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1994-07-24
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──────────
Beta testing of v4.24 is coming along quite nicely in both DOS and OS/2
versions. The most troublesome bug that we are trying to squash is one that
shows up occasionally and not on all systems and that locks the board up.
Once that is solved and once the FidoNet interface has been tested by more
people on the Beta team, then we should have a release.
From a purely strategic point of view, it would be good to have completed the
network change over (being done to accommodate those area codes without zeros
or ones as middle digits) prior to having people work with a new version of
WWIV.
WWIVNET - WW4NET SUB CONVERSION
───────────────────────────────
As most of you on WWIVnet are aware, the Sub conversion will take place on the
25th of June. At this time most traffic flow should move from WWIVnet to
WW4net. Anyone on WWIVnet who has not obtained a WW4net node number and the
software to utilize that network must contact their GC ASAP in order to get
on the "new" network.
The renumbering has raised quite a few questions among many of you, and
considering the scope of this effort this isn't a surprise at all. For those
still unsure as to why we went through this process, and why we did so in the
way we did, here's the official explanation:
We renumbered the nodes in WWIVNet because the telephone system in this great
country of ours has finally outgrown the number of area codes available under
its old numbering plans. The old numbering plans called for each area code to
have a zero or a one as a middle digit. WWIVnet had capitalized upon this and
created a logical system of node numbering that allowed a person to tell which
area code a board was in, and which allowed for 250-300 nodes per area code,
depending upon the 1st and third digit of that area code.
Our old numbering system would simply not work with the new one proposed by
the telephone companies. For example, if 626 were to be a new area code, we
could not incorporate it easily. Thus, almost -two- years ago, we began
discussions regarding how to change the node numbering. Wayne requested that
any plan continue to use unsigned integers in order to:
(a) maintain as much backwards compatibility as possible.
(b) avoid having to rewrite massive parts of the network and bbs software
programs.
So, now we knew what we -had- to do, the question then put forth was -how- to
get the job done. Many excellent proposals were put forth by network sysops,
and each proposal was considered carefully. The proposal which was finally
decided upon, and put into effect, went basically like this:
(1) Node numbers will be either 4 digits or 5 digits in length depending
upon whether the group number is 1 or 2 digits. Each group will start
with the group number and be followed by node designations ranging
from 000-999. Thus each group can have 999 nodes in it. If a group
expands beyond that size, the group will be split into two or more
groups.
(2) GC's were responsible for renumbering their groups. They were allowed
to either do it all themselves or enlist the aid of ACs. In the
renumbering, the GCs were encouraged to reserve "blocks" of numbers
for various area codes and the block should allow the area code some
room for growth (see related Q & A section later in this article).
Wayne also asked that numbers 001-019 be reserved for Net Servers
within each group.
So, for example, these procedures would result in:
GROUP 4
4000 ................Reserved for GC
4001-4019............Reserved for Servers
4020-4049............Reserved for Area Code xxx
4050-4149............Reserved for Area Code yyy
etc
GROUP 15
15000................Reserved for GC
15001-15019..........Reserved for Servers
15020-15099..........Reserved for Area Code zzz
etc
Note the treatment of 4 digit groups as in Group 4 and the treatment
of 5 digit groups as within Group 15.
(3) As WWIV spreads throughout the world, the outline is to have node
numbers reserved for certain areas of the world. Currently there are
not enough boards in most of them to justify creating a different
group, but when the number of boards increase in those areas then
such groups will be created. The basic plan (unless Wayne decides to
change it) will look like this:
Nodes Area
1000-19999 USA
20000-29999 Rest of North & South American
30000-39999 Europe
40000-49999 Asia and Africa
50000-64999 Held in reserve
(4) Charter net members (1-25) will maintain the chartered status and
their node numbers will not reflect their group assignment.
Now that we had a renumbering formula, the method for implementation had to
be developed. What resulted was what we're now using, which was a parallel
network called WW4NET. This temporary network will work on the reassigned
numbers, and will connect in the same manner as our current network. Thus,
everyone would run two networks for a short period of time, and once the
connections are successfully established, the process of resubscribing to subs
will take place. Once a sub has been converted over to the new network, it can
be killed on the old network. After a point, the old network can be deleted
and the new network renamed to the old network name of WWIVnet.
Of course, to facilitate the conversion process, the CVTNODES program was
developed, which went through your *.NET files and changed all the nodes
in your distribution lists for you.
A word of advice on naming subs during and after the renumbering. Once the
network renumbering starts, people will be asked not to do the following:
(a) Create new subs until it is finished.
(b) Create new subs using numbers as SubTypes.
If a person has subtypes that are using numbers, it is NOT necessary that they
be changed. Persons using numbers as subtypes may continue to do so but they
must not change the number. If the subtype number is changed, it MUST be
changed to an alpha non-numeric type.
With alpha type subs, it is recommended that subtype names not be more than 6
characters in length. The reason for this is that when SAsubnam is used, the
network software will only look at the first 6 letters; thus each sub must be
unique in the first 6 letters or the network software will send auto-responses
to subscribers as the first SA file encountered where the six letters are the
same. For example, if subtypes MODNETA and MODNETB were created, when the SA
response was sent it would sent the first SAMODNET file it found.
If people want to use ALPHA types and combine numbers, that is permissible.
For example, Node 15999 might have 15999A, 15999B, ..., 15999Z which would
allow hosting of 26 subs and make them identifiable with that particular
board. Alternatively, A15999, B15999, ...,Z15999 would also be acceptable.
Another safety tip, of course, is that if a person is using a name subtype
such as MODNET, the person should first search the SUBS.* files to be sure
that the name is not in use.
Finally, on the issue of compatibility with older versions of WWIV and
WWIVNet, if anyone is using a version of WWIV that is 4.21A or earlier, they
will be limited to taking only numeric type subs unless they upgrade to a
newer version or significantly modify their earlier version of WWIV. As
you know, the older versions of WWIV will not handle Alpha subtypes.
NEW PRODUCTS FOR WSS
────────────────────
Along with v4.24, a new products list for WWIV Software Services will be
released. This list will include software utilities and games that have been
obtained by WSS for distribution. All of the Middle Earth product line will
be included along with WSSFDI (which is my FrontDoor installer program
rewritten to work with v4.24 of WWIV and with the version of WWIVgate which
WSS bought from Kevin Carpenter).
PLANET CONNECT
──────────────
Negotiations are still taking place to have WWIVnet put on Planet Connect,
the satellite computer network transmission service. The last word from Boyd
Goodin was that it looked quite favorable. The advantage to WWIV is two-fold,
as Planet Connect will provide the following:
(a) A reduction in the cost of networking significantly for those boards
who want to set up to receive the transmissions from the satellite.
(b) An increase in the awareness of WWIVnet, permitting those who choose
to run WWIV to setup to receive our network in addition to the others
that they receive.
As this is a major step forward for WWIV networking, we'll keep you posted
on developments as they happen.
FIDONET COMPATIBILITY STATUS
────────────────────────────
Finally, quite a few of you are wondering what's up with the work on making
WWIV more compatible with Fidonet. To be totally honest, at the moment, no
one knows whether or not v4.24 will have Fido support integrated into it.
Let me summarize the current status:
(1) WWIV Software Services purchased the code to the WWIVgate program
(translator program that translates FidoNet headers into WWIVNet
compatible headers and vice versa). This code has been updated to
allow for more subs than the 2.0 beta release of WWIVgate, and to
operate without requiring a registration number. The "register" nag
has been removed.
(2) The 4.24 software has various "Fido Hooks".
(3) The INIT has a Fido Option.
(4) The installation program to modify the WWIV.INI file for use with the
FidoNet/WWIV software has been written.
(5) Ken Carpenter and myself have been testing the new executable -
WFIDOIN and WFIDOOUT - for some time with reasonable success.
The next step, I think is to release the FINST (Fido Install in WWIV.INI) and
the WFIDOIN / WFIDOOUT programs to the BETA team (or those who want to try it)
to see how it works.
Before the official release, we should have a utility based on my FrontDoor
Installer program that will be available for those sysops who do not have the
time or inclination to mess with all the support files required for a FidoNet
board but who still want to be on FidoNet.
So, I am hopeful that Fido Support will be part of the 4.24 release, but some
additional testing is necessary first before it can be a part.
That's it for this issue. See you all at WWIVCon!
───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ Listing of WWIV Utilities for V4.23 │
│ Joe Barbara (1@6101) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
How to Read the list:
FILENAME.EXT ID MM/YR Description of file goes here.
by: Author Name More description. Registration fee if any.
ID = PD, SW, CM for Public Domain, Shareware, Commercial respectively.
MM/YR is Month/Year added or updated
Most all these programs should be available at any support BBS. Refer to
the support BBS list for one closest to you.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DFRAG2xx.ZIP SW 1/94 Message base/EMAIL.DAT defragging program. Also
by: Spackle repairs files/messages. $15 registration.
PAGEME2A.ZIP PD 1/94 Small but GOOD Super Chat Pager for WWIV. Can set
by: Jason Johnson high and low times, custom registration available.
WCHT3xxx.ZIP SW 5/94 Replacement Chatroom for inter-instance chat.
by: Joe Barbara Lots of new features. TRY IT! $20 registration.
FSPFDI .ZIP CM 1/94 Front Door Installer program. Everything
by: Filo needed for FidoNet/WWIV. $25
NETL285 .ZIP SW 1/94 WWIV Network Analysis Program (single/multinet)
by: Aldur Unknown Fee.
ALIASxxx.ZIP PD 1/94 Alias - Converts the real name to handle in
by: Cris McRae CHAIN.TXT.
AUTOSxxx.ZIP SW 3/94 AutoSend - A Full-Featured Network Sub Host Utility.
by: Cris McRae Too many features to list. $15 reg.
BDAYxxx .ZIP SW 2/94 Birthday - A Birthday List Generator and Logon Event
by: Cris McRae Viewer. $5 reg.
ECLWxxxx.ZIP SW 2/94 Eclipse is a full featured offline mail reader
by: Will Hobday designed specfically for WWIV/WOMR. $20 reg.
WLxx .ZIP SW 2/94 WWIVList is a viewer for text files with embedded
by: Will Hobday WWIV color codes. Free!
WOMRxxxx.ZIP SW 2/94 WOMR is an easy to install, easy to use mail door
by: Will Hobday for WWIV. $30 for WOMR and WOMR-QWK!
WQWKxxxx.ZIP SW 2/94 WOMR-QWK is an easy to install, easy to use QWK mail
By: Will Hobday door for WWIV. $30 for WOMR-QWK and WOMR!
WWIVESEx.ZIP SW 1/94 External String Editor For WWIV v4.22 and Higher.
by: Martin Bourdages Very easy to use, import/export. Unknown Fee.
NETCOM21.ZIP PD 1/94 Network Utility - Updating over networks.
by: Perry Navarro Current version v2.1
ELN2x.ZIP SW 4/94 Network packet editor - like LNET with GUI+mouse,
by: Starship Trooper header edit, extract, reroute, delete... $15 reg.
PMELLNET.ZIP SW 4/94 ELLNET net packet editor for OS/2 Pres. Manager
by: Starship Trooper Slick GUI, internal multitasking. $15 reg.
NSTATxx.ZIP SW 4/94 Automatically log all net traffic thru your system.
by: Starship Trooper Create reports of how much systems send/recv. $10
STRIPIT2.ZIP SW 4/94 Net preprocessor to remove ansi & taglines, and
by: Starship Trooper delete incoming msgs from "fools". $5 reg.
STRCOM11.ZIP PD 4/94 Small and fast WWIV stringfile compiler/decompiler.
by: Starship Trooper Edit string files as text with any ASCII editor.
WNETD.ZIP PD 4/94 Front end for network mail handling programs.
by: Starship Trooper Free.
KLINTxx.ZIP PD 4/94 Klintonov, displays random Clinton bashing tags,
by: Bull Ship supports WWIV color, used normally as a logon event
LINKUPVx.ZIP SW 4/94 LinkUp - Network Update Software, nice interface,
by: Jason Whelan with mouse support. registration fee of ONLY 15!
NETPROVx.ZIP SW 4/94 NetPro - NETWORK2 preproc. Has many NICE features,
by: Jason Whelan E-mail 1@5213(4205)WWIVnet! Only $10!
WHELNETx.ZIP SW 4/94 WhelNet - LNET replacement, NICE interface, new
by: Jason Whelan LNET options E-Mail 1@5213(4205)!
WWIVVGAx.ZIP SW 4/94 WWIVVGA - Allows VGA Planets games to be played
by: Jason Whelan in WWIV networks, E-Mail 1@5213(4205)WWIVnet!
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Attention Writers of WWIV Utilities
Please send any submissions in the above format to 1@6101 to be added to the
list. When a new version of WWIV is released all info must be updated as
this list will only contain utilities that are compatible with the
current version.
FILENAME.EXT ID Description
by: Author Description line 2
^ ^ ^ ^
: : : :.. Description MUST not be longer than
: : : 102 characters including spaces.
: : : If it is available at a fee then the
: : : fee must be included in the
: : : description.
: : :
: : :............. Use PD, SW, or CM as ID to
: : indicate Public Domain, ShareWare
: : or Commercial.
: :
: :..................... Self Explanatory
:
:........................... Filename and Ext
Please send this information to 1@6101 WWIVnet (or 4230 WW4net).
───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ The "Helms Hoax" Exposed! │
│ by Polekat (1@7385) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
[Editor's NOTE: Some weeks back, someone posted a "press release" on the
Internet - including several dozen Usenet newsgroups - that claimed to have
been issued by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. While this isn't the first
time some clown has posted falsified press releases on what's being called
the "Information Superhighway", this particular one has caused quite a stir
among BBS sysops and users alike for obvious reasons.
Polekat, the EFF's loudest voice on the WWIV networks - even louder than
Blade X, I'm told - as passed this official disclaimer on to WWIVNews in hopes
of helping suppress the panic and agitation that this hoaxer has caused not
only among the national BBS community, but within the offices of one rather
renowned Senator by the name of Jesse Helms.
The original author of this disclaimer was Mike "Johnny Mnemonic" Godwin,
who in addition to being one of the EFF's chief legal wizards, was once one
of Central Texas' more renown BBSers, the last effective editor the infamous
college newspaper _The Daily Texan_ will ever have, and a difficult man to
debate against when drunk!
Those wishing to reach Mike for more information on this hoax, as well as
the EFF, can do so through the internet at mnemonic@eff.org.]
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
At EFF, we have been receiving a number of queries about an alleged EFF
"press release" or "statement" announcing the following:
"Senator Jess Helms (R-NC) requested that the FBI become more involved in
the fight to stop adult images from being distributed on electronic
bulletin boards and the Internet."
Typically, the "press release" has included the following:
: "The EFF has issued a warning to sysops that the following files
: which depict any of the following acts are illegal in all 50
: states, and can subject the sysop to prosecution regardless of
: whether the sysop knows about the files or not.
:
: "--Depiction of actual sex acts in progress"
:
: "--Depiction of an erect penis"
*There is no such press release.*
*The press release is a hoax.*
Several people seem to have been fooled by the false press release, including
the new publication SYSOP NEWS, which reprinted it uncritically in its first
issue.
I urge you to spread this announcement to every BBS of which you a member.
Thank you for helping us stop the unethical people who spread this
misinformation.
--Mike
───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ Seeking Asylum! │
│ An Inside Look at The Asylum Group │
│ by Zu Digital (1@7321) and Sam (1@2077) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
[Editor's NOTE: Since all the hoopla over the release of the Asylum/QWK, and
the subsequent flame debate over whether it should be included in stock WWIV
or not, quite a few of you readers have been asking just *who* the Asylum
Group. There's been a lot of talk and speculation over their identities, and
some have been calling the Asylum Group just another of those 'vapor-groups'
that have sprung up on the WWIV networks from time to time.
To hopefully shed some light on the truths about the Asylum group, the two
founders - Zu Digital and Sam - AKA the infamous "Super American Man" -
have submitted the following dossier on just who this group is, how they
came to be, and where they're going if the anti-QWK modders don't send
them someplace worse first!
The one doing most of the first person descriptions is Zu Digital. Sam's
the one proving he can take dictation just as well as any secretary!]
"COMMON" ORIGINS
────────────────
I suppose it all really began with the COMMON mod. COMMON was conceived to be
a set of functions to make WWIV just a little more visually pleasing. My idea
of the COMMON series started before COMMON was even thought of being created.
I just didn't realize it yet. With the creation of the Pulldown Menus, about
1 year before COMMON ever came out, I had sure plans of making an interface
that, number one, used the arrow keys to navigate, and two, just looked better
than the old 'tty' interface you've grown to learn and love.
In all actuality, COMMON was not my 2nd generation of arrow-key modifications.
After the Pulldown Menus were first built - for internal use only - I went to
the NTC (for the Army) in California for 30 days. While on guard duty, I
planned what would be built, and dubbed it "EMS", which was short for the
"Evolution Menu System'. The EMS was not to be judged by today's current menu
interfaces for regular DOS applications, but against BBS programs. It evolved
from the tty interface, to my Pulldown Menus, to the EMS library which was
written in C++.
After this, I decided to start releasing my modifications. But I knew that
another set of functions would be required to do such, written in standard C,
as WWIV will not compile in C++ mode.
Needless to say, COMMON now exists because of that reason.
PULLDOWN MENUS - THE ACTUAL BIRTH OF ASYLUM
───────────────────────────────────────────
With my first major mod, the Pulldown menus, I saw what happens to a fairly
good mod when I don't play by a certain set of rules.
I had a completed mod, one that I knew was good, but where do I go from here?
How is someone supposed to know what your mod will do for them, and how do
they know that they 'need' to install your mod.
To compound matters, while my mod was completed for my own use, I made the
menus all hard coded, didn't do proper bug testing, and ended up posting it,
completely, about 4 times on Modnet in hopes of getting some additional beta
testing done. I knew this was not the best way to go about things, but I
wasn't really sure about exactly *what* it was that I needed to do.
Then, through a twist of fate, I found Sam. He posted something about the
pulldown menus, and I called his board to see them somewhere besides my board.
Shortly after that, Asylum was born.
My original plan for Asylum was to have a number of fictitious members, along
with myself and Sam, to make us look like an good-sized, organized group.
I felt that people would take a "group's" word, over a single person saying
"Use this mod! It's cool, and you need it". And with the size of the mods I
planned on releasing, I figured I could pass it off.
Well, the group name stuck, but we never did get around to adding all the
fictitious members, instead we added quite a number of real people that wanted
to be apart of something real. Theses are very brave sysops, our Beta Testers,
have helped us to release a stable product, one that won't get killed right
after it is released from massive BBS breakdown/crashes etc...
Sam helped me with everything from getting into the network, (that experience
will be in another article), to registering WWIV, to getting my mod introduced.
We re-wrote the pulldown menus and tried again, learning as we went, but using
a little more common sense in the process. Sam was an up-and-coming C
programmer himself at the time, and was learning, literally, by the seat of
his pants.
We then saw a little more success with the second version, especially after I
made the menus more easily-configurable with the PullDown Menu Compiler, eased
up on the STACK, removed quite a bit of D-group hogging, and a LOT of bug
fixes.
Even though I found that PullDown menus maybe aren't the best menu interface