29 May 06 20:46, Michiel van der Vlist wrote to Roy Witt:

 MvdV>>> And so if he did not read P4, he may attempt to send an
 MvdV>>> application *to* net/9999 if he sees that number in the
 MvdV>>> nodelist.
 RW>> I couldn't imagine why.
 MvdV> I can. For starters because it says: new_node_application in the
 MvdV> system name field.

Which would get them nowhere, as every ,9999 node listing in the nodelist
does not have a phone number. There is one, but it's already assigned to
somebody in R50.

 MvdV> Try to be in the head of someone who doesn not have a clue about
 MvdV> weher to start.

I am...I have no idea how to use ,9999 as the place to send my
application, because there is no phone number and no url listed in any of
them presently in the nodelist.

Pvt,9999,New_Node_Applicant,Net_267,New_SysOp,-Unpublished-,300,MO

Obviously, there must be something significant about the listing of ,9999
and it says right there that it's for New Node Applicant (for) Net267, New
Sysop...so ,9999 must be the number I use, since I cannot send anything to
it.

 RW>> First, there is a title at the head of every net called, host. Hmmm,
 RW>> that must mean something special,

 MvdV> For you, For someone not knowing where to start this may be
 MvdV> different.

Reading the nodelist will clue even a dumb newbie to the fact that there
is some kind of structure to it. Zone, Region, Host, etc.. Second, finding
my local Region or Net is merely a 'Grep' away.

 RW>> cause the rest of the 'nodes' under that one don't have a title,
 RW>> except for the PVT, HUB and HOLD.

 MvdV> Which ma be just meaningless attributes to a newby.

See above.

 RW>> Hmmm, no phone listed in the PVT listing, don't know what a HUB is
 RW>> for, so I'll skip that and HOLD, hmmm, that's puzzling.

 MvdV> Mayne. Or maybe not. Maybe he has already found that net/9999
 MvdV> entryand he thinks he found what he was looking for and sees no
 MvdV> need to look any further.

He'd be hard pressed to do much with that number, unless it had a phone
number or url listed with it.

 RW>> Lessee, I could probably contact that 3:3/1000 number, but the
 RW>> description says he the Internationl Coordinator...I don't need no
 RW>> steenking international guy, I need to talk to somebody local.

 MvdV> How does he know that?

By reading the header of the nodelist. 'Course, if he's reading a Z2
nodelist, I'd understand that, that information isn't available.

 MvdV> He may think he might as well go straight to the top. Ask Janis
 MvdV> about how many applications for new node numbers she gets that
 MvdV> shoulkd have been addressed to the local NC.

Nothing wrong with going straight to the top...In fact, that's the ideal
situation because they'll now get put on the right track and won't have to
guess about it anymore.

 RW>> Hmmm, there's a listing for my state, California, hmmm, I could
 RW>> contact that Region node, but he doesn't have an area code in his
 RW>> phone number. What a wierd way to list phone numbers. I wonder what
 RW>> wierd phone numbers those are?  Well, I guess that's out.

 MvdV> You guys in Z1 may not realise it but *all* telephone numbers in
 MvdV> the nodelist Are weird. My number is listed as 31-343-518411. But
 MvdV> that is not how it should be dialled and no one else lists phone
 MvdV> numbers that way here. In fact many people may not even recognise
 MvdV> it as a phone number. It is normally listed as 0343-518411 and that
 MvdV> it how it should be dialled from within The Netherlands.

It's not our fault that ya'll can't get your numbers right. Besides, it
won't matter to someone in Z1, because they'd have to dial 011 to even
dial a foreign exchange. And, anyone in Z2 will also be familiar with how
that works there.

 MvdV> It is only in the US and Canada that have the anomaly that the
 MvdV> country code is the same as the trunk access code that numbers
 MvdV> appear in dialable form in the nodelist.

Do you dial 1 when you call a Z1 node, or do you also have a foreign
exchange number to dial first?

 RW>> Hmmm, it says here in this one that this is the 'Host 202, San Diego
 RW>> Area Net202_NC' in the city where I live.

 MvdV> Which may mean nothing to a prospective new sysop.

But it'd be a smart move to contact the first node listed in their region
or city. Even if they don't have a clue as to what 'host' means.

 RW>> Hmmm, and there at the bottom it says 'new node application' but
 RW>> it's a 'private' node with no phone number. I guess I can't apply
 RW>> there.

 MvdV> The new applicant - not knowing about these things - may guess
 MvdV> different. He may attempt to let his mailer attempt to send the
 MvdV> message anyway.

LOL! And what will his mailer do? Nothing! Now that'll give him a clue as
to the error of his thinking.

 MvdV>  If his mailer is configured correctly, it will route message to
 MvdV> the host.

I havn't configed a dial up mailer in years, but I know better than this.

 MvdV> To stay there in the in transit folder waiting for net/9999 to come
 MvdV> pick it up....

Maybe.

 RW>> Hmmmm, I guess I'll set up my software and contact that 'host'
 RW>> number and see what happens. I can use that International
 RW>> Coordinators listing as an example to set up my software. Hmmm, what
 RW>> number should I use? I guess it doesn't make any difference, I'll
 RW>> use one that isn't listed here. Yes, 1:202/22 works for me...

 MvdV> You are assuming too much advance knowledge on the part of the
 MvdV> applicant. Try again with a blank mind.

I'm assuming that the applicant has a brain and can figure simple things
out, like sending his application to the right place.


Roy
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