Editorial

*Chatting with the Editor*

Hi

I want to submit my article about the topic of being on an area where FidoNet and BBSing is not very common and how can us sysops make our systems more attractive to people.

Hi!

I'm sort of a re-new sysop can I call it because I had my BBS some years ago but a crash on my Hard Disk made me quit, it but now I'm back on track, but when I restarted it surprised me the way things are being done now. Telnet, Email, WebBBS, humm two years out and you're a dumb oldie.

What I want to say is that here in Colombia as you may see on you fido Nodelist (4:93/0, 4:930/0, 1) I'm the only SysOp around and even though people is very unfamiliar with this kind of systems. they do not know what TELNET or a BBS is unless they're studying computers or Network management.

When I started my BBS in early 1995, Fido in South America was almost dead and now it's even more, we don't even appear on http://www.fidonet.org home page, what's going on?. When I asked for my node number I was very enthusiastic about this and users were a few but they were interested and called my system frequently.

Where I want to get with this is to make you think or better make US think about how to keep our network from being left apart or letting it die. it's true that Internet stole many of our users and has lots more of stuff you know Pictures, Fancy graphics, those millions of programs, you know I personally used 1 to get my BBS software and more but I still think a BBS is a more personal way to interact with people and and there are many features that we can make available at our systems and as Internet is so useful, let's get it to work for us, we can make our systems available at a web page with that nasty JAVA plug in (I haven't been able to do so yet, any help?) and many more features that we can use as links to our systems, and more.

Please make this thoughts available to all of your users and yourself think about this and give us sysops ideas on how to keep our beloved network alive.

I expect all your comments at the FIDONEWS Echo or:

Please feel free to contact and me and DO so, via e-mail at davegh@tutopia.com
or sysop@skynetbbs.8m.com
or net mail to 4:930/1
Or, Telnet at
telnet://skynetbbs.thebbs.org
and also don't forget to visit my web page at
http://skynetbbs.8m.com (soon in English).

David Gonzalez SysOp at SkyNet BBS 4:930/1 Bogota, Colombia.

I apologize for losing the author's name of this submission. (I could not find it in echo, net or email.)

Here in the north country, mOOse have been loyally posting to FiDoeNet for many years now, despite being swamped with work running a profitable Moose Factory or important businesses like Bullmoose Mines or Moose Jaw Times.

Why?

Perhaps it's because FiDoe has always been friendly to four-legged critters.

It is with horrour then that followers of the loyal order of mOOse open a dog-eared copy of the recent FidoeNews 18:3 to find none less than one of our illustrious FiDoe RC's promoting her recipe for four pounds of roast venison - Canadian elk, moose or deer.

Like, take off, eh? The typical mOOse would much rather be safely home in Moose Creek with a comfortable pair of antler warmers and a case of cold Moosehead Beer than find themselves on someone's dinner table.

At least there's refuge for mOOse who would rather migrate northward than become Carol's supper: MOOSECHAT, a Canadian humour echo for noble mOOse!

MOOSECHAT is dedicated to equality for mOOse everywhere, including chocolate mOOse, as well as liberty and justice for all.

MOOSECHAT is a shining beacon of freedom for mOOse everywhere, as well as a handy way to contact key world leaders like Vlad-on-Mir Poutine from Russia, Jean Cretin from the Great White North eh?, Saddam Insane from Iraq and Chad from Florida. It gives mOOse time away from the rat race.

It also provides valuable moose-related investment info from organizations like Moose River Gold Mines, Elk Resources and John Deere as well as sports coverage of key Senators players like Alexi Ya$hin and Hillary Clinton.

In short, it allows the Canadian mOOse to, like, gronk farther and louder.

Beauty, eh?

From: "Kay Shapero"
To: "Warren Bonner"
Subject: Re: HTML?
Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 2:33 PM

WB> Hi K!

My personal feelings exactly: I do not intend to stop posting in Fidonews, I do not intend to stop the ASCII newsletter. I don't know why you thought that.

KS> Because that's what the question sounded like.

WB> I am responding as editor to questions from sysops who want to have access to improved versions that make use of their computers and their abilities, and other languages with translation in English.

KS> HTML isn't really an "improved version"; it merely makes a "pretty version" which isn't quite the same thing. The easiest solution to this is to have a fidonews website, where you can read and download the httml version, maybe a pdf version as well, and the ascii version, along with archives of earlier issues. I might add if you're doing html I recommend writing your own in a text editor - most html editors are better than the hideously bloated Word for Windows html option, but I've yet to find one I care for.

Meanwhile I'm all for other languages being involved, with translations. One of the biggests nuisances about the Snooze is the way almost nothing comes in from any zone but 1 and sometimes 2. 3 we rarely hear from, 4 I find myself wondering if it still EXISTS, similar for 5 and 6. Finding a way to translate this thing into other languages might well stimulate submissions from people using same.

Theoretically this thing should append my sig with my site address, but just in case it doesn't, I've got a site at http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/index.htm, with the net 102 site at http://home.earthlink.net/~kayshapero/net102.htm

By: Jim White
To: Warren Bonner
Re: FidoNews 18:3 [00/03] Ed

I hope Ann doesn't mind if I piggyback my reply on hers, but we seem to think somewhat alike.

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

AP> I hope that it will be NEVER if it means giving up ASCII. I
AP> am using a circa 1993 PC (486/33 with a slow modem) using WIN
AP> 3.1 and DOS 6.22 and do not have web access.

JW> Agreed. I was still reading on a 386, until I lost my BBS. I'm a point for now, but looking forward to becoming a private node, and going back to the 386 and WIN3.1 This works well, but I miss my BlueWave.

FR>>> Should the weekly fidonews be a BI-Monthly newsletter?

AP> No, it shouldn't. Even on a weekly basis, some of the news
AP> or opinion pieces are stale when published.

JW> No, if it becomes bi-weekly, it will only get larger. I think the size is fine as it is.

FR> Should it be alternately ASCII and HTML? Or ASCII weekly, HTML monthly?

AP> No, it shouldn't. People who can only read ASCII will miss
AP> half of every year's issues.

JW> Well said, but if someone wanted to put it on a web site for the HTML desirees, it woudl be fine with me. Just don't mess with my ASCII.

FR>> Should all sysops have the choice of which edition and format?

AP> No. All issues should be in ASCII and those sysops who want
AP> to offer it to their users in HTML should convert it to that
AP> format themselves.

JW> Amen

AP> Anne Page

AP> An everyday BBS user
AP> and Echo co-moderator

JW> same here

Jim White Co-Moderator of MEMORIES

Origin: My point is... (1:3613/1275.4)

By: Warren Bonner
To: Anne Page
Re: FidoNews 18:3 [00/03] Ed

AP> Thank you for using what I posted here in the issue of Fidonews for which you had asked that I expand it into an article. I didn't see your post until after your deadline and knew I couldn't comply.

AP> It was a pleasant surprise to find my answers to the questions when I started reading that issue of Fidonews!

WB><Chuckle> Sure good to get a pat on the back, Anne! Thanks. Some rodomontade respondents are not so generous toward the R10C, the NC's, or the FidoNews editor. We decline to sink to his level replying in kind. So again, thanks for the kind words.

Ol'wdb