FidoNet Newsletter, Volume 11, # 13
Tim Pozar
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| A newsletter of the | |
| FidoNet BBS community | Published by: |
| _ | |
| / \ | "FidoNews" BBS |
| /|oo \ | +1-519-570-4176 1:1/23 |
| (_| /_) | |
| _`@/_ \ _ | Editors: |
| | | \ \\ | Sylvia Maxwell 1:221/194 |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | Tim Pozar 1:125/555 |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
+----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet addresses: |
| |
| Sylvia -- m...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Donald -- don...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
| Tim -- po...@kumr.lns.com |
| Both Don & Sylvia (submission address) |
| edi...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| For information, copyrights, article submissions, |
| obtaining copies and other boring but important details, |
| please refer to the end of this file. |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
========================================================================
Table of Contents
========================================================================
1. Editorial..................................................... 2
2. Articles...................................................... 2
Amateur Action BBS informational update..................... 2
Earth calling Latvia! Latvia, are you there?!.............. 11
New Echo -- Reef_keeping.................................... 12
RUSH_FAN --................................................. 13
DAMN P4! FULL SPEED AHEAD!.................................. 14
New Network! -- NapNet...................................... 15
New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP..................................... 17
"Dear Emily Postnews"....................................... 17
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 18
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 2 28 Mar 1994
========================================================================
Editorial
========================================================================
Editorial Sermon For The Week
or
Peace Through BBSing Part III
or
Anti-Propoganda Propoganda
Many Snooze articles are legalistic, about the so-called *C
structure, or about moderators and how "power" is cradled and ladled
out. These are important issues, however minceing or redundant they
seem, because they affect real people. Issues of power and control
always affect everyone.
There are other legalistic-type issues faceing Fido Net increasingly
predominently, and i'm waiting to be deluged with articles; these
issues also are about power and control, but not necessarily amidst
Fido Net: What about power exerting control over Fidonet as a media?
For "powers", be they political, social, or anything other than
individual, to perpetuate themselves redundantly and smugly
with success, the "media" must be controlled. Certain subjects of
conversation, for example, must remain taboo [like "incest" was in
1950] or somebody might evolve new hence uncontrolled and possibly
threatening ideas that are different from old ideas upon which
beihavior is based, and justified, and judged. Similarly, other
methods of communication must be controlled, or else the spheres
will be trepidated and/or the sky will fall?
FidoNet hasn't been controlled, has functioned practically and
anarchistically, so far, mosty. I'm still waiting for that deluge of
articles. Oh - remember the rule we use for avoiding scary
otherness and for making everyone safely the same: "everyone ELSE is
suspect"; ie., "all BBSs might be run and used by sociopaths,
paedophiles, and neo-nazis", "yellow peril" and "the martians have
invaded".
And remember: it is good to sacrifice personal freedom, even personal
freedom of opinion, to the giant cookie monster.
========================================================================
Articles
========================================================================
"This is real, and Hensen is not an idiot. Sigh, it's actually news."
Amateur Action BBS informational update
Amateur Action BBS informational update
by H Keith Henson <hkhe...@shell.portal.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 1994 22:00:15 -0800
From: H Keith Henson <hkhe...@shell.portal.com>
To: cyphe...@toad.com
Subject: Recent AA BBS stuff
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 3 28 Mar 1994
3/20/94
I got a phone call today from an early player in this affair--the
guy who originally turned in Amateur Action BBS to the Postal
Inspectors. Turns out he had *not* hacked into AA BBS, but just read
the signon screens--and was not familiar with the hype used to
describe certain files. AA BBS *does* offer photos of nude "young
children." What they are is nudist material, legal (as far as anyone
knows) anywhere. The guy started out the call very upset that I would
be involved defending someone offering child pornography. I
explained to him that AA BBS had no child porn, and that the only
child pron involved in these events was that the postal inspector sent
to frame the AA BBS sysop. I went on to tell him that the postal
folks were mainly going after the sysop *and his wife* for bestiality
pictures and the like on his board. The guy was simply horrified at
what he had started since he has no problem with any of that kind of
stuff, or people who want to look at it.
Had he paid the signup fee and been an AA BBS member for even a
day, he would have realized there was nothing there to warrant
bringing in the postal inspectors. If he had even called the sysop .
. . .
Well, it is too late now, the legal bill on this case has likely
gone over $100k. One thing for sure, this case has totally shaken my
belief that the legal system is fair and honest. I find that the
court clerks take orders from the US Attorneys. Clerks keep the
judges in the dark about letters to them and even motions on their
calendars. I have found out that Magistrates provide no protection
whatsoever from unreasonable searches and seizures. (Why? Because
they *don't even *read* the search warrant affidavits!) I also have
found out that the Western District of TN runs a profitable racket
against adult BBS and other sources of erotic material.
I have also found that there seems to be *NO* possible legal
recourse available if a US Attorney breaks the law. The FBI is the
only organization which could investigate, and they have to ask for
permission---FROM THE US ATTORNEY THEY WOULD BE INVESTIGATING! Thus
laws designed to protect your privacy or communications have no teath
in them.
I am uploading this and several other recent related files to
Wildcat BBS in TN.
Folks, please check things out before involving the cops. Cops
have no sense of humor at all.
Keith Henson
3/16/94
More very odd goings on to report in the AABBS case. As you can see
from the body of this posting, there is a serious problem with the
court clerks controlling what the judges see. It seems to have
happened again.
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 4 28 Mar 1994
I hand delivered the below letter (marked Personal and Confidential)
to Judge Patel's clerk [Ms Muriyama] in open court in the presence of
three lawyers. Unfortunately, Judge Patel stepped out of the court
just at the instance I handed the letter to her clerk.
Did Judge Patel get the letter? I suspect not. I know Judge Patel is
under no obligation to respond, or even have one of her staff respond,
but it would seem like this kind of report would generate a reply *if*
Judge Patel received it. Does anyone have an idea of how to reach a
judge if her clerks do not want her to see it? Someone has suggested
paying the local law paper to *publish* it as an advertizement.
Your suggestions would be most welcome since I am absolutely out of
ideas.
Keith
H. Keith Henson
799 Coffey Ct.
San Jose, CA 95123
408-972-1132
Judge Marilyn Patel
Northern District of California
450 Golden Gate Ave., 19th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102
March 3, 1994
Dear Judge Patel:
You may want to look into certain acts last week by some of the
Court clerks. It appears they are taking orders from the US Attorney
to modify your calendar.
Last Thursday, Richard Williams (a lawyer from San Jose) made
telephone contact with Ms Muriyama in the clerk's office. He had a
motion to file for return of property and suppression of evidence in a
case which itself involves a report of fraud on Magistrate-Judge
Brazil's court to obtain a search warrant. (A matter about which I
informed Magistrate Brazil in a letter dated January 19.) Since you
were the Duty Judge in January when these events happened, it was
appropriate to bring the motion to you.
Ms Muriyama told Mr. Williams that the motion could be heard on
the calendar of your Court on Monday, February 28, 1994 at 2:30 pm if
he could get the motion filed early Friday morning. Mr. Williams had
the motion filed by courier with the clerks office by about 9 am last
Friday. He fully expected to be before your Court Monday at 2:30. I
learned of the hearing Friday and made plans to be there myself since
my affidavit is part of this motion. Two of Mr. William's staffers
talked to Ms Muriyama Thursday, and are prepared to testify as to her
agreeing to putting the motion on your calendar, though the option was
left open that you might shift it to some other department at the same
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 5 28 Mar 1994
time.
Monday at 11:50 am, Vicki from Magistrate Brennan's office called
Mr. William's office to tell him that there was nothing on calendar
for his motion before either yourself or Judge Brennan because she
said the US Attorney had ordered the clerks to take his motion off
your calendar!
Vicki was told that according to Ms Muriyama (as of last Thursday
afternoon), the motion *was* on calendar. Vicki then alleged that Ms
Muriyama had not contacted Mr. Willaim's office the previous week.
She also said they had no copy of the motion for you to see (two were
filed, and one given to the US Attorney after filing).
A few minutes later, Ms Muriyama called saying that they had no
copies of the motion for you to review, though she did not deny that
she had put this matter on your calendar. Since Judge Brazil had
excused himself last week, she tried to get Mr. Williams to agree to
place the motion before Magistrate-Judge Brennan, and when told that a
Magistrate was unacceptable, she placed the motion hearing on Judge
Caulfield's calendar late on March 7, one day before the matter is to
be moved to Tennessee, a move which will inflict great costs and
business damage upon the plaintiffs.
Though I do not know that Judge Brazil ever saw the letter I
wrote to him, one of his staff called me last week and left a long
message (which I preserved) on my answering machine. In it, the
staff member stated that it was not a Judge's role to investigate the
fraud perpetrated on his Court to which I had directed his attention,
and that I should contact the US Attorney if I wished the matter to be
investigated. Given that the US Attorney has manipulated your
calendar to prevent these very matters from being brought to the
attention of your Court, I believe this approach would be akin to
getting a fox to guard the henhouse.
I would greatly appreciate your looking into these matters which
involve the integrity of the Court. I would also appreciate a very
short phone call from you to either myself or Mr. Williams indicating
only that this letter actually got into your hands.
I have never considered myself a naive person. In spite of this,
I have always felt that the judiciary in this country was honest. I
still feel this way, but how effective can an honest Judge be when
their information channels are completely controlled by one party in
an action?
Sincerely,
H. Keith Henson
PS I was quite surprised to find the Court clerks are employed by
the US Attorney's office. Considering how much control clerks/staff
have over what Judges hear and do, this arrangement harbors a high
potential for abuse--even if only inadvertent abuse. I simply could
not imagine Congressional staff members being employees of the
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 6 28 Mar 1994
Executive branch! If there is a movement to put clerks under the
Judges, I would be happy to lend my support.
enc. Copy of referenced letter to Magistrate-Judge Brazil
Copy of letter to Chief Judge Thelton E. Henderson
-----
[Incidentally, Judge Caulfield was supposed to have ruled on the
motion to return property and suppress evidence last Friday. Mr.
Williams was called (by a clerk again) and told she would rude on his
motion without a hearing, and let him know how it came out by letter.
So far, nothing has showed up in the mail, and it will be a week
tomorrow. My long standing faith in a fair judicial process in this
country has been badly shaken.]
RICHARD D. WILLIAMS, APC
State Bar #92376
79 Divine St., Suite 101
San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 295-6336
Chief Judge Clifford Wallace
U. S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Two Rincon Center
P.O. Box 193846
San Francisco, CA 94119-3846
March 11, 1994
In Re: Complaint for Judicial Misconduct
Dear Chief Judge Clifford:
I am filing a complaint largely as a concerned citizen but also
on behalf of my clients, Robert and Carleen Thomas. It is my
understanding that section 372 (c) of title 28 is intended to preserve
the integrity of the judiciary. I would like to see an investigation
of what I consider to be an affront to the Ninth Circuit, its district
courts, the American people, and my clients.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas run an adult bulletin board service. Their
activities of preparing graphical and written material for public
dissemination clearly makes them "publishers" within the meaning of
Title 42, Section 2000(aa) (Privacy Protection Act). In addition,
their system has 3,500 electronic mail users who were entitled to
protection under the Electronics Communications Privacy Act.
On January 10, 1994 the Thomas' entire computer system was seized
pursuant to a search warrant which was purportedly signed by Hon.
Wayne Brazil, U.S. Magistrate in the U. S. District Court for the
Northern District of California. This warrant was applied for by a
U.S. postal inspector (David Dirmeyer) from the Western District of
Tennessee. They were aware of the requirements of both 42 U.S.C. 2000
(aa) and 18 U.S.C. 2703 that a subpoena be used against both
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 7 28 Mar 1994
electronic mail services and "publishers" unless a specific showing of
need is made by a judicial officer.
On the day following the execution of the search warrant I drove
to San Francisco (after the Clerk of the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California could find no such case number) and
was told that the U.S. Attorney had the case file for a week, and that
I should check back in a couple of days. As the clerk spoke, I could
not help but look up and see a sign indicating that removal of any
file from the clerk's office was punishable as a felony. I was also
told that nothing in the file was sealed (although there was no docket
sheet available for me to verify this).
I went back three days later and got the same reception at the
Clerk's office. Again there was no docket sheet and no file. I was
given Magistrate Brazil's office phone number, and I spoke with a
woman who claimed to be Magistrate Brazil's secretary. She told me
that there was no record she could find that there had ever been an
affidavit put before Judge Brazil, nor a search warrant issued.
Someone came up and spoke to her at which time she excused herself and
put me on hold for five minutes. When she returned she seemed
nervous, and told me that there was a file, but that the affidavit in
support of the search warrant was "sealed."
This affidavit was not unsealed until January 27, 1994, the day
after an indictment against my clients was filed in Western District
of Tennessee. My clients were deprived of due process in that the
rules were manipulated such that the Thomas' were denied their rights
to seek return of the seized property under rule 41(e), instead
forcing them to litigate this matter (to the limited extent possible)
in Tennessee. Since the file had no usable case number in either
California or Tennessee I had no way to defend my client, and hence
they were denied their Sixth-Amendment rights as well.
I apologize for my lengthy presentation, but I could not do this
matter justice with a brief statement and no background information.
This matter strongly suggests that Magistrate Brazil was conspiring
with U.S. attorneys, Postal Inspector David Dirmeyer, and unknown
judges in the Western District of Tennessee to deprive the Ninth
Circuit of its rightful jurisdiction over matters occurring within its
district, and to deprive my clients of their civil rights.
If the Court of Appeals were to find such a conspiracy it would
have serious implications, and represent racketeering within the
meaning of RICO statutes in that their co-conspirator, Agent David
Dirmeyer, has also engaged in intimidation of witnesses, extortion,
attempted blackmail, and perjury. Further, Agent Dirmeyer referred to
his mailing of unsolicited child pornography to unsuspecting persons
as "standard investigative procedure."
This case has national significance if, in fact, the federal
magistrates in this country are routinely violating the civil rights
of litigants in this fashion, conspiring with postal inspectors to
forum shop for the most conservative jury pools in the country, and
allowing the affiants to commit blatant perjury in the course of their
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 8 28 Mar 1994
affidavits. I believe the clear intent of all of these proceedings
was to turn my client's bulletin board into a government asset so that
they could use the bulletin board to entice the members with child
pornography.
In support of the above serious accusation, I cite the fact that
David Dirmeyer threatened Robert Thomas that he would suffer serious
retaliation should he blow Agent Dirmeyer's ("Lance White's") cover on
the bulletin board. This indictment and arrest followed open
discussion on the board about Lance White when Thomas did not give in
to this extortion. In my opinion, Agent Dirmeyer did not intend a
criminal prosecution and, therefore, tried to create only enough of a
paper trail to intimidate Mr. Thomas and make his business a
"government asset" in their search for alleged pedophiles. This is
the only reasonable conclusion for the following reasons:
1. A citizen who stumbled on something they deemed offensive on an
adult bulletin board is not likely to call a postal inspector. But
Agent Dirmeyer describes someone reporting their involvement in a
serious felony (theft of computer services) to the postal
inspectors in his affidavit.
2. Agent Dirmeyer already had copies of tapes sought under the search
warrant (and had allegedly ordered from Mr. Thomas' board), and
could have copied everything necessary for prosecution from his
remote location in Tennessee. The only things he could not copy
remotely were the electronic mail and member names and passwords.
The reasons for the search warrant were to intimidate the
Thomases, "frame" them with child pornography for further
leverage, and to take the bulletin board off-line for five days so
Agent Dirmeyer could extract member names, account passwords, and
e-mail. It should be noted that Agent Dirmeyer still has the
e-mail.
3. Agent Dirmeyer purports in his affidavit to have informed
Magistrate Brazil of my clients' publisher status under 42 U.S.C.
Section 2000 (aa) and the email content of the computer under 18
USC 2703 et seq. If so, in effect he told Magistrate Brazil that
he would be committing two felonies--by title and section
number--and he still got his search warrant.
4. There are several adult bulletin boards in Tennessee with similar
(if not identical material) and Agent Dirmeyer chose to act in the
Northern District of California.
5. The Thomases were subject to a similar search and seizure in 1992
by San Jose police acting alone, who examined the system and
returned it in exchange for a promise not to sue them or Santa
Clara County civilly. No items were found to be obscene by the
police or Santa Clara County district attorneys. This fact was
known by Agent Dirmeyer and even Magistrate Brazil.
6. Agent Dirmeyer made threats to Robert Thomas in his attempt to
preserve his "Lance White" cover as a member of the BBS.
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 9 28 Mar 1994
7. Magistrate Brazil's office acted as if the affidavit itself was
sealed when, in fact, the application for sealing, and his own
words in doing so, only sealed the exhibits (deemed obscene by
Agent Dirmeyer). I am also concerned about his not releasing the
affidavit (Sua Sponte) until January 27th, 1994 (the day after the
indictment and 17 days after the search).
8. There is also the fact that not so much as a docket sheet was
available in the interim, as well as the sudden change of attitude
by the Magistrate's secretary when I called to inquire as to the
whereabouts of the file (after she discussed the matter with
whoever interrupted our phone conversation).
9. Last, but not least, the initial case number, (allegedly stamped
on the search warrant by the Clerk of the Court), was 3005-WDB.
Once the file had become unsealed, the case number became
30005-WDB.
These factors leave room for and at least suggest that an ex-post-
facto paper trail was created after a bluff had gone bad. I believe
the court must investigate these irregularities to protect its own
integrity. At a bare minimum we have extortion and forum shopping by
Agent Dirmeyer with the participation of federal magistrates in
Northern California and the Western District of Tennessee. I am
appalled as an American at the thought of this. I am equally appalled
if an agent's sending child pornography to someone "without his
knowledge" (Dirmeyer's own words describing the pornography) has
become standard practice for postal inspectors.
Sincerely,
Richard D. Williams
Attorney at Law
[a posting I made to the net on 3/14/94]
By the time this gets distributed to the net, Robert Thomas (the
sysop of Amateur Action BBS), his wife, and their lawyer will be on
the way to Memphis for their first hearing on obscenity charges. The
charges stem from a postal inspector getting an account on Robert's
BBS, downloading files (and ordering tapes) the inspector believes to
be obscene in that part of the country. I expect Robert to eventually
be bled dry by legal and travel expenses.
I have *real* problems with the laws being applied this way.
With current technology it not possible for a sysop to control or
even identify the location from which BBS members call.
It is almost as difficult for *anyone* to determine what is
considered obscene in a given location. Such a research project would
take years of lawyer time, and would still be only a guess. It would
hinge on East Nowhere allowing B&D, South Backwater allowing this plus
golden showers, and West Prudence allowing neither, but not being
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 10 28 Mar 1994
concerned with animal pix. North Nowhere might allow anything,
including kiddy porn morphed from pictures of adults, and computer
generated pictures of sex with space aliens.
If a given local wants to impose restrictions, I don't have as
much of a problem with that, since people can always move somewhere
more liberal. But imposing local restrictions on a BBS 2000 miles
away is not logical--because it imposes an *impossible burden* on a
sysop.
"You are responsible for knowing what you download (or order) is
legal" was argued by the government against the people who downloaded
child pornography from Denmark in "operation longarm" a year or two
ago. [That BBS was taken over by the U.S. Government and the 140 or
so people who called there were traced. Many of them--the ones who
did not encrypt or erase what they downloaded--were busted, and now
the taxpayers are paying to keep them in jail, while the violent
offenders are let out for lack of space.]
Given this history of imposing responsibility on the person
downloading, it seems inconsistent (to say the least) for the Federal
folks to impose the standards of the least liberal places in the
country on a *San Francisco area* BBS. (San Francisco is, after all,
"Babylon on the Bay.)
In the AA BBS case, two years ago the local police had his
computer for five weeks. They looked at every .gif and give it back--
which strongly implies that they considered the material on it within
community standards. (They found no child pornography, which seems to
be the only thing considered illegal here. Cops do not, after all,
return contraband!). The postal inspector and the U.S. Attorneys do
not seem all that sure of themselves this time either, since (after
keeping the BBS for five days) they gave it back with the intent that
the BBS continue operating. They have not asked the sysop to refuse
memberships from Tennessee, or to remove any of the .gif files they
considered obscene. (I think the gifs are just silly.)
I am torn between thinking of these events as being part of a
Memphis political attention play and an attempt to turn AA BBS into a
"government asset" like the one in Denmark from which the postal
inspectors could troll for pedophiles. They *did* get the email,
member names, and passwords.
[Do any of you want to guess how often Memphis gets mentioned in
the national press? It turns out to be fewer than a dozen times a
year if you discount articles about Elvis/Graceland. One of the
biggest events of all time there was the Linda Lovelace/Deep Throat
trials--which cost about 10 million dollars and accomplished nothing
except some publicity for the U.S. Attorneys involved.]
In spite of being extremely busy as the new president of Xanadu
Operating Company (Hypertext) and doing a lot of analysis and
programming, I have been assisting with the defense on this case. I
am *very* annoyed by these proceedings because they are cutting into
my productivity. I am more than open to ideas and help from people on
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 11 28 Mar 1994
the net to generate political pressure on the feds to get them to back
off from this stupid test prosecution.
One possible approach might be for someone to inform the new U.S.
Attorney in Memphis (Veronica Coleman) about the case-- which I bet is
being run by subordinate Dan Newsom without her even knowing about it.
The investigation was started under her predecessor, Republican Ed
Briant, who rose to prominence in the Deep Throat prosecutions. I
strongly doubt that Veronica Coleman (Democrat and graduate of Howard
University) would put a (very costly) effort to suppress a
*California* adult BBS high on a list of priorities for her office.
Being associate with the case makes me talking to her of questionable
propriety, but there must be someone out in netland who could. The
local NAACP office (901) 521-1343 might provide her phone number if
someone with a reasonable level of academic or other prestige were to
ask.
On the other hand, she might be fully behind the prosecution.
Thanks in advance for help/ideas any of you can contribute.
Keith Henson
(408) 972-1132
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Earth calling Latvia! Latvia, are you there?!
By Steve Crager, Fidonet 1:130/103
Recently - well, not _that_ recently; he's been on my behind
to do this for awhile now - a user of mine expressed to me a
desire to correspond with Fido folks living in Latvia {where
is Latvia?}. In fact, he wanted to send netmail to
_everyone_ in Latvia, but I told him:
SC> Yeah. Don't. "Bombing runs", as they are called, are considered
SC> annoying in Fidonet, and I could get in trouble if you sent one out
SC> under my node number.
He then said:
> Ok let me rephrase this... I would like
> to corespond with anyone from that
> country (Latvia according to the
> nodelist that I got from a message on
> A_L) but I haven't seen anyone with that
> address in the echoes. So just how would
> I go about it?? Would I need to get a
> BBS list for that node/area from you??
> If I have to write to an individual (if
> ALL isn't allowed that is)...then who??
> Thanks for your help
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 12 28 Mar 1994
Okay. So, here's my question: Who's in Latvia? Would
someone be willing to correspond with my user, please?
Replies to 1:130/103. Flames, insults, etc, to 1:1/1. :-)
Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New Echo -- Reef_keeping
Reef_Keeping Echo
Lefty Frizzell
106/449
This is just a quick information message telling you about the
new Reef Conference we are trying to get off the ground.
As some of us feel that the people that are primarily interested
in Salt Water Fish and Reef_keeping should have their own echo
to discuss the aspects of our hobby. An echo that has information
directly related to the pecularities of the denizens of the salt
water world.
Who's doin' what
The conference name is REEF_KEEPING. Eric Gray has agreed to
moderate the conference. He will be responsible for the care
and feeding of the conference during it's formative period. He
is a respected member of the Saltwater hobby. I have been more
than a little impressed with his knowledge of the hobby.
His knowledge of cheap work arounds is phenominal. I know we all
would like to be able to have more money to stock our tanks...
rather than leaving it all at the fish store. I know I am tired
of paying big $$$ for things that can be easily made at home.
Do you get tired of paying $15 for a 5 pound bag of gravel when
silca sand is available at welding shops and can be purchased
for $5 per 50 pounds? How would you like a Venturi protein
skimmer for about $35? You priced any lately? The cheapies
start out at $99. Getting tired of paying $50 for a chunk of
live rock only to find out that you were severely ripped off
cause the rock had never been cured? Then this is the echo for
you!
Rules and regulations for this echo will be discussed and agreed
upon by the people that are helping to get it off the ground.
This is being done this way for a number of reasons:
1. It's going to be your echo. You should have a say so in the
rules that make it click.
2. Part of the process of getting the echo on the backbone is
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 13 28 Mar 1994
that there must be a goodly number of people participating
in the conference.
3. *YOU* fill in the blank.
I am Lefty Frizzell, NEC of Net 106. I have agreed to work with
Eric to get the conference running and backboned. I will handle
the paperwork part of this transaction, co-ordinate the
distribution of the echo, and participate as a user after the
echo is backboned. I will handle the Elisting of the echo with
the Fidogods. I can be reached at 713 584 1905 during the week
from 0700 hrs to 1700 hrs daily. I will be glad to answer any
of your questions and help you get set up to receive the
echo.
What we need YOU to do.
Send me netmail at 106/449 here in Houston, Texas indicating
that you wish to be part of this project. Please indicate your
name, address, voice phone, and node number. Let me know the
number of times a week that you will be calling to pick up the
echo. Also, a password that you will be using as a session
level password.
What is it going to cost?
You should not have to call more than two times a week. At the
cost of todays long distance rates, you should not be out of
pocket more than $2 or $3 a month. Just think for $9 or $10
MAX you will soon have the echo of your dreams! That place that
will answer all your questions about Salt Water Aquariums AND
Reefkeeping...all in one place! WHADDA DEAL!
Thanks for your help in this endeavor.
Eric Gray, Moderator
Lefty Frizzell, Head Gopher
----------------------------------------------------------------------
RUSH_FAN --
Get RUSH_FAN delivered to your BBS now your local hub!!!
Al Filandro 1:141/885, 1:141/1885@Fidonet, Cygnu...@Aol.com
The RUSH_FAN echo goes backbone!!
There is a new Backbone echo on the queue that should be available now to
anyone anywhere.
The RUSH_FAN echo has been going strong since late 1991 when the echo was
first begun. Rush_Fan is an echo much like internets Alt.music.rush or
the "National Midnight Star" mailing list in that it deals with the band
RUSH, its music, ideology philosophy and pretty much any and every single
facet of this incredible bands twenty-year official history of putting out
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 14 28 Mar 1994
some real inspiring albums.
Now! After many months of the Elist process (and many thanks to those RCs in
the South and Lisa Pellegrino in Florida) the Rush_Fan echo is BACKBONE!
So grab your Hubs Ticker and begin recieving the RUSH_FAN conference today!
(Warning: this is not a RUSH Limbaugh fan echo :) )
Al Filandro
@ Fidonet 1:141/885
moderator, Rush_FAN
Internet: Cygnu...@Aol.com
Cygnus Opus BBS: (203-628-9702/203-620-0757 HST 21.6k Duals) Rush Files!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
DAMN P4! FULL SPEED AHEAD!
POLICY 4 OVERTHROWN IN QUIET PALACE COUP LAST WEEK
Randy DeVaux, 1:141/701 - The Brookfield Community Internet BBS
Hello readers. Well, a palace coup, a veritable revolution has
taken place by the powers than be in the *C structure. Have you
slept through it? It has to do with something so innocuous as
the modem flags in the nodelist. It seems that when Policy 4
and technology collide, Zone Coordinators can choose to secede
from the Fidonet "Union" and create what THEY feel are then
standards for communications connectivity. Who the hell needs a
Fidonet Technical Standards Committee to approve flags for
communications!? They'll unilaterally create the flags they
feel are appropriate for how they want to communicate. To hell
with other people and any general consensus of a committee of
our technical peers. In the words of Frank Sinatra "...We'll do
it.......MY WAY!". <shutter> Isn't that what the world has been
trying to shed over the last few years?
Take a look in the nodelist. There's a Z19 flag flying at
1:142/515. Take another look. There's a VFC flag flying at
1:320/124. Are they approved by the IC and listed in the bottom
of the nodelist? There are many, many more. Check your copy of
the nodelist out. Mine doesn't have them. If yours does,
please let St. Louis know. So, we simply toss aside policy for
the sake of technological expediency! Of course! Everyone
communicates telepathically all standards and *BING* the answer
is that it's done. See? And what of our *C structure? Are
they now beginning to function like a bureaucracy and rubber
stamping everything and anything because they don't yet have an
IC? Are they watching out for the interests of all, or the
interests of those whose few that want to install a new BYTE
BANGER - SUPER WHAMMER JAMMER - WHIZ BANG modem and establish
their own standard. Shouldn't we all (Zones) have to abide by
the parameters established in Policy 4? How can we have
effective communications worldwide when unilateral actions are
taken by some outside the parameters of Policy 4. Why doesn't
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 15 28 Mar 1994
our *C structure do something to re-establish the definitions of
flags at the bottom of the nodelist? Until them, the BYTE
BANGER - SUPER WHAMMER JAMMER - WHIZ BANG modem flags should be
relegated to the Uxxx field in the nodelist as a comment. In
that manner, everyone is accommodated.
Let's all follow the rules we agreed to when we joined fidonet.
If we want to change Policy 4, then that's a separate matter.
The last thing we need to hear from the *C structure is "Don't
confuse me with the facts.....I've already made up my mind!".
Send your *C a netmail message and let him know how you feel on
the subject. It may be dull. It may be dry. It may be even
boring. But if you do it now, you won't have to do more later.
An aside:
I wish to stand up and give sincere thanks to my NC, Phil
Palumbo and my RC, Andre Normandin for the high quality job they
have done and continue to do to assure the quality of the
nodelist. We may have had many heated arguments, but their
commitment to increasing the quality of the nodelist listing
helps all of fidonet to communicate better and that has been and
will continue to be my personal crusade......better
communications. Many people can remember, the January article I
sent in regarding nodelist quality. Well, here in Net 141 and
Region 16, they did something about nodelist pollution, and as
Andre Normandin has pointed out to me, we should continue the
efforts of Bowzer (our nodelist watchdog sniffer program) in the
other regions of Zone 1 as well to aid in this cleanup. A clean
nodelist is a job each and every one of us should particpate in.
People can and do make a difference! Now on to the rest of Zone
1 Bowzer! A big thanks again to Andre Normandin and Phil
Palumbo without who's efforts this never would have been
successful.
I propose a BOWZER column for fidonews to make people aware of
areas of concern in the nodelist where problems might exist in
the nodelst entry. Perhaps a different problem each week? Do
we have an annual BOWZER award? What do you think? We'd like
to know. Send netmail to 1:141/701. We don't shred bytes.
<grin>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New Network! -- NapNet
New Network! -- NapNet
Matt Barton, 1:231/70
Indianapolis, Indiana
A relatively small local network here in Indianapolis has decided to go
national and we want YOU! We are dedicated to free and easy
communication throughout the nation.
The name of this network is NapNet. We operate in Zone 83 and in domain
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 16 28 Mar 1994
"NapNet." We currently have about eight nodes, all here in
Indianapolis.
Current List Of Echomail Conferences Available On The NapNet Backbone:
Echo Tag Description
--------------------------------------------
NAP_500 Indy 500/Racing Discussion
NAP_AD&D Advanced Dungeon & Dragons
NAP_AMIGA Amiga Computer Systems
NAP_ANSI ANSI Art/Music
NAP_CHAT Public/General Discussion
NAP_COMPLAIN Complaints About Everything
NAP_CONTROV Controversy
NAP_FILES File Announcements
NAP_FINEARTS The Fine Arts
NAP_GENE Genealogy
NAP_JOKES Jokes And Humor
NAP_MAC MacIntosh Computer Systems
NAP_NEWS News In The Nation
NAP_OFFLINE Offline Mail Systems
NAP_OUTDOORS The Great Outdoors
NAP_ROCKY The Rocky Horror Picture Show
NAP_SYSOP NapNet SysOps
NAP_TEEN Teens Only
NAP_TERM Modem Communications Software
NAP_TW Trade Wars Discussion
--------------------------------------------
If you are interested, you must request a startup kit from 1:231/70.
File Request the name NAPKIT. Included in this kit is applications and
information.
Once I receive your application, you will be assigned a node number. If
you are the first in your area to join, you may end up becoming the host
for that area of the country. Currently, there is no one in the eastern
or wester parts of this country in NapNet. Anyone from those two areas
can become Regional Coordinators. Let me know if you're interested.
If you have any more questions, feel free to write me some netmail.
Address it to Matt Barton at 1:231/70.
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 17 28 Mar 1994
New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP
New Echo! -- TEEN_SYSOP
Matt Barton, 1:231/70
Indianapolis, Indiana
Yes, kiddies, there is now a TEEN_SYSOP echo dedicated to all those who
are under 21 in FidoNet.
This echo is restricted to SysOps listed in the nodelist that are under
21 years old. Co-SysOps and users are *NOT* allowed.
All mail will be set as Hold/Direct for the receiver to poll at will.
You must poll me atleast once a week, and possibly more if you're
feeding others who are local to you.
If someone local to you is receiving this echo, or you want to feed
someone local to you, arrangements can be made. You still need to make
an official request for the echo to me regardless of where you're
getting the echo.
If you're interested, write netmail to Matt Barton at 1:231/70. Please
include Areafix password. No session or packet passwords required and
pretty much discouraged.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Dear Emily Postnews"
[Written specifically for USENET, but applies to echomail too. Author
unknown. Please step forward!]
Emily Postnews, foremost authority on proper net behaviour,
gives her advice on how to act on the net.
- - - - - - - - -
Dear Miss Postnews: How long should my signature be? -- verbose@noisy
A: Dear Verbose: Please try and make your signature as long as you
can. It's much more important than your article, of course, so try
to have more lines of signature than actual text.
Try to include a large graphic made of ASCII characters, plus lots of
cute quotes and slogans. People will never tire of reading these
pearls of wisdom again and again, and you will soon become personally
associated with the joy each reader feels at seeing yet another
delightful repeat of your signature.
Be sure as well to include a complete map of USENET with each
signature, to show how anybody can get mail to you from any site in
the world. Be sure to include Internet gateways as well. Also tell
people on your own site how to mail to you. Give independent
addresses for Internet, UUCP, and BITNET, even if they're all the
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 18 28 Mar 1994
same.
Aside from your reply address, include your full name, company and
organization. It's just common courtesy -- after all, in some
newsreaders people have to type an *entire* keystroke to go back to
the top of your article to see this information in the header.
By all means include your phone number and street address in every
single article. People are always responding to usenet articles with
phone calls and letters. It would be silly to go to the extra trouble
of including this information only in articles that need a response by
conventional channels!
------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
Fidonews Information
========================================================================
------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Sylvia Maxwell, Donald Tees
Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell,
Vince Perriello, Tim Pozar
Tom Jennings
"FidoNews" BBS
FidoNet 1:1/23
BBS +1-519-570-4176, 300/1200/2400/14400/V.32bis/HST(DS)
Internet addresses:
Don & Sylvia (submission address)
edi...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Sylvia -- m...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Donald -- don...@exlibris.tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca
Tim -- po...@kumr.lns.com
(Postal Service mailing address)
FidoNews
128 Church St.
Kitchener, Ontario
Canada
N2H 2S4
Published weekly by and for the members of the FidoNet international
amateur electronic mail system. It is a compilation of individual
articles contributed by their authors or their authorized agents. The
contribution of articles to this compilation does not diminish the
rights of the authors. Opinions expressed in these articles are those
of the authors and not necessarily those of FidoNews.
Authors retain copyright on individual works; otherwise FidoNews is
Copyright 1994 Sylvia Maxwell. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or
distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in
other circumstances, please contact the original authors, or FidoNews
(we're easy).
FidoNews 11-13 Page: 19 28 Mar 1994
OBTAINING COPIES: The-most-recent-issue-ONLY of FidoNews in electronic
form may be obtained from the FidoNews BBS via manual download or
Wazoo FileRequest, or from various sites in the FidoNet and Internet.
PRINTED COPIES may be obtained from Fido Software for $10.00US each
PostPaid First Class within North America, or $13.00US elsewhere,
mailed Air Mail. (US funds drawn upon a US bank only.)
INTERNET USERS: FidoNews is available via FTP from ftp.fidonet.org,
in directory ~ftp/pub/fidonet/fidonews. If you would like a FAQ, or
have questions regarding FidoNet, or UUCP<==>FidoNet gateways, please
direct them to David Deitch (1:133/411@fidonet) at
dei...@gisatl.fidonet.org.
SUBMISSIONS: You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission requirements are contained in the file
ARTSPEC.DOC, available from the FidoNews BBS, or Wazoo filerequestable
from 1:1/23 as file "ARTSPEC.DOC". Please read it.
"Fido", "FidoNet" and the dog-with-diskette are U.S. registered
trademarks of Tom Jennings, and are used with permission.
Asked what he thought of Western civilization,
M.K. Gandhi said, "I think it would be an excellent idea".
-- END
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---
Remember Campers!!!
To send mail from an Internet site or smart UUCP Site TO a user
that calls a Fido-Net system.
You need to know the name of the person and node number of the
Fido-Net system that the person uses.
The address of a FidoNode looks like this: 1:105/302.0. Usually
the 1: and .0 are left off, but they are there by default. (In
Europe it is 2: and in the Pacific Basin it is 3:.) That
address can be translated as "Zone 1, Net 105, FidoNode 302,
Point 0." or p0.f302.n105.z1. Add the FidoNet domain of
.fidonet.org to the end of that, chop off the p0 (it is again,
a default) and you have f302.n105.z1.fidonet.org - the "Fully
Qualified Domain Name" of a FidoNode. Another example is
1:105/4.3 which would be written as p3.f4.n105.z1.fidonet.org
(since there is a point number other than 0, we have to specify
it). Note also that we are only using zone 1. This will also
work for zones 2 and 3, just use z2 or z3 as appropriate.
FidoNet uses full names of the callers. Multi-part name folks
(eg. First Last, ie. "Dale Weber") will have a period '.'
seperating their names. So, lets say you wanted to send mail
to Dale Weber at 1:105/55.0, you would address your letter to:
Dale....@f55.n105.z1.fidonet.org.
************************************************************************
Submissions to comp.org.fidonet should be addressed to
po...@kumr.lns.com
************************************************************************
--
Internet: po...@kumr.lns.com
Snail: Tim Pozar / KKSF / 77 Maiden Lane / San Francisco CA 94108 / USA
POTS: +1 415 788 2022 Radio: KC6GNJ / KAE6247