F I D O N E W S -- Vol.12 No.39 (25-Sep-1995)
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| A newsletter of the | ISSN 1198-4589 Published by: |
| FidoNet BBS community | "FidoNews" BBS |
| _ | +1-519-570-4176 |
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| /|oo \ | |
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| _`@/_ \ _ | |
| | | \ \\ | Editors: |
| | (*) | \ )) | Donald Tees 1:221/192 |
| |__U__| / \// | Sylvia 1:221/194 |
| _//|| _\ / | |
| (_/(_|(____/ | |
| (jm) | Newspapers should have no friends. |
| | -- JOSEPH PULITZER |
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| Submission address: editors 1:1/23 |
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| MORE addresses: |
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| submissions=>
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| Don --
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| Sylvia
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Table of Contents
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1. Editorial..................................................... 1
2. Articles...................................................... 2
This and That............................................... 2
Reenacting & Living History................................. 3
Simulations & Wargames...................................... 3
99 places to visit, part deux............................... 3
3. Fidonews Information.......................................... 7
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Editorial
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FidoNews 12-39 Page: 2 25 Sep 1995
Here is the snooze ...
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Articles
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This and That
Scott James (1:340/54)
There's been a lot of whining about the hype surrounding
Microsoft Windows 95. Hype? So what? GM delivers far more hype
about its new cars every year. Have the whiners whined about GM?
No.
If a Boeing B52 had attempted to take off carrying all the hype
the Coca-Cola company produced about New Coke, it would have run
smack into that little red bunker at the end of the runway.
Have the whiners whined about Coke? No.
And don't get me started about the hype surrounding the Internet.
Hype is nothing new, and the hype surrounding Windows 95 is
nothing new. What it _is_, though, is a great excuse for those
who are afraid of Microsoft/unsure of the benefits of their own
products/etc. to rant and rave endlessly about nothing in
particular, for no other reason than their bitterness, jealousy
and mistrust. Folks, if you're gonna whine about something,
tell us the _real_ reason for the whining, and we'll respect you
much, much more. Thank you kindly.
If we don't like hype, we don't have to listen to it. We don't
have to read it. We don't have to watch it. Yes, we have the
power to tell Microsoft and Bill Gates and anyone else for whom
we don't have time to just go get sotted, simply by ignoring
them. What a concept.
And while we're at it, how about if we knock off all of this
ridiculous "mine's better than yours" BS? What's good for you
may be crap for me, and that should be the end of it. I think
OS/2's interface is from hell; millions don't. I don't use it.
Millions do. I applaud them if they are able to benefit from
its technically superior construction. After countless futile
attempts to get OS/2 working, I am now immensely more productive
using Windows 95; this situation is no doubt duplicated and
mirrored all over the world. So be it. I don't think you're an
idiot for using your software, and I'll thank you for extending
me the same courtesy. Don't waste precious bandwidth on
software debate: use your chosen software to advance the state
of the nation. Do something notable. Take the high road. In
short: shut the hell up, get some work done, and let the rest of
us get some work done. Thank you kindly.
NO CARRIER
--skj
[email protected]
FidoNews 12-39 Page: 3 25 Sep 1995
Reenacting & Living History
From: Gerald Todd (1:261/1151)
Across the country, men and women portray for us a little bit of what
life was like "back then." In museums, forts, ships, parks, schools,
and many other places, these people take us back in time to meet
Johnny Reb or Billy Yank, to meet one of Roger's Rangers, or a
family from the prarie. These people show us where we came from,
and the way we lived. They show us the tools, the food, the weapons,
and they show us the beliefs, the traditions, and the songs of our
heritage. These people are "Living Historians."
REENACT is a "backboned" echo whose focus is the discussion of topics
relating to reenacting and living history of all periods right up to
modern day. Such topics include, but are not limited to, events,
planning, recruiting, sources, research, and more. REENACT is open to
any and all that participate, watch, or are simply curious.
Available wherever fine echos are served, ask your sysop to connect to
REENACT: The Reenacting & Living History Echo
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Simulations & Wargames
From: Gerald Todd (1:261/1151)
Fans of strategy games by companies like SPI, Avalon Hill, and
GDW take note! There is a Fidonet echo that want's you!
SIM: The Simulation & Wargaming echo is a "backboned,"
internationally distributed message area who's topics include;
Board Wargaming, PBM and PBEM gaming, computer and non-computer
simulation, miniatures, game design and research, play-testing,
games for sale, trade, and wanted, new product reviews, source
information, and much more. What you won't find on SIM is Doom,
doors, D&D, chess, Clue, or any of the stuff that the echos that
don't allow wargames are full of!
So, if 'Tiger's on the Prowl' or 'Stonewall Jackson's Way' hold
more interest for you than the latest Doom wad, check into SIM;
The Simulation & Wargaming echo!
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99 places to visit, part deux....
From: RanD (1:141/1030)
Best place for replays: Delphi's Sports Connection Online SIG
(at the system prompt type Sports Connection) includes a
database of sports audio clips that you can download and play on
just about any PC or Mac. Check out Game Four of the 1947 World
Series between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. . . .
FidoNews 12-39 Page: 4 25 Sep 1995
Best place for a pickup game: CompuServe's Sports Forum (go
sports) has Fantasy Sports simulation forums that let you play
everything from baseball to hockey to football with other online
jocks.
Best place to argue about Jimmy Johnson's hair: America Online's
Grandstand (keyword: grandstand) was founded in 1985 as a place
for sports fans to talk, write, and heatedly dis- cuss
happenings both on and off the field, court, or rink.
Best place to wrestle: The Online Sports BBS of Toronto [(416)
928-3339] has its own professional wrestling league, where
members can role-play a career as Hulk Hogan (or Hulk Hogan's
manager). The Online Sports BBS also provides 24-hour sports
news and stats.
A little bit of Culture
When it comes to high culture, Dylan Tweney, author of The
Traveler's Guide to the Information Highway (Ziff-Davis Press,
1994) knows what he's talking about. He regularly hangs around
CompuServe's Lit forum and rec.arts.books. Assisting him in
picking the best of online pop-culture hot spots is Jason Snell,
the founding editor of the online magazine InterText (to
subscribe, send e-mail to
[email protected]). His recently
completed master's thesis was about Internet addicts.
Best place for groupies (1): Serious fans of popular music
groups should find out if there's a Musical Mailing List
(Internet e-mail) for their favorite groups. These are e-mail
missives circulated among an intimate group of fans who talk
about concerts, new recordings, and such. Some artists are on
their own mailing lists, and others are acutely aware of the
list's existence. "They're worse than critics," guitarist
Richard Thompson is alleged to have said about his mailing list.
"They're amateur critics." You can get a list of the mailing
lists in the Usenet newsgroup rec.music.misc by selecting Search
for Topic and entering mailing list.
Best place for groupies (2): Need to know when the latest CD
from your favorite musician is going to hit the record stores?
The NEW-RELEASES Internet e-mail list, compiled with help from
all sorts of music industry watchers around the world, gives you
an updated listing every week. To subscribe, send a message with
the text subscribe new-releases in the body text to
[email protected].
Best place to bone up on the classics: Project Gutenberg on the
Internet is converting public-domain literature into electronic
form and distributing it as far and wide as possible, for free.
In addition to all of Shakespeare and the King James Bible,
there are dozens of other classics of literature, history, and
philosophy. Use FTP to connect to mrcnext. cso.uiuc.edu, log in
as "anonymous," and change to the directory /pub/etext. You can
also send e- mail with the message sub gutnberg your name to
FidoNews 12-39 Page: 5 25 Sep 1995
listserv@ uiucvmd.bitnet.
Best place for cartoons: Two comic strips are available only
online: "Doctor Fun," by David Farley, a "Far Side"-style
one-panel strip, and "NetBoy," by Stafford Huyler, a "Life in
Hell"-style multipanel strip. Both are best viewed via the World
Wide Web. Also available in digital format, to users of America
Online (keyword: dilbert) is Scott Adams's syndicated cartoon,
"Dilbert." Adams, who has an account on AOL, also writes a
periodic e-mail newsletter about the comic strip. ("Doctor Fun"
is on the World Wide Web at ttp://sunsite.unc.edu/
Dave/drfun.html or
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/
electronic-publications/Dr-Fun. "NetBoy" is on the Web at
http://www.interaccess.com/netboy.html. Scott Adams is at
[email protected].
Best place for the literati: CompuServe's Literary Forum (go
litforum) is the hangout for aspiring and published writers,
book lovers, and reading addicts. Its most active sections
include Poetry & Lyrics, Mystery & Suspense, and
Romance/Historical. It also sports a dedicated online writing
work- shop. Every avid reader and/or writer should hang out here.
Best place for Cyber-Sleaze: Once upon a time, an MTV
personality named Adam Curry created mtv .com. When he quit MTV,
the network sued to strip him of the site's name. Although at
press time the suit was still pending, Curry has moved all his
material to a new site: Metaverse (on the World Wide Web at
http:// metaverse.com/). What's on Metaverse? A gossip column
called Cyber- Sleaze, movie and music reviews, the latest pop
charts, and more.
Best places for alternative reading material: E-mail has made it
possible to distribute magazines around the world almost
effortlessly. Dozens of electronic magazines--some lasting only
a few issues, others publishing for several years--are available
online. They range from short stories to political satire to
historical research, with a whole lot of intriguing topics in
between. You'll find them on the Internet at ftp:
//ftp.etext.org/pub/Zines/; on CompuServe's Electronic Frontier
Forum at go effsig, in the Zines from the Net library; and on
America Online (keyword: pda), in the Software Libraries-Palmtop
Paperbacks/Ezine libraries.
Best place to find a good bookstore: The atmosphere is
definitely highbrow in the Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.books, but
it's not at all inaccessible--what binds together the people in
this group is a love of literature and books. The FAQs
(frequently asked questions) alone are worth a visit to this
newsgroup--and while you're there, check out the bookstore
lists--there's sure to be a good one near you.
Religious Retreats
There are plenty of places to go online for some quiet thought,
FidoNews 12-39 Page: 6 25 Sep 1995
prayer, reflection, or a damned good argument about religion and
spirituality. Computer Life editor Chris Shipley (a preacher's
daughter) has picked a few of the most interesting religious
retreats:
Best place for choir practice: AOL's The Front Porch Room
(keyword: religion) is a virtual church social. Here, sheep from
every religion are welcome to graze and share their beliefs in a
"heated but polite" manner. Even Pagans gather on the porch
(each Thursday at 10 p.m., Eastern time). The choir practices
the first Sunday of the month for two hours beginning at 8:30
p.m. (Eastern time).
Best place to argue about evolution: Section 8 of CompuServe's
Religion Forum (go religion) is home to an interfaith dialogue
where the intelligentsia and charismatic meet to debate
everything from the divinity of Christ and the context of Paul's
writings to the authenticity of speaking in tongues and the
right- or wrong-headedness of evolutionism. If you love a good
debate, stop by.
Best place to pray: Think of Prodigy's Religion Concourse (Jump:
religion concourse) as an online prayer circle. A small group
gathers in the Prayer Line subject area to request others'
prayers for themselves and their families and friends. Each
request is met with support, concern, and hope for speedy
answers to these community prayers.
Best place to spread the gospel of the Internet: Come worship
the almighty microprocessor in the Internet newsgroup
alt.religion.computers. The group often splits between
fundamentalist Windows users and born-again Mac disciples. If
you find using a PC a religious experience, you have to be here.
Best place to meet a goddess: If your religion is goddess
centered, or if you find truth in the stories of the ancients,
share your enlightenment with the members of the Internet
newsgroup alt.mythology. This fascinating group discusses
everything from the Descent of Ishtar to the Nether World to the
influence of the goddess(es) on modern religions.
After Hours
Computer Life Contributing Editor Nancy Tamosaitis has dedicated
much of her online life to disproving the popular contention
that online services are inhabited only by perverts and porn
peddlers. She knows of lots of places you can go for some good,
clean fun (or good, risqu_ fun, if it comes to that) with other
intelligent adults.
Best gay and lesbian hangout: GLIB is a nonprofit,
community-supported information and communications resource
serving the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community. It's like a
gay-oriented CompuServe or Delphi with information on health,
law, social events, community groups, the arts, and local and
FidoNews 12-39 Page: 7 25 Sep 1995
national news of interest to the gay community. For more
information, call (703) 379-4568 or have your modem call (703)
578-4542.
Best place to find ROMEOs: AOL's SeniorNet (keyword: senior) is
the place to go to find Retired Older Men Eating Out and other
seniors who are into computers and online socializing. SeniorNet
is a rest and refueling station that provides technical help,
social activities, and interesting, lively discussions.
Best small-town atmosphere: If you're looking for the feel of a
small-town BBS combined with the benefits of a national forum,
check out the Rhode Island-based Meeting House BBS [modem (401)
848-2200]. With local access numbers in more than 500 cities
nationwide, the Meeting House offers the opportunity to make the
entire United States seem like one small, friendly, talkative
town.
Best place to get tied up: If you're into pastimes like bondage
and discipline or sadomasochism, but you're turned off by the
blatant hostility of the Internet Usenet newsgroup
alt.sex.bondage, a BBS called The English Palace [(908)
739-1755], founded by Master Charles, may be your digital
dungeon of choice. Women represent 40 percent of the bulletin
board's total membership, possibly due to the good master's
vigilance against male callers who might abuse female members.
The English Palace is the largest fetish bulletin board on the
East Coast.
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Fidonews Information
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------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------
Editors: Donald Tees, Sylvia Maxwell
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Tom Jennings
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FidoNews 12-39 Page: 8 25 Sep 1995
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FidoNews 12-39 Page: 9 25 Sep 1995
