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  • Digital Archaeology: Codex (Floppy Disk) #8 (part 6)

    Posted on by Azrael 8 Comments

    Continuing with this series of posting the contents of various 5.25″ floppy disks I found at a thrift store a number of years ago… At least some of them were apparently once owned by someone named Connie A. Buys who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.

    A specific definition of this SIG was found in a previous document: “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.”

    Everything was text based from whatever terminal program you used to dial in to Delphi’s servers. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I don’t know if there are any archives in existence today of what was on Delphi in the 1980s. In any case, much of this stuff would have been private at the time and some of it is quite personal.

    I’ve been splitting up the contents of this disk (descriptively labeled “File Disk”) since it contains a number of documents, some of which are pretty long. A 5.25″ floppy disk can still hold an impressive amount of info when it is just text. (see the previous parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

    The document included in this post is a letter written by Connie A. Buys to Forum Magazine with a request to reprint one of their articles on Delphi.

    —
    FLAGPOLL.DOC
    —

                                              2947 West 3rd Street
                                          Jacksonville, Florida, 32205
                                          February 16, 1985



FORUM Magazine
Rights and Permissions
1965 Broadway
New York, New York 10023-5965



                                       Re:  Reprint Permission Request


The JULY 1984 issue of FORUM Magazine carried an article titled "The
X-Rated Computer" by Jack Martin.

I manage an electronic special interest group on a computer system
known as Delphi.  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.

I would like to have your permission to reprint the article named
above for the benefit of our membership.

If you need any further information in order to grant permission to
reprint this article, please let me know.

                                        Very truly yours,



                                        Connie A. Buys, SIG Manager
                                        Close Encounters

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  • Computer Gaming World (January 1993)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    cgw_102_1993-01-000

    Source: Computer Gaming World – Issue Number 102 – January 1993

    Computer Gaming World really was the best computer games magazine. It was sad when it evolved into the short-lived Games for Windows. The January 1993 issue includes the following:

    Features

    • Ultra Bots Exclusive Coverage – Johnny Wilson Proves That War Is What you Mech of It
    • A King’s Quest VI(th) Sense? – Chuck Miller Gets Under the Scalp of Missing Heirs
    • Carusoe-ing For A Bruising – Giligan has Nothing on Dynamix’ Johnny Castaway – A Note in the Bottle from Alan Emrich & Johnny Wilson
    • Accolade’s Summer Challenge Leaps For The Gold – Reviewer Gordon Goble Checks for (Foot) Faults
    • Sierra’s Clueless Gobliiins – Chriiis Lombardiii Buys Them A Vowel
    • The Quest For Glory Series Takes a 3rd Turn – Players May Not Mind A Couple of Lumps of Cole in Their Stockings As Dug by Jeff James
    • Bela Lugosi Lives On In Plan 9 From Outer Space – By Alien Abductee, Charles Ardai
    • Is Jack Nicklaus Golf Driving You Bunkers? – Mark Willet Guides Course Designers Through the Rough
    • A Composer’s Symposium on Sound Support – Donald Griffin Explores What’s in the Cards & Gives Sound Observations
    • Surveying the Realms – Virgin Games Sallies Into Strategy Gaming By Jeff “The Conquering Commentator” James
    • Heimdall – The Party Viking? – Ragnarok n’ Roll With Allen “Bjorn To Be Wild” Greenberg
    • Evan B(r)ooks A Flight on Air Bucks – A Solvent Review for Soldiers in the Fare Wars
    • The High & Dry Way to Fly – Stealthy Strategies for Happier Landings in Air Bucks by Jennifer Schlickbernd
    • Learning From The Prophecy of the Shadow – SSI Reaches Out For New Role-Playing Converts By Jeff “Voice In The Wilderness” James
    • How Do You Spell Excitement? N-H-L-P-A Hockey! – Electronic Arts Shoots and Scores on the SEGA As Glossed Over by Zamboni Drivers Chris Lombardi & Alan Emrich
    • A Different Slant on Wayne Gretzky 3 – Gordon Goble “Checks” Out Bethesda’s Latest
    • The Deciding Point is a Spear of Destiny – Back To the Bunker on Another Wolfenstein 3-D Mission Bryan Walker Takes a Careful, Reviewer’s aim
    • Making One’s Mark in Darklands – Fighting For One’s Reputation part II of Sam Baker’s Strategy Guide
    • Charles Ardai Takes a Spring Break – Legend’s Spellcasting: 301 Works Its Magic Through Another Naughty, Sophomoric Rump (Er,…Romp)
    • Phone Stone – GEnie’s Gemstone III Gets Reappraised By the Pawnbroker of Panache, Johnny Wilson
    • The Consumers Strike Back! – CGW’s Annual Top Ad Contest is Launched And Will be Decided by Our Readers

    Computer Wargaming World

    • Red Baron Mission Builder in the Crosshairs – Becoming the Ringmaster of the Flying Circus A Review of Dynamix’s Toolkit by Doug “Flying” Fick
    • Naval Miniatures on a Microcomputer? – SSI’s Great Naval Battles in the North Atlantic Sails With Nautical Nuance by Johnny “Range Finder” Wilson
    • “I’ll Meet You At Midway” – A Rip Roaring Replay of A Carriers at War Scenario By Michael “Nimitz” Peck and Carlos “Yamamoto” Gomez
    • B-17 – On Target? – Reviewing MicroProse UK’s Flying Fortress Simulator Flak Fired by William Shefski
    • Having Conquered Kingdoms At Your Feet – Alan Emrich Previews the Latest Offering from QQP And Sees Magic in the Strategy Gamer’s Future
    • Advanced Squad Leader Meets IBM – A Game Assistance Program lends Support to a Wargaming Classic By Richard “10-6” Savage
    • Gunship 2000 Over Islands and Ice – A Helicopter Gunship Flight Simulator Supplement Reviewed by Bryan Walker
    • Reviewing the Fronts in Theatre of War – Tim Carter Witnesses A Strategy Gaming Spectacle
    • Talons & Claws in Operation Fighting Tiger – Spectrum Holobyte Gives a Boost to Falcon 3.0 An In-flight Review by Tom “Crash” Basham
    • Garage-Built F-16? – Mike Weksler Straps into Homemade Cockpits for Flight Simulators

    Departments

    • Scorpia’s View: Clouds of Xeen
    • Over There: European Software Report
    • Scorpia’s Tale: The Summoning
    • Best of the Rest (Shareware)
    • CGW Stock Watch: Sierra
    • Company Profile: QQP
    • Conversions Received
    • Letters from Paradise
    • The Rumor Bag (Artis Fartis)
    • Computer Wargaming World Editorial: Roger Keating Interview
    • Taking a Peek
    • CGW Poll: Top 100 Games
    • What’s Hot!
    • CGW Hall of Fame
    • Editorial – Software Returns

    …and more!


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  • RUN: The Commodore 64/128 User’s Guide (June 1989)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    run_1989-06_0

    Source: RUN: The Commodore 64 128 User’s Guide – June 1989

    RUN was my favorite Commodore 64 specific magazine. Before RUN, I bought Commodore Magazine. However, when Commoodre ceased publication of that magazine, much of the Commodore 64 specific content went to RUN. The June 1989 issue includes:

    Features

    • Calorie Counter – A type-in program designed to help you keep track of the calories you consume.
    • Type Invaders – A type-in program that teaches typeing via a Space Invaders style game.
    • The MS-DOS/C-64 Connection – The final part in a three part series that provides various methods of working with MS-DOS files and disks. In this part, a type-in program is provided that lets a Commodore 64 read and write DOS formatted disks via a 1581 disk drive (720k 3.5″ disks) and a 1571 disk drive (5.25″ 360K disks).
    • Flight of the Condors – A type-in sci-fi themed game in which you must shoot down drones that have run-amok. The game is set in the “future”. December 21st, 2021 to be exact.
    • Quick Writer 128 – A type-in 80-column word processor for the Commodore 128.
    • Truant No Longer? – Commodore attempts to re-enter the education market with the Commodore 64. At the time, the Apple II still had the education market pretty well locked up in the U.S. even though it was more expensive without really being any more capable. I think Commodor had better luck in the Canadian education market.


    Table of Contents from the June 1989 issue of RUN

    Departments

    • RUNning Ruminations – An editorial on computer literacy.
    • Magic – Short programs for drawing rectangles, creating custom characters on the Commodore 128, monitoring the power supply, and more.
    • News and New Products – New games including Savage, Remote Control, Fun House, Muppet Adventure, Hydlide, SimCity, Star Wars, Devon Aire in The Hidden Diamond Caper, Undersea Commando, and Search for the Titanic. Plus, Eight Bells Voayger (navigation software), Word Witer 4 (word processor), GEOS 128 2.0, Story Writer 128, ESP Tester, and more.
    • Mail RUN – Readers wrie in about Run Paint, Run Script, an April Fool’s joke, RAM expansion, and more.
    • Software Gallery
      • Rampage – Conversion of the arcade game of the same name for the C64.
      • 1581 Toolkit – Various utilities for the 3.5″ 1581 disk drive.
      • Grand Prix Circuit – An excellent racing game for the time and one I spent many hours playing.
      • Pocket Author – A tool that adds commands to BASIC and can be used to write interactive teaching programs.
      • Zoom! – An arcade/puzzle game with Pac-Man influences.
      • Designasaurus – Edutainment software featuring dinosaurs.
      • Technocop – Play the role of a futuristic cop in this combination vehicular combat and side-scrolling action game.
      • Rack ‘Em – Play straight pool, eight ball, nine ball and snooker.
      • Predator – Based on the movie of the same name. Pretty good for a licensed game.
      • Annals of Rome – An empire building simulation.
      • John Elway’s Quarterback – A mediocre football game.
    • Telecomputing Workshop – A look at various file transfer utilities and archivers including LIbrary, ARC, Lynx, self-dissolving Arcs and more.
    • geoWatch – A lookat auto-execute files with a specific example for setting the time and date.
    • Games Gallery – A look at various hint books and on-line game guides to help you through your gaming struggles.
    • Coming Attractions -Coming soon: Coverage of low-cost laser printers, a software giveaway contest, and more.


    Back cover of the June 1989 issue of RUN

    …and more!


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