FIDOTUTE - A short tutorial on Fidonet

Originally written 1994-03-26 as "POINTINT.TXT" by Paul Edwards.
This document is released to the public domain.


The proper way to get mail, is to get it the same way that bulletin
boards get THEIR mail.  It is a much cleaner way that either replying to
messages online, or using QWK.  The mail is sitting there pre-packed waiting
for you to "poll" and get it.  To use this proper technology, you
either need to be a member of fidonet, or a point off a member of
fidonet.

To become a point, you need to find a sysop who is happy for you to point
off him.  From this sysop you need to know 3 things.  

1. Your point number.
2. Your password.
3. When you can collect your mail.

Before you do that, however, you should set up some software that allows
you to get the mail.  To do this, there are some archives available for
download from Ten Minute Limit (phone + 61 2 436 1785, or in Australia,
(02)436-1785) that will help you set up FAST for pointing.  These are 

MINPDOS.ZIP (if you want to run under MSDOS),
MINPOS2.ZIP (if you want to run under OS/2).  

If you are really addicted to using your QWK reader, then you should 
download 

MINDQWK.ZIP (for MSDOS)
MINOSQWK (for OS/2).  

It is strongly recommended that you abandon your QWK reader 
in favour of the previous recommendations.

Another way is to continue using Telix (assuming you're using
Telix), and download TinyPoint (TINYP*.*).

Other files that are of interest are:

DEVIL*.ZIP - the devil dialer which allows you to do file requests (ie get
files from another system without logging on to the bbs).

PQWK*.ZIP - converts Fidonet packets into QWK packets and vice versa.

FTS*.* - the Fidonet Technical Specifications that define how this software
all works.

FSC*.* - Fidonet proposals that haven't been approved yet.

Z3EL*.* A list of all echos available in Zone 3 (Australasia)

NODELIST.* A list of all Fidonet nodes in the world.

SYSPOINT.* A list of sysops that allow points

POLICY4.* The document that governs what can and can't be done in
Fidonet, which you need to follow if you want to become a full
member of Fidonet.