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Volume 4, Issue 2 The Journal of IceNET February 1994
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The Editor's Desk ³
³ The State of IceNET Jim (1@1) ³
³ Notes from the Managing Editor Louie (6@1) ³
³ Thoughts from Odin Odin (1@7664) ³
³ IceNEWS Questionnaire Deacon Blues (2@7653) ³
³ IceNEWS Reader's Poll Apollo (1@2939) ³
³ ³
³ Sub Board Spotlight ³
³ The NFL Pool Dan Garrison (22@3461) ³
³ The Best of WWIV Russell Morris (208@3085) ³
³ ³
³ WWIV Specific ³
³ How to Install Multi-Instances ³
³ of WWIV under Windows Piero (1@2351) ³
³ New WWIV Sysops Helpline Jack Ryan (1@4707) ³
³ ³
³ Software/Programming ³
³ Borland C++ 4.0 Review Will (1@6754) ³
³ Learning C - Part One Daarkhan (1@7676) ³
³ ³
³ Lite Bytes ³
³ Trials of a Cyber Cop Pale Rider (1@23) ³
³ Silly Strings Ima Moron (1@9661) ³
³ The Adventures of ModemMan Jot$ (1@7850) Deacon Blues (2@7653) ³
³ Untitled Poem Burma Shave, Dark Man (1@6853) ³
ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
³ IceNEWS is seeking submissions from those who have story ideas. ³
³ If you have an idea for an IceNEWS story, contact any IceNEWS ³
³ editor or subscrib4e to IceNEWS Beat, subtype ICENEWS, host @1. ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
T H E E D I T O R ' S D E S K
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The State of IceNET ³ Jim (1@1)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
As we begin 1994, with full steam ahead for the coming year in IceNET, I
look forward with excitement on all the upcoming events...the release of WWIV
4.24 and all the fun that will bring, WWIVcon in July (Be there!), and of
course keeping all in IceNET informed by way of the many message bases
available.
I'd like to see IceNET reach 1000 systems this year, and with help from
all sysops prompting their friends to join up, I think we can make it.
Network growth is important, as it keeps us moving onward with new systems,
new subs, new modem friends. Growth will come not only from present systems
joining IceNET, but as well the new crop of sysops coming on into our network.
It will be a challenge and a lot of fun to meet this goal.
We have a new GC in Group 2, and her name is Lorelei. Since last
November, she has been filling in on a temporary basis for Rocker, who has now
officially gone into the ranks of former GC upon letting me know he felt Wendy
was doing such a great job that he wanted her to stay on. Thanks Rocker for
the great job you did, and I'm looking forward to your new responsibilities as
they become defined. Good luck Lorelei!
Now, let's get on with the first edition of IceNEWS for 1994, with Louie
as managing editor. I hope you enjoy it!
Jim (1@1) IceNEWS Editor-In-Chief
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Notes from the Managing Editor ³ Louie (6@1)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Hi! I'm Louie, this months Managing Editor for IceNEWS. These are some
comments from the M/E about the making of this issue. Besides, I didn't write
anything this month and I like to be included. So, you have to read this
before the other stuff.
You might wonder how one gets appointed M/E. Well, with me it was all a
mistake. Deacon Blues (2@7653) asked Jim (1@1) about me becoming an editor of
IceNEWS. In other words, a member of the staff. Deacon either didn't make
himself clear or Jim was tired and answering mail at 3 a.m. Either way, Jim
got the idea that Deacon was recommending me to be M/E of the month this time
around. Jim acted quickly and appointed me before a clarification could be
gotten from Deacon. I started work and was well underway with it all before
anybody figured out there was a misunderstanding in the works. And lets just
say I'm a big guy. People weren't about to speak out against it all once I
got started.
I had fun as this months M/E. It was a tough job though. I had to ask a
bunch of people for articles. Got a bunch. Lots of nice stuff for this
months issue. But I am getting ahead of myself now.
I would like to thank Jim and the rest of the IceNEWS Staff on all the
help they have been with getting this issue out. Will (1@6754) and Ima Moron
(1@9661) were very nice to me. Jack Ryan (1@4707) and Deacon Blues were great
help to me. Deacon did a great job supporting me in this position. He really
was almost a Co-ME with me.
I would now like to ask you, our kind hearted reader, to let us know you
exist. There is a nice little IceNEWS Questionnaire in this months issue by
Deacon. Please fill it out and let him know what your likes and dislikes and
stuff are. Apollo (1@2939) is doing something similar with all of IceNET.
We do need people to write stuff for us as well. If you have an idea for
an article, let us know about it. The IceNEWS staff will be more than willing
to work with you. Just drop me an e-mail and I, or another member of our
staff, will work with you. I would list a bunch of ideas, but we really don't
have space for that. If you want to write something but don't have an idea,
ask me for a few ideas. I got a bunch I would like to see written up.
Likewise, if you read something you don't like in IceNEWS. Fire off a
letter to the editor. Just drop that to Jim (1@1) and he will forward it to
the proper person.
If you would like to get involved with IceNEWS, then pick up the IceNEWS
Beat Sub (Subtype: IceNEWS, Host: @1).
Thanks for reading IceNEWS. Without you readers, we don't have any
reason to do this, really.
Louie (6@1) IceNEWS Managing Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Thoughts from Odin ³ Odin (1@7664)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
It's one of those days while wondering whatever happened to The Editor
and the Funny Pages BBS..........
-=- Do you remember all the sysops who complained about registering WWIV for
$50? These are the same guys who now complaining about the $80 registration
charge. Do you think that they are going to wake up and smell the coffee or
do you think that they will complain when it is $150?
-=- Did you ever notice when you (the sysop) have completed the modding of the
board that Wayne then announces: "The newest version of WWIV will come out
on.." Ooooh that burns me up. Sure you can use the file to convert it over
but it will take you days to mod the old version......I think Wayne and Filo
talk it over and say, "Well Filo, what do you think? I think they should have
modded the hell out of it by now, let's say we make a new version...it will
drive them nuts!!"
-=- Jim (1@1) recently put up a post about a sysop who appears to be pirating
software from his board. Now, not to mention any names, but when will these
people learn that this is a crime? I mean, the reason software prices are so
high is that people are pirating the software. This crime is similar to
shoplifting.
Well....that's it. I hope many of you had as happy a holiday as I did
and are looking forward to a great year.
Odin (1@7664) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ IceNEWS Readership Questionnaire ³ Deacon Blues (2@7653)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
IceNEWS is supposed to represent what YOU - the sysops and users of
IceNET and the readers of IceNEWS - would like to read in your network
journal. With this in mind, we ask that all of our readers (as well as our
non-readers or others who may not have heard of IceNEWS before, by way of
publicly posting this article) please take the time to fill-out and return the
questionnaire below so we can better serve your wants and needs. The return
mailing address can be found at the end of the questionnaire. If we, the
editors, don't know what you, the readers, want to see in IceNEWS, we can't
provide it. Please tell us what you like. Remember, without YOUR input, the
IceNEWS editors would actually have to think and try to guess just what your
tastes are. And we can't have THAT now, can we? :)
IceNEWS Readership Questionnaire
1.) Which statement best expresses your personal opinion regarding IceNEWS:
A.) I always read it and like it very much.
B.) I read it from time-to-time and usually enjoy it.
C.) I have no feelings regarding it one way or the other.
D.) I have read it and did not like it.
E.) I have never heard of IceNEWS before now.
2.) Which statement is true regarding how often you read IceNEWS:
A.) I read IceNEWS on a monthly basis.
B.) I read IceNEWS only occasionally.
C.) I have never read IceNEWS before now.
D.) I never bother or don't care to read IceNEWS.
3.) Which statement is true regarding your IceNEWS reading habits:
A.) I read all of the stories in each issue.
B.) I read only articles that look like they might appeal to me.
C.) I rarely find articles appealing to me so I don't read it.
4.) "As a Sysop, I pass IceNEWS on to my regular users to read also."
A.) True B.) False
5.) Choose your favorite IceNEWS Department(s):
A.) The Editor's Desk B.) Feature Articles
C.) Hardware D.) Software/Programming
E.) WWIV-Specific F.) Light Bytes
6.) Choose the type(s) of articles that you would like to see in IceNEWS:
A.) WWIV-Specific B.) Product Reviews
C.) Sysop-Oriented D.) User-Oriented
E.) Network-Specific F.) Area-Specific
G.) Humor H.) General Computing
I.) Programming-Related J.) "How-To" Informative
K.) Interviews L.) Hardware-Related
M.) Software-Related N.) Comprehensive Multi-Part
O.) Editorials P.) Opinions
Q.) Other (Please Specify)
7.) In what ways do you think IceNEWS can be improved upon? (Be Specific)
Please return to: Deacon Blues, 2@7653. Thanks in advance to all who take the
time to send in their replies. Remember, YOUR opinion DOES COUNT! Help us
make IceNEWS into the publication you want it to be.
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ IceNEWS Reader's Poll ³ Apollo (1@2939)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
1: What does IceNET mean to YOU?
2: What is your favorite aspect of IceNET?
3: Which network is your favorite?
4: Why do you think IceNET is Better/Worse than other networks?
5: How long have you been in IceNET?
6: How long have you been running a BBS?
7: How long have you been BBSing?
8: How long have you been a computer user?
Please E-Mail your responses to Apollo 1 @2939 IceNET.
Apollo (1@2939) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
S U B B O A R D S P O T L I G H T
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The NFL Pool ³ Dan Garrison (22@3461) [Subtype: 43461, Host: @3461]
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
As the Fifth Season of THE NFL POOL, a nationally multi-netted message
base, comes to a very successful end, I am amazed (and pleased) on how it has
done. Looking back to its beginning, and some of the rough roads it has been
over, a person might think it could never have gotten to this place.
I work as a mainframe computer programmer in St. Louis. In 1989, the
company put a personal computer on my desk. At first I did not want it. But,
then my supervisor discovered it had an internal modem and showed me how to
use it. Within a few months I had stumbled into the world of electronic
bulletin boards and enjoying every minute of them.
For years I have been an "NFL NUT". When I moved to the Washington, D.C.
area in 1975, it took only one fall season, and I was hooked as a Redskin fan.
While in the Washington area, I entered the weekly football Pool run by the
newspaper. Later, in 1933, at my previous job here in St. Louis, I helped
run the NFL football Pool. Once in a while I even won a little money.
After getting into BBSing, I wondered if there might be a way that I
could run an NFL Football Pool through a message base. Birdhunter, a local
sysop gave me the opportunity on his board, and in 1989, the first season of
THE NFL POOL was underway. I began it with a simple process. Players were to
pick the winners of each week's games. We would use the Monday night game as
a tie breaker, in the same way I had seen it used in the other Pools I had
been a part of. Players would submit one set of picks each week. I would set
a deadline and the date/time stamp of the post would serve as the validation
that the deadline had been met.
The first week we had a dozen players or so, including one or two ladies.
Within a couple of weeks Birdhunter had hooked up with a board in the triangle
area of North Carolina, and we had competition going, not only between users,
but between two areas of the country. The posts were more than just picks.
There was good banter, friendly 'swipes', and just plain fun.
But around Thanksgiving, the company declared we could not use modems to
contact bulletin boards, and I lost my access. For about a month the NFL POOL
had no host. But, Birdhunter and some friends surprised me at Christmas with
an XT as a gift, and I was able to complete the season.
The following year the NFL POOL was in its second season, but at
Thanksgiving time, Birdhunter had to take his board down and we struggled to
find a board to host us through the season. When the season was over, the
North Carolina board notified me it also was going down.
So during the off-season I looked for a local replacement. Chairman
Paley of the Aviary made arrangements for the Pool to be hosted there. And
then I looked for some competition. I heard from Pillsbury Dough Boy of
BoardWalk in New York. He talked 'big' and since the Buffalo Bills and New
York Giants had just competed in a close Superbowl, this seemed like a great
opportunity.
For the next two seasons, we in St. Louis had a great rivalry with
people in Upper State New York, and regretfully the overall title each season
went to New Yorkers.
As the fourth season came to an end, I was learning more, and discovering
multi-networks. I wanted to expand the NFL POOL. But there were new problems
emerging in St. Louis. Chairman Paley and the sysop of the Aviary had left
St. Louis. While the Aviary was still up, it did not appear real stable to
me, and I definitely wanted to go mulit-net. I also knew that if I expanded
the NFL POOL, I would have to find some way to keep track of the many picks
that would come in.
ACE, a guy here in St. Louis, voluntarily took on the challenge of
writing a program to help me. We did a little testing of it and worked out
some bugs. Meanwhile I looked for a new host board, and found TOAD HALL.
This turned out great as the sysop kept me very informed of everything to do
with the sub. I put out one 'ad' in the WWIVNet Yellow Pages, and one ad in
the WWIVLink Yellow Pages. Somewhere along the line I made contact with
IceNET.
During the fifth season of THE NFL POOL, we had over 30 boards
participating, around 50 posts a week, 71 different users make picks one or
more weeks, and some of the best competition we have ever had. And by in
large it has gone well. Oh, we had a problem with someone questioning the
deadline rule. We have always seemed to have a problem with that. This time
it went a little further than it has in the past. But, it eventually blew
over.
Why do I do it?
I enjoy NFL Football. I enjoy good competition. Most of the people who
participate, have fun with the competition. Many good-natured 'jabs' are
taken. People root for their favorite teams, and make fun of the host's team.
Unlike some message bases, the posts stay away from being mean-spirited.
I run the NFL POOL, fair and even-handed. It is nice to receive messages
that show appreciation for the NFL POOL and how I run it. It was especially
gratifying this past season to have players from both coasts, and several
states in between part of the NFL POOL.
For an old guy, this is really participating in the 'electronic highway'.
Dan Garrison (22@3461) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The Best of WWIV ³ Russell Morris (208@3085) [Subtype: BESTOF, Host: @3085]
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
When I fire up my modem these days, I'm a man on a mission. A zealous
crusader. A cybernetic knight on a quest for my own version of the Holy
Grail.
It's about quality.
Specifically, I'm looking for great posting. As moderator for the
networked discussion sub "The Best of WWIV," I make it my goal to seek out the
best in publicly posted messages. When I find them, I copy them to The Best
of WWIV, and from there the messages are echoed to an appreciative audience of
BBS users on systems stretching from New York to Alaska.
Although the sub has only been in existence a short time, it has been
very well-received by WWIV sysops. Originally available only through the West
Coast InfiNet network, The Best of WWIV is now carried on three additional
networks: IceNET, WWIVlink and WWIVnet.
Something Different
The concept behind The Best of WWIV takes a little getting used to.
Normally, WWIV netsubs tend to be very interactive. You see a lot of
spontaneity, people firing opinions back and forth. The Best of WWIV, though,
is strictly limited to re-posted messages from other discussion areas. (Any
discussion of the re-posted messages takes place on a companion sub, The Best
of WWIV--Discussion.)
The idea is that this is a place where you can read great messages
without having to wade through a lot of garbage. Every post on The Best of
WWIV is there because someone read it somewhere else, and thought it was worth
re-posting. (Although I've done much of the re-posting myself so far,
subscribing sysops and users also re-post deserving messages.)
But what is it that makes a "great" post? Obviously, it's highly
subjective. It's hard to give a laundry list of characteristics, because
great posts come in all different shapes and sizes. For myself, I favor posts
that tell true stories about users' lives. A good example is a post I came
across in a networked discussion on Wayne Bell's BBS, Amber. The post was
written by a user named Batgirl who was looking for information on disk-based
copies of science fiction books. She explained that she was a big fan of sci
fi, but had been having a hard time finding it since going blind as a result
of a brain tumor. For me, there was something really special about the post,
a positive outlook she had despite what she'd been through, that really
affected me.
Other messages that have been re-posted on the sub include an account of
a user's near-drowning in the Atlantic Ocean, a story of a user's car catching
on fire and the story of a user who was raped as a child by her older brother.
Not all the messages have such serious content, though. In my own re-posting,
I like to mix up the serious stuff with more humorous posts, the kind that
make you laugh out loud in front of your monitor.
Fulfilling a Dream
For me, The Best of WWIV has been a dream come true. As a former WWIV
sysop currently without a BBS, I created The Best of WWIV as a sort of
"mini-BBS," a place where I can offer users something unique without investing
the time a full-fledged BBS would require.
Much of the credit for making that dream a reality must go to Sleepy, the
sysop of The Slowsleep BBS, which hosts The Best of WWIV. Sleepy is tops in
my book. She is, hands down, the most caring, compassionate sysop I've ever
come across. She knew I was dying to do something like this, and made her BBS
available as a host-site. She's helped out in other ways, too, setting up and
maintaining the network connections and performing sub-maintenance chores that
I can't handle remotely.
Ethical Issues
As it turns out, creating The Best of WWIV was not as straightforward as
I originally expected. One of the toughest issues that came up along the way
involved intellectual property rights.
I wanted this to be very legal and aboveboard. As a professional editor,
I know that copyright law can be very strict about re-using other people's
work. Even though re-posting of messages is common practice on computer
networks, I wanted to be very careful about it in a sub dedicated solely to
the practice.
As I gathered legal advice from online experts, a complex picture
emerged. Technically, a post is the property of its original author. The act
of publicly posting a message MIGHT constitute an "implied permission" for
someone to spread that message far and wide, but that theory apparently has
not been tested in court.
Most of the time, I knew, a person posting a message would be pleased at
the thought of it being re-posted on The Best of WWIV. Because the sub is
networked, though, I worried that there would be times when a person who had
posted in a local, non-networked discussion would object to having the message
broadcast network-wide. People might say one thing on a local sub, and
something completely different on a networked sub. And what about a
women-only sub, or an adults-only sub? It just didn't seem fair to yank a
message out of a context like that and broadcast it on The Best of WWIV
without getting the author's prior permission.
In practice, I've adopted a flexible approach. For myself, I almost
always try to secure the author's permission before re-posting. If I can't
reach the author, I sometimes go ahead and re-post the message anyway, if I'm
convinced that the author wouldn't have minded. In practice, I've had a good
success rate in gaining permission to re-post. Only one person has refused
permission; for the most part, people are thrilled.
I encourage others who re-post messages on The Best of WWIV to give
careful consideration to the permissions issue, but the sub has no explicit
rules on the subject. Because this is a gray area, both legally and
ethically, I want users to have the freedom to explore different approaches.
If someone re-posts a message that deals with personal or sensitive subject
matter, I may withhold network validation while I confirm that the original
author has granted permission, but otherwise I leave the permissions thing up
to the person doing the re-posting.
Future Directions
When new messages get added to a BBS discussion and old messages get
purged, those old messages are gone forever; there's no way to get them back.
Most of the time that's no great loss, but there are some messages, including
those that get re-posted on The Best of WWIV, that I think deserve something
better. Because of that belief, I maintain a separate archive of the messages
that are re-posted on The Best of WWIV.
My current plan is to distribute the archived messages from The Best of
WWIV in a series of files named BOF1.ZIP, BOF2.ZIP, etc., with each file
containing 100 messages. The first file is ready now, and by the time you
read this it will be available on Amber (310/798-9993) and the Slowsleep
(310/790-8560). It's my hope it will end up being distributed widely on other
bulletin boards.
I would like for The Best of WWIV to continue to grow in popularity,
eventually reaching a point where most of the re-posted messages will be
supplied by subscribing sysops and users, rather than myself. In the
meantime, I continue my quest for high-quality posting, searching throughout
cyberspace for worthy messages. (Despite its name, the sub is not limited to
messages that appeared originally on WWIV-based systems, but also includes
material from such places as Usenet and Fidonet. My basic take on this is,
"Well, once it's on The Best of WWIV, then it IS part of WWIV, right?")
Seeking out great messages is a lot of fun. It really brings a sense of
purpose to my modeming sessions. I'm not just poking around online; I'm a
hunter tracking down big game, bringing it back to The Best of WWIV so it can
get the recognition it deserves. If this sort of thing sounds interesting to
you, I strongly encourage you to subscribe to the sub and join in the fun!
The Best of WWIV (subtype BESTOF)
The Best of WWIV--Discussion (subtype BESTED)
Both subs are auto-requestable.
Host: The Slowsleep BBS
(310) 790-8560
WWIVnet @3085
WWIVlink @13064
IceNET @3085
InfiNet @3
I can be contacted at the following accounts:
Russell Morris
WWIVnet: #208 @3085
WWIVlink: #208 @13064
IceNET: #208 @3085
InfiNet: #208 @3
Internet: rmorris@wndrsvr.la.ca.us
[Selected posts from The Best of WWIV]
===========================================================================
BBS: AMBER
Date: 08-04-93 (19:22) Number: 97
From: BATGIRL #54 @6214 Refer#: 97
To: PUBLIC POST Recvd: NO
Subj: Ah... the memories! Conf: (6) SF & F
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 years ago I was an avid sci fi reader, I loved it all. Alas for some reason
only the Gods might know I managed to acquire a brain tumor that biffed the
optic nerves (drats!) This has put a crook in the reading of my stories!
Braille can rather suck in the respect that Scifi doesn't end up in braille
and recordings for the blind seem to just ignore it. I suppose this may seem
quite a stupid question, but I get many law texts on disk, has anyone ever
heard of scifi on disk?? I have a speech system and Chronos reads rather
well.. I can feel that pulling away from reality into other realms and worlds
in your words.. How I miss it.
Blind woman feel it better!
Batgirl
===========================================================================
50/50: Ancestor's Remains
Name: Grayfox #107 @8440
Date: Mon Oct 18 21:57:54 1993
From: WWIVlink - Unknown System
Reminds me of a story; a friend of mine had spent many years in Alaska, in
the field,studying the foxes. One day, a group of the people went to
Anchorage, and took one of the Grandfathers, who had never been to a city
with them. When he got there, they asked him what he wanted to see, he
replied " Take me to a cemetery, I want to desecrate some white people's
graves" Has to do with empathy, if I feel as kin to ALL peoples; I will
respect,and even cherish their traditions and customs, if I feel no kin-
ship, I will not respect them,or their customs. Thing is, if I have no
kin, I am as a tree without roots, or leaves, or branches; with kin,all
being is one with me.
Grayfox
===========================================================================
100/100: I am pessimistic today
Name: >ANONYMOUS<
Date: >ANONYMOUS<
maybe it is hormones or something, but today am feeling pessimistic. I don't
spend a lot of time worrying out loud or overtly concerning myself with the
future. I figure, take care of the present and the future will take care of
itself. However, I have been worrying about my children, grandchildren, great
grandchildren. . .
I can't see what will happen. The only thing on this earth that I can think
of that I am actually afraid of is our own government. We have never cheated
on our taxes, ever, but I have seen people, honest people, get into dire
straits and not be able to pull themselves out. Suddenly the IRS is down
their throats like pit bulls and they can ruin honest hard working people who
are being persecuted for hitting hard times.
When I was younger I thought those laws were to collar tax evaders and tax
cheaters, but since then I have seen them go after decent folk who through no
fault of their own hit hard times.
It scares the hell out of me.
===========================================================================
Russell Morris (208 @3085) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
W W I V S P E C I F I C
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ How To Install Multiple Instances On One ³
³ One Computer Using MicroSoft Windows v3.1 ³ Piero (1@2351)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Introduction
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
I originally created this text file due to the fact that in the original
WWIV Documentation for Version 4.23 (released December 3rd, 1993 @ 6pm), it
had nowhere in it any way to install WWIV with Windows.
This text file is only for the purpose of telling you how to run WWIV
with Windows on only one (1) computer and optionally two (2) modems. If you
wish to have a Local SysOp Terminal and an On-Line Instance, it is only
necessary to have and configure one modem.
Disclaimer
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
It is assumed you have already read the WWIV v4.23 documentation and have
installed WWIV v4.23, customized and familiarized yourself with the software so
I may not need to go into detail about where to place the paths and such as of
you're already aware of how to do these things; furthermore: SysOp's new to
WWIV should not attempt this because something may go wrong.
I, the author of this text file am not responsible for anything your
Personal Computer (PC) does that it was not supposed to do based on this
documentation, however; you may contact me at any of the following routes if
you do have trouble:
E-Mail: 1@2351 IceNET or TerraNET
E-Mail "Piero" on: Amber [310-798-9993], King Lerxt's Computer Castle
[818-240-9915], The Golden Chariot, The Outter Rim BBS or The Pod Bay Door
BBS.
Or U.S. Send mail to:
Dairenn Lombard
c/o The InfoLink Cosmos
P.O. Box 621133
Los Angeles, Calif 90062-1876
Initialization/Configuration SetUp
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
To set up The Second Instance you must first do the following steps:
1. Create a Directory called TEMP2 like this:
C:\WWIV>MD TEMP2 [Enter]
C:\WWIV>
2. Now Create the following 2 (or more, depending on how many Instances you
registered for) .BAT files and place them in your main WWIV directory, for
this example (such as above) we will use the standard directory: WWIV, you
may have configured your BBS differently.
I1.BAT:
@echo off
cls
echo Running Instance 1.
SET WWIV_INSTANCE=1
SET INSTANCE=1
bbs.com /1
I2.BAT:
@echo off
cls
echo Running Instance 2.
SET WWIV_INSTANCE=2
SET INSTANCE=2
bbs.com -m /2
3. Run INIT, but not in the usual manner. Instead type the following:
C:\WWIV>INIT ,2
You will see:
WWIV v4.23 Initialization/Configuration program.
Copyright (c) 1988-1993 by Wayne Bell
SY:
The 2 obviously means which instance you're going to configure. The reason
why we didn't start out with instance 1 (or node 1) because it has already
been configured. So, if you want Instance two to be a local terminal and not
use a modem. To do that, type in your System Password like you always do (you
will see:
WWIV v4.23 Initialization/Configuration program.
Copyright (c) 1988-1993 by Wayne Bell
1. System info (name, passwords, newuser info, etc)
2. More system info (net, status, etc)
3. Paths (messages, gfiles, data, etc)
4. Com port info (port, IRQ, base address, etc)
5. Select modem type (now H2400)
6. External programs (zip, terminal, etc)
7. External protocols
8. External editors (full screen)
9. SecLev data change
0. Auto-Validation data change
A. Auto-detect modem type (if possible)
N. Update network info
U. Change max # subs/dirs
L. Update language support
R. Enter registration information
Q. Quit
Instance 2: Which (1-0,Q) ?
And select option number four (4). This will ask you which com port to
use. When you change any information in instance 2 INIT, it will not alter
any information you placed in INIT with out the ,2 or ,1; it will just simply
change the data for instance 2. So to make Instance 2 a local terminal and to
not use the modem, just type 0 in the com port field. That will disable modem
usage for WWIV. If you have another modem connected to a free com port
(meaning your mouse or something is not connected to the same com port), type
in the number for that com port (for the other modem) and then select option
number 5 (Select Modem Type), this is so you can compile the correct modem
info for the modem you have connected to the other com port selected in Option
#4.
This is all you'll need to do in INIT.EXE as far as the second instance goes.
Windows SetUp
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Introduction:
In order to run two instances at once, it is required to have a multi-
tasker; obviously. And that includes having to configure a .PIF or Program
Information File.
Program Information Editing:
First; load up Windows and move the mouse over to PIF Editor and
double-click or press [Enter].
In the Program FileName: field type: C:\WWIV\I1.BAT. In the Window Title
Field, do not place anything there. In the Optional Parameters: field, do not
place anything there either. Reduce KB Required down to -1 and the same for
KB Desired. Execution should be Background and Display Usage should be
Windowed.
Move the Mouse over to File and click. Select Save As and type in the
filename area:
C:\WWIV\WWIV1.PIF
Go back to the Program FileName field and type C:\WWIV\I2.BAT. Then move
the mouse back up the File box and click Save As and type in the FileName
area:
C:\WWIV\WWIV2.PIF
Note: For convenience, I have supplied two sample .PIF files for your
personal examination.
Exit From PIF Edit.
Installing the BBS in Windows:
Create the Group with the Title of your BBS name. Here's how to do that:
1. From the File menu, choose New. The New Program Object dialog box appears.
2. Select the Program Group option and then choose OK. The Program Group
Properties dialog box appears.
3. In the Description box, type in your BBS Name. This description will
appear in the title bar of the group window and below the group icon.
Choose OK.
4. Type in the Group File Box: C:\WWIV\BBS.GRP
Installing each instance in the BBS Group:
1. Open the group that you want to add an instance to.
2. From the Program Manager File menu, choose New. The New Program Object
dialog box appears. Select the Program Item Option and then choose OK.
The Program Item PRoperties Dialog box appears.
3. In the Description Box, type in Instance 1.
4. In the Command Line box, type in C:\WWIV\WWIV1.PIF
5. In the Working Directory box, type in C:\WWIV or whatever directory your
BBS is in.
6. No need for shortcut key.
7. Move the mouse over to the Box with the words 'Run Minimized' and click.
8. Choose your Icon.
9. Press OK.
To add another instance follow these steps:
2. From the Program Manager File menu, choose New. The New Program Object
dialog box appears. Select the Program Item Option and then choose OK.
The Program Item Properties Dialog box appears.
3. In the Description Box, type in Instance 2.
4. In the Command Line box, type in C:\WWIV\WWIV2.PIF
5. In the Working Directory box, type in C:\WWIV or whatever directory your
BBS is in.
6. No need for shortcut key.
7. Move the mouse over to the Box with the words 'Run Minimized' and click.
8. Choose your Icon.
9. Press OK.
Running WWIV multi-tasked
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Select Instance 1 within the BBS Group and press [Enter]. Then move the
mouse to the little Instance 1 Icon that is outside the Program Manager Box,
click and press return. The move the Mouse Back to the BBS Group and click
Instance 2 and press return. Move the mouse outside the Program Manger box to
the Instance 2 Icon and click it and then press Enter. You now have
successfully ran two instances. To move between the two instances, move the
mouse inside the window of each instance and click the mouse. If you need
more help, contact me at the above routes given in the Disclaimer section.
Piero (1@2351) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ New WWIV Sysops Helpline ³ Jack Ryan (1@4707)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
In this column I'm going to go over the file transfer area. From the
e-mail that I have received so far, this appears to be a confusing area for
many new sysops as well as a few that have been around the block a couple of
times. I didn't even have a transfer section for the first eight months that
I ran my board. There were a few reasons for that: First, I didn't have any
space on my hard drive, and second, I didn't know how to set up any other
protocols for WWIV.
Things have changed since then. Now I have about 800 meg dedicated to my
file section, with the majority of it on CD-ROM. Most of my knowledge on
setting up protocols for WWIV has been "stolen" from Jim (1@1), and I will
attempt to pass it on to you in this column.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//DIREDIT
WWIV has been deigned to allow the sysop to setup his/her transfer area
into separate, logical directories. The procedure for doing this is outlined
below.
A.) Name: Each directory requires a unique name that designates which files
are available for downloading (or what type should be uploaded) for that
particular directory. I have included samples of some of the names that I
use.
WWIV Network Files, On-Line Games, DOS Utilities, etc.
B.) Filename: This should be a distinct, different name for each directory
within the file transfer area. It should be eight characters (or less) in
length.
C.) Path: This is where you tell the BBS how to get to that particular
transfer area. Be sure not to put a \ on the end, WWIV will do this for you
automatically, and you will receive an error message if you do put a \ on. My
path for the 'On-Line Games' looks like this: D:\DLOADS\ONGAME.
D.) DSL: The Down-Load Security Level (DSL) restricts access to those file
areas to callers who meet the DSL requirement. Users that do not have the
appropriate DSL will not even be aware of that particular file area.
E.) Min age: This feature allows you to set a minimum age that has access to
that particular file section. Useful for limiting access to 'adult' areas.
F.) Max files: This specifies the maximum number of files in the directory.
It may be anything up to 499. Once the maximum number is reached, no more
uploads will be allowed to the directory.
G.) DAR: Similar to the AR (in //BOARDEDIT), this allows you to restrict
access only to certain callers.
H.) Require PD: This is used when a caller wants to upload a file. Setting
this to 'yes' will cause the BBS to ask the user if the file is public domain.
If the user says no to the question, the BBS software will abort the upload
and will assign "Ass. Pts."
I.) Dir type: Not currently used by WWIV.
J.) Uploads: You can either allow, or disallow uploads to a directory by using
this option. In addition, if you select 'all uploads to sysop' in INIT, that
will override this option.
K.) Arch. Only: This option enables you to ensure that all uploads for that
directory will be in the form of your first selection in INIT for archivers.
I set this to 'no' and have found that to work best (for me).
L.) Drive Type: This option can be set to either Hard Drive or CD-ROM. WWIV
will optimize the system for CDs if you have selected that option, otherwise
there is no difference.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CD-ROMS and WWIV
CD-ROMS are starting to become very common-place in the personal computer
arena now. Setting up the CD-ROM to work with WWIV is not a very difficult
task to accomplish. Since there is no way I can possibly cover all the
various hard- ware configurations that sysops may have, I'll just tell you how
I set mine up. I certainly do not have a "power system" so if it can be done
on mine, you should be able to get it to run on yours. My system is one I
have put together, and consists of a 286/12mhz (yes, you read that correctly),
1mb of RAM, a Boca 14.4 modem, 130mb hard drive, 120mb tape drive, and worse
of all, a monochrome monitor. The pride of my system would therefore have to
me my CD-ROM, which I've had for about a year.
Your first step will be to go into your file transfer area and run
//DIREDIT. At this point you will create your different transfer areas just
like you would if the files were on your hard disk. When you get down to the
"Path:" all you do is select the drive that your CD-ROM is set to. (Mine
happens to be E:) the rest of the information remains the same. Below is a
copy of how I set up my //DIREDIT for the 'GAMES' section of my CD.
A. Name :Games
B. Filename :Games
C. Path :E:\MISC\GAMES
D. DSL :10
E. Min Age :0
F. Max Files :200 (depends on number of files in dir)
G. DAR :None
H. Require PD :No
I. Dir Type :0
J. Uploads :Not Allowed (no-one else can upload, it's a CD)
K. Arch. Only :No
L. Drive Type :CD-ROM
Almost all CDs that you purchase come equipped with a 'FILES.BBS' file
which contains the descriptions of the files within the individual
subdirectories on the CD-ROM. Within WWIV, go to the directory that you
created for your files and type "//UPLOADFILE." This will prompt you in the
following way:
1. PCB, RBBS - <filename> <size> <date> <description>
2. QBBS format - <filename> <description>
If you are using a CD with the 'FILES.BBS' on it (as most do) then you
would select option number one at this time, and the bbs will read in the file
descriptions for you. One quick note here, turn the 'pause' off in your
'Defaults' section while doing this, otherwise it will take for ever, and you
will have to stay at the machine it prompts you. Repeat the above steps for
each directory that you have to set up, and you're ready to go.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protocol Setup
While WWIV has several built-in protocols, you will find that there are
others out there that have some desirable advantages, and will therefore want
to run external protocols. Some of the more popular external protocols are
Z-modem, Super Z-Modem and HS-Link. The following will assist you in setting
up your external protocols.
Adding additional protocols is very easily done. Go into INIT and select
the option that says External Protocols. Choose (I)nsert, and add your new
protocol in.
Description : Z-Modem
Receive command line : dsz port %2 speed %1 estimate 0 %4 rz %3
Send command line : dsz port %2 speed %1 estimate 0 %4 sz -z %3
Receive batch command line : dsz port %2 speed %1 estimate 0 %4 restrict rz
Send batch command line : dsz port %2 speed %1 estimate 0 %4 sz @%3
Xfer OK code : 0
Description : Super Z-Modem
Receive command line : szmodem port %2 speed %1 rz %3
Send command line : szmodem port %2 speed %1 sz %3
Xfer OK code : 0
Description : HS/Link
Xfer OK code : 0
Require MNP/LAPM : N
Receive batch command line : HSLINK -P%2 -E%4 -U%3
Send batch command line : HSLINK -P%2 -E%4 -NU @%3
Bi-directional transfer command line : HSLINK -P%2 -E%4 -@ @%3
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
That concludes this month's help-line. I hope that the file transfer
area, including CDs and protocols are a little clearer to you now. As always
I encourage your feedback so I'll know what to write on in the future. You
may contact me through IceNEWS or through my e-mail address (1@4707).
Jack Ryan (1@4707) IceNEWS Contributing WWIV-Specific Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
S O F T W A R E / P R O G R A M M I N G
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Borland C++ 4.0 Review ³ Will (1@6754)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Borland has recently introduced the latest incarnation of it's line of C
and C++ compiler/development tools - Borland C++ 4.0, an integrated, visual,
Windows-based development environment for DOS, Windows, and Win32S
programming. The package includes a Windows IDE, a command line compiler, DOS
and Windows based debuggers, the Windows based "Resource Workshop" bitmap and
resource editor, a series of Windows help files, and other tools.
Turbo Assembler and the DOS based Integrated Development Environment are
absent from this release - all development is done either in Windows or from
DOS (with the command line compiler). A full installation takes up eighty
megabytes of hard disk space, which can be pared down to 30 with a minimum
install. Selective install allows you to deselect portions of the program
such as Win32s support, DOS support (or portions), ObjectWindows (OWL), or
help files. If you purchase the CD-ROM edition, you can install a set of
control files on the hard disk (around two megabytes), and run the program
from the CD-ROM. While it does work, running from a slow CD-ROM is just about
intolerable. With the newer double, triple, and quad-speed drives, the wait
should diminish considerably. The CD-ROM edition also contains runtime
library source code, and several additional utilities, including the Creative
VoiceAssist development kit, editors, and much more. You also get the full
documentation in electronic Adobe Acrobat(TM) form, with the reader included.
Using BC++ 4.0 to create Windows 3.x/NT applications is a snap. To
start out, click on the AppExpert device (similar to "Wizards" in Microsoft
products). A series of dialog boxes pop up and query you about the
application, which seems geared to be a text editor. I, who have never
programmed Windows in my life, was able to put together an advanced multi-
file editor without writing a line of code. And it works so well that I'm
using it to generate this review (the editor, that is). For more customized
and advanced programming, you need to write code yourself. Borland's
ObjectWindows libraries (OWL) make this considerably easier than tradition al
Windows coding. Programmers and Reference guides are included along with a 12
step tutorial to teach you the basics of the product, bringing you through the
development of a paint program with a Multiple Document Interface. I did
notice some problems with the tutorial, namely steps 5 and beyond giving me
General Protection Faults on my main machine.
DOS programming with BC 4.0 is also easy, and benefits from the
graphical environment. You need to use the TargetExpert device to change the
compiler mode to DOS (overlaid or non-overlaid), but otherwise nothing works
differently. I was able to compile my copy of the WWIV source code by simply
loading an older project file and clicking once. The end product wasn't as
optimized as my tweaked Turbo C++ 3.0 BBS.EXE, but it did work, and ran
faster, despite the additional size. BC4 will even generate a MAKEFILE for
you.
Despite the few problems (GPF's in the tutorial, slow access from the
CD-ROM, long wait for loading, even on a dx2-66 machine with 16mb RAM),
Borland C++ 4.0 is an excellent value at $199, the price for the Special
Upgrade for Turbo, Borland, Microsoft, and Symantec C++ owners. People who
already own earlier versions of Borland C/C++ can get an additional $50 rebate
for a limited time. The CD-ROM version adds additional value to the package
and speeds installation greatly, in addition to freeing you from constant disk
tending. I've become quite enamored with the product myself. Now, if only
Wayne Bell would use this to port WWIV to a Windows platform. With the
EasyWin feature, it shouldn't be too hard...
Will (1@6754) IceNEWS Contributing Hardware Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Learning C (First of a four part series) ³ Daarkhan (1@7676)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Chapter One: The History of C
EARLY BEGINNINGS
The language of C was invented by Dennis Ritchie in the 1970s. It was
influenced by an earlier language named B, developed by Ken Thompson in 1970,
which was itself the successor to a language called BCPL, written my Martin
Richards (Holzner 2).
Because of the restrictions in B, Ritchie and Thompson created the C
language. It did not gain popularity, however, until the publishing of their
famous book - The C Programming Language (Prentice Hall, 1978). This book
would describe the standard for programming in C for the next few years
(Schildt, Complete Reference 5).
As the PC revolution began with the release of the IBM PC in 1981, the
growing number of microcomputers increased the number of diverse C implemen-
tations (Holzner 2). In 1983, a committee was organized to create an ANSI
standard for C. This standard was finally adopted in 1990 (Schildt, Complete
Reference 5).
A MIDDLE-LEVEL LANGUAGE
C is called a "middle level language." This implies that is has the
functionality and ease of use as high-level languages, such as Pascal and
Modula-2, but also the power of low-level languages, such as Assembly
(Schildt, Complete Reference 6).
Highest level Ada
Modula-2
Pascal
COBOL
FORTRAN
BASIC
Middle level C
Macro-assembly
Lowest level Assembly
Being a middle-level language, C allows for the direct manipulation of
bits, bytes and addresses - the very basic elements of computer processes.
Another important feature of C is that it has only 32 keywords (11 more added
by Turbo C). This greatly reduces the amount of code that has to be compiled
within the file (Schildt, Complete Reference 6). C produces tighter and
faster object code than most other languages.
ANSI C's 32 keywords
auto break case char
const continue default do
double else enum extern
float for goto if
int long register return
short signed sizeof static
struct switch typedef union
unsigned void volatile while
Turbo C extended keywords
asm _ss interrupt _cs
cdecl near _ds far
pascal _es huge
C HAS WIDE APPLICATIONS
C is also a very portable language. "Portability" means that you can
take C code written for one machine (an IBM, for example) and compile that
code on another machine (such as an Apple) with little or no modification
(Schildt, Complete Reference 6).
C gives more power to the programmer than do most other languages. For
example, character and integer data types may be freely intermixed, and
run-time error checking (such as array-boundary or argument-type checking) is
not performed. These checks are the responsibility of the programmer
(Schildt, Complete Reference 7). C is a programmer's language. "It is not
the contrived product of a committee, but rather the outcome of programmers
looking for a better language" (Schildt, Teach Yourself xv).
With the added power at the disposal of the programmer, however, comes
added responsibilities. It is quite easy to crash your computer with only the
simplest of errors in your code. "You have the power to do things in C that
other languages would never allow you to do" (Holzner 3). This however, as
you will find, is a greater benefit than it is a curse.
"Initially, C was used primarily for creating systems software. Systems
software consists of those programs that help run the computer. This includes
such programs as operating systems, compilers, and editors" (Schildt, Teach
Yourself xvi). Because of the increasing popularity of C, today the language
is used by all sorts of programmers for almost any purpose. It is a powerful,
yet multifaceted language. Until C, the only way to get complete control over
the inner workings of your machine, and hence to create systems software, was
to program with Assembly.
Assembly, however is a very difficult language to write long or user
friendly programs with. "In fact, it may take you dozens of pages of frus-
tration to get where you want to go" (Holzner 3). The C instructions are
designed very closely to their assembly language equivalents, however many
more advanced functions have been added to give C much more power. C is the
"perfect combination control and power" (Holzner 3).
NEXT ISSUE
That concludes an overview of the history and development of the C
programming language. Next month we will continue this four part series by
examining the fundamentals of C. We will discuss the components of a C
program, create and compile our first program, look at variables and the five
basic data types.
WORKS CITED
Holzner, Steven. C Programming: The Accessible Guide to
Professional Programming. New York: Brady, 1991.
Schildt, Herbert. Teach Yourself C. Berkeley: Osborne
McGraw-Hill, 1990.
---. Turbo C/C++: The Complete Reference. Berkeley: Osborne
McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Daarkhan (1@7676) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
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L I T E B Y T E S
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Trials of a CyberCop ³ Pale Rider (1@23)
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Real BBS names are left out for legal reasons.
What is a CyberCop? The cop of the lines, the BBS police, the SPA
(Software Publishers Association) and those affiliated with them. There was a
time, years ago, where piracy ran rampant, uncontrollable, infesting the very
fiber of what is known as the "CyberSpace." That's where I come in. My name
is Pale Rider... I'm a CyberCop.
The wind howled, rain beat off the window like small pebbles bouncing in
a tin pan. The "clickety-click" of my fingers tapping into the Focus 5000
could be heard throughout the house like an eager secretary on Friday
afternoon. The phone rang. I answered in a small voice, trying too hard to
sound like a 15 year old. It was Him, the call I was expecting.
"Uhhhh, is Pale Rider there," the person on the other side asked.
"Uhhh, yeah that's me. Who's this," I asked with a childlike voice.
"Uhhh, I validated you, and gave you 'Elite' access."
"Uhhh, cool! I got megs of files I can upload," I exclaimed, with a
dog-like pant.
"Uhhh, you're not a cop or anything are you?"
"Uhhh, no, I'm not old enough," I half-yelled, knowing full well that I
could be a cop tomorrow if I wanted to.
"Uhhh, ok, well, see ya later!" .
"Latah!" I said as I slammed the phone down into its cradle.
My blue light reflected off my monitor like a small pearl in a sea of
black. I fired-up my trusty term program and keyed in the number that I
wanted to dial. "EtErNaL dArKnEsS." The name said it all. "Beep! Beep!
Beep!" signaled the computer, telling me that I was now online.
"Enter Name: Pale Rider"
"Enter Password: XXXXXX"
"Enter System Password: XXXXXXXXX"
"Enter Second System Password: XXXXXXXXXXXXX"
"Enter Password that means you can't get on if you don't know it:
XXXXX"
The poor boy. Little does he know that you can't protect yourself when
you have a crime in your hands and a cop on your back. I sit back, waiting
five minutes while the multitude of c00l ANSI screens wizz by. A sip of black
coffee, a Pall Mall, and a blood clot later I get to the main prompt. "F"
sends me to the files section, I quickly look around my room, for some reason
I'm paranoid that I'm being watched. I'll take advantage of it. I hit "C" so
that i can chat with the unsuspecting sysop.
"Yeah?" I see slowly typed across the screen. I position one hand behind
my back so that I can type slightly slower than the sysop. I don't want
"Typing Envy" to get in the way of my bust.
"I got a new game called 'Syndicate,' it's put out by 'Electronic Arts'
but I don't have a crack for it. Do you want it?" I already know the answer,
but you can't catch a fish without the hook.
"Sure, go ahead and upload it, I'll hex it later and fix the CP!" he
types shortly before breaking out of chat.
I nail keys before it's to late, GOT IT! Now on disk, I have the SysOp's
agreement to accept a copyrighted game. I shell out and go into my Syndicate
directory, I zip up Syndicate and look at the file size then write it down. I
then go into my DOS directory and "ARC" everything in there. The file size is
close enough, I rename DOS.ARC to SYNDICA.ZIP. The chances of him having a
dinosaur like ARC around is about the same chance as Clinton being faithful to
his wife.
I exit the shell and tap "U," then enter the description. After a Roast
Beef on Whole Wheat and a Pall Mall, the computer yells, "Beep! Beep!" to
tell me that the file was uploaded. I'm playing everything right, the SysOp
doesn't have a clue, and now it's time to get the rest of my evidence and then
jack out.
I hit the "F" key to get a list of all files on-line. About 300 megs
worth of copyrighted material is found. If everything works out, he's going
to have a hefty fine to pay. With that done, I download about a meg worth of
what is obviously copyrighted software. Then, I'm history. I logoff and drop
to DOS to assemble my report:
User name I logged on with: Pale Rider
Passwords used respectively: ... ... ...
Files downloaded: XXXXXXX, verified copyrighted and working.
XXXXX, verified copyrighted and working.
I put everything together into one text file and type "print BUSTED.TXT."
Almost done, I call up the SPA:
"Software Publishers," the soft female voice says.
"This is SPECTRUM. I've got some goodies." I say in a cool voice, trying
to get the sweet sounding voice to respond.
"Great! Just fax them in!" She replies, not a hint of interest in my
persona anywhere in there. Oh well.
I slam the phone down and load up the fax program. Here we go! 25 pages
of information and evidence is sent over to the SPA. Soon, Eternal Darkness
will be shut down forever. The damage I did to the piracy front is only a
pebble nicked out of a boulder, but I know that I did something. I sit back
in my old office chair and kick my feet up on the table, puffing on my smoke
and grinning. Appreciating myself because I know, that for at least one time
in my life, I did something right.
* * * *
What I am doing cannot be considered entrapment. It's easy really, I'm a
non company, non legal affiliated person. By being a normal person, I can get
evidence against someone any way I want to. When I am asked if I am a cop or
if I am affiliated with any software company, I simply say no. It's the
truth. I am not getting paid for this. I am on no one's payroll.
What pirates don't know is that there are a lot of people like me all
over the place. In every village, in every metropolis, there are people that
are tired of seeing good software companies go down the tubes because they
can't afford to pay their programmers. I'm sure you think they are making a
lot of money, but here is a little tidbit of information for you: The amount
of profits lost due to pirating in 1992 was equal to or more than the annual
profits from 85 of the top 100 software companies based in the United States.
Some people have asked me about my morals. They think it is morally
wrong to do what I'm doing. However, if someone was to break into your house
and steal your computer, you would be a little upset, no? "It's not the same
thing," you cry, but it is. Theft, stealing a car, a bike, a computer, or
software is still theft. And being theft, it is punishable by law. The
penalties for piracy have steadily risen in the past 4 years. In 1989, the
fines were $10,000 per count of copyright infringement. In 1993 the fines
were up to $100,000 per infringement, and up to 5 years in the federal pen.
I am Founder and President of the BAPA, BBS Anti-Piracy Association.
Endorsed by the SPA, Borland Software Inc., Cougar Mountain Software, Autodesk
Inc., Travelling Software, WordPerfect, and many more software companies in
and outside of the United States. We're looking for a few good SysOps and
users. If you would like to help us in our fight against Piracy and Hacking,
please contact me via IceNET, Pale Rider, 1@23, for more information.
Everything you do, or anything you send to us is kept strictly confidential
and will only be known to certain members of the council.
Pale Rider (1@23) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Silly Strings ³
³ From IceNET Sysops Everywhere ³ Ima Moron (1@9661)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Daddy what does FORMAT C: do?
Tagline from - Grey Wanderer #1 @3358 Shadow Canyon BBS
(A)bort, (R)etry, (F)ail, (G)rab_Hammer
Tagline from - Will #1 @6754 Data Express BBS
This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds...1...2..3..4...
Tagline from - E.S. Weiss #1 @7850 - JTSCom BBS
...A penny saved is a Congressional oversight.
Tagline from - Will #1 @6754 Data Express BBS
Those of you that think you know everything, are annoying those
of us that do!
Tagline from - Gypsy Bandit 1@9728 WWIVNet
I've never seen a tagline I wouldn't swipe....
Tagline from - Ima Moron 1@9661 Das' Tube BBS!
This tagline space is for lease....
Tagline from - 1@9600 Raddnet Hanger 18
We would all love to see your humorous taglines, miniesm
editings, or hard code changes. If you have anything humorous
to contribute please E-mail those to 1@9661 Ima Moron, editor
of Silly Strings.
Ima Moron (1@9661) IceNEWS Light Bytes Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
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³ The Adventures of ModemMan! ³ Jots (1@7850) & Deacon Blues (2@7653)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Editor's note : "The Adventures Of ModemMan" is a multi-part adventure
that will be continued in a serialized format.
"In the not-so-distant future, a Top-Secret government experiment goes
awry. A computer-geek with the intelligence of a doorknob is accidentally
transformed mentally and physically by a combination of science, medicine,
technology, and dumb luck. The result: the world's first LIVING COMPUTER...
ModemMan! Disguised as Joe Modem, a mild-mannered sysop of a small electronic
bulletin board service in a large metropolitan city, ModemMan fights a
neverending battle with the sinister forces of evil to protect the world,
bringing truth, justice, and a higher transfer rate to all..."
The Adventures of
M o d e m M a n !
"Insufficient Memory"
Chapter One: "Press ESC To Exit"
Joe Modem was sitting at his computer one day, dreaming about WWIV v5.24
and waiting for a call. The phone rang. Joe snapped out of his daydream and
watched the terminal. "Darn," he exclaimed, "just another 'hanger-upper.'"
Yes, it was one of those calls that all sysops despise, someone calling random
numbers and hanging up. Of course, the system froze. Undaunted, Joe gathered
all of his might and pushed the reset button. Simultaneously, the BBS phone
rang. Nervously, Joe did a 'bare boot' and quickly loaded the BBS software.
Whew, he thought as the caller connected, I didn't think I would make it on
time. Joe sat back and relaxed as the caller logged on.
Welcome to The Brooklyn Blues BBS!
Name,number,or new: NN: NEW
Welcome again to the Brooklyn Blues BBS! Bla blah bla blah bla blah...
ANSI? :N
bla bla bla bla...
It turned out this guy's name was Egg's Head and he claimed to be the
owner of a local software superstore. The newbie then requested to chat with
Joe. Being a nice guy and a friendly sysop - and thinking that if this guy
really did own a software store that it would be in his best interests to
suck-up to the guy - Joe pressed F10 to chat:
"Hi! Wassup," typed Joe from his keyboard.
"Hello," replied the caller. "Yer Joe Modem, right?"
"Yep... That's me... What can I do for ya?"
"Well... You saw my validation feedback, right? Right. I'm the owner of
Egg's Head Software."
Joe was non-plussed. He'd seen software stores come and go before.
"Yeah? So?"
"Well," continued the caller, "I'd like to invite you tonight to...
uhh... take a free shopping spree in my store."
Joe was taken aback. He'd never been the recipient of such an invitation
before. Most software store owners rarely gave away free advice, let alone
free product. "Yeah? You mean it?"
"Yup..." replied the caller. "It's down on Pier 12 and 1/2. Just make
sure to say the password 'Turbo' to one of the salesmen and he'll dispo... I
mean show you around."
Joe was quite enthused by the prospect. He'd been waiting for a chance
to get his Windowless DDT upgrade and this seemed like the perfect
opportunity. "Thanx! I'll be there ASAYLO!!"
"ASAYLO?"
Joe smiled. "As soon as you log off..."
"Oh..." responded the caller, seemingly less-than-impressed by Joe's
ability to come up with a witty computer acronym. "Well, l8r c-ya." Egg's
Head logged off and Joe went back to his usual routine, which consisted of
sitting at his computer, waiting for calls...
8:15 that night, Pier 12 and 1/2...
Joe got into his car and drove to the address given. Pier 12 and 1/2
was, as one might expect, in the dockyard area of The Big Apple, the city that
Joe affectionately called home. As the passing breeze wafted through the open
windows in Joe's car, he could tell that it was low-tide. The sound of
seagulls and the occasional clanging of a buoy warning bell drifted through
the silence and a slight mist covered the area, lowering visibility and adding
to the overall level of eerieness.
Joe peered out of his window at the store as he pulled into the parking
area, failing to notice the restricted parking sign there. The "store"
appeared to be a converted small warehouse, not unlike the majority of other
buildings that populated the wharf. The major difference that set this
building apart from the others was the sign above the door designating it as
"Egg Head's Software Supermarket." The sign was no more than an ordinary
computer-made printout on standard computer paper, complete with tractor feet
holes intact, tacked onto a piece of plywood that appeared to have been rather
hastily placed above the door. Joe could see a light coming from the door.
As he ventured into the store, he noticed that the place was a mess - not
unlike his apartment. There were a couple of old racks hanging about with
various computer-related items stacked haphazardly on them. A glass case was
located near the rear of the store. Behind it stood a tall man, perhaps in
his late 20's and wearing a button-down plaid flannel shirt. The man
alternated between watching Joe as he moved through the store and apparently
inputting data into a computer located behind the counter. Joe also noticed
that there were no customers inside. Strange, thought Joe, any computer
store, even a ramshackle rinky-dink store like this, should be busy. Hmm...
Joe shook it off, remembering his real reason for coming to the store.
Even though the place looked pretty sparse, Joe had been chosen - by the owner
himself, no less - to be the recipient of free software. An offer that he, or
any other computer user, the thought, could not pass-up. He proudly walked
over to the salesman behind the glass display case. The tag on the person
claimed that he was named 'Blue Ray.'
"How can I help you, sir," asked Blue Ray.
Joe leaned up against the counter, looking shiftily from left to right,
squinting his eyes as he did so. Joe motioned the salesman to come closer.
The man leaned slightly over the counter and Joe whispered into the man's
ears:
"Turbo..."
The salesman replied, "Sorry bud, we're all out of v.terbo modems. We
only have v.fast left."
"No, not terbo," said Joe, rolling his eyes skyward. "TURBO!!"
"Oh," replied Blue Ray, smiling slyly and giving Joe a knowing nod. "Why
didn't you say so in the first place?" Blue Ray gestured to a door behind him.
"Come with me..."
Joe followed Blue Ray into the back room. A lone swing-lamp cast a pool
of light in the center of the room. Two men were standing there with an empty
chair. One was a short, stout man who was completely bald. The other was a
gargantuan of a man, standing at least 6' 6" and easily weighing 350 pounds.
Both men wore dark blue three-piece suits and were adorned with much gold
jewelry. Blue Ray locked the door behind him. Joe walked over to the short
bald one.
"Are you Egg's Head?"
"Yes, that's me," replied the man. "I assume you are Joe Modem, correct?"
"Uhh... Yeah, that's me. What am I doing back here anyway?"
"Well," explained Egg's, "there's been a slight change of plans." The
short man walked over to the side of the taller companion, gesturing to him.
"Let me introduce you to my boss, V.T. Killer. Y'see, he's always wanted to
meet you." V.T. nodded as the other man continued. "And now he finally has
the chance." Egg's grabbed the back of the chair and pointed the seat towards
Joe. "Have a seat Joe."
"Uhh... Okay..." Joe wasn't very comfortable by the idea, but he saw
that he'd probably have little choice in the matter.
The two started grilling Joe, asking him all sorts of questions while
Blue Ray took notes on Joe's answers.
"Where were you on the night of the 24th," demanded Egg's.
"Sitting at my computer."
"Where were you last night at 8:00 P.M.," commanded V.T.
"Sitting at my computer."
"Where do you buy your suits," asked Egg's as he looked at Joe's nappy
attire.
"Over the modem."
"Where were you during the famous ACCESS network scam," asked V.T. as he
roughly twisted the chair to directly face him.
The ACCESS network scam? Good lord, thought Joe, how do these characters
know about that? The ACCESS incident was classified Top-Secret by the
government and it certainly wasn't "famous" in any sense of the word. If they
know about ACCESS...
"Sitting at my computer," Joe lied.
This went on for some time. After Joe had answered the questions, Ray
entered the data into his sub-notebook and whispered something to V.T. They
had a quiet conversation and Ray showed him some data on the sub and then
pointed to Joe. After thinking for a moment, V.T. returned his attention to
Joe.
"OK, Joe, we've confirmed it. Using the information you've given us, we
have determined that you are the famous, secretive, brave, daring, amazing
superhero ModemMan!"
Bagged. "I don't know what you're talking about! Lies! Lies! Who is
this `ModemMan,' anyway?"
"See? You're denying it," persisted V.T., more satisfied than ever
before about his decision. "A sure sign that you're hiding the fact that Joe
Modem and ModemMan are the same!" V.T. turned to his accomplices. "OK boys,
dispose of him!"
Blue Ray called in two other previously unseen "salesmen" and they
dragged Joe into an adjoining room. "No, wait! You've got the wrong guy!"
Joe screamed at V.T. as the others forcibly dragged him away. "I keep on
telling you, I'm not ModemMan!! !!Help!!... HELP!!! HELP!!!!!!!..." Joe's
voice faded out as they forced him into the room.
The room in which Joe was forced into was rather small, about the size of
a bathroom. Joe tried the door, but there was no handle on his side - it was
shackled and padlocked on the outside. The room was too small for Joe to try
taking a running shoulder-smash to try and force it. There was a very small
window that, while having its glass broken, was unusable for Joe to escape
from due to its size - about one foot square - and a rather imposing set of
steel bars that blocked the opening. The only illumination in the room was
provided by the exterior security lights from the neighboring building. The
light shone through the bars onto the floor of the room, giving the apt
appearance of a prison isolation cell.
Well, thought Joe, they've got me. How can I get them to believe I'm not
ModemMan? As he was pondering the thought, a shadow blocked the light into
the room and he heard a whisper.
"Joe! Are you alright?"
"What? Who's there?"
"It's me, Pronto," came the voice of Joe's co-sysop and ModemMan's
helpful sidekick.
"Pronto! How did you know I was here?"
"They came to get me too. But I didn't fall for it, though. I went by
your place and checked-out the chat log for the board. That's how I figured
you were here and thought you might need some help. I guess you couldn't
convince them that you're not ModemMan, eh?"
"Yeah. Well, now what," Joe queried.
"I can get you out of there!"
"Yeah, How?"
"Look at the vent directly above you."
Joe looked up. "I can't see a thing! You're blocking the light, Pronto."
"Sorry, MM," replied Pronto as he shifted out of the way, allowing Joe to
see again. He quickly spotted the ceiling grate hanging loosely by only one
screw. "It leads to the store. All you have to do is get up there somehow
and climb through!"
Joe was stymied. There was nothing he could use as a step in the room
and the ceiling was too high to reach by merely jumping. "Somehow? Do you
have a way in mind?"
"Yeah," shot back Pronto, "I brought this handy, unbreakable grappling
hook."
"Great! Now how do I get it from you?"
"Easy, here..." Pronto slips it through the window bars.
"Kewl! Thanks." Joe grabbed the hook from Pronto. "Get back to my
apartment and wait for me to get there."
"You sure you don't need any more help here?"
"No, Pronto. I think I can handle it from here on out. See you later!"
"OK, ModemMan," replied Pronto. "Oh, here..." Pronto tossed Joe another
small package. "It's your Tool Kit, boss. Good luck!"
The Tool Kit! Joe smiled. Now, he thought, I might be able to get some-
where. "Thanks a lot, Pronto. Now get outta here before anyone spots you."
"You got it, MM," said Pronto. He quickly left.
Joe shot the grappling hook in the direction of the vent. It caught it
on the first shot. He pulled himself up to the vent and opened it up. Hmmm,
thought Joe, this is going to be a tight fit... I don't know if I can make
it...
He made it.
Joe stealthily climbed through the vent (at least, as stealthily as one
could expect travel through a narrow galvanized steel duct, anyway), not
knowing where in the store it would lead to. Finally, he saw the light. A
bright, fluorescent light. He climbed out of the vent and dropped -
head-first - to the floor. Fortunately, the glass display case was there to
break the fall. Joe quickly righted himself and shook the broken shards of
glass from his clothing. Joe quickly noticed that he was alone, the store
apparently deserted. He also saw that the computer he'd noticed behind the
counter earlier was still turned on.
Joe walked over to the old 486 behind the desk and looked at the monitor.
Although it was off, he could clearly see symptoms of burn-in. How careless,
thought Joe. They could at least use a screen saver like "Before Light." Joe
opened up his Tool Kit, extracting a DIN-style jumper cord from the pouch. It
was time for ModemMan to go to work. Mentally switching into ModemMan Mode,
he issued the commands to his brain to fire-up the microcomputer chip that was
surgically implanted there and which was the heart of ModemMan's special
powers.
He quickly unplugged the keyboard from the system case and inserted one
end of his special DIN cable into the receptacle on the machine. He then
inserted the other end of the cable into the DIN interface surgically
implanted into his right ear, first removing the flesh-colored safety plug
that covertly hid the receptacle from view. This would allow ModemMan to
access the system simply by using his technologically-altered cerebral cortex,
thinking his commands instead of typing them and flowing freely through the
system.
Using only the powers of his mind, ModemMan's consciousness flowed freely
through the system, riding through the circuit pathways inside the machine.
After quickly familiarizing himself with the internal structure of the device,
ModemMan started tinkering with the computer, deleting a few files and
changing the CONFIG.SYS file. He then loaded up the terminal program,
TearTerm. Looking through the phone directory he noticed many familiar BBSs.
They all seemed to be checked off except for his. By the BBS listing of The
Brooklyn Blues there was one of those smiley face characters.
After doing a fairly efficient job of messing up the computer, ModemMan
removed the interface and returned the cable to his Tool Kit, mentally exiting
his ModemMan Mode and replacing his ear plug as he went over to the desk to
examine the papers lying there. Hmm... thought Joe, this is most disturbing.
It seems that they want to totally eradicate the whole existence of ModemMan.
I wonder why? Joe decided to go home, but before he left he added a little
note to the scheduling program:
9:27 PM - ModemMan Destroyed - Body dumped in East River
This'll throw them off the track for awhile, thought Joe as he went
outside, only to find that his car had been 'politely removed' by the police.
He decided walk home. He was so deep in thought about the papers and just who
this V.T. Killer guy was that he failed to notice a long black limo following
him. Gingerly walking up the steps to his house he noticed a note on the
door:
Joe - Meet me at Quakey's Bar at 10:00 PM. -Pronto
Joe glanced at his watch. 9:45. I s'pose I'd better get there on time,
he thought. Unbeknownst to Joe, the limo had pulled up in front of his house
and seemed to be waiting for something. As he walked past the limo, the door
opened and a masked man stepped out. The man grabbed Joe and quickly applied
a chloroform-soaked rag to his mouth. He then threw the unconscious Joe into
the back seat and climbed in. The limo sped away to an unknown destination...
To Be Continued...
In the next chapter: Is V.T. Killer still after Joe? Who is this
mysterious masked man? Why is Joe being abducted? Will he ever see his BBS
again? Find out next month in the next riveting installment of "The
Adventures Of ModemMan!"
Jots (1@23) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
Deacon Blues (2@7653) IceNEWS Contributing Light Bytes Editor
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³ An Untitled Poem ³ Burma Shave, Contributor Dark Man 1@6853
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I never thought I'd see the day Two weeks later here I sit
when I would park myself and play I'm hooked -- addicted -- I can't quit.
game after game, hour after hour My wrist is stiff, my thumb is sore
collecting jewels and wielding power from building up a record score.
The Sysop said the thing was great My nerves are shot, my eyes are crossed,
most certainly not second rate. my keys are loose, my mouse is lost.
I took his word and went on line I think my fighting days are done,
downloading it, this game so fine. in ninety games I've never won.
To venture forth I couldn't wait Perhaps I'll download something new -
so I keyed in a fast baud rate. my Sysop says he's got a few.
Then I unzipped it straightaway This time I'll stick to golf or chess
for I could scarcely wait to play. I just can't handle all this stress.
In summer, winter, spring and fall
we modem addicts place the call.
So please beware, I tell you true
it just might happen once to you.
...Burma Shave
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³ IceNEWS is an independent journal published monthly as a service to ³
³ IceNET, its Sysops and users. The opinions & reviews expressed herein ³
³ are the expressed views of the respective writers. All Rights Reserved.³
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