879 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
879 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 3, Number 42 3 November 1986
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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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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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1.
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Copyright (C) 1986, by the International FidoNet Association.
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All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted
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for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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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. ARTICLES
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Winner of GAGS adventure game contest announced
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THE CHEAPEST PHONE BILL EVER!
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2. COLUMNS
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The Nautical View: Bobsterm Pro 128
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3. NOTICES
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The Interrupt Stack
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Fidonews Page 2 3 Nov 1986
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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Date: October 23, 1986
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WINNER OF ADVENTURE GAME CONTEST ANNOUNCED
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------------------------------------------
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Douglas Asherman, of Oakland, California, has won the
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first Official GAGS Game Contest, sponsored by Mark J. Welch,
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author of the Generic Adventure Game System*. Asherman's game
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is called "Alice," and is patterned after the character
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invented by Lewis Carroll in the book "Alice in Wonderland."
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The contest, which began May 24 and ended September 30,
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1986, offered a $100 prize to the author of the best text
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adventure game written using GAGS, which is an adventure-game
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development system MS-DOS computers. The winning game will
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also be included with each copy of GAGS distributed from
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October 1986 to October 1987. GAGS is distributed as
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Shareware, so users can copy it without charge, paying $15 for
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registration if they enjoy it.
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Asherman's game allows a player to play the role of Alice
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as she goes through the Looking-Glass, and to meet many of the
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same characters described in Carroll's book. Asherman also
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adds some humorous 20th-century perspective to the 19th-
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century character.
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The contest generated nationwide publicity and interest,
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Welch said. "The main purpose of the contest was to encourage
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people to share the games they'd written using GAGS," Welch
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said. "A lot of people had started games, spending quite a few
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hours on them, but stopped before they'd really finished them,
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or before they'd really made them playable."
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As one result of the contest publicity, Welch learned that
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several computer bulletin boards have made GAGS available for
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callers to play on-line.
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"I was surprised at first, since anyone can download GAGS
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and play it on any MS-DOS computer, even systems that aren't
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IBM-compatible," Welch said. "Then I realized that other
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computer owners can't use it. If you've got a Commodore or an
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Apple, the only way you can play GAGS right now is to call a
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bulletin board. I hope some of these BBSs will allow callers
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to play 'Alice' now, since it's much more enjoyable than the
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sample game I've been distributing with GAGS."
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Welch said he has not yet decided whether to sponsor a
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second game contest.
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Although GAGS currently works only on computers that use
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the MS-DOS operating system (including the IBM PC and
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Fidonews Page 3 3 Nov 1986
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compatibles as well as non-compatibles), Welch hopes to
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release a version for the Apple Macintosh this winter. "I'm
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just waiting for Borland to release its Turbo Pascal compiler
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for the Macintosh," Welch said.
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Welch sells GAGS on disk for $10. Registration is $15
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more. Registered users can also buy the complete GAGS source
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code for $25, Welch said, if they wish to add features to the
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program.
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* GAGS and Generic Adventure Game System are trademarks of
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Mark J. Welch.
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For more info, contact:
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Mark J. Welch
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P.O. Box 2409
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San Francisco, CA 94126
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Voice phone: 415-845-2430 [Berkeley]
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Fido 161/459
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BIX: 'mwelch'
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THE FOLLOWING IS A SAMPLE OPENING SCRIPT OF THE WINNING GAME
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------------------------------------------------------------
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(Copyright 1986 by Douglas A. Asherman)
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C>ADVENT ALICE
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The Adventures of Alice
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Who
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Went Through the Looking-Glass
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And
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Came Back
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Though Not Much Changed
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Based on characters created by Lewis Carroll
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Game and Text Copyright 1986 D.A. Asherman
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Developed using: The Generic Adventure Game System (GAGS)
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Version 1.06b -- 6/15/86
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Copyright 1985, 1986 by Mark J. Welch -- All Rights Reserved
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P.O.Box 2409, SF, CA 94126, (415) 845-2430
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GAGS is distributed as "Shareware."
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Fidonews Page 4 3 Nov 1986
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Initializing data, please wait (should take 1 minute)...
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You've woken up to a fine, fine morning. The sun shines,
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the birds sing, and you feel wonderful. Your cat, Dinah,
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greets you at your bedroom door. You see that her kittens
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follow her lovingly, and you feel that nothing could be finer
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than to be greeted by Dinah in the morning.
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There is, however, a spectre on the horizon. Today is the
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day for your mathematics lesson. Of course, you could plead
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illness, but that would ruin your opportunity to go out and
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enjoy the rest of the day. You get dressed and go downstairs,
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ruminating on how you could possibly skip your mathematics
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lesson and still be able to enjoy the rest of the day.
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"There must be some solution," you think, "some way to
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elude my tutor and go out to play." If you lived far in the
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future instead of in A.D. 1865, we would say that you suffered
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from a malady called "female math anxiety." But as you are
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only a little girl, and as you DO live in 1865, we can only
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say that you haven't studied.
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Ah, well . . . . perhaps there is some way to avoid your
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imminent academic embarrassment . . .perhaps. Perhaps it's
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somewhere in the house.
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You are standing on the west side of the fireplace in the
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drawing room of your house. The chairs here are made of
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nicely polished wood, and the mantle over the hearth is very
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well kept up. Everything, in fact, is exactly as it should
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be. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and you feel that
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today of all days, nothing could possibly go wrong.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is a ball of yarn lying on the floor here
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What Now? EXAMINE YARN
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The ball of yarn seems to be incredibly tangled. In fact, it
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seems to have gotten tangled into the rug itself!
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is a ball of yarn lying on the floor here
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What Now? PULL YARN
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The yarn untangles easily....perhaps a bit too easily.
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You are standing in an alcove. To the south is the west side
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of the drawing room. Your father says that standing in this
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alcove puts you exactly north of the west side of the
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fireplace. You think you understand what he means, but have
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never really taken the time to ask.
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<< Alcove >>
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Your nanny is standing here.
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Fidonews Page 5 3 Nov 1986
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What Now? SOUTH
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is a ball of yarn lying on the floor here
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What Now? EAST
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You are standing on the east side of the fireplace in the
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drawing room of your house. The sun is shining in through all
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of the windows, even through the little stained-glass window
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in the southern door. Once again, you feel that everything is
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as it should be. You can't decide, however, whether to go out
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and play or to prepare for your Mathematics lessons.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is a lovely Swiss clock on the mantelpiece
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What Now? EXAMINE CLOCK
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The clock, although obviously a fine piece of craftsmanship,
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seems to be telling the wrong time.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is a lovely Swiss clock on the mantelpiece
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What Now?
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.
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.
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.
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. [portion omitted]
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.
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.
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.
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You are sitting down in front of the fireplace in the drawing
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room of your house. You feel as if you've fallen. "But" you
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think "that is ridiculous. One must have been up somewhere to
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have fallen down, and as I've not been up I can't possibly
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have fallen down." You think that this is good logic, but
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still make a mental note to ask you mathematics tutor, Mr.
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Dodgson, about it. Suddenly you notice that the southern door
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(the one with the lovely little stained-glass window in it) is
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open.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is an old umbrella here
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What Now? OPEN UMBRELLA
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The umbrella is now open.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is an old umbrella here
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There is a small dagger here. (In the umbrella)
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There is a small silver key here. (In the umbrella)
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Fidonews Page 6 3 Nov 1986
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What Now? TAKE ALL
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The umbrella won't budge.
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You are now carrying the dagger.
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You are now carrying the key.
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<< Drawing Room >>
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There is an old umbrella here
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What Now? SOUTH
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You are in the garden. The sunlight out here lends a radiance
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to all of the flowers and plants. Even the forest on both
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sides of the garden is..... "Wait," you think. "There never
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used to be a forest on the east and west sides of the garden.
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In fact I'm quite sure that the Finchley-Smythes lived to the
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east of us, and the Hatton-Carrolls to the west. Hmmm..."
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Stranger still is the fact that there is a wall to the south
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where you could've sworn there was a path down to the river.
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<< Garden >>
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There is a musical instrument case here.
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There is an unclimbable wall at the south end of the garden
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What Now? . . . . . .
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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Fidonews Page 7 3 Nov 1986
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Richard Epson
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151/20
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||
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THE CHEAPEST PHONE BILL EVER!
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-----------------------
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Tom Rapone & Associates, Inc.
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c/o Richard H. Epson
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9920-A Plum Creek Lane
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Charlotte, NC 28210
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>> Fido 151/20 <<
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(704) - 542 - 3895
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Hello there fellow SysOps and Users! I'll bet most of you
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spend well over $100.00 per month in long distance calls. If you
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are a SysOp like me, you send twice or even three times that much
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on long distance. Well, get this flash.....
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$100.00 per month gets you...
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U N L I M I T E D C A L L S
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||
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U N L I M I T E D T I M E
|
||
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U N L I M I T E D A N Y W H E R E*
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||
(* in the United States)
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Watts lines have been used primarily by large corporations for
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cheaper rates on volume long distance calls.
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This is a program that takes average telephone users and combines
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their usage to obtain volume rates.
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WHY -
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The divestiture of ATT has given other companies the
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||
opportunity to compete with ATT for long distance phone service.
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Many companies have done so. The company that I am dealing with
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||
offers unrestricted, (in the United States, except Alaska), long
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distance phone service for $100.00 per month. Most of the other
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long distance companies are asking you to choose them or ATT.
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Our service is saying keep your present long distance carrier and
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also have this, now you have two long distance choices. For
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heavy long distance users (like we SysOps) this is inexpensive
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because we use state of the art equipment, access low cost lines,
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and maximize usage. This is a supplement, not an alternative.
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I am sure you are asking about long distance rates within your
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state. Well, presently our service offers INTRA-STATE long
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distance for the following states;
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Arizona Colorado Delaware
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Fidonews Page 8 3 Nov 1986
|
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|
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Dist. of Columbia Hawaii Idaho
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Michigan Montana New Hampshire
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North Dakota Oklahoma Pennsylvania
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Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee
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Texas Utah Virginia
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....With many more on the way! While you wait for your state, you
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can still call anywhere outside your state (unlimited).
|
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|
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ACCESS -
|
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Upon receipt of your application your personal access code
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will be issued. To access our service you only need dial an 800
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number then your personal access code. It is very important that
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you keep your access code personal!
|
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BILLING
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Our service does not send bills. When you become a customer,
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you may (if you wish) sign up for the Check-O-matic plan. Your
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$100.00 monthly long distance phone bill will automatically be
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deducted from your account and you will not have to worry about
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||
forgetting the payment and losing the service. Check-O-matic
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||
deductions are made the 15th of each month. Otherwise payment may
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be made by the 24th of the preceeding month by mail.
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What a deal, huh? There is more.....
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Our service is a new company that will not spend money on
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advertising. They use the most effective and least expensive
|
||
form of advertising. "WORD OF MOUTH" (OR COMPUTER TERMINAL!).
|
||
For people who know friends or relatives who would be interested
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in their long distance phone rates, our service offers and
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incentive program that enables participants to profit from
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||
commissions. THERE IS NO COST FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE MARKETING
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||
PLAN.
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||
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HOW -
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For each new customer who purchases our service, you will
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receive a $25.00 commission each month that customer
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participates. For example, if you sign up four people for our
|
||
phone service, you would receive 4 x $25.00 ($100.00), per month,
|
||
during their participation. You would still have to pay your own
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||
$100.00 bill for your long distance service but you would receive
|
||
a seperate commission from us for $100.00. IN EFFECT, your long
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||
distance calls would be at NO COST.
|
||
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We have designed a marketing plan so that you can earn even
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||
MORE commissions. If the first four people you sell the service
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||
also sell the service to others, you receive a $5.00 commission
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||
for each additional participant each month they continue the
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||
Fidonews Page 9 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
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||
service. This $5.00 bonus plan pays down through 5 levels*
|
||
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*Where payment through more than a specified number of levels is
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||
prohibited by state law, payment will be made only to the levels
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||
permitted by such law.
|
||
|
||
|
||
EXAMPLE -
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||
|
||
You sell Mike $25.00 Level 1
|
||
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||
Mike sells Tom $ 5.00 2
|
||
|
||
Tom sells Ken $ 5.00 3
|
||
|
||
Ken sells Vick $ 5.00 4
|
||
|
||
Vick sells Bill $ 5.00 5
|
||
|
||
Bill sells Richard $ 5.00 6
|
||
|
||
|
||
You may offer this program to as many people as you choose.
|
||
|
||
|
||
You are saying "What's the catch?" There isn't one!! And even
|
||
if you don't sell it to anyone, $100.00 per month long distance
|
||
is still the best deal around!
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you are interested, send a check or money order for $4.95 made
|
||
out to;
|
||
|
||
*Tom Rapone & Associates, Inc
|
||
c/o Richard H. Epson
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||
9920-A Plum Creek Lane
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||
Charlotte, NC 28210
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||
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*Member of The Greater Charlotte, NC Chamber of Commerce
|
||
|
||
The $4.95 is used for processing and there are no other costs
|
||
except the $100.00 per month!
|
||
|
||
ONE MORE THING!!!
|
||
|
||
NO INSTALLATION FEE IF YOU APPLY WITH THIS OFFER!!
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE DEAL!!!
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fido 151/20
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 10 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
123/6 123/0
|
||
MemphisNet
|
||
2400 baud MAX
|
||
901-353-4563
|
||
|
||
|
||
Well, hello again from the sunny???? south. I have been busy
|
||
this week collecting programs that were either send by fidomail, U.S.
|
||
Postal Service, or even handed to me on disk. Most if not all of
|
||
these are utilities for Fido and a scant few for SEADog. I am
|
||
sorting thru them right now and attempting to see what they all do.
|
||
|
||
I am presently testing the file FD (FrontDoor) written by
|
||
Joaquim Homrighausen and Peter Stewart of 501/4609. These gentlemen
|
||
have done something I have been trying to accomplish for a long time.
|
||
They have managed to train the doggie to respond to command and wake
|
||
up on cue.
|
||
|
||
Although FD was written for the Hayes modems and EXACT clones it
|
||
seems to work nicely on my U.S. Robotics and so far has done
|
||
everything I have asked of it. There are a number of different things
|
||
that you can set up in the program, chief among these is the ability
|
||
to LOCK OUT or disregard carriers from any of the modem speeds (ie
|
||
300/1200/2400 1200/75). You can selectively lock out these speeds
|
||
either one or two or three or (if you are REAL MEAN) ALL FOUR !
|
||
|
||
I have a small problem here in that most of my 300 bps callers are
|
||
young kids still trying to play war games and they think I will allow
|
||
them to just roam thru the system and do as they wish. Using FD I
|
||
showed them that they still have a long way to go.
|
||
|
||
FrontDoor has the following command line switches that will OVERRIDE
|
||
the installed features:
|
||
|
||
FD/1 or /2 Tells which com port to use
|
||
/I install switch, used to set up defaults
|
||
/? what else, HELP !!!!!
|
||
/L log calls to a disk file by date,time,baud rate, etc.
|
||
/N causes the program to NOT initialize the modem
|
||
/K uses constant speed to modem (use if you have a BUFFER
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||
in the modem only)
|
||
/Q silent run doesn't beep if connecting
|
||
/Bn initialize the com port to baud rate (3=300 1=1200
|
||
2=2400)
|
||
/Xn The GOODIE ! EXCLUDE this baud rate
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||
/Sn connect code for split speed operation (ie 1200/75)
|
||
Hayes has no standard for this one yet. The program
|
||
defaults to 8.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The only problem I see with this program is that it must turn
|
||
Fidonews Page 11 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
control of the system over to Fido 10 minutes before a scheduled
|
||
event and thus you must add an external event after every event in
|
||
order to RESTART the RUNBBS.BAT. I am thinking that maybe SEADog does
|
||
this also so this should not be too great a problem to most users. I
|
||
run all my mailslots one right after the other so I just added 1
|
||
external event after the last mail slot to reboot the system and thus
|
||
return control to FD.
|
||
|
||
FD has a few bugs in it from what the authors say but I would
|
||
say that for a first attempt they have done a good job and should
|
||
keep up the work.
|
||
|
||
They do request that any system that intends to use FD send them
|
||
a FidoMail and there is a shareware request in the documentation. I
|
||
fully intend to send the $ to them my only question is HOW much is
|
||
$20 US in SWEDISH KRONA ! and as a note to those who try to call
|
||
them.....be forewarned that the SWEDISH PEOPLE as far as I can tell
|
||
speak English, but the phone system connected me to a FRENCH ARMY
|
||
OFFICER on the first call and to someones home phone on the second
|
||
call. I tried to contact the author voice at a number he gave me but
|
||
due to the time differential and the fact that I was trying to call
|
||
on a weekend didn't help, all I got was the place he worked (I
|
||
think). Their phone system is a little weak in the data-line end of
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
Anyway, that's it for this week, remember to keep those files
|
||
coming (I still have about 30 MEG left to fill and to date I only
|
||
have about 2.9 meg of Fido utilities and another 3 MEG of FidoNews. I
|
||
also have a user here (MIKE GORDON) who is in the process of
|
||
downloading the FidoNews files and converting them to Commodore
|
||
Format ASCII and then ARCING them using a program for the Commodore
|
||
called ARC134. We are making these files available as fast as Mike
|
||
can work. He would like to mention that we can send these files to
|
||
you on disk in either Commodore format along with the program to ARC
|
||
and UN-ARC them or we can send them in IBM format (360k DSDD). If you
|
||
would like us to send them to you all you need to do is send 5 disks
|
||
in an envelope with a self-addresses disk mailer big enough to hold
|
||
them and with enough postage on it to get them back to you. We will
|
||
copy them over to disk for you and mail them out within 24-48 hrs of
|
||
receipt.
|
||
|
||
BY THE WAY......DID YOU NOTICE FNEWS340.ARC was MISSING a few
|
||
PAGES.......SO DID I !!!!!!
|
||
|
||
Jerry Hindle
|
||
123/6 123/0
|
||
MemphisNet
|
||
2400 baud MAX
|
||
901-353-4563
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 12 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
Joe Lindstrom
|
||
Fido 134/1
|
||
Calgary, AB
|
||
|
||
+=================+
|
||
!The Nautical View!
|
||
+=================+
|
||
|
||
Part 2: Review of Bobsterm Pro 128
|
||
|
||
|
||
What is your idea of the "ideal" terminal? Whatever it is,
|
||
Bobsterm Pro 128 from Progressive Peripherals & Software will
|
||
probably satisfy it. Simply stick the key in joystick port 2,
|
||
put the Bobsterm disk in the drive, turn the computer on, and you
|
||
will be welcomed into a brand new world of telecommunications.
|
||
Folks, this terminal can do anything except wash the dishes!
|
||
|
||
Since this program has SUCH an extensive array of
|
||
capabilities, I am going to let the manual's table of contents be
|
||
my guide. Because of the volume, I'll be sticking to "just the
|
||
facts" as I go through, with comments later. Here we go:
|
||
|
||
If you can connect your modem to the 128, Bobsterm will
|
||
support it. If any of the built-in operating modes isn't
|
||
compatible, you simply define your own mode. Modems supported
|
||
are: Commodore 1650, 1660, 1670; Westridge, Master Modem; Total
|
||
Telecommunications; Mitey-Mo; HES I & II; and Hayes Smartmodem +
|
||
compatibles.
|
||
|
||
Up and down loading can be accomplished in a variety of ways,
|
||
including: Straight ASCII/PETSCII/Binary; seq line with prompt;
|
||
XON/XOFF-DC1/DC2 Capture; Punter Protocol; Xmodem protocol with
|
||
optional CRC plus ability to dump to CP/M disks; Entire disk
|
||
(Track/Sector). All transfers can be from/to disk or buffer, and
|
||
all may be viewed as they happen.
|
||
|
||
Speaking of the buffer, here's some data on it: 60000 bytes;
|
||
Fill from keyboard, disk, CP/M, or from byte#; dump to screen,
|
||
printer, disk, CP/M; adjustable partial dumps, forward/reverse
|
||
page viewing, adjustable page markers. Almost like a mini word
|
||
processor. Why? Because: full screen cursor control; edit
|
||
binary or text data; frwd/rev scroll with position readout; hex,
|
||
dec, bin readout; set range; hex, dec, bin entry; add/remove
|
||
linefeeds (useful in creating these articles); insert line;
|
||
delete range; strip character; replace character; convert to
|
||
upper or lower case; convert to ASCII or PETSCII (also useful);
|
||
reformat text; zero parity bit; all with instant on-screen help.
|
||
|
||
Most terminals provide a status line (usually at the top of
|
||
the screen). So does Bobsterm. Features include: Always
|
||
visible; carrier detect; buffer on/off; buffer bytes remaining;
|
||
local echo on/off; incoming/outgoing linefeed on/off; hook
|
||
status, macro active status (more on this later); null filter
|
||
on/off; caps lock on/off; word wrap on/off; ascii/binary on/off;
|
||
display control characters on/off; transfer display on/off;
|
||
Fidonews Page 13 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
timer/time of day clock (uses hardware clock built in).
|
||
Regarding those macros: two types are available. One kind lets
|
||
you customize "environments" for each board you call (including
|
||
auto-dial of the number). The other lets you automate the logon,
|
||
or even a whole session. Be kinda nice to set it to go at 5 am,
|
||
logon to your local Fido, read all the new messages, upload a few
|
||
of your own, dump the whole session to disk, and shut down, huh?
|
||
Or, you can even use the circular dialing feature to "rotate"
|
||
between logon macros.
|
||
|
||
Here's where Bobsterm really shines: the user can adjust:
|
||
char/screen/status colors; ALL RS-232 parameters; baud rate up to
|
||
2400; baud timing trim control (mentioned in my last article);
|
||
default drive # for transfers and separate defaults for macros;
|
||
default printer device and secondary address; ASCII/PETSCII
|
||
printer output; printer auto/LF switch; 14 char printer control
|
||
string; tone or pulse dialing; carrier detect switch; line delays
|
||
up to 900 ms; char delays up to 90ms; char wait for echo; CRCK or
|
||
CCITT checksum; XON/XOFF characters; XMODEM EOT, ACK, NAK, CAN, &
|
||
EOF; XMODEM block start; XMODEM char start; XMODEM packet delay
|
||
time; bell and answer-back; backspace, HTAB, CLR-SCRN; 6 char IN-
|
||
filter; cursor type, 10 character fonts; save default parameters.
|
||
|
||
Bobsterm also features a "remote mode", where you can leave
|
||
the terminal unattended and people can logon and have full DOS
|
||
access. Features include: Remote DOS and transfers; user defined
|
||
password code; user defined welcome message; full control over
|
||
transfer types. Macros also work here.
|
||
|
||
Terminal emulation features include: programmable emulator; 37
|
||
emulator functions; presets for ADM-31; presets for VT-52 and VT-
|
||
100; user definable terminals. This last means you can create
|
||
your own "standard" terminal.
|
||
|
||
For the advanced user, there are built-in file conversions:
|
||
PRG to SEQ; SEQ to PRG; ASCII IMG to PRG; PRG to ASCII IMG; strip
|
||
source code comments; C128 to CP/M; CP/M to C128. These come in
|
||
VERY handy!
|
||
|
||
For those "into" IMAGE files, there are a host of features
|
||
just for you: Actual/Two's complement sums; offset start address;
|
||
byte count; separator byte; bytes per record; 1 or 2 byte sums;
|
||
header length; prompt character; header character string. I
|
||
don't know what half of these are about, but I'm sure various
|
||
"techies" will.
|
||
|
||
Here's what the manual says about macro files: unlimited
|
||
storage of macros; auto-dial and logon for each #; saves all
|
||
parameters with #; automate ANY commands that can be accomplished
|
||
via keyboard. THIS is where you can fully automate a BBS logon.
|
||
It's a bit complicated, but I've successfully used it. I even
|
||
put in a trap in case the sysop of a local board (FSS BBS -
|
||
403-242-0749) jumped into chat mode. He did, and got a surprise:
|
||
"This terminal is under machine control. Please release me from
|
||
CHAT mode and my operator will talk with you later." I got a
|
||
phone call 5 minutes later... boy, was HE upset!
|
||
Fidonews Page 14 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
I'll skip all the macro-specific stuff for now, since they're
|
||
of no use to you unless you actually have Bobsterm, in which case
|
||
you have the manual already. All (!) this leaves is the 8
|
||
programmable function key definitions, where you program your
|
||
function keys to send a string when it is pressed. F8 has the
|
||
added feature of being the "answer-back" string. If a board
|
||
fires a CTRL-E at you, Bobsterm will automatically send the F8
|
||
definition.
|
||
|
||
Now, any run of the mill terminal can have any or all of these
|
||
features. It's the implementation which makes Bobsterm such a
|
||
joy to use. Completely menu driven means even the greenest of
|
||
novices can be online in minutes, while the seasoned veteran will
|
||
be flying thru various control sections using just a couple
|
||
keystrokes (ANY area can be accessed from the main menu with a
|
||
maximum of three keypresses). The manual, while fairly simple in
|
||
layout and design, is very well written and covers all bases. I
|
||
have never used a terminal which has been more problem-free. I
|
||
only have two complaints: it uses a non-standard way of selected
|
||
choices. To change from 300 to 1200 baud, you must move the
|
||
cursor onto the appropriate menu entry, then press the RETURN key
|
||
to cycle the choices or SHIFT-RETURN to reverse cycle. Use RUN-
|
||
STOP to implement the selection. A little odd, but you get used
|
||
to it. Also, it would be nice if the 40 column screen was
|
||
supported. Why 40 columns? Because a few of the local BBS's
|
||
only run in 40, and thus half my screen is wasted. I used to use
|
||
Pro-Term 64, which allowed either 40 or 80 (though the 80 columns
|
||
was ATROCIOUS, being drawn on a 40 col hi-res screen).
|
||
|
||
As you can see, I am fairly glowing in my praise of this
|
||
program. It shows a lot of thought and attention to detail, and
|
||
is quite the masterpiece. I strongly suggest you head down to
|
||
your local Commodore dealer and give it a test run. It carries a
|
||
steep price tag (I paid $130 in Canadian currency), but it is
|
||
well worth it.
|
||
|
||
I'm interested in answering any of your questions about either
|
||
the 64 or 128. If you are having a problem, please address your
|
||
mail to Joe Lindstrom via Calgary Fido (Net 134 Node 1), and I'll
|
||
address it in an upcoming article. If you would like to contact
|
||
me in person, I run a 300 baud BBS ("The Flight Deck") at
|
||
403-235-1659.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 15 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
23 Nov 1986
|
||
Twenty-third anniversary of Doctor Who.
|
||
|
||
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.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Fidonews Page 16 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
__
|
||
The World's First / \
|
||
BBS Network /|oo \
|
||
* FidoNet * (_| /_)
|
||
_`@/_ \ _
|
||
| | \ \\
|
||
| (*) | \ ))
|
||
______ |__U__| / \//
|
||
/ Fido \ _//|| _\ /
|
||
(________) (_/(_|(____/ (jm)
|
||
|
||
Charter Membership for the International FidoNet Association
|
||
|
||
Membership in IFNA is open to any individual or organization that
|
||
pays an annual specified membership fee. IFNA serves the
|
||
international FidoNet-compatible electronic mail community to
|
||
increase worldwide communications.**
|
||
|
||
|
||
Name _________________________________ Date ________
|
||
Address ______________________________
|
||
City & State _________________________
|
||
Country_______________________________
|
||
Phone (Voice) ________________________
|
||
|
||
Net/Node Number ______________________
|
||
Board Name____________________________
|
||
Phone (Data) _________________________
|
||
Baud Rate Supported___________________
|
||
Board Restrictions____________________
|
||
Special Interests_____________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
Is there some area where you would be
|
||
willing to help out in FidoNet?_______
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
______________________________________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Send your membership form and a check or money order for $25 to:
|
||
|
||
International FidoNet Association
|
||
P. O. Box 41143
|
||
St Louis, Missouri, USA
|
||
|
||
Thank you for your membership! Your participation will help to
|
||
insure the future of FidoNet.
|
||
|
||
** Please NOTE that IFNA is a general not-for-profit organization
|
||
in formation and BYLAWS are presently being prepared by an
|
||
International Rules Committee. Membership requirements and fees
|
||
are subject to approval of this Committee. An IFNA Echomail
|
||
Conference has been established on FidoNet to assist the BYLAWS
|
||
Committee. We welcome your input on this Conference.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Fidonews Page 17 3 Nov 1986
|
||
|
||
|
||
SFFAN : Science Fiction and Fandom EchoMail conference.
|
||
Discussion of Science Fiction Movies, Television,
|
||
Book, Comics, and all other media.
|
||
|
||
Doctor Who, Star Trek, Hitchhiker's Guide to the
|
||
Galaxy, Zelazny, Moorcock, Asimov, Danger Mouse,
|
||
Battlestar Galactica, etc.
|
||
|
||
|
||
GAMING : Gaming EchoMail conference.
|
||
Discussion of Computer games, Arcade games,
|
||
Board Games, and Role Playing Games.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Hook in now! Contact Mike J at 150/900.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|