1393 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
1393 lines
71 KiB
Plaintext
BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
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COPYRIGHT 1992 ISSN 1055-4548
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August 1992 Volume 5, Issue 7
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Table Of Contents
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-----------------
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Article Title Author
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Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
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Publisher's Corner.............................Mark Maisel
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Letters to the Editor..........................
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Notes From The Trenches........................Dean Costello
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Boot From HELL.................................Brian Anderson
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Review: Commo 5.3.............................The Id
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Hannah Home....................................Lurch Henson
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Online Service Review: America Online.........Eric Hunt
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To Own A Fast Modem............................Dean Costello
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BBS Spotlight: CM(ee).........................Eric Hunt
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Special Interest Groups (SIGs).................Barry Bowden
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Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN
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We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
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information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
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due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its
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editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
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etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
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even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
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of such damages occurring.
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With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
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policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
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monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
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publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
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time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
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in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
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harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
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content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their
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work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles
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from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a
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reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
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Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
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the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
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article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
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please forward a copy of your publication to:
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Mark Maisel
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Editor, BTN
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221 Chestnut St.
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BHM, AL 35210-3219
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(205)-956-0176
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We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
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you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
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all of this and not get too serious about it.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T !
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The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no
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charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
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ADAnet One Alter-Ego Arkham Asylum
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Channel 8250 Little Kingdom Joker's Castle
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Crunchy Frog Owl's Nest The Bus
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The MATRIX Abject Poverty Hard Disk
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The Outer Limits The Round Table Kiriath Arba
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DC Info Exchange Owlabama BBS Safe Harbor
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Amiga Alliance ][ Martyrdom Again?! Lemon Grove
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Medicine Man F/X BBS Thy Master's Dungeon
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Playground
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If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
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me know via EZNet so that I can post your board as a free BTN
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distributor. Thanks. MM
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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N E W S F L A S H
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For those of you who somehow didn't hear, MATRIX
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just expanded to 15 lines. 323-2016 accesses lines
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1-10, which are reserved for 300-2400 baud callers.
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323-6016 accesses lines 11-14, which are reserved
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for 9600-14400 baud callers. 458-3449 accesses line
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15 and is reserved for 9600 baud callers.
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F/X BBS received some lightning damage recently so
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please be aware of the following till the sysop
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reports otherwise: Node 1 2400 baud, Node 2 V.32
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9600, and Node 3 V.32bis 14400
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Publisher's Corner
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by Mark Maisel
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We missed a month once again. An interesting thing happened in
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that I didn't receive nearly as many "where is it?" messages this time.
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I don't know what to make of it but I'm not terribly concerned as it
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could not be helped and popularity is not the reason I do this each
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month. This issue you have in hand, or on screen, as the case may be,
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is a pretty good one. All of the articles are very much worth reading.
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Give 'em a shot and be sure to let me and the authors know how you feel
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about them.
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Times are changing, what with my consulting hobby turning into a
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fairly lucrative business. Kathy and I have decided to stop denying
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ourselves quite so much, especially with the extra income, and we're in
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the process of purchasing another home. My time has many more tasks
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pulling for a slice of it. As a result, I've given very little thought
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to having a party any time soon. If someone wants to volunteer their
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time and a place to have it, please let me know right away. Right now,
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I can't and won't be able to manage it. Additionally, BTN needs more
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help than ever. If I don't hear from anyone by the September deadline,
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then I will be dropping the network portion of the bbs list. The list
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itself is in a bit of danger as I can't always make the time to verify
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the many boards that are now on it. If someone wants this job, please
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let me know and I'll be glad to help you establish accounts on the
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boards you currently don't use, and let the sysops know your business
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for BTN. Speaking of deadlines, if you are going to submit articles,
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please try to do so by the deadline mentioned in our policy and
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disclaimer. It will make things much easier for me when I'm pressed for
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time. I accept articles of all kinds. You need not be a professional
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writer. Most of the folks who have written for BTN had never tried
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writing since graduating from school, or are still there.
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I'd like to keep putting out BTN but if I don't get some help, I don't
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know how much longer I'll be able to keep it up. Profitable pursuits
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definitely take a front seat to it. Those are the breaks. Please don't
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regard this as some sort of extortion. BBS' did just fine before BTN
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came along and they'll continue to do so if it ceases.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Letters to the Editor
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As promised, here are the responses I've received that seem to
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belong here. If you wish to make it here, please feel free to leave me
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a message on either the main message base of THE MATRIX or in any EZNet
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message base. I'll get it one way or the other. MM
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No letters this month. You people must be awfully satisfied with BTN.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Notes from the Trenches
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by Dean Costello
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"Happy Trails"
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It occurred to me that there is still one more big, ugly thing in
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my life that needs to be excised. Something so big, so all encompassing
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that it didn't even occur to me before.
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Small town life.
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I grew up in a town named Cambridge, not Massachusetts, Maryland.
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And it wasn't picturesque in any way. It was nasty, ugly, smelled bad,
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and had pretensions of being a 'resort town'.
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As a result, I must defer to Garrison Keillor, who wrote the
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ultimate condemnation of small towns. I wish I could relate it to you,
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since it really is good. In a nutshell, he talks about a person who
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returns to Lake Wobegon for an Advent party, and is about to tack up
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against the Lutheran Church his 95 Theses 95, an incredibly nasty and
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cutting indictment of small-town life. A few examples:
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"6. You have taught me the fear of becoming lost, which
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has killed the pleasure of curiosity and discovery. In
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strange cities, I memorize streets and always know
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exactly where I am. Amid scenes of great splendor, I
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review the route back to the hotel."
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or
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"9. You taught me to be nice, so that now I am so full
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of niceness, I have no sense of right and wrong, no
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outrage, no passion. "If you can't say something nice,
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don't say anything at all," you said, so I am very quiet,
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which most people think is politeness. I call it
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repression."
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or
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"33. "Oh, I think you can do without that." Your words
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come back to me when I look at a new sport coat. Good
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Scottish tweed, it costs $130, and when I try it on, it
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makes me feel smart and lucky and substantial, but you're
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right, I can do without it, and so I will. "You can get
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a perfectly good one at Sears for half the price." If I
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bought the $130 one, pride would leak in and rot my
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heart. Who do I think I am?"
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or
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"34. For fear of what it might do to me, you never paid a
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compliment, and when other people did, you beat it away
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from me with a stick. "He certainly is looking nice and
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grown up." He'd look a lot nicer if he did something
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about his skin. "That's wonderful that he got that job."
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Yeah, well, we'll see how long it lasts. You trained me
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so well, I now perform this service for myself. I
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deflect every kind word directed to me, and my denials
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are much more extravagant than the praise. "Good
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speech." Oh, it was way too long. I didn't know what I
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was talking about, I was just blathering on and on, I was
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glad when it was over. I do this under the impression
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that it is humility, a becoming quality in a person.
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Actually, I am starved for a good word, but after the
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long drought of my youth, no word is quite good enough.
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"Good" isn't enough. Under this thin veneer of modesty
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lies a monster of greed. I drive away faint praise,
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beating my little chest, waiting to be named Sun God,
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Kind of American, Idol of Millions, Bringer of Fire, the
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Great Hafi, Thun-Dar the Boy Giant. I don't want to say,
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"Thanks, glad you liked it." I want to say, "Rise, my
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people. Remove your faces from the carpet, stand, and
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look your lord in the face."
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or
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"74. You misdirected me as surely as if you had said the
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world is flat and north is west and two plus two is four,
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ie. not utterly wrong, just wrong enough so that when I
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took the opposite position--the world is mountainous,
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north is east--I was wrong, too, and your being wrong and
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the world and north made me spend years trying to come up
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with the correct sum of two and two, other than four.
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You gave me the wrong things to rebel against. Your
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mindless monogamy made me vacillate in love, your
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compulsive industry made me a prisoner of sloth, your
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tidiness made me sloppy, your materialism made me
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wasteful."
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or finally
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"95. Now you call me on the phone to ask, "Why don't you
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ever call us? Why do you shut us out of your life?" So
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I start to tell you about my life, but you don't want to
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hear it. You want to know why I didn't call. I didn't
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call because I don't need to talk to you anymore. Your
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voice is in my head, talking constantly from morning till
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night. I keep the radio on, but I still hear you and
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will hear you until I die, when I will hear you say, "I
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told you," and then something else will happen."
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The town is Cambridge, not Lake Wobegon. The paper is "The Daily
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Banner", and it is published daily (except weekends and holidays), but
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everything else stays the same. Mistah Keillor put it much better than
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I could have. Jesus, I wish I could write that well. I heartily
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recommend buying it ("Lake Wobegon Days" by Garrison Keilor). And for
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you snots that are sitting there thinking, "How dare he say that kind of
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thing?" the rest of the book is just chock-full of warm family-like
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homilies, and you can rest comfortably in your own self-delusion.
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Well, sports fans, that about wraps it up. One good thing, though,
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about no more columns is that there will be more room for "A Day in the
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Life of a Prepubescent Teenager". And that, as all right-thinking people
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know, is a good thing.
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Lord knows we wouldn't want to have some nasty bastard as a
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continuous contributor. All hail tedium.
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-
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Dean C.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Boot From HELL
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Or, Tinkerer/Addict
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by Brian Anderson
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Look at that. Another nice, sunny day. I guess I should get out in
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the yard and do the stuff I said I was going to do last time. What was
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that file I DL'ed last night? Something about Scuba Wars or Downlink
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Light, or something. Better check it out before I get tied up doing
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things. Hmmm, an error in my config.sys, better take care of that first.
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What editor have I been using lately? Oh yeah, New-Ed. Well, that comes
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up OK, should I try something else with mouse and see if it works?
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There's that game I borrowed from D.T., maybe I should try that. What's
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that stuff on my screen? Damn, this thing takes too long to reboot.
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Error in WHAT.sys? I better look into that.
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"Well Honey, it's too hot to go out there now. I know, but I'll
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take care of it later in the day when it cools down." Good, now I can
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concentrate on this. Norton seems slow, now that I've put in that new
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mouse driver. Wonder if it's just Norton, or the mouse thing. There's
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PCTools, I'll try that. Oops, gotta exit Norton first. Out of respect,
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of course. Besides, who knows what'll happen with both in memory? Hmmm,
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doesn't seem to bother anything. Well, it's slow too. Could be Norton
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underneath PCTools slowing things down, though. Maybe I'll unload the
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mouse. Can't be removed from memory? Oh yeah, that was down the list a
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little. Damn this reboot thing. I'm going to have to take some of this
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crap out. Error in WHAT.sys? What the hell IS that anyway? OK, New-Ed to
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the rescue. "Device = _-^&$ver.sys"? Jeez, I must have a helluva disk
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problem here. Chkdsk doesn't say anything bad, though.
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"In a minute, dear, I've got a REAL problem here." "I know it
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stinks, but this is more important than garbage right now." Garbage is
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right, look at this directory. What the hell is norf.ghj? Let's see. Now
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why would New-Ed lock up on that? I have GOT to fix that config.sys,
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this boot thing is getting old. May be I can catch that error now.
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(reboots perfectly) I hate when that happens. (Reboot again) Why is that
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switch sticky? Oh yeah, Wan's caramel corn. This thing needs a bath.
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Error in WHAT.sys?? Damn, I'm going to have to put a pause or something
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right there just to see it. What do you mean, Error reading drive C?????
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Maybe if I shut it off for a bit.
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"No honey, I'm not done, I'm just giving it a real cold boot." "I'm
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sure you would, but it's not paid for yet, so please don't." (Takes out
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garbage) Well, let's see. Damn, it came up OK. Wait a minute, where's
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that norf.ghj? Dadgummit, everything is fine! Norton's OK. And fast,
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too. Better check that config.sys. Well, nothing odd. One more boot for
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the hell of it. Zzzzzzzz. I should explain to her why a new motherboard
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would save time for the whole family. Well, I can't fix it if it ain't
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broke. "Wal-Mart? But we went there just yesterday." "No, it's still not
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right. But I think I know what it is now (nose grows slightly longer)."
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Good, now I'm alone, I can get something done. Now what was that file I
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DL'ed last night? Something about Scuba Link or Lite Wars..
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Can this man be saved? Probably too late.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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REVIEW OF {COMMO} COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM VER. 5.3
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by id
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{COMMO} Pronounced just like comma, except for the last letter.
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INTRODUCTION
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I was looking for small and useful programs, since hard disk
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space is scarce, and the latest area to look was in communications.
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Checking the remaining room on the hard drive showed that
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communications was taking more than its fair share.
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Several years ago I owned a Model I Radio Shack and a 300 baud
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modem. The first communications program I used was Vidtex. I can
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remember the excitement of the first transfer of a simple text file over
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the wire. The expectation of not having to get in the car and take
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the file to another machine for various reasons was just thrilling.
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Vidtex had a serious problem; it could only transfer ASCII files, not
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binary. Writing programs and delivering them was a pain.
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MTERM arrived on the scene. Now transfers of binary files were
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possible but only using by xmodem protocol. Most of the boards called
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were out of state. At 300 baud, Ma Bell was getting rich.
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Next, metamorphosis from Model IV to an IBM clone and a new
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internal 2400 baud modem. I lost the lights and the three toggle
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switches, but what the hell.
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New modem, new software. Well, nothing came bundled with the
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modem in those days, and you couldn't call out. So, with disk in
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hand, off I went searching for a copy of Procomm. Procomm was enough
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to get me on the boards just long enough to find other programs.
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My priority was to find a comm program that would run in the
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background. A second machine was purchased and it too had to be
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equipped with a modem. Well, this time I got a bundle. Telix. WOW!
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What fun. Then it was Bitcom (but the less said about that, the
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better). Next came QModem and Robocomm.
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Suddenly, different protocols became available: the new Y-Modem,
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Y-Modem Batch, J-Modem, and Bi-modem. Everybody was having trouble
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getting all the external protocols to work, not to mention interrupts
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and jumpers. Z-modem became the rage! Boards were touting it as
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faster and more reliable. It became the protocol of choice for me.
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Procomm had a problem with it and people waited for patches.
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On with the search for a communications program that would run in
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the background. Mirror II was mentioned in some magazine. The next
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time I was in a software store, there it was on the shelf: Mirror II, a
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book with a disk taped to the back. It was cheaper than registering
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Procomm, so I bought it.
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I installed the program on my new 20 MB hard disk and went to
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town. The program took up 1.5 MB of real estate on the drive but the
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way I figured it, so what? I had 15 MB free, the most I had seen yet,
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on my system anyway. I fired her up to see if I could download files
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while I did something else. The hot keys were Left Shift-Right
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Shift. It worked. I tried it to see what would happen. While online
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and downloading I make the brave move to shift the program to the
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background. It worked. Now it was time to run another program. The
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first I tried was a word processor. Wrong move. It turned out that
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yes, the program would move to the background but you only had 184K
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memory to work with. Small programs were a necessity. List was very
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good to read files and so forth. I learned the program, and realized
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that due to memory constraints and other factors, the background
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operation was fruitless for any serious work. I tried Desqview,
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Double- Dos, and Software Carousel. None did what I wanted to
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do, so I settled back for a while and stopped looking for a
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communications program. I concentrated on fine-tuning the one I had
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and upgraded to Mirror III, ver. 2.5.
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Real estate became a premium on the hard disk and size was becoming
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a factor. After writing scripts, custom menus, set up files, updates
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and so forth, Mirror III-2.5 was over two MB.
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Dreaming of a small communications program and remembering that
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MTERM was only 3K and did everything, I started looking for a new
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communications program. A friend mentioned {Commo}, even though
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he didn't use it himself. He found it and downloaded it so I could test
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it out.
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{Commo} 5.1, dated October, 1991 is a treat: a 35K COM file and
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associated text files, a help file of 37K and a total of 101,202K for
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the whole program. Boy, could that save some space on the old hard
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drive! I installed it and took off. The program is written in
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assembler and is fast. {Commo} uses straight ASCII for the support
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files. The support files are the .SETup configuration file, the (.FON)
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dialing directory, .MACro file and help. Loading from the command
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line, switches can be applied and one can run customized .SET, .MAC,
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and .FON files. For example:
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commo /Ssetup.set /Mmacro.mac /Dmine.fon
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no spaces between switch and filename.
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I have 3 flavors of {Commo} running on my machine: 1-me, 2-wife,
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3-guest. I can keep passwords private and only use 183k of Disk space.
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Could a laptop use this program?
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All available switches are:
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/iy, /in Initialize, don't initialize modem.
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/:label Startup macro.
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/sfilename Alternate Setup File.
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/dfilename Alternate Dialing Directory file.
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/mfilename Alternate default Macro File.
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/knn Size of Scrollback Buffer in kilobytes.
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/vnnnnn Size of String Variable Space in bytes.
|
|
|
|
REQUIREMENTS
|
|
|
|
The minimum requirements to run {Commo} are: an IBM PC compatible
|
|
computer with MS-DOS 2.1 or higher, 128k of memory, one diskette drive
|
|
and a serial port or internal modem with an 8250, 16450 or 16550 series
|
|
UART chip. {Commo} can be configured to work with any type of modem,
|
|
using modem initialization strings and pre-fix dialing commands. All
|
|
you need is your modem manual.
|
|
|
|
The program has no problem with communications over 2400 baud and
|
|
will handle up to 115200.
|
|
|
|
SET-UP
|
|
|
|
The set up file, COMMO.SET, uses various defaults including the
|
|
speed, port, stop bits, parity, and modem parameters. This is the first
|
|
file you should edit before you run the program. The baud rate, com
|
|
port, parity, stop bits and modem initialization string must be edited
|
|
first! The file can be edited with any word processor that reads
|
|
straight ASCII. {Commo} comes with an editor that is limited to a 64k
|
|
file. The editor is not limited to just its own files. It can read and
|
|
edit any ASCII file under 64k. All support files are ASCII so the next
|
|
file you should edit is the Dial Directory COMMO.FON.
|
|
|
|
Included are listings of the Support Board of {Commo} (1-718-444-
|
|
4555, and Babble Underground.
|
|
|
|
ALTERNATE SET UP FILES
|
|
|
|
At home, my wife and I call different boards and have different
|
|
passwords, so I needed the ability to use different dialing directories,
|
|
colors, and macros. {Commo} lets you call a different setup from the
|
|
command line. Load {Commo} by entering COMMO /dcommo.fon and you will
|
|
get the default dialing directory. Now, with the addition of about 10K,
|
|
I have 3 different configurations.
|
|
|
|
DIALING DIRECTORY
|
|
|
|
Editing the dialing directory is straight forward. All of
|
|
{Commo}'s files, commands or parameters are enclosed by curly brackets
|
|
{}. Within the dialing directory, the commands are positional. That
|
|
means they have to be in a certain order, not in a certain place. The
|
|
description of the favorite BBS can be 128 characters long, and total
|
|
information per entry is 255 characters.
|
|
|
|
To dial, just press <enter> when the highlight bar is positioned
|
|
on the BBS you want to call, and away you go. Everything seems to run
|
|
fine. After log-on, find a file you wish to download, hit the
|
|
<PageDown> key and {Commo} will jump to Z-modem. You can build in 8
|
|
autodetect setting for downloading. You don't have to set {Commo} to a
|
|
certain protocol since it auto-senses the right one.
|
|
|
|
Uploading: Press the <PageUp> key and a menu will appear. Pick a
|
|
protocol such as Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, or HSlink. Move the highlight
|
|
bar to the correct protocol and press <Enter>. Supply a filename and
|
|
press <Enter> to start the upload. Simple.
|
|
|
|
MACROS
|
|
|
|
The next file to customize is the Macro file, commo.mac. This is
|
|
where you set up macro keys, script files, and Alternate keys. Example
|
|
scripts are given but they have the author's name in them. If you run
|
|
them without editing the files, you'll send 'pword' as your password.
|
|
External programs can be assigned to Alternate keys and you can run just
|
|
about anything you want. {Commo} can run in 128K, not as small as MTERM
|
|
but not a hog like MIRROR III.
|
|
|
|
The Macro file gives you the ability to make the program look just
|
|
like Procomm, Qmodem and even Robocomm. Scripts can be written so that
|
|
you call one board or many, download a .QWK packet and at the end of the
|
|
run, auto-load your mail reader.
|
|
|
|
I have yet to reach the limit of available Macros keys. All
|
|
Alt-keys, Ctrl-keys, Function-Keys, in combination with another key can
|
|
be assigned. Then you can add the Shift-Key with of all the above key
|
|
combinations for yet another set of macros. I was impressed, so I
|
|
broke down and read the documentation.
|
|
|
|
DOCUMENTATION
|
|
|
|
The documentation contains a familiar disclaimer, with a table of
|
|
contents and registration information. The program takes shape when you
|
|
start customizing it to your personal wishes and demands. All commands
|
|
are laid out in the manual with some references to the online help
|
|
which, by the way, can be customized with hot links and quick searches
|
|
on key words. The only limitation is that key words cannot start with a
|
|
T. The manual can be printed but why kill a tree. The Sample Macro
|
|
file included needs to be read along with the Macro Help file if you are
|
|
going to write a Macro.
|
|
|
|
COLOR
|
|
|
|
Within the setup file, the colors for the screens are set by
|
|
entering different values for different colors. This works well for
|
|
using different setup files for different people, as in my case. Now I
|
|
have my colors set for Outrageous "Halloween" and my wife has them set
|
|
for soothing pastels. Guests get the plain vanilla default.
|
|
|
|
SOUND ALARMS AND MISCELLANEOUS
|
|
|
|
If you have that long download and want to be warned when it's
|
|
through, set the alarm for 25 if you are in another room. Otherwise,
|
|
the default is set for 3 rings and then silence. Beeps can warn you
|
|
about several things. Specific alarms can be silenced or turned on.
|
|
|
|
Chat windows can be sized, graphic characters can be added to
|
|
spruce up you screens, and Function keys can be programmed.
|
|
|
|
One function key, <F2>, is already programmed to log on to a PC
|
|
Board to pass your name and password automatically. With one key stoke
|
|
you can log on, download a file and log off. However, that macro is
|
|
non-functional since it is included only in a sample macro. Be sure to
|
|
edit this file and add your name before trying this.
|
|
|
|
If you are calling another {Commo} user at the other end, the
|
|
program has a doorway to access Dos. Included is the Macro File for a
|
|
Host BBS. With this doorway, remote access is possible for when you
|
|
left that file at the office.
|
|
|
|
REGISTRATION
|
|
|
|
Fred P. Brucker, the author of {Commo} is asking $50.00 for the
|
|
latest release which comes with a printed manual, a disk with the latest
|
|
version and a disk of utilities which includes a BBS Host program and
|
|
several Macro files. The author sends you secrets on how to further
|
|
customize the program. If you don't have fifty but want just the latest
|
|
release, send him $40. If you're cheap, send $35 for a single site
|
|
license, and keep using what you got.
|
|
|
|
VER 5.3
|
|
|
|
While testing the download feature of {Commo}, I needed to test
|
|
different aspects of the program so I started logging on to more boards.
|
|
I checked the latest release of BTN and started calling. I called Night
|
|
Watch and lo and behold, sysop Lamar Smith broke into chat. During the
|
|
discussion, {Commo} came up and he said he had just gotten the latest
|
|
release of {Commo} ver 5.3 off of Compuserve the night before. I had
|
|
ver. 5.1 so I downloaded COMMO53.ZIP and set it up. The update does not
|
|
have any new visible features. It has grown from 35K to 39K. The
|
|
macros have been improved and autodetect has new protocols. A swap disk
|
|
is new.
|
|
|
|
LIKES
|
|
|
|
This is really a fast program which is very small in comparison to
|
|
other terminal programs. It is full featured to support a variety of
|
|
terminals with an extensive list of macros to automate your BBS,
|
|
Compuserve, or MCI sessions.
|
|
|
|
In your settings you can set {Commo} to default to the Terminal
|
|
screen of the Dialing directory. To dial a board just press <Enter>.
|
|
After you connect, type in your name and hit <Alt W> to give your
|
|
password. This feature is nice because if you have a different password
|
|
for every board, you won't have to remember each one. Another option is
|
|
to press <F2> and a PCBoard Macro will pass your name and password.
|
|
This macro can be edited to do just about anything you could do
|
|
manually.
|
|
|
|
The scripts are part of the macro file in this program. Each
|
|
script can be labeled and assigned to a hot-key. Also, you can
|
|
designate a label to run from the dialing directory and when you
|
|
connect, the script will auto-run.
|
|
|
|
The help file, macro file, settings file and dialing directory are
|
|
all ASCII screens and can be edited to suit your individual needs for
|
|
almost anything one desires in a communications package.
|
|
|
|
Dialing multiple BBSs can be a pain with some term programs but
|
|
with {Commo} it's a breeze. Just mark the numbers you want to dial and
|
|
hit <Alt N>. The marked BBSs can be saved for later use or cleared
|
|
every time you exit the program. All you have to do is edit the Setup
|
|
file by answering yes or no to the setting.
|
|
|
|
Just when you're getting ready to download, in pops the SYSOP and
|
|
wants to chat. Hit <Alt -> (dash) and you have a split screen: SYSOP
|
|
types on the top half of the screen, you type on the bottom.
|
|
|
|
Trying to download that special file and forget its name? You are
|
|
in luck because {Commo} has a scroll back feature. Press <Alt K> to
|
|
view the contents of the buffer which is adjustable up to 64K. Handy
|
|
when you can't remember commands and the help screen just scrolled away.
|
|
Hitting <Alt I> appends the contents of the buffer to any designated
|
|
file.
|
|
|
|
This program is Desqview, Double Dos, and OmniView wise and the
|
|
documentation explains any problems you may have in setting it up. This
|
|
is a nice feature if you are downloading a file and want to play games
|
|
or write that special little memo to your Congressman.
|
|
|
|
Programs can be assigned to a number of Keys. The function keys
|
|
are available, as well as the combination of <Alt> and the functions
|
|
keys, <Ctrl> and the function keys, <Shift> and the function keys, plus
|
|
all the alpha and number keys. These key combinations should give just
|
|
about everyone enough room to do anything they want. I have put Silly
|
|
Little Mail Reader on one key and PKZMENU on another. List is attached
|
|
to Shift-F8 as a default so long as you have the LIST program. {Commo}
|
|
will execute any program and if you use the swap switch, {Commo} will
|
|
only take up 2K while you run another program.
|
|
|
|
Support is provided by the author, and he gives his voice
|
|
telephone number in addition to several boards which support
|
|
{Commo}. A {Commo} conference is carried on the U'NI-net network. The
|
|
author is active within the conference and responds to unregistered
|
|
users who freely admit using the program past the 30 day trial period.
|
|
Currently, there are two conversations going on: 1. Why is there so
|
|
little activity, and 2. A To-Do list for Macros. Recently (July 22)
|
|
a user volunteered to write any macro if someone just told him
|
|
what they wanted. Nice, eh?
|
|
|
|
Is the program so bug free there is no need for conversation? Who
|
|
cares. The other line of talk is on the settings and whether to use the
|
|
.SET file or the .MAC file.
|
|
|
|
Thirty days is not long enough to give a good evaluation to this
|
|
program, unless all you have to do is pay the phone company and download
|
|
files. Using the program once a week for about an hour was enough to
|
|
get familiar with it enough to customize. Reading the documentation,
|
|
installing the program and customizing it for your individual boards,
|
|
colors, and settings is time consuming. The best part is the ability to
|
|
edit its files in your own word processor to speed it up, and most of
|
|
the defaults work untouched.
|
|
|
|
DISLIKES
|
|
|
|
The documentation is basically split into three parts: the DOC
|
|
file, Addendum, and the help file. The Addendum is an addition to
|
|
version 5.2 and is necessary if you intend to do extensive Scripts or
|
|
Macros. The necessary information is spread out over several documents
|
|
and is not all in one place. The documentation needs some work.
|
|
|
|
The default keys are familiar to most users of other terminal
|
|
programs, but in this program they are QUICK. <Alt S> shells you to
|
|
DOS, <Alt X> terminates the program and <Alt D> is the dialing
|
|
directory. When I first started using the program I accidentally hit
|
|
<Alt S> instead of <Alt D>. I didn't know I had shelled out but
|
|
thought I had terminated the program. Well, it happened a few more
|
|
times, and I finally figured out what happened and had 4 copies of
|
|
{Commo} running at the same time. The lesson to learn is be careful
|
|
with the keys.
|
|
|
|
RECOMMENDATIONS
|
|
|
|
Are you looking for a communications for the same reasons I was?
|
|
If you are, then COMMO53.ZIP might be a good choice for you. I would
|
|
recommend this program for anyone who has a lap top or who is cramped
|
|
for room. This is a small program which can be made to run lean and
|
|
mean or a robust program to have complex scripts which automate bulletin
|
|
boards, running just like Robocomm. If you are used to Procomm on the
|
|
desk top machine and need more room on the lap top machine then you can
|
|
customize {Commo} to run just like Procomm on the lap top and have the
|
|
best of both worlds. If you are going through the trouble to customize
|
|
it why not use it on the Desktop and save room? Just about every
|
|
feature can be customized to your desires. This is truly a
|
|
customizable program for everyone's individual tastes. This program,
|
|
as any, needs time and effort to install, but the rewards are worth the
|
|
trouble.
|
|
|
|
A good, small program, cheaper than some, costlier than others,
|
|
but few are quicker. This program has enormous capacity for automation,
|
|
customization, and individualization for any user whether expert or
|
|
novice. Give it try before you make your next purchase. You may save
|
|
some money and try it before you buy! Caveat Emptor.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Hannah Home
|
|
or
|
|
Something Serious For a Change.....
|
|
by Lurch Henson
|
|
|
|
Some of you may have seen the messages I've left in EZ-Net, and on
|
|
some of the BBSs in the area. The messages I'm referring to are the
|
|
ones that talk about Hannah Home. Hannah Home is a place, and a
|
|
program, that helps battered women and children. It gives them a safe
|
|
place to stay, food to eat, and clothes to wear. It provides many more
|
|
things for them as well, like counseling and other forms of care they
|
|
might need, when they need it. A couple of weeks ago I went to sit in
|
|
when one of their recruiters gave a talk about the Home, and though I
|
|
disagreed with a lot of what he said, I did agree with the need for the
|
|
program. I, unfortunately, can't offer a lot to the program, since I am
|
|
in a low/no income situation myself. I can, though, tell all of you
|
|
about them, and you can help out.
|
|
|
|
One of the things we were told was that Hannah Home had burned down
|
|
awhile back, and that this had caused them to have to ask for help from
|
|
some of the other organizations in town. King's Ranch had buildings
|
|
they weren't using at the time, so they put up the mothers and children
|
|
that were now homeless, and are keeping them until the new Hannah Home
|
|
can be finished. When the people from Hannah Home and King's Ranch sat
|
|
down and looked over a lot of their programs, they saw they were wasting
|
|
a lot of effort by duplicating much of what they did, so they decided to
|
|
join forces and see if they could help more people by better using their
|
|
resources. From what they say, they're reaching more and more people
|
|
all the time, and King's Ranch reports that their income has jumped from
|
|
joining up with Hannah Home, because of Hannah Home's Thrift Stores.
|
|
|
|
Which brings me to how you can help out. The Thrift Stores are
|
|
where the things you donate end up. If you have anything laying around
|
|
that you'd really like to get rid of, but you just haven't been able to
|
|
get up the motivation to drag it out to the dump, or donation box, then
|
|
you can call the Thrift Store and have them come and pick it up from
|
|
you, without you having to put any more effort into it than getting it
|
|
ready for pickup. All sorts of things can be donated, working and non-
|
|
working, and they will be fixed up and sold, the money generated by the
|
|
sales going to help out the people served by Hannah Home and King's
|
|
Ranch. Here's a partial list of things you can donate......
|
|
|
|
window air conditioners
|
|
small appliances - working or not
|
|
bedding - blankets, sheets, quilts, spreads, etc.
|
|
books - hardbacks, paperbacks, bibles, etc.
|
|
bicycles, tricycles, motorcycles, etc.
|
|
brooms and mops
|
|
clothing - mens', womens', childrens', including shoes and purses
|
|
clocks, computers, calculators, etc.
|
|
curtains and drapes
|
|
flatware and silverware
|
|
furniture - all types and any type
|
|
games and toys, etc.
|
|
jewelry and accessories
|
|
lawn mowers, yard tools and equipment
|
|
linens - sheets, pillowcases, towels, tablecloths, etc.
|
|
microwaves, toasters, blenders, mixers, etc.
|
|
office equipment - typewriters, adding machines, etc.
|
|
plants and flowers - real or artificial
|
|
pots, pans, cookware
|
|
radios, stereos, speakers, amplifiers, cameras, lighting, etc.
|
|
televisions
|
|
|
|
As you can see, there are a lot of things they will take. About
|
|
the only things they won't come out and pick up are major appliances,
|
|
like refrigerators, or LARGE furniture that needs A LOT of work, like
|
|
recovering a couch that someone was axe-murdered on. If you have some
|
|
of these things laying around your house or garage, and you want to get
|
|
rid of them (or if your wife has been telling you to clean out the
|
|
garage for the past 10 years, and you finally get around to it), then
|
|
all you have to do is call the Thrift Store, bag or box it up, mark it
|
|
HH or Hannah Home, and put it out on your front porch. They will be
|
|
glad to send a truck out to pick it up, and will leave you a receipt, so
|
|
you can claim it to Uncle Sam when April rolls around again (like it
|
|
always does), and he starts telling you that you have to pay him for all
|
|
the money you made this year..... If you have something that you aren't
|
|
sure they'll take, ask them when you call to request pickup. If you
|
|
want to donate, then just call 856-1234 and give them my name (Jim
|
|
Henson or Lurch Henson, whichever you prefer), and they will be more
|
|
than happy to set up a special pickup for you. They need all the help
|
|
they can get providing help to all the battered and abused women and
|
|
children around, because there are already more out there than there
|
|
ever should have been in the first place..... One is one too many.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Online Service Review
|
|
by Eric Hunt
|
|
|
|
America Online
|
|
America Online, Inc.
|
|
8619 Westwood Center Drive
|
|
Vienna, VA 22182
|
|
|
|
A refreshing change is coming to the online services arena. It is a
|
|
move away from the text oriented line by line services of the past (such
|
|
as CompuServe, GEnie, Delphi, etc) to an environment dominated by the
|
|
mouse and easy to use commands and functions. Prodigy was the first, and
|
|
now comes America Online.
|
|
|
|
America Online is a pay-per-use information service originating in
|
|
Vienna, Virginia. It utilizes the Geoworks Ensemble GUI as an access
|
|
front end. Instead of typing in arcane commands to read messages,
|
|
download files, and search for information, America Online offers you
|
|
complete mouse control over actions taken. There are colorful, easy to
|
|
understand icons everywhere. Geoworks serves a pleasant environment,
|
|
offering MOTIF-style menus and dialogues. If you are familiar with
|
|
Windows, you should have no trouble using America Online.
|
|
|
|
Installing the front-end software is easy, taking about 10 minutes.
|
|
Then, a toll-free call is made automatically to find out the local
|
|
access numbers for your area. After that, signing on just requires a
|
|
credit card or checking account number. Full and complete access is
|
|
granted immediately, no validation time is required. Since this is a
|
|
commercial service, there is never a time limit. You pay for the time
|
|
spent online. Current access charges are in line with other services. A
|
|
$7.95/month access charge is levied, but that comes with 2 free hours of
|
|
usage every month. After those two hours, you are charged $6 an hour, 24
|
|
hrs a day, for usage. There is no 9600 access, only 300-2400.
|
|
|
|
The service itself is very user-friendly. Different services and
|
|
features are accessed through "GO" keywords. Pulling down a menu and
|
|
selecting GO brings up a box where you type in a keyword. Alternatively,
|
|
navigating through the services hierarchy can get you to the same place,
|
|
albeit a little slower. Using AOL (as it's commonly referred to) is
|
|
unlike using any other BBS or online service. You really don't get the
|
|
impression you're online with a service. It's quite refreshing. The
|
|
range of activities and forums available is immense, and growing daily.
|
|
Many major computer/peripheral/software makers are also beginning to
|
|
provide support via AOL. PC World magazine recently selected AOL to be
|
|
the home for its online area (similar to ZiffNet on CompuServe or
|
|
Prodigy.) There are online chat round table discussions, tutorials, you
|
|
name it, it's probably happening on AOL. Finally, an email gateway has
|
|
recently been installed, allowing members on AOL to send and receive
|
|
messages to people on the global academic/research computer network
|
|
commonly called The Internet.
|
|
|
|
While AOL might shine in the range of services and message areas,
|
|
the file areas are still in a growing stage. I found the Matrix here
|
|
locally to have a much wider selection of files available for download
|
|
than AOL. With the file libraries, the Geoworks front end again shines.
|
|
Gone are the complicated protocol selection and download procedures.
|
|
When browsing libraries, there is a 'SAVE' button, which saves the
|
|
selected file onto your hard drive. You supply a location, and AOL takes
|
|
it from there. A welcome change for online veterans, and a lifesaver for
|
|
the newcomer to computers and online procedures. Batch file saving is
|
|
not available, although I hear it is definitely coming in future
|
|
releases of the frontend software.
|
|
|
|
The picture is not all rosy and bright, for AOL is not without it's
|
|
quirks and annoyances. The most obvious is in the area of message
|
|
folders (bases). One cannot reply to a message! At the bottom of every
|
|
message displayed is a button for 'Adding a Message,' which can only be
|
|
taken to mean 'Reply.' Once you've started adding a message, the only
|
|
way you can quote portions of the original into your own is to use the
|
|
cut and paste facilities available. Cumbersome, and not immediately
|
|
obvious to someone who is not intimately familiar with GUIs. Another
|
|
shortfall is the non-ability to download new messages and reply offline.
|
|
This might be an academic point, however, as we *are* talking about an
|
|
online pay-as-you-use service here. One can hope, however. Lastly, a
|
|
feature to immediately compose a reply to the author of a post via EMAIL
|
|
would be enormously helpful. The lack of a Windows 3.x frontend to AOL
|
|
is becoming a larger and larger problem, as the worldwide usage of
|
|
Windows 3.x increases. However, little birdies again have told me that a
|
|
Windows 3.x frontend is on tap for sometime in the future. Time will
|
|
tell.
|
|
|
|
America Online is a refreshing change from the humdrum online
|
|
services available today. The easy to use GUI interface makes using it a
|
|
breeze, as well as opening up the world of telecommunications to the
|
|
computer user who might have been intimidated before by all the
|
|
techo-babble surrounding more traditional services. AOL does not attempt
|
|
to censor or filter messages left by their users, both publicly and
|
|
privately, and THAT in itself is a big plus in my book. This doesn't
|
|
mean users are turning into potty mouths (that's not allowed), it means
|
|
they can feel free to express their true opinion on any subject without
|
|
the specter of their message being removed and/or their account being
|
|
revoked. As AOL grows and matures, the file bases will likewise grow,
|
|
and the service itself will turn into a major player for the growing
|
|
online services market. With all the pluses, I don't see where they can
|
|
go wrong or loose.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
To Own a Fast Modem
|
|
by Dean Costello
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sometime in March: Mark Maisel says to me, "Dean, I can get you a
|
|
9600 modem for about $300. You interested?"
|
|
I replied, "Yeah, I guess." "It's also a fax
|
|
modem." "Lovely, why would I need it?" "I
|
|
dunno, but it's there." "Okay."
|
|
|
|
Sometime in May: Mark says, "Dean, your modem came in." I
|
|
replied,"Umm. I'll give you the money when I
|
|
wander down. Alright?" Mark answers, "I
|
|
don't think that Kathy would mind."
|
|
|
|
July 2: Arrive in Birmingham for vacation. See modem for the
|
|
first time. Neat-o. See Mark's. Very small, 4 inches
|
|
by 6 inches by 1.5 inches. Just like my Supra 2400.
|
|
Read box:
|
|
|
|
"Now there's a state-of-the-art data modem with fax capabilities
|
|
too--and at an amazingly affordable price."
|
|
|
|
"On the data side, the SupraFAXModem V.32bis features 14,400 bps
|
|
communications with up to 57,600 bps throughput with another modem that
|
|
supports both V.32bis and V.42bis data compression. All this speed means
|
|
you'll save time online and money spent on connect charges and
|
|
long-distance calls! And of course, the SupraFAXModem V.32bis also
|
|
maintains downward compatibility with the millions of V.32, 2400, and
|
|
1200 bps modems already in use."
|
|
|
|
"With appropriate fax software (which must support Class I,II, or
|
|
III fax commands), you can quickly send high-quality faxes without ever
|
|
leaving your desk--you'll wonder how you ever managed before! You'll
|
|
also be able to automatically receive faxes and then print or archive
|
|
them electronically."
|
|
|
|
"To top it off, the SupraFAXModem also has a revolutionary status
|
|
display that constantly gives the modem's status--25 different displays
|
|
to make your telecom tasks even easier!"
|
|
|
|
July 4: Open modem. Like the smell of ozone that oozed from the
|
|
shrink wrap. In ecstasy. Pick up modem, note a
|
|
clunking noise. Crash to the earth, modem not good.
|
|
Mark hooks modem to his computer (very easy, DB25
|
|
connection, 9-volt power supply wire, phone line in and
|
|
out sockets). Works like charm. Connects to Crunchy
|
|
Frog (HST Dual Standard), achieves transfer times of
|
|
1650 characters per second. Life good. Disconnect
|
|
modem from Mark's 486 with 16550 communication port. No
|
|
clunking, back to the heights of ecstasy. Dave Stanton
|
|
arrives. Mark tells Dave of clunking. Dave picks up
|
|
modem and starts to whip it around in order to generate
|
|
clunking. Achieves clunking while I have evil angina
|
|
pectoralis. Dave tears modem apart (front piece slides
|
|
off, chassis held together with two screws) to determine
|
|
source of clunking. Sight going, everything fading to
|
|
gray. Dave finds that the clunking noise is from the
|
|
modem speaker. Reattaches modem speaker to chip it was
|
|
glued on. Starting to come back from the white tunnel
|
|
with Granpa and Elvis at the end. Puts back together.
|
|
Whips modem around: no clunking. Chest pains starts to
|
|
fade. Happier.
|
|
|
|
July 5: Attempt fax. Unit came with Windows(tm) fax software.
|
|
Unfortunately, don't use either Windows or an IBM-
|
|
compatible computer. Mark uses the DOS fax software to
|
|
fax a message to my home office in Fairfax, VA. Very
|
|
easy to use, and apparently the message got through.
|
|
Impressive beast so far <note: Resulting fax was
|
|
inspected at office. Not impressive at all. Bottom
|
|
third of fax was missing. Still few flaws here and
|
|
there.>
|
|
|
|
July 5-11: Mark uses my modem for his use during this time
|
|
period. Seems to work like a charm. Mark does not
|
|
report any problems with modem during week. At end
|
|
of period, pack it up and move it to Oakton, VA.
|
|
|
|
July 11: Got home, pissed, then unpacked the modem and hooked it
|
|
up to my Atari ST. Already owned a Supra Modem 2400,
|
|
and hooked the V.32bis up to the Atari the same way the
|
|
2400 was. Used the software handy (Interlink, version
|
|
1.75, December 1987) and called Crunchy Frog (205-956-
|
|
1755, HST Dual Standard). Connected at 14,400. Went
|
|
through log-on, modem reported TE (transmission error)
|
|
and dropped carrier. Crushed. Not happy. Tried again.
|
|
Couldn't connect at all. Very unhappy. Tried other
|
|
node. No Connect. VERY unhappy. Called Dave Stanton's
|
|
board (already owned SupraFAXModem). Connected at
|
|
14,400. Happier. Tried Crunchy Frog again. Got
|
|
through at 14,400. Connection seemed steady. Left
|
|
message, noticed some hesitations. Noted that modem was
|
|
transmitting at 7200. Not very fast. Tried downloading
|
|
file. Downloaded a 1K packet (Z-modem) every four
|
|
seconds. Hmm, just like a 2400 baud modem. Crushed
|
|
again. Noted that comm software's settings were at 2400
|
|
baud. Might be connection here. Maxed out comm
|
|
software to 19,200. Tried Bill Walsh's MetroNet board.
|
|
Connected at 14,400. Decided to try my hand at
|
|
downloading files again. Watched a download progress at
|
|
1650 cps. Had orgasm watching same. Dreamed the dreams
|
|
of the righteous.
|
|
|
|
July 12: Experimented with calling boards in D.C. and Birmingham.
|
|
Life is good. Figure out that even though the modem
|
|
will connect at 14,400, the software will only allow
|
|
downloads at the speed indicated for each BBS. In other
|
|
words, was getting slow downloads from Frog yesterday
|
|
since the calling directory used claimed that Crunchy
|
|
Frog was a 2400 board (I remember those days, I might
|
|
add, but that is a story best left to Tim Straughn).
|
|
Begin to call all kinds of boards, high-speed modem or
|
|
not, to celebrate my new, apparently functioning modem.
|
|
Like it, and don't have to dick around with all the
|
|
settings that have seen the PC-drones diddle with when
|
|
they get their very first high-speed modem.
|
|
|
|
July 13: Tried calling Matrix (205-323-6016) four times.
|
|
Connected but nothing else (no logon process). Somewhat
|
|
annoyed. Discovered that Supra has absolutely nothing
|
|
for the ST in the way of fax software. Have to call
|
|
Joppa Computer (1-800-876-6040) to order fax software.
|
|
Will cost $70. Promise to work nicely with my modem.
|
|
Not happy. Will have to talk to Supra people about
|
|
cutting me some slack on the cost of the package. A
|
|
rebate would be appreciated, especially being that my
|
|
old modem was a Supra 2400, one of my hard drives is a
|
|
20mb Supra Miniscribe, and the other one is a 44mb Supra
|
|
Syquest. Damn it, they owe me.
|
|
|
|
July 14: Hooks into 2400 baud systems nicely. Might have to
|
|
monkey around with some of the settings, am bothered by
|
|
a hesitation before dialing. About .75 seconds, but
|
|
enough to be annoying. Quickly coming to conclusion
|
|
that am not going to save money with modem, but just
|
|
going to call more long distance boards. Got 1450cps
|
|
from Bill Walsh's MetroNet system. Happy. Got 1000cps
|
|
from Bill Freeman's Adanet system. Not quite as happy,
|
|
but nevertheless very tolerable. Told me he has a USR
|
|
Dual Standard. Don't necessarily believe him. But not
|
|
saying he lies, he will attempt to sue me. But that may
|
|
be grounds for slander, so guess had better stop while
|
|
still own something ("Keep talking, Counselor; I can use
|
|
the money." -V. Fuentes). Have feeling that by next
|
|
week anything under 1500cps is very pedestrian, and
|
|
anything below 9600 is simply not worth calling. Hope
|
|
not, but know self.
|
|
|
|
July 21 Call Joppa Computer to find out about fax software.
|
|
Said that they would mail 2nd day air. Week later, no
|
|
software. Call order department. Said problem with
|
|
credit card. Why didn't they call house? Would not
|
|
say. They had my home phone number. Hang up phone in
|
|
disgust. Have noticed that a lot of Atari software/
|
|
hardware dealers have attitude of "We don't need you.
|
|
You need us." Attitude has gotten worse with decreased
|
|
number of dealers. Will avoid buying anything from
|
|
Joppa in future. Sloppy customer relations.
|
|
|
|
July 26 Modem is now part of normal operations. Got over the
|
|
overwhelming desire to download copious quantities of
|
|
large files ("Why am I downloading big-ass GIF files?
|
|
Because I can." -B. Thorn). Seems to work fairly well.
|
|
Some problems that still exist:
|
|
|
|
1). It doesn't have fax software for the ST. It came
|
|
bundled with IBM or Mac software. For Christ's sake, I
|
|
have over $2,000 of Supra peripherals hanging onto my
|
|
system right now, it would have been nice to have fax
|
|
software available for my computer. And I already have
|
|
discussed the 'nice' people at Joppa Computer.
|
|
|
|
2). No one will tell me the deal with flow control and the
|
|
problems the ST has in its serial port. When I ask I
|
|
usually get something like, "Well, it's obvious. The
|
|
blahblahblah port protocol command structure
|
|
blahblahblah CRC flow rates blahblahblah 1K buffer
|
|
control," or words to that effect. That's a real clue
|
|
to my problems. If I cared, I would research it. I
|
|
don't, I just want things to run fairly efficiently.
|
|
|
|
On the whole, I like this thing. Eventually, I reckon, I will
|
|
understand the more esoteric controls on the beast. Just paging through
|
|
the "Reference Card", I see commands like V.42 negotiation action
|
|
(0,7,128), programmable transmit level, and desired DCE line speed.
|
|
These are apparently not important for my day-to-day use, since I
|
|
haven't been forced to fool with them yet. I am puzzled by why some
|
|
high-speed modems I contact allow transfer times of upwards of 1600cps,
|
|
while others allow 1350 or so, and still others allow 1050-1100, and yet
|
|
others will not connect at all. It is not important enough to me to
|
|
determine the problem at this time.
|
|
|
|
Well, recommendation time. Do I recommend it? For my purpose
|
|
(occasional phone calls to BBS), I do recommend it. For fax work,
|
|
however, I really do not know. The one fax that I saw the results of
|
|
had the bottom half of it removed. One example is not enough to draw a
|
|
proper conclusion from, though. For $300-350, it seems to be a pretty
|
|
good deal. The other Supra hardware that I have has functioned very
|
|
well, and I see no reason to assume that this fax modem would perform
|
|
any less. Keep in mind that there seems to be an awful lot of other
|
|
modems that perform like the Supra in the same basic price range (Zoom
|
|
and Practical Peripherals come to mind). If you want to fill your hard
|
|
drive real fast, this would be the way to do it.
|
|
|
|
Editor's Note: This modem has turned out to be a pretty good purchase
|
|
for both Dean and I. I have experienced some problems
|
|
connecting to certain boards, but most of that is a
|
|
result of the way they have configured their modems. My
|
|
speaker of late has started working only intermittently.
|
|
I have not cracked the case to attempt a repair because
|
|
of concerns over my warranty. Supra says they are going
|
|
to ship upgrades to their ROMs for users to install very
|
|
soon. When they do, I will see what can be done for the
|
|
speaker. I would like to thank Jeff Freeman of Front
|
|
Porch Computers for helping us to get hold of these
|
|
modems. He can help you if you are interested at
|
|
1-800-GO-PORCH. MM
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Bulletin Board Spotlight
|
|
by Eric Hunt
|
|
|
|
Questions
|
|
|
|
1) Name of the BBS:
|
|
|
|
Computer Monthly[ee] BBS ("ee" for "electronic edition")
|
|
|
|
2) Name of the sysop:
|
|
|
|
Ron Albright and Eric Hunt, Co-Sysops
|
|
|
|
3) BBS software used:
|
|
|
|
Oracomm Version 6.0
|
|
|
|
4) How long have you been sysoping:
|
|
|
|
30 months
|
|
|
|
5) Are you a subscription only / completely free / hybrid of the
|
|
two BBS?
|
|
|
|
Completely free
|
|
|
|
6) How many incoming phone lines and approximate disk space? Do
|
|
you support high speed modems? If so, what type(s)?
|
|
|
|
Two lines; 300 megabytes; 2400 baud max
|
|
|
|
7) Is your BBS primarily a files BBS, primarily a message based
|
|
BBS, or a combination of the two?
|
|
|
|
Messages and files
|
|
|
|
8) If you've sysop'd more than just this BBS, briefly list previous
|
|
endeavors and their life spans.
|
|
|
|
Currently sysoping another active BBS - the Disktop Publishing
|
|
BBS. A Wildcat 3.0 system, one line; active since April, 1991
|
|
|
|
9) What made you decide to take the masochistic plunge and become a
|
|
sysop:
|
|
|
|
I enjoy the learning process and the technological challenge.
|
|
|
|
10) What is the general 'thrust' or area of specialty for your BBS:
|
|
|
|
The CM[ee] BBS is designed to support the readers and
|
|
subscribers of the Computer Monthly magazine, a locally
|
|
published magazine with 250,000 subscribers.
|
|
|
|
11) (optional) What is your regular job/career to support this
|
|
leeching hobby of sysoping?
|
|
|
|
Physician (M.D.)
|
|
|
|
12) What are your plans for the coming year?
|
|
|
|
To survive thunderstorms and power surges.
|
|
|
|
13) Where would you like your BBS to go over the next 5 years?
|
|
|
|
Faster modem support is probably the only major changes in the
|
|
foreseeable future.
|
|
|
|
14) What do you feel the highlights of your BBS are?
|
|
|
|
A well-rounded system with a good file selection and a fairly
|
|
active (and unusual) message base, courtesy of some regular
|
|
users.
|
|
|
|
15) What is your personal vision of the 'ideal user?'
|
|
|
|
A message-leaver.
|
|
|
|
16) What is the thing you've enjoyed most about providing your BBS?
|
|
|
|
Observing others use it to communicate their ideas and opinions
|
|
with others. Seeing people be their crazy selves without the
|
|
constraints of face-to-face interaction.
|
|
|
|
17) What is the thing you've enjoyed least about providing your BBS?
|
|
|
|
Thunderstorms and power surges wiping out the message base. I
|
|
have, so far, been fortunate enough to not have any troublesome
|
|
users or more typical sysop woes.
|
|
|
|
18) What is the funniest story you can tell about your BBS and/or your
|
|
users?
|
|
|
|
The "Case of The Disappearing Messages" that occurred this summer
|
|
after a thunderstorm corrupted the message base. For several
|
|
days after the messages were "reconstructed," people would leave
|
|
messages and they would, after a few days, mysteriously be
|
|
erased when the BBS cleaned up. I suspect the pointers in the
|
|
indexes were really botched. It was funny how the users reacted
|
|
to their disappearing messages...you had to be there.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
SIG's (Special Interest Groups), Computer Related
|
|
-------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
BEPCUG CCS
|
|
Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South
|
|
Jefferson Sate Jr. College Springville Road Library
|
|
Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114 2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
|
|
3rd Friday, 7-9 PM 3rd Monday (Amiga)
|
|
Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM) 7:30-10 PM
|
|
|
|
BCCC BIPUG
|
|
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group
|
|
POB 59564 UAB Nutrition Science Blg
|
|
Birmingham, Al 35259 RM 535/541
|
|
UAB School of Education, Rm 153 1st Sunday (delayed one week
|
|
2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM if meeting is a holiday)
|
|
Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Marty Schulman 967-5883
|
|
|
|
BACE FAOUG
|
|
Birmingham Atari Computer First Alabama Osborne Users
|
|
Enthusiast Group
|
|
Vestavia Library, downstairs Homewood Library
|
|
2nd Monday, 7 PM 1st Saturday, 1PM
|
|
Benny Brown 822-5059 Ed Purquez 669-5200
|
|
|
|
CADUB BGS/CIG
|
|
CAD Users of Birmingham Birmingham Genealogical Society/
|
|
Homewood Library Computer Interest Group
|
|
3rd Tuesday, 6:30PM-8:30PM Birmingham Public Library
|
|
Bobby Benson 791-0426 3rd Floor Auditorium
|
|
3rd Sunday, 2:30 PM
|
|
Robert Matthews 631-9783 or
|
|
Bone Yard BBS
|
|
|
|
RAHSPCUG
|
|
Ramsay Alternative High School PC Users Group
|
|
Ramsay High School
|
|
1800 13th Avenue South
|
|
last Wednesday of each month (September-April)
|
|
from 3:02-3:35
|
|
Lee Nocella 581-5120
|
|
|
|
SIG's, Non-Computer Related
|
|
---------------------------
|
|
|
|
BBC Birmingham Astronomy Club
|
|
Blue Box Companions Subject: Astronomy
|
|
Subject: Dr. Who Red Mountain Museum Annex
|
|
Hoover Library 4th Tuesday, 7:30PM
|
|
1st Saturday, 2PM-5PM
|
|
|
|
If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed,
|
|
please let us know by sending E-Mail to Barry Bowden on
|
|
The Matrix BBS.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area
|
|
|
|
NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE
|
|
SUPPORTED TYPE
|
|
|
|
129 ADAnet One Nodes 1-3 854-9074 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
129 ADAnet One Node 4 854-5863 9600-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
1 Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
|
|
1_ Amiga Alliance ][ 631-0262 300-2400 V.32bis PCBoard 14.5
|
|
4(0 Arkham Asylum 853-7422 300-14400 USR DS VBBS 5.50
|
|
( Asgard 663-9171 300-2400 WWIV 4.11
|
|
Baudville Node 1 640-4593 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
|
|
Baudville Node 2 640-4639 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
|
|
Baudville Node 3 640-7243 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
|
|
Baudville Node 4 640-7286 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
|
|
13 Bus System 595-1627 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
|
|
17= Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 USR HST WWIV 4.12
|
|
CM(ee) BBS Node 1 655-4059 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
CM(ee) BBS Node 2 655-4065 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Camelot 856-679 300-2400 Telegard 2.5
|
|
16 Channel 8250 Node 1 744-8546 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
16 Channel 8250 Node 2 744-5166 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
$ Christian Apologetic 808-0763 300-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 3.00
|
|
13_ Crunchy Frog Node 1 956-1755 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
13_ Crunchy Frog Node 2 956-0073 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
Deep Space 9 980-1089 300-2400 Wildcat!
|
|
Disktop Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.02
|
|
Drawing Room 951-2391 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.02
|
|
EcoBBS 933-2238 300-2400 WWIV 4.21
|
|
Elysian Fields 620-0694 300-2400 Telegard 2.7
|
|
-^ F/X BBS Node 1 823-5777 300-14400 USR HST PC Board 14.5
|
|
-^ F/X BBS Node 2 822-4570 300-14400 V.32bis PC Board 14.5
|
|
-^ F/X BBS Node 3 822-4526 300-14400 V.32bis PC Board 14.5
|
|
12 Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
Final Frontier 681-6148 300-2400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
Genesis Online 4 Nodes 620-4144 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
|
|
Graphics Zone Node 1 870-5306 300-2400 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
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Graphics Zone Node 2 870-5329 300-2400 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
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Hacker's Corner 674-5449 1200-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5
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1 Hard Disk 987-0794 300-9600 V.32bis PCBoard 14.5
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$* Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 1200-2400 Wildcat! 3.02
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2 I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 300-9600 USR HST Remote Access
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( Infinite Probability 791-0421 2400-9600 V.32 VBBS
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Intruder Enterprizes 969-0870 300-9600 V.32 VBBS 5.5
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Island 870-4685 300-2400 Hermes 2.0
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13 Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-14400 USR DS PC Board 14.5
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Killing Fields 780-8845 300-2400 WWIV 4.21
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4( Kiriath Arba 681-8374 300-2400 WWIV 4.21
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Lemon Grove 836-1184 300-12000 V.32bis Searchlight
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15 Little Kingdom Node 1 969-0007 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
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15 Little Kingdom Node 2 969-0008 300-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5
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1- Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-14400 USR HST PCBoard 14.2
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# Medicine Man BBS 664-5662 300-14000 V.32bis GTPower 17.00
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29 MetaBoard 254-3344 300-14400 USR DS Opus
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Missing Link 853-1257 300-2400 C-Net
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^&* Night Watch 841-2790 1200-2400 TriBBS 2.11
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= Nirvana 942-6702 300-2400 WWIV 4.21
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# Owlabama BBS 856-2521 300-2400 GTPower 17.00
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13_ Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
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^&* Party Line 856-1336 300-2400 TriBBS 2.11
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&* Playground 836-4200 300-2400 TriBBS 2.11
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Pooh's Korner 980-8710 300-14400 USR DS Remote Access
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% Pro-Electric 980-8836 300-9600 V.32 Proline 2.065
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# Safe Harbor Node 1 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 17.00
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# Safe Harbor Node 2 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 17.00
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Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
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1 ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
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= Teasers 987-0122 300-2400 WWIV 4.20
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2 The Bone Yard 631-6023 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
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The Castle 841-7618 300-2400 C-Base 2.0
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The Den 933-8744 300-9600 USR HST ProLogon/ProDoor
|
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1378-% The MATRIX Nodes 1-10 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
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1378-% The MATRIX Nodes 11-14 323-6016 9600-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
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1378-% The MATRIX Node 15 458-3449 9600-14400 V.32 PCBoard 14.5
|
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The Monster 967-4839 300-2400 Telegard 2.7
|
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2 The Outer Limits 425-5871 1200-9600 USR HST Wildcat! 3.01
|
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The Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNET
|
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The Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC
|
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The Song Remains ... 995-0794 300-2400 VBBS
|
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The Wanderer 836-0603 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.00
|
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( The Word 833-2831 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
|
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Thy Master's Dungeon 940-2116 300-9600 V.32 TriBBS 2.11
|
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Torch Song 328-1517 300-2400 Wildcat 3.01
|
|
Warrior River BBS 520-9540 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.02
|
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= Wild Side 631-0184 300-1200 WWIV 4.20
|
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Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
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Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
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Willie's DYM Node 3 979-7743 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Willie's DYM Node 4 979-8156 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300-1200 Unaxess
|
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|
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The many symbols you see prior to the names of many of the bbs' in the
|
|
list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange
|
|
or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion.
|
|
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1 = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
|
|
2 = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
3 = Metrolink, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
4 = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
5 = Intellec, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
6 = Uni'Net, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
7 = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
|
|
8 = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
9 = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
|
|
0 = VirtualNet, national network, multi-topic
|
|
- = RIME, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
= = TcNet, not certain at publication time
|
|
! =
|
|
@ =
|
|
# = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic
|
|
$ = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
% = InterNet, an international network, linking businesses,
|
|
universities, and bbs', multi-topic
|
|
^ = City2City, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
& = TriBBS Net, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
* = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south
|
|
eastern United States
|
|
( = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems
|
|
) = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic
|
|
_ = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented
|
|
= = ANet, a local network, adult oriented
|
|
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If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let us
|
|
know via EzNet.
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