HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: rwmira01@vlsi.louisville.edu (Rob Miracle (Non-priv))
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Organization: Computing & Telecommunications, University of Louisville
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 12:52:26 GMT

In article <tjk5.7@po.CWRU.Edu> tjk5@po.CWRU.Edu (Timothy J. Kordas) writes:
>Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
>Path: vlsi!ukma!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!b62144.STUDENT.CWRU.Edu!tjk5
>From: tjk5@po.CWRU.Edu (Timothy J. Kordas)
>Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
>Message-ID: <tjk5.7@po.CWRU.Edu>
>Sender: news@usenet.ins.cwru.edu
>Nntp-Posting-Host: b62144.student.cwru.edu
>Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
>References: <rwmira01.53.0@vlsi.louisville.edu>
>Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 16:52:47 GMT
>Lines:       15

>In article <rwmira01.53.0@vlsi.louisville.edu> rwmira01@vlsi.louisville.edu (Rob Miracle (Non-priv)) writes:

>>I am reading "Mona Lisa Overdrive" and having only read "Burning Chrome" I 

>Seeing as "Mona Lisa Overdrive" is a sequel to "Neuromancer" and especially
>"Count Zero" You have missed something, both are wonderful books, AND the

I got several responses via e-mail that have echoed what was posted here.  I 
guess my next question is: Should I stop reading "Mona Lisa Overdrive" now 
and get the first two read first?  I am about 1/2 the way thru "MLD" and 
have to return it to the library by 4/30.  If reading "MLD" is going to 
spoil "Neuromancer" and "Count Zero" then I want to stop, I think.

What do you think?

Rob



--
Rob Miracle                |  Internet:   rwmira01@vlsi.ct.louisville.edu
Programmer/Analyst-III     |  BITNET:     rwmira01@ulkyvx
University of Louisville   |  CompuServe: 75140,625
Louisville, KY             |  To boldy go where no one has gone before.
Xref: sparky alt.cyberpunk:2118 alt.sex:14815 misc.legal:9361
From: p2d@sci.kun.nl (Jeroen Huinink)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk,alt.sex,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Race is an undefined term...
Date: 16 Apr 92 12:55:57 GMT
Organization: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands

In <1992Apr14.003936.5085@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu> csachs@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu (Colin Sachs) writes:

>As far as I know, no one has ever conducted a study of the human genes of  
>different so-called races to compare them (the human genome (pardon the
>spelling) project would lead to this though, as long as accurate records
>were kept as to the origin of the samples). 

As far as *I* know some people are now actually studying the human genes in
order to determine where the differences in the genetic code lay between the 
races. 
They haven`t come up with much upto now. But what they *did* find out
was that the differences in genetic structure within a race are much bigger
than the differences between races. Some scientists even claim that if the
genetic-research is "completted" there will be a new definition of race, by
which race is not determined by skin color any longer.

Jeroen Huinink

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Words and Music from da Lowlands." -- Gotcha!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: ratner@owlnet.rice.edu (Logan Joshua Ratner)
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 18:53:50 GMT

Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Summary: 
Expires: 
Followup-To: 
Distribution: 
Organization: Rice University
Keywords: 


As I read the Nueromancer trilogy,
the implication is that the Neuromancer-Wintermute gestalt fractured
due to some psycological failing caused (precipitated?)by the
Alpha-Centuri net-consciousness.

These personas latched onto the identities of Voodoo spirits.
They recieved the identities from cultist who were already net users
and believed these spirits were ALREADY in the net.

At the end of Mona-Lisa it is implied that the spirits are coming back
together, perhaps to reform the net-consciousness that Neuromancer-Wintermute
became.

And God, I don't have page numbers.
I could even be wrong.

Ratner
From: reanor@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Jeffrey Getzin)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: The Lawnmower Man
Date: 15 Apr 92 14:31:55 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Apr14.015408.24855@muddcs.claremont.edu> you write:
>I couldn't agree more !  Hollywood is in the business of making  
>bucks, not art.  Fact is irrelevent.  The Lawnmower Man was a severly  
>butchered portrayal of VR, sugar-coated to be fed the masses of  
>idiotic American teens who will think it is "cool".  I am not a big  
>Stephen King fan, and although I personally haven't heard King's  
>comments on the film, I would have to admit to losing ALL respect for  
>him if he liked it.  And yes, it is almost nothing like the original  
>story...
>
>True VR enthusiasts see the Lawnmower Man for what it is - trash.   
>Let the idiots enjoy it.  We don't need them anyway.

Oh come on, guys.   The movie wasn't as bad as all that.   True they got
a lot of things mixed up (why VR is supposed to mental enhancing is
beyond me), but the acting was pretty good, and the special effects were
unbelievable.

And for all the inaccuracies in the movie, they occasionally stuck in
something that was real like the data-glove and the compressor
hypodermic, things on the edge of technology today, that made the film
more bearable.  

To be honest, I'm still not sure how the guy managed to kill all those
people.   It didn't make too much sense, but it was fun and relaxing
to watch.

		=*()*()* Jeff *()*()*=


P.S.  I think the reason they bombarded us with all that loud music was
      to cover up the pathetic accents!

-- 
					---
Jeffrey Getzin
saintdor@vms.cis.pitt.edu
--
					---
Jeffrey Getzin
saintdor@vms.cis.pitt.edu
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: ratner@owlnet.rice.edu (Logan Joshua Ratner)
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Organization: Rice University
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 18:45:56 GMT


As I read the Nueromancer trilogy,
the implication is that the Neuromancer-Wintermute gestalt fractured
due to some psycological failing caused (precipitated?)by the
Alpha-Centuri net-consciousness.

These personas latched onto the identities of Voodoo spirits.
They recieved the identities from cultist who were already net users
and believed these spirits were ALREADY in the net.

At the end of Mona-Lisa it is implied that the spirits are coming back
together, perhaps to reform the net-consciousness that Neuromancer-Wintermute
became.

And God, I don't have page numbers.
I could even be wrong.

Ratner

From: Spinner@f4.n290.z1.aisbbs.com (Spinner)
Sender: postmaster@aisbbs.com
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: the Difference Engine (an apology)
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1992 18:07:16

I made a mistake in my judgement of the Difference Engine.  It is in fact
one of the best books I have read in a long time.  It does however suffer
from the affliction of being hard to get in to.  Still, it is really worth
your time, IMHO.

inqs-spinner
From: motto@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (mary.rita.otto)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Playboy Article "Adventures in Cyberspace"
Summary: Service Economy Ramifications
Keywords: 900 Numbers
Date: 10 Apr 92 03:03:04 GMT
Followup-To: alt.cyberpunk
Distribution: usa
Organization: AT&T


VR-Porn?  Inhibiting serious research?

Don't kid yourself.  Is Dial-A-Porn inhibiting the deployment of 900-Numbers?
No - the profit potential is the bottom line, as usual.  900-Numbers
are being used for everything from Children's Storyline to getting pay-
as-you-go software support.  And for church organization fundraisers.

Porn is just ONE MARKET for VR.  Education is another.  Entertainment
of a non-Porn nature is another market.  What about the medical uses?
What about scientific uses?

Nobody thought that Cable would bring us the 30-minute commercial, either.

motto
From: kim3@husc10.harvard.edu (Jason Kim)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Playboy Article "Adventures in Cyberspace"
Date: 8 Apr 92 03:16:26 GMT
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <Apr.5.23.06.31.1992.8143@furs.rutgers.edu> fjohnson@furs.rutgers.edu (Floyd Johnson) writes:
>Just outta curiosity, what, electronically speaking, is the
>PowerGlove? Is it equipped with piezoelectric (sounds like the
>simplest implementation) sensors in the fingers, or does it only have
>a motion sensor for the whole fist. Or is it just a standard Nintendo
>controller (the keys on the "arm") in a "gnarly" package designed to sucker
>ten-year-olds?

My understanding was that the PowerGlove detects the motion of the fist as
the user throws punches into the air. If you want more technical information,
I have discovered that alt.virtual.worlds is crawling with mega-techs who are
assembling PowerGloves and Sony Watchman's and Mac Quadra's in an attempt at
what they call "homebrew" VR. 

>I gotta admit that I see the GUI as the first step toward
>VR... Once
>someone gets it perfected, possibly with real-time rendering (the CPU
>from hell!), the desktop computer will become a literal window on
>cyberspace. Shit, I sense that a lot of net.folk think of the current
>biz as a trip into C-space.

That brings up yet another point I forgot to mention in my first post--the
fact that real-time rendering of multisensory signals will be a monster of
a task that is literally impossible on a long-distance scale today, given
the lack of a sufficient fiber-optic infrastructure to handle the enormous
bandwidth VR requires.

Jason Y. Kim
kim3@husc9.harvard.edu
From: Tagi@cup.portal.com (Tagi Mordred Nagashiva)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 92 19:03:19 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
  <29EB97DA.15867@ics.uci.edu>

Whoooooahhh?

Oh the loa.  They are hot on my trail, and if I were you, I'd turn
tail and run for your life.  You may be right about the AI theory,
I am insufficiently informed regarding this.  All I know is that if 
I don't find some means to escape Them, I'll have to shut them all
dowm.

My suggestion is leave them alone.  Let them sniff you if they have to,
but treat them like any other divine being.  Watch for their messages.
Seek their names.  Treat them kindly and they will know what is best.
Above all maintain your dignity and take no measure you are not prepared
to defend.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to seek and find the
Holy Graal, as set forth in one or two movies and books.  Seemingly an
easy task, the Graal is the Cup/Portal through which the Complete Being
must swim.  

What?  Sorry, got to go.  This tape ends at seventeen fifty hours and five
mintues.  I hope I can survive long enough for Dawn to rejuvenate the remains.

Nooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

Tagi.Cup.Portal.Com
Nigris, 
O'
Newsgroups: alt.sex,alt.cyberpunk,misc.legal
From: as724@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bryan D. Jones)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: new thread: what will the world look like?
Date: 9 Apr 92 05:07:06 GMT
Article-I.D.: usenet.1992Apr9.050706.21555
Reply-To: bdj@engr.uark.edu (Bryan D. Jones)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)


Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Do any of you really believe that the conservative facists in our
society will really implement a VR network that spans the whole country
or evebn the world?  They would oppose suck a change in there most
effective and or violent means possible for it would mean that they
would be unable to control a portion of our society.  And what about the
religious fanatics in the world they would most likely say that such an
invention was from the dark one(s) itself.

Any and all flames welcome

-- 
Bryan D. Jones  (as724)
email   bdj@engr.uark.edu
Only The Insane Have the Strength to Prosper.  Only those who
     Prosper Truely Judge What is Sane.   --Proverb--
From: mfgw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Galen Weitkamp)
Subject: He, She and It
Organization: Educational Computing Network
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 03:46:15 GMT

Has anyone read Marge Piercy's newest book "He, She and It"
(Knopf 1991)?  It's a very weighty yet exciting novel which 
contrasts a story set in a Gibsonian future (complete with cyber-
space, techno-enhanced humans, androids, AI's and a decaying 
planet ruled by corporate entities) with a parallel story set in
seventeenth century Prague.  
     Piercy (a wonderful poet and novelist) uses the contrasts of 
cyberculture to sharpen our focus on many ageless asymmetries
of human relations.  What dept if any does a human or robot owe
to its parents and or creators?  If we are inclined to grant person-
hood to a machine solely on the basis of the Turing test why is it 
so easy to dehumanize other human beings.  If one grants that no
Turing-like test can distinguish gender then what basis do people
still find for gender prejudice?  Like cyberspace is not our sensual 
perception of reality a virtual construct forever sealed off from
the supporting substratum (presumably of space-time, matter and
energy)?
     I give this book my highest recommendation.

Galen Weitkamp (mfgw@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu)
From: reanor@speedy.cs.pitt.edu (Jeffrey Getzin)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Summary: Read "Neuromancer" and "Count Zero" first.
Date: 15 Apr 92 14:35:38 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept., University of Pittsburgh

In article <rwmira01.53.0@vlsi.louisville.edu> rwmira01@vlsi.louisville.edu (Rob Miracle (Non-priv)) writes:
>I am reading "Mona Lisa Overdrive" and having only read "Burning Chrome" I 
>am have problem with some of Gibson's terminology (finding Neuromancer is a 
>pain in the butt).  In particular, he refers to the "loa" and I must have 
>missed it.  It has something to do with Cyberspace.
>
>I am up to chapter 18.  So if I need to keep reading, let me know (if it is 
>a spoiler or something).
>
>Thanks
>Rob

You made the same mistake I did.   Mona Lisa Overdrive is the third book
in the series, although it doesn't say so on the book.   The series is:

		Neuromancer
		Count Zero
		Mona Lisa Overdrive

To fully understand the loa (which are critical to understanding MLO),
I recommend that you stop reading MLO and start with Neuromancer.

Or you can do what I did, finish MLO, scratch your head in puzzlement,
and then start with Neuromancer, reading the entire series from that
point.

		=*()*()* Jeff *()*()*=



--
					---
Jeffrey Getzin
saintdor@vms.cis.pitt.edu
From: jheath@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Jim Heath)
Newsgroups: alt.sex,alt.cyberpunk,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Virtual Ethics
Date: 9 Apr 92 19:04:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: CERIS.1992Apr9.190434.16843
Organization: Center for Environmental and Regulatory Information Systems, Purdue University

From article <1992Apr9.154200.242@cunews.carleton.ca>, by wcstom@alfred.carleton.ca (Tom Hamill):
> In article kim3@husc10.harvard.edu (Jason Kim) writes:
>>In article wooledge@ces.cwru.edu (Gregory Wooledge) writes:
>>
>>>Our technology is increasing, and our consumption of role-model images is
>>>becoming more widespread.  But such trends have existed throughout history
>>>and they haven't destroyed us yet.  I'd consider it to be simply a
>>>manifestation of man's desire to improve himself.
>>
>>I would hardly call Molly Millions or Johnny Mnemonic role models who will
>>help society improve itself :).
>>
>>My opinion is that when the day comes (in about 100 years!) that the world is
>>connected by a virtual reality network, people will no longer feel the need 
>>to improve their physical appearances, as their interpersonal relationships 
>>will be based mainly on their cyberspace aliases. You see, first of all, 
>>since in a VR world a person can take whatever form he or she desires, the
>>feeling that we present-day people experience of not being able to make our-
>>selves look good will disappear. If Mary has what it takes to attract Bubba
>>and she knows it, her confidence in herself will be such that she won't care
>>about not looking like Kathy Ireland in the physical world.
>>
> Try "Synners" by Pat Cadigan.  She explores this area of VR personnae
> versus actual physical appearance in some depth.  Well worth reading 
> in and of itself, with some insights relevant to this discussion and,
> in particular, to Jason's thoughts I quoted above.
>

I like "True Names" by Vernor Vinge. 
-- 
"Land of song, said the warrior bard,           Jim Heath
Though all the world betrays thee.
One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, (The Minstrel Boy)
One faithful harp will praise thee."         (Thomas More)
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk
From: mjb@netcom.com (Martin Brown)
Subject: Re: Term in Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive"
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 09:05:53 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 

In article <29EB97DA.15867@ics.uci.edu> ddoherty@ics.uci.edu (Donald Doherty) writes:
>
>?????  I thought that they are the multiple personalites of T-As AI that
>broke loose after the core was dumped in Neuromancer.  Can anyone
>comment on this?  Thanks.
>
>Don

Interesting thought.  Is this what you think happened or was it written?
Got a page number?
>


-- 

                                   - mjb -

                                mjb@netcom.com

Newsgroups: alt.sex,alt.cyberpunk,misc.legal
From: amdunn@mongrel.uucp (Andrew M. Dunn)
Subject: Re: Intent (was Re: Photo of minor, etc./Virtual Ethics)
Organization: A. Dunn Systems Corporation, Kitchener, Canada
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 92 15:48:55 GMT

minotaur@labyrnth.via.mind.org (The Minotaur) writes:
>
>Remember, most
>courts require that there be *intent* to commit an act in order for it
>to be illegal.
>
>The bruiser:  Is intent alone enough to convict?

wooledge@ces.cwru.edu (Gregory Wooledge) replies:
> 
> Certainly.  "Attempted murder", for example, is a crime.  Someone should not
> be let go just because (s)he failed in an attempt to perform a crime.  (S)he
> will probably try again.


But is there a crime of "Intented murder"?   Seems to me the question,
as asked, was "Is intent ALONE enough to convict?".  ATTEMPTED murder
has two elements... the Intent, and the failed Attempt.

Can I be charged with thinking "I'm gonna kill that s.o.b.!" ???
No.  I have to try to kill him first.


Andy
-- 
:-------------------------------------------------------------------------:
:  Andy Dunn (amdunn@mongrel.uucp)  ({uunet...}!xenitec!mongrel!amdunn)   :
:  "AT&T thinks Usenet is an Underground organization" - are we really?   :
:-------------------------------------------------------------------------:
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.d,alt.graphics.pixutils,alt.sex.pictures.d
s2212530
From: s2212530@techst02.technion.ac.il (Oded Malky)
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.pixutils
Subject: Memory format of Borland's GETPIXEL - PUTPIXEL functions
Date: 7 Apr 92 08:43:13 GMT
Organization: Technion, Israel Inst. of Technology

Hi everybody.

  Dose anyone now the format of Borland's GETPIXEL and PUTPIXEL functions?

I mean, after calling to GETIMAGE I have a pointer, pointing to a memory
portion contains all the pixel information of a graphic block. The first
four bytes are the horizontal and vertical dimensions (minos 1), but I
can't find documented information about the rest of it.
The same problem comes up if I want to create the image in memory, first,
and then put it with PUTIMAGE on the graphic screen.

 Well - dose anybody know the memory format of those functions ? Please let
me know.

 Oded.
 --------------------------------
 s2212530@techst02.technion.ac.il
 FIdoNet 2:401/4 : Oded Malky


Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.d,alt.graphics.pixutils
From: bnguyen@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Bruce Nguyen)
Subject: Re: xv behavior (Re: Get your facts straight about JPEG!)
Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU
Keywords: xv 2.11
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 01:16:04 GMT

Pics postings are tailing  off quite dramatically, recently.
What's going on?

-bruce
From: malowany@cenparmi.concordia.ca (Stephen Malowany)
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.pixutils
Subject: Did touchup ever get ported to XView?
Date: 10 Apr 92 01:56:44 GMT
Organization: CENPARMI, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

Did the SunView-based raster image file editor "touchup" ever get ported
to XView? Someone else posted about this a while ago, but I never saw any
replies.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Steve Malowany
Centre for Pattern Recogn. & Machine Intell.     malowany@cenparmi.concordia.ca
Department of Computer Science                         malowany@cs.concordia.ca
Concordia University                                   Montreal, Quebec, Canada
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.pixutils
From: spot@techbook.com (Bill Hughes)
Subject: Graphics & Text Merge Tool
Reply-To: spot@techbook.com (Bill Hughes)
Organization: TECHbooks - Beaverton, Oregon - Public Access Unix
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 22:38:43 GMT


Yo,
This is what I want to do:

I want to define a form that has text, graphics, and merge fields -- 
like what you would do in Word or some other word processor.

Once the form is designed, I want to (non interactively) merge text that
I extract from a database into the merge fields.  The output can be
pcl, tiff, or something that could be converted (using something like

Does anybody know of a product that will let me do this?  Either a
commercial or shareware product would be fine.

Thanks in advance!



-- 
Bill Hughes
spot@techbook.COM  
(503) 228-1400 x654
From: groening@natasha.sdsc.edu (Chris Groening)
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.pixutils
Subject: Targa and explorer
Summary: Targa and explorer docs
Date: 16 Apr 92 22:07:08 GMT

I am looking for targa and explorer documentation.
I know targa docs exist on different ftp sites however
the one that everyone seems to have is not detailed enough 
for me.
ALso anyone who has any targa pictures please email.
thank you kindly,
chris 
Expires: 
Distribution: world
Organization: San Diego Supercomputer Center
Keywords: Targa, explorer
From: kpm8447@tesla.njit.edu
Newsgroups: alt.graphics.pixutils
Subject: Re: Gif 24 Bit format
Date: 16 Apr 92 13:56:12 GMT
Organization: New Jersey Institute of Technology

In article <1992Apr16.051226.15781@news.eng.convex.com>, datri@convex.com (Anthony A. Datri) writes:
> 
>>Does anyone know the whereabouts/info/whatever about the
>>new .gif 24-bit format.  I heard a while ago that it does exists
>>but the makers (Compuserve) weren't sure if they should put it out
>>(I don't see why not)
> 
> Why bother?  There are plenty of existing formats that handle 24-bit
> images.  Utah RLE, PPM, Sun raster, and TIFF, at least, are already
> around.  The first two allow comments inside the file so that I don't
> have to give my files 80-character names.

I know that .gif is in a compressed format.   Are the others?  I know Jpeg
is.  Other than .gif and .jpg I don't know if they are.  I know targas
are HUGE!!!
 - Kirk
(What reads Utah RLE and PPM w/the description headers on a pc?)