From: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Shame on Fidonet
Summary: What has happened to the Fidonet we used to know?
Keywords: Shame Fido Fidonet Editorial
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 09:34:03 EDT
Reply-To: murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy)
Organization: The Business Card (BBS), Lawrence, MA - Data: 508-682-5329

Someone sent me a copy of Fidonet's newsletter called, appropriately enough,
FidoNews.  It is issue #844 for November 4, 1991 - not quite a year ago.  In
it appeared two editorials; one from Mr. Tom Jennings, the founder of Fidonet.
He holds the copyright to the name, at least, and I believe he wrote the first
mailer software for his network.  That software was called Fido, hence, the
name of the network.  Mr. Jennings laments the current state of what he
started and decries the political BS and power-mongering of those who hold
positions of "responsibility" who are there to "serve."  He is saddened by the
fact that instead of service, his administrators are now nothing more than
power brokers.

Another editorial is written by Mr. Thom Henderson who is well known to the
Fidonet community as being among the first participants.  While I'm sure he
has other accomplishments in his hobby, I am unsure what they are.  Suffice it
to say that his is a _very_ influencial voice in Fidonet.  Mr. Henderson
wonders why, if it is your hobby, you have very little say over how you will
engage in it.  He wonders where freedom and democracy goes when you sit at
your keyboard in the security of your own home and enter the Twilight Zone
that is Fidonet.

I post these editorials from these luminaries to show that Fidonet does bully
its participants.  Not all of them, mind you!  If you join Fidonet and are
content to sit back and be thankful for what you get and never interact with
other sysops, particularly the administrators, you will get along just fine.
It is fun and enjoyable as long as you don't have an opinion and never
complain.

On the other hand, however, if you attract the attention of the
administration, they _will_ tell you what to do, think, or say.  Fidonet has
much shame to bear for what it has become since its founding if these two
gentlemen are to be believed.  From my reading, the administration was put in
place for nothing more than to keep the mail flowing.  If the mail doesn't
flow, the administrator should fix it, step aside, or the local network should
appoint a new server/administrator.  Administrators should be slave to those
they serve.

The shame for Fidonet today is that even with poor service, you can't get rid
of an administrator.  They have taken on more importance than was ever
intended for them.  Individual sysops have no say over who _they_ think can
serve them better - it is the next level up, in some far distant locality,
who decides it for them, more based on friendships than competence.
Low-numbered addresses are handed out as rewards or perks much like vanity
license plates for cars.  The administrators seem to like the number but not
the responsibility, cost, and work that goes along with it.  _That_ is the
shame of Fidonet.

                         Your friend in Lawrence, Massachusetts...
                                      - - - Murph

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