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################################################################
# #
# BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News #
# #
################################################################
----------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT 1994 ISSN 1055-4548
----------------------------------------------------------------
Volume 7, Issue 9 Issue #73 December 1994
----------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------
article title author
----------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer/Statement of Policy.............................Staff
From The Editor.................................Scott Hollifield
Notes From The Trenches............................Dean Costello
A Lurker's View of the BBS World................James Viikinsalo
Is A CD-ROM Really Worth It?.........................Mark Maisel
Local Music in December.............................Judy Ranelli
Special Interest Groups (SIGs).........................Eric Hunt
Known BBS Numbers..........................................Staff
----------------------------------------------------------------
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
DISCLAIMER
AND STATEMENT OF POLICY
FOR BTN
################################################################
We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its
*editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
of such damages occurring.
With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time
but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a
particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a
person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of
the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their work and it
is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles from BTN
with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a reprint, in
which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise,
please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the
source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
please forward a copy of your publication to:
Mark Maisel
Publisher, BTN
606 Twin Branch Terrace
Birmingham, AL 35216
(205) 823-3956
We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
all of this and not get too serious about it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
FREEBIE!!!
GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT! Systems That Offer Free BTN
################################################################
The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is
with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
ADAnet One Alter-Ego Bone Yard
Bus System The Castle Channel 8250
C.A.B. The Comfy Chair! Crunchy Frog
DC Info Exchange Final Frontier The Guardian
Hardware Hotline Homewood's Hell Hole Joker's Castle
Leaping's Lounge Lemon Grove Lion's Den
Martyrdom Again?! The MATRIX Milliways BBS
The Outer Limits Owl's Nest Playground
Safe Harbor Southern Stallion Starbase 12
Thy Master's Dungeon Weekends BBS
(This list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and
therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.)
If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as
free BTN distributor. Thanks.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
NEWSFLASH!
NEWSFLASH!
NEWSFLASH!
################################################################
IS THIS MY LAST ISSUE
AS EDITOR?
Yes.
IS THIS THE LAST
ISSUE OF BTN?
Maybe.
See From The Editor
for details.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
FROM
THE EDITOR Scott Hollifield
################################################################
I've already announced this publicly on some BBS systems in town,
but in case you haven't heard... yes, I'm stepping down as editor of
BTN.
The reasons are several, and I don't feel like going into them
in any detail. Suffice it to say that I just felt I wasn't getting
enough yang for my yin. If anyone's interested, I can send you
a copy of the original annoucement which may make things a little
more plain.
In any case, I've had fun editing BTN, even if those moments of
fun alternated with times of unwelcome chore-dom, and I hope that
at least a few of you have enjoyed reading it.
The future of BTN is uncertain (at least to me), and rests entirely
in the hands of our esteemed publisher and former editor, Mark Maisel.
If you want to make your feelings known about the continuation of BTN,
I suggest you leave him e-mail on Crunchy Frog or The Matrix.
Thanks to Mark and to all our contributors: Dean, Damion, Judy,
Tim, Luke, James Minton, Gary, Eric, and the rest whose names are
known to those who matter. A special thanks to BTN first-timer James
Vikiinsalo, who was inspired by my resignation announcement to write
for BTN. If BTN continues under someone else's yoke, I hope James
will continue to write and help herd BTN along on its way to
Avalon.
As for myself, I intend to keep writing for BTN as a semi-regular
contributor, if Mark keeps the magazine going. If not, perhaps you'll
see my writing turn up elsewhere.
That's it! Term is over, classes have ended. See you next
semester.
Scott Hollifield
December 8, 1994
"ALL WE WANT IS EVERYTHING."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
(NO MORE)
NOTES FROM
THE TRENCHES Dean Costello
################################################################
"To sleep, perchance to dream, kinda."
or
What's Next?
On Thanksgiving, 1994, I was at Mark and Kathy Maisel's for dinner.
I have been assigned a nasty long-term field project in Tennessee and I
discovered early on that it was more of a strain to fly to Virginia (my
current home) on the weekend as opposed to just driving to Birmingham
to see friends. Mark promised me fireworks from family interaction, so
between the strain of flight, the promise of relatively free food, and
the sociology experiment, I couldn't resist the invitation.
No fireworks occurred, much to my and another's chagrin. The
other's name was Michelle, who was invited to the dinner under similar
circumstances as I. Well, kind of. She is a student at UAB getting her
master's degree, and she is apparently in a similar situation as I was
when I first got to Alabama in 1988. So it was kindred spirits who
lamented the fact that there was no catfights between Mark's family
members. She was pretty quick on her feet when it came to kibbitzing,
and I slowly realized that she may be the replacement I have been
looking for for several years.
Look, when I left Birmingham in early 1991, one of my bigger
regrets was that there was nobody who could assume my position as Mark's
bestest buddy (see "How To Be Mark's Bestest Buddy", BTN, #36, May,
1991). Mark felt that my replacement was going to be Bob Crawford. I
never met the person until Christmas 1991, and when I did, I thought to
myself, "You son-of-a-bitch. That's all the more you think of me?!?"
My personal choice was a person who went by the name of Tagyn Garnet. A
cute enough little person, she apparently was a transplant from the D.C.
area, and had many of my own idiosyncracies. Unfortunately, soon after
the party I met her at (December 1991, or so), she dropped away, not to
be heard from again until sometime earlier this year (ie. she lost the
initiative, to use a "Dungeons & Dragons" term).
Since then, nobody has really raised their head up into the rarified
strata of the Bestest Buddy. Jeff Russell took a swing at it; a
stealthy swing and a miss, strike one. I'm fairly sure Scott Kelly
stepped up to the plate also; caught the outside corner, strike two.
Ray Hugh, an auschlander, also took a turn at bat and admitted failure
in BTN #38 or so.
But Michelle has potential (according to the aforementioned article
on become a Bestest Buddy). Unfortunately, the opportunity I had to get
to know her was pretty much torpedoed by a Buddy Emeritus by the name of
Dave Stanton (Dave predates BBSs, and is therefore given the title of
Buddy Emeritus) who decided to Get Me Drunk on Thanksgiving Eve (well,
Mark just stated that "What are you doing using some kind of modern
trendy 'I'm a victim' bullshit?" Okay, granting Mark's point, I got
drunk with the encouragement of Dave Stanton; even though after about
1.5 hours I had no real conscious control over much of anything; after
all I am still responsible for myself, you know).
Actually, I would say that "drunk" is an understatment. Being drunk
implies memory, of which I had no. Mark's diagnosis was acute alcohol
poisoning; which may or may not be real. I woke the next morning
feeling kind of okay, albeit confused as to how I got undressed and into
bed. The first thought that crossed my mind is that I passed out
somewhere and They (Mark and Dave's wife Shelly) did something to me.
The second thought that occurred to me was, "Where were my clothes",
which I discovered were at the foot of the bed, intertwined with
Sarah's, Mark's 12-year-old daughter. Scenes of the evening were
started to return to me. I vaguely remember wandering upstairs sometime
during the evening naked, getting to the bathroom and noting,
consciously, that I was naked, and thinking I had better cover myself,
the only thing to cover myself being the shower curtain which I
subsequently tore down.
I got myself squared away and wandered upstairs to see what was
going on. Other people were awake by this point, and giggled as I
entered the room. I was a tad concerned by this. Apparently, over the
course of the prior evening, I had (crudely) sexually propositioned
everyone at the party, including Kathy (Mark's wife), Shelly (Dave's
wife), Dave, Michelle, Scott Hollifield, and Chris Mohney. It was a
subtle approach, something along the lines of "I must fuck X", with X
being one of the aforementioned objects of my at least temporary desire.
A lovely night, as can be well imagined (I just asked Mark if I tried
him. He stated no; I guess I just don't find him attractive).
I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about this blackout
business. You see, I had never blacked out, even when I was in
training for the Olympic drinking team back in college (Those were the
days: A bottle of Andre' pink to get the evening going, followed by a
liter or so of Popov vodka to keep the edge. If I were to try that
regime' now, I would implode). As a result, I wasn't sure what else I
may have done, above and beyond the shower curtain; and would Mark and
Kathy come down the stairs, frown at me (as if to say, "What audacity he
has to still be in our home"), and ask me in no uncertain terms to
return the house key, leave now, and don't return.
And I wouldn't have blamed them. I understood at a very visceral
level what was meant in the Jonathan Edwards sermon "Sinners at the Hand
of an Angry God". I was a sinner, I drank so much I couldn't even
remember what happened the night before, and I expected to still be
offered hospitality? Yeah right. I was a drunken wretch, deserving
nothing more than scorn and derision (Mark: We are gods, GODS, DAMMIT.
On your knees before our holy tolerance). I have to admit that I felt
better when Kathy came down, sat on the sofa near me, looked sadly at me
and said, "I feel awful". No scorn. No derision. Well, some derision
from Mark, but that is best left silent. In a land of less tolerant
individuals, I would have been skinned for what I attempted with their
daughter. But no, I was not. I did pay for lunch, though, and I feel I
got off light.
Mark was kind of curious as to why the theme I had for the night was
"I must fuck X". I admit I was kind of stumped. The only thing that I
could think of is that a joke I made before blacking out ("Dave, I must
fuck you!") kind of stuck in my brain long after upper-level mental
abilities called it a night, so it became a recurring topic of
discussion, or at least interrogation by me. <20>En Tequila Verdad? The
thought frightens me. Mark seems to feel that it is best to let ones
demons out to play every so often. I am a bit more sanguine about it,
and I just as soon bury the bitches as deep as possible and take my
changes.
I talked to Scott a couple of days after the Night of Evil. He
stated that it looks like I will never get a change to date Michelle. I
replied its not as bad as it looked since a couple of days later Mark,
Kathy, Michelle, and myself went on a long drive (prerequisite for being
a Bestest Buddy is the ability to go on long drives for no good reason).
He was suprised, and agreed that Michelle may be the new Bestest Buddy.
To be fair, though, the position of Bestest Buddy may already have
been rendered superfluous. Mark gave up BTN about 2 years ago or so
because (he says) he didn't have enough time to complete it. I kind of
frown at the thought, since I believe in my heart of hearts that saying,
"I don't have enough time" is very similar to saying, "I don't feel like
it". I lead a fairly busy life, yet I can still find enough time to do
various random things, but I can kind of see it at some level with Mark.
But Scott?
In which lies my confusion. When I read magazines or newspapers,
watch television, or otherwise input data, and things are not making
sense, or the conclusions are off-the-wall, or whatever, I have a
built-in "Bullshit Meter" that starts to go off. As I read Scott's
'resignation' messages a couple of days ago, I noted the meters were
going off. Not enough time?
His protestations to the contrary, I cannot see how Scott cannot
have enough time to do BTN. As I was typing in some ideas for this
piece, I have here a description of Scott: "Scott's a dink who has no
apparent time management skills and less of an ability to determine
priorities." The half-dozen or so Star Trek feeds he reads on a daily
basis is Very Important. [Editor's Note: As has been noted before,
replace "half-dozen" with "one".] Proofreading an issue of "BTN"
apparently ranks below clipping finger nails. If he would have said,
"Look, I'm tired of doing this, its a chore, its annoying, and I am not
getting dick out of it, therefore I ain't gonna edit no more" I don't
think that I would have thought too much about it. Probably a quick
"Bloody about time", since I have been annoyed that the editorial
changes he claimed he was going to make never really were made. But is
Scott sincere about his reasoning? I don't think so, and I don't like
the smoke-and-mirrors "There are so many demands on my time that..."
explanation. But, to be fair, its a done deal, Bubba. It's all over
except for the posing.
And there you have it. Is there going to be anymore? Maybe, maybe
not. Should there be anymore? I can't answer that question. I like
the idea for the very selfish position that I like to get my polemics
into print/type/whatever. My real job as an environmental scientist
really doesn't lend itself to creative writing as this level, so I take
what media that I can. Res ipsa loquitor.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
A LURKER'S VIEW
OF THE BBS WORLD James Viikinsalo
################################################################
Okay, the first question I have to ask myself is "Why in the
world did I jump out of my comfortable lurking mode, into the
spotlight, to submit this article?" The reasons for a lurker (such as
myself) for performing this madcap feat may be quite complex. To
explain this bizarre phenomenon, let me try to illustrate why lurking
has such appeal to so many. I will then attempt to explain how the BBS
world looks, as seen from the eyes of a lurker.
What is a lurker? To me, a lurker is a BBS user who generally
(if not always) prefers to remain in the background. Lurkers always
use an off-line mail reader (OLR), so they can browse the message bases
without being "bothered" by terrifying chat requests. A typical lurker
will pull a fair amount of mail from several different boards, but
never participate in discussions on any of them. He or she may be very
much aware of what is happening on the local BBS scene, participating
vicariously through the actions of others. I suspect that a good many
lurkers also read BTN. By keeping up with the message bases, most
lurkers are probably quite PC-literate, and thus are able to offer
technical help to those in need (although most lurkers must suspect
that the person asking for help is a desperate lurker themself). A
lurker of this variety may have other friends who are fellow lurkers as
well. This type of lurker is generally a nice person, just a little
bit shy. They may actually turn off their "lurking mode" (a switch,
which can be toggled on or off as needed) if a discussion really piques
their interest. Most sysops tolerate this type of lurker quite well,
as they may occasionally contribute to the activity of the board.
A different type of lurker is the file scavenger. He or she has
absolutely no interest in the message base (might not even know one
exists, or if so they have no intention of reading it). Their sole
purpose for BBSing is to add to their ever-expanding file collection
(utilities, games, whatever). Most lurkers of this type have an
average of 200 downloads and 0 uploads for every board on which they
still have an account. I believe that this type of lurker is often
times new to the fascinating world of BBSing, and just doesn't know
any better. If this is the case, they may also believe that every
other modem user out there is a psychopath, just waiting for them to
make the wrong move. They think that every shareware file out there is
great stuff, and they've "just gotta have it". Since they may be just
starting out, they don't have any new files to upload in return.
Otherwise, they may be malicious leeches simply for the thrill of it (I
suspect this type would tend to be younger, and they'll simply outgrow
this phase). Either way, most sysops generally don't tolerate the
file-scavenger variety of lurkers very well. Penalties for this sort
of behavior (from mildest to most severe) may include nagging comments
from the sysop, restrictions on daily time limits based on
upload/download ratios, or expulsion from the board.
My experience as a lurker has evolved from the innocent
file-scavenger to the background message browser. As this transition
takes place, the file-downloading activity slows down considerably
(often times dictated by hard drive space). Amazingly enough, the
thoughts occasionally turn to something like "What interesting thing
can I upload here?" By nature, most lurkers are probably quite shy
among strangers. The faceless anonymity provided by their computer and
modem allows them to eventually get up the nerve to participate
on-line, but you will seldom (if ever) see them at one of the infamous
BTN parties, or any other function initiated by an electronic
invitation. I have not yet been to any of these functions, and I don't
see myself attending one anytime soon. (I did attend the demonstration
against Channel 13's negative BBS report some time back, but in the
true lurker tradition I did not introduce myself by name to anyone
unless I was "forced" to do so. By the way, I did have a good time,
and talked to some interesting people. Also, I soothed my conscience
by participating, to make up for my otherwise apathetic BBS past; I
figure that move was good for another two year's worth of lurking at
least.)
What it boils down to is this: lurking can be caused by many
factors. Whatever the cause, I believe most lurkers think that the
active users are very outgoing, and generally enjoy being in the
spotlight. They may be afflicted by apathy, and figure that other
users will take the time and effort to let the sysop know of any
problems the BBS software may have. Most lurkers are quite content to
let others have their fun, and only participate if something affects
them in a profound way.
Given all that, what in the world possessed a lurker such as
myself to actually even attempt to submit an article to BTN? Could
it be that I am breaking out of the shackles, undergoing a major
personality change? Absolutely not! Lurkers, like everyone else out
there, secretly crave their brief moment of glory. Scott Hollifield's
ingenious ploy to draw some lurkers out of the shadows, cleverly
disguised as "I'm quitting, this could be your last chance for fame, to
be published in what could be the very last issue of BTN" (paraphrased)
did the trick. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to the shadows
for a while; it's kinda bright out here and my eyes hurt (most lurkers
also like dimly-lit rooms).
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
IS A CD-ROM
REALLY WORTH IT? Mark Maisel
################################################################
This is a question I've been asked by clients, friends, and folks
online. My answer has almost always been questions of specific purpose,
goals, etc. Without pinpointing specific intentions for a peripheral
device, it is impossible for me to give either yay or nay to its
purchase. Lets look at this device and its utility. We'll also take a
look at the advantages and disadvantages of the medium. Ultimately, do
you need one?
First, what is it? CD-ROM is a compact disc player for reading
compact discs containing information or programs. There is little
difference between this device and the CD player attached to your stereo
receiver, or part of your "boom box". They attach to your computer in
one of several flavors. The first is SCSI, which is something of a
standard for attaching peripheral devices. Next are a host of
proprietary schemes from the manufacturers of the players and/or sound
cards to which many of these players are attached. Lastly, and fairly
new to the scene, is IDE, a simple and straightforward interface that
has been very popular for connecting hard disk drives to MS-DOS based
systems.
The advantages of this medium over floppy diskettes and hard disk
drives are many. The capacity of of CD-ROM discs is very high relative
to the other commonly used storage media. The highest capacity standard
for floppy diskettes, under MS-DOS, is 2.88 megabytes. The hard disk
drive, until very recently, was limited to smaller capacities than
CD-ROM discs. The cost per megabyte for CD-ROM discs is much lower than
either floppies or hard disks. This high capacity and low cost per
megabyte has made the CD-ROM disc an excellent delivery system for large
software packages, ie, Corel Draw, NextStep, OS/2, huge games, and
various flavors of UNIX. It also serves well for storing data that is
needed both regularly and infrequently. Into this second category fall
such things as clip art and font collections, statistical data,
transaction records, and other similar information. The medium features
a faster seek time and higher data transfer rate than floppy diskette
drives. It also can make software piracy much more difficult to
achieve, though this is changing as the price of CD mastering machines
drops. The CD is typically much tougher in resisting environmental
challenges than are floppy diskettes. The advantages are attractive but
let us continue.
There are also disadvantages of this medium. CD-ROM, being a read-
only medium, does not lend itself to changing or adding data to a set or
collection. It is significanly slower in both seek time and data
transfer rate to a hard disk drive. As such, large sets of data will
give you pause as you wait for them to be read into your computer. This
is the nature of current optical technology and we must await some
breakthrough before this improves significantly.
Is this technology something that should be in your arsenal? It
depends on what you want to do with your computer. There are those who
have approached me to purchase a computer and walked away convinced that
they didn't really need it. The same holds true for CD-ROM. Is there a
software package that you require that is available only in this medium?
If so, perhaps you should make the investment. Do you require access to
large collections of clip art, fonts, or other data conveniently
collected on CD? If so, perhaps you should make the investment. The
distinction between what is required and what is desired should be
clearly understood by you. If you do not, you may get caught up in the
same marketing machine that has been working to place computers in every
home and office. Despite my being in the business of selling computer
hardware, these machines and specific peripheral devices are not needed
by everyone, at least not yet. There may come a day when they are, but
until then, honesty and determination of customer need are my guide.
There are some dandy titles out on CD. Most of them are games or data
such as that from the 1990 U.S. Census. The only CD I've seen that I've
any real desire for is the Oxford English Dictionary. Notice that it is
a desire. So long as it sells for $800-900, it will most likely remain
an unfulfilled desire.
If you desire or think you require this technology, study reviews
and, when possible, get hands on experience with the software in this
medium. There are thousands of titles, most of them mediocre at best.
The drives themselves are fairly safe technology and differ little in
their performance. There are varying speeds and your consideration of
speed should be based on intended use. If you are simply querying data,
a single or double speed unit should suffice. Don't bother with triple
speed drives as the quad speed drives cost nearly the same. These
faster drives are great if you want to play games or fiddle with
interactive programs featuring animation and sound. With the slower
drives, you will experience problems with jumpy animation and
synchronization problems with the video and audio portions of an
animation sequence. Think carefully before you purchase, and be certain
that you really want it. It can be fun to play with, damned useful to
those who need it, and it can also become another, albeit, small drain
on the power grid.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
LOCAL MUSIC
IN DECEMBER Judy Ranelli
################################################################
First I must say goodbye to our dear editor, and hope he goes on to
write plenty.
Thur. 8
BONE PONY/A'BEN at The Nick
Bone Pony is probably from out of town; I've never heard of them. I
want to mention that A'ben is a creative band that gets my vote for best
new band in months. Myriad melodies, Lester Nubie's fine guitar and his
sister Leslie's singing. Cool.
Fri. 9
HEAVENLY BANGING CANNON/SAWS TO STILL/LOCKBODY at The Nick
It's what I would call a nose-breaker. Lotsa hardcore, lotsa slam.
FunFunFun.
Sat. 10
SLOBBER at The Nick
GRAVY at Flamingo's
CLEVE EATON at 22nd St. Jazz Cafe
Sigh... doesn't look that exciting. Groove to the theoretically
gross band Slobber at the Nick, or wallow in the blues genre with Gravy
at Flamingo's. Wait a minute: get inebriated to some cool jazz with
Cleve Eaton at 22nd St. Jazz Cafe (good draft beer).
Sun. 11
MC 900 FOOT JESUS/SHALLOW at Louie Louie
(all ages welcome)
Center Stage Productions, that powerhouse I worked with for many
years, is rumored to have put on this show; and glad I am of it. Should
attract an audience full of everyone that matters.
Thur. 15
SPACE CAMP at Oasis
I keep telling you...
Fri. 16
BACK DOORS at Louie Louie
LABREA STOMPERS/DONKEY at The Nick
Avoid Back Doors. Maybe go to Nick for Labrea Stompers/Donkey. Will
be good and crowded.
Sat. 17
Sometimes even I don't go see bands on Saturday. Go bowling.
Sun. 18
Elvis Night at Oasis
Always fun, and you can get a decent Bourbon and Coke there on a
Sunday evening (or Garages, as well). "Burning Love" is good, but
request "In The Ghetto".
Thurs. 22
MAYONNAISE FARMERS/LOVE BUCKET/SLAP HAPPY SUPERFLY at Drown
I don't know anything about the bands again (damn, happens too
much) but Drown used to be O3, and I never stepped foot in O3. So maybe
I'll check this out. It's billed as a 'new alternative dance club
experience' which explains my absence thus far.
Sat. 24
SHALLOW/LIP LOCK ALARM CLOCK at The Nick
Not too exciting, folks. Birmingham needs more clubs (am I telling
you something?). Still, Saturday will be Christmas Eve and Shallow's at
the Nick with Lip Lock Alarm CLock. I probably will end up there
anyway.
Sun. 25
THE TICKS at The Nick
Our annual party for people far from family and people who've been too
close to family all weekend. Last year was great, this year I shall
give out candy. The Shame Idols may be present as well.
Fri. 30 (there's a jump)
HEAVENLY BANGING CANNON/M.O.G./G.N.P.
Jeez, the only thing saving this month's music calendar, aside from
myself, is the hardcore shows. GNP has learned the Grouch song and will
continue their revue of hits like "Rabid Lassie", "***king ***t", and
"C'mon Big Money" (with Jeopardy theme in the middle). I love them.
Sat. 31
TOPPER PRICE at Zydeco
AUTUMN LORDS at The Nick
VELCRO PYGMYS at Five Pts. South Music Hall
I HOPE you're staggering around some party, but should you be on the
lookout for somewhere to abuse your body, Zydeco has Topper Price (King
of Body Abusers), Nick has the Autumn Lords (yes, those embarrasingly
staged named cocktail guzzling non-bathing boys. Chris..ahem, DD
Starshaker their singer recently guest-bartended at the Nick (I want to)
and was jealous because no one threw up at his stint.) Oh yeah, 5 Pts.
Music Hall, though a disappointment to me for their disco nights and
such, has the Velcro Pygmies. Drive carefully.
Well, I was going to include some long winded thing about Scott
quitting as editor, but I can't think of anything to say at the moment.
I do hope BTN continues to exist (and Scott returns as a columnist) and
otherwise, happy holidays to you all. Bleah.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
ANNOUNCEMENT
################################################################
Freelance personnel/small companies wanted for sub-contracting work.
Programmers, hardware technicians, network technicians, application
specialists, technical writers, and graphic artists.
PROGRAMMERS: Xbase (all flavors), C/C++, Turbo Pascal, assembly:
MS-DOS 5.x & higher, Windows 3.x & higher,
OS/2 2.x & higher, SCO-Unix 3.2.4 & higher
Intel and compatible processor
HW TECHS : IBM compatible architecture
NW TECHS : NetWare, LANtastic, Desk-to-Desk, others
APP SPECS : MS-DOS 5.x & higher, Windows 3.x & higher, OS/2 2.x &
higher, SCO-Unix 3.2.4 & higher
Specialists in all business-use applications on the
above platforms. No teaching degree required, but
must have at least some verifiable experience in
instructing groups.
Communications application specialists must be
familiar with major modem brands, command sets,
and a variety of terminal apps and OLRs, etc.
TECH WRTRS: Experience and samples required.
ARTISTS : Cross-platform commercial experience required. Samples.
Commission-only sales positions also available.
NOTE: This is for sub-contract work only. Applicants are applying
as self-employed Independent Contractors or independent
service agencies. Preference will be given to incorporated
agencies, and potential Independent Contractors will be
strongly encouraged to incorporate. The amount of work you
will be eligible to receive will be influenced by this factor.
If interested, reply to Damion Furi in a private post on Crunchy
Frog or The Matrix. Leave your name, company name (if applicable),
title (if applicable), and a number or numbers at which you may be
reached and times when you are normally available.
=========
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
SPECIAL INTEREST
GROUPS (SIG's)
[COMPUTER RELATED] compiled by Eric Hunt
################################################################
BIPUG Alabama UniForum
Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group Homewood Public Library
UAB Nutrition Science Blg 1st Tuesday
RM 535/541 Shawn Cleary 870-6130
1st Sunday (delayed one week
if meeting is a holiday)
Marty Schulman 967-5883
Birmingham Apple Core
Informal breakfast meeting every Saturday, 9am - 11am
@ Kopper Kettle, lower level Brookwood Village Mall
Formal meeting held second Saturday of each month, location
variable (to be announced at breakfast meetings and in the
user group's newsletter "The PEEL".)
President: Sam Johnston - 322-5379
Vice-Prez: Marie Prater - 822-8135
The SIG listing is being re-verified. If you know of an active
Computer Related user's group, please let me know.
I can be reached via Internet email at
eric.hunt@the-matrix.com or drop me a note directly on the
MATRIX.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
################################################################
KNOWN BBS NUMBERS
FOR THE
BIRMINGHAM AREA
################################################################
Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is
correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed on
the Matrix or Crunchy Frog to Mark Maisel.
4 and 1/2 Dimension 853-4485 2400-14400 VBBS 6.1
[vi]
ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3) 250-0013 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
[ez, fi, ad]
ADAnet One (Node 4) 254-6050 2400-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
[ez, fi, ad]
Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 1200-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
[alt, ez, mn]
Auto Tech BBS 956-3902 300-2400 PCBoard 15.2
[none]
Batcave, The 744-0134 2400-14400 VBBS 6.14
[am, co, cr, fn, ho, hu, vi]
Baudville (Nodes 1-7) 995-0013 300-2400 Major BBS 6.12
[none]
Birmingham Online 870-0305 300-2400 Major BBS 6.2
[none]
Birmingham Online 870-5400 300-19200 Major BBS 6.2
[none]
Bus System 987-5419 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
[none]
Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 V.32 WWIV 4.12
[none]
Castle, The 841-7618 300-2400 Image 1.2
[none]
Cherry Tree 681-1710 1200-14400 TriBBS 4.01
[wm, ca]
Christian Apologetic 808-0763 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 4.00
[ez, cp]
CompuNet 833-3335 2400-14400 Major BBS 6.2
[none]
CompuNet (new users) 833-6221 2400-14400 Major BBS 6.2
[none]
Computer Addicts BBS 933-5360 300-14400 RoboBoard 1.04
[none]
Crunchy Frog (Node 1) 823-3957 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
[ez, mn, lu, ll]
Crunchy Frog (Node 2) 823-3958 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
[ez, mn, lu, ll]
Crystal Village 856-3749 1200-2400 VBBS 6.10
[cr, cs, al, ho, fn, vi]
Den, The 833-6796 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.1
[ez, mn, il]
Digital Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.60
[pl]
Dog Patch BBS 669-1705 300-38400 USR DS PCBoard 15.5
[none]
Drawing Room, The 951-2391 300=14400 V.32/42 Wildcat! 3.90
[none]
Electro-BBS 491-8402 300-14400 V.32/42 Maximus 2.01
[fi]
Enigma 678-6367 300-28800 VBBS/2 6.14
[br, cr, fi, fn, ho, vi]
Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
[ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, ve, ad, wg, pt, ed, gn]
Final Frontier 838-5634 300-14400 VBBS 6.11 *RIP*
[co, hu, ho, fn, vi]
Free Enterprise 856-9809 300-14400 V.32/42 Synchronet
[fi, sz, br, tr, dv]
GenesisOnline (sign-up) 620-9076 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
[mr]
GenesisOnline (Nds 1-8) 620-4150 300-2400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
[mr]
GenesisOnline (Nds 9-16) 620-9076 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11
[mr]
Guardian, The (Node 1) 425-1951 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
[dv, sp]
Guardian, The (Node 2) 425-1956 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
[dv, sp]
Guardian, The (Node 3) 424-8273 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
[dv, sp]
Guardian, The (Node 4) 428-0805 1200-14400 V.42bis Synchronet 2.0
[dv, sp]
Hump Files, The 987-0235 2400-14400 VBBS 6.14
[co, fn, ho, hu, vi]
Island BBS, The 631-0184 300-2400 WWIV 4.23
[none]
KickAxis BBS (Node 1) 733-0253 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0
[he]
KickAxis BBS (Node 2) 733-0299 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0
[he]
Knight's Castle 631-6668 300-14400 WWIV 4.23
[qu, dd]
Leaping's Lounge 856-2521 1200-14400 GTPower 18.00
[gt, ez, mn, wm, di]
Lions Den 871-9668 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 3.90
[wi, fi]
Lumby's Palace 520-0041 300-14400 VBBS 6.12
[he]
Magic City (Node 1) 664-9883 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 4.0
[di, wm, wi, ca, cm]
Magic City (Node 2) 664-0435 300-1400 Wildcat! 4.0
[di, wm, wi, ca, sk, yr, ms]
MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-10) 252-9888 300-2400 Major BBS *RIP*
[ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
MATRIX, The (Nodes 11-25) 252-5566 9600-14400 USR DS Major BBS *RIP*
[ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
MetaBoard 854-4814 300-14400 USR DS Opus CBCS 1.73
[fi, ad]
MetroMac BBS (Node 1) 323-6306 1200-28800 V.FC TeleFinder 3.1
[none]
MetroMac BBS (Node 2) 252-0582 1200-28800 V.FC TeleFinder 3.1
[none]
Missing Link 853-1257 300-16800 USR DS C-Net Amiga 2.63
[cl, cn]
Neon Moon (Node 1) 477-9352 2400 TriBBS 4.0
[none]
Neon Moon (Node 2) 477-5894 2400-14400 TriBBS 4.0
[none]
Outer Limits (Node 1) 970-0649 1200-16800 Wildcat 4.0 *RIP!*
[fi, pn, it]
Outer Limits (Node 2) 970-0710 1200-19200 Wildcat 4.0 *RIP!*
[fi, pn, it]
Outer Limits (Node 3) 970-0333 1200-14400 Wildcat 4.0 *RIP!*
[fi, pn, it]
Owl's Nest, The 854-4852 300-38400 PCBoard 14.5
[ez, mn]
Parthenon, The 678-9676 1200-28800 Wildcat 3.9
[fi, un, wi, ru, me]
Party Line 856-1336 300-14000 V.32bis TriBBS 4.0
[cc, wm, di]
Pirate's Cove 665-7924 300-14000 PowerBBS
[us]
Playground 681-5070 1200-14000 V.32 TriBBS 5.0
[wm, di, al, ez]
Posys BBS 854-5131 300-9600 V.32 PCBoard
[none]
Programmer's Shack 988-4695 2400-14400 HST DS Renegade
[ws, fi, it]
Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNet
[none]
Safe Harbor (Node 1) 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 18.00
[gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
Safe Harbor (Node 2) 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 18.00
[gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
Sam's Domain 956-2757 1200-14400 SL. 3.50
[da, he]
Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC 17.4
[none]
Southern Stallion (1) 322-3816 300-16800 ZyXEL PCBoard 15.1 *RIP*
[alt, ez, lu, th, rs, un]
Southern Stallion (2) 324-6924 300-16800 ZyXEL PCBoard 15.1 *RIP*
[alt, ez, lu, th, rs, un]
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 V.32/42b PCBoard 15.0
[none]
StarBase 12 647-7184 1200-14400 TriBBS 5.02 *RIP*
[ez, mn, wm, sx]
Torch Song 328-1517 1200-14400 V.32/42b Wildcat 3.90
[pr, st, gn]
Travelog BBS 491-3898 2400-14400 Wildcat 3.90
[none]
Unknown World, The 853-9359 2400-14400 Renegade
[it, ws]
Virtual Football 823-2029 300-2400 Hermes II v.3.0.2
[none]
Weekends BBS 841-8583 2400-16800 USR DS Wildcat! 3.9
[ca]
Willie's DYM (Node 1) 664-9902 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
[or]
Willie's DYM (Node 2) 664-9903 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
[or]
Willie's DYM (Node 3) 664-9895 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
[or]
Willie's DYM (Node 4) 664-9896 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
[or]
Ziggy Unix BBS 991-5696 300-1200 UNaXess
[none]
*RIP* = BBS Software is RIP Graphics capable. You must be using a RIP
compatible term software to view them. RIPTerm or QmodemPro v1.50 are
the only two I know of that support it at this time. RIPTerm is shareware
and can be downloaded from most BBS's. QmodemPro is a commercial product.
The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below 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.
ad = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
ae = Arts & Entertainment, a national network, multi-topic
ag = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
al = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic
alt = AlterNet, a local network, multi-topic
am = AmateurNet, a local network dedicated to HAM operators
an = The Annex, an international network, multi-topic
at = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented
bc = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented
bh = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic
bi = BitchNet, uncertain at press time
br = BreezeNet, National network, multitopic
ca = CafeNet, a local network, restaurant/dining, recipes, etc.
cc = Coast2Coast, a national network, multi-topic
cd = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution
cf = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic
ch = ChristNet, a national Christian network
cl = CLink, uncertain at press time
cm = CompuLink, a national network, multi-topic
cn = CNet, multi-topic
co = Collective,a national network, multi-topic
cp = CAPNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
cr = CrystalNet, uncertain at press time
cs = ChaosNet, uncertain at press time
cy = Cybernet, uncertain at press time
da = DateNet, uncertain at press time
dd = DeadNet, uncertain at press time
de = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers
di = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south
eastern United States
do = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors
dv = DoveNet, uncertain at press time
ec = EchoNet, an international network, multi-topic
ed = EduNet, a national network devoted to homeschooling and Christian
education
er = ErosNet, an international network, adult oriented, files & messages
ez = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
fa = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic
fi = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
fn = FrontierNet, a local network, multi-topic
fr = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion
fs = FSNet, uncertain at press time
ga = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time
gl = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic
gm = GayCom, an international network, homosexually oriented
gn = GlobeNet, an international network, multi-topic
gt = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic
gy = GayNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
he = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic
ho = HobbyNet, a local network for hobbyists
hu = HumpNet, a local network, multi-topic
ic = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic
ie = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic
il = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
in = InterNet, an international network of mail, linking businesses,
universities, and bbs', multi-topic
it = ITCNet, a national network, multi-topic
lg = Local GT Net, a local network, connecting GT Power systems
ll = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence
lo = LocalNet, uncertain at press time
lu = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented
ma = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems
me = Medieval-Net, uncertain at press time
mj = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews
mn = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic
mr = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic
ms = MSI SupportNet
nl = NewLife, uncertain at press time
np = NPN, a national network for new parents
or = OraNet, a national E-mail network
pe = Planet Earth Network, a national network, multi-topic
pl = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic
pn = PoliceNet, an international network, law-enforcement only
pr = PrideNet, a national homosexually oriented network
pt = PRNet, a national network devoted to 2nd amendment rights
qu = QuadNet, uncertain at press time
rf = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists
ri = RIME, an international network, multi-topic
rb = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic
re = RealityNet, uncertain at press time
rp = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games
rs = RoseNet, a national network, technically orient*ed
ru = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans
sc = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology
oriented
se = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the
southeastern United States
sh = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games
sk = SeekNet, uncertain at press time
sl = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic
sm = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic
sn = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games
sp = Sub-SpaceNet, uncertain at press time
ss = SexSations!, a national network, adult-oriented
sx = SeXXXnet, an national network, adult-oriented
st = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
sz = SCN-Net, uncertain at press time
te = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented
th = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
tr = TrekNet, a national network for Star Trek fans
un = U'NI-Net, an international network, multi-topic
us = Usenet, an international network existing on the Internet, multi-
topic
ve = VETLink, a national network for military veterans
vi = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic
wg = WGA, an international network devoted to genealogy research
wi = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
wm = World Message Exchange, an international network, multi-topic
ws = WishNet, uncertain at press time
ww = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
yr = YourNet, uncertain at press time

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