1054 lines
50 KiB
Plaintext
1054 lines
50 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 23 16 June 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| - FidoNews - /|oo \ |
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| (_| /_) |
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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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| (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
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Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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FNEWSART.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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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.
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Table of Contents
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1. EDITORIAL
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The Faceless Community
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2. ARTICLES
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Lets help FIDO make it!
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Some comments on Fido and Time
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The Final Word
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MAILCOST - OutBound Host Accounting Program
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PCjr's Unite!
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3. COLUMNS
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Fido's Bug Report - or How to Kill Fido's Fleas
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4. FOR SALE
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HP150 System For Sale
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Entertainment Software for your PC!
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Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
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5. NOTICES
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Looking for Cromenco Computer
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The Interrupt Stack
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Deaf TTY service for the Fido network?
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Fidonews Page 2 16 Jun 1986
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=================================================================
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EDITORIAL
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=================================================================
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The Faceless Community
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There are quite a lot if us here. About a thousand sysops, and
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at least ten times that many users. Many of us have gotten to
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know each other quite well. This is quite amazing; especially
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when you consider that few of us have ever met.
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We know each other by the words we type. We see each other as
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little dots of light forming text on our screens. Sometimes
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those words are misleading. Sarcasm doesn't carry well through
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modems, and bit streams don't carry facial expressions.
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None of this is new. We all know it (though we may forget from
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time to time).
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The difference is that now we can change that. At least a bit,
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for a little while.
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The Colorado PC Users Group is sponsering the second annual
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International FidoNet Conference. This one's a bit less
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convenient for our friends over in Europe, but handier for those
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of us in the United States. This one's in Colorado Springs.
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I've been checking; even from New York the air fare isn't that
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expensive. The rooms are only $60 a night for single or double
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occupancy, making it $30 a night if you get a roommate. All in
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all, it's a cheap way to meet the people you've been talking
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with, and to make new friends in the FidoNet community.
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There will be all sorts of things going on. There will be
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seminars and panel discussions, a banquet, even a Wild West Show.
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And some hardware manufacturers will be there to show off their
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stuff. (If you work with computers, maybe you can even get your
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company to pick up the tab.) There will be announcements of new
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things, and explanations of old things. And best of all, the
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conference will be swarming with FidoNet people.
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We'll be there, and we're looking forward to meeting you.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 3 16 Jun 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Amnon Nissan, 158/100
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Let's help FIDO make it!
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I have been running a BBS for the last 4 years, and a FIDO for
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the last 5 months. As a supporter of the User Supported software
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I went ahead and sent $25.00 to the Fido Administrators, and
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later found out that only 5 percent of sysops send anything!!!
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If you have been running your Fido for a short (or better yet
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long) time, then you know how expensive it can get. We have key
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people doing a hell of a job keeping us in business (node lists
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and newsletters) and most off us are taking them for granted.
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WHY?
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Being the treasurer for two users groups in my area, I know
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how good we are going to do when we have the funds, and how bad
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it is going to be when we are low. I am sure we will have much
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better service from our key people if they knew they don't have
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to dip into their pockets (at times real deep too, I am sure) to
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get these services to us when we expect them.
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SO..... how about this.
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We all spend a dollar on junk each month! Why don't we send
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this dollar to the National FidoNet Administrators once a month,
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and see what happens. Just ONE DOLLAR a month can do miracles
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when it comes from all the nodes. Sooner or later it's going to
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come down to the point of live or die (FidoNet), and I for one
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will hate to see all my efforts go to waste because of ONE
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DOLLAR.
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I even went a little further and figured out how to solve the
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problem of hundreds of ONE DOLLAR checks, dropping on St. Louis
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each month. Hosts can collect from nodes, deposit in their
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account, and send one check to their regional coordinators, who
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will do the same and send one check to St. Louis. Of course it
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will be better if we all sent $12.00 to begin with for the whole
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year.
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Let's do something for ourselves!
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Let's keep FidoNet going strong!!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 4 16 Jun 1986
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Rob Elliott, 115/100
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Patching Fido
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Use any disk image patcher (such as the Norton Utilities on the
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IBM, or PATCH.EXE on the DEC Rainbow) to find these locations and
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patch accordingly.
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To fix the File Area change bug in 11w:
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At location C273 in FIDO_IBM.EXE (C203 in FIDO_DEC.EXE), you
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will see the hex string: 3B 5E 08 7E 9C. Change the 7E to
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7C.
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Nearer to the top of the file this string, with 7C in its
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proper place, does exist. This is probably the Message menu,
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which works correctly.
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To fix the Kermit transfer time inaccuracy in 11w:
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At location D2EC in FIDO_IBM.EXE (D1FD in FIDO_DEC.EXE), you
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will see the hex string: B9 03 00 F7 E1. Change the 03 to
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01.
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It seems Fido was estimating the correct time and then
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multiplying it by three before displaying it.
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Thanks to William Bogartz of Fido 102/901 for locating and
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publicizing both of these wonderful patches.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 5 16 Jun 1986
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Randy Bush, 122/6
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Some comments on Fido and Time
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Recent discussions of the problems (and proposed solutions)
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caused by time zones, daylight savings time, and similar natural
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disasters have confused me in many ways; and I fear that I am not
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alone.
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I do not propose solutions. This would be unwise without a surer
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grip on the problems. I do want to explore some of the needs and
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requirements so that I might better understand the problems and
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evaluate proposed solutions. Excuse some of the formalities in
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the early steps, but I like a firm base.
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0 - Who are the concerned parties? I guess the following two
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consumers and two providers.
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o SYSOPs of the myriad Fidos out there in the world,
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o Local USERs of all those Fidos,
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o COORDINATORs of the network, and
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o AUTHORs of Fido software.
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1 - What is their level of expertise?
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o SYSOPs vary radically, but _each and every one_ must
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install and use whatever it is that the providers provide.
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Therefore, Fido time management for SYSOPs _must_ be
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addressed to the lowest level of computer understanding.
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Low maintenance is the only thing which may be more
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important than ease of installation.
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o Local USERs are _amazingly_ naive. They are the most
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fragile of beings and must not be jarred in any way lest
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they shatter. I relearn this weekly.
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o COORDINATORs and AUTHORs seem to be professional level
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computer users if not professional implementors. They
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should bear the brunt of any changes, confusion, or tricky
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design.
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2 - What is the presumed Fido SYSOP's machine environment?
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o MSDOS machine (though one hopes that future ...)
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o Hardware clock (can one safely run a Net machine without
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one?)
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o Auto Answer/Dial modem
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o Exclusively Fido, part time Fido, or Fido in 'background'.
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3 - What are the Fido and FidoNet environmental constraints?
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o All public nodes are known to all other nodes. A random
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node may try to contact any other (unpredictable) node
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during any published net window.
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o There is no central knowledge or coordination of the event
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lists by which an individual Fido schedules, nor the
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routings set up for each mail schedule.
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o Fido schedules state a time, but not what zone that time is
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in. It is currently wall clock time, but some suggest that
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it be UST. Ben Baker suggests that an unused field of the
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scheduler record be used to indicate which time zone, and
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Fidonews Page 6 16 Jun 1986
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either be supported.
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Also interesting, but seeming irrelevant
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o There are privete nodes and nets of which the public net is
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unaware.
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o Routing is known by the net as opposed to the sender (a la
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Usenet)
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4 - Who cares what time it is or when events occur?
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o Local USERs expect Fido to think the time is what their
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watches say. Commercial mail servers tend to speak of
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messages in terms of the sender's local time, though some
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speak of it as the readers local time. None speak of it in
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some third (abstract) time.
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o FidoNet software has to to keep things synchronized
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worldwide.
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o MSDOS programs running between Fido runs or concurrently
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with Fido may be time of day dependent. They often need
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correct wall clock time.
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o COORDINATORs want to speak in UST when talking globally,
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but in local time when speaking of a local net. This is
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human and should be indulged if reasonably easy. SYSOPs
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have this problem too.
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o SYSOPs often maintain text files describing their Fido's
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schedules so their users will be able to read about local
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system availability.
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5 - When and why will the time or the timing of an event change?
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o Subsets of the FidoNet continually renegotiate topology and
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timing. Nets and chedules change. This will probably
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continue for some time.
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o The wall clock is occasionally adjusted (usually by one
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hour). These adjustments _tend_ to clump in time (Spring
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and Autumn) and by region.
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o The algorithms for determining if a particular Fido is to
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move on any particular day in a particular direction would
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require continued maintenance _if_ they were even
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determinable at one point in time. This precludes total
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automation, period.
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o A Fido's hardware clock will be adjusted occasionally to
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correct for drift.
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o A Fido switches time zones; either by being moved, or the
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SYSOP decides to run on UST, or switches sides near an
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inter-time zone border.
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6 - What information is required to adjust a local Fido?
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o What different times might be adjusted?
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- The local time
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- The difference between local time and UST
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- A schedule negotiated with other Fidos
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- The time a local batch process is to be run
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o When the adjustment is to be done?
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o In what direction?
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o By what amount or to what value?
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o If adjusting to an absolute time, is it UST or local?
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Fidonews Page 7 16 Jun 1986
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7 - What are the seeming problems?
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o Is a Fido thought of as on its local time, local standard
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time, or UST? For the moment, consider daylight/standard
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as equivalent to switching time zones. It also helps, but
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is not necessary, to consider a Fido to be schizophrenic,
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and able to think in local and UST simultaneously.
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o When a SYSOP checks schedules for correctness, some events
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should be expressed in local time (Yell, local nets, ...)
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and some in UST (National Mail Hour [Public FidoNet
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Window?]). Displaying in both forms and sort options may
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help here.
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o When the time is changed due to wall clock adjustment
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(moving or day/std, one must remember that scheduled events
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then divide into two sets:
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- Those which will stay at the same local time are not
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adjusted with respect to the local time. They must be
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adjusted with respect to UST, in the same direction as
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the clock is adjusted. Yelling and local net schedules
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are likely to be in this category.
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- Events which stay at the same UST, must be adjusted with
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respect to the local time in the same direction as the
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clock is being adjusted. The UHT of National Mail Hour
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does not move when a Fido is moved or when day/std
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changes are made.
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o Schedule renegotiations also fall into two classes: those
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expressed in local time and those expressed in UST. In
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either case, it is only one schedule being affected, and it
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may be considered in relative isolation. Neither the wall
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clock nor UST are being moved. One might like to move a
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group of schedules together.
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o When the hardware clock is corrected for drift, no
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schedules change, but Fido must be restarted or otherwise
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made aware of the change.
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So, have I gotten it correct so far? If so, I do not feel that
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the above seriously hampers a solution. What seems to be missing
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is
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o A clear metaphor for speaking locally in terms of the wall
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clock and globally in UST.
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o An intuitive classification of event types and adjustment
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types with respect to time. To start we must differentiate
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between
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- Events which are 'on' (ie expressed in terms of) UST and
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are 'fixed'
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- Events which are on local time and move with the wall clock
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- Changing an event's (or group of events) time(s) do to
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external renegotiations
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- Changing the local time due to Fido motion or day/std
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changes
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- Correcting clock drift.
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Given clear differentiations here, what may be most useful
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is(are) a tool(s) for
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o Easily stating the event schedules and their external
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attributes (ie fixed [UST?] or local)
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Fidonews Page 8 16 Jun 1986
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o Easily moving events in time (either local or UST)
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o Inserting, deleting, and moving events within the event list
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(as Fido is sensitive to the order of the list)
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o Moving the wall clock and having the events stay correct by
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knowing which are fixed and which are movable
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o Viewing (and PREviewing) event schedules and changes in a way
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that exposes incorrect (ie. conflicting) schedules. Moving
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local time may place movable events in conflict with UST
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fixed events
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If I have still not drifted too far from reality, Let me propose:
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o Fido needs do nothing. It runs on local time and everybody
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locally thinks in local time.
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o The only time they talk UST is when they mark an event as
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being a fixed UST event. The Sysop must clearly
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differentiate between fixed and movable (with respect to UST,
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they are fixed with respect to local) events.
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o If Fido need not know fixed from movable, the differentiation
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could be made in an auxilliary file (eg. Ben's SCHED.REM).
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o A program such as Ben's EVENT.COM needs to
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- Differentiate the two event types
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- Provide for moving the system clock
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- Adjust appropriate events with or against clock motion
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Well, by now I must have strayed sufficiently far or affronted
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enough folk to quit for the evening.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 9 16 Jun 1986
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Mike Ringer
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Ex-sysop of Elite Software 117/1262
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Future sysop of Ollies's Mail Board.
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The Final Word
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Here's my last paper for awhile (at least till August) I'm going
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out on the Texas A&M Clipper this summer, so I won't really have
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much of a chance to send articles to FidoNews. If anyone in
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Helsinki reads this I'll be there from the 14th of June till
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about the 18th of June, and I would like to trade freeware. This
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article deals with the Breakup of AT&T, it's my research paper.
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I hope you find it interesting. I almost forgot, I'll be setting
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up a Mail-only board in Commerce Texas, so until then "Good
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Computing!"
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Divestiture of American Telephone and Telegraph, AT&T,
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forced the world's largest monopoly out of local telephone
|
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business, but AT&T has been allowed to stay as a long distance
|
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carrier. Corporations such as Microwave Communications
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||
Incorporated, MCI, have entered the market place offering an
|
||
alternative to AT&T. This has given customers a choice of other
|
||
long distance carriers. Because of the breakup of AT&T, the
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||
customer should take into consideration telephone rates, billing
|
||
of customers and service before choosing a long distance carrier
|
||
company. The users can now decide which service meets their
|
||
needs. Will AT&T survive the challenge of MCI and the competition
|
||
of the spin-off telephone companies?
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The reason AT&T was broken up is simple. AT&T had a monopoly
|
||
in the telephone market, and divestiture was imminent. The
|
||
people who caused the divestiture wanted more competition in the
|
||
long distance market (Hacker, 1985, 153). AT&T owned twenty-two
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||
local Bell Operating Companies, which were formed into seven
|
||
telephone companies, such as Southwestern Bell and Ameritech.
|
||
AT&T had to divide its 150 billion dollars in assets among the
|
||
newly formed companies (Marback 55). Upon doing this AT&T lost
|
||
control over all local telephone call business because the local
|
||
companies assumed all local service. Local telephone operating
|
||
companies have lost all long distance revenues. Due to the loss
|
||
of these revenues, local service rates will be low enough for all
|
||
to afford (Seelman 14). AT&T will be able to sell and rent
|
||
telephone equipment, but so will any other company. AT&T has
|
||
also kept the right to continue producing the Yellow Pages. The
|
||
Yellow Pages have attracted 150 million users and have doubled
|
||
the advertising income. This increase has been from 8% to 10%
|
||
annually for the last five years (Business Week, 23 January 1984,
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132).
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||
|
||
Regional companies have planned on gaining 75% of the mother
|
||
company's 150 billion dollars in assets (Tunstall 57). Right
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||
after the breakup shareholders were not sure what to do with
|
||
their AT&T stock. AT&T management planned to give share holders
|
||
one share of common stock in the new Bell companies for every ten
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shares of AT&T stock (57). Fingleton claims "damage to the stock
|
||
Fidonews Page 10 16 Jun 1986
|
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|
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||
price would be minimal although asset value per share will be
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||
reduced." (41). Many analyst feel that share holders will be
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||
better off and that AT&T revenues are likely to rise. (U.S. News
|
||
& World Report, 25 January 1982, 58) A meeting was held where
|
||
AT&T shareholders could voice their opinions on the divestiture.
|
||
The purpose of this meeting was to help the shareholders under-
|
||
stand what was happening to their stock (Time, 23 April 1984,
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||
66). Although AT&T is no longer a monopoly, it will be regulated
|
||
in each state by local officials (Sloan 80). Due to the
|
||
divestiture agreement, AT&T will be able to enter new fields,
|
||
such as computer and data processing. It has already unveiled
|
||
six new computers, which will compete with International Business
|
||
Machines, IBM (Demott 67).
|
||
|
||
MCI, Microwave Communications Incorporated, was formed in
|
||
1968, "and since then they have been chipping away at AT&T,
|
||
trying to get a foot hold in the long distance carrier world"
|
||
(Time, 23 February 1981, 99). MCI's original purpose was to give
|
||
businesses cheaper long distance rates for calls between Chicago
|
||
and St. Louis. MCI filed an application with the FCC, requesting
|
||
the right to run specialized voice and data communications
|
||
(Shooshan 32). In an attempt to undercut AT&T even more, MCI
|
||
released Execunet in 1975. Execunet linked twenty-four cities
|
||
across the United States. The Execunet prices were about one
|
||
half of AT&T's rates. But, the customer had to dial a twenty-two
|
||
number sequence code to make one long distance call (Kleinfield
|
||
157).
|
||
|
||
MCI started a campaign blitz in the media to make the
|
||
company name a "common household word" (Business Week, 13
|
||
February 1984) and "sparked a rebuilding of business commu-
|
||
nications" (Business Week, 17 February 1986, 86). "Bill McGowan,
|
||
Chairman of MCI, looks too mean to work for AT&T" states
|
||
Kleinfield (171). McGowan says that "AT&T is so big it's almost
|
||
impossible for you or me to understand how big it is.... if you
|
||
count from the day when Christ was born.... counting at one count
|
||
per second, it would take until 1902 to count out the annual
|
||
revenues of AT&T" (171). Though they lost 40% of their customers
|
||
due to a complicated access code (Time, 11 June 1984, 47), in
|
||
1984 MCI was a major long distance carrier. MCI made an alliance
|
||
with IBM, which stunned the long distance carrier world (Business
|
||
Week, 17 February 1986, 88). This alliance enabled them to gain
|
||
an even bigger foothold in the world of long distance telephone
|
||
calls, by giving them access to bigger and better satellite
|
||
dishes (Business Week, 17 February 1986, 88). Another alliance
|
||
that MCI made was with American Express and Sears card holders.
|
||
This alliance allows the card holders to make credit calls using
|
||
MCI (U.S. News & World Report, 30 January 1984, 56). Even though
|
||
MCI has had poor carriers in the past, they get better and better
|
||
every year. Soon they might have as strong a long distance
|
||
network and service as AT&T does. Within the next few years MCI
|
||
will offer directory assistance as AT&T does now (Consumer
|
||
Reports, September 1984, 493). Other new long distance companies
|
||
will double their holdings (Business Week, 13 February 1984, 106)
|
||
but will fold or merge with other long distance companies (108).
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
At first people did not understand the full impact of what
|
||
was about to happen to AT&T. Many people did not realize that
|
||
AT&T was going to be divided and no longer provide local service.
|
||
There where many people who thought the telephones would go dead
|
||
on that fateful New Year's Eve in 1982, when AT&T no longer
|
||
controlled the local telephone service and the regional telephone
|
||
companies no longer controlled the long distance telephone
|
||
business. For nearly 100 years the Bell Systems controlled the
|
||
central nervous system of the United States (Seelman 16). Many
|
||
people claim the new telephone companies are less friendly and
|
||
much slower (Demott 66), but AT&T officials claim that there is
|
||
nothing to fear.
|
||
|
||
You can still buy or rent your telephone, and they (AT&T)
|
||
have set up a toll free number for people who have questions
|
||
about the breakup (Demott 53). One major problem AT&T will have
|
||
is their billing service. Some people are going to be receiving
|
||
some outrageous telephone bills. A few AT&T customers in the
|
||
Northeast received nine page bills covering months of service
|
||
(53). The reason these bills are so high is because AT&T is
|
||
trying to catch up on old service provided during the lawsuits
|
||
(54). Customers will probably be receiving large bills for the
|
||
next two years. AT&T plans on combining long distance service
|
||
bills and rental bills (Business Week, 30 September. 1985, 50).
|
||
To help lower these bills AT&T has made a 10.5% cut in rates
|
||
(Demott 52). Even though AT&T does not plan on losing a majority
|
||
of the telephone business (Business Week, 13 February. 1984, 106)
|
||
they plan on making rate cuts while MCI must make increases in
|
||
rates, due to an FCC ruling (Business Week 17 February 1986, 86).
|
||
|
||
Another threat to AT&T is the Baby Bells, the new companies
|
||
formed when the AT&T monopoly was broken up. The seven new
|
||
companies dubbed "Baby Bells" (Rudolph 49), are Ameritech, Bell
|
||
Atlantic, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell, Nynex, and U.S.
|
||
West. The Baby Bells are entering other fields besides
|
||
telecommunications. Nynex, the New York Baby, bought eighty-one
|
||
of IBM's computer stores, then merged them with their own
|
||
computer store, Datago, to create the seventh largest computer
|
||
chain in the states (49). Bell Atlantic has entered into the
|
||
computer business. Bell Atlantic repairs computers, and runs a
|
||
financing operation which accounts for 427 million dollars of the
|
||
company's 9.1 billion dollars in assets (49). At the moment Baby
|
||
Bells are lobbying to loosen the legal noose around their necks,
|
||
in hopes of expanding into even more fields (49). AT&T is
|
||
striking back, they have offered a long distance service to
|
||
businesses that bypass the Baby Bells. This service uses
|
||
satellites and fiber optics to bypass the local telephone
|
||
companies, therefore eliminating access charges. Last year this
|
||
process netted AT&T 21 million dollars (49).
|
||
|
||
In 1984 AT&T had a fairly firm grip over long distance
|
||
calls. They had a large number of competitors taking only 8% of
|
||
AT&T's long distance calls (Business Week, 13 February 1984,
|
||
102). AT&T advertises that they have faster customer service
|
||
compared to MCI, which takes days to correct a wrong number. AT&T
|
||
also claims to be the only long distance company which has
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
operators to help you with every type of service you want, such
|
||
as reverse charges, and person to person calls (U.S. News &
|
||
World Report 11 June 1984, 91). MCI claims to save you up to 40%
|
||
over AT&T. But, AT&T has dropped their rates by 6.1 percent since
|
||
May 1984 (U.S. News and World Report, 11 June 1984, 90). One way
|
||
AT&T is striking back at MCI is by offering credit for long
|
||
distance calls. The credit will help you save money on items
|
||
such as GE blenders or a night at a Howard Johnson Motel.
|
||
|
||
Local telephone companies are looking for new ways to
|
||
generate revenue. One idea is an access charge and the other is
|
||
an usage or service rate based on the number of times a customer
|
||
uses the system. The FCC approves of both these ideas (Seelman
|
||
20). Access charges would be a flat rate the customers would pay
|
||
to their local telephone companies. It would be a minimum charge
|
||
each month even though the customer does not use the system (20).
|
||
The other charge is called a limited service or usage rate. The
|
||
customers are charged a rate based on how much they use the
|
||
system for local and long distance calls. When using this type
|
||
of rate schedule the cost of the service does not have a monthly
|
||
minimum charge unlike the access charges, but both are costing
|
||
the consumer (20).
|
||
|
||
Two advantages MCI has over AT&T are (1) in the near future
|
||
they will have their own long distance network (Money, January
|
||
1984, 80), (2) and over the last two years they have paid 45%
|
||
less for using the long distance network than AT&T has paid
|
||
(Business Week, 13 February 1984, 106). The majority of AT&T's
|
||
profits have been generated from old telephone business rather
|
||
than their new computer business (Demott 67). AT&T has been able
|
||
to keep their rates fairly competitive with MCI's rates. Another
|
||
problem facing AT&T is that by 1986 all long distance carriers
|
||
will have equal access to switching and transmission facilities
|
||
(Money, August 1984, 109). AT&T is not concerned by equal access
|
||
because they have had 100% of the direct access business. They
|
||
feel they will not be loosing money or business when direct
|
||
access is expanded to other companies (Forbes, 21 May 1984, 204).
|
||
AT&T customers will be able to use other long distance carriers
|
||
even if they decide to keep AT&T. All the customer needs to do
|
||
is dial one-zero and a three digit access code to get the company
|
||
they want (Business Week, 26 August 1985, 31). MCI does have an
|
||
advantage of not billing for short or unanswered calls.
|
||
Considering they do not have the computer device that regulates
|
||
short time calls, you do not get billed for them. (Consumer
|
||
Report, November 1983, 618).
|
||
|
||
The strengths of AT&T are immediate correction of numbers
|
||
dialed incorrectly, operator assistance, and one hundred years of
|
||
service. Both companies are excellent, but MCI has some distinct
|
||
advantages over AT&T such as lower cost, owning its own long
|
||
distance network, and expanding its long distance market to other
|
||
U.S. cities and overseas as it grows. Being able to use an
|
||
American Express Card to charge telephone calls means card
|
||
holders can use MCI easily anywhere the caller can find a
|
||
telephone, and this is a big advantage when traveling, because
|
||
American Express is a commonly owned card. MCI showed a profit
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
of 13 million dollars in 1985 on two and a half billion dollars
|
||
in revenues (Business Week, 17 February 1986, 86). MCI is
|
||
smaller and younger than AT&T, and MCI feels the customer can get
|
||
to know the company better. A majority of MCI employees came
|
||
from Bell Labs, an AT&T company, which gives them the same
|
||
technical knowledge found in AT&T (Kleinfield 170), but the new
|
||
company may allow its employees more freedom to do research and
|
||
therefore be able to cause technical advances not held by AT&T.
|
||
MCI is the company of the future and will definitely move ahead
|
||
in the world of telecommunications.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
David Dodell, 114/15
|
||
|
||
MAILCOST
|
||
OutBound Host Accounting Program
|
||
|
||
|
||
One of our resident programming gurus here in Phoenix, Tim Evans,
|
||
has written a program to handle outbound host accounting. In the
|
||
Phoenix net we wanted to organize into a inbound/outbound host
|
||
system to keep national mail flowing into and out of the net at a
|
||
efficient pace.
|
||
|
||
We also wanted to take advantage of sharing costs on long
|
||
distance netmail. We figured, if two boards in Phoenix had mail
|
||
going to the same inbound host, why make two separate phone calls
|
||
that take 15 seconds each and pay twice when they could be
|
||
packeted together into one phone call. Therefore, each node
|
||
would split the cost. We did not have the advantage here as in
|
||
other nets where the outbound host was located at a company that
|
||
would absorb the long distance phone charges. Therefore,
|
||
MAILCOST and MAILRPT were developed.
|
||
|
||
Basically, MAILCOST scans the Fido MAILER.LOG, searchs for the
|
||
specified long distance schedule, and outputs a summary of all
|
||
packets actually sent to other nets. Each node's cost is
|
||
calculated on a pro-rated share of the number of messages sent.
|
||
MAILRPT totals all costs for each sending node, and outputs a
|
||
listing of the total cost for each node.
|
||
|
||
As the outbound host for the Phoenix net, I run the report each
|
||
month and send each node a netmail message telling them their
|
||
netmail costs for the month.
|
||
|
||
The national time slot is becoming quite busy - I find I have
|
||
days go by trying to get through to some inbound hosts. If more
|
||
nets would implement an outbound host program, there would be
|
||
fewer nodes actually making the calls during the national slot,
|
||
and hopefully traffic would flow smoother and faster. Now each
|
||
net has no excuse not to implement an outbound host program due
|
||
to this accounting lacking within FIDO.
|
||
|
||
For those of you running SEAdog - Tim is working on a switch in
|
||
the control file to change and search the SEAdog format for the
|
||
same information.
|
||
|
||
For those running SEAdog - MCOST12.ARC can be requested from
|
||
114/15 24 hours a day using GET or the File Request utility
|
||
in MAIL.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Phil Kaiser, 104/904
|
||
|
||
PCjr's Unite!
|
||
|
||
|
||
I think the heading just about says what I want. I want to make
|
||
up a listing of ALL boards that are totally PCjr specific or have
|
||
PCjr Message or File areas on them.
|
||
|
||
Send me a note if your board supports the PCjr. You can also
|
||
advise me of other Fido's, since all don't receive FidoNews, in
|
||
your area (city, state, and country). Now, I know a lot of PCjr
|
||
boards are not Fido's (Colossus, PC-Board..etc..) and I would
|
||
like to know about them also. These MUST be confirmed current
|
||
boards. Not ones that you've "heard" about!
|
||
|
||
This is the info I would like to have: Board Name (and net/node
|
||
if Fido), Sysop Name, City, State, Country, Phone #, High Baud
|
||
Rate, hours.....i.e.
|
||
|
||
PCjr-NET 104/904 Phil Kaiser Englewood,CO.USA 3037894610 2400 24
|
||
|
||
I am NOT trying to set up another net. My users deserve to know
|
||
about other PCjr BBS's around the country (world?). And, I'm
|
||
just plain curious! Finally, if YOU would like a copy of the
|
||
final listing be sure to let me know. I should be able to get it
|
||
out in about 4 weeks.
|
||
|
||
Send all replies to: 104/904 - PCjr-NET .
|
||
Or, you can call the board direct at 303-789-4610 - up to 2400
|
||
bps and 24 hours a day.
|
||
|
||
Thank you for your help.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
David Dodell, Fido Bugs West, 1/98
|
||
Marvin Shelton, Fido Bugs East, 1/99
|
||
|
||
|
||
Well the reports keep flying in. Fido Bugs East 1/99 has been
|
||
down for the last couple of weeks but should be up and running by
|
||
the time you read this. Also Fido Bugs West is now running the
|
||
SEAdog front-end for Fido and can receive bug reports at any
|
||
time, not just regular mail times.
|
||
|
||
The only bug that we can report this week with any solution is as
|
||
follows:
|
||
|
||
Many users were complaining that their normal level users could
|
||
not access Message/File area #1 when selecting a area from the
|
||
expanded menu. They could beat this problem by going into
|
||
another area and use the short-hand notation "A 1".
|
||
|
||
I spoke to Tom Jennings on the phone and the problem seems to be
|
||
a "bug" in the way Fido handles the SYSTEMx.BBS files. What you
|
||
have to do to correct the problem is make the greatest number of
|
||
SYSTEMx.BBS (the last SYSTEMx.BBS created) at a privilege level
|
||
equal to or less than what you want access into area #1.
|
||
|
||
To everyone who submits a report, we read them all but can not
|
||
answer them all. If a report can be duplicated at either BUG
|
||
node or appropriate test node then it is forwarded to T.J. -
|
||
otherwise we will contact you back for more information.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
FOR SALE
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
HP 150 SYSTEM
|
||
|
||
Hewlett-Packard HP 150 with 9134XV 15 Mbyte hard disk, 9121 dual
|
||
microfloppy disks, 82906A external printer, and Hayes 1200 modem.
|
||
Software includes WordStar, MailMerge, SpelStar, PCF, HP
|
||
Graphics, VisiCalc, GW Basic, Microsoft Fortran, Microsoft
|
||
Pascal, Turbo Pascal, Dsnlink, BPI Accounting, Dbase, and the HP
|
||
Programmer's Tool Kit. A large number of public domain programs
|
||
are also included, along with approximately 100 microfloppy
|
||
disks.
|
||
|
||
This complete system can be yours for only $3450. Reply to Jim
|
||
Cannell on FIDO 128/13, (303) 635-5468.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 18 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
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 19 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!
|
||
|
||
Public Domain collection - 400+ "ARC" archives - 15 megs of
|
||
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When
|
||
unpacked, you get approximately 21 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 15 months of intensive
|
||
downloads from just about 150 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
|
||
- ACS INTRCPT 720k format (Requires a 1.2m floppy
|
||
drive and PC-DOS 3.2)
|
||
- Plain ol' files (add $50)
|
||
|
||
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 20 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
SERVTECH
|
||
|
||
by
|
||
Rylos Technologies
|
||
10213 Heron Pond Terrace
|
||
Burke, Virginia 22015
|
||
(c) 1986 Rylos Technologies
|
||
|
||
|
||
o SERVTECH is designed specifically to work with your IBM
|
||
PC/XT, COMPAQ Deskpro, or COMPAQ Plus
|
||
|
||
o SERVTECH will assist you in initial computer setup !
|
||
|
||
- Guidelines for computer disassembly
|
||
|
||
- Pictorial Guide to switch settings
|
||
(You tell us what you have in your computer, we
|
||
SHOW you how to set the switches)
|
||
|
||
o SERVTECH deciphers error messages !
|
||
|
||
- You tell us the problem, we assist you in fixing
|
||
it. Wherever possible, we show you the exact
|
||
componant causing the problem !
|
||
|
||
- Through a series of questions and answers we will
|
||
give 'probable cause' suggestions to try.
|
||
|
||
o SERVTECH is easy to use !
|
||
|
||
- Employees at General Motors say "SERVTECH is
|
||
perfect for the person who has to support
|
||
their own XT, a must for every software
|
||
library."
|
||
|
||
To order SERVTECH, send a check or money order for $ 49.95 To :
|
||
|
||
RYLOS TECHNOLOGIES
|
||
10213 Heron Pond Terrace
|
||
Burke, VA. 22015
|
||
|
||
********* SPECIAL NOTICE FOR FIDO USERS *********
|
||
|
||
Order a copy of SERVTECH today, mention you saw the ad on a FIDO
|
||
system or newsletter, and Rylos will donate $ 5.00 to the IFNA !
|
||
|
||
A demonstration version of SERVTECH is available on FIDO # 603,
|
||
accessible through the PC PURSUIT system. Call (703) 689-3561
|
||
to download a copy.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 21 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Leo Bores, 114/14
|
||
|
||
|
||
The Bores Eye Institute needs your help. If you know of anyone
|
||
who has access to a Cromenco computer with a modem we can use
|
||
that person's assistance. We have some important patient data
|
||
files on 8" Cromenco disks that need conversion to 5 1/4" and
|
||
MS(PC)-DOS format. This is research data and is very important.
|
||
Our budget cannot afford the heavy cost of direct conversion.
|
||
We'd like to transfer them by phone if possible. We can pay
|
||
expenses and a gratuity for the service.
|
||
|
||
Please help.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
20 Jul 1986
|
||
St. Louis Area Sysops Meeting, to be held at Baker's Acre.
|
||
Net 100 sysops please contact Ben Baker at 100/76 for details
|
||
and directions.
|
||
|
||
14 Aug 1986
|
||
Start of the International FidoNet Conference, Colorado
|
||
Springs, Colorado. Contact George Wing at node 1/10 for
|
||
details. Get your reservations in NOW! We'll see you there!
|
||
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Duff Smith, 109/624
|
||
|
||
Deaf TTY service for the Fido network?
|
||
|
||
|
||
I hope to generate interest in accommodating the Deaf citizens
|
||
owning a TTY (teletype device).
|
||
|
||
I believe there is a huge market of fairly isolated deaf people
|
||
who could greatly benefit from Fido service - and the hardware is
|
||
basically compatible, though it runs slower than the 300 Baud
|
||
lower limit.
|
||
|
||
The only necessary modification to Fido is that it recognize the
|
||
Fidonews Page 22 16 Jun 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
lower Baud rate.
|
||
|
||
Hardware modification to any Fido board that supports 300 Baud is
|
||
unnecessary, as the bell 300 baud standard provides 0-300 Baud.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Hello, I am an unemployed geophysicist/computer programmer
|
||
looking for work. If you know of any companies that might need
|
||
someone or know of a good employment agency feel free to leave me
|
||
a message, call, or write:
|
||
|
||
BILL
|
||
(303) 344-2513
|
||
1198 Yost Street
|
||
Aurora, Colorado 80011
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The Microcomputer Managers Association may be reached at:
|
||
|
||
333 Sylvan Avenue
|
||
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632-2705
|
||
800-922-0324 or 201-569-8542
|
||
|
||
Steven I. Gross is the Communications Coordinator. Annual
|
||
membership is $40.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|