Subj : Leaving the Z1B! To : TODD COCHRANE From : Frank Linhares Date : Thu Oct 23 2003 01:11 am Hello TODD! 22 Oct 03 13:44, you wrote to ALL: Thanks for all you have done! TC> There comes a time when a person must make hard choices. That time for TC> me is now effective 29 October 2003 I will resign from the Z1B. I have TC> decided to become an independent mail hub once again. This choice has TC> not come lightly as I have been contemplating this decision for a long TC> time. TC> My original goal when joining the Z1B was to work with a group of TC> individuals who worked together towards a common goal. That goal was TC> to move mail with integrity. I wanted to assure that my downlinks and TC> those that logged on to my BBS where treated to conferences with TC> activity in them instead of carrying echos in which no significant TC> content had moved them for years. In most cases the Z1B was and has TC> been successful in reducing dead weight from there echolist. TC> Since the events of 9-11 my BBS System and my mailing operations have TC> run on autopilot. I have been engaging the real enemy of America in a TC> real conflict in which real lives where lost before my very eyes. TC> Conflict has a very sobering effect on a person. TC> The BBS that I have enjoyed so much over the years was put completely TC> on the back burner. Few of you may have even realized but I have TC> deployed no less than 250 days every year for the past 5 years. So TC> when I was home I had a significant amount of Husband and Dad work to TC> do. Our mission is not finished and I am not scheduled to leave my TC> current position for at least another year. But for a short time I TC> have been able to breathe a sigh of relief and take a break. TC> As I write this note I am sitting in a hotel in Bloomington Indiana TC> where I have just wrapped up 2 days of meetings and will be headed for TC> 2 more meetings before returning home to a wife how is expecting our TC> third child in December. TC> I have been very fortunate these busy times in that we have had no TC> major outages and that the operating system stayed stable. I will be TC> honest if the system would have died and the wife could not have TC> revived it via the reset key BBS Networks would no longer exist. TC> There are not many people today besides Shannon Talley that move mail TC> today that can say that they have virtually walked away from a BBS TC> system for 2 years and had it still be running and moving mail I have TC> to take my hate off to Hector Santos at Santronics.com for building TC> such a fine and stable mail moving system utilizing Wildcat and the TC> Platinum Express. TC> The BBS has operated up to 137 days without a reboot or human TC> intervention which was a small personal victory in that we broke a TC> previous record of 97 days. Meanwhile during the short times that I TC> was home I would try to do a little house cleaning to keep the system TC> running at peak performance. TC> I have never ever claimed to be the perfect mail mover but as others TC> do we have always done our best. Over the past several months my TC> schedule has relented and I have been able to catch up in the echos TC> and noticed that after a full 2 year hiatus that some things continued TC> to occur that disturbed me. People are still in-fighting and up to TC> silly little games that are so absolutely ridiculous that I wish that TC> those of you acting this way could have walked in my shoes and have TC> seen what I have. This is part of the reason I may be somewhat less TC> tolerant than I have been in the past. TC> I have rambled on and have these final thoughts. Fido is a Hobby it is TC> generally made up of very good people from all walks of life. Some are TC> more mature than others and some play the political games better than TC> others. I have no regrets in being a member of the Z1B I am just sad TC> that I could not have been more effective. TC> There is no longer room in Fidonet for individual ideology neither's TC> is there room for child-like behavior. If Fido is ever to again become TC> a viable network then its sysops must take ownership of the TC> organization and have pride and showcase the network. People are tired TC> of being Spam and they are looking for a sense of community we used to TC> have that sense of community and we all worked hard to make sure that TC> the trash was ignored and that the echos where productive. I think it TC> is time for all of us to get back to work and re-build the foundation TC> of a crumbling organization. TC> I wish the Z1B luck to sort out its internal issues. There is no need TC> for Dale Ross to worry I will not disconnect him and leave his TC> downlinks hanging he can continue to be a downlink of mine or as I TC> suspect he will disconnect and get his mail elsewhere as is his right. TC> I do want to leave a few remarks. The people who make up the Tiers in TC> the Z1B have not been served well by some in the organization. There TC> voices are often ignored and gang like mentality does not serve well TC> for binding relationships. The dogs where turned loose on my as soon TC> as I voiced my concern and attempted to call out what I considered to TC> be a terrible injustice. TC> The meddling with echo mail is very serious; I take offense to the TC> libel and slander that has resulted from the impersonation of another TC> Sysop. It is a disgrace to be doing this and then passing that TC> information off as real to unsuspecting downlinks. For an individual TC> who takes moving mail as if it is the holly grail is a serious TC> transgression and the guilty would do well to admit that he was wrong TC> and apologize. TC> My leaving the Z1b is primarily based upon the actions of one and the TC> inaction of many. TC> A Leader must be accountable for all his or her actions, for a leader TC> to think he or she is above contempt will ruin the trust of those that TC> support him. To be associated and support someone who demonstrates no TC> accountability will bring in to the question the moral character of TC> those that surround him. TC> I can no longer support someone that I cannot trust who refuses to TC> admit to doing the wrong thing. TC> Todd Cochrane TC> --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a TC> * Origin: BBS Networks @ www.bbsnets.com 808-839-6036 (1:10/345) - Frank Linhares - Region 12 REC - 1:229/1000 - frank@diskshop.ca --- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5 * Origin: Mail Hub 1000 - http://fido.diskshop.ca (1:229/1000) .