQuest"  --  a  silly  adventure  game  (just
    starting).


    StarSeed has been in operation around 6  months  (the  same  Fido
    Node has been around for over four years).  I would like to start
    a  New  Age Echo Conference if the interest is out there.  If you
    are so inclined,  drop by StarSeed.  If any nodes are  interested
    in such an echo, please contact me at 15/1001.

                                     *** Jami Morgan, StarSeed Sysop

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 10                  14 Dec 1987


    Larry DiGioia
    NEVERBOARD -- 129/17


                DUPLICATION OF ECHOMAIL CONFERENCES


      If you are keeping track of the various echomail conferences
    that are forming almost daily, you will have noticed a rather
    distressing trend: DUPLICATION OF SUBJECT MATTER. An example:

      For more than two years (since before echomail) there has
    been a discussion area on my board called "Electric Images".
    When I let it out into the rest of the matrix I shortened the
    name to simply "IMAGES". The subject of the conference has been
    movies, via both theatre and videocassette, and "regular" video
    as in "TV". As of last month, it had made it's way across the
    country and had many enthusiastic participants.

      Then I started seeing an area available on some of the large
    echo hubs called "FILM", as well as another called "REVIEWS".
    Both were supposed to have the same subject matter as IMAGES.

      I started out by entering messages into these echoes, asking
    who the coordinator was. I got no response (well, almost no
    response; one person replied saying "coordinator? what's a
    coordinator? why do we need one?") I tried again, this time
    asking "if there is no coordinator, could someone at least tell
    me who started this thing?" No response. Finally, after I
    arranged to actually receive both echoes on my board, I decided
    to concede to the greater distribution of FILM (which actually
    had some messages in it) and merge my own conference into it by
    renaming it to FILM. Meanwhile, after several more tries, still
    no one answers to the title of coordinator in REVIEWS.

      I am also seeing three different but similar "MUSIC" echoes,
    and many more along those lines. The point is, I thought that we
    had an "official keeper of the echolist" (Thomas Kenny) who puts
    out an excellent list of echoes, along with their coordinators
    and hub numbers. Heck, it was even included inside this very
    newsletter! I guess not everyone reads it.

      I don't have any particular solution to this problem, except
    to say that I hope in the future that sysops, echomail
    coordinators and all others involved in distribution will keep a
    closer watch on what is actually going around, subject-wise.
    I should also point out that experience has shown that an echo
    with no coordinator doesn't last very long, and at best will
    degenerate into random discussion and flames.

      I would also like to take this opportunity to plug some of
    the echoes that I coordinate here at NEVERBOARD:

      SHORTWAVE - discussion of radio listening, including long-
    distance reception on HF bands, as well as broadcast band,
    scanners, satellites, and "PIRATE" radio. No ham radio.
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 11                  14 Dec 1987


      AUDIO - discussion of stereo equipment and accessories,
    sound reinforcement, tips for improved sound, and the recordings
    that provide the best examples of Hi Fi.

      FILM - discussion of movies, including those in theatres, on
    videocassette and broadcast. Also video hardware such as HDTV,
    Hi Fi VCRs, and satellite TV.

      DR_DEBUG - The one and only! He's a little eccentric and yes,
    he has been known to spill a little Gin on his magnetic media.
    But you won't find a better authority on software for a variety
    of computers, including IBM, COMMODORE, APPLE and ATARI. Ask
    here, if he can't answer it then you don't need to know. The
    Doctor is IN!

      We also carry MUSIC, SF, HUMOR and many other conferences.
      Come and get it!

       NEVERBOARD - Pittsburgh Pa. - 129/17 - 412-243-5880

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 12                  14 Dec 1987


    From:  The SysOp BBS  Quantico, VA   (703)640-2603
    To:    All Sysops

    Subj:  TROJAN ALERT


    It seems SOFTGUARD  may  be  distributing  a  TROJAN  "unprotect"
    program  to  erase  disks  and  bolster  their  "shrinking"  copy
    protection business.

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

    The following message was found on the Morningstar Keep  node  of
    the  Citadel  BBS  system (609)268-9597.  What makes this message
    especially  alarming  is  the  fact  that,   as  far  as  can  be
    ascertained,  so-called  "shrink-wrap"  license  agreements  have
    never been shown to be enforceable in a court of law.  Thus,  not
    only  is  it  probably legal for you to make a backup copy of so-
    called  "licensed  software",  but  if  the  publisher  omits  to
    register the work with the Copyright office and submit two copies
    of  the  software to the Library of Congress,  he may not even be
    entitled to attorney's fees and punitive damages even if he  sues
    you for real dishonest copyright infringement.  (If the publisher
    does register the work with the copyright office,  it  becomes  a
    published work and it becomes impossible for the publisher to get
    any  kind  of  trade secret protection,  or enforce a prohibition
    against reverse-engineering.  (There goes the software protection
    scheme!!  --  A  delightful  dilemma for the software publisher.)
    Consult your attorney for specific legal advice, but make sure he
    doesn't consult for a software company.  R.DHESI

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

       From Ted Mozer @ Brick

    **** DANGER !!!!  Data Destroying Program !!!

    The file called SUG.ARC  (or  SUG.COM)  is  purported  to  be  an
    unprotect for Softguard.  It is,  in reality,  a real WORM of the
    worst magnitude!  This little  gem  will  ask  you  to  put  your
    ORIGINAL Softguard protected disk in the drive,  and then BAM, it
    displays this message:


    "You have violated the license agreement under which you received
    the  software.   All  your  data   has   been   destroyed.   This
    destruction  constitutes  prima  facia  evidence of your criminal
    violation. If you attempt to challenge Softguard Systems, Inc. or
    the software vendor in court, you will be vigorously counter-sued
    for infringement and theft of services;  we believe that our case
    will have more merit to it than yours.  If you have any questions
    concerning this matter, you are invited to contact our lawyers at
    the following address:

         Softguard Systems Incorporated
         address and telephone number given -.
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 13                  14 Dec 1987


    We'll  be  happy  to explain to you the precarious legal position
    you're in.  We wish you good luck in restoring your software from
    backups and we hope that in the future you'll act  more  like  an
    honest user and less like a thief.

             Happy Computing."

    ... AND IT IS SERIOUS!!

    It will look for drives A:  & B:  and,  get this,  a drive C:  or
    better!!  In other words,  it will wipe out the FAT on your  hard
    disk too,  just to "teach you a lesson".  Attorneys are presently
    looking into what  can  be  done  to  stick  this  up  the  lower
    abdominal  region  of  the person or persons responsible for it's
    existence.

    .. IF YOU HAVE IT, GET RID OF IT !!!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Interesting?  Here's one from the Atlanta PC  User's  Group  BBS,
    home of the Lone Victor:

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Date: 09-03-86 (17:14)                  Number: 3265
      To: LONE VICTOR                       Refer#: NONE
    From: BILL MOSS                         Recv'd: YES
    Subj: SUG.ARC                           Sec'ty: PUBLIC
    MESSAGE

    Please  take  a  look  at  SUG.ARC  which  purports  to unprotect
    Softguard, but destroys the diskette by erasing all files but not
    the FAT.  It appears to be in retaliation  for  your  work.  More
    than  ever  we  need  your help with SOFTGUARD 3.00.  The lecture
    that goes along with SUG.ARC is too much!!!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Assuming that Softguard really did create this file,  we have the
    following comments.

    First,  Softguard's  battle (battle?  You might prefer to call it
    terrorism) against protection busters is almost  moot,  for  most
    major   software  publishers  have  dropped  the  idea  of  copy-
    protection altogether in favor of  registered  customer  support.
    Perhaps  this  very fact has put Softguard's management in a mood
    bad enough to lash out thus.

    Second, Softguard's legal position seems quite shaky to me.  Last
    year Vault corporation announced  a  software  protection  scheme
    that  would,  if  it  detected  a  fraudulent  effort to copy the
    software, make "Vietnam look like a birthday party" (or some such
    thing) by planting a worm that would slowly  but  surely  destroy
    the  user's  files.  When  Vault  announced it's worm-based copy-
    protection  scheme,   many  knowledgeable  people  expressed  the
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 14                  14 Dec 1987


    opinion  that Vault was likely to be liable for damages if people
    lost valuable data because of the scheme.  What  Softguard  seems
    to  be doing is definitely more vicious.  Add together a probably
    unenforceable license agreement (to which Softguard isn't even  a
    party  as  for  as  the  user is concerned) and clear evidence of
    vicious attempt to destroy the user's data, and you have a pretty
    good case against SUG.ARC's creator.  In  fact,  you  could  very
    easily  create a test case by (a) taking a legally-purchased copy
    of Softguard-protected software;  (b) unpacking it  without  ever
    reading the "license agreement" in a state other than the handful
    (such  as  Louisiana  and  Illinois)  that  attempt  to make such
    agreements enforceable; (c) having some valuable software on your
    hard disk;  (d) "accidentally" destroying any backup copy already
    provided;  and  (e)  trying to make a backup copy of the original
    with the help of SUG.ARC.  It would be interesting  to  see  what
    would   happen   if   you   then   sued  Softguard  for  damages.
    Interesting, but not very surprising.

    We think therefore that  the  Softguard  folks  (if  SUG.ARC  did
    indeed  originate  from  them)  are relying on the individual not
    having the financial resources to sue them or to withstand a long
    legal battle if they  sue  him.  It's  therefore  a  strategy  of
    intimidation.

    (As  an  aside:  That  such a strategy of intimidation could be a
    viable one demonstrates  a  major  flaw  in  this  legal  system.
    Justice costs a lot,  sometimes so much that one can't afford it.
    There are several reasons  for  this,  all  avoidable,  but  none
    appropriate for discussion in the message or under this topic.)

    How do users fight back?

    Perhaps  we won't have to.  It may be enough that the presence of
    this dangerous file be made widely known.

    Possibly as a result of the  public  outcry  that  followed  it's
    announcement  of  the  worm  scheme,  Vault  went into Chapter 11
    bankruptcy -- poetic justice,  I think.  This left Softguard with
    a near-monopoly on the software protection business in the IBM PC
    world.

    If the SUG.ARC file is indeed Softguard's creation, then it seems
    to  me they are following Vault down the Yellow Brick Road (or is
    it the garden path?) --  and  we  look  forward  to  more  poetic
    justice when the public outcry occurs again.

    (As  an additional aside:  Don't rule out the possibility that an
    outside party has created  this  file.  There  are  a  number  of
    people  out  there  that  do  not like BBS's and do not like free
    exchange of information.  These people have defined their goal in
    life to destroy all  means  of  public  information  interchange,
    including and especially, the BBS environment!)

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 15                  14 Dec 1987


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

                         The Interrupt Stack


     9 Jan 1988
       The next net 104 FidoNet Sysop Meeting.  Contact Oscar Barlow
       at 104/0 for information.

    25 Aug 1988
       (pending  BoD  approval)  Start  of  the  Fifth  International
       FidoNet Conference,  to be  held  at  the  Drawbridge  Inn  in
       Cincinnatti,  OH.  Contact  Tim  Sullivan  at  108/62 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.

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


               Things are VERY different in Region 18


    There have been many changes and additions to the Nodelist in
    Region 18. Nets have been added, Net Coordinators have changed,
    Independent Nodes added and dropped, numbers changed, etc.

    If you haven't updated your Nodelist lately (and why haven't
    you?), please get NODELIST.345 and recompile your Nodelist. It
    may save you a few needless calls to non-BBS numbers.

    Nets 116 and 362 have NEW Coordinators and Host numbers.

    Get with it! We thank you.

    Christopher Baker
    Region 18 Coordinator


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

                         Latest Software Versions

    BBS Systems            Node List              Other
    & Mailers   Version    Utilities   Version    Utilities   Version

    Dutchie        2.71*   EditNL          3.3    ARC            5.21
    FidoNews 4-46                Page 16                  14 Dec 1987


    Fido            12d*   MakeNL         1.10    ARCmail         1.1*
    Opus          1.03a    Prune          1.40    ConfMail        3.2*
    SEAdog         4.10    XlatList       2.84    EchoMail       1.31
    TBBS           2.0M                           MGM             1.1*

    * 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 4-46                Page 17                  14 Dec 1987


                                     __
                The World's First   /  \
                   BBS Network     /|oo \
                   * FidoNet *    (_|  /_)
                                   _`@/_ \    _
                                  |     | \   \\
                                  | (*) |  \   ))
                     ______       |__U__| /  \//
                    / Fido \       _//|| _\   /
                   (________)     (_/(_|(____/ (tm)

           Membership for the International FidoNet Association

    Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
    pays  a  specified  annual   membership  fee.   IFNA  serves  the
    international  FidoNet-compatible  electronic  mail  community to
    increase worldwide communications.

    Member Name _______________________________  Date _______________
    Address _________________________________________________________
    City ____________________________________________________________
    State ________________________________  Zip _____________________
    Country _________________________________________________________
    Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
    Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
    Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
    BBS Name ________________________________________________________
    BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
    Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
    Board Restrictions ______________________________________________
    Your Special Interests __________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________
    In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
    _________________________________________________________________
    _________________________________________________________________
    Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
    US Funds to:
                  International FidoNet Association
                  c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
                  700 Bishop Street, #1014
                  Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-4112
                  USA

    Thank you for your membership!  Your participation will  help  to
    insure the future of FidoNet.

    Please  NOTE  that  IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
    and Articles of Association  and  By-Laws  were  adopted  by  the
    membership in January 1987.  The first elected Board of Directors
    was filled in August 1987.  The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
    established  on  FidoNet  to  assist  the Board.  We welcome your
    input to this Conference.

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

    FidoNews 4-46                Page 18                  14 Dec 1987


                    INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
                                ORDER FORM

                               Publications

    The IFNA publications can be obtained by downloading from Fido
    1:1/10 or  other FidoNet compatible  systems, or by purchasing
    them directly from IFNA.  We ask that  all our  IFNA Committee
    Chairmen   provide  us   with  the  latest  versions  of  each
    publication, but we can make no written guarantees.

    Hardcopy prices as of October 1, 1986

       IFNA Fido BBS listing                       $15.00    _____
       IFNA Administrative Policy DOCs             $10.00    _____
       IFNA FidoNet Standards Committee DOCs       $10.00    _____

                                                 SUBTOTAL    _____

                     IFNA Member ONLY Special Offers

       System Enhancement Associates SEAdog        $60.00    _____
       SEAdog price as of March 1, 1987
       ONLY 1 copy SEAdog per IFNA Member

       Fido Software's Fido/FidoNet               $100.00    _____
       Fido/FidoNet price as of November 1, 1987
       ONLY 1 copy Fido/FidoNet per IFNA Member

       International orders include $10.00 for
              surface shipping or $20.00 for air shipping    _____

                                                 SUBTOTAL    _____

                   HI. Residents add 4.0 % Sales tax         _____

                                                 TOTAL       _____

       SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER IN US FUNDS:
       International FidoNet Association
       c/o Leonard Mednick, MBA, CPA
       700 Bishop Street, #1014
       Honolulu, HI.  96813-4112
       USA

    Name________________________________
    Zone:Net/Node____:____/____
    Company_____________________________
    Address_____________________________
    City____________________  State____________  Zip_____
    Voice Phone_________________________

    Signature___________________________

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