• Tag Archives telecommunications
  • Digital Archaeology: Codex (Floppy Disk) #8 (part 17)

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

    I found a bunch of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago. I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a while back. Since then I have been posting the contents here.

    Based on the contents, at least some of these disks 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 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.”

    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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16).

    This post contains the contents of a few different document, each containing either Delphi related announcements or specifically Close Encounters SIG related announcements.

    ===
    SEPDEAAN.DOC
    ===

    
     5  26-SEP  BRIEF TIG*LINES #3
     
     Tiglon  has permitted us to republish Tig*Lines Issue Three in
     our General Information Database.  Thanks Gayle!
     
     
     7  24-SEP  BRIEF TRANSCRIPT 9/21/85 CO
     
     The transcript  of the 9/21/85 conference on
     AFTERPLAY is now available in the Open Forum Database.
     
     
     8  22-SEP  BRIEF TIGLON'S FANTASY
     
     Tiglon has submitted a new entry to our Fantasy database.  It's
     *guaranteed* to raise your temperature!  It's titled "For My
     Love".  Thanks Gayle!
     
     
     9  22-SEP  BRIEF MADONNA'S POEM
     
     Madonna has submitted a new poem to our Poetry database.  The title
     is "I Can Almost Feel You".  Thanks Madonna!
     
     
     12  17-SEP  BRIEF TRANSCRIPT 9/14/85 CO
     
     
     Now available in the General Information Database:  Transcript of the
     9/14/85 conference "Why Do You Come On Line?"
     
     N
    
    

    ===
    SEPMEAN.DOC
    ===

    
     6  26-SEP  BRIEF MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS
     
     Please take a few minutes to review the revised membership messages. 
     To get there, type at the ENCOUNTER> prompt, ANN, then MEM. Scan will
     give you the list.  Thank you.
     
     
     11  18-SEP  BRIEF CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT
     
     
     FALL MEMBERSHIP CONTEST!!
     
     Now through October 25, 1985, DELPHI will be sponsoring its annual
     Membership Contest.  The prize is a Weekend Get-away at a Hyatt or
     Ramada Inn in the city of your choice, arranged by Fresh Pond Travel
     of Cambridge, MA.  Travel expenses excluded.
     
     To participate in the contest, all you do is have friends, relatives,
     and co-workers sign-up for DELPHI at a discounted price of $10 (for a
     life-time membership and one free evening hour).
     
     To sign-up at the special discounted rate, have the person dial the
     DELPHI number (617) 576-0862 and type CONTEST as the Username and
     then the username of the person who refers him as the Password.
     
     DELPHI will keep track of how many new members sign-up using your
     Username and award the prize to the Username that has the most new
     members as of October 25, 1985.  There is a minimum of 10 sign-ups
     needed to qualify for the contest.
    
    

    ===
    SEPWH.DOC
    ===

    
    read 10  5
    
      5  10-SEP  NBRIEF POEM BY RODM
    
    
    
    A new poem, "From A Meeting On-Line", has been submitted to the Poetry Database.
    The author of the poem is Rodm.  Post any comments you have about the poem in
    the Poetry section of the Forum.
    
    ANNOUNCE>(SCAN, READ, POST, DELETE, EDIT or EXIT):  
    
    

  • Digital Archaeology: Codex (Floppy Disk) #8 (part 16)

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

    I found a bunch of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago. I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a while back. Since then I have been posting the contents here.

    Based on the contents, at least some of these disks 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 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.”

    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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15).

    The contents of this post is from a document called RONPOEM.DOC. Apparently the Close Encounters SIG had a poetry section and this is one example…

    ===
    RONPOEM.DOC
    ===

    .lt
    
    Intimations of Intimacy
         by Ron Mazur
    
    
    Intimacy
    is an exquisite event of Being in touch.
    
    Intimacy
    is crying together with shared feelings
    of joy or suffering.
    
    Intimacy
    is the liquid communion of mutual sucking.
    
    Intimacy
    is hate defending dashed dreams
    and ruined hopes
    yet seeing the other's value
    in spite of emotional disasters.
    
    Intimacy
    is freedom and commitment in creative tension.
    
    Intimacy
    is the agony of apology
    and the grace of forgiveness.
    
    Intimacy
    is acceptance of each other
    with humor and warmth
    when the masks, postures, and roles
    have been stripped away.
    
    Intimacy
    is a massage by loving hands.
    
    Intimacy
    is what we neglect when we have it
    and become desparate for when we lose it.
    
    Intimacy
    is a sudden smile and open eyes
    which say, "Yes, I know."
    
    Intimacy
    is a myriad of delights
    which bodies together can share
    under the multitudinous
    sensual benedictions of Nature.
    
    Intimacy
    is an exquisite event of Being in touch.
    
    .el
    

  • Digital Archaeology: Codex (Floppy Disk) #8 (part 15)

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

    I found a bunch of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago. I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a while back. Since then I have been posting the contents here.

    Based on the contents, at least some of these disks 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 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.”

    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, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14).

    The contents of this post is from a document called ROD.DOC. A letter from Connie to Rod regarding their then new relationship. I believe this content or something very much like it was included in a previous post as part of a terminal log that involved sending the actual e-mail.

    ===
    ROD.DOC
    ===

    
    My dearest darling Rod,
    
    I mentioned to you that there is something I wanted to put into
    writing because it would be easier for me that way.
    
    I'm not sure, as I start this, whether I will send it to you dmail or
    wait until you are here and give you a printed copy to read then.  I
    want to be able to be with you but I also want you to have time to
    think thru what I'm about to say and the two conflict with each other.
    
    I would like to re-state some things we already know:
    
    1.  You've mentioned when you come to me, you will have to give up
    your present job - but I'm not sure of the exact reasons behind that
    statement.
    
    2.  You've said you are afraid of losing your son.  This I can very
    well understand because of his age and you want to allow him time to
    mature a little more in the hopes he can understand later.
    
    3.  You've said your marriage would be history, which, of course, is
    the only way we could be together.  This also means giving up your
    home and the things you and Charlet have worked for all the past
    years.
    
    4.  You've said you would be bankrupt and I am assuming you mean the
    full legal implications that are involved.
    
    5.  You've indicated to me over and over again how segmented your life
    is.
    
    The full realization of what you would be giving up is what led to my
    comment Saturday night about "destroying you". 
    
    I am very concerned, perhaps because I don't know all the reasons
    behind your various comments listed above, that you are making such
    statements and decisions in a sincere effort to put that part of your
    life "in a box on the shelf" - to keep it entirely segmented from the
    life we will have together.
    
    If that is the case, don't you realize that there *will always be*
    ties to the past? There will be alimony.  There will be, depending on
    Rodney's age at the time, child support.  There will be times when you
    will have to deal with Charlet for various reasons, especially when it
    comes to the son the two of you have, just as there will also be times
    when I will have to deal with Chuck, even after you and I are
    together.
    
    As for the bankruptcy, that's another matter - because it will
    seriously affect the starting of your own business!  Who's going to
    financially back someone who can't handle their own finances? And
    believe me, they will want to know all about your financial history!
    
    And, sweetheart, don't think, when it comes to your marriage, that any
    attorney is going to let you get away with giving up *everything* just
    because you might want to.  Believe me! I've been there.
    
    Anyway, now I've had my say and I think I will send it on to you so
    that we can discuss it all in more detail when we are together.
    I just want to be sure you don't start putting certain things into
    action based on decisions you might have already made 
    
    I love you so very much!
    
    Love,
    Connie