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ref:fidonet_glossary [2020/04/22 17:37] – higher level term headings digital manref:fidonet_glossary [2024/08/09 13:17] (current) – [AreaFix/Area Manager] Mention how FTN nodes usually use areafix digital man
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 ====== FidoNet Glossary ====== ====== FidoNet Glossary ======
  
-This is our glossary of technical terms specific to FidoNet.+This is the Synchronet glossary of technical terms specific to FidoNet.
  
 ===== AKA ===== ===== AKA =====
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 If a node belongs to multiple FTN networks (e.g. FidoNet and one or more "othernets"), then they will usually have their FidoNet address (Zones 1-4) as their //Main// address and the "othernet" addresses as their AKAs. If a node belongs to multiple FTN networks (e.g. FidoNet and one or more "othernets"), then they will usually have their FidoNet address (Zones 1-4) as their //Main// address and the "othernet" addresses as their AKAs.
 +
 +===== Area =====
 +
 +A FidoNet //Area// may refer to a networked message area (a.k.a. "echo") typically devoted to a single discussion topic or a networked file area. Every area must have a unique //AreaTag//. EchoMail messages are identified by the ''AREA:'' kludge line which specifies the //AreaTag// in which the message was posted.
  
 ===== AreaFix/Area Manager ===== ===== AreaFix/Area Manager =====
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 no external area manager program is required. If you are not an FTN hub, then no external area manager program is required. If you are not an FTN hub, then
 the area manager portion of SBBSecho will probably not get much use on your the area manager portion of SBBSecho will probably not get much use on your
-system. The Area Manager process has also be called a "Conference Manager" ([[http://ftsc.org/docs/fsc-0057.003|ConfMgr]]).+system. The Area Manager process has also been called a "Conference Manager" ([[http://ftsc.org/docs/fsc-0057.003|ConfMgr]]). 
 + 
 +As a FidoNet node, you may be required to send a netmail message to your hub's area manager (usually sent to "AreaFix @ your-hub's-ftn-address", with your area manager password in the mail subject) in order to link echomail areas. 
 +===== Area Tag =====
  
 +A FidoNet //Area Tag// (a.k.a. Area Name or Echo Tag) is a unique area identifier made of up to 50 US-ASCII (traditionally, all uppercase) alphanumeric characters with a few punctuation and symbolic characters (e.g. ''!'', ''.'', ''-'' and ''_'') allowed.
 ===== Attach or FLO Mailer? ===== ===== Attach or FLO Mailer? =====
  
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 [[wp>BinkP]] is the //BinkD Protocol//, a TCP application protocol invented by Dima Maloff in 1996 and later standardized by the FTSC, for transferring files (primarily, [[ref:FidoNet Packets]]) between Internet hosts over IP. The BinkP protocol was originally implemented as an ad-hoc protocol for the transferring of files between instances of the Binkley Daemon FidoNet mailer ([[https://2f.ru/binkd/|BinkD]]). The protocol was later adopted by other FidoNet mailers and later became a FidoNet standard. [[wp>BinkP]] is the //BinkD Protocol//, a TCP application protocol invented by Dima Maloff in 1996 and later standardized by the FTSC, for transferring files (primarily, [[ref:FidoNet Packets]]) between Internet hosts over IP. The BinkP protocol was originally implemented as an ad-hoc protocol for the transferring of files between instances of the Binkley Daemon FidoNet mailer ([[https://2f.ru/binkd/|BinkD]]). The protocol was later adopted by other FidoNet mailers and later became a FidoNet standard.
  
 +===== Boss =====
 +
 +A //Boss Node// is a FidoNet node that has one or more //Point Nodes// (a.k.a. points) has subordinate and dependent nodes.
 ===== Bundle ===== ===== Bundle =====
  
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 A //Downlink// is a Linked Node which your system "feeds" messages and for which your system is responsible for routing received messages from. A //Downlink// is a Linked Node which your system "feeds" messages and for which your system is responsible for routing received messages from.
 +
 +===== Echo =====
 +  * Message echo - A way to distribute messages between systems (see EchoMail).
 +  * File echo - Like a message echo, but for distributing files instead of messages.
  
 ===== EchoMail ===== ===== EchoMail =====
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 Point-to-point (usually person-to-person) directly-delivered or routed messages (now more commonly referred to as "e-mail" or just "mail"). Point-to-point (usually person-to-person) directly-delivered or routed messages (now more commonly referred to as "e-mail" or just "mail").
 +
 +===== Network Coordinator =====
 +Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a LOCAL segment of the nodelist for his/her NET, a NET may cover part or all of a city and or part of a country.
  
 ===== Node ===== ===== Node =====
 +How a particular FTN/Fidonet system is referred to.
 +
 All FidoNet node-listed systems are //nodes// of the network. All FidoNet node-listed systems are //nodes// of the network.
  
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 ===== Packet ===== ===== Packet =====
  
-An [[ref:FidoNet packets|FTN packet]] is a group of one or more messages contained in a single +An [[ref:FidoNet packets|FTN packet]] is a group of one or more messages contained in a single uncompressed binary file. Packets may contain EchoMail and/or NetMail messages.
-uncompressed file. Packets may contain echomail and/or netmail messages. +
-Packets files usually have a ''.pkt'' extension, although outbound NetMail packets for +
-Binkley/FLO Mailers will have ''.?ut'' extensions (where ? is either ''o'', ''c'', ''d'', or ''h'', e.g ''.out'', ''.cut'', etc.). The +
-first eight characters of the filename may be anything, but are usually decimal or hexadecimal +
-digits representing the date and time the packet was created.+
  
-You can use the [[person:digital man]]'s ''pktdump'' utility to view packet headers and help identify and fix problems with inbound and outbound packets.+Packet files usually have a ''.pkt'' suffix/extension, although outbound NetMail packets for Binkley/FLO Mailers will have ''.?ut'' extensions (where ? is either ''o'', ''c'', ''d'', or ''h'', e.g. ''.out'', ''.cut'', ''.hut'', etc.). The first eight characters of the filename may be anything, but are usually decimal or hexadecimal digits representing the date and time the packet was created.
  
-It is generally **not** a good idea to try and use a plain-text viewer or editor to inspect [[ref:FidoNet packets]] since they contain binary integer values that may be interpreted as terminal control characters and the header data just won't be human-readable in this manner.+You can use the [[person:digital man]]'s ''pktdump'' utility to view packet headers and help identify and fix problems with inbound and outbound FTN packets. 
 + 
 +It is generally **not** a good idea to try and use a plain-text viewer or editor to inspect [[ref:FidoNet packets]] since they contain binary integer values that may be interpreted as terminal control characters and the header data just won't be human-readable in this manner. Use a tool specifically designed to view FTN packets (e.g. ''pktdump''). 
 + 
 +===== Point ===== 
 + 
 +A //Point Node// is an FTN node with an address that ends in ''.1'' or another non-zero fractional value. An FTN node address without a period/dot (''.'') or that ends in ''.0'' is **not** a point node address. 
 + 
 +A Point Node is not listed in the network's nodelist and is dependent on its //Boss Node// to receive and deliver files, including NetMail and EchoMail packets, on its behalf. 
 + 
 +===== Poll ===== 
 + 
 +A poll of a node is when a connection is attempted to a linked-node even though there are no files (e.g. mail) waiting to be sent to that node. 
 + 
 +===== Region ===== 
 +A REGION may cover an entire country or just a part of a country depending on it's size, the REGIONAL address is not obvious in the end node address. 
 + 
 +===== Regional Coordinator ===== 
 +Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a REGIONAL segment of the nodelist for his/her REGION.
  
 ===== Scan ===== ===== Scan =====
  
 To //scan// message bases means to //export// locally-posted messages from your BBS's local message bases into EchoMail packets to be sent to your upstream link (hub) and any downstream linked nodes you may have. To //scan// message bases means to //export// locally-posted messages from your BBS's local message bases into EchoMail packets to be sent to your upstream link (hub) and any downstream linked nodes you may have.
 +
 +===== TIC =====
 +
 +"TIC" is the standard file extension for the information file that is sent along with a file that is distributed in a File Echo
  
 ===== Toss ===== ===== Toss =====
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 A 5D (5 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address consisting of a standard A 5D (5 dimensional) address refers to an FTN address consisting of a standard
 3D or 4D address with an appended "@domain" (e.g. ''1:103/705@fidonet''). This domain component is limited to 8 case-insensitive characters - it is **not** an Internet domain. 3D or 4D address with an appended "@domain" (e.g. ''1:103/705@fidonet''). This domain component is limited to 8 case-insensitive characters - it is **not** an Internet domain.
 +
 +===== Zone Coordinator =====
 +Primarily a node who has the added task of administering a ZONE segment of the nodelist for his/her ZONE, a ZONE can cover a single country or several countries.
  
 ===== See Also ===== ===== See Also =====

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