Guest Editorial

[This was slightly reformatted and edited for spelling and punctuation and clarification of which Net is being referred to only.] Ed.

Hi Chris..

I don't suppose this will be in the proper format for a submission, but I am ignorant of such things. Please do as you see fit. <grin>

I'm responding to a few pieces in the latest issue of Fidonews - volume 6/97. Specifically, the article by Clay Tannacore about the direction of Fidonet.

I found myself nodding my head in agreement with just about everything Clay says in his article. I particularly found agreement in his position #5, regarding the overuse of quoting in echomail. This has long been a thorn in my side in every echo I read, or have read and left. I have, on numerous occasions, taken it upon myself to attempt to educate writers in the proper methods of quoting in echomail. Among them, only quoting enough of the original message so others know your point of reference. I've also campaigned against the geeks with the multi-line, Internet style, high ascii "sigs" people have become so fond of lately. As a SysOp myself, I'm aware of the costs involved in moving echomail. I take it personally when people abuse our largesse with this crap. Unfortunately, the response to most of my pleas has been to "mind your own business - you ain't the Moderator!" Now you would expect such from the elements who regard anonymous communications as there personal playground to practice "Beavis and Butt-Headisms", but when you get the same response from an echos Moderator - saying "Leave the Moderating to the Moderator" - it's a bit much. After all, had the Moderator been doing his job - such conduct would not have been tolerated. The attitude seems to be "Fido is dying, let them talk or they'll go to the Net." Well fine - let them go if that's what Fido has degenerated into -I don't like paying the freight for it!

Clay's point on the plethora of "Pay to Use" BBSes also struck a cord here. I've run a board since 1992 - as a hobby. Shareware BBS software (TriBBS 10/Pro, registered, thank you), bottomline all the way. I've never charged for access to my board. Yes - I do offer subscriptions for cash or donations of equipment in exchange for increased file limits. Now, there are 2 schools of thought on Pay vs. Free boards. The first is that people seeing a board charges for access will assume it has to be pretty good or they wouldn't charge. Interesting! The second is that, as Clay points out - we do this as a hobby, and therefore shouldn't charge for access. I tend to see points of agreement in each, since a few pay boards in my area are doing great, while free boards like mine are suffering. Doubly interesting since on "free previews" I've taken on these boards, neither the graphics work, features, games, nor filebase are as extensive or good as mine. But there ya go - different strokes. Clay's proposition that pay boards are sometimes thinly disguised pirated software hangouts, i.e. "Elite" boards, has an element of truth to it. That is certainly the case in my areas anyway. I limit non-members on my board to specific but generous download levels. Members are allowed practically unrestricted downloads. That's it. All callers have full access to the 15 CDROMs I carry, all message networks and echos, and all the games. I do know of several boards running hacked software, with logon procedures like speakeasys of the 20's - complete with "joe sent me" doorways and phony menus. Pretty neat if you want to spend 3 hours online downloading a copy of Win95 at 14400. Not me, thanks.

A final point is Clay's mention of the effects of the [Inter]Net on local "hobby" bulletin boards. The [Inter]net has hurt me badly. Calls have dropped significantly over the last year, for a number of reasons. One of those is new computer owners/users don't need additional communications software and the accompanying knowledge to call the [Inter]Net - most PCs come with the software. They can connect to the [Inter]Net and play. To call a BBS they have to locate and install a comm program, find some local boards numbers, then plod through setting up to connect properly with ANSI, etc. Not a lot of fun for todays crop of "point and click or forget it" PC users. We should indeed stress the FREE nature of our boards, and the usefulness of Fidonet in messaging all over the world via a local call. I've found myself making close friends I've yet to meet in countries the world over, as well as states of this great country I've never visited. That means something, and should be made note of. There has to be a simpler method of interfacing local boards with beginners PCs. How that could be accomplished I have not a clue - the more technical aspects of these toys we play with escape me, and at this time of my life (age 50), there is no hope of my learning. That I will leave up to others more capable.

Fido[Net] has some problems, to be sure. None of them are insurmountable, in my opinion. Surely the "in your face" mentality of certain recent critics does nothing to enhance its prospects. Fidonet after all is a mirror image of politics - many criticize, yet too few offer solutions. Not surprising since criticism is easy. Finding solutions takes work and some semblance of intelligence - both characteristics lacking in the harbingers of doom.

Respectfully,
Bruce Emmott
SysOp, Aegis BBS
1:2619/121
Merrick, NY