Publisher: Fido 1/1
Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
Review Editor: Allen Miller
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 1/1. You are
encouraged to submit articles for publication in Fidonews.
Article submission standards are contained in the file
FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 1/1.
Disclaimer or don't-blame-us:
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them;
everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
received.
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL
2400 Baud and Electronic Mail
2. NEWS
Change 10MB Hard Disk cluster from 4K to 2K
Improper use of Fido and life threats
The latest FIDO distribution list
Fido and Color Graphics
Automate removal of ROBOT messages -- KILLROBT
3. COLUMNS
No body language on a terminal?
Lotus Bulletin Board Announcement
Rainbow Corner
4. FOR SALE
IBM PC/XT compatible systems - $1850
5. NOTICES
The Interrupt Stack
Special notice to Jim Filgo
I finally got a Courier 2400 from USRobotics. It's a nice
little box. I used to be using a Novation 1200 baud modem,
which works well, but doesn't have all those little lights
on the front. (It has two lights; one stays on to show that
it's turned on, and the other flashes in strange ways.) The
Courier has a bunch of lights, including one the meaning of
which still escapes me.
I missed those lights. Don't believe anyone who tells you
you don't need the lights. Say you leave Mike Nagel's
excellent background dialer running and walk away from the
machine for a minute. How do you know if it connected while
you were away? If you got lights, then you just look at the
carrier detect light. I used to manage with listening for
the faint click when the dialer picked up the phone. This
is MUCH better!
2400 baud doesn't seem to matter much for entering and
reading messages. I can't read 1200 baud, and I certainly
can't type even 300 baud. Having a faster line just means
more time spent at the "More?" prompt. (Though it is true
that long welcome messages bother me a lot less now.)
Where it really comes into its own is at file transfers.
When I first got the thing I spent about twenty minutes on a
local board downloading files, just so I could watch those
little lights blinking back and forth. Lucky for me most
regional coordinators have 2400 baud, so it should have a
nice effect on my phone bill.
By the way, Rob Elliott tells me that the sysop offer is
still open. You call the board with the unlikely name of
"Sit UBU Sit" (node 115/500) and answer the questionnaire,
which is an order form for a modem. They don't accept
credit cards, but they will ship COD. Fido sysops don't
exactly get preference. That is, the offer is open to any
sysop, but they can look up Fido boards in the node list,
whereas checking on other systems takes longer.
By popular demand, we are reprinting this article from
Usenet.
2K Cluster Size for 10MB Fixed Disks under DOS 3.x
Standard 10mb fixed disks formatted under DOS 3.0 & 3.1
utilize 4k clusters (i.e., the minimum space allocated to
any file is 4096 bytes), while drives 20mb and larger
utilize 2k clusters. At work, I use a PC with twin 10mb
drives under DOS 3.1. Since I have a multitude of small
files on these disks, the smaller allocation unit's space
saving advantage far outweighs any theoretical disadvantage
of additional overhead for DOS to handle the added
allocation units. With the help of Bob Morse, Jim Gainsley,
and the DOS Technical Reference, I was able to make the
changes necessary to use 2k clusters on both of my 10mb
drives. By following the step-by-step instructions below,
you will be able to make the switch to 2k clusters yourself.
The need for making a complete backup of all your files
prior to attempting this procedure cannot be overemphasized.
You will need the following tools:
1) IBM PC-DOS version 3.1 (3.0 will work, but because of
other bugs, 3.1 is strongly recommended).
2) A disk utility such as Norton's NU.COM, or equivalent.
Most critical to the process is the sequence in which this
procedure is attempted. Here is the 4k to 2k cluster
procedure:
1) Do a complete backup of the drive, using your current
version of DOS.
2) Cold boot DOS 3.1, and FDISK the drive to create a DOS
partition.
3) Format the drive using the DOS format program. Don't use
any parameters (no /s or /v).
4) Using your Norton (or whatever), select the boot sector
and view it. See below for an explanation of the
pertinent info in this sector. You should see a value of
08 for sectors per cluster. change this to 04. You
should see a value of 0800 for sectors per fat. Change
this to 1500. All changes to the fat sectors required
for 2k clusters will be accomplished by the subsequent
format (6,below). No other manual changes are required.
A more detailed explanation of these two changes:
The number of sectors per cluster would change from
08 to 04, since that's what this is all about. The
sectors per FAT will change, in order to
Fidonews Page 3 13 Jan 1986
accommodate (1) the increased number of possible
FAT entries, and (2) the increased size of each fat
entry (new 16 vs. old 12 bits each). The value to
use for a 10 meg & 2k clusters would be 21 sectors,
or 1500 in hex word format.
5) Exit Norton and do a cold boot. This is critical, since
the boot sector is read by DOS only once, at boot time,
in order to build the BIOS Parameter Block. Having
different info in the boot sector than what's in the
memory-resident BPB will cause exceedingly flaky things
to happen, as you can imagine.
6) Reformat the drive using the DOS program, using whatever
switches that you desire (/s or /v). Format will not
affect your changes to the boot sector.
7) Restore your files, remembering to use the new restore
switch (/P) which prompts before restoring system files.
If you restore an old version of COMMAND.COM, make sure
to copy a 3.x version over it afterward. You should now
be operational again, with 2k clusters.
====================
Example of first few bytes in the Boot Sector displayed in
hex format, after formatting with DOS 3.1, and prior to 2k
cluster size changes:
EB299049 424D2020 332E3100 02080100 020002F3 50F80800
^^ ^^^^
AA BB
After the 2k cluster size changes:
EB299049 424D2020 332E3100 02040100 020002F3 50F81500
^^ ^^^^
AA BB
Where the data elements directly above AA are sectors per
cluster, and above BB are sectors per FAT.
Further info on the entries in the boot sector entries used
to build the BIOS Parameter Block can be found in the DOS
3.x Technical Reference, Page 3-22. Of course, I cannot
warrant that this change will work for all controller/disk
combinations, particularly for controllers and drives which
are not "XT clones", though it should work for all drives
compatible enough to work under DOS 3.x.
I had a user sign on and deposit a bomb. Fortunately
it was de-fused by me prior to it going off. It is an IBM
BASICA program and will not run properly on the Rainbow
anyway.
The user used the following alias:
Name: Harry Blackstone
City: New York, NY
Password: Magic
He logged on to 102/110 on 17-NOV-85 at 3:55pm. The
program he deposited is called FUTR2.BAS. It attempts to
kill all files on A, B, C, & D drives. It is poorly written,
as though by a 6th grader. It is easy to spot. It is about
2600 bytes long. Be aware of this user's name and password.
Spread this message around. Keep a log of where and when
you've seen him and his actions.
About one month later, on 19-DEC-85, he came back. He
saw a little note I had posted in my Free Message Area about
him and his program. He also noticed that I had twitted him.
He came back under the name of 'Blackstone Harry'. He had
info about a home I own and people that is on file at the
County Clerk's Office and free for all to see. He said he
was going to put a bullet into a relative's head, and rape
and sodomize another relative. Neither relatives are alive
today as they both passed away about 6 months ago. The house
mentioned is not occupied by me but by tenants. However the
threat was REAL. The police have a file on him. Other users
have reported to me that they have seen him. The FBI knows
about and has a file on him. The phone company knows about
him. The FBI and the phone company offered to set line traps
for him. I accepted the offer.
One week later, he left messages containing Visa and
American Express card numbers on them. These were turned
over to the authorities. He claimed to have broken into a
VAX 8600 and was trying to 'crash' it. Good luck. The FBI
was involved because interstate crime may have been
committed. They since suspect that he is operating out of
the Los Angeles Area or has contacts here. In exchange for
phone line trapping I have agreed to prosecute him to the
fullest extent of the law if captured. He wants to use the
name Harry Blackstone. He gets upset if he cannot use it.
Please report any contact with him to either this Fido or
preferably the FBI. I am all for a good joke, and it is true
that no harm was done so far by his program or him. But
threats like he made (if it is a 'he') cannot be tolerated.
Passing Visa card numbers around puts our Fidos in jeopardy
as well. We are to a certain degree responsible for what's
on our boards.
A short time afterward, he called my voice number and
posed as a beneficiary to a good cause. He wanted to come
collect a donation. The only donation he gets from me is Pb
Fidonews Page 5 13 Jan 1986
in capsule form. It should be mentioned that he has called
at least one other local Fido here and made the same public
threat to me on that system.
One thing this proves is that as Sysops we all have to
be careful with other's uploads. Check everything, as I do.
Sometimes a machine language program will get through so
check these extremely carefully. The program STRING.COM
available everywhere will assist you in doing this.
If you are on any board and see Public Messages from
him before I do, please inform me immediately. Ignore the
messages. If he causes you trouble, do as I did and call the
police, FBI and telephone company. You will be surprised as
I was to see that these people are very helpful. Computer
crime is easy to trace if you have a log as we do and keep
your evidence updated. I will let everyone know how this
turns out, and ignore it if he never calls again and makes
no more threats. As for now, I keep my S & W loaded and
ready for use. The police agree with this concept. I will
not hesitate to use it if he finds my newer address and
comes here. My house is overlooked by 6 others higher than
it, and all neighbors are in tune to this message.
This list was compiled from responses to a proposal I submitted
to the FIDONEWS. I know there are more distribution nodes than
this, but these are the ones that responded. My thanks to those
of you listed here. If you are a distribution node, and would
like to be added to this list, send the relevant information to
the SYSOP on 109/74 - The Bear's Den. I will release updates to
this list as new distribution nodes are added.
NODE NODE NAME LOCATION PHONE NUMBER Version
---- --------- -------- ------------ -------
18/19 The Ark Tangent Tampa_FL 813-977-5347 * I
100/10 MDC_RCC, St._Louis_MO 314-232-6881 * D,I
100/22 PC LUG St._Louis_MO 314-576-2743 * D,I
100/51 DECUS Central St._Louis_MO 314-576-4129 * D,I
101/27 Dave's FIDO Gardner_MA 617-632-1861 * All
101/106 NewWorld Magic1 Swampscott_MA 617-595-5626 * I
106/343 PC-Interconnect Houston_TX 713-955-8120 I
106/106 Black_Star Houston_TX 713-458-5406 I
109/456 FIDO-FHLMC Washington_DC 202-789-5090 I
109/483 Wash-A-RUG Fairfax_VA 703-359-6549 D,I
109/603 NET-EXCHANGE Reston_VA 703-689-3561 I
114/1 Phoenix Net Phoenix, AZ 602-242-5230 I
122/6 PSG COOS Bay COOS_Bay_OR 503-269-5202 * I
124/12 Inside Track Ed Plano_TX 214-422-4772 I
125/1 Fido's Board San_Francisco_CA 415-864-1418 * All
125/521 Satore Center San_Francisco_CA 415-647-8528 I,V
128/10 The Three Laws Colorado_Spgs_CO 303-574-1110 I
129/11 TACO Sanyo Fido Trafford_PA 412-856-1428 * S
132/107 M'Cycle Bytes Amherst_NH 603-889-3366 * All
135/14 Metro-Fire Fido Miami_FL 305-596-8611 I,S,T,G
This version of the list was squeezed a bit, to allow it to
fit into the FIDONEWS format. If you would like a full 80
column copy of this list, it may be downloaded from either
FIDO 109/74 (The Bear's Den), or FIDO 109/483 (Wash-A-RUG).
Fido and Color Graphics
by
Nevin Nobles
Sysop Fido 19/201
Fido's Domain
While trying to improve the frequency of use on my system, I
stumbled upon something in which you might be interested,
"Graphics." Full Color Ansi.sys graphics.
I have (and some of you may) a FreeWare graphics editor that
writes all of the codes for you. Easy! There was also a
problem, while most people who call do not use a program
which supports the use of graphics. There had to be a way
to offer an option.
Everyone that signs on has a default of 24 lines and 80
columns across. After you make your regular Welcome and
Bulletin messages, lengthen them so that when you call, the
end of the message will prompt you <More>. Then on the last
line of that message you can add something like "Do you want
color graphics (y/n). If they type "N" then it skips the
part of the message with the picture. The picture is added
to the end of messages like this:
copy bulletin.bbs+filename bulletin.bbs
The filename being what ever you called your picture.
It takes a little patience to line up the messages and get
the prompts right but the outcome is worth the wait.
Also Ansi.sys has to be in your config.sys file. Qmodem is
what we have been using and it works great. The uses are
unlimited and the users love it. The editor is called
Ansidraw.arc. Any amount of pictures can be added by
tacking them to the end of the message.
If you need any help or further details write me and I'll
get back to you.
(C) COPYRIGHT 1985 by PROBUS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Limited license is hereby granted for BBS operators of all
noncommercial FidoNet systems to use this program.
Voluntary contributions will be appreciated.
Commercial users must obtain reasonable licensing
arrangements by contacting:
Stephen M. Butler
PROBUS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
8815 - 106th St. E.
Puyallup, WA 98373
NOTICE: ROBOT is a copyrighted program by Systems
Enhancement Associates of Wayne, NJ.
==> PURPOSE:
KILLROBT automates the removal of ROBOT messages. Since
many of these messages are for the automated distribution of
NODELIST and FIDONEWS and have a time limit to be picked up
in, KILLROBT automates their removal.
==> FORMAT:
KILLROBT [path]
==> REMARKS:
KILLROBT opens MAIL.SYS to learn the path to the FidoNet
message area. It obtains a directory (unsorted) of all
*.MSG files. Each of these is read to locate those
originated by ROBOT. Those who weren't are closed and left
as is. The rest (the ones we want to get rid of) are
deleted. KILLROBT lists the message numbers, destination
net/node, date entered, and Path/File data from the deleted
messages.
The easiest way to invoke KILLROBT is from the FIDO main
directory as:
E:\fido > KILLROBT
One can invoke KILLROBT when in another directory or sub-
directory as:
E:\ > KILLROBT \fido
Place on the command line the path to get to the main FIDO
directory. KILLROBT will change directories in order to
read MAIL.SYS. As KILLROBT terminates, it will change back
to the directory you invoked it from.
If you should forget to put the path on the command line (or
MAIL.SYS is not found), KILLROBT will prompt for the path to
the FIDONET message area. If you give it a bad directory
Fidonews Page 9 13 Jan 1986
path, it will reprompt. Once you give a valid path, it will
do its dirty work--even if no '*.MSG' files are found (in
which case nothing is deleted).
NEGOTIATING BY COMPUTER DEBATED
by Richard Naimark
"Can effective negotiations take place via computer
terminal? Are communications improved or weakened by
removing the face-to-face element of a negotiation? The
author, Director of the AAA's New Jersey Regional Office,
addressed these issues as one of the interviewees on ESPN's
cable TV program Management Report, an award-winning
business program.
"The program, produced in conjunction with the Wharton
Business School, focused on various aspects of the
negotiations process.
"The section on negotiations conducted via computer
terminal included debate of the viability of that process.
Some of the potential advantages are: reduction of
emotionalism and a focus on the issues; low cost; multiple
part input at any given time; existence of a written record;
and 24-hour access.
"Some of the potential disadvantages are: inability to
deal with the important emotional issues; existence of a
written record;longer time to complete negotiations; and the
need for practice to use the medium effectively.
"The author noted that while computer conferencing may be
particularly useful in pre-and post-meeting exchanges, it
deprives the parties of the many nonverbal cues that are an
important aspect of communication. Psychologists tell us
that, in many situations, more than half of communcation is
nonverbal. Without the face-to-face meeting, one is unable
consciously or subconsciously to read facial expression,
tone of voice, body posture, body position, timing, voice
volume, or gestures.
"On the other hand, Murray Turoff of the New Jersey
Institute of Technology descsibed the negotiation of a
separaTion by a divorcing couple, made possible because of
the decreased emotionalism of working through a terminal.
He referred to the computer as the "great equalizer."
"It will be interesting to see over time whether the use
of computer terminals for negotiation increases in the
business and legal communities. Reactions of our readers
are welcomed."
Reprinted from ARBITRATION TIMES (published by the American
Arbitration Association), Summer, 1985.
Just think. The poor guy never saw body language and
emotionalism over a terminal.
Announcing - Allen's Lotus Land - A Fido Electronic Bulletin
Board run by Allen Miller in Cincinnati, Ohio at 513/662-1799
(five-one-three/six-six-two-dash-one-seven-nine-nine).
This system is dedicated exclusively to users of 1-2-3 and
Symphony, Lotus Development Corporation products.
This is the only free bulletin board system in the country
dedicated solely to 1-2-3 and Symphony. The message areas
provide a good place to solicit help on questions you may
have for the spreadsheet you are working on. The files
areas contain public domain worksheet templates and related
programs which you can download. If you wrote a worksheet
that would be of interest to others, upload it to the files
area.
The bulletin board runs 24 hours per day. Membership is
acquired after on-line completion of the membership
application form during your first call. The system
supports 2400 baud as well as 1200 baud and 300 baud. This
is a free, user supported service for sharing of information
related to these Lotus spreadsheet programs. Assistant
Sysop services are provided by some very talented local
Lotus users. CALL TODAY.
Reader mail this week was mostly comments, both on the
column, and on "Project Transport". So far, all of the
comments I've gotten about my proposal have been positive.
I still haven't made my mind up (it's only mid-June as I
write this, and I promised to give everyone 'till August 1st
to comment), but I'm sure leaning towards doing it.
However, Project Transport may not be necessary on the scale
I envisioned, if one of my leads pans out. I've tracked
down a company that claims to have a software package which
will allow you to run most IBM-PC software on the Rainbow.
I've requested a review copy, signed their licensing
agreement, and am now waiting to receive the package. If it
shows up, I'll run some tests and let you know. I use the
word "if" because I tend to be a bit cynical about products
I haven't seen. I won't go as far as to use the term
"vaporware" because someone I know says he has seen the
package demonstrated, but "Needleman's Law" states that "If
it's not in my hands, It doesn't exist" (at least that's
Needleman's Law this week). But, as usual, hope springs
eternal.
While still (more-or-less) on the subject of reader mail, a
letter arrived this morning from Jeffrey Noyes of Mercer
University asking about a clock/calendar card for the
Rainbow. There's an expensive one, included as part of GPIB
interface from National Instruments (800-531-5066) listed in
the QUE "DEC Expansion & Software Guide". The price given
for this is $485. Don't give up hope, though, there's a
less expensive board which will soon be on the market. The
projected retail price will be in the range of $150 or less.
I'm hoping to be able to give more details in a week or two.
One last comment on reader mail. I love to get letters,
MCIMail, and the like, and the kind comments many of you
have made really brighten up my day. I do try to answer
mail containing questions, but you can make this task a bit
easier on me. If you write to me, and would like (or
expect) a direct answer, PLEASE enclose a stamped, self-
addressed envelope. And if you write, and don't want me to
use your name here at the "Corner", just let me know. I
have no wish to inadvertently embarrass anyone!
On to other business. I had wanted to do a column on the
FidoNet Bulletin Board System. My mention of DEC-LINE in
April's "Corner" brought over 200 calls in the first 2 weeks
after it appeared. By the way, DEC-LINE closes down for the
summer (June, July and August) so you might not have been
able to get through. I've spent the last week or so signing
onto Fido Boards all around the country, and making lots of
new "FIDO FRIENDS". I'm convinced that the FidoNet system
deserves a lot more attention then just a quick plug, but,
as usual, I'm a bit short on room this week. But, while
you're waiting till next week for the whole story on
FidoNet, here are a bunch of FidoNet boards you might want
Fidonews Page 14 13 Jan 1986
to try:
NAME Phone# System Operator (SYSOP) State
Rainbow_Data 213/204-2996 Don Brauns CA
PC LUG 314/576-2754 Ken Kaplan MO
DECUS_CENTRAL 314/432-4129 - MO
Wash-A-Rug 703/359-6179 Kurt Reisler WA
DEC-WARE 212/535-8924 Matt Kanter NY
Daves_Fido 617/632-1861 Dave Rene MA
Don Brauns' Rainbow_Data board is the largest one I've come
across so far, so you might want to try it first. He (and
several other Fido SYSOPS) is in the process of turning the
board into a subscription membership (it will cost $2.50 a
week), but you can still sign on for free and take a look
around. Many of the boards listed above are quite busy, so
keep trying until you get through. And once you do, please
don't "hog" the board. Remember, the Rainbow is a single
user machine. While you're using it, no one else can. And
when you do sign on to one of the above Fido boards, be sure
to leave a message to the System Operator (SYSOP) that you
heard about his board here at the "Corner". If you'd like,
you can leave a message for me on either Matt Kanter's DEC-
WARE board in NY or Don Brauns' Rainbow_Data board in CA,
I'm on both at least once a week. More on Fido next week.
One of the "hazards" of doing a column like this one, is
that the software to be reviewed sometimes starts to pile
up. (I can hear all of you now...Poor Ted, all of that
software!) It's a "hazard" because reviewing software is
only one of the things that I hope to accomplish here at the
"Corner". While I do want to talk about interesting
packages, I feel it is just as important, if not more so, to
answer questions you might have, and discuss other
information resources available to you. This is very
discouraging to those nice people who send software for
review, but I ask them to be patient, I will get to it
eventually.
Back in the beginning of the year, I made a request for a
software package that would help to keep track of computer
usage to meet the strict record keeping laws that had just
been enacted. My request got an immediate reply from PURNA
PAREEK at VuSoft (Lincoln, MA, 617/259-0686) in the form of
a review copy of their DO-IT software. The record keeping
law has been toned way down, and is pretty much gone, but
the review package is still here, and I finally got around
to taking a look. I must admit that I'm impressed with the
software. DO-IT is a multi-function utility package similar
in concept to Borlund's Sidekick (on the IBM-PC). It
contains a Notepad, Calculator, Terminal, and Help and
Save/Print Screen functions. These functions co-reside in
Fidonews Page 15 13 Jan 1986
memory with whatever application you happen to be running,
and the DO-IT pop-up menu is accessed by simultaneously
pressing the Control-Shift-Enter keys. This suspends the
application you are currently engaged in, and gives you the
DO-IT main menu. Do-IT is not a multi-tasking system like
Concurrent CP/M-86. While two programs can reside in
different memory partitions (if you have sufficient memory),
only one of them runs at a time. All of the functions are
easy to use, and extremely useful, especially as you can
suspend what you are doing, use the notepad, calculator,
etc., then take up right where you left off! At first
glance I wondered about the VT-100 Terminal function, as the
Rainbow has this built-in. Then I realized that the
Rainbow's terminal emulator is only accessible from the
"Boot Menu". DO-IT, on the other hand, does not make you
back out of what you are doing and reboot the system. Just
put your current work on "hold", dial up another system,
and, when you are done, resume your first application.
DO-IT really deserves a more "in-depth" review than I've
been able to do here. It's a handy program to have, is a
nice bit of programming, and is reasonably priced at $125.
Give Purna a call at VuSoft and he'll be glad to tell you
all about it.
That's it for now. As usual you can reach me at: P.O. Box
668, New City, NY 10956. MCIMail to "Theodore Needleman",
or Source ID TCA920. Till next week...Happy Computing!
(c)opyright 1985 by Ted Needleman-all rights reserved
============================================================
FOR SALE
============================================================
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serviceable nation-wide. Multiple configurations available.
Typical configuration would include -
1 System unit with:
640Kb RAM
2 320Kb floppy disk drives
1 21Mb hard disk (pre-formatted with MS-DOS)
Color/Graphics card
Game port
Assych. Communications card
1 Zenith ZVM-1220-A (This model is amber)
1 KB-5150 83 key keyboard
All this, including one year warranty, for only $1850 !!
Thats right folks, only $1850.00 brings you this wonder
machine. It is perfect to run a Fido/FidoNet system, not
to mention other applications.
If you would like to learn more about these systems, feel
free to contact us via one of the below listed resources:
