Hello once more. 8BS Charges ~~~~~~~~~~~ I have included on this issue a copy of the 8BS charges article to be found on TBI-00. Basically the only change is the way 8BS supplies software from the pool. Here is the reason: Recently I have been having to spend more and more time reformatting badly formatted discs (formatted only one side), or writing letters explaining to people that have sent High Density Discs explaining why they should not be used (the 8BS disc drives will not grip the hubless HD discs), or replying to people and re-copying when their discs have become faulty. The vast majority of discs that cause problems are those discs not supplied by 8BS. So it is with regret that I now make the following rule: You may send your own disc for the latest issue, TBI-00 update or when submitting software for the pool and requesting software from the pool in exchange. 8BS supplies the disc in all other cases. I explained in the last issue that my employment circumstances have changed (see below) recently. Unfortunately 8BS will have to "tick over" for a while. I am looking for ways to lighten the burden. The above change will save me a lot of time. I finally decided to make this change today (18/9/96) after spending at least one hour of my valuable time responding to various problems caused by non-8BS supplied discs. Changes to the Pool ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are the discs that have been added to the pool or have had alterations made to them since issue 51: JGH 002 Updated JGH 012 Updated Janny Looyenga has sent the usual bundle of 512 software. Remember that you need a Master 512 to run this software: 512-65 TWO 360 K IBM discs. The Lotus 1-2-3 Learning System. 512-66 360K IBM Dungeons and Dragons game. 512-67 360K IBM Life Forms. Use it or Lose it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A lot of you must know Jon Ripley. He flooded 8BS with submissions a few months ago. He was so prolific that I suggested he start up his own disc based magazine. This he did. He has not really had a very encouraging response. Please give him a look over! Write to: Jon Ripley EBTEL ~~~~~ The foetus is still developing. I shall repeat the text from issue 51: EBTEL (8BS Telephone Network) The Plan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Andrew Nelson has loaned 8BS an SJ fileserver. To follow is a 450 meg hard drive. This will enable me to place the whole 8BS pool onto the hard disc. The idea is that I shall eventually make the fileserver available to YOU over the telephone. Jonathan Harston is writing 8BS communications software that will make connecting to 8BS as simple as booting up the 8BS magazine. Software will be written so that you can: 1. Write messages off-line to send them over the phone for use either in the magazine or to be left for someone else to pick up via their telephone. 2. Receive any messages waiting for you 3. Browse the 8BS pool 4. Download specific files from the 8BS pool 5. Upload files to me 6. Chat with me This is how it will work: You get a modem and the 8BS EBTEL utility disc. The disc contains everything that you need to get you going. SHIFT+BREAK before going on-line, and from the menu, select what you want to do whilst on-line. Go on-line and carry out the selected tasks. Examine the results off-line. The time on-line will be kept to a minimum, theoretically, the EBTEL software will do everything quickly without you having to intervene. This should keep your costs quite low. A system of "call back" may be used. Basically this means that those of you who would pay more to ring 8BS than 8BS can call you for can be in credit with 8BS and get 8BS to call you, thus saving you money. At first, only a few key members of 8BS will have access to the system as we debug and refine it. More on the system later, but start looking for a modem. If you are not sure about what to go for, go for the fastest, avoid those that require specific software to run them. If in doubt, don't get it and contact me. The idea is to keep the 8BS "look" and to have a similar setup to the 8BS magazine but on-line. A whole host of ideas have been discussed, any suggestions from the membership would be welcomed (the sooner the better!). Contact Jonathan Harston for advice on modems please. J.G.Harston 70 Camm Street Please remember to include return postage if you are writing. EBTEL UPDATE 10/96 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Never fear, despite me reducing the time I spend at the keyboard, the foetus of EBTEL is growing slowly. Jonathan Harston is writing the EBTEL software. I am still working on acquiring a hard disc for the file server. There is a core group of members who are developing the system. Since the last issue when the above text was first published, I have had at least another six members show a keen interest. Some are asking if their modem is suitable . I can't tell you as my expertise in communications is 0. This is where a user group is handy. Please contact Jonathan Harston for advice regarding modems. I hope to feature a helpful article soon. Me ~~ I am an Ambulance Paramedic at a nearby Ambulance station although for the last 5 months I have not worked there. I have been seconded into headquarters; firstly to rescue a computer system that was flagging and then to adapt a model in a software package called "Witness", used to try and win a patient transport service contract. Now I have been seconded for a further 6 months to set up clinical audit within the service. It would seem that my organisational skills have been spotted, it only took them 26 years! Unfortunately for 8BS this means that I temporarily cannot devote the same attention to running our little club that I have for the last few years. FEAR NOT! We are not going down the pan, far from it. Please bear with me for a while as 8BS "ticks over". You can help by keeping your requests simple and easy to understand. LIST your requirements rather than embedding them in code. Do not stop ordering stuff or sending submissions! Do not stop writing your letters, I do enjoy reading them, but cannot reply at length. If I have forgotten to reply to a particular question you asked, ask again, please do not think that I am being ignorant! I am sure you all understand that I require all of my limited brain power to accomplish my project at work. Then I must relax afterwards with my family rather than sitting beating away at this keyboard all night. I have realised now that in the past, when I worked shifts I had more time on my own at home where I could sort 8BS out. As it is, I have managed to reduce the time I spend each night on 8BS down to around 2 hours, which still adds up to quite a lot. An Admission ~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have purchased a PC. HERETIC! As Neil Parry would say. Feeble excuses now. It is mainly to help me with things I am doing at work (using EXCEL, ACCESS, and WOD FUR WINDERS, WITNESS and a couple of others. I have put all the club records into Access (an amazing relational database). This will enable me to produce interesting facts and figures quite quickly and certainly very easily. I have started collecting BBC emulators. Have any of you got any? I know there are a lot out there. I am considering putting them into the library. My EMAIL address is: 106427.1510@compuserve.com It will shortly be Chris_Richardson_12@compuserve.com Hint ~~~~ If you have a Master do this* Go into the directory or disc that this editorial contains. Type *EDIT Editori Press F5 type \I/YAHOO Press RETURN Thanks ~~~~~~ Thanks to Paul Clucas who finished this magazine off beautifully (I hope). I sent him a very raw 8BS-52 and he has finished it off. Including all of the fiddly bits that I have done in the past. It must have taken him ages, it has saved me a lot of time. Thanks Paul.