Hello Everybody,   
      
   A question has been asked pertaining to the FIDONEWS echo.   
   While it may seem confusing to some, given recent actions by   
   a handful of people, the issue is not confusing at all.   
      
   There is only one FIDONEWS echo, as there is only one FIDONEWS   
   newsletter.  The Fidonews newsletter is published by the entire   
   Fidonews community, not any one single BBS.  By tradition, the   
   editor of the FIDONEWS newsletter is also the moderator of the   
   FIDONEWS echo.  This has been true ever since the creation/inception   
   of the FIDONEWS.  The first editor/moderator of the FIDONEWS was   
   Tom Jennings.  The present editor/moderator of the FIDONEWS is Bj”rn   
   Felten.  How did Bj”rn Felten get to be editor/moderator of the   
   FIDONEWS?  With the full support of the entire Fidonet community,   
   the previous editor/moderator (Frank Vest) of the FIDONEWS appointed   
   Bj”rn Felten to serve as editor/moderator of the FIDONEWS.   
      
   A few months ago, some rebels calling themselves the NAB created   
   a local rag by the name of "fidonews" emanating from a BBS in NY.   
   The sysop of a BBS in NY declared herself "editor" of that local   
   rag, and tried to pass it off as being the real thing.  However,   
   that did not sit very well with the Fidonet community.  Nor did   
   it sit very well with the real editor/moderator of the FIDONEWS.   
      
   A sysop can create any local echo/conference he/she wants, and   
   call it whatever he/she wants.  One sysop in Texas, who happens   
   to be a previous editor/moderator of the FIDONEWS, created such   
   a local echo/conference that became more popular than most echoes   
   in Fidonet, calling it "The Jungle".  There were participants not   
   only from Texas, and not only from the USA, but from all over   
   the world.  However, that individual has since retired from the   
   world of BBSing.   
      
   It's too bad the sysop from NY did not think of doing that.   
   Create a local rag, calling it "The Lake" or "The Swamp" or some   
   other name, inviting participants from around the world.  But hey.   
   There's still time.  :)   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.06.00.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)