369 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
369 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
BBB III TTT SSS BBB Y Y TTT EEE SSS
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B B I T S B B Y Y T E S ONLINE EDITION
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BBB I T SSS AND BBB YYY T EEE SSS VOL 1, NUMBER 1
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B B I T S B B Y T E S 7/13/93
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BBB III T SSS BBB Y T EEE SSS
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======================================================================
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"The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men,
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but that men will begin to think like computers." - Sydney J. Harris
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======================================================================
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Computing by Candlelight
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Innovation is outstripping assimilation. We are falling further and
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further behind in exploiting technology's potential for ease of use
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and enhanced interactivity. . . . I look at the intuitive, no-hassle
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operating convenience that users expect -- and get -- from all manner
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of home entertainment electronics, and I wonder if their makers know
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something our vendors don't. . . . Why should we have to play so
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patiently with our onerous workstations? As a user, I'm tired
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already. Give me a Nintendo "Business Boy," or maybe a Sony "Workman"
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with full audio and video I/O capabilities.
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(Max D. Hopper, "Computing by candlelight," Computerworld, 4/12/93,
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p. 33.)
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======================================================================
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What Makes an I.S. Winner?
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According to a paper published in the latest edition of the Journal of
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Management Information Systems, high achieving I.S. employees exhibit
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three main characteristics: They take personal responsibility for
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finding solutions to problems; they set achievable goals but also
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take calculated risks; and they want concrete feedback on their
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performance.
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======================================================================
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Technical Matters
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Imbued with neon industrial auras, "technical" has become a powerful
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word: there is a wonderful scene in Terry Southern's "Magic Christian"
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where a man places a Ritz cracker on a crack in the sidewalk around
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Times Square. He then smashes the Ritz cracker with a sledgehammer and
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proceeds thoughtfully, new cracker in hand, to the next sidewalk
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fissure. Soon a crowd envelopes him and a cop pushing through the
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crowd, asks: "What are you doing?" The man answers: "Oh, it's
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technical." And the cop replies: "Oh, I'm sorry," and walks away.
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(Peter Warshall, "Escaping Eco-Echolalia," Whole Earth Review #79,
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Summer 1993, p. 109.)
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=====================================================================
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NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:
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486 Prices Continue to Drop
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Intel's new Pentium processor will likely replace the 486 at the
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leading edge of the desktop PC market, when it finally reaches mass
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production. In the meantime, Lightning Computers new trade-in program
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allows users to send in any working 286 or 386 system and receive a
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"complete," American-made, Pentium-upgradable i486-66 MHz local-bus
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SVGA system with 170MB drive, for only $1,395. The Lightning Omniflex
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486/66 includes: 128KB of cache, expandable to 256KB; six ISA
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(Industry Standard Architecture), two VESA (Video Electronics
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Standards Association) local bus slots, AMI BIOS, P24T Pentium ZIF
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socket; 4MB RAM, expandable to 32MB; 170MB IDE hard disk with 13 ms
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average access speed; 1.2MB 5.25-inch or 1.44MB 3.5-inch Teac floppy
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disk drives; local bus SuperVGA card with 1MB RAM; 14-inch non-
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interlaced SuperVGA monitor with .28 dot pitch; standard desktop
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chassis with 250 watt UL/CSA power supply; 101 key enhanced AT
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keyboard; and one parallel, one game and two serial ports. Many other
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options are available, and the standard warranty includes one year
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parts and labor with on-site service. Extended term warranties are
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available. Lightning has received a number of industry awards for
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their computers, including "Editor's Choice" from PC Magazine,
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"Byte Best" from Byte magazine and "Best Bet" from PC Computing
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magazine.
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(Lightning Computers: 415/543-3111)
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=========================
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...Or How About a Cheap Pentium-based PC?
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Advanced Logic Research (ALR) claims it is the first to actually ship,
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beginning today (7/8/93), IBM compatible PC's based on the new Pentium
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chip. But, not only is the company the first to ship the new PC's,
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it is pricing the units beginning at $2,495 to put pressure on its
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competitors. The Evolution V is geared toward individual users, and
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features a 60 MHz Pentium processor, a five-year warranty, and a heat
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sink with a fan mounted on top of the Pentium to handle the heat
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generated by the new processor. The Evolution V offers 64-bit design
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and 8 MB of memory on the motherboard expandable to 128 MB. The $2,495
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price leaves out several key components, such as a hard disk drive and
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a monitor, but is still a bargain. For $3,595 ALR offers a full system
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with a 170 MB hard disk drive, DOS, Windows, a mouse, VESA local bus,
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and a 14-inch 1024 by 768 pixel screen with a .28 dot pitch. An even
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more beefed up server version is available. Users can expect to get a
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Pentium machine ordered today in two to three weeks. However, the
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Pentium processor is allocated by Intel, so quantities are limited.
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ALR maintains there has been strong interest in the units, and expects
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demand for the PCs to be high.
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(Advanced Logic Research: 800/257-1230 )
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======================================================================
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Take Note: The Bottom Line is Service
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With profit margins under the gun, computer makers are realizing just
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how valuable their service and support functions can be to the bottom
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line. The latest true believer is Sun Microsystems, which Tuesday
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launched a subsidiary to handle all its customer service and support.
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Called SunService and located in Milpitas, the 1,800-person company
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will report directly to Sun chief executive Scott McNealy. The
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underlying reason is that support and service are too profitable to
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leave split up within the company's other divisions, splintering
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strategy and creating a nightmare of prices and service levels that
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invites competition from outside maintenance firms. "Third-party
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maintainers are a threat," said Cindy Williams, manager of strategic
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marketing for SunService. An entire company geared to support is in a
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better position to take that business back and keep new business from
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wandering off.
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(Rory J. O'Connor, San Jose Mercury News staff writer)
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======================================================================
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Bumper Cars
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An empty Saab Automobila factory in Sweden got a little too mobile
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recently when a misprogrammed assembly line jump-started itself and
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assembled 24 cars, rolling them off one after the other into a wall.
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A worker finally discovered the auto-automated line, but not before
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it had created an impressive chrome and steel pileup. Saab officials
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say the damage was minimal. "Assembly lines run slowly, and we have
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big bumpers," a Saab spokesman said.
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(Newsweek, June 7, 1993. p. 4)
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=====================================================================
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Microsoft News: Is the Gang at Redmond a Threat to Innovation?
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Add one more name to the list of those concerned about the high-tech
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800-pound gorilla that is Microsoft: Rep. Edward Markey, the
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Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the House subcommittee on
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telecommunications and finance. Tuesday, Markey dispatched a letter to
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the head of the Federal Communications Commission, expressing concern
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over a spate of recent announcements about the merging of cable TV and
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computers into an interactive television system. Capitol Hill sources
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said the letter is prompted mainly by concern over a reported alliance
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between Microsoft and the country's two largest cable TV companies,
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Tele-Communications Inc. and Time Warner. While none of the companies
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has admitted to the plan, just the specter of the so-called Cablesoft
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alliance "raises the most questions about the concentration of power"
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in the interactive TV business, said one insider. Markey's letter left
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little doubt as to his concern over Cablesoft. "This new force in the
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marketplace could have the clout necessary to create a single, closed
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standard for television software and could, in turn, close the market
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to competitive entrants or force some providers to pay huge fees just
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to enter the market.''
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(Rory J. O'Connor, San Jose Mercury News Staff Writer)
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======================================================================
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21st Century Capitalism
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Politicians and pundits talk loosely of "restoring" or "restarting"
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American business, as if it were a stalled, broken-down jalopy in need
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of a thorough tune-up. Others offer plans for regaining America's
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competitive edge and revitalizing the American economy. Many of these
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ideas are sound. Some are silly. But all suffer from vestigial
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thinking about exactly what it is that must be restored, restarted,
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regained, or revitalized. They assume as their subject an American
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economy centered upon core American corporations and comprising major
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American industries -- in other words, the American economy at
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mid-century, which easily dominated what limited world commerce there
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was. But as we have seen, this image bears only the faintest
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resemblance to the global economy at the end of the century, in which
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money and information move almost effortlessly [ha! - JM.] through
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global webs of enterprise. There is coming to be no such thing as an
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American corporation or an American industry. The American economy is
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but a region of the global economy -- albeit still a relatively
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wealthy region. In this light, then, it becomes apparent that all of
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the entities one might wish to revitalize are quickly ceasing to
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exist.
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(Robert B.Reich, "The Work of Nations: Preparing Ourselves for
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21st-Century Capitalism" New York: Penguin Books, 1991)
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======================================================================
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ACCESS: U.S. Government Online, part 1
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************************************************
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***E-MAIL TO THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT***
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************************************************
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THE WHITE HOUSE
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Office of Presidential Correspondence
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++++++++++++++++++
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For Immediate Release June 1, 1993
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT
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IN ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHITE HOUSE ELECTRONIC MAIL ACCESS
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Dear Friends:
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Part of our commitment to change is to keep the White House in
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step with today's changing technology. As we move ahead into the
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twenty-first century, we must have a government that can show the way
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and lead by example. Today, we are pleased to announce that for the
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first time in history, the White House will be connected to you via
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electronic mail. Electronic mail will bring the Presidency and this
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Administration closer and make it more accessible to the people.
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The White House will be connected to the Internet as well as
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several on-line commercial vendors, thus making us more accessible and
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more in touch with people across this country. We will not be alone in
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this venture. Congress is also getting involved, and an exciting
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announcement regarding electronic mail is expected to come from the
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House of Representatives tomorrow.
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Various government agencies also will be taking part in the near
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future. Americans Communicating Electronically is a project developed
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by several government agencies to coordinate and improve access to the
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nation's educational and information assets and resources. This will
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be done through interactive communications such as electronic mail,
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and brought to people who do not have ready access to a computer.
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However, we must be realistic about the limitations and
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expectations of the White House electronic mail system. This
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experiment is the first-ever e-mail project done on such a large
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scale. As we work to reinvent government and streamline our processes,
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the e-mail project can help to put us on the leading edge of progress.
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Initially, your e-mail message will be read and receipt immediately
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acknowledged. A careful count will be taken on the number received as
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well as the subject of each message. However, the White House is not
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yet capable of sending back a tailored response via electronic mail.
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We are hoping this will happen by the end of the year.
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A number of response-based programs which allow technology to help
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us read your message more effectively, and, eventually respond to you
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electronically in a timely fashion will be tried out as well. These
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programs will change periodically as we experiment with the best way
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to handle electronic mail from the public. Since this has never been
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tried before, it is important to allow for some flexibility in the
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system in these first stages. We welcome your suggestions.
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This is an historic moment in the White House and we look forward
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to your participation and enthusiasm for this milestone event. We
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eagerly anticipate the day when electronic mail from the public is an
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integral and normal part of the White House communications system.
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President Clinton Vice President Gore
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PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV VICE.PRESIDENT@WHITEHOUSE.GOV
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*************************************************
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***E-MAIL TO THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES***
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*************************************************
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ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTRONIC MAIL SYSTEM BY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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Chairman Charlie Rose and Ranking Minority Member Bill Thomas of the
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Committee on House Administration announced today the pilot program of
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the Constituent Electronic Mail System.
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This groundbreaking new service will allow citizens to communicate
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directly with their Member of Congress by electronic mail. The House
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of Representatives has established an electronic gateway to the
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Internet, the vast computer network that is used currently by over 12
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million people worldwide. Participating Members of the House have been
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assigned public mailboxes which may be accessed by their constituents
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from their home computers. In addition, many libraries, schools and
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other public institutions now provide, or soon will provide, public
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access to the Internet.
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The Members of the House of Representatives who have agreed to
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participate in this pilot program are: Rep. Jay Dickey (AR-07),
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Rep. Sam Gejdenson (CT-02), Rep. Newt Gingrich (GA-06), Rep. George
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Miller (CA-07), Rep. Charlie Rose (NC-07), Rep. Fortney Pete Stark
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(CA-13), and Rep. Melvin Watt (NC-12). These Members will be making
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announcements in their congressional districts within the next few
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weeks to make their constituents aware of the new service.
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For more information, Internet users are encouraged to contact the
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House of Representative's new on-line information service. Please send
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a request for information to CONGRESS@HR.HOUSE.GOV, and feel free to
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send electronic mail comments about our new service to the
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Congressional Comment Desk, at: COMMENTS@HR.HOUSE.GOV
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[EDITOR'S NOTE: Perhaps this would be the place to send mail
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indicating that you would like to see the service expanded to include
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your representative.-JM]
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========================
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Getting Information To and From the White House:
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1. On CompuServe: GO WHITEHOUSE
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2. On America Online: keyword WHITEHOUSE or THE WHITEHOUSE or CLINTON
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3. On The WELL: type whitehouse
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4. On MCI: type VIEW WHITE HOUSE
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5. On Fidonet: See Echomail WHITEHOUSE
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6. On Peacenet or Econet: See pol.govinfo.usa.
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========================
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Sending E-mail to the White House:
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On the Internet, E-Mail may be sent to the following addresses:
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Clinton-HQ@Campaign92.Org
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75300.3115@compuserve.com
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clintonpz@aol.com
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Please note that the White House e-mail system is under construction.
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This is a new project and suffers from all of the problems common to a
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startup operation. E-mail messages are currently being printed out and
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responses are being sent out via US Mail. Nobody wants this new
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venture to work more than the staff that has devoted so many hours to
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getting it up and running. But much time and effort will be required
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before the system is truly interactive. In the meantime, they will
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need a little patience from the electronic community. If you send a
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message to the White House, please include a US Post office address
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for replies.
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*****************************************
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***OTHER GOVERNMENTAL RESOURCES ONLINE***
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*****************************************
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I will briefly mention that the Federal Register, The Library of
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Congress, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions are all accessible online.
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More detailed information on these and on various information servers
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that you can send email to and receive text files on a variety of
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topics (economic policy, foreign policy, social policy, and
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transcripts of speeches and press conferences) is contained in the
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WHITE HOUSE E-MAIL FAQ (frequently asked questions) list, which I can
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provide you with. FAQ sheets are common on the internet, as newcomers
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to a mailing list all tend to ask the same questions. This is Internet
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Lesson #1: Before you start asking questions, obtain and read the FAQ
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sheet for the topic you're interested in. Get your FAQs straight, or
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you're liable to be 'flamed' before you know what hit you. I learned
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this the hard way. More on the internet, mailing lists, FAQs, and
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flaming at a later date. Next issue, government run Bulletin Board
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Systems (BBSes).
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======================================================================
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Indian Computer Company Bosses Beat Blues In Beer Bash
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Last week, some of the top members of India's recession-hit computer
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industry met in a Bangalore pub on an unlikely mission -- to greet
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Bacchus and bid farewell to their blues over mugs of beer. Plummeting
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profits, flat sales, vicious price wars and deferred big-ticket
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purchases joined hands with the bank scam, post-Ayodhya riots and
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Bombay blasts to dip the Indian IT industry growth rate in fiscal
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(Apr 92 - Mar 93) to 20 percent. This is poor compared to the 40
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percent growth until two years ago. The 11 industry heavyweights, who
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are members of the MAIT (Manufacturers' Association of Information
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he information
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technology industry -- Beer Drinkers Association of Information
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Technology (BAIT). For most, BAIT might provide the funny side of the
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IT industry, but for the founding members it is serious business as
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the objective of the association is to "have and share beer-oriented
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view of the Indian IT industry and to look for the IT market through
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the beer glass!" That nothing but frothy, distorted images would be
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visible through the chilled glass does not seem to bother the industry
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bosses. Founding members include many luminaries of the Indian
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computer industry. The next meeting of the association will be in
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August. By this time membership to the group is expected to swell,
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especially considering the state of the industry. The criteria for
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membership are: any IT professional desirous of becoming a member will
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be required to approach any of these executive council members with a
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formal application; every new member will be required to buy beer for
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all other members in the first meeting that he/she attends; every
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member will be required to stay for at least two hours in each
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meeting. Anybody who leaves earlier will be required to pay for the
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next six rounds of beer. Finally, members will have to accept anything
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said by another in these meetings. But that's not all: the association
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plans to bring out a bimonthly news bulletin called BAN-IT (BAIT's
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Newsletter for IT industry). This bulletin will contain beer-related
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jokes for IT professionals, a sure-fire method of bringing some cheer
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to an otherwise gloomy industry. Finally, DOS will be discussed at
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these meetings. But for BAIT members it means "Drown Our Sorrows."
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(NewsBytes 7/9/93)
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[EDITOR'S COMMENT: This is one foreign custom that will have no
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problem finding acceptance here at home. In fact, don't we have
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something along these lines going on at the Irish Pub? I'll meet you
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there after work. The drinks are on you. -JM]
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======================================================================
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Bits and Bytes Online is a weekly electronic newsletter.
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Email Subscriptions are available at no cost from slakmaster@aol.com
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or jmachado@pacs.pha.pa.us. Put "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject header. If
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you work for "the rail" send a similar message to my emailbox. To
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unsubscribe, send a message with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject header.
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Questions and comments are welcome at any address. If you come across
|
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anything you think should be included here, please pass it on! Send
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long postings to the pacs address. If you need to reach me on paper,
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my snailmail address ===============================================
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follows: = (Copyleft 1993 Jay Machado) *UNALTERED* =
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= electronic distribution and dissemination =
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Jay Machado = of this this file for non-profit purposes =
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1529 Dogwood Drive = is encouraged. The opinions expressed =
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Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 = herein do not necesarily represent =
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ph (eve) 609/795-0998 = anyone's opinion. So there. =
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=============== end of Bits and Bytes Online V1, #1.==================
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