Articles

A simple question razed
by Gregg Jennings, 1:331/109

In 1448 Lee Kindness responded to a question from Rich Veraa:

> From: Rich Veraa
> Does anyone know howcome a net in Ontario lists a node in Malasia?

LE> And can I ask you why it matters? This sort of geographical
LE> nonsense is damaging to Fidonet - it merely gives some "power
LE> hungry fiends" something to worry about.

He asked a simple question. Rather than answering, Lee accuses him of being a power hungry fiend?!?!. For a simple question?

LE> Do a bit of research and find out about Fidonet in Asia and you
LE> might see why a node would want to be in zones 1 or 2...

How? Where does one start such research? Read NET_DEV perhaps? Certainly asking about it in FidoNews won't do him any good, will it?

It matters. But there can be a reason for it. It is spelled out how and why geography comes into play in assigning nodes in Policy.

But instead of trying to explain, Mr. Kindness has to use the question as a yet another excuse for him to piss and moan.

People ask "O where, O where has our poor dog gone?" People blame the lessening of the NodeList to many things, always technical. It's the Internet, or the FTSC, or Policy, or it's the Software, this or that, over and over. And nobody offer solutions beyond, "If they just published *MY* FSC, it will fix FidoNet!" Like hell it will.

BBSes get fewer and fewer new callers because BBSes get stricter and stricter, with caller ID, callback verifiers, 20 questions asked, wait periods, download ratios, etc. etc.

Usenet offers immediate reading and writing to discussion groups, no questions asked. It allows anonymity. There's more freedom.

FTP and HTTP offers immediate downloading (and searches for) thousands of programs, source code, pictures and various other sundries. No questions asked. No wait periods. No ratios. There's more freedom.

And here in the snooze, and in many Echoes, we keep hearing over and over, tiny-dick know-nothings constantly pissing and moaning.

People are leaving FidoNet not because the FTSC are lax in their duties. Not because the Internet uses better technology. But because BBSes are run under fear of handles and unknown phone numbers. Because people are hearing too often from those who want others to give them name recognition piss and moan when they don't get it. Because people are sick and tired of hearing over and over, the accusations, the insults, the complaints and the sheer idiocy that goes on here by the vocal minority.

O yeah. To the virtual schmucks complaining about the NESYSOP NC election: The Network Coordinator is appointed by the Regional Coordinator. There needn't even be an election.

Some things are just a little more important than Fidonet.
-- Mike Bilow