F I D O N E W S -- Volume 15, Number 5 2 February 1998 +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | 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. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ It's GROUNDHOG DAY! Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 Nodelist is still a mess and Echomail election notes ..... 1 2. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR .................................... 2 Further responses to article ............................. 2 Election issues: Candidate Answers ....................... 7 Kohl Platform on the Internet ............................ 10 Echomail questions ....................................... 10 Echomail answers ......................................... 11 Even more Echomail answers ............................... 12 Goodbye? What about thanks for the fish? ................. 13 Zone 6 in deep trouble ................................... 14 Zone 6 troubles .......................................... 15 3. COLUMNS .................................................. 16 BBS Anonymous - Chapter 2 ................................ 16 4. COORDINATORS CORNER ...................................... 18 Nodelist-statistics as seen from Zone-2 for day 030 ...... 18 5. NET HUMOR ................................................ 19 The death of a legend? ................................... 19 6. NOTICES .................................................. 20 Future History ........................................... 20 7. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 21 Latest Greatest Software Versions ........................ 21 8. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ...................................... 25 FidoNews PGP public-key listing .......................... 25 And more! FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 1 2 Feb 1998 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= The Zone 1 Nodelist is only up to the Zone 2 360 diff file of 1997 and here we are five weeks into 1998. [sigh] There are more Zone 6 complaints from Zone 6 folks in this edition. Without an IC in place, WHO is going to help these people over there? The ZEC1 election for Head Echomail Weenie [HEW?] in Zone 1 is still going strong and more responses appear today. All Echomail weenies in Zone 1 should be sure to cast their votes while they have the chance. On the Internet front, those of you with Internet access should try a fabulous communication program called ICQ {I Seek You} available from www.mirabilis.com. It does just about everything including talking. It allows you to chat, send instant messages [IMs], send files, as well as tracking the online status of all your ICQ registered contacts. It's free and it's a lot of fun! For those of you not on AOL but with contacts there, you can download AOL Instant Messenger {AIM} to track their screen names and exchange IMs with them from outside AOL via your standard ISP connection. Go to www.aol.com for that free program. AOLers should also know that ICQ will operate from INSIDE your standard AOL environment, too. AIM doesn't do chats at present but may eventually. Here in the U.S.A., February 2nd is Groundhog Day. Theoretically, if the groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, comes out of his hole and sees his [his name is Phil] shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. If he doesn't see his shadow, then spring will be six weeks early. It's not an official day off [except maybe in Punxsutawney] but it's become a American nonsense tradition every year. You may have seen movie starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell called, "Groundhog Day" which explains the whole thing more succinctly. C.B. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 2 2 Feb 1998 ================================================================= LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ================================================================= --- Following message extracted from NETMAIL @ 1:18/14 --- By Christopher Baker on Sun Feb 01 19:19:51 1998 From: Bob Kohl @ 1:102/861 To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14 Date: 01 Feb 98 13:29:08 Subj: Further response to article. > * Forwarded from 1:102/861, Conniption BBS in Los Angeles CA > * Originally Andrea Santos to ALL in the Z1_ELECTION echo. > Would like to address comments made by Bob Kohl, as they appeared in > Fidonews this week. > ----------------> > F I D O N E W S -- Volume 15, Number 4 26 January > 1998 >>> From: Bob Kohl @ 1:102/861 >>> To: Christopher Baker @ 1:18/14 >>> Date: 25 Jan 98 14:12:53 >>> Subj: Re: Page Three, FidoNews >>> Anytime a person takes on the responsibility of gathering data >>> on an election, the data should be presented in a format to >>> properly address the correct views of the candidates and not >>> placed into a format To mislead the readers intentionally or >>> otherwise. > Agreed and every attempt was made via the Z1_ELECTION echo to > provide all candidates the opportunity to answer something not > previously answered, change a position, or further clarify any > an all. Bob did with two questions and I'm at a complete loss > as to why he didn't with the rest which follow. I'm at a complete loss to understand how Andrea ignored my answers If she'd been keeping up with the reading and the candidates posts in the echo, she would have noted my answers. Again, it is easily assumed that when someone decides to take the responsibility or collecting and reporting the date from the election, that the person that decides to do so will do so in an impartial manner. It would appear that Andrea cannot. >>> If indeed there is a question of not receiving an answer >>> given the occasional quirk of echomail. The person gathering >>> the data should request the data either in the echo or via >>> netmail. > This also was done via the Z1_ELECTION echo when the first table > was presented. FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 3 2 Feb 1998 And yet Andrea still ignored the answers that were posted in the echo to either the individuals that posted the questions or all. She still limits the format so that any question that requires an explanation more then just the simple yes/no format does not receive proper representation. deletions: >> Answer Legend: >> Y Yes/Agrees to question/Issue >> N No/Disagrees to question/Issue >> U Undecided, Yes/No wasn't provided >> ? No answer was received >> Candidate Abbreviation: >> JB Jim Balcom >> DC David Calafrancesco >> WL Wayne DeLisle >> JG John Glinski >> BK Bob Kohl >> ML Mike Luther >> JS Jeff Smith >> Election Issues Candidate Position Summary >> +=============================================================== >> =+ >> |Questions/Issues | JB | DC | WL | JG | BK | ML| JS >> | >> |=============================================================== >> -| >> |Prefer elections for echomail | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | ? | Y >> |positions versus appointments? | | | | | | | >> | >>> My views are that I'd prefer to see the best person for the job >>> in the job, be it by appointment or election. I've seen problems >>> with both means. > Bob's views were stated several times on this in the echo, and the > answer still stands as No. Which is incorrect. There are still no standards other then P4. Each region has it's own standards from RC down as to how they're handling this issue. This is up to the regions until such time as a standard is established or P4 is amended. I do not believe in micro-management. > Had the question been asked, "Prefer appointments for > echomail vs. elections," the correct answer, based on Bob's > response, would still be No. Bob clearly indicates he has "NO" > preference, and only wishes to see the "best person for the job, in > the job". The question is one of "preference". There is NO > preference in Bob's answer. That is correct, and therefore you've invalidated your own format FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 4 2 Feb 1998 Andrea. I have no preference on this issue. >> |--------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-- >> | >> |Experience moving large | Y | Y | Y | N | ? | N | Y >> |volumes of mail? | | | | | | | >> | >>> Yes I have experience as a mail mover. > This was not answered previously, hence the ? Again, if Andrea is going to take on the responsibility of collecting data for the sake of informing the sysops, she should also keep up with the reading in the echo. >> |--------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-- >> |Have you ever been an REC? | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | N >>> Somewhat misleading, one was a temp or interim REC. > This comment is with reference to candidate David Calafrancesco. > The question does not stipulate a timeframe for serving in this > position. There is nothing misleading about it. David served in > the position of REC. There was nothing in the original question > regarding how long, permanent, temp, interim or anything else. Misleading in the sense that the sysops are not clearly informed as to the experience levels. There is a large difference between an active, seated and functioning REC then just an interim REC. The sysops should be aware of this. There has only been two active REC's from Reg 13 since I have been an REC and they have been Jim Balcom and Rick Ashworth. Even David's participation in the effort to get this election going was minimal. To understand this better, any person that was an REC at any time has access to the RECC echo. >> |Any axes to grind? | Y | N | Y | N | ? | N | N >> |--------------------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+-- >>> No. My answer to this was approached on a humorous basis. > Actually, Bob's "response" could have been marked as Y, N, U, or ? It would appear that in Andrea's opinion, the world is black and white as all answers should be. > The original response was "only as the person that had the wet > stone". Bob went on to say, closely paraphrasing, that no matter > what the exchange, if a net matter came up, the nonsense would be > dropped. Still doesn't address the specific question...do you have > any axes to grind, and not if this, then that. > It was a tough question and darn near impossible to mark based on > Bob's answer. This is correct, ergo the format Andrea has used is invalid. FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 5 2 Feb 1998 > It could not be marked as a NO, because he didn't say NO. Couldn't > mark it as a YES for the same reason. Couldn't mark as U because > something was offered, though it was so widely open to > interpretation, I felt the only fair way to go was to mark it as a ? > and allow him to come back and clarify. He didn't. This was clear from the day I answered it. If Andrea chose to ignore this, then she again misrepresents the answers. >> |Elimination of *EC chain? | N | N | N | N | ? | N | N >>> No. > This was not answered previously, hence the ? Yes it was. >> |Do you want an Assistant? | Y | U | U | N | ? | Y | ? >>> No, I do not. > This was not answered previously, hence the ? Please keep up with the posts in the echo, or check your links Andrea. >> |Support CRP BAN of Software? | Y | Y | ? | N | ? | N | N >> | > No, we've worked through all the problems we've seen with software > without a "Ban", excom's, PC's, or whatever. > This was not answered previously, hence the ? This is fair enough, this one I hadn't answered. > With this submission to Fidonews, Bob has now answered several more > questions which had previously been unanswered. A few unanswered > questions still remain. I will note these answers on my personal > table, however, it would have been great to get those answers while > I was making revisions, where everyone had the opportunity to do > this, and not after the fact. Bob did specifically clarify two > previous answers, and I made the change/notes available with the > revised table. He has not questioned those notes in this message. He hasn't? ;) > So we're left with a question Bob feels is misleading with reference > to another candidate. The way the question is posed, the answer > indicated is 100% factual. The question was posed to mislead. Intentional or not. > The candidate in question served as an REC. Makes not > one bit of difference if it was for 1 month or 5 years. He served > in that capacity. FIDONEWS 15-05 Page 6 2 Feb 1998 It