BECOMING A POINT IN FIDONET

There really is no problem becoming a point in FidoNet. It is, of course, a
VERY good thing to have a computer and a modem. You don't necessarily need
a PC - many points are using other machines such as Amigas or Macs, etc.

But it is no secret that on the PC, the choice of mailing software is
greater and of a higher quality, more secure and more reliable than on any
other machine - because the software has had more time to develop.

A reason for becoming a FidoNet point (or a point in another network) is
that it will be easier for you to read conference mail (echomail). Reading
echomail online is very expensive and by selecting at home which
conferences you want, you will spend less money calling up systems. You
will also be able to filerequest (frequest) files - which means you can
call your Boss and download quickly without having to go through a login
procedure.

To become a point in FidoNet, contact a Fido node anywhere in FidoNet
(preferrably close to where you live) and simply ask if the node accepts
new points. If the node does not accept new points, simply ask another
node. Right now FidoNet has around 33000 systems connected throughout the
entire world, so it should not really be a problem to find a system that
accepts points. It's best to choose a local site, so your phonebill will
stay as low as possible.

Keeping the phonebill as low as possible is one of the main rules of
FidoNet!

You should not be charged for being a point off your Boss. You should
not be charged for getting mail, unless you ask your Boss to get a
special conference for you. The basic rule in FidoNet is that points
shouldn't pay. If someone forces you to pay for mail, just change to a
system where you can get the mail for free.
Normally only nodes (your Boss) will maybe pay for the mail in some kind of
costsharing agreement. It is my opinion that no one should make money on
'selling' mail to points. Just remember you can change your Boss as you
please if you are not satisfied. Remember that since you are not paying
anything for the mail, you cannot demand anything from your Boss either.
The basic rule is: Be nice to your Boss and he will be nice to you. And
follow the rules in the conferences.

The main rules for FidoNet:

   1) Thou shalt not excessively annoy others.
   2) Thou shalt not be too easily annoyed.

For more information try requesting POLICY4E.*

To setup a point system you will need 3 important things:

Program                        Suggestions:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
A mailer                       Terminate point system
A tosser/scanner/packer        TerMail
A Message editor               TerMail

The mailer is the program that takes care of actually calling your Boss
(also called your uplink). A Boss is a Fido node who has points. The
transfer is fully automatic, you just start the call and the rest will be
taken care of by Terminate. You can also request or send files with
Terminate.

The tosser/scanner/packer is a program that will unpack your mail and toss
it into the right conferences. Then it will scan for outgoing mail and pack
it for the next time you call your Boss.

The message editor is the part of the system where you switch between
conferences and read/write your messages. TerMail is the message editor
included with Terminate: It is rather easy to setup, so start out with this
editor. When writing messages you will sometimes see :-) or :-( - these
signs have a special meaning:

         :-)      Smiley, don't take this seriously
         :-(      Unhappy comment

Please get some help setting up these programs, normally your Boss will
help you do this, because as a new member of FidoNet you will have to learn
many new words and terms. Don't EVER let yourself get confused by all the
systems and new programs you will learn. Many programs are impossible to
use without a little experience, but we try to keep things as simple as
possible in Terminate, so stay with Terminate.

Bo Bendtsen, Author of Terminate