Hello Alan,

 LL>> A small handful of sysops calling general chat echoes "sysop
 LL>> only" echoes does not change the fact that they are general chat
 LL>> echoes.  Limiting access to echoes is anti-democratic, especially
 LL>> in regards to general chat echoes such as FN_SYSOP and FIDO_SYSOP.
 LL>> If that group decides to limit access to one echo, they can do
 LL>> the same with another echo.  And another.  And another.  Until
 LL>> the only echoes that remain are those inhabited by those very
 LL>> same sysops.

 AI> I don't know where you got the idea that FN_SYSOP and FIDO_SYSOP are
general
 AI> chat echoes but you are wrong.

A bunch of folks chatting in an open echo sure looks like a general
chat echo to me.

 AI> while they are both carried on the backbone like any other echo they are
 AI> restricted to fidonet nodelisted sysops only.  That has been the case for
 AI> as long as I can remember.

Neither echo is restricted to me.

 AI> There is nothing sinister or anti-democratic about that.

Of course not.  I get them both just fine.

 AI> Most fidonet sysops have spent their time and money over the years making
 AI> the fidonet echoes available to all and they still do that today.

And I thank them all for a job well done.  Which is why there is
no such thing as a "sysops only" echo.  Never has been.  Never will
be.  Fidonet is about freedom.  Not just for sysops, but for all.

 LL>> If FidoNet is to survive, and remain relevant in today's world,
 LL>> it needs both sysops and users.  Limiting access is an act of
 LL>> Fidocide (FidoNet suicide).

 AI> I don't know of a single sysop limiting access to the fidonet echoes.

I don't either, although there are a few who keep trying.

 AI> I don't find the fact that sysops have an echo of their own limiting.

Sysops have all the echoes that are and that there can possibly be
in Fidonet.  Not just some, a few, many, or most, but ALL.  Isn't that
amazing?  Sharing those echoes with users (probationary sysops) would
enable Fidonet to grow, rather than shrink.  So it is best to share
ALL with ALL, wouldn't you agree?

--Lee

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