F I D O N E W S -- Vol.11 No.31 (01-Aug-1994) +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS | | _ | +1-519-570-4176 | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | Small animal psychology and | | (_| /_) | Spiritual guidance Department: | | _`@/_ \ _ | Rev. Richard Visage 1:163/409 | | | | \ \\ | | | | (*) | \ )) | Editors: | | |__U__| / \// | Donald Tees 1:221/192 | | _//|| _\ / | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 | | (_/(_|(____/ | Tim Pozar | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: editors 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Internet addresses: | | | | Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca | | Tim (not-now and always will be IC) Pozar -- pozar@kumr.lns.com | | | | submissions=> 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...................................................... 3 Visage's Spiritual Massage Chapel........................... 3 White House retreats on Clipper............................. 5 Subject: Article............................................ 8 Subject: Fidonews article submission........................ 9 Comercial Use of FidoNet.................................... 10 What the hell is going on here?!?!.......................... 10 Dear Maddening Emilia....................................... 12 Subject: Re: Connects....................................... 12 Subject: Article Submission................................. 14 Subject: Please help me!.................................... 16 Subject: Re: Finger......................................... 18 3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 19 FidoNews 11-31 Page: 2 01 Aug 1994 ======================================================================== Editorial ======================================================================== Here is a letter I wrote last week to a regular contributer. It states pretty well how I feel about this entire Steve Winters issue. From: Donald Tees (1:221/192) Subject: Winter of our discontent (his title) Always Winter and never Christmass (mine) Thank you for your latest (and all) letters of support. In fact, I *am* annoyed at Mr. Winters et al. That is in spite of the fact that I do believe he did not write said article ... his constant invective, hate literature, and mean spirited actions have triggered thousands of ongoing fights that are spilling over onto my lawn. Even those upset about forged articles are tempering thr letters with phrases like "it could not happen to a better person". I am also annoyed at those idiots claiming that we, and other Fidonet sysops, could be charged on hate literature charges for printing said article. Mr. Winter, his ongoing crusades, his invective, and his army of syncydiots on his private net are well known. The article is typical of Mr. Winter, in spirit if not in fact. We have, in our possession, the letter from us to Mr Winter acknowledging receipt of the article and questioning its sanity. We have a return letter from Mr. Winter quoting our receipt and claiming that sanity is in the eye of the beholder. Both are dated *before* we printed the article. In fact, Fidonews exists for the sysops of Fidonet. For us to believe that a group Fido sysops are about to be attacked by a pack of ravening nut cases, and not warn them would be grossly derelict in our duties. What the hell do they expect us to do ... encourage Mr. Winter to spread his invective by private means while assisting him by keeping it secret from anybody with any sanity? Of course we printed it. You cannot expose hatred by burying it, or by cloaking it in the pleasantries of an editorial. The article spoke for itself far better than we could. Mr Winter is now claiming innocence. I have no doubt that he did not write the article, but innocent? The mistake arose because we received *TWO* hate letters, and one was genuine. So he mistook what were were asking for confirmation. It was submitted because Mr. Winters has actually adapted modern technology into insulting people, allowing him to deliver personal insults to more people that any other person in recorded history ... he has made enemies, hundreds of enemies, and one took a swipe at him. It was printed because it is plausible ... Mr Winter's crusades, paranoia, attacks on innocent people, maliciousness, stupidity, and insanities are a FidoNews 11-31 Page: 3 01 Aug 1994 matter of public record. Paugh on the lot of them. I have no sympathies. * * * On other fronts, we have been getting lots of suggestions on how to validate articles. None that I have seen yet are practical. PGP is the most common one ... but are we to refuse access to anyone not using PGP? I think not. Besides, unless we poll a system directly to get the public key, how does it prove anything? Anybody can create a key and a PGP signature. Unless one *knows* that the key one has is indeed the public key of the person named, the signature is useless. One user even sent us a sig and public key in the same message, apparently thinking that it proved something. Out of curiousity, Max called the board ... the public key and the sysop were unavailable. We cannot afford to call every submitter. We cannot afford to muzzle the snooze. I suppose all we can do is trundle on. ======================================================================== Articles ======================================================================== Area Netmail, Msg#197, Jul-29-94 10:32:28 From: Rev. Richard Visage (1:163/150) To: Sylvia Maxwell (1:221/194) Dear 'Snooze Editorbeings... You'll find attached, for your consideration for inclusion in the 'Snooze, my latest correspondence to that reprobate, Doc Logger. While our letters generally find their way into some unsuspecting echo, I thought you folks might like to fling the horrid things on an interplanetary basis, just out of sheer dementia. You'll be happy to know that the good fidofolks have now provided me my own node (assuming that the nodelist crunchers make appropriate human sacrifices etc., or whatever it takes to make the diff work) so that I may maintain contact during my travels. So, 163/409 shall be on my laptop from here on in - and I'll pick up my mail via 163/150. Incidentally, my acquisition of a nodenumber had absolutely nothing to do with my interest in the Hub-Babe's red spandex tube top, and the fact that she left tongue prints on my inner ear is also, of course, irrelevant. Really. I shall be leaving shortly for points west over the next month, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg in order to, among other things, track down the missing RC12. Any news items you read involving me, trance-inducing fungi, and sheep in cowboy boots will be a case of mistaken identity, I assure you in advance. I will be periodically updating you on occurences in West as I meander across the country. Religiously Yours, Rev. Richard Visage FidoNews 11-31 Page: 4 01 Aug 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Visage's Spiritual Massage Chapel & Bullfrog Ranch Carp-on-the-Rideau, Ontario Canada P1S 0RF My Dear Doctor Logger, Much has transpired in recent days. I've only just returned from Rio, where I completed my 'cultural angle' piece on the Brazilian World Cup Soccer victory for Swamp Swine Magazine. I made a number of discoveries while there. First, soccer is a game played by small, swarthy gentlemen with overdeveloped calf muscles, and in which, a globe made of hereford intestines is kicked about incessantly until one team collapses of boredom. It is thought by North Americans that the Brazilians are obsessed by this game, but I found, much to the contrary, that they much prefer getting naked and samba-dancing through the streets. Given this insight, I immediately hired three kilometres worth of naked samba dancers, and was somewhat indisposed for the rest of my trip as a result. Our mutual employer, the editors of Swamp Swine Magazine, somehow thought my pictorial piece inappropriate to publish, and worse, asked me what language I had written in. Phillistines. Then again, I did partake heavily of a "Voodoo Headache Remedy" provided to me by a coochie-coochie dancer named Consuela, and said remedy not only alleviated migraines, but enhanced the senses and spirit and provided intense literary stimuli. Naturally, I took several fistfuls of them prior to writing my article. Be a good chap, would you, and explain to the editors that the 192 hours of Consuela's time on my expense account was strictly medical? It is with much excitement that I learn that my moniker has been placed on the masthead here at the 'Snooze. I did accept said appointment after you assured me that "it'd get me bagsful of babes." It did not occur to me that said babes would be in the form of pictures of Rosanne Barr reclining on leopard skin rugs, and Tammy Faye Baker wallowing in tubs of liquid eye-liner. These pictures arrive nearly daily in envelopes with the return address deftly crossed out, but I'd swear that the editors of the 'Snooze are responsible, no doubt with your collusion. Do remind me to thank you in a seriously appropriate form for this new, thrilling element in my life. It really is no surprise that so many people want you dead. Ah yes, but back here in the confines of glorious Region 12, the repurcussions of the Poutine Protocol are still burbling away in the Metro Toronto fidopol battle. My secretary, Ms. LaBamba, tells me that she has learned (in between bouts of sitting on the fax machine and sending out copious numbers of copies to fidogods), that neither the recently-deposed-ex-NC nor Matthew FidoNews 11-31 Page: 5 01 Aug 1994 (The Man Who Would be King) Stein won the NET250 Eveready Bunny Election, but that a third creature with ugly *C aspirations, James Korolas, slithered into office. I'll try to avoid making the obvious Three Stooges comparisons. Also, it's my understanding that, after briefly poking his head out of the bunker, our beloved RC has once again gone missing. As I've heard that his closest, and last, amiable collegue is a fellow named Satti, I shall be proceding west to Darkest British Columbia within the week. I'll keep you posted on my progress in the west. As your spiritual advisor, might I suggest that you cut back on net250 electoral echos and take up a more rewarding hobby. Like, thorazine, for instance? Religiously yours, Rev. Richard Visage Spiritual Advisor, Region 12, Samba Artiste, Double Vision Expert. *** EDITORS NOTE: We are subjecting Rev. Visage's expense account to our auditors at the current time. They have assigned several of their best people to the task. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- White House retreats on Clipper From: Stanton McCandlish Yesterday, the Clinton Administration announced that it is taking several large, quick steps back in its efforts to push EES or Clipper encryption technology. Vice-President Gore stated in a letter to Rep. Maria Cantwell, whose encryption export legislation is today being debated on the House floor, that EES is being limited to voice communications only. The EES (Escrowed Encryption Standard using the Skipjack algorithm, and including the Clipper and Capstone microchips) is a Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) designed by the National Security Agency, and approved, despite a stunningly high percentage anti-EES public comments on the proposal) by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Since the very day of the announcement of Clipper in 1993, public outcry against the key "escrow" system has been strong, unwavering and growing rapidly. What's changed? The most immediate alteration in the White House's previously hardline path is an expressed willingness to abandon the EES for computer applications (the Capstone chip and Tessera card), and push for its deployment only in telephone technology (Clipper). The most immediate effect this will have is a reduction in the threat to the encryption software market that Skipjack/EES plans posed. Additionally, Gore's letter indicates that deployment for even the telephone application of Clipper has been put off for months of FidoNews 11-31 Page: 6 01 Aug 1994 studies, perhaps partly in response to a draft bill from Sens. Patrick Leahy and Ernest Hollings that would block appropriation for EES development until many detailed conditions had been met. And according to observers such as Brock Meeks (Cyberwire Dispatch) and Mark Voorhees (Voorhees Reports/Information Law Alert), even Clipper is headed for a fall, due to a variety of factors including failure in attempts to get other countries to adopt the scheme, at least one state bill banning use of EES for medical records, loss of NSA credibility after a flaw in the "escrowed" key system was discovered by Dr. Matt Blaze of Bell Labs, a patent infringement lawsuit threat (dealt with by buying off the claimant), condemnation of the scheme by a former Canadian Defense Minister, world wide opposition to Clipper and the presumptions behind it, skeptical back-to-back House and Senate hearings on the details of the Administration's plan, and pointed questions from lawmakers regarding monopolism and accountability. One of the most signigicant concessions in the letter is that upcoming encryption standards will be "voluntary," unclassified, and exportable, according to Gore, who also says there will be no moves to tighten export controls. Though Gore hints at private, rather than governmental, key "escrow," the Administration does still maintain that key "escrow" is an important part of its future cryptography policy. EFF would like to extend thanks to all who've participated in our online campaigns to sink Clipper. This retreat on the part of the Executive Branch is due not just to discussions with Congresspersons, or letters from industry leaders, but in large measure to the overwhelming response from users of computer-mediated communication - members of virtual communities who stand a lot to gain or lose by the outcome of the interrelated cryptography debates. Your participation and activism has played a key role, if not the key role, in the outcome thus far, and will be vitally important to the end game! Below is the public letter sent from VP Gore to Rep. Cantwell. ---------------------************------------------------ July 20, 1994 The Honorable Maria Cantwell House of Representatives Washington, D.C., 20515 Dear Representative Cantwell: I write to express my sincere appreciation for your efforts to move the national debate forward on the issue of information security and export controls. I share your strong conviction for the need to develop a comprehensive policy regarding encryption, incorporating an export policy that does not disadvantage American software companies in world markets while preserving our law FidoNews 11-31 Page: 7 01 Aug 1994 enforcement and national security goals. As you know, the Administration disagrees with you on the extent to which existing controls are harming U.S. industry in the short run and the extent to which their immediate relaxation would affect national security. For that reason we have supported a five-month Presidential study. In conducting this study, I want to assure you that the Administration will use the best available resources of the federal government. This will include the active participation of the National Economic Council and the Department of Commerce. In addition, consistent with the Senate-passed language, the first study will be completed within 150 days of passage of the Export Administration Act reauthorization bill, with the second study to be completed within one year after the completion of the first. I want to personally assure you that we will reassess our existing export controls based on the results of these studies. Moreover, all programs with encryption that can be exported today will continue to be exportable. On the other hand, we agree that we need to take action this year to assure that over time American companies are able to include information security features in their programs in order to maintain their admirable international competitiveness. We can achieve this by entering into an new phase of cooperation among government, industry representatives and privacy advocates with a goal of trying to develop a key escrow encryption system that will provide strong encryption, be acceptable to computer users worldwide, and address our national needs as well. Key escrow encryption offers a very effective way to accomplish our national goals, That is why the Administration adopted key escrow encryption in the "Clipper Chip" to provide very secure encryption for telephone communications while preserving the ability for law enforcement and national security. But the Clipper Chip is an approved federal standard for telephone communications and not for computer networks and video networks. For that reason, we are working with industry to investigate other technologies for those applications. The Administration understands the concerns that industry has regarding the Clipper Chip. We welcome the opportunity to work with industry to design a more versatile, less expensive system. Such a key escrow system would be implementable in software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof, would not rely upon a classified algorithm, would be voluntary, and would be exportable. While there are many severe challenges to developing such a system, we are committed to a diligent effort with industry and academia to create such a system. We welcome your offer to assist us in furthering this effort. We also want to assure users of key escrow encryption products that they will not be subject to unauthorized electronic surveillance. As we have done with the Clipper Chip, future key escrow systems must contain safeguards to provide for key disclosure only under legal authorization and should have audit procedures to FidoNews 11-31 Page: 8 01 Aug 1994 ensure the integrity of the system. Escrow holders should be strictly liable for releasing keys without legal authorization. We also recognize that a new key escrow encryption system must permit the use of private-sector key escrow agents as one option. It is also possible that as key escrow encryption technology spreads, companies may established layered escrowing services for their own products. Having a number of escrow agents would give individuals and businesses more choices and flexibility in meeting their needs for secure communications. I assure you the President and I are acutely aware of the need to balance economic an privacy needs with law enforcement and national security. This is not an easy task, but I think that our approach offers the best opportunity to strike an appropriate balance. I am looking forward to working with you and others who share our interest in developing a comprehensive national policy on encryption. I am convinced that our cooperative endeavors will open new creative solutions to this critical problem. Sincerely, Al Gore AG/gcs Stanton McCandlish * mech@eff.org * Electronic Frontier Found. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Article From: Ben Stine (1:2601/509) To: Sylvia Maxwell (1:221/194) Dear Sylvia: After sitting here reading what has transpired in the last few issues of FIDO News concerning the article FIDO Crucifixion. I feel that it is my duty as the High Priest of a local Pagan group to set the record straight once, and for all on what Pagans are, and are not. First let's start with the article that definitely offended most of the of the people that read it FIDO Crucifixion. The (Author whoever you may be) stated "Recently, I became aware of a new threat to the true church of Jesus,that being these people who call themselves Pagans ". Contrary to what this person believes Paganism was around for thousands of years before Christ. We pose no more of a threat to Christans than the Jews, Hindus, Buddhist, etc. We may even be less of a threat, because we do not try to convert anyone. The Author also stated "They should more properly call themselves Hea- thens or even Satanists". If there is one thing PAGANS definitely are NOT that's Satanists. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by the Christian tradition. We do not seek power FidoNews 11-31 Page: 9 01 Aug 1994 through the suffering of others. In other words we do not sacrifice babies, animals or anything else to Satan, because to us he doesn't even exist. Paganism is an earth, nature, and life loving religion. We worship a God & a Goddess that go by many different names depending on which tradition of Paganism your talking about. We live by a rule called the Wiccan rede it states "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." in other words Do what you will, but harm no one including yourself. We also live by the rule of threes "What ever you do will come back to you three times over." If I do something to harm someone I will be harmed three time worse then the person I did it to. If I do something good for someone that goodness will come back to me three times over. I hope that by writing this article I have helped some of you out there that have never heard the truth about what Paganism is all about have a better understanding of my religion, So that when Idiots like the Author of FIDO Crucifixion start spouting their bullshit, you will know it is just that. May the Goddess shine on you Ben Stine 1:2601/509 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Fidonews article submission From: Ilya Elstin (2:5021/4.1) To: Sylvia Maxwell (1:221/194) Hello Sylvia! At the end of each Fidonews release it's written that the person who wants to submit an article is recommended to read ARTSPEC.DOC that is file-requestable from Fidonews BBS. It's all good, but it seems to be difficult to get it - I haven't seen it on any nearest Russian BBS, and freq'ing it from zone 1... hmm... Not only matter of money :), our city's telephone company doesn't support automatic international dialing :(( So, the proposal is : maybe is reasonable to 'hatch' this file, and probably some other Fidonews related files into FidoNews fileecho? IMHO it would be useful not only for me :) but for a lot of people who's reading Fidonews. Best regards, Ilya. (2:5021/4, 4.1) ** EDITORS NOTE: When we finally get it revised, we will do just that. FidoNews 11-31 Page: 10 01 Aug 1994 Comercial Use of FidoNet Flagrent Disregard of FidoNet from Comercial Nodes! By John H. Guillory (1:3807/404.0) I think FidoNet needs to have some kind of Pre-Requesit to joining FidoNet specially written for business. In other words make business fill out an aditional form when joining FidoNet. It is bad enough when someone post an off topic message in an echo assuming that the programming echo is the appropriate area to discuss why their SIMM modules aren't working or what kind of computer is best, but when the business start using FidoNet Sysop's Money to advertise their business, it gets a little bit past annoying! Consider the following excerpt from the FidoNet Pascal Echo: Area: Fido: Pascal Echo Msg#: 3 Date: 24 Jul 94 23:30:00 From: Rick Glover Read: Yes Replied: No To: All Mark: Subj: LIVE GIRLS! Frustrated? Need someone to talk to? Call now for someone who'll understand! No arguments! No nagging! Just sharing live conversation! Lonely? Need to hear a soft, smiling voice? [Much filth deleted] Perhaps this guy's found a newer compiler, but that doesn't look a thing like the Pascal Code I was taught! Not only is it off-topic, he's trying to advertise his 1-900 number through FidoNet! Fido clearly states in Policy4 that Business can not take advantage of FidoNet in these ways, and they must not downgrade the performance of FidoNet. It seems to be getting far too common for business to take advantage of FidoNet Sysop's by using the fact that we pay for the phone call to pick up the mail, to distribute their advertisement Nation Wide, and sometimes Internationally! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- What the hell is going on here?!?! From: Chris Farrar (1:246/20) After reading all the crud that has been flowing though this newsletter, I finally can't ignore what is going on here any more. Specifically I am talking about the "Steve Winter vs. The World." that we seem to be getting in weekly installments via FidoNets. From reading Mr. Winter's numerous postings here in the snooze and in other echos, it seems that there is a serious contradiction coming from the keyboard of Steve's computer. In his ads for the PRIME Network and for his Bible echo (seen FidoNews 11-31 Page: 11 01 Aug 1994 almost every 3 days in the Other FTN echo) and here in The Snooze, which makes it seem like something that all could participate in and have meaningful discussions in, arguing interpertations of passages etc. However, after witnessing how people who (dare) disagree with Steve's opinion are treated, one wonders just where he got his definition of "Christian." Now its been quite a while since I even looked at a Bible, but I seem to recall something in there about tolerance, and letting the person without sin cast the first rock. Who is Steve to say that his God is better than anyone elses? And what gives him the right to suggest that those that don't believe in particular cult should be on the receiving end of a lynch mob. I seem to recall also in several places where Jesus preached tolerance, and didn't condem people simply because they were a member of a different religion. The latest batch of rantings (unless you can think of a better discription of them), if they prove anything beyond the inability of the author to handle criticism, is that he isn't a Christian. Now, before continuing, lets consult the dictionary definition of "Christian." Christian 'kristien' adj & n. - adj 1 of Christ's teaching or religon. 2 believing in or following the religion of Jesus Christ. 3 showing the qualities associated with Christ's teaching. 4 colloq. (of a person) kind, fair, decent - n 1a a person wiht has received Christian baptism. b an adherent of Christ's teaching. 2 a person exhibiting Christian qualtites. (Oxford Concise English Dictionary) From reading the writings of Steve Winter, the words, "kind, fair, & decent" are hardly the words I would use to describe them or the author. Hate insiting and intolerant are more likely to be the discription that leap to mind. While he may meet the "technical requirements" to be a Christian (ie, a baptism), he definitely does not show the qualities associated with Christ's teachings. I know this will probably cause a certain Mr. Winter to go ballastic, and I expect an influx of hate mail after this is published. Quite frankly, I hope that it does, as it will just further prove the un-Christianness of the author. As FidoNews is currently published in Canada, I am 99% certain that some of Mr. Winter's postings certainly exceed Canada's Anti-Hate Mail legislation, and I for one would applaud anyone who would like to file a complaint with the RCMP. Chris Farrar FidoNews 11-31 Page: 12 01 Aug 1994 Dear Maddening Emilia Q: Why do you like PGP sigs on snooze articles? Q: Oh, just because i do not think that PGP should be "outlawed". Q: Does it solve any problems regarding verification of fidonews articles? Q: No. It might, eventually, when more people are using it. See Stanton McCandish's article about encryption and sigs in the last issue of fidonews. Actually, one article was put on hold this week, because a PGP sig and a public key were submitted with it. Tried to contact the author to verify that sig and key belong to author, but no luck yet. What a pain. For the author, too. Q: Are you scared of repercussions from publishing the "fake" Steve Winter article? Q: oooooh yeah, BIG TiMe scared. What if it becomes so worrysome and horrible to try to publish or post anything that voices are squelched? i Dont' want to offend anyone, but can't back down on the anti-censorship thing now, more than ever, because it is so scary for everyone. eek. Q: There, there, little eeklette. perservere. Keep mooching affection from your correspondants to keep from getting headaches and listen, listen to everyone and nod akk, but wave the free-speech flag. It's good exorcise (sic.) of all demonic speech, and good exercise for brain matter. Q: Why do you have more than one editor for Fidonews? Do you think in tandem and agree about eveything? Q: Nooo, we do not agree about everything any more than does the greater FidoNet, but we do work together in a wierd way, most of the time. Often, snooze issues are put together amidst heated and passionate arguments which are rarely resolved (i h a t e losing these arguments), but which generate some useful ideas. Q: Bottom line is: it must work. Q: Top line is: try it to find out if it works. Q: Cutting edge is: e-motion ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Connects From: Pedro Jaramillo (1:202/727) To: Editor (1:1/23) CC: Patricia McBean, Bob Satti, Editor FidoNews 11-31 Page: 13 01 Aug 1994 BD> As you have problably learned or realized by now, Fidonet is not a BD> democracy where you can bounce around from hub to hub at your whim. BD> It doesn't work that way. It should work that way. People should have the freedom to choose which HUBs and/or SysOps best fit their personalities and attitudes. I am against all kinds of impositions and mistreatments. I don't think no one should ever be forced to stay where he/she doesn't feel welcomed and/or he/she simply doesn't like it.... and more yet.... no one should ever be ofended or get offended facing attitudes like mine. I also understand that if there would be only one HUB for San Diego than the desition would be a lot simplier. Connect or disconnect. BD> I could have left you under Garrett as a regional BD> node, but decided to give you another chance. (Regional BD> nodes are where BD> problem nodes end up.) I would take that option if available as I would take any option other than having to feel someone is giving me a chance. I dont need chances as I dont feel I have broken any rules other than having to face your attitudes. BD> You act like this choosing your hub and changing BD> when you feel like it is your due... I'm not BD> sure you understand yet. You BD> voluntarily quit your last hub and then tell people you were BD> excommunicated, which is totally untrue. You have verbaly told me "you decided" to keep me off becouse you did not like my attitudes and so you left many others with me unable to read and participate from Fidonet. I toughth you and me agreed that was the whole point. As I dont think I need you to tell me I am a member of Fidonet because you are giving me a chance. I dont think you own Findonet and I dont want to hear that again. BD> You do know, don't you, that BD> excommunication from Fidonet is having your BD> node number taken away by BD> someone else? You never had yours taken away. BD> Not only that, you were BD> given another chance to work things out and BD> you are doing fine, even BD> learning somethings about mail and mailers. You knew very well we were not accepting any route mail from that HUB and you did not care. We waited for one month without saying any word nor protesting for your attitudes and you just give a damm about it. Fine with me... I will find other ways .... as always. FidoNews 11-31 Page: 14 01 Aug 1994 BD> I will do that... consider it, I mean. BD> But that doesn't mean it's going to BD> change immediately. Once you change, you should BD> stay in once place BD> especially if you want to put it in the Mayor docs... BD> I'm still working BD> on BD> some net topology problems.... My original tought when I first requested to be a node of the FIdonet organization was that this would be not only fun but also educative. Edicative is... fun ... it has actually become a nightmare. My actions and desitions are focused to change that by getting away from people who want to supress us, intimidate us and mistreat us. We do not need you give us any chances, we need from you to stay away from us. Let us live our lives. Pedro Jaramillo * HISPANA USA * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Article Submission From: Vern Faulkner (1:340/44) To: Editor (1:221/192) In reading along in the fidonews, which for some reason I still do, I find myself somewhat appalled to note that almost every issue has at least one to three instances of various people finding various other people unacceptable. Usually the victim happens to be some being that is an NEC, REC, NC, or some such creature. One would assume, at least from reading almost any three issues of the FidoNews from here to last August, that almost every NEC, NC, Hub, and shoe polisher associated with Fido is some kind of power-grubbing monster. If so, you're wrong. Sorry. I do so hate to break the illusions that many of you must clearly be labouring under, but not all people in the fido political power situation are ugly, power-grubbing beings. See, when I first got into the Fido world, the local EchoMail Guru, the NEC at the time of Net 340 (Southern Vancouver Island, Canada) proved to be exemplory in his service. While he was a betatester for software, he was also slow to upgrade until he was sure that his system, and thus the echomail feed itself was stable. Ken Watson, whose service to the net has rendered him a continuing honoured status in the net, was the kind of person who would post mail in the local sysop echos if the mail dump was delayed by so little as twelve hours. He also established a fair method of cost-sharing the long-distance echo feeds, one that remains in practice in our net today. FidoNews 11-31 Page: 15 01 Aug 1994 So, in case I didn't say so before: Thanks, Ken. Ken, now stuck up in net 353, or some such, left about a year ago, and was replaced by Glenn Vermette. Glenn absorbed the cost of a satellite dish, to better feed the net with Planet Connect routed echomail. Glenn, while not as fanatically fussy as Ken was, is still quick to post any problems with his system, and delivers the mail from the satellite once per day with few hitches. Glenn has been a little more strict with those that were not 'chipping in' to the collection, thus ensuring that the echomail is paid by all, and that there are no freeloaders on the system. Ohya, Glenn is a cop in the local police force. Maybe the fact that he doesn't come into the net and chuck his weight around should indicate that maybe FIDO is supposed to be a place to get away from the 'real world' problems. And the fact that Glenn is quietly and efficiently doing his job is good enough for me. What more could I ask? So, in case I haven't said so before: Thanks, Glenn. Our current NC, Alex Stuart, runs the biggest system in our net. Basically speaking, Alex runs a massive system, with feeds from all forms of files nets, and the like. Sure, he runs a pay system, but to any FIDO sysop, there is sufficient on-line access, and even greater File-Request access. I do so much file-FREQing from his system that I have a desqview window hooked up with a listing program of his system's file lists. I, personally, must have file requested well over fourty megs of files in the last year, and not one complaint have I heard. So in case I haven't said so before: Thanks, Alex. We have a local sysop echo in 340. Not a surprise. But it works. As a result of concerns by one or more people in the net, we evolved a system in net 340 where each local echo (sale, chatter, tech support, etc) is moderated by one local sysop, who is responsible for the efficient running of that echo. This whole idea came about in part due to the efforts of Alex and other prominent sysops in the area. Because that is what FIDO is about. I recently tried to set up Binkley on my system. I was able to get aid from all forms of people, from 1:340/41 and 1:340/300 and 1:340/42 and 1:340/13 and 1:340/43. So, in case I didn't say so before: Thanks Oliver, Lionel, Rick, Patrick, Brooks..... This is just a sample of the kinds of service that I have recieved from the people bearing the /1 and /0 segments of my net, and a few of the you-n-me sysops that share the net with them. Rather than be bored with the negative material gracing the 'snooze of the last year, I felt it perhaps time to do something positive. See, Fido is not about Geonets or power struggles or any other silly thing that I see bantered about in the 'snooze like its a life-or-death struggle. Its about people working together, co-operatively. Or at least it should be. FidoNews 11-31 Page: 16 01 Aug 1994 So. My challenge then, is for all the readers of the news is to sit down for fifteen minutes, or a half-hour, and write *YOUR* positive experiences with FIDO and its sysops. And maybe we can get rid of a few batchfiles that automatically delete the incoming fidonews. :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Please help me! From: Pedro Jaramillo (1:202/727) To: Editor (1:1/23) Mr Satti, Three months ago I requested to become a node of the Fidonet Organization for the first time in my life. Everything was going fine until an US veteran posted an unsulting msg against hispanics. I responded to that msg, as you already know, letting him know my personal feelings about his attitude. In return I got more and more insults, a computer virus droped in my system, to the point where my house started to recieve anoying voice calls almost every 30 seconds, intimidating everyone in my house. The San Diego Police Department and the Pacific Bell Telephone Company are/where involved in that particular issue, to try to find out who is behind those events. I had no other choice but to request no feed from my ex-HUB (1:202/1601) since everything started in his BBS. He is also a US veteran and the coordiantor of the VETLink #55. I also requested to the NET202 Coordinator Brenda Donovan to assign me to a different HUB. As a result of my protest for the virus and those attitudes agains myself and my family, Brenda Donovan decided to give me an addisional lesson and kept me out of Fidonet for over one month. We kept quite for that time but we saw no actions nor intentions for letting us get back to FIdonet. Instead my ex-HUB informed us she was preparing a HUB only for Hispanics. I wrote her a message indicating her I will not participate in such a proyect becouse that tends to divide us even more. She has verbally told me she did kept me out of Fidonet becouse she did not like me. It is true that it was my choice not to accept any feeds from my ex- HUB, but that was becouse my HUB did not want to do anything to stop his BBS's user insulting my race. Brenda Donovan herself has told me the person that iniciated all this is a person who creates troubles everywhere. In one of the last messages Brenda Donovan started to twist things arround and declared mine as a regional node, for which sircunstances I would have to poll my mail from a town far from San Diego California. To avoid more problems than those I already had,.... I accepted ... and started to contact Mr. David Garrette. I sent him several messages accepting those decisions FidoNews 11-31 Page: 17 01 Aug 1994 but never got an answer. Brenda Donovan later informaed me Mr. Garrette is also her lawyer and so .. I probably dis not have any good references as he disabled the chat function while in sesion when I called his BBS to find out why he has not answered any of my messages. It is clear I can not approach Mr Garrete so I am forced to come to you. After that incident, I started to send you several messages but never got any answers either. I wrote to the Editor and they said this is a workable situation but in the mean time I was unable to participate in any fidonet echo as we where not accepting any feed from our HUB and Brenda Donovan was properly informed of my decision. I have never met any of the persons involved in this matter. I had no bad feelings towards anyone. All I've been doing is defending myself from their insults and attitudes. I have also requested help from other Sysops and yet I found out they have no organization at all to solve situations like this. What to do Mr Satti when the Net Coordinator decides to make your life misserable? Some have told me ... forget it!! you are history in Fidonet!! others have told me talk to the great one .... you!! I really don't know what to do or what else to go.... all I want is to be left alone ... I have not broken any rules except that she calls anoying behavior.. my last request for help!. Now Mr Satti, she has become my HUB, and in the past two or three weeks, everything has been totally irregular. The mail doesn't come as it did with the previous HUB. Some days it doesn't come at all. I am starting to receive messages with reference to other messages I have never received and so I requested to be assigned to a different HUB. It was not a good idea to accept that to begin with but I tried to show her that I can work with anybody, including herself. Four days ago(+/-), I requested a file from her BBS and got a virus. This time I was prepared to keep all logs and I sent her a copy inmediatelly. Three different scanners reported the same virus, SCAN, T-byte, and F-prot. However, when I run a second scan, nothing showed up, it was gone!!, nothing. I discused this with her but she did not find any mistakes in her system either. The next day the file table in this system was corrupted and the system could not boot up. For a person with litle experience in computers a system recovery was impossible. I had to re-install MS-DOS and run several file recovery utilities to try to bring the system back. Apparently, I lost over 100 files and several directories. I have no idea if this events are all associated or not. I am merely telling you what happend, my bealive is that there are probabilities that 'maybe' they are. I do not keep any good feelings toward Brenda Donovan, not becouse the last events but becouse she is using her powers as a NET202 Coordinator to intimidate me and treat me as a second FidoNews 11-31 Page: 18 01 Aug 1994 class human been. You must understand, I would fight her as I would fight any other human been who treats me that way. For you informations Mr Satti, I am 35 years old, father of three doughters, 10, 8, and 7 years old. I have written several books on computers in Spanish. I am the publisher of TUD (in Spanish), I am also the author of the first Spanish-like programming language called MAYOR, and I have just founded HISPANA, a world network of computer systems for those who speak Spanish anywhere. I know my knowledge of the English language limits me inmenselly in expresing myself.... my toughts .... and my feelings. Thats why I now come to you to ask you for help. I need your help Mr Satti to solve this situation. Not only to stop those actions against me, but also to stop any actions against any other hispanic in this country. We should not be judge by our language nor by our last name. Apparently, you are the number one of this organization. I hope I have not been miss informed as I really don't have much knowledge of this organization. You must bealive me it is not easy for me to intend to write a letter of this nature but I need help I need to stop this people from treating me the way they want. I can not work with my current HUB who is also the NET202 Coordinator, as I can not work with Mr Garrette. Trust have just been destroyed and I need a way out. If it is in your power to help me, please do it. I will appreciate it. Pedro Jaramillo * HISPANA * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Finger From: Barry Carter (1:250/888) To: Editor (1:1/23) Tuesday July 26 1994 13:15, Fredric Rice wrote to Barry Carter: FR> I telephoned Steve Winter last night to ask if he was FR> responsible for the article posted to FidoNews which solicits FR> criminal activity. He denied all involvement, claimed that he FR> and Editor had discussed it, claimed that editor is going to FR> publish an apology, then he fingered you as the most probable FR> individual who sent the article in. He then offered your FR> telephone number (which I already have.) Steve is loopy (the words of the police up in these parts). He could find himself charged with public mischief if he decides to visit Canada. A couple of months ago Steve called my home in the middle of FidoNews 11-31 Page: 19 01 Aug 1994 the night to call me "scum" and curse me in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He awoke my wife and daughter. He refuses to apologize. I too called him at work and at home, after his call, and he refuses to apologize. His reason for calling was a netmail exchange initiated by him where he calls me "scum" for daring to question his motives. I have been nothing but polite and concerned during the whole "ordeal". It is my opinion that Steve did write the "article" in question. I am not capable of the hatred exhibited in the text that was published. Steve has shown on many occaisions that he weilds a poison pen and this is the basis for my opinion. I believe Steve will soon find himself outside of FIDO for actions of his own. He is an extremely self destructive individual, on a course that he does not understand the ramifications of. FR> It is probably a good idea to know that he's telling people that FR> you are probably responsible for the article. Thanks for the note. Steve will be receiving a policy complaint very shortly for posting my home address and phone number in a public echo. He seems to feel it is ok to harrass people in any way he deems necessary. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ======================================================================== Fidonews Information ======================================================================== ------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ---------------- Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell, Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar Tom Jennings "FidoNews" BBS FidoNet 1:1/23 BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS) Internet addresses: Sylvia -- max@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca Tim -- pozar@kumr.lns.com (Postal Service mailing address) FidoNews 128 Church St. Kitchener, Ontario Canada N2H 2S4 FidoNews 11-31 Page: 20 01 Aug 1994 Voice: (519) 570-3137 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 1994 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 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 by sending SASE to the above snail-mail address, or trade for copy of your 'zine. INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org, in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you would like a FAQ, or have questions regarding FidoNet, or UUCP<==>FidoNet gateways, please direct them to David Deitch (1:133/411@fidonet) at deitch@gisatl.fidonet.org. 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. "the pulse of the cursor is the heartbeat of fidonet"... -- END ----------------------------------------------------------------------