Date: Wed, 19 Apr 95 21:01:16 PDT From: olcay@libtech.com (olcay cirit) To: cn@libtech.com Subject: Computer News: Volume 2, Issue 12 ______ __ __ / ____/\ / \ / /\ / /\___\/ / /\ \ / / / / /_/__ / / /\ \/ / / /______/\ /_/ / \__/ / \\\\\\\\/ \\\/ \\\/ COMPUTER NEWS "Your eye to the computer industry"(tm) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, April 19th 1995 Vol. II, Issue 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSIDE CN: ---------- As some of you may have heard, I am in the process of writing a role playing game (RPG) for Windows. The inspiration for the project came while I was at the local Barnes & Noble Bookstore (By the Newsstand Section) I chanced upon a copy of one of the numerous gaming magazines that are out there. As I was flipping through, I thought "Gee, how come similar games on much more advanced systems aren't this good?" Well, the rest is history. ;) (I know, this doesn't belong in here, but I ran out of things to say :) If anyone out there has played Final Fantasy III, that's what I'm shooting for. Any tips, suggestions, and comments that will help me kick the competitions derriere would be helpful. :) Seeya, - "olo" (Olcay Cirit) THIS WEEK'S CONTRIBUTORS: ------------------------- The NullBytes News Service Rob Slade Quick Overview __________________________________________ NEWS: 1. Neural Nets on LSD 2. Prodigy to offer faster access 3. InControl gets patent for 'mousestick' 4. AMD's K5 delayed even more 5. Apple settles controversial CD-ROM case 6. MDL's IsisDRAW is on the 'Net ARTICLES: 1. Book Reviews (3) ETC: 1. Classifieds 2. Lighter Side __________________________________________ __ __ / \ /\_\ / /\ \/\/ / /_/\/\ \/ / \_\/ \__/ EWS: Neural Nets on LSD ------------------ Steven Thaler has developed a way to cause neural networks to have 'near-death experiences' that allow the network to come up with novel solutions to a problem. A neural network is a program that simulates how a biological brain works, and Thaler is studying what happens to them when they break down. Basically, he kills his neural networks, and sets up another one to observe what is happening to the one that is being murdered. Using this method, Thaler fed 30 years worth of the top ten musical tunes into a network, and by keeping the dying network partially alive, he has produced 11,000 original songs--all of which he has copyrighted. (SOURCE: Scientific American, May 1995) Prodigy to offer faster access ------------------------------ Prodigy Service, Co. said it was joining with three regional Bell companies to be the first of the Big Three On-Line service providers to offer faster access to its services using new digital phone lines. (SOURCE: Associated Press) InControl gets patent for 'mousestick' -------------------------------------- InControl Solutions, Inc. was granted a patent for a clone of the TrackPoint II, a pointing device developed by IBM that is used in many portable computers. InControl, based in Clackamas, Ore., said it filed the patent so other companies could use a TrackPoint-like pointing device without having to pay royalties to IBM. The TrackPoint II is basically a rubber-capped plastic stick between the G, H, and B keys. InControl's pointing stick passes through a hole in the B key, giving it a distinct position so as not to infringe on IBM's patent. (SOURCE: Boston Globe) AMD's K5 delayed even more -------------------------- Advanced Micro Devices has delayed volume shipment of the K5, AMD's Pentium-class microprocessor until early 1996. Additionally, AMD has shifted emphasis from the K5 to two new 486-class CPU's. The decision may have tarnished AMD's image, because the K5 would be the first 80x86 type CPU that it didn't copy off of Intel. A spokesman for AMD stated that the chip has successfully booted DOS and Windows, and that they are now into the finer points of compatibility. (SOURCE: Electronic Engineering Times, Apr. 17) Apple settles controversial CD-ROM case --------------------------------------- Apple Computer, Inc. has finally resolved what some say is an embarrassing public dispute with Voyager, Co., a small New York based software company. Apple agreed to keep "Who built America?", a CD-ROM from Voyager, in a bundle that of software that Apple distributes to high schools and junior-high schools, but would remove it from the elementary school bundle. In February, Voyager accused Apple of censorship when they asked Voyager to remove some controversial material from the program. Apple stated it had received complaints from schools about frank discussions of abortion and homosexuality in the CD-ROM. "Who Built America?" is about U.S. history as seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens and immigrants from 1876 to 1914. It is intended primarily for high school and collegiate use. (SOURCE: Mercury News) MDL makes ISIS/Draw available on the 'Net ----------------------------------------- SAN LEANDRO, California--March 31, 1995--MDL Information Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq National Market System: MDLI), the leading supplier of chemical information management systems, today announced the availability of a special version of their chemical drawing package, ISIS/Draw, on the Internet World Wide Web. The license to use the program is free of charge for academic use and personal use at home. This release addresses a critical scientific need for a means of communicating chemical information on the Internet. Existing methods are limited in scope, not broadly available, and few can be launched from Web Browsers via a file format that is platform-independent. The special version of ISIS/Draw allows Web Browsers to use ISIS/Draw as a helper application to retrieve chemical structure information from Web servers stored in MOL, TGF, or RXN formats. Once in ISIS/Draw, scientists can harness the inherent chemical features of these structures to conduct searches, register data, and communicate with other scientists. The utility of ISIS/Draw also extends beyond the World Wide Web. It makes it possible to incorporate the structures stored in MOL, TGF, and RXN formats in Internet Mail Messages as MIME attachments, provided the sender and receiver both have ISIS/Draw. The program is currently available for Windows; a Macintosh version will be released shortly. "We believe that the availability of ISIS/Draw on the World Wide Web represents a significant development which will greatly facilitate the communication of chemical information on the Internet and contribute to the advancement of scientific research," says Robert E. Dunkle, vice president and general manager, ISIS business unit at MDL. "ISIS/Draw allows chemical structures to be visualized, manipulated, stored in databases, and used in chemical searching techniques. With this release, chemical dialogue on the Internet can encompass information in personal, public, commercial, or work group databases." Accessing ISIS/Draw on the World Wide Web The World Wide Web version of ISIS/Draw can be downloaded from MDL's Home Page at http://www.mdli.com. Additional information and instructions are available at this location. MDL will officially debut its presence on the Internet World Wide Web June 1, 1995. What is ISIS/Draw? ISIS/Draw, MDL's client-based chemical drawing package, allows scientists to quickly and easily create presentation-quality chemical graphics. A program that thinks and works like a chemist, ISIS/Draw knows that a letter is an atom with valence limits; a line is a bond that attaches at correct lengths and angles; and that double bonds of aromatic ring systems are dynamic, changing with attachments made to the ring. Because ISIS/Draw sketches have chemical significance, scientists can use their drawings to build and access structure-searchable databases of reactions and 2D and 3D molecules. ISIS/Draw is a component of ISIS, the Integrated Scientific Information System for managing chemical information on both desktop and host computers. It is currently used by over 12,000 scientists in the world's leading pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and chemical companies. ____ /___/\ / /\ \/\ / /\/\ \/\ /_/\/__\ \/\ RTICLES: \_\/ \_\/ Book Reviews ------------ By Rob Slade Books ------------------------------------------ 1. "Introducing Computers" 2. "Internet Access Essentials" 3. "The Internet Passport" ------------------------------------------ "Introducing Computers", Robert Blissmer, 1995, 0-471-11360-3 %A Robert H. Blissmer %C 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012 %D 1995 %G 0-471-11360-3 %I John Wiley %O U$29.95 800-CALL-WILEY Fax: 212-850-6799 jdemarra@jwiley.com %P 322 %T "Introducing Computers" This is the usual style for a computer literacy text: fairly simplistic content, lots of pictures, questions (simple ones) at the end of each chapter. A quick flip through is heartening. Unlike the usual pictorial fare of Sixties' outfits and hairdos, these illustrations seem to be quite recent. Appearances, however, can be deceptive. The curriculum follows outlines from ten and twenty years ago. This does cover the basics, but says very little to current uses and emerging technologies. There is some new material, such as a rather good outline of object orientation. The newer 28,800 bps modems, however, are said to obtain their speed through data compression. (The section on viral programs is completely useless.) There are resources listed at the end of each chapter. Sometimes individual articles, always books, often magazines. Most of these citations are dated and not of significant importance or quality. Sometimes, the choice of a particular reference is very odd, given the topic of the chapter. The questions at the end of the chapter concentrate heavily on vocabulary (matching terms to definitions), true and false, and multiple choice--and then jump into some very heavy essay questions and projects. I suspect that little of any consequence will come from the projects, since their scope is quite simply beyond the average student at this level. Those who are being taught that registers are some vague part of the CPU are unlikely to be able to assess the comparative strengths of CISC and RISC architectures, even when you phrase the question in terms of Pentium and PowerPC. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKINTRCM.RVW 950310 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Internet Access Essentials", Tittel/Robbins, 1995, 0-12-691393-5 %A Ed Tittel 76376.606@compuserve.com etittel@zilker.net %A Margaret Robbins 75730.1451@compuserve.com mrobbins@bga.com %C 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495 %D 1995 %G 0-12-691393-5 %I AP Professional %O U$24.95 619-699-6362 619-699-6735 fax: 619-699-6380 app@acad.com %P 374 %T "Internet Access Essentials" The title, and particularly the word "access", suggests a book about getting connected, or "onto" the Internet. Maybe a little demystification of dial-up IP. Having reviewed two previous "Essentials" books, I suspected a book on how to connect your LAN to "the big one". A book of either description would be a valuable addition to the Internet library, but such is not to be, at least not yet. The preface states that what distinguishes the book is that (a) it is for beginners, and (b) it doesn't list everything, just the tools for you to find stuff. Sorry, but these are *not* distinctives. You will find the usual material here. History, concepts and background; the applications; miscellaneous stuff; the December, 1993 PDIAL list of access providers. Part three, titled "Resource Guide", is not a catalogue or list of resources; it's a rather random assortment of informaiton covering directory types services, access providers, once over lightly on dial-up IP software and a second run at Usenet and Gopher. The content is not hard to follow, but neither is it particularly easy for beginners. Block diagrams of IP, UDP and RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol) are not going to contribute to a neophyte's understanding. Experienced users will realize that such knowledge is not required for use of the net, and TCP programmers will have to go to other books, anyway. The information is basically good (although Internet experts will be startled to learn that "sendmail" is a "mail reader" at the user agent level). Compared to "Zen and the Art of the Internet" (cf. BKZENINT.RVW), however, one finds that the smaller book has the same amount of hard information, and more precise references to network resources. Compared to a similarly-sized work, such as "The Internet Navigator" (cf. BKINTNAV.RVW), ... well, there isn't much comparison. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995 BKINACES.RVW 950315 "The Internet Passport", NorthWestNet, 1995, 0-13-194200-X %A David Feiner Willard Robison %A Jonathan Patrick Kochmer %C 113 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 %D 1995 %G 0-13-194200-X %I Prentice Hall %O U$29.95/C$40.95 (515) 284-6751 FAX (515) 284-2607 beth_hespe@prenhall.com (206) 562-3000 fax: (206) 562-4822 passport@nwnet.net camares@mcimail.com %P 667 %T "The Internet Passport" Until recently, this was only available from NorthWestNet or a very select group of specialty bookstores. With the involvement of Prentice Hall in this edition, the work may see a wider distribution. This work is a fairly bare bones and no nonsense guide to the Internet. The book is orderly, and the explanations and illustrations are clear. Each chapter covers a single topic. Most chapters end with additional references, most often online materials or sources. The work is well researched and highly competent in most cases. There is, in the early chapters, a gracelessness to it which lacks any kind of appeal. What humour there is tends to seem somewhat contrived and sanitized: a topic on the hardware that connects computers on the Internet is subtitled "Router Rooters: 'Go Internet Go!'" Nevertheless, it is a thoroughly researched and valuable reference for those interested in using the resources of the Internet. Section one, which is also chapter one, is a brief introduction to the Internet. There is minor mention of the technologies and organizations involved in the Internet, as well as brief mention of Fidonet and UUCP. The bibliography is a very solid list of valuable titles, but would have had significantly more value with some annotation. Section two covers the basic tools and functions of the Internet. The topics are well chosen, starting with email, mail servers, mail gateways to other networks and systems, telnet and ftp. Chapter four discusses mail etiquette. This section, I am happy to note, gives more space to the topic than is usual. In the end, though, it comes down to a list of rules that reduce to "keep it short, keep on topic, be complete and don't mess up." It would be nice to see one of these essays tell people how and why flame wars start, which might help to avoid them. Chapter eight, following ftp, deals with file compression and archiving. Section three moves into the next level of sophistication, in terms of communications, with group discussions. As the book puts it, these are the "Community Forums" of the net. Chapters nine, ten and eleven deal very clearly, completely and usefully with Usenet, BITNET LISTSERVs and Internet mailing lists. I am noted for highly critical reviews: I find nothing of any substance wrong with this section, and recommend it highly and without reservation. Once again, the end of each chapter gives useful directions on how to find out further information, particularly the specifics of various LISTSERVs and mailing lists. Section four starts to look at the resources of the Internet as a library, with electronic journals, books, catalogues and data bases. Chapter fifteen is very similar to the catalog section of various works with listings of sites and resources by topic. Section five deals with exploration and retrieval tools, such as archie, gopher, WAIS, WWW and directory services. The final section contains specialized interests, becoming an information provider on the net, the use of the Internet in public education, health related issues and access to supercomputing facilities. The chapter on providing information is excellent, giving, very briefly, a background and detailed overview which is more reliable than those in works dedicated to "doing business" on the Internet. (A concise introduction to HTML would be a valuable addition.) The book concludes with several appendices. The most interesting are likely Appendix A, which gives suggestions of online sources of information about the Internet, and, B, which gives a short list of Internet access providers and methods. The glossary is very well done: not overblown with imposing numbers of entries, but good explanations of the important terms. The unprepossessing beginning of this work hides a very carefully researched and well organized reference for those wishing to get into the Internet and its resources. Unfortunately, this most recent edition does not show much development from the previous one. I am sorry to see the same weaknesses, and recnet references which could have covered some shortcomings ignored. Less flashy than some, it should nevertheless have a place on the desk of every serious Internet user. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993, 1995 BKINTPSP.RVW 950311 _____ / ___/\ / /\\\\/ / ___/\ / /\\\\/ /____/\ \\\\\\/ TC: Classifieds ----------- The classified ad section is free for anyone who would like to post an advertisement. There is a limit of 10 ads per issue, and 1 ad per person. Ads are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. There is a limit of 100 lines per ad. Anonymous postings are accepted, as well as non-computer related topics. By posting, your message will get to +/- 1880 people. 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Classes are either on-site (client's location) or in the Los Angeles area at AMULET's classroom facility. Currently, education for four contemporary software development platforms are available: Microsoft Access 2.0, CA-Clipper 5.2x, CA-Visual Objects and Borland dBASE 5.0 for DOS and Windows. All classes are personally taught by Dan D. Gutierrez, Contributing Editor for Data Based Advisor magazine and columnist for the monthly "Hardcore Clipper" column. Mr. Gutierrez has also authored two books, "CA-Clipper 5.2 Step by Step" and "dBASE IV Beyond the Basics", both published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. He is also a long time instructor of computer classes at UCLA Extension and holds a BS degree in computer science from UCLA. A C C E S S 2 . 0 E X P E R T S E R I E S ====================================================================== Become a Microsoft Access 2.0 expert by taking AMULET Consulting's Introduction to Access 2.0 two-day seminar. All major facets of this dynamic Windows based database system are covered: including database/ table design and creation, form and subform design, query design, report design, wizards, macros, OLE (object linking and embedding, and user interface considerations. This is a hands-on, interactive course. The attendee will gain practical experience actually using Access to solve business problems. This course is perfect for business people wishing to become rapidly productive with Access, the database component of the Microsoft Office suite. C L I P P E R E X P E R T S E R I E S ======================================================================= AMULET Consulting, is offering CA-Clipper 5.x education for corporate and government IS department developers. Four levels of instruction are available: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Object Oriented Clipper. If you are a developer who is interested in quickly getting up to speed with this dynamic language, now is the time! Here are some of the topics covered in the beginning level seminar: the Clipper 5.x development environment, basic language constructs, the preprocessor, subprograms including procedures and user defined functions (UDFs), scope and lifetime rules, code blocks, arrays, database access including RDDs, the Order Management System, predefined classes, TBrowse and TBColumn. The Beginning Level course is especially suited for Summer '87 release and Xbase programmers desiring to move into Clipper 5. All sessions are two-day lecture/hands-on discussions of various programming techniques. Attendees of the Beginning Level seminar get a FREE copy of the book "CA- Clipper Step by Step" by Dan D. Gutierrez. The Intermediate level seminar focuses on application development issues such as advanced user interface techniques using various windowing and menuing constructs, as well as basic network programming. The Advanced level seminar is a robust look at Clipper pre- defined objects and internals, including modifying the GET system, User Defined Commands, advanced use of TBrowse, the ERROR system, and more network programming. The series culminates with an introduction to Object Oriented Clipper. For this purpose, the Class(y) object oriented extension library will be used for demonstrating OOP techniques in applications development. C A - V I S U A L O B J E C T S E X P E R T S E R I E S ======================================================================== As the exciting CA-Visual Objects product by Computer Associates nears shipment, you can get quickly up to speed with all the new technology by attending this special 2-day seminar "Introduction to CA-Visual Objects". Here you'll learn how to migrate your existing CA-Clipper and Xbase code to VO, how to use the new visual tools, browsers and editors. We also cover all the new language components available in VO, including the object oriented constructs and integrated class libraries. Take this timely course to prepare yourself for the release of VO sometime late '94 or early '95. Don't be caught off guard like when Clipper 5 first shipped. Get a head start now! U S I N G d B A S E 5 . 0 F O R D O S / W I N D O W S ======================================================================== This two-day seminar is designed for individuals having little or no experience with PC database software. You are introduced to the concepts behind using relational database software by examining table design and creation, using the dBASE 5.0 design surfaces, GUI object creation, and application development for the non-programmer using the dBASE Applications Generator. The class also covers data entry form and report creation. This class is perfect for business PC users desiring to understand the concepts of managing data using the popular dBASE product line from Borland International. We have one seminar for dBASE 5.0 for DOS and another for dBASE 5.0 for Windows. D B A S E 5 . 0 P R O G R A M M I N G ======================================================================== This two-day seminar provides a well rounded look at the Borland dBASE 5.0 for DOS and Windows programming environment. It is especially designed for those wishing to develop professional applications with the Borland product line. We have one seminar for dBASE 5.0 for DOS and another for dBASE 5.0 for Windows. X B A S E P R O G R A M M I N G ======================================================================== This two-day seminar is specifically designed for those with no prior programming experience who wish to investigate the exciting world of database application design and implementation. In this class, students learn about "The World of Xbase". Discussions will include the examination of all major Xbase dialects including dBASE 5.0, FoxPro 2.6 and CA-Clipper 5.2. The course focuses on the "lowest common denominator" features found in all Xbase dialects. This course is a great place to begin and/or enhance your career as a PC software developer. COSTS: All sessions are $550 for two full days of instruction. Attendees get complete course materials and samples of topics covered. Corporate and group discounts are available. Special and custom seminars can also be accommodated. You can call the company, AMULET Consulting, at (310) 798- 3985 Ext. 21 to get more information. You may also FAX your request for information to (310) 798-3985. FAX inquiries please include: "ATTN: Dept. 21" on your cover sheet. Via electronic means, you may contact AMULET Consulting on CompuServe at (73317,646), Internet at amulet@ix.netcom.com or on the AMULET:vc BBS at (310) 374-6999. Please mention "Dept. 21" in all of your transmissions. Reprinted by permission of AMULET Consulting --- PRODUCT REVIEW: "Online Profits " The Monthly Newsletter for Electronic Marketers Published by InfoLink Editor: S. C. Allen Review by: Dan D. Gutierrez, President of AMULET Consulting Worldwide NetMarketing(tm) Professionals, Online conference: AMULET:vc BBS, (310) 374-6999 Internet: amulet@ix.netcom.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- As a principal in a company that derives a significant amount of its revenue from services performed on the "Net", I was pleasantly surprised to learn of a new newsletter that focuses on the marketing aspect of doing business using electronic information networks. I found Online Profits, touted as "the monthly newsletter for electronic marketers", to be an excellent guide to pursuing business goals on the Net. The scope of Online Profits is broad enough to encompass both exclusive "Net businesses" such as mine as well as traditional businesses (e.g. manufacturers, publishers, distributors, importers, etc.) that wish to explore business opportunities on the Net. Just before stumbling upon this publication, I had begun the search for some authoritative source for new ideas and resources for companies such as mine. I quickly found a few special interest freebie and somewhat irregular news sheets floating around the various information networks, but none were of a professional style nor had consistent late-breaking content that I sought; that is until I found Online Profits. What I like about Online Profits is that the publisher understands the urgency that exists for savvy entrepreneurs to take advantage of the plethora of opportunities surrounding commerce on the Net. While reading its well balanced collection of articles, Online Profits gives me the belief that there is a distinct window of opportunity for businesses to enter the online game in order to gain an important early foothold on an explosion about to happen. From the direction the publisher has initially taken, I'm excited to wait for more insight in upcoming issues. In the premier issue (January 1995) the publisher provides a list of topics intended for coverage in upcoming issues: o New methods for putting $'s in your pockets o Fail proof ways to add value to your BBS o What you can sell online and how you can sell it, without getting flamed. o How to market inexpensively or for FREE. o Ways for you to make money even when a caller calls another BBS. o How to list your business for FREE on the Internet. o The cheapest ways to open your business on the Internet. o The hottest showings at recent trade shows. o In-depth coverage of major opportunities like Mecklerweb and Business Information Centers with advertising case histories. Each of these topic groups contain new ideas that one can easily implement immediately. For example, in the premiere issue I found a discussion of the "electronic marketplace," illustrating several areas where a business can take advantage of the Internet "gold rush," as it's described within. I had not previously considered several of these areas. In addition, numerous examples of "virtual stores" and "billboard services" were given, complete with e-mail addresses that one can contact for more information. I was also introduced to free listing services that provide advertising avenues that one might otherwise pass up. I was shown how I can get a listing in the Internet Business Pages directory and as my company also runs a BBS system, I was happy to find a full discussion of the CRIS network and their BBS DIRECT service. Probably the best part of Online Profits is its recommendations about marketing online. I found the discussion of "electrilla marketing" techniques for approaching an Internet marketing campaign to be insightful and stimulating. I've already tried out several recommendations with good success. The issue also provided some timely highlights describing an existing marketing organization, CommerceNet, which illustrated how one pioneering organization is already taking the "baby steps" necessary for taking advantage of new frontiers. The main thing that drew me to Online Profits was that it was thought provoking. It made me think about the resources and techniques being discussed and apply them to my own business. I felt challenged to try things I never thought of trying and I look forward to the following months' issues as a regular source of free flowing ideas with which I can experiment. The only thing missing from the premier issue is information about probably the most explosive component of the Internet these days, the World Wide Web. I do hear, however, that the publisher has made the WWW a major focus in the next issue. Although some will call the annual subscription rate of $147 a bit pricey, if the quality remains high, it will prove valuable enough to justify the cost. Like a seminar, if I get one good idea that I can translate into increased income, then it is well worth the money. Besides, it comes with a full years refund policy, not the usual pro-rated "for unshipped issues only" stuff. That offers me a certain sense of confidence. My bottomline recommendation in this product review is that Online Profits represents a valuable source of information, resources and ideas for any company that currently maintains a presence on the Net or wishes to establish such a presence at some point. The timing is excellent for this publication. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordering information: InfoLink 56089 Twentynine Palms Highway, Suite 254-FG21 Yucca Valley, CA 92284 1-800-776-3818 Ext. FG21 1-619-228-9653 Ext. FG21 FAX: 1-619-369-1185 Dept. FG21 Annual subscription: 12 issues $147 ($170 outside the US and Canada) ---End Classified Ads--- __ / /\ / / / / /_/_ /_____/\ \_____\/ ighter Side -------------------- Here is some more holy wisdom from the Great Oracle: ***********The Usenet Oracle has pondered your question deeply. ***********Your question was: Oh mighty Oracle who's vast and great knowledge always serves to deepen the thoughts of us humble supplicants, I have had a terrible thought which only an answer from your great self will settle, what would happen if the major software and hardware comapanies ruled the universe? ***********And in response, thus spake the Oracle: My child, they already do. IHS -- the sacred Name -- truly stands for "Iesus' Hardware and Software." Black holes are where God was dividing by zero. God contracted out for the creation of duckbill platypuses, of giraffes, and of manatees. Only those who have had their Soul Program backed up on the Great Cosmic Hard Drive will survive the next Minor Revision of the Universe. God wishes to upgrade this Universe's Software, to move beyond object-oriented methods into something truly modern. Have you not noticed the sexual frustration of Her Prophets? That One of them calls itself "Unix", another calls itself "Microsoft," one product is called a "floppy disk" may give you a qabalistic clue of this tension, which is a part of the Yin of this universe. If you wish further enlightenment, before May 1 send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me and ask for a copy of the "Our Lady of the Endless Algorithm" pamphlet. You have made the Oracle glad with your question. The Oracle merely requests a cushioned wrist-wrest for Her Temple's keyboards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Computer News is Copyright (C) 1995 by Olcay Cirit. All Rights Reserved. ALL TRADEMARKS/COPYRIGHTS CONTAINED HEREIN, MARKED OR UNMARKED, BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. THE TEXTS CONTAINED HEREIN MAY BE REDISTRIBUTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART PROVIDED THAT THE ARTICLE REMAIN INTACT AND THAT THE ABOVE NOTICE BE DISPLAYED. INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND FREEDOM FROM INFRINGEMENT. THIS ARTICLE MAY NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE RESOLD OR REDISTRIBUTED IN ANY FORM FOR ANY COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM MR. 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