1770 lines
81 KiB
Plaintext
1770 lines
81 KiB
Plaintext
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Volume 3, Number 45 24 November 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
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Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association.
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All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted
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for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL
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What's Up?
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2. ARTICLES
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Marketing Research Questionnaires
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WHO "COPYRIGHTED" MY ECHOMAIL CONFERENCE?
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The Brian Walsh Logical T's FRAUDULENT Contest
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MULTITECH 224EH
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Keep a Running Scoreboard on your system!
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dBASEIII Bible project
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Tom Jennings, Thrasher
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National Vietnam Veteran's Echo-Mail Conference
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3. COLUMNS
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Review of Boyan-C1 (a NEW term program)
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4. FOR SALE
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Magazine On Disk for IBM PC and Compatibles
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The Structured Programming Language for PC/MS DOS Dennis Baer
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5. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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Fidonews Page 2 24 Nov 1986
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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What's Up?
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I can't stand it. I've tried my best to be a good boy. Shortly
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after the conference in Colorado Springs several people told me
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that I should hold back and not express my opinions, but should
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wait for a general consensus to develop without me.
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But to quote the immortal Popeye, "That's all I can stands, I
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can't stands no more!"
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Right off the bat, yes, a great many mistakes were made, and I
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made my own share of them. What can I say? I don't really think
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that anyone really realized just how many seriously concerned
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people there are out there. I am quite pleased at the breadth
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and depth of feeling that exists in the FidoNet community, even
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though it may have been painful to experience at times!
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I suspect that quite a lot of us now realize that FidoNet (like
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much of the software that spawned it) is growing to be a far
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greater thing than anyone would have thought even so recently as
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this time last year. We are now being taken quite seriously
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indeed by many outside groups. We are coming to have a presence
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in the market and in the industry that cannot be ignored.
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And the International FidoNet Association, like it or not, is
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being recognized as the visible manifestation of that presence.
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IFNA is by no means ready for the sort of attention that is
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already being focused on it by the various trade publications,
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trade groups, manufacturers, and so on. But as time passes, we
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grow and we learn.
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Many people within FidoNet have expressed concern over IFNA.
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Will this legal fiction, this corporate person, that we are
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creating be what we want, or will it be a Frankenstein's Monster?
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I personally feel that it will help. The sysop has generally
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been a much ignored and much maligned figure, bringing visions
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(if anything at all) of hackers working away in their basements
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to bring about World War III. IFNA would give us a central
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source that the media could go to for information and advice,
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through which we could express our own opinion of the sysop as a
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dedicated volunteer performing a public service.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 3 24 Nov 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Andrew Kanter
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Sysop Fido 101/301
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******************************
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Can You Prevent a Nuclear War?
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******************************
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Well, if you have every wondered what is really
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going on out there in the land of Star Wars and
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Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicles,
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nows your chance to find out... and do something about
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it!
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Fido 101/301 (The Beyond War/IPPNW BBS) is back on-
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line! Moved from Los Angeles to Cambridge, Mass, then
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on to Brookline, Massachusetts, Fido 101/301 is up and
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running 22 hours a day. The new phone number is (617)
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731-1575, 300/1200 baud.
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If you want to get more information about the
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prevention of nuclear war, or want to discuss the
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feasability of Star Wars with other concerned modem-
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users, call today. There are many articles available
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for t)yping or d)ownloading, ranging from interviews
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with Nobel Laureates to opinion articles by your
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average college student. Want to hear what the
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International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear
|
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War have to say about Chernobyl or the summit? Tired
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of not finding solutions to this ultimate problem?
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Call and check out the articles by Dr. Lown, Beyond
|
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War, and others!
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If you are interested in seeing a list of available
|
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files, simply fidomail a message to Sysop of 101/301
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and I will send it out to you. Later, if you would
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like some of them, maybe we can arrange to have them
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arced and sent along too. What better way to help
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prevent the Last Epidemic then spreading the word by
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sharing these important articles!
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Many of you carried some of these articles at one
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time (when the BBS was in L.A.). Now is the time to
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"renew your subscription"! Send a message today!
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And if you are interested in medical issues, the
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latest updates on AIDS, radiation, and the flu, you can
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get them from 101/301 too. Remember, that's:
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( 6 1 7 ) 7 3 1 - 1 5 7 5
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Call today! Yes, you CAN make a difference!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 4 24 Nov 1986
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Review of FlickerFree 11/2/86
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D. Ellison
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Fido 18/4
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FlickerFree, A User Review
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FlickerFree is a memory resident utility to "dramatically
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increase text display performance". This it does...remarkably.
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Some of the other claims made in the advertising is not quite as
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accurate. The program was tested on an IBM-PC under PC-DOS 3.1.
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The quotes come from their current advertising.
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"DRAMATICALLY INCREASE TEXT DISPLAY PERFORMANCE".
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The program delivers! Scrolling speed with the DIR command is
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truly impressive. Also the TYPE command scrolls the file with
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dizzying speed. Not mentioned is that if you use the MORE filter
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when typing the file to screen, FlickerFree is disabled so you
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lose the speed advantage. This limits the usefullness of the
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program.
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"ELIMINATES THAT ANNOYING SCROLLING FLICKER".
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It's true, the flicker is gone completely. If you don't mind
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flicker, you can speed scrolling even more by selecting a faster
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scrolling mode from the FlickerFree menu.
|
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"CONTROL DOS FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND COLORS"
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Again, the program does allow easy selection of screen colors as
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long as FlickerFree is on. What isn't mentioned is that it
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disables the ANSI.SYS driver. If you use imbedded codes in files
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or if you call any bulletin boards that use them, you'll see the
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escape codes and not the colors.
|
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"100% COMPATIBLE WITH ALL PCs, COMPATIBLES, AND WITH ALL OTHER
|
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MEMORY RESIDENT UTILITIES"
|
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The program falls down a bit on this one. The documentation
|
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states that it isn't compatible with PC-WRITE or SMARTCOMM.
|
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Oddly enough, the documentation that came with FlickerFree
|
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describing the incompatibility with PC-WRITE is dated June 86 but
|
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their October ads still claim 100% compatibility. They provide
|
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another program that will automatically disable any incompatible
|
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program if their FFIX.COM is run first against the incompatible
|
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program. There is a problem, though. If you do as they say and
|
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FFIX ED.EXE, then run ED.EXE (PC-WRITE's editor) PC-WRITE runs
|
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normally until you try to use the DOS shell within PC-WRITE. You
|
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can go to DOS but the machine locks up when you EXIT back to
|
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PC-WRITE. You can turn FlickerFree off by typing FF off at the
|
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command line but the program seems to remain in memory. Even
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with FlickerFree off, I lost a document when trying to exit
|
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|
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PC-WRITE. Even worse than the problem with PC-WRITE is that the
|
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program seems to have difficulty with Fido. I found Fido would
|
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crash unpredictably after FlickerFree had been loaded. Each
|
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time, this required a cold boot. Unfortunately, cold boots with
|
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a hard disk can cause data loss because the heads aren't parked.
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I spent the afternoon reformatting my hard disk.
|
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The ad quotes Peter Norton in his 6-86 PC Magazine article
|
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Fidonews Page 5 24 Nov 1986
|
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|
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|
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claiming FlickerFree "...solves several problems that muck up
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display screens: snow, flicker, and lack of speed...". When you
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read the documentation, they claim Peter Norton was mistaken when
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he said the program eliminates snow. It seems a bit misleading
|
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to quote someone about your program when you clearly know him to
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be mistaken.
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"FULL, MONEY-BACK, SATISFACTION GUARANTEE"
|
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I sent them their program back for a refund. This guarantee
|
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makes the program well worth a try. If you are annoyed by the
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flicker and slow pace of your display, FlickerFree may be the
|
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answer. If you run a Fido BBS or use PC-WRITE, you'll want to
|
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keep their satisfaction guarantee in mind.
|
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FlickerFree $39.95
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Gibson Research Corporation
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9 Lago Sud
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Irvine, Ca 92715
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(714) 854-1520
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 6 24 Nov 1986
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Dear Sysops,
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As a senior at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New
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Hampshire, I am majoring in Marketing, within the Division of
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Business Administration. In order to graduate, each business
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student must complete an independent study project which results
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in the completion of research and the writing of a formal
|
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research paper. This thesis must be defended before the faculty
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and administration of the college.
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The thesis topic I have chosen is Fidonet. I am
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investigating its marketing potential and as part of that
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investigation, I also need to identify and quantify the various
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types of users of FIDONET. I have therefore designed two
|
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questionnaires - one for sysops and one for users. Your
|
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assistance is urgently needed in order to obtain this
|
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information.
|
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The first questionnaire is for sysops. Please use your word
|
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processor to answer the questions and return it to me via 101/27
|
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(Dave's Fido in Gardner, MA) under the name Lyndalee Foster, or
|
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simply print it out and send the completed survey to:
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Lyndalee Foster
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P.O. Box 360
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Franklin Pierce College
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Rindge, NH 03461
|
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|
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It would also be very helpful if you could send me a file
|
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which simply contains the opening screens and menus on your
|
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system.
|
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|
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The survey for users follows the survey for sysops. Please
|
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make it available to all your users as is. Directions to the
|
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|
|
user describe the purpose of the study and how they should
|
|||
|
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respond.
|
|||
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|
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Please try to respond by November 20 as the results are
|
|||
|
|
urgently needed in order for me to complete my thesis on time.
|
|||
|
|
The results of the survey have to be coded, tabulated, analyzed,
|
|||
|
|
and reported in the thesis by December 3. I have tried to obtain
|
|||
|
|
this information through public sources but so far without
|
|||
|
|
success. If you know of any sources which address the questions
|
|||
|
|
which are in my survey, please let me know. Since I have been
|
|||
|
|
unable to find the information, I would be most appreciative if
|
|||
|
|
you could help me.
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
Thank-you for your time and consideration.
|
|||
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|||
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Sincerely,
|
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Lyndalee Foster
|
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Fidonews Page 7 24 Nov 1986
|
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|
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QUESTIONNAIRE FOR SYSOPS
|
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PART I
|
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Please fill out these questions in the method indicated by each
|
|||
|
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question as honestly as possible to insure the validity of the
|
|||
|
|
questionnaire.
|
|||
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|
|||
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|
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|
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1. How long (years, months) have you been a sysop?
|
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|
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2. What comprises your message section? (for example, FIDONET
|
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|
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mail, messages to/from sysop, ect.)
|
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|
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|
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|
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3. Please list other features that you offer on your system
|
|||
|
|
below (such as type of files).
|
|||
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|
|||
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|
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|
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4. How do you finance your Fido operation?
|
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|
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a. suggested fee of $__________ (1)
|
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b. manditory fee of $__________ (2)
|
|||
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c. charge only for Fidomail (3)
|
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|
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d. other______________________________________________ (4)
|
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|
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5. Approximately, how many current users (i.e. active within the
|
|||
|
|
last six months) do you have on your Fido?
|
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|
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|
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6. The overwhelming majority of users on most systems seem to
|
|||
|
|
be male. What would you estimate is the percentage of users
|
|||
|
|
who are female on your system?
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
7. What options do you feel could be added to Fido to increase
|
|||
|
|
its usage?
|
|||
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|
|||
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|
|||
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|
|||
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|
|||
|
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PART II - BASELINE QUESTIONS
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
The following are background questions for classification
|
|||
|
|
purposes. Please mark or fill in the appropriate blank to
|
|||
|
|
answer the questions as accurately as possible.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. What is your sex?
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
2. How old are you?
|
|||
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|
|||
|
|
3. What is your marital status?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 8 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Do you operate your system out of your home or from an
|
|||
|
|
office?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. On what type of computer is your system operated?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. How many years of school have you completed? (e.g.
|
|||
|
|
highschool graduate equaling 12 years)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7. What is your current or most recent occupation?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
**The results of this survey will be reported in a future
|
|||
|
|
newsletter.**
|
|||
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 9 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
To All Fido Users:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
As a senior at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New
|
|||
|
|
Hampshire, I am majoring in Marketing, within the Division of
|
|||
|
|
Business Administration. In order to graduate, each business
|
|||
|
|
student must complete an independent study project which results
|
|||
|
|
in the completion of research and the writing of a formal
|
|||
|
|
research paper. This thesis must be defended before the faculty
|
|||
|
|
and administration of the college.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The thesis topic I have chosen is Fidonet. I am
|
|||
|
|
investigating the marketing potential of FidoNet. As part of that
|
|||
|
|
investigation, I also need to identify and quantify the various
|
|||
|
|
types of users of FIDONET.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please use your word processor to answer the questions
|
|||
|
|
and return it to me via 101/27 (Dave's Fido in Gardner, MA) under
|
|||
|
|
the name Lyndalee Foster, or simply print it out and send the
|
|||
|
|
completed survey to:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Lyndalee Foster
|
|||
|
|
P.O. Box 360
|
|||
|
|
Franklin Pierce College
|
|||
|
|
Rindge, NH 03461
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please try to respond by November 20 as the results are
|
|||
|
|
urgently needed in order for me to complete my thesis on time.
|
|||
|
|
The results of the survey have to be coded, tabulated, analyzed,
|
|||
|
|
and reported in the thesis by December 3. I have tried to obtain
|
|||
|
|
this information through public sources but so far without
|
|||
|
|
success. If you know of any sources which address the questions
|
|||
|
|
which are in my survey, please let me know. Since I have been
|
|||
|
|
unable to find the information, I would be most appreciative if
|
|||
|
|
you could help me.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thank-you for your time and consideration.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Sincerely,
|
|||
|
|
Lyndalee Foster
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 10 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FIDO USERS QUESTIONNAIRE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PART I
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The following is a questionnaire dealing with your usage of FIDO
|
|||
|
|
and other bulletin board services. Please fill out these
|
|||
|
|
questions in the method indicated by each question as honestly as
|
|||
|
|
possible to insure the validity of the questionnaire.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. How often do you access Fido?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. every day (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. more than once a week (2)
|
|||
|
|
c. more than once a month (3)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. What options do you utilize most on Fido (for example, e-
|
|||
|
|
mail, uploading and downloading programs, Echomail, bulletin
|
|||
|
|
board, etc)?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. What options would you like to see added to Fido?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Do you subscribe to other systems?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. yes (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. no (2)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. What system, other than FIDO, if any, do you use most often?
|
|||
|
|
(Compuserve, The Source, MCI Mail, etc.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. What options do you use from the other system, for example,
|
|||
|
|
e-mail, bulletin boards, uploading or downloading programs,
|
|||
|
|
etc?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7. How often do you use the other system?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. every day (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. more than once a week (2)
|
|||
|
|
c. more than once a month (3)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
8. Are there any other systems to which you subscribe?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
9. How did you first hear about Fido?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PART II - BASELINE QUESTIONS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The following are background questions for classification
|
|||
|
|
purposes. Please mark or fill in the appropriate blank to
|
|||
|
|
answer the questions as accurately as possible.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 11 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
1. What is your sex?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. male (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. female (2)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
2. How old are you?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. under 18 (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. 19-30 (2)
|
|||
|
|
c. 31-40 (3)
|
|||
|
|
d. 41-50 (4)
|
|||
|
|
e. 51+ (5)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3. What is your marital status
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. married (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. single (2)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
4. Do you own a home computer?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
a. yes (1)
|
|||
|
|
b. no (2)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
5. If yes to question 4, what type of system do you own?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
6. How many years of school have you completed? (e.g.
|
|||
|
|
high school graduate equals 12 years)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7. What is your current or most recent occupation?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
**The results of this survey will be reported in a future
|
|||
|
|
newsletter.**
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 12 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Robert E. Spivack
|
|||
|
|
Sysop Spiv's Fido 143/3
|
|||
|
|
Sillicon Valley Net 143 Host
|
|||
|
|
(408) 247-3296
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Greetings fellow Sysops and Fido Users. It has been a while
|
|||
|
|
since I last wrote a column for Fidonews, but so much is going on
|
|||
|
|
it is time to comment.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I. Mark Welch's problems with PC-SIG (tm): Mark -- I support
|
|||
|
|
your position and hope that you plan to put your education (U.C.
|
|||
|
|
Law) to work ASAP to fight those *@$@%%#! (I recall reading
|
|||
|
|
somewhere you were now attending law school.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
II. Commercial Fidonet: I don't care what you call it, how you
|
|||
|
|
structure it, whether the goals are noble or not, but FORCING any
|
|||
|
|
kind of charge for Fidonet (being in the nodelist, being serviced
|
|||
|
|
by a national or regional host, etc.) just isn't a hobby anymore.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Instead of worrying about some Fido's (SUCH AS MINE) that might
|
|||
|
|
drop out and how that would affect the net, why don't all you
|
|||
|
|
money-hungry anti-hobbiests JUST DROP OUT NOW AND FORM YOUR OWN
|
|||
|
|
COMMERCIAL NET IN THE FIRST PLACE! (How's that for turning the
|
|||
|
|
tables with an interesting suggestion)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
III. Commercial tag-along "points": A recent Fidonews (#339, I
|
|||
|
|
think) carried a proposal for extending the hierarchical routing
|
|||
|
|
beyond zone:net/node to include subnodes called points. Although
|
|||
|
|
I think the motivation is wrong (to faciliate commercial nodes
|
|||
|
|
and payments) the concept of "points" is interesting.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I would like to propose an alternate use. "Points", or
|
|||
|
|
degenerate nodes, could be used for individuals that want to link
|
|||
|
|
to the Fido network but do not want to set themselves up as
|
|||
|
|
nodes. Essentially, these are casual users that might be online
|
|||
|
|
for several weeks, disappear for a month or two, etc. "Points"
|
|||
|
|
are maintained only by the local node as private extentions to
|
|||
|
|
the nodelist (That is already possible using the XLATLIST option
|
|||
|
|
for a private nodelist.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The real value of "points" is that it allows someone (Shareware
|
|||
|
|
authors, are you listening?) to create a single-user simplified
|
|||
|
|
Fido package that simply allows a user to create Fidonet messages
|
|||
|
|
offline and send/receive them to/from their supporting node.
|
|||
|
|
This creates a form of electronic mail where "points" are
|
|||
|
|
primarily involved with sending messages to/from other Fido users
|
|||
|
|
(either normal nodes or other "points").
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The key is that the supporting node HOLDS all mail for the
|
|||
|
|
"point" until the "point" calls (polls) to receive it. Since
|
|||
|
|
this mini Fido program is limited in function, it would be small
|
|||
|
|
enough to fit on a floppy disk and be usable with a
|
|||
|
|
portable/laptop computer, maybe even implemented on a Z80 machine
|
|||
|
|
like the Tandy 100, etc.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Finally, since "points" are users without the responsibility of
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 13 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
having their nodes up 24 hours a day (or even every day at
|
|||
|
|
Fidomail time), anyone that wants to join Fidonet but doesn't
|
|||
|
|
have the time, money, dedicated phone line, or discipline can
|
|||
|
|
still participate rather than join as a full fledged node and be
|
|||
|
|
counted among the "missing, lost dogs, or disappearing" nodes.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Just like the original proposal, the real benefit/simplification
|
|||
|
|
of "points" is that the list of them is not compiled and
|
|||
|
|
circulated with the nodelist. "Points" are like real Ma Bell
|
|||
|
|
phone numbers, you gotta know them to call them and any "Phone
|
|||
|
|
Books" available are published as a favor, not a requirement.
|
|||
|
|
(I.E. users can voluntarily exchange their "point" addresses
|
|||
|
|
and/or publish their own phone directories, but the operation of
|
|||
|
|
Fidonet and "points" does not REQUIRE it. Thus, no additional
|
|||
|
|
overhead to IFNA, Fido 1/0, et. al.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
IV. Echomail - I must admit, although quite technical myself,
|
|||
|
|
I've waited too long and only recently started joining this
|
|||
|
|
FANTASTIC facility. I'm glad that ideas are being generated for
|
|||
|
|
bringing order to this wildly growing feature and at the risk of
|
|||
|
|
covering ground that may already have been discussed, let me
|
|||
|
|
propose a few simple things:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A controlled list of Echomail conferences should be compiled and
|
|||
|
|
distributed on a weekly basis listing the name of the conference,
|
|||
|
|
the conference coordinator, and a short description. This may or
|
|||
|
|
may not be distributed WITH the weekly nodelist update.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
A more formal acknowledgement of a second kind of Echomail
|
|||
|
|
capability should be made. I'll coin the term "Broadcast" mail
|
|||
|
|
to refer to the desire for one user or Sysop or send a message to
|
|||
|
|
many systems and have the message "tossed" into a specific
|
|||
|
|
message area. The easiest example is trading/selling something
|
|||
|
|
we no longer want. If I want to sell a hard disk, modem board,
|
|||
|
|
or even a bicycle, I would like to broadcast (should I say
|
|||
|
|
carefully execute a "bombing run") to many boards and have the
|
|||
|
|
message appear in an area reserved for it. Most likely, many of
|
|||
|
|
us have a message area called "FORSALE".
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All that is needed is for the most common ones (For Sale, Wanted,
|
|||
|
|
Gossip, News, etc.) to be assigned standard NAMES and have a list
|
|||
|
|
compiled showing which nodes have them. Thus, a Robot-like
|
|||
|
|
utility could then send Fidonet mail only to those nodes that
|
|||
|
|
have a message area (an implicitly then are saying its ok to
|
|||
|
|
forward the message to me) on that topic.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note that the default Fidonet area is a degenerate case. We all
|
|||
|
|
know we can send a message to any Fido and have it be received in
|
|||
|
|
its Fidonet message area, however, many systems restrict the
|
|||
|
|
Fidonet area to only certain classes of users.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
V. Fido enhancements - Boy, we all have lots of ideas here, I'll
|
|||
|
|
try to restrict myself to a few things which may benefit a lot of
|
|||
|
|
Sysops. Again, I apologize if some of these are already being
|
|||
|
|
addressed by the next revision or have already been shot down.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 14 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
International - I hope the "country" stuff will make Fidonet
|
|||
|
|
smarter and simply refuse to deliver mail directly to a node that
|
|||
|
|
has an incompatible modem. Right now, it is up to the Sysop to
|
|||
|
|
manually remember which systems just can't receive using US Bell
|
|||
|
|
std modems. I know that I would spare the $$ to dial up our non-
|
|||
|
|
US friends, it is the modems, not the bucks that is keeping the
|
|||
|
|
ocean a barrier for many of us.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Nodelist Processing - It seems strange to me that the
|
|||
|
|
NODELIST.IDX file is bigger than the NODELIST.BBS itself. It
|
|||
|
|
might be interesting to include parameters inside Fido itself
|
|||
|
|
that obsolete the XLATLIST stuff. I mean, instead of batch
|
|||
|
|
converting canonical phone numbers to local dialing codes, etc.
|
|||
|
|
why not just include the parameters inside Fido (or via a control
|
|||
|
|
file) so that Fido converts a phone number on the fly when it
|
|||
|
|
uses it to dial. It would only take less than a second to
|
|||
|
|
convert one phone number in real time, rather than forcing us to
|
|||
|
|
endure ever-longer xlatlist,routegen sessions.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Independent Message and File Areas - I think the original
|
|||
|
|
thinking for having each SYSTEMnn.BBS file describe a message and
|
|||
|
|
a file area needs a revision. I know that many Fidos do not have
|
|||
|
|
pairs of areas. (I.E. very few Fidos actually have a UNIX
|
|||
|
|
message area with a UNIX file area; a DOS message area with a DOS
|
|||
|
|
file area; etc.) This pairing makes setting privileges very
|
|||
|
|
difficult because often you want to disable access to a message
|
|||
|
|
area but allow access to the file area. Right now, you've got to
|
|||
|
|
juggle them around and re-pair up different areas to get around
|
|||
|
|
this.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
User Privileges by Area - One of the biggest suggestions I keep
|
|||
|
|
hearing is to enlarge the USER password file to allow specifying
|
|||
|
|
for each user which file or message areas they can access. This
|
|||
|
|
would provide a much richer more granular way to control the
|
|||
|
|
system. Right now, all you can do is define classes of users
|
|||
|
|
(twit, normal, extra, sysop, etc.) and then assign class
|
|||
|
|
attributes to file/message areas. Today, you can't have two
|
|||
|
|
users each the same class (normal or extra) with each one
|
|||
|
|
restricted to DIFFERENT message areas. (Note: Since there can
|
|||
|
|
be up to 99 areas, a reasonable restriction might be to only
|
|||
|
|
allow room for 10 or 20 areas that can be controlled this way)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Whew! and I thought all I was gonna write was two sentences..!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 15 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WHO "COPYRIGHTED" MY ECHOMAIL CONFERENCE?
|
|||
|
|
by J. Brad Hicks, Sysop 100/523 (WeirdBase)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I have now seen the following in almost every Echomail conference
|
|||
|
|
that I participate in, including the one I created:
|
|||
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
#165 02 Nov 86 21:45:00 (PRIVATE)
|
|||
|
|
From: Thomas Gentry To: All
|
|||
|
|
Subject: LEGAL NOTICE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This ECHO area Copyright 1986 by Thomas Gentry All rights
|
|||
|
|
reserved. All electronically transmitted messages in this area
|
|||
|
|
become the sole property of Thomas Gentry and the CHAI Way BBS
|
|||
|
|
(c) 1986. A limited license is granted to sysops and users to
|
|||
|
|
utilize this information freely. ANY attempts at regulating the
|
|||
|
|
exchange of this copyrighted material will result in legal action
|
|||
|
|
against the offending party or parties.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Contact: IFNA node - 136/200 (IFNA-(c)1986 International
|
|||
|
|
Fido Net Association)
|
|||
|
|
TECHNET node - 950/200 (TECHNET-(c)1986 Mike Johnson)
|
|||
|
|
for more information.
|
|||
|
|
--- v1.36
|
|||
|
|
* Origin: (c) 1986 CHAI_Way_OPUS (512) 388-3464 (136/200)
|
|||
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Sounds like a joke, doesn't it? This guy can't possibly be
|
|||
|
|
trying to assert prior claim over the Echomail conference I
|
|||
|
|
founded, can he? Well, I've been trying for a while now to get
|
|||
|
|
through to Mr. Gentry, and he has yet to reply to ANY of my
|
|||
|
|
messages on the subject in the Echomail areas where the offense
|
|||
|
|
took place. And that's close enough to a legal notice that I'm
|
|||
|
|
worried.
|
|||
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I, Brad Hicks, sysop of Fido 100/523, renounce the copyright no-
|
|||
|
|
tice excerpted above. Thomas Gentry is a newcomer to the con-
|
|||
|
|
ference, and cannot demonstrate ANY WAY in which he has contri-
|
|||
|
|
buted to the concept, creation, or operation of the MAGICK
|
|||
|
|
Echomail conference prior to the entry of this message. Further,
|
|||
|
|
existing documents, both paper and electronic, verify that I,
|
|||
|
|
along with Josh Gordon (sysop of Fido 161/93) and Dave Rene
|
|||
|
|
(sysop of Fido 101/27, aka Fido 101/0) are the originators and
|
|||
|
|
creators of the MAGICK Echomail Conference. Our contribution is
|
|||
|
|
visible and significant, both in distribution and in authorship
|
|||
|
|
of messages.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Therefore let it be know to all that the MAGICK Echomail con-
|
|||
|
|
ference is PUBLIC DOMAIN, and not property of any person or
|
|||
|
|
organization. Neither the name, nor the concept, nor the
|
|||
|
|
structure may be claimed to be owned by any person. The public
|
|||
|
|
messages of this conference are put into the public domain and
|
|||
|
|
may be reprinted in whole or in part, in any medium, by any
|
|||
|
|
person without let or hindrance. The private messages of said
|
|||
|
|
conference should be considered the property of their authors and
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 16 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
the addressees.
|
|||
|
|
_________________________________________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
It is possible that Mr. Gentry thinks he is trying to "protect"
|
|||
|
|
us by keeping unscrupulous operators from claiming ownership of
|
|||
|
|
our material and by some arcane legality charging us money for
|
|||
|
|
our own names, or something. Oh well, I suppose stranger things
|
|||
|
|
have happened (anybody who knows the history of Fantasy Role-
|
|||
|
|
Playing games knows what I'm talking about). But the sysop of
|
|||
|
|
136/200 should NOT have taken this action without consulting ME,
|
|||
|
|
whom he knew full well to be the founder and coordinator of this
|
|||
|
|
conference. Far from it! And I suspect he didn't warn the
|
|||
|
|
coordinators of any of the OTHER conferences (such as BIBLE) that
|
|||
|
|
he tried to "land-grab". And I do NOT consider myself protected
|
|||
|
|
by Mr. Gentry's claim that he OWNS MY WORDS--"sole property of
|
|||
|
|
Thomas Gentry ... (c) 1986," it says here. I am therefore taking
|
|||
|
|
direct action to protect myself and the other members of the
|
|||
|
|
MAGICK conference from prosecution by returning "ownership" of
|
|||
|
|
their words to where it belongs, and where any sane court would
|
|||
|
|
have ruled it was before this obnoxious entry: the public domain.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If Mr. Gentry really does think he can get away with claiming
|
|||
|
|
full, sole ownership over my words and work, he had better retain
|
|||
|
|
an attorney and prosecute his claim, because I will CONTINUE to
|
|||
|
|
distribute this conference as I see fit, as I have done for six
|
|||
|
|
months now. I hate to put it in these terms, but remember, I
|
|||
|
|
didn't start this fight. Should it become a legal battle, I in-
|
|||
|
|
vite, I BEG all Fido Sysops (and IFNA) to assist me in defending
|
|||
|
|
me against take-over of my work and words.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I may be contacted via FidoNet at my own address of 100/523, or
|
|||
|
|
via U.S. Mail to: J. Brad Hicks, 3900 Roland, Apartment B, Saint
|
|||
|
|
Louis, Missouri 63121, United States of America. Thank you.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 17 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Howard Feil
|
|||
|
|
User of The Heart of Gold 109/624
|
|||
|
|
October 23, 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Brian Walsh Logical T's FRAUDULENT Contest
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In mid August of 1986 Brian Walsh, sysop of Logical
|
|||
|
|
Technologies FidoNet 109/640, ran a contest under the
|
|||
|
|
name of Computerland. The contest stated that the first
|
|||
|
|
person to upload 100 public domain files would win a 1200
|
|||
|
|
baud Hayes Compatible Modem. I, Howard Feil, was later
|
|||
|
|
informed by Brian that I was the "winner" of the contest
|
|||
|
|
he ran under name of Computerland.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
At this point Computerland Bulletin Board had gone down;
|
|||
|
|
however, Brian had started a new board with the SAME
|
|||
|
|
fidonet numbers 109/640 only under the name of Logical
|
|||
|
|
Technologies. It was in a data conversation with Brian
|
|||
|
|
on this board that I learned I had "won" the modem that
|
|||
|
|
it would be mailed to me by UPS after he received the
|
|||
|
|
modem on Friday, September 5, 1986, and during this same
|
|||
|
|
data conversation Brian also informed me that all the
|
|||
|
|
programs uploaded to the Computerland Board had been
|
|||
|
|
lost. It should be noted here that I was under the
|
|||
|
|
impression that the Hard Disk the BBS was running on
|
|||
|
|
hadn't been backed up although Brian later informed me
|
|||
|
|
that this was not true. He informed me that he had
|
|||
|
|
absolutely no idea where on earth the software for his
|
|||
|
|
Tape Backup system was (I'm assuming it didn't occur to
|
|||
|
|
him to put it on his Hard Disk), and the floppies he had
|
|||
|
|
backup the Hard Disk had been taken by someone else in
|
|||
|
|
the store. (Computerland) I offered to bring the
|
|||
|
|
software to Brian on Floppy disks to Computerland where
|
|||
|
|
he was working at the time, and he would mail them back
|
|||
|
|
with the Modem I rightly deserved. Brian was out on a
|
|||
|
|
service call at the time so I gave the disks to another
|
|||
|
|
person at Computerland and had them give the disks to
|
|||
|
|
Brian. He later informed by Fido Mail that he did
|
|||
|
|
receive the disks.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I NEVER received the modem or my floppies from Brian. On
|
|||
|
|
September 28, 1986, I had my last data conversation with
|
|||
|
|
Brian of any length His parting words explained what had
|
|||
|
|
happened (This is a direct screen capture.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I sold IT since then because I had NO intentions of EVER
|
|||
|
|
giving you one until about 10mins. ago. talk to you
|
|||
|
|
toimmorrow, Bye.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Brian had agreed to order another modem at this time
|
|||
|
|
(so he said) and was going to call me tomorrow and also
|
|||
|
|
agreed to call me on two more occasions. He never did.
|
|||
|
|
I never received the modem I rightly deserved. I never
|
|||
|
|
received the eight floppy disks I lent to him. Brian
|
|||
|
|
Walsh has Conducted a FRAUDULENT Contest. He has never
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 18 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
denied this and he appears to have planned it all along.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I was informed on the phone by Son of the Owner of
|
|||
|
|
Computerland that Computerland had no knowledge that
|
|||
|
|
Brian Walsh had operated a BBS under the name of
|
|||
|
|
Computerland and that Brian Walsh was fired from
|
|||
|
|
Computerland for selling "products we don't even carry."
|
|||
|
|
Brian Walsh denies this stating that he resigned, and he
|
|||
|
|
had a written copy of his resignation. I would prefer
|
|||
|
|
not to comment on which story is true for I have no hard
|
|||
|
|
evidence for either story.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I justly "won" the modem in a public contest sponsored by
|
|||
|
|
Brian Walsh. All I asked of Brian Walsh, was to be give
|
|||
|
|
the modem that I am entitled to and the disks I lent him
|
|||
|
|
which are my own personal property. He has never done so
|
|||
|
|
and has given no indication that he is going to
|
|||
|
|
compromise on the issue in anyway; not even in returning
|
|||
|
|
the disks I lent to him. I have persistently asked Brian
|
|||
|
|
questions on this issue, and all he has done, is deleted
|
|||
|
|
my messages.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I formally request that Brian Walsh sysop of Logical
|
|||
|
|
Technologies 109/640's future in FidoNet be considered by
|
|||
|
|
the members of FidoNet as to whether or not they want
|
|||
|
|
members who have conducted Fraudulent Contests.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Any Comments to this article can be sent to Howard Feil
|
|||
|
|
on FidoNet 109/624.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note: The sysop of FidoNet 109/624 is in no way involved
|
|||
|
|
or affiliated with the above proceedings.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 19 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jin Tan
|
|||
|
|
Fido 107/701
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MultiTech 224EH (with MNP)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This is a plea to owners of the above modem who have run
|
|||
|
|
Fido during mail hours without ANY problems. I need to know your
|
|||
|
|
dip switch settings as well as your Fidomdm.bbs contents. I have
|
|||
|
|
tried Modem_Help_East, Tech Echomail as well as MultiTech but to
|
|||
|
|
no avail. This is my last resort!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I am having problems getting Fido (11w) to work with the
|
|||
|
|
224EH. The problem I am having is getting the modem to answer
|
|||
|
|
2400 baud calls during Mail hours. Error message on my end says
|
|||
|
|
it is waiting for sync and that it is not a Fidonet. On the
|
|||
|
|
callers' log, they see a "no response to whacking CR" message.
|
|||
|
|
This problem is especially severe (100% of the time) for a Hayes
|
|||
|
|
2400 and moderate (50%) for the USR Courier. I have tried nume
|
|||
|
|
rous suggestions including adding "AT&Q1" in the Fidomdm.bbs
|
|||
|
|
file. I also tried 1/J, 11/J, 5/J as well as AT&E0 (no MNP). My
|
|||
|
|
PROM version is 2.09. This problem exists ONLY during Mail hour.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Despite the above problem, I am still very happy with the
|
|||
|
|
MultiTech modem. The servicing policy is Excellent. (Once, I
|
|||
|
|
sent in two modems (a Hayes and a MultiTech) back to the
|
|||
|
|
manufacturer to be repaired. The MultiTech took 1 week; the
|
|||
|
|
Hayes took 2 months. The techical support personnel know their
|
|||
|
|
modems VERY well (too bad they don't know Fido). And the special
|
|||
|
|
sysops' price for the modem just can't be beat!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thanking you in anticipation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 20 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Allen Miller, 108/10
|
|||
|
|
November 4, 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Now don't anyone feel sorry for me because I don't feel bad about
|
|||
|
|
this.....
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I have had a lot of fun running this Bulletin board and now I am
|
|||
|
|
to a point where I am rearranging my priorities. As part of this
|
|||
|
|
I will be retiring from the Sysop business. I appreciate all the
|
|||
|
|
support that the users of Allen's Board have contributed; you
|
|||
|
|
have made it very rewarding for me.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jesse Armontrout, Fido 108/64, will be the new Cincinnati Net
|
|||
|
|
Host. If anyone needs assistance of a Net Host, contact Jesse.
|
|||
|
|
He is very capable and I am sure he will do a good (probably
|
|||
|
|
better) job of Host.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once again, thanks.
|
|||
|
|
Regards, Allen Miller
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 21 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Daniel Tobias
|
|||
|
|
Soft Fido, 19/216
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I have just released a new program that lets Fido sysops run
|
|||
|
|
online games and activities with a running scoreboard. This is
|
|||
|
|
a feature present in some other BBS systems, such as NoChange,
|
|||
|
|
and is very popular with users of such systems. Users compete
|
|||
|
|
to become System Champion, and can see a display of the top ten
|
|||
|
|
scores at any time.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The SCOREKEEPER program, downloadable as the file SCOREKPR.ARC
|
|||
|
|
in file area 6 of SOFT FIDO [(318) 636-4402, 24 hours, 300 or
|
|||
|
|
1200 baud], works in the OUTSIDE section of your system. It is
|
|||
|
|
fully compatible with either OUTSIDE or OUTER, and probably any
|
|||
|
|
other Outside menu program you might be using. The scores are
|
|||
|
|
kept in a standard ASCII file (the data format is documented in
|
|||
|
|
the accompanying text), so you can write games and other
|
|||
|
|
programs of your own which manipulate this data.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
SCOREKEEPER includes a routine to find the current user's score
|
|||
|
|
and move it to a short file CURRSCOR.BBS for easy access by
|
|||
|
|
other programs, when the user enters the Outside section;
|
|||
|
|
another routine to replace this score data in the master score
|
|||
|
|
file (SCORES.BBS) when the user leaves the Outside section, to
|
|||
|
|
save any changes in his or her score; commands to increase or
|
|||
|
|
decrease the current user's score; and a command to output the
|
|||
|
|
current top ten. Instructions are included showing you how to
|
|||
|
|
use SCOREKEEPER on your system.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I plan on releasing game programs designed to work with
|
|||
|
|
SCOREKEEPER in the future. Right now, I have "The Numbers
|
|||
|
|
Game", downloadable from Soft Fido as NUMBERS.ARC, which is a
|
|||
|
|
"lottery"-style drawing with some interesting twists.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Once again, our number is (318) 636-4402; our FidoNet node
|
|||
|
|
number is 19/216. Check us out; we also have a wide selection
|
|||
|
|
of other Fido utilities available for download, and no pre-
|
|||
|
|
registration is needed for download access.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 22 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ken McVay
|
|||
|
|
Fido 138/45
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WORD.DBF
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In 1983, I began to assemble a database which will, in time,
|
|||
|
|
contain the entire Bible. The project was begun using an
|
|||
|
|
Osborne-1 and dBASEII, and was upgraded to dBASEIII in 1985.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I began the project on the assumption that by the time it was
|
|||
|
|
completed, the equipment required to utilize it would have
|
|||
|
|
become inexpensive enough that small congregations could readily
|
|||
|
|
afford it. It was assumed that the need for automated accounting
|
|||
|
|
and congregational record-keeping would provide the impetus
|
|||
|
|
which would lead to the purchase of an XT or compatible. At
|
|||
|
|
that point, I felt that the usefulness of the datafile would
|
|||
|
|
make the purchase of dBASEIII worthwhile.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Bible was already available in one version at the time the
|
|||
|
|
project began, but dBASEIII offered advantages which were NOT
|
|||
|
|
available, to wit, the ability to append commentaries through
|
|||
|
|
the MEMO field - including sermons relating to specific verses,
|
|||
|
|
citations from biblical dictionaries and commentaries, etc.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
After browbeating a few friends, active in the Christian
|
|||
|
|
Community, who were also PC owners, I managed to solicit some
|
|||
|
|
help, and the file grew apace.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The file structure includes a field for VERSION, which permits
|
|||
|
|
the file to contain differing versions of the same books, for
|
|||
|
|
comparisons which would not be possible in commercial bible
|
|||
|
|
databases. 90% of the work presently available has been done
|
|||
|
|
using Beck's New American Translation, with the balance from
|
|||
|
|
the Good News Bible. About 75% of the NT is presently avail-
|
|||
|
|
able through 138/45, and is found in WORD.ARC. Individual files
|
|||
|
|
(books) are also available.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I would deeply appreciate volunteers to help in this work. Fido
|
|||
|
|
has made it possible to seek them. Those willing to add a chap-
|
|||
|
|
ter or two are invited to contact me, so that I can co-ordinate
|
|||
|
|
the work and avoid needless duplication. Those who send me a
|
|||
|
|
new book at their expense will receive the entire project file
|
|||
|
|
at my expense...more than a fair trade!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WORD.ARC also contains two crude command files to facilitate
|
|||
|
|
creating new files and searches. A dBASE programmer I am not,
|
|||
|
|
and I would be delighted if someone out there would provide me
|
|||
|
|
with a menu-driven command file which could be useful to non-
|
|||
|
|
computer types, enabling searches, comparisons, appending
|
|||
|
|
commentaries without entering manual commands, etc.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The following data file structure must be created with dBASEII
|
|||
|
|
(minus the memo file) or dBASEIII:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
WORD.DBF
|
|||
|
|
FN FIELD TYPE SIZE
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 23 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
1. NEW L 1 ;logical T=New Testament
|
|||
|
|
2. VERSION C 5 ;translation version
|
|||
|
|
3. BOOK C 3 ;Book title, abridged
|
|||
|
|
4. CHAPTER N 3
|
|||
|
|
5. VERSE N 3
|
|||
|
|
6. L1 C 50 ;text goes to the Ln fields,
|
|||
|
|
7. L2 C 50 ;with no word-wrap. Use
|
|||
|
|
8. L3 C 50 ;quotes where appropriate
|
|||
|
|
9. L4 C 50
|
|||
|
|
10. L5 C 50
|
|||
|
|
11. L6 C 50
|
|||
|
|
12. XR1 C 10 ;cross-references to other
|
|||
|
|
13. XR2 C 10 ;verses - often found in
|
|||
|
|
14. XR3 C 10 ;the margins between col's
|
|||
|
|
15. XR4 C 10
|
|||
|
|
16. COMMENTS MEMO ;citations, comments, sermons
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Please contact me through 138/45, or by voice at 604-758-4137,
|
|||
|
|
and let me know if you would like to participate. Thanks!
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 24 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
typed by Infect
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Note: The following article was typed in from the October/
|
|||
|
|
November issue of THRASHER magazine, page 75.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In The Crowd: Tom Jennings
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The THRASHER Computer Bulletin Board System (BBS) has been
|
|||
|
|
an information exchange for more than 1200 skaters since its
|
|||
|
|
start in 1985. Those who have called might recognize the name
|
|||
|
|
Tom Jennings -- not only is he a regular caller, but the author
|
|||
|
|
of Fido -- the BBS program -- the standard in electronic BBS's.
|
|||
|
|
Since Tom's first crude Fido program in late 1983, his creation
|
|||
|
|
has spread across the entire U.S., most of Western Europe,
|
|||
|
|
Australia, and parts of Asia. Each Fido board is linked into a
|
|||
|
|
gigantic network, FidoNet, which comes alive automatically every
|
|||
|
|
night at 1:00am. Machines call each other and exchange informa-
|
|||
|
|
tion across the globe. If you're asking yourself what this means
|
|||
|
|
read on, as Tom sheds some light in an interview with the sysop
|
|||
|
|
of THRASHER BBS.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
THRASHER: EXPLAIN WHAT FIDO IS.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TJ: Fido is a program which turns a personal computer into a BBS
|
|||
|
|
system. A BBS is a computer connected to a telephone line thru
|
|||
|
|
a modem to form a kind of information base. Other people with
|
|||
|
|
computers call BBS's and write messages to other callers, read
|
|||
|
|
messages from other callers, amd take programs and text files. A
|
|||
|
|
different community develops with every BBS and many times the
|
|||
|
|
conversations that take place thru the messages are quite good.
|
|||
|
|
A lot of boards are set up by techies for techies, but there are
|
|||
|
|
more and more underground, non-technical boards, like THRASHER.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Anyone who uses Fido software to run a bulletin board can be
|
|||
|
|
part of a network called FidoNet. FidoNet is a loose collection
|
|||
|
|
of BBS's with nothing in common but Fido software.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet connects all the BBS's together, so the machines
|
|||
|
|
themselves exchange long distance connections and help keep
|
|||
|
|
phone costs down. There are about 1500 'nodes' grouped together
|
|||
|
|
into different 'nets'.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Up until about September most organizational work for Fido-
|
|||
|
|
Net was being done by a few people in one place. This didn't
|
|||
|
|
really work, so we've recently gone to a system of total
|
|||
|
|
anarchy. Implemented anarchy thru computers -- a real science
|
|||
|
|
fiction organization. There's going to be no center, the work
|
|||
|
|
will be spread out over the country and generated simultaneously
|
|||
|
|
in 13 places.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are lots of ways to look at the new organization. One
|
|||
|
|
is that it's taking a lot of decision making out of human hands
|
|||
|
|
and giving it to a machine. But what's being taken amounts to
|
|||
|
|
grunt-work, making a fucking list. This list has got to be 100%
|
|||
|
|
accurate, it's boring work -- no creativity involved. Machines
|
|||
|
|
can do that shit. It might sound de humanizing, but now instead
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 25 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
of having to do such boring work, people can go out and have
|
|||
|
|
fun. That's what it's all about, that's what computers are
|
|||
|
|
about, not the opposite.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Everyone thinks of computers as these big institutional
|
|||
|
|
things with narrow, specified applications. People don't
|
|||
|
|
realize that computers are just another toy. They're just
|
|||
|
|
another tool. You can do anything you want with a handsaw, you
|
|||
|
|
can build all sorts of things, and a computer is just another
|
|||
|
|
tool. So many people won't believe that, just don't understand.
|
|||
|
|
It's really obnoxious. Kids at school now have BASIC examples
|
|||
|
|
in the columns of their textbooks, but computers are not about
|
|||
|
|
learning different computer languages. Computers can help
|
|||
|
|
change the way you think about things and teach you to define
|
|||
|
|
new realities. Like, what does this look like or do for the
|
|||
|
|
user, what does it look like to me the programmer? Problem
|
|||
|
|
solving is what it is, learning to think about how to break
|
|||
|
|
problems down.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
All the concepts of computers -- loops, stacks, multitasking
|
|||
|
|
and interrupts -- those are human concepts. They're narrow,
|
|||
|
|
rigid human concepts, which is why they can be put into machines
|
|||
|
|
like this. Humans made those ideas up. You're reading a book
|
|||
|
|
and somebody interrupts you...you put your finger where you were
|
|||
|
|
and you talk to them and you come back and start from there.
|
|||
|
|
That's exactly what the machine does. And it does it because
|
|||
|
|
that's the way humans defined it, it's not the other way around.
|
|||
|
|
The techie guys are making it seem like it's some arbitrary,
|
|||
|
|
holy mathematical construct. It's just another idea, and they
|
|||
|
|
never explain it like that. No one uses those analogies because
|
|||
|
|
they don't sound technical.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
THRASHER: I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO AVOID COMPUTERS
|
|||
|
|
BECAUSE THEY THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BREAK THEM...
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TJ: That's typical, but the opposite is true. I was at Malibu
|
|||
|
|
Grand Prix yesterday, where most reasonably good drivers can
|
|||
|
|
do between 55 and 60 seconds per lap. There was a guy who kept
|
|||
|
|
doing 88 second laps -- turning it around the corners, not
|
|||
|
|
squealing the tires. Then, all of a sudden his time jumped to
|
|||
|
|
60 seconds. He got out and he said, "I just realized how it
|
|||
|
|
works, you don't just roll it around, you make the thing work."
|
|||
|
|
Skateboards are like that. If you just roll along and turn by
|
|||
|
|
steering the trucks you'd never get anywhere, it would be boring
|
|||
|
|
very quickly. You realize the only way to make it go is to beat
|
|||
|
|
the living shit out of it and make it work for a living. Thrash
|
|||
|
|
it on the curb, flip it in the air and jump off ramps and land
|
|||
|
|
on your ass a whole lot, and you get better and better. You
|
|||
|
|
realize there's a whole other level you go beyond. Sometimes
|
|||
|
|
you find out by breaking it. And even that applies to things
|
|||
|
|
like computers, or anything, because human techniques are human
|
|||
|
|
techniques and people learn how to do things. That's what makes
|
|||
|
|
us human beings and not dogs. A dog will figure out how to open
|
|||
|
|
a door and it won't usually figure out that it means you can
|
|||
|
|
open the other door this way, it will go thru the whole same
|
|||
|
|
process with another kind of door. A little kid will figure it
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 26 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
out instantly and see a parallel, a door is a door. And that's
|
|||
|
|
how humans solve problems, machines or no machines. That is the
|
|||
|
|
level it works and people just don't see it because it's alwaus
|
|||
|
|
clouded in mystique and bullshit.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
THRASHER: WHERE DO YOU THINK COMPUTER FIT INTO, OR WILL FIT
|
|||
|
|
INTO, THE LIVES OF KIDS WHO READ THRASHER?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TJ: I have an 18 year old friend who has an Apple with a printer
|
|||
|
|
and he uses it just like he uses his calculator. He couldn't
|
|||
|
|
care less about it. When he wants to write a paper for school
|
|||
|
|
he does it on his computer, just because it's easier to type
|
|||
|
|
there than on a typewriter or by hand, because he can go back
|
|||
|
|
and fix things. It's not a big deal for him. And that's
|
|||
|
|
probably a pretty typical attitude, not liking it but putting up
|
|||
|
|
with it. It's just another tool, might as well know how to use
|
|||
|
|
it. Actually, I was out skating in Golden Gate Park, trying to
|
|||
|
|
learn a few tricks, and these kids came by and gave me the most
|
|||
|
|
non-asshole advice I'd ever gotten in my life. None of this
|
|||
|
|
put-down stuff, no expert-playing, a couple of kids came by, it
|
|||
|
|
was very humbling at first, I'm like twice their age...but any-
|
|||
|
|
way, we got to talking about computers and stuff. They weren't
|
|||
|
|
particularly interested, they said they didn't see a connection
|
|||
|
|
between it. I mean, why would anybody with a skateboard be
|
|||
|
|
interested in computers and viceversa. I mentioned the THRASHER
|
|||
|
|
BBS, which one kid had heard of, so who knows. I think now it's
|
|||
|
|
just another fun thing out there. It might be fun and it might
|
|||
|
|
be boring. It's just the computer nuts who want to have it
|
|||
|
|
different.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
THRASHER: NOT MANY PEOPLE START SKATING AT YOUR AGE [31], WHAT
|
|||
|
|
MADE YOU START?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
TJ: I think it was your fault. You started sending me THRASHER.
|
|||
|
|
I started looking at it and sort of laughing. And the more I
|
|||
|
|
looked at it the more it looked like fun, so I went out and
|
|||
|
|
bought myself a board. If something is scary or a mystery it
|
|||
|
|
should be learned. There are too many things that are just
|
|||
|
|
stupidly scary for no reason at all. Just get rid of them. All
|
|||
|
|
of these things are being built by human beings, for human
|
|||
|
|
beings, so...if it's fun you should do it, if it's not any fun
|
|||
|
|
you shouldn't do it -- if you can possibly avoid it.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-=>THRASHER BBS.............(415) 822-5630 125/8
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 27 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Todd C. Looney
|
|||
|
|
Vietnam Veteran's Valhalla
|
|||
|
|
Fido 143/27
|
|||
|
|
(408)293-7894
|
|||
|
|
300/1200/2400 Bauds
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
NATIONAL VIETNAM VETERAN'S ECHO-MAIL CONFERENCE
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There is one other wall, of course.
|
|||
|
|
One we never speak of.
|
|||
|
|
One we never see,
|
|||
|
|
One which separates memory from madness.
|
|||
|
|
In a place no one offers flowers.
|
|||
|
|
THE WALL WITHIN.
|
|||
|
|
We permit no visitors.
|
|||
|
|
By Steve Mason
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I started out with Steve Mason's poem because it tells a story in
|
|||
|
|
itself. I believe it accurately describes in very few words one
|
|||
|
|
of the very many complex, and probably one of the most protected,
|
|||
|
|
commonalities shared not only among a vast majority of military
|
|||
|
|
combat veterans of ANY war, but among nearly every person who has
|
|||
|
|
witnessed and survived any kind of life-threatening traumatic
|
|||
|
|
experience as well. This "wall" shields us from our darkest,
|
|||
|
|
most horrifying memories. It is, without question, one of the
|
|||
|
|
most significant components manifested in Post-Traumatic Stress
|
|||
|
|
Syndrome (PTS).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
One of the toughest things for any combat veteran can be to open
|
|||
|
|
his or herself up (yes, there are women who have seen combat,
|
|||
|
|
too) to another human being and share the traumatic events from
|
|||
|
|
their past. It is rare in this instance when the occasion can be
|
|||
|
|
found when both the will and and a sympathetic, non critical ear
|
|||
|
|
are both available at the same time. Most of find it very hard,
|
|||
|
|
even when conditions are perfect, to "tell it like it really
|
|||
|
|
was". One has to have an awful lot of trust in a person to risk
|
|||
|
|
the consequences of lowering "the wall" , much less to permit
|
|||
|
|
others to visit among our long-since buried memories and
|
|||
|
|
feelings. When it gets right down to the line, most of us lose
|
|||
|
|
the courage to face the emotional ramifications which
|
|||
|
|
unmercifully enshroud us when we dare to share our deepest, most
|
|||
|
|
personal secrets with someone else. It is especially difficult
|
|||
|
|
when that other person has never experienced the same kind of
|
|||
|
|
traumatic events, making it difficult if not impossible for them
|
|||
|
|
to truly understand our pain.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
How do you tell someone who has never experienced combat what it
|
|||
|
|
REALLY feels like to witness a comrades violent death? What will
|
|||
|
|
that person think of you when you tell them what it REALLY feels
|
|||
|
|
like to have to take the life of another human being? Is the
|
|||
|
|
emotional relief from getting it off your chest REALLY worth the
|
|||
|
|
gamble of possible rejection, ridicule, or criticism? Well, I
|
|||
|
|
can tell you from my own experiences that is is far less painful
|
|||
|
|
to keep the "walls" in place than it is to face up to the
|
|||
|
|
terrifying realities they imprison.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 28 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are a few places where I can feel safe bringing up those
|
|||
|
|
old, painful memories; places where I can slowly pull each one
|
|||
|
|
out and deal with it in a comfortable atmosphere free of mis-
|
|||
|
|
understanding and criticism. The local Vietnam Veterans Outreach
|
|||
|
|
Center is one, but I sometimes have problems in one-on-ones. The
|
|||
|
|
others are computer bulletin boards where I can find others like
|
|||
|
|
myself who have been there and understand where I am coming from.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I started a bulletin board just like that in my home in San Jose,
|
|||
|
|
California, now the Vietnam Veteran's Valhalla. I also conceived
|
|||
|
|
of a national echo-mail conference devoted to the Vietnam Veteran
|
|||
|
|
and put out the call for supporters across the country. That
|
|||
|
|
call was answered by three other Fido bulletin board sysops.
|
|||
|
|
Together, we have linked our systems between the east and west
|
|||
|
|
coasts and I am proud to boast of our success. The other boards
|
|||
|
|
who have become a part of this conference are:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The New York Transfer, 107/105, Bob Richards-sysop
|
|||
|
|
718-442-1056 300/1200/2400 bauds
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The BNC Connector, 151/301, Bob Schreiber-sysop
|
|||
|
|
704-262-1861 300/1200/2400 Bauds
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Blowtorch, 109/606, Alexander Wall-sysop
|
|||
|
|
202-686-9398 300/1200 Bauds
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
There are people from all walks of life contributing to the
|
|||
|
|
National Vietnam Veterans Echo-Mail Conference; combat and non-
|
|||
|
|
combat veterans from all wars, non-veterans of all ages,
|
|||
|
|
Vietnamese military veterans and refugees. Just because you are
|
|||
|
|
not a Vietnam Veteran, or even a military veteran at all for that
|
|||
|
|
matter, is no reason not to call one of the boards closest to
|
|||
|
|
you. All you need is an interest in learning about the realities
|
|||
|
|
of the Vietnam war, and hearing about it from those of us who
|
|||
|
|
were actually there; who know the true cost of war and have paid that
|
|||
|
|
price. No historian, unless he or she has been there personally,
|
|||
|
|
can tell you what WE can!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
We want to put out the call again and ask for the support of
|
|||
|
|
other Fido sysops around the country to become a part of this
|
|||
|
|
valuable public service by hosting and/or coordinating the Vietnam
|
|||
|
|
Veterans Echo-Mail Conference in your area. Please contact me,
|
|||
|
|
Todd Looney, at the Vietnam Veteran's Valhalla in San Jose,
|
|||
|
|
California by FidoNet mail at node 143/27 to tell me you have
|
|||
|
|
decided to join us! If you are on the east coast, please contact
|
|||
|
|
Bob Richards, the east coast coordinator, at the New York
|
|||
|
|
Transfer in Staten Island, New York 107/105.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you're a regular subscriber of the Fido Newsletter, this will
|
|||
|
|
be the third time you have read about this. Why are you putting
|
|||
|
|
it off? We need your support today! We especially need your
|
|||
|
|
help if you are in one of the Mid-Western states (or anywhere
|
|||
|
|
between California and New York for that matter). This type of
|
|||
|
|
public service is still quite a unique one to the world, and I
|
|||
|
|
think you will agree it is a service whose time has come and
|
|||
|
|
needs desperately to be addressed. We can't really make it as
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 29 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
successful as we would like without your help.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Echo-Mail is one of the most effective means of mass-
|
|||
|
|
communications brought to light this century, let's USE it!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PLEASE JOIN US!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
.....
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 30 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
COLUMNS
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Jerry Hindle
|
|||
|
|
123/6 123/0
|
|||
|
|
MemphisNet
|
|||
|
|
2400 baud MAX
|
|||
|
|
901-353-4563
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hello again......
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This time I am reviewing a terminal program called BOYAN-C1.
|
|||
|
|
This program has quite a few unique features that will no doubt make
|
|||
|
|
it a LOT easier for one to operate when calling a bulletin board. I
|
|||
|
|
have only had this file for a few days and already I have noticed a
|
|||
|
|
distinct drop in my on-line time when calling long distance systems.
|
|||
|
|
This in itself should be enough for most but the author has decided
|
|||
|
|
to go a lot farther by adding such features as a complete file
|
|||
|
|
handler BUILT IN the program itself. You can do such mundane things
|
|||
|
|
as copy, move, rename, or delete files with this feature but I find
|
|||
|
|
the best use is one I think not one person has thought of before...to
|
|||
|
|
wit marking the files for either uploading or downloading. He has
|
|||
|
|
also included a feature that makes X-modem protocol file transfers
|
|||
|
|
almost as easy to do as the Tele-Link file transfer is now. This is
|
|||
|
|
the ability of the terminal package to remember the filename you are
|
|||
|
|
downloading from a bulletin board when you type it in, thus when you
|
|||
|
|
have entered the information for downloading on the system all you
|
|||
|
|
need do is hit the PgDn and the term program will insert the filename
|
|||
|
|
for you on your disk.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This program has no limit to the amount of buffer since it uses
|
|||
|
|
the disk itself for storing info automatically. It also can handle
|
|||
|
|
editing a file of any size due to the same reason, it uses the disk
|
|||
|
|
as a buffer !
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The many features of this program are too varied and good for me
|
|||
|
|
to fully describe here, but I will say that the author has shown a
|
|||
|
|
great deal of imagination in writing this one and I for one think it
|
|||
|
|
is well worth the requested SHAREWARE donation.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The file in ARC format is about 144k long but when you un-ARC it
|
|||
|
|
you should do it to either a hard drive or an EMPTY floppy as it is a
|
|||
|
|
real hog for space.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 31 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
FOR SALE
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MAGAZINE ON DISK FOR IBM PC AND COMPATIBLES
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The first issue of BIG BLUE DISK, a magazine on disk for the IBM
|
|||
|
|
Personal Computer and compatibles, is currently on sale.
|
|||
|
|
It is contained entirely on a floppy disk. Each issue contains
|
|||
|
|
programs, articles, feedback from subscribers, program reviews
|
|||
|
|
and demos, and more.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For example, issue number one contains the following:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- PLANET OF THE ROBOTS: In this text adventure, a time warp has
|
|||
|
|
transported you to a future Earth where robots rule. Can you
|
|||
|
|
find your way back?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- HOP-A-LONG HANGMAN: A new version of the classic word game,
|
|||
|
|
with three different skill levels and word sets.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- LIFETIME CALENDAR: Travel back in time or plan the future.
|
|||
|
|
Display any month from January, 1753 to December, 4999.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- LOAN AMORTIZATION: Calculate simple interest loan terms that
|
|||
|
|
best suit your budget. This easy-to-use program produces a full
|
|||
|
|
amortization schedule.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
- STRING ART: This program generates many captivating patterns.
|
|||
|
|
Check it out; a little high-tech cloud watching is good for the
|
|||
|
|
soul.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
In addition, BIG BLUE DISK #1 contains a column of hints and
|
|||
|
|
tips; and a report of late-breaking news in the computer
|
|||
|
|
industry. Also, for the first time anywhere, BIG BLUE DISK
|
|||
|
|
presents a review of VersaForm XL version 4.0, the latest version
|
|||
|
|
of an inexpensive but powerful forms-oriented database.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
This issue is available at many outlets nationwide,
|
|||
|
|
including Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Booksellers. You can also
|
|||
|
|
order it by direct mail by sending $9.95 (check, money order, or
|
|||
|
|
Visa/Mastercard/American Express accepted) to: BIG BLUE DISK, PO
|
|||
|
|
BOX 30008, SHREVEPORT, LA 71130-0008.
|
|||
|
|
Mail subscriptions are also available: One year (12 monthly
|
|||
|
|
issues) costs only $69.95. (A 41% savings over newsstand price.)
|
|||
|
|
A six-month subscription is available for $39.95.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
BIG BLUE DISK requires an IBM PC or compatible, with at least
|
|||
|
|
256K of memory and a Color Graphics Adapter or compatible
|
|||
|
|
graphics board.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Send questions/comments to Daniel Tobias on FIDO 19/216.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 32 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Bill Hunter
|
|||
|
|
FidoNet BBS 109/626
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Disk I/O Slowing you down?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are you dealing with a large Database that takes forever to read?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Is your Network bogged down due to disk seek time?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Do you simply want to make better use of the Extended/Expanded
|
|||
|
|
memory capacity on your system?
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Your solution is:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
D I S C A C H E V 0.01
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE can help you recover lost seconds when it counts.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE works by keeping commonly accessed disk data in memory
|
|||
|
|
so that when such data is read it is copied from memory rather
|
|||
|
|
than read from disk.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE supports 3-types of memory:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Conventional (to 640K)
|
|||
|
|
Extended - AT memory via BIOS INT 15
|
|||
|
|
Expanded - via Lotus/Intel EMS
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE can help you utilize ALL of your Extended/Expanded
|
|||
|
|
memory to the fullest, as it helps you get the most from your
|
|||
|
|
system.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE is available to you through the FidoNet News, not at
|
|||
|
|
the full price ($75.00), but for only: $49.00 (aren't you glad
|
|||
|
|
you read the FidoNews?).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DISCACHE can be obtained by sending your check or money order
|
|||
|
|
(NO CASH PLEASE) and a description of your equipment type (i.e.
|
|||
|
|
System and Hard Disk/controller card, etc.) to: W.E.G. Systems,
|
|||
|
|
P.O. Box 5072, Springfield, VA 22150. Or contact us via FidoMail
|
|||
|
|
for information, on the WAFRUG_BBS 109/626 at (703)-425-0695.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
(DISCACHE supports only those hard disks that are accessible via
|
|||
|
|
standard BIOS interface!)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 33 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Full Disclosure announces a special subscription drive for
|
|||
|
|
new subscribers. Full Disclosure is offering for a limited time
|
|||
|
|
only, absolutely FREE three issue subscriptions. This offer
|
|||
|
|
applies to new subscribers only. All you have to do is reply to
|
|||
|
|
this offer now. Full Disclosure is normally $15/yr (12 issues).
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Full Disclosure is a hard hitting newspaper that doesn't use
|
|||
|
|
government press releases for its stories. We use information
|
|||
|
|
obtained from private sources that don't have a vested interest
|
|||
|
|
in promoting big government, and from extensive use of the
|
|||
|
|
Freedom of Information Act. Summaries of world news from
|
|||
|
|
numerous foreign publications are also included in each issue.
|
|||
|
|
Since 1984, we've reported on citizens rights, government
|
|||
|
|
corruption, secrecy, and other topics of interest.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
And our stories bring results. Full Disclosure's interview
|
|||
|
|
with retired CIA agent Victor Marchetti had such a big impact
|
|||
|
|
that it was included in a course on intelligence at Yale
|
|||
|
|
University, an Ivy League school and one of America's most
|
|||
|
|
prestigious institutions of higher learning. That's the kind of
|
|||
|
|
coverage that led Sound Choice to remark:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
``This is a type of publication that is especially needed.
|
|||
|
|
Full Disclosure publishes research on government agencies'
|
|||
|
|
illegal and immoral (often highly secret) actions against its
|
|||
|
|
citizens and environment... Don't think such things aren't
|
|||
|
|
happening -- they are. Don't get scared -- get aware.''
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Hurry and send your name and address along with a request
|
|||
|
|
for a special three issue free subscription to: Full Disclosure,
|
|||
|
|
Box 8275-FI2, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Or reply to Fido 120/31.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 34 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Structured Programming Language is a SHARE WARE free format
|
|||
|
|
block structured programming language that runs on MSDOS and
|
|||
|
|
PCDOS computer systems. It may be obtained by calling a bulletin
|
|||
|
|
board system at 516 334 8221. Download SPLLIB.ARC at 1200 or 300
|
|||
|
|
baud. It takes only 20 minutes to download at 1200 baud. It is
|
|||
|
|
also available from PC BLUE in New York City. If you like the
|
|||
|
|
software I strongly recommend that you REGISTER and PAY for the
|
|||
|
|
software because I would like to make an honest living just like
|
|||
|
|
you do. There is no need to be validated on the bbs to download
|
|||
|
|
files. For software support call Electronic Digital Computer
|
|||
|
|
Systems at 516 694 5872. In the near future look for the
|
|||
|
|
language on net.micro.pc conference on USENET.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Some major features and advantages of SPL
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
o SPL is an alternative to the PASCAL and C languages
|
|||
|
|
o SPL programs can be run on MACINTOSH,AMIGA,ATARI ST,CP/M
|
|||
|
|
o The SPL processor will run on MSDOS emulators on MACINTOSH,
|
|||
|
|
AMIGA,ATARI ST
|
|||
|
|
o PROCEDURES
|
|||
|
|
o WHILE loops
|
|||
|
|
o FOR loops with REAL and INTEGER indicies and increments
|
|||
|
|
o REPEAT loops
|
|||
|
|
o Powerful IF THEN ELSE constructs
|
|||
|
|
o Powerful RANDOM and SEQUENTIAL INPUT/OUTPUT including
|
|||
|
|
formatted OUTPUT
|
|||
|
|
o GRAPHICS statements PSET DRAW LINE CIRCLE PRESET SCREEN .....
|
|||
|
|
o BEGIN END blocks
|
|||
|
|
o ERROR trapping
|
|||
|
|
o Statement labels (multiple labels supported)
|
|||
|
|
o Strong data types INTEGER REAL STRING scalars and arrays
|
|||
|
|
o Names of variables and labels up to 40 characters upper and
|
|||
|
|
lower case
|
|||
|
|
o Supports mathematical functions SIN COS TAN LOG EXP .....
|
|||
|
|
o STRING functions MID$ LEFT$ RIGHT$ STR$ VAL$ ASC$ .....
|
|||
|
|
o Your compiled BASIC programs do not become obsolete link
|
|||
|
|
them together
|
|||
|
|
o SPL programs run faster than PASCAL programs
|
|||
|
|
o SPL programs can take advantage of an entire 640k IBM PC
|
|||
|
|
o The SPL processor will work on an IBM PCjr with 128k and
|
|||
|
|
1 drive
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 35 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
NOTICES
|
|||
|
|
=================================================================
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
The Interrupt Stack
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
3 Dec 1986
|
|||
|
|
Start of the Electronic Mail Association conference in
|
|||
|
|
Washigton, D.C.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
7 Dec 1986
|
|||
|
|
The Next Occasional MetroNet Sysop Meeting. Contact Gee Wong
|
|||
|
|
at 107/312 for details.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
24 Aug 1989
|
|||
|
|
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
If you have something which you would like to see on this
|
|||
|
|
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
**** 1987 - A Microprocessor Odyssey ****
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
( or Who needs a Monolith? )
|
|||
|
|
. + .
|
|||
|
|
* _ +
|
|||
|
|
* . -(_)-
|
|||
|
|
+
|
|||
|
|
_______________ *
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
. . -=|| | .
|
|||
|
|
-=|| | +
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
-=|| 80386 |
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
-----------------=|| |-----------------------
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
-=|| |
|
|||
|
|
\|_____________|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
MY GOD, ITS FULL OF BUGS!!!!!!!!!
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Artwork By Randall Kobetich 150/130
|
|||
|
|
Idea - Mike Jacobs 150/900
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
I.P.R. Echomail
|
|||
|
|
( Interpersonal Relationships )
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 36 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Are you interested in the discussing the moral,social, and
|
|||
|
|
ethical issuses of our time? I have had quite a bit of success
|
|||
|
|
offering such a message sig on my B.B.S. It has encouraged a
|
|||
|
|
great deal of intelligent interaction. Have several issues often
|
|||
|
|
passed through your board on today's controversial subjects like
|
|||
|
|
Euthinasia, Divorce, Abortion, public aide programs, Genetic
|
|||
|
|
Engineering Etc.? Well then you may be interested in hooking your
|
|||
|
|
users into I.P.R. National Echomail. This forum is assured to
|
|||
|
|
spur users to engage in stating the various viewpoints in an
|
|||
|
|
interesting fashion that will get all involved. It is an
|
|||
|
|
enjoyable sig for everyone. It is a fun "CONTROVERSY" forum.
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
For information on how to hookup please Netmail a note to:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Randall Kobetich 150/130
|
|||
|
|
Wilmington, Delaware
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fidonews Page 37 24 Nov 1986
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
__
|
|||
|
|
The World's First / \
|
|||
|
|
BBS Network /|oo \
|
|||
|
|
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
|||
|
|
_`@/_ \ _
|
|||
|
|
| | \ \\
|
|||
|
|
| (*) | \ ))
|
|||
|
|
______ |__U__| / \//
|
|||
|
|
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
|||
|
|
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (jm)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Charter Membership for the International FidoNet Association
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
|
|||
|
|
pays an annual specified membership fee. IFNA serves the
|
|||
|
|
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
|
|||
|
|
increase worldwide communications.**
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Name _________________________________ Date ________
|
|||
|
|
Address ______________________________
|
|||
|
|
City & State _________________________
|
|||
|
|
Country_______________________________
|
|||
|
|
Phone (Voice) ________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Net/Node Number ______________________
|
|||
|
|
Board Name____________________________
|
|||
|
|
Phone (Data) _________________________
|
|||
|
|
Baud Rate Supported___________________
|
|||
|
|
Board Restrictions____________________
|
|||
|
|
Special Interests_____________________
|
|||
|
|
______________________________________
|
|||
|
|
______________________________________
|
|||
|
|
Is there some area where you would be
|
|||
|
|
willing to help out in FidoNet?_______
|
|||
|
|
______________________________________
|
|||
|
|
______________________________________
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Send your membership form and a check or money order for $25 to:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
International FidoNet Association
|
|||
|
|
P. O. Box 41143
|
|||
|
|
St Louis, Missouri 63141, USA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
|
|||
|
|
insure the future of FidoNet.
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** Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
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in formation and BYLAWS are presently being prepared by an
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International Rules Committee. Membership requirements and fees
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are subject to approval of this Committee. An IFNA Echomail
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Conference has been established on FidoNet to assist the BYLAWS
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Committee. We welcome your input on this Conference.
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