Megalextoria

A summary for those that haven’t been keeping up with this series:

I found a number of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago (sometime in the late 1990s to the best of my recollection). I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a several years back. Since then, I have been occasionally posting the content here.

Based on the contents, most or all of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.

The following description of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: “This SIG, known as ‘Close Encounters’, is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships.”

This service was text based and was accessed via a modem and whatever terminal program you had available for your computer to dial in with. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I am not aware of any archives in existence today that contain what was on Delphi in the 1980s.

This post includes the contents of LORDMHM.DOC. It contains a single e-mail dated January 27th, 1985. It’s from somebody with the handle of JOHNWG (presumably JWG are his initials). It refers to a prior conversation and seems to be about promoting the Close Encounters Special Interest Group. I have no idea if any of the items mentioned here ever came to fruition.

.lt
 10  24-NOV  CONFERENCE PROTOCOLS


The FRIENDSHIP Circle holds weekly conferences each Saturday
night starting at 9:15 PM EST on a variety of subjects.
Conference schedules are posted well in advance as are the
protocols to be observed during the conference.

Existing protocols for the Saturday Conferences:

?          to signal the moderator that you have a comment or
question you would like a chance to voice.

ga         means you are done with your talk.

:::msg:::  you are either unavailable temporarily, or just
returning.  There is no need to announce your arrival or
departure into the conference area as the Delphi conference
program does that for you. You could use this, however, if you
want others to know that you will return shortly or something
of that nature.

      The conference moderator has acknowledged your ? or
!. (Please be patient.)  Also, you will be called in turn to
the best of the moderator's ability to keep track.

!          Use this when you have a pressing but brief comment
or question for the current speaker.  The speaker has the
first option to allow the interrupt.  If this is abused, it
will be treated like a '?'. It's  purpose is to get immediate
and relevant comments which can otherwise get lost in a long
line.

ATN     should be self explanatory.

Often you will find that these protocols are not strictly
followed because of the "mood" of the evening.  Do not be
alarmed or upset if you suddenly see a lot of comments and
then have the conference moderator (JohnMyself) call for ATN!
We do try to follow the protocols as outlined in fairness to
all, but being human, we do get carried away at times!

As a matter of common courtesy, please keep side comments and
/send messages to a minimum.  Thank you.
.el

A summary for those that haven’t been keeping up with this series:

I found a number of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago (sometime in the late 1990s to the best of my recollection). I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a several years back. Since then, I have been occasionally posting the content here.

Based on the contents, most or all of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.

The following description of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: “This SIG, known as ‘Close Encounters’, is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships.”

This service was text based and was accessed via a modem and whatever terminal program you had available for your computer to dial in with. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I am not aware of any archives in existence today that contain what was on Delphi in the 1980s.

This post includes the contents of LORDMHM.DOC. It contains a single e-mail dated January 27th, 1985. It’s from somebody with the handle of JOHNWG (presumably JWG are his initials). It refers to a prior conversation and seems to be about promoting the Close Encounters Special Interest Group. I have no idea if any of the items mentioned here ever came to fruition.

"MINDSPEAK" by GRENDEL, Aug.  2, 1984 at 23:26 MT about WHAT
*DOES* HAPPEN ON THE GREEN SCREEN? (66 notes)

66 (of 66) LORD TORGARTH Dec. 25, 1984 at 11:50 MT (1068
characters)

There is another aspect of teleconferencing that I have heard
pointed out elsewhere, but I haven't seen stated here.

The green screen acts as something of a buffer, a shield if
you will. In person, when you meet someone new, you always
have a bit of a guard up; you are wary, and worried about
their reaction to you.  Via the green screen, you feel "safe",
so you are more open.

Also, superficiality is reduced.  You cannot see the person 
you are talking to, so are not distracted by physical
appearance, etc.  You converse with the *person*, not the
body.

I know I am not expressing myself as well as I usually do -
chalk that up to inaction; I haven't been online for 6 months
or so.  But I hope that I am getting my meaning through;
teleconferencing is a great aid to meaningful communications.

Of course, some people misuse this tool, and hide behind false
facades, but then, people do that in the analog world as well
 - whereever you go, you will find phonys.  A sad fact of
human nature.

                                Sincerely;
                                Lord Torgarth of Imroth-Aenor