FidoNews · Vol 25, No 41 · 13 Oct 2008
The F I D O N E W S Volume 25, Number 41 13 Oct 2008
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| |The newsletter of the | | |
| | FidoNet community. | | Netmail attach to (POTS): |
| | | | Editor @ 2:2/2 (+46-31-960447) |
| | ____________| | |
| | / __ | Netmail attach to (BinkP): |
| | / / \ | Editor @ 2:203/0 |
| | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | |
| \_______\(_| /_) | Email attach to: |
| _ @/_ \ _ | bfelten @ telia dot com |
| | | \ \\ | |
| | (*) | \ ))| |
| |__U__| / \// | Editor: Björn Felten |
| ______ _//|| _\ / | |
| / Fido \ (_/(_|(____/ | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| (________) (jm) | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
Table of Contents
1. FOOD FOR THOUGHT ......................................... 1
2. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 2
"Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated" ...... 2
3. ROBERT COUTURE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................ 4
FidoNet Software References .............................. 4
4. SPECIAL INTEREST ......................................... 9
Nodelist Stats ........................................... 9
5. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 11
How to Submit an Article ................................. 11
Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 13
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 1 13 Oct 2008
=================================================================
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
=================================================================
As we enjoy great advantages from inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and
this we should do freely and generously.
-- anonymous
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 2 13 Oct 2008
=================================================================
GENERAL ARTICLES
=================================================================
"Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated"
Richard Webb, 1:116/901
Over the years I've read plenty of articles in fidonews sounding off
about the immanent death of fidonet. Though we're no longer
distributing large volumes of echomail and our nodelist is no longer
growing, said rumors always have a touch of exaggeration as did the
rumors about the old leader which are quoted above. The latest
doomsayer posits that in the age of instant connectivity peer to peer
networking such as fidonet will no longer be viable, especially when
coupled with voice over internet technology. Yet, he notes in his
article that all this broadband connectivity isn't expanding outside
the larger cities in many parts of the world.
Yes, these voIp technologies won't support modem speeds over 28.8 kbps
reliably. But, you can bet that the folks in a small village served
by a couple of pots lines would even be glad to have a 9600 modem
connected to an older computer at the village hall. An enterprising
soul could donate that old unused hardware to them, set them up as a
point. Yes it means setting up the equivalent of Maximus or your
favorite package, set it up as a point off an in country node willing
to feed it. With a little thought the local sysop could even access
web pages for locals with an interest and send the data over that
connection when the point polls for mail. Other enterprising souls,
and there are plenty out here in the world, could raise funds to help
the local village pay the toll charges for a mail call once a day.
Local villagers when visiting the town hall could then sit down at the
bbs, participate in echos of interest to them and then leave it for
the next user.
A few months ago I read in another publication about an enterprise
where they had couriers accessing web pages for people in remote
villages and delivering the downloaded pages to the people in said
villages via courier, stored on cd or floppy disks. A courier on a
bicycle or riding the local bus picks up the access requests from the
village, takes them all to the central location. Here the pages are
downloaded, disks created and a courier drops off the requested
information at the appropriate village. Turnaround time is close to a
week.
Those of us in fidonet who aren't in Europe or North America can beat
this. Even with one old fashioned pots line and a 28.8k modem we can
beat this by a long shot. By undertaking such things we can
accomplish quite a bit which benefits us too. Consider the new users
we'd gain. The locals who want to learn about sustainable agriculture
practices and techniques which are usable by him without a lot of
technology. The village teacher who wants information for his/her
students, etc.
While bringing connectivity to these otherwise disconnected points we
can also show the world that good ol' FIdonet is still alive and well.
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 3 13 Oct 2008
Fourteen years ago in the snooze I note articles sounding off about
the immanent death of fidonet. The same 15 years ago, 10 years, etc.
Instead of pondering the near extinction of fidonet, maybe we should
be thinking about ways to bring it to folks who would find it
beneficial to them. For many we would be the only link to this wide
world of information sharing.
Yes, it will take a bit of thinking outside the box. Instead of
nattering on in the sysop echoes about the latest meaningless
controversy we could be reaching out to the information have-nots and
in the process give us a reason to look toward a bright future for
fidonet instead of its slow painful death.
THe scenario I described above is just one way of going about this.
I'm sure there are improvements could be made on it. AFter all, any
system conceived on the fly over one's first cup of coffee in the
morning can be imrpvoed upon. We have people with the knowledge to do
just that. All we need do is wrap our brains around some ideas.
Just some thoughts from out here in the hills of Tennessee.
Regards,
Richard
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FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 4 13 Oct 2008
=================================================================
ROBERT COUTURE'S FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING
=================================================================
-=:{ FidoNet Software Reference }:=-
Type: M=Mailer T=Tosser B=BBS D=Door C=Comm/Terminal
P=Points E=Editor I=Internet U=Utility ?=Info
.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -.
|Software: Author |Type |URL, Contact, Ver, Notes Help Node|
`- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -'
Argus |MI |http://www.ritlabs.com/argus/ 2:469/84
| | argus@ritlabs.com Tel: 373-2-246889
| | v3.210 on Mar 20th 2001
BinkleyTerm XE |M |http://btxe.sourceforge.net 1:1/102
| | v2.60XE/Gamma-6 on Nov 11th 1998
BinkD |MI |http://2f.ru/binkd/
| | maloff@corbina.net
| | v0.94 on Jul 24th 2000 (Outdated)
FIDO-Deluxe IP |MPUI |http://www.fido-deluxe.de.vu 2:2432/280
Michael Haase | | m.haase@gmx.net
| | v2.4 on Sep 26th 2003
FrontDoor, FD/APX: |MTPC |http://www.defsol.se 2:201/330
Definite Solutions | | sales@defsol.se 1:1/101
| | v2.26SW & v2.33ml FD, v1.15 APX
Husky Project |MTPUI|http://sf.net/projects/husky/
| | v1.4 RC2 on Sep 22nd 2003
Radius |MI |http://radius.pp.ru 2:5012/38
(based on Argus) | | fido5012@zaural.net Tel: 7-3522-469463
| | Last Release: v4.010 on Jan 3nd 2005
Taurus |MI |http://taurus.rinet.ru (Russian) 2:461/70
| |http://www.fidotel.com/taurus (English)
(based on Radius) | | E-mail: taurus@rinet.ru
| | v5.000 alpha on Oct 11th 2004
Tmail |MI |http://www.tmail.spb.ru v2608
| | Website is in Russian only
WildCat! Interactive |MTBEI|http://www.santronics.com
Net Server, Platinum| | sales@santronics.com
Xpress: Santronics | | Tel: (305) 248-3204
Software, Inc. | | AUP 451.1 on April 26th 2004
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
Fidogate |TUI |http://www.fidogate.org
| | Martin_Junius@m-j-s.net v4.4.10
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 5 13 Oct 2008
FMail |T |http://fmail.nl.eu.org
| | support@fmail.nl.eu.org v1.60
JetMail: JetSys |TU |http://www.jetsys.de js@jetsys.de
(ATARI ST only) | | v1.01 on Jan 1st 2000
Squish |T |http://maximus.sourceforge.net/
| | Lanuis site redirects to above
| | Squish is part of Maximus.
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
BBBS |BI |http://www.bbbs.net b@bbbs.net
| | v4.00MP on Oct 25th 1999 2:22/222
ELEBBS: The Elevator |B |http://www.elebbs.com
Software Production | | elebbs@elebbs.com
| | v0.10.RC1 on Jun 9th 2002
EZYCom BBS |BT |http://ezycom.sytes.net
| |http://members.westnet.com.au/centuryp/
| | ezycom@westnet.com.au 3:690/682
| | v2.0 on 3 May 2003
Hermes II Project |B |http://www.hermesii.org
| | info@HermesII.org v3.5.9 Beta Final
Maximus BBS |B |http://maximus.sourceforge.net/
| | v3.03
| |Archives back online at:
| |http://maximus.outpostbbs.net/
MBSE BBS: |BI |http://mbse.sourceforge.net 2:280/2802
Michiel Broek | | mbroek@users.sourceforge.net
| | v0.60.0 on June 5th 2004
Mystic BBS |B |http://www.mysticbbs.com
| | v1.07.3 on May 13th 2001
Nexus BBS |B |http://www.nexusbbs.net
| | groberts@nexusbbs.net
| | v0.99.41-Beta on Oct 16th 2002
| | [Note: No Longer under active
| | development.]
Proboard BBS |B |http://www.proboard.be
| | v2.17 on Jun 9th 2002
RemoteAccess BBS: |B |http://www.rapro.com 1:1/120
Bruce Morse | | bfmorse@rapro.com
| | v2.62.2SW
Spitfire BBS: Buffalo|B |http://www.angelfire.com/ia/buffalo/
Creek Software | | MDWoltz@aol.com 1:1/150
| | v3.6 on Aug 20th 1999
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 6 13 Oct 2008
Synchronet BBS |BT |http://www.synchro.net
| | sysop(at)vert(dot)synchro(dot)net
| | v3.10L Beta
Telegard BBS |B |http://www.telegard.net
| | support@telegard.net
| | v3.09g2 SP4
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
Atlantis Software |D |http://www.jimmyrose.com/atlantis/
| | Last Update: August 2004
Cheepware |DU |http://outpostbbs.net
Sean Dennis | | sean@outpostbbs.net 1:18/200
DDS (Doorware |D |http://www.doorgames.org 1:2404/201
Distribution System)| | ruth@doorgames.org
Ruth Argust | |
DoorMUD |D |http://doormud.com
| | v0.98 Jun 1st 2002
| | Website is down after
| | past the splash page.
Jibben Software |D |http://www.jibbensoftware.com
| | scott@jibben.com
| | 1995-99 Release dates
John Dailey Software |D |http://www.johndaileysoftware.com
| | support@johndaileysoftware.com
Shining Star |D |http://www.shiningstar.net/bbsdoors/
| | nannette@shiningstar.net
Sunrise Doors: |D |http://www.sunrisedoors.com
Al Lawrence | | al@sunrisedoors.com
| | Tel: (404) 256-9518
The Brainex System |D |http://www.brainex.com/brainex_system/
| | stanley@brainex.com 1994-99 Releases
Trade Wars |D |http://www.eisonline.com/tradewars/
| | jpritch@eisonline.com
| | v3.09 (DOS-32) in 2002
Vagabond Software: |D |http://www.vbsoft.org 1:124/7013
Bryan Turner | | vagabond@vbsoft.org
| | last update: Jul 17th 2002
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
APoint |PI |http://www.apoint-mail.de
| |http://www.apoint-mail.de/indexe.htm
| | (English Version)
| | dirk.pokorny@apoint-mail.de
| | v1.25 2:2426/1210.13
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 7 13 Oct 2008
CrossPoint (XP) |P |http://www.crosspoint.de (German Only)
| | pm@crosspoint.de v3.12d Dec 22nd 1999
FreeXP |P |http://www.freexp.de 2:2433/460
| | support@freexp.de
| | v3.40 RC3 Aug 31st 2003 (Snapshot)
OpenXP/32 |PI |http://www.openxp.com 2:248/2004
| | (Site is in German Only)
| | mk@openxp.de v3.8.15 Beta Feb 10th 2004
| | Download Page comes back 404 not found.
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
GoldEd+ |E |http://mik.nu/golded-plus/ 2:203/6600
| | v1.1.5 Snapshot on Feb 28th 2003
SqEd32 |E |http://www.sqed.de
| | v1.15 on Dec 15th 1999
TimEd |E |http://blizzard.dnsalias.org/fidonet
| | mail@ozzmosis.com /timed
| | v1.11.a5 in March 2003 3:633/267
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
GiGo |UI |http://www.gigo.com
| | v0109 on Jan 9th 1997
Internet Rex: |UI |http://members.shaw.ca/InternetRex/
Charles Cruden | | telnet://xanadubbs.ca 1:342/806
(Khan Software) | | v2.29 on Oct 21st 2001
TransNet |UI |http://www.ressl.com.ar/transnet/
| | transnet@ressl.com.ar
| | v2.11 on Jul 18th 1998
TransX: Multiboard |UI |http://www.start.ca/software/multiboard
Communications, Inc.| | Unsure about support now but Free Keys
| | are now available. Donations accepted.
| | v3.5 (Note: KeyGen is a Windows Program)
Ifmail |UI |http://ifmail.sourceforge.net
| | crosser@average.org 2:5020/230
| | Ifmail is a FTN <-> E-Mail/News Gateway
| | Program.
Meltdown-BBS |UI |http://meltdown-bbs.sourceforge.net/
| | meltdown-bbs.project.petkan
| | @spamgourmet.com
| | Fido: 2:350/5
| | Meltdown-BBS is an FTN <->
| | Web/PHP/MySQL BBS forum system.
MakeNL |U | http://hub2000.darktech.org/makenl
| | fidonet.hub2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 8 13 Oct 2008
| | Fido: 1:229/2000
| | FidoNet Nodelist Processor
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
National BBS List |? | http://www.usbbs.org
Hispanic FIDO/BBS's |? | http://www.conecta2.org/pucela_bbs/
(in Spanish only) | | (Extensive software & BBS Listings)
+- - - - - - - - - - -+- - -+- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -+
File Archives:
http://archives.thebbs.org http://www.filegate.net
http://sysopscorner.thebbs.org http://www.juge.com
http://www.dmine.com/bbscorner/ http://garbo.uwasa.fi
http://www.simtel.net http://wuarchive.wustl.edu
http://www.bbsfiles.com http://hobbes.nmsu.edu
Note: most also provide FTP access
(use ftp:// instead of http:// above)
*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*=.=*=-=*
Please send corrections & additions to: Robert Couture, 1:229/2000
E-Mail: rpa4email (at) rogers (dot) com
Telnet: runekeep.darktech.org
(Leave Feedback as Guest or create an account)
Emeritus: Ben Ritchey, Todd Cochrane, Frank Vest, Peter Popovich
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 9 13 Oct 2008
=================================================================
SPECIAL INTEREST
=================================================================
Nodelist Stats
Input nodelist nodelist.284
size 570.9kb
date 2008-10-10
The nodelist has 4652 nodes in it
and a total of 6307 non-comment entries
including 5 zones
41 regions
295 hosts
318 hubs
admin overhead 659 ( 14.17 %)
and 574 private nodes
201 nodes down
221 nodes on hold
off line overhead 996 ( 21.41 %)
Speed summary:
>9600 = 376 ( 8.08 %)
9600 = 3602 ( 77.43 %)
(HST = 72 or 2.00 %)
(CSP = 0 or 0.00 %)
(PEP = 1 or 0.03 %)
(MAX = 0 or 0.00 %)
(HAY = 1 or 0.03 %)
(V32 = 1769 or 49.11 %)
(V32B = 91 or 2.53 %)
(V34 = 2436 or 67.63 %)
(V42 = 2045 or 56.77 %)
(V42B = 105 or 2.92 %)
2400 = 30 ( 0.64 %)
1200 = 5 ( 0.11 %)
300 = 639 ( 13.74 %)
ISDN = 289 ( 6.21 %)
----------------------------------------------------------
File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems
----------------------------------------------------------
XA Frontdoor <1.99b 1388
Frontdoor 2.02+
Dutchie 2.90c
Binkleyterm >2.1
D'Bridge <1.3
TIMS
Xenia
--------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 10 13 Oct 2008
XB Binkleyterm 2.0 6
Dutchie 2.90b
--------------------------------------
XC Opus 1.1 2
--------------------------------------
XP Seadog 1
--------------------------------------
XR Opus 1.03 25
--------------------------------------
XW Fido >12M 186
Tabby
KittenMail
--------------------------------------
XX D'Bridge 1.30 1831
Frontdoor 1.99b
Intermail 2.01
T-Mail
--------------------------------------
None QMM 1213
--------------------------------------
CrashMail capable = 1695 ( 36.44 %)
MailOnly nodes = 2603 ( 55.95 %)
Listed-only nodes = 362 ( 7.78 %)
Other = -8 ( -0.17 %)
[Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm]
[ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208]
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FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 11 13 Oct 2008
=================================================================
FIDONEWS INFORMATION
=================================================================
How to Submit an Article
If you wish to submit an article for inclusion in the Fidonews, here
are some guidelines, if you send it as an attached file; the preferred
method if you want reasonable control over how the published article
will appear in the Fidonews:
a) Plain ASCII text. If you could type it on your keyboard, it's
probably quite OK. No line may be longer than 70 characters.
b) Put a title to the article. Put the title in two times. The first
time, on the first line, with an * before it. The second time, on
the second line, without the * and centered. This will help in the
format since the title with the * is removed and used in the index,
the second line will become the headline. On the third line, put
your name and FidoNet address, present or former. If former, you
may want to add some other address where you can be reached for
personal comments.
c) Deadline for article submission is Sunday, 22:00 UTC.
Help the Editor by following the above guides. Below are some subjects
and the file extension for the article as set in the configuration
file for the making of the Fidonews. Please help by putting the file
extension of the correct subject on the file name if known.
Ideas for Subject areas:
Subject File | Subject File
----------------------------------|----------------------------------
From the *C's *.css | Rebuttals to articles *.reb
Fidonet Regional News *.reg | Fidonet Net News *.net
Retractions *.rtx | General Fidonet Articles *.art
Guest Editorial *.gue | Fidonet Current Events *.cur
Fidonet Interviews *.inv | Fidonet Software Reviews *.rev
Fidonet Web Page Reviews *.web | Fidonet Notices *.not
Getting Fidonet Technical *.ftc | Question Of The Week *.que
Humor in a Fido Vein *.hfv | Comix in ASCII *.cmx
Fidonet's Int. Kitchen *.rec | Poet's Corner *.poe
Clean Humor & Jokes *.jok | Other Stuff *.oth
Fidonet Classified Ads *.ads | Corrections *.cor
Best of Fidonet *.bof | Letters to the Editor *.let
If you don't know or are not sure, send the article anyway. Put a .TXT
on it and I'll try to figure out where it should be in the Fidonews.
If you follow these simple guidelines, there should be little problem
in getting your article published. If your submission is too far out
of specs for the Fidonews, it will be returned to you and/or a message
sent informing you of the problem. This DOES NOT mean that your
article is not accepted. It means that there is something in it that I
can not fix and I need your help on it.
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 12 13 Oct 2008
Send articles via e-mail or netmail, file attach or message to:
Björn Felten
Fidonet 2:2/2 or 2:203/0
E-Mail bfelten @ telia dot com
Skype file bfelten
IMPORTANT! If you send the article via e-mail, make sure you put the
word "fidonews" somewhere in the subject line! That way it
will always pass the spam filter, ending up in the proper
folder.
Please include a message, telling me that you have sent an article.
That way I will know to look for it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-41 Page 13 13 Oct 2008
Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- FIDONEWS STAFF - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Editor: Björn Felten, 2:2/2 |
| Columnists: Frank Vest - Frank's Column |
| Robert Couture - Fidonet Software Listing |
| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- - EDITORS EMERITI - -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| Tom Jennings, Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince |
| Perriello, Tim Pozar, Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, |
| Christopher Baker, Zorch Frezberg, Henk Wolsink, |
| Doug Meyers, Warren D. Bonner, Frank L. Vest |
| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
Fidonews is published weekly by and for the members of Fidonet.
There is no copyright attached to Fidonews, though authors
retain rights to their contributed articles. Opinions expressed
by the authors is strictly their own. Noncommercial duplication
and distribution within Fidonet is encouraged. Authors are
encouraged to send their articles in ASCII text to the Editor
at one of the addresses above.
The weekly edition of Fidonews is distributed through the file
area FIDONEWS, and is published as echomail in the echo FIDONEWS.
These sources are normally available through your Network
Coordinator. The current and past issues are also available from
the following sources:
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| File request from 2:2/2 or 2:203/0: |
| current issue FIDONEWS |
| back issue, volume v, issue ii FNEWSvii.ZIP |
| |
| On the web: |
| http://felten.yi.org/fidonews |
| http://www.fidonews.net |
| |
| The Snooze *and* the FIDONEWS echo in your newsreader: |
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| |
+ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- +
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