269 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
269 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WhatNots, Why not? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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STUFF
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If you haven't examined a CD ROM player for your computer yet,
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I suggest you do so. Offer to bring the refreshments of choice, and
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have one of your friends give you a demonstration, or have a sales
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person demonstrate a system that has a CD. You'll be impressed with
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the abilities of these machines. The amount of information and data
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that can be retrieved from a CD is amazing. The Multimedia CD's are
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quite impressive, if done well. I received the Microsoft ENCARTA CD
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as part of the promotional bundle with my system.
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The video and voice clips are quite interesting and there is quite
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a variety, from little bits of history shown to the sounds of dogs
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barking. The quality of the sound depends on your system, but I was
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driving my dog nuts, as she attempted to find the other dog in the
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house. If you don't have a CD, I feel you are missing one of the
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better resources available with a computer. Ensure the one you get
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is the double speed or better and complies with the multimedia
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standards. Then get on a good CD supplier's mailing list. A little
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tip here: some of the bundles available are a little disappointing.
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====================================================================
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-=-=-=-=-=
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MORE STUFF
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=-=-=-=-=-
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If you are reading the magazine, perhaps the following may be
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of interest to you:
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INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING
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Copyright 1995 EPubNet
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These days, word-processing and desktop publishing software gives
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writers and publishers enormous power in formatting documents for
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publication. Unfortunately, this power is often thrown away before
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the reader gets to the document, by printing it onto paper. Paper
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lacks the flexibility and power of a computer processor. Electronic
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Publishing lets publishers retain the capabilities of the computer
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for the use of the reader, by creating a document that is designed
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to be distributed and read entirely on computer.
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This is done in a number of ways. A text may be created in universal
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ASCII format, which is readable by numerous text readers, word
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processors, and even with the DOS "type" command. Fidonews, the
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newsletter for the 29,000+ Fidonet BBS systems internationally, is a
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perfect example of this type of electronic publishing. A good text
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reader program allows the user to quickly scan the document for a
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certain word or phrase, page through it, and more.
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A more powerful form of electronic publishing uses Hypertext.
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Hypertext is a type of program which uses specially formatted
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documents - the reader uses a "Reader Program" to view the document,
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"jumping" between locations within a document using predefined
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"links". For instance, an electronic textbook on the government might
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contain a paragraph which refers to the US Congress. Rather than
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including a note (see page 456), as a paper textbook would, the
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electronic version would have the word "Congress" highlighted.
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Clicking on the word would instantly take the reader to the part
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of the book which explains Congress in more detail.
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Alternately, the "Congress" link could pop up a small note which
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gives a quick explanation of the topic, a diagram of the organization
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of the two Houses, or even a VGA graphic showing the Capitol building
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in full color. This method allows a writer to put basic and advanced
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information out of sight, to be called only by those readers who are
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interested in them. This allows a text to be informative and
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interesting to readers with varying levels of knowledge - beginners
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aren't confused by complex details, and experts aren't forced to wade
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through basic explanations.
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Electronic Periodicals are growing in popularity. By publishing
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electronically, the costs of typesetting, printing and shipping are
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eliminated. Publications can be distributed quickly and cheaply over
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phone lines, making them much more timely than print publications.
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EPubNet (see other bulletins) aids in this distribution greatly by
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offering a network of BBS's to pass publications along without
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charge. Currently there are many Electronic Periodicals in the form
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of magazines and newsletters. There are also many books available.
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Electronic Publishing has enormous potential for the future. Many
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companies are already using the tools for training and marketing
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purposes, as well as documentation and help systems for software.
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As the concepts become more familiar, and software and hardware
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becomes more common, the electronic format will become a major
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supplement to the print format. Consumers will find it much more
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convenient and inexpensive to have their favorite magazines
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uploaded directly to their home computer within hours of publication
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than waiting for the US Mail to bring it around to their mailbox.
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The opportunity exists now to get involved in the ground level of a
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breaking new industry. Take it!
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***********************************************************************
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FOR SYSOPS
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EPubNet maintains an open invitation to sysops interested in
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joining EPubNet, and tries to accommodate as many different
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operating platforms and networking formats as possible. The core
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of EPubNet is PC Compatible Fidonet systems, but the net is open
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to gating messages and files to other network types, with permission.
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REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
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There is no official application process for EPubNet. Below are the
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requirements:
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(1) Establish a link from an eligible hub
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This merely means contacting a current member of the net who is
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able to feed other systems, and asking to take the message
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and/or file areas from them. The HUBS.EPN file contains a list
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of EPubNet nodes willing to provide feeds. The Filebone is an
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alternative you may want to consider (see next section).
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(2) Minimum Polling
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You must poll your feed at least once a week, more often if your
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hub requires it (to prevent unsent mail from taking up too much
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disk space).
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(3) System Information
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At the end of this file the system information needed to list
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your BBS in the membership directory is listed. Once you have
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established a feed, please post this information in the EP-SYSOP
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echo.
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(4) Required Message Areas
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All systems which receive EPubNet message or file areas should
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carry the EP-SYSOP message area, to keep in contact with the
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network.
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FILE DISTRIBUTION
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If you want to participate in file distribution, you just need
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to ask your hub to set you up to receive them. Usually you can turn
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them on and off as you like with RAID compatible requests, which work
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like Areafix requests. A variety of programs are available to let you
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process these files. Popular programs include TICK and ALLFIX. The
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Fidonet FILE_ECHO backbone echo is a good place to find out about
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these programs.
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FILEBONE
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The Filebone is a system within Fidonet which distributes message
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and file areas for a large number of file distribution networks,
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such as ANSINet (ANSI art), PDN (Programmer's Distribution Network),
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and WinNet (For Windows programs).
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National Hubs for the Filebone are listed in the FILEBONE.NA file,
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along with the different file nets and file areas. You can get
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EPubNet file and message areas from any of these hubs, along with
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file and message areas from other file networks. If you are only
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interested in the EPubNet areas you'll probably be better off linking
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in through an EPubNet hub, since you'll get things quicker. But if
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you're interested in getting other areas in addition to EPubNet, the
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Filebone is a good bet.
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EPUBNET LEADERSHIP
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If you have a problem getting linked into EPubNet, or have other
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questions, the following are the leadership folks you can contact:
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Network Coordinator / FileBone Liaison:
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Dave Bealer (1:261/1129) (V.34)
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(410) 437-3463
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Distribution Coordinator:
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N.L. Hargrove (1:301/1) (V.32 node)
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(1:301/301) (V.32bis node)
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(505) 865-4082
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SYSTEM INFO
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Please post this info in the EP-SYSOP echo once you have gotten your
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feed setup. This lets us know who all is hooked up, and get to know
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each other.
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System Name:
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Sysop Name:
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City:
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State/Province:
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Country:
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BBS Line Phone Numbers:
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Minimum Speed: The minimum speed you allow callers to connect at
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Modem Speeds:
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For each protocol type, maximum connect rate available:
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v.etc 9600 or 14.4k
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HST 9600, 14.4k or 16.8k
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Zyxel 16.8k or 19.2k
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Are you getting all of the message areas?
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Are you getting the file areas?
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What electronic publishing activities have you been involved in
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in the past?
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What electronic publishing activities are you interested in?
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=====================================================================
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=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Announcement!
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-=-=-=-=-=-=
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DREAM FORGE BBS - for You:
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**************************
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DREAM FORGE BBS: will be providing Internet email, USENET
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newsgroups on a WildCat 2-line system. Subscribers to DREAM FORGE
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BBS will also receive an individual subscription to DREAM FORGE
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magazine. Call: (410) 255-6229 data to 28.8 for details on this
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great offer. Connect to the Internet AND get DREAM FORGE magazine!!
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********************************************************************
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=-=-=-=-=-=
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Just stuff:
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-=-=-=-=-=-
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For those of you who have gotten this far into the magazine,
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we would really like to hear from our readers. The authors,
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especially, are eager to hear from their readers, and truly do
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appreciate the feedback. It only takes a few moments to send email
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to DREAM FORGE, and you have a few options: Fido netmail to SYSOP
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at 1:261/1129 or 1:2601/522, or INTERNET email to the specific
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editor or author, e.g., rick.arnold@dreamforge.com, or for the
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CompuServe users: 75537,1415. Try it! You'll actually hear from us!
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Subscribe to DREAM FORGE magazine and receive stimulation to
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all your pleasure centers:
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=-=-=-=-=-
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More sTufF
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=-=-=-=-=-
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YOU can save a tree -- read Electronically.
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Buy E-Books and E-Magazines!
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Support a "Green" Industry.
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- # # # =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Have tips and hints that would be of service to others? SHARE them,
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send to: whatnots@dreamforge.com or Fido: 1:2601/522 to Sysop.
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====================================================================
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As always, seek competent advice from your legal advisor, doctor,
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maid, dentist, accountant, beautician, lawyer, bartender, neighbor,
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AA, AAA, AAAA, dog, NWU, military advisor, coroner, mechanic, mother,
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father (both for totally different answers), gardener, tax advisor,
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HARLEY DEALER, travel agent, roofer, computer dealer (ha), insurance
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salesperson, and don't forget the butcher, baker, and candle maker!
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Talk to your kids for the best advice!
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Any and all information found in this magazine is taken entirely at
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the risk of the individual, and as always wear a condom for complete
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protection -- against misinformation, and other things. Any and all
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similarity to real people is purely fictional coincidence, especially
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the editors, who are figments of our collective consciousness.
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==============================={DREAM}==============================
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