Editorial

A report last week that FidoNews had been censored by an unnamed ZC turned out to be a difference of opinion on what constitutes a case of censorship.

When I first started editing FidoNews, I added a FidoNews public-key section to the newsletter for those who wanted to send things to the FidoNews privately or clear-signed. ZC1, to whom I feed FidoNews for worldwide distribution, suggested such an addition be removed due to the possibility that such an addition might compromise laws in other countries. I removed the key segment itself and replaced it with the note about the removal pending a decision by the ZCC on its inclusion. This was a voluntary act on my part in response to the request by ZC1.

After polling the ZCs, personally, via direct Netmail and receiving a majority having no problem with the key segment being included in the FidoNews, I returned the segment to each Issue without fanfare or complaint.

While the segment was missing from the FidoNews it was available on FidoNews webpage. I never considered it censorship of any kind. I may have thought it overly sensitive but I understood the intent and complied voluntarily. So, no blood, no foul. Case closed.

Speaking of the dreaded Internet, there are several additions to the Regional listings in today's Issue. The R19 page has changed from the inactive listing to the working one and R41 [Greece] has been added as well our first listing in Zone 4 at Net 904 in Argentina. Normally, Net level listings appear only on the FidoNews webpage but since Zone 4 has no listings at all, Net 904 is there to see if it can stimulate some action in that area of FidoNet. [grin]

The only Regions missing in Zone 1 are Region 12 and Region 13. Does anyone out there know if they have webpages? Please point them in this direction. Thanks.

For those who hate the technical history section, you're really going to dislike this one. It contains the EMSI standard proposal in toto. History is good. There are less than 40 to go and all of them are a lot smaller.

These things that repeat are here in each Issue because any one Issue may be the only one a newbie sees that might bring them into the fold.

C.B.