Copyright 1991, 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 and for the Members of the
FidoNet (r) International Amateur Electronic Mail System. 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. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
FidoNet Survey ........................................... 1
Just another fairy tale? ................................. 7
2. COLUMNS .................................................. 10
A submission for fidonews about the CIFC BBS List ........ 10
3. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 11
Latest Software Versions ................................. 11
4. NOTICES .................................................. 16
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 16
FidoNews 8-12 Page 1 25 Mar 1991
The following survey was submitted for a user on my system.
He asks that persons interested in helping him with this
thesis project please place this survey (a message on a local
message area is the easiest) on their BBS, collect the
results, and send them to him. You could netmail them, or
get in touch with me somehow, and I'll F'Req them from your
systems, or something. Thank you in advance for your
participation.
Mitch Thompson
FidoNet Survey
by Kenneth Lansing of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas.
This survey is designed as a graduate school thesis project.
Your help in answering this research would be most helpful.
Please take a few minutes to answer the following questions.
All answers will be kept confidential and users will remain
anonymous.
1) What type of computer are you using?
(e.g., Amiga 500, Macintosh SE)
Please type answer:
2) How did you find out about this BBS?
(e.g., Friend, teacher, co-worker, another BBS)
Please type answer:
3) Is your call to this BBS
A) local?
B) long distance?
Type corresponding letter:
4) Are you the SYSOP (systems operator) of this BBS?
A) yes
B) no
Type corresponding letter:
5) On average, how often do you use this BBS?
FidoNews 8-12 Page 2 25 Mar 1991
A) once a month or less
B) two or three times a month
C) once a week
D) two or three times a week
E) once a day
F) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
6) On average, how long do you use this BBS during a week?
A) less than 15 minutes
B) 15 to 30 minutes
C) 30 minutes to 1 hour
D) 1 to 2 hours
E) 3 to 4 hours
F) 5 to 6 hours
G) more than 6 hours
Type corresponding letter:
7) Do you use more than one BBS?
A) yes
B) no
Type corresponding letter:
8) How long have you been using a computer and modem to connect
to BBSes?
A) less than 1 month
B) 1 to 6 months
C) 6 months to 1 year
D) 1 to 2 years
E) 3 to 5 years
F) 6 to 8 years
G) more than 8 years
Type corresponding letter:
9) How long have you been using a computer and modem to connect
to "this" BBS?
A) less than 1 month
B) 1 to 6 months
C) 6 months to 1 year
D) 1 to 2 years
E) 3 to 5 years
F) 6 to 8 years
G) more than 8 years
Type corresponding letter:
10) Approximately, how many different people do you exchange
information or communicate with through this BBS?
A) zero
B) 1 to 4
C) 5 to 10
D) 11 to 15
FidoNews 8-12 Page 3 25 Mar 1991
E) more than 16
Type corresponding letter:
11) Approximately, how often do you use this BBS to communicate
with other users of this BBS?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 to 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
12) Approximately, how often do you use this BBS to communicate
with people on other local BBSes?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 to 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
13) Approximately, how often do you use this BBS to communicate
with people on out-of-state BBSes (within the United States)?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 or 3 times a week
F) more than 3 times a week
Type corresponding letter:
14) Please approximate how often you use this BBS to communicate
internationally?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 or 3 times a week
F) more than 3 times a week
Type corresponding letter:
15) On average, how often do you use this BBS to download
computer files/programs?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
FidoNews 8-12 Page 4 25 Mar 1991
E) 2 to 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
16) On average, how often do you use this BBS to upload computer
files/programs?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 or 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
17) On average, how often do you use this BBS to play games?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 or 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
18) On average, how often do you use this BBS for Echomail/Group
Mail/Special Interest Group (SIG) Conferences?
A) never
B) once a month
C) 2 to 3 times a month
D) once a week
E) 2 or 3 times a week
F) once a day
G) several times a day
Type corresponding letter:
19) What is your common use of this BBS?
A) Download computer files/programs
B) Upload computer files/programs
C) Read or download newsletters
D) Read message area
E) Games
F) EchoMail/Group Mail/Special Interest Group Conferences
G) Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
H) NetMail
I) Chat with Sysop
J) Other
Type corresponding letter:
20) Please rate the overall quality of this BBS:
FidoNews 8-12 Page 5 25 Mar 1991
A) very good
B) good
C) neither good nor bad
D) bad
E) very bad
Type corresponding letter:
Answers for the follwoing questions will be kept confidential
and anonymous.
21) Are you?
A) male
B) female
Type corresponding letter:
22) What is your ethnic background?
A) White
B) African-American/Black
C) Hispanic
D) Asian
E) Other
Type corresponding letter:
23) What is your highest education level completed?
A) Elementary School
B) Some High School
C) High School graduate
D) Some College
E) College graduate
F) Post-Graduate studies
Type corresponding letter:
24) Which of these categories includes your total annual income?
A) More than $50,000
B) $40,000 - $49,999
C) $20,000 - $39,999
D) $10,000 - $19,999
E) Under $10,000
Type corresponding letter:
25) What is your current marital status?
A) Single
B) Divorced or separated
C) Married
D) Widowed
Type corresponding letter:
26) What is your age?
A) Under 10
B) 10 - 19
C) 20 - 29
FidoNews 8-12 Page 6 25 Mar 1991
D) 30 - 39
E) 40 - 49
F) Over 50
Type corresponding letter:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-12 Page 7 25 Mar 1991
Glenn Caleval
1:140/1
JUST ANOTHER FAIRY TALE?
Once upon a time there was a group of friends and strangers who
wanted to talk to one another through a magical wonder known in
the arcana as Computer Communications.
The original wizards of the mystic art commanded the forces of
nature to bind them to another, a small coven of Touch Typists
and Techies. And behold, it was good.
Therefore the wizards proclaimed "let us prosyletize!" and they
did. Soon the coven grew from a few to many. And then many more
and many more until the group multiplied to cover the face of the
Earth with their mystic arts and magical incantations. And still
it was good.
The group was a group but was not, and in that it was not was its
strength and so it grew. In diverse places on the Earth did new
groups both large and small appear, different each with its own
strange customs and unusual deeds, yet all part of the first
group. And together they would incant "F-i-d-o-n-e-t, ohmmmm."
For that which tied them was fragile, little more than wire and
strange numbers in a magical list.
But for all the numbers and wire, a beast lurked in the midst of
the group and the beast had a name and it was "Annoyance." For
though the magic was powerful and shone forth in its awe, none
would ever bleed from misuse of the force. No limb be torn, nor
brow bruised by evil use of the magic. But still this one beast
arose and many became obsessed with the name of Annoyance.
Then darkly through the monitor spake a voice of darkness.
"Policy," it said. "Policy will make us like unto one another and
thus will we be rid of the beast."
And there was much rushing hither and yon, and whispering and
rumors of war and much ado about this new weapon, Policy.
Said the Moderator, "And it shall say that I am the lord god of
my dominions and none shall challenge me on penalty of echodeath!"
Said the NEC, "And it shall say that no NC shall rise up against
me lest Policy be brought against him and he shall surely rue
that day."
Said the REC, "And I shall be the master of all I survey and I
shall know what is right in my principalities and I shall cause
the underlings beneath me to walk in righteousness by the name of
Policy."
FidoNews 8-12 Page 8 25 Mar 1991
Said the ZEC, "Policy hath forsaken me to my doom and I shall
never say what I think lest someone disagree with me."
Said the NC, "We are not Annoyed."
Said the RC, "We are not annoited."
Said the ZC, "We are not amused."
Said the frustrated sysop, "And I shall use the might of Policy
to Vote, to Vote, and I shall be rid of all my frustration and
rid of all those who would coordinate me."
Said the Average Sysop, "Who are all these people anyway?"
And concern begat discussion which begat debate which begat
argument which begat bitterness which begat Policy. And no one
got kissed before they got begat.
###
PostLogue
From Echopol to ZEC elections to the New Jerusalem of Policy 5,
this fairy tale is no creative writing. FidoNet is a connection
more than it is a group. Indeed, the individual systems in a
given net differ more than they are alike, in views, in purpose,
in modus operandi and often even in hardware/software
configurations.
We are not a homogeneous unit. We have two things that actually
bind us: general purpose (to communicate) and general method (the
nodelist). Beyond that it's work and as much good luck as we can
get.
The problems all the buzzing is intended to solve really do come
down to matters of being annoyed. Sure foolish users or sysops
can cost us all money, but if anyone thinks the power of policy
will or should eliminate this annoyance their dream will be
shaken when we wake up in the New Jerusalem. We will still have
(and need to tolerate) foolish users and sysops.
Giving sysops a vote will solve the problems, right? Join the new
Coffee echo and have a smell. Giving sysops voting rights is
going to cause considerably more problems than it could pretend
to solve. Witness the ZEC elections.
Annoyed sysops will vote, campaign, stir up bad feelings and
replicate Z1_Election many times in the future. The Average Sysop
will continue to wonder "Who are these guys anyway?"
FidoNews 8-12 Page 9 25 Mar 1991
What problem were we trying to solve? Feeling helpless cause you
didn't get your way? Just wait until some of those folks have a
"mandate" and worry about not getting your way.
Mad because the Moderator doesn't let you enter msgs about the
price of candy in the tech echo? Electing a new one won't make
much difference unless you all want a candy echo instead. So
start a candy echo.
All this aside it is my personal opinion that we can survive
within the constraints of the most recent cut of Echopol and the
newest proposed WorldPol/Policy5. But as we jump into the fray,
perhaps a little fairy tale might be useful...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-12 Page 10 25 Mar 1991
We here in net 231 have the opurtunity to participate
in a new idea using FidoNet(r) technology. It's called the
Central Indiana FidoNet Cooperative BBS List. It enables
users to submit entries into a large database of BBS's using
questionares for Qbbs/Ra/Sbbs.
This idea was conceived of by a person name Casey
Schaphorst of 1:231/240.0 (Falx Cerebri Amiga). He wrote
the program that processes updates and publishes the lists.
So far, the program creates three files. They are:
LOCALBBS.ASC, SHORTBBS.ASC, and CIFC_RPT.ASC. All or which
are sent out by the host node of the list.
According to the date that this was written, there are
seven things that a user may do to create an update to the
list: Add, Change, Verify, Describe, Link A Subheading,
Restore, and Delete. Like a said before, the updates are
generated by the Qbbs/Ra/Sbbs questionare languages. There
is a seperate questionare for each type of update. Around
6:00am to 7:00am a batch file runs that will check to see
if any updates have been made. If some were found, it will
rename them, zip them up, and using a robot program, will
send it to the host node (231/240).
Right now.. It doesn't seem that the CIFC BBS List will
get any farther than Central Indiana. The list is only limted
to what we have right now. Hopefully it will expand to
incorperate other nets around Central Indiana.
I would like to know if there is anyone else that has
experimented with something like this. Please feel free
to netmail me or something. I'm at 1:231/70.0.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-12 Page 11 25 Mar 1991
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 8-12 Page 16 25 Mar 1991
30 Mar 1991
Jim Grubs (W8GRT) was issued his first ham radio license forty
years ago today. His first station was made from an ARC-5
"Command Set" removed from a B-17 bomber.
12 May 1991
Fourth anniversary of FidoNet operations in Latin America and
second anniversary of the creation of Zone-4.
15 Aug 1991
5th annual Z1 Fido Convention - FidoCon '91 "A New Beginning"
Sheraton Denver West August 15 through August 18 1991.
8 Sep 1991
25th anniversary of first airing of Star Trek on NBC!
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.
1 Dec 1993
Tenth anniversary of Fido Version 1 release.
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.
