°°°°°°Ü °°Ü °°°ÜÜ°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°Ü °°°ÜÜ°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°Ûß°°Û °°Û °°Û°°Û°°Û °°Ûßßßß ß°°Ûßß °°Û °°Û°°Û°°Û °°Ûßßßß °°Ûßßßß °°°°°Ûß °°Û °°Û ßß°°Û °°°°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û ßß°°Û °°°°°Ü °°°°°°Ü °°Ûß°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Ûßßß °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Ûßßß ßßß°°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°°°°°Ü °°Û °°Û °°Û °°Û °°°°°°Ü °°°°°°Û ßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßßßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßßßß ßßßßßß =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= MAY RELAYNET INTERNATIONAL MESSAGE EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER 1991 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Article# Subject Author 1 Editors Corner Michael Brunk Node ID ->CSPACE 2 Conference News Dan Deady Node ID ->PGHS 3 Who is this Marlow? John Dodson Node ID ->CANTINA 4 Blipverts Mike Gunderloy Node ID ->ALBANY 5 Poetry Corner Rick Arnold Node ID ->EIGHTUP 6 Anatomy of a Tagline Dave Schubert Node ID ->CASINO 7 Fractals and the Texture Peter Longo of our World Node ID ->IDEALS 8 Programming: Is it Magic? Robert Bouge Node ID ->IBMNET 9 Thoughts of... Gary Guibor & Michele Hamilton Node ID ->SUNSHINE 10 RelayNet BBS Highlight 11 Notices -------------------------------------------------------------------------- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1 - EDITORS CORNER by Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Welcome to the May 1991 edition of the RIME Times newsletter! I think you'll find this to be one of our best issues to date! My call for articles was met with great enthusiasm and resulted in some very good submissions from RelayNet members. Don't stop now though! Keep those entries coming in. Route your submissions to Michael Brunk at Node ID ->CSPACE or have your sysop SEND it via the PCRelay software. I recieved another extra special suprise this month. Keith Personett (Node ID ->GUILD) has written a special BBS door that will allow you to read the RIME Times while online your favorite board! It is called RimeNews and is available to RelayNet sysops via file REQUEST from ->NETNODE. While written specifically for WildCat! it will run with other types of software using a door file converter. I'm running it on my Gap BBS using QKDoor to do the conversion. There are other text viewing doors available but this one is customized for our RIME Times format and there is no configuration involved! It's a very slick product and Keith has graciously provided it at no cost to RelayNet members! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2 - CONFERENCE NEWS by Dan Deady, Node ID ->PGHS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Official Announcement From The Conference Coordinator: The following changes have taken place regarding hosting of RelayNet (tm) Conferences: 27 - Spreadsheets Ken Mason Node ID ->HOLISTIC 44 - Windows *To Be Announced* 58 - PKWare *To Be Announced* 79 - Philosophy Martin Brampton Node ID ->MSINFO 96 - Senior Citizens *To Be Announced* 153- Laser Printers Ken Mason Node ID ->HOLISTIC 158- SoundCards Darrell Poteet Node ID ->GWINNETT 186- Musicians Jon Amato Node ID ->RUNNINGB 206- French Language Walter Tsin Node ID ->RUNNINGB The following changes are unique for the conferences listed and are explained: 57 - ProDoor We are working on a link to Sam Smith 40 - Writers Steve King's Node ID was incorrect and is now ->PORTSHOP - Also, Lyn Rust was not listed as a co-host at ->FILEBANK 46 - Disabled Conference description is now modified to state "quoting boxes and 8-bit ASCII characters are NOT permitted in this conference". 76 - Religion Gerry Power is now a node on the network at ->RELIGION 190- Modem News Jeff Green was listed at an old Node ID but is now at ->MODMNEWS 207- Spanish Language Node ID is now changed to ->ABAFORUM 236- Jeopardy Due to "conflict of interest" on the part of the Hosts of this conference it may be closed shortly 237- Novell Users John Ginnane no longer co-hosts The following changes are old but need to be posted again so Network Sysops, take note: 107- CompuCom Formerly OS/2 - CHANGED! 195- ASP Support Formerly Real Estate - CHANGED! New Conferences: NAME: SUPERBASE SUPPORT NUMBER: 257 DESCRIPTION: This is the support conference for the Windows Superbase 2 and 4 database management system from Precision Software. HOSTS: Pat Nefos Node ID ->SOUND Joe Rotello Node ID ->PREMIER ACTIVITY: * NEW * Date: 05/05/91 NAME: PC-FAIRS NUMBER: 258 DESCRIPTION: This conference is dedicated to announcements of international computer trade fairs, conferences, seminars, and expos. This is an announcement ONLY conference and discussions will not be entertained. Information will be provided on what is happening where in the telecommunications/computer industry and how you can register to attend. HOSTS: Carol Carmichael Node ID ->CAPCON Dave Schubert Node ID ->CASINO ACTIVITY: * NEW * Date: 05/05/91 NAME: PHARMACY NUMBER: 259 DESCRIPTION: Discussions pertaining to the field of Pharmacy. Pharmacists, medical professionals and lay folks are invited to discuss drug therapy, usage, costs, generics vs brand name prescriptions and the practice of Pharmacy. It is important to understand that topics concerning medical diagnostics should be discussed in the Medical Conference only! The Host of this conference is a practicing registered pharmacist. HOSTS: Jurian Wolfe Node ID ->TREASURE ACTIVITY: * NEW * Date: 05/05/91 Also, please note the following changes to existing conferences: 34 - Games Joshua Adelson Node ID ->BLUEDVIL (new Host) 126- Horror *Host To Be Assigned* 159- Nintendo Bryan Pike Node ID ->HAVEN (previously not listed) 235- Homeopathy Leon Mysch Node ID ->MOONDOG (new Node ID) Any error reports or corrections to the official conference listing for this network will be gratefully received at ->PGHS. Also, please note that due to the very few changes this posting that there will not be a network wide sending of the RIMECONF.ZIP file. It will be posted at NETNODE, so if you wish to have a copy of the latest please request a copy from NETNODE. An autosend will take place at the end of the month. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3 - WHO IS THIS MARLOW? by John Dodson, Node ID ->CANTINA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= [Editors Note: It has come to our attention that many of you want to know who this deranged individual, Myles Marlow, is. John Dodson was brave enough to confront him and returns with this revealing interview.] John: Nice place you have here Miles. Myles: Thanks. John: Looks like you have a nice computer setup too. But before we talk about the technical aspects of Sysoping, I'd like to talk a little about Users. Myles: Ok. What do you want to know? John: Myles, you have been a Sysop for a good many years. Your fellow sysops say that you have a special relationship with your users. Can you share some of your experience with us? For example, what do You think makes a good user? Myles: We sysops have a noble duty: molding our users. The duty to bend and twist our users into model BBS citizens. Into The Good User! John: I see. But, what exactly makes The Good User? Myles: The Good User is a pliable user. The Good User doesn't use the omment function unless it's in regards to an increased donation. The Good User doesn't

age the sysop (unless it's in regards to verifying the address with which to mail the increased donation). The Good User that wants more nodes, brings another computer and modem to the sysop's house and leaves it. The Good User only has good things to say about the BBS, never criticism. The Good User bad mouths other boards and makes fun of other's systems software. John: How can you get Users to do all this? Myles: Well, these things take time. They don't happen by themselves. Each and every Sysop bares a portion of the responsiblity. We all must do our parts. And we all will benefit in the end. Those users have a LOT OF MONEY out there and we aren't getting nearly enough of it. John: So all of us Sysops must work together to mold our Users into Th Good User. We must buckle down and share the responsibility? Myles: Yes, I find it difficult to believe that we don't have a single guideline suggesting we conduct ourselves in a Serious Sysop-like Manner. If we're not careful there might be a decline in yelling, name calling, software-spitting and bellyaching. Or Worse, some of the lily-livered sysops might even cultivate tolerance with users who insist on acting like users! John: Now that's a scary thought. Myles: Well, it won't happen on my board! Nosirree! I run a tight ship. Most sysops only require a user to /read/ the policies. MY users must MEMORIZE and RECITE my policies. Every night. (I call my users, both of them, each night.) They recite, "Hello, my name is _______. I am a User. I recognize and acknowledge this fact. I am lower than dog poop..." It takes about ten minutes for the entire credo, but it's well worth it. And my opening banner is equally upfront: "Dear User, if you come here expecting to 'USE' my board, then you can just turn your fat modem around and go out the port you came in! USE someone else's board, you leach. Or run your own." It works swell. But it's a two-way street. In return, I keep open as many nodes as it takes to guarantee a low incidence of busy signals. So far I can't imagine needing more than a single node. John: Well, that indeed is a special Sysop/User relationship. Myles: Yes it is. Only my most /trusted/ users have actual modem access to my board. The newbies have to come to my house and use the BBS from the actual console. That way, I'm assured that they won't take any files or anything when I'm not looking. After a few months, if they've been REAL good. I let them call in remotely. But ONLY at 300 baud. Even the best of them, get greedy at those higher speeds. John: So you do have some problem Users. How do you handle them? Myles: I have a REAL sysop's chair. I mean a real SySop (Brand) Sysop's Chair. The kind with the twit button hot-keyed to the arm-rest. They're great! I got the deluxe model--The SuperTwit. It has this hair trigger that's activated by the slightest elbow pressure. Man, I tell you, this is really living. I just sit here, wait for a logon, and POW -- another user drops carrier. John: Isn't that a little abusive Myles? How can you get away with it? Myles: For too long the Users have made Monkeys of us sysops! They've played us against each other. They've acted like if we didn't do things Their Way they'd take their BBSing somewhere else. Well, I say: ENOUGH! Let's blackball those good for nothing leaches that log on to our computers. We can show 'em. We'll disconnect our modems! HAHAHAHA! That'll fix their little red wagons! ... Say ....I can see one of my two users right now. He's got his nose pressed up against the window pane and he's saying something. The little jerk. Excuse me a second, John, while I deal with him. "Get outta here you little leach! Go call CompuServe!" Okay, he's gone. Now, where was I? Wait a minute... he's up on my roof. He's messing with my electrical service! He's &*%$#}}~}_}~~} pzzzzzzzt! John: Sorry about the computer Myles. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4 - BLIPVERTS by Mike Gunderloy, Node ID ->ALBANY =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= [Editor's Note: These reviews are reprinted from FACTSHEET FIVE] COMPUSER v.2.50 (CUSER250.EXE; subscription $30/3 issues per year from Unicorn Software Limited, PO Box 911, Wabash, IN 46992-0911): This is a specialized database aimed at those who are interested in shareware. It contains entries for distributors, BBSs, computer clubs, newsletters, authors and a few other categories and, in a daring move, Unicorn rates them on size and performance (precautions are taken to make sure people can't change their own rating on shareware copies). The program can search on everything from Zip code to type of entry and print mailing labels and postcards in addition to displaying the information on screen. The entries are updated every 120 days, and for $30 you'll get three issues a year, with instructions on how to merge them without losing your own entries. (IBM)[ASP] CROSSWORD CREATOR v.4.3 (CWC.ZIP; registration $20 from PC Help-Line, 35250 Silver Leaf Circle, Yucaipa, CA 92399): At its simplest, you can think of Crossword Creator as a text editor to allow you to type across and down, with a separate window for editing a list of clues. But there's a lot more than that here, as the program also includes several intelligent features to aid you in placing words, including a "robot" mode that will take a list of words and turn them into a puzzle. The program has extensive mouse support, and works with a wide variety of printers, allowing even dopes like me to make their own crossword puzzles. (IBM)[ASP] LITE FORMAT v.1.20 (LTFORMAT.ZIP; registration $14.95 from Falk Data Systems, 5322 Rockwood Ct., El Paso, TX 79932): This package contains two stand alone utilities from Falk's larger EZFORMAT package. FORMATF is an alternative to the DOS FORMAT program that is smaller, smarter, more flexible and faster, while DVFORMAT provides the same services in a Desqview-aware background task.On top of all those advantages, these programs are more reliable, not accepting marginal disk sectors that DOS will mark as good. And as an added bonus, the documentation will teach you quite a bit about disk formatting. As bombproof and useful a piece of shareware as I've seen. (IBM)[ASP] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5 - POETRY CORNER by Rick Arnold, Node ID ->EIGHTUP =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FIGHTING TIME Wake up in a daze, bleary eyes, squint . . . a CLOCK. Fighting through the waves . . . of sleep, that still cloud my mind. No time for that. Rush, Rush, Bustle Bump. Beat the Clock! Punch the ClocK! Race the CLOCK! My battery stopped! Watch the CLOCK! It stopped ticking, Time. Race here. Race there. Hurry, hurry, you'll not make it in time. No time for this. If I'm late for this, I can be on time for that; or was it, get to that so I can make it to this. A protest of time just makes me later, But why is it such a crime to take some? I need some for me, but that wouldn't do, for if I have some, that means there won't be any left, ..... for YOU! Copyright (c) 1991 by Richard L. Arnold =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6 - ANATOMY OF A TAGLINE by Dave Schubert, Node ID ->CASINO =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= What are these "Node IDs" and "Taglines" we all hear so much about? Why, a useful part of each message on RelayNet, that's what! At the end of each message that travels through the network the following information is appended: +- Serial Number Node ID ----+ ! +---- Network Information ! ! ! vvvvvvv vv vvvvvvvvvvvvv PCRelay:MUSICAL -> #22 RelayNet (tm) 4.10 The Musical Chair, Toronto, ON, 416-438-3009 ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ! Customizable BBS Information ! +- Software Version Number With this resource at your finger tips you can readily find out where in the world the message author is entering his message and the Node ID needed to route a message directly to the board he uses. Most sysops include their BBS info in the customizable field so you can normally find out the number if you needed to dial direct for some reason. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7 - FRACTALS AND THE TEXTURE OF OUR WORLD by Pete Longo, Node ID ->IDEALS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line." Benoit Mandelbrot THE FRACTAL GEOMETRY OF NATURE Mandelbrot's words seem so obvious they set us to wondering who could doubt them. Still, it took over 2000 years for us to embody these ubiquitous features of the world in our geometry. Before Mandelbrot all the geometric models of our everyday world were based on Euclidean geometry. True, in the 19th century Lobachevski and Bolyai discovered "alternative geometries", but for all there novelty these geometries sprang from only slightly different interpretations of a single Euclidean axiom. Somehow, the intrinsic textural complexity of nature continued to elude us: our mathematical, scientific, and even artistic models of the world still consisted of spheres, cones, circles, and lines. Mandelbrot coined the term "fractal" in order to give a name to the new objects and mathematics he forged. Stemming from the Latin adjective "fractus", a word which denoted irregular fragmentation, or the quality of being broken into many small pieces, Mandelbrot loosely defined a fractal as an object which had a dimension that lay between the Euclidean dimensions of our everyday experience. Thus, fractals may often have "fractional" dimensions. For example, many forms of fractal "dusts" have dimensions between 0 and 1; most forms of fractal curves have dimensions between 1 and 2; and, many fractal surfaces have dimensions between 2 and 3. There are fractals in higher dimensions too. What does it mean to say an object has a dimension *in between* the Euclidean dimensions of breadth, depth, and height with which we are all familiar? Let's consider a fractal curve and see if we can ply our intuition concerning these new objects. When we think of a two dimensional object we naturally visualize a plane surface. We might also envision a plane as a flat surface ruled with a grid; at the center of each cell of the grid is one of the points of the plane. Let the grid slowly disappear until you are left with a surface composed of points. Now, if you choose to draw a line on this surface any curve you choose to draw will start at some point, go through a number of points, and stop at some other point; there will be at least one point through which the line does not pass. I said *any* curve you choose to draw will have these features, but is this true? As it turns out, it isn't. There are some curves which are so complicated that they cover the entire plane, in fact they are so convoluted that they make one continuous line that passes through *every* point on the surface, and that line never passes through itself. What are we to say about such curves? On the one hand, they are 1 dimensional objects since they are lines. On the other hand, they completely fill a plane surface, so they would seem to be 2 dimensional objects. In large measure fractal geometry serves to answer this question. The answer it gives is that such curves may have dimensions that reside between 1 and 2. At this point you may be wondering, "How do we draw these strange curves?" In order to answer this we need to consider another freature of fractals: self-similarity. We can find examples of self-similarity in our day-to-day world, but of course mathematicians have a somewhat different meaning for it. For example, if we look at a cauliflower we notice that the entire cauliflower is composed of many pieces, and that each piece is a miniature replica of the whole cauliflower. If we break off a large chunk of the cauliflower, that chunk looks like the entire cauliflower; if we break that chunk in two, each of the pieces once again looks like the whole cauliflower. In fact we can go on breaking pieces off the cauliflower until we have quite small pieces and *still* those pieces look like the whole cauliflower. This is what we shall call "self-similarity across different scalings". In other words, each piece of a cauliflower resembles the entire cauliflower over a large range of sizes: as the size of each piece diminishes, the resemblance to the whole remains constant. Mathematicians like to think about infinity, and so it is natural for them to think about abstract objects that possess self-similarity over all scalings right down to the infinitesimal. And this is precisely what they do when they think about the monstrously meandering curves that fill the plane. If you have a copy of the public domain fractal exploration program called FRACTINT, then you can observe the creation of many diffent types of plane filling curves in the L-systems module. With this, you can iterate a curve from its initiator up to the limit of your computer's graphic capabilities. If you do not have a copy of FRACTINT, you should get one soon, but in the mean time we'll examine the first few steps in the iteration of a fractal object called a Koch Curve. Iteration is nothing more than the process of performing the same action or procedure over and over again. For example, you might decide to apply the procedure called "halving" to a number. So you might start with 2, apply the procedure of halving, and get the result 1, apply the procedure again, and get the result 1/2. Suppose you keep doing this, iterating this procedure 100 times, 10000 time, 100000000 times, an infinite number of times, what will you get at the end? In this case, you'll get an extraordinarily tiny number since your patience will be exhausted long before you are even close to the number 0, toward which your iterations ineluctably proceed. Nothing remarkable about that. What is remarkable, though, is that this same procedure of iteration can in many cases produce novel and unexpected results. In addition, the simple, even boring, process of iteration can be carried out with very simple objects, but the result will be the creation of unpredictable, beautiful, and highly involved structures. From simple origins, extreme complexity may come. This is one of the lessons fractals teach us. In order to make our Koch Curve we are going to start with the simplest possible initiator which is a straight line segment of any length we choose. We shall build the curve by replacing each segment of initiator by a "generator". Finally, we shall iterate the process of replacement. A few pictures will make this clear. ....................................... The initiator / \ / \ / \ ............./ \............. The generator is a curve produced by removing the middle third of the intiator, and replacing it with two line segments each equal to one third the length of the initiator. This makes an equilateral triangle at the middle of the initiator. We now have 4 line segments each 1/3 the length of the initiator /\ ....../ \...... \ / \ / /\ / \ /\ ....../ \....../ \....../ \...... The second iteration of the generator replaces the middle third of each line segment from the first iteration with two line segments of equal length. Now we have 16 line segments each 1/9 the length of the initiator. Notice that in principle, if not on our computer monitors, we can carry this process on indefinitely. Notice also that each successive curve is the result of replacing each line segment with a *scaled down* version of the generator. So, no matter how many iterations we do, no matter how small the individual line segments become, any given 4 segment section of the Koch Curve will be similar (in fact in this case it will be identical) to any other 4 segment section, and this will be true no matter how big or small of a 4 segment section we choose to examine. As our cauliflower exemplified earlier, the Koch curve is composed of smaller and smaller pieces that resemble the whole curve. As the number of line segments increase the overall length of the curve increases. As we continue to iterate and the length of our line segments approaches zero, the length of the curve becomes infinite. An important distinction to remember, though, is that a real object such as our cauliflower will never contain an infinite fractal curve, although objects in nature may embody fractal characteristics over several orders of magnitude. We now have a fractal object to contemplate, what is its dimension? It's made entirely of line segments, yet it wanders over the surface of the plane filling it. Suppose we call the initiator L and set it equal to 1; thus L(1) = 1. Next we apply our generator for the first time, and this yields a curve composed of 4 line segments, each of a length 1/3; this gives us a curve with an overall length of 4/3. Hence L(1/3) = 4/3 After our second iteration we have 16 segments, each of a length 1/9; and, this gives us a curve that has grown in length by (4/3)^2. So, L(1/9) = 16/9. Thus, the length of our fractal curve will equal (4/3)^n at the n-th iteration of the generator; or, L() = (4/3)^n. After some algebra, we know that L() = ^1-D, where D is an dimensional exponent. After a bit more algebra we see that, D = log4/log3 ÷ 1.2628. So, the dimension of our Koch curve lies between 1 and 2: it is a fractal dimension. If you let your computer iterate and display the Koch curve you'll see that after a short time the curve takes on an extremely crinkled appearance. It is easy to make a Koch Snowflake by closing the Koch curve. It is also possible to start with different types of generators, although the generator we used is the simplest. Unike Euclidean objects which are perfectly smooth, the Koch curve is extremely rough or serrated. The fractal curve exhibits self-similarity over a continuum of scales, and the dimension of our curve falls in between the standard Euclidean dimensions. Finally, the construction of this highly reticulated object is accomplished by repeating a very simple process many times. In this way, we can begin to do what Euclid and those who followed him could not, we can model objects in nature as they really are: billowing clouds, rough tree bark, the wandering course of rivers, the growth of frost on a window pane, and the turbulence of a wave crashing against the shore. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8 - PROGRAMMING: IS IT MAGIC? by Robert Bouge, Node ID ->IBMNET =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= "Magicians can do more by means of faith than physicians by the truth." - Giordano Bruno, The Heroic Enthusiasts In computers, programming is seen as a black magic wielded by hackers, and computer science majors. A magic done in those dark halls (Most programmers I've seen are nocturnal by nature.) of the Data Processing or Information Systems department. The problem with this perception is that programming is not magic. It is not a secret art known by only a few. Programming is a process that people have been doing for thousands of years, with a new twist. Everyday we set about a plan, a series of steps, which will lead us to our desired goal. We get in our cars of a morning and set about a course of events which will lead us to work. And in almost every minute their after we are working on some plan to bring about a desired result. Whether it be a paycheck, or friends with our employees, whatever it is we set our minds on we invoke a plan to reach that goal. Programming is simply setting these series of steps out in a form which the computer will understand. Computers don't have the ability to make up their own minds, to decide what they want to do. So we must do that for them in the form of a program. It is our jobs to provide the same direction we use ourselves to the computer. Obviously, we can't ask the computer to drive us home or to make friends with our coworkers but it can help bring our pay- checks home easier by making our work less taxing. Should you decide that programming is something you would like to try you will need to pick a language to use. Since there are many different languages you may find this a perplexing question, in fact it is a subject of constant discussion between professional programmers. Each programming language was designed for different skill levels and uses. C, for instance, is designed for professional system programmers who need a great deal of flexibility in their work. Since it was designed for professional programmers it does not lend itself very well to new programmers, however, a similar language Pascal was specifically designed to train programmers and thus makes a good choice for a first language. (I say first since even many hobbyist programmers learn more than one lan- guage.) Pascal was designed to teach new programmers some of the finer points of programming by placing them in a rigid structure in which the compiler could enforce many of the programming habits that were being taught. Since Pascal was a teaching language it does well for those who might consider a great deal of programming but some people find it to overbearing for casual use. Most people chose to work with BASIC, partially because it is shipped with every DOS machine. BASIC, Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, was designed for beginning programmers who did not want to deal with some of the more complex and frustrating aspects of programming. As a result BASIC became a very good language for those who did not need to program every day but did need to work on a few things and produce an outcome very quickly. As BASIC became more popular, even with professional programmers who needed things done quickly, people came up with the idea of a even more simple language. The newer simpler languages, called 4GLs (Fourth Generation Languages, as apposed to third generation languages such as BASIC, Pascal, and C) were to bring new productivity to a indus- try which could not (and can not) keep up with current demand. For the most part these languages have not become much of a reality yet. But the few languages that do exist are wonderful learning experiences since they take care of most of the little things that you are likely to forget. Your first adventures in programming will be interesting, I wish you luck if you do desire to pursue programming as a hobby. And if I can help you in any way please let me know. I can be reached via Programming or C Programming conferences on RIME. I also read Common but if you are going to send via Common please make your messages receiver only routed messages (route to IBMNET). Have faith in yourself and the magic will reveal itself. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 9 - THOUGHTS OF... by Gary Guibor & Michele Hamilton, Node ID ->SUNSHINE =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thoughts of a BBSer Thoughts of a Sysop ------------------- ------------------- By Gary Guibor By Michele Hamilton The first time is always the The BBS has been up almost three hardest. How did I ever let John years. Still can't figure out how talk me into this? Sure, he set I ever let John talk me into up the modem and the software, this! Sure, I was BBSing awhile but where is he when I really and it's been hard, but it's been need him? My first BBS call! worth it! There! It says "CONNECT 2400". I Hmmm, a new caller. Wonder if guess I'm on (gulp). Hey! A he'll like the board. Hope he no- logo. OK, now it wants my name. tices the opening screen. Took me C-H-U-C-K Last name? OK... Not almost 8 hours to get it right. on the user list?! Of course not, The software always has to men- I've never called... Oh, do I tion the obvious; of course he's want to register? Sure. not in the user list. "WELCOME NEW USERS!" Let's see, I hope John was right that I no handles (handles?), voice needed to be specific when talk- verified (do I talk to my com- ing to new users. And I placed puter?), registration door, com- that comment requirement in three ment to Sysop (Sysop?), ratios, different placed just to find out MarkMail, no abusing system, Node if people really read these 2 (Node?). Man, do they have a things. It's not really important dictionary for these terms? I that they leave a message, but... hope there isn't a pop quiz at as long as they see all the info. the end! Don't need any hassles. $20 subscription. I wonder if I Hmmm, is $20 too much to ask? But get magazines with that. What's it's so expensive. Buying the this; password. Yea, John said I software, paying that extra clip need one. Let's see, N-O-V-I-C-E. to Ma Bell for the second phone Enter it again? What was wrong line. Registering all the share- with the first time? Now, "City ware doors and games not to men- and State". "Business or data tion all the long distance phone phone"? Is it going to call me at calls I made collecting so many work? "Home phone"; next they'll files, plus mail for the message want to know what I'm watching on bases. Wow, maybe I should ask the TV! for more. "Brand of CPU"? Let's see, it Oh, poor guy, using an XT; well I says XT-1000. Man, I hope no one started with one. And he's so is watching me try to type all slow! I bet he reads every bulle- this. What's this? "Ascii, tin! Wonder if 20 minutes is Xmodem... Protocol"?? I don't enough time to register? Well, know anything about formal stuff, they said it should be plenty. what kind of BBS is this? Better Bet he's new to BBSing... Wish say none. Good, that was the they'd include instructions when last question! I was running out they sell new users a modem. I've of answers. Wonder how many I explained some things so often, I got right? could just scream. Do I want to chat with someone on Hmmm, no one's on the other Node. the other Node? What's a Node? Glad it's working though. Cost a The last 10 callers? I don't fortune and a lot of hair ripping know them. All right, I've down- to get it working right. Nights loaded and uploaded 0 files; well without sleep, trying to figure of course, this is my first time! out what goes where and it's But at least I've heard of down- still not setup exactly the way loading! Now, what are these, I'd like, but how much longer can notices? I spend on one node???!!! Boy, there sure is a lot of read- I hate writing all that news ing on these BBSs. "Press Enter". stuff. Wish I could find someone Updates? More Updates... and to write it for me. Maybe I'll more. They should just FAX this just take it out. Should make stuff to me so I can spend the logging on much quicker. Most of next couple weeks reading it! it's in the bulletins anyway but I think my eye has a cramp! it IS important. Ah, my statistics. We must be Shame they never read the bulle- getting close to the end. Bulle- tins. Maybe I should give them a tins? "Do I want to register?" I quiz on the stuff! But I remember thought I just did! OK, "Y". that guy who got in trouble be- Rules and Regulations? Well, cause he didn't have all those there couldn't be much more. disclaimers and notices. I swear, New User Information, Disclaimer, you need a lawyer to tell you if Notices! I think I need a BBS for it's okay to go to the bathroom the reading impaired! these days. I've entered my name, address, Ahhh, here's the juicy question- phone numbers, birthdate, occupa- naire. The one that's gonna give tion, and hobbies. "How long him guest access. My he is a new have you been BBSing?" 10 min- user, BBSing only 10 minutes! I utes! Will I send money to sub- must be his first call. Maybe I scribe? YES, anything if you should pop in and ask him a few will stop asking me questions!! more questions. What does this "CAPTURE OFF" Hope he leaves me a comment like mean? Ah, FINALLY! he should but he doesn't have "(1 Left) Main Board Command?" much time. Maybe I'll just give Hmmm, wonder what that "1 Left" him a little extension so he can means?... finish... #@.- NO CARRIER Ooops, too late. About The Authors Gary Guibor is a resident of Miami, a member of the Miami PC Users Group, and a PC consultant. He is also a writer with an ...unusual sense of humor. Michele Hamilton lives in Pembroke Pines, FL, a member of the Broward PC Association and the Sysop of the Sunshine PCBoard (305/432-2223). She is a writer of countless bulletins for her board. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 10 - RELAYNET BBS HIGHLIGHT =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This months featured BBS is The Computer Forum BBS, Node ID ->CFORUM, run by Jim Rhodes. The Computer Forum has been line in Virginia Beach, Virginia for just over four years. The BBS supports two nodes using PCBoard 14.5 on a Lantastic network. Node 1 is (206)471-3360, maximum of 2400 baud and Node 2 is (206)471-0736 answering with a US Robotics HST. Jim has over 1 gigabyte of storage space. The Computer Forum specializes in Ham radio and electronics files. It also has a large selection for the Apple Macintosh. A primary of focus on this BBS is network mail, with 243 RelayNet conferences available online or via several mail doors. Conferences from RaceNet, a network concentrating on motor sports, are also available. Guest access is free on The Computer Forum with enhanced access available via donation. Jim became interested in telecommunications in the 1978-79 time frame when he recieved his Ham radio license (Call: KF4GL) and began experimenting with packet radio using a Commodore C64 computer. He is currently a Senior Field Engineer in charge of communications equipment for a large banking corporate. He credits his interest in Ham radio and BBSing/computers for the direction his career took. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 11 - NOTICES =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= The RIME Times staff is now maintaining the newsletter AUTOSEND list. If you are a RelayNet node and would like the newsletter sent to your board automatically each month send a message to Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE or John Dodson, Node ID ->CANTINA. Please check to see if your hub will AUTOSEND it to avoid duplication. Current listing of Bulletin Board software participating in RelayNet: SpitFire GAP QuickBBS GT Power Remote Access MajorBBS PCBoard/ProDoor dBBS RBBS EIS Wildcat! To make life easier for the editors, the following submission guidelines are suggested: 1) To be included in the current month newsletter all articles must be submitted by the 5th of the month. 2) A routed private message in either the COMMON is acceptable. Please address and route to: Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE or John Dodson Node ID ->CANTINA. 3) Your name as used on RIME. 4) Your node id if you are a RIME sysop or your "home" board id if you are a RIME user. 5) Any special instructions. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The RIME Times is published monthly by the membership of RelayNet International Message Exchange as its official newsletter. Users and Sysops are encouraged to contribute. Submissions and questions may be directed to the editor Michael Brunk, Node ID ->CSPACE. (c)Copyright 1991, The RelayNet International Message Exchange. Permission is hereby granted for unlimited distribution and duplication, provided such distribution and duplication are strictly for non-commercial purposes only. All other rights reserved. RelayNet and RIME are registered trademarks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------