633 lines
43 KiB
Plaintext
633 lines
43 KiB
Plaintext
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
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2 ************************* INSTALLED: 30 MAR 85 *********************
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3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
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4 ************************************************************
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5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
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6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
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7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
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8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
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9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
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10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
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11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
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12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
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13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
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14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
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15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
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16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
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17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
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18 ***********************************************************
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19
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20 ********************************************************************
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21 Pro: In rereading my scathing remark, perhaps I was just a bit harsh.
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22 I tend to get just a bit irate when someone looks down their nose at
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23 other people.
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24 As for the writings, you seem to have the misconception that
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25 everyone here is attempting to be a master at the writting craft. This
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26 is hardly the case. Most of the people are here for the enjoyment.
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27 This is a social gathering, where people can talk and discuse things of
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28 enjoyment. As is case with most amateur activities, writing the
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29 'perfect' short story or novel is not the prime reason for the activity
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30 here. Writing for the pure enjoyment is.
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31 As for your Quote in regard to programmers/engineers, I don't see
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32 how that fits into the argument at all. What have they got to do with
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33 the argument about the writing here? You're not assuming that everyone
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34 here is a programmer here are you? Let me assure that few of them are.
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35 They are by the large a cross section of people who enjoy socializing.
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36 Admitedly there is a greater interest in computers then in the general
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37 populance, but that hardly gives them the title of'programmer'.
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38 As far as good or bad is concerned, it is all relative. You don't
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39 help someone expand and grow by telling them that everything they do
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40 is garbage. Instead, a proper teacher helps through encouragement when
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41 progress is made. Sure it may not be up to what you define as good,
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42 but when compared to what came before, it might be a thousand fold
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43 improvment. To say that it is garbage without realizing the
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44 comparision does not show a great amount of concern for the person. It
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45 instead only shows a desire to prove yourself better.
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46 A true professional does not need to prove anything. The need to
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47 prove something only shows that you feel threatened, and that you must
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48 put down the other person for fear that they will somehow bring to
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49 light your own failures. I feel that it is the job of a professional
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50 to help others to understand their field, and help when asked.
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51 Helping does not consist of telling them that it is all garbage.
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52 Helping is showing where they are doing things right, and where they
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53 can be improved. Encouragement is important. Sure it may not be
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54 perfect, but if it is better then before, then it is better, and that
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55 means in relation to what was before; GOOD.
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56 I myself have never indicated that anything put here is perfect.
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57 Indeed, I generally indicate the opposite, but I also realize WHY it is
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58 that way. Let's not mistake amateur night as a fully rehearsed show
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59 of professonals. Certainly I have and do indicate when I enjoy a
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60 writers story, but I also indicate why I like it. I also realize that
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61 just because I like it doesn't mean that everyone else has to, nor
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62 that those things I don't like are necessarily 'bad'.
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63 I also disagree with the concept of the quote, that enginners are
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64 somehow perfect, and programmers are scum. It simply is not the truth.
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65 It again shows your narrow vision and lack of exposure to the real
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66 world. While an engineer will spend a lot of time to make sure that a
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67 multi million dollar project is done correctly, he is not perfect.
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68 There are news stories almost everyday relating to the failure of a
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69 structure because of improper design, or a flaw (bug). On the same
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70 token, there are many programs written that are very solid.
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71 I remember reading about a freeway overpass that collapsed because
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72 of a very poor expansion joint design that was unable to take the
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73 stress. Then of course there is the infamous Tacoma narrows bridge
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74 that tore itself apart because the engineers failed to account for the
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75 possiblity of wind resonance. That isn't counting all the normal
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76 bridges that you drive on every day that look perfectly safe and sound.
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77 Talk to a bridge maintaince person sometime if you want to feel unsafe
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78 about every driving over a bridge again.
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79 I could go on, but I've babbled on too long already.
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80 *************************** CISTOP MIKEY *****************************
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81 P.S. Why would I care who anybody is? None of this would even be
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82 talked about if we were all known. Everybody would be afraid of
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83 letting their feelings known, and possibly make an ass of themselves!
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84 This is all for FUN, so don't get so serious about it all!
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85 **********************************************************************
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86
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87 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
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88 Piper: Nice story. How do you explain snow, though? No ICBM's, please!
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89 Cistop Mikey: I know it's your system, but, gee whiz, you can have the top
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90 anytime you want. Let us mere mortals have a chance! Heavy sigh.
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91 All: There's more Arthur coming, I've just been lazy lately. Maybe someday
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92 I'll get ahead of it!
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93 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*{*}{*}{*}{*}
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94 Oops, I forgot. Luingil: Are you the same displaced SCA-type that was on
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95 long ago? I am a displaced Val-ey girl myself. If you are, then give my
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96 greetngs to the Graf and Grafina (sp?) and all of them. To them, I am Anna
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97 Volkova. Oh, Dart Noir says hi!, too.
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98 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}
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99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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100 T. Schmidt: I think, perhaps, I was one who you spoke of. Just saying,
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101 I took what you said into account, thought about it abit. Okay, so I have
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102 a few quirks to iron out. But, I never had anything against constructive
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103 critism. And, if you recall, this all start because some joe-blow was bored
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104 and decided to hurt another's feelings.
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105 Pro: I use my own identity for just about everything because I have faith
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106 in the detective service that will uncover anyone. You mentioned that you
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107 would be happy to talk on another board for some reason, but knew not who we
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108 were. Well, I am Tanya Barfield. If you every decide to, you may drop me a
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109 note. You may just want to remamin unknown or whatever, but anyways I
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110 thought I would mention that just incase. -Tanya
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111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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112 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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113 Milchar: While we would consider it a privilege to read your contest entry, be
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114 warned that to put substantial portions of it here might conceivably affect its
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115 eligibility for competition. Legally, the distribution of a work to the public
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116 (as opposed to a private group of friends) makes it ineligible for later
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117 copyright, and publishers take a dim view of that situation. As a practical
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118 matter, the issue would be unlikely to arise. Still, there is more than one
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119 species of twit in this world, and the scenarios one can imagine involving some
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120 of them should perhaps not be spelled out....
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121 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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122 To this Observer, it seems that much of the wrangling seen here of late has
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123 been based on mutual misunderstanding. On one hand, there is a Pro who--
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124 although right in his/her beliefs about the importance of correct use of the
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125 English language--has totally misunderstood the purpose of this Inn. It is not
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126 a training ground for professional writers. It is a place where non-
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127 professionals (and, I am happy to learn, some published authors like myself) are
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128 free to relax and share ideas expressed in imaginative ways. It is a forum for
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129 vision, not language. Furthermore, the Pro has attempted to make points
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130 through the use of false analogy. Yes, indeed, if engineers used the same
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131 techniques programmers do, civilization would fall (and in fact there would
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132 never have been any computers for programmers to run their code on).
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133 Nevertheless, a great many programs are still running, for the very good reason
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134 that programming is not the same kind of task as engineering. And to a still
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135 greater extent, writing is an activity of an entirely different nature. It is
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136 demonstrably untrue that no one would read anything if writers paid less heed to
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137 technical perfection--although whether or not the writing is of the imaginative
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138 sort does have a bearing on this case. The examples given by the Pro are
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139 revealing. Is he/she a journalist or tech writer, perhaps? In those fields,
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140 his/her points would be well taken. But as to reading imperfect stories, the
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141 Pro evidently enjoys doing so, else why come here?
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142 On the other hand, there are a number of writers who feel personally
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143 insulted by the remarks of the Pro; and this too is unwarranted. The opinions
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144 expressed by the Pro appear to be honest ones, meant not as criticism of
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145 individuals but as an attempt to make this Inn into something it was never
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146 intended to be. Yet there have been more *personal* attacks on the Pro than on
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147 any other individual; has he/she not the same right to free expression as those
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148 who happen to be unable to spell? The suggestion that if the Pro returns he/she
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149 should introduce errors to conceal identity makes me uneasy. Is it to be
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150 assumed that *all* creative writers have difficulty with spelling? I can spell;
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151 yet I am aware that many people lack this particular talent (just as I lack many
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152 talents they possess) and I do not feel they should spend their limited time in
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153 this establishment worrying about what does not come naturally. Why have the
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154 Patrons been so quick to take a defensive stance? Do they feel *guilty* about
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155 technical failings of which they are aware?--but no, for then it would be
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156 hypocrisy to say those skills don't matter. It's better, I think, to view it as
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157 a question of priorities. The Pro's priorities are different from those of
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158 most Patrons; can we not simply acknowledge that, and go on following our own?
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159 ooooooooooooooooooooooo OBSERVER FROM ANOTHER GALAXY ooooooooooooooooooooooo
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160
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161 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/]
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162 I looked forward to visiting here very much, when I left there was mush to
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163 read. When I come back, most of what is here is endless debate over what is
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164 axceptable and what is not.
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165 I hope this proofreading debate is soon over. My visits are very few, I hope
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166 to see the creative side of BackWater, the side I miss more than I can say.
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167 I will drink of the waters as much as I can, I can only hope that the taste
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168 is the clean taste of the spring thaw, not the sterile taste of the treatment
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169 plant.
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170 THE TIN MAN
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171 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/]
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172
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173 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12
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174
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175 It came to life. What triggered its life it could not tell, but one thing
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176 was certain -- it was a legacy of the fallen McKane empire. As it rose to its
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177 feet it could see the smashed computers and mangled wreckage of what must have
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178 once been an advanced scientific facility. The riots and destruction which
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179 followed the collaps of the evil corporation had rendered most of the machines
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180 useless.
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181 On the floor, partially obscured by dust was a document stamped TOP SECRET.
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182
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183 To: L. McKane
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184 From: Dr. Fu Man Masticate
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185 Sbjct: Robot
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186
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187 As you well know, sir, our adversary, Ian MacHinery, is prone to using
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188 duplicates of himself to elude would-be assassins. This tradition has become
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189 an obsession--complete with a ritual speech which goes something like this:
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190 "There, you see, it was only a robot, I'm in perfect condition!"
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191 I have come to the conclusion that this tendency can be used against him.
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192 The robot before you (who I have named Ian MecHanism) is an exact duplicate of
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193 Ian MacHinery, with one exception. The robot has an explosive charge planted
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194 just behind his breastplate. The robot, which will be substituted for one of
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195 Mchinery's robot's, is programmed to act and react just as MacHinery would.
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196 Our android will kill the Net leader and take his place. Were he to fail, he
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197 would self destruct on the keywords "deus ex machina" destroying everything
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198 within a three block radius.
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199 Considering the current unrest within your administration and the various
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200 religious groups beginning to act against you, I recommend that the robot be
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201 activated immediately. The future of mcKane Industries could depend on it.
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202
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203 The robot climbed the elevator shaft, its destiny awaited -- somewhere,
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204 somewhere out there...
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205
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206 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123
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207 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/]
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208 Pardon me - that was "much to read" not "mush to read". Blame ENTER ONLY.
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209 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] THE TIN MAN [/] [/]
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210 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa
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211 Well, well, well. This Pro guy seems to be in the thick of things
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212 right now. My, my, what some people will do to put their foots into
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213 their mouth.
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214 ISIS: Cistop Mikey does not count as being on the top. As you put it,
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215 he can have it anytime that he wants, and somtimes that is the only
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216 place you will find him, because before he gets a chance to look at the
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217 system again, its full. YOU WERE AT THE TOP, ISIS.
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218 JUPITER RISK: It was a Jeff/Scott tie last night with each owning the
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219 entire board of their own side. What a site it was. This was my first
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220 game of JUPITER RISK and it was very interesting. TOTAL TIME: 7 1/2 hours.
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221 Well I must be off to go pick up Zippy for a RISK game this evening
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222 and then to check on MiG and see if he can to. Hope everything stays
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223 cool here at my favorite Inn and I hope to be spending a little more time
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224 here once I get my new house in order.
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225 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa Smurf 20:17 30 March
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226 As some of you may have guessed, I have taught writing courses before,
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227 and I am perhaps a little more interested in proper English than the rest of
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228 you. I also work as a volunteer English tutor in one of the local high
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229 schools, thus my interest in remaining anonymous. I have been accused,
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230 unfairly I believe, of attacking others for their "bad" or "good" stories.
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231 As I think Thor was trying to say on drive B, ta story may be told without
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232 proper grammar or spelling, and indeed some do dictate novels without ever
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233 setting pen to paper. However, a spoken story allows for a great deal more
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234 flexibility, since gestures and body language let one understand what is going
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235 on without proper use of the language. How many have tried to read
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236 Shakespeare, failed to decipher the plot due to differences in wording, only
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237 to finally understand the play when a old re-run of Hamlet, or Romeo and
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238 Juliet is shown on late-night television? The written language can be
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239 extremely difficult to interpret correctly, and proper usage aids the reader
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240 tremendously. My point about the engineer vs programmer method of doing
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241 things was not made to glorify engineers, nor to denigrate programmers,
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242 Cistop, but simply to point out that proper care must be taken with the tools
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243 of the trade. I am not a programmer, nor an engineer, and have no bias in
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244 favor of either of them. Words are the primary tool of my trade ("wordsmith")
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245 and I wish to see every one use them properly.
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246 I am glad that some of you (Tanya, Observer) at least do me the credit
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247 of attempting to understand my point of view. Thank you for your comments.
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248 I have noticed that visitors to this boardd don't seem to discuss so much as
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249 to argue. I don't want to sound judgmental, but I think Thor's entry is a
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250 perfect example of that. I do not know who you are, and you need not take
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251 things so personally, Thor. Comparing you to my infant son serve as little
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252 purpose as your comparing me to your baby girls, although it is tempting. I
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253 also find your comment about "mangling" people disturbing. I have not
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254 threatened anyone, so why do you bring the matter up? I'd discuss the merits
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255 of obeying your conscience rather than the government in 1968, but I'm afraid
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256 we're both convinced of our own points of view.
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257 Some of my colleagues believe that word-processors are an evil thing,
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258 bsince it becomes so easy to check for spelling and grammar errors, to move
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259 words, sentences, even paragraphs around in the story, etc.. They believe that
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260 the resulting words are indeed "processed"--lacking any individuality in thme
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261 whatsoever. I disagree, and I think most of you do too. Why not use these
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262 aids if they are available? Why not sit down with your computer, and think
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263 through your story? You may come up with a twist that will delight you, and
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264 startle the rest of us. In the Net stories, for example, the action is non-
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265 stop, but I've often had to pause and puzzle out a word or sentence and then
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266 go on. You don't want your reader to pause--you want him/her to be swept up
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267 into the story and carried along by the smooth flow of your words. (I pick the
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268 Net story simply because there are so many contributors that I hope no one
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269 will feel singled out or attacked).
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270 I have seen a message or two about people stealing ideas. That happens
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271 rarely, if ever. Most writers have problems forcing themselves to write, not
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272 with coming up with things to write about. Don't worry about "idea-theft,"
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273 because it almost certainly won't happen. Take as an example, instead, the
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274 Sanctuary series by Robert Lynn Asprin--by sharing his ideas, he gained much
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275 support from his fellow writers, and made a dollar or two besides.
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276 Having taken up this much space, I would like to leave you with the
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277 following quotation by Theodore Roosevelt. If I scared some of you off, then
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278 maybe this will help you get the guts to enter your story anyway:
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279 The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is
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280 marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes
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281 short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions,
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282 and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the
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283 triumph of high achievement; and, who, at the worst, if he fails, at least
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284 fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold
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285 and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
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286 -------------------"Pro"----------------------------
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287 Pro: many of the 'writers' here do not have machines capable of word
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288 processing. And many others (such as myself) do not have terminal software
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289 capable of uploading to this system. Thus, our works MUST bw composed
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290 'on-line' and much of the time editing is not possible. So consider that
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291 the stories on here are' 'first drafts' or even 'rough drafts'. This makes
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292 quite a difference!
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293 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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294
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295 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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296 Tin Man: Why, I am so glad to see of your return. You mention, though,
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297 that this will not be frequent. Is it only luck that you were at somebody
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298 elses phone line and you will not be here regularily? Most unfortunate, to
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299 say the least. Had I only abit more money than I do, I would buy you a
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300 phone line with no hesitation. You also say you wish the words would turn
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301 to that of more creative nature. Well then, write, for God's sake!
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302 Observer: I advised Pro hide his/her identity so the writing by him/her
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303 would not be misjudged. I have no negative feelings towards Pro. But, some,
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304 I think do. To me, this is understandable even though I do not. However, if
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305 I did hold some resentment, I would certainly be much harsher in my reading
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306 of Pro's if I knew the writing was his/hers. I certainly am not proud of
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307 this prejudice, but pretending otherwise is useless. Perhaps, you would not
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308 be this way, I am glad for that. But, I admit, I am not.
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309 Pro: It may seem as if I do hold some resentment for you. Even though
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310 I have different opinion than you (perhaps because I am a terrible speller
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311 and can not use a dictionary and have no spell check or means of download-
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312 ing) I do not want you feel hated by me. I might add, some may feel so by
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313 you. For as it has been stated many times before, many are sharing what is
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314 very personal to them. They are not English majors but enjoy writing. Or
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315 need to. And to have someone cut down what they have wrote, what they are
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316 sensative about, because of grammar or anything else, is very dismaying.
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317 Yes, I realize it was constructive critism. But, one must remember how
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318 irrational we can get. I admit thinking, "Well, damn, does all Pro pay
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319 attention to is spelling? Doesn't he/she care about the rest?" I know this
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320 is not true. But, even so, it crosses my mind. And, to have someone to
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321 constuctively critize my writing is far better than my spelling. My writing
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322 is something I can control. It is something I can grow from. *I* do not
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323 grow from my ability to spell a word. True, I do from grammar. But, it is
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324 not nearly as valuable to me than the other things I receive when entering
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325 the Inn's doorway. -Tanya
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326 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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327 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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328 Observer: Hum, I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps only selected parts...
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329 Oh well, I shan't worry about it now, I've only got the first third of the
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330 plot outline finished as of yet.
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331 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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332 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$an;
|
||
333 (here goes nothing...)
|
||
334 Upon our return to HQ somewhere in Ione Plaza, Ian reassigned us to find
|
||
335 KOSTA. He also mumbled something about an assassination attempt, but I didn't
|
||
336 catch all of it.
|
||
337 "Well," I said, "How do we start?"
|
||
338 Ian waved us out of his office, and L'homme waited until we were out before
|
||
339 beginning.
|
||
340 "KOSTA was a NET agent, Farley. No matter how astray he's gone, his training
|
||
341 affects how he makes decisions. All we have to do is guess where he'd go,
|
||
342 then make plans to bring him back."
|
||
343 "His training? How can you trust THAT after he kidnapped Gaudy?"
|
||
344 "His training is what helped him to capture Gaudy in the first place."
|
||
345 "Okay, okay. So how do we guess where he's gone? Spin a Coke bottle and
|
||
346 walk in that direction?"
|
||
347 At this point, Fellows came into view from around a corner in the corridor.
|
||
348 "Gee, fellas," he said, "I thought Spin the Bottle was..."
|
||
349 "Enough!" L'homme said. "Come on, Fellows, we've work to do."
|
||
350 "All right, all right. I hear that the EMIL7000 unit in RUR404 is giving out
|
||
351 good advice nowadays... How about we ask it's opinion?"
|
||
352 "I said, enough. I'd like to look at KOSTA's file once more. Perhaps then
|
||
353 we can come to an INTELLIGENT decision about where he might have gone."
|
||
354 "And then can we ask the EMIL?" Fellows asked.
|
||
355 "Doesn't he ever quit?" I asked.
|
||
356 "I'm afraid not." L'homme sighed.
|
||
357 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$# Farley #$##$##$# 00:41 - 03/31/85 #$##$#
|
||
358 ...........................................................................
|
||
359 Ah, the bliss of hearing the burr of a free line instead of the busy signal!
|
||
360 Pro: Is it possible to reach you on some other board? If you frequent
|
||
361 Tanis, please leave me a message. Thanks.
|
||
362 ...........................................Entropy.........................
|
||
363 Entropy: I ndeed it is possible to reach me there. Because it is a story board
|
||
364 and only runs at 300 baud, you can choose a different board than Tanis if you
|
||
365 would like.
|
||
366 Bard: I mmust confess that you have a valid point. While my system is hardly
|
||
367 on the "leading edge of technology," it does many things quite nicely.
|
||
368 Tanya: Message for you on Aloha
|
||
369 Farley: *Applause*
|
||
370 ^^^^^^^^^^ (someone forgot their "-----" boarder?) ^^^^^^^^^^
|
||
371 Ah, to see the name of a familiar 'voice'...
|
||
372 Bard: Might I be able to see you at the upcoming gathering of spirits at that
|
||
373 place of many spirits (i.e. bottled ones)? There is a tune that has
|
||
374 been stuck in the foreground of my mind for the past several weeks that
|
||
375 is just *begging* for the words to come forth. I hope that you will be
|
||
376 able to fulfill this petty need. Thank you for your time...
|
||
377 THOR: Very soon may we again join in a toast at The INN? I believe that the
|
||
378 current 'discussion' has cooled down from its having been 'red hot'.
|
||
379 I will be trying with great vigilance to trample a path back to that
|
||
380 homestead through the forest- only one thing may get in my way...
|
||
381 the ones that boarder the village...
|
||
382 Red Velvet Ribbons: When soon we shall see your words, I will be a happy man.
|
||
383 They need not be attached to the arrows that would normally send them,
|
||
384 although if done so, I will come running. Seeing as you will be a 'new
|
||
385 user' here I will be patient. I know that this is not exactly a 'user
|
||
386 friendly' system by *any* of the most convenient definitions...
|
||
387 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->the melodic Guardian 90:03
|
||
388
|
||
389 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
|
||
390 GUARDIAN: A MAJOR REBUILD IS IN PROCESS NOW. I WILL
|
||
391 WAIT.
|
||
392 R.V.R.
|
||
393 ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
|
||
394 a cool night, the stars are showing us their playground
|
||
395 we watch
|
||
396 and wish...
|
||
397 the noise of the engine could be the rockets of our
|
||
398 spaceship.
|
||
399 our eyes meet...
|
||
400 no words pass the lips
|
||
401 we know the thoughts
|
||
402 and wish...
|
||
403
|
||
404 )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
|
||
405 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
406 After the happy group wended their way back to the tables, the night had
|
||
407 undergone a subtle change. Some members of the group had left to speak with
|
||
408 others, most of the group seemed to have paired off. To his delight (although
|
||
409 not entirely surprised) the piper found himself sitting near the hearth with
|
||
410 Rainbow. The hum of conversations had dropped, and it seemed somehow that
|
||
411 his arm was around her waist and her head was on his shoulder.
|
||
412 Good taste demands that we leave the piper to his private communications, and
|
||
413 speak only of those activities that are public. In the street outside, the
|
||
414 pegasus had located a patch of forage that proved both plentiful and palatable.
|
||
415 Comforted by the fact that the piper was near, she was contentedly cropping
|
||
416 when sounds of laughter drifted out of the opening door. Suddenly alert,
|
||
417 she looked for the piper in the press of bodies flooding through the door.
|
||
418 At last she saw him! Concern rose up in her heart, for he seemed to be
|
||
419 supported by another human, walking unsteadily, holding his pipes carelessly
|
||
420 in one hand and the waist of the other human with the other.
|
||
421 When the odor of the ale reached the pegasus, she snorted in derision. As
|
||
422 the other human helped the piper to her side, the pegasus attempted to insert
|
||
423 her head between the two. In vain she nuged, the two humans seemed to cling
|
||
424 tightly together, and after a particularly violent nudge, the piper slipped his
|
||
425 pipes over her head and held the other with both arms.
|
||
426 Concern had given way to irritation by now. The pegasus watched with jaundiced
|
||
427 eyes as the piper and his slim companion walked slowly off. A shake of her
|
||
428 head clattered the drones of the pipes as the pegasus bent her head to crop
|
||
429 again at the cool forage.
|
||
430 Suddenly the door to the great room was flung open and a dark figure
|
||
431 filled the doorway, cutting the great rectangular beam into myriads of smaller
|
||
432 shards that pierced the night.
|
||
433 "Where is she!?" thundered out through the night. "Where is that stranger!?"
|
||
434 "Where is Rainbow!?" He scanned the night landscape, eyes slowly adjusting
|
||
435 to the dark. The pegasus moved nervously, immediately attracting his attention.
|
||
436 "What's this... So you helped him to get here!" The dark form moved closer,
|
||
437 causing the pegasus to unfurl her wings in alarm. The grumblings and
|
||
438 mutterings seemed to come from deep within as he moved closer. Suddenly a
|
||
439 bright flash of rage seemed to permeate him and he glared at peg.
|
||
440 "How would that stranger like to fly down without benifit of a steed!"
|
||
441 Peg pranced several steps back, cocking her wings to unleash a blow if
|
||
442 necessary.
|
||
443 "No, my quarrel is not with this one, best find that piper." The huge bulk
|
||
444 shadowed the pegasus for a moment, blotting out the moon and then was gone
|
||
445 with mutters and grumbles.
|
||
446 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
|
||
447 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< * >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
|
||
448 Obviously, indicated by the words presently scrolling and scrawling across
|
||
449 your screen, my recent short absence/silence has come to an end. One of my own
|
||
450 teachers once said, "The writer must remember that the major responsibility for
|
||
451 clarity rests on the author's shoulders. The reader, has the luxury of having
|
||
452 the thoughts brought to their mind's door." I shall try to keep this in mind as
|
||
453 I continue.
|
||
454
|
||
455 We should all try and remember that although the Inn Image is an artificial
|
||
456 construction the feelings we all have here are very real. In past communications
|
||
457 some of my thoughts did not get clearly transferred. In retrospect, I feel that
|
||
458 one way to ultimately accomplish clear communication is to continue until the
|
||
459 thought is understood. A friendly environment makes such interchanges possible.
|
||
460 My feelings about this were what prompted me to promote the idea of `friendly
|
||
461 encounter month'. It would seem that there are plenty of opportunities to get
|
||
462 into confrontational situations without seeking them in alternate environments.
|
||
463 My opinion is that sum-zero games (one where there is a winner and a looser---
|
||
464 with the win usually at the expense of the looser) are a rather poor forum for
|
||
465 personal communication. I would rather seek the situation where everyone has an
|
||
466 opportunity to win. To paraphrase another Inn Patron, `When one person wins, we
|
||
467 all win. When one person loses we are all diminished.'
|
||
468
|
||
469 The person writing as "Pro" had some interesting points. It would be too
|
||
470 bad if they are ignored or obscured by the heavy focus on the emotional issues.
|
||
471 Please understand, I do think the things people expressed were appropriate. All
|
||
472 of the interchanges can serve as a lesson; they certainly did for me. I suspect
|
||
473 that the use of the pseudonym "Pro" created some of the strong feelings. I'm
|
||
474 not sure what you intended by using it, but the results spoke for themselves.
|
||
475
|
||
476 Kathy, I sincerely hope that the interchanges I've read above and on the
|
||
477 `B' disk won't put you off. Take the good advise for what it is and file the
|
||
478 rest in its appropriate place. (You may place this in either category-after
|
||
479 all you are the one that makes the ultimate choice of acceptance or rejection.)
|
||
480 You have a beautiful imagination, an essential quality for a good writer. Any
|
||
481 craft worth pursueing requires both creativity and proficiency in the tools of
|
||
482 that craft. If you do aspire to be a writer, as it would seem, you might wish
|
||
483 give this thought some consideration.
|
||
484
|
||
485 I hope this didn't sound too much like a sermon. I wish merely to express
|
||
486 some of the ideas that are in my mind. I don't purport them to be any great
|
||
487 truths. They are simply the distillation of my experiences, expressed as best
|
||
488 I can, using what writing and communication skills I've acquired.
|
||
489 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< capt'n barefoot >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
|
||
490 QWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTY
|
||
491
|
||
492 Bard: You may not have a word processor or even upload capabilities, but
|
||
493 have you ever heard of pencil and paper?
|
||
494 Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your entries, edited or not. I find them to
|
||
495 be superior--It's best that you don't change your style. There are, however,
|
||
496 individuals on this board whose stories would be better understood if the reader
|
||
497 didn't have to reread lines or stumble over poor grammar/spelling--then the more
|
||
498 important IDEAS would be conveyed.
|
||
499
|
||
500 Piper: Very good entry, nice to see the pendulum swing back towards
|
||
501 fiction.
|
||
502
|
||
503 Farley: Same, it's good to see the Net active after all these debates.
|
||
504
|
||
505 QWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTY
|
||
506 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
|
||
507 isis:I am the displaced SCA'er, but I haven't found the financial status
|
||
508 yet to join (I'm broke again). When I do, it will probably be in Corvallis,
|
||
509 where all my friends are presently mucking around.
|
||
510 Silver Dragon: Doctor Where???? I would love to read these stories of
|
||
511 yours. I have been dubbed "Doctor Why" by a couple of my friends, and they
|
||
512 want to do a parody screenplay...any extra ideas are welcome, and so is another
|
||
513 point of parody view...
|
||
514 Pro: Sorry. I have a tendency to over react. And I wasn't mad at you,
|
||
515 but what I misunderstood as your point of view. Anyone who enjoys the Thieves'
|
||
516 World series gains a Character Point with me...
|
||
517
|
||
518 Well, the local bus is loading up to head back to Cow Town, and I have to
|
||
519 get on it...Fare Thee All Well, and Any Other Good Stuff that You Wish For
|
||
520 Yourselves....
|
||
521 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Luingil/\/\/\/\/\/(Onemoreterm!!)/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
|
||
522
|
||
523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
||
524 Capt'n Barefoot: You certainly have aquired exellent communication skills.
|
||
525 Your words were very clear to me. So, you were the one that started the nice
|
||
526 month? I had forgotten who it was. Yes, I would say you certainly have a
|
||
527 good technique for giving advice/compliments/critism.
|
||
528 Now, enough of this debating for me! Hopefully, I can turn my thoughts
|
||
529 to a creaitve side.
|
||
530 Kathyd: Shadows? -Tanya
|
||
531 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|
||
532 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
|
||
533 Pro: It's true that the stealing of *ideas* hardly ever happens. But with
|
||
534 electronic communications, we have a whole new ball game. It is possible for
|
||
535 actual text to be downloaded to disk, and once that text has been made public by
|
||
536 its author, even common-law copyright does not protect it. This is not a
|
||
537 concern here at present, since the work entered is not intended for publication
|
||
538 and is not in publishable form; my fear was that someone might not realize that
|
||
539 to place a whole *publishable* story on a bulletin board is not the equivalent
|
||
540 of letting it be read privately by friends or classmates. (Soooner or later, I
|
||
541 suspect, this issue will be considered by a court, not necessarily when someone
|
||
542 steals another's work, but when some publisher refuses to accept a work on the
|
||
543 grounds that it is ineligible for copyright and therefore could be freely
|
||
544 reprinted *after* publication. The copyright laws may need yet another
|
||
545 modification brought on by the electronic revolution.) But of course, this
|
||
546 applies only to complete works--it certainly shouldn't discourage anyone from
|
||
547 sharing ideas and/or short fragments.
|
||
548 Please do heed the comment of Bard, who points out that many writers here do
|
||
549 not have the capability to upload. I'd hate to see this system restricted to
|
||
550 users who can afford software to do that and the machines that will run it,
|
||
551 and/or to programmers who can write their own. I can't imagine that anyone with
|
||
552 the capability to upload would make entries such as many that are seen here; the
|
||
553 difficulties imposed by on-line composition plus the infamous ENTER ONLY mode
|
||
554 are very obvious, and due allowance must be made for them--especially if we
|
||
555 don't want the line tied up for hours by typists aiming for perfection.
|
||
556 Tanya: I agree, the Pro will receive a more objective reading of future work
|
||
557 if he signs a different name to it. What dismayed me was the idea that he
|
||
558 should throw in spelling and grammar errors so people wouldn't "suspect". This
|
||
559 implies that if I sign a different name to some of my entries, you might suspect
|
||
560 *me* of being the Pro, merely on the grounds that my spelling is accurate! It
|
||
561 would be a sad state of affairs if the rest of us felt we might be downgraded
|
||
562 for the *absence* of errors.
|
||
563 oooooooooooooooooooo OBSERVER FROM ANOTHER GALAXY ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
|
||
564
|
||
565 ######################################################################
|
||
566 The heavy oaken door of the Inn slowly creaks open unheard by the
|
||
567 patrons in their heated verbal battle. Not until a massive booming
|
||
568 voice rang forth the single word; "Silence!", did the startled group
|
||
569 turn to see the bearded figure standing in the doorway.
|
||
570 A ripple of murmers ran around the room. "Whaa?", "Who's that?",
|
||
571 "Capt'n!", "Is it really him?", "Where did he come from?" Some of
|
||
572 the patrons recognizing this lone figure, and others needing an
|
||
573 explaination.
|
||
574 Behind the bar the Innkeeper relaxed, smiled, and commented;
|
||
575 "What's this? A cool head when all else are in flame? Ha! Welcome
|
||
576 Capt'n! Sit down, have an ale on the house. Perhaps now we can get on
|
||
577 to things other then puffed up ego's and bruised emotions."
|
||
578 ########################### The Innkeeper #############################
|
||
579
|
||
580 ***********************************************************************
|
||
581 Pro: Perhaps an explaination of sorts is in order. You indicated that
|
||
582 you feel unjustly accused of attacking the other users. And in
|
||
583 particular, Kathy. I'm sure you didn't feel that you were. But, you
|
||
584 must realize that jumping into a social group and negativly commenting
|
||
585 about the work of a respected member of that group without preamble or
|
||
586 explaination, is going to be construed as an attack on the group.
|
||
587 You should learn the social mores and gain the respect of the
|
||
588 group before rushing ahead and negativly commenting about the
|
||
589 activities of the group. If you haven't learned that from this
|
||
590 experience, then I'm afraid that you will experience the same 'problem'
|
||
591 again in the future.
|
||
592 As you have found from the comments made, not everyone here is as
|
||
593 concerned about perfect grammer and spelling as you are. This isn't
|
||
594 because we are all a bunch of low brow, slack jawed, slobbering
|
||
595 Neanderthals, (Thank you Pam!) but rather because of the nature of the
|
||
596 medium. There is little desire to spend an enormous amount of effort
|
||
597 to place something here when it will be gone in only a day or two.
|
||
598 Also, I think you have a slight misconception of the structure of
|
||
599 the system and the group. Think of it being an 'on-line' social
|
||
600 gathering. The people here 'converse' with each other, not see how
|
||
601 perfect a story they can write. Stories told here are like stories
|
||
602 told at any watering hole. The tellers are not expecting someone to be
|
||
603 heckling them from the crowd, they only expect you to either like it or
|
||
604 dislike it. This is for fun and enjoyment. As has been said before,
|
||
605 "If I'm going to put that much work and effort into it, I'll do it for
|
||
606 something I can sell!"
|
||
607 I think that you probably also picked a rather inopertune time to
|
||
608 let fly with your remarks. Things were getting just a bit boring
|
||
609 here, and I think that many of the people who responded did so simply
|
||
610 because it was something to get excited about (even if it was
|
||
611 negative). That's the other thing about the 'Inn', it isn't just a
|
||
612 'story board'. As I said, it is a social gathering and while because
|
||
613 of the medium it tends to gather people who like to write things, they
|
||
614 also get tired of that, and look for other forms of entertainment, and
|
||
615 a good (bad?) argument often is the result.
|
||
616 It is very difficult to put aside our own prejudices and see
|
||
617 things as others do, but I hope that maybe this has given you at least
|
||
618 a small glimpse into the workings and social mores of this particular
|
||
619 group of misfits.
|
||
620 ************************* CISTOP MIKEY *******************************
|
||
621 P.S. Thanks for the cool headed entry Capt'n Barefoot. Everybody needs
|
||
622 to get slapped on the wrist now and then to wake them up.
|
||
623 **********************************************************************
|
||
624
|
||
625 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
626 TOP TO BOTTOM IN ONE WEEK---- SUCH ARE THE EDDIES OF THE BACKWATER
|
||
627
|
||
628 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
629
|
||
|
||
TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629
|