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F I D O N E W S -- Vol.10 No.39 (27-Sep-1993)
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | |
| FidoNet BBS community | Published by: |
| _ | |
| / \ | "FidoNews" BBS |
| /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: |
| | | \ \\ | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet addresses: |
| |
| Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com |
| Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) |
| editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies and other boring but important details, |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
========================================================================
Table of Contents
========================================================================
1. Editorial..................................................... 2
2. Articles...................................................... 2
Content Cops: Opening the Door to Censorship................ 3
The Importance of Echomail Security......................... 5
*** Comment: Elections in GCC Region 24 ***................. 8
** statistic in region 24 **................................ 11
Electronic Magazines -- An Overview......................... 12
Background Performance with MsgTrack/Enhanced............... 14
Apologies to Bruce Bodger and JB Graham..................... 16
Thoughts on Advertising for Echos........................... 17
Report from Vecta 9......................................... 17
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 18
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 2 27 Sep 1993
========================================================================
Editorial
========================================================================
A very interesting beginning article today ... we will have
to wait to hear both sides of the story though. There is not
much point in expressing an opinion until all sides have been
heard from; suffice to say that censorship is not a thing we
would like to see in Fidonet.
There is a longish article from Germany concerning the Zone 2
region 24 reorganization. A list of all ex-fidonet members and
a nodelist for the new net is available for FReq from this
board. The file names are REG24.ZIP and REGION24.Z67
respectively.
Last but not least, I am going to break one of our rules.
(rules? WHAT rules?) I am going to let you know who wrote what
today. This is Don writing. You see, Max wrote a note to
someone today, and I thought that it should be used as the
editorial ... I liked it. So here it is.
"I met a really neat guy a few days ago. He juggles for a
living. He stands on sidewalks and juggles, and tries to get
passers-by to try juggling. He says, "if you don't drop the
balls occasionally, you're not trying".
We invited him to juggle in front of the art gallery during it's
opening, and he came to a party here afterwards. For somethng
to do at the party, we passed around a blank canvass and brushes
and paint. An interesting conversation started to take place on
the canvass. Everyone was trying to create something at the
same time as witnessing what others were doing, because we were
all painting in the same space. If someone had used the whole
canvass and not left any room for more paint by someone else, it
wouldn't have been such an interesting event, i suspect, even if
the best artist in the room was the one to use all of the space.
That's sort of how i see the net. We're all trying to say
something and hear things in the same space at the same time
with a new medium. It's an interesting experiment. I like to
think of the Snooze as a canvass being passed around at a
gathering.
i need some breakfast. TTYL, smax"
========================================================================
Articles
========================================================================
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 3 27 Sep 1993
Content Cops: Opening the Door to Censorship
Car 54 Where Are You? Someone Just Said "Penis" in BITCH!
by: Phillip M. Dampier
1:2613/228
This just in from the Zone One Echomail Coordinator:
DROPPED: A word about dropping echos. There are several echos which
are candidates for being dropped due to the content of the
echo. This is not an easy decision, and not one which the
ZEC enters into lightly. It is not our desire nor will it
ever be our practice to censor the contents of an echo. But
when the contents of an echo are of such a character that
they are more suitable for distribution on a network that
is "adult" (if you know what I mean!) in nature it may be
that we take a second look at the echo. Being that FidoNet
typically exercises no control over whom may obtain an echo,
whether they be 10 years old or 21 years old, many feel it
is not in our best interest to be carriers of material which
could be source of embarassment should a minor be found to
be carrying such an echo. Where a moderator is actively
working to bring and keep an echos language & participants
above a minimal norm we are more than willing to work with
everyone involved. Where the participants in an echo
continue to be a source of problems to the moderator, and
FidoNet, we may eventually act to remove the echo from the
backbone and suggest that it be moved to private distri-
bution or onto another network where the type of conver-
sations typical of the echo may have their access controlled
to those who are not minors.
(end of statement)
Once again, coordinators in Fidonet are overstepping appropriate
boundaries in determining what is and is not appropriate. Last time,
it was the Registration Police and now we're going to have a
Conference Morals Police in order to "protect us."
I am completely opposed to an arbitrary content enforcement policy
for backboned Fidonet conferences. It opens the door to an unelected
handful of individuals being able to pressure the Zone Echomail
Coordinator into forcing their personal moral values on us or force
the ZEC to remove a conference for its content, and sexual issues are
obviously not the only criteria at work here.
While Mr. Buda may be benevolent, there are absolutely no assurances
that the precedent that is about to be set will not be used by a
future ZEC from cracking down based on his own personal religious or
moral beliefs.
This concept opens the door to future abuses and censorship.
I can understand the concerns that people have about access to adult
information by minors, but this should be policed by individual
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 4 27 Sep 1993
SysOps/nodes and conference moderators, not by a small handful of
content cops.
An example: A node finds the BITCH conference offensive. Instead
of taking the correct approach of either turning off the conference
or starting a different conference, he or she decides that because
they don't like what is going on, changes HAVE to be forthcoming
or else.
The ZEC then receives a handful of selected messages, generally
without any backround of the conference and its audience, and then
decides to state that either the moderator steps in and stops the
icky four letter words and sexual insults or else he will remove
it from the backbone.
No matter that 50-100 nodes or more pick and up and carry the
conference without complaint. A small handful are appalled and
simply won't turn off what offends them.
This is the same thing that motivates Terry Rakolta and good ole
Reverend Don Wildmon and the like.
We should be using the same approach we use with offensive TV
programs: if you don't like what you see, turn the channel.
Another possibility: The current or future ZEC has religious or
personal problems with the carriage of echos that pertain to gay
and lesbian issues.
Despite the fact the conferences are focused on political efforts
and general socializing, a handful of religious zealots or others
make the determination in their own mind that these conferences
are "adult" in nature and that echos like GAYTEEN are an
abomination.
They move for these echos to be removed, despite the fact they are
not packed with sex stories, because anything that talks about
"gay or lesbian" is automatically adult in nature.
A ZEC receptive to this kind of argument can then use this
precedent to remove these echos from the Fidonet backbone. This
is done essentially to silence the echo(s) in question.
The same could happen to any echo dealing with a minority group,
even to religious minorities. Whatever a small group of people
is offended by is at risk.
Let's not drop ourselves into this boondoggle. Haven't we
learned that Fidonet serves a tremendously varied set of
interests?
Until individual nodes have the right to directly elect those
people who want to play content cop with our echomail, these
appointed people should not be given the right to slash echos
that they or a few others can't seem to deal with.
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 5 27 Sep 1993
Let's take the smart approach - the ZEC should instruct those who
are offended by an echo's content to turn it off or start their
own conference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Importance of Echomail Security
Michael Stroh
1:363/603
First let me say that I am not an expert in regards to the topic I am
writing about. I had hoped to see someone else write about this, but
as of now no one has. I feel that it is something that is important
to all sysops in Fidonet (and Othernets as well). That something is
Echomail Security.
If you are connected to the FDECHO conference (possibly others, as
well) you are already aware of its importance. For those of you not
already connected, in the past month or so someone has been inserting
a bunch of *very* off topic fraudulent messages into the conference.
These messages have headers containing regular conference users
information, adult oriented material in the body, and false tear
lines, origin lines, SEEN-BY and PATH statements at the bottom. The
messages are most likely put into distribution through unprotected
systems. In order to make it more difficult to send these messages,
ALL sysops should use the echomail security features that are
available to them.
You may be thinking, why bother, the areas I pick up don't have this
problem. A few months ago it wasn't a problem in FDECHO either, your
echos may be next. Take the time to secure your system now and
prevent it from being used.
To the best of my knowledge there are three ways to do this.
1) Secure Inbounds
2) Session Level Passwords
3) Packet Passwords
I am not familiar with the secure inbound method of security. Perhaps
someone else would write about how to make use of it.
The session level password method of security is set up in the mailer
software. It is used to ensure that the system calling you is in fact
who they claim to be. If you send and receive mail regularly with a
certain system you should set up a session level password with that
system. This makes it more difficult for another person to
impersonate that system and send you mail. I use Frontdoor 2.02
non-commercial and have a session level password set up with my hub.
To set up a session level password in FD go to
FDSETUP>Manager>Security and in the Password column enter a password
to use. You must also make sure that the system on the other end
sets up the same password.
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 6 27 Sep 1993
To test the effectiveness of session level passwords on my system I
changed the password on my system without my hub changing his. Here
is the result from my FD.LOG (actual passwords masked):
---------- Tue 21 Sep 93, FD 2.02
+ 13:46:48 Event 0-@
- 13:46:49 Preparing outbound mail
= 13:51:04 RING
= 13:51:21 CONNECT 14400/ARQ
? 13:51:23 Password error: Expected "XXXXXXXXXXX", received "XXXXXXXXXX"
from 1:363/60
+ 13:51:23 The Trap Door, 1:363/9017
~ 13:51:23 SysOp: Randy Fox
~ 13:51:23 Using: D'Bridge B2011/002484
~ 13:51:23 Flags: CM,XX,V32B,V42B
~ 13:51:23 Phone: 1-407-382-6035
? 13:51:23 Session handshake failure
- 13:51:54 Preparing outbound mail
No connection was made. This *will not* prevent other systems from
sending mail to you. It *will* make it difficult for other systems to
impersonate your up/downlinks. (Note: In FD, it is possible to
prevent systems without a password from connecting. Set
FDSETUP>Mailer>Miscellaneous>Mail from "unprotected" systems to No.
Any system calling will have to have a password set up or it will
fail.)
Packet level passwords are handled by your mail tosser. After
receiving the mail from a "protected" system using a session level
password. Your mail tosser will unarchive the mail file and check
each packet for the correct password. If it finds one, it will
continue tossing the mail. If it finds the incorrect password, or the
password is missing, it will either fail to toss it or will handle it
as defined by the software. I use Gecho 1.01+ which renames it with a
PWD extension and notifies me with netmail that a problem occurred.
To set up packet passwords in Gecho go to GSETUP>Node manager>Packet
password and enter a password. Make sure the system on the other end
uses the same password. You must also go to the Area Manager in
GSETUP and in *every* area set Security to Yes. (You can do this as a
Global option)
Again I tested this on my system. I was first notified by a series of
four netmail messages waiting in my netmail area telling me of the
problem. One message for each connection with my hub. Here is one of
them (actual passwords masked):
- NETMAIL (1:363/603) ----------------------------------- NETMAIL -
Msg : 4 of 4 - 3 Rcv Uns Pvt Loc
From : GEcho 1:363/603 Tue 21 Sep 93 23:52
To : Michael Stroh 363/603
Subj : Notification
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Packet password error: C:\FD\22328462.PKT (1:363/60)
Received "XXXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXXX"
Packet renamed to C:\FD\22328462.PWD
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 7 27 Sep 1993
Packet password error: C:\FD\22334388.PKT (1:363/60)
Received "XXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXX"
Packet renamed to C:\FD\22334388.PWD
Packet password error: C:\FD\22350088.PKT (1:363/60)
Received "XXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXX"
Packet renamed to C:\FD\22350088.PWD
---
I then checked my GECHO.LOG and found (actual passwords masked):
---------- Tue 21 Sep 93, GEcho/386 1.01+
# 23:52:57 Decompressing ZIP C:\FD\FILES\0000FDE1.TU3
# 23:52:58 Processing 22328462.PKT from 1:363/60 to 1:363/603
# 23:52:58 (D'Bridge 153.00, Type 2+)(Password)(9K, 21-Sep-93 23:28:22)
# 23:52:58 Packet password error: C:\FD\22328462.PKT (1:363/60)
# 23:52:58 Received "XXXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXX"
# 23:52:58 Packet renamed to C:\FD\22328462.PWD
# 23:52:58 Processing 22334388.PKT from 1:363/60 to 1:363/603
# 23:52:58 (D'Bridge 153.00, Type 2+)(Password)(1K, 21-Sep-93 23:34:18)
# 23:52:58 Packet password error: C:\FD\22334388.PKT (1:363/60)
# 23:52:58 Received "XXXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXX"
# 23:52:58 Packet renamed to C:\FD\22334388.PWD
# 23:52:58 Processing 22350088.PKT from 1:363/60 to 1:363/603
# 23:52:58 (D'Bridge 153.00, Type 2+)(Password)(5K, 21-Sep-93 23:50:03)
# 23:52:58 Packet password error: C:\FD\22350088.PKT (1:363/60)
# 23:52:58 Received "XXXXXXXXXX", expected "XXXXXXXXXX"
# 23:52:58 Packet renamed to C:\FD\22350088.PWD
# 23:52:59 Echo In: 0 Import: 0 Export: 0 Forward: 0 Out: 0
# 23:52:59 Net In: 0 Import: 0 Export: 0 Forward: 0 Out: 0
# 23:52:59 Active: 0:01
The packets without the correct passwords were not tossed into my
message base (nor would they have been passed through my system).
Instead they were renamed and sat here on my hard drive harmlessly
waiting for me to examine them.
The two programs I used as examples are the only ones I am personally
familiar with. There are many others that support these security
features and some that do not. If you are using software that has
this support, use it. If you are using software that doesn't, switch
to one that does.
One final word about the FDECHO conference. I am sure that Bruce
Bodger, the moderator, is doing everything possible to take care of
the problem there. The echo has had more off topic messages in
response to the fraudulent messages than fraudulent messages
themselves. At the moderators request, please do not reply to, or
discuss, those messages in the conference.
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 8 27 Sep 1993
*** Comment: Elections in GCC Region 24 ***
By Wolfgang Hanke [RC 24 @FidoClassic 2:24/0]
(2:24/10 CommunicationGate)
translation into english language by Ulrich Roeding
Hallo Ron,
Hallo All SysOps in Fido.
=Here ist the RC 24 @FidoClassic speaking=
It's my earnest hope, Fido will soon resolve to what it once was:
ONE familiar union of congenial computer freaks.
~~~
Now for the guys at the top of Erich Janssen's 'Fido':
You have improved impressively, how to change a hobby
to a political drama with perilous results.
Fido is a HOBBY!
And in a hobby, nevertheless such an expensive one, war- games are
misplaced.
In all your arguments, you barricade behind policy.
But there is no word about violent changes of net- structure in it.
Oh yeah, I have read it- there is something about non- overlapping nets.
Whether that is really senseful or not, I do not want to discuss at the
moment.
(Ron Dwight feels a bit offended anyway because I have told him
something about the German telephone- net and now, he has no more ideas)
:-((
I just remark:
what has been done to fulfil policy in NODELIST.172,
you already could have done in the LAST TWO YEARS!
But suddenly some duty- minded policy- fans appear and put whole
Germany upside down.
Not that way, Sirs!
On your side, I have heard arguments, without those violent changes,
there never had been any regionalization.
Are our nodes SILLY?
- NO, they aren't!
They are not stupid and they will NOT accept it.
Thank Godness!
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 9 27 Sep 1993
Here, in FidoClassic, we have demonstrated how to regionalize:
The new 2476- net was initiated and founded as a regional net
by the nodes themselves.
You do not need any dictators, people can do it themselves much better.
And they enjoy to have created something of their own!
The role of an RC, in this case, is just to play the moderator and take
care, that none of the nodes is violated, cheated or overrun.
And -if the sysops want to- they will do it the same with a planned
Weser/Ems regionalization.
If you let the nodes from Schleswig- Holstein do as they want to
and think it is correct, we already had a voluntary Schleswig- Holstein-
net. But the GCC-troop came ahead and assigned a 2401- number due to
psychotherapeutical reasons.
Eat- or die!
Fortunately, those nodes are no 'traitors';
that is prooved by the lots of mail, I have got.
Most of them will draw back from 'their' net, if they don't
get another net- number.
You GCCs won't understand that now,
nor does that fit into your concept :-(((
Ok, elections are announced- everything will turn out for the best!
Ahem?
Nothing will turn out for the best!
These elections are the last step of attempts to destroy FidoClassic.
Elections are elections; that's correct!
But in these elections, if executed as announced, only those may vote,
who surrender the GCC- clan!!!
And electable are only nodes, who have enough
distance to the free and democratic FidoClassic.
Eat- or die!
No, not that way!
NINEHUNDREDFOURTEEN nodes, with ONETHOUSANDONEHUNDREDANDSIXTYFOUR phone-
lines,
who are drawn up in the division of democratic fidolist, shout,
no SCREAM at you:
WE ARE THE SYSOPS!
We all know, that many, many nodes on the other side in GCC- fido
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 10 27 Sep 1993
also wish to participate in a peaceful, friendly and free Fido.
But they do not dare to say, because they are frightened!
They are afraid of the sharp, sometimes even impertinent comments of
your 'executors'.
Or is there any paragraph in the policy about that curiosity,
a Mr. Schoenrad announced recently:
Who doesn't drop his FidoClassic AKAs, is going to be excommunicated
from the net!
The amount of saucy comments appearing in ten mails from NODES.024,
you won't find in a thousand one's from FidoClassic.
Fortunately Erich, Gerhard and some other GCCs write in rather decent
style. That's my honest opinion.
But they still have to learn a lot about forming a hobby.
After that long sermon, let me draw some conclusions:
What I want for all 914 nodes (plus 321 SysOps appearing in both lists),
what I demand for these nodes is:
FIRST:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR ALL SYSOPS IN BOTH LISTS !!! |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Never forget: FidoClassic has much more friends than FidoLight.
Or do you, GCCs, doubt?
SECOND:
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| ELECTION OF AN RC HAS TO BE HANDLED BY A GERMAN ELECTION MANAGER !!! |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Who wants to call to Finland for a vote?
And who guarantees, Ron will accept EACH candidature?
THIRD:
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| THE RC HAS TO BE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE! |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
If those three conditions are fulfilled, then we (you, Erich and I),
have reached our common aim:
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 11 27 Sep 1993
ONE UNITED FIDO IN REGION 24
Thanks for reading...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
** statistic in region 24 **
Von : Wolfgang Hanke, 2:24/0 (Sonntag, den 26. September 1993 10:13)
Statistik: Region 24
~~~~~~~~~~
View of nodelist entrys:
Nodelist | 197| 204| 211| 218| 225| 232| 239| 246| 253| 260| 267| 274
============+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====
List totaly |2945|2880|2929|2907|2917|2920|2944|2983|3119|3124|3118|
Difference | +8| -65| +49| -22| +10| +3| +24| +39|+136| +5| -6|
------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----
GCC-Fido |1336|1324|1364|1401|1421|1421|1444|1452|1473|1534|1501|
Difference | +4| -12| +40| +37| +20| 0| +23| +8| +21| +61| -33|
% |45,4|46,0|46,6|48,2|48,7|48,7|49,0|48,7|47,2|49,1|48,1|
------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----
FidoClassic |1609|1556|1565|1506|1496|1499|1500|1531|1646|1590|1617|
Difference | +4| -53| +9| -59| -10| +3| +1| +31|+115| -56| +27|
% |54,6|54,0|53,4|51,8|51,3|51,3|51,0|51,3|52,8|50,9|51,9|
============+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====
| | | | | | | | | | | |
View of telefone lines:
Nodelist | 197| 204| 211| 218| 225| 232| 239| 246| 253| 260| 267|
================+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+
List totaly |2207|2232|2274|2296|2319|2339|2378|2424|2472|2512|2535|
Difference | +42| +25| +42| -22| +23| +20| +39| +46| +48| +40| +23|
----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
GCC-Fido | 681| 759| 791| 875| 908| 925| 961| 980| 987|1027|1020|
Difference | +39| +78| +32| +84| +33| +17| +36| +19| +7| +40| -7|
% |30,9|34,1|34,8|38,1|39,2|39,6|40,4|40,4|40,0|40,9|40,2|
----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
FidoClassic | 990|1026|1034|1024|1027|1047|1063|1094|1130|1118|1164|
Difference | +27| +36| +8| -10| +3| +20| +16| +31| +36| -12| +46|
% |44,9|46,0|45,5|44,6|44,3|44,8|44,7|45,1|45,7|44,5|45,9|
----------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
Listed in both | 536| 447| 449| 397| 384| 367| 354| 350| 355| 367| 351|
lists | -24| -89| +2| -52| -13| -17| -13| -4| +5| +12| -16|
% |24,3|19,9|19,7|17,3|16,5|15,6|14,9|14,5|14,3|14,6|13,9|
================+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
List of SysOps:
Nodelist | 197| 204| 211| 218| 225| 232| 239| 246| 253| 260| 267|
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 12 27 Sep 1993
===============+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+
SYSOPS totaly |1791|1813|1834|1861|1878|1894|1917|1942|1977|2008|2017|
Difference | +21| +22| +21| +27| +17| +16| +23| +25| +35| +31| +9|
---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
GCC-fido | 527| 585| 607| 668| 698| 714| 741| 754| 758| 788| 782|
Difference | +24| +58| +22| +61| +30| +16| +27| +13| +4| +30| -6|
% |29,4|32,3|32,9|35,9|37,2|37,7|38,7|38,8|38,3|39,2|38,8|
---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
FidoClassic | 800| 826| 834| 827| 827| 843| 852| 867| 896| 879| 914|
Difference | +21| +26| +8| -7| 0| +16| +9| +15| +29| -17| +35|
% |44,7|45,6|45,3|44,4|44,0|44,5|44,4|44,7|45,3|43,8|45,3|
---------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
listed in both | 464| 402| 402| 366| 353| 337| 354| 321| 323| 341| 321|
lists | -24| -62| 0| -36| -13| -16| +17| -33| +2| +18| -20|
% |25,9|22,2|21,8|19,7|18,8|17,8|14,9|16,5|16,4|17,0|15,9|
===============+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+====+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Magazines -- An Overview
Electronic Magazines -- An Overveiw
by Todd Jacobs, Digital Publisher
1:109/182
Electronic publishing is a fledgling industry that is just now leaving
its infancy. Up until now, digital (or "paperless") publishing was a
buzz-word without much substance to it. But now that commercial
sources are starting to climb onto the bandwagon, electronic magazines
are gaining a larger measure of acceptability.
There are currently several types of electronic magazines. The main
categories are Freeware, Shareware, and Commercial. All three share
many traits, but differ widely in quality and means of distribution.
The free 'zines are the most widespread. Usually done in vanilla
ASCII (ie. plain text files), these freeware magazines are by far the
most common type of electronic magazine. They cover every imaginable
subject, such as poetry (Poetry In Motion - Inez Harrison, ed.),
fiction (Ruby's Pearls - Del Freeman, ed.), humor (Random Access Humor
- Dave Bealer, ed.) to our very own FidoNews.
While free, these magazines are nevertheless copyrighted. As such,
they provide a safe, convenient means of exposure for amateur writers,
poets, and pontificators of all sorts. And since anyone with enough
time and a text editor can become a publisher, this format is a great
place to start if you are interested in becoming a digital publisher.
The next category consists of Shareware E-mags. The electronic
magazines in this category share a lot of similarities with the free
'zines, but tend to be a little more "upscale." At this level,
magazines aquire more gloss, often by employing multimedia and
hypertext features.
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 13 27 Sep 1993
As a result, shareware magazines often have larger file sizes, due to
the inclusion of special "readers" (programs required to view
multimedia or hypertext) and high-resolution graphics. This puts
shareware e-mags out of the reach of hobbyists with slower modems or
older (non-VGA) graphics cards.
Magazines in this category are frequently distributed FREE, but
request donations from readers to support the magazines. Some, like
the magazines offered by Jacobs Publishing, LTD offer bonus features
to registered users. Since no successful e-mag has been distributed
as crippleware, shareware publishers depend on voluntary donations and
registrations to maintain their "upscale" look and to pay contributors.
The last category, commercial e-mags, is extremely rare. EEEK-Bits,
available only from its home BBS, is the only one I have heard of,
although there may be others.
The central failing of commercial e-mags is the lack of wide-spread
distribution. Since distributing an e-mag through a file network
removes the publisher's ability to charge for the magazine at
point-of-sale, the only way to distribute one is from a
publisher-controlled BBS with a credit card door (or some similar
pay-as-you-go setup), or by mailing diskettes to pre-paid subscribers.
This methodology prevents a publication from gaining a wide audience,
and is unlikely to become fashionable for periodicals. Commerical
e-mags may, however, carve a niche for themselves by advertising in
shareware or freeware magazines, thereby piggy-backing on the wider
distribution that non-commercial publications enjoy.
It will be at least five to ten years before commercial e-mags/e-books
become widely available. While many traditional publishing houses have
been making noises in this direction, the emphasis on reaching the
non-computer hobbyist requires that hand-held computers and CD
technology be more affordable than today's PC.
Currently, the cost of mastering a book or magazine on CD-ROM is
prohibitive, except in bulk -- and how many people out there actually
have CD-ROMS, and are willing to shell out $10-30 a pop for a
magazine?! Even on diskette, the cost of mass duplication, commercial
packaging, and retail distribution would require electronic
publications to cost at least as much as paperback books -- perhaps
even more.
Without the savings available to electronic publishers who distribute
their material completely electronically, the only market value such
offerings could have would be novelty. Novelty alone will not recoupe
the publisher's investment, either in time or money -- so why bother?
For now, the future of electronic publishing still belongs to the
hobbyist. With time and hard work, the pioneer and the entrepreneur
will make electronic publishing a household name. But until then,
e-mags offer a cornucopia of free entertainment for the enthusiastic
reader -- and all without leaving the comfort of your own home!
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 14 27 Sep 1993
+====================================================================+
| Shareware magazines published by the author: |
| |
| Cybersuasions (tm) ....... The Premier Adult Electronic Magazine |
| BBSoterica (tm) .......... The In-Depth BBS Compendium |
| Electronic Review (tm) ... The litarary magazine devoted to |
| showcasing the best in fiction, poetry, |
| and artwork. |
+====================================================================+
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Background Performance with MsgTrack/Enhanced
by Dave Hunter
1:243/3
The recently released version of MsgTrack Enhanced coupled with
Frontdoor 2.20, gives today's Sysops a powerful, flexible and
convenient means to move electronic mail to and from their node with
minimal impact on their Mailer/BBS operations.
FrontDoor's multi node capabilities and near perfect use of semaphore
files make it an ideal mailer to use in conjunction with Andrew
Farmer's MsgTrack Enhanced (MT). While the integration of these two
software packages can be as diverse as the systems they run on, Sysops
now have the means to implement background importing and exporting of
electronic mail. It is this option that I wish to address.
Those Sysops who choose to run their systems under Desqview or
Desqview/X instead of a buggy OS/2 or other "not really DOS
compatible" operating system can easily increase the availability of
their FrontDoor mailer(s) to accept inbound connects by performing all
of their message base operations in a background task. For the purpose
of this presentation, I am assuming that you are running FD and MT
Enhanced under Desqview. I further assume that you have correctly
installed them and understand terms such as semaphore files, task
numbers and batch files. This is not a walk through of how to install
either FD, MT or DV but is an advanced option for those who are
convinced that their installation of DV, a mailer, an echomail tosser
and mt are stable and functioning properly.
In the Unix world there exists a little program called CRON. This is
essentially a little timer program that takes up very little memory
and does not significantly impact on the performance of the system
running it. CRON is a scheduler that sits and waits to "launch" jobs
at the appropriate time. This nifty utility is available for use by
DOS systems and should be found on a system near you as DVCRON21.*
1) Once you have FD/MT/DV running smoothly together, the addition of a
scheduler such as CRON running in a background window is all you
need. Disable Frontdoor from exiting when mail/files are received -
the CRON job will now take care of this for you. In FDSETUP define
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 15 27 Sep 1993
a semaphore to be created when FD receives new mail. This semaphore
will be used to see if it is necessary to run MT when the CRON job
is launched.
2) Install CRON. The program installation is simple and the docs are
less than three pages so you shouldn't have any difficulty. Here is
the CRONTAB file that I use:
05 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
10 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
15 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
20 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
25 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
30 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
35 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
40 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
45 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
50 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
55 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
59 * * * * -b crontoss.bat
After reading the CRON docs this file will make a lot more sense,
but essentially all it does is to tell CRON to run a batchfile
(CRONTOSS.BAT) every five minutes.
Here is my CRONTOSS.BAT:
@echo off
:start
if exist c:\fd\semaphor\cron.1 goto end
rem >c:\fd\semaphor\cron.1
c:
cd\fd
if exist c:\fd\semaphor\fmalive.1 goto uucp
if exist c:\fd\semaphor\fdinexit.1 goto uucp
if not exist c:\fd\semaphor\newmail.1 goto uucp
fdsecure
mt in
del c:\fd\semaphor\newmail.1
:uucp
if not exist c:\waffle\spool\aficom\*.x goto reset
if exist c:\fd\semaphor\uuinsess goto reset
rem > c:\fd\semaphor\uuinsess
uuxqt -crmail -fC=5000000
uuxqt -crnews -fC=10000000
batch -unews
del c:\fd\semaphor\uuinsess
:reset
del c:\fd\semaphor\cron.1
:end
exit
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 16 27 Sep 1993
On my system I receive both Fidonet email and UUCP news. Every
five minutes, CRON opens a DV window and runs the above batchfile.
Starting from the top, I check to make sure that the previous
crontoss has completed. I do this by checking for the semaphore
cron.1. If the previous job is not completed there is no need to
run it again, so I goto end.
If there is no crontoss job running (ie no cron.1 semaphore) I
then check to see if someone (me) is currently writing mail (if
exist fmalive.1). If I am writing mail, I really don't want it
being exported out from under me so I abort the cron job (goto
uucp). If I am not writing mail, but a user has logged on
(fdinexit.1) I choose not to import any mail, but you may or may
not want to abort the crontoss based on the requirements of your
own system.
After checking for all of the above conditions and assuring myself
that it is indeed ok to proceed, I do so. Fdsecure is a program I
run to ensure that only certain systems are sending me important
files such as the nodediff and fnews etc. "MT in" results in MT
importing any Fidonet mail that happens to be sitting in my
inbound.
After finishing the Fido stuff, I proceed to process any UUCP News
that may have arrived since the last crontoss was run. Waffle
handles multi-users better than my Fido BBS software, so it is not
as important for me to check to see if a user is online or if
someone is writing mail/news when the crontoss is invoked. So, if
there is some UUCP stuff to do, we do it.
The "exit" at the very end of the batchfile causes DV to close the
window that CRON has opened to run CronToss.bat.
Five minutes later this whole process is repeated. I would
recommend the use of DOS's SHARE.EXE. MT will read the many
semaphore files produced by FD and will not attempt to add to a
mail bundle that is already being sent to a node and conversely
won't attempt to unpack mail that is in the process of being
delivered to you. If MT does not add mail to an outbound bundle
on this run for some reason, the mail will not be lost but will be
bundled on the next run.
All in all, my mailer is a lot more accessible. If I'm not
actually connected to someone, or in an external event, FD is
sitting there waiting for the next call rather than being unloaded
after every call to toss some mail.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Apologies to Bruce Bodger and JB Graham
By: Todd Basnaw. 1:170/911
Apologies or A lesson to be learned
In a recent article, I had accused Bruce Bodger and JB Graham of kicking
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 17 27 Sep 1993
out a fellow sysop for not registering RA. I have found that this was
not the whole story. From other sources, I found that the board in
question had been ignoring policy by way of ignoring netmail to rectify
a rash of NO CONNECTS and constant failure of the BBS causing it to be
down too much. From Fido policy, Bruce and JB ARE doing their jobs as
best they can. They manage to get the nodediffs out and fidonews letters
and all the echomail. This, by policy standards, is the ONLY job they
are really required to do. The net does run smooth and everything else
is pretty much under control.
It would seem all of us, at one time or another make mistakes and not
see everything, causing us to "Jump to conclusions". One thing I've
found out from JB is his ability to make sure all "viewing angles" are
covered to make the final conclusion as fair as possible. Bruce Bodger
is a good guy, in his own way. He cares about other people's time and
effort to make RA a good piece of software and a lot of us do tend to
take things for granted. He feels like the way Elvis Presley's "partner"
felt when a record company stole his song.
The moral of this story is: Until you do all the necessary research,
keep your mouth shut.
Apologies to Bruce Bodger and JB Graham for not seeing things clearly.
Thanks to a confidential friend for pointing out my faults.
Todd Basnaw
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thoughts on Advertising for Echos
Echo Advertising
By Wes Perkhiser 1:285/666.20
Every so often, an article appears in the Snooze advertising for
a new echo. Since the effort to set up a new feed, echo area,
etc. is not trivial, I at least prefer to look at a few message
threads first, before deciding whether to subscribe.
Perhaps it would be useful if the person who enters the ad would
also make a small (say, a couple of dozen messages) file
available for file request, so that potential subscribers could
look at what is available before committing to getting the echo.
This will take a little extra effort, but I think that you may
pick up a few more nodes that way.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Report from Vecta 9
(newly discovered galaxy, 25,000,000,000light years from Earth)
Archaelogists, and a team of scientific personnel, consisting of
anthropologists; botanists; physical chemists; geomorphists;
zoologists; physicists; physical anthropologists and metallurgists,
uncovered today, what might be the citadel heard of in the ancient
epic; Georegwasdwibur, written in the latter half of the twentieth
century C.E.
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 18 27 Sep 1993
There had always been a belief that part of the mainland of Europe.
Along with Guildford, Hastings and a section around the M25, had
disappeared off the face of the earth. Taking with it, a number of
baddies. According to the Epic poem, the baddies were:
Ronus Dwightusnecessitis, Keitho Wassamarrawithyouamallrightusjackus,
Perlo Burnuptopusneedsaguidingholdmyhandcosiamacowardandcantfightforthe-
rest,
Nohell Bradfordyesmancosialwayswantedpowerandnowihaveit,
Frazlo Peterkeepyerknickeroniknowhatisbestformeandyou.
The story goes like this:-
The five aforementioned heroes, of the School of Neo-Stoics,
wanted to change the way Europe looked. (This is not possible
any good archaelogist will tell you Geomorphological changes
take many thousands of years). They also wished the inhabitants
in their domain would kiss their derryaires! The inhabitants did
not agree.
So after much debating where the neo-stoics agreed with themselves,
they played with themselves for a while, they passed a law. You do what
I say, or we shall use bad language, put you down, tell you to drop
dead, or worst still, take you out of the telephone book.
Fine, the inhabitants wrote to their local journal, doggienews.
They were threatened and abused, AND a week or so later retractions
appeared in the snooze! Sorry, I misunderstood the Neo-Stoics,
they were right, see here, I am not only kissing their backsides,
I am kissing their balls as well.
The long and short of it is, that one night, while they slept,
the inhabitants got all the rocket power they could muster. Put
it under the lot of them and fired them into space.
Today 21.328.68999, we have found them. All tests confirm who
they are. Inserted into where their anal orifices would have
been was a document. POLICY4.ZIP.
Now we have to translate it. But from what we know, it is a
part of a very sacred book
Tim Owen
2:25/53.602
ps who lives in hope that points will not be geomorphasised!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
Fidonews Information
========================================================================
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 19 27 Sep 1993
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees, Tim Pozar
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello,
Tom Jennings
IMPORTANT NOTE: The FidoNet address of the FidoNews BBS has been
changed!!! Please make a note of this.
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
Internet addresses:
Don & Sylvia (submission address)
editor@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Donald -- donald@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com
(Postal Service mailing address) (have extreme patience)
FidoNews
172 Duke St. E.
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 1A7
Published weekly by and for the members of the FidoNet international
amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual
articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The
contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the
rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those
of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
copyright 1993 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or
distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in
other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews
(we're easy).
OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue-ONLY of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or
Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained from Fido Software for $10.00US each
PostPaid First Class within North America, or $13.00US elsewhere,
mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in
directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you have questions regarding
FidoNet, please direct them to deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org, not the
FidoNews BBS. (Be kind and patient; David Deitch is generously
volunteering to handle FidoNet/Internet questions.)
FidoNews 10-39 Page: 20 27 Sep 1993
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission.
Asked what he thought of Western civilization,
M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea".
-- END
----------------------------------------------------------------------

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