F I D O N E W S -- Volume 14, Number 48 1 December 1997 +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet community | "FidoNews" | | _ | 1-904-409-7040 [1:1/23] | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | | | | | \ \\ | Editor: | | | (*) | \ )) | Christopher Baker 1:18/14 | | |__U__| / \// | | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | submissions=> cbaker84@digital.net | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ The Christmas Season is Upon Us! Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 Talk is cheap? ........................................... 1 2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2 FidoNet on the Internet project starting ................. 2 FidoNet dies a slow death! ............................... 3 Nodelist flags ........................................... 3 Responses to articles in 14-47 ........................... 11 New Echos ................................................ 12 3. NET HUMOR ................................................ 13 Are programmers that hard to understand? ................. 13 4. ADVERTISE YOUR FREE SERVICE/EVENT ........................ 14 5. NOTICES .................................................. 15 Future History ........................................... 15 6. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 16 Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 16 7. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ...................................... 20 FidoNews PGP public-key listing .......................... 20 8. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 21 9. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 23 FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 1 1 Dec 1997 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= FidoNet Policy4 is like the weather. It changes depending on where you are and everyone talks about it but nobody does anything about it. We still don't have an International Coordinator to take the reins of this debate and throw the darn thing out. Other than that, nothing else is new, either. C.B. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 2 1 Dec 1997 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= From: davec@trak-one.co.uk (Dave Carter) Date: 26 Nov 97 02:48:07 +0000 Subject: FOTI (Fidonet On The Internet) Organization: The TRAK-ONE! BBS To: cbaker84@digital.net Hi Chris, For the first time in my life, I'd like to submit something to Fidonews please! :-) --/// Snip ///-- Hi Folks!, FOTI (Fidonet On The Internet) is a new project being coordinated by a number of people in the UK with an interest in the future of Fidonet, and we're looking for help from any Fidonet echo moderators and Fidonet shareware authors around the world. FOTI includes sections about Fido-related shareware/freeware programs, and echomail conferences available around the world - there is even an opportunity for each program or echo to have it's own mini web-site, if it doesn't already have one elsewhere :-) Initially, it would be great if any author or moderator with WWW access could pop onto the site at http://www.trak-one.co.uk/foti, and take a look at the format of the information we're already carrying. Then, put together some information that you'd like shown (if it's already in HTML, then great), and send it to us so that we can include it. Once you have something to send, please use one of the following methods to submit your info: * Upload it to ftp://ftp.trak-one.co.uk/incoming (active from Friday 28th November), and send an e-mail to input@foti.trak-one.co.uk telling us it's there (Please give the filename and program/echo-tag it refers to). * File attach it to an e-mail to input@foti.trak-one.co.uk or netmail to me at 2:25/999 or 2:254/60. This part of the FOTI project relies on YOU make it a success! The site will be updated each Saturday with submissions received during the previous week .... Please help - Don't miss out! :-) Join us every Saturday at 11 am on the site for live chat about the future of Fidonet! Cheers, FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 3 1 Dec 1997 Dave -[ davec@trak-one.co.uk ]- FOTI (Fidonet On The Internet) * http://www.trak-one.co.uk/foti --/// Snip ///-- Thanks, Dave -- | Dave Carter -[ davec@trak-one.co.uk ]- Fidonet: 2:254/60 | Sysop of the TRAK-ONE! BBS and Fidonet <> Internet Gateway | Data: +44 (0)181-407-0013 Web: http://www.trak-one.co.uk ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNet dies a slow death! by: Bobby Queen 1:3667/5 changes to 1:18/178 on 11/28/97 Well to show how bad FidoNet is hurting our local Net 3667 is being dissolved this week due to the NC/NEC and 3 more BBS's quitting all at once. This means my node number is being changed to a regional independent due to the fact that the next closest net is still LD to me. I am going to do my best in the limited time my RC Ken Tuley is giving me to try to get enough BBS's here in town hooked up so we can resurrect Net 3667 again out of the ashes. I think the reason Net 3667 never took off was the NC/NEC was charging an outrageous amount of CRP. That is one of the main problems that is still hiding in FidoNet today. As the Internet becomes more popular it is hurting us BBS's but it is also making it easier for us to get our FidoNet mail and files via FTP and other Internet means. So lets each one contact a few local boards this next week that are not in FidoNet and see if we can not reverse this backwards slide that FidoNet is in. Bobby Queen ----------------------------------------------------------------- Nodelist flags Publication: FSP-Z2 (number to be assigned) Revision: 6 Title: Zone 2 nodelist flags Author: Frank Ellermann, 2:240/5815.1 Revision Date: 27 November 1997 Expiry Date: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Contents: 1. Introduction FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 4 1 Dec 1997 2. FTS-0005 flags 3. User flags 4. Approved zone 2 user flags 5. Flag implications 6. Invalid combinations 7. Baud rate field 8. Thanks to... --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction --------------- This document informs about known differences of FidoNet zone 2 nodelist flags from FTS-0005.003. The ultimate sources for these informations are the current Z2 nodelist epilogue and the setup for flag corrections at Z2C, but it may be difficult to get these sources for readers in other zones. | All changes since version 5 are marked by a bar at the left edge. It is (again) possible to list V32b and V42b in zone 2, upper case V32B or V42B is not more enforced. Currently new flags needed for IP-connectivity are under test in zone 2 (only internally), e.g. -> VM VModem, default port 3141, dummy country code 000- -> IFC IFCico, default port 60179, dummy country code 000- -> BND BinkP, default port 24544, dummy country code 000- -> IP general IP connectivity, dummy country code 000- -> TELN Telnet dummy country code 000- 2. FTS-0005 flags ----------------- The following flags are used as specified in FTS-0005.003: CM Continuous Mail, node accepts mail 24 hours a day MO Mailer Only (no BBS) LO Listed Only, node accepts calls only from listed node numbers in the current FidoNet nodelist -> V21 ITU-T V21 300 bps full duplex (obsolete) V22 ITU-T V22 1200 bps full duplex (obsolescent) | In zone 2 the value 1200 in the baud rate field implies V22. Only | two nodes not supporting at least V22bis, ISDN, or IP still exist | in the zone 2 segment. Flag V22 is almost obsolete, and V21 is | already removed in Z2. Both flags should be dropped from the next | FTS-0005 version. V29 ITU-T V29 9600 bps half duplex (obsolescent) -> V33 ITU-T V33 14400 bps half duplex (obsolete) V33 cannot be used in connecting FidoNet nodes over public dial-up lines and is most probably a historical error in FTS-0005. A very similar argument is applicable on V29, all nodes flying this flag support at least V32. Today only one node in Z2 still flies V29, and V33 is already removed in Z2. Both flags should be dropped in FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 5 1 Dec 1997 the next FTS-0005 version. V32 ITU-T V32 9600 bps full duplex V32b ITU-T V32bis 14400 bps full duplex (implies V32) | V34 ITU-T V34 28800 bps full duplex (33600 bps option) FTS-0005 specifies V32b and V42b (capital V and small b), current nodelist practice in FidoNet shows all combinations of small and capital letters for flags. This was no problem before FSC-0062 introduced case-sensitive flags. The best solution is to stick to the current practice and treat all old flags as case-insensitive. H96 Hayes V9600 HST USR Courier HST up to 9600 (implies MNP) H14 USR Courier HST up to 14400 (implies HST) -> H16 USR Courier HST up to 16800 (implies H14 and V42b) MAX Microcom AX/96xx series (almost obsolete) PEP Packet Ensemble Protocol CSP Compucom Speedmodem -> ZYX Zyxel series 16800 bps (implies V32b and V42b) -> V32T V.32 Terbo 19200 bps (implies V32b) VFC V.Fast Class 28800 bps (should imply V32b and V42b) If a flag directly or indirectly implies other flags, then these other flags are not shown in a nodelist entry, because this would be redundant. Unfortunately the rules for redundancies in zone 2 and FTS-0005 are different. Zone 2 continued to avoid redundancy with most "new" flags, but FTS-0005.003 specified no redundancies for "new" flags like ZYX, H16, V32T, or VFC. "New" flags in this context are flags approved by FidoNet International Coordinators since 1989, when FTS-0005.TXT, the predecesssor of FTS-0005.003, was published. For details see the chapter "implications" below, for now only note, that in zone 2 H16 implies V42b, ZYX implies V32b and V42b, and V32T implies V32b. Zone 1 and zone 2 have introduced a user flag Z19 approved by the corresponding Zone Coordinator. User flags are discussed later, for now only note, that in zone 2 ZYX is specified as Zyxel 16k8, while FTS-0005.003 not knowing Z19 specifies ZYX as generic flag for all Zyxel protocol speeds. Today only one node in FidoNet still really flies MAX, this flag is obsolete and should be dropped from FTS-0005. The flags CSP (7 nodes worldwide) and H96 should be marked as obsolescent. | MNP Microcom Networking Protocol 2-4 error correction | V42 ITU-T LAP-M error correction w/ fallback to MNP 2-4 | V42b ITU-T V.42bis BTLZ data compression over V.42 LAP-M The next version of FTS-0005 should adopt the better V42b and MNP definitions of the zone 3 nodelist epilogue. FTS-0005.003 specifies an implication of V42 by V42b, but the exact meaning of the flag MNP is unclear. Most probably this flag was meant to | indicate support of MNP 2-4, and in this sense V42 implies MNP. FIDONEWS 14-48 Page 6 1 Dec 1997 | Note the difference between the flag V42b (implying V42) and the | standard V.42bis (not necessarily based on LAP-M as data link | layer protocol), without this difference the flag V42b would be | ambiguous for combined modem and ISDN node entries. MN No compression supported in insecure inbound XA Bark and WaZOO file/update requests XB Bark file/update requests, WaZOO file requests XC Bark file requests, WaZOO file/update requests XP Bark file/update requests XR Bark and WaZOO file requests XW WaZOO file requests XX WaZOO file/update requests These flags are equivalent in FTS-0005 and in the zone 2 segment. Gx..x Gateway to domain 'x..x' Valid values for this flag are assigned by the Fido International Coordinator, FTS-0005.003 explicitly mentions GUUCP. In zone 2 only GUUCP gateways are flagged. #01 Zone 5 mail hour (01:00 - 02:00 UTC) w/ Bell 212A #02 Zone 2 mail hour (02:30 - 03:30 UTC) w/ Bell 212A -> #08 Zone 4 mail hour (08:00 - 09:00 UTC) w/ Bell 212A #09 Zone 1 mail hour (09:00 - 10: