CompuNotes -- I need the program to make big ASCII Characters for
              a Unix compliant big title. I couldn't find one.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date  : December 1, 1995  |CompuNotes is a weekly publication available
Issue : 26                |through email and many fine on-line networks.
--------------------------|We cover the IBM computing world with
CompuNotes is published   |software/hardware reviews, news, hot web
4Point, Inc.,             |sites, cool FTP files and interviews. We also
135 W. Adams, Suite G9    |give away one software package a month to a
St. Louis, MO 63122       |lucky winner for just reading our fine
(314) 984-9691 voice      |publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we
(314) 984-9981 fax        |are here to bring you the way it is!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Backroom Workers:                            |We are always looking
Patrick Grote, Managing Editor (pg@supportu.com) |for people to write
Doug Reed, Games Editor (dreed@panda.uchc.edu)   |honest reviews for us.
Judy Litt, WebMaster (jlitt@aol.com)             |Send a message to
                                                 |REVIEW_LIST@supportu.com
-------------------------------------------------|for guidelines and
Every issue of CompuNotes ever published can be  |current products.
found at ftp.uu.net:/published/compunotes.       |First come, first served.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Our Web Site is at http://aol.users.com/CompNote/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
This Week's Contents:

My Notes:
1)  New format, new web site, first contest, editors wanted and list
    problems!

News:

1)  Creative Labs Drops Idea of Buying Reveal
2)  Delrina Comm Suite is Runner Up

Reviews:
1)  NetViz Network Diagramming for Windows from NetViz by Danny Williams
    danny@ctrust.com
2)  Shanghai Greatest Moments Game CDROM from Activision by Steve
    Lozowski - SLozowsk@sms-hdx.mhs.compuserve
3)  Atari Action Packs 1 and 2 CDROM for Windows95 from Activision by
    Gerry Imhoff - imhoffgj@maritz.com

Web Sites:
1)  A Virtual Beauty Community
2)  Teacher's Resources on the Web

FTP File:
1)  The Best Text Editor for OS/2 - Boxer!

Interview:
1)  Robert Moskowitz, head of the American Telecommuting Association

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Patrick's News
         Being The Publisher and Managing Editor Has Its Perks!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW LOOK
--------
    Well, as you can tell we have a new masthead format. I do need one
more thing to polish it off . . . A program that makes big letter
characters. I want a cool looking title that is ok for transfer on Unix
systems. Anyone have a program? Better yet, anyone have a title? If you
submit a title or a new masthead, and we adopt it, we'll send you two
software titles as a reward!

NEW WEB SITE
------------
    We have joined the 90s! After my attempt at a Web page I knew we
needed a professional! BTW, to see my page look at
http://www.crl.com/~supportu/. Judy Litt of QuaLitty Designs designed
and is going to maintain our web page. The web page will always been a
week behind the text version, but please put it on your own homepages.
The more folks who are exposed to CompuNotes the safer the world will
be.

FIRST GIVEAWAY
--------------
    Before the next issue is published we will have randomly selected a
name from the ranks of our subscribers to win a software package! Good
luck and may the force be with you.

EDITORS WANTED
--------------
    Do you write for CompuNotes? Want more exposure? We are looking for
editors to put on the masthead. An editor is responsible for reviewing
two products a month in their field and also conducting one interview a
month with someone in their field. The benefits include first rights to
request software to review, business cards and admission as press into
conventions. Send a message to pg@supportu.com if you are interested.

LISTSERV ISSUES
---------------
    Last week our listserv went a little nuts. First, it cut off the
message at 32k. We fixed that. Second, it sent out two copies of
CompuNotes, which was my fault. The good news is that this week should
be perfect! I'll tell you, sending one message is much nicer than
sending almost 10,000!
    Below is the interview that didn't make it into last issue:

--------------------------------
START INTERVIEW FROM LAST ISSUE|
--------------------------------
    I am humbled by Roger Kresge. My main business is network and
computer consulting and in my main business I am the terminator. I'm the
guy they call when they've tried everything and can't fix it. Roger is
the guy I call when I can't figure it out <grin>
    So, why do you care we are interviewing Roger? Well, he not only
possesses the knowledge of three normal people, but he freely shares this
information on various messages forums such as RIME and Usenet. He never
tires of answering the same questions again and again and is never at a
a loss with a possible solution. It is because of people like Roger that
the on-line world is prospering and growing. Well, Roger and private
chat rooms <grin>

            You can contact Roger at roger.kresge@labb.com!

PG: You are quite a qualified fellow professionally. Can you list your
qualifications and describe them? With the Novell qualifications can you
touch upon what it took to make it there?
 
RK: Novell CNA, CNE, ECNE and CNI.  Soon to be Master CNE as well.  4+
years learning PCs starting as a hobbyist, then into telephone tech
support (and network specialist), and finally as a systems engineer and
classroom instructor.
 
I found that I was very interested in networking, so worked extremely
hard at learning everything I could get my hands on.  Most of the
knowledge that goes into the certifications is self-taught and/or based
on much field experience.  In addition to the certifications I've had
articles published in trade magazines like "Network Administrator", and
co-authored a self-teaching book (yet to be published) on obtaining a
Novell CNE.
 
PG: What is the question you are asked most when it comes to supporting
a NetWare network? Why do you think folks ask it?
 
RK: I don't think there is any one question, but I see an awful lot of
people who don't bother to read the manuals.  I think they expect that
managing a NetWare network and file server will be something they can
play around with until they get it right, and they forget that their
company's entire operation is riding on the availability of their
network.  Guesswork doesn't work.
 
PG: Obviously you don't answer questions on-line for a living. What do
you do for a living?
 
RK: Primarily spend my time working as a Consulting Engineer for Inacom
Information Systems in Lancaster/Harrisburg, PA.  I consult on the
design, implementation, installation, configuration, maintenance, etc.,
of customer networks large and small.  I've worked on everything from
"mom and pop" shop 5 node networks to Fortune 500 multinational
networks.
 
PG: Do you think the direction Novell is taking is good or bad?
 
RK: Yes.  <g>  Seriously, there is good and bad in everything.  They
make great products, but can't market for squat.  Microsoft makes
pathetic to mediocre products but has an incredible marketing machine.
I'd like to think that quality product will succeed over marketing hype,
but I'm also afraid the hype may win out in the end.
 
PG: There have been recent changes in the CNE program. Is this how you
would have changed it to make it better? If so, why? If not, why?
 
RK I'd have gone to the current "performance-based" testing years ago.
I'm glad Novell has added an across-the-board requirement for
certification in NDS for all future CNE candidates.
 
PG: Describe some of your hands on networking experience in real life.
What was the most challenging installation you have wrestled with?
 
RK: That's gotta be the 60-site frame relay network I helped build for a
two-county consortium of public school systems.  It included routing
requirements for Appletalk using AURP, TCP/IP primarily for management,
allowance for IPX in the future, and was required to bridge LAT.  The
hardest part of it may have been designing the addressing scheme.  But
then again, it may have been even more difficult getting educators to
understand and cooperate with my company's need to make a profit (i.e.,
my team was not on an unlimited time budget).
 
PG: What hobbies do you have?
 
RK: Computers, reading science fiction, and I'd like to get into model
railroading when my younger son finally moves out to go to college next
year.
 
PG: What is your home computer setup like? Do you have a LAN at home? If
so, describe it.
 
RK: I've got a NetWare v4.1 file server running on a NEC Powermate
386-16, 10Base2 with a spare connection for my Compaq Aero laptop, plus
a 486DX2-66 that I built myself from parts.  The network is primarily
used for testing and experimenting.
 
PG: What type of music do you like? What groups?
 
RK: In my previous career I was a radio personality/disc jockey for
nearly 20 years.  My preference leans toward oldies, but my car radio is
tuned to the local classical music station.  I can't stand most
commercial radio that I hear today, so I don't listen to it.
 
PG: What sports do you like? Why?
 
RK: To watch, hockey (Philadelphia Flyers and the AHL's Hershey Bears),
baseball, football.  To play, I used to play a lot of tennis.  Today I
coach a slow-pitch softball team in the local church league, and play
pitcher and first base.
    
                         --- END INTERVIEW ---
------------------------------------------------------------------------
   NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . .
       All News (C)opyright  Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creative Labs Drops Plans to Buy Reveal|
----------------------------------------
    SINGAPORE, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq:
CREAF), today announced that its Board of Directors has decided not to
proceed with the contemplated acquisition of Reveal Computer Products,
Inc., as previously announced on October 25, 1995.  As a result, the
agreement to acquire Reveal has been terminated by Creative.
    Creative terminated the merger agreement under an express provision
of the Agreement permitting it to do so at its sole discretion.  The
reasons for this election include the negative reaction of the financial
markets and certain major shareholders to the merger -- which, in turn,
were based on the substantial additional debt required for the merged
entity, the perceived negative effects of the merger on the combined
company's future results of operations, and the perceived demands on
management resource es it would create.  These concerns and others arose
subsequent to the execution of the merger agreement and convinced
management that the potential short term disruptions caused by the
proposed merger would be greater than anticipated and would not be
adequately off-set by anticipated long term strategic gains.
    The Board has authorized management to pay the breakup fee
stipulated by the Agreement if so requested by Reveal and if management
believes such a break-up fee is called for.  The Directors do not
anticipate any material adverse consequences resulting either from
termination of the Agreement or from any payment of the break-up fee.
    Creative Technology Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets a family
of sound, video, software telephony multimedia products for PCs under
the Blaster(TM) family name, and the ShareVision line of desktop video
conferencing products for Macintoshes and PCs.  The company's Sound
Blaster(R) sound platform enables PCs to produce high-quality audio for
entertainment, educational, music and productivity applications, and has
been accepted as the industry standard sound platform for PC-based
software.
    Creative Technology Ltd. was incorporated in 1983 and is based in
Singapore.  Creative Technology's U.S. subsidiaries include Creative
Labs, Inc., E-mu Systems(R), Inc., Digicom Systems, Inc. and
ShareVision(R) Technology, Inc.  Creative also has other subsidiaries in
Australia, China, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and
Taiwan.  The company's stock is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol CREAF
and on the Stock Exchange of Singapore.
    Sound Blaster is a registered trademark and Blaster is a trademark
of Creative Technology Ltd.  E-mu is a registered trademark of E-mu
Systems, inc. and ShareVision is a registered Trademark of ShareVision
Technology, Inc.  All other products mentioned herein are trademarks of
their respective owners and are hereby recognized as such.

----------------------------------------------------------
Delrina CommSuite 95 runner-up for prestigious BYTE Award|
----------------------------------------------------------
    CUPERTINO, Calif., Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Symantec Corporation
(Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced that pcANYWHERE32 for Windows 95 and NT
was honored with The Best of COMDEX/Fall award from BYTE Magazine in the
communications category.  pcANYWHERE32 was announced at COMDEX/Fall and
is an exciting new software solution for Windows 95 and NT that provides
fast and easy remote control and file transfer to PCs or networks from
the home or on the road.  Also announced at COMDEX/Fall was Delrina's
CommSuite 95, which came in second place in the communications category.
Since Symantec recently acquired Delrina, the first and second place
wins make Symantec the clear leader in desktop communications software.
    "We are proud to accept this honor from BYTE Magazine and the
validation that pcANYWHERE32 continues to be the clear choice for remote
access and file transfer for Windows 95 and NT users," said Gordon E.
Eubanks, Jr. Symantec president and CEO.  "We are also proud that
Symantec and Delrina together comprise the most powerful desktop
communications software offering on the market today."
    The Best of COMDEX/Fall award is considered one of the computer
industry's most sought-after recognitions.  When evaluating eligible
products for the annual awards program, BYTE editors look for innovative
new products that demonstrate strong potential influence and impact on
business computers worldwide and have strong impact on show attendees.
    pcANYWHERE32 is the only product of its kind to offer remote
control, file transfer and general communications with modem, cable and
LAN connections across Windows 95 and Windows NT in one box, with the
cable included at no charge.  The new program is a true 32-bit
application that allows users to take full advantage of the benefits of
either operating system and is compatible with other pcANYWHERE versions
to access DOS and Windows 3.1 systems.  pcANYWHERE32 is the ideal remote
access product for IS Managers concerned about supporting multiple
operating systems and secure entry to the corporate network and for
traveling sales and business managers who need simple, fast and easy
access to both applications and data.
    Delrina's CommSuite 95, available in December, is the complete
communications solution for Windows 95 that delivers full-featured,
integrated applications for fax, voice, telephony, Internet access, data
communications, e-mail and paging.  It is designed to attract the
non-technical mass market to computer-based communications, while
providing the necessary "power" features for more advanced users.
CommSuite 95 includes the full-featured versions of: WinFax PRO 7.0, the
best way to send, receive and manage faxes for Windows 95; CyberJack
7.0, the best way to access the full power of the Internet; WinComm PRO
7.0, a powerful communications software for easy access to bulletin
boards, on-line services, and host sessions; TalkWorks 7.0, the WinFax
telephony option which gives the power of voicemail with the ease-of-use
of the home answering machine; and Delrina CommBar that sits on the
desktop and reports the communications status of the computer, whether
the user is using fax, data, e-mail or telephony.
    Symantec Corporation develops markets and supports a complete line
of application and system software products designed to enhance
individual and workgroup productivity as well as manage networked
computing environments.  Platforms supported include IBM personal
computers and compatibles, Apple Macintosh computers as well as all
major network operating systems.  Founded in 1982, the company has
offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe.
Information on the company and its products can be obtained by calling
800-441-7234 toll free, or 541-334-6054.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product:        NetViz 2.0                       |
Reviewed By:    Danny Williams (danny@ctrust.com)|
--------------------------------------------------
    Ten years ago, your company might have had two IBM PC's sitting one
one desk in the same office. It was trivially easy to know all there was
to know about your computer and communications resources. Now you might
find yourself keeping track of 1,000 computers, routers, hubs, and LAN
and WAN links spread across 10 domestic cities and another three
abroad. You certainly can't keep track of it in your head any more, and
even the gigantic, taped-up, scribbled-on paper chart on the wall has
become cumbersome to maintain. If any of this sounds familiar, you need
NetViz.
    At first blush, NetViz looks like another template based drawing
program like Corel Chart or Vizio. NetViz goes much deeper, however.
Like its little cousins, NetViz provides customizable collections of
equipment symbols on a "Node Pallets." To put a router in your drawing,
for example, just drag the router picture from the Pallet and drop it
where you want it. Lots of links are available, like 10BaseT, T1, or
Serial, to connect your equipment together. With just this, it is quick
and easy to draw an accurate diagram of a single LAN.
    Diagrams are nice, but need some data behind them to really make
them useful. Each item dropped on the diagram can have attached to it an
"attribute table" that lists such things as the name of who's using the
computer, in which room the computer is located, what software is loaded
and licensed on it, what expansion cards are installed, how much RAM and
how much disk. Although NetViz won't reach out across the network and do
the inventory for you, it will dump and load this data externally via
ASCII files.
    This is all fine for one LAN, but what about the Cairo office? What
about Rome? Heck, what about the building just across the street? Of
course such a diverse drawing would become unmanagable complex very
quickly. The solution in NetViz is creating separate drawings for each
local network, then linking them together into a hierarchal master
drawing. This way, you can diagram your LAN in one drawing, diagram the
LAN for the office across the street in another drawing, then connect
them showing the wireless microwave link you used to bridge the gap. The
links between the drawings mimics the actual links between the networks.
    This holds true even as the scale gets bigger. An international
organization would end up with a map of the world and red circles on
each office. Links between the remote locations show whether it is a
T1/E1, satellite, or whatever. Click on an office to  zoom into that
office, looking at the floor plan and a graphical depiction of where
every piece of equipment is located. Click a computer, and see the
manifest of what that computer contains.
    NetViz comes on CD-ROM to make the installation easy if you have a
CD-ROM drive, and on  six 3.5" diskettes to make it possible otherwise.
There is no option to run from the CD, but during the instal l you can
select parts not to install - notably the maps and graphics filters. Of
the 57Mb default CD installation, 39Mb are maps of countries, states and
counties. Installing from the floppies offers only a subset of the maps.
The maps carry a high cost in disk space, perhaps, but are quite
valuable in presenting a clear picture of the organization of far-flung
networks, and you can select grow ups of maps (counties only, for
instance) if your networks won't soon be going national or
international. Likewise, if you don't anticipate using some of the
dozens of graphics filters available, then omit them at installation and
save some space. You can always go back later and install and stray ones
you might need.
    NetViz requires Windows, so I tried  NetViz on a 75 Mhz Pentium with
8Mb running Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and it ran great. The same
machine with Windows 95 required a small patch downloaded from Quyen's
BBS, but then ran as advertised. Under Windows95, however, the patch
made it more difficult to go back and load different maps or filters
from the install program.
 
                               NetViz 2.0
                          Queyen Systems Inc.
                     1300 Piccard Drive, Suite 108
                      Rockville, MD  20850 U.S.A.
                          (301) 258-5087 Phone
                           (301) 258-5088 Fax

------------------------------------------------------------------
Product:        Shanghai: Great Moments (Windows)                |
Reviewed By:    Steve Lozowski (SLozowsk@sms-hdx.mhs.compuserve) |
Reviewed on:    486 DX-33, 16 MB RAM, Double Speed CD-ROM        |
------------------------------------------------------------------
    Shanghai: Great Moments is a Windows CD-ROM that puts some new
twists on a classic puzzle game. Shanghai is a game of matching tiles in
an attempt to clear all of them from the board, based on Mah-Jongg. It
is not just a matter of luck and seeing the matches, however. Some
strategy is needed to determine which tiles to remove in what order,
when you have more than one match to choose from. This can affect your
chances at winning, as many tiles are often buried under those showing
on the top of the pile.
    With Shanghai: Great Moments, the traditional game has been expanded
to four unique games, with nine different tile sets to choose from.
Along with each tile set comes multimedia features that liven up the
game. Each tile set has different music, sound effects, cursors, and
either video clips or animation that plays when tiles are matched. If
you complete a game, there is a short windowed "reward" movie that
plays, also related to the theme of the tile set.
    One of the multimedia features of the game is video clips of
Rosalind Chao, star of the Joy Luck club. She introduces the game at the
start, and bids you farewell when you quit. In between, there is a gray
picture of her in the lower left corner of the screen as you play.
Clicking on this makes her picture larger, surrounded by options for
"Find a Match", "Lite Strategy", "Deep Strategy", and "What Do I Do
Now...?". "Find a Match" is useful if your are totally stuck, but the
computer will show you the first match it finds, not necessarily the
best. "Lite Strategy" and "Deep Strategy" give you basic tips. There is
advanced strategy clues in the Help option from the window menu, and in
the Player's Guide.
    For puzzle fans, this game could be played many times without
getting stale. The Classic Shanghai game has thirteen variations itself,
some harder than others. Beijing allows you to match free tiles or slide
a row of tiles to make a match. This game tracks high scores in the
"Wall of Fame", and rewards more points for matches made by sliding
tiles. The Great Wall has tiles that fall if they are not supported from
below, and a magnetism option that draws falling tiles against those on
lower levels. There are three set-up variations to The Great Wall.
Action Shanghai complicates the game by adding new tiles as you play.
This can be set from Easy, with new tiles every twelve seconds, to Hard,
with new tiles appearing every six seconds.
    In addition to the combinations of these four games with the nine
different tile sets, there is a two-player option for all the games
except Action Shanghai. In these games, both players are using the same
tiles. You can have the computer count the total time for alternating
turns, with the lowest time at the end winning. Or you can have the
computer set a limit for each turn, with the highest score from matched
tiles winning.
    A tournament mode takes one or two players through twelve levels of
different games. There is also a contemplation mode that can be set for
Classic Shanghai, The Great Wall, and Action Shanghai. This operates
like the game "Concentration", with all tiles upside down. You must use
your memory to find matches.
    I really enjoyed this game. The biggest drawback is a delay when you
change tile sets. It takes about two minutes to "decompress sprites."
The first time this happened I was a little disappointed. I was changing
to the Science Fiction tile set. But after the delay, I was very
impressed. This was my favorite tile set. With eerie background music,
you get small pictures of movie sci-fi scenes on each tile. When you
make a match, short video clips from the movies play. I liked the videos
from tile sets such as this one much better than the animation in other
sets.
    When I played the Music tile set, I was initially disappointed at
what I considered trite animations. But these could appeal to children,
making Shanghai: Great Moments truly a family game. I found some of the
tiles sets very hard to recognize. Inventions had so many picture of men
with beards or mustaches, it was hard to pick them out from the small
tiles. Other sets were easier on the eyes and mind.
    In summary, this is a great game for puzzle fans. And if you've
never played a game like this before, but want a break from shoot-em-up
and arcade-style actions games, you should consider Shanghai: Great
Moments. Activision has also released a version of this for Windows 95,
which was not reviewed.
 
                               Activision
                             P.O. Box 67713
                         Los Angeles, CA 90067
                             (310) 479-5644
                       CompuServe: GO ACTIVISION
                    URL: http://www.activision.com/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product:        Activision Atari 2600 Action Pack 1 and 2 for Windows95|
Reviewed By:    Gerry Imhoff (imhoffgj@maritz.com)                     |
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Whoa!  Blast from the past.  The only thing missing was the black
and white TV with the broken antenna I used to play these on.  Back in
the days of the canary yellow leisure suit I wore to my 8th grade
graduation.  I ve often told my wife about how cool I looked in it, but
she can't stop laughing long enough to hear any more of the story.  You
should have seen the shirt and the shoes... I digress.  Back to the
review.  I have to believe most people who had a pulse in the early 80 s
played at least one of these games.  I remember teaching my mom, who was
in her mid-60's at the time, to play Chopper Command.  I expected her to
give up after about 30 seconds,  only to find that I had to wrestle the
controller away from her after a half hour of surprisingly intense
effort.
    Activision's early success certainly supports my theory that just
about everyone had exposure to these classic Atari games.  Two years
after they were founded, Activision s sales jumped from $6 to $60
million.  Not a bad year.  Funny thing, I remember I used to think the
Activision games were so much better than the Atari-label games because
they had such awesome graphics.  My, how things have changed.  Myst,
these are not.  But I still had a blast playing these in 1995, given the
fact that I first played them before I could drive.
    Activision s Atari 2600 Action Pack 1 and 2 for Windows 95 consists
of the following classic games:  Action Pack 1; Boxing, Chopper Command,
Cosmic Commuter, Crackpots, Fishing Derby, Freeway, Frostbite, Grand
Prix, H.E.R.O., Kaboom!, Pitfall!, River Raid, Seaquest, Sky Jinks, and
Spider Fighter; Action Pack 2; Atlantis, Barnstorming, Dolphin,
Dragster, Enduro, Ice Hockey, Keystone Kapers, Laser Blast, Megamania,
Oink!, Plaque Attack, River Raid II, Skiing, Stampede, and Tennis.
    I'm not going to go into any detail on the games whatsoever, because
each game is EXACTLY as you remember them.  They are an exact port from
the Atari 2600.  Same choppy block graphics we thought were rocket
science in 1982. Same "bong...boop" sounds our mom s used to yell at us
to turn down while they were cooking dinner.  I could almost smell the
meatloaf I never told her I didn t really like.  These games are a great
mindless diversion that will remind you of simpler times.  Before we had
to worry about corporate downsizing, NetWare vs. NT Server, Firewalls,
or saving for our kid's college education.  Which brings up something
that surprised me.  My 4-year old often gets frustrated with some of the
games I ve gotten for him, usually because of the need to do several
things at once like watch a meter, run, jump, pick up health, and shoot.
He LOVED this offering from Activision.  Spacebar and arrow keys.  What
could be easier?  And I thought it was tough to get my mom to quit
playing 15 years ago.
    The Windows 95 Autoplay file launches the install procedure upon
insertion of the CD.  After  a few seconds of activity, icons for each
of the 15 games appear on the screen, in addition to a small number of
utilities such as On-line registration, Help, Credits, Uninstall, and
others. Uninstall removes the 1MB or so of game files that the Autoplay
install put on your hard drive.  Thank you very much.  I need every
ounce of that 1GB.  Can you believe we actually complain about having
"only" 1GB these days?
    Help...Game History reveals some interesting tidbits on the original
game designers, including what they re doing now and what inspired them
to create the original games.  It provided entertaining reading and
further examples of the changes we've seen in the last 15-plus years.
    Finally, from the "Never admit defeat and resort to looking in the
manual" department,  the only trouble I had was trying to exit the first
game I played.  When I tried to move my mouse pointer onto the game
window so I could select File...Exit, the mouse pointer would disappear.
Tried a bunch of things including trying to kill the game from the Task
Manager.  With each failed attempt, my ego built on 12 years of
increasing "expertise" in this industry deflated further.  Then my 4
year old strolled by, pressed the Esc key, and looked at me with one of
those "Duh, dad, how dumb can you be?" looks.  Dumb, maybe.  But he'll
never be as cool as I was in that canary yellow leisure suit.

                               Activision
                             P.O. Box 67713
                         Los Angeles, CA 90067
                             (310) 479-5644
                       CompuServe: GO ACTIVISION
                    URL: http://www.activision.com/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to cool WebSites . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beauty tech - A Virtual Beauty Community|
----------------------------------------
    Beauty tech - A Virtual Beauty Community takes up residence on the
World Wide WEB!  Debbie Doerrlamm and WWWeb Services, is pleased to
announce a new resource on the Internet for the Beauty Industry.
Located at it's own Domain...  Simply set your WEB browser to the
address of : http://www. beauty tech.com  Drop by for a look around.
    The World Wide WEB is the perfect medium on which the Manufacturer
and Distributor can advertise their goods to the Cosmetologists and Nail
Technicians who purchase them.  Beauty tech is available to potentials
and consumers alike, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from
the convenience of their home or office computer.  The intent is a
simple and affordable way to expand a company's advertising dollar.
Estimates vary, but the average estimate of Internet users is 30 million
people world wide and growing at approximately 10% monthly.
    A Virtual Beauty Community, Beauty tech presently has linked sites
for the Nail Industry, with the Hair, Skin Care and the Tanning
Industries following closely behind. To date there are two (2) residents
of Beauty tech.  As of this writing, Ms. Doerrlamm is actively seeking
additional businesses to move in and get seen on the WEB.  The
individual sites that compose the domain of Beauty tech, are text and
graphic filled.  There are photos to view and articles to read.  At some
sites, the visitor will find a Guest Book fill-in form, that, once
filled out by the viewer, will be electronically e- mailed to that
site's company E-Mail box.
    Many people in the Beauty Industry are experienced Internet users.
Beauty tech will provide them information like: * Direct communication
(real time) with fellow Nail Technicians and Cosmetologists through-out
the world. * Contact with the Manufactures and Distributors of the goods
the use every day. * Information concerning new and current products,
what is in and what is out. * Articles from the trade magazines. *
Information on signing up for NAILTECH, an Internet Mailing List for
Professional Nail Technicians
    Debbie Doerrlamm, owner of WWWeb Services and Wicked Wich Nails, has
a background in computers that spans twenty-four years. Both business
names come from her "handle" on the CB radio, [Wicked Wich] it just
stuck...". She is also a lifetime member of National Nail Technicians
Group, an organization for Professional Nail Technicians, which is based
in Long Island, NY.
    A 10 year veteran of an Apple computer, she moved up to the PC world
just two short years ago.  She is educated in the COBOL computer
language and self taught in both BASIC and HTML languages.
    In July 1994, Ms. Doerrlamm created a message board on America
Online for Nail Technicians to share ideas and information. In March
1995, she started NAILTECH, an Internet mailing list for Professional
Nail Technicians. Currently, the list has 108 members from 35 cities, 19
states, and 8 countries.
    July 1995 she launched the Internet WEB site for NAILTECH.  The site
provides Professional Nail Technicians a place of their own in
CyberSpace. <http://www.beauty tech.com/nailtech/>.There is also,
incorporated in the site, an area where the consumer of nail services
may learn about how to care for her artificial nails.
    Debbie is the first Nail Technician with a commercial site on the
WEB. "The ONLY resource for the Professional Nail Technician ANYWHERE on
the INTERNET. "
    Ms. Doerrlamm conceptualized, designed and authored the NAILTECH and
Beauty tech Sites as well as her own personal WICH-O-GRAM WEB Site
<http: //www.asb.com/usr/wkdwich/>.  She has also authored all of the
sites that reside in the Beauty tech Community.  The logos, for NAILTECH,
Beauty tech and the WICH-O-GRAM sties were created by her as well. Her
computer knowledge is extensive and has written several articles for the
nail industry's trade magazines.

-----------------------------------
Teacher's Resources on the Network|
-----------------------------------
    CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Barron & Whitesell/Public
Relations today issued the following:
    Teachers who need a computer assistant to design lesson plans -- and
students looking for answers to those plans -- can tap a variety of
resources from the World Wide Web.
    The Web is chock full of teaching and learning resources, many of
them developed at universities or by companies known for educational
resources published in more traditional media.
    For teachers struggling to find something new to interest their
charges, the following sites may prove to be valuable resource tools:
    1. Busy Teachers' Website.  A number of subjects with links designed
to pinpoint topics for harried teachers.  The address is:
       http://www.gatech.edu/lcc/idt/Students/Cole/Proj/K-12/TOC.html

    2. Discovery Channel.  Suggestions on how teachers and students can
best utilize the programs that air on The Discovery Channel and The
Learning Channel.  The address is:
                http://ericir.syr.edu/Discovery/w11.html

    3. Global SchoolNet Foundation.  As the title implies, this link
hooks up with schools from around the world.  Say hello to schools
in other countries at:
                          http://www.gsn.org

    4. MathMagic!  "Two trains leave St. Louis bound for Seattle.  The
first train is traveling at a speed of ..."  Well, you get the picture.
Find out which train reaches Seattle first:
                 http://forum.swarthmore.edu/mathmagic

    5. The Science House.  Hands-on, student-centered learning from
North Carolina State University.  Includes a program to address the
science needs of rural North Carolina.  The home page is at:
               http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/pams/science_house

    Students trying to impress a teacher (or parents who want their kids
to spend time with something more intellectually challenging than MTV)
can visit:

    1. Children's Literature Web Guide.  Internet resources on books for
children and young adults.  It includes several resources for children,
parents and teachers.  Check out the virtual library at:
              http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html

    2. Cyberspace Middle School.  Designed for students in grades
6 through 9, Cyberspace Middle School is also useful for all students.
It includes links to middle schools online from around the world.  Take
a look at:
               http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~dennisl/CMS.html

    3. The Homework Page.  The perfect spot for researching a school
project.  Get started at:
           http://www.tpoint.net/Users/jewels//homework.html

    4. KidsCom Home Page.  A communication playground for kids
8 through 14.  The address is: http://www.kidscom.com

    5. Kid's Gallery. A virtual gallery of art projects by kids.
Children can submit their own work for possible posting on the Web.
Develop a better artitude at:
     http://plaza.interport.net/kids_space/gallery/gallery.html

    6. KnowledgeBase.  A little knowledge about a lot of topics for
secondary students.  Start learning at:
              http://www2.interpath.net/sbi/KNOWB.html

    7. Knowledge Adventure Online.  A wealth of resources that makes
learning fun.  The fun starts at: http://www.adventure.com

    8. The Nine Planets.  A multi-media tour of the Solar System.
Blast off at:
         http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/billa/tnp/nineplanets.html

    9. NPR Science Friday Kids Connection.  Science was never so much
fun.  Put on your thinking caps and get ready to explore at:
                      http://www.npr.org/sfkids

    10. Uncle Bob's Kids Page.  Uncle Bob (Bob Allison) has put together
a detailed link to dozens of sites for kids.  Visit Uncle Bob at:
                 http://gagme.wwa.com/~boba/kids.html

------------------------------------------------------------------------
COOL FTP FILE OF THE WEEK | You may need this file . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK | Interesting people you should know about . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Robert Moskowitz is a pioneer. As head of the American Telecommuting
Association, he is working to make the next wave of employment
opportunities home or remote based instead of site based.

           You can contact Robert at robertam@ix.netcom.com.

PG: The American Telecommuting Association is catching a new wave. When
did the organization start and how?

RM: The organization was conceived during 1991 and 1992, and formally
launched in February of 1993. It accepted its first members in August of
1993.
 
PG: What are some of the benefits available to members of ATA?
 
RM: Members receive the ATA newsletter, plus a free copy of either
Volume 1 (How To Increase Your Personal Effectiveness and Job
Satisfaction By Telecommuting) or Volume 2 (How To Increase Your
Effectiveness and Satisfaction As a Telecommuter Through Advanced
Techniques) of the Official ATA Handbook. Members also receive a coupon
which enables them to purchase the Handbook's second volume at a 60%
discount. If you pay $10 extra when you join, the second volume will
automatically be included in your Handbook binder when you first receive
it.
 
Members automatically receive the loose-leaf directory of services and
benefits to which they are entitled, plus regular packets of  service
updates, information on  telecommuting, and ongoing developments at the
American Telecommuting Association.
 
As you can imagine, the best way to keep in touch with the ATA and to
remain ab breast of all our services, information, benefits, and
activities is to become a member. Employers are also finding it valuable
to join the ATA directly or to subsidize the ATA memberships of their
telecommuting employees.
 
PG: What are ATA's main goals?
 
RM: To provide whatever information, services, and products our members
and potential members will find most useful to make telecommuting a
better, more productive and enjoyable experience they can maintain for
a lifetime, if they wish.
 
PG: Relate your own telecommuting experience.
 
RM: My last "commute" ended in 1970. I began working as a writer for various magazine
nes and other publishers, doing as much of my work as possible without going in
to their office. As a "time management" consultant I spent a lot of time and energy finding ways to make people more productive, and traveled
all over the US and Canada giving seminars and doing consulting engagements. Th
ats just how my mind works. Eventually, I tired of it and developed a
computerized "audit" that would do much of my work, but at a distance,
and also wrote a book published by Doubleday: "How To Organize Your Work
and Your Life." Later, when I became interested specifically in
telecommuting, I realized that all my thinking on how to be more
productive as an em employee applied even better to telecommuters. Now I
avoid travel whenever I can, but I still find that meetings and
conferences require personal attendance. So I'm traveling more than I
wish, but consider it an investment in future non-travel opportunities.
I have even been asked to speak in Europe t wo or three times a year,
and in fact I just returned from a speaking engagement in Austria.
 
PG: What are some of the issues corporations address when deploying
Telecommuters?
 
RM: There are too many to list here, but top motivations to accept
telecommuting by employees include recruitment, retention of key
employees who are tired of commuting, productivity, dramatic savings in
"bricks and mortar" investments and expenses. Main anxieties include
fear of employee isolation, management's fear of malingering by
telecommuters, concerns about data security an d insurance issues, and
just not knowing much about it. A practical concern is that once a few
people begin telecommuting, others want to do i t, also. There's usually
a groundswell in favor of it, but from the bottom, not from the top --
not until management sees the financial analysis. Then they want it,
too.
 
PG: What are the necessary hardware components needed to be a
telecommuter?
 
RM: All you really need is a pad, a pencil, and perhaps a telephone.
Telecommuting is not really about technology. But of course if you use
any technology to do y our work in the office, that same technology
would be a help to you when telecommuting from home or a nearby telework
center.
 
PG: What do you do for fun when you aren't working?
 
RM: My work is fun. But I like hiking in the woods, taking vacations by
car with my family, reading, and just sitting in the sun if it's not too
hot.
 
PG: What do you see as the future of telecommuting?
 
RM: Inevitably, all of us will become comfortable with telecommuting. If
you think about it, dragging people to a centralized place of work is a
relatively recent and short-lived phenomenon, mainly since the
Industrial Revolution, although there were earlier "pre-factories" where
people came to get raw materials and deliver finished piecework. But
most work has always been done at home, on the farm, in decentralized
settings. Telecommuting is simply a return to a lifestyle that makes
more sense, and it's inevitable because use we can no longer afford to
costs of centralizing labor and equipment.
 
PG: What is your personal computing environment like? What type of
machines, peripherals, etc.
 
RM: I use generic clones most of the time, but I just got an IBM
"butterfly" portable that I think I like even more. Computers tied to
desks are a bit clumsy, don't you think? As long as the keyboard and
screen are acceptable to me, a computer should be no bigger than a
calculator, or a wristwatch. I'm online a couple of hours a day with
various Internet connections and online services, and then I spend more
hours responding to material I get from others via online connections,
and preparing materials to send to others via online services. My phone
bills are astronomical, even though I try to make local calls as often
as possible.
 
PG: What is the key for total acceptance of telecommuting?
 
RM: Give it a fair trial, and youll never go back. When you stop, step
back, and really think about all the lost time, energy, money, trouble,
agitation, inconvenience, pollution,waste of non-renewable resources,
and everything else required of a lifestyle where you're dragging
yourself to a distant location to work, and dragging yourself home
again, it's ridiculous. I have a ten second commute, and I can work any
hour of the day or night th at I have something useful to contribute.
And I can stop any time and help my kids with homework, or drive them to
an appointment. It's the most natural and productive lifestyle you can
imagine. Why would anyone do it any other way? The only answer is they
just don't know any better. But they will learn.

                            --END OF ISSUE--
