1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask... 2 ************************* INSTALLED: 30 MAR 85 ********************* 3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator 4 ************************************************************ 5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION 6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM. 7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned 8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public. 9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is 10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which 11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be 12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved) 13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the 14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the 15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace 16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up. 17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system. 18 *********************************************************** 19 20 ******************************************************************** 21 Pro: In rereading my scathing remark, perhaps I was just a bit harsh. 22 I tend to get just a bit irate when someone looks down their nose at 23 other people. 24 As for the writings, you seem to have the misconception that 25 everyone here is attempting to be a master at the writting craft. This 26 is hardly the case. Most of the people are here for the enjoyment. 27 This is a social gathering, where people can talk and discuse things of 28 enjoyment. As is case with most amateur activities, writing the 29 'perfect' short story or novel is not the prime reason for the activity 30 here. Writing for the pure enjoyment is. 31 As for your Quote in regard to programmers/engineers, I don't see 32 how that fits into the argument at all. What have they got to do with 33 the argument about the writing here? You're not assuming that everyone 34 here is a programmer here are you? Let me assure that few of them are. 35 They are by the large a cross section of people who enjoy socializing. 36 Admitedly there is a greater interest in computers then in the general 37 populance, but that hardly gives them the title of'programmer'. 38 As far as good or bad is concerned, it is all relative. You don't 39 help someone expand and grow by telling them that everything they do 40 is garbage. Instead, a proper teacher helps through encouragement when 41 progress is made. Sure it may not be up to what you define as good, 42 but when compared to what came before, it might be a thousand fold 43 improvment. To say that it is garbage without realizing the 44 comparision does not show a great amount of concern for the person. It 45 instead only shows a desire to prove yourself better. 46 A true professional does not need to prove anything. The need to 47 prove something only shows that you feel threatened, and that you must 48 put down the other person for fear that they will somehow bring to 49 light your own failures. I feel that it is the job of a professional 50 to help others to understand their field, and help when asked. 51 Helping does not consist of telling them that it is all garbage. 52 Helping is showing where they are doing things right, and where they 53 can be improved. Encouragement is important. Sure it may not be 54 perfect, but if it is better then before, then it is better, and that 55 means in relation to what was before; GOOD. 56 I myself have never indicated that anything put here is perfect. 57 Indeed, I generally indicate the opposite, but I also realize WHY it is 58 that way. Let's not mistake amateur night as a fully rehearsed show 59 of professonals. Certainly I have and do indicate when I enjoy a 60 writers story, but I also indicate why I like it. I also realize that 61 just because I like it doesn't mean that everyone else has to, nor 62 that those things I don't like are necessarily 'bad'. 63 I also disagree with the concept of the quote, that enginners are 64 somehow perfect, and programmers are scum. It simply is not the truth. 65 It again shows your narrow vision and lack of exposure to the real 66 world. While an engineer will spend a lot of time to make sure that a 67 multi million dollar project is done correctly, he is not perfect. 68 There are news stories almost everyday relating to the failure of a 69 structure because of improper design, or a flaw (bug). On the same 70 token, there are many programs written that are very solid. 71 I remember reading about a freeway overpass that collapsed because 72 of a very poor expansion joint design that was unable to take the 73 stress. Then of course there is the infamous Tacoma narrows bridge 74 that tore itself apart because the engineers failed to account for the 75 possiblity of wind resonance. That isn't counting all the normal 76 bridges that you drive on every day that look perfectly safe and sound. 77 Talk to a bridge maintaince person sometime if you want to feel unsafe 78 about every driving over a bridge again. 79 I could go on, but I've babbled on too long already. 80 *************************** CISTOP MIKEY ***************************** 81 P.S. Why would I care who anybody is? None of this would even be 82 talked about if we were all known. Everybody would be afraid of 83 letting their feelings known, and possibly make an ass of themselves! 84 This is all for FUN, so don't get so serious about it all! 85 ********************************************************************** 86 87 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*} 88 Piper: Nice story. How do you explain snow, though? No ICBM's, please! 89 Cistop Mikey: I know it's your system, but, gee whiz, you can have the top 90 anytime you want. Let us mere mortals have a chance! Heavy sigh. 91 All: There's more Arthur coming, I've just been lazy lately. Maybe someday 92 I'll get ahead of it! 93 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*{*}{*}{*}{*} 94 Oops, I forgot. Luingil: Are you the same displaced SCA-type that was on 95 long ago? I am a displaced Val-ey girl myself. If you are, then give my 96 greetngs to the Graf and Grafina (sp?) and all of them. To them, I am Anna 97 Volkova. Oh, Dart Noir says hi!, too. 98 {*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}!!!isis!!!{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*} 99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 T. Schmidt: I think, perhaps, I was one who you spoke of. Just saying, 101 I took what you said into account, thought about it abit. Okay, so I have 102 a few quirks to iron out. But, I never had anything against constructive 103 critism. And, if you recall, this all start because some joe-blow was bored 104 and decided to hurt another's feelings. 105 Pro: I use my own identity for just about everything because I have faith 106 in the detective service that will uncover anyone. You mentioned that you 107 would be happy to talk on another board for some reason, but knew not who we 108 were. Well, I am Tanya Barfield. If you every decide to, you may drop me a 109 note. You may just want to remamin unknown or whatever, but anyways I 110 thought I would mention that just incase. -Tanya 111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 113 Milchar: While we would consider it a privilege to read your contest entry, be 114 warned that to put substantial portions of it here might conceivably affect its 115 eligibility for competition. Legally, the distribution of a work to the public 116 (as opposed to a private group of friends) makes it ineligible for later 117 copyright, and publishers take a dim view of that situation. As a practical 118 matter, the issue would be unlikely to arise. Still, there is more than one 119 species of twit in this world, and the scenarios one can imagine involving some 120 of them should perhaps not be spelled out.... 121 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 122 To this Observer, it seems that much of the wrangling seen here of late has 123 been based on mutual misunderstanding. On one hand, there is a Pro who-- 124 although right in his/her beliefs about the importance of correct use of the 125 English language--has totally misunderstood the purpose of this Inn. It is not 126 a training ground for professional writers. It is a place where non- 127 professionals (and, I am happy to learn, some published authors like myself) are 128 free to relax and share ideas expressed in imaginative ways. It is a forum for 129 vision, not language. Furthermore, the Pro has attempted to make points 130 through the use of false analogy. Yes, indeed, if engineers used the same 131 techniques programmers do, civilization would fall (and in fact there would 132 never have been any computers for programmers to run their code on). 133 Nevertheless, a great many programs are still running, for the very good reason 134 that programming is not the same kind of task as engineering. And to a still 135 greater extent, writing is an activity of an entirely different nature. It is 136 demonstrably untrue that no one would read anything if writers paid less heed to 137 technical perfection--although whether or not the writing is of the imaginative 138 sort does have a bearing on this case. The examples given by the Pro are 139 revealing. Is he/she a journalist or tech writer, perhaps? In those fields, 140 his/her points would be well taken. But as to reading imperfect stories, the 141 Pro evidently enjoys doing so, else why come here? 142 On the other hand, there are a number of writers who feel personally 143 insulted by the remarks of the Pro; and this too is unwarranted. The opinions 144 expressed by the Pro appear to be honest ones, meant not as criticism of 145 individuals but as an attempt to make this Inn into something it was never 146 intended to be. Yet there have been more *personal* attacks on the Pro than on 147 any other individual; has he/she not the same right to free expression as those 148 who happen to be unable to spell? The suggestion that if the Pro returns he/she 149 should introduce errors to conceal identity makes me uneasy. Is it to be 150 assumed that *all* creative writers have difficulty with spelling? I can spell; 151 yet I am aware that many people lack this particular talent (just as I lack many 152 talents they possess) and I do not feel they should spend their limited time in 153 this establishment worrying about what does not come naturally. Why have the 154 Patrons been so quick to take a defensive stance? Do they feel *guilty* about 155 technical failings of which they are aware?--but no, for then it would be 156 hypocrisy to say those skills don't matter. It's better, I think, to view it as 157 a question of priorities. The Pro's priorities are different from those of 158 most Patrons; can we not simply acknowledge that, and go on following our own? 159 ooooooooooooooooooooooo OBSERVER FROM ANOTHER GALAXY ooooooooooooooooooooooo 160 161 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] 162 I looked forward to visiting here very much, when I left there was mush to 163 read. When I come back, most of what is here is endless debate over what is 164 axceptable and what is not. 165 I hope this proofreading debate is soon over. My visits are very few, I hope 166 to see the creative side of BackWater, the side I miss more than I can say. 167 I will drink of the waters as much as I can, I can only hope that the taste 168 is the clean taste of the spring thaw, not the sterile taste of the treatment 169 plant. 170 THE TIN MAN 171 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] 172 173 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 174 175 It came to life. What triggered its life it could not tell, but one thing 176 was certain -- it was a legacy of the fallen McKane empire. As it rose to its 177 feet it could see the smashed computers and mangled wreckage of what must have 178 once been an advanced scientific facility. The riots and destruction which 179 followed the collaps of the evil corporation had rendered most of the machines 180 useless. 181 On the floor, partially obscured by dust was a document stamped TOP SECRET. 182 183 To: L. McKane 184 From: Dr. Fu Man Masticate 185 Sbjct: Robot 186 187 As you well know, sir, our adversary, Ian MacHinery, is prone to using 188 duplicates of himself to elude would-be assassins. This tradition has become 189 an obsession--complete with a ritual speech which goes something like this: 190 "There, you see, it was only a robot, I'm in perfect condition!" 191 I have come to the conclusion that this tendency can be used against him. 192 The robot before you (who I have named Ian MecHanism) is an exact duplicate of 193 Ian MacHinery, with one exception. The robot has an explosive charge planted 194 just behind his breastplate. The robot, which will be substituted for one of 195 Mchinery's robot's, is programmed to act and react just as MacHinery would. 196 Our android will kill the Net leader and take his place. Were he to fail, he 197 would self destruct on the keywords "deus ex machina" destroying everything 198 within a three block radius. 199 Considering the current unrest within your administration and the various 200 religious groups beginning to act against you, I recommend that the robot be 201 activated immediately. The future of mcKane Industries could depend on it. 202 203 The robot climbed the elevator shaft, its destiny awaited -- somewhere, 204 somewhere out there... 205 206 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123 12345 1234567 12345678901 1 12 123 207 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] 208 Pardon me - that was "much to read" not "mush to read". Blame ENTER ONLY. 209 [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] [/] THE TIN MAN [/] [/] 210 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa 211 Well, well, well. This Pro guy seems to be in the thick of things 212 right now. My, my, what some people will do to put their foots into 213 their mouth. 214 ISIS: Cistop Mikey does not count as being on the top. As you put it, 215 he can have it anytime that he wants, and somtimes that is the only 216 place you will find him, because before he gets a chance to look at the 217 system again, its full. YOU WERE AT THE TOP, ISIS. 218 JUPITER RISK: It was a Jeff/Scott tie last night with each owning the 219 entire board of their own side. What a site it was. This was my first 220 game of JUPITER RISK and it was very interesting. TOTAL TIME: 7 1/2 hours. 221 Well I must be off to go pick up Zippy for a RISK game this evening 222 and then to check on MiG and see if he can to. Hope everything stays 223 cool here at my favorite Inn and I hope to be spending a little more time 224 here once I get my new house in order. 225 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PaPa Smurf 20:17 30 March 226 As some of you may have guessed, I have taught writing courses before, 227 and I am perhaps a little more interested in proper English than the rest of 228 you. I also work as a volunteer English tutor in one of the local high 229 schools, thus my interest in remaining anonymous. I have been accused, 230 unfairly I believe, of attacking others for their "bad" or "good" stories. 231 As I think Thor was trying to say on drive B, ta story may be told without 232 proper grammar or spelling, and indeed some do dictate novels without ever 233 setting pen to paper. However, a spoken story allows for a great deal more 234 flexibility, since gestures and body language let one understand what is going 235 on without proper use of the language. How many have tried to read 236 Shakespeare, failed to decipher the plot due to differences in wording, only 237 to finally understand the play when a old re-run of Hamlet, or Romeo and 238 Juliet is shown on late-night television? The written language can be 239 extremely difficult to interpret correctly, and proper usage aids the reader 240 tremendously. My point about the engineer vs programmer method of doing 241 things was not made to glorify engineers, nor to denigrate programmers, 242 Cistop, but simply to point out that proper care must be taken with the tools 243 of the trade. I am not a programmer, nor an engineer, and have no bias in 244 favor of either of them. Words are the primary tool of my trade ("wordsmith") 245 and I wish to see every one use them properly. 246 I am glad that some of you (Tanya, Observer) at least do me the credit 247 of attempting to understand my point of view. Thank you for your comments. 248 I have noticed that visitors to this boardd don't seem to discuss so much as 249 to argue. I don't want to sound judgmental, but I think Thor's entry is a 250 perfect example of that. I do not know who you are, and you need not take 251 things so personally, Thor. Comparing you to my infant son serve as little 252 purpose as your comparing me to your baby girls, although it is tempting. I 253 also find your comment about "mangling" people disturbing. I have not 254 threatened anyone, so why do you bring the matter up? I'd discuss the merits 255 of obeying your conscience rather than the government in 1968, but I'm afraid 256 we're both convinced of our own points of view. 257 Some of my colleagues believe that word-processors are an evil thing, 258 bsince it becomes so easy to check for spelling and grammar errors, to move 259 words, sentences, even paragraphs around in the story, etc.. They believe that 260 the resulting words are indeed "processed"--lacking any individuality in thme 261 whatsoever. I disagree, and I think most of you do too. Why not use these 262 aids if they are available? Why not sit down with your computer, and think 263 through your story? You may come up with a twist that will delight you, and 264 startle the rest of us. In the Net stories, for example, the action is non- 265 stop, but I've often had to pause and puzzle out a word or sentence and then 266 go on. You don't want your reader to pause--you want him/her to be swept up 267 into the story and carried along by the smooth flow of your words. (I pick the 268 Net story simply because there are so many contributors that I hope no one 269 will feel singled out or attacked). 270 I have seen a message or two about people stealing ideas. That happens 271 rarely, if ever. Most writers have problems forcing themselves to write, not 272 with coming up with things to write about. Don't worry about "idea-theft," 273 because it almost certainly won't happen. Take as an example, instead, the 274 Sanctuary series by Robert Lynn Asprin--by sharing his ideas, he gained much 275 support from his fellow writers, and made a dollar or two besides. 276 Having taken up this much space, I would like to leave you with the 277 following quotation by Theodore Roosevelt. If I scared some of you off, then 278 maybe this will help you get the guts to enter your story anyway: 279 The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is 280 marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes 281 short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, 282 and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the 283 triumph of high achievement; and, who, at the worst, if he fails, at least 284 fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold 285 and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. 286 -------------------"Pro"---------------------------- 287 Pro: many of the 'writers' here do not have machines capable of word 288 processing. And many others (such as myself) do not have terminal software 289 capable of uploading to this system. Thus, our works MUST bw composed 290 'on-line' and much of the time editing is not possible. So consider that 291 the stories on here are' 'first drafts' or even 'rough drafts'. This makes 292 quite a difference! 293 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 294 295 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Tin Man: Why, I am so glad to see of your return. You mention, though, 297 that this will not be frequent. Is it only luck that you were at somebody 298 elses phone line and you will not be here regularily? Most unfortunate, to 299 say the least. Had I only abit more money than I do, I would buy you a 300 phone line with no hesitation. You also say you wish the words would turn 301 to that of more creative nature. Well then, write, for God's sake! 302 Observer: I advised Pro hide his/her identity so the writing by him/her 303 would not be misjudged. I have no negative feelings towards Pro. But, some, 304 I think do. To me, this is understandable even though I do not. However, if 305 I did hold some resentment, I would certainly be much harsher in my reading 306 of Pro's if I knew the writing was his/hers. I certainly am not proud of 307 this prejudice, but pretending otherwise is useless. Perhaps, you would not 308 be this way, I am glad for that. But, I admit, I am not. 309 Pro: It may seem as if I do hold some resentment for you. Even though 310 I have different opinion than you (perhaps because I am a terrible speller 311 and can not use a dictionary and have no spell check or means of download- 312 ing) I do not want you feel hated by me. I might add, some may feel so by 313 you. For as it has been stated many times before, many are sharing what is 314 very personal to them. They are not English majors but enjoy writing. Or 315 need to. And to have someone cut down what they have wrote, what they are 316 sensative about, because of grammar or anything else, is very dismaying. 317 Yes, I realize it was constructive critism. But, one must remember how 318 irrational we can get. I admit thinking, "Well, damn, does all Pro pay 319 attention to is spelling? Doesn't he/she care about the rest?" I know this 320 is not true. But, even so, it crosses my mind. And, to have someone to 321 constuctively critize my writing is far better than my spelling. My writing 322 is something I can control. It is something I can grow from. *I* do not 323 grow from my ability to spell a word. True, I do from grammar. But, it is 324 not nearly as valuable to me than the other things I receive when entering 325 the Inn's doorway. -Tanya 326 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 328 Observer: Hum, I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps only selected parts... 329 Oh well, I shan't worry about it now, I've only got the first third of the 330 plot outline finished as of yet. 331 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 332 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$an; 333 (here goes nothing...) 334 Upon our return to HQ somewhere in Ione Plaza, Ian reassigned us to find 335 KOSTA. He also mumbled something about an assassination attempt, but I didn't 336 catch all of it. 337 "Well," I said, "How do we start?" 338 Ian waved us out of his office, and L'homme waited until we were out before 339 beginning. 340 "KOSTA was a NET agent, Farley. No matter how astray he's gone, his training 341 affects how he makes decisions. All we have to do is guess where he'd go, 342 then make plans to bring him back." 343 "His training? How can you trust THAT after he kidnapped Gaudy?" 344 "His training is what helped him to capture Gaudy in the first place." 345 "Okay, okay. So how do we guess where he's gone? Spin a Coke bottle and 346 walk in that direction?" 347 At this point, Fellows came into view from around a corner in the corridor. 348 "Gee, fellas," he said, "I thought Spin the Bottle was..." 349 "Enough!" L'homme said. "Come on, Fellows, we've work to do." 350 "All right, all right. I hear that the EMIL7000 unit in RUR404 is giving out 351 good advice nowadays... How about we ask it's opinion?" 352 "I said, enough. I'd like to look at KOSTA's file once more. Perhaps then 353 we can come to an INTELLIGENT decision about where he might have gone." 354 "And then can we ask the EMIL?" Fellows asked. 355 "Doesn't he ever quit?" I asked. 356 "I'm afraid not." L'homme sighed. 357 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$# Farley #$##$##$# 00:41 - 03/31/85 #$##$# 358 ........................................................................... 359 Ah, the bliss of hearing the burr of a free line instead of the busy signal! 360 Pro: Is it possible to reach you on some other board? If you frequent 361 Tanis, please leave me a message. Thanks. 362 ...........................................Entropy......................... 363 Entropy: I ndeed it is possible to reach me there. Because it is a story board 364 and only runs at 300 baud, you can choose a different board than Tanis if you 365 would like. 366 Bard: I mmust confess that you have a valid point. While my system is hardly 367 on the "leading edge of technology," it does many things quite nicely. 368 Tanya: Message for you on Aloha 369 Farley: *Applause* 370 ^^^^^^^^^^ (someone forgot their "-----" boarder?) ^^^^^^^^^^ 371 Ah, to see the name of a familiar 'voice'... 372 Bard: Might I be able to see you at the upcoming gathering of spirits at that 373 place of many spirits (i.e. bottled ones)? There is a tune that has 374 been stuck in the foreground of my mind for the past several weeks that 375 is just *begging* for the words to come forth. I hope that you will be 376 able to fulfill this petty need. Thank you for your time... 377 THOR: Very soon may we again join in a toast at The INN? I believe that the 378 current 'discussion' has cooled down from its having been 'red hot'. 379 I will be trying with great vigilance to trample a path back to that 380 homestead through the forest- only one thing may get in my way... 381 the ones that boarder the village... 382 Red Velvet Ribbons: When soon we shall see your words, I will be a happy man. 383 They need not be attached to the arrows that would normally send them, 384 although if done so, I will come running. Seeing as you will be a 'new 385 user' here I will be patient. I know that this is not exactly a 'user 386 friendly' system by *any* of the most convenient definitions... 387 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->the melodic Guardian 90:03 388 389 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 390 GUARDIAN: A MAJOR REBUILD IS IN PROCESS NOW. I WILL 391 WAIT. 392 R.V.R. 393 (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( 394 a cool night, the stars are showing us their playground 395 we watch 396 and wish... 397 the noise of the engine could be the rockets of our 398 spaceship. 399 our eyes meet... 400 no words pass the lips 401 we know the thoughts 402 and wish... 403 404 ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) 405 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 406 After the happy group wended their way back to the tables, the night had 407 undergone a subtle change. Some members of the group had left to speak with 408 others, most of the group seemed to have paired off. To his delight (although 409 not entirely surprised) the piper found himself sitting near the hearth with 410 Rainbow. The hum of conversations had dropped, and it seemed somehow that 411 his arm was around her waist and her head was on his shoulder. 412 Good taste demands that we leave the piper to his private communications, and 413 speak only of those activities that are public. In the street outside, the 414 pegasus had located a patch of forage that proved both plentiful and palatable. 415 Comforted by the fact that the piper was near, she was contentedly cropping 416 when sounds of laughter drifted out of the opening door. Suddenly alert, 417 she looked for the piper in the press of bodies flooding through the door. 418 At last she saw him! Concern rose up in her heart, for he seemed to be 419 supported by another human, walking unsteadily, holding his pipes carelessly 420 in one hand and the waist of the other human with the other. 421 When the odor of the ale reached the pegasus, she snorted in derision. As 422 the other human helped the piper to her side, the pegasus attempted to insert 423 her head between the two. In vain she nuged, the two humans seemed to cling 424 tightly together, and after a particularly violent nudge, the piper slipped his 425 pipes over her head and held the other with both arms. 426 Concern had given way to irritation by now. The pegasus watched with jaundiced 427 eyes as the piper and his slim companion walked slowly off. A shake of her 428 head clattered the drones of the pipes as the pegasus bent her head to crop 429 again at the cool forage. 430 Suddenly the door to the great room was flung open and a dark figure 431 filled the doorway, cutting the great rectangular beam into myriads of smaller 432 shards that pierced the night. 433 "Where is she!?" thundered out through the night. "Where is that stranger!?" 434 "Where is Rainbow!?" He scanned the night landscape, eyes slowly adjusting 435 to the dark. The pegasus moved nervously, immediately attracting his attention. 436 "What's this... So you helped him to get here!" The dark form moved closer, 437 causing the pegasus to unfurl her wings in alarm. The grumblings and 438 mutterings seemed to come from deep within as he moved closer. Suddenly a 439 bright flash of rage seemed to permeate him and he glared at peg. 440 "How would that stranger like to fly down without benifit of a steed!" 441 Peg pranced several steps back, cocking her wings to unleash a blow if 442 necessary. 443 "No, my quarrel is not with this one, best find that piper." The huge bulk 444 shadowed the pegasus for a moment, blotting out the moon and then was gone 445 with mutters and grumbles. 446 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp 447 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< * >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 448 Obviously, indicated by the words presently scrolling and scrawling across 449 your screen, my recent short absence/silence has come to an end. One of my own 450 teachers once said, "The writer must remember that the major responsibility for 451 clarity rests on the author's shoulders. The reader, has the luxury of having 452 the thoughts brought to their mind's door." I shall try to keep this in mind as 453 I continue. 454 455 We should all try and remember that although the Inn Image is an artificial 456 construction the feelings we all have here are very real. In past communications 457 some of my thoughts did not get clearly transferred. In retrospect, I feel that 458 one way to ultimately accomplish clear communication is to continue until the 459 thought is understood. A friendly environment makes such interchanges possible. 460 My feelings about this were what prompted me to promote the idea of `friendly 461 encounter month'. It would seem that there are plenty of opportunities to get 462 into confrontational situations without seeking them in alternate environments. 463 My opinion is that sum-zero games (one where there is a winner and a looser--- 464 with the win usually at the expense of the looser) are a rather poor forum for 465 personal communication. I would rather seek the situation where everyone has an 466 opportunity to win. To paraphrase another Inn Patron, `When one person wins, we 467 all win. When one person loses we are all diminished.' 468 469 The person writing as "Pro" had some interesting points. It would be too 470 bad if they are ignored or obscured by the heavy focus on the emotional issues. 471 Please understand, I do think the things people expressed were appropriate. All 472 of the interchanges can serve as a lesson; they certainly did for me. I suspect 473 that the use of the pseudonym "Pro" created some of the strong feelings. I'm 474 not sure what you intended by using it, but the results spoke for themselves. 475 476 Kathy, I sincerely hope that the interchanges I've read above and on the 477 `B' disk won't put you off. Take the good advise for what it is and file the 478 rest in its appropriate place. (You may place this in either category-after 479 all you are the one that makes the ultimate choice of acceptance or rejection.) 480 You have a beautiful imagination, an essential quality for a good writer. Any 481 craft worth pursueing requires both creativity and proficiency in the tools of 482 that craft. If you do aspire to be a writer, as it would seem, you might wish 483 give this thought some consideration. 484 485 I hope this didn't sound too much like a sermon. I wish merely to express 486 some of the ideas that are in my mind. I don't purport them to be any great 487 truths. They are simply the distillation of my experiences, expressed as best 488 I can, using what writing and communication skills I've acquired. 489 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< capt'n barefoot >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 490 QWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTY 491 492 Bard: You may not have a word processor or even upload capabilities, but 493 have you ever heard of pencil and paper? 494 Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your entries, edited or not. I find them to 495 be superior--It's best that you don't change your style. There are, however, 496 individuals on this board whose stories would be better understood if the reader 497 didn't have to reread lines or stumble over poor grammar/spelling--then the more 498 important IDEAS would be conveyed. 499 500 Piper: Very good entry, nice to see the pendulum swing back towards 501 fiction. 502 503 Farley: Same, it's good to see the Net active after all these debates. 504 505 QWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTYQWERTY 506 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 507 isis:I am the displaced SCA'er, but I haven't found the financial status 508 yet to join (I'm broke again). When I do, it will probably be in Corvallis, 509 where all my friends are presently mucking around. 510 Silver Dragon: Doctor Where???? I would love to read these stories of 511 yours. I have been dubbed "Doctor Why" by a couple of my friends, and they 512 want to do a parody screenplay...any extra ideas are welcome, and so is another 513 point of parody view... 514 Pro: Sorry. I have a tendency to over react. And I wasn't mad at you, 515 but what I misunderstood as your point of view. Anyone who enjoys the Thieves' 516 World series gains a Character Point with me... 517 518 Well, the local bus is loading up to head back to Cow Town, and I have to 519 get on it...Fare Thee All Well, and Any Other Good Stuff that You Wish For 520 Yourselves.... 521 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Luingil/\/\/\/\/\/(Onemoreterm!!)/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ 522 523 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524 Capt'n Barefoot: You certainly have aquired exellent communication skills. 525 Your words were very clear to me. So, you were the one that started the nice 526 month? I had forgotten who it was. Yes, I would say you certainly have a 527 good technique for giving advice/compliments/critism. 528 Now, enough of this debating for me! Hopefully, I can turn my thoughts 529 to a creaitve side. 530 Kathyd: Shadows? -Tanya 531 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 533 Pro: It's true that the stealing of *ideas* hardly ever happens. But with 534 electronic communications, we have a whole new ball game. It is possible for 535 actual text to be downloaded to disk, and once that text has been made public by 536 its author, even common-law copyright does not protect it. This is not a 537 concern here at present, since the work entered is not intended for publication 538 and is not in publishable form; my fear was that someone might not realize that 539 to place a whole *publishable* story on a bulletin board is not the equivalent 540 of letting it be read privately by friends or classmates. (Soooner or later, I 541 suspect, this issue will be considered by a court, not necessarily when someone 542 steals another's work, but when some publisher refuses to accept a work on the 543 grounds that it is ineligible for copyright and therefore could be freely 544 reprinted *after* publication. The copyright laws may need yet another 545 modification brought on by the electronic revolution.) But of course, this 546 applies only to complete works--it certainly shouldn't discourage anyone from 547 sharing ideas and/or short fragments. 548 Please do heed the comment of Bard, who points out that many writers here do 549 not have the capability to upload. I'd hate to see this system restricted to 550 users who can afford software to do that and the machines that will run it, 551 and/or to programmers who can write their own. I can't imagine that anyone with 552 the capability to upload would make entries such as many that are seen here; the 553 difficulties imposed by on-line composition plus the infamous ENTER ONLY mode 554 are very obvious, and due allowance must be made for them--especially if we 555 don't want the line tied up for hours by typists aiming for perfection. 556 Tanya: I agree, the Pro will receive a more objective reading of future work 557 if he signs a different name to it. What dismayed me was the idea that he 558 should throw in spelling and grammar errors so people wouldn't "suspect". This 559 implies that if I sign a different name to some of my entries, you might suspect 560 *me* of being the Pro, merely on the grounds that my spelling is accurate! It 561 would be a sad state of affairs if the rest of us felt we might be downgraded 562 for the *absence* of errors. 563 oooooooooooooooooooo OBSERVER FROM ANOTHER GALAXY ooooooooooooooooooooooooo 564 565 ###################################################################### 566 The heavy oaken door of the Inn slowly creaks open unheard by the 567 patrons in their heated verbal battle. Not until a massive booming 568 voice rang forth the single word; "Silence!", did the startled group 569 turn to see the bearded figure standing in the doorway. 570 A ripple of murmers ran around the room. "Whaa?", "Who's that?", 571 "Capt'n!", "Is it really him?", "Where did he come from?" Some of 572 the patrons recognizing this lone figure, and others needing an 573 explaination. 574 Behind the bar the Innkeeper relaxed, smiled, and commented; 575 "What's this? A cool head when all else are in flame? Ha! Welcome 576 Capt'n! Sit down, have an ale on the house. Perhaps now we can get on 577 to things other then puffed up ego's and bruised emotions." 578 ########################### The Innkeeper ############################# 579 580 *********************************************************************** 581 Pro: Perhaps an explaination of sorts is in order. You indicated that 582 you feel unjustly accused of attacking the other users. And in 583 particular, Kathy. I'm sure you didn't feel that you were. But, you 584 must realize that jumping into a social group and negativly commenting 585 about the work of a respected member of that group without preamble or 586 explaination, is going to be construed as an attack on the group. 587 You should learn the social mores and gain the respect of the 588 group before rushing ahead and negativly commenting about the 589 activities of the group. If you haven't learned that from this 590 experience, then I'm afraid that you will experience the same 'problem' 591 again in the future. 592 As you have found from the comments made, not everyone here is as 593 concerned about perfect grammer and spelling as you are. This isn't 594 because we are all a bunch of low brow, slack jawed, slobbering 595 Neanderthals, (Thank you Pam!) but rather because of the nature of the 596 medium. There is little desire to spend an enormous amount of effort 597 to place something here when it will be gone in only a day or two. 598 Also, I think you have a slight misconception of the structure of 599 the system and the group. Think of it being an 'on-line' social 600 gathering. The people here 'converse' with each other, not see how 601 perfect a story they can write. Stories told here are like stories 602 told at any watering hole. The tellers are not expecting someone to be 603 heckling them from the crowd, they only expect you to either like it or 604 dislike it. This is for fun and enjoyment. As has been said before, 605 "If I'm going to put that much work and effort into it, I'll do it for 606 something I can sell!" 607 I think that you probably also picked a rather inopertune time to 608 let fly with your remarks. Things were getting just a bit boring 609 here, and I think that many of the people who responded did so simply 610 because it was something to get excited about (even if it was 611 negative). That's the other thing about the 'Inn', it isn't just a 612 'story board'. As I said, it is a social gathering and while because 613 of the medium it tends to gather people who like to write things, they 614 also get tired of that, and look for other forms of entertainment, and 615 a good (bad?) argument often is the result. 616 It is very difficult to put aside our own prejudices and see 617 things as others do, but I hope that maybe this has given you at least 618 a small glimpse into the workings and social mores of this particular 619 group of misfits. 620 ************************* CISTOP MIKEY ******************************* 621 P.S. Thanks for the cool headed entry Capt'n Barefoot. Everybody needs 622 to get slapped on the wrist now and then to wake them up. 623 ********************************************************************** 624 625 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 626 TOP TO BOTTOM IN ONE WEEK---- SUCH ARE THE EDDIES OF THE BACKWATER 627 628 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 629 TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629