F I D O N E W S Volume 16, Number 52 27 Dec 1999

F I D O N E W S Volume 16, Number 52 27 Dec 1999
+----------------------------+---------------------------------------+
| The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet community | "FidoNews" |
| _ | 1-717-732-6820 1:270/720 |
| / \ | |
| /|oo \ | |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editor: Douglas Myers, 1:270/720 |
| | (*) | \ )) | [email protected] |
| |__U__| / \// | |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+---------------------------------------+

Table of Contents
1. HEADLINES ................................................ 1
Not in this issue ........................................ 1
2. EDITORIAL ................................................ 2
Internationally Challenged ............................... 2
3. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .................................... 3
New Zone 3 Coordinator ................................... 3
4. ARTICLES ................................................. 4
A Y2K nodelist ........................................... 4
ECHO TALK - U.S. Chauvanist .............................. 5
5. COLUMNS .................................................. 7
Old Grandfather's Table .................................. 7
Fidonet-related sites .................................... 8
6. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 12
The figures ... on a plate ............................... 12
7. NET HUMOR ................................................ 14
The Night Before Y2K ..................................... 14
The Y2K Song ............................................. 16
8. COMIX IN ASCII ........................................... 17
O! TannenCow! ............................................ 17
9. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 18
Masthead ................................................. 18
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 1 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
HEADLINES
=================================================================

Not in this issue

You can check out the Table of Contents to see what's in this
issue... but there are some important stories which didn't make this
issue. Maybe next millenium...

Lesley-Dee Dylan, Fido's reigning Super-bitch, is preparing yet
another article exposing past corruption and wrong-doing in her
region. Though she sent me a preview, she wants to research her
facts and get them right. "It takes a lot of homework for a good
bitch," she tells me.

I was going to report that Jackson Harding, the down Zone 3
Coordinator, had yet to be replaced. However, netmail received this
week (in this issue) informs me otherwise :)

The word from Zone 2 is that Ward Dossche has offered his
resignation as Z2C so that a new election may be held. Ward is
expected to run again. Details and times are not known here yet.

Speaking of Ward - his article this week arrived here in plenty of
time for publication last week. When I saved it from my email to my
Fidonews directory, however, I lost the article. That makes it the
first ever I've lost (and hopefully the last). My apologies to
Ward, and my thanks for his backup copy.

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 2 27 Dec 1999

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

Internationally Challenged
Doug Myers

My apologies to those whose expectations I seem to have disappointed
with last week's editorial. Some feel that it's best if I put any
trace of nationalism aside when striving to write for the
international community. This was most eloquently expressed by
Rachael Veraa (of my own country), whose argument is featured in
the Echotalk article in this issue.

It's certainly true that I've been trying to encourage greater
international participation in Fidonews (as well as participation in
general), so I guess I'm striving to write for an international
community. The question is: what's the best way to go about it?

Should I proclaim "I'm the Editor of Fidonews and I'll try to write
what you want to hear?" Should I then avoid talking about American
hot dogs because they offend some in the world? Should I avoid
mentioning American baseball because soccer is more accepted
internationally?

Or should I proclaim "I'm the Editor of Fidonews and I'd like to
print what you want to write about?" May I then listen intently as
Andrei Besedin from Kiev describes how Fido prospers in the Ukraine,
or as Ward Dossche comments on the view from Zone 2? May I chuckle
as Alexander Dovnar and David Pratt from Zone 2 share some Y2K
humor?

My choice is the latter. The folks I actually correspond with in
the international community don't seem especially put off by a
little friendly nationalism. In fact, they unabashedly display it
themselves, and talk about it. It flavors the conversation
agreeably and, in my opinion, brings about a true internationalism
which is only possible by understanding.

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 3 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
=================================================================

* Forwarded (from: ZONE3_SYSOP) by Steve Asher (3:804/432)
* Originally from Stephen Gibbs (3:690/682) to All.
* Original dated: Sat Dec 18, 00:09

Hello All,

Malcolm Miles has been elected as the new Z3C by a clear majority of
the Regional Coordinators.

Congratulations Malcolm and good luck.

Cheers,
Stephen

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 4 27 Dec 1999

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

A Y2K nodelist, by Carol Shenkenberger

With Y2K looming upon us all, I'd like to take a moment to show one
technical fix that many need to apply. See, the nodelist is
generated by a program and that program may need some assistance.

Most today generate the nodelist segments with a program called
Makenl. There is a date schema problem in the PKT file created by
Makenl. This isnt the end of the world though. There is a fix file
for it.

Below is a sample makenl control file, simplest type:

----------makenl.ctl--------
c:
cd \makenl
makenl
mnfix c:\makenl\makenl.ctl log:c:\makenl\r13.log

; Make Nodelist Control File For makenl.exe
; NC275 - Mark Hoover
; ------------------------------------------------
;
make network 275
outfile net275
submit 1:13/0
netaddress 1:275/0
messages c:\fd\mail
BAUDRATE 300,1200,2400,4800,9600,14400,16800,19200,28800,33600

files

Net 275 275SEG

-----------------end makenl.ctl-----

Now, this assumes one has the data for net275 in a file called
275SEG.

To process it, 'Makenl /P' and off it flies. It makes a netmail
attach in your mailer and that attachment, needs a little help.

The fix? MNFIX02.ZIP. Place this in your main makenl directory and
unpack it. Then, make a bat file like this:

----upd_275.bat----
c:
cd \makenl
makenl /p
mnfix c:\makenl\makenl.ctl log:c:\makenl\mknl275.log
-----end upd_275.bat----

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 5 27 Dec 1999

Now, shift to use the batch file to process your nodelist. All is
well!

If you dont find MNFIX02.ZIP locally, it is available for FREQ from
1:275/100. Author of MNFIX is Colin Birch, 2:442/618 (bless you
Colin!)

-------------------
Editor's Note: MNFIX02.ZIP is included in this week's Fidonews
archive, FNEWSG52.ZIP.

Author's Note: Carol writes that the control files above apply to
MAKDNL version 2.51 and not necessarily earlier versions.
Specifically, earlier versions will not support the baud rates
allowed by version 2.51.

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

. -- -- -- -- -- ECHO TALK -- -- -- -- -- .
| Food for thought from Fido's echomail. |
| Purloined without permission by D Myers |
` -- -- -- -- -- -- - -- -- -- -- -- -- '

The FIDONEWS echo provides readers with an opportunity to interact
with the Fidonews staff. In this excerpt, Rachael Veraa eloquently
takes me to task for US Chauvanism displayed in my last editorial.

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

DM> if you don't mind, I'll still honer the icons. There's no
DM> greater pastime than a major league baseball game, no more
DM> perfect meal than a hot dog topped off by a piece of Mom's
DM> apple pie, no vehicle that can outperform the ol' 57 Chevy
DM> (once it's properly tuned, of course), and no greater hero than
DM> the American fighting man who has risked his life that the rest
DM> of us can take our freedom for granted.

RV> Doug, I think you've missed the point entirely. This would be a
RV> lovely sentiment in a publication called "FIDONEWS, The
RV> newsletter of the FidoNet community in the United States." But
RV> this isn't that publication; it's "FIDONEWS, The newsletter of
RV> the FidoNet community EVERYWHERE." And there are lots of places
RV> in the world where US chauvinism like this is quite uncomfortable
RV> -- as well as places where these sentiments are downright
RV> offensive. Iraqui families, Serbian families in Kosovo, North
RV> Korean and Vietnamese families who lost loved ones to those
RV> soldiers you praise have a different view. Baseball is honored in
RV> the Americas and Japan; in the rest of the world it's an
RV> incomprehensible eccentricity. To my mother's relatives in
RV> France, the hot dog is an abomination. In most
RV> autmobile-producing countries, the '57 Chevy is an oversized
RV> overpowered low-tech gas guzzler. Even our closest allies, the
RV> Canadians, are often uncomfortable with chest-beating
RV> declarations of US superiority (though they're too polite to
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 6 27 Dec 1999

RV> complain about it). This is an _international_ publication. It
RV> should eschew nationalism and enthnocentrism. It should speak
RV> for _all_ of FidoNet.

Before respectfully disagreeing with some of this, I should qualify
myself. I've only been to two or three major league baseball games
in my life (I'm not in a city where there's a team, so I have to
travel). Hot Dogs are okay, but I prefer hamburgers. I don't
recall my Mom ever making apple pie, though I sampled Mrs. Smith's
wares at $.15 a piece when I was younger. I never owned a 57
Chevy, and I wouldn't have joined the US Army back in the sixties
if they weren't going to draft my rear end anyway. Nonetheless,
I'm a product of the culture which adopted the icons, and I'm proud
of that culture.

I don't think I should be presenting myself differently if Fidonews
is an international newsletter than if it's a US newsletter. I'm
still the same person in either circumstance, so to act differently
would be hypocrisy.

Nor do I think it's fair that you criticize my pride in my culture
as a form of chauvinism. As that term is popularly used today,
chauvinism implies that I think that other cultures are inferior.
Just because I enjoy an American Mulligan Stew doesn't mean I can't
enjoy a Chinese Chopped Suey, does it? Come to think of it,
Mulligan Stew sounds Irish, and I'm told that Chopped Suey is a
creation of America...

When you warn me to suppress the things of my culture which have
affected me, I feel you are urging the path of "policical
correctness" rather than a path of international understanding.
If I hide these things of which I am a product, and influence
others to do the same, then they'll never be discussed so that
understanding is possible. How, then, does one become this person
who speaks for all of Fidonet which you wish in charge here?

In the immortal words of another spinach-toting American icon, "I
y'am what I y'am..."

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 7 27 Dec 1999

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

Old Grandfather's Table
Thanks to Ol'WDB

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and
four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight
was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But, the elderly
grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult.
Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the
glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We
must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had
enough of the spilled milk, noisy eating and food on the floor."
So, the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There
Grandfather ate alone, while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since, Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in
a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had
a tear in his eye, as he sat alone. Still, the only words the
couple had for him were sharp admonitions, when he dropped a fork or
spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening, before supper, the father noticed his son playing with
wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you
making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl
for Papa and Mama to eat their food in when I growup." The
four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then
tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though, no word was
spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening, the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him
back to the family table. For the remainder of his days, he ate
every meal with the family. And, for some reason, neither husband
nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk
spilled or the tablecloth soiled.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their
ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they
absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere
for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of
their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building
blocks are being laid for the child's future.
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 8 27 Dec 1999

Let's be wise builders.

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

! = New entries this week
? = not responding
?? = unknown content, doesn't look like fidonet

. -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- .
| FIDONET-RELATED SITES |
` -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- '
Last update: Dec 26, 1999

FidoNet
Homepage: http://www.fidonet.org
FidoNews: http://www.fidonews.org [HTML]
ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/
ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/
!Echomail links: http://www.osirusoft.com/fidoip.html
SDS Files: http://fidobbs.dk/download (Web Access to SDS)
FTSC page: http://www.ftsc.org/
General: http://owls.com/~jerrys/fidonet.html
List server:
http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/fidonet-discussion

Zone 1: http://www.z1.fidonet.org
Region 10: http://www.psnw.com/~net205/region10.html
http://www.tnl-online.com/andy/rgn10.htm
Net 103: http://www.webworldinc.com/club103/
Net 203: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8687/net203index.html
Region 11: http://oeonline.com/~garyg/region11/
Net 2410: http://oeonline.com/~garyg/net2410/
Region 12: http://sparkys.dyndns.org
Region 13: http://www.net264.org/r13.htm
Net 264: http://www.net264.org/
Net 275: http://www.homershut.net/~mahoover/net275/
Region 14:
Net 282: http://www.rxn.com/~net282/
Region 17: http://www.nwstar.com/~region17/
Region 18: http://techshop.pdn.net/fido/
Region 19: http://members.home.net/hbh3/r19
Net 124: http://www.startext.net/np/net124
http://texoma.net/~flv
Net 130: http://www.startext.net/homes/net130
Net 393: http://www.chatter.com/~wb/
Zone 1 Elist http://members.xoom.com/echolist/

Zone 2: http://www.z2.fidonet.org
ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/zone2 (Z2 nodelists etc.)
Region 20: http://www.fidonet.pp.se (in Swedish)
Region 23: http://www.fido.dk (in Danish)

Region 24: http://www.swb.de/personal/flop/gatebau.html (German)
Fido-IP: http://home.nrh.de/fido/ (English/German)
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 9 27 Dec 1999

Region 25: http://www.literary.freeserve.co.uk/net2502/
Region 26: http://www.nemesis.ie
REC 26: http://www.nrgsys.com/orb
Region 27: http://telematique.org/ft/r27.htm
Region 29: http://www.rtfm.be/fidonet/ (French)
Region 30: http://www.fidonet.ch (German)
? Region 33: http://www.fidoitalia.net (Italian)
Region 34: http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (Spanish)
REC34: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/4552/
Region 36: http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/7207/
Region 38: http://public.st.carnet.hr/~blagi/bbs/adriam.html
Region 41: http://www.fidonet.gr (Greek/English)
Region 42: http://www.fido.cz
Region 50: http://www.fido7.com/ (Russian)
Net 5010: http://fido.tu-chel.ac.ru/ (Russian)
Net 5015: http://www.fido.nnov.ru/ (Russian)
Net 5030: http://kenga.ru/fido/ (Russian & English)
Net 5049: http://www.n5049.z2.fidonet.org (English/Russian)
?? Net 5085: http://www.fidonet.uz/ (Russian)

Zone 3: http://www.z3.fidonet.org

Zone 4:
Region 80: http://fidobrasil.8m.com (Portuguese)
Region 90:
Net 904: http://members.tripod.com/~net904 (Spanish)

Zone 5: http://www.eastcape.co.za/fidonet/

Zone 6: http://www.z6.fidonet.org
Region 65: http://www.cfido.com/fidonet/cfidochina.html
(Chinese)

Fidonet Via Internet Hubs

See also: http://www.osirusoft.com/fidoip.html

a @ preceding an individual's name implies a virtual email
address. The email is translated as follows
[email protected] will automatically route to the
appropriate individual's email. Anyone in this list will
also receive routed notice of this feature. In my case, it
would still be [email protected], but you get the idea.

Also, as information is provided to me, I will be adding a
latency field to each node, which is defined as the maximum
time between when the message is received, and when it is
sent on to other nodes, or available to be sent onward,
defined in minutes. A latency of ! implies that there is an
immediate response, and an attempt to deliver immediately
after processing, or a "MinuteMail System", as it were.

v-email flag [email protected]
| email address or
Node# | Operator | Facilities (*) | Speed,| Basic Rate
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 10 27 Dec 1999

| | |latency|
-----------+-------------------+----------------+-------+------------
Zone 1 | | | |
10/3 @ Brenda Donovan | FTP,UUE,BinkP | 384K,30| $??/$10
10/345 @ Todd Cochrane | FTP,BinkP | T1,! | n/c
12/12 @ Ken Wilson | FTP | T1 | $24mo.
13/25 @ Jim Balcom | FTP | 56k | $20mo.
103/5 @ Mark Luetger | BinkP | 384k,!| n/c
103/153 @ Michael Box | BinkP | aDSL,!| n/c
103/301 @ Joe Jared | BinkP,FTP | aDSL,!| n/c
103/401 @ Warren Bonner | BinkP | aDSL,!| n/c
105/8 | Russ Johnson | FTP,BinkP,VMoT | 384k | n/c
105/72 @ Larry James | FTP | aDSL | $5/$15 mo
106/1 @ Matt Bedynek | BinkP, FTP | DS-3,5| $5/$15 mo
106/6018 | Lawrence Garvin | FTP, VMoT | aDSL,60| n/c
107/453 @ Jeffrey Estevez| FTP,BinkP,VMoT,UUE| 56k,60| $10 mo.
140/1 @ Bob Seaborn | FTP | T3,30 | $5/$16
167/133 | Stephen Monteith | BinkP | 128k+ | n/c
211/417 @ Korombos | BinkP,UUE,FTP | T1 | n/c
218/109 @ Matt Munson | BinkP,UUE | 33.6k | n/c
244/2 | Kari Suomela | FTP,VMoT,BinkP,UUE| T1,! | $25.00/mo
246/160 @ Mason Vye | FTP, UUE | 56K | n/c
271/140 @ Tom Barstow | UUE,FTP | T1 | n/c
280/169 | Brian Greenstreet | FTP | 33.6 | $2mo.
342/3 @ Richard Dodsworth | BinkP,FTP | 128K+ | n/c
395/670 | Arthur Stark | BinkD,FTP | 128k | n/c
396/1 @ John Souvestre | FTP,VMoT | T1,10 | $5/mo
396/45 | Marc Lewis | UUE | 33.6 | $26/yr
2604/104 @ Jim Mclaughlin | FTP,VMoT,UUE | 33.6 | $1mo
2613/404 @ David Moufarrege | BinkP,FTP,VMoT | 128k+,!| n/c
2624/306 @ David Calafrancesco | VMoT | 33.6 | n/c
3613/2 @ [email protected] | UUE | 28.8 | n/c
3632/84 | Robert Todd |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | n/c
3639/93 @ Ross Cassell | FTP, BinkP |128K+,!| n/c
3651/9 @ Jerry Gause | FTP,VMoT | 33.6 | $3/$6
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 2 |
20/11 | Henrik Lindhe | BinkP | ??? | n/c
31/1 | Gabriel Plutzar | BinkP | T1+ | n/c
203/600 | Mikael Karlsson | UUE | 64k | n/c
221/360 @ Tommi Koivula | BinkP,UUE | ??? | n/c
236/205 @ Michael Kaaber | BinkP | ??? | n/c
246/2098 | Volker Imre | BinkP | ??? | n/c
284/800 @ Jeroen VanDeLeur | FTP,UUE | 64k | n/c
292/626 | Filip Ruymen | Binkp, UUE | 128K+ | n/c
292/2003 | Eric Vaneberck | BinkP | 768k | n/c
301/1 | Peter Witschi | BinkP | 768k | n/c
332/807 | Roberto Mascolo | BinkP | ??? | n/c
335/535 @ Mario Mure | BinkP,VMot,UUE | 64k | n/c
335/610 | Gino Lucrezi | UUE | 33.6 | n/c
344/201 | Julio Garcia | BinkP | ??? | n/c
346/3 @ Carlos Navarro | UUE | ??? | n/c
382/100 | Sinisa Burina | BinkP | ??? | n/c
406/555 | Ofir Michaeli & | BinkP | ??? | n/c
406/555 | Marius Kaizerman | BinkP | ??? | n/c
423/81 | Milos Bajer | BinkP | ??? | n/c
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 11 27 Dec 1999

464/4077 | Serguei Trouchelle| UUE | 19.2 | n/c
465/204 | Va Milushnikov | BinkP | 33.6k | n/c
469/84 | Max Masyutin | VMoT | 256k | n/c
480/112 | Adam Sarapata| FTP, VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 128k | n/c
2411/413 @ Dennis Dittrich | UUE,BinkP | 64k | n/c
2446/301 | Lothar Behet | BinkP,VMoT,UUE,FTP | 64K | n/c
2474/275 | Christian Emig | UUE | 64k | unkn
5030/115 | Andrey Podkolzin | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5100/8 | Egons Bush | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5020/1159 | Gennady Kudryashoff | UUE | 33.6 | n/c
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 3
633/260 @ Malcolm Miles | FTP,BinkP | 64K | n/c
640/954 | Rick Van Ruth | FTP,VMot,UUE,BinkP| 56K| n/c
774/605 @ Barry Blackford|BinkP,VMoT:10023,ifcico,FTP |33.6| n/c

--------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 4
905/100 | Fabian Gervan | VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 128k | n/c
902/18 | Javier Tejedor | UUE | 33,6 | n/c

--
* FTP = Internet File Transfer Protocol
* VMoT = Virtual Mailer over Telnet (various)
* UUE = uuencode<->email type transfers
* BinkP = front end mailer for TCPIP networks

----------------------------------------------
Fidonet oriented news servers

news.osirusoft.com
news.tardis.net

Fidonet oriented chat rooms.

room #fidonet 5PM (PDT 11AM GMT) Sundays
irc.isonline.com
irc.killaz-r-us.com
irc.korombos.org

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

Please send updates, corrections and suggestions to
Joe Jared, 1:103/301, [email protected], and
complaints to [email protected] .

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 12 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
COORDINATORS CORNER
=================================================================

The figures ... on a plate ...

By Ward Dossche
2:292/854

Dear Editor,

Just read a recent editorial and I got the writing-itch. I'll quickly
entrust the ideas to paper before I get the writing-cramp.

> What's happening on the backbones after George Peace announced that
> he'll be shutting down? I'm getting mixed signals, myself.

Boy, are you right ...

Apart from the loss that the departure of George means it equally
showed that there is a sparkle of the old Fidonet alive.

"Whattayamean?" I hear you asking ...

Well, within 24/48 hours of the news about George's departure hitting
the wires I started getting all kinds of unsollicited offers to com-
mercially pick-up mail elsewhere.

It made me feel alright about Fidonet that the vulture-approach is
still very much alive. George isn't gone yet and some people are
already picking the skeleton ...

> What's it going to be for the new Millennium? Are the 'bones going
> to settle down to the business of moving mail, or are we going to
> see more of the pointless bickering punctuated by power plays? This
> editor finds prognostication very difficult... especially now that
> the future is getting involved.

Interesting subject too ... lemme see ...

"Moving mail" is one thing ... "where to" is another.

I don't know if the weekly statistics about nodelist-evolution reaches
many people but I may have to start publishing it again. Here are
today's (Dec.17) figures anyway ...

+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--+
!Zone/Jul!Ndl-323!Nodel.-330!Nodel.-337!Nodel.-344!Nodel.-351!%%!
+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--+
! 1/351 ! 2359 ! 2359 0! 2359 0! 2302 -57! 2280 -22!15!
! 2/351 ! 12038 !12057 19!12078 21!12019 -59!12002 -17!77!
! 3/344 ! 208 ! 206 -2! 206 0! 197 -9! 197 0! 1!
! 4/351 ! 213 ! 215 2! 215 0! 215 0! 208 -7! 1!
! 5/344 ! 53 ! 53 0! 53 0! 53 0! 53 0! 0!
! 6/225 ! 916 ! 916 0! 916 0! 916 0! 916 0! 6!
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 13 27 Dec 1999

+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--+
! 15787 !15806 19!15827 21!15702 -125!15656 -46!
+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+

.... so people can generate their own thoughts.

What these figures don't tell us for example is that Russia (R50) with
its 5427 is about 2.5 times as large as zone-1 ... and growing too ...

+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
!Reg./Jul!Ndl-323!Nodel.-330!Nodel.-337!Nodel.-344!Nodel.-351!
+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+
! 50/351 ! 5354 ! 5387 +33! 5387 0! 5397 +10! 5427 +30!
+--------+-------+----------+----------+----------+----------+

It also means that the true decline in zone-2, ex.R50, is steeper than
shown by the figures.

My intention is not to spark a doomsday-discussion about Fidonet
but its participants need to realise that until something dramatical-
ly new happens, any politicking and power-games about backbones is a
rather silly concept for continuation.

Ward

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 14 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
NET HUMOR
=================================================================

The Night Before Y2K
Thanks to Alexander Dovnar
2:450/154.3

'Twas the night before Y2K,
And all through the nation
We awaited The Bug,
The Millennium sensation.

The chips were replaced
In computers with care,
In hopes that ol' Bugsy
Wouldn't stop there.

While some folks could think
They were snug in their beds
Others had visions
Of dread in their heads.

And Ma with her PC,
And I with my Mac
Had just logged on the Net
And kicked back with a snack.

When over the server,
There arose such a clatter
I called Mister Gates
To see what was the matter.

But he was away,
So I flew like a flash
Off to my bank
To withdraw all my cash.

When what with my wandering eyes
Should I see?
My good old Mac
Looked sick to me.

The hack of all hackers
Was looking so smug,
I knew that it must be
The Y2K Bug!

His image downloaded
In no time at all,
He whistled and shouted,
Let all systems fall!

Go Intel! Go Gateway!
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 15 27 Dec 1999

Now HP! Big Blue!
Everything Compaq,
And Pentium too!

All processors big,
All processors small,
Crash away! Crash away!
Crash away all!

As I drew in my breath
And was turning around,
Out through the modem,
He came with a bound.

He was covered with fur,
And slung on his back
Was a sack full of virus's,
Set for attack.

His eyes-how they twinkled!
His dimples-how merry!
As midnight approached, though
Things soon became scary.

He was chubby and plump,
Perpetually grinning,
And I laughed when I saw him
Though my hard drive stopped spinning.

A wink of his eye,
And a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know
A new feeling of dread.

He spoke not a word,
But went straight to his work,
He changed all the clocks,
Then turned with a jerk.

With a twitch of his nose,
And a quick little wink,
All things electronic
Soon went on the blink.

He zoomed from my system,
To the next folks on line,
He caused such a disruption,
Could this be a sign?

Then I heard him exclaim,
With a loud, hearty cry,
Happy Y2K to all,
Kiss your PC's goodbye!!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 16 27 Dec 1999

The Y2K Song
Thanks to David Pratt
2:250/355

(with apologies to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town")

You better watch out,
The lights might go out,
The TV shuts off,
Then everyone shouts
Y2K is coming to town

They say that we'll be
Safe as can be
But don't drink the water, naturally
Y2K is coming to town

If everyone is ready
Why do we hold our breath
They're telling us to hoard water
And it's scaring folks to death!

So you'd better prepare
Your grab-and-go kit
If everything fails guys
Looks like we're it

Get those batteries charged!
Y2K is looming!
SysOps are ready for Y2K!

--Kim Paquette, N8YWX

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 17 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
COMIX IN ASCII
=================================================================

/\
/ O\ O! TannenCow!
/ , \ O! TannenCow!
/ O \
-/ , \-
/ O \
/, , \
/ O O \
-/ , \-
/ O , \
/ , O ,\ (__)
/ O , O \ (oo)
/ O \-\/
------------------||
||/ ||----||
|| ~~ ~~

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

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 18 27 Dec 1999

=================================================================
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
=================================================================

Masthead

+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Editor: Douglas Myers, 1:270/720, [email protected] |
| Webmaster: Jim Barchuk, [email protected] |
| Columnist: Joe Jared, 1:103/0, [email protected] |
| (Fido Via Internet Hubs column) |
| Columnist: Warren D. Bonner, 1:103/401, [email protected] |
| (Warren uses the pen name "Ol'WDB") |
| Humor: Roy Reed, [email protected] |
| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +

+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince |
| Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, |
| Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink |
| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +

"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.

Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of Fidonet.
Fidonews is Copyright (C) 1999 by Douglas Myers, though authors
retain rights to their contributed articles. Opinion expressed by
the authors is strictly their own. Noncommercial duplication and
distribution within Fidonet is encouraged. Authors are encouraged
to send their articles in ASCII text to Douglas Myers at one of his
addresses above.

The weekly edition of Fidonews is distributed through the file area
FIDONEWS, and is published as echomail in the echo FIDONEWS. These
sources are normally available through your Network Coordinator.
The current and past issues are also available from the following
sources:

+ -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Freq FIDONEWS @ 1:270/720, 1:140/1, or 1:396/1 |
| ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/ |
| ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/ |
| http://www.fidonews.org |
| email subscription: [email protected] |
| (subject: help body: list) |
| ftp mail: [email protected] (subject: help) |
| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +

FIDONEWS 16-52 Page 19 27 Dec 1999

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