ftp.whtech.com/ftp.whtech.com.tar/ftp.whtech.com/articles/Sughrue/breath.txt

Text File | 2006-10-19 | 10KB | 298 lines

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     *IMPACT/99*
     by Jack Sughrue

     STILL BREATHING
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 A NEW USER GROUP?

     Every time I read in some
 newsletter or other that our TI World
 Community is dead, I think of Mark
 Twain's comment when he read about
 his supposed demise: "I think the
 reports about my death have been
 slightly exagerated."
     So it is with our TI.  I know I
 use it for word processing about 35
 hours a week and for games and
 examination of new programs and doing
 practical stuff with utilites - in
 that order - for another 20, so I
 feel that the "death" of my 4A is a
 bit premature.
     Most of my TI friends would say
 the same, particularly as there are
 two new TI magazines in our
 marketplace to go along with the
 wonderful MICROpendium.  And there
 are new pieces of software coming out
 - it seems - almost daily from all
 over the world.  [I have on my desk
 exactly 34 disks in a shoebox marked
 "To Look At!" They are disks of
 Public Domain and Fairware materials
 of all sorts.  I have another
 entitled "Education" which has 13
 disks.  And another of commercial
 disks I've bought during the past two
 months with 11 packages of disks
 unopened.  In short, I have too much
 new stuff to even get to LOOKING at
 it, at this point in my life.] And
 there is new hardware coming out
 everywhere: P-Boxes from Canada and
 Australian, Gramulator that does all
 Gramkracker did and much more,
 harddisks, computers on a card, very
 advanced keyboards, and more, more,
 more.
     Does this sound like a dead
 computer?
     And newly-formed user groups are
 making an appearance here and there,
 while some long-established groups
 are joining forces to make megagroups
 (for reduced costs [housing,
 newsletters, etc.] and greater buying
 and sharing power, among other
 things).
     Among these new groups is one
 that I think the TI World Community
 should be aware of: The Oakland
 Computer Club which meets at
 Atwood-Tapley School in Oakland,
 Maine.  What makes this club unique
 is that is is make up of all kids
 from kindergarten through grade 6.
 The club recently earned statewide
 recognition for the innovative ways
 computers were used in the school.
     Eunice Spooner, an indefatigable
 volunteer at the school, a member of
 the school committee, and a former
 elementary school teacher, received
 the award this spring from the
 Technology in Main Schools Committee
 for her work.
     What makes this award unusual is
 that it is for efforts done on the
 TI/99-4A.
     What makes this more unusual and
 a remarkable story in its own right
 is that fact that Eunice Spooner is a
 quadriplegic.
      This unusual woman broke her
 neck in a car accident in 1982 and,
 as she said to me on the phone, "had
 a choice of giving up or getting on
 with it."  That she chose the latter
 is unquestioned.
     In addition to operating founding
 and operating this new computer club
 of 30 members (more than many TI
 clubs in the New England area), she
 teaches 11 TI computer classes in the
 school each week with six students in
 each class across the whole
 elementary level.
     When the 4As came down in price
 and many people gave up on them, Ms.
 Spooner saw a golden opportunity to
 use "these great computers with the
 students."  She immediately began to
 put out an all-call for any consoles,
 TVs, tape recorders that could be
 gotten.  The school now has three of
 its own consoles, but some of the 30
 club members share their computers
 with the school.
     With Mrs.^Spooner in the
 classrooms, the students under her
 charge learn BASIC programming and
 have written many of their own
 programs.
     The Oakland Club, however, is
 strictly voluntary and meets every
 Monday night.  Maurice Anderson, a
 teacher in Oakland, assists
 Mrs.^Spooner, makes arrangements
 for field trips, and works with the
 more experienced youth.  Mrs.^Spooner
 works with the younger children.
 "It's interesting to see how many
 parents stay for these meetings and
 get caught up in the computer
 activities of their children," she
 says.
     The club has begun to develop a
 library of their own written programs
 and modules of educational programs
 and games.  These materials are
 demonstrated at the Monday meetings
 (with particular emphasis on
 student-written works) and may be
 checked out later and worked on or
 played at home.
    "Right now the club is looking for
 more consoles.  We'd love to find
 some that are no longer being used,
 as it would permit us, obviously, to
 do a lot more for more youngsters."

     The club could also use any TI
 educational programs or materials of
 any kind for these children.
     Although their software consists
 mainly of tapes and modules, they do
 have one disk drive system, too, so
 all you readers who have extensive
 libraries or materials you have grown
 out of or haven't used in years might
 consider packing it up and mailing it
 to Eunice Spooner, Box 3720, Webb
 Road, Waterville, ME 04901.  It would
 be a good investment in the future of
 a lot of kids.
     These junior TIers, themselves,
 are very interested in finding some
 other kids to correspond with.  The
 group would also love to see
 newsletters and basic-type programs
 from anyone.
     Oh, one more thing regarding the
 remarkable Mrs.^Spooner.  She's a
 sysop on her own board.  Credit
 system; upload first, Northeaster BBS
 - 207 465 9065 - log on, TI programs,
 author uploads.  Give her a call.
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 HELPFUL HINTS

     Many readers send in lots of
 questions which I try to answer in
 the Helpful Hints section of this
 column.
     One question which comes up again
 and again is "Do you know of a good
 cribbage game?"  I don't know of any,
 other than Corey Cheng's wonderfully
 intelligent but INCREDIBLY SLOW
 Cribbage Game.  It needs a good
 assembler (or compiler) to make this
 game worth it for most players.
 There must be a LARGE market for such
 a game, if the requests I get for
 such info are any inkling.
 (Programmers, are you listening?)
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     The next batch of questions recur
 so often I am going to deal with them
 all at once.  I hope the companies
 and groups and people I left out will
 not be offended, but these are my
 honest answers.
     RECOMMENDATIONS:  I'm often asked
 what are the best sources for
 materials and service and information
 for our TI-99/4A.  For me, the
 following are excellent:
     MICROpendium istheMAGAZINE for
 TI owners.  Except for newsletters,
 no other periodical is ENTIRELY
 devoted to our computer.  The
 (usually) 48-page monthly magazine
 costs $20 per year.  MICROpendium, PO
 Box 1343, Round Rock TX 78680
     ASGARD Software is one of the
 oldest SOFTWARE COMPANIES around and
 one of the best developers of
 innovative TI programs in the world.
 It supports TI owners with tapes,
 disks, books, and a new magazine.
 Free catalog and information: ASGARD
 Softwarel, PO Box 10306, Rockville MD
 20850
     TIGERCUB Software is not just for
 programmers.  Jim Peterson has some
 of the best single programs and
 collections of XB stuff for adults
 and kids.  His TIPS and his NUTS 'n
 BOLTS for beginner or techie
 programmers is, simply,
 extraordinary.  $1 for catalog
 (returned with first order) to
 TIGERCUB Software, 156 Collingwood
 Ave., Columbus OH 43213
     GENIAL TRAVelER puts out a
 DISKAZINE six times a year.  These
 jam-packed disks have EVERYTHING (and
 Barry Traver always throws in
 additional bonus disks).  Each disk
 contains a half year's supply of
 goodies.  For what you get, $36 a
 year is a steal.  Ask for the entire
 first volume, if you don't yet have
 it.  Two-year subscription only $65.
 GENIAL TRAVelER, 835 Green Valley
 Drive, Philadelphia PA 19128
     BITS, BYTES && PIXELS is the
 unique newsletter put out by the
 Lima, Ohio, 99ers.  This USER GROUP
 is, in my mind, one of the very best
 you could ever join by mail.  And it
 is only $15 a year including
 subscription.  In addition, they have
 large, free access disk and tape
 libraries.  This group is
 exceptional.  (I will be writing a
 column about other exceptionl user
 groups and newsletters in an upcoming
 IMPACT.)
     SISTER PAT TAYLOR, 1050 Carmel
 Drive #456, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 is a
 novice TIer who is rapidly becoming
 an expert.  She also is a prolific
 letter-writer.  So, if you'd just
 like to write to another 99er buff,
 she's the one.
     GOOD SAMARITAN CORNER.  In
 summary, our brand-new user group
 that has just recently been formed in
 Maine.  Except for its leader, Eunice
 B. Spooner, and her helpers, all the
 members are kids.  They could use
 some kids' stuff, educational stuff,
 any stuff.  Preferably on tape, but
 any configuration to DSSD would be
 great.  If you have anything you
 could help start this library, mail
 to Eunice B. Spooner, RFD #1, Box
 3720, Webb Road, Waterville, Maine,
 04901.
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     PLUS! is the only fairware stuff
 I have.  These articles may be used
 freely as they are Public Domain.
 Everything else I have done is also
 Public Domain and in most user-group
 libraries and not worth owning.  But
 I thank all those people who have
 asked.  And, yes, I am a teacher and
 a writer and, no, I do not own a pair
 of Mickey Mouse andirons.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    [Jack Sughrue, Box 459, E.Douglas,
 MA 01516]

     If any newsletter editor prints
 these articles, please put me on your
 mailing list.  Thanks - JS

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