     Volume 6, Number 41                                9 October 1989
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     |                                                  _            |
     |                                                 /  \          |
     |                                                /|oo \         |
     |        - FidoNews -                           (_|  /_)        |
     |                                                _`@/_ \    _   |
     |        International                          |     | \   \\  |
     |     FidoNet Association                       | (*) |  \   )) |
     |         Newsletter               ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
     |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
     |                                (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
     |                                                     (jm)      |
     +---------------------------------------------------------------+
     Editor in Chief:                                  Vince Perriello
     Editors Emeritii:                                     Dale Lovell
                                                        Thom Henderson
     Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings
     
     FidoNews  is  published  weekly  by  the  International   FidoNet
     Association  as  its  official newsletter.  You are encouraged to
     submit articles for publication in FidoNews.  Article  submission
     standards  are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC,  available from
     node 1:1/1.    1:1/1  is  a Continuous Mail system, available for
     network mail 24 hours a day.
     
     Copyright 1989 by  the  International  FidoNet  Association.  All
     rights  reserved.  Duplication  and/or distribution permitted for
     noncommercial purposes only.  For  use  in  other  circumstances,
     please contact IFNA at (314) 576-4067. IFNA may also be contacted
     at PO Box 41143, St. Louis, MO 63141.
     
     Fido  and FidoNet  are registered  trademarks of  Tom Jennings of
     Fido Software,  164 Shipley Avenue,  San Francisco, CA  94107 and
     are used with permission.
     
     We  don't necessarily agree with the contents  of  every  article
     published  here.  Most of these materials are  unsolicited.    No
     article submitted  by  a  FidoNet SysOp will be rejected if it is
     properly attributed and  legally  acceptable.    We  will publish
     every responsible submission received.


                        Table of Contents
     1. ARTICLES  .................................................  1
        Make Your SEAdog Do Tricks  ...............................  1
        BinkleyTerm-SEAdog Accord Reached  ........................  3
        SEAdog 4.51b To Ship Soon  ................................  7
        On FidoNet Standards, SEAdog and BinkleyTerm  .............  8
        Standards: The D'Bridge/FrontDoor perspective  ............ 10
        Code-Free Packet Radio (act NOW)  ......................... 11
        IFNA Plebescite, EchoMail, and Other Stuff  ............... 13
        Preliminary Draft of Rules for IFNA Vote  ................. 15
     2. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR  .................................... 20
        MakeNL bug found and corrected in Release 2.20  ........... 20
     And more!
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 1                    9 Oct 1989


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

     System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
     1:107/509@FidoNet, 520/1015@AlterNet


                         Make Your SEAdog Do Tricks


     System Enhancement Associates,  Inc.  is pleased to announce  the
     release  of  the  SEAdog Option Package,  a set of utilities that
     will enhance your mail system and expand the capabilities of your
     SEAdog in directions you never imagined.  Here's a sample of  the
     programs that are included:


     SECURE1   At last you have a way  to  ensure  the  integrity  and
               privacy   of   your  network  mail!   Secure1  provides
               complete message authentication and encryption.  We are
               offering a $1000 REWARD to the  first  person  who  can
               crack Secure1!

     USNO      Set  your  system  clock to the correct time by calling
               the U.S.  Naval Observatory or the  National  Institute
               of  Standards and Technology.  USNO can also be used to
               let a SEAdog system set its clock from another SEAdog.

     BOUNCE    Are you tired of running  up  unneccesary  phone  bills
               trying   to   send  mail  to  people  who  just  aren't
               deliverable?   Are  you  being  deluged  by  mail   for
               conferences that you don't carry?  BOUNCE can cure your
               headache  by  sending  undeliverable  mail  back to its
               originator.  BOUNCE is a must for  any  host,  hub,  or
               conference mail system.

     KITTEN    A full-featured,  script-driven BBS system for use with
               or without  SEAdog.  Because  of  its  powerful  script
               language,  KITTEN  is  the  most  flexible  BBS program
               available, allowing you to do what you want the way you
               want to do it.  Three sample scripts  are  included  in
               the package, ranging from the simple to the ludicrous.

     LANDOG    At  last!  The power,  flexibility,  and ease of use of
               SEAdog electronic mail on local area  networks!  LANDOG
               replaces  the SEAdog MAILER to send and receive mail on
               ANY  local  area  network.  Multiple  networks  can  be
               linked  with  SEAdog to send mail from any point to any
               point.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 2                    9 Oct 1989


     ENCLOSE   Allows file attaches to be routed, allowing you to send
               and receive files from laptops,  private  nodes,  point
               systems,  and  other  systems  which  cannot  be dialed
               directly.

     SLAVE     Allows for offline remote control of  distant  systems.
               SLAVE  turns  the  text of a message into a batch file,
               executes it, captures the output, and reports back with
               the  results.  Many  security  features  are  provided,
               including  Secure1 authentication of orders before they
               are executed.

     The  SEAdog  Option Package includes over a dozen other utilities
     to make your system do even more tricks.  The list price for  the
     SEAdog  Option  Package  is  $125,  but  it's being offered for a
     limited time at the introductory price of $75.

     To order, send your check or money order for $75 to:

                    System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
                       21 New Street, Wayne, NJ 07470

     or call us at 201-473-5153.  We accept MasterCard and VISA.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 3                    9 Oct 1989


     Jack Rickard, 1:104/555

     The following article will be published in the November issue of
     Boardwatch Magazine.  It is reprinted here by permission of the
     publisher.

                     BINKLEYTERM-SEADOG ACCORD REACHED

     A brewing imbroglio between various vendors of mailer software
     used by most amateur BBS mail networks, including the
     international Fidonet, was avoided early in October as the
     proponents of two competing mailer programs reached an historic
     agreement to share information on the SEAlink file transfer
     protocol.

     For nearly a year, BBS system operators had reported subtle but
     vigorously annoying difficulties in passing files and echomail
     between systems using the SEAdog mail program developed by System
     Enhancement Associates of Wayne New Jersey and the BinkleyTerm
     program developed by Bit Bucket Software Co. of Nashua New
     Hampshire. It is estimated that over 90% of the International
     Fidonet BBS systems use one or the other of these two programs
     with BinkleyTerm, a free shareware program comprising the vast
     majority of those systems.  SEAdog, a $99 commercial program,
     served many of the larger multiline TBBS- based systems and had
     been in use for several years.

     Normally, the two mailer programs pass files using what is known
     as a BARK request and the SEAlink file transfer protocol. Two
     basic problems arose in passing files between the two programs
     when using high-speed modems such as the US Robotics HST 9600 and
     14,400 models. In passing files from a SEAdog system to a
     BinkleyTerm system, the BinkleyTerm would respond with a Negative
     AcKnowledge (NAK) character repeatedly to the very first block of
     the file sent. After about ten tries, the systems would give up
     and disconnect the call but the calling party was still billed by
     the telephone company despite the fact that the transfer had
     failed.

     The second problem involved file transfers from BinkleyTerm
     systems to SEAdog systems. The entire transfer would proceed
     normally until the final block of the file. The SEAdog system
     would never detect the End Of Text (EOT) character ostensibly
     sent by BinkleyTerm to end the transfer. Although the file would
     be intact and onboard, SEAdog assumes it failed and deletes the
     file from the drive. The BinkleyTerm shows the file as
     successfully sent, while SEAdog recorded it as a failure.
     Telephone charges could be quite large since the entire file was
     transferred before the failure. Worse, operators would get into
     disagreements as to whether the file was ever sent.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 4                    9 Oct 1989


     The actual causes for these communication difficulties were
     probably due to some rather subtle timing incompatibilities
     that the authors of both programs wrestled with for many months
     with mixed success. BBS system operators, incurring increasing
     expenses and network difficulties were growing increasingly
     aggressive in complaints to both companies. The matter was
     brought to a head when a Fidonet sysop filed a policy complaint
     with Fidonet authorities over his inability to get mail from
     another system. Everyone seemed to have a bit different view of
     "whose fault it was" while in truth, the technical vagaries of
     advanced protocols preclude such easy answers and authors of both
     programs, when pressed, admitted they were not sure precisely
     what caused the problems.  Additionally, communications between
     the two companies was not particularly noteworthy.

     Unable to "reverse engineer" a solution from the scant
     information available on the SEAlink protocol, the BinkleyTerm
     team of Vince Perriello, Bob Hartman, and Alan Applegate
     announced during the first week in October their intention to
     drop support for SEAlink in an October 12 release of BinkleyTerm
     Version 2.40. This would have the effect of forcing BinkleyTerm
     and SEAdog transfers to use the Fidonet Technical Standard (FTS)
     001 communications method. While this would cure the problem, it
     essentially meant dropping back to a now archaic XMODEM file
     transfer algorithm which slows down transfers markedly. A 9600
     bps transfer would effectively be forced back to an effective
     transfer rate of perhaps 2500 bps.  This is somewhat akin to
     cleaning a baby's bottom with Comet Cleanser and a wire brush -
     very effective, but a bit shy of an ideal solution and likely to
     cause problems later on.

     Thom Henderson, of System Enhancement Associates, is currently
     releasing a maintenance update to SEAdog in an attempt to address
     some of the problems. The new version 4.51B should be available
     by the time you read this. Existing SEAdog users can obtain this
     update by mailing in their original SEAdog diskette, a
     self-addressed mailing label, and $1 to cover postage. According
     to Henderson, this should cure most of the problems between
     SEAdog 4.51 and BinkleyTerm 2.30.

     But neither solution fully addresses the lingering difficulty in
     engineering protocols in mail software. This is complicated by a
     host of both technical and economic issues that are very real to
     the parties involved and for which there simply are no easy
     answers. Given the growing number of mailer protocols, coupled
     with the use of ever higher modem speeds, and ever more exotic
     protocol algorithms, writing a program to efficiently communicate
     with someone else's proprietary protocol becomes virtually an
     impossible task. And universal communications capability is not
     only desireable in communications software, it is crucial. At the
     same time, most authors are understandably reluctant to release
     the source code to a program that may have taken years to
     develop.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 5                    9 Oct 1989


     Fortunately, in this particular case the parties involved all
     appear to have recognized the impact on the community as a whole
     and taken some fairly dramatic steps to not only address the
     current problem, but in a sense to set a model for the future. In
     an unusual move, Thom Henderson provided source code for the
     SEAdog mailer program to an unnamed third party  who
     volunteered to develop some general state-table documentation on
     the SEAlink protocol and SEAdog session negotiation. In theory
     any author will be able to use this forthcoming specification to
     develop a SEAlink/BARK implementation in any programming
     language.

     And the BinkleyTerm team, who had already publicly announced the
     October 12 release date of BinkleyTerm 2.40 and who in reality
     "owns" the lion's share of the Fidonet market, recalled their
     beta test copies and committed to support the SEAlink protocol in
     Binkley in all future versions - an awkward and perhaps expensive
     change in direction for a relatively young software company such
     as Bit Bucket Software - and based on an as yet unseen
     specification.

     Chris Irwin, author of the commercial D'Bridge software, and
     Joaquim Homrighausen, author of Front Door, took a more neutral
     stance on the issue but also agreed to support SEAlink in future
     releases "once the specification was completed and signed off by
     both Henderson and the Fidonet Technical Standards Committee."

     Squabbles in Fidonet have become so common that many poignantly
     refer to it as the "International Fight-O-Net". The death of
     Fidonet has been knelled so many times by so many pundits that
     its very survival is widely considered a mystery.  To outside
     observers, the sometimes rabid infighting over what often amount
     to scant pennies is both humorous and alarming.

     Against that backdrop, it is encouraging to find gentlemen in
     Fidonet who face very real and very substantial economic and
     technical issues, but can still find a creative way to meet on
     some common ground to the greater good of such a community. It is
     no small task in itself to try to eek a living from such niche
     products in the software world and we feel obligated to point out
     that neither Henderson nor the BinkleyTerm team derives a
     significant portion of their income from the Fidonet market. We
     applaud the notable, and in some sense heroic efforts of Vince
     Perriello, Bob Hartman, Alan Applegate, and Thom Henderson to
     rise above their personal interests and view the landscape from a
     higher vantage point. We would offer it as a model worthy of
     emulation by the Fidonet as a whole.

     BinkleyTerm 2.30, Bit Bucket Software, Co., 427-3 Amherst St.,
     Suite 232, Nashua, NH 03063.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 6                    9 Oct 1989


     SEAdog 4.51B, System Enhancement Associates, 21 New Street,
     Wayne, NJ 07470; (201)473-5153 voice; (201)473-1991 data.

     Jack Rickard is Editor of Boardwatch Magazine, a $28 per year
     monthly print publication covering online information services
     and electronic bulletin board systems. Boardwatch Magazine, 5970
     South Vivian Street, Littleton, CO 80127; (303)973-6038 voice;
     (303)973-4222 data; Fidonet 104/555.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 7                    9 Oct 1989


     System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
     1:107/509@FidoNet, 520/1015@AlterNet


                         SEAdog 4.51b To Ship Soon


     It has been brought to our attention that there  exists  a  minor
     discrepancy  between  FTS-0001  and  how  SEAdog  handles  a mail
     session.  Accordingly,  we will be releasing  a  new  version  of
     SEAdog  in  the near future.  While we're at it,  this version of
     SEAdog  will  also  take  steps  to  work  around  the  bugs   in
     BinkleyTerm  2.30 relating to SEAdog requesting files from BT and
     to SEAdog=>BT file transmission.

     Shipment may be delayed if any problems are found in  beta  test,
     but  we  expect  to  begin shipping sometime in October.  FidoNet
     sysops with SEAdog versions 4.50,  4.51,  or 4.51a may  obtain  a
     free  upgrade  by sending their disk with a self-addressed return
     mailer or a self-addressed address label plus one dollar to cover
     postage and handling to:

                    System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
                       21 New Street, Wayne NJ, 07470

     Normal upgrade policies apply  to  earlier  versions  of  SEAdog.
     FidoNet  sysops  with  maintenance  contracts  will  receive this
     upgrade automatically as soon as it is available.

     This is a maintenance release related to SEAdog operation  within
     the FidoNet amateur electronic mail system.  Hence,  SEAdog users
     within corporate mail networks do NOT need this version.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 8                    9 Oct 1989


     Vince Perriello, 1:141/491
     Alan Applegate, 1:104/36
     Bob Hartman, 1:132/101

               On FidoNet Standards, SEAdog and BinkleyTerm

     In Fidonews issue 640, we told you about problems we were having
     in "enhanced" mail sessions with other mailer software.  At the
     time we told you that on October 12, 1989 we were going to
     release new software which adhered directly to established
     specifications in order to alleviate those problems.  We also
     stated that we would not implement the "enhancements" that were
     causing most of the problems until there were established
     standards describing them accurately.

     Well, now we are here to tell you that the documentation we (and
     others) have asked for is going to be written!  It has been a
     long time in coming, but it looks like it is going to happen.
     All of us are really pleased at this turn of events.  What did
     it take to make this come about?  It has involved a lot of
     talking, and some give and take from several parties.

     What we, the BinkleyTerm developers, have agreed to is to forgo
     releasing our strict FTS-0001 implementation for a short time.
     What the authors of SEAlink and "bark" have agreed is to support
     a documentation effort which will result in an FTSC standard.
     This effort has in fact already begun. When the standard is
     complete and agreed to by SEA and by the FTSC, it will be
     implemented in BinkleyTerm and released as part of our
     highly-compliant update. Provided that this effort proceeds at a
     reasonable pace, we will not release a version of BinkleyTerm
     without SEAlink and "bark" support.

     This is probably the best possible solution to what had become a
     really serious problem. We fervently hope we will never find
     ourselves in a situation like this again. In this case, our
     expectation is that the FidoNet Technical Standards Committee
     will have suitable documentation to act on well before year's
     end.

     That was the good news. Now for more good news. At the same
     time, several implementation problems with SEAlink sessions have
     been tracked down.  System Enhancement Associates will be
     releasing a new version of SEAdog for FidoNet sysops that will
     solve many of the problems with SEAdog talking to BinkleyTerm.
     In general, these are workarounds in SEAdog for problems with
     BinkleyTerm's reverse-engineered software. However, the changes
     will probably also improve reliability with other systems also.

     This combination of occurrences lends even more support to the
     proposition that FidoNet standards must be carefully documented
     and vigorously enforced.  This singular issue has managed to
     unite network mailer authors to an extent never before seen.
     The authors of Fido, BinkleyTerm, D'Bridge, FrontDoor, Isis and
     QMM have all agreed that having a proper implementation of
     FTS-0001 standard is something that we should all strive for.
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 9                    9 Oct 1989


     Each of these programs is capable of communicating with the
     others using other protocols (be it WaZOO or SEAlink or
     whatever), but that is not helping other authors wishing to join
     FidoNet with their programs.  Someone currently implementing to
     FTS-0001 would have serious problems talking to some of our
     implementations, and that is a situation we all agree should be
     quickly addressed.

     Hopefully, with the software writers' new insistence that
     standards should be adhered to, the FTSC will now be able to get
     actively involved in compatibility issues which have troubled us
     for years. In one united voice, we have declared that not only
     are these standards the only thread that keeps us together, but
     they are so critical to our continued existence that
     non-compatible mailers cannot be allowed in FidoNet.

     We're excited about what has happened here. It has been one heck
     of a week.

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 10                   9 Oct 1989


     Chris Irwin, 1:18/68
     Joaquim Homrighausen, 1:135/20

     Last week, the authors of BinkleyTerm, FrontDoor and D'Bridge
     told you about a problem with the undocumented extensions that
     are commonly used in Fidonet.  We are, of course, referring to
     those extensions to FTS-0001 created by System Enhancement
     Associates and used in the SEAdog EMAIL package.  Much has
     happened over the last week; compromises and agreements have
     been made by several parties.  We are not directly a part of
     such agreements, thus we have a slightly different point-of-view
     than Bob and Vince.

     Much has been accomplished by the stand that we have taken.
     It appears that the SEAlink and "Bark" standards will be clearly
     documented and approved by their creator.  When this happens,
     we will support them in our software.  Unfortunately, until such
     documentation exists, we are forced to remove all undocumented
     extensions for the sake of reliability.  Because of all that has
     happened, we have decided to delay the release of our software
     until October 31st.  We would wait until the standards have been
     established, but frankly our marketplace demands a new release
     sooner than we anticipate that happening.

     We wish to assure you that we truly have the best interests of
     Fidonet in mind as we make this decision.  We think that the
     reliability of a mailer is more important that the speed at
     which it communicates with the systems that use undocumented
     extensions.  We hope you agree.

     The bottom line is that until both SEA and the FTSC give their
     official endorsement to the standards documents, we can not
     continue to support these extensions.  In fact, we can assure
     you that in the future, FrontDoor and D'Bridge will not use any
     internal transport mechanisms that are not documented clearly.

     We hope you understand our point-of-view.  We're not trying to
     be the "Bad guys," but we have to listen to our customers'
     comments and make rational decisions about what is best for our
     marketplace.  We sincerely hope that the FTSC documents that we
     require will be written and approved quickly.

     "The ball is no longer in our court."

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 11                   9 Oct 1989


     Jack Decker 154/8

                          CODE-FREE PACKET RADIO
                         (NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT)

     If you are a modem user, you may have wished at times that you
     could "cut the cord" and use the radio waves instead.  Amateur
     radio users do this regularly, using what is known as "packet
     radio."  Instead of modems and phone lines, you use
     transceivers, radio waves, and devices known as "Terminal Node
     Controllers." It's more fun and quite often much less expensive
     than using the phone lines.  The only problem is that you have
     to be a licensed amateur (ham) radio operator to do this, and
     at present, in order to get an amateur license you have to
     demonstrate proficiency in Morse Code!  This is a requirement
     that seems to discourage many potential amateurs from getting a
     license (some have commented that it reminds one of having to
     pass a test on proper buggy whip technique before being issued
     an automobile operator's license).

     According to The W5YI Report (an amateur radio newsletter), the
     Federal Communications Commission is taking steps toward
     restructuring the Amateur Radio Service in such a manner that
     it would be possible to obtain an amateur radio license without
     the necessity of passing a test in Morse Code.  No less than
     twelve different proposals have been submitted to the FCC, all
     of which propose the creation of a no-code amateur radio
     license to a greater or lesser degree.

     "On September 14th, the FCC Secretary's office circulated a
     Public Notice (Report No. 1794) entitled 'Petitions for
     Rulemaking Filed' asking the public whether the Commission
     should further proceed toward amateur restructuring.....
     Interested parties should now file a statement in support of or
     in opposition to the further consideration of the issue."  The
     W5YI Report also points out that at this stage of the
     proceedings it is not yet appropriate to debate the relative
     merits of the various proposals.  That will come later, but for
     now the FCC is simply looking for a for a show of support to
     their going forward on the proposals to restructure the Amateur
     Radio Service to include a code-free license.

     If you would like to see a code-free license become a reality,
     you should file a declaration with the FCC as follows.  Include
     your name, address, and the date, and if you are already an
     Amateur Radio operator, you should include your call sign (and
     club affiliation if applicable).  You may also include a short
     (*not to exceed one paragraph*) statement as to why you feel
     the petitions should be further considered.  The W5YI Report
     again emphasizes that now is not the time to get into a debate
     on the details of the various proposals.  All you are
     indicating now is that the petitions should go forth and a
     "Notice of Proposed Rule Making" (the next step in the process)
     should be issued.  Please note that the FCC must receive your
     declaration ON OR BEFORE OCTOBER 14!  That means time is *VERY*
     short!
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 12                   9 Oct 1989


     Your declaration should read as follows.  The heading should be
     copied verbatim, but you may vary the text in the body a bit if
     you wish.  Please consider sending this in today if you are at
     all interested in a code free Amateur Radio license.


                                Before the
                    FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C. 20554

     In the Matter of                   )
                                        )
     A Class of Operator License        )
     In the Amateur Radio Service       )        RM 6984 through 6995
     That Does Not Require a            )
     Demonstration of Proficiency       )
     in Morse Telegraphy                )

                          DECLARATION OF SUPPORT

          On September 14, 1989, the Federal Communications
     Commission gave public notice to the filing of RM-6984 through
     6995, Petitions for Rule Making.  These petitions contain
     various proposals for restructuring either the classes of
     operator licenses in the Amateur Radio Service or the
     qualifying requirements for such licenses or both.

     We believe that continued growth in the Amateur Radio Service
     would be promoted by the modification or creation of a class of
     operator license that does not require a demonstration of Morse
     code proficiency as a qualifying element.  To the extent that
     the captioned petitions propose such an Amateur Radio operator
     license, we submit this declaration of support, pursuant to
     Section 1.405(a) of the Commissions's Rules.

     Signed: _______________________________________________________


     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 13                   9 Oct 1989


     Steve Bonine, 115/777
     Zone 1 Coordinator

     I apologize for my absence from FidoNews.  In a sense, no news is
     good news.  However, there are several important issues which I
     wish to address in this short article.

     IFNA Plebescite
     ---- ----------

     If you're a reader of FidoNews, you know that the IFNA Board of
     Directors decided at the annual meeting in San Jose to hold a
     netwide vote to decide the future of IFNA.  The basic idea is
     that if IFNA does not receive a majority approval from the nodes
     in FidoNet, it will dissolve.

     Matt Whelan, the IC, pledged the support of the FidoNet coordina-
     tor structure for this effort.  Last week, I agreed to serve as
     the chair of the IFNA Nominations and Elections committee for the
     purpose of conducting the election.  Plans are under way.

     Details will be available soon.  Current plans, subject to
     change, are to open the polls in early November and close them on
     December 1.  Voting will be done through the coordinator struc-
     ture; local nodes will vote to their NC and the vote totals will
     be passed up through RC to ZC to IC.  In addition to tallying the
     vote, NC's will be requested to provide a total for eligible
     voters in the local net, which will be used to calculate the 50%
     requirement.

     An important aspect of this project is that the FidoNet coordina-
     tors have responsibility for CONDUCTING the vote.  They do not
     have any responsibility for explaining the issue, defending IFNA,
     or answering questions on which way to vote.  They are collectors
     of votes; nothing more.  This does not preclude individual
     coordinators from expressing their opinions, but they are just
     that -- opinions.  Coordinators are not empowered to speak for
     IFNA, and should not be asked for official opinions.

     Full details will be available by the end of October.


     EchoMail and Excommunicated Sysops
     -------- --- -------------- ------

     Some months ago, David Dodell issued a policy ruling which stated
     that excommunicated sysops are not allowed to participate in any
     echomail conferences.  Policy4 states that such interpretations
     may be changed, and the zone-1 ruling will be as follows.

     The content of echomail conferences is the responsibility of the
     moderator of the specific conference.  In some cases (for exam-
     ple, the national SYSOP conference), membership in FidoNet is not
     a requirement for participation in the conference.  I am unwill-
     ing for the *C structure to become "echomail police".  The
     establishment and enforcement of rules for conferences should be
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 14                   9 Oct 1989


     done by the moderators and by the *EC structure.

     The *C structure will act on any formal policy complaint.
     Policy4 treats echomail as a special case of netmail, thus it IS
     possible to be annoying in echomail.  If the moderator of a
     specific conference does not wish participation by non-FidoNet
     nodes, then that should be a part of the rules for the confer-
     ence.  Persons who violate that rule should be handled using the
     same mechanism as is used for anyone who violates the rules for
     any echomail conference.  If it becomes necessary to file a
     formal Policy4 complaint, then the *C structure will become
     involved.  Until that point, this is the responsibility of the
     *EC structure.

     This does NOT mean that I condone the participation in echomail
     by systems which have been removed from the FidoNet nodelist.  In
     my OPINION, if the FidoNet backbone is being used to distribute a
     conference, that conference should be populated by FidoNet
     sysops.  But I do not spend my money to move this traffic, and if
     those individuals who DO spend their money choose to subsidize
     other networks, then that is their decision.

     In short, I will support the *EC structure when requested, but I
     will not put the *C structure in the position of doing their job
     for them.

     Other Stuff
     ----- -----

     Work continues on a document to formalize gateways between
     FidoNet and other networks, both those which use FidoNet (FTS-
     0001) technology and those which do not.

     At least four groups are working on revisions to Policy4, not
     counting IFNA.  It promises to be an interesting Winter.  Or
     Summer, depending upon your hemisphere.

     The October 12 release of D'Bridge, FrontDoor, and BinkleyTerm
     has been cancelled, pending the establishment of an FTSC standard
     for the protocols used by SEAdog.  This we call "progress".

     Rick Moore tells me that FTSC is moving towards a certification
     program for software.  This is something we have needed for
     years.

     A first in zone 1:  A Regional Coordinator was elected by vote of
     the sysops.  Welcome to Tony Davis, new RC for region 19.

     One last note.  I have always prided myself on answering 100% of
     my netmail.  I still do a pretty good job of that, but I've been
     rather busy lately, so if your response is delayed, please
     understand.  But one way to insure that you will NOT get a
     response is to send me mail from a non-FidoNet address.  I do not
     respond to those.  Please be sure your mail has a FidoNet address
     if you expect a response.
     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 15                   9 Oct 1989


     Steve Bonine, 1:115/777
                              Election Rules              Version 0.10
                            FidoNet Plebescite            Oct. 7, 1989
                            ***** DRAFT ******

     Please be aware that this is a draft document.  I wanted to share
     it with the entire sysop community in this early stage of its
     development to solicit your input and to show you that progress
     is, indeed, being made.

     I will be surprised if this doesn't change in some pretty
     important ways by the end of October.  If you have questions or
     input, feel free to send them to 1:1/11, and I will move them
     into the temporary echomail conference that has been set up to
     handle the discussions.  Or direct your comments to a member of
     the discussion group, which includes myself, Bill Bolton, Phil
     Buonomo, Randy Bush, Jim Deputy, Fabian Gordon, Jim Grubs, Thom
     Henderson, Les Kooyman, Harry Lee, George Peace, John Summers,
     and Matt Whelan.  And probably someone I've forgotten, since I
     just made up that list from my AREAS.BBS, and I don't feed
     everyone direct.

     Now, on to the actual document:

     1.  What we're voting on.

     The International FidoNet Association Board of Directors, at the
     1989 annual meeting at FidoCon in San Jose, passed a resolution
     which calls for a vote to be conducted throughout the entire
     FidoNet network to decide the future of IFNA.  The text of this
     resolution is as follows:

       We, the representatives of the International FidoNet
       Association, have heard a cry for democracy in the
       administration of the network.  As IFNA is supposed to
       represent the interests of the sysops, and as such
       representation is deemed to have failed, be it hereby
       resolved that:

       Without a mandate from the sysops of FidoNet, IFNA has no
       purpose or reason for existence.

       THEREFORE, the board proposes the following action, of which
       failure to pass will mean the dissolution of IFNA:

          It is hereby resolved that a special election be held
          for consideration by the Sysops of FidoNet of the
          following:

          IFNA shall be empowered to re-draft the bylaws of IFNA
          and to draft a Policy document for FidoNet.  Such
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 16                   9 Oct 1989


          documents are to include:

            1.  An independent judicial system.

            2.  A reduced size Board of Directors, to be
            completely reseated in an election on or before
            FidoCon 1990.

            3.  Better representation from outside the United
            States.

            4.  Make each sysop in FidoNet a member in IFNA
            with all rights and privileges of membership.

       Voting for referendum of this document shall be completed on
       or before December 1, 1989.  The rules of the election shall
       make it clear that failure of the election to approve the
       questions presented shall result in the current Board of
       Directors acting under Article XII to dissolve the
       corporation.

       In addition, it shall be made clear that approval must be
       gained from a majority of the eligible nodes in the nodelist
       in effect at the time of the election.

     (End of resolution.)

     2.0  Eligibility.

     The sysop of each node in the FidoNet nodelist issued on October
     27 (NODELIST.300) is eligible to vote.

     2.1  Definition of "sysop".

     Each person receives only one vote, regardless of how many
     systems he or she runs, and what names are used in the nodelist.
     For example, Steve Bonine runs two separate FidoNet systems,
     115/444 and 115/777, with slightly different sysop names, but
     this entitles Steve Bonine to only one vote.

     Network Coordinators (Regional Coordinators for independent
     nodes) will, to the best of their ability, enforce the one-
     person-one-vote rule.  These are the individuals at the best
     level to know the sysops.

     2.2  Definition of "nodelist".

     For purposes of determining eligibility, the nodelist segment
     from a given zone will be used.  In other words, NODELIST.300 as
     it exists in zone 1 is used to determine whether a given sysop in
     zone 1 is eligible; NODELIST.300 as it exists in zone 2 is used
     to determine eligibility for a zone-2 sysop, and so on.  This
     negates any effects of non-synchronization of nodelists for that
     particular edition.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 17                   9 Oct 1989


     2.3  Definition of "sysop of record".

     Only the sysop listed in the nodelist is eligible to vote.  No
     co-sysops or point sysops associated with the system may vote.
     The voting right is not transferable; the person listed in the
     nodelist may vote but may not transfer the right to another
     person.


     3.0  Voting procedure.

     3.1  Ballot

     The official ballot will be published in the nodelist difference
     file (and thus will appear in the nodelist) for NODELIST.300.
     The ballot will contain the official text of the resolution in
     question.  The ballot and resolution will also be published in
     the October 30 FidoNews.

     3.1  Collection of votes.

     Network Coordinators will collect votes from their nets.
     Regional Coordinators will collect votes from independent nodes
     in their region.  Sysops vote by sending netmail to their NC
     (independents to the RC) with a CLEAR INDICATION of a vote of YES
     or NO.  The voter will also provide a password  (8 characters or
     less) to be used in a public list of votes.  See sections 3.4 and
     7.0.

     3.2  Acknowledgement of votes.

     The coordinator will acknowledge the votes received using
     netmail.  Network Coordinators will handle this netmail in the
     same manner as if it had been received as normal host-routed
     mail, that is, if the sysop normally polls to pick up host-routed
     mail then that is how it will be delivered.  Regional
     Coordinators will send an acknowledgement to independents unless
     prior arrangements are already in place for the independent to
     poll the RC (for example, an arrangement to pick up the
     NodeDiff).

     Any sysop who votes and does not receive an acknowledgement
     within 48 hours should follow up with the coordinator to be sure
     that the vote was not lost.  (Note:  Coordinators take vacations,
     usually with the knowledge of the systems in the local net.  This
     may explain a delay in acknowledgement.)

     3.3  Responsibility of coordinators.

     The responsibility of the coordinator structure is to conduct the
     election.  Coordinators answer questions on voting procedure, but
     are not authorized to speak for IFNA on policy questions.
     Coordinators are free to state their opinion, but may not
     pressure the sysop to vote in a particular way (YES or NO).

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 18                   9 Oct 1989


     Coordinators have a responsibility to inform the nodes in their
     net (or independents) of the election.  In fact, this is an
     excellent opportunity to make sure that all nodes in the net (or
     independents) are still capable of receiving netmail.  However,
     voting cannot be imposed as a condition of being in FidoNet.  If
     an individual prefers not to vote, that is their right.

     3.4  Public posting of votes.

     At the end of the voting period, each coordinator is to make
     available the results of the vote in their jurisdiction.  The
     normal method of doing this is to publish the information in a
     local echomail conference.  If no such local conference exists,
     the coordinator should include in the acknowledgement message for
     votes the method to obtain the results.

     In addition, the coordinator must respond to any netmail
     requesting the results.  Coordinators are encouraged to provide
     the information in a file-requestable file named VOTEnnnn.TXT
     where nnnn is the net or region number.

     The results to be posted are:

       (a)  A list, by node number, of who voted.

       (b)  A list, by password (see item 3.1) of the individual
     votes.

       (c)  A count of the number of eligible voters in the net, or
     for RC's a count of the number of eligible votes from regional
     independent nodes.


     4.0  Tabulation.

     Using the schedule in item 5, results will be reported up the
     coordinator structure.  The three items in 3.4 will be reported.

     5.0  Schedule.

     October 27:  NODELIST.300 is published.  Coordinators begin
     accepting votes.

     December 1:  Polls close at midnight local time at the collection
     point.  NO LATE VOTES WILL BE ACCEPTED.

     December 4:  Coordinators post final vote detail (see 3.4).

     Note:  Coordinators are encouraged to post interim lists of which
     nodes have voted each week during the voting period, but should
     not post actual vote counts until the polls close.

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 19                   9 Oct 1989


     December 11:  Deadline for challenges.  Any questions based upon
     the public posting of votes must be received by the collection
     system no later December 11 at midnight local time.

     December 15:  Deadline for NC's to report their totals to RC's.

     December 18:  Deadline for RC's to report their totals to ZC's.

     December 22:  Results published in NODELIST.356.


     6.0  Miscellaneous.

     6.1  Changing votes

     Changing votes is NOT ALLOWED.  Tabulating each vote once is
     enough work for the *C structure.


     6.2  Cheating

     An attempt by any individual to cast more than one vote will
     disqualify that individual from this election.


     6.2  Appeals

     The decision of the NC or RC can be appealed to the IFNA Election
     and Nomination Committee by sending netmail to 1:1/11.


     6.3  Irregularities and Difficulties

     Any problems with the voting process should be reported to
     1:1/11.  Please report problems as early in the voting process as
     possible, so that they can be addressed while the polls are still
     open.


     7.0  Sample Ballot

     My vote on the IFNA resolution published via NODEDIFF.300 is:

                 _____ YES            _____ NO

     Post this vote using the following password:  _______________

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 20                   9 Oct 1989


     =================================================================
                           LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
     =================================================================

     From:   Ben Baker of 7:44/76@Alternet
     To:     FidoNews Editor of 1:1/0@Fidonet
     Subj:   New MakeNL

     Please publish a notice at your earliest convenience that a
     serious bug in MakeNL has been discovered and fixed.  The new
     version is 2.20.  It is important for ZCs and RCs to upgrade
     ASAP.  The bug probably doesn't affect NCs.  It can be obtained
     from 1:1/0, 7:7/0 and 7:44/76 (the latter supports bark at 14.4
     KB).
                                               Ben

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 21                   9 Oct 1989


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

                          Latest Software Versions

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

                           Bulletin Board Software
     Name        Version    Name        Version    Name       Version

     Fido            12n+   Phoenix         1.3    TBBS           2.1
     Lynx           1.30    QuickBBS       2.04    TComm/TCommNet 3.4
     Kitten         2.15*   RBBS          17.2A    TPBoard        5.2
     Opus          1.03b+                          Wildcat!     2.00P


     Network                Node List              Other
     Mailers     Version    Utilities   Version    Utilities  Version

     BinkleyTerm    2.30*   EditNL         4.00    ARC           6.02
     D'Bridge       1.21    MakeNL         2.20*   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         2.15*
     SEAdog        4.51A    XlaxDiff       2.32    LHARC         1.13
                            XlaxNode       2.32    MSG            3.3
                                                   MSGED         1.99
                                                   PK[UN]ZIP     1.01*
                                                   QM             1.0
                                                   QSORT         4.03*
                                                   TCOMMail       2.2
                                                   TMail         1.11
                                                   TPBNetEd       3.2
                                                   UFGATE        1.03
                                                   XRS            3.0*
                                                   ZmailQ        1.09

                                 Macintosh
                                 ---------

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

     Red Ryder Host   v2.1b3   Tabby         2.1   MacArc        0.04
     Mansion            7.12                       ArcMac         1.3
     WWIV (Mac)          3.0                       StuffIt       1.51
                                                   TImport      1.331
                                                   TExport       1.32
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 22                   9 Oct 1989


                                                   Timestamp      1.6
                                                   Tset           1.3
                                                   Timestart      1.1
                                                   Tally          1.1
                                                   Mehitabel      1.2
                                                   Archie        1.60
                                                   Jennifer   0.25b2g
                                                   Numberizer    1.5c
                                                   MessageEdit    1.0
                                                   Mantissa       1.0
                                                   PreStamp      2.01
                                                   R.PreStamp    2.01
                                                   Saphire       2.1t
                                                   Epistle II    1.01
                                                   Import        2.52
                                                   Export        2.54
                                                   Sundial        2.1
                                                   AreaFix        1.1
                                                   Probe        0.052
                                                   Terminator     1.1
                                                   TMM           4.0b

                                   Amiga
                                   -----

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailers     Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

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


                                    Atari ST
                                    --------

     Bulletin Board Software   Network Mailer      Other Utilities

     Name            Version   Name      Version   Name       Version

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

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 23                   9 Oct 1989


     + 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 6-41                Page 24                   9 Oct 1989


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

                          The Interrupt Stack


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

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

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

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

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

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

     FidoNews 6-41                Page 25                   9 Oct 1989


             OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIDONET ASSOCIATION

     Thom Henderson 1:107/583  Chairman of the Board
     Les Kooyman    1:204/501  President
     Fabian Gordon  1:107/323  Vice President
     Bill Bolton    3:3/0      Vice President-Technical Coordinator
     Kris Veitch    1:147/30   Secretary
     Kris Veitch    1:147/30   Treasurer


                      IFNA COMMITTEE AND BOARD CHAIRS

     Administration and Finance   *
     Board of Directors  (CoB)    Thom Henderson   1:107/583
     By-laws and Rules            John Roberts     1:385/49
     Executive Committee (Pres)   Les Kooyman      1:204/501
     International Affairs        *
     Membership Services          *
     Nominations and Elections    Steve Bonine     1:1/0
     Public Affairs               *
     Publications                 Irene Henderson  1:107/9
     Technical Standards          Rick Moore       1:115/333
     Ethics                       *
     Security and Privacy         *
     Grievances                   *

         * Position awaiting confirmation by appointee.


                          IFNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

        DIVISION                               AT-LARGE
     10 Courtney Harris  1:102/732   Don Daniels      1:107/210
     11 John Rafuse      1:12/700    Phil Buonomo     1:107/583
     12 Bill Bolton      3:711/403   Mark Hawthorne   1:107/238
     13 Fabian Gordon    1:107/323   Tom Jennings     1:125/111
     14 Ken Kaplan       1:100/22    Irene Henderson  1:107/509
     15 Scott  Miller    1:128/12    Steve Jordan     1:206/2871
     16 Ivan Schaffel    1:141/390   Robert Rudolph   1:261/628
     17 Kathi Crockett   1:134/30    Dave Melnik      1:107/233
     18 Andrew Adler     1:135/47    Jim Hruby        1:107/536
     19 Kris Veitch      1:147/30    Burt Juda        1:107/528
      2 Henk Wevers      2:500/1     Karl Schinke     1:107/516
      3 Matt Whelan      3:54/99     John Roberts     1:147/14

     -----------------------------------------------------------------
     FidoNews 6-41                Page 26                   9 Oct 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 6-41                Page 27                   9 Oct 1989


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