1057 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
1057 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:24 Page 1
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Volume 2, Number 36 21 October 1985
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+----------------------------------------------------------+
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| / \ |
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| - Fidonews - /|oo \ |
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| Fido and Fidonet _`@/_ \ _ |
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| Users Group | | \ \\ |
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| Newsletter | (*) | \ )) |
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| ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+----------------------------------------------------------+
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Publisher: Fido 1/1
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Editor: Thom Henderson
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Review Editor: Matt Kanter
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 1/1. You are
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encouraged to submit articles for publication in Fidonews.
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Article submission standards are contained in the file
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FIDONEWS.DOC, available on request from Fido 1/1.
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Disclaimer or don't-blame-us:
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The contents of the articles contained here are not our
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responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them;
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everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
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received.
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The Problems of Scale
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We have a problem here. Fidonet is just a bit too large to
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handle easily.
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Oh, not for day-to-day mail. We're well enough organized
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now that I think we could handle ten times as many nodes for
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most purposes. After all, a "busy" node doesn't usually
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send mail to more than a dozen other nodes a night, while a
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"typical" node more likely sends one or two messages a week.
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We're in a fair-sized net with a decent amount of traffic,
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and so far our inbound and outbound hosts haven't had much
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trouble keeping up.
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The problem comes when you want to get something to everyone
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on the whole system. Yes, I know such "bombing runs" are
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frowned on, but there are one or two legitimate cases. In
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fact, exactly two: the node list and the newsletter.
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In both cases, it's desirable to get a largish file (3-5 min
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transfer time at 1200 baud) out to every single node in one
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:27 Page 2
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night, and it just hasn't been working very well.
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It wouldn't be hard to do, with the proper organization. In
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fact, the structure to do it is already in place. All we
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have to do is define a couple of additional duties for
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regional coordinators and network hosts.
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Right now, we're trying to distribute the newsletter by
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mailing it to each inbound host. That worked more-or-less
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okay for about two weeks. The problem is that new hosts
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keep popping up. We're now up around forty hosts, which is
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about the limit that can be reached by two machines
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operating send-only and working flat out for an hour, IF
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almost everyone answers on the first call!
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However, there are only ten regional coordinators, and
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nobody expects to add any more.
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So my idea is this: Every Monday morning all regional
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coordinators run a special mail event for a half hour before
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the national mail event, during which we mail 'em the
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newsletter. Then, using Robot or some other convenient
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means, each coordinator mails it to each inbound host in his
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region during the national mail hour. After that, hosts
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pass it along using their normal channels for getting mail
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to the locals.
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The node list would work the same way, of course, except on
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Friday morning instead of Monday morning.
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If we do it this way, then with a high degree of reliability
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everyone should always get the latest copy of the node list
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and the newsletter on the day it is published, and we can't
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do much better than that!
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:28 Page 3
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============================================================
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NEWS
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============================================================
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From Robert Lederman
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Met-Chem BBS 16/42
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PROGRAMMING QUERY
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===========-=====
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Thanks to everyone for the enthusiastic response I received
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to SHUFFLE and READQUES, the Fido sysop utilities I
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described in Fido234.nws.
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I am working on an enhanced version of SHUFFLE. Most
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notably, it will support full-screen viewing of file areas
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and relocation of FILES.BBS entries to a specified spot in
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the target file areas.
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Since this new version will require partial-screen
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scrolling, I need to use IBM ROM BIOS functions for local
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operation, or ANSI functions for remote operation, chosen
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by command line switch. In the process I have learned
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that different communications packages interpret "VT100"
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emulation differently.
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If you want your communications package supported in the
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next version of SHUFFLE, please let me know what codes it
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needs to be sent to:
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a) define top and bottom lines of the screen
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to be scrolled. (Most packages recognize
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"ESC [ Top ; Bottom r").
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b) scroll the region upwards.
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c) scroll the region downwards.
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In addition, I would like to recompile both SHUFFLE and
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READQUES for operation on non-IBM MS-DOS machines. I am
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soliciting $10-$20 contributions to buy a generic MS-DOS
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Pascal compiler. In return you will be FidoMailed or US
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Mailed the latest versions of both utilities. Please send
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notes and contributions to:
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Robert Lederman
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7001 Yale Station
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New Haven, CT 06520
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Finally, if you can accurately describe the system calls
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required to scroll a defined part of your non-IBM display, I
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will try to accomodate you as well.
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For comments and to get the latest versions of SHUFFLE (1.4
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on the way) and READQUES (1.1e), call Met-Chem BBS, FidoNet
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16/42, 203/281-7287, 1200/2400 baud, 24 hours.
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Thanks,
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Robert
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:30 Page 4
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:30 Page 5
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Submitted by Mike Johnson FIDO SYSOP 19/329, 19/0
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originally captured from IBM VIDEOTEXT in Boca Raton.
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Commentary is by Wilson Jones a user of my bbs.
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IBM Videotext released the following information to The
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Product Centers:
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** DOS BACKUP COMMAND CAUTION **
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The DOS BACKUP command may not always work properly. For
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critical back-ups, use the COPY command to copy your key
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files onto diskettes. Remember that a file COPY'd to a
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diskette must fit on one diskette.
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The BACKUP command seems to malfunction if a BUFFERS= or
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FILES= command has been given or is present in a CONFIG.SYS
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file. Several program packages (such as dBASEIII) require
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that additional buffers and files be specified. The effect
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of the problem is to make your backup diskette unusable. If
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you use BACKUP, be sure to attempt a RESTORE on another
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machine while your data is still available.
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A hint, if you are going to use BACKUP; Restart your system
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with an original DOS diskette in your "A" drive immediately
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before doing BACKUP. This will reload DOS with the default
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values for BUFFERS and FILES.
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Commentary:
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There have been problems with the IBM DOS BACKUP command for
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as long as there has been a BACKUP command. IBM has made
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fixes and replacements available for the BACKUP command in
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all versions of DOS except 3.1, yet the problems persist.
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This presents us with a serious catch-22; we cannot
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effectively use the computers without creating large files
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but we have no inherent way in DOS to safely back them up.
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Our alternatives are to purchase specialized backup software
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or hardware that operates outside of or around DOS, or
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continue to backup with the IBM DOS BACKUP command and pray
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that it works.
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The desired solution is for IBM/Microsoft to fix this
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problem and fix it now. How long do you think it would take
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IBM to fix a problem like this on a System/36, System/38,
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4300, 303X or 308X computer system? About 24 hours,
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maybe...
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:32 Page 6
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There seems to be a prevailing attitude by manufacturers,
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dealers and servicers in the PC marketplace that if you have
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a PC, you must be doing nothing but playing games, and if
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the operating system doesn't work as advertised, well, so
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what, you're on the leading edge of technology, how can you
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expect anything to work? This attitude will only persist as
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long as we, the users, allow it to persist.
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If you agree with this, do something about it; write a
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letter to the following people:
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John Opel, Chairman,
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IBM Corporation,
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Armonk, New York.
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Bill Gates, Chairman,
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Microsoft Corporation,
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Bellvue, Washington.
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------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:32 Page 7
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THE DIRTY DOZEN
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---------------
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A List of Ripped-Off "Freeware"
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by Tom Neff [76656,2536]
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Updated Oct 17th, 1985
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These are illegally copied programs being distributed as
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"public domain" on various IBM PC bulletin boards across the
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country. Most of them are commercial pirate jobs, although
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a few of them are legitimate freeware or user supported
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programs that have been hacked up by people with
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warped minds. The category of each one is listed.
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Remember, Sysops: if it looks like a superb game or disk
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utility, and it doesn't have the author's name and address
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on it, together with explicit permission to distribute the
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program, it is probably NOT really public domain! If we
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don't want to see the BBS community smothered under
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hysterical regulations, we've got to work together to fight
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that trend. A great way to start is by keeping an eye on
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our download libraries, and giving these files "the BOOT!"
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CATEGORIES:
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PIRATED - Either removed from a commercially
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published package (and converted to a DOS
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.COM file if necessary), or else a beta
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test copy of a commercial program under
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development, sneaked into distribution by
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a disgruntled employee or dishonest beta
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tester. Sometimes the program in
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question never made it to market,
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possibly because of the pre-pirating!
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HACKED - An unlawfully modified copy of a
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legitimate freeware or user supported
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program. Some pirated programs have also
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been hacked. It is illegal to distribute
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a modified copy of someone else's work
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without their permission. If the author
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has obtained that permission, it should
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be mentioned in the program display or
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documentation.
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*TROJAN* - BEWARE!! These programs are launched into
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the BBS file network by people with the
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LSD-in-the-reservoir mentality, and cause
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some form of damage to your system if
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you're unwary enough to run them. It is
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IMPERATIVE that you let me know about any
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new examples of these that you find.
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Name Category Notes
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-------------- -------- ---------------------------------
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1DIR PIRATED
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:34 Page 8
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AXX PIRATED really AUTODEX
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BUSHIDO PIRATED
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DEB88 PIRATED DeSmet "C" debugger
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EGABTR *TROJAN* BEWARE! Description says
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something like "improve your EGA
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display," but when run it deletes
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everything in sight and prints
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"HA HA YOU LOSE."
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KONG PIRATED
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LIST60 HACKED Vern Buerg's LIST 5.1, patched to
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read 6.0.
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NOVATRON PIRATED
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PCBOSS PIRATED
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PSHIFT PIRATED really MEMORY SHIFT
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QMDM110.ARC HACKED ONLY versions 1.10 and 1.10A!
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QMDM110A.ARC They are copies of 1.09, hacked
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to read 1.10. There have been
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rumors of a worm in 1.10, but I
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haven't seen any evidence of it.
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Other versions are OK.
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ROGUE PIRATED
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STARGATE PIRATED
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ZAXXON PIRATED
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If you have any additions to this list, send them to me at
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any of the following places:
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* Compuserve User ID [76556,2536]
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(via Easyplex electronic mail or
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the IBM Novice Forum, GO IBMNOV)
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* Atlantic Palisades RBBS (718-238-7858)
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* DEC-WARE Fido, Fidonet node 107/1
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:36 Page 9
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Falling Back - Batch Style
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This is in response to the articles in the last few FidoNews
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issues regarding the change from Daylight Savings Time. I
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agree with David Kaplan when he says that the individual
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boards need to stick with the time being used in their area.
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I rely heavily on the system clock and it's nice to have it
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accurate. However, this can be handled even for those who
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can't get to their machines on the weekend without having to
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resort to changing the clocks on Friday.
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We have the power of the External Event and the Batch File
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at our call; let's use them. What follows is an outline of
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what I intend to set up to handle the time change. I don't
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know if I'm going to be near my machine that weekend or not,
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but even if I am here I'll probably forget to change the
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clock. After all, I forget every six months, this time will
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be no different.
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What is needed is 1 external event and 3 short batch files.
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Set your external event for the day and time when you want
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to set your clock back (I'm going to take advantage of being
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in the Eastern time zone and change the clock at the
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scheduled time, Sunday 0300) and insert this line in the
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appropriate place in your GOBBS file:
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...
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IF ERRORLEVEL <error code you picked> FALLBACK
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...
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Then set up these three batch files:
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Fallback.Bat is a 2 line batch file:
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TIME <the new time>
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SUICIDE
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Suicide.Bat is needed to make sure the clock isn't changed
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when the scheduled time comes back around cause Fido will
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exit again:
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COPY WAITAMIN.BAT FALLBACK.BAT
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WAITAMIN
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Waitamin.Bat is one last 2 liner:
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<do something for a minute so Fido doesn't exit to DOS
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right away>
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GOBBS
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The only real problem with this method is that it will exit
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to DOS again when the scheduled time comes back around in an
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hour. Suicide.Bat takes care of making sure the time
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doesn't get changed again when this happens. The delay in
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Waitamin.Bat can be anything that will eat up the 1 minute
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:37 Page 10
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window for the event.
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Wes Cowley - Sysop, The Ark Tangent (18/19)
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:37 Page 11
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All right, I will ask, what happened to the newsletter?
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I was under the impression that this was a FIDO newsletter
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and there would be articles and tips pertaining to BBS's and
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the like. Unfortunately, it has started to look like the
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creative writing magazine that we used to publish in Junior
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High school. Don't get me wrong, if the "creative" writers
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want to continue to contribute their drivel (whoops...
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sorry... umm.... how about "Artistic Drivel"?), that's fine,
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but how about if we limit the articles in the newsletter to
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Fido or at least computer related articles, and we can have
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another newsletter for the rest. (At least that way I won't
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have to waste my money downloading that one.)
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Since I want to see computer related articles published,
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I figured I would give a list of my FAVORITE software
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packages. I have been consulting on micros for over 9 years
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and have had to try to find these packages for my customers.
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I would be curious to see what other users think of these
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selections.
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UTILITY PROGRAMS: Most of the best directory programs
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are freeware. My favorite are ND (Stands for nice directory
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and it is certainly the most powerful), FDIR (which lists in
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extension order) and D (very similar to SDIR but faster and
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more options). Everyone need norton utilities unless they
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NEVER erase a file accidentally.
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COMM PROGRAMS: CROSSTALK is very flexible (which means
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it takes a while to learn) but QMODEM is free and has
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spiffier screen displays. (Sorry, not free, a $20.00
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contribution is requested and I plan to send my 20.00. It
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is a very polished package.
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DATABASE: I am not sure why everyone likes DBASE? I
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find it powerful but I have to do too much of the work
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myself. Any self-respecting database program should be able
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to easily set up custom screens, eliminate dup keys and set
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up rules for input. RBASE is better but the 2 best I have
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found are INFORMIX (A well kept secret! Very popular in the
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UNIX market but almost unknown in DOS. It might have the
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BEST custom screen input program and a very powerful report
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writer.) and REVELATION. You can do ANYTHING with either of
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these and both are very fast. If you like "C" then INFORMIX
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is for you, otherwise R-BASIC which is included with
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REVELATION allows you to write custom code.
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WORD PROCESSING: This is very subjective but I find
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WordPerfect my favorite. It is fast and powerful. I like
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Display Write 3 but the menus are too slow.
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TEXT EDITORS: If you need one, PMATE with its macro
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capability is my favorite. I have not used many others and
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would like to hear what other programmers use.
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GAME: The Ancient Art of War. The manual alone is
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:40 Page 12
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almost worth the price.
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There are a lot of other programs that I use and like alot,
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(like ThinkTank, LMI Forth, etc.) but I figure I can't
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offer an opinion on these because I have not used their
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competitors.) I hope that no one writes back telling me
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how great their favorite program is unless they have
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compared it to others.
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Bruce Lomasky
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Sysop Fido 16 / 208
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West Hartford CT
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(203)-236-3761
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:40 Page 13
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============================================================
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COLUMNS
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============================================================
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A long time ago... on a node far, far away (from PDPvax)
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XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX
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X X X X X
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X X XXXXX X
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X X X X
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X X X X X
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XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX
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X X XX XXXXX XXXX
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X X X X X X X
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X X X X X X XXXX
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X XX X XXXXXX XXXXX X
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XX XX X X X X X X
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X X X X X X XXXX
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Yet More Adventures of Luke Vaxhacker Episode n+4
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Ok, like, remember we left our heros in the detention
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priority level? Well, they're still there...
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Luke quickly located the interface card and followed the
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cables to a sound-proof enclosure. He lifted the lid and
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peered at the mechanism inside.
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"Aren't you a little slow for ECL?" printed princess
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LPA0:
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"Wha..? Oh, the Docksiders," stammered Luke. He took
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off his shoes (for industry) and explained, "I've come to
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relocate you. I'm Luke Vaxhacker."
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Suddenly, forms started bursting around them. "They've
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blocked this queue!" shouted Solo. "There's only one return
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from this stack!"
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"OVER HERE!" printed LPA0: with overstrikes. "THROUGH
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THIS LOOPHOLE!" Luke and the princess disappeared into a
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nearby feature.
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"Gritch, gritch," mumbled Two Bacco, obviously reluctant
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to trust an Administrative oversight.
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"I don't care how crufty it is!" shouted Con, pushing
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the Bookie toward the crock. "DPB yourself in there NOW!"
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With one last blast that reprogrammed two flunkies, Con
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joined them. The "Feature" landed them right in the middle
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of the garbage collection data. Pieces of code that hadn't
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been used in weeks floated past in a pool of decaying bits.
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"Bletch!" was Con's first comment. "Bletch, bletch," was
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his second. The Bookie looked as if he had just paid a
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:42 Page 14
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longshot, and the odds in this situation weren't much
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better.
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Luke was tolling the garbage when he stumbled upon a
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book with the words "Don't Panic" inscribed in large,
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friendly letters on the cover. "This can't possibly help us
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now," he said as he tossed the book away.
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The Bookie was about to lay odds on it when Luke
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suddenly disappeared. He popped up across the pool,
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shouting, "This is no feature! It's a bug!!" and promptly
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vanished again.
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Con and the princess were about to panic() when Luke
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reappeared. "What happened?" they asked in parallel.
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"I don't know," gasped Luke. "The bug just dissolved
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automagically. Maybe it hit a breakpoint..."
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"I don't think so," said Con. "Look how the pool is
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shrinking. I've got a bad feeling about this..."
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The princess was the first to realize what was going on.
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"They've implemented a new compaction algorithm!" she
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exclaimed.
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Luke remembered the pipe he had open to 3CPU. "Shut down
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garbage collection below recursion level 5!" he shouted.
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Back in the control room, RS232 searched the process
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table for the lisp interpreter. "Hurry," sent 3CPU. "Hurry,
|
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hurry," added his other two processors. RS232 found the
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interpreter, interrupted it, and altered the stack frame
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they'd fallen into to allow a normal return.
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------------------------------------------------------------
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Some months later...
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Luke was feeling rather bored. 3CPU could get to be
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rather irritating, and RS232 didn't really speak Luke's
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language. Suddenly, Luke felt someone's eyes boring through
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the back of his skull. He turned slowly, to see... nothing.
|
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A quiet voice came from somewhere in front of him.
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"Grasshopper, the carrier is strong within you." Luke
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froze, which was a good thing since his legs were insisting
|
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that he run but they weren't likely to be particular about
|
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direction. Luke guessed that his odds of getting lost in
|
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the dense tree structures were pretty good. Unfortunately,
|
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the Bookie wasn't available.
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"Yes. Very strong, but the modulation is yet weak. His
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network interface is totally undeveloped." the voice
|
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continued. A small furry creature walked out of the woods
|
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as Luke stared on. Luke's stomach had now joined the rest
|
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of his body in loud complaints. Whatever was peering at him
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:44 Page 15
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was certainly small and furry, but Luke was quite sure that
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it didn't come from Alpha Centauri.
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"Well, well," said the creature as is rolled it's eyes
|
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at Luke. "Frobozz, y'know. Morning, name's modem. What's
|
|
your game? Adventure? D&D? Or are you just one of those
|
|
Apple-pong types that hang around the store demonstrations?"
|
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Luke closed his eyes. Perhaps if he couldn't see it, it
|
|
wouldn't notice him.
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"H'mm," muttered the creature. "Must use a different
|
|
protocol. @@@H @@ @($@@@H )"@G$ @#@@G' (o% @@@@@%%H(b ?"
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"No, no," stammered Luke. "I don't speak EBCDIC. I was
|
|
sent here to become a UNIX wizard. Must have the wrong
|
|
address."
|
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|
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"Right address," said the creature. "I'm a UNIX wizard.
|
|
Device drivers a speciality. Or do you prefer playing with
|
|
virtual memory?"
|
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|
|
Luke eyed the creature cautiously. If this was what
|
|
happened to system wizards after years of late night
|
|
crashes, Luke wasn't sure he wanted anything to do with it.
|
|
He felt a strange affection for the familiar microcomputers
|
|
of his home. And wasn't virtual memory something that you
|
|
got from drinking too much Coke?
|
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|
|
To be discontinued (by popular demand)
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
* DEC, PDP, VAX, and UNIBUS are trademarks of Digital
|
|
Equipment Corp.
|
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|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The preceeding story has been a reprint
|
|
(retransmission?) of an original story by an unknown author.
|
|
The story was most recently found on the MNET-11 user's
|
|
group SIG on the CompuServe system.
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FIDONEWS -- 21 Oct 85 03:02:45 Page 16
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|
============================================================
|
|
NOTICES
|
|
============================================================
|
|
Have you paid for your freeware yet?
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
BACK ISSUES
|
|
|
|
Fidonews back issues are available for download by all
|
|
callers (even first time callers) on Fido 107/52, the
|
|
Beagles Nest, at (302) 731-7842.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The Interrupt Stack
|
|
|
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|
|
27 Oct 1985
|
|
2 AM - Change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard
|
|
time. You should change your system clock before mail
|
|
hour this date.
|
|
|
|
27 Nov 1985
|
|
Halley's Comet passes closest to Earth before perihelion.
|
|
|
|
24 Jan 1986
|
|
Voyager 2 passes Uranus.
|
|
|
|
9 Feb 1986
|
|
Halley's Comet reaches perihelion.
|
|
|
|
11 Apr 1986
|
|
Halley's Comet reaches perigee.
|
|
|
|
19 May 1986
|
|
Steve Lemke's next birthday.
|
|
|
|
24 Aug 1989
|
|
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
|
|
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|
|
If you have something which you would like to see on this
|
|
calendar, please send a message to Fido 107/7.
|
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