Volume 8, Number 21                                   27 May 1991
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    |                                                 /  \          |
    |                                                /|oo \         |
    |        - FidoNews -                           (_|  /_)        |
    |                                                _`@/_ \    _   |
    |         FidoNet (r)                           |     | \   \\  |
    |  International BBS Network                    | (*) |  \   )) |
    |         Newsletter               ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
    |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
    |                                (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
    |                                                     (jm)      |
    +---------------------------------------------------------------+
    Editor in Chief:                                  Vince Perriello
    Editors Emeritii:                    Thom Henderson,  Dale Lovell
    Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings

    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. EDITORIAL  ................................................  1
       It's been Real  ...........................................  1
    2. ARTICLES  .................................................  4
       The GATEWAY Complaint - the NC's side  ....................  4
       WorldPol: Second Act  .....................................  7
       Why do we need a WorldPol?  ............................... 20
       Zone 1 Coordinators on Notice  ............................ 22
       Response to Henry Clark's Comments on "Joggraphy"  ........ 23
       A Cautionary Tale  ........................................ 27
       Telephone-Call Cost-Reporting Program  .................... 31
       GateWorks Release!  ....................................... 34
    And more!
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 1                   27 May 1991


    =================================================================
                                EDITORIAL
    =================================================================


    This is my last Editorial.

    I have resigned as FidoNews Editor. We are currently working our
    way through a "short list" of replacement candidates, and the new
    Editor will be on the job next week.

    Be kind to the poor soul.

    I've just been looking though the indexes for the past two years.
    It's really amazing what we have been through. It's even more
    amazing that we are still here to talk about it.

    For example, when I took over Dale's job as Editor, the current
    version of FidoNet Policy was Version 3. David Dodell was the
    current International Coordinator. IFNA was still trying to
    figure out what, if anything, could be made of its existence.

    I was running my system on a DEC Rainbow. It worked great, too.
    A few other hardy souls were doing similar things on Sanyo and
    Tandy PC's (the ones from before Tandy became the PC-Clone hawker
    that they are today). Hardly anyone is doing THAT any more!

    POLICY4 was declared to be in force in FidoNews Volume 6, Number
    24, on June 12, 1989. This created a stir because in the absence
    of a formal procedure in POLICY3 for replacement, David used the
    method described in the POLICY4 draft to determine whether he
    should declare it to be in force. Boy, what a stir! There was
    that article in Volume 6, Number 26, entitled "Policy 4: FidoNet
    now a Nazi Dictatorship?". To the best of my knowledge nobody has
    been gassed or blitzed (except metaphorically) in the almost two
    years since.

    David quit at the end of July. I quit two weeks later, then
    changed my mind (with some coercion from friends). It was an
    exciting time to be the Editor. Because the Great IFNA Mandate
    Plebiscite was taking place.

    This was IFNA's final answer to the people who had claimed that
    the simple majority who chose IFNA were not representative. The
    voting rules were simple: if you were in the nodelist running a
    public access system, you were eligible. And a majority of all
    eligible nodes was required to endorse IFNA. If IFNA won the
    election, the critics would be silenced forever. And in a high
    stakes gamble, IFNA agreed to disband if not ratified.

    Did IFNA ever have a chance? Was it the right idea? Who really
    can say anymore? In any event, apathy won the election and IFNA
    was out, as reported in FidoNews Volume 7, Number 1.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 2                   27 May 1991


    As I look back to 1989, what's really fascinating is that Pablo
    Kleinman was already at work on Worldpol in the immediate
    aftermath of the Policy4 adoption. And he's still at it. He is
    showing signs of getting it right, too. It's just going to take
    some more time.

    Remember Hurricane Hugo? Remember what it did to Mike Ratledge
    and many others in his area? FidoNet reached out and touched
    him in a very special way, and FidoNews was there, starting with
    an article in Volume 6, Number 39 entitled "Let's give Mike
    Ratledge a hand". One of our finest hours. I am proud to have
    been here to see it.

    FidoNews has had its critics too. There was an article in Volume
    6, Number 40 entitled "FidoNews: What IS Its Purpose ?". I have
    my own ideas about that. Fortunately for my peace of mind, it
    will soon be someone else's problem to define that role.

    When the Internetwork Gating Policy was published, there was a
    lot of comment. Mostly negative. I think (speaking as one of
    the people who had some input in the process) that if the
    criticism was directed at alternative solutions to the problems
    addressed in the Policy rather than direct attacks on the entire
    idea of HAVING such a document, we might have accomplished
    something. As things stand, the original document is still in
    force but not strongly enforced. In other words "If you want to
    connect to FidoNet, you could refer to this document and get it
    right -- or just do it any old way". Sigh. What happened to
    the idea of you don't go wee-wee in my garden and I won't go
    poo-poo in yours?

    We at FidoNews had a great moment in everyone's spotlight too.
    The way things were progressing, it was getting really hard to
    attract your attention anymore. But we found a way. On July 30,
    1990 lots of you woke up to find FidoNews sitting on your system
    in a file compressed with LHARC. Yup, you sure DID notice. I
    think it was probably the most popular topic in FidoNews that
    year. Even with the late start.

    It really pissed off Saddam Hussein too. In less than a week he
    had taken over Kuwait in an attempt to capture the responsible
    parties. After being told that the dirty deed had been done by
    an American, he is reported to have said "An American? OK. I'll
    wait here for him."

    I never made it over there. A lot of very brave folks did. And
    they did a great job. FidoNet was involved too, in its own unique
    way. An article in FidoNews Volume 7, Number 45 announced "The
    Saudi Connection". Numerous articles about the war were
    published. A healthy exchange of opinions ensued. People were
    engaged. It was great.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 3                   27 May 1991


    We had ZC, RC and EC elections in Zone 1 and elsewhere, as the
    idea of democracy flowered in the Net. Then of course we had the
    great turnout in the Worldpol ratification vote. Electing NC's
    is an idea whose time has come. It should be easier to throw out
    the old slugs than it presently is.

    I sure wish I knew where FidoNet is going these days. The only
    consolation I have is that nobody knows. If anybody tells you
    that he or she DOES know, you can safely call that person a liar.

    Boy, there are some great memories here. And some not so great
    memories. It's been a lot of fun. But I won't miss it. I'll be
    too busy with other things.

    Well, maybe I will miss it. But I promise not to make a scene.

    Best regards,
    Vince







    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 4                   27 May 1991


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

    Glen Johnson
    1:269/[email protected]

                The GATEWAY Complaint - the NC's side

    I'm  just  writing  this  little  blurb  to   clear   up   any
    misunderstanding about the "Gateway Complaint"  filed  by  Bob
    Moravsik,  and  finally  ruled   on   by   the   International
    Coordinator. First, a very brief summary of what  it  was  all
    about. This text is by Matt Whelan, in Fidonews 819:


    "In  essence,  Bob  complained  that  a  directive  from   his
    then-NC, Glen Johnson, contradicted  the  FidoNet<tm>  Gateway
    Document adopted by me last year."

    "The NC directive, to  his  hub  coordinators,  insisted  they
    pass on all mail for their nodes,  regardless  of  origin.  It
    also insisted  they  should  accept  calls  from  any  system,
    whether or not it was a FidoNet node."

    "Bob complained this forced the Hub Coords to act  as  Gateway
    systems under FidoNet policy. Thus they would be  required  to
    provide  outbound  gating  facilities  as  well,  despite  the
    technical complications this involved."

    "The decision at all levels was made  more  difficult  by  the
    complaint's somewhat unclear intent: was it a protest  at  the
    NC's imposition of a policy at all, or at the content  of  the
    policy?"


    Got it?


    Ok. As the person that drafted the HC policy  that  Bob  filed
    his complaint about, maybe I should explain what  that  policy
    was all about, and why I drafted it.

    My policy, which  was  a  directive  issued  to  all  the  hub
    coordinators in our net, was that they were to  accept  calls,
    and accept mail from wherever it came from, and forward it  to
    the addressee *IF* the addressee was a listed system in  their
    hub. This was to be done  regardless  of  the  origin  of  the
    message. I basically directed all the hub coordinators to  not
    give a hoot if the message came from a Fidonet system or  not,
    but to pay attention to whom  it  was  ADDRESSED.  I  did  not
    require hub coordinators to gate replies back. That's what the
    policy was all about.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 5                   27 May 1991


    Bob  immediately   complained   that   this   modus   operandi
    contradicted the GATEPOL  document  that  was  dumped  on  the
    network by Matt Whelan. His complaint first went to RC13,  who
    rejected it, then to Z1C, who also  rejected  it.  It  finally
    went to Matt, and Fidonews 819 contains his decision.

    Now WHY did I invent this HC policy to  begin  with?  Well,  I
    actually didn't INVENT it. My  hub  coordinator's  policy  was
    merely a written document that  reflected  STANDARD  OPERATING
    PROCEDURE in Region 13. I had been told by RC13 that this  was
    how systems were to operate in Region 13.  Whether  or  not  I
    agree with that is irrelevant. I felt that if I were  required
    to operate my system as the net host in a particular  fashion,
    then all of the HCs under me are merely extensions of me,  and
    that they too, should be required to operate the same way.  So
    I  "put  it  in  writing"  and  shipped  it  off  to  the  hub
    coordinators.

    My HC policy in no way deviated  from  what  had  always  been
    the normal day to day method of operation  within  region  13,
    and it reflected my interpretation of how the RC wanted things
    done.

    Furthermore, I want it to be known that  the  complaint  filed
    about my HC policy was by no means an adversarial one. Bob and
    I BOTH were anxious to see it resolved, as we BOTH  wanted  to
    see the *C structure,  from  the  top  down,  speak  the  same
    language. Had my policy been overturned by the IC, that  would
    have been fine with me. I was much more interested  in  seeing
    that all the coordinators in  the  "chain  of  command"  knew,
    without any doubt, what the score was.

    In any case, since this issue came up, you  couldn't  possibly
    imagine the amount of juvenile mud slinging that has  gone  on
    about it. ALL of the parties involved have been acting like  a
    bunch of whining crybabies, but that's  a  story  for  another
    day. Its also not my problem :)

    On April 1, 1991 I retired as NC 269, and  I  appointed  (with
    the RC's approval) Mike Brandt, 1:269/201 to serve as  interim
    NC until the net coule democratically elect a  replacement.  I
    was elected NC twice, served two consecutive terms, and I felt
    that passing the torch would  give  someone  else  the  unique
    opportunity to experience first hand, all  of  the  nitpicking
    HORSESH*T that some NCs have to  deal  with.  Mike  wasn't  in
    "office" for a week before he found out about that BIG TIME.

    Personally, I find the GatePol document to be  repulsive.  But
    that's just my opinion. And  you  know  what  they  say  about
    opinions. But the most mind boggling thing  about  this  whole
    mess  (which  has  been  dragging  on  for  months,  and  just
    escalated to the boiling point a few weeks ago)  is  just  how
    crazy some people are when it comes to this stuff. Acting like
    Fidonet is something incredibly  IMPORTANT.  When  are  people
    going to use Fidonet for the purpose  it  was  INTENDED...  to
    ENHANCE your damn BBS, instead of trying to make an EMPIRE out
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 6                   27 May 1991


    of the thing and play lawyer, judge and jury like a  bunch  of
    three year olds watching LA LAW?

    So there you have  it.  My  policy,  the  complaint,  and  the
    decision. As far as I'M concerned, the case is closed. But I'm
    sure SOME people will find ways to beat it to a pulp and whine
    about it for months to come. Maybe its not so bad. It'll  keep
    'em off the streets.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 7                   27 May 1991


                     A BETTER POLICY FOR FIDONET
                       (The Odyssey Continues)


    The recent vote on WorldPol version 1h is over. Results, as we
    have seen, were 39.5% in favour of adoption, 48.7% against
    adoption, and WorldPol version 1h was not adopted as a policy for
    FidoNet. But considering that only the coordinators can vote, I
    must admit that the figures were not disillusioning at all for
    those of us that promote WorldPol.

    Since the last known version of WorldPol was released last
    December, suggestions continued arriving, different points of
    view were exposed on FidoNews, and I got a few new ideas that I
    added to the document.

    The current FidoNet policy document, Policy4, is unquestionably
    impossible to enforce in a great portion of the world as well as
    opposed by a considerable number of the network's members. The
    debate created by the WorldPol election was effective in proving
    the fact that Policy4 MUST be changed.

    Support for WorldPol in Zone 4 was unanimous, in Zone 2 was 46 to
    12. There was also a great number of abstentions, primarily in
    North America where most of the coordinators did not participate
    in the referendum.

    A wise friend once told me: "if you are sure you are following
    the right path, keep on going". This is precisely what, God
    willing, I aim to do. I aspire to see improved outcome on this
    second occasion.

    This is a second opportunity not only for WorldPol, but for you
    that voted against it: participate so the next time you find it
    acceptable! When the second WorldPol referendum is held, no
    excuses will be accepted from those that deliberately decide not
    to participate. If someone is allowed to make a change and
    voluntarily rejects the opportunity, he shall have no right to
    complain later.

    A multi-zone echomail conference will be freely available to all
    those interested in participating in WorldPol 2. In the meantime,
    net-mail participation will be also welcome, as it has been since
    1989. Be sure to write as soon as possible to node 4:4/50 if you
    are interested in carrying the WorldPol echomail conference,
    which will be headquartered in Zone-1.

    Changes made to WorldPol with version 2: (a) different
    requirements for admittance to FidoNet and provisions for cases
    of discrimination; (b) adjustment in the roles of the ZCC and the
    IC; (c) definition of point systems and their rights; (d)
    FidoNews requirement modified; (e) election procedures described
    and elimination of "democratic by western standards". In addition
    to this, wording has been modified throughout the document, some
    grammar was corrected or changed.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 8                   27 May 1991


    Here is the complete WorldPol 2:



                            W o r l d P o l
                 The FidoNet Worldwide Policy Document

                        Version 2, 23 May 1991


    This Worldwide Policy document has been released for vote by the
    members of FidoNet and is not yet in force.


    1 FidoNet

    This document establishes an international (inter-zonal) policy
    for sysops who are members of the FidoNet organization of
    bulletin board systems worldwide.  FidoNet is defined by a list
    of nodes (NodeList) issued on a weekly basis by each of the Zone
    Coordinators, on behalf of the International Coordinator.

    A node is understood to be a "member system" of FidoNet. The
    collection of nodes is classified into Zones, Regions and
    Networks.

    Each FidoNet Zone is entitled to issue its own policy document,
    according to its own needs and customs. This International
    Policy, determines general rules which must be specified -and may
    not be contradicted- by the Zone Policies.

    Regions and Networks may also issue their own policies according
    to the provisions stated on the corresponding Zone Policy.


    1.1 Overview

    FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its
    participants and operators are unpaid volunteers. From its early
    beginning in 1984, as a few friends swapping messages back and
    forth mainly in North America, it consists now of an
    International community of more than ten thousand systems all
    over the world.

    FidoNet is not a common carrier or a value-added service network
    and is a public network only as much as the independent,
    constituent nodes may individually provide public access to the
    network on their system.

    FidoNet exists to provide electronic mail services to its
    member sysops. To efficiently provide such services, various
    structure and control mechanisms are essential. The structure is
    organized into multiple nets, with decentralized administration.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 9                   27 May 1991


    This document delineates all of the procedures at the
    international level of FidoNet, as well as some general rules for
    the lower levels (intra-zonal), developed to manage the network.

    Authorities in the international level not defined by this
    document, shall be defined by the Zone Coordinators Council and
    the International Coordinator.


    2 Language

    Each zone has the right to determine its own official language.

    At the international (inter-zonal) level, for practical purposes,
    FidoNet adopts English as its official language. All the FidoNet
    documents issued at the international level must exist in
    English. Translation into other languages is encouraged.


    3 Admittance to FidoNet

    FidoNet membership is open to everyone fulfilling the technical
    standards described on a document released by the network's
    Technical Standards Committee (FTS-0001 at this writing).
    Lower-level policies may issue additional restrictions only if
    specifically authorized by the Zone Coordinator Council.


    3.1 Anti-discrimination Policy

    Discrimination is strictly forbidden within FidoNet.
    This means that any type of restriction imposed to a member of
    the network that has no technical justification is illegal and
    unacceptable.

    No technical requisites will be demanded to any member of the
    network than those specifically authorized by this or lower-level
    policy documents.


    4 Organization

    The organizational structure of FidoNet, has been developed to
    distribute the administration and control of FidoNet, to the
    lowest possible level, while still allowing for coordinated
    action over the entire system.

    Effective administration is made viable by operating in a
    top-down manner. This means, that a person at any given level is
    responsible to the level above, and responsible for
    administrating the level below.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 10                  27 May 1991


    If a person at any level above sysop is unable to properly
    perform their duties, the person at the next level may replace
    them.  For example, if a Region Coordinator fails to perform, the
    Zone Coordinator may cause the Coordinator to be replaced.

    Coordinators may also be removed by a majority vote of the level
    below. For example, if network Coordinators in a region lose
    faith in the ability of a Region Coordinator to effectively
    perform, they may vote to have a new Coordinator elected.


    4.1 Zone Coordinator Council

    The Zone Coordinator Council (ZCC) consists of the Zone
    Coordinators and the International Coordinator.

    Each Zone Coordinator has one vote at the ZCC. The International
    Coordinator may only vote in the event of a ZCC vote tie, but
    does not regularly have voting power.

    The Zone Coordinator Council is the legislative body of FidoNet,
    it represents each of the zones in FidoNet. It is the highest
    authority of the network's Top-Down organization.


    4.2 International Coordinator

    The International Coordinator (IC) is the Executive Officer of
    FidoNet and coordinates the joint production of the master
    nodelist by the Zone Coordinators. The International Coordinator
    is responsible for creating new zones in FidoNet, but can only do
    so with the approval of a simple majority of the members of the
    Zone Coordinator Council.

    The International Coordinator is selected by unanimous vote of
    the Zone Coordinators, and removed by a majority vote of the Zone
    Coordinators. In the case of absence of the International
    Coordinator, the Zone Coordinator Council replaces him by voting
    on all IC resolutions to be approved by a simple majority.


    4.3 Zones and Zone Coordinators

    A zone is a defined geographic area containing one or many
    regions, covering one or more countries.

    The Zone Coordinator is the Executive Officer of the Zone, and
    the zone's representative to the other zones.

    The Zone Coordinator compiles the nodelists from all of the
    regions in the zone, creates a master nodelist and a difference
    file, which is then distributed over FidoNet within the zone. A
    Zone Coordinator does not perform message-forwarding services for
    any nodes in the zone, whereas the Zone Coordinator is
    responsible for the formation and/or administration of one or
    more zone-gates to provide inter-zone mail facilities.
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 11                  27 May 1991


    The method used for selection of Zone coordinators is left to
    the  discretion of the relevant Zone Policy.  In the absence of a
    Zone Policy selection method, Zone Coordinators are elected and
    removed by a simple majority vote of the Region Coordinators in
    the Zone.


    4.4 Regions and Region Coordinators

    A Region is a defined geographic area containing nodes which
    may or may not be combined into networks. A typical Region will
    contain many nodes in networks, and a few independent nodes which
    are not part of the network.

    The Region Coordinator maintains the list of independent nodes in
    the region, and accepts nodelists from the Network Coordinators
    in the Region. These are compiled to create a regional nodelist,
    which is sent to the Zone Coordinator. A Region Coordinator is
    encouraged to perform message-forwarding services for nodes
    within the region, but is not forced to, unless the appropriate
    Zone or Region policy imposes such a requirement.

    The method used for selection of Regional coordinators is left to
    the discretion of the relevant Zone or Region Policy.  In the
    absence of such a policy selection method, Region Coordinators
    are elected and removed by a simple majority vote of the Ncs in
    the Region.


    4.5 Networks and Network Coordinators

    A network is a group of nodes, normally but not exclusively in a
    local geographic area. Networks coordinate their mail activity to
    decrease cost.

    The Network Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the list
    of nodes for the network, and for forwarding netmail sent to
    members of the network from other FidoNet nodes. The Network
    Coordinator may make arrangements to handle outgoing netmail, but
    is not required to do so, unless the appropriate Zone, Region or
    Net policy imposes such a requirement.

    The Network Coordinator is responsible for assigning each and
    every petitioner within his own geographic area, a valid node
    number within 10 days. A node application can solely be rejected
    on technical grounds and if that is the case, the petitioner and
    the rest of the local network must be informed by the NC of the
    requirements that will allow the node number to be assigned.

    The method used for selection of Network coordinators is left to
    the discretion of the relevant Zone/Region/Net Policy.  In the
    absence of such a policy selection method, Network Coordinators
    are elected and removed by a simple majority vote of the Nodes in
    the Network.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 12                  27 May 1991


    4.5.1  Network Routing Hubs


    Network Routing Hubs exist only in some networks. They may be
    appointed by the Network Coordinator, in order to assist the
    management (especially routing tasks) of the network.


    4.6 Individual systems (Nodes)

    The smallest subdivision of FidoNet is the individual system,
    corresponding to a single entry in the nodelist. The system
    operator (SysOp) formulates a policy for running the board and
    dealing with the users. The sysop must mesh with the rest of the
    FidoNet system to receive and send mail, and the local policy
    must be consistent with other levels of FidoNet.


    4.6.1 Points

    A point is a system that is not in the nodelist, but communicates
    with FidoNet through a node defined to as bossnode.

    A point operator is generally regarded in the same manner as a
    node operator, but does not have right to vote and shares
    responsibility of his actions with his bossnode.

    The bossnode operator is responsible for all mail originating at
    the point. All mail sent to a point is addressed to the
    bossnode's address.

    A point operator is granted full rights under this policy
    document as an associate (co-sysop) of the bossnode operator
    listed on the nodelist.


    4.6.2 Users of an individual system

    The sysop is responsible for the actions of any user when they
    affect the rest of FidoNet (i.e. if the user is annoying, the
    sysop is annoying). The users have no rights under this policy
    document.


    4.7 The FidoNet Technical Standards Committee

    The FidoNet Technical Standards Committee, abbreviated as the
    FTSC, exists for the purpose of establishing minimum requirements
    in software and hardware to be able to interface with FidoNet.

    These minimum requirements must be obeyed at every level.  Nodes
    not meeting these requirements are ineligible for a node number
    (see section 5.9).  These requirements are subject to change at
    any time by the FTSC.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 13                  27 May 1991


    5 General Procedures for All Coordinators


    5.1 Making Available Difference Files and Nodelist

    Each Coordinator is responsible for obtaining and making
    available for file request, on a weekly basis, nodelist
    difference files and complete nodelists.


    5.2 Making Available FidoNews Documents

    FidoNews is the Official Newsletter of FidoNet.  Each
    Coordinator is responsible for obtaining and making available
    for file request on a weekly basis, FidoNews Documents.

    This requirement may be waived in the event that a majority of
    the Sysops served by the Coordinator have no desire to read or
    receive FidoNews.

    If a Zone Coordinator is not able to get FidoNews into his Zone,
    he should immediately request help to the FidoNews Editor. If the
    Editor can arrange a way to have it delivered to the Zone
    Coordinator, FidoNews must be necessarily available to the rest
    of the Zone. Otherwise, the Zone Coordinator may unilaterally
    waive this requirement.


    5.3 Processing Nodelist Changes and Passing Them Upstream

    Each Coordinator is responsible for obtaining nodelist
    information from the level below, processing it, and passing the
    results to the level above.  The timing of this process is
    determined by the requirements imposed by the level above.


    5.4 Ensure the Latest Policy is Available

    A Coordinator is responsible to make the current version of the
    International Policy available to the level below, and to
    encourage familiarity with it.


    5.5 Minimize the Number of Hats Worn

    Coordinators are persuaded to limit the number of FidoNet-related
    Coordinator functions they perform. A Coordinator who holds two
    different positions, compromises the appeal process. For example,
    is the Network Coordinator is also the Region Coordinator, sysops
    in that network are denied one level of appeal.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 14                  27 May 1991


    Multiple hats are also discouraged due to the difficulty of
    replacing services when a coordinator leaves the net.


    5.6 Be a Member of the Area Administered

    A Coordinator must be a member of the area administered. This is,
    a Network Coordinator must be a member of the network he is to
    coordinate. A Region Coordinator must be either a member of a
    network in the region, or an independent in a region.


    5.7 Encourage New Sysops to Enter FidoNet

    A Coordinator is encouraged to operate a public bulletin board
    system which is freely available for the purpose of distributing
    Policy and Nodelists to potential new sysops. Dissemination of
    this information to persons who are potential FidoNet sysops is
    important to the growth of FidoNet, and Coordinators should
    encourage development of new systems.


    5.8 Tradition, Precedent and Technical Management

    A Coordinator is not bound by the practices of predecessor.
    However, it must be clear that Coordinators are bound by all
    requirements of this document, both as FidoNet sysops and as
    Coordinators. The holding of a Coordinator title does not grant
    license to annoy others or to flaunt policy.

    The primary responsibility of any Coordinator is technical
    management of network operations. Decisions MUST be made only
    on technical grounds. A Coordinator has the responsibility to act
    as objectively as possible; objectivity must be considered an
    essential factor when making a decision.


    5.9 Exclusivity of Zone Mail Hour

    Zone Mail Hour is the heart of FidoNet, as this is when network
    mail is passed between systems.  Any system which wishes to be a
    part of FidoNet must be able to receive mail during this time
    using the protocol defined in the current FidoNet Technical
    Standards Committee publication (FTS-0001 at this writing).  It
    is permissible to have greater capability (for example, to
    support additional protocols or extended mail hours), but the
    minimum requirement is FTS-0001 capability during this one hour
    of the day.

    This time is exclusively reserved for netmail.  Many phone
    systems charge on a per-call basis, regardless of whether a
    connect, no connect, or busy signal is encountered.  For this
    reason, any activity other than normal network mail processing
    that ties up a system during ZMH is considered annoying behavior.
    User (BBS) access to a system is prohibited during ZMH.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 15                  27 May 1991


    Zone Mail Hour will be defined by each Zone Policy. In the
    absence of a Zone Policy, it will be defined by the Zone
    Coordinator.


    6 Election and Referendum Procedures

    Any election or referendum at any level of FidoNet, must comply
    with the standards described in this chapter.


    6.1 Democratic Qualities of the Election

    All sysops in FidoNet have a vote and must be allowed to
    participate in an election or referendum.

    All sysops in FidoNet are entitled to be candidates to any
    elective position, provided that the requirements for each
    position described on this and lower-level policy documents are
    satisfied.


    6.2 Particular election mechanisms

    Each zone will issue its own election procedures, which may
    involve direct participation or indirect participation (electoral
    college approach).

    In any case, all the sysops in the zone must be allowed to vote.
    In the case of an indirect elections, the electors must be chosen
    by direct vote of the sysops.


    6.2.1 Coordinators acting as Electors

    Coordinators will automatically be qualified as electors
    representing their network or region in an indirect election only
    if they have been chosen by direct vote of the sysops in the
    administered area.


    6.4 Worldwide elections and referendums

    In worldwide elections and referendums with the participation of
    all zones, the Zone Coordinator Council will determine the
    election procedures and whether vote will be direct or indirect.
    This will be done in each particular case by form of a ZCC
    resolution.


    7 Policy Referenda

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 16                  27 May 1991


    7.1 International Policy

    A referendum on International Policy modification is invoked by
    the International Coordinator at the direction of a majority of
    the Zone Coordinators, or a majority of the Region Coordinators
    of all zones, a majority of the Network Coordinators of all
    zones, or by one third of all the sysops in all zones.

    All the members of FidoNet are entitled to vote on an
    International Policy referendum, which is to be held according to
    the procedures described by the Zone Coordinator Council before
    the election is called.


    7.2 Zone Policy

    A referendum on Zone Policy modification is invoked by the Zone
    Coordinator, by a majority vote of the Region Coordinators in the
    zone, by a majority vote of the Network Coordinators in the
    zone, or by one third of all the sysops in the zone.

    All the members of the zone are entitled to vote on a Zone
    Policy referendum, which is to be held according to the
    procedures described on the Zone Policy. If such document does
    not exist, the procedures will be determined by the Zone
    Coordinator with the approval of the Zone Coordinator Council.

    The formulation of Region and Network Policy documents is
    encouraged, and must be regulated by the Zone Policy documents in
    each zone.


    7.3 Transition to a 'Worldwide Policy environment'

    After the approval of this Worldwide Policy, the previously
    existing policy will still be in effect for the Zone level until
    the approval of a new Zone policy, according to the methods
    provided in this document.

    All the procedures introduced by this Worldwide Policy document
    adjourn the procedures existing in the previous policy document.


    8 Resolution of Disputes

    The FidoNet judicial philosophy can be summed up in two rules:

           1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.

           2) Thou shalt not become excessively annoyed.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 17                  27 May 1991


    The parties involved in a dispute are encouraged to solve their
    problems directly, without the intervention of a Coordinator.


    8.1 Mediation Requests

    Any of the parties involved may request the intervention of the
    respective Coordinator: Network Coordinator if a dispute between
    members of the same network, Region Coordinator if a dispute
    between members of different networks on the same region; Zone
    Coordinator if a dispute between members of different regions on
    the same zone; International Coordinator if a dispute between
    members of different zones.

    The Coordinator requested as "mediator", will ask each party to
    provide all the information before two weeks from the request and
    will make a decision within forty-five days after he received all
    the information from the involved parties.

    A Coordinator, unable to resolve a dispute, may name a third
    party to act as "mediator", provided the parties involved in the
    dispute agree.


    8.2 Appealing to a Mediator's Decision

    A mediator's decision may be appealed to the immediately superior
    level if considered unfair: Region Coordinators handle appeals
    from decisions made by Network Coordinators;  Zone Coordinators
    handle appeals from decision made by Region Coordinators; The
    International Coordinator handles appeals from decisions made by
    the Zone Coordinators; and the Zone Coordinator Council will
    handle appeals from decisions made by the International
    Coordinator,  being the Zone Coordinator Council's resolutions,
    unappealable.

    For appealing to a decision made by a third person named by a
    Coordinator to act as mediator, it will be as if the Coordinator
    made the resolution and the previously enumerated sequence of
    appealing will be appropriate.

    For appealing to a decision made by a mediator, the same terms
    and procedures as for any Mediation Request apply.


    8.3 Statute of Limitations

    A mediation request may not be filed more than 60 days after the
    date of discovery of the source of the infraction, either by
    admission or technical discovery of the source of an infraction,
    either by admission or technical evidence. Mediation requests may
    not be filed more than 120 days after the incident, unless they
    involve suspected unlawful behavior, in which the legal statute
    of limitations of the country involved shall apply.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 18                  27 May 1991


    8.4 Echomail and File Distribution Networks

    Each FidoNet Zone is encouraged to establish in it's Zone
    Policy, the manner of handling Echomail and File Distribution,
    and the resolution of disputes arising from both distributions.

    No sysop may be required to carry an echomail conference or a
    File Distribution a as a condition of joining or remaining in
    FidoNet.


    9 "CCC": Comments, Credits and Copyright!

    This section will be automatically removed upon approval of this
    document.


    9.1 Comments on Implementation

    This document is not final. No FidoNet policy is or will ever be.

    WorldPol is an open enterprise where every member in FidoNet is
    encouraged to participate. It is a unique experience, so far
    successful.

    If you disagree with any point of this document, you have a real
    opportunity of have your voice be heard and contribute to the
    future of FidoNet.

    All FidoNet sysops are encouraged to make suggestions for
    changes, as well as comments, which can be addressed to FidoNet
    node 4:4/50 (WorldPol Project).

    This World Policy will be adopted according to the mechanisms
    provided on the present policy document.


    9.2 Credits

    WorldPol has received either directly or indirectly, input from
    the following individuals (in alphabetical order): Raul Artaza,
    Bill Bolton, Steve Bonine, Randy Bush, Billy Coen, Jack Decker,
    Daniel Docekal, Ron Dwight, Hector Gomez, Tomas Gradin, Rob
    Hoare, Jesse David Hollington, Alejandro Hopkins, Tom Jennings,
    Glen Johnson, Daniel Kalchev, Raymond Lowe, Rick Moore, George
    Peace, Vince Perriello, Bob Satti, Jan Stozek, Erik Van Riper,
    Matt Whelan, and Gustavo Zacarias.

    Thank you all.

    Special thanks are hereby given to Thomas Jefferson whose ideas
    were still in the 1990s an important source of inspiration for
    this document.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 19                  27 May 1991


    9.3 Temporary Copyright

    This document is Copyright (C) 1991 by Pablo Kleinman.
    Todos los Derechos Reservados / All Rights Reserved.

    This document is protected under international copyright laws.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 20                  27 May 1991


    Don Benson
    Tribute Test Point 1:157/603

                    Why do we need a WorldPol?

    I have read with interest the debate in Fidonews since the
    publication of WorldPol.  The arguments fly back and forth, and
    both sides seem set in their decisions, yet one issue that I
    think is important has yet to come up.  Do we need an
    international "Policy" like WorldPol or Policy4?

    Fidonet has grown to encompass most of the world.  In doing so,
    it has absorbed people and technologies from many cultural and
    technological backgrounds.  To ask for one policy document which
    will satisfy all is an insurmountable task.  Yet this is what is
    being attempted in WorldPol.

    There are only two directions to move with such a document,
    either toward anarchy or dictatorship.  Some people complain that
    Policy 4 was too much like a dictatorship.  The opposite side
    claims the proposed WorldPol is too vague, and will promote
    anarchy.  A prime example of this is the debate over "western
    democratic standards."  If left in its vague form, it would
    prmote anarchy as people interpreted it as they liked.  However,
    changing the language to specific operational procedures would be
    forcing some people to adopt methods which aren't ideal for them.

    The crux of the situation seems to be that WorldPol tries to do
    too much.  Policy 4 had the same problem as Zones 2 through 6
    developed and flourished.  What needs to be done is to simply
    throw out anything that is not necessary on an international
    level.

    For example, the issue of geographical nets comes to mind.  What
    difference does it make to Joe Sysop in Anytown, USA if Jurgen
    Sysop in Jeneburg, Germany is not in a geographical net?
    Especially when sending netmail?  This is something that should
    be decided on the zone or even regional level, not
    internationally.

    Concerning elections, perhaps WorldPol should only decree how the
    IC is elected.  It should have no say or take any position on how
    any other *C's are elected.  This still leaves room for debate,
    since the specific method of an IC election will never please
    everyone.  However, it also doesn't place any weight on elections
    at lower levels.

    The trickiest area I see in defining a WordPol is handling
    international disputes.  In fact, this should be the main body of
    WorldPol, and have the most meaning.  Everything else should only
    be minimal procedural definitions for the sake of structure, which
    is necessary to keep the organization together.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 21                  27 May 1991


    One final point for anybody who is or wants to have an input on
    WorldPol.  I never knew one was being developed (mostly because I
    am a fairly new Fidonet node) until I saw it in the Snooze.  For
    those who are sending in suggestions, how about this one: Try to
    make any Policy reflect how things are actually working.

    In sum, I think that WorldPol could probably be reduced to a
    third of the current size, and we would end up with a smaller,
    more effective document.  Take a few moments and look at WorldPol
    again.  Ask yourself if each section is absolutely necessary to
    be controlled at the international level?  If not, why include
    it?



    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 22                  27 May 1991


    Zone 1 Coordinators on Notice
    George Peace
    1:1/0

    I expect each Network and Region Coordinator in Zone 1 to review
    section 8 of FidoNet Policy. I'll do the same. In particular,
    the second paragraph of 8.3 is critical...

     "Network coordinators are expected to assess the opinions of
      members of their network, and to vote accordingly..."

    The word "expected" does not mean "hope" or "if you have time".
    It means EXPECTED. As in REQUIRED, as interpreted here in
    FidoNet Zone 1. Coordinator excuses for failure to read FidoNews
    or the NodeDiff comments and failure to cast a vote in a Policy
    referendum are sad and embarassing. The Zone 1 Region
    Coordinators are on notice that each of them is EXPECTED to
    issue appropriate notices to Network Coordinators in their
    respective regions. And EXPECTED to follow up to assure that
    excuses of ignorance or apathy are not substituted for duty to
    represent the SysOps of FidoNet.

    My thanks to Don Dawson, R16C, and the NCs and SysOps of Region
    16 for their 100% turnout in the recent WorldPol referendum. They
    proved it could be done in one Region. Let's ALL show them it can
    be done in 9 more Zone 1 regions.

       Thanks for listening and helping
       George Peace, Z1C


    --- via AutoNews 0.3

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 23                  27 May 1991


    Jack Decker
    1:154/8 Fidonet

           Response to Henry Clark's Comments on "Joggraphy"

         In Fidonews 8-20 Henry Clark made the following comments:

         "All you folks who live for echomail will soon conclude
    that I'm crazy as Emily but I'm telling everyone anyway.
    Electronic mail is on the whole, a fine way to communicate with
    someone you know, but echomail and other public access
    'everybody sees everybody else' type forums is not social
    interaction.  It's like having everybody watch TV and calling
    that our educational system.  Nothing is going to replace
    direct face to face contact.

         "And that's why I think Geography is important to Fidonet.
    Geographic boundaries, and particularly NETS, align folks into
    groups which are physically close to each other, and best able
    to get together.  In my net, we have a monthly Pizza Party.  In
    our Region, we have a yearly Lake Party.  You probably have
    these kinds of meetings in your parts of the world.  That's the
    really good part."

         Henry makes some good points, but I think he is losing
    sight of the forest for the trees here.  In the first place
    "close to each other" is a relative concept.

         For example, I live in Region 11.  If you measure the
    distance between one side of the region and the other, you find
    that the distance in some places (e.g. northwest Wisconsin to
    southeast Kentucky) is approximately a thousand miles.  Even if
    you could have a gathering in the exact center of this area, it
    would still mean a 500 mile trip for some folks.  Those of you
    who jet to Europe for vacations may think of this as nothing,
    but 500 miles is a considerable distance for some folks to
    travel.

         This difference in perception of distance and ease of
    travel is what causes a lot of the conflicts in Fidonet.  For
    example, a couple of years ago there were some folks who were
    quite seriously stating that any sysop that did not attend
    Fidocon did not really care about Fidonet (and, by implication,
    had no right to comment on anything taking place in Fidonet).
    Presumably the people making such comments could afford to jet
    about the country, but many sysops (not just the younger ones,
    either) put together systems on a shoestring to try and tap
    into this wonderful information source that we have and can't
    afford to just pick up and travel halfway across the country or
    further to participate in a hobby.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 24                  27 May 1991


         The other difference in perception is between those who
    live in major metropolitan areas and those who do not.  If you
    live in a city where there are 100 Fidonet nodes, and probably
    three or four alternate Fidonet technology networks
    represented, you probably don't have to worry too much about
    the cost of getting echomail.  I only wish that some of these
    folks who are so hung up on geography had to go live for a
    couple of years in a place where you were required by policy
    and politics to get your echomail feeds from an in-state feed
    200 miles away, at your expense, while knowing that there is an
    interstate feed only 20 miles away but because it's in another
    region, you're not allowed to belong there, or get your echoes
    there.

         You see, Henry, you're thinking only in terms of clusters
    of sysops in cities, without giving any consideration to sysops
    in rural areas that are often told "where to go" in Fidonet
    without any consideration at all being given to the notion that
    they might wish to pick up echoes from the least costly source.

         Now, I do have to admit that I also differ with you on the
    notion that a sysop should be forced to belong to a particular
    net that's in his local area, even if he can get free echomail
    there for only the price of a local call, because I believe in
    the principle of freedom of association.  Simply put, in an
    organization such as Fidonet, I see no good reason why a sysop
    should be FORCED to be part of a particular net if they don't
    want to.  I also can't imagine why a net would want to force a
    sysop to join their net if he doesn't want to, since this only
    invites future conflicts.

         Let's put one notion to rest:  If the IC declared tomorrow
    that geography was no longer a consideration in Fidonet, and
    that any node could join any net they please, 98% of the nodes
    would probably stay right where they are.  Another 1.9 percent
    might switch nets because it is less costly for them to get
    echoes from the net they join... for the most part, these would
    likely be nodes located near a region or net boundary.  In my
    opinion, switching nets to save money on toll calls makes a lot
    of sense, but there are a few in Fidonet (who, obviously, are
    NOT in that type of situation) who can't see that.  Finally,
    MAYBE 0.1 percent would switch nets for political reasons, or
    because of personality conflicts... so what?  Suddenly someone
    who was not happy (and who perhaps was flooding the echoes with
    messages telling everyone why they were not happy) is now happy
    and content... why should that bother anyone, except maybe some
    power-hungry idiot who somehow takes it personally whenever a
    node leaves his fold (did Jim Jones get reincarnated as a
    *C?!).

         Then there are the folks who say that if you allow
    special-interest nets in Fidonet, you'll have them formed along
    racist lines or some such malarky.  Well, if that's your REAL
    worry and not just a "red herring", the put something in Policy
    that says that no special interest nets may be formed that
    promote racial hatred, etc.  Simple.  As it is, such groups
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 25                  27 May 1991


    could be formed in "other" nets or in a private net, so you're
    not really stopping such a thing from happening, you're just
    driving it underground where it's less detectable, like
    termites in the woodwork.  My personal opinion is that "special
    interest nets" would not last long anyway due to the costs
    involved... the only special interest nets that would make any
    sense would be for those few who live in places where it would
    be cheaper to pick up echomail via PC Pursuit rather than
    through the nearest local net.  Remember, there are still
    good-sized cities that have access to packet switching networks
    but where there are either no Fidonet nodes, or only a lone
    node or two.

         Let me give you but one real life example.  Ever heard of
    Duluth, Minnesota?  What you may not know is that there are
    actually two cities in the Duluth metropolitan area: Duluth and
    Superior, Wisconsin.  These two are a local call from each
    other, and there is access to packet switching nodes in Duluth.
    However, according to the nodelist there are NO Fidonet nodes
    in that area at present.  But Minnesota is in Region 14, while
    Wisconsin is in Region 11.  If a net ever formed in that area,
    which region would it be in?  Or would the Duluth nodes have to
    call long distance to get their echoes from a source in Region
    14, while the Superior nodes have to call to get the same
    echoes from a Region 11 source?  And would nodes in the two
    cities be forever barred from holding pizza parties together
    because they are in different regions, or would they be
    permitted to do it only after "special dispensation" from the
    ZC ant the two RC's involved?  You're probably thinking that
    I'm being totally ridiculous here and I AM... but only to prove
    my point, which is that drawing artificial boundaries based on
    geography IS ridiculous in an electronic mail network.  The
    people who live near these artificial boundaries, and
    especially those who don't live in major cities are fully aware
    of how stupid this is, but those who live nearer the center of
    a region (or in an area NOT bordering another region, such as
    near an ocean) don't really appreciate the hardship that these
    artificial boundaries can cause for some.

         Henry, my point is that in places where it makes sense for
    sysops to group together because of geographic boundaries or
    telephone exchange boundaries, they will continue to do so even
    if we DON'T mandate it.  Where it DOESN'T make sense for them
    to group together, it is WRONG for others to demand that they
    do so... particularly when those others would not be adversely
    affected in any way if those few who would really benefit from
    the freedom to change nets were given it.

         Please keep in mind that Fidonet (or at least Fidonet
    technology) is somewhat unique in that it may be the ONLY
    cost-effective means of electronic communications for those
    that live in rural areas.  Think about it a minute... if
    Fidonet disappeared tomorrow, those who live in the cities
    where packet switching nodes are accessible would probably sign
    up for GEnie (or, if they were truly desperate, Prodigy), or
    perhaps try to find a local link into UseNet.  Most folks in
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 26                  27 May 1991


    rural areas simply don't have those options available (at least
    not at anything approaching a reasonable cost), since in the
    United States the packet networks have been alllowed to "cherry
    pick" the larger cities and ignore the rural areas.  And folks
    who live in rural areas and who may be forced to spend more
    money than they would otherwise have to in order to pick up
    echoes, just because of some political lines that have been
    drawn by city folks, probably have a whole different
    perspective on this problem than you do.

         Finally, if you're going to argue that face to face
    contact between sysops is desirable and important, then to be
    consistent you should at least be arguing for more, smaller
    regions.  Regions that cover a 1000 or 2000 mile radius are
    just too large.  Look at the size of Region 17 (Alaska, British
    Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington, Oregon,
    Idaho, Montana, and Hawaii)... can you stand there with a
    straight face and tell me that a good percentage of the sysops
    from that region would show up at a regional get-together,
    regardless of where in the region it might be held?  I'm sorry,
    Henry, but while I agree that face to face contact between
    sysops is a good idea, I don't think that you need to enforce
    regional boundaries to achieve that goal.  Why not just throw
    parties in various parts of the country and say that they're
    open to all Fidonet sysops that can make it there?  Why put a
    regional restriction on the gatherings at all?

         I still contend that geographic restrictions in Fidonet
    DON'T MAKE SENSE, that they were first enforced for political
    reasons and now mostly due to inertia and fear of change, but
    they have never made sense and never will.








    --- via AutoNews 0.3

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 27                  27 May 1991


                    A Cautionary Tale

    by Charles Herriot (1:163/110)


    In was a bright sunny day in Washington,D.C, as Jim
    "Billy-Bob" St. Packer strode up the steps of the Supreme
    Court building. Following closely on his heels, was Waldo
    Tosser. These esteemed lawyers were arriving for what was
    judged by the media to be a clash of titans. Almost
    forgotten in the media glare were the names of the plaintiff
    and the defendant in the action which was finally to be
    resolved before the justices. More completely forgotten was
    the issue upon which the original litigants had disagreed.

    Moving up the steps, in waves like sharks at a
    slaughterhouse effluent pipe, were legions of other lawyers.
    The pin-striped legions represented an incredible diversity
    of interests who had all successfully petitioned the court
    for the right to be heard. In no particular order, lawyers
    representing all the major telecommunications companies, the
    major commercial bulletin board systems, several large
    software houses, the FCC, the FBI, the NSA, the Teamsters,
    my ex-wife's divorce lawyer, and a scattering of religious
    organizations whose presence was inexplicable.

    One media pundit, after being asked for the hundredth time
    by Dan Rather: "So, what's the mood of the people down there
    on the sidewalk?" had noted that there was at *least* seven
    hundred thousand dollars per hour of billable time oozing up
    the steps. The defendant looked out of place as he emerged
    from a taxi and brushed the lint from his plastic pocket pen
    protector. The plaintiff adjusted the wad of black
    electrical tape which held his glasses together and
    staggered up the steps under the weight of his "laptop".

    Anyone who misunderstood how these processes took on their
    own compelling momentum might have been bemused by the
    nature of the original complaint. It was an issue of genuine
    triviality, an issue so ludicrous and picayune that no
    reasonable nor sane person would ever have dreamt that it
    would gather a vast hornet's swarm of legal devotees and
    become a potential landmark decision. It had started as a
    FidoNet policy complaint. In fact, it had started over the
    fact that the defendant had failed to insert *exactly* one
    space after the word "Origin" in his BBS mailer software.

    That one misplaced space had already resulted in a cost of
    four hundred thousand dollars worth of billable time to be
    generated by the bovine herd of lawyers as they traversed
    the steps of the court building. Another million dollars
    worth of billable time would have elapsed before the Chief
    Justice banged the gavel to commence proceedings. The costs
    to the various interlocutors in preparing the case would
    have paid off the national debt of most third world
    countries.
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 28                  27 May 1991


    The plaintiff, being ever-mindful of the *need* to ensure
    that FidoNet policy was followed as closely as the
    decolletage on a Miss America Beauty Queen aspirant, had
    complained about the extra space inserted by the defendant's
    mailer. As luck would have it, the NC of their net, A. Nal
    Retentive, saw the issue as akin to motherhood, good
    government and the preservation of innocent children
    everywhere. He unloaded both barrels at the hapless
    defendant, upheld the policy complaint and banished the
    defendant from FidoNet. The defendant's entire reason for
    living was centered on his BBS. The decision caused the
    gelatin in his spine to harden into something that passed
    for resolve among serious technodweebs. In a stirring
    declaration of outrage he muttered "Well heck, this just
    ain't right".

    Quicker than you can say "Please pass me that piano", the
    defendant had launched an appeal to the RC. Ill fortune
    plagued this issue because the RC had staggered into his den
    after a night of serious power-drinking to discover the
    message containing the plaintive bleatings of the appellant.
    The RC savagely threw himself (and part of his lunch) into
    the reply message which not only denied the appeal, but
    further sentenced the appellant to a week in Chicago.


    Disheartened, the defendant soldiered on, opening yet
    another multi-tasking window and cranked out an appeal
    destined for the ZC. Seven months later... when the ZC
    finally read his netmail, the issue seemed to be a clear
    violation of a new Echomail policy which the *EC structure
    had recently posted as the new, improved, revealed word of
    God, Herself. The ZC had no desire to trifle with the
    religious state-within-a-state which had grown up around the
    *EC structure (and besides, they'd promised to let him wear
    one of those hats with the really neat sheep horns if he
    turned a blind eye to their ravening efforts at
    Intergalactic domination). The ZC denied the appeal, and
    added an even more cruel and inhumane punishment... the
    defendant was further sentenced to memorizing all the FTSC
    specifications.

    The defendant, in one of those rare moments of insight which
    change the world, muttered "Golly, this sure ain't gettin'
    no better. I got rights just like everyone else." Now, it
    has been suggested that merely whispering the word "rights"
    will cause an infestation of lawyers to congregate like
    moths at a bug-zapper, and this exclamation of the word was
    no exception. Faster than the defendant could say "Yep, I
    reckon I could get another mortgage on the house and sign
    over my firstborn", a small pack of lawyers were filing what
    was to become an avalanche of legal mayhem. The plaintiff,
    having had his door wallpapered with enough summons,
    requests to attend discoveries, show cause notices, and
    other legal blackmail, engaged his own lawyer.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 29                  27 May 1991


    After seventy three delays, rescheduled hearings, and
    improper service of motion hearings, both the judge and the
    two lawyers had one of those rare simultaneous moments when
    their connections had failed to deliver their daily intake
    of cocaine, in short; they were all lucid and able to
    proceed with the matter. The judge, after noting that the
    double-knit trousers of the defendant made him look like the
    kind of geek who would vote Democrat, rendered a decision
    which was incomprehensible but gave no joy to the defendant.

    The appeal hearing might have gone unnoticed and the matter
    might have died had another quirk of fate not intervened.
    The court stenographer was renowned for the brevity of her
    skirts, and thus the court was always well attended by the
    lascivious, but generally esteemed big guns of the law
    cartel. In hopes of having to "further review the
    transcript", one lawyer generously offered to take the
    appeal to the Divisional court level. This lawyer, noted
    neither for brains nor his knowledge of the law, was a
    master at media relations. Between commercials on the
    evening news the world soon learned that this was not
    *simply* an issue between two hapless sysops... no indeed,
    this was an issue involving the First Amendment Right to be
    a real moron. It was an issue that would change the very
    fabric of telecommunications, keep the world safe from
    democracy, and provide a framework for some new and dubious
    military adventurism on the part of The President.

    The NRA, in their usual bone-headed fashion, issued a press
    release that said: "Computers don't start NukeMail, people
    do." The telecommunication giants waded into the fray with
    their own pricey advertisements paid for by a special per
    call levy charged against BBS systems. The Greenpeacers and
    all the others in the "I brake for whales" crowd expressed
    their outrage that stray electrons from VDTs were mutating
    the last known breeding colony of Smurfs in Shuckmagosh,
    Ohio. The Teamsters, upon hearing that something moved
    without their efforts, mobilized to establish inter-state
    "transportation tariffs" on non-union movement of echomail.
    The FBI followed the Teamsters and mistakenly produced a
    "Most Wanted" TV segment which re-enacted the original
    Fidonet crime...complete with Barry Manilow background music
    played ominously on a pipe organ, and a tuba quartet.

    The situation became an international incident when some
    underwhelmingly bright individual in the Canadian Department
    of Fisheries spotted the word "net" within "Fidonet" and
    sent legions of heavily armed game wardens to the Canada/US
    border to interdict any travelers smelling of fish. Madonna
    was *not* pleased at the unpleasant hour she spent in
    detention as a result.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 30                  27 May 1991


    As the first lawyer staggered to his feet to begin the
    Supreme Court arguments, both the plaintiff and the
    defendant looked unhappily at the scene... and wished
    fervently, as most of us do, that they'd had the wit to
    settle their differences with Nerf bats.

    -30-




    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 31                  27 May 1991


                            Fredric L. Rice
                              1:102.901.0

    An old program  has been dusted off,  re-written in C, and then
    made  available for the  general public:  COST.ZIP. - This file
    contains the  executable, document  file,  sample configuration
    file, and both  the BASIC  source code  and the  C source  code
    for the same program.

    o What does COST do?

    This program scans through the raw nodelist and offers a report
    detailing  those  systems which  are within  your free  and ZMU
    calling zones. It also  looks up the phone  number you offer it
    and  will  tell  you if  it's free, and if  not, what the first
    minute will cost and what each extra minute will cost. After it
    offers this information, it reminds you what discount rates are
    offered within specific times.

    o Who would use this program?

    SysOps could  use  this program to  acquire  an  automatically-
    generated  listing  of FidoNet  systems  that are  free or very
    cheap to call. This information  could be  placed into a banner
    or other menu-requestable file so that Users could find systems
    to call in your area.

    Users could use this program, of course, and by-pass the SysOps
    system  all  together  though  it  makes sense  for a  SysOp to
    provide it.

    o How is this information found?

    A  configuration  file provides  all  of  the  area  codes  and
    exchanges your system may call for free and those they may call
    to  be  charged  as  a  Zone  2  or  Zone  3  connection.  This
    information is provided  by the phone  company in the beginning
    of your phone book under the title 'Local and ZMU calling.' The
    entry of this data  isn't exhausting.  I'd like  to offer a bit
    of my configuration file for an example:

    - - -

    ; Calling from Azusa, Glendora, Clairmont, San Dimas, Covina
    ; Baldwin Park, Monrovia, San Gabriel Canyon.
    ;
    ; Local 818 that are directly dialable and no charges apply
    ; Keywords required are: LOCAL XXX

    Local 818
       301 303 305 331 332
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 32                  27 May 1991


       579 580 306

    ; Local 714 that are directly dialable and no charges apply
    ; Keywords required are: LOCAL XXX

    Local 714
       397 469 620 622 623
       629 865 868

    ; Zone 2, area code 818. Charges do apply. Dial direct.
    ; Keywords required are: ZONE X XXX

    Zone 2 818
       964 965 968

    ; Zone 3, area code 213. Charges do apply. Dial Direct.
    ; Keywords required are: ZONE X XXX

    Zone 3 213
       945 946

    ; Zone 3, area code 818. Charges do apply. Dial Direct.
    ; Keywords required are: ZONE X XXX

    Zone 3 818
       793 794 795 796 797
       798 799

    ; Zone 3, area code 714. Charges do apply. Dial Direct.
    ; Keywords required are: ZONE X XXX

    Zone 3 714
       985 986 987 988 989
       990

    ; Zone 2 cost .08 cents for the first minute and .02 cents
    ; for each additional minute. Cost based on May/1991 prices.
    ; Keywords required are: COST ZONE X XXX AND XXX

    Cost Zone 2 .08 and .02

    ; Zone 3 cost .10 cents for the first minute and .04 cents
    ; for each additional minute. Cost based on May/1991 prices.
    ; Keywords required are: COST ZONE X XXX AND XXX

    Cost Zone 3 .10 and .04

    ; Various discounts apply at various times. Use 24 hour clock.
    ; Keywords required are: FROM XX TO XX XXX%.

    From 08 to 17 100%
    From 17 to 23 030%
    From 23 to 08 060%

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 33                  27 May 1991


    - - -

    I've displayed  only a  fraction  of  the exchange codes that I
    could  list  under each section  for my  calling areas; because
    FidoNews   is  big   enough  some    times.  Regardless,   it's
    descriptive enough, I think, to show the information required.

    o Where is it?

    This file is File Requestable as COST.ZIP from 1:102.901.0. The
    magic file name of COST will also work. The  BASIC  source code
    is  provided  for  old-times  sake...   The  C  code,  however,
    represents  a  mid-sized  effort  in  that   it's  written  and
    commented so  that a programmer  learning C  could use it  as a
    reference for pointer  manipulation and  maintenance  of linked
    lists of data structures.

    o Next Update

    This programs  next revision will  be able to update the 'cost'
    field  of *.MSG-type  header files, and then offer  a report on
    the total cost to  send the mail broken  down by system address
    based  upon  direct  origination-to-destination  routing.  Long
    Distance mail will not be added to the  accumulation though the
    report will describe how many there are.

    With some minor work, and some major cooperation, systems could
    know enough about billing to provide  least-cost-routing across
    systems by determining common free nodes between systems; in an
    automated manor by modifying the route for specific packets.

    Fredric



    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 34                  27 May 1991


    Jamie Penner
    1:153/1025@fidonet
    24:24/0@signet



                        GateWorks is Finally Released!
                        ------------------------------


    After a whole lot of work, GateWorks is finally available to the
    general public!


    WHAT IS IT?

    GateWorks is a sophisticated echomail gating system.   It allows
    you to gate echomail conferences from up to 20 different nodes
    into a single network.   Unlike other gating software, GateWorks
    is complete.

     - GateWorks will strip foreign seen-bys and paths, inserting
       only the gateway system information.

     - GateWorks uses strict error checking so that messages that
       come into the network can not go back out.

     - GateWorks can retag echos as they come into the network.

     - GateWorks can log processed and non-processed mail so that you
       can see what and when comes into your system.

     - GateWorks adds a small GateOrigin line to each message gated
       in or out with the original address and domain so that the
       true message origin is never lost, regardless of how many
       gateways it passes through.

     - GateWorks works with nearly any front-end mailer.   It is
       standardized on using *.MO? bundles and can be run immediately
       after mail comes in before being tossed.

    Best of all, GateWorks is fast!

    It is available for freq 24 hours a day from:

            1:153/1025@fidonet              604-873-6625
            24:24/0@signet                  9600HST
            99:99/25@eggnet
            8:7501/103@the_network

    Use the magic filename GATEWORKS for the latest version.
    Support for the software is available via the GATEWORKS echo.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 35                  27 May 1991


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 36                  27 May 1991


    Jack Decker
    1:154/8 Fidonet

        ENTREPRENUER ECHOTAG SPELLING CORRECTION DAY IS JUNE 12

         As many of you are aware, there is an echo called
    ENTREPRENUER which is echo for those who are in business for
    themselves, or who would like to be.  One of the more galling
    problems is that whoever started the echo didn't bother to look
    up the spelling of the word ENTREPRENEUR in the dictionary and
    thus the tag is misspelled, as shown above.  This invariably
    leads to comments from newcomers to the echo, asking why the
    word ENTREPRENEUR is misspelled.

         To put an end to this, as current moderator I have
    arbitrarily picked June 12, 1991 as ENTREPRENUER ECHOTAG
    SPELLING CORRECTION DAY.  On that date I am asking everyone
    that carries the ENTREPRENUER echo, but especially the backbone
    nodes, to correct the spelling of the echo tag.  I picked June
    12 because it is a Wednesday and therefore is in the middle of
    a week, when echo hub operators are less likely to be out of
    town, and also because it's far enough in the future to get the
    news to everyone via Fidonews.

         I realize we may lose a few messages in the switch, but it
    will be worth it to get this problem corrected, and it's much
    easier than trying to start another echo with the correct
    spelling and then get everyone to migrate to it.

         If you run an echomail processor that allows it, you may
    wish to do something like this to help guard against lost
    messages:

         C:\MSG\ENTREPRE ENTREPRENUER
         C:\MSG\ENTREPRE ENTREPRENEUR net/node net/node ... etc.

    (Note the same directory is used for both the old and new tags)

         This will cause any messages that happen to come in with
    the old tag to be properly tossed to the correct area, but when
    they are scanned out they will have the correct tag.  You would
    only need to do this for a few days after June 12, and I'm not
    insisting that you do it at all, only that you can if you want
    to.

         One other request.  One of the other most galling
    complaints that we get is the number of messages related to
    Multi-Level Marketing in the ENTREPRENEUR echo.  A few months
    ago I started a separate echo called MLM for those messages,
    which is also carried on the backbone, but for some reason a
    majority of the MLM messages still seem to wind up in
    ENTREPRENEUR.  This seems to bother some folks who would rather
    talk about other kinds of business enterprises so in order to
    help keep these topics separated, I am requesting that those
    boards that carry ENTREPRENEUR also carry MLM.  I am not so
    foolish as to try and make this a requirement, but I AM nicely
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 37                  27 May 1991


    asking everyone that carries ENTREPRENEUR to PLEASE consider
    also taking MLM, since it will only improve the quality of both
    echoes if we can migrate the MLM-related messages to the MLM
    echo.

         But in any event, if you carry ENTREPRENUER, please
    remember to correct the spelling of the echo tag to
    ENTREPRENEUR sometime during the day on June 12.  Thank you for
    your assistance.

                    Jack Decker, moderator of ENTREPRENEUR and MLM.








    --- via AutoNews 0.3

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 38                  27 May 1991


    Robert Johnson
    FidoNet 1:327/1

                         SoundNet Has Arrived!

      Yes!  A new files network has been born.  It has no fancy or
    flashy acronym, and is simply known as SoundNet.  It's a net
    whose time has come.

      More and more, computer users are outfitting their units with
    some sort of sound board or MIDI interface.  Tandy and Amiga
    users have always known the joys of a good sounding computer.
    Now IBM users are forsaking the old beeper speaker for the more
    sophisticated sounds that eminate from the likes of AdLib,
    SoundBlaster or MIDI interface boards.

      With so many users getting into this technology, it has been
    decided that a file sharing network of FidoNet bulletin boards,
    was exactly what was needed, to promote and enhance this music
    medium.

      We'd like to support, not only files that pertain to
    the current music systems out there, but also anything that
    pertains to music.  Musical Database programs as well as
    programs that print music manuscripts.  In other words if it is
    related to music, we'd like to carry the program or file.

      Currently there are 40 FidoNet Systems in Zone 1, and 1 node
    in Zone6: Japan, who are a part of SoundNet.  We would like to get
    more units involved!  Zone 3, Zone 2...EVERYONE!

      So consider this an open invitation, to join the newest files
    network on the bitstream.  For more information File Request
    SOUNDPAK.ZIP at 1:327/1.  The more systems involved, the better
    we can support the fine efforts of authors and composers out there.

      I Hope to hear from you real soon!

                                            Bob Johnson



    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 39                  27 May 1991


    Z1C Election Status
    Harry Lee (1:321/202)
      (AKA Stupid One Who Volunteered To Count)
      (AKA Person With Sufficient Fingers For The Task)

    There are three candidates for the position of Z1C.  They are,
    in the order I was made aware of them:
      George Peace
      Jesse David Hollington
      John Summers

    Voting commenced 5/24, and continues until June 1.  Z1RC's
    should send votes directly to 321/202, with a password.  The
    regions that have voted and the passwords will be published
    in RegCon and Z1_Election as they are received, once daily.

    Individual votes will be EXPLICITLY acknowledged via direct
    netmail by me.

    A majority (50% + 1) of votes cast is required to elect.
    If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, a runoff
    will be held between either the top two candidates, or, in
    the event of a tie in second place, all the candidates in
    the first and second vote positions.  The voting period for
    this runoff will be one week.  If necessary, this process
    will be repeated until the RC's reach a consensus.

    The following is the current state of the voting for Z1C:

     Rgn Pwd
      10
      11
      12
      13
      14
      15
      16 AnotherTerm
      17 Eileen
      18
      19

    No password indicates that no vote has been received at 321/202
    for that region.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 40                  27 May 1991


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


    Paul Knupke, Jr.
    Florida Telecom Central
    Largo, Florida USA

    1:3603/130.11 and soon to be assigned a real node number :-)

    One early morning, sometime after midnight, after getting home
    from work, I decided to start writing a general column for
    Fidonews.  This monthly column is going to be a mishmash of my
    thoughts, ideas and observations.   So here goes ...

    Here it is a rainy, humid Florida evening and I'm sitting here
    getting ready to head out to The DreamLand Express BBS'
    (1:3603/30) weekly "Pit Crew" at the local Denny's restaurant.
    I guess there isn't a better time to start.

    Fidonet is large (now isn't that an understatement!) Anyone
    who meets the basic FidoNet technical standards and can
    operate duringZone mail hourcan be assigned a node number.
    You can run IBM (MS-DOS or OS/2), Commodore Amiga, Atari ST,
    Apple 8 bit and Macintosh, UNIX based system or a Tandy Color
    Computer.  Most of us have a large selection of frontend
    mailers, bbs programs, and utilities.

    With more than 11,000 members, Fidonet is by far the largest
    bulletin board based network.  The closest "competitor" barely
    has one tenth the membership of Fidonet.  This large size has
    its advantages and disadvantages.

                             Advantages:

    Most people don't have to call long distance to connect to a
    hub system.

    Costs can be split among several to many people to cut down
    the amount of money hubs spend to bring echomail in.

    If you have a software or hardware problem there probably is
    someone who has a similar configuration that can assist you.

    You are not limited in the usage to a single program to handle
    your network mail.  (This is also a disadvantage.)

    Many computers have Fidonet compatable software.

                            Disadvantages:

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 41                  27 May 1991


    The nodelist is approaching a one megabyte!

    With such a wide variety of programs used by nodes, updating
    Fidonet technology has become a very difficult task without
    suddenly shutting out a segment of the network.

    (and I am sure all of you can think of others)

    I am not sure how to address these disadvantages exactly ...

    Last week Aaron Goldblatt introduced the Ft. Worth Nodelist
    format.  His concept has its merits.  I'd like to know how
    large the nodelist would be using the Ft. Worth Nodelist.
    Could the nodelist be imported into a database program to
    create a sample Ft. Worth nodelist?  If so we could see what
    the size savings would be.

    There are some problems with the Ft. Worth nodelist.  It would
    work fairly well in the United States and Canada but not in
    other parts of the world.  The deletion of the area code in
    most cases would not cause a problem.  In cases where a node
    is outside the area code of his network coordinator and not to
    mention Europe where the phone numbers, city codes and so
    forth don't follow any set format would certainly cause
    problems.  I think removing area codes and so forth would
    cause untold problems.

    Instead of removing the the "X" mail flags, remove the X and
    just use A, B, C, P, X, and W and so forth because some
    smartmailers do make use of them (ie Frontdoor 2.00+) I agree
    on removing all redundancy as well as dropping the ending
    zeros on the baud entry.

    In light of things maybe we could move to Zone nodelists
    instead.  Sysops would receive Z1DIFF, Z2DIFF etc and proccess
    the nodelists they need producing Z1LIST etc.

    On to other things...

    GroupMail or not GroupMail ...

    GroupMail has many advantages as pointed out in previous
    shnoozes.  The problem is not every platform has a GroupMail
    processor and all mailers are not capable of update requests.
    Unfortunatly by moving to Groupmail my recent purchase of
    TosScan will become obsolete <sigh>.

    Now a geography lesson ...

    In North America geographic nets are to our advantage cost
    wise.  Its been said many times that if geographic boundaries
    were dropped a NC could deny a node number to someone knowing
    that they can't afford to join a net outside of their local
    area.  Let zone polices address this issue.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 42                  27 May 1991


    Speaking of policy ...

    Well WorldPol has been defeated and apathy is at an all time
    high.  Something is wrong when only 3 of 40 networks in a
    certain region even cast votes.  Hey net coordinators lets get
    with it!  Net Coordinator isn't just a title, you have duties
    under Policy.  I'm not speaking to ever NC, just some of you.
    Our illustrious editor, Vince, said reciently that those
    coordinators who didn't do their job should be removed.  Let
    the nodes decide ... and have a yearly election of net
    coordinators across the board.

    Confused yet? Well ...

    Here it is Friday and I was thinking of how confused I've been
    lately.  I'm working with two local Atari ST sysops setting up
    BinkleyTerm-ST.  I didn't know anything about Binkley (I'm a
    Frontdoor user...) and then I'm working on an Atari ST.  We're
    getting close and with the help of plenty of BinkleyTerm-ST
    &BBS Express ST sysops.  (Thanks guys!)

    Politics ... Shmolotics ...

    Well I'd rather not talk about this, but at least some zones,
    regions and nets are doing things democratically!  Thanks to
    all those who have pushed for a democratic Fidonet (Fred
    Niemczenia, number of regional coordinator, the grunt sysops,
    and especially Pablo Kleinman in Buenos Aires).

    Oh well till next month ....

    Happy Summer (or Happy Winter ..)
    and for those in the United States, Happy Memorial Day.


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 43                  27 May 1991


    Henry Clark
    1:124/6120


    The 4th Annual Poor Man's Fidocon and Lake Party --

    After three eventful years, the 1991 PMFC&LP was hard pressed
    to find a spot until our own native son John Summers volun-
    teered to combine our event with his own wife's 2nd Annual
    Birthday Lake Party.

    Diana is a saintette and deserves a big present from everyone.
    I mean, what would your wife say if 700 sysops showed up at
    your door ?  "No way!"  "Way!"  "No way!"  "Way!"  I can't
    exactly print what Honey would say.

    The following is a quote from an early announcement by John :

    Plan to attend another fun filled weekend at Cedar Creek
    Lake. There is plenty of room to pitch a tent, picnic, and
    party! The lake during the summer months is great for
    swimming or boating (boats are welcome) or just laying
    around visiting with friends.

    Those who attended last year can tell you that all had a
    good time and enjoyed -

                        Boating
                          Beer
                 Sailing (thanks Dewey)
                          Beer
                      BBQ Chicken
                          Beer
               An EXCELLENT Cat fish fry
                          Beer
              AND Many other activities!!

    Mark your calendar, tell your wife/husband and/or girl/boy
    friend to plan on it, bring the children and come on out!!!

    Date - Friday the 14th of June thru Sunday the 16th
            (come spend whatever time you like)

    Where - John & Diana Summers place on Cedar Creek Lake

                 Directions -

    From anywhere in the metroplex (Dallas/Ft. Worth), find your
    way to I-30 and LBJ Freeway on the EAST side of Dallas. Take
    635 LBJ South until you see the sign "Kaufman - 175". Take US
    Highway 175 toward Kaufman. Continue on US 175 thru Crandal,
    curving around Kaufman and just past Kemp. There is a big sign
    there that says Hwy. 274 - Seven Points. There is an Exxon
    station at this intersection.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 44                  27 May 1991


    Take Texas Highway 274 to the light in 7-Points (there is only
    one light). Turn Left at the light. Come down the road just
    over a mile and turn Left on Nob Hill Rd. This road is just
    after the crest of the hill, just after the H&R Block on the
    left and just before the Chamber of Commerce on the Right. If
    you go past the "China Wok" restaurant or come to the Shell
    station/marina, you have just passed the corner, turn around
    and come back up the hill!

    Follow Nob Hill Road almost all the way to the lake until you
    see a white sign with Black letters that says "Oak Landing".
    Turn Left!  Almost immediately (less than a city block) turn
    Right. Again, almost immediately, turn left. Come up to the top
    of the hill and our place is the first place on the left. The
    name is on the mail box!

    For those of you in the rest of the Region, buy a Texas road
    map.  Locate the LBJ Freeway (635) around Dallas and on the
    South East corner of Dallas, Locate Hwy. 175. Take your finger
    and follow Hwy. 175 to Kemp and find Cedar Creek Lake.

    Now that you have found the lake on the map, determine the best
    route for you from wherever you are!

    And NOW, in the current spirit of Fidonet, I bring you


    Lake Party Policy 1.0 --

    1. Any computing device discovered within 200 yards of the
    Lake Party will be summarily tossed, along with it's owner,
    into the Lake. ( Masterson -vs- Army Corp. of Eng., 1988 )

    In a 1990 appeal, a higher court affirmed, but with the
    landmark desenting opinion :

        He/she who brings the most toys wins.

    2. Emphasis on beer, I mean, Beer, is purely political and is
    only intended to remind you of the "don't be annoyed" clause.
    ( Texas Code, 1836 )  Don't be annoyed clause follows.

    Don't be annoyed clause : Don't be annoyed.  Experience has
    shown that it is impossible to be "excessively annoying" at a
    Lake Party.  Annoying behavior is encouraged for the purpose of
    providing Fidonews material.

    3. Assumed risk and liability for damages ( including but not
    limited to dented fenders ) is expressly limited to the price
    of admission.  ( Allstate -vs- Theissen, 1990 )

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 45                  27 May 1991


    4. Alternative nodelists on restroom walls may be erased only
    when inaccurate.  ( Teel -vs- Acme PortaClump, 1988 )

    5. Snakes in lakes make Danes abstain.
    ( Honey -vs- Henry, 1989 )

    Speaking of policy...


    RC For a Day --

    ( As reported in FidoNews 7.41 : )

    I actually ran for the RC position, garnering the fewest votes
    of any candidate.  The whole election was rigged because the
    incumbent RC decided to run for re-election. It'll cost me a
    bundle in psychiatric fees to get over this one.

    ( Remember that ? I thought not. )

    Well, it so happens that our illustrious ex is now bent on
    cleaning up echomail as the Z1EC.  And who ends up in the RC
    slot ?  Ah ha ha.  You guessed it.

    Honey was real POed about it too, figuring on all the extra
    time I'd be spending handling 'Police Complaints'.  She didn't
    want the neighbors to see police cars parked outside !

    Now let me get this straight :
    I am the RC for life.
    I can appoint whomever I choose as REC.
    I can replace all the NCs.
    If you don't like it, you aren't in the nodelist.

    I believe that about covers it.


    Single Threaded --

    Oh. I'm boring you to death with this 'idle time'.  Suppose you
    received 4 hours worth of mail from your feed each day, and you
    in turn fed 5 other systems.  ( Hmm, let's see, uh, 4 times 1+5
    is 24 hours. )  Ok, next line.  This full load situation is
    somewhat understated because there will be upstream mail as
    well ( you receive from downstream and send upstream ).

    Taking this scenario to the extreme, that's 12 hours in and 12
    hours out.  All the mail is passed along a single chain, and it
    takes an average of 10000 days to get a reply. Don't laugh, the
    file nets are getting bigger than the mail.

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 46                  27 May 1991


    So the distribution network splits up, say, along lines of
    'interest boundaries'.  We are learning to do that today,
    before any technological limit forces us to.


    Homemaker Extra-ordinaire --

    Remember your mom's schedule ?  No, your mom didn't run a
    mailer, she ran your house !  Yours truly, mild mannered 9 to
    5'er, encountered radioactive muffin fan lint and became :
    SuperHouseSpouse.  Faster than a coupon expiration date.  More
    powerful than a 4 H.P. Electrolux. Able to leap mounds of dirty
    clothes with a single bound.  Up in the sky, aaaah shutup!

    Young co-sysop Kevin will start school in the fall, but I have
    this great opportunity to spend the summer with him, all for
    the measly price of a few 'chores'.  Then he starts school.
    Right now, his backpack is loaded for the Lake Party and his
    new water gun looks cool.  I can't wait, either.

    Frankly this household stuff is pretty easy.
    ( but don't tell Honey ! )


    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 47                  27 May 1991


    Steve Winter
    FidoNet 1:151/208 209

    Now I beseech you, brethern, mark them which cause divisions
    and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
    and avoid them.
    For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but
    their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches decieve
    the hearts of the simple.
    (Romans 16: 17-18)(written to the apostolic church at Rome)

    But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
    gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
    let him be ACCURSED.  Galatians 1:8 (written to the apostolic
    Christians in Galatian church)

                 SO WHAT DID THE APOSTLES TEACH?

       1) Acts 2:1-4..."And they were ALL filled with the Holy
    Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
    gave them utterance."

    (This was in the upper room where 120, including MARY the
    mother of Jesus, were gathered Acts 1:14-15).  Many false
    preachers teach that "tongues were just for the 12 apostles".

       2) Acts 2:38.  "Then Peter said unto them, repent and be
    baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
    sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost".

    The next verse mentions that this promise is to "as many as
    the Lord our God shall call."...most false preachers do not
    baptise in Jesus NAME they just use "titles"

       3)Acts 8: 15-17 (Samaria) "Who, when they were come down,
    prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
    (For as yet he was fallen on none of them: only they were
    baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then they laid their
    hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

    Many false preachers teach that you automatically have the
    Holy Ghost when you first "believe on the Lord"

       4) Acts 10: 44-48 (First gentiles saved) "And they of the
    circumcision (Jews) which believed were astonished, as many
    as came with Peter, because that on the gentiles also was
    poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.  FOR THEY HEARD THEM
    SPEAK WITH TONGUES, and magnify God. Then answered Peter.
    Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptised
    which have received the Holy Ghost as well as well as we?
    And he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord."

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 48                  27 May 1991


    False preachers teach people that they allready have the Holy
    Ghost even though they don't even believe in tongues.

       5) See also Acts 19:1-6...Galatians 3:27...Acts 22:16
    "As we said before, so say I again, If ANY MAN preach any
    other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
    ACCURSED."(Galatians 1:9)

                    Steve Winter - [moderator HOLY_BIBLE]

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 49                  27 May 1991


    =================================================================
                             LATEST VERSIONS
    =================================================================

                        Latest Software Versions

                             MS-DOS Systems
                             --------------

                          Bulletin Board Software
    Name        Version    Name        Version    Name       Version

    DMG            2.93    Phoenix         1.3    TAG           2.5g
    Fido            12t+   QuickBBS       2.66    TBBS           2.1
    GSBBS          3.02    RBBS          17.3B    TComm/TCommNet 3.4
    Lynx           1.30    RBBSmail      17.3B    Telegard       2.5
    Kitten         2.16    RemoteAccess   1.01*   TPBoard        6.1
    Maximus        1.02    SLBBS         1.77A    Wildcat!      2.55
    Opus           1.14+   Socrates       1.10    WWIV          4.12
    PCBoard        14.5a   SuperBBS       1.10    XBBS          1.17

    Network                Node List              Other
    Mailers     Version    Utilities   Version    Utilities  Version

    BinkleyTerm    2.40    EditNL         4.00    ARC            7.0
    D'Bridge       1.30    MakeNL         2.31    ARCAsim       2.30
    Dutchie       2.90C    ParseList      1.30    ARCmail       2.07
    FrontDoor      2.00    Prune          1.40    ConfMail      4.00
    InterMail      2.01*   SysNL          3.14    Crossnet      v1.5
    PRENM          1.47    XlatList       2.90    DOMAIN        1.42
    SEAdog         4.60*   XlaxDiff       2.40*   EMM           2.02
    TIMS      1.0(Mod8)    XlaxNode       2.40*   4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18
                                                  Gmail         2.05
                                                  GROUP         2.16
                                                  GUS           1.30
                                                  HeadEdit      1.18
                                                  IMAIL         1.10
                                                  InterPCB      1.31
                                                  LHARC         1.13
                                                  MSG            4.1
                                                  MSGED         2.06
                                                  MSGTOSS        1.3
                                                  Oliver        1.0a
                                                  PK[UN]ZIP     1.10
                                                  PolyXarc      2.1a*
                                                  QM             1.0
                                                  QSORT         4.03
                                                  ScanToss      1.28
                                                  Sirius        1.0x
                                                  SLMAIL        1.36
                                                  StarLink      1.01
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 50                  27 May 1991


                                                  TagMail       2.41
                                                  TCOMMail       2.2
                                                  Telemail      1.27
                                                  TMail         1.21
                                                  TPBNetEd       3.2
                                                  TosScan       1.00
                                                  UFGATE        1.03
                                                  XRS           4.10*
                                                  XST           2.3e
                                                  ZmailH        1.14


                               OS/2 Systems
                               ------------

    Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

    Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

    Maximus-CBCS       1.02   BinkleyTerm  2.40   Parselst      1.32
                                                  ConfMail      4.00
                                                  EchoStat       6.0
                                                  oMMM          1.52
                                                  Omail          3.1
                                                  MsgEd         2.06
                                                  MsgLink       1.0C
                                                  MsgNum        4.14
                                                  LH2           0.50
                                                  PK[UN]ZIP     1.02
                                                  ARC2          6.00
                                                  PolyXarc      2.1a*
                                                  Qsort          2.1
                                                  Raid           1.0
                                                  Remapper       1.2
                                                  Tick           2.0
                                                  VPurge        2.07


                                Xenix/Unix
                                ----------

    BBS Software                  Mailers         Other Utilities
    Name             Version  Name      Version   Name       Version

                              BinkleyTerm 2.30b   Unzip         3.10
                                                  ARC           5.21
                                                  ParseLst     1.30b
                                                  ConfMail     3.31b
                                                  Ommm         1.40b
                                                  Msged        1.99b
                                                  Zoo           2.01
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 51                  27 May 1991


                                                  C-Lharc       1.00
                                                  Omail        1.00b


                                  Apple II
                                 ----------

    Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

    Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

    GBBS Pro            2.1   Fruity Dog    2.0*  ShrinkIt      3.23
    DDBBS +             7.4*                      ShrinkIt GS   1.04
                                                  deARC2e       2.1
                                                  ProSel        8.69*


                                Apple CP/M
                                ----------

    Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

    Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

    Daisy               v2j   Daisy Mailer 0.38   Nodecomp      0.37
                                                  MsgUtil        2.5
                                                  PackUser        v4
                                                  Filer         v2-D
                                                  UNARC.COM     1.20


                                Macintosh
                                ---------

    Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

    Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

    Red Ryder Host      2.1   Tabby         2.2   MacArc         0.04
    Mansion            7.15   Copernicus    1.0   ArcMac          1.3
    WWIV (Mac)          3.0                       LHArc          0.41
    Hermes              1.5                       StuffIt Classic 1.6
    FBBS               0.91                       Compact Pro    1.30
    Precision Systems 0.95b*                      TImport        1.92
    TeleFinder Host 2.12T10                       TExport        1.92
                                                  Timestamp       1.6
                                                  Tset            1.3
                                                  Import          3.2
                                                  Export         3.21
    Point System Software                         Sundial         3.2
                                                  PreStamp        3.2
    Name            Version                       OriginatorII    2.0
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 52                  27 May 1991


                                                  AreaFix         1.6
    Copernicus          1.0                       Mantissa       3.21
    CounterPoint       1.09                       Zenith          1.5
                                                  Eventmeister    1.0
                                                  TSort           1.0
                                                  Mehitable       2.0
                                                  UNZIP         1.02c
                                                  Zip Extract    0.10

                                  Amiga
                                  -----

    Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

    Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

    Falcon CBBS        0.45   BinkleyTerm  1.00   AmigArc       0.23
    Paragon           2.082+  TrapDoor     1.50   AReceipt       1.5
    TransAmiga         1.07   WelMat       0.44   booz          1.01
                                                  ConfMail      1.12
                                                  ChameleonEdit 0.10
                                                  ElectricHerald1.66
                                                  Lharc         1.30
                                                  Login         0.18
                                                  MessageFilter 1.52
                                                  oMMM         1.49b
                                                  ParseLst      1.64
                                                  PkAX          1.00
                                                  PolyxAmy      2.02
                                                  RMB           1.30
                                                  Roof         44.03
                                                  RoboWriter    1.02
                                                  Rsh           4.06
                                                  Skyparse      2.30
                                                  Tick          0.75
                                                  TrapList      1.12
                                                  UNZIP         1.31
                                                  Yuck!         1.61
                                                  Zippy (Unzip) 1.25
                                                  Zoo           2.01

                               Atari ST/TT
                               -----------

    Bulletin Board         Network                Node List
    Software    Version    Mailer      Version    Utilities  Version

    FIDOdoor/ST   2.2.3*   BinkleyTerm   2.40l    ParseList     1.30
    QuickBBS/ST    1.02    The BOX        1.20    Xlist         1.12
    Pandora BBS   2.41c                           EchoFix       1.20
    GS Point       0.61                           sTICK/Hatch   5.50*
    LED ST         1.00
    MSGED         1.96S

     FidoNews 8-21                Page 53                  27 May 1991


    Archiver               Msg Format             Other
    Utilities   Version    Converters  Version    Utilities  Version

    LHARC          0.60    TB2BINK        1.00    ConfMail      4.03
    LHARC2         3.18*   BINK2TB        1.00    ComScan       1.02
    ARC            6.02    FiFo           2.1m*   Import        1.14
    PKUNZIP        1.10                           OMMM          1.40
                                                  Pack          1.00
                                                  FastPack      1.20
                                                  FDrenum      2.2.7*
                                                  Trenum        0.10


                               Archimedes
                               ----------

    BBS Software           Mailers                Utilities
    Name        Version    Name        Version    Name       Version

    ARCbbs         1.44    BinkleyTerm    2.03    Unzip        2.1TH
                                                  ARC           1.03
                                                  !Spark       2.00d

                                                  ParseLst      1.30
                                                  BatchPacker   1.00


    + Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
    * Recently changed

    Utility authors:  Please help  keep  this  list  up  to  date  by
    reporting  new  versions  to 1:1/1.  It is not our intent to list
    all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 8-21                Page 54                  27 May 1991


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

                         The Interrupt Stack


    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 Nov 1991
       Area code 301 will split.  Area code 410 will consist of the
       northeastern part of Maryland, as well as the eastern shore.
       This will include Baltimore and the surrounding area. Area 301
       will include southern and western parts of the state,
       including the areas around Washington DC. Area 410 phones will
       answer to calls to area 301 until November, 1992.

     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.

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



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