Letters to the Editor

I have been in associated with Fidonet since 1990. While that may not be as long as some, but it's longer than others. When I first joined Fidonet I was amazed at the vast amount of information being spread around. There was an echo for just about anyone. I was sold. I learned much of what I know in several areas today due to Fidonet and the geat poeple associated with it. Their names are too many to list. Infact I owe much of my currently career in the Infomation Technology industry to Fidonet.

We are in new times. Many don't even know what a BBS or Fidonet is anymore. We are not main stream. However, the amount of information being disseminated is still amzing. I recently devloped a intrest in getting my kids involved in precision shooting and learning how to hand load ammunition. I post messages in a couple relevant echoes. Because of these posts and the subsequent replies my kids and I were able to attend a local course on high power shooting. They really liked it. We met some really great people, most of whom are not associated with Fidonet, over the course of the past two weekends. I have received a vast amount of help and information in regards to hand loading. It has enabled to to learn from the mistakes of others and avoid making the same mistakes myself.

The only complaint I have ever had with Fidonet is the well earned stigma of it really being "Fight-O-Net". I really wish the powers that be within the Fidonet infastructure would learn to live in harmony. I know that years ago in my own net we were stuck in the muck of "back room politics" and ego's clashing. We worked to get out of this and we did. We lost some nodes. But we are a much better group now.

In my opinon we have people here that need to try and make Fidonet not so complicated and work together to keep this great communications medium alive and healthy. As with everything else we need to evolve or die out. I honestly feel that if Fidonet's people do not get their acts together we might fade away into the dark of night. We need to get back to the basics. This is a amateur mail/message network. Do we really need all of these extra groups and commitees that are still point fingers, making accusations, and squabbling over basically the same things they have been for years?

If Fidonet continues to thrive it's to our benefit an credit. If Fidonet dies out it's all our fault too. What do we want?

Rgds,
Don Waybright

internet email: don@net264.org
Fidonet 1:264 : http://www.net264.org