Volume 8, Number 10 11 March 1991 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | FidoNet (r) | | \ \\ | | International BBS Network | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings Copyright 1991, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software. FidoNews is published weekly by and for the Members of the FidoNet (r) International Amateur Electronic Mail System. It is a compilation of individual articles contributed by their authors or authorized agents of the authors. The contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day. Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are used with permission. Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software. Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every responsible submission received. Table of Contents 1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1 Vote: Proposed New FidoNet Policy ........................ 1 Collector's Corner Echo! ................................. 14 Apple Software for Fidonet Compatibility ................. 16 Z1EC Election Runoff - One Opinion ....................... 17 WorldPol, About to Become Policy5 ........................ 19 2. COLUMNS .................................................. 21 Getting it there, YAPPPIV ................................ 21 3. LATEST VERSIONS .......................................... 24 Latest Software Versions ................................. 24 4. NOTICES .................................................. 29 And more! FidoNews 8-10 Page 1 11 Mar 1991 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= Vote: Proposed New FidoNet Policy --------------------------------- Matt Whelan, 3:3/1000 (3:712/627) International Coordinator In accordance with current FidoNet policy, version 4.07, a majority of the RCs have requested a vote on a proposed new policy, generally known as WorldPol. Please read WorldPol (see below) carefully. Note that the version to be voted on is v1H, which has NOT previously been published. The vote will be conducted in accordance with Sections 8.1-8.6 of current policy. I would like to draw everyone's attention to section 8.3 in particular: 8.3 Eligibility to Vote Each member of the FidoNet coordinator structure at and above Network Coordinator is entitled to one vote. (Hub coordinators do not vote.) In the case of the position changing hands during the balloting process, either the incumbent or the new coordinator may vote, but not both. If a person holds more than one coordinator position, they still receive only one vote. Network coordinators are expected to assess the opinions of the members of their network, and to vote accordingly. A formal election is not necessary, but the network coordinator must inform the net of the issues and solicit input. The network coordinator functions as the representative of the rank and file members of FidoNet. As this is not a 'personality' vote, I see no need for secret balloting. This will, hopefully, encourage all eligible voters to present a truly representative view of net-wide opinion. The schedule for voting is as follows: - March 15 - April 11: discussion period - April 12 - April 25: voting period - April 26 - April 30: Regional vote totals (*) to be published in appropriate local/ regional Sysop conferences FidoNews 8-10 Page 2 11 Mar 1991 - May 1: deadline for advising RC of local problems/protests, or ZC of RC's failure to publish/include valid votes. - May 2: deadline for Regional totals to be sent to the ZC, zone tabulating (*) - May 9: deadline for Zone totals to be sent to the IC Zone totals to be published in appropriate local/regional/zone sysop conferences. - May 15: deadline for advising ZC/IC of problems/protests - May 16: deadline for IC to report final results to the ZCs - May 20: complete results are published in the Nodediff and FidoNews (*) All nets will be shown in the Regional report, and all nets and regions will be shown in the Zone report. Any that do not vote will be listed as such. The total numbers MUST give the total number of regions and nets in each zone. For example: Zone 999, Solar System ZC YES RC 01 NO Net 123 YES Net 234 NO Net 345 YES Net 456 NO Net 567 YES Net 678 NO RC 02 YES Net 789 NO Net etc. No vote cast: RC 99 Net 890 Net 901 Net etc. ================================================================= Proposed Policy: ================================================================= FidoNews 8-10 Page 3 11 Mar 1991 FidoNet Worldwide Policy Document Version 1h December 9th, 1990 This Worldwide Policy document has been released for vote by the Coordinator structure and is not yet in force. 1 FidoNet This document installs an international (inter-zonal) policy for sysops who are members of the FidoNet organization of bulletin board systems worldwide. FidoNet is defined by a list of nodes (NodeList) issued on a weekly basis by each of the Zone Coordinators, on behalf of the International Coordinator. A node is understood to be a "member system" of FidoNet. The collection of nodes is classified into Zones, Regions and Networks. Each FidoNet Zone is entitled to issue its own policy document, according to its own needs and customs. This International Policy, determines general rules which must be specified -and may not be contradicted- by the Zone Policies. Regions and local Networks may also issue their own policies, provided such policies do not contradict this International Policy or the respective Zone's policy. 1.1 Overview FidoNet is an amateur electronic mail system. As such, all of its participants and operators are unpaid volunteers. From its nearly beginning in 1984, as a few friends swapping messages back and forth mainly in North America, it consists now of an International community of more than seven thousand systems all over the world. FidoNet is not a common carrier or a value-added service network and is a public network only as much as the independent, constituent nodes may individually provide public access to the network on their system. FidoNet exists to provide electronic mail services to its member sysops. To efficiently provide such services, various structure and control mechanisms are essential. The structure is organized into multiple nets, with decentralized administration. This document delineates all of the procedures at the international level of FidoNet, as well as some general rules for the lower levels (intra-zonal), developed to manage the network. Authorities in the international level not defined by this document, shall be defined by the Zone Coordinators Council and the International Coordinator. FidoNews 8-10 Page 4 11 Mar 1991 2 Language Each zone has the right to determine its own official language. At the international (inter-zonal) level, for practical purposes, FidoNet adopts English as its official language. All the FidoNet documents issued at the international level must exist in English. Translation into other languages is encouraged. 3 Access to FidoNet FidoNet membership is open to everybody that fulfills the technical standards described in paragraph 5.9. Lower-level policies may issue additional restrictions only if particularly authorized by the Zone Coordinator Council. 4 Organization The organizational structure of FidoNet, has been developed to distribute the administration and control of FidoNet, to the lowest possible level, while still allowing for coordinated action over the entire system. Effective administration is made viable by operating in a top-down manner. This means, that a person at any given level is responsible to the level above, and responsible for administrating the level below. If a person at any level above sysop is unable to properly perform their duties, the person at the next level may replace them. For example, if a Region Coordinator fails to perform, the Zone Coordinator may cause the Coordinator to be replaced. Coordinators may also be removed by a majority vote of the level below. For example, if network Coordinators in a region lose faith in the ability of a Region Coordinator to effectively perform, they may vote to have a new Coordinator elected. 4.1 International Coordinator The International Coordinator (IC) is the Executive Officer of FidoNet and coordinates the joint production of the master nodelist by the Zone Coordinators. The International Coordinator is responsible for creating new zones in FidoNet, but can only do so with the approval of the Zone Coordinator Council. The International Coordinator is selected by unanimous vote of the Zone Coordinators, and removed by a majority vote of the Zone Coordinators. FidoNews 8-10 Page 5 11 Mar 1991 4.2 Zone Coordinator Council The Zone Coordinator Council (ZCC) consists of the Zone Coordinators -each having a single ballot- and the International Coordinator. In the event of a ZCC vote tie, the International Coordinator may cast an additional vote to untie the election. The Zone Coordinator Council is the legislative body of FidoNet, it represents each of the zones in FidoNet. It is the highest authority of the network's Top-Down organization. 4.3 Zones and Zone Coordinators A zone is a geographic area containing one or many regions, covering one or more countries. The Zone Coordinator is the Executive Officer of the Zone, and the zone's representative to the other zones. The Zone Coordinator compiles the nodelists from all of the regions in the zone, creates a master nodelist and a difference file, which is then distributed over FidoNet within the zone. A Zone Coordinator does not perform message-forwarding services for any nodes in the zone, whereas the Zone Coordinator is responsible for the formation and/or administration of one or more zone-gates to provide interzone mail facilities. The method used for selection of Zone coordinators is left to the discretion of the relevant Zone Policy. In the absence of a Zone Policy selection method, Zone Coordinators are elected and removed by a majority vote of the Region Coordinators in the Zone. 4.4 Regions and Region Coordinators A Region is a well-defined geographic area containing nodes which may or may not be combined into networks. A typical Region will contain many nodes in networks, and a few independent nodes which are not part of the network. The Region Coordinator maintains the list of independent nodes in the region, and accepts nodelists from the Network Coordinators in the Region. These are compiled to create a regional nodelist, which is sent to the Zone Coordinator. A Region Coordinator is encouraged to perform message-forwarding services for nodes within the region, but is not forced to, unless the appropriate Zone or Region policy imposes such a requirement. FidoNews 8-10 Page 6 11 Mar 1991 The method used for selection of Regional coordinators is left to the discretion of the relevant Zone or Region Policy. In the absence of such a policy selection method, Region Coordinators are elected and removed by a majority vote of the NCs in the Region. 4.5 Networks and Network Coordinators A network is a group of nodes, normally but not exclusively in a local geographic area. Networks coordinate their mail activity to decrease cost. The Network Coordinator is responsible for maintaining the list of nodes for the network, and for forwarding netmail sent to members of the network from other FidoNet nodes. The Network Coordinator may make arrangements to handle outgoing netmail, but is not required to do so, unless the appropriate Zone, Region or Net policy imposes such a requirement. The method used for selection of Network coordinators is left to the discretion of the relevant Zone/Region/Net Policy. In the absence of such a policy selection method, Network Coordinators are elected and removed by a majority vote of the Nodes in the Network. 4.5.1 Network Routing Hubs Network Routing Hubs exist only in some networks. They may be appointed by the Network Coordinator, in order to assist the management (especially routing tasks) of the network. 4.6 Individual systems (Nodes) The smalles