From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: Fidonet sux, fee for access.
Keywords: Fidonet
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 17:30:47 EDT
Reply-To: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

randy@psg.com (Randy Bush) writes:

> Funny.  I added FidoNet after years on the ARPANET, Internet and uucp.  In
> the mid '80s, FidoNet was great!  You could change the world overnight by a
> little hacking and cooperation among a small number of people.  Ahh, the
> flexibility of a small universe.

Yep!  No question, it's a lot of fun when you're content with what you're
getting and are happy being a "taker."  It's when you start to "get involved"
as everyone suggests one do in any hobby or undertaking when if falls apart.

I had no problem with my echomail feed.  It all came into my board and wound
up where it was supposed to go.  Everything was groovy.  Next thing you know,
an uproar begins where the REC proposes that we all pay him for an echomail
feed in the face of several offers by people volunteering to be REC for no
more than our good wishes and admiration.  Nope, the guy wouldn't step down
for nothing and we couldn't kick him out.  At the same time, an election for
RC was called and I ran on a platform of coordinating the network such that
the REC could use a better coordinated network to deliver his echomail at no
cost.  Man!  The _flames_ I got!  "Murph, YOU can do a better job?!?"

Yes, I could, and was prepared to prove it time and again, reflecting poorly
on the incumbent.  Of course, the incumbent's friends rallied around.
Politics.  Why call the election?

The REC finally died from a heart attack, unfortunately.  It is my sincerest
hope that his involvement in the hobby didn't do him in but...

Things settled down for awhile until our NEC was laid off and a replacement
was appointed that lasted a short month.  He quit suddenly and without more
than five day's warning.  One thing after another.

Elections were called, this time, for NEC.  I, of course, ran.  I like my
hobby and think, nay, know I can do a better job.  I won.

Here I am, providing a gateway between the Internet and Fidonet and now
handling echomail along with files.  Lots of traffic.  Needs to move.  I ask
my NC for help.  NO RESPONSE!

My NC is notorious for never responding to his netmail.  It was just a fact of
life that we just accepted since there was never a pressing need, really, when
you come down to it.  So what if it takes three-five letters to get a change
to the nodelist?  It got done eventually.  So what if new nodes took three
months to get an address?  It wasn't happening to me, I was already a member.

But, my system was really clogging up and I had to do something.  I asked the
Hubs to help me out by my sending the traffic to the Hubs and they getting it
to where it had to go.  Simple enough, I thought.  I asked them, they agreed,
and off we went.  Individual initiative solved the problem and all was well.
We set up and tested routing paths and, as a courtesy, sent carbon copies to
the NC so that he'd know what was going on.  Testing went on for a month, all
the while copies of messages going to the NC with nary a word from him.

Until...

Someone complained about how long it was taking to get the nodelist updated
and whether the testing going on could fix that as well.  Well...  actually,
yes, kinda.  There is a program freely distributed around Fidonet called
MakeNL that allows the coordinators to maintain that nodelist.  The Hubs and I
got together to test that program as well - again sending carbon copies to the
NC and he not responding until one of those carbon copies had a file attached
- the configuration file for MakeNL.

IT HIT THE FAN!  The NC started threatening me to drop me from the nodelist,
called me all kinds of nasty names... you get the pix.

What happened, asks I?  Where've you been for the past month?  We've been
sending you mail, carbon copies, leaving messages on your answering machine...

Come to find out, his system was deleting his netmail!  No WONDER he never
responded to us, never saw the carbon copies...  It got ironed out but not
without a lot of hassle.

None of this would've have happened to me if I didn't get involved in my
hobby.  I could have been content but chose to poke around to see what makes
this thing tick.

I participate in sysop echos.  They are set up so that other sysops can
discuss networking situations.  Someone brought up the past election for RC
that I was involved in and asked if anyone wanted to debate some of the old
topics for the heck of it.  They did and off we went.  One guy, however, got
tired of the debate and complained to my NC that I wouldn't stop after he
asked me to while others continued to engage me.

Now, Fidonet has a Policy document that mandates that any dispute between two
sysops should begin resolution between the two people with the problem by
direct e-mail communication.  Not so in this case!  The guy fires of a message
to my NC who was still miffed at me and the NC dropped me from the network
within *12* hours of receiving the complaint!  No investigation, no hearing my
side of the story, no seeing if any communication between me and the other guy
had taken place.  The NC was miffed and out I go!  Policy, Murph, you know how
it is...

Policy says I have a right to a speedy decision (30 days) in appeal.  Each
level of appeal has taken over 30 days with the ZC dragging his feet for over
a month and a half now.

Fidonet.  Policy.  Politics.  It blows donkey balls.  That document isn't
worth the lives of the trees cut down to write it.  It only counts when
someone wants it to count.

Don't speak to me about cooperation - it ain't there.  Where's the cooperation
when the REC clings to his office even though he can't afford it and others
volunteer to do it?  Where's the cooperation when the RC calls an election but
allows flames against a guy who dares run against him to get out of control in
the sysop echo he moderates?  Hell, the guy the RC appointed to count the
votes suggested I drank too much, you know, I'm Irish after all...  Where's
the cooperation when your NC's system deletes all the mail you send him but
instead of apologizing for his inattention, threatens to drop you from the
network for doing nothing more than keeping the traffic flowing?  Where's the
cooperation when a guy in an echomail conference can complain to your
administrator about your debate with others willingly engaging in the debate
and instead of having access to the moderated echo being cut, your access to
the entire network is cut?

> Wonder how helpful and constructive you were in 'suggesting'.  Don't tell
> us.  We can imagine.  Is your state flower the sour grape?

It is indeed sad that people cannot engage in a debate without taking things
personal.  Even though you call someone's idea silly or not workable is not to
say that you are calling the person a moron.  After a couple of flames in
response to your side of the debate, however, no matter what you say or do,
the inevitable happens - a flame war.  I see it time and again.

> BTW, I notice that your message was posted from FidoNet.  Do you always bite
> the hand that feeds you?

Yep, I'm posting from fidonet.org as I appeal my decision for going on five
months now.  I understand that you are Fidonet's gateway between the
continents.  Did I get my Policy facts straight?

                                      - - - Murph

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