601 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
601 lines
31 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
°°°°°°Ü °°Ü °°°Üܰ°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°Ü °°°Üܰ°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü
|
||
°°Ûß°°Û °°Û °°Û°°Û°°Û °°Ûßßßß ß°°Ûßß °°Û °°Û°°Û°°Û °°Ûßßßß °°Ûßßßß
|
||
°°°°°Ûß °°Û °°Û ßß°°Û °°°°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û ßß°°Û °°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü
|
||
°°Ûß°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Ûßßß °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Ûßßß ßßß°°Û
|
||
°°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°°°°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Û
|
||
ßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßßßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßßßß ßßßßßß
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
DECEMBER RELAYNET INTERNATIONAL MESSAGE EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER 1991
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Table of Contents
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Article# Subject Author
|
||
|
||
1 Editors Corner Michael Brunk
|
||
Node ID ->CSPACE
|
||
2 Conference News James Wall
|
||
Node ID ->DREAM
|
||
3 Looking for Love... Mark Adams
|
||
Node ID ->PARTY
|
||
4 RIME for the Computer Illiterate Del Freeman
|
||
Node ID ->TELEPHNE
|
||
5 Publishing with RIME and Reason Juanita Cusic
|
||
Node ID ->TELEPHNE
|
||
6 Atypical Terminations Brian Lee
|
||
Node ID ->THEHUB
|
||
7 Notices
|
||
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
1 - EDITORS CORNER by Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
Did anyone notice there wasn't a November edition of RIME Times? Didn't
|
||
get any mail over it so I supposed not! After some thought I decided to
|
||
'slide' the publication date back 15 days so that we start releasing each
|
||
issue on the 1st of the month instead of the 15th. Rather than publish a
|
||
November issue and then have to publish the December issue 15 days later I
|
||
just skipped Novembers. Hope no one minds!
|
||
|
||
This issue is going to be a pretty good one! We've recieved some excellent
|
||
submissions from out contributing writers. We've also gotten a good number
|
||
of survey responses now. I'm pleased to say that ALL that we recieved were
|
||
positive. Several people did ask that we try to publish more interviews of
|
||
people who are 'famous' in the world of BBSing and in RIME. This will be a
|
||
focus going into 1992 and we WILL deliver!
|
||
|
||
Before we continue with this issue, let me take an opportunity to say that
|
||
I hope you had an excellent Thanksgiving and wish all the best to you and
|
||
yours for the rest of the holiday season! Included with this month's RIME
|
||
Times you'll find RIMEXMAS.COM, an electronic greeting card from us to you,
|
||
crude perhaps but it's the thought that counts!
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
2 - CONFERENCE NEWS by Jim Wall, Node ID ->DREAM
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
The following new conferences are now available:
|
||
|
||
NAME: POW/MIA INFORMATION MESSAGE CENTER
|
||
NUMBER: 64
|
||
DESCRIPTION: This conference is dedicated to all POW/MIA's from all of the
|
||
wars. The purpose is to provide information to anyone who is
|
||
interested in efforts to put pressure on the Local, State and
|
||
Federal Governments to help bring them home. Messages are
|
||
limited to 10 lines, including quoting. Courtesy-only
|
||
messages are encouraged and general discussion is
|
||
discouraged. Maybe this will help prevent this from
|
||
happening again! Please pray for their safe return.
|
||
HOSTS: Ted Bouzounis Node ID ->OLYMPIC Joni Bouzounid Node ID
|
||
->OLYMPIC
|
||
|
||
NAME: MAILDOOR VENDORS
|
||
NUMBER: 102
|
||
DESCRIPTION: This conference is for the various Maildoor Authors to
|
||
discuss their products. It deals with the support and
|
||
development of various maildoors and utilities.
|
||
HOST: To Be Announced
|
||
|
||
The following conference has changed in scope:
|
||
|
||
Conference 276 has a name change. It was previously JIMMER
|
||
and is now RBBSQWK. The description is: Support of all
|
||
RBBS.QWK mail doors. Hosted by the author of JIMMER.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The following text covers the updated guidelines for requesting new
|
||
conferences on RIME:
|
||
|
||
RULES, PROCEDURES FOR PROPOSING A NEW CONFERENCE ON RIME
|
||
|
||
1) Send a message to the Conference Coordinator (James Wall Node DREAM) in
|
||
Common or Network Administration, stating that you would like to start a
|
||
conference. The following must be listed in this initial message.
|
||
|
||
A. The name of the conference.
|
||
B. What the conference will encompass.
|
||
C) The name of the proposed Conference Host.
|
||
|
||
2) Upon receipt of the message the Conference Coordinator will discuss with
|
||
the Steering Committee the feasibility of the conference and will inform
|
||
you if you may scout for participation in this conference.
|
||
|
||
3) If permission is given to scout for participation, the Conference
|
||
Coordinator will inform you.
|
||
|
||
A. The Conference Coordinator will assign to you a "Scout Number". This
|
||
number MUST be used on all messages from you requesting participation
|
||
in your proposed conference. Any message requesting participation
|
||
that does not contain this scout number should not be answered. If
|
||
an incorrect scout number is used the Conference Coordinator or a
|
||
Member of the Steering Committee, will inform everyone that this is
|
||
not an authorized scout.
|
||
B. You are allowed to send out scout messages in 5 conferences of your
|
||
choice. You will inform the Conference Coordinator the 5 conferences
|
||
in which you will be scouting.
|
||
C. You will then have the responsibility of acquiring the required
|
||
number of nodes and hubs that will guarantee that they will carry
|
||
this conference. At present the required number is 15 Nodes, 5 of
|
||
which must be Hubs, with No node that carries all of the conferences.
|
||
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT EACH HUB HAS A NODE DIRECTLY UNDER IT THAT IS
|
||
THE SYSOPS BOARD. YOU "CANNOT" USE BOTH THE HUB AND THE NODE IN YOUR
|
||
COUNT! YOU MUST SELECT ONE OF THESE WHICH WILL BE USED. (For
|
||
example: HUBDC is a hub which has as its node DREAM, which is the
|
||
sysops board). You may use one of these but not both. YOU "CANNOT"
|
||
USE IN YOUR COUNT ANY NODE THAT TAKES ALL OF THE PUBLIC CONFERENCES
|
||
ON RIME. You should make sure the sysop knows this when he
|
||
guarantees his node. You should save all confirmation messages sent
|
||
to you, so that you can later send them to the Conference
|
||
Coordinator.
|
||
|
||
""PLEASE SEE RULES FOR SCOUTING BELOW""
|
||
|
||
4) Once the required number of nodes and hubs has been obtained, you should
|
||
send a Private, Routed message to the Conference Coordinator, listing
|
||
the nodes and the hubs that have guaranteed they will take the
|
||
conference and the names of the sysops if each node and hub. You must
|
||
also at this time send to the Conference Coordinator copies of all
|
||
confirmation messages that have been sent to you stating that the node
|
||
or hub guarantees they will carry the conference.
|
||
|
||
5) Once the Conference Coordinator has this information, the list will be
|
||
checked for accuracy and will be also checked to make sure all
|
||
requirements have been met. Another brief discussion between the
|
||
Conference Coordinator and the Steering Committee will ensue and
|
||
normally the conference will be entered on the next release of the
|
||
conference list. The Conference Coordinator will inform you as to
|
||
exactly when the conference will go up.
|
||
|
||
"RULES FOR SCOUTING FOR PARTICIPANTS"
|
||
|
||
(A) Get Scout Number from James Wall of DREAM
|
||
|
||
(B) Pick 5 Conferences and you can only advertise your new conference
|
||
proposal in those 5 conferences.
|
||
|
||
(C) You may post (1) advertisement message per week for (4) weeks in your
|
||
(5) conferences.
|
||
|
||
(D) You may always feel free to answer questions or requests concerning
|
||
your conference proposal, but this must be a dialog, not another
|
||
advertisement.
|
||
|
||
(E) If you do not have the required number of Nodes and Hubs in the (4)
|
||
weeks allocated, you may not post again. You may request this
|
||
conference again in (4) months.
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
3 - LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES by Mark Adams, Node ID ->PARTY
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
When I found the RelayNet network, I wondered where it had been all my
|
||
life. I had just moved to Scranton, PA from southern New Hampshire,
|
||
relocating closer to family. I had been a single father for about nine
|
||
years and had about given up on finding a mother for my son. We had
|
||
acquired a computer about a year before and a modem was one of the first
|
||
additions. I had gone through the usual route of most new modem users, join
|
||
a commercial network or two, downloading many files, some useful, many not,
|
||
playing some games, etc. Most of the boards I called in the "early years"
|
||
had some message sections, but I never really got into them.
|
||
|
||
Before I even moved to Scranton, I looked through the Bulletin Board ads in
|
||
the Computer Shopper and found a listing for a BBS called "The Outer
|
||
Perimeter". Unfortunately, by the time I had moved in, the local phone
|
||
company was out on strike! I had to wait over a month before they would
|
||
finally come out to install my phone line. Within hours of the connection,
|
||
I was on-line with The Outer Perimeter. I obtained BBS numbers from that
|
||
system and logged onto some other local boards. When I was granted access,
|
||
I picked up where I had left off. It didn't take me too long to find the
|
||
message section, though.
|
||
|
||
At first I was reading one or two conferences on-line. I soon found that
|
||
that practice was taking a lot of my time. I had a brainstorm (or maybe it
|
||
was just a sunshower?). I called and set up my communications program to
|
||
open a capture file. I went in and read the messages in the conferences I
|
||
wanted, but set it up for NS (non-stop) read. After I logged off, I read
|
||
the messages using LIST, making notes of which ones I wanted to reply to. I
|
||
logged back on and selected those messages by number and replied on-line. I
|
||
knew there had to be a better way. Soon I learned about off-line readers.
|
||
|
||
Once I got set up with an off-line reader, I was hooked! I set it up for
|
||
several conferences and had a ball reading and replying. I asked the SysOp
|
||
to pick up the Racing conference and was active in there. I read the Tech
|
||
conference daily, learning what I could, and eventually became the co-host
|
||
in that conference. When I requested the UPLINK conference, though, I
|
||
really learned what the network was all about!
|
||
|
||
People seemed so friendly right off the bat. I started conversations with
|
||
several users all over the country. It was all very free-form. We covered a
|
||
multitude of subjects and there was no end to the laughter and fun we were
|
||
all having. Everything was on a superficial level, it seemed like a place
|
||
to let your hair down and be who you wanted to be. Many of us became as
|
||
close to friends as you could get in this type of medium. When one had a
|
||
problem, others would be there to support them and give moral support.
|
||
|
||
It was just such an innocent occasion that led to something very
|
||
unexpected. A young lady by the name of Susie Peterson was always the "life
|
||
of the party". She seemed to be going through some rough times, so I
|
||
offered my address and phone number if she wanted to talk to an "unbiased
|
||
friend". She also sensed that things were not going overly well in my life.
|
||
|
||
One day, I called OUTER, as usual, and got a news bulletin in the opening
|
||
screen that the system had taken a lightning hit and the HD bit the "big
|
||
one". The SysOp was pulling the plug and calling it quits with BBSing. I
|
||
was devastated! I felt like all of my best friends had suddenly died. I was
|
||
in a state of shock. I realized I *could* call a long-distance BBS that
|
||
carried RIME, but as I was unemployed, it was financially unfeasible.
|
||
|
||
As if by magic, or ESP, or fate, or whatever you choose to call it, that
|
||
night Susie called me. She said I had sounded a little depressed lately in
|
||
my messages. I hadn't really thought so, but I suppose it was possible. I
|
||
explained what had happened and asked her to say my farewells to the rest
|
||
of the conference and tell them I would return when possible. I also asked
|
||
her to inform the host of Tech that I was unavailable for a while, but to
|
||
hold my position open if possible. She said she would do that for me and we
|
||
talked for a short time about my life and hers. She lived in Memphis, TN
|
||
and things were quite a bit different from the northeast, where I was born
|
||
and raised. She said she had sent me a letter via "Land Mail".
|
||
|
||
Now, I was not much of a letter writer. I think the last time I had written
|
||
a letter was when I was in college, well over a dozen years prior to then,
|
||
and that was usually because I was homesick or broke! Anyway, I got her
|
||
letter within a couple of days, and forced myself to reply to it. It seemed
|
||
the polite thing to do. We started off with the general information type
|
||
letters, "What do you like to do?", What kind of music do you like?", "What
|
||
types of outdoor activities do you like?", etc. Neither one of us ever
|
||
expected anything more than a pen- pal type of relationship.
|
||
|
||
She wrote back to me, I wrote back to her, etc. She called again a couple
|
||
of weeks later and we talked a bit longer. We continued to write to each
|
||
other and talk on occasion. I indicated that I was going to have to move
|
||
elsewhere to find a job in my field. We briefly talked about me moving to
|
||
Memphis, until I realized just how far south it was! I had never lived
|
||
below the Mason-Dixon Line. I dismissed the idea almost immediately. We did
|
||
continue to write, though.
|
||
|
||
I ended up moving in with my sister for a couple of months while I looked
|
||
for a job outside the area. I figured I could travel to other places easier
|
||
if she could watch my son for me for a few days at a time, if need be.
|
||
Meanwhile, my correspondence with Susie seemed to be on the increase. I was
|
||
getting (and writing!) several letters a week! We would talk about every
|
||
other week. Soon we were discussing the same ideas about moving to Memphis
|
||
again. It was getting more difficult to come up with valid reasons for not
|
||
doing it.
|
||
|
||
Within two months of her first letter/phonecall to me, I had decided to
|
||
give it a shot. I had a few loose ends I wanted to tie up before I could
|
||
leave PA, and wanted my son to finish at least the first marking period at
|
||
school. We set up a tentative date for a few weeks leter and it was waiting
|
||
time. The letters were flying almost daily by then, and the phonecalls were
|
||
lasting several hours as we got to know each other as well as we could
|
||
before we actually met. I took care of what I had to around there and got
|
||
my car in shape for the trip.
|
||
|
||
Finally, the day of my departure arrived. Nov. 9th, 1990. I rented a U-Haul
|
||
trailer (ending up with the largest one they had!), loaded it and my car up
|
||
with the essentials (computer, stereos, gas grill, many boxes loaded with
|
||
clothes, tools, papers, books, etc.) and still had so much room left that I
|
||
put whatever else I could fit in it. The rest of my stuff is still in
|
||
storage in PA. I said my good-byes to my aunt and uncle and sister, filled
|
||
up the gas tank, studied my maps and took off for parts unknown.
|
||
|
||
The trip was fairly uneventful. I soon learned that the trailer had a mind
|
||
of it's own and wanted to direct my car where it wanted to go. I went up
|
||
hills quite slowly and found that I had to go down the other side slowly as
|
||
well. The trailer wanted to pull the back of the car to one side or the
|
||
other and I had a death-grip on the steering wheel in sheer panic! I just
|
||
decided to take it slowly and the trip was going to take a little longer
|
||
than I had planned. We stayed over-night in Virginia, somewhere, and
|
||
resumed our trek in the morning. We drove all day, stopping only for gas
|
||
and meals. I had never realized just how long a state Tennessee is! It took
|
||
about 12 hours just to traverse the state end to end with the trailer.
|
||
|
||
At long last, we arrived in Memphis about 2:00 a.m. Susie met us at a local
|
||
7-11 store and we met for the first time! The kids (my 10 year old son and
|
||
her 9 year old daughter) got to know each other when we got "home". They
|
||
sat up talking for a while. I was exhausted, but was still wired from the
|
||
trip. After a good 12 hour sleep I had to unload the trailer. I put
|
||
everything in the garage for the time being. I had time to set things up
|
||
within the next few days.
|
||
|
||
One of the first things to be set up, of course, was the computer. I called
|
||
"The PartyLine", the RIME node Susie had been on when we met, and set up my
|
||
account here. I contacted the host of Tech and let him know I was back. I
|
||
re-joined my friends in UPLINK, and found many new names, but quite a few
|
||
familiar ones. I felt right at home.
|
||
|
||
Over the past year, we've gotten to know each other and things have gone
|
||
exceedingly well, beyond our wildest dreams. The kids get along like
|
||
brother and sister (fighting constantly). I had found a job after the
|
||
Christmas holidays and am about to start a new job. Susie has been going to
|
||
school and will graduate in December. Things look rosey. I've had a visit
|
||
from my sister over the summer and a friend was down for a weekend last
|
||
May. I've gotten to know several people (mostly SysOps and users) through
|
||
the local boards and from work. We had several of the UPLINK members down
|
||
for the 4th of July weekend (see my article in the July '91 RIME Times).
|
||
|
||
Now that we've survived almost a year together, we've come to a major
|
||
decision, one which will affect our lives from here on out ... WE'RE
|
||
GETTING MARRIED!!!! Thursday November 7th, at about 8:00 p.m., we're going
|
||
to make everything legal. It will be a small ceremony here at the house
|
||
with just a few friends and family (mostly hers) in attendance.
|
||
|
||
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the management and SysOps
|
||
of RIME for the very existence of the network, without which we never would
|
||
have met. A special thanks to Howard and Bonnie, to Jeff Wolfe (the SysOp
|
||
of the former node Outer Perimeter) and to Mike Glenn (SysOp of PartyLine).
|
||
Thank you all!
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
4 - RIME FOR THE COMPUTER ILLITERATE by Del Freeman, Node ID ->TELEPHNE
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
Once upon a time my hard-drive crashed. Such a loss is a lot like your best
|
||
friend's mind. Once it's gone - it's gone, Jack. There is nothing for it
|
||
but to have her committed and buy her some nice variegated yarn loops and a
|
||
pot holder frame.
|
||
|
||
I rushed next door and used my neighbor's computer to post frantic messages
|
||
to RIME, describing our dilemma.
|
||
|
||
"The thing blinked once and expired, quick and painless for all except me,"
|
||
I wrote.
|
||
|
||
The message came back that the odds of this happening are like 496,773,081
|
||
and one-half to one, but I could have told them it would happen to me. I
|
||
mean, it's no accident that my air conditioners break down every summer and
|
||
I have a drawer full of watches wound way past sproinnnnggg. I always
|
||
figured it was some kind of Japanese conspiracy, or a curse, or something.
|
||
|
||
The truth is things have always been a problem for me, particularly things
|
||
that are supposed to do something. Electric things always confound me.
|
||
Actually, anything more complex than an abaacus and a stone tablet confuses
|
||
me. I once bought a brand new microwave that worked for less than 30 days.
|
||
The company kindly replaced it with another that did the same thing. The
|
||
third worked a little longer, but expired before it was six months old and
|
||
I didn't have the nerve to ask for a fourth.
|
||
|
||
I don't understand electricity anyway. I can't see it and I don't trust it.
|
||
Something as simple as a toaster can send me into culture shock for a week.
|
||
Electric things seem to have a built-in microchip programmed to go for my
|
||
jugular. I don't care what anyone says - I believe they can smell the fear!
|
||
|
||
Anyway, off I went to get a back-up computer and, while I was at it, a
|
||
back-up printer, (figuring that would be next to go.) It would look over,
|
||
see the old computer just sitting idly, enjoying the sunshine and say,
|
||
"That's for me," I figured. A spare couldn't hurt, I decided.
|
||
|
||
Foolishly, I thought a back-up printer would be a relatively simple thing
|
||
to buy, and didn't ask anybody on RIME about this. I'd go to the computer
|
||
store, give them money, and they'd give me a printer I thought.
|
||
|
||
Hardly.
|
||
|
||
First, you have to know which way your computer talks - straight (serial),
|
||
or sideways (parallel). Then you have to have a card to match, or not to
|
||
match, (I was never sure).
|
||
|
||
I went to Honest Phranks Phriendly Computer Sale and Bowling Shoe Emporium,
|
||
where I darn near starved to death while the salesman and I tried to get my
|
||
supposedly-repaired computer to talk to a printer - any printer. I ate all
|
||
the old mints in the bottom of my purse, and then I ate the salesman's
|
||
grapes.
|
||
|
||
Three hours later there I sat in the middle of the floor, surrounded by an
|
||
ever-enlarging crowd of hecklers, still trying to get the computer to talk
|
||
to a printer. "Prin-ting," it kept saying, spitting out something that
|
||
looked worse than what the dog gave up. "Prin-ting," it trilled, and gave
|
||
me some more garbage. I kicked it. "Prin-ting," it insisted, giving me what
|
||
appeared to be chicken tracks.
|
||
|
||
Finally, I packed up the repaired computer, tucked it in the back seat and
|
||
slunk off to the nearest restaurant, where I left the computer in an
|
||
unlocked car with a sign that said, "Steal me. Please."
|
||
|
||
I came back to find it sitting there, smug and self- satisfied, and I had
|
||
no choice but to take it home where I plugged it in.
|
||
|
||
"Albatross," it flashed. "Lemon," it taunted. "Ha, Ha," it blinked.
|
||
|
||
"Syntax error, does not compute, you can't get there from here, bozo," it
|
||
relayed in rapid order.
|
||
|
||
Then it brought up a graphic and stuck its tongue out at me.
|
||
|
||
I threw it in the closet from which a faint green glow emerges til yet, and
|
||
I put up a new message on my trusty RIME network.
|
||
|
||
"Anybody know where to get a stone tablet?"
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
5 - PUBLISHING WITH RIME AND REASON by Juanita Cusic, Node ID ->TELEPHNE
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
A.C. Aarbus Publishing Inc. produces a monthly collection of fiction short
|
||
stories, and will soon begin a like publication of science fiction stories.
|
||
Aarbus produces the magazines at no cost, and publishes for pennies, or
|
||
less, a day. It's principals, Patsy Sauls and Del and David Freeman,
|
||
couldn't be happier.
|
||
|
||
The two women originally completed what they felt was a salable novel,
|
||
began work on a sequel and continued to turn out short stories and
|
||
regularly submit them for publication. Del, a former reporter, switched to
|
||
freelance writing and bought a modem, and Patsy followed suit. As their
|
||
rejections slips piled up, and months passed before they got any word on
|
||
their novel, their frustration increased proportionately with their
|
||
determination to publish.
|
||
|
||
With the discovery of the fertile field of bulletin boards for their
|
||
stories and books, they incorporated and began publishing Ruby's Pearls
|
||
Elecmag, a monthly short fiction magazine. With Ruby's Pearls now in its
|
||
third volume, they are adding a second short fiction magazine, Short
|
||
Shorts, and plan to begin a third in 1992, On The Edge, which will be
|
||
devoted to science fiction short stories.
|
||
|
||
Del's husband, David, compiles the magazine and uploads it to an
|
||
ever-widening circle of bulletin boards. He found hypertext programs on
|
||
various boards throughout the country, and experimented until he found the
|
||
correct combination to pull the stories into a magazine format. Then, he
|
||
uploaded the magazine to computer information services such as Genie and
|
||
CompuServe, and a number of independent boards across the U.S. and Canada.
|
||
|
||
The three have found the RIME relay network tremendously helpful, they say,
|
||
both in getting the word out about their magazine(s) and in getting
|
||
feedback on their venture. They also regularly employ RIME to solicit
|
||
manuscripts and seek new boards to increase their distribution, David said.
|
||
|
||
"My father, also an avid reader, commented to me recently that the quality
|
||
of paperbacks has fallen in direct proportion to their rising price, and I
|
||
had to agree," Del said. It was David's idea to do something about that by
|
||
publishing electronically, she said.
|
||
|
||
Electronic publishing is a relatively unknown offshoot of BBSing, but one
|
||
that promises to expand as more and more PC owners discover the ease of
|
||
tapping into entertainment at their fingertips via their home computer.
|
||
Some statistics indicate that of the 100 million computers on desks in
|
||
America, fully half are in private homes, and sales continue at an
|
||
approximate 20 million yearly.
|
||
|
||
While hard-copy costs in publicity and manufacture increase, Aarbus incurs
|
||
an approximate $50 per month in costs of uploading, and is not only viable
|
||
but preferable, its principals say, in that it frees the writer to publish
|
||
at will and conserves natural resources with its "paperless" format.
|
||
|
||
"There are a number of fine writers out there who aren't discovered because
|
||
the professional readers of publishing concerns apparently don't have the
|
||
time or interest to review their work," Patsy said. "If you're not Stephen
|
||
King or Danielle Steel, and you have the desire to write and be read, you
|
||
have to find another way. For us, and a lot of other frustrated writers,
|
||
this is it."
|
||
|
||
The Aarbus principals believe it is only a matter of time before hard-copy
|
||
editors and publishers become aware of the magnitude of good original work
|
||
available on bulletin boards.
|
||
|
||
"Computers and such communication outlets as RIME truly represent
|
||
liberation for the writer in each of us, and provide the method to compile,
|
||
disseminate and get feedback in a timely and economic fashion," David said.
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
6 - ATYPICAL TERMINATIONS by Brian Lee, Node ID ->THEHUB
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
As we close the Thanksgiving season and swing into the Christmas season,
|
||
it's only fitting that we close this issue of the RIME Times with a
|
||
different type of Thanksgiving feast. I selected somewhat different
|
||
taglines from recent RIME messages for you to mull over. The person's
|
||
names belong to the author of the messages from which these were captured.
|
||
However, these persons are not necessarily the originators of the taglines.
|
||
|
||
The following eight taglines are the cranberry sauce of messages; they're
|
||
not necessary, but enhance and spice the meat of the messages. Bon
|
||
appetit!
|
||
|
||
1. Daniel Cuba ->BECBBS
|
||
þ SLMR 2.0 þ This is your pizza. ÂÆ¸<C386>$ ³S <20>§šâ žzzà ÓÙ‹ÅÌ» ¦ü›×èv<C3A8>îs
|
||
|
||
2. Greg Birosh ->PROCYON
|
||
þ MegaMail 2.10 #1142:Paint a baboon's butt; leave no stern untoned.
|
||
|
||
3. Jim Ross ->PUMA
|
||
þ MegaMail 2.10 #0:PUT THE COMPUTER DOWN, HONEY..I'm quitting NOW!
|
||
|
||
4. John House ->CHEVY
|
||
þ SLMR 2.0 þ Radioactive halibut will make fission chips
|
||
|
||
5. Dave Childers ->ROUND
|
||
þ DeLuxeý 1.1 #248sa þ If you think education is costly, try ignorance
|
||
|
||
6. Dennis Craig ->OMAHANET
|
||
þ MegaMail 2.10 #0:Syntax? Why not, they tax everything else
|
||
|
||
7. Art Brown ->DTODAY (host of the DENTAL conference)
|
||
þ SFMail 2.2 #S119 ¯ Little Pearls In A Sea Of Saliva
|
||
....Brush'em, Floss'em, Keep'em!
|
||
|
||
8. Ken Manuel ->BLUHORIZ
|
||
þ MegaMail 2.10 #268úA chicken is an egg's way of producing more eggs.
|
||
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
7 - NOTICES
|
||
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|
||
|
||
The RIME Times staff is now maintaining the newsletter AUTOSEND list. If
|
||
you are a RelayNet node and would like the newsletter sent to your board
|
||
automatically each month send a message to Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE.
|
||
Please check to see if your hub will AUTOSEND it to avoid duplication.
|
||
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Current listing of Bulletin Board software participating in RelayNet:
|
||
|
||
SpitFire GAP TriTel
|
||
QuickBBS GT Power
|
||
Remote Access MajorBBS
|
||
PCBoard/ProDoor dBBS
|
||
RBBS EIS
|
||
Wildcat! UltraBBS
|
||
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
To make life easier for the editors, the following submission guidelines
|
||
are suggested:
|
||
|
||
1) To be included in the current month newsletter all articles must be
|
||
submitted by the 15th of the month.
|
||
|
||
2) A routed private message in either the COMMON is acceptable. Please
|
||
address and route to: Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE.
|
||
|
||
3) Your name as used on RIME.
|
||
|
||
4) Your node id if you are a RIME sysop or your "home" board id if you
|
||
are a RIME user.
|
||
|
||
5) Any special instructions.
|
||
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The following is a list of "Who's Who" in RelayNet:
|
||
|
||
Steering Committee
|
||
|
||
Bonnie Anthony RUNNINGA
|
||
Howard Belasco RUNNINGB
|
||
Mike Glenn PARTY
|
||
Rex Hankins IBMNET
|
||
JThomas Howell MORE
|
||
|
||
Conference related
|
||
|
||
Paul Hileman BAYOU Conference Liason (handles all
|
||
intra-conference problems)
|
||
Rick Kingslan OMAHANET Marketing Coordinator (PR)
|
||
James Wall DREAM New Conference Manager
|
||
To Be Announced Statistician
|
||
|
||
Auto send lists
|
||
|
||
Bonnie Anthony RUNNINGA Nodes listing (RIME.ZIP)
|
||
Michael Brunk CSPACE RIME Times (RIMEmmyy.ZIP)
|
||
Roger Sligar TRP Conference list (CONFLST.ZIP)
|
||
James Wall DREAM Conference list (RIMECONF.ZIP)
|
||
|
||
(Special thanks to Patrick Lee for suggesting and compiling this list. And
|
||
for maintaining it although he isn't aware of that yet <g>.)
|
||
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The RIME Times is published monthly by the membership of RelayNet
|
||
International Message Exchange as its official newsletter. Users and
|
||
Sysops are encouraged to contribute. Submissions and questions may be
|
||
directed to the editor Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE.
|
||
|
||
(c)Copyright 1991, The RelayNet International Message Exchange. Permission
|
||
is hereby granted for unlimited distribution and duplication, provided
|
||
such distribution and duplication are strictly for non-commercial purposes
|
||
only. All other rights reserved. RelayNet and RIME are registered
|
||
trademarks.
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|