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From: grunwald@uiucdcsb.cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: talk problems between SUN and uVAX
Message-ID: <167800001@uiucdcsb>
Date: Wed, 14-Jan-87 13:14:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcsb.167800001
Posted: Wed Jan 14 13:14:00 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Jan-87 02:02:56 EST
References: <6300001@iaoobelix>
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Nf-ID: #R:iaoobelix:6300001:uiucdcsb:167800001:000:797
Nf-From: uiucdcsb.cs.uiuc.edu!grunwald    Jan 14 12:14:00 1987


The PLATO educational computer system has had a talk-like facility for many
years (mid-70's?).

There were two incantations: one was called term-talk, which enabled
a two-line conversation at the bottom of the screen without interrupting
the current program (PLATO didn't have job-control or anything concept of
it).

The other program was called Talk-O-Matic, and it had "channels" where up to
five people could hold a conversation with people entering & leaving
in the middle. You could "lock" a channel, not letting anyone else in.

Since PLATO had terminals spread around the country & the world, people
found it interesting to sit in a channel & just talk to whoever came along.
I think you could taga channel with a ``topic'' header as well, but it's been
a while since I used Talk-O-Matic.