NetHistory

VM/COM, May - June 1986

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May/June 1986 Edition Volume 3 Number 3/4
- CsNews Network Newsletter
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Staff:
0 Michele Robinson CSMICH at MAINE Editor
Andrew T. Robinson ANDY at MAINE CsNews Director
David Eckhardt DAE at PSUVAX1 Assistant Editor
Prof. G. Markowsky MARKOV at MAINE Faculty Advisor
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0 Ôçççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççä
³ Newsletter article contribution Userid: CSNEWS@MAINE ³
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³ Contributions from readers welcomed and encouraged! ³
¨ççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççççç]
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.1
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+ _____ __ ________
- Introduction to Vm/Com 3.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CSNEWS Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Life in the Fast Lane: Column #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Beginning of The VAX Toolbox . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
PSYCHNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
LTERM and SIM3278 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CS Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Games--And a Look at the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Why I Hate Computer Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
OpCodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Introduction to Vm/Com 3.3
+ Introduction to Vm/Com 3.3
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Hello again Vm/Com fans! Yes much to everyone's
surprise (including mine) Vm/Com is still alive, many months
late, but still alive. I suppose this is a good time to ask
help from those of you who would like to keep seeing this
newsletter in the future. Vm/Com is running out of articles
and running out of people to write articles. So in other
words I need more people to write something, write anything,
write about why you hate your least favorite computer
lanquage, tell the world what its like to stay up all night
writing massive impressive programs, WRTIE SOMETHING!
Vm/Com needs YOU!
0 In this issue you can find part two of 'Life in the Fast
Lane', two articles on new newsletters (at least they were
new when I got the articles). One describes a newsletter
written just for the Vax world and the other describes
Psychnet a psychology newsletter. Next is an article
describing SIM3278 and LTERM and then a few 'opinion'
articles. First is a review of a few computer books then
there are two opposing views on computer games. And last but
not least OpCodes
0 Until the next issue comes out... (whenever that manages
to happen) think about writing an article. Read and enjoy!
See ya in V3-5.
0 Michele Robinson,
Editor
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 CSNEWS Notes
+ CSNEWS Notes
0 Andrew T. Robinson, (ANDY@MAINE)
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Well, it seems that we are finally going to see another
VM/COM issue after a long absence. Actually, the material
for this one has been lying around for a while as I
understand it. We simply haven't had enough to put together
a reasonably-sized issue. Well, here it is, in all its
glory... and with it, a new heaping portion of CSNEWS NOTES!
0 As you have heard many times in the past, CSNEWS is being
largely rewritten to improve its speed and decrease its
resource usage. This work has been progressing unusually
slowly due to the fact that our all-volunteer programming
staff does not seem to have the time after other things to
complete the many necessary projects associated with such a
large-scale upgrade of software.
0 However, after much adieu, it seems that some portions of
the new software system are slowly falling into place.
Among these include several new utilities specifically
designed with the server-writer in mind. Some of these
utilities will be made available to interested users as they
are completed. They are in what would rougly correspond to
the initial development and "alpha testing" stages at this
point in time. If anyone is interested in what types of
utilities we are working on, feel free to contact me by e-
mail at ANDY@MAINE.BITNET.
0 Some major improvements for the CSNEWS spoolfile handler
and interface and the CSBB bulletin board system are in the
discussion stage at this time. We are planning to add such
enhancements as accurate mail-header parsing and batch-mode
execution of CSNEWS commands submitted in mail files or
other types of files.
0 One enhancement that has already been applied to CSBB is
that of the INFORM LIST for a topic. Users on the inform
list for a given topic will receive each new entry for that
topic in a mailfile as it arrives. In this manner, CSNEWS
provides a primitive form of interest list processing, with
automatic collection of entries into forum-style files
(CSNOTICEs).
0 As a closing note, I would like to add some comments
about Vm/Com writership. In 1985, we had a very successful
year as far as Vm/Com goes. However, with the onset of
1986, we found that the volume of material coming in for new
Vm/Com issues was insufficient to meet our monthly
requirements. Many of our writers simply stopped producing,
others graduated, and still others could not be contacted.
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Vm/Com is nothing more than a collection of articles
submitted by users across the network who want to share
their computing experiences and knowledge with others. I
know there are many, many talented individuals in the BITNET
community who have such experience and knowledge, and I
would like to invite them to consider writing an article or
two for Vm/Com. The most common excuses we hear from people
we ask is "I can't write" and "I don't have the time." For
those who can't write, that is why we have an editor,
capable of fixing even the most botched copy so that it
comes off reading well. For those who claim lack of time, I
would ask you to consider how much time a Vm/Com article
takes. It is not very long, and I honestly believe that
most people could find the time if they looked.
0 Vm/Com lives or dies by the contributions of its readers.
At this point in time it is deathly ill, and we need more
articles to bring it back to its previous vitality. If you
have an inspiration, WRITE! Free-write, it doesn't make any
difference, as long as you get it down. Fix it up so that
its readable and pass it along to us. Any submission will
be considered, and if it's computer related (humorous,
instructional, or narrative) we'll probably find a place for
it in a future issue!
0 Well, I guess I'll call it quits for this collection of
random sentences. Hope to see you all next issue (provided
we get enough articles to put the next issue out)!
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Life in the Fast Lane: Column #2
+ Life in the Fast Lane: Column #2
0 Chris Condon BITLIB@YALEVMX
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This is old news, but there are hackers in BITNET. You
aren't surprised, I'm sure. "Hacker" isn't a dirty word,
and all hackers are NOT slavering, demented, animals waiting
to break into, crash, and destroy systems, illegally using
their resources, plundering userids that are not their own,
and making a general mess out of everything.
0 Only some are.
0 That is an exaggeration, of course, but it is not too
far from reality (except for the "slavering" part). There
exists in this network a group of hackers who broke into a
userid at Fermilab via BITNET. They used the RELAY
conference machine system to keep in contact.
Administration types at Cornell University, hearing of this,
came to this conclusion:
0 "The Cornell Relay has been shut down forever due
to the misuse of BITNET by some hackers in West Germany
who discussed their trade on the Relay. It is
Cornell's desire to not be associated with the Relay
system in the future..."
0 The reaction by these people seems a bit reactionary and
unfounded, but that is not the case. There are several
factions in BITNET that would like to see students
completely banned from the network, or chatting banned from
the network, or both. These are not forces to be reckoned
with. They are in a positions of power to such things at
their own nodes, given enough reason or the right excuse.
The hackers breaking into Fermilab turned out to be a
convenient excuse. It need not be anything so extreme.
0 Their actions, your actions, my actions, are a
reflection on the students in BITNET. It has been said (not
enough) that BITNET usage is a privilege. It brings with it
a great responsibility. Everything we do may have far
reaching affects without our knowing it. The hackers that
broke into Fermilab were not from Cornell, had no intention
of getting MAS@CORNELLC shut down, nor did they probably
consider that it would happen.
0 I posted a notice on this subject for the Usage
Guidelines Group via LISTSERV@BITNIC. These are some of the
resonses:
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 "The problem, as I see it, stems from a lack of
moral and ethical standards in the computer world, as
well as the natural inquisitiveness of young people
specifically and computer type people generally. If
these are in fact the reasons, what short term or long
term solutions do we have? At this juncture, I don't
see any (though I'm not a systems person) short of
regulating usage or more dramatically shutting down the
RELAYs. Either of these measures would jeopardize the
quantum leaps we have made in the area of
communications (and as a result intellectual
intermingling). As for the future (if we can survive
this onslaught), it would seem that the new directions
that BITNET and other networks have taken the mainframe
dictates that system development types must work to
provide a safe, yet accessible, environment to work and
play."
0 "I'm not surprised hackers are cracking BITNET
like a egg; once SP/4 with native VTAM and Multi-System
Networking Facility (MNSF) supersedes passthru for
interactive access, such activities will be even more
widespread, and a lot of schools will simply shut the
front gate rather than keeping the valuable household
goods under lock and key. Never mind that most schools
have dial ports for access, if the initial breach is
via BITNET, then the network and it's facilities will
be blamed. This is easier, of course, because BITNET
is external to its member schools, and thus the blame
is external. Of course, if each school locked up all
its own facilities the hackers would have no access to
BITNET; that's HARD, and the money is not there for
hard projects that have no visible results."
0 "I don't know what, if any, audit trail is left
from interactive traffic on the net. If there isn't
any, I think there aught to be and installations with
security concerns about chatting should monitor the
traffic for suspicious activity. This of course would
require cooperation among the nodes across which the
chatting is occurring."
0 "We plan to turn off access to Bitnet for anybody
who abuses it. We will use exits in Mailer and RSCS to
make sure a person is allowed to use Bitnet. I don't
think anybody here plans to actively look for hackers,
but if we do come across abuse, or are informed of it
by somebody being harassed at another site, we will
certainly take action."
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 "We were having a real problem with student abuses
of BITNET, so we decided to place restrictions on its
use. We still allow student acess to the network via
mail and sending files, but we took away their ability
to send interactive messages and do queries."
0 "I would just like to make a point about the
policy. A totally restrictive policy, one that makes
absolute and unbending restrictions, especially to
undergraduate students, will have two effects. 1:
Those persons who are borderline on being responsible
or abusive with the system may just go the wrong way,
partly out of challenged to their perception of a
"cold-hearted" system. 2: Students will lack (unless
they break in and get away with it which is what we try
to prevent) a practical education of how real life
computers are implemented. I know these things to be
true from first hand experience, because I used to be
such a hacker. I did get away with it and I did learn
enough to go right into an upper level systems
programming job right out of school. There was no
Bitnet for me then, but there was plenty of other
things. The school I attended had a very closed
policy. They were, however, not effective in
implementing that policy, and so some of us got into
the system.
0 "Not everyone who "breaks in" will avoid doing
damage. Not everyone who "breaks in" will learn things
from it. I am NOT suggesting to let this happen. I AM
suggesting that alternatives be put in place to make it
totally unneeded for a student to "break in". Remember
that the undergrad students who will not be going on to
graduate school are the ones seeking a more practical
education (compared to graduate students). Access to a
network (WITH SUPERVISION) will provide more of that
practical education that is not easily acquired from
the classroom. My suggestion is that a policy be
established to deal properly with "curious students"
who show promise. Just how you do this has to depend
on your resources. The academic department(s) involved
in teaching computers to these students should be
involved in the process. These students will, if
properly taught, can become resources in their own
right, and benefits to industry reflecting on your
school. A first suggestion is to exchange limited and
supervised computer access for some programming work.
I think some students will jump at the chance. They
will be learning in two ways, and you get some
programming done and a more responsible student."
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Like it or not, someone is looking over your shoulder.
Maybe you won't get caught when you do something
irresponsible via BITNET, but somebody will pay the
consequences. Somebody out there is looking for an excuse to
shut you, or some other student, out of BITNET. He is not an
ogre or an evil person. The actions of some students have
simply led him to believe that shutting students out is a
good thing. It will take your example to convince him
otherwise.
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 The Beginning of The VAX Toolbox
+ The Beginning of The VAX Toolbox
0 Bob Boag, (BOAG@MUVMS1)
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Some time ago, while chatting on RELAY, I joined a
conversation in which everyone was talking about
newsletters. I discovered that many newsletters existed,
varying in topics from using IBM's computers, to science
fiction and fantasy, to outrageous comedy, to what's new in
chatting. Surprisingly, I noticed a vacant spot in this
list of topics. A newsletter did not exist (that I could
find) for the user's of VAX computers. So, as you can
guess, I started one which I called The VAX Toolbox.
0 The main idea I had in starting this newsletter
(magazine) was to help make life easier for the VAX/VMS and
UNIX users. This newsletter is published monthly, and is
just loaded full of articles about DCL (Digital Command
Language), The Librarian, System Services, Run-Time Library
Routines, the EDT editor, JNET, and much more. So, if you,
or anyone you know would be interested in receiving such a
newsletter, please send electronic mail to .
0 Before I go, I'd also like to thank Vm/Com for letting
me take up this space to help advertise The VAX Toolbox.
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 PSYCHNET
+ PSYCHNET
0 Robert C. Morecock, (EPSYNET@UHUPVM1)
0 Psychology students and faculty around the world are
now being served by PSYCHNET, the new electronic bulletin
board and file server machine on BITNET. PSYCHNET is
sponsored by the Educational Psychology Department at the
University of Houston - University Park.
0 A first project for the bulletin board is the
distribution of selected professional papers that are
scheduled for presentation at the August convention of the
American Psychological Association. These papers are
currently in the process of selection. It is expected that
they will be posted by May 15th.
0 Also available on PSYCHNET, in this case currently, is
a Veteran's Forum for vets of any nation.
0 Bob Morecock, the new PSYCHNET editor and a graduate
student at the University of Houston, said, "We will also
post files of any sort that are related to either academic
psychology or to personal growth and development. We are
here to serve the world academic psychology community, both
student and faculty."
0 PSYCHNET can be reached from most VM sites with the
TELL UH-INFO AT UHUPVM1 PSYCHNET HELP command. Also
available for VM users is an exec file called PSYCHNET EXEC.
This file makes use of PSYCHNET automatic at almost all VM
sites. It can be requested with the command TELL UH-INFO AT
UHUPVM1 PSYCHNET SENDME PSYCHNET EXEC.
0 Psychnet users from many VAX sites may find the command
SEND UH-INFO@UHUPVM1 PSYCHNET HELP will reach PSYCHNET.
Others should consult their own system's user manual on how
to send the message PSYCHNET HELP to userid UH-INFO at node
UHUPVM1.
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 LTERM and SIM3278,
+ LTERM and SIM3278,
Help for Local and Remote Hackers
0 Niccolo' Avico, (LFCNET@ICNUCEVM)
- INTRODUCTION
- I would like to introduce two features available via DSC
virtual machines, that work on the ICNUCEVM system: LTERM
and SIM3278.
0 The LTERM facility
+ The LTERM facility
0 LTERM is an acronym for Logical TERMinal: what does it do?
Well, before you logon your VM, dial LTERM: it will tell you
to enter the number of (how many) terminals you want to use
(an account for each terminal is obviously required). Then
you have to supply the KEY to switch from one terminal to
the next: it must be a PFkey, or any other interrupting key
(just press it to signal the KEY). After these two steps a
full screen of the normal logo of your system (VM, overlayed
with 370, is the default) will appear, and you will be able
to start your session. When you logon the first VM, its name
will appear in the status field, showing you which account
you are using. To change logical terminal just press the KEY
button defined at the beginning: your system logo will be
displayed again, allowing you to logon the second VM. This
procedure can continue for the number of terminal that you
first specified. Then the original, or better the first
account opened will be ready again.
0 What happens to a VM, when it's "hidden" behind an active
one? Nothing, simply nothing. It's the same situation as if
you leave your real (active) terminal for a break, during
normal operation. So every incoming message, either from
IUCV or VMCONIO (applications) or CPCONIO is kept and shown
again when the "suspended" account is resumed. Also running
programs can be started and left active: in fact the LTERM
facility is a way to simulate "multitasking" for the
monotasking CMS environment.
0 SIM3278: full screen for TTY + modem solutions
+ SIM3278: full screen for TTY + modem solutions
0 Some users of VM systems work with it in a remote way:
using a terminal (or a communication program like Kermit,
under a micro) they link to the TP driver of the mainframe
(TP means Tele Processing: it's a device that manages
300/1200 baud links with TTYs over telephone lines). This
facility allows people to work on the computer from their
home, improving productivity and comfort. But everyone knows
that TTYs aren't full screen under VM thus Xedit and other
FS applications lose a great deal of "user friendlyness".
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Some of these cannot even run in TTY mode.
0 SIM3278 is a product which runs on a disconnected VM. One
must dial it and supply the terminal type, chosen from a set
of possible ones. Also computers with simulation programs
can use this package. After this first step the common
system logo will appear, and your terminal will work in
fullscreen mode. You can now logon your VM and work as
usual. At the end of your session, you will be dropped from
SIM3278.
0 Here is a session about SIM3278 from an IBM-PC running
Crosstalk in VT52 emulation. Capture was set on and the
following is a core dump of what was on the screen...
0 ------------------------------------------------------------
0 DIAL SIM3278
0 DIALED TO SIM3278 091
0 SIM3278 (C) SIMWARE INC. 1984 Version 3.4
0 Please enter your terminal id; '?' for MENU; 'L' to LOGOFF ?
0 The following terminals are supported:
1 - Datamedia 3045 2 - Datamedia 1520
3 - TeleVideo 920 4 - TeleVideo 925
5 - TeleVideo 950 6 - Volker-Craig VC404
7 - Volker-Craig VC415 8 - Digital VT-100
9 - DEC VT52 or VT100 VT52-mode 10 - Cybernex XL84
11 - IBM 3101 Model 20, BLOCK 12 - Bell Canada VUCOM-4
13 - Displayphone in 3101 mode 14 - Hewlett-Packard HP2621A
15 - Lear Siegler ADM42 16 - BEEHIVE DM-5, DM-5A
17 - Lear Siegler ADM3A 18 - TeleVideo 910-Plus, 912/920
19 - Teleray T10 M 20 - Lear Siegler ADM5
21 - Cybernex XL87-M 22 - Kimtron ABM-85
23 - Formatted TeleVideo 925/950 24 - Tymshare SCANSET 415
25 - Cybernex MDL-S110 26 - IBM 3101 Model 10/20 CHAR
27 - Displayphone VT100 mode 28 - Infoton 100
29 - IBM PC running AZPC Ver. 1 30 - Hewlett-Packard HP2382A/HP26
31 - ADDS Viewpoint 32 - Concept HDS AVT
33 - Hazeltine 1520 34 - CDC Viking 721
35 - Microterm ACT5A native mode 36 - ADDS Viewpoint 60
37 - Ann Arbor Ambassador, Genie 38 - IBM PC running AZPC2
39 - Cybernex XM-3270 40 - Teleray 16M
41 - Visual 300 42 - TeleVideo 970
43 - GTE XT300 44 - SOROC Challenger 530
45 - IBM PC running SIMPC 46 - Wyse 50
47 - Televideo Personal Terminal 48 - Hewlett-Packard HP150
49 - Televideo 921 50 - OLIVETTI TCV450
51 - TELEVIDEO 924
0 Please enter your terminal id; '?' for MENU; 'L' to LOGOFF
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
- --------------------- END OF THE CORE DUMP -----------------
- CONCLUSIONS
0 As you can see only a few words are enough to show these two
products. They are simple to use and, I guess, useful for
the remote user.
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
- CS Books
+ CS Books
Joe Herman, (HERMAN@UMDD)
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Hello fellow computer types. I've often wondered if
there should be a required reading list for computer science
majors. I find there are a a number of books that have been
invaluable to me in my studies. I'd like to share with you
those books and some of the subjects they relate to.
0 Probably the most often referenced books in computer
science are Donald Knuth's 'Encyclopedia of Computer
Science' (of which there are 3 vols so far). If you have
had a class in data structures or algorythms you've probably
run across this book. For those of you who haven't seen it
(them), these books contain most of the useful algorythm's
you're likely to need, including a good random number
generating algorythm (our sytem doesn't have a random
function in it's library, so I use this a lot). Just about
any moderately efficient searching or sorting algorythm is
in volume 3, so if you want to sort something, but can't
think of an efficient way, you can always look it up (very
useful for the real-world types).
0 A book that changed much of my thinking, and is quite
important to me is Douglas Hofstaedters 'Godel, Escher,
Bach'. This is a good book to get you interested in (argh)
number theory and just plain thinking. The book is divided
into two sections, both of which are fascinating. The first
section deals with numbers, and what they are and how we use
them. I believe the first section deals with recursion and
self-reference also, but this may be in the second section.
Throghout the book are sprinkled amusing and enlightening
dialogues between Achilles and the Tortoise. The book also
touches very lightly upon AI and it's applications. One of
the values the book serves now is as sort of Computer
Science history, since it was written 10 years ago. It's
interesting to see which of his projections for the future
actually happen, and which do not. This is not the type of
book to finish in one reading. I read this book off and on
for three years (though some of the Achilles-Tortoise
dialogues I've read several times (try Crab Canon)). If you
really enjoy this book, Doug Hofstaeder's got a new one out
called 'Metamagical Themas'. It's a collection of the
essays he did for Scientific American plus a few new ones.
Really quite fascinating.
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0 The third and last book I'll recomend today (do I hear
cheers in the backround?) is Grady Booch's 'Software
Engineering'. If you're a budding CS type, this book is a
good instruction on programming style. It covers
modularity, function decomposition and data decomposition.
It also gives a methodolgy for constructing large programs.
This book has prompted a lot of development in the sub-field
of Software Engineering. If you are interested in Software
Engineering, you might also try finding articles written by
Dave Parnas, or Baker and Basili for other viewpoints.
Note, a lot of these papers can be sort of dry, but such is
the nature of mathematics and it's extensions. I found I
understood more of the subject matter after a good course in
team programming.
0 Any comments, flames or suggestions can be sent to me,
Joe Herman. Have a good semester everyone!
0 Joe Herman (DZOEY)
0 HERMAN@UMDD.BITNET
DZOEY@UMD2.UMD.EDU
0 P.S. I know the list pretty pedestrian, but I do find these
books useful. So there. Nyaah :-)
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0 Vm-Com Issue 3.3
0 Games--And a Look at the Future
+ Games--And a Look at the Future
0 Glenn Sixbury, VMAQ5@KSUVM
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If you are like me, you've been working with computers
for some form or another for at least ten years. Also, if
you're like me, the first thing that attracted you to
computers were the wonderfully different games that you
found on them. I still remember sitting for hours playing
PONG on the old family T.V. set. If someone did that today,
they'd probably be put into some kind of home. Needless to
say, Computer games have advanced considerably in the last
ten years, and the players of these games, like myself, have
advanced right along with them. Where once, one would have
used a single wheel, capable of moving a paddle in two
directions, now the world consists of three dimensional
computer games, where almost every key of the keyboard is
used to control a different element of the game (for
example, Flight Simulator). To me, it really is amazing how
far the computer game technology has advanced in a mere ten
years. And not only has this market advanced, but it has
also diversified. There are role playing games, simulation
games, adventure games, real time games, multi-user games,
two-dimensional, three-dimensional and four-dimensional
games, and tons of public domain arcade type games that five
years ago could have been sold in the regular market. So
this technology of amusing ourselves using the computer has
come a long way, and it will continue to change at this
rapid rate as the future approaches. What I'd like to do
today is examine what type of games we have today and then
using this knowledge as a base, try and predict what the
future holds in the way of computer games.
0 First, I predict, with little hesistance, that the
biggest computer game market in the future will consist of
simulation-type games. We already have games like Pole
Position, Flight Simulator, Solo Flight, F-15 Strike Eagle,
etc. This portion of the market should increase as games
are developed which more accurately simulte the real thing.
Also, as networks become more popular, I have no doubt that
more and more games will become true multi-user games. This
means that sooner or later, someone will develop the
ultimate simulation game; one where each terminal shows a
different view of the world for each player, but also where
everything is tied together into one massive game.
0 Next, I predict the second largest share of the future
game market will be comprised of D & D and Adventure type
games. These games have come a long way since the original
version of Adventure was conceived back in the early
seventies. For several years there have been games where a
group of different characters are used (like Wizardry),
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0 games that were very intellectually tricky (like those from
Infocom), and games which portrayed the entire dungeon
graphically in real time. In the near future, it isn't hard
to predict that someone somewhere will write a game which
incorporates all of the above qualities into one game. What
a game that will be!
0 From here on out, the next most popular type gets a
little fuzzy, but I'm guessing that the third most popular
type of games will be the arcade, fight type games (like
Archon). These games are becoming increasingly more
sophisticated, and it is this sophistication which may keep
this area of the market alive and well. However, it is also
this sophistication needed for these type of games that is
killing the arcade business around the country. I'll admit
that this business of dropping quarters into machines isn't
quite dead yet, but I'm also guessing it soon will be. The
downfall for these arcade games is in the need to have a
different set of hardware for each game. If they don't
narrow the different types of machines down to just a couple
and then replace only the software every couple of months,
the business won't survive.
0 So, those are my views on the great and wonderful world
of computer games and where they're headed. Looking back
ten years, it's so obvious that we've come such a long way.
Looking ahead ten years, it's so hard to imagine how far
we'll be able to go. Only one things for certain. When it
comes to computer games, the future is going to be fun.
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0 Why I Hate Computer Games
+ Why I Hate Computer Games
0 Andy Robinson, ANDY@MAINE
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OK, I admit it: I hate computer games. Maybe this is
because I could never get more than 2000 on ASTEROIDS (tm)
when I was a kid (or more likely, because I never spent
enough money on ASTEROIDS (tm) to get more than 2000
points.) But in any event, I hate computer games.
0 This was further compounded in my early mainframe days
(1979 or 1980, I can't remember exactly--MAINE had an old
3031 anyway) by the fact that I had an account which existed
in a somewhat-less-than-acceptable subset of CMS called the
"ENVIRONMENT" (it is as bad as it sounds.) Every
"ENVIRONMENT MACHINE" has access to a disk called the
"COMMON LIBRARY," which is really a collection of every
useless, aborted, and unfinished game ever conceived or
entered into a computer. These games crashed. They hung your
terminal. They spit meaningless error messages and
incomprehensible gibberish at you. So I didn't use them.
These games polarized my attitude towards computer games in
general -- they are a waste of time, both mine and the
computer's. I went on to other things like (gasp!)
programming and learning about computer science.
Revolutionary I know, but someone had to do it.
0 Time dragged on, and eventually I was bestowed with my
own full-CMS ID (courtesy of my good friend Walt Horbert),
and I found even more horizons to explore. Did I start
playing the more advanced and nicer games that were written
for CMS?? NO!! Well... not immediately, and not with any
frequency as time went on.
0 At one point, however, I *did* find a really nice little
game called TREK. It was written in FORTRAN at Texas A & M
(I believe). It was full screen. It was nice. It was the
first computer game I ever ran more than once or twice, and
even this fetish lasted only a week or so. Then TREK got
archived to tape and my disk(s) were gameless again.
0 I would say that since I have started using computers
(almost 7 years ago), I have not spent more than a part-time
working week (20 hours) playing games on the computer. I
thought they were silly then, and I continue to assert that
viewpoint now. They ARE silly. If I have nothing better to
do, and I even start *thinking* about alleviating the
boredom by playing a game, I LOGOFF and go do something non-
computer related.
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0 Now. Are computer games a waste of resources? HELL NO!
A waste of resources is something that doesn't give a
return. When you watch the MORIA fans blazing away you can
tell they are having fun. What better return could you
want? If someone has fun playing a game, or programming a
new one, I think it's great. Some of the games around today
are very challenging intellectually, and take some skill and
coordination to excel in. So they serve a useful purpose.
As the saying goes...
0 "All work and no play makes the VAX a dull toy..."
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0 OpCodes
+ OpCodes
0 Various and Assorted Creative Minds...
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AFP Abnormalized Floating Point
AIB Attack Innocent Bystander
AMM Answer My Mail
BCR Backspace Card Reader
BD Backspace Disk
BLM Branch, Like, Maybe
BLMWM Branch, Like, Maybe, wow, Man
BM Branch Maybe
BRI BRanch Indefinitely
BSST BackSpace and Stretch Tape
BTO Branch To Oblivion
BWABL Bells, Whistles and Blinking Lights
CC Call Calvary
CMP Create Memory Prosthesis
CPB Create Program Bug
CTDMR Change Tape Density, Mid Record
CWAH Create Woman And Hold
DBR Debase Register
DTI Do The Impossible
DTRT Do The Right Thing
EMSL Entire Memory Shift Left
ESL Exceed Speed of Light
FM Forget Memory
FMP Finish My Program
GREP Global Ruin, Expiration and Purgation ÕUNIXþ
IIB Ignore Interrupt and Branch
IIB Ignore Inquiry and Branch
IIC Insert Invisible Characters
IOI Ignore Operator's Instruction
IPT Ignite Paper Tape
IRB Invert Record and Branch
IRB Invert Record and Branch
IRC Insert Random Commands
IRE Insert Random Errors
ISC Ignore Supervisor Calls
ISC Insert Sarcastic Comments
IU Ignore User
MLSB Memory Left Shift and Branch
MOP Modify Operator's Personality
OTL Out To Lunch
RENVR Rename Variables Randomly
RLI Rotate Left Indefinitely
RLP Rewind Line Printer
RLP Refill Light Pen
RMV Remove Memory Virtues
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0 ROS Reject Op System
RRC Rotate Random thru Carry
RRRL Random Rotate Register Left
RS Random Slew
RTS Return To Sender
SFH Set Flags to Half mast
SRCC Select Reader and Chew Cards
SSJ Select Stacker and Jam
SSJP Select Stacker and Jump
STPR SToP Rain
TN Take a Nap
TPD Triple Pack Decimal
UMR Unlock Machine Room
UTF Unwind Tape onto Floor
WUPO Wad Up Printer Output
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