     Volume 6, Number 36                              4 September 1989
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                                                  _            |
     |                                                 /  \          |
     |                                                /|oo \         |
     |        - FidoNews -                           (_|  /_)        |
     |                                                _`@/_ \    _   |
     |        International                          |     | \   \\  |
     |     FidoNet Association                       | (*) |  \   )) |
     |         Newsletter               ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
     |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
     |                                (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
     |                                                     (jm)      |
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     Editor in Chief:                                  Vince Perriello
     Editors Emeritii:                                     Dale Lovell
                                                        Thom Henderson
     Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings
     
     FidoNews  is  published  weekly  by  the  International   FidoNet
     Association  as  its  official newsletter.  You are encouraged to
     submit articles for publication in FidoNews.  Article  submission
     standards  are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC,  available from
     node 1:1/1.    1:1/1  is  a Continuous Mail system, available for
     network mail 24 hours a day.
     
     Copyright 1989 by  the  International  FidoNet  Association.  All
     rights  reserved.  Duplication  and/or distribution permitted for
     noncommercial purposes only.  For  use  in  other  circumstances,
     please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
     at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
     
     Fido  and FidoNet  are registered  trademarks of  Tom Jennings of
     Fido Software,  164 Shipley Avenue,  San Francisco, CA  94107 and
     are used with permission.
     
     We  don't necessarily agree with the contents  of  every  article
     published  here.  Most of these materials are  unsolicited.    No
     article submitted  by  a  FidoNet SysOp will be rejected if it is
     properly attributed and  legally  acceptable.    We  will publish
     every responsible submission received.


                        Table of Contents
     1. EDITORIAL  ................................................  1
        Having a good time, Glad I'm still here  ..................  1
     2. ARTICLES  .................................................  2
        DeathNet Sparks Life in IFNA  .............................  2
        IFNA: Do or Die  ..........................................  8
        NCLM Contest 2  ........................................... 12
        New Nodes Starting In FidoNet  ............................ 14
        Elections in FidoNet  ..................................... 15
        An Apology of Sorts  ...................................... 19
     3. LATEST VERSIONS  .......................................... 20
        Latest Software Versions  ................................. 20
     And more!
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 1                    4 Sep 1989


     =================================================================
                                 EDITORIAL
     =================================================================


     Hi there.

     A funny thing happened to me on the way to the retirement home.

     You might say that I changed my mind, and leave  it at that.  But
     actually, there was much more to it.

     You see, I received some very touching mail from  a lot of people
     out  there.  Several friends  also  asked  me  to  re-examine  my
     reasons for leaving the job of FidoNews Editor. And so I did.

     What I discovered was that I actually liked the job.  And that in
     spite of some of the problems that  I  have had, it was worth it.
     So when I was asked again at FidoCon  whether  I would be willing
     to  reconsider, my response was that if the IFNA board wanted  me
     to stay, I would do so.

     They asked.  I'm staying.  Thank you all for your kind mail.

     Thanks  also to those of you who volunteered to take on the  job.
     It's good to know that there are so many of you out there who are
     willing to do good things just for the sake of seeing them done.

     Now, on to  something much more interesting.  There is a net-wide
     plebiscite coming.  I can't emphasize enough how important I feel
     it is for everyone in  FidoNet  to vote in it.  Whether your vote
     is in the affirmative or negative is up to you (in fact I haven't
     decided yet), but you really should vote,  one  way or the other.

     The right to vote is just like a  lot  of  other  things:  if you
     don't use it, you may lose it.  Don't take that chance.  When the
     time comes, cast your ballot.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 2                    4 Sep 1989


     =================================================================
                                 ARTICLES
     =================================================================

     Matt Whelan
     3:712/627

                    DeathNet Sparks Life in IFNA
                    ----------------------------

     A funny thing happened on the way to FidoCon '89: members of the
     Secret Sysop Society, a group from New Jersey's 'affectionately
     named' DeathNet-107, hatched a careful and clever plot for a
     dramatic palace revolution.

     And while their plan blew up almost as spectacularly in its
     failure as it would have in success, they achieved A Good Thing
     for IFNA and, by implication, FidoNet<tm>.

     Having watched the palace revolution unfold and fail, yet still
     achieve something undeniably significant, I feel compelled to
     share my observations. This "one man's viewpoint" of FidoCon is
     my attempt -- as a participant in the most political event in my
     sheltered life -- to share some of the background to a truly
     amazing weekend.


     If At First You Don't Succeed . . .
     -----------------------------------

     I remember DeathNet from Cincinnati. It was my first visit to
     FidoCon, and they were there in the background in support of an
     attempt to have IFNA appoint a VPTC (Vice-President Technical
     Coordinator, who had also served as FidoNet International
     Coordinator in the past) who would, in effect, "put David Dodell
     in his place".

     I couldn't help wondering what it was that bothered them so much.
     My experience of FidoNet had been mostly good, especially after I
     discovered my personal savior: it only hurts when you take it too
     seriously.

     They seemed to be taking it far too seriously.

     But that was more a mild undercurrent of discontent than a palace
     revolution. While there was no shortage of politics in Cincinnati
     (at first I was silly enough to think I was there just to party),
     it was more a game than a battle.

     San Jose was a different story. Still unhappy with the FidoNet
     coordinator structure, the Secret Sysops wanted to change the
     world. This time, they had more than just an idea: they had a
     detailed, timed-to-the-minute battle plan, the result of three
     months of careful -- and one might even say furtive -- preparation.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 3                    4 Sep 1989


     There's no doubt the world of IFNA needed changing. It was
     limping from fight to fight as it traversed the back alleys of
     FidoNet, hauling itself from impotence to incapacity. Many of us
     went to FidoCon hoping to find some way to revive the good in
     IFNA, despite the increasing attractiveness of euthanasia.

     Few of us, however, shared the apparent DeathNet view that
     FidoNet needed saving from itself. Even fewer saw IFNA as the
     vehicle.


     Instant Takeover
     ----------------

     The scheme to take control of IFNA was brilliant in conception,
     masterful in execution, and 'politically perfect' in timing.

     While most people shrugged their shoulders and muttered about
     'another screw-up' when the IFNA Board of Directors crippled
     Vince Perriello's Bylaw amendment intended to enfranchise all
     sysops, the Secret Sysops exploited it to maximum advantage.

     It was almost impossible for non-IFNA members to take advantage
     of the new At-Large membership category, tied as it was to a 180-
     day qualifying period. The key here is 'almost', as discussion at
     the intense every-Tuesday-night DeathNet meetings clearly
     discovered.

     Armed with this realization, DeathNet prepared its attack.
     Notarized papers were drawn up, applications for At-Large
     membership completed, votes in the IFNA BoD elections filled out,
     and membership fees of $5.77 collected.

     A bare 10 minutes before the close of voting at FidoCon, the New
     Jersey delegation declared its hand. The first victory was won,
     and it seated no less than nine 'friendly' board members at the
     first post-election BoD meeting.

     IFNA's history of indecision and inaction was about to change,
     and not even the F-37 Stealth Cookie could overshadow it.


     Majority Rules, Okay?
     ---------------------

     Key players Phil Buonomo and Fabian Gordon rolled out duly
     notarized proxies from the newly elected BoD members. The pair
     carried six votes between them.

     With the commitment of Thom Henderson, Tony Davis, and one or two
     others to the revolution, they almost had a majority without
     making a move. By the time they counted the votes of sympathizers
     who were easily convinced it was time for 'action at any cost',
     they 'owned' the board as it stood that day.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 4                    4 Sep 1989


     Once this became clear, the rest of the agenda was rolled out.
     Slowly and quietly and, at first, only in the proverbial smoke-
     filled back rooms. My support was sought in one such meeting,
     where it finally became clear to me how good their basic concept
     was, and how disastrous their planned method of implementation.

     With control of the BoD, they intended to:

     1) Appoint Ben Baker VPTC.

     2) Re-establish the original VPTC-is-the-FidoNet-IC relationship
     and, effectively, take immediate control of FidoNet.

     3) Reject Policy 4.

     4) Implement Bylaw changes which would enfranchise all FidoNet
     sysops as IFNA members (essentially a repeat of Vince Perriello's
     amendment, without the limitations applied by the outgoing BoD).

     [There were 'smaller' items on the agenda, like the clumsy
     attempt to have the board accept New Jersey as the site of
     FidoCon 1990 without the usual involvement of the Site Selection
     Committee, while I also heard rumors (they wouldn't have told me
     this one to my face!) they wanted to abolish Zones. Yet these
     seem somehow incidental . . . ]

     They believed the net would 'buy' this instant-democracy, even
     though it could not vote on the validity of the upheaval (or the
     further planned changes) for another full year. I believed the
     net would say "screw you", IFNA would go out with a bang, and
     there'd be more hate, more fighting, more unnecessary pain in
     FidoNet while it happened.

     Too many things have been done to FidoNet without its consent.
     This plan, while perhaps admirable, was just another example of
     someone else making up our minds for us.

     I volunteered support for any scheme which made all these things
     available for the net to choose *after* being consulted. I could
     not support yet another example of "trust us, we're doing this
     for your own good".


     Vested Interests?
     -----------------

     Right now you might be wondering about the motives of the new IC,
     sitting there watching his job go up in smoke.

     Let me guarantee you I would gladly have given it to anyone
     with believable plans to advance FidoNet. But I would not happily
     hand it over to a scheme which I believed had less chance of
     working -- and more chance of doing real damage -- than the
     current system.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 5                    4 Sep 1989


     This is not the time for me to go into detail on my hopes for the
     FidoNet of the future -- you'll hear about that soon enough --
     but suffice to say I would not have taken the job if I didn't
     firmly believe the current structure has the potential to satisfy
     the desires of the vast majority of sysops.

     And I believed this satisfaction could be achieved more smoothly,
     more cleanly, and less painfully than by any sort of revolution,
     now matter how noble.


     Spanners In The Works
     ---------------------

     Many other people whose opinions I respect deeply -- like Vince
     Perriello, Bob Hartman, Randy Bush, and even 'grandfather' Tom
     Jennings, to name just a few -- worried as much as I did about
     the DeathNet takeover.

     They've all been outspoken about IFNA's failure, and they've all
     been outspoken about failings of the current structure. They have
     no particular axe to grind, nor any 'position of power' to
     protect.

     They, too, feel strongly that good things should be done *by*
     FidoNet, not 'for' or 'to' FidoNet.

     These people are but a small-yet-prominent sampling of the larger
     group which saw the palace revolution as a potential declaration
     of war. And who did something about it.


     The Battle Begins
     -----------------

     While the revolutionaries sought to consolidate their voting
     power, the rest of us sat and stared at the face of defeat. We
     worried about the death of IFNA, which had done (and could still
     do) some good for the net.

     We talked about possible reactions from the sysops, the
     developers, and the *C structure. We discovered ways of pulling
     the rug from under IFNA's feet if it did attempt to take control.
     And all the time we struggled with ways to make IFNA meaningful
     without it having to be a choice between explosion and implosion.

     The only way out was voting power, but even that we considered a
     stalling tactic at best. We had no idea it would bring a
     meaningful result, and were concerned it would merely help IFNA
     sink further into lethargy.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 6                    4 Sep 1989


     Besides, to get our voting power we really needed to pull a
     rabbit out of a hat. [Bob Hartman has a more graphic description
     of where it was eventually extracted from, but that's another
     story . . .]

     Our first move was to make sure all votes were represented. BoD
     members who hadn't made it to FidoCon were contacted, and proxy
     or 'alternate' votes obtained. Outgoing IFNA President Bob
     Rudolph flooded the San Jose Holiday Inn with faxes declaring the
     validity of his alternate, Joe Keenan. Grandfather No. 2 Ken
     Kaplan phoned his proxy confirmation into the Saturday night
     board meeting, just seconds before the important voting started.
     I carried Bill Bolton's vote from Division 12 after my own BoD
     term expired the previous day.

     And then there were the two vacancies. While the revolutionaries
     believed they could place their own candidates here, sealing
     their majority, we believed otherwise. One vacancy was for the
     newly-created Division 3 (Australia), and I was the only Division
     3 resident in sight.

     As soon as I was voted into that position, I made a nomination
     for the remaining at-large vacancy. Only a Curmudgeon could have
     thought of it, and I thank him for it -- my nomination was Tom
     Jennings.

     Not even the palace revolutionaries would want to be seen denying
     the 'founding father' a place in such important decision-making . . .

     TJ is a forthright, honest, speak-from-the-heart kind of person
     who has no time for political games. I think he'd prefer being
     lost in a desert than sitting comfortably in a board meeting but,
     thankfully, he felt strongly enough about the future of his
     'baby' to take a seat on the BoD.

     All of a sudden, the voting looked a lot more equal . . .


     The Final Countdown
     -------------------

     Bill Bolton was re-elected VPTC. Wrong man for this particular
     revolution. Les Kooyman, FidoCon organizer, political scientist,
     voice of reason, presenter of the FidoCon Democracy session, was
     voted into the President's position. Wrong man for a revolution
     the people didn't know about.

     DeathNet's proposed Bylaw changes had little chance of achieving
     the two-thirds majority needed for success -- except for the one
     enfranchising all sysops as no-charge IFNA members.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 7                    4 Sep 1989


     Further attempts at imposing control were going nowhere in an
     arduous almost-all-night BoD meeting, until Phil Buonomo's
     "Yellow Piece Of Paper" (standing out from the mass of white-
     paper motions, it became known as the YPOP solution) was read to
     the group in response to a request to lay *all* the cards on the
     table.

     It, too, was planned as a "we'll do it now, and let the people
     judge us later". But it had potential, if only it could be
     applied more reasonably.

     Aggression receded. YPOP -- the skeleton of the IFNA plebiscite
     motion announced in FidoNews 625 -- could become a real solution,
     without the explosion.

     It was a chance to start over on IFNA, a return to Colorado
     Springs with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.

     It was a chance for the net to decide its future -- with everyone
     taking part, not just hearing about it afterwards.

     It required compromise. Without the votes to force it through,
     DeathNet had to accept less than instant revolution. It had to
     accept a majority-of-the-net vote, not just the 'majority of the
     vocal minority' support it had in mind. It had to be a net
     decision, not a top-down edict.

     Either group could have stalled IFNA into its grave by holding
     firm. But if we could agree on the concept, and give it to the
     net to decide, we would have something special.

     We met on the middle ground. YPOP, considered only a part of the
     revolutionary package, became THE package. Trimmed and tidied, it
     became the high point of the political side of FidoCon.

     It is a victory for DeathNet, a far better victory than it
     sought. And it is your chance to join in the decision making, in
     the molding of FidoNet for the future -- no matter what the
     result, FidoNet will be a better place.

     But it will only happen if you participate. It's time to stop
     talking and start doing . . .

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 8                    4 Sep 1989


     Thom Henderson
     Chairman of the Board (?!?!)
     International FidoNet Association


                              IFNA: Do or Die

     I just got back from  FidoCon'89  late  last  night  (early  this
     morning),  and  right  off the bat the very first thing I want to
     say is that it was a great convention!  Let's  have  a  round  of
     applause  for the gang in the Bay Area for doing such a wonderful
     job!  (clap,  clap,  cheers  from  the  sidelines,  whistles,  et
     cetera)

     There were a lot of good seminars with good speakers, somewhat to
     my  surprise  there  was  a very good after dinner speech by John
     Dvorak after the banquet,  and there were  scads  of  interesting
     people (i.e. sysops) to meet and talk with.  One rather odd thing
     did happen,  though.  Somehow I wound up as Chairman of the Board
     of IFNA.  I'm still not quite sure how/why that happened,  but it
     made  for some interesting experiences (and I'm sure it'll keep a
     couple of echomail conferences from getting too dull in the  next
     few months).

     So what am I going to do as Chairman of the Board?  Not much, and
     mostly it's already done.  A Chairman doesn't do much of anything
     except chair the board meeting (just like the  title  says),  and
     that's  over  (more  on  that in a minute).  The chairman doesn't
     make motions and can't even vote (except to break a tie).

     While I'm on this subject,  let me mention a few  things  that  I
     most  certainly WON'T do.  There were a lot of rumors and a large
     measure of loose talk and fairly brainless gum-flapping going  on
     in a couple of suites about What I'm Going To Do that ought to be
     addressed.

      *  I'm not going to outlaw Wazoo.

      *  I'm not going to mandate that GroupMail replace echomail.

      *  I'm not going to charge people to be in the node list.

      *  I'm not going to "use my position to commercialize the net"
         (whatever THAT means).

     Let's get real, people.  Even assuming I wanted to do any of that
     (which I don't),  none of it is anything that a chairman  of  the
     board  can  do.  For  that  matter,  none  of it is anything that
     anyone could do if the sysops don't want  it  done.  Anybody  who
     thinks they are going to make 4,000 sysops (or even one sysop) do
     anything  they  don't  want  should  have his head examined.  The
     FidoNet sysops are going to continue to do as  they  damned  well
     please.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 9                    4 Sep 1989


     So what *AM* I  going  to  do?  Like  I  said,  chair  the  board
     meeting,  which  is  over.  If you don't mind,  I'd really rather
     talk about that.

     It  was  a  heck of a board meeting!  The best I've ever seen.  I
     guess an advantage of me being the chair is that it got a lot  of
     people  involved.  The first board meeting was Friday night,  and
     it was pretty much restricted to a few officer elections.  Me  as
     chairman,  Kris  Veitch as secretary/treasurer,  and John Knox as
     acting secretary.  Everything else was postponed  until  Saturday
     night.  Then  all  day  Saturday  right up to (and even into) the
     board meeting phone calls went all over the place, locating every
     board member who wasn't there and obtaining a proxy  for  someone
     who  WAS  there.  The  only  one who couldn't be reached was Henk
     Wevers,  who is on vacation.  The two vacancies on the board were
     both filled as soon as the board resumed session,  so as a result
     23 out of 24 board seats were  represented  during  the  session.
     That's the highest percentage we've ever had!

     And John Knox did a great job of keeping track of everything that
     happened  (I'll  say he did an outstanding job if I get a copy of
     the minutes later this week [*grin*]).  Full minutes should be in
     the next issue of FidoNews. (If they aren't, then my own somewhat
     less complete notes will be in the following issue and I'll be on
     a plane to Oklahoma to visit John [*wider grin*].) The full  list
     of  everyone who served on the board will be in the minutes,  but
     here's my own slightly sketchy list:

         Stephen Barnes
         Bill Bird
         Phil Buonomo
         Randy Bush
         Jim Cannell
         Don Daniels
         Tony Davis
         Fabian Gordon
         Bob Hartman
         Thom Henderson
         Tom Jennings
         Steve Jordan
         Joe Keenan
         John Knox
         John Lamb
         Rob Lerman
         Vince Perriello
         Mort Sternheim
         Matt Whelan

         My apologies to anyone I left out.  Lest I forget, the new
         officers are:

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 10                   4 Sep 1989


              President:               Les Kooyman
              Vice President           Fabian Gordon
              Vice President/TC:       Bill Bolton
              Secretary/Treasurer:     Kris Veitch


     As  you  can  see,   we  had  a  pretty   high-powered   meeting.
     Surprisingly,  it  went  very smoothly (aside from the occasional
     curmudgeon in need of sitting-on).  There was a  lot  of  serious
     discussion, but it never got heated.  We were never even close to
     having a shouting match.

     A  lot  of  the  attendees had very definite goals they wanted to
     accomplish.  Said goals weren't always compatible,  but a plan of
     action  was  hammered  out that is going to make major changes in
     what IFNA is and how it works.  To sum it up in a  nutshell,  one
     of two things is going to happen:

      1) IFNA is going to become what it was meant to be, the
         democratic voice of the sysops in network management.

      2) Or, IFNA is going to be dissolved.

     The choice, of course,  is yours.  You'll be hearing soon (if you
     haven't  heard  already)  that  there is a referendum coming that
     will be asking YOU which of the  above  you  would  like  to  see
     happen.

     By  "you"  I  don't mean "you who paid $25 to join IFNA",  I mean
     "you the sysop of a public BBS in FidoNet".  One  of  the  things
     that happened was that the IFNA bylaws were amended to make every
     sysop in FidoNet a full voting member of IFNA -- no dues or  fees
     required.   IFNA  is  now  where  it  belongs,   in  your  hands.
     Furthermore,  if the majority of *ALL* FidoNet sysops don't  vote
     in  favor  of  rebuilding IFNA,  then IFNA will be dissolved.  No
     hanky panky,  no hedging,  no waffling about what the lack  of  a
     vote means.  If IFNA does not receive a solid "YES" vote from the
     majority of all sysops, it's history.  If a sysop cares so little
     that he does not bother to cast a vote, then that will be exactly
     the same as voting against IFNA.

     Furthermore,  the referendum is mandated to be completed no later
     than  1 December 1989.  As far as I'm concerned,  that means that
     if it isn't,  then IFNA will be dissolved.  Granted that  a  net-
     wide  referendum is a fairly major undertaking involving a lot of
     cooperation  from  a  lot  of  people (including,  I'm sure,  the
     existing *C structure).  But if IFNA  is  unable  to  garner  the
     support or the manpower  to  coordinate  the  vote,  then  in  my
     opinion it is not worthy to be trusted with network management.

     It goes even beyond that.  If  passed,  the  referendum  mandates
     that  IFNA  must  submit  a  new  set of bylaws and a new network
     policy document to the  sysops  for  approval  no  later  than  1
     February 1990.  This means that before the February board meeting
     IFNA must:

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 11                   4 Sep 1989


      1) Run a net-wide vote of all sysops asking if IFNA should
         manage FidoNet.

      2) Win the vote by a clear majority of all sysops.

      3) Draft new bylaws and a new policy document.

      4) Run another vote for approval/disapproval of the proposed
         bylaws and policy.

      5) Have the proposed bylaws and policy approved by the
         membership (i.e. the sysops).

     Anything  less  than  100% and IFNA will be history.  If it can't
     get the support and/or can't do the work,  then it's high time we
     quit wasting time on it.

     We'll  soon  know  if IFNA can handle the job.  Even sooner we'll
     know if YOU want it to try.





     Closing notes:

      *  My thanks to Randy Bush, who was instrumental in developing
         the wording of the referendum.  I'm looking forward to seeing
         him again at the February board meeting.

      *  My special thanks to Phil Buonomo, who through months of
         seemingly endless devotion, persuasion, legwork, and sheer
         drive is the man who really made all this happen.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 12                   4 Sep 1989


     Butch Witherspoon
     Fido 1:288/525
                      National Computer Learning Month
                        1989 CONTESTS FOR STUDENTS
        Video/Storyboards on Using Computers and Software as Tools

     6 Grand Prizes: One grand prize winner in each category. The
     winner and his/her school or organization will both recieve a
     computer system.

     24 Second Prizes: Four second prize winners in each category.
     Each winner and his/her school or organization will recieve
     software programs.

     48 Third Prizes: Honorable mention certificates for winning
     students.

     Categories:
     Elementary (kindergarten-grade five)
     Middle (Grades 6-8)
     Secondary (Grades 9-12)

     Description: Computers and software are wonderful tools for
     creating video presentations. To produce exciting video
     presentations, students can develop thier own scripts and
     graphics, animate pictures and words, sequence computer screens,
     connect a computer to a video camera or add captions or computer
     generated art to videotapes they have made.

     Rules: To enter this contest, submit your original video
     presentation with the theme of using computers and software as
     tools. The video presentation may not exceed 30 minutes. The
     presentation might be a fictional or cartoon story that
     introduces people to the value of computers and software as tools
     or a serious presentation of how to use a computer and software
     as a tool in a specific way. You do not have to use a computer or
     video equipment to produce the presentation; however, the theme
     must be using computers and software as tools. If you produce a
     video tape, submit it as your entry. If you use a computer, do
     not send a disk; either send a videotape of your presentation
     being presented on the screen or send a printout of each screen
     (storyboard) in the correct order. If you do not use a computer,
     submit storyboards of your video presentation using any materials
     you have available. Storyboards are pictures of what each screen
     in a video looks like, put in the correct order. Entries will be
     judged on originality, content, quality of script or story,
     design, illustration and overall attention to detail.

     Join the National Computer Learning Month Echo and get in on the
     excitement! For more information send NetMail to Butch
     Witherspoon, SEGUARO BBS, Fido 1:288/525 or write to NCLM Echo,
     P.O. Box 8045, Granite City, IL 62040-8045.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 13                   4 Sep 1989


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 14                   4 Sep 1989


     Geoff Leff
     Opus  3:640/200


                     New Nodes Starting In FidoNet

     I've been part of FidoNet for approximately 3 years now. I've
     been a user for the most part,  and recently became a sysop of
     my own board around 6 months ago.  I'm sure most of you probably
     agree that I am still a baby in the life of FidoNet, although,
     I feel I should express my views on a subject.  I would like to
     make it clear though, that I am in no way trying to blame
     anybody, and even the party's involved are at no immediate fault
     of their own.

     When I started as a sysop of my own OPUS CBCS, I received a lot
     of help from fellow sysops helping me get set up properly, and
     I thank them for it, but the reason I am submitting this
     article, is my concern that other new sysops might have to go
     through the same ordeal as I did.  It all started once I
     received my NEW long awaited node number, as a new sysop and
     member of FidoNet,  there was still lots of information that I
     wasn't aware of at the time, one of which was that it was left
     up to me to tell all the sysops involved up the track who I was
     polling off of, so that they can adjust their routing files
     accordingly.  I admit it should be up to me to tell the people
     involved, after all, I'm the new kid on the block.  What
     concerns me though, is how all these people expect a
     'New Kid On The Block' to know who in fact is supposed to know
     this information.  An example,  As a 'New Kid On The Block' I
     decide to poll off of Joe Bloggs of 640/999.   I am expected to
     know all the boards that would be part of the routing so that I
     can tell them that I now poll off of 640/999.  As you may guess
     this can sometimes be a little difficult, as I found out when I
     started to poll from a node in Brisbane and then tried about 3
     months later with another node in Sydney. Both times It took
     countless messages all over the place, a lot of angry people and
     of course a few voice calls interstate.  It was getting to the
     point where I was starting to think it wasn't worth the trouble.
     Well,  I'm happy to say,  I am now properly set up in everyone's
     routing files,  but only after a lot of headache's.  What I'm
     suggesting here is just a simple clause in a message to let
     him/her know which sysops need to know of your existance.
     It's only common courtesy to let him/her know anyway,  so how
     about it fellow sysops, us new nodes are the reason FidoNet
     exists,  if it wasn't for us,  there would be no need for
     such a network.  I would really like to hear some people's
     views on this subject, so feel free to send me netmail on
     3:640/200.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 15                   4 Sep 1989


                           Elections in FidoNet

     Steve Bonine, 115/777


     Selection of FidoNet coordinators by election is becoming quite
     common in FidoNet.  Unfortunately, the experience gained in
     conducting those elections has not been shared as widely as it
     should have been.  Thus, we have each net or region re-inventing
     the wheel for each election.  This takes extra time, and does not
     provide a consistent process throughout the network.  I hope that
     this article will serve as a step towards sharing what we have
     learned, as it is only through learning from the experience of
     conducting elections that the best policy can be formulated.

     Not all election procedures should be exactly the same, since not
     all election environments in FidoNet are the same.  An election
     in a Net with five members is not the same as one conducted in a
     large Region.  However, there are aspects which are common, and a
     set of election guidelines is a valuable tool for introducing
     democracy into FidoNet.

     Software
     --------

     How important is specialized software for conducting elections in
     FidoNet?  When the issue was first raised, I believed that an
     election would not be possible without such software.  I no
     longer hold that opinion, although I do see how such utilities
     could save time for the person(s) conducting the election.  For a
     small election on a local net level, such software would probably
     be more trouble than it was worth, unless votes are common.

     Such software could perform several valuable functions.  It could
     make voting easy, thus encouraging a high turnout.  It could
     prepare confirmations and lists of votes, removing the burden
     from the vote conductor.  Finally, it could improve the security
     of the election, and perhaps even provide a completely secret
     ballot.

     There are, however, several disadvantages to using specialized
     voting software.  It must be installed on each voter's system, so
     the design must emphasize ease of installation and ease of use.
     It must be available for many different platforms, as we have
     many different hardware configurations in FidoNet, ranging from
     vanilla MS-DOS to almost-compatibles to non-IBM and non-MS-DOS.
     Designing an easy-to-install, easy-to-use, foolproof system for
     this environment is quite a challenge.  Finally, the introduction
     of voting software may in fact REDUCE confidence in the election;
     "black boxes" and "magic" are generally distrusted, whereas
     sending a netmail message is something that is easy and
     comfortable.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 16                   4 Sep 1989


     The bottom line is that successful elections have been conducted
     without the use of specialized voting software.  If such systems
     become available in the future they may enhance the election
     process, but they are not a prerequisite.

     The Tradeoff
     --- --------

     There is a basic conflict in FidoNet voting between secrecy of
     ballot and ability to verify the vote.  I feel that a secret
     ballot is entirely as important as the vote process itself.  In
     an election for the local NC, I don't want my friend to know that
     I didn't vote for him.  It's none of his business, or anyone
     else's business, who I voted for.

     The closest we can come to a true secret ballot in FidoNet, short
     of using voting software, is to choose an individual to conduct
     the election.  This individual must have certain qualifications:
     not be a candidate for the office, be honest, and be trusted by
     all parties.  However, no matter how noble the individual is who
     conducts the election, safeguards should be put in place to
     insure that there is no question as to the conduct and count.
     Such safeguards are as much for the benefit of the vote conductor
     as for the protection of all candidates.

     The Safeguard
     --- ---------

     There are ways to provide a public check on the vote count
     without compromising the principle of a secret ballot.  These
     ideas are not my own, but have been set forward in various
     echomail conferences, including the pol5_dem development effort.
     At first, I thought that this was a lot of trouble for the poor
     snook conducting the election, with little actual benefit.  As
     the discussion progressed, it became clear that there is extra
     effort, but significant benefit.  Not only does this scheme
     prevent deliberate fraud, but it catches honest mistakes.  Even
     saints have been known to make an occasional clerical error.

     The idea is simple.  Each voter is assigned a password, known
     only to that voter.   (Or the voter picks a password when casting
     the vote.)  Then individual votes are posted, using these
     passwords.  Each voter can verify their individual vote, but
     cannot deduce others' votes.

     One more piece of information is necessary -- a list of the nodes
     who voted.  Without that cross-check, the vote conductor could
     "stuff the ballot box" to the extent that people did not vote,
     making up passwords and assigning votes to them.  If there is a
     list posted of who voted, and someone who did not vote sees their
     name in the list, they can point out the problem.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 17                   4 Sep 1989


     A quick example.  In an election for NC, the two candidates are
     Joe and Sue.  The vote runs like this:

     Node           Sysop          Vote           Password
     115/123   Elmer Fudd          Joe            ABC
     115/456   Donald Duck         Sue            DEF
     115/789   Joe Smith           Joe            GHI
     115/987   Sue Jones           Sue            JKL
     115/654   Deputy Dawg         Joe            MNO
     115/321   Tweety Bird    does not vote       N/A

     The person conducting the election would post the following:

     The following nodes voted:  123, 456, 789, 987, 654
          ABC       Joe
          DEF       Sue
          GHI       Joe
          JKL       Sue
          MNO       Joe       Results:  Joe, 3
                                        Sue, 2

     In a real election, the passwords would be more imaginative, and
     the results would not be posted in node-number order.  You can
     see how this method allows each voter to verify that their vote
     was correctly tallied.  If Tweety Bird sees her node number
     listed in the list of voting nodes, she can point out the
     problem.

     What Has Been Learned
     ---- --- ---- -------

     I have recently been associated with two elections in FidoNet,
     and several aspects have been interesting.  Both of these
     elections were conducted by Rick Moore (115/333), who was
     impeccably qualified using the criteria mentioned above.

     The first election was to pick a Regional Coordinator for region
     11.  Candidates (sysop or NC) were nominated by Network
     Coordinators.  No "screening" was done of nominations beyond
     requiring that each candidate be nominated by an NC.  The slate
     of eight candidates was then presented to the NC's for a vote.
     (There are 21 NC's in region 11.)  It was decided before the
     election was held to not post the individual vote totals; only
     the winner was announced.  This step was taken because it was
     felt that candidates might be unwilling to risk being embarrassed
     by a poor showing.

     With 20/20 hindsight, it would have been better to post the
     individual vote counts, or to use a method like the one outlined
     above.  Since the winner is from the Chicago area, and the ZC is
     from the Chicago area, and the conductor of the vote is also from
     the Chicago area, it was obvious to the casual observer that
     massive vote fraud had occurred.  Actually, I say this only as an
     illustration of how the public posting of the votes is a
     protection to the person conducting the election as well as to
     the candidates.
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 18                   4 Sep 1989


     As I write this article, we are in the final phase of an election
     to pick a new Network Coordinator for net 115 in Chicago.  Again,
     Rick Moore is conducting the election.  Based upon experience
     from the first election, changes were made in the rules for the
     NC election.  First, the individual vote totals will be posted.
     Second, the winner will be chosen by MAJORITY (as opposed to
     plurality).  Since no one candidate received a majority of the
     votes cast in the election, a runoff is being held between the
     top two candidates.

     The learning experience continues with an election for RC in
     region 12, again to be conducted by Rick Moore.  This election
     will differ from the previous one in several important respects.
     The nomination process is the same, but votes will be posted
     using a password method as described above.  Instead of NC's
     voting for the RC, individual sysops will vote.  Again, the
     winner will be selected by majority, with a runoff if necessary.

     (Or runoffS.  We came within one vote of having a three-way
     runoff in the net-115 election, as the top three candidates
     received 9, 9, and 8 votes each.  If three candidates had been in
     the runoff, it is probable that no one would have received a
     majority in that election either, requiring yet another runoff
     between the top two candidates.  This is an example of the type
     of unexpected event which can always show up to illustrate that
     the rules which were so carefully prepared do not cover all
     contingencies.)

     What Next?
     ---- ----

     We are still learning.  More experience is needed with the voter-
     password method, which has not yet been used in a region-level
     election.  Another aspect is sysops voting for an RC; the turnout
     in the election will be an indicator of whether RC's should be
     elected by vote of sysops or by vote of NC's.

     As more elections are held in FidoNet, and as we share the
     experience, it will not be necessary for each election to "re-
     invent the wheel".  Our hobby is, after all, communication.  We
     must communicate what we learn, or we'll each have the honor of
     climbing the same learning curve.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 19                   4 Sep 1989


     An Apology of Sorts

     by Phil Buonomo, 1:107/583, 7:520/583, 9:807/1

     Over the past few months, I have become aware of a previously un-
     known character flaw I possess.  It seems that I have a bad ten-
     dency to group people together.  I want to make it clear here
     and now that I do NOT feel that the majority of members of the
     *C structure are bad.  Some may have shown poor judgement lately
     in the implementation of Policy 4, but I do not believe that
     there has been any malicious intent behind that implementation.
     Additionally, some people have been embarrassed and hurt by some
     of the articles I have written.  I hereby render my apologies to
     Jim Dunmyer and JJ Marquez.  Jim is a good example of what a *C
     should strive to be, and if there were more like him, perhaps
     FidoNet would not be in the mess that it is.  As for JJ, while I
     do not agree with his interpretations concerning conferences, I
     feel that he was caught in a situation that was not of his mak-
     ing, and therefore also did not deserve the chastizement I gave
     him in a recent article.  Fellows, no-one's perfect, and I'm not
     even close.  I'm sorry, and hope that you'll realize that my
     intentions were not malevolent in nature, either.

     As for Steven Bonine, I do believe that he's trying to improve
     things, and that he bears no malevolence towards the nodes of
     FidoNet, nor a desire for power over others.  Considering my own
     flaws, and the extraordinary measures I was forced to undertake
     to bring a chance at democracy back to FidoNet, I don't feel
     comfortable faulting the man any more.  I urge Steve to take a
     little more time in making decisions of policy, as they have
     such serious ramifications for the network.

     At FidoCon, several RC's have expressed an intent to bring demo-
     cratic representation to FidoNet, and claimed to be moving in
     that direction already.  Since TJ's mention of trust, I have
     decided to take them at face value unil proven otherwise.  I
     also hereby resolve not to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch,
     provided the rest of the bunch is willing to help weed out the
     bad apples.  I urge others to do so as well.

     I'm sorry if I offended anyone else.  I'm not a diplomat, and I
     sometimes step on toes trying to accomplish a goal.  I believe
     in getting the job DONE, no matter what the cost.  I am proud of
     of that reputation, but it does tend to cause grief for myself
     and others.  For that, I apologize.

     Phil Buonomo

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 20                   4 Sep 1989


     =================================================================
                              LATEST VERSIONS
     =================================================================

                          Latest Software Versions

                               MS-DOS Systems
                               --------------

                           Bulletin Board Software
     Name        Version    Name        Version    Name       Version

     Fido            12n+*  Phoenix         1.3    TBBS           2.1
     Lynx           1.30    QuickBBS       2.04*   TComm/TCommNet 3.4
     Opus          1.03b+   RBBS          17.2A    TPBoard        5.2
                                                   Wildcat!     2.00P


     Network                Node List              Other
     Mailers     Version    Utilities   Version    Utilities  Version

     BinkleyTerm    2.20    EditNL         4.00    ARC           6.02
     D'Bridge       1.21*   MakeNL         2.12    ARCmail        2.0
     Dutchie       2.90C    ParseList      1.30    ConfMail      4.00
     FrontDoor       2.0    Prune          1.40    EMM           2.02
     PRENM          1.47    XlatList       2.90    GROUP         2.10
     SEAdog        4.51A*   XlaxDiff       2.32    LHARC         1.13*
                            XlaxNode       2.32    MSG            3.3
                                                   MSGED         1.99
                                                   PK[UN]ZIP     0.92*
                                                   QM             1.0*
                                                   TCOMMail       2.2
                                                   TMail         1.11
                                                   TPBNetEd       3.2
                                                   UFGATE        1.03
                                                   XRS            2.3*
                                                   ZmailQ        1.09*

                               Apple Macintosh
                               ---------------

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

     Red Ryder Host   v2.1b3   Tabby         2.0*  MacArc        0.03
     Mansion             7.0                       ArcMac         1.3
     WWIV (Mac)          3.0                       StuffIt       1.51
                                                   TImport      1.331
                                                   TExport       1.32
                                                   Timestamp      1.6
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 21                   4 Sep 1989


                                                   Tset           1.3
                                                   Timestart      1.1
                                                   Tally          1.1
                                                   Mehitabel      1.2
                                                   Archie        1.60
                                                   Numberizer    1.5c
                                                   MessageEdit    1.0
                                                   Mantissa       1.0
                                                   PreStamp       2.0
                                                   R.PreStamp     2.0
                                                   Saphire       2.1t
                                                   Epistle II     1.0
                                                   Import        1.2b
                                                   Export        1.2b
                                                   Sundial       1.2b
                                                   AreaFix        1.1

                               Commodore Amiga
                               ---------------

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

     Paragon            1.00+* BinkleyTerm  1.50   ConfMail      1.10*
                                                   ChameleonEdit 0.10
                                                   RMB           1.30


                                    Atari ST
                                    --------

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailer      Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

     Star-Net           2.00   BinkleyTerm 1.03a   ConfMail      1.00
     EchoDoor           0.11                       ParseList     1.30
     GS Point           0.61                       ARC           5.21
                                                   TurboArc       1.1
                                                   LHARC         0.40
                                                   PKUNZIP       1.00
                                                   MSGED        1.96S
                                                   SRENUM         6.2
                                                   OMMM          1.30
                                                   Timestop      1.00


     + Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
     * Recently changed

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 22                   4 Sep 1989


     Utility authors:  Please help  keep  this  list  up  to  date  by
     reporting  new  versions  to 1:1/1.  It is not our intent to list
     all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 23                   4 Sep 1989


     =================================================================
                                  NOTICES
     =================================================================

                          The Interrupt Stack


      5 Oct 1989
        20th Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"

     11 Oct 1989
        First International Modula-2 Conference at Bled, Yugoslavia
        hosting Niklaus Wirth and the British Standards Institution.
        Contact 1:106/8422 for more information.

     11 Nov 1989
        A new area code forms in northern Illinois at 12:01 am.
        Chicago proper will remain area code 312; suburban areas
        formerly served with that code will become area code 708.

     23 Nov 1989
        26th Anniversary of "Dr. Who" - and still going strong

     30 Dec 1989
        Telephone area codes (5, 3 and 0) are abolished in Hong Kong

     If you have something which you would like to see on this
     calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 24                   4 Sep 1989


            OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION

     Mort Sternheim 1:321/109  Chairman of the Board
     Bob Rudolph    1:261/628  President
     Matt Whelan    3:3/1      Vice President
     Bill Bolton    3:711/403  Vice President-Technical Coordinator
     Linda Grennan  1:147/1    Secretary
     Kris Veitch    1:147/30   Treasurer


            IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS

     Administration and Finance     Mark Grennan    1:147/1
     Board of Directors             Mort Sternheim  1:321/109
     Bylaws                         Don Daniels     1:107/210
     Ethics                         Vic Hill        1:147/4
     Executive Committee            Bob Rudolph     1:261/628
     International Affairs          Rob Gonsalves   2:500/1
     Membership Services            David Drexler   1:147/47
     Nominations & Elections        David Melnick   1:107/233
     Public Affairs                 David Drexler   1:147/47
     Publications                   Rick Siegel     1:107/27
     Security & Individual Rights   Jim Cannell     1:143/21
     Technical Standards            Rick Moore      1:115/333


                      IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

         DIVISION                               AT-LARGE

     10  Courtney Harris   1:102/732    Don Daniels     1:107/210
     11  Bill Allbritten   1:11/301     Mort Sternheim  1:321/109
     12  Bill Bolton       3:711/403    Mark Grennan    1:147/1
     13  Irene Henderson   1:107/9       (vacant)
     14  Ken Kaplan        1:100/22     Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5
     15  Scott Miller      1:128/12     Matt Whelan     3:3/1
     16  Ivan Schaffel     1:141/390    Robert Rudolph  1:261/628
     17  Neal Curtin       1:343/1      Steve Jordan    1:206/2871
     18  Andrew Adler      1:135/47     Kris Veitch     1:147/30
     19  David Drexler     1:147/47      (vacant)
      2  Henk Wevers       2:500/1      David Melnik    1:107/233

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-36                Page 25                   4 Sep 1989


                                      __
                 The World's First   /  \
                    BBS Network     /|oo \
                    * FidoNet *    (_|  /_)
                                    _`@/_ \    _
                                   |     | \   \\
                                   | (*) |  \   ))
                      ______       |__U__| /  \//
                     / Fido \       _//|| _\   /
                    (________)     (_/(_|(____/ (tm)

            Membership for the International FidoNet Association

     Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
     pays  a  specified  annual   membership  fee.   IFNA  serves  the
     international  FidoNet-compatible  electronic  mail  community to
     increase worldwide communications.

     Member Name _______________________________  Date _______________
     Address _________________________________________________________
     City ____________________________________________________________
     State ________________________________  Zip _____________________
     Country _________________________________________________________
     Home Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________
     Work Phone (Voice) ______________________________________________

     Zone:Net/Node Number ____________________________________________
     BBS Name ________________________________________________________
     BBS Phone Number ________________________________________________
     Baud Rates Supported ____________________________________________
     Board Restrictions ______________________________________________

     Your Special Interests __________________________________________
     _________________________________________________________________
     _________________________________________________________________
     In what areas would you be willing to help in FidoNet? __________
     _________________________________________________________________
     _________________________________________________________________
     Send this membership form and a check or money order for $25 in
     US Funds to:
                   International FidoNet Association
                   PO Box 41143
                   St Louis, Missouri 63141
                   USA

     Thank you for your membership!  Your participation will help to
     insure the future of FidoNet.

     Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
     and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
     membership in January 1987.  The second elected Board of Directors
     was filled in August 1988.  The IFNA Echomail Conference has been
     established on FidoNet to assist the Board.  We welcome your
     input to this Conference.

     FidoNews 6-36                Page 26                   4 Sep 1989


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
