Articles

By: Joe Bruchis
To: FidoNews Robot
Re: FidoNews 18:3 [00/03] Editorial St:

FidoNews Robot wrote in a message to All:

FR> When are we going to take the giant step from ASCII only, to HTML?

Done! However, ASCII, ANSI, AVATAR, RIP, and HTML are co-existing in parallel forms rather than as existing as one primary format to the exclusion of the others.

FR> When are we going to branch out to two publications, one for ASCII and one for HTML.?

That's probably also done. Merely use a text to html utility and post the news as a web page if some users wish to read it that way. It's up to the Sysop and the users.

FR> Let me bounce this off you, if I may: mirrored systems. The concept was already known and implemented back in the early '60s when only the Pentagon could afford such luxury. For those who don't know what I am talking about, "mirrored systems" and "disk mirroring or duplexing"

I think this is a good idea and is used throughout the internet. Why not have two or more nodes act as mirrors of north/south stars, and others as mirrors of hubs, similar to WAN backup domain controllers which are geographically located in different cities? If one is down, traffic gets redirected to the backup? These major points of traffic are already on the internet (as far as I can tell). Or if not, at least utilize the ones that are on the internet in this manner. As backup, they would handle the primary system's routing, as well as their normal routing. The switch mechanism from primary to backup could merely be handled by the sending system's monitoring of a non-responding ping directed to the receiving system during a specific period of time. This would alert the sending system that the receiver is "down" and redirect to the mirror. The mirror, having a continuously updated duplicate (mirror) of the primary system, would assume primary duties during the interval that there is a lapse in service. Upon returning on-line, the primary would poll its catch-up mail from its back-up and resume its primary role. The primary and backup then returns to their normal processing.

If you get my drift, this would only be feasible with mail movers at the very top of the hierarchy (no lower than hubs).

FR> I suggest that the Cs call upon the creative talents of the membership to bring the Net into the 21st century. You might like to set up a committee to examine the ways of modernizing FidoNet. Surely Tom Jennings and company, who created this Net from scratch, did not hold a monopoly on creativity.

Tom Jennings was creative, but my suggestion is very similar to networking concepts for Wide Area Networks, which is all Fidonet is.

FR> long-distance phone call. I much prefer e-mail attachments.

Works great if everyone you try to reach has email

FR> Telnet is another noteworthy and valuable development. It enables those of us with Internet connections and with poor or no local FidoNet service to log onto distant BBSs at no extra cost. It also creates competition among sysops. The good ones become widely known and flourish, and those providing poor service and having attitude problems fall by the wayside--as they should.

The problem with BBS's is they have nothing to offer except messages, games and files. The files are widely available on the internet. The games are fun but don't come close to the Accelerated 3d SVGA games that can be played with and against opponents (in real time) on internet game servers. The messages...well a few of us are still interested but the largest part of information seekers are not. In summary, BBSing, whether POTS or IP is a hobby for Sysops rather than users. Kinda like singing in the shower without an audience.

Most of those frequenting BBS's are playing games or are Sysops looking for a file. So if you want a bunch of teens (possibly all the same person) playing BRE, LORD and TW2002, a BBS is a great thing.

FR> I think we can breathe new life into Fido. It will never match the Internet in scope and versatility, but there is no need for it to wither on the vine. It can fill a well-deserved niche. But wither it surely will without modernization as the Internet becomes more affordable all around the world. I would really hate to see this happen. So let's get off our duffs and do something about it!

Match the internet?? Fido is part of what's available on the internet and that's as far in matching the internet as it will ever be. The internet is merely a more efficient packet transport method than what we currently have in place. We should not mandate that everyone in Fido have internet access (as you didn't). I think a huge portion of the world's population does not have internet access, and that's the main reason we still have the number of nodes we have.

FR> These are my two cents worth I am submitting for your consideration. If they generate some creative action, they will have been worth the effort.

I enjoyed discussing it!!