Hello Terry,

On Sunday November 17 2019 22:42, you wrote to me:

 MvdV>> Yes, people not wanting to part with stone age software not
 MvdV>> really up to the demands of present day Fidonet is a probem...
 MvdV>> :(

 TR> Is it?

I think it is. It stands in the way of progress.

 TR> I would hazard a guess and say the program most used to
 TR> transport mail and files is Internet Rex,

Eh?? Where have you been the last 15 years? Rex is still in use, but it is
hardly dominant these days. Binkd is the dominant file mover today. By far.

How do I know? From my own binkd logs. I have some 30 password protected links.
Two or three still use Irex. Some Argus, some Mystic. But the VAST majority of
connects is via Binkd.

 TR> it works but is now unsupported. If a software works I don't see a
 TR> problem.

The last official Internet Rex version dates from 2001. Eighteen Years ago!
There was an unofficial update a few years later, but it solved none of the
problems. Rex has a number of annoying bugs and shortcomings that will never be
fixed. The Linux version has a bug in the DNS part. It only works properly with
literal adresses. The Windows version (and propbalbly the Linux version as
well) can read the nodelist, but only when entering a new node for the fist
time, it can not automatically process updates. Rex presents itself as Binkp
1.1 but its 1.1 implementation is flawed. Sometimes it crashes on incoming. And
last, but certainly not least: NO IPV6!

I have been using Irex for many years. Together with InterMail. But when I got
interested in IPv6 I realised Rex was abandonware and was never going to be
updated for IPv6, I took the plunge. I dumped Irex, converted my system from
AMA to BSO and installed Binkd. Never regretted it.

 TR> In my case I can only use software that works with my Wildcat system,

I am not familiar with Wildcat, so I do not know if it can work with other
mailers. But why hang om to Wildcat?

 TR> why would I change? It's a hobby to enjoy.

You know in the old days, when the pioneer spirit was still dominant, people
would not ask such questions. It is a hobby indeed and in a hobby one explores.
To boldly go where no one has gone before!

 MvdV>> So... speaking about improving things, moving forward and
 MvdV>> encouraging the use of new technology... How is your IPv6?

 TR> IPv6 is very poorly supported in Australia at present, my provider
 TR> does not support it at this time.

One can install a tunnel. https://tunnelbroker.net/

 TR>  I don't really see a use for at this
 TR> time unless it is fully supported by the provider, you may have other
 TR> ideas which I am always open to :)

I am not going to write another paper now on why sysops should go IPv6. Go read
the articles I wrote for Fidonews. Hunt for "IPv6" in the Fiodonews archives of
the last decade. You will find over a dozen articles.


Cheers, Michiel

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