Letters to the Editor

• More about Argus IP mailer
• REC10 change of Coordinator
• Don sez it's time for a REAL FidoCon!
• Correspondent seeking FidoNet information
• Region 13 webpage changes and NLTools available
• REC13 correction
• Jim Smoot speaks about ZEC1 election
• Looking for a few good contacts?

More about Argus IP mailer

--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Feb 05 23:32:10 1998

From: David Moufarrege @ 1:2613/404
To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14
Date: 02 Feb 98 23:43:34
Subj: Argus and TCP/IP Mailers

Hello Christopher,

I am referring to the letter by Damien Sam referencing the ARGUS IP mailer. Argus is already widely in use in Zones 1, 2 and 3 since it can provide both IP and standard Fidonet functionality. On the traditional Fidonet side it can communicate with any Fidonet mailer such as InterMail and Bink. On the Fidonet/ IP side it communicates using three options:

1. other Argus mailers;
2. mailers running under OS/2's VModem; and
3. mailers using the new BinkD add-on module, which is available for a number of platforms such as several Unix-variants, OS/2, etc.

While Argus may only be a Windows95/NT solution there are compatible solutions available for just about any platform which makes this viable for use in Fidonet.

In Region 13 we have a number of IP nodes up and running using this technology. I personally am running 1:2613/403 at kraut.dyn.ml.org on a part-time basis from 9:15GMT to 11:00GMT daily. David Calafrancesco, a current Z1EC candidate, is running 1:2624/306 at bbs.drakkar.org as a CM node on port 23. Another node is Dennis Murphy at 1:2630/316, who is running his node at IP address 130.68. 232.11 The number of nodes reachable via IP-Mailer is growing daily.

The Zone 1 Regional Coordinators Council has discussed flags for IP Nodes and a decision on this matter is still pending.

Best Regards,

-=David=-

REC10 change of Coordinator

--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Sun Feb 08 18:36:26 1998

From: Bob Kohl @ 1:102/861
To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14
Date: 07 Feb 98 23:01:32
Subj: Re: REC 10

Per my position statement early on in the election:

> * Originally to Bob Satti in NETMAIL.

> CC: David Hallford

> Bob,

> This is official notice that David Hallford is to assume the
> duties of REC 10 until such time as I can ascertain a "sense"
> of Reg 10 towards this position.

> David's flags are:

> ,1,Net_208_NEC,Modesto_CA,David_Hallford,1-209-544-2532,9600,XA,
> CM,MO,V32b,V42b,V34

> Please put David in as of this week's diff. My thanks as always
> for your help on this matter.

> BK

> Origin: Conniption BBS * One fit at a time * (1:102/861)

> Forwarded by Bob Kohl on 1:102/861, Conniption BBS in Los Angeles CA

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Don sez it's time for a REAL FidoCon!

--- Following message extracted from FIDONEWS @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Sun Feb 08 18:37:04 1998

From: Don Bach
To: Michele Stewart
Date: 07 Feb 98 18:50:08
Subj: Kiss It Goodbye - Said Well!

> Really NICE reply, .\\ichele, really nice. Couldn't have said it
> anywhere near as good as you did...

[rereply stuff deleted]

I think it is time for another FidoCon.... Chris Baker, can you publish something asking for interest? I can set up hosting it here in Jackson, if no one else will.

[other irrelevant stuff deleted]

Don
NC 3632

Origin: No Regrets, Clinton, MS (601)924-8247 9P-5A (1:3632/65)

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Correspondent seeking FidoNet information

[Please send your responses directly to the author's email address. He is not a regular reader of FidoNews. ED.]

Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 01:19:58 -0500
From: David Noack <dnoack@bestweb.net>
X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.04 (Win95; I)
To: cbaker84@digital.net
Subject: Seeking FidoNet Comments

Christopher,

My name is David Noack and I'm a computer correspondent for Investor's Business Daily , a national business newspaper.

I'm doing a story about what has long been forgotten or maybe even never considered by the general online public and that's FidoNet. While it came along after the Internet was developed-but before the Internet got much use by the general public even in those old Unix- dial-up account days, FidoNet came along in the mid-1980s.

In a way FidoNet parallels the problems faced by the Internet and the World Wide Web, which obviously has a greater marketing campaign and pretty cheap access for what you can do online.

Anyway, I would like to get some comments from FidoNet users, Zone, Net and Hub coordinators, in addition to folks who simply use FidoNet because they like it.

Here are some questions for your consideration and feel to add any other comments regarding the story.

How long have you been using FidoNet. What do you use FidoNet for. How many different ways can someone use FidoNet. To send mail, which is Netmail; discussion groups, which are called Echo Mail, and I would guess file transfer. Are there any commercial uses to Fidonet by a business, maybe even a home-based or small business or has everything migrated to the Internet.

What are some of the advantages/disadvantages in using FidoNet?

How does it differ and where is it similar to the Internet?

Is FidoNet considered network/BBS system for real computer hobbyists and enthusiasts? Does anyone connect to dial-up local BBSes anymore? Has FidoNet and BBSes fallen on hard times thanks to the Internet or is that perception wrong. Has there been any growth in the number of FidoNet users.

Can you provide some examples of how you use FidoNet? What do you do. Do you use it for work or just at home?

Are there any estimates as to how many people use FidoNet? Or maybe to be more accurate, how many nodes there are around the world and from that figure you can assume that there maybe hundreds of people who connect to that particular bulletin board.

Why is FidoNet not that well-known? It is conscious effort to keep it in the realm of computer hobbyists so it does not become too cluttered as the Internet has become?

Since FidoNet was originally tied to BBS's, how has FidoNet adopted to take advantage of the Internet?

If you can, please provide as many examples of how FidoNet gets used and if you think I should ask someone else questions, can you kindly include their name and e-mail address.

I look forward to hearing from you.

David Noack
Investor's Business Daily
dnoack@bestweb.net
74150.1432@compuserve.com

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Region 13 webpage changes and NLTools available

Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 16:57:14 -0500
From: David Moufarrege <David@eznet.net>
Reply-To: David@eznet.net
To: cbaker84@digital.net
Subject: Region 13 Homepage

Hi Christopher,

Region 13 Home Page is down... a new site is planned. On the bright site, Net 2613's site, maintained by NC2613 John Rooker is up with sound and pictures at www.ggw.org/net2613. Verifications: jrooker@wnybbs.net

I also have posted the nodelist maintenance utility NLTOOLS by David Nugent on my web site for download: home.eznet.net/~david/download.htm NLTOOLS is intended as a replacement for MakeNL, source code available, and is year 2000 compatible.

--
David M. Moufarrege
Systems Engineer
e-mail: david@eznet.net david@kraut.xg.com

-30-

REC13 correction

--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Feb 05 23:32:43 1998

From: David Moufarrege @ 1:2613/404
To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14
Date: 02 Feb 98 23:52:01
Subj: Correction

Hello Christopher,

For historical correctness, this is a correction to a statement Bob Kohl made with regard to past REC13s:

Jim Balcom, the current REC13, was preceded by David Calafrancesco. David's predecessor was Jerry Seward, not Rick Ashworth.

Best Regards,

- David Moufarrege, RC13

Jim Smoot speaks about ZEC1 election

--- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 ---
By Christopher Baker on Thu Feb 05 23:31:34 1998

* Forwarded from "Zone 1 Elections"
* Originally by Lisa Smoot, 1:395/602
* Originally to All
* Originally dated 2 Feb 1998, 20:42

For those of you who may not know me, my name is Lisa Smoot and I am Jim Smoot's youngest daughter. As many of you may already be aware, my Dad has a terminal illness and in the last few weeks his health has not been doing very well at all. For those interested, my Dad is up and about for very short periods of time but medical conditions demand low stress and lots of rest.

None the less, my Dad has always enjoyed his hobby and has asked that I post this message: "If we can get beyond the _personality_ issues and conflict and put our hobby into perspective, then it becomes much easier to see and support the best of the available candidates for ZEC. In my opinion, Bob Kohl is the right man for the task. Your support would also be appreciated."

Thanks Bunches,
(: Lisa Deanne :)

---
* Origin: S.R.O., Copperas Cove, TX (1:395/602)

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Looking for a few good contacts?

Date: Sun, 08 Feb 1998 01:55:55 -0800
From: Zorch Frezberg <zorch@repairnet.com>
Reply-To: zorch@repairnet.com
Organization: ZorchLand!
To: Zorch Frezberg <zorch@repairnet.com>
Subject: Request for assistance

I've been contacted by a reporter/editor of a magazine with regards to FidoNet. This person is not known to me personally, but I've researched and verified that this person is indeed legitimate. Others may also have been contacted, so I may be just posting this out for no good reason.

The reason I'm contacting you via 'blind cc' is to get your permission to send your E-mail address to this reporter for an 'on-line' interview. The publication that this is for made me sit up and pay close attention to this message, and make certain that it was a legitimate request before I sent this out to you. It's not the WALL STREET JOURNAL, TIME or NEWSWEEK, but it's about as good as any of those.

As well, if you have the E-mail address of someone that you feel may be able to speak to these issues better, or should be included in any list, please forward the address to me, and I will contact them as well.

This is the extract of the message, containing the questions that I know will be asked...there may be others which come out of your responses, no doubt::

> I'm doing a story about what has long been forgotten or maybe even
> never considered by the general online public and that's FidoNet.
> While it came along after the Internet was developed-but before the
> Internet got much use by the general public even in those old Unix-
> dial-up account days, FidoNet came along in the mid-1980s.
>
> In a way FidoNet parallels the problems faced by the Internet and
> the World Wide Web, which obviously has a greater marketing campaign
> and pretty cheap access for what you can do online.
>
> Anyway, I would like to get some comments from FidoNet users, Zone,
> Net and Hub coordinators, in addition to folks who simply use
> FidoNet because they like it.
>
> Here are some questions for your consideration and feel to add any
> other comments regarding the story.
>
> How long have you been using FidoNet. What do you use FidoNet for.
> How many different ways can someone use FidoNet. To send mail, which
> is Netmail; discussion groups, which are called Echo Mail, and I
> would guess file transfer. Are there any commercial uses to Fidonet
> by a business, maybe even a home-based or small business or has
> everything migrated to the Internet.
>
> What are some of the advantages/disadvantages in using FidoNet?
>
> How does it differ and where is it similar to the Internet?
>
> Is FidoNet considered network/BBS system for real computer hobbyists
> and enthusiasts? Does anyone connect to dial-up local BBSes anymore?
> Has FidoNet and BBSes fallen on hard times thanks to the Internet or
> is that perception wrong. Has there been any growth in the number of
> FidoNet users.
>
> Can you provide some examples of how you use FidoNet? What do you
> do. Do you use it for work or just at home?
>
> Are there any estimates as to how many people use FidoNet? Or maybe
> to be more accurate, how many nodes there are around the world and
> from that figure you can assume that there maybe hundreds of people
> who connect to that particular bulletin board.
>
> Why is FidoNet not that well-known? It is conscious effort to keep
> it in the realm of computer hobbyists so it does not become too
> cluttered as the Internet has become?
>
> Since FidoNet was originally tied to BBS's, how has FidoNet adopted
> to take advantage of the Internet?
>
> If you can, please provide as many examples of how FidoNet gets used
> and if you think I should ask someone else questions, can you kindly
> include their name and e-mail address.
>
> I look forward to hearing from you.

The reason I'm interested in helping this reporter is that the reporter is grounded in computers and electronic communication. . . pretty much, no bluffing or posturing is going to get past without being noticed.

The message came to me Friday, and I'm informed that the reporter would like to have responses by next week (this coming Friday, at the latest).

I'm fighting a combination of the "Killer Flu" and strep throat, and for some reason, my eyes are clogging up as well, so I wasn't able to respond to the reporter other than to "give me a day or two to be able to see"....and to give me time to contact you as well as formulate a response.

Go for it. Let me know ASAP so I can send the E-Mail addresses out, as well as contact those whose addresses you might send me. I can't guarantee the reporter will contact all of those I send, but we'll try and get a good mention, nonetheless.

Thanks, and hope to hear from you all.

-zf-

-30-