*** The Free Ride is Over! ***
                      =====================

Effective March 1, 1996,  the Internet Gateway at 1:1/31 has been
*CLOSED*!!!  There is NO MORE "default" gateway for E-Mail coming
INbound from the Internet for Zone-1.

The reasons for this termination of service are numerous ...

 o Most recently, an excommunicated SysOp has gone on a rampage of
   forging subscription messages to subscribe numerous FidoNet addresses
   to numerous unwanted Internet mailing-lists in a deliberate attempt
   to "break" the FidoNet routing structure and the gateway structure.
   Many of the other gateways have already shut down operations.

 o Many of the *C routing systems have taken it upon themselves to
   either "bounce" (many doing it improperly addressed) or to
   deliberately "bit-bucket" NetMail coming from the gateway.
   I can no longer deal with the voluminous NetMail being received
   from End-Nodes querying what has happened to their inbound E-Mail
   coming thru the gateway.

 o The gateways systems and the "f###.n###.z#.fidonet.org" address
   syntax was designed for "casual mail", not for subscribing to
   massive mailing-lists and such.  Many people have found ways to
   deliberately by-pass the controls at the gateways and subscribe
   to mailing-lists, forcing the inbound traffic to route in thru
   the gateways and clogging up the FidoNet routing structures.
   These days, it is fairly easy and inexpensive to get an account
   with any of the many Internet Service Providers thoughout the
   country.  Those that really need to subscribe to mailing-lists
   should go that route.

 o The original intent of setting up the .fidonet.org domain was to
   have gateways situated geographically close to the Nodes they
   serve so that the load would be distributed and routing problems
   on the FidoNet side would be reduced.
   As of this writing, there are only 34 Nets out of the 431 Nets
   in Zone-1 which have their INbound E-Mail coming in via gateways
   other than the "default" gateway.  The existing gateway operators
   and gateway software authors have always been willing to help
   a new gateway with their setup.  The *Cs at the Net level just
   haven't done their part to strive for getting local gateways in
   place in their Nets.  It just doesn't seem fair to me to keep
   relying on ONE gateway and the Backbone routing structure to handle
   over 90% of the Zone's traffic, does it?

 o People have been writing software which does NOT conform to
   proper addressing specs which have severly impacted operations
   of the gateway without even consulting me or even letting me
   know that their programs exist.

 o I find that I no longer have the time nor inclination to keep
   supporting a gateway where folks continue to break the rules
   of its use and bypass the controls.
   FidoNet in general has taken this service for granted for far too
   long.  People seem to feel that Free use of Internet E-Mail is
   something they get automatically when they are granted a Node Number
   in FidoNet.

 o The I.E.E.E., the organization who has been providing the resources
   and bandwidth for the flow of all this traffic can no longer
   support the endeavor.


Some services *will* CONTINUE to be provided ...

 o The Domain-Name-Service, which tells the Internet world where to
   send traffic for destinations within the .fidonet.org domain
   (and which defines which addresses are 'valid') will continue
   to be operated.  However, the "default MX-record" which sent
   all undefined traffic for those Nets which did not otherwise have
   another gateway declared, will be DELETED!

 o We will continue to operate the gateway at 1:13/10 (our other
   gateway address) on a REGISTERED-ONLY basis.  This means that
   there will be a process whereby INDIVIDUAL Zone-1 Nodes will be
   able to Register to use the gateway and have an Internet address
   assigned.  Incoming E-Mail for all REGISTERED systems will be
   packed on HOLD and must be picked up by direct Poll.
   NOTHING will be routed via the Backbone (except Bounces back
   to UNregistered Nodes).
   (Please see instructions below for Registering to use 1:13/10)


          How to Register to use the Gateway at 1:13/10
          ---------------------------------------------

To register your system to use the gateway services at 1:13/10,
simply send a File-Request for REGISTER to 1:13/10.
This will pass your Primary address into a function process that will
dynamically re-configure the related configuration files and routing
during the next hourly update process.  After that, you should be able
to use the gateway and any E-Mail coming INbound from the Internet will
be packed on *HOLD* at 1:13/10 for your system to pickup.

Point systems may NOT register and may NOT use this gateway.

Note that your system is assigned a special address, which is *NOT*
in the old 'f###.n###.z#.fidonet.org' syntax.

After March 1st, any addresses of that format which do NOT have a
specific MX-record assigned for that Net's traffic to send it to
another gateway will NO LONGER BE VALID and will BOUNCE on the
Internet side.

Do NOT advertise your address in that format as it will NOT be valid
after the March 1st cutoff.

When you send mail to the Internet, REGISTERed systems *will* have the
correct return-address in the headers.  Also, a standard ".signature"
block will be added to the end of your messages showing your Full Name
and FidoNet address and your correct Internet return-address.

At this time, I do NOT want to mass-advertise what the format of the
NEW addresses are because of the recent actions of certain individuals.


                                Burt Juda
                                  Postmaster/Hostmaster