F I D O N E W S -- | Vol. 8 No. 45 (11 November 1991) The newsletter of the | FidoNet BBS community | Published by: _ | / \ | "FidoNews" BBS /|oo \ | (415)-863-2739 (_| /_) | FidoNet 1:1/1 _`@/_ \ _ | Internet: | | \ \\ | fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org | (*) | \ )) | |__U__| / \// | Editors: _//|| _\ / | Tom Jennings (_/(_|(____/ | Tim Pozar (jm) | ----------------------------+--------------------------------------- Published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet international amateur network. Copyright 1991, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews. Paper price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00US Electronic Price: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . free! For more information about FidoNews refer to the end of this file. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ..................................................... 1 Editorial: stuff, and an apology .............................. 1 2. FIDONET NEWS .................................................. 3 (No FidoNetNews this week) .................................... 3 3. ARTICLES ...................................................... 4 New FCC Rule Threatens Higher Long Distance Costs for BBS's ... 4 Announcing Kitten 1.01 ........................................ 8 GoldEd - A fully-featured Sysop/Point message reader/editor ... 10 4. RANTS AND FLAMES .............................................. 16 5. CLASSIFIEDS ................................................... 17 6. LATEST VERSIONS ............................................... 18 Latest Greatest Software Versions ............................. 18 FidoNews 8-45 Page 1 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== EDITORIAL ====================================================================== Editorial: stuff, and an apology by Tom Jennings 1:1/1 Last week I generated enough text to last a few weeks, so I'll stop here. Oh, just this one last thing. If you have any historical documents (like the old FIDOHISTs, procedural docs pre-POLICYn, "ettiquette" docs, whatever) please mail 'em on to 1:1/1. I'm starting a collection. Well, another thing. I've got word that a number of people have been having trouble sending my article submissions. It took a long and circuitous loop of people to get word to me. I have to ask that if you have problems, you send me a message, with as much information as you have. At least, what you were trying to do (file attach? message only?), your program/version, a working node number (in FidoNet only, not other-nets, I'm not connected to any gateways), and log fragment or error message if you have one. Half of those I did get reports on, turned out to be "other" problems -- for example one program in series had a max. message length limit, and destroyed the messsage while in transit (neither mine nor the authors' system). For demonstrable, persistent problems, let me know, and I'll sit and watch my system receive what you're sending; I can debug 99% of protocol problems from my logging scheme (at least well enough to tell what's broken). And at the least, if I'm not aware of problems, I certainly can't be expected to fix 'em. I am running Fido/FidoNet 12u, which as far as I know is pretty good with both FSC-0001 and Wazoo, but problems with all our programs do happen. And lastly, I owe Thom Henderson an apology. Original Message Date: Tue 5 Nov 91 15:47 From: Thom Henderson on 1:520/1015 To: Tom Jennings on 1:1/1 re: Last week's article regarding Thom Hendersons FIDOCON'91 article. 1) It was listed on the schedule as the "Developers Roundtable". Nobody in the audience was there because they wanted to hear Randy pontificate. They were there because they wanted to hear you, and me, and the other DEVELOPERS. It was very rude of Randy to attempt to dominate the session from the floor. FidoNews 8-45 Page 2 11 Nov 1991 2) It is also very rude and childish of YOU to snipe from the sidelines by adding "comments" to submitted articles. You already get the first word by writing the editorial. Your "comments" are not only ambiguous in origin (C programmers may recognize your comment marks, but others are quite likely to assume that your words are part of the submitted article), they also smack of a person who cannot bear not having the last word. I stand here, red-faced. You are right, I cannot defend my actions. While comments after articles are sometimes appropriate, in this case they were not. My apologies once again. --tomj ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 3 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== FIDONET NEWS ====================================================================== ################################################################ FidoNetNews -- a weekly section devoted to technical and factual issues within the FidoNet -- FidoNet Technical Standards Committee reports, *C reports, information on FidoNet standards documents and the like. ################################################################ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- There were no FidoNetNews submissions this week. Tune again in next week! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 4 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== ARTICLES ====================================================================== Mike Riddle, Esq. Nebraska Inns of Court 1:285/27 NEW FCC RULE THREATENS HIGHER LONG DISTANCE COSTS FOR BBS'S =========================================================== o WHAT'S HAPPENING? In July the FCC, in an action virtually unnoticed by the bulletin board community, issued its "Final Rule" in Docket 89-79. The innocuous-sounding title is "Amendments of Part 69 of the Commission's Rules Relating to the Creation of Access Charge Subelements for Open Network Architecture." Industry sources estimate that this rule, when fully implemented, will result in an average increase of from three to five times the current costs for users of "Enhanced Service Providers (ESPs)," such as GEnie, Compuserve, PC Pursuit and Starlink. Already someone is reading this and saying something like: "Hoo boy! Doesn't this jerk realize that's an old rumor?" Well, I'm sorry to say I wish it was, but it isn't. For those who want to know all the details (and I'm one of them), the Notice of Proposed Rule Making NPRM is 89-79, FCC 89-105, and the Final Rule was announced at 56 Fed Reg 33879-01 on July 24th, 1991. It took effect on August 23, 1991. What it seems to me, after some hours of research and analysis, is that the FCC is attempting to do indirectly in 1991 what it could not do directly in 1987. If you remember the history, in 1983 the FCC created the access charge structure. It granted exemptions from usage-sensitive access charges for Enhanced Service Providers (ESPs) for a number of reasons. In 1987, Docket 87-215, the FCC proposed to remove the exemptions. We all know what happened then. The Commission and Congress received an unprecedented public input on a telecommunications regulatory issue. The plan to remove the exemptions was dropped. While Rep. Markey, among others, thought the idea was dead, period, the Commission appears to have merely gone into hiatus. The current rule, if I have it analyzed correctly, attempts to do three things: FidoNews 8-45 Page 5 11 Nov 1991 1. Preserve ESP exemptions "in their current form." 2. Create incentives for new services, known as BSEs, under the ONA proposals. ESPs would have to pay access charges to use these services. 3. Ultimately require the removal of the existing feature groups the BSEs would replace. The result in the end, usage-sensitive access charges for ESPs, the very concept thought killed in 1987. o WHY ARE WE JUST HEARING ABOUT IT? The "posture of the proceeding" is important. When the FCC issued the NPRM in 1989, it seemed to imply that the exemptions would continue, so no one got real upset. This was, after all, only 18 months or so after the 87-215 fiasco. When the final rule was released in July, effective in August, it took people a while to figure out the probable impact. As a result, what the Enhanced Service Providers and others are asking for from their users is support for their petition to reconsider the rule. o OKAY, YOU CONVINCED ME! WHAT SHOULD I DO? Public input, to the FCC, to key Congressmen and Senators, and to your own Congressional delegation, will likely make a difference now, just like it did in 1987. GEnie, among the services I use, has taken the lead on generating public input. The last part of this article is the GEnie "Call to Action." Some of you may have seen it before. +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | If you do choose to write, please do NOT call it a "modem tax." | | It isn't a tax at all, and most likely you'll be told (with a | | straight face) there isn't any such proposal. To the best of my | | knowledge this is *NOT* the case. No new taxes on existing | | services are currently under consideration. | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ The issue which we need to mention is the FCC's *approved* pricing for Open Network Architecture (ONA) services [passed by the Commission on July 11, 1991 as part of CC Docket No. 89-79 "Amendments of Part 69 of the Commission's Rules Relating to the Creation of Access Charge Subelements for Open Network Architecture"]. We need to ask the Commission to reconsider its decision to require "enhanced service providers" and other end users that wish to subscribe to federally tariffed basic service elements, to pay usage-based rates for access to these new services. You should write the Commission, supporting this request for reconsideration. FidoNews 8-45 Page 6 11 Nov 1991 o WHAT DO I SAY? Here's the GEnie "Call to Action" (reproduced verbatim with permission): "The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") has adopted rules that will increase by up to five-fold the price of local telephone lines that use new network features to provide access to information services. The new rules could have as serious an impact as the FCC's 1987 access charge proposal, which was successfully defeated through a massive letter-writing campaign. "Any information service provider that wishes to take advantage of new network features -- which are to be made available as part of the FCC's Open Network Architecture ("ONA") -- must start paying the higher charges. Although the FCC would allow information service providers to continue using their existing lines at current rates, providers choosing this option would be denied the use of much existing and future network functionality. Many state regulators are compounding this problem by following the FCC's lead. "These pricing rules will needlessly inflate the costs of providing information services. Information service providers will have no option but to pass these added costs on to their subscribers in increased prices. This is bad for the information service providers, bad for subscribers, and bad for the United States. At a time when the FCC should be encouraging the widest possible use and availability of information services, the FCC has adopted rules that will have precisely the opposite effect. "It's not too late to stop the FCC from implementing its new ONA pricing rules. GEnie (through its trade associations ADAPSO and IIA), CompuServe, Prodigy, BTNA (formerly Tymnet) and others have petitioned the FCC to reconsider its rules, and the FCC is now considering whether it should grant those petitions. "You can help by writing to Al Sikes, Chairman of the FCC, and sending copies of your letter to his fellow Commissioners. You should also write to Congressman Ed Markey and Senator Daniel Inouye, the Chairmen of the House and Senate Subcommittees that have jurisdiction over the FCC. (You may also wish to send copies of your letters to your own U.S. Senators and Representative). "Tell them that: - You use information services and how you use them. - You will curtail your use of these services if prices increase as a result of the FCC's new ONA pricing rules. FidoNews 8-45 Page 7 11 Nov 1991 - The FCC's new ONA pricing rules will create the wrong incentives by discouraging information service providers from taking advantage of new network features. - The FCC should reconsider the rules it adopted in Docket 89-79 and allow information service providers to use new network features without being required to pay usage-sensitive access charges that are three to five times higher than existing rates. "Write to: Honorable Alfred C. Sikes Chairman Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 814 Washington, D.C. 20554 Honorable Sherrie P. Marshall Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 826 Washington, D.C. 20554 Honorable Andrew C. Barrett Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 844 Washington, D.C. 20554 Honorable James H. Quello Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 802 Washington, D.C. 20554 Honorable Ervin S. Duggan Commissioner Federal Communications Commission 1919 M Street, N.W., Room 832 Washington, D.C. 20554 Honorable Edward J. Markey Chairman, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance U.S. House of Representatives 2133 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-2107 Honorable Daniel K. Inouye Chairman, Subcommittee on FidoNews 8-45 Page 8 11 Nov 1991 Communications United States Senate 722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-1102 "Fax Numbers: Federal Communications Commission 202-632-7092 Senator Daniel K. Inouye 202-224-6747 Congressman Edward J. Markey 202-225-8689 "To the best of our knowledge, the FCC has only one fax number. If you send your letter via fax (standard fax or GE Mail-to-FAX), the body of your message should indicate that it is intended for Mr. Sikes and that copies should be provided to the other Commissioners." ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Thom Henderson System Enhancement Associates, Inc. Announcing Kitten BBS version 1.01 Maybe you've seen Kitten before, but not like this! And if Kitten is new to you, then you're REALLY in for a treat! Kitten is the programmable BBS from System Enhancement Associates. Don't let the "programmable" part scare you -- if you can write a batch file, you can program Kitten. Sysops running Kitten have called it "a script that answers the phone", or even "the batch file BBS". The possibilities are almost limitless. Kitten is controlled completely by text script files written in the MEOW (Mnemonic Execution of Operator Wishes) language. You can use either of two sample setups provided with Kitten, or you can go off on your own as far as your imagination can roam. Here are just a few of the features offerred by Kitten version 1.01: * 26 string variables, stored between calls * 26 numeric variables, stored per user FidoNews 8-45 Page 9 11 Nov 1991 * 32 user flags, stored with the user data, allowing all sorts of access customization and special effects * External protocols to allow a wide range of file transfer capability to your users * Internal support for PC Board, RBBS, QBBS, and RA door programs * Internal support for running any arbitrary program that performs standard character I/O, with carrier watchdog and time limiting. * Support for Caller*ID, either via a Caller*ID modem or by using a separate Caller*ID interface (such as the Classmate 10). * 57 system variables, giving you consistent access to user and system data in menus, download lists, and even in text files! * Conditional expressions, allowing you to make menus that customize themselves on the fly * "Mark and go" file download management, which can give your users a "clipboard" for selecting downloads * Wildcard searches, keyword searches, and "new file" searches in file download areas. * Multiline support (when used with SEAmail) And that's just scratching the surface! Let me give you an example of what you can do. Suppose that you want to enforce a file download/upload ratio of ten to one. Kitten doesn't do that automatically, but don't let THAT stop you! Take a look at this: "(D)ownload files if %fdnlds% * 10 < %fuplds% *D echo I'm sorry, but you must maintain a ratio of 10 to 1 else *D dnld files endif Let me explain that piece by piece. "(D)ownload files ^^ || |This is menu text displayed to the user. | The quote means that this line is menu text. if %fdnlds% < %fuplds% * 10 FidoNews 8-45 Page 10 11 Nov 1991 ^ ^ | | | This is an arithmetic expression. "%FDNLDS%" is how many files | the user has downloaded. %FUPLOADS% is how many he's uploaded. | From there on it should be obvious. | This means that this line is a conditional expression. *D echo I'm sorry, but you must maintain a ratio of 10 to 1 ^^ ^ ^ || | | || | This is the text that is echoed. || | || This is the menu command. This one tells Kitten to show || the text to the user. || |This is the key the user hits to trigger this command. | The asterisk means that this line is a menu command. I think you can take it from there. Hopefully this gives you a taste of the power and flexibility that Kitten brings to you. Kitten can be obtained free of charge by calling the SEA Technical Support BBS (SEAboard) at (201) 473-1991, or you can file request KITTEN10.ARC from any of the following network addresses: AlterNet fidonet EGGnet 2400 baud MNP 7:510/519 1:107/519 99:9220/519 USR Courier HST 7:520/517 1:107/517 99:9220/517 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GoldEd - A fully-featured Sysop/Point message reader/editor for the IBM-PC and compatibles Written by Odinn Sorensen David Peterson Dippy's Point 3:635/504.4 Message reading is the one of the better parts of BBSing, and I have been after an easy-to-use and powerful editor/reader since I became a point. Luckily, I stumbled across GoldEd. GoldEd has made message reading and writing easier than ever with a simple interface that can perform everything from the basic, to the advanced. FidoNews 8-45 Page 11 11 Nov 1991 This article will try to point out some of GoldEd's features, so people who are after a better way to handle messages can become more productive. Note that I am not associated with Odinn Sorensen, the author, in any way apart from talking to him via netmail a few times, and registering the product. I'm just a very happy user! GoldEd definitely IS a fully featured message reader and editor. Almost everything is user definable, from message areas, to language files, and message templates. GoldEd has all the standard equipment for any message editor, including Replying to a message, Quote-Replying, Comment Replying (Replying to the TO name), Moving, Copying, Deleting, Exporting and Forwarding (in the same or a different area) of messages and changing of a message after it has been written. GoldEd also has keys to move to the next, and previous messages, as well as next and previous in a thread, the first and last in an area, a particular message number, the next and previous area and more. Carbon Copy and Crosspost are also supported. Most known kludges and all attributes are supported, including extended QBBS/RA attributes. Any of these can be changed at any time. On start up of the program, a welcome screen is displayed. Where GoldEd goes next is user definable, but the default action is to move straight to the message area selection. Message areas in GoldEd can come from several different sources at the same time, from a QBBS/RA Hudson-type message base, to the Fido .msg style. The area selection screen shows the ECHOMAIL ID of the area (if applicable), as well as an extended message area description. The total number of messages, and number of the last message read are the two other columns in this screen. One thing should be mentioned about the message numbers. GoldEd internally renumbers each message area, so messages are numbered sequentially starting at one. This allows instantaneous knowledge of how many messages are in an area, and where you are in the area. This does not change the ACTUAL message numbers. Again, this is user configurable - GoldEd can still display the REAL message numbers if wished. Once an area has been selected, the message reading screen appears. This screen is divided into three sections. The first, occupying the top six lines of the screen, shows the writer and recipient, message number, date and time, subject and other header information. The bottom line (line 25, or 43/50 on extended screens) holds a small GoldEd logo, information on the current status of the program (Reading, editing etc), memory free and current time. The rest of the screen is devoted to the message contents. Colors (also user definable) play a prominent part of the message text. The message body takes one color, quotes take another and kludge lines and origin/tear information a third. If the message is to or from you, your name will be highlighted If you have not read the message yet, GoldEd will beep (also user-definable). Kludge lines can be hidden or shown and twit messages (Messages to/from a person or subject) can be FidoNews 8-45 Page 12 11 Nov 1991 skipped. A page bar appears on the right hand side of the page that shows which portion of the whole message is being viewed. GoldEd can display a list of all messages in an area, for quick scrolling. There is also a very powerful message marking facility. Any particular message, or a group of messages can be marked. You can also mark your personal mail, messages in the current thread, or messages with a certain string within the header of body. These marked messages can then be moved, copied, deleted etc just the same as with one message. Another option screens the messages so only those that are marked are shown, and read. As yet, GoldEd cannot automatically scan for personal mail in all areas (a planned future feature), but personal messages can be scanned, marked, read, and replied to in each area without scanning through every other new message. GoldEd can search the messages in an area from the current message, and find a string in the message header of body. GoldEd can either stop on the first message found, or mark all messages containing the string. This is very handy for reading all messages from or to a certain person, or to find a particular message when all that was remembered about that message was one or two key words. A 'bookmark' is also implemented. This bookmark can be set, and jumped back to at any time. Another feature allows the current message in a thread can be book marked, and the thread be scanned. Press the "jump" key to return to where you left off sequential reading. As already mentioned, GoldEd is completely user-definable, with all commands definable by easy-to-change configuration files. Future plans by the author include writing a setup program, so the configuration files are not needed. Message areas can be defined within these configuration files, or GoldEd can be instructed to read the areas from another format. Currently supported formats include FD, Opus, ME2, Imail, Tosscan, Maximus, RA, QBBS, Duchie, D'Bridge and AREAS.BBS. GoldEd has an internal editor, and supports a user definable external editor. Messages with the external editor can be handled using a HARDLINE feature. Briefly, you type your message into the editor, and where you wish a paragraph to end, you can either leave a blank line after the end, or place a user definable hardline character (I use the default, <<). GoldEd uses these characters to re-format the message to look respectable before sending. Also supported is a way to place logs, or program text, where you don't want GoldEd to reformat the text. Quotes in reply messages are also re-flowed, so there is no nasty effect where one line is quoted into 2 lines, where the second line contains one word. Message templates and origin lines are also fully user-configurable. A Template provides a "Template" of the message, holding macros that define where GoldEd will place the recipient's name, the sender's name, the reply text, as well as any other information that can be provided. There is also a very good "Cookie" generation system, that places a random piece of text in every message. I use this feature to place either of "David", "David Peterson", "David 'Dippy' Peterson", "Dippy" FidoNews 8-45 Page 13 11 Nov 1991 and a few multiple line tags to the end of my messages. There can be multiple message templates per area, and different areas can have the same template. Multiple origin and tear lines can be defined for any area, with a random choice being made by GoldEd if more than one is defined. I have a lot of interesting origin lines setup for my local areas, and two variations of "Dippy's Point - Pointing off High Voltage" for the national and international echos I receive. When quoting origin lines, they can be invalidated automatically. A quoted " * Origin" can be converted to " ! Origin", and tear lines can be changed from "---" to "-!-" so that old message tossers and readers are not confused. This technique can also apply to SEEN-BY's. The replacement string is user configurable. Another powerful addition to GoldEd recently, has been the facility for a Spell Checker. The actual spell checker is not in-built, but external. GoldEd includes a key to shell out to the checker, and re-load the message into the internal editor once it has been checked. A Grammar checker can also be placed here. Macros are supported to a limited extent. I do not use this feature, so cannot comment on it. As mentioned previously, GoldEd's configuration files include the facility to change ANY message that is placed on the screen. This means that alternate languages, or just a Customization to suit an individual's tastes, can be catered for. The nodelist can be read by GoldEd and Netmail messages can be addressed to a node number (with GoldEd automatically looking for and inserting the sysop name). The full nodelist can be browsed if wished. File attaches, and requests are fully supported, with a selectable file list being generated if wild cards are specified as the file request. Among other user-definable features, GoldEd supports Character translation (The standards described in FSC-0050, FSC-0051 and FSC-0054 are three of the types supported), configurable online help, a totally reconfigurable keyboard, ROT 13 en/decryption and Areasort (areas with the most number of unread messages are placed first in the area list). The last public release of GoldEd was 2.31, but GoldEd revisions are available, and are up to 2.31p currently. There is a new release expected within the next month. Odinn allows all registered users to become beta testers, with these users being able to request the latest beta from most support sites. GoldEd has a few bugs, but most of them have been stamped out in 2.31p (the version I am using). The internal message editor has a few problems with word wrapping when typing near the end of the line, but Odinn has assured us that that will be totally fixed in a future version (he originally imported the source for another, already buggy, editor into GoldEd. While he fixed most of the bugs, he has decided to write one of his own). Another minor gripe is the disk space needed to hold GoldEd's nodelist index files. They use nearly 690K of disk space for the full day 298 nodelist. Of course, if not using Netmail, the nodelist is not needed. FidoNews 8-45 Page 14 11 Nov 1991 GoldEd has supported message base sharing on and off in the last few betas. It was implemented, but due to some problems, was taken out. It is now implemented again, in version 2.31p. The Author suggests that care should be taken though, as the feature has not been tested by him (He doesn't have a multitasking machine, or network). There are seven support sites located worldwide. GoldEd can be registered from any of these sites, and the latest BETA is available to registered versions. -------------------------------------------------- Where Who Node -------------------------------------------------- Denmark/World Odinn Sorensen 2:231/77 U.S.A. Mike Ernst 1:3812/215 Holland ROn van.der.Nagel 2:500/133 Germany Stefan Rubner 2:246/10 Australia Adrian Collings 3:640/208 Austria Johannes Mistelbauer 2:310/30 Italy Canada Robert Marcoux 1:167/245 Belgium England Mick Spice 2:440/6 -------------------------------------------------- Note : There are positions available for sites in Belgium and Italy. Contact Odinn if you wish to be a support site for these countries. A echomail area for GoldEd support is available on all major back bones around the world. The author is present, and does his best to answer questions. Most support sites are also active in this echo. The area is requestable with the name GOLDED. Registration of GoldEd costs DKK 250, or US$40. If registering from the author directly, an extra currency conversion cost is needed. This is not necessary when registering with a local site. The non-registered version of GoldEd is only crippled in the use of the tear line : It can not be changed. Registration lifts this restriction. GoldEd is an ongoing program, and the author plans to implement more features into future versions. A few of these features include a new internal editor, scanning for personal mail in all areas, replies reading mode, Nodelist browsing in levels a'la FrontDoor, Xpress and XRS compatibility, other message formats such as XBBS, better mouse support, conditional macros and macro recording, Windows 3 version (GoldEd 3.xx) and many other features! From the day I first unpacked the GoldEd archive, I have been hooked. On my recommendations, my Fido Boss looked at the archive too, and is now hooked as well. We are now both registered users, and very happy. GoldEd does not suit every application, but points and sysops, will benefit greatly, with reduced message reading time, which makes more time for users. FidoNews 8-45 Page 15 11 Nov 1991 GoldEd should be available at your local BBS under the name GOLD????, where ???? is the version number. (Thanks to Michael Ernst (USA Registration Site) for supplying some needed information quickly when preparing this article.) David Peterson FidoNet : 3:635/504.4 Compuserve : 70272,2374 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 16 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== RANTS AND FLAMES ====================================================================== _(*#$_(*@#(* (*^$+)#(%&+| #$)%(&*#_$ @_#( @$ ^@#+)(#&%$*+)$%&*+$*%&#@(@#_|)*%|)#%&)#*%&+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@### *&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#*$&$ _(#$*#$+)#($&*+#)$ &#+$*&# ()*&#$_(&^#$_(#*$_#($^&#_$(^&#_$(&^#$_(&#^ damn right _(#^&$_(#^& $*&#$_+(* #)$&(%($%+)($%*+$)%($* it's ugly _#&%^# & #($_*#$_ FidoNet (*$&%_@#_(*&@#_(@*#&_ @#_(*&@#_(* )*&#$ Flames *^$+)#(% (not for the timid) @_#( (*#$_(*^@#+) and #_|)*% &+(@#&*_+(@#*^&@### (#$*&#_($*&#$_(*#&$_(#* Rants *&+#$*&#+$*&# )*&#$_(a regular feature)^&#_$(&^#$_ $^&#$_(#^ (*^#$_*#^&$)*#&$^%)#*$&^_#($*^&#_($ Section #&%^_ _(*#&$_(#* #($*& #$* _(*&@#_(@*# *&@#_(*& )&*+_)*&+)*&+))&*(*& (*&_(*&_(*& ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 17 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== CLASSIFIEDS ====================================================================== ADVERTISEMENT POLICY: Submissions must be 20 lines or less each, maximum two ads per advertiser, 70 characters per line maximum. No control codes except CR and LF. (Refer to contact info at the end of this newsletter for details.) Please notify us if you have any trouble with an advertiser. FidoNews does not endorse any products or services advertised here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 18 11 Nov 1991 ====================================================================== LATEST VERSIONS ====================================================================== Latest Greatest SoftWare Versions Last Update: 11/01/91 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- MS-DOS Systems -------------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Aurora 1.32b* D'Bridge 1.30 2DAPoint 1.41* DreamBBS 1.05@ Dreamer 1.06 ARCAsim 2.31 Genesis Deluxe 3.2* FrontDoor 2.02* DEMM 1.06@ Kitten 1.01 InterMail 2.01 DGMM 1.06@ Merlin 1.39n@ Milqtoast 1.00 DOMAIN 1.42 ProBoard 1.17* PreNM 1.48* EEngine 0.32* QuickBBS 2.75* SEAdog 4.60 EMM 2.10* RemoteAccess 1.01 SEAmail 1.01@ EZPoint 2.1@ Socrates 1.11 4Dog/4DMatrix 1.18 TAG 2.5g FGroup 1.00 TComm/TCommNet 3.4 NodeList Utilities GateWorks 3.06e* WWIV 4.20 Name Version GMD 3.00* -------------------- GMM 1.21@ FDND 1.10 GoldEd 2.31p Parselst 1.33* GROUP 2.23 XlaxNode/Diff 2.53* GUS 1.40* HeadEdit 1.18 IMAIL 1.20 Compression InterPCB 1.31 Utilities Lola 1.01d Name Version MSG 4.2* -------------------- MsgLnk 1.0c@ ARC 7.12* MsgMstr 2.03a* ARJ 2.20 MsgNum 4.16d@ LHA 2.13 Netsex 2.00b*@ PAK 2.51 Oliver 1.0a PKPak 3.61 PolyXarc 2.1a PKZip 1.10 QM 1.00a* QSort 4.04 Raid 1.00@ StarLink 1.01 TCOMMail 2.2 TGroup 1.13 TMail 1.21 TPBNetEd 3.2 Tosscan 1.00 UFGATE 1.03 FidoNews 8-45 Page 19 11 Nov 1991 VPurge 4.09e*@ WildMail 1.01b* XRS 4.51* ZmailH 1.25* OS/2 Systems ------------ BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Kitten 1.01@ BinkleyTerm 2.50* ARC 7.12 SimplexBBS 1.04.02*+ BinkleyTerm(S) 2.50*@ ARC2 6.01* SEAmail 1.01@ EZPoint 2.1@ FGroup 1.00@ GROUP 2.23@ LH2 2.11* MSG 4.2* MsgEd 2.06c* MsgLink 1.0c MsgNum 4.16d* oMMM 1.52 Omail 3.1 Parselst 1.33* PKZip 1.02 PMSnoop 1.30*@ PolyXOS2 2.1a QSort 2.1 Raid 1.0 Remapper 1.2 VPurge 4.09e* Xenix/Unix 386 -------------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- |Contact: Jon Hogan-uran 3:711/909, | |Willy Paine 1:343/15 or Eddy van Loo| |2:285/406 | Apple II -------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- DDBBS + 8.0* Fruity Dog 2.0 deARC2e 2.1 GBBS Pro 2.1 ProSel 8.70* FidoNews 8-45 Page 20 11 Nov 1991 ShrinkIt 3.30* |Contact: Dennis McClain-Furmanski 1:275/42| ShrinkIt GS 1.04 Apple CP/M ---------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Macintosh --------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Point System Software Name Version -------------------- Amiga ----- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Software Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- DLG Pro. 0.96b TrapDoor 1.80 Areafix 1.48 Falcon CBCS 1.00 AReceipt 1.5 Paragon 2.082+ ChameleonEdit 0.11* XenoLink 1.0 Compression ElectricHerald 1.66 Utilities GCChost 3.6b@ Name Version MessageFilter 1.52 NodeList Utilities -------------------- Message View 1.12@ Name Version UnZip 4.1 oMMM 1.49b -------------------- TrapToss 1.20* TrapList 1.40 Yuck! 2.02* |Contact: Maximilian Hantsch 2:310/6| Atari ST/TT ----------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- FIDOdoor/ST 2.5.1* Burep 1.1@ FiFo 2.1v ComScan 1.04 QuickBBS/ST 1.04 Echoscan 1.10 FidoNews 8-45 Page 21 11 Nov 1991 FDrenum 2.5.2* Import 1.14 Compression Trenum 0.10 Utilities Name Version -------------------- LHARC 2.01e UnJARST 2.00 WhatArc 2.02 Archimedes ---------- BBS Software Network Mailers Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- Tandy Color Computer 3 (OS-9 Level II) -------------------------------------- BBS Software Compression Utility Other Utilities Name Version Name Version Name Version -------------------- -------------------- -------------------- RiBBS 2.02 OS9ARC (Arc) 1.0 Ascan 1.2 OS9ARC (Dearc) 1.0 AutoFRL 2.0 DEARC CKARC 1.1 UNZIP 3.10 EchoCheck 1.01 FReq 2.5a LookNode 2.00 ParseLST RList 1.03 RTick 2.00 UnSeen 1.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Key: + - Netmail Capable (Doesn't Require Additional Mailer Software) * - Recently Updated Version @ - New Addition # - Commercial SoftWare(Not In Use Yet) -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Utility Authors: Please help keep this list up to date by reporting all new versions to 1:103/950 in this format: 1) Software Name & Version 2) FileName.Ext 3) Support Node Address 4) Support BBS Phone Number FidoNews 8-45 Page 22 11 Nov 1991 Note: It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity. If you want it updated in the next FidoNews, get it to me by Thursday evening. --David French, 1:103/950 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 8-45 Page 23 11 Nov 1991 ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Tom Jennings, Tim Pozar Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Periello Special thanks to Ken Kaplan, 1:100/22, aka Fido #22 "FidoNews" BBS FidoNet 1:1/1 Internet fidonews@fidonews.fidonet.org BBS (415)-863-2739 (9600 HST/V32) (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews Box 77731 San Francisco CA 94107 USA 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. FidoNews is copyright 1991 Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact FidoNews (we're easy). OBTAINING COPIES: 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 via uucp. PRINTED COPIES mailed may be obtained from Fido Software for $5.00US each PostPaid First Class within North America, or $7.00US elsewhere, mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.) Periodic subscriptions are not available at this time; if enough people request it I will implement it. 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 1:1/1 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". FidoNews 8-45 Page 24 11 Nov 1991 "Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are used with permission. -- END ----------------------------------------------------------------------