Hello Steven,

 MvdV>> And these friends stop being friends when you change your node
 MvdV>> number ???

 SH> Friends have been known to disappear when they move.:-)

When one physically moves, yes. Not when one changes a number. Since 1978
when I came to live in Driebergen again, my phone number has changed three
times. Never lost a friend over it.

 MvdV>> There is a technical problem with ION RINs. That problem can be
 MvdV>> solved NEXT FRIDAY. We do not need to change P4 for that, we do
 MvdV>> not need to replace any software. In your case ALL that needs to
 MvdV>> be done is that:

 MvdV>> Is replaced by:

 MvdV>> Host,171,R17_ION_Net,....,Marc_Blakely,1-253...
 MvdV>> Pvt,67,northof60.tzo.com,Whitehorse_YK,Steven_Horn,
 MvdV>> -Unpublished-,300,CM,MO,IBN ;

 MvdV>> Now is that really so bad?

 SH> It's ludicrous!

It is a perfectly logical solution for a technical problem.

 SH> It confirms what we've objected to from the outset, that a "Pvt"
 SH> ION node needs a host which is manifestly not the case.

A node that is not directly reachable needs anothert node that will accpet
the mail for him/her. The host is the logical place for that.

And before someone starts hollering "ION discrimination" I should
add that that goes for POTS as well. POTS nodes shpoiuld not be RIN or ZIN
either, they should be in a net where they can be reached by host routing.
Unless there is a sound /technical/ reason why this is not feasible.

 SH> Just because your POTS node cannot reach me does not mean I'm
"Pvt".

Yes it does. Lok it up in FTS-5000. "Pvt" means "not
callable by POTS" and that is exactly what you are.

 SH> You could always try routed netmail in any case.  Your
 SH> routed echomail gets here without difficulty.

Irrelevant. We are not talking routed mail, we are talking direct
reachability. That is what the contact information in the noedlist is for.
For being reachable by roued netmail one does not have to be in thge
nodelist at all. Points are reachable by routed mail.

 MvdV>> So bad that you want all of FidoNet to bend over to change P4 and
 MvdV>> have everyone replace their software and possibly hardware to
 MvdV>> avoid that?

 SH> P4 does not apply here

It does. P4 syas you should as a minumum be reachable during ZMH. Your
"number" of 1-000-000-000 does not answer during ZMH. You are in
violation of policy.

 SH> and there's a fair part of Fidonet which need not change.

There is an even greater part that needs new software (that is not
presently available) to handle your case properly.

 MvdV>> If that is the case, I say what others have been saying: that
 MvdV>> attitude has to change.

 SH> This is no longer 1992.

That does not change the fact that you are selfish. The way you are listed
causes problems for many and that is annoying. The problem can be solved.
But you refuse to change your node number because you do not want to let go
of your "vanity plates".

Regards, Michiel

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