F I D O N E W S         Volume 18, Number 01             1 Jan 2001
    +----------------------------+---------------------------------------+
    |  The newsletter of the     |   ISSN 1198-4589 Published by:        |
    |    FidoNet community       |   "FidoNews"                          |
    |          _                 |   1-714-639-0377     1:1/23           |
    |         /  \               |   1-714-532-1586     1:103/301        |
    |        /|oo \              |   BinkD supported both above          |
    |       (_|  /_)             |                                       |
    |        _`@/_ \    _        |                                       |
    |       |     | \   \\       |   Editor: Warren Bonner               |
    |       | (*) |  \   ))      |           [email protected]         |
    |       |__U__| /  \//       |           [email protected]        |
    |        _//|| _\   /        |                                       |
    |       (_/(_|(____/         |                                       |
    |             (jm)           |   Newspapers should have no friends.  |
    |                            |                    -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
    +----------------------------+---------------------------------------+
              *+*+*+*+*+* HAPPY NEW YEAR EDITION *+*+*+*+*+*+*
              Most prosperous year to ALL sysops in Fidoland!



                       Table of Contents
    1. HEADLINE  .................................................  1
       Happy New Year one and all !!!  ...........................  1
    2. CHAT WITH EDITOR  .........................................  2
    3. GUEST EDITORIAL  ..........................................  8
       ***WARD DOSSCHE INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR***  .............  8
    4. LETTERS THAT CROSS THE EDITOR'S DESK  ..................... 24
    5. ARTICLES  ................................................. 32
    6. OL'WDB'S COLUMN  .......................................... 39
       -=+Ol'WDB's COLUMN+=-  .................................... 39
    7. FACTS IN HISTORY  ......................................... 48
    8. POET'S CORNER  ............................................ 54
       -=+++ Fido Poets Corner +++=-  ............................ 54
    9. HUMOR  .................................................... 56
    10. QUESTION OF THE WEEK  .................................... 60
       -=This weeks Question=-  .................................. 60
    11. ANSWERS OF THE WEEK  ..................................... 61
    12. NOTICES  ................................................. 62
    13. FIDONET BY INTERNET  ..................................... 65
    14. FIDONEWS INFORMATION  .................................... 70
       FIDONEWS INFORMATION  ..................................... 70
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 1                    1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                                HEADLINE
    =================================================================

    ***International Coordinator Threatens Node Removal from Nodelist***

    Ok folks, first let me tell you to disregard repeated quoted text
    and concentrate on WHO is commenting to WHOM as all opinions match.
    Well almost.... Secondly, today Ward backed down and corrected the
    nodelist error he had meddled in as International Coordinator. That
    kinda short circuited this issue as it has been building for days.
    Happy and prosperous New Year to ALL!  Ed.


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 2                    1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                            CHAT WITH EDITOR
    =================================================================

    By: Bart Verhaeghe
    To: All
    Re: Ward Dossche The abuse Story.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Dear International Fidonet Sysop's. I am here to inform you of the
    abuse of Ward Dossche. Just some time ago I was a downlink of Ward.
    But the cable company was ready in Belgium so I took the cable and, I
    asked Johan Zwiekhorst (RC29) if I could poll his system instead by
    IP, That was fine for Johan and I informed Ward about my decision. But
    this was not to the liking of for Ward so he tried to trick me. * Like
    changing my password so I could not areafix to his system to
    disconnect my echomail. * Second he refuses to change his route file
    so the mail for me and my downlinks staid at his place instead of
    going to Johan Zwiekhorst. * Third after having a big discussion in
    natsysop.b he wanted to take me out of the nodelist. But in the end he
    gave in...

    Second chapter of this story: I have made friends outside Belgium like
    in R28, Z3(WWB), Z1 (animenet). I like reading a lot of R28 mail and
    such... So Mr. ward dossche was been pissed because I got r28 mail
    from the Netherlands without the need of his "historical" import of
    such (limited) mail.Again he is threatening me for removal from the
    nodelist again. He says that there is a historical rule that say's
    that the ic/zc2 has to take mail from the r28-bone. His whole mailer
    system is "historic"...no %rescan; no Msgid and he still strips
    seenbye's so his system lacks indeed dupe detection if there is
    parallel import...Several people advised him to upgrade to something
    better for mail-moving...he disregards everything except his own
    view:(

    Third Chapter of this story He made another people think I am a bad
    person by saying in a R29 area (west-vlaams.reg) with another college
    (Alfred Vossen) that he is not welcome because of his special
    Limburger accent and that's not true. All the facts are provable on
    netmail and echomail messages. Steven Leeman even wanted to write a
    story about this sick joke...

    So my dear fidonet sysop's I hope I've shed some more light on Ward
    Dossche's abusive power as ic/zc2.

    Groeten, Bart Verhaeghe Fidonet  : 2:292/907 Web-Site :
    http://tsohbbs.dyns.cx E-mail   : [email protected]
    Online Poll System : tsohbbs.dyn.dhs.org  , BinkP

    +32-(0)50/81.52.94 (2:292/907)

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    (19483) Mon 25 Dec 00  9:20p By: michael kleerbaum To: Ward Dosche Re:
    Domains St:
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi Ward,
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 3                    1 Jan 2001


    Is it so, that -you have been acting as the International Coordinator-
    everybody who reserved a domain name including "fido" will have to ask
    you for permission, and will otherwise be removed from the nodelist?

    Yes or no, please.

    With one sentence: You just can't remove somebody from the nodelist
    because he reserved a _national_ www domain faster than you, and even
    less if he didn't have any opportunity to establish local
    communication about the contents of the concerning site.

    Michael

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    By: Ross Cassell
    To: Steven Leeman
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello Steven!

    25 Dec 00 21:13, you wrote to me:

     RC>> What demands were made to or of Steven?

     SL> give up fido.be & fidonet.be

    I suggest you not give them up, I'll give you a home in the nodelist
    if that is what it takes.

    Meanwhile Ward has set sail in his ship, let the winds blow him into
    the whirlpool.

    ==
    Ross
    E-mail: [email protected] ICQ = 5305939

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    From: "David Hallford" <[email protected]>
    To: "Warren Bonner" <[email protected]>
    Subject: Re: Steven Leeman Node Number put on HOLD by Ward
    Date: Sunday, December 24, 2000 9:59 PM

    Hi Warren!

    I agree with Joe Jared's well thought out response. The internet is
    not part of Fidonet and should never be used for any punitive action
    within Fidonet. Before I say anything deeper, I would like Ward to
    have a chance to respond.

    with warm regards, Dave

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Ed:
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 4                    1 Jan 2001


    Dave, I couldn't agree more.  When I received the Netmail from Steve
    Leeman early morning on December 22.  I at first couldn't believe I
    was reading a plea to hopefully move the Snooze into battle position.
    So I phoned Joe and told him to watch his incoming netmail, then I
    listened to see if he got the same message I did, out of the broken
    English, although the more times I read it the better I understood
    Ward Dorsche acting God was removing his ability to receive or send
    netmail.

    Joe immediately replied that Ward could not do that by policy, and the
    Domains owned by Steven were not any part of fido or policy. I said,
    "you will as my NC pass this on to Brenda"? He said he would take care
    of it. He did quite well directly to all parties. Same thing happened
    to him with King Kohl a couple of years ago, so he had a mission.
    Ol'wdb

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Steven Leeman
    To: michael kleerbaum
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello michael,

    Monday December 25 2000 22:17, michael kleerbaum wrote to
    Ross Cassell:

    mk> I can't believe, that this can happen in FidoNet 2001... :((
    mk> Ward Dosche, the Emperor of FidoNet?

    SL> I even heard someone say "little ceasar" ? :-)

    [Algemeen.b]
    From : Dave Luyten   2:292/624.63    Mon 25 Dec 00 18:24

    Ward> indeed, no discussions. You've received your extended netmail
    Ward> <point>. Ter Attention of the innocent loser : dns.be is not a
    Ward> player here, the case is handled within Fidonet. So if my
    Ward> demands are fulfilled it'll be business-as-usual, if not I wish
    Ward> the domain holder much pleasure without a nodenumber \x/@rd

    At the moment that Ward Dossche (IC) deletes a nodenumber without a
    complaint going thru the hierarchies, Ward Dossche (IC) shows
    "excessively annoying behaviour". Excessive because Ward has done it
    on purpose :-)

    In which case it'll be possible to the ZC's to undo the decision on
    this case (qualified majority).  (what's always the case , but in this
    case has the most probable solution) also Impeachment procedures will
    be possible then

    The simple case was that Ward Dossche (IC) in this case a direct
    complaint to himself Ward Dossche (IC)  but that Ward Dossche (IC)
    this complaint had to disregard without any any prenotice. This is an
    automatism because by my knowing there wasn't any complaint to begin
    with at NC level. The NC that is the immediate higher in rank of
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 5                    1 Jan 2001


    Steven in the Fidonet Hierarchies. Further complaints on the decision
    of the NC must be made by RC, ZC and IC in that order...

    Neglecting the proper order is showing "annoying behaviour". So Steven
    can draw charges against Ward Dossche (IC) by his NC. And that can
    become even stranger if  Ward Dossche (IC) has to defend himself at
    NC-level.  But that isn't the case...because Ward has operated in
    function of IC...

    And the problem that Ward Dossche (IC) raised didn't hold too much.
    The having of domain names is to no matter for the working of Fidonet.
    You have to prove that those domain names by Steven can be
    "excessively annoying" to other nodes in the network what isn't the
    case!

    And having a DNS entry is to matter at all in Fidonet. Steven is not
    "excessively annoying". The only rightful way to become owner of
    fido.be & fidonet.be is via non-fido channels. Those that were
    especially setupped for this matter. File a complaint at DNS...which
    is already spoken for by Jan "IN MY HUMBLE OPINION"  Have A
    Nice Day Dave Luyten

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    By: Jerry Schwartz
    To: Dave Hamilton
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello, Dave...

    Dec 25, 2000 at 14:19, Dave Hamilton wrote to Janis Kracht:

    DH> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman? Does the RCC have an opinion?

     DH> I think it's obscene.

    If things are as they were reported, I doubt you'll find many who
    disagree with you.

    I had severe misgivings about Ward. Despite all kinds of assurances
    that he was really a nice guy, my long-distance opinion has always
    been that he's a bit overwound. Nonetheless, I'd like to hear more
    from other sources, if any exist. In particular, I'd like to hear from
    Ward.

    I don't think the "in your face" approach will work with him, in any
    case; so I'd like to see this handled diplomatically.

    Regards, Jerry mailto:[email protected]
    http://www.writebynight.com

    --- Msged/NT TE 05 * Origin: Write by Night (1:142/928)

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 6                    1 Jan 2001


    By: Peter Barandat
    To: Ross Cassell
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello Ross,

    On 25.12.00, 15:45:38 you've sent this message in outer space.
    An alien retrieved it on Tuesday 26.12.00, 0:51:13, and replied to it.

    *Establishing connection*

    PB>> Steven has to proof that he owns the rights to buy those domains.
    Now, I'm sure that even Ward doesn't own those rights, simply because
    they don't existe, in Belgium. If Steven can't get his hands on the
    rights before thursday he will be deleted from the nodelist.

     RC> To which, WARD does not have this authority whatsoever.
    Indeed :-(

    Greets, Peter

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    By: Joe Jared
    To: Peter Barandat
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Disclaimer: No copyright should be inferred from any portion of the
    embodiment of this message.  This message is public domain, and all
    rights have been granted to publish this document anywhere or
    everywhere.


    Hello Peter!

    Monday December 25 2000 19:50, you wrote to Ross Cassell:

     PB> Hello Ross,

    PB> On 12/25/2000, 11:46:57 you've sent this message in outer space.
    An alien retrieved it on Monday 12/25/2000, 19:28:04, and replied to
    it.

     PB> *Establishing connection*

     PB> Translated it means: The node 2:292/624 is placed on hold (as of
    PB> now) in the fidonet nodelist en will be removed during following
    PB>>> week, together with all registrations of the same person.  If
    PB>>> the sysop does not comply with former demands. RC>> What demands
    were made to or of Steven? PB> Steven has to proof that he owns the
    rights to buy those domains. PB> Now, I'm sure that even Ward doesn't
    own those rights, simply because PB> they don't existe, in Belgium. If
    Steven can't get his hands on the PB> rights before thursday he will
    be deleted from the nodelist.

    JJ> Simply put, Steven does have the right.  He has money, and has
    purchased the domains.  Ethically, I hope he does cooperate with the
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 7                    1 Jan 2001


    Zone, but nothing can be done within fidonet to force him.  This point
    needs to be clearly identified, and opposed.  It's as simple as
    Fidonet != Internet.  For the c impaired, Fidonet <> internet.  As for
    the effect this will have, first off, without the *C of the effective
    level's endorsement, the domain isn't official in my own list. Another
    point.  Fidonet cannot be copyrighted by any other entity than Tom
    Jennings.  If Ward would claim a copyright, my own argument would be
    that if anything, it was already Public domain, and that by his own
    reasoning in prior messages, he has no claim.  You cannot post-mortem
    copyright that which is in the public domain, and prior art, the
    world's first fidonet nodelist, would be the prior art challenging the
    claim of copyright.

    Spilt milk.  As a matter of precedent, fidonet.com is owned by someone
    who is almost a non-entity.  The attack at Steven is simply because he
    is close to home for Ward.

    PB> In my opinion, Ward doesn't want the proof of the registration of
    fido.  He wants those names to be erased from the dns-tables.  But why
    I ask?  Steven is committed to make something beautiful of those
    domains.  Ward hasn't got the registrations, so he can't register the
    domains... (otherwise he has to place his own pc on hold, to be
    removed within a week.... =) So?  What will he say if some dog food
    company registers the fido.be ??  Now a fido member has this domain...
    Ward should be proud!!

    When Ward asked me why I contacted Janis on this issue, the reasoning
    was simple.  The ZCC (The 5 remaining ZC's excluding the ZC who is
    IC), can overturn his ruling.  I don't see this situation as a
    resolvable one, but rather a ZCC will need to intervene on principles.
    It is however up to Mr. Leeman to appeal the IC Decision to the ZCC.
    Given that the ZC is also IC, he only gets one shot at this, so I'm
    hoping that the ZCC will act in fairness, or that Ward as IC will
    rescind his ruling.  The positions of *C above NC are typically of
    appeal, not action.  It would serve Ward well to back down from his
    current course of action, but I doubt he will.  As such, many of us
    have asked our own ZC as a member of the ZCC to rescind Ward's
    decision for him. Hopefully, the other ZC's will act in kind.


    NC 1:103 [email protected]

    --- GoldED/W32 3.0.1 * Origin: telnet://telnet.osirusoft.com
    (1:103/301)



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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 8                    1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                             GUEST EDITORIAL
    =================================================================

                         A Sysops Plea for help
    -------- Original Message --------
    Subject: Ward Dossche
    Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 11:23:31 +0100
    From: "Leeman, Steven" <[email protected]>
    To: [email protected]

    what happened in Z2 last month? (eg I'm not good at articles...so this
    is just to inform you...do with it as you please) *****Note: Some
    words and spelling corrected, but little as possible. ED.

    A few weeks ago the .BE internet domain was to be liberalized; eg you
    didn't have to be a company or institute in order to get a .be domain
    name... So as a fidonetter avant la letter, I immediately started, ask
    some of my friends, to buy domain names... It was a success in
    Belgium... the dns.be crashed on the first day under the tons of
    requests :-)

    A few weeks later...Ward Dossche gets xDSL and suddenly checks at
    dns.be who had tool fido.be (eg my instinct says : 18hours before he
    found out I had send a routed messages to an R29 sysop called Pablo
    Saratxaga who is very familiar with fido.belg.* and
    z2.mail.fidonet.org MX record keeping if he could send
    f624.n292.z2.fidonet.org to my fido.be or fidonet.be account)...I and
    some other sysops have always been very suspicious about his "inside"
    information...it's all too obvious.... he's also against sysops
    connecting to other sysops although I believed fidonet policy permits
    it you may lay connections to other sysops...(as long as it's for your
    netmail only) eg it's thesame like "crashing" to them... but you lay
    it out as a standard in your routing/tosser ... why redirect it
    through 6 nodes up till IC level when you connect every damn minute to
    that other sysop's system... in the WWB Ward has already received 0 on
    his request to stop this charade... he wants to have total control on
    fidonet...

    so Ward didn't file complaint or inform me by crashed netmail.... nope
    he just emailed it to me at 18h09... to put it with his own words
    (rough translation) "I'm no sysop that'll stick at the screen reading
    mail all day until my tongue will fall of" - or something... a R28
    sysop can confirm that message... :-)

    It's also the same Ward Dossche that removed any trademark/copyright
    marks from the nodelist and it's decision was widespread in fidonews
    (1997) about that Fido/fidonet and Dog with diskette were no
    trademarks outside Zone 1... Today he shouts that he is not alone a
    Coordinator Fidonet-Belgium... HE IS THE *IC* (I can send his emails
    if you'd like... Fidopolicy doesn't handle those does it? :-) and that
    it's HIS domain name and I should give those domain names to him
    within 2 hours of his 1st email...

    he never responded to my netmails... but he states he received my
    netmail in an email with the last nodediff where i've been put on
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 9                    1 Jan 2001


    hold...this morning... he has also tried to block my domain names
    (fido.be and fidonet.be) at my registrar...which obviously refused...
    he's got a 24 page manual with smallwrite which doesn't give any
    rights to an IC of "fidonet"-WHAT? which doesn't have any jurisdiction
    affiliations in this country... (10 years ago Ward Dossche had one
    Bnet.vzw but ... it died...) so Ward Dossche had 10 years the time to
    get the .BE domain using his affiliation...

    but now a 3rd party has taken it...his worst enemy...it's my fault...?


    Even the belgian government has the same problem... www.belgie.be
    turned into DUTCH (The Netherlands) hands... a big "joke" in the
    Belgian Internet World

    ...

    I'd like your input about this subject... should I ask "asylum" in Z1
    or other zones to get relisted? my points & downlinks won't just
    switch over because of this (one of many) Ward Dosschian fights...

    the Dns.be liberalization slogan was "First Come First Serve" where
    the rule was : you didn't had to have any affiliations any more... you
    could register www.water.be without getting a lawyer of some
    Water(H20) company on your head...

    Greetz, Steven Leeman (2:292/624) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Steven Leeman To: [email protected] Re: <EXCOMMUNICATION> -Ed
    =====================================================================
    * Forwarded by Steven Leeman (2:292/624) * Area : FN_SYSOP
    ([INTERBBS]) * From : Steven Leeman, 2:292/624 (Monday December 25
    2000 01:21) * To   : All * Subj : :-)
    =====================================================================
    Hello All, does anyone still remember this fidonews article of Ward
    Dossche? hence why am I posting this?

    A few weeks ago the .BE internet domain name was liberalized...eg you
    didn't had to have a company in order to registrar your own
    domain...you could take www.yahoo.be if you wanted to have it :-)

    so I took also a few...eg www.fido.be , www.fidonet.be

    a few weeks later I get a nice email(multiple) from Ward Dossche (he
    doesn't like netmails anymore?) stating he is copyright holder and
    such of those names and asked me to dismiss ownership of those .be
    domain names...

    I send his own article to him by netmail...

    Now instead of his threats to start a DNS-complaint...he uses another
    card of his sleeve... <activate childish tone> "Although I'm not a
    Belgian Fido Coordinator...I AM THE INTERNATIONAL FIDO COORDINATOR
    <POINT>... Now free these domain names or you'll be removed from the
    nodelist...I'll await your answer in 2 hours"... the next day I was
    put on "hold" in the nodelist... next thursday I should be out of the
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 10                   1 Jan 2001


    Z2 nodelist as well...unless I free them up "I don't need a
    /polemique/" he said as last... sure every /master/ likes a slave that
    doesn't object to it's commands...

    He has spammed al my downlinks and points to inform them they should
    look for another uplink... they all ignored his netmail...even started
    a polemique on their own...

    it's not the first time Ward Dossche misuses his Nodelist-keeper
    power... eg he has already blackmailed moderators in the idle hope of
    getting moderatorship of that echo... he quotes Echopol nicely but if
    himself stands above it... no rules of his echo's; no listening to the
    rules of other echo's...; [....]
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    Mon 31 Mar 97 9:27 By: Ward Dossche To: David Moufarrege Re: Re:
    Copyright Notice
    =====================================================================

    Hello David,

    > What is the background of your dropping the Copyright Notice of the
    > Z2-Nodelist?

    Some time ago a person wanted to write non-commercially something
    somewhere about Fido and kinda liked the art-work on the dog with the
    diskette. (name of the person escapes me, but I seem to recall a
    similar incident connected to the last Eurocon) So, truthfully
    believing Tom Jennings holds a trademark on this (as was mentioned in
    the nodelist and still is in Fidonews) he asks permission to use it,
    which Tom flatly refused.

    As I found this rather a strange reaction, out of curiosity I asked
    some of our corporate lawyers to look into the copyright- and
    trademark-issue of "Fido", "Fidonet" and the artwork of the dog-with-
    diskette. (FYI, I'm Deputy-Director at the Belgian telco, employing
    some 27,000 staff and we have acorporate-law- division who does
    nothing else than copyright and trademark stuff)

    As I so suspected for a long time, I received confirmation after
    researching relevant trademark-bureaus that no references to the above
    nor any trademark held by a Jennings Tom or Tom Jennings relating to
    Fidonet or something similarly sounding exists.

    Mark my words ... this covers the whole of Europe (east and west)
    including Israel and Turkey. It says nothing about the USA.

    We discovered however expired Fidonet-trademarks in the name of other
    individuals residing in Europe.

    A quick search was done for Japan (where ZC/6 resides) without any TJ-
    trademark. Same thing in Argentina (homebase of ZC/4) where TJ holds
    no rights but where, very puculiarly, another trademark called "Latin
    Fido" is held by a local sysop (this is also reflected in the Z4-
    nodelist).

    So let me summarize :
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 11                   1 Jan 2001


    There is _NO_ existing trademark in Europe in the name of Tom Jennings
    nor Jennings Tom for "Fido", "Fidonet" nor the "dog-with-diskette"-
    artwork.

    Then why write it in the nodelist? I don't see one single reason.

    Now let's not confuse "trademark" with "copyright".

    If TJ wants to have a trademark on all those items then as far as I'm
    concerned he can have it ... which means he must have his brand-names
    registered in each and every country - for zone-2 this means 35-
    countries to be precise - and agree to pay the periodical hefty sum on
    that. (worldwide 190+ ?)

    This he has never done, nor will he do it, nor will anyone else
    because it is just too expensive. "Control" over the nodelist can
    never warrant such a high price nor can anyone ever expect a return on
    that investment.

    If anyone ever has any bright idea here to register the trademarks to
    either "control" or "financially exploit" then I hereby post a claim
    to be first in line to laugh that person straight in his/her face.
    Less than a year ago there was the case of a company registering a
    trademark on the wording "world wide web" and "www", which mind you
    are nowhere legally protected. After initial astonishment by the
    internet-community the "owners" were quickly reduced to the laughing
    stock even while they followed correct legal procedures. They tried to
    exercise a claim and finally gave up because it was reasonably
    un-enforceable.

    With Fidonet it is exactly the same thing.

    Now one final word about "copyright". TJ does not participate in any
    way in the production of any of the nodelists nor any of the segments
    that comprise the nodelist. Hence there is not one square inch of
    legal ground for him to claim copyright over it.

    The NC's could have a copyright over net-segments, the RC's over
    region- segments and the ZC's over zone-segments. Since the ZC's also
    produce nodelists they could imo also post a copyright-notice for
    their version of the nodelist although I think all these notices carry
    little weight and are of little to no importance.

    Anyone in zone-2 having problems with the nodelist without a
    TJ-copyright/ trademark notification can always freq at this node the
    elements it takes to produce their own nodelist.

    Every current zone-2 region-segment can be freqqed here with the
    magic-name REGIONxx where xx = region number.

    On top of that every zone-segment can be freqqed here following the
    same logic : ZONEy where y = zonenumber.

    It enables everyone who wants that to build his/her own customized
    nodelist.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 12                   1 Jan 2001


    If a person e.g. only wants R24, R50 and Z3, then he/she freqs
    REGION24, REGION50, ZONE3 and gives that to his/her nodelist-compiler.
    How's that for openness, availability, service, whatever you wanna
    call it?

    If they want to include the original notice they can equally freq "TJ"
    here so that bit of information is accessible as well although it
    makes no difference.

    As a sidenote, I already received threats for a court-case by one
    Randy Bush, the same person when slamming the Fido-door shut behind
    him stated it was nothing else but a litter-box reeking of cat-piss. I
    understand some valid concerns about intentions and motives, but I do
    have a more than full-time and well payed job so I don't need to try
    to squeeze some extra pennies (at what cost?) out of some peoples
    pockets. I believe it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for
    any individual to grab control of the nodelist and make a buck out of
    it.

    If that happens then it is because the sysops allow it to happen,
    personally I would just totally ignore such a person.

    There's a lesson to be learned from our German friends who would never
    take any shit like that. This they proved after some "grab control"-
    exercises there.

    I'm more worried about the censoring of Fidonews-worldwide by a ZC
    which recently occurred and nobody reacted upon it. Weren't you aware?

    Thanks for writing. If there's more you want to ask, please do.

    Take care, \x/ard Dossche

    ZC/2

     Netmail (2:292/624.1) NETMAIL
    Msg  : 755 of 768                          Pvt K/s Trs A/s
     From : Ward Dossche             2:292/854       Fri 22 Dec 00 10:48
    To   : point                     2:292/624.1     Fri 22 Dec 00 11:03
    Subj : Status van de 2:292/624-node in Fidonet

    De sysop van 2:292/624 (jullie boss) heeft eenzijdig, zonder overleg
    en zonder enig akkoord van de copyright houder en/of zijn
    gemandateerde
    bij DNS.BE de domeinen "fidonet.be" en "fido.be" gereserveerd.

    Dergelijk usurperend gedrag wordt in een Fidonetomgeving niet
    getollereerd.

    De sysop in kwestie werd om uitleg gevraagd met inbegrip van aan te

    tonen dat hij de benodigde toelatingen heeft. Bij uitblijven van deze
    bewijsvoering wordthem vanuit de Fidonet hierarchie opgelegd dat de
    domeinen "fidonet.be" en "fido.be" opgegeven worden. De termijn voor
    hem om hierop bevredigend te reageren werd op 1 week gesteld.
    (deadline donderdag 28 december om 23h55 lokale tijd)
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 13                   1 Jan 2001


    Totnutoe kwam daar geen bevredigend antwoord op.

    Het nodenummer 2:292/624 werdt met onmiddellijke ingang op "Hold"
    geplaatst in de fidonet nodelist en zal volgende week verwijderd
    worden, samen met alle andere inschrivingen van dezelfde persoon,
    indien de sysop zich niet naar het bovenvermelde directief richt.

                   ..
    Voor jullie creeert het de bijkomende moeilijkheid dat de pointaccess
    wegvalt. Om die te behouden en verder in Fidonet aktief te blijven
    zijn er 3 scenario's:

    1) Jullie moedigen de sysop van 2:292/624, Steven Leeman, aan om zich
    bij de gestelde richtlijnen neer te leggen. Wanneer het bewijs
    geleverd werd dat de domeinen 'fidonet.be' en 'fido.be' daadwerkelijk
    verwijderd werden uit de dns-tabellen blijft alles bij het oude; 2)
    Jullie zoeken een andere sysop. Dit kan heel gemakkelijk gebeuren via
    de nodelist; 3) Jullie vragen node-status aan via een hub en worden
    volwaardige node binnen Fidonet.

       Mogelijke hubs zijn:

         * 2:292/100  (hub10010) Johan Zwiekhorst - Hasselt * 2:292/401
    (hub10040) Freddy Verrezen  - Mol * 2:292/706  (hub10070) Gilbert
    Doyen    - Brussel * 2:292/865  (hub10081) Luc Sienaert     - Mortsel
    * 2:292/854  (hub10084) Ward Dossche     - Mortsel * 2:292/2009
    (hub10200) Eric Vaneberck   - Jodoigne * 2:292/4005 (hub10400) Yves
    Hennico     - Montzen

    Ik hoop dat het allemaal zo geen vaart zal lopen maar indien de sysop
    van 2:292/624, Steven Leeman, niet inbindt en niet ingaat op de
    gestelde eisen zal bovengenoemd scenario onveranderd uitgevoerd
    worden.

    Ter info, ik ga hierover met niemand een polemiek voeren, de kaarten
    liggen zoals ze liggen.

    Met vriendelijke groeten,

      \x/@rd Dossche Fidonet International Coordinator


     Netmail (2:292/624.1)  NETMAIL
    Msg  : 754 of 768                          Pvt K/s Trs A/s
     From : Ward Dossche         2:292/854       Fri 22 Dec 00 10:28
    To   : Steven Leeman         2:292/626       Fri 22 Dec 00 11:03
    Subj : De toestand van 2:292/624 en 2:292/626
    CC: Eddy Missoul, Eddy Missoul, Tom Gay, Jacek Pielesz
    CC: Tom Laermans, Davy Verhaeghen

    Heren,

    De sysop van 2:292/624 en 2:292/626 heeft eenzijdig, zonder overleg en
    zonder enig akkoord van de coyrighthouder en/of zijn gemandateerde bij
    DNS.BE de domeinen "fidonet.be" en "fido.be" gereserveerd.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 14                   1 Jan 2001


    Dergelijk usurperend gedrag wordt in een Fidonetomgeving niet
    getollereerd.

    De sysop in kwestie werd om uitleg gevraagd met inbegrip van aan te
    tonen dat hij de benodigde toelatingen heeft. Bij uitblijven van deze
    bewijsvoering wordtopgelegd dat de domeinen "fidonet.be" en "fido.be"
    opgegeven worden. De termijn om hierop bevredigend te reageren werd op
    1 week gesteld.

    Totnutoe kwam daar geen bevredigend antwoord op.

    De nodenummers 2:292/624 en 2:292/626 werden met onmiddellijke ingang
    op "Hold"geplaatst en zullen volgende week verwijderd worden indien
    hun sysop zich niet naar de bovenvermelde directief richt.

    Gezien die sysop ineens ook de hub 2:292/10060 uitbaat waaronder
    jullie resideren zal ook deze hub uit de nodelist verwijderd worden.
    Voor jullie continuiteit binnen Fidonet wordt dan ook aangeraden om zo
    snel mogelijk met een andere hub contacten te leggen opdat dit in de
    nodelist zou weerspiegelen.

    De andere mogelijke hubs in R29 zijn:

     * 2:292/100  (hub10010) Johan Zwiekhorst - Hasselt * 2:292/401
    (hub10040) Freddy Verrezen  - Mol * 2:292/706  (hub10070) Gilbert
    Doyen    - Brussel * 2:292/865  (hub10081) Luc Sienaert     - Mortsel
    * 2:292/854  (hub10084) Ward Dossche     - Mortsel * 2:292/2009
    (hub10200) Eric Vaneberck   - Jodoigne * 2:292/4005 (hub10400) Yves
    Hennico     - Montzen

    Indien er kandidaten zijn om de hub-functie waar te nemen dan kan
    NC292 steeds beslissen om in de zone-16 een nieuwe hub te creeren
    waarnaar jullie je dan ookkunnen richten.

    Ik hoop dat het allemaal zo geen vaart zal lopen maar indien de sysop
    van 2:292/624 aka 2:292/626, Steven Leeman, niet inbindt en niet
    ingaat op de gestelde eisen zal bovengenoemd scenario onveranderd
    uitgevoerd worden.

    Ter info, ik ga hierover met niemand een polemiek voeren, de kaarten
    liggen zoals ze liggen.

    Met vriendelijke groeten,

      \x/@rd Dossche Fidonet International Coordinator


    -----------8< dns.txt ---------------------

       o     Steven Leeman,
     )/\,[_) Sysop SkyNET Bbs
     `T7 ]=[ http://welcome.to/skynetbbs (Dutch/English)
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    By: Ward Dossche
    To: Steven Leeman
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 15                   1 Jan 2001


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Dear Steven,

    SL> a few weeks later I get a nice email(multiple) from Ward Dossche
    (he doesn't like netmails anymore?) stating he is copyright holder and
    such of those names ...

    WD> You certainly have no problem in telling lies, do you? I wish to
    draw the attention of the active audience here to the fact that you,
    mr.Leeman, a few weeks ago intended to post an article in the Snooze
    litterally claiming that I was a racist ... in those exact words.

    WD> Since Belgium has very severe anti-Racism-laws I felt very
    strongly about that too and I still thank the person who scooped-up
    the article prior to publication because I could have been in a pretty
    nasty position owing to you.

    Another of your lies, mr. Leeman.

    SL> next thursday I should be out of the Z2 nodelist as well...unless
    I free them up "I don't need a /polemique/" he said as last...

    WD> That is absolutely correct and I wish to add that your RC, RC29
    who comes highly respected throughout the Fidonet community (he was
    one of the very first in zone-2 many years ago), concurs that the
    proposals which have been made to you are consistent with your
    behaviour and attitude.

    SL> He has spammed al my downlinks and points to inform them they
    should look for another uplink...

    WD> All your downlinks and points received a very balanced and neutral
    communication explaining their situation. That was necessary since you
    manipulated the situation by telling them you were out already, hence
    they panicked.

    Indeed, you have no problem in telling lies.

    Have a nice day and Merry Christmas anyway.

     \x/@rd
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Subject: Re: Holding nodes for reasons outside of fidonet

    Dear Joe,

    Thank you for offering your opinion.

    Although my interference in zone-1 matters has been sollicited many
    times I have always elected to stay out of it. My advice to anyone
    being confronted with such a dillema is to act likewise since it is
    quite impossible to have the correct information.

    Nevertheless you have been quick to pass judgement based on "what"?

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 16                   1 Jan 2001


    There is an unresolved issue in zone2/R29. Steven Leeman has been
    briefed on the content of this issue and how to resolve it. It's his
    call.

    You will notice that I have left the cc's out. In this moment I don't
    believe it is productive and I would appreciate the same thing from
    everyone I talk with. It has been source for  misquoting, qouting
    out-of-context, lies, inaccuracies which start leading their own life.
    This is happening exactly now too.

    You've made a few interesting suggestions to Steven, others have as
    well. Maybe he'll listen to them and act accordingly but I can't force
    him. I'll definitely not crumble under a mail-wall as he's trying to
    provoke right now.

    You need to explain me why you suggest to bring Janis Kracht on board
    and talk about overruling. There is nothing to be overruled and the
    worst thing I could do is to start ruling on zone-1 matters, so
    likewise ....

    This matter eventually will resolve itself, but not under a
    mail-campaign. I've been executive drector at Greenpeace, I know the
    force of mail-bombing-runs and I know how to resist them.

    Don't take this as a personal comment, it isn't. Exactly because I
    hold you in high esteem from other conferences it is that I'm writing
    this +/- extended reply since my official position is that I am not
    getting into polemics. For you there's an exeption to that rule.

    Nevertheless, have a Merry Christmas,

    Ward

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Joe Jared <[email protected]>
    To: Ward Dossche <[email protected]>
    Cc: [email protected] <[email protected]>;
    [email protected] <[email protected]>;
    [email protected] <[email protected]>
    Date: Sunday,
    December 24, 2000 22:42 Subject: Holding nodes for reasons outside of
    fidonet


    Ward:
    I just received email regarding an individual who claims his node has
    been put on hold by you.  Assuming it is legitimate, then my belief is
    that it was done outside the scope of policy and should be rescinded.

    As a victim of loss of an expired domain and the apparent theft
    thereof, I can empathize with your position, but respectfully disagree
    with your actions of holding a node hostage.  Fidonet has nothing to
    do with the internet, and unless fido has been internationally
    trademarked, no illegal activity has occurred, and no excessively
    annoying behavior can be assumed.  Therefore, I must ask that you
    rescind your hold status for Steven, and return the node to good
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 17                   1 Jan 2001


    standing.  We cannot arbitrarily make rules that effectively cause
    excommunication, nor can we reasonably assume that any position of *C
    has the right to make rules based on events outside the scope of
    fidonet.  What you're allegedly doing clearly steps beyond the realm
    of fidonet.

    As an outsider, my own inclination would be to go through the
    channels, and petition that Janis, our new Z1C, vote to overturn your
    position, assuming this situation does not resolve itself.

    Steven: In the states, no single entity owns more than one fidonet
    related domain, although it's not restricted.  Given that you
    apparently own a good portion of the fido*.be domains, you've
    effectively established a monopoly on the name.  It would be more than
    reasonable to respond positively with redelegating some of the domains
    to others with polite requests.   Granted, these domains are yours
    until they expire, and I'm quite sure that as an interim measure that
    Z2.fidonet.org could be allocated to the official Zone 2 web site, as
    mandated by either the Z2C or the IC should such a request not be met
    with acceptance on your side.  Given that fido.be appears to be a
    blank page, I personally don't see why said domain would be held
    hostage by you any more than Ward would hold your fidonet address
    hostage.

    http://relays.osirusoft.com
    http://www.osirusoft.com

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    From: "Joe Jared" <[email protected]>
    To: "Ward Dossche" <[email protected]>
    Cc: <[email protected]>; "Brenda Donovan" <[email protected]>
    Subject: Re: Holding nodes for reasons outside of fidonet
    Date: Wednesday, December 27, 2000 2:42 AM

    Ward Dossche wrote:

    Dear Joe,

    Thank you for offering your opinion.

    Although my interference in zone-1 matters has been sollicited many
    times I have always elected to stay out of it. My advice to anyone
    being confronted with such a dillema is to act likewise since it is
    quite impossible to have the correct information.
    --------------------------

    JJ> I've been here before.  Note that I've included an alias for our
    ZC's email, as well as my RC.  This issue needs resolution, and
    neither I nor the cc's are willing to let you blackmail our zone.

    WD> Nevertheless you have been quick to pass judgement based on
    "what"?

    JJ> Based on the facts.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 18                   1 Jan 2001


    WD> There is an unresolved issue in zone2/R29. Steven Leeman has been
    briefed on the content of this issue and how to resolve it. It's his
    call.

    JJ> He has been briefed.  I believe what you wrote on the topic.
    Understand, that in our region we had to deal with a tyrant.  Note
    that Bob Kohl is no longer RC10.

    WD> You will notice that I have left the cc's out. In this moment I
    don't believe it is productive and I would appreciate the same thing
    from everyone I talk with. It has been source for  misquoting, qouting
    out-of-context, lies, inaccuracies which start leading their own life.
    This is happening exactly now too.

    JJ> I don't believe in mushrooms.  Only the interested parties are
    notified.  Brenda as RC, and Janis, our ZC elect are cc'd because they
    are interested parties.  Warren as Fidonews editor has his hands full
    and I'm sure he'll quote relevant articles on his own for this
    particular topic.  I doubt seriously that the next issue of fidonews
    will be a small one.

    WD> You've made a few interesting suggestions to Steven, others have
    as well. Maybe he'll listen to them and act accordingly but I can't
    force him. I'll definitely not crumble under a mail-wall as he's
    trying to provoke right now.

    JJ> They were suggestions only.  Obviously, if you don't endorse a
    zone level site, it won't get listed in my column of fidonews.
    Neither of us have authority over the .be zone, nor should we.

    WD> You need to explain me why you suggest to bring Janis Kracht on
    board and talk about overruling. There is nothing to be overruled and
    the worst thing I could do is to start ruling on zone-1 matters, so
    likewise ....

    JJ> She is the next and only remaining level of appeal.  Should it
    ever get to a ZCC decision, it is my hope that not only does your
    decision get overturned, but you get impeached in the process.  As
    near as I can tell, the former is 1 vote away.  You still have time to
    change your course of action.

    WD> This matter eventually will resolve itself, but not under a
    mail-campaign. I've been executive director at Greenpeace, I know the
    force of mail-bombing-runs and I know how to resist them.

    JJ> This matter could resolve itself if you rescind your ruling on the
    matter.  Anything less _will_ result in your impeachment.

    WD> Don't take this as a personal comment, it isn't. Exactly because I
    hold you in high esteem from other conferences it is that I'm writing
    this +/- extended reply since my official position is that I am not
    getting into poletics. For you there's an exeption to that rule.

    JJ> Thank you.  However, the veiled threats in your response have been
    ignored as such.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 19                   1 Jan 2001


    WD> Nevertheless, have a Merry Christmas,
    WD> Ward

    JJ>Thanks.  And in the spirit of the moment, I wish the same to you.
    Did you hear the sincerity of the words?  Whoops, that makes one of
    us. What you're doing is wrong.  I can't find any other words that
    aren't inflammatory to such a degree that you find yourself any less
    alienated, nor can I express the gravity of your actions as IC with
    any other words.  If you become enraged with my response, perhaps
    recognizing what is wrong with your decisions will redirect you as one
    of fidonet's leaders will be the greater result.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Joe Jared <[email protected]>
    To: Ward Dossche <[email protected]>
    Cc: [email protected] <[email protected]>;
    [email protected] <[email protected]>;
    [email protected] <[email protected]>
    Date: Sunday, December 24, 2000 22:42
    Subject: Holding nodes for reasons outside of fidonet

    JJ> Ward, I just received email regarding an individual who claims his
    node has been put on hold by you.  Assuming it is legitimate, then my
    belief is that it was done outside the scope of policy and should be
    rescinded.

    JJ> As a victim of loss of an expired domain and the apparent theft
    thereof, I can empathize with your position, but respectfully disagree
    with your actions of holding a node hostage.  Fidonet has nothing to
    do with the internet, and unless fido has been internationally
    trademarked, no illegal activity has occurred, and no excessively
    annoying behavior can be assumed.  Therefore, I must ask that you
    rescind your hold status for Steven, and return the node to good
    standing.  We cannot arbitrarily make rules that effectively cause
    excommunication, nor can we reasonably assume that any position of *C
    has the right to make rules based on events outside the scope of
    fidonet.  What you're allegedly doing clearly steps beyond the realm
    of fidonet.

    JJ> As an outsider, my own inclination would be to go through the
    channels, and petition that Janis, our new Z1C, vote to overturn your
    position, assuming this situation does not resolve itself.

    JJ> Steven, In the states, no single entity owns more than one fidonet
    related domain, although it's not restricted.  Given that you
    apparently own a good portion of the fido*.be domains, you've
    effectively established a monopoly on the name.  It would be more than
    reasonable to respond positively with redelegating some of the domains
    to others with polite requests.   Granted, these domains are yours
    until they expire, and I'm quite sure that as an interim measure that
    Z2.fidonet.org could be allocated to the official Zone 2 web site, as
    mandated by either the Z2C or the IC should such a request not be met
    with acceptance on your side.  Given that fido.be appears to be a
    blank page, I personally don't see why said domain would be held
    hostage by you any more than Ward would hold your fidonet address
    hostage.
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 20                   1 Jan 2001


    http://relays.osirusoft.com
    http://www.osirusoft.com

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Dallas Hinton
    To: Dave Hamilton
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi Dave -- on Dec 25 2000 at 14:19, you wrote:

    DH> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman? Does the RCC have an opinion?

    DH> I think it's obscene.

    I hate to say this, Dave -- but:

    I told you so. :-(

    Cheers... Dallas




    By: brenda donovan To: all Re: The IC's latest rhubarb
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Things did not settle down much before a new ruckus has arisen.

    Ward Dossche, acting as IC, has threatened a zone 2 node with
    excommunication for registering fido.be and fidonet.be. In his message
    to Steven Leeman, he used the IC title. It's sometimes tough to
    separate hats, but the messages do say IC (not Z2C).

    This is a gross abuse of position and is not condoned by anyone.
    Foremost, since registering domain names is not within the scope of
    fidonet.

    Check out Z1C and FIDONEWS echos for more info.

    I would be happy to give any threatened node a home in the nodelist
    until things can be worked out.

    There is never any excuse for this kind of behavior. There is a lot of
    talk about it and we are all waiting to hear what Mr. Dossche has to
    say for himself.

    Personally, I think he's dug himself a hole that will be hard to get
    out of, but we shall see.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: brenda donovan
    To: Frank Vest
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 21                   1 Jan 2001


    FV> If it is true. I'm not discounting anyone's belief nor arguing in
    favor of anyone. I'm just stating that when I looked at the Nodelist,
    Steve Leeman is still listed and not on "Hold" or any other status. He
    is listed as a full Node.

    FV> Of course, on the other side of the coin is... The Nodelist of Z1
    might not have the updates of Z2 in it yet. I don't know how accurate
    this might be, but inaccuracy is a possibility.

    FV> A threat ignored by the threatened party and not acted upon by the
    threatening party is just a threat, over? :-)


    BD> It is unacceptable behavior in any *C. As IC, he can bluster. But
    he is Z2C and does have an editor and does compile the zone 2 segment.

    BD> Perceived power abuse is still abusive behavior.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Carl Austin Bennett
    To: Janis Kracht
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    DH> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman?

    JK> Yes, I do.  Steven contacted me on the 22nd of December about
    this. I gave him some ideas that he might present to Ward to try to
    make things work out but I did not hear anything from Steven after
    that.  If Ward does remove Steven from the nodelist, or puts his
    listing on hold over this I definitely feel it is very wrong.

    CB> Would you have any objection to him being nodelisted in our zone
    should it become necessary due to Ward's actions?

    JK> Yes, I personally agree that removing Steven would be very wrong.

    CB> What's our next step at this point?

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Carol Shenkenberger
    To: Bart Verhaeghe
    Re: Re: Ward Dossche The abuse Story.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Bart, under P4, a ZC is appointed by the RC's and can be removed the
    same way.

    I do not know if the problems arejust relatedto Belgium. I'm listening
    and seeing what Ward has to say, but as an outsider I cant do much.

    On the IC position, if the ZC's vote him out, he will no longer be IC.

    In Z1, a big storm is slowly brewing over this.  I seriouly doubt if
    any RC's in Z1 will refuse to list any Z2 site who is under threat of
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 22                   1 Jan 2001


    their nodelist entry, until all is resolved.  Ross has already made
    moves to list Steven Leeman I gather from the notes here. If you need
    a listing, lets split the forces and list you with one of the others?
    I have several nets who would be delighted I am sure, to have a few
    good nodes as long as they can establish a path to netmail them <g>.

    Check your email <G>. xxcarol

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Carol Shenkenberger
    To: Carl Austin Bennett
    Re: Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    *** Quoting Carl Austin Bennett from a message to Janis Kracht ***

    CAB> Yes, I personally agree that removing Steven would be very wrong.

    CAB> What's our next step at this point?

    My *personal* stance is that I'll take the next one who needs refugee
    status, and hope the 3rd (or more if needed) all list in different
    regions here. Spread the targets and Ward cant do much if anything.
    This allows *time* to get to the root of the problem more properly for
    those sysops who are in an apparent bind.

    These listings would be temporary to keep the nodes functional, until
    it can be figured out. A few weeks is my guess?

    I don't know about you, but I lack a firm grasp of Z2 politics.

    I am also aware that the IC will probably go 'after' those of us who
    do this. That said, how bold are you?  Will R12C host a lostling if
    needed for a time to prevent loss of a sysop til it's all figured out?

    Guess I better have a long chat with Janis <G>.

                                    xxcarol
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Dale Shipp
    To: Brenda Donovan
    Re: Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     -=> On 12-25-00  15:11, Brenda Donovan <=-
     -=> spoke to Dave Hamilton about Ward Dossche <=-

    DH> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman? Does the RCC have an opinion? I think it's obscene.

     BD> It is definitely abuse of power.

    DS> But typical of his royal highness and the way he has acted over
    the past couple of years.   I am not surprised in the least. Shocked,
    horrified, but not surprised.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 23                   1 Jan 2001


                            dale (at) min (dot) net
                                  (1:261/1466)
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 24                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                  LETTERS THAT CROSS THE EDITOR'S DESK
    =================================================================

    by: Ward Dossche
    To: Warren Bonner
    Re: Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    St: Rcvd
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello Warren,

    WB> You must consider carefully your words so as not to be deemed
    WB> tyrannical by using your nodelisting authority as a tool to
    WB> accomplish a non fidonet action.

    There can be debate about that (and it's not even the right conference
    to do this here but, heck, it's going to be another couple of days
    before the "IC"- conference will be all over the place, so ...).

    How to interpret this Policy-article?

    ************************* QUOTE *************************
    7.1  General
    ...
    The International Coordinator is responsible ... for negotiation of
    agreements for communication with other networks.
    ************************ UNQUOTE ************************

    Is the internet another network? "Yes, it is" ... which means it is
    IC-stuff although the writers of P4 never had that in mind (same as a
    bunch of other things).

    If I need to state an official position then it is that all sysops who
    maintain Fidonet-related internet-domains which are utilized to
    further the aim of Fidonet are strongly encouraged to continue doing
    so.

    It implies that if such domains are spotted which are not used in that
    sense action is required. An item to be taken on board in a
    policy-review?

    WD> I suggest you openly restore S.L,'s node, ...

    Not just like that ... a proposal was submitted by myself which, if
    accepted, would prompt me into restoring the node numbers to their
    former status. I have received confirmation by e-mail that there's a
    high probability this acceptance will happen in which case I will hold
    my part of the bargain. The "deal" is about ensuring that the
    affected-domains indeed will be used to the best interest of fidonet.

    WD> Offer to reimburse him for his costs in securing the fido,
    fidonet (Ic/Z2).be you are rightfully entitled to by your fidonet
    titles.  <Editor note: I meant if he applied for that domain name.>

    WD> I am unaware of such a domain nor do I feel the need for it.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 25                   1 Jan 2001


    WB> He is not obligated to GIVE you on DEMAND anything he owns outside
    of his nodelisted fido address.  An apology for (in effect),
    removing him may soften the heart with an offer of reimbursement of
    his costs which you would have to pay had you listed the
    fidoIc/Z2.be in the first place. (JMHO)

    WD> As I said, P4.7.1.2 opens a path for creative thinking on
    "obliged" (!!) or not. Definitely there will be no apology as I see no
    need for anything of that kind nor any reimbursement for something not
    requested, demanded, asked nor discussed.

    WD> The thought that this gave me is that I am frighteningly powerfull
    in a Fidonet-context. I can flick the big-finger to anyone without
    being sanctionned ... the thought never occurred to me until now.

    WD> To be removed as a ZC a referendum needs to be started by the
    IC... and there's no provision for removing an IC. Another thought for
    a policy-review? Maybe the IC should "not" be a ZC.

    WD> Personally, and that's on a side note since the situation is only
    valid in a non-North American context (which means 90% of Fidonet), I
    believe that any fidonet.xx-domain (where the xx-denotes a country)
    should be handled by the RC of the country. Please, North-Americans,
    understand that outside your realm Country=Region.

    WD> As for the others here in this and other conferences. Making a lot
    of noise and displaying obnoxious attitudes has never solved anything.
    A wall of mails doesn't impress me either and it was a simple
    Fido-point operator who made the most sense to me.

    WD> Maybe that is also an idea to be taken on board in a policy review
    ... point- operators do matter and they contribute.
    I'm closing the books here in this matter and will not communicate
    anymore via conferences to people because at this point in time the
    latency in mail- distribution might effectively thwart any solution
    and nobody's interests are served by that.

    WD> If the few remaining individuals responsible for 99% of the noise,
    call it the barroom-brawls maybe, want to continue their ranting they
    will have to understand they will not be cluttering my bandwith as I
    will not be reading them.

    Hopefully this was a satisfactory answer?

    Have a nice day,

     \x/@rd

    --- DB 1.58/001877
     * Origin: Many Glacier on ADSL now (2:292/854)

                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    By: michael kleerbaum
    To: Steven Leeman
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 26                   1 Jan 2001


    Re: FidoNet-Domains St:
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi Steven,

    SL> likewise here...I've taken the liberty of remonstrating fido.be/
    fidonet.be without asking Ward Dossche first ... my node has been put
    on hold because of that :-|

    MK> In the german node-echo NODES.024 began these weekend a discussion
    about your "case". Many Germans have domains with "Fido" or "FidoNet".

    I think, I write for most of the nodes in Europe and the rest of
    Fidoworld, when I say, that we don't like the things, that Ward Dosche
    has done to you and we will all stand behind you.

    Everybody should be able to use Internet-Domains with "FidoNet" and
    "Fido" because we are a hobby-network and not a commercial network.

    I invite you to the nodes.024. I know, you understand german and we
    understand your mother tongue and I know, you can write in german.

    We want and need information from you about this case, because in near
    future, some web-projects about FidoNet become international, like the
    www.was-ist-fido.de-project and we DON'T want any restrictions from
    the IC and ZC/2 because it ISN'T his job to do this.

    Michael

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Joe Jared
    To: Janis Kracht
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello Janis!

    Monday December 25 2000 20:09, you wrote to Dave Hamilton:

    > Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven Leeman?

    JK> Yes, I do.  Steven contacted me on the 22nd of December about
    this. I gave him some ideas that he might present to Ward to try to
    make things work out but I did not hear anything from Steven after
    that. If Ward does remove Steven from the nodelist, or puts his
    listing on hold over this I definitely feel it is very wrong.

    Thank you.

    [email protected]

    --- GoldED/W32 3.0.1
     * Origin: telnet://osirusoft.com (1:103/301)


    By: Janis Kracht
    To: Dave Hamilton
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 27                   1 Jan 2001


    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi Dave,

    > About that message on 12-25-2000 from Ross Cassell to All:

    >> Its rather disturbing to see ones nodelisting being affected over
    >> registering internet domain names or Ward throwing his 'TITLE'
    >> around:

    >> "I am the INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR"


    > Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven Leeman?

    Yes, I do.  Steven contacted me on the 22nd of December about this.  I
    gave him some ideas that he might present to Ward to try to make
    things work out but I did not hear anything from Steven after that. If
    Ward does remove Steven from the nodelist, or puts his listing on hold
    over this I definitely feel it is very wrong.

    >Does the RCC have an opinion?

    That I can't tell you ... most likely they have been busy with family
    today as I have been.  I've seen Ross' posts here obviously <smile>.

    > I think it's obscene.

    There is a body whose name escapes me at the moment who decides such
    issues as ownership of Domain names.. even if this body decides that
    Ward should have ownership of this domain name, Steven should not be
    removed from the nodelist. In my reply to Steven on the 22nd, I told
    him to let me know if he was removed.

    Take care,
    Janis

    --- BBBS/LiI v4.01 Flag-1
     * Origin: Prism bbs (1:2320/38)

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Darrell Salter
    To: Frank Vest
    Re: simple things                                            [1]
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Frank Vest wrote in a message to Darrell Salter:

    DS> If you follow my poor example, as the Region 12 nodelist clerk
    (head bookkeeper), that is exactly what I did.

    FV> Very good. I agree with you 100% in your actions, if not in all of
    the beliefs.

    I advocate that you are entitled to those beliefs and are free to
    exercise them as a Fidonet Sysop. I expect the same. The problem
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 28                   1 Jan 2001


    starts when someone presumes to force their beliefs on the other. I
    believe this is always wrong.

    I'd like to thank you for your reply. It was detailed and straight
    forward.

    DS> All that remains now is for someone to twist my words and try to
    shove them down my throat. I'll resist and we'll be back to where we
    were.

     FV> While I still believe that P4 is valid and offers a method of
     FV> operation for Fidonet,

    DS> Never have I claimed that you, or any other Sysop, is not free to
    believe so. I have always said that there are some good guidelines in
    P4. In this much we are agreed. The problem comes in when some Sysops
    try to force the parts of P4 I reject upon me.

     FV> it would seem that your method works/worked as well.

    DS> Yes, but I don't insist on my way for others. I expect the same
    consideration.

     FV> At the risk of inferring wrath,

    DS> I do it all the time, it ain't that bad. :-)

    FV> I see a lot of similarity in what I read in P4 of handling such an
    occurrence as the "Kari" incident and the way it was handled in R12.

     FV> Maybe we aren't that far apart after all?

    DS> Probably not, but then you may not have an axe to grind.

    Darrell

    [email protected]

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    By: Darrell Salter
    To: Jerry Schwartz
    Re: simple things
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Jerry Schwartz wrote in a message to Dave Hamilton:

     JS> That's where Darrell could have been more helpful.
     JS> ...

    I did a good job processing the Region's nodelist submissions. The ZC
    and I did a good job and had no difficulty getting the Region 12
    nodelist submissions processed into the nodediff accurately and in a
    timely fashion. I served my term as R12C and passed the torch, just as
    the Sysops of Region 12 and I had discussed and agreed to do during my
    campaign for the R12C position. My Region is pleased and satisfied
    with my performance judging by the lack of complaint and expressions
    of gratitude I have received from the Sysops here. I thank them now
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 29                   1 Jan 2001


    publicly for giving me the opportunity to serve them and for
    supporting me. Your critical comment above notwithstanding, combined
    with the fact that you are not an R12 Sysop, leaves me to suggest to
    you that I am quite pleased and very satisfied with the job I did as
    R12C.

    Some Sysops outside of Region 12 pressured me to be the RC they wanted
    me to be. Some Sysops outside of Region 12 pressured me to do the
    things they wanted me to do. They were very much mistaken if they
    thought they could coerce me without first obtaining a mandate from
    the Sysops of Region 12, interestingly, the very people I see them now
    abusing publicly. But these things come as no surprise to me. I am
    not new to Fidonet and have witnessed this behavior in it's many
    flavors, some subtle, some not so subtle, some downright rude and
    meanspirited, many times before. I note that other RCs did not offer
    much resistance to such tactics. As an RC I submit I fared much better
    than they. Perhaps my ability to resist such pressure is but one
    reason my Region elected me in the first place. We have some very
    smart people here.

    Darrell [email protected] http://sparkys.dyndns.org

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Carol Shenkenberger wrote in a message to Darrell Salter:

    DS> If my "axe to grind" has to do with "power mongering *Cs", which,
    I be is *exactly* what I said above, then I'd say he definitely IS
    aware of it and definitely IS part of it. Don't you agree?

     CS> Yes, but your references below are specific to Z1 things that he
     CS> won't most likely know much about.

    My point is that, contrary to your statement, this shit happens in
    Zone 1 also. It's happened in the past and it happens now. You don't
    have a leg to stand on to preach to Zone 2 Sysops about the virtues of
    Zone 1. We've got our policy thumping Sysop-abusers too. If Steven is
    not aware of this, he should be before he accepts a node number here.

    What's to stop a certain Zone 1 RC from immediately filing a policy
    complaint as soon as Zone 2 Sysops are listed here in Zone 1 just like
    he did last time? Nothing.

    What's to stop the Z1C from threatening to excommunicate a Zone 1
    Sysop or a Zone 1 Region for listing out-of-Zone Sysops just like it
    happened last time? Nothing.

     CS> No, was not aware of anything recent. I have heard of the earlier
    CS> problem,

    You were aware of the earlier problem yet you claimed that node
    numbers aren't under threat of being toasted in Zone 1? Again, I'm not
    calling you a liar, merely suggesting that you are dead wrong. As a
    Zone 1 Sysop you are hardly in a position to be preaching about the
    type of abuse you claim doesn't happen here, when it obviously does.

    Yes, I have recently been the subject of a possible policy complaint
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 30                   1 Jan 2001


    by a Zone 1 Sysop and RC. The fact is, Sysops in Zone 1 will go after
    other Sysops' node numbers too. This should have been clear to you
    during the question and answer period during the recent Z1C election.

    CS> and that now most of Z1 isn't so adamant about Geo-restrictions as
    CS>it once was (which I consider overall to be good as the Geo doesn't
    CS> really 'fit' all circumstances as you know).

    I'm glad you now consider this to be good. It was my Region that was
    persecuted in this manner by a Zone 1 Sysop and a Z1C. It was my
    Region and my Region alone that stood against the Z1C.  Now you are
    also aware that very recently my own node number was also under
    threat. You'd do well to remember that this type of abuse still
    happens in Zone 1 the next time you are tempted to preach how it
    doesn't happen here.

    Darrell

    [email protected]

    http://sparkys.dyndns.org --- * Origin: Sparky's BBS
    (telnet://bbs.sprk.com) (1:229/1)

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Carol Shenkenberger
    To: Ward Dossche
    Re: Re: Erratum
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    *** Quoting Ward Dossche from a message to Warren Bonner ***

    WD> ******************** ERRATUM ********************
    WD> To be removed as a ZC a referendum needs to be started by the IC..
    WD> and
    WD> there's no provision for removing an IC. Another thought for a
    WD> policy-review? Maybe the IC should "not" be a ZC.
    WD> ******************** ERRATUM ********************
    WD>
    WD> The above text in the previous message should be read as:
    WD>
    WD>"To be removed as a ZC a referendum needs to be started by the IC..
    WD>under current prevailing conditions it might be hard to find a
    WD>majority for removing an IC. Another thought for a policy-review? M
    WD>the IC should "not" be a ZC."

    CS>The IC *CAN* be removed by the ZC's. The same way they put you in,
    they can take you back out.

    Only the Z2 RC's can remove a Z2C however the IC hat is not subject to
    the Z2 RC's but the ZC's of all 6 regions.

    Watch your steps Ward. You are in deep kimchee.
                                           xxcarol

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 31                   1 Jan 2001


    By: Ian Moote
    To: MICHAEL KLEERBAUM
    Re: Statement
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    MK> IM> That doesn't make any difference to the FidoNazis.
    MK>                                             ^^^^^^^^^ Oh,
    MK> please. Come on, Ian!
    MK>
    MK> This whole case has absolute [sic] nothing to do with any nazis
    MK> [sic]! Please let them out of this discussion.

    I don't know what _you're_thinking of, Michael, but I was referring to
    fascist attitudes shared by many on FidoNet -- so many, in fact, as to
    have given birth to the word "FidoNazi".

    By "fascism" I mean "violent opposition to one's extremist viewpoint".

    Ward obviously holds an extremist viewpoint here. He is offended by
    Steven's registration of domains containing "fido" and "fidonet". His
    opposition to Steven is ostensibly because "someone else" has a
    certain amount of legal control over those terms.

    1. It is not Ward who holds this legal control.

    2. Ward is not the servicemark police.

    3. Ward has no jurisdiction over anything that Steve does outside of
    FidoNet.

    Ergo, Ward's extremist viewpoint.

    4. Ward will summarily delete Steve from the NodeList if Steve does
    not comply with Ward's personal demands which are none of his business
    anyway. This is a philosophically violent action.


    Hm. Violent opposition to an extremist viewpoint. Looks pretty fascist
    to me. Especially when you consider:

    5. There is apparently personal history between Steve and Ward, and
    this seems to be more of a motivator here than Tom Jennings legal
    rights.


    No, the more I think of it, the more the word "Nazi" seems to apply.

    Sorry. I know that it's an oft-abused word, but if the shoe fits...

    Take care and TTYL.

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 32                   1 Jan 2001


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

    By: Ward Dossche
    To: Ross Cassell
    Re: Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ross,

    RC> Pay attention to messages written by Steven Leeman in the FIDONEWS
    and FN_SYSOP echoes and I just read another message from a German
    sysop in FIDONEWS, lending support to LEEMANS claims.

    It seems you are miserably failing at what Fidonet is about:
    communication.

    If a person-A tells something to 10 different people, and these 10
    different people then relay it on to third sources and these third
    sources provide feed- back to you, then how many versions will you get
    and how will they sound? At the start it was one thing but I bet you
    will receive 10 different multi-color variations.

    The first thing you ought to do is get your facts straight meaning
    getting another opinion, like at the source for example, because I
    have never had a confrontation with a German sysop over this and what
    I've seen only today from German sysops was based on their quest for
    information rather than on knowledge.

    I take serious offense over your barroom-ethics and -manners. If you
    have a hangover, why waste it on me/us?

    My sympathy rather goes to a guy named Stefan Wuyts whom I'm certain
    you've never heard about. He operates a point-address at Steven
    Leeman's and at least he wasn't as mentally challenged as you are to
    set up a peer-to-peer communication in a balanced way to work-out a
    solution. A proposal to consensus and modus-vivendi was made and I
    understand it has initially not met with opposition.

    Next time you feel like jerking-off again, Ross, do it less public.
    OK? And if you've got to do it here, please squirt in another
    direction.

    RC> If any of this is true, Dossche ought to resign immediately!

    Shall I tell you where you can put such a slogan? ;-)

    Have a nice day anyway,

     \x/@rd

    --- DB 1.58/001877 * Origin: Many Glacier on ADSL now (2:292/854)



    By: David Calafrancesco
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 33                   1 Jan 2001


    To: Janis Kracht
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Janis Kracht wrote in a message to David Calafrancesco:

    > listings. What Ward has done (at least as far as I can tell from
    > Ross' cross
    > postings) is nothing short of extortion.

     JK> Well, from what I have heard from Ward, Ward is not removing

     JK> Steven's node number.  The issue of the .be domain names has been

     JK> resolved as well.

    The threat of of serious repercussions for monetary gain (A FQDN is an
    asset with a dollar value attached) is extortion. Whether the person
    doing the extorting backs down in the face of massed and reasoned
    opposition or not is irrelevant. Extortion is a crime. The threat of
    extortion is a crime as well. Someone who has sufficiently shown
    criminal type behavior should not be the international coordinator of
    this organization.

    Had Ward discussed the issues with Steven instead of moving directly
    to threats of delisting then it would not be extortion.

    As a node in this zone, I would ask that you as ZC of this zone, take
    steps to determine whether this incident is sufficient to have Ward
    removed by the ZCC as IC at the least. Abuse of power is one of the
    worst offenses one in power can commit.

    Dave Calafrancesco, Team OS/2
    [email protected]

     * Origin: Druid's Grove BBS - (914)/876-2237 (1:2624/306)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: brenda donovan
    To: michael kleerbaum
    Re: Domains
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    mk> Is it so, that -you have been acting as the International
    Coordinator- everybody who reserved a domain name including "fido"
    will have to ask you for permission, and will otherwise be removed
    from the nodelist?

    mk> Yes or no, please.

    mk> With one sentence: You just can't remove somebody from the
    nodelist because he reserved a _national_ www domain faster than you,
    and even less if he didn't have any opportunity to establish local
    communication about the contents of the concerning site.


    BD> You are correct here. He cannot excommunicate a node over
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 34                   1 Jan 2001


    something not techical and outside of fidonet. To do so is abuse of
    power!

    He should retract or resign!


     Brenda Donovan
     RC10

     * Origin: R10 RHUB - TNL Online! - FTP Mail - San Diego, CA  (1:10/3)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Jerry Schwartz
    To: Dave Hamilton
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello, Dave...

    Dec 25, 2000 at 14:19, Dave Hamilton wrote to Janis Kracht:

    DH> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman? Does the RCC have an opinion?

     DH> I think it's obscene.

    If things are as they were reported, I doubt you'll find many who
    disagree with you.

    I had severe misgivings about Ward. Despite all kinds of assurances
    that he was really a nice guy, my long-distance opinion has always
    been that he's a bit overwound. Nonetheless, I'd like to hear more
    from other sources, if any exist. In particular, I'd like to hear from
    Ward.

    I don't think the "in your face" approach will work with him, in any
    case; so I'd like to see this handled diplomatically.

    Regards, Jerry mailto:[email protected]
    http://www.writebynight.com

    --- Msged/NT TE 05 * Origin: Write by Night (1:142/928)

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


                            NASCAR_CONTEST echo!
                            Bobby Queen, 1:379/5

    For those who are interested in NASCAR racing I just want to spread
    the word about our NASCAR_CONTEST echo and a little contest we hold
    every year.  This coming Feb 2001 we will be starting our 4th year in
    holding this contest in FidoNet and being gated with RaceNet and RIME.
    This past year was a poor one in people staying with the contest till
    the end of the season.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 35                   1 Jan 2001


    WE NEED FOLKS who love NASCAR and would like to guess who will win the
    pole and come in 1st thru 3rd place.  Just AREAFIX the NASCAR_CONTEST
    echo and join in.

    The rules are going to be discussed between now and February and then
    the FUN BEGINS!  Can the WOMEN beat the men again like they did in
    1999?  Or will the MEN get the best of the women like they did when
    they came back to win in 2000?

    Husbands talk your wives into joining with you and wives do likewise
    and talk your husbands into joining.  We have always had spouses
    competing against each other since our 1st year.

    So join me now in NASCAR_CONTEST and lets start the ball rolling on
    this next exciting season of NASCAR racing into the new millennium!

    ..... Atlanta to Daytona - The longest 3 months of the year!
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    *              Zone 2 participation of FidoNews.

    By: Michiel van der Vlist, 2:280/5555, [email protected]

    Dear FidoNews editor,

    MV> It is no secret that the Snooze is largely dominated by
    contributions from zone 1. I noted that you encourage articles
    from other zones, albeit without much success. Under the new
    rules I could have written this article in Dutch also. I choose
    not to do so. How many people receiving FidoNews can read Dutch?
    Less than one percent I estimate. For all the others it would
    just be noise. A too high signal to noise ratio shies off the
    readers and I think this is precisely the problem with Fidonews
    as seen from outside zone 1.

    WB> Thank you for your response.  I'll try to answer your points of
    concern from an Editors viewpoint about the construction of a edition
    of the Snooze. Firstly, it is a NA newsletter, and English is the
    primary language. If others don't want to submit their articles in
    their language and English translation... that is their loss. I have
    offered to try to make space available. If you have ten times more
    sysops in Z2 as you claim, and only "one percent" read-write Dutch I
    guess the other Languages are English, french, spanish, portuguese,
    Italian and German all of whom use English as a second language. IF
    you don't want to submit, why do you bitch about it?

    MV> Why do we see so few contributions from other zones? Zone 2 in
    particular? It counts about ten times as many sysops and who
    knows how many points. The main reason for the zone 1 domination
    of FidoNews is imho the fact that it ... is zone 1 dominated.

    WB> Well Duh! If you won't participate that only leaves the ones that
    do and thus the domination.  Send me your articles in any Language
    with English translation. It isn't hard to scan down past any text in
    any Language.

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 36                   1 Jan 2001


    MV> The cure would be to *discourage* articles that are only of zone 1
    local interest.

    WB> Then what would be the need to publish the FidoNews?

    MV> In the past month we have seen an increase in the volume of
    FidoNews due to the ongoing Z1C election. Why?

    WB> Because the campaign speeches, the question and answers are the
    news not only in Zone one but to other readers in the other Zones.
    Just because you have no interest doesn't negate my responsibility
    to all the others that look to find out how we do things.

    MV> Why do the sysops in zone 1 flood the world with what for many of
    us this side of the pond is no more than bickering among the locals?

    WB> Why do you read it if you don't like it or learn something about
    the folks who submit articles?

    MV> Why can't they be content with discussing it in an appropriate
    echomail conference like we do when matters of local interest are to
    be discussed?

    WB> We do! What is reprinted in the FidoNews is only a small part, the
    high-lights, of what goes on in the many echoes.

    MV> How would you feel if the German sysops (forming a region bigger
    than zone 1) started using the snooze as a playground for their petty
    bickering over an RC24 election?

    WB> I would love for them to submit articles, we then could see how
    some problems are solved in Germany, and apply the knowledge here; and
    they may learn some tricks from us.

    MV> I confess that on several occasions I have hit the "quit editor"
    key after exclaiming "Oh no, not *another* article from someone not
    pleased with the way things go in the Z1C election.

    WB> That is the beauty of it all... everyone has the same ability to
    scan what they are interested in, and skip all that is of no value to
    them. No shame to confess there. Everyone has different tastes. some
    would love to have multi-language articles just to brush up on their
    "other" Languages... and correspond with new friends in other
    countries.

    MV> Process! The snooze is zone 1 dominated because potential
    contributors from other zones are put off by the zone 1 dominance.

    WB> Well, you have broken the ice, <BWG> and I hope we can continue to
    receive articles from you...next time on things in your Zone so it
    can have something to read about at home there!

    MV> A vicious circle. Maybe you as editor should ask what the readers
    outside zone 1 are NOT interested in seeing in the snooze.

    WB> Why? The FidoNews is for things folks are interested in!  All of
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 37                   1 Jan 2001


    the articles are interesting to some folks. None would want to know
    what you or any other individual would "NOT" like.  FidoNews is for
    everyone to peruse as they wish.

    MV> My list would be:
    1) Articles that cover topics of only local interest, such as RC
       and ZC elections. They stir some interest but after the third
       round it gets very boring.
    2) Articles in a language I can not read. The idea may be good but
       it is not going to work. The only examples of successful
       multilingual magazines I have seen are the fodder that airline
       companies feed us to keep our thoughts from hitting the ground
       at a vertical speed higher than the landing gear can take.
    3) "Tear jerkers" as Sharon Westons' "The warmth of a smile." Maybe
       in NA culture such stories are an unconditional 'go', but imnsho
       it belongs in the Salvation Army's Digest or whatever it is called.
       My response when I see it in FidoNews is: "What's it got to do
       with FidoNet?


    WB> Thank you for your candor.  I hope you submit many more articles.

    MV>I respect the tradition of FidoNews editors to publish anything not
    in violation of the (NA?) law. Maybe it is time however to review this
    policy. Maybe it is time to define the topic of FidoNews and restrict
    articles to those that are on topic.

    WB> Nope! No censorship of any submission that is acceptable in the
    perimeters established by Tom Jennings the copyright holder.

    MV> Last but not least:
    I am shocked to find out that the editor of the snooze is no
    longer POTS crash mailable. Ok, there is an alternative: Joe
    Jared at 1:103/301. I say if that is where contributions via
    POTS should go, Joe Jared is the one that should carry the
    1:1/23 aka.

    WB> Nope, there too, anything sent to 1:1/23 comes straight to me
    through my Coeditor at 1:103/301. As Coeditor he could put his name on
    the /23 address and I did ask him to do so.  Joe declined as his "name
    has nothing to do with the delivery of Netmail with file attache as
    all POTS to 1:1/23 passes through 1:103/301 to my 1:103/401 Netmail
    address. So as he pointed out to me, his name hasn't anything to do
    with the Snooze getting the submitted articles.

    Thanks for bringing that to my attention, so that I could clear it up
    for you and anyone else that may wonder what the path is.

    Regards,
    Ol'wdb, Ed.
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    ++++++++++++++++++++GOOD NEWS JUST IN FROM STEVE LEEMAN++++++++++++++
    (20381) Fri 29 Dec 00 10:03p
    By: Steven Leeman
    To: All
    Re: New Nodelist
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 38                   1 Jan 2001


    St:
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello All,

     Friday December 29 2000 15:53, michael kleerbaum wrote to All:

     mk> 0032-16-580862     skynetbbs2.dyns.cx, Rotselaar        2:292/624
     mk> 0032-16-580862     SkyNet Bbs Line2, Rotselaar          2:292/626
     mk> The "Hold" is gone and Steven is still in the new nodelist.

    indeed...I also noticed from the nodelist (no message from Ward)

     mk> I want to thank all nodes and points in the USA, Canada, Germany,
     mk> Belgium  and the rest of FidoWorld for supporting Steven to
     MK> become a
     mk> "normal" Node  again.

    many thanks to you all!

       o     Steven Leeman,
     )/\,[_) Sysop SkyNET Bbs
     `T7 ]=[ http://skynetbbs.dyns.cx (Dutch/English)

     * Origin: SkyNet Bbs <32-(0)16-580862> (2:292/624)
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 39                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                             OL'WDB'S COLUMN
    =================================================================


    By: Warren Bonner
    To: Ward Dossche, Europe Gate (1/2)
    Re: Fidonews
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    WD> Warren,
    Thank you for your very clear message from a few days ago in
    FIDONEWS (the conference) to which I tried to provide a balanced
    follow-up which, with proper editorial intervention, might suit
    as an article.

    WB> It is one of many, many articles I have been deluged with,
    demanding my attention "for next issue".

    WD> However, my very open and defenseless attempt to write something
    within a few hours has been abused by some individuals who literally
    have quoted selectively that I've declared the IC- position is now
    cemented to my butt and I can flick the middlefinger to anyone.

    WB> I read it as a good example of flying off the handle in a snit.
    Example: `How dare anyone question my authority, as long as I am Z2C I
    am not removable from my International Coordinator position, and I can
    flip my middle-finger at everyone'.

    Also your continued claim that you have the right to "come down heavy"
    on any nodelisted sysop who has an Internet Domain with the word
    "Fido or Fidonet" in it's title, and the site displeases you.  Folks
    want to know where you get this power!?

    WD> You will recall, I hope, I was merely pointing to an obvious
    weakness in P4 now that 2 of the 6 mandates in ZCC are not exercised.
    It means under the current constellation if there were to be a voting,
    which I strongly doubt, the current IC needs to vote against himself
    in order to reach a majority.

    WB> I don't read the P4 policy guidelines exactly as you do. Not my
    call, probably because I don't know what, "It means under the current
    constellation" means... unless you mean `constitution'.

    WB> If the other ZC's Do Not agree with you, you may be out as IC. The
    guidelines set forth in P4 are not a ratified Constitution. And under
    our P4 guidelines, there is NO provision for an IC to remove a node
    from the node list. You are not a NC or RC, the only ones responsible
    for the nodelist on that level.

    WB> As far as the current Z2C voting against himself statement above,
    the current IC should disqualify himself in this kind of dispute as
    his position is the one in question.  You cant shrug it off with a
    suggestion of a "policy review perhaps".

    WD> If he is to disqualify himself from voting there cannot be a
    majority at all <period>. I pointed out this was a serious matter for
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 40                   1 Jan 2001


    concern during a policy-review.

    WB> Nope, It will not come down like you fantasize. You are only one
    of six Zones. And if through the Snooze your zone finds out what you
    are trying to do to nodes who don't give up their property at your
    demand "in two hours", and your claims to control the Internet... I'd
    be real surprised if the RCC permits you to sit in the Z2C chair.

    WD> Was I so wrong in highlighting that?

    WB> Yes. For several reasons in reasonable minds. but primarily
    because in a majority vote on anything the votes that are cast are the
    ONLY ones that count.  Abstentions and no votes do not count. You
    can't claim empty chairs for your votes. That is ridiculous.


    WD> The bottom-line for me is that instead of lending broad support
    for some contributions for Fidonews (the publication) I need now to
    revise my options and maybe start doing like Bob Satti did ...
    replying with "Good", "You think so?", "So noted", etc...

    WD> Had you done so, the threats and tyrannical actions on your part
    would still be counselled and no ill-advised action would have been
    demanded. Bob Satti would have made better use of your perceived power
    in your position in my mind. The NC's and RC's are the real powers in
    fido and make the mail flow... the ZC positions are necessary only for
    Zonal problems, the IC position is icing on the fido cake; your icing
    is no sugar and all demand.

    WD> I've been linked to the FIDONEWS conference for less than a week
    and I will soon turn it to passthru again. Unfortunately I cannot deal
    with the amount of abuse and falsifications produced by a mere handful
    of individuals, but a handful who shouts too much and talks too
    little.

    WB> Ward, you almost make me feel sorry for you except for the facts:
    1.) Only you, in your own words, threatened a nodes removal. 2.) Only
    you, in your own words, claimed Internet fido domain policing 3.) Only
    you, in your own words, "will come down heavy on any fido domain that
    is negative in any way..."

    WD> Our RC29 her in Belgium, who is a longstanding sysop and respected
    all over this 11,000-node zone, expressed yesterday he has to go back
    to the darkest days of Fidonet to find these levels of abuse and
    wickedness of which the obvious signs of bad will and manipulation for
    us reach new heights.

    WB> I respect your friend RC29, but look elsewhere for the abuse, it
    is not of the sysops making.  It is of your own abuse of perceived
    power you fantasize is yours in an IC hat. To resist your unfounded
    power is not wickedness as you are not God. To resist God would be
    wicked in all religions; but resist your abuse of power and listen to
    you accuse the lowly sysops of being wicked is ludicrous.


    WD> Yesterday, I went to work all day but I have been physically sick
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 41                   1 Jan 2001


    over this. I'm determined not to let it further affect my health, my
    family and my work ... not necessarily in that order.

    WB> For that kind of stress and worry that you suffer, I am truly
    sorry. I have been in that state back when I owned three fair sized
    companies. This however is not work induced, Ward. It is your
    determination alone to suffer it no matter what, rather than post an
    apology you owe Steven. It unfortunately has gone too far now for an
    apology to make any difference.  And claiming lordship over the
    Internet domains kinda cooked your goose. It NEVER pays to NEVER back
    off when wrong no matter what Green Peace practices.

    WD> What I mean to say, Warren, is that I am out of FIDONEWS (the
    conference) but if you need to get in touch with me you know where to
    reach me. E-mail is also accepted at [email protected].

    WB> Thanks for the article, Ward, and I enjoyed this "Chat with the
    Editor" session. I am truly sorry you couldn't take the honest
    friendly suggestions a week ago to apologize, admit an error and move
    fido on down the road to include eventual IP, URL Fidointernet.

    WD> Don't take this personal, it isn't.

    WB> No, no... I hope you don't feel my candid thoughts are worthless.

    WD> Have a nice day,

    WB> You too.

    WD>  \x/@rd

    WB> Regards,
    Ol'wdb, editor fidonewsletter, a weekly publication in fidonet.
    (Fido, fidonet is a Tom Jennings Copyright)

                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Howdy Warren.

    Thanks for the nice reply. Feel free to put it in the snooze.

    23 Dec 28 23:39, Warren Bonner wrote to Mark Stennett:

     >> Howdy All.
     >>
     >> I left Fidonet some 6 years ago due to work and have recently
     >> come back. Prior
     >> to that I was NC, NEC and even ran the NorCal Star for a time
     >> in Net203. I
     >> remember the long distance bills and the electric bills.
     >> Breaking even was
     >> impossible. Keeping 7 386 class computers talking was a
     >> challenge. Keeping the
     >> room cool without additional technology called for ingenuity.
     >>
     >> Today, I have 80% of my 6 year old system frozen on tape and
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 42                   1 Jan 2001


     >> have been recently reading the mail in here. I have to tell
     >> ya, it appears nothing in the last 6 years has changed by
     >> reading this one single echo. Bitch, bitch, bitch. If the
     >> nodelist is any clue these days, 'we' are spending way too
     >> much time bitching about who does what when we should be
     >> talking about how we communicate in the new age. This includes
     >> the internet. Like it or not, everyone knows what AOL is. Try
     >> asking these same folks what Fidonet is. 'We' are pissing in
     >> our own pool. The average dog has a life span of 14 years.
     >> This pooch is laying on the porch watching the big internet
     >> dogs run by...
     >>
     WB> Sorry for quoting entire message, but it is worth it for
     WB> all to read and consider the wisdom of the message... wish
     WB> it had arrived an hour earlier as I have already hatched
     WB> the Snooze for this week; otherwise
     WB> it would be one of the articles... maybe even Guest
     WB> Editor's comment. How many other Mark Stennett's are out
     WB> there????

     WB> Thanks Mark, for a ray of reason in an echo dimmed by lack
     WB> of leadership in the past. A much brighter light is just
     WB> now in place
     WB> with the election of Janis Kratch to Z1C. Let us hope for a
     WB> new spirit in an old puppy... <G>

     WB> Ol'wdb

     WB> -+-
     WB> + Origin: Telnet://TheLastStop.osirusoft.com/ 1:103/401
     WB> (1:103/401)

      Later,
      Mark
      -------------------------------
      Georgetown, TX
      http://www.batcave.cc
      Private Email: [email protected]
      -------------------------------

    --- Msged/386 4.30
     * Origin: =BATCAVE= Georgetown, TX  http://www.fidonet.cc (1:382/23)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: michael kleerbaum
    To: Alle
    Re: Statement
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Diese Mail wurde weitergeleitet

    MsgID             : 2:2432/203@fidonet fbcacb9d
    Originalabsender  : michael kleerbaum@2:2432/203
    erstellt am       : 26.12.00 um 23:34
    im Echo           : /FIDO/ENET.SYSOP
    an                : Ward Dossche
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 43                   1 Jan 2001


    Betreff           : Statement
    Kommentar         :

    -------------------------------Mail Anfang----------------------------

    Hi Ward,

    Here is the statement from the WIF-Team Germany.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    We have written this, because in our opinion your statement is not so
    clear as it should be to give FidoNet-Users the security to make
    FidoNet- related homepages in future without fearing restrictions from
    you.

    Is it so, that -you have been acting as the International Coordinator-
    everybody who reserved a domain name including "fido" will have to ask
    you for permission, and will otherwise be removed from the nodelist?

    WD> Any sysop administering a fidonet-related internet-domain and
    doing WD> that for the sole benefit of Fido is encouraged to keep
    doing that.

    And Steven Leeman did not so?

    What has he done that you think you have the right to remove him from
    the nodelist?

    We knew Steven as a node who did many positive things related to
    FidoNet. Many Sysops in Germany including us don't believe that he
    intends doing something negative with "FIDO.BE" and "FIDONET.BE".

    Question: Will you remove Steven from the Nodelist this Friday and WHY
    do you think that you're having the right for doing this?

    Must a node communicate with you and speak with you about things NOT
    related to FidoNet? Who do you think who you are? You in your function
    as a IC or ZC have to serve FidoNet and the users of FidoNet and not
    to hinder them to make FidoNet well known in the WWW.

    We, the members of the WIF-Team have bought the domain WAS-IST-FIDO.DE
    a year ago. We have not asked any *C if this is allowed. Also we have
    no *C informed that we would do so.

    In the next year we're going do create several international versions
    of our pages.

    We are not going to ask ANYONE in FidoNet

    a) which domains we are allowed to buy b) what is allowed to be shown
    on the page.

    We won't accept any interferences or restrictions relating to the
    topic of the pages or the names of the domains by the FidoNet-*Cs

    We have created these pages to attract new members for FidoNet. We do
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 44                   1 Jan 2001


    this cause we like FidoNet. We like the things we're doing "marketing"
    for. So because we help saving Fido, we think that neither you nor
    anyone else is having a right to hinder us doing so.

    If you think someone is trying to use a "Fido" domain for something
    not related to Fidonet in any kind your only option is to speak with
    these people in a friendly manner. And even if they - being Fidonet
    members - don't agree with you, because they (e.g.) want to make a
    homepage for their dog "Fido", you have no right killing these guys
    out of the nodelist.

    For the WIF-Team Germany:

    Jens Hassler      2:2476/847 Michael Kleerbaum 2:2432/203 Tobias
    Gaertner   2:2476/847.47 Christoph Ripp    2:2432/203.10 Jan Kuehnert
    2:2487/847.14

    HTTP://WWW.WAS-IST-FIDO.DE

    --- CrossPoint v3.30.018 R * Origin: www.was-ist-fido.de: Sag's
    weiter! (2:2432/203)

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Thom LaCosta
    To: Ward Dossche
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ward Dossche wrote in a message to Warren Bonner:

    WD> If I need to state an official position then it is that all sysops
    who maintain Fidonet-related internet-domains which are utilized to
    further the aim of Fidonet are strongly encouraged to continue doing
    so.

    TL> But, you have no authority to direct anyone who owns a domain name
    to do anything as it pertains to the domain name.

    WD> It implies that if such domains are spotted which are not used in
    that sense action is required. An item to be taken on board in a
    policy-review?

    TL> There is no Fidonet policy that has authority over domain names.

    WD> Personally, and that's on a side note since the situation is only
    valid in a non-North American context (which means 90% of Fidonet), I
    believe that any fidonet.xx-domain (where the xx-denotes a country)
    should be handled by the RC of the country. Please, North-Americans,
    understand that outside your realm Country=Region.

    TL> What you may believe has nothing to do with the policies and
    procedures of any of the recognized registers of domain names.

    Thom LaCosta
    [email protected]
    http://www.baltimoremd.com/
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 45                   1 Jan 2001


    ---
     * Origin: Home of The Other Robot (1:261/1352)
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    To: Janis Kracht
    Re: Ward Dossche
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Janis Kracht wrote in a message to Dave Hamilton:

    RC> About that message on 12-25-2000 from Ross Cassell to All:

    >> Its rather disturbing to see ones nodelisting being affected over
    >> registering internet domain names or Ward throwing his 'TITLE'
    >> around:

    >> "I am the INTERNATIONAL COORDINATOR"


    RC> Do you have an opinion of Ward Dossche's treatment of Steven
    Leeman?

    JK> Yes, I do.  Steven contacted me on the 22nd of December about
    this. I gave him some ideas that he might present to Ward to try to
    make things work out but I did not hear anything from Steven after
    that. If Ward does remove Steven from the nodelist, or puts his
    listing on hold over this I definitely feel it is very wrong.

    RC> Does the RCC have an opinion?

    JK> That I can't tell you ... most likely they have been busy with
    family today as I have been.  I've seen Ross's posts here obviously
    <smile>.

    RC> I think it's obscene.

    JK> There is a body whose name escapes me at the moment who decides
    such issues as ownership of Domain names.. even if this body decides
    that Ward should have ownership of this domain name, Steven should not
    be removed from the nodelist. In my reply to Steven on the 22nd, I
    told him to let me know if he was removed.

    It's called WIPO and Ward wouldn't stand a chance to take the domains
    away. Tom Jennings on the other hand would be able to take them with a
    minimum of fuss as long as he could prove that the domains were being
    used to emulate the purposes of his copyright or to cause confusion
    over the proper domains. Seeing as how Tom Jennings doesn't own any of
    the internet domains containing FIDO or FIDONET to the best of my
    knowledge, even he wouldn't be able to change these domain listings.
    What Ward has done (at least as far as I can tell from Ross' cross
    postings) is nothing short of extortion.

    DC> I would get this kid and their entire region (probably region 28
    as well if they wanted) moved into the Z1 nodelist... keep the RCs as
    well... we can certainly use more RCs when it comes time to rewrite P4
    ;)

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 46                   1 Jan 2001


    Dave Calafrancesco, Team OS/2
    [email protected]

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Ward Dossche
    To: Malcolm Miles
    Re: Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Malcolm,

    > DR>   FYI, the FidoNet name is a Trade Mark owned by Tom
    > DR>   Jennings. No NET, REGION or ZONE owns any trademarks on
    > DR>   any names.

    > Is it? A number of people have done a trademark search and not found
      any
    > reference to a Fidonet trademark.

    I've querried the man himself and he's quite reluctant to say very
    much about
    it.

     \x/@rd

    --- DB 1.58/001877
     * Origin: Many Glacier on ADSL now (2:292/854)

                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Warren Bonner
    To: Dale Ross
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     > Hello Malcolm!
     >  --== On 26/12/2000 11:09:36 AM ==--
     >
     > MM> The issue in question resides solely within Zone2 and was madey
     > MM> by Ward wearing his Z2C hat.

    Nope! Check his IC hat statement.

     >
     DR> Nope, not from what I've seen. He was using his IC hat.
     >
     DR> Thanks!
     DR> Dale

    Correct, and is the reason I suggested the ZCC may be interested in
    removing him from offices he holds that impowers him to use nodelist
    update software like a double edged sword on any sysop for any reason.

    If he is willing to back off and apologize to Steve Leeman and his
    down links, perhaps a ZCC resolution may be avoided; if not, I hope
    they remove him from office just as we had to remove another abuser of
    power who wore several hats in Region 10, Zone 1 awhile back.
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 47                   1 Jan 2001


    Ol'wdb

    --- InterMail 2.29k * Origin: Telnet://TheLastStop.osirusoft.com/
    1:103/401 (1:103/401)

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: David Hallford
    To: brenda donovan
    Re: Hmmmm
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    DH> Anyone going to give Steve Leeman a node number? This certainly
    looks like a case of political asylum to me.

     > Ross offered him one earlier today.  I believe
     > Steven also got an invite from a German net.
     > It's all in the FIDONEWS echo.


    Excellent!

    --- GEcho 1.20/Pro
     * Origin: The Psychotic Submarine (1:211/103)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Ross Cassell
    To: michael kleerbaum
    Re: Your behaviour within Fidonet ...
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello michael!

    25 Dec 00 22:17, you wrote to me:

     RC>> To which, WARD does not have this authority whatsoever.

    mk> But he is able to do that. Who will or can stop him from doing
    this? (to  delete Steven from the nodelist.)

    In which case, I'll list him, Ward doesn't control the corner of the
    nodelist I do.

    ==
    Ross
    E-mail: [email protected] ICQ = 5305939

     * Origin: The Eastern Star [Mail Hub] - 864.573.7069 (1:18/500)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 48                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                            FACTS IN HISTORY
    =================================================================

    From: <[email protected]>
    Subject: Boxing Day
    Date: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 8:27 PM

                                 Boxing Day
                               (December 26th)
                            -=+by Dallas Hinton+=-

        Origins:   Few Americans have any inkling that there even is such
    a thing as Boxing Day, let alone what the reason might be for a
    holiday so named. However, before one concludes we're about to rag on
    Americentric attitudes towards other cultures,  we should quickly
    point out that even though Boxing Day is celebrated in Australia,
    Britain, New Zealand, and Canada, not all that many in those countries
    have much of a notion as to why they get the 26 of December off.
    Boxing Day might well be a statutory holiday in some of those lands,
    but it's not a well understood one.

    SNIP...

    UPDATE: I am informed that the original copyrighted source for this text
    is located at  http://www.snopes2.com/holidays/xmas/boxing.htm I have
    therefore removed the content from fidonews.org and added a link to that
    page. Please visit that site to continue reading. To the original author,
    'we apologise for the inconvenience.' [DA] [jb 3/22/01] /UPDATE

    ...UNSNIP

    By Dallas Hinton as told to Bob Seaborn on a cold bleak Canadian
    night.

    UPDATE: Yeah, right. Give *credit* where credit is due, willya? :( [jb]
    /UPDATE

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    By: Mike Luther
    To: Warren Bonner
    Re: Very good!
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Stewart ..

     > Fidonet is like a Little Fugue.  Sometimes a two minute
     > masterpiece,

     WB> Can you write that for piano?  I don't do guitar very well...
     WB> <Ducking for cover>  8^)

    I hope that one was tongue in cheek remark!  Grin.  It's the leading
    entry notes in the right place for Bach's Little Fugue in G!  Oh yes,
    written for organ, but playable darned beautifully on a piano..
    chuckle.

    My beloved Mother was a performing arts graduate in piano from the
    American Conservatory in Chicago back in the early '30's.  I literally
    cut my teeth on her Story & Clark upright at home.  We won't go over
    what happened next just after being caught at that.  And the first
    music I can remember hearing was that particular composition, at
    around four years of age.  She could play it *PERFECTLY*, both
    as-written, and as individually interpreted.

    Now, she's been ten years in a nursing home, totally paralyzed right
    side and total loss of speech, but still totally able to comprehend
    everything for all these years, I look longingly at that forever
    stilled right hand that I can see so vividly starting those exact
    notes.  That, while at the same time, from her and Dad's coaching and
    our culture, realizing that there is *NOTHING* that we can do to ever
    recover even one minute from the past.

    It's gone.  It isn't worth arguing about and must provide us with a
    reference framework to avoid making the same errors for today and into
    the future. That perspective has a point here in Fido, as I see it.

    Her final piano was a full Baldwin concert grand.  I can't do *NEARLY*
    the job she could on that composition.  You can spend hours and hours
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 51                   1 Jan 2001


    at just one segment, getting things just right in any complex score.
    At least that's my personal perspective.

    Some Bach does scale somewhat to guitar; not so's I can determine on
    my own Johnny Smith, the Little Fugue!  Grin.

    I see her darned near every day.  There isn't a day that goes by that
    I don't notice things.  As we grow older, I think all of us have to
    stop and wonder what's important, what we can do to make things better
    at what we dabble, not tear things apart.

    I've been in FidoNet for a while longer than her decline.

    My original post thread to Janis was as strongly complimentary as I
    could be, together with a long time understanding of how FidoNet seems
    to work.  It was positioned against where I realize we must go into
    the future - or die.

    Playing Fido is much like playing music.  It isn't a specific score we
    *HAVE* to play, exactly as the policy is written!

    I had the unbelievable good fortune when Carl Heifitz was here for a
    concert last month, to be able to attend a public two hour guest
    lecture that he gave for the local congregation.  His topic was how
    interpretation changes music, based on what our personal experiences
    bring to the score.  This from the winner of the Competition in
    Moscow, who refused to back down and played Jewish music for his
    allowable "artist's choice" piece after winning the competition there.
    He also donated his entire winnings to the families of Soviet Jewish
    persecution *WHILE* in Moscow after he won it!

    The announcer refused to announce his choice of music until, between
    she and the KGB agent coaching her, he simply said, "If you don't,
    I'll announce it personally."  They gave in.  It was twenty minutes
    before the cheering stopped because you couldn't send the whole damned
    concert hall to the Gulag...

    Sounds something like some tales of Fido to me, right?   Grin!

    Of note.  The Russian broadcast for the acceptance concert, given by
    all the contestants, was stripped of his performance, but we, courtesy
    of a live PBS feed during the event, have it available in the West!

    Sounds something like some tales of Fido to me, right?   Grin!

    During the entire two hour lecture, he would take the Stradivarius.
    He'd play certain segments of things exactly as the author wrote it.
    Then he would play it as if it were colored the way he heard it, based
    on the viewpoint of how a German Holocaust survivor would have 'heard'
    that music.  And then .. gave the concert the next day based *EXACTLY*
    on that enriched perspective of the score. His family survived it and
    he was able to actually go back and visit the family home, as well as
    actually meet the immediate neighbors of his family.....

    The arguments we have here over this and that haven't changed much in
    the last ten years in Fido.  Janis and this crew can get exactly what
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 52                   1 Jan 2001


    is needed for our future from P4 just as it stands, just as
    beautifully as I heard Bach and all the rest played, when somebody who
    really cared and really wanted to contribute to the betterment of a
    group .. did so.

    This group of RC's and Janis *HAVE* the opportunity and the ability to
    do what is necessary, in my opinion, to make something better of us,
    by interpretation, yet within the framework of what we have.  The
    majority of the RC's as little as I know of them, seem to have what I
    think it takes to do this and have, as it seems, elevated someone whom
    they feel has what is needed to do the job.

    To do it will take, as I wrote, a long time of learning in Fido, to do
    just a few minutes work and just get the job done.  I'm interested in
    seeing what decisions and efforts come out of all this before I form a
    follow-on view of where we are going.. and.. if we are going.

     WB> Can you write that for piano?  I don't do guitar very well... WB>
    <Ducking for cover>  8^)

    Yeah .....

    A long time ago I realized I don't do piano or guitar real well.  Nor
    Fido, but I try.   So I copied off the first few measures... Grin..


    Mike @ 117/3001

    --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: Ziplog Public Port (1:117/3001)

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    A Few Words From the Plagiarist
    Bert Happel
    1:2255/10

    I doubt that many who are reading this issue recall my prior FidoNews
    publication in December of 1998 (v5#51).  It was a repayment to the
    editor (Dale Lovell) for his kindness during that year's FidoCon in
    Cincinnati (I hadn't made a room reservation before leaving central
    Indiana and Dale put me up gratis in the Snooze Suite).  Little did I
    know that my seasonal drivel would become my likely source of
    immortality.

    FidoNet was only a few years old back then and echomail still new. Yet
    readership of FidoNews was fairly widespread.  The proof is on <gasp>
    the Internet.  If you perform a search on "Bert Happel" you will find
    several hits where someone has stored (and sometimes HTML prettified)
    the poem.

    I went online with The I.O. Board BBS on August 14, 1986.  The system
    was a dual-floppy Victor 9000 with 896K RAM (no, that's not a typo -
    as an IBM comparable but not a compatible, the V9 didn't conform to
    all of the PC limitations).  In the morning I'd load the BBS into a
    600K RAMdrive and use all 620K of drive A: (there's another of those
    non-compatible tweaks) for messages while all 620K of drive B: stored
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 53                   1 Jan 2001


    the online files.  Since I ran it on my apartment voice line the BBS
    was only available from 8am-6pm Monday through Friday while I was at
    work.  Within a couple months I obtained a second phone line for full
    time operation of the BBS.  Within several months I spent $1000.00 on
    a used Victor VI with a 20MB hard drive.  The BBS had more storage
    than at my office!

    The late 80's through 90's were boom times for BBSing.  After
    borrowing a friends 1200 baud modem I caught modem-fever.  After
    beginning with Fido v11 I joined IFNA and purchased a copy of Fido
    v12.  My goal was to run a reliable and friendly board.  Fancy
    graphics weren't important (and I ran Fido v12 which offered few ANSI
    graphics options).  After a year online the BBS had received 4000
    calls before I joined FidoNet as a regional independent.  For it's
    second birthday the BBS joined the Central IN Net.  The second year
    saw an additional 8000 calls and expansion to 65MB of storage.  The
    third year saw 12,000 calls to the system.

    I never pushed the technological envelope but added features as I
    could.  The BBS got a 1x CD-ROM drive in June of 1990.  In March of
    1993 the motherboard was upgraded to a 386/40 CPU (the same hardware
    it continues to use!).  In February of 1996 the BBS added a 7-disc CD
    jukebox.

    From there it has been downhill as the Internet rolled into our lives.
    The caller database peaked at over 500 callers within the previous 90
    days and 35 calls received a day.  Currently there are 3 callers
    within the past 90 days and receiving one or two calls a day.

    So after more than 14 years and 4 months online I feel it's time to
    find a new hobby.  My involvement with the BBS has declined since
    moving the system to my office three years ago.  I enjoy scanning the
    echos but faithfully read very few of them.  The BBS was a wonderful
    20th century phenomenon - and in days it will be the 21st Century.

    Operating The I.O. Board BBS allowed me to form many friendships that
    still exist today.  I wish I could thank all those who assisted me
    over the years but most of them have moved on and some have passed on.
    Some folks assisted beyond belief, some were scoundrels and one was a
    fugitive from the law.  My colleagues in Region 11 have been congenial
    and consistently worked for the betterment of FidoNet.

    I wish you all the best.  As long as FidoNet continues to serve a
    purpose in your life and the life of your callers, may you enjoy your
    system and the responsibility in operating it.

    Bert Happel Soon to be Ex-Sysop of 1:2255/10 [email protected]


                         ~~~~~~~~~~~END~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 54                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                              POET'S CORNER
    =================================================================


    Twas The Byte Before Computing M.E.

    by Bert Happel
    (with apologies to Clement C Moore)

    Twas a week before the Millennium, when all through the house
    The BBS was inactive so I idled my mouse;
    The echomail was loaded on the hard disc with care,
    In hopes that a caller would read them there.
    The activity logs were nestled all snug in their Zips,
    They keep shrinking each week unlike my fat hips;
    And the modem was quiet, faking a rest
    Trying to remember how to run a dial-up test.
    When out of the subwoofer there arose such a clatter
    I sprang to my desk to see what was the matter.

    Away to the keyboard I flew like a flash,
    Popped open the CD and heard a loud crash.
    The lights on the crust of six inches of dust
    Gave a luster of death to a mini-tower covered with crust.
    When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
    But a miniature sleigh and the eight data registers I fear.
    With a little old driver, so lively and gloss
    I knew in a moment he still remembered DOS.
    More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
    And he whistled out and called them by name
    "Now Binkley! Now Maximus! Now MsgEd and Squish!
    On, Fido! On, BBSes! On, Dial-up Direct!
    To the top of the memory! To the top of the stack!
    Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
    As leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
    When they meet with an obstacle mount to the sky,
    So up on the screen the coursers they flew,
    With a sleigh full of utilities, and DOS commands too.

    As I drew back my head and was turning around,
    Out the USB port he came with a bound.
    He was dressed all in ROM, from his head to his foot,
    And his clothes were all tarnished with bytes and some soot;
    A bundle of data he had flung on his back,
    And he looked like he had a program he wanted to crack.
    His eyes -- How they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
    His cheeks were like roses, his arms were so hairy!
    His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
    And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
    The stump of a pipe he held in his teeth,
    And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
    He had a broad face and a round little belly
    That shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly.
    He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
    And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 55                   1 Jan 2001


    A flash of the SVGA and a twist of his head
    Soon gave me to know I had a blue screen of death to dread;
    He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
    And filled all the RAM; then turned, like a jerk,
    And laying a finger aside of his nose,
    And giving a nod, in the USB port he goes.
    He sprang to the sleigh, his team they all whistled,
    And away they all flew like they had sat on a thistle.
    But I heard him exclaim, as my BBS faded out of sight,
    "Best wishes to FidoNet now that the Internet rules the night!"

                       ~~~~~~~~~~~end~~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 56                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                                  HUMOR
    =================================================================

    Date: Thursday, December 28, 2000 9:32 AM

    What do you call a pregnancy that begins while using birth control?

    A misconception.
                     ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Donald Duck and Minnie Mouse were up in a hotel room and decided that
    they wanted to have sex. Well, the first thing Minnie asks is, "Do
    you have a condom?"  Donald says "No."  Minnie tells Donald that if
    he doesn't get a condom that they can't have sex and suggests to
    Donald that he go buy a condom. She says that maybe they sell them at
    the front desk. Donald  proceeds to go downstairs and gets to the
    front desk. He asks the hotel clerk if they sell condoms.  The clerk
    says "yes we do" and pulls one out from under the desk and gives it
    to Donald.  The clerk asks "Would you like me to put that on your
    bill?"  Donald says "NO! WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM, SOME KIND OF PERVERT?

                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                  -=+BEST NEWSPAPER HEADLINES EVER+=-

     01. Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
     02. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
     03. Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
     04. Drunks Get Nine Months in Violin Case
     05. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
     06. Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
     07. Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
     08. Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
     09. British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
     10. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
     11. Clinton Wins Budget; More Lies Ahead
     12. Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
     13. Miners Refuse to Work After Death
     14. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
     15. Stolen Painting Found by Tree
     16. Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout
          Counter
     17. War Dims Hope for Peace
     18. If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
     19. Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
     20. Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
     21. New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
     22. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Space
     23. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
     24. Typhoon Rips through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                           RULES OF FLYING

     01. Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory.
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 57                   1 Jan 2001


     02. If you push the stick forward, the houses get bigger. If
     you pull the stick back, they get smaller. That is, unless
     you keep pulling the stick all the way back, then they get
     bigger again.

     03. Flying isn't dangerous. Crashing is what's dangerous.

     04. It's always better to be down here wishing you were up
     there than up there wishing you were down here.

     05. The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on
     fire.

     06. The propeller is just a big fan in front of the plane
     used to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, you can actually
     watch the pilot start sweating.

     07. When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No one has ever
     collided with the sky.

     08. A 'good' landing is one from which you can walk away. A
     'great' landing is one after which they can use the plane
     again.

     09. Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long
     enough to make all of them yourself.

     10. You know you've landed with the wheels up if it takes
     full power to taxi to the ramp.

     11. The probability of survival is inversely proportional to
     the angle of arrival. Large angle of arrival, small
     probability of survival and vice versa.

     12. Never let an aircraft take you somewhere your brain
     didn't get to five minutes earlier.

     13. Stay out of clouds. The silver lining everyone keeps
     talking about might be another airplane going in the
     opposite direction. Reliable sources also report that
     mountains have been known to hide out in clouds.

     14. Always try to keep the number of landings you make equal
     to the number of take offs you've made.

     15. There are three simple rules for making a smooth
     landing. Unfortunately no one knows what they are.

     16. You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of
     experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience
     before you empty the bag of luck.

     17. Helicopters can't fly; they're just so ugly the earth
     repels them.

     18. If all you can see out of the window is ground that's
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 58                   1 Jan 2001


     going round and round and all you can hear is commotion
     coming from the passenger compartment, things are not at all
     as they should be.

     19. In the ongoing battle between objects made of aluminum
     going hundreds of miles per hour and the ground going zero
     miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose.

     20. Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, the
     experience usually comes from bad judgment.

     21. It's always a good idea to keep the pointy end going
     forward as much as possible.

     22. Keep looking around. There's always something you've
     missed.

     23. Remember, gravity is not just a good idea. It's the law.
     And it's not subject to appeal.

     24. The three most useless things to a pilot are the
     altitude above you, runway behind you, and a tenth of a
     second ago.

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     A Man joined a big Multi National Company as a
     trainee. On his first day he dialed the pantry and shouted
     into the phone, "Get me a coffee quickly!"

     The voice from the other side responded,"You fool
     you've dialed the wrong extension! Do you know who you're
     talking to, dumbo?"

     "No", replied the trainee.

     "It's the Managing Director of the company, you fool!"

     The man shouted back, "And do you know who YOU are
     talking to, you fool?"

     "No.", replied the Managing Director.
     "Good!", replied the trainee and put down the
     phone!

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             10 REASONS WHY BEER SHOULD BE SERVED AT WORK

     01. It's an incentive to show up.
     02. It leads to more honest communications.
     03. It reduces complaints about low pay.
     04. Employees tell management what they think, not what
          management wants to hear.
     05. Increase job satisfaction because if you have a bad job,
          you don't care.
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 59                   1 Jan 2001


     06. It eliminates vacations because people would rather come
          to work.
     07. Bosses are more likely to hand out raises when they are
          wasted.
     08. Employees work later since there's no longer a need to
          relax at the bar.
     09. Employees no longer need coffee to sober up.
     10. Sitting on the copy machine will no longer be seen as
          "gross."

                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     The bank manager was in the final stages of hiring a
     cashier and was down to two final applicants -- one of which
     would get the job.

     The first one interviewed was from a small college
     in upstate New York. A nice young man, but a bit timid.

     Then he called for the second man,  "Jim Johnson!"
     Up stepped a burley young man who seemed quite sure of
     himself. "He looks like he can take care of any situation,"
     thought the manager, and decided, there and then, to hire
     him.

     He turned to the first applicant and told him he
     could go and they would let him know.

     Turning to Johnson, he said, "Now Jim, I like the
     way you carry yourself -- that's an important asset for the
     job as cashier. However, you must be precise. I noticed you
     did not fill out the place on the application where we asked
     your formal education."

     Jim looked a little confused so the manager said,
     "Where did you get your financial education?"

     "Oh," replied Jim -- "Yale."

     "That's very good ... excellent. You're hired!"

     "Now that you're working for us, what do you prefer
     to be called?"

     Jim answered "I don't care... Yim... or Mr. Yonson."

    Courtesy: * Origin: Top Hat 2 BBS (1:343/41)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~end~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 60                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                          QUESTION OF THE WEEK
    =================================================================


        *How many fido domains are on the Internet???
                 <Find answer in"ANSWER" column>.


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 61                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                           ANSWERS OF THE WEEK
    =================================================================

    By: Jerry Schwartz
    To: All
    Re: Another statistic
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hello, All...

    A search for "fidonet" on iwon.com gives 84,556 hits. That's almost
    three times more hits than there ever were nodes.

    Somebody knows we're out here.

    Regards,
    Jerry
    mailto:[email protected]
    http://www.writebynight.com

    --- Msged/NT TE 05
     * Origin: Write by Night (1:142/928)

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    (19753) Wed 27 Dec 00  1:52a
    By: Steven Leeman
    To: All
    Re: Re: Fidonet.be / fido.be
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    et voila.... finally answer from the one "above" :-)

    Ward go home! :-)

    =====================================================================
    * Forwarded by Steven Leeman (2:292/624) * Area : NETMAIL (Netmail) *
    From : Tom Jennings, 2:292/624.666 (Tuesday December 26 2000 11:43) *
    To   : Steven Leeman * Subj : Re: Fidonet.be / fido.be
    =====================================================================
    From: [email protected] To: [email protected]

    As long as it's not money-making or restricted access you have my
    permission to use my two trademarks, Fido and FidoNet, as long as what
    you're referring to is the open FidoNet network and protocols etc.

    Have fun!

    tomj


                        ~~~~~~~~~~end~~~~~~~~~~


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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 62                   1 Jan 2001


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


    By: Ross Cassell
    To: All
    Re: FIDOPOLS
    St:
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    * Crossposted in Z1_ELECTION
    * Crossposted in FIDONEWS

    Hello All!

    FIDOPOLS has been restored to the backbone, contact your uplink
    for a link.

    As promised work shall begin within a couple weeks on a z1 pol
    document of sorts with sysop participation.

    ==
    Ross
    E-mail: [email protected] ICQ = 5305939

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    By: Carol Shenkenberger
    To: All
    Re: Submission?
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ok, new to the echo.  Lets see if this works <g>.

    24DEC2000

    Hi y'all!

    There's a new flag that has been proposed which I think we can all
    use.  It's the RVIA flag. Now the author intended to use it as a
    regular flag but I'm looking and as a 'comment' flag, that works
    without breaking anything.

    What is it?  It's a 'Route Via' flag.  It's use in R13 for now will be
    to show an alternate 'route' for those nodes who get their main feed
    from outside their local net.  This does NOT mean a node can abandon
    contacting their listed hub/NC for netmail. It will only be used if
    your NC/hub goes down and no other path to reach you is known.

    A sysop may also chose to use this information to direct specific
    routing to that node with the RVIA listing, if they so wish but no one
    is *required* to do so.  The NC/hub specifically is NOT required to
    use it under any circumstances.

    A sysop may have only 1 RVIA listing.  Use for now in R13 will be:
    ,U,RVIA:#.###.###

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 63                   1 Jan 2001


    For example:  ,U,RVIA:1:2613/404

    Which will mean that node draws from 1:2613/404 direct for echomail
    and that their uplink passes netmail to them, if it arrives at their
    site.

    This listing is allowed for net feed sites, but is intended primarily
    for end nodes.

    Grin, in R13, go-fur-it!

                                             xxcarol R13C

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               TRADEMARK NOTICE

    DR>>   FYI, the FidoNet name is a Trade Mark owned by Tom
    DR>>   Jennings. No NET, REGION or ZONE owns any trademarks on
    DR>>   any names.
    MM>
    MM> Is it? A number of people have done a trademark search and not
    MM> found any reference to a Fidonet trademark.

      All I can say is that these "number of people" did not
      try very hard

      http://tess.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=q2b2uv.2.1

      This came up as a result of a search of FidoNet at U.S.
      Trademark Electronic Search System. And here is what it
      says:

    Word Mark FIDONET Goods and Services IC 009. US 038. G & S: COMPUTER
    PROGRAMS AND ACCOMPANYING USER MANUALS. FIRST USE: 19840618. FIRST USE
    IN COMMERCE: 19840915 Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING Serial
    Number 73591035 Filing Date March 31, 1986 Published for Opposition
    May 26, 1987 Registration Number 1452977 Registration Date August 18,
    1987 Owner (REGISTRANT) JENNINGS, THOMAS DANIEL DBA FIDO SOFTWARE
    INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 2269 MARKET STREET #118 SAN FRANCISCO
    CALIFORNIA 94114 Attorney of Record THOMAS M. MARSHALL Type of Mark
    TRADEMARK Register PRINCIPAL Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR).
    Live/Dead Indicator LIVE

    Thanks!
    Dale
    ... Ideal Australian wife:  Dumb, rich, nymphomaniac who owns a pub.
    --- DVM Editor that I am testing here at 1:379/0-1-45
     * Origin: telnet://HarborWebs.com (1:379/1.0)

                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    (20320) Fri 29 Dec 00  3:53p
    By: michael kleerbaum
    To: All
    Re: New Nodelist
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 64                   1 Jan 2001


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
    Hi All,

     016-HUB, Rotselaar             2:292/10060       0032-16-580862
      skynetbbs2.dyns.cx, Rotselaar 2:292/624         0032-16-580862
      SkyNet Bbs Line2, Rotselaar   2:292/626         0032-16-581241
      Status Node                                  Nodeliste NODELIST.364
      Sysop  Steven Leeman
      Flags  CM,XA,ZYX,V90S,V120H,X75,ITX:
      [email protected],IBN,ITN:10023
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    The "Hold" is gone and Steven is still in the new nodelist.

    I want to thank all nodes and points in the USA, Canada, Germany,
    Belgium and the rest of FidoWorld for supporting Steven to become a
    "normal" Node again.

    Michael

    --- CrossPoint v3.30.018 R
     * Origin: www.was-ist-fido.de: Sag's weiter! (2:2432/203)
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




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

    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 65                   1 Jan 2001


    =================================================================
                           FIDONET BY INTERNET
    =================================================================

    ------------------------------------------------------
    *Fidonet-related sites

                      . -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- .
                      |    FIDONET-RELATED SITES    |
                      ` -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- '
                         Last update:  December 29, 2000

    FidoNet
    Homepage:     http://www.fidonet.org
    FidoNews:     http://www.fidonews.org   [HTML]
                  ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/
                  ftp://ftp.sstar.com/fidonet/fnews/
    Echolist:     http://www.baltimoremd.com/echolist/
    Echomail links: http://www.osirusoft.com/fidonet/fidoip.html
    SDS Files:    http://fidobbs.dk/download (Web Access to SDS)
    FTSC page:    http://www.ftsc.org/
    General:      http://www.writebynight.com/fidonet.html

    Zone 1:       http://www.z1.fidonet.org
      Region 10:  http://www.r10.org
        Net 102   http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/net102.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://www.vector.11.com/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:  http://www.ouijabrd.com/region14
        Net 282:  http://www.rxn.com/~net282/
      Region 15:  <vacant>
      Region 16:  <vacant>
      Region 17:  http://www.region17.net
        Net 140:  http://www.nwstar.com/~net140
      Region 18:  http://techshop.pdn.net/fido/

      Region 19:  http://bise.tzo.com/r19
        Net 124:  http://www.dallasinet.com/net124
                  http://texoma.net/~flv
        Net 130:  http://www.startext.net/homes/net130
        Net 393:  http://www.chatter.com/~wb/

    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)
                  http://www.was-ist-fido.de/
        Fido-IP:  http://home.nrh.de/fido/ (English/German)
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 66                   1 Jan 2001


      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)
                  http://Welcome.to/skynetbbs/
      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
    !    Net422:  http://www.fido.sk (Slovak/English)
      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 5028:  HTTP://5028.nordnet.ru/
       Net 5030:  http://kenga.ru/fido/  (Russian & English)
       Net 5049:  http://www.n5049.z2.fidonet.org  (English/Russian)
       Net 5074:  http://www.z2.n5074.fidonet.net
    ??  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.
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 67                   1 Jan 2001


               v-email flag [email protected]
               | email address or
    Node#      | Operator          | Facilities (*) | Speed,| Basic Rate
               |                   |                |latency|
    -----------+-------------------+----------------+-------+------------
    Zone 1     |                   |                |       |
      10/3     | Brenda Donovan    | FTP,UUE,BinkP  | 384K,30| n/c
      10/345   @ Todd Cochrane     | FTP,BinkP,VMOT | T1,!  | n/c
      13/25    @ Jim Balcom        | FTP            | 56k   | $20mo.
      18/500   @ Ross Cassell      | FTP, BinkP     |128K+,!| n/c
     19/68     | Ben Ritchey       | UUE:BFDS       | 33.6k | n/c
     103/5     @ Mark Luetger      | BinkP          | 384k,!| n/c
     103/153   @ Michael Box       | BinkP          | aDSL,!| n/c
     103/301   @ Joe Jared         | BinkP,FTP,NFS  | 384k,!| 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, BinkP     | aDSL  | $50/yr
     106/1     @ Steve Loupe       | BinkP, FTP     | 128k  | ???
     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,BinkP      | T3,30 | $5/$16
     167/133   | Stephen Monteith  | BinkP          | 128k+ | n/c
     211/417   @ Korombos          | BinkP,UUE,FTP  | T1    | n/c
     220/10    | [email protected] |BinkP,FTP,UUE|1.5M+ | n/c
     218/109   @ Matt Munson       | BinkP,UUE      | 33.6k | n/c
     246/160   @ Mason Vye         | FTP, UUE       | 56K   | n/c
     249/116   | Carl Austin Bennett | FTP, UUE    |ADSL,60 | 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      | CABLE | n/c
     379/1     @ Dale Ross         | FTP, BinkP,UUE | 256K+,! 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
    3407/4     @ [email protected] | UUE,FTP            | 28.8  | n/c
    3632/84    | Robert Todd    |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | 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
     280/1601  @ Jeroen VanDeLeur  | FTP,UUE        | 64k   | n/c
     292/620   | Eddy Missoul      | VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 64k   |N/C
     292/624   | Steven Leeman     | UUE          | 64k     | N/C
     292/907   | Bart Verhaeghe    | BinkP,VMoT,UUE | 64K   | 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
    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 68                   1 Jan 2001


     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
     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
     550/4077  | Serguei Trouchelle| UUE            | ----- | 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
     801/161   @ Renato Zambon     | UUE            | 33.6  |n/c
     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
    * NFS   = Linux Networking
    ----------------------------------------------
    Fidonet oriented news servers

    news.osirusoft.com
    news.tardis.net

    Fidonet oriented chat rooms.

    room #fidonet  5PM (PDT 11AM GMT) Sundays
    irc.osirusoft.com  (Peers wanted)

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

    Please send updates, corrections and suggestions to
    Joe Jared, 1:103/301, [email protected].  All email addresses
    here for purpose of corresponding with fidonet members about
    obtaining a feed.  Improper use of the virtual email addresses, and
    most especially, email addressed to [email protected]
    will be considered a request to be blocked by my open relay spam
    stopper at http://relays.osirusoft.com


    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 69                   1 Jan 2001


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    FIDONEWS 18-01               Page 70                   1 Jan 2001


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