The chance of your computer being infected is small, but you're never safe. Therefore, download a program for virus detection and identification, like VIRUSSCAN from McAffee Associates, 4423 Cheeney Street, Santa Clara, CA 95054-0253, U.S.A. They also have virus disinfection programs (for MS-DOS computers). For more about viruses, subscribe to VIRUS-L@LEHIGH.EDU. CompuServe has the Mac New Users Forum (with a a Virus Clinic section), the McAfee Virus Help Forum, the Symantec AntiVirus Forum, and more. FidoNet has a VIRUS echo. ILINK has VIRUS-I. Usenet has bit.listserv.valert-l (Virus Alert List), and comp.virus .
Online games —————— If you're into games, why not investigate online adventure games? There are many alternatives. Prestel (England) offers TRASH, an environmental multi-user game with a futuristic theme and full of humor. Up to 64 persons can play simultaneously. " …Callers play out the role of pandimensional refuse disposal officers, whose primary aim in life is to clean up the multiverse, as the Trash environment is called." "With a diverse range of 'psionic powers', which vary from the nasty (pyrokinesis) to the gentle (faith healing), at their command, Trash players roam across dimensions and universes, completing various tasks." Bulletin boards throughout the world invite you to role playing games. Some have graphics, music and sound effects. Dungeons & Dragons is a popular choice. On EXEC-PC, play Startrek. Select an identity and "play it out" according to its character. If you're a real afficionado, check out rec.arts.startrek.info on Usenet or the list RASI-L@ncc1701e.uucp (write LISTSERV@ncc1701e.uucp to subscribe). Advanced players swap tricks on STARGAME@PCCVM.BITNET. On many BBSes, MUD is a most popular game.
| Multi-User Dungeons (MUD) is a structured and user-modifiable | | online environment, which allows users not only to interact | | with each other, but to do role-playing, build and furnish | | living areas and interaction areas, extend and create the | | interactive "space" and the rules for using that space. |
Popular choices on CompuServe are strategy games like The Island of
Kesmai and Megawars. One game can last for weeks at a time. On CIX
(England), many prefer the multi-user dungeon game DiscWorld.
If you prefer sport fantasies in the armchair, check out GEnie.
They offer Rotisserie League Baseball. Decide what team player to
be, and join in a match of American baseball.
Nintendo offers online games through the Famicom Networks in
Japan and the U.S. Your PC must have a special graphics card to
play games like GO and Shogi, a Japanese game of chess.
Chat —— Chat, or "keyboard talking," is a popular attraction, and in particular on the large online services. Your first attempt will probably be a strange experience. When may people talk simultaneously in chat mode, incoherent sentences seem to fly over your computer screen. It takes some training to be able to read what each of them is saying. CompuServe's Citizen Band Simulator (GO CB) is an electronic version of the hams' short-wave radio. It has 72 CB Simulator channels. You can chat with anonymous members, have fun and find new keypals. On EXEC-PC's Chat and Entertainment System up to 64 users can talk simultaneously. GEnie calls their service Livewire CB. On BIX, look for CBIX. Some users are serious about chatting. Several large companies are heavy users. Although this kind of talking is a slow process, it has advantages. It is easy to document the discussion. People from places geographically far apart can meet at a low cost to discuss. Some online services charge less for chats than for other services.
My hobby ———— There are online forums for most hobbies: collection of stamps and coins, genealogy, music, holiday travels, skiing, purchase of consumer electronics, video, filming, and more. Those you meet in the clubs share your interests. They come to exchange information and experiences, to listen, swap stamps or coins, participate in club auctions, and exploit favorable group discounts when buying things for their hobby. In these clubs, the main attraction is the open messages that people write to each other. Many clubs also have libraries filled with special software (like data base programs for collectors) and information files. Coins (on Coins@rocky.er.usgs.gov) is a forum for discussion of Numismatics, the study of coins, American and International. Paper currency is also a welcome topic, but trading is not allowed. To subscribe, send a message to robert@whiplash.er.usgs.gov .
Music ——- ILINK, an international exchange of conferences between bulletin boards, has a forum for country music lovers. It presents itself in these words:
COUNTRY MUSIC
Country & Western music including bluegrass and other related
forms. Discussion of artists, techniques, instruments &
musicians. Host: John Stewart
One oasis of civility in the BBS maelstrom is the 150-board ILINK network — recently renamed from InterLink. Unlike most BBS networks, ILINK carefully evaluates each board before permitting membership. "We are very selective — some say overly selective," says ILINK's international host Andy Keeves. Choosiness keeps ILINK small but upholds the decorum of its message bases.
Usenet has rec.music.country.western . FidoNet has 60S_70S_PROGROCK about the progressive rock music of the 60's and 70's, gospel music in CHR_GSPL_MUSIC, a club for selling and buying between musicians (MUSICIAN'S_SERVICES), and (MUSIC_COMP_101) for aspiring composers. CompuServe has a bunch of forums. Check out the Music/MIDI sections in the Amiga and Atari ST Arts forums. The latter is a full Music/MIDI forum. The Coin/Stamp/Collectibles Forum has a section for music collectors. CompuServe's RockNet forum has the following structure: