Frank's Column

Thoughts on "Where are we going"
By: Frank Vest, Collin County Station (124/6308.1)

If you read last week's article from me, you might be thinking along some lines of "Where are we going?", "How can I help?". I'm just going to ramble here and let you figure out what you think. :)

It's been said that Fidonet need to "move forward", "Get into the next century", "Quit holding onto the old ways" and much more. All of this is directed to help and that's fine. I just wonder what one might call "help"?

Help, like many things, depends on the 'point of view of the individual'. What I might call help, you might call me names for. :) So, here's some thoughts and such.

The "New Fidonet"

First, we get a software author to write some programs for Fidonet. One program will be a "Fidonet Server" program. All it will do is transfer, receive and send files to and from users, other Fidonet Servers and such. Each user can have his/her own account on this server as/if allowed by the System Operator.

Next, we get the software author to write a "Fidonet Browser" program. This program will connect to the Fidonet Server via the standard Fidonet protocols (Zmodem, ZedZap and such) and allow the transfer of files to and from the Fidonet Server. The Fidonet Browser will then store and, if/depending on the type of file, display the files to the user on the Fidonet Browser screen. IE: if it's a picture, some file that gives information or a display menu.

Of course, there will have to be standards setup in order for competition in "Fidonet Server" and "Fidonet Browser" software so that one author can't just write a proprietary program and "force" it upon all the Fidonet people. and the "Fidonet Browser" software will have to be "User friendly" as well as "point and click" so that the general public can easily use it. Multiple OS support would be another "plus".

Also, there would need to be some sort of "game" access so that the people that want to play the games can access them as well. And, there would need to be something like a Point program for the Fidonet echos to be read/replied to off line.

Now, just think, with this kind of programing, Fidonet can have most, if not all, of what the Internet offers.

Next Step

Of course, all the above will not do a lot if there are small servers with little in the way of files. So, we need a "Backbone" of file echos and message echos. Well, we have that already, so what do we do with them? Connect them, of course. Remember that Fidonet is a collection of Nodes and Nets just like the Internet. What we don't have are the connections. So, we get a few Nets to get together and sponsor a few 24/7 lines that can connect these servers together. What do we have? Why, the Internet, of course. :)

Now, you're probably thinking that this Frank guy has flipped... You may be right, but some of this is possible. The thought of a new type of terminal program that can access files and display them along with the graphics has been done. The real problem has been that the BBS software to do this was written as proprietary software that required a matching terminal program to make it work. A generic set of standards which would spawn a generic group of terminal programs would make things like this possible.

Think on this.

Set some standards. I really don't care how it is done, just do it. Then BBS software authors can/could build these into their BBS software. The terminal program authors could build terminal programs to match and we are off to "The New Fidonet". It's not impossible, but I really can't see it happening in the current politicking and cut throat method that Fidonet operates in today. We, Fidonet, would have to stop trying to politic each other to the bottom while politicking ourselves to the top and actually allow this to happen.

The first step might be to keep the hobby aspect of Fidonet in mind as we go about this hobby we love. It is just a hobby and not a big commercial profit machine. If it is treated as a hobby, there just might be a chance here.

Just some thoughts to go with last week;

Fidonet is behind the Internet due to our hobby and connectivity aspect. We have the software already developed to use the Internet to connect our hobby together. Note that I said "use the Internet" not "become a part of the Internet". With some work from us on keeping the "hobby" part in our minds and forgetting the politic and cut throat part, we could grow. We are not that much different than the Internet.

Regards,

Frank Vest

http://texoma.net/~flv [faulty URL [jb 4/25/01]]
http://home.texoma.net/~flv/
http://bise.tzo.com/r19