################################################################ # # # BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News # # # ################################################################ ---------------------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT 1993 ISSN 1055-4548 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Volume 7, Issue 2 Issue #66 February 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- article title author ---------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer/Statement of Policy.............................Staff From The Editor.................................Scott Hollifield Submission Guidelines......................................Staff Notes From the Trenches............................Dean Costello Protecting Your Investment............................David Moss Mark's Toy Box: Kai's Power Tools for Windows........Mark Maisel Life on the Lines..............................Bernie Starchaser Review: CMPQWK v1.31....................................Tim Hoff Local Music in February.............................Judy Ranelli Special Interest Groups (SIGs).........................Eric Hunt Known BBS Numbers..........................................Staff ---------------------------------------------------------------- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ DISCLAIMER AND STATEMENT OF POLICY FOR BTN ################################################################ We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its *editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions, etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN, even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood of such damages occurring. With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles, please forward a copy of your publication to: Mark Maisel Publisher, BTN 606 Twin Branch Terrace Birmingham, AL 35216 (205) 823-3956 We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing all of this and not get too serious about it. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ FREEBIE!!! GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT! Systems That Offer Free BTN ################################################################ The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios. ADAnet One Alter-Ego Baudville Bloom County Bone Yard Bus System The Castle Channel 8250 C.A.B. The Comfy Chair! Crunchy Frog DC Info Exchange Final Frontier The Guardian Hardware Hotline Homewood's Hell Hole Joker's Castle Leaping's Lounge Lion's Den Martyrdom Again?! The MATRIX Milliways BBS The Outer Limits Owl's Nest Playground Safe Harbor Southern Stallion Starbase 12 Thy Master's Dungeon Torch Song Weekends BBS (This list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.) If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as a free BTN distributor. Thanks. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ NEWSFLASH! NEWSFLASH! NEWSFLASH! ################################################################ *** *** SYSOPS! *** *** Be sure and check your listing in the Known BBS Numbers List to make sure it's accurate. Corrections should be sent to SCOTT HOLLIFIELD on Channel 8250, The Matrix, or Crunchy Frog. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ FROM THE EDITOR Scott Hollifield ################################################################ Well, another late issue, but who cares? I've come to the conclusion that virtually all the worlds' problems are, in some way, the fault of a deadline. Or, put another way, that people could get along much more easily if they'd just relax and try to deal with their situation without being hung up on where it's taking them and how long before they get there. So, in cognizance of this, BTN proudly bides its time, sleeps till noon, and decides not to show its face until the fifth of the month. Maybe we'll be on time next month, maybe not. I'm not going to waste energy worrying about it. We also have a somewhat short issue this month, which is something else I'm determined not to worry about. A glimpse at the table contents (and, preferably, an intense study of the rest of the issue) will reveal a smattering of the usual suspects as well as a couple of new faces. We have two software reviews this month, one from newcomer Tim Hoff and one from our esteemed publisher, Mark Maisel. Mark's new column receives its official grand opening this month, as he promises to share a peek into that fabulous, glamorous world of nifty software which, somehow, only he can afford to allow. Dean Costello is back with what is becoming an alarmingly regular series of columns. David Moss will help you protect your most prized possession from those who would take it from you; Bernie Starchaser pulls back the windowshades to gaze out over the ocean of history to a more innocent time in the annals of local BBSing; and once again, Judy Ranelli is back to forge the cosmic link between telecommunications and the local music scene, two great tastes that go great together. Thanks to everyone who wrote me asking about the Known BBS Numbers List position. I've tentatively selected a candidate who seems the most qualified, and he's due to start next month. Hopefully, the intense barrage of media scrutiny won't scare him away, and we have the utmost faith in his performance for the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings. Again, thanks to you if you showed interest. That's all. See you next month, and have a happy and safe Presidents Day. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ SUBMISSION GUIDELINES ################################################################ I. ARTICLE LENGTH Right now, there's no strict enforcement of a length restriction, but if your submission is somewhat short, I may request that you make it longer. Anyone can sit down and type out a screen's worth of stuff. I have yet to encounter an article that was too *long*, so don't worry about that. II. SUBJECT MATTER Again, there's no hard-and-fast rules about subject matter. I'm interested in seeing material on a wide variety of topics. That includes BBSs, politics, music, books, or better yet, something that doesn't neatly fall into any one category. Next to that, my favorite articles are the ones that have something to do with BBSing, since that is supposedly what we're sort of about. Technical reviews are also good. I tend to kind of frown on fiction, but I'm willing to take a look at anything you've got. If it's interesting enough, your chances are good. Politics is fine, but try not to rant--and make whatever you have to say original. I can go out and find ten Rush Limbaughs if I want. Also refrain from "This Is What Happened To Me Today" slice-of-life articles unless it's leading somewhere good. Reviews should be both informative and opinionated. Don't be too objective, but still tell us about what you're reviewing. III. FILE FORMAT Plain and simple ASCII is preferred, but we can convert WordPerfect files if need be. IV. STYLE GUIDELINES 1. Use a right margin of 72 columns. 2. Indent paragraphs at the fifth column. 3. Put two spaces after each sentence. 4. Skip a line after each paragraph. 5. Refrain from using BBS-specific devices like "" and ":-)". 6. Be sure to give your article a title. 7. Try to use correct grammar, spelling and capitalization! My staff proofread as best as we can, but a well-typed article makes our job easier. 8. The dash is correctly typed as two hyphens, like "--". Use it to set apart phrases and clauses--as with this sentence. 9. To emphasize a word, place a pair of asterisks around it, like *this*. This takes the place of italics (except for titles; see 12). 10. If you have to emphasize a group of words, use capitals, AS IN THIS EXAMPLE. I generally don't like the way that looks, so use it sparingly, if at all. 11. If you're unsure whether to spell out a number or not, leave it in numeral form. 12. Titles of books, films, plays, albums and works of art are surrounded by underlines, like: U2's _The Joshua Tree_. This takes the place of italics in this regard; I call it "title-cizing". On the other hand, television shows, songs, poems, article titles and short stories are surrounded by quotation marks. V. HOW DO I SUBMIT AN ARTICLE? The easiest way is to upload it as a private file on one of two systems: The Matrix and the Crunchy Frog. (Their phone numbers are listed at the end of this feature.) To upload a file privately, begin your file description with a slash ("/"). Then leave me (SCOTT HOLLIFIELD) a private message telling me what the file name is, so that I can have the sysop make it available for me. Another way is to leave me the article as a private message, or a series of private messages. If you become a regular contributor to BTN, you can get access to the private BTNWA conference, which is for BTN writers. There we discuss articles, policy, ideas, etc. The BTNWA conference also contains a private file directory which I can access more easily than a private file outside BTNWA. That's it! Get to work! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ################################################################ NOTES FROM THE TRENCHES Dean Costello ################################################################ I Don't Think That This Is Necessarily A Good Idea... I had an interesting chat with one of my colleagues at the office this evening. First we were talking about capital punishment, then we segued into the representativeness of Congress, then moved onto the possible information superhighway. All and all, a pretty far-reaching conversation. We began on a curious note. I had been in Orlando working on a Navy base that is being shut down, and I got to talking with the site manager about capital punishment one day during lunch. Well, it didn't really start with capital punishment, but with a discussion of whether or not parents are abrogating their responsibility in protecting their children from violent, well, anything, by making manufacturers be the ones to limit their products. We basically came to the conclusion that people are getting zealous about violence because it offends their sensibilities, and are using children as an excuse for their zealotry. I'm sure that there are those that are sincere about their lessening the amount of violence to which their youngsters are exposed. But I cannot help but think that maybe their ideals aren't so pure, and that children are a convenient excuse. As a result, I went out and bought about twenty copies of Mortal Kombat for the Sega, even though I think that owning a video game system is somewhat silly. Someone has to support it. Scott Hollifield had the idea that due to the increase in technological standards, the people that are being pummelled look real, as opposed to something vaguely person-shaped. As a result, the parent-types came to the conclusion that enough was enough, and accordingly Toys 'R Us caved in to the threat of pressure. Fah, if this country actually didn't like violence, why are movies with eviscerations always rated 'R', and movies that have people screwing rated 'X' (or sometimes NC-17, but that's another story). So we were talking capital punishment. Bob thought that capital punishment was a pretty good idea. I replied why. He said it was basically the revenge point of view. I stated that I cannot see that position, and he felt that that may be because I don't have a close family. For example, he has the wife and three kids, and his position is that if an individual were to kill one (I assume with malice aforethought), he would want to get revenge. I guess I can see that position, but I cannot accept it. You see, my grandfather was beaten to death in a bar robbery back in 1973. Even so, I just cannot fathom this overwhelming desire to get revenge. Bob said that he couldn't believe what a pacifist I was. As far as I am concerned, capital punishment is silly and deliberately nasty. It doesn't reduce the crime rate (in fact when an individual is put to death the rate of the crime that they are being executed for goes up), its expensive ($3,000,000 to kill a prisoner, as opposed to $30,000/year/prisoner for maximum security), the idea behind the rule of law is to allow the central government to control policing and punishment, and on top of that, its very hard to say you're sorry to a dead person. So, the only reason for capital punishment? Well, I heard an explanation by a sociologist a couple of years back: "Sometimes a crime occurs that is so personally heinous that you, as a member of the society, demand blood. Revenge, pure and simple." Revenge strikes me as a poor reason for killing a person. Bob's statement confused me, so I sought out Andrew. He has a political science background, he went to a peace college, and he is working in computers. This was a good combination, since I also graduated from a peace college (e.g. a school that is affiliated with a religious sect that is traditionally associated with peace studies, i.e. Quakers, Church of the Brethren), and I had questions about the other subjects. I asked him about the pacifist comment. He thought about it for a moment, and said, "Well, it's kind of hard to say. You see, you have to look at the individual versus the society. In other words, an individual action that is judged 'moral' may not be 'moral' when examined from the point of view of an entire society. Think about it for a minute: It may be appropriate for an individual to say, "Well, I think it is a moral action to put Gerry Adams to death because he is a terrorist". However, it isn't appropriate for the U.S. Government to say, "We should put Gerry Adams to death for terrorist activities." (FYI: Gerry Adams is the president of Sinn Fein, the political side of the Irish Republican Army.) Andrew continued: "This does not mean that I would not choose the death of an individual trying to kill my family versus the death of a member of my family." I then went for the payoff: "Well, what would be your position in case of..." He began nodding, "Yes, I see where you are going. I don't think that I can answer that at this time. I would suspect that I would want that justice system to continue on, and that I wouldn't want to kill the person of my own volition, but it is impossible to say what I would actually do in that case." Logical enough, I suppose. We move onto Congress. I asked Andrew about a theory that Brett Thorn was bandying around a couple of years ago. The theory goes like this: Many people are bitching and moaning about how unresponsive Congress is to the average American, with a lot of representative term limits being the result. However, the people in the area have the freedom to vote against the incumbant. So, in essence, the state's residents are voting against themselves. Therefore, the problem apparently is that the Congressional representative must be too representative of the districts: "My representative mirrors the feelings of my district. Yours is a scoundrel, however, and needs to be thrown out of office." Confusing, isn't it? Well, Andrew came through in the clutch again. "I am sure that what you say [Thorn Theory of Unrepresentative Representativeness] if probably true at one level. Take a look at the 1980 election. Reagan, et al, promised that defense spending would be increased and taxes cut. Now, what does that lead to? Higher deficits, but the defense/tax cut is what the public wanted, and the government came through for the public." Now, crime apparently is the problem, and I see that Clinton (and presumedly Congress) is ready to spend a LOT of money on cops and prisons. But that's another question. Andrew again: "I would say that more likely the representatives are doing what they think are in their own best interests, and when it coincides with the public, so much the better." His statements got me to thinking about the proposed information superhighway, and the possibility of more-or-less true interactive government. Andrew: "I think the concept is interesting, since it would show what the individuals in the crowd really think about subjects, and to find out what they feel are important issues of the day." My problem with the concept is that I hold the average individual in the highest of contempt since they are, well, more stupid than myself and probably unable to dredge up the important concepts. In essence, I am concerned that a truly interactive government would lead to individuals voting for bread and circuses. Andrew disagreed with me: "I don't think that it is likely to happen the way you say. At the best of times, a minority of individuals are interested in political issues. As a result, bread-and-circuses is unlikely. Also remember from whom the power in interactive government is coming from. Congress and various lobbying organizations are the ones that make the decisions, relatively speaking. How likely is it that they would voluntarily ditch their own perogatives? I believe that there will be some form of interactive representativeness, but the actually power will be limited. Remember that the magic of their media is not the decision-making power, which I feel is not going to be there, but the ability for government to find out how the public truly feels, without the filters of special-interest groups and lobbies." I put more credence in the bread-and-circuses position, as well as the Thorn Theory, than in what Andrew says, but he makes good points. Think about them, and decide which you think is more accurate. Remember what Adlai Stevcenson said: "America gets the government it deserves." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT David Moss ################################################################ How many of you ever think about your computer equipment being stolen? Yeah, hate to even think about it, don't you? With an average setup, you could be out of a very sizable investment. How many of you are prepared for the loss of your equipment? There isn't a whole lot you can do to prevent the theft, working with the old adage "if they want it they'll get it". However, there are some precautions you can take to aid in the retrieval of your system, and some tips to help render your system useless for the unsuspecting person that ends up with it. Register all of your software promptly. The software you buy today comes with registration numbers. Record these numbers. If your computer is stolen, you should report the loss of the software to the author. Also, read the fine print that comes with your software. Find out what the company's policy is towards theft, or loss of the software. Keep back-up copies of the original diskettes in a safe place. If your computer is stolen, the thieves may just as well take a couple of boxes of diskettes in the process. A couple of boxes of diskettes are the least of your worries, right? Not if they contain the original installation diskettes. You could be out a hefty chunk of money if the software is not replaceable by the manufacturer. While you're at it, make sure you write down the telephone numbers of the manufacturers. Also on this same list be sure to include the telephone number of your local police department. I've been vandalized before, and believe me, you aren't thinking very clearly when you come home to find half of your belongings gone. It would help expedite matters if you had one list to get. This list should contain descriptions, as well as serial numbers, date of purchase, manufacturer, the phone numbers, cost of each item, and anything else you can think of to aid in the identification of your equipment. The computers you buy today come with a key lock on the front of the machine. Use it! This lock can be overcome, but it will hinder the user who ends up with it. All this lock does is lock the keyboard. If you are running a program like Windows, the user will still have access to it. Be sure to I.D. your equipment. One of the best ways to do this is to remove the cover and write an I.D. number on the inside of the machine. You can even write your name and address. If the bandits ever have to have the machine serviced, an honest technician may report it stolen. While you're at it, write down the phrase "THIS MACHINE IS STOLEN." This will catch a technician's eye pretty quick. There are other ways to I.D. your equipment such as branding irons, but I don't recommend these as you may damage your own equipment in the process. Let's look at some ways to render the computer useless to the individual who ends up with it. If this person knows the computer is stolen, he may attempt to format the hard drive. This will eliminate some hidden files you may have installed that contain the serial numbers of the programs. Well, if you're like me, you buy all your floppies pre-formatted. So why do you need to keep the Format command on your hard drive? Remove the Format command from the hard drive and keep it on a floppy in a safe place. This will only hinder the user slightly, but he will be forced to hunt another Format command to re-install, just so he can eliminate the evidence. And if you ever need it, you can quickly copy it back to the hard drive, or even run it from the floppy. The last line in your autoexec.bat determines what program is launched. Most folks that use Windows have the word "win" typed there. All this does is launch Windows at boot up. Here is a neat trick to confuse the thief who gets your machine. Refer to your DOS manual if you attempt this. Remove the path statement in autoexec.bat; this will keep any program from being launched from the root directory. Next, remove the "win" statement from autoexec.bat as well. This prevents Windows from being launched at boot up. Next, enter the prompt as: "prompt=$e[30;40m$p$g$e[30;40m " Be sure to leave the space at the end of the prompt. And be sure that ANSI.SYS is loaded in config.sys. Finally, write a batch file that restores your original path statement, and the original prompt file. What all of this does is: when the user boots up your computer he will be staring at a blank screen. The commands will still work, but they will be invisible. You removed the path statement to prevent the thief from simply typing "win" to start Windows. The batch file you write should be named something short, like RED. When you boot up, simply type RED at the blank screen to restore you to normal usage. Don't attempt this without referring to the DOS manual. Also, be sure to keep the batch file in the root directory. Remember, with no active path statement, DOS will look no further to find it. If the thief is a complete novice, he may type HELP at the command line. Since this command is an external command, and located in the DOS directory, you may want to consider removing it. There are several other external commands that you rarely use. Take a look at these commands and determine if they are needed in the first place. One benefit to removing unwanted commands is it will free up some badly needed disk space, as well as making it difficult for the crook who gets your machine. Feeling brave? You can always install a virus. Name it HELP and you can rest easy knowing the crook will have a nightmare attempting to rearrange the sectors that have been scrambled by the virus. This is a little bit out in left field, but so is someone breaking into your home. There are literally hundreds of methods available to render a machine useless, too many to cover in this article alone. There's everything from password protection schemes to live virus protection. I would like to say a word about password protection. If you choose a program that forces you to enter your password, select one that will not allow a floppy boot-up. These types are useless if you can simply boot from drive A or B. If the way you choose is to install a virus, be extremely careful, and select the type virus that will render the machine completely useless. What you are seeking here is that the thief will take the machine to a technician for repair. Remember your I.D. message on the inside of the machine? Did you write one inside the monitor as well? What I hope you have gotten out of this is that you have started thinking about the theft of your property. There are some new businesses popping up that will come to your house, for a fee, and video tape your entire house. This tape is very useful for insurance purposes. Your computer is insured, isn't it? It is covered under household, isn't it? For what amount? The questions are endless. Are you really protected? A quick look at your policy can answer this. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call your insurance agent. Ask specifics. Ask point blank, "Is my computer equipment covered?" All the slick tricks in the world won't prevent your equipment from being stolen. There are, however, some very useful predetermined strategies you can invoke to make it a little less painful. If rendering your machine useless to the thief will make you rest a little more comfortably, do so. It does me. If you take it from me, good luck. I have a nasty sense of humor anyway. If you have some favorite tips you would like to share on this subject, I would love to hear them. A good common sense approach, and a lot of thinking on this subject may pay off if your machine is ever stolen. I can be e-mailed at The Crunchy Frog, The Matrix, or at Weekends. My Internet address is; dmoss@weekends.com. I would love to hear from you. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ MARK'S TOY BOX Mark Maisel ################################################################ Product: Kai's Power Tools for Windows Publisher: HSC Software Requires: Intel 386 or 486 processor, MS-DOS 5.0 or higher, MS-Windows 3.1 or higher, 4 megs memory, color VGA display adapter, color monitor, mouse or equivalent, Adobe Photoshop 2.5 or other "Adobe Standard" plug-in compatible software Recommended: Intel 486DX processor, 8 or more megs memory, 24 bit color display adapter Expect to pay: $89-99 Are you amazed at some of the computer graphics you see on BBS's and elsewhere? Have you wondered how some of the effects and designs were created? While Kai's Power Tools doesn't do everything, you'll start to wonder what it can't do after a few hours with it! This is an amazing piece of software. KPT is a set of fantastic filters for use with Adobe Photoshop 2.5, Fractal Design Painter 2.0, Aldus Photostyler 2.0, Picture Publisher 4.0 and other comparable programs, provided they support the "Adobe Standard" for plug-in filters. KPT has been available for Macintosh users for a few years. I've envied them for some time. When they announced they were coming out with a version for IBM compatible machines, I called to reserve a copy. It showed up a few weeks ago and I've played with it during every free minute. I've used plug-in filters before and while they are very good, I've never seen anything like KPT. I cannot begin to do justice to this package within the confines of a review. However, the main features will be described. First, there is the Gradient Designer. This tool allows you to create a virtually unlimited variety of gradients to use in fills. Every aspect of gradients is under your control; up to 500 shades and with transparency. Next is the Texture Explorer. Currently, this is my favorite. The way it works is that it brings up a window with initial textures. In the middle is a larger block of texture, the current pick. It is surrounded by twelve smaller blocks of slightly differing textures. Clicking on one of these smaller blocks will make it the current texture. To the left is a tree. Balls on the tree determine the rate of mutation in the texture blocks. The closer to the base of the tree, the less mutation and the closer to the top, the more mutation that will occur. Between the base of the tree and the window is a multicolored ball. Clicking on it will change the colors within your textures. Experimentation is easy and lots of fun. Since there are so many possibilities, there is an ability to save a texture so it may be called up for later use. There is a set of fractal exploration tools. These may be used to create beautiful backgrounds or free standing art work. They offer, along with the previously named tools, incredible flexibility. The remainder of the tools are excellent filters. My favorites among them at present are the glass lenses. These will take your image or active portion thereof and create the effect of looking through a lens at the image. I made a gorgeous series of crystal balls using these filters. The interface is not standard Windows. I've never seen anything quite like it but it resides comfortably in Windows. After using it for a while, I prefer it to Windows. Now for the potentially bad news. I've been using this package with Adobe Photoshop. Both Photoshop and KPT require lots of processing power and memory to work best. I did my testing on a 486DX2-66 with 16 megs of memory. Even with this, there were a few times when I waited a minute or two. On a slower machine with less memory, this could translate into possibly intolerably long waits. If you are looking for an excellent set of tools for enhancing your graphics, look no further than KPT. I'm not terribly talented when it comes to creating original art work with a computer but KPT will help anyone unleash creative ideas regardless of talent. If you can use a mouse, you can use KPT. One of my first samples is available on Crunchy Frog if you are interested. The name of the file is KATHY_M2.GIF. There is some loss going from 24 bit color to 8 bit, but it is still an interesting alteration. I hope you've enjoyed this piece on Kai's Power Tools. If you have questions about it, or any other computer/software related topics, feel free to send me a message via EZNet, The MATRIX, or Crunchy Frog. Next month, I'll be talking about Photoshop 2.5 for Windows. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ LIFE ON THE LINES Bernie Starchaser ################################################################ This Month: Oh Where Oh Where Have The BREEZERS Gone? So, is my mail reader having a spasm, or have there been no messages whatsoever on Channel 8250's BREEZIN' Conference for MONTHS AND MONTHS??? What gives? Did all the Breezers die except for me and Scott? Don't any of you remember those happy, carefree days of Fred Chateau and RCP/M? Has my mail addiction actually reached the point where I *long* for a flame from my age-old arch-enemy, GT The Anarchist? BREEZIN' was always a laid-back, low-stress atmosphere. Even our arguments were in fun. No serious and pedantic debates about current events. We generally Breezed about music, mostly. Sometimes someone would start up a friendly flame-war just for funzies, but most of the time we were above that. Well, the world turns and times change, it's true. But can there really be no more Breezers? Lets test that. {OFFICIAL BREEZER TEST} Answer each question with a yes or no. Record your answers. 1. Do you enjoy good, unstructured, free-flowing conversation, such as often springs up spontaneously at parties and such? 2. Can you quote the lyrics of your favorite songs from memory? 3. Do you enjoy giving a little good-natured ribbing? 4. Do you have no objections to receiving a little good-natured ribbing? 5. Can you follow, simultaneously, five or six message threads in the same conference at once without getting a headache? Score yourself 1 point for each YES answer and 0 points for each NO answer. Then answer this... -**- 6. Don't you REALLY want to be a Breezer, deep down inside? Add 5 points for a YES answer to question 6. Subtract 5 for a no. Now, add up your scores, I'll wait.... ....Hmmmmmmmmm .... ...all done? Good, now, compare your results to this table: SCORE RESULT 10 Die Hard Breezer, Drop me a note on 8250! 6 - 9 There's hope for you, come to 8250 and we'll talk about it. 5 Your heart's in the right place. We'll teach you the rest. -10 - 4 Never mind. Now, any of you who scored 5 or more, call Channel 8250 RIGHT NOW, join the Breezin' Conference and leave me a message telling me about it. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE SOMEWHERE! "He's old enough to know what's right, But young enough not to choose it, He's noble enough to win the world, But weak enough to lose it, He's a New World Man..." -RUSH - NEW WORLD MAN - From Album: SIGNALS- BCNU! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ REVIEW: CMPQWK v1.31 OFF-LINE MAIL READER Tim Hoff ################################################################ Although most experienced BBSers and message posters find that change is a difficult thing when one is accustomed to one particular piece of software, change can be good sometimes. I myself am no exception to the rule, so when someone asked me to try CMPQwk I cringed and thought, "No, not another one! I'm happy with my old reliable OLX!"; but after 30 minutes of drivel, I broke down and said "okay". Boy was I surprised. CMPQwk is one of the nicer off-line mail readers that I have ever used. It is a Windows-based application that allows its user to point and click on a variety of options. With all the options that CMPQwk has, a person could get lost using it. Never fear though; a nice icon menu bar is available, though some of the icons on the bar are not very self-explanatory. As is typical though, the Windows Help option is always there. There are a few problems with CMPQwk that need to be addressed before they make it a fully marketable program. One of the problems I encountered was that if I closed the program without closing the current mail packet, when I went to restart the program, I was often locked out, and had to completely restart the machine. I had to then manually go into the directory and delete the un-closed mail packet to regain usage of the program. Another problem that I encountered was that if there was any type of problem compressing the packet or downloading it, CMPQwk gave me a runtime error and stopped, instead of displaying some type of message to that effect of the error. Something that may not be a problem once the software is registered is taglines. The unregistered copy of version 1.31 that I am evaluating displays a choice of taglines on setup, but when reviewing a reply I have found only a line stating that this CMPQwk is an unregistered version. No tagline in sight. Oh well, are taglines that important with such a quality off-line reader? I'd have to say yes, but that's just me. CMPQwk, with it's Windows format, allows its users to switch from conference to conference without having to exit a conference to gain access to another. For those of you who don't have a spell-checker handy, CMPQwk has one built in. Though the dictionary is not that extensive, it has an option for adding words to a personal one. CMPQwk can be configured to your personal touch. A variety of lists and even a rubber stamp is available; my favorite, though, is the twit list. A person or subject can be added to the twit list and CMPQwk will not display them when a packet from that specific BBS is loaded. The rubber stamps are nice: a stamp can be configured with a particular phase or signature that can then be placed anywhere in a reply. Multiple stamps can be configured. Packet management is another feature that I have found invaluable. You can configure it so that mail packets are auto-renumbered and can be deleted after x amount of days. For those of you that don't have a photographic memory, CMPQwk has one for you. Messages can be copied to topic folders and reviewed, usable at a later date even after the packet holding the message has been deleted. Other nice options include changeable fonts and colors, text search, export options, and read and write window setups. Many of these options can be found on other mail readers, but the ease of operation just can't be beat. I have thoroughly enjoyed using this reader, and am looking forward to being a registered user of it. Anyone looking for a copy of CMPQwk version 1.31 can find it on The Matrix BBS, The Drawing Room BBS, and many more. This review is nothing more than one man's observations and opinions. For more information on purchasing a copy of CMPQwk version 1.31 offline mail reader, contact Derek Backus via ASA CompuHelp BBS at (604) 476-4058. Sysops can get discounts for their users by registering 10 or more people at a time. All of this information can be found in files when you download CMPQwk. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ LOCAL MUSIC IN FEBRUARY Judy Ranelli ################################################################ Well, it's almost the 4th, during which I am finally turning 21. I shall be in New Orleans while you folks remain here, but that's just fine, because there's lots of music going on. Therefore, get out of your houses and fry your eardrums on the following: Fri. 2/4 DASH RIP ROCK/AUTUMN LORDS at The Nick Loud and laughable, I am sure those of you reminiscing of your Greek days will find this show a pleasure. I have also confirmed that the Autumn Lords' singer's stage name is "D.D. Starshaker", so go call him Chris instead. Fri. 2/4 GEORGIA SATELLITES at Louie Louie Strange to type that one. This will probably be a packed house but I cannot tell what form or version of the group will perform. IF you liked them in the old days, you might like them now. Also appearing on the 5th at the Ivory Tusk in youknowwhere. [Ed.: Tuscaloosa, in case youdon'tknowwhere.] Sat. 2/5 MARDI GRAS FUNDRAISER at the Alabama Theatre This event to fund the renovations of the Alabama Theatre is featuring the Louisiana Sunspots and the we're-broke-up-but-not-and Carol's-left-but-she-hasn't Sugar La La's. Tickets are 35 bucks and it's a black tie affair (which ensures that I wouldn't be able to go if I were in town). Sounds like fun. Mon. 2/7 SCRAWL/CLUBBER LANG at The Nick Scrawl is a partly female band who have been recommended to me but whom I've never heard. I may appear briefly before work. Clubber Lang is an eclectic group of people with a dread-headed guitarist and a woman playing violin. Some interesting melodies; I hate the name, but they sound different from most groups. This adds up to: show with potential. Risk factor 30%. Tue. 2/8 JOE CHRIST at The Chukker in Tuscaloosa I have no idea what this is, except a movie is involved (?) and the flyer by itself was enough for me to include Mr. Christ in this column. Wed. 2/9 CRACKER/COUNTING CROWS at Zydeco Whooie, I like Cracker, and know nothing of Crow thing, but call ahead of time, tickets rumored to be at least $10. Thu. 2/10 TOPPER PRICE AND THE UPSETTERS at Zydeco Yes, he plays harmonica on the Brother Cane single and he will surely drink you under the table if you're buying, and they is good. Fri. 2/11 I don't recommend anything other than making your own music, or making some money, or both, or making other things. Besides, you'll need your beauty rest for tomorrow night, which is: Sat. 2/12 FIVE EIGHT/FUZZY SUNS at The Nick Fuzzy Suns feature anal expulsive little Mike Portero and frighteningly weird Davey Williams doing things to guitars that will make your inner child blush. Combine this assault with Five Eight and I think you will find some theraputic benefits after the hangover goes away. As this should take a week, why don't we jump over the mundane to: Fri. 2/18 SHALLOW/SUBDUING MARA/MARILYN'S NEIGHBORS at The Nick Shallow is getting better at getting to me, which is not an easy feat considering, and the other bands are a mystery. Remember, though: mysteries can be treats. Sat. 2/19 THE RADIATORS at Louie Louie Louisiana blues/Subdudes thing from a very established band. Should be a big show party kind of thing. Sun. 2/20 SWINGING NECKBREAKERS at The Nick Kind of cool name, supposed to be retro basic guitar, I think I shall go and see. Tues. 2/22 JONATHAN RICHMAN at Zydeco He's just so wonderful. Top recommendation from me this month. Rides the Trailways or Greyhound everywhere he plays. Writes songs I would amputate organs to create. Sat. 2/26 STRUTTER at Louie Louie Maybe I'll finally cough up the money to see this because they have gotten positive reviews from everyone I know that's also into seeing a Kiss cover band with acoutrements and blood. Or is blood an acoutrement? Tues. 3/1 SWERVEDRIVER at The Nick A sort of Soundgardenish thing whose tape has been incessantly played at the Nick. Not that that *means* anything, mind you, but sometimes loud walls of sound and growling guitars are the only things that jiggle my brains back into cohesiveness. Tentative Sat. 3/5 THE TICKS at The Nick Dammit, we're buttkicking so I'll slam this in here. Consider it my birthday present. Other stuff: Saw FLOP at the Chukker last night, so good I bought a t-shirt, wish they'd played longer. Those of you with taste might also want to sample the new Redd Kross. Also: New Shaggs CD is shudderingly perfect. The new club on 20th where the old Piggly Wiggley used to be is a project of Tony Ruffino's of New Era Productions (he's the guy that books Oak Mountain and the Civic Center, capiche?). This large music hall is rumored to be a showcase arena. For the uninformed, a showcase is a performance specifically for record producers/A&R persons visiting town to see a local act. Tony used to be part owner of Brother's Music Hall with Dan Nolen (of the Nick). Let's hope this music hall improves the visibility of Birmingham as a musical market nationwide. Gotta go now; anyone has comments, send them to da editor. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS (SIG's) [COMPUTER RELATED] compiled by Eric Hunt ################################################################ BIPUG Alabama UniForum Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group Homewood Public Library UAB Nutrition Science Blg 1st Tuesday RM 535/541 Shawn Cleary 870-6130 1st Sunday (delayed one week if meeting is a holiday) Marty Schulman 967-5883 Birmingham Apple Core Informal breakfast meeting every Saturday, 9am - 11am @ Kopper Kettle, lower level Brookwood Village Mall Formal meeting held second Saturday of each month, location variable (to be announced at breakfast meetings and in the user group's newsletter "The PEEL".) President: Sam Johnston - 322-5379 Vice-Prez: Marie Prater - 822-8135 The SIG listing is being re-verified. If you know of an active Computer Related user's group, please let me know. I can be reached via Internet email at eric.hunt@the-matrix.com or drop me a note directly on the MATRIX. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ################################################################ KNOWN BBS NUMBERS FOR THE BIRMINGHAM AREA ################################################################ Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed on the Matrix or Crunchy Frog to Scott Hollifield or Mark Maisel. ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3) 250-0013 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] ADAnet One (Node 4) 254-6050 2400-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] Alcatraz BBS 608-0880 300-9600 PCBoard 15.0 [he, vi] Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 1200-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] Baudville (Nodes 1-7) 995-0013 300-2400 Major BBS 6.12 [none] Bloom County 985-4335 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 15.1 [in] Bus System 987-5419 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [none] Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 USR HST WWIV 4.12 [none] Castle, The 841-7618 300-2400 Image 1.2 [none] Channel 8250 (Node 1) 744-8546 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Channel 8250 (Node 2) 744-5166 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Cherry Tree 681-1710 1200-14400 TriBBS 4.01 [wm, ca] Christian Apologetic 808-0763 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 3.90 [ez, cp] Crocodile Country BBS 477-6283 1200-16800 USR DS Searchlight 3.5 *RIP* [sl, fi] Crunchy Frog (Node 1) 823-3957 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] Crunchy Frog (Node 2) 823-3958 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] Crystal Village 856-3749 1200-2400 VBBS 6.10 [cr, cs, al, ho, co, fn, vi] Den, The 933-8744 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 15.1 [ez, mn, il] Digital Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.60 [pl] Electro-BBS 491-8402 300-14400 V.32/42 Maximus 2.01 [fi] Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, ve, ad, wg, pt, ed, gn] Final Frontier 838-5634 300-14400 VBBS 6.11 *RIP* [al, he, re, fn] Free Enterprise 856-9809 300-2400 [fi, sz] Genesis Online(Nodes 1-6) 620-4150 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 6.11 [mr] Gone Fishin' 733-0860 1200-14000 Searchlight 3.5a *RIP* Guardian, The (Node 1) 425-1951 1200-14400 V.42bis VBBS 6.11 [vi] Guardian, The (Node 2) 425-1956 1200-14400 V.42bis VBBS 6.11 [vi] Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 1200-14400 Wildcat! 3.51 [wi, di, bc] Homewood's Hell Hole 987-7823 2400-14440 V.32bis VBBS 6.10 [he, bi] Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, un] KickAxis BBS (Node 1) 733-0253 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0 [he] KickAxis BBS (Node 2) 733-0299 1200-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0 [he] Leaping's Lounge 856-2521 1200-14400 GTPower 18.00 [gt, ez, mn, wm, di] Lions Den 871-9688 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 3.90 [wi, fi] Lumby's Palace 520-0041 300-14400 VBBS 6.0 [he] Magic City (Node 1) 664-9883 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 3.90 [di, wm, wi, ca, cm, pe] Magic City (Node 2) 664-0435 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.90 [di, wm, wi, ca, cm, pe] Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-14400 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-14) 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 15.0 *RIP* [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Nodes 20-23) 323-6016 9600-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0 *RIP* [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Node 25-26) 458-3449 9600-14400 V.32bis PCBoard 15.0 *RIP* [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MetaBoard 854-4814 300-14400 USR DS Opus CBCS 1.73 [fi, ad] MetroMac BBS (Node 1) 323-6306 1200-14400 V.32bis TeleFinder 3.1 [none] MetroMac BBS (Node 2) 252-0582 1200-14400 V.32bis TeleFinder 3.1 [none] Milliways BBS (Node 1) 956-3177 1200-2400 Major BBS 6.11 *RIP* [none] Milliways BBS(Nodes 2-6)956-2731 1200-2400 Major BBS 6.11 *RIP* [none] Missing Link 853-1257 300-16800 USR DS C-Net Amiga 2.63 [cl, cn] Neon Moon 477-5894 300-14400 TriBBS 4.0 [none] Outer Limits (Node 1) 426-5611 1200-16800 ZyXEL Wildcat! 3.90 *RIP* [fi, do, ec, er, pn] Outer Limits (Node 2) 425-5871 1200-16800 ZyXEL Wildcat! 3.90 *RIP* [fi, do, ec, er, pn] Outer Limits (Node 3) 426-2939 1200-16800 ZyXEL Wildcat! 3.90 *RIP* [fi, do, ec, er, pn] Party Line 856-1336 300-14000 V.32bis TriBBS 4.0 [cc, wm, di] Penny Arcade 699-4625 300-2400 Running Force! 3.75 [none] Playground 681-5070 1200-14000 V.32 TriBBS 5.0 [wm, di, al, ez] Posys BBS 854-5131 300-9600 V.32 PCBoard [none] Programmer's Shack 988-4695 2400-14400 HST DS Renegade [ws, fi, it] Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNet [none] Safe Harbor (Node 1) 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 18.00 [gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr] Safe Harbor (Node 2) 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 18.00 [gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr] Sam's Domain 956-2757 1200-14400 SL. 3.50 [da, he] Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC 17.4 [none] Southern Stallion 322-3816 300-16800 ZyXEL PCBoard 15.1 [ez, lu, th, rs, ss, it] Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 V.32/42b PCBoard 15.0 [none] ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [ez] StarBase 12 647-7184 1200-14000 TriBBS 4.0 [ez, mn, wm] The Light 979-0368 300-14400 V.32bis PCBoard 15.0 [ch, nl] Thy Master's Dungeon 940-2116 300-57600 V.32/42b PCBoard 14.5 [fr] Torch Song 328-1517 1200-14000 V.32/42b Wildcat 3.6 [pr, st, gn] Travelog BBS 491-3898 300-2400 TriBBS [none] Weekends BBS 841-8583 2400-16800 USR DS Wildcat! 3.9 [ca] Willie's DYM (Node 1) 664-9902 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 2) 664-9903 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 3) 664-9895 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 4) 664-9896 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Ziggy Unix BBS 991-5696 300-1200 UNaXess [none] *RIP* = BBS Software is RIP Graphics capable. You must be using a RIP compatible term software to view them. RIPTerm or QmodemPro v1.50 are the only two I know of that support it at this time. RIPTerm is shareware and can be downloaded from most BBS's. QmodemPro is a commercial product. The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below the names of many of the bbs' in the list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion. ad = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped ae = Arts & Entertainment, a national network, multi-topic ag = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic al = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic an = AnnexNet, an international network, multi-topic at = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented bc = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented bh = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic bi = BitchNet, uncertain at press time ca = CafeNet, a local network, restaurant/dining, recipes, etc. cc = Coast2Coast, a national network, multi-topic cd = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution cf = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic ch = ChristNet, a national Christian network cl = CLink, uncertain at press time cm = CompuLink, a national network, multi-topic cn = CNet, multi-topic co = ComicNet, a local net for comic book readers cp = CAPNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic cr = CrystalNet, uncertain at press time cs = ChaosNet, uncertain at press time cy = Cybernet, uncertain at press time da = DateNet, uncertain at press time de = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers di = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south eastern United States do = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors ec = EchoNet, an international network, multi-topic ed = EduNet, a national network devoted to homeschooling and Christian education er = ErosNet, an international network, adult oriented, files & messages ez = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network fa = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic fi = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic fn = FrontierNet, a local network, multi-topic fr = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion fs = FSNet, uncertain at press time ga = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time gl = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic gn = GlobeNet, an international network, multi-topic gt = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic gy = GayNet, a national network, homosexually oriented he = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic ho = HobbyNet, a local network for hobbyists ic = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic ie = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic il = ILink, an international network, multi-topic in = InterNet, an international network of mail, linking businesses, universities, and bbs', multi-topic it = ITCNet, a national network, multi-topic lg = Local GT Net, a local network, connecting GT Power systems ll = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence lo = LocalNet, uncertain at press time lu = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented ma = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems mj = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews mn = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic mr = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic nl = NewLife, uncertain at press time np = NPN, a national network for new parents or = OraNet, a national E-mail network pe = Planet Earth Network, a national network, multi-topic pl = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic pn = PoliceNet, an international network, law-enforcement only pr = PrideNet, a national homosexually oriented network pt = PRNet, a national network devoted to 2nd amendment rights rf = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists ri = RIME, an international network, multi-topic rb = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic re = RealityNet, uncertain at press time rp = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games rs = RoseNet, a national network, technically orient*ed ru = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans sc = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology oriented se = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the southeastern United States sh = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games sl = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic sm = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic sn = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games ss = SexSations!, a national network, adult-oriented st = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented sz = SCN-Net, uncertain at press time te = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented th = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented un = U'NI-Net, an international network, multi-topic us = Usenet, an international network existing on the Internet, multi- topic ve = VETLink, a national network for military veterans vi = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic wg = WGA, an international network devoted to genealogy research wi = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic wm = World Message Exchange, an international network, multi-topic ws = WishNet, uncertain at press time ww = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic