120 Lines A Call to Arms (We Want You!) Rev. 4-21-89 by Vol 1.2 John C. Dvorak By the way, as you read this message, we will be making a special offer to the SysOps who post this message as well as ANYONE who wishes becomes a ??????????. (read on.) Many of us scan BBS E-mail looking for the inside scoop about new products or industry trends. A developer or employee under non-disclosure, like a Reagan cabinet member, may sing a few notes; or an enthusiastic user may be looking for converts to their new found gem. How would you like to be part of something new and exciting? Instead of hearing about it after it happens, you can help make it happen and be part of the process! I was distressed the other day when attending the most recent Macintosh event. There was a marketing report comparing Mac products to PC products. Predictions about the future were predicted and indications were indicated. It was all about money and the future of these small computers we so dearly enjoy. Now, when I was in the software business I always thought that there were four important applications: word processing, spreadsheets, data- bases and telecommunications. Curiously, during this marketing session the speaker never once mentioned telecommunications. I realized that this wasn't an error, but a trend. I've seen it before. For some unknown reason telecommunications and the baggage that comes with it -- including bulletin boards such as this one -- has taken a back seat to the rest of the software business. This is happening despite the millions of modems out there, and the need to telecommute as a way of life in our future. It's this second aspect -- the need to telecommute -- that I feel is the key to all this. LAN's and control are more important to executives in the post-industrial white collar environment. It's obvious that control is being eroded by people with computers and FAX's and satellite dishes living in the Vermont woods. Heck, nobody can look over their shoulder. Todays independent computer user is fighting against control and seeking independence and freedom when he takes off with his modem. Nobody wants to emphasize this, do they? After all, we have huge unfilled office buildings in Dallas that need to be jammed with drones, don't we? This brings me to the point of this message. The future of the small computer revolution is directly tied to its ability to communicate with other computers, BBS's, the office, you-name-it. This does not mean LAN's and all its sinister baggage. It means WAN's -- wide area networks. Networks of people communicating with each other as they see fit over MCI, BBS's, Compuserve. This is the key trend that has somehow been stopped in its tracks. This is a trend I want to reverse. Nick Anis and myself are doing a big fat book on telecommunications for Osborne/McGraw-Hill. We intend to use this as leverage to promote modem use and the further development of the BBS movement. We really need your help. We're looking for a few good men to help us develop some of the technically-oriented chapters. We want to include a chapter which outlines EVERY switch setting on every modem ever made (who doesn't lose documentation?). This means we need to know the switch settings on the weird old modem you have in your kid's used XT. We need beta testers and technical types who can read some copy looking for technical errors (we want this to be accurate to the nth degree). If you have a desire to help out on this project, let us know at the voice, BBS and fax numbers listed below. Finally, to let you know the seriousness of this project I want to relate a story. This book project was offered to a couple of major New York publishers who have been asking me to do something for them for years. They still want me to do something, but not telecommunications. "It's dead," I was told. Apparently they were told that by some big unnamed computer companies who seem to dislike the decentralization of computing. If I want to sell a book about LAN's that would be another story. This is all hard for me to believe since I know better about these trends. But unless I prove these to these guys that they are the ones being led to the slaughter, then I have no leverage when it comes to promoting the trends anywhere. There's an old rule: say something enough times and people will think its true. Well, it's about time the individual user spoke up again and made it clear that telecommunications is important otherwise we'll all end up hooked to some bosses LAN. We can use all the help we can get. (SysOp - May Edit this Paragraph) If you can't call us at one of the numbers below you can leave a message on this board. SysOps and users who help collect and forward mail and other contributions will be eligible for a hefty discount on the book and disks (or in some cases a promotional copy). There are 20,000 SysOps. We can't give away 20,000 copies of our book, but we can give a discount to every SysOp who helps us get the word out. As you know, most of the messages that travel around the BBS circuit don't have any postage. We hope our sysop/contributor offer and the simple fact that we are trying to promote telecommunications and BBSing helps grease the wheels a bit. My friend Nick Anis will coordinate our activity. Thanks. John C. Dvorak (714) 860-6914 Office VOICE phone (9 am to 11pm, 7 days a week) (714) 396-0014 Office Data Line BBS 300,1200,2400,9600 (HST & V32) (11pm to 5 AM ) (714) 529-8460 SandCastle BBS Node 1 - Otto (714) 529-8688 SandCastle BBS Node 2 (714) 861-1549 Diamond Bar BBS - Jim (818) 330-0580 Medi-call BBS - Gordon Huyck (818) 352-3620 The Ledge BBS - Joe MCI ID: 318-4192 John C. Dvorak MCI ID: 389-1702 Nick Anis 4-22-1989 John Dvorak's PC Telecommunications Guide 24086 Willow Creek Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 If you have articles, utilities, modem switch settings, or want to help read a chapter for technical accuracy give us a call. Remember we cannot use anything without first having a record of your name, address and voice phone!! You can leave a private message with that information if necessary. We prefer all other messages with comments, ideas and suggestions be public; after all, this is for everyone. John will answer all his E-mail and all contributors whose materials are used will be called by John and I by voice.