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
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous
Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are
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.
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
2. ARTICLES ................................................. 4
Final FidoCon Update ..................................... 4
FidoCon 1991 - The New Beginning ......................... 6
New Medical Echo Starting ................................ 22
Region 1:17 FidoNet Convention Report .................... 24
Conclave '90 Registration form ........................... 27
3. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 30
Latest Software Versions ................................. 30
4. NOTICES .................................................. 33
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 33
And more!
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 1 30 Jul 1990
Vince foolishly keeps handing me the keys to FidoNews. Two
weeks ago, I managed to lose the whole thing while upgrading
my HD. (Sorry, Vince!) This week's adventure is more
deliberate.
You probably noticed a change in this week's issue of
FidoNews, or rather, its packaging. It was archived using
LHArc rather than some Arc (r) 5.x compatible program. (If you
didn't get it this way, someone between you and 1/1 is screwing
around, and could well be in violation of Policy.)
Last Sunday, I was reading the August Dr. Dobb's Journal, and
was surprised to see an ad from System Enhancement Associates
on page 170. It announced the new release of Arc(R), 7.0. The
subhead of the ad says "Now with all the features that have
made ARC(R) the industry standard compression utility". In
much smaller print, further in the ad was the following: "NOTE:
ARC 7.0 is NOT available on BBS".
I found the first statement to be somewhat oxymoronic, and
the two taken together even moreso. (I also wonder if it is
available on commercial systems, and for this wondering, one
sysop I know accused me of thinking like a scumbag - er -
lawyer! Isn't that slander?)
Far be it from me to diminish the contribution that Thom
Henderson and SEA have made to FidoNet. Despite many personal
misgivings with his actions in some areas, I have often come to
his defense. There are few in the net who appreciate his work
in the form of Policy 3 as much as I.
However, it is time for FidoNet as a whole to consider what
it's all about. It is not clear to me that Arc(R) is "the
industry standard". It is clear to me that FidoNet is an
amateur electronic mail network. It is about the free flow
of information.
Therefore, I have to ask myself if it is right for FidoNet, on
a weekly basis, to distribute files that force every sysop in
the net to use products from a company that has turned its back
on the very community that helped, in no small degree, to make
those products as successful as they are.
With the possible exception of its name, LHArc is legally
unencumbered. It exists in Freely Available source code
format, in relatively portable C. It does a better job at
data compression than Arc(R) 5.x, and therefore will save
FidoNet as a whole on phone costs. While I haven't seen a spec
for the algorithms used, nor have I seen one for Arc(R).
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 2 30 Jul 1990
So, I'm taking a lesson from Thom himself. I'm going to
instigate a discussion by just doing something, unilaterally.
So far as I can tell, there are but two sacrosanct elements in
FidoNet: FTS-0001 and its amateur status. Other than that, no
one is more special than anyone else, and no technology cast
in concrete. This is as it should be; otherwise, we'd be
hog-tied more than we already are by virtue of size.
I hope that, upon his return, Vince will continue to release
FidoNews in LHArc format. I hope the *C structure will switch
NodeDiff and NodeList distribution files to LHArc format. And
I hope the FTSC will formally recognize LHArc (or any Freely
Available compressor) as the standard for compressed mail
within FidoNet.
No matter what, from here on in, NO files on my system will be
distributed in Arc(R) format, nor will Arc(R) itself be
available.
Systems requesting FidoNews, FNews*.Arc, or anything similar
WILL have their requests honored, but with LHArc flavored
files. If this means my system will no longer be listed as
1/1, so be it. There's nothing special about having a 1/
listing; it's actually a pain in the butt, done only because
someone I respect greatly asked.
There probably will be other ramifications to my actions. I
suspect that one or two of you will file complaints, although
I can't imagine on what grounds. There will undoubtedly be a
number of articles in forthcoming issues, and increased volume
in one or more echoes, some of which will probably resort to
the tried and true ad-hominem attack on the messenger. I'll
gladly stipulate for the record that I'm a card carrying net
@hole; statements from others on this point are therefore a
waste of bandwidth.
Any other speculation would just get me accused of thinking
like a scumbag - er - lawyer; I'll pass on that, thanks!
I hope that a thorough, careful discussion of these issues will
take place at the upcoming FidoCon. I hope it won't degenerate
into some sort of an alley gang fight. It was Thom himself who
said FidoNet was a technical statement; rather than wasting
more time and effort on killing or reviving IFNA, perhaps the
gathering could get back to what it's all about: an amateur
electronic mail network, and not an organizational debating
society.
Have a good FidoCon.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 3 30 Jul 1990
Oh, and Pablo - I had a little something, direct and indirect,
to do with that document. If you're going to give everyone and
their brother credit, then at least get it right.
Well, the date for FidoCon is finally upon us. Suffice to say
it WASN'T easy putting together an international sysop
convention that was also hosting conventions for four amateur
electronic networks!
Some final words on the convention:
If anyone is interested, there's a company in NY, PC Computing
Rentals, 1-800-765-4727 that can arrange for PC rentals during
the convention to be delivered to the hotel. One attendee is
getting a PS/2, 40Meg, 1.44 Floppy, with serial/parallel ports
for $149 for the full 5 days. Not bad at all.
Butch Walker will be making a brief appearance to talk about
Electronic Support Groups on Thursday.
Here is the conference schedule of events as they stand today:
WEDNESDAY, 8/1 Registration Begins at 3PM
8PM: Poolside Welcome Pary (Open bar: Beer & Wine for registrants)
THURSDAY, 8/2
TIME TECHIE TRACK VENDOR TRACK RECREATION TRACK
9 Breakfast / Day at the Beach (pre-registration required)
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|10 | D'Bridge, C. Irwin | | Sysops and the Law |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|11 | Phoenix, C. Gorish | |Moderator Roundtable|
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|12 | Lunch / Registration Ends / Costume Shuttle |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 2 | "The Next Bus" | | Phoenix/Net Meeting|
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 3 |Tabby: 3 Years Later| | Stress Mgt Techniqs|
+---+--------------------+--------------------+ |
| 4 |Elect Support Groups| |2 Hours (Admiss. $7)|
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 6 | Dinner / Medieval Times Banquet |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
FRIDAY, 8/3
9 Breakfast / Day Shopping Tour (pre-registration required)
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|10 | |Silver Xpress Soft. | RP Games Seminar |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|11 | Bit Bucket Software| | USACATCOM Network |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
|12 | Lunch |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 1 | | US Robotics | |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 2 | SEA, Thom Henderson| | Eggnet Meeting |
+---+--------------------+--------------------+--------------------+
| 3 | | eSoft (TBBS) | FidoNet Meeting |
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 5 30 Jul 1990
For those who've helped out, I want to extend my personal
thanks. It's been a lot of work, but I think it'll all be worth
it once the conference is underway.
FidoCon 1991 - The New Beginning
Zone 1 Region Coordinators
Zone 1 Zone Coordinator
Let's not forget or minimize the great deal of effort and
dedication by the members of the FidoCon 1990 Committee. We
thank the 1990 Committee for sponsoring FidoCon 1990 and look
forward to a successful FidoCon this week. Some of us will be
there enjoying the Conference while the rest offer our regrets
and best wishes to the Committee and all of Zone 1.
Several weeks ago we issued a call for proposals for the Zone 1
FidoCon in 1991. While our in baskets did not overflow with bids,
we did receive two before the announced July 18 deadline. They
were submitted by Thom Henderson (the Henderson proposal) and by
a trio of Net 104 SysOps (the Boulder proposal). Interestingly,
the two proposals (reprinted in full following this introduction)
provided us with an opportunity to vote for two contrasting
styles. One was a traditional FidoCon proposal; the other a
refreshing alternative approach.
We have completed the selection process and are pleased to
announce that Zone 1 FidoCon 1991 will be hosted in Boulder,
Colorado. The backup will be the Henderson Proposal.
Congratulations folks. You and all of FidoNet are Winners!
The outcome was 9 in favor of the Boulder Proposal and 1 in favor
of the Henderson Proposal. The vote by each Region Coordinator
was:
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Boulder Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Henderson Y
Here is the full text of each proposal (edited to satisfy
Artspec):
"The Henderson Proposal"
------------------------
I have a serious proposal for FidoCon '91. I'm sure I can get
some net or group to be the "official hosts", or maybe I could do
it myself (it would be simplicity in itself).
There has almost always been some flak about the conference, and
it's rising to new heights (dropping to new depths?) of idiocy
this year, so I have an idea on how to keep it from happening
again, just maybe.
Simply put, we just pick a hotel and pick a weekend. That's it.
Everybody makes their own arrangements for rooms, travel, meals,
entertainment, et cetera. There would be no conference fees since
there would be no conference costs. There would be no
registration requirements since there would be no fees. And, of
course, no seed money or contract guarantees would be required.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 7 30 Jul 1990
All that is required is:
a) Some sort of "official blessing" on the whole deal making it
the official FidoCon,
2) Somebody to write an occasional article about it for FidoNews,
and
iii) Somebody to put an entry for it in the FidoNews calendar of
events.
"The Boulder Proposal"
----------------------
A "Boulder" New Beginning
P.O. Box 486
Louisville, CO 80027-0486
FidoNet 1:104/969, 169, 69
Dear RC,
Stop! Wait! Hold the Presses! Look to your "Snail Mail"
address for information that is already on its way.
Much as we despise waiting for the last several nanoseconds
to get things done, when one is dealing with government agencies
one gets to wait for them. We told them over a month ago that
the convention bid HAD to be in YOUR hands by the 18th of
July... you can, of course, guess when everything arrived.
Oh, yes, please allow us to introduce ourselves...
We are (in node number order) Terry Travis (104/69), Marshall
Barry (104/169), and Michelle Weisblat (104/969), and we are the
core committee for the FidoCon '91 in Boulder, Colorado, bid.
As a group, we have more than fifteen (15) years experience in
organizing, planning, running and working conventions.
Having been deeply involved with conventions and conferences
in the past, we are fully aware of the time and energy required
to "make it happen". Our experience includes CopperCons,
WesterCons and WorldCons (Science Fiction Conventions), ranging
in size from 50 to over 6,000 attending. Each of us has, in
addition, successfully run our own business - allowing us a
complete and detailed understanding of the legal and financial
requirements implicit in any undertaking of the size and
complexity of a professional convention.
As a committee, we have the full support and cooperation of
the Colorado and Boulder Tourism Boards as well as the
invaluable assistance of the Colorado TravelBank. We have
negotiated special rates, both on rooms and facilities, with our
planned convention hotel, the Clarion Harvest House in Boulder,
Colorado. In addition, we have arranged with a professional
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 8 30 Jul 1990
travel agent to provide all travel-related services for
convention members and their families.
Of course, we feel we can offer the best overall attendance
rates ever for FidoCon members, significant others and families
wishing to take a vacation in the magnificent Colorado mountain
summer.
With our background and knowledge we can assure you that A
"Boulder" New Beginning will be not just a success, but the best
FidoCon ever!
So, please read on for details and plans...
DETAILS, DETAILS
Fido's first convention was held in Colorado Springs just
five short years ago. It was a beginning ... Many are now
asking for a New Beginning, a re-birth. Boulder, Colorado, is
the place.
We Propose
FidoCon '91 - A "Boulder" New Beginning - Aug 8-11, 1991
HOTEL AND FACILITIES
Rooms
We have negotiated an extremely attractive rate with the
Clarion Harvest House Hotel near downtown Boulder. As a member
of the convention, ALL rooms (with the obvious exceptions of
suites) will be available for $82.50 per night (Tax Included!),
Single AND Double Occupancy. Children 12 and under, in the same
room, are free.
Rooms can be requested with one King, or two Double beds.
ALL rooms, of course, have remote control color TV and direct
dial telephones (with modular plugs).
Both NON-SMOKING and HANDICAPPED Rooms are available upon
request.
Hospitality suites will, similarly, be discounted, and range
from "Junior" suites ($175.00 plus tax/per night) to the
"Presidential" suite ($300.00 plus tax/per night).
Function Suites, for dealers, distributors, manufacturers and
displays, are available for $150.00 (plus tax) per day. These
are specially located rooms with convenient elevator access.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 9 30 Jul 1990
For those with a taste for pure luxury, the Harvest House has
agreed to discount their VIP TOWER rooms to the convention. All
VIP rooms include (in addition to the "basic" amenities) a
better view, a complimentary continental breakfast and cocktail
hour (with hors d'oevres), access to the Executive Travelers
Club, "turndown" service and additional "inroom" amenities,
bathrobes, and newspapers. As we all know "there ain't no such
thing as a free lunch", the VIP rooms are available at
$95.00/$115.00 (per night, plus tax) single/double.
The BoulderCon '91 Committee will be working directly with
the hotel to assure that all reservations are properly made and
notated, and will be responsible for assignment of all Suites.
Oh, by the way, for those wishing to vacation, the SPECIAL
RATES are AVAILABLE for those ARRIVING EARLY and STAYING LATE!
Meeting Space
The Clarion has ample meeting space (over 9000 square feet),
as well as seating for over 450 in the Grand Ballroom. At this
time, ALL available function space is dedicated to the
convention. In this way, FidoCon is assured of sufficient space
for all activities and events.
Hotel Facilities
The Clarion is situated in a 16 acre, park-like setting.
Facilities include (this is the "Condensed" version)
Indoor/Outdoor Tennis, Playground (for children), Biking (and
Bike Rental), the ONLY free-flowing, cold water, urban trout
stream observatory in the United States, Botanical Gardens,
Basketball, Volleyball, Boulder Creek, Outdoor Pool and Hot Tub,
Exercise Room, and an Indoor Pool (and hot tub, of course!).
All this WITHOUT having to even leave the hotel!
Dining (In and Around the Hotel)
Unlike the 1990 convention, we propose NO MEAL TICKETS.
Being somewhat snobbish, we prefer to be able to choose our REAL
food from the over 91 choices within a short walk of the
Clarion.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 10 30 Jul 1990
For those who prefer to dine out, we are in the process of
negotiating meal discounts with a number of the restaurants in
the area.
For those who prefer not to have to leave the premises, the
Clarion offers excellent food at reasonable to moderate prices.
In addition, Champs Lounge is one of Boulder's more interesting
and friendly night spots.
Banquet
The Banquet will be held on Saturday night and will cost
$25.00 per person. In staying with Colorado's "western" theme,
we will be providing a "Hoe-Down Bar-B-Que" Banquet, a meal
which is sure to please most everyone's taste buds.
Included in the meal will be Bar-B-Que Chicken, Ribs and
Beef, baked beans, salad, muffins, beverage and more!
TRANSPORTATION
Airlines
United and Continental Airlines are both bidding to be the
"Official FidoCon Airline". As each uses Denver as a "hub"
city, they have regular, excellent, service. Both have offered
five (5) percent off their lowest fares, and forty (40) percent
off coach fares as an incentive. A First Class discount will be
negotiated upon acceptance of the bid.
Since Denver is an International Airport, direct flights are
available from many of the world's major cities.
As to actual fares, much as Boulder is considered to be a
"New Age Mecca", not one prognosticator was willing to commit to
giving anything more than "SWAG"s (Scientific, Wild-A**,
Guesses).
Some Samples are (all "round trip", FULL COACH):
Los Angeles/Denver $320
Newark/Denver $380
Chicago/Denver $300
Atlanta/Denver $300
Australia/Denver $1250
Tel Aviv/Denver $1450
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 11 30 Jul 1990
Our travel agent ASSURES us that provisions can be made for
group flights - especially if 10 or more are willing to travel
together; 20 or more from "out of the US".
From/To The Airport
Transportation from/to the Denver Airport is available from
6:30 AM through 10:00PM every day via "The Airporter" service.
Cost is about $8.50 per person each way. Special arrangements
can be made for those who know, IN ADVANCE, that they will be
arriving outside the above hours.
Rental cars are available both at the airport and at the
Clarion (Budget Rent-a-Car). Should you care to drive from the
airport, Boulder is an easy 40 minute, 4-lane highway trip.
Driving
Driving to Boulder in August can be a scenic trip from most
anywhere in the United States. Two major Interstate Highways
(I-25 and I-70) provide easy access to the high country.
Boulder, and the hotel, are at the Northwest end of US-36, which
connects directly to I-25.
BOULDER
Why Boulder?
Boulder is a university community of approximately 90,000
situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. More than that,
Boulder is growing, with many high-technology and communications
corporations already here and others moving into the area.
While many think only of the excellent powder skiing during
the Colorado winter, the summertime is spectacularly beautiful
as well. With LOW humidity and an average August daytime
temperature of 75-80 degrees, one feels like getting up and
DOING things. Night temperatures average between 60 and 65
degrees, making that relaxing evening "hot tub" a special event.
Within a short distance of the Clarion, one can find most
anything from bookshops to boutiques, movies to nightclubs,
Siamese to Sushi, and Jazz to Heavy Metal. Slightly further
away, one can walk the Boulder Mall, an open-air mall which
stretches almost a mile and features some of the town's more
(in)famous bars, shops and people.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 12 30 Jul 1990
Seeing Colorado
To help you enjoy the splendor of Boulder, and Colorado, we
are planning on offering AT LEAST the following activities...
If you can say "Boulder Big Three Brewery Bash" three times
fast, then you're up to the Big Three Brewery Tour. We'll visit
the Busch, Coors and Boulder Breweries (that's not easy to say,
either!) in a grand, eight-hour trip. Of course, there's
tasting at the end of each stop - so we're willing to wager that
no one walks afterwards.
The tour will be limited to about thirty people. Cost is
estimated at $30.00 (adults only, please!), which includes the
trip, the bus, and LUNCH!
Want to Flash Back FROM the Future (about a hundred years) to
a time when things were simpler, and there was not only little
pollution but NO computers? Come take the Horseback Tour of
Boulder County... Or just go out for a little of that "western"
clean air...
In any event, this is open to adults and children alike --
most especially the computer widows and widowers! Cost to be
determined by the number interested.
Psychic Tours of Colorado and all points north, south, east
and west will be available at NO extra charge for those capable
and so inclined. Visit the Great Pyramid of Egypt, Lenin's
Tomb, or even the Dark Side of the Moon (sorry, no sound track
available) right from the comfort of your own room!
One of Boulder's finest "New Age" Astral Projectionists will
be available to assist and conduct the tour.
Like to hike? Like tall trees and even taller tales? Day
trips into the Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, and the
nearby Boulder Hills are all easily arranged.
If you would like to be involved in any of these special
activities, or have requests for activities/events before,
during or after FidoCon, we're willing to help out.
CONVENTION INFORMATION
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 13 30 Jul 1990
Planned Programming
Having polled several people who have attended all previous
FidoCons, and received both a great deal of information AND
support, we have decided to run two "tracks" of programming.
One track will be technical and products oriented; the other
will be more general and politics oriented.
We plan to have the following individuals or companies doing
presentations:
AST, ALR, DELL, USR, HAYES, SEA, eSOFT, Western Digital,
MiniScribe/MaxStor, Seagate, AT&T, MCI, and Sprint.
Alan Applegate, Bob Hartman, Vince Pierello, Phil Becker, Ben
Baker, and Tom Henderson.
Panel topics proposed include:
"Dealing with SysOp Burnout", "For this I gave up my Love
Life?", "EchoMail vs. Astral Projection: Is there a Conflict?",
"Policy Violations: How to Tell, How to React", "Users? Do I
really need them?", and "Policy? We don't need no steenkin'
Policy..."
Banquet
We feel that the annual banquet should be an "awards"
banquet, with plaques being presented to the *C's, Backbone
systems, Gateways and other people that make FidoNet work. This
year, we would also like to "roast" Tom Jennings for creating
the monster, although there are other [potential] roastees.
We plan on sending out "NetMail" Ballots to all registered
members, as well as the *C's, to help us make the awards
meaningful and fun.
Fun
Speaking of fun, as you may have noticed by now we don't plan
on taking everything as deadly serious. Certainly there have
been too many things taken too solemnly. It is our intention
that EVERY member of FidoCon '91 leave with a smile on
his/her(/its?) face.
Other Activities
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 14 30 Jul 1990
We have arranged for a "Vendor's" room to be available on
Saturday and Sunday. This room will allow many of the Hardware
and Software Suppliers to demonstrate their wares and,
optionally, either make or arrange for sales. In addition, this
allows the vendors to be available to answer questions, discuss
problems, and even make special prices available to FidoCon
members.
In-house Mail will be available to FidoCon members. We plan
on having an on-site network linking the convention operations
and hospitality suites, as well as making NetMail available via
the "traditional" FidoCon yearly address. Messages to/from
convention members will be available through a local network
accessible from many locations. In this way, the messy (and
often unusable) physical bulletin boards will be a "thing" of
the past.
Baby/Child Sitting services will be available during
convention hours; evenings by advance request. In order to make
FidoCon a more pleasant activity for those with children, this
service will be provided FREE of charge on a SPACE AVAILABLE,
basis. Those who wish to use this invaluable service are
requested to make their needs known as far in advance as
possible.
Please note: while the service is FREE, diapers, food,
medicines, and other child "accessories" are NOT supplied.
Please make sure all children come with all required amenities.
Also, a signed waiver (available at FidoCon) will be mandatory,
if just to protect everyone involved.
Raffles/Door Prizes
Yes, Virginia, we will be giving away all sorts of things.
We CURRENTLY have a commitment from eSOFT to donate a
COMPLETE 16-line TBBS/TIMS/TDBS Software Package.
Other vendors are willing to commit to donating hardware,
software, modems, and supplies. In fact, it's entirely possible
we'll be able to put together another "dream" system, and THEN
some!
For the SysOp with "everything", we are also putting together
a "nightmare" system - the worst of everything... not acceptable
for use as a boat anchor as it will be sure to sink
intermittently!
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 15 30 Jul 1990
Users
We are evaluating opening the sessions and banquet to, ugh,
users. Much of what happens in and around FidoNet directly
affects how users react and interact. Perhaps if they knew what
factors were really in play, there wouldn't be as large a gap.
Of course, Fido SysOps would ALWAYS get preferential
treatment - we wouldn't think of doing anything less!
Video
As part of the overall theme of communications, we are
planning to video-tape all major sessions, and as many of the
other activities as possible. Edited (not censored) copies will
be made available at our costs plus the ubiquitous "shipping and
handling". Everyone should have a copy!
Other Information
eSOFT and Bit Bucket Software have ALREADY committed to our
bid and to purchasing Hospitality suites.
BoulderCon '91 will be incorporated as a "for profit
corporation" in the State of Colorado shortly after the bid is
accepted.
Progress Reports will be mailed (US Snail) to all registered
convention members and all Regional and Zone Coordinators. A
program book, commemorating a New Beginning, will be provided to
all registered members, and will be mailed to those who are
unable to physically attend.
It is intended that a significant contribution towards the
Net104 Echomail fund will be made from the net proceeds of
BoulderCon '91.
CONVENTION MEMBERSHIP AND RATES
No, we didn't forget... we just wanted to leave the best for
last.
Basic Membership:
Announcement to March 31, 1991: $ 69.00
April 1 to July 15, 1991: $104.00
After July 15 and At the Door: $169.00
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 16 30 Jul 1990
Spouse/Significant Other (at all times): $ 9.69
Minors - With PAYING Parent(s) or Guardian(s): $ FREE!
FidoCon '91
A "Boulder" New Beginning T-Shirts (All Sizes): $ 10.00
You ask, where did we get these rates?
We're Net104, nodes 69, 169, and 969.
(Ask a silly question, get a silly answer.)
We HAVE done the calculations necessary to assure ourselves
that the rates are sufficient to "break even" under all but the
worst conditions (e.g. a major recession, fewer than 120
members, etc.).
We STRONGLY encourage SysOps to buy their memberships BEFORE July
15, 1991. Any memberships RECEIVED after July 15th, 1991, will
NOT be pre-processed and will be considered to be "at the door"
memberships. Besides, it saves you $65.00.
The Spouse/Significant Other rate is designed to encourage
FidoCon members to make Boulder a "family" event... the minimal
fee helps defray our cost of badges, supplies, etc.
CONVENTION HOSPITALITY
In the spirit of other, non-Fido, conventions, we intend to
keep the convention hospitality suite open on a nearly 24 hour
basis. We feel that those of us who are "night" people need a
place to meet and talk just as much as the "day" folk.
Finally, the convention Hospitality Suite will provide
"munchies" and "soft" beverages to all convention members.
FidoNet Mailer Compatibility - Test Results
by Philip L. Becker
President - eSoft, Inc.
1:104/23
eSoft, Inc. has recently completed and released The Integrated
Mail System (TIMS) which is a multiline mailer expansion module
for TBBS allowing up to 32 simultaneous FidoNet mail sessions on
a single CPU using only DOS. The first step taken at the outset
of this project was to determine what was required to be truly
FidoNet compatible.
I originally thought that this would primarily consist of
obtaining the FidoNet Standards documents and doing some minor
testing to resolve any ambiguities of my interpretation of them.
I quickly realized, however, that the mailers in use in FidoNet
took great liberties with the FTS-0001 specification, and that if
I was to produce a truly compatible mailer, significant testing
would be required to determine what really was being done in
practice in FidoNet.
As a result, eSoft commissioned the largest technical study ever
undertaken to determine compatibility and operation of FidoNet
mailer programs. A goal of this study was to develop improved
standards documents which were both more accurate and more easily
used to generate code than previous standards documents. This
effort was mandatory for eSoft to produce a mailer product to its
high standards of reliability and compatibility, since there was
no "off the shelf" way to determine true FidoNet compatibility.
I had no idea when I began of the politics that would be
involved, and the cost in both time and money which eSoft, Inc.
would incur just to define "FidoNet Compatibility". However,
eSoft has allowed me to donate the resulting documents (FTS-0007
and FTS-0008) to the FidoNet for use by any mailer authors free
of charge so that others may be spared this cost. I would like
to again thank all of those who worked behind the scenes to help
me obtain the required information to develop this document. I
also would like to thank the FidoNet Technical Standards
Committee for their work in helping me organize and present these
documents in a form which could be adopted as standards.
FTS-0007 and FTS-0008 are documents which describe enhancements
to the basic FidoNet FTS-0001 protocol. If they are implemented,
the resulting mailer will be compatible with any FTS-0001 mailer,
and also with all correctly implemented extensions to that
protocol which are in use in the network today.
Over the past year or so, the natural outcome of having loosely
defined standards, no test suites, and no enforcement mechanism
has begun to occur. Users of various mailer programs have
complained that they have compatibility problems with other
mailer programs, and no one knows for sure what is real and what
is just operator error. Even when definite compatibility
problems are documented, no one knows which software is "at
fault" and often the authors of these programs find they are in a
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 18 30 Jul 1990
bind, with no clear guidelines to follow for what is right. The
result is that as more and more mailer programs come on the
scene, compatibility suffers and user frustration grows.
In the process of developing these documents as well as coding
TIMS itself, eSoft also commissioned the largest engineering test
of FidoNet mailer software ever done. It is some of the results
of this testing which I want to present in this article.
As the following test results will show, most of the mailer
software in use today doesn't properly support FTS-0001 mail
sessions. In addition the various "extended" FTS-0001 sessions
(all generally good ideas) often have implementation errors which
render them incompatible. These test results are not an attempt
to indicate which mailer programs are "better" or "worse" than
others. Instead, these results are presented to let users of
these programs know where the problem may lie if they are
experiencing compatibility problems, and also to let the various
authors of these programs know of any problems they need to fix
in order to be in compliance with FidoNet Standards.
It is a FidoNet policy that any mailer used in FidoNet must
implement FTS-0001 mail sessions. These test results show that
some do not meet that minimum standard. In fact (not counting
TIMS here of course), only SEAdog 4.1 and 4.51 have no errors in
implementation of the FTS-0001 standard.
Test results on the session protocol (mail pickup, file requests
etc.) are also given. Many of the incompatibilities arise at
this level and show themselves as failures during file requests
and mail pickup. Since TIMS is the first major mailer to
implement only the "DietIFNA" mode of the FTS-0006 standard,
results on compatibility at that level (the minimum required
level of FTS-0006) are also presented. The mailer programs are
listed alphabetically with a brief summary:
BinkleyTerm 2.30
----------------
BinkleyTerm 2.30 will not resend the EOT on a file when doing
SEAlink Overdrive if the EOT is NAK'd leading to a "deadly
embrace" condition.
BinkleyTerm 2.30 has a very odd SEAlink startup sequence as both
the receiving system, and the sending system. This makes startup
very erratic under some conditions.
BinkleyTerm 2.30 will start sending data and streaming it right
from the first NAK during a SEAlink session (FTS-0007 says to
wait for the first ACK, or to parse the entire SEAlink NAK before
doing that).
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 19 30 Jul 1990
BinkleyTerm 2.30 does not send packet files with .PKT extensions
in FTS-0006/DietIFNA mode.
D'Bridge
--------
D'Bridge will start sending data and streaming it right from the
first NAK during a SEAlink session (FTS-0007 says to wait for the
first ACK, or to parse the entire SEAlink NAK before doing that).
D'bridge cannot have the final EOT (that ends the batch sending
of files) ACK'd (optional in FTS-0001), or it will not pick up
mail. It also incorrectly sends SUB characters following the
final EOT which must be ignored. Only if TSYNC is sent instead
of the EOT at this time will the line "turn around" allowing
pickup and requests to occur.
D'Bridge does not send .REQ files during FTS-0006/DietIFNA
sessions making file requests impossible in this mode unless the
user explicitly sends a message with a properly formed .REQ file
attached to it.
D'Bridge starts sending data without waiting for the beginning
NAK during an FTS-0006/DietIFNA session.
Fido 12s
--------
Fido 12s does not send the filename in the TeLink header block
during FTS-0006/DietIFNA sessions.
Frontdoor 1.99
--------------
Frontdoor 1.99 and 1.99a cannot have the final EOT (that ends the
batch sending of files) ACK'd (optional in FTS-0001), or it will
not pick up mail. It also incorrectly sends SUB characters
following the final EOT which must be ignored. Only if TSYNC is
sent instead of the EOT at this time will the line "turn around"
allowing pickup and requests to occur.
Frontdoor 1.99 and 1.99a send the first block of a file with the
TeLink (SYN character) header, and sends it checksum regardless
of the Xmodem poll character used. This makes these versions of
Frontdoor non-FTS-0001 compatible (and not XMODEM either).
Frontdoor 1.99c attempts to do SEAlink on the receiving side, but
apparently can never recover from an error (this is not
confirmed, we just never saw it recover during testing).
Frontdoor pads the last block of Xmodem transfers with NUL (0x00)
characters instead of ^Z's.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 20 30 Jul 1990
Frontdoor will start sending data and streaming it right from the
first NAK during a SEAlink session (FTS-0007 specifically says to
wait for the first ACK, or to parse the entire SEAlink NAK before
doing that).
Seadog 4.51b
------------
SEAdog 4.51b will not accept a TeLink header block. This is
allowed under FTS-0001, but causes files to lose the exact file
length and timestamp when sent from an FTS-0001 compliant mailer.
Summary
-------
No one should take this presentation of the technical facts found
by testing to be an attack on any of the above programs. They
are all the result of best efforts by their respective authors in
an environment which begged for such an outcome.
Few have the money or time to put into the type of study which
produced these results. This was a very expensive development
effort. Frankly, many who may have that money or time would
decide that it is best spent elsewhere!
I have made these test results available to all of the various
software authors and I hope that they can use them to remedy the
current compatibility problems (several have privately assured me
that this is in progress for their programs, and some updated
versions with these problems corrected have already been seen in
beta testing or released).
More important than the immediate problems, however, is the need
to either have better testing of FidoNet compatibility, or for
the user community to realize that this situation will arise
again if conditions remain the same. True commercial use of this
technology will be impossible if it remains ill-defined.
Commercial use will trend towards "dialects" of FidoNet which are
controlled by a single company. In such a setting compatibility
is not an issue. This is not the most desirable outcome for
either the Commercial world or the Amateur FidoNet.
Postscript
----------
Detailed testing methods for showing the errors listed here along
with several others (as well as detailed error analysis) will be
made available for file request sometime after FidoCon. I would
also like to publicly thank Ray Gwynn for his help in providing
some of the testing tools and methods without which this project
could not have been completed.
A new medical echo has been started and currently is being
passed between eight medical related BBS's. The TAG for this
echo is MED_RAYS, and has been developed to enable persons
working in the Radiology Areas (i.e. X-Ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear
Medicine and Radiation Therapy) to pass information related to
new procedures/techniques, medicolegal ethics, etc. Radiology
students, professionals, physicians, residents and medical
students are encouraged to participate.
Besides offering a means for professionals to exchange ideas
and new techniques, persons with questions specific to this
area are also encouraged to participate. Misinformation
regarding diagnostic radiation exposure to both X-Radiation
and Sound Radiation (yes they are both waves, although they
differ in characteristics) has occurred and will re-occur
within the electronic media. The MED_RAYS echo will be an
alternative source for persons concerned with exposures to
various diagnostic modalities to gain additional information.
This message area is available via the following nodes:
This is just a short note to announce that a new newsletter has
been started called "Progressive News."
The newsletter contains various articles about current events
and news tidbits, along with editorials and letters. The
articles are quite informative and about topics which no other
online newsletter seems to cover.
The first issue of Progressive News has now been released as
PROG0101.ARC and it should be available shortly through the SDS
newsletter file-echo or you can WaZoo file-request it directly
as PROG0101.ARC (49k) from 1:141/552 during all hours except
zone 1 mail hour.
Since the newsletter is new and just created we would appreciate
anyone distributing it to your friends or letting others know
about it.
If you'd like to write an article for Progressive News, article
specification documentation is available inside of PROG0101.ARC
or file-requestable as PROGSPEC.TXT also from 1:141/552.
I'm sure you'll find Progressive News informative and I hope
you'll become a regular reader.
Report from Region 1:17 FidoNet Convention
Held at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center
July 27-29, 1990
[ Editor's note: This is a cumulative account from a number of
attendees who worked together to type this sucker up in time for
our publication deadline. The computer they typed it on was in a
damned hot room. Enjoy the fruits of their labors. ]
Contrary to rumors previously published in these pages, the
Columbia River Gorge near Portland, Oregon was neither cloudy nor
windy for the FidoNet Region-1:17 Conference held this past
weekend. Menucha was, in short, a beautiful location for our
gathering of 26 regional delegates (11 visiting region 17 sysops
and 15 from Net 105). In addition, we were joined by seven
significant others and were glad to welcome five special guests
from outside the region -- Doug Boone, Bob Hartman, Tom Jennings,
Vince Perriello and Tim Pozar. Greg Lang from Intel PCEO was
also able to join us for the product discussions on Saturday.
We were welcomed by the gracious Net-1:105 conference organizers
who went out of their way to make our arrival pleasant and easy.
Hats off to Ken Zwaschka and Janet Murray who did a wonderful job
of organizing this event.
After our first meal, the participants gathered outside for an
informal discussion about the weekend's lodging. The Menucha
director, Merritt McCall, gave a history of the Menucha property
- which dates back to the 1800's - which is now owned and
operated by the 1st Presbyterian Church. Before being sold to
the church, Menucha was owned by the family of Julius Meier (a
prominent businessman and governor). Lastly Mr. McCall reminded
us of the rules at Menucha including a warning against the use or
possession of Stealth Cookies. How foolish, we left them in
California.
After Mr. McCall expressed an interest in FidoNet, it was decided
that a general overview of FidoNet was in order. After some
prodding, we persuaded Tom Jennings to tell the "FidoNet story."
Not long after TJ began, a plague of mosquitoes (perhaps
illustrating some of the points being made) prompted us to move
to the indoor meeting area, a cathedral ceilinged/open beamed
room with a stone fireplace. There Tom and others finished what
they could remember of the tale. The usual discussion and
debate on the history and merits of various aspects of FidoNet
continued in large and small groups until the wee hours.
Discussion on Saturday centered on various products, in more or
less alphabetical order. Vince & Bob talked informally about
Binkley 2.40 and the two binary bug fix patches; they indicated
that corrected source code would be available immediately after
their return from New Jersey (if they survive). Tony Wagner
talked about D'Bridge and the new EMSI handshake, which started a
lively debate about AKAs and passwords. Tom Jennings said a few
words about Fido, including Version 12s+ which has been
distributed on SDS.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 25 30 Jul 1990
That was followed by the two semi-formal presentations. The
first was Greg Lang from Intel PCEO, who talked about the high
speed modem marketplace and standards, the expected future of
high speed modem use and sales, and a little bit about Intel's
modem product line. "Baud to the Bone" T-shirts were presented
to everyone. The door prize drawing awarded 2400 MNP modems to
Ken Zwaschka and Janet Murray and a "mystery future product"
prize to Lloyd Miller. The booby prize (SEAdog 3.8 and a 4.1
upgrade) was awarded to Tim Pozar ... this turned out to be
fortuitous, as it had to be pressed into service later when we
realized that there were no floppy disks available for the diskie
toss.
Janet Murray showed "High-Tech Tools", a videotape of various
resources available for elementary and high school students
engaged in library research projects. The videotape was produced
by Portland Public Schools and included segments on the videodisc
version of Reader's Guide, online information utilities, and a
student using a local FidoNet BBS to get an answer to a Pascal
programming question.
Doug Boone summarized the current status of Opus 1.1 and some of
the Opus utilities. Bob Hartman said a few words about TIMS (the
Integrated Mail System for TBBS), which allows up to 32 lines of
inbound mail on a single PC (but can not make outbound calls), and
Tim Pozar talked about UFGATE. The release of the new uucico
module (gnuuio) has been delayed because it is designed to work
with new versions of mailin/mailout and newsin/newsout that are
not ready yet. Tim is going to add a -o (old) switch to gnuuio
so that it can be used with the current versions.
After the product discussions (and author abuse) we retired to
the pool for the Curmudgeon Toss event. Curmudgeon clones were
in good supply, although a certain software author ran away and
hid in the forest and the former REC-1:17 stayed safely out of
reach. Competition was fierce, with distance advantages gained
by astute Curmudgeon selections; however it was determined after
the event that the team of Tim Pozar, Tom Jennings, Mike Botkin
and Bob Hartman had won by virtue of bonus points awarded for
Birkenstocks and Levis.
After dinner, everyone gathered on the lawn for the traditional
Diskie Toss event. Competition was lively, with just about
everyone participating. No one actually managed to successfully
install the SEAdog disks IN the garbage can, but Dawn Ganshirt
came the closest. Kit Thomas was second. So the top diskie
throwers (SEAdog installers?) in Region 1:17 are an eleven year
old and a blind man.
While the silly folk made an attempt at serious discussion, the
true believers had discovered two Aerobies. With their combined
talents, it didn't take them very long to get one stuck in a
tree. In typical FidoNet fashion, we sent someone out on a limb,
and then proceeded to tell him what to do. Somehow this resulted
in retrieval of the little bugger. A few minutes later they
stuck the other Aerobie in a much taller tree. Thus the Aerobie
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 26 30 Jul 1990
toss quickly transformed to a tree climbing, stick throwing, and
rope with hammer toss, as they valiantly tried to rescue the
Aerobie in distress. The winner of the event was a large, quite
beautiful vine maple.
As usual the evening moved to small and large discussions ranging
from how to run a Framistat-48 with your Flogistron-90 to what
might happen next weekend at NJ's Necrophilia-90, where IFNA rises
from the dead to get you.
Sunday morning, after porridge and strawberry crepes, there was
general discussion of FidoNet political dynamics, flaming,
democracy, and hypocrisy. The best suggestion was that FidoNet
be shut down completely for one week every year so folk have a
moment's pause to realize that there's a real world out there.
There was a short review of what those organizing R-1:17 FidoCon
'91 might want to do (of course we neglected to write it down),
confirmation that the Victoria or Vancouver folk should host it,
and an agreement that any leftover funds from R-1:17 FidoCon '90
be passed on as a starting kitty to the '91 folk.
Then came the farewells. And the end to this year's Region 1:17
Convention. Sure wish you could have been here. It was great.
The Secret Sysop Society presents __
*** Conclave '90 *** / \
The SYSOPS Convention /|oo \
Home of FidoCon 1990 (_| /_)
Lyndhurst, New Jersey _`@/_ \ _
August 1-5, 1990 | | \ \\
| (*) | \ ))
______ |__U__| / \//
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (tm)
Rate Plan Schedule: (Hotel rooms cannot be guaranteed if you
register after July 1st!)
A. Single Occupancy...................$545.00
B. Double Occupancy...................$400.00
C. Conference w/ meals................$250.00
D. Conference w/ Banquet..............$105.00
E. Conference only.....................$75.00
F. Banquet only........................$30.00
G. Registrant & Spouse................$670.00
Plans A B & G include all conference and hotel fees and meals.
You must pay by Check, Money Order, or Credit Card. Please send
no cash. All monies must be in U.S. Funds. Checks should be
made out to: "Conclave '90"
The following registration form must be completed and mailed to:
PO Box 12
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/90 for
processing. Rename it to ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is your Zone
number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number. US Mail
confirmation is required within 72 hours of electronic filing.
If you are paying by credit card, please include the required
information. For your own security, do not route any message
with your credit card number on it. Crash it directly to 1:1/90.
The official Conclave '90 airline is American Airlines.
American offers a 5% discount the lowest applicable round-trip
fare, including 1st class travel, subject to availability of
inventory. All fare rules and restrictions apply. In addition,
American offers 40% off their round trip unrestricted day coach
fare. International travelers qualify for special benefits,
including complimentary admittance to the Admiral's Club Lounge
at any American Airlines terminal. Newark is an American Air-
lines city with direct flights to most major cities. When making
reservations, you must call American's Toll-free reservation
number at 800-433-1790, and reference Star number 13704F.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 28 30 Jul 1990
F I D O - C O N '90 R E G I S T R A T I O N F O R M
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.
1 Aug 1990
Start of FidoCon '90. Contact Bill Vanglahn at 1:1/90 for
details.
2 Aug 1990
Felix Kasza's girlfriend Telia returns from a lengthy trip to
Brazil. Don't count on hearing much from him for about a week.
17 Aug 1990
Start of first ever Searchlight SysOps convention in Chicago, IL.
Contact Marge Robbins at 1:283/120 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,
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.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 34 30 Jul 1990
5 Jun 1997
David Dodell's 40th Birthday
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
To Zone 2 ENET.SYSOP readers
Vince Perriello, 1:141/491
I've had the distinct privilege of reading some excerpts from the
ENET.SYSOP conference this weekend. Nice stuff. I'm recommending
it to the local Poison Control Center in place of Ipecac.
The messages place me in the position of having to respond to
some of this stuff. You may not like it, but it serves you right
for dragging my name into your crappy little war.
I'll make you a deal: Don't use my name as a weapon again and I
won't tell you how foolish you all look.
Some personal notes now:
To Peter Janssens:
Bob and I did not pay our entire airfare, paid little for our
meals, nothing for our lodging, and nothing for our registration.
I'm telling you this to answer your little accusations against
the Eurocon IV committee, because otherwise I would just say that
it was none of your damned business.
To Ron Dwight:
Nice job on the revisionist history. If you're in need of some
pocket money, there might still be some ex-Germans in South
America who could use you.
To the EuroCon V team:
I hope you get it all together (with or without help from someone
in Scandinavia). Bob and I are looking forward to an Italian
Adventure next year.
To the Eurocon IV team:
Shit. I bet you thought the worst was over when everyone left.
Listen, after all the shouting and BS is over, the fact remains
that you did a great job and most people were extremely
appreciative of your efforts, Bob and I among them.
FIDONEWS 7-31 Page 35 30 Jul 1990
I can safely say that Eurocon IV is the best FidoCon I have yet
attended on any Continent.
To all of you:
Good grief, Europe! Are you trying to win some kind of award in
American-style hooliganism? There was a procedure, it was
followed, and a site was chosen. Grow up.
I appreciate this opportunity to clear up some misstated facts
(and to air my personal opinions). Send your flames to yourselves.
