From: mps@hawkeye.hawkeye.com (Michael Snyder)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.3b1
Subject: Re: Looking for Alpha Testers for UReader
Date: 17 Aug 92 08:31:41 GMT
Organization: Hawkeye Software Technologies, Cresco, Iowa, USA

From article <H1FiPB3w164w@lorc.UUCP>, by lowen@lorc.UUCP (Lamar Owen):
> dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (Don Nichols (DoN.)) writes:
> 
>> In article <946@hawkeye.hawkeye.com> mps@hawkeye.hawkeye.com (Michael Snyder)
>> >From article <5443@ucsbcsl.ucsb.edu>, by dburr@sbphy.physics.ucsb.edu (Donal
>> >>I am looking for beta testers for my new QWK reader for UNIX, UReader.
>> >>If you don't know what this is, then you really shouldn't be reading
>> >>this message. :-)
>> >> 
>> >
>> >The hell with you too!!!  I see your postings quite regularly here, asking
>> >about the 3B1/7300.  I also notice that your queries are answered promptly
>> 
>> 	He *DID* put a smiley after that.  I didn't take offense.  I just
>> decided that I needn't bother him since I have no idea what QWK is, so I
>> would hardly be able to perform a reasonable beta test.  (It might be
>> something that I could use, but if I know that little about it, I shouldn't
>> be doing beta testing.
> 
> QWK is an offline, packetized, mail reading technology originally developed
> by Mark Herring (nicknamed "Sparky") of Sparkware.  The original platform
>
>[thorough explanation of QWK regretfully deleted...]
>
> When I saw your message, and the implied query regarding QWK's, I decided to
> post this in addition to the e-mail to Mr. Snyder.
> 
>> Donald Nichols (DoN.)     | Voice (Days): (703) 704-2280 (Eves): (703) 938-45
> --
> Lamar Owen, Systems Consultant, GE Lighting Systems, Hendersonville, NC
> ***********************************************************************
>  Opinions expressed herein are the author's and do not reflect policy
>    or opinions of the General Electric Company or its subsidiaries.
> ***********************************************************************

Thank God!  Finally, the publicly-posted explanation of what a QWK reader is...

I probably did jump all over Donald Burr's stuff, and although the TWO letters
I received telling me what an ass I am were offset by TWO letters from people
saying they had no idea what a QWK reader was and thanks for helping them not
feel alone in their lack of knowledge, I think there's some valuable insight
to be gained here.  A little commentary on the rest of the net first:

news.admin has become news.admin.get.the.last.word.in.at.all.costs .
news.admin has spawned news.admin.bicker.bicker.bicker.religion.and.stuff .

talk.bizarre users seem intent on pissing EVERYONE off.

There's the threat of verbal social genocide in the greek- and turkish-
based ethnic forums.

alt groups are becoming the latest turf for holy war.

And, I fear, comp.sys.3b1 is going the way of the ME decade.

There was a time that this newsgroup was filled with people helping other
people learn whatever could be conveyed by the written word.  To an extent,
it still is.  However, Mr. Burr, in his original posting COULD have helped
contribute to that tradition by either A) including a brief explanation of
what a QWK reader was, or B) offer to mail a canned explanation to anyone
who requested it via Email.

I could have been milder in original followup to Mr. Burr's posting, or
at least waited longer after reading news.admin (lately news.admin irritates
me) before posting a followup, or I *COULD* have even sent Mr. Burr Email.

But, I still think I see the group slipping.  Lenny is SELLING his last
TechRef manual for the 3B1's, Thad is posting less regularly, and the bulk
of questions posed here seem to be getting narrower in scope with less
content being sent in the replies.

Is this group, and the users of this group, about to go the way of the
dinosaurs?  I sure hope not.  But if this is happening, I have several
people I wish to thank before this forum blinks out of its current
existence:

Lenny Tropiano (sp?), Thad, Bruce Becker, Rob Stamfli, Don Nichols, Rick
Gumpertz, and several others who I can't remember since my last disk crash.
You all helped me tremendously with your experiences and labors for this
little obsession we call the 3B1.

And anyone who is still using my Epson LQ print driver (about the only
original contribution *I* was able to make to the [former?] vast knowledge
base of this group), use it in good health!

I think that I will go to lurk mode, and see what happens with this group
in the following weeks.  If someone needs an answer to something that I
can provide, I will gladly put it up the flagpole.  But if comp.sys.3b1
becomes

comp.sys.3b1.screw.you.I.know.more.than.you
or
comp.sys.3b1.I.will.take.but.not.contribute

then I will buy into SPARC and Solaris, and miss the group this used to be.

Michael Snyder
--
+-------------------------------------+----------------------+
| THE BEE (author unknown)            | Michael P. Snyder    |
|  She is a busy soul.                | P.O. Box 135         |
|  She has no time for birth control. | Cresco, Iowa  52136  |
|  That is why, in times like these,  +----------------------+
|  There are so many "Sons of Bees".  | mps@hawkeye.com      |
+-------------------------------------+----------------------+