Columns

• Whale Music for *Cs
• Interim Poll Results

Dear Editorbeing,

This article is submitted by Doc Logger (163/100 or cherriot@magmacom.com) whose eyes carried that same sort of glazed look that Dean Rusk had when he was busy bombing the world for peace & democracy. Logger's confused state had everything to do with reading hundreds of survey answers...

Roll da flic, Zorch....

Dear Reverend Visage,

Thank you for thoughtfully sending 30,000 cute baby Harp seals to the offices of Swamp Swine Magazine. I know, I know...you assured me that it would be a perfect gift for Bridgit Bardot but do you have any idea what Harp seals eat? Can you fathom how they smell after processing several tons of oily fish? The only things that I've experienced which even come close to the stench were the sugar refineries in Fiji and the Democratic Convention in '68. I immediately shipped them off to the Easter Seals campaign and told 'em that they were really Jerry's kids. Since we seem to be exchanging gifts, I had several truckloads of sheep manure delivered to your driveway. Prunella will be so pleased when she emerges from the garage at full throttle.

I would have attended to your urgent plea for more cash had I not been devoting my energies to building a Theremin for my son's excremental rock band. I figure that since the band has only learned three notes, that they might as well have an instrument which sounds suspiciously like aborting whales on Methedrine. The neighbours and the noise by-law enforcement officers have agreed that the sound exceeds new thresholds in the sonic insult department. (This probably explains why women are still throwing goldfish at my bedroom window late at night.) My son tells me that I am being unkind by characterizing his music as "Skunk rock" (music that truly stinks) but at least they don't do any John Denver covers.

I think I have figured out the entire skill set needed by a ZC. Apparently, all you have to do is program a function key so that it quotes a whole message and appends the word "noted" to the end. Since Bob Satti carefully shepherds the 42 words he writes each week, this leaves ample room to get really expansive on the larger issues. For example, when he was asked what qualities or platform did he advance which gained the support of the other ZCs to elect Satti as the IC, in a positively verbose display of literary genius he wrote:"Why don't you ask them?" Hint for Blondes: Yo Bob, I just asked you. In point of fact I did ask the other ZCs who were equally sparing with the text. When asked, one ZC told me: "because Bob Satti got a majority of votes." Okay so logic wasn't one of those subjects that kept me awake at university but answering a question about a platform with a statement that the election is complete strikes me as a tadge absurd. I suspect that some of the ZCs aren't playing with a full set of disciples at the supper table. Our prayers and our edible underwear should go out to them in their hour of need.

I think also that the *Cs haven't taken seriously the radish problem that has been developing in the miscellaneous elflord echos. As a professional trendmonger, I tend to spot these things in their larval stages so it is best to get them lashed down before they larvate into another Netwar.

Did you notice that it is getting hotter on Zorch's planet. He keeps mentioning the "scorched earth policy" without elaborating on exactly what he means. I also spotted what looked like a statement that Ward was so bored that he played with his business card GIF. Gawd, when his Zorchness has to do that much deep-sea diving to come up with a new conspiracy theory then I think it is time he added more tinfoil to his windows to keep out the Venutian thought control radio waves. I also noted that last week's Snooz was full of vulture effluvia from RanD whose reading material seems to be dedicated to the nodelist. As the good and decent people that we are, we should send him a copy of "Bromiliads of the Antarctic Plateau" so that RanD's fudge-like mind can be improved.

For this week's Chautauqua I'll start with an amusing quote from the book "The Demonic Comedy" by Paul William Roberts. Roberts spent time in Iraq working as a correspondent for Saturday Night Magazine. The exchange quoted here occurred between Roberts and an Iraqui factotum named Omar:

" 'We have democracy here,' Omar assured me, 'Although people saying we are not. Why are they saying that?'

'The reason they are saying that, Omar, is because your president wasn't elected, and you have no official opposition parties. It may seem a quibble, I know, but we Westerners are a spoiled lot.'

'Saddam he is *elected*!!' His voice soared into a warbling treble. 'What is this bull's sheet, not *elected*?'

'Who elected him?'

'Revolutionary Council is electing him.'

'How is the Revolutionary Council elected?'

'Saddam he is personally choosing them,' replied Omar , with pride.

'Oh well, sorry then: that sounds pretty democratic to me.'

He grunted satisfaction. 'Yes. People they not understanding Iraqui way. They too much jealous that we now have the most advanced nation on earth.' "

Poor Omar. If only he'd known that Fidonet had achieved the same "democratic" zenith he would have been cowed for sure. Or perhaps Omar was the consultant hired to create Policy4 because it is hard to imagine the document being written by anyone with less than his keen grasp of political philosophy. The fact that the elflords are still hiding behind the skirts of policy in the face of rather overwhelming sentiment suggesting a different course of action is a true monument to the ZC/RCCs. Included in a separate article in this week's Snooz are the results of a survey I conducted. If the results are accurate which I believe them to be, then it is time for the elflords to clamber down from their respective perches and change the operating procedures which have dismayed the sysop peasantry for so long.

One of the grievous omissions in my survey report is that I forgot to thank all those who took the time to respond. A thousand thank-yous to you all for helping me cast a little light into the darkness of the elflords' lair.

I must go, Visage, my son just fired up the Theremin and the house is surrounded by lawyers in heat. It seems that they don't believe that simulating the fall of Jericho is an appropriate activity here in the Pink Flamingo Paradise. The first vibrant chords of the Theremin at a mere 800 watts only leveled three city blocks so I don't know what they're whining about. As the good and decent people that we are, I suggest that the lawyers be re-trained to become productive members of society... as sociologists.

Regards,
Doc Logger
Furlang Island,
South Pacific

Interim Poll Results

Completed surveys are still trickling in but there have been enough responses to clearly indicate trends. Using nodelist.100, I processed the list for duplicate phone numbers which carried the same sysop name. The duplicates were removed from the list, as were occurrences of the same name under different telephone numbers. While this didn't eliminate all of the duplicates since a number of net function addresses were identified by title, it did set a upper maximum number of sysops in Zone 1 at 4,755. Taking 20% of that number, a second list was compiled to select the 951 addresses who would receive the survey.

Each of 342 NCs were automatically put on the survey list, and an additional 609 sysops were chosen. The selected sysops were chosen by counting the nodes in each net, taking 20% of that number, and then randomly selecting the appropriate number of nodes. A minimum of 1 sysop in addition to the NC was selected from each net. To adjust for the rounding up that resulted from taking at least one sysop, the number of surveys sent to net163 was reduced.

Commencing April 12 and ending April 19th, attempts were made to send the survey to all 951 sysops by crashmail. Part of the list was sent by Malcolm Campbell (163/307) and the balance was sent directly from my system. Routed netmail was not used to send the surveys.

Of those where an attempt was made, 86 nodes could not be sent the survey either because their line was answered with a voice, an answering machine, a fax machine, or my system could not initiate a successful mail session once a connection was made to a working modem. The survey was therefore sent to 865 sysops which is 18% of Zone 1. The survey was also posted in various echos with an open invitation to submit responses. (Only 4 responses were generated as a result of posting in echomail conferences.)

As of April 22, 1998 at 3:30pm, I have received 273 responses which represents a return rate of 31% and represents 5.74% of the nodelisted sysops in Zone 1. (My goal was to get surveys from at least 5% of the Zone's sysops.) I feel that the sample was large enough to be representative and reflective of sysop opinion.

The survey consisted on 12 questions. For a number of the questions the answers that were tendered were a simple "yes" or "no" response. For some of the questions, many respondents wrote at least several sentences and some wrote a great deal more than that. For example, the text file where I captured the answers to Question 10 is 165 pages long! In addition, a number of respondents wrote on other issues which they felt hadn't been addressed in the survey.

Results: Question 1: From your perspective, what is the greatest challenge facing Fidonet? (ie. what is broken, what should be fixed, and how would you fix it?)

A poor leadership             39%
B internet                    31%
C lack of users               15%
D lack of good BBS interface  13%
E nothing wrong               11%
F poor echomail content        5%
G over-regulation              1%
H sysop apathy                 1%
I lack of fun                  1%

Note: Results total to more than 100% because many sysops gave multiple reasons.

Of those who expressed a variant of poor leadership, commentary ranged from:

"Poor to no sysop representation at the higher levels. Too much administration in a hobby network. Power mongering!"

to

"The greatest challenge facing Fido is that the upper *C structure thinks they own Fido. Their total disregard for what grunt sysops want is driving systems away daily."

to

"Get rid of Satti and that ridiculous system of appointing RCs who then vote for the ZC. Banana republics would be ashamed of this nonsense."

Of the sysops who cited the Internet, most characterized its graphics and global accessibility as something which Fido could not compete. A number of sysops suggested creating a good GUI for BBS access and widely distributing it.

Conclusion: The natives are restless and would like the upper *C structure to tune in as opposed to "ruling." The anecdotal commentary suggested that upper *Cs are viewed as unresponsive and often capricious, particularly the R10C and the R11C. On the plus side, good things were said about Ken Tuley and Jerry Schwartz.

Results: Question 2: Do you read Fidonews?

A: Always      37%
B: Sometimes   34%
C: Often        6%
D: Never       23%

Of those sysops who indicated that they never read Fidonews, 47% said they would read it if they could get it from their NC/NEC but that it simply wasn't available or distributed in their net.

Best unintended humour came from a sysop who "never read Fidonews" but who also suggested that I ought to write an article commenting on the behaviour of *Cs.

Conclusion: If Fidonews is the "glue that binds Fidonet together" then perhaps an attempt should be made to distribute it to all sysops. Whether sysops read it or not is a matter of their own choice but Fidonews could certainly be made more meaningful if the ZC/RCs used it to announce administrative matters.

Results: Question 3: Were you (or your NC) elected by sysop level vote?

A: Yes         78%
B: No          20%
C: Don't know   2%

Of the reasons cited by people who answered "no", 76% said that there was no vote because only one candidate was willing to take the job.

Conclusion: At the NC level, sysop level voting for NCs is common place with only parts of Regions 10 & 11 still having RCs appoint NCs.

Results: Question 3b: Was your RC elected by sysop level vote? If not, what mechanism was used to select your RC?

A: Sysop level vote  68%
B: Appointed         15%
C: NC level vote      7%
D: Don't know        10%

Conclusion: Sysop level votes are commonplace within Zone1 with Regions 10 & 11 being exceptions.

Results: Question 4: Were you consulted by your NC or RC with respect to the recent election of a new International Coordinator?

A: No      89%
B: Yes     11%

Of those who answered "yes", 87% said that they'd read about the election in either the Z1C or the ZCC-PUBLIC echo, or read it in a Fidonews column.

Conclusion: The sysops were not consulted, and therefore the Z1C had no mandate to cast a vote on behalf of Zone 1.

Results: Question 5: If you were not consulted, would you prefer to have been given the opportunity to do so?

A: Yes                           67%
B: No                            16%
C: Not applicable, don't care    17%

Conclusion: The ZC should improve efforts to communicate with sysops on significant issues.

Results: Question 6: If policy could be amended(or ignored) would you prefer that NCs, RCs, and ZCs be elected? If so, would you prefer a sysop level vote? (if you favour elections and have another suggested mechanism, then please indicate what it is.)

A: sysop level votes for all *C positions 57%
B: sysops vote for NCs,NCs vote for RCs,
   RCs vote for ZC                        27%
C: current P4 system of appointments      11%
D: don't know, don't care                  5%

Conclusions: Taken in context with the answers given in 3 & 3B, sysop votes are already in practice and 84% of sysops would prefer election procedures for all *Cs.

Results: Question 7: Have you ever filed a policy complaint?

A: No    84%
B: Yes   16%

Of the respondents who answered "yes", 94% were either NCs or RCs.

Results: Question 8: Have you ever had a policy complaint filed against you?

A: No   79%
B: Yes  21%

Of the people who answered "no", 67% said that while a complaint was never filed against them, they were threatened with one at least once.

Conclusion: Either 21% of the Zone sysops are Fidocriminals, or policy complaints are being filed for frivolous reasons.

Question 9: Are there issues in Echomail which you feel need more rules to regulate, control, or illuminate?

A: No                                     79%
B: Yes, with respect to moderator duties  11%
C: Yes, with respect to other issues       5%
D: No opinion                              3%
E: Yes (no elaboration)                    2%

Conclusion: It is unlikely that a new Echopol document will receive support or ratification by the Zone 1 sysops.

Result: Question 10: The nodelist in Zone 1 is shrinking because sysops are leaving Fidonet. What is your best guess about why they are leaving and what could be done to encourage them to stay?

It was this question which produced the longest and most thoughtful responses. Almost all respondents cited the Internet as being a competitive force against which Fidonet can't compete. The vast publicity that attends the Internet makes it the first choice of new modem/computer users when they want to link to a communication network. The existence of Fidonet is a well-kept secret in most municipalities.

As a matter of historical perspective, in 1990 I surveyed a wide variety of Region 12 sysops. Using the definition for an "active user" as someone who had called the BBS more than 50 times, 100% of the BBS systems had over 20 active users. Some had as many as 800. A similar mini-poll today indicates that a BBS would be lucky to have 5 active users and more than half exist with the sysop as the only participant on the BBS.

One respondent summed up what turned out to be the majority opinion when he said "Attractiveness of the Internet without immature and illiterate power-mongers setting policy, making rules, making irreversible arbitrary decisions..." There is a deeply felt anger and frustration with the upper *C structure where it is felt that creative leadership has been replaced with entrenched non-responsiveness. One respondent asked "How did we get from Tom Jennings' noble dream to the likes of Bob Kohl?"

Of those who tendered positive suggestions, the most frequent suggestion was to develop a GUI for BBS access and get it widely distributed. Several respondents suggested bundling a GUI interface with new computers as a result of a cooperative effort with retailers.

A small minority (of which I count myself a member) believe that part of the problem is in the intrinsic lack of energy devoted to writing messages in echomail conferences. One respondent said "What do you expect when the 'breaker breaker' CB radio idiots sat in front of a keyboard? A higher level of communication? Serious conversation? Forget it."

Recommendations:

To Bob Satti:

1. Encourage the RCs and NCs to re-establish the distribution of Fidonews so that it is available to leaf node sysops.
2. Use Fidonews to disseminate your administrative positions and to inform the sysops of significant matters.
3. Use the "exception" powers granted to the IC to ask the other ZCs for their approval to launch a policy change initiative. Specifically, ask for assent to create Zone-specific changes to policy with respect to selection/election of *Cs. Announce your intention to seek this assent in Fidonews and ask your RCs to collect a consensus opinion on the issue from sysops in their regions.
4. Whether you obtain assent from the ZCC or not, put to a sysop vote a selection of choices for the mechanisms by which *Cs obtain office in Zone 1. Announce the process in Fidonews along with an anticipated time frame for the results of the vote to become effective.

To ZC/RCs:

5. Create/appoint/call for volunteers - for a working group to devise a GUI interface which can be put into the public domain and freely distributed. (If it weren't for the efforts of a similar group that created the miscellaneous early software, Fidonet wouldn't exist.)
6. Step back a pace or two and ask the question: Who do you serve? Then ask if your present mode of operation is constructive or destructive. Ask the sysops how you're doing.
7. Help - not force - the echomail distribution system to become fully functional. Most of the work has already been done by the Stars and RECs but at the net level there are significant logjams.

To NCs:

8. Establish in your net a group of capable people who are willing to assist sysops to either set up a BBS, or get it smoothly functioning. One of the foundations that built Fidonet was the willingness of sysops to help each other. Some of that tradition has been lost when a sysop who encounters difficulty receives not an offer of assistance, but a threat of expulsion.
9. Advise the sysops in your net that if they wish to be informed about administrative matters, that they ought to at least glance through Fidonews which you make available for file request from your system.
10. Repeat as often as is necessary: "I'm a nodelist clerk. I'm a nodelist clerk" until all thoughts of exercising power over sysops is gone from your mind.

To moderators:

11. Common practice grants extraordinary powers to moderators. Use it judiciously and sparingly. Educate rather than dictate, illuminate rather than invoke closure, and create rather than curtail. Look up the word "moderation" in the dictionary and be guided by what you read there. Perhaps as a pleasant change, post a set of "echo goals" as opposed to "echo rules."

To sysops:

12. A lot of people devote a lot of hardware, time and energy to bringing mail to your modem. Thank 'em every once in awhile and let them know that you appreciate it. (Thanks Ken) The Stars, the RECs & NECs make Fidonet happen and most of them are damned good at it.
13. Ask yourself if communication is the whole point of Fidonet. If so, consider your actions and decisions based upon fostering that goal.

To everyone:

14. Fidonet, with or without formal rules relies upon the goodwill and cooperation of sysops. View with skepticism any rule which intrudes on that simple premise. Fidonet does not have to be an organization where common sense, cooperation and simple justice are brushed aside because a higher value is put on a policy document.
15. Get rid of the lame macros, the emoticons, the screenfuls of quoted text, and engage the subjects of your conversation with pride and energy. The soul of Fidonet is in the messages you write.
16. And finally, eschew yogurt.

Regards,
Doc