T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM.BITNET (Asko Kauppi) (03/15/89)
I am about to start a project for creating a GRAPHICS BASED
BULLETIN BOARD system, including its own terminal language.
The system would support various screen formats and resolutions,
colour, mouse & joystick, windows etc. etc. just as if you were
using your pal's computer's windowing system via a modem. Well,
actually it's going to be much more, but I'll skip that now...
Before 'inventing the wheel again', I'd like to make sure this
has not yet been done. That is, TO GET A LIST OF SIMILAR
SYSTEMS ALREADY IN EXISTANCE and compare them with what mine
would be. Also, if you have heard of rumours or plans that I
should be aware of, please tell me.
This is adressed to U.S. people in particular, but whoever
knows about these things, please respond. Also, tell me on
which machine the systems you know about can be used.
Also, if you have any IDEAS or WISHES concerning a windows-based
bulletin board, please let me know. Just telling me you'd really
like to see such a system around is in itself worth a message...
Waiting for your replies...
Asko Kauppi, Finland
_____________________________________________________________________
Asko Kauppi alias T8M-KAUP at FINTUVM.BITNET (BitNet
MAMMUTTI.UTU.FI (InterNet
Student of Physics
Turku University addr: Kakskerrantie 176, 20960 Turku, FINLAND
Finland tel : +358 (9)21 588 359 / 588 434T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM.BITNET (Asko Kauppi) (03/27/89)
************************** GRAPHICAL BBS? *******************************
* *
* This is a summary of the best or most interesting replies I have *
* received to my NetNews "Graphical BBS?" article. At the time of *
* typing this, I have received a total of 30 replies, to which *
* I have posted a total of 27 responses. This summary consists of *
* both messages TO me and FROM me. *
* *
* Thank you all for your support, info and ideas! *
* *
* As to the order of the messages included, I have divided this *
* summary into two sections: The first one concerns the already *
* existing software & standards that could be used in developing *
* a graphical bulletin board system; the second one is about our *
* GraphiBox project itself - ideas, views, hopes etc. etc. *
* *
* Oh, and by the way, sorry about the messages in German... :-) *
* *
* Yours, / Asko Kauppi / alias T8M-KAUP at FINTUVM.BITNET *
* at MAMMUTTI.UTU.FI *
* *
*************************************************************************
* *
* SOFTWARE & STANDARDS MENTIONED IN THE REPLIES: *
* *
**************************************************
- Teletex & Videotex Too simple & rough resolution.
- UW-terminal emulator (UNIX) Only ASCII, not for us...
- WM-window manager (UNIX) Only bitmapped graphics, UNIX
& Bitgraph terminals dependent, restricted...
- Macintosh Workstation (Macs) Mac dependent.
? Ultimatum Software BBS (Macs) ...want more info...
? Atredes BBS & Skypaint (Amigas) ...want more info...
- Extended ANSI codes Too limited & long command codes..
? Postscript Licence fees etc., only static
graphics but great support!
? NAPLPS standard ...getting more info...
? Andrew Message System (UNIX) ...getting more info...
========================================================================
** EXTENDED ANSI **
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 89 10:43:42 EST
From: Chris A. Widmann <woody@pawl.rpi.edu>
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
On the subject of windowing BBS's, I have been working with a few people on
something similar. We are making a bbs that would use a special term package to
open windows, use the mouse, etc. It would send some sort of command character
followed by a command, say window(x1,y1,x2,y2)...etc.. So far we have managed
to produce a small version that does this through ANSI on IBM-type machines.
A mouse could be used if you could send the location of where it was clicked
on the screen over in a command format. Only one slight problem exists. You
would need to write your own term program for the users to use. This may sound
easier than it actually is, but to get a user to switch from his favorite
term package (Procomm, Boyan, Mirror or ZTerm on Macs) would be very hard. I
was considering it could be done either as a terminal emulation or protocol
interface for the system. Maybe.... I have used such a term program created by
Wayne Bell for his "Extended ANSI" (
(He is the author of WWIV BBS system (I run one!)). Great idea, but not many
people use it. If you could make it easier, all the luck to you. I am interested
as a BBS operator, I'd love to be the first on the block with such a system.
Good luck, and if you want any suggestions, or when you have a working system,
let me know!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Widmann alias: Woody woody@pawl.rpi.edu - Internet
CSE student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
snail-net: 154-B Best Luther Rd., East Greenbush, NY 12061 USA
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
========================================================================
** ATREDES BBS for AMIGA **
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 89 14:07:42 EST
From: Trevor Paquette <paquette@cpsc.ucalgary.ca>
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
There is a program for the Amiga called Atredes BBS. It uses a
graphics protocol called Skypaint. So far it can handle lines,
boxes, filled boxes, circles, filed circles, freehand lines,
iff pictures and different fonts. There are plans to
include iff sound, mouse and joystick control as well.
I can't remember the address of the company, but if you look in
a magazine called AmigaWorld it should have an ad.
Hope this helps.
Trev
Trevor Paquette/GraphicsLand, Calgary, Alberta
..uunet!{ubc-cs,utai,alberta}!calgary!paquette ICBM:51 03 N/114 05 W
calgary!paquette@cs.ubc.ca Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter
========================================================================
** ULTIMATUM BBS (Mac) **
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 89 10:28:31 PST
From: well!aleks@lll-winken.llnl.gov (Brian J. Witt)
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
Check out the newsgroup alt.bbs. There is a group called Ultimatium
Software here in the states that is working on a graphical BBS for
the Macintosh. Here is their signature. Check it out.
>Sean R. Penndorf | | Programming and Fantasy
>!texsun!uokmax!srpenndo | Welcome to Macintosh | go hand in hand...
>srpenndo@uokmax.UUCP | | They're both a pair of
>GEnie: S.PENNDORF | Ultimatum Software | dream worlds.
--- brian witt
========================================================================
** NAPLPS standard **
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 89 13:04:30 PST
From: paul@Atherton.COM (Paul Sander)
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
There is a graphics-based service called "Prodigy" here. It is based on the
NAPLPS standard. It doesn't do windows, and it's audience is not the
programming community, but it does all of its interactions via a graphics
interface, and can read mouse movements as well as the keyboard.
The Prodigy host is some sort of large machine. Customers buy software for
their PCs and Apples. The software is basically a NAPLPS client with modem
controls built in.
Hope this helps,
Paul
paul@Atherton.COM
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 28
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 89 13:55:21 PST
From: paul@Atherton.COM (Paul Sander)
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
Asko,
> What might be 'here'? I wasn't able to figure it out on the basis
> of the mailing routes. Where and what is Atherton.com?
Sorry about that. Prodigy is a service that is offered nationwide in the
USA. It is offered through Sears (known mainly as a nationwide chain of
department stores, but they own many other enterprises, such as financial
consulting firms and so on). IBM apparently has been involved with setting
Prodigy up; my mother was a Prodigy beta tester, and she found out about it
through her job at IBM.
[...text deleted...]
> But what is the NAPLPS standard? Never heard of it... If you have time,
> I would appreciate a brief introduction. Especially analysis on the
> future of the NAPLPS would be most welcome| Thanks.
NAPLPS was developed jointly by U.S. and Canadian standards bodies. A copy
of the standard itself can be obtained from ANSI. If you need an address, I
can get one for you. They charge money for copies of standards, but I don't
know how much they charge for NAPLPS.
Also, Byte Magazine did a series of articles on NAPLPS a few years ago. If
you have access to archives or back issues, you might check them.
All the information I have on NAPLPS itself comes from the Byte articles. They
gave me some good ideas for a drawing program I did as an assignment for one
of my undergraduate classes.
Finally, there has been some discussion recently on Usenet's comp.graphics
newsgroup, which is where I saw your original correspondence.
Good luck,
Paul
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 35
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 89 21:47:26 PST
From: paul@Atherton.COM (Paul Sander)
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
Asko,
The specific issues of Byte Magazine containing the NAPLPS series are:
February-May, 1983. It really is a four-part article, and it seems to
be an excellent introduction to NAPLPS.
Paul
========================================================================
** ANDREW MESSAGE SYSTEM **
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 89 16:33:18 +0100
From: Oliver Laumann <net@tub.BITNET>
Organization: Technical University of Berlin, Germany
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
You might want to look into the Andrew Message System. It is part
of the X Window System distribution from the MIT.
Regards,
--
Oliver Laumann net@TUB.BITNET net@tub.UUCP
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 47
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 89 13:17:19 +0100
From: Oliver Laumann <net@tub.BITNET>
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
> X-Window habe ich selbst nicht anwendet, aber weiss doch, worum es geht.
> Von dieses Andrew Message System weiss ich aber gar nichts. K|nnten Sie
> bitte die Sache mir ein bisschen vorstellen, so dass ich wusste, ob es
> eine Alternative fuer unsere System sein k|nnte. Vielen Dank|
Ich habe mir Andrew auch nicht sehr genau angesehen, aber es enthaelt
ein ``Multi-Media'' Message System. Das heisst, eine Message
(Mail-Message oder eine Message in einem Bulletin Board) kann nicht
nur gewoehnlichen Text enthalten, sondern Graphiken, Raster-Bilder
und sogar animierte Bilder.
Andrew ist mit Hilfe einer objekt-orientierten Erweiterung von ``C''
programmiert.
Da das Andrew-System sehr komplex ist, wuerde ich eher versuchen,
darauf aufzubauen oder es abzuaendern, als die gesamte Funktionalitaet
neu zu entwerfen und neu zu implementieren.
--
Oliver Laumann net@TUB.BITNET net@tub.UUCP
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 44
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 89 10:24:34 +0100
From: Oliver Laumann <net@tub.BITNET>
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
> Uebrigens, ist das System nur auf dem Unix anwendbar?
> Braucht es X-Windows?
Andrew setzt das X Window System voraus; ob es zur Zeit auch auf anderen
Betriebssystemen als UNIX laeuft, weiss ich nicht.
> Gut, gut, gut... Ist es PD oder kommerziell?
Weder noch. Es unterliegt verschiedenen Copyrights (z.B. von IBM),
ist aber frei verfuegbar (als Bestandteil der X Window Distribution).
> Ja, wenn Andrew gut genug ist. Ich muss mich also in Verbindung mit
> einem setzen, der mehr davon weiss. Am liebsten mit einem der
> Programmieren des Programmes... Ob das nur m|glich w{re...
Ich wuerde die gerade neu eingerichtete Newsgroup "comp.soft-sys.andrew"
lesen; ausserdem gibt es Mailing-Lists zum Andrew System.
[...text deleted...]
Gruesse, --OL
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 64
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 89 18:52:07 -0500 (EST)
From: "Maria G. Wadlow" <maria+@andrew.cmu.edu>
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
Asko,
I will send you the standard packet of information about Andrew which should
give you a good overview of the system. We also have a videotape of the system
and a reference manual for the multimedia toolkit which are available for a
small fee (to cover postage, etc). I will make sure that an order form for
these is included in your packet.
Please let me know if I can help you in any other way.
Maria
-----------------------------------
Maria Wadlow
maria+@andrew.cmu.edu
Information Technology Center
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
(412) 268 - 6794
========================================================================
*** This was only part I of my summary - messages concerning the ***
*** GraphiBox project itself are to be found in part II... ***
_____________________________________________________________________
Asko Kauppi alias T8M-KAUP at FINTUVM.BITNET (BitNet
MAMMUTTI.UTU.FI (InterNet
Student of Physics
Turku University addr: Kakskerrantie 176, 20960 Turku, FINLAND
Finland tel : +358 (9)21 588 359 / 588 434T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM.BITNET (Asko Kauppi) (03/27/89)
*** Summary of "GRAPHICAL BBS?" continues... Part II ***
**************************************
* *
* ABOUT OUR GRAPHIBOX PROJECT ITSELF *
* *
**************************************
** DATA STREAMS & INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION **
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 89 16:33:37 EET
From: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
To: "Andrew Valencia (Seattle)"
<vandys%hpda%hp-sde.sde.hp.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
> I've thought of this too, but never implemented. Make sure it supports
>multiple streams (at least two, maybe more) so background file transfers
Sure| Actually the protocol allows for *dynamical* stream settings...
You can get from 1 to 1.8e19 data streams, each of which can be assigned
to *any* task: text, graphics, file transfers... You name it...
In general, the best adjective to subscribe the protocol is VERSATILE.
Anything is possible, no restrictions... Like it? ;-)
>can go on while the user continues to peruse. Multi-screen would also be
>convenient. I'd be happy to hack out some of the code, if you want help.
>Or be a Beta site, if you'd rather do it all yourself.
I don't care who does it if it is done well.. I do trust myself doing
nice coding (it'll be in C), but there's no reason I couldn't trust you
or any other guy being able to do at least the same. The trouble is with
the distances.. It would surely be fascinating to make code with a guy
living on the opposite side of the world, but would it work? Would the
pieces of code fit together? Wouldn't there be any information-lacks?
I've had enough problems doing business with some Englishmen so that I
have to take a realistic look at the situation... It can be thought of,
though, at least if you really think you would have time and interest
in this kind of an activity.. Let's stay in touch, shall we..
By the way, if you *are* serious about becoming a member of the GraphiBox
Team, would you please tell more about yourself.. What kind of programming
experience do you have and on which systems. The main work would be in C,
but some assembly coding might be needed, too. The machines are (for the
beginning) IBM-compatibles and Commodore Amigas.. How does that sound?
> Good luck in either case!
Thanks| We'll need it|| ;-)
> vandys%hpisoa1.UUCP@hplabs.hp.com
hplabs.hp.com ... Commercial... Hewlett Packard... Laboratories...
Tell me more| Do you work for the HP? Doing what?
/ Asko /
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 31
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 89 08:40:59 pdt
From: vandys%hpwsajv%hp-sde.sde.hp.com@RELAY.CS.NET
To: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
Asko,
Thank you for the quick response. It sounds like your work is right
on target--no features appear to be missing. I imagine the interactive
sessions will need to take priority over the file transfer ones, which makes
it harder to support such a protocol from a larger operating system, as the
host can have a hard time finding out how many bytes have made their way
out to the user (so that he can implement priority in the first place!)
PC-type machines keeps you out of trouble, although PC's run UNIX now, and
Amigas will be running UNIX from Commodore soon, so it might not be the
non-issue it seems... but it can ceratinly be worried about later.
I am a UNIX wizard in HP's UNIX Kernel Lab here in Cupertino,
California. Previously I did an international network of terminals for
the Research Library Group at Stanford University. This was mostly
implemented on PC's running DOS and a custom executive to provide task
control, written in Modula-2 and assembly. It was a lot of fun, but between
the two I'd still take hacking UNIX!
I understand your concerns about coordination. Please keep me posted
and I'll be very interested in serving as a Beta site--I can perhaps add some
utilities or functions on top of a solid base. Of course, feel free to
bounce ideas off of me.
Once again, good luck & have lots of fun!
Andy Valencia
========================================================================
** GRAPHIBOX **
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 1989 20:38:34 EET
From: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
To: Hans Huebner <huebner@tub.BITNET>
>It [Macintosh Workstation] concentrates on the Mac interface, so
>portabilty is near zero, and it doesn't have any programmer's interface.
We *must* have portability. This one is out of the question.
>investigate alternatives. I plan to have something useful done until
>the end of this year. It's a bit problematic, since such a project is
>not normally interesting in money terms 8-(
I know what you mean. But *if* you make a break-through, there will
be no problems with the financial side... B-)
>I've had the plan to do a better BBS interface for two years now. I'd
>be interested in some exchange on the topic, especially concerning
>standardization and networking. I think a distributed, open
I got the idea last summer (1988) and since then, it has been
evolving in my head and becoming better and better.. Today, I
must say I am quite pleased with the thing. The protocol I've
planned is very portable and it doesn't actually give ANY limitations
to its usage... The problem is, I don't have proper schematics of
it on paper - only lots of notes only I can understand. What I'd
need to do is a complete, CLEAR presentation of what I have in mind.
You wouldn't have any intuitive 'ideas editor' program, would you.
I would be most pleased to exchange ideas with you. There have even
been some work offers from Canadian and U.S. people who'd like to
contribute to making a graphical BBS come true... Would you think
international co-operation had any changes to succeed? The project
*could* be devided to smaller sub-projects, which could be solved
quite independently... At least if the 'joints' of the modules are
specificated well enough. Would you yourself have interest in
working in such a team?
>application like such a BBS system must be designed to provide some
>level of security and protection against virii and other nasty
This is a problem of the application, not the communications
protocol. At the moment we're only creating a protocol that
would allow for fast, yet truly powerful applications, one of
them being a graphical bulletin board system. Once we've made that,
there would be an unimaginably vast market for all other kinds
of applications using the same communications protocol. We're
talking of something like the PostScript language, but with lots
of added features. Perhaps DisplayPostscript and this plan of
ours could have some kind of a connection...
>software buggers. It's also important to keep the system as open as
>possible. This gives more programmers the opportunity to do software
The communications protocol would be in the form of an external
C (or C++) library, the functions of which one could easily access
from his own programs.
>provides PostScript as workstation control language. Unfortunately, a
>machine capable of running NeWS costs quite a lot.
DisplayPostscript is making its entrance, no doubt about it. You
must have heard of NeXT, haven't you... One choice would be to
use plain Postscript for the BBS project, too, but there you have
to deal with the licence fees for Adobe. And you don't have any
animation or sound, which both are part of our system...
My greatest concern is the amount of bytes DisplayPostscript needs
to draw data on screen. I doubt it would be efficient enough when
used by a modem, even at 9600 bps. Ours would, because it's designed
to reduce transmitted data's lenght to its minimum. Just try
uploading a font to a Postscript printer and you know that one isn't.
>I'd be interested in getting some details about your project. Maybe I
>can provide some help or we could arrange to coordinate work to get
>things going in a compatible fashion. I'm also interested in feedback
By all means| About the details, as I said, I first have to get them
together in an understandable format. Lots of work...
The compatibility idea is nice, but why make many protocols that
are compatible with each other when you could manage with only one
and various applications that are based on this common language.
>you get on your inquiry in the News. Count me as subscriber if you or
>somebody else starts a mailing list on the topic.
Have to think about it... Of course you'll get all the mail I'll
send to the people I've discussed this subject with, but making
it a mailing list... Perhaps.
>What kind of language do you intend to use as control language ?
C or C++, why not?
>[Forth is] portable and small enough to run on old-fashioned systems.
I don't think Forth would be the best choice. As to the 'old
fashioned systems', ours really IS NOT for old fashioned hardware.
The *minimum* setup would be something like a PC with a CGA display.
The *normal* terminal hardware would be a AT with EGA or an Amiga or
an Atari ST or something in the same cathegory.
>About me: I have three years of VMS and two years of Unix programming
>experience. I program in C and C++. My main fields of interest are
>communication, networking and system security.
>I'm currently freelancing as a consultant and programmer, searching
>for somebody who'll provide the money needed to realise a real good
>networking user interface.
Cannot guarantee you the money YET, but if the thing gets done...
Let's stay in touch.. I think we have lots of ideas to share with
each other. I'll try to get my plans on paper as soon as possible
and then I'll send them to you, among other people interested in
the subject. In a couple of weeks I'll be making a summary of all
the replies I've gotten... Thanks for yours|
/ Asko /
========================================================================
** VIDEOTEX, TEXT MODE?, WHICH MASCHINES? ETC. **
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 89 15:47:55 EET
From: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
To: Chris Bogart <bogartc@handel.colostate.edu>
>I have seen video screens which might have been using this standard in
>JFK airport in New York City, displaying news interspersed with graphical
>advertisements. I wish I could tell you more about it.
I know the thing: it's called VideoTex as you thought it was, but it is
*far* too simple for our ambitions. Making our GraphiComm compatible with
the system could be considered, but I doubt it. Anyway, we actually have
one videotex expert in our team, so we really do have the info we need.
Thanks for the tip, anyway...
>I would. I have kicked a less-ambitious version of this idea around in
>my head for a long time, but I never had time to do anything about it.
I know the feeling| I have been thinking about this since last summer and
the ideas have gradually come together to quite a nice package. Now it
would be time to really start doing something about it - or leave the whole
thing.. Luckily I have some good pals who are also interested in the
project, so there is some hope...
> One thing I was thinking was that such a system should be accessable to
>users without graphics software; that is you *could* use it in a text mode.
This is one of the important choices: including text mode would get more
people to the system, but it would also bring lots of limitations to the
protocol. I think we're doing it only for graphical displays, with the
'standard' screen width being n*320, that is, 640 x-pixels being 'normal'.
>A bbs without such a provision might not catch on too well if no local
>users had graphics capability.
They do have. At least in the 90's they do...
> On the other hand, if the special terminal
>software you needed wasn't copyrighted, it could be downloaded from other
I've planned having a PD-version of the program for 'read-only' purposes,
but in order to write messages of your own etc. you'd need a userid or
something similar. That you could get by buying the thing.. There is no
copy protection, but if one copies his disk to a pal of his, the logon
password is copied, too.. Nice protection| ;-)
>bbs. I suppose it might even be possible to find a way of adding a module
>to some existing terminal software like procomm, although you'd have to jump
Procomm I doubt, but Telix with its C-like SALT-language could do the
trick... A bit like upgrading a VolksWagen to a Rolls Royce... B-)
>
> I think this is a fascinating idea that could really become popular if the
>software was well written and the standard well thought-out. I have an
>IBMPC, and I would love to beta-test this, or help in any other way. Is this
>academic work, or as a hobby? And what machine were you planning on writing
>it for?
Thanks for the moral support| I sure hope a well-written program and a
well thought-out protocol are enough - how about a big company backing
you up? What comes to beta-testing, that's really far away from now,
perhaps in a two year's time... I try to remember... This is not official
academic work, even though some of the people involved (including me) do
study in the University of Turku (comp. science & physics) - some of our
team members are still in Collage (Gymnasium). It's more like a hobby.
Which machines? Well... I think IBM-compatibles are so common one cannot
overlook them, but I'd like to start developing the thing for the Amiga.
Most of our team members HATE that machine, so perhaps we'll start with
the PCs.. CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA, even Hercules will be supported, as well
as it's possible... Other (future) versions would be for the Amiga, Atari
ST, Apple Machintosh... All the common 16/32-bit home computers.. Unix?
I am not familiar with that and they aren't used at homes, but who knows..
>
> Good luck,
Thanks, we'll need it|
/ Asko /
========================================================================
** PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED **
Date: 20 Mar 89 10:32:16 MEZ (Mon)
From: cld%altger.UUCP@tub.BITNET (Claus L. Duerr)
Organization: Digital Concepts
To : Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
hello asko!
A friend of mine and I were planning such a project, too, but as we had
too much work in the company, we 'forgot' it soon.
A little brainstorming about the project brought some problems to
the daylight:
- transferspeed ... graphix need large data-packets
- we need a graphics descriptionlaguage of our own
- computer specific terminalprogramm are necessary - lotsa work :-(
Finally we came to the result that modems were to slow for our
project. Nowa days, with traily modems :-), speed won't be the
problem.
Oh..must finish...
Finally: wot about a mailing-list ?
so long
claus
--
| Claus L. Duerr | "Some programmers have been known to howl at full .. |
| Munich | .. moons." - "Only at full moons ?!" |
| West-Germany |------------------------------------------------------|
| UUCP: ..uunet!unido!altger!cld SUB: ..{altger,doitcr,chiron}!dicon!cld |
========================================================================
** NOT JUST FOR BBS! **
Date: Fri, 17 Mar 89 17:28:05 EET
From: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
To: Don Dwiggins <dwiggins@ashtate.A-T.COM>
>Sounds like a great idea; I'd like to be kept posted. We run a mix of PCs,
>Macs, and various workstations, and would like to set up internal BBSs as
>well as having a nice interface to Usenet news.
Sure we'll keep you posted.. Gotta make a list of all the people willing
to get their copies of our reports.. The idea's been nicely welcomed.
Your kind of inside-a-company usage could be quite a market hole for the
GraphiBox.. We should take it into account already when planning the
project - that is, NOW. Can you think of any *special* needs you have
concerning this kind of an information exchange system? Any special
applications? Now is the time to make the wishes... :-)
For example, how essential is UNIX support?
>Don Dwiggins
>Ashton-Tate, Inc.
Oh boy... Is this *official* Ashton-Tate or just a personal comment
of yours? It's nice to get encouraged from such a 'high' level...
/ Asko /
========================================================================
** GRAPHIBOX TODAY **
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 89 09:52:16 EET
From: Asko Kauppi <T8M-KAUP@FINTUVM>
To: Don Dwiggins <dwiggins@ashtate.A-T.COM>
Pheeew... That was some list you sent me|
I got to think it over - at the moment we're concentrating on finding
out whether or not to start the whole project. IF we decide to do it,
we'll first concentrate on the communications protocol itself, that
is, the way graphics can most economically be transferred from the
host to the terminal. Actually that is quite thought out already.
The next step would be to actually make the thing work and then to
start programming the *applications*, the BBS system as the first
one.. Getting that far must take at least a year, depending on the
enthusiasm and size of our group (in that order|). After having
the basis done, the applications could easily be distributed so that
for example we could do the BBS system here in Finland while another
group in -say- Germany would program whatever else. You know, I've
gotten work offers from all over the world| (well, U.S., Canada &
Germany anyway...) Hope we succeed|
/ Asko /
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_____________________________________________________________________
Asko Kauppi alias T8M-KAUP at FINTUVM.BITNET (BitNet
MAMMUTTI.UTU.FI (InterNet
Student of Physics
Turku University addr: Kakskerrantie 176, 20960 Turku, FINLAND
Finland tel : +358 (9)21 588 359 / 588 434