Pleasant@Rutgers (11/16/82)
HUMAN-NETS Digest Monday, 15 Nov 1982 Volume 5 : Issue 105
Today's Topics:
Queries - Architectures for Computer Vision,
Technology - CMU Distributed Computing &
Combinations of Telephones and Terminals (2 msgs),
Computers and People - Magazines vs. Mailing Lists &
Video Games (4 msgs) & Communications Breakthrough
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 11 November 1982 1933-EST (Thursday)
From: Dave Ackley <David.Ackley at CMU-CS-A>
Subject: Architectures for computer vision
I am compiling a bibliography of research concerning special-purpose
architectures which have either been (1) designed expressly for, or
(2) applied to, computer vision problems. An example of the first
sort could be the PICAP picture processing system and of the second
sort could be the Zmob parallel architecture with vision
applications that was mentioned in Human-Nets a few issues back. An
architecture counts if it has been described in the literature even
if it {was never|hasn't yet been|probably never will be}
implemented.
All pointers to relevant literature will be most appreciated.
Copies of the collection will be made available to anyone who asks,
sometime after Christmas. Reply directly to me: ACKLEY@CMUA
Thanks in advance.
-Dave
------------------------------
Date: 9 Nov 1982 1046-EST
From: DAVID.LEWIN <LEWIN at CMU-20C>
Subject: CMU Personal Computing Plans--Clarifications
Though I hoped people had seen my posts to HUMAN-NETS re the CMU
personal computing plans, I will address recent comments from Ted
Lee <TMPL@BBNG> and Robert Maas <UCBVAX:REM@MIT-MC>.
(1) The machines that students *MAY* be eventually be required to
buy do not currently exist. Several hundred MC68000-based IBM
Instruments, Inc., workstations (the CS9000) will be installed on
campus over the next two years while the "final" workstations are
being developed.
(2) Sometime after 1986, as the personal computer network becomes
fully implemented, a decision will be made whether to require
students to purchase their own machines. At this time cost for a
workstation is expected to be under $3,000. Any cost added to
tuition would be considered in computing financial aid.
(3) Groups of workstations will share a fileserver over a fast local
area network, but each machine will have about 1 Mbyte RAM, a
bit-map display, a mouse/graphics tablet, and a keyboard. On-board
disk-drives will be an option, especially if students are required
to buy the machines.
------------------------------
Date: Tuesday, 9 Nov 1982 10:35-PST
Subject: Combinations of Telephones and Terminals
From: norm at RAND-UNIX
I am looking for products which combine a CRT terminal and a
telephone. I recall seeing several advertised but can't recall the
vendor names.
Any pointers to the makers of such gadgets would be appreciated.
(I already know about Northern Telecom and Mitel.)
I am:
Norm at Rand-Unix
or
Norm Shapiro, 1700 Main Street, Santa Monica CA 90406
or
(213) 393 0411 - Norm Shapiro
------------------------------
Date: 10 Nov 82 17:04:35-EST (Wed)
From: Ron Natalie <ron@BRL>
Subject: Re: Combinations of Telephones and Terminals
Bell makes this CUTE little CRT which is part of a telephone, and
has a little full ascii keyboard detached from it. I think it's
called a Datascan? Anyhow, the DoD DEERS project is interested in
them for putting ASCII terminals in cramped quarters (I believe the
application was pharmacy counters in Veteran's centers).
------------------------------
Date: 10 November 1982 07:47-EST
From: Robert Elton Maas <REM at MIT-MC>
Subject: Re: Magazine vs. mailing list
One important thing about magazine subscriptions that we forgot in
our previous messages is that the recipient (subscriber) pays in
advance for a certain quantity of magazine issues and isn't
obligated to pay any more than that. If somebody subscribed to an
un-edited mailing list pretending to be a magazine, assuming there
wasn't a bug in the accounting&subscription system, if somebody sent
a lot of junk stuff to be distributed, the subscriber would receive
those until his subscription ran out, then receive a subscription
renewal notice. He wouldn't be obligated to pay any more unless he
renewed the subscription. Thus it'd be impossible for a subscriber
to suddenly get a million junk messages and a bill for them all. The
worse case is that the subscriber would get one subscription's worth
of junk instead of good stuff, and get disgusted and not renew. This
happens already when a magazine declines in quality, and wouldn't be
anything new with electronic magazines.
------------------------------
Date: 10 November 1982 00:32-EST
From: Richard P. Wilkes <RICK at MIT-MC>
Subject: Video games in Nursing homes
I heard on the radio this morning that a few nursing/retirement
homes are installing video games for the residents. The idea is to
promote involvement and keep the folks active. Apparently, the idea
works and is being expanded with video competitions and challenges.
Sounds like a good idea to me. -r
------------------------------
Date: 10 November 1982 07:36-EST
From: Robert Elton Maas <REM at MIT-MC>
Subject: "We just couldn't see adults playing with spaceships
It seems to me that Atari has no more right to restrict the way that
people use the computers they buy from Atari than a supermarket has
to restrict the manner in which I eat bread I buy at the store, or
IBM has to prevent installing Ampex disk drives on IBM computers
that have been purchased. Of course if anyone claims their
pornographic software is "Atari software", Atari can sue on
trademark infringement, but if they just say it's "American Multiple
Industries software that runs on Atari computers" I don't think
Atari Inc. has any legal standing. Atari makes general-purpose
computers (optimized for display-oriented games), and software for
them, but anyone else is legally allowed to write and market
software for them too, just as with any computer.
Now if Atari merely foots the bill for a class-action suit by the
public at large, that's legally sound, although unless AMI is
violating some local pornographic ordinance or advertising in a
vulgar manner on TV or radio I don't think they should win the suit.
<opinion by REM>
------------------------------
Date: 11 November 1982 1556-PST (Thursday)
From: v.vidal at UCLA-Security (Dr. Jacques Vidal)
Subject: Atari vs Blue games
Atari's suit makes NO sense. Unless of course one considers that
with the added publicity, Multiple will sell more than half a
million copies of the game by Xmas and Atari surely a few extra
consoles.
------------------------------
Date: 11 Nov 82 07:10:35 EST (Thu)
From: Andrew Scott Beals <andrew.umcp-cs@UDel-Relay>
Subject: atari vs porno-software
Oh! Now, we can't even /use/ our computers for what we want...
(The MM breaks into my apt:)
J(guess who)F: Hold it right there, you secular humanist! We
*know* that you've been using your computer to propagate the
word of Satan by playing these lewd and indecent games on
your computer, and that you display an un-godly attachment
to your computer,' ``Gloria''.
Me: Whaaa?!? But I was...
JF: We know what you were doing! You were trying to give that
(ugh) computer a soul! Playing with the laws of God.
Me: Aww... I was just trying to improve my Eliza program. Jeez.
JF: He even admits, and is proud of it! Ok boys, hang him!
Me: Nonononononono! (gaak) (thud)
-andy
p.s. the MM is neither!
p.p.s . did you know that there is a gay-rights group
down under called the Moral Majority? Hmmm...
p.p.p.s. yes, i do believe in total freedom of speech, and
i'll even agree that the mm has the right to say
*truthful* things.
p.p.p.p.s. why are they against the `Secular Humanists' anyway?
(what \is/ a secular humanist?)
------------------------------
Date: 10-Nov-82 19:36:21 PST (Wednesday)
From: Hamilton.es at PARC-MAXC
Subject: Communications Breakthrough
Mail-from: Arpanet host CMU-10A rcvd at 10-NOV-82 0826-PST
Date: 10 November 1982 1126-EST (Wednesday)
From: James.Morris at CMU-10A
To: csl^ at PARC-MAXC, isl^ at PARC-MAXC, junk^ at PARC-MAXC
Subject: Communications Breakthrough
Message-Id: <10Nov82 112614 JM90@CMU-10A>
Because you can't see the person who is sending you electronic
mail you are sometimes uncertain whether they are serious or
joking. Recently, Scott Fahlman at CMU devised a scheme for
annotating one's messages to overcome this problem. If you turn
your head sideways to look at the three characters :-) they look
sort of like a smiling face. Thus, if someone sends you a
message that says "Have you stopped beating your wife?:-)" you
know they are joking. If they say "I need to talk to you :-(",
be prepared for trouble.
Since Scott's original proposal, many further symbols have been
proposed here:
(:-) for messages dealing with bicycle helmets
@= for messages dealing with nuclear war
<:-) for dumb questions
oo for somebody's head-lights are on messages
o>-<|= for messages of interest to women
~= a candle, to annotate flaming messages
So you see, bit-map displays are really quite unnecessary :->
------------------------------
End of HUMAN-NETS Digest
************************