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 DEC84.DOC. Similar to the last few posts in this series, this appears to be a report that gives details on the usage of the SIG (how many hours each user spent in the SIG, etc.). This is in the form of an e-mail from someone named KELLY who was presumably an employee of Delphi. The e-mail is dated January 18th, 1985.

There are two SIGs (Special Interest Groups) that have been mentioned repeatedly in these files. One is the “Close Encounters” SIG and the other is the “Friendship Circle” SIG though I’m not entirely sure they were different. “Close Encounters” may have evolved from “Friendship Circle”. In any case “Closed Circle” is mentioned in this report but maybe this is an alias or the name changed again at some point.

This report includes username, sessions (number of times the user called), prime minutes (this was probably online time during peak hours when a more expensive per minute charge was applied), and off-prime minutes (probably online time during off peak hours that were either “free” with your monthly subscription, or at least much cheaper).

There are also a couple of other e-mails here discussing these reports. One interesting tidbit is that apparently ‘SIGOPS’ earned royalties (more like a commission if you ask me) based on usage. I guess this makes sense as users paid a monthly fee to access Delphi and also a per minute usage charge. After all, SIGOPS would have been responsible for running groups that led to people spending more time (and therefore more money) online.

This file is dated September 2nd, 1985 and was in a subdirectory titled “SIGUSAGE”. This is the last of the SIG usage reports, at least on this disk.

=-=
DEC84.DOC
=-=

—

From:   UAP0M          17-JAN-1985 19:47  
To:     GLENN,CC_TO,KELLY,@SIGOPS
Subj:   Sig royalties and reports

Glenn:

I would rather let each SIGOP state his/her case rather me as 
far as any case.

You stated that all sigs who earned Royalties in December had
those royalites listed on their bill invoice.  Dying to know
who these people are, with the mail I have gotton on this
issue.  However anyone who didn't get a USAGE-REPORT has
no way of determing if their SIG earned royalites, so until
reports are released no one can state their case.  Another
thing, what formula is used for awarding sig royalties.  I 
have been asked this over and over again, so if you could
please clear this up it would avoid a lot of confusion.
Thanks for you help.

Kelly:

If you could please send out those USAGE-REPORTS to those who
didn't get one, it would be greatly appreciated.  I am sure
that I can speak for the SIGOPs in offering to assist you in
any way we can in getting these reports out.  We really do
appreciate those reports which you do an outstanding job.
Thanks.

Sigops:

OK!  You can see, for those of you hav browbeaten for the 
last 2 weeks, that I addressed your concern to DELPHI.  So,
when you get your usage report and you feel it met the earning
formula criteria, please notify your SIG REPRESENTIVE.

I would rather you do this direct rather going through me.
Also, PLEASE do NOT GIVE OUT THE PASSWORD to the SIGOP JOURNAL
to ANYONE!!!  If you assign a level 4 or 5 manager for you 
sig, send me the manager's membername, real name, and level. 
I will then issue the password and other materials.  Your help
in this matter will be greatly appreciated.   Thanks. Chris

P.S.  Don't forget the SIGOPS MEETING on 01/26/85 at 9:00
pm(ET).

P.S.S.  Glenn:  sorry that you are getting this twice...

From:   KELLY          18-JAN-1985 10:50  
To:     CABUYS
Subj:   Dec. Usage Report

Usage report, by time, for Closed Circle Sig
============================================
                                      PRIME     OFFPRIME
     USERNAME             SESSIONS    Minutes   Minutes
     --------             --------    -------   --------
     ACE                         1          6          0
     AIRHITCH                    1          0          5
     ALESSAN                    10          0        231
     ANNEEB                      1          0          2
     BGS                         1          0          1
     BGSGUEST                    1          0          4
     BIALI1                      1          0          1
     BILLHICKEY                  1          0         11
     BOBKING                     1          0          7
     BOSTONROCK                  2          0         15
     BTI                         1          0         17
     BURNS                       1          0         13
     BUSSIGMGR                   1          0          6
     BZ                          2          0         62
     CABUYS                     71          1       1951
     CAMBATA                     1          0          5
     CHEVALIER                   1          0         12
     CJB                         1          0          1
     CONRAD                      1          0         22
     DARKSTAR                    1          0         30
     DESHIELDS                  10         15        181
     DJR                         9          0        155
     EGBOK                       1          0          1
     ELFAN                       4          0         19
     ELLISCO                    10          0        192
     EUGENEROSEN                 1          0          4
     FOODMAN                     1          0          5
     FTF                         1          0         22
     GCCS                        5         16         13
     GGUTHRO                     1          0          2
     GRANT                       1          0         13
     GRENDEL                     1          0          4
     HANK                        1          0          5
     HANSOLO                    28          4        539
     HOWARDM                     1          0          3
     IVY                         3          0         97
     J1944                       1          0          4
     JCG                         2          0         18
     JESMITH                     1          0          7
     JIMSTEWART                  1          0         14
     JKIPP                       1          0          3
     JMEL                       15          9        186
     JMORITZ                     1          0          8
     JOHNMYSELF                 43          0        826
     JPM                         1          0          1
     JSARAS                      3          0         38
     JUN                         1          0          2
     KENF                        2          0         29
     KENNY1                      1          0          4
     LISTENER                    1          0          4
     MARTI                     117        117       2170
     MGOOSE                      1         15          0
     MIKE                        3          0         21
     MIKECARRAHER                1          0          7
     NFSA                        1          4          0
     NJOHNSON                    1          0          2
     PARNASSUS                   1          0          5
     PEPPERS                     4         10          8
     PERRIGREN                   1          0          9
     PRINCESS                   30         36       1087
     PUGDOG                      1          0         14
     PYTHIA                      1          0          3
     QUICKRODNEY                 8          0         37
     RABBI                       1          0          3
     REGOODSTEIN                 1          0         13
     REHMKE                      1          0          6
     RGRIMSHAW                   1          0          5
     RJB005                      1          0         12
     RM                          7         14         27
     RODM                        7          0         57
     ROSEMARY                    1          0          8
     SANDLAPPER                  1          0          4
     SAUNDERS1313                1          0          8
     SCHONBERGER                 6          5        135
     SHREWUS                     1          0          4
     SMILE                       4          8         20
     SPARKY                      3          0        106
     SPIKE                       1          0         16
     STRUBLE                     2          0         34
     SUZIE                       1          0          6
     SVENGALI                    1          0          6
     TC1                         1          0          8
     TECHNOLOGY                  1          0          6
     THESTRANGER                61        144        857
     THORKILDSEN                 2          0         17
     TOAD                        1          0         11
     TOMOYASU                    1          0          6
     TREK                        1          0         62
     VAMPYR                      1          0          2
     WHCL                        1          5          0
     YOSHI                      14          1        168
------------------------------------------------------------
Totals in minutes              548        410       9765
                                          6.83    162.75 hours

From:   KELLY          18-JAN-1985 10:54  
To:     CABUYS
Subj:   Usage reports

Connie,

I apologize for the confusion with the usage reports.  
However, we are currently working on a new report which we
hope will be more complete than our latest version.  With this
new report, we're hoping sigops will be able to access them
directly, therefore keeping more accurate records.

In the future, if you or any other sigop have any problems or
questions, please contact me or JOHNWG.

Thanks and sorry for the delay.

Kelly

MAIL> re

To:     KELLY
Subj:  RE: Usage reports
Enter your message below. Press CTRL/Z when complete, CTRL/C
to quit:
Kelly, thank you for your explanation about the usage reports.
I appreciate all your help and I'm looking forward to the
new version.  If there's anything I can do to assist in any
way, just let me know.

Again, much thanks!

-Connie
^Z