     Volume 6, Number  1                                2 January 1989
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                                                  _            |
     |                                                 /  \          |
     |                                                /|oo \         |
     |        - FidoNews -                           (_|  /_)        |
     |                                                _`@/_ \    _   |
     |        International                          |     | \   \\  |
     |     FidoNet Association                       | (*) |  \   )) |
     |         Newsletter               ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
     |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
     |                                (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
     |                                                     (jm)      |
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     Editor in Chief                                       Dale Lovell
     Editor Emeritus:                                   Thom Henderson
     Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings
     Contributing Editors:                                   Al Arango
     
     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 available  for network  mail between  NMH-1
     hour to NMH+1 hour.  At all other times,  netmail is not accepted
     although submissions can be uploaded.
     
     Copyright 1988 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.
     
     The  contents  of  the  articles  contained  here  are  not   our
     responsibility,   nor   do   we   necessarily  agree  with  them.
     Everything here is  subject  to  debate.  We  publish  EVERYTHING
     received.


                             Happy New Year!!!

                             Table of Contents

     1. ARTICLES  .................................................  1
        Backmail - A new comm. program  ...........................  1
        Followup to "Last Saturday"  ..............................  3
        VETNet is ALIVE!!!!!  .....................................  5
     2. COLUMNS  .................................................. 12
        RegComm - Communications From RegCon  ..................... 12
        Rogel's Corner:  Laptops  ................................. 14
        Let's YACK about Culture  ................................. 21
     3. NOTICES  .................................................. 22
        The Interrupt Stack  ...................................... 22
     And more!
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 1                    2 Jan 1989


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

                                 BACKMAIL

     Product Description:  A new kind of micro-computer communications
     program which provides modem  to modem E-Mail and  file transfers
     etween any two MS-DOS machines running the program.

     A small (35K  RAM) TSR automatically  schedules, calls and  sends
     mail to up to 100 destinations  at a time in the background.  TSR
     answers  the  phone,  receives  messages  or  files and sends any
     messages or files addressed to the calling program (identified by
     phone number). Automatically retries  if busy, or broken  connec-
     tion.  A  hot  key  brings  up  (by  memory swapping) a front end
     program which  allows the  user to  read, send  and monitor  mail
     flow. *Very* fast and  unobtrusive in operation. Point  and shoot
     menus throughout. Easy to use.

     A full screen text editor for messages (max 3.5K), word wrap,full
     cursor movement. Messages  automatically stamped with:  time sent
     or received; letter heads, forwarding and reply history. Incoming
     and outgoing mail listed by subject line, time received or posted
     and destination name.  Mailboxes support: delete  message, delete
     all  messages,  delete  all  read/sent  messages. Messages can be
     appended to separate files. On screen notification of arrival  of
     mail.

     Eight user definable  prefixes (for inter-office  numbers, local,
     long  distance...).  Handles  Long  numbers  or short extensions.
     Allows separate  phone entries  for destination's  voice and data
     lines. Destinations can be give priority in scheduling.  Destina-
     tions can  me marked  so calling system refuses return  mail (for
     long distance calling).

     Status Display shows pending messages, number of times called for
     all pending  files or  messages. Calls  to specific  destinations
     can be suspended so traffic  is delivered only when that  destin-
     ation calls.  Status Display  also records  aborted transmissions
     with diagnosis of cause of failure.

     Program maintains  a mailing  list of  up to  1000 phone numbers.
     Messages are addressed by menu of phone directory. A message  can
     be  addressed  to  up  to  100  separate destinations per access.
     Allows  bulk  mailing  for  inter-office  or local numbers (up to
     1000).

     For  each  destination  in  mailing  directory the program stores
     information on when the destination is available for data traffic
     and how  many times  the destination  should be  retried if busy.
     Each user declares own availability time and maximum retries  and
     this info is exchanged whenever two BackMails communicate.  Calls
     are automatically scheduled and retried to take account of  dest-
     ination's window of availability.

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 2                    2 Jan 1989


     File directory listing, wildcards permitted. Up to 100 files  can
     be addressed at to 1-100 separate destinations each access. Sends
     files of any size. File sending protocol insures destination  has
     sufficient disk space.

     Setup menu allows user  extensive control of program  parameters,
     including: toggle  user notification,  data only  versus voice  &
     data operation, Wait for dial tone, defining hot keys, on  screen
     clock, screen colors, customized modem command strings and  modem
     response codes. Happily cohabits with most other TSRs.

     The program is share ware.  It periodically asks you to  register
     your copy ($30), whines for 20 seconds if you don't. To  register
     you hit a key and fill out a form with credit card info. As  soon
     as  the  registration  screen  is  completed the program will not
     bother you again.  The credit card  info is sent  to an 800  data
     number (US & Canada).  Registered users receive strong  technical
     support.

     BackMail  is  available  through  BBS's and Information services.
     Alethic  offers  SYSOPS  and  SIGs  a  royalty  arrangement which
     provides  a  $3.00  royalty  for  each  copy  registered. Contact
     Alethic for details. Alethic Software, 52 Parkhill Road, Halifax,
     Nova Scotia, Canada B3P 1R2 Voice: (902) 420-0734 BIX(alethic)

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 3                    2 Jan 1989


     FOLLOWUP TO "LAST SATURDAY"
     Tom Jennings
     Node 1:125/111

     This short article is a followup to the one in FNEWS5-48; maybe
     it will provide a little background and answer some questions.

     The FidoNet itself was based upon the principles I try to live my
     life by; respecting others rights, principles and lives; self-
     determination, and organization by cooperation, not coercion. All
     of these are, after all, the most basic anarchist principles.
     There is no contradiction in what I say vs. what I do.

     The language in the article was a violent response to a violent
     day. And yes, my life is my personal business only, and not
     yours: however there are people out there who want to meddle in
     MY business for THEIR reasons. I have no right to interfere with
     you if you like to hang out in suburban malls, stay home and read
     the Bible, join the army, drop out of school and become a hippy,
     or anthing else that doesn't interfere with MY life.

     The very first negative comment I received said "All that you
     have done is to reinforce the views about homosexuals held by
     such unthinking individuals as the driver of that car. And you
     may have steered some of the rest of us toward the same path by
     your inclusion of such explicit terms and references..."

     Well spoken: this is exactly what my article is about. The second
     sentence above says that in response to what I wrote, violence
     against me, and the legal (or not) removal of my rights is an
     acceptable response.

     Now after reading my article you could call me an ass, tasteless,
     rude, disgusting, awful, inconsiderate, perverse, whatever you
     want, you're entitled to your opinion. But violence? I cannot
     tell you how common this train of thought is, and how often it is
     followed up with violence or death. It is simply a
     rationalization of the desire to commit violence upon someone,
     for reasons of the perpetrators alone. This is what my article is
     about. No, it's not very pleasant at all, is it?

     The article had almost nothing to do with sexuality; it had to do
     with fascist (look it up in a dictionary) behaviour, as it
     exists, today, in the USA. I never said that IV (or any other)
     drug use is "OK", or unprotected anal sex is "OK", or that you or
     I would find these things comfortable subjects. Nor are they
     related except for disease transmission. Gay people do them no
     more often than straight ones. The fact remains that many people
     DO do these things, that's life, even people who read this
     newsletter.

     Defending peoples rights is not the same as defending what they
     do. I will defend myself, my friends, and your right to live as
     we each see fit. That, my friends, is what fighting for
     individual freedom, and First Amendment rights, really means.
     Have you ever read the United States Constitution? Read it, and
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 4                    2 Jan 1989


     see the intent behind the words. Look around you and see the
     attempts to circumvent it. Send me $1.00 (Tom Jennings, Box
     77731, San Francisco CA 94107) and I will mail you a typeset
     copy, nicely annotated, for your reference.

     I've said more than I planned on the subject; I'm not here to
     argue with anybody, you can believe what you want. I do not like
     to argue politics or personal ethics, it offends everyone. This
     is the last I will say on this subject.

     Remember the quote by that Catholic priest in Nazi Germany: "When
     they came for the jews, I didn't object because I wasn't a jew
     ... when they came for me, there was no one left to object."


     Sheesh, I'm not usually so grim and serious. I promise I'll
     shut up now. I have received more positive mail than hate mail,
     and that's a good sign. But hell, I knew the net was filled with
     mostly cool intelligent people, and could absorb something a
     a bit (ahem) shocking. Sometimes things don't get spoken,
     because... they just don't get said. Inertia. Time to speak out,
     boys and girls.

                                 * * *

     As an aside, from my point of view, the network, all 4000+ nodes,
     seems to run amazingly well. I know there's a lot of fighting
     over control structures and such, as in the current trauma over
     "other" networks, but the fact remains I can send a message just
     about anywhere with incredible reliability. We haven't been
     struck dumb by Babel, the nodelist is still wonderful, and the
     RCs and NCs do a damn good job. Looks great!!!

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 5                    2 Jan 1989


                           VETNet is ALIVE!!!!!
     By:  Todd C. Looney
          Vietnam Veterans' Valhalla
          1:143/27  300/1200/2400 Bauds
          (408) 293-7894

          The sysops  of the  Vietnam Veterans Valhalla bulletin board
     are both  Vietnam combat  veterans; I  served during the war as a
     Medical Field  Surgeon in  the U.S. Navy attached to an Emergency
     Field Evac  Hospital and  later a  long-range recon team near Dac
     To, and  spent more than my fair share of time in a VC/NVA prison
     camp across  the border  in Laos,  and Nancy  my wife,  who is  a
     veteran of a different sort having fought HER war *years* after I
     returned to  the   United States,   battling   the    problems  I
     brought   back   from   that   little country tucked thousands of
     miles away  in Southeast  Asia.    Nancy and I have, for the most
     part, conquered  all of  the  problems  of  that  traumatic  past
     through years of hard work!
          Many   of the  men and  women who  returned  from  that  war
     continue   to carry it's memories and nightmares with them today.
     Although most  Vietnam veterans  live a  successful, happy  life,
     there are  those whose every day is a bitter struggle to survive,
     trying to  find some  way to either escape the horrible memories,
     or to  come to  terms with  themselves so they and their families
     can begin to live a normal life!!
          We feel  it is  our responsibility  as caring and empathetic
     individuals    to  share  ourselves  with  those  Vietnam  combat
     veterans of  both kinds;  the  ex-military  soldier-at-arms,  and
     their wives,  friends, and lovers, with the hope that somehow the
     knowledge    and    understanding    we  gained  from  the  years
     encompassing our own struggle might be of some help to those who
     are still fighting their war!!!

               THE VIETNAM VETERANS' VALHALLA BULLETIN BOARD
                     IS DEDICATED TO VIETNAM VETERANS,
                      THEIR WIVES, FRIENDS, & LOVERS!

     And to the memory of the 58,000 men and women who never came home

          Our system  has been  successfully operating  for  nearly  3
     years now,  and received well over 37,000 calls!  We also founded
     and   coordinated    the    International    Vietnam    Veterans'
     EchoConference (IVVEC)  which  can  be  seen  on  more  than  200
     bulletin boards  across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
     Please contact  our system,  or one of the nodes listed below who
     carry our conference and join in.  You don't need to be a veteran
     of any  kind to  participate.   We welcome  you with open arms to
     learn who we are and what we are all about!
          Nancy and  I are  looking forward to meeting you all, as are
     the Sysops of the nearly 200 VETNet BBs systems below:




     =================================================================
                              VETNet NODELIST
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 6                    2 Jan 1989


                Compiled by the Vietnam Veterans In Canada
     =================================================================

     As of  25 November  88 these are the net/nodes that are currently
     listed as  receiving the  International Vietnam Veterans Echo. If
     your local  BBS is  not listed,  please send  a message  to Woody
     Carmack 153/130  (1-604-462-8753)  or  leave  a  message  in  the
     IVVEC.

     NET/                                                     MAX
     NODE    BBS NAME          City/State/Country  Phone      BAUD

     ================================================================

     632/350 Yarra Valley BBS Melbourne Austr AU 61-3-848-331 1200

     114/113 Corwin's Keep Tempe AZ 1-602-894-1470 2400

     114/13  Corwin's Keep Tempe AZ 1-602-894-1470 2400

     153/123 DAETECH Burnaby BC 1-604-420-2641 9600

     153/130 Vietnam Veterans In Canada Vancouver_BC 1-604-462-8753

     153/501 Valley Hub Clearbrook BC 1-604-850-0021 2400

     153/133 Hot Line Data Network Langley BC 1-604-533-0421 2400

     220/20  Old Frog's Almanac Nanaimo BC 1-604-758-3072 2400

     103/507 Philosopher's Log Anaheim CA 1-714-535-1258 9600

     402/100 The Board Room Belmont Shores CA 1-213-498-6425 2400

     161/502 Wildcat Benicia CA 1-707-746-5820 2400

     161/66  Generic BBS Citrus Heights CA 1-916-722-3659 2400

     203/66  Generic BBS Citrus Heights CA 1-916-722-3659 2400

     161/1   Nerd's Nook Concord CA 1-415-672-2504 9600

     202/401 jabberWOCky Escondido CA 1-619-743-9935 2400

     161/34  Now and Zen OPUS Fair Oaks CA 1-916-962-1952 9600

     161/56  Nat'l Family Forum Freemont, CA 1-415-651-4147 2400

     161/7   Mover Mouse BBS Fremont, CA 1-415-883-1644 2400

     161/39  Nightline Mather AFB, CA 1-916-362-1755 2400

     161/509 Enterprize Pinole, CA 1-415-758-1650 2400

     161/11  The Byte Boutique Sacramento CA 1-916-483-8032 2400

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 7                    2 Jan 1989


     161/5   River City II OPUS Sacramento, CA 1-916-646-9678 9600

     161/943 Eagle's Nest Sacramento, CA 1-916-334-2822 9600

     10/215  Silver BBS San Diego, CA 1-619-226-4502 2400

     125/31  Echo Coord San Francisco CA 1-415-621-5206 9600

     143/27  Vietnam Veterans Valhalla San Jose CA 1-408-293-7894 2400

     143/86  Cat's Tail BBS S T O P San Mateo CA 1-415-349-8245 2400

     125/78  Living Sober BBS San Mateo, CA 1-415-342-2859 2400

     125/12  The Grape Vine Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-546-4938 2400

     125/7   Survival Forum Santa Rosa, CA 1-707-545-0746 2400

     103/501 Mount Silverthorn Tustin, CA 1-714-544-3369 2400

     104/28  Pinecliff BBS Boulder, CO 1-303-444-7073 2400

     128/13  COSUG-Colorado's User Clrdo Spg CO 1-404-548-0726 2400

     128/16  Firenet Leader Colorado Spring CO 1-303-591-9600 2400

     104/739 The Phoenix Parker, CO 1-303-841-9570 2400

     104/51  P2 B2 South Denver, CO 1-303-329-3337 2400

     141/488 Alice's Restaurant Branford CT 1-203-488-1115 2400

     141/250 Wilton Woods Wilton, CT 1-203=762-8481 9600

     135/27  Bitsy's Place Miami Beach FL 1-305-865-0495 1200

     135/35  The Way Out BBS Miami, FL 1-305-665-3283 1200

     363/9   Wit's End Orlanda, FL 1-305-894-0807 1200

     363/10  Midas Touch Orlando, FL 1-305-648-1133 1200

     366/38  Jolly Green Giant Shalimar, FL 1-904-651-3875 9600

     18/43   Athens Echo Athens, GA 1-404-546-7857 9600

     370/10  OnLine OPUS Athens, GA 1-404-548-0726 2400

     370/5   Athens Forum Athens, GA 1-404-546-7857 9600

     12/7    HPCUA Honolulu HI 1-808-422-8406 9600

     12/1    Aura Net Honolulu, HI 1-808-533-0190 2400

     115/761 ICS/TRIX 1 OPUS Chicago, IL 1-312-761-7887 2400

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 8                    2 Jan 1989


     115/529 Elk Grove Repeater Elk Grove Vlg IL 1-312-529-1586 2400

     115/20  North Shore BBS Evanston, IL 1-312-491-2611 2400

     115/429 Chicago Business Evanston, IL 1-312-491-2611 2400

     11/109  Peoria OPUS Net Peoria, IL 1-309-691-5416 2400

     11/202  The SouthSide BBS Indianapolis, IN 1-317-882-9330 1200

     227/1   Michiana TechLine Mishawaka, IN 1-219-258-0286 9600

     227/150 The SX Project Whiting IN 1-219-659-2711 2400

     108/90  DATANET Information Syste Erlanger KY 1-606-727-3638 2400

     108/50  The ZOO BBS Independence, KY 1-606-283-2040 2400

     321/109 Pioneer Valley PCUG-1 Amherst, MA 1-413-256-1037 9600

     321/201 Mountain Top Dalton, MA 1-413-684-2886 2400

     321/202 Jones' Nose Great Barringto MA 1-413-243-0034 9600

     321/203 VETLink #1 Pittsfield, MA 1-413-443-6313 2400

     109/722 Ronnie's Roadies BBS Camp Springs MD 1-301-736-0135 1200

     109/648 Falcon's Rock College Park, MD 1-301-345-7459 2400

     13/29   Berkshire Board Essex, MD 1-301-574-1984 9600

     13/33   Avi-Technic Lutherville, MD 1-301-252-0717 9600

     13/30   The Futurists BBS Perry Hall, MD 1-301-529-0716 9600

     261/628 Liberty Hall Reisterstown, MD 1-301-833-8933 2400

     261/628.1 Systemhouse Link Reisterstown, MD 1-301-833-8933 2400

     109/717 The Tin Badge BBS Silver Spring, MD 1-301-589-2016 1200

     1/214   Region 14 Echo Coor Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3398 2400

     1/314   Software Dist Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3469 2400

     282/1   Midwest Echo Star Minneapolis, MN 1-612-377-3469 9600

     151/20  Metro Link Charlotte, NC 1-704-541-8626 2400

     151/60  VMC-BBS Lewisville, NC 1-919-945-4850 2400

     151/100 NC Central Raleigh, NC 1-919-851-8460 9600

     151/1000 REDCON Raleigh, NC 1-919-859-3353 2400

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 9                    2 Jan 1989


     143/99  Friend's BBS Omaha, NE 1-402-896-2669 2400

     132/101 BBS Source Archive Nashua, NH 1-603-888-8179 2400

     150/803 Jersey Vertex Moorestown, NJ 1-609-869-0139 2400

     15/4    NASW New Mexico Las Cruces, NM 1-505-646-2868 2400

     381/401 Border Connection Santa Fe NM 1-505-678-1318 2400

     107/105 NY Transfer Staten Island, NY 1-718-442-1056 2400

     108/105 Global Time Systems Cincinnati, OH 1-606-341-7910 2400

     157/1   Auer Register Cleveland, OH 1-216-883-0578 2400

     110/20  EDS Data Dayton, OH 1-513-455-2431 2400

     157/501 The PC-Key BBS Girard OH 1-216-545-9205 2400

     157/504 The Revelstone TBBS Cleveland, OH 1-216-642-1034 9600

     385/4   Info-Net Lawton, OK 1-405-357-6181 2400

     385/6   Bink's Barn Lawton, OK 1-405-357-2473 2400

     147/14  Dark Star TBBS Oklahoma City, OK 1-405-691-0863 9600

     148/120 Genetic Research Vat Toronto ON 1-416-480-0551 2400

     11/700  FCAU IBM Net Toronto, ON 1-416-427-0682 9600

     221/156 Waterloo CBCS PUBLIC Waterloo, ON 1-519-746-5020 9600

     221/157 Waterloo CBCS Echomail Waterloo, ON Unpublished 9600

     105/16  Net 105 EchoMail Hub Portland, OR 1-503-761-3003 2400

     105/61  Shotgun OPUS Portland, OR 1-503-760-4521 2400

     157/506 Beacon Hill OPUS Transfer, PA 1-412-962-9514 2400

     362/1   The Mines of Moria Chattanooga, TN 1-615-344-9601 2400

     362/501 Coconut Telegraph Chattanooga, TN 1-615-698-4858 2400

     18/7    Flash Port Memphis TN 1-901-525-2710 2400

     18/6    The Burnout Board Memphis, TN 1-901-353-4563 2400

     130/5   CUSSNET UTA Arlington, TX 1-817-273-3966 2400

     136/200 The Chai Way II Austin, TX 1-214-358-3738 2400

     124/210 Hardwired Dallas TX 1-214-437-4075 9600

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 10                   2 Jan 1989


     124/214 *CHRYSALIS* Dallas TX 1-214-895-9054 2400

     124/106 CHAI Way II Dallas, TX 1-214-250-3323 9600

     124/110 Flying Dutchman Dallas, TX 1-214-642-3436 9600

     124/117 NCC-1701 Node 1 Dallas, TX 1-214-240-8821 2400

     124/117 NCC-1701 Dallas, TX 1-214-240-8821 2400

     124/14  Chrysalis Dallas, TX 1-214-985-9054 2400

     124/200 Dallas Outbound Dallas, TX 1-214-437-4075 2400

     124/201 Hardweird Dallas, TX 1-204-931-2987 2400

     19/5    Micro Application El Paso TX 1-915-594-9738 2400

     106/386 Information Center Exchan Houston TX 1-713-872-4429 2400

     106/108 Stormy Weather I Houston, TX 1-713-644-4345 9600

     106/111 Shutterbug's OPUS Houston, TX 1-713-880-4329 2400

     106/113 The Opus Network Houston, TX 1-713-780-4153 2400

     106/114 The Fireside Houston, TX 1-713-496-6319 2400

     106/357 TMBBS Houston, TX 1-713-497-5433 2400

     106/666 Anything Goes OPUS Houston, TX 1-713-997-2624 2400

     106/132 Fast BBS OPUS Katy, TX 1-713-392-0093 2400

     382/1   Crystal Palace Lake Travis, TX 1-512-339-8037 2400

     382/14  Corona Del Mar Rockport, TX 1-512-729-7026 9600

     381/201 Pro Link San Angelo, TX 1-915-944-2952 2400

     387/401 Comp-U-Gen II San Antonio TX 1-512-496-9373 2400

     387/601 NCOA International BBS San Antonio TX 1-512-653-0409 2400

     387/800 NCOA International BBS San Antonio TX 1-800-365-6262 2400

     109/604 ShanErin Alexandria, VA 1-703-941-8291 2400

     109/639 The RENEX BBS Woodbridge, VA 1-703-494-8331 2400

     343/111 Lessor Puget TB Edmonds, WA 1-206-742-8067 2400

     343/9   Everett OPUS Everett, WA 1-206-355-1295 1200

     138/4   PTC Net Mount Vernon, WA 1-206-757-5248 2400

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 11                   2 Jan 1989


     1/217   Region 17 Echo Coord Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-5317 2400

     138/101 Story Board Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-5317 9600

     138/3   Puget Sound Gateway Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-9232 2400

     138/49  The Cohort Puyallup, WA 1-206-848-2646 9600

     138/35  US HDS Human Service Seattle, WA 1-206-442-8127 2400

     138/52  Burrell's Ballpark Tacoma, WA 1-206-752-4672 2400

     139/640 Fox Valley Tech Appleton, WI 1-414-735-2513 2400

     154/200 PC-Express Greenfield, WI 1-414-327-5300 2400

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 12                   2 Jan 1989


     =================================================================
                                  COLUMNS
     =================================================================

                 RegComm - Communications From RegCon.

     A very happy holiday season  to you and yours from  your Regional
     Coordinators.  May  you all enjoy  the best of  everything and we
     look forward to another year  helping make FidoNet what YOU  want
     it to be.

     It looks like we're moving ahead rapidly on the implementation of
     new nodelist flags.  The tentative schedule is to have a revision
     out on the  23rd of December  with comments and  completion on or
     before January 13, 1989.  As  soon as the new nodelist flags  are
     accepted we will begin implementation and hopefully the new flags
     will all be in place by February 15th.  Like all schedules,  this
     one is not cast in concrete but is the target.  We will certainly
     do our best to help assure  that all changes are made as  quickly
     as possible.  If there  are incorrect flags listed for  any node,
     all flags  will be  stripped and  that node  will be  listed as a
     "plain vanilla" node  handling mail during  Zone Mail Hour  only.
     That will help  us spot any  that were missed  and assure we  get
     them  corrected  quickly.    We'll  do  our  best to keep all Net
     Coordinators advised  as to  the schedule  so the  changes can be
     made as smoothly as possible.

     The RegCon  team is  also implementing  a method  to protect  the
     delivery of the nodediff.  This method will be a very basic  one,
     designed to  avoid the  possibility of  anyone sending  out a bad
     nodediff to the net, either by  accident or by intent.  There  is
     also a  program available  in most  areas named  CRCNODE.EXE that
     will run a quick test of the nodediff to see if the CRC is  still
     valid.  While some feel these steps unnecessary, we have  decided
     that it's worth a little more work from us to help assure you get
     an accurate and uncorrupted nodediff.  No-one enjoys chasing  all
     over looking for a nodediff unnecessarily.

     There has  recently been  a considerable  amount of  conversation
     taking place  in several  conferences concerning  the practice of
     making private messages public  without permission of the  person
     sending  the  private  message.    As there are several different
     opinions on additions to FidoNet policy concerning messages  sent
     by NetMail that  are `private', we  would like your  input on the
     matter.  Is  private NetMail to  be handled as  the word intends,
     "not for public or common use", or should we be more liberal  and
     allow  open  dissemination  of  all  NetMail?   Please share your
     feelings on this by NetMail  to your Regional Coordinator.   Your
     input will help us formulate the next version of FidoNet policy.

     ("RegComm" will be a weekly column in FidoNews and your  comments
     are  welcome.  Please  address  your  concerns  and  comments via
     NetMail to your Net  or Regional Coordinator, you  should receive
     an answer within a few days. It's your net and we are in need  of
     your input in order for us to fairly represent you.)

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 13                   2 Jan 1989


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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 14                   2 Jan 1989


                      ROGEL'S CORNER:  LAPTOPS --
                  A LOT OF COMPUTER POWER ON THE HOOF
     =============================================================

              -------------------------------------------
              | Laptops: Decisions, decision, decisions |
              -------------------------------------------

     Last year at about this time the "field" of laptop contenders
     was fairly small and the prices  were fairly  high.   In fact
     the  choice  of  laptop  was  fairly  easy, provided you were
     willing to make some big  sacrifices  in  computing  power in
     order to "have one for the road".

     In the  July 21,  1987 issue of PC Magazine (Vol. 6, No. 13),
     Paul Somerson raved about the Z-183 which "sprints along at 8
     MHz". The  October 27, 1987 issue of PC Magazine (Vol. 6, No.
     18) recommended "for big spenders, the  dazzling Zenith Z-181
     or Z-183  Portable PC  . .  . with its 10-megabyte hard disk,
     8-MHz  clock  speed,  and  remarkable  6-by   8-inch  backlit
     display, the Z-183 remains a heart-stopper."

     Less than 6 months later, however, the Z-183 fell from grace;
     this time Mr. Somerson criticized the  Z-183 as,  among other
     shortcomings, being  "a real  arm-stretcher" and with a 8-MHz
     speed, it  "plods  along  with  an  anachronistic  CMOS 8088"
     (March 29,  1988 issue,  Vol. 7, No. 6).  What happened to it
     being a "heart-stopper"?  Was Mr. Somerson guilty of having a
     fickle  heart,  did  the  Z-183  change for the worse, or was
     there something else?

     Choose door number 3:  something else.   That  something else
     was improved competition offering laptops with more speed and
     more power.

     Laptop computers have finally come of age.  Finally convinced
     that a promising market for laptops does exist, manufacturers
     have been falling over themselves  to  get  new  and improved
     laptops into  the stream  of commerce.  A week does not go by
     now without an  announcement  in  the  computer  trade papers
     about a new laptop.

     No longer is this market limited to just a few companies such
     as NEC, Toshiba,  and  Zenith.    The  Olivetti's, Samsung's,
     Mitsubishi's, and  many others are entering the fray and each
     trying  to  outdo  the  others  with  feature-rich portables.
     These features  include 286,  386SX, and 386 chip technology;
     substantially  improved  screen  displays;  the  addition  of
     standard, non-proprietary  expansion slots; increased RAM and
     support for EMS; and larger storage capacity.   If rumors are
     to be  believed, we may even see color screen displays in the
     near future.

     The  consumer   is   the   beneficiary   of   this  increased
     competition.   Although choosing  a laptop  in today's market
     will not be as easy as  it was  a year  ago, it  will be much
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 15                   2 Jan 1989


     more exciting.

     I  have  prepared  a  chart, set out below, comparing various
     features of some popular  and/or  new  laptops.    This chart
     contains  only  a  sampling  of  the  many  laptops presently
     available.    [The  original  chart  has  been  substantially
     modified to satisfy FidoNews' margin requirements]

     In view  of the  prospects of  an increasing number of faster
     and more powerful laptops entering  the  market  in  the next
     several  months,  anyone  interested  in  purchasing a laptop
     should use this chart as a starting point only and  then keep
     abreast  of  current  laptop developments through PC Magazine
     and other  computer publications.   Two  magazines devoted to
     portable computers  are listed at the end of this column.

     Finally, I have included a brief discussion about the variety
     of screen display technology that is or may soon be available
     for laptops.


                               * * * * *

                   --------------------------------
                   | COMPARISON OF SELECT LAPTOPS |
                   --------------------------------

     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          Datavue        Datavue        Mitsubhishi
                    Spark          Snap           MP286L
                                   1+1
     ============================================================
     CPU            80C88          V20            286
     SPEED          9.54           9.54           12
     RAM            384            640            640
     DRIVE          1x3.5          2x3.5          2x3.5
                    /720k          /720k
     SCRN           super          10.5"          11"
                                   blue           NTN
                                   super
     BATT           nicad          nicad          3d party
     WT             9              10             15.9
     EXPANSION      n/a            1/2 size       4 {proprietary}
     LIST           $995           $2,295         $3,195
     OPTIONS        3.5 dr.,       20MB,          20MB ($3,995),
                    BL, EL,        BL super       ext. 3.5" fd,
                    expansion      or BL EL       num.keypad,
                    chassis        1 fd/20MB      add'l 2MB
                                   combo          RAM



     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          NEC            NEC            NEC
                    MultiSpeed     MultiSpeed     MultiSpeed
                                   EL             HD
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 16                   2 Jan 1989


     ============================================================
     CPU            V30            V30            V30
     SPEED          9.54           9.54           9.54
     RAM            640            640            640

     DRIVE          2x3.5          2x3.5          3.5
                    /720k          /720k          /720k
                                                  20MB
     SCRN           super          10.5"          BL
     BATT           nicad          nicad          nicad
     WT             11.2           12             14
     EXPANSION      n/a            n/a            n/a
     LIST           $2,195         $2,495         $3,695
     OPTIONS        BL, EL         BL



     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          Toshiba        Toshiba        Toshiba
                    1000           1100+          1200
     ============================================================
     CPU            88             86             86
     SPEED          4.77           7.16           9.54
     RAM            512            640            1MB
     DRIVE          3.5            2x3.5          3.5
                                   /720k          /720k
                                                  20MB
     SCRN           super          super          super
     BATT           nicad          nicad          nicad
     WT             6.4            10             10.8
     EXPANSION      n/a            n/a            n/a
     LIST           $1,199         $2,099         $3,499
     OPTIONS        640k           expansion      expansion
                    LIM/EMS,       chassis        chassis
                    /720k                         num.keypad
                    battery charger
                    num.keypad



     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          Toshiba        Toshiba        Toshiba
                    3100/20        3200           5100
     ============================================================
     CPU            286            286            386
     SPEED          8              12             16
     RAM            640            1MB            2mb
     DRIVE          3.5            3.5            3.5
                    /720k          /720k          /1.44MB
                    20MB           40MB           40MB
     SCRN           gas            gas            gas
     BATT           n/a            n/a            n/a
     WT             15             18.7           15
     EXPANSION      n/a            n/a            n/a
     LIST           $4,699         $5,499         $7,499
     OPTIONS        num.keypad                    expansion
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 17                   2 Jan 1989


                                                  chassis, num.
                                                  keypad, add'l
                                                  2MB RAM



     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          Zenith         Zenith         Zenith
                    181            183            SupersPort
                                                  88
     ============================================================
     CPU            88             88             88
     SPEED          8              8              8
     RAM            640            640            640
                                                  EMS
     DRIVE          2x3.5          3.5            2x3.5
                    /720k          /720k          /720k
                                   10-20MB
     SCRN           BL             BL             BL
     BATT           nicad          nicad          nicad
     WT             11.9           15             <12
     EXPANSION      n/a            n/a            ?
     LIST           $2,399         $3,599         $2.399
     OPTIONS        20MB,          20MB,          20MB ($3,599)
                    recharger      recharger



     ------------------------------------------------------------
     MODEL          Zenith              Zenith
                    SupersPort          TurboSport
                    286                 386
     ============================================================
     CPU            286                 386
     SPEED          12                  12
     RAM            1MB                 2MB
                    EMS                 EMS
     DRIVE          3.5                 3.5
                    /1.4MB              /720k
                    20MB                or 1.4MB
                                        40MB
     SCRN           BL                  "Page
                                        white"
     BATT           nicad               nicad
     WT             <12                 25
     EXPANSION      ?                   ?
     LIST           $4,999              $7,999
     OPTIONS        40MB ($5,599)       2,400
                                        modem($8,499)

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

     NOTE REGARDING ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS USED
     ===========================================
     BL         =   Backlit supertwist screen display (see below)
     EL         =   electroluminescent backlit  supertwist screen
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 18                   2 Jan 1989


                    display (see below)
     Expansion  =   IBM standard / nonproprietary expansion slots
     Fd         =   floppy disk drive
     Gas        =   gas plasma
     Nicad      =   nickel cadmium battery [as opposed to lead
                    acid]
     Page white =   Zenith's new display technology; see
                    discussion of fluorescent backlighting below
     Super      =   supertwist screen (see below)
     SCRN       =   screen

                               * * * * *


                     -----------------------------
                     |Laptop screen technologies |
                     -----------------------------

     1.   Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

          a.   General
               Like the  technology used  on watches  and
               calculators, the LCD has the advantage of being
               lightweight and  consuming little battery power.
               Its  disadvantages  include  poor
               contrast/readability.

          b.   Supertwist
               i.   non-backlit
                    The screen  is twisted so that it will reflect
                    light in all directions and not  just straight
                    ahead.

               ii.  backlit
                    By adding  light to the supertwist screen,
                    readability is improved by at the  expense of
                    greater battery power consumption.

                    (1)  Electroluminescent (EL)
                         The screen,  containing phosphor, glows
                         when powered.

                    (2)  Fluorescent
                         Small tubes provide the backlighting.
                         Slightly more  battery power is used than
                         with the electroluminescent screens.
                         Examples include Datavue's amber gaslight
                         and, apparently, Zenith's newest  laptop
                         entry, the  TurbosPort 386, featuring
                         black characters on a white screen.  This
                         display, which  Zenith calls its "page
                         white" display, is the product of an
                         extra layer  of polarizing material which
                         filters out blue light from the screen.

     2.   Neutralized Twisted Nematic (NTN)
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 19                   2 Jan 1989


          Light is used to increase the screen's contrast  ratio,
          resulting in  a black on white image.  Mitsubishi's new
          MP286L with an 11-inch cold cathode tube (CCT)  screen
          and black  characters on a white background (with
          reversible screen colors), which Mitsubishi claims  can
          be read in all light conditions, is an excellent example
          of this new technology.

     3.   Gas Plasma

          A flat panel non-LCD screen.  Each screen pixel is on or
          off, providing  a high contrast ration but requiring
          greater power. Toshiba's high-end laptops use  this type
          of technology.

     4.   Active Matrix

          A transistor is assigned to each screen pixel, resulting
          in a contrast equivalent to a backlit LCD but without
          the backlighting.   Apparently  the screen  becomes
          unusable if any one transistor ceases to operate.
          According to  *DataGram*, this  technology is  being
          considered by several laptop manufacturers but is not
          presently available.

                               * * * * *
     For  a  complimentary  subscription  to Datavue's interesting
     periodical entitled: * DataGram: The Exciting World of Laptop
     Computing * write to:

                    DataGram
                    4351 Shackleford Road
                    Norcross, Georgia  30093

     Portable computer magazines:

                    Portable Computer Review
                    IDG Communications/Peterborough
                    80 Elm Street
                    Peterborough, New Hampshire 03458
                    (Spring '88  Portable Computer Review: $3.95)


                    PICO Magazine
                    Post Office Box 428
                    Peterborough, New Hampshire
                    (1 yr. subscription: $29.97)

     Sincerely,
     Todd S. Rogel
     Raleigh, North Carolina
     July 2, 1988

     Home      (919)     851-2103
     MMS       (919)     779-6674 [151/102]
     NCC       (919)     851-8460 [151/100]
     FidoNews 6-01                Page 20                   2 Jan 1989


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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 21                   2 Jan 1989


                                    YACK
                      Yet Another Complicated Komment

                            by Steven K. Hoskin
                        ( STEVE HOSKIN at 1:128/31 )

                            Episode 20:  Culture


     Reading the IFNA EchoMail  conference  is  good fuel for FidoNews
     columns and articles.   There's  a  lot  of people out there, all
     with ideas, a lot of discussions,  generally pertinent to FidoNet
     and, therefore, FidoNews.    There's  the  occasional humor, too,
     which I personally find  a  pleasant  relief from all the serious
     talk (and yell) that goes on out there.

     Something is becoming  clear  to  me,  however.  IFNA, SYSOP, and
     many other important EchoMail Conferences go all over FidoNet; as
     it should be.  So does FidoNews.   But FidoNews, and a great many
     of the international conferences,  are usually very American; de-
     signed, written, subscribed to  and supported by Americans.  This
     isn't in itself a bad  thing.    I'm  American and certainly I am
     proud of my country, hence why  I  serve in its armed forces; and
     of course I agree  that  we've  done  some  rather odd, sometimes
     stupid, things in our short 202 years here.

     But we are not the world.  And FidoNet doesn't stay in the United
     States anymore.  It hasn't for a long time.  And there's a senti-
     ment out there that Americans are  simply not welcome in some in-
     ternational conferences that are otherwise open to members of any
     race, color, creed or national origin.

     Why?  We're seen as  arrogant,  and  perhaps  rightly so.  We are
     quite accumstomed to being free to do just about anything we darn
     well please over here,  and  often  neglect to realize that other
     cultures do  not  always  afford  the  same  freedoms.  There are
     places in the world  where  something  you  say  can be cause for
     death - by law.  That is one  of  the more morbid conditions, but
     is an indication of how carefully  we  must tread if we are going
     to cross international  and  cultural  boundaries.    Usually our
     trespasses are not across  "blood  lines" of death, but rather of
     "social lines".  There are  subjects  that simply are not accept-
     able discussion material in  some  places.  It's considered to be
     in bad taste.

     Americans have, in the past 50 years or so, been increasingly un-
     interested in cultural development;  education in other cultures.
     Because of this we are insulting  people worldwide, usually unin-
     tentionally and often  unknowingly.    But  THEY are noticing it.
     Freedom of speech is great, but open-mindedness is, too.

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 22                   2 Jan 1989


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

                          The Interrupt Stack


     24 Aug 1989
        Voyager 2 passes Neptune.

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

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

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

                          Latest Software Versions

                           Bulletin Board Software
     Name        Version    Name        Version    Name       Version

     Fido            12i    Opus          1.03b    TBBS           2.1*
     QuickBBS       2.03    TPBoard         4.2    TComm/TCommNet 3.2
     Lynx           1.10    Phoenix         1.3    RBBS         1.71C


     Network                Node List              Other
     Mailers     Version    Utilities   Version    Utilities  Version

     Dutchie       2.90b    EditNL         4.00    ARC           5.32
     SEAdog         4.10    MakeNL         2.12    ARCmail        1.1
     BinkleyTerm    2.00    Prune          1.40    ConfMail      4.00
     D'Bridge       1.10    XlatList       2.86    TPB Editor    1.21
     FrontDoor       2.0    XlaxNode       2.22    TCOMMail       1.4*
     PRENM          1.40    XlaxDiff       2.22    TMail         8812*
                            ParseList      1.30*   UFGATE        1.02*
                                                   GROUP         2.04*
                                                   EMM           1.40

     * Recently changed

     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 6-01                Page 23                   2 Jan 1989


     =================================================================
                             COMMITTEE REPORTS
     =================================================================

                          IFNA Treasurer's Report
                               December, 1988
                           Steve Bonine   115/777

     IFNA Treasurer's report for December, 1988

     RECIEPTS & DEPOSITS
        Membership fees                          100.00
        Orders for publications                   20.00

     TOTAL RECEIPTS                                           $120.00

     DISBURSEMENTS
        Postage                                    8.75
        Professional services (Marc Rubin)       144.50

     TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS                                       153.25

     EXCESS RECEIPTS OVER DISBURSEMENTS                        (33.25)

     ADD BEGINNING BALANCE                                    6041.35

     BALANCE IN ACCOUNT                                       6008.10

     Full year-to-date IFNA financial data is available for file-
     request from 1/11 using the name of IFNA$.

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 24                   2 Jan 1989


            OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION

     Hal DuPrie     1:101/106  Chairman of the Board
     Bob Rudolph    1:261/628  President
     Matt Whelan    3:3/1      Vice President
     Ray Gwinn      1:109/639  Vice President - Technical Coordinator
     David Garrett  1:103/501  Secretary
     Steve Bonine   1:115/777  Treasurer



                         IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

         DIVISION                               AT-LARGE

     10  Courtney Harris   1:102/732?    Don Daniels     1:107/210
     11  Bill Allbritten   1:11/301      Hal DuPrie      1:101/106
     12  Bill Bolton       3:711/403     Mark Grennan    1:147/1
     13  Rick Siegel       1:107/27      Steve Bonine    1:115/777
     14  Ken Kaplan        1:100/22      Ted Polczyinski 1:154/5
     15  Larry Kayser      1:104/739?    Matt Whelan     3:3/1
     16  Ivan Schaffel     1:141/390     Robert Rudolph  1:261/628
     17  Rob Barker        1:138/34      Steve Jordan    1:102/2871
     18  Christopher Baker 1:135/14      Bob Swift       1:140/24
     19  David Drexler     1:19/1        Larry Wall      1:15/18
      2  Henk Wevers       2:500/1       David Melnik    1:107/233

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

     FidoNews 6-01                Page 25                   2 Jan 1989


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            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
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     Thank you for your membership!  Your participation will help to
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     Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
     and Articles of Association and By-Laws were adopted by the
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     -----------------------------------------------------------------
