958 lines
51 KiB
Plaintext
958 lines
51 KiB
Plaintext
BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
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COPYRIGHT 1990
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December 1990 Volume 3, Issue 11
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Table Of Contents
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-----------------
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Article Title Author
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Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
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Editorial: Evolution of a BBS.................Randy Hilliard
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Windows Column: WinQVT 4.36....................Eric Hunt
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Who Cares What You Think?......................Dale Carter
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The Modem Politic..............................Scott Hollifield
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ProFile: The Plastic Crab.....................Chris Mohney
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? Why I Compute ?..............................Eric Hunt
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Reflections Of A Colby Dude(r).................Colby Gibson
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Special Interest Groups (SIGs).................Barry Bowden
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Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN
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We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
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information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for
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damage due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability,if any for BTN, its
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editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
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etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
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even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
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of such damages occurring.
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With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
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policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
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monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
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publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
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time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
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in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
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harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
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content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their
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work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles
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from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a
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reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
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Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
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the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
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article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
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please forward a copy of your publication to:
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Mark Maisel
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Editor, BTN
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221 Chestnut St.
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BHM, AL 35210-3219
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We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
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you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
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all of this and not get too serious about it.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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N E W S F L A S H
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We are planning another party. This one will be a bit more low key than
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the others have been. It will be a casual get-together wherein we shall
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engage in friendly social intercourse and celebrate this merry season.
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In other words...
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THIS IS NOT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GET STINKING DRUNK, TRY TO
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FEEL MAGGIE'S BREASTS, AND/OR THROW UP ON MY ROSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I realize that many of you will be busy during the season and that is
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fine by me. This party is for those of you who are available.
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Dean: "Are you saying that this party is only for social misfits who
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have nowhere else to go?"
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Mark: "Shut up Dean. You are going to scare them away. They have
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enough problems without you pointing them out."
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Anyway, back to the invitation: the party will be:
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Where: Mark Maisel's House a map will follow this
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221 Chestnut Street invitation
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205-956-0176
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When: December 15th, 1990
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6:00 p.m. until it ends
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Rules: Don't bring anything that will get you or me arrested.
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If you wish to imbibe legal substances, then BYOS*.
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Use discretion and intelligence when parking. The police may
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not be so nice next time. The front yard is not for parking.
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We have gone to great expense to shape it into its present form.
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The side yards in front of and behind the hedge are fair game
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though.
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*Bring Your Own Substances
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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M o n t c l a i r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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Bruno's³O³ Texaco : McDonalds³ ³ apartments³ ³ dead³ THERE WILL BE
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Super ³p³ : ³ ³ & ³ ³ end ³ A SIGN IN FRONT
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Market ³oÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ houses ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ´ OF THE HOUSE SO
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³rÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ YOU CAN FIND IT
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³t³Express : office ³ ³ ³ ³ EASIER!!!
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³o³Oil Change: bldgs ³ ³ ³ ³
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
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M o n t e v a l l o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *TO INTERSTATE*
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ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ
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³R³ ³R³ INSTRUCTIONS!!! ³A³ ³B³Wes-³C³ ³D³ ³E³
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³o³ ³e³ ³l³ ³u³lyan³h³ ³a³ ³l³
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³s³ ³d³ Look on Chestnut ³p³ ³s³Chu-³e³ ³l³ ³d³
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³e³ ³w³ after Shades and ³i³ ³h³rch ³s³ ³y³ ³e³
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³w³ ³o³ my home is 221, ³nÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÙtÀÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÙrÀÄÄÄÄ
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³o³ ³o³ the 3rd house ³e n S h a d e s
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³o³ ³d³ on the left. Call ³ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿u ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ
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³d³ ³ ³ 956-0176 if you ³ ³ ³ ³ ³t ³3rd³ ³ ³ ³
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³ ³ ³ ³ need further ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³one³ ³ ³ ³
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³ ³ ³ ³ direction. ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³
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³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³
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**********************************************
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*If you have any news, especially you sysops,*
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*that you want to get out to the readership *
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*of this august publication, let me know and *
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*it will be placed in this space. MM *
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**********************************************
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T !
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The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no
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charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
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The Connection LZ Birmingham Alter-Ego
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Channel 8250 Little Kingdom Joker's Castle
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Crunchy Frog Myth Drannor Posys BBS
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If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
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me know via EzNet so that I can post your board as a free BTN
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distributor. Thanks.
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MM
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Editorial: Evolution of a BBS
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by Randy Hilliard
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SysOp of Channel 8250
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(Chuckle) Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the
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water... I'm back.
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At any rate, blame Maisel since he is the one that put me up to it.
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Mark has a firm belief that he can contact me on short notice and that I
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can provide 'a ream or so' of text that can be masqueraded as an article
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in time of need. This time he wanted something about 1990 in review.
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Thinking to skip out on this one I told him that all I could pull dates
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on was my own system and to my dismay, he said 'Fine!' So here is a
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short history of the evolution of Channel 8250 since I have had it and
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the software & hardware changes that it has gone through. I expect this
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to be about as exciting as reading Linear A and probably just as
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popular.
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I inherited Channel 8250 from Ed O'Neill in March of '89 as an
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established BBS. The BBS originally ran on a 4.77 XT with a 20 MB hard
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disk which was also borrowed from Ed. At this time it was a single node
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system running at 2400 baud maximum.
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Channel 8250 stayed essentially the same while I learned the in and
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outs of running the system locally rather than from remote. In August
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of '89 I heeded the call of the wild and purchased an HST Dual Standard
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and installed it on the BBS. With the HST came new horizons in the form
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of Jeff Freeman, who invited me to join Metrolink which was a nationwide
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mail echo of a hundred or so BBSs. For the first time since David Alge
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took down Pinson Vally BBS there was a PC Board in Birmingham hooked
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into a national echo.
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Local BBS users took to Metrolink very rapidly since this gave them
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a new set of people to discuss (read argue) issues with. System
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activity picked up considerably and in December I installed a Markmail
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door to help ease congestion. Surprisingly, not many people took to the
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MM door at first since it was new and different. I upgraded the
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hardware to a 12 mhz XT with a 60 meg drive to help ease hardware
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congestion brought on by Metrolink access. I also upgraded PC Board to
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the 14.2/E3 version giving me the capability of having three nodes.
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Three nodes indeed went up but only node 1 was hooked to a telephone;
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nodes 2 and 3 were local nodes for my wife and I which eleminated our
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consuming time that a user could utilize.
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Usage continued to climb and in March of 90 my wife grudgingly
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donated her node to the users and node 2 went public at 2400 baud but
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was for message base usage only. The 60 meg drive got replaced with a
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120 megger to help keep up with the need for more file space. In April
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the Channel was the first Birmingham board to upgrade to the beta
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version of PCB 14.5 / Prodoor 3.3. At the end of April I donated my HST
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to node 2 so that both nodes were now running at 9600 baud.
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Around July I added two Co-Sysops to help manage the system since
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with the local and the national mail I could not cover all of the bases
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by myself any longer.
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In August I installed a 20 mhz 80386 as node 1 and fileserver and
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replaced the 4.77 mhz XT on node 2 with the 12 mhz XT; comparitively
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speaking, we were now cooking with gas on both nodes. A flakey hard
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disk controller card gave me system lock-ups galore for several weeks.
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Since I made the mistake of believing it was a network configuration
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problem I nearly pulled all of my hair out before realizing my mistake.
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Until I sat down and made my notes on what changes that had been
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made I really had not realized how many changes there were. A lot of
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stuff like minor doors , minor hardware problems, and Netmail problems
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got left out of the article. Channel 8250 is still the same board that
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it used to be; it is just a little faster, a little bigger, and has a
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few more bells and whistles. Users are what make all of this possible
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and after looking back on the last 20 months I don't believe that I
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could honestly say that it hasn't been fun.
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Thank you, Merry Christams, and have the best year that 1991 can
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bring to you & yours.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Windows Column: WinQVT 4.36
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by Eric Hunt
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WinQVT version 4.36 is a welcome change from other Windows
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communications programs that are a constant nag or cripple ware, or are
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simply too "busy" looking onscreen. WinQVT is a completely functional
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shareware package, but without a user manual. Hey, it's Windows, it
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doesn't NEED a user's manual! The shareware price is $50.
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Promoted generally as a terminal emulator for DEC vVT-52, 100, and
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200 terminals, WinQVT also earns acceptable marks in the area of BBSing.
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In addition to its terminal emulation, it supports a fairly diverse
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range of file transfer protocols: X, Y, and (most importantly) ZMODEM,
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Kermit (for talking to those VAX'es) and interestingly -- Compuserve
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Quick B. The addition of Compuserve's protocol indicates that WinQVT WAS
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written for more than just business use. Support for COM ports 1-3 and
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baud rates up to 9600 is also nice, although some of the HST dual
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standard owners wouldn't like the "low" baud rate ceiling. ANSI support
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is possible, although it is still quite buggy and no IBM graphics
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characters are present, since it uses the VT font that the DEC terminals
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have. The ANSI is especially annoying on WWIV systems, but is is quite
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reasonable for PCBoard systems. The "bugs" seem to show up when there
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are large amounts of color changes, and many times you will be left with
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things like yellow on light blue or even blue on blue (unreadable!) and
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then you are forced to reset the colors using dialog boxes.
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I have been using the program for some time now, and the performance
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from it has been quite acceptable. My main attraction is the totally
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blank terminal screen, with only the menu and status bar across the top.
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This screen is much more readable than the heavily cluttered screen that
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Unicom presents, and causes less eyestrain. There are several problems
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first of all that warrant me not sending in my $50, the first of which
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is the incomplete ANSI. The next problem is WinQVT's treatment of line
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noise. The program seems to have a death wish for line noise, for
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whenever a quick, unexpected burst comes through, many times the machine
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(or most likely, the program) freezes. The only way to recover control
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is to reboot. Luckily, all is not lost, for (at least on my 386sx,) the
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connection is not broken, and you can pick right back up where you left
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off. This is the bug that needs to be addressed first in future
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releases. Another bug (in my opinion at least) is the program's
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inability to to do totally minimized background file transfers. For a
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transfer not to abort, the transfer status screen MUST remain on the
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desktop somewhere (it can be obscured by other programs.) For some
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people, this would be nothing to really worry over, but it IS strange
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neverth'less. Finally, specifying a download directory other than the
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directory WinQVT resides in for ZMODEM transfers causes the file
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transfer to abort.
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Even though there are many negatives that can be found in the
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program, there are also several positive aspects that deserve mention.
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One of the advantages of Windows that I have come to use and enjoy is
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cut and paste. WinQVT allows full cut and paste from the terminal screen
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to the clipboard. What this means to the average Joe User is that he can
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now quote messages much more easily on systems that have cryptic quoting
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devices, and allows quoting on systems with no facilities for quoting
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whatsoever! The only time when this does not work occurs when the board
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you are calling clears the screen when you reply to a message.
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Customization is another positive area. All options that are
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customizable can be customized, down to assigning each F key a string to
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be output whenever that key is pressed. Interestingly, WinQVT has no
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central dialing directory, and this is a welcome change from the Windows
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comm programs that seemed to only be carbon copies of their DOS
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counterparts. Instead of a dialing directory, WinQVT loads a different
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configuration file for each BBS that you call. This enables you to
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create an icon attached to a WinQVT config file, thereby allowing you to
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double click on that icon and have the comm program loaded and the board
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dialed automatically. Each config file can hold up to ten numbers, which
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is handy for multi-node systems not running a master roll over number.
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WinQVT also allows you to choose from two different window sizes: Small
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and Large. Large is what you would expect , and it has approximately 8-9
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point type. On the other hand, Small is really SMALL! Small changes over
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to 4-5 point type in a window that is a complete 80x25 screen but it is
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only about 2 inches square on the screen. Such a small screen allows you
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to monitor the progress of a comm session while working with other
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things on the desktop. Lastly, one of the best features is also the
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strangest. Normally, when a configuration file is loaded, the dialer
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appears automatically with the BBS number all ready and waiting for you
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to click the "dial" button. This new feature allows you to skip having
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to press the "dial" button, for it causes the dialer to start dialing
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the number as soon as the file is loaded. This is strange feature
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because you have to exit WinQVT and load the config file into notepad
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and MANUALLY insert the statement into the file that causes the
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autodialing to happen. Why a dialog box or a radio button somewhere was
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not developed for this is beyond my comprehension.
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WinQVT, with its strong suit of transfer protocols and uncluttered
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screen has the potential to become the Lotus 1-2-3 of Windows
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communications programs. The presence of several major problems,
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including the line noise lockups and the poor ANSI and IBM graphics
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support, is the only thing keeping that revolution from coming. Get
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WinQVT if you don't mind small to medium sized hassles and need a good
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core comm program, but if you need clean, easy, hassle free
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communications within Windows, wait a little longer.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Who Cares What You Think!
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By Dale Carter
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A while back I was bellowing long and loud about the pathetic
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quality of music critics in Birmingham. As I continued to push my luck,
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I was challenged by a now ex-friend to put up or shut up. Thus was born
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this column. It began as an album review column, but I realized that
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there were numerous publications that would render my words redundant in
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the extreme. Then a friend suggested that I review LIVE performances
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much like Bob Carlton (my least favorite critic, BTW) did in the now
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defunct "I Cover The War".
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Before I begin my rant, I feel I should present some of my
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background (credentials?). I have performed and recorded on a
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professional level for the past seven years. I have worked as a sound
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man for professional bands in jazz and rock. I am incredibly opinionated
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and often biased. That said, if you don't like it then that is just too
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bad! I will review my friends and when I have a personal connection,
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good or bad, I will make it very clear. With that said, away we go.....
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Eric Essix
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Homegrown modern jazz that is as good as any to be found. Eric is a
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superb guitarist and bandleader. Song writing (solo and co-writer),
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performance, appearance, personality and all other aspects of
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personality and talent are first rate. One of Eric's greatest talents
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may be his ability to surround himself with other talented people. The
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live performance band features Kelly O'Neal on saxophone. This guy is
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one of my favorites with a real talent for blistering solos. Drummer
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James Blair is a funky groove master from the word go. He has everything
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a drummer needs (in my opinion). Bassist Sean Ray is a good friend and a
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real funk dude in the vein of Verdine White (Earth Wind & Fire) and
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Nathan East (Eric Clapton and every other artist you can think of).
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Finally, Scott McDavid is a killer on keyboards. I first met him when he
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was with Split The Dark and he has always been a class act with talent
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to spare. Solos reminiscent of Chick Corea and groove chops to die for.
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This band has a previously released CD on the and is available in
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local record stores. They have just finished recording their second
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release at Bates Brothers (Eugene and Eric Bates may be the best kept
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secret in Birmingham recording, perfect attitudes and loads of talent)
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and it should be released in the near future. The first album featured
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such local talent as killer Mark Lanter (Bova Nova, formerly The Cast)
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on drums and Elbert Phillips on keyboards. There were guests artists on
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the new album, but I haven't got a complete list yet, so I would rather
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not give an incomplete listing.
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Can you tell I really like these guys? That is why I do my best to
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make them sound as good as I can when I mix their live sound. I asked
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for the job AFTER I heard how talented they were. It is easy to make
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them sound good and it is a pleasure to work for such professional
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people. If you like modern guitar/sax jazz, do what it takes to see them
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perform.
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The Vallejos
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These three young brothers are among the most talented players I
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have seen perform locally in several months. Hard and fast
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rock/funk/thrash, as is currently brought into vogue by bands such as
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the Red Hot Chili Peppers, that is loaded with energy.
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Omar Vallejo handles the bass with a great degree of skill and
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groovitude, but he really blew me away with his trumpet! That's right, a
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trumpet! In a HARD ROCK band? Killed me. Alex Vallejo is the drummer and
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is everything a drummer should be in this band. Loud, strong, steady
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and wide grooves that make me feel good. I really appreciate an
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obviously talented and chop-loaded player who knows the meaning of
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taste (especially in this type of music) and restraint. He does the job
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without the excess baggage carried by so many players. Which leads
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me to A.J. The singer/guitarist is talented, but, in a town full of
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blistering guitarists, it take more than just "good" to impress me as
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much as his brothers. He does his job well though and a player with more
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chops might get in the way of the other two players. All in all he
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blends with them well and is an adequate vocalist.
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The best thing about these guys is the amount of sound that the
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three of them can produce. The worst is the arrogance with which they
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|
conduct themselves. They are, however, young and I hope they mature
|
|
rather quickly. I appreciated the fact that they performed a rather
|
|
lengthy set of all original material (even if it did sound like Red Hot
|
|
Chili Peppers material) and stick to it in all their shows (to the best
|
|
of my knowledge). In my opinion, worth a trip to a local club .
|
|
|
|
These two groups represent extremes of the Birmingham music scene
|
|
and also illustrate the cutting edge in local entertainment. I am
|
|
interested in suggestions for local bands to review, preferably
|
|
those who perform a sizable amount of original material. Leave
|
|
comments at The Crunchy Frog. Next time a possible essay on how I
|
|
feel about New Kids On The Block and Poison. You may be surprised.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The Modem Politic
|
|
by Scott Hollifield
|
|
|
|
I've been using local bulletin board systems for about six years
|
|
now. Actually, it's probably between five and six. I really can't
|
|
remember because I've spent too much time "upping" the number of years
|
|
in casual word-battles with people whom I don't want to admit have been
|
|
using them longer than I have. Accurately, five to six years is about
|
|
right. Over that period of time, I like to think that I've sort of
|
|
grabbed onto some kind of significant wavelength, a common central
|
|
social theme that would make a good masters thesis if I were to suddenly
|
|
start dropping acid. What I've come to realize, however, is that it's
|
|
not such a cut-and-dried topic to analyze.
|
|
|
|
If the last couple of sentences didn't lose you, let me rephrase:
|
|
there are a lot of fundamental misconceptions about the way the
|
|
so-called "BBS world" works, and the people that most strongly hold them
|
|
are the people who've used BBSs the longest and the most. I've suddenly
|
|
stopped liking that phrase: "BBS world". It's really a tacky rubric
|
|
that conjures images of a swirling techno-miasma of intrigue,
|
|
interesting people, and good intentions. The blatant and sorry sad
|
|
truth is that the BBS scene is not Society in microcosm. Apparently,
|
|
it's possible to get by *treating* it as such, inadvertently or not,
|
|
because that's what I did for years on end, and will probably keep doing
|
|
for the rest of my days. It's instinct; when you're an armchair
|
|
sociologist, like so many of us highbrow in-home debaters, you tend to
|
|
think of yourself as a being that gallantly wades into shallow waters
|
|
that represent a whole other culture, when the fact is that local BBS
|
|
"continuity" (the only term left dignified enough to describe it, I
|
|
feel) both mirrors our culture at its most sordid and contrasts it
|
|
bluntly enough to confuse most of the people most of the time.
|
|
|
|
The reflection isn't a point-for-point doppleganger; instead, it's
|
|
more of a funhouse mirror effect. One particularly ingrained myth is
|
|
that BBS systems act as "the great equalizer". "Everyone is the same,"
|
|
proponents of this theory will proclaim in a deep but pretentiously
|
|
humble timbre, "because no one can see what anyone else looks like!" I
|
|
think that I've known all along that this idea was pure crap. The
|
|
implication is that BBS's provide a model utopia, or close enough,
|
|
because everyone is treated equally without prejudice toward physical
|
|
appearance. The basic flaw in this idea is the assumption that physical
|
|
appearance is not only the primarily factor that motivates social
|
|
interaction in the "real world", but is the ONLY factor that does so.
|
|
I've learned, through both the easy way and the hard way, that MUCH more
|
|
important than this are a person's words, or more specifically the way
|
|
he says them.
|
|
|
|
A few months ago, I tried to get this idea across in a rather lazily
|
|
written article for BTN called "Conversational Telecomm- unicating", a
|
|
piece of near-fluff that sort of pretended to be instructive while
|
|
failing miserably at any possible potential aim, with the exception of
|
|
maybe a few good jokes and a humorous mention of Dean Costello. In this
|
|
article, I tried to sell my own writing skill via the Charles Atlas
|
|
route: look kids, I can make my messages funny, attention- getting AND
|
|
significant - and so can YOU! I can tell that this idea was headed in
|
|
the wrong direction through and through by merely noticing that the net
|
|
intellectual content of all the BBS messages in Birmingham hasn't
|
|
experienced any obviously sharp rise since the article was published.
|
|
So the lesson I learned from that is something I guess I should have
|
|
already been aware of: Social skill cannot be taught, it must be
|
|
learned. Being stuck on the passive end of this equation is something
|
|
that can make life in the BBS universe frustrating for someone who isn't
|
|
accustomed to making his or her every nuance and expression translate
|
|
cleanly into ASCII.
|
|
|
|
So there are varying levels of something that I will nominally call
|
|
"sociability". This, in turn, leads to rudimentary structures of castes
|
|
and cliques, a fact that is painfully aware to me because of my
|
|
membership in what some of its members regard as one of the higher BBS
|
|
cliques in town. Divvying up a group of people into an at least
|
|
partially arbitary hierarchy is bound to be disconcerting to a lot of
|
|
people, not the least of which is the divvyier. The peasants don't like
|
|
to think of themselves as peasants because it's harmful to the ego, and
|
|
the elite, unless they're chronically snobby, don't like to think of
|
|
themselves as elite because it's harmful to other less prevalent
|
|
sensibilities. The fact that these class divisions exist is usually all
|
|
one needs to justify the mistaken belief that BBS's are an accurate
|
|
re-depiction of society, usually by BBS elite who may not be considered
|
|
"elite" in the real world, especially where such divisions are murkier
|
|
and wisely, usually, left unpondered.
|
|
|
|
It's possible to break these rules by merely seeming ignorant that
|
|
any rules exist. Mark Maisel does this trick with astonishing ease. By
|
|
treating Dean Costello and Ricky Eanes with *precisely* the same amount
|
|
of respect, civility and sense of self, he causes the phosphor glare of
|
|
EGA/CGA/VGA caste divisions to fade away into the recesses of the
|
|
collective conscience just as if someone had pressed the power button.
|
|
It's a neat stunt and a swell ideal, though I have yet to see it
|
|
replicated on either a private or public scale.
|
|
|
|
The rest of us will probably have to be content with eating cake.
|
|
Every time Brett Thorn and Jay Enterkin have a political squabble on
|
|
EZNet, the underlying yield is a perceived social triumph, like baronets
|
|
being afforded the luxury of arguing over silver or electrum dinnerware.
|
|
It means that those on top don't *have* to worry about upload/download
|
|
ratios; they're not forced to walk through the ghettos of Commodore 64
|
|
pirate boards late at night, or meet yesterday's headline-grabbing
|
|
pre-pubescent hacker on equal footing. In that respect, BBS's aren't so
|
|
much a distortion so much as a re-allocation. In the world of 2400 baud
|
|
computer systems, you can have your own social class made to fit,
|
|
tailored to order, while you wait. It's only a clip-on, of course, and
|
|
you take it off when you get home. Or sometimes you don't, depending on
|
|
how many hours a day you spend immersed in the fake world before you
|
|
come out squinting into the real sun.
|
|
|
|
Can it really be so simple, though? From my perspective, it's
|
|
certainly easy to argue so. It's a little like the school of thought
|
|
which suggests that everyone consciously chooses to be intelligent or
|
|
not at some point in life. The intelligent ones can't say it isn't so,
|
|
but that's because they generally don't associate with the unintelligent
|
|
ones enough to increase their vantage point. In that respect, I'm sort
|
|
of a Horatio Alger for the BBS set. I started from only a Commodore
|
|
Vic-20, a 300 baud modem, a cassette drive and the shirt off my back,
|
|
and made an unusually *early* mark on BBS discussions. Once you start
|
|
relating thoughful ideas and opinions, you get noticed by some, but it's
|
|
not until you start relating them in a thoughtful WAY that you get
|
|
noticed by everyone. It's been long enough for me not to be able to
|
|
remember if I hit upon this method by trial-and-error or simply sheer
|
|
luck. I didn't have to have an IBM compatible, a hard drive, 2400 baud
|
|
or PKUNZIP to play with the big boys; now I have all of it and more, and
|
|
it clouds my view a little because I tend to think that the BBS
|
|
superscene has since become a little more disjointed and geared toward
|
|
the haves, away from the have-nots. Computers have advanced, sure, but
|
|
what has really significantly - and under everyone's noses - evolved is
|
|
the technology of thought. The process of rationalization among people
|
|
who talk to other people over computers has advanced so rapidly, that
|
|
it's beyond the capability of fiber optics and 19.2Kbps to keep up.
|
|
|
|
That's sort of the rationale behind this article, I guess. Every
|
|
time - and I mean EVERY time - I try to say something serious or
|
|
significant on the boards, or here in BTN, people like it; but it never
|
|
seems to work out for ME. I'm never able to verbalize more than 10% of
|
|
what I feel like I really should be saying. This is really due to the
|
|
limitations of hardware than to any unlimited wealth of information that
|
|
may exist in my own head. By spelling out some of my reservations
|
|
concerning the current system, it somewhat eases the burden of heavy
|
|
facts and factoids upon my oxcart.
|
|
|
|
This is relevant, I feel, because people call this the "information
|
|
age". Cyberpunk novels depict a future in which information is the next
|
|
street drug; I see it more becoming a necessary kitchen-cabinet grocery
|
|
list item for the average American, one that everyone needs but everyone
|
|
complains about needing, like gasoline. Computer BBS's allow us to
|
|
glimpse into the future of information exchange, but it's a mixed
|
|
blessing; we're having to lick droplets of the new technically superior
|
|
grade of gasoline that will one day cost $3.00 a gallon, but only
|
|
because the cars we drive won't be able to get along without it.
|
|
|
|
How does that fit into a local scale? Birmingham has a richly
|
|
diverse BBS community, but seen from the truly objective angle, it's
|
|
like looking at anthills whose main point of interest is that some are
|
|
different sizes and may harbor fire ants. We have the BBS equivalents
|
|
of Inverness, Avondale and Inglenook; but the only real benefit we get
|
|
from knowing about the different neighborhoods is the sense of
|
|
perspective that allows us to avoid the ones we don't want to visit.
|
|
|
|
I think I've decided that there is an element of "equalization" in
|
|
local BBSs. Whatever mysterious factor it is, allows me, a college
|
|
dropout who's barely 21, a stunning and sometimes frightening power over
|
|
the perceptions of other people who are hardwired into this strange and
|
|
sometimes banal world. Is it inborn? I have, at this time, more BBS
|
|
friends than friends who don't use BBS's. This hasn't always been so,
|
|
which suggests a rather scary variant on the law of diminishing returns.
|
|
The only concrete conclusion I can draw from this, from ANY of this, is
|
|
that, no, this isn't the real world. It's not anything like the real
|
|
world. It IS, however, a world in it's own right, with enough unreality
|
|
or semi-reality as one is willing to give it. The rules are simple
|
|
because you either get to make them up or ignore them. The object is
|
|
not to win; it's to figure out enough to make you want to stay, but not
|
|
so much that you suddenly have no choice. By being a malleable town, a
|
|
community whose borders can be arbitrarily moved about by the dwellers,
|
|
it's really the best of ALL worlds - and the worst.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
ProFile
|
|
by Chris Mohney
|
|
|
|
The ProFile is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to
|
|
various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham.
|
|
Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the
|
|
notorious Hat. Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may
|
|
petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris
|
|
Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect. Anyone who wishes to
|
|
suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their
|
|
knowledge may take the same route....
|
|
|
|
(A special guest this month. Don't ask.)
|
|
|
|
---------
|
|
|
|
Pro File on THE PLASTIC CRAB
|
|
|
|
---------
|
|
|
|
Age: 4
|
|
|
|
Birthplace: Destin, Florida
|
|
|
|
Occupation: I sit on top of Chris Mohney's stereo and glare balefully
|
|
at anyone in the room
|
|
|
|
My hobbies include: Absorbing the heat from the stereo receiver,
|
|
reading James Michener novels
|
|
|
|
Years telecomputing: I don't really telecompute, but Chris channels me
|
|
occasionally and thus I get some vicarious thrills
|
|
|
|
Sysop, past/present/future of: Never been a sysop. Still, I think I
|
|
someday like to run an underground BBS to encourage the freedom of
|
|
my plastic crab brethren who are being melted down for use in the
|
|
construction of Atari ST's, like the one owned by Dean Costello
|
|
|
|
My oddest habit is: Shouting obscenities at visitors, who then think
|
|
Chris said it
|
|
|
|
My greatest unfulfilled ambition is: To get that Jay Enterkin alone for
|
|
just a few minutes. I bet he's
|
|
never had a synthetic crustacean.
|
|
|
|
The single accomplishment of which I am most proud is: Saving the kid
|
|
from the evil spirit of Charles Lee Ray in Child's Play 2. Just be
|
|
glad the bad guy didn't possess ME.
|
|
|
|
My favorite performers are: Cher (another crab with a lot of plastic)
|
|
and Jet Thomas. It is much easier to understand Jet if you think
|
|
from the perspective of a plastic crab such as myself.
|
|
|
|
The last good movie I saw was: Crybaby. That Johnny Depp! Reminds me
|
|
of Jay Enterkin.
|
|
|
|
The last good books I read were: "Love in the Time of the Cholera" by
|
|
Gabreil Garcia-Marquez and "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. Also
|
|
"Wet Sexy Nurse" by anonymous.
|
|
|
|
If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played
|
|
by: the Rasta Farian crab in "The Little Mermaid."
|
|
|
|
My pet peeves are: Lynyrd Skynyrd songs (they smell bad) and the fact I
|
|
can't regenerate this leg I lost when Chris stepped
|
|
on me a while back.
|
|
|
|
When nobody's looking, I like to: That's the basic problem. People are
|
|
NEVER looking at me, so it doesn't matter one tinker's damn what I
|
|
do or say. So the next time you're in a seafood restaurant where
|
|
they have that netting strung up on the wall with all the plastic
|
|
sea creatures stuck in it, take a minute and give the plastic crabs
|
|
and affectionate stroke, just to show that you care. We'll enjoy
|
|
it, and it doesn't cost you anything but a few strange looks from
|
|
the employees, and considering the appearance most of you bozos
|
|
present you're probably used to that anyway.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
"Why I Compute"
|
|
by Eric Hunt
|
|
|
|
Why do any of us compute? I suppose we all asked ourselves this
|
|
question when we first bought or obtained a computer. I was attracted to
|
|
the idea of computing because it was a new technology that had exciting
|
|
possibilities. Now there are many reasons why I continue to compute, the
|
|
first of which is the enjoyment I get from it. Everyone needs a hobby to
|
|
spend their free time on, and mine is computing. Just as model
|
|
railroaders or baseball card collectors strive to improve and enhance
|
|
their train set ollection, I strive to make my computer system the best
|
|
I can make it, be it through the addition of software (usually via BBS)
|
|
and/or hardware.
|
|
|
|
What else does one compute for? Escaping reality comes to mind.
|
|
After a hard day's work, Leisure Suit Larry or Welltris can be mighty
|
|
helpful in dealing with a rabid boss and hateful coworkers. For those
|
|
with a modem, calling up your favorite board just might be the perfect
|
|
release: a land where you're known as the "Grand Inquisitor" and can
|
|
play TradeWars or Dragon's Hoard forever. I come home from school and
|
|
work and turn the computer on and dial the modem so that I can be
|
|
immersed in a world that ve control over, one where I call the shots,
|
|
determine what gets done and when, and can relax. BBSing is the perfect
|
|
release for me after a long day of being a subordinate. Computing can
|
|
let you be whoever you want with no one else knowing.
|
|
|
|
"Gosh, I gotta get this paper done tonight, and the computer room is
|
|
closed!" Time is money, and for students, time is a grade. Computing
|
|
allows you to not only escape and waste time, but it allows you to save
|
|
time when a project or deadline is coming. I routinely save tons of time
|
|
by typing all my papers at home and simply taking them to school to be
|
|
printed on the laser there, than hoping I can get it typed, edited and
|
|
printed all at school. I also save traveling time (for I am a commuter
|
|
student) ng all my programming at home, via a modem linkup, to the mini
|
|
that we are required to do programming on. Computers, if properly
|
|
understood and utilized, can be wonderful time savers.
|
|
|
|
Finally, one who has already been computing for a period of time can
|
|
continue to use computing as a way to help others who are having grave
|
|
difficulties answering that initial question: "Why [will] I compute?" I
|
|
enjoy helping others to move away from that archaic typewriter or
|
|
rolodex and move into a more advanced world. DOS, the operating system
|
|
everyone loves to hate, has been one of the largest areas in which I
|
|
help people with. Many new computer users have the capability to learn,
|
|
understand, an e proficient at DOS, but they are simply afraid of what
|
|
might happen if the wrong command is executed or a strange
|
|
key-combination is pressed. Assisting others with DOS, the latest new
|
|
program, or anything computer related, is one of the biggest reasons
|
|
"why I compute."
|
|
|
|
Computing is the fresh breeze at the end of the day, the warm bath
|
|
after coming in from the cold. It allows you to release yourself and
|
|
forget about the worries of the day. Control is regained over a
|
|
sometimes controlled OR uncontrollable life. With it, you can improve
|
|
your mind, or even earn more money while having fun in the process.
|
|
Lengthy projects are reduced to manageable size, and efficiency is
|
|
increased. "Why do I compute?" I enjoy it.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Reflections Of A Colby Dude(r)
|
|
by Colby Gibson
|
|
|
|
Sometimes, when I get to thinking about it, telecomputing has come
|
|
quite a long way in the past few years. The new technological
|
|
innovations, the faster modems, and 80386-80486 machines have made this
|
|
fast-paced world very amazing indeed.
|
|
|
|
But, as many of you have seen, I do stray around the boards a bit,
|
|
leaving messages here and there, especially in the EZNET forum. I also
|
|
run a Battletech RPG in conference 29 of The MATRIX. But, I was provoked
|
|
to remember about the old days by a friend in my class who was indeed
|
|
very excited about getting his first system.
|
|
|
|
If I can remember right, it was about the middle of December, 1985
|
|
when I first got the indication of owning a system. My mother had
|
|
brought home a portable PC one time which had gotten me hooked on these
|
|
nice little coomputers. But, to the first time computer user, here is
|
|
what it seemed like to me.
|
|
|
|
A few days after I got my system, which was an XT with CGA, I had a
|
|
1200 baud modem installed. It wasn't working quite right, and after
|
|
finding out from a more knowledgeable user that the com port was set
|
|
incorrectly, my introduction into the BBS world began.
|
|
|
|
To me, the BBS's seemed like a world where these immense people sat
|
|
around and plotted the doom of the world, and I was just this tiny
|
|
person that could be destroyed at any moment. Well, the first board my
|
|
system ever connected to was the Birmingham BBS, run by the now infamous
|
|
Rocky Rawlins. I thought it to be pretty cool at first, with all the
|
|
message bases and files. Then, I logged on to other boards and such, and
|
|
quickly learned what upload/download ratios were.
|
|
|
|
I made several friends, some of which didn't stay friends for very
|
|
long, and yes, you know who you are. I began calling these boards that
|
|
you see one day and don't see the next. I heard about all of these
|
|
extraordinary people that knew more about computers than God did at the
|
|
time. Omega Ohm was the one of the main people in mind. But, my
|
|
knowledge of these things grew and grew, and I began to think of myself
|
|
on a different plane of existence in the BBS world, that I was one of
|
|
the continuum. That's when my floppy drive began eating my disks.
|
|
|
|
I heard about all of these wonderful systems that ran faster than
|
|
mainframes and these games that were so incredible. Well, by today's
|
|
standards they wouldn't cut hot butter.
|
|
|
|
It brings me to where I am now. I moved from and XT to a 80386, and
|
|
I upgraded to VGA. And today, it seems that 286's and 386's are needed
|
|
even more to run those complex programs. Hopefully they will become
|
|
standard.
|
|
|
|
Hopefully what I have just said will give the user that has just
|
|
started out some insight on how other more experienced users came about.
|
|
I wonder about that lost time, long ago... When miracle upgrades seemed
|
|
right around the corner.....But were so far away....
|
|
|
|
Dude(r) a registered trademark owned by Colby Gibson
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
|
|
|
|
BEPCUG CCS
|
|
Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South
|
|
Jefferson Sate Jr. College Springville Road Library
|
|
Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114 2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
|
|
3rd Friday, 7-9 PM 3rd Monday (Amiga)
|
|
Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM) 7:30-10 PM
|
|
Maurice Lovelady 684-6843
|
|
|
|
BCCC BIPUG
|
|
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group
|
|
POB 59564 UAB Nutrition Science Blg
|
|
Birmingham, Al 35259 RM 535/541
|
|
UAB School of Education, Rm 153 1st Sunday (delayed one week
|
|
2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM if meeting is a holiday)
|
|
Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Marty Schulman 967-5883
|
|
|
|
BACE FAOUG
|
|
Birmingham Atari Computer First Alabama Osborne Users
|
|
Enthusiast Group
|
|
Vestavia Library, downstairs Homewood Library
|
|
2nd Monday, 7 PM 1st Saturday, 1PM
|
|
Benny Brown 822-5059 Ed Purquez 669-5200
|
|
|
|
CADUB
|
|
CAD Users of Birmingham
|
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Homewood Library
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3rd Tuesday, 6:30PM-8:30PM
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Bobby Benson 791-0426
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Š
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If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed,
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please let us know by sending E-Mail to Barry Bowden on
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The Matrix BBS.
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Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area
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NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE
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SUPPORTED TYPE
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* Alter-Ego BBS 925-0707 300-2400 ProBBS/ProDoor
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* American BBS 674-1851 300-2400 PC Board 14.5
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* Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 9600 HST/V.42 WWIV 4.12
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Camelot BBS 856-0679 300-2400 Teleguard 2.5
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-* Channel 8250 Node 1 744-8546 300-9600 HST/V.42 PC Board 14.5
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-* Channel 8250 Node 2 744-5166 300-9600 HST PC Board 14.5
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* Crunchy Frog 956-1755 300-9600 HST/V.42 PC Board 14.0
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D3 Systems BBS 663-2759 300-9600 HST/V.32 Quick BBS 2.04
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Draco's Tavern 664-5589 300-2400 MNP4 PC Board 14.2
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+ Duck Pond BBS 822-0956 300-9600 HST/V.32 Opus-CBCS 1.03c
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EzNet Central 785-7417 1200-9600 HST PC Board 14.2
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Graphics Zone Node 1 870-5306 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
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Graphics Zone Node 2 870-5329 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
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+ I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 300-9600 HST TCOMM
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* Joker's Castle 744-6120 300-2400 PC Board 14.0
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K-9 Corner 424-8202 300-2400 Image 1.2
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*& Little Kingdom Node 1 969-0007 300-9600 HST/V.42 PC Board 14.5
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*& Little Kingdom Node 2 969-0008 300-2400 MNP4 PC Board 14.5
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LZ Birmingham 870-7770 300-2400 PC Board 14.5
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* Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-9600 HST PC Board 14.2
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@ Missing Link 853-1257 300-2400 Image 1.2
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^ Myth Drannor 699-5811 1200-2400 MNP4 WWIV 4.11
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Outside It's America 951-2473 300-2400 MNP4 WWIV 4.11
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Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-2400 PC Board 14.2
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@ Pirate's Cove 942-7429 300-1200 Image 1.2
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Posys BBS 854-5131 1200-2400 RBBS CPC17.3
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* Radio Free Troad 979-6183 300-9600 HST/V.42 PC Board 14.2
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Safe Harbor 665-4355 300-2400 GT Power 15.00
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Shadetree BBS 787-6723 300-2400 Phoenix 1.36
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Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-9600 Hayes PC Board 14.5
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* ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PC Board 14.2
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@ The Commodore Zone 856-3783 300-2400 Image 1.2
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The Connection Node 1 854-9074 1200-2400 PC Board 14.1
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The Connection Node 2 854-2308 1200-2400 PC Board 14.1
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The Dog House 425-9255 300-1200 Image 1.2
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The Dragon's Hoard 833-3790 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
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The Hanging Tree 938-2145 300-2400 WWIV 4.11
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- The Matrix Nodes 1-4 323-2016 300-2400 PC Board 14.5
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- The Matrix Node 5 251-2344 300-9600 HST PC Board 14.5
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The Outer Limits 985-1725 1200-2400 Teleguard 2.5i
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VCM(ee) BBS Node 1 655-4059 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
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VCM(ee) BBS Node 2 655-4065 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
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Vampire's Crypt 833-8494 300-2400 MNP4 WWIV 4.12
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Victory Express 425-0821 300-1200 Image 1.2
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Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
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Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
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Willie's DYM Node 3 979-7743 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
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Willie's DYM Node 4 979-8156 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
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Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300-1200 Unaxess
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Boards with a "*" before their name are members of our local network,
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EzNet, and public messages left in the EzNet Conferences of any of these
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boards will be echoed to all members.
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Boards with a "@" before their name are members of our local Commodore
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network, Image Network, and e-mail left on any member board may be
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directed to any other member board.
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Boards with a "+" before their name are members of FidoNet, an
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international network that provides a variety of public forums as well
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as private mail services all over the world.
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Boards with a "-" before their name are members of MetroNet, an
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international network that provides a variety of public forums as well
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as private mail services all over the world.
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Boards with a "^" before their name are members of WWIV-Net, an
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international network that provides a variety of public forums as well
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as private mail services all over the world.
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Boards with a "&" before their name are members of Intellec, an
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international network that provides a variety of public forums as well
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as private mail services all over the world.
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If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let us
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know via EzNet.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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EzNet Multiple Echo List
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EzNet now supports multiple conference echoing but there are a few
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things you should be aware of regarding private mail.
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A. You have one 'address' for private mail. If you are registered for
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private mail on Channel 8250 and someone sends you a private
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message in the MS-DOS conference from Crunchy Frog it will wind
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up in the Hardware conference on Channel 8250 as it should.
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However, if you were registered for private mail on Magnolia and
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someone sends you a private message in a conference that Magnolia
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does not support (echo) then the message will wind up in the
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twilight zone.
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B. If you go by a handle on one BBS and your real name on another even
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if the private message goes where it is supposed to, you will not
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be able to read it because it is addressed to someone else as far
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as PC Board is concerned. PC Board has no way of knowing that Red
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Foxx and John Doe are the same person. No tickee, no washee.
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Advice on sending private mail: If you don't know if the person you
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are sending private mail to is registered for private mail then keep a
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copy of the message in case you have to find an alternate route. EzNet
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Central will delete your private, undelivered message and inform you
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that the user you attempted to reach is not registered for private mail
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on any EzNet Node.
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This is a list of the current echoes that we are aware of. More
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are in the making and will be posted in future issues. If you are a
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sysop and are running an echo not listed for your board, please make us
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aware of it so we may correct it next issue.
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Eznet Program IBM Adult Scitech BTNWA
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Alter-Ego ........... * ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
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American BBS ........ * ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
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Byte Me! ............ * ..... * ..... * ..... * ..... ..... ..
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Channel 8250 ........ * ..... * ..... * ..... ..... * ..... * ..
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Crunchy Frog ........ * ..... ..... * ..... * ..... ..... * ..
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Joker's Castle ...... * ..... ..... * ..... ..... ..... ..
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Little Kingdom ...... * ..... * ..... * ..... * ..... * ..... ..
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Magnolia BBS ........ * ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
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Radio Free Troad .... * ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
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ST BBS .............. * ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..
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