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³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛº³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛº³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛº³ÛÛº ³ÛÛº³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛº³ÛÛÛÛÚÄÄ·ÛÛÛÛº³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛº
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Volume 4, Issue 3 The Journal of IceNET March 1994
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The Editor's Desk ³
³ The State of IceNET Jim (1@1) ³
³ Notes from the Managing Editor Jack Ryan (1@4707) ³
³ Good Modeming Relationships Deacon Blues (2@7653) ³
³ ³
³ Technical ³
³ Packet Radio - BBS Ima Moron (1@9661) ³
³ ³
³ Software/Programming ³
³ Learning C - Part Two Daarkhan (1@7676) ³
³ The Incredible Mr. "Limpet" ³
³ Tradewars v.2.0 Zeus (1@7662) ³
³ ³
³ Sub Board Spotlight ³
³ Space News George Hastings (4@8410) ³
³ ³
³ Lite Bytes ³
³ How They Got Started... Louie (6@1) ³
³ The Adventures of ModemMan Jot$ (1@7850) Deacon Blues (2@7653) 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 subscribe to IceNEWS Beat, subtype IceNEWS, host @1. ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ T H E E D I T O R ' S D E S K ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ The State of IceNET ³ Jim (1@1)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
July is just around the corner, so be sure to make your vacation plans to
include the WWIVcon in New Orleans. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of
modem friends there, as well as partaking in New Orleans' great food and
entertainment. Email me for further information on airline/motel reserva-
tions, events, schedules, times, etc. WWIVcon is on the July 4th weekend, so
BE THERE!
I've been getting calls for information on node numbers. As many of you
are aware, WWIVnet will be switching node numbers soon to accommodate new area
codes, and will abandon the association between area codes as we now know it,
and the location of systems. I've not yet made up my mind on how or if IceNET
will adapt to the new area codes, so I'd like to hear from interested parties
on just what you think IceNET should do. I'd particularly like to hear what
you see as the pro's and con's of the node number changes, and the benefits to
IceNET in making a change. In any event I'd not see making any changes until
WWIVnet has accomplished the task, software is available to help sysops change
their Nfiles, and a plan of implementation is in place.
The IceNEWS Staff has done another bang up job this month on getting an
issue together, so I'd like to thank them collectively, and especially thank
Jack Ryan who is the managing editor for the March issue. I do hope you enjoy
it, and share it with your users too.
Without further ado, I present IceNEWS!
Jim (1@1) IceNEWS Editor-In-Chief
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Notes from the Managing Editor ³ Jack Ryan (1@4707)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Like Louie (6@1) last month, I didn't write anything this month, so I had
to get my name in lights somehow. I would like to thank all of the staff of
IceNEWS for their hard work this issue, and especially Spelunker for putting
up with all my changes during this, my first tenure, as managing editor.
So many good articles were submitted this month! It was an extremely
difficult task to decide on which ones to put in this issue, and which ones to
carry over to a later issue. We could have easily had a 150k IceNEWS this
month, but for the obvious reasons we are trying to keep the size in the 85k
range.
I encourage all sysops to make IceNEWS available to your callers in an
on-line format (via the G-Files), and also in the transfer section. I would
also like to encourage all our readers to let us know how we are serving your
wants and needs. We may be contacted through e-mail, or one of the IceNEWS
related sub-boards.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Good Modeming Relationships ³ Deacon Blues (2@7653)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Back in November of 1993 - when I was acting as Managing Editor for
IceNEWS Issue 3 Volume 3 - Jim, our illustrious Editor-In-Chief of IceNEWS,
forwarded a piece of mail to me that had been forwarded to him by another
sysop. Below is a copy of said letter (routing information deleted to save
space):
Modeming
Bentley #1 @5906
Sun Nov 14 06:51:02 1993
RE: You too??????
Reply : Not needed
¯ But it's not 'gutless'
¯to have decent network manners.
¯The real gutless ones are those who think they can bash others in email. Ha!
¯Let them say it to my face, and in person. I'd bet their pretty gutless
¯indeed. Hiding behind email to make threats is about as cowardly as it gets
¯in my book. I don't have to deal with
¯someone else's expressions of frustration taken out on me by responding in
¯kind. I guess all this leads us to my theory as to why they call the
¯software we use 'World War Four' :)
hahahaha...WW4!
¯Once you have been able to establish a decent modem relationship, and tensions
¯ease, this game is a lot more fun at best, and at worst it's tolerable. Learn
¯the power of humility too, and use it well. It's much more powerful than
¯epithets and mock threats in email. Make your email 'reader friendly'.
These are very wise words, and I thank you most sincerely for that.
No lie! What you have said has struck below the surface, defused some
ill feelings (I don't know why I'm still holding on to them!?) towards
other sysops.
Maybe you have already, but if not, perhaps you would write down those
words about creating a 'decent modem relationship' and send it out to
all systems in IceNET. Perhaps they would save it as a file, and
put it in the G)Files section...I know that I would!
Thank you, Sir!
-:)Bentley
-----
Bentley's BBS Spokane, WA
Forwarded from: Jim #1 @1
As you can plainly see, both Bently and the unknown writer who was
(partially?) quoted by Bently struck on a topic that definitely bears more
scrutiny. That is, building and maintaining a good modeming relationship with
others.
What does a "good modeming relationship" mean, exactly? I feel that this
is a subjective question by nature, and, therefore, open to different
interpretations by different people. This is evident by the wide diversity of
users who modem. There are those who only post, those who only play games,
those who only transfer files, those who only send/receive e-mail and those
who do any combination of the above. Then, there are also those modem with
the sole purpose of being nothing short of a royal pain in the butt at every
given opportunity.
They do, though, all have one thing in common - when asked, they usually
feel that they have a good modeming relationship with others, regardless of
whether they really do or not. The exception, of course, would be those
aforementioned people who's sole purpose in life appears to be for them to
continually imitate a certain anatomical orifice. These people - and I use
the word `people' in the most liberal sense to describe them - will obligingly
tell you that they couldn't give a damn about their relationship with others.
It is my personal belief that maintaining a good modeming relationship
means, essentially, the same thing as building a good personal relationship
with others in real life. For some reason, people sometimes seem to think
that - because BBSing is a `virtual' world of interacting people who are
mainly known only by an alias and a number - the people at the other end of
the monitor are not real people living in the real world. They tend to forget
that posts and e-mails and personal actions aren't just random occurrences but
are the indicators of action by other real, live people. It's all too easy to
forget that there's a human being behind a handle and a macro.
Acting in a responsible manner and not intentionally doing anything to
offend other users, therefore, would seem to be essential to building a good
modeming relationship. This opinion stems from my assessment of my personal
reasons for entering the world of modeming in the first place. Your personal
reasons for modeming are the foundation upon which a good or bad modeming
relationship is built.
I can only speak for myself when I say why I got into modeming in the
first place. I did it to access more information, meet new people, and to
carry on at least semi-intelligent conservation/e-mail with others. With
these reasons in mind, it was rather easy for me to establish a good modeming
relationship with others. It was also mighty helpful that I did little to
offend others, never pestered sysops or others with dumb or inappropriate
questions, never posted or e-mailed offensive material to others, and never
"hogged" the BBS by calling repeatedly without giving others a chance to
logon. In simple language, I built my good modeming relationship the same way
I try to build any other personal relationships: by being courteous and
considerate of others.
It was through a good modeming relationship that I eventually went from
being a `regular' user to a network Sub Moderator to a 255 Co-Sysop and an
IceNEWS editor. I'm reasonably sure that I would never have gotten this far
in modeming in the last two and one-half years that I've been involved in
BBSing if I had a bad modeming relationship with others. If I did have a bad
modeming relationship, it would be more likely that I would've managed to get
myself banned from most of the respectable and reputable BBSs in the area
(although it's been said that that is a difficult feat in my given area) for
some reason or another and would never have been afforded the opportunities
that I have.
While I try not to pre-judge others, there do seem to be some people who
enter modeming less than benevolent reasons. At least, by their actions,
that's how it appears. Exactly why this is, nobody knows. Since
psychiatrists, psychologists, and other trained professional people cannot
definitively account for the ill-mannered and/or anti-social behavior of
people in real life, I'll not even try to dwell on the `why' aspect pertaining
to modemers who maintain a bad relationship with others. Suffice to say that,
just as in real life, there are those who simply don't care about or are
incapable of maintaining good relationships with other people. You can only
try to deal with them as best you can.
Fortunately, those who have a bad modeming relationship with others are
usually easy enough to spot. Signs range from posting or e-mailing offensive
or abusive material, abusing online privileges such as the gaming and transfer
sections, hogging the BBS by calling repeatedly without allowing others a
chance to use the system, etc. However, while being able to spot them is one
thing, dealing with them in an effective manner while maintaining your own
good modeming relationship is another story.
So, how do you deal with a user who maintains a bad modeming relationship
with others? I guess that depends on just how bad of a relationship the
offender has with others and whether or not the offender is willing to change
his/her ways. Methods of dealing with this can range from the `ignore it and
maybe it'll go away' philosophy to sending mail to the user and confronting
him/her about their ways to, when applicable, restricting the user's access to
simply deleting the user and making another addition into the TRASHCAN.TXT and
TRASHFON.TXT files.
It all depends on how bad the situation is and - more importantly - how
much personal power you have to control it. If the problem is with a user
from another system, your options are more limited than they would be if the
offending user was from your system (providing, of course, that you are indeed
a sysop). However, there is still much you can do to rid yourself of a long
distance pest AND maintain a good modeming relationship at the same time
without having to sink down to the level of the offender.
In the case of the network trouble-maker, what you can do depends on what
kind of trouble the trouble-maker is making. On one occasion, I had a user on
the BBS that I'm co-sysop on who was being harassed by a network user in
e-mail because the other user did not share the same opinion that this person
did in a post on a network sub. I had the user forward a piece of
questionable mail to me and replied to the user who sent it. I told the
sender who I was and said that I did not appreciate that type of treatment
shown to one of this BBSs users just for expressing an opinion.
I >asked< (the key word here) the person to simply stop the mail. The
reason that I say that `asked' is the key word here is because I could have
handled the situation very differently, choosing instead to attack the user
with abusive language, malevolence, or threats like telling the sysop of the
system that the offender was calling that I was having a problem with this
user. I also could have fought this battle on the level of the offender by
threatening bodily harm and slinging random racial and ethnic epithets in a
blatant attempt to infuriate and intimidate this user (as this user did to the
user on my system). Instead, I was courteous and even-tempered enough just to
>ask< that the person stop. And the person did. It was that simple. And I
didn't have to resort to `bad' tactics to resolve the situation.
I'm not saying that this method will work every time, but isn't it better
than getting ticked-off and sending the offender a 200 line dissertation
explaining to that person - in explicit detail - your personal opinion of
their bad habits, bad attitude, bad breath, bad body odor and their bad family
lineage? I think it is. Sinking to the level of such knuckle-dragging
neanderthal-like tactics makes you no better than the person that you are
having the problem with. Show some class and dignity.
Had the situation not resolved itself the way that it did, I still had a
number of options available to me to help rectify the situation, none of which
would have degraded my good modeming relationship. I could have indeed mailed
the sysop of the other system and asked he/she speak to the offending user on
my behalf, asking for a stop to the action. If things persisted, I could have
then asked the sysop to restrict or delete the offending user. Should the
sysop be unwilling to help, I could have then went to my IceNET Area
Coordinator and presented my case.
In no way would I have ever have had to resort to less-than-civilized
tactics to accomplish my objective. It's something that more people should
try to do more before they go shooting their mouths off about how they're
`going to kick my ******* *** if they ever catch me on the street' or `call
some friends to come find me' even though I live in Buffalo, New York, and
they live in East Yahoo, Oklahoma, and so forth. It's far more productive.
If half of the people who posted actually >thought about< what they
posted before they posted it, the NETs would be a much nicer place. But, as
with the occasional driver on the road who cuts us off and then proceeds to
flip us `The Finger' as he speeds away, there are people on the NETs who just
can't comprehend the idea of restraint and thinking something through before
thumping posts and e-mail on the keyboard that are designed to burn the reader
like an acetylene torch.
In the case of the bad network poster, it depends on what sub the
offending post appears on. If this happens on a sub that is hosted by the
system that I'm a Co-Sysop on, I will auto-reply to the author and tell
him/her that the post is unacceptable and send along a copy of the rules for
the particular sub. I then proceed to delete the offending post prior to
network-validation. More often than not, this turns the trick. No need to
get huffy and say stuff like `stop ******* posting your **** on my sub.' Try
being nice first.
To date, I've only had one instance where I had a problem user who
wouldn't quit posting obscenities on a sub hosted by this system. I mailed
both the user and the sysop of the system that this user was posting from,
informing them of the problem. The user read my mail without reply (I knew
this by way of SSM) and the sysop never replied and I never received any SSM
indicating that the mail was read. I sent a second piece of mail to the sysop
of the other system, informing him that I would remove his node from the sub
if things persisted. Again, I received no reply or anything indicating that
the mail had been read. And the offending user again posted on the sub using
objectionable language.
Instead of getting angry and acting in a less-than-dignified manner, I
retained my good senses. I simply removed the offending node from the n-files
for the sub and placed it in the DISALLOW.NET file for the sub. Quick,
simple, and to the point. And done with dignity intact.
About a month later, I received mail from the sysop of the deleted
system, asking why new messages had stopped coming in on the sub. I told him
about the incidents and my unanswered e-mails to him and informed him that his
system had been deleted from the sub. The sysop replied that he had never
received the mail that I sent him and that he was offended by my doing what I
did.
I could have just deleted his mail and left it at that, but, in the
spirit of keeping a good relationship with others, I didn't. I replied that
I'd be willing to allow his system back into the sub providing that the
offending user was not allowed access. The sysop wrote back that, while he
would not restrict this user from the sub, he did appreciate my willingness to
offer him a compromise to the situation. He simply stated that he would
subscribe to a similar forum host by another system to cure the problem. My
point: I made the extra effort, it was appreciated, and the problem was
resolved amicably to our mutual satisfaction without resorting to swearing and
threats, leaving no ill-will between us (at least, none that I'm aware of).
If an offending post appears on a sub that is not hosted by this system,
I usually just delete the post on this end without mailing anyone. It is my
belief that the content of the sub is the responsibility of the moderator and
is therefore up to him/her to deal with problem users on their forums. If
there is a habitual problem with a specific sub, I will simply e-mail the
moderator and/or the sysop and inform them of my dissatisfaction with the sub.
Should they be unable or unwilling to resolve the problem, I'll just drop the
sub. No harm, no foul.
On almost every sub, sooner or later a dispute will erupt between two
users over any number of reasons. This seems especially so on subs dealing
with topical and controversial material. Often, it begins as a mild exchange
of words, but it eventually will eventually escalate with each user becoming
progressively more aggressive with each new post. As the sysop of the host
system of the sub, you're starting to get tired of the bickering. How would
you deal with the two users who are engaging in bad modeming relationships?
The best way to deal with the users would be to post a message on the sub
asking the users to end the argument. You could also e-mail each of the
users, again asking them to cease hostilities. One other thing that some
sysops recommend is that the users take their argument off the sub and
continue their disagreement via e-mail. But while this does clear up the sub,
it still does nothing to help the situation itself since you are merely asking
the users to carry-on in private, as opposed to asking them to stop
carrying-on, period. It's just a way of dumping-off or burying the problem.
If you happen into this situation, please try not to refer warring users to go
at it mano-a-mano in e-mail. Don't pass the buck, try to help smooth things
out and get these people back into good modeming relationships.
I has it suggested to me that some sysops, either through time constraint
or a general lack of caring or feeling of `intrusion' into somebody else's
business, would be unwilling to `moderate' a cease-fire between two (or more)
users. E-Mail Wars, claim those who say this, let the participants have their
fun while away from others. This also teaches combatants a lesson, claims the
others, by way of forcing each of them to endure reading the `crap' mailings
of the other opponent. This, supposedly, will itself help foster the end of a
war due to the combatants becoming weary of the insults and eventually stop
the battling.
For a sysop who honestly and truly does not have the time to devote to
such a noble effort as defusing a fight between users, sending them to E-Mail
is then really the only viable alternative. But as for those who just don't
care or are afraid to get involved, try looking at it as I do. Personally, I
look at the BBS I'm a co-sysop on as an extension of my living room and the
users of the BBS as guests in that living room.
Now, if a fight (verbal or physical) broke-out amongst two or more of my
guests in my living room, I wouldn't tell them to `take it outside,' I'd tell
them to knock it off and help them to settle their differences. Why? Because
I care. Because I'm not afraid to get involved.
Following this reasoning, if you're the type of person who doesn't care
or is afraid to get involved, then you must also be the type of person who
`don't care' if their living room gets busted-up by some ruffians, or, at
worst, will tell the fighting horde to `take it outside' because you're afraid
to get involved. Apathy is, in my opinion, probably the largest reason why
networking (and, for that matter, the world itself) is the way it is now and
it will only continue to get worse until enough people who give a damn about
what happens come forward and start making a difference. If only more people
would actually care about things, we could do wonders. There is no excuse for
apathy in my book.
If everybody could just keep in mind merely HALF of what I went over in
this article and make a fair effort in maintaining a good modeming
relationship with others, the NETs would all be a much friendlier and helpful
place to frequent. I know that doing this is asking a lot of some people, but
I think that the potential benefits far outweigh any inconveniences or other
excuses that anyone may give for NOT making an effort to maintain a good
relationship with others. It's a far better thing to do than to carry-on like
a bunch of immature and ill-mannered jerks and, as the unknown author of the
letter at the beginning of this article so insightfully indicated, turn WWIV
into World War IV.
Deacon Blues 2@7653 IceNEWS Contributing Light Bytes Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ T E C H N I C A L ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Packet Radio - BBS ³ Ima Moron (1@9661)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Can you imagine the day when you may E-mail a user 1000 miles away never
using a phone line? The day is here, amateur radio enthusiasts have tied
together ham radio and the BBS systems to create "packet radio".
This article is a compilation of information from a variety of packet
sources which I have downloaded in file form from ARRL, a packet node located
in Conn. Interspersed within Mr. Bono's writing are some updated technical
facts that were edited from the amateur operators monthly news letter.
Appended at the end of that data are my own comments and visions of what
packet may be- come and how our current networks may incorporate this medium
of data flow.
-= An Amateur Packet Radio Overview =-
by
Rich Bono (NM1D)
October, 1990
(revision 1.2)
Just what IS amateur packet radio?
Amateur packet radio is (yet another) digital transmission method
available for use via amateur radio. It provides 'error free' transmission
and reception of messages (information/data/etc.) between two stations. This
error-free capability is a prime consideration. Error free in this context
does not mean that your typing or spelling mistakes will be fixed, but that
all transmitted 'data' will be received 100% intact, as sent. In fact, if the
data cannot be delivered 100% intact, the transmission is eventually aborted
and the user is informed that there is no longer a connection between the two
stations.
The 'packet' in 'packet radio' comes from the method of transmitting your
information over the air. Your data is broken up into packets (or blocks)
that are transmitted. Each packet contains the sending and the receiving
station call-signs and some optional routing information. A packet can
contain from 0 to 256 data (or information) bytes. The users normally do not
need to be concerned with this 'packetizing' of their messages. Each packet
is sent and then acknowledged by the receiver when received. If a packet is
not received correctly, then it is automatically re-transmitted (up to a
maximum number of times). You normally don't have to know about all this to
use packet radio. The 'packetizing' happens automatically, without any
thought or actions required by you.
File Transfer:
With special software, amateurs can pass any binary files to other
amateurs. Currently, this is done with TCP/IP communications, YAPP, and other
specialized protocols.
Satellite Communications:
Many of the amateur radio satellites contain microcomputer systems that
can provide special information to amateurs. Some satellites contain CCD
cameras on board and you can download images of the earth and the stars.
Others provide store and forward packet mailboxes to allow rapid message
transfers over long distances. Some satellites use AX.25, some use special
packet protocols developed for satellite communications. A few transmit AX.25
packets over FM transmitters, but most use SSB transmissions.
This is somewhat similar to the commercial X.25 standard. There is also
a growing TCP/IP user base. If you are not network oriented, then the details
of these protocols are not important to you as an operator of a packet radio
station.
Be aware that most packet radio operation at this time is at 1200 baud.
This will seem slow when compared to what it happening on networks, and on
telephone BBSs.... but what is gained is world-wide access, for NO COST.
Once you have your equipment, and your license, there are no fees (except for
the electricity that your computer and other equipment use). There are a
growing number of amateurs who are experimenting with 2400 and even 9600 (or
higher) baud operation, so it shouldn't be too long before these faster rates
become very popular!
The most popular packet frequencies in the USA are in the two-meter band
(144-148 MHz). Check out the following frequencies (they may be different in
your area; ask a local amateur if you don't hear anything). Even the typical
'police scanner' can be used to listen to these frequencies:
145.01, 145.03, 145.05, 145.07, 145.09 MHz
If the above are busy, many areas also use:
144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99 MHz
this is with an average FM transceiver set for SIMPLEX operation
(transmitting and receiving on the same frequency).
Yes, you need a valid amateur radio license. There is (in the southern
New Hampshire area) packet radio activity on the Novice bands. But if you
want access to the mainstream of packet radio, you will want at least a
Technician amateur radio license. (Although, as mentioned earlier, some areas
have an active packet radio network that is accessible with the Novice amateur
radio license.)
If you already own an amateur FM transceiver (or an HF SSB transceiver)
then you have all the equipment needed. If not, a two-meter FM transceiver
can be purchased for used from $100-250.00, new from $300.00 on up.
Cost effective.... Hmmm, well first be aware that amateur radio cannot be
used for any commercial or business purposes... But where else can one get
hours (years) of enjoyment and service out of $470.00 ($350 for a radio and
$120 for a TNC, assuming you already have the computer or terminal). Note:
This stuff can be contagious.... be forewarned!!
-= The Future BBS Network =-
by 1@9661 IceNET
If the will of the public is upheld then any enthusiast should see a day
in the near future when amateur computer networks will satellite uplink their
own international communications connects bypassing AT&T and other long
distance carriers. The reach just isn't that far away to be pessimistic about
the future of packet with regards to the current computer networks in mind.
The problems and drawbacks to adding international packet connects are
not insurmountable at this time, recently the US Senate has approved micro
wave communications (burst transmission hardware) sales to foreign
governments. I would presume that if the Senate trusts a foreign interest
with formerly classified communications hardware then our government would
trust the American people with a similar equivalent of the hardware necessary
to communicate with the foreign links within existing networks.
The hardware limitations involved in radio licensing are the current
limitation to the speed of the data stream flowing from the existing inter-
national networks. Here we are speaking of frequency limitations that are the
government's control block to limit the interference that the amateur can
create upon the commercial media. However I feel that a little care and
concern shown by the amateurs would indicate to the FCC authority that a
stable data base that complies to any affecting FCC standard can be entrusted
to the amateur.
Problematic to creating such an amateur network is cooperation among the
operators. The stability of the individual operator or network would most
likely be adjudged by the FCC on the basis of how well controlled the
membership of the body of the group appears at the outset of inspection to the
presiding authority. Recently NASA has executed tests concerning amateur
radio enthusiasts, the point of mentioning these tests should indicate that
there is a level of trust existing within the governing body of the country.
If the BBS network operators ever attain the previously stated level of
trust then perhaps a low power uplink station could be manned by FCC approved
packet radio enthusiasts. Until then the highest level of radio connect that
we may attain would be a micro wave beam transmitted from station to station
just as we now relay our messages by phone link. Again the micro-wave
equipment is the key to increased baud rate.
With the baud limitations removed I can foresee that packet radio will
evolve from the "tinker toy" existence that it occupies within computer
networks to a multi-level network relay operating within the international BBS
community. The time to initiate the expansion of packet radio is now, the who
is a trusted public that complies with FCC standards.
-= Further Sources of Information About Ham and Packet Radio =-
The BBS address listed below is an active packet base. Any and all
questions concerning contacting the operators and authors listed in the table
of addresses below should be directed to the systems operator of ARRL.
ARRL
225 Main Street
Newington, Conn. 06111
Voice (203) 666-1541
BBS (203) 666-0578 14400/N-8-1
=================================
This is a list of all groups that regularly discuss amateur packet radio.
For newsgroups, join the group through use of your news reader. For mailing
lists, add a '-request' to the end of the list name to request subscriptions.
For listserv groups, send mail to 'listserv' at the node which contains the
list. The first line of the mail should be 'SUBSCRIBE groupname yourname'.
Send the command 'help' for more information.
rec.radio.amateur.packet (Newsgroup): General discussions involving
Packet Radio.
rec.radio.amateur.misc (Newsgroup): General amateur radio discussion.
Usually does not contain any particular information about Amateur
Packet Radio.
rec.radio.amateur.policy (Newsgroup): Discussion of regulation
policies regarding every aspect of amateur radio. Occasionally deals
with policies of packet coordination and legal issues of packet radio.
rec.radio.swap (Newsgroup): General For-Sale for any radio equipment.
Occasionally will have packet equipment for sale. Recommended location
for any amateur packet radio for-sale items.
info-hams@ucsd.edu (Listserv group): A digest redistribution of the
rec.radio.amateur.misc Usenet discussion.
packet-radio@ucsd.edu (Listserv group): A digest redistribution of the
rec.radio.amateur.packet Usenet discussion.
ham-policy@ucsd.edu (Listserv group): A digest redistribution of the
rec.radio.amateur.policy Usenet discussion
hs-modem@wb3ffv.ampr.org (Mailing list): Discussion of high speed
modems and radios available and future plans. Also includes discussion
of networking using high speed modems.
tcp-group@ucsd.edu (Mailing list): Group discussion of technical
developments of TCP/IP over packet radio and use of the NOS TCP/IP
programs.
gateways@uhm.ampr.org (Mailing list): Discussion of current gateways
and future plans for gateways. May deal with sensitive internetworking
issues.
listserv@knuth.mtsu.edu has several interesting mailing lists available.
Ima Moron (1@9661) IceNEWS Light Bytes Editor
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³ S O F T W A R E / P R O G R A M M I N G ³
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³ Learning C (Second of a four part series) ³ Daarkhan (1@7676)
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This month we will continue this four part introductory series on the C
programming language. Last month we covered the history and development, and
now we will actually begin to get into the nuts and bolts of the language.
STATEMENTS AND FUNCTIONS
The basic elements of C programs (indeed, the basic elements of almost
any programming language) are statements. Defined, a STATEMENT is a "set of
instructions that make up one unit of a computer program." These units put
together make up FUNCTIONS. In C, a function is a named subroutine that can
be called by other parts of the program. Functions are made up of statements
which are grouped together to accomplish a specific task.
While this might sound a little confusing to some of you, think of having
a robot that you have to give instructions to. These instructions might
include:
1. Go to the store
2. Purchase some milk
3. Come home and pour me a glass of milk
These instructions would represent functions of the robot's programming
(you specifying the input). In order for the robot to perform these tasks,
however, you have to give it more precise instructions. The first function,
"go to the store," may be made up of the following instructions which the
robot can understand:
a. go to the door
b. open the door
c. walk out of the door
d. go to the sidewalk
e. walk to Third St.
f. turn left
- And so on
Each function is comprised of many smaller instructions that the
computer can understand. While even the most sophisticated robots may not
directly understand "go to the door," it is used for instructional purposes,
and you should understand that the idea here is that related statements are
sequenced together into functions. Statements represent the parts of your
program which actually perform the operations.
FUNCTION STRUCTURE
In C, statements are separated from each other by the semicolon ";". In
some languages like BASIC and FORTRAN, a line is ended by the end-of-line (or
newline) character and lines are interpreted literally. In C and most other
STRUCTURED languages (Pascal, Modula-2, etc.) the semicolon marks the end of
one statement. This means that you can have one statement spanning several
physical lines, and you can have several statements on one line. It doesn't
matter. The compiler only recognizes semicolons as statement separators.
Functions basically follow this form:
function_name()
{
<statement sequence>
}
Function name represents the actual name of the function itself. The
statement sequence may be one or more statements. A function may be named
anything you wish, except for the following conditions:
1. A function may not have the same name as any
of C's reserved words (see chapter 1).
2. The name must be comprised of upper- and lower-
case letters, the digits 0-9, and the under-
score "_".
3. Most compilers have additional restrictions, such
as requiring that function names are no longer
than 32 characters.
Also, note that C is a CASE SENSITIVE language. That means that the
function names
function <and> FUNCTION
are technically two different functions as far as the compiler sees it. You
should try, however, to use function names that are meaningful, and not too
long. The "de-facto" standard in C programming is to use lower-case function
names with underscores separating words, for example:
function_one();
my_function();
display_top_scores();
In case you are wondering, the parentheses following the function's name
are required. Later, we will learn how parameters (arguments) may be passed
to and from functions. For now, we will not be passing any function
parameters, so we will leave the parentheses empty. C defines a word for "no
parameters" called "void." We will use that convention whenever we declare a
function.
Note also, that all functions in C return a value of some type to the
caller. This may be an integer, a floating point (real) number, a character,
or any number of different things. For now, we do not care what our functions
are returning, so we will call them "void functions." Now, if we take a look
at the three example functions we declared before, we would more properly
redeclare them as:
void function_one (void);
void my_function (void);
void display_top_scores (void);
This means that we are declaring three functions that take no parameters
(arguments) and we do not care what values these functions, themselves,
return.
If this seems confusing to you, don't worry about it. It just means that we
want the functions to perform actions, and not modify or return any values.
If you need more help with this concept, please post your questions on the
"Learning C" subbase.
While a C program may have many different functions, it MUST have one
particular function: main(). main() is the first function that C will look
for to begin a program's execution.
Function statements in C are all enclosed within CODE BLOCKS. These
code blocks are designated by a beginning and an end brace "{" and "}",
respectively. If you know a little about programming, think of an open brace
"{" as a BEGIN statement, and it's counterpart close brace "}" as the END
statement. This will become more apparent to you as we start writing some
small programs.
LIBRARY FUNCTIONS
If you are familiar with BASIC, you know that all of BASIC's statements
such as PRINT and GOTO and INPUT are all built into the language itself. In
C, however, these control statements are all EXTERNAL LIBRARY FUNCTIONS. This
means that we have to import them from somewhere else in order for C to use
them. C, itself, has no built in I/O control. We have to tell the C compiler
where to look for these control functions.
One of the most common library functions is
printf()
This function is similar to BASIC's PRINT statement in that it displays
data on the screen. So, for example, this is a valid use of the printf()
function:
printf ("C is fun");
Note that strings in C are treated as arrays of characters, and they must
be enclosed in quotes to be printed. And, of course, the semicolon is
necessary to end the statement.
So, if we have to get these functions from somewhere else, where do we
get them? Well, we have to use C's #include directive and specify a HEADER
FILE to get our functions from. The most common header file is
STDIO.H
which is an abbreviation of "standard input and output" functions. You should
have this header file with ANY C compiler. It contains the PROTOTYPES (a term
we'll learn later) of a great deal of C's input and output functions. For
now, we'll only concern ourselves with STDIO.H. We tell C to read in the data
found in STDIO.H by issuing a PREPROCESSOR DIRECTIVE like:
#include "stdio.h"
Note: preprocessor directives take place before the actual code of the
program is compiled, and the directives themselves are NOT statements or
functions, and do not end with semicolons. I know, this may seem a bit
awkward but you'll get used to it. We basically have to tell the compiler
where to get the information we need to use the input and output functions.
One nice thing about C is that you don't have to specify all of the functions
you want. For example, in Modula-2 you have to import every single function
you need, like:
FROM InOut IMPORT WriteString, WriteInt, WriteCard,
WriteLn, ReadCard;
And so on. This, in my opinion, is unnecessary work on the programmer's
part, and computers should make our lives easier, not tie us down with this
kind of busy work.
Oh, note that the STDIO.H in the directive above can be in either
uppercase or lowercase (the lowercase is the traditional method) however it
doesn't matter because it's an actual DOS filename.
One more note: C for the most part ignores spaces and carriage returns
(newlines). (It's a little picky about preprocessor directives, but that's
about it). It doesn't care where you put a curly brace or function name or
whatever in relation to the line. It's just a matter of coding standards. I
will use the standards that I think look the best and make my programs the
easiest to read. You are free to do what you wish, but I would suggest
copying my standards as closely as possible.
As an example of this, these two programs are identical as far as the
compiler sees. Each will display:
Greetings! How are you today?
on the screen, but the first program listing is definitely easier to read:
/* LISTING ONE */
#include "stdio.h"
void main (void)
{
printf ("Greetings! ");
printf ("How are you today!");
}
/* LISTING TWO */
#include "stdio.h"
void main (void) { printf ("Greetings! "); printf ("How
are you today!"); }
Two more quick notes while I'm at it. First is COMMENTS. The things
enclosed by /* */ are comments. The compiler totally ignores them, and
they're used primarily to make your code easily readable to someone else (or
yourself at a later date). They make no difference to your program.
The second note is that I will not always put the #include statements in
my code for these tutorials. You should understand that library functions
don't need the #include directives. It just saves me some typing. If you are
using Turbo C, and get a "prototype not found" error/warning while compiling,
it probably means that you forgot to #include some header file. Move your
cursor over the function whose prototype is missing and press CTRL-F1. Turbo
C will display the parameters for that function and tell you what header file
it's contained in.
CREATE YOUR FIRST PROGRAM
We have already written one small program (the "Greetings!" program will
run and compile. I suggest that if you are using a compiler such as Turbo C
that you use the Integrated Development Environment that comes with it. It is
an excellent editor and has much to offer. You are free, however, to use any
kind of ASCII text editor and just send your code to your compiler, but this
should all be explained by the documentation for your compiler.
There are basically three kinds of files you need to worry about at this
time:
1. SOURCE FILES - These are your source codes, the programs you type in.
You should give your source files a ".C" extension. Don't worry, though. C
is intelligent enough not to require this (unlike Modula-2 which requires your
source files to have .MOD extensions). The .C extension is a matter of
tradition.
2. HEADER FILES - We already talked about these. Header files are
basically files which list the library functions' prototypes. We will be
writing our own header files later. Just know now that you need them to
import your I/O functions.
3. EXECUTABLE FILES - When you compile your program, if you are
successful (i.e. no errors) you will receive an executable file - a version
of your program that you can run from DOS which has a .EXE extension. This is
the "run-time" version of your program.
In addition, most C compilers (actually, I think ALL of them) make a file
which has a .OBJ extension. These types of files are called OBJECT FILES and
are basically low-level version (machine codes) which are then translated into
.EXE versions. Don't worry about them for now. You don't need to keep them
around (i.e. your EXE file is enough to run) but you don't necessarily have
to delete them either (unless you're crunching for space on your hard drive).
So, I promised a program. Here it is. Type this program EXACTLY as it
appears below into your editor and compile it. It should produce the
following on your screen:
Greetings! C is fun to learn!
The sum of 2 and 2 is 4.
/* PROGRAM: TEST.C */
#include "stdio.h:
void main (void)
{
printf ("Greetings! ");
printf ("C is fun to learn!\n\n");
printf ("The sum of 2 and 2 is %i", 2+2);
}
/* END OF PROGRAM TEST.C */
We learn from doing... so let me explain two concepts here that I have
not yet touched upon regarding printf(). We'll save these two concepts for
chapter 3, but I cannot leave you hanging. This will give you a taste of
what's to come.
The first concept is called BACKSLASH CHARACTER CONSTANTS. In C, there
are certain characters which represent un-printable characters. A list of
these follows:
CODE MEANING
_____ ________________________
\b backspace
\f form feed
\n newline
\r carriage return
\t horizontal tab
\" double quote
\' single quote
\0 NULL character
\\ backslash character
\v vertical tab
\a alert (bell)
\o octal constant
\x hexadecimal constant
We'll eventually learn all of these, but for now, we'll only take a look
at a few. The one I used in the example above is the \n (newline) constant.
This will cause printf() to basically execute a newline (almost as if you had
hit ENTER). The addition of \n gets rid of overtyping (like, again, in
Modula- 2 how you would have to type
WriteString ("Whatever");
WriteLn;
just to accomplish the same thing as with C's:
printf ("Whatever\n");
You can see the significance.) Let's take a look at another backslash
character constant: \" This constant will print a quote sign inside of your
quotes. For example, if you want to print the following:
"Come here," Mary said.
You would use:
printf ("\"Come here,\" Mary said.");
See how easy that is? We basically use the \" to print the quote symbol.
This is necessary or else the compiler would think that you're ending your
quotes instantly... for example, you can NOT do this:
printf (""Come here," Mary said.");
or the compiler will yell at you. The use of the character constants makes
formatting a LOT easier in C than in most other languages, and lets the
PROGRAMMER be the boss.
The second concept I pulled on you was the use of printf()'s FORMAT CODES.
Look at the line
printf ("The sum of 2 and 2 is %i", 2+2);
The "%i" is a format code that tells the compiler "put an integer value
in here." The integer value is supplied by what's after the comma (the second
parameter/argument to printf). Here is an easier example to digest:
printf ("%i",5);
This will simply print a 5 on the screen. You're sending two arguments
to printf:
1. a string that says "put an integer value on the
screen"
2. the integer value itself.
If you want, you can use multiple format codes in your printf()
statements, such as:
printf ("%i plus %i is equal to %i", 2, 2, 5);
This will print:
2 plus 2 is equal to 5
on the screen. Parameters are taken from left to right as they are needed.
Of course, the integer (%i) format code is not the only one. We will learn
all of them eventually.
CODE MEANING
_____ ________________________
%u unsigned decimal/integer
%x hexadecimal
%% prints a '%' sign
%p pointer
%s string of characters
%o octal
%d or %i decimal integer
%e scientific notation
%f floating point (real)
%c single character
NEXT ISSUE:
In the next issue of IceNEWS I will cover variables, assignment
statements and keyboard input.
SOURCES
Downing, Douglas. Dictionary of Computer Terms. New York:
Barrons, 1989.
Holzner, Steven. C Programming: The Accessible Guide to
Professional Programming. New York: Brady, 1991.
Schildt, Herbert. Teach Yourself C. Berkeley: Osborne
McGraw-Hill, 1990.
Daarkhan (1@7676) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
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³ The Incredible Mr. "Limpet" - Tradewars v. 2.0 ³ Zeus (1@7662)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Tradewars 2002 version 2.00 Beta-Wide version is now released. Gary
Martin, I think, out did himself with this version. He has added quite a few
new features to the game, but registering it has become difficult.
To register the game, you need to call a Bulletin Board who has the
Beta-Wide version available for download (@7664). Within this file is a
registration form (TWORDER.FRM) to be filled out and mailed (with a $20 fee,
except in Kansas, where you have to pay state tax). Now, you are asking
yourself, "I am registered, why do I have to re-register?" You don't! All
SysOps, who paid $15 for the obsolete 1.03d, can use the update form
(TWUPDATE.FRM) within the Zip file. You need your original registration card
that Gary sent you, to transfer information (including your registration code)
to it. You mail it to Gary's company and you will receive in the mail your
new code. The new code will need the Board's name that it is registered for.
For example:
If I took The Nine Worlds of Asgard's registration number
and placed it in my game on my board, The Kingdom of Olympus, I
would still have to include his board name in the registration
portion of the Editor.
Using a different "Board Name" with the reg code, nullifies it. This is nice
to keep pirated codes from being transferred around all over the place. The
only way that it is not nice is if you change your board name. You will then
have to re-update, and get a new code. The only bad part about the
registering of the code is that Gary changed his BBS software. You can either
mail it, using the your favorite post man (New subscribers must do it this
way); Call Castle Ravenloft and upload the update form, or e-mail a BBS that
is in FIDO net, which will get the form to Gary, eventually. Me, personally,
I would call his board or "snail" mail it.
The game itself has 3 sections that users can modify: The Game, by
playing; The editor, to change configs; and Big Bang to reset the game. Lets
look at each of these:
Big Bang:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
This has changed to make it easier for registered boards to set up their
universe and have it a little more "unique" game. You can have up to 5000
sectors, set the course path to a certain maximum, initial number of ports
(few makes the game TOUGH!<g>), Density of the Universe (makes it real
difficult to map <eg>), maximum # of planets, players, ships, and Starports.
On MY 486 DX/33mhz, it takes about a minute and a half to create a 5,000
sector game.
TEDIT:
ÄÄÄÄÄ
The editor has 3 new features and 4 modified features. The three new
features are: <D> - Remove derelict spacecraft - which removes a player's (one
who has been removed from the game) extra ships and any other space "junk" in
the game.; <O> - BBS node editor - This allows for multiple instances of the
BBS to play the game, interactively. I am not totally sure that this works,
but I think it should. You are given a menu for each instance you are running
for your BBS (0 - Local, 1 - phone number, etc...). You have to put all the
specific information for your data, drop file(s) and type (WWIV), and comport.
You are also asked if the node (instance) is active (Type "Y").; <V> - Ship
Editor - This feature modifies the different ships a player owns. This is NOT
a "create" a new ship type. This is necessary for players to own more than
one ship.
The 4 modified features are : <G> - General Info and setup, screen one -
This section has the new format for the registration input (Code, BBS name,
SysOp/Referee[optional]). You can also set the initial credits to anything
you want, but mind you, if you give 2,000,000 credits, it will TAX the new
player. <H> - General Info and setup, screen two - This has 4 new features to
it. there is a Death Delay (for those suicidal types), Cloaking Device Fail
Rate, a Navigational Hazard Dispersion rate, and a new player's "home" world.
<N> - Planet Editor - This has a Transporter Level setting, new citadel level
(7 in the editor, 6 for the game playing). <U> - User Editor - The ship name
has been replaced with the ship # of your fleet, Bounty amounts that you
received along with the Bounty count, Contract money and hit count if you
are/were a bad guy. It also gives you your balance in then Galactic Bank
(500,000 limit in the game, but not the editor <eg>).
The Game:
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
When you first log on as a new player, it gives you an "out" if you don't
want to play. If the player continues, he will log in like the old way, but
before he enters the game for playing, and the sysop/referee has it enabled,
it will ask for your "home" planet's name. You will be on your planet (placed
randomly in the game), then you leave your planet and begin your mission. The
planets maximums have been changed from 10,000 for products to 100,000 and you
can have a limit of 1,000,000 fighters on your planet. When you type "V" at
the main prompt (for the game configs), it will list the board's name and the
name of the board that it is registered for. That's why you need the board's
name portion for the registration code. Some of the Ships (Havoc Gunstar,
Imperial StarShip) have been drastically altered <eg>. They also have a new
ship, the Interdictor Cruiser. This baby can't land on planets, but
oooooooooooh is it NASTY!
You can transport from one ship to another (owned). Make sure you are
within range to do so, otherwise, it will not allow it. For example: If you
are traveling around in a Colonial Transport, working on getting products and
you scan a "hot" sector, you can either fly (back) to a safe section of space
and transport to your Correlian Battleship (as long as you are within range)
and come and wipe out the sector, then transport back to your CT and go on
your merry way. There is also a planetary transwarp if you are stranded on a
planet because of hostile activity in your sector. If you have a fighter
roaming around in some distant sector, within range of course, you can
teleport your ship to that sector and disrupt whatever was in the sector
waiting for you.
The density of the universe can drastically effect your turns. In 1.03d,
going from sector 1 to 490 (StarDock) is 6 sectors away. In 2.0, where you
set the density to be 50%, then it will take 12 turns to cross 6 sectors.
This is nice to make the universe more difficult to map and to help players
build up. This also encourages players to purchase the Transwar Drive ships
(which can be toggled on and off in your computer).
There is a new item at the Stardock, which can help track little "gnat"
players that keep "running" your sector and running away. They are the Limpet
mines. Nice little "trackers." They can even be detected under a cloaking
device <EG>. The starports now have the configs of (BBB,SBB,BSB,BBS,SSS,
BSS,SBS,SSB) next to them to let the player know what they are buying and/or
selling.
During the course of a game, hazardous debris will pop up (destroyed
ships/planets/ports/ferrengi/etc...). You may not be able to get through, if
this sector is known to be a frequent attack area and there is debris
everywhere.
The planets have a Level 6 Citadel, which incorporates the Interdictor
Generator. If you enable this, any player coming in is trapped in your
sector, until you release them or destroy them. Nice little gadget! <EG>
For all you non-ansi players out there, you can tell where you have been
because uncharted sectors appear in parenthesis. Thanks Louie, for that info!
Well, that's about all the changes in the TW game, in a condensed
version. I am still exploring the game for other things, but I will let you
all know if I come up with something new. I like it. I think most others
will, once they register/update their copies.
Zeus (1@7662) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ S U B B O A R D S P O T L I G H T ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Spaces News and Views ³ George Hastings (4@8410)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
[Subtype: 8410, Host: @8410]
SpaceNews & Views is one of the most complete electronic sources of free
space information available anywhere.
Available directly through IceNET, WWIVnet, WWIVLink, and gated through a
number of other linked BBS networks, SpaceNews & Views includes current
information about unmanned spacecraft, daily official NASA mission status
reports during space shuttle missions, extensive background information about
payloads and experiments carried on space shuttles and spacecraft of other
nations, and easy to understand articles about astronomy.
Readers of SpaceNews & Views also find it a good place to post questions
about space science. There are readers all over the United States, Canada,
Mexico, the United Kingdom, and even one BBS in Okinawa, and it doesn't take
long to get a well-informed reply from experts in the field.
The host of SpaceNews & Views is George Hastings, a teacher of space
science for the Mathematics & Science Center, a regional educational consortium
for the public school districts in Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding
counties.
George has a great deal of first-hand knowledge about space science. He
has taught space science and astronomy for Oklahoma State University,
California State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. For many
years he was an aerospace educator for the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, and is one of only six educators in the United States to
travel to Zhvuzhdny Gorodok (Star-town), Russia for cosmonaut training.
If you have an interest in real science, astronomy, robotic exploration
of the solar system, human spaceflight, or the future directions of space
research and utilization, then the SpaceNews & Views sub is one you should
request from the SYSOP of your BBS if it isn't already carried.
George Hastings (4@8410) IceNEWS Contributing Writer
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ L I T E B Y T E S ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ How They Got Started in BBSing ³ Louie (6@1)
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
Has anybody else ever wondered how and why people start to call BBSs? I
know I have. I have my reasons for BBSing, but are everyone's reasons
basically the same? I found out that the answer to that question is both yes,
and no.
It seems that everybody starts bbsing for different reasons at first, but
they stay with it out of a love for computers and other folks that use them.
In other words, BBSers think of each other as one big family. Of course, as
WWIVlink election politics has shown in the past, we aren't always a happy
family - but we are family none the less.
I asked several people around the networks to tell me why they started to
use BBSs and/or Computers. I got six responses around IceNET. Well, maybe
seven responses if we count myself.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random (1@3050)
Well, I actually started out using computers & terminals long before
first calling a BBS. At first, I used a 300 baud half-duplex acoustic coupler
modem with a printing-type dumb terminal. It was used mainly to play around
with computer(s) at my father's business.
Later on, after getting a TRS-80 model I, we also got a 300 baud (full
duplex, direct-connect) modem which I used mostly in communication with
mainframe-type computers.
After moving to California, and upgrading to a TRS-80 Color Computer and
a Hayes Smartmodem 300 (it could dial the phone too), I called my first real
BBS - an Apple ][ system run by a friend ("The Torture Chamber", I believe it
was). It was really weak by today's BBS standards (you'd have to quit back to
the main menu to post, no wordwrap, etc), but it was the height of technology
at the time.
1$F4 1@1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Filo (1@2050)
Although I have been associated with PCs since the early 80's, I had
never used a DOS based machine until 1988. At that time, I changed jobs and
wanted to be able to use some on-line Tax Research Libraries for some articles
that I wanted to write. Not knowing a thing about using modems, accessing
on-line libraries, etc., but knowing that it cost $10 an hour for the research
plus the LD charges, I wanted to experiment with using the modem to connect to
BBSs first. My son and I then began to frequent local and LD bbses, learning
as much as we could and having a lot of fun.
After a few weeks of this, my son said, "Dad, let's set up a BBS."
That began our search for the most appropriate software. Being neophytes
who barely knew what an autoexec.bat file was much less such exotic things as
configuring modems and so forth, we tried several types of BBS software and
had trouble getting them to work or to properly answer the phone. In
desperation, I called the modem manufacturer (Avatex) and inquired as to
whether or not their modem had been used for BBSes. I learned that it was
used successfully with several types of software including some that we had
tried. I explained that I wanted something that was entirely different than
the RBBS, QBBS, PcBoards that were in my area and asked what the technician
suggested. He told me that WWIV had a very different look and feel and that
the Avatex would work quite well with it.
Since I had never seen a WWIV bbs board, I asked where to register and
what it cost and mailed Wayne Bell a check for $50 without ever having seen
WWIV.
Needless to say, I was not disappointed with the product that I
downloaded from Amber (v4.05) and I have been a happy user of WWIV ever since
then.
Filo
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack Ryan (1@4707)
I first started BBSing in 1986, after I got out of the Army, and started
college. I was a computer science major, and started playing around on the
national boards. After getting board with school (three years is my limit on
most things <g>), I started work for a computer company as a technician.
Since I was able to purchase equipment at cost, I soon put together my own
system.
Back in 1990 I called the only WWIV BBS we had in Columbus, MS. I got
addicted to it real quick, and called twice every day to get my TW2002 fix.
Anyway, the sysop was 15, and decided he was going to shut down, leaving me
with nothing to do after work. I got a copy of WWIV, registered it, and began
fumbling my way through modifying the source code.
I was able to attract a fairly decent following, considering the fact
that I had NO file area back then. Since that time I have run the only WWIV
BBS in Columbus, MS; Jackson, MS; and now Boca Raton, FL. However, every time
I setup in a new area a few WWIV boards start up after seeing what WWIV is all
about...
Jack Ryan
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ima Moron (1@9661)
I started to call BBSs as a way to meet and converse with people, the use
of the computer helps me avoid the stress of a face to face conversation. In
my second year of calling BBSs a local sysop had placed WWIV411.ZIP in a
directory labeled "..for so-and-so only", I immediately downloaded the file.
Kling the Lofty from the Sargon Empire never knew that I downloaded it, I
studied the software docs for several months before I put up Das' Tube BBS!
and here I am today.
Ima
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deacon Blues (2@7653)
I got into BBSing through my friend, Spelunker. I've known him for on
about 12 years now, long before either of us were a part of the BBS scene.
Back in those days, Spelunker and I were toying around with Extended Basic
programs on his old TI-99/4A. Eventually, Spelunker decided to upgrade to a
PC when the prices started to fall out on them about 4 years ago. Spelunker
then eventually invested in a modem as he continued to build his system.
Shortly thereafter, he began to call BBSs.
At first, I wasn't much interested in modeming. However, the more I
began to see of it through watching Spelunker online, the more interested I
became in getting into the modem scene. It was then, roughly two and one-half
years ago, that I applied for my first BBS account (which, by the way, was on
After Midnight / Up All Night, IceNET @11).
Deacon Blues
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Will (1@6754)
I got into BBSing in early 1988, after someone gave me a new 1200 bps
modem as a birthday present. I slapped it into my XT clone (I wasn't much of
a power user in those days - two 360k floppies), loaded up the truly horrible
terminal program, and dialed a number given to me by another friend. The BBS
on the other end happened to be the Crest (@7 WWIVnet, @4550IceNET). I logged
on and was hooked from the first line, despite the slowness of the system at
1200.
Over the next year or so, I upgraded to a new computer and hard drive,
and started playing with WWIV (like most people, my first reaction on seeing a
BBS was to want my own). I continued using local boards, but didn't have the
time to set my own up until August of 1992. That night, August Fourth, I must
have called every BBS in the 617 area code, plastering the number all over the
place, and telephoning all my friends. I still remember when my first new
user logged on, early the next morning....
Will
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Louie (6@1)
Now, why did I start BBSing? Well, that is a long complicated tale
involving Russian Spies, Elvis, and Carl Sagan. But I will give you the short
version.
I was a Computer Science Student at a local College. I met some folks
there in the Computer Science Club who were BBSers. They didn't get me into
BBSing per say, but I did aid in modding some source code of WWIV 3.21d for
them as we played around with the college's computer equipment. I didn't
really know why i was doing it, but it was a good time.
Later, I moved on I meet Renob1. He was a Engineering Major (the only
other group of equal intelligent as CS majors. Well, I guess we would have
accepted a math major as an equal but the school had about six of those and
they didn't like computers. Engineers needed us to write their Fortran
programs for them. :-) he he). Anyways, Renob1 had a new 386 20mhz at his
home and he was looking for some people to help him out with it. He was not
all that sure how to do all the fun stuff like install hard drives. Thank the
gods that be, he later dropped out of engineering.
Well, I set up his machine for him but wasn't all that sure how to handle
the modem. So, I had to track down some of the CS Club folks. They told me
how to install it and gave me some BBS Numbers to test it out on. Well, I
tested the modem... it worked... and I started to BBS.
Renob1 was a BBSer for about a year after that. He needed money later on
and sold his machine. I sold my system as well for money about a year after
him... but I needed my BBSing fix. So, I acquired an old Dumb Terminal and a
12oo baud modem to BBS with.
Well, there you had seven stories of how various people in WWIVworld
started to bbs.
Oh, lastly... I have noticed that BBSing seems to have become the
standard phrase for describing our hobby. When I started to BBS some other
phrases were still in use... Such as "Modeming" and "MUGing" (Modem User
Group). From what I understand MUGGERS didn't look too good on signs
directing people to bbs events. Seems they got a lot of dirty looks. I
wonder why. :-)
Louie (6@1) IceNEWS Contributing Editor
ÄÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÄ
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
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 2: "C:\REN MODEM.JOE MODEM.MAN"
When last we left our hero Joe Modem, he had just returned home after
escaping from the clutches of the evil V.T. Killer and his henchmen, Blue Ray
and Egg's Head, after V.T. had discovered Joe's true identity of ModemMan.
While en route to a meeting with his sidekick and co-sysop Pronto at Quakey's
Bar, Joe was rendered unconscious with a chloroform-soaked rag and taken into
a long, black limousine...
The muted noise of cars honking greeted Joe Modem as we awoke from his
chloroform-induced slumber. Glancing out the window, he noticed the familiar
hustle and bustle of Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Looking around, Joe noticed
he was sitting in the back of a long stretch limo.
"Ah, the luxuries of an expensive car," Joe said aloud to no one in
particular, "a TV, VCR, computer, and even a Smart Clapper! I wonder whose
limo this is anyway."
Keeping that thought in mind, Joe decided that is was an opportune time
to exercise his special abilities as ModemMan. Fetching his DIN connector
cable from his Tool Kit, ModemMan plugged one end of the cable into his ear
receptacle that allowed direct access to his physically-altered cerebral
cortex and plugged the other end into the onboard computer terminal of the
limo. ModemMan transferred his consciousness into the internal network of the
car's computer.
ModemMan floated through the internal net of the car, looking for a way
to find out any information that he could about his current situation.
Through the smoked glass barrier in front of him, ModemMan could see two
people in the front of the limo; one driving, the other a passenger. The dark
tinting of the window prevented ModemMan from seeing the features of the
faces, but he could see that they were engaged in a conversation. Again
looking through the internal net of the car's systems, ModemMan found what he
was looking for.
The limousine, like most luxury automobiles, was equipped with a series
of noise-cancelling speakers placed throughout the cabin of the car. Emitting
certain audio frequencies, these speakers served to help eliminate outside
noise from both the real world and from the mechanics of the car itself by
sending out inaudible audio signals to electronically eliminate extraneous
noise. This system relied on a small number of microphones located throughout
the car that sensed the audio frequency of intruding noise. ModemMan shifted
his consciousness into one of the microphones located in the front compartment
of the car. The sound quality was rather poor, but, at least, it was audible.
"Hey, boss. What're we gonna do with that weirdo in the back," asked one
voice. Suddenly it all came back to him. The voice was that of Egg's Head,
one of V.T. Killer's henchman! Wondering how all of this had happened,
ModemMan turned back to the conversation.
"Shut up! Can't you see I'm concentrating," shouted the other.
Hey, ModemMan thought, that's Blue Ray, the main henchman of V.T.
Killer. By now, everything had gotten a bit more clear. Apparently,V.T. had
discovered that Joe had escaped and had sent his thugs to re-capture him. Now
Egg's Head and Blue Ray were discussing how to bump him off!
"But Ray, weren't we supposed to put him in the Brain?" asked Egg's.
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that," Blue Ray replied sheepishly.
"You did, Ray, you did..."
What was "The Brain?" By this time, ModemMan figured it would be a good
time to escape before he got stuck in this Brain thing, whatever it was.
ModemMan searched the interrupt vectors of the computer, looking for some
means of escape. After several seconds of searching, he found it: The
electric door locks! ModemMan instantly commanded the computer to open the
rear doors and he immediately heard a mechanical clunk indicating that they
were now unlocked. When the car came to a red light, ModemMan seized the
opportunity.
Before disconnecting himself from the system, ModemMan sent a power spike
through the onboard computer system, instantly burning-out the main CPU of the
limo's internal computer system. With the computer system disabled, the car
stalled, its electronic ignition system no longer able to function. As Blue
Ray tried in vain to re-start the engine, ModemMan fled his captivity.
Both Blue Ray and Egg's Head spotted ModemMan exiting the vehicle and
attempted to pursue him. Blue Ray's exit was blocked by a street person who
had come up alongside the limo to wash the windshield in search of a hand-out.
Egg's fared better, managing to open his door and preparing to get out to
chase the escapee. Almost immediately, the door of the limo was violently
ripped clean off of the vehicle by a passing taxi that had decided to use the
sidewalk as a passing lane to avoid the traffic light. The taxi slammed to a
halt as the door from the limo wedged beneath the vehicle's front wheels and
the taxi driver slammed on the brakes. By the time Blue Ray and Egg's Head
managed to get out of the limo, ModemMan was nowhere to be seen.
Switching back into mild-mannered Joe Modem, Joe quickly looked around for
any signs of pursuit. Content that he'd successfully eluded his would-be
captors, Joe managed to hail a taxi and instructed the driver to take him to
Quakey's Bar, his original destination before he had been abducted. After the
taxi dropped him off at his destination, Joe entered the establishment.
All eyes turned to Joe as he proudly marched down the steps of the
establishment and bellied-up to the bar. Quickly surveying the room, Joe
noticed that Pronto was nowhere to be seen. Suspiciously eyeing the crowd
back, Joe motioned Quakey over to him.
"Hey, Quakey," Joe said, "What's the deal? Have you seen Pronto?"
"Joe! What're you doing here," Quakey whispered, implying that he did
not want the crowd to hear this conversation.
"Whaddaya mean 'What am I doing here?' I got a note from Pronto telling
me to meet him here. Has he been in?"
"Don't you know," asked Quakey nervously, shiftily glancing up and down
the long mahogany bar. "Some guy came in here. Said he was a cop and started
telling everyone to be on the lookout for you. He said you were guilty of
data crimes or something like that. Now, I think it would be wise for you to
be making your way out of here."
"But, Quakey, that's a load of hogwash. You know me. I'd never get
involved in something like that. Shoot, data crime is a capital offense, you
know. Where's Pronto? Was he hear when this went down? Did he leave or
something?"
"Yeah," replied Quakey, "he left after that guy came in. He told me I
should tell you to go over to his house. He seemed a bit frustrated. Now get
outta here before one of these characters decides to blow you in or
something." More confused then ever, Joe thanked Quakey and wished him a good
night as he walked out of the bar.
The full moon lit up the dim and gloomy sidewalk as Joe paced down Fourth
Avenue. The streets were deserted, except for a few cars passing by once in a
while. While he was walking, Joe took some time to think about the scenario.
None of it made much sense. First, V.T. Killer discovers who he really was.
Then, V.T. sends his goons out to capture him again, with instructions to put
him in someplace called "The Brain." Then, he's implicated in a data crime
scheme that could mean the death sentence if he's caught by the police.
There's got to be something more to this, mused Joe as he walked up the steps
to Pronto's house. Maybe Pronto has some idea just what the hell is going on.
With that, Joe rang the doorbell. He could hear its deep sound echo
throughout the house. After ringing once more, Pronto finally opened the
door. "Hey, Joe, where've ya been," Pronto asked. "I thought you were
captured or something!"
"To tell you the truth, Pronto, I was," replied Joe, still feeling a bit
uneasy from the limo episode. Joe recounted his exploits of the last hour as
the two men sat down in Pronto's living room.
"Sounds like you had a bad trip. Well, at least you got my message.
Here, I have something to show you." Pronto produced a videotape and inserted
it into his machine as he turned on his television. "I found this outside of
your door after I left Quakey's and went to your place to look for you when
you never showed up. You better see this..."
After the usual FBI warning, 21st Century Fox logo, and the previews for
the latest macho-action-computer movie "The Formatter," a face appeared and
spoke. Joe thought that the face looked vaguely familiar. As soon as he
heard the man's voice, it hit Joe who he was. "Hey, that's DesqTop,"
exclaimed Joe. DesqTop was an old friend of Joe's and was the Network
Coordinator of DesqNET, the largest computer network in the Tri-State area.
"Hello, Joe. Long-time-no-hear. Now, listen carefully. I assume that
you know by now that V.T. Killer is after you. Seems the dink thinks that
you're ModemMan." DesqTop smiled slightly, blissfully unaware that V.T. was
indeed correct. "I'm sorry I couldn't get this to you sooner, but I only just
now got a line on some important information from a reliable source. V.T.
has threatened to wipe out the entire BBS community unless he gets you, either
by you turning yourself in to him or by having one of us other sysops narc on
you. My source indicates that this chump _really does_ have the power to do
this and it seems that you're the only one who can stop him! Now, that's not
our main concern.
"You see, my source has deduced that V.T. Killer is _not_ the mastermind
in this devious plan. The real brains of this whole business is a figure
shrouded in mystery, unknown to all. Although my source has absolutely no
idea who this person is, we think that he is someone you've dealt with in the
past. He has apparently hired V.T. Killer and his band of hackers to be rid
of you. I don't know what you've got yourself into now, but somebody has
definitely got it in for you, and got it in for you _badly_. Bad enough to
hack the police file nets and make it look like you siphoned about a dozen
bank accounts. I've got my best people on this trying to see who hacked the
police nets, but I don't know if they will find any trail to clear you.
Anyway, I gotta go, some newbie is calling for a chat and I gotta see what he
wants. I just wanted to let you know that I know you're not a data hood and
I'm gonna do my best to help sort this out. Stay outta sight and stay outta
trouble 'till I get back in touch. Take care..." And with that, Pronto shut
off the tape.
After briefly mulling this new information, Joe jumped up and said
proudly, "Pronto, we must stop that dastardly villain, V.T. Killer, and his
boss, whoever it may be. Come on, let us journey back to Egg's Head's
supposed software store where we will hopefully find out who's behind this
evil plot and fight the forces of evil for truth, justice, and a higher
transfer rate for all!"
"Boy, boss, what's gotten into you? You sound like the narrator from
Superman or something," said Pronto, no doubt impressed by Joe's fine choice
of vocabulary.
"Sorry about that... I don't know what came over me. Must be the
effects of the chloroform..."
And with that, they were off. Squeezing into Pronto's old Chevy Nova was
quite a task. After a few unsuccessful tries, the engine finally sputtered to
life and the Digital Duo hit the road, leaving a dense trail of oil smoke
behind as the car back-fired through the exhaust, blowing the rotted remains
of the muffler clean off and leaving it in the middle of the road.
Luckily, there was no traffic on the FDR and they made good time getting
to Pier 12 & 1/2. A waiting ship in the neighboring wharf cast eerie shadows
on the wall,and completely blocked any light from the city. The two looked
for a way in, as the front door seemed to be boarded up. Taking out his handy
unbreakable grappling hook - he always carried a spare - Joe shot it in the
direction of the roof. The Digital Duo climbed up and looked for some way of
entering the building. An opening in the roof attracted their attention, but
they decided to 'Look before you leap.' After making sure no one was there,
the two slowly climbed down the provided ladder, into the hallway.
"OK, Pronto, let's split up. You go down that way and I'll take the
other," said Joe as he pointed toward the front of the store. "I want to see
if I can get any info out of their computer."
The two split up, with Pronto carefully checking out the back rooms as
Joe went up front to look at the computer. As he approached the front
counter, Joe reached into his Tool Kit and grabbed his interface cable.
Plugging himself in to the system, Joe, now ModemMan, started to look through
the system. He'd forgotten that he'd scrambled it when he was there earlier
and now tried to wade through the mess that he'd made.
Just as he thought he was making some progress, he found that his
interface was abruptly cut-off. He felt the interface cable being ripped out
of his ear and felt the rather large and forceful hand of V.T. Killer on his
shoulder, spinning ModemMan around to face him. ModemMan, quickly regaining
his senses, saw that V.T. was accompanied, as usual, by Blue Ray and Egg's
Head, who had Pronto in a rather painful-looking hammer-lock.
"Well, well, well..." said V.T., "I was just about to go and find you
myself, but it looks like you and your companion here saved me the hassle."
V.T. reached down to ModemMan's belt and removed his Tool Kit. "You won't be
needing that anymore, not where you're going."
"And just where is that," asked ModemMan. "To `The Brain'?"
"Eventually," replied V.T. as Blue Ray came over to bind and gag
ModemMan while Egg's Head did the same to Pronto. "But first, my boss wants a
few words with you." V.T. motioned to the door. "C'mon, ModemMan, yer goin'
for a little ride... heh, heh, heh..."
To Be Continued...
In the next chapter: Did V.T. Killer's limo have collision insurance?
Why has Joe Modem been set-up for data crimes? Did he and Pronto rewind the
videotape or will they have to pay the $2.00 rewinding fee? Who is V.T.
Killer's boss? Why is Pronto being taken hostage with ModemMan? And how will
ModemMan survive without his Tool Kit? Find out in the next mind-boggling
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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