Hi, Gang-
 
        As promised, here is the first part of the article "The Electronic
Ferret Comes of Age" Part Two should be ready in about a week or so.
 
        The Electronic Ferret Comes of Age
 
        by Roger D. McMillian
 
        Somewhere between the "real world" and Cyberspace lies a vast expanse
known as the Electronic Frontier. To the uninitiated, it is as inaccessible as
the files of the NSA, but to the growing numbers who have learned the hows and
whys of online access, it is but a few keystrokes away. Many special interest
groups have availed themselves of the myriad of services that reside in
Cyberspace, from the serious business person seeking tips on planning a stock
portfolio to the avid sci-fi enthusiast seeking info on upcoming productions
or conventions, there is room for all beyond the frontier.
        Perhaps one of the most interesting exchanges of information occurring
in Cyberspace is between the growing number of pet ferret enthusiasts that
inhabit the "Big 7" online networks. These little furry creatures have
garnered quite a following among the intelligent bipeds that daily 'log on' to
one of several 'ferret forums' to ask questions, post information or comment
on past postings. Until a few years ago, these were just random postings in
generic "pet forums" on a few major online information services such as
CompuServe, Delphi, Genie and Fidonet.
 
 
FERRET FORUM
 
        On May 28, 1986, the first online service dedicated solely to the
Domestic Ferret was established on a computerized Bulletin Board System (BBS)
in Chicago called "Syslink". At that time, "Ferret Forum" was a local message
base, with a private file section devoted to ferret related text files,but had
callers  from many states. A few months later, Syslink switched to another
brand of software and  joined a network called , oddly enough, "The Network".
This meant that "Ferret Forum" could spread its wings and become an "Echomail
Conference" (or simply, an Echo - a message base that is shared by more than
one BBS - in this case, one in Yuma, Arizona). Traffic increased a little, but
it wasn't until Syslink switched to FIDOnet that it was able to really fly.
Soon it was being seen on BBSes in Yardley PA, Madison WI, Springfield MO,
Wichita KS, Hartford CT and Rockville MD. Plans are in the works to expand to
Nationwide Distribution as soon as the bureaucracy at FIDOnet is satisfied
that there is sufficient interest to warrant National Echo status. Additional
plans call for expansion to other compatible networks with the help of
"Gateways" BBS systems that handle more than one network. One such network,
WWIVnet, already has a 'clone' of Ferret Forum running on two systems and
plans to link up with FIDOnet by the time this article is published.
 
Connecting with Ferret Forum
 
There are currently ten systems carrying the Ferret Forum Echo. To access
them, you must have access to a computer with a modem. Once you have accessed
the BBS, take time to familiarize yourself with the system and check out the
other features the designers have provided. Then check out the Ferret Forum
section and, if you have posting access, leave a message. Introduce yourself,
tell them about your ferrets and the extent of your interest in them. If you
like what you see, tell your friends.
 
 Location                BBS Name                         Phone #
 
 Berwyn, IL              Chicago Syslink BBS             (708) 795-4442
 Chicago, IL             I-CAN BBS                       (312) 736-7388
 Lake Villa, IL          Nessy Lochs BBS                 (708) 356-6897 *
 Hartford, CT            Gurps Connection                (203) 239-7359
 Yuma, AZ                Cactus Patch BBS                (602) 342-5180
 Springfield, MO         Galactic Starbase BBS           (417) 833-2273
 Wichita, KS             BJ's Brass Monkey BBS           (316) 945-7860
 Yardley, PA             US Telematics BBS               (215) 493-5242
 Rockville, MD           Coral Sea Park BBS              (301) 424-2383 *
 Charlotte, NC           Imminent Front                  (704) 554-1041 G
 
 * = At press time these systems had not yet connected to FIDOnet. Estimated
date of connection for these systems is August 1, 1993
 
 G = This system has the connections to act as a "Gateway" between Fidonet and
WWIVnet.This should occur on or about July 21, 1993.
 
---
[WeaseLink 1.1 - Be Politically Correct - Legalize Ferrets!]
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            (Gated via FidoNet Node 1:1/31)
 Roger Mcmillian      Internet: [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0520]