Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only.
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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
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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used with permission.
Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors
and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software.
Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every
responsible submission received.
* Fairplay or Foulplay
Jeff Aldrich (1:161/515)
Peter K. Johnson
Our Right To Access Information:
Fairplay or Foulplay
Many, and I hope most, of the FidoNet boards in California
have received a file named FAIRPLAY.ZIP over the past ten
days or so. This is a text file containing a proposed
Constitutional Amendment to the California Constitution.
OK, so what?
Well, if you and your users print and sign this petition, the
people of California will have the opportunity to give
themselves a Constitutional Right to access specific information
on the California legislature in "computer-readable" format. It
is the first initiative of its kind in the nation and if it
qualifies for the ballot, citizens of other states can use this
as a model for reforming their government.
Why send this political stuff to my BBS?
Because you and your users are the citizens this Amendment
will benefit the most. Besides, this is not about politics.
It has very little to do with politics. It has EVERYTHING to
do with the way we govern ourselves. This Amendment will
plant the seed of Information Age Democracy in America and
help make the "Decade of Democracy" a reality for all of us.
Why amend the Constitution to gain this access?
It's not likely to happen any other way. Politicians know the
power of electronic information. The only electronic data the
"public" can access by law in electronic format today is the
voter registration rolls of each county. Why? Because
politicians need to access this information to get re-elected.
No other data access is granted, by law, to the citizens of
California. And efforts to curb our access, like the FCC
surcharge battle a few years back are expected to continue.
As a fellow sysop, what can I do?
Your users follow your lead and suggestions. Post a bulletin
on your BBS pointing out the need to take action. Let them
know FAIRPLAY.ZIP is available on your board and what it can
do for all of us.
FidoNews 7-16 Page 2 16 Apr 1990
Where can I get more information?
Californians for Responsible Representation (CRR), (a ballot
measure committee, ID#892099 Richard L. Noble, Treasurer), are
forming an echomail conference precisely for this purpose. The
echo will provide a forum for your users to comment and
participate in discussions about this ballot initiative. CRR
is willing to distribute this echo to all California area codes,
so any BBS in California willing to carry the echo in their
local calling area has easy access.
Who should I contact to get this echo?
If you contact Jeff Aldrich at 1:161/515, you will be informed
of any boards in your area that already carry the echo. Or, if
there are no boards in your area that carry the echo, you will
be given information regarding a FidoNet board that will feed
the echo directly to you.
Where else may I find information?
CRR will have an ad in the Western Edition Wall Street Journal
on April 20, 1990, to launch this electronic citizen petition
drive state-wide. In addition, FAIRPLAY.ZIP has a READ.ME file
containing a release form that will allow CRR to publish your
name and/or BBS phone number in newspaper ads in your local
area. If you would like to help make the "Decade of Democracy"
a reality for all the people of California, please print the
release form and snail mail it to the address within the file --
today, if possible.
So what does all this really mean?
FidoNet is an amazing resource that has been vital to the growth
of personal citizen-to-citizen telecommunication. This
initiative provides the opportunity for California FidoNet
sysops to continue this leadership -- by helping the people of
California gain the Constitutional Right of public access to
government information in data format. This ballot initiative
places the power of electronic citizen oversight of our
government in our collective hands. People all over the world
are fighting for democracy. Isn't it time we join them...
Thank you for helping our future,
Jeff Aldrich, political science graduate student,
Sacramento State University
Peter K. Johnson, computer science student,
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Fall 1990)
ALL coordinators be voted on by the part of the population they
serve at a regular interval. I propose the minimum to be yearly
and the maximum to be every two years that this should be done.
A minimum requirement for canidates - be that they have at
least one year active consecutive membership (listed in the
nodelist) in FidoNet. Coordinators should not serve more than
a specified amount of consecutive terms (for example if terms
are yearly no more than four years should one person hold
a coordinator postion) and Special considerations should be made
as in the case of smaller local Networks *if* other canadates
are unavaliable. Network coordinators should be selected and
voted on by the local network. Regional Coordinators be voted
on the Net Coordinators and so on. This is basically how it is
now but, only if a position comes open. I propose that the
original reason a coordinator held thier postion until they
became otherwise unable or unwilling to fulfill it is null and
void. Originally the size of the Network demanded that for
operational proceedure once a coordinator took a position, they
enact that position until they either quit or left the network.
Now, with the present size of the Network the postion should
be the will of the people (in our case SysOps) and shared as an
elected postion.
BackGround:
Every organization that I have ever belonged to or heard of
never let a supreme dictatorship develope. Yet here in our
hobby, there is no regular vote for Coordinator postitons. This
basically places a monarch in power. Is the Job of Coordinator
for Life? In many places, such as my local Net, the Hats are
always "passed". No one has the opportunity to "select"
leadership. This is not fair for the NetWork SysOps or the Net-
Work as a whole. Since the Coordinator currently empowered sets
the guidelines ..if democracy is not part of thier picture it is
not there.
Often when a select group of people get and remain in power they
tend to loose interest and the worst that can happen is true
apathy in network affairs. Back when I first joined FidoNet, I
heard about the "good ole boy Network". I Never really under-
stood that until not too long ago there was a minor Net war in
our local Net with oposing groups. I have no beef with Volunteer
Positions, Its just that more SysOps should have an opportunity
to serve thier community.
FidoNews 7-16 Page 5 16 Apr 1990
Effect:
At network level it is a boon. It allows others to become
involved with the support of the local Network. This can be
healthy, It allows support for members of the Network by the
Network on All levels. It keeps Apathy out of our ranks and
keeps inovation and growth in the Network from the local Net
level on up. I am not writing this to upset current coord-
inators. I communicate regularly with other Network coord-
inators and feel there are quite a lot of good SysOps and
Coordinators here in FidoNet.
I know, I know, There are possibly a few SysOps out there to
argue on specific grounds. True it does take certian "equipment"
to be a REC or more specifically to be involved with massive
amounts of Echo mail or compiliation of the Nodelist and such.
But hey, lets face it, we all started somewhere and with a few
"fail-Safes (reqiremets)" in place any special requirements can
be taken care of. Remember nothing is fool proof - especially
our current situation. And, I am sure the candle manufactures
ralleyed against electricity at one time also <grin>.
There is yet another arguement that with elected coordinators
become a populatiarity contest. It seems other clubs, hobby and
amature groups deal with this quite well. Are the current coord-
inators so parinoid that we can have no progress in FidoNet? I
would much rather have a undesirable Coordinator for a year than
a lifetime. With a voteing mechanism and requirements it is more
than highly doubtful that a totally unprepared or unrelaliable
SysOp will get a job which requires a reliable system. There are
special cases and considerations to be made. But there is
*always* someone interested in the Network and helping it grow.
It is healthy to get more folks involved. It is obvious that the
larger the Local Network the more advantageous this is to allow
the position to be shared among interested SysOps. This keeps
dictatorship out of our Network.
Outcome:
A net we can ALL be more involved in. It should be clear to
each and every coordinator that they have the support of the
SysOps they serve. It is true it is a voluntary postition. All
the more importance to have the support of members of the Net-
work. This also keeps Apathy out of our Network. And why not,
every year we have a FidoCon? We should, every year, elect our
coordinators to serve us. If a SysOp is suitable and the SysOps
of a Nework respect them and thier accomplishments in the Net
they will undoubtly be voted in. This is how it should be - with
the support of the Network. I have heard quite a bit of talk of
moving in this direction. Isn't it time we made it reality.
FidoNews 7-16 Page 6 16 Apr 1990
Yours in FidoNet,
Kenneth "Kevin" Snively
1:116/24 EET BBS
1:116/29 the Dawg Byte
Nashville, Tennessee
FidoNet Sysops and their families and friends are cordially
invited to attend a Region17 convention hosted by Net105
(VanPort; aka "Home of the Curmudgeon") July 27-29 at Menucha
Camp and Conference Grounds. This will be the only "Fido"
convention on the West Coast this summer; guests outside the
boundaries of Region17 are more than welcome to attend.
Menucha was once the summer home of Julius Meier, founder of
Meier & Frank department stores and a former Governor of Oregon.
"Menucha" means "waters of refreshment" in Hebrew and is an apt
description of the unique natural setting - 98 acres of lawns,
woodlands and gardens - high on a bluff overlooking the Columbia
River. The main buildings were constructed around 1914 and are
historical sites. Recreation includes a 75x30 ft outdoor
swimming pool, regulation tennis court, basketball, horseshoe
pits, a surfaced volleyball court, table tennis, and biliards.
There are also numerous trails for hiking.
Menucha is located in Corbett, Oregon - 30 minutes from the
Portland International airport and about 45 minutes from downtown
Portland. Freeways I-84, I-5, and I-205 are close by.
Oregon also offers an exceptionally unspoiled seacoast and the
Cascade mountain range (including Mount St. Helens, the
recovering active volcano in nearby Washington) within easy
driving range of Portland. Portland's Saturday Market features
arts and crafts by local artisans; the Oregon Museum of Science
and Industry specializes in "hands-on" exhibits.
Convention prices are extremely affordable if you register before
May 15th. Menucha offers dormitories and family-style meals,
with a few semi-private and private accomodations. For example,
for an adult FidoNet Sysop who elects to arrive on Friday
afternoon, sleep in his sleeping bag in a dorm, and stay through
Sunday morning, the cost is a mere $70.50 (meals included).
Reduced prices apply to children, students, and spouses.
For more information and registration forms, NetMail Ken Zwaschka
@ 105/54 or Janet Murray @ 105/23.
================================================================
| IMPORTANT NOTE: Since we must estimate _and pay for_ |
| the number who will be attending by mid-May, there |
| will be a limited number of places for late registrants! |
================================================================
Paid by June 15th:
_____ Number of reservations @ $10 _____
Paid by July 15th
_____ Number of reservations @ $20 _____
Paid after July 15th
_____ Number of reservations @ $30 _____
TOTAL ADDITIONS $ _____
TOTAL PAYMENT ENCLOSED: $ _____
Make checks payable (in U.S. Funds) to:
Net 105 Treasury / REG17CON
FidoNews 7-16 Page 10 16 Apr 1990
Send registration to:
Region 17 Convention
c/o Ken Zwaschka
Ken Zwaschka & Associates
P.O. Box 2226
Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. 97208-2226
Reservations and room assignments will be confirmed via NetMail
within 48 hours of receipt.
Registration packets with a map to Menucha and information about
Portland metropolitan area shopping and recreational faciltities
will be mailed to all registrants on July 1st.
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.
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 7-16 Page 15 16 Apr 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.
