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From: kaufman@maxzilla.Encore.COM (Lar Kaufman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: NeXT not revolutionary enough?
Message-ID: <4097@encore.UUCP>
Date: 4 Nov 88 19:30:39 GMT
References: <471@wucs1.wustl.edu> <4391@ubc-cs.UUCP> <485@wucs1.wustl.edu> <4069@encore.UUCP> <4429@ubc-cs.UUCP> <4090@encore.UUCP>
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Reply-To: kaufman@maxzilla.UUCP (Lar Kaufman)
Organization: Encore Computer Corp, Marlboro, MA
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In article <4090@encore.UUCP> bzs@encore.com (Barry Shein) writes:
>I agree with Vincent's apprehensions.
>
>What would probably be revolutionary would be an inexpensive home
>computer who's forte is setting up home-brew usenet/e-mail links
>between households. Something like an Atari/ST or PC/Klone with a
>2400b modem and a 100MB disk with a "just pick a site name and a
>neighbor" software set-up. It doesn't have to be fast. It could
>probably be done for around $2000 list or less. Centralized service
>machines could then be built around this. I suppose FIDOnet was an
>attempt at that [ material omitted ]
>
>What do other people think would be revolutionary in a personal
>computer?
>
>	-Barry Shein, ||Encore||

Fidonet *is* sort of an attempt at that, and it does work OK. There
are circa 4500 Fidonet nodes at this time; largely in the US, but with
significant membership in Canada, Holland, and Australia as well.
Fidonet has its problems, primarily because of a rather loose mail
identification scheme which causes messages to be much longer than
they need to be (Fidonet messages get SEENBY lines attached as they
pass around the net, so they get ever larger) and because someone has
to compile a master nodelist. This task is handled by the
International FidoNet Association (IFNA) and the nodelist is updated
weekly. Unfortunately only about 7 percent of Fidonet sysops are
members (pay the $25 yearly dues), so there is a kind of suppressed
irritation on the part of the IFNA board of directors toward those who
do not contribute but want to use the nodelist. This sporadically
breaks into running battles and schisms; currently there are several
other Fidonet-compatible networks operating. This fragmentation is
hurting the ideal goal of direct convenient access between systems. 
   I don't know what you would consider revolutionary about Fidonet
*other* than the concept. A revised mailing system, necessarily
incompatible with the current system, is the likely answer as far as
personal computer networks. Possibly something like the UFGATE
software which bridges the gap between UUCP systems and Fidonet
systems is on the right track. Using it, personal computers can behave
like UUCP addresses, and still access Fidonet as well. I will be
trying this out myself.
   Getting back to the NeXT, given appropriate software and a color
board, I think the NeXT is the ideal personal system. It could be the
beginning of the use of visual interfaces for inter-computer
communications; this conjures up cyberpunk concepts, ala William
Gibson's _Neuromancer_. I have to agree that for a home computer to
reach its potential it must radically open up information access to
the user. I think most of the necessary hardware is in place, although
if a lot of imaging information starts flooding the telephone system
at 9600 bps or better you will quickly realize that the communications
infrastructure is the real bottleneck.
  
  -lar


 Lar Kaufman   <= my opinions    /*  Now speaking to you from the   */
                                 /* virtual center of the universe. */
 Fidonet: 1:322/470@508-534-1842 
 kaufman@multimax.arpa    {bu-cs,decvax,necntc,talcott}!encore!kaufman