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Syndicate ZMagazine Issue 021
|ZMAGAZINE| |OCTOBER| |ISSUE-2.1|
-----------------------------------
OCTOBER 11, 1986 ATARI NEWS PLUS
-----------------------------------
RON KOVACS EDITOR-PUBLISHER
LARRY MIHALIK ASSISTANT EDITOR
KEN KIRCHNER ASSISTANT PUBLISHER
-----------------------------------
Xx THIS WEEK IN ZMAG
A) This week In Zmag
B) Editor's Column
C) Larry's Corner
D) Online News
E) Balloon Works BBS
F) Atari Sellers
G) CHAOS News
-----------------------------------
Xx EDITORS COLUMN
Welcome to another edition of Zmag!
This week I welcome back Larry
Mihalik, who has been hard at work
getting his BBS system going.
I am going to complain this week
about our Atari Magazine's on the
HOT SPOT this week is ANTIC!!!
Last weekend, I went to my local
computer store to check out whats
new and saw the October issue sitting
on the rack. The price tag was 12.95
with a double sided disk. Well
I thought about it and decided to
go for it. (By the way, next week
I will expand on the computer
store). Anyway, to continue this
story....
When I got home and peeled the
plastic off the mag, I booted the
disk and boy was I surprised!!
Side one contained the drab file
list the comes every month, not
such a bad thing I suppose, but
when I turned the disk over to find
ST files, I was a little annoyed.
Complete with instructions on HOW
TO PORT OVER files to an ST.
I wonder why??? Since the populus
getting the disk are 8 bitters, WHY
include 70% ST stuff on the disk??
If ST users want the stuff, Why cant
Antic supply them with their own
disk??? Why should the 8 bit user
even have to be exposed to software
that cant run??? Why should an STer
have to go through the process of
PORT OVER when the can be supplied
with a disk that is ready to run.
Excuse me if I sound annoyed, But I
am and really dont understand the
logic behind it?? If you are
reading this and can provide me with
a different light, Please do???
Now for the Second Attack!!
On the last page of the mag they
listed New Products or whatever they
call it this week. I saw a tiny
little thing about CARINA!! Sheesh
guys give me a break!!! You are
pushing BBCS II like it was the
best thing on earth!! I ran it and
had nothing but problems, so already
you not on my good side!! But why
even bother putting in a shabby
little thing when more information
could have been gathered!! I think
putting it in the back of the issue
and the lack of info supplied is
poor judgement.
My third attack goes to both Mags
ANALOG AND ANTIC!! I understand
that you guys prepare most of your
issues weeks ahead, but looking through
the last few issues of both mags,
I find information which had already
been covered in this measly mag
called ZMAG!! Sheesh again!! Some
of the articles are out dated!!
I suppose I could go on and on and
I am sure there is fault with what
I am doing every week. There are
some people who might even feel I
have over stepped here, But I
think about it this way! I subscribe
to Analog monthly, I pay for each
issue. Zmag collects no funds yet
we cover more topics and news each
week. I feel I am not getting what
I pay for. If the issues were dated
properly, instead of getting DECEMBER
1986 issue in late October, the
information in each magazine might
be more interesting. I wouldn't
mind getting October's issue in
October??
Any views are welcome and will be
published. What is your thoughts??
___________________________________
Xx|LARRY'S-CORNER|
----------PHREAKING!--------------
Well, I am finally back, and I
see that Zmag continues to survive
without me! Anyway, on to the subject
at hand=> Phreaking! For any of
those that don't know what it is,
it's a leeches way of placing phone
calls for -free-. They are parasites
that prey on our convenience
services provided by long distance
phone companies.
The phone companies have promised
to wage war on these -code-users-,
but I decided to write this column
on not what it is, or how they do
it, or even the financial losses to
the phone companies. Instead on
what it is doing to the users.
Recently, I recieved a message
from a potential -new-user- to my
BBS. Oh, I have been around and
seen a lot, but this one struck me
in such a way as to get me to
finally speak out.
This -new-user-, I will call him
MISGUIDED, logged on and left me a
message. Here it is, but I have
corrected the spelling and deleted
the obvious portions of the message,
but you will get the idea.
-FROM- MISGUIDED
--TO-- SYSOP
-SUBJECT- VALIDATE
___________________________________
HI
THIS IS A COOL BBS
HOW CAN I GET ACCESS HERE. MY REAL
NAME IS
FROM
I AM 11, BUT DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST
ME YOU WILL FIND ME A GOOD USER
WELL PLEASE VALIDATE ME AND HERE
ARE SOME NEW xxx-xxxx CODES FOR YA.
xxx,xxx
xxx,xxx
LATER
MISGUIDED
__________________________________
Well, I don't want to analyize
the message, but I am sure you can
see why I was sort of set back by
this youngster.
Obviously, MISGUIDED is an 11 yr.
old BOY, who has been a victim of
an enviroment that has lead him to
believe that it is a -free- ticket
to entertainment.
This is far from the reality of
the situation, but I promised myself
not to preach why it is wrong, we
should all know that by now. I very
much doubt that this individual
will ever take the time to read
this article, or Zmag, so how do we
get the message to him that what he
is doing is wrong?
Well, I hate to tell you this,
but it falls on YOU! [EVERY last
one].
We have to take a stand and open
our mouth's to these -code-user's-.
Not for thier sake, but your's. If
the phone co., the FBI and every
other agency can't put a stop to
this parasite, what laws will be
enacted to restrict tele-communications.
It has happened before, those that
make up a small group of people can
cause enough of a problem that
tele-communications maybe regulated
in the future.
So SPEAK UP!. If you see a message
from anyone who refers to use of
codes, or promotes the use, then
hit that [R] button and reply. Let
them know how you feel. Tell them
that this is not -a standard practice-
as most believe.
You will be surprized at the
final outcome, you will find that
quite a number of other board users
will back you up and reply in
similar fashion. But, now that you
read this, you are obligated to
start the ice breaking. Stretch
that finger and hit [R] and dig in.
Don't rely on: -someone else will
do it-...They won't!
Until next time.
Larry Mihalik
The Lion's Den BBS
The Syndicate BBS
___________________________________
Xx|ONLINE-NEWS|
<*> COMPUTER CRIME BILL
<*> FREE LAW BBS
<*> COMPUTER GAMES GOOD FOR KIDS
<*> NEW BBS MAGAZINE
<*> CRACKER INVADES UNIX SYSTEMS
___________________________________
|COMPUTER CRIME BILL HEADS TO|
| REAGAN'S DESK |
When it comes to high-tech issues,
the 99th Congress has taken a firm
stance on electronic privacy and
computer crime.
With a bill to protect electronic
privacy sent to the president just
last week, the Senate and House of
Representatives have now agreed on
a computer crime measure and sent it
off to the White House.
Titled the Computer Fraud and Abuse
Act (S 2281 and HR 4562), the
legislation passed by voice vote in
the Senate and was then accepted by
the House with the Senate amendments.
The House originally passed the bill
in early June.
Introduced in the Senate by Sen.
Paul Trible (R-Va.) and in the House
by Rep. William Hughes (D-N.J.), the
measure expands the protections
against computer crime currently
governed by the nation's only
computer crime statute (18 USC1030).
-This bill will clarify the 1984
statute to make clear that acts of
simple trespass by unauthorized
users of government computers are
punishable,- said Sen. Strom
Thurmond (R-S.C.) in support of the
measure. Thurmond is chairman of
the Senate Judiciary Committee,
which guided the measure through
hearings and onto the floor for a
vote.
-It will also proscribe acts of
fraud via computer or intentional
destruction of computer data. Both
fraud and destruction of property
will be covered by S 2281 when they
are committed against computers
belonging to the federal government
or to federally insured financial
institutions. The same offenses will
be covered when the crime itself is
interstate in nature. Finally, S.
2281 will permit prosecution of
those who traffic in computer
passwords belonging to others.-
Noting that federal crime laws
lagged behind the technology, Trible
told his Senate colleagues during
debate on the measure that state and
federal prosecutors have had difficulty
adapting older criminal law statutes
to computer crimes.
-In the government's race to protect
computer data against crime, the
hour is late. Quite simply, the
criminals have the technological
edge,- he said. -It is time to
dispel the notion that computer
crime is a game or a challenge to
be overcome. The fact is, the
computer criminal is a lawbreaker
just like any other and deserves to
be treated as such,- Trible concluded.
The president is expected to sign
the bill.
|FREE LAW BBS OPENS IN CALIF.|
If you're an attorney in the LA
area, take note: A new free computer
bulletin board system has opened in
Beverly Hills.
Called Legacy/The Law Network, it's
operated around the clock at baud
rates up to 2400.
According to a statement from the
operator, attorney Robert H. Kohn,
online lawyers may participate in
discussions on computer law,
entertainment law and telecommunications
law, or may enter the -Lawyers
Lounge- for a free-for-all discussion
on any topic.
Kohn is associate general counsel
of Candle Corp., one of the major
mainframe software publishers and
former corporate counsel for software
publisher Ashton-Tate.
The board is accessible with a
modem call to 213/553-1473.
|VIDEO GAMES GOOD FOR KIDS|
Parents, the word from one expert
is not only to let your children
play video games, but also make sure
they do. According to Daniel Gopher,
a professor at the Technion-Israel
Institute of Technology, video games
impart the kinds of skills needed
in a modern, technological society.
-They can fill an important void in
training pilots, computer scientists
or anyone else called upon to operate
complex, technological systems,- he
explained.
Because video games are fast-moving
with players forced to pay attention
to five or six simultaneous actions,
they require concentration, visual
acuity, hand-eye coordination and
decision making. These are the same
skills need for flying modern aircraft
or operating the control room in a
nuclear power plant.
-The present working environment in
high-tech industries is not much
different from that of a complex
video game. It is not too far-fetched
to think that skills learned and
acquired in a game environment can
be translated into real-life situations,-
Gopher said.
He encourages parents to -stand
over their children and make sure
they practice on the computer, just
as our parents stood over us to
practice the violin or the piano.-
|BBS 'NEWS SERVICE' OFFERED|
A Topeka, Kan., organization
called the BBS Press Service is
offering sysops of local bulletin
boards a weekly computer news
electronic magazine called Info-
Mat, containing reports on
computers, software and consumer
electronics and more.
Info-Mat is distributed free to
BBSes that pay a $10 registration
fee. For the fee, the sysops are
authorized to download the weekly
files from the Kansas board and
post them in their areas. BPS also
sells advertising which is
displayed in each issue of the
publication.
So far some 45 boards in the US and
Canada are carrying Info-Mat.
A sample copy of the magazine is
available on the host system at
913/478-9239 which operates at baud
rates up to 2400. The operators,
Alan Bechtold and Bill Barton,
suggest sysops get this old issue
and post it on their boards to get
reactions from callers.
|CRACKER INVADES UNIX SYSTEMS AT|
| UNIVERSITIES, BUSINESSES |
A computer cracker who calls
himself -Pink Floyd- has eluded
authorities for six weeks and invaded
computer systems at dozens of
universities and businesses across
the country.
At least one computer specialist
believes the intruder may be trying
to -prove something about Unix
security,- noting that most of the
break-ins have occurred in systems
running under that multi-user
operating system.
The raider has been brazen about
his success so far -- he makes
taunting phone calls to systems people
while cracking their security.
According to The San Francisco
Examiner, the cracker began his
intrusions Aug. 25 and has since
broken into computers at Stanford
University, Lawrence Berkeley
Laboratory, the University of
Illinois, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Mitre Corp. in
Reston, Va., and at least three
unidentified Silicon Valley
companies.
Authorities say there has been no
detected damage to the online data,
but the raider has made subtle
alterations to some systems to make
detection more difficult.
Stanford University apparently
sounded the alarm, calling police and
phone company officials for help.
The Examiner quotes university
spokesmen as saying the cracker may
have tapped into as many as 60
campus computers, some of which
include systems that contain non-
classified, Pentagon-sponsored
research data and programs.
One computer scientist said the
cracker fits the profile of a
computer-science graduate student,
because of his skill at maneuvering
the systems. One theory is that he
gained control over equipment
monitoring Stanford's local area
network, and thus was able to
capture legitimate user passwords as
they were sent over the network.
The Associated Press quotes a
computer researcher at a Silicon
Valley think tank from a message on
the US UNIX computer network:
-At one point, an intruder spent
two hours talking on the telephone
with a Stanford system manager,
bragging about how he had done it,
but there was no way that the call
could be traced to him. A few days
later, I sat there and watched the
intruder log onto one Stanford
computer, and I watched every
keystroke that he typed on his keyboard,
and I watched him break into new
directories, but there was nothing
that I could do to catch him.-
Lester Earnest of Stanford's
computer science department, told the
Examiner, -It is hard to say what
the motive was. It would not surprise
me at all if it was someone who was
trying to prove something about UNIX
security.-
___________________________________
Xx BALLOON WORKS BBS
NEW ZMAG ADDITION
| O '
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|# ' :
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| O ' | ' |
| ' |
| ' O
| * ' ' |
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|O
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| o O' WORKS INC |
| 'O'' |
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mp
DRAWN BY MATT PRITCHARD
BALLOON WORKS EXPRESS!
...Filling Balloons
A S C E N T !!!
To RON KOVACS
From SYSOP
Dated Thu 9-Oct-86 9:04:59 pm
RON:
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO VISIT
OUR SYSTEM AND SEND THE LATEST ISSUE ZMAG. ANYWAY GLAD TO HAVE YOU
VISIT, AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU
AGAIN SOON. -MIKE
Current Time___ 6:18:12 pm
Connected______9 of 60 Mins
AAtari/ASCII Mode OOther BBS #'s
BBrowse Files QQuickscan
CCall For Sysop RRead E-Mail
DDownload A File SSend E-Mail
FFeedback To SysopTTitle Page
GGoodbye (Log Off)UUpload A File
ISystem Info. YYour Stats
LLibraries ZNews/Reviews
MMember Listing /Mini Menu
NSystem News ?This Menu
*Sub-Board List
=Goto A SubBoard
Msg #4 CLUB MEETING
Author MIKE BROWN
To All
Posted Fri 10-Oct-86 7:12:52 am
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE MID-OHIO
ATARI USER GROUP IS SATURDAY,
NOVEMBER 1, 1986 AT THE GORMAN-RUPP
COMPANY CAFETERIA ON BOWMAN STREET
IN MANSFIELD. THE MEETING BEGINS AT
7PM. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION,
PLEASE LEAVE A MEESAGE HERE. -MIKE
[A]gain [R]eply [Q]uit [C]ont:
| BBS Express! Ver 2.0 |
| |
| Copyright (C) 1986 |
|by Orion Micro Systems |
______
Xx Atari Sellers
The following is a list of Stores
that sell any of the following:
Atari Computers, Disk Drives,
Software, ST hardware/software,
disk drive accessories and the like.
Alpha Systems 216-374-7469
Astra Systems 714-549-2141
Abacus 616-241-5510
American TV 800-551-9995
B&C Computervision 408-749-1003
Computer Games Plus 714-639-8139
ComputAbility 800-558-0003
Computer Creations 800-824-7506
CompuCat 408-353-1836
Computer Palace 800-452-8013
Computer Mail Order 800-233-8950
Computer Accessory 516-385-1858
Computer Direct 312-382-5050
Computer Repeats 303-939-8144
Consumer Electronic 714-635-8621
Duplicating Tech 516-333-5805
Diverse Data 305-940-0458
Electronic One 614-864-9994
Future Systems 818-407-1647
Gemini Electronics 201-267-0988
Harmony Computer 800-441-1144
Happy Computer 408-779-3830
Lyco Computer 800-233-8760
MicroTyme 800-255-5835
SNW Electronics 800-874-1235
Southern Software 205-956-0986
S&S Wholesalers 800-233-6345
White House 800-351-3442
___________________________________
XxCAPITOL HILL ATARI OWNER'S SOCIETY
C.H.A.O.S. is your most important
ATARI peripheral. It is a club
formed BY ATARI computer owners -
FOR ATARI computer owners- full
support for the ATARI 400, 800,
600XL, 800XL, 1200XL, 130XE and the
entire ST line.
C.H.A.O.S. is not affiliated with
the ATARI Corporation, but does
maintain communication with ATARI
through ANTIC's World-wide User's
Network and ATARI's User Group
Support Department.
What does C.H.A.O.S offer to you as
an ATARI owner?
1. MID-MICHIGAN ATARI MAGAZINE, a
professional quality newsletter
published monthly in conjunction
with other area ATARI computer
clubs, with news and articles about
ATARI computers, hardware, and
software.
2. The C.H.A.O.S. BBS, completely
supported by the Club, and offering
extra access levels for Club
members as well as a ready forum
for discussion, news, and Club
announcements.
3. Monthly meetings designed to
expand your knowledge of the ATARI.
Topics may include languages such
as BASIC, LOGO or ASSEMBLER,
presentations and demostrations on
business uses of the ATARI,
graphics, printing, utilities,
telecommunications, new software,
new hardware and of course, GAMES.
4. A PROGRAM LIBRARY with over
1,000 public domain programs
available to all membeU?} These
programs run the full spectrum from
games and demos to full-blown
business and telecommunication
packages. The are written and
contributed by members of user
groups around the world.
5. The opportunity to join
Special Interest Groups. SIG's may
include Novice computing, BASIC or
ASSEMBLER programming,or any other
subject as interest is shown.
6. A NEWSLETTER LIBRARY with
information and newsletters from
over 100 other clubs, ATARI related
books, and magazines, all available
for lending.
7. Through C.H.A.O.S. there are
often discount offers and group
purchases of software and hardware.
8. Support that begins where most
dealers have to leave off. A great
place to ask those simple and
complex questions. The help of
other computer users who share your
interest in the ATARI computer.
Our ST-special interest group meets
at 10:00 A.M. the SECOND saturday
of each month... the General Club
Meets at 10:00 A.M. on the THIRD
Saturday of each month. Both
meetings are held in room 118 of
the PYSICS - ASTRONOMY building on
the campus of MICHIGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY. Meetings run about 2-3
hours and include great demos, Q+A,
and information. Watch the BBS for
announcements, and feel free to
call Club Officers to confirm the
time and location of the meetings.
If you would like additional
information, call the Club
President, Leo Sell, at
517-393-7792, or simply post a
message here on the C.H.A.O.S. BBS
If you can't make it to the
meeting, but want to join
C.H.A.O.S. and receive the
newsletter, access to our library
and other resources, send $12.00
for one year's membership along
with your name, address and phone
number to:
C.H.A.O.S.
ATTN: MEMBERSHIP
P.O. Box 16132
Lansing, MI 48901
You will receive a year's
subscription to MID-MICHIGAN ATARI
MAGAZINE, a coupon entitling you to
one free LIBRARY DISK of your
choice (a $5.00 value!), and an
access time increase on the
C.H.A.O.S. BBS. We'll welcome you
to the Club and look forward to
seeing you at the next meeting.
Cordially,
Leo Sell, CHAOS President.
___________________________________
Xx Zmag Systems
MOUSE 219-674-9288
Syndicate South 201-370-8021
The Lions Den 201-396-0867
Carina BBS 305-793-2975
New York City BBS 718-604-3323
Backstage BBS 201-944-1196
The Help BBS 316-683-7514
Temple of Doom 201-656-6439
CHAOS 517-371-1106
Balloon Works Inc 419-289-8392
Atari Computer Club 305-734-6026
Runequest 312-430-4234
Bottom Line 201-991-5546
EBBBS 201-254-6449
Jam Station 201-467-1596
The Syndicate BBS 201-968-8148
Mega Vision 216-441-3816
___________________________________
Xx Closing Comments
I have been extremly busy the last
two weeks. I have tried calling
the above systems, some I have gotten
through to and others are busy!!
I will make an effort this weekend
to get on all these systems. If you
have any information you would like
to share with others, please drop me
a line on any of these BBS's.
For the systems interested in adding
your local news to this edition,
just go to DOS and copy your file
to ZMAG1011/A.
Ex..
Copy from,to:
YOURFILE,ZMAG1011/A
___________________________________
Thanks for reading!
Zmagazine October 11, 1986
Issue 2.1 New Jersey Edition
___________________________________
