The F I D O N E W S Volume 18, Number 41 08 Oct 2001 +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ | |The newsletter of the | | Fido, Fidonet and dog-with-diskette are | | | FidoNet community. | | US Registered Trademarks of Tom Jennings| | | | | San Francisco, California, USA | | | ____________| | | | |ARooOOo! / __ | Crash Netmail Articles To: | | | / /__\ | Editor@1:1/23 (1-972-562-8064) | | | WOOF! ( /|Oo \ | Frank Vest@1:124/6308 | | \_______\(_| /_) |_ or E-Mail To: | | \|/ __@__ \ // flv@texoma.net | | _o_o_ | | \ // | | V | (*) | \ //| Editor: Frank Vest | | |__U__| / \// | Deputy-Editor: Lawrence Garvin | | _//|| _\ / | | | /~~~~~~~\ (_/(_|(____/ | Newspapers should have no friends. | |(_~Virus~_) (jm) | -- JOSEPH PULITZER | +--------------------------+-----------------------------------------+ Copyright 2001 by Frank L. Vest, Editor for Fidonews Globally. Table of Contents 1. FOOD FOR THOUGHT ......................................... 1 2. GENERAL ARTICLES ......................................... 2 An Introduction to the Pan American Mail System .......... 2 Pan American Backbone F.A.Q.'s ........................... 3 3. GUEST EDITORIAL .......................................... 5 FIDONET of MANY NATIONS .................................. 5 4. HUMOR IN A FIDO VEIN ..................................... 9 This Week's Virus Warning! ............................... 9 5. COMIX IN ASCII ........................................... 11 Famous Cows .............................................. 11 6. CLEAN HUMOR & JOKES ...................................... 12 Joke 1 ................................................... 12 Joke 2 ................................................... 12 The First Pancake ........................................ 12 7. OTHER STUFF .............................................. 13 This week's Calendar ..................................... 13 8. FIDONET SOFTWARE LISTING ................................. 14 Fidonet/BBS Software Listing's* .......................... 14 9. FIDONEWS INFORMATION ..................................... 20 How to Submit an Article ................................. 20 Fidonet-related sites .................................... 21 Credits, Legal Infomation, Availability .................. 26 Nodelist Stats ........................................... 27 FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 1 8 Oct 2001 ================================================================= FOOD FOR THOUGHT ================================================================= Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards. --Benjamin Franklin ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 2 8 Oct 2001 ================================================================= GENERAL ARTICLES ================================================================= An Introduction to the Pan American Mail System *********************************************** From The Pan American Backbone Last week in the Fidonews, the editor wrote: "Zone1 has two echomail distributors. The Z1B (Zone 1 Backbone) and the NAB (North American Backbone)". We thought it important to bring to the editor's attention that in fact, there are *three* "backbone" distributors in Zone 1. There are also other echomail distribution systems based in Zone 1, such as TFPDist, and Planet Connect. This is especially something that should interest the editor of Fidonews, as he himself in part provided some of the impetus to create this third backbone distribution system. A while back Frank, you challenged the members of Fidonet to come up with a different mail distribution system. Some of us heard you, and acted on your challenge. The result is the Pan American Mail System. Why another distro system? We were all independant hubs, not aligned with the NAB nor the Z1B, and we all shared the common view that the constant quarrels between the Z1B and the NAB were proving to be a detriment to mail moving in general in Fidonet. We felt that some of the hubs in those distribution systems were allowing politics and not the needs of their downlinks to decide on how they moved the mail. There were things that all of us did not like about the Z1B as well as the NAB, and we felt that together we can find a better way to serve our downlinks, by removing ourselves from the political debate and doing things differently than the NAB and Z1B have traditionally done things. An example of this is our "*.NA" type files. We actually produce *two* of these; one bearing the tag names of all echos that have shown recent posting activity (BACKBONE.PA), and a second that bears the tag names of echos which have been inactive for quite some time, or have only had robot postings for quite some time (BACKBONE.PA0). We carry all echos in both lists, but feel that this provides an easy way for our downlinks to see which echos they can expect to still be active. What follows is a FAQ file that is regularly posted in the PAN_AM_BACKBONE echo, a publically accessible echo provided for anyone participating in Fidonet to contact the Pan Am hubs for the purpose of discussing any Pan Am Backbone related issues. We welcome any suggestions, ideas for improvements and debates over the pros and cons of mail-moving practices past and present in that echo, provided such debates remain civil. We are open to new ideas, and do not wish to be bound in any way to the practices traditionally followed by the NAB and Z1B mail distribution systems. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 3 8 Oct 2001 Pan American Backbone F.A.Q.'s ****************************** From The Pan American Backbone This document seeks to answer questions that Fidonet members may ask about the Pan American Backbone mail distribution system. What is the Pan American Backbone? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Pan American Backbone is a loose association of Fidonet mail hubs who share a common philosophy towards mail moving. A Pan American mail hub's main concern should be for the needs and wishes of their downlinks. Pan American mail hubs strive to move the mail in the most efficient manner possible, regardless of political or personal differences. Who are the Pan American Backbone Hubs? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PAB associated hubs are listed in the BACKSTAT.PA file. By agreeing to allow their name and node numbers to be listed there, those hubs indicate their membership in the Pan American Backbone. Does the PAB route Netmail? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PAB associated hubs agree to route netmail to the best of their abilities for their downlinks, per the wishes of those downlinks. A PAB hub may reserve the right to refuse to route netmail which the hub feels is of an illegal or unethical form, or is sent from an unidentified source. Will the PAB honor moderator feed cuts? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PAB associated hubs will honor requests for feed cuts from the echo moderator of record, as listed in the Echolist at the time of the request, provided such a request is properly submitted to the PAB. How do the PAB hubs decide on who they link with? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is the opinion of PAB hubs that no one knows any hub's system better than the operators of the hubs themselves. To that end, any meshing, linking and routing arrangements are left solely to the discretion and judgements of the individual hubs themselves. Fidonet is a peer-to-peer network, and any two systems may link to each other in any way they wish, provided they agree to the linking, and such linking does not cause problems for others. What echo areas does the Pan American Backbone carry? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The PAB regularly releases two files bearing the tag names of the echos that are carried. The BACKBONE.PA file lists all echos with recent posting activity; a second file called BACKBONE.PA0 lists echos that the PAB does carry, but that have had no activity for at least 30 days. Fidonet echo areas carried by the PAB are based on the listings of echo areas in the Echolist, and upon echos listed in any Zone 1 FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 4 8 Oct 2001 BACKBONE.* file. The PAB uses these databases as guides to create it's own list of echos carried. Provided any echos in these lists are denoted in the Echolist as distributed by Fidonet, and are not listed as "restricted" by the moderator, the PAB will add them to distribution. Restricted or non-echolisted echos, or any echos listed in any other lists may also be moved by the PAB upon request of the moderator to the PAB. How does the PAB decide what echos to drop from distribution? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Echo areas will be dropped when they are removed from the E-list by the moderator, or the moderator makes a request of the PAB to drop their echo(s) from PAB distribution, or if all downlinks of all PAB hubs choose to de-link the echo(s). ----------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 5 8 Oct 2001 ================================================================= GUEST EDITORIAL ================================================================= FIDONET of MANY NATIONS wdbonner@pacbell.net Hello fidonetters of the world, Recent disclosures of a world wide network of individuals bent on the destruction of democracy and enslavement of every nation on earth to the eventual rule of it's own code of worship and way of life; prompt me to remind you that Fidonet News is apart of most all of these nations, and must accept it's responsibility to inform it's members. This isn't about politics as practiced in any nation, it is about our freedoms of speech, liberty, and life as we know it today. Fidonet News is a form of free speech. Some countries already disallow BBSes or networking of any kind by individuals. Here's a message that came across my desk that I found to be very interesting reading. I think the author did an excellent job explaining what we're facing militarily. I do take exception to one point that is about our soldiers conducting "search and destroy" throughout the "20" countries, (actual number is much greater than that), where terrorist cells live and work. The author fails to address that this "new war" will be fought not by the military alone, but by every citizen of all countries. Law enforcement throughout the world will have to work "hand in glove" with all citizens. In fact, while our military is deploying to get ready to fight, law enforcement officials have already begun the fight. This war will be fought in the media, banks, non-government organizations and at the diplomatic level, but most importantly by the citizen-- you and me. And if fought well on each level the need for major military battles will be lessened, many lives saved, and success more readily achieved. Ol'wdb ----Original Message----- Subject: A message worth reading.....and repeating..... For your information: An academic advisor at the Air Force Academy wrote the following, which we believe everyone should read. From: Dr. Tony Kern, Lt. Col, USAF (Ret) Recently, I was asked to look at the recent events through the lens of military history, and I have joined the cast of thousands who have written an "open letter to Americans." Dear friends and fellow Americans 14 September 2001 Like everyone else in this great country, I am reeling from last week's attack on our sovereignty. But unlike some, I am not reeling from surprise. As a career soldier and a student and teacher of military history, I have a different perspective and I think you should hear it. This war FIDONEWS 18-41 Page 6 8 Oct 2001 will be won or lost by the American citizens, not diplomats, politicians or soldiers. Let me briefly explain. In spite of what the media, and even our own government is telling us, this act was not committed by a group of mentally deranged fanatics. To dismiss them as such would be among the gravest of mistakes. This attack was committed by a ferocious, intelligent and dedicated adversary. Don't take this the wrong way. I don't admire these men and I deplore their tactics, but I respect their capabilities. The many parallels that have been made with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are apropos. Not only because it was a brilliant sneak attack against a complacent America, but also because we may well be pulling our new adversaries out of caves 30 years after we think this war is over, just like my father's generation had to do with the formidable Japanese in the years following WW II. These men hate the United States with all of their being, and we must not underestimate the power of their moral commitment. Napoleon, perhaps the world's greatest combination of soldier and statesman, stated "the moral is to the physical, as three is to one." Patton thought the Frenchman underestimated its importance and said moral conviction was five times more important in battle than physical strength. Our enemies are willing-better said anxious -- to give their lives for their cause. How committed are we America? And for how long? In addition to demonstrating great moral conviction, the recent attack demonstrated a mastery of some of the basic fundamentals of warfare taught to most military officers worldwide, namely simplicity, security and surprise. When I first heard rumors that some of these men may have been trained at our own Air War College, it made perfect sense to me. This was not a random act of violence, and we can expect the same sort of military competence to be displayed in the battles to come. This war will escalate, with a good portion of it happening right here in the good ol' U.S.