APPLE <F>requently <A>sked <Q>uestions (FAQ) List
Updated constantly, published monthly. Send suggestions or inclusions to the moderator, netmail or public; only Frequently Asked stuff though.
 
Who's in charge here?  
Your host and master of ceremonies is Dennis McClain-Furmanski at 1:275/429. Any problems or complaints should be directed there, by netmail. General questions should remain in the echo. I have great patience with users' questions. I have very little with people whining over minor points. If you have a complaint, make sure it's worth the effort. If you have a problem, it IS worth the effort.
 
Is the an Apple compat QWK reader?
Yes. It's called 2QWK! You can find it any of several BBSs as well as most pay services and internet ftp sites carrying Apple software. If you can't find it, ask around. We have it. Author is tlarson@pro-greens.benton-city.wa.us (Tom Larson). Since he doesn't presently have write access to the echo, you can contact him through Brian Hammack here in the echo. The first-release site for this program is the We Be Games & Stuff BBS.
Note: it requires an unZIP program which you obtain seperately. Which leads into:
 
Is there an unZIPper for the Apple?
Two of them. PMPUNZIP is a GS only desktop style program. ANGEL is a ProDOS 8 program, and also does LZH, UNIX Z and several others. It also ZIPs. Neither of them does ARJ. There's also an unLZH program for the GS called LHExt, and a shell executable for the GS called unARJ.
 
How do I send mail to...?
On Fidonet, use netmail. Ask your sysop for access if you don't have it. It costs money, so be prepared to offer to pay the sysop for the priviledge. At $0.25 per netmail message, it's cheaper than US mail, and much faster.
On any internet linked service: First, you must know the person's account name or number at their home system. Second, you must have netmail access (see above). Address your netmail to UUCP and Fidonet address 1:1/31. On the FIRST line of the message, against the left margin, put
To: name@place.name
That's big Tee, little oh, colon, ONE space, the person's name in internet format.
Place names: America Online = AOL.COM; GEnie = GEIS.GE.COM; Compuserve = COMPUSERVE.COM. Note that any spaces or commas in the account name or number MUST be replaced with a period. Sending to Chucky Cheese on America Online would come out chucky.cheese@aol.com. If his Compuserve account is 12345,678, you'd write to 12345.678@compuserve.com.
 
How do I send/get files to/from someone?
If it's from a BBS, ask your sysop to freq (File REQuest) them. If it's from/to a user, use netmail (see above) with fattach (File Attach). Your sysop can help you with this. NOTE: file attachs do not make it through Fido <--> internet gateways. The mail goes through, but not the file.
 
Where do we find XXXXX.XXX? 
Ask in the echo for any particular program. We're compiling a list of the locations of common programs. Some are available at the moderator's host, 1:275/429, 804-496-3320, downloads on first call. But ask first; I may not have it.
 
How can I get (some/any/certain) Apple programs for the users of my BBS?
Areafix the AFDN file echo ABLEFILE. It carries Apple files. It's a filebone echo and on Planet Connect. For particular programs, ask on the echo. If they're available, I'll see that they either get hatched in the file echo, or made available for you to freq. The origin for this file echo is 1:275/429, but not all files will be stored on this system -- it specializes in adaptive technology, not Apples. I will maintain a seperate library for these files.
 
Terminal programs: That do ANSI? That do VT 100?
The most popular terminal program remains ProTERM. It's commercial; $79. As a commercial product, it's listed with publishers and hardwae suppliers. It does both. Others exist, notably Snowterm for VT 100 (although it has no transfer protocol) and AnsiTerm for ANSI; these are shareware and can be found for downloading.
 
What BBS software is available, what's latest version, and where can I get it?
GBBS is still available, see below. There's a Fidonet compatible add-on for it, as well as a seperate Fidonet compat BBS system. For either, contact Evan Molnar at 1:2605/107, or leave a note for him on the echo.
 
How can I convert an Apple program to MS-DOS?
Rewrite it. They use different processors. If you need ASCII text file conversion, either find someone with an Apple and PC/Transporter (plug in XT compat transputer card), or upload to a BBS from one and downlaod to the other.
 
How can I hook two computers together to transfer XXX?
Use a null modem cable and standard communications programs. A null modem cable is a standard cable with lines 2 and 3 reversed. You can buy a null modem adaptor for standard modem cables to make that switch. Just hook modem to modem with this cable (no phones involved), type ATO on one machine's terminal program and ATA on the other. Then use protocol transfer at the highest rate your hardware will allow.
 
Blah blah  Macintosh blah blah blah?
Ask on the Mac echos. This is the Apple echo. Take it elsewhere. Same for Power PC.
 
But isn't a Macintosh an Apple?
It's from Apple Computers Incorporated. It is *not* an Apple computer. Don't argue.
 
Blah blah people copy/pirate software blah blah blah.
Nobody cares. I haven't heard a new excuse in twelve years in this business, not even in graduate courses in electronic communications and ethics. Try to think of something productive or entertaining to discuss.
 
Blah blah can't talk about blah blah, blah first amendment blah, my rights blah, blah censorship.
The most commonly made mistake on Fidonet is the assumption that since your system doesn't prevent you from saying anything you want, you have permission to do so. You have no more right to say whatever you want on this network than you have to call up the local TV station and get them to say anything you want them to on the news, or to send anything to any magazine and expect them to print it. I am the editor of this publication called the APPLE Echo, and as such am entrusted to control the traffic by agreement with the operators and administration of Fidonet. Disallowing any particular topic is my perogative. If you think this is censorship, you have no concept of what your first amendment rights really are. Go take a high school government class. When you *own* the network, you can say anything you want on it. Until then, protect your priviledge to post and follow the rules. For a complete description of your rights, and my responsibilities, see Fidonet Policy 4, available from any local net coordinator (NC). Summary: you have the right to not like the fact you have no other rights in this matter, and that I have the responsibility to have your feed cut should you abuse your priviledge to post.
 
Why doesn't so-and-so answer my posts?
1. They didn't see them. Fido loses stuff. It's free, right?
2. They didn't want to.
3. Not enough time has elapsed. Fido takes a while to move stuff sometimes.
4. The BBS they use has goofed up.
5. They've twitted you, meaning they've set their software to ignore posts from you.
6. The BBS you use has goofed up.
7. Any number of systems between you and them has lost some messages.
8. They haven't been on.
9. You weren't on and missed their replies.
10. Are you sure they have an account on a Fidonet board?
 
How can I bribe you?
Famous Amos chocolate chip and pecan cookies. However, you must not try to upload them. They gum up the disk drive.
 
Latest Released Versions:
GS System Software: 6.01
ProDOS 8: 2.0.3
BASIC.SYSTEM: 1.5
ShrinkIt: 3.4
ShrinkIt GS: 1.1
ProSel 8.??
ProTERM 3.1
AppleWorks 4.02 
GBBS 2.1?#
Fruity Dog/DDBBS 5.0#
2QWK! 1.20#
Copy II+ 9.1*
 
* No longer available
# Author available through Apple echo and/or Fidonet.
 
Software and Magazine Publishers, and Hardware Suppliers:
  
ALLTECH ELECTRONICS
Inquiries & tech support:  619/721-7733
Fax (quotes, info):        619/721-2823
Orders only:               800/995-7773
Office hours:  9a-6p PST Mon-Fri / 6a-5p PST Sat
602 Garrison St., Oceanside CA 92054
 
Applied Engineering
Out of business as of 1 April 1994.
We are currently trying to find an alternate repair site for AE equipment.
 
II Alive
???
 
L&L Enterprises - GBBS
???
 
Quality Computers
???
 
Sun Remarketing
???
 
This month's joke: If you wore your underwear on the outside of your clothes, would it still be called underwear?
Famous Quote Dept.: Never attribute to malice what can be explained by the vagaries of Fidonet.
Legal junk: Trademarks are owned by the people who own them. So nyah.
Disclaimer: This information is guaranteed to take up drive space, and nothing else. If it's wrong, maybe you need to give me a raise. Inclusion in this list is for information only; it is not advertisment nor endorsement, neither is exclusion a negative endorsement.
Suggestion: Lighten up; it's only a hobby.
SYSOPS: It is suggested that this be put as a protected message at the beginning of the message base you've set up for this echo, along with the rules. This FAQ list and APPLE rules available for freq from 1:275/429 as APLRULES.*, and distributed through ABLEFILE file echo.
That's the FAQs, Jack.  <D McC-F>
