Volume 5, Number 33 15 August 1988
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| / \ |
| /|oo \ |
| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
| _`@/_ \ _ |
| International | | \ \\ |
| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (jm) |
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Editor in Chief Dale Lovell
Editor Emeritus: Thom Henderson
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
Contributing Editors: 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 1988 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. IFNA may also be contacted
at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, 164 Shipley Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94107 and
are used with permission.
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
THE VERY BEST PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE ....................... 5
Remember the EchoList? ................................... 7
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE SHAREWARE PROBLEM ............. 11
Campaign Rhetoric -- Steve Bonine ........................ 13
2. FOR SALE ................................................. 17
Programs too big? Give 'em the AXE! ..................... 17
3. NOTICES .................................................. 19
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 19
Latest Software Versions ................................. 19
4. COMMITTEE REPORTS ........................................ 20
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Bylaws Amendments .............. 24
IFNA Status Report for August 1988 ....................... 28
And more!
FidoNews 5-33 Page 1 15 Aug 1988
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
From: System Enhancement Associates, Inc. (SEA)
and
PKWARE, Inc. and Phillip W. Katz (PK)
August 2 1988 - Milwaukee, WI
In the first known "Shareware" litigation, pending in the local
United States District Court, the parties System Enhancement
Associates, Inc. (Plaintiff - SEA) and PKWARE, Inc. / Phillip W.
Katz (Defendants - PK), after reaching agreement, consented to
the entry of the attached Judgment for Plaintiff on Consent.
That Judgment was entered by Judge Myron L. Gordon, effective on
August 2, 1988.
Part of the agreement reached by the parties included a
Confidential Cross-License Agreement under which SEA licensed PK
for all the ARC compatible programs published by PK during the
period beginning with the first release of PKXARC in late 1985
through July 31, 1988 in return for the payment of an agreed upon
sum which was not disclosed. Additionally, PK was licensed, for
an agreed upon royalty payment, to distribute its existing
versions of PK's ARC compatible programs until January 31, 1989,
after which PK is not licensed and agreed not to publish or
distribute any ARC compatible programs or utilities that process
ARC compatible files. In exchange, PK licensed SEA to use its
source code for PK's ARC compatible programs.
PK agreed to cease any use of SEA's trademark "ARC" and to change
the names or marks used with PK's programs to non-confusing
designations.
The Judgment provided for the standard copyright, trademark and
unfair competition injunctive relief for SEA against PK, as well
as damages and litigation expenses to be paid by PK to SEA.
Both parties agreed to refrain from any comment concerning the
settlement of the disputes, other than the text of this press
release. Also, the parties instructed all of their
representatives to refrain from any such activity.
Any other details of the Cross-License Agreement were agreed to
be maintained in confidence and under seal of the Court.
In reaching the agreement to dispose of the pending litigation
and to settle the disputes that are covered thereby, PK did not
admit any fault or wrongdoing.
FidoNews 5-33 Page 2 15 Aug 1988
U.S. DIST. COURT EAST DIST. WISC.
FILED
SOFRON B. NEDILSKY
AUG 1 1988
/s/ in chambers
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN
----------------------------------------------------------
SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT )
ASSOCIATES, INC., )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Case No. 88-C-447
)
PKWARE, INC. and )
PHILLIP W. KATZ, )
)
Defendants. )
----------------------------------------------------------
JUDGMENT FOR PLAINTIFF ON CONSENT
----------------------------------------------------------
THIS MATTER, having been brought before the Court, on joint
application by the parties, and upon the respective counsels'
representation that the parties hereto have settled and composed
their controversies that caused this action to be instituted in a
CONFIDENTIAL CROSS-LICENSE AGREEMENT, dated effective as of
August 1, 1988 between the parties hereto, a true executed copy
of which is hereto attached under the seal of the Court, to be
opened only upon further order of this Court; and
Each of the parties by their respective counsel have stipulated
and agreed to the entry of this JUDGMENT FOR PLAINTIFF ON CONSENT
and as to the form thereof, as well as the final disposition of
this matter thereby;
NOW THEREFORE, the Court having been fully advised of the
foregoing premises and agreements:
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DECREED THAT:
(1) Defendants and each of them, jointly and severally,
and any of their agents, servants or any in active concert or
participation with any of them, be and hereby are enjoined
permanently from infringing Plaintiff's copyrights in any manner,
and from publishing, licensing, selling, distributing or
marketing or otherwise disposing of any copies of Defendants'
works PKARC and PKXARC, except as expressly provided for
otherwise in the Agreement between the parties effective as of
August 1, 1988; and from infringing in any manner Plaintiff's
trademark ARC; and
(2) Defendants, jointly and severally, are hereby
FidoNews 5-33 Page 3 15 Aug 1988
Ordered to pay Plaintiff such damages as Plaintiff has sustained
in consequence of Defendants' acts of infringement of Plaintiff's
copyrights, trademark and the unfair trade practices and unfair
competition by paying the amounts specified in and at the times
stated in the Agreement between the parties effective as of
August 1, 1988; and
(3) Defendants are hereby ordered to deliver up to the
Court for destruction all copies of any infringing work,
including all copies of said works entitled PKARC and PKXARC, in
the possession or control of Defendants or either of them or any
of their employees, agents, servants, distributors, or licensees,
as well as all computer media, diskettes, documentation and any
means for making such infringing copies, which are not expressly
licensed under the Agreement between the parties effective as of
August 1, 1988 or which are on hand as of the termination date of
the license granted by Plaintiff to Defendants as specified the
Agreement between the parties effective as of August 1, 1988, and
shall no later than February 1, 1989 certify to the Court in
writing that all copies have been destroyed and that they have
retained no copies; and
(4) Judgment is hereby entered awarding Plaintiff the
costs of this action and reasonable attorneys' fees against
Defendant in the amount specified in the Agreement between the
parties effective as of August 1, 1988.
SO ORDERED.
/s/2nd MLG
This 1st day of August, 1988
("1st" struck out)
/s/Myron L. Gordon
Myron L. Gordon
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
/s/2nd KAK
Entered on this 1st day of August, 1988
("1st" struck out)
/s/Katherene M. Kirchman
/s/Deputy Clerk of Court
STIPULATED and AGREED TO AS TO FORM AND CONTENT:
FidoNews 5-33 Page 4 15 Aug 1988
This /s/29th day of July, 1988.
By: /s/Michael A. Lechter
Attorneys for Plaintiff.
FOLEY & LARDNER
By: /s/Michael A. Lechter
Michael A. Lechter, Esquire
777 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
and
Thomas M. Marshall, Esquire
Powder Mill Village
89 Patriots Road
Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950
This /s/29th day of July, 1988.
Attorneys for Defendants.
FULLER, PUERNER & HOHENFELDT, S.C.
By /s/Nicholas A. Kees
Nicholas A. Kees, Esquire
633 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
ATTACHMENT UNDER SEAL OF THE COURT: CONFIDENTIAL
CROSS-LICENSE AGREEMENT EFFECTIVE AS OF AUGUST 1, 1988
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 5 15 Aug 1988
John Herro
1:363/6
THE VERY BEST PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
Programming languages have improved dramatically since the inven-
tion of early high-order languages like Basic and Fortran. Many
of us now program our PCs in Pascal, C, or Modula 2. However,
Ada is an improvement over these languages, with some exciting
new features not found in other languages. These features let
Ada detect errors at compile time that other languages detect
only at run time, or not at all. They also make Ada programs
much easier to understand. There are now at least three Ada com-
pilers available for the PC for less than $100.
Although it was originally invented for a specific purpose (real
time control of large, embedded systems), Ada turned out to be
the best GENERAL PURPOSE language as well. Because Ada's new
features help guard against bugs and make programs easier to
read, the U.S. Department of Defense ordered that all new criti-
cal software be written in Ada.
Ada isn't particularly easy to learn. It's said to be seven
times as much to learn as Pascal. Because of this, I originally
disliked Ada and hoped it would go away. Apparently many other
beginners shared my feeling. "If it's mandated by the govern-
ment, it must be bad!" However, after I studied Ada further and
learned about its improvements over earlier languages, I became
an enthusiastic convert. I now do almost 100% of my programming
in Ada. I taught a graduate course in Ada at the State Univer-
sity of New York at Binghamton, and also taught Ada to employees
of General Electric Co., Grumman Corp., and Harris Corp.
To make Ada as easy to learn as possible, I've written an inter-
active tutor program called ADA-TUTR. It's much more thorough
than the "quizzes" found with some Ada compilers. I'd like
everyone to have a chance to learn Ada, so I released ADA-TUTR as
Shareware with a low registration fee. There's also a unique way
for you to earn money distributing ADA-TUTR that's different from
other Shareware programs. See "A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE SHARE-
WARE PROBLEM" in this issue of FidoNews (or in a nearby issue)
for more details.
ADA-TUTR emphasizes that Ada isn't just another language, but a
whole new programming philosophy. Beware of learning just Ada
syntax, or you'll write Basic-like (or Pascal-like, etc.) pro-
grams that happen to be coded in Ada. Such programs would fail
to take advantage of Ada's new features. Instead, ADA-TUTR
teaches good program DESIGN along with Ada syntax. This should
make the student enthusiastic about Ada's special features.
ADA-TUTR does NOT require an Ada compiler when run on a PC. How-
ever, a list of Ada compilers available for the PC is included in
the documentation. An Ada compiler is helpful, because with it
FidoNews 5-33 Page 6 15 Aug 1988
the tutor can check the "homework" assignments.
Most Shareware doesn't include the source code with unregistered
copies. However, I included the Ada source code with ADA-TUTR
for two reasons. First, the student can study the source code if
he wishes. Second, the source can be transferred to any computer
with an Ada compiler, and then be compiled and run. For example,
I've successfully installed ADA-TUTR on several mainframes, in-
cluding two VAX (tm, Digital Equipment Corp.) computers running
different Ada compilers. Ada programs tend to be very portable.
In future articles, I'll try to give examples showing WHY Ada is
an improvement over other languages. In the meantime, you can
find ADA-TUTR.ARC on the following boards in Zone 1: 11/210,
18/8, 101/45, 106/504, 107/210, 110/55, 112/9, 124/210, 124/211,
129/38, 132/777, 135/1, 135/4, 135/10, 135/14, 135/27, 135/34,
135/37, 137/15, 141/355, 142/911, 151/2, 157/200, 232/18, 320/42,
363/6, 363/10, 377/1. Many of these boards allow Bark or WaZoo
file requests outside National Mail Hour. I welcome any comments
and suggestions you may have.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 7 15 Aug 1988
Mike Fuchs
1:1/201
EchoList - The EchoMail Conference List
(It's bAAAAaaaack...)
Ever wonder what all those EchoMail conferences are about?
Ever wonder if there was already a conference on some
specific topic? Well that's why the EchoList was originally
created. And that's why I've resurrected it.
For those of you who might not be familiar with it, a little
history...
The EchoList is an informal listing of EchoMail conferences,
as described by each conference's moderator. It is now a
monthly publication which attempts to document certain
interesting information about EchoMail Conferences;
"interesting" to people who would like to participate,
interesting to EchoMail Coordinators and those who route the
conference traffic, and potentially interesting to the
Conference Moderator. The base product of the EchoList
database is the detailed Conference listing. But, as needs
are identified which can be satisfied with the available
information, additional reports and analyses can be
developed.
The EchoList was originated by Thomas Kenny, who maintained
it as a text file completely manually. It was a time
consuming effort, and was updated on a very sporadic and
infrequent basis. The last edition published this way was
December 1987.
Several people (myself included) were working with Thomas on
developing ways to automate the maintenance, and provide a
structured database that could be used for things other than
a simple conference listing. As a result, he assembled a
specification for submitting messages that would be used for
updating the list. Unfortunately, Thomas decided to drop
out of FidoNet before any of the code was completed. He
continues to have my gratitude for all he put in to getting
the EchoList as far as he did.
Since I was interested (for purely personal desire) in
having an EchoList, I picked-up that last 1987 EchoList,
built an R:base database and application, and keyed the
whole thing in. The result is a semi-automated update
application, and some nice report generation facilities.
There's a lot more to be done. It's still a VERY labor-
intensive task. But, I'm happy to say I've been able to
publish all updates received for the last 3 months on-time.
Now, I'm going to try and ruin that by inviting more
updates...
HISTORY LESSON OVER...
That's why I wrote this article. It has been pointed out to
FidoNews 5-33 Page 8 15 Aug 1988
me that there are a lot of people who don't realize the
EchoList is available. Most importantly, there are a lot of
Conference Moderators who don't know, and as a result their
conferences aren't in, or will soon be dropped from, that
list.
You see, one of things that seems to be widely agreed upon
is that, in order to be really useful, an EchoList needs
some control criteria. Hating bureaucracy as I do, I've
only implemented two (at this point). First, in order to be
listed, a conference must have a responsible party to whom
questions can be directed; that person is the Moderator.
Second, since reference information is only valuable if it's
up-to-date, an EchoList conference entry must be updated via
message to me on a regular basis.
So there's the reason for the article. A number of
conferences have already been dropped because they had no
moderator identified. (How anybody's supposed to join a
conference when there's no one identified to contact, I'll
never know, but so be it.) The other thing is that most of
the entries' last-update dates are VERY old. Starting with
this next EchoList, I will start enforcing a purge criteria.
An awful lot of conferences will be dropped as a result.
Many are dead wood anyway. But there are many such
conferences I know are alive and well, and I hope this
article gets the message to those moderators. If you
frequent a conference important to you, how about letting
the moderator know about the EchoList?
Oh yeah, I lied. There is one more control, but it is for
the Moderators themselves. A Moderator can submit an entry
that becomes password protected. From then-on, the
moderator has some feeling of control over the information
listed in the EchoList for their conference.
SO, HOW DO YOU UPDATE THE ECHOLIST?
There are two ARC files that I publish. One is the EchoList
itself--which I'll get back to. The other is ELISTMOD.ARC.
It is essential that you get a copy of this file, as it
contains detailed instructions on the update message format
and contents. This article is going to be too long as it
is, so I can't put the whole thing here. Suffice it to say,
it's a fairly simple, but strictly structured, message
format that has to be NetMailed to me at 1:1/201.
The other file I referred-to is ELISTnnn.ARC, where nnn is
the edition. The August 1, 1988 edition is X03, and it
contains the basic, detailed Conference list, and a few
ancillary cross-reference listings. I ship both of these
files, when updated, to each of the Regional EchoMail
Coordinators in the U.S., plus the Zone Gates for Zones 2,
3, and 7 (in hopes they will pass them along). I have no
idea whether any of these people pass them along, make them
available for download, or what. I just hope they do. If
you can't find them locally, you can use the "magic" file
FidoNews 5-33 Page 9 15 Aug 1988
names (specify them without a period or file extension):
ECHOMOD - to get the latest EchoList update instructions,
ECHOLIST - to get the latest EchoList,
in a SEAdog or WaZoo file request to 1:1/201. They are also
first-time-user downloadable from my BBS at (201)506-0472.
WHAT IS A MODERATOR?
I needed to establish some definitions for the EchoList, so
these are MY definitions and others' may vary. Critical to
the identification of an EchoMail conference is the
identification of its Moderator. A Moderator is the person
who defines a Conference, and keeps it on track; making sure
message content is within reasonable bounds of the topic for
which the conference exists. A Moderator should also set
the base rules of the conference and cut off abuses of the
media when they occur. IF A CONFERENCE HAS NO MODERATOR, IT
WILL NOT BE LISTED IN THE ECHOLIST. If you know of a
conference which you feel is important to the community and
it doesn't have a moderator I seriously suggest you consider
the job. Basically, then, the Moderator "owns" the
CONFERENCE.
This is specifically contrasted with ECHOMAIL COORDINATORS.
A dedicated group of volunteers have identified themselves
as willing to expedite distribution of national EchoMail
conferences. There is (identified at the beginning of the
NodeList) a National EchoMail Coordinator, and one Regional
EchoMail Coordinator for each FidoNet Region. These people
run the National EchoMail Backbone, and facilitate timely
and accurate distribution of the bigger conferences in the
U.S. They "own" that particular distribution channel, not
the Conferences themselves.
There are also nodes who can afford to aggregate a large
number of Conferences and facilitate distribution. They are
frequently referred to as EchoMail Hubs, though it's a
fairly unofficial title, I think.
SO WHAT'S IN IT?
I don't want to make this article too long, but as a brief
overview:
The minimum information required for an EchoList entry
includes: The Symbolic Area Name used by the conference, A
Title or brief descriptive phrase for the conference, the
Moderator's Name and the Moderator's Node Number. Certain
Moderators do not want to publicize the AREA: name, and the
ability to supress the display of the Area Name in the
EchoList is provided. Perhaps the best way to show all the
various fields in the EchoList is to show the format for
submitting additions and updates, so an EchoList update
message would be...
To: ECHOLIST
FidoNews 5-33 Page 10 15 Aug 1988
At: 1:1/201
Subject: MODerator UPDate
or MODerator DELete
or COORdinator UPDate
or PARTicipant UPDate
AREAname <symbolic area name> </NOshow>
TITLe <brief area title for sorting>
DESCription <A full description of the conference,
audience, topics, ...>
MODerator <moderator name>, <moderator node>
PASSword <current password>, <new password>
TOTalnodes <number of nodes carrying this conference>
VOLume <number of messages>/<MONth or DAY or WEEK>
RESTrictions </SYSop> </MOD-apvl> </MEMber>
DISTribution <areas or distribution vehicles of note>
GATEway <gateways to other zones & networks crossed
by the conference>
SEENby <node list>
PATH <node list>
Please don't submit an update based solely on this article,
as there's a lot more documentation in ELISTMOD.ARC. I just
wanted to give you a flavor for what's there. Constructive
criticism, advice, and other butting-in is ALWAYS welcome.
Enjoy,
And have fun with it!
- Mike Fuchs, 1:1/201
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 11 15 Aug 1988
John Herro
1:363/6
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE SHAREWARE PROBLEM
What Shareware problem? The problem of people not paying for the
Shareware they use, of course.
Shareware is an ideal answer to the problems of high-priced com-
mercial software, copy protection, and illegal copying. The
Shareware author says, "Go ahead. Make all the copies you want
and give them away. Try the program for free. But if you use
it, please send in $X to register your copy."
The registration fee is usually small. You're on your honor; you
know if you're "using" the program or only "trying" it. Usually
there are incentives to register, such as a year of technical
support and the right to get updates very cheaply.
I don't think we have any way of knowing how severe is the prob-
lem of users not paying for Shareware, because we have no way to
tell how many users there are. We do know that some Shareware
programs are failures, while others, like PC-Write (tm Quick-
soft), are phenomenally successful.
PC-Write gives users an extra incentive to register. The program
contains a serial number which is displayed at startup. When you
register for $89, you mention this serial number and Quicksoft
assigns you a new number. Before giving away copies, you put the
new number into the program. Then, for each person who registers
from one of your copies (mentioning your serial number), Quick-
soft sends you a commission of $25.
I've received more money from Quicksoft than I spent to register,
because four or more people registered from my copies. Thus I
actually earned money on a program I didn't even write! We read-
ers of FidoNews have a special advantage in distributing copies,
because almost all of us have modems and access to bulletin
boards.
I BELIEVE THE SOLUTION TO THE SHAREWARE PROBLEM IS TO CARRY THIS
EXTRA INCENTIVE A STEP FURTHER.
I've written a Shareware program called ADA-TUTR, an interactive
tutor for the Ada programming language. (See the article "THE
VERY BEST PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE" in this issue of FidoNews, or in
a nearby issue.) Individual registration for ADA-TUTR is only
$25, and a registered user receives $5 for each individual who
registers from one of his copies. However, there's an extra in-
centive that's considerably larger than $5!
As with some other Shareware, ADA-TUTR offers multi-user licenses
to schools, companies, etc., priced as follows:
FidoNews 5-33 Page 12 15 Aug 1988
Number of Users: Price of License:
Up to 100 $ 450
Up to 500 $ 725
Up to 2000 $ 950
Unlimited $ 2400
With ADA-TUTR, a registered individual receives TEN PERCENT of
the price of any licenses sold from his copies. Thus, he can re-
ceive up to $240 per license sold! I believe this idea is new.
A person now has a real incentive to register and give copies of
the program to his employer, to other companies, and to schools.
(Of course, he'd also give copies to individuals, clubs, bulletin
boards, etc., as with any Shareware.)
The license fees are very reasonable, because they're not SITE
licenses, but MULTI-USER licenses. A company need buy only ONE
license for ALL its locations, paying according to the number of
people who will use the program. A license can always be up-
graded for only the difference in price.
Since ADA-TUTR is a new program, it's too early to tell whether
this idea will work. If you'd like to see the program, a list of
bulletin boards that have ADA-TUTR.ARC appears in the article
"THE VERY BEST PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE." I hope to be reporting
here that we've found a solution to the Shareware problem!
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 13 15 Aug 1988
IFNA Issues: My position
Steve Bonine 115/777
I did not receive a netmail copy of David Drexler's recent poll
of IFNA Board of Directors candidates, but instead "happened
upon" his message in the IFNA echomail conference. This intro-
duced delay into preparing my response, so I decided to submit
it myself as a FidoNews article. I understand that David plans
to consolidate the responses into an article, but I don't know
the timing and the date for FidoCon grows close.
1. Why are you running? What do you, personally, hope to contri-
bute to IFNA?
I'm running because I feel that FidoNet needs an organization to
provide certain services, and that I can help in that organiza-
tion. As for contributions, I bring a year of proven work on
IFNA's behalf in providing responses mail inquiries. I bring a
record of a positive attitude as evidenced by my participation in
several echomail conferences. I bring twenty years of experience
in the business world, both as a technician in the computer field
and as a manager.
Finally, I deplore the amazing amount of apathy in FidoNet today.
Most sysops are quick to critcize (especially in echomail, which
makes criticism so easy) and slow to do anything constructive. I
am not convinced that IFNA is the right answer, but it's where I
have decided to put my personal effort to do something besides
complain.
2. What are your goals for IFNA? Short-term? Long-term?
Short term, I would like to see the organization perform the
minimum amount to be viable under its by-laws. The current
organization isn't even able to accomplish that. I would expect
IFNA to continue to perform two tasks which it has accomplished
in the past: Organize a convention and respond to inquires
received by US Mail.
By "perform the minimum amount to be viable under its by-laws" I
mean items like announcing the nomination process for Board
candidates in a timely manner and handling other routine items.
Until the organization is capable of handling the most mundane
administration of its own affairs, it has little chance of
accomplishing anything more ambitious.
Much of this failure is can be attributed to the small number of
persons who actually participate in IFNA activities. I won't
speculate on whether this is a failure primarily on the part of
the prospective volunteers or a failure of the current adminis-
tration to effectively recruit workers.
A medium-term goal is to address public-relations issues. IFNA
FidoNews 5-33 Page 14 15 Aug 1988
currently has no organizational entity dedicated to handling its
communications with its members or with the "outside world". In
a hobby which is basically communications, IFNA has a terrible
record in communicating.
Long term, I see IFNA serving to make FidoNet more responsive to
the needs, desires, and opinions of the sysops which make it up.
I have no desire to change the current structure of coordinators.
The lack of progress on an update of Policy3 and in framing an
echomail policy make it clear that something is missing -- an
entity which can accomplish this type of project. IFNA is not
yet ready to take on that role because it does not have enough
popular support within the network, but it is my hope that the
day will come when IFNA will be an effective force for shaping
the policy of FidoNet.
3. Do you feel that the IFNA membership rules should be changed,
and if so, how?
Yes. The proposed by-law amendment which comes the closest to
reflecting my position is "D", which essentially gives a vote to
associate members. This proposal also allows the waiving of dues
to anyone who contributes to IFNA, and I would like to see a
liberal application of this option. I don't believe that $25 is
an unreasonable amount to pay, but I would hope that the folks
who find that a "sticking point" would be willing to accept the
vote based upon their (non-financial) contribution to the
network.
4. Should Directors be replaced if they do not fulfill all of
their duties as specified in the By Laws? How much leeway is
permissible?
Absolutely. This is an area which has caused untold harm to the
organization. Directors whose intent is to harm IFNA, rather
than to help it grow, should be removed. How to remove them is
an important but difficult issue. The existing recall procedure,
which to my knowledge has never been invoked, may be adequate.
A more significant problem is apathy. There are too many people
who have agreed to perform a function and have not done it, but
who are still nominally holding the position. I am painfully
aware that this is a volunteer organization, but that is all the
more reason to carefully monitor each task and be sure it is
accomplished in a timely manner.
If enough interested persons cannot be found to do the minimum
amount of work to maintain the organization in a viable state,
IFNA should be disbanded completely.
5. Do you feel that the VP-TC should be held directly accountable
to the BoD? (If your answer to this is "yes", what would be your
recommended solution to the hypothetical scenario where the IC
and RCs "hold the nodelist for ransom" to force the BoD to back
down from a confrontation?)
FidoNews 5-33 Page 15 15 Aug 1988
IFNA cannot fulfill its obligation under its by-laws to "ensure
the smooth operation of the IFNA NETWORK as prescribed by the
Board of Directors" [article 29] unless the IC is accountable to
the Board. On the other hand, at the current level of IFNA
credibility, it would be political suicide for the Board to
dictate to the IC.
If the hypothetical scenario described did occur, then by my
definition of FidoNet the Board would be in the wrong because the
real decision-making power in the network is in the coordinator
structure. If such a confrontation did take place, IFNA would
very properly be destroyed. This seems highly unlikely, since if
the Board had a strong consensus, the RC's would likely have the
same consensus.
6. Do you feel that the Statement of Position released this last
February in St Louis contradictory to the By Laws and Articles of
Incorporation, as some have claimed?
No. In fact, that Statement is a bit more ambitious than I have
been, since it includes (in addition to maintaining the nodelist
and sponsoring a convention) the FTSC. IFNA must crawl before
it can walk, and must walk before it can run. The only way to
walk is to first crawl, and that is what the Statement is in my
eyes. At this juncture, it is entirely appropriate that IFNA
limit its activities to nodelist, FTSC, and FidoCon.
7. How would you like to see the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
used? Does it have any particular significance to IFNA? (To those
outside of the US, this is the facility that allows people to
make tax-deductible donations.)
The 501(c)(3) status is absolutely key to the future health
of the organization. It will allow the organization to take
advantage of corporate contributions. I do not see an IFNA
"rolling in money" with the advent of the tax-exempt status, but
I do see a real opportunity to break the current 100% dependency
on the dues structure. More important, 501(c)(3) lends a level
of legitimacy to an organization, and it is obvious that
something name "FidoNet" needs all the help in that area that it
can get.
8. Should IFNA be in any way involved with professional telecom
associations (like the ICA, the communications SIG of the ACM,
etc)?
I don't know enough about these organizations to comment. I have
no opposition to FidoNet's involvement with commercial ventures,
since it provides a potential source for funds and for support in
terms of equipment which can be used to move FidoNet traffic at
night after being used for a commercial purpose during the day.
9. How familiar are you with the By Laws, the Articles of
Incorporation, and the Statement of Position?
More familiar than I wish I was.
FidoNews 5-33 Page 16 15 Aug 1988
10. Should IFNA compile and distribute nodelists for all the
alternative nets? Please explain.
No. By doing so we would be attempting to interject policy into
those nets, and they have their own policy. We can't even handle
our own policy yet; no additional challenges are required.
IFNA is a FidoNet service organization. Nets which broke away
from FidoNet did so for a reason, and trying to "put Humpty
Dumpty back together again" by having a common nodelist distri-
bution mechanism won't work.
I bear no animosity to the alternative networks, and I would like
to see enhanced communications between them. However, if those
folks had wanted a common nodelist they would have stayed in
FidoNet.
11. What kinds of services should IFNA be providing to its
members, and to the net, that it is not now providing? What
enhancements to existing services would you like to see?
Gaining credibility in the sysop world is not easy. Sysops are
independent folks, and "provide a service" is always dangerously
close to "run my system". Better communication of what IFNA is
already doing would help.
Acquainting the non-modem world with this hobby, and acquainting
the modeming population with FidoNet, is a worthy goal. A few
well-placed articles in popular computer journals can provide
great publicity if the structure is in place to take advantage of
it. Training for new sysops is another potential service area.
Providing sysops with tangible day-to-day benefits is more
difficult. "Buying" the allegiance of sysops by negotiating
deals on hardware or software is a dangerous technique. It will
always be difficult to convince the sysop who can't see beyond
the computer monitor that a national organization has benefits.
12. If someone donated a megabuck to IFNA, how would you want to
see it spent?
Such a donation would probably kill both IFNA and FidoNet.
Assuming that IFNA received a moderate contribution of funds from
one or more corporations, there are a number of projects which
could be funded, at minimum cost, which could provide benefit to
FidoNet. These include a professionally-done PR package, seed
money for FidoCon and regional FidoNet meetings, KidsNet, and
FidoNet development in third-world countries. This type of
project, while not requiring massive infusion of cash, could
enhance FidoNet's contribution to society and our enjoyment of
our hobby as sysops.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 17 15 Aug 1988
=================================================================
FOR SALE
=================================================================
Programs too big? Give 'em the AXE!
What could SEA do to top it's phenominally successful ARC
program?
Well, have you noticed that new programs from SEA don't seem to
ARC very well lately?
* * *
System Enhancement Associates, Inc. is proud to announce the
latest and greatest addition to our line of quality software.
Our new product is called AXE, and it can chop your programs down
to size!
If you thought ARC was good, wait until you see AXE! It can
compress almost any .EXE or .COM file by twenty to thirty
percent, saving you megabytes of disk space. And, here's the
best part, the programs don't have to be uncompressed to run!
That's right, you can AXE all your programs and make them twenty
to thirty percent smaller (or MORE), and they still run just like
they always did. You'll never even notice you AXEd them, but
you'll sure notice the extra disk space!
AXE is available for $50 from:
System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
21 New Street, Wayne NJ 07470
or you can call us (voice) at 201-473-5153. We accept VISA and
MasterCard. Get AXE today, and chop your programs down to size!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 18 15 Aug 1988
TECHbooks <tm>: The Computer Book Specialists
3646 SE Division Street (800) TECH-BKS
Portland, OR 97202 (503) 238-1005
FidoNet Address: #1:105/4 Message-only BBS: (503) 760-1473
Selected Books
_PC Magazine DOS Power Tools_ A disk loaded with more than 200
utilities, plus 1300 pages explaining everything there is to know
about DOS, your hardware, and more. List is $39.95, but we have
it on special in August for $31.95. Strongly recommended.
_Public-Domain Software_ by Rusel DeMaria and George Fontaine.
PC Week liked it because it groups software together by category,
then compares them. Gives you the bad points as well as the
good. Includes $15 of CompuServe usage. List is $19.95, on
special for August at $15.95.
New Books
_Using WordPerfect 5_ by Charles Stewart Another one of Que's
massive tomes, this covers the new 5.0 version in depth. $19.75
_Inside the Norton Utilities_ by Rob Krumm. Officially endorsed
by Peter Norton, it also includes the Norton Commander & Editor.
$17.95
_Inside AutoSketch_ by Frank Lenk AutoCAD's "baby brother" is
covered in depth, including schematics and floor plans. $13.45
Policies
We sell computer books for 10% off the list price every day.
All books are returnable within 30 days. We accept Mastercard,
Discover, American Express, Visa, personal or company checks,
and approved purchase orders. We will ship your book(s) anywhere
in the US for $2.00 on the first book, $.50 per additional book.
Prices shown reflect the 10% discount.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 19 15 Aug 1988
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
25 Aug 1988
Start of the Fifth International FidoNet Conference, to be
held at the Drawbridge Inn in Cincinnati, 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!
17 Oct 1988
Start of the Digital Equipment Corporation Users Society's
(DECUS) semi-annual symposium. It is being held at Anaheim,
California.
23 Nov 1988
25th Anniversary of Doctor Who
7 Doctors and going strong!
24 Aug 1989
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
5 Oct 1989
20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Latest Software Versions
BBS Systems Node List Other
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
Dutchie 2.90* EditNL 4.00* ARC 5.22*
Fido 12h MakeNL 2.12* ARCmail 1.1
Opus 1.03b Prune 1.40 ConfMail 3.31
SEAdog 4.10 XlatList 2.86 EchoMail 1.31
TBBS 2.0M XlaxNode 2.10* MGM 1.1
BinkleyTerm 1.50 XlaxDiff 2.10* X00 1.10a*
QuickBBS 2.01 ParseList 1.10
* 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 5-33 Page 20 15 Aug 1988
=================================================================
COMMITTEE REPORTS
=================================================================
Bob Swift 1:140/24
By-Laws and Rules Committee
The following is the Ballot for the voting on the proposed
amendments to the By-Laws of the International FidoNet
Association (IFNA) for 1988. By-Law Item 40 states that "These
By-Laws may be amended or changed by majority vote of the
membership during any election. ..." These amendments are to be
voted on in conjunction with the current Election of the IFNA
Board of Directors and are to conform to the following rules:
1. You must send a legible copy of this ballot to the address
listed on the ballot or cast your vote in person at the
conference prior to the closing of the election Polls. It must
be signed and bear your current net/node number.
2. Voting will continue until the end of the Conference
registration on the 25th of August, 1988. Ballots which are
mailed must reach the address listed below prior to Wednesday,
24 August 1988. The results will be read during the opening of
business meeting on the first day of the conference.
The actual text of the proposed amendments appeared in FidoNews
volume 5 issue 31, dated 1 August 1988. The complete text of the
proposed amendments along with a copy of this Ballot is available
as BYLAW-88.ARC for download from 1:140/24, or may be file-
requested under the name BYLAWS88 any time outside Zone 1 Mail
Hour.
International FidoNet Association
1988 By-Law Amendments Ballot
---------------------------------
Docket Number BLA-88-0001 (Definitions)
A _____ B _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0002 (Membership)
A _____ B _____ C _____ D _____ E _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0003 (Application and Notification)
A _____ B _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0004 (Annual Fees)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0005 (Directors' Successors)
FidoNews 5-33 Page 21 15 Aug 1988
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0006 (Compensation)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0007 (Qualification)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0008 (Representation)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0009 (Nomination Deadline)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0010 (Nominations)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0011 (Ballots)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0012 (Vacant Position)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0013 (Alternates)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0014 (Elections)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0015 (Recall Petition)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0016 (Annual Business Meeting)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0017 (Agenda)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0018 (Voting Divisions)
A _____ B _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0019 (Secretary Responsibilities)
FidoNews 5-33 Page 22 15 Aug 1988
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0020 (VP-TC Responsibilities)
A _____ B _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0021 (Standing Committees)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0022 (Administration and Finance Committee)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0023 (By-Laws and Rules Committee)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0024 (Fidonews)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0025 (By-Law Amendments)
A _____ B _____ None _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0026 (Non-Compliance)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0027 (Financial Audit)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0028 (Trademarks)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0029 (Conduct of Business)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0030 (Meeting Precedence)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0031 (Zones)
Yea _____ Nay _____
Docket Number BLA-88-0032 (Grievance Committee)
Yea _____ Nay _____
FidoNews 5-33 Page 23 15 Aug 1988
Name ______________________________ Net/Node ___________
Signature______________________________ Date ___________
Please complete this and mail it to:
Rob Barker
IFNA Elections Committee
7406 - 27th Street West
Suite #7, Plaza West
Tacoma, Wa 98466
or bring it with you when you come to the conference in August.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 24 15 Aug 1988
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Bylaws Amendments.
(Please read the entire article)
1. 0001- A. NO. It puts an untested and unused policy in the
bylaws and in definitions. Definitions are not for procedures
and policy. BAD amendment.
2. 0002- B. NO. Gives all sysops the "right" to vote without
ever paying dues. Why would anyone join? Other problems: who
amends bylaws. Why give power to non members if IFNA has no
power over them? If you like that idea, please vote for
0002 E!
3. 0002- E. Called the Bacon-Jordan-Perriello Amendment. It
gives the organization half over to non paying sysops. Okay,
IF IFNA retains responsibility for FidoNet. Otherwise, why
bother? NO RECOMMENDATION, but acceptable.
4. 0004. Sets dues within bylaws. No recommendation,
acceptable.
5. 0006. Fees. IFNA has been poor for quite a while and with
the number of directors we have, IFNA is not going to be sugar
daddy. Yes, but no affect.
6. 0018- B. NO. Gives seats on directors for members of
Alternet, GoodEgg. 1. We have more than enough directors and
nets now. 2. Why give multiple votes to a single person?
7. 0020- A and B. Ahhh. . . this is interesting. Proposition A
assumes that the VP/TC has nothing to do with nodelist (not
IC). Proposition B clarifies old bylaws state that the VP/TC
is IC. Recommendation (no surprise) - B. Otherwise the VP/TC
and IFNA do nothing.
8. Remember if you vote for A, be consistent with other votes.
9. Grievance committee. Yes. A committee can only report and
suggest to the board.
10. Zones. ??? You call it. (I do not like the idea tho'.)
11. Others are moderately safe and sane.
You can vote on bylaws for IFNA. Why should you bother? What
are the real issues? You need some background and opinions.
I got involved before and after Colorado Springs. I wrote a
draft set of bylaws to get things started. And now... I get
ahead of the story.
A. Background
FidoNews 5-33 Page 25 15 Aug 1988
In the beginning, we had no rules. Policy was open "Do it my way
or leave." There was no IFNA. The International Coordinator(s)
formed IFNA so that they could receive support without tax
consequences. The IC needed support. It may be okay to do that
job for 50, 200, or maybe 500. When the list goes over 2,000
including international nodes, it becomes far too much for one
person to administer.
We had a meeting in Colorado Springs. Depending on your point of
view, there was a revolt by some "flamers" OR the founders of
IFNA blew it. Both points have merit.
After FidoCon, I decided that no one else was going to write the
bylaws so I sat down and did a ROUGH draft! We formed a
committee. EchoMail committees don't work. We met in Nashua,
NH. We came up with another, different draft. We were to go
home to revise the rough parts.
The BoD of IFNA put that draft to a vote against our complaints.
The Bylaws Committee wanted to clean it up, but there was no
final draft. What you see today, should have been cleaned up
before the first vote. Why? There are too many directors and
ambiguities. The procedures are terrible. Since then I have had
many suggestions and even final drafts of bylaws.
Now here is the dilemma. You have multiple amendments to
consider. The proposals are conflicting. They are written by
various people who disagree. DO NOT APPROVE EVERY ONE! Some
sound better than they will taste.
Some sysops are trying the middle ground. Real danger! Why? If
there are problems in any of FidoNet, then IFNA is supposed to
help. Our first response is an argument over what is our
territory. If FidoNet is successful, then credit goes to *Cs,
no one joins IFNA. No one joins IFNA -> no support for *Cs.
If you try to please everyone by fuzzy thinking, you please no
one.
THE ISSUES: Does IFNA control the FidoNet? How much? How? No
one suggests that IFNA try to enforce day-to-day control of
FidoNet. If IFNA does not control, can it and should it support?
If IFNA does not control, then who does? Is IFNA international?
Are we an American organization that allows foreigners to join,
but leaves them out? How can we integrate our international
friends?
How does it all fit? Please try to follow this logic.
A. The FidoNet Sysops (FNS) need a coordinator system (*Cs) to:
1. Maintain a nodelist with unique numbers.
2. Process and expedite netmail.
3. Develop standards so that net mail and echomail function.
FidoNews 5-33 Page 26 15 Aug 1988
4. Make FidoNews available.
5. Help them setting up their BBS.
B. The *Cs need IFNA to:
1. Raise money to support financially the FidoNet Sysops and
the *Cs.
2. Sanction the Technical Committee.
3. Protect the *Cs from legal challenges.
4. Protect the copyright of the nodelist for the benefit of
the FNS.
5. Interface with the world. IFNA is a corporation and a
legal entity and the *Cs are not. The *Cs cannot enter
into contracts or apply for copyrights.
C. IFNA needs the support of the FidoNet Sysops to:
1. Sell memberships. No memberships -=> no money -=> no
IFNA.
2. Without membership, no feedback from the Sysops and IFNA
cannot lead without feedback and legitimacy.
D. IFNA needs the *Cs to:
1. Operate the net by maintaining the weekly nodelist and
adjudicating differences within the FNS and *Cs.
2. Develop rules for operation of the net (policy).
E. To protect and finance the *Cs (see above) and to protect the
interest of its members, IFNA needs a strong link to the
nodelist. Without that link, membership shall decline and
better leaders shall abandon IFNA. Therefore, FULLY
RESPECTING THE OPINIONS OF THE *Cs, IFNA shall:
1. Elect the VP/TC. The VP/TC shall either be the IC or
appoint someone to be the IC.
2. Adopt policy as recommended by the VP/TC without making
unreasonable amendments.
F. To protect its administrative function, the *Cs shall:
1. Advise IFNA of their choice of VP/TC and their version of
Policy.
2. Retain the right to severe its relationship with IFNA.
Severing its relationship with IFNA may have a negative
effect upon the Sysops of the FidoNet. Therefore, the
*Cs shall get a vote from those sysops before any such
separation.
G. All the above is consistent with common sense and now accepted
documents and require no amendments to bylaws nor policy.
Therefore, be it resolved that:
1. IFNA is the official organization of the FidoNet sysops.
IFNA supports the operation of that Net.
2. IFNA, consistent with its agreements with Tom Jennings,
FidoNews 5-33 Page 27 15 Aug 1988
grants the *Cs authority and wide discretion to
administer the FidoNet.
Humbly yours,
Steve Jordan
102/2871
Regional Director of IFNA
Chairman of Bylaws Committee
Artichoke Evangelist (yes, even that is true.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 28 15 Aug 1988
Don Daniels, President
International FidoNet Association
FidoNet 1:107/210
IFNA Status Report for August 1988
General
As will be seen below, no report was received from several areas.
This is primarily to be blamed upon the distractions of summer,
vacations, and high demands from other endeavors. However, in
one instance, the chairman of one of the committees refused to
provide a report because, in part, he didn't want to see me
"claim [I] and IFNA have done this or that for anybody".
Now I will certainly admit to the fact that I find it difficult
to separate IFNA and FidoNet in my mind because I honestly feel
that whatever I undertake to do (regardless of results) is for
FidoNet and IFNA is my usual vehicle for that. I know of others
who are trying to accomplish worthwhile ventures but have been
denied support because it might accrue to the benefit of IFNA.
This strikes me as petty behavior that hurts the many sysops and
users of FidoNet more than anything else. It is a shame on all
of us that we still haven't learned to work together for the
common good.
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
This committee is still without a chairman. We definitely need
someone to volunteer to take on this responsibility. Please send
a message to 1/10 expressing your interest or talk to us about it
at FidoCon.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Board of Director's voting reports are published in the IFNA
EchoMail Conference and are often duplicated here. Therefore, no
report is provided here, however, I will indicate that although
considerable discussion has taken place on various topics, few
motions have occurred of late, mostly due again to summer fever
and concentration on other matters.
BY-LAWS AND RULES
The head of this committee reports several problems with the
current election. Please see Nominations and Elections below for
more detail. A full report is expected from this committee at
FidoNews 5-33 Page 29 15 Aug 1988
FidoCon.
All members are requested to return their completed ballots as
soon as possible to make sure that the August 23rd deadline for
submittal is not missed. Please note that the mailed ballot does
not include the complete text of the amendments. That may be
found in FIDONEWS 531 or may be file requested from the nodes
indicated in the ballot package.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee is charged with administering the affairs
of the corporation between meetings of the Board of Directors.
Because the BoD is currently meeting in electronic session on a
continuing basis, and because the members of this committee are
so spread out (and also spread thin by their other duties) this
Committee has deferred to the BoD.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
The European nodes continue the impetus from EuroCon to work
towards organizing on both the Regional (National) and European
levels.
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
No report was received.
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
The head of this committee reports several problems with the
current election. Although no one feels that there has been any
conscious desire to not follow the bylaws, it appears that the
high turnover in leadership of this committee, coupled with the
demand of the many other responsibilities of those involved and
some misunderstandings due to procedures in the prior year, have
resulted in some slipped dates and the establishment of some
procedures which are not in complete accord with our bylaws.
This has presented us with a dilemna, as we have not been sure as
to how best proceed, considering the mistakes that were made.
It is our intention, based in part upon advice of our legal
counsel, to continue the elections, and then to provide a full
accounting of the procedures and problems involved to the
membership and seek their directions as to future proceedings.
A full report is expected from this committee at that time.
This is expected to take place in an open session of the BoD at
FidoCon.
FidoNews 5-33 Page 30 15 Aug 1988
All members are requested to return their completed ballots as
soon as possible to make sure that the August 23rd deadline for
submittal is not missed.
PUBLICATIONS
No report was received. However a few concerns were raised at
EuroCon. The European sysops, concerned with the high cost of
international communications, would like to see FidoNews divided
into more manageable pieces. They are also requesting the right
to translate the articles and redistribute the newsletter in
their own languages.
TECHNICAL STANDARDS
No report was received.
ETHICS COMMITTEE
This committee has completed its draft of an Ethics and Conduct
document that applies to officers, directors, and other leaders
of IFNA. It is expected that this document will be acted upon in
the BoD sessions at FidoCon.
VP-TC
In a previous report I indicated that no report was received from
David Dodell, but it turned out that I was in error. My
apologies to Dave. The new report from the IC:
The changeover of the Eastern Canadian Region in Zone 1 went
smoothly.
No changes in Region 60 (future Zone 4) South America.
Communications are constantly plagued by poor phone lines, and
bad connects. Also due to the expensive costs of communicating,
this has put a limitation on the support that can be offered long
distance. We are presently looking at using some other networks
we have connections in, to keep the cost down.
Technically, and this is a joint FTSC project, we have been
working on updating the nodelist flags. This is to take in
account the tremendous changes in FidoNet technology since
FSC-002 was issued.
FIDOCON LIAISON
FidoNews 5-33 Page 31 15 Aug 1988
No official report was received but previous communications have
indicated that registrations are running ahead of last year.
However, a poor vendor response may result in some changes to
that side of the convention. A computer fair was being
considered.
I'm all set and looking forward to FidoCon! Are you?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 5-33 Page 32 15 Aug 1988
IFNA Status Report for August 1988
(Addendum)
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
This report was received too late to make the original report.
Considerations concerning revising the method of site selection
for FidoCon '89 and efforts to accomplish this prior to FidoCon
'88 proved to be unfruitful. This process will proceed
immediately after FidoCon as it did last year.
The FidoCon tapes continue to be a problem area. The tapes were
sent to Tim Pozar for duplication. He has yet to produce any of
the requested copies of the tapes from prior FidoCons. An
attempt is being made to have them personally picked up.
The Committee had a discussion regarding how IFNA operation might
work more effectively based around the premise that groups work
best when they can meet in person. The committee feels that the
major non-technical duties of IFNA should be handled by different
nets each year so that they can get together at least monthly to
talk and confront their problems and opportunities in person. In
short, using EchoMail for this purpose doesn't work. The
Cincinnati group planning FidoCon serves as the best example of
what works well in this regard; the Membership Services Committee
itself is an example of how EchoMail has not served us well in
getting the job done.
Chairman Phil Ardussi feels that it is best for the organization
to have fresh input from new voices to continue to develop the
full capability of the committee. Therefore, he does not intend
to take on this job next year. Immediate concerns for the new
Chairman include site selection for FidoCon '89 as well as
responding to a list of very fine proposals from Ken Kaplan in
the MEMSER conference.
PUBLICATIONS
No report was received. However, late word did come from Tim
Sullivan the Chairman of this committee (and also the Chairman of
the FidoCon '88 Organizing Committee) indicating that, because of
his other responsibilities, he was able to keep up with the
requirements of this position. Tim added that he strongly felt
that the committee required more attention and therefore
considered it necessary that he resign as Chairman.
A FINAL WORD
This is the last report that I will submit as President of IFNA.
FidoNews 5-33 Page 33 15 Aug 1988
As I indicated at the beginning of my term, for a combination of
reasons, I would take on this responsibility only for one year.
In looking back over a year that has had its shares of ups and
downs, a few points stand out:
o Most IFNA officials are over-worked. There is far too much
to be done and too few people to do it. Mistakes and
failures are only to be expected considering the current
level of involvement. FidoNet and IFNA need you INVOLVED,
not complaining.
o Generally speaking, it does not work to have an individual
attempt to handle more than one position in FidoNet. This
year has really proved that attempts to do this result in
too many failures.
o To quite some extent, the BoD has not taken action on
certain issues because the feeling is that there is no clear
direction to do so by the Sysops of the Net on these issues.
If you want more action, you must make your positions known.
In many cases, I believe, IFNA has failed the majority of
the Sysops in the Net because a strongly vocal minority has
exerted more influence. The BoD has definitely indicated
that it has no desire but to be responsive to the wishes of
you Sysops. If you are not getting what you want, it
probably is because you are not doing your job to see that
it happens.
o FidoNet and IFNA need to come to terms with certain
situations. There is tremendous potential for maximizing
the services FidoNet provides while minimizing the costs.
But certain issues stand in the way of this. You must
decide how FidoNet and IFNA are to resolve the questions of
needed financial support for administration and operations,
while also addressing Sysop representation, inter-network
interfacing, and a host of similar concerns.
o Confusion over international vs. local concerns is causing a
great deal of ill feeling and misdirection throughout the
Net. IFNA is the INTERNATIONAL FidoNet Association; it
should almost exclusively be concerned with policies,
services, and other concerns that apply on a UNIVERSAL
basis. Support of local (i.e., Zone and all levels below)
operations and the nitty-gritty of all local administration
IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT be the responsibility of IFNA, per se.
Unfortunately, the LACK of local organizations (be they
formal or not), to handle local concerns has left a vacuum
into which IFNA has been drawn. There is a strong need,
particularly within North America, for local organizations
(at whichever levels that make sense) to form and take on
the responsibility of local administration and service.
These organizations and structures should form affiliations
with IFNA which then should be limited to "umbrella"
concerns. [The fact that other Nets are springing up
FidoNews 5-33 Page 34 15 Aug 1988
demonstrates that Sysops want and need this capability.
A clear picture of how this should all happen does not yet
exist, however.]
o The present Bylaws don't work. As it stands now, the BoD
has the power to change the Articles of Association (the
high-level statement of purpose of the organization) while
the Sysops ONLY have the power to change the Bylaws (the
rules covering day-to-day operation of the organization).
It appears that this is the exact opposite of what is
needed. The Sysops should set the general direction of the
organization by being responsible for the Articles. The BoD
(subject always to review and recall by the membership)
needs the power to change the day-to-day rules to respond to
what should be an evolution of IFNA from an organization
trying to be all things for all people, into one that
concentrates on just the high-level concerns. I strongly
urge you to vote YEA on Docket Number BLA-88-0025.
A final point. FidoNet ultimately will be what YOU make it.
It makes no sense to me that anyone concerned about its future
would not utilize to the fullest extent possible all resources
available to shape and promote it in the form that they
individually feel is right. To not do so just shows a lack of
responsibility.
Are YOU prepared to live up to YOUR responsibility by joining and
working together with others to see that FidoNet is and remains
what you want it to be?
If so, start now by answering your ballot!
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 35 15 Aug 1988
OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION
Ken Kaplan 100/22 Chairman of the Board
Don Daniels 107/210 President
Mark Grennan 147/1 Vice President
Dave Dodell 114/15 Vice President - Technical Coordinator
David Garrett 103/501 Secretary
Leonard Mednick 345/1 Treasurer
IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
DIVISION AT-LARGE
10 Steve Jordan 102/2871 Don Daniels 107/210
11 Bill Allbritten 11/301 Hal DuPrie 101/106
12 Leonard Mednick 345/1 Mark Grennan 147/1
13 Rick Siegel 107/27 Brad Hicks 100/523
14 Ken Kaplan 100/22 Ted Polczyinski 154/5
15 Jim Cannell 128/13 Joe Keenan 109/661
16 Vince Perriello 141/491 Robert Rudolph 261/628
17 Rob Barker 138/34 Doug Thompson 221/162
18 Christopher Baker 135/14 Bob Swift 140/24
19 - vacant - Larry Wall 15/18
2 Henk Wevers 2:500/1 Gee Wong 107/312
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 36 15 Aug 1988
FidoCon '88 - Cincinnati, Ohio
At The Drawbridge Inn and Convention Center
August 25-28, 1988
Attendee Registration Form
Name: ____________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
City: _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ___________
Country: ____________________________________________________
Phone Numbers:
Day: ____________________________________________________
Evening: ____________________________________________________
Data: ____________________________________________________
Zone:Net/
Node.Point: _______________________________________________
Your BBS Name: _______________________________________________
BBS Software: _____________________ Mailer: _________________
Modem Brand: _____________________ Speed: _________________
What Hotel will you be Staying at: ____________________________
Do you want to share a room? ______
Are you a non-smoker? ______
Do you want an in room point? ______
(Tower rooms at Drawbridge only)
Do you need special accommodations? ______
(If so, please explain) ____________________________
____________________________
FidoNews 5-33 Page 37 15 Aug 1988
Are you a non-Sysop? ______
Are you an IFNA Member? ______
If so, will you be attending the
Sunday IFNA brunch/BoD meeting? ______
Additional Guests: ______
(not attending conferences)
Comments: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Costs How Many? Cost
--------------------------- -------- -------
Conference fee $60..................... ________ _______
($75.00 after 7/31)
Thursday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
Thursday Dinner $18.95 .............. ________ _______
Friday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
Friday Banquet $24.95 .............. ________ _______
Saturday Lunch $10.95 .............. ________ _______
======== =======
Totals ................................ ________ _______
You may pay by Check, Money Order or Visa/MC
Please send no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds.
Checks should be made out to: "FidoCon '88"
This form should be completed and mailed to:
FidoCon '88 Registration
P.O. Box 9294
Cincinnati, OH 45209
If you pay by Credit Card you may also register by Netmailing
this completed form to 108/62 or 1/88 for processing. Please
complete the information below and be sure to include a voice
phone number above so that we can contact you for Credit Card
FidoNews 5-33 Page 38 15 Aug 1988
verification. Rename this file ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number.
[ ] Visa [ ] MasterCard
Name as it appears
on credit card: ___________________________________________
Credit Card Number: ___________________________________________
Expiration Date: ___________________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________________
(If you mail in registration)
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FidoNews 5-33 Page 39 15 Aug 1988
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___________________________
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