 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Editorial Ash Nallawalla ash@melbpc.org.au |
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Communications
Electronic communications have caught our fancy. Although some people are comparing the Internet "craze" to the CB radio phenomenon of the 70s, I don't believe this one will fade away. The most attractive feature on the Net is the World Wide Web (WWW ), but I think in time the medium will become more transparent and the content will dominate. People will use the Net as a communications tool, and the sooner they appreciate that the less likely it will be a passing fancy.
CompuServe Information Service (CIS) is another valuable online service because of its high signal-to-noise ratio. Being relatively more expensive than a BBS or an Internet service, one does not find obnoxious people there, such as the Net "spammers" (posting excessive copies of a message all over Usenet). Although things are changing on CIS ,it is still the best source of getting technical support from a computer vendor.
Communiquétions
Some of you are aware of Communiqué, the Microsoft support program. It can save you money when you upgrade (up to $30 off) or when buying other goods and services and training. There are three levels of membership, aimed at the home, small business, and corporate users respectively. You can read more about it in the advertisement on page 31.
An added bonus is a free copy of Encarta '95 (CD-ROM ). This multimedia encyclopaedia was mentioned last month by Trevor Jacobs in his article entitled Microsoft CD Bundle. The cheapest level of Communiqué‚ membership at $40 is, therefore, great value for money, considering that the CD-ROM normally sells for $169.
June meeting
The June meeting will feature our Internet service and a presentation by Symantec. Please note that owing to an examination being held earlier in the afternoon, there is no point in arriving too early.
Regular features missing
Owing to a shortage of advertising this month, we could not print a larger issue. As a result and with a good selection of theme-related articles, we have held over book reviews and The Perfectionist, together with some member contributions.
Stacker 4.0
I used to run Microsoft DoubleSpace ever since it came out and it gave me flawless performance for about two years. But when it failed, my hard disk was a major disaster. I switched to Stacker 4.0, which has been running flawlessly (famous last words) for some months. That PC is also destined to run OS/2 Warp, which can only recognise the Stacker type of disk compression.
Internet service extension
Last month, I mentioned our "target" of 1000 subscribers; 400 members believed me and applied all at once. I'm the original pessimist, who thought we'd be lucky to get 700 subscribers initially, and perhaps 1000 by the end of the first year. These targets are merely review points, not stone walls. We set our next review point at 1500 users but I would not be surprised if we have passed that point by the time you get this magazine.
Stan Johnstone, who has keyed in each of those 1300 applications must be looking up "RSI " on the World Wide Web by now. That assumes he can get on the system in the first place!
Either the server is constantly engaged or some new user is on the phone to him, getting vital startup tips. Please don't wear him out. Make sure you have read the instructions and BBS messages thoroughly before you ring him.
Some people who cannot get a free line to the server have become abusive. Polite complaints are necessary, for they help us become aware of problems, but rudeness does not help your cause. Although some people can only log on between 7 pm and 11 pm, others who can dial during the day or the wee hours should do so and help others.
As mentioned earlier, we had estimated that 16 lines would be adequate for 1000 users based on our previous experience. The good news is that the committee has voted to triple the number of lines to 48.
Reprinted from the June 1995 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
