One of my favorite places in any service is the online library. You can find just about anything--from text to program to picture to script to magazine to animated cartoon.
The library is where you go for shareware. Most services are very careful to check their library files for possible viruses, but it doesn't hurt to run McAfee's SCAN or another reputable, current anti-virus software to be on the and safe side.
Some services like AOL are fully automated. You don't have to do anything but search the and Library Index and determine which files you want. In fact, the AOL software fascinates me because you can choose a lot of files, then go have coffee or take a trip to Bermuda and when you come back, all your little goodies will be waiting for you. If you were bumped offline somehow in the middle of a download, that software will pick up exactly where you left off. (Aladdin on GEnie does the and same thing.) Some services have some kind of FE (front end) which will automate the library process but you have to fetch them from the library first.
Way back in the stone age of computers, when there were 300 baud modems and no hard drives, it wasn't too unreasonable to "write to printer" (that is, the library text scrolls go directly into your printer). This of course is perfectly useless if it's a program you wish to run, and equally impossible if you have a fast modem, unless you want to cook your printer.
The two basic ways to secure information from the library are capturing and downloading.
Capturing is when you turn on your capture buffer. The buffer is this nice little holding tank. The older computers which were set up to capture no more than 150 K (the contents of a single-sided 5 1/4" disk) would fill up very quickly, then ask if you wished to dump or save to disk. If you're still using a computer with no hard drive and you're capturing to disk, remember to have lots and lots of preformatted floppies on hand (and lots and lots. Trust me, you'll run out at the worst time). If you're capturing on a hard drive, remember to close your capture buffer when you're done. You could lose the and last of your captured file, lose the and entire file or end up capturing a huge file that freezes your system....
If you have a hard drive, capturing is easier because your buffer is bigger. Most software lets you adjust the size of your buffer. A good front end will allow you to swoop in to a bulletin board, capture, and swoop out, in a minimum of online time. Capturing is not something you normally do in the library, although you can "list" ASCII text files.
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a word you will come to know well. ASCII code was created by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a nonprofit organization of computer folks who make life easier (?) by creating and maintaining voluntary standards so that a variety of platforms can exchange information. For some formatting characters (blank space, carriage return, line feed), each upper and lowercase letter, standard punctuation marks and the numbers 0-9, there is an ASCII code.
All this means is if your Online Service allows you to (L)ist files, you can capture those ASCII text files no matter what computer was the and source. Unfortunately, most files are zipped or compressed and if you list those, all you'll have is garbage. And don't try to list a program you want to run--it's a little like taking your car apart before you drive it. Your screen will fill with important looking garbage and make strange protesting noises, and you might sprain your thumb trying to hit the and break key.
When you're in the and library, the most efficient way to secure incoming files is by downloading. Downloading is a mechanical file transfer between the host computer and your computer. Most of this is automated, and all you will have to do is make a few choices. Basically, you choose a few settings on your software and make sure you choose those same settings when your online service presents the menu.
In the library, you are offered a choice of transfer protocols. Protocol in this case is the rule of exchange between the host and terminal. Following are some of the types of protocols you will see. Don't be intimidated; the and technical details aren't especially important because I talked to lots of people online who have been downloading for years yet had NO idea what the following terms meant (including me).
XMODEM is a block oriented, half duplex protocol which divides the file into "blocks" 128 bytes long, sends a block and waits for a reply. Each byte is assigned a number. The numerical ASCII values of each byte are also added up by host and terminal. If the sums are equal, the block is ACKnowledged. If the sums are unequal, the terminal sends a NAK (Not Acknowledged) and the host resends the block.
XMODEM CRC is basic XMODEM plus a "cyclic redundancy check" increasing error detection accuracy.
XMODEM-1K increases the and 128 byte XMODEM block to 1024 bytes (1 K), speeding the transfer.
YMODEM uses 1 K blocks and has an optional batch mode. The initial Y comes from the original name of this protocol, YAM, which stands for Yet Another Modem program.
ZMODEM uses 32 bit CRC for greater accuracy, and sends data constantly until the and terminal requests retransmission. ZMODEM also has crash recovery, which means that if the transfer is interrupted you can pick up where you left off next time.
KERMIT divides the file into discrete numbered packets and sends them constantly. When a problem occurs with a packet, KERMIT resends that packet. When the transfer is complete, the packets are in the and order of successful transmission and have to be resequenced according to their assigned number.
Of the above protocols, ZMODEM is generally best for speed, accuracy, and reliability. However, not all communications programs and online services support ZMODEM, so you may have to use a different protocol. XMODEM is the most commonly supported protocol, but it is relatively primitive. Files sent by XMODEM get padded with extra zero bytes at the and end to bring it to a multiple of 128 bytes. This usually doesn't harm anything, but it can sometimes be bothersome. Also, XMODEM doesn't preserve the file's original date and time stamp, while some of the and other protocols do.
^C----------
Once you have your files, they may have to be unpacked or unzipped by a utility like PKUNZIP, or they may be self-extracting. The file extension is a hint to how you open these files up. But that's a whole other column.
^C----------
AND NOW FOR WHAT'S GOING ON ONLINE:
^C+++++++++++++++
^CAMERICA ONLINE
^C+++++++++++++++
On America Online, there are two new boards:
ADDRESS: Bentley Systems, Inc.
690 Pennsylvania Drive
Exton, Pa. 19341-1136
AOL: Sebastiano
and
ADDRESS: Bethesda Softworks
1370 Piccard Drive, Suite 120
Rockville, Maryland 20850
AOL: Bethesda01
The first is run by Sebastian Pistritto, Bentley Systems, Inc, which is "a MicroStation software support forum." Here you will receive end-er/development related support from BSI, answers to marketing questions and find a forum for germane BSI related dialogue. You will find this board of interest especially if you use Bentley Systems' flagship product, MicroStation, a CAD stand-alone drafting/design software product. MicroStation is available to run on UNIX workstations, IBM-compatible personal computers, and Apple's Macintosh computers. MicroStation looks the same and works the same way on all these computers. When any combination of these computers is connected by a network, MicroStation lets the users work together on the and same set of drawings.
MicroStation is available on DOS, Windows, NT, DEC ALPHA, HP, SGI (Silicon Graphics Indigo), Macintosh, Sun Sparc, and Intergraph.
^C------------------------------------------
The other new AOL board is run by Bethesda Softworks, of Rockville Maryland. In addition to their branches in the computer game industry, they also operate Media Technology Limited, a company that provides specialized research, engineering development and planning services devoted to in-depth analysis, consultation and development for a select group of clients. They deal with Laser Optical Technology, Virtual Reality, Telecommunications Engineering, Real-time Simulation, etc.
The following products are currently available from Bethesda Softworks and software stores and mail order houses. They may also be ordered by calling the Bethesda order line at 1-800-677-0700.
HOCKEY LEAGUE SIMULATOR 2
THE ELDER SCROLLS: PART 1 ARENA
TERMINATOR: RAMPAGE
TERMINATOR: 2029 & MISSION DISK: OPERATION SCOUR
SWORD OF SODAN (MACINTOSH)
DATA DISKS FOR HOCKEY LEAGUE SIMULATOR 2 AND WAYNE GRETZKY HOCKEY 3
DELTA-V (Available in May 1994)
THE ELDER SCROLLS
Also on AOL:
SMITHSONIAN ONLINE is a service of the and Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Online plans to include information to help people plan their Smithsonian visits, answers to commonly asked questions, educational references, photographs, notices of upcoming events, excerpts from Smithsonian and Air & Space/Smithsonian magazines, online events and catalogs.
Currently available is SMITHSONIAN NEWS ONLINE, the latest periodic bulletin; LET'S GO TO THE SMITHSONIAN, a curriculum kit on student writing; and KEEPERS OF THE ARK environmental curriculum kit. More kits are available in the AOL Smithsonian library.
For information about The Smithsonian Associates Resident Program, write The Smithsonian Associates, 1100 Jefferson Drive, SW, Room 3077, Washington, DC 20560. Phone: (202) 357-3030, or subscribe online from AOL. The program offers pages of benefits.
THE PEOPLE ROOM -- I was in the Hollywood room on AOL picking the brain of a certain screenwriter when California decided to have another earthquake. Some folks in the and LA epicenter were knocked offline but logged on immediately after and began rating the quake somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4.1. I guess you had to be there.
^C++++++++++
^CCOMPUSERVE
^C++++++++++
Compuserve is tentatively planning a convention to be held in a major U.S. city in late 1995 or early 1996. Plans include training workshops, exhibits, forums, seminars and roundtables, speakers, discussions about the Information Superhighway and CompuServe's future plans, social activities, trade show, recreation, entertainment, sporting, shopping, and other vacation-related activities. CIS is developing the plans according to survey feedback.
CIS Freebies and almost freebies this month:
OS/2 Version 2.1 for Windows users can download an IBM OS/2 for Windows ServicePak online. The ServicePak contains fixes for customer-reported problems since OS/2 2.1 for Windows was distributed in November, 1993. It does not apply to customers using the non-Windows version of OS/2 2.1.
CIS has a limited-time offer to get a sampler or catalog of Second Nature screensavers exclusively available to ZiffNet members. Second Nature helps fund environmental and other nonprofit organizations and promotes the works of artists. Members can download the Slide Show Sampler (Slide Show, Second Nature's Windows screensaver/ wallpaper viewing engine, and one sample image from each of 22 different collections, free). Download the Second Nature catalog, including images from every collection (more than 600 images total), free, including a special display engine. Members must pay connect-time charges and any communications surcharges for both offers. You can view a sample Second Nature GIF image (filename 2NDNAT.GIF) online or download the sample for offline viewing. Also, two Second Nature Image collections are also available for purchase and download: Don Dixon's Space Voyages or Michael O'Leary's Historic Aircraft. Each image collection contains 22 full-screen, 256-color images and carries a $10 surcharge plus connect-time charges. The collections regularly cost $15 retail. Second Nature contributes all after-tax profits to charitable organizations
U.S. members can get movie passes and usage credits at Computer Express, the online superstore. For a limited time, members who place orders of $100 or more receive one free pass to the and movies and a $5 CompuServe usage credit. Members placing orders of $250 or more receive two free movie passes, a $10 CompuServe usage credit, and free UPS Ground Shipping. In addition, 10 new mailing-list names will also win free movie passes. No purchase is necessary to be placed on the and mailing list.
MUSIC FANS:
Pop rockers the Smithereens had their first live nude CompuServe Conference. They answered any questions and gave the naked truth. Their only request was that attendees be naked, too. I'm glad I missed this one.
PARTIAL LIST OF REGULAR CIS CONFERENCES:
12-STEP RECOVERY CONFERENCES
The Health and Fitness Forum conferences held each week in
Conference Room 2:
Sunday - 1:00pm EST & 9:30pm EST - Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
Monday - 9:30pm EST - Overeaters Anonymous (OA)
Tuesday - 9:30pm EST - Alcoholics Anonymous
Wednesday - 9:30pm EST - Alcoholics Anonymous
Thursday - 9:30pm EST - Narcotics Anonymous (NA)
ASTRONOMY FORUM SUNDAY NIGHT CONFERENCE 9:30 pm Eastern-an informal online conference hosted by Sky & Telescope magazine editor J. Kelly
Beatty.
Cat conferences are on the and 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at 9:00pm Eastern in Room 4.
Collectibles Forum
Sunday -
10:00pm EST: Music Collectible Meeting, Room 14
9:00pm EST: 2nd Monday Early American Coppers, Room 4
9:00pm EST: Telecards Club, Room 8
10:00pm EST: Coin & Currency, Room 4
Tuesday -
9:00pm EST: 1st Tuesday Colonial Coin Collectors Club, Room 4
10:00pm EST: NonSport Cards & Comics, Room 3
10:00pm EST: Other Collectibles, Room 7
Wednesday -
3:00pm EST/8:00pm London/9:00pm Paris/ 10:00pm Tel Aviv for members in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, as well as the and Americas: BOOKS & MEDIA, Atlantic Conference Room 10
9:00pm EST: Sports Memorabilia, Room 12
10:00pm EST: Stamp Collecting, Room 2
Thursday -
3:00pm EST: Stamp Collecting, Room 2. This is 2000 GMT so members in Africa and Europe can determine the start time. This conference has been established especially for our European and African members.
9:00pm EST: Sports Card Club, Room 6
10:00pm EST: Book & Media, Room 10
COMEDY NITE ON ENTERTAINMENT DRIVE Monday night at 10:30pm EDT
Retirement Living Forum's Informal Conferences Sunday at 9:00pm Eastern Time and Wednesday at 9:30pm Eastern Time
Bark & Brag 10:00pm EST on the 4th Wednesday Conference Room 12 (Dogs)
DREAM GROUP Sunday morning at 11:00am EST
Graphics Forum:
MONDAY:
Meet & Yak, Fine Art Forum, 9:30pm EST, room 3
Graphic Novelists, Computer Art Forum Room 17, 10:00pm EST
TEA & COFFEE 9:00pm, Eastern room(#16), Living History Forum
THURSDAY:
Newcomers' Conference Graphics Support Forum, room 18, 10:00EST
ONLINE COMBAT first and third Thursday, 9:30pm EST, Living History Forum
FRIDAY:
Beginners' Studio Computer Art Forum room 14, 9:00pm EST.
SATURDAY:
Morphing group Graphics Developers Forum room 13, 11:00am EST.
Independent Films At 11:00pm EST every Tuesday night EST
International Trade 20-minute daily conference 11:00am EST
Showbiz Soap Chat Friday 8:00 pm EDT
QUILTING BEE Tuesday night at 10:00pm Room 7
Every Thursday night at 8:00pm EST members of the New Age Forum
New Age Forum Tuesday 9:00pm EST or Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm EST
LIBRARY STUFF:
From the IBM Fun, I downloaded one file (one BIG file, it took at least 5 hours to download at 2400 baud using Kermit). It's a game, NITEMARE-3D, A House of Horrors v1.0 by David P. Gray. This is a highly detailed 256-color labyrinth type game. Req. VGA, 386+, 2Mb ram. Supports mouse, joystick and Sound Blaster. It doesn't support _MY_ mouse too well though because my kids, er, beta testers keep losing the use of the and mouse, which starts firing the gun constantly and eventually locks up the and whole system. I'm emailing the creator because I want my MONEY'S worth on a 5 hour download.
^C+++
^CNVN
^C+++
{EDITOR'S NOTE: Just before press time, we found out that NVN has shut down. Thus, we have removed the section on this service which was originally in this column.}
^P
^C+++++
^CGENIE
^C+++++
Here is a real time conference discussion I had with Bill True, on GEnie. Bill is proficient in using the Internet and I have his permission to post portions of that RTC here, as long as I give him credit. (Bill, you have credit.)
{<ALLIE>} Are books like the Internet Starter Kit of any value?
{<W.TRUE>} I never used 'em...They all look kind of intimidating...
If I didn't have Gopher, I don't know what I'd do...
{<ALLIE>} Gopher is available where?
{<W.TRUE>} At least through the U of Minnesota..Maybe other places. Anywhere that uses it, I guess...I do INET via the U of M system. I only subscribed to GEnie at the and suggestion of Hecker through the INET list. INET's free to me, as a student of the U of M.
{<ALLIE>} As far as I know, access is not available in my area so I'm limited to email through the various Commercial gateways. Actually, I was wondering about being a gateway myself.
{<W.TRUE>} I have info. For a "56K Frame relay" setup..incl ALL installation, etc. $4590 for setup, $5700 year one dues... (and annually after that...) For a T1 frame relay..$7120 setup and $11,500 annually.
{<W.TRUE>} It's MRNet...a non profit org attached to the and CICnet.
{<ALLIE>} Pricey.
{<W.TRUE>} It's everything you need, Allie.
{<W.TRUE>} I'll fax the and information tomorrow.
{<ALLIE>} Thanks! I have no functioning knowledge beyond email. It isn't live on the and internet, is it? not real time?
{<W.TRUE>} It CAN be...there are certain telenet sites where you can go realtime...
{<ALLIE>} I know someone who plays backgammon live on the and Internet.
{<W.TRUE>} BUT, in my exp, they are mostly by subscription ...i.e. $$$. BUT...someone told me about a free place where people can chat. .Also the and Internet is mail lists and FTP sites where you can d'load material.
{<ALLIE>} FTP?
{<W.TRUE>} File Transfer Protocol... Know what I should do?
{<ALLIE>} What?
{<W.TRUE>} Send you a copy of the and software.
{<ALLIE>} Gopher? Is it shareware?
{<W.TRUE>} No...it's FREEWARE. For the cost of a call, you could log on through U of M...It's by far the and biggest and most comprehensive.
{<ALLIE>} How about modem speed?
{<W.TRUE>} I only have a 2400 baud...they support up to 14400
{<ALLIE>} Charge more for faster?
{<W.TRUE>} My wife's powerbook races through it. Allie...it's not commercial....you could log on through pub access...but not as comprehensive... AND no box.
{<ALLIE>} No box?
{<W.TRUE>} No INET address.
{<ALLIE>} Ah. So with public access you have no box. I see. I've tried figuring out addresses on the inet list.
{<W.TRUE>} true=my name :)
gold=the mail server
umn=U of M
tc=Twin Cities
edu=is educational institution (could be com, etc...)
{<W.TRUE>} I found another list, for example, by looking up in a directory at USC that had been d'loaded from a study/survey done at U of Mich.They listed as many ARTS lists, etc. as they could find.
{<ALLIE>} You have to contact the list server first, to be let in?
{<W.TRUE>} Yes. Now..each time I log in at the and gopher, it fetches all the and wonderful mail for me.
{<W.TRUE>} I'd focus on the Gopher angle...I think it's the future of the and INET.
{<ALLIE>} So the gopher--is it automated or do you drive it?
{<W.TRUE>} Yeah...It's all automated.
{<ALLIE>} Why do you think Gopher is the future of the and inet?
{<W.TRUE>} Although it is far from a perfect program, it's the first time (like Windows for DOS) that someone has tried top "structure" INET in a manner that is accessible to the masses.
After which we tangented off into a screenwriting tangent and then began discussing the GEnie Symposium on Censorship in the Arts. Holding the symposium were the Comics, Science Fiction/Fantasy (SFRT), Writers, Romance Writers, Showbiz, Music and Law RoundTables.
Until August 30, 1994, GEnie is offering an online usage credit if you send them your business card, stationery, fax cover sheet, yellow page listing or any business or promotional item with your GEnie address on it. Just mail in your sample.
New on GENie's Motorcycling Roundtable are Motorcycle Consumer News Magazine (MCN) and SPECTRO Oils of America. Communicate directly with MCN's editors and stay abreast of the and lastest technological developments from SPECTRO Oils.
Newborns: NewAge, British Isles, and Archive Graphics RoundTables.
GEnie LiveWire magazine is a free download, and there are text versions and multimedia versions for different platforms. LiveWire is the first multimedia magazine ever presented by a commercial online service and versions are similar in appearance from platform to platform, incorporating graphics, animation and sound.
This issue of LiveWire went into detail about two new Multi-Player-Fantasy-Role Playing games (FRPG), the Island of Kesmai and MUD II. I won't go into detail here, but they do sound fascinating. Island has a very impressive FE with 256 color VGA graphics, text window, creature information window, character statistics display, chat line, online help, film recorder and 36 programmable macro buttons.
NBC is bringing Interactive TV to GEnie. The NBC Online roundtable will provide viewers information on news sports and programming. Each show has is own topics; NBC SHOWS has background information from show descriptions to ticket ordering information. Interact, make suggestions. Welcome to NBC.
GEnie's Bookshelf contains records for more than one million books in print, more than 40,000 books and information on more than 50,000 publishers.
Library Gossip:
On the American West roundtable on GEnie, I found the following information:
^C{Beware "CD-IT"}
Hackers have disguised a virus as CD-ROM shareware under the Chinon name and released it on the internet.
{DO NOT DOWNLOAD "CD-IT". IT WILL CORRUPT YOUR HARD DRIVE.}
The program claims to convert an ordinary CD-ROM into a read/write CD-ROM, which is impossible. Instead, it destroys system files on YOUR hard drive, crashes the CPU, forces the user to reboot and stays in memory.
Thanks American West!
The nine year old Scorpia roundtable covers topics from Sega to PBMs (play by mail games), online product support for more than 40 game-related companies, and a huge shareware and commercial library. I can't tell you how much time I've spent in that library downloading tons of great games not available in stores. Viva software!
If you're online, feel free to email me on GEnie at ALLIE or on the and Internet at ALLIE@GENIE.GEIS.COM.
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