PL>> What I find a lack of is software help.  As far as proceedure wise,
 PL>> typing a search on the internet for "joining
fidonet", "how to join
 PL>> fidonet", and "join fidonet" produce a variety
of different places
 PL>> that tell you how to do it.

 RW> However, that doesn't help the POTS user, which is Michiel's point.

Yes... I can understand that (unless the POTS user has a POTS internet
account).  In that case, if the POTS user was lucky enough to have a
dial-up Fidonet BBS in his/her area, even if the BBS didn't have a fidonet
information area, the user could always ask
the SysOp about it, or if that failed, ask in the echoes which they have available.

One thing I've noticed of new potential nodes is that they -never- ask in
the echoes. (???). They are trying to contact -this one- or -that one- by
other means.  I would think if somebody were seriously interested in being
a member node, that they would utilize the very network they're interested
in to find out how.

 PL>> The most "to the point" one, I think, is
 PL>> http://www.fidonet.ca/joinfido.htm

 PL>> Other than software setup it is "step by step".  The
first thing it
 PL>> tells you is to get a basic knowledge of fidonet and your seftware,
 PL>> and to get a copy of P4 and the current nodelist.  The rest basicly,
 PL>> as it should be, leaves it up to the SysOp to follow the
"procedure"
 PL>> as set in P4.

 RW> Years ago, I wrote an instruction article called Frontdoor for
 RW> Idiots.
 RW> Even Jack Yates used it to make his first Fidonet setup...

I would be VERY interested in seeing that... still have it?

There have been several "how to's" written that I've seen.
Unfortunately nnow very outdated :(

 PL>> It lays out before the proceedure (the site) that it is wise to be a
 PL>> user first on a FidoNet BBS first while getting to know your
 PL>> software.

 RW> The problem there is, you only get to learn the BBS software, or at
 RW> best,
 RW> point software. Knowledge gained from the latter would help if you
 RW> were
 RW> attempting to set up a mailer, however.

 PL>> Other sites go more into the idea aside from application proceedure
 PL>> that joining Fido is not to be taken lightly, and unless they are
 PL>> willing to commit to the responsibilites entailed with being a node,
 PL>> that they should be a FidoNet BBS user, or use a point package, at
 PL>> least while gaining knowledge.

 RW> Which is a turnoff to the new prospective member. Newbies usually
 RW> want to
 RW> dig in and bury themselves into this 'new' hobby.

Well... if somebody is interested in "newsgroups" they simply
access a server.  That newfound hobby of theirs doesn't make them scream to
run their own NNTP server though, does it?  I would think the attraction
should be participation in the discussions, and unless they had a need to
be a "full" node, such as operating a BBS, or providing feeds to
other nodes, or having points, that there is no real -need- to be a node to
participate in Fido.  Of course one who would just -like- to be a node
could, but that does involve work and knowledge of the setup... one who is
seriously interested in being a node would find this stuff out.  That's why
many sources say that being a node is not to be taken lightly.


Phil

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