Volume 7, Number 13                                 26 March 1990
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    Editor in Chief:                                  Vince Perriello
    Editors Emeritii:                    Thom Henderson,  Dale Lovell
    Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings

    Copyright 1990, Fido Software.  All rights reserved.  Duplication
    and/or distribution permitted  for  noncommercial  purposes only.
    For use in other circumstances, please  contact  Fido Software.

    FidoNews  is  published  weekly  by  the  System Operators of the
    FidoNet  (r)  International  BBS Network.  It is a compilation of
    individual articles  contributed  by  their authors or authorized
    agents of the  authors.    The  contribution  of articles to this
    compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors.

    You  are  encouraged   to  submit  articles  for  publication  in
    FidoNews.  Article submission standards are contained in the file
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    Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day.

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    Most articles are unsolicited.   Our  policy  is to publish every
    responsible submission received.


                       Table of Contents
    1. ARTICLES  .................................................  1
       Fidocon Discount Deadline Draws Near!  ....................  1
       Menu Master Announcement  .................................  2
    2. COLUMNS  ..................................................  3
       A View from the Bridge  ...................................  3
       Talk Me Through It, Honey  ................................  5
    3. NOTICES  ..................................................  7
       The Interrupt Stack  ......................................  7
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 1                   26 Mar 1990


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


    Bill Vanglahn 1:1/90@Fidonet

        As the deadline for the biggest savings to attend this
    year's convention draws near (April 1), I wanted to clear up a
    few questions.

    Q. EXACTLY where is Fidocon being held?

    A. Fidocon '90 will be held at the Quality Inn Sportsplex in
       Lyndhurst, N.J. The hotel is approximately 8 minutes from New
       York City, and about 10 minutes from Newark International
       Airport. It is located on NJ Route 17, near the intersection
       of NJ Route 3 and the New Jersey Turnpike.

    Q. The price of $350.00 is a LOT of money!

    A. Yes, it is! But, compared to the prices from San Jose
       (Fidocon '89), it works out to be LESS. The price of $350.00
       (valid through April 1) includes hotel, meals, reception
       party, and the cost of the conference. Last year, people paid
       well over $400.00, for the same period of time (4 days).


    Q. I want to bring my spouse (and/or kids). How much would it
       cost for them?

    A. For you and your family to attend, the cost for a member your
       family is $175.00 per person, before April 1. The price
       increases to $225.00 after that. This price includes hotel
       room and meals.

       The latest information is ALWAYS available by file requesting
    the magic name FIDOCON from 1:1/90.


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    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 2                   26 Mar 1990


    Dale Barnes
    Fido 1:375/11

                     PRODUCT CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT

    "Menu Master" has been sold.  Effective March 17, 1990, Dale
    Barnes of Montgomery, AL, is now the owner.  All current
    registered users will be supported.  A new updated version
    in currently in beta testing and will be released when ready
    with new docs.  All registrations should now be sent to the
    address below.  Once registered, you will receive your key
    via netmail.

    I believe Menu Master is a great package.  It allows you to
    create new menus for QuickBBS systems.  The upcoming version
    will also support Remote Access BBS systems.  You can change
    any menu or all menus quickly and easily.  It is menu driven
    which makes it a cinch to use and it also supports a mouse.
    Your ideas and registration will help me continue improving
    this product.  I would like to encourage you to register
    Menu Master.

    All registration and any bugs, problems or enhancements
    should be sent to:

     Dale Barnes             OR   Netmail to FidoNet 1:375/11
     PO Box 230203
     Montgomery, AL  36123-0203
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 3                   26 Mar 1990


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                                 COLUMNS
    =================================================================

    A View from the Bridge

    "Captain's Log, Stardate 9003.24"

    This week, I thought I'd take a moment to respond to some
    hatemail.  Thankfully, I don't get much, but Fredric Rice called
    all the way from Florida just to put me down, and I thought he
    deserved a reply.  Well, since he's not in the nodelist, and in
    case there are others out there who might think the same way,
    Fredrick, this column's for YOU:

    From: Fredric Rice
    To:   Phil
    Subj: fidonews art

    > BTW, just for the record, NO, I don't hang up on someone
    > because they're not in my network.  That's the same as hanging
    > up on someone because they're black, jewish, gay, or poor, no
    > matter what anybody else says.  Private clubs are a thing of the

    Explain, if you would, what racial prejudice and private clubs
    have to do with refusal to accept a system access request from a
    node that's not in your network.

    Is it possible you didn't get a high school diploma? Perhaps you
    have spent too much time learning about Jesus and ignored the
    real-world scientific methodologies expounded to normal children.

    BTW, just for the record, I take exception to your opinion.

    From: Phil Buonomo
    To:   Fredric Rice
    Subj: Re: fidonews art

     > Explain, if you would, what racial prejudice and private
     > clubs have to do with refusal to accept a system access
     > request from a node that's not in your network.

    Because the basis of "if you're not one of 'my kind' I don't
    want to know you" is the same root of both evils.

     > Is it possible you didn't get a high school diploma?

    No.  Is it possible for you to express an opinion without
    flaming others?

     > Perhaps you have spent too much time learning about Jesus and
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 4                   26 Mar 1990


     > ignored the real- world scientific methodologies expounded to
     > normal children.

    I would respond to this, but frankly I don't see any
    logic/point/basis to this comment at all.

     > BTW, just for the record, I take exception to your opinion.

    And I disagree with yours.  But you don't see me taking you down
    on your own board because of it, do you?

    Have a nice day!
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 5                   26 Mar 1990


    Henry Clark
    124/6120


    Am I Indexes ? --

    7-10 The Death of Shareware and Other Good News -- viewpoint.
    7-10 The Big Mistake -- file archive comments.
    7-10 Big Blue Subterfuge -- dangers of cooperative processing.
    7-10 Honey Learns MSGED -- dangers of cooperative processing.
    7-11 In CASE You Wondered -- viewpoint on CASE tools.
    7-11 BBS For Sale -- nostalgic look at old front end.
    7-11 The Salesmanship Club -- dangers of cooperative processing.
    7-11 Danish for Honey -- foreign language processing.
    7-12 The Art of Deception -- high and low level languages.
    7-12 "Plug Away" -- machine generated messages.
    7-12 Interface 90 -- viewpoint on OSI.
    7-12 Tax Time, Honey -- working overseas.
    7-13 Am I Indexes ? -- global information indexing.
    7-13 Compuserve Blues -- problems with messages.
    7-13 The Big Trip -- rest and relaxation.
    7-13 Counting Carlsbergs -- little known facts.

    Since everybody is going to be back indexing the world in the
    90's, I figured I'd get a head start now.

    I suppose in about 4 years, indexes and indexing services will
    have grown so large, that they too will need indexing, leading
    to the Index Behemoth Corp.'s buy out of World Index and Media
    Production Systems by 1997.  This will leave only one major
    player who in fact, knows where anything is that you need.

    While you're at it, think about that nodelist...  Oh, and "Am I
    Indexes ?"  Yes, Plain-O-Dexes.


    Compuserve Blues --

    What's FIDONET got that Compuserve doesn't ?  The list is
    endless.  I am especially disappointed in the horrible message
    gathering facilities, now that CIS has become so active.  No
    archived message facility means you pull messages for later
    reading in LOG mode, straight ASCII transfer.

    I tried out the PC MAGazine forums, first the editorial forum,
    and then the programming forum.  What a pain in the butt.  At
    2400 bps ( really ) I saw no other way than to turn on SCROLL
    and start logging the messages.  It took an hour to pull off 4
    days worth of messages out of two forums.  ( Grabbing calculator
    ) that's almost 90 bucks per month!  Is it worth it, NO!  I'm
    thinking this is close to the cost of ALL echomail traffic for
    our net per month.  No comparison at all...

    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 6                   26 Mar 1990


    I can see reducing online time by selecting specific threads;
    this amounts to a terrible guess as to suitability.  Something
    has to change.  I'll still use it to get the FILES though
    <grin>.


    The Big Trip --

    Well, it's travel time again for the Clark family.  We are off
    to Santa Barbara to visit my sister.  She's this hot EW
    programmer ( that's E-lec-tronic War-fare ).  Remember the
    Stark, the ship with the hole blown in the side by Iraq ( how
    embarrassing ).  My sister's system was the one to stop that
    missile, if it had been turned on.

    My four-year-old and I will hit Dizzy-land and pay a call on
    old Mickey.  ( Gawd, I hope his suit has been recently dry
    cleaned. ) A little golf, some work type effort in Thousand
    Oaks ( gotta pay for it you know ), and just some general
    stress relieving.  Sort of an OPUS-FAM for the brain.


    Counting Carlsbergs --

    Here's a little known counting method employed by Danes.  They
    count by 20s ( we call it a score, Danes call it a 'snes' (
    long e ).  Not only do Danes count by 20s, they use a sort of
    clock language.

    Like we say "half past five", Danes refer to that as "half till
    six".  Now we get to the counting and the Danish words for 50,
    60 :  it's "half till three twenties" and "three twenties" (
    you got it? ).  70 and 80 are "half till four twenties" and
    "four twenties", and 90 is "half till five twenties".

    Even more unbelievable is that a hundred is, in fact, called a
    hundrede ( long u ).  And a thousand, well it's 'tusind' ( long
    u ), but considering that Danes cannot make any of the dozen or
    so 'TH' sounds, this is probably OK.

    The 'ones' digits, you asked.  Yes, BEFORE the tens digits.  As
    in "five and half till five twenties", all that for 95.

    So now you know why Honey always quotes todays shopping bill in
    Danish;  I fall asleep before she finishes.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 7                   26 Mar 1990


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

                         The Interrupt Stack


     3 Jun 1990
       Comdex/Spring, which will run from June 3-6 in Atlanta, will be
       held at the World Congress Center and other locations.

     5 Jun 1990
       David Dodell's 33rd Birthday

    12 Jun 1990
       Fifth anniversary of FidoNet's switch to multiple nets.

    13 Jul 1990
       Start of Eurocon / Techcon conference in Antwerp, Belgium.
       Further information will follow.

    27 Jul 1990
       The beginning of the REGION 17 Convention at Menucha Resort in
       the Columbia Gorge, Oregon.  For details contact Ken Zwaschka,
       1:105/54.

     1 Aug 1990
       Start of FidoCon '90. Contact Bill Vanglahn at 1:1/90 for
       details.

     5 Oct 1990
       21st Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

     6 Nov 1990
       First anniversary of Van Diepen Automatiseert, 2:500/28

    14 Nov 1990
       Marco Maccaferri's 21rd Birthday. Send greetings to him at
       2:332/16.0

     1 Jan 1991
       Implementation of 7% Goods and Services Tax in Canada. Contact
       Joe Lindstrom at 1:134/55 for a more colorful description.

    16 Feb 1991
       Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush.

     7 Oct 1991
       Area code  415  fragments.   Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
       will  begin  using  area  code  510.   This includes  Oakland,
       Concord, Berkeley  and  Hayward.    San  Francisco, San Mateo,
    FIDONEWS 7-13                Page 8                   26 Mar 1990


       Marin, parts of  Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay
       Islands will retain area code 415.

     1 Feb 1992
       Area  code 213 fragments.    Western,  coastal,  southern  and
       eastern portions of Los Angeles  County  will begin using area
       code 310.  This includes Los  Angeles  International  Airport,
       West  Los  Angeles,  San  Pedro and Whittier.    Downtown  Los
       Angeles  and  surrounding  communities  (such as Hollywood and
       Montebello) will retain area code 213.


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

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