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º May 1996 Volume 4 Number 5 º
ÇÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄĶ
º Board of Trade BBS New Port Richey, Florida (813) 862-4772 º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
In This Issue
-------------
þ United States Senate E-Mail Addresses
þ Doom II: Hell on Earth Review
Written by Paul Pollack
þ Computer Basics
Written by Ed Garwood
þ BBS Basics: High Speed Transfers, Line Noise, Etc.
þ Computer Humor, Reviews and all the Latest News
+ + + + +
Editor's Welcome
----------------
Greetings fellow BBSer. Thank you for taking the time to check out this
month's Pasco BBS Magazine!
The plan for this month was to have an interview with a major Shareware
author, however, I never got around to arranging it. So, that idea has been
deferred to a future issue. Some months there is more time to work on the
magazine than others and this was one of those months when time seemed to run
short. The deadline always comes quickly. This may be a good time to mention
that I would be very happy to receive articles written from readers of the
magazine. Anything computer related would be great and the articles do not
have to be lengthy. Articles could help this editor avoid burnout, which is a
common ailment for free on-line publications. Enough of my traditional
begging, there is plenty of interest in this month's issue.
This month begins a series of updates for BBS Basics, the informational
database for the new BBS user. Over the next few issues we will have new and
updated articles, as we prepare to release the next version of the Freeware
program. This month looks at High Speed Transfers, Line Noise, Etc. There is
also the second in a series of great articles written by Ed Garwood called
Computer Basics. Paul Pollack has written a very nice review of the
commercial sequel to the Shareware classic Doom, id Software's Doom II: Hell
on Earth. PBM Flashback looks at what some people saying before the 1993
release of Doom. This month's news includes a short article about a new Pasco
County BBS listing and a couple of interesting press releases. Along with all
our regular features is a list of the e-mail addresses for most members of the
United States Senate.
Until next month, thanks for reading!
+ + + + +
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ PASCO BBS MAGAZINE ³
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³ Member of the Association of Online Professionals ³
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³ Member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation ³
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³ EDITOR: Richard Ziegler ³
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³ HOME BBS: Board of Trade BBS (813) 862-4772 ³
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³ World Wide Web Home Page: http://www.sanctum.com/pasco ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
+ + + + +
Senate E-Mail Addresses
-----------------------
The following is a listing of those members of the United States Senate who
have published e-mail addresses on the Senate's Internet server. To see if
there is an address for a Senator not listed, write their office at the United
States Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510. You can also call the United States
Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and a switchboard operator will connect
you directly with the Senate office you wish to speak with.
State Senator E-Mail Address
----- ------- --------------
Arkansas Bumpers, Dale senator@bumpers.senate.gov
Arizona Kyl, Jon info@kyl.senate.gov
Arizona McCain, John senator_mccain@mccain.senate.gov
California Boxer, Barbara senator@boxer.senate.gov
California Feinstein, Dianne senator@feinstein.senate.gov
Colorado Brown, Hank senator_brown@brown.senate.gov
Connecticut Dodd, Christopher J. sen_dodd@dodd.senate.gov
Connecticut Lieberman, Joseph I. senator_lieberman@lieberman.senate.gov
Delaware Biden, Jr., Joseph R. senator@biden.senate.gov
Florida Graham, Bob bob_graham@graham.senate.gov
Georgia Coverdell, Paul senator_coverdell@coverdell.senate.gov
Iowa Grassley, Chuck chuck_grassley@grassley.senate.gov
Iowa Harkin, Tom tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov
Idaho Craig, Larry E. larry_craig@craig.senate.gov
Idaho Kempthorne, Dirk dirk_kempthorne@kempthorne.senate.gov
Illinois Moseley-Braun, Carol senator@moseley-braun.senate.gov
Illinois Simon, Paul senator@simon.senate.gov
Kentucky Ford, Wendell H. wendell_ford@ford.senate.gov
Kentucky McConnell, Mitch senator@mcconnell.senate.gov
Louisiana Breaux, John B. senator@breaux.senate.gov
Louisiana Johnston, J. Bennett senator@johnston.senate.gov
Massachusetts Kennedy, Edward M. senator@kennedy.senate.gov
Massachusetts Kerry, John F. john_kerry@kerry.senate.gov
Maryland Mikulski, Barbara A. senator@mikulski.senate.gov
Maryland Sarbanes, Paul S. senator@sarbanes.senate.gov
Maine Cohen, William S. billcohen@cohen.senate.gov
Michigan Abraham, Spencer michigan@abraham.senate.gov
Michigan Levin, Carl senator@levin.senate.gov
Minnesota Grams, Rod mail_grams@grams.senate.gov
Minnesota Wellstone, Paul senator@wellstone.senate.gov
Missouri Ashcroft, John john_ashcroft@ashcroft.senate.gov
Mississippi Cochran, Thad senator@cochran.senate.gov
Montana Baucus, Max max@baucus.senate.gov
Montana Burns, Conrad conrad_burns@burns.senate.gov
North Carolina Faircloth, Lauch senator@faircloth.senate.gov
North Dakota Dorgan, Byron L. senator@dorgan.senate.gov
Nebraska Kerrey, J. Robert bob@kerrey.senate.gov
New Hampshire Gregg, Judd mailbox@gregg.senate.gov
New Hampshire Smith, Bob opinion@smith.senate.gov
New Jersey Bradley, Bill senator@bradley.senate.gov
New Mexico Bingaman, Jeff senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov
New Mexico Domenici, Pete V. senator_domenici@domenici.senate.gov
Nevada Reid, Harry senator_reid@reid.senate.gov
New York Moynihan, Daniel Patrick senator@dpm.senate.gov
Ohio DeWine, Mike senator_dewine@dewine.senate.gov
Pennsylvania Santorum, Rick senator@santorum.senate.gov
Pennsylvania Specter, Arlen senator_specter@specter.senate.gov
Rhode Island Chafee, John H. senator_chafee@chafee.senate.gov
South Carolina Hollings, Ernest F. senator@hollings.senate.gov
South Dakota Daschle, Thomas A. tom_daschle@daschle.senate.gov
South Dakota Pressler, Larry larry_pressler@pressler.senate.gov
Tennessee Frist, Bill senator_frist@frist.senate.gov
Tennessee Thompson, Fred senator_thompson@thompson.senate.gov
Texas Hutchison, Kay Bailey senator@hutchison.senate.gov
Virginia Robb, Charles S. senator@robb.senate.gov
Virginia Warner, John W. senator@warner.senate.gov
Vermont Jeffords, James M. vermont@jeffords.senate.gov
Vermont Leahy, Patrick J. senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
Washington Gorton, Slade senator_gorton@gorton.senate.gov
Washington Murray, Patty senator_murray@murray.senate.gov
Wisconsin Feingold, Russell D. senator@feingold.senate.gov
Wisconsin Kohl, Herb senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
West Virginia Rockefeller IV, John D. senator@rockefeller.senate.gov
Wyoming Simpson, Alan K. senator@simpson.senate.gov
(Reprinted courtesy of Computer underground Digest)
+ + + + +
New Pasco BBS Listing Released
------------------------------
Clark Gilbo is well known to Pasco County BBS users for his efforts compiling
BBS listings over the years. On April 5, 1996, he released his latest
endeavor, the Pasco BBS Listing. This new publication contains telephone
numbers for computer bulletin boards in western Pasco County and Pinellas
County based systems located north of Largo. The Pasco BBS Listing, which is
scheduled to be released on a monthly basis, has a standard ASCII edition and
an ANSI color edition.
Clark Gilbo first published a BBS list in the fall of 1992, when he created
the Westcoast 813 BBS Directory. At that time, the 813 area code stretched
along a good portion of Florida's west coast. Late in 1994, when the local
area codes were changed, he renamed the list to the 813 BBS Directory. This
version covered Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, which were the
counties retaining the 813 area code. The last release of the 813 BBS
Directory was in the fall of 1995. Clark Gilbo put it this way in the first
release of the new Pasco listing. "Due to non-support of BBS users and system
operators of the 813 calling area, The 813 BBS Directory is history! The
editor of this listing still hold all rights to The 813 BBS Directory. Also,
the phone bill has been on the average of $45 per month, which hasn't even
come close to breaking even. I can no longer can afford it. So that west
Pasco County has a good listing, I'm doing this listing. Nothing too fancy.
Hope you find what you're looking for."
Despite the similarity of names, the Pasco BBS Listing is not created by the
Pasco BBS Magazine. The Board of Trade BBS (813) 862-4772 will continue to
act as a primary point of distribution for the listing, and the latest issue
will always be a free download in the Local Author Support file directory.
Home Office Online of Tarpon Springs, when the system comes on-line, will act
as the home of the listing.
+ + + + +
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ÆØØØØØØØØØØØ Board of Trade BBS ØØØØØØØØØØµ
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ÆØØØ ØØµ
ÆØ The Hobby BBS for the Entire Family! ص
³ ³
³ Pasco County's Information Source ³
³ Home of the Pasco BBS Magazine, DA BUCS and BBS Basics ³
³ ³
³ Call here FIRST for the BEST in Shareware ³
³ Official Distribution Site for the Most Popular Authors ³
ÆØ ص
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ÆØØØØØ Local Author Support File Directory ØØØØØµ
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+ + + + +
Doom II: Hell on Earth Review
------------------------------
Although millions of users will have bought Doom II by the time most of you
read this, I feel it only appropriate to look at one of the hottest selling
titles. Doom II is the best first person shooter there ever was, surpassing
the original Doom in many areas, and setting the standard for the future of
electronic entertainment. Just read on and find out what I mean.
Statistics: Rated like a report card:
A+ -- Mega-awesome
A -- Awesome
B+ -- Great
B -- Really good
C+ -- Good
C -- Average
D+ -- OK
D -- Fair
F+ -- Better than nothing...
F -- Stinks!
Categories: Different optional features all rolled up to equal the overall
grade of the game:
Graphics: How good are the graphics compared to your computer's maximum
capacity available for the graphics?
Sound: Are the bleeps and bloops good, or are they really just bleeps and
bloops?
Music: Will you be humming the theme song later, or will you be trying to get
it out of your head?
Plot: Does the plot remind you of Willy Beamish, or King's Quest VI?
Animation: Was the animation smooth and easy to understand what was going on,
or did it look too jerky and hard to understand?
Puzzles: Were the puzzles way too hard and stupid, far too easy for even a
beginner, or just perfectly set in the middle?
Humor: Does some parts of the game make you laugh, chuckle, groan, or could
you not even tell they were a joke?
Funfactor: Is the game fun enough to even have a Re-play factor?
Re-play factor: Does winning the first time through make you want to replay
it, or store it?
Control\manipulation: Can you do what you want to do without hassles or too
much tediousness?
Technical factor: Did the game hang up more often than it ran?
Concept: Is the main idea of what kind of game your dealing with sound good
to you?
Bang for your buck: Is it really worth all that hard-earned moola?
Ending: How good was the ending sequence for the game? Did it make you feel
all tingly inside?
Overall: Put all these factors together, and what do you get?
Doom II: Hell on Earth v1.666 (CD version)
Statistics:
Company: ID/Distribution by GT software
Requirements: 386 DX, 4 megs RAM, VGA
Includes: Small manual
Recommended: Full hard-disk installation, 486 DX-33, VLB/PCI video, 8
megabytes RAM, modem/network hook-up, and supported sound card
Retail price: around $60
Sale/street price: around $40
Any codes: IDCLEV<level number> -- unlike the original Doom, the format for
the warp code is now simply IDCLEV and
then the level number
IDMUS<level number> -- switches the music to the music from the
level you select (Doom ][ only)
And a bunch of other codes from the original Doom (although no
IDSPISPOPD, it's been replaced with IDCLIP)...
Difficulty: Variable, although harder than the original Doom
Copy Protection type: None
Report Card: (Remember: these are strictly our opinion)
Graphics...................... A+
Sound......................... B
Music......................... B
Plot.......................... N/A
Animation..................... A+
Puzzles....................... N/A
Humor......................... N/A
Funfactor..................... A+
Re-play factor................ A+
Control\manipulation.......... A
Technical factor.............. A
Concept....................... B
Bang for your buck............ A+
Ending........................ D
Overall....................... A
The Explanation:
Graphics (A+): It's back, and better than ever. With Doom II, ID has set a
new standard for graphic detail in a game of this kind. The walls, doors, and
monsters all look great throughout, and don't break up into a pixelated mess
when you get up close. There's a variety of styles present in the levels, and
the new monsters (all seven of 'em) all look great. After playing Doom II,
you'll wonder how you ever got along with those other inferior titles.
Sound (B): The sounds in Doom II were great, and all the weapons sounded like
they were supposed to. This is one of the aspects of Doom that is basically
the same as the original, except that the new creatures make some cool new
sounds. Then again, who really cares about such trivial matters as sound and
music when the game is so much fun?
Music (B): Like the original Doom, the music was fairly solid throughout,
although I wouldn't go so far as to say they'd win a music award. There are
some great new tunes, though, and most Doomers won't be disappointed by the
selections.
Plot (N/A): Although Doom II actually has a plot, it doesn't really matter.
All you really have to know is that the monsters are your enemies and you have
some rather big guns. For the people that enjoy hearing about the plot, here
it is: You've just come back from your mission to the moonbase, and after
arriving on Earth you begin to notice some strangely familiar sights. Humans
are turning into monsters, and all hell is basically breaking out all over
Earth (hence the title). As usual, you're left to save everyone's butt.
Animation (A+): Although you'll need at least a 486 SX-25 to really enjoy the
game, a DX-33 with VLB and a full hard drive installation will really get
things moving in a full-screen window. With a fast VLB/PCI machine, the
animation is as smooth as any game you've seen before, and probably even more
ultra-realistic. All the characters and guns have realistic movements,
especially if played off your hard-disk, and help bring life to the game.
Puzzles (N/A): Although there are puzzles in the game, and actually quite a
bit of them (find the keycard, then the door, etc.), they blend in so well
with the actual gameplay that it was impossible to give this a separate
rating. If you want to know about the difficulty, well then, here goes: Doom
II is a whole lot harder than the original Doom, with larger levels (all
thirty-two of 'em), tougher enemies, and more screamin' demons who want
nothing more in the world than to see you dead. As you progress through the
game, the levels get more and more difficult, with pits that you can't get out
of if you fall in, crushing ceilings that hurt you unless you have God mode
on, and many more enemies.
Humor (N/A): If you've played Doom, you'll realize why this got an N/A. Doom
wasn't meant to be a funny game, but rather an explosive action game that
would send the millions to their local computer dealer to buy a new PC. When
the action's this exciting, and the game's this fun, you'd think that ID
wouldn't even bother with humor. Wrong... One of the least reported facts
are the two extra levels in Doom II, called Wolfenstein and Grosse. The
first, Wolfenstein, is just what it sounds like, a level from Wolfenstein
where you go up against some pretty mean blue soldiers (although they seem a
little small). Although I doubt that ID intended this level to be funny, it
kinda is. ID's probably never going to remake Wolfenstein with the Doom
engine, but it gives you a pretty good idea of how it would look if they did.
The latter, Grosse, is pretty self explanatory. It starts off like the
previous level, except towards the end you walk into a room and see tiny
little Commander Keens hanging. To beat the level, you have to blow up the
Commander Keens (and get to see their heads roll on the floor). Man, I didn't
know ID was so mad at their Apogee association. It still got an N/A though;
these weren't really that humorous, and I'm not even sure if ID intended them
to be.
Funfactor (A+): Ask Alex, and he'll tell you that I was never a Doom maniac
-- sure I had my days of Doom euphoria, but those days grew numbered and I
never really bothered with the game that much after that. It seemed like a
lot of repetition -- grab the gun, kill the monster, grab the gun again, etc.
But Doom II hurls so many ferocious monsters and so many different levels at
you that you just can't help but love it. Modem and network play don't hurt
it either.
Re-play factor (A+): After playing through the thirty base levels and
conquering the two hidden levels, I doubt that many gamers will go through the
entire game again. Sure, the hardcore Doom fans might do it --OK, so maybe I
was wrong -- but I for one, wouldn't. But the addition of modem and network
play only add to the replay value, and lend the game a unique human touch that
just adds the final glaze to the already realistic presentation. But the
final touch, and the reason for the A+ is that there are a seemingly infinite
number of Doom WAD's floating around on on-line services today, and it isn't
that hard to find a program that converts Doom I wads to Doom II WAD's. With
all those levels floating around out there (including Gladiator, my own Doom
][ level available on the Board of Trade BBS and Studio PC), and the
previously mentioned modem/network play, Doom II has the most replay value
I've ever seen in a game of its kind.
Control/Manipulation (A): If you played Doom (hey, who didn't?!), control
will be a snap for you to master -- especially since Doom can be controlled
with a wide variety of peripherals. Doom makes full use of a keyboard, mouse,
or joystick, and with a gamepad the controls really shine. Like the original
Doom, Doom II also supports the Cyberman. No matter which controller you
choose, Doom II responds quickly and accurately.
Technical factor (A): What can I say: I didn't have a single technical
problem in Doom. OK, so that's not entirely true -- I did get an error when I
tried to warp to level 33, but that was my fault, since there isn't a level
33, not the game's. With the hardware described above, you should be able to
run the game in a good sized window and still maintain a fairly high frames-
per-second rate. Although Hell on Earth will perform the best if run from a
hard disk, you may be forced to run it from the CD. If you opt not to install
it, the CD version actually runs okay. There were some lost frames when you
walk around, and occasionally you lost control over your character when it was
accessing the CD, but for the most part it was tolerable. The only major
downfall to running it from the CD is the inability to save any games.
Concept (B): I admit it, the number of 3D games seems to increase
exponentially, and the concept has become overused. Every time a new first-
person shooter comes out, I, as a reviewer, have to ask myself whether it's
fresh and original enough to stand out in an already overcrowded field. With
Doom II, the answer is a definite maybe. While there are many improvements
from the original, including seven new monsters (like the lost-soul throwing
pain elemental, and the Baron's little brother -- the Hell Knight), one new
weapon (the double barreled sawed-off shotgun), enhanced graphic effects, and
a few speed enhancements, its still just Doom. Then again, being "just Doom"
isn't half bad...
Bang for your Buck (A+): If you're a Doom fan, there's no excuse not to get
this game. With its new additions, cutting-edge feel, and devilishly fun
gameplay, Doom II is destined to be one of the most popular games of the year.
The graphics, sound effects, and level layout all contribute to a marvelous
whole, and Doom II: Hell on Earth deserves to become the standard for all new
arcade titles. At $40 for thirty levels (not to mention the two secret
levels), its a real steal.
Ending (D): While Doom II is more fun than the original, and features better
graphics and sound, it's just plain more difficult then the original. There
are tons of enemies, crushing ceilings, and many more devilishly difficult
features that make Doom II a lot harder than many arcade games on the market;
but while this may seem to be too difficult, multiple difficulty settings
(yep, the old "I'm too young to die, etc." settings) let you tailor the
difficulty to your needs. And, if you have to, you can use the codes as a
last resort. The ending of Doom II was a let-down, to say the least. Those
hoping for a 256-color animated sequence or something equally impressive will
no doubt be disappointed. Instead of one of these, you're treated with a
background and text, similar to the end of the shareware Doom; the only
redeeming quality is that after that screen ends, it brings up a screen with a
monster moving in a stationary place. Press a key, and the monster dies, and
the next monster comes up. It's pretty neat to watch, but still nothing
spectacular.
Overall (A): When I first saw Doom II, I never though that I would learn to
like it as much as I did. The scenery in the game is gorgeous, due to the
excellent 256-color graphics, the sound is great, and the gameplay is the
most exciting I've ever seen in a game of this type. Add modem/network play,
and you have an incredible mix that other game designers would be wise to
imitate.
Editor's Note: Thanks again to Paul Pollack for another great article. Look
for more from Paul in next month's Pasco BBS Magazine. Paul is an avid gamer
and frequent BBSer who, if you would like to contact him, can be reached at
Gator's Place BBS (813) 376-0087, or Dr. Duck's BBS (813) 849-3562. Paul is
also the moderator of the GamePlay Conference on the Board of Trade BBS (813)
862-4772. You may also wish to visit his home page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.intol.com/paul/paul.htm.
+ + + + +
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
Û Û
Û DON'T COPY THAT FLOPPY! Û
Û Û
Û REPORT SOFTWARE PIRACY! * * * TOLL-FREE HOT LINE! Û
Û Û
Û ÜÛ ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ßßßÛ ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ßßßÛ Û Û ßßßÛ ÛßßÛ Û
Û Û ÜÜ ÛßßÛ Û Û Û Û ÜÜ ßßÛ ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ÜÜ Û ßßßÛ Û ÛßßÛ Û
Û ßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ß ß ß ßßßß Û
Û Û
Û Software Publishers Association, 1730 M St, NW, Washington, DC 20036 Û
Û Û
ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
+ + + + +
PBM Flashback - May 1993
------------------------
The May 1993 issue of the Pasco BBS Magazine featured an article titled
"Shareware Games...A Look Ahead," which looked at some programs due out that
summer. One of the games was Doom: Evil Unleashed published by id Software.
With this month's issue carrying a review of the commercial sequel, Doom II:
Hell on Earth, what better time to reflect on what people were saying about
Doom prior to its release three years ago. The article included comments from
Jay Wilbur, Chief Operating Officer at Id Software, and Dan Linton, Sysop of
Software Creations BBS.
Dan Linton says "it makes Wolfenstein look like a High School project." Jay
Wilbur says it is a little like "Wolfenstein on steroids." What are they
talking about? Id Software's release of the 3D action game Doom. When asked
to describe, the game Jay Wilbur states "I just don't know where to begin.
You play an off duty Space Marine who is guarding an off planet research
facility. When an experiment goes array, and the very fabric of time and
space is ripped, demons, or the bad guys are coming in from the other side.
In Episode One, which will be the Shareware release episode, your job is to
stop them from coming in. Later episodes will actually take you to the other
side. It shares the first person perspective as Wolfenstein, but that is
where it stops. It is just going to be far more complex. Network play, four
people via a local area network, two people via a serial link or modem link,
or solo play. It will have tons of traps. Tons more weapons. A true light
shading. Multiple level floors and ceilings, where in Wolfenstein you had
only set level, in this you could have cathedral like ceilings and dips in the
floor and stairways. It runs, I'm going to guess and say, fifty percent
faster than Wolfenstein, depending of course on your system."
Editor's Note: PBM Flashback will appear on a regular basis in future issues.
Each issue will have this brief look back at some of the features which have
appeared over the history of the Pasco BBS Magazine.
+ + + + +
P R O G R A M R E V I E W
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³ Program ³ MMTrek Screen Saver ³
ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
³ Author/Vendor ³ Heiko Tietz ³
ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
³ Special Requirements ³ Windows, VBRUN200.DLL ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
MMTrek Screen Saver Review
--------------------------
The MMTrek Screen Saver, written by German author Heiko Tietz, is a screen
saver for Windows based on the popular television show Star Trek. Every
fifteen seconds the program displays one of four different animated pictures
from the show. MMTrek is easy to install and, even if it seems to run a bit
slow, it is not a bad effort for a program being released as "postcardware."
The images displayed include two versions of the starship Enterprise, a Star
Trek insignia and another starship resembling a Bird of Prey. The program can
be configured to play a .WAV file at different points during its operation,
including during the fly-by of a starship. There is also the option of
setting the "speedfactor" for the animations and the author may add additional
features if there is a "significant response." The program will run under
virtually any Windows setup and requires the readily available VBRUN200.DLL,
which is not included in the download package.
While there are no charges for the use of MMTrek, it is not being released as
Freeware. It is being released as "postcardware", which is sometimes simply
called "cardware." To continue using the program, after the thirty day
evaluation period, you must send a postcard to the author.
+ + + + +
*****************************************************************************
ATTENTION to Details BBS Clint Bradford, KE6LCS - Sysop
Mira Loma, California BBS (909) 681-6221 BBS
Excellence...Across the Board!(sm) Voice Support (909) 681-6210
Supporting BBS Member: AOP - Association of Online Professionals
ASP - Association of Shareware Professionals
EFF - Electronic Frontier Foundation
ESC - Educational Software Cooperative
NCSA - National Computer Security Association
Message Networks: MustangNet USNet CoveNet Internet
MysticNet ILink HamRadioNet
Official Bulletin Station of the ARRL - American Radio Relay League
ATTENTION to Details BBS is managed in compliance with the
AOP and NCSA Codes of Professional Standards
*****************************************************************************
+ + + + +
Computer Basics
---------------
Written by Ed Garwood, Hudson, FL
DID YOU KNOW....?
You can have your screen display double width letter? At your C:\ prompt,
just type Mode 40 and your screen will instantly change. To go back to the
normal display, just type Mode 80.
DID YOU KNOW....?
Tired of that black screen with white letters? Like to change it? How about
bright green letters on a blue background? Sound good?
First, check your CONFIG.SYS file to see if it has the ANSI.SYS device listed.
If not, enter the following line at the end of your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS /X
and save your new CONFIG.SYS file. Now, type (EXACTLY) the following at your
C:\ prompt :
Prompt $E[1;44;32m $P Today is $D $P
Then press <ENTER> and then type CLS. See if you don't like the display . If
you don't, then type the following:
Prompt $P$G
Press <ENTER> and you're back where you started from>
DID YOU KNOW......?
You can type fractions (or lines, or foreign language letters, etc) without
changing your keyboard? Want to type the fraction «? First, make sure that
your NUM LOCK is on (is the light on?). Then, just hold down the <ALT> key
while you press the numbers 1 7 1 on the numbers keyboard (to your right).
<ALT> 2 0 6 gives you Î. If you like Greek, <ALT> 2 2 8 will give you ä.
<ALT> 1 2 9 gives you the German letter <20>. The above are standard ASCII
control figures. You'll find them in any reference manual, including your
printer manual.
DID YOU KNOW.....? THESE WINDOWS TIPS AND TRICKS
(Re-printed from Morgantown, WV's IBM PCUG-PC Expressions Newsletter)
To quickly print a file in Windows 3.1, use the new 'drag and drop' technique.
Once you have Print Manager minimized, simply drag the file icon and drop it
onto the Print Manager Icon. This technique is usually faster than opening
the application, opening the file to be printed, and then choosing the
application's print command to print the file
To quickly open a file, drag the file icon and drop it onto the title bar of
the open application or onto the minimized application icon. The Windows
operating system automatically loads the file.
For a quick switch between open application in Windows, press ALT-TAB. To
display the icon and name for any open application, repeatedly press the TAB
key while holding the ALT key down. To open the displayed application,
release the ALT key.
To open a dialog box, listing all the open applications on your system, hold
down the CTRL key and press ESC. The Task List is handy for closing or
switching applications.
To format a floppy disk faster, use the new Windows File Manager 'Quick
Format' option. Select FORMAT from the Disk menu in File Manager. The option
is listed in the dialog box. NOTE: This works ONLY for disks that have been
previously formatted.
Want the same application to open each time you start Windows? Hold down the
CTRL key while you drag the application icon and drop it on the Startup group
icon or open group window. When you restart Windows, those programs whose
icons are displayed in the Startup Group will be launched.
To select TruType fonts for your documents, simply look for the TruType icon
next to the font names listed in your application's font menu. There are
several families of TruType fonts, including Arial, Courier New, and New Times
Roman. To customize the fonts used to display information in a File Manager
Window, select FONT from the Option Menu. This opens a dialog box that lists
your font display options.
To choose from a variety of DESKTOP color schemes, open the Control Panel in
the MAIN group, and choose the Color icon. A dialog box list the color
schemes (or choose your own!).
Editor's Note: Look for another installment of Computer Basics in next
month's issue. Ed Garwood may be contacted by leaving a message on the Board
of Trade BBS at (813) 862-4772. He is also active in the Pasco ComPats
Computer Club. The club meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month at
the New Port Richey City Council Chambers at the intersection of Main and
Madison Streets in New Port Richey, Florida. For more information about the
Pasco ComPats Computer Club, contact club President Robert Donbar at (813)
863-3963.
+ + + + +
²²²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²²²²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²²± THE NEWS
²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²± ²²± ²²± ²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± DIRECTORY
²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²²±²²± ²²±²± ²²± ²²± ²²²±
²²± ²²± ²²±²²²²± ²²²²± ²²±²±²²± ²²²± A brief look
²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²± ²²±²± ²²²²²²²± ²²²± at some of
²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²²± ²± ²²²±²²²± ²²± ²²± the news of
²²²²± ²²± ²± ²²± ²²± ²²²²²²²± ²²± ²²± ²²²²± the month
CompuServe Inc. launched a new on-line service called "Wow!" on March 25. The
new service has a heavy emphasis on home use and has intense graphics, news,
sports, weather, business and entertainment information, e-mail, shopping,
chat and full Internet access. The software to access the new service
requires Windows 95 and a CD-ROM drive, with a Macintosh version due out in
the future. Unlimited access to Wow! is $17.95 per month.
The General Accounting Office estimates automating the way the Federal
Government processes travel expenses could save taxpayers $1 billion annually.
Some agencies use as many as 39 paper forms.
Apple Computer Inc. announced a $700 million loss for the first quarter of
1996. This comes after a $69 million loss for the last quarter of 1995.
Writing off unsold products and paying for job cuts created the larger than
expected loss. In related news, March 31 was the last day for Apple's eWorld
on-line service.
The Internal Revenue Service decided not to provide on-line tax return filing,
known as Cyberfile, for 1995 taxes. A new system was going to allow taxpayers
to file returns directly with the IRS on the World Wide Web in selected areas
this Spring. However, security concerns and technical problems made it
impossible to offer the service for this tax season.
The Smithsonian Institution, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, is
planning to expand the information available on their home page on the World
Wide Web (http://www.si.edu). Within the next couple of years, they hope to
make over 100,000 items viewable on the Internet. While the institution's
Washington DC based museum can only display about one-seventh of its
collection at any one time, it is possible that some day everything could be
exhibited on-line. At the present time, the Web site explains current
displays, shows pictures hanging in the museums and describes upcoming events.
Rumors are circulating that MicroSoft, Inc. is planning to release an updated
version of the Windows operating system during 1996. Before Windows 95 was
released it was known as "Chicago." Windows 96 is rumored to be nicknamed
"Nashville."
"WEB.X -- The Internet Event for Business" is shaping up as one of the major
on-line related events for 1996. The show, which is being held concurrently
with the PC Expo, will take place June 18-20 at the Jacob Javits Convention
Center in New York City and September 24-26 at McCormick Place in Chicago.
For further information on WEB.X contact Jangliw N. Sang of Blenheim Group
USA, Inc. at (800) 829-3976.
+ + + + +
ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º º
º ßÛß ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ Ûßßß ÛßÛ Ûßßß ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ßßÛßß Û Û ÛßÛßÛ º
º Û Û Û Û Û Ûß ÛßßÛ ßßßÛ ÛßßÛ Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û Û º
º ßßß ß ß ß ß ßßßß ß ß ßßßß ß ß ß ß ßßßß ß ßßßß ß ß º
º º
º ÛßÛ ÛßÛ Ûßßß º
º ÛßßÛ ÛßßÛ ßßßÛ º
º ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß º
º º
º Since 1985 - Pasco County's Oldest BBS º
º º
º Sysops - Rob & Carolyn Marlowe º
º º
º Popular Chat Board, On-Line Games, CD-ROMS, Internet, FidoNet º
º º
º Ten Lines - (813) 848-6055 Voice - (813) 845-0893 º
º º
º telenet: sanctum.com º
º º
º READ THE PASCO BBS MAGAZINE AT: http://www.sanctum.com/pasco º
º º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
+ + + + +
BBS Basics: High Speed Transfers, Line Noise, Etc.
---------------------------------------------------
What follows is not intended to be a technical discussion on high speed
modems, but tries to answer some commonly asked questions. The new user, and
the expert alike, may ask why file transfers are slow at 14,400 baud and
above.
Line noise over common telephone wires has been a problem since the first
modems made their connection. For years it was said that 2400 bps was as fast
as normal telephone lines could transmit data and that we would never see
faster speeds due to the low band-width and high noise levels. Modem
technology has advanced over the years, but line noise is not a thing of the
past. Unfortunately, it is still with us. These new modems are not magic
either. They manage to hide the line noise, and some are able to filter it
out, but it is still there.
If line noise occurs during the connection process, where your modem and the
host modem perform their hand-shaking sequence looking for common ground, then
it is very likely that the two modems will agree to a slower speed to avoid
having problems during the remainder of the call. In fact, if line noise
occurs during the call the modems may decide to shift down at that time as
well. When line noise occurs during a file transfer between two modems which
have established an error correction session, the only evidence of this line
noise may very well be slow file transfers and nothing else. Many modems give
no other indications this extra work is being required, and may eventually
give up and just drop the carrier completely.
If you find that downloading ASCII files produces excellent file transfers
rates, but downloading Zip files reduces the rate, then very likely you have
turned on an option known as "data compression." It is like trying to use
PKZip to zip a Zip file. In its attempt to shrink the file, it actually
causes the file to expand in size and this slows down the file transfer.
For high speed file transfers to work you generally want to use some type of
flow control. If your modem or software is not set up correctly, it is
possible that flow control problems will result in errors. When data is lost
due to flow control problems there is only one solution and that is to send
the data again. This results in slowing down your file transfer.
Choosing the right file transfer protocol is important and Xmoden is not
always appropriate at high speeds. Zmodem has the ability to re-send the last
block of data while other protocols, such as Ymodem/G, have no way to request
that data be resent, so the transfer is aborted. Ymodem/G is one of the
fastest, but Zmodem is more dependable.
And if all that is not enough, it seems like certain times of the year
introduce more line noise on the phone lines than others. Some causes of line
noise are wet ground conditions, which introduces electrical changes in the
phone company's lines. Increased traffic on the telephone lines leads to
increased noise. Some of the worst conditions can occur on local calls, as
local circuits seldom receive the maintenance attention given to long distance
circuits.
There are a few hardware options which can reduce the errors in high speed
transfers. The easiest is to make sure that all your connections are clean.
Dirty or corroded connections will obviously have a negative impact on your
results. Another is to make sure that your phone line is grounded. This not
only helps reduce line noise, but may save your equipment in the event the
phone lines becomes electrically charged. For example, it is possible for a
lightning strike to come through the phone line. Some surge protectors have a
built-in port to plug the phone line into and most electronics stores have a
device, which plugs into an electrical outlet, to ground the phone line. If
your computer is a few years old, you may have to install a new serial card
with a 16550A UART chip. This high speed communications port is a requirement
for 28,800 baud file transfers. Most of the newer computers have these high
speed UART chips installed.
So what else can you do about line noise? You can contact your local phone
company. Sometimes the phone company does find a correctable problem. Using
high quality software and equipment can hide some of the problems. Or you
could move to France where fiber optic telecommunications is a reality.
Editor's Note: BBS Basics is a menu driven database of information for the
new BBS user. Version 2.1 of the Freeware program can be found on better BBSs
everywhere. As BBS Basics is updated for the next version, the articles will
be published first in the Pasco BBS Magazine. Next month there will be an
article, which will include a brief history of the computerized bulletin
board, titled "What is a BBS?"
+ + + + +
ROTFL!
------
Computer humor courtesy of Sandy Illes
Top Ten Ways to Know Your Life is the Most Pathetically Boring One on Earth
Written and Copyrighted by Sandy Illes
10. In the school yearbook, the inscription under your name said "Least
likely to be wearing clean underwear."
9. You've memorized the TV Guide.
8. You cheat playing Solitaire.
7. Your bowel movements make the front page of the local paper.
6. The only mail you receive is addressed to "Occupant."
5. Your blooms-once-in-a-lifetime plant bloomed while you were in the
bathroom.
4. Your relatives don't talk to you but they think you look vaguely
familiar.
3. You once took a bath but the police made you put it back.
2. You dry your hair by hanging it on the clothesline. <ouch>
1. Aliens are in contact with your pet but they won't bother talking to you.
Editor's Note: Thank you to ROTFL Digest!, and its editor Sandy Illes for
allowing the above to be reprinted from a prior issue of the on-line humor
magazine. ROTFL Digest! is published by Access Media Systems, which may be
contacted at (905) 847-7143, or (905) 847-7362. You may also email Sandy
Illes at sandyi@pathcom.com, or visit their home page on the World Wide Web at
http://www.pathcom.com/~sandyi.
+ + + + +
EFF Quote of the Month
----------------------
"Secrecy and a free, democratic government don't mix."
- Harry S. Truman on clandestine government From "Plain Speaking: An Oral
Biography of Harry S Truman," Merle Miller, 1974, ch. 23
Editor's Note: The Electronic Frontier Foundation Quote of the Month is a
collection of the wittiest and stupidest, most sublime and most inane comments
ever said about cryptography, civil liberties, networking, government,
privacy, and more. For more information on the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, contact the EFF via the Internet, phone, fax, or US Mail. The
Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1001 G Street NW, Suite 950 E, Washington, DC
20001, (202) 347-5400 (voice), (202) 393-5509 (fax), (202) 638-6119 (BBS),
Internet: ask@eff.org.
+ + + + +
+ + + + +
Favorite Taglines
-----------------
Some bulletin boards and off-line mail readers are set-up to add taglines
to network type messages. This is typically done to add a humorous thought
onto the message. The Pasco BBS Magazine will on occasion run some of our
favorite taglines found while browsing the local nets.
Picked up this stupid tagline at a BBS Convention.
OK joke's over! Where's President Bush?
Press any key... Hey! Not that one! NO!!!!! <(*+#^)% NO CARRIER
Ensign Clampett? He's Jed, Jim!
Too much free time? Become a Sysop ...
Most political jokes get elected.
I am going to live forever, or die trying!
This score just in: Deep Space 9, Babylon 5.
Myth #1: "The Computer only does what you tell it."
BEEP: This is a test of the Emergency Tagline System.
Pro is to Con as Progress is to Congress.
Excuse me for butting in, but I'm interrupt driven.
Stop while you're a Thread ...
System Halted. Press any key to do nothing.
Politicians and diapers should be changed often for the same reasons.
Yer motherboard wear combat reboots!
I can't remember which taglines are stolen and which I wrote!
If Clinton is the answer, the question must be stupid.
Sysoping: It's not just an adventure, it's a job.
Jim, any seats left? There's SPACE in the FINAL FRONT TIER.
+ + + + +
Cleveland BBS Lawsuit, In Response to the Raids
-----------------------------------------------
Father & Son Computer Users Fight Back: Cincinnati Electronic Bulletin Board
System Users File Class Action Lawsuit Against Simon Leis & Computer Task
Force (Press Release of 3/6/96)
A father and son filed a class action lawsuit today in federal court against
Sheriff Simon L. Leis, Jr., and other law enforcement officials. On August
31, 1995, members of the Hamilton County Regional Electronic Computer
Intelligence Task Force (RECI) raided the West Chester home of Michael O'Brien
and seized his personal computer system. O'Brien's son Noah, a 15 year old
sophomore at Indian Hill High School, ran a computer bulletin board system
called "Spanish Inquisition" from his father's computer.
The police raid took everything on the O'Briens' computer and its bulletin
board system, including all the private electronic mail and work product of
the users. This is the second user class action challenging a government
seizure of computer material. Both actions have arisen out of the activities
of Sheriff Leis and the RECI Task Force. According to the search warrant used
to justify the raid, the Task Force was seeking computer image files and
"hacker" information on a system that contained thousands of public and
private messages.
Noah & his father, an engineering manager, represent a class of hundreds of
users of the Spanish Inquisition electronic bulletin board. Mr. O'Brien uses
the computer system to send and receive electronic mail and to do work
projects at home; his son ran the bulletin board system, sent & received
e-mail, and authored computer programs and artwork.
The lawsuit claims that the wholesale seizure of the computer bulletin board
system violated the users' constitutional right to free speech and
association, and that the seizure of their private e-mail, public messages,
and materials intended for publication violated their right to privacy and
federal law.
"The Task Force used a drift net to troll for a tiny amount of supposed
'cyberporn' and 'hacker' tools," said Cincinnati civil rights lawyer Scott T.
Greenwood, who represents the plaintiffs. "In the process, they netted an
enormous amount of entirely irrelevant material, and shut down a
constitutionally-protected forum for speech and association."
Greenwood added, "This seizure was doubly outrageous. It came on the heels of
the first suit filed against the very same defendants for the same type of
constitutional violations. Whether the sheriff and our local 'Internet
police' like it or not, the Bill of Rights is not optional just because they
don't like it or understand it. Shutting down a computer system and seizing
people's private communications turns the First Amendment on its head."
The lawsuit claims that Sheriff Leis and the Task Force violated the First
Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, several provisions of the federal Electronic
Communications Privacy Act of 1986, the First Amendment Privacy Protection Act
of 1980, and Ohio common law privacy rights, and seeks actual damages,
statutory damages, and punitive damages on behalf of the lead plaintiffs and
the entire class.
Copies of the complaint are currently available by e-mail, and will also be
available later on a website. The first user class action's website may be
found at http://www.iac.net/ccc.
Contact Information:
Scott T. Greenwood, Attorney
Greenwood & Associates
2301 Carew Tower, 441 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Internet: stgrnwd@iac.net
(513) 684-0101 (voice)
(513) 684-0077 (fax)
(Reprinted Courtesy Computer underground Digest)
+ + + + +
Online Parental Control Act
---------------------------
Eshoo Introduces Online Parental Control Act - Legislation Strengthens
Parental Control Of Online Materials, Eliminates "Indecency" Standard (Press
Release of March 14, 1996)
Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) today introduced the Online
Parental Control Act of 1996 (OPCA) to strengthen the control parents have
over their children's access to online materials, eliminate the "indecency"
standard from the Communications Act of 1934, and provide additional defenses
against liability for publishing online materials. Representatives Pelosi (D-
CA), Dellums (D-CA), Farr (D-CA), Gejdenson (D-CT), and Woolsey (D-CA) are
original cosponsors of OPCA.
When the Telecommunications Reform Bill was signed into law earlier this year,
it made sweeping changes to America's telecommunications policy. Among those
changes was the establishment of a ban on using telecommunications devices to
provide "indecent" materials to minors, as well as defenses against being held
liable for a violation of that ban. For example, people could avoid liability
by using software that blocks the access of minors to such materials or
restricts access through the use of credit card numbers or adult access codes.
Some U.S. Representatives, including Rep. Eshoo, opposed the "indecency"
standard because the range of material it would ban was so broad that it
violates the right to freedom of speech.
The "indecency" standard is currently being challenged in court by a large
coalition of free speech advocacy groups and high technology companies.
"The Online Parental Control Act will encourage an open dialogue in Congress
about the best way to both give parents control over what their children see
online and protect the First Amendment rights of Internet users," said Rep.
Eshoo. "My proposal builds on last year's efforts to reach a compromise on
this issue by offering more incentives for the online community to provide
families with better parental control technologies.
"I'm supportive of efforts to address this issue in the courts, but I believe
Congress also needs to offer a legislative solution. Given the political
realities of the current Congress, I think OPCA offers the most realistic way
to settle this dispute in a timely and effective manner."
The Online Parental Control Act of 1996:
Replaces the "indecency" standard with a "harmful to minors" standard;
Establishes a definition for "harmful to minors;" Maintains the Communications
Act of 1934's legal defenses against liability for people who choose to give
parents technology that: 1) blocks or restricts access to online materials
deemed obscene or harmful to minors, and 2) restricts access to such materials
through adult access codes or credit card numbers; Adds two new defenses: 1)
the use of labeling or segregating systems to restrict access to online
materials, such as systems developed using the standards designed by the
Platform for Internet Content Selection project (PICS), and 2) the use of
other systems that serve the same function of the other defenses if they are
as reasonable, effective, and appropriate as blocking, adult access code, and
labeling technologies; and Protects providers or users of interactive computer
services, information content providers, and access software providers from
civil or criminal liability under state law for making available to minors
materials that are indecent or harmful to minors if they take actions to
qualify for the defenses mentioned above.
"I'd rather have Mom and Dad monitoring their children's online viewing habits
than the government," concluded Rep. Eshoo. "Technology offers the best
opportunity for parents to manage what their kids have access to, and the
Online Parental Control Act encourages those technologies to be developed more
fully."
The "indecency" standard is a vague term that has been subject to legal
challenge by a wide range of free speech advocates and high technology
companies. The broad nature of the "indecency" standard means that it could
lead to a prohibition on material such as classic art like Michelangelo's
David, classic literature like "Catcher In The Rye," and frank discussions
about birth control, sexuality, or disease transmission. "Harmful to minors,"
on the other hand, already works successfully in 48 states, more directly
addresses speech that actually harms children, and passes constitutional
muster.
PICS is a cross-industry working group assembled under the auspices of MIT's
World Wide Web Consortium to develop an easy-to-use content labeling and
selection platform that empowers people worldwide to selectively control
online content they receive through personal computers. The Recreational
Software Advisory Council recently announced that it will soon implement a
detailed voluntary ratings system, using PICS standards, that will let
computer users filter out varying degrees of sex, violence, nudity, and foul
language. Companies and groups supporting PICS include Apple, America Online,
AT&T, the Center for Democracy and Technology, CompuServe, IBM, France
Telecom, Prodigy, Providence Systems/Parental Guidance, Surf Watch Software,
and Time Warner Pathfinder.
For more information about the Online Parental Control Act of 1996, please
contact Lewis Roth at (202) 225-8104 or look on the Internet at http://www-
eshoo.house.gov/opca.html.
(Reprinted Courtesy Computer underground Digest)
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Next Month
----------
Since June 1 is the beginning of the 1996 Hurricane Season, the June issue of
the Pasco BBS Magazine will take a look at some of the hurricane tracking
programs available in the on-line world. Here in Florida, we are certainly
hoping that the predictions for a less active season are accurate. There will
also be an article on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's home page on
the World Wide Web. The updating of BBS Basics will continue with "What is a
BBS," which will include a brief history of the computerized bulletin board.
Game guru Paul Pollack will have part one of a two part article on designing
your own levels for id Software's popular game of Heretic. All the latest
news, and the rest of our regular features, will be included as well.
The June issue of the Pasco BBS Magazine will be available on, or before, May
22. Make sure you do not miss a single issue of Tampa Bay's oldest free on-
line magazine!
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Important Information
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(C)Copyright 1996 Richard Ziegler - All Rights Reserved
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