
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2 ************************* INSTALLED: 31 MAR 85 *********************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6                     PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 *****************************************************************
19 
20 Hmmmm.  A new disk.  A fresh start, perhaps?  I am glad to see that stories are
21 still being entered, and I would like to compliment all those writers on their
22 stories and excellent spelling.  It has been suggested that "Pro" carries a bad
23 connotation for many, so why don't you call me "Prose" from now on?  I believe
24 that many of my points do hold, Cistop, but I agree that to carry the discussionfurther would be to 
25 beat a dead horse.  Onward with the tales!  If any would care to discuss
26 writing with me, I will be happy to do so.  If anyone has a character or two
27 that they've had trouble writing about, why don't you do a brief description 
28 and let fellow Inn-goers write a tale about him/her/them?  I am, of course,
29 suggesting a ThievesWorld/Sanctuary style epic, told by any who care (dare?)
30 participate.   Your characters and their world will be "public domain," an old
31 and honored tradition in computing.  Why don't I suggest something?  I probably
32 will, but I have just finished all six volumes of the Sanctuary series and I'm
33 afraid I have to let them settle into my mind a little more.  Use the series as
34 an example, not as your/our epic is what I'm saying.  Any takers?  I hope so...
35 ---------------------Prose-------------------------------------------------
36 Qwerty: BW is notorius for being difficult to upload to. As for pencil
37 & paper, remember that many entries are in response to some other entry
38 that the writer has just read. 
39      In the Net stories, I have been told that if you do not get your 
40 entry made while you're online, you may find that a new entry has mad it
41 useless when you log on again. (So much for the work that went into THAT
42 polished entry!)
43 Observer: On copyrigxt, I believe that there is a clause in the current
44 law that covers this situation. *IF* you put a copyright notice with te
45 "work" you have up to a year to file the paper work. I think there is
46 another clause that will let you put off filing the paperwork indefinitely,
47 but I can't remember the details.
48        The real problem is that these days most publishers want to OWN
49 the rights. They are not happy if the author has already copyrighted the
50 work...
51 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101
52 ps. Prose, I have a hunch that I know how you are...
53 01010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101010101
54 {c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}
55 whats going on with backwater? All these people arguing about
56 something but what is it? can people still write stories or is
57 that not allowed anymore?
58 {c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}
59 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
60 My, I do adore this new terminal program...
61 ++++++++++++
62 (Allow me to start another story.  After thinking awhile on the first one,
63 I found that all the endings that I could think of were horribly violent.)
64      The Inn, as usual, was a hubbub of conversation.  Milchar crept quietly
65 into the room, trying very hard to avoid disturbing anyone.
66      Too soon, he failed.  A clumsy step caused him to bump into someone.
67 Milchar turned to apologize to him- to find that 'he' wasn't a 'he' at all.
68      Nor female.  Milchar had bumped into a rather short, halfling-like 
69 creature who didn't seem to notice Milchar's misstep at all.
70      "Excuse me, sir.  My fault entirely." Milchar said.
71      The creature didn't say a word, but motioned with his hand for Milchar to
72 sit down.
73      "Gladly, sir.  Might I ask what you call yourself?"
74      The gnome (Milchar decided that it must be a gnome) was silent for a few
75 moments, then whispered, "My name's Grann.  I hear you're a mage."
76      "Well, of sorts.  I haven't really stuck to the making of potions bit
77 for quite some time."
78      Again quietly, the gnome said, "I'm looking for a mage.  I want to learn."
79      "Learn?  Whatever for?  Knowledge of the Arts usually doesn't help,
80 but attracts the attention of the Dark Powers."
81      "Never
82 
83 (start over, drat ENTER ONLY!)
84      "Nevertheless, I must learn."
85      Milchar thought about this for some time, then said:
86      "Before I could teach you, I would have to learn what drives you so.
87 An evil motive promotes an evil mage."
88      The gnome sighed, as if resigning himself to some great decision.  Then
89 it began to speak....
90 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
91 read
92 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
93      Like a record with a scratch Petrov lived and relived the events which
94 led to his pitiful ndition.  He saw himself hung naked over a bathtub, drawn
95 into a reluctant partnership with L'homme and Joshua, and into dangers which
96 few men could fathom.
97      He remembered how his admiration for the Net agents grew, and how fate 
98 would make them the fiercest of enemies.  The ruthlessness with which fate
99 pounded nails into Petrov's coffin could not compare to the taunting cruelty 
100 with which it pulled those nails back out--sustaining his harsh existence for
101 yet another day.
102      One question arose, time and time again.  How could they be alive? 
103 Petrov had bound their hands and feet, had set the bomb, and had seen the
104 explosion which demolished a whole wing of the oklahoma City Hilton.  Yet 
105 L'homme and Joshua WERE alive.  Could the sttories about Net agents be true..?
106      In his mind Petrov reviewed his days at the McKane Academy, particularly
107 the lectures on Net agents.  It was well known that some of the higher ranking
108 Net officials used dummy robots to thwart assassins, but could this practice
109 be employed by field agents as well?
110      It was a difficult idea for Petrov to swallow.  He had seen the welts
111 rise on L'homme's back under the terrible whip in the Dragon Room.  He could
112 remember the horrible sight of Joshua's flesh being eaten away by cockroaches
113 and the blood and bruises all over both of their bodies.  And then there was
114 the smell -- oh, that hideous smell of roasted flesh that permeated the room.
115      Could the same two agents be robots?  Petrov recalled how strange it
116 seemed that L'homme and Joshua had never cried out, Though it looked like they
117 wanted to.  Surely, If they were living, breathing people they would have died
118 in the explosion at the Hilton.
119      "But they seemed so REAL...so real..."  Petrov rose to his feet.  His
120 only chance of saving his sanity lied with finding the two Net agents, 
121 learning the truth, and ending the battle one way or another.
122                                   TIME PASSES
123      "A freight car, how humiliating."  Boxes and crates didn't make the most
124 comfortable furniture, but a lack of funds limited Petrov's options.  The 
125 rhythmic clicking of the train's wheels lulled Petrov into a disturbed slumber
126 which was all too often interrupted by the occasional cough or movement of a
127 nearby hobo.  The train finally rolled to a stop where his grubby travelling
128 companion hopped out of the car, and with a hearty "whoop whoop!" made his way
129 to the city council. 
130      Once in the city, Petrov was surprised to see such a large number of 
131 green-clad cultists inhabiting the slums.  Apparently, the death of Danger-
132 field and subsequent collapse of the commune had turned hundreds of penniless,
133 directionless people to the streets.  They were still up to their old tricks,
134 though -- their favorite refuge now bore the name "Baloney Buddha's"
135      "But where do I go from here, what do I do?"  Petrov finally decided to
136 return to the hotel where the tumultuous reunion took place.  Perhaps there
137 would be a clue -- something to indicate where they might have gone.  making 
138 his way through the city, Petrov eyed a nearby pet store...
139                                    Petrov
140 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
141 L'homme: notice I waited until you were gone before I started entering things
142 (tee-hee-hee)
143 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
144 THOR would sit and watch and perhaps he would learn more of this 'PROSE'. 
145 The tankard was still half full or should that be half empty.....hmmmmm....
146 "Inn Keeper", cried out THOR, this is too much for me to decide upon.
147 A refill quickly before I become too philosophical.
148 THORTHORTHORTHORTHORTHORTHORTHORTHOR
149 Oh no!    Not that!
150 Just when you thought it was safe to throw your dictionaries
151 away...now coming to an Inn near you:
152 
153 S P E L L   C H E C K   I I
154 
155 The Horror! The Horror!
156 an effusion of unutterable ecstasy...
157         utter          utter
158 
159 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
160 DIRT CHEAP, CHAPTER ONE
161 
162 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
163   The pegasus found the rest of the night rather interesting.  Periodically the
164 towering dark-visaged person would come muttering down the street, grumbling
165 and cursing through the darkness, striking an occasional light.  Perhaps it is
166 uncommon for animals to feel jealousy, but despite her love for the piper, the
167 pegasus kept watching the way in which the piper and his companion had left.
168   At last the muttering figure took the hint.  His gaze followed that of the
169 pegasus, to a low building set off by itself, rounded roof gleaming in the
170 light of the setting moon.  The figure strode over to the building, outilined
171 against the lightness of the predawn sky.  
172    "Rainbow!"  Large fists crashed noisily against the door.
173    Interested, the pegasus slowly cantered across the street to the side of
174 the building recieving this untoward treatment.  The soft sound of an opening
175 window was nearly lost against the racket at the door.  Looking somewhat less
176 than jaunty, the piper crawled out of the window clad only in a somewhat askew
177 kilt, carrying his shirt and shoes.  Gone were the multicolor garments on the
178 lady who followed him,  holding him for a long lingering moment through the
179 open window.  The remaining light of the moon lifted faint highlights along
180 the delicately turned length of her neck and jaw, down a slim arm raised in
181 farewell, and atop one soft breast before fading into the shadows.
182   With a crash, the tortured door gave way.  The open window behind the lady's
183 bed answered all the questions the looming figure had.  With a curse, he
184 thrust his way out through the sleepy group that had gathered in front of the
185 splintered door and hurried around to the rear of the structure.
186   "Come ON, Peg, we've got to get out of here!"  The piper's impatient voice
187 spurred the pegasus to more playfulness.  Shaking her mane, she danced on,
188 just out of his reach.
189   The frightful roar from the towering figure behind them froze the little
190 tableau for a moment, then before either the piper or the pegasus could move
191 a lightning bolt sizzled through the air narrowly missing them both.
192   The human body is capable of amazing feats under enough stress.  Perhaps
193 one of the most stressful situations the piper had ever found himself in
194 was under a pre-dawn moon that fateful day.  Plunging backwards, the piper
195 sought to elude his pursuer in a grove of trees.  Deep roars and curses 
196 followed down the grove, along with whistling bolts that illuminated the
197 white blossoms of the orchard.  Narrow misses kept the piper from getting
198 to the pegasus, now concerned for his safety.  Splintered trees filled
199 the air with soft white petals, floating slowly downward, chilling the
200 piper when they touched his skin.
201   Lulled by a halt in the barrage, the piper began to slip on his shirt when
202 the huge figure stepped out in front of him, face contorted by rage, holding
203 a flickering lightning bolt in both hands.  Stepping forward, with a war-cry
204 the figure plunged the bolt toward the breast of the piper.
205   For the piper, the universe exploded in glory.  Long moments later, he
206 regained conciousness falling through the dawn sky.  Twisting and turning
207 in the wind of his fall, he only dimly remembered how he had gotten into
208 this situation.  Even the arrival of the pegasus, who matched speed with him
209 after terrible exertions, and somehow managed to get him to cling to
210 her back roused little from his stunned mind.
211   Some hours later, some late-leaving patrons of the inn were rather surprised
212 to see the piper outside the inn's entrance.  His shirt was charred and
213 tattered, his face appeared exhausted, but he moved with uncommon speed to
214 get under cover when a light sprinkle began to dampen the walk in front of
215 the inn.
216 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
217 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
218 Just when you thought it was safe.....
219     So now on this disk we have more stories than talk of stories.  Good, I
220 was beginning to wonder if we were going to degenerate to critizise those who
221 critizise those who critizise...  ect.   So what if people can't spell. 
God know
222 I HATE CALL-WAITING!!!  In the middle of entering text yet.  Well, before some
223 body else comes I'd best be off.  Oh , I was saying I cant spell myself.  I
224 never considered myself hadicapped because of it (I never tried to park in
225 those spaces..)   
226                                Fast Fred
227                                BSAL           (Back for vacation)
228 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
229 I don't know if this message will be 
230 enteredin the board as i'm not totally
231 sure of what I am doing.. But if this
232 does make it, is there anyone out there
233                           willing to provide assistance to a
234 befuddled user? This is perhaps the mostuser UN friendly board I've been on!
235 
236 HAAALLLP!
237 
238 Ahlannah
239 It was a bitterly cold morning. The snowthat had fallen the previous night lay  thick and unbroken over the remote,   
240 little used road. Rhian Marshall trudgedsilently along it, holding the thin     cloak around his shoulders, trying to
241 ignore the creeping infiltration of icy moistness into his cracked leather bootsDamn the North, Damn Winter, Damn ice,
242 Damn snow. Oaths ran swiftly through his
243                          head. There was no redeeming quality to this place unless you were a hopeless   sadist. Rhian kicked
244 at a stone in his path, and surveyed hissurroundings. Bleak, dull, just like the miles behind, and most likely, ahead.  From 
245 the East, an icy, howling blast shook   awareness back into him. Grudgingly moving on, he saw from the corner of his eyea
246 soft whisper pass slowly. Knowing what  he would see, but looking anyway into 
247 the grey sky, he traced with dismal 
248 expectation the fall of a fat, lacy     white snowflake. Growling in mute rage, he set off down the road with fuming 
249 fervor
250 another snowstorm. Didn't they ever 
251 BW isn't difficult to upload to if you put a long enough delay between
252 
253 -  -  -  -  The false start in line 251 is my fault; the incomplete entry ending with 250 isn't....
254 
BW isn't difficult to upload to if you put a long enough delay between
255 characters.  I send at approximately 14 CPS with nearly a full second delay at
256 the end of each line--I'm not sure it needs to be quite that slow, but it is
257 safe and reliable and in ENTER ONLY I'm not going to experiment further!
258                             [NO-LONGER-FRUSTRATED PROGRAMMER]
259 
260 
261 
262 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
263 Sorry.. the incomplete ending in 250 was my fault.. Ahlannah. There wasn't much left in that segment, anyhow..It should
264 have ended thus:
265 
266 Another snowstorm. Didn't they ever     cease in this wretched land? Nowhe     really needed to find shelter.
267 
268 I told you I wasn't too sure of myself..But im learning. Bye now
269 
270    ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
271 ::::::2:::::O O::::::18:29:::::::::::::::::::::::04/01:::::::::O O::::::::
272 L'homme: if you see this, and read DB, then all you've missed is the bottom
273 of Drive C. As of this moment, I have it all thru around line 100 of this drive.
274 How was your trip?
275 Uploaders: if you have prompted upload, a trick I've found usefull is to
276 supply the prompt.  I set the prompt to ^G (bell), and after I've sent
277 a line, and BW is waiting for the next line, I hit Backspace.  This causes
278 BackWater to send a Bell, but it doesn't show up anywhere in the file. 
279 It's a little more work for you to prompt every line, but I've uploaded 100 line
280 entries with no problems whatsoever. (Be sure to set the Margin to 125 or so,
281 otherwise BackWater's end-of-line warning bells can cause problems.)
282 :::::::::::O O::::::::::::::::::::::::voyeur:::::::::::::::::::O O:::::::::
283 (*==marker==*)
284 
285 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
286   From Prometheus: Netherminded
287 
288   Aside from problems like smoke silently filing out of my ventilation vents, I
289 am now reconstituted and ready to send messages again.  Nifty thing, sending an
290 odd message now and then.
291 
292   Not one to mention anything about grammar, or speeling or punctuation, or any
293 other malady of normalcy that we must go through as humans, I will take leave.
294 
295 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
296 
297 ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
298 
299   "if you ask me... the world is a boring place now... " muttered markesson...
300   attention pricked... tilean turned and asked why...
301   'there are only terrorists and punks to deal with... ' said markesson with
302 a slightly louder whisper...
303   'what about cia... kgb... nsc or salog... ' accused tilean...
304   'none of them are violent... not really violent... ' whispered markesson...
305   'are you saying what i think you are saying... ' mentioned tilean... watching
306 the rear view mirrors...
307 
308   'and why not... we are like the police department who finally caught everyone
309 that did anything wrong... ' mentioned markesson... also checking the mirror...
310   'no... there are still the violent ones... the ones who claim tollerance...
311 and kill all those that say different... including people... there are still 
312 the hypocrits... and since there are... we have not caught everyone... yet... '
313 
314   'right... uh... tilean... ' queried markesson...
315   'i see them too... ' answered tilean... anticipating the passenger...
316   'they are still carrying the embassy flags... ' mused markesson... watching
317 the russian flags flap in the passing wind... evening wind...
318 
319   'the russians are not... ' tilean let his voice trail... interest in watching
320 the russian limousine took over... neither continued...
321 
322   'blasted odd...' said tilean to the passenger seat... still watching...
323   'they pulled into the regent hotel... why on earth... ' markesson stopped...
324   markesson braced... and tilean twisted the wheel as far as it would turn...
325 the wheels turned and so did the car... the headlights strobed slowly... and
326 the car was going in the opposite direction... back to the regent hotel...
327 
328   'we are going on a visit... ' declared tilean masterfully... markesson only
329 slid his hnd into his vest... and returned with a machine pistol and com set...
330 
331 ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
332 
333   miss kreut reached over in the dark... and threw the switch... she felt a dry
334 feeling on her fingers... she looked at them... and there was blood on them...
335 
336   eyes opened wide... she scanned the room... carefully noting every difference
337 in colors... she appraised safety from her suite... everything she could see...
338 
339   she pulled a long black pistol from a thigh holster... how it fit so sleekly
340 we might never know... she looked at the power guage... and it was almost empty
341 with energy... one shot left...
342 
343   as she strode silently over the gray carpetting... she noticed another pool
344 of blood on another switch... dried and hours old... close to an artery...
345 
346   the doorknob on the bathroom door was bloodstained... it had beaded on the
347 knob... and she nearly regurgitated at the feel of brass... and the wet blood..
348 
349 ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
350 
351   'we might find six agents inside... ' warned tilean...
352   'we might find kreut dead... if she is a net double agent like you said...'
353 
354   'she is... she had some net jewekry on her... the poisons were there... the
355 kgb does not bother with poison... they use their own guns...
356   'how was she figuired out... do you think... ' said markesson... over the
357 clanging of shoe tips on the stairs of the regent fire escapes... tiring...
358 
359   'she was with us... and they might think i am a net agent... for all that
360 means... ' said tilean... worried and breathless...
361 
362 ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
363 Voyeur: some prompted upload programs won't let you give a ctrl-char as
364 the prompt char. Vidtex for example...
365 No-longer-frustrated-programmer: not everyone can put inter-char delays.
366 IRemember, once you get out of the CP/M MS-DOS world, your choices get
367 VERY limited. Prompted upload is about as far as most programs I've even
368 HEARD of go. 
369 _________________________Leonard___________________________________________
370 ::::::::::::O O::::::::22:39::::::::::::::::::::::04/01::::::O O:::::::::
371 L'homme: saved to here.
372 Leonard: I said *IF* you have prompted upload.  And as far as VIDTEX,
373  well... 'nuf said.
374 ::::::::::::O O:::::::::::::::::::voyeur::::::::::::::::::::O O:::::::::::
375 .......................................................................
376 	Familiar Spring,
377 	sweet stench of
378 	busy paper mills
379 	and thaw.
380 	Trees that look of tissue,
381 	smell of starched laundry,
382 	splash the air with
383 	pink snow warm to the touch.
384 	Cat-shaped patches 
385 	of Spring appear
386 	for Entropy to lie in, lazy.
387 
388 ..........................................Entropy.......................
389 
390 tempted...  so very tempted...  choices... right ones... wrong ones...   [r.a.]
391 *%_)@#*%_)*%_)#*$%)_!*^_)*^)_+*(+^(+)_#$*^)_#$&^)_$#*^_)*^)_#$*^)_^*_)^*_)@%*^_)%$*^)_%^*)_@*^%)_*^_)@^*(_)^(@^(
392 Voyeur : I flew the friendly skies. and made it back to the egg, er backwater. I have downloaded all of drives A and B
393  up to this point, so I guess all I need is drive C. Thanks so much for the help. Have I got some news for you... The
394  trip was fine, but I must admit some of the local wildlife leaves a little to be desired, especially on BART and MUNI.
395  Also, next time I go I think I'll take along a Spanish and Phillipino interpreter, or start taking classes myself.
396 Farley : Thanks for going on with my premise. I can't enter know, but I will later.
397 Petrov : I know you won't see this for awhile, but perhaps some kind soul will send you the copy. I might point out
398  one error in your entry. When Joshua and I hung you over the bathtub in room 1271 at the Plaza Hilton, we DID have
399  the common decency to not strip you completely, so to avoid the chance of concealed weapons. Don't you remember we 
400  let you keep that special 'robe de chambre' you were so attached to?
401 Mikey : In my rush to get packed, I didn't get a chance to mail the disk. I will bring it Thursday, but I be there
402  until later... Will you stay?
403 *)_%*)_%*#)_%*@_)*%@!_#)%*)_@!%*)_!@ L'homme sans Parity *%)#_@*%_@*#%_%*_@#%*_@*%_@#)%*)_@*%)@#_*%@)#_*%@)_#%*
404 
405 
406   some people have suggested the donation of equipment, to make a new
407 backwater. and some people have also suggested a collection to buy the
408 system. does anyone else like this idea? if so, to what extent?
409 
410 /=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/
411         A solitary man stood waiting for his ride to come on that breezy after-
412 noon. Time to him was very much a concern worth noting. He hated to wait and
413 therefore was climbing the proverbeal wall. If only there were a wall to climb.
414         "I've been waiting here for more than fifteen minutes. Where can he be
415 now?" His thoughts had become more than that, they bacame mutterings that
416 caught the attention of those that might pass him by. "Damn, damn, damn, damn!
417 where IS he? It's been more than sixteen minutes..." There was no hope now. Too
418 many minutes have passed for it to have made any real differance whether or not
419 he would lose today's contract. Within the next five minutes he would lose his
420 firt two contracts, and shortly afterwards he become a standing time-bomb just
421 waiting for his ride to take him to the "office" so he could try to salvage the
422 third and final contract for the beginning of the day. There would be more
423 contracts that day but they all depernded on the first three going off without
424 to much of a hitch.
425         "Absolutely grand xxxxxxx great! I've been standing here for more than
426 twenty-five minutes and STILL nothing. Not even in sight. Nada. Null. Nix."
427         (With frustration such as that, I think I'll keep the name "PINER")
428                                                 Piner
429 /=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/
430 To The Piper: I know that the names are VERY simular, and don't really intend
431         to become confused with you. It was just that the name has a meaning
432         for me that may not be totally acurate, but I think it does suit me.
433 Spelling Checkers: You needn't bother. I know my spelin leevs a lot tu b dezyrd
434         an dont reelee care. Prehaps I do, all I want is to convey my thoughts.
435 /=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/
436 
437 Leonard-- I don't even KNOW anything about the CP/M MS-DOS world; I use a tape-
438 based TRS-80 (from which fact everybody probably knows who I am; who else on
439 local BBSs--or anywhere else, for that matter--keeps saying that expensive disk-
440 based machines aren't needed for capable software?) I don't see how an upload
441 program can do without intercharacter delays; I can't even send messages to Bit
442 Bucket without that!  I've had to provide the ability to vary both the prompt
443 and the intercharacter delay time.  My program won't allow a ctrl-char other
444 than CR as the prompt (except if I patch it in) because I have found no need for
445 that.  What I do here is use a CR for the prompt, a feature I put in to take
446 care of ALL systems that don't send them; that way the next line is sent when
447 the preceding line's CR is echoed.  But it does need a delay, so IF (and only
448 if) the current prompt is a CR, my program waits about a second after the prompt
449 is received.  This works on CompuServe and the Source as well as here.  If you
450 are the Leonard I know who has a Model III, and your software doesn't have these
451 capabilities, maybe you'd like to beta test the disk-compatible version of my
452 integrated word processing/telecommunications system?
453     Anyone else who has a TRS-80 Model III or 4 will also be welcomed as a beta
454 tester (and in time, Model I, but I've just realized Mod I's keyboard driver
455 doesn't handle control characters at all....)  If you don't know where to
456 reach me, send note to TOPS Programming, Portland 97219.
457                                 --SYLVIA, AKA "PROGRAMMER"
458 
459 ******************************************************************
460 ~
461 	  Need some T.V. tubes????
462       Color and B/W! - Big selection!
463   They're all used, but test good!
464    Prices are pretty low! $1.50-$3.50
465 so 1970 B/W Zenith set, Make offer.
466 
467     Call: John at 654-xxxx
468     12:00pm - 9:00pm
469 
470 
471 
472 <+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+>
473 Zippy: The drives are HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, actually, thay are
474 at Kevin's....I won't get my hands on them until thursday.
475        We will be hooking them up to his Xerox first, to see what thay do. then
476 if all is well, we will work on geting that 3$ powersupply to work.
477    All going well, I will have quaddrives by late sunday.
478    A waist,I know,but it looks REAL nice ontop of my ATR. besids, if you were
479 offered 1.5megs of disk storage for under 200$ would you pass it up?
480 
481 						Asp
482 <+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+>
483 Programmer: here is a bit of "trivia" about BW that may help with your
484 loads. BW will accept the character FOLLOWING the c/r & not echo it til
485 it is do posted the line. So maybe if you had your software wait for the
486 char to be echoed...
487 To the pern talking about "buying" the equipment that BW runs on, You
488 could BUILD a copy of the equipment for under $50 bucks. (less the drives)
489 I believe Mikey has some 'extra' boards. Of course, you'll have to burn
490 your own ROMs (BW runs in 8k of 2708 ROMs & 1k of static RAM). The source
491 code is only partially available...
492     You'd be better off writing an emulator on another machine. (BW is
493 running on 1977 state-of-the-art equipment, ie obsolete....)
494 ___________________________Leonard_________________________________________
495 
496 ***************************************************************
497 Leonard: Actually, it's 1976, but who's quibling over a year eh?
498 L'homme: OK, will wait till around 10pm. Is that late enough?
499 Uploaders: If you are having problems such that you must put an 
500 intercharacter delay in, a better way to handle it if you can is to wait
501 for each character you send to be echoed back to you before sending the
502 next one. BWMS itself can accept characters without delay. The usual
503 reason for problems is those cheapy modems (particularly acoustic couplers)
504 which have difficulty seperating the data being sent back by BW from that
505 which it is transmitting. BWMS 'does' require that you perform some sort
506 of delay at the end of each line. One second minimum, though you may loose
507 a part of the first line when to disk starts to get full. It can take an extra
508 second for the drive to get to the last sector of the disk when it is that
509 full. (remember we are running on Shugart SA400's here. (You know, the
510 same type of drive mechanism used in Apples and Ataris...)
511 As Leonard indicated, a great way to do it if you can handle it is to
512 wait for the specific character you transmit to comeback. 
513 Since BW echos a 'line feed' 'carriage return' at the end of each
514 line, and then goes away to save it to disk, in the meantime the usart
515 can be accepting another character and have it waiting for the system
516 when it comes back from the disk operation, at which time it picks it
517 up and processes it, and echos it back to you. Thus, if you can ignore the
518 line feed character, you're home free. Also, don't send line feeds,
519 BW adds them in for you.
520 BW always sends LF/CR, eccept for just in front of the '>' prompt,
521 here it puts a normal CR/LF.
522 The other exception is when it prints out the 'help' information, in which
523 case it also prints out the CR/LF sequence. Don't yell at me, I didn't
524 write the software, I only patched it to make it run here.
525 ************************* CISTOP MIKEY *************************************
526 sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssswift. . . 
527 
528 You are my mirror-
529 I am the image reflected
530 and the corporeal one as well.
531 Your image reflects, too.
532 I am your mirror...
533 
534 ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssswift. . .
535 
536   alright. so we build one. what do we build and how?
537 
538 *****************************************************************************
539 and why?
540 *********************************************************************************
541 -'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'
542      Through fear we deny ourselves that which we desire the most.
543 
544      Metaphor for the day:  Fears are the roadblocks on the highway of life.
545 The problem is discovering the right detours.  Hmmm... where did I put 
546 that map?
547 
548      My fears are rooted in the past. They cloud my perceptions of the 
549 present and determine my future.  That is unless I'm strong enough to say:
550 No more!
551 
552      My capacity for courage displays itself when I least expect it.
553 
554      Courage is spontaneous, fear is premeditated.
555 -'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'The Jung and Restless'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'
556 
557   ALL: Was their a stray control character in that message, affter '
558 
yesterday'??? If so, I am sorry if it messed up anyone's terminal.It 
559 
did nasty things to mine....
560 

561 
                                                          Asp
562 
<+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+><+>
563 QUIT
564 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
565       A beast I have been called,  And I stalk only those who
566       venture out into the cool morning.  The wee hours are mine
567       The moon is full.  When out walking tonight, listen for 
568       the pad of my feet.  Make no sudden movements, for I will
569       attack.  I lust for warm blood, yours if you find yourself
570       within my deadly grasp.  Beware, make sure your children
571       are safe in their beds.    
572 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
573  
574 ^^^^^  Many things transpire in the course of a few days.
575 ^^^^^  In one such case, a week of tremendous rage was
576 ^^^^^  what had set my 'pen' to the page in words 
577 ^^^^^  of confusion.  All is not right.
578 
579 f13and nefariu

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