     Volume 6, Number 29                                  17 July 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 will be rejected which is properly attributed and legally
     acceptable.    We   will  publish  every  responsible  submission
     received.


                        Table of Contents
     1. EDITORIAL  ................................................  1
     2. ARTICLES  .................................................  2
        Update to Policy 4 Appeal  ................................  2
        A letter from a FidoNet Sysop  ............................  8
        Microcomputer Communications  ............................. 11
        File Compression - an Update  ............................. 15
        Number nine,  number nine, number nine,  .................. 17
        View From The Trenches on Fidonet, *C's, etc  ............. 19
     3. LATEST VERSIONS  .......................................... 22
        Latest Software Versions  ................................. 22
     4. NOTICES  .................................................. 24
     And more!
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 1                   17 Jul 1989


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

     Hello again, as always.

     In this  issue,  I  have  decided  to  add  Mac  and Amiga to the
     Software Versions section.  I don't have much for Amiga right now
     except for a full-function  BBS  that  does  netmail, and I think
     that I have too much for  Mac,  as  the  list  sent  me  seems to
     include stuff that has nothing to do with  FidoNet,  but  it's  a
     start.

     Amiga owners, could you send me info on nodelist  processors/mail
     editors/archive programs/etc?

     Mac  owners, could you help me pare that list?   StuffIt  doesn't
     really  get  used  for  FidoNet  operations,  does  it?  Is there
     anything else on that list that can be taken off?

     One more  thing.    Please  don't  send  text of articles, etc in
     messages, I might not remember to extract them.  Additionally, in
     the near future I'll  devise  a  naming  convention  for archived
     articles and add it to  ARTSPEC.   I'll let you know when I put a
     new one up.

     Hey, this is all supposed to be fun. So let's have some FUN!

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 2                   17 Jul 1989


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


     Update to Policy 4 Appeal from Doug Thompson 1:221/0 - 221/162

     drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . . drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . .

     "Oh boy, the phone's ringing again . . . I'm never gonna finish
     reading my netmail today . . . <sigh>"

     drdrdrdrdrdrrrrring . . . .

     "Hello", says Doug rather gruffly.

     "Hi Doug, it's David Dodell. My WATS line isn't working to Canada
     today, are you in a position to call me back?"

     "Hmmm. For this one, yeah, sure, what's your number?"

     Thus began a very interesting discussion about fidonet and policy
     that lasted for about 3 hours which leads me to want to add a lot
     to the policy appeal I sent in to fidonet earlier this week.

     Some of my most serious concerns were alleviated.  The most
     important things to my mind (David's quite capable of speaking
     for himself) in that conversation:

     1) David assured me that no one would be removed from the
     nodelist for any opinion or statement about policy 4, including
     an expressed refusal to comply with it.  The only grounds for
     excommunication remain technical and *repeated* violations of
     policy must occur before an excommunication would occur.  That is
     to say a violation will get you a warning, repeat violations can
     get you excommunicated.  Refusing the acknowledge the legitimacy
     of policy 4 can't get you either.

     In fidonet it continues to be "legal" to speak your mind and say
     darned near anything you want without fear of direct punishment.
     Our coordinators will not be taking a cue from the Ayatollah and
     issuing death-warrants for calling Mohammed a devil, cursing Tom
     Jennings' mother or even, presumably, cursing their coordinator.

     2) David expressed surprise at the result of the p4 vote.  He had
     expected it to be defeated.  So had I.  Understandably this
     intensifies my concern that the room allowed for electoral abuses
     actually might well have been used more than once or twice.

     3) As for "real democracy", the major stumbling block appears to
     be two-fold.  First, the logistical problem of how do we hold a
     ballot among all sysops.  The second is more complex.
     Coordinators are administrators first, but we are also political
     representatives.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 3                   17 Jul 1989


     In the P 4 deliberations coordinators were called upon to act as
     legislators and political representatives of their nets.  Most of
     the time coordinators merely administer policy.  These are very
     different jobs and in most organizations are quite separate.
     Normally the political reps are the masters of the
     administrators.  In fidonet we have both functions and roles
     wrapped into one job.  While the political rep should obviously
     be elected in order to assure that s/he is representative,
     electing administrators is somewhat questionable. While it is
     basically not suitable for an elected rep to be subject to
     removal from above (imagine the President removing congressmen he
     didn't approve of) it is necessary that a postmaster be able to
     discipline, or even remove an incompetent letter-carrier, even if
     the letter-carrier was "elected" and is very popular.

     This duality of role has something to do with the lack of
     agreement we've seen concerning who should be elected by whom,
     and who should be appointed by whom.

     A comment ....

     Some years ago the idea emerged of creating a non-profit
     organization with an elected governing "council" which would
     protect the nodelist and be responsible for writing policy,
     holding elections, organizing the defence of sysops brought
     before the courts, and that sort of thing.  Such an organization
     would enable the "political" and "administrative" functions to be
     separated.

     That idea resulted in the creation of IFNA which did not,
     regrettably, come together as hoped.  It has not achieved true
     representative status because you still have to pay a $25 fee to
     get a vote, it's not open to all in the nodelist.

     If we have to have the administrator and the political rep in one
     job and one person, then it is important that there be ways in
     which the individual can be removed both from above and below as
     well as ways of selecting a suitable individual. David brought
     this up, I entirely agree.

     4) There are two very different aspects to fidonet. One is
     technical, and one is social. On the technical side the major
     concern is simply the efficient movement of mail between the
     sender and the addressee. On the social side is that whole realm
     of concerns which arise because we are a volunteer organization
     and have a lot of tasks to be apportioned to various people. We
     know how to move the bytes, now, how do we get the necessary
     people to do the appropriate things such that the know-how is
     implemented? Motivating people to do things, encouraging their
     creativity, and getting people to comply with rules, etc., are not
     technical problems, they are wholly political and cultural
     problems. They may have to do with solving technical problems,
     but there are no technical solutions to people problems.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 4                   17 Jul 1989


     On the social side too is the whole area of social
     impact of new technology. To some extent fidonet is a community
     of people, and it has relations with other groups in society such
     as other networks, regulatory agencies in many jurisdictions,
     companies wishing to market to us or market our nodelist, etc.
     While most of these issues have technical attributes, they are
     not primarily technical problems.

     Then there is conflict resolution.  A lot of stupid conflicts
     arise.  Coordinators are assigned the task of resolution.  This
     "judicial" aspect of the job is another of the non-technical
     parts of the role.  Some countries do elect judges, and it seems
     to work.  But clearly while a higher court can over-turn a
     decision of a lower one, a judge must be "independent" and should
     not have to worry about public opinion, or anything else but
     achieving a just resolution of a conflict.  S/he should not be
     subject to removal if s/he makes decisions which don't happen to be
     popular.  A good judge nevertheless takes the public mood into
     consideration when sentencing. Finally, real judicial systems
     have juries and juries often enough kill old laws and make new
     ones by refusing to convict people for things of which they are
     clearly guilty. This is one way that law is "democratized".
     Regardless of what the law says, if you can't find a jury that
     will bring in a guilty verdict, you don't have a conviction. And
     after that, you don't have a law.

     David Dodell put it quite eloquently, stating that primarily "we
     are moving data. The movement of that data can accomplish great
     social things".

     I see things just a little differently. The end, or goal, is not
     the movement of data, that's only the means. The end is the "great
     social things". To get the great social things, we need to move
     data effectively. After all, if our messages all consisted of
     random bytes we could move them just as efficiently but there'd
     be no point would there? The successful movement of a message
     from Europe to Oceania in minutes for less than the cost of a
     postage stamp is impressive technically, but it's also a very
     great "social thing". And if it were not a great social thing few
     of us would bother doing it.

     I'd add one further proviso. Unlike AT&T mail, or Envoy 100,
     fidonet depends on voluntary labour from many people to move data.
     Unless the perception is there that the "great social things" are
     happening, or about to happen, the supply of volunteer labour is
     liable to dry up and then the movement of data ceases.
     Excessively authoritarian management, while possibly effective in
     the short term, ultimately alienated volunteer creative input and
     thus ends up defeating its own purpose.

     Remember fidonet should be "fun". By that I *do not* mean, a joke
     or merely a recreational activity. I believe work should be "fun"
     in the same way, and I'm willing to "work" very hard at having
     meaningful "fun". I mean that fidonet should encourage creative
     expression, innovation and invention. If it is not highly
     enjoyable it can't attract new people so easily and it will
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 5                   17 Jul 1989


     alienate current participants. Autocratic *Cs can do more to dry
     up the fun than *anything* else. It's no fun having a bully
     ordering you around, threatening to excommunicate you for
     "insubordination". This is not AT&T mail. This is not the army.
     There is no oath of allegiance to any monarch or any flag
     required. This is a part of the first wave of the information
     revolution in which *people* and the information they possess are
     the ultimate value. Of much greater value than money. That
     information is usually enhanced in value if it can be moved.

     Excommunicating a node if it is at all possible not to is
     directly equivalent to a bank burning hundred dollar bills
     because they cause some annoyance.  It is an attack on the very
     fundamental basics of the whole operation.

     5) So we agree we have lots of problems with policy 4, and we
     agree that the best bet is to forge ahead with a policy 5 process
     that will aim at learning from our mistakes.


     What are the challenges for policy 5?

     There is nearly universal recognition of the need for the net to
     be ultimately bottom-up, which means that any administrative
     hierarchy must be controlled by the bottom through democratic
     avenues of some sort.  Maybe we should think about getting rid of
     the hierarchy entirely? There is nearly as universal a
     recognition that the strictly technical organization of the net
     is not, primarily, a political or social issue, but wholly a
     technical one.  Politicising it could be inefficient.

     I've not heard anyone challenge the usefulness of the technical
     role of the coordinators to assign node numbers, edit the
     nodelist, and make sure it is accurate and quickly dispatched
     throughout the net. I really don't think it would help anyone to
     get into political debates about who should get which node
     number, for instance.

     On the other hand, coordinators end up making a lot of political
     decisions about who is or isn't in the net, and there are those
     questions which have both technical and social attributes, such
     as geographic boundaries for local networks. Those get very
     political without losing a technical aspect. They cause a lot of
     unrest because while they are both social and technical issues,
     they are only being addressed by policy as technical issues.
     Trouble is wholly predictable when that mistake is made.
     Technical rules cannot solve political problems, and the attempt
     to do so inevitably exacerbates the situation.

     Policy 4 bans the use of encryption which I find slightly
     bewildering since it is being so rapidly embraced by the rest of
     the world, and enhances the value of e-mail so much.  That is the
     sort of decision which is wholly political since the "technology"
     would be mostly unaffected.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 6                   17 Jul 1989


     That's just mentioned as an example of something which should be
     decided in a political process by the bottom.

     What we need therefore is a device to enable meaningful
     participation from the bottom, from any sysop who wants to
     participate. If we don't create that kind of a device the
     "bottom-up" aspect of fidonet will cease to exist and it will be
     run much like a feudal fiefdom by its coordinators forever.

     We are extremely fortunate at the moment in having a wise,
     intelligent, fair-minded International Coordinator who is
     concerned to see these problems untangled. I've had occasion to
     exchange quite a lot of mail with David since he was appointed IC
     by IFNA in December of 87 and while we've certainly had our
     disagreements, I have seen the man persuaded by solid arguments
     many times and generally do the right thing. We are *very* lucky.
     Given all the givens, we might not be so lucky next time.

     C'mon Fidonet, let's seize the opportunity *now* and do some
     creative organizational work which results in both an efficient
     administrative system and representative, open, and democratic
     social policy-making system!

     Really, the basics are pretty simple. Technically we need to
     ensure software compatibility and mail-hour integrity and
     accuracy of the nodelist. Socially and politically we need to
     assure that no political, ideological, racial or other
     discriminatory practices are used anywhere in fidonet to
     exclude people or systems from being listed.

     That one paragraph addresses the necessities to have a net that
     works and a net that is basically open to the whole human race,
     regardless of religion, race, nationality, political affiliation,
     gender, or opinion about policy 4!

     All that's left is the implementation and the process of making
     decisions about things.

     By and large I think we in fidonet agree on the basics. In a
     couple of weeks I'll have more thoughts to send fidonews on the
     details.

     We may discover that these objectives are impossible. We may
     discover that people will use and abuse the technology with
     complete abandon no matter what we do. We may discover that we
     are not "organizable". It's certainly not a simple and
     straightforward issue. BUT - we'll never know unless we make a
     determined effort.

     =Doug

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 7                   17 Jul 1989


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 8                   17 Jul 1989


     A letter from a FidoNet Sysop
     Pablo Kleinman (4:1200/101)
     FidoNet Coordinator for Zone 4


     Dear colleague,

             To start,  I  give  you my apologies for choosing such an
     "ordinary" topic for this letter.

             We have all  seen  and  sometimes participated (and still
     see and  sometimes  still  participate)  on a big discussion that
     involved (and still  involves)  a  big  (if  not  all) of FidoNet
     during the last months.

             POLICY4  was  (is) the  controversial  matter,  the  very
     center of that discussion.

             I,  myself,  had  some problems  with  the  International
     Coordinator regarding the new POLICY:   I  don't agree with a lot
     of things, especially with the distribution of power along the *C
     structure,  to  which  I  belong  both  as  Regional    and  Zone
     coordinator, and with the methods adopted for elections.

             If I would be power-hungry, I could just sit down and say
     nothing:    I'm  probably the most power-secure individual in the
     net, as  it  is  impossible  to  anyone (following the procedures
     specified in POLICY4) to remove me.

             But I'm obviously not (I'm writing this, right now).  And
     I expressed that from the beginning to David Dodell and others.

             Before  voting  for POLICY4,  we  [Z4  sysops]  protested
     because we were not invited  to  participate  on its writing, and
     informed the IC that we wanted  a  chance to propose some changes
     before it was finally approved.  But  David Dodell didn't give us
     any answer at all, he simply ignored the text.

             POLICY4    was  unanimously  rejected  by  the  whole  *C
     structure of Zone 4, especially by myself.  The  reason:    while
     I'm not sure if "democracy" would be the best way  to  handle the
     net, I'm positively against any kind of "aristocracy".

             POLICY4 is definitely aristocratic,  and that aristocracy
     is made up by the RCs and ZCs.

             That does not mean that  the RCs and ZCs are the bad guys
     on this story, or that they  have bad intentions.  I have treated
     the ZCs for a while already, and  sincerely trust on the ZCs good
     intentions.    I'm  a Regional and Zone coordinator  myself,  and
     trust on my good intentions :-).

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 9                   17 Jul 1989


             But  the legitimacy of the power structure at FidoNet  is
     questionable for many.

             But  with  more discussions and x-large FidoNews we won't
     change anything, or at least, we won't get any positive results.

             In Zone  4,  POLICY4 was approved only last week (by Z4's
     *C structure), and  if  it  was,  it  was  done on a "preliminary
     basis", which means that  the  decision  could be reverted if the
     same people vote against it anytime.

             We [the representatives of Zone 4] voted for POLICY4 just
     to avoid more trouble with the IC.

             But I won't wait a second this time:  something has to be
     done, as soon as possible.

             I  personally  don't trust in revolutions:   they  always
     bring more problems than the ones they eradicate.

             My  proposal  is  to  "go  slowly but steadily":    let's
     propose some essential changes in POLICY4.

             For  example,  I'd  like  the  NCs to participate in  the
     elections;  and think this could be a good start  for  bringing a
     democratic form of administration for FidoNet.

             I  took  the  initiative  and  added a node named "Change
     Policy4!" in  the  nodelist,  with  the number 4:4/5 (the Policy5
     Project).

             The Policy5 Project  will  write a Policy5 proposal, that
     when finished, will be  presented to the whole *C structure to be
     voted.

             But if we want a  Policy  representing  the  views of the
     majority of FidoNet, we definitely need  participation.  Consider
     yourself from now, invited to participate in the Policy5 Project.
     We do need YOU!  FidoNet needs YOU!

             We will soon start an echomail conference to  talk  about
     each matter, and to let everyone express his/her views  and  make
     proposals for each topic.  And we need desperately YOUR  help, to
     distribute the P5PROJECT echo in zones 1, 2 and 3.

             Please,  contact  us right now:  this is your best chance
     to get involved.

             I hope  you  got  the  basic  idea.   If you have further
     questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 10                  17 Jul 1989


             Thank you in  advance  for  all  your  help  in writing a
     better policy for a  better  FidoNet,  and for taking the time to
     read this text.

             My best regards,

     Pablo Kleinman (4:1200/101)
     FidoNet Coordinator for Zone 4
     Buenos Aires, Argentina

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 11                  17 Jul 1989


     Claude F. Witherspoon
     Fido 1:288/525
     Home of KidsNews & NCLM (tm) Echo

                       Microcomputer Communications

     In  following the KIDS echo conference, KidsNews learned that the
     area  in  which  more  information  is  needed  is  microcomputer
     communications.  Therefore, we offer the following information to
     assist you in understanding some of the terms you  see  mentioned
     as  you  communicate  with  the  various  BBSes, Mainframes, etc.
     around the nation.

     MODEM is an abbreviation for MOdulator/DEModulator.  A  modem  is
     necessary  when  communicating  between  computers  using a phone
     line. The phone  system  is  analog  (using  tones  of  different
     frequencies)  and computer output is digital (0 or 1, ON or OFF).
     The modem's job is to convert (modulate), the computer's  digital
     signal  to  analog  and  demodulate  the analog to digital at the
     receiving end. Consequently,  two  modems  are  needed  for  data
     exchange over a phone line between computers.

     The Hayes Smart Modem 300 was first introduced in May of 1981 and
     quickly  became  the industry standard, with a data transfer rate
     of 300 bits per second (bps). Larger numbered modems  indicate  a
     higher  transfer speed; e.g., the Hayes Smart Modem 2400 tranfers
     data at 2400 bps. A modem's speed is measured in bits per second,
     although this is commonly inaccurately  referred  to  as  "baud."
     Modems can be either internal (on a card inside your computer) or
     external  (a seperate box with visible lights to indicate when it
     is on and operating).

     Data can be sent either SERIAL or PARALLEL. Serial means one  bit
     at  a  time.  Parallel  sends  one  character (8 bits) at a time.
     Modems are serial devices.

     Amplifiers are used to boost the signal  when  transmitting  long
     distances  on  analog  lines, but this results in increased noise
     levels. If the signal were digital, regenerators  would  be  used
     instead  of  amplifiers, and less noise and higher accuracy would
     result. These benifits, plus greater speed and capacity, are what
     make fiber optic lines  so  attractive.  The  phone  industry  is
     headed  towards  digital transmission, so modems may someday be a
     thing of the past.

     When a signal is sent, it is either synchronous  or  asynchonous.
     Asynchronous  is  the  most common. It always has a start bit (0)
     and one or more stop bits (1). Synchronous sends a 128k packet of
     information and is used in communicating with mainframes.  Modems
     are  asynchronous  devices.  A typical signal would look like the
     following:

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 12                  17 Jul 1989


        start     /     data       /     parity     /   stop
          0       /    #######     /       1        /    1

     PARITY refers to error checking.  There  are  three  choices  for
     error  checking: ODD, EVEN, or NONE. NONE means no error checking
     will be done. This results in a faster  transfer  rate,  but  low
     reliability.  EVEN  means  a  1  will be placed in position 9, if
     needed, to keep the total number of occurrences of (1s) even. ODD
     will use the same position to make the sum of ones an odd number.

     (If you are running a BBS, set your machine to  NONE.  This  will
     accept  a  caller  using ODD, EVEN, or NONE. Otherwise, they will
     have to use the same parity that the BBS modem is using.)

     PROTOCOL is the term used for "method of  communication".  We  as
     humans  in  America  have a protocol of English: one person talks
     then the next talks, etc. The most popular, standard protocol  is
     XMODEM, which involves the following:

         SOH BLK#1 BLK#1 DATA CKSUM

     The  SOH  character  (start  of  heading),  followed by teo block
     numbers, signals the start of one 128 byte  block  transfer.  The
     block  number  and  its  complement  assure  accuracy  and proper
     sequencing. Data can be any size up to 128 bytes (or characters).
     The CKSUM, known as check-sum, uses the modulo sum of  the  ASCII
     values  of  each  character  in  the  data field. If the checksum
     received equals  the  checksum  transmitted,  an  acknowledgement
     (ACK) is sent back from the recieving computer. If a NAK is sent,
     (negative  acknowledgement),  then  an error was detected and the
     same block of information is re-sent. After all blocks are  sent,
     an EOT character signals transmission finished.

     XMODEM  CRC  works the same way as XMODEM, except the CRC (Cyclic
     redundancy  check)  algorithm,  is  a  more  sophisticated  error
     checking scheme. KERMIT is fast and uses full duplex (half duplex
     transmits  one  direction  at  a time, full duplex transmits both
     directions at the same time). It sends a  whole  stream  of  data
     before  stopping  to  see  if  there  was an error. A more recent
     protocol, YMODEM, uses XMODEM, CRC checking, and variable  packet
     sizes.

     We  hope  this  will bring some light to some of the questions we
     have seen in the KIDS echo conference as well as  give  a  better
     understanding of some of the terms used in telecommunications.

     If  you  have  something  you  would like to share with the KIDS,
     please send articles in the  FidoNews  standard  format  to  Fido
     1:288/525 for insertion in the KidsNews newsletter. Our kids will
     be greatly appreciative. Thanks...

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 13                  17 Jul 1989


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     FidoNews 6-29                Page 14                  17 Jul 1989


     jim nutt
     'the computer handyman'
     1:114/30.0@fidonet (and proud of it!)

     Some Questions

     Just some food for thought....

     Is it just me or has anybody else noticed that all the policy
     wars are beginning to sound more and more like a bad soap
     opera?

     Have any of these people who are complaining actually
     taken a look at the work it takes to be an *C?

     What power does a *C REALLY have?  I mean, there isn't really
     anything there to get on a power trip over, now, is there?

     Does Fidonet work for the vast majority of sysops?

     Do the vast majority of sysops even care about the petty
     bickering that is going on over Policy4?

     Are alternative networks the solution?  (I say no, if anything,
     they are in worse shape than Fidonet)

     Is the main reason for all the complaining about policy simply
     a case of too much free time and too little real work?

     Why in the world would anybody WANT to be a *C?!?!?

     I have been in and out of Fidonet for years, I write software
     for the net and enjoy participating in the echos.  I also
     firmly believe that Fidonet will survive in spite of itself.
     After all, what is Fidonet but a loose collection of people who
     let their computers run up huge phone bills?  Fidonet sysops
     are an incredibly diverse group, with interests ranging from
     the ridiculous to the sublime... yet we all manage to
     work together.  Abiding by policy is a terribly simple thing to
     do for the privilege (yes, it is a PRIVILEGE to have a node
     number, NOT A RIGHT!) of being able to communicate with
     thousands of people worldwide.

     SO QUIT BELLYACHING AND START ENJOYING YOURSELVES AGAIN!


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 15                  17 Jul 1989


     John Herro
     1:363/6

                        FILE COMPRESSION - AN UPDATE


     In my article "Will ZIP Replace ARC?" in FidoNews 611, I predict-
     ed that ZIP will replace ARC as the compression standard for bul-
     letin boards, because of the superior performance of ZIP.

     However, in a Letter to the Editor in FidoNews 614, Robert Heller
     mentioned  that  program  performance  isn't  the only criterion.
     Compatibility with non-DOS systems is important  in  some  situa-
     tions,  and  ARC 5.12  and ZOO 2.01 are the only compression pro-
     grams  at  present that have been ported to a variety of systems.
     Mr. Heller has a point.  The rest of this  article  will  discuss
     only  selection of a file compression program where compatibility
     with non-DOS systems isn't a factor.

     Since I wrote  "Will ZIP Replace ARC?"  I came across  two  other
     file  compression  programs:  DWC  and  LHARC.  Despite its name,
     LHARC isn't compatible with ARC.  It came  here  from  Japan  and
     seems  to  offer even greater file compression than ZIP,  at some
     cost in speed.  It produces .LZH files, named for Lempel-Ziv com-
     pression with adaptive Huffman coding.  DWC  was  named  for  the
     initials of its author, and it seems to be very rarely used.

     Also,  I was mistaken in the way I interpreted SEA's announcement
     of ARC version 6 in FidoNews 607.  Fortunately, this _IS_ still a
     Shareware program, available on bulletin boards.

     I benchmarked all seven programs on the computer I use  at  work,
     identified  only  as  a  Printer Mate 12.5 MHz AT-compatible.  (I
     didn't test PKPAK,  because it's the same as PKARC except for the
     file extension.)  Using each of the seven programs,  I compressed
     version 1.22 of my  ADA-TUTR (Ada Tutor) program,  which contains
     34 files  totaling more than 700K.  The files are of a variety of
     types and sizes.  In all cases where several  compression choices
     were available, I selected maximum compression.  Here are the re-
     sults, sorted according to the amount of compression achieved:

                              COMPRESSED    SECONDS     SECONDS
              PROGRAM            BYTES      TO PACK    TO UNPACK

          ARC 6.01 w/ ARCE      340,592        48          40
          ZOO 2.01              323,320        49          52
          PKARC 3.5             321,004        28          33
          DWC A5.01             303,161        31          34
          NoGate PAK 1.6        288,460        57          66
          PKZIP 0.92            257,867        76          32
          LHARC 1.13            234,470       130          73

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 16                  17 Jul 1989


     The results show that,  although  PKZIP  is  significantly faster
     than LHARC, the winner is clearly LHARC if maximum compression is
     desired.  For most bulletin boards,  telephone  charges  are  the
     biggest  expense,  and  therefore maximum compression is the most
     important consideration.  Also,  LHARC  is  free,  while PKZIP is
     Shareware.  Again  I  emphasize  that  I'm considering only cases
     where compatibility with non-DOS systems isn't a factor.

     We'll have to wait to see what  version 1.0 of PKZIP  will offer.
     It is well worth paying for Shareware registration if the program
     is superior,  especially since file compression programs are used
     so frequently.  There are now a number of boards using PKZIP  and
     a  number using LHARC.   Mr. Heller is right:  it's too early for
     one system to be selected as the standard.  Let's hope  that  one
     compression method will prevail soon, so that there will again be
     one standard.  In the meantime,  if you'll pardon the pun, it's a
     Zoo out there!

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 17                  17 Jul 1989


                Number nine,  number nine, number nine, ...

                 Decentralizing the FidoNet <tm> Nodelist
                       Decentralizing FidoNet Power
                        Randy Bush, FidoNet 1:105/6


     Think of  FidoNet  as  a  confederation  of  local  nets.  Forget
     regions.  Forget zones except as a way of saving telco charges by
     concentrating  messages  and  as  a  way  to  segment  the  total
     nodelist.  FidoNet returns to  being  a collection of local nets,
     as it was before the region  and zone hierarchies were added just
     a few years ago.

     In each zone there is an echo,  call  it ZnnnLIST, to which every
     NC in that zone subscribes.  In the  North  American  zone, it is
     Z001LIST.   For the moment, do not worry about  the  security  or
     reliability  of  this  echo,  but  things  like sequence numbers,
     checksums, and  RSA  public key signatures can be used to address
     such problems (you  are  aware  that  RSA  can  be used to send a
     validatable signature, yes?).

     When an NC's net  (or  hub)  segment undergoes significant change
     (significant is that which would be likely to affect callers from
     outside one's own net), then the  NC posts a processed version of
     that segment to the ZnnnLIST echo.   The  processing  could be to
     create a difference file, compress the file, maybe  RSA signature
     encode  it, or whatever else is deemed necessary.   A  simplistic
     scheme to start is a collection of lines of the form

         add z:n/n <new node line>
         del z:n/n
         chg z:n/n <altered nodel line>

     similar to the prerevolutionary nodediff file.

     By placing the processed segment in the ZnnnLIST echo, each net's
     nodelist segment(s) will  be  automatically  distributed  to  all
     other nets within that zone.  This is the essence of the scheme.

     Each  NC  automatically  accumulates  the  changes  to  the  zone
     nodelist as they pass by  in  the  ZnnnLIST  echo for their zone.
     Once a week (or two), they  create a difference file against last
     week's  accumulated  zone  nodelist,  and  distribute  this   new
     difference file within their local net.  The nodes within the net
     are  thus insulated from all change, and do not  have  to  change
     their prerevolutionary batch files or programs.

     The zonegates  exchange  periodic  diffference  files  for  their
     zones, and make  the  lists  (or  difference  files) of the other
     zones available within their  own,  likely via the local ZnnnLIST
     echo.  Since the advent  of  zonegates,  one  need  not know much
     about a node in another zone,  only the sysop's name and the node
     number.  So we could choose to  reduce  the size of lists we keep
     of other zones, if the thought is not too scary.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 18                  17 Jul 1989


     Note  that  a  first  prototype  of  this  methodology  could  be
     constructed from existing software plus a few days of coding.

     --------
     Credits:
       o FidoNet is a trademark of Fido Software and Tom Jennings.

       o UucpNet/Internet distribute the maps via their equivalents of
         echomail.

       o This idea  in  this  general  form was first spoken of by Tom
         Jennings in the FIDOBETA echo in May '89.

       o Ken Ganshirt refocussed  my  attention  on  it  when I whined
         about the current FidoNet hierarchic power structure.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 19                  17 Jul 1989


     View From The Trenches on Fidonet, *C's, etc.
     Mark Earle, 1:160/50 (512)-850-9102 [HST] (NEC)

     First, let  me point  out that  the (NEC)  doesn't mean much,
     except that I've agreed to pay  a somewhat  outlandish fee to
     Ma Bell  for the  privilege of sharing my echomail habit with
     my net. "Being" *The*  Net Echomail  Coordinator is  NOT a *C
     type of position, at all. NC is the lowest recognized 'power'
     position. Having said that...

     I've followed the Jim Grubs/Net 154 situation, and note that,
     in nodediff.188,  Net 154  is back in the picture. Mostly, it
     seems like a squabble, with lots  of mis-quotes,  doubts, and
     private messages  distributed publicly. I'm not sure, at this
     point, that *anyone* can finger  out  what  the  'facts' are.
     Surely the  original parties  know. But the rest of us 'know'
     only through conflicting accounts on various echoes. So  I am
     not going to comment on "the facts", whatever they may be.

     I  don't  view  Steve  Bonine  as  "anything" yet, beyond the
     elected ZC.  Let's give  him a  chance. It  appears Jim Grubs
     will be  back in the Nodelist, as is Net 154. That shows that
     the parties are willing to back  down, a  bit, and  decide to
     Press On.

     Hey-just what  *is* FidoNet?  Bob Hartman says it's different
     to almost EVERY sysop. He's RIGHT. To me,  it was  a NEAT and
     CHEAP  way   (compared  to   Compuserve)  to   get  my  daily
     Information Fix, as a user, who started with  a Model  100 at
     300 baud (!). It has become a way for me to share my echomail
     habit with others in my local area. It  was not,  at first, a
     way to  send private  messages. That  was a side benefit. Now
     though,  Netmail   is  an   important  part   of  my  FidoNet
     activities. Chicken and Egg, though; my Netmail habit grew as
     a result of meeting interesting folks on the Echoes.

     This view of mine may (should) differ from  yours. What keeps
     us  all  together  is  NOT IFNA. It IS technically compatible
     mail software, and The NodeList, AND adherence to Policy.

     The IFNA does *NOT* make The NodeList. That  is done  by each
     Net Coordinator. This is a significant change from the 'early
     days' when Fido 51 did  all  number  assignments  (and  no, I
     wasn't  around  then,  this  was  gleaned  from  reading  the
     FidoNews). Now this assigning  of  numbers  is  done  at many
     different  locations.  IFNA  only  owns  the copyright to the
     whole nodelist  as  a  compiled  entity,  not  the individual
     sections submitted by the NC's.

     My *own*  opinion is, that NETS and Individuals SHOULD NOT be
     summarily deleted from the NODELIST. BUT, as a sysop, you are
     agreeing to agree to current policy as a condition to joining
     FidoNet.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 20                  17 Jul 1989


     Membership in  FidoNet  is  based  on  agreeing  with policy,
     meeting  ZMH,   and  running  technically  compatible  mailer
     software. If you don't like the current policy when you join,
     then don't  join. If  a new  policy pains you so much, simply
     request your NC to drop you from FidoNet.  Then, if  you feel
     you still  want to participate in changing things, simply log
     in as a user to the echoes being  used as  a media  of change
     and offer your input. But saying you won't abide by a policy,
     doing "annoying" things, *AND*  expecting to  stay in FidoNet
     are pretty  unreal expectations. Also, there are *always* the
     "other" nets.

     Jim Decker:  while  a  simple  non-political  nodelist  is an
     interesting idea,  that in  and of  itself still won't make a
     network. What makes FidoNet 'go' is that, I can find  out the
     rules, join,  and have  access to NetMail and EchoMail, using
     pretty well defined, standard,  procedures.  Simply  having a
     list  of  5000  bbb's  running  mailers, means I can mash the
     button an send  anyone  direct  a  message;  but  removes the
     routing, echomail,  and other capabilities of FidoNet. To get
     those, you'll have to mimic much  of FidoNet.  And I,  in the
     trenches of  Texas, see  no need  for *me*  to participate in
     multiple nets. Not enough time to fully support the one as it
     is!  Now,  maybe  if  I'd  been excommunicated, I'd feel more
     passion. Or maybe if in FidoNet longer, would be ready  for a
     change.

     My  NC,  Tom  Harper,  *DID*  send  me  policy4,  ask  for my
     comments, and my vote, as he  did with  each sysop.  His vote
     was what  the Majority  of Sysops  voted. I feel that I *DID*
     have a voice. The  NC also  has, on  *many* occasions, helped
     me, particularly when trying to get OPUS and Binkley running.
     It's nice to find  a person  willing to  donate time, energy,
     tips, *.bat  files, etc.  to help  another sysop, for free. I
     try and pass a little of that spirit on. And  from what other
     nets tell  me, it's  pretty much  the same,  except for a few
     sour  grapes  nets,  who  don't  want  new  members,  change,
     software, or anything that "rocks the boat". Along the way, a
     new sysop may 'make a boo-boo' that'll cost me 25  cents in a
     wasted LD  call, or  something; but If *I* had to *pay* $ for
     each mistake I've made  at the  keyboard.... well,  it's nice
     that others  in my  net understand, and forgive, and we go on
     and have fun.

     When I first joined,  my activities  were "rocking  the boat"
     quite  a  bit.  But  Tom  gave me advice, shared history, and
     mostly, pointed me in  directions where,  as it  turns out, I
     drew  my  own  conclusions,  and agreed that the existing net
     structure was pretty hard  to beat.  It may  not be *exactly*
     what it  should be,  but surely,  at least *here* it's pretty
     close.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 21                  17 Jul 1989


     While saying 'nice things' let me point out that, when the NC
     was not available, the RC answered my queries quickly, on his
     nickel, and to my satisfaction. Now, maybe it  ain't that way
     in your  neck of  the woods,  but, overall,  it seems to work
     hereabouts.

     Maybe y'all need to  step  back,  WAY  BACK,  and  instead of
     yelling,  kickin',  and  screaming,  simply QUIT, and go find
     something FUN to do with your computers. I understand EggHead
     still has copies of Flight Simulator, and Adventure... :-)

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 22                  17 Jul 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       2.03    TComm/TCommNet 3.4
     Opus          1.03b+   RBBS          17.2A    TPBoard        5.2


     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
                                                   StuffIt       1.51
                                                   TImport        1.0
                                                   TExport        1.0
                                                   Timestamp      1.6
                                                   Tset         1.0.2
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 23                  17 Jul 1989


                                                   Timestart      1.1
                                                   Tally          1.1
                                                   Mehitabel      1.2
                                                   Archie        1.60
                                                   Numberizer    1.5c
                                                   MessageEdit    1.0


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

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

     Paragon            1.00+*




     + Netmail capable (does not require additional mailer software)
     * 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 6-29                Page 24                  17 Jul 1989


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

                          The Interrupt Stack


     20 Jul 1989
        Twentieth anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first moonwalk.

      2 Aug 1989
        Start of Galactic Hacker Party in Amsterdam, Holland. Contact
        Rop Gonggrijp at 2:280/1 for details.

     24 Aug 1989
        Voyager 2 passes Neptune.

     24 Aug 1989
        FidoCon '89 starts at the Holiday Inn in San Jose,
        California.  Trade show, seminars, etc. Contact 1:1/89
        for info.

      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.


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

     KESHERnet Announcement
     by Roger Froikin
     1:108/185

         KESHERnet Growing

     KESHERnet(tm), a new international Jewish Affairs
     communications network is now operating, currently linking
     BBS's in several American communities with BBS's in London
     and Israel.

     Plans include expansion to every American city where there
     is a Jewish community, affiliation of BBS's in major
     European, Latin American, and Austrailian cities, and
     expansion of services to Jewish computer enthusiasts and
     their communities.

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 25                  17 Jul 1989


     If you'd like information about KESHERnet, net-mail your
     request to Roger Froikin, 1:108/185.


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

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 26                  17 Jul 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 6-29                Page 27                  17 Jul 1989


                                                        __
                                   The World's First   /  \
                                      BBS Network     /|oo \
                                      * FidoNet *    (_|  /_)
     FidoCon '89 in San Jose, California              _`@/_ \    _
       at The Holiday Inn Park Plaza                 |     | \   \\
            August 24-27, 1989                       | (*) |  \   ))
                                        ______       |__U__| /  \//
                                       / Fido \       _//|| _\   /
                                      (________)     (_/(_|(____/ (tm)


                     R E G I S T R A T I O N   F O R M


     Name:    _______________________________________________________

     Address:    ____________________________________________________

     City:    _______________________ State: ____ Zip: ______________

     Country:    ____________________________________________________


     Phone Numbers:

     Day:    ________________________________________________________

     Evening:    ____________________________________________________

     Data:    _______________________________________________________


     Zone:Net/
     Node.Point:  ___________________________________________________

     Your BBS Name:  ________________________________________________


     BBS Software:  _____________________ Mailer: ___________________

     Modem Brand:  _____________________ Speed:  ____________________

     At what hotel will you be staying:  ____________________________

     Do you want an in room point?  (Holiday Inn only) ______________

     Are you a Sysop?  _____________

     Are you an IFNA Member?  ______

     FidoNews 6-29                Page 28                  17 Jul 1989


     Additional Guests:  __________
     (not attending conferences)

     Do you have any special requirements? (Sign Language translation,
     handicapped, etc.)

               ______________________________________________________


     Comments: ______________________________________________________

               ______________________________________________________

               ______________________________________________________


     Costs                                   How Many?   Cost
     ---------------------------             --------    -------

     Conference fee $60 .................... ________    _______
        ($75.00 after July 15)

     Friday Banquet  $30.00 ................ ________    _______

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

     Totals ................................ ________    _______

     You may pay by Check,  Money Order,  or Credit Card.  Please send
     no  cash.   All monies must be in U.S.  Funds.   Checks should be
     made out to: "FidoCon '89"


     This form should be completed and mailed to:

                         Silicon Valley FidoCon '89
                         PO Box 390770
                         Mountain View, CA 94039


     You may register by Netmailing this completed form to 1:1/89  for
     processing.   Rename  it  to  ZNNNXXXX.REG where Z is  your  Zone
     number, N is your Net number, and X is your Node number.  US Mail
     confirmation  is  required  within  72  hours  to  confirm   your
     registration.

     If  you are paying by credit card,  please include the  following
     information.   For  your own security,  do not route any  message
     with your credit card number on it.  Crash it directly to 1:1/89.


     FidoNews 6-29                Page 29                  17 Jul 1989


     Master Card _______     Visa ________


     Credit Card Number _____________________________________________


     Expiration Date ________________________________________________

     Signature ______________________________________________________

     No  credit  card registrations will be accepted without  a  valid
     signature.


     Rooms  at the Holiday Inn may be reserved by calling the Hotel at
     408-998-0400,  and mentioning that you are with  FidoCon.   Rooms
     are $60.00 per night double occupancy.   Additional rollaways are
     available  for $10.00 per night.   To obtain these rates you must
     register before July 15.

     The official FidoCon '89 airline is American Airlines.   You  can
     receive  either  a  5%  reduction in supersaver fares  or  a  40%
     reduction in the regular day coach fare.  San Jose is an American
     Airlines  hub  with direct flights to most  major  cities.   When
     making reservations, you must call American's reservation number,
     800-433-1790, and reference Star number S0289VM.

     The official FidoCon '89 automobile rental agency is Alamo Rent a
     Car.  Rates are as described below. All rates  include  automatic
     transmission, air conditioning, radio, and unlimited mileage.

     Economy car (example: Geo Metro)  $32 day/$109 week.
     Compact car (example: Chevy Cavalier) $34 day/$120 week.
     Midsize car (example: Pontiac Grand Am) $36 day/$135 week.
     Standard car (example: Buick Regal) $38 day/$165 week.
     Luxury car (example: Buick LeSabre) $40 day/$239 week.

     To take advantage of this rate, call Alamo at 1-800-327-9633  and
     request  the convention rate. Mention FidoCon '89,  the  location
     and dates.


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-29                Page 30                  17 Jul 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 6-29                Page 31                  17 Jul 1989


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