907 lines
42 KiB
Plaintext
907 lines
42 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 18 5 May 1986
|
||
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|
||
| _ |
|
||
| / \ |
|
||
| - FidoNews - /|oo \ |
|
||
| (_| /_) |
|
||
| Fido and FidoNet _`@/_ \ _ |
|
||
| Users Group | | \ \\ |
|
||
| Newsletter | (*) | \ )) |
|
||
| ______ |__U__| / \// |
|
||
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
|
||
| (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
|
||
| (jm) |
|
||
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|
||
Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
|
||
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
|
||
|
||
FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
|
||
Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
|
||
You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
|
||
FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
|
||
FNEWSART.DOC, available from node 1/1.
|
||
|
||
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
|
||
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
|
||
Everything here is subject to debate.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Table of Contents
|
||
|
||
1. EDITORIAL
|
||
It Takes All Kinds
|
||
2. ARTICLES
|
||
Squeeze 720k onto 360k disks on an IBM-PC/AT w/DOS 3.2
|
||
A Question of Privacy
|
||
Fido Utility Catalog
|
||
3. COLUMNS
|
||
User Group Presentations
|
||
Notes from Abroad
|
||
4. WANTED
|
||
Fido Looking for File Help
|
||
5. FOR SALE
|
||
Entertainment Software for your PC!
|
||
Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
|
||
Special Offer to FidoNet Sysops
|
||
6. NOTICES
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
CARTOON: Gruesome George, by Bruce White
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 2 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
EDITORIAL
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
It Takes All Kinds
|
||
|
||
|
||
We get some odd customers in the shareware business.
|
||
|
||
I don't mean the private individuals who make donations. They're
|
||
a blessing. There's nothing quite like being appreciated. I
|
||
remember one letter; the guy went on for pages about how he liked
|
||
our product, apologizing profusely that he couldn't send any
|
||
more.
|
||
|
||
Some of the companies are a bit off-the-wall, though. Not all,
|
||
by any means. Most companies are pretty good about it. Well,
|
||
the ones who pay at all are generally pretty good. I gather a
|
||
lot of companies simply don't understand shareware yet, but we're
|
||
getting there.
|
||
|
||
But there's that small percentage that kind of makes you wonder.
|
||
|
||
I got a call just the other day from one of them. It seems his
|
||
company was one subsidiary of a large conglomerate, and he wanted
|
||
to use our program in his project. His problem was that each of
|
||
the subsidiaries is organized as a separate company in a separate
|
||
location. For example, he worked for one outfit in New York, but
|
||
there's another outfit in California that has a different name
|
||
and is organized as a different company, but both are owned by
|
||
the same conglomerate. Are you with me so far?
|
||
|
||
Now, he had heard of our "unlimited site license", and he wanted
|
||
to know if we would consider the two companies (along with about
|
||
another twenty all over the world) to be one "site".
|
||
|
||
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines
|
||
a site as "The place or plot of land where something was, is, or
|
||
is to be located." I would tend to feel that it's pushing things
|
||
a bit to consider the entire inhabited surface of the Earth as
|
||
ONE plot of land.
|
||
|
||
I'm sure he felt he was trying to do the right thing. After all,
|
||
he could have just used it, and to Hell with us. We're hardly
|
||
going to go out and sue twenty companies around the world for a
|
||
few hundred bucks apiece. No, he saw his legal and moral
|
||
obligations, and wanted to do what was right. He just didn't
|
||
want to spend any money on it. I tried to explain to him that
|
||
spreading any "normal" commercial package that widely would cost
|
||
far more. His attitude was "Well, yes, but..."
|
||
|
||
What can I say? People like that are ASKING for copy protection.
|
||
They have no one to blame but themselves if they get stuck with
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Fidonews Page 3 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
ARTICLES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Juan E. Jimenez, Micro Consulting Associates
|
||
DataFlex Fido / Modem Help West
|
||
103/511 - 1/110
|
||
|
||
+---------------------------------------------------------+
|
||
| How to get your IBM-PC/AT running DOS 3.2 to write 720k |
|
||
| of data onto a 360k disk using 1.2 meg disk drives... |
|
||
+---------------------------------------------------------+
|
||
|
||
|
||
Sanford Zelkovitz, Sysop of Fido 103/506 and president of Alpha
|
||
Computer Service, has come up with a way to squeeze 720k into
|
||
those 360k disks which you can now get for around $0.69 in
|
||
quantity. The solution is in the form of a program he has written
|
||
called INTRCPT.COM. The program is memory resident and allows
|
||
you to write 720k of data onto a DS/DD diskette using the 1.2 meg
|
||
drives.
|
||
|
||
There are some limitations to the program:
|
||
|
||
(1) You must be using an IBM-PC/AT
|
||
|
||
(2) You must be running IBM PC-DOS version 3.2
|
||
|
||
(3) You must have at least one 1.2 meg drive
|
||
|
||
The program works in conjunction with a program distributed with
|
||
PC-DOS 3.2 called "DRIVER.SYS". Complete instructions are
|
||
included in the release ARChive, including full MASM source code.
|
||
You can obtain the file from my Fido at 714-675-7106,
|
||
300/1200/2400, 24 hrs; or from any other Net 103 Fido in the NET
|
||
103 area code.
|
||
|
||
I have tested the program with Norton's NU, DSBACKUP and a few
|
||
other programs, and it works like a champ! The only program that
|
||
we know it will NOT work with is DISKCOPY.COM.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 4 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Dann Porter, 148/2
|
||
|
||
A Question of Privacy
|
||
|
||
|
||
As responsible SysOps, we have all, from time to time, had to
|
||
delete a message or two for a variety of reasons. How often have
|
||
you "killed" a message that made reference to copying or trading
|
||
commercial software? Or zapped some feeble-minded user's
|
||
profanity-riddled effort at discussing the current debate topic
|
||
on your board? All part of the job, right?
|
||
|
||
Now think back to the last message you performed a bitectomy
|
||
on. Was it a PUBLIC notice or a PRIVATE one? Maybe you didn't
|
||
even pay attention to that detail. I'm sure no one would dispute
|
||
our right to erase a PUBLIC message that falls into the category
|
||
of "unacceptable", but what about PRIVATE ones?
|
||
|
||
Do we have the right to impose our moral or ethical standards
|
||
on users that we are offering a service to? A service that we
|
||
promote as being PRIVATE. I can't help but make a comparison to
|
||
the postal service or voice communications over the same
|
||
telephone lines that BBS's utilize. I can almost hear the Civil
|
||
Liberties people screaming all the way up here.
|
||
|
||
If FidoNet is going to be considered a legitimate competitor to
|
||
the other E-Mail services that are available, we must ensure that
|
||
a high standard of privacy is maintained. The scope of our
|
||
responsibility should not include being a censor of private
|
||
communications between two citizens. In fact, whether we even
|
||
have the right to READ messages flagged as PRIVATE is in doubt in
|
||
my mind. I realize that this would be difficult to avoid in our
|
||
day to day maintenance of Fido, but it is something to think
|
||
about.
|
||
|
||
There are other implications that should be considered when
|
||
dealing with an international network, but I'll leave that for
|
||
future dissertations. I believe this is a relevant issue that
|
||
deserves some serious thought by all concerned. Any comments or
|
||
criticisms are most welcome....after all, we are talking about
|
||
Free Speech here.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 5 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Richard Polunsky, 106/2
|
||
|
||
FIDO UTILITY CATALOG
|
||
|
||
|
||
PURPOSE:
|
||
|
||
To assist existing and new Fido sysops in finding programs to
|
||
make their task a little easier.
|
||
|
||
NOTES:
|
||
|
||
I have not tested all utilities on this list; indeed, I have
|
||
obtained only two-thirds of them. I have attempted to list both
|
||
the utility name and the filename by which it is commonly
|
||
distributed. This format does not allow for multiple authors to
|
||
be listed, so I have shown only the first author in such cases.
|
||
|
||
REVISIONS:
|
||
|
||
The current list will be kept on the I.T.C. BBS, node 106/2, with
|
||
file attach path D:\FIDO\FIDOCATU.ARC. List updates will be done
|
||
depending on the quantity of changes; the first update is planned
|
||
for May 1, and new editions will be announced in FidoNews.
|
||
|
||
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
|
||
|
||
Henk Wevers also did a utility catalog; his appeared in a back
|
||
issue of Fidonews, and I liked his format so much I adopted it.
|
||
|
||
Dave Reinsel, Kurt Reisler, and Rich Kaleta who provided me with
|
||
my initial set of utilities and helped me get running.
|
||
|
||
And all those sysops and users who keep on writing utilities for
|
||
the Fido system.
|
||
|
||
CONDENSED LISTING:
|
||
|
||
Utility Version Date Author Home Fido
|
||
-------- ------- ---- ------ ---------
|
||
ADDQUOTE Bob Hartman 132/101
|
||
ARC 5.12 86/02 S.E.A. 107/7
|
||
B 2.3 See BBSSORT
|
||
BBSSORT 2.3 85/11 Micro-Help Inc.
|
||
BETWEEN 122/0
|
||
CDMON 1.1 85/12 Mathew Zilmer 102/1101
|
||
CHG2DATE Josey Wales 124/3
|
||
COPYX_D 1.2A Robert Grahm 130/439
|
||
CRUSH 3.0 85/07 Harold Barker 11/493
|
||
DATEFILE 85/10 Wes Cowley 137/19
|
||
DAYLIGHT 0.0 85/11 Randy Bush 122/6
|
||
DAYNBR 1.0 85/10 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
DIST-KIT
|
||
DIST-MIS
|
||
DISTRIB 1.00 86/01 J. Brad Hicks 100/523
|
||
ECHOMAIL 1.10 86/03 Jeffrey Rush 124/15
|
||
Fidonews Page 6 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
EDIFIDO 1.12 85/11 Bob Klahn 107/50
|
||
EDITNL 1.0 86/03 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
ERRORSET Gary Sanborn 106/101
|
||
EVENT 2.0 85/12 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
EXTRACT 2.00 Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
FASDOC01 86/03 Jim Black 106/106
|
||
FASTV01A 86/03 David Reinsel 106/343
|
||
FFM 4.2 86/02 Walkbro & Kelleher 10/620
|
||
FFMSRCE 4.2 86/02 Walkbro & Kelleher 10/620
|
||
FIDODISP 1.1 Robert Briggs 15/464
|
||
FIDOKFIX 86/04 Richard Hallett
|
||
FIDOLIST 2.00 84/12 Alexander Morris 107/22
|
||
FIDOMLNK 85/07 Allen Miller 108/10
|
||
FIDOMSG Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
FIDOMSG2 107/50
|
||
FIDOQUES 2.5
|
||
FIDOREAD 1.5 86/04 Richard Polunsky 106/2
|
||
FIDOSTRT 86/04 David Kaplan 16/387
|
||
FIDOUSER 1.0 84/12 Allen Miller 108/10
|
||
FIDOUT01
|
||
FIDOUTIL 1.0 85/11 David Strickler 101/45
|
||
FIDOUTIL 2.0 Michael Wyrick 109/449
|
||
FIDOUTIL 1.1 85/06 Robert Briggs 15/464
|
||
FIDOXREF (see FILEXREF)
|
||
FILEDATE 1.1 85/12 Bob Hartman 132/101
|
||
FILELIST 1.4 85/11 John Wulff 109/468
|
||
FILER 2.1 85/10 Vincent E. Periello 141/491
|
||
FILESBBS 3.4 85/06 David Strickler 101/45
|
||
FILESPRN 3.1 Vincent E. Periello 141/491
|
||
FILEXREF 1.0 86/04 Bill Becker 16/209
|
||
FIXDNLD 16/42
|
||
FIXUSER Jim Ryan 1/108
|
||
FMA 3.0 86/03 Walkbro & Kelleher 10/620
|
||
FSTAT 1.1 Alfred Anderson 14/61
|
||
GUARDDOG 2.0 86/03 Bill Becker 16/209
|
||
INDX_BBS 1.21 86/01 Rob Barker 138/34
|
||
KILLROBT 2.1 86/02 Stephen Butler 138/3
|
||
LISTGEN 1.05.86 86/01 John Warren 103/401
|
||
LISTUSER 1.0 86/04 David Kaplan 142/387
|
||
LOGFIX
|
||
LOGSPLIT Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
MAILCALL 1.00 Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
MEF 1.0 Wes Cowley 137/19
|
||
MESSAGE 86/03 Walkbro & Kelleher 10/620
|
||
MSGEDIT Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
MSGMOD 1.1 Mike Elkins 103/201
|
||
MSGTOOLS 86/04 Jeffrey Rush 124/15
|
||
MYBBSLBL David Reinsel (?)
|
||
NEWHOST 107/210
|
||
NEWTWIX 106/101
|
||
OUTSIDE 1.27 86/02 Don Daniels 107/211
|
||
PHILTER 107/16
|
||
PIXIE 1.10 86/03 Wes Cowley 137/19
|
||
POLECAT 2.1 86/01 124/20
|
||
PRGUSERS 1.4 86/04 David Horowitz 107/2
|
||
PRIMTIME 1.0 86/03 103/203
|
||
Fidonews Page 7 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
QSCAN 1A 85/04 Kurt Reisler 109/74
|
||
READ
|
||
READMSG 4.1 86/01 Kurt Reisler 109/483
|
||
READMSGS J. Brad Hicks 100/523
|
||
READQUES 1.1f Robert Lederman 16/42
|
||
REMSYSOP 1.3 86/03 Bernie Lawrence 124/3
|
||
RENSYS 85/12 Doug Perkinson 106/102
|
||
RENUM 1.5 85/08 Bob Hartman 132/101
|
||
RESEND 1.1 85/07 Dan Taylor 10/1201
|
||
RESETCOM 106/101
|
||
ROBOMAIL 10x
|
||
ROBOMAIL 11x 85/09
|
||
ROBOT 3.30 85/09 S.E.A. 107/8
|
||
ROBOTMV 107/312
|
||
ROVERMSG 2.16 86/01 Bob Hartman 132/101
|
||
ROVERTWX Oscar Barlow 104/56
|
||
SCHED 2.0 Wes Cowley 137/19
|
||
SENDLIST 1.0 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
SERVER 1.2 Randy Bush 122/0
|
||
SETUSER 1.0 16/209
|
||
SHIPUSER 2.2 85/05 David Horowitz 107/2
|
||
SHUFFLE 2.00 85/11 Robert Lederman 16/42
|
||
SQLOG 1.0 Jack Liebsch 109/468
|
||
STALLBAT 85/12 Doug Perkinson 106/102
|
||
SYSEDIT 1.0 Eric Ewanco 130/3
|
||
SYSLOG 5.2 86/03 David Strickler 101/45
|
||
SYSOP
|
||
SYSOP 1.62 David Purks 109/603
|
||
SYSOP 1.75 David Purks 107/312
|
||
SYSOP 2.07 Mark W. Buse
|
||
SYSREPT 1.43 Alfred Anderson 14/61
|
||
SYSTRA
|
||
SYS_XXX 85/01 Tom Jennings 125/1
|
||
TESTLIST 1.2 85/10 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
TIDYFILE 1.00 86/04 Jeffrey Rush 124/15
|
||
TIMECHNG 85/10 David Reinsel 106/343
|
||
TIMELOG 8d Tom Jennings 125/1
|
||
TIMEMAP Thom Henderson 107/7
|
||
TWIX 3.5 86/02 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
TWIX 85/09 Tom Jennings 125/1
|
||
UP-DOWN Robert Briggs 15/464
|
||
UPLOG 1.1 Robert Briggs 15/464
|
||
USER
|
||
USERFILE 1.0 86/02 Allen Miller 108/10
|
||
USERLIST 85/12 Allen Miller 108/10
|
||
USERLIST 1.0 85/07 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
USERLIST 1.0 Jim Ryan 101/14
|
||
USERLOG 106/101
|
||
USERS 1.27 85/06 Thom Henderson 107/7
|
||
USERSORT 2.01
|
||
USERSORT Bill Jungers 11/407
|
||
USERSORT 1.22 85/12 Lennart Svensson 501/4602
|
||
USORT 1.23 86/03 Steven Linhart 107/313
|
||
WAIT 1.0 85/10 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
WAITING 1.5 86/03 Walkbro & Kelleher 10/620
|
||
WATCH 1.0 85/12 Wes Cowley 137/19
|
||
Fidonews Page 8 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
WATCHDOG 1.1 84/08 James Reinders
|
||
WEEKDAY 1.0 85/11 Ben Baker 100/76
|
||
WHATSNEW 1.1 85/11 David Strickler 101/45
|
||
WRITEMSG 1.3 Net Systems 115/396
|
||
XLATRGEN 1.4 85/12 S.E.A. 107/8
|
||
|
||
AUTHOR SUMMARY:
|
||
|
||
Anderson, Alfred SYSREPT
|
||
Baker, Ben DAYNBR, EDITNL, EVENT, SENDLIST,
|
||
TESTLIST, TWIX, USERLIST, WAIT,
|
||
WEEKDAY
|
||
Barker, Harold CRUSH
|
||
Barker, Rob INDX_BBS
|
||
Barlow, Oscar ROVERTWX
|
||
Becker, Bill FILEXREF, GUARDDOG
|
||
Black, Jim FASDOC01
|
||
Briggs, Robert FIDODISP, FIDOUTIL, UP-DOWN, UPLOG
|
||
Buse, Mark W. SYSOP
|
||
Butler, Stephen KILLROBT
|
||
Cowley, Wes DATEFILE, MEF, PIXIE, SCHED, WATCH
|
||
Daniels, Don EXTRACT, FIDOMSG, LOGSPLIT,
|
||
MAILCALL, MSGEDIT, OUTSIDE
|
||
Elkins, Mike MSGMOD
|
||
Ewanco, Eric SYSEDIT
|
||
Grahm, Robert COPY_X
|
||
Hallett, Richard FIDOKFIX
|
||
Hartman, Bob ADDQUOTE, FILEDATE, RENUM, ROVERMSG
|
||
Henderson, Thom TIMEMAP, USERS
|
||
Hicks, J. Brad DISTRIB, READMSGS
|
||
Horowitz, David PRGUSERS, SHIPUSER
|
||
Jennings, Tom SYS_XXX, TIMELOG, TWIX
|
||
Jungers, Bill USERSORT
|
||
Kaplan, David LISTUSER, FIDOSTRT
|
||
Klahn, Bob EDIFIDO
|
||
Lawrence, Bernie REMSYSOP
|
||
Lederman, Robert MESSWAIT, READQUES, SHUFFLE
|
||
Liebsch, Jack SQLOG
|
||
Linhart, Steven USORT
|
||
Micro-Help Inc. BBSSORT
|
||
Miller, Allen FIDOMLNK, FIDOUSER, USERFILE,
|
||
USERLIST
|
||
Morris, Alexander FIDOLIST
|
||
Net Systems WRITEMSG
|
||
Pacific System Group DAYLIGHT, SERVER
|
||
Perkinson, Doug RENSYS, STALLBAT
|
||
Periello, Vincent E. FILER, FILESPRN
|
||
Polunsky, Richard FIDOREAD
|
||
Purks, David SYSOP
|
||
Reinders, James WATCHDOG
|
||
Reinsel, David FASTV01A, TIMECHNG, MYBBSLBL
|
||
Reisler, Kurt QSCAN, READMSG
|
||
Rush, Jeff ECHOMAIL, MSGTOOLS, TIDYFILE
|
||
Ryan, Jim FIXUSER, USERLIST
|
||
Sanborn, Gary ERRORSET
|
||
Strickler, David FIDOUTIL, FILESBBS, SYSLOG,
|
||
Fidonews Page 9 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
WHATSNEW
|
||
Svensson, Lennart USERSORT
|
||
Systems Enhancement Assoc. ARC, ROBOT, XLATRGEN
|
||
Taylor, Ben RESEND
|
||
Wales, Josey CHG2DATE
|
||
Walkbro & Kelleher FFM, FMA, MESSAGE, WAITING
|
||
Warren, John LISTGEN
|
||
Wulff, John FILELIST
|
||
Wyrick, Michael FIDOUTIL
|
||
Zilmer, Mathew CDMON
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 10 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
User Group Presentations
|
||
By
|
||
Jim Butterfield
|
||
|
||
|
||
Most observers classify computer users into three
|
||
generation groups: beginners, intermediates and experts. It's a
|
||
little like the school grading system. When you have
|
||
successfully mastered grade 1, you may move on to grade 2 and so
|
||
on.
|
||
|
||
There's some justification for this scheme. Obviously, a
|
||
user must learn fundamentals before proceeding to more complex
|
||
areas. If you don't know how to turn the machine on, you can't
|
||
run it. The first stages seem quite clear.
|
||
|
||
A number of questions arise about such a scheme. Should
|
||
the various groups be segregated, so that a beginner may not
|
||
participate in "expert" subjects and vice-versa? Should clubs
|
||
and user groups promote themselves from beginner clubs to
|
||
advanced clubs as members gain experience? And are the lines of
|
||
demarcation really that clear?
|
||
|
||
I can recall being at a TPUG meeting where presentations
|
||
were under way. Some presentations are exciting and interesting;
|
||
whereas others are ... well, not quite so exciting and
|
||
interesting. At the time, a younger member was outlining how to
|
||
scratch files. Until just before that time, the poor fellow had
|
||
to buy a new disk every time he filled one up; he didn't know how
|
||
to remove the files he didn't need any more. To him, the
|
||
discovery of the fact that files could be scratched was a
|
||
marvellous and novel thing. And perhaps that was true for a few
|
||
of the attendees.
|
||
|
||
I was standing near a clever young man who had written a
|
||
good number of programs. "I won't come to any more meeting," he
|
||
said. "I know all this stuff and these presentations do nothing
|
||
for me."
|
||
|
||
I didn't know what to reply. Certainly, if he hoped that
|
||
every meeting would be on an advanced technical plane, he would
|
||
be doomed to disappointment. I wondered: is this the only reason
|
||
that members attend meetings? To obtain technical advancement?
|
||
Surely there must be other reasons. What about social aspects?
|
||
How about swapping notes on the performance of programs and
|
||
peripherals? And surely there is pleasure in showing others how
|
||
to do something new, even if the information flows only one way.
|
||
|
||
It seems to me that there will be some members who will
|
||
never be satisfied with a program. They want to be entertained
|
||
and educated in the same way they would expect if they went to a
|
||
movie, theatre or trade school. The fact is that clubs are not
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
made up of professional entertainers; they use volunteer help and
|
||
must do the best they can. The same is true of software
|
||
distributed by clubs: most is not professional work but is simply
|
||
contributed programs written by members.
|
||
|
||
There is a need to police presentations (and software),
|
||
of course. I'm all in favor of the beginner's "show-and-tell"
|
||
presentation. There may be information of interest to others, it
|
||
may entertain and it will be good for the member to gain
|
||
presentation skills. But there's a limit. A member who has used
|
||
the sound features of a computer to make the sound of duck
|
||
quacking has a good two-minute presentation to make which will
|
||
inform and entertain. A half-hour speech on the same subject
|
||
would be tiresome to all ... the presenter would be a dead duck.
|
||
|
||
Magazines, newsletters and clubs often make a simple
|
||
mistake. They think that everyone has been around from the
|
||
beginning and remembers everything that has happened. Some of us
|
||
start late --magazines have new readers, clubs have new members -
|
||
- and don't know things that may have gone before. Some of us
|
||
forget. The idea that we never need to repeat a simple concept
|
||
but can go on to the next one in sequence can be deadly. One of
|
||
the great killer phrases in articles and speeches is: "As you
|
||
know ..."
|
||
|
||
That's part of the fallacy of "advanced groups." There's
|
||
always something simple and apparently obvious that many of the
|
||
group members don't know. There's the programmer who writes nice
|
||
graphics animations but who has never discovered that holding
|
||
down SHIFT and then pressing RETURN takes you to the next line
|
||
without "actioning" the previous line on the screen. There's the
|
||
student who joins an advance machine language course who knows
|
||
how to write a binary multiplication routine but cannot clear the
|
||
computer's screen.
|
||
|
||
I don't mind users grouping together to study advanced
|
||
topics -- I'm all in favor of it -- but I hope that no group gets
|
||
the idea that "dumb people can't join in." There are beginners
|
||
who would like to listen in just to see if they can catch any of
|
||
it, or learn a few good buzzwords with which to impress their
|
||
friends. Some may want to go to ask advice; for example, what
|
||
would be a good study route to catch up with the more advanced
|
||
users?
|
||
|
||
I have this vision of an expert-level group in which most
|
||
of the members might be scared to ask a question. After all, it
|
||
might be a DUMB question and then they'd be kicked out of the
|
||
group?
|
||
|
||
Personally, I find that others tell me a great deal that
|
||
I don't know. I gasp with astonishment when Mike Todd plugs some
|
||
custom hardware into a 4040 disk and displays the contents of a
|
||
disk track -- every bit mapped out for inspection. I'm amazed
|
||
when I get a phone call from Tulsa asking: "How come typing a
|
||
line number of 350800 causes the computer to crash?" And I'm
|
||
impressed when random POKEing by an English schoolboy turns up
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
the fact that (on the VIC 20 and Commodore 64) POKE 22,35 causes
|
||
programs to list without line numbers.
|
||
|
||
I support the idea of special interest groups -- some of
|
||
which have "level" implications. But any club should still
|
||
provide a forum for intermingling of users at all levels.
|
||
Beginners can ask questions. Experts can show off the knowledge.
|
||
People with missions can go after the specific information they
|
||
need.
|
||
|
||
When you can do it, it'b best to appeal to a cross-
|
||
section of levels. Even if you're taling about an elementary
|
||
concept, you can often dress it up within an interest program.
|
||
Sometimes you can demonstrate the concept in an amusing way.
|
||
Remember -- computers are fun! If you have a chance to make a
|
||
presentation, try to keep the idea of fun in there somewhere.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Copyright (c) 1984 Jim Butterfield. Permission to reprint is
|
||
hereby granted, provided this notice is included in the reprinted
|
||
material.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Notes from Abroad
|
||
|
||
|
||
I contacted another major UK modem manufacturer since the last
|
||
newsletter that firm is called Steebek Systems. If you should
|
||
see their adverts for their new "Quattro" modem don't rush out
|
||
and buy one. I have had one on test for a couple of weeks now
|
||
and it's not much good. It's billed as (Quote) V22bis, V22, V23,
|
||
& V21 with auto speed detection and Hayes compatibility. It has
|
||
the extended Hayes command set, the one that Tom Jennings gave
|
||
such a slagging off in the Hayes 2400. The truth is that it
|
||
won't answer at any speed other than 300 (V21) and once connected
|
||
it has the annoying (intolerable) habit of dropping the line for
|
||
no readily apparent reason. I think it doesn't have enough
|
||
filtering on the CD line which causes it to bomb out if there is
|
||
any line noise.
|
||
|
||
It doesn't have speed conversion either (for 1200/75 on IBM) so
|
||
thats another problem. I think we have two distinct classes of
|
||
modem in the market as potential "Fido Compatible" modems. The
|
||
first class I call the "hybrid" smartmodem. The Quattro falls
|
||
into this class. I call it "hybrid" because it seems to me that
|
||
modems of this type (Case, Racal etc.) are a "pseudo-smartmodem".
|
||
I don't think that any so called "smartmodem" should have any
|
||
switches on the front panel. The Quattro has six!!! Modems of
|
||
this type appear to be a half-hearted attempt to break into the
|
||
smartmodem market, they are normally very similar to existing
|
||
models and are hoping to capture non-suspecting customers that
|
||
"flexibility" means the added confusion of switches to cater for
|
||
the customer who hasn't yet adjusted to the "true smartmodem"
|
||
concept. I suggest that any so-called smartmodem that has such
|
||
attributes should be shunned like the plague. I hope someone can
|
||
prove me wrong but I doubt it.
|
||
|
||
The other class is the true smartmodem, ie: Dataflex, Miracle
|
||
Technology WS3000. The manufacturers of these modems are
|
||
relatively new to the modem scene and don't have to cater to
|
||
existing customers requirements. This type of modem is the one
|
||
to go for. They are also the ones set to take over in the
|
||
relatively new PC marketplace in Europe. Already this modem has
|
||
established itself as the only modem to go for in the USA; as is
|
||
the practice in Europe; we are in the same position as the USA
|
||
was about three years ago.
|
||
|
||
The "hybrid" modem will probably continue to be bought by the
|
||
ignorant and uninformed but the street wise modem buyer will go
|
||
for the latter type every time.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
WANTED
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Doug Boone, 119/447
|
||
|
||
Chico is one of those small cities that is 100+ miles away from
|
||
the more cosmopolitan computer user areas. One of the drawbacks
|
||
of this is that we don't have anywhere near the access to new
|
||
Public Domain programs as a lot of you probably do.
|
||
|
||
We're looking for Fidos that have rich Atari, Apple, and Tandy
|
||
CoCo resources we can tap into somehow. If you feel that the
|
||
Fido you are using serves these areas well, will you please do
|
||
us a great favor and send a list of files available on your
|
||
board and how we can get in touch with you to arrange access to
|
||
your favorite Fido or disk trades or Fido Net transfers somehow.
|
||
We have a pretty active MS-DOS and CP/M file areas now, although
|
||
we'd always be happy to expand, or to send you something.
|
||
|
||
Thanks for your help!
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC!
|
||
|
||
SUPERDOTS! KALAH!
|
||
|
||
Professional quality games include PASCAL source! From the
|
||
author of KALAH Version 1.6, SuperDots, a variation of the
|
||
popular pencil/paper DOTS game, has MAGIC and HIDDEN DOT
|
||
options. KALAH 1.7 is an African strategy game requiring
|
||
skill to manipulate pegs around a playing board. Both games
|
||
use the ANSI Escape sequences provided with the ANSI.SYS
|
||
device driver for the IBM-PC, or built into the firmware on
|
||
the DEC Rainbow. Only $19.95 each or $39.95 for both
|
||
exciting games! Please specify version and disk format.
|
||
These games have been written in standard TURBO-PASCAL and
|
||
run on the IBM-PC, DEC Rainbow 100 (MSDOS and CPM), CPM/80,
|
||
CPM/86, and PDP-11. Other disk formats are available, but
|
||
minor customization may be required.
|
||
|
||
BSS Software
|
||
P.O. Box 3827
|
||
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
|
||
|
||
|
||
For every order placed, a donation will be made to the Fido
|
||
coordinators! Also, if you have a previous version of KALAH
|
||
and send me a donation, a portion of that donation will also
|
||
be sent to the coordinators. When you place an order, BE
|
||
CERTAIN TO MENTION WHERE YOU SAW THE AD since it also
|
||
appears in PC Magazine and Digital Review.
|
||
|
||
Questions and comments can be sent to:
|
||
|
||
Brian Sietz at Fido 107/17
|
||
(609) 429-6630 300/1200/2400 baud
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!
|
||
|
||
Public Domain collection - 300+ "ARC" archives - 10 megs of
|
||
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When
|
||
unpacked, you get approximately 17 megabytes worth of all kinds
|
||
of software, from text editors to games to unprotection schemes
|
||
to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc...
|
||
|
||
This collection is the result of more than 10 months of intensive
|
||
downloads from just about 100 or more BBS's and other sources,
|
||
all of which have been examined, indexed and archived for your
|
||
convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board System? Want to add on
|
||
to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This
|
||
is the answer!!!
|
||
|
||
To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check,
|
||
postal money order or company purchase order) to:
|
||
|
||
Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 103/511
|
||
Post Office Box 4296
|
||
200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
|
||
Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296
|
||
|
||
Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.
|
||
|
||
Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain
|
||
software in this collection. The price is applied entirely to
|
||
the cost of downloading the software over the phone lines,
|
||
running a BBS to receive file submissions, and inspecting,
|
||
cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files. Obtaining this
|
||
software yourself through the use of a computer with a modem
|
||
using commercial phone access would cost you much more than what
|
||
we charge for the service...
|
||
|
||
Please specify what type of format you would like the disks to be
|
||
prepared on. The following choices are available:
|
||
|
||
IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
|
||
Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
|
||
DSBackup
|
||
Fastback
|
||
Plain ol' files (add $50, though, it's a lot of
|
||
work and takes more diskettes...)
|
||
|
||
Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more
|
||
expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling charges.
|
||
California residents add 6% tax.
|
||
|
||
For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
SEAdog Electronic Mail System
|
||
Special Offer for FidoNet Sysops
|
||
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates, the makers of the popular ARC file
|
||
archive utility, are proud to announce the release of the SEAdog
|
||
electronic mail system.
|
||
|
||
SEAdog is a PC-based electronic mail system which is fully
|
||
FidoNet compatible. In addition to all the functionality of
|
||
FidoNet mail, SEAdog adds the following:
|
||
|
||
o User directory support, for automatic lookup of node numbers
|
||
|
||
o Return receipts
|
||
|
||
o Audit trails
|
||
|
||
o Message forwarding, with or without a retained copy
|
||
|
||
o Twenty four hour mail reception
|
||
|
||
o High priority mail for immediate delivery
|
||
|
||
o The ability to request files and updates of files from other
|
||
SEAdog systems.
|
||
|
||
o No route files needed!
|
||
|
||
o A full screen user interface that our beta test sites fell in
|
||
love with!
|
||
|
||
SEAdog is NOT a bulletin board system, but it can be used as a
|
||
"front end" for Fido (version 11q or later), allowing you to add
|
||
the full functionality of SEAdog to your existing system.
|
||
|
||
SEAdog normally sells for $100/node, but for a limited time only
|
||
we are offering SEAdog to registered FidoNet sysops for only $50!
|
||
Orders may be placed by sending a check or money order to:
|
||
|
||
System Enhancement Associates
|
||
21 New Street, Wayne NJ 07470
|
||
|
||
Or by calling (201) 473-5153 (VISA and MasterCard accepted).
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
19 May 1986
|
||
Steve Lemke's next birthday.
|
||
|
||
24 Aug 1989
|
||
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you have something which you would like to see on this
|
||
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Gruesome George by Bruce White, 109/612
|
||
+-------------------------------------------------+
|
||
| 1010 GOSUB 1230 |
|
||
| 1020 GOSUB 1750 |
|
||
| 1030 GOSUB 2130 |
|
||
| \ |
|
||
|George, why is it you always \ |
|
||
|get hungry when you work on \ ____\__ |
|
||
|BASIC programming? \ |_| \ |
|
||
| / _____ |\ |
|
||
|___/ | _ | | |
|
||
| ______ | |_| | | |
|
||
| __(______)_|_____|___ | |
|
||
| || || | |
|
||
| ______ || || | |
|
||
| \ / || || | |
|
||
|(c) 1986 bw \__/ ||_________________||__|__|
|
||
+-------------------------------------------------+
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
BAVUG I
|
||
Fido BBS Net 125 Node 625
|
||
Data (415) 635-4747
|
||
Hours of Operation Pacific Time
|
||
Weekdays 6:00 PM til 6:00 AM
|
||
Weekends 24 Hours
|
||
Sysop: Franz Hirner
|
||
|
||
BAVUG I is as Fido BBS dedicated to the Victor 9000 Computer
|
||
located in Oakland, California. BAVUG has several Victor
|
||
specific programs available for download as well as material for
|
||
other MS-DOS systems. Also, we are building a reference section
|
||
on the Victor 9000 that will be valuable to all Victor users and
|
||
programmers.
|
||
|
||
Allen Morris is presently working on a shareware Disk Processor
|
||
Fidonews Page 19 5 May 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
(defragmenter) for the Victor. The first BETA VERSION is running
|
||
(well almost). The IBM version is available now.
|
||
|
||
Next we would like to develop a program similar to MULTIJOB for
|
||
the Victor. Any tips or source for such a program for other
|
||
machines would be appreciated.
|
||
|
||
Come on by, but please after 6:00PM Pacific Time if you are
|
||
calling on weekdays.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|