*** Quoting Nicolay Simonov from a message to Carol Shenkenberger ***

 CS> Not uncommon at all to use one where the Docs are in your native
 CS> language. It's sort of natural selection there.

NS>  By the way, I've always been interested in. Is the majority of foreig
NS> software commercial?

I couldnt say really, if you mean in Fidonet.  There are commercial systems
¨still running (using commercial software) but most seem to be freeware or
¨shareware?

NS>  Sorry about asking many questions.. That's because it's very interest
NS> to me - how do people in other coutries live. My future profession is
NS> sociologist. I connected to some foreign echos just several days ago.
NS> I'm trying to use the opportunity.

No problem!  If looking for 'active ones' I can name a few, some lower
volume ¨and some higher.  'MEMORIES' is a good one for chatter like this
echo.  COOKING ¨is a good one if you are into cooking at all.  Memories is
mostly USA/Canada ¨folks but very friendy.  COOKING is international.  Both
are english use echos ¨and friendly places.

 NS>>  What hardware do you use?
 CS> It's a very aging DOS based lower speed pentium. Nothing fancy and
 CS> will have Hto patch things if i upgrade the BBS machine.

NS>  So did I when I was a node. My pentium computer worked stable enough,
NS> and my points were glad to call my stable station :)

Yup!  We still have some points in Fidonet in places.  Not out here in
Japan ¨but there are spots where you can still find them.  It never was as
popular ¨outside Z2 as where you are though.

 CS> stayed in.

NS>  I've forgotten to ask.. Where are you from?

I claim Virginia Beach now as i own a home there (rented out these past
years) ¨but I had my teen years in Clemson SC.

NS>  Oh! And how do you like it? Actually I live in the european part of R
NS> I have never been to Vladivostok.

Well, it was nicer the first visit there.  We didnt have to be in uniform
and ¨people were friendly.  The second time we had to be in uniform and
while most ¨folks were friendly, some were not (old cold war era thinkers).

I'd love to see Moscow and the old buildings there!

NS>  Does English really become the international language? Does it help y
NS> to communicate with people?

Well, it's a very common 'second language' now for those who have more than
¨one.  In the USA, the most common second language is spanish but just
about ¨anything you can think of, is there someplace.  Russian is common in
Alaska for ¨example. In Asia, english is the most common second language I
think, but ¨Russian is well represented in many of the coastal parts.

                                       xxcarol

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