F I D O N E W S -- Volume 15, Number 20 18 May 1998 +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | The newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: | | FidoNet community | "FidoNews" | | _ | 1-209-251-7529 [1:1/23] | | / \ | | | /|oo \ | | | (_| /_) | | | _`@/_ \ _ | | | | | \ \\ | Editor: | | | (*) | \ )) | Zorch Frezberg 1:205/1701 | | |__U__| / \// | | | _//|| _\ / | | | (_/(_|(____/ | | | (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. | | | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Submission address: FidoNews Editor 1:1/23 | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | MORE addresses: | | | | submissions=> editor@fidonews.org | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | For information, copyrights, article submissions, | | obtaining copies of FidoNews or the internet gateway FAQ | | please refer to the end of this file. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Always Check Your Premises Before... Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 2. ARTICLES ................................................. 3 FidoNet European Convention .............................. 3 BURY THE DEAD PLEASE *C's! ............................... 6 3. COLUMNS .................................................. 20 Cabbages and Kings ....................................... 20 4. NOTICES .................................................. 22 Future History ........................................... 22 5. FIDONEWS PUBLIC-KEY ...................................... 23 FidoNews PGP Public-Key Listing .......................... 23 6. FIDONET BY INTERNET ...................................... 24 7. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 26 FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 1 18 May 1998 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= I had hoped to present an interview with a fellow FidoNet sysop for this issue, but the meeting didn't quite turn out as anticipated. The notes I did gather were not sufficient to really turn the meeting into an interview, so instead we simply enjoyed a break in the bad weather plaguing the western coast of Zone 1. And I heartily recommend St. Stan's brewpub in Modesto, California, the home of Net 208...on a Sunday afternoon, it is quiet, relaxing and home to some good quality microbrewery production. One point in particular was a current issue over privacy in FidoNet; it would seem that many have the idea that you "must" have something "to hide" if you use encryption in netmail. Few seem willing to understand that encryption is a part of your life everyday...credit cards, account numbers, personal identification... and that the personal use of encryption merely enhances the security of keeping that information confidential. There are many in Zone 2 who can also testify on the usefulness of personal encryption in getting and keeping free minds and spirits. With that, a message of interest was submitted by a sysop in the "Zone 7" area as to the view of FidoNet from within the confines of the former "Iron Curtain" countries. I hope to see this, as well as more news of the rest of FidoNet. One thing that I have noted in several past issues is a call for articles and submissions from other Zones for publication here...and with very mixed results. I do note several Regions have opted to translate issues in the language of the Region...but it helps more to actually _have_ the information to share with others, so it can be published at large to all of FidoNet. Just because it is an event in your area does not mean that no one else is interested. As an example, the FidoNet European convention information is posted in this issue as an example of what can be presented here... And yet...no one on the convention committee posted a copy to the FidoNews for announcement by press time, not even the press agent. This is _your_ FidoNews, this is _your_ FidoNet...if you don't use it, who will? In other news, RanD posts another informational tidbit on the lack of correct information in the Nodelist...which does have a point, even if it does annoy people. Doc Logger returns, of course, and looks to be seeing the light a FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 2 18 May 1998 bit at a time...or, at least, getting close enough to see it is a light after all. And the fun begins in FidoNet once again... -zf- ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 3 18 May 1998 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= FidoNet European Convention -------------------------------------------------- ------- FIDONET'S EUROPEAN CONVENTION 1998 ------- -------------------------------------------------- ----------------- THE EUROCON '98 ---------------- -------------------------------------------------- ------------------- - The Place to Be - ------------------- The 1998 EuroCon takes place in Koenigsbrunn, close to AUGSBURG, BAVARIA, GERMANY from 3/7/98 to 5/7/98. We have rented the whole HOTEL ZELLER, which is the premier hotel around. It's ballroom is cool enough for us, it also features three ISDN-ports for the final techno geeks who want to show something off... Parking is free, the bar will be open as long as anyone can stand. ----------------------- - Speakers & Sponsors - ----------------------- We are still looking for speakers for ANY topic, sex-related themes excluded (sorry, folx, there are kids.. :-) ). We are also still grateful for anyone who wants to sponsor or donate any giveaway for the big tombola Saturday evening. ------------------------ - Organizing Committee - ------------------------ Master of Disaster: Klaus D. Bader 2:2480/141 or 2:2/1998 Webmaster: Werner Ammon 2:2480/92 Critic: Franz Scherer 2:2480/73 Mistress of Kitchen: Sabina Scherer 2:2480/73 Press: Stefan Trinkwalder 2:2480/100 Graphix: Stefan Hoffmann 2:2480/86 ---------------------- - Prices and Payment - ---------------------- All prices are in DEM (German Marks) All prices are for one person Please do register prior to June 5th. Late registration _can_ carry an additional late-reg-fee of 50 DM. FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 4 18 May 1998 Payment is expected shortly after reception of the registration form. Please do only pay by bank transferral to the bank account mentioned below. Rooms will be given away at a first-come-first-served basis as we do only have a limited number of triple-bed-rooms and also (naturally) only a limited number of rooms altogether. --------------------------------- - Accompanying Person's Program - --------------------------------- There will be an accompanying person's program for those who want to be there, but do not take a bigger interest in the sessions. We will organize some interesting activities, esp. for Saturday (shopping, visit of Augsburg etc.) Please register with the form above and indicate the person you are accompanying. We offer a reduction of 60,- DM to accompanying persons! -------- - Kids - -------- We will also try to organize some activities for the kids, especially some SONY-games. Please ask for our special kids-conference-prices as we try to organize special arrangements for families. Standard arrangements can be seen from the regform which follows: -------------------------------------------------------------------- ==================================================================== EuroCon '98 Registration Form >PLEASE REGISTER BY DIRECT NETMAIL TO >Klaus D. Bader 2:2480/88 (ISDN) OR 2:2/1998 You will receive a routed netmail to validate your registration and another netmail to confirm reception of your money. Name: __________________________________________________ Fido address: __________________________________________________ e-mail address: __________________________________________________ Voice phone: __________________________________________________ Size for T-Shirt: [ ] L [ ] XL [ ] XXL (specific sizes are NOT guaranteed!) I will arrive by [ ] car [ ] train (AUGSBURG HBF) FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 5 18 May 1998 arrival time & date:_________________ from: _______________________________ [ ] plane (MUC) arrival date & time: ________________ flightno: ___________________________ PLEASE NOTE: If you share your room with other people, the others have to register, too! Payment by: [ ] national money order (Ueberweisung) Bank: Raiffeisenbank Augsburg BLZ: 720 601 00 Konto: 78 (kein Tippfehler, ist wirklich so kurz) Inhaber: Klaus D. Bader / KOALA e.V. [ ] SWIFT money order (please add 5,- DM) SWIFT: GENO DE FF 701 Acc.No. 2100 Bank: Raiffeisenbank Augsburg Account: 78 Address: Klaus D. Bader / KOALA e.V. [ ] EuroCheque (foreign currencies please add 10,- DM) Sent to and payable to: Klaus D. Bader c/o KOALA e.V. Karwendelstr. 11 D-86343 Koenigsbrunn Germany Registration packets: (please do only quote the part you need) Full-Blown Packet (Fri afternoon - Sun noon) ----------------- [ ] NO ROOM, NO BREAKFAST, convention fee, Fri dinner, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 150,- DM [ ] Single room, 2 nights, breakfast, convention fee, Fri dinner, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 320,- DM [ ] Double room, 2 nights, breakfast, convention fee, Fri dinner, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 280,- DM Please indicate the person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ [ ] Triple room, 2 nights, breakfast, convention fee, Fri dinner, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 255,- DM Please indicate the 1st person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 6 18 May 1998 Please indicate the 2nd person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ Semi-Cool (Saturday morning to Sunday noon) --------- [ ] NO ROOM, NO BREAKFAST, convention fee, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 125,- DM [ ] Single room, 1 night, breakfast, convention fee, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 210,- DM [ ] Double room, 1 night, breakfast, convention fee, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 190,- DM Please indicate the person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ [ ] Triple room, 2 nights, breakfast, convention fee, Fri dinner, Sat lunch & dinner, Sun lunch 175,- DM Please indicate the 1st person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ Please indicate the 2nd person you want to share your room with: _______________________________________________________ Essential (Saturday only) --------- [ ] No ROOM, NO BREAKFAST, convention fee, Sat lunch & dinner 100,- DM -------------------------------------------------------------------- ### 30 ### ----------------------------------------------------------------- BURY THE DEAD PLEASE *C's! The stench in Fidonet is bad enought! by RanD, 1:141/1030 The following nodes have been marked down for at least the following nodelists; nodelist.121, nodelist.128 and nodelist.135. Do you think that our illustrious and glorious *C structure could find the time to do the job they were appointed to do and cull the dead wood into either HOLD piles or failing that perform the ultimate aztec sacrifice and exorcise them from the nodelist. I mean, gimme a break, we mark unpublished nodes as down? Private is already not reachable by the fidonet grunt sysop. These granite tombstone markers etched with the names and nodes of sysops who have fallen in the holy war on the internet deserved FIDONEWS 15-20 Page 7 18 May 1998 an appropriate interment. Are the unpublised ones the tomb of the unknown sysops? These 678 nodes are either gone or on hold. What the *C structure doesn't want to admit, is that their administrative-node-to-grunt-syso-node ratio is soaring as they shore up the nodelist with the dead bodies of former nodes. Fidonet is dying. The *C's should have a heart and bury the bodies as P4 says to, mainly 2 weeks after they are marked down. They need to stop the pattern of self delusion that the nodelist is still big and that one day, like the prodigal child, sysops