Articles

Region 25 Has a New REC
Damian Walker, 2:2502/666

Occasionally I see requests from international moderators for information on getting echomail to and from region 25, better known to some as the UK. So I thought it might be appropriate to post in Fidonews the summarised results of our recent REC election. The positions were:

1st.    John Burden     41 votes
2nd.    Steven Gare     14 votes

Congratulations to John Burden and commiserations to Steven Gare. John Burden's address is 2:255/1, although shortly he should be contactable at the region's standard REC address, 2:25/10. I hope someone finds this information useful.

### 30 ###

The Story of Statistics
by Bob Kohl, 1:102/861

> Zone 1 Region 10 nodes speak out on the issue of the recent
> "election" for Z1R10C

> by Dave Beach, 1:163/222

> On the subject of the recent Zone 1 R10C "election", the Z1C,
> Bob Satti, made recent statements in the Z1C echo that indicated
> that he had his finger on the pulse of Z1R10, and that anybody
> who questioned him on the issues simply didn't have all the
> information.

Interesting to note that, unlike Dave Beach or Doc (Gossip Queen) Logger, the ZC does take the time to look at both sides of an issue and, of course, the facts. It would seem that the self- appointed Guardians Of Fidonet up in net 163 do not have those capabilities given their preference for "Trial by public opinion, hearsay and innuendo".

> Bowing to growing public pressure to do something
> about a system that has him maintained in office with the support
> of unelected, appointed Regional Coordinators,

Of course Dave and Doc forget that there are many elected RCs since it serves their purpose better to misrepresent this fact.

> began. Only NCs in the region were eligible to vote, and Bob Kohl

As is the favored way of many Fidonet sysops including several from their admin friends in southern regions.

> had spent the last couple of months replacing NCs with which, as
> Z1R10C, he had decided he "couldn't work".

Ahh yes! The use of 'facts according to Dave'. Got to hand it to him, since he seems to have no shame. There was only 1 NC replaced for the mentioned reason. In fact during the course of my term as RC there have only been two "active" NCs replaced.

Both the NCs that were replaced could be counted on to vote against me in the RC 10 election due to the influence that the old NCs have in their respective nets. One of the old NCs and the past NEC run their echomail feeds for free. A healthy influence on the way that the sysops of the net think since bribery is an well established source of influence down through the ages.

> Needless to say, Bob Satti's handpicked incumbent, Bob Kohl, was
> the successful candidate.

I'm sure that Dave couldn't possible accept the fact that there are many NCs in Reg 10 that seem to little if any problems in the way Reg 10 has worked these past years.

> for each warm body in Region 10 minus the Network Coordinators.
> The survey forms were all host-routed through the recipients'
> respective NCs.

> 36 replies were received, of which one was from an NC who had
> mistakenly been sent a survey form (and whose reply was therefore

36 replies! Wow, now there's a real representation of the region with many times that number in sysops. It's interesting to note that Dave little submission to the Snooze and in the echos runs almost on a par with those of Spiro Agnew many years ago.

It would also due to note that the number of "dissatisfied" sysops runs roughly about this same number and the "infamous" list server had about just this many particpants. What a coincidence! I'd have to say that Dave took this survey into net 2004 before they decided to "go north", chuckle...he needed those numbers.

Yep, nice to know that Dave thinks that roughly 10% of a region is a true repesentation of that region's opinion.

Besides Dave, please don't bother to tip-toe around that fact that Bob Satti is not on your list. We've known that you have wanted him and at least two other RCs out for some time now along with some of the other misfits and gossip queens that are local to you. Nor do we need Ben Hamilton's hypocrisy towards other region's affairs.

Below is a rather typical response from a Reg 10 sysop towards Dave's little poll:

Msg # 193 Kill/Sent
Date: 27 Jun 98 10:19:38
From: Joe Nicholson
To: All
Subj: Outside interference

Did anyone other than NET202 receive netmail with a survey from Dave Beach in Canada? We don't need interference in R10 from any other region, and I refuse to answer when the person who asked Beach to conduct the survey refuses to identify himself.

I think he's a yellow-bellied, chicken-livered skunk to hide behind Beach.

... 9-1-1 makes firefighters come.
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
--- GEcho 1.00
* Origin: 9-1-1 San Diego's HOTTEST BBS (619) 441-9679 (1:202/911)
SEEN-BY: 10/2 3 102/2 125 861 103/328 125/5109 161/84 202/5 701 707
SEEN-BY: 202/746 800 805 911 1100 1330 1401 1601 203/3333 205/1701
SEEN-BY: 207/0 208/1 212/1002 213/213 218/907 219/300 345/0 2004/209
3000sl/001347

### 30 ###

Zone 1 Region 10 nodes
speak out on the issue
of the recent "election" for Z1R10C
by Dave Beach, 1:163/222

On the subject of the recent Zone 1 R10C "election", the Z1C, Bob Satti, made recent statements in the Z1C echo that indicated that he had his finger on the pulse of Z1R10, and that anybody who questioned him on the issues simply didn't have all the information. Bowing to growing public pressure to do something about a system that has him maintained in office with the support of unelected, appointed Regional Coordinators, he called an "election" for the position of Z1R10C and provided the sysops with a mere couple of days in which to nominate candidates before voting began. Only NCs in the region were eligible to vote, and Bob Kohl had spent the last couple of months replacing NCs with which, as Z1R10C, he had decided he "couldn't work". Needless to say, Bob Satti's handpicked incumbent, Bob Kohl, was the successful candidate.

In order to try and verify the statements that Bob Satti made, a survey of Z1R10 nodes was commissioned.

Some 339 survey forms were sent out, the intent being to account for each warm body in Region 10 minus the Network Coordinators. The survey forms were all host-routed through the recipients' respective NCs.

36 replies were received, of which one was from an NC who had mistakenly been sent a survey form (and whose reply was therefore not counted), one was a completely blank netmail other than header info and kludge lines (a request for clarification was sent, no reply received), one was from a node who claimed utter and complete apathy, and two were demands to know what right I had to be asking Region 10 sysops for their opinions on anything. Despite persistent rumours that a Region 10 NC netmailed my NC and RC demanding to know what I was doing "butting into Region 10 business", I never did hear from her myself.

The responses break down as follow:

Question (1)

Are you aware that it's common practice in other Regions to have direct sysop voting for the RC position?

   Yes   51.6%
   No    45.2%
   Other  0.03%

Question (2)

Do you feel that your Network Coordinator adequately consulted you for your views prior to casting his/her vote in the election?

   Yes 87.1%
   No  12.9%

Question (3)

Were you informed by your Network Coordinator as to how his/her vote was cast?

   Yes 90.3%
   No   9.7%

Question (4)

Are you in agreement with how your Network Coordinator cast his/her vote?

   Yes  83.9%
   No    9.7%
   Other 6.5%

"Can't answer since he won't tell me which way he voted. It was top secret..."

"don't know, [he] refuses to say how he voted."

Question (5)

The Zone 1 Coordinator, Bob Satti, has stated that he called the kind of election that he preferred. Are you in agreement with the way this election was conducted?

   Yes 12.9%
   No  87.1%

"As all but two of the NC's of this region are all appointed or grandfathered in by the RC, a NC only vote only showed the support of those NC's who are afraid of or in cahoots with Bob Kohl."

"There was little if any communication."

Question (6)

Would you have preferred to have the opportunity to directly cast your own vote in the RC election?

   Yes  87.1%
   No    9.7%
   Other 3.2%

Question (7)

Are you aware that there has been at least one policy complaint filed against Bob Kohl relating to his disclosure of in-transit netmail, and that the Zone 1 Regional Echomail Coordinator Council has voted overwhelmingly that they do not support Bob Kohl in one of his other capacities, that of Zone 1 Echomail Coordinator?

   Yes 80.6%
   No  19.4%

Question (8)

Are you satisfied with Bob Kohl representing you as Region 10 Coordinator?

   Yes   12.9%
   No    74.2%
   Other 12.9%

"Bob Kohl does NOT belong in any administration position within Fidonet."

"He does his job (for the most part) but his people skills suck, he can never give a clear answer, and he holds personal grudges."

Question (9)

Are you satisfied with Bob Satti representing you as Zone 1 Coordinator?

   Yes   32.3%
   No    51.6%
   Other 16.1%

"I thought I was at first. The more I see, the less I believe he is what a ZC should be."

"I feel he is (sic) been one sided in the RC10 mater (sic) and should now also step down."

Question (10)

May the commissioners of this survey match you with your responses as part of the compilation and publication processes (if you answer no, your identity will be kept confidential, provided you don't route your answer through someone who might divulge the contents of in-transit netmail)?

   Yes 80.6%
   No  19.4%

"Just don't get me thrown out... He has done that to net xxx and without regard if it hurts Fido or a Network in general."

General comments:

"It would have been nice to have a more advanced noticed (sic) to the election. I believe several sysops may not have had an opportunity to voice their opinions with their Net coordinators."

"I am leaving Fidonet as a direct result of this election. The way it was conducted shows the ZC cannot perform his duties. The results are not representative of the concerns of the members of this region.
Also, the NC's acted as the sysops representatives; thier (sic) votes should have been published."

"My BBS will go down on or before July 31st, because of the recent decisions of Satti, and the so-called election of Kohl."

"I am glad to see that this is being done after the so-called election farce that was held in our Region."

"Down with King Kohl, and Bob Satti is next on our list if he fails to recognize our backing him so far, and relying on him to impeach Kohl for malfeasance of office. I hear the grass roots growing!"

"Have a great day!"