Volume 3, Number 27                                  14 July 1986
    +---------------------------------------------------------------+
    |                                                  _            |
    |                                                 /  \          |
    |    - FidoNews -                                /|oo \         |
    |                                               (_|  /_)        |
    |  Fido and FidoNet                              _`@/_ \    _   |
    |    Users  Group                               |     | \   \\  |
    |     Newsletter                                | (*) |  \   )) |
    |                                  ______       |__U__| /  \//  |
    |                                 / FIDO \       _//|| _\   /   |
    | (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA     (________)     (_/(_|(____/    |
    |                                                     (jm)      |
    +---------------------------------------------------------------+
    Editor in Chief:                                   Thom Henderson
    Chief Procrastinator Emeritus:                       Tom Jennings

    FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International  FidoNet
    Association,  and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
    You  are  encouraged  to  submit  articles  for  publication   in
    FidoNews.  Article submission standards are contained in the file
    FNEWSART.DOC,  available from  node  1/1.

    The   contents  of  the  articles  contained  here  are  not  our
    responsibility,   nor  do  we  necessarily   agree   with   them.
    Everything here is subject to debate.




                            Table of Contents

    1. EDITORIAL
       Insider's Joke
    2. ARTICLES
       Silicon Mountain Fido Conference
       War in the Falklands
       Mail Order Problems
       Review of the MultiTech MultiModem 223
       Rovermsg update
    3. COLUMNS
       Hard Disk Usage and Management Tips, Part 3
       Computer Industry Spotlight
       Job Market Research Part II
    4. FOR SALE
       Entertainment Software for your PC!
       Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
    5. NOTICES
       The Interrupt Stack
       CARTOON: Gruesome George, by Bruce White
       Net 105 & 146 merged!!




    Fidonews                     Page 2                   14 Jul 1986


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                                EDITORIAL
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    Fidonews                     Page 3                   14 Jul 1986


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                                ARTICLES
    =================================================================

                     Silicon Mountain Fido Conference
                               Sponsored by
                   The Colorado Springs PC Users Group
                                   and
                  The International Fido Net Association

                             to be held from
                          August 14 to 17, 1986
                      in Colorado Springs, Colorado



    The Silicon Mountain Fido Conference will take place from  August
    14 through August 17, 1986, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the
    Colorado  Springs  Hilton  Inn.  Register as soon as possible for
    the conference, by mailing in the registration form and by making
    room reservations at the Hilton Inn.  Registration may be made on
    line at any of the Fido Conference Coordinator BBS numbers:

        303-578-0860   (1/10 outgoing)
        303-596-6232   (1/10 Incoming)

    Information will also be available at the COSUG BBS:

        303-635-5468   (128/13)

    The registration form will be circulated in a couple of days.

    To register through FidoMail,  please send a  message  to  us  at
    1/10,  and  follow  up by sending a hard copy of the registration
    form by mail or send a file with  the  extension  ".REG".  Please
    put a variation of your name on the file and tell us the name you
    have  given  your  registration  form in your message.  If we get
    multiple files with the same name, it could a problem for us.

    Please follow up by making a guaranteed reservation at the Hilton
    Inn.  To  guarantee  your  room  for  late  arrival,  the  Hilton
    requires  a  credit  card  number  (Master Card,  Visa,  American
    Express, Carte Blanche, Diners Club and Discover are accepted) or
    a  deposit.  Without  a  guarantee,  they  will  not hold it past
    6:00 PM of the arrival date.  When you call in your  reservation,
    be  sure  to  tell  the  person  taking  it that you are with the
    "Silicon Mountain Fido Conference" or the  "Fido  Conference"  or
    "International  Fido  Sysops" to be sure that your reservation is
    at the group rate.

    The room rates are as follows:

        Single or Double (one bed or two)       $60.00 per night
        Triple occupancy                        $75.00 per night
        Quad occupancy                          $90.00 per night
        Parlor                                 $120.00 per night
    Fidonews                     Page 4                   14 Jul 1986


    Because the Hilton does not  care  how  you  share  your  accomo-
    dations,  some  of  you  may wish to double up and split the room
    charges.  You may be able to find someone in your local  net  who
    also  wishes  to  share.  Or  send  a  message around FidoNet for
    someone to share with.

    The address and telephone number of the Hilton Inn is:

        505 Popes Bluff Trail
        Colorado Springs, CO.
        303-598-7656

    The Hilton Inn is located at Exit 146 (Garden of the  Gods  Road)
    off of I-25 in northern Colorado Springs.

    Other  motels in the immediate vicinity (within walking distance)
    include  "Howard  Johnson's",  "Ramada  Inn",  and  "Econolodge."
    Within  a  short  driving distance,  there are many other motels,
    which may be  cheaper  than  these.  Because  we  are  getting  a
    special  rate,  you  cannot  expect  to save much by staying at a
    place other than the Hilton,  unless you  have  your  own  trans-
    portation.

    To  be  sure  that a room is reserved for you,  we need a message
    from you that you are coming as soon as possible.  A large  block
    of  rooms  has  been  reserved  for  us,  but unless we have your
    reservation by August 1 at the latest, we can not guarantee you a
    room at the conference rate.  Because it is  the  height  of  the
    tourist season,  you will have to compete with the tourists for a
    motel room.  I have to give the Hilton an estimate of the  number
    of  rooms  we need by July 1,  and a room list is due August 1 at
    the latest.  Although you can probably still find  lodging  after
    August 1, it may not be at the Hilton.

    The  deadline  for  reservations for the banquets and other group
    meals is 48 hours in advance.  All parties and receptions will be
    cash bar.

    We have set a conference fee of $60.00 for the  full  conference.
    If you wish to attend Saturday only,  the conference fee would be
    $30.00.  The rate for full time students is  $35.00  and  $20.00,
    respectively.  Registration  after August 1 will be an additional
    $10.00.  In addition you will  want  to  attend  the  banquet  on
    Friday night,  which will be an additional $15.00 per plate,  and
    the luncheon on Saturday,  which will be  $7.50  per  plate.  The
    cost  of  the  Saturday  dinner  at  the  Flying  W Ranch will be
    announced later.  It will include transportation by  bus  to  and
    from the Hilton Inn.

    We  are  working  on  a  special  trip up Pikes Peak by cog wheel
    railway at a cost to be announced later.  The stated meal  prices
    include  taxes and service charges.  The amount of the conference
    fee is  based  on  what  is  needed  to  recover  the  conference
    expenses.  In  addition  we  hope  you  will  see  fit  to send a
    voluntary donation to IFNA,  which is cosponsoring the conference
    and which will be the primary beneficiary of the conference.
    Fidonews                     Page 5                   14 Jul 1986


    The address to send your registrations to is:

        Silicon Mountain Fido Conference
        Attn:  George Wing
        507 Mining Exchange Building
        8 South Nevada Avenue
        Colorado Springs, CO  80903

        Voice:  303-635-4716  (weekdays)
        FidoNet 1/10

    Please  pay  your  conference  fees  by  check  or money order to
    "Silicon Mountain Fido Conference." By July we will  be  able  to
    accept  MasterCard  and  Visa over the phone.  Please do not send
    credit card numbers through FidoMail.

    We are trying to work out having computers with modems and  phone
    lines  available for you to call your board and check to see what
    E.T.  did to you when he used your board to phone home while  you
    were  in  Colorado  Springs.  Suggestions  on  how  to handle the
    billing for telephone calls are needed.

    Please  check  for  the  best  deals  on  air  fare.  We  have  a
    conference discount arranged through Continental Air Lines, which
    feeds  through  Denver.  Jack  Armit  of Globe Travel in Colorado
    Springs (303-473-4151) can help  you  with  travel  arrangements.
    Call  him  if  you  are  flying on Continental.  Call him anyway.
    Other  carriers  feed  direct  into  Colorado   Springs   without
    requiring  a  plane  change in Denver as does Continental in many
    cases.  Fares to Denver are about the same as to Colorado.  Check
    it out and let me know what kind of deals you are getting,  so  I
    can   pass   the  information  on.   The  sooner  you  make  your
    reservation, the better the deal you will get.

    We are looking for  persons  to  help  with  the  discussions  of
    DoubleDOS,  EchoMail,  and various other topics.  Suggestions are
    welcome.  We thank those persons  who  have  already  volunteered
    their  time.  Ken Kaplan will have the final say on panel members
    and speakers.  Send us a message at 1/10 with a copy to Ken 1/0.

    See you in Colorado Springs in August!

        George Wing, Coordinator
        Silicon Mountain Fido Conference Coordinator
        1/10

        Ken Kaplan and Ben Baker
        The International FidoNet Administrators
        1/0

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 6                   14 Jul 1986


    Charles Grisamore
    Memphis Tennessee
    Fido 123/7

                           War in the Falklands


         While  scanning  the  files  on  a  long  distance  board  I
    sometimes call,  I spotted a program called FALKLANDS.BAS.  After
    downloading,  I found it was a sophisticated war  game  involving
    ship  and  troop  deployment  as  well as air cover and even ship
    based artillery.  The only problem was  that  there  weren't  any
    instructions!

         The  commands are pretty obvious (they are for the most part
    always visible on the  screen  and  make  extensive  use  of  the
    function keys) however when entering ship and troop movements you
    must  enter the sector number to move into.  Without some sort of
    sector map it's impossible to ascertain your position relative to
    the Falklands or anything else.  Has anybody got a DOC  file  for
    this program?

         Another issue;  is this program user supported?  The startup
    screen identifies it as "War in the Falklands (C) 1983 by  Robert
    Alter  version 1.5".  The copyright notice doesn't by itself mean
    much.  Most programmers I  know  put  such  a  message  on  EVERY
    program.   However  the  absence  of  a  Freeware/User  supported
    message makes me wonder about this program.  I've seen  it  on  a
    number  of  bulletin boards around the country (but then so are a
    LOT of pirated programs).

         I'd like to know something about  this  particular  game.  I
    either  need  the instructions or that it's pirated and I need to
    get rid of it.  Please answer via FidoMail to node 123/7.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 7                   14 Jul 1986


    David Kaplan, 142/0

                           Mail Order Problems


    I would like to advise all FidoNews readers of a complaint that I
    have  registered  with  the  Illinois  Department   of   Consumer
    Protection,  Office  of  the  Attorney  General,  against  the PC
    Network, of 320 West Ohio St., Chicago, Il. 60610.

    On April 22, 1986,  I ordered a copy of R:Base 5000,  in order to
    take  advantage  of Microrim's 2 for 1 sale if registered by June
    30, 1986. My package did not arrive until May 14, and then it was
    used,  with handwritten notes in the box,  and the diskette  seal
    broken.

    I   immediately   returned   the  merchandise  for  a  "priority"
    replacement, which did not arrive until June 23.

    They have refused several requests to reimburse me telephone  and
    return postage costs of $14.39 for the first package.

    With Microrim's deadline for registration at hand I cannot return
    my  used  copy  of  R:Base,  and  thus  am  forced to retain used
    merchandise,  as well as  the  additional  telephone  and  return
    postage costs.

    I most certainly will not do business with them in the future.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 8                   14 Jul 1986


    Tim Rand, 100/255

                         MultiTech MultiModem 223
                                  Review


    I have been running my Fido (AmCross Central - 100/255) off of  a
    MultiTech MultiModem 224 for about the last month.  This modem is
    a  300/1200/2400  baud  device  that emulates the Hayes 1200 baud
    modem with 2400 baud extensions.

    Here are the pertinent setup items for Fido use:

    1. If you run out of a PBX or use  a  long-distance  service  and
       need  to dial with pause codes,  open the cover and set switch
       2-3 to UP.  This sets Wait-for-dial-tone dialing.  This may be
       important to those of you who dial out through MCI,  Sprint or
       other non-1-plus type services.  Replace the cover.

    2. Set  the  switches on switch 1 as viewed through the bottom of
       the modem (really nice feature - no cover to remove  for  most
       users) to:

             1-1 UP   DTR Normal
             1-2 UP   Verbose (word) responses **
             1-3 DOWN Enable command responses
             1-4 UP   Enable command character echo **
             1-5 DOWN Disable auto answer **
             1-6 UP   Carrier Detect and Data Set Ready normal
             1-7 UP   RJ11 (if running in an office set DOWN)
             1-8 DOWN Enable command mode

             ** Fido  overides  these  items anyway.  I set them this
                way so my modem doesn't get answered when Fido is not
                up! and so things work better for most comm programs.

    3. Fido takes care of the  rest  except  for  one  thing.  Create
       yourself a FIDOMDM.BBS file with this one command in it:

             AT&Q1

       This  command  tells  the  MultiModem to select the Hayes 2400
       response codes.  This is important because Fido  doesn't  know
       how  to  handle  the  6  or  "DIAL TONE" response that the 224
       usually gives.

    4. Your RUNBBS.BAT command to run Fido  should  not  specify  any
       modem type (ie default to 1/J).  I guess others might work (eg
       a 5/J or 11/J) but why screw with it.


    The MultiModem supports a command  mode  setting  to  change  the
    option  set  in switch #2-3 above.  That is the ATB command.  One
    item that is NOT documented in the manual is that the newer Hayes
    command ATX4 which  sets  both  Wait-for-dial-tone  and  extended
    results  IS supported and does work.  The modem also supports the
    Fidonews                     Page 9                   14 Jul 1986


    "W" in the ATD dial command so you can  do  an  ATDT  9W999-9999.
    This also is not documented.

    At  $389  this  modem is an excellent value.  The modem lists for
    more,  but most dealers are selling it for  about  $400.  If  you
    have  trouble  getting  it for less than $400,  send me a FidoNet
    message and I'll be glad to provide the name of the dealer that I
    use.  It has front panel switches to use a desk phone to dial out
    or manual answer at either 300/1200/2400,  the speaker has a  pot
    (screwdriver  adjust-BOOOH)  to  set  the volume,  and it has the
    right amount of lights on the front.  The  modem  has  been  rock
    steady  and  does  what  it  should.  I have run with a number of
    different comm programs in addition to Fido and had no problem at
    all.

    The modem has a number  of  neat  features  that  are  NOT  Hayes
    compatible.  The  first  of these is the ability to store 9 phone
    numbers and redial them with a short-hand dial  command  ATD  Nx,
    which  would dial number x in the list.  ATL lists them.  This IS
    in conflict with the newer Hayes 1200s which use ATL for loudness
    of the speaker.  ATL5 is a neat command.  It  lists  the  current
    settings  of the E,  Q,  V,  and some of the & commands.  This is
    nice to see what a program does when it  sets  modem  parameters.
    The  last  real  feature  of this modem is the A:  command.  This
    command is a "Demon Dialer" type command that will re-dial  until
    a connect.

    The  modem is built as is typical for other modems in this class,
    that is with an external transformer pack-type three prong  plug,
    and  a  fairly  lightweight plastic case.  This model has a large
    heat-sink on the bottom that gets moderately warm, but in general
    the box runs very cool.  One item of note is that option switches
    peek through the  bottom  of  the  case.  This  is  a  very  nice
    convenience  item,  because  it  makes  it  very easy to check or
    change the switches.  I do wish it had the AA (autoanswer)  light
    on the front that my Hayes 1200 has, but that is really not a big
    deal.

    As  to  support,  I  did  call  MultiTech  about  the above noted
    documentation omissions, and they responded that they were sorry.
    These features had been added after the doc was printed.  I  also
    had  a  problem  with  infant mortality on one of the two units I
    bought.  A new one was back  to  me  within  the  week  including
    shipping  time.  We  also  have  a MultiTech 1200 modem which has
    provided us with excellent  service  and  is  really  very  Hayes
    compatible.  Very  nice  service.  The  folks  on  the phone were
    knowledgeable  and  courteous.  I  would recommend a MultiTech to
    anyone.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 10                  14 Jul 1986


                             ROVERMSG Update
                                    by
                               Bob Hartman
                            Sysop Fido 132/101


    For those of you that have been waiting a long time for the  next
    release  of  ROVERMSG,  your  wait is over!  I have just released
    revision 2.17 of ROVERMSG.  This new version  has  the  following
    nasty little bugs fixed:

    1. Using  Rovermsg  on  a  Rainbow  with the '-c 2' switch really
       works now.

    2. A person with SYSOP privilege does not have to have credit  to
       send FidoNet mail.

    3. A change made in SEAdog caused Rovermsg to not print the first
       character  following  a  soft  carriage  return.  This  is now
       fixed.

    This version also does  not  create  its  own  ROVERLST.SYS  file
    unless  there  is  not a NODELIST.SYS file of revision 5 (which I
    believe is only in Fido 11w,  but it might be in 11v also).  This
    change will save approximately 100K in disk space.

    Finally,  the  most important announcement of all -SOURCE CODE is
    available!  If you register your copy of Rovermsg  for  $15,  you
    are entitled to free FidoNet support (answering questions, etc.).
    For  $25  additional  (total of $40),  I will send you all of the
    source code for Rovermsg.  The code is written for the MANX Aztec
    C compiler,  but if you have another compiler the changes  should
    not be too bad to make.

    As always,  the latest version of Rovermsg can be downloaded from
    Fido 132/101.  I am now running SEAdog, so if you want to request
    it via SEAdog mail, let me know and I will set you up to have the
    file held for you to poll.

        Bob Hartman
        Sysop Fido 132/101
        The UN*X Gateway
        and Home of Rovermsg

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 11                  14 Jul 1986


    =================================================================
                                 COLUMNS
    =================================================================

                 Taking Advantage of Your PC's Hard Disk:
                Part III, CONFIG.SYS and the Virtual Disk
                               Barry Gordon
                     New York Personal Computer, Inc.

    There  are  some  simple  things  you  can  do  to  enhance   the
    performance of your hard drive.  Creating a CONFIG.SYS file and a
    virtual  disk  can  give  you added power and speed in working on
    your PC by reconfiguring your operating system and Random  Access
    Memory (RAM).

    The CONFIG.SYS File

    Another  file  that  is  useful  in  the  root  directory  is the
    CONFIG.SYS file.  It's a collection of miscellany to  modify  the
    way  the  PC system works.  You may want to try a CONFIG.SYS file
    consisting of three lines:

             BREAK=ON
             FILES=16
             BUFFERS=8

    The BREAK command allows you to interrupt the system more  easily
    should you wish to terminate the execution of a program.

    The  FILES  command allows DOS to juggle more than the default of
    eight active files simultaneously.  This  is  important,  because
    DOS  loads  five  files of its own,  leaving you with only three.
    Sixteen should give you enough to handle most any situation.

    The  BUFFERS  command  can  speed  up  certain  kinds   of   disk
    operations.  You  may  want to try as many as 16 or even 32 for a
    20MB hard disk.

    The Virtual Disk

    A large internal RAM not only allows manipulation of larger files
    when necessary,  but gives  the  user  access  to  the  speed  of
    internal  memory  for  processing  data.  Just  as  the hard disk
    increases computing speed over the diskette  drive,  so  internal
    memory,  if  utilized,  increases  computing  speed over the hard
    drive.  To tap the speed and power of the  internal  memory,  you
    might consider setting up a virtual disk.  However, to attempt to
    set up a virtual disk,  you should have more than 256KB of memory
    in your PC, preferably, 512KB or larger.

    The virtual disk is a portion of RAM  set  aside  to  simulate  a
    disk.  The  virtual  disk is referred to by the drive designation
    letter following that of the system's last hard disk.  Assuming a
    single hard disk C:,  our virtual disk becomes  D:.  The  virtual
    disk is created at startup by a program such as the VDISK command
    that  comes  with  DOS 3.0.,  working together with a command you
    Fidonews                     Page 12                  14 Jul 1986


    save in your CONFIG.SYS file.

    With 512KB of RAM, a reasonable virtual disk size to try is 64KB.
    If you have a 640KB system, you may want to set up a virtual disk
    of 192KB.  I suggest leaving about 448KB of available, active RAM
    to have ample memory for DOS to do its work.

    A virtual disk of even 64KB  can  do  wonders.  It  can  also  be
    effectively  larger  by  specifying  the smallest possible sector
    size -- e.g., 128 bytes -- for the greatest possible data packing
    density.  Assuming VDISK.COM and 640KB of RAM,  the virtual  disk
    specification in your CONFIG.SYS might look like this:

             DEVICE=C:\VDISK

    The entire CONFIG.SYS file would look like this:

             BREAK=ON
             FILES=16
             BUFFERS=8
             DEVICE=C:\VDISK.SYS 192 128 64

    The SETPATH.BAT and AUTOEXEC.BAT Files Revised

    What  do you do with this virtual disk D:  now that it is set up?
    First,  you can begin to take  full  advantage  of  your  virtual
    disk's  speed  by  adding a statement to AUTOEXEC.BAT to transfer
    the sub-directory of your most-used files to the virtual disk D:.

    Your AUTOEXEC.BAT file now contains the following:

             DATE
             TIME
             PROMPT $P$G
             COPY \anyname1\*.* D:
             D:SETPATH

    Note that the SETPATH command must remain the  last  one  in  the
    file.  Next,  modify  the  PATH  command (in SETPATH.BAT) to PATH
    D:\;C:\anyname2;C:\any3;C:\any4  replacing  the  c:\anyname1  you
    formerly  had  in  SETPATH.BAT  with  the  root directory of your
    virtual drive D:\.  (Again, note that you specify complete paths,
    including  all  drive  designations,  to keep the command totally
    independent of what the default drive might happen to be.)

    Finally,  move the SETPATH.BAT file out of the root directory and
    into  the \anyname1 directory for automatic transfer to D:.  This
    allows you to execute the SETPATH  command  from  any  directory,
    entering it as simply SETPATH or D:SETPATH if necessary.

    The  root directory on your hard drive now contains the following
    files:

             <IBMBIO.COM>
             <IBMDOS.COM>
             COMMAND.COM
    Fidonews                     Page 13                  14 Jul 1986


             AUTOEXEC.BAT
             Sub-directory Names
             CONFIG.SYS
             VDISK.COM (or equivalent)

    Tips Concerning The Virtual Drive

    Now that your PC has the virtual disk D:,  you will want to  keep
    only your most-used files in your C:\anyname1 directory.  I would
    suggest you put in some DOS external command files, plus regulars
    like BASIC.COM, or perhaps a few of your personal favorites, such
    as PE.EXE or your word processing program.  Depending on the size
    of  your  virtual  disk,  you  might  even  wish to add some non-
    executable, but nonetheless frequently used, files that you would
    like to have accessible from any sub-directory.

    All  of  these  would  presumably  reside  permanently  in   your
    C:\anyname1  directory  so that they transfer automatically to D:
    at system startup.  The one thing you must  not  forget  is  that
    your  virtual  disk D:  actually resides in RAM and not on a real
    disk drive.  I suggest you do not store anything in your  virtual
    drive  that  is  not  stored  in a file on your hard disk or on a
    diskette,  because whenever you turn your PC off or whenever  the
    power fails, everything in your virtual disk is cleared.

    Summary

    A brief summary of what the various files might look like is
    given below:

    The Root Directory

             <IBMBIO.COM>
             <IBMDOS.COM>
             COMMAND.COM
             AUTOEXEC.BAT
             Sub-directory Names
             CONFIG.SYS
             VDISK.COM    (or equivalent)

    CONFIG.SYS File

             BREAK=ON
             FILES=16
             BUFFERS=8
             DEVICE=C:\VDISK.SYS 192 128 64

    The numercial values in the DEVICE command will vary depending on
    the size you wish your virtual disk to be.

    AUTOEXEC.BAT File

             DATE
             TIME
             COPY  C:\anyname 1\*.* D:
             PROMPT $P$G
    Fidonews                     Page 14                  14 Jul 1986


             D:SETPATH

    The  D:  shown  above  presumes that you don't have a second hard
    disk attached to your PC.  With two hard disks,  the virtual disk
    would be E:.

    SETPATH.BAT File

             PATH D:\;C:\any1;C:\any2\;C:any3;...

    That's  it.  My  experience  shows  that  a  hard disk with large
    internal RAM,  set up more or less as recommended here,  can be a
    real pleasure to operate.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 15                  14 Jul 1986


    William/Eunhee Hunter
    Fido 109/626

                     Computer Industry Spotlight on:

    AUTO-TROL  TECHNOLOGY  CORP.  --  Organized  in  1962,  Auto-Trol
    manufactures and integrates CAD/CAM computer equipment.  Openings
    exist in engineering,  sales,  data processing, and finance.  New
    employees undergo classroom instruction,  as well  as  on-the-job
    training.  Employees  can  also  take advantage of special skills
    courses.

         Contact:  Jim Wilkes, Director, Human Resources, Auto-Trol
    Technology Corp., 12500 N. Washington, Denver, CO  80233.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 16                  14 Jul 1986


    William/Eunhee Hunter
    Fido 109/626

                  THE FIRST STEP -- CHOOSING AN INDUSTRY


         As  your  no  doubt  aware  --  particularly  if  you're  an
    individual who has already been employed several years or more --
    the U.S. job market is really many job markets, in fact thousands
    of  them.  But  for  purposes  of job hunting,  it makes sense to
    think of "job  market"  and  "industry"  as  roughly  synonymous.
    Given  this  definition,  your initial problem is to decide which
    industry (i.e.,  job market) best suits your  qualifications  and
    needs.   Obviously,   having   a   degree   in,   say,   business
    administration or a computer specialization,  qualifies  you  for
    positions  in  many industries -- and yet,  your work experience,
    career path, and life style will depend greatly on which industry
    you  accept  employment  with,  and  hence  become  part  of.  An
    accounting position in the telephone industry,  for example, will
    probably lead you in a much different direction than one  in  the
    insurance industry,  consulting, or federal government.  Thus you
    should consider that, in accepting a job,  you're also accepting,
    and  becoming  part  of  an  industry.  The chances are good that
    you'll remain with that industry in come capacity throughout your
    working life.

         Even so,  are you really familiar with the  many  industries
    which  compromise  the  U.S.  economy?  Are you familiar with the
    many occupations within those industries which your education  or
    experience  may  qualify  you for?  If not -- as is the case with
    most people -- then your  job  hunting  effort  must  start  with
    INDUSTRY   RESEARCH.   You   need  to  gain  a  reasonably  clear
    perspective on contemporary events and conditions in each of  the
    industries  which  may  hold opportunities for you.  Without this
    basic understanding,  you simply have no idea where to focus your
    job hunting effort.

         The  following  reference materials (among others) will help
    you locate current articles and books on any industry you care to
    research:

         ACCESS:  THE SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDE TO  PERIODICALS.  Syracuse,
              New York: Gaylord Bros.,Inc., 1975 to date.

         READERS GUIDE TO PERIODICAL LITERATURE.  New York: The H. W.
              Wilson Co., 1905 to date.

         BUSINESS PERIODICALS INDEX.  New York: The H. W. Wilson Co.,
              1958 to date.

         PUBLIC  AFFAIRS  INFORMATION  SERVICE  BULLETIN.   New  York
              Public Affairs Information Service. 1915 to date.

         GUIDE  TO  AMERICAN  DIRECTORIES.  Detroit,  Michigan:  Gale
              Research Company. (Note: This is the most comprehensive
              key  to the existence of directories covering business,
    Fidonews                     Page 17                  14 Jul 1986


              industrial,  professional,  and commercial  fields.  It
              will lead you to an unbelievable range of indispensible
              information.)

         Winchell, Constance, M., GUIDE TO REFERENCE BOOKS.  Chicago:
              American  Library  Association.  (Note:  When you don't
              know where to look or have exhausted  other  resources,
              "Winchell" is the place to try.)

         Next  article  will  present  THE  NEXT  STEP  - RESEARCHING
    SELECTED COMPANIES.

         Distributed via FidoNet BBS by NOVA_WEG Fido 109/626, W.E.G.
    Systems,  P.O.  Box 5072,  Springfield,  VA 22150.  Permission is
    hereby  given  to  reprint the contents of this article providing
    the contents remain unchanged.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 18                  14 Jul 1986


    =================================================================
                                FOR SALE
    =================================================================

                 ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC!

                         SUPERDOTS!  KALAH!

    Professional quality games include PASCAL source!  From  the
    author of KALAH Version 1.6,  SuperDots,  a variation of the
    popular pencil/paper DOTS game,  has MAGIC  and  HIDDEN  DOT
    options.  KALAH  1.7  is  an African strategy game requiring
    skill to manipulate pegs around a playing board.  Both games
    use the ANSI Escape sequences  provided  with  the  ANSI.SYS
    device driver for the IBM-PC,  or built into the firmware on
    the DEC  Rainbow.  Only  $19.95  each  or  $39.95  for  both
    exciting  games!  Please  specify  version  and disk format.
    These games have been written in standard  TURBO-PASCAL  and
    run on the IBM-PC,  DEC Rainbow 100 (MSDOS and CPM), CPM/80,
    CPM/86,  and PDP-11.  Other disk formats are available,  but
    minor customization may be required.

                            BSS Software
                            P.O. Box 3827
                        Cherry Hill, NJ 08034


    For every order placed,  a donation will be made to the Fido
    coordinators!  Also, if you have a previous version of KALAH
    and send me a donation, a portion of that donation will also
    be sent to the coordinators.  When you place  an  order,  BE
    CERTAIN  TO  MENTION  WHERE  YOU  SAW  THE  AD since it also
    appears in PC Magazine and Digital Review.

    Questions and comments can be sent to:

                     Brian Sietz at  Fido 107/17
                     (609) 429-6630    300/1200/2400 baud

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 19                  14 Jul 1986


             Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!

    Public Domain collection - 550+ "ARC"  archives  -  20+  megs  of
    software  and  other  goodies,  and that's "archived" size!  When
    unpacked,  you get approximately 28 megabytes worth of all  kinds
    of  software,  from text editors to games to unprotection schemes
    to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc...  Over
    55 DS/DD diskettes!!

    This collection is the result of more than 15 months of intensive
    downloads  from  just  about 150 or more BBS's and other sources,
    all of which have been examined,  indexed and archived  for  your
    convenience.  Starting  a  Bulletin Board System?  Want to add on
    to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This
    is the answer!!!

    To order the library,  send  $100  (personal  or  company  check,
    postal money order or company purchase order) to:

                   Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 103/511
                   Post Office Box 4296
                   200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
                   Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296

    Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.

    Note:  No  profit  is  made  from  the  sale of the Public Domain
    software in this collection.  The price is  applied  entirely  to
    the  cost  of  downloading  the  software  over  the phone lines,
    running a  BBS  to  receive  file  submissions,  and  inspecting,
    cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files.  Obtaining this
    software yourself through the use of  a  computer  with  a  modem
    using  commercial phone access would cost you much more than what
    we charge for the service...

    Please specify what type of format you would like the disks to be
    prepared on.  The following choices are available:
          - IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
          - Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
          - DSBackup
          - Fastback
          - ACS INTRCPT 720k format
          - Plain  ol' files (add $50)

    Add $30 if you want  the  library  on  1.2  meg  AT  disks  (more
    expensive  disks).  There  are  no  shipping or handling charges.
    California residents add 6% tax.

    For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Fidonews                     Page 20                  14 Jul 1986


    =================================================================
                                 NOTICES
    =================================================================

                         The Interrupt Stack


    20 Jul 1986
       St. Louis Area Sysops Meeting, to be held at Baker's Acre.
       Net 100 sysops please contact Ben Baker at 100/76 for details
       and directions.

    14 Aug 1986
       Start of the International FidoNet Conference, Colorado
       Springs, Colorado.  Contact George Wing at node 1/10 for
       details.  Get your reservations in NOW!  We'll see you there!

    24 Aug 1989
       Voyager 2 passes Neptune.


    If you have something which you would like to see on this
    calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1/1.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Gruesome George             by Bruce White, 109/612
    +-------------------------------------------------+
    |                          Super--with this new   |
    |                          multitasking program   |
    |                          the computer can do    |
    |\                         three things at once!  |
    | \                                      /        |
    |  Very nice, dear.  Now                / ____\__ |
    |  how about your doing                /  |_|  \  |
    |  some multitasking                _____      |\ |
    |  around the house.               |  _  |     |  |
    |                          ______  | |_| |     |  |
    |                       __(______)_|_____|___  |  |
    |                       ||-----------------||  |  |
    |                ______ ||                 ||  |  |
    |                \ {} / ||                 ||  |  |
    |(c) 1986 bw      \__/  ||-----------------||__|__|
    +-------------------------------------------------+

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    Justin Norman
    Northwest Super Fido (#105/2)
    Formerly 146/0,1

         For quite a while now many people have  been  talking  about
    merging  networks 105 (Portland area) and 146 (LNA Net) into one.
    So at the local area system operators meeting held last  week  we
    went ahead and combined.  Not a large task indeed,  in fact,  the
    whole process took about 3 minutes from the time of the  decision
    Fidonews                     Page 21                  14 Jul 1986


    to the assignment of new node numbers.  But here is what's new:

       New Number      Board Name                  Old Number
      ------------    -------------------------   ------------
         105/2         Northwest Super Fido          146/0,1
         105/3         Dim Sum                        146/5
         105/9         S.I.M. NoChange  (MO:)         146/6
          --           Engineers 1      (Down)        146/2
        105/098        Private                       146/098
        105/099        Private                       146/099

         The  Engineers  1  was  taken down for reconstruction.  This
    shouldn't be too confusing at all.  The changes listed here  will
    be effective immediatly.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------