Information about: FidoNet -and- POINTing=======================================================================What is FidoNet? FidoNet is a world-wide, personal computer-based,public amateur network. FidoNet itself has over 12,000 systems. What is Netmail? Netmail is the FidoNet term for PRIVATE mail.It appears in the private message section on a BBS. Netmail isusually addressed to one specific person, and is read by that person. What is Echomail? Echomail is a way of sharing PUBLIC messagesbetween multiple computers using FidoNet. A group of machinesparticipating in sharing news of a similar topic in Echomail isreferred to as a "conference." An Echomail conference is oftenshortened to the term "echo." When a news article is posted on onemachine (a BBS participating in FidoNet) it is automatically sent outto all the other machines participating in that news conference. Themessages posted in Echomail conferences are public. What is Groupmail? Groupmail is a system that performs the exactsame function as Echomail, but using a slightly different technicalapproach to the problem. From a Point's perspective, Echomail andGroupmail are identical. What are Node Numbers and Node Lists? In order to facilitate therouting of Netmail, Echomail, and files, each computer is designatedwith a number, called a Node Number. As a point, you will not need aNode List, nor will you be on the Node List. What is a "Boss"? The "Boss" is a BBS which is also a FidoNetnode, and which also supports points. The Boss can be any system thatsupports a FidoNet compatible mailer. The sysop of the Boss is theperson responsible for assigning point numbers and setting the rulesin their private network of points. What is a Point? A point is a slave system off of a full FidoNetnode. A point is addressed with a FidoNet node number, then a point(.), and their Point Number. A point does NOT appear on the Node List. Although it's usually to the advantage of a sysop of a FidoNet nodeto allow points to operate off of his system, you must remember thatbeing a point is not a right, but a PRIVILEGE. A FidoNet sysop isunder no obligation to support points off of his system. Make surethat you treat the Boss sysop with respect and courtesy at all times,or you may find yourself losing this privilege. What is a Point Number? A Point Number is an identifier givento you by the sysop of the Boss system. Each point running off of aBoss has it's own unique Point Number.What is a Point Address? Just as your house has a unique addressthat other people can use to communicate by mail with you, all systemsand points in FidoNet have unique addresses assigned to them. A PointAddress is the address by which your POINT system will be known toother users on FidoNet systems. This address consists of the FidoNetnode number of your Boss system, followed by a decimal point and thenyour Point Number. For example, if you are Point Number 5 off of theBoss system 107/412, then 107/412.5 is your Point Address. What is a Private Network Number? There's another importantnumber that's used for communication between the Boss and Pointsystems. This is the Private Network Number. Point systems runningoff of a Boss are run as private networks. All Point systemsassociated with a Boss have the same Private Network Number. YourBoss sysop will tell you what this number is. What is a Private Network Address? Your Boss system willactually communicate with your point by using a Private NetworkAddress. This Private Network Address consists of the Private NetworkNumber, a slash (/), and then your Point Number. .i.Area Names;What are "Area Names"? Area Names are what the software uses todifferentiate between each Echomail Conference you are carrying. Thesenames uniquely identify Echomail Conferences. They must always be inALL UPPERCASE LETTERS. An example is the Macintosh Hypercard echowhich has an Area Name of MACHYPE. What is a Network? A network is a collection of computers thatcan communicate with each other. This communication can take avariety of forms, including mail exchange, file exchange, and newsexchange. What is a communications protocol? A communications protocol isa method by which computers initiate a session and in effect talk toeach other. It is a way for computers to recognize each other, and aset of standards for the transfer of information between them. What is FidoNet? FidoNet is a network which allows personalcomputers to communicate with each other over ordinary dial-uptelephone lines. FidoNet is designed to allow the transfer of mail andattached files between BBS's or individuals. What are Nodes, Node Numbers, and Node Lists? By definition, anode is an addressable entity on a network. Thus, on FidoNet eachcomputer is a node. Since it needs to be addressable, it has aspecific node number, or node address. Node numbers are assigned foreach system in FidoNet by people already in the network hierarchy.POINTS use a special addressing system, and as such they are not onthe node list. Their Boss system will appear in the node list.Nodelists are lists of these nodes, with their associated names andphone numbers, as well as other pertinent information. They aremaintained and updated weekly. These weekly changes to the nodelistare made up into a nodediff file, which is distributed to systemsthroughout the network. A few words on file attachments: files are sent as "attachments"to mail. Everything on FidoNet is handled as MAIL. Thus files aresent "attached" to a mail message. Normally, when you get a file youwill get a mail message telling you that a file has been sent. Thesubject field of the message will contain the name of the file. File requesting is a mechanism that allows one FidoNet node torequest one or more files from another FidoNet node. The transfer ofthe file(s) normally takes place during that same call that the filerequest was made. Points only exchange files with the Boss. What is National Mail Hour? Throughout the world, there is aone-hour period of the day called the National FidoNet Mail Hour. Inthe United States this is from 4:00 am. to 5:00 am. Eastern StandardTime. This is generally the time frame in which mail is exchangedacross the nation. At that time all BBSes on FidoNet must be up andrunning. (POINTS DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. INSTEAD, POINTS NEED TOFOLLOW ANY RULES SET DOWN BY THEIR BOSS.) As a POINT, you mustdetermine from your "Boss" any scheduling requirements he needs you toobserve to accomplish routing of mail. These time periods, by theway, are called mail events or windows. National Mail Hour is the time when the systems (Nodes - notPOINTS) on the network MUST BE UP AND RUNNING. This is generally thetime when the computers are left open for exchange of FidoNet MAIL.Even if the local Host/Hub has other times for exchanging mail withhim, nodes must be up and running, and ready to accept calls withdelivery of FidoNet Mail at this time. They cannot be running theirBBS. They cannot be exchanging Echomail. They must only be ready toexchange FidoNet Mail at this time. NO exceptions. Failure to complywith this is grounds for removal from both the FidoNet and Alternetnetworks. Obviously, since, as a POINT, communication with the Boss willinvolve both the exchange of netmail and Echomail at the same time,the prearranged time for calling the Boss will almost ALWAYS bedifferent from the National Mail Hour. One important thing to note here is that these are ALL amateurnetworks. They are not paid to provide the services they render, norare they paid for the time they put into the network. Any commercialuse of these networks is forbidden. What are all the lines at the end of messages for? There are twokinds of lines usually seen on messages at this time. The Tear Lineis a line of text preceded by three hyphens: ---Copernicus V1.00 TheTear Line identifies the software running on the computer that themessage was composed on. There are many kinds of software on FidoNet,so you will see many different Tear Lines. The Tear line appears atthe end of the body of the text message, usually after a few spaces inbetween. The Origin line appears after the Tear line, and identifies avariety of things. Usually it contains the name and node number ofthe system that originated the message, sometimes also including aphone number and perhaps a catchy phrase. What are other funny lines that may appear in messages? Sometimesmessages have other funny lines that appear. Sometimes lines show upin the beginning of a message, that have lots of letters and numbersin them. These are lines that actually accompany all messages, butthat usually don't show up because the software strips them off.Messages also have something called "SEEN-BY:" lines at the end. Thesenote which systems have viewed the messages. They also alwaysaccompany every message, and the software is supposed to remove them.Occasionally you will see them on a message where for some reason thesoftware got a little confused and didn't take them off.What are File Requests? (OR FREQs) For POINTS File Requests providea way to automatically download files from your Boss. After you entera File Request, the next time Copernicus calls the Boss it will havethe Boss send this file to you during the session. The sysop of theBoss will let you know which files may be requested from him. This isusually done using a special Echomail conference in which the sysopshows new files that are available on the Boss.The most important thing for a POINT owner to remember about FileRequests is to comply with any rules for its use set down by the Boss.The Boss may specify a maximum number of files that can be requesteddaily, a maximum daily total size of files requested, or time periodsin which File Requests are not allowed.This concludes the section on terminology. If you feel overwhelmed,frustrated, and ... even ... confused! ... you are not alone. Giveyourself some time to digest what you have read.
