Hello Steven,

 MvdV>> And here lies part of the problem. You have come to look upon
 MvdV>> your RIN as some kind of recognition of earned achievement. You
 MvdV>> think it is an acquired right. Like a college degree.

 MvdV>> It is not. A node number is just a means to get the mail to you.
 MvdV>> No more.

 SH> Michiel, I first acquired this node number some 11 years
 SH> ago and have good friends within my region.

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

 SH> I also note that my node number points to my home as much
 SH> as my house address does.  That too is subject to change
 SH> but I can object to its being changed as much as I am free
 SH> to object to ill-starred suggestions to change my node
 SH> number and my status as a RIN.

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

Region,17,North_West,AB_AK_BC_ID_MB_MT_OR_NWT_SK_WA_YT,Marc_Blakely,1-253
,1,RGN17_Echo_Coordinator,Saskatchewan,Bob_Seaborn,1-306-956-3383,9600,
,2,RC17_Assistant,Stony_Plain_AB,Bob_Swift,1-780-963-1859,33600,XA,CM,H16
,3,Stargate_Oregon,North_Bend_OR,Les_Lemke,1-541-756-3887,9600,XA,MO,V32b
,23,Marsh_BBS_(c),Dawson_Creek_BC,Gord_Hannah,1-250-784-1945,9600,V34,
,30,The_Wild_Wild_West,Dallas_OR,David_R_Leifheit,1-503-623-0185,9600,
,67,northof60.tzo.com,Whitehorse_YK,Steven_Horn,1-000-000-000,300,CM,MO,IBN
,165,The_Anachronism,Hazelton_BC,Brad_Reddekopp,1-250-842-6278,9600,CM,XA,
;

Is replaced by:

Region,17,North_West,AB_AK_BC_ID_MB_MT_OR_NWT_SK_WA_YT,Marc_Blakely,1-253
,1,RGN17_Echo_Coordinator,Saskatchewan,Bob_Seaborn,1-306-956-3383,9600,
,2,RC17_Assistant,Stony_Plain_AB,Bob_Swift,1-780-963-1859,33600,XA,CM,H16
,3,Stargate_Oregon,North_Bend_OR,Les_Lemke,1-541-756-3887,9600,XA,MO,V32b
,23,Marsh_BBS_(c),Dawson_Creek_BC,Gord_Hannah,1-250-784-1945,9600,V34,
,30,The_Wild_Wild_West,Dallas_OR,David_R_Leifheit,1-503-623-0185,9600,
,165,The_Anachronism,Hazelton_BC,Brad_Reddekopp,1-250-842-6278,9600,CM,XA,
;
Host,171,R17_ION_Net,....,Marc_Blakely,1-253...
Pvt,67,northof60.tzo.com,Whitehorse_YK,Steven_Horn,-Unpublished-,300,CM,MO,IBN
;

Now is that really so bad?

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

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

Cheers, Michiel

--- InterMail 2.29k