Subj : Amongst Friends Query (first)...
To   : All
From : Ozz Nixon
Date : Thu Feb 07 2019 17:11:12

Amongst Friends Query (first)...

As a long time developer of BBS and utilities... when I started going through 
FTSC in Jan 2017, I found myself wishing there was a road map, or a better form 
of organization for the documentation. With the recent nominations ... I ask 
those who kinda know of me more than the FTSC_PUBLIC goup. Would it make sense 
to offer up a "Road Map" document, or restructuring the documents into a more 
modernized library?

Road Map Example: (Summarized, the best I can be at "brief")...

FTCWF - What is Fidonet?
* Including Historian View, Linked BBS Documentary Chapters on YouTube, etc.
* Maybe even photos, credits, tribute type section out of respect for the 
organization we love to fight about.

FTCRE - Rules of Engagement
* Document the different offices held in respect to keeping Fidonet going and 
management.
* A section for ECHO rules to be posted quarterly or every 6 months (no 
sooner).

FTCDD - Developers Directory
* List of technologies supported by Fidonet Systems
* Understanding the Nodelist (it needs to be a "How to read it!")
* Understanding the Current (2019 Fidonet Routing)
** Including PATH, SEEN-BY, INTL, Points, Zones/Regions/Nets/Hubs/Nodes
* Known Projects in Active Development as of 2018 (allow groups/individuals to 
submit)
** This would allow us to revise PRODID listing!
* Documents if you are writing a Nodelist Parser/Compiler/Merger
* Documents if you are writing a Fido/Open Reader or Writer
* Documents if you are writing a Modem Mailer
* Documents if you are writing a TCP/IP Mailer
* Documents if you are writing a Tosser
** Including a document with working code example for JAM, HUDSON, SQUISH, 
Fido/Opus
* Documents if you are writing an Areafix/AreaMgr
* Documents if you are writing a File/Tic Engine

FTCSO - System Operations
* An overview of the topics from FTCDD (in a non-this is how you do it, to what 
are the pieces *available*).
** For example, some may never support Areafix/Tic/Modem/etc.

FTCTE - Testing Environments
* Overview of what do testing environments offer to Developers and Sysops?
* List of Test Environments (maybe a Flag in the Nodelist?)
* How to setup your system to test (a) Mailer, (b) Tosser, (c) AreaMgr, (d), 
etc.

Etc.

My personal "biggest challenge" is revamping things that I used to know - is 
where is it? Even applying a little google-fu on my searches to find pieces end 
up being futile. Now, I have recently (past 6 months) have found Fred Riccio 
(actually found me), I now have a very FTSC knowledgable resource that I can 
ask - what document explains MSGID? And I get back a list of a couple, and even 
examples of how he does it. (I am sure Mark Lewis and others could be as 
valuable - however, I do not know them well enough to feel okay to ask some of 
the *DUMB* questions I know I have asked Fred or Nick Andre or even Joaquim). 
So - I think having a RoadMap document - or restructuring the documents to be a 
road map on their own would be a great improvement - maybe by 2020 we could 
even roll it out ;-)

Oh, and the other reason is I spent time implementing FTSC-0001 to findout, 
Frodo, Intermail, d'Bridge no longer support it. (pissed me off, but, with 
JoHo's feedback I knew how much to scrap and what to keep fo Wazoo/Yoohoo2U2, 
EMSI etc).

Thoughts?????
Ozz

PS. Is this just something I should do on my own and put on my "Fidonet 
Support" site??

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