570 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
570 lines
26 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 7, Number 25 18 June 1990
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| FidoNet (r) | | \ \\ |
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| International BBS Network | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Vince Perriello
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Editors Emeritii: Thom Henderson, Dale Lovell
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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Copyright 1990, Fido Software. All rights reserved. Duplication
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and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only.
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For use in other circumstances, please contact Fido Software.
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FidoNews is published weekly by the System Operators of the
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FidoNet (r) International BBS Network. It is a compilation of
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individual articles contributed by their authors or authorized
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agents of the authors. The contribution of articles to this
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compilation does not diminish the rights of the authors.
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You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
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ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1:1/1. 1:1/1 is a Continuous
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Mail system, available for network mail 24 hours a day.
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Fido and FidoNet are registered trademarks of Tom Jennings of
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Fido Software, Box 77731, San Francisco CA 94107, USA and are
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used with permission.
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Opinions expressed in FidoNews articles are those of the authors
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and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of Fido Software.
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Most articles are unsolicited. Our policy is to publish every
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responsible submission received.
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Table of Contents
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1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
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Why the Restrictions on Public Domain Software? .......... 1
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SIGN FRIENDS UPDATE-Echo Tie in and File Info ............ 3
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Tiffany & Debbie Gibson Echo ............................. 5
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UNITEX SEMINAR AT CONCLAVE '90 ........................... 6
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2. COLUMNS .................................................. 9
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Talk Me Through It, Honey ................................ 9
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3. NOTICES .................................................. 12
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 12
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 1 18 Jun 1990
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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John Herro
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1:3610/38
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Why the Restrictions on Public Domain Software?
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Some of the VERY BEST software around is public domain, and
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that's especially true of communications programs. But unfortu-
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nately, some of this excellent software isn't available from the
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shareware/PD houses, because the authors forbid anyone to earn
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money by distributing their software. As a result, the software
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has to be downloaded or file requested. Now don't get me wrong.
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The authors have every right to place whatever restrictions they
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want on their programs, because they own the software. What I
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don't understand is their MOTIVE for not allowing others to sell
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the SERVICE of copying these programs.
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For example, there's an EXCELLENT program that serves as a commu-
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nications terminal as well as a front end mailer. As a terminal
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program, it has X-, Y-, and Z-modem built in, along with Sealink
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and Telink. (More than one commercial program lacks Zmodem!)
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Although the PD program doesn't have a dialing menu quite like
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some shareware and commercial products, it uses the whole Fido
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NodeList for a dialing directory! Just type a net/node number
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and the rest is automatic! I don't know of any other terminal
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program that does that. And as a front end mailer, the PD pro-
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gram saves many a sysop from spending $100 on a commercial mail-
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er. And this excellent program isn't even shareware; it's FREE!
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Then there's a superb bulletin-board program, one of the most
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commonly used in FidoNet. It's very user friendly, and it pro-
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vides Continuous Mail capability even WITHOUT a front-end mailer!
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Phone it with a mailer program, and it recognizes the mailer and
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lets you request files and send and receive messages with or
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without files attached. Phone the same program with a terminal
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program, and you're welcomed to the BBS without delay! Now THAT'S
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software! The price of this state-of-the-art BBS system? That's
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right, FREE!
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But for some reason, you can't get these programs from the share-
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ware/PD houses; you have to find them yourself. On many bulletin
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boards, you have to wait to be validated before you can even look
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to see if the board has the files you want. The files for these
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programs take quite a while to download, unless you're lucky
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enough to own a high speed modem. You better have something GOOD
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to upload, or the large downloads won't endear you to the host
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sysops. Also, the bulletin board program is spread over a large
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number of files, and you may have difficulty determining when you
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have all the files you need. Now please don't misunderstand me.
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The trouble of finding and downloading these files is a VERY
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SMALL PRICE to pay for such excellent programs, and we should be
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truly grateful to the authors for providing them. But I would
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gladly pay some shareware/PD house a few bucks per disk to go to
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 2 18 Jun 1990
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this trouble for me.
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Believe it or not, I'm lucky enough to live near a shareware/PD
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RETAIL STORE! Yes, on my way home from work I can walk into the
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store and get a copy of any program in their catalog, instantly,
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for $3 a disk! The catalog has a whole paragraph describing each
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program, providing much more detail than the single line descrip-
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tions found on most bulletin boards. It also explains clearly
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about paying for shareware. I turn to the Telecommunications
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section of the catalog and find several terminal programs and
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several bulletin boards, but none as good as the PD programs men-
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tioned above.
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THANK YOU, programmers, for providing such wonderful software!
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But why do some of you dislike these shareware/PD houses? You
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have every right to say that you don't want anyone earning money
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by handling YOUR programs, but why not give your users a choice:
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to download your programs or to pay someone else to download them
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instead?
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 3 18 Jun 1990
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Anthony Grillo
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Fido 1:272/94
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SIGN FRIENDS-ECHO & FILE INFORMATION
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The response to SIGN FRIENDS has been overwhelming and a few
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developments have occured since the article was released in
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FIDONEWS.
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We had planned to form our own echo for SIGN FRIENDS but we had
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an invitation from the SILENTTALK Echo and we are taking them up
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on the offer. SIGN FRIENDS will be supported on the SILENTTALK
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echo which is available on the backbone. Check with your NEC for
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a tie in.
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I also had a few requests about the file sizes. Well I decided
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not only to list the sizes but to give you the complete file
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info so you know you have the real thing. Please note that
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SIGN37-3.XXX has been updated. If you have a version dated prior
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to 5-27-90 all you need to do is FILE REQUEST MENUII3.BAS and
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you'll have the latest version.
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SIGN FRIENDS FILES
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SIGN37-1.EXE 67617 5-17-90
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SIGN37-1.ZIP 54832 5-17-90
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SIGN37-2.EXE 63034 5-17-90
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SIGN37-2.ZIP 50250 5-17-90
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SIGN37-3.EXE 82237 5-27-90 Just Updated
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SIGN37-3.ZIP 69453 5-27-90 Just Updated
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MENUII3.BAS 1408 5-27-90 Upgrades older Version of
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SIGN37-3.XXX
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SIGN37-4.EXE 66474 6-10-90 NEW RELEASE
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SIGN37-4.ZIP 53690 6-10-90 NEW RELEASE
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PLEASE NOTE!!: You may file request the above files from the
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Electronic Mall anytime except 3am-6am EDT (0700-1000 GMT).
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PROGRAM AUTHOR
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Just to clarify the situation. Fran O'Gorman is the author of
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Sign Friends. All program questions, suggestions, nice letters
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etc. should be addressed to Fran. Fran can be reached here by
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Netmail or on the SILENTTALK Echo. Anthony Grillo is the sysop
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of the host BBS for the SIGN FRIENDS program. Any problems with
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downloading or file request should be addressed to Anthony.
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 4 18 Jun 1990
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 5 18 Jun 1990
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Tiffany & Debbie Gibson Echo
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by Daniel Tobias
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1:380/7
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Despite popular demand, I have inaugurated an echo devoted to the
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young singers, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany. This echo, TIFF&DEB,
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is being distributed as a non-backbone echo to participating
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sysops for the purpose of discussing Tiff and Deb in an
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atmosphere free of the obnoxious flaming that ensues when their
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names come up in the general MUSIC echo.
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Any sysop interested in carrying TIFF&DEB should send me netmail.
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You can take a peek at it in message area 14 of my system,
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reachable 24 hours at (318) 424-9260, up to 2400 bps.
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More Tiffany scoops can be had by file-requesting or downloading
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TIFFANY.ZIP, which includes a full chronology of her life and
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career among other things.
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[Yep, that's Tiffany on the cover of the Spy Magazine "Separated
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At Birth II" book, twinned with Julian Lennon, of all people.
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And it's her voice you hear in the "Jetsons" movie coming
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attraction now seen in theaters; she does three songs there as
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well as the voice of Judy Jetson. Regrettably, her good friend
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Debbie Gibson has to wait a bit longer for her own silver screen
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debut; her "Skirts" movie was scrubbed due to studio politics.
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What are they up to next? Read the TIFF&DEB echo to find out!]
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DISCLAIMER: This echo is not endorsed by Deborah Gibson, Tiffany
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or their respective management. Let's hope they don't sue...
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 6 18 Jun 1990
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James Waldron
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1:107/501
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The UNITEX Communications BBS published a feature story in
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FIDONEWS and ALTERNEWS in the summer of 1988, in which we
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described the concept of operating a specialized
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information and news system using data and information from
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'internal' United Nations databases and selected news
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services. A lot of new developments have occurred since
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then. The results and findings of this pilot project will
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be discuused at a seminar in the upcoming CONCLAVE '90.
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Below is an abstract highlighting some of the key areas of
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discussion:
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ABSTRACT
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UNITEX: Specialized Information and Technology Transfer
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Participants:
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James Waldron, Ph.D Senior Director and Research Associate
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Dorothy Nicklus, International NGO Representative to the UN
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Dr. James Waldron has formal training and degrees in
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chemical engineering, chemical physics, computer science
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and the philosophy of science and has taught at Rutgers
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Medical School, New Jersey Institute of Technology and New
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York University as Associate Professor. Seven years
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industrial experience at a major petroleum corporation as a
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senior systems scientist and research specialist.
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Publisher of specialized software for the typography and
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printing industry (GAMS and CHROMOS). Recipient of several
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NSF and NIH grants and awards.
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Ms. Dorothy Nicklus, UN NGO, has been an International
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Non-Governmental Organization Representative for more than
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nine years. An extensive background at the United Nations
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starting from the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Conference
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(1981-1982), including the recipient of an INTELSAT-PROJECT
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SHARE grant and other awards. Background includes formal
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training in graphic arts and design, advertising, video
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production and typography. Owner of the REGENT GROUP
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Corporation, specializing in publishing and financial
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printing.
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Subject:
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UNITEX (United Nations Information Transfer Exchange) has
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been pioneering the use and application of wide area
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network technology in the areas of specialized information
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transfer, using micro computers, since 1984. Starting as a
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pilot project, with the cooperation of UN Department of
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Public Information (UN DPI), UNITEX went on-line in New
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York City with Fido 11w. Custom software was designed to
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aid and implement the acquisition of data and information
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from several UN international databases maintained on
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 7 18 Jun 1990
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mainframes in New York, Geneva and Africa. UNITEX added
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other news agencies and related information sources to
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augment what was to become the International UNITEX ECHO
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Conference which became a FidoNet backbone conference in
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September 1987, with worldwide distribution. Unitex was
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the first organization that distributed, worldwide,
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special sessions of the United Nations General Assembly,
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along with, regular scheduled meetings anof the UN General
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Assembly, UN press Releases, UN Radio News, news and
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special bulletins from UNICEF
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What started out as a simple stand-alone BBS with no
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network capability became a networked host and gateway for
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a conference that was ported to over two dozen major
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networks in several countries and was available on more
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than ten thousand machines worldwide. UNITEX was
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highlighted in August 1989 on CNN News - Science and
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Technology Section and has been a source of information for
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international correspondents and journalists as well as a
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host system (WorldTalk Network) to receive articles from
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journalists around the globe.
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UNITEX has been an advocate of publishing and transferring
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unabridged and uncensored news, data and information for
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social benefit. UNITEX spearheaded a major effort to
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open-up an international body of information maintained by
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the United Nations, which previously had very limited
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distribution. This was done in the general public interest
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and to encourage debate, to exchange ideas and to transfer
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technology between the industrialized nations and the
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developing nations. The platform for this exchange grew to
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include other related newsworthy and related international
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events, such as the United Nations Environmental Programme;
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health and medical news, concerning crisis intervention,
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treatment of rare diseases, epidemics, worldwide treatment
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and disease prevention programs; United Nations Disaster
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Relief, concerning aid to hurricane victims, natural
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occuring disasters, chemical and radiation accidents;
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Department of Defense news briefings, DOD press releases
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and other related news which can concern a society
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at-large.
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UNITEX is presently running on a PS/2 Model 60, 3 MB ram,
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160 MB storage, Telebit PEP 9600 Baud.
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SEAdog 4.51b/GROUPmail 2.18/OPUS 1.12/KITTEN describe the
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software interfaces.
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The 'gating' of UNITEX has demonstrated some remarkable
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technical feats that would be unheard of only a few years
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ago but has also returned some invaluable data that we will
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discuss in more detail at the UNITEX Seminar.
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 8 18 Jun 1990
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Highlights:
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A. The age-old dilemma of performing good science in the
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face of political posturing. The role politics can play
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and it's effect on research and development.
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B. The role of the University InterNet, Research Networks,
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Commercial Networks and the FidoNet.
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C. Democratization of information
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D. Specialized Information Services and Wide Area Networks.
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 9 18 Jun 1990
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=================================================================
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COLUMNS
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=================================================================
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Henry Clark
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124/6120
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Hackers --
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In my early days of programming, circa 1977, we did not have
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the tools for program development that we have today. I wasn't
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using a full screen source editor until around 1981. When we
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tested our software, it was in the test bed, since we didn't
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develop software on the 'target' machine. Those were the days
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of 'punch cards' and 'listings'.
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When you tested, and found problems, you didn't stop and
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edit/recompile/relink/load because that cycle could take up to a
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full day. What you did was PATCH the problem using the binary
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representation of the instructions you needed. Then you could
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continue testing. By the end of your test session, you might
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have several patches, which you would then use to rewrite the
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source in preparation for your next testing session.
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Your ability to quickly patch the machine code, and get the
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program working was favorably noted by your supervisors and
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peers. The art and science of testing under these conditions
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was valuable knowledge and contributed to your reputation as a
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software developer.
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As I look at Webster's Ninth, (C) 1989, I see several
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definitions for the words 'hack' and 'hacker'. First HACK.
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Most common ( and in use since before the 12th century ) is "to
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cut with repeated irregular or unskillful blows". In reference
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to program testers, this is a wonderful metaphor, like calling
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the 300 pound man 'Tiny'. Compared to the source code, a patch
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is a rather unskillful blow to a program.
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Other definitions for the verb form include words like
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"reshape", "rough cuts" and "cutting blows". These typify the
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standard procedure of program patching where a problem was
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fixed in the most simple way, or entire sections of code are
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branched around in order to get as much code tested in the time
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frame allowed.
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A second definition : hack is short for hackney, a horse
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suitable for riding or driving. This usage, ( from around 1745
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) implies a work for hire attitude, with loose
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professionalism. Taxicab drivers are known as hacks because
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taxis were once horse drawn ( haven't you seen the Sherlock
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Holmes shows ? ). This analogy clearly fits the good
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programmer, who works like a horse and never wears a tie !
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 10 18 Jun 1990
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Hackwork, ( 1851 ), is "literary, artistic or professional work
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done on order according to formula and in conformity with
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commercial standards. Clearly applicable in the 1970s to
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programming, created according to specifications. There seems
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to be a fit with the appearance of contract programmers, not
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unusual with respect to the artistic nature of programming.
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This brings us now to the word HACKER. There are two
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definitions. The first ( from 1620 ) one that hacks, a person
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who is inexperienced or unskilled at a particular activity. The
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second, ( from 1976 ) AN EXPERT AT PROGRAMMING AND SOLVING
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PROBLEMS WITH A COMPUTER.
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It's obvious that HACKER is an endearing term, full of metaphor
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as the hard working, easy going individualist. At least until
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the early 1980s when two things happened : 1) computers became
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affordable to a wide group of people, and 2) computers became
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widely usable by all types of commercial and governmental
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endeavors.
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Voyeurs, Burglars and Vandals --
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Voyeurism - visual stimulation; burglary - theft; vandal -
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to deface.
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Today's definition for HACKER probably stems from the person who
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used his microcomputer to communicate with someone else's
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computer, gained entry to that computer's application or
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operating system command interpreter, and 1) was proud of the
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successful attempt to see what was not supposed to be seen, 2)
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by seeing, stole information and procedures, and 3) may even
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have gone so far as to alter or destroy the information in the
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computer system, or disrupt it's operation.
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Let's call a rose and rose, and a criminal a criminal.
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Where It Hurts Most --
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Since I clearly fit the original ( and positive ) definition of
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hacker, I am a little miffed at this new negative connotation.
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Nearly everyone in this network, who has worked to fit together
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the programs necessary to function with this Network, usually
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without documentation ( trial and error approach ), is a
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hacker in the most positive sense.
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When this modern criminal of the computer variety starts giving
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my hobby a bad name, I can do little but try to educate the
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uninformed. Like with the VIRUS scares of late, it's hard to
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set the record straight about the merits of a BBS.
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 11 18 Jun 1990
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PREACHING TO THE CHOIR mode on :
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The real problem now is that in trying to stamp out criminal
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activities, the law enforcement and regulatory groups are going
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to affect my hobby. Not, as some would suggest, by
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confiscation of equipment or outright banishment, but in
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increased costs and hassle. When my pocketbook gets hit, I
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start yelling.
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 12 18 Jun 1990
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=================================================================
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NOTICES
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=================================================================
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The Interrupt Stack
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14 Jul 1990
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Start of Eurocon / Techcon conference in Antwerp, Belgium.
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Please note that the date has changed: The conferences are
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one day later than originally planned !
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27 Jul 1990
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The beginning of the REGION 17 Convention at Menucha Resort in
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the Columbia Gorge, Oregon. For details contact Ken Zwaschka,
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1:105/54.
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1 Aug 1990
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Start of FidoCon '90. Contact Bill Vanglahn at 1:1/90 for
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details.
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5 Oct 1990
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21st Anniversary of "Monty Python's Flying Circus"
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6 Nov 1990
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First anniversary of Van Diepen Automatiseert, 2:500/28
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14 Nov 1990
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Marco Maccaferri's 21rd Birthday. Send greetings to him at
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2:332/16.0
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1 Jan 1991
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Implementation of 7% Goods and Services Tax in Canada. Contact
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Joe Lindstrom at 1:134/55 for a more colorful description.
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16 Feb 1991
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Fifth anniversary of the introduction of Echomail, by Jeff Rush.
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7 Oct 1991
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Area code 415 fragments. Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
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will begin using area code 510. This includes Oakland,
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Concord, Berkeley and Hayward. San Francisco, San Mateo,
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Marin, parts of Santa Clara County, and the San Francisco Bay
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Islands will retain area code 415.
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1 Feb 1992
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Area code 213 fragments. Western, coastal, southern and
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eastern portions of Los Angeles County will begin using area
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code 310. This includes Los Angeles International Airport,
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West Los Angeles, San Pedro and Whittier. Downtown Los
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Angeles and surrounding communities (such as Hollywood and
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FIDONEWS 7-25 Page 13 18 Jun 1990
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Montebello) will retain area code 213.
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If you have something which you would like to see on this
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calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
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