FidoNet services
At Eye Of The Beholder we offer two ways of taking direct part in the FidoNet network, designed for different profiles: one for those who want to set up their own node and connect it to the network through ours, and another for those who would rather take their first steps as a user point without having to run a system of their own. If you're still not sure what FidoNet is or what the difference is between a node and a point, we recommend visiting the FidoNet website. If you already know, read on and pick the option that suits you best.
Want to set up your own FidoNet node? If you're interested in becoming an active part of the network as a sysop -that is, running your own system, having your own FTN address and appearing in the worldwide nodelist-, we can act as your uplink or hub. In practice, this means your node will connect to ours to exchange netmail and subscribe to the echomail areas you want to follow, and we will take care of redistributing your traffic to the rest of the network.
We support the usual FTN protocols -BinkP over TCP/IP is the current standard- and we can help you with the initial setup of whichever software you choose, whether that's BBBS, Husky, Mystic, Synchronet, Argus, Radius or any other compatible mailer.
We can also guide you through the steps required for the network coordinator (in our case, the coordinator of net 343) to assign you your own address within the European zone 2.
If you're interested in this option, send us a netmail to 2:343/107 or, if you don't yet have a node to send it from, get in touch through any of the channels listed in the contact section and we'll take it from there.
No prior experience is required: many of today's sysops started out exactly like this, by asking.
Want to be a point on our node? If what you'd like is to take part in the network without the responsibility of keeping a system running 24/7, the ideal option is to register as a point under Eye Of The Beholder.
A point is, essentially, a user with their own FTN address that hangs off a parent node: you'll have an address in the 2:343/107.N format, where N will be the point number we assign you, and you'll be able to send and receive personal netmail and subscribe to the echomail areas you're interested in exactly like a node, but without having to keep your machine always switched on.
To connect, you only need to install a point client on your computer -the most common ones are hpt+GoldEd, MsgEd, OpenXP or BBBS itself running in point mode- and configure it with the data we'll provide. Synchronisation happens over BinkP whenever you choose: you launch the client, pick up your mail, read it at your own pace, reply, and next time you connect, your replies head off to their destination.
If you're interested, write to us telling us the name you'd like to use on the network and we'll send you the configuration details, the available areas and a short guide to get started.
If you don't yet want to commit to either of the two options but you're curious to see how all of this works from the inside, the best thing you can do is drop in on the BBS of the system, because it serves as both a window and a meeting point.
On the one hand, by connecting through telnet, SSH or rlogin and registering as a user, you'll be able to read and write directly in many of the FidoNet message areas from the built-in message reader, without having to install or configure anything at all: it's the easiest way to get a feel for the atmosphere, for the kind of conversations that flow through the network and for the unhurried pace at which people write on it.
But, beyond that, the BBS is also the natural place to ask questions: if you have doubts about how to take the step to point or node, about which software to choose, about how to configure a particular client, about the best practices when taking part in the echoareas, or about any technical or organisational aspect of FidoNet, the most useful thing you can do is log in, introduce yourself, post your questions in the local message area or, if you'd rather, send a message directly to the sysop.
This doesn't work on the usual "support" model: it works on the model of a small community that helps each other out, where both the sysop and other veteran users are usually happy to reply, to share how they did it themselves back in the day, to recommend further reading, to share sample configuration files and, in general, to walk the newcomer through their first steps. Think of it as the handcrafted equivalent of a chat channel or a support forum, only more unhurried, more personal and far more in tune with the spirit of the network you're considering joining.
Areas and services available
One of the principles that Eye Of The Beholder sticks to is that the content is the same regardless of how you access it: the same message areas and the same files are available whether you connect as an FTN downlink node, register as a point, or log into the BBS through telnet, SSH or rlogin. The tool changes, the content doesn't.
For that reason, and to avoid duplicating listings or letting the information drift out of sync, in this section we don't go into the specific echoareas or fileareas on offer; instead, we point you to the two sections of the site that always keep that information up to date.
In the Mail section you'll find the full list of message areas we're subscribed to, both international ones and ones in Spanish and Catalan, covering a wide range of topics, with a short description of each one and an indication of whether it's available as an echo to subscribe to from your point or node, accessible from the BBS, or both.
In the Files section you'll find, in the same way, the catalogue of file areas and fileechoes distributed by the system, with their description and the various ways to download them: directly from the BBS, as a fileecho subscribed from your point or node or, in some cases, by netmail request.
Finally, we also keep available a small collection of FTS and FSC documentation -the technical documents that define the FidoNet standards- for anyone who wants to understand how the network actually works underneath; you'll find it referenced from the Files section as well.
Contact
For any question related to FidoNet, whether about registering as a point, connecting as a node or simply clearing up doubts, you can reach us at:
- Netmail:
2:343/107 - Email:
kishpa@beholderbbs.org - BBS: by logging in and leaving a message to the SysOp or in the
EOTB.TO-SYSOPlocal message area.
Typical response time is one to two days. Bear in mind that this is an amateur network run in spare time: don't expect the immediacy of commercial support, but you can expect an attentive reply and, where needed, a helping hand with your setup.