Guest Editorial

Cat Fight in the Backbone

Cat Fight in the Backbone
Douglas Myers, 1:270/720, doug@mdtnbbs.com

Arguments in the BACKBONE echo were described a while back as "Cats tossing sand at each other." The cats have abandoned scratching the sand in favor of scratching each other :(

In the last two weeks, John Souvestre has been asked to leave the NAB, George Peace has been asked, Ken Wilson has been criticized for holding echomail, Butch Walker has been asked to resign as OBO, and several other mail movers have been invited to leave. One could easily get the impression that these folks don't want to work together any more.

There have been some technical problems, for sure... but the arguments have moved beyond problem resolution and into the realm of punishment for those who have failed to move the mail in an acceptable manner. The conversation has strayed from how to best make the mail move for Fidonet as a whole to a discussion on who is the "best" mail mover.

Echomail and Netmail are still moving*, though one questions how long it will continue if the mail movers don't want to work with each other. Cooperation is especially critical in a hobby, because the only real incentive to making things work is the satisfaction which each individual derives.

Figure out how to work together, folks. I don't know how to restore enjoyment to the hobby for you all, but I'll make a few suggestions:

1. Remember the contributions which each of the mail movers has made to Fido instead of concentrating on the individual weaknesses or failures. Now is a time for restoring the satisfaction to the hobby, not a time for picking each other apart.
2. Concentrate on one technical problem at a time, rather than trying to draw a broad principle from each one. Now is a time for making things work, not pledging allegiance to policy documents.
3. Stop asking each other to leave. It's true that Fido could probably work without any specific individual, but the "invitations" foster an atmosphere where no one will want to pick up the slack.

A while back, I'd been impressed with echomail from Kay Shapero, so I'd saved it. Though it was written before the current round of infighting in the BACKBONE echo, it applies. I've submitted it as a separate article.

* Ironically, I was cut off from echomail and netmail for a couple of days this week. So far as I know at this point, it was a local problem - My NC couldn't connect with George Peace - and it's been resolved, but I was wondering if the big boys had pulled the plug...