<><><>› BITS 'n BYTES› by John D. Kasupski›› (Ed. This is the first of what I hope› will be many future articles by one of› our newest members, whose many newsy,› and informative articles I've enjoyed› when he was editor of the POKEY from› the WNYAUG club!)›› Well, fellow OL' Hackers,› greetings from down Buffalo way! Some› of you may recognize my byline as› belonging to me from the POKEY› Newsletter Disk that I used to produce› for the Western NY Atari Users' Group› (WNYAUG). For others, I'll be a› complete stranger (until you've› finished reading this article).›› At any rate, I've just joined› OHAUG and am going to be writing a› regular column for the OHAUG› Newsletter Disk, so I thought I'd use› my first column to introduce myself to› those of you I haven't been in touch› with before, and also let you all know› what happened to WNYAUG's POKEY› Newsletter Disk.›› Guess I'd best start at the› beginning. I've been using Atari 8-bit› computer equipment since 1986. I was a› WNYAUG member from 1987 until last› summer, and served the group in› various capacities, the last being the› dual duties of Vice President and› Newsletter Editor.›› I'm also sysop of The Starfleet› Sickbay BBS in Tonawanda, NY (more on› that later), and I'm typing this› article on my BBS system which› consists of a 320K 130XE with three› different OS chips installed› (switchable), 140Mb of hard drives,› XF-551, Happy 1050, and XF-35 floppy› drives, 256K MIO, and a US Robotics› Sportster 14.4K BPS modem. Oh, and a› Brother M-1009 printer, and Magnavox› RGB80 monitor.›› I also have a 1-meg 1040ST› upstairs but since we (OHAUG) are an› exclusively 8-bit group, I won't talk› about that.›› So, since obviously with all that› hardware on my 8-bit system, you just› KNOW that I'm a diehard 8-bitter› (despite the presence of the ST in the› house - my wife uses it about 300› times as often as I do), why did I end› up leaving WNYAUG?›› In a word: apathy. I got tired of› paying a babysitter to attend meetings› with six people in attendance. I got› tired of trying to create two-sided› newsletter disks with only one other› person regularly writing articles. I› got tired of running a BBS supporting› a users' group where only one or two› members called the board very often.› In short, I got tired of trying to be› a one-man users' group, so I packed it› in. Despite that, I'm too hooked on› these machines to stay away from the› Atari 8-bit community completely. One› of the wonders of telecommunications› is that even if I'm the only Atari› lover around for miles, I can always› have my modem dial up a BBS somewhere› else that's chock full of people who› share my interest AND enthusiasm.›› So, here I am. I dialed up The› New Nest BBS once too often, I guess,› and let our esteemed President talk me› into joining Ol' Hackers. I'm sure I› won't regret it, and in fact I hope to› find it refreshing to belong to a› group that has members who› PARTICIPATE.›› There is a lesson here for all of› you. WNYAUG was once one of the› premier Atari users' groups in› America. The Turbo BASIC XL we are all› so fond of was first brought to this› country from Holland by WNYAUG. The› German docs were translated to English› by WNYAUG's Dave and Laura Yearke. The› Great lakes Atari Expo hosted in› Buffalo by WNYAUG several years ago› was legendary. POKEY was one of the› best Atari newsletters anywhere.› Wizard's Attic BBS had callers from› Boston to LA, callers from overseas,› for awhile you were lucky to get› through the busy signals in order to› log on.›› And now, POKEY is history,› Wizard's Attic has been down for over› a month, and the group itself is not› even a shell of its former self.›› This, my friends, is what apathy› can do to even the best of users'› groups. OHAUG is fortunate that it has› contacts in the Atari community that› stretch literally around the globe.› The New Nest BBS is an excellent› resource. The bimonthly newsletter-on-› disk reflects the effort that Alex and› others put into it, and is something› all OHAUG membe‚s can and should be› proud of.›› So take a warning from me: it can› all fall apart VERY fast if you let› it. PLEASE, support your newsletter,› support your group, and support The› New Nest BBS! There are some really› unbelievable products and programs› being released RIGHT NOW for the Atari› 8-bit machines. Believe me, the 8-bit› is NOT dead...and it is groups like› OHAUG and users like US that help keep› it alive, as well as the significant› presence of Atari bulletin boards like› The New Nest and my own board. Don't› overlook these resources...you do NOT› want to lose them, ever, as we just› lost the ATARI CLASSICS magazine!›› Which brings me back to my own› board...Starfleet Sickbay BBS. yeah, I› know, it's a long distance call for› most of you. But for those of you who› are willing to pay a few cents extra› for a phone call, have your modem ring› up Sickbay at 716-873-4833, from 300› to 14,400 baud in whatever translation› trips your trigger. I'm networking› with some of the foremost Atari› developers in the country and tend to› get new releases FAST, sometimes the› same day they're released! - and in› addition to that, there is access to› all sorts of luminaries in the Atari› community via the Universal SysOps'› Federation and our continent-wide› network of Atari boards running on BBS› Express Professional (tm).›› I hope to be able to bring the› power of this network to bear, to› contribute to OHAUG as best I can.› I've alleady started, in fact. If you› have a modem, get on the New Nest BBS› and check out some of the files I've› uploaded there recently. Some of this› stuff'll knock your socks off, and all› for the price of a local phone call!› Additionally, if you have a problem,› just put it on a BBS, and I assure› you, you will get many responses on› how to overcome your problem, within a› day or two.›› If you don't have a modem...GET› ONE!! I can't emphasize this enough.› the days of multitudes of commercial› software houses selling NEW stuff for› our machines are gone. The› distribution of NEW programs is almost› exclusively ONLINE these days. Since› I'm a sysop this may sound self-› serving, but I guarantee you I'd be› saying the exact same thing even if I› didn't run a BBS. EVERY Atari 8-bit› machine should have a modem connected› to it. If it doesn't, it is a severely› crippled system.›› So get thee a modem and term› program...and in the meantime, stay› tuned to my columns here, and I'll try› to keep you up to date on what you're› missing out on without one. Hopefully› you will want to be a part of the› people who use the modem as an adjunct› to their systems.›› Till next time.......› <><><>››