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380 lines
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Please read the administrivia section at the end for information on
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receiving B&B, also a cry for help from ye editor. Thanks!
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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 5
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B B I T S B B Y T E S 9/9/93
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BBB III T SSS BBB Y T EEE SSS
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======================================================================
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"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." Pablo Picasso
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=====================================================================
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Libraries As Museums of Human Thought
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If computers aid our searching minds, we must not abandon the books
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during our leisure time. The serendipitous search through books is
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necessary for knowledge and learning. Browsing often evokes daydreams
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and unsuspected connections; analogies and pertinent finds happen
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among the stacks of physically accessible pages. Although not as
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efficient as the Boolean search, library browsing enriches us in
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unpredictable ways. Looking for something in a book library frequently
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leads to discoveries that overturn the questions we originally came to
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ask. ...
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Today libraries are becoming information centers rather than places
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for musing. The Los Angeles County Public Library, the world's largest
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circulating library, receives more requests for information than
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requests for books. In 1989, one university in California opened the
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first library without books, a building for searching electronic
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texts. Books still remain a primary source, but they are rapidly
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becoming mere sources of information. A large volume of book sales
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doesn't necessarily prove that the book, with its special psychic
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framework, endures as such. Many books today gain attention as
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nonbooks linked to cinema, television, or audio recordings.
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Searching through books was always more romance than business, more
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rumination than information. Information is by nature timebound.
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Supported by technological systems, information depends on revision
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and updating. When books become mere sources of information, they lose
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the atmosphere of contemplative leisure and timeless enjoyment. Old
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books then seem irrelevant, as they no longer pertain to current
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needs. One of the new breed of information publishers epitomizes this
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attitude in a pithy warning: "Any book more than two years old is of
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questionable value. Books more than four or five years old are a
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menace. OUT OF DATE = DANGEROUS."
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As book libraries turn into museums of alphabetic life, we should
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reclaim their original meaning. Museums are places for play, for
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playing with the muses that attract us, for dreams, intuitions, and
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enthusiasms. Information plugs us into the world of computerized
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productivity, but the open space of books balances our computer logic
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with the graces of intuition.
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( Michael Heim, The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality, p. 26-27.
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[1993, Oxford University Press. $21.00] )
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======================================================================
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Peter Drucker II: The Future of Intellectual Property
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We have to rethink the whole concept of intellectual property, which
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was focused on the printed word. Perhaps within a few decades, the
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distinction between electronic transmissions and the printed word will
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have disappeared. The only solution may be a universal licensing
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system. Where you basically become a subscriber, and where it is taken
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for granted that everything that is published is reproduced. In other
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words, if you don't want everybody to know, don't talk about it. I
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think we are getting there very fast. [B&B agrees with this model] ...
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I have worked with musician Peter Gabriel on several projects. At a
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workshop we were holding for AT&T he was asked, "How do you deal with
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the piracy of your albums?" Gabriel said, "Oh, I treat it as free
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advertising. I follow it with a rock concert. When they steal my
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albums in Indonesia, I go there and perform."
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(SOURCE: "Post-Capitalist," Peter Drucker interviewed by Peter
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Schwartz, WIRED Magazine 1.3, July/August 1993, p. 80)
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======================================================================
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The Content Law of Information
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Not all information results in knowledge; we are constantly deluged
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with noise. One of the most perplexing problems is how to filter it.
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Ultimately, it's the responsibility of each individual. Make a
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conscious effort to examine your information needs and information
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flow. Separate the relevant from the irrelevant. What information do
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you have that someone else could use? What information does someone
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else have that you need? (Frank J. Ricotta Jr., "The Six
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Immutable Laws of Information," Information Week, 7/19/93, p. 63)
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=====================================================================
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Down and Dirty Programming
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There are probably some situations where structured methods are the
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best way to approach software development. I just haven't seen any
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lately. ... Everywhere I go these days, development groups are
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churning out multiple iterations of application designs, spurning
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anything that smacks of a structured framework. Structured methods
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just don't work, according to one manager. "None of that bears any
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relation to the way things are done today." The way things are done
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today is fast, cheap and with the maximum amount of reality-checking
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along the way. (Joanne Kelleher, "Quick Isn't Dirty," Computerworld,
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7/19/93, p. 32)
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======================================================================
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The Thinking Man's Computer
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In Japan, researchers have developed a computer-assisted robot hand
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that mimics the motions of a human hand by analyzing the tiny nerve
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pulses sent from the brain to the finger muscles. The goal here is to
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create brain-controlled artificial limbs that would be controllable
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by the wearer's brain rather than the current mechanically controlled
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models. (SOURCE: Tampa Tribune 7/27/93 N/W4, E-D-U-P-A-G-E)
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======================================================================
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Retooling Government Practices For The Information Age
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Al Gore's information technology team has delivered the draft of their
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plan for improving the use of computers and communications
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technologies by the federal government to the VP. The report will be
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made public after it is presented to President Clinton sometime after
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Labor Day. Sources say it will recommend a number of "best practices"
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- high-speed networks, electronic benefits transfer, geographic
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information systems (GIS) and public access to on-line data - culled
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from federal, state and local governments and industry. ere are some
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recommendations from the report:
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+ Bring government services to places such as shopping malls via
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multimedia interactive kiosks.
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+ Make much greater use of the Internet to provide public access to
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government databases and services.
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+ Expand electronic distribution of food stamps and other benefits,
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such as welfare.
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+ Continue the development of the National Information Infrastructure,
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built around the "data superhighway" long championed by Gore. This
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highway will form the backbone of the information economy in the US,
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and will be used to provide better medical care, educational services
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and on-the-job training to all corners of the U.S.
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Very few of the teams' recommendations will require legislation, and
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most can be initiated between government agencies on a handshake
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basis. "This report represents things that really can get done," said
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team manager Laraine Rodgers, director of MIS for the city of Phoenix
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and a veteran banking industry IS manager. "We will have some fantasy
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and science fiction stuff, but we'll say, get to that in a few years.
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Here's what to do now."
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(SOURCE: Gary H. Anthes, "White House gets tech advice," Computerworld
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8/2/93, p. 4)
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======================================================================
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The Count To Three Principle
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Paradoxically, one way to master the power of a tool is to probe its
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weaknesses. Thus we offer the Count-to-Three Principle:
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IF YOU CANNOT THINK OF AT LEAST THREE WAYS OF ABUSING A TOOL, YOU DO
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NOT UNDERSTAND HOW TO USE IT.
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(Gerard M. Weinberg, An Introduction To General Systems Thinking
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[John Wiley and Sons, 1975]
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======================================================================
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Information Technology: Friend Or Foe?
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While there are signs that the national economy is slowly growing,
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unemployment stays flat or even keeps rising. Opinion as to the role
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of IT in this process is divided. Some blame technology for automating
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once-manual tasks, putting thousands out of work. (I've read that
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McDonalds is testing robot burger flippers!) Others say that increases
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in productivity will generate new wealth, putting thousands to work at
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new jobs, and enhancing consumer demand. (SOURCE: Joel Havemann and
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Norman Kempster, "The Case of the Disappearing Worker: What's Gone
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Wrong?" Los Angeles Times, July 6, p. H1)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Elsewhere, IEEE Spectrum for August reports that improvements in
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efficiency due in part to IT and automation advances have contributed
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to the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs from major multinational
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companies. from December 1991 to December 1992 there was a US job loss
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of 5.8- percent in the computer industry, 1.6-percent in semiconductor
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companies, and 10.6-percent in the defense/commercial guidance system
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industry. The only sector showing a job gain was the prepackaged
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software market which expanded employment by 1.5-percent.
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======================================================================
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The World On a Chip I
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Your hair could grow across a two-micron gap in less than 10 seconds,
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but that's still too large a space for scientists pushing
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nanotechnology. Timothy Gardner of the Massachusetts Institute of
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Technology wants to place a single molecule, no bigger than 5
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nanometers, between two electrodes to see if the molecule's signals
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can be read. It's the first step in developing a new science that
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could lead to microprocessors on a molecular scale, condensing all
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the computer power of the world on a single chip.
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(Hapgood, Fred. "The Really Little Engines That Might." Technology
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Review Feb./March 1993: p. 30)
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======================================================================
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NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:
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AMD 486 Chips Set To Ship
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Advanced Micro Devices Inc. expects to ship their newly developed
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486SX chips in September. Forbidden to use Intel's 486 microcode, AMD
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developed their own 486 logic. The chips will cost about the same as
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the Intel version, but will give users a little more horsepower,
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offering a 21% faster 40-MHz for the same price as Intel's 33-MHz
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chip. (SOURCE: INFOWORLD, 7/12/93, p. 87)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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AT&T, Sierra On-Line To Build Cyberspace Theme Parks
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AT&T and Sierra On-Line have entered into a partnership with the
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intention of creating theme parks in cyberspace. The Sierra Network, a
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graphical game playing bulletin board, will change its name to the
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Imagination Network. One of the more interesting features of the
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Sierra Network BBS is that you get to choose how you will appear to
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other players online. Choices are made from a toolbox of eyes, noses,
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etc. Your new character is then free to roam to the various area of
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the BBS and to interact with other human players. Area online include
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the Clubhouse, where players can play backgammon, bridge, chess;
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Sierraland amusement park which features a Red Baron dogfight
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simulation and a Paintball battlefield; and Medievaland where players
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can engage in a fantasy role-playing game called "The Shadow of
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Yserbius" that includes monsters, wizards, dungeons, and magic spells.
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In addition, third party content providers will be encouraged to
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create new interactive areas such as "virtual shopping malls" to
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browse and purchase products, or "communities of interest," where like-
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minded people can discuss and learn about various topics. (I see a
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need for a Star Trek Online Universe for game-players. The Imagination
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Network will also be accessible (for an additional fee) from Prodigy.
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TSN has received a lot of attention for their efforts in creating
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online communities, and this alliance with AT&T should give them the
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resources to become a major player. Presently, TSN costs as little as
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$12.95 per month, and they have a 3 hour FREE trial.
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(CONTACT: The Sierra Network: 800/SIERRA1) (SOURCES: Newsbytes 7/29/93,
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Edupage 7/29/93)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Cyberdesk Information Manager for Online Services
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This one sounds like a great idea. Those of you who deal with more
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than one online service know many of them have their own front-end
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software. Now along comes Cyberdesk, which claims to work with most
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major text-based on-line systems, including the cc:Mail package used
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on LANs, CompuServe, and MCI Mail. The program works under Microsoft
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Windows and automates many functions like dialing into the services,
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downloading mail, and uploading new messages. You read and respond to
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mail offline, which saves you money since most services charge by the
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minute. Cyberdesk is a lot like the off-line mailing programs which
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are popular in the BBS world. (SOURCE: Newsbytes 8/4/94)
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(CONTACT: CyberCorp, 404/424-6240, fax 404/424-8995)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Matsushita Unveils Flat Screen TV
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Matsushita Electric is coming out with a 14-inch color television set
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containing a picture tube just four inches thick (compared to a
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standard 13 inch thick tube). The new streamlined models will be
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available for sale overseas late next year. Matsushita plans to
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develop a larger, wall-hanging type of Flat Vision display in the
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near future which will support HDTV (high definition TV).
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(SOURCES: EDUPAGE 8/3/93, Newsbytes 8/3/93)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Windows NT To Ship Within 2 Weeks
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Microsoft Corporation said today that Windows NT and the Windows NT
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advanced server software has been released to manufacturing, putting
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the long-awaited software one step closer to shipping. Windows NT is
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one of the largest software projects ever undertaken, occupying
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developers for more than four years to produce the first truly new
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personal computer operating system to appear since IBM's OS/2.
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Microsoft Windows is not an operating system, but rather a link
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between the user and the underlying DOS (disk operating system) that
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has been the heart of millions of PCs. Users who install Windows NT
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will no longer have to have DOS installed, and NT will run Windows
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software. NT is said to be unix-like, offering true multiprocessing
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and system security features. On the down side, you need a lot of
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memory to run it. Lets see how this turns out for the gang at
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Redmond. Next year should see the release of Windows version 4, and
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DOS version 7.0, which is said to be a major upgrade of DOS.
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(SOURCE: Newsbytes News Service 7/27/93)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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Microsoft Gets With the "Green" PC Agenda
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Microsoft has joined the US Environmental Protection Agency's Ally
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program, reemphasizing its commitment to providing consumers with
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software that supports energy efficiency. Microsoft ships Advanced
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Power Management 1.0 drivers in each MS-DOS 6.0, Windows, and Windows
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for Workgroups box. APM allows firmware built into a personal computer
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to determine when the software is not in use and when the system can
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conserve power. Microsoft also says it is making a concerted effort to
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educate employees about powering down idle computers and turning off
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their PCs during weekends and evenings. The EPA estimates that 30 to
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40 percent of all PC equipment is left running 24 hours a day, seven
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days a week. This consumes enough energy to keep at 12 power plants
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running year-round. (SOURCE: PC World August 1993 p.33)
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=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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FREE Credit Report
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Bits and Bytes *loves* FREE stuff. We will try to point out
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interesting and useful FREE stuff to our readers. If you can tell me
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where to get any interesting FREE stuff, or if you have any FREE stuff
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you would like to send me, please feel FREE to do so. :-) This week's
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FREEbie is a FREE credit report. It seems that once a year you
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may request a copy of your credit report from TRW, one of the largest
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national credit reporting firms. Call 214/235-1200 and follow the
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instructions. This is a toll call, so this is not exactly FREE. :-(
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======================================================================
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FREE Advice: Tips For Speaking To A Crowd
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The six signals all audiences want to hear:
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1) I will *not* waste your time.
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2) I know who *you* are.
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3) I am well *organized*.
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4) I *know* my subject.
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5) Here is my most *important* point.
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6) I am *finished*.
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======================================================================
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Bits and Bytes Bookshelf: The Outer Limits
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Here are some books that will give you a preview of things to come,
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the further frontiers that Bits and Bytes only hints at. All are
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well written, aimed at the layman, and recommended:
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Artificial Life: The Quest For A New Creation by Stephen Levy
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[Vintage Books, 1992. $13.00]
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- The story of a new scientific discipline: the science of artificial
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life. Computer viruses are an early (and mostly destructive) form of
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a-life, but the next generation may actually be useful. You may
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send a knowbot out on the networks to look for a piece of data. It
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will be programmed to come return to you when it accomplishes it's
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mission. Virtual ants and other creatures that react to their
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surroundings, eat and even have sex are discussed. Software that
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uses the forces of evolution to solve complex problems (genetic
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algorithms) and insectlike robots that may be used by NASA to pave
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a landing area for a manned Mars mission. "Frankenstein, move over"
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as Clifford Stoll puts it on the back cover. The book also discusses
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the possible dangers of a-life.
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Virtual Reality by Howard Rheingold [Summit Books,1991. $12.00]
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- "Though this world is very new indeed, Howard Rheingold has written
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an authoritative geography of Cyberspace. All the landmarks are
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here." (John Perry Barlow, The Electronic Freedom Foundation)
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Mind Children: The Future of Robots and Human Intelligence by Hans
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Moravec [1988, Harvard University Press. $8.95]
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- Dr. Moravec "argues that we are approaching a watershed in the
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history of life - a time when the boundaries between biological and
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postbiological intelligence will begin to dissolve. Withinn forty
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years, Moravec believes, we will acheive human equivalence in our
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machines, not only in their capacity to reason but also in their
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ability to perceive, interact with, and change their complex
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environment." (from the dust jacket) Easily the most 'far out' of
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the books listed here, Dr. Moravec, who is Director of the Mobile
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Robot Laboratory of Carnegie Mellon University, discusses the
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possibility of uploading the human mind into a robot brain,
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granting what amounts to immortality to the human race. It is a
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little too 'far out' even for me, but it makes for thought
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provoking reading. Dr. Moravec, to his credit, also discusses the
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possible downside of the possibilities he outlines.
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======================================================================
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### ADMINISTRIVIA ###
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REQUEST FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. Put the word out! Bits and Bytes is looking
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for short quotations like the one that appears at the top of each
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issue. Also any interesting information you think belongs in B&B.
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Contributors will be gratefully acknowledged. Speaking of which...
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THANKS! I would like to thank the person who contributed the quote
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that heads up this issue, except I lost hir* name. Please get in touch
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for a B&B apology and credit in the next issue. Also thanks to
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Dr. Kenneth Laws (laws@ai.sri.com), publisher of The Computists'
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Communique, for giving me some good advice. Write to Ken for
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information about his valuable electronic newsletter and service.
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(* hir is a concatenation of his and her which I will be using to
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avoid being sexist and to show the world what a sensitive new age guy
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I am. I figure this will help me "score" with "the babes".)
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Bits and Bytes Online, a weekly electronic newsletter, is the
|
|
unofficial voice of Kuthumi in this sector of the universe. We come
|
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in peace. Please put down your weapons. Email Subscriptions are
|
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available at no cost from:
|
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slakmaster@aol.com or jmachado@pacs.pha.pa.us
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Put "SUBSCRIBE in the subject header and your EMAIL address in the
|
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body of the message. If you work for "the rail" (and you know who you
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are) send a similar message to my emailbox. To unsubscribe, send a
|
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message with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject header and your email
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address in the body. Questions and comments are welcome at any
|
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address. If you need to reach me on paper, my snailmail address
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follows: ===============================================
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Jay Machado = (Copyleft 1993 Jay Machado) *UNALTERED* =
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1529 Dogwood Drive = electronic distribution of this file for =
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Cherry Hill, NJ, 08003 = non-profit purposes is encouraged. =
|
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ph (eve) 609/795-0998 = The opinions expressed herein do not =
|
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======================== do not necessarily represent anyone's =
|
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"When you seek it, = actual opinion. I, Jay Machado, am solely =
|
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you cannot find it." = responsible for the contents of B&B. =
|
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= Please consult your family doctor before =
|
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- Zen saying = using this or any other publication. =
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=============== end of Bits and Bytes Online V1, #5.==================
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