427 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
427 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
__________________________________________________________,+M`______
|
||
________________________________________________________,+MMT_______
|
||
______,xxdggMP____,d+MMMb______________xdwPvM#b,____.xgMMMMM#ggg____
|
||
________`MMMM'__,/"""MMMM|_________.d+P'`___|MMM____'"";MMMT________
|
||
________|MMMT_,/'____+MMM________.gMMP______dMMP_______dMMM`________
|
||
________+MMM_dF_____,MMMT_______dMMM'_____.+MMP_______,MMM|_________
|
||
_______jMMML/'______dMMM______.+MMM'___.,dMP"`________+MMP__________
|
||
_______+MMMP`______jMMM|______+MMM|_xd/#"'`__________jMMMI__________
|
||
______|MMMP________+MMP______jMMMP""`________________+MMP___________
|
||
_____.MMMP`_______jMMMI______MMMM|__________________|MMMI___________
|
||
_____jMMM'________MMMP___jI__qMMM|__________,r_____.MMMP___d'_______
|
||
____,MMMT________jMMM|.,/'___'MMMMb_______d/'______|MMM|_,/`________
|
||
____dMMM`________'MMMMP'______'vMMMMM#gP#'`________qMMMM#'__________
|
||
___________________""`___________'""""`_____________'""_____________
|
||
____________________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
From: boswell@well.sf.ca.us 1/5/93 Noted on the Net
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
|
||
IN ISSUE 11:
|
||
LEWIS CARROLL ON NETIQUETTE
|
||
THE PEN WILL BE MIGHTIER THAN THE FAX
|
||
EX-CONGRESSMAN TO PUT TELECOM CONTACTS TO WORK IN A JIFFY
|
||
PRICE WAR BREAKS OUT OVER VIDEOPHONES
|
||
THE WHISPER OF THE IBM AX IS HEARD IN NEW YORK
|
||
DUELING ACRONYMS: DISA YAKS TO FCC ON PCS
|
||
THE YARD GETS A CLUE!
|
||
JAPAN LAUNCHES OF OPERATION HOPE FOR U.S. CHIP MAKERS
|
||
APPLE TO BLOW OFF KEYBOARD
|
||
FROM THE MAIL SPOOL
|
||
A REALLY USEFUL ERROR MESSAGE
|
||
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
FROM EMAIL TO FLAMES TO KILLFILES TO CRYPTOGRAPHY:
|
||
LEWIS CARROLL ON NETIQUETTE
|
||
|
||
I sent a letter to the fish,
|
||
I told them, "This is what I wish."
|
||
The little fishes of the sea,
|
||
They sent an answer back to me.
|
||
The little fishes' answer was
|
||
"We cannot do it, sir, because ..."
|
||
I sent a letter back to say
|
||
It would be better to obey.
|
||
But someone came to me and said
|
||
"The little fishes are in bed."
|
||
I said to him, and I said it plain
|
||
"Then you must wake them up again."
|
||
I said it very loud and clear,
|
||
I went and shouted in his ear.
|
||
But he was very stiff and proud,
|
||
He said "You needn't shout so loud."
|
||
And he was very proud and stiff,
|
||
He said "I'll go and wake them if ..."
|
||
I took a kettle from the shelf,
|
||
I went to wake them up myself.
|
||
But when I found the door was locked
|
||
I pulled and pushed and kicked and knocked,
|
||
And when I found the door was shut,
|
||
I tried to turn the handle, But ...
|
||
|
||
"Is that all?" asked Alice.
|
||
"That is all." said Humpty Dumpty. "Good-bye."
|
||
-- Lewis Carroll,
|
||
"Through the Looking Glass"
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
THE PEN WILL BE MIGHTIER THAN THE FAX
|
||
|
||
From com-priv:
|
||
On 01/05/93 Jeff Haas posted:
|
||
] A short note from the peanut gallery:
|
||
]
|
||
] One other reason that fax machines are much more popular among
|
||
] businesses than e-mail happens to be the fact that many people still
|
||
] don't type. Or for the ones who can, it may be quicker to pen a
|
||
] note rather than enter it using your favorite editor.
|
||
]
|
||
] While text may be much faster to enter via typing than writing,
|
||
] the market may have to wait until reliable speech to text software
|
||
] exists before Common-Joe gets on the Net for email.
|
||
]
|
||
|
||
New technology perhaps not yet covered in this forum is the "pen-based
|
||
computer" interaction paradigm: Electronic ink with graphic entry
|
||
simulating the traditional pen on paper. With fax, the normal
|
||
non-nerd "Common Joe" scribbles on paper then scans the paper through
|
||
a fax machine. With a graphic entry communicating device, one
|
||
scribbles on the smart paper, then directs the message through the pen
|
||
computer/modem/software equivalent of a fax machine sending the image
|
||
to any conventional fax machine as well as to an equivalent
|
||
communicating pen oriented computer.
|
||
|
||
No need for handwriting recognition, no need for OCR, no need for
|
||
typing ever -- just cursor control with a hand-held pen-like stylus on
|
||
a sensitive display surface. Everything is in the world of electronic
|
||
ink like the fax bits after they've been scanned from paper into the
|
||
conventional fax machine.
|
||
|
||
While the pen paradigm is expensive and not really perfected
|
||
commercially or technologically yet, it does have a strong existing
|
||
and growing commercial marketplace in such applications as
|
||
meter-reading, route delivery, trucking, etc. where signature capture
|
||
is important and literate but not computer literate people like truck
|
||
drivers, meter readers and futures/stock market traders use the
|
||
equipment. The networking aspect fits in via wide area network links
|
||
to these mobile people -- who cannot be expected to be internetworking
|
||
gurus.
|
||
|
||
There is a whole marketplace assembling itself around companies
|
||
ranging from Tandy through PC folk like Microsoft ("Pen" Windows) to
|
||
VC startups to the telecommunications and wide area network
|
||
organizations.
|
||
|
||
Carl Helmers, President & Editorial Director, Helmers Publishing, Inc.
|
||
(what else do you do after starting BYTE?) <carl@planet.mv.com> 174
|
||
Concord Street, Peterborough, NH 03458 Phone: 603-924-9631 FAX:
|
||
603-924-7408 (We publish ID Systems and Sensors magazines) (-|-)
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
EX-CONGRESSMAN TO PUT TELECOM CONTACTS TO WORK IN A JIFFY
|
||
|
||
Terry Bruce lost big in his bid for re-election to Illinois' 19th
|
||
Congressional District, but has won big in his bid to be hired by
|
||
Ameritech for the aptly named post of "vice president for federal
|
||
relations.
|
||
|
||
During his four terms in congress, Bruce serve on numerous committees
|
||
whose present and future members could be of immense benefit to
|
||
Ameritech. His contacts with the FCC will also be of use. As Ameritech's
|
||
CEO put it, "His first hand knowledge of the workings of the federal
|
||
government will be a significant asset."
|
||
|
||
Mr. Bruce will begin his efforts on Ameritech's behalf on February 1.
|
||
Ameritech oversees Bell companies serving much of the midwest and
|
||
has interests in cellular communications, systems integration, audiotex
|
||
services, and lease financing. The revenues for Ameritech have been
|
||
cited as nearly $11 billion in 1991. Mr. Bruce's compensation has not
|
||
been disclosed but it is believed to be greater than the salary he
|
||
received as a member of the house.
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
PRICE WAR BREAKS OUT OVER VIDEOPHONES
|
||
|
||
Proving that the consumer wins when competition is allowed to flower,
|
||
AT&T has just chopped $500 off the price of its videophone. The
|
||
videophone had been placed on the market at $1,500, but the recent
|
||
announcement that MCI is planned to introduce a competing model at
|
||
a much lower price may have had something to do with concentrating
|
||
the marketing minds at AT&T.
|
||
|
||
This idea, however, was stoutly denied by AT&T spokespersons who
|
||
maintained that they were cutting their price out of a messianic
|
||
commitment "to bring this new technology to consumers as quickly
|
||
as possible."
|
||
|
||
Those pioneering consumers who have purchased the AT&T videophone
|
||
at $1,500 can look forward to a $500 cash rebate. Future consumers
|
||
will have a chance to buy the AT&T item on an interest free payment
|
||
plan.
|
||
|
||
Look for more attacks of the price-slashers in the near future.
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
THE WHISPER OF THE IBM AX IS HEARD IN NEW YORK
|
||
|
||
"Downsizing" has begun at IBM in upstate New York with the
|
||
announcement that 3,500 jobs in company plants in Kingston,
|
||
East Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie will be eliminated. Breaking
|
||
with tradition, IBM noted that layoffs would be used should
|
||
incentives to depart and outplacement to other parts of IBM
|
||
fail to meet the target.
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
"DISA YAKS TO FCC ON PCS"
|
||
by Paul Robinson, via RISKS
|
||
|
||
Article Summary
|
||
Government Computer News, January 4, 1993, Page 38
|
||
|
||
This is a summary of an article about a technology you've probably never
|
||
seen, complained about by an agency you've probably never heard of.
|
||
|
||
In an article titled "Defense agency wants PCS voice services in public
|
||
domain", author S. A. Marud tells how the Defense Information Systems
|
||
Agency (DISA) has jumped into the Federal Communications Commission
|
||
(FCC) inquiry into the standards to be set on the operation of the
|
||
startup Personal Communications Services (PCS) industry.
|
||
|
||
PCS is a wireless digital technology which operates at 2 gigahertz.
|
||
Cellular is analog. Also, one advantage of the service is that a number
|
||
can be assigned to a person, not to a telephone.
|
||
|
||
Two groups in DISA, the Federal Wireless Services User Forum (FWSUF) and
|
||
the Interagency Cellular Radio Working Group (ICRWG) were the impetus
|
||
for filing comments. They want to be certain that PCS supports at least
|
||
Group 3 / Group 4 Fax, paging, images, and voice and data encrypted with
|
||
an STU-III device. i.e. that a group 3 fax modem should work the same
|
||
whether it's plugged into a wall jack or a PCS phone. PCS should also
|
||
support dialing "0" for Operator and 911 for Emergency. ICRWG wants
|
||
there to be two nationwide carriers for PCS, or in the alternative, at
|
||
least one frequency block reserved nationally to one carrier and the
|
||
rest awarded to local carriers.
|
||
|
||
DISA's concerns on National Security and Emergency Preparedness makes it
|
||
want certain basic services (Such as area code 710?) to be part of the
|
||
new system, and that at least voice services to be available through the
|
||
public switched (read local telco, AT&T, FTS-2000, MCI etc.) network.
|
||
The systems should be made to be interoperable (meaning the phone you
|
||
use in Dallas should also work in Kansas City, Chicago, New York and Los
|
||
Angeles), either from the start or soon after some industry standards
|
||
can be developed. DISA would also prefer that PCS licenses be issued
|
||
for large areas if no nationwide carrier(s) are authorized.
|
||
|
||
DISA is worried that PCS may be declared to be "private carriers" which
|
||
means that the government cannot mandate that they be part of the
|
||
Telecommunications Priority System (TSP) which allows the government to
|
||
seize telephone lines. TSP was invoked by the federal government for
|
||
more than 4000 circuits and services during Hurricane Andrew.
|
||
|
||
Certain industry groups are watching the rule making process on PCS,
|
||
including the Wireless Information Network Forum (which represents
|
||
computer and communications companies including Apple, AT&T & IBM),
|
||
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) (guess who they
|
||
represent). CTIA is worried that the FCC might decide that PCS license
|
||
won't be issued to a cellular operator in the same area.
|
||
|
||
A decision on how the PCS industry is to be structured is expected from
|
||
the FCC sometime in Fall 1993.
|
||
|
||
Paul Robinson -- TDARCOS@MCIMAIL.COM These opinions are mine alone.
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
THE YARD GETS A CLUE!
|
||
|
||
LONDON, ENGLAND-- Divisional fraud squad detectives
|
||
in Britain have admitted they are missing vital clues when solving
|
||
crimes due to a lack of computers and computer training.
|
||
|
||
A Home Office report just released shows that, although 85 percent of
|
||
fraud squad detectives and 53 percent of divisional detectives have
|
||
come across computers in their investigations, none have been
|
||
adequately trained to deal with the systems.
|
||
|
||
According to Detective Sergeant Mike Guinney, author of the report and
|
||
an officer with the Merseyside fraud squad, the problem is one of
|
||
ignorance of matters concerning Information Technology (IT) within the
|
||
police force rather than a general lack of money. "Police chiefs are
|
||
frightened of computers and that means mistakes are being made because
|
||
of ignorance of IT," he said.
|
||
|
||
In one case, police investigating a ring of men thought to be involved
|
||
in pedophile activities overlooked a large quantity of incriminating
|
||
material when they raided one member's house, because the information
|
||
they were after was on a computer.
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
JAPAN LAUNCHES OF OPERATION HOPE FOR U.S. CHIP MAKERS
|
||
|
||
A Japanese official said Thursday he will continue to
|
||
promote cooperation between the U.S. and Japanese semiconductor
|
||
industries, the Kyodo News Service reported.
|
||
|
||
"I think Japanese and U.S. industries have built a very good
|
||
relationship by promoting joint development and technical tie-ups,"
|
||
said Yuji Tanahashi, vice minister at the Ministry of International
|
||
Trade and Industry.
|
||
|
||
Tanahashi's remarks followed a reported statement Wednesday by U.S.
|
||
Commerce Secretary-designate Ron Brown that he would aggressively move
|
||
to protect U.S. chip makers by pressing Japan to open its semiconductor
|
||
market further to competition and by more stringent enforcement of U.S.
|
||
trade laws.
|
||
|
||
The United States and Japan signed a trade pact in 1991 that said
|
||
foreign chip makers could expect more than 20 percent share of the
|
||
Japanese semiconductor market by the end of 1992.
|
||
|
||
Tanahashi said Thursday, ``It is clear a 20 percent target is not a
|
||
commitment.''
|
||
|
||
He added, however, "We know the United States hopes for the 20
|
||
percent share. The government will continue to encourage the U.S.hope."
|
||
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
NEW TECHNOLOGY ANNOUNCEMENT FROM APPLE
|
||
by Ron Reiner (rreiner@netxcom.UUCP)
|
||
|
||
In a surprise announcement, yesterday, Apple Computer said that it is
|
||
finally doing away with the keyboard. Apple stated that the
|
||
microcomputer user has suffered too long with this awkward and
|
||
inefficient input device. According to an Apple spokesperson, the
|
||
technology for replacing the keyboard with only a mouse is here and
|
||
the computer user is ready for it. The spokesperson said that Apple
|
||
has received a steady stream of complaints over the years about the
|
||
need to constantly move the hands between the Mac keyboard and
|
||
mouse. "The solution was obvious - do away with the keyboard
|
||
completely."
|
||
|
||
Acknowledging that there are still a few Mac applications that depend
|
||
on textual input in addition to graphical manipulation, Apple said the
|
||
poor people stuck with such outdated technology have not been
|
||
forgotten. They are introducing the Spinning Alphabet Wheel (SAW)
|
||
to replace the keyboard. The SAW is a screen display object
|
||
consisting of concentric circular strips showing all of the characters
|
||
which normally appear on the keyboard. The wheel rotates
|
||
continuously under character selector windows. The user selects a
|
||
character by placing the mouse pointer in the appropriate window at
|
||
the same time as the desired character is about the appear. "...and,
|
||
ta-da, the selected character appears on the screen just as though it
|
||
had been typed on an old fashioned keyboard."
|
||
|
||
"This is a marvelous new technology with plenty of room for
|
||
growth." said the spokesperson. For example, the user can configure
|
||
separate wheels for vowels vs. the consonants. Or, digits can be
|
||
placed on their own special low speed wheel. "We have
|
||
conceptualized the keyboard as a big, bulky menu selection device
|
||
and replaced it with dynamic display menus instead. Apple will
|
||
eventually replace all menus with their new Rotating Wheel
|
||
Technology (RWT)."
|
||
|
||
When asked why the wheels have to rotate, the spokesperson said
|
||
that Apple's engineers had considered using conventional "point-and-
|
||
click" technology for the wheel. "However," the Apple spokesperson
|
||
said, "we feel that this type of operation is too complicated for the
|
||
typical Mac user. So, we have done away with the mouse button
|
||
too. It is still hard for us to believe that the IBM world has stepped
|
||
backwards in technology by providing two or more buttons to
|
||
confuse the user. The IBM compatible sector, apparently, has not
|
||
yet recognized that 95% of computer usage is devoted to
|
||
experimenting with different fonts and character styles in documents"
|
||
|
||
Asked if this new technology would reduce the price of the typical
|
||
Mac computer, the spokesperson countered that it would probably
|
||
increase the price of the Mac. "After all, display space is already
|
||
scarce on the current screen. We will now deliver Macs with two
|
||
screens - one for the normal display and a larger one for the multitude
|
||
of rotating wheels the user needs to access." Apple said that the user
|
||
who is confused by complicated devices such as keyboards and
|
||
mouse buttons will gladly pay a premium to avoid them. "In fact, the
|
||
easily-confused user is our best customer" replied the spokesperson.
|
||
"Not only are we doing away with the pesky keyboard, but we are
|
||
also giving them something they have demanded for a long time -
|
||
more screen space. This is definitely a win-win situation."
|
||
|
||
Beta testers of the new technology were impressed by its ease of use,
|
||
but said there are still some minor problems to work out. For
|
||
example, one tester left his machine unattended with the uppercase
|
||
character wheel spinning at medium speed. While he was away
|
||
somebody must have jarred his desk, moving the mouse pointer into
|
||
the selector window. When he got back he found that his Word
|
||
document now had one huge paragraph consisting of all of the
|
||
characters of the uppercase alphabet repeated 2,539,987 times. "At
|
||
first glance, this appeared to be a big problem. But, I formatted the
|
||
new paragraph with 33 different fonts and 11 different type styles and
|
||
it looked great. I hope that Apple fixes this problem before they
|
||
release it, because these accidents can greatly increase the time spent
|
||
formatting documents."
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
FROM THE MAIL SPOOL
|
||
|
||
> Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 20:03:05 GMT
|
||
> From: van@eff.org (Gerard Van der Leun)
|
||
>> (_______@___.____.com writes:
|
||
>> I joined Internet to acquire information! I didn't join
|
||
>> to make the phone company richer while I pay for junk mail!
|
||
>
|
||
> If you are here to actually acquire information, investing in a
|
||
> new Britannica might be more prudent and much cheaper. Information,
|
||
> opinions, lists, infolets, factoids, opinions, one-liners...this is
|
||
> not an "Information server". "This" is over a thousand committees of
|
||
> correspondence, backyard chat, and more opinions than there are
|
||
> islands in Indonesia. You want information -- Nexis, Plexus or 411.
|
||
> van@eff.org (Gerard Van der Leun)
|
||
>
|
||
|
||
Gerard,
|
||
|
||
You may have just created "THE" definition of the Internet today.
|
||
|
||
"A thousand committees of correspondence," is, without a doubt, a
|
||
far, far better description than I have seen used to date. Most
|
||
"authorities" have tended to portray the Internet, (as in - used to
|
||
"sell" the Internet to those who have never experienced it) especially
|
||
the mailing lists and LISTSERVs, just as our disgruntled "new user" has
|
||
stated. And, as a result of misplaced expectations, such feelings are
|
||
generated.
|
||
|
||
Clearly today, "committees of correspondence," is by far the dominant
|
||
traffic on the Internet. In the future, we may be able to call on the
|
||
Internet to answer our questions - but not today. Today, we must rely on
|
||
our fellow correspondents to provide those answers. Gopher, WAIS,
|
||
ARCHIE, and what-have-you are working to change all that but their
|
||
"success" today is still limited to the TCP/IP connected Internet. The
|
||
larger electronic mail Internet still relies on individuals to answer
|
||
questions and provide pointers.
|
||
|
||
By the way, here in Bell Atlantic turf, one uses 555-1212 for
|
||
information.
|
||
|
||
William H. Magill Manager, PennNet Computing Services
|
||
University of Pennsylvania
|
||
Internet: magill@dccs.upenn.edu magill@eniac.seas.upenn.edu
|
||
magill@upenn.edu
|
||
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
||
A REALLY USEFUL ERROR MESSAGE
|
||
|
||
It's interesting, the features people dream up in this
|
||
age of technology....
|
||
|
||
We have a Sun SPARC laser printer which even has a feature
|
||
to print error messages like : "Printer low on toner" on a
|
||
piece of paper, in addition to those idiot lights on the
|
||
front panel.
|
||
|
||
The best was last week: I was printing and noticed the printer
|
||
stopped and on came an indicator light. I looked and realized it
|
||
was out of paper. So I reloaded it, and sure enough, out comes
|
||
the next page with:
|
||
|
||
"Printer out of paper."
|
||
|
||
Jeff Butera
|
||
jvbutera@math.ncsu.edu
|
||
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
=======rec.talk.bionet.bit.news.gnu.k12.misc.alt.comp.soc.sci.========
|
||
======================================================================
|
||
NET is a private record of items of interest to the Information Society.
|
||
Copies are shared with contributors and a small circle of friends.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|