BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News COPYRIGHT 1989 October 1989 Volume 2, Issue 10 Table Of Contents ----------------- Article Title Author Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Mark Maisel Editorial Column...............................Mark Maisel Cybernetic Languages...........................Dr. EBCDIC Insights.......................................Ron Albright The World Of MIDI Part 2: MIDI Specifications..Keith Cahoon Sex On A BBS...................................Jeff Hollingsworth ProFile: Chris Mohney.........................Chris Mohney Gamer's Corner: Battleship Door...............Eric Hunt Our Local Bulletin Board Systems...............Mark Maisel Message Board..................................Barry Bowden Known BBS Numbers..............................Mark Maisel Eznet Multiple Echo List.......................Randy Hilliard ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Editor, BTN 221 Chestnut St. BHM, AL 35210-3219 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Guest Editorial by Ricky Morgan Those of you that are regular readers of BTN may recall last month Randy Hilliard alluded to the fact that he had found a "volunteer" to write a Guest Editorial. Well now it's my turn to give you the other side of that story. A word of warning to all; when at a BTN party, be careful about what you do or say around Mark, Randy and in the future me, or you may find that you will be the NEXT guest editor. ------------------------------------------- Scenario of picking a guest editor for BTN: ------------------------------------------- Mark Maisel: Rick would you like to do a guest editorial for BTN? Ricky Morgan: No. Randy Hilliard: Are you sure Rick? We would really LIKE for you to write an editorial for us. Ricky Morgan: I'm really flattered guys-but no, I don't think so... NO! Thanks anyway. At this point Mark and Randy confer quietly between themselves. Then turn back to Rick. Mark Maisel: Well Rick, would the fact that we have some rather REVEALING photos of you and Jessica Hahn sway you into doing a guest editorial for BTN? Ricky Morgan: Ha! I like that. You couldn't possibly have anything like that; I've never even met the girl. Randy Hilliard: Rick, you would be surprised at what Mark can do with a computer, a digital scanner and an old copy of Playboy. ------------------------------------------- So here I am doing a guest editorial for BTN. I'm still not sure what I did to deserve this dubious honor. Outside of being a survivor of two BTN parties, (I left early each time), I have no other credentials or literary talents that would qualify me for this honor. I have only been on the local BBS scene for about six short months, I'm not well known and don't intend to be, as I stay in out of the way conferences; so technically I'm still a new kid of the block. And what a block! If you read last months Insight by Ron Albright you have some idea about what I'm referring to. The diversity of the people that I have met and talked to is simply overwhelming. Where else can people from such widely varying backgrounds meet, converse, and sometimes argue, on everything from the weeks current events to ancient history. If there is something you want to know about virtually anything, chances are that on a board somewhere, there is someone who can help you. All you have to do is ask. BTN itself is a melting pot of people with experience in all types of fields. I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I have enjoyed all the past issues; which brings me to my editorial duties. I hope that I can uphold the fine tradition set forth by Mark and Randy. This month Dr. EBCDIC is back with Part II of the series he started last month on Cybernetic Languages. Don't let the title scare those of you who, like me, aren't into programming. DOC does a very good job of explaining what can be a very confusing topic. Ever left a message for someone, only to find out later that the receiver misunderstood the intent of the message? There are some limitations to the written word and how feelings are expressed, this comes from someone who only recently had the intent of a written message misunderstood. Ron Albright's Insight, this month addresses that problem, some of the causes, and several thought provoking solutions. This is a "MUST READ" for anyone active in telecommunications. Keith Cahoon brings us Part 2 in his "World of the MIDI" series. This month it's MIDI specifications that he discusses, along with what I think is a good look at the data format as well as hardware interfacing for a MIDI. Jeff Hollingsworth gives us an inside look at something we would all probably like to know more about; Sex on a BBS. I wonder how much field research he did on this? Quite frankly I don't understand what possesses those people to become involved in the Adult conferences. To each his own, I suppose. Guess who finally got caught up in his own web, Chris Mohney, thats' who! Chris, the dreaded Profiler, finally found his name in the hat that proclaims the name a victim each month. Find out all about this unusual fellow by reading his very own ProFile. Dive! Dive! Dive! Eric Hunt tells everyone how to get started playing the newest game sensation, Battleship. He includes some of the boards where you'll be able to get set up playing, the revision level current on each board and some of the differences in each revision. In Our Local Bulletin Board System, Mark Maisel interviews THE Sysop that everyone wants to know more about; the infamous and mysterious MONTY, of The Crunchy Frog. We wrap up with Barry Bowden's October Message Board, (get involved in these meetings people!), Mark's List of Known BBS numbers, and Randy's Eznet Multiple Echo List. Mark has further enhanced the BBS List by denoting BBS' that are part of FidoNet. See last month for a brief explanation of FidoNet. Enjoy and don't forget to let these guys know how much you enjoy their work. O.K. Mark, Randy...the deed is done. You said one contract, I've fulfilled my end, now are you going to destroy those picture? Mark........? Randy.......? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cybernetic Languages: Part II by Dr. EBCDIC I know what you are thinking, "Has DOC lost his mind or what?" Here I am writing another one of those Cybernetic articles. Last issue I talked about a language called Modula-2, a descendent of Pascal. Well, that is fine for those people who like to program in Pascal and 'C', but what about us that like to program in Basic? The Doc has a cure for you too. Did you ever wish that your Basic programs would run faster or that you did not have to load BASICA or GW-BASIC first? If you answered yes to any of these questions then a compiler is what you want. First we need to get a few things taking care of. There are two types of languages. One is an interpreted language and the other is a compiled language. Let's discuss the interpreted language first. Interpretation means that the computer must take each line of a program as as it runs and convert it into machine code before executing it. If a particular line of code runs more than once the interpreter converts it into machine code each time it runs. This conversion takes time which is why Basic runs slower than a compiled language. When you run Basica or GW-Basic you are running an interpreter. A compiled language on the other hand works a little differently. What a compiler does is to go through the entire program and convert it into assembler code without executing the program. The compiler places this assembler code into an .OBJ file, which it then converts into a binary file with an .EXE extention which can be ran directly from DOS. When you type in the name of an executable file you are running the machine code which means that the computer does not need to convert the program as it is running. Since the computer does not need to interpret each line as the code runs the program runs much faster. There are a number of different Basic compilers available today. IBM has a compiler that it calls BASCOM which will compile your Basica and GW-Basic Programs. MicroSoft has a compiler called QuickBASIC, and Borland's compiler is called Turbo Basic. Turbo Basic is the compiler that I use, so I am more familiar with it. Turbo Basic works a little different than Basica and GW-Basic and has an expanded function and command set. There are no line numbers in TB, instead you use labels. A label can be up to 30 characters long. An example label would be (MainRoutine: ), in a GOTO statement you give it a label (i.e. GOTO MainRoutine ). This simplifies understanding and debugging the source code since labels are usually somewhat descriptive. An example of a Turbo Basic program to print your name X number of times using lables and some extended TB functions would look like this: Main1: CLS INPUT "PLEASE ENTER YOUR NAME: ",NAME$ INPUT "HOW MANY TIMES TO PRINT: ",X FOR LOOP1 = 1 TO X PRINT NAME$ NEXT LOOP1 DoAgain: INPUT "WANT TO PRINT YOUR NAME AGAIN: (Y/N) ",YN$ IF UCASE$(YN$)><"Y" OR UCASE$(YN$)><"N" THEN GOTO DoAgain IF UCASE$(YN$)="N" THEN GOTO End1 GOTO Main1 End1: END It is that simple. UCASE$ is one of many functions that TB supports. UCASE$ will ignore upper and lower case, and will accept either one. One of the nice advantages to TB is that you can compile your Basica and GW-Basic programs with it. TB can execute a program from it's editor and if it encounters an error it will reload the program and place the cursor on the line where the error occurred and give you a message telling what the error is. Turbo Basic also allows you to call routines that were written in Assembly Language. The TB Package comes with some example programs and documentation on how to use the TB compiler. TB has a Full Screen Editor, which allows you to use the arrow keys to move around on the screen and easily make changes to the program. Turbo Basic cost around $79.00 and in my opinion is well worth it. CIAO, Until we meet again. ========== THE DOC ========== A.K.A. Ferlin Scarborough References: Readers Digest Great Encyclopedic Dictionary. Credits: BASCOM and BASICA are Trademarks of International Business Machines. GW-BASIC and QuickBASIC are Trademarks of MicroSoft. Turbo Basic is a Trademark of Borland. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Insights by Ron Albright Copyright (C) 1989 Ron Albright [Reproduction in any form for other than personal use requires written permission of the author.] In a survey of 701 managers and professionals from Fortune 500 corporations published by Nancy Madlin in "Management Review" (May, 1985), asked several questions about how computers and new forms of communication are used in the workplace. The value placed on computers was obvious. If the executives were given ten thousand dollars to spend, 68 percent said they would buy a new computer; only 13 percent would add a staff member. However, while 53 percent of the respondents had teleconferencing centers available to them, less than one-third (30 percent) found teleconferencing very useful, and only slightly more (37 percent) found electronic message centers useful. Electronic mail was useful to 41 percent. It is apparent the technology of electronic communication has failed to meet, at least to some degree, the needs of business as a communications facility. The question is why? One reason for the general lack of acceptance of computer conferencing is that the system is so inadequate in conveying the whole content of information. Certainly, it is efficient in transferring pure data (in the form of numbers, graphs and spreadsheets), but it is unable to communicate other aspects of information. For example, how can a manager convey to an audience his emphasis on increased sales of a specific item? Sure, he could type "I WANT YOU TO SELL 1000 WIDGETS IN 1986!!!!" The capital letters and the string of exclamation points would express some degree of importance. But is it sufficient? How about "IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU SELL 1000 WIDGETS IN 1986 !!!". The slight change in language with the use of the strong "imperative" certainly adds strength to the directive. But with computer communications, clearly, you are unable to perceive the other parts of communications that we can use as clues to supplement the inadequacies of the English language. Without visual contact with the speaker, there are no visual clues to reinforce meaning. The determined expression on the speaker's face, the hand pointing to the audience or pounding on the lectern, and the emphasis on the word "YOU" cannot be appreciated through a computer monitor. But we know, almost empirically, that expression of emotions does not require sound. The American Indian can express a wide range of information and emotions through their sign language. Deaf mutes can accomplish the same. Admittedly, usage of "non-verbal" language is important to the deaf mute, but the communication is primarily contained in the hand signals. The fact that we are not able to convey the full range of information content (which would include not just the quantitative data but also the qualitative undertones) does not reflect a fault with the medium itself. It is more evidence of our failure to develop it more fully to meet our needs. Each year we assimilate, from other languages and through inventiveness, new words and phrases into our language to symbolize new objects, events, and emotions. Without such accretions and modifications, our language would become increasingly inadequate for daily use. Why is this not done for electronic communications? If there is an inadequacy with the language in this medium, why not make adaptations to cause it to be more useful? If the language is to become more effective for us - better adapted to our present and future communication needs - then changes must be made to enable us to transmit what we really mean to say. As we are exposed more and more to the medium, it will become increasingly apparent that our language is an imprecise method of expressing ideas. As opposed to mathematics, where the symbols are concise and convey a singular meaning, the language of communication is generally imprecise. Alfred Korzybski, in his publication "Science and Sanity" (1933) lamented at this dichotomy between the language of physical science and ordinary communication. He likened them to the variance between the concept of a "map" (defined and distinct) and that of a "territory" (generalized and vague). Korzybski knew that this degree of linguistic deficiency was reflected in much of the"insane" behavior of people who derived much of their perceptions of the real world from imperfect language and who used and relied on often deceptive language in their efforts to convey and receive language. He also emphasized the difference between communications that clearly relate or refer to an element of reality (extensional), and those that are nonspecific or vague because they refer to subjective values (intentional) or to generalizations (high-order abstractions), where the "receiver" cannot "know" what reality is actually involved. Thus, as computerized information exchanges continue to increase, we will see the development of increasingly improved symbolization which will be more suitable to the electronic medium. I hesitate using the term "language" for, as yet, we do not know what form the new symbolism will take. But we can assume that it will change and evolve to add even more precision to how we transfer information to other people through telecommunication. Another reason for us to concentrate resources on developing a suitable symbolism for the computer telecommunication is our increasing interaction with the rest of the world. As we move toward Marshall McCluhan's "global village" with it's associated global economy, we will need to develop an efficient method for electronic information exchange. There are stories in our news today of computer connections being made between universities in the United States and Russia, as well as Canada and Europe. This is not the ancient quest for a "universal language." It is not imperative for the entire world to adopt the symbols for personal communication, nor must the electronic "alphabet" necessarily be suitable for use as a personal language. Morse code was adopted internationally as a method to transmit information but was impossible to adapt to verbal communications. Semaphore is universally recognized on the seas. Similarly, the new computer tokens may or may not be useful as a spoken language. That would be ideal, but the difficulties in getting the people of the world to adopt a mutual language are awe-inspiring and previous attempts have failed. It is logical, though, to pursue a specialized symbol form which could be learned and used by that segment of society dealing with electronic information exchange. English, despite it's many linguistic faults, appears to be suited, at least as a basis, for the new symbology. As a language, it is one that can be understood without attention to vocal inflection. The general meaning can be conveyed in a monotone voice (as opposed to other languages which make essential use of rising of falling inflections). We should also look at languages which use ideographs to convey whole words. Rather than an alphabet, this form of logographics may be more efficient. With the advance of complex computer graphics, displaying such complex symbols would not be difficult. If one could develop a method to transmit these logographs through one or two keystrokes, it would sufficiently resolve the problem of the size of the keyboard required to transmit the information. It should be feasible for the commercial information networks to form a cooperative and begin fielding and financing an international and multifaceted committee to begin study of this new symbology. Who should be involved in developing this electronic "dictionary?" One can envision, of course, computer experts (particularly those working in graphics and telecommunications), business leaders (to input what they would need to make the system a success), and linguists (to be the main force in developing the symbols themselves). Further, representatives from the advertising industry could lend expertise in how to utilize visual images for maximum impact. The new logographs could be implemented on the various systems and tested, revised, and retested to achieve optimal efficiency for information transmission. Special trial sites could be implemented in several large business arenas ad people trained to use the new symbols rapidly. Trial information exchanges could be tested, timed, and critiqued. Over time, the ideographs could be further refined and implemented on increasingly larger scales. If a sufficient efficiency could be achieved, universal adoption would naturally follow. One could envision an entire cadre of professional not unlike translators at the United Nations that would transcribe what we say into the new symbols. New keyboards, incorporating the new "electronic shorthand" could be produced. Much like those used by courtroom stenographers, these new keyboards could facilitate transcription of conversations with all their vocal nuances and inflections. The first crude attempts are already underway. There are communications programs for both the IBM and Macintosh computers that allow one to teleconference with displays of faces for smiles, frowns, and winks. Businesses have rarely neglected supporting developments that will improve profits, and increased access to information through improved telecommunications would do just that. In any case, it is a problem worth thinking about. All parties should be interested. The telecommunications industry because it would lead to increased usage of the medium; business, because it would lead to enhanced information exchange. The computer industry should become involved for it would lead to more machines and communications software bought and sold. Let us hope that it is realized and addressed soon so that we all may benefit. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The World Of MIDI by Keith Cahoon Part 2: MIDI Specifications MIDI Data Format There are five types of midi data: Channel Information,System Exclusive System Real Time,System Common and System Reset. Each data type begins with a status byte which define specific commands in that category. Status bytes can be distinguished from data bytes by the most significant bit always being set. After the status byte has been sent, successive data of that type can be sent without the preceding status byte being sent, until a different data type is selected. System Common, System Real Time and System Reset information is sent to all channels in the MIDI network. Channel information commands are sent to specific channels by a four bit address that is encoded in the Channel Information status byte. The most significant four bits of the channel status byte define the command and least significant four bits are used to address the selected channel. The associated data following the status byte can identify keys being pressed or released, their velocity, and pressure or "After Touch". System Common information is used to select song and measure numbers for all units. System Real Time information is used for synchronizing all units together. System Real Time information can interrupt Channel and System Common Information, but cannot interrupt System Exclusive data. Timing-Clock-In-Play: This clock is sent while in play mode. The system is synchronized with this byte which is sent at a rate of 24 clocks/quarter note. Measure-End: The Measure-End is sent at the end of each measure instead of the Timing-Clock-In-Play. Start-From-1st-Measure: This status byte is sent immediately when the play button on the master MIDI controller is hit. The first Timing-Clock-In-Play must be sent within 5ms of this code being sent. Continue Play: This is sent when the continue button on the master MIDI controller is hit. The sequence will restart at the point where the sequence stopped on the last Timing-Clock-In-Play. Timing-Clock-In-Play must be sent within 5ms of this code being sent. Timing-Clock-In-Stop: This byte is sent while in stop mode to synchronize the phase locked loop during stop mode. System Exclusive Information Allows the transfer of data in the manufacturers own format as long as the data stream begins with the System Exclusive status byte followed by the manufacturers ID# and ends with the End Of Block character. All actual data contained in the System Exclusive data stream must have the most significant bit reset. System Exclusive data can only be interrupted by the System Reset Command. System Reset initializes all equipment to power up condition. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Channel Information Command Bytes Hex Binary / Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note off .................. 3 8n kk nn 1000nnnn 0kkkkkkk 0vvvvvvv 128-143 0-127 0-127 Note on ................... 3 9n kk nn 1001nnnn 0kkkkkkk 0vvvvvvv 144-159 0-127 0-127 Polyphonic key pressure ... 3 An kk tt 1010nnnn 0kkkkkkk 0ttttttt 160-175 0-127 0-127 Control change ............ 3 Bn cc zz 1011nnnn 0ccccccc 0zzzzzzz 176-191 0-127 0-127 Program change ............ 2 Cn pp 1100nnnn 0ppppppp 192-207 0-127 Channel pressure .......... 2 Dn tt 1101nnnn 0ttttttt 208-223 0-127 Pitch bend ................ 3 En mm ll 1110nnnn 0mmmmmmm 0lllllll 224-239 0-127 0-127 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System Exclusive Command Bytes Hex / Binary / Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System exclusive .. Data dependent F0 ii xx F7 11110000 0iiiiiii 0xxxxxxx 11110111 240 0-127 0-127 0-127 End Of Block .............. 1 F7 11110111 247 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System Real Time Command Bytes Hex Binary / Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timing clock in play ..... 1 F8 11111000 248 Measure-end ............... 1 F9 11111001 249 Start from 1st measure .... 1 FA 11111010 250 Continue Play ............. 1 FB 11111011 251 Timing clock in stop ...... 1 FC 11111100 252 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System Common Command Bytes Hex Binary / Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measure information ....... 3 F2 mm LL 11110010 0mmmmmmm 0LLLLLLL 242 0-127 0-127 Song select ............... 2 F3 ss 11110011 0sssssss 243 0-127 Tune request .............. 1 F6 11110110 246 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System Reset Command Bytes Hex Binary / Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System reset .............. 1 FF 11111111 255 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Symbol Definitions Symbol Name Hex Binary Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- nnnn Channel code 0-F 0000-1111 0-15 0kkkkkkk Key number 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0vvvvvvv Key velocity 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0ttttttt After touch 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0ppppppp Program change 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0mmmmmmm Most significant byte 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0LLLLLLL Least significant byte 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 0sssssss Song number 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0ccccccc is coded as follows: Name Hex Binary Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Control address 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 Pitch bend MSB 00 00000000 0 Controller 1 MSB 01 00000001 1 Controller 2 MSB 02 00000010 2 Controller 3 MSB 03 00000011 3 Continuous controllers 4-31 MSB 04-1F 00000100-00111111 4-31 Pitch bend LSB 20 00100000 32 Controller 1 LSB 21 00100001 33 Controller 2 LSB 22 00100010 34 Controller 3 LSB 23 00100011 35 Continuous controllers 4-31 LSB 24-3F 00100100-00111111 36-63 Switches 64-95 (on/off) 40-5F 01000000-01011111 64-95 Local/Remote keyboard control 7C 01111100 124 Omni mode select / All notes off 7D 01111101 125 Mono mode select / All notes off 7E 01111110 126 Poly mode select / All notes off 7F 01111111 127 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0zzzzzzz is coded as follows: Name Hex Binary Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Control value 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 For mode selections (0ccccccc = 7D-7F 01111101-01111111 125-127 the value of 0zzzzzzz must be 00 00000000 0 Pitch benders should range from 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 with a 0zzzzzzz value of 40 01000000 64 being center or no pitch bend Other controllers range from 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 Switches are defined as off= 00 00000000 0 on= 7F 01111111 127 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0xxxxxxx is coded as follows: Name Hex Binary Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- System exclusive data 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 Data can be any number of bytes but the most significant bit of each byte must be reset ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0iiiiiii is coded as follows: Name Hex Binary Decimal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Manufacturers ID# 00-7F 00000000-01111111 0-127 Sequential Circuits 01 00000001 1 Kawai 40 01000000 64 Roland 41 01000001 65 Korg 42 01000010 66 Yamaha 43 01000011 67 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MIDI HARDWARE The MIDI interface is a serial asynchronous current loop interface operating at 31.250 KBS. It is configured as 1 start bit, 8 data bits, no parity and 1 stop bit. This means that 1 byte of MIDI data including start and stop bit, a total of 10 bits can be transferred in 320 micro-seconds. The actual MIDI connections consist of two or three DIN 5-pin female jacks on the MIDI instrument. The interface circuit is a 5-mA current loop specifically designed to prevent audio ground loops. The output is designed to drive only one output, with interconnecting cables not to exceed 50 feet. The cable should shielded twisted pair, with the shield connected to pin 2 at both ends. Note that while the MIDI OUT jack pin 2 of the instrument is grounded, the MIDI IN jack is not. This allows the cable to provide shielding without creating ground loops. The optional third jack or MIDI THRU, provides a direct buffered copy of the data received at the MIDI IN jack. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sex On A BBS by Jeff Hollingsworth OK! Now that I have your attention, you are probably asking yourself, "How can someone have sex on a BBS?". What do they do, climb up on their keyboards when they are on-line? Close but not quite right. Well I'll tell you. It is done with "Electronic Pulses of Light". Yes everybody, I am writing an article even after all of your warnings. Mark wooed me with videos and grits. Now, lets get back to what I was talking about. What does sex on a BBS mean? In this case, what I am talking about are the X-rated Conferences that are on many of the boards around town. More and more of the boards are starting to put one up. Now all you parents out there don't start screaming right away. To get in one of these conferences you must ask the Sysop for access. You have to be 18 years of age or older on some boards while others require a minimum age of 21 years. Most of the Sysops I know will check on your real age. Enough about the rules, lets get to the good stuff. Sorry people, I am unable to quote from the stories I have read. Something about the law I think. The X-rated Conferences I am familiar with are "The Lust Boat" on the Joker's Castle and the other is "Roxanne's Massage Parlor and Chain-saw Repair" on The Crunchy Frog. I think the Conferences are a good idea. They let people live out their fantasies without leaving the comfort of their homes. They cost less than phone sex, free if it's a local call. They help others with their writing skills. Some people they help with their vocabulary. But the feature that is the most important of all is that the X-rated Conferences are just good clean fun. Well... OK, they are fun anyway. Most or none of what is written can be taken seriously. Let me try to find a end for this article, as it is already longer than Mark wanted. If you are a BBS user like most of the people who read BTN, join one of the X-rated Conferences on a BBS near you. Don't be afraid or shy. Just start it off by writing about one of your sex fantasies and read about the fantasies of other users. Most boards that support an X-rated Conference allow handles so your identity is protected. Then sit back and type in the fun. editor's note - If you are easily offended by expressed sexual depictions, descriptions, and innuendoes, please do not join one of these conferences. You will not like it. MM ----------------------------------------------------------------------- PROFILE by Chris Mohney The Pro File is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham. Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the notorious Hat. Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect. Anyone who wishes to suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their knowledge may take the same route .... Well, I kind of ended up doing this myself this time. I suppose it had to happen eventually. --------- Pro File on CHRIS MOHNEY --------- Age: 18 Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana Occupation: Electronics salesman My hobbies include: Reading, writing, decidedly NOT arithemtic, computing, playing certain non-cliche games, arguing, boosting my ego by beating up small children, laughing, being sarcastic, movies, miniature painting, and lots of things illegal without the consent of both parties. Years telecomputing: Four, but only about two for real Sysop, past/present/future of: I want to run a board eventually, but I want to wait until I can afford to do it right - i.e., a dedicated computer & a dedicated phone line just for the BBS. I can't really decide on a name; too many things like "The Slaughterhouse", "The Vulgar Unicorn," "Red Shift" and a whole bunch of others appeal just about equally. I imagine I would change the name monthly, at least. My oddest habit is: Being able to make a flatulating noise using the palm of my hand and my eyesocket, a trick I have yet to see duplicated. My greatest unfulfilled ambition is: Immortality! Wealth! Power! Babes! And a working heater in my car. Or maybe a new car. The single accomplishment of which I am most proud is: Getting a few of my (apparently) worthier literary efforts published. My favorite performers are: Pink Floyd, Van Halen, the Scorpions, Christopher Walken, Rutger Hauer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Kids in the Hall, Penn & Teller, David Letterman, James Woods, Brian Dennehy, Harrison Ford, Aerosmith, Sean Connery, Stephen Wright, Emo Phillips, John Carpenter, Michael Biehn, Monty Python, Phil Hartmann, and lots of others who I'll remember when reading this in BTN. The last good movie I saw was: The Abyss The last good book I read was: "The Black Company," by Glen Cook. Am I the only one who likes this guy or something? If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played by: Kiefer Sutherland. My pet peeves are: Very small and easy to feed, though they do chew on the furniture. When nobody's looking, I like to: Check and make sure Elvis isn't making faces behind my back. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gamer's Corner by Eric Hunt Battleship Door In this month's exciting issue of Gamer's Corner I will take a look at Battleship, modem style. Battleship is the classic game of war guessing. I say guessing because that is what I do most of the time when I play this game. Currently there are three versions of Battleship on the local boards: 1.0, 3.0, and 3.2. As you can imagine, 3.2 is the best version around. The game was produced by the same software company that makes Backgammon, so the look and feel is identical to Backgammon. To start a game, you can either join a game needing a player or start a new game. In either case, you will have to position each of your ships on the board. The board is laid out in coordinate form and you specify the starting peg and the direction. Here's where a new twist comes in: You can place your ships diagonally on the board, adding another element of chance to the game. Deciding the direction is a bit tricky, since the directions are laid out with random letters as such: e s d b f g h i I means go diagonally down and to the right, E means go diagonally up and to the left, etc., etc. Once you have placed your ships on the board, you must either wait for someone to join your game or wait for the person who started your game to move. From then on, simplicity is the name of the game. When you enter the door, it tells you in which games you have moves waiting, or if you have no moves waiting, it tells you so. Selection 1 from the main menu allows you to move in a game you are currently involved in, selection 5 shows all current games, opponents, and who's turn it is. Selection 7 exits the door. One interesting feature of versions 3.0 and 3.2 is the ability to leave one-line messages to your opponent. These can be a handy way to keep from cluttering up the main message area or just to have fun! A note about entering moves: Version 1.0 requires that you enter each ordinate of the guess separately, pressing enter after each. Versions 3.0 and 3.2 allow you to enter the entire coordinate at once. This is a fun and challenging game, as close to the real thing is as possible via modem. Currently it is on Smitty's (Ver 1.0), Sperry (Ver 3.0), and ST (Ver 3.2). If it is on your board, I'm sorry I didn't mention it; I haven't found it there yet. Address all comments and complaints to: Monk Eric on The Crunchy Frog. Next month: Turbo Chess! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Local Bulletin Board Systems Number Six In A Series by Mark Maisel Name: Crunchy Frog Sysop: Monty Software: PCBoard 14.0 /D Been Around: 8 months Baud Rates: 300-2400 Bulletins: Bulletins 1-3 are rules for the bbs. remaining bulletins describe conferences, and chart the development of the frog Conferences: EZNET, Readers, Listeners, Argument Clinic, Gamers, BTN, Amiga, MS-DOS, Writers, Graphic Arts, Roxanne's, BTNWA Computers Supported: IBM & compatibles and Amiga Files Available: Basic utilities and a few fun files for IBM & Amiga computers Doors Available: ProDoor 3.01R (Yes, it is registered so TTHHHPPPTTHH!) Special Information: We tend toward silliness so join right in. Real information is optional Q. Why did you start your BBS? A. Because I thought it would be fun. Q. What has been your greatest reward from running your BBS? A. Meeting many new people and having a lot of fun. Q. What are your greatest regrets and annoyance associated with running a BBS? A. I have to answer my mail every day or it gets away from me. Q. What are your future plans for the BBS? A. I am going to keep on doing what I have been doing as long as it works. Q. What is the funniest thing that has happened on your BBS? A. When having friends over, we engaged with a user in what is now called gang chatting a user. This is where the keyboard is passed around during a sysop chat and the user is completely disoriented because of the different bizarre conversations started and never finished by the various members of the gang. It is a lot of fun and anything goes. Beware, you might be the next victim. Q. What is your favorite hobby/pastime outside of your BBS and computers in general? A. Getting exceedingly drunk and throwing up. I bet you all believe that right? Q. What do you think your system offers that might cause someone to prefer your board over others? A. I provide a place for people to cut up and act silly without having to worry about the consequences. I also do a healthy business with the users who enjoy abuse. I also don't care if you upload files to the board. I do not get any thrill from collecting them. Q. Why? A. People seem to like calling The Frog as it provides a place to unwind after spending all day in the "Serious Adult Sort Of" world. For some reason, folks do call and download files. I don't know why but who cares. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Message Board By Barry Bowden October 1989 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 BIPUG 7 FAOUG 8 BCCC 9 BACE Columbus Day (Observed) 10 CCS (C64/C128) 12 Columbus Day (Traditional) 16 CCS (Amiga) Boss's Day 17 CADUB 20 BEPCUG 21 Sweetest Day 22 BCCC Mother-in Law Day 24 CCS (C64/C128) 31 Halloween BEPCUG CCS Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South Jefferson State Jr. College Springville Road Library Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114 2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128) 3rd Friday, 7-9 PM 3rd Monday (Amiga) Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM) 7:30-10 PM Maurice Lovelady 684-6843 BCCC BIPUG Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group POB 59564 UAB Nutrition Science Bldg. Birmingham, Alabama 35259 Rm 535/541 UAB School of Education, Rm 153 1st Sunday (delayed one week 2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM if meeting is a holiday) Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Marty Schulman 967-5883 BACE FAOUG Birmingham Atari Computer First Alabama Osborne Users Enthusiast Group Vestavia Library, downstairs Homewood Library 2nd Monday 7 PM First Saturday, 1 PM Benny Brown 822-5059 Ed Purquez 669-5200 CADUB BNUG CAD Users of Birmingham Birmingham Network Users Group Homewood Library SONAT Building downtown, 7 PM 3rd Tuesday, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Dan Smart 877-3018 Bobby Benson 791-0426 News Bits --------- Just a few notes to throw at y'all: 1. If y'all use SAS (that's Statistical Analysis System not Swiss Army Shell) there is a group of people trying to reestablish a user group. If you are interested please call 934-3633 and ask for Valeria or Norma (UAB Hospital-Information Center Services). 2. There is a new user group organizing and had their second meeting on Thursday 28 September. I do not know when they will have the next meeting, but I should know by the first of the month. Just leave me a message on the Bus System BBS or send a note to Mark Maisel on the Crunchy Frog about meeting times. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES SUPPORTED MODEM TYPE America Online Nodes 1-4 323-2016 300, 1200, 2400 America Online Node 5 251-2344 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 HST *American BBS 674-1851 300, 1200, 2400 *Bus System BBS 595-1627 300, 1200, 2400 *Byte Me 979-2983 1200, 2400 *Channel 8250 744-8546 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 HST, V.32 Club Phoenix 942-0252 300, 1200, 2400 *Crunchy Frog 956-1755 300, 1200, 2400 D3 Systems BBS 663-2759 300, 1200, 2400 +Duck Pond BBS 822-0956 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 HST, V.32 Eazy's Playhouse 870-0434 300, 1200 Elite Fleet 853-1257 300, 1200 Gateway BBS 854-5131 300, 1200, 2400 Gizmo's Atari BBS 854-0698 300, 1200 +I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 300, 1200, 2400 Jim's Place 787-5512 300, 1200, 2400 *Joker's Castle 744-6120 300, 1200, 2400 LZ Birmingham 870-7770 300, 1200, 2400 *Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 HST ProSoft Systems BBS 853-8718 300, 1200, 2400 Radio Free TROAD 592-2545 300, 1200, 2400 Role Player's Paradise 631-7654 300, 1200, 2400 Smitty's BBS 849-7349 300, 1200 Sperry BBS 853-6144 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 Hayes *ST BBS 836-9311 300, 1200, 2400 *The Connection Node 1 854-9074 1200, 2400 *The Connection Node 2 854-2308 1200, 2400 The Islands BBS 870-7776 300, 1200 The Modem Mission 491-8946 300, 1200 *The Outer Limits 969-3262 1200, 2400, 9600 HST *The Professional's Board 856-0679 300, 1200, 2400 Twilight Zone 856-3783 300, 1200 +Ultra-Vision BBS 856-1593 300, 1200, 2400, 9600 V.32 Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300, 1200, 2400 Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300, 1200, 2400 Willie's RBBS 979-7743 300, 1200, 2400 Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300, 1200 Boards with a "*" before their name are members of our local network, EzNet, and public messages left in the EzNet Conferences of any of these boards will be echoed to all members. Boards with a "+" before their name are members of FidoNet, an international network that provides a variety of public forums as well as private mail services all over the world. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Eznet Multiple Echo List EZNET now supports multiple conference echoing but there are a few things you should be aware of regarding private mail. A. You have one 'address' for private mail. If you are registered for private mail on Channel 8250 and someone sends you a private message in the Writers conference from Crunchy Frog it will wind up in the Writers conference on Channel 8250 as it should. However, if you were registered for private mail on Magnolia and someone sends you a private message in a conference that Magnolia does not support (echo) then the message will wind up in the twilight zone. B. If you go by a handle on one BBS and your real name on another even if the private message goes where it is supposed to, you will not be able to read it because it is addressed to someone else as far as PC Board is concerned. PC Board has no way of knowing that Red Foxx and John Doe are the same person. No tickee, no washee. Advice on sending private mail: If you don't know if the person you are sending private mail to is registered for private mail then keep a copy of the message in case you have to find an alternate route. EzNet Central will delete your private, undelivered message and inform you that the user you attempted to reach is not registered for private mail on any EzNet Node. This is a list of the current echos that I am aware of. More are in the making and will be posted in future issues. Eznet Program Hardware Writers Scitech BTNWA American BBS ........ * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. Bus System BBS ...... * ..... ...... ....... ...... * ..... P .. Byte Me ............. * ..... * ...... * ....... ...... ..... .. Channel 8250 ........ * ..... * ...... * ....... P ...... * ..... .. Connection .......... * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. Crunchy Frog ........ * ..... ...... ....... P ...... ..... P .. Joker's Castle ...... * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. Magnolia BBS ........ * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. Outer Limits ........ * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. Professional's Board * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. ST BBS .............. * ..... ...... ....... ...... ..... .. editor's note: As a last minute entry in the echo business, Joker's Castle's Lust Boat and Crunchy Frog's Roxanne's are now echoing messages in order to provide better access to all of the perverse types who frequent these two areas. MM