/0/1560/coverbig.jpg?v=fee48a33bd9204cbdb9cc005ec026ab0)
Chapter 4 4
* Programs, game and fun
Online adventure games. The virus threat.
* Hobbies. Holiday travels. Collecting stamps or coins.
Roots, music, and online shopping.
Online services have one thing in common with newspapers, magazines and books. What they offer, varies from provider to provider. The next chapters will focus on the contents of the offerings. Appendix 1 has details about how to access the major service providers. Small online services often have interesting offerings in specialized areas, and especially when they are based on local phenomena or events. They tend to be more personal. They often present their 'wares' in a local language, and offer very large collections of free software. The large online services have hundreds of thousands of users. The activity is often high. They usually attract interesting (and competent) participants to their conferences and forums, have more programs available for download and more news sources and databases to search. They generally give you a wider choice. We will focus on the large international services. These are available from anywhere without too much effort, and using them comes surprisingly cheap. Therefore, please remember that this book just covers the top of the iceberg. Cheaper services may be found elsewhere, and they may even be better tuned to your particular areas of interest.
Locating game software ----------- The fastest, easiest and cheapest is to call an online service to download game programs. You'll find an overwhelming number of programs for all types of microcomputers. Many games are free. We call them "Public Domain" or "Freeware" programs. Others are distributed free. You do not have to pay to get them and try them out. If you want to use them, however, the copyright owner expects you to pay a fee. We call them "shareware" or "user supported" programs. When the game has been transferred to your personal computer, you can play without worries about communications costs, or the busy signal on your phone line. My favorite game is shareware. The name is Arachnid. It is an MS Windows solitaire game (patience) made by SP Services, P.O. Box 456, Southampton, SO9 7XG, England. The desired registration fee is UKP 15.00 (English pounds). You can download the program from my board as WINCARD.EXE. The file is 106 kilobytes large. WINCARD.EXE is a special distribution file, which contains three games and all supporting files. The EXE extension may fool you into thinking that it is a program, and in a way it is. The file is a self-extract file, meaning that you just enter "WINCARD" on an MS-DOS computer to extract the game files from the "package." Games are usually distributed in such distribution files. All files used by a game (or several games) is put into one file by special software, and compressed in size. This makes retrieval of programs easier and cheaper. You do not have to download many related files individually. The transfer takes less time. (Read about how to extract programs from distribution files in appendix 3). You will find some of the largest collections of games on the North American services CompuServe and EXEC-PC BBS. You will also find many throughout the Internet.
| TRICKLE is a large collection of public domain and shareware | | programs for MS-DOS, CPM, and other computers. For information | | about how to use TRICKLE, send a message through Internet to | | | | LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU | | | | In the TEXT of the message write | | | | /pdget pd:
Chances are that online services in your area also have many programs to offer. Most free bulletin boards have more software than you'll ever get around to try. Usually, there is a natural specialization between boards. Those using the Unix operating system, have the largest number of programs for such machines. Those running on MS-DOS computers, have more programs for such computers. Some games are trite and bad. Others are brilliant. There are ladder games, games challenging your responses (racer car driving, flight control, war games, subsea games), electronic versions of traditional games like Backgammon, Yatzy, chess and bridge, educational games (geography, mathematics and history), puzzles, fractal programs (drawing beautiful pictures on your screen), psychological tests, text-based adventure games, and other strange and funny creations. Here is something for any taste or belief. If you want to get rich in a hurry, pick programs that increase chances of winning horse race bets, or other "real world" money winning games. If you're into beautiful girls, fill your hard disk with picture files in GIF, PCX or other graphics formats. (Sorry ladies, there are not many pictures of naked boys around.) You'll also find software that will display the pictures that you just retrieved. Keen users of the more popular games often want to swap tricks and discuss experiences: Super Nintendo players regularly meet on the SNES mailing list (on SNES@spcvxa.spc.edu). To join, send your subscription request to: SNES-Request@spcvxa.spc.edu . For chess, try the Chess Discussion List (CHESS- L@GREARN.BITNET) unless Chinese Chess (on XIANGQI@INDYCMS.BITNET) is what you're looking for. CompuServe has a Chess forum (GO CHESSFORUM) with message sections called: Chess Basics, Theory & Analysis, News Wire, Hardware/Software, Casual Games, Electronic Knights, Oriental/Variants, Tourneys (Open), USCF Rated Games, Team Play, and Time Out. Usenet excels when it comes to games:
rec.gambling Articles on games of chance & betting. rec.games.board Discussion and hints on board games. rec.games.board.ce The Cosmic Encounter board game. rec.games.bridge Hobbyists interested in bridge. rec.games.chess Chess & computer chess. rec.games.design Discussion of game design related issues. rec.games.empire Discussion and hints about Empire. rec.games.frp Discussion about Role Playing games. rec.games.go Discussion about Go. rec.games.hack Discussion, hints, etc. about the Hack game. rec.games.misc Games and computer games. rec.games.moria Comments, hints, and info about the Moria game. rec.games.mud Various aspects of multi-users computer games. rec.games.pbm Discussion about Play by Mail games. rec.games.pinball Discussing pinball-related issues. rec.games.programmer Discussion of adventure game programming. rec.games.rogue Discussion and hints about Rogue. rec.games.trivia Discussion about trivia. rec.games.video Discussion about video games. rec.games.video.arcade Discussions about coin-operated video games.
With so many games and programs around, it is difficult to stay current about new programs and new versions of old ones. Consider subscribing to the MS-DOS Archive Additions (one-way) information service. Internet MS-DOS archive managers use it to announce new additions to their collections. To subscribe, send a message to LISTSERV@TACOM-EMH1.Army.Mil with this command in the body of the message:
subscribe msdos-ann
These announcements are also posted to the Usenet newsgroup called comp.archives.msdos.announce .
| It is probably easier for you to relate to references like | | "rec.games.video on Usenet," than to XIANGQI@INDYCMS.BITNET. | | References to BITNET mailing lists are made in various ways | | throughout the book, just as it is online. This is the basic | | rule: | | | | All BITNET mailing lists are 'managed' by a LISTSERV program, | | which handles all subscription requests. When you read a | | reference like XIANGQI@INDYCMS.BITNET, then that means that | | a subscription request must be set to the LISTSERV at the | | INDYCMS computer on BITNET. Mail to the forum, however, must | | be sent to XIANGQI@INDYCMS.BITNET to be forwarded to the | | other members. | | | | For more information about these strange address codes, and | | how to use them, read about BITNET in appendix 1. You may | | find it useful to read about email addresses in Chapter 7. | | | | All BITNET mailing lists can be used by email through the | | Internet. Several BITNET hosts also have Internet addresses. | | Example: LISTSERV@NDSUVM1.BITNET can also be reached as | | LISTSERV@vm1.nodak.edu . When dual addresses are given, | | Internet users should use the Internet address, while BITNET | | users should use the BITNET address. | | | | Note: In cases where a BITNET mailing list has dual addresses, | | we have usually given the Internet address. If you are on | | BITNET, and using these addresses are difficult or impossible, | | ask your local postmaster for help. |
Computer viruses -------- Few online users ever live to see or experience a computer virus, but they do exist. So, read this: A virus is a small, hidden computer program that can cause the loss or alteration of programs or data, and can compromise their confidentiality. It can spread from program to program, and from system to system, without direct human intervention.
The chance of your computer being infected is small, but you're never safe. Therefore, download a program for virus detection and identification, like VIRUSSCAN from McAffee Associates, 4423 Cheeney Street, Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253, U.S.A. They also have virus disinfection programs (for MS-DOS computers). For more about viruses, subscribe to VIRUS-L@LEHIGH.EDU. CompuServe has the Mac New Users Forum (with a a Virus Clinic section), the McAfee Virus Help Forum, the Symantec AntiVirus Forum, and more. FidoNet has a VIRUS echo. ILINK has VIRUS-I. Usenet has bit.listserv.valert-l (Virus Alert List), and comp.virus .
Online games ------ If you're into games, why not investigate online adventure games? There are many alternatives. Prestel (England) offers TRASH, an environmental multi-user game with a futuristic theme and full of humor. Up to 64 persons can play simultaneously. " ...Callers play out the role of pandimensional refuse disposal officers, whose primary aim in life is to clean up the multiverse, as the Trash environment is called." "With a diverse range of 'psionic powers', which vary from the nasty (pyrokinesis) to the gentle (faith healing), at their command, Trash players roam across dimensions and universes, completing various tasks." Bulletin boards throughout the world invite you to role playing games. Some have graphics, music and sound effects. Dungeons & Dragons is a popular choice. On EXEC-PC, play Startrek. Select an identity and "play it out" according to its character. If you're a real afficionado, check out rec.arts.startrek.info on Usenet or the list RASI-L@ncc1701e.uucp (write LISTSERV@ncc1701e.uucp to subscribe). Advanced players swap tricks on STARGAME@PCCVM.BITNET. On many BBSes, MUD is a most popular game.
| Multi-User Dungeons (MUD) is a structured and user-modifiable | | online environment, which allows users not only to interact | | with each other, but to do role-playing, build and furnish | | living areas and interaction areas, extend and create the | | interactive "space" and the rules for using that space. |
Popular choices on CompuServe are strategy games like The Island of
Kesmai and Megawars. One game can last for weeks at a time. On CIX
(England), many prefer the multi-user dungeon game DiscWorld.
If you prefer sport fantasies in the armchair, check out GEnie.
They offer Rotisserie League Baseball. Decide what team player to
be, and join in a match of American baseball.
Nintendo offers online games through the Famicom Networks in
Japan and the U.S. Your PC must have a special graphics card to
play games like GO and Shogi, a Japanese game of chess.
Chat -- Chat, or "keyboard talking," is a popular attraction, and in particular on the large online services. Your first attempt will probably be a strange experience. When may people talk simultaneously in chat mode, incoherent sentences seem to fly over your computer screen. It takes some training to be able to read what each of them is saying. CompuServe's Citizen Band Simulator (GO CB) is an electronic version of the hams' short-wave radio. It has 72 CB Simulator channels. You can chat with anonymous members, have fun and find new keypals. On EXEC-PC's Chat and Entertainment System up to 64 users can talk simultaneously. GEnie calls their service Livewire CB. On BIX, look for CBIX. Some users are serious about chatting. Several large companies are heavy users. Although this kind of talking is a slow process, it has advantages. It is easy to document the discussion. People from places geographically far apart can meet at a low cost to discuss. Some online services charge less for chats than for other services.
My hobby ---- There are online forums for most hobbies: collection of stamps and coins, genealogy, music, holiday travels, skiing, purchase of consumer electronics, video, filming, and more. Those you meet in the clubs share your interests. They come to exchange information and experiences, to listen, swap stamps or coins, participate in club auctions, and exploit favorable group discounts when buying things for their hobby. In these clubs, the main attraction is the open messages that people write to each other. Many clubs also have libraries filled with special software (like data base programs for collectors) and information files. Coins (on Coins@rocky.er.usgs.gov) is a forum for discussion of Numismatics, the study of coins, American and International. Paper currency is also a welcome topic, but trading is not allowed. To subscribe, send a message to robert@whiplash.er.usgs.gov .
Music --- ILINK, an international exchange of conferences between bulletin boards, has a forum for country music lovers. It presents itself in these words:
COUNTRY MUSIC
Country & Western music including bluegrass and other related
forms. Discussion of artists, techniques, instruments &
musicians. Host: John Stewart
One oasis of civility in the BBS maelstrom is the 150-board ILINK network - recently renamed from InterLink. Unlike most BBS networks, ILINK carefully evaluates each board before permitting membership. "We are very selective - some say overly selective," says ILINK's international host Andy Keeves. Choosiness keeps ILINK small but upholds the decorum of its message bases.
Usenet has rec.music.country.western . FidoNet has 60S_70S_PROGROCK about the progressive rock music of the 60's and 70's, gospel music in CHR_GSPL_MUSIC, a club for selling and buying between musicians (MUSICIAN'S_SERVICES), and (MUSIC_COMP_101) for aspiring composers. CompuServe has a bunch of forums. Check out the Music/MIDI sections in the Amiga and Atari ST Arts forums. The latter is a full Music/MIDI forum. The Coin/Stamp/Collectibles Forum has a section for music collectors. CompuServe's RockNet forum has the following structure:
Available message sections: Available file libraries:
0 General/Misc. 0 General Misc
1 Rock Music 1 Rock Music
2 Rock Radio 2 Rock Radio
3 Reviews/LK 3 Reviews
4 Q&A/Help 4 Q&A/Help
5 Rock Film & Video 5 Rock Film & Video
6 RockLetters 6 RockLetters
7 Trends 7 Trends
8 Heavy Metal 8 Heavy Metal
9 Old Wave 9 Old Wave
10 New Music 10 New Music
11 CD Hotline 11 Compact Discs
12 Green, Village 12 Graphics/Programs
You can tailor your visits to RockNet to your personal interests. If you're into Heavy Metal, limit your readings of messages to those in section 8, and possibly 3 and 7. The Music and Performing Arts Forum (GO MUSICARTS) is another interesting place on CompuServe. Converse with fellow music fans about on topics like classical, jazz/blues, Big Band, country/folk and religious music, ballet/dance, drama and more. MIDI is discussed on several bulletin boards, including in conferences distributed by RelayNet. Classical music forums can be found on most larger services. Try CLASSM-L on LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET. For jazz, try the ILINK conference JAZZ, rec.music.bluenote on Usenet, MILES on LISTSERV@HEARN.NIC.SURFNET.NL (about Miles Davis), or BLUES-L at LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU . Another jazz oriented list, SATURN on LISTSERV@HEARN.BITNET, is for discussing the free-jazz big band leader, Sun Ra. Network-Audio-Bits is an electronic magazine bringing reviews and information about rock, pop, new age, jazz, funk, folk music and other genres. (Write Murph@Maine.BITNET to join.) The Music Newsletter offers reviews and interviews. Subscribe by email to LISTSERV@VM.MARIST.EDU using the command "SUBSCRIBE UPNEWS Your-full-name."
| On BITNET mailing lists, you subscribe by using the command | | "SUB
To get the "Music List of Lists," an overview of music oriented mailing lists, send email to mlol-request@wariat.org . GRIND (write grind-request@unh.edu) focuses on discussions about grindcore/death metal/heavy thrash music. PRIMUS is about the funk/rock band Primus (write to primus-request@unh.edu). KLARINET (on LISTSERV@VCCSCENT.BITNET) is a network bringing news, information, research and teaching items of interest, and other related information for clarinet players, teachers, students, and enthusiasts. "Backstreets" on UUCP is for those who love the music of Bruce Springsteen (backstreets-request@virginia.edu). "Eclipse" (eclipse- request@beach.cis.ufl.edu) focuses on Pink Floyd and his music. If a fan of Jimi Hendrix, join "hey-joe" (hey-joe-request@ms.uky.edu). In "brass," the topic is brass band music (write to brass- request@geomag.gly.fsu.edu for access). "J-Pop" (jpop-request@wystan.bsd.uchicago.edu via UUCP) has discussions about Japanese pop/rock of today.
Wine and food ------- Some people would rather fill their stomachs than their ears. They call CompuServe for the Cooks Online forum (for gourmets) and the Bacchus Wine Forum (for their throats). BITNET has the mailing list "Eat" (EAT-L@VTVM2), a club for FoodLore/Recipe Exchange. In J-FOOD-L (J-FOOD-L@JPNKNU10 on BITNET) they discuss Japanese food and culture. If your interest is more academic, subscribe to FOODWINE (on LISTSERV@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU). It is for those seriously interested in the academic study of food and its accompaniments in the 1990's, including a variety of disciplines, such as marketing, communications, hospitality, consumer affairs, hotel and catering management. Usenet has rec.food.cooking, rec.food.recipes, rec.food.drink, rec.food.restaurants, and rec.food.veg for vegetarians. On FidoNet, check out INTERCOOK for words of wisdom on International Cooking. On ILINK and RelayNet, look for CUISINE. That is where we found the following recipe for Mexican Meatloaf:
2 lb Ground Beef
1 ea Bell Pepper, Diced
10 1/2 oz Cream Chicken Soup
10 oz Cheddar Cheese
4 oz Green Chilies, Diced
1 ea Onion, Chopped
8 oz Taco Sauce
1 pk Tortillas
4 oz Mushrooms (fresh optional)
2 ea Jalapen"'s (to taste)
1. Brown ground beef and drain.
2. Mix onions, green peppers, mushrooms, green CHILIES, taco
sauce, jalapen"'s and cream chicken soup into skillet with
ground beef.
3. Simmer until vegetables are soft.
4. Shred cheddar cheese.
5. In crock pot or dish, layer meat mixture, cheese, and
tortillas; heat until cheese melts.
Bon apetit!
Outdoor life
------
CompuServe's Great Outdoors SIG is for those preferring nature for
the computer screen. Its sections are called:
General/Photography, Scouting, Power Boating, TROUT UNLIMITED,
Fishing, Hunting, Cycling, AUDUBON/Birding, Canoe/Kayak/Raft,
Camp/Hike/Walk/RV, Snow Sports/Climb, OWAA, CIS/Computers,
Firearms, NRA, Environmnt/Wildlife, OUTDOOR LIFE mag.
If you dream of visiting Alaska to hunt, fish and explore the wilderness by canoe, then this is the place. Add the Outdoor Cooking section of the Cooks Online Forum to make it perfect. Scandinavian bulletin boards exchange the "JAKT_FRILUFT" conference (Through MIX). ILINK offers OUTDOORS, which focuses on outdoor hobbies. As usual, Usenet has a lot. These are some examples:
rec.aviation Aviation rules, means, and methods.
rec.backcountry Activities in the Great Outdoors.
rec.bicycles Bicycles, related products and laws.
rec.birds Hobbyists interested in bird watching.
rec.boats Hobbyists interested in boating.
rec.boats.paddle Talk about any boats with oars, paddles,
etc.
rec.climbing Climbing techniques, competition
announcements, etc.
Scouts participate in SCOUTER on FidoNet (International SCOUTING Conference) and SCOUTS-L (SCOUTS-L@NDSUVM1) on BITNET. Golfers meet in GOLF-L (on LISTSERV@ubvm.bitnet). Photo enthusiasts will track down PHOTO-L@BUACCA.BITNET, CompuServe's Photography Forum and its SCUBA Forum's sections for underwater photography. For more, there's "Photography" on EXEC-PC and The Well, PHOTO on RelayNet, PHOTOSIG on ILINK and rec.photo on Usenet. If you're into 3-d (stereo) photography, enroll in "3d" on UUCP:
Contact: 3d-request@bfmny0.bfm.com (Tom Neff) Purpose: Discussion of 3-D (stereo) photography. General info, hints, experiences, equipment, techniques, and stereo "happenings." Anyone interested is welcome to join.
There are clubs for all popular outdoor hobbies.
Roots --- On ROOTS-L@NDSUVM1.BITNET and soc.roots on Usenet, the emphasis is on genealogy. Here, you'll get tips about tools and techniques. You can exchange information about ancestors and find new friends and partners for joint research. On CompuServe, it is called The Genealogy Forum. One message section is called Overseas Ancestry. Remember to check out the Family History Library, a newsletter bringing news from the library for genealogical research in Salt Lake City, U.S.A. (stored in Library 10.) The North American bulletin boards ROOTS-BBS (San Francisco) and THE FAMILY ROOTS (Oklahoma) are connected to FidoNet. GEnie has the Genealogy Knowledgebase. FidoNet has
GENDATA Genealogy Database
GENEALOGY:_WGW Who's Got What (WGW) Data Base
GENSOFT Genealogy software
SE_GENEALOGY South Eastern US Genealogy Conference
Since FidoNet has links all over the world, these conferences can give contacts in countries that you might otherwise have problems in reaching. On most of these services, you'll find interesting genealogy programs and files with practical hints about how to write a book about your family.
Him and Her ------ Members of the female sex have their favorite meeting places, like Cleopatra on Bergen By Byte. Men do not have admission. Usenet has soc.feminism. Those with limited access to Usenet, may subscribe to "feminism-digest." Send email to feminism- digest@ncar.ucar.edu to get on the mailing list.
"Contact feminism-digest@ncar.ucar.edu" above means that you need to write a message to this Internet email address with a subscription request, or to receive further information about how to join. This mailing list does not have automatic subscriptions.
To join the mailing list "feminists," write Patricia Collins on collins@hplabs.hp.com . She presents the conference's purpose in this way:
The feminist mailing list is intended to provide a forum for discussion of issues of interest to women, in a friendly atmosphere. The basic tenets of feminism and the day-to-day experiences of women do not have to be explained or defended. Men and women can join, but everyone requesting to be added to the mailing list MUST provide the moderator with: (1) a full name; (2) a complete UUCP path to a well-known host or a fully specified Internet address; (3) the correspondent's gender (for records and statistics only). NO exceptions.
While we're at it, let's move on to other topics associated with the term sex: Bisexuals can participate in "sappho" on UUCP. Contact sappho-request@mc.lcs.mit.edu. On BITNET, you'll find BIFEM-L (BIFEM-L@BROWNVM), BISEXU-L (BISEXU-L@BROWNVM) and others. Spanish speaking users can subscribe to ARENAL (Lista de discussion para hispanos/as que desean acabar con la homofobia). Subscribe by email to LISTSERV@LUT.FI . Usenet has tons of it: soc.motss, alt.politics.homosexuality, alt.sex.bestiality, alt.sex, alt.sex.bondage, alt.sex.pictures.d, clari.news.group.gays, alt.sex.pictures, alt.sex.motss, clari.feature.kinsey (Sex Q&A and Advice from Kinsey Institute), clari.news.law.crime.sex and clari.news.sex. Conferences called "SEXUALITY" are alive on FidoNet and The Well. CompuServe has a Human Sexuality Adult Forum and a Human Sexuality Open Forum. STOPRAPE@BROWNVM.BITNET is a Sexual Assault Activist List. Finally, there are a large number of pictures of nudes in all possible and impossible positions. Most of them are childish, some are decidedly pornographic, a few are beautiful and erotic. The online services' policies vary about what kind of pictures and picture programs to make available. The larger the service, the more conservative they tend to be.
Programs for hobbyists ----------- It's no rule that a service need to have a conference about a hobby, to have interesting programs available for downloading. Programs float around from service to service much easier than conference items. Still, the best programs for a given hobby are normally found on services where hobbyists meet to discuss. You will find:
Chess and bridge programs,
Morse code training programs for ham amateurs,
Astrology programs,
Data base systems for keeping track of music cassettes or
records, video cassettes, books, stamps, coins, etc.
Information systems for wine lovers,
Recipe programs (tell me what you've got, and I'll tell
you what you can make), and much more.
Online shopping -------- You can buy almost anything online: video cameras, books, music, Bonsai plants, golf equipment, canned cakes from Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies, Levi's trousers for men, computer equipment, a four-door Nissan Pathfinder SE-V6 car, and air tickets for Mexico. Shoppers who let their modem do the "walking" are already a few steps ahead of people Still stuck shopping the old-fashioned way. Experienced online shoppers know that you can tap a world of stores without ever leaving your keyboard, and that you can browse and buy with very little effort. Some services present their wares "for your information only." It's like reading newspaper ads. You must contact the seller to buy. Other services have large online supermarkets with many stores, and you can by while you visit. Subscribers to CompuServe get a monthly magazine by mail. "Go Mall Shoppers' Guide" is a regular insert with color photos and descriptions of selected products. Type GO MALL, order a product, enter your credit card number, and have it sent you by mail. What if used goods are good enough? ILINK, the international conference exchange system, has GARAGESALE. Here you can buy and sell for hobby or home: Photo, video, audio, sound/music and midi equipment, and all kinds of other domestic items. ILINK also has a conference called BUY-SELL. HAM-SALE on the FidoNet is for ham amateurs wanting to swap, by or sell. The American computer magazine PC Week is operating a Buyer's Forum on CompuServe. UUCP's "muscle-cars" is where "muscle car" enthusiasts offer advice, share problems and solutions, discuss technical issues, racing, buying or selling parts, cars, or services, or just discuss cars and swap stories with others. (Contact: muscle-cars- request@sorinc.PacBell.COM). Similar experiences are waiting for you in "BMW" (Write: bmw- request@sol.crd.ge.com), "british-cars" (Write: british-cars- request@encore.com), "italian-cars" (Write: italian-cars- request@sol.crd.ge.com) and "Z-cars" (the topic is Z-cars from Datsun/Nissan. Write: rsiatl!z-car-request). Vintage VW (at VintageVW@rocky.er.usgs.gov) is about Vintage Volkswagens. This includes the Beetle, Bus (Types II and II/IV), Ghia, Squareback, Kubelwagen (Thing), bajas, buggies, Schwimmwagen, rails and any VW (air-cooled) powered vehicle including aircraft. Beginners, gurus, mechanics and non-mechanics, restorers and daily drivers are welcomed. This is where you can discuss how-to stuff, parts availability, answer mechanical questions, list show dates, swap meets, club addresses, favorite stories, etc. To subscribe, send a message to robert@whiplash.er.usgs.gov . The newsletter NEWSBYTES brings you regular reports about prices on used computers from The Boston Computer Exchange (BOCO). The newsletter is available through GEnie, ZiffNet on CompuServe, NewsNet, Dialog, and others. ZiffNet also offers the Computer Directory, an online encyclopedia with information about more than 75,000 hardware and software products sold in North America (1993). The data base is updated monthly.
Planning your holidays ----------- CompuServe invites you to read reviews of theater performances, books, movies and restaurants, opera, symphonies, ballets, dance, museums and art galleries. They have information about airline schedules and prices, hotels and the latest ski weather forecast. Televerket's Datatorg in Norway offers air tickets and hotel reservations through SMART LINK, a self-serve system operated by the Norwegian travel agencies. Entertainment and travel are also popular on Prestel. Most British tour operators have an "office" there. Several international services, including CompuServe and Dow Jones News/Retrieval, offer OAG (The Official Airline Guide) and Eaasy Sabre (the American Airlines reservation system). Worldscan/Travel shopper is on CompuServe and Delphi. The Travel Forum on CompuServe administers a member travel discount program. Download HOTEL.SAV in Library 0 for information about lower rates on hotel room and car-rental rates. It's often possible to book hotel rooms and rent cars online. Travelshopper has a built-in hotel guide, searchable by city around the world. OAG has a database of over 40,000 hotels worldwide (1992). It has the AA Rated European Hotels & Restaurants menu, which covers trips from Andorra to Yugoslavia. Accu-Weather provides three-day weather forecasts for 450 cities worldwide, updated hourly. Travel agents are also operative through the Internet. One alternative is at TRAVEL@delphi.com . Telnet lib.dartmouth.edu for a World Factbook on countries. Is this your first visit to Japan? Why not prepare your visit through the online service TWICS in Tokyo. It presents itself like this:
"Japan is an island nation, full of communities in villages, towns, and cities squeezed in between the mountains and the sea, with ports of various sizes and shapes through which communication flows between communities.
Our own online community is organized in the same terms, an
island community "BEEJIMA" (Bee Island), with our village
("MURA"), a port ("MINATO"), and our very own volcanic mountain
("YAMA").
In the village, there is a village office ("YAKUBA"), a community meeting place ("YORIAI"), a high-tech corner ("AKIHABARA") named after the famous electronics district in Tokyo, a health center ("EMEDICA"), a place to hang around and read things ("HON YA"), a school ("GAKKOU"), and a market ("ICHIBA"). The port has holding areas and leads to other parts of Japan ("NIPPON") and the world ("SEKAI"). The mountain has a hot springs ("ONSEN") recreational area, and a lively outdoor bath ("IN THE OFURO") which has become the social center of our island.
Add to this soc.culture.japan on Usenet, the BITNET discussion list
JAPAN@NDSUVM1, the Japan Forum on CompuServe, and "JAPAN" on
RelayNet.
Did you say the former "Soviet Union?" Here are phone numbers
to some "local" bulletin board systems:
Moscow Fair (Moscow): +7 095 366 5209
SUEARN NIC BBS (Moscow): +7 095 938 3618
Kreit BBS (Leningrad): +7 812 112 2611
Amber Way BBS (Vilnius, Lithuania): +7 012 222 7194
UFO BBS (Riga, Latvia): +7 013 232 3983
Post Square #1 (Kiev, Ukrain): +7 044 417 5700
BITNET club TRAVEL-L (TRAVEL-L@TREARN) for those interested in tourism. ILINK and The Well have conferences under the name TRAVEL. Many conferences in online land concentrate on particular parts of the world. BALT-L@UBVM.BITNET is focusing on the Baltic states. In AFRICA-L@BRUFPB.BITNET they discuss Africa. On Usenet, the news group is called soc.culture.african. To brush up your Portuguese, consider joining BRAS-NET, It is a Brazilian mailing list/network. Send your subscription request to bras-net-request@cs.ucla.edu . For general information about other Brazilian interest groups, write LISTSERV@FAPQ.FAPESP.BR . For those who are into Spanish, why not check out CHILE-L (at LISTSERV@USACHVM1.BITNET), or FOLLAC, a mailing list about 'Folklore Latino, Latinoamericano y Caribeno'. To join, write Emily Socolov at owner-follac@ccwf.cc.texas.edu . Here are some other African sources: the French language Algeria News List (ALGNEWS) is on LISTSERV@gwuvm.gwu.edu. TUNISNET (on LISTSERV@psuvm.psu.edu) is The Tunisia Network. EGYPT-NET (write: egypt-net-request@das.harvard.edu) is the Egypt Discussion and News forum. Send mail to mcgee@epsilon.eecs.nwu.edu to get a list of Internet/Bitnet mailing lists that focus on African, African- American, African-Caribbean or African-Latin issues, and a list of African information sites. In the soc.culture hierarchy on Usenet, you'll find area codes like asian, african, arabic, asean, australian, bangladesh, british, canada, china, celtic, europe, filipino, french, german, greek, hongkong, indian, iranian, italian, jewish, korean, latin- american, lebanon, magyar, nepal, new-zealand, nordic, pakistan, polish, soviet, spain, sri-lanka, taiwan, thai, turkish, vietnamese and yugoslavia. In "argentina," you can read about how to make empanadas while sharpening up your Spanish before visiting Buenos Aires. (Contact: argentina-request@ois.db.toronto.edu). CompuServe's Travel Forum has sections called United States, Canada, Mexico/Central America, Caribbean, South America, Oceania, Asia, Europe, Africa/Middle East and Hawaii. If you're off to London, check out the UK Travel section in CompuServe's UK Computing Forum. Its library contains files with tips about affordable hotels, British road signs, and a list of London theatre shows with ticket-buying tips. If your destination is Germany, practice Deutch in the Deutches Forum (GO GERNET). Search for additional background information using CompuServe's Magazine Database Plus, if you don't mind paying a wee surcharge. Look up places to stay in the ABC Worldwide Hotel Listing. On America Online, you can research National Geographic and National Geographic Traveler Magazines online. You can look up your destination in the electronic Comptons Encyclopedia. GEnie has a Japan RoundTable and a Deutchland RoundTable. Both provide for interaction with users from those respective countries. If you are responsible for your company's business travels, check out the following newsletters on NewsNet: BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS, and TOUR & TRAVEL NEWS. (You can also search NewsNet's newsletters through CompuServe's IQuest, Dialog, and others). NewsNet has searchable newsletters focusing on the conditions in particular countries or parts of the world (news, travel and political risk analysis, political stability, etc.).
Politics ---- Many of these conferences and forums are filled to the brim with political discussions. For information about the United Nations, subscribe to UN (on LISTSERV@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU).
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