F I D O N E W S -- Volume 14, Number 23 9 June 1997
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet community | "FidoNews" |
| _ | 1-904-409-7040 [1:1/23] |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editor: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Christopher Baker 1:18/14 |
| |__U__| / \// | |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MORE addresses: |
| |
| submissions=>
[email protected] |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
IT'S ONLY LAME WITH AN F
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1
What would it take to get YOU to submit something? ....... 1
2. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .................................... 2
To Compress Mail or Not to Compress Mail? ................ 2
3. ARTICLES ................................................. 4
FidoNet Via Internet Hubs ................................ 4
Some thoughts on a possible future direction for Fidone .. 4
SILLYSEASON Echo forming ................................. 6
Why I bother ............................................. 7
4. COLUMNS .................................................. 9
Lock and Load: Guerilla Marketing for BBSes .............. 9
5. GETTING TECHNICAL ........................................ 11
FSC-0080 - Describing FidoNet with layered model ......... 11
FSC-0081 - A TYPE-3 Packet proposal ...................... 13
6. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 28
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 157 ...... 28
7. NET HUMOR ................................................ 29
Nevermore? ............................................... 29
8. NOTICES .................................................. 31
Future History ........................................... 31
9. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 32
Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 32
10. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ..................................... 36
FidoNews PGP public-key listing .......................... 36
And more!
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 1 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
What? No urge to write something for FidoNews? You don't have to do a
formal article or column. You can just send in something via Netmail.
You can pick something new or forward something of yours from an Echo
or some other forum.
It's your newsletter.
C.B.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 2 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
=================================================================
[This wasn't a Letter to the Editor, but it should have been. Folks
should not be sending compressed mail to strangers. It adds an extra
step when receiving mail from unsecured sources among other
concerns. Unless you're sending a ton of mail, why bother?] Ed.
--- Following message extracted from FTSC_PUBLIC @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Jun 05 15:17:35 1997
From: Lisa Gronke
To: All
Date: 03 Jun 97 06:45:02
Subj: ARC
* Original Area: PDX.SYSOP
* Original To : Phil McCloud (1:105/61)
The gospel says you should use either use ARC or no compression when
sending to strangers.
The reality is that you're more likely to run into someone who can't
unARC than someone who can't unZIP.
There is a networking precept that says, "Be liberal in what you
accept; be conservative in what you send."
As long as a sysop understands the landscape, there shouldn't be much
of a problem either way.
The biggest problem is passing around configuration files with ZIP
configured as the default. That breeds new sysops who can't unARC and
don't even know that they should be able to.
I recommend ARC as the default, but encourage everyone to explicitly
address the archiver issue at the time an echomail link is
established. Alternatively, if you have ZIP as your default, the first
interchange with a stranger should ask if it is OK.
And for gawds sake, don't get into a policy pissing contest over the
issue.
> I believe some form of .ZIP can be compiled for any platform,
> however none has ever changed the 'standard'.
ZIP is very difficult to implement on 8-bit, 64K RAM systems. The
lookup tables are too big to be kept in RAM. But 8-bit FidoNet systems
are becoming as rare as ivory billed woodpeckers.
No one has ever changed the 'standard' (which, btw, is durned
difficult to find in the FTSC documents), but almost everyone has
managed to minimize the effect. Other than the nodediff, ftsc and
policy documents, nothing of any size is sent ARCed. The amount of
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 3 9 Jun 1997
bandwidth actually lost in ARC transfers is probably less than the
bandwidth that will be used in arguing about what the replacement
should be <g>.
A more cogent argument for the future is that zip/unzip are widely
available in the unix world, whereas arc is not. I have three unix
shell accounts. All have zip/unzip. None of them has arc. One has
lharc. Oh, I'm sure that I can find unix arc source somewhere and
compile it, but that's a lot of trouble if all I want to do is read
policy4.arc from ftp.paonline.com.
Incidentally, the "ARC" issue is a FidoNet (the network) issue, not a
FidoNet (technology) issue. FTN OtherNets could have a different
archiver policy.
Origin: EastSide Data Services (1:105/61)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 4 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
Fidonet Via Internet Hubs
Speed|Node# |Operator | Facilities | Basic Rate
-----+-----------+------------------+-------------------+-----------
T1 |1:270/101 |George Peace | FTP | $30mo.
T1 |1:396/1 |John Souvestre | FTP | $25mo.
T1 |1:12/12 |Ken Wilson | FTP | $24mo.
T1 |1:140/12 |Bob Seaborn | FTP, Transx | $5/$20
64k |1:124/7008 |Ben Hamilton | FTP, VFOS, Transx | $20mo.
56k |1:13/25 |Jim Balcom | FTP | $20mo.
33.6 |1:2604/104 |Jim Mclaughlin | FTP, VFOS, UUEMAIL| $1mo.
33.6 |1:2624/306 |D. Calafrancesco | VFOS | $15yr.
33.6 |1:281/169 |Brian Greenstreet | FTP | $2mo.
28.8 |1:330/204 |Patrick Rosenheim | Transx | $25yr.
--
compiled by Cindy Ingersoll, 1:2623/71, (609)814-1978,
[email protected] Posted on the 1st of every month in FN_SYSOP,
R13SYSOP and Fidonews.
---
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Some thoughts on a possible future direction for FidoNet:
by Ron Dwight
2:220/22
I have been giving consideration lately to a future direction in
which Fidonet could go and the following is offered for your
consideration:
.. Fidonet is a vastly different medium than the internet and should
not be swallowed by it. Fidonet should retain it's current character,
freedom and flexibility.
.. FidoNet nodes need the speed and reduced cost of internet access,
to communicate, this is why such things as Vmodem are being written.
.. The FidoNet nodelist appears to be the largest single obstacle
standing in the way of major changes to Fidonet methodology and either
the nodelist can be changed to accommodate the new methods or
alternative methods can be devised which make use of the current
nodelist.
What I am going to propose here, is a method of using the
current nodelist, with almost no changes and yet allow those nodes
which require access to internet transport, to obtain it quickly and
easily.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 5 9 Jun 1997
The basic concept revolves around the actual method of
operation of the internet itself to satisfy the needs of Fidonet
nodes. Whenever a connection is made, using a web browser, the
address which you are seeking, http://.... is sent to a Network Access
Point computer which translates that name into a TCP/IP address. This
is sent back to your browser which then uses it to reach the
destination computer on the internet.
What I propose for Fidonet, is something very similar which
will allow us to maintain the current nodelist format and content and
yet obtain full access to internet capable systems willing to
accept callers running Vmodem, Binkd or something similar..
1) A computer, or computers, serve as Fidonet Internet Access Points.
This would best be provided by a reliable system owned and
operated by a large corporation. To that end we would perhaps
need to obtain a sponsor, IBM would do nicely, so would US
Robotics, to provide access to an internet server to act as the
Fidonet Name Information Center. The load on this machine would
not be great, but a little software would need to be written for
it.
2) We then write a series of specifications for software which would
use this service to access other Fidonet nodes via the internet.
Part of this software specification would be something like:
.. All internet capable nodes would be flagged in the nodelist
with a single flag to indicate internet capability. The flag could
be, for example: INET or something similar and the flag would indicate
ONLY that the system was connected to the internet and was capable of
accepting FidoNet callers. No other information would be carried in
the nodelist and the nodelist entry could be used to indicate a normal
PSTN node as well as an internet capable one.
.. Mailers wishing to access an internet capable node must send a
message, containing ONLY the FidoNet node number
(Zone:Net/Node.point), over the internet to the FidoNet Name
Information Center. The reply from that server would be a message
containing the capabilities of that node which could then be used to
establish (or refuse) a session. The time overhead for such a service
would be a matter of milliseconds under normal conditions and would
not add significantly to the length of a session.
.. Mailer software, in order to reduce the number of transactions
to the Name Information Center, would check if the information is
locally available for the called number and use that if it was, say,
less than 7 days old. In other words if the system had been called
within the last 7 days, it is expected that the same session
parameters can be used without requesting them again from the Name
Information Center.
3) The information contained, and updated, on the Name Information
Center would be such things as:
.. Transport capability
.. Open hours
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 6 9 Jun 1997
.. Protocol availability
In other words, all the stuff that folks are trying to cram
into the nodelist now. It could be in IEMSI format or similar.
A Fidonet node, ZC?/IC? or designated SysOp, would be
responsible for ensuring that the Name Information Center was properly
updated and functional.
This is only the basic outline of a concept which could be
used to enhance Fidonet capability. I believe the sponsorship would
be easy to obtain as the load on the Name Information Center machine
would be very light as long as the mailers obeyed reasonable rules as
to access. More important would be laying down the rules and
mechanisms for the software to take advantage of the capabilities
offered. Obviously a lot of technical detail needs to be worked out,
but I believe this could be used as a basis to move FidoNet into a
closer cooperation with the internet to our mutual advantage.
Someone is going to object that using a single Name
Information Center gives the entire system a central weakness. In
answer to that I would reply that:
.. Most of the entire WORLDWIDE internet services rely on only a few
such centers.
.. There is no reason why more than one machine could not be used and
that these could be indicated in the nodelist, perhaps as comment
lines, which mailer software can locate. Of course the more Name
Information Centers which are created, the more difficult it becomes
to keep them updated.
This mini-article is intended as a START. Andy, Jo, Arjen
and other developers, it's up to people like you to carry it further
and make it become a reality.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SILLYSEASON Echo forming
Fredric L. Rice (
[email protected])
The Skeptic Tank - 1:102/890.0
(818) 335-9601 24hrs N81
A new FidoNet echo -- tag named "SILLYSEASON" -- is forming and I'm
soliciting participation. The forum will discuss the "Millennium"
television series yet will also cover the broad spectrum of phenomena
from which the series draws upon for its subject matter.
The so-called "Millennium lunacy" phenomena has been commented upon
and researched in growing frequency this last decade -- and for
obvious reasons: The year 2,000 is only three years away. The
phenomena labels the cyclic rise and fall of destructive behavior and
beliefs plotted against the year number; yet it has nothing to do with
numerology. It's a matter of the human psychology behind how humans
contrive notions of significance when there are none. The phenomena
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 7 9 Jun 1997
is also called the "silly season" and has been the subject of several
books and magazine articles.
Even though the contemporary calendar is a hodge podge of badly formed
months, weeks, and days, societies ever since the contemporary
calendar was widely adopted have placed great significance to the year
number whenever a new decade, century, or millennium comes along.
Though the year numbers aren't predicated upon any meaningful event or
indicate any meaningful demarcation, when a year number ends with a
zero, a large portion of the so-called "Westernized societies" feel
inclined to believe any damn silly thing and to "prophecy" much
disaster. Sadly, many such believers work hard to bring about their
images of doom and destruction in self-fulfilling prophecy. We
observe the results of such beliefs in our newspapers and on
television news reports.
For a link to the forum, contact me and I'll set it up. I suspect
that this will be a fairly low-volume forum except for times
immediately following some Millennium lunacy --such as repeats of the
"Heaven's Gate" mass suicides which are expected and the violent
activities of self-proclaimed "militias."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Why I bother
by Troy H. Cheek (1:362/708.4)
Some say Fidonet is dead. Obviously, since I'm writing this, and
you're reading it, and it went through Fidonet, then Fidonet isn't
dead. As long as Fidonet isn't dead, it will require people to run
BBS's, maintain nodelists, move messages, and moderate echoes. People
who catch a lot of flak and get very little praise, but people who are
required nonetheless.
I've moderated a few Fidonet echomail conferences over the years for
various reasons. The ones I moderate right now, however, have exactly
one thing in common: They were abandoned without notice by their
previous moderators.
I took over echoes which were "dead" or "dying". You want to hear
something funny? All of them are still active and still on the
backbone. Had I not taken over, it's possible some of these echoes
would no longer exist. But they would not have died because of lack
of interest of the end users; they would have died because nobody with
the proper knowledge bothered to update an echolist entry.
In my mind, there's no doubt that the eventual demise of Fidonet will
_not_ be because there are no longer any end users (lured away by the
promise of the Internet and other factors), but because the people who
do the vital jobs of Fidonet will give them up under the mistaken
impression that they are no longer needed.
Back in the early Fidonet days, the stand-alone BBS was declared dead.
After all, what single BBS could possibly compete with a nation-wide
network? And, hearing this solemn announcement that they were dead,
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 8 9 Jun 1997
BBS's closed shop or joined Fidonet. A funny thing happened on the
way to the funeral, though. Some of the BBS's didn't listen and
continued to operate for as long as they still had callers. Some
operated for years. A few are _still_ operating to this day. And I've
been known to call a few every now and then.
Fidonet has been declared dead, killed by the Internet. In spite of
being dead, there are still a lot of people using it daily. So,
should we close up shop, forcing all these users to find other means
of communication? Or maybe, just maybe, should we keep the doors open
until the message packets actually stop coming in?
By all means hook into the Internet! Learn about the World Wide Web
and news services and electronic mail! Make new friends! Discover
new sources of knowledge! But since you can do all these things
without giving up Fidonet, why do so many people demand we do exactly
that? Are they afraid that if we don't take their word that Fidonet
is dead, instead of waiting for the mail packets to actually quit
coming in, that it just might take years or even decades before
Fidonet really ceases to exist?
As long as I still have access to Fidonet, and as long as there are
still echoes that interest me, I'll keep posting messages. And as
long some of these echoes need somebody to send in echolist entry
updates and perform the various administrivia functions, I'll still be
a moderator.
Troy H. Cheek, VID_GAME Echo Moderator (among others)
--
|Fidonet: Troy H. Cheek 1:362/708.4
|Internet:
[email protected]
|
| Standard disclaimer: The views of this user are strictly his own.
| River Canyon Rd. BBS <=> Chattanooga OnLine! Gateway to the World.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 9 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
Lock and Load: Guerilla Marketing for BBSes
(A Parenthetical Column) (Robert Parson) (1:3822/1)
Every month, a major owner shuts down operations. More operations are
rumored to be on the brink of going under. Everyone moans about the
state of the industry. "The end is near!"
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Sure sounds like BBSes. But it isn't.
This is newspaper.
True, the total number of newspapers is down, as is total circulation.
But revenues are at an all time high. That's because they maximize
their audience. That's consultantspeak for targeting the readership.
Do you really think they created "Food" sections solely because it
would be a nice thing for the reader? No. They were created as a
showcase for grocery ads.
(Printed newspapers will never die, as some people have predicted, but
that's another column for another time)
BBSes can learn an important lesson here. This doesn't mean everyone
should go out and create big "Food" areas on their BBSes (although
we'll get to that shortly). However, you can focus some of your
marketing on specific areas of your BBS.
Many of you have already experienced success with Genealogy areas or
possibly even dedicating your BBS to Genealogical research. Some of
you look at gaming or chatting to draw in callers. But there are
plenty of other topics that are ripe for the pickin'.
Let's get back that "Food" section (this is going to be in a rather
circular fashion, so hang with me.)
Most BBSes have their messages bases numbered in some way or another.
In many cases they are also alphabetized. But for the most part, they
are not organized in any particular way.
Pull together a text file or a bulletin of some sort that puts the
message bases into topic order. Your callers can download this file
or bulletin, do a search for "FOOD" and there will be a list of the
message areas that are food-related. You could also include a few
lines that will point them to files available on your BBS that are
food-related (such as "Search the file section for 'meal' and/or
'recipe'!")
While this doesn't create quite the same atmosphere as a "Food"
section in the newspaper, it gives your callers a fairly easy to
use index of what to look for when they are setting up their mail
readers. (Sure, they can do a word search using the echo list you have
available now, but this way they'll just have to do one search instead
of a bunch.)
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 10 9 Jun 1997
This will also give you a more specific idea of where everything is at
when you do any sort of outside promotions. For instance, you can
declare "Food Month" on your BBS. You can highlight the food message
bases and files in bulletins, local message areas, printed materials,
in a speech to the local culinary society, on a table at the county
fair, maybe even enter the local chili cookoff (using a recipe found
on your BBS, of course).
You can easily create and promote other "virtual sections" as well.
But as I keep saying, you have to do more than leave a message on
other BBSes saying "Come look at my Food Section. Think "out of the
box." That's Bobspeak for get "out of the house." At the very least,
you'll get a tan.
But wait! There's more!
Steve Prado, the Sysop of my Friendly Neighborhood BBS, Jackalope
Junction (1:3822/1) this past week was a guest on KWHN-AM Fort Smith,
AR talking about BBSes and International BBS Week.
The tone of the interview was positive. Steve was able to pass along
some good information, not just about his BBS but others in town and
even a bit about Fidonet. (By the way, he adapted the sample news
release I wrote a few weeks back and sent it to the radio station.
For full disclosure: I happen to work there and did help set up the
interview. But he did the hard work)
Good job, Steve!
Robert Parson
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 11 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
GETTING TECHNICAL
=================================================================
[This is part of the continuing FidoNet History series publishing the
FTSC Standards and Proposal documents. FSC-0079 {RTF} is skipped due
to its length {60K}. These docs have been reformatted to 70 columns
where required and any tables may be askew as a result. High ASCII
characters have been removed or replaced. Node numbers and telephone
numbers may be out of date.] Ed.
| Document: FSC-0080
| Version: 001
| Date: 01 Mar 1995
|
| Mikael Stoldal, 2:201/337
Describing FidoNet with a layered model
Mikael Stoldal, 2:201/337@FidoNet
Introduction
============
FTS-1 tries to describe FidoNet with the OSI model, but I don't think
that description is any good.
I have tried to make a better description of FidoNet with the OSI
model, but without success. I don't think that's possible.
Instead I made my own layered model, inspired from OSI. I use seven
layers with the same name as in OSI, but with Session and Transport
swapped.
Why this model?
===============
The main goal with this model is to make FidoNet more flexible make it
easier to change into newer and better protocols and data structures.
It should be possible to change one layer without affecting the
others.
Description of the layers
=========================
Physical layer
--------------
The telephone network (PSTN).
Link layer
----------
Modem with protocols like V.22 and V.32. This layer also include real-
time error correction (V.42, MNP4) and data compression (V.42bis,
MNP5).
Serial communication hardware (UART).
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 12 9 Jun 1997
Network layer
-------------
Serial communications drivers (FOSSIL) and file transfer protocols
(Zmodem etc). Note that this layer can be divided into two sub-layers,
the file transfer protocol on top on the serial communication driver;
but upper layers can interact with the serial communication driver
directly.
Session layer
-------------
Session handshake protocols (YooHoo, EMSI) implemented in mailers.
This layer can reliably send files directly between two systems. It
doesn't perform any routing. It doesn't know about NetMail, EchoMail
etc.
The upper layers uses logical addresses (node numbers), this layer
performs address resolution (often by using a nodelist) to obtain the
physical address (telephone number) necessary to establish a
connection.
The upper layers can tell if a file should be sent immediately, when
appropriate or be placed on hold.
When files are received, this layer tells the upper layers.
Transport layer
---------------
This layer handles routing and transport of NetMail, EchoMail and file
attaches. The format of mailpackets is defined in this layer, except
the internal structure of a packed message.
A mail processor takes received NetMail and EchoMail and places it in
the local message base. It also looks there for messages to send.
Presentation layer
------------------
Here are the internal structure of a packed message defined.
In TYPE-2, this layer is totally mixed up with the Transport layer. In
new packet formats, they will hopefully be separated.
Application layer
-----------------
Here are the local message base (stored messages) defined.
Interaction between layers
==========================
Interaction between Session layer and Transport layer
-----------------------------------------------------
The Session and Transport layers does only interact between sessions,
not during them. The reason is that is should be possible to keep them
in different programs and implement it in single tasking operating
systems like MS-DOS. This doesn't prevent the Session and Transport
layers from running simultaneously in a multitasking system.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 13 9 Jun 1997
Comments
========
There is one problem with this model, how to describe the File Request
server function. Sending File Requests are no problems, that's just a
File Attach with a *.REQ file. The File Request server function have
to be implemented directly in the Session layer.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
| Document: FSC-0081 Part A
| Version: 001
| Date: 01 Mar 1995
|
| Mikael Stoldal, 2:201/337
A TYPE-3 Packet proposal
Mikael Stoldal, 2:201/337@FidoNet
Status of this document
=======================
Copyright (C) 1992-1994 by Mikael Stoldal.
This document may be freely distributed and copied. The standard
described may be implemented by anybody. You may not distribute
modified versions of this document without written permission from the
author.
Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings and Fido
Software.
Introduction
============
This is a proposal on a new packet format for use in FidoNet and other
FTNs (FTN = FidoNet Technology Network). This format can be used for
both NetMail (private point-to-point mail) and EchoMail (electronic
conferences).
This document defines the transport layer. It also includes a
presentation layer definition, but that can be changed without
affecting the transport layer. It also includes a application layer
(stored messages) definition,
but it's not mandatory.
This packet format conforms with FSC-39, rev 4. It has the PktType
field in the header at the same position as TYPE-2 and it contains a
capability word at the same position as TYPE-2+ (but no CW validation
copy). The packet header has also the same size as in TYPE-2. This
should make it easy to implement mail-processors supporting both TYPE-
2 and TYPE-3.
This packet format separates the header from the message data and the
header is extensible. A mail processor (the transport layer) doesn't
have to look at the message data.
This format eliminates most kludges currently used in TYPE-2.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 14 9 Jun 1997
This packet format allows multiple AreaTags in EchoMail.
This packet format is much more extensible than TYPE-2 and is probably
easier to implement.
This packet format allows up to 4 GigaBytes large messages and allows
binary data in messages, this makes it possible to implement
multimedia capabilities in the future.
Definitions
===========
Characters
----------
In this document, literal characters are written as two uppercase
hexadecimal (base 16, 0..9A..F) digits following by lowercase h, e.g.
"1Fh". The following abbreviations are used: "NUL" means 00h, "CR"
means 0Dh and "space" means 20h (the quotation marks are not
included).
Basic data types
----------------
Name Length Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ShortInt 1 8-bit unsigned integer.
Integer 2 16-bit unsigned integer, Intel 8086 byte order.
LongInt 4 32-bit unsigned integer, Intel 8086 byte order.
Byte 1 Field of 8 bits.
Word 2 Field of 16 bits, Intel 8086 byte order.
String[n] n Fixed length string of n bytes, NUL-padded.
String{n} max n Variable length string of max n bytes, NUL-
terminated.
n includes the terminating NUL.
String Variable length string, not terminated.
Address
-------
Field Type Description
Range
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Zone Integer Zone address.
1..65535
Net Integer Net address.
1..65535
Node Integer Node address.
0..65535
Point Integer Point address or zero if boss.
0..65535
FTN address in text format
--------------------------
An FTN address in text format must, unless otherwise stated, be in the
Zone:Net/Node[.Point] format, where .Point must be excluded if point
is zero, included otherwise.
TimeStamp
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 15 9 Jun 1997
---------
A LongInt which contains the number of seconds since 00:00:00 1st
January 1970 UTC.
Organization
------------
An organization is a network such as FidoNet, VirNet, SigNet or
InterNet. It's sometimes called "domain", but I use the term
organization to avoid confusion with InterNet domains.
Reserved
--------
All fields marked "reserved for future extension" must be zeroed when
creating/writing and ignored when reading. They might be defined by
future revisions of this document.
Filenames
=========
It's recommended to use the naming scheme in FTS-LIST, for both
NetMail and EchoMail. There should be no problem with using the same
name space for TYPE-2 and TYPE-3 packets because the packet headers
are enough compatible.
Packet format
=============
Packet header
Zero or any number of data records.
00h 00h
The first two bytes of a data record is used to check for the end of a
packet. If both are zero, the end is reached (and the rest, if any,
should be ignored).
Packet header
=============
Field Type Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PktOrig Address The node who created this packet.
PktDest Address The node who should receive this packet.
SubType Integer Packet contents (see below).
PktType Integer Always 3.
PktDate TimeStamp When the packet was created.
ProdCode Integer FTSC Product Code.
Programs without Product Code must use
65535.
MajorVer ShortInt Major product version.
MinorVer ShortInt Minor product version.
Org String[16] Organization (see below).
CapWord Word Capability Word (see FSC-39).
Password String[8] Packet password.
ExtraInfo String[4] Reserved for future extension.
SubType
-------
Defines what the packet contains.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 16 9 Jun 1997
If this field is zero, data record is defined by the "Packed message"
part of this document. If this field is non-zero, data record is not
defined by this document.
This field can be used for two things. The first is to define new
packet types without having to use a new packet header. The second is
to allow distribution of other things than Email.
Organization
------------
This field contains the name of the organization the packet travels
in. This field applies to both PktOrig and PktDest since packets are
intra-organization.
Packed message
==============
The messages should be in chronological order in a packet.
Field Type Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
HeadSize Integer Size of the message header (see below).
MsgFlags Word Message flags (see below).
MsgDate TimeStamp When the message was created.
MsgID LongInt Unique message identifier (see below).
ReplyID LongInt Reply linkage information (see below).
MsgLength LongInt Size of MsgData.
MsgOrig Address The node who created this message.
MsgDest Address The node who should receive this message.
CharSet ShortInt Character set (see below).
MsgType ShortInt Type of MsgData (see below).
Area String{255} AreaTag(s) (see below).
OrigAddr String{255} Origin address in text format (see
below).
ReplyAddr String{255} Reply linkage information (see below).
FromUser String{255} Who wrote this message?
ToUser String{255} To whom?
Subject String{255} Subject or one filename
(for file attaches and requests).
Path String{65535} Path (see below).
HeadExt String Header extension fields (see below).
MsgData String Message data (see below).
HeadSize
--------
The total size of the message header (all fields except MsgData).
Since this is an Integer, the header can't be bigger than 65535 bytes
and Path can never reach it's maximum length (how big it can be
depends on how big the rest of the header is).
Message flags
-------------
Bit Flag Meaning
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0 Pvt Private message.
1 File File attach message.
2 FileReq File request message.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 17 9 Jun 1997
3 UpdReq File update request message.
4 Direct Do not route this message.
5 Crash High priority mail.
6 Hold Hold for pickup.
7 IMM Immediate mail (highest priority).
8 RRQ Return receipt request (see below).
9 CRQ Confirm receipt request (see below).
10 IRR Is return receipt (see below).
11 Machine Message to a program (see below).
12 NoForCC CC in NetMail, NoForward in EchoMail (see below).
13 Permanent Message must not be purged by age (see below).
14 Foreign Message is from another organization.
15 reserved Reserved for future extension.
RRQ, CRQ and IRR
----------------
The RRQ and CRQ flags without IRR is used to ask the software at the
final destination to generate a receipt message to the sender. The
receipt to an RRQ flagged message must be generated when the message
is received, and this receipt must have the IRR and RRQ flags set. The
receipt to a CRQ flagged message must be generated when it has been
read by its addressee, and this receipt must have the IRR and CRQ
flags set.
A receipt must have the ReplyAddr and ReplyID fields set as if it was
a reply to the original message.
It's up to each network's policy to decide if all systems must support
this, no system are allowed to support this or all systems are allowed
but not forced to support this.
Machine
-------
The Machine flag indicates that this message is addressed to a program
and not a human. A mail processor should store such messages as
defined in the "Stored message" section later in this document so the
program doesn't have to support 4711 different message base formats.
The name of the program must be in the ToUser field.
Carbon Copy
-----------
The CC flag is used for sending a NetMail message to several nodes.
Which nodes is determined by the MsgDest field.
If the message is addressed to a Zone Coordinator, the message is
destined for all nodes in that zone. If the message is addressed to a
Region Coordinator, the message is destined for all nodes in that
region. If the message is addressed to a Net Coordinator, the message
is destined for all nodes in that net. If the message is addressed to
a HUB, the message is destined for all nodes under that HUB.
If the receiver of a CC message have other coordinators (or HUBs)
below, it must send the message to them as CC's too.
If the ToUser field is empty the message is considered to be addressed
to the SysOp and the name is taken from the nodelist (or set to
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 18 9 Jun 1997
"SysOp"). This must be done by the system immediate before the
destination (usually the destination's HUB).
Permanent
---------
This flag indicates that the message must not be removed when old
messages is cleaned out.
A new message with this flag automatically erase an old message with
the same data in the Subject field. If you want to erase a permanent
message without replacing it with a new, then post an empty message
with the Permanent flag and the appropriate data in the Subject field.
This flag can only be used in EchoMail.
OrigAddr
--------
This field must contain the true origin address of the message in text
format followed by an "@" (40h) and the name of the originating
organization.
Message ID
----------
The origin address and MsgID fields are used as a unique message
identifier. How the MsgID field is generated is left to the
implementor, but it must be unique for each message generated on a
given node in at least three years. MsgID must normally not be zero,
zero is used to indicate lack of Message-ID. With this system these
two fields together is unique for every message, and can be used for
duplicate detection and other things.
Reply linkage information
-------------------------
In a reply the ReplyAddr and ReplyID fields must be identical to the
origin address, and MsgID fields in the replied message. A message
which is not a reply must have these fields empty. Use the ReplyAddr
field to check this.
Area
----
A list of one or more AreaTags in EchoMail, just a NUL in NetMail. If
the list contains more than one tag, they are separated by space. 00h
through 1Fh are not allowed in this field (except NUL as the
terminator).
Path
----
This field contains a series of addresses separated by space. The
first system must place its address in this field and every system
that routes the message must add its address to this field,
Note that the first address in this field and the address in the
MsgOrig field doesn't have to be the same.
The first address must be the origin address in this format:
zone:net/node.point@organization
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 19 9 Jun 1997
In the other addresses organization, zone, net and node must be
omitted if same as the previous address.
The other addresses must be in one of these formats:
zone:net/node.point@organization
zone:net/node.point
net/node.point
node.point
.point
.point must be excluded if point is zero, except when .0 stands alone.
Example:
1:123/324@FidoNet sends a routed NetMail message to 2:224/546.5;
1:123/300, 1:123/0, 1:12/0, 1:1/2, 2:22/888, 2:22/0, 2:224/0,
2:224/546 and 2:224/546.3 routes the message (in that order). The path
field must in this case be "1:123/324@FidoNet 300 0 12/0 1/2 2:22/888
0 224/0 546 .3" when
2:224/546.5 receives the message. Note that the message is routed via
a point, that might not be so common but it's technically possible.
In EchoMail, the Path field can also contain addresses suffixed by an
exclamation mark ("!", 21h). This means that that node hasn't routed
the message, but the message has been sent to him. Similar to SEEN-
BY's in FTS-4. However, this should only be used when necessary.
Never send an EchoMail message to a node listed in the Path field;
regardless if the address is suffixed by an exclamation mark or not.
If the message originates in a non-FTN organization, the name of the
origin organization prefixed by an "@" (40h) must be placed before the
address of the gateway. In such cases there may also be some other FTN
addresses before the non-FTN organization name if the message have
travelled from an FTN, via a non-FTN and to a FTN again.
Example:
[email protected] in InterNet sends a routed NetMail message to
1:222/345 in FidoNet via the gateway 1:222/111 and 1:222/300. The path
field must in this case be "@InterNet 1:222/111@FidoNet 300" when
2:222/345 receives the message.
If there's not enough room to update the Path field (add what you
should and have at least two bytes left), put a single "$" (24h) in it
instead (and a space between it and the last address).
This field has the same format as the PTH line specified in FSC-44
(except the "$"). Read FSC-44 for more information.
HeadExt
-------
This field contains zero or more NUL-terminated strings. The end of
this field can be determined by the HeadSize field, but there must be
a NUL after the last string anyway. If there are no strings here,
there must not be any NUL either.
Each string here is a header extension field. A header extension field
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 20 9 Jun 1997
contains a keyword followed by a space and some data. A header
extension field can contain only a keyword with no data, in such case
a space must not be used either.
Inter-organization messages
---------------------------
To send a message to an other organization place the final address in
text format followed by an "@" (40h) and the name of the destination
organization in a header extension field with the keyword "DEST" and
address the message to a gateway.
If the message must travel over more than one organization-border, the
addresses to each gateway can be pointed out by header extension
fields with the keyword "ROUTE". ROUTE fields contains addresses in
the same format as DEST lines. The order of the ROUTE fields is
important and the DEST field must be after the ROUTE field(s). When
the gateway pointed by a ROUTE field processes the message it must
change "ROUTE" to "ROUTD".
Note: The gateway from your organization are pointed out by the
MsgDest field so there must not be a ROUTE field for that gateway.
Example:
You are 34:65/12@StrangeNet and want to send a message to
[email protected] in InterNet. StrangeNet hasn't got any gateway
to InterNet, but FidoNet has gateways to both StrangeNet and InterNet.
In that case the message may have the following header extension
fields:
ROUTE 1:1/20@FidoNet
DEST
[email protected]@InterNet
Messages from other organizations (NetMail or EchoMail doesn't matter)
must have their origin addresses (including @organization as mentioned
before) stored in the OrigAddr field and the Foreign flag set. The
MsgOrig field in the header must contain the address of a
bidirectional gateway.
The MsgID field must be generated using the message-ID in the
originating organization, if that is possible. If the originating
network doesn't have any message-ID that can be used to create the
MsgID field, the MsgID field must be set to zero. If two identical
messages (with identical message-ID) enters an FTN organization at two
different gateways, they should get the same MsgID. The same counts
for ReplyID. ReplyAddr must also be transferred if present in the
original message.
If the other organization uses a message-ID format that can't be
transparently mapped to MsgID, a ORIGID header extension field is
created with a direct copy of the original message-ID (both address
and serial number). The same is done with reply-linkage information in
a ORIGREF header extension field. This information is used if the
message should be gated back to the original network.
Example with message from InterNet:
ORIGID <
[email protected]>
ORIGREF <
[email protected]>
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 21 9 Jun 1997
Message routing
---------------
The transport layer (including intermediate systems (systems handling
in-transit messages)) are not allowed to change anything in the
MsgDate, MsgID, ReplyID, MsgLength, CharSet, MsgType, OrigAddr,
ReplyAddr, FromUser, ToUser, Subject and MsgData fields. No flags may
be changed by the transport layer except the Foreign flag at gateways.
The only exception is if the message have to be converted to another
packet type.
An intermediate system must update the Path field, both in NetMail and
EchoMail.
In EchoMail, the Area field may be changed.
An intermediate system are allowed to add or change header extension
fields.
An intermediate system can add a header extension field with the
keyword "Via". The Via field contains information about the system and
when it processed the message. It's up to each network's policy to
decide if this is allowed in NetMail, EchoMail or both.
If the header is changed, the HeadSize field must be updated.
EchoMail
--------
This section lists the changes to FTS-4 needed to implement EchoMail
with this packet format.
SEEN-BY lines are not to be used. The Path field is used instead of
PATH lines. The Area field is used instead of the AREA line. The
MsgOrig and OrigAddr fields must contain the origin addresses of the
message. A unaddressed EchoMail message must have the ToUser field
empty, unless there is a good reason to put something there.
The MsgDest field must be used as in NetMail. If you receive a
EchoMail message not addressed to any of you addresses, you must
handle it as in-transit NetMail. This makes it possible to route
EchoMail through nodes not connected to the area. This can be
performed inter-organization as well.
Since the lack of complete SEEN-BY's, an EchoMail processor must use
the single-pass technique. That means that it must export a message to
all its downlinks at the same time as it tosses the message, before it
goes into the local message base (it doesn't even have to get there if
the area is pass-through). With this technique the tosser can do what
ever it wants with the message before it stores it in the local
message base since the message will never get out of it again (except
when a rescan function is invoked, but the requesting system will have
to stand that).
A system which receives an EchoMail message with the NoForward flag
set must not export that message. This flag is indented for EchoMail
processors with a rescan function, all rescanned messages must have
the NoForward flag set.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 22 9 Jun 1997
The tear and origin lines have no technical meaning (the origin
address is stored elsewhere) so no program is forced to create them.
Additionally, a program must not require them.
To distinguish EchoMail from NetMail, check the Area field. NetMail
messages have empty Area fields.
Cross-posting a message in several areas is preformed by storing
multiple AreaTags in the Area field. If some of your downlinks don't
have all the areas listed in the Area field then you must remove the
AreaTags for the areas they don't have. All copies must still have the
same MsgID. If you receive several messages with the same MsgID but
different Area then you must join them into a single message and put
all different AreaTags in the Area field (but not the same twice).
Compare all fields in the header up to and including Subject (except
Area) and not only MsgID.
When preforming dupchecking with MsgID, compare all fields in the
header up to and including Subject and not only MsgID.
CharSet
-------
Value Character set
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1..99 ISO 8859 (8 bit)
100 ISO 10646 16 bit (Unicode)
101..149 Reserved for other 16 bit character sets
150 ISO 10646 32 bit
151 PC8-437 (The Original)
152 PC8-850 (Multilingual)
153 PC8-852 (Slavic)
154 PC8-860 (Portuguese)
155 PC8-863 (Canadian-French)
156 PC8-865 (Nordic)
157..199 Reserved for other 8 bit character sets
200..255 reserved
PC8 means IBM's codepage (8 bit).
CharSet=1 means ISO 8859-1 (Latin-1), CharSet=2 means ISO 8859-2 and
so on.
CharSet concerns FromUser, ToUser and Subject. It may also concern
MsgData.
Combined characters are built by 02h followed by a modifier and the
base character. If you can't display the combined character, just
ignore the modifier and display the base character unmodified. A
combined character contains three bytes and are counted as three
bytes. See FSC-51 for more information on this. There are a few things
in FSC-51 that doesn't apply to this format: this method is allowed on
all 8 bit character sets, not only Latin-1, and the byte values 80h
through 9Fh are allowed. This can only be used for 8 bit character
sets. Combined character can be used in FromUser, ToUser and Subject,
it may also be allowed in MsgData.
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 23 9 Jun 1997
MsgLength, MsgType and MsgData
------------------------------
If the MsgData field contains nothing (MsgLength is zero), it's an
empty message. An empty message must be forwarded and routed as any
other message. An empty message must not be stored in the local
message base (but read about the Permanent flag).
If MsgType is zero, MsgData is defined by the "Message text" part of
this document.
If MsgType is non-zero, the MsgData field is not defined by this
document.
Message text
============
This part defines the presentation layer.
The CharSet field in the header concerns the message text except
binary extension fields. Combined characters can be used in the
message text except in binary extension fields.
If a 16 or 32 bit character set is used all characters are two or four
bytes so all control codes must be prefixed by 00h or 00h 00h 00h. The
bytes alone can be in printable character. The length of binary
extension fields is still counted in bytes.
All 256 byte values (including NUL) are accepted in the message text.
00h through 1Fh are control codes and must not be used to represent
printable characters.
A paragraph (also called "physical line") is ended with CR.
8Dh (sometimes called "Soft CR") must not be used as a line separator
since it represents a printable character in some character sets.
01h first at a physical line (i.e. the first character of the message
text or the character immediately after a CR) means that this line is
a extension line. See below for more information.
00h first at a physical line (except in another binary extension
field) indicates the start of an long binary extension field. 00h is
followed by a LongInt and up to almost 4 GigaBytes of binary data. A
binary extension field is not terminated in any way, it's length is
stored in the LongInt (the 00h and the LongInt itself is not included
in the length).
15h first at a physical line (except in another binary extension
field) indicates the start of an short binary extension field. 15h is
followed by a ShortInt and up to 255 bytes of binary data. A binary
extension field is not terminated in any way, it's length is stored in
the ShortInt (the 15h and the Integer itself is not included in the
length).
Attributes:
03h = Turn off all attributes
04h = Bold
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 24 9 Jun 1997
05h = Italic
06h = Underline
17h = All caps (lower case letters as small caps)
19h = Subscript
1Ah = Superscript
1Ch = Blinking
1Dh = Inverted
1Eh = Concealed
Subscript automatically turns off superscript and vice versa. All
other attributes can be used together. If an attribute already is on,
it's turned off by the same code again. If your system doesn't support
an attribute, just ignore it. CR turns off all attributes.
To quote a message begin a physical line with 1Fh followed by the
initials of the person you are quoting and another 1Fh. Use just two
1Fh if you don't want any initials. Successive quoting is marked with
more 1Fh:s immediate after the two first ones. A quote is ended with
CR. It's up to each implementor to decide how to display quoted text,
but it must be possible to distinguish it from normal text. It's
recommended to display it in another color if possible. You must
translate the quote to the same character set used in the rest of the
message.
The last paragraph of the message text must be terminated by a CR
(i.e. the last character of the message text must be a CR unless a
binary extension field is last).
Extension lines
---------------
An extension line contains a keyword followed by a space and some
data. A extension line can contain only a keyword with no data, in
such case a space must not be used either. An extension line is ended
like a paragraph.
Extension lines may not contain 00h through 1Fh. If you want binary
data, use a binary extension field instead.
Extension lines are control information any should not be displayed to
the user. If you want "hidden lines", then use the Concealed attribute
rather than an extension line.
Information that is relevant for the transport layer must be placed in
a header extension field rather than in an extension line.
Extension lines can be useful for describing a binary extension field.
Currently defined extension lines
---------------------------------
A extension line with the keyword FILE is used for sending files
embedded in the message text. The keyword is followed by a eight digit
uppercase hexadecimal number containing a TimeStamp for the file, a
space and the filename. The filename can contain all chars valid for
extension lines (including space) and must be at least 1 char and at
most 255 chars. The file is stored in a binary extension field
immediate after the FILE line. Examples:
FILE AB34F657 FILE.EXT
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 25 9 Jun 1997
FILE 1234ABCD This is a filename
Stored message
==============
This is a description of the application layer, the local message
base.
It is recommended to use this format to store NetMail messages
locally. It can also be used for EchoMail, but that's not necessary.
Each message is stored as a single file which must have a hexadecimal
number from 00000001 to FFFFFFFF as the base name and the extension
MS3 (to distinguish from TYPE-2 stored messages).
Messages can be stored in two ways. Either the same way as TYPE-2 with
one directory for each area (including NetMail), in that case the Area
field must be empty in all messages. Or all messages in the same
directory with the area field used to indicate what/which area the
message belongs to (or empty to indicate NetMail). The second format
is useful if you normally store EchoMail in an other format and only
use this format for messages with the Machine flag.
Field Type Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SRdate TimeStamp When the message was sent or received
(see below).
ReplyTo LongInt Message which this replies (see below).
Reply1st LongInt First reply to this message (see below).
ReplyNext LongInt Next reply to this message (see below).
LocalFlags Word Local flags (see below).
Cost Integer Cost of sending in the lowest currency
unit.
HeadSize Integer Size of the message header (see below).
MsgFlags Word Same as packed message.
MsgDate TimeStamp Same as packed message.
MsgID LongInt Same as packed message.
ReplyID LongInt Same as packed message.
MsgLength LongInt Same as packed message.
MsgOrig Address Same as packed message.
MsgDest Address Same as packed message.
CharSet ShortInt Same as packed message.
MsgType ShortInt Same as packed message.
Area String{255} AreaTag(s) (see above).
OrigAddr String{255} Same as packed message.
ReplyAddr String{255} Same as packed message.
FromUser String{255} Same as packed message.
ToUser String{255} Same as packed message.
Subject String{255} Same as packed message.
Path String{65535} Path (see below).
HeadExt String Same as packed message.
MsgData String Same as packed message.
HeadSize
--------
The total size of the message header (all fields except MsgData).
Since this is an Integer, the header can't be bigger than 65535 bytes
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 26 9 Jun 1997
and Path can never reach it's maximum length (how big it can be
depends on how big the rest of the header is).
Please note that this won't contain the same value when the same
message is placed in a packet because SRdate, LocalFlags, ReplyTo,
Areply and Cost isn't included then and Area might not have the same
length.
Local flags
-----------
Bit Flag Meaning
----------------------------------------------------------------------
0 Local Message is created locally.
1 InTransit Message is not destined for this system.
2 Orphan Unknown destination.
3 KillSent Remove message after it has been sent.
4 DelSent Delete attached file(s) after they have been sent.
5 TruncSent Truncate attached file(s) after they have been
sent.
6 Sent Message has been sent.
7 Read Message has been read by the SysOp.
8 Rcvd Message has been read by its addressee.
9 Lock Lock the message for further access.
10 DontSend Do not send the actual message but send attached
files, make file requests and poll the destination
if necessary.
11 unused Reserved for future extension.
12 unused Reserved for future extension.
13 unused Reserved for future extension.
14 unused Reserved for future extension.
15 unused Reserved for future extension.
Note that "sent" also can mean "picked up".
SRdate
------
The meaning of this field is determined by the Local and Sent flags.
Local but not Sent: Meaningless, must be zero.
Local and Sent: When the message was sent or picked up.
Not Local: When the message arrived to this system.
Reply linking
-------------
The ReplyTo field points at the message which the current message
replies. The Reply1st field points at the first reply to the current
message (the reply with lowest number); a messages with no replies
must have this field set to zero. The ReplyNext field points at the
next reply the same message as the current message; this field must be
zero if there are no more replies to the message the current message.
A message which is no reply must have the ReplyTo and ReplyNext fields
set to zero.
With this system there is possible to keep track of an unlimited
number of replies to any message.
Path
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 27 9 Jun 1997
----
If the local flag is set, this field must be empty. It's the mail
processors responsibility to insert the address here when placing the
message in a packet.
When the mail processor tosses an incoming message, it must copy the
Path field from the packet.
Control file
------------
In each message directory (both EchoMail and NetMail) there must be a
file named LASTREAD. When an area is renumbered, this file must be
updated.
Field Type Description
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LastRead LongInt The last message read.
HighRead LongInt The highest message read.
HighWater LongInt High-water mark (only used with EchoMail).
This field is used by the EchoMail
processor to store the number of the last
scanned message.
Notes
=====
If you are implementing this and something confuses you, ask someone
who knows. Please don't guess how it should be.
Credits
=======
Thanks to Krister Hansson-Renuad, Johan Olofsson, Nils Hammar, Jonas
Hogstrom, Mats Gefvert and others who have helped me developing this.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 28 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
COORDINATORS CORNER
=================================================================
Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 157
By Ward Dossche, 2:292/854
ZC/2
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
|Zone|Nl-129|Nodelist-136|Nodelist-143|Nodelist-150|Nodelist-157|%%|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 1 | 8430| 8367 -63 | 8277 -90 | 8277 0 | 8182 -95 |31|
| 2 | 15904|15879 -25 |15855 -24 |15835 -20 |15774 -61 |60|
| 3 | 800| 800 0 | 761 -39 | 765 4 | 758 -7 | 3|
| 4 | 543| 543 0 | 543 0 | 543 0 | 519 -24 | 2|
| 5 | 87| 87 0 | 87 0 | 87 0 | 87 0 | 0|
| 6 | 1083| 1083 0 | 1077 -6 | 1078 1 | 1078 0 | 4|
+----+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+--+
| 26847|26759 -88 |26600 -159 |26585 -15 |26398 -187 |
+------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 29 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
NET HUMOR
=================================================================
Date: Sun, 25 May 1997 22:08:50 -0700
From: Shari <
[email protected]>
Organization: OREGON - USA
To:
[email protected]
CC:
[email protected]
Subject: NEVERMORE
Sender:
[email protected]
Reply-To:
[email protected]
Once upon a midnight dreary, fingers cramped and vision bleary,
System manuals piled high and wasted paper on the floor,
Longing for the warmth of bedsheets,
Still I sat there, doing spreadsheets:
Having reached the bottom line,
I took a floppy from the drawer.
Typing with a steady hand, I then invoked the SAVE command
But got instead a reprimand: it read "Abort, Retry, Ignore."
Was this some occult illusion? Some maniacal intrusion?
These were choices Solomon himself had never faced before.
Carefully, I weighed my options.
These three seemed to be the top ones.
Clearly, I must now adopt one:
Choose Abort, Retry, Ignore.
With my fingers pale and trembling,
Slowly toward the keyboard bending,
Longing for a happy ending, hoping all would be restored,
Praying for some guarantee
Finally I pressed a key --
But on the screen what did I see?
Again: "Abort, Retry, Ignore."
I tried to catch the chips off-guard --
I pressed again, but twice as hard.
Luck was just not in the cards.
I saw what I had seen before.
Now I typed in desperation
Trying random combinations
Still there came the incantation:
Choose: Abort, Retry, Ignore.
There I sat, distraught, exhausted, by my own machine
accosted Getting up I turned away and paced across the
office floor. And then I saw an awful sight:
A bold and blinding flash of light --
A lightning bolt had cut the night and shook me to my very core.
I saw the screen collapse and die
"Oh no -- my database", I cried
I thought I heard a voice reply,
"You'll see your data Nevermore."
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 30 9 Jun 1997
To this day I do not know
The place to which lost data goes
I bet it goes to heaven where the angels have it stored.
But as for productivity, well
I fear that it goes straight to hell
And that's the tale I have to tell
Your choice: Abort, Retry, Ignore.
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 31 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
Future History
12 Jun 1997
Independence Day, Russia.
1 Jul 1997
Canada Day - Happy Birthday Canada.
9 Jul 1997
Independence Day, Argentina.
1 Aug 1997
International FidoNet PENPAL [Echo] meeting in Dijon, France
13 Oct 1997
Thanksgiving Day, Canada.
1 Dec 1997
World AIDS Day.
10 Dec 1997
Nobel Day, Sweden.
12 Jan 1998
HAL 9000 is one year old today.
22 May 1998
Expo '98 World Exposition in Lisbon (Portugal) opens.
1 Dec 1998
Fifteenth Anniversary of release of Fido version 1 by
Tom Jennings.
31 Dec 1999
Hogmanay, Scotland. The New Year that can't be missed.
1 Jan 2000
The 20th Century, C.E., is still taking place thru 31 Dec.
15 Sep 2000
Sydney (Australia) Summer Olympiad opens.
1 Jan 2001
This is the actual start of the new millennium, C.E.
-- If YOU have something which you would like to see in this
Future History, please send a note to the FidoNews Editor.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 32 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING
=================================================================
[The SOF Keeper is out of town this week. Here's last week's
edition.] Ed.
Latest Greatest Software Versions
by Peter E. Popovich, 1:363/264
A fairly quiet week around here. Things seems to be settling down into
some sense of order...
-=- Snip -=-
Submission form for the Latest Greatest Software Versions column
OS Platform :
Software package name :
Version :
Function(s) - BBS, Mailer, Tosser, etc. :
Freeware / Shareware / Commercial? :
Author / Support staff contact name :
Author / Support staff contact node :
Magic name (at the above-listed node) :
Please include a sentence describing what the package does.
Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264
-=- Snip -=-
MS-DOS:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Act-Up 4.6 G D Chris Gunn 1:15/55 ACT-UP
ALLFIX 4.40 T S Harald Harms 2:281/415 ALLFIX
Announcer 1.11 O S Peter Karlsson 2:206/221 ANNOUNCE
BGFAX 1.60 O S B.J. Guillot 1:106/400 BGFAX
Binkley Docs 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BDOC_260.ZIP
BinkleyTerm 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BDOS_260.ZIP
BinkleyTerm-XE XR4 M F Thomas Waldmann 2:2474/400 BTXE_DOS
CFRoute 0.92 O G C. Fernandez Sanz 2:341/70 CFR
CheckPnt 1.0a O G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 CHECKPNT
FastEcho 1.45a T S Tobias Burchhardt 2:2448/400 FASTECHO
FastEcho/16 1.45a T S Tobias Burchhardt 2:2448/400 FE16
FidoBBS (tm) 12u B S Ray Brown 1:1/117 FILES
FrontDoor 2.12 M S JoHo 2:201/330 FD
FrontDoor 2.20c M C JoHo 2:201/330 FDINFO
GEcho 1.00 T S Bob Seaborn 1:140/12 GECHO
GEcho/Plus 1.11 T C Bob Seaborn 1:140/12 GECHO
GEcho/Pro 1.20 T C Bob Seaborn 1:140/12 GECHO
GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 INFO
GoldED 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GED
GoldED/386 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEX
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 33 9 Jun 1997
GoldED Docs 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEM
GoldNODE 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEN
Imail 1.75 T S Michael McCabe 1:1/121 IMAIL
ImCrypt 1.04 O G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 IMCRYPT
InfoMail/86 1.21 O F Damian Walker 2:2502/666 INFOMAIL
InfoMail/386 1.21 O F Damian Walker 2:2502/666 INFO386
InterEcho 1.19 T C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IEDEMO
InterMail 2.29k M C Peter Stewart 1:369/35 IMDEMO
InterPCB 1.52 O S Peter Stewart 1:369/35 INTERPCB
IPNet 1.11 O S Michele Stewart 1:369/21 IPNET
JD's CBV 1.4 O S John Dailey 1:363/277 CBV
Jelly-Bean 1.01 T S Rowan Crowe 3:635/727 JELLY
Jelly-Bean/386 1.01 T S Rowan Crowe 3:635/727 JELLY386
JMail-Hudson 2.81 T S Jason Steck 1:285/424 JMAIL-H
JMail-Goldbase 2.81 T S Jason Steck 1:285/424 JMAIL-G
MakePl 1.9 N G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 MAKEPL
Marena 1.1 beta O G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 MARENA
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAX
McMail 1.0 M S Michael McCabe 1:1/148 MCMAIL
MDNDP 1.18 N S Bill Doyle 1:388/7 MDNDP
Msged 4.10 O G Andrew Clarke 3:635/728 MSGED41D.ZIP
Msged/386 4.10 O G Andrew Clarke 3:635/728 MSGED41X.ZIP
Opus CBCS 1.79 B P Christopher Baker 1:374/14 OPUS
O/T-Track 2.66 O S Peter Hampf 2:241/1090 OT
PcMerge 2.8 N G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 PCMERGE
PlatinumXpress 1.3 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PX13TD.ZIP
QuickBBS 2.81 B S Ben Schollnick 1:2613/477 QUICKBBS
RAR 2.00 C S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 RAR
RemoteAccess 2.50 B S Mark Lewis 1:3634/12 RA
Silver Xpress
Door 5.4 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 FILES
Reader 4.4 O S Gary Petersen 1:290/111 SXR44.ZIP
Spitfire 3.51 B S Mike Weaver 1:3670/3 SPITFIRE
Squish 1.11 T P Tech 1:249/106 SQUISH
StealTag UK 1.c... O F Fred Schenk 2:284/412 STEAL_UK
StealTag NL 1.c... O F Fred Schenk 2:284/412 STEAL_NL
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAIL
Telegard 3.02 B F Tim Strike 1:259/423 TELEGARD
Terminate 4.00 O S Bo Bendtsen 2:254/261 TERMINATE
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
TosScan 1.01 T C JoHo 2:201/330 TSINFO
TransNet 1.00 G S Marc S. Ressl 4:904/72 TN100ALL.ZIP
TriBBS 11.0 B S Gary Price 1:3607/26 TRIBBS
TriDog 11.0 T F Gary Price 1:3607/26 TRIDOG
TriToss 11.0 T S Gary Price 1:3607/26 TRITOSS
WaterGate 0.92 G S Robert Szarka 1:320/42 WTRGATE
WWIV 4.24a B S Craig Dooley 1:376/126 WWIV
WWIVTOSS 1.36 T S Craig Dooley 1:376/126 WWIVTOSS
xMail 2.00 T S Thorsten Franke 2:2448/53 XMAIL
XRobot 3.01 O S JoHo 2:201/330 XRDOS
OS/2:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ALLFIX/2 1.10 T S Harald Harms 2:281/415 AFIXOS2
BGFAX 1.60 O S B.J. Guillot 1:106/400 BGFAX
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 34 9 Jun 1997
Binkley Docs 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BDOC_260.ZIP
BinkleyTerm 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BOS2_260.ZIP
BinkleyTerm-XE XR4 M F Thomas Waldmann 2:2474/400 BTXE_OS2
CFRoute 0.92 O G C. Fernandez Sanz 2:341/70 CFR
FastEcho 1.45a T S Tobias Burchhardt 2:2448/400 FE2
FleetStreet 1.19 O S Michael Hohner 2:2490/2520 FLEET
GEcho/Pro 1.20 T C Bob Seaborn 1:140/12 GECHO
GIGO 07-14-96 G S Jason Fesler 1:1/141 INFO
GoldED 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEO
GoldED Docs 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEM
GoldNODE 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEN
ImCrypt 1.04 O G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 IMCRYPT
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAXP
Msged/2 4.10 O G Andrew Clarke 3:635/728 MSGED41O.ZIP
PcMerge 2.3 N G Michiel vd Vlist 2:500/9 PCMERGE
RAR 2.00 C S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 RAR2
Squish 1.11 T P Tech 1:249/106 SQUISHP
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAIL2
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
XRobot 3.01 O S JoHo 2:201/330 XROS2
Windows (16-bit apps):
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BeeMail 1.0 M C Andrius Cepaitis 2:470/1 BEEMAIL
FrontDoor APX 1.12 P S Mats Wallin 2:201/329 FDAPXW
Windows (32-bit apps):
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Argus 95 2.62 M S Max Masyutin 2:469/77 ARGUS95
Argus NT 2.62 M S Max Masyutin 2:469/77 ARGUSNT
Argus NT/IP 2.62 M S Max Masyutin 2:469/77 ARGUSIP
BeeMail 1.0 M C Andrius Cepaitis 2:470/1 BEEMAIL
Binkley Docs 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BDOC_260.ZIP
BinkleyTerm 2.60 M F Bob Juge 1:1/102 BW32_260.ZIP
CFRoute 0.92 O G C. Fernandez Sanz 2:341/70 CFR
GoldED 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEO
GoldED Docs 2.50 O S Len Morgan 1:203/730 GEM
Maximus 3.01 B P Tech 1:249/106 MAXN
Msged/NT 4.10 O G Andrew Clarke 3:635/728 MSGED41W.ZIP
PlatinumXpress 2.00 M C Gary Petersen 1:290/111 PXW-INFO
T-Mail 2.599I M S Ron Dwight 2:220/22 TMAILNT
WinFOSSIL/95 1.12 r4 F S Bryan Woodruff 1:343/294 WNFOSSIL.ZIP
WinFOSSIL/NT 1.0 beta F S Bryan Woodruff 1:343/294 NTFOSSIL.ZIP
Unix:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ifmail 2.10 M G Eugene Crosser 2:293/2219 IFMAIL
ifmail-tx ...tx8.2 M G Pablo Saratxaga 2:293/2219 IFMAILTX
ifmail-tx.rpm ...tx8.2 M G Pablo Saratxaga 2:293/2219 IFMAILTX.RPM
Msged 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
Amiga:
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 35 9 Jun 1997
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CrashMail 1.23 T X Fredrik Bennison 2:205/324 CRASHMAIL
CrashTick 1.1 O F Fredrik Bennison 2:205/324 CRASHTICK
DLG Pro BBOS 1.15 B C Holly Sullivan 1:202/720 DLGDEMO
GMS 1.1.85 M S Mirko Viviani 2:331/213 GMS
Msged 4.00 O G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 MSGED
Tobruk 0.33 T G Paul Edwards 3:711/934 TOBRUK
TrapDoor 1.86.b2 M S Maximilian Hantsch
2:310/6 TRAPDOOR
TrapDoor 1.86.b2 M S Maximilian Hantsch
2:310/6 TRAPBETA
TrapToss 1.50 T S Rene Hexel 2:310/6 TRAPTOSS
Atari:
Program Name Version F C Contact Name Node Magic Name
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ApplyList 1.00 N F Daniel Roesen 2:2432/1101 APLST100.LZH
BinkleyTerm/ST 3.18pl2 M F Bill Scull 1:363/112 BINKLEY
BTNC 2.00 N G Daniel Roesen 2:2432/1101 BTNC
JetMail 0.99beta T S Joerg Spilker 2:2432/1101 JETMAIL
Semper 0.80beta M S Jan Kriesten 2:2490/1624 SMP-BETA
Function: B-BBS, P-Point, M-Mailer, N-Nodelist, G-Gateway, T-Tosser,
C-Compression, F-Fossil, O-Other. Note: Multifunction will
be listed by the first match.
Cost: P-Free for personal use, F-Freeware, S-Shareware, C-Commercial,
X-Crippleware, D-Demoware, G-Free w/ Source
Please send updates and suggestions to: Peter Popovich, 1:363/264
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 36 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY
=================================================================
[this must be copied out to a file starting at column 1 or
it won't process under PGP as a valid public-key]
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File-request FNEWSKEY from 1:1/23 [1:18/14] or download it from the
Rights On! BBS at 1-904-409-7040 anytime except 0100-0130 ET and Zone
1 ZMH at 1200-9600+ HST/V32B. The FidoNews key is also available on
the FidoNews homepage listed in the Masthead information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 37 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
FIDONET BY INTERNET
=================================================================
This is a list of all FidoNet-related sites reported to the Editor as
of this appearance.
============
FidoNet:
Homepage
http://www.fidonet.org
FidoNews
http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fidonews.html
HTML FNews
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6894/
WWW sources
http://www.scms.rgu.ac.uk/students/cs_yr94/lk/fido.html
FTSC page
http://www2.blaze.net.au/ftsc.html
Echomail
http://www.portal.ca/~awalker/index.html
WebRing
http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fnetring.html
============
Zone 1:
http://www.z1.fidonet.org
Region 10:
http://www.psnw.com/~net205/region10.html
Region 11:
http://oeonline.com/~garyg/region11/
Region 13:
http://www.smalltalkband.com/st01000.htm
Region 14:
http://www.netins.net/showcase/fidonet/
Region 15:
http://www.smrtsys.com/region15/ [disappeared?]
Region 16:
http://www.tiac.net/users/satins/region16.htm
Region 17:
http://www.portal.ca/~awalker/region17.htm
REC17:
http://www.westsound.com/ptmudge/
Region 18:
http://www.citicom.com/fido.html
Region 19:
http://www.compconn.net
============
Zone 2:
http://www.z2.fidonet.org
ZEC2:
http://fidoftp.paralex.co.uk/zec.htm [shut down?]
Zone 2 Elist:
http://www.fidonet.ch/z2_elist/z2_elist.htm
Region 20:
http://www.fidonet.pp.se (in Swedish)
Region 24:
http://www.swb.de/personal/flop/gatebau.html (in German)
Region 25:
http://members.aol.com/Net254/
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 38 9 Jun 1997
Region 27:
http://telematique.org/ft/r27.htm
Region 29:
http://www.rtfm.be/fidonet/ (in French)
Region 30:
http://www.fidonet.ch (in Swiss)
Region 34:
http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (in Spanish)
REC34:
http://pobox.com/~chr
Region 36:
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7207/
Region 41:
http://www.fidonet.gr (in Greek and English)
Region 48:
http://www.fidonet.org.pl
============
Zone 3:
http://www.z3.fidonet.org
============
Zone 4: (not yet listed)
Region 90:
Net 904:
http://members.tripod.com/~net904 (in Spanish)
============
Zone 5: (not yet listed)
============
Zone 6:
http://www.z6.fidonet.org
============
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 39 9 Jun 1997
=================================================================
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
=================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION -------
Editor: Christopher Baker
Editors Emeritii: Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell,
Donald Tees
"FidoNews Editor"
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS 1-904-409-7040, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(ds)
more addresses:
Christopher Baker -- 1:18/14,
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews Editor
P.O. Box 471
Edgewater, FL 32132-0471
U.S.A.
voice: 1-904-409-3040 [1400-2100 ET only, please]
[1800-0100 UTC/GMT]
------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews is published weekly by and for the members of the FIDONET
INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR ELECTRONIC MAIL system. It is a compilation
of individual articles contributed by their authors or their
authorized agents. The contribution of articles to this compilation
does not diminish the rights of the authors. OPINIONS EXPRESSED in
these articles ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS and not necessarily those of
FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
Copyright 1997 Christopher Baker. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For
use in other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or
the Editor.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
OBTAINING COPIES: The most recent issue of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews Editor via manual download or
file-request, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained by sending SASE to the above postal
address. File-request FIDONEWS for the current Issue. File-request
FNEWS for the current month in one archive. Or file-request specific
back Issue filenames in distribution format [FNEWSEnn.ZIP] for a
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 40 9 Jun 1997
particular Issue. Monthly Volumes are available as FNWSmmmy.ZIP
where mmm = three letter month [JAN - DEC] and y = last digit of the
current year [7], i.e., FNWSFEB7.ZIP for all the Issues from Feb 97.
Annual volumes are available as FNEWSn.ZIP where n = the Volume number
1 - 14 for 1984 - 1997, respectively. Annual Volume archives range in
size from 48K to 1.4M.
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via:
http://www.fidonet.org/fidonews.htm
ftp://ftp.fidonet.org/pub/fidonet/fidonews/
ftp://ftp.aminet.org/pub/aminet/comm/fido/
*=*=*
You may obtain an email subscription to FidoNews by sending email to:
[email protected]
with a Subject line of: subscribe fnews-edist
and no message in the message body. To remove your name from the email
distribution use a Subject line of: unsubscribe fnews-edist with no
message to the same address above.
*=*=*
You can read the current FidoNews Issue in HTML format at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6894/
STAR SOURCE for ALL Past Issues via FTP and file-request -
Available for FReq from 1:396/1 or by anonymous FTP from:
ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/
Each yearly archive also contains a listing of the Table-of-Contents
for that year's issues. The total set is currently about 11 Megs.
=*=*=*=
The current week's FidoNews and the FidoNews public-key are now also
available almost immediately after publication on the Editor's new
homepage on the World Wide Web at:
http://ddi.digital.net/~cbaker84/fidonews.html
There are also links there to jim barchuk's HTML FidoNews source and
to John Souvestre's FTP site for the archives. There is also an email
link for sending in an article as message text. Drop on over.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
A PGP generated public-key is available for the FidoNews Editor from
FIDONEWS 14-23 Page 41 9 Jun 1997
1:1/23 [1:18/14] by file-request for FNEWSKEY or by download from
Rights On! BBS at 1-904-409-7040 as FIDONEWS.ASC in File Area 18. It
is also posted twice a month into the PKEY_DROP Echo available on the
Zone 1 Echomail Backbone.
*=*=*=*=*
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews Editor, or file-requestable
from 1:1/23 [1:18/14] as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". ALL Zone Coordinators
also have copies of ARTSPEC.DOC. Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, P.O. Box 410923, San Francisco, CA 94141,
and are used with permission.
"Disagreement is actually necessary,
or we'd all have to get in fights
or something to amuse ourselves
and create the requisite chaos."
-Tom Jennings
-30-
-----------------------------------------------------------------
