textfiles/messages/BACKWATER/bw850117.txt

1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
2 ************************** INSTALLED: 17 JAN 85 ********************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION PLACED ON
6                     THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 ************************************************************
19 
20 Actually, the intent of the question was; Do you feel like you are
21 dealing with a 'male' or 'female' when you are using BWMS?  The reason
22 for asking is to get a better understanding of how people feel about
23 high (or low tech in the case of BWMS?) tech machines. This has been 
24 an on going survey of mine that I have done both formally and informally.
25 Before 'friendly' equipment can REALLY be built, you need to find out
26 how people feel about it. How they interreact with it, what really is
27 usable and what isn't. The current rave for 'friendly' software is to
28 have 'menu' driven software. Yet in discusions I have had with real 
29 live users (as opossed to programers and salesmen) is that there is
30 just as much discontent and or desire for it as other methodes. I have
31 come to believe that what is really important is how the equipment/software
32 presents itself to the user. What kind of personality it has, and the
33 strength of the personality. The idea being that by getting a better
34 understanding as to why users like a particular way a piece of software
35 or equipment works, or don't like it, hopefully a concept of friendly
36 can be developed that is not drowned in some marketeer's blandishments,
37 or programer's overgrown nightmare. 
38 ********************** CISTOP MIKEY *********************************
39 Since it is de rigueur, I hereby proclaim that I am accessing the first
40 user-available lines of the currend Drive A.
41 Thank you, thank you... no applause, just throw money.
42 				_innocent bysitter_
43 TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
44 NET operatives & potential NET operatives--no entries tonight-adventure
45 resumes this weekend. Don't despair, citizens, and don't rest easy, fiends,
46 fanatics, charlatains  and twits.  The NET presses on, relentless in its
47 conquest of evil.
48 Born-again lurkers--the new writing is good.  I am enjoying it and everyone
49 else must be, too or BELIEVE me, they would let you know.
50 Melissa-the story is excellent. I missed  at least one disk, but still can
51 follow the story line. Please don't worry about taking up space.
52 Somebody a couple of disks back--Yes, Prometheus' phone works.
53 TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Gaudy Minsky TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
54 ****************************************************************************
55    ok lurk:  no entry?  sorry but I'm taking it from here.
56  guardian:   T is having trouble, will keep trying.
57  papasmurf:  Hey, I don't know of anyone putting thoughts into
58              other peoples dreams, What i said was that we couldn't
59              do it. ( we being alex and I ).  I don't conceive
60              bw as being alive at all.  It is just a answering machine
61              that takes down the assorted messages of living people,
62              or people that wish they were living. ( think about that one)
63 **********************************************kathy****************************
64 Papa Smurf: Shame on you for chastising the person who entered the poem on
65    drive B.  You took up at least 4 times the space he/she did.  Save your wrath   for the un-named people(yes, you, the Jiz//
66    who use five or six lines for a border or the scum who delete entries...
67                                                    Eavesdropper
68 *************************************************************************
69 guardian:  T is still being fussy, im giving him a bottle and putting
70            him to bed.  ( imagination running wild yet?)
71 mad max :  Long time no entry, how is your "my vacation to Rio" essay
72            going?
73 policeman: more entries please.(preety please with snot on top)
74 **********************************************************kathy**********
75 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
76 PaPa Smurf, Getting my zip zapped?!?! Indeed, a valid threat of a fate worse than calling AE lines! What bus can I take??
77 Mac, Thank you for your vote of confidence, it is greatly appreciated.
78 Hm     Hmmmm, Too bad MiG is in infinite lurk mode, otherwise I'd leave him a message. But such is life.
79      Policeman, I salute your courage in entering such an unusual story, aland in a time of debate no less!
80      Melissa, I LOVE your story!! Keep it up!
81 ZZZZZZZZZZZZ
82   ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZippy
83 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
84 ALL: Are my eyes giving out on me, (yes, it is 5:30 in the morning) or does 
85 does it honestly say: 21 DEC 84, when you log on too?
86 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
87 (bars of the cage)
88 Oops! Sorry, guys. I wouldn't have made my border had I known I was going to 
89 comment on disk b, which I just finnished reading. 
90 ALL:
91 TANYA OR MALCOLM: This is for everybody, I just wanted to highlight yo guys.
92 Which or you wrote the Bear/Seal/Human story. Please, both you say if you
93 did or didn't. So, if you didn't, tell me anyways. Please, I think there's
94 a bit of confussion about it. I could of sworn Tanya wrote a message to Lady
95 S and then PaPa Smurf is writing about it to you. What happen? And, if it was
96 you Tanya, why no name? Oh, don't tell me, it got deleted?
97 LADY S: Your there person to whom that story was written, don't go lurk now.
98 Where's the essy? You write thought-spurring stuff. It is to my understanding
99 that you are only going to have the modem for a limited amount of time, So:
100 Where are you????????
101 ADRIAN: PaPa has a point (about disk space) but don't let that scare you away.
102 MELISSA: I'm sure that it is not only I, who is patiently awaiting.
103 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
104 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
105   Mikey --  Some thoughts on high/low tech, user-friendly (blechh! I am getting
106 sick of that term) and such like thingeys.
107   I remember many years ago before the dragon lady made her first appearance
108 on this system (remember the damash bbs sysop? no, I'm nor claiming that title,
109 but it should date the reference) I was in constant lurk mode -- although the
110 term "lurker" had not been applied to this system.  At that point, I percieved
111 BWMS as a rather "unfriendly" system -- it was difficult to have an intuitive
112 feel for how to react to the system.  I eventually overcame my resistance to
113 the machinery involved and have become a fairly regular contributor (or perhaps
114 detractor) of the system.  The soul and essence of this system is its users
115 and their host, you.  After sufficient familiarity, the hardware and software
116 of the system disappear  and you are no longer "talking to BWMS" but talking to
117 "Cistop Mikey."  The distinction is quite important -- I have very little to
118 say to BWMS other than "show me what's on drive b, find an entry," or some
119 such stuff.  I am at a point where I do not have to think, ask for help, or
120 go through the uncertainity of wondering if the command I am going to issue
121 is the right thing to accomplish my ends.  Most of my ends are met via
122 typeing and instantaneous feedback.  The brief interludes where I actually
123 interact with BWMS are all preprogrammed -- I don't spend much time exploring
124 and trying different commands.  I'm more interested in the content than the
125 container.  At this point, BWMS is extremely friendly because I know what to
126 expect.  At the beginning neither was true.  
127   My point is -- a friendly machine is one that does what you want it to
128 when you use commands that in real life might induce another person who
129 was friendly and willing to help, do what you wanted.  If the machine acts
130 in a "surly" or "reluctant" mannner, you form a picture of the machine as
131 being reluctant to help, or unfriendly.  
132 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
133 ________________Melissa--------------------------------Melissa________________
134                               M A G E N (cont.-6)
135 
136   An elegant yacht was swinging around its anchor, the colors of the rapidly
137 approaching sunset giving it a rich golden hue. It hardly needed the added
138 accent to set it apart from the island setting and mark it as a luxury item
139 of the wealthy. The crystal clear water of the bay made it almost seem to be
140 suspended in space. Pleasant tropical breezes, wafting across the poop deck,
141 were unfelt by the gathering in the air conditioned main saloon. In fact
142 they were so engrossed in conversation they hardly noticed the panoramic
143 vista of paradise, visible through the tinted glass windows that surrounded
144 three sides of the main deck cabin.
145   "I tell you J.B. this project is going great. A fully operational power
146 plant, four hotels, three beach resorts, a marina, and dozens of shops and
147 restaurants. All that from nothing in only three years."
148   "My God Pete, are you serious? You sound like you haven't been using the
149 counter conditioning unit. Listen man, the main idea behind this project was
150 to test the conditioning modulator, to see if it could be made to work as
151 effectively on these tropical islands as it does in the temperate countries.
152 Just think about it, a new group of striving consumers competing with each
153 other for the goods we ship in, and begging to work in the resorts to get
154 enough money to pay for them. Is that what's happening? No! Everything is
155 going at a snail's pace. Half the workers just shuffle along and when the
156 supervisors try to speed them up they just mumble `it no big ting mon'.
157 Another thing, what's this about an island girl preaching about some vision?
158 Somehow she senses the modulator and is warning people about it. I hear some
159 people are starting to listen to her. "
160   "H-How did you know about that?", Pete stammered, his mouth falling open.
161   "Ed, call one of the security people up here and get this guy out of here
162 and on a plane back to the mainland. Give him the promotion conditioning and
163 make him a vice president in some small, obscure corporation. Joe, looks
164 like you're going to have to take over this operation for awhile. The first
165 order of business is to get everyone hooked up to the power grid. Almost
166 half the houses still aren't connected."
167   "Chief, excuse the interruption but the cocktail party is scheduled to
168 begin in about fifteen minutes. The launch is standing by to pick up the
169 guests from town. You asked to be notified before it departed."
170   "Right, tell them to go ahead. That winds this up for now. My daughter is
171 bringing this island boy along. He's the one we made supervisor of the power
172 plant. It looks as though his conditioning is coming along fine, I think
173 we're about ready to use his influence with his father. The old man is the
174 key to getting the council to approve our ownership of half this island.
175 Joe, you and Ed stick around for some special instructions, the rest of you
176 can go in with the launch. Listen, Dixie doesn't know anything about this
177 scheme, she's just got the hots for this island boy. They had a torrid
178 little affair when he was going to school on the mainland. I don't totally
179 approve but it does work to our advantage. Be here tomorrow at 2 o'clock."
180   
181 ---I appreciate all the wonderful support. I must confess, I get a great deal
182    of pleasure writing the Magen story. I hope to improve my writing skills
183    and would welcome any suggestions.  Y'all have sure made me feel at home.
184 ----------------Melissa________________________________Melissa----------------
185 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ETC.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
186 Messages:
187 Melissa; I am very much injoying the saga of MAGEN, please keep up the work.
188     Obviously you have had a lot of work put into the story.  How many drafts
189  have you already done?  My head is inclined to fill with things that I wish
190  to put down too, but somehow the first drafts never make it into seconds.  I
191  seem to be my worst critic.
192 ZZZZZZZippy; No I have never used the name Logan, but I would be interested
193     to know why you thought I may have.
194 Papa Smurf; I apologize for the space waste, my experience as a lurker is 
195     almost as tenuous as my time as a contributer but I have promised myself
196  that the shadows shall not darken my face, or my mind, again.
197     Please understand that this world, not only backwater, but all this in-
198 formation, was introduced to me just a week ago.  It has very quickly 
199 become a bright spot on a very gray canvas.  Please excuss my ignorance. Any
200 enlightenment you can provide would be much appreciated.
201 EVERYBODY; Thanks for the encouragement.  It is the positiveness of the
202 people who contribute to BWS that give it life.  No matter what sex she is.
203                                           Adrian
204 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ETC.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
205 (Swish)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(Poof!)
206 Hmm... yes, several phases exist here on BW... the debate phase, which seems
207 to be losing momentum at the moment; the fantasy phase, which hasn't been seen
208 here for several days (except my own entry and Milchar's); and the NET's spy-
209 like phase.  I wonder, why is there no intrest in something else?  Westerns,
210 Science Fiction, whatever?
211 (Poof!)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Master Changer >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(Swish)
212 `'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
213     Aah yes, the wheels go round and the new authors abound. Tis' a time of
214 refreshing relaxation in the huge common room of the Inn, which is in fact
215 far from common. Speaking of refreshment, Innkeeper, give these new authors
216 their choice of drink. This gold coin should cover it, and then some. The
217 enjoyment has been well worth the price of a few drinks; besides loose
218 tongues tell better stories.
219     Adrian, your entry made me want to stretch my own wings in flight.
220     Melissa, an engaging story. Do I perhaps detect a bit of stereotype
221 in some of the characters? I see the plot is beginning to thicken.
222     Bard, Wonderful, do you perhaps know all the verses to that famous old
223 circus tune that was adopted as a pseudo-national anthem...It starts off:
224     "Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton"
225     Gaudy Minsky, I eagerly await your reappearance.
226     Master Changer, I'm looking more closely at the owl that hoots in the
227 trees nearby. Move nearer the warm fire and tell of your adventures.
228     All and sundry, let us raise our glasses to the Innkeeper and toast to
229 the finest establishment around ! Sir, do have one yourself and join in.
230 `'`'`'`' -alchemist-  `'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
231 && && &&
232 Adrian -- nice!
233 Tanya-or-whoever-wrote-the-bear-hunting-story -- I like the story very much, but (and please don't take this with 
234 anger) you have Very Bad Spelling. The best remedy for this once one has reached adulthood (which I assume you have,
235 from the very mature tone of your tale) is a spell-check program augmented by a good dictionary. Please!
236 As to the Backwater's sex/life: I love this system not for itself but for its users. The system itself reminds me 
237 of the wall of a restroom in a store where once I worked. On that wall we male employees kept up a running conversation
238 consisting of poetry, wisecracks, trivia, and whatever else came to mind; and every couple of weeks the janitor would
239 come in and scrub off/paint over our conversation, leaving us with a tabula rasa on which we could begin again. I 
240 never thought of that wall as having a gender (even though it WAS in the Men's Room) but I still recall it fondly.
241 Kathy -- Night-owls Unite! If God had meant for people to get up in the morning He wouldn't have put it so early in
242 the day!
243 Melissa -- BRAVO. Nice to see you doing so well away from the Wheel.
244      && The Mad Actor &&
245 !|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|
246 QUESTION OF THE DAY:
247 WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING MOST CLOSELY CHARACTERIZES YOUR DRIVING HABITS:
248 1. I KEEP PACE WITH TRAFFIC.
249 2. I BLOCK TRAFFIC.
250 3. GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY.
251 !|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|___THE SILVER GHOST___!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|!|
252 sorryistillhaven'tthoughtupaborderyet,butisupposethisshalldountiliwritemoreoften
253     To those it may concern- I, Tanya, am the author of the Homo sapien/Ursus
254 maritimus story. The reason that you did not see my name at the bottom was
255 because it was deleted, along with a few lines of the story itself. 
256     Adrian, I believe it was you who said I was sleeping. I'm not. I'm lurking.
257 Or attemptin to anyways, it's not working out very well. (Which in a way I'm
258 sort of glad of. But, my lack of doing so is causing horrors for my subcon-
259 science and my Top-dog). Thank you for the complement, I exchange one with you.
260     Mad Actor- Yes, for many moons I have known that spelling was not my 
261 strong point. I have also been told many times that a dictionary would be a 
262 very useful thing to have. I do own one. You wouldn't believe how much time I
263 saved once I discovered that everything was in alphabetical order. No, really,
264 I am mystified at the fact that some people can find a word in the dictionary
265 that they don't know how to spell. Don't get me wrong, I use the dictionary
266 numerous times in a single day, but for the spelling of a word? Also, I don't
267 pre-plan my stories and it would take for ever for me to type it in if I stop-
268 ped for spelling. So, there you are, I see I've taken up much space for a 
269 realitivly simple response. However, if I ever write "(sp?)" by a word please
270 tell me if it's correct and how to spell it. (You can artribute the lack of 
271 pre-planning to the rough parts in the story as well, excuses, excuses, excuses). -Tanya
272 thisistheotherborderwhichisusedtodistinguishonemessagefromtheother.
273 Tanya: One of my friends is a worse speller than you! He got a pocket size
274 book called a "Spelling Dictionary". which is some help. He was recently
275 given a "Bad Speller's Dictionary" (I think that was the title). It lists
276 words alphabetically, BY THE WAY YOU _THINK_ THEY ARE SPELLED. As an
277 example, I believe there is an entry like this: SKOOL - school. It also
278 has list of words that get confused (you're , your) with VERY brief 
279 "definitions" (you're - you are, your - belonging to you) at the bottom
280 of each page. You might look into on of these...
281 ________________________Leonard____________________________________________
282         Sorry, I don't h
ave the verses to "Dixie". In fact, I still need t
283 get all 5 verses to t"The Star-Spangled Banner". 
284         On the other hand, I have a couple of songs that will NOT get
285 posted, as they have a near infinite number of verses!
286 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
287 NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET
288 Updates and other information on current status of all NET agents and known accomplices:
289 Petrov 		Unknown. Escaped from agent Parity at Joshua's Apartment.
290 Joshua		With agent Parity, interrorgating Farley at high security
291 		NET complex in Portland Oregon.
292 Parity		With Joshua, interrorgating Farley at high security NET complex
293 		in Portland Oregon. Recent winner of NET markmenship award.
294 Minsky		Unknown. Last seen by agent Flemming at Portland Art Museum.
295 Fellows		Directing cleanup operations at Joshua's Apartment. Reconstruct
296 		ion should be completed within the hour. Portland Police and
297 		other city official were diverted from scene by large used
298 		tire fire in East county.
299 Flemming	In transit to Portland NET HQ to report on agent Minsky
300 		and progress of eavsdroping equipment in city hall.
301 Farley		Sitting under a 3200 degree tungsten lamp answering questions
302 		presented by Joshua and L'homme sans Parity.
303 Ian		Doing what any good head of a super secret intelligence/combat
304 		outfit would be doing under the current circumstances. He is
305 		<DELETED! TOP SECRET! NO ACCESS!>
306 Gaius		In the trunk of a 1974 Pinto runabout with a full tank of 
307 		gasoline. Pinto is parked in artillary range of Umatilla
308 		National Gaurd Base, eastren Oregon. Pinto is prima-target 1.
309 Misc. Enemies	If we told you what we knew about you, would you respect us
310 		in the morning?
311 Other hostils	The less said for now, the better in the long run.
312 NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET NET 
313 IT looks like someone who doesn't like the net somehow mangled the spelling of a few words in there. I thought the net
314 agents all had to be good spellers? MAybe not. But I bet more than anything it was some bad guys going in there and
315 changing stuff around. Someone will always find a way around enter only stuff. Too bad guys and gals/
316 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa 
317 I only had time to read part of DA so I maybe already mentioned again.
318 ZIPPY:  Will contact you this weekend..
319 ADRIAN:  I do not mean to scare you off or anything, but I was just
320 commenting about all of the empty space.  I DID LIKE the poem.  More please.
321 ALL:  Time is very short so I must finish reading this at a later time.
322 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa Smurf   16:50  1-18-85
323 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     (on the same note ^^ ^^ )
324 kathy: I've reached T, (finally!) and have started something of a dicussion.
325        Hope it works for you too.  See you there!
326 Gaudy Minsy:  The question wasn't "does it work?"  It was more to the point of
327        "DOES IT REALLY EXIST???"    He says it does, but it becomes harder to 
328        belive with each passing day...      Thanx for the reply.
329 Prometheus:   Don't go too crazy... ^^
330 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     --->the Guardian     165?   Hrs     18 Jan 85
331 
332 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
333 TANYA: Thank you for clearing things up.
334 NET NET NET: same as above
335 |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|
336 __________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::
337 Hello ALL! 
338 Adrian- BEAUTIFUL! Very 
339 (lets try that again):
340 Adrian- Beautiful poem, very moving! You made that?!?!?!?! WOW!
341 PaPa Smurf- Thanks for saying "Go for it". I will.
342 
343 To whom it may concern-
344      I wish I were in
345 
346 
347 (try again)-
348 I wish I were in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgetten
349 look aok away, look away, Dixie land.
350 In Dixie land where I was born in, early on one frosty mornin'
351 Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land.
352 
353 (CHORUS)
354 Then I wish I was in Dixie, hooray, hooray
355 In Dixie land I'll take my stand, to live and die in Dixie,
356 Away, away, away down south in Dixie
357 Away, away, away down south in Dixie
358 
359 There's buckwheat cakes and Indian batter, makes you fat or a little fatter
360 Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land
361 The hoe it down and scratch your grabble, to Dixie land I'm bound to travel
362 Look away, look away, look away, Dixie land
363 
364 (Repeat Chorus)
365 
366 Just thought some of you needed that...
367 
368 Well, I got a little positive feedback on my soap, so I guess I'll enter
369 the second episode, and wait for more feedback. I want it, please!
370 Positive or negative, I just need to see my name here at least once
371 per call!
372 
373 --- Season One, Episode Two ---
374 
375 Sue, pretending to be friends with Cindy, gets mad at Phil. David realizes
376 (through Phil) that Cindy is a whore, and decides that he should not be
377 seeing such a girl, so he leaves her. Later, Sue shows up at his apartment
378 and seduces him into an affair. Sue finds out that she is very much in
379 love with David, but she loves Phil for his money.
380 
381 --- End, Episode Two ---
382 
383 Write back, gang!!!!!
384 
385 __________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::
386 
387 ::::::::::__________:::::::::: The Jiz ///         __________::::::::::_________
388 
389 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
390  Well, I never thought I would live to see another juvie hunt but it
391 looks like one will be here in No-Time.  I never knew what the last one
392 was about, maybe it was the Net stories, maybe because they were just twits
393 and needed to be silenced.  Any way, Backwater will survive this hunt as
394 well as the last I bet.
395  Writers, I enjoy all of the stories a great deal, please continue to
396 brighten the world of Backwater.  Knot writing stories myself, I  take great
397 delight in reading yours.  Please, please keep writing away into the night
398 air...
399  Well, the Ultravox tape is over and so is my entry.  Take care all!
400 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(Zigzag)()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
401 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$#
402 NET NET NET: 3200?!?  Ouch.  Did I bring my suntan oil?
403 L'homme: Message on CBBS/PCS, private of course, please attend to if you haven't already.
404 #$##$##$##$##$##$#
405 I suppose the NET felt blindfolds were too slipshod.  Instead, I was given an injection of a quantity of a drug.
406 Needless to say, I was unconscious within seconds.
407 I did wake up, though, at what seemed to me about twenty minutes later.  "I just have to quit this habit of occupying
408 detention areas," I thought.
409 The walls were bare, and painted a beautiful shade of blue.  Wait, I remember, blue is a color associated with 
410 tranquility.  Obviously the NET had had some experience in holding people.
411 This time, there was no furniture at all in the room.  The floor was coated with a thin layer of a spongy plastic, 
412 which was why my head didn't hurt from lying on a hard surface.  The door wasn't visible from the inside of my little
413 cell, all the walls were equally flat and blank.
414 With a sudden click, bright lights came on, drowning out the feeble light that existed before.  "Your name?", asked a
415 voice.  I recognised the voice as belonging to the man who shot the drone.
416 "E..Eugene Farley."  I was nervous, but I saw no reason to lie.
417 "What is your interest in Joshua?", said the voice.
418 Beads of sweat began to form on my brow, but not because of the questions, but because of the heat from the lights.
419 "Listen, before I start a lecture, could you please reduce the lighting a bit?  I would appreciate it greatly."
420 A moment passed, then two.  Finally, the lights dimmed a little.  Not much, mind you, but just a little.
421 So I began talking.  I went from when I was first hired by the 'Greeshies (The man corrected me- he said 'Rajneeshies')
422 to finding the fake NET headquarters, to finally using his logbook to find his apartment.
423 "And do you, Mr. Farley, actually want me to believe that?", asked the voice.  He seemed barely able to hold back a 
424 laugh.
425 "Yes, yes, I do.  I regret getting into this mess from the start.  I end up here, in a cell, after days of pursuit of
426 someone I really didn't care about except for the fact that my ex-employers thought he was valuable.  Not to mention
427 I was made of fool of at the fake NET offices and I found that one of my best friends was not what he said he was.  Why
428 shouldn't you believe what a dejected fourth-rate detective tells you?"
429 I heard nothing but silence for another moment, then, "Come on out of there, Mr. Farley.  We can discuss more outside,
430 where things are a bit more pleasant."
431 One of the walls, no different from the other three, slid directly up.  That's why I couldn't see the door- the entire
432 wall was the exit.  I crambled up, and slowly made my way out.  Beyond, someone was waiting for me...
433 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$# Farley #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$# 19:10 - 01/18/85 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$#
434 ]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
435 TO: All UNDERGROUND operatives
436 FROM: John K. O'Hara, District Supervisor
437 SUBJECT: Recent discovery of NET
438   As you all know, a secret agency of minor importance, the NET, has been
439 detected recently by government plants when an effort was made to acquire 
440 $20 million funding for the NET.  One of our primary objectives, gentlemen, is
441 the eradication of all such unnecessary expenditures in the government and to
442 rechannel the resources to ourselves.
443   Your new assignment: begin study of the NET, and compile all information 
444 required to destroy it.  In the past, as the older members of UNDERGROUND will
445 surely remember, such small outfits were destroyed by exposing their members,
446 their leader, and their location(s).  Furthermore, their name was smeared to
447 prevent the possibility that the public would sympathize with them.
448   All activity in this area is to begin at once, with no delay.  Operatives 
449 will be re-assigned to more important objectives if the need arises.
450 Good luck gentlemen, that will be all.
451                                              John K. O'Hara, District Supervisor
452 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[
453 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
454 PORTLAND, OREGON (AP): Today a family of twelve living in a modest apartment
455 on S.E. 70th Street was shot to death with a submachine gun.  Police 
456 investigating the scene found several pieces of evidence that mention a body
457 called 'NET' several times.  The investigation as to the meaning of the 
458 evidence and the motive of the slaughter is currently pending.
459 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
460 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa
461 S.E. 70th????   Hmmmm, rather close to me.  So that was what the sirens
462 were all about earlier.
463 JIZ:  I didn't take the time to check but watch your waste of lines.  I
464 seem to be in a kick about that lately.  It probably is due to me missing
465 a disk.  Anyway, such is life.     Go for #3.
466 ******DISK ERROR IN LINE 149******** ANOTHER DISK BITS THE DUST?
467 THE SILVER GHOST: 1.
468 TANYA:  I found the use of 'THE WORD BOOK' compiled by Kaethe Ellis
469 to have been a great help at school.  With the words all on the same
470 page (or close) its a lot easier to skim to find the right one.
471 ADRIAN:  Words of clitches and understanding?  Well PaPa will have
472 to work on somthing for you someday.
473 ALL SPELL CHECKS:  I normally have no trouble reading a story that has
474 a few spelling error in it.  I read right over them and read mainly for
475 the content of the writing and not the speling of that indivduls work.
476 I am not a teacher and feel that that is for them to do.  Not me.
477 BESIDES:  I'm trying to UNDERSTAND the writting, not grade it.
478 NET:  Oops, time to hide kids.  The stuff just hit the fan it sounds like.
479 Now if you really get that TWIT HUNTING equipment working, you might
480 get them before they get you!     THE RACE IS ON....
481 FARLEY:  So nice of someone to turn down the lights for you.  Better have
482 yourself checked for radiation burns from those lights.
483 ZIPPY:  Hope you are sleeping well.  Maybe some who is in the works.  If
484 your interested, let me know and if afternoon/evening sounds great,
485 I spring for dinner................. How can one who on an empty tummy.
486 CISTOP MIKEY:  I did enjoy LINE 2 of this disk.
487 ************************** 21 DEC 84 **********************************
488 I think the inn keeper was a little asleep when he changed the log on
489 the fire.  Oh, well; at least the log didn't roll off the fire.
490 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa Smurf ~~~~~~~~~~~ 1-18-85  2105
491 I do not know if this is where I'm supposed to be?  But I feel the that it is
492 here
493 **************************************
********8*****************
494 OOOOOPS!!  I feel that I understand how this system works.  Just 
495 remember--everywhere you go-- you're there.  
496 *******************************Lork Elerham**********************
497 ***********************************************************
498 Piper: Exactly! That is what I strive for, to make the machine disappear
499 so that the person using it can concentrate on what they are doing, and
500 not the machine. Oddly, this means simplifying the structure, not making
501 it 'friendly' as most think of today with all the menus and such. Yet
502 still we have to accomidate the novice until they can 'learn' to get around
503 without getting scared off. But, I also want to take it further then that,
504 I want to be able to assit the user so that there is a minimum effort
505 needed to achieve the goal that is desired. Having to think about how
506 to use the equipment to achieve that goal is a negative aspect, having
507 to learn how is worse. As you have found (DBBS sysop? Gad, you HAVE been
508 around for a while!) BWMS Fails in being friendly for the first time
509 user, but does moderatly well once you learn how to use it, and basicly
510 disappears after awhile, and even begins to assit a little. What's needed 
511 is a way for the software to learn to adapt to the user while not getting
512 in the way of the advanced user.
513 
514 To all: Many of you have probably been noticing the numerous disk errors that
515 that been occuring. It is not due to bum disks, but rather the disk drive
516 that is currently in drive A. It does not have a stable drive motor in it,
517 and so occasionaly writes bad data. I will be swaping it with drive b this 
518 weekend since normally there is no writing done there, that should hold
519 things off for a while until I can put together a drive that will wor
520 decently.
521 
522 Re border wars: 
523 What's in a border? Just look at all the people using MY border above,
524 you don't hear ME complaining do you? Worry about something that's
525 worth getting mad about instead of a silly boarder! Sheesh!
526 If you feel you must have a unique border, then at least choose something
527 that is reasonably unique in looks and won't be duplicated by a casual
528 user who doesn't really care that you think you have some sort of patent
529 on a particular character in the ASCII character set.
530 *********************** CISTOP MIKEY *********************************
531 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
532 To: all NET operatives
533 Subject: Communications Security
534         We are considering a limited access communications drop. (BBS type
535  not yet determined). Please leave feedback on PCS addressed to the usual
536 party.
537 To: local offices, all NET subsidiaries
538 Subject: "Underground"
539         Activate stage 2 harassment techniques. The local phone companies
540 and the Postal Service will only go to stage 3 at this time. They should
541 be ready to upgrade to stage 2 on 30 minutes notice however.
542                  Ada Lovelace, for the Director
543 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
544 ps. yes, "The Phone Company" is a NET controlled operation. So are the
545 Postal Service and a few government agencies with "alphabet soup" for names
546 (this was established LONG ago).
547     If you wish to know what stage 2 & stage 3 harassment are, I refer you
548 to a M. D'Autun....
549 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
550    At a Portland residence, <addres s DELETED>, mail trucks began to pull
551 up. They began to unload...
552    Sometime later the occupant, Mr J. O'Hara, arrived to find his door
553 blocked by approximately half a ton of junk mail....
554 U.S.SNAIL U.S.SNAIL U.S.SNAIL U.S.SNAIL. U.S.SNAIL U.S.SNAIL U.S.SNAIL
555 ________________Melissa--------------------------------Melissa________________
556 Adrian---I've been enjoying your writing very much. Please continue. Writing,
557   like any other skill, gets easier with practice. I did rewrite the first
558   episode of the Magen story but since then it's been written sort of on the
559   fly. I do use the word processor at work to write it before I call the Inn.
560   (Usually I go back and check for spelling errors and such.)
561 Master Changer---Your interesting fantasy form of arrival was excellent. I
562   hope we'll see more of the 'Changer' capabilities. A fascinating idea.
563 alchemist---Thank you. Yes, some of stereotyping is deliberate some accidental.
564   I hope it gives the characters flavor and doesn't make them dull & plastic.
565 Gaudy Minsky---Thanks. What an interesting name, there must be a story that
566   goes along with its selection.
567 It's time for me to close and get out of this place. At least working late
568 gives me the whole weekend off, for a change. Time to see some of this lovely
569 country here in the northwest.
570 ----------------Melissa________________________________Melissa----------------
571 where there is an operation there is an underground.  Even for undergrounds.
572 This whole business is really silly but at least it is entertaining. Thanks
573 all you net people for a good laugh.  Controling the phone company? get
574 real, if they were then they could trace me and find out, but probably not.
575 I can just see it now, the net comes out with thier code, then the underground
576 will get one for them and then even a third will show. The main purpose of the
577 system will be flushed.  Why don't all you people spend time writing story
578 lines or adventures.  Not galloping around trying to find out who people are.
579 You should call the ninja for that. All this is going to do is prevoke poeople
580 to act like dwids.  Oh, by the way, putting people's names on the disk doesn't
581 do anything anyway so why bother? they just get a new one, change habbits and
582 start calling again. there is no end.
583 ---------------------------------------------Shore Patrol.
584 ::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________
585 Hello everyone! 
586 
587 Melissa- Is there anything wrong (legally o
588 
589 (legally or otherwise) wiwth th downloading your wonderful stories and saving and/or
590 printing them out for my own use? Just wanted to clear it up before I continuted
591 doing it.
592 
593 PaPa Smurf- I have switched to 80 columns now, so lines will contain more data.
594 Don't really see how it is taking up more disk space, though...
595 And thanks for the enouragement.
596 
597 Alchemist- Thank you very much for the suggestion. I think that I will do
598 just that. Glad to see that you think it has potential, I wan't sure if it
599 was or was just worthless. Again, thanks a lot for the encouragement!
600 
601 All- Well, I plan to enter episode 3 of my soap, but then I will break for
602 awhile and start the complete, fleshed-out version. It will be my first
603 story here, so please have patience with me and give me all the help and
604 feedback that you can think of.
605 Here goes episode 3 (The last outline-only episode):
606  
607 --- Season One, Episode Three ---
608    Sue, realizing that she wants Phil's money, tells David falsely that she
609 never loved him, and breaks off their affair. Sue started to get more seductive
610 towards Phil. Finally Phil tells her that he loved her all along, and they
611 start an affair. Sue's doctor tells her that she is pregnant, and she knows
612 that no one could be the father but David. David, in extreme grief over the
613 loss of Sue, attempts to commit suicide, but is stopped by Peter just in
614 the nick of time. Phil, thinking David a threat to his relationship with Sue,
615 fires David from his job (I mean Peter, not David!!! ARGH! I HATE enter-only!).
616 Although Peter loves Cindy, he tells David his lifelong secret: that he is
617 bisexual. David tells Peter that he understands, and they have an affair.
618 
619 --- End, Episode Three ---
620 See 'ya all later with the story, gang! Adieu!
621 ::::::::::__________    The Jiz ///    :::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::

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