Subj : Tiers
To   : Frank Vest
From : Bob Seaborn
Date : Mon Jul 16 2001 02:41 am

 > Ok... I'll go with things up to here.
 >
 > Fidonet is, to the best of my understanding, a peer to peer network. As
 > such, there is really no one distribution system since all can connect
 > to each other on an equal basis. In the same vein, each Node in
 > Fidonet's peer to peer is a distribution system.

      Actually Frank, at least one z1b tier2 hub was specifically told by
their grand poohbah (poobie for simplicity) to break his connection with a NAB 
hub.  So your styatement above isn't quite accurate.

      Interestingly enough he refused.  :)

 >
 > What I am saying is... All that is being done here is to play a game
 > of "Title, Title... Who's got the title?!?". Remove the title and
 > there will still be distribution systems. Just no title to argue over.


      That seems to be only part of it.

 >
 >AS> Minus any service contracts folks have with providers who charge a
 >AS> fee. If you're getting your mail free, not much you can complain
 >AS> about, other than to move to another free provider.
 >
 > If you have that choice. For those that feed from their Net, that
 > might not be the case. I feed from my Net. I'm POTS connected to the
 > Net. I could go outside for a feed, but that would mean finding a feed
 > and trying to get connected and a lot of other stuff. In bygone days,
 > there was less choice. Most were feed from their Net via some "agreed
 > to" system. Some are probably still in that boat from choice. They
 > would drop Fidonet if they had to go outside their Net for a feed as
 > they may not have the ability, knowledge or desire to feed from some
 > other source. Maybe that is not our problem, but it is  "our problem".

      Thar becomes a personal choice of the node in question.  There's nothing
a hub, major, minor, or wannabe can do/say about it.


 >
 > Maybe what is needed here is a way to distribute all the echos in
 > Fidonet and show which are alive, dead, multi-language, and other
 > factors. Maybe that is really all that is needed. Maybe the current
 > system(s) could do that?

      Maybe.

 >
 > Fat chance. That would take cooperation and guts. :-))


      And some of the lesser hubs go out of their way to not cooperate.  :)





                       .....Bob

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