Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 21:01:16 PDT

Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 21:01:16 PDT
From: [email protected] (olcay cirit)
To: [email protected]
Subject: Computer News: Volume 2, Issue 12

______ __ __
/ ____/\ / \ / /\
/ /\___\/ / /\ \ / / /
/ /_/__ / / /\ \/ / /
/______/\ /_/ / \__/ /
\\\\\\\\/ \\\/ \\\/

COMPUTER NEWS
"Your eye to the computer industry"(tm)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 19th 1995 Vol. II, Issue 12
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

INSIDE CN:
----------
As some of you may have heard, I am in the process of writing a
role playing game (RPG) for Windows. The inspiration for the project came
while I was at the local Barnes & Noble Bookstore (By the Newsstand
Section) I chanced upon a copy of one of the numerous gaming magazines
that are out there.
As I was flipping through, I thought "Gee, how come similar
games on much more advanced systems aren't this good?" Well, the rest is
history. ;) (I know, this doesn't belong in here, but I ran out of things
to say :)
If anyone out there has played Final Fantasy III, that's what
I'm shooting for. Any tips, suggestions, and comments that will help me
kick the competitions derriere would be helpful. :)

Seeya,
- "olo" (Olcay Cirit)

THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS:
-------------------------
The NullBytes News Service <[email protected]>
Rob Slade <[email protected]>

Quick Overview
__________________________________________
NEWS:
1. Neural Nets on LSD
2. Prodigy to offer faster access
3. InControl gets patent for 'mousestick'
4. AMD's K5 delayed even more
5. Apple settles controversial CD-ROM case
6. MDL's IsisDRAW is on the 'Net
ARTICLES:
1. Book Reviews (3)
ETC:
1. Classifieds
2. Lighter Side
__________________________________________

__ __
/ \ /\_\
/ /\ \/\/ /
/_/\/\ \/ /
\_\/ \__/ EWS:

Neural Nets on LSD
------------------
Steven Thaler has developed a way to cause neural networks to have
'near-death experiences' that allow the network to come up with novel
solutions to a problem.

A neural network is a program that simulates how a biological brain
works, and Thaler is studying what happens to them when they break
down. Basically, he kills his neural networks, and sets up another one
to observe what is happening to the one that is being murdered.

Using this method, Thaler fed 30 years worth of the top ten musical
tunes into a network, and by keeping the dying network partially alive,
he has produced 11,000 original songs--all of which he has
copyrighted. (SOURCE: Scientific American, May 1995)

Prodigy to offer faster access
------------------------------
Prodigy Service, Co. said it was joining with three regional Bell
companies to be the first of the Big Three On-Line service providers to
offer faster access to its services using new digital phone lines.
(SOURCE: Associated Press)

InControl gets patent for 'mousestick'
--------------------------------------
InControl Solutions, Inc. was granted a patent for a clone of the
TrackPoint II, a pointing device developed by IBM that is used in many
portable computers.

InControl, based in Clackamas, Ore., said it filed the patent so other
companies could use a TrackPoint-like pointing device without having to
pay royalties to IBM.

The TrackPoint II is basically a rubber-capped plastic stick between
the G, H, and B keys. InControl's pointing stick passes through a hole
in the B key, giving it a distinct position so as not to infringe on
IBM's patent. (SOURCE: Boston Globe)

AMD's K5 delayed even more
--------------------------
Advanced Micro Devices has delayed volume shipment of the K5, AMD's
Pentium-class microprocessor until early 1996. Additionally, AMD has
shifted emphasis from the K5 to two new 486-class CPU's.

The decision may have tarnished AMD's image, because the K5 would be
the first 80x86 type CPU that it didn't copy off of Intel.

A spokesman for AMD stated that the chip has successfully booted DOS
and Windows, and that they are now into the finer points of
compatibility. (SOURCE: Electronic Engineering Times, Apr. 17)

Apple settles controversial CD-ROM case
---------------------------------------
Apple Computer, Inc. has finally resolved what some say is an
embarrassing public dispute with Voyager, Co., a small New York based
software company.

Apple agreed to keep "Who built America?", a CD-ROM from Voyager, in a
bundle that of software that Apple distributes to high schools and
junior-high schools, but would remove it from the elementary school
bundle.

In February, Voyager accused Apple of censorship when they asked
Voyager to remove some controversial material from the program. Apple
stated it had received complaints from schools about frank discussions
of abortion and homosexuality in the CD-ROM.

"Who Built America?" is about U.S. history as seen through the eyes of
ordinary citizens and immigrants from 1876 to 1914. It is intended
primarily for high school and collegiate use.
(SOURCE: Mercury News)

MDL makes ISIS/Draw available on the 'Net
-----------------------------------------
SAN LEANDRO, California--March 31, 1995--MDL Information Systems, Inc.
(Nasdaq National Market System: MDLI), the leading supplier of
chemical information management systems, today announced the
availability of a special version of their chemical drawing package,
ISIS/Draw, on the Internet World Wide Web. The license to use the
program is free of charge for academic use and personal use at home.
This release addresses a critical scientific need for a means of
communicating chemical information on the Internet. Existing methods
are limited in scope, not broadly available, and few can be launched
from Web Browsers via a file format that is platform-independent. The
special version of ISIS/Draw allows Web Browsers to use ISIS/Draw as a
helper application to retrieve chemical structure information from Web
servers stored in MOL, TGF, or RXN formats. Once in ISIS/Draw,
scientists can harness the inherent chemical features of these
structures to conduct searches, register data, and communicate with
other scientists.

The utility of ISIS/Draw also extends beyond the World Wide Web. It
makes it possible to incorporate the structures stored in MOL, TGF, and
RXN formats in Internet Mail Messages as MIME attachments, provided the
sender and receiver both have ISIS/Draw. The program is currently
available for Windows; a Macintosh version will be released shortly.

"We believe that the availability of ISIS/Draw on the World Wide Web
represents a significant development which will greatly facilitate the
communication of chemical information on the Internet and contribute to
the advancement of scientific research," says Robert E. Dunkle, vice
president and general manager, ISIS business unit at MDL. "ISIS/Draw
allows chemical structures to be visualized, manipulated, stored in
databases, and used in chemical searching techniques. With this
release, chemical dialogue on the Internet can encompass information in
personal, public, commercial, or work group databases."

Accessing ISIS/Draw on the World Wide Web

The World Wide Web version of ISIS/Draw can be downloaded from MDL's
Home Page at http://www.mdli.com. Additional information and
instructions are available at this location. MDL will officially debut
its presence on the Internet World Wide Web June 1, 1995.

What is ISIS/Draw?

ISIS/Draw, MDL's client-based chemical drawing package, allows
scientists to quickly and easily create presentation-quality chemical
graphics. A program that thinks and works like a chemist, ISIS/Draw
knows that a letter is an atom with valence limits; a line is a bond
that attaches at correct lengths and angles; and that double bonds of
aromatic ring systems are dynamic, changing with attachments made to
the ring. Because ISIS/Draw sketches have chemical significance,
scientists can use their drawings to build and access
structure-searchable databases of reactions and 2D and 3D molecules.

ISIS/Draw is a component of ISIS, the Integrated Scientific Information
System for managing chemical information on both desktop and host
computers. It is currently used by over 12,000 scientists in the
world's leading pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and chemical companies.

____
/___/\
/ /\ \/\
/ /\/\ \/\
/_/\/__\ \/\ RTICLES:
\_\/ \_\/

Book Reviews
------------
By Rob Slade <[email protected]>

Books
------------------------------------------
1. "Introducing Computers"
2. "Internet Access Essentials"
3. "The Internet Passport"
------------------------------------------

"Introducing Computers", Robert Blissmer, 1995, 0-471-11360-3
%A Robert H. Blissmer
%C 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012
%D 1995
%G 0-471-11360-3
%I John Wiley
%O U$29.95 800-CALL-WILEY Fax: 212-850-6799 [email protected]
%P 322
%T "Introducing Computers"

This is the usual style for a computer literacy text: fairly
simplistic content, lots of pictures, questions (simple ones) at the
end of each chapter. A quick flip through is heartening. Unlike the
usual pictorial fare of Sixties' outfits and hairdos, these
illustrations seem to be quite recent. Appearances, however, can be
deceptive.

The curriculum follows outlines from ten and twenty years ago. This
does cover the basics, but says very little to current uses and
emerging technologies. There is some new material, such as a rather
good outline of object orientation. The newer 28,800 bps modems,
however, are said to obtain their speed through data compression. (The
section on viral programs is completely useless.)

There are resources listed at the end of each chapter. Sometimes
individual articles, always books, often magazines. Most of these
citations are dated and not of significant importance or quality.
Sometimes, the choice of a particular reference is very odd, given the
topic of the chapter.

The questions at the end of the chapter concentrate heavily on
vocabulary (matching terms to definitions), true and false, and
multiple choice--and then jump into some very heavy essay questions and
projects. I suspect that little of any consequence will come from the
projects, since their scope is quite simply beyond the average student
at this level. Those who are being taught that registers are some
vague part of the CPU are unlikely to be able to assess the comparative
strengths of CISC and RISC architectures, even when you phrase the
question in terms of Pentium and PowerPC.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKINTRCM.RVW 950310

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

"Internet Access Essentials", Tittel/Robbins, 1995, 0-12-691393-5
%A Ed Tittel [email protected] [email protected]
%A Margaret Robbins [email protected] [email protected]
%C 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
%D 1995
%G 0-12-691393-5
%I AP Professional
%O U$24.95 619-699-6362 619-699-6735 fax: 619-699-6380 [email protected]
%P 374
%T "Internet Access Essentials"

The title, and particularly the word "access", suggests a book about
getting connected, or "onto" the Internet. Maybe a little
demystification of dial-up IP. Having reviewed two previous
"Essentials" books, I suspected a book on how to connect your LAN to
"the big one". A book of either description would be a valuable
addition to the Internet library, but such is not to be, at least not
yet. The preface states that what distinguishes the book is that (a)
it is for beginners, and (b) it doesn't list everything, just the tools
for you to find stuff. Sorry, but these are *not* distinctives.

You will find the usual material here. History, concepts and
background; the applications; miscellaneous stuff; the December, 1993
PDIAL list of access providers. Part three, titled "Resource Guide",
is not a catalogue or list of resources; it's a rather random
assortment of informaiton covering directory types services, access
providers, once over lightly on dial-up IP software and a second run at
Usenet and Gopher.

The content is not hard to follow, but neither is it particularly easy
for beginners. Block diagrams of IP, UDP and RARP (Reverse Address
Resolution Protocol) are not going to contribute to a neophyte's
understanding. Experienced users will realize that such knowledge is
not required for use of the net, and TCP programmers will have to go to
other books, anyway.

The information is basically good (although Internet experts will be
startled to learn that "sendmail" is a "mail reader" at the user agent
level). Compared to "Zen and the Art of the Internet" (cf.
BKZENINT.RVW), however, one finds that the smaller book has the same
amount of hard information, and more precise references to network
resources. Compared to a similarly-sized work, such as "The Internet
Navigator" (cf. BKINTNAV.RVW), ... well, there isn't much comparison.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKINACES.RVW 950315

"The Internet Passport", NorthWestNet, 1995, 0-13-194200-X
%A David Feiner Willard Robison
%A Jonathan Patrick Kochmer
%C 113 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
%D 1995
%G 0-13-194200-X
%I Prentice Hall
%O U$29.95/C$40.95 (515) 284-6751 FAX (515) 284-2607
[email protected] (206) 562-3000 fax: (206) 562-4822
[email protected] [email protected]
%P 667
%T "The Internet Passport"

Until recently, this was only available from NorthWestNet or a very
select group of specialty bookstores. With the involvement of Prentice
Hall in this edition, the work may see a wider distribution.

This work is a fairly bare bones and no nonsense guide to the Internet.
The book is orderly, and the explanations and illustrations are clear.
Each chapter covers a single topic. Most chapters end with additional
references, most often online materials or sources. The work is well
researched and highly competent in most cases. There is, in the early
chapters, a gracelessness to it which lacks any kind of appeal. What
humour there is tends to seem somewhat contrived and sanitized: a
topic on the hardware that connects computers on the Internet is
subtitled "Router Rooters: 'Go Internet Go!'" Nevertheless, it is a
thoroughly researched and valuable reference for those interested in
using the resources of the Internet.

Section one, which is also chapter one, is a brief introduction to the
Internet. There is minor mention of the technologies and organizations
involved in the Internet, as well as brief mention of Fidonet and UUCP.
The bibliography is a very solid list of valuable titles, but would
have had significantly more value with some annotation.

Section two covers the basic tools and functions of the Internet. The
topics are well chosen, starting with email, mail servers, mail
gateways to other networks and systems, telnet and ftp. Chapter four
discusses mail etiquette. This section, I am happy to note, gives more
space to the topic than is usual. In the end, though, it comes down to
a list of rules that reduce to "keep it short, keep on topic, be
complete and don't mess up." It would be nice to see one of these
essays tell people how and why flame wars start, which might help to
avoid them. Chapter eight, following ftp, deals with file compression
and archiving.

Section three moves into the next level of sophistication, in terms of
communications, with group discussions. As the book puts it, these are
the "Community Forums" of the net. Chapters nine, ten and eleven deal
very clearly, completely and usefully with Usenet, BITNET LISTSERVs and
Internet mailing lists. I am noted for highly critical reviews: I find
nothing of any substance wrong with this section, and recommend it
highly and without reservation. Once again, the end of each chapter
gives useful directions on how to find out further information,
particularly the specifics of various LISTSERVs and mailing lists.

Section four starts to look at the resources of the Internet as a
library, with electronic journals, books, catalogues and data bases.
Chapter fifteen is very similar to the catalog section of various works
with listings of sites and resources by topic. Section five deals with
exploration and retrieval tools, such as archie, gopher, WAIS, WWW and
directory services. The final section contains specialized interests,
becoming an information provider on the net, the use of the Internet in
public education, health related issues and access to supercomputing
facilities. The chapter on providing information is excellent, giving,
very briefly, a background and detailed overview which is more reliable
than those in works dedicated to "doing business" on the Internet. (A
concise introduction to HTML would be a valuable addition.)

The book concludes with several appendices. The most interesting are
likely Appendix A, which gives suggestions of online sources of
information about the Internet, and, B, which gives a short list of
Internet access providers and methods. The glossary is very well done:
not overblown with imposing numbers of entries, but good explanations
of the important terms.

The unprepossessing beginning of this work hides a very carefully
researched and well organized reference for those wishing to get into
the Internet and its resources. Unfortunately, this most recent edition
does not show much development from the previous one. I am sorry to see
the same weaknesses, and recnet references which could have covered
some shortcomings ignored. Less flashy than some, it should
nevertheless have a place on the desk of every serious Internet user.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993, 1995 BKINTPSP.RVW 950311

_____
/ ___/\
/ /\\\\/
/ ___/\
/ /\\\\/
/____/\
\\\\\\/ TC:

Classifieds
-----------
The classified ad section is free for anyone who would like to post an
advertisement. There is a limit of 10 ads per issue, and 1 ad per
person. Ads are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. There is a
limit of 100 lines per ad. Anonymous postings are accepted, as well as
non-computer related topics. By posting, your message will get to +/-
1880 people. NOTICE: PRODUCTS AND/OR SERVICES DISPLAYED HERE ARE NOT
NECESSARILY THOSE ENDORSED BY COMPUTER NEWS.

---Begin Classified Ads---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
***************************** MISCELLANEOUS *****************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted By: Computer News Server <[email protected]>
Subject: LIST OF SERVICES & FEATURES FOUND IN COMPUTER NEWS:

Services:
=========
Classified Ads
Software Reviewing

Features:
=========
Weekly News Reporting
Weekly Book Reviews
Monthly Internet Entertainment Reviews
Humor Section "Lighter Side"

Suggestions for any new features, services, or how we could improve any
one of our features or services, can be directed to [email protected].

---
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
****************************** CONSULTING *******************************
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

A M U L E T C O N S U L T I N G
Computer Education Services Division
------------------------------------
AMULET Consulting offers expert computer education seminars on using
and programming popular PC database management software. Classes are
either on-site (client's location) or in the Los Angeles area at
AMULET's classroom facility. Currently, education for four contemporary
software development platforms are available: Microsoft Access 2.0,
CA-Clipper 5.2x, CA-Visual Objects and Borland dBASE 5.0 for DOS and
Windows.

All classes are personally taught by Dan D. Gutierrez, Contributing
Editor for Data Based Advisor magazine and columnist for the monthly
"Hardcore Clipper" column. Mr. Gutierrez has also authored two books,
"CA-Clipper 5.2 Step by Step" and "dBASE IV Beyond the Basics", both
published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. He is also a long time instructor
of computer classes at UCLA Extension and holds a BS degree in computer
science from UCLA.

A C C E S S 2 . 0 E X P E R T S E R I E S
======================================================================
Become a Microsoft Access 2.0 expert by taking AMULET Consulting's
Introduction to Access 2.0 two-day seminar. All major facets of this
dynamic Windows based database system are covered: including database/
table design and creation, form and subform design, query design,
report design, wizards, macros, OLE (object linking and embedding, and
user interface considerations. This is a hands-on, interactive course.
The attendee will gain practical experience actually using Access to
solve business problems. This course is perfect for business people
wishing to become rapidly productive with Access, the database
component of the Microsoft Office suite.

C L I P P E R E X P E R T S E R I E S
=======================================================================
AMULET Consulting, is offering CA-Clipper 5.x education for corporate
and government IS department developers. Four levels of instruction are
available: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Object Oriented
Clipper. If you are a developer who is interested in quickly getting up
to speed with this dynamic language, now is the time!

Here are some of the topics covered in the beginning level seminar: the
Clipper 5.x development environment, basic language constructs, the
preprocessor, subprograms including procedures and user defined
functions (UDFs), scope and lifetime rules, code blocks, arrays,
database access including RDDs, the Order Management System, predefined
classes, TBrowse and TBColumn.

The Beginning Level course is especially suited for Summer '87 release
and Xbase programmers desiring to move into Clipper 5. All sessions are
two-day lecture/hands-on discussions of various programming
techniques. Attendees of the Beginning Level seminar get a FREE copy
of the book "CA- Clipper Step by Step" by Dan D. Gutierrez.

The Intermediate level seminar focuses on application development
issues such as advanced user interface techniques using various
windowing and menuing constructs, as well as basic network
programming.

The Advanced level seminar is a robust look at Clipper pre- defined
objects and internals, including modifying the GET system, User Defined
Commands, advanced use of TBrowse, the ERROR system, and more network
programming.

The series culminates with an introduction to Object Oriented Clipper.
For this purpose, the Class(y) object oriented extension library will
be used for demonstrating OOP techniques in applications development.

C A - V I S U A L O B J E C T S E X P E R T S E R I E S
========================================================================
As the exciting CA-Visual Objects product by Computer Associates nears
shipment, you can get quickly up to speed with all the new technology
by attending this special 2-day seminar "Introduction to CA-Visual
Objects". Here you'll learn how to migrate your existing CA-Clipper
and Xbase code to VO, how to use the new visual tools, browsers and
editors. We also cover all the new language components available in VO,
including the object oriented constructs and integrated class
libraries.

Take this timely course to prepare yourself for the release of VO
sometime late '94 or early '95. Don't be caught off guard like when
Clipper 5 first shipped. Get a head start now!

U S I N G d B A S E 5 . 0 F O R D O S / W I N D O W S
========================================================================
This two-day seminar is designed for individuals having little or no
experience with PC database software. You are introduced to the
concepts behind using relational database software by examining table
design and creation, using the dBASE 5.0 design surfaces, GUI object
creation, and application development for the non-programmer using the
dBASE Applications Generator. The class also covers data entry form and
report creation. This class is perfect for business PC users desiring
to understand the concepts of managing data using the popular dBASE
product line from Borland International.

We have one seminar for dBASE 5.0 for DOS and another for dBASE 5.0 for
Windows.

D B A S E 5 . 0 P R O G R A M M I N G
========================================================================
This two-day seminar provides a well rounded look at the Borland dBASE
5.0 for DOS and Windows programming environment. It is especially
designed for those wishing to develop professional applications with
the Borland product line. We have one seminar for dBASE 5.0 for DOS and
another for dBASE 5.0 for Windows.

X B A S E P R O G R A M M I N G
========================================================================
This two-day seminar is specifically designed for those with no prior
programming experience who wish to investigate the exciting world of
database application design and implementation. In this class, students
learn about "The World of Xbase". Discussions will include the
examination of all major Xbase dialects including dBASE 5.0, FoxPro 2.6
and CA-Clipper 5.2. The course focuses on the "lowest common
denominator" features found in all Xbase dialects. This course is a
great place to begin and/or enhance your career as a PC software
developer.

COSTS:

All sessions are $550 for two full days of instruction. Attendees get
complete course materials and samples of topics covered. Corporate and
group discounts are available. Special and custom seminars can also be
accommodated. You can call the company, AMULET Consulting, at (310)
798- 3985 Ext. 21 to get more information. You may also FAX your
request for information to (310) 798-3985. FAX inquiries please
include: "ATTN: Dept. 21" on your cover sheet. Via electronic means,
you may contact AMULET Consulting on CompuServe at (73317,646),
Internet at [email protected] or on the AMULET:vc BBS at (310)
374-6999. Please mention "Dept. 21" in all of your transmissions.

Reprinted by permission of AMULET Consulting

---

PRODUCT REVIEW: "Online Profits "
The Monthly Newsletter for Electronic Marketers

Published by InfoLink Editor: S. C. Allen

Review by: Dan D. Gutierrez, President of AMULET Consulting
Worldwide NetMarketing(tm) Professionals,
Online conference: AMULET:vc BBS, (310) 374-6999
Internet: [email protected]
----------------------------------------------------------------
As a principal in a company that derives a significant amount of its
revenue from services performed on the "Net", I was pleasantly
surprised to learn of a new newsletter that focuses on the marketing
aspect of doing business using electronic information networks. I found
Online Profits, touted as "the monthly newsletter for electronic
marketers", to be an excellent guide to pursuing business goals on the
Net. The scope of Online Profits is broad enough to encompass both
exclusive "Net businesses" such as mine as well as traditional
businesses (e.g. manufacturers, publishers, distributors, importers,
etc.) that wish to explore business opportunities on the Net.

Just before stumbling upon this publication, I had begun the search for
some authoritative source for new ideas and resources for companies
such as mine. I quickly found a few special interest freebie and
somewhat irregular news sheets floating around the various information
networks, but none were of a professional style nor had consistent
late-breaking content that I sought; that is until I found Online
Profits.

What I like about Online Profits is that the publisher understands the
urgency that exists for savvy entrepreneurs to take advantage of the
plethora of opportunities surrounding commerce on the Net. While
reading its well balanced collection of articles, Online Profits gives
me the belief that there is a distinct window of opportunity for
businesses to enter the online game in order to gain an important early
foothold on an explosion about to happen. From the direction the
publisher has initially taken, I'm excited to wait for more insight in
upcoming issues.

In the premier issue (January 1995) the publisher provides a list of
topics intended for coverage in upcoming issues:

o New methods for putting $'s in your pockets
o Fail proof ways to add value to your BBS
o What you can sell online and how you can sell it, without
getting flamed.
o How to market inexpensively or for FREE.
o Ways for you to make money even when a caller calls another
BBS.
o How to list your business for FREE on the Internet.
o The cheapest ways to open your business on the Internet.
o The hottest showings at recent trade shows.
o In-depth coverage of major opportunities like Mecklerweb and
Business Information Centers with advertising case histories.

Each of these topic groups contain new ideas that one can easily
implement immediately. For example, in the premiere issue I found a
discussion of the "electronic marketplace," illustrating several areas
where a business can take advantage of the Internet "gold rush," as
it's described within. I had not previously considered several of these
areas. In addition, numerous examples of "virtual stores" and
"billboard services" were given, complete with e-mail addresses that
one can contact for more information.

I was also introduced to free listing services that provide advertising
avenues that one might otherwise pass up. I was shown how I can get a
listing in the Internet Business Pages directory and as my company also
runs a BBS system, I was happy to find a full discussion of the CRIS
network and their BBS DIRECT service.

Probably the best part of Online Profits is its recommendations about
marketing online. I found the discussion of "electrilla marketing"
techniques for approaching an Internet marketing campaign to be
insightful and stimulating. I've already tried out several
recommendations with good success.

The issue also provided some timely highlights describing an existing
marketing organization, CommerceNet, which illustrated how one
pioneering organization is already taking the "baby steps" necessary
for taking advantage of new frontiers.

The main thing that drew me to Online Profits was that it was thought
provoking. It made me think about the resources and techniques being
discussed and apply them to my own business. I felt challenged to try
things I never thought of trying and I look forward to the following
months' issues as a regular source of free flowing ideas with which I
can experiment.

The only thing missing from the premier issue is information about
probably the most explosive component of the Internet these days, the
World Wide Web. I do hear, however, that the publisher has made the WWW
a major focus in the next issue.

Although some will call the annual subscription rate of $147 a bit
pricey, if the quality remains high, it will prove valuable enough to
justify the cost. Like a seminar, if I get one good idea that I can
translate into increased income, then it is well worth the money.
Besides, it comes with a full years refund policy, not the usual
pro-rated "for unshipped issues only" stuff. That offers me a certain
sense of confidence.

My bottomline recommendation in this product review is that Online
Profits represents a valuable source of information, resources and
ideas for any company that currently maintains a presence on the Net or
wishes to establish such a presence at some point. The timing is
excellent for this publication.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ordering information: InfoLink
56089 Twentynine Palms Highway, Suite 254-FG21
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
1-800-776-3818 Ext. FG21
1-619-228-9653 Ext. FG21
FAX: 1-619-369-1185 Dept. FG21

Annual subscription: 12 issues $147 ($170 outside the US and Canada)

---End Classified Ads---

__
/ /\
/ / /
/ /_/_
/_____/\
\_____\/ ighter Side
--------------------

Here is some more holy wisdom from the Great Oracle:

***********The Usenet Oracle has pondered your question deeply.
***********Your question was:

Oh mighty Oracle who's vast and great knowledge always serves to deepen
the thoughts of us humble supplicants, I have had a terrible thought
which only an answer from your great self will settle, what would
happen if the major software and hardware comapanies ruled the
universe?

***********And in response, thus spake the Oracle:

My child, they already do.

IHS -- the sacred Name -- truly stands for "Iesus' Hardware and
Software." Black holes are where God was dividing by zero. God
contracted out for the creation of duckbill platypuses, of giraffes,
and of manatees.

Only those who have had their Soul Program backed up on the Great
Cosmic Hard Drive will survive the next Minor Revision of the
Universe. God wishes to upgrade this Universe's Software, to move
beyond object-oriented methods into something truly modern.

Have you not noticed the sexual frustration of Her Prophets? That One
of them calls itself "Unix", another calls itself "Microsoft," one
product is called a "floppy disk" may give you a qabalistic clue of
this tension, which is a part of the Yin of this universe.

If you wish further enlightenment, before May 1 send a self-addressed,
stamped envelope to me and ask for a copy of the "Our Lady of the
Endless Algorithm" pamphlet.

You have made the Oracle glad with your question. The Oracle merely
requests a cushioned wrist-wrest for Her Temple's keyboards.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer News is Copyright (C) 1995 by Olcay Cirit. All Rights Reserved.

ALL TRADEMARKS/COPYRIGHTS CONTAINED HEREIN, MARKED OR UNMARKED, BELONG TO
THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. THE TEXTS CONTAINED HEREIN MAY BE REDISTRIBUTED
IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROVIDED THAT THE ARTICLE REMAIN INTACT AND THAT THE
ABOVE NOTICE BE DISPLAYED. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. THIS
ARTICLE MAY NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE RESOLD OR REDISTRIBUTED IN ANY
FORM FOR ANY COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION
FROM MR. OLCAY CIRIT.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To SUBSCRIBE to Computer News, send e-mail to [email protected] with
the following in the body of the message:

subscribe cn

To UNSUBSCRIBE from Computer News send e-mail to [email protected]
with the following in the body of the message:

unsubscribe cn

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Suggestions/Submissions/Comments may be directed to <[email protected]>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer News is edited by Olcay Cirit