> In issue 252, Chris says:
> >IMPORTANT NOTE: effective immediately, I am no longer accepting
> >articles forwarded by third parties from other network services
> >such as GEnie or Compuserve.
>
> I wish you'd reconsider this.  ALL the commercial services I have had any
> dealings with are pretty clear here:  They all state that an individual
> retains the right to redistribute his/her own material.  In most of the
> cases where things were posted from places like GEnie to the FML, permission
> was granted by the author to do so.
[deletions]
> I should also point out that CompuServe had no problems with stuff on a public
> forum being redistributed provided it was reasonable in quantity - i.e. you
> can redistribute an article here and there, but you can't feed the whole forum
> into usenet.  Katie, being a section leader, can you shed any light onto this?
 
OK, Bill has asked for my two cents, so here it is.  (OK, so it's more
like a nickel.  :-) )
 
As far as CompuServe is concerned, I have been informed that anything that
is posted to a forum or uploaded to a forum library cannot be
redistributed without permission of the author or uploader.  Anything that
*I* have ever forwarded from CompuServe was always with permission.  I
have also been careful not to go wild with forwarding, since I know that a
number of people on CIS also subscribe to the FML.  In fact, several who
post regularly to the FML rarely post to the Small Mammals section.  There
have been instances where a CIS member has posted simultaneously to the
Pets Forum and the FML, but these are infrequent and of an emergency
nature (last year's Miami hurricane relief effort, this year's mystery
virus).
 
Ferret traffic in Small Mammals is quite steady, sometimes very busy,
rarely idle.  As you know, the FML has been uploaded to the Small Mammals
library for some time (note for the next FAQ update, Chris -- since I've
become the section leader, I've taken over the uploading from Lenny
Southam), and ferret newcomers to Small Mammals are always encouraged to
download back issues.  It is made clear in every instance, that the FML is
uploaded with Chris's permission.  The download rate ranges from 9-25
times per issue (I have no idea what causes the varying rate); this is in
addition to the 20 or so people who subscribe to the FML directly.  The
Ferret FAQ is also in the Small Mammals library, and has been downloaded
more than 50 times since October.  To me, this means that CompuServe
awareness of the FML is pretty high.
 
CompuServe subscribers have had access to Internet e-mail for more than a
year now.  It costs nothing extra to send e-mail TO the Internet; there is
a moderate charge for receiving Internet e-mail, including mailing lists
such as the FML.  I don't want to quote the cost without double-checking
the exact rate, but my recollection is that it's, well, moderate.
 
(I'm sure folks will note that I receive the FML at my Internet account
rather than through CIS; that's for two reasons: first, because I'm in my
e-mail box at work practically all day long, and like to read the FML as
soon as it's available.  Before I became a section leader in January, I
was only logging on to CIS every second or third day.  These days, I log
on every day, sometimes several times in the morning and evening.  The
second reason for getting the FML at work rather than on CIS is that I get
Internet at work at no charge.)
 
For those who doesn't know, here's how the CompuServe Internet gateway
works:
 
To send e-mail from the Internet to CIS, it's a matter of translating the
CompuServe ID number as follows:
    XXXXX,XXX becomes [log in to unmask]
 
To send e-mail from CIS to the Internet, the address must include a header
that instructs CompuServe to use the Internet mail gateway; i.e.,
[log in to unmask] becomes
    >INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
 
(The angle bracket and the colon are included in the address.)
 
For instance, I have both a CompuServe address and an Internet address.
If I wanted to send mail to my CIS address, I would use the address:
    [log in to unmask]
If I wanted to send mail from my CIS address to my Internet mailbox, I
would use the address:
    Katie Fritz    >INTERNET:[log in to unmask]
(Compuserve e-mail addressing has a line for name (Katie Fritz) and
address ( >INTERNET:[log in to unmask])
 
America OnLine subscribers also have Internet access.  If I had an AOL
"screen name" of, say, Soandso (I don't subscribe to America OnLine;
please DON'T use this name!), that would translate into an Internet
address of:
    [log in to unmask]
 
> Let face it Chris, we are a pretty good group on the FML, but sometimes, like
> with this ferret virus thing, outside input can be VERY valuable.
 
I definitely agree with this.  Most fast-breaking news I've read FIRST on
the FML, but occasionally I hear about it first from CompuServe or
rec.pets.  Chris, last year I jokingly told you that Bill and I had dubbed
you a ferret.net.god -- I know it sounds pompous, but you truly ARE
providing a MAJOR resource for people seeking information about ferrets.
 
> >I know that this is somewhat of a nuisance, (particularly with
> >GEnie - which doesn't have external mail access) ...
>
> GEnie has internet mail access. They charge extra for it and most people
> haven't the foggiest idea how to use it ...
 
[This is new.]
 
I didn't know GEnie had Internet mail access, either, but was also
corrected on this today when I said the same thing to someone elsewhere.
How does it work, Bill?  How can I send e-mail to GEnie?
 
Chris, here's my question to you:  does this have anything to do with the
fact that you've had reports on the recent virus crisis reposted to you
multiple times?  I think such situations can be handled easily enough if
we simply agree on a point person for each of the services involved.  For
instance, here's a proposed scenario, which could work if the folks
involve would chime in here with suggestions so we could come to an
agreement:
 
As Small Mammals section leader, I can take charge of anything posted
originally to CompuServe, securing permission from the poster before
forwarding to the FML.  If I know I'm going to be offline at CIS for any
period of time, I will notify a backup, such as Bill Gruber, Chip Gallo or
Ann Davis.  (For instance, I'm going on vacation Saturday and will be
completely offline from April 17-27.  I'm already making arrangements to
cover my absence in the Pets Forum.)
 
GEnie could be handled by any number of people (which obviously has been a
problem with the recent multiple posting).  I propose that the lead person
be either Jeb Weissman or Ann Davis, with Bill and Chip as backups.
 
Nancy Hartman could handle reposts from rec.pets, with Bill or Chip as
backups.
 
Chip can handle posting alerts from the American Ferret Association (AFA).
I don't know who would be a suitable backup in this case.  Chip?
 
Ann Davis can handle posting alerts from the League of Independent Ferret
Associations (LIFE).  Again, I don't know who would be a suitable backup.
Ann?
 
Roger McMillian can take care of alerts from Fidonet.  Once again, I don't
know who would be a suitable backup.  Roger?
 
Please note that I am NOT talking about ordinary, day-to-day stuff, but
items of an emergency nature, fast-breaking, or something that needs the
widest possible audience (e.g. last year's hurricane relief effort and
distemper outbreak, the current mystery virus and the National Ferret
Census).  Obviously, each of these people should be in contact to alert
each other if an emergency post is being sent to the FML, in order to
avoid multiple posts such as happened with this new virus.  It's just a
matter of advance communication, IMO.  Obviously those involved simply
didn't realize that someone else had access to the same information and
would think to post it, too.
 
Chris, as FML moderator, you would have the final say over all this.  Does
what I've outlined sound workable to you?  Or is there some other problem
you're concerned with?  As far as copyright issues are concerned, it seems
to me we just need to be aware of possible consequences and take steps to
ensure that proper permissions have been obtained.
 
I realize this has been a very long post, but I hope it's helpful.  I look
forward to feedback.
 
Katie, Jeff, Bandit, Molly, Charlie, Pogo & Sigmund
---------------------
Katie Fritz
Small Mammals Section Leader/CompuServe Pets Forum
Internet: [log in to unmask]  CIS: 71257,3153
 
[Posted in FML issue 0453]