mirror-textfiles.com/bbs/CBBS/1990/900331.ch

CBBS(R) 4.0.3b
03/31/90 23:26:47

Y/N: want CBBS "1st time user" info?^U
?^U
?^U
?n;ward;christensen;odraw;;fullc;piss

Logging name to disk...
You are caller 213894; next msg =43428;  364 active msgs.
Prev. call 03/28/90 @ 08:14, next msg was 43104
Recording logon for next time.
Use FULL? to check assignments
?^U
?xxxxx
"Mine" command checking for msgs TO you, ^K to abort.
42954 12/
>Function:?dir c:log;dir c:killed;dir summary;type-30 log,ward c;or;*;short
LOG.   6 
KILLED.  73 
SUMMARY.  24 
03/31/90,23:19:27,213893,9,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,2
03/31/90,23:26:51,213894,9,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,
type log;or;*;short

03/28/90,08:43:07,213798,X,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,1
]Off to Florida.  Be back late Sat PM.  Keep an eye on things.  Thanks!
WARD CHRISTENSEN,
03/28/90,09:57:01,213799,2,PETE CANTELE,,3
03/28/90,09:59:38,213800,1,KEN STOX,,1
03/28/90,10:29:27,213801,1,AARON WRIGHT,Addison,
E#43404,14
03/28/90,11:45:52,213802,2,CYRUS PATEL,,3
03/28/90,12:25:18,213803,9,WARD CHRISTENSEN,,
E#43405,3
]AArge - Aaron Wright - high school twit leaving dumb msg.
..and dumb ME asking about null printer again when I'd already asked.  Sigh.
WARD CHRISTENSEN,
03/28/90,14:00:10,213804,1,TONY VENTICINQUE,,
E#43406,11
03/28/90,14:33:34,213805,1,JEFFREY KELLMAN,,3
03/28/90,15:36:38,213806,2,GENE BACKLIN,,5
03/28/90,16:45:38,213807,1,LANE LARRISON,,3
03/28/90,19:14:25,213808,1,RICHARD GOZDAL,,
E#43407,
E#43408,
E#43409,11
03/28/90,21:21:59,213809,2,JIM POLOUS,,1
03/28/90,21:28:52,213810,2,DENNIS STAHL,,7
03/28/90,21:56:20,213811,9,THOM QUICK,,3
03/28/90,22:30:51,213812,2,PHIL JERN,,2
03/28/90,22:36:48,213813,1,JOHN SCOFIELD,hong kong,
E#43410,15
03/28/90,23:20:38,213814,1,BEN BURDETTE,VILLA PARK/ IL,14
03/28/90,23:46:24,213815,2,ERIC BOHLMAN,,
E#43411,5
03/29/90,01:16:32,213816,1,CHARLIE KESTNER,,8
03/29/90,01:52:23,213817,2,JERRY OLSEN,,
E#43412,
E#43413,
E#43414,
E#43415,16
03/29/90,02:42:38,213818,2,ROBERT WALLINGFORD,,15
03/29/90,04:07:53,213819,1,JOEY YAMBAO,Chicago/ IL,4
03/29/90,05:48:14,213820,2,ROBERT WALLINGFORD,,
>Help:  ??,22
03/29/90,06:10:45,213821,1,FARRAD ALI,,12
03/29/90,09:36:14,213822,2,GARY ELFRING,,1
03/29/90,10:07:35,213823,2,MARTY LINGG,,3
03/29/90,10:17:36,213824,2,DENNIS STAHL,,2
03/29/90,10:32:01,213825,1,DAVE DEVORE,,3
03/29/90,10:42:26,213826,1,SPIKE LEE,ADDISON,
03/29/90,11:30:53,213827,1,KEN STOX,,2
03/29/90,12:06:04,213828,3,WAYNE UNDERHILL,bartlett,27
03/29/90,13:29:26,213829,1,BILL MANTHEY,,4
03/29/90,13:41:28,213830,1,GOOSE GOOSAGE,,11
03/29/90,13:56:28,213831,1,GOOSE GOOSAGE,,8
03/29/90,14:40:28,213832,1,MIKE HOUK,,19
03/29/90,15:47:36,213833,1,TOM MILLS,,0
03/29/90,17:00:26,213834,2,CLIFF SHARP,,
03/29/90,17:02:49,213835,2,CLIFF SHARP,,1
03/29/90,17:04:40,213836,2,CLIFF SHARP,,11
03/29/90,17:37:47,213837,1,MIKE SANDMAN,,12
03/29/90,18:04:00,213838,2,STAN BEGGS,,5
03/29/90,18:42:47,213839,2,PHIL WOLPE,Lombard IL,4
03/29/90,18:51:49,213840,1,RICHARD GOZDAL,,
E#43416,
]K,43340,RICHARD GOZDAL, 11
03/29/90,19:27:00,213841,2,SCOTT SMITH,,
E#43417,11
03/29/90,20:48:32,213842,1,CHARLIE KESTNER,,2
03/29/90,20:54:42,213843,1,COLIN SCHROEDER,,
E#43418,14
03/29/90,21:40:13,213844,1,EDDIE COLVIN,,2
]SEE YA }iLATER
EDDIE COLVIN,
03/29/90,22:30:38,213845,1,JOHN SCOFIELD,,6
03/29/90,23:10:40,213846,2,BEN BURDETTE,,8
03/29/90,23:57:29,213847,2,ERIC BOHLMAN,,
E#43419,7
03/30/90,01:24:49,213848,2,MICHAEL DAGG,,
03/30/90,05:46:40,213849,2,PETE JONES,,1
03/30/90,05:48:30,213850,2,PETE JONES,,1
03/30/90,06:28:54,213851,1,MICHAEL MCDANIEL,,
03/30/90,06:33:04,213852,1,MICHAEL MCDANIEL,,4
03/30/90,06:46:11,213853,1,JIM FLANAGAN,,3
03/30/90,07:56:21,213854,2,BILL WOLFF,,
E#43420,
E#43421,
E#43422,22
03/30/90,09:25:27,213855,2,JIM THALE,,
E#43423,15
03/30/90,10:56:17,213856,2,JACK HOMA,,5
03/30/90,12:09:36,213857,1,KEN STOX,,1
03/30/90,12:33:24,213858,2,BILL WOLFF,,0
03/30/90,12:36:15,213859,2,BENJAMIN COHEN,,3
]BENJAMIN COHEN,
03/30/90,15:14:05,213860,3,JAY PIAZZA,,1
03/30/90,15:30:52,213861,2,LARRY HITZ,,6
03/30/90,16:02:37,213862,2,JOHN WARREN,zermatt/ Switzerland,4
03/30/90,16:19:10,213863,2,JOEL WEINER,,2
03/30/90,16:35:57,213864,2,JEFF MARTIN,,3
03/30/90,16:43:47,213865,1,LANE LARRISON,,3
03/30/90,17:17:39,213866,1,TIMOTHY MILLS,,
>Help: MESSAGES,6
03/30/90,18:31:18,213867,3,JAY PIAZZA,,1
03/30/90,19:03:59,213868,1,ALAN CAPESIUS,,2
03/30/90,19:29:50,213869,1,JOHN SCOFIELD,,
E#43424,11
03/30/90,19:43:36,213870,1,RICHARD GOZDAL,,
E#43425,
E#43426,7
03/30/90,19:59:39,213871,1,JOSEPH SKOM,,222
03/30/90,20:02:31,213872,1,CHARLIE KESTNER,,4
03/30/90,21:44:57,213873,1,JOHN HOSBEIN,,5
03/30/90,22:32:44,213874,2,GREG HALLEY,chicago/il,
>Help: HELP U,4
03/30/90,23:11:42,213875,2,ALEX ZELL,,
03/30/90,23:34:32,213876,1,KEVIN COLLINS,chicago/il,9
03/31/90,01:17:33,213877,2,ERIC BOHLMAN,,2
03/31/90,06:07:56,213878,2,ROBERT WALLINGFORD,,
>Help: FUNCTION,24
03/31/90,06:35:06,213879,2,BILL WOLFF,,0
03/31/90,09:03:56,213880,1,ROSEMARY TERRY,Chicago,23
]Thank you
ROSEMARY TERRY,
03/31/90,10:55:55,213881,1,ROSEMARY TERRY,,11
03/31/90,13:41:37,213882,1,KEN STOX,,1
03/31/90,15:17:28,213883,1,CHARLIE KESTNER,,1
]__I see the clock's being goofy again. Check Skom's time
at caller number 213871.  Arrrgh.
.
^---Jeez.  Must be joing Ayzee's Alzheimer Club...
CHARLIE KESTNER,

or;43401
43401 03/28/90 WARD CHRISTENSEN => JERRY OLSEN: "R/LPTX"
43402 03/28/90 WARD CHRISTENSEN => STAN BEGGS: "R/PRINT RE-DIRECTION"
43403X 03/28/90 WARD CHRISTENSEN => ALL: "NULL PRINTER?"
43404X 03/28/90 AARON WRIGHT => JIM POLOUS: "NULL PRINTER?"
43405 03/28/90 WARD CHRISTENSEN => ERIC BOHLMAN: "R/NO PRINTER"
43406 03/28/90 TONY VENTICINQUE => ERIC BOHLMAN: "R/NEED FOR MODEM PROGRAM"
43407 03/28/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => COLIN SCHROEDER: "R/386 BIOS"
43408 03/28/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => STAN BEGGS: "R/PRINT RE-DIRECTION"
43409 03/28/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => ERIC BOHLMAN: "R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP"
43410 03/28/90 JOHN SCOFIELD => ALL: "NON-DOS DISKS"
43411 03/28/90 ERIC BOHLMAN => RICHARD GOZDAL: "R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP"
43412 03/29/90 JERRY OLSEN => WARD CHRISTENSEN: "R/LPTX"
43413 03/29/90 JERRY OLSEN => TONY VENTICINQUE: "R/NEED FOR MODEM PROGRAM"
43414 03/29/90 JERRY OLSEN => JOHN SCOFIELD: "R/NONDOS DISKS"
43415 03/29/90 JERRY OLSEN => ALL: "RECOMMENDATIONS?"
43416 03/29/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => ERIC BOHLMAN: "R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP"
43417 03/29/90 SCOTT SMITH => BILL WOLFF: "DBII CONVERSION"
43418 03/29/90 COLIN SCHROEDER => JIM POLOUS: "R/SPEAR TECHNOLOGY"
43419 03/30/90 ERIC BOHLMAN => RICHARD GOZDAL: "R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP"
43420 03/30/90 BILL WOLFF => WARD CHRISTENSEN: "R/DBASE II AND III"
43421 03/30/90 BILL WOLFF => JERRY OLSEN: "R/DBASE II/III"
43422 03/30/90 BILL WOLFF => SCOTT SMITH: "R/DBII CONVERSION"
43423 03/30/90 JIM THALE => ALL: "8" DRIVE REPAIR"
43424 03/30/90 JOHN SCOFIELD => JERRY OLSEN: "R/NONDOS DISKS"
43425 03/30/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => ERIC BOHLMAN: "R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP"
43426 03/30/90 RICHARD GOZDAL => ALL: "80287-8 4 SALE"
43427 03/31/90 STEVE AIDIKONIS => ALL: "FOR SALE"

     ---- End of summary ----    

Retrieving flagged msgs: C skips, K aborts.

Msg 43401 is 02 line(s) on 03/28/90 from WARD CHRISTENSEN
to JERRY OLSEN re: R/LPTX

  Have you found a spooler that doesn't lock up?  (I presume not since
you didn't mention anything, but I thought I'd ask).

Msg 43402 is 02 line(s) on 03/28/90 from WARD CHRISTENSEN
to STAN BEGGS re: R/PRINT RE-DIRECTION

Unregistered users may acces Plantz BBS from midight to 8 am for
10 minutes at 882-4227. Registration procedure is explained.
No msg 43403
No msg 43404

Msg 43405 is 03 line(s) on 03/28/90 from WARD CHRISTENSEN
to ERIC BOHLMAN re: R/NO PRINTER

  Did I ever thank you for the null-printer stuff?  Thanks!  I won't
need the little program - I've got some skeletal TSRs, and have grabbed
other interrupts for my use previously.

Msg 43406 is 04 line(s) on 03/28/90 from TONY VENTICINQUE
to ERIC BOHLMAN re: R/NEED FOR MODEM PROGRAM

thank you for the info.  I do not have MSDOS at work so a media conversion
program will not work.  A DEC dealer has promised to send me a PD modem
program for the rainbow.  I have called Antelope and am pleased with
the info I have recieved there.  The other BBS did not panout.

Msg 43407 is 03 line(s) on 03/28/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to COLIN SCHROEDER re: R/386 BIOS

 I think I will advertise in a Calif. computer papare to get rid
of the extra computer stuff. Some of thier prices are nuts (too
high) and it is used stuff on a personal sales line.

Msg 43408 is 03 line(s) on 03/28/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to STAN BEGGS re: R/PRINT RE-DIRECTION

  A commercial pkg for printer stuff is PrintQ. It can do a lot
but didn't do too good for me on the XT with a BIG pgm I use. It
can save graphics etc to disk.

Msg 43409 is 07 line(s) on 03/28/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to ERIC BOHLMAN re: R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP

  Just what I wanted, a Clipper programmer! Question..... I use
DOS 4.01 and with a pgm in Clipper I get A SHARE error due to
writing and reading files it makes (small ones). It writes them
to my C drive while the pgm is on D drive.
  I gather it has something to do with checking the current
drive (or NOT checking it). I this just a simple programming
error or a bug with Clipper?

Msg 43410 is 09 line(s) on 03/28/90 from JOHN SCOFIELD
to ALL re: NON-DOS DISKS

Can anyone tell me how to determine the details of the format of
non-DOS-formatted disks? Using tha absolute BIOS or DOS reads seems
to work, but how can I figure out how many bytes per sector, # of
sectors, sectors per track, # of tracks, etc.?
I'm not concerned about the details of the equivalents of boot sectors,
FATs, directories, etc. - I just want to be able to access the raw
data on a disk of arbitrary format.
.
Thanks for any help you may be able to give.

Msg 43411 is 03 line(s) on 03/28/90 from ERIC BOHLMAN
to RICHARD GOZDAL re: R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP

That error usually means that the program is set up for multi-user use
(SET EXCLUSIVE ON, etc.) but the system isn't set up properly.  Do you have
SHARE.EXE loaded?  Is the program using any locking functions?

Msg 43412 is 07 line(s) on 03/29/90 from JERRY OLSEN
to WARD CHRISTENSEN re: R/LPTX

Nope, haven't found anything very reliable. (You're right: I would have
noted it if I had!)

Rather than muck with such lock-ups, I've occasionally resorted to tricks
like telling another 'puter to pretend it's a printer, redirect the DOS
output to a serial port and hardwire the two. There really <oughta> be
something better!

Msg 43413 is 05 line(s) on 03/29/90 from JERRY OLSEN
to TONY VENTICINQUE re: R/NEED FOR MODEM PROGRAM

I don't recall your original msg, but I presume you were looking for a PD
modem program for a Rainbow. I <<think>> a fellow named David Finke found
and installed such a beast for his wife's office. If you want to pursue
that, he frequents the following central-Chicago board.
THE ADVOCATE-NOWAR, 312.939.4411, 24 hrs., 300-1200-2400, 8-N-1

Msg 43414 is 12 line(s) on 03/29/90 from JERRY OLSEN
to JOHN SCOFIELD re: R/NONDOS DISKS

I've tried a couple of PD/shareware products which helped analyzing
nonDOS disk structures (and dumping contents of selected sectors), but
off-hand I can't recall much in the way of names. I <do> recall that I
picked up the tools over on The Advocate (see prior msg for contact info).
Seems to me one of the better ones was part of the CP/M emulator
packages over on The Advocate--Z80MU or 22NICE/22DISK come to mind--but
I'm not positive about that. If you still are looking for help and you
can't locate something useful over there, leave me a msg on that board
as a reminder and I'll dig around a little when time permits....In any
case, while I've yet to find an "ideal" tool, I have been able to
determine the basic structure of things as esoteric as typesetting disks
with what is available.

Msg 43415 is 21 line(s) on 03/29/90 from JERRY OLSEN
to ALL re: RECOMMENDATIONS?

I've been commissioned to submit a feature-length article for a
national computer magazine on the role of software in the start-up of
a small business. An emphasis will be on the <types> of software which
are important, but I'll also be naming some product names.
         Obviously, opinions weigh in heavily, so I'm soliciting some
general input. If interested, leave comments here or directly on a
board I run (The Advocate, 312.939.4411, 300/1200/2400, 8/n/1, central
Chicago) by April 5....What types of products do you feel are
important? Shareware responses are welcomed too, if you want to name
names. Feel free to approach the question from unexpected slants.
(Note: I expect to use most input as background, but attribution is
possible. If you do <not> want your name mentioned, please be say so.)
      Secondly, I <<do>> plan to include quotes based upon short phone
interviews. But in this case, I need people who can be "labeled."
E.g., "proprietor of Gee Whiz Consultants." Or, "Computer Coordinator
for the Wheaton Small Fry Company." If you have opinions on the
subject and want a little free PR for your company, summarize the
company and your role in it in a sentence or two and let me know when
we can chat voice. If you prefer not to leave a public message, you
may leave a private message on The Advocate.
         Thanks.

Msg 43416 is 12 line(s) on 03/29/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to ERIC BOHLMAN re: R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP

  I "do" use SHARE due to my large HDs and partitioned with DOS 4.01.
 I got one response today from the programmer that I should TRY:
   SET CLIPPER=F31    which didn't do a thing!
 I might CALL Calif. in a day or two after she gets my printouts
to see if she understands what the SHARE pgm is doing. Interesting...
I always seem to catch bugs no one else ever runs across (or reports).
  Seeing that the files the pgm creates and reads wind up on C
while the pgm itself is on D, it HAS to be something with read/write
on the "specified" drive. The wierd thing is when I hit "A"bort
when the error comes up, the pgm continues (of course it doesn't
read the file on C (I have to do a simple setup each time it is run
on one pgm due to this).

Msg 43417 is 06 line(s) on 03/29/90 from SCOTT SMITH
to BILL WOLFF re: DBII CONVERSION

Bill, there is a program that comes with, or used to come with the dBASE
III/III+ called dCONVERT.  This allows the user to convert .DBF files,
.MEM, etc. to the appropriate III/III+ formats.  Very easy to use, and
relatively fast.  Should work for you, if you don't need to go back to
a dBASE II format for any reason.  Leave me a msg here if you need more
help with this.

Msg 43418 is 14 line(s) on 03/29/90 from COLIN SCHROEDER
to JIM POLOUS re: R/SPEAR TECHNOLOGY

Being by nature a statistician, I wish I had that large a sample of Spear
 machines, but all I had was my one Spear!  Actually, I've been
satisfied with the hardware; it's the customer support that's been frustrating
It took 7 months of phone calls and finally some serious threats (which
I deplore!) to get the promised $100 rebate.  Spear also suffers some
quality control problems, as evidenced by the fact that I just spent three
weeks and three trips to their Northbrook offices getting a problem
fixed--it turns out that the mounting screws for the motherboard were
lacking insulating washers (approx. .5 cents per!!), which caused
shorts in the motherboard!!
    Now the machine is happily running DOS and UNIX in coexistence, with
no apparent problems, but I'm still disappointed in the service, especially
in view of the fact that the hardware technician didn't seem to know a
whole lot more than I did!!

Msg 43419 is 10 line(s) on 03/30/90 from ERIC BOHLMAN
to RICHARD GOZDAL re: R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP

Unless something has changed drastically between DOS 3.3 and 4.0, SHARE
has nothing to do with large disk partitions.  Rather, it manages multi-user
access to files (mainly over a network).
My Clipper manual says nothing about "SHARE ERROR" so I suspect the
error is coming from SHARE itself.  The fact that your program continues
after you respond to the message suggests that as well.
Again, at least as of 3.X, SHARE is concerned only with arbitrating
access to files over a network (checking for file and record locking).
There should be no reason to use it on a single-user setup unless you're
doing something like running a BBS under a multitasker.

Msg 43420 is 09 line(s) on 03/30/90 from BILL WOLFF
to WARD CHRISTENSEN re: R/DBASE II AND III

Yes I have heard many nice things about Fox Base. A friend of mine has
it. Although I couldn't tell the difference between Fox Base and dBase
III. I do hear Fox Base is more likeable.

One other problem I face, is my dBase II runs on four of my computers.
But dBase III only runs on one. I have some fear about having data
only accessable on one computer. Although I admit, my world doesn't
crumble if my computer goes down. Plus if I am worried about MS-DOS
running data, why worry! Someone always has access to MS-DOS right?

Msg 43421 is 01 line(s) on 03/30/90 from BILL WOLFF
to JERRY OLSEN re: R/DBASE II/III

Thanks for the tip! I haven't been on ADVOCATE in quite sometime.

Msg 43422 is 12 line(s) on 03/30/90 from BILL WOLFF
to SCOTT SMITH re: R/DBII CONVERSION

You say dCONVERT? I think I have seen that somewhere. But I think I
would like to switch back and forth between dBase II and dBase III.
Because of my setup, I like entering data on dBase II (the computers
is more accessable for me) and then transfering the data to dBase III
to print the results. But may update and want to go back to dBase II.

I know dBase II transfers TXT files to and from dBase! But I don't
know if dBase III has that? If so, it may just work moving the data
around!

Or I may just abandon the whole idea and just stick to dBase III as
Ward has suggested.

Msg 43423 is 06 line(s) on 03/30/90 from JIM THALE
to ALL re: 8" DRIVE REPAIR

Does anyone know of a LOCAL repair depot for 8" Mitsubishi half-height
drives?  Most computer stores I've called vehemently argue that there
is NO such animal!  Intelligence abounds!  I think Com Ed dealt me a
big goof, but I have no way of being sure other than several power
circuits being messed-up.  Leave a msg here if you know of a place to
have these fellas checked-out.   Thanks.

Msg 43424 is 06 line(s) on 03/30/90 from JOHN SCOFIELD
to JERRY OLSEN re: R/NONDOS DISKS

Jerry -
Thanks for the info; I'll check out the Advocate (and answer there, too).
But what I'm really after is info, not software.  I want to find out HOW
those programs work, not investigate the format of a specific disk.
Eventually, I want to incorporate some arbitrary-format capability into
some of my own software.

Msg 43425 is 07 line(s) on 03/30/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to ERIC BOHLMAN re: R/HAVE CLIPPER/ WILL DEVELOP

 I hate to start anything when I don't know too much about the subject
BUT DOS 4 asks for SHARE to be loaded with the large partitions. It
must be part of the feature for partitioning large HDs. It also
states in the manual that it should be used with partitions/drives
over 32MB. Looks like a problem with Clipper and DOS 4.
  I just love these situations I get myself into with MY choise
of files to use.

Msg 43426 is 03 line(s) on 03/30/90 from RICHARD GOZDAL
to ALL re: 80287-8 4 SALE

  Hoping to get an 80387-20 chip and won't need the 287 chip. Have
to look at the National echo for a price on it.
(312) 775-2593 early eves.

Msg 43427 is 04 line(s) on 03/31/90 from STEVE AIDIKONIS
to ALL re: FOR SALE

Focus report writer for dbase:  $25.00
SuperProject version 2.0:       $50.00
Aztec C for CP/M (kaypro disks) $50.00
Call 708-289-2390
>Function:?