Hello Roy!

 MvdV>> To the detriment of the network indeed. It started with ION
 MvdV>> nodes. Then we got ION hosts and hubs and now we have ION RCs.
 MvdV>> The latter still limited to Z1 and Z6. Yet...

 RW> ION nodes wasn't so bad,

As long as they were listed as "-Unpublished-" with the
"Pvt" keyword and the IP contact info in the system name field,
it is no real problem indeed. The trouble started when some selfish sysops
with oversized egos insisted that they must be listed with something that
looked like a telephone number but isn't, in field six and without the
"Pvt" keyword. That opened the door to ION hosts and that is
where the trouble started.

 RW> but ION hosts shouldn't be allowed without an alternative, such as a
 RW> POTS node taking the place of the host's duties.

That is where the NEC flag comes in handy. Delegate the duty of receiving
incoming mail for the net to someone who is POTS capable and list that
system as net/0 and have the real NC listed with the NC flag.

 MvdV>> The majority of the nodes in FidoNet still depends on POTS for
 MvdV>> their connectivity. Therefore ION *Cs should be strongly
 MvdV>> discouraged. I have difficulty accepting that regions 10, 13,
 MvdV>> 15, 18 and 19 can not come up with a suitable candidate that
 MvdV>> can provide POTS connectivity. They are not one man regions....

 RW> Finding someone to replace them is probably not on any *C's mind.

Yes, that has always been a big problems in FidoNet. People hanging on to
*C positions because of their oversized egos.

 RW>>> Even that is not a given. R10C was never online while I lived in
 RW>>> that region

 MvdV>> I *did* send her some mail a couple of years ago through her
 MvdV>> binkp server....

 RW> Oh, haven't you heard? Right after I moved to Texas, Brenda Donovan,
 RW> RC10 moved to a different region and is now RC15.

Oh? No, I missed that.

How odd. I thought RC's were *elected* in your part of FidoNet. So how come
she is now RC15? That would be as odd as Arnold the Governator deciding he
had enough of California and moving to Texas. To become governor of Texas
upon arrival....

 RW> She left a legacy behind her by giving the job to Al Robres.

... I thought RCs were elected....

 RW> He used to be the REC10, but never did his job.

What *is* the job of a REC in Z1?

 MvdV>> Then how did you get your mail? I recall you mentoning netmail
 MvdV>> to you could be routed through her?

 RW> All ION RINs had to check in with the queen on a weekly basis via
 RW> Binkp.

You claimed she was never on-line while you lived in that region...

 RW> But you now know that there's a new and less competent RC in
 RW> that region.



 MvdV>> One can not expect newbies to find their way into the network
 MvdV>> under those conditions.

 RW> In fact, they would give up after the first attempt.

Most likely.

 MvdV>> ION RCs are a no-no, but titally unreachable RCs like we see in
 MvdV>> Z6 are worse. How can anyone possibly perfrom his duties RCs if
 MvdV>> he is incommunicado?

 RW> He can't and as xxcarol has pointed out, he's absent most of the time.

So why are the two of us the only ones who have the guts to say that out loud?

 MvdV>>>> The most optimistic count of zone 6 tells us there are eight
 MvdV>>>> sysops left. A more realistic count says two or three. How
 MvdV>>>> hard can it be to relocate them to another zone?

 RW>>> xxcarol claimed that there's a lot of work involved.

 MvdV>> It can't be more work than merging R28 and R29. That was done
 MvdV>> two years ago and once it was decided, it took a week.

 RW> Then it shouldn't take more than a half hour in Z6.

That's what I thought too.

 RW>>> Move those who respond to netmail to a new zone and let the
 RW>>> others know about the move when they get in touch.

 MvdV>> And if they do not get in touch within a reasonable time frame,
 MvdV>> just drop them.

 RW> Absolutely.

Something that should have been done years ago.

 MvdV>> It is my understanding that the other 6 do *not* get their mail
 MvdV>> from Carol. So where do they get it from? (If they get it at
 MvdV>> all) Presumably from Bob S, or Janis. Demonstrating once more
 MvdV>> that they totally depend on Z1 for their mail.

 RW> Since they're really ION nodes without contact info in the nodelist,
 RW> they can get thier mail from many of the telnet nodes. Todd Cochrane

Of course. They can get echomail anywhere they want, but if they have no
listed contact information, they are really operating as points and
therefore should be listed as such. I.E. not in the nodelist.

 RW> BTW, I enjoyed your recent snooze article. I also agree with it,

Good. You are the only one so far expressing agreement.

 RW> but don't get a big head over it. :o)

Don't worry. I am not sure applause coming from you is a compliment.

Cheers, Michiel

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