Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89!Carla.Campbell
From: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Carla Campbell)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: you finally returned
Message-ID: <16187@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 90 16:17:24 GMT
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Reply-To: Carla.Campbell@f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org
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Index Number: 12271

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Walter-- not sure what I can tell you about American People/Link, other
than to give you their toll-free information and sign-up number:
 (800)  524-0100 (voice)
and to give you an idea of what I do there:

PLink is more live-chat oriented than a lot of systems, but it also has
'static' message areas on many topics. some are more active and well-run
than others. We're working hard to offer more to our users in the way of
additional services.

Particularly strong now are the online interactive, multi-user gaming
sections-- role playing, word games and even live 'card games' and the
like.   There are sections for discussing writing, religion, business
(with very good 'seminars' for people running their own small businesses
and for managers, as well!), science fiction, and much more.

One  nice thing about PLink is that, after your initial sign-on fee,
there is no minimum charge per month. You simply pay for what you use.
300/1200bps connection runs about $5.00 per hour, including telecom. If
you use your own PC Pursuit, it's just $3.50 an hour.  2400bps goes up
from there. There are special pricing rates for 'bulk usage'.

I run two areas on PLink: the first is an active fantasy role playing
game which has both live interaction and message-based play.  It is fun,
and gives me opportunity to write fantasy pieces, which I enjoy
tremendously.

The second of my pets is an area dedicated to the discussion of
disability and related issues-- both by disabled people and by
interested non-disabled folks. I like to think of it as an opportunity
for 'personal diplomacy' between the "disabled community" and the
modeming community at large-- much as Willie's board is in Pittsburgh.
(If only I had as many users!) I try to get people talking about all the
same sort of things we discuss here and on 'Abled-- social issues, legal
issues, adaptive technology, funny  stories and support. I alsoprovide a
section (as yet not much used) for 'curious bystanders' to ask 'silly
questions'-- the kind which often annoy us or are embarrassing to ask. I
encourage disabled people to respond to these questions to promote frank
and open dialogue on the theory that complete openness and familiarity
with the way 'we' do things will make the use of adaptive equipment and
different mobility techniques more widely accepted as 'normal' in
everyday society. The idea of that section is that no question is too
'stupid'.  What you don't know _can_ hurt you... and can hurt others. A
big goal for a little message area, but one I hope to see grow in the
future.

So, the areas of the 'disability club', (which I have named
"Differences", more because it gets people interested and makes folks
squirm and ask what I mean, than any other rational reason) include:
"The Coffee Shop", which is a casual 'lounge' area where the
participants can kick back and get to know one another on a frivolous or
personal level, (whichever they prefer), "Disability and Society", for
all those deep philosophical and social 'debates' and legal discussions,
"How on Earth Do You...?" for "nosey" questions and advice trading, and
"Adaptive Technology" for the technohbabble.

I would not say that we get heavy traffic yet, but things are picking
up. Over the next couple of months, as the number of participants
increases, I hope we can schedule some live discussions on such topics
as "how is a dog guide trained?", "programming for speech synthesis",
and other such topics, with 'experts' invited in to 'speak' and answer
questions in real-time. I can only do these latter things if interest
warrants, so we shall see if they come to pass. I hope so.

As well as a Braille manual, I also have available a script for Telix
which makes using the live chat section simple-- complete with a
one-keystroke way to reply to messages sent privately to you. Letme know
if you get on-line there and want that script. I hope to have similar
ones for other telecom programs if I ever figure out how to do anything
as elaborate in other com program script languages as Scott did in this
one.

So: that's the 'scoop'.  We are not as big or as busy (at least in the
disability area) as some of the other national services. Don't come
online expecting monster file libraries-- what little we have is
available from Blink Link or Bay Talk, for the most part, or will be
soon, if not-- but I am getting more and more folks, both disabled and
not,  involved as readers and active participants there. It's starting
to be a lot of fun. Hope to see some of you online on People/Link in the
future.

End shameless Advertisement. (you _did_ ask!)

                                                --Carla

... I'm the kind of person my mother warned me about

--
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