The F I D O N E W S Volume 19, Number 04 28 Jan 2002

The F I D O N E W S Volume 19, Number 04 28 Jan 2002
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| |The newsletter of the | | Fido, Fidonet and dog-with-diskette are |
| | FidoNet community. | | US Registered Trademarks of Tom Jennings|
| | | | San Francisco, California, USA |
| | ____________| | |
| | / __ | Crash netmail articles to: |
| | / / \ | Editor @ 2:2/2 (+46-31-944907) |
| | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | Routed netmail articles to: |
| \_______\(_| /_) | Bjorn Felten @ 2:203/0 |
| _ @/_ \ _ | Email attach to: |
| | | \ \\ | [email protected] |
| | (*) | \ ))| |
| |__U__| / \// | Editor: Bj�rn Felten |
| ______ _//|| _\ / | |
| / Fido \ (_/(_|(____/ | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| (________) (jm) | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
Copyright 2002 by Fidonews Editor for Fidonews Globally.

Table of Contents
1. FOOD FOR THOUGHT ......................................... 1
2. INSIDE ................................................... 2
The Fidonews at a Glance ................................. 2
3. EDITORIAL ................................................ 3
USA vs. Canada, zero to nothing .......................... 3
4. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 5
OL'WDB's Column .......................................... 5
A Day in Japan ........................................... 6
Catcalls from the Cheap Seats ............................ 8
What is it for? .......................................... 13
5. FIDONET'S INTERNATIONAL KITCHEN .......................... 16
Japanese Coleslaw ........................................ 16
6. CLEAN HUMOR & JOKES ...................................... 17
BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL #2 ............................ 17
That American Language. :-) .............................. 18
The Bacon Tree ........................................... 19
7. FIDONET CLASSIFIED ADS ................................... 21
FidoTel .................................................. 21
8. TODD COCHRANE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................. 23
Fidonet Software List .................................... 23
9. JOE JARED'S FIDONET BY INTERNET .......................... 27
Fidonet-related sites .................................... 27
10. SPECIAL INTEREST ........................................ 33
Nodelist Stats ........................................... 33
11. FIDONEWS INFORMATION .................................... 35
How to Submit an Article ................................. 35
Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 36
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 1 28 Jan 2002

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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If you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
- Texas Bix Bender

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FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 2 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
INSIDE
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The Fidonews at a Glance

It's like the tongue returning to the broken tooth, this North
American war. In the "Editorial" this week, I couldn't help myself, I
just had to comment on it in "USA vs. Canada, zero to nothing".

The "General Articles" section has four submissions. One from
Warren Bonner in "OL'WDB's Column", on the theme that if you walk
through life with a closed mind, you never learn anything new (what a
waste of that life). Carol Shenkenberger writes about everyday life in
the Far East in "A Day in Japan". In "Catcalls from the Cheap Seats",
Luke Kolin gives us another bunch of thoughts about Fidonet from an
apostate's point of view. Finally Frank Vest writes more about much
the same issue, but from a BBS operator's point of view in "What is it
for?"

In our "International Kitchen" section, Carol makes "Japanese
Coleslaw".

Another episode from "BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL" in the "Clean
Jokes..." plus "That American Language" by Frank Vest about those
diphthong oddities that make English spelling so hard. From Warren
Bonner "The Bacon Tree" also goes along the language line, if not to
the same extent.

In the "Classified Ads" section the turn has come to "FidoTel". You
do remember that this section is a rotating section? We don't have
that many ads yet, so those posted will occur rather frequently.

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FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 3 28 Jan 2002

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

USA vs. Canada, zero to nothing

So the R12 trench war goes on. Like in the infamous trench war of WWI,
the fighting over a couple of gained yards, with huge loss of
resources from both parts, results in absolutely nothing, and the gain
is soon lost in the next couple of days. Stale mate.

In world politics, the reaction from those outside of a major
conflict, is almost always to try to find some mediator that can be
accepted by both parties. Until such a person can be found, there's
no big hope to end the conflict, unless one of the parties is likely
to inflict almost total obliteration to the other party.

Is this total obliteration, of the other party, what we want in
Fidonet whenever there's a conflict? No, of course not! So why don't
we try to agree on a policy that stipulates a mediator to be suggested
and either rejected or accepted by both fighting sides?

To all of the readers outside of Z1, it may not be obvious to you,
but region 12 is Canada and all the other nine regions of Z1, i.e.
10-11 and 13-19 is USA. Canada may be a huge country areawise, but is
a rather small one inhabitantwise. In fact R12 would, in size, end up
somewhere in the middle of the 32 regions of Z2. So you might imagine
the frustration, and other similar emotions, when they feel they have
been run over by their mighty, Southerly neighbour. I don't say they
have been, just that only the feeling can be enough to start a war...

The main concern now, in this editor's humble opinion, is to get
the fighting parties to the negotiation table and try to resolve the
conflict, with all the give&take necessary. Many will probably think
they'll have lost face if an agreement is made, but I don't think
anyone is going to demand they cut off a finger or something, to make
up for this imaginary loss of face.

Please guys and gals of zone 1! What Fidonet do not need now is a
neverending war, with all the waste of resources it means. There are
never any winners of a war, only losers. Spend your valuable resources
on something that will benefit Fidonet, rather than on something, that
will only ill-favour our beloved hobby!

At least save your adrenaline for the upcoming winter olympics in
Salt Lake City, and give us a really good game in the ice hockey
semi-finals, where USA and Canada will fight over who'll meet Sweden
in the final. Not that either one of you will stand a chance against
Sweden on a big rink, you'll lose the final in the corners. Forsberg
or no Forsberg doesn't matter, we have plenty more to pick from where
he came, but never the less.

If you perform good on the rink, maybe you'll not be so
disappointed when another Swedish Forsberg, the sharp-shooting lady
Magdalena, not related to Peter as far as I know, shoots the crap out
of you, and shows you all how to really handle a rifle.
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 4 28 Jan 2002

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FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 5 28 Jan 2002

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GENERAL ARTICLES
=================================================================

OL'WDB's Column
[email protected]
Received from a friend

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing
"Silent Night." Age 5

I've learned that our dog doesn't want to eat my broccoli either. Age
7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what
they are doing and wave back. Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes
me clean it up again. Age 12

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try
cheering someone else up. Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my
parents are strict with me. Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of
advice. Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great
pleasures. Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the world's worst drivers have
followed me there. Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must
live so that no one will believe it. Age 30

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't
know how to show it. Age 42

I've learned that you can make some one's day by simply sending them a
little note. Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater
his or her need to cast blame on others. Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 47

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Age 48

I've learned that singing "GOD BLESS AMERICA" can lift my spirits for
hours. Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 6 28 Jan 2002

the phone. Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles
these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas
tree lights. Age 51

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine
cabinet full of pills. Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you miss them terribly after they die. Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a
life. Age 58

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your
children, work to improve your marriage. Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt
on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if
you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new
people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. Age
65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually
make the right decision. Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer. Age 72

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the
truth, I've seen several. Age 75

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. Age 76

Warm Regards, Ol'wdb

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A Day in Japan
Sasebo, Japan, 20 Jan 2002

Today was pretty traditional for me, but as we all live in different
places, you may enjoy a typical day in Japan. Like many of you, I am
a sysop so that too will be mentioned.

I awoke late at 7am. It's a weekend so I slept in. My husband Don got
up as normal at 6am. I wandered out to start the teapot again to make
me a cup and Don a second cup. Charlotte, our 8 year old daughter,
still dreaming of whatever little girls dream of.

Don and I slurped tea for about 30 minutes and got something ready for
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 7 28 Jan 2002

breakfast while awaiting Charlotte to explode on the scene. Most
promptly at 8:30, she did! Well, maybe explode is the wrong term. She
was still rubbing her eyes awake but within 15 minutes she was
bouncing off the walls and wanting to go out.

Breakfast as normal involved almost tying her to a chair to make her
sit long enough to eat it. Fried eggs with a little mirin sauce and
some left over veggies and a slice of Pooh Bread and milk, and she's
fueled for the day (or at least 1.5 hours). Pooh Bread is just home
made bread with honey and butter, warmed in the microwave.

At about 10am, Don took Charlotte shopping. Nothing big needed, just
'wander about' time. I'm not sure where they got off too totally but
one of the places was a fishing lure store as Don cam back with new
toys <grin>. They also went to the local version of a '1$ store'
called 100 Yen store here and got some 5-6 'hello Kitty' things for
Charlotte. One was a sticker that now adorns my bicycle in one of the
few unadorned spots <g>.

By noon, Charlotte was playing 'dress up' with some of my old clothes
and some costume jewelry while I updated some software on my system.

At about 2pm, I looked in the larder and decided Charlotte and I
needed to go out for a bit, so we grabbed the shopping carrier and
walked to to local Market and wandered about a bit. 2000 yen later
(about 16$USA) we had a goodly assortment of fresh stuff and some new
veggies we have never seen before. At the same time, we hit the local
computer store and grabbed a new mouse and some decent speakers
(50$USA roughly-Kid machine fine for her needs).

We came home and had a late lunch and Charlotte jumped on our futons
til she was giggly. We sleep on futons here, not American/European
beds. It's a space thing. They get rolled/folded out of the way in
the day. We forgot this time to put them back but they are happy
being jumped on. I must admit, I jumped a little too with Charlotte!

Came along late afternoon I installed her spare computer at last. It
was the one I used for work for various OS/s and last had OS2/Warp on
it. It's now WIN98 with some decent speakers. She helped install it.

Along came evening, when Sasebo turns out it's lights and starts it's
small nightlife, and I was playing here on the BBS whilst Charlotte
installed some favorite games on 'her new machine'.

She's still playing some reading game that has her spell words and in
the background is the classic movie, 'The African Queen'.

Night soon beckons, and we will read 'The Wizard Of Oz' next chapter
having just finished '20,000 leagues under the Sea'.

Komban Wa Y'all!

xxcarol
Carol Shenkenberger
6:730/275

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 8 28 Jan 2002

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Catcalls from the Cheap Seats
By Luke Kolin

Let me begin by congratulating Bjorn on FidoNews' move to Zone 2. I'm
personally hoping that due to the time difference, I might start
getting the Snooze a few hours earlier on my Monday mornings, to
provide me with rush hour enjoyment on my commute into work. As if
Atlanta traffic wasn't enough.

Loyal Readers, I'm surprised that Michael Grant claims I have nothing
constructive to say. Nothing interesting to say, maybe. However, to
then turn around and repeat the essential thrust of my earlier article
(that FidoNet needs to seperate content and technology and move to the
Internet) after such a charge is most curious. I can only speculate,
folks, that Michael has taken my descriptions of Canadian politics to
heart - the part where the Liberal Party of Canada spent an entire
two-month election campaign fulminating against the Canada-US Free
Trade Agreement, only to extend it to Mexico within two weeks of
taking office.

While I love the idea of XML, the issue that FidoNet faces is how to
reconcile these new techologies with the existing structure of
FidoNet, which hasn't changed in fifteen years. FidoNet's organisation
is based around two fundamental principles - the telephone system and
the idea of Zone Mail Hour, where every FidoNet system can conceivably
talk to any other FidoNet system, using no less a standard than good
ol' FTS-0001. How does a CGI-based UBB system manage to talk to a
POTS-based FrontDoor system during ZMH?

Before Michael pulls an Al Gore and claims to have thought up the idea
that Fido abandon ZMH, I'll point out that this too was mentioned by
yours truly two weeks ago. However, how do we get FidoNet to abandon
the central tenet of its policy - that essential level of connectivity
that would (theoretically) allow a Fido 10 or SEAdog system to talk to
a BinkleyTerm or FrontDoor system? In the policy document itself, it's
called the most valuable principle of FidoNet, beyond *C appointments
and geographical boundaries and all that other nonsense that the *Cs
seem to consider the Holy Grail of FidoNet.

I'd love to include my BBS in FidoNet again. I'd love to participate
again. But as it stands, FidoNet Policy precludes my non-POTS BBS from
participating in FidoNet because I don't run a mailer, don't observe
or care about ZMH, and want to associate with people I know and like
in a network, not the one that geography arbitrarily forces me into.
Michael, you and I are in complete argeement about what FidoNet needs.
Believe it or not.

Where I think we may disagree (and maybe not, given our track record
thus far) is that I don't believe that the organisational structure of
FidoNet is capable of adapting to meet the changes requried in order
to keep FidoNet viable in the current decade. Despite what you and
Frank have to say, FidoNet is as much (or more) social as it is
technical. Policy4's utter inability to conceive of sysops as social
creatures (with arguments, feuds and disagreements) is its fatal flaw.
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 9 28 Jan 2002

FidoNet treated conflicts like they were in an Ethernet segment,
instead of a schoolyard. More on this below.

By the way, Frank, love the rant. It's high time the Snooze got some
more pundits who went around telling the world what we really think.
I'm doing my part providing bathroom paper, and I'm glad to see you're
putting your money where your mouth is and contributing. What's odd,
though, is that every previous time I've sent in an article
disagreeing with you, you claim that I've totally missed the point and
you really agreed with me. (Hmmm... maybe I was a little harsh on
Michael earlier.) But then you turn around and write what you did.

First, users weren't driven away from FidoNet because all the sysops
were too busy flaming each other in the sysop echoes to attract them.
They left because the Internet (specifically, the web and e-mail) is
an order of magnitude better in the user experience than what Fido has
to offer. Who cares that I could send e-mail via FidoNet for free
anywhere in the world in 48 hours? That was a neat idea in 1990, but
in 2002 I can send a multimedia e-mail to pretty much anywhere in the
world in 48 seconds. EchoMail is neat, but today's latest free
bulletin board software offers me automatic notification of replies,
sysop moderation, full-text indexing and <gasp> rich text and
multimedia in my posts. The problem gets worse as one loses sysops,
because then you lose the people that create new software to attract
new users.

And God help FidoNet if you call a telnet BBS "today's technology". I
can't even display colours (let alone graphics) over a telnet
connection (remember Fido 11w, Frank?) and we expect users to desert
the multimedia web in droves for TELNET? I've heard of never
underestimating the stupidity of the general user population, but this
is ridiculous.

Which gets me thinking of a broader question - why on Earth does
FidoNet need to be a BBS network in the first place? If, as you say,
the key to FidoNet is not Nodes but Users, why not distinermediate the
Nodes and let the users go directly to a single source for the content
they want? Why do we need Bulletin Board Systems covering the same
topic at all? I recalled a few articles ago the big change that the
Internet brought about was the ability for a single site to support
vast numbers of users, with no regard to their geographical location.
The old concept of EchoMail involved content replication. Why do we
need content replication, if it's relatively simple and inexpensive to
build a single web site to attract all the potential worldwide
participants in a particular Echo conference, and obviate the need to
replicate the content in the first place?

Second, you absolutely need to address the concept of addresses and
geography. Frank, you're absolutely correct that I don't care what my
IP address is. However, my IP providors don't care if I have one, two,
or a thousand IP addresses. If choose to have redundancy in my network
services by paying for two IP addresses, so be it. I have two domains,
which Id've paid a (very) nominal fee for, but I am completely free to
choose what domains I want, and what Internet providers I use.

When it comes to domain names (the real addressing scheme of the
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 10 28 Jan 2002

Internet) I've registered kolin.org. I have a vanity license plate on
my car. That's a sign of my prodigious ego. If I believe that
belonging to Net 148 has a greater status value than Net 223, then
that's a sign I'm silly and deluded. Either way, I should have the
ability to indulge my desires.

FidoNet doesn't place geograpical restrictions on users. If I call a
BBS in Toronto for the SNORKNOZZLE conference, and there's a BBS here
in Atlanta that also carries it, it would make perfect rational sense
for me to only make the local call. Yet we don't have policies forcing
users to do what's best for them and call a local BBS that offers the
same service. Why do we force sysops to get their routed mail and
nodelists from the local network if they choose to join a network
outside their local area? Is it not the same as calling a BBS? The
only difference is that the former is impossible to enforce, while the
latter is not.

I mentioned earlier that FidoNet treated conflicts like they occurred
on an EtherNet segment instead of a schoolyard, and I want to
elaborate on this. All the FidoNet policies assumed that cantankerous
sysops were fundamentally rational and reasonable. Economists have
spent the past half century scratching their heads from time to time,
discovering that this in fact is most certainly not the case.

Probably the most vicious feuding I saw (and participated in, mea
culpa) during my ten years in FidoNet has been where a group of
individuals was split almost equally down the middle. Neither
appointing an NC nor electing one made a difference, as each side
usually had enough critical mass to stay intact until the next
election. An elected NC from one faction or another had a sizeable and
vocal group of individuals intractably opposed (and usually a
razor-thin majority) to his/her agenda. Dismissing the NC and
appointing another merely made the entire elections process a farce
and convinced both sides that getting the RC on board was the proper
way to go. In a lot of cases the best thing to do was to split people
up and let them get on with their lives. In other words, to trump the
technical with the social.

Yes, Frank, sysops are social animals. Networks in FidoNet are more
than just a simple mechanism to get your routed netmail and nodediffs.
In my time, they were entire social groups, with monthly lunches and
discussions, and the odd BBQ or baseball game. I don't mean to
patronise you - probably every network in Fido was (or still is) like
that to some extent or another. And just like any other social
grouping, there are friendships, disagreements, cliques and feuds. For
people to claim in their high-minded way that what network you're in
only matters for routed netmail nodediffs and not for social matters,
they're directly responsible for much of the feuding FidoNet has seen.

Reading Warren's column, I feel this is the perfect opportunity for
the semi-monthly kick at the ZC. I love the part where Janis
rationalises her action in removing a democratically elected RC by
claiming the other RCs felt that she was supported outside of Region
12. I will be sure to tell Ward that he should ratify my
self-appointment as ZC, because I've taken a survey of the seven
sysops in Zone 5 and they all agree that I'd do a much better job than
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 11 28 Jan 2002

Janis.

It's also highly interesting that Janis uses this questionable
'support' as justification not only for annulling an election, but
also for not holding another one. While I can see the former, the
latter course of action can only be explained by her fear that Region
12 would elect another RC that felt the same way as Lesley-Dee, or
re-elect Lesley-Dee herself. Janis is refusing to hold another
election for exactly the reason she denies, because she is the ZC and
doesn't have to hold an election that she would have to annul because
she didn't like the result.

Warren, if Tony was the runner-up, he must have some support in the
Region. Why not hold an election? Wouldn't the Region 12 sysops (you
know, the silent majority that doesn't approve of the path the evil
Lesley-Dee has led them down) vote for Tony in droves? Wouldn't that
eliminate the discord (and hey, it'd shut me up) once and for all?
I've been banned from participating in elections in FidoNet, but
curiously enough it was only in the elections people thought I could
win. Once the danger of that passed and I became a washed-up
commentator, all the worries peoeple had about me running seemed to
vanish. There's no justification for not holding an election, short of
the fact that Tony would make George McGovern look like William the
Conqueror (apologies to Dennis Miller). And Janis knows it.

While I'm sure we all feel some regret about Frank, you have to admit
that some process of vetting candidates before they run is probably
the worst thing FidoNet needs. Such a process would ensure that in the
best case, candidates espousing valuable change would be eliminated.
In the worst case, it would ensure that unscrupulous *Cs could
eliminate people they dislike even before they got on the ballot. What
you're proposing is an electoral system much like Iran's Council of
Guardians, and we all know what a hotbed of democracy Iran is. The
system there needs guarding from the public, not the public from
itself as the Council claims to do.

I'm personally sorry that Frank resigned. However, to blame the
problems on a bunch of 'selfish' troublemakers is a time-honoured
tactic of unsavoury characters throughout history. Essentially, the
proposed to solution is shut up, get with the program and don't rock
the boat or disagree with anything, or we'll take away our marbles and
go home. The comment that these ungrateful individuals have rejected
their 'chosen appointed RC' (Orwell would be proud!) has a Marie
Antoinette quality to it - how dare these ingrates reject the choice
of their betters?

Heaven forbid that these people use the FidoNet nodelist, and strip
out the name of their Quisling RC! In case Warren isn't clear on the
concept, this is a revolt. Every year in the summer, many Americans
blow things up to celebrate the day that one of the Regions of the
British Empire told the ZC King George to go stuff himself when he
tried the same stunts as Janis. And at the time, many individuals in
Britain took the same view of that bunch of riff-raff as Warren takes
of Lesley-Dee and the folks of Region 12.

For the record, I've read Policy4 (but have forgotten most of it
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 12 28 Jan 2002

since), but I don't agree with it. Am I forbidden to run? Does that
mean that any candidate who wants to change Policy4 (because they
disagree with it) becomes ineligible to run for a position with the
authority to change it? Does this mean that any *C candidate who runs
on a platform of never dismissing an elected *C becomes guilty of not
enforcing P4, and then becomes ineligible? Does Janis get removed for
allowing the inclusion of IP-only nodes in the nodelist, as they don't
meet the P4 standard for inclusion by a long stretch. Looks like
wilfull flouting of Policy from this end. But it's all in the
offender, not in the offense, right?

In every truly democratic system, it is perfectly legal to run for
office on the stated campaign platform of eliminating democracy
itself. It is perfectly legal for me to return to Canada and start a
political party with the sole stated aim of establishing a heretidary
absolute monarchy with me on the throne. And if I manage to win enough
elections in the right places, I can enact the necessary legislation
to put this into place. The only places that explicitly restrict such
a campaign platform are the same places that aren't very free to begin
with.

My apologies if this article is a little long, since I'm afraid that
Warren's suggestion that the historic freedom of FidoNews should be
curtailed so that the Snooze no longer publishes articles that are
'harmful' to FidoNet. I'm highly interested in just who would be
making that determination. What is considered harmful? Is my
suggesting that we eliminate P4 and not fire elected RCs considered
harmful? Is suggesting that the BBS is dead harmful? Is anything that
Warren Bonner or Janis Kracht or Bjorn Felten considers harmful to be
exlcuded? I have a sneaking suspicion that again, what gets excluded
will depend a great deal more on the author than the content.

Considering that Warren is a former editor of FidoNews, no matter how
briefly, such a statement suggesting censorship of the Snooze is the
most amazing thing I've read within its pages in seventeen years.

I'm sure Warren said this in an unguarded moment of anger and regret.
However, let us a take a moment and contemplate what he is saying. He
says it's OK for an elected RC to be dimissed, and then to revoke the
democratic franchise of the folks who elected her in favour of the
very individual those people had earlier rejected. In future, the only
elections to be honoured are the ones where the candidates and the
result reflect the will of the people - the people already in
positions of authority, that is. When people complain in a public
forum, they are to be branded 'selfish', making statements 'harmful to
the network', and the press should therefore be censored to deny them
their voice. I recall my parents being invaded and occupied twice by
folks who believed in such activities. To this day, that country has
two national holidays where they celebrate the days they kicked those
bastards out.

We're going to eliminate freedom of choice and freedom of the press so
that we can enforce a rule that says nodes have to be listed in their
geographic network? And we accuse Lesley-Dee and her supporters of
harming FidoNet? Disgusting.

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 13 28 Jan 2002

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What is it for?
By Frank Vest
1:124/6308(.1)

A new User wrote me a message the other day. The User was new to the
BBS "Services" (as she called it) and wanted to learn about Bulletin
Boards. I tried to answer, as best I could, all of the questions.
After I sent my reply, I got to thinking about what had been asked.

Here's the message;

"Hello! I wonder if anyone can help me? I am new to the Bulletin
Board Services and would like to know WHAT it is. Here are some
questions:

1) What is the PURPOSE of a Bulletin Board Service?
2) What are you suppose to DO on a Bulletin Board Service?
3) How are you suppose to ACT on a Bulletin Board Service?
4) How often are you suppose to CALL a Bulletin Board Service?
5) Do you WAKE anybody up when you call?
6) How many minutes do you HAVE on a Bulletin Board Service?
7) Do you have to BE knowledgeable about computers?

Anything else that anyone can think of that would be HELPFUL, would be
most appreciated! Thank You!"

---- Cut ----

These questions may seem silly to those of us who are Sysops or have
called Bulletin Boards for years. To a new User, however, they are
important.

The top statement and first two questions started me to thinking
"What /is/ a BBS Service for?" What /does/ a BBS offer? What /is/ the
purpose and what /do/ you do on a BBS?

Well, of course, there are games to play. A BBS has message areas.
There are files to download. Each BBS is different and some offer
other services such as links to the Internet and other things, but
what /is/ a BBS for?

As I thought on this, some things came to me.

A BBS is for FUN.

A User can compete against other Users in the door games. In some
cases, a User can help his/her favorite BBS compete against other
BBSs. If the BBS is connected to a FTN type Network like Fidonet, a
User can write messages to other REAL PEOPLE in other places and LEARN
about....

Whoa!!.... WAIT A MINUTE!... LEARN!!... WOW!... What a thought!

Learn = Educate
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 14 28 Jan 2002

Educate.... Education!?!
Education + Fun = Fun Education
Real people + Fun + Education = Fun Education with Real People

As a dim light in my mind starts to glow and grows to a brightness
that fills the room, I start to see this revelation come into focus.

We might not think that a BBS is this powerful. Surely it can't be
that great of an educational tool? All a BBS has are games, messages
and files. What's so educational about that?

I'll tell a story here that actually happened;

<begin story>
My Wife started a new position in her company. The job required
keyboard skills. Speed, accuracy, and such. She was worried that she
might not be fast enough and other failings. As we discussed the
situation and how to get her some practice, I suggested that she play
some of the games on the BBS. My thought was that some of the games
were timed and required fast keyboarding to compete in them. She took
to the games and her speed and accuracy with a keyboard went into a
steep upward climb. She was thrilled. One of her friends on the job
was having the same problem and my wife suggested trying the BBS
games. Same result.
<end story>

You might argue that there are games on the Internet and games that
can be downloaded to your computer and played. While that is true,
look at the games. What do they teach you? "Click on the right mouse
button to shoot the gun." "Click on the left mouse button to change
guns." "Move the mouse forward to go forward on the screen." Move the
mouse backward to....." Well, you get the picture. In fact, about all
you do get is the picture... and how to move the mouse.

Yes, I know "So what?" "The games are a little more educational on a
BBS." "I can get educational stuff on the Internet too." "Big deal."

While this may be true, there is more. The message areas allow people
to interact with other people, cultures and more, from around the
world... and in your own "backyard". Plus, the people are REAL.

You can argue that this can be found on the Internet as well. That's
true. So, where's the big advantage to a BBS?

IT'S FUN!!

Where else can you go and find "instant" pen pals from all over the
world? Each one just waiting for you to ask about their country,
culture, likes and dislikes and more. Ask a question in a Fidonet echo
from your favorite BBS and you'll probably get a polite reply back and
begin a conversation that will be enjoyed by you, and others in the
echo. You won't find the spam and your e-mail address won't be
harvested for the "spam bots". You won't be called names and you can
enjoy the actual conversation.

When you want a "change of pace", go play some of the games. Learn to
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 15 28 Jan 2002

spell with word games. Improve your keyboard skills with timed games.
Get away from the hustle and bustle of life for a while with a fantasy
game.

AND THE PEOPLE ARE REAL!

Yes, you don't get some professionally designed web page by some
company whose sole purpose is to lure you in to sell you something.
You won't find some ISP that is trying to sell you their service over
some other's. The Sysop's might compete for your calls, but you get
the access for free and learn something to boot.

WOW! A FREE EDUCATION THAT'S FUN AND WITH REAL PEOPLE!?!

I've heard people say that learning is boring, hard and other
negative things. That's one of the biggest things, I believe, for a
teacher to overcome. With a BBS, learning can be fun and you might not
even realize that you have learned.

Of course, a BBS isn't a substitute for an education in a school or
such, but it is/could be a tool.... and fun as well.

Have you called a BBS today and learned?

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 16 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
FIDONET'S INTERNATIONAL KITCHEN
=================================================================

Japanese Coleslaw

Yield: 3 Servings

3 c Nappa cabbage, shredded
1 c Brussels sprouts
1/2 c Daikon radish; grated
1 lg Carrot; grated
1/2 c Celery
1/4 c Minced onion
3 tb Hot/Sweet Mustard or Mirin
5 tb Mayonnaise

I love coleslaw and here is a slight variation based on what is
available in Japan. Note you can make it with hot-sweet mustard or
Mirin.

Mix it all together after chopping the ingredients finely or grating
them. Let set for an hour so so to let it develop.

From the Sasebo Kitchen of: xxcarol

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 17 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
CLEAN HUMOR & JOKES
=================================================================

BASTARD OPERATOR FROM HELL #2

I'm sitting at the desk, playing x-tank, when some thoughtless bastard
rings me on the phone. I pick it up.

"Hello?" I say.

"Who is this?" they say

"It's me I think" I say, having been through a telephone skills course

"Me Who?"

"Is this like a knock knock joke?" I say, trying anything to save
myself having to end this game.

Too LATE! I get killed.

Now I'm pissed!

"What can I do for you?" I ask pleasantly - (one of the key warning
signs)

"Um, I want to know if we have a particular software package.."

"Which package is that?"

"Uh, B-A-S-I-C it's called."

clickety clickety d-e-l b-a-s-i-c.e-x-e<

"Um no, we don't have that. We used to though.."

"Oh. Oh well, the other thing I wanted to know was, could the
contents of my account be copied to tape so I have a permanent copy of
them to save at home in case the worst happens.."

"The worst?"

"Well, like they get deleted or something..."

"DELETED! Oh, don't worry about that, we have backups" (I'm such a
*shit*) "What was your username?"

He gives me his lusername. (What an idiot)

clickety click<

"But you haven't got any files in your account!" I say, mock surprise
leaping from my vocal chords.

"Yes I have, you must be looking in the wrong place!"
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 18 28 Jan 2002

So first he spoils my x-tank game, and now he's calling me a liar...

clickety click<

"Oh no, I made a mistake" I say

Did he mutter "typical" under his breath? Oh dear, oh dear..

"I MEANT TO SAY: That username doesn't exist"

"Huh? wimper< It must do, I was only using it this morning!"

"Ah well, that'll be the problem, there was a virus in our system this
morning, the... uh... Da Vinci Virus, wipes out users who are logged
in when it goes off."

"That can't be right, my girlfriend was logged in, and I'm in her
account now!"

"Which one was that?"

He tells me the username. Some people NEVER learn..

"Oh, yeah, her account was just after we discovered the virus."
clickety click< "..she only lost all her files"

"But..."

"But don't worry, we've got them all on tape"

"Oh, thank goodness!!!"

"Paper tape. Have you got a magnifying glass and a pencil. SEE YOU
IN THE MACHINE ROOM!!!! NYAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I'm such a prick!

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

That American Language. :-)
By Frank Vest
1:124/6308 Point 1

One thing that is sure. American language is different. Here's a
strange and warped look at a little of it from me to you. :)

FIR BAR
FUR BUR
FIRE BURR
FARE BARE
FAIR BEAR
FEAR BEER

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 19 28 Jan 2002

If you have a FIR, it could be on FIRE. But if you have a FUR, you
might wear it.

If you go to a BAR, you might see someone who is BARE. But if you see
a BEAR, you might best run.

On a train you can travel FAR, but only if you pay the FARE. Just
leave that BARE BEAR alone.

If there's a BUR in your FUR, it could be a BURR. They are the same.

You could hang your FUR on a FIR. Just watch out for that BARE BEAR
and stay out of the BAR or you might go to a jail that is FAR without
paying a FARE. Would that be FAIR?

I went to a BAR to have a BEER. The BARE BEAR was there with a girl
that was FAIR. She kindled a FIRE in my heart, I FEAR but I was too
drunk to talk to her as I drank my BEAR.. er.. FARE.. um.. FEAR.... Oh
well. I'll just have another BURR.... er.. BARE... uh.. BEER!

Yeah! THAT'S IT!!

:-)

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

The Bacon Tree

A long time ago when America was being settled, a group of people
headed west in a wagon train from the east coast. The wagon train
leader was very inexperienced and soon the people realized they were
hopelessly lost.

After wandering for weeks and weeks, their food supplies were gone and
winter was fast approaching. As the group came over a hill they saw
the first person they had seen for days; an old Jewish man, a Litvak
yet, sitting beneath a tree. The leader of the wagon train approached
the man.

"Can you help us? We're heading west but we're lost and all our food
is gone. We're starving."

The old man replied, "Vell you know, I can see the future...Vait.. I'm
getting a vision now." He held one hand to his brow and closed his
eyes in concentration. "It's coming. Oh yah, I see, I see." "I know
vut you gotado. Go up dis here hill und down other side. Go through
forest und across the stream. Den go up next hill und down to dat
valley below. There you vill find ah bacon tree."

"A bacon tree?" asked the wagon train leader.

"Ya, ah bacon tree. Trust me...for nuttin vud I lie. I can see the
future."

The wagon train leader shrugged and headed off. The group followed the
strange old man's directions exactly. They went up the hill, down the
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 20 28 Jan 2002

other side, through the forest, across the stream, up the next hill
and down to the valley below. Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Not a darned thing
and especially not a bacon tree. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, came
Indians from all sides.

It was a massacre. All but one man was killed, even he was seriously
wounded. He crawled up the hill, crawled across the stream, crawled
through the forest, crawled up the hill and crawled down into the
valley. There, under the tree was that same old Jewish man, having a
glass of tea, right where they had left him. The injured man crawled
up to him and started shouting......

"What were you thinking? You sent us all to our deaths! We followed
your instructions to the letter! We went up the hill, down the other
side through the forest, across the stream, up the next hill and down
the valley below. NO BACON TREE! Just Indians, thousands of Indians!
And the rest of my group? THEY'RE ALL DEAD!"

The man held up his hand and said "Oye, vait A minute, vait A
minute... I'm getting anudder vision.... Oyeeee. Ooooh. NOW I get
it....G'VALT, I make ah big mistake... It vuz not a bacon tree... It
vuz a ham bush!"

Warn Regards,
Ol'wdb

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 21 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
FIDONET CLASSIFIED ADS
=================================================================

FidoTel

FidoTel has been around in one form, one name or another since 1992.
The current "FidoTel" was established in 1997, and the domain
Fidotel.com was acquired in October of 2000. Since then, Fidotel.com
has made remarkable steps to advance to dissemination of Fidonet echos
on the web.

At Fidotel.com ALL Fidonet echos can be downloaded / read online via,
Dynamic HTML, NNTP (news client), QWK packets (both Telnet & the Web -
yup - can even download QWK packets via the web), and Telnet (of
course).

(Just recently, FidoTel.com became a WWB!!)

FidoTel.com hosts a mired of doorgames and tournaments (mostly to drag
folks into the Fidonet Echos) including a great LORD forum
(http://www.fidotel.com/public/lord/default.htm) and Icerage's Support
forum for WTLord (http://www.fidotel.com/public/icerage).

FidoTel also hosts a cooking forum
(http://www.fidotel.com/public/forums/cooking) which gives folks an
incredible search engine for recipes and a *direct link to the Fidonet
Cooking Echos* (after completing the questionnaire and providing a
name and pw).

Online chat for users, with frequent "get togethers". Email (of
course)... All users receive an Email account accessible via
SMTP/POP3, HTML, and Telnet with the extension "@fidotel.com". The
Email may also be set to "forward" to any non FidoTel address from
Telnet or HTML.

Local community forums include the East Coast J-Body Car Club
(http://www.fidotel.com/public/ecj-bodies), Auctions, and more. And
the newest feature is a "Personal Ad" center called FidoTel Love
Connection (http://www.fidotel.com/public/love).

Fidonews (http://www.fidotel.com/public/fidonews)
This page will do 3 things:
1. Read the Fidonet community newsletter online;
2. Click on the FTP link to access "Every" Fidonet Community Newletter
ever published;
3. You may also subscribe to recieve the Fidonet Community Newsletter
via Email automatically every week from FidoTel.

We provide a feed to anyone who needs one via BinkP, Telnet (Com/IP
and WcOnline [a Front Door]), FTP, Email, QWK, and POTS via our "new"
T1 Line.

There is really much more to FidoTel than all of this, you just have
to come by and see. Best of all, I don't charge for "anything"... It's
all free. I seem to be a hangout for folks who lost their feed other
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 22 28 Jan 2002

places. I have a plethora of users who do "nothing more" than read /
post Echomail. Which makes me happy because that's what I really
wanted to create. Everything else is gravy which I built with the hope
of getting them interested in FidoNet Echomail.

Recent upgrades: T1 line, new CDRom server computer so that we can
place the 40 plus Shareware CDRoms I've had in storage for a years,
and I purchased some new ones from CICA and Simtel.

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 23 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
TODD COCHRANE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING
=================================================================

Fidonet Software List
By Todd Cochrane
Type:

B=BBS D=Door M=Mailer T=Tosser C=Communication (terminal)
U=Utility P=Point Software I=Internet (telnet, BinkP...)

<+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+=-=+=-=-+-=-=+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+>
( Software Name ) |Type| ( Author/Contact )
<+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+=-=|=-=-|-=-=+=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+>
|BBBS Home Page |B | [email protected] |
| | | www.bbbs.net/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|ELEBBS The Elevator |B | [email protected] |
|Software Production | | www.elebbs.com |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Hermes II Project |B | [email protected] |
| | | http://www.hermesii.org/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Maximus BBS Support |B | [email protected] |
|Page (Non Official) | | http://www.vector11.com/maximus/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|MBSE BBS |B | Michiel Broek |
| | | [email protected] |
| | | http://mbse.sourceforge.net |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Mystic BBS |B | http://www.mysticbbs.com/mystic/ |
| | | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Nexus Bulletin |B | [email protected] |
|Board System | | http://www.nexusbbs.net/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Proboard, Searchlight, |BC | [email protected] |
|Telegrafix | | http://www.telegrafix.com |
|Communications | | 540-678-4050 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|RemoteAccess |B | Bruce Morse |
|Central | | [email protected] |
| | | http://www.rapro.com/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Spitfire BBS |B | [email protected] |
|Buffalo Creek Software | |http://www.angelfire.com/ia/buffalo/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Synchronet BBS |BT | [email protected] |
| | | http://www.synchro.net |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Telegard BBS |B | [email protected] |
| | | http://www.telegard.net/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Wildcat Interactive |BTMI| [email protected] |
|Net Server | | http://www.santronics.com |
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 24 28 Jan 2002

|Plantinum Express | |(305)248-3204 |
| | | Santronics Inc. |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Bentstone Capabilities |D | [email protected] |
|Group | | http://www.srupc.com/mall |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Jibben Software |D | [email protected] |
| | | http://www.jibbensoftware.com/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|JNS Software Door Games|D | Rusty Johnson |
| | | [email protected] |
| | | 304-733-0113 |
| | | http://www.geocities.com/jnssoftware/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Legend Of The Red |D | |
|Dragon Reborn | | |
|(L.O.R.D.) | | http://www.lordlegacy.org/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|PC Pursuits |D |[email protected] |
| | |(301)240-6653 |
| | |http://www.pcpursuits.com/products.htm |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|S and T Software |D |Mark Bappe |
| | |[email protected] |
| | |(770)788-6843 |
| | |http://bozax.iainc.net/public/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Shinning Star BBS Doors|D |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.shiningstar.net/bbsdoors/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Sunrise Door Software |D |Al Lawerence |
| | |[email protected] |
| | |(404)256-9518 |
| | |http://www.sunrisedoors.com/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|The Brainex System |D |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.brainex.com/brainex_system/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Trade Wars Door Game |D |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.eisonline.com/tradewars/ |
| | |1:299/110 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Vagabond Software |D |Bryan Turner |
| | |[email protected] |
| | |http://vagabond.virtualave.net/ |
| | |1:124/7013 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|FMail Support |T |[email protected] |
| | |http://fmail.nl.eu.org/ |
| | |2:280/1076 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Squish Tosser |T |http://www.lanius.com/squish.htm |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Argus RITLABS |M |[email protected] |
| | |373-2-246889 |
| | |http://www.ritlabs.com/argus/ |
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 25 28 Jan 2002

| | |2:469/84 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|FrontDoor |MTPC|Definite Solutions |
|FrontDoor APX | |[email protected] |
|Mailer/Point Software | |http://www.defsol.se/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|BeeMail Home Page |M |http://beemail.gexonline.net |
| | |Stephen Proffit |
| | |1:211/405 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|BinkleyTerm XE |M |http://btxe.sourceforge.net/ |
|Frontend Mailer | | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|BinkD |MI |[email protected] |
| | |http://2f.ru/binkd/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Fidogate |UIT |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.fidogate.org/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Fidonet to Internet |IM |Bo Bendtsen |
|Mailer | |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.terminate.com/fido2int.htm |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|GiGo Software |UI |http://www.gigo.com/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Internet Rex |IM |[email protected] |
| | |http://plaza.v-wave.com/InternetRex/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Tmail |IM |http://www.tmail.spb.ru/index-19.htm |
|(Russian /w English DL)| | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|TransX Multiboard |M |[email protected] |
|Communications Inc. | |http://www.multiboard.com/software/ |
| | |transx.html |
| | |1:2401/305 |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|TransNet |I |[email protected] |
| | |http://www.ressl.com.ar/transnet/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Watergate |I |[email protected] |
| | |http://www2.sbbs.se/hp/ramon/ |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|JetSys-Home of JetMail |TU |http://www.jetsys.de/ |
|JetStat and other Atari| | |
|Fidonet utilities | | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|APoint (Author) |P |http://www.apoint.websale.net/index.htm|
| | |http://www.apoint-mail.de (Co-Autho) |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|CrossPoint |P |("Original" version) |
| | |http://www.crosspoint.de |
| | |http://www.apoint-mail.de |
| | |(OpenXP Projekt) |
| | |http://www.openxp.com (English) |
| | |http://www.openxp.de (German) |
| | |CrossPoint (XP2 Team) |
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 26 28 Jan 2002

| | |http://www.xp2.de |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|WinPoint95 |P |http://www.schenksmir.de/wp/english |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|The OpenXP CrossPoint |P |http://www.happyarts.de/xp |
|Projekt | | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|Terminate Terminal |P |http://www.terminate.com |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
|PPoint-FTS compatible |P |http://www.alcuf.ca/ppoint.htm |
|E-Mail System | | |
|-----------------------|----|---------------------------------------|
\====================================================================/

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 27 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
JOE JARED'S FIDONET BY INTERNET
=================================================================

. -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- .
| FIDONET-RELATED SITES |
` -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- '
Last update: 9:41 PM 1/6/02

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. Please do not list the virtual email addresses
on any web page.

- = slated for removal (Invalid URL)
? = Unable to connect

FidoNet
Homepage: http://www.fidonet.org
FidoNews: http://www.fidonews.org [HTML]
ftp://ftp.nwstar.com/fidonet/fidonews/
Echolist: http://www.tlchost.net/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
Parody: http://www.fidonet.ro/
Foti http://www.fidonet-on-the-internet.org
History http://www.fidonet-on-the-internet.org

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: <vacant>
Region 11: http://www.vector11.com/region11/
Net 2410: http://www.vector11.com/net2410/
Region 13: http://www.ispaceonline.org/region13/
Net 109: http://www.thelitterbox.net/fido/net109/
Net 261: http://www.baltimorepress.com/~net261/
Net 275: http://www.ispaceonline.org/net275/
Net 267: http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/net267/
Net 275: http://www.ispaceonline.org/net275/

Region 14: http://www.ouijabrd.com/region14
Net 282: http://www.rxn.com/~net282/
Region 15: http://www.bobsplc.com/public/reg15
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
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 28 28 Jan 2002

Net 124: http://www.DallasInet.com/net124/
http://pages.sbcglobal.net/flv/
Net 393: http://www.chatter.com/~wb/

Zone 2: http://www.z2.fidonet.org
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)
Region 25: <Vacant>
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 34: http://www.pobox.com/cnb/r34.htm (Spanish)
REC34: http://www.fidospain.org
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.n5074.z2.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://r65.yeah.net
http://www.cfido.com (Chinese)

Fidonet Via Internet Hubs

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
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 29 28 Jan 2002

also receive routed notice of this feature.

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
18/500 @ Ross Cassell | FTP, BinkP |128K+,!| n/c
103/5 @ Mark Luetger | BinkP | CABLE | 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 | ???
106/2000 | Bob Juge | BinkP VMoT FTP TX| ??? | n/c
106/6018 | Lawrence Garvin | FTP, VMoT | aDSL,60| n/c
107/453 @ Jeffrey Estevez| FTP,BinkP,VMoT,UUE| 56k,60| $10 mo.
134/11 @ Michael Grant | FTP, BinkP, VMoT UUE, IFCICO,TransX
aDSL, 60 | n/c
138/146 | Marc Blakely | BinkP,FTP | ??? | n/c
140/1 @ Bob Seaborn | FTP,BinkP | T3,30 | $5/$16
142/906 | Chris Griffin | BinkP | ??? | n/c
150/220 | Dave Nemeth | UUE | ??? | n/c
153/7715 | Dallas Hinton | BinkD, FTP | CABLE | ???
167/133 | Stephen Monteith | BinkP | 128k+ | n/c
167/166 | Jesse Dooling | POP? UUE TX FTP| ??? | n/c
218/109 @ Matt Munson | BinkP,UUE,TX | 33.6k | n/c
220/10 | [email protected] |BinkP,FTP,UUE|1.5M+ | n/c
229/1 | Phil Simpson | BinkP UUE FTP | ??? | n/c
229/2000 | Robert Couture |BinkP FTP UUE TX| ??? |
229/622 | Dave Hamilton | BinkP | ??? | n/c
249/116 | Carl Austin Bennett | FTP, UUE |ADSL,60 | n/c
250/98 | Darin McBride | BinkP FTP TX | ??? | n/c
250/99 | Brent McLaren | FTP BinkP | ??? | n/c
250/102 | Darin McBride | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c
267/169 | Philip Lozier | FTP TX | ??? | n/c
261/1380 | Joe Davis | UUE TX | ??? | n/c
280/169 | Brian Greenstreet | FTP | 33.6 | $2mo.
297/11 | Michael McCabe | TX | ??? | n/c
323/120 | Craig Healy | VMoT FTP | ??? | n/c
342/3 @ Richard Dodsworth | BinkP,FTP | 128K+ | n/c
360/5 | Bennie Hutto | FTP VMoT | aDSL | n/c
395/670 | Arthur Stark | BinkD,FTP | CABLE | n/c
379/1 @ Dale Ross | FTP, BinkP,UUE | 256K+,! n/c
379/1200 | Chris Cranford | BinkP FTP TX | ??? | n/c
393/9005 | Steve Quarrella |BinkP TX UUE VMoT| ??? | n/c
395/670 | Arthur Stark | BinkP VMoT FTP | ??? | n/c
396/45 | Marc Lewis |BinkP FTP UUE TX| ADSL | n/c
396/48 | Ben Ritchey | UUE:BFDS? | 33.6k | n/c
2215/300 | Dennis Haddox | UUE,TX | CABLE | n/c
2320/38 | Janis Kracht | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c
2410/400 | Gary Gilmore | FTP BinkP | 384K,60| n/c
2410/213 | Kevin Bentz | FTP, BinkP, UUE| Cable | n/c
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 30 28 Jan 2002

2604/104 @ Jim Mclaughlin | FTP,VMoT,UUE | 33.6 | $1mo
2624/306 | David Calafrancesco | VMoT | 33.6 | n/c
3613/1275 | @ [email protected] | UUE,FTP | 28.8 | n/c
3407/4 | Robert Todd |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | n/c
3632/84 | Robert Todd |FTP,VMoT,UUE,BinkP | 57.6k | n/c
3830/5 | Jeff Schrunk |BinkP FTP TX UUE| ??? | n/c
3830/10 | Matt Bedynek |FTP, BinkD | OC3 n/c
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 2 |
20/11 | Henrik Lindhe | BinkP | ??? | n/c
22/222 | Kim Heino | BinkP | ??? | n/c
28/1 | Lody Caenen | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c
31/1 | Gabriel Plutzar | BinkP | T1+ | n/c
37/37 | Gabor Z. Papp | BinkP | ??? | n/c
47/999 | Andrej Kirejev | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
201/329 | Mats Wallin | VMoT TX | ??? | n/c
201/505 | Goran Eriksson | BinkP | ??? | n/c
203/600 | Mikael Karlsson | UUE | 64k | n/c
211/37 | Torbjorn Mohn | BinkP | 8/2mb | n/c
221/360 @ Tommi Koivula | BinkP,UUE | ??? | n/c
236/205 @ Michael Kaaber | BinkP | ??? | n/c
240/6298 | Steve Tell | BinkP UUE | ??? | n/c
246/2098 | Volker Imre | BinkP | ??? | n/c
252/110 | David Rance | UUE | ??? | n/c
255/90 | Simon Avery | UUE | ??? | n/c
263/950 | Sean Rima | TX UUE | ??? | n/c
280/1027 | Lukas de Groen | BinkP FTP | ??? | n/c
280/1601 @ Jeroen VanDeLeur | FTP,UUE | 64k | n/c
280/4312 | Jos Huijnen | BinkP ifcico UUE TX| ??? | n/c
280/5003 | Kees van Eeten | BinkP ifcico | ??? | n/c
292/620 | Eddy Missoul | VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 64k | n/c
292/624 | Steven Leeman | UUE | 64k | n/c
292/854 | Ward Dossche | BinkP UUE TX | ??? | 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
333/0 | M Gianformaggio | BinkP | ??? | n/c
335/534 @ Mario Mure | BinkP,VMot,UUE | 64k | n/c
335/610 | Gino Lucrezi | UUE | 33.6 | n/c
341/14 | Rafael Suarez | BinkP VMoT | ??? | n/c
341/51 | Jose.Maria Tejada | VMoT | |
341/66 | Angel Ripoll | VMoT | |
343/168 | Jose Casanova | VMoT | |
344/201 | Julio Garcia | BinkP | ??? | n/c
346/3 @ Carlos Navarro | UUE | ??? | n/c
347/1 | Javi Polo | UUE | |
348/105 | Alejandro Estraviz| BinkP UUE | |
382/100 | Sinisa Burina | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
400/555 | Ofir Michaeli | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
400/557 | Marius Kaizerman | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
400/558 | Vlad Hrusca | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
406/555 | Ofir Michaeli & | BinkP | ??? | n/c
406/555 | Marius Kaizerman | BinkP | ??? | n/c
423/81 | Milos Bajer | BinkP | ??? | n/c
461/256 | Andrew Rutkas | BinkP | ??? | n/c
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 31 28 Jan 2002

461/640 | Alex Semenyaka |BinkP ifcico UUE| ??? | n/c
465/204 | Va Milushnikov | BinkP | 33.6k | n/c
469/84 | Max Masyutin | VMoT | 256k | n/c
469/128 | Oleg Vasenyoff | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
480/112 | Adam Sarapata| FTP, VMoT, UUE,BinkP| 128k | n/c
550/4077 | Serguei Trouchelle| UUE | ----- | n/c
2410/201 | Karsten Ebeling | BinkP UUE | ??? | n/c
2411/413 @ Dennis Dittrich | UUE,BinkP | 64k | n/c
2432/200 | Sven Dueker | BinkP TX UUE | ??? | n/c
2446/301 @ Lothar Behet | BinkP,VMoT,UUE,FTP | 64K | n/c
2474/275 | Christian Emig | UUE | 64k | unkn
2487/3000 | Steffen Gross | BinkP | ??? | n/c
3830/10 | Matt Bedynek | FTP, BinkP | 100Mb | n/c
5002/5002 | Victor Belyakov | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5014/4 | Alex Bagmanov | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
5020/52 | Peter Didenko | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5020/54 | Serge Wizgounoff | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
5020/69 | B Chernivetsky | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5020/238 | Sergey Gubanov | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5030/115 | Andrey Podkolzin | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5030/1251 | K Stepanekov | UUE | ??? | n/c
5100/8 | Egons Bush | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5020/1159 | Gennady Kudryashoff | UUE | 33.6 | n/c
5049/12 | Amir Shabashvili | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5054/3 | Andrew Popov | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5080/80 | Eugene Zorin | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
5083/21 | Alexander Uskov | BinkP,ifcico | ??? | n/c
5090/2 | Andrew Titov | BinkP | ??? | n/c
5100/8 | Egons Bush | BinkP | ??? | 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
712/311 | Bob James | TX | ??? | 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
902/18 | Javier Tejedor | UUE | 33,6 | n/c
--------------------------------------------------------------
Zone 6
65/3000 | Lawrence Fan | UUE | 33600 | free
653/1009 | Maorong Chen | UUE | ??? | free
654/0 | Bin Li | UUE,BinkP | 33600 | free
654/1501 | Lawrence Fan | UUE,BinkP | 28800 | free

--
* FTP = Internet File Transfer Protocol
* VMoT = Virtual Mailer over Telnet (various)
* UUE = uuencode<->email type transfers
* BinkP = front end mailer for TCPIP networks
* TX = TransX
* NFS = Linux Networking
* ifcico = ifcico-compatible virtual mailer
----------------------------------------------
Fidonet oriented news servers
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 32 28 Jan 2002

news.osirusoft.com
news.tardis.net

Fidonet oriented chat rooms.

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

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

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 33 28 Jan 2002

=================================================================
SPECIAL INTEREST
=================================================================

Nodelist Stats

Input nodelist nodelist.025
size 1147.4kb
date 2002-01-25

The nodelist has 10410 nodes in it
and a total of 13331 non-comment entries
including 6 zones
64 regions
474 hosts
715 hubs
908 private nodes
354 nodes down
400 nodes on hold.

Admin overhead is 1259 ( 12.09 %)

Speed summary:

>9600 = 949 ( 9.12 %)
9600 = 8890 ( 85.40 %)
(HST = 183 or 2.06 %)
(CSP = 1 or 0.01 %)
(PEP = 13 or 0.15 %)
(MAX = 0 or 0.00 %)
(HAY = 2 or 0.02 %)
(V32 = 5000 or 56.24 %)
(V32B = 562 or 6.32 %)
(V42 = 4824 or 54.26 %)
(V42B = 602 or 6.77 %)
2400 = 112 ( 1.08 %)
1200 = 6 ( 0.06 %)
300 = 453 ( 4.35 %)

----------------------------------------------------------
File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems
----------------------------------------------------------
XA Frontdoor <1.99b 3871
Frontdoor 2.02+
Dutchie 2.90c
Binkleyterm >2.1
D'Bridge <1.3
TIMS
Xenia
--------------------------------------
XB Binkleyterm 2.0 9
Dutchie 2.90b
--------------------------------------
XC Opus 1.1 11
--------------------------------------
XP Seadog 7
FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 34 28 Jan 2002

--------------------------------------
XR Opus 1.03 72
--------------------------------------
XW Fido >12M 404
Tabby
--------------------------------------
XX D'Bridge 1.30 4554
Frontdoor 1.99b
Intermail 2.01
Tmail
--------------------------------------
None QMM 1482
--------------------------------------

CrashMail capable = 3510 ( 33.72 %)
MailOnly nodes = 5561 ( 53.42 %)
Listed-only nodes = 800 ( 7.68 %)
Other = 539 ( 5.18 %)

[Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm available from 1:106/100]
[ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208]

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

FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 35 28 Jan 2002

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

How to Submit an Article

If you wish to submit an article for inclusion in the Fidonews, here
are some guidelines, if you send it as an attached file; the preferred
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c) Deadline for article submission is Sunday, 01:00 UTC.

Help the Editor by following the above guides. Below are some subjects
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Ideas for Subject areas:

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----------------------------------|----------------------------------
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If you don't know or are not sure, send the article anyway. Put a .TXT
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If you follow these simple guidelines, there should be little problem
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FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 36 28 Jan 2002

Send Articles via E-mail or Netmail, file attach or message to:

Bj�rn Felten
Fidonet 2:2/2
E-Mail [email protected]

Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article.
That way I will know to look for it.

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

Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability

+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Editor: Bj�rn Felten, 2:2/2, [email protected] |
| Crash mail attached: Editor@2:2/2 |
| E-Mail attached: [email protected] |
| Webmaster: Jim Barchuk, [email protected] |
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+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +

+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince |
| Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, |
| Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink, |
| Doug Meyers, Warren D. Bonner, Frank L. Vest |
| |
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These sources are normally available through your Network
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FIDONEWS 19-04 Page 37 28 Jan 2002

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