Re: Question...
By: Charon to All on Mon Dec 23 2013 03:05 pm

I have been looking for, and would like to join, FidoNet and Paranormal Net. Does anyone know who I need to contact?

Let me know where you're located and I can point you in the right direction for Fidonet...

--pF

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Question...
By: Charon to All on Mon Dec 23 2013 03:05 pm

I have been looking for, and would like to join, FidoNet and Paranormal Net. Does anyone know who I need to contact?

Have you tried reading the Fidonet.org site? Specifically it has instructions on how to join Fidonet. You have to figure out who your NC (Network Corrdinator) is, setup your BBS with a dummy Fidonet nodenumber and send the Sysop a netmail message with your request to join Fidonet. Assuming your system is able to send netmail you're supposed to get a responce with further instructions, your actual assigned netmail address, and other info. It's kind of like, "setup your system first, then contact us so we know we're not wasting our time."

OK, that's a bit harsh. I think it kind of gives you motivation to
get everything working correctly before you try to join. Then once you get your uplink working you can start using areafix to add Fido Echos.

the Policy4.txt file is what you want to read, it should get you started, your NC can usually be determined by where you live (fidonet.org should have maps), you'll want to pick a mailer. Since you're on SBBS I'll assume you're running SBBS on Windows XP. I recommend using a Windows mailer with a gui like Argus/Radius/Taurus (I'm on Radius). If you're comfortable working with a minimal UI and .cfg files you'll want to look into BinkP, it's probably one of the more "robust" mailer programs, and if you want that old skool kool look d'Bridge is a long time supported, still being updated, mailer.

Getting the mailer working with SBBS can be a pain, but there are some HOW-TO pages out there, try googling to find them, or respond here with your system setup and someone can probably help.

Good luck,
-A.


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■ Synchronet ■ Shodan's Core - shodan.synchro.net:23 & :2323

Re: Question...
By: Poindexter Fortran to Charon on Mon Dec 23 2013 23:52:06

Re: Question...
By: Charon to All on Mon Dec 23 2013 03:05 pm

I have been looking for, and would like to join, FidoNet and Paranormal Net. Does anyone know who I need to contact?

Let me know where you're located and I can point you in the right direction Fidonet...

--pF

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Thanks,

Charon
riverstyx.darktech.org

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■ Synchronet ■ The River Styx - riverstyx.darktech.org

Re: Question...
By: Charon to Poindexter Fortran on Tue Dec 24 2013 12:44 pm

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

See Andrew's great post (saved for posterity, since I get a lot of people asking...)

I have an information page up at http://www.realitycheckbbs.org/pages.ssjs?page=004-region10.html that may help

Once you get your system up and running with a dummy node number, you'll want to contact Damon Getsman at 1:14/0, he's the regional coordinator for your area.

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Question...
By: Nightfox to Android8675 on Tue Dec 24 2013 12:31 pm

That's something that has always confused me about FidoNet. It seems like a chicken-and-egg situation: They want you to set up your system for FidoNet first, but you can't fully do that unless you're set up with a host to exchange FidoNet packets.

At the most basic level, Fidonet is about netmail. By using a dummy /9999 node number, you can connect with your local host and request a node number. It doesn't require an echomail arrangement, just a crashed mail packet from a temporary node number.

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■ Synchronet ■ realitycheckBBS -- http://realitycheckBBS.org

Re: Question...
By: Nightfox to Android8675 on Tue Dec 24 2013 12:31 pm

That's something that has always confused me about FidoNet. It seems like a chicken-and-egg situation: They want you to set up your system for FidoNet first, but you can't fully do that unless you're set up with a host to exchange FidoNet packets. At least, that is my understanding. I was able to get my BBS onto FidoNet with hosts who were patient enough to get me set up with them while I got my BBS set up, so I was able to test it and exchange packets and got onto FidoNet right away.

I'll try to clarify.

Back in the day, Fidonet was HUGE, you know how big it was, and the NC/RC (Network Coordinators/Region Coordinators) got a TON of applications for new BBSs to join Fidonet, and once these board get all setup and added to Fidonet, turns out the boards that applied didn't exist, or were not setup correcty... whatever.

So Fidonet powers that be thought, hey, why don't we tell people, you have to apply via Netmail? That way we'll at least know that people have figured out how to get a mailer working, and we'll know that they are at least capable of sending Netmail from one site to another.

So Mailers have this thing where they can connect securely (like both boards share a password), or insecurly (like some board calls another that has never connected to it before). The mailer can be configured to ignore the connection or do something else.

So NC/RCs set their mailers to receive netmail from unknown boards and forward them to the ops. Doesn't matter what address is set, or whatever.

So it came to pass that now if you want to join Fidonet, you have to setup your mailer filling out as much information as you can (like where you are, what your board name is, etc), and simply use a dummy address that ends in /999. So if my local NC/RC node is 1:218/700, then I'd set my board to 1:218/999, and send a netmail to sysop@1:218/700.

Usually the mail will include your voice telephone number so once your application is processed by the NC/RC they can contact you, say hello, give you your NEW Network address and let you know who your uplink is.

In summary, Fidonet mailers can be setup to capture/recieve netmail from any other system, even unknown ones. The ability to send a Netmail back in the day was a way to prove to the FidoNet powers that you understood enough about Fidonet to at least connect two boards and exchange packets. It's a way to weed out people who had no idea what they were doing.

Another way to say RTFP (read the fucking policy4.txt)


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■ Synchronet ■ Shodan's Core - shodan.synchro.net:23 & :2323

Re: Question...
By: Nightfox to Android8675 on Fri Dec 27 2013 04:50 pm

That makes sense. I can understand the NCs and RCs wouldn't want to spend a lot of time on invalid applications.

Yeah it does, and it makes you (as a new Fidonet op) kind of want to take the time to figure out how it all works so you gain an understanding of the system so when you finally get setup you can answer a lot of questions yourself as they arrise.

Of course the system is in dire need of an overhaul, I think if they had developed a FidoNext or something and implemented something new that BBSs might be a bit more than a shadow of their former selves these days. Of course that's a bit of my opinion. I honestly wonder if Fidonet likes it the way it is or if there's too many roosters in the henhouse?


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■ Synchronet ■ Shodan's Core - shodan.synchro.net:23 & :2323

That's something that has always confused me about FidoNet. It seems like
a chicken-and-egg situation: They want you to set up your system for
FidoNet first, but you can't fully do that unless you're set up with a
host to exchange FidoNet packets. At least, that is my understanding. I
was able to get my BBS onto FidoNet with hosts who were patient enough to get me set up with them while I got my BBS set up, so I was able to test
it and exchange packets and got onto FidoNet right away.

Yes, I felt the same way but have always had really nice and patient uplinks that helped me along the way. Especially these days where no two systems are totally alike.

- Mark

--- WWIVToss v.1.50
* Origin: http://www.weather-station.org * Bel Air, MD -USA (33:1/3.0)
■ Synchronet ■ curmudge.hopto.org

In a reply from Charon on 15:05 about Question...

I have been looking for, and would like to join, FidoNet and Paranormal Net. Does anyone know who I need to contact?

yes, I know this is old but on Paranormal Net me (main hub \ host - not owner)

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Rob Starr
Lord Time SysOp of Time Warp of the Future BBS
telnet://time.synchro.net:24
ICQ # 11868133 Yahoo : lordtime2000
AIM : LordTime20000 MSN : Lord Time
Jabber : lordtime2000@gmail.com Astra : lord_time


■ CMPQwk 1.42-R2 16554 ■ Anime Excuse #005: Defeated Shampoo
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■ Synchronet ■ Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 IBBS Games