FidoNews · Vol 25, No 37 · 15 Sep 2008
The F I D O N E W S Volume 25, Number 37 15 Sep 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. COMMENTS ON PREVIOUS ARTICLES ............................ 2
Is there a future for pots? Another viewpoint ........... 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 25-37 Page 1 15 Sep 2008
=================================================================
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
=================================================================
Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our
mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to
the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts. Some of you
like pep rallies and plastic robots who tell you what to read. Forget
I mentioned it. This song has no message. Rise for the flag salute.
-- Frank Zappa
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FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 2 15 Sep 2008
=================================================================
COMMENTS ON PREVIOUS ARTICLES
=================================================================
Is there a future for pots? Another viewpoint
By Richard Webb, 1:116/901
I read the article in 2536 with some interest, as I'm one of those
with pots connectivity only. Although many are sold on voice over
internet protocols I'm not convinced, and hope that our
telecommunications companies here in North America avoid the switch
for a variety of reasons. I'll list them in order of most important
to the public down to my personal reasons.
First and foremost, VoIp requires more infrastructure to get the audio
from point a to point b. In most advanced societies services such as
9-1-1 for emergency response dispatch are readily available, and we've
grown to depend on them. With the simple pots technology we've become
used to handling it can remain reliable even after weather events such
as storms do major damage. The reason is that most of the landline
cabling is buried underground in many parts of the U.s. Combine this
with reliable battery backup for switching facilities and you've got a
robust system that will still continue to handle calls even after the
trees have blown down and the power grid is knocked out. I'm such a
firm believer in maintaining simple pots capability that I've
convinced many elderly family members not to give up their pots lines
for cell phones only. while arguing the point with them I tell them
not to abandon their plain old telephone handset with keypad or dial
in favor of the wireless systems and others that also require power
from the grid. It just may save a life.
VoIp on the other hand requires more infrastructure to remain working.
You've got to convert that audio to data packets, and route them. THe
more complex you make a system the more vulnerable it is to failure
either due to tampering or just accident. Many times when operating
an emergency radio communications facility I've hooked up a small
battery to a field telephone like armies use and strung some wire to
the folks I'm providing communications for. This way, they can
communicate directly with me without having to send a courier from one
place to another. I can also phone patch them directly onto the radio
if the need should arise. it's simple, a low voltage power source,
some wire and two simple handsets. The regular landline telephone you
find in your home isn't much more complicated than that. Other than
the dual tone generator which is driven by the same power source as
the rest of the system it's just a simple audio connection. The
twisted pair balanced line does fairly good at keeping interference
out and delivering audio to each end of the connection reliably.
This simple system is easier to troubleshoot, easier to restore to
service after the large scale outage. String another line to patch
around the trouble spot, add more DC power; if all else fails go back
to electromechanical relays. Easy to use; easy to fix; high degree of
reliability. What's not to like?
Many claim not to hear a difference in audio quality for voice calls
routed via VoIp or via regular pots connections. Wish I could say
FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 3 15 Sep 2008
that. I've used VoIp modes communicating over ham radio, and
communicated many times with people using such voIp phone services.
I'm appalled that we would consider the poor quality audio we get from
these digital cell phones and VoIp connections as acceptable.
Telephone audio has become poorer just in my fifty plus years on this
planet, and it should be getting better. I seem to spend more time
with these newfangled digital packet switched audio connections saying
"what was that again?" than I should be.
Then again, there are plenty of folks in the developed world still on
dial-up internet connections. There are still many places here in the
Americas where you're too far away from a switch to get dsl reliably.
In many of them there is not cable TV service.
In short, those of us with a few clues should be telling the telecomm
service providers that we expect reliability and better sound. The
first time your packet switched cool VoIp system causes Grandma not to
get emergency services Mr. Telecomm CEO I hope they drag you through
the courts for the rest of your natural life.
Just $0.02 worth from out here in the trenches.
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FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 4 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 5 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 6 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 7 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 8 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 9 15 Sep 2008
=================================================================
SPECIAL INTEREST
=================================================================
Nodelist Stats
Input nodelist nodelist.256
size 571.3kb
date 2008-09-12
The nodelist has 4706 nodes in it
and a total of 6316 non-comment entries
including 5 zones
41 regions
297 hosts
319 hubs
admin overhead 662 ( 14.07 %)
and 537 private nodes
204 nodes down
207 nodes on hold
off line overhead 948 ( 20.14 %)
Speed summary:
>9600 = 378 ( 8.03 %)
9600 = 3621 ( 76.94 %)
(HST = 72 or 1.99 %)
(CSP = 0 or 0.00 %)
(PEP = 1 or 0.03 %)
(MAX = 0 or 0.00 %)
(HAY = 1 or 0.03 %)
(V32 = 1773 or 48.96 %)
(V32B = 96 or 2.65 %)
(V34 = 2445 or 67.52 %)
(V42 = 2049 or 56.59 %)
(V42B = 110 or 3.04 %)
2400 = 30 ( 0.64 %)
1200 = 5 ( 0.11 %)
300 = 672 ( 14.28 %)
ISDN = 292 ( 6.20 %)
----------------------------------------------------------
File Req Flag Applicable software Number of systems
----------------------------------------------------------
XA Frontdoor <1.99b 1396
Frontdoor 2.02+
Dutchie 2.90c
Binkleyterm >2.1
D'Bridge <1.3
TIMS
Xenia
--------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 10 15 Sep 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 1844
Frontdoor 1.99b
Intermail 2.01
T-Mail
--------------------------------------
None QMM 1246
--------------------------------------
CrashMail capable = 1719 ( 36.53 %)
MailOnly nodes = 2641 ( 56.12 %)
Listed-only nodes = 366 ( 7.78 %)
Other = -20 ( -0.42 %)
[Report produced by NETSTATS - A PD pgm]
[ Revised by B Felten, 2:203/208]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 11 15 Sep 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
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Help the Editor by following the above guides. Below are some subjects
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Ideas for Subject areas:
Subject File | Subject File
----------------------------------|----------------------------------
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If you don't know or are not sure, send the article anyway. Put a .TXT
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If you follow these simple guidelines, there should be little problem
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FIDONEWS 25-37 Page 12 15 Sep 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 25-37 Page 13 15 Sep 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.
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+ -- -- -- -- -- -- - FIDONEWS AVAILABILITY - -- -- -- -- -- -- +
| |
| File request from 2:2/2 or 2:203/0: |
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