FidoNews · Vol 8, No 1 · 7 January 1991
Volume 8, Number 1 7 January 1991
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Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication
and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only.
For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software.
FidoNews is published weekly by and for the Members of the
FidoNet (r) International Amateur Electronic Mail System. It is
a compilation of individual articles contributed by their authors
or authorized agents of the authors. The contribution of articles
to this compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors.
You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous
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Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are
used with permission.
Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors
and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software.
Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every
responsible submission received.
Table of Contents
1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
Order versus Orders ...................................... 1
ANIMAL RIGHTS CONFERENCE ................................. 4
Fidonet in 1991 .......................................... 5
Radio Related Publications ............................... 10
The Year in Review ....................................... 11
Women in Fidoland ........................................ 13
2. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 15
Latest Software Versions ................................. 15
3. NOTICES .................................................. 20
The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 20
FidoNews 8-01 Page 1 7 Jan 1991
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
Thom Henderson
520/1015@AlterNet
Order versus Orders
I ran across an interesting quote lately that I'd lake to share
with you. I'm sure that the author didn't have anything like us
in mind, but what he has to say may well apply to us better than
many would think.
"In the world of daily life, the world which we perforce
inhabit, there is much talk about order, particularly from
statesmen and politicians. They tend, however, to confuse
order with orders, just as they confuse creation with
regulations. Order, I suggest, is something evolved from
within, not imposed from without; it is an internal
stability, a vital harmony, and, in the social and political
category, it has never existed except for the convenience of
historians."
E. M. Forster
We have more than our share of "statesmen and politicians" in
amateur networking. I can say with some confidence (having been
there, as you know) that most, if not all, of them are acting
from a sense of what they feel is right. We've all seen plenty
of people shouting about "control! control! control!" (though
never with a good explanation about why anyone would WANT
control) that we're probably all sick of the subject. But what
gets lost in all the noise and smoke is that many people see a
need for some sort of order, some sort of organization, some sort
of overall plan to keep everything working.
The problem is that sysops are not temperamentally suited to
anything of the sort. Trying to organize sysops would be like
trying to organize anarchists (or perhaps worse). Let's face it,
one of the "bennies" in being a sysop is the feeling of total
control over your own board and hence your own destiny. Sysops
will not give that up lightly, or without a fight. Sysops expect
to be, and DEMAND to be, independant.
We are, to a large extent, saddled with a basic network
technology that implies a large amount of central organization
and control. Someone has to keep that nodelist accurate, after
all! But fortunately, mechanisms are evolving to give sysops
back a lot of the independence that joining a network took away
from them. To name two prominent examples:
FidoNews 8-01 Page 2 7 Jan 1991
1) Domain addressing technology; Many sysops are in it for the
netmail. Domain addressing makes it possible (easy, even)
for many disparate networks to co-exist peacefully. Domain
addressing makes it easy for multiple amateur networks to co-
exist and share mail, which in turn allows the sysop to "shop
around" for one or more networks that suit his needs and/or
desires. We no longer live in a world of "one FidoNet --
Love it or go away!" If you don't like it, there are plenty
of alternatives.
2) GroupMail conferencing; Most sysops are in it for the
conferences. But echomail technology presupposes (and
generally demands) that all participants are in the same
network. Worse than that -- it predates zone and point
addressing and thus presupposes that everyone is in the same
zone! This is manifestly untrue even in the "FidoNet"
network, and last time I checked this one assumption was good
for a rousing argument among the various developers any time
it was mentioned. GroupMail, on the other hand, makes no
such assumption. As long as your system knows where to get a
conference from and where to send any messages you may have,
it'll all work.
This really ought to be the model for future amateur network
software development, not to mention the development of future
social structures to deal with interactions between sysops. What
types of organization that can work with sysops realistically are
those which:
a) Allow sysops to maintain their own freedoms of choice and of
personal destiny, and
b) Provide sysops with significant benefits observably in excess
of anything they may have to give up to attain them.
I used to believe in intangibles. I don't anymore. Sysops are
not going to go along with anything that they (we) do not see as
providing a solid, real, practical benefit on a day to day basis.
The proposed gateway policy is an excellent counter-example. On
the one hand it is remarkably easy to ignore, and on the other it
provides no obvious benefit to the sysop who follows it. The
proposed echomail policy is similar for similar reasons. Even
the current Policy4 document in many places goes outside the
bounds of anything that the average sysop can see any benefit to.
ALL policy statements in ALL amateur networks need to realize
what their intended audience will or will not accept, and be
written accordingly. By and large, sysops are going to do what
they're going to do, and if anyone tells them to do anything
else, they'll either be ignored, sidestepped, or avoided.
FidoNews 8-01 Page 3 7 Jan 1991
In time social mechanisms will evolve to deal with issues that
are important to sysops in ways that sysops will accept. And in
a little more time those methods will be documented. But the
documents that will work, that will be meaningful and accepted,
will not be like Policy4 or the gateway policy or echopol. They
will not be imposed from without by a few well-meaning
individuals. They will be more like Policy3 and its
predecessors; they will be written to document existing practice
as sysops have already worked out among themselves.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 4 7 Jan 1991
Doris Marsh - Moderator
FidoNet 1:125/20
A n i m a l R i g h t s C o n f e r e n c e
-----------------------------------------------
While the number of people committed to animal rights is
growing every day, many people are unaware of how humans exploit
animals for their own gain or goals, or they do not know how to
successfully initiate effective changes for the animals.
Animal activists are needed to factually inform the public of
atrocities being inflicted on animals in the scientific,
commercial, and entertainment fields, as well as by individuals,
but unfortunately, the public's image of the average animal
activist is with a spray can of paint in one hand and a shotgun
in the other. This image needs to be changed, for it is only
through rational, calm and non-violent discourse that changes
take place. While emotionalism, self-righteousness, and demands
for instant changes may make the individual feel better, animals
are still being painfully exploited, tortured and killed.
While picketing a company that tests their products on
animals attracts attention, effective changes can take place
through such activities as writing protest letters, joining an
animal rights groups whose philosophies you agree with, and
refusing to purchase products that are tested on animals.
Withholding your consumer dollars sends a strong message to the
companies that you don't want their products tested on animals.
The purpose of the ANIMAL_RIGHTS CONFERENCE is to educate and
to be a forum for the exchange of ALL viewpoints and opinions on
the issue of animal rights as well as suggesting ways to get
involved with the animal rights movement. Animal rights is not
only about medical research, but it also encompasses animal
cruelty and exploitation from the clothing industry to the
entertainment field to the pet trade, and discussions regarding
all aspects of animal rights should take place. All sides of
this emotional issue need to be represented, so I urge all
users, whether pro or con on the animal rights issue, to join
this conference and freely express their opinions. I also urge
all sysops to consider carrying this conference. The
Animal Rights conference is listed in ELIST, and available
from the FidoNet BackBone as ANIMAL_RIGHTS.
Thank you.
Doris G. Marsh
Moderator - ANIMAL_RIGHTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 5 7 Jan 1991
Jack Decker
1:154/8
FIDONET IN 1991
Well, here we are at the start of a new year. What will 1991
bring for Fidonet?
This could turn out to be an interesting year. Perhaps the
biggest event may go almost unnoticed by most. It came in the
form of a news release from the Federal Communications
Commission:
December 13, 1990
FCC ESTABLISHES NEW CODELESS CLASS OF AMATEUR OPERATOR LICENSE
(PR DOCKET 90-55)
The Commission has revised the examination requirement for
the Technician Class operator license, thereby creating a new
codeless class of amateur operator license. After these
revisions have become effective, an examinee will not be required
to prove that he or she can send and receive texts in Morse code
telegraph signals to qualify for a Technician Class amateur
operator license.
The amateur service currently consists of five classes of
licenses having increasing privileges and each being
progressively more difficult to obtain. The classes are Novice,
Technician, General, Advanced, and Amateur Extra.
The FCC noted that offering a codeless class of license that
authorizes control operator privileges at stations which transmit
exclusively above 30 MHz, provides an entry level opportunity to
otherwise qualified persons who find telegraph a barrier to
pursuing the purposes of the amateur service.
Therefore, the FCC has established the Technician Class as
the codeless class of license. This license includes all amateur
privileges above 30 MHz. The Commission also amended the rules
to grandfather frequency privileges below 30 MHz to current
Technician Class licensees.
In addition, the Commission decided to retain the Novice
Class operator license in order to provide an alternate entry
level operator license opportunity to persons who desire to
pursue the purpose of the amateur service and who can pass a
telegraphy requirement in place of the more comprehensive written
examination requirement for the codeless Technician Class
operator license.
FidoNews 8-01 Page 6 7 Jan 1991
Action by the Commission December 13, 1990, by Report and
Order (FCC 90-///). Commissioners Sikes (Chairman),
-FCC-
[end of news release]
What does this mean, and why is it important? Well, for the
first time folks in the United States will be able to get into
the hobby of amateur radio without taking a morse code test.
It is impossible to know how many will take advantage of this
opportunity, but it could make a difference if those with an
interest in technology are drawn into amateur radio. As you
are probably aware, amateur packet radio technology allows data
communication via radio that are very similar in many ways to
what we do via phone lines.
I'm not an amateur (not yet, anyway), but as I see it there are
four noteworthy things to keep in mind about amateur radio:
1) They use protocols similar to those used by the Internet
(e.g. AX.25 which is a takeoff on the X.25 protocol). Thus,
folks who get into amateur radio will probably be more at home
in the UseNet environment than in Fidonet.
2) There are no long distance charges in amateur radio. Thus,
it may have great appeal to those in rural areas. Those using
amateur radio for data transmission need not be quite so
concerned with shaving every last byte off of a transmission in
order to save phone charges (I'm not saying that efficient
protocols should not be used, but it's simply not going to be
quite as big a concern). The fact that phone charges are not
an issue may mean that there are fundamental differences in the
way traffic is moved via amateur radio.
3) No commercial traffic may be carried over amateur radio.
Thus, certain types of conferences that are routinely carried
on Fidonet could not be carried via amateur radio (at least not
without significant changes in content).
4) Again, I must point out that I'm not an amateur, but it
seems that one of the problems with amateur radio is that many
hams seem to want to talk only about amateur radio, and nothing
else! We have those types in Fidonet, too, of course - the
folks that participate only in the computer- and
communications-oriented conferences. But in Fidonet, there are
conferences on a fairly wide range of other subjects as well.
I'm not sure if amateur radio has this diversity now, but if it
doesn't it probably will.
Those of you that are hams may find some glaring errors in what
I've stated above; if so, please understand that I don't claim
any expertise on the subject. My only point in commenting on
this at all is to point out that while amateur radio will never
completely replace Fidonet, it could certainly affect us.
Indeed, it has already (some have commented that the now
defunct IFNA [International FidoNet Association] was intended
FidoNews 8-01 Page 7 7 Jan 1991
to be to Fidonet what the ARRL [American Radio Relay League] is
to amateur radio. Since the ARRL seems to be the organization
that many hams "love to hate", I'd say that IFNA at least
partially achieved its goal!). But now that the psychological
barrier of the code has been removed, it's quite possible that
many more of the technologically-knowledgeable people in
Fidonet will be inspired to bone up on small amount of
electronic theory knowledge required to get a ham license.
This cross-pollination of the two technologies could ultimately
affect us in ways we don't yet realize.
The technology used in Fidonet is badly in need of overhaul.
The software we use for moving echomail is based on a
technology developed when there were only a few nodes in
Fidonet with any interest in the concept of echomail. It
simply is not an adequate design for a network that has
literally thousands of nodes participating. In addition, it
makes no provision for fully-moderated conferences, wherein a
message entered in any conference is first sent to the
conference moderator for possible review before being sent out
to everyone else. Fidonet technology does not support this,
and to my knowledge is the ONLY major conference mail type
system that does not. This makes it difficult for us to
properly gate conferences from other networks that do have this
feature (in particular, moderated newsgroups from UseNet) and
as a result, we miss out on a lot of useful information.
Since UseNet has obviously superior conferences to Fidonet (or
so I'm told by everyone I've ever met that's been exposed to
both), I think Fidonet is either going to interconnect with
UseNet or die. There is already software available for both
the IBM and Amiga platforms (and possibly others) that can
handle UseNet conferences in their native format, so if Fidonet
is unable to gate conferences to UseNet we may start seeing
Fidonet nodes leave the network in order to run software that
has full UseNet capability.
Unfortunately, it seems that one of the things that Fidonet
software developers do best is argue with each other. In the
last year or so we've seen software hit the network that is
only partially Fidonet compatible (or with other programs
already in common use in the net), and this has caused problems
in the net. Those of you who read some of the conferences that
I participate in are probably fed up by now with my occasional
diatribes on the FTSC [Fidonet Technical Standards Committee]
but the point is that we need some type of organization in
Fidonet that can perform two functions:
1) Identify software that purports to be compliant with Fidonet
standards but which is not, and publish a list of the actual
deficiencies in such software (both as a way to encourage
software authors to fix the problems, and to warn potential
users of the problems they might expect). This would be more
of a "consumer report" type function than an attempt to "ban"
non-compliant software from the network (personally, I'd be in
favor of the latter in some circumstances, but many seem to
FidoNews 8-01 Page 8 7 Jan 1991
fear that if an actual ban were proposed then legal action
could result. But the last I knew, you could still review
products, and offer reviews and comparative reports without
getting sued, and a report that a certain product does not seem
to adhere to Fidonet technical standard FTS-nnnn would
certainly be useful information to have).
2) Move the process of development of new standards forward by
actually setting dates for comment periods, then (when
appropriate) holding votes on the proposals received. As it
is, some of the discussions in NET_DEV and similar software
development echoes drag on for literally MONTHS with nothing
resembling agreement being reached. It's no wonder that
software developers go out and "do their own thing" because
there really is no functional formal mechanism by which new
standards can be proposed, considered, commented and voted
upon, and then formally adopted (or rejected).
It appears that the FTSC doesn't see itself in this role...
instead, the present chairman seems to see the FTSC's role more
as one of simply collecting and distributing documents (and
occasionally making declarations to the effect that existing
standards are "cast in stone" and cannot ever be changed... or
at least that's the impression I'm left with).
Yet in my opinion, the lack of any organization that performs
the above-mentioned functions in Fidonet is what has caused
software development in Fidonet to grind to a snail's pace. If
the FTSC doesn't want to perform these functions, then perhaps
we should set up some organization that will.
Or, maybe we should just throw our hands up and say that
Fidonet is total anarchy and it's only pure dumb luck if your
mailer can talk to my mailer, or your echomail processor can
properly unpack and toss bundles created by my echomail
processor. Because, folks, that's just about where we're
headed now.
Please don't get me wrong, I DON'T want to see another IFNA
formed. All I want is to see some way to promulgate new
Fidonet TECHNICAL standards, and to possibly identify software
that is deficient in meeting those standards. Just that,
nothing more.
Once we have a way to get new standards formally adopted, then
we can really get to work on a superior method of conference
distribution... one that is impervious to "dupe" messages,
that does not contain ten or twelve lines of SEEN-BY's, and
that allows (but DOES NOT REQUIRE) conferences to be truly
fully moderated. (For those who may be wondering - yes, I'm
quite familiar with GroupMail, but for whatever reason, it's
simply not being widely used in Fidonet at the present time.
This article is already pretty long so I'm not going to comment
on that situation now). We can also finally settle on a new
nodelist format that not only contains more information, but
that also uses a more efficient format for update (DIFF) files.
FidoNews 8-01 Page 9 7 Jan 1991
And that's only a couple of the things that need to be
accomplished.
Nothing lasts forever, of course, and eventually Fidonet will
be just a memory anyway, but we can hasten that day by
providing an atmosphere where technical stagnation is the rule.
The bright and gifted among us will eventually figure out that
their talents can be put to better use in other areas, where
there is not so much uncertainty abounding (and fewer folks
ready to flame them at every turn!).
Well, that's my opinion, anyway. Hope 1991 is a good year for
all of you!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 10 7 Jan 1991
Brian Murrey - KB9BVN
Node 1:231/0
The first issue of the third volume of the Fidonet Ham/Packet
Digest is just around the corner. I have been compiling these
Digests now for just about two years.
I'd like to thank the readership for all of the fine input that
I have received over the last two years. I have received survey
sheets from all over the Fidonet world (when's that lunar node
going online anyway?) and that is the encouragement I need to
keep cranking the things out.
If you are interested in Amateur Radio, then the "Digest" is for
you. It is a compilation of notes and news culled from numerous
online sources from all over the world. With the new "No Code"
Technician license finally becoming a reality, I am sure we will
see the ranks of radio amateurs swell.
A big thanks to Tom Jennings for giving me permission to use the
term FIDONET in the masthead. Since most of the information in
the Digest comes from the Ham and Packet echo mail areas, it
just makes sense. There is no charge for the Fidonet Ham/Packet
Digest, and there is not to be any charge for distributing the
files to other systems. In other words, this information is to
be freely distributed.
A new "digest" has now been placed under construction to cater
to the shortwave listeners in the network. The name of this new
publication is "Shortwave Schedule Digest" as it is a
compilation of the latest and most up to date english broadcast
schedules that I can find. This newsletter will be published on
a every other month basis.
The first issue is now available for file request. Just ask for:
SKED0101.ARC
The Ham/Packet Digest is also available. The latest issue is:
HAM0211.ARC (Vol 2 No. 11)
All comments/articles can be submitted to Brian Murrey via
netmail to 1:231/0, 1:231/30 or to MURREY on GEnie.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 11 7 Jan 1991
The Year in Review
by Kwityer Bychin
------------------------
Hi Ho, folks. The first Snooze of '91! Are we impressed or
WHAT?? Another year of useless, mindless drivel distributed
all over the globe. Especially when one of MY articles is in
it.
So, let's start the new year off right by rehashing some of
the things that really got us all riled up in '90. Sound good?
Hey, the holidays are OVER. No more fun and merriment. Time to
get p.o.'d at me again. That is, after all, my JOB you
know...
Let's see... Ok, I'm not going to go in chronological order,
because I either don't remember the dates, or they weren't
important, or both. So here we go...
One of the significant events of 1990 was the Snooze
changing its compression format to LHarc. Boy, we sure had a
lot of fun with that one! Crybabies 'round the world wailed
and stomped their feet, held their breath, and puked strained
peas all over Vince Perrier and Lighthorse Harry Lee for that
stunt. Blood-curdling cries of "WAAAA!! YOU BROKE MY BATCH
FILE" were heard all over Fight-O-Net. Geez, gimme a break.
Then there was FidoCon '90 or Conclave '90 or whatever it
was called. Lotsa interesting stuff went down there. IFNA
packed it in, Big fight about whether AlterNet sysops got or
didn't get a $50 break, The keynote address lasted about six
days, during which, some guy dressed in a Santa Claus outfit
started laughing uncontrollably while everyone kinda just
looked at him ... Some drunk planted some rebel newsletters in
a few magazines ... Hotel had to be evacuated because the air
conditioning caught fire .... Noone attended "The Fidonet
Meeting"... you had to be there, it was fun.
GEORGE PEACE became Z1C. Echopol followed a few months
later. Think there's a connection there?
The International Coordinator (aka The BIG DOG), came up
with this thing called GATEPOL, which noone had heard of, and
paid no attention to ...
Mahatma Ravsik broke the single-conference posting record by
posting approximately six billion messages in the SYSOP
conference ...
Front Door 1.99c came out early in the year, minus SEAlink,
plus a new handshake called EMSI, Which stands for Eat My
Shorts, Idiot ...
FidoNews 8-01 Page 12 7 Jan 1991
Ed McMahon (a.k.a. The Sweepstakes Fairy) was on TV every 12
seconds seconds plugging the American Family Sweepstakes. Top
Prize is ten million dollars and the phone number for Dbridge
support ...
Binkleyterm came out with the new Janus Joplin protocol...
OD's on line noise, and drops dead...
Also in 1990, Eggnet .... nah... who cares about Eggnet ...
Another network was formed. APInet. Stands for Another
Ph***in' International Network. If you want a node number,
send a netmail to 69:6969/0. If you can't send the netmail
because you don't have an APInet nodelist, well, tough...
As the year closed, a guy named Ralph Merritt was running
for EC #2 in Eggnet. Vote for Ralph and vote for him often. HE
cares about Eggnet, I suppose. If you're not in Eggnet, vote
for him anyway...
Well, I guess I just about insulted everyone I could think
of. If you feel that I left someone or something out, by all
MEANS, write us a letter! We aim to please.
Happy New Year.
K.B. '91
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 13 7 Jan 1991
Cheryl Buzzell
101/200
Women in Fidoland
Hi ya all. Been wanting to write this for some time now
but have not had the guts to do so untill now. For those of
you who do not know me, my name is Cheryl Buzzell. I run the
TC-Trader BBS in Mass. I am the author of a couple of door
programs for OPUS and recently Whouped, another program for
Opus sysops.
I have been into computers since 1977 when my brother
first purchased his TRS-80 Model I computer. I used to hang
out at the local Radio Shack store and bug the salesman there
to let me play with it. His customers got a big kick out of it.
This little girl playing with this fancy computer (oh sure back
than the thing was fancy and the price tag would sink ya a few
to prove it hahahaha). Back than I was only a kid and I
certainly wasn't gonna argue over the attention, even if it was
for no reason other than I was a "GIRL" playing with a computer.
I started running my BBS in 1983. I was the only female
sysop I knew who was running a "SERIOUS" bbs. Back than women
ran bbs's like "MATCHMAKER" and other such things. I guess so
men could get there kicks talking dirty to alot more women eh??
Women had names like "CANDY" and "LOOSE LUCY". Quite a put down
to the female species wouldn't you say????
When I started my bbs it was with software called "TOWNE
CRIER" (you out there Stew???). I know some of you are familiar
with it as some of you were also running it back then. Back
when we had our TRS-80 Model III's and IV's. We had a pretty
small close knit crew who ran this software. I was the only
femal (at least that I had gotton aquainted with). Back than a
female sysop was welcomed at ANYONE's bbs. A guy sysop finds
out you are a female running a bbs you get free totall access
to his system. I think this was so they could show off how
great they were since shortly after, it would be followed by a
"why don't you do this or why not do that to your bbs".
Things went downhill from there. I moved into the IBM
world of bbs'ing. I ran from bbs software to bbs software
trying to find a nitch where a women could fit in. Back then
"FIDO" was the software to run. Not to put any sysops down but
for a women to be part of that group would be the toughest
thing to do. Talk about the good old boy network. I had one
sysop be so bold as to tell me that the reason I didn't want
to run "FIDO" was that as a female I was incapable of setting
it up. I mean talk about degrading....
FidoNews 8-01 Page 14 7 Jan 1991
Well It has been 14 years since I started a bbs and one
would think that in that amount of time things would have
come around alot. Now I am not saying that things have not
changed, but we have got a LONG LONG way to go yet babe. Now
women don't get that special attention of being a women sysop.
That much I think is good by the way. BUT they just get TOTALLY
ignored. Seems a female sysop is not "GOOD ENOUGH" for
certain things. A women cannot be "One of the boys" I guess.
"Hay why are there not many women around".
Well I am one female sysop and I know there are many more
out there somewhere and I am sure I can speak for the rest of
the women out there that we are not gonna sit by and take it.
We are gonna stand up and be counted. We DESERVE to be
recognized and we have earned RESPECT and we are not gonna
stop untill this is a free system where women have as much
rights as men...................
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FidoNews 8-01 Page 15 7 Jan 1991
=================================================================
LATEST VERSIONS
=================================================================
Latest Software Versions
MS-DOS Systems
--------------
Bulletin Board Software
Name Version Name Version Name Version
DMG 2.93 Phoenix 1.3 TAG 2.5g
Fido 12s+ QuickBBS 2.66 TBBS 2.1
GSBBS 3.01 RBBS 17.3A TComm/TCommNet 3.4
Lynx 1.30 RBBSmail 17.3B Telegard 2.5
Kitten 2.16 RemoteAccess 0.04a TPBoard 6.1
Maximus 1.02 SLBBS 1.77A Wildcat! 2.55
Opus 1.14+ Socrates 1.10 WWIV 4.12
PCBoard 14.5 XBBS 1.15
Network Node List Other
Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
BinkleyTerm 2.40 EditNL 4.00 ARC 7.0
D'Bridge 1.30 MakeNL 2.31 ARCAsim 2.30
Dutchie 2.90C ParseList 1.30 ARCmail 2.07
FrontDoor 1.99c Prune 1.40 ConfMail 4.00
PRENM 1.47 SysNL 3.14 Crossnet v1.5
SEAdog 4.51b XlatList 2.90 DOMAIN 1.42
TIMS 1.0(Mod8) XlaxDiff 2.35 EMM 2.02
XlaxNode 2.35 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18
Gmail 2.05
GROUP 2.16
GUS 1.30
HeadEdit 1.15
InterPCB 1.31
LHARC 1.13
MSG 4.1
MSGED 2.06
MSGTOSS 1.3
PK[UN]ZIP 1.10
QM 1.0
QSORT 4.03
Sirius 1.0x
SLMAIL 1.36
StarLink 1.01
TagMail 2.41
TCOMMail 2.2
Telemail 1.27
TMail 1.15
FidoNews 8-01 Page 16 7 Jan 1991
TPBNetEd 3.2
TosScan 1.00
UFGATE 1.03
XRS 4.00*
XST 2.2
ZmailH 1.14
OS/2 Systems
------------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Maximus-CBCS 1.02 BinkleyTerm 2.40 Parselst 1.32
ConfMail 4.00
EchoStat 6.0
oMMM 1.52
Omail 3.1
MsgEd 2.06
MsgLink 1.0C
MsgNum 4.14
LH2 0.50
PK[UN]ZIP 1.02
ARC2 6.00
PolyXARC 2.00
Qsort 2.1
Raid 1.0
Remapper 1.2
Tick 2.0
VPurge 2.07
Xenix/Unix
----------
BBS Software Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
BinkleyTerm 2.30b Unzip 3.10
ARC 5.21
ParseLst 1.30b
ConfMail 3.31b
Ommm 1.40b
Msged 1.99b
Zoo 2.01
C-Lharc 1.00
Omail 1.00b
FidoNews 8-01 Page 17 7 Jan 1991
Apple CP/M
----------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Daisy v2j Daisy Mailer 0.38 Nodecomp 0.37
MsgUtil 2.5
PackUser v4
Filer v2-D
UNARC.COM 1.20
Macintosh
---------
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Red Ryder Host 2.1 Tabby 2.2 MacArc 0.04
Mansion 7.15 Copernicus 1.0 ArcMac 1.3
WWIV (Mac) 3.0 LHArc 0.33
Hermes 1.01 StuffIt Classic 1.6
FBBS 0.91 Compactor 1.21
TImport 1.92
TExport 1.92
Timestamp 1.6
Tset 1.3
Import 3.2
Export 3.21
Sundial 3.2
PreStamp 3.2
OriginatorII 2.0
AreaFix 1.6
Mantissa 3.21
Zenith 1.5
Eventmeister 1.0
TSort 1.0
Mehitable 2.0
UNZIP 1.02c
Amiga
-----
Bulletin Board Software Network Mailers Other Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
Paragon 2.082+ BinkleyTerm 1.00 AmigArc 0.23
TransAmiga 1.05 TrapDoor 1.50 AReceipt 1.5
FidoNews 8-01 Page 18 7 Jan 1991
WelMat 0.42 booz 1.01
ConfMail 1.10
ChameleonEdit 0.10
ElectricHerald1.66
Lharc 1.30
MessageFilter 1.52
oMMM 1.49b
ParseLst 1.30
PkAX 1.00
PK[UN]ZIP 1.01
PolyxAmy 2.02
RMB 1.30
RoboWriter 1.02
Skyparse 2.30
TrapList 1.12
Yuck! 1.61
Zippy (Unzip) 1.25
Zoo 2.01
Atari ST
--------
Bulletin Board Network Node List
Software Version Mailer Version Utilities Version
FIDOdoor/ST 2.10BT4* BinkleyTerm 2.40jr* ParseList 1.30
QuickBBS/ST 1.02 The BOX 1.20 Xlist 1.12
Pandora BBS 2.41c EchoFix 1.20
GS Point 0.61
LED ST 1.00*
MSGED 1.96S
Archiver Msg Format Other
Utilities Version Converters Version Utilities Version
LHARC 0.60 TB2BINK 1.00 ConfMail 4.02
ARC 6.02 BINK2TB 1.00 ComScan 1.02
PKUNZIP 1.10 FiFo 2.01b Import 1.14
OMMM 1.40
Pack 1.00
FastPack 1.20
FDsysgen 2.13
FDrenum 2.10BT3
Trenum 0.10
Archimedes
----------
FidoNews 8-01 Page 19 7 Jan 1991
BBS Software Mailers Utilities
Name Version Name Version Name Version
ARCbbs 1.44 BinkleyTerm 2.03 Unzip 2.1TH
ARC 1.03
!Spark 2.00d
ParseLst 1.30
BatchPacker 1.00
+ Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
* Recently changed
Utility authors: Please help keep this list up to date by
reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list
all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.
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FidoNews 8-01 Page 20 7 Jan 1991
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
16 Feb 1991
Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush.
31 Mar 1991
Jim Grubs (W8GRT) was issued his first ham radio license forty
years ago today. His first station was made from an ARC-5
"Command Set" removed from a B-17 bomber.
12 May 1991
Fourth anniversary of FidoNet operations in Latin America and
second anniversary of the creation of Zone-4.
8 Sep 1991
25th anniversary of first airing of Star Trek on NBC!
7 Oct 1991
Area code 415 fragments. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
will begin using area code 510. This includes Oakland,
Concord, Berkeley and Hayward. San Francisco, San Mateo,
Marin, parts of Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay
Islands will retain area code 415.
1 Feb 1992
Area code 213 fragments. Western, coastal, southern and
eastern portions of Los Angeles County will begin using area
code 310. This includes Los Angeles International Airport,
West Los Angeles, San Pedro and Whittier. Downtown Los
Angeles and surrounding communities (such as Hollywood and
Montebello) will retain area code 213.
1 Dec 1993
Tenth anniversary of Fido Version 1 release.
5 Jun 1997
David Dodell's 40th Birthday
If you have something which you would like to see on this
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
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