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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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+--------------------------+------------------------------------------+
| .----------------------. | dr.debug: dr.debug @ filegate.net |
| | A monthly E-Zine | | bbslists: bbslists @ filegate.net |
| | published by Fidonet | | articles: fidogazette @ filegate.net|
| | to promote BBSing | +------------------------------------------+
| | ____________. | |
| | / __ | "Anyone who has never made a mistake |
| | / / \ | has never tried anything new." |
| | WOOF! ( /|oo \ | Albert Einstein |
| \_______\(_| /_) | |
| \@/ \ | Got Something To Say? |
| .---.\ _ | Say it in the |
| (jk) _ |usb| \ \\ | =The FidoGazette= |
| / | .___. \ ))| |
| / | /_ | / \// | Editor: Janis Kracht |
| |___| // || _\ / | janis @ filegate . net |
| .--`-. (_|(_|(____/ | janis kracht 1:261/38 |
| |____| (jm) | |
+--------------------------+------------------------------------------+
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==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=Contents=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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Contents...................................................(i)
Editorial..................................................(1)
Notes from the Z1C.........................................(1)
New and Returning Members..................................(2)
FidoGazette BBS List.......................................(3)
Food.......................................................(4)
The Old School Toolbox.....................................(5)
A Slightly Crusty Sysop....................................(6)
Info (Where to Send Articles)..............................(7)
Page i
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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Editorial
=========
Happy Valentines Day! We're holding out for Spring here though it
seems more distant than ever. Great weather for cuddling though
on Valentine's Weekend, and that makes this cold weather bearable. We
hope everyone has a happy holiday!
Notes from the Z1C:
==================
Zone 1 Policy notes.
The subject of Crash Netmail during Zone Mail Hour to any/every system
came up recently in a private forum. The following text is my reply
to the one of the participants in that echo. Just to clear the air:
====================cut here========================
>>> The minimal requirement for a nodelisting is that you [...]
>>> accept connections during ZMH.
Yes, from his host system. That is a Zone 1 policy for a number of
reasons. [system X] can accept netmail from his NC who he connects to
for netmail I'm sure several times a day if not 24/7. Others can also
connect with [system X], but their netmail probably won't end up in
his 'inbound'.. That's his choice, as it's his system.
>>> Unless I'm mistaken you shouldn't be refusing connections from
>>> unknown nodes during that time.
In Zone 1, we've _always_ maintained more of a desire for routed
netmail than direct connections. People may not allow you to deliver
to their inbound, but they will accept your mail in their insecure
directory and check that directory "later".
Remember way back when an USRobotics modem couldn't connect directly
with a Zyxel modem... What did people do? They routed netmail.
Remember that in Zone 2 there were ISDN systems that couldn't connect
with anyone else but other European ISDN systems.. What did people
do? They routed netmail... later that changed when ISDN Dual modems
came out (ISDN/V.Everything).
Even today, Ward's system and mine cannot connect directly via modem
and we are not sure why.. though I think it's more modem "stuff" (g).
So we route netmail
Now we have internet nodes with no dialup - and some who have both
modems and internet who act as 'bridges' routing netmail. But
realistically, from that _FIRST_ ISDN modem or that first zyxel modem,
the network gave up connectivity across all of FidoNet. So in Zone 1
we are just realistic about this fact. It's not documented anywhere -
but when people ask me, that is exactly what I tell them: Because
there is NO single applicable method of directly connecting with each
node in fidonet...
And because the only node he HAS to be able to connect with according
to policy is his NC to pick up his netmail.
No where in policy does it say that a node must connect to any other
node with CRASH mail .. it says "netmail". And Policy cleary says,
"all nodes in a zone are required to be able to accept netmail", you
may fill in the blank, from his NC. And that is how people in Z1 have
always treated netmail delivery.
Take care,
Janis
Page 1
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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New section here... [SysOp Updates]. While this won't replace your
nodelist (and hopefully you keep your nodelist up to date (g)) this
spot will be reserved for notes I receive from members who's hostname
is changing, or phone number is changing, etc.
New and Returning Members!
In the Works:
============
Chuck Gilbert Danville, VA R13
Returning SysOps:
================
Robert Olsen Springfield, NJ R13
Christopher Coccimiglio Ontario, Canada R12
Greg Youngblood Lady Lake, Florida R18
David Truesdale Hueytown, AL R18
Welcome back!
SysOp Updates:
=============
Greg Gagner, 1:322/762, is now at hostname tacbbs.synchro.net
=#=
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
!!! G A Z E T T E B B S L I S T !!!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
By bbslist @ filegate.net
Send updates, changes to address above or to janis @ filegate.net.
System.......Prism BBS
FidoAddress..1:261/38
Phone........607-655-5652
Software.....BBBS LiI v4.01 Flag #
OS...........Linux (Gentoo)
C/B Verify...None
Access.......First Call access to Msg bases,
and file areas.
Telnet.......filegate.net
telnet access offers full features
of the standard bbs such as doors,
qwkmail, BWmail,Files, etc.
www:.........http:/www.filegate.net:8090/bbbs
[web interface is limited really
to reading messages and replying
online, or downloading messages
in qwk packets, but not uploading
them], and file download access.
FTP: ftp.filegate.net, port 60721
public access to file areas (please
note change of port for public access).
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
System.......Time Warp of the Future BBS
FidoAddress..1:14/400
Phone........none
Software.....sbbs 3.15a (very beta)
OS...........win. (xp pro. sp3)
C/B Verify...None
Access.......First Call access to Msg bases, and file areas.
Telnet.......time.synchro.net:24 or time.darktech.org:24
or timewarpfuture.dyndns.org:24
telnet access offers full features
of the standard bbs such as doors,
messages or file area etc.
www:.........http://time.synchro.net:81
Web interface is limited really to reading messages
and replying online, or downloading messages in qwk
packets, but not uploading them, and file download access.
SBBS files available.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
System.......Lionsden BBS
FidoAddress..1:224/303
Phone........613-392-8896
Software.....Sunchronet
OS...........Windows XP
C/B Verify...None
Access.......First Call access to Msg bases, and file areas.
Telnet.......lionsden.darktech.org
telnet access offers full features
of the standard bbs such as doors,
qwkmail, Files, etc.
www:.........http:/www.lionsden.darktech.org
You will redirected to a menu where you can
choose one of three sites. The first one is
private and requires PW to get into.
FTP..........FTP://lionsden.darktech.org Files only
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
System.......Christian Fellowship
FidoAddress..1:266/512
Phone........1-856-933-7096
Software.....PCBoard 15.3
OS...........Windows XP pro
C/B Verify...Manually via email or voice
usually within 24 hours.
Access.......Read only until verified. Once
verified write access to Msg bases, file
areas, chat and doors/games.
Telnet.......cfbbs.dtdns.net or cfbbs.no-ip.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
System.......Lightning BBS
FidoAddress..1:311/2
Software.....Virtual Advanced
OS...........Windows XP
C/B Verify...None
Access.......First call access to doors, files and
message reading. Message posting requires
validation.
Telnet.......lightningbbs.com
www:.........http:/www.lightningbbs.com/index.php
Thanks to VADV-PHP you can access almost
everything the BBS has to offer from the
web, with the exception of door games.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
System.......Roach Guts BBS
FidoAddress..1:396/60
Phone:.......337-433-4135
Software.....Maximus on Port 23 (primary)
Synchronet on Port 24 (temporary)
OS...........Windows XP
C/B Verify...None
Access.......First call access to doors, files and
message reading. Message posting requires
validation.
Telnet.......roachguts.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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-=-=-=-=-=-
F O O D Even sysops have to eat!
-=-=-=-=-=-
By Janis Kracht, 1:261/38
Want to contribute something here? Send your submission to fidogazette
'at' filegate.net or email janis at filegate.net, or janis kracht at
1:261/38 (binkp: filegate.net) and it will get published here in the
next issue :)
The Tomato Dilemma
Canned Tomatoes vs. Bottled
===========================
Bionaturae's glass bottled Strained Tomatoes are the next best
thing to sliced bread - at least in our house... that and their
Tomato Paste have replaced metal-canned tomatoes here. Why? While
some may think I'm an alarmist, bisphenol-A (BPA) which lines cans of
mass-marketed canned tomatoes has been linked to obesity, and in
infants it is suspected of causing possible brain developmental
problems. It can't be good for you.. used primarily to make plastics
this substance was formerly used as a fungicide. I decided I don't
need it in my life. YMMV...
Produced, grown and bottled in Italy (Tuscany) these tomatoes are the
closest to fresh tomatoes I've tasted in a long long time.. Normally I
grow my own tomatoes in the summer months and can them in bottled
jars... but last year we suffered a terrible tomato blight throughout
the east coast.. and it may reappear this coming summer. If I keep
purchasing these tomatoes, I may have a free bed in my garden :)
Bionaturae farms in Tuscany also produce organic pasta with old
fashioned bronze dies (the forms to make different shapes), olive oil
and Balsamic Vinegar. I haven't tried one of their products that I
didn't like. If you can't find their products in your local grocery
stores or health-food stores, here is a link to their site:
http://www.bionaturae.com/
Whole Grain Pasta Dough
=======================
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine semolina and whole wheat flour and salt. Beat eggs lightly
then mix with water and oil. Stir in to four mixture until a stiff
dough forms. You may need to add a little more flour. Knead 10
minutes or until elastic. Cover in plastic wrap. Let rest, covered
for 20 minutes Roll out thinly, cut into desired shape or shape with
machine. Cook in boiling, salted water for 2-5 minutes.
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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The Old School Toolbox
By Richard Webb, 1:116/901
Is your favorite echo an Orphan? Part IV.
This is the fourth and final installment in our series of articles
on moderator tools and techniques. IF you just joined us and have an
interest in this topic acquire the appropriate issues of the
Fidogazette. IN those issues in this space we discussed how to
determine if an echo of possible interest to you is essentially
abandoned. If it is and the conversation has devolved to off topic
posts and antisocial behavior appears to be the norm you can start a
FIdonet echomail conference that will be truly watched over and cared
for. This also applies if there's a topic of interest to you that
isn't currently covered by another echomail conference. We've talked
about tools and techniques that moderators need to get their echomail
conference carried on the North American BAckbone, and once carried to
manage the conference effectively. In this final installment we're
going to look at the tool you'd rather not have to pull out of the
toolbox. This tool is akin to the sledgehammer or maul, or maybe the
pry bar. such tools can easily sow additional destruction beyond that
intended, so they must be used with care. This tool, like pry bars
and sledgehammers is sometimes the only tool that will get the job
done however. We're talking about the dreaded feed cut.
As we noted last time, there may come a time when contacting the
operator of the system hosting our undesirable poster isn't going to
achieve any results of a positive nature. THen it's time to have a
look at the normally hidden control information in the twit's message,
and contact the system operator of the twit's host's uplink. This is
where it's handy if you're a fidonet system or point operator.If you
don't fit either category ask your sysop if he can allow you to see
this information using your preferred method of handling echomail.
Otherwise, you're going to need his/her cooperation, or a co-moderator
who is a sysop or point op.
Tracing the connection
Many long time echo moderators can tell this story. The names and
other circumstances will be different, but the basic story line is the
same. IT's an old fidonet story, but sadly not one of those urban
legends. If you've been around FIdonet a few years you've probably
heard or witnessed it a few times as well. IT goes like this:
To tell our version of the tale we're going to resort to a bit of
fiction. We have an echomail conference on the topic of bird
watching, equipment used, techniques employed, even some discussion by
folks who don't just like to watch, but like to capture the sounds of
the birds they're watching. OUr echo moderator, and other regulars
are rabid non hunters when it comes to killing and eating avian
creatures however. Trophy hunting or food, doesn't matter to them.
THey feel there might be other echomail conferences for the quail and
duck hunters, etc. So, after a time along comes a poster who just
loves to post messages regarding duck hunting and pheasant hunting,
etc. HE can discuss at length the merits of different weapons,
varieties of shotguns, etc. At first he's discussing how to conceal
oneself to make the watching or hunting easier. Nobody has a problem
with that, but then he drifts further afield into what type of
shotguns work best for which avian creatures, techniques of loading
one's own shells, etc.
The moderator has asked this fellow to take his bird hunting
discussions elsewhere. By this point, a couple of nature loving
individuals have also chimed in blasting our bird hunter as a
bloodthirsty neanderthal so-and-so and the conversation has devolved
in the usual manner. OUr off topic poster has meanwhile blasted the
regulars as tree hugging liberals, expounded on his second amendment
rights, yada yada. SUddenly a friendly echo has deteriorated into a
political battleground. THe echo moderator gets things calmed down
for awhile, and then one day here comes our bird hunter again with an
article on wild turkey hunting.
Our echo moderator has documented his discussion with the offending
poster on the topic. HE sent netmail directly to the poster, received
no response. SO he decides to look up our off topic poster's host
system in his nodelist and ask the sysop to curtail the offender's
access to the birdwatching conference. But alas, there's no help
coming from that quarter. OUr violator of the birdwatching echo's
rules is none other than the system operator.
Our birdwatching echo moderator now is faced with a choice. He can
declare the matter dead, and watch as the flame fest escalates this
time. HIs other choice is to move up the chain to the system feeding
our offending poster's system. To do this he'll need to consult
seen-by and path lines on the echomail message(s) from the poster.
Just one should do it.
DOc's place is a very popular bbs. HEre's the path an echomail
message from Doc's place would take to reach my system via my primary
FIdonet feed, which is 1:3634/12.
SEEN-BY: 123/1025 128/1 132/500 140/1 226/160 600 229/426 250/100
261/38
SEEN-BY: 311/1 320/119 322/759 387/22 3634/12
Note the "SEEN-BY" lines above. THese are essentially there for the
software. THe line you're interested in will appear after them. HEre
is the line I'd look at if in an echomail conference I moderate I was
concerned with a user of Doc's.
PATH: 123/140 500 3634/12
You'll note that Doc's is 1:123/140. Eastern STar is
1:123/500. Eastern star feeds my uplink, in this case 1:3634/12. So,
if I want to find out which system feeds DOc's place a given echomail
conference, I'd look at the second entry in the path line.
Also you'll note that these path and seen-by lines don't indicate
zones. Except for certain zone gates most folks don't feed out of
zone, or at least that's the theory anyway. Path and seen-by lines
were never designed to be four dimensional indicators. That though,
is a subject of another article. If the moderator of an echomail
confernce finds he has a problem with a poster in another zone then
he'll need to work with the operator of the gateway through which the
messages travel from the offender to the rest of fidonet.
Remember earlier I used the analogy of the pry bar or
sledgehammer when referring to the feed cut. HEre's an example which
will illustrate the sledgehammer analogy for you.
The next path line we'll look at is an echomail message from Bob
ACkley in EMerson Iowa. You'll note quite a few systems listed in the
seen-by lines. But again, it would be the path line which would be of
interest to the echo moderator who might have a concern with a user of
Bob's system.
SEEN-BY: 10/3 11/229 14/5 18/25 109/568 116/739 901 120/544 123/22 50
52 65
SEEN-BY: 123/140 456 500 650 789 1025 124/311 128/1 132/500 138/146
389
SEEN-BY: 140/1 2 14 153/7715 221/0 226/160 600 229/426 250/100 261/38
SEEN-BY: 266/512 275/100 288/34 311/1 320/119 322/759 342/5 77 387/22
772/1
SEEN-BY: 800/214 3634/12 3828/7 3830/2 5020/1042
PATH: 300/3 14/5 140/1 123/500 3634/12
First, my apologies if these didn't word wrap well dear editor.
I attempted to leave them intact, as they would appear on a bbs or in
one's sysop mail reader.
[Ed. Note: lines do wrap above]
Note that bob's Boneyard is 1:300/3.
That's the first entry in the path line of course. Note the second
entry, 1:14/5. That's the rc for region 14. This guy moves a lot of
mail. So, although this would never happen let's do a bit of
fictionalizing. A user of Bob's system is a problem, and Bob's not
inclined to cut his access. So we go up the chain to Jeff who
operates 1:14/5. For whatever reason Jeff is really disinclined to
cut Bob's link to your echo. In fact you get a response that tells
you to take your tin god hat somewhere else. So you go up the chain.
You've asked Jeff to cut Bob's feed, and Jeff stands on his
principles and says no, you have no power of enforcement he recognizes
as valid. YEs we had this argument back in the halcyon days of
FIdonet folks. SO you go to the next step, which is 1:140/1. This is
one of the major echomail hubs. YOu ask Bob SEaborn the operator of
1:140/1 to cut Jeff at 1:14/5 as Jeff won't cut his link with Bob's
Boneyard. But, by cutting Jeff's link, which Bob does for you, you've
created a problem for a few other users of your echomail conference.
THere are users on Jeff's system who enjoy participating in your echo,
and others whom Jeff feeds who now have to find another connection to
bring your echomail conference to them.
Some folks just aren't going to jump through the hoops of setting
up an alternate feed just to pull in your echomail conference. AFter
all, their uplink carries the rest of the backbone. If your echomail
conference isn't available through him then it's just not available.
Suddenly a regular poster in your conference who really contributes
positively is now cut off.
So, although these tools are available to an echo moderator, they can
often do as much harm as good if wielded too readily. Sometimes, the
best approach is to do nothing except encourage your regulars to
ignore the twit in hopes that he/she will go elsewhere. But, if used
judiciously, they can save your conference from becoming one of those
dreaded orphan echomail conferences.
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The Slightly Crusty Sysop
By Sean Dennis, 1:18/200
After taking the past few months off of the column (unintentionally),
I'm back. I bet some of you were wishing I wasn't, eh?
Here it is, 2010, and the ol' Dog is still kickin'. Nice to see some
things that don't change over time...whether we want them to or not.
I've been busy here working on my BBS, switching over to ProBoard, and
finally building a board that works how I want it to after all of
these years. Thanks to one of my users and her "wizard", I was able
to get a Y2K-patched version of the ProBoard-specific Blue Wave
offline mail door running and that's what got this whole crazy idea
started.
Something else that's been on my mind is routed netmail. I've had
routed netmail on my system pretty much since the BBS was a nascent
idea in my head back in 1996. There's been some talk of
"discouraging" (although I take it as "removing") routed netmail
because of problems in other zones besides Z1 with it. Now I've not
had problems in 15 years with routed netmail and it all seems to work
fine for me. I've got two netmail paths, both through my mail hub and
my regional coordinator, and both work splendidly.
I don't think that the network, as a whole, should remove routed
netmail as an option for its users. Why? For one thing, routed
netmail can be, well, routed, correctly /if the systems involved know
how to route mail right/ and that requires competency with their
software and knowledge of Fidonet's network topology. There are a lot
of systems that are still difficult to get hold of even in this age of
Internet connectivity and allowing a node to get netmail at their
convience from their host/hub, instead of trying to ramrod a
"crashmailed" netmail through directly, would seem to be a preferred
method instead of causing problems, but it seems I may be a minority
in that point of view on this issue.
Here in Z1, we've used routed netmail successfully for years and we've
not had too many problems, if at all. However, it seems that others
in different zones, due to the way their telephone systems are set up,
disagree. Why one wouldn't want to take the easy path of just having
mail wait for someone to pick it up at their pleasure instead of
trying to force mail down their throat is beyond me, but hey, whatever
works for you, I guess.
Sadly, with petty arguements like this, Fidonet is going down the
drain. I am not too happy with that as I still continue to be an
advocate for Fidonet, but sometimes, after a while, it gets old trying
to fight an uphill battle when I'm proven wrong time and time again
with my optimistic views. I can say that in other FTN-style networks,
I have never encountered the problems with mail and other silly little
problems that I have in Fidonet because, well, we all tend to check
our egos at the door and cooperate to have the network(s) run as
smoothly as possible.
I don't know if I could ever say that for Fidonet, but one never
knows.
It is Valentine's Day tomorrow, so there will be chocolate and roses
every- where but my household. My wife, Maura, and I went out to
dinner last night to beat the crowds and instead of flowers and
chocolate, I bought her a book (impulsively, as that's how I tend to
shop) about Louis Comfort Tiffany and all of his creations. It was a
nice little celebration and at the end of the month, we will be
celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary. We were married on
February 29, 2004 and it's been amazing how fast time flies...it's
been ten years since we've been together total.
I hope you have someone to spoil a little on Valentine's Day and have
an enjoyable day.
As always, your comments on my column are welcomed, but flames are
not. I prefer netmail at 1:18/200 but you can email me at
sean@nsbbs.info (please put "Crusty" somewhere in the subject). If I
like what you have to say, I'll publish your thoughts in my next
column.
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T h e F i d o G a z e t t e! Volume IV Number II February 2010
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INFO:
Where to Send Your Articles
Unlike most editors, I surely do not mind running my mouth when
there is a sparcity of articles for the 'zine. I'd MUCH rather
you sent in material but I think until someone starts a
discussion you feel like commenting about, you evil dullards
(just kidding!!!) will no doubt complain about "no issues" (grin)
So I will fill these issues with my meanderings and thoughts and
hopefully we will grow into something of consequence here :)
Don't be offended.. write an article!
If you WOULD like to submit an article and prove me wrong about
the dullard aspect of you guys and gals (bg), feel free to drop
your article off at:
By email attach to address: janis @ filegate.net Fidonet attach:
Janis Kracht at 1:261/38
Modem: 607-655-5652
1:261/100 filegate.net port 24555
via binkp or telnet mailer
(don't send articles as routed attaches, send them direct to filegate.net).
Standard binkp port only supports BinkP (24554).
Give it a title, sign your name and network address if you have
one and send it along!
Don't worry about the format, I can take anything you send me
and mutilate it further as you can see above. Linux is nice
that way (g). Spell checking your own work will help though
(something I'm typically guilty of (g)).
To send reviews or recipes to the Food section, email or netmail Janis
as above.
To send a question to Dr. Debug, email a question to
dr.debug @ filegate.net or post in the fidogazette echo! :)
To send a listing to the fidogazette internet bbs list, send your
bbs listing to bbslist @ filegate.net or post it in the fidogazette
echo! :)
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