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Birmingham Telecommunications News 046
BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
COPYRIGHT 1992 ISSN 1055-4548
April 1992 Volume 5, Issue 4
Table Of Contents
-----------------
Article Title Author
Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
Publisher's Corner.............................Mark Maisel
User Interface Observations....................Brian Anderson
Review: Coherent 3.2...........................George Brockman
Stop on a DYM..................................Scott Hollifield
Notes From The Trenches........................Dean Costello
Top Ten Reasons...Mail Readers.................Scott Kelley
Of All The Nerve...............................R.H. Crawford
Losing My Religion?............................Shawn Trucks
A Day In The Life of Michael Davidson..........Michael Davidson
BBS Spotlight..................................Eric Hunt
Music Review...................................Michael Davidson
Special Interest Groups (SIGs).................Barry Bowden
Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff
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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN
We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its
editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
of such damages occurring.
With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their
work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles
from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a
reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
please forward a copy of your publication to:
Mark Maisel
Editor, BTN
221 Chestnut St.
BHM, AL 35210-3219
(205)-956-0176
We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
all of this and not get too serious about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T !
The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no
charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
ADAnet One Alter-Ego Arkham Asylum
Channel 8250 Little Kingdom Joker's Castle
Crunchy Frog Owl's Nest The Bus
The MATRIX Abject Poverty Teasers
The Outer Limits The Round Table Kiriath Arba
DC Info Exchange Owlabama BBS Safe Harbor
Amiga Alliance ][ Martyrdom Again?! DataLynx
If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
me know via EZNet so that I can post your board as a free BTN
distributor. Thanks. MM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
N E W S F L A S H
It is that time again! I am having another lapse of sensibility and
inviting you all into my home. Please try to leave it in some
semblence of the state in which you found it. Be aware of the rules
below and observe them.
Anyway, back to the invitation: the party will be:
Where: Mark Maisel's House a map will follow this
221 Chestnut Street invitation
205-956-0176
When: April 25th
6:00 p.m. until it ends
Rules: Don't bring anything that will get you or me arrested.
If you wish to imbibe legal substances, then BYOS*.
Use discretion and intelligence when parking. The police may
not be so nice next time. The entire yard is not for parking.
We have gone to great expense to shape it into its present form.
Some spaces will be made available but they will be limited.
No weapons of any kind are desired or will be tolerated. If
you feel the need for them near you, leave them in the vehicle
in which you came. That is as close as they need come to my
home.
If you are outside, please keep the noise down, especially after
10:00 p.m. We don't need annoyed neighbors or police to visit.
*Bring Your Own Substances
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
M o n t c l a i r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Bruno's³O³ Texaco : McDonalds³ ³ apartments³ ³ dead³ church
Super ³p³ : ³ ³ & ³ ³ end ³
Market ³oÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ houses ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ´
³rÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³
³t³Express : office ³ ³ ³ ³
³o³Oil Change: bldgs ³ ³ ³ ³
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
M o n t e v a l l o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *TO INTERSTATE*
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ
³R³ ³R³ INSTRUCTIONS!!! ³A³ ³B³old ³C³ ³D³ ³E³
³o³ ³e³ ³l³ ³u³ ³h³ ³a³ ³l³
³s³ ³d³ Look on Chestnut ³p³ ³s³chu-³e³ ³l³ ³d³
³e³ ³w³ after Shades and ³i³ ³h³rch ³s³ ³y³ ³e³
³w³ ³o³ my home is 221, ³nÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÙtÀÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÙrÀÄÄÄÄ
³o³ ³o³ the 3rd house ³e n S h a d e s
³o³ ³d³ on the left. Call ³ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿u ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ
³d³ ³ ³ 956-0176 if you ³ ³ ³ ³ ³t ³3rd³ ³ ³ ³
³ ³ ³ ³ need further ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³one³ ³ ³ ³
³ ³ ³ ³ direction. ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³
³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³
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N E W S F L A S H
Announcing the 1st Annual Baud Brothers Spring Picnic
brought to you by the fine folks from the
Baud Brothers Conference
on the
Alter Ego BBS
This event promises to become a favorite Springtime gathering for
the Birmingham BBS community and with everyone invited, we're sure to
have folks from all over the place popping in! Before you gather up
your clan and make the trek to Birmingham to attend, there is a bunch of
stuff you really need to know....Like
Where: Hawkins Park in Roebuck (find the entrance to the golf course and
you'll find us!)
When: Sunday, May the 3rd --- Rain Date will be May 17th ---
Time: Formally....1:00 pm.......actually....anytime you get there after
9:00 am.
Who to contact...
For directions call Bob Crawford at 205-251-4202 or
Doug Griffin at 205-640-4139
For Food and Goodies Call Patsy Sullivan at 205-854-7612
There is NO CHARGE for this thing, but we're asking everyone to
bring something to be shared with everyone. Patsy Sullivan has agreed
to coordinate this effort. You can reach her at 205-854-7612 DURING
REASONABLE HOURS!! Patsy is kind enough to lend a hand with this thing,
please be kind to her when you're calling.......she'll have a list of
what we need and who's bringing what! If you have a special item you'd
like to bring, tell her what it is and she'll jot it down. There are
tennis courts there and if you come early enough, you'll be able to see
Doug and I slug it out on the courts or play a little yourself. There
is a small playground for the kids and a covered area with tables and
a grill. If you have a grill you want to bring, DO IT! We'll find a
place for it.
For more information, contact Doug or Bob ONLY!!! Don't bug Patsy
with questions she won't be able to answer, she'll just tell you to call
one of us. See you there and watch for more info on the nets as it
becomes available! Remember, the RAIN DATE will be the 17th of May!
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Publisher's Corner
by Mark Maisel
This issue marks the 4th anniversary of the publication of the
first issue of BTN. Back when we put it together, we were trying
something to see how it would work, or if it would work at all. I
suppose you could say it did. We're still here and putting out BTN
every month. I thought I'd share some stuff from the first issue to let
you see how things have changed, and how they've remained the same.
The following is a slightly altered table of contents from the first
issue. The alterations consist of giving the names of the authors.
This was not initially done because BTN was distributed as a single file
and each article as a separate file, for the benefit of those who lacked
the disk space and/or memory to download/read an entire issue. Prodoor
could be made to extract the table of contents; let the user view them,
and then extract and download only the articles of interest. This
policy lasted for a few issues and then died for lack of interest. The
original table of contents listed the names of the files that could be
extracted to give a reader a desired article.
BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
COPYRIGHT 1988
April 1988 Volume 1, Issue 1
Table Of Contents
-----------------
Article Title Filename
Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
Editorial Column...............................Mark Maisel
1st Annual Breezin' Birmingham Awards Survey...Tyros
PC-DOS 3.3: Whats' New........................Ed O'Neill
Starlan Networks...............................Rick Curl
Sysops Are Not Gods............................Tim Straughn
Phone Lines....................................Tom Moore
Its' A Boy.....................................Gary Godsey
Telecommunications And Women...................Michele Cahoon
Gamer's Corner.................................Osman Guner
Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff
Some of these folks are still around and producing articles. Such
longevity is to be applauded, especially in light of the quality that
has remained consistently high among them all. I want to thank each and
every one of you who has taken the time to make BTN what it is today.
One other piece of memorabilia that I thought you might enjoy is
the first Known BBS List. Check it out and see who is still hanging
out after all this time.
NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES SUPPORTED
Penny Arcade 226-1841 300,1200,2400
America Online 324-0193 300,1200,2400
American BBS 674-1851 300,1200,2400
Amiga Alliance 631-2846 1200
Apple Valley Node 1 854-9661 300,1200,2400
Apple Valley Node 2 854-9662 300,1200,2400
Birmingham BBS Node 1 251-2344 300,1200
Birmingham BBS Node 2 251-8033 300,1200
Bus System BBS 595-1627 300,1200
Channel 8250 785-7417 300,1200,2400
Commodore Club-South 853-8718 300,1200,2400
Magic Star BBS 591-1571 300,1200
Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300,1200,2400
Music Alley BBS 969-2416 300,1200,2400
Point of No RETURN 664-9609 300,1200,2400
Raven BBS 674-6214 300,1200,2400
ST BBS 836-9311 300,1200
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300,1200,2400
The Connection Node 1 854-9074 1200,2400
The Connection Node 2 854-2308 1200,2400
Beltron BBS 836-3846 300,1200,2400
68FREE 933-7518 300,1200
America Online and the nodes of Birmingham BBS eventually were
consolidated by Rocky into one system that is now part of MATRIX. The
Connection has become ADANet One. Notice how nearly all of the systems
supported 300 baud and there were no 9600 baud systems. Apple Valley
shortly after became Pinson Valley and became the first system in town
to offer 9600 baud. I bought that modem from the sysop after he took
the system down. He also was one of the early members of Interlink, now
called ILink. He had the first QMail door and QMail offline mail reader
offered in Birmingham. I hated that software, but it was new stuff so
I played with it for a while and put it down. Now, I find it hard to
believe that I was as active as I managed to be before offline mail
reading came of age.
Things have changed, but much is the same. I still enjoy putting
together BTN as much as I did the first issue. I've made lots of good
friends and learned an awful lot about people and computers. Thanks for
the opportunities and I hope that I have more to come. Speaking of
opportunities, I hope you read the invitation to the next BTN Party!
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User Interface Observations
by Brian W. Anderson
I'm sitting in the usual position, hunched over in an unused
(except when company comes) kitchen chair, working on a C file for a
friend of mine that shows how to access the mouse. He couldn't find any
reference to it in his studies, and I couldn't either for a while. I
did, however, come across this needed info while browsing the main B'ham
library ( C Programming by Steven Holzner and Peter Norton Computing).
At any rate, I decided to include a piece of some info from another
file that was incredibly bigger than my text editor would allow. My
first reaction was to not include the info, leaving my buddy to fend for
himself on the details. But I stopped and said to myself, "This ought to
be easy. Write a program that simply scans/scrolls through this huge
text file, and pick out the stuff I tell it to." Finally achieving the
task of finding a purpose in life for that particular Saturday morning,
I wrote the program in question.
And, as many of you know, it was as simple as I had imagined.
Still, I was quite pleased with myself, and after adding a short .DOC
file, I zipped it up and sent it to a local BBS so others could enjoy
the ability to perform this sometimes needed function.
Some time later, a friend called me about the upload. I had left my
name on the exit of the program (much like a dog peeing on an old tire
to mark his territory), and he had some suggestions about my little
effort. It worked fine, he said, but why didn't it have any color to it?
If I was going to go to the trouble of writing a program, then why
didn't I at least provide some semblance of a "Graphical User
Interface"? You know, he went on, if you are going to program in the
'90s you have to make sure it captures the user's attention. Command
line programs aren't wanted any more, because they are representative of
everything that people hate about computers.
Well. I thanked him for his advice and input on my little problem
solver. I hung up, and immediately fired up my compiler to add the
needed stuff, and I stopped dead in my tracks. Yes, I could easily guild
this lily, but why? This program does exactly what it needs, nothing
more. Does simple black and white text turn people off to the point that
they won't even use a program unless it is equipped with bells and
whistles of the utmost degree? Sitting at my kitchen chair, I wondered
if adding colors and pull-down menus and flashy graphics and sounds and
config files and user selectable colors and...........
Would any of this change the function of the program? No. If I did
add Windows capability, would it run any better or faster (stop it, your
killing me)? No, of course not. It would only slow down the intended
process. The concept of a utility is (correct me if I'm wrong) a thing
that makes your job or life easier by it's function. If you have to go
to a lot of trouble to finally make the "Utility" do what it is supposed
to do, you may be better off without it.
I suppose I am prejudiced to some extent. I have been an MS- DOS
user for some time. But I have also extensively used Microsoft's Windows
and GEOWORKS a little. My experience with Windows has been negative,
only because it has been touted as the answer to DOS-phobic people's
prayers. The thing is, if these same people can make Windows do their
bidding, they certainly would find DOS a welcome relief. The level of
intelligence it takes to actually make this thing work is not for the
average first-time neophyte. These are people that could use their
machines ten times more efficiently if given the chance. But, anyway....
I didn't want to bash Windows (it does a fine job by itself).
Actually, it works fine for a lot of people. My point was why dress up a
program that does exactly what it is suppose to do anyway? You might,
at this point, think that my perspective is "bent" because of my friend.
Unfortunately, he was not the only one. Two other users expressed their
feelings along the same lines. These are normal (almost) people, and
they come to expect things from software that wasn't even in existence a
few years ago. Am I being an "Old Fogey", computerwise?
I think the answer to that is yes and no. Yes, I should write
programs that interface with people who are using computers today, now.
Yes, I shouldn't ever stop or chastise someone for using a particular
format of software on any computer, period. People using computers is
what it is all about, and the more, the merrier. We are living in an age
where computers aren't for the weird, the geeks. They finally are there
for the average person. They are accepted as a part of life. Coming from
a period of "geek" users, I should be happy it finally caught on, and I
am. Truthfully.
No, I am not an "Old Fogey" when I refuse to make a program
"pretty" for no reason. Anyone who has an IBM compatible computer should
be able to deal with (to some extent) the "Dreaded DOS Prompt". I know a
person who bought a computer from a mail order firm with Windows
installed on the hard drive. Something went wrong, and it dropped to the
DOS prompt, "c:\>". They call the technical support line, because their
computer was "broken". I see this as a lack of knowledge about the
product they have purchased, not unlike a VCR that flashes 12:00 all the
time (okay, that's much worse). No, I don't think that people should be
completely shielded from DOS. That is the operating system your computer
is running. (Most people who are running something else, say OS/2 or
UNIX, and probably know more about MS-DOS than MS-DOS users, so they
don't apply here. It's a bad generalization, but you catch my drift.) If
you bought an IBM clone, IBM compatible, or other such equipment that
runs some sort of IBM DOS, MS DOS, ZENITH DOS PLUS, or other renditions
of the same, you'd better figure out how to make "that part" of your
computer go. Otherwise, your computer will be "broke".
Some of these IBM "users" have told me that it's too hard to figure
out all of those DOS commands. Who can say they have completely mastered
all of the DOS commands? How many people really need to? I thought back,
and could only come up with about seven that I used on a regular basis.
Think about the number of things you have to remember to get up and get
ready to go to work in the morning. (on time)
Okay, so I probably haven't convinced some of you that you need a
basic knowledge of DOS. I am going for a job interview soon with a major
company that supplies service to owners of IBM compatible computers.
Maybe I'll be there to fix your Windows. A new chair.....
Hmmmmmmmmm.........
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Review: Coherent 3.2
by George Brockman
Product: Coherent v 3.2 - Unix clone
Mark Williams Company
Requirements: IBM AT or compatible
640 K RAM
10 meg Hard Drive suggested
Somewhere in the background waiting for personal computers to grow
in terms of speed and memory size, UNIX has been waiting. It started on
the big monster computers. It's biggest influence on PCs had been
limited to the impact on DOS features such as the file structures and
even some of the commands are similar. Now, with the improvements in
home computers comes the opportunities to run bigger and more flexible
software. With these big computer operating systems have come slower
operation and bigger price tags. With some notable exceptions.
Coherent, by Mark Williams Company, offers an impressive UNIX clone
for a refreshingly reasonable price. With many UNIX systems starting at
over $500 and that not including many of the development tools (running
over $2500) the $99 investment in Coherent is a bargin. However, the
low price does not mean it comes stripped.
Coherent is an excellent educational opportunity. Their ads boast
of over 200 UNIX commands and a glimpse of their 1000+ page manual makes
that easy to believe. The system comes packaged with utilities that DOS
left out or is just now getting around to incorporating in their
bundles. Perhaps with DOS so common among PC users, it would be best to
use that as the basis for my comparison.
DOS was developed to be a single-task, single-user system while
UNIX is a multi-tasking, multi-user system. Coherent supports local and
remote terminals and UNIX networks.
Many of the commands that DOS has have a counterpart in UNIX.
Among those similar commands are:
DOS UNIX
dir ls
cd cd
md mkdir
rd rmdir
copy cp
del / erase rm (remove)
type cat
find grep
sort sort
edlin vi (pronounced vee-eye)
While some commandline switches are different, many are easy to
learn and adjusting to the variations is not "too painful". Commands
like "ls" differ in output format from DOS's "dir" principly because of
differences in the way the systems handle files. For example, with
multi-user abilities, permissions of who can run, read, and write to
which files is included in directory entries. Another habit that may be
hard to break is that sub- directories are seperated with '/' instead of
DOS's '\'.
While standard to UNIX, Coherent's 'vi' is only slightly less
painful than DOS's edlin. Fortunately, it also comes with a very
pleasant editor called MicroEMACS ('me'). The 'me' editor is full of
features including special operations that ease program development.
Until recently, DOS included BASIC with its operating system. It
lets you write your own programs without going out and buying a whole
new programming language. Coherent comes with several languages and
development tools. The biggest may well be their implementation of C.
While a DOS C compiler may cost more than the whole Coherent system,
this compiler offers a great deal. An integrated development enviroment
(like in Turbo C or MircorSoft C) is not available but the 'me' editor
will interface with the compiler. When you compile a program with the
-A option, the editor is automatically invoked in the event of an error.
Along with C, Coherent comes with awk, lex, and yacc. 'awk' is a
powerful pattern matching language. 'lex' and 'yacc' may best be
described as a tool for C development. For the more conventional
programmers, Coherent offers an assembler ('as') and debugger ('db').
The assembler supports instructions for the 8086, i8087 , and 80286
processors.
The DOS batch file programmers will enjoy the flexibility of
UNIX-style script files. Users can put more than one command on a line
with semi- colon separators. Also, redirection is heavily supported
including the 'tee' command which enables users to send output to two
devices.
Of course, not everybody is a budding programmer. For the user who
just wants to use Coherent, it comes with the standard UNIX type extras.
There is a built in calendar, 2 calculators, commandline spellchecker,
built-in communications, internal and external mail, and personal
scheduler. All from the commandline without loading extra shells or menu
facilities.
The calendar 'cal' will display a calendar for any month or a whole
year. With a commandline argument you can specify a whole year or a
month with any date. For example, the command line 'cal april 6' will
default to the current year and show the whole month like this:
April
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30
With the 'calendar' command you can schedule events and then with
the 'cat calendar' command you can check your schedule. With each
login a user can create a '.profile' file that acts like an AUTOEXEC.BAT
for each user that checks the calendar for any appointments of the day.
Two calculators also come with the system 'bc' and 'dc'. Both are
programmable and one has 'arbitrary precision'.
Communications is second nature to this enviroment. Consider how
many remote control programs there are out there for DOS that lets you
run your computer as if you were sitting at your desktop even if you are
calling from across the country. With the simultanious multi-user
nature of this enviroment, access from different terminals (local or
remote) is imparative. Built in is a program called 'uucp' which is
actually representative of several programs that handle communication
from e-mail handles to uploading and downloading from one unix system to
another. Along with the UUCP command set comes kermit and Coherent's
own ckermit which handle communication with more user control. With
uucp you can queue a request to copy a file from one system and when
that system is next scheduled for connection, the system will
automatically handle the transfer.
Security is also available. Like locking the door to your home,
security is only as good as you enforce but with a few precautions a
full line of security measures are available if you decide to put your
system on line. If you opt to go online you can even run accounting with
a full line of features to monitor individual usage.
Nearly any command you would run can be run in the background by
ending the commandline with the '&' ampersand. For those programs you
want to run at predetermined times you can schedule with the 'at'
command.
If you know a command you think is right but want to verify its
function or want to see what special options it has, you can access the
online help or the HUGE online manual. Some entries have several
screens worth of useful information. With all of the commands and
options, this will be useful even after you use this system for awhile.
DOS support: a toss up. You can read from or write to a DOS disk
or partition but running DOS programs appears to be out. DOS also can't
run or access any of the Coherent system. If fact, the computer must be
cold- booted to move between enviroments.
This is just an overview of some of the many capabilities of the
Coherent system. But how good a clone of UNIX is this system? The best
test I could think of was to come up with a good book on the real thing
and see if I could use what I learned in it on Coherent. With all of
the sources I came across, I had no trouble learning Coherent from UNIX
books. It may be fair to assume the opposite is true. The manual that
comes with Coherent is a fair introduction to the operating system and
the Lexicon is an excellent resourse for every command and feature. It
is one of the most detailed manuals I have ever seen. Wow! The biggest
question of compatibility has to be asked with the understanding that
the differences between versions and implementations is vast in what are
considered "true" UNIX systems.
But no operating system is perfect. The 2 problems I saw that may
be a consideration for some users would be the huge project of
installation and the apparent absence of graphics. The first is
probably unavoidable but it is a bear. The ads boast of 20-30 minutes
installation time but to install the system you must partition your hard
disk and give a partition exclusive access to Coherent. It took me 3
hours to back up my current DOS system, install Coherent, and then
restore the DOS file system. During installation you will be given some
scary messages that are meant to give you fair warning. Intermediate
users would do well to have a trusted, more experienced user sit in on
the installation (if only for piece of mind). They are not for the faint
of heart. The absence of graphics may be remedied with a little
handcoding of your own routines, but that has not been tested.
Overall, Coherent caters to the curious in the computer world. If
you want to learn all about that little machine on your desk (or maybe
lap now-a-days) and the different operating systems, a good step may
well be this product. And beyond education, Coherent is a good
operating system. For the word-processing family with several people
pushing for computer access, the multi-user mode could be indispensible.
If the terminals are in separate rooms, a 'write' command will send
messages between users. Devices like printers can even be shared.
Note: There are several additional packages offering more programs
than can be covered in this writing. They range from database,
spreadsheets, to games and communication programs. Also, Mark Williams
Co. has a bbs for their customers. Coming soon, a local conference on
ST is in the works for Coherent and UNIX users in a DOS forum.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"STOP ON A DYM"
A regular interview feature which looks
at the goings-on on Willie's DYM (Dial-Your-Match) BBS
by Scott Hollifield
------------------------------------------------
Unless you've been keeping your head underwater for the past year,
or you've been calling nothing but the Sperry BBS (which is pretty much
the same thing), you've probably heard about the four-node phenomenon
known as "Willie's Dial-Your-Match BBS" (or "Willie's DYM"), the
hippest, trendiest, most sexually gregarious system to call in town. In
fact, it's safe to say that before Willie's, there was no such thing as
a trendy BBS. Whether or not you choose to call it, though, is another
matter entirely.
Some say it's too weird, its users too willing to do strange
things. Some complain that the message content is invariably vulgar and
immature. They say that the "match-maker" questionnaire format of the
board is too much like some insane local version of "Love Connection".
Some will point to the fact that Oracomm, the software used by Willie's,
is arcane to the point of being an acquired taste, in the same sense
that eating grass is an acquired taste - after a few months and with
some salt and ketchup, you do manage to get used to it.
However, there is no denying the influence of Willie's - the level
of anonymity ensured by the software is very very attractive to some
people (not only does Willie's recognize you only by a handle, but it
forces you to keep the handle at 8 characters or less). The multi-node
chat system affords possibilities only dreamt of by the regulars on the
real-name Matrix down the road. Willie's has what is quite possibly the
highest percentage of female users in town - and in the history of
Birmingham bulletin boards. It also has an abnormally high percentage
of "exclusive" users - users who, outside of Willie's, call no other
boards, or only a very few. And for the first time, the reigning elite
of the local BBS scene, which, despite some shuffling here and there,
has remained pretty much the same since the early '80s, is seeing its
territory invaded from the outside, by the upstarts from Willie's.
To this end, I've decided to allow our regular BTN readers who may
not be overly familiar with Willie's DYM to have a small glimpse into
this eerie other world, in this new monthly feature which begins this
month. Every month in this column, I will, using my own account, call
Willie's DYM and interview the first user I see; the idea is to allow an
improved climate of understanding among everybody.
This month's STOP ON A DYM features a fairly friendly guy who calls
himself "LAMBERT".
SCOTT: Okay, for starters, how long have you been using BBSs?
LAMBERT: A little less than 2 years.
SCOTT: Is Lambert your real name or just a pseudonym?
LAMBERT: [censored] is my name.
SCOTT: Oh, well you didn't have to tell me that.
LAMBERT: No problem.
SCOTT: It's just that I know someone else who is actually named
Lambert, and I thought you might be he.
LAMBERT: No, I had a friend named Lambert years ago, and he would
have loved this BBS...so....
SCOTT: I see. Well, is this the only BBS you call, or do you call
other others as well?
LAMBERT: A few others on occasion.
SCOTT: But this is your favorite, huh?
LAMBERT: Yep!
SCOTT: But why? What's the appeal?
LAMBERT: Well, being unknown is part of it, and feeling free to say
or do whatever you like (as long as you don't hurt someone
else). And also the chat mode is fun. You can talk to a
variety of interesting people at any hour of the day!
SCOTT: And it's free.
LAMBERT: True... although I am a registered user!
SCOTT: Oh yeah! Well, good for you. The BBS scene needs more of
you. How long have you been using this board?
LAMBERT: I found Willie's about a month after I started modeming!
SCOTT: Do you chat with a lot of people?
LAMBERT: Quite a few! I have talked with a much larger variety of
people than I might ever have in real life!
SCOTT: Well, that's a good thing I suppose. Have you actually met
anyone you talk to on here?
LAMBERT: Not a one!! I have come close a few times, but it hasn't
worked out yet. I have become pretty good friends with a
few people on here. I have met a lot of folks on the screen
anyway. I can chat with someone at four in the morning if I
wanna talk. Or if I have a problem, I can invariably find
someone who can help... therapeutic, I guess you could say!
SCOTT: When you say "it hasn't worked out", what do you mean
exactly?
LAMBERT: Well, for one reason or another, we haven't connected.
Like the their kids needed to go to a ballgame at the last
minute, or I ended up working late or something. But I
really haven't tried REAL hard to meet anyone yet!
SCOTT: Are you actually looking for a romantic encounter with
someone - I don't mean actively, but hopefully - or are you
just scouting around for new friends?
LAMBERT: Mostly for new friends, I do think that modem sex is safe
sex!! But, mostly friends to talk to, or tell my problems
to, without having to watch what I say, or who I talk
about!!!
SCOTT: Yeah, but you know, it seems like an awful lot of the time,
modem sex gradually leads to real sex, which is not quite as
safe safe.
LAMBERT: Well, that's true, but in 2 years I have never met one
person off a BBS!! So, I am not too worried. I have a lot
of new friends. And I am not primarily looking for even
modem sex!
SCOTT: Well, okay. In recent months, it seems like the so-called
"Willie's crowd" has gotten more and more prominent in town.
They're staging parties, meeting each other more often, and
are crossing over into what was once the mainstream of local
BBS socializing. Do you see any of that?
LAMBERT: Yes, I can say I have noticed a bit more of that...Is that
a bad thing?
SCOTT: I don't know. I suppose it depends on your perspective. I
just think it's interesting. Do you consider yourself part
of this "crowd"?
LAMBERT: Good question...I am on the outside looking in, I guess you
could say. I am a fairly private person in real life! I
say a lot on Willie's that I would not dare say on the
street! I guess I am somewhat of a part of this crowd...
but from a safe distance!
SCOTT: Well, you seem to be happy where you're at, in regard to
everything else.
LAMBERT: Yes, I have a lot of fun on here... but I don't rock the
boat... I don't plan on going to any parties or anything...I
probably wouldn't fit in to be honest!
SCOTT: Some people work best from a distance, I suppose. Although
I will say, to be fair, that the parties usually attract a
diverse bunch. From my experience, and the ones I've
personally been to (which I should say were not actually
geared toward the Willie's people at first), it's a bit
easier to fit in than it might be at other kinds of parties
because of the common ground involved.
LAMBERT: True...Diverse is the word in this case...I have an IQ of
168... And I would venture to say, that quite a few of the
users on here are probably in the upper range! I don't mean
to say that I wouldn't enjoy meeting some of these folks...I
just have not decided to jump right in yet. I guess i am a
little more wary than a lot of these gregarious people are.
I am not quite a as outgoing as they are..i would appear to
be a stick in the mud to many. I like a lot of these
people...and I guess I do consider them "my" people, in a
way...some of them know more about me than many of the
people that I work with and socialize with now!!!
SCOTT: Well, it does pay to be careful.
LAMBERT: True...there are a lot of strange people out there in the
world today...and you don't want to let them in your living
room! But I believe that happiness is a matter of
choice...you can choose to be happy, or you can choose to be
miserable. I choose to be happy, and a lot of these people
seem to be happy people.
--------------------------------------------
Lambert was a decent enough sort of fellow, and I figured that what
he had to say would be a good beginning. In the coming months, I hope
to get a little deeper into the soul that turns DYM - dig up some of the
dirt, draw out what some might be afraid to say, find out a little more
about what goes on with those who KNOW. You know? See you next month.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes from the Trenches
by Dean Costello
"The Pain, the Pain"
There are few things in the world today in which I can claim to be
superior. I have a Masters degree, but hell, they're a dime a dozen. I
have a mediocre ability to play keyboards, a relatively unique writing
style, and a little talent for verbal (and written) humour.
But there are very few things that I can say "I, Dean, am better
than 'X'", whatever X may be. And I have finally identified what 'X'
is. 'X' is those people that enjoy "America's Funniest Home Videos".
For the unitiated, "America's Funniest Home Videos" is a television
show Sunday nights that shows segments of video tapes that people have
ostensibly shot of family, friends, total strangers, and/or critters and
other objects. The deal is this: If you have a video tape with a clever
or whatever sequence on it, send in the tape (with a self-addressed
mailer and $5.00 for the ubiquitous 'handling' charge), and if they use
it, you get a T- shirt. If it is considered to be one of the best of
the night, the audience then votes and decides the best. The best gets
$10K, the second best gets $3K, and the third best gets $2K.
Okay, all well and good, I guess. This show has had very high
Nielsen television ratings. And net expenditure is $15K? Not bad,
really. Well, the cost of Bob Sagget isn't included. A curious
creature, this Sagget fellow. His job is to introduce the video shorts,
and he also makes 'wry' comments as the short progresses. He strikes me
as being extremely unfunny. He claims that he writes his own material,
and that is a good thing, since I wouldn't think that a 'real' comedy
writer would be caught dead submitting the bland and stupid comments.
The thing that bothers me about this show is that it illustrates a
concept that I have been noticing over the past couple of years. That
is:
"It constantly amazes me how little it costs to buy ones soul"
The particular genre of humour called the inadvertant pratfall is
very rampant. An awful lot of pictures of old people tripping and
falling, dogs running into sliding glass doors, cars being left out of
gear and hitting something, that kind of thing. But what strikes me as
being somewhat nasty are the kid shorts. An example: video of a child
of about 3 or 4 walking down a dock. Mom/Dad holding camera calls
child's name. Child, while continuing to walk, looks towards Mom/Dad.
Child then walks off end of dock and into water. Yux ensue.
You see, one of the mainstays of this show is that of people
getting hurt. For instance, one overweight woman was being lowered onto
a horse. She got on, then the horse bucked and ran out from under her,
causing her to fall about six feet straight on her ass. As I watched
that, I was horrified since that looked very painful, but the segment
stopped as soon as she hit the dirt. No tears, no pain, just the fall.
Ha ha. Fade to next short.
Now, getting back to my comment above, one is going to have to go
an awful long way before being able to convince me that events like the
baby going off into the water aren't staged by the adults in order to
make a video short that would be more likely to make money. And the
parents seem quite happy to place their child (pet, friends, whom or
whatever) in jeopardy.
It kind of underlines some things about the basic cruelty in humans
to take delight in other's pain. There was a study a bunch of years ago
(before rules were placed into effect that limited the head games
psychology experiments could play with subjects) that showed
that...Well, let me explain the experiment a bit better. The premise
was this: Would electrical shocks effect learning? The experiment had
one person with electrical leads attached to himself in a room where he
was taught. Another person was in another room and was to administer
electrical shocks whenever a wrong answer was given, and the voltage was
to increase with each wrong answer. The first couple of wrong answers
were low, but as the experiment continued, the voltage of the shock
would be increased. As time went on, groans were heard from the
learning room, but the person continued to apply shocks. Soon, the
groans increased to screaming, but the shocks continued. After a while,
the screaming stop, but the order to increase the voltage was given and
obeyed. The upshot of the experiment was that the person giving the
shocks was really the test subject and the test was to determine what a
person would do to another person. It was discovered that something
like 85-95% of the people would continue to shock the learning person
until after the person was 'unconscious', and 70% gave indications that
they enjoyed giving the shocks. I'm not exactly sure how this ties in,
except that people that are surprised by man's inhumanity to man
shouldn't be. But the popularity of show that displays such should also
not be suprising, and you should pardon my feeling somewhat smug by me
despising such a show.
The whole thing reminds me of an event from a couple of months ago,
just before I left Birmingham. Mark Maisel and myself went to "China
Garden", a Chinese <gasp> restaurant near Mark's house. As he and I were
getting food, someone in line whispered, in a sotto voice, that the two
of us would eat all the food before he got there; laughs from the crowd,
rimshot. That kind of shit doesn't bother me a whole lot since I have
heard that kind of thing since I was about 6, but apparently Mark was
not as mentally prepared as I for that kind of comment. Preparation
doesn't make it less painful though. I don't care if it is considered
'politically correct' (the catchphrase of the 90s, similar to 'liberal'
last decade), goddammit, its still humiliating and painful to hear it.
As much, if not more than, falling from a horse, and a friend/
relative recording it for posterity and then sending it to a show in the
hopes of getting money. But pain seems to sell. The people that shot
the segment got $3,000 for their efforts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Top Ten Reasons to Use a Mail Reader
by Scott Kelley
10. Easier to come up with witty responses to stupid messages
9. The sysop can't see how slow you type
8. Answer mail at work when the boss isn't looking
7. You can read all of the conferences you wouldn't want to be seen in
6. Much easier to lurk in more conferences
5. More time to look up obscure references for argument conferences
4. Easier than ever to add a 16 line ANSI signature to EVERY
MESSAGE you post
3. More time to call other boards and read EVEN MORE MAIL!
2. Because all my friends are using mail readers
1. It's safer than going to singles bars
Top Ten Reasons to Not Use a Mail Reader
also by Scott Kelley
10. Because there's not a mail reader for your Timex Sinclair
9. Like having 120 minutes on every board you call
8. Thought BBS doors were only for on-line games
7. Tried a mail reader, but the on-line chat function didn't work
6. Are never off-line long enough to set up a mail reader
5. Typing at 300 baud in an online full page editor really floats your boat
4. Thought XMODEM was one of those kinky positions
3. Want to impress Dean Costello with your intellectual abilities online
2. Want to distinguish yourself from the masses
1. Because you're too busy getting .GIF files to get a .QWK packet, too
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Of All The Nerve!"
by R.H.Crawford
There has been an ongoing controversy, one that seems to crop up
from time to time concerning SYSOPs and what they do or do not owe their
users in the way of services, system access and basically how the board
is setup and run. Most recently this mindless monster has sprung upon
The Matrix, brought to life by one I shall not bother to name, although
I would really like to, REALLY! But I fear that in naming the culprit I
would lessen the impact of the act itself......many may be prone to
"consider the source" and leave it lay,....... bad move!
So I direct this article to those of you who have the gall to
complain to ANY SYSOP of ANY BOARD about how THEIR board is setup and
run! You know who you are, and so do we!
Just where the hell do you get off telling any of us how YOU think
we should do anything? Suggest, Request, Inquire about, certainly! But
tell, complain, badger, whine, cry, create public messages and basically
make yourself look like the mindless bowl of embarrassing puke you are
SHOULD be out of the question! But Nooooooooooooo, some of you just have
to have something to screech about on occasion don't you?
Have you ever run a BBS? Have you ever been close to a running
BBS? Have you ever known anyone who would let you in the same room with
a running BBS? Before you allow any of that slobber run out of your
whiney mouths again, perhaps you might like to step into a SYSOPs shoes
for awhile? I suggest YOU spend the money to register the software, not
only for the board, but for the various doors and services many boards
offer. After that, get your ass out and fork over YOUR hard earned bucks
for the hardware it takes to run a decent board. Now that you've done
the EASY part, sit down for a few days (at best, weeks more than likely)
and LEARN how to set it up, configure all the doors, get the echoes
working properly, set up the events to run without a hitch, apply and
pay for the hub status you want, and get the various directories set up
and load in the initial files you'll start running with, and don't
forget that YOU have to type in all the initial descriptions for all
those files.
Ahhhh, now you've finally got YOUR board up and running and it's a
piece of cake from here right?? Nothing to do but sit back and bask in
the glory of being a SYSOP right? Wrong again brainless ones! The fun
has just begun! First you have to come up with a way to validate all
those users, uh YOU WILL validate won't you? After all, if YOU don't,
you're sure to have all kinds of "FUN" people uploading all sorts of
wonderful stuff to YOUR board. Validation takes time from whatever life
you think you have.
Now there is the matter of maintenance, the up keep of the software
and hardware is YOUR responsibility. What do you do when the board
crashes, when files become corrupted, data bases become lost to the
great abyss and hard drives suddenly seem to have disappeared? Well, if
you have LOTS and LOTS of money, you can call a REAL SYSOP and hope
he/she has the good graces to give you a hand! This is ONLY feasable if
you haven't been a total pain in the ass to the rest of the BBSing
world, otherwise I wouldn't hold my breath. All of this TOO takes time
out of what little life you now have left.
Now that you have all of that under some form of intermittent
control, you can enjoy the fun and games of dealing with the users. Now
THIS is the best part of SYSOPing for the most part. I won't put a
percentage figure to it but I know for a fact that the vast majority are
great, fantastic, caring, warm, fun-loving, generous people. These
Users you don't "deal" with, you have FUN with! But the others, DAMN!
There are those who have no idea of what it's really all about, choosing
to use the BBS as a forum for their mindless tirades against all sorts
of imagined injustice and attacking any and all who disagree with them
in the slightest. These idiots from the "I am an escapee from the
Persecuted Persons ward" have no idea what real FUN is and merely serve
to make the rest of the sane world wonder how these people managed to
actually purchase a computer in the first place.
Next we have the "Macho-Women-Hungry-I'm-The-Best-You'll-Ever-Have"
set. Here's a group you'll really enjoy calling your board. In no time
at all you'll find your user base reduced to 95% hormone driven
slime-balls and 5% hard-assed women who like nothing better than to deal
with morons who actually think they're going to get somewhere with them.
You'll love fielding all the private messages from the rest of the
female users who become intimidated and start trashing your board to
everyone else. Drop some more of your precious time in the
toilet........
Next up on your list of "Folks I could sure do without" will be the
tough guys and gals, those who think they can get anything they want
through intimidation, verbal and/or physical. These mental midgets are
a host of fun and games. It's with these goofy, attention seeking
sociopaths that you'll loose the most users and gain a reputation that
you could really do without. Keeping these idiots under control will
trash even more of what life you now THOUGHT you would have.
Last, but certainly NOT least, you'll have to deal with the
WHINERS. Those who constantly bombard your private as well as PUBLIC
mail with post after post of what a lousy job you're doing because
you're NOT doing things to please THEM specifically. And believe me, NO
MATTER WHAT YOU DO, you'll not ever satisfy them! Offer to allow them
to come to YOUR HOME (invading your privacy) to get files and listen to
them gripe about how YOU have nerve asking them to actually travel
somewhere to get a program that THEY want. Tell them to inform you of
what program they would like to have and you'll get it for them on YOUR
board to download at their leisure and they'll cry about how YOU expect
them to call ANOTHER board just to get a program THEY want. Try to be a
decent friend and SYSOP and they'll let you know, in no uncertain terms
that they don't appreciate your efforts to help them out UNLESS it's on
THEIR terms!
So you, who know damn well who you are, should give me a call when
you've been at this SYSOP thing for more than a few minutes in a day
dream. Let me know how you're life is going and tell me what a great
time YOU'RE having pleasing ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE TIME!
As for me, hell, I'm only a Co-SYSOP on Baudville BBS. Doug
Griffin has to do all the work on the board. It's his money in it, and
much of his life on a day to day basis. But I'm aware of his, and many
many other SYSOPs, day to day problems and to tell you the truth, I
wouldn't put up with you morons for a minute. I'd just find that
"delete" key and ban you from my world
altogether.......................PERMANENTLY!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Losing My Religion?
You Can't Lose What You Don't Have
by Shawn Trucks
I found out recently, much to my own surprise that I am the Anti-
Christ. This especially comes as quite a shock to me seeing that I don't
even believe in the existence of Hell or Satan. Although there are some
things that I *am* anti, such as abortion, censorship and racism, Christ
is not one of them. I have nothing against people who believe in God.
But it seems that a lot of these same people can't accept the
possibility that maybe I don't. In the immortal words of Drivin N Cryin;
"Not that it's right or it's wrong, it just ain't for me." Of course
you're not supposed to show any signs of individuality around these
people. And they have no real understanding of how to distinguish right
from wrong. What's right is what God says is right. What they fail to
realize is that there are no absolutes, no black or white. It takes a
little more than looking up passages in a book to decide what is right
and what is wrong. Whenever I make this point I'm made out to be some
instrument of evil, placed here to test the faith of the righteous. My
mistake for assuming I'm allowed to think for myself. I really wonder
what it's worse to be, anti-Christ or anti-choice?
The subject of this article is the result of a telephone
conversation I had recently with a certain female friend. Because of
this, she hasn't called in several days. (Hmmm... Feels like dja vu.)
We've had discussions like this before. The last time she stopped
calling for about three weeks. But I know she'll call back... She always
calls back... Scary huh? Anyway, the conversation (argument) went
something like this:
I'm minding my own business, watching some forgettable T.V. show
when the phone rings. Sighing audibly, hoping it's not for me and
knowing that it probably is, I reach down from where I'm lying on the
couch and pick up the receiver.
Shawn: "Hello." (Spoken in a dull monotone)
Kristie: "Hey. Whatcha doin?"
S: "Nothing..." (All of our conversations ALWAYS begin this way)
K: "Is Wendel still over there?" (This is the name she uses for a friend
of mine Garret, no one knows why)
S: "No."
K: "I knew he wasn't."
S: "Really?" (Said with very little enthusiasm)
K: "Yep. You act different on the phone when he's there."
K: "Listen, I want to tell you this story. Okay?
S: "..."
K: "OKAY?"
S: "Yeh yeh."
K: "Okay. There was this mobile home that was hit by a tornado. It just
tore the whole thing apart. These people had a three month old baby.
After the storm was over they went looking for the baby, cause they
thought it was dead. The tornado had taken it up in the air, and
dropped it in a tree. It was hung upside down by it's clothes, but it
was still alive. Now tell me that wasn't a miracle of God!"
S: "Luck..."
K: "It was not just luck!" (Sounding a little upset)
S: "Sure it was."
K: "It wasn't luck! It just wasn't its time to die."
S: "That's because it doesn't have any predetermined time to die. It's
death will only be determined by circumstances and chance."
K: "It does NOT have anything to do with chance! If it's your time to go,
it's your time to go!"
S: "Bullshit."
K: "It is not bullshit! You keep thinking that way and you're going to
Hell!"
S: "I don't believe in Hell."
K: "It doesn't matter if you believe in it or not! That's where you're
going!"
S: "Sure..."
K: "I don't care! I know I'm right! People like you were put here to test
us!
S: "You're so full of it."
K: "I don't mind telling you, you're pissing me off! You know I don't
like people talking about stuff like that and I don't want you
bringing it up again!!" (Just who called whom here?)
S: "So?"
K: "Yeah so!"
(Several long seconds of complete silence...)
K: "Well I gotta go."
S: "Yep."
K: "Bye."
S: (No reply. Hangs up phone)
That was the last I heard from her. I'm so heart broken... Anyway,
the thing I don't understand about this "miracle of God" is that if God
is all powerful, why did he have to let the tornado pick up the baby and
dump it in a tree in the first place? To prove he could perform miracles
by sparing its life? Even though the baby wasn't killed, it would seem
awfully cruel for someone to allow an infant to go through such an
ordeal when it didn't even have to happen. Also, if everyone has a
certain time to die, wouldn't that mean that every other aspect of our
lives is likewise determined by God in the same manner? Does this mean
that babies which are abused and molested are done that way because of
some predetermined "program" that is being run? Because it was their
time to be abused and molested? I think it's rather frightening to
suppose that our lives are being controlled and manipulated in such a
simplistic fashion. And if it is true that people who take their own
lives are condemned to eternity in Hell, then where is the justice in
that? If you commit suicide, wasn't it just because it was your time to
die? If each of our deaths are determined beforehand by God, then how
can you be punished for an act that you are locked into performing from
the beginning? If the course of our lives is somehow being guided, then
the deteriorating condition of the world today, both environmentally and
socially is also part of some predetermined plan. If this is true then
we never had a chance. What are we, some kind of cruel experiment? An
initial prototype race, just until God gets the bugs worked out?
I'm not trying to offend anyone here, although I usually do anyway.
Christ -oops! I mean Jeez! Is jeez more acceptable? Just ask about my
first article. Offending is what I seem to do best. The funny thing is
I've never once told anyone I don't believe in God. I'm not an atheist,
just an agnostic. Kristie's response when I mentioned this to her once
was, "A what?" Needless to say, I gave up a long time ago trying to
discuss any issue with her of any greater depth than phone sex or the
subtle nuances of how to make the perfect prank phone call, which for
some reason she has a bizarre fascination with. Everything is fine as
long as you don't question God. On the subject of questioning God, I'll
draw from an experience I had during an ethics class in college. As in
the biblical story of how God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son
Isaac, we were asked if we would without question sacrifice one of our
own children if God commanded us to. I was actually shocked when several
people said that yes, they would if God commanded them to. Is God above
being questioned? Wouldn't it be acceptable to question, or even refuse
such an action if not for your own sake, then at least for the sake of
the child in question? Are we supposed to think that something is right
just because God commands it? What about the people who murder their
families because they say God told them to? The same people who say it
would be right to sacrifice your offspring at Gods command would be the
first to condemn the family killer as evil or insane or both. No one
really believes that God actually vocally speaks to anyone. It may sound
nice in print, but it just doesn't happen.
I find it interesting that although I have an enormous capacity for
caring and a very high regard for others feelings, I'm made to feel like
I'm a bad person because I question the existence of God. And by people
who place their self worth above that of people they don't even know on
the basis of how they look, what they wear or what type of music they
listen to. Maybe there is a God. I've never said that there wasn't, just
that I have doubts. And if some people are made uncomfortable when I
question His existence, then maybe they just aren't secure enough in
their own beliefs. But since as far as I know I still possess a free
will, I'll continue to question whatever I want, whenever I want. After
all, this *is* still a free country... Isn't it?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Day in the Life of Michael Davidson
by Michael Davidson
I finally got sick of seeing all of these articles about a school
day for Colby Gibson, so I decided to write one of my own and bore the
socks off all of you who feel
the same way I do about Colby's articles.
(Very little offense meant, Colby.) I will, however, try to make it as
interesting as possible for all of you. I just thought you needed
another perspective of school.
All of my days are different, so I will pick the most extreme:
Thursday. Bear in mind that usually I do not put in twelve hours at
school, this day is just the day that I do a little bit extra. Usually
these days I only stay ten.
I tend to arrive at around 7:40 AM, and I head to the gym where
they store the students who arrive early. I look for my friends, who are
usually in two different places, and I decide which clique to visit. At
7:45, we are all dismissed to homeroom. My homeroom teacher has to be
the most moody and tempramental in all of the eighth grade, and needless
to say, I don't have much fun. I usually have some homework to finish up
from the night before, but any hopes of finishing then are dashed when
Mrs. Ruffing asks me to show her a math formula, or how to solve some
goofy problem that any fourth grader in his/her right mind could solve.
After homeroom, I stay put, because first period is algebra with the
dragon lady. I usually sleep in this class, because I took algebra last
summer at UAB, and consequently I happen to know as much as the teacher.
Actually, I could probably teach the material better, and on some
occasions I have, but that's getting off the subject, and besides that,
I'm beginning to sound too conceited.
After 45 minutes of happy dreams, I go to speach with the second
best teacher at Pizitz Middle School, Elisabeth McCord. If any of you
are involved in local theatre, you might know the name. Sometimes we end
up actually doing work in the class, but usually it turns into one long
class discussion and a contest to see how far off the subject we can
wander. I really like that class.
But alas, to all good things, there must come an end. I must
traverse the halls until I come to science, with Ms. Donna Moore, the
blonde teacher. Now generally, I'm not prejudiced against blondes, but
this is a different story. This lady is an AIRHEAD. The only things she
knows is that that the book tells her. I end up sleeping through this
period also.
Next comes English, with Mrs. Richardson, the dinosaur, who has NO
control over her class. I end up finding a comfortable spot on the
counter amongst the dictionaries and rest a while until I am shouted at
enough that I feel it is appropriate to move. This is my first class
with the very same Ricky Eanes that we all know and love. We talk all
period, and no amount of shouting can stop us, or the 22 other kids in
that class for that matter.
Finally, I get to go to lunch. I am very weird about packing my
lunch. I end up doing it based on my mood at the time. If I'm not hungry
when I make my lunch, I don't make much. If I'm not in the mood for an
apple then, I won't put one in. It's a pretty good strategy, actually,
and it has failed very rarely. Here at lunch we all sit at one end of
the table and make fun of my friend Brad's obbsession with dirty movies.
It's fun to see how red we can make him. Well, not really fun, but it
brightens up in comparison to the rest of my day.
After lunch, I head to American History, with Mrs. Thomas. This is
where I get all of the homework that I mentioned in homeroom. As I am
writing this, I have a few pages left to do and a day left to do them.
But, she likes me, so I end up pulling A's, no big deal.
Next, I go to PE for some pointless exercises and games. I've never
understood the motivation for someone to become a PE coach. I mean,
didn't they make fun of their coaches when they were little? Things
haven't changed. If I'm lucky, I manage to get a chuckle or two out of
my friends before I move on to the seventh and final period of the day.
Seventh period is play practice. In the winter, we practiced for "A
Christmas Carol", now we're getting ready for "Luann". This is probably
the most fun time of the day. I have a lot of friends in this class, and
we pretty much monkey around. I like to play catch with my friend Niko,
but it ends up turning into a game of keep away, which we make into a
contact sport. Luckily, there aren't many sharp objects on the stage.
After school, I head to Mrs. Breckenridge's room. She is the best
teacher in school, mainly because she is willing to sacrifice her time
after school in this manner. Four of us, well, actually two, practice
for MathCounts, a national math competition. The day I'm writing this
article, we just went to the state competition, and I made the team that
goes to nationals, so I'll end up staying after for another two months.
Anyway, we eat Grasshoppers (the cookie, not the insect), and drinking
Dr. Pepper, as these delicacies are the OFFICIAL snack of the Pizitz
1992 MathCounts team. (Whoopty doo.) We practice until around five, when
we order pizza. We eat, and then we take a class from Mathew Crawford, a
math genious who is in the ninth grade at VHHS. Some ninth graders from
MBHS (Mountain Brook) join us for this, and it ends up mostly being a
social hour, although we occasionally get some work done. At 8:00 PM, my
dad picks me up, and I go home.
That's a day in the life of Michael Davidson. Normally, I don't go
to Mathew's class, and I only have MathCounts from 2-5 times a week, but
other than that, I pretty much described an average day. Not that you
care, but I did it anyway.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BBS Spotlight
by Eric Hunt
This is a revival of an old favorite of BTN, the Bulletin Board
Spotlight. I've redone the questions, and added a few more questions.
I've also given the BBS sysop an opportunity to write a free response
paragraph or two if they wish at the end.
My method of selecting BBS' will be completely by whim. If you wish
to nominate a BBS for the spotlight, drop me a note most anywhere,
preferrably on EZNet or the main board of the Matrix.
Check the end of BTN for the numbers to the BBS selected as the
spotlight each month.
Enjoy!
Bulletin Board Spotlight
1) Name of the BBS:
F/X BBS - Birmingham's File Xchange
2) Name of the sysop:
Ken Browning
3) BBS software used:
PCBoard v14.5a/E3
4) How long have you been sysoping:
Right at 3 months
5) Are you a subscription only / completely free / hybrid of the
two BBS?
Hybrid
6) How many incoming phone lines and approximate disk space? Do
you support high speed modems? If so, what type(s)?
We currently have 3 phone lines, two are running Intel 9600ex
modems, 1 is running a generic 2400 baud modem. Disk space
right now is approximately 622 megabytes.
7) Is your BBS primarily a files BBS, primarily a message based
BBS, or a combination of the two?
Combination of the two. I really don't think one can survive
without the other.
8) If you've sysop'd more than just this BBS, briefly list previous
endeavours and their lifespans.
This is my first Sysop experience.
9) What made you decide to take the masochistic plunge and become a
sysop:
I have always been an avid BBSer and had always wanted to have
my own board. One day I just decided to do it!
10) What is the general 'thrust' or area of specialty for your BBS:
I am still taking a lot of direction from the user base as to
where they would like to see the board go. We are still new
enough that we can still branch out without getting the masses
upset with us!
11) (optional) What is your regular job/career to support this
leeching hobby of sysoping?
I have been with BellSouth for just shy of 15 years. My job
title there is Staff Analyst (that's phone company talk for
Senior Programmer).
12) What are your plans for the coming year?
I really want to see F/X expand- more nodes, more disk space and
to also get some CD-ROM drives online. I would also like to add
some different, more diverse Network feeds.
13) Where would you like your BBS to go over the next 5 years?
Naturally I want it to continue to grow and prosper along with
an expanded user base. I would like F/X to become a 'fixture'
like one or two other area boards have become.
14) What do you feel the highlights of your BBS are?
I think we have a very good selection of files - particularly in
the GIF - SoundBoard and MIDI areas. The Esterian Conquest door
has also proved to be a great draw. The hottest new thing we
have added is the RIME Network echo.
15) What is your personal vision of the 'ideal user?'
One who gives back a percentage of what he/she gets and one who
doesn't always expect to get something for nothing.
16) What is the thing you've enjoyed most about providing your BBS?
I have made a lot of new friends since we came up in December.
I have also learned a lot about areas in which I had little or
no expertise up to that point.
17) What is the thing you've enjoyed least about providing your BBS?
Writing the checks! I have invested a nice sum of money making
the BBS usable as well as trying to make it attractive. I
sometimes cringe when I think about just how much money I have
spent!
18) What is the funniest story you can tell about your BBS and/or your
users?
(no answer provided)
Here's a space to write a paragraph or two to cover any
points/details/questions I missed, yet you feel should be addressed.
(no response provided)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Music Review
by Michael Davidson
Well, this month, I decided to go back to music for two reasons.
One, there is a GREAT new CD I want everyone to hear about if they
haven't already. Two, CD's are around in stores longer than movies are
in theatres. With deadlines and all, it is fairly difficult to review a
movie that will be around only for a few more weeks, and then everyone
has to wait around and be all antsy until it comes out on video months
later. So, here's my review of Teenage Fanclub's "Bandwagonesque".
Voted Spin magazine's album of the year for 1991, and definitely
the best CD made in 1991 that made it into my magazine, this is truly a
spectacular CD. The vocals are soft, and the guitars are hard, but
simple. It's not really any one kind of music, it's its own new blend.
The lyrics, unlike some popular lyrics today, are intelligable and
smart, yet they remain easy to understand. They range from songs about
groupies to gained love to superstitions to giving up love. Another
GREAT accomplishment made on this CD is the fact that they were able to
sign with Geffen, and manage to keep David Geffen's symbol from a
position of prominence on the cover. In fact, it doesn't even appear on
the front!
In my opinion, the low point of the CD is the last song, "Is This
Music?". It goes back to an 80's sound, with heavy keyboards, reminding
me of the top of Billboard for the entire year of 1987. The high point
is probably "The Concept", although there are a few REAL close
contenders. This song is a single about a groupy who follows the band
around. It has a video, but they cut the song short in it. I can hardly
blame them, it's over 6 minutes long.
Well, that's about it for this month. I didn't have that much to
say about this one, but next month I will review "They Might Be Giants"
new release, Apollo 18. They might be my favorite band (no pun
intended), so hopefully I'll do a better job then.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SIG's (Special Interest Groups), Computer Related
-------------------------------------------------
BEPCUG CCS
Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South
Jefferson Sate Jr. College Springville Road Library
Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114 2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
3rd Friday, 7-9 PM 3rd Monday (Amiga)
Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM) 7:30-10 PM
BCCC BIPUG
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group
POB 59564 UAB Nutrition Science Blg
Birmingham, Al 35259 RM 535/541
UAB School of Education, Rm 153 1st Sunday (delayed one week
2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM if meeting is a holiday)
Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Marty Schulman 967-5883
BACE FAOUG
Birmingham Atari Computer First Alabama Osborne Users
Enthusiast Group
Vestavia Library, downstairs Homewood Library
2nd Monday, 7 PM 1st Saturday, 1PM
Benny Brown 822-5059 Ed Purquez 669-5200
CADUB
CAD Users of Birmingham
Homewood Library
3rd Tuesday, 6:30PM-8:30PM
Bobby Benson 791-0426
SIG's, Non-Computer Related
---------------------------
BBC Birmingham Astronomy Club
Blue Box Companions Subject: Astronomy
Subject: Dr. Who Red Mountain Museum Annex
Hoover Library 4th Tuesday, 7:30PM
1st Saturday, 2PM-5PM
If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed,
please let us know by sending E-Mail to Barry Bowden on
The Matrix BBS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area
NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE
SUPPORTED TYPE
129 ADAnet One Node 1 854-9074 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
129 ADAnet One Node 2 854-2308 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
129 ADAnet One Node 3 854-0698 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
129 ADAnet One Node 4 854-5863 9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
1 Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
1 Amiga Alliance ][ 631-0262 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
4 Arkham Asylum 853-7422 300-9600 USR DS WWIV 4.12
Asgard 663-9171 300-2400 WWIV 4.11
Baudville Node 1 640-4593 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
Baudville Node 2 640-4639 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
Baudville Node 3 640-7243 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
Baudville Node 4 640-7286 300-2400 Major BBS 5.3
Birmingham BBS 854-5131 300-2400 Mind-Pawn
13 Bus System 595-1627 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
17 Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-9600 USR HST WWIV 4.12
CM(ee) BBS Node 1 655-4059 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
CM(ee) BBS Node 2 655-4065 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
Camelot 856-679 300-2400 Telegard 2.5
136 Channel 8250 Node 1 744-8546 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
136 Channel 8250 Node 2 744-5166 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
$ Christian Apologetic 808-0763 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.00
1 Crunchy Frog Node 1 956-1755 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
1 Crunchy Frog Node 2 956-0073 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
DataLynx Node 1 933-6784 300-2400 Oracomm Plus 5.3
DataLynx Node 2 933-7032 300-2400 Oracomm Plus 5.3
Disktop Publishing BBS 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.01
Domino Effect 853-4675 300-2400 MNP4 PC Board 14.5
Empire 428-6074 300-2400 Image 1.2
- F/X BBS Node 1 823-5777 300-9600 V.32bis PC Board 14.5
- F/X BBS Node 2 822-4570 300-9600 V.32bis PC Board 14.5
- F/X BBS Node 3 822-4526 300-2400 PC Board 14.5
12{ Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
Graphics Zone Node 1 870-5306 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
Graphics Zone Node 2 870-5329 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
Hacker's Corner 674-5449 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
$ Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 1200-2400 Wildcat! 3.02
2 I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 300-9600 USR HST Remote Access
Infinite Probability 791-0421 2400 PC Board 14.5
13 Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-2400 USR HST PC Board 14.5
4 Kiriath Arba 681-8374 300-2400 WWIV 4.20
Lemon Grove 836-1184 300-2400 Searchlight
15 Little Kingdom Node 1 969-0007 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
15 Little Kingdom Node 2 969-0008 300-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5
1- Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.2
# Medicine Man BBS 664-5662 300-2400 GTPower 16.00
29 MetaBoard 254-3344 300-2400 Opus
Missing Link 853-1257 300-2400 C-Net
Night Watch 841-2790 1200-2400 TriTel 2.0
Nirvana 942-6702 300-2400 WWIV 4.21
Optical Illusion 853-8062 300-1200 C-Net
Ouija Board 669-0623 300-1200
# Owlabama BBS 833-7176 300-2400 GTPower 15.00
1 Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-9600 PCBoard 14.5
Paradise City 853-1439 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
Party Line 856-1336 300-2400 Tritel 2.11
Pooh's Korner 980-8710 300-9600 USR DS Remote Access
Ravens Bluff 681-4096 300-2400 Telegard 2.7
# Safe Harbor Node 1 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 15.00
# Safe Harbor Node 2 665-4355 300-9600 USR DS GTPower 15.00
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
1 ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
Strattosphere 428-1066 300-1200
Teasers 987-0122 300-2400 WWIV 4.20
2 The Bone Yard 631-6023 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
The Castle 841-7618 300-2400 C-Base 2.0
The Commodore Zone 856-3783 300-2400 Image1.2
The Den 933-8744 300-9600 USR HST ProLogon/ProDoor
4 The Dragon's Hoard 833-3790 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
12378 The MATRIX Nodes 1-4 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
12378 The MATRIX Nodes 5-7 323-6016 2400-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
The Monster 967-4839 300-2400 Telegard 2.7
The Other Side 520-0230 2400-9600 USR DS PC Board 14.5
2 The Outer Limits 985-1725 1200-9600 USR HST Wildcat! 3.01
The Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNET
The Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC
The Word 833-2831 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
Triangle 933-8227 300-2400 Hermes 1.8
Warrior River BBS 520-9540 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.02
Wildfire 1 942-9576 300-2400 Telegard 2.7
Wild Side 631-0184 300-1200 WWIV 4.20
Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
Willie's DYM Node 3 979-7743 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
Willie's DYM Node 4 979-8156 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
Wonderland Avenue 699-5811 1200-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5
Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300-1200 Unaxess
The many symbols you see prior to the names of many of the bbs' in the
list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange
or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion.
1 = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
2 = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
3 = Metrolink, an international network, multi-topic
4 = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
5 = Intellec, an international network, multi-topic
6 = Uni'Net, an international network, multi-topic
7 = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
8 = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
9 = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
0 = USNetMail, a national network, multi-topic
- = RIME, an international network, multi-topic
= = TcNet, not certain at publication time
! = RF-Net, a national network, dedicated to amateur radio
@ = 93Net, a national network, dedicated to the occult
# = GTNet, a national network, multi-topic
$ = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let us
know via EzNet.
