Hello Everybody,

For as long as I can remember, Zone 1 has always
had a policy of using real names in Fidonet. I do
not know why, as nobody has ever bothered to explain
to me the logic behind this.

Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was
okay for sysops and moderators to exempt themselves
from this policy, as they were free to use whatever
name they wanted to go by. But other participants
and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
cover them at all. In which case they had to use
their real name in order to participate, or even
just to lurk without posting messages.

And then I finally figured it out.

Sysops and moderators were using their real names
as pseudonyms in Fidonet. What a novel thought!

Which might explain why there is no mention of real
names anywhere in P4 or any other Fidonet policy document.

None of us are real.

Of course, the Beatles sang it better.

Nothing is real.

Strawberry Fields. Forever.

We are all a figment of your wild and overactive imagination.

Remember that, and you will be just fine.

--Lee

--
Often Licked, Never Beaten

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)

Hi, Lee Lofaso!
I read your message from 24.07.2019 13:27

LL> Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was
LL> okay for sysops and moderators to exempt themselves
LL> from this policy, as they were free to use whatever
LL> name they wanted to go by. But other participants
LL> and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
LL> cover them at all. In which case they had to use
LL> their real name in order to participate, or even
LL> just to lurk without posting messages.

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to. ;-)

Bye, Lee!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.fidonews 2019
--- FIDOGATE 5.1.7ds
* Origin: Pushkin's BBS (2:5020/2140.2)

Hello Tommi,

Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was
okay for sysops and moderators to exempt themselves
from this policy, as they were free to use whatever
name they wanted to go by. But other participants
and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
cover them at all. In which case they had to use
their real name in order to participate, or even
just to lurk without posting messages.

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to. ;-)

You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so. ;)

I can only tell you a name somebody else has given me.
Does that count?

--Lee

--
Sleep With Someone New

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)

Hello Alexander,

Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was
okay for sysops and moderators to exempt themselves
from this policy, as they were free to use whatever
name they wanted to go by. But other participants
and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
cover them at all. In which case they had to use
their real name in order to participate, or even
just to lurk without posting messages.

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to. ;-)

Me neither. Somebody gave me a name, without my knowledge or consent.
In some strange language I had no way of understanding. What my real
name is I have no way of knowing, as I have long since forgotten. So
I guess I am stuck with the one I've got. From a stranger I had never
met.

--Lee

--
We're Great In Bed

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)

From Lee Lofaso To Tommi Koivula

Hello Tommi,

Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was
okay for sysops and moderators to exempt themselves
from this policy, as they were free to use whatever
name they wanted to go by. But other participants
and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
cover them at all. In which case they had to use
their real name in order to participate, or even
just to lurk without posting messages.

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to. ;-)

You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so. ;)

I can only tell you a name somebody else has given me.
Does that count?

I believe in many countries that one is considered as "the real name". So it should be ok in fidonet too. :)

--Lee

--
Tommi

--- HotdogEd/2.13.5 (Android; Google Android; rv:1) Hotdoged/1557368964000 HotdogEd/2.13.5
* Origin: smapinntpd/linux @ nntps://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

Hi, Tommi Koivula!
I read your message from 24.07.2019 17:27

LL>>> Former Z1C Janis Kracht had mentioned that it was okay for sysops
LL>>> and moderators to exempt themselves from this policy, as they
LL>>> were free to use whatever name they wanted to go by. But other
LL>>> participants and lurkers were not free to do so, as policy didn't
LL>>> cover them at all. In which case they had to use their real name
LL>>> in order to participate, or even just to lurk without posting
LL>>> messages.
ak>> But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO,
ak>> I can't do it even if I wanted to.

TK> You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so.

I don't undestand why they invented a worthless rule.

Bye, Tommi!
Alexander Koryagin
fido7.fidonews 2019
--- FIDOGATE 5.1.7ds
* Origin: Pushkin's BBS (2:5020/2140.2)

On 2019 Jul 25 20:35:28, you wrote to Tommi Koivula:

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to.

You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so.

I don't undestand why they invented a worthless rule.

it wasn't and still isn't worthless... it is a safety thing... if someone posts something illegal, there's a known entity to look at since their name is on the post...

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
... An army marches on its stomach. - Napolean
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

Hello mark,

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO,

I

can't do it even if I wanted to.

You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so.

I don't undestand why they invented a worthless rule.

it wasn't and still isn't worthless... it is a safety thing... if someone posts something illegal, there's a known entity to look at since their name
is on the post...

Their username is tied in to their email address. So it would
not take much to find out whodoneit.

--Lee

--
Our Nuts, Your Mouth

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)

Re: Real Names
By: Lee Lofaso to mark lewis on Fri Jul 26 2019 03:13:21

it wasn't and still isn't worthless... it is a safety thing... if someone posts something illegal, there's a known entity to look at since their
name is on the post...

Their username is tied in to their email address. So it would
not take much to find out whodoneit.

what email address? we're talking about fidonet, here... there is no email address in fidonet :eyeroll:

)\/(ark
--- SBBSecho 3.07-Linux
* Origin: SouthEast Star Mail HUB - SESTAR (1:3634/12)

Hi Mark,

The name means nothing, being able to trace it back to the person who wrote it does, in Fidonet tracing it back to the source can be done, so wether the name
is real or not is mute.

Terry Roati - 3:640/1321


On Jul 25, 2019 02:18pm, mark lewis wrote to alexander koryagin:

On 2019 Jul 25 20:35:28, you wrote to Tommi Koivula:

But how a person in Fidonet can prove that his name is real? IMHO, I
can't do it even if I wanted to.

You dont have to prove it, it is enough that you tell us so.

I don't undestand why they invented a worthless rule.

it wasn't and still isn't worthless... it is a safety thing... if
someone posts something illegal, there's a known entity to look at
since their name is on the post...

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them. ... An army marches on its stomach. - Napolean
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v7.0
* Origin: The File Bank BBS! (3:640/1321)

On 2019 Jul 26 14:10:30, you wrote to me:

The name means nothing, being able to trace it back to the person who wrote
it does,

how are you going to do that on POTS with no callerID?

in Fidonet tracing it back to the source can be done,

explain... the best you can get if non-POTS is an IP address which could be a proxy or TOR... then what?

so wether the name is real or not is mute.

the term is "moot"... "mute" means "to quiet"... "moot" means "object/subject of/to discussion"

BTW: top posting sucks! i refuse to fix top posted quotes to provide proper context of replies... this is fidonet, damnit! ;) :) O:)

)\/(ark

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
... CON is the opposite of PRO - i.e. Congress and Progress.
---
* Origin: (1:3634/12.73)

Hello Everybody,

Oden, we have a problem.

M > Rules for the Fidonews Echo
M > Revised: 2004-05-31
M >
M >Description:
M >
M >This is the Fidonews Echo. Area tag: FIDONEWS
M >
M >Moderator:
M >
M >The Fidonews editor, as listed in the nodelist and in the banner of
M >the most recent issue of the Fidonews weekly publication, is the
M >permanent moderator of this echo.

One of your sons, known as Björn (not Bling), seems to have forgotten
to include a long-standing rule. The rule of real names. And you know
what that means.

M >Policy:
M >
M >The Echopol1 policy applies where applicable, with the exception that
M >characters above 0x7e hex, 126 decimal (sometimes known as HI ASCII)
M >*are* permitted (i.e. para V.18.a does not apply).

All characters get to play, in both the echo and the newsletter?
What about languages? If the devil can play his fiddle, then Cajuns
should be able to play theirs, oui?

M >Availability:
M >
M >Every sysop is encouraged to make this echo available to any user,
M >that's interested in reading and writing in it.

Well, give the devil his due!

M >Purpose:
M >
M >The purpose of this echo is the discussion of recent articles (within
M >the last two weeks) in the Fidonews publication.

Okay, okay. Got my shiny new pencil out the drawer. Haven't used
it since grade school, but there's still a bit of lead in it. Just
gotta find a sharpener so I can write with it.

M >General Rules:
M >
M > 1. The moderator's ruling is final.
M >
M > 2. No vulgar language. This includes, but is not limited to, flames
M > and profanities.
M >
M > 3. Discuss only articles printed in the Fidonews Publication. A certain M > amount of straying from this is however expected and encouraged.
M >
M > 4. In the event that some ingenious person figures out a way to bypass
M > these rules, the moderator reserves the right to make a rule to
M > end the situation.
M >
M > 5. Articles are not to be submitted nor will they be accepted in the
M > echo. If you can write a comment in the echo, you can just as easily M > make that a personal letter to the editor -- everyone in the echo
M > will still see it, only a few days later.

See there? No real names rule. None at all.

M >Fidonews Editor, 2:2/2, Moderator

We are free! Free at last! Free to use whatever real names we want!
Just like we always have!

Maybe that is why the rule was dropped, as the moderator realized it
was never needed in the first place. Or perhaps, just perhaps, he knew
it all along, just wanted to find out how long it would take everybody
else to figure it out. Talk about sneaky.

For those who still don't get it -

Anyone can do a name change. You don't even need to be married.
Just start writing your new name without any court action, and at
no cost. See how easy that is?

And the groovy thing is, using a new name expands your horizons,
as you can always use it again. And again. And again. As many times
as you like. And knowing it is always your real name, regardless of
which one it is. Or just keep collecting them, and put them all in
a drawer for you to use at your own discretion.

I have so many real names I have lost count. Now that everything
has gone digital, I am not limited by space. In fact, I have created
a program that automatically creates new real names. Just for me.

But that is another topic for another day ...

--Lee

--
I won't fan the flames of hate, ~Joe Biden

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