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SEP RELAYNET INTERNATIONAL MESSAGE EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER 1990
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<20>Canada Norway<61>
<20> <20> Scotland
<20> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>Ŀ <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>Ŀ
<20> <20>USA <20> <20> <20>
<20> <20> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>ͻ <20>
<20> <20> <20> <20> <20>
<20> <20> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>Ķ <20> <20>
<20> <20> <20> <20> R E L A Y N E T <20> <20>
<20> Japan <20><><EFBFBD>Ĵ <20> <20> <20>
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<20> <20> <20> <20> <20> <20>
<20> <20> <20>Portugal <20> <20> <20>
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<20> <20>Australia <20> <20> <20> <20>
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<20> <20> <20>
<20>Denmark <20> <20>
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<20>Holland Saudi Arabia<69>
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The RIME Times is published monthly by the membership of RelayNet
International Message Exchange as its official newsletter. Users and
Sysops are encouraged to contribute. Submissions and questions may be
directed to the editors John Dodson, node ->CANTINA or Ed Lazarowitz, node
->CAPCON.
(c)Copyright 1990, The RelayNet International Message Exchange. Permission
is hereby granted for unlimited distribution and duplication, provided
such distribution and duplication are strictly for non-commercial purposes
only. All other rights reserved. RelayNet and RIME are registered
trademarks.
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CONTENTS
EDITORS FILE 2
by John Dodson, Node id ->CANTINA
MEET THE CONFERENCE HOST 2
by Paul Segal, Node ID ->CAPCON
IN SEARCH OF ACRONYMS 3
by Ed Lazarowitz, Node id ->CAPCON
A RELAYNET LIMERICK 4
By Kathi Webster, Node id ->GODFTHR
ROUTING MESSAGES 5
By Patrick Lee, Node id ->RUNNINGB
CONFERENCE NEWS 8
by Skip Ross, Node id ->ACC
OH CANADA, EH? 11
by Jeff Woods, Node id ->MUSICAL
BEGINNERS CORNER 12
by Jim Daly, Node id ->TREASURE
'C' TUTOR 14
by Doug Maclean, Node id ->RUNNINGB
THE LEGAL CORNER 18
by James J. Spinelli, Node ID ->VMC
PUZZLE CONTEST! 22
NOTES FROM ADMIN 24
by Bonnie Anthony, Node id ->RUNNINGA
AS SEEN ON THE BIT STREAM 24
NOTICES 25
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+---------------------------------+
| EDITORS FILE |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by John Dodson, Node id ->CANTINA
Welcome to the September issue of RIME Times! Lots of good articles in
this issue! We get to meet Paul Segal, host of the Photography conference.
Kathy Webster serves up a fine RelayNet limerick (I am now convinced the
network contains a large proportion of avant garde poets ;-) ). The ever-
present Patrick Lee explains all there is to know about routing messages.
Our "regular" RIME Times contributors have come through again with another
batch of fine articles: Humour by New-age Canadian (or is that Comedian?)
Jeff Woods, more legal-speak by steering committee member James Spinelli,
another technical 'C' column by Doug Maclean and a nice communications
tutorial by our ever-patient tutor Jim Daly.
Nine new conferences have been added in the past month! The growth of RIME
continues to amaze me. New conferences and a slew of nodes are added each
month. There are discussions going on now in the Mini-Admin and Net Users
conferences about the rapid growth of RelayNet and whether this growth
should be limited in any way. The coming month should prove to be
interesting. If you have an opinion on the future growth of RelayNet, post
it now!
As you may have noticed we have changed the format a bit. The RIME Times
now contains a separate banner page and table of contents page. I was
tempted to make another contest out of the graphic design for the banner
page but the page looked so bare I just had to fill it! I think the global
nature of this electronic network of ours is most intriguing and I wanted
the design to reflect this global fascination. If I have missed any
countries, I apologize (and I am sure you will let me know forthwith!
<grin>). I hope you like the changes.
See you on the next relay!
+---------------------------------+
| MEET THE CONFERENCE HOST |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Paul Segal, Node ID ->CAPCON
My life can be divided into periods of when I was a photographer with
diversified interests in the world around me and when I was active in the
world around me with the hobby of photography, but I was always immersed in
the magic of cameras and darkrooms. I've always thought that a photographer
wasn't just a person with a camera but a person who understood the craft of
the darkroom as well. My father loved the hobby too, and built a darkroom
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into our home; I learned part of the craft by watching him develop and
print pictures.
When I was eleven, I made my first color print by a process that was
referred to as Washoff Relief (subsequently called Dye Transfer). Since
then I have taught photography for the Air Force and supervised labs in
both government and civil production. I have taught classes in light for
several organizations and schools.
I became involved with computers when I returned to school four years ago
and found them at the very core of academic life. I moved up through
Commodore 64, to an XT, to an AT, and I am at a point where I am fairly
comfortable at the keyboard.
This fall I will be a junior at University of Maryland, and I hope to be
able to continue as the Photography Conference Host and my academic studies
at the same time. I will be majoring in Sociology and possibly a minor in
Criminal Justice. And if this amount of activity isn't enough, I will also
be working at photography, too, with a new company called CAMERA OBSCURA.
I am devoting the time I spend on the board, hoping that I will be able to
pass along some of the things I have learned over the years.
I am single and live in a detached house in Wheaton, MD with two cats
(felines), Jess and Michele. Anyone interested in conversing on the topic
of photography with me, can reach me through node id ->CAPCON (The Capitol
Connection BBS).
+---------------------------------+
| IN SEARCH OF ACRONYMS |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Ed Lazarowitz, Node id ->CAPCON
I thought it might be interesting to keep a sort of running list of all the
various acronyms and abbreviations we use while messaging on RIME. I hope
this can be a 'living list', with all of you contributing on a regular
basis:
AA - Adios Amigo!
BRB - Be Right Back (most used in CHAT mode)
BCNU - Be Seein' You
BTW - By The Way
CUL8R - See You Later
FWIW - For What It's Worth
IANAL - I Am Not A Lawyer
IMCO - In My Considered (or Conceited) Opinion
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion
ITIWO - In The Immortal Words Of
L8R, G8R - Later, Gator
OTOH - On The Other Hand
ROTM - Right On The Money
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RTFM - Read The F(antastic) Manual
SC - Steering Committee
TANSTAAFL - There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now
TTMS - Talk (or Type) To Me Soon
TTYL - Talk (or Type) To You Later
TTYLA - Talk (or Type) To You Later, Alligator
While the following are not true acronyms, they do convey information;
albeit of a non-verbal form:
:) - Smiley face (the : are the eyes, the ) is the smile),
this statement or message is not to be taken seriously,
or this is something pleasing, favorable
:-) - Smiley face (with nose shown)
:^) - Smiley face (alternate nose)
8) - Various smiley faces wearing glasses
8-)
8^)
;) - Wink (take this in jest, or not meant seriously)
;-) - Wink (nose, alternate nose)
;^)
<smile> - More obvious smile
<grin> - Obvious variation on the above theme
:( - Various forms of a frown
:-(
:^(
Anyone interested in adding to this list, please send their additions to me
via COMMON in a Routed, R/O message. I'll be keeping track, and future
updates will be posted in the RIME Times!
+---------------------------------+
| A RELAYNET LIMERICK |
| |
+---------------------------------+
By Kathi Webster, Node id ->GODFTHR
There is a fine network called RIME
Which has been around for a time
And thus this wee ode
Comes forth from one node
To call this a poem is a crime!
Now first there's Bonnie to address
Who runs the NETHUB she'll confess
Where all messages meet
Then disperse, what a feat!
Much time and much effort, I'd guess!
Then we know Howard Belasco,
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Who handles the "Common" fiasco
Yeah, Bonnie's his sister
And best call him 'Mister'
He's one of tough guys ya know!<-Don't believe it!
The "SC" means Steering Committee
All members must be wise and witty
Or else quite insane
For what do they gain?
On a good day, I'd say its my pity!
The Conference Hosts come to play
To keep bashers and weirdos at bay
With much hocus pocus
They keep the main focus
Or as close as they can, I will say.
The best part of RIME are the USERS.
For the most part, devoid of abusers.
From all over the world
Their thoughts here unfurled.
International message perusers.
To end this, I'll say RIME is GREAT!
(or at least beats a weekend blind date)
Over 500 strong
Adding more to the throng
Stop lurking you folks and RELATE!
+---------------------------------+
| ROUTING MESSAGES |
| |
+---------------------------------+
By Patrick Lee, Node id ->RUNNINGB
One of the most under-utilized feature of PCRelay is routed messaging.
This may be because some users do not know how to route a message, or maybe
think that it is difficult to route. In any case, I hope to clear some of
this confusion up and possibly also provide some faster means of sending a
routed message.
First, let me define what a "node ID" is. A node ID is a easy way to
identify the individual nodes within RIME, because each board will have its
own unique node ID. It consists of eight uppercase letters, and is
generally the last tagline of a message. The node ID of the following
tagline is RUNNINGA.
++++++++
PCRelay:RUNNINGA -> #2 RelayNet (tm)
4.10 The Running Board * 301 229-5342 * MD
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Due to the way the network software operates, a message entered by another
user on the same board as you will not have a PCRelay tagline at the end of
that message. In such a case, a simple R/O (private) message will be
sufficient.
After finding the sender's node ID, starting in column one of line one,
type a dash and a greater than sign, followed by the node ID. It is very
important that this character string be the very first line of the message
to route. For example, to send a routed message to the Running Board BBS
above, type "->RUNNINGA" as the first line of your message. And there your
message goes as a routed message ... This is all you have to do in order to
send a routed message!
A routed message will only appear on the board you sent it from and the
receiver's board, but no where else; thus it saves time and money for other
Sysops who carry a particular conference so they don't have to pick up mail
which is of no interest to their users. In addition, routed messages will
certainly help reduce the already over-sized Common conference, which is a
mandatory conference for the more than 550 nodes of RIME. From what I have
been reading in Common, 25% (if not more) of those messages can be routed
because they are of no interest to anyone except the sender and the
receiver. The use of Routed messages will help all nodes of RIME to reduce
the cost of transferring mail.
An additional feature to the routed message function of PCRelay software,
is the ability of the network software to generate a return receipt to the
sender notifying of the arrival of the message on the recipient's board.
To get a return receipt, simply place an asterisk directly after the node
ID in the route request on the first line of your message. In other words,
do the same thing you do to route a message, but add an asterisk after the
node ID, like this:
->NODEID*
So following my example above, to send a user on the Running Board BBS a
routed message and request a return receipt, you will put "->RUNNINGA*" on
the first line of the message. The return receipt generated by the PCRelay
looks like the following:
Msg #: 3807 Ref #: 3774 Date : 08-10-90
From : PCRELAY Time : 07:15
To : PATRICK LEE Conference: TurboPasc
Subj : RETURN RECEIPT #4154 BBS Name : MOONDOG
Your message of 08-10-90 07:15 to GERRY POWER
Re:Batch file thread has arrived at CHANNEL
PCRelay:CHANNEL -> #15 RelayNet (tm)
4.10 Channel 1 (tm) * 617-354-8873 * 36 Lines
Keep in mind that the software does not know if the person the message is
addressed to actually read the message or not -- it can only tell you
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whether the message is available to read on the board you sent the message
to. Since this function generates an outgoing message, please do not
overuse this -- if every routed message has a return receipt requested,
mail packets will increase in size dramatically.
Furthermore, if you send a routed message to a board which does not exists,
PCRelay will send a message to you indicating such. A sample message
header is:
Msg #: 26256 Ref #: Date : 03-09-90
From : PCRELAY Time : 06:03
To : PATRICK LEE Conference: common
Subj : UNDELIVERABLE MAIL BBS Name : NYRUN
followed by the message you sent. This generally means that you typed a
wrong node ID for the board you intended to route the message to.
The last, but certainly not the least, feature of a routed message is this:
If you send a routed message with the Receiver Only (R/O) flag on, the
receiver will get the message regardless of whether the receiving BBS
supports 'private' mail. Nor does it matter if that particular person has
a private mail box opened with PCRelay or not. Normally, if you send a
non-routed R/O message to a person, he or she must have a mail box open in
order to receive it. However, with a routed R/O message, it will get to
the receiver regardless of that. This is a powerful function if you want
to send a private message to someone but do not know if he or she has a
mail box open. To quote Bonnie Anthony, who says "Routed mail goes as long
as the id code exists!"
In order to make routing a message easier, I have a few macros which will
automatically find the node ID of message you are replying to and put it at
the proper place for you. Here they are:
Macro for QEdit
This macro assumes that the message you are replying to is in the current
edit window you are calling this macro from. This macro can either be
placed in a text file to be compiled by QMac QEdit macro compiler or as a
long line in your QConfig keyboard configuration file. The initial state
of the insert, word wrap, etc. toggles are not relevant to this macro and
can be anyway you like.
@r macrobegin endfile find "PCRelay:" return "b" return jfalse
done: wordright markblockbegin find " ->" return "i" return
markblockend begfile splitline splitline "->" copyblock
unmarkblock cursordown cursordown begline done:
Macro for WordPerfect 5.x
This macro can be run in either insert or over-type mode. Simply record it
using Ctrl-F10 or enter it directly using the macro editor.
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{DISPLAY OFF}{Home}{Home}{Up}{Enter}{Enter}{Home}{Home}
{Down}{Search Left}PCRelay:{Search}{Block}{Search}<7D>->
{Search}{Left}{Left}{Left}{Move}bc{Home}{Home}{Up}->{Enter}
Macro for Brief
This macro, written by Doug MacLean (the host of the RIME Brief
conference), for the Brief editor has already appeared in an earlier issue
of the RIME Times. The macro can be found in the Brief conference or in
the May 1990 (RIME0590.ZIP) issue of the RIME Times under the article
"Brief Macros for EZ-Reader."
[Editors note: The following is a partial message capture posted by Yan
Juras and is a listing of the various ways messages can be sent. One
warning: The "ALL SYSOPS" NETWORK SYSOP message is used *ONLY* for
official network business. Unless you wish to receive the scorn of over
500 SysOps (I shudder at the thought!), please do not use it.]
To Send a Message to:
- a specific user, (To: name)
- a specific user, on a specific BBS, (->BBS, To: name)
- a specific user, R/O (R/O, To: name)
(goes to all (0 or more) boards where person has a mailbox)
- a specific user, on a specific BBS, R/O (->BBS, R/O, To: name)
(does not require the person to have a mailbox anywhere)
- ALL (To: ALL)
- ALL users on a specific BBS (->BBS, To: ALL)
- ALL SYSOPs (To: NETWORK SYSOP)
- the SYSOP of a specific BBS, (->BBS, To: NETWORK SYSOP)
- the SYSOP of a specific BBS, R/O (->BBS, R/O, To: NETWORK SYSOP)
- the SYSOPs of the Nodes of a specific Hub, (->HUBNAME,
To: NETWORK SYSOP)
(knowledge of Sysop's name is not necessary for these)
- ALL users on the Nodes of a specific Hub, (->HUBNAME, To: ALL)
+---------------------------------+
| CONFERENCE NEWS |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Skip Ross, Node id ->ACC
Well folks, it is time again for some New conferences! Please welcome
these! Also, please read the end of this message carefully.
NAME: EDUCATION
NUMBER: 220
DESCRIPTION: This conference will be the place for discussion of
all aspects of modern education.
HOST: Thomas Donnelly Node ID ->PGHS
ACTIVITY: NEW
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NAME: Computer Addicts
NUMBER: 221
DESCRIPTION: A place for all of us Computer Addicts to meet.
HOST: Steve Fraioli Node ID ->COLLECT
ACTIVITY: PRIVATE
Now, for the most important part of this message.
It is with deep regret that I must, at this time, announce my early
retirement from the position of Conference Coordinator, and also the
Hosting of the Conference Hosts Conference. It has been a very interesting
tenure, during which I have gotten to meet a good many of our fellow
RelayNetters, and also have had the great pleasure of initiating some of
our best conferences. As RIME has grown rapidly in the last year, so has my
own personal BBS, and it has become too hard for me to manage both duties
efficiently. Along with this message I will be releasing the last version
of the Conference List written by myself to everyone on the automatic send
list, and from henceforth, I will no longer honor any requests for this
file through my board. Please request this from Netnode in the future, or
until the Steering Committee names a new C.C. Thank You, everyone, for an
enjoyable time!
Skip Ross
[Editors note: Skip has done such an outstanding job that we hope (along
with everyone else!) he is just taking a "sabbatical" leave. Bonnie
Anthony is temporarily taken Skip's duties as conference coordinator. More
conference news from Bonnie follows.]
Here are some new conferences for your consideration. They look
interesting, so let's get them off to a good start:
NAME: Audio
NUMBER: 222
DESCRIPTION: Discussions centering around the latest news and
information in the home audio field. Reviews, general
information, and limited ads from private and public
sellers are accepted. The emphasis is on high-end
audio equipment and recording techniques, but all
are welcomed regardless of level of experience.
HOSTS: Frank White Node ID ->MAGNET
Collin Turner Node ID ->MAGNET
ACTIVITY: New
NAME: Broadcast Technology
NUMBER: 223
DESCRIPTION: Discussion of Topics related to audio and
video technology as involved in Broadcasting.
HOSTS: Mike Callaghan Node ID ->HOTTIPS
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Gunnar Reiger Node ID ->PRIZM
ACTIVITY: NEW
NAME: Clarion
NUMBER: 224
DESCRIPTION: The conference is for the discussion on the techniques
of the use of Clarion Professional Developer, it's
Language Extension Modules, Personal Developer, and other
products Clarion produces to support the development of
database applications.
HOST: John Meroth Node ID ->GODFTHR
ACTIVITY: NEW
Here are a few changes in our conference host situation.
Military (#41) - Deb Allen will now be the conference host at least while
Stan King is serving his country in the Middle East. Welcome Deb and
thanks for helping us while Stan helps is helping the world.
Women (#71) - Kathi Webster is the new co-host in the Women's Open
Conference. Kathi will be doing the major work of hosting the conference
and we wish her well in her new role here.
NUMBER: 225
NAME: DENTAL
DESCRIPTION: Discussions of current dental topics. Emphasis on
preventive dentistry, cosmetics, computer usage, emerging
technology, techniques, and treatment of dental diseases.
HOST: Art Brown, D.M.D. Node ID ->DTODAY
ACTIVITY: New
NUMBER: 226
NAME: IDC
DESCRIPTION: Support of the very popular CXL 'C' library among other
Innovative Data Concepts software. Supported by IDC
itself.
HOST: Chip Rabinowitz Node ID ->ROUND
Doug Maclean Node ID ->RUNNINGb
ACTIVITY: New
NUMBER: 227
NAME: Template Language Conf.
DESCRIPTION: This conference will discuss topics related to template
language products, such as UI2, Stage, Genifer but not
limited to only these. In addition, screen painter/code
generator programs will also fall into this conference
because of the similarities and that usually one migrates
from a screen painter to a template language product.
All products which fall into this spectrum of productivity
tools will be found here.
HOST: Robert Kantor Node ID ->DMIBBS
ACTIVITY: New
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NUMBER 228
NAME: SHEZ
DESCRIPTION: Author support of the well known and often used SHEZ
program.
HOST: Jim Derr
ACTIVITY: New
+---------------------------------+
| OH CANADA, EH? |
| |
+---------------------------------+
By Jeff Woods, Node id ->MUSICAL
Canadian humour from a guy who can't spell anymore.
Take off! Why would you want to move to Canada, eh? Isn't it just like
another state? Well, sort of. We don't WANT to be another state,
(though you can have Quebec, but they want to be independent). There's
this free trade thing. What's free about it? 13.5% federal sales taxes,
plus customs brokerage coming IN, but almost nothing coming out, and then
they have the nerve to call it "duty." But Canadians never complain.
The government should be glad we have what it takes.
Another thing is the metric system. Know it. Live by it. In the US you
have to transfer mail in megs. Well, in metric, you have to double the US
value and add 32. So one meg to you is 34 megs of mail in metric, and
then the phone company charges us in metric dollars (plus duty). Here are
some other common metric conversions, though:
Ten cards = one decacards One ten-trillionth dilly = one picodilly
One billion antics = 1 gigantic One millionth fish = 1 microfiche
Lastly, two tribes = 1 diatribe, unless you like in Oka, where it equals no
golf.
Honestly, I can't complain about the taxes here. At least my metric
dollars don't go to pay for a $750 million plane that can't fly. It goes
to build Canadian naval vessels that can't float. But, Canada did send
HALF of it's naval force to the Gulf. If that ship sinks, boy will we be
embarrassed.
There is also no racism here. All cultural hatred goes to those who were
taught to drive by those New York cabbies I wrote about a few months back.
That, and the rude obnoxious people at the borders. The Canadian border
has replaced the (now torn down) Berlin Wall as the hardest crossing to
make. Walking across "the pond" for a Brit would be easier. Which
reminds me of a story I heard as told by a comic.
He was coming to Canada to do a show. At the border, he's asked where
he's from. "I was born in the United States." "What's your business in
crossing the border." "I'm a comedian." But the border guy (who speaks
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only French, unless you are in Quebec, then they only speak PROPER French,
be damned the English speakers) thought he said "I'm a Canadian." After
a big go round, he got in. After the show on the way out, the same guy
asked him where he was born. The comic started speaking
incomprehensible, terrible French indicating he was actually a lost loon
from the Midwest. "What are you," he asked, "some kind of comedian?"
"No, I said I was from the United States."
And the Queen. We do spell "neighbour" and "cheque" differently. I
asked Colin what all that was, and he said, "The Queen's English". Of
COURSE she is, so why is her picture on the CANADIAN 2 dollar bill?!
In any case, it's definitely a different country. It's always 20 degrees
here, just like you have heard, and we drive like maniacs, at 60 on
residential streets. Money is coloured differently for each denomination,
and is most likely printed by the Parker Brothers in Vancouver from its
looks. And with that free trade deal, I think we have the answer. The
US can become the eleventh province (or the tenth once we kick out Quebec
for not wanting to learn English) if one thing were to happen. If you
ever saw "Strange Brew," the beer store where they tried the mouse trick
does exist. You cannot buy beer unless you are at a beer store, and it
comes rolling out this conveyor belt when you order it. All we have to do
is set up a giant conveyor belt from the Molson Breweries to the States,
and roll down one case of beer for every adult in the states. Two days
later we can just walk in, and take control. And why not? It's our
duty.....
Well, I have back bacon on the grill, and a two-four on ice, so I'll go put
on my tongue, eh, and I'll see you next month from the Great White North.
Good Day, eh! Now TAKE OFF, you Hoser!
P.S. If you really think we talk like that, let us know where the most
convenient border crossing is to install that conveyor.....
+---------------------------------+
| BEGINNERS CORNER |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Jim Daly, Node id ->TREASURE
A COMMUNICATIONS PRIMER
First things first!
It is important to understand that each character and number you send over
your Modem is represented by a string of 8 binary Bits which are simply 0's
and 1's. The 8 Bits together are called a Byte. A collection of Bytes is
called a file. For example:
BITS BYTE FILE
-------- ---- ----
01001101 = M |
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01000001 = A |--> MAN
01001110 = N |
So, in order for you to send the word "MAN" to another Modem your system
needs to send those 3-8 Bit Bytes to your Modem and your Modem then sends
them to the Remote Modem.
The above example is an ASCII file; meaning that it contains only those
characters, numbers, and punctuation marks that make up the ASCII printable
Character set from Decimal 32-127.
In addition to those ASCII characters from 32-127 those from 0-31 are known
as Control characters that perform special functions such as backspacing,
tabs, form feeds, etc. These are not printable characters and if they are
included in a file to be transferred, the file is known as a BINARY instead
of an ASCII file.
Having covered the basics of the Data you wish to transmit, let's look at
the 2 methods that can be used.
PARALLEL TRANSMISSION
---------------------
Think about a group of 8 people waiting to get into the It's a Small World
exhibit at Disney (remember the 8 Bits mentioned above). If 8 doors are
available at the same time, eight people can get into the exhibit at the
same time. When 8 lines move at the same time. the lines are said to be
parallel. By the same token, if 8 data lines are available simultaneously
to transmit data, the transmission is called Parallel. Since the 8 Bits of
data are all sent at the same time, each Bit must move along a separate
wire.
Let's visualize this process by thinking of the ASCII file "MAN" as 3
people named (M)ike, (A)lice, and (N)ick:
--------------------------------------------
| < IT'S A SMALL WORLD EXHIBIT > |
| |
| |
| |1| |2| |3| |4| |5| |6| |7| |8| |
---| |--| |--| |--| |--| |--| |--| |--| |---
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
| | | | | | | |
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
(M)ike = 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 =M
(A)lice = 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 =A
(N)ick = 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 =N
As in any set of circumstances, there are advantages and some
disadvantages. Because the Data is sent 8 Bits at a time, Parallel
transmission is very fast and is most often used for Computer to Printer
applications or very high-speed Links between 2 closely adjacent computers.
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Keep in mind, however, that 8 wires are required and the costs for the
wiring would be prohibitive over any significant distances.
Got the PARALLEL picture? Next month we'll investigate the alternative of
SERIAL Transmission.
+---------------------------------+
| 'C' TUTOR |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Doug Maclean, Node id ->RUNNINGB
Continuing with our thread about C++ here is a little demo program to
further explore the use of linked lists with C++. This program features
operator overloading of = for assignment and ++/-- for incrementation and
decrementation. Once again the classes are divided into two, one class for
the data and one to control the list. The data class, LinkItem, can be
changed with very little alterations in the list commands. I also use
various static pointers to keep track of the first, last and current nodes
of the list. Unlike the list in last month's we are going to include a
delete current node routine.
#include <iostream.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <alloc.h>
#include <string.h>
class LinkList;
class LinkItem
{
friend class LinkList;
private:
LinkItem(char *buf); // initialize a node
char *str; // data member of class
LinkItem *prev; // ptr to previous node
LinkItem *next; // ptr to next node
};
class LinkList
{
public:
LinkList() {croot = clast = ccurr = NULL;};
void firstnode() {ccurr = croot;};
void lastnode() {ccurr = clast;};
void delnode();
char * operator ()() {return((char *)ccurr->str);};
void operator =(char *buf);
int operator --();
int operator ++();
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private:
static LinkItem *croot; // always points to the start
static LinkItem *clast; // always points to the end
static LinkItem *ccurr; // sliding current ptr
};
LinkItem::LinkItem(char *buf)
{
str = new char[strlen(buf)+1];
strcpy(str,buf);
prev = NULL;
next = NULL;
}
void
LinkList::operator =(char *buf)
{
LinkItem *pt = new LinkItem(buf);
if(clast != NULL)
{
pt->next = ccurr->next;
pt->prev = ccurr;
if(ccurr != clast)
ccurr->next->prev = pt;
else
clast = pt;
ccurr->next = pt;
ccurr = pt;
}
else
croot = clast = ccurr = pt;
}
int LinkList::operator --()
{
if(ccurr != croot)
{
ccurr = ccurr->prev;
return 1;
}
else
return 0;
}
int LinkList::operator ++()
{
if(ccurr != clast)
{
ccurr = ccurr->next;
return 1;
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}
else
return 0;
}
void
LinkList::delnode()
{
LinkItem *lst;
lst = ccurr;
if(ccurr == croot)
croot = ccurr->next;
if(ccurr == clast)
clast = ccurr->prev;
if(ccurr->prev != NULL)
ccurr->prev->next = ccurr->next;
if(ccurr->next != NULL)
ccurr->next->prev = ccurr->prev;
if(ccurr->next == NULL)
ccurr = ccurr->prev;
else
ccurr = ccurr->next;
delete(lst->str);
delete(lst);
}
Now for a little test program to drive this set of classes.
#include <iostream.h>
#include <alloc.h>
#include "linklist.h"
void flist(void);
LinkList lst;
main()
{
char buf[25];
for(int i = 0;i<10;i++)
{
sprintf(buf,"string_%d",i);
lst = buf;
}
cout << "current node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst--;
cout << "previous node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst--;
cout << "previous node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst++;
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cout << "next node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst.firstnode();
cout << "first node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst.lastnode();
cout << "last node\n" << lst() << "\n";
cout << "Adding in the middle of the list\n";
lst--;
lst = "added in the middle";
cout << "current node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst--;
cout << "previous node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst++;
cout << "next node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst++;
cout << "next node\n" << lst() << "\n";
if(!lst++)
cout << "we have reached the end\n";
else
{
cout << "next node\n" << lst() << "\n";
}
cout << "\nThe entire list:\n";
flist();
lst.firstnode();
lst++;lst++;lst++;
cout << "current node\n" << lst() << "\n";
lst.delnode();
cout << "\nremoved current node\n";
cout << "\nThe entire list:\n";
flist();
lst.firstnode();
lst.delnode();
cout << "\nremoved first node\n";
cout << "\nThe entire list:\n";
flist();
lst.lastnode();
lst.delnode();
cout << "\nremoved last node\n";
flist();
}
void
flist()
{
cout << "\nThe entire list forward:\n";
lst.firstnode();
do
cout << lst() << "\n";
while(lst++);
cout << "\nThe entire list backward:\n";
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lst.lastnode();
do
cout << lst() << "\n";
while(lst--);
}
We are also starting an exciting new thread on several of my conferences.
In the system design conference we are designing a RPN calculator which
will be programmed in the OOPs conference. Various other routines for math
and perhaps a TSR switch will be added in ASM and some screen and input
routines will be added from the CXL package in 'C'.
And speaking of CXL, the popular library package has been sold by Mike
Smedely to Chip Rabinowitz. I contacted Chip and we will be an official
support site for his products. I am currently helping Chip put together a
conference of his own to support CXL and his other fine programs. Also in
the vein of support, we now have several of the programmers from Solution
Systems as regulars in my Brief conference to help out with their behind
the scenes tips and advice. For the genetics people I am talking to the
folks at the National Institute of Health to provide some interesting
topics and help us along there.
All in all the coming months promise to be very exciting for all.
Regards,
Doug
+---------------------------------+
| THE LEGAL CORNER |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by James J. Spinelli, Node ID ->VMC
LEGAL ASPECTS OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND
THE ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD ARENA
Part I: The Sysop as Information Resource Manager
The easy access, low cost and distributed intelligence of our modern means
of communications present us with reasons for hope and for matters of
concern. The lack of technical grasp by policy makers and law makers, as
well as their propensity to solve problems of conflict, privacy and
intellectual property by accustomed bureaucratic routines are the main
reasons for concern. But, our commitment to pluralism, individual rights
and integrity provide reason for optimism, as do the pliancy and profusion
of our electronic technology and of those who provide it.
Beginning with Part I of this essay, we are about to embark upon a journey,
one that will take us into the forest of computer law. This forest is as
interesting as it is elusive; as impressive as it is relatively unknown; as
evolving as it is potentially perilous. This forest is filled with many
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paths upon which we may traverse. But, only recently have we begun to
attempt to determine just where all the paths may potentially lead.
Each of us is engaged in an endeavor that has inherent responsibilities,
accountabilities and liabilities. Since the introduction of the first
commercial computer in the 1950s, we humans have been striving to develop a
symbiosis between ourselves and the enigmatic computer. From its embryonic
stage to the present time, the computer has presented us with numerous
opportunities and ever-expanding ingenious methods for doing things.
However, nowhere else has this technological marvel made greater impact in
our lives than in the area of communication. When we communicate, we
partake in an interchange of ideas, with the objective of being understood
and to understand -- we seek a connection between ourselves and others.
Microcomputers have had a major impact in this area of connectivity. They
bridge the gap between the availability of information and its
dissemination. Geography and logistics are no longer constraints in our
efforts to "reach out and touch someone."
In times past, computer-based communications were typically performed by
experienced programmers or very dedicated computer hobbyists who had both
the knowledge and tenacity to forge ahead, sometimes armed with only a
strong sense of adventure.
Today, much has changed. Microcomputers are in the hands of non-experts,
ordinary people. Many of these people do not possess the knowledge and
understanding of the total scope and potential represented by the very
machines they use for business and pleasure. Many of these people take
great pleasure in communicating with others through their computers, and
they do so readily and frequently, many times completely unaware of the
underlying legal consequences involved -- indeed, many don't even care,
much to their possible peril.
In order to meet both the demand and the need for such prolific
communication, computerized information services -- called "information
utilities" -- have mushroomed. One of the most pervasive of these is the
electronic bulletin board system, or BBS. Many of these information systems
are owned and operated by home-computer users. For many of these people,
the extent of their computer knowledge is limited to their understanding of
BBS operation only.
Who and what is this individual who owns and operates the BBS? He is
typically referred to as the "systems operator" -- the "sysop." This sysop
is more than just a computer operator. He is:
- an information broker
- a data center manager
- an information resource manager
As an information broker, the sysop obtains information from a variety of
sources, stores it and provides others access to it. He is responsible for
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updating the information and for maintaining the hardware and software
needed for its storage and its access.
As a data center manager, the sysop provides assurances to users that the
information, along with the hardware and software used to store and
maintain it, are reliable, safe and secure. An additional aspect that
should not be ignored in his role as data center manager is that which
necessitates his providing for the integrity of not only the service
itself, but of all who access it. What the sysop provides is a service --
one that is expected to promote a healthy, moral, constructive, and legal
environment from which all users may derive information and enjoyment.
Finally, as an information resource manager, the sysop has the underlying
commitment to integrate his role of information broker with his role as
data center manager. This responsibility deals with the BBS in its totality
-- an information system that, as such, combines the hardware, software,
information, users and sysop into an integrated whole.
In order to adequately fulfill his role, the sysop needs to recognize
several aspects of the utility he operates -- in at least a legal sense.
The first of these aspects concerns the various methods by which users may
access and use the BBS.
The first method of access is by invitation. In legal terms, an invitation
to participate in a BBS may be defined as an act by which the sysop
solicits or incites others to make use of the BBS for the purposes of which
the sysop intends. An invitation may also include an inducement to others
that provides them with a reasonable belief that the sysop expects them to
access the BBS. As the inviter, in legal terms, the sysop owes reasonable
care to all of the BBS's lawful visitors.
In fulfilling the role as inviter, there are at least three legal concepts
that sysops and users need to be aware of. These concepts are:
1. Attractive nuisance doctrine
2. Nature of the invitee
3. Trespass
Of course, this brief list is by no means all-inclusive. But, it does
represent some of the more important concepts we need to examine.
The first of these is the "attractive nuisance doctrine." This doctrine
deals with the perception of the BBS as being a source of danger or harm to
children.
The sysop is under a legal duty to take appropriate precautions to prevent
injury or harm to children who the sysop knows can or will access the BBS,
or who will be attracted to access the BBS. Consider this doctrine if and
when sysops invite others to visit by expressing or implying the
availability of pornography or "adult-only" material available on the BBS.
One thing to bear in mind here is that it is not the standards of the sysop
that will be called upon, but rather the standards of the community in
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which the BBS resides and as may be interpreted by the courts, that will
define the applicability of the attractive nuisance doctrine for and with a
particular BBS, particularly if and when charges of obscenity are involved.
The second of the concepts deals with the nature of the invitee. The law
defines an invitee [of a BBS] when the following conditions are met:
a. the visitor entered by invitation,
b. the entry itself is connected with the BBS or connected with
what the sysop permits to be conducted on the BBS, and
c. both the invitee and the sysop derive a benefit, or just the
sysop derives a benefit from the invitation.
Legal experts are in basic agreement that if and when a sysop encourages
others to access the BBS, particularly if it is intended to further the
sysop's own purposes -- as both hobbyist- and business-type systems do --
that the sysop has exercised reasonable care to make the place safe and
secure. Bear in mind that if a problem develops, it is not the sysop who
will define what "reasonable care" should be, but rather the courts.
Our third legal concept in the arena of invitation concerns trespass.
Trespass provides for some interesting implications. The courts have
interpreted trespass as an unlawful interference with one's person,
property, or rights. In view of the BBS, trespass is any unlawful act that
damages the system itself, the reputation of the sysop, or the reputation
of the user (of course, libel may also result if/when there is defamation
involved). The unlawful act may include actual or implied violence, such
that the result caused injury or harm to befall a person, a person's
property, or a person's relative rights.
Our second alternative method for BBS access is what is called the
subscription. Many of the concepts that apply to invitation apply also to
the subscription approach, with some important differences.
A subscription is a contract. The Restatement of the Law of Contracts,
section 1, states that, "A contract is a promise or a set of promises for
the breach of which the law gives a remedy, or the performance of which the
law in some way recognizes a duty."
The contract may be an express contract in that both the sysop and the user
demonstrate their mutual agreement through words. These words may be either
spoken or written. The contract may be an implied-in-fact contract, which
is one where both the sysop and the user demonstrate their agreement based
on conduct.
In many instances, the act of inviting users to access a subscription BBS
presents a clear intention on the part of the sysop to contract. The law
refers to this as an "invitation to trade." This invitation may be accepted
in one of several ways. A common approach is referred to as the "deposited-
acceptance rule." Under this rule, an offer is considered accepted the
moment the user places his acceptance into the same or better channel of
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communication as the sysop used to place the offer. The offer is considered
accepted as soon as the acceptance leaves the control of the user.
Our third and final BBS access alternative is by license. A license is
defined as the permission by a competent authority for someone else to do
something, which, without such permission, would be illegal, a trespass, or
a tort.
This alternative is more concerned with BBS access as defined with a
network of systems, though it can also apply to a sysop-user relationship.
Under the network approach, a BBS is granted permission to access another
BBS system directly, for the purpose defined by the license agreement (or,
in RIME's case, for example, by the By-Laws which all sysops have indicated
their agreement). Such purposes typically include the transfer and exchange
of mail, messages and files.
The license agreement typically contains a set of procedures or guidelines
that define the framework, boundaries and policies of the network and, in a
sense, governs the manner in which the network is operated and accessed.
Violations of this agreement by any licensee may serve cause for the
administrators of the network to seek various remedies.
One area that is as yet somewhat cloudy is the issue of liability as
pertains to the effects of malfeasance by one network node on the liability
of other network nodes. Questions that remain to be answered include, but
are not necessarily limited to:
1. Is the liability of one node assumable by another node?
2. Are there possible or potential class actions that the network
and nodes are exposed to?
Answers to these questions, though up for debate at this time, may well be
addressed and answered by the courts in the future.
This completes Part I of our series -- the idea of sysop as an information
resource manager.
In Part II of this series, next month, we'll take a brief tour of those
resources which the sysop is managing, starting with software.
+---------------------------------+
| PUZZLE CONTEST! |
| |
+---------------------------------+
In our never ending quest for fun and games, the RIME Times offers you yet
another fabulous contest! This is a word (number?) puzzle that I came
across while cleaning out an old brief case. In fact the brief case was so
old ... I cannot remember all the answers!
The rules are simple: 1) One entry per person. 2) All entries must be
ROUTED through the network to John Dodson node ->CANTINA. 3) The person
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with the largest number of correct answers AND the earliest date and time
stamp on their message (leave those system clocks alone!) wins!
What do you win? Besides getting your name *PUBLISHED* in the RIME Times
along with your winning entry, you will receive a *FABULOUS* RIME Times
honor! Well, I know with THOSE incentives you are really anxious to get
started.... so GOOD LUCK!
------
This test does not measure your intelligence, your fluency with words or
your mathematical ability. It will however give you some gauge of your
flexibility and creativity. Few people can solve more than half the 24
questions on their first try. Many people report getting answers long
after the test has been set aside - particularly at unexpected moments when
their minds were relaxed. Some reported solving all questions over a period
of several days. Take this as your personal challenge.
Instructions: Each question below contains the initials of words that will
make it correct. Find the missing words. (a. is freebee!)
a. 26 = L. of the A. Letters of the Alphabet
b. 7 = W. of the A. W.
c. 1001 = A. N.
d. 12 = S. of the Z.
e. 54 = C. in a D. (with the J.)
f. 9 = P. in the S. S.
g. 88 = P. K.
h. 13 = S. on the A. F.
i. 32 = D. F. at which W. F.
j. 18 = H. on a G. C.
k. 90 = D. in a R. A.
l. 200 = D. for a P. G. in M.
m. 8 = S. on a S. S.
n. 3 = B. M. (S. H. T. R.)
o. 4 = Q. in a G.
p. 24 = H. in a D.
q. 1 = W. on a U.
r. 5 = D. in a Z. C.
s. 57 = H. V.
t. 11 = P. on a F. T.
u. 1000 = W. that a P. is W.
v. 29 = D. in F. in a L. Y.
w. 64 = S. on a C. B.
x. 40 = D. and N. of the G. F.
Page 24
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+---------------------------------+
| NOTES FROM ADMIN |
| |
+---------------------------------+
by Bonnie Anthony, Node id ->RUNNINGA
The list of files on the nethub is now called ALLFILE.ZIP - it includes all
files that are on both Running Board and NetNode - since my board
(RUNNINGA) and the nethub are lanned together now, the files are available
from either place. The nethub is still a closed system but is now node 1
and node 2 while my board is node 3 and node 4. Node 5 is about to go up
(as soon as the telephone company gives me the line) and will be a hub node
rather than part of my board.
The SC announces the opening of a mini conference - to start Saturday
September 8 and end two weeks later - Saturday September 22. The topic to
be discussed is what should RelayNet do about its growth - we are currently
a little under 550 nodes and we were 200 or so nodes in January - that is a
tremendous growth and we show no signs of slowing down. Should we continue
to grow? Should we limit growth? If we limit growth how should we go
about doing it? MINI Conference is #200.
+---------------------------------+
| AS SEEN ON THE BIT STREAM |
| |
+---------------------------------+
TAGLINE OF THE MONTH:
I never thought oil could cause so much friction!
(Submitted by Brandon Hayden)
WORST TAGLINE OF THE MONTH:
Poet of year Andrew "DICE" Clay
(As seen on a message from Wayne Horton)
THE THREAD THAT LOST CONTROL:
"HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL"
(A protracted thread on the difference between contractions and possessive
nouns. Suggested by Randy Blackmond.)
MALFUNCTION OF THE MONTH:
Canada Remote Systems (CRS), Canada's largest BBS with 99 phone lines,
files for Bankruptcy.
DEVOTED USER OF THE MONTH:
Joseph Carnage after being involved in an auto accident, continues to
participate in the UPLINK conference from his hospital bed! We wish Joseph
a speedy recovery! (Submitted by UPLINK conferece host, Michael Saletnik.)
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+---------------------------------+
| NOTICES |
| |
+---------------------------------+
To make life easier for the editor, the following submission guidelines are
suggested:
1) To be included in the current month newsletter all articles must be
submitted by the 5th of the month.
2) For short articles, a routed private message in either the COMMON or the
ADMIN conference is acceptable. Please address and route to: John Dodson,
node ->CANTINA or Ed Lazarowitz, node id ->CAPCON.
3) For long or multiple articles, an ASCII file uploaded directly to my BBS
La Cantina! (915)532-0332 HST is preferred. Or if you are a sysop, I will
call your BBS to pick up articles.
4) Your name as used on RIME. 5) Your node id if you are a RIME sysop or
your "home" board id if you are a RIME user. 6) Any special instructions.
Thanks!
Reference in New Issue Copy Permalink