Opinions - warm greetings: the bitter truth about Samara ZXNet.

(c) Alex Noman/SoKHG'98                   
                                          
        Warm greetings from S-Net'a         
                   or                    
        The bitter truth about S-Net'e         
                                          
Note: Before  reading this, we recommend
You are advised to read the article < in your  city?>> this number
magazine.                                  
                                          
              Acknowledgements               
                                          
I saw Oberon in one of the letters to the editor
a phrase like "... after all, in Samara you are in full
worksS-Net...", - wrote the user. "We need
Well..." - I thought - "even in other cities-
Yes, countries know about this, but in Samara... yes
what's there in Samara...  edited by Oberon
have  very  vague ideas about
Spectrum  network...". :( Well, God be
with  those that  call names network  SamNet,
SpectrumNet, SamaraZXNet. Although called
tion  network faster pulls on Stars  of
Keladan Net. After all, it is thanks to SoKHG,
namely Alexander Korolev and Evgeniy Mi-
moon,  were resolved _all_without_exception_
software and hardware issues that arose
at  the initial  stage of creating S-Net. Yes
 invaluable  help provided  Without
Denomination Group. Thanks to both
gym. I would like to especially thank you
to strike  JSC Information Networks of the Volga Region for
providing  opportunities... Although not...
Not so... First things first.            
                                          
                 - l996 -                 
                                          
Back in 1996, when Stars of Keladan
and  not  was going to replenish my thin
ranks new young and talented code-
rami :) arose  that same crazy idea
creation network in Samara, work in which
should  be be possible from Spectrum and
work  which can  be based  on
Spectrum. It was the time of software
loda, buggy broken UFO-1, rumors about su-
existence of ZXNet in Moscow, the absence
not  only  Leader (in principle, "like
such"), but also awareness of the real
situation in the world of Spectrum.             
                                          
Under the expectation of the birth of something and someone...
And this “something” was born: many appeared
new people (coders, artists, musicians)
comrades and just lamers)... One did not appear
nogo - Networks.                              
                                          
                 - l997 -                 
                                          
In  the heads of Soviet scientists and certified
new specialists :) thoughts began to come
about  mass  purchase  CDOS modems   in
Moscow...  I was thinking about  and the option with pi-
Tersk XTR modems  and  Vicomms. Both
options failed at the stage
purchases of modems in St. Petersburg during the passage
deniya Enlight'97. As a consequence,trust in
The leaderof the Samara hackers was comforted
ryanno... for a while. :)                      
                                          
Remained  last option  - Hayes. Before
at this moment, the majority of Samara users from
purchases  these  stopped modems  not
only  price, but also what to connect
Hayes required  to change ROM, ku-
drink new power supply (from the PC), having
negative  voltages. All this is pouring out -
elk in a substantial amount: BP is about 170 thousand.
rubles, re-flashing  memory, and the
dem were not cheap. But a way out was found.
Thanks  the efforts of  young Samara
groups  WDG the n-th number of possible
demos at 2400 and 4800 for absolutely ridiculous
prices,  and also a simple scheme has been developed
obtaining the required voltages. I was also pleased
and  the fact that the ROM of some machines already
were corrected by caring developers
computers  (Condor, ZS). In short, we got by
big losses.                            
                                          
                                          
That's when  and the triumph of art began
power over  mind.  :) The first person
connected modem to  Spectrum in Samara
became Evgeniy Milun. 3and he pulled himself up more
several  people. Initially come
I wanted to use terminal programs -
mi  under iS-DOS, written by the author of the diagram
connecting the modem to  Spectrum by Mikhail
Kondratiev.  But after a slight
time  Evgeniy Milun released the first beta
version  of your  terminal program under
TR-DOS S-Terminal v 0.1, using pre-
tearing the UART chip and supporting
protocols  exchange  files, and thus
So laid  the beginning of writing a communication
tion programs for Speck in Samara.      
                                          
And  Meanwhile, Speccy users are not the same
drank time  for nothing.  Many have no longer
grab modems on2400 and they reached out
for more expensive ones that allow installation
connect connections  at 14400 and even 33600 baud.
On  many  PC BBS began to appear
arias (areas) type  Spectrum  World,
Speccy.  Many sysops reacted with understanding
in favor of a bunch of unfortunate users surfing
spaces BBS'ok on eight-bit machines:
increased the time limit for staying at the station
tions, packed the files with zip, or not at all
packed them, etc.                        
                                          
But  even then all this seemed insufficient
nom. There was also a shortage of software. Time
from  time was also upset by the fact that many
began to leave the Spectrum. And they leftpeople  from  who did not expect this,
which already were  modems were missing
problems with connecting  last to
computer.                               
                                          
And  now,  reading AnBELIVER's opus about lively
ty/dead Spectrum in your city, not-
freely ask the question: “Where are you early?”
here  he was, my friend, with his methods and
approaches?" Although, it should be noted that for
Samara and specifically for S-Net, everything was discussed
Deniya  o  volume as   expand   network,inappropriate.  And  reasons are “more different”. Give me
God,  so that the city has generally accumulated half-
about a dozen spektrumists (realists), and
already  talk about how many of them have
telephones... Here, apparently, the Leader-
I was hurt by the fact that I didn’t become the one
person,  who for 200 rubles
solders the computer, reflashes the ROM and allocates
additional  numbers  on  Samara automatic telephone exchanges.
What seems even more  strange is that it does not
was able/managed  to apply  his own approaches to
relation  to to oneself. In such cases
the answer  is approximately the following: “It’s easy for me
notneed..." Or very close in meaning.
  - l998 -                 
                                          
The year 1998 has arrived. The current situation, from
absence any certainty in the
prose,  concerning network, little  whom
arranged.  Everyone understood  what is needed
take  some steps  to solve
problems.  Exactly  then I started work
over BBS for Spectrum. Unfortunately, very
it soon became clear that to open a BBS in Samara
nobody  from  Spectrumism will not be solved. Yes and
It was worth  or  at all  to open it because of 5-6
person? Even sadder thoughts come
whether  on  about the network. Open the network to
several  people "cooked in their own
juice"  would be stupid. There were a few left
options  solutions  problems:  join
FidoNet, or join any other
goy networks, of which there are several in Samara
few - about a dozen (this is both SkyNet and
ProgNet  etc...). Many spectrumists
that's exactly what they did. Some people
fallin Fido,  the majority entered
SkyNet.                                   
                                          
A little about these networks. SkyNet - perhaps
the most  young  network in Samara. Recent
covers  many 24-hour BBS in the city
kind gave a fairly strong impetus to development
development  network and led to the fact that 90% of all
Samara  BBS users (whether
businessmen  RS, BC or Specky) turned out to be
tami (a some and  nodes) of SkyNet.
Network,  as well as  Fido,  built by FTN-
technology. With the help of a mailer, which is
an integral part of the Melon v 1.79 program
and v 1.80, you can call your boss
So, pick up mail, disperse it in Zed
v  1.02b and read. However, already on these
stages of users were in wait for many
inconvenience.  If you don’t even remember the phenomenon
errors present in the listed
programs, that the speed of their operation
sometimes  just  finishes it off. :( As a result,
after a week all desire disappeared
download   mail.  More  heavier  came-
to   to users  Fido.  Although now
 new  conference created
specially  for  owners   real
Spectrum  (REAL.SPECCY),   subscribe
_exclusively_ has nothing to do with her alone-
whom meaning.  All the most interesting things are usually
occurs  in  ZX.SPECTRUM, but from subscription
to  last  many  users previously
stopped  abundance of uuencoded messages,
sent by  virtualists. After tossing
next  meter  email nerves began
fool around.  :) It was then that  arose
the idea of writing a new tosser for editorial
ra  mail  Zed.  Fortunately, Zed consists of
largenumber of overlays, one of which
is a mail tosser. By replacing one
file  on  disk the user was able to
use S-Tosser, written again
same  Evgeniy Milun.  According to  estimates of many
realists today this tosser
is the fastest and powerful of the
existing  for Spectrum. In testing
beta versions of the program  were actively accepted
participation is notonly Samara users, sos-
those living in Fido and SkyNet, but also from other cities
spektrumists Andrey Isaev (not Kano) and Ro-
man Milyukov,  for which many thanks to them.
                                          
This is  this is how things were in FTN networks.
But  let's go back a little, to the end of 1997 -
beginning  1998. It was at that time in Sa-
mare began  to enjoy well-deserved popularity
polarity  host vis.infotel.ru. Network re-
dacha data VOLGOINFORMSETb (VIS, VIS, JSC
Information Networks of the Volga region, exists since
1993) is a regional segment
networks INFOTEL and fairly large local
Internet provider. The peculiarity of this
th  host it was that at the last ad-
the ministry provided a terminaloutput, as  by  switched and dedicated
lines, so and simple good telnet
(via  Internet).  Work  on  host
is implemented in real time in
Dionysus system v 3.11 (NPC "Factor"). By
in essence, Dionysus is a semblance of co-
command line. Using system commands
                                          
                                          
   
      
      
      
      
      
      
    
                                          
                                          
user gets the opportunity to exchange
not mail not only within the host (for
non-commercial subscribers), but also have the right
during  distribution/reception  external mail (for
commercial), gain access to any network
world through the "GATEWAY" subsystem (also for
money), participate in internal conferences
VIS reports, as well as in chats. It was after
The latest  attracted  narrow circles from a wide range of
public on Dionysus. At the beginning of 1998
At Dionysus, the VIS gathered not only good
half of all Samara BBS users, but
and  a huge number of people from the region,
other  cities of the country and  even from others
countries!  All this went on around the clock
and,  naturally, admin didn’t really like it
nistration  host,  which received urgent
measures: at the beginning of summer about 20-
30 guest dial-up lines, which
negative side affected the
sharing hosts by Samara non-commercial
by users.  As of todayday
There are 5-6 guest lines, about 30 for
commercial subscribers and the same number of channels
catches for users accessing the host
telnet.                                
                                          
As you probably already guessed, somewhere in
middle 1998  we decidedmade
Let S-Net is part of the VIS. At the moment
Currently there is only one gateway
external mail, although in the future it will probably be
will appear not only additional gateways,
but  and,  perhaps  its own domain.  Some
users S-Net wished to become a commercial
commercial subscribers and by paying kopecks (according to
modern times), received  connection with
outside world. :)                         
                                          
That's when  and I remembered these well
forgotten in  Internet  services,  as lists
Mailing Lists, USENET, FTP Mail
Service, Gopher, Archie, allowing at least
somehowuse network capabilities through
e-mail. It is thanks to USENET that users
body gets  access  to  huge number
conferences, which include
conferences Fido, Relcom and many others,
dedicated to Spectrum topics:      
 fido7.zx.spectrum              
            fido7.spb.speccy              
             relcom.comr.speccy           
              fido7.real.speccy           
               comr.sys.sinclair          
                                          
Thanks to  Archie you can search
via  FTP sites. Using FTP Mail service
-  receive (order) items you are interested in
files by mail. K  unfortunately,  one of the obvious shortcomings
network S-Net is the absence of media. In Sa-
mare simply there is no one to do publishing
property  online newspaper, which could not
only  attract  (which I highly doubt -
I know,  but this is the opinion of some sincles
rists) new  users  become
network subscribers, but also simply to inform
nonresident  users about work S-Net'a,
exchange experience,  ideas. Most
Sinclairists cities busy in any
projects and devote time to weekly
zeta (or even monthly) can only be done
to  any organizer who wants to
once again quietly shout about yourself. Cro-
Moreover, one of the purposes of online newspapers
is informing network subscribers about
work  local stations BBS  (which is not ac-
specifically for S-Net), time
sisopok and also just a message of some kind
or useful information - all this is enough
exactly  easy implemented in S-Net. Cby-
using the power of the corresponding system commands, you can
instantly send a message to all users
frames (one more  times  I repeat that the work is carried out
is implemented in real time and
there is no need to call your number
yes  and  upload/download RKT'shniki) and,
Moreover, make sure you read the message
addressees!                           
                                          
Problem  of approximately the same nature
you can  name and  absence  internal
conferences dedicated to  Spectrum
subject.  Again well,  there is a possibility
organizations  such  conferences,  but without
they will gain a large number of users
are facing extinction, like some conference-
tions of relcom, for example.                     
                                          
In this way,  it all comes down to the absence
sufficient number of users for the sake of
which  everything, in general, was done... I didn’t
I can say  that the network is bent.
No. The network lives, develops and will
curl. In any case, until then,
ka  at least to someone  it will be interesting. But
an influx of  new  people would undoubtedly bring
many ideas, projects and would help completion
started.A  for now...  mail  walks, users, not
getting off the Spectrum, corresponding with the user
rami from other cities and even countries, sending
bark and receive messages from other networks.
Not  the implementation of the TCP/IP protocol is just around the corner,
with which it is quite possible to use
call on the possibilities of the Internet more fully.  
                                          
What does a user need to become
a member of the network? First of all, be SPECTRUMIS-
TOM THE REALIST! Buy Hayes-compatible-
my  modem, connect  it to  your own
Spectrum (I recommend the article by Evgeniy Milu-
on  about  connecting modems from Oberon #4),
write down one of the versions of the terminal program
frames, register in VOLPOINFORMSE-
TI  (get  login and password) and notify
me about my desire to become a network subscriber
S-Net.                                    
                  * * *                   
                                          
Addresses  email  to contact
subscribers of the S-Net network:                    
                                          
             S-Net@messages.to            
              S-Net@hello.to              
                                          
Note  (applies to _user only_
lei Internet):  when writing a message in
network S-Net,  recommended use
encoding KOI-8.                          
                                          
If you want to write to a specific user
to the S-Net caller, then in the Subject field of the letter
you need to indicate the subscriber's name (log-
gin),  then put a colon, symbol
space and  continue writing Subject
(subject lines). By default or when specified
nii non-existent login all messages
arrive at my address.                    
                                          
Example:                                   
                                          
Subject: Noman: Modem FIFO buffer.        
                                          
or:                                      
                                          
Subject: POWer: Towers of Hanoi.          
Those who wish visit  host vis.infotel.ru and
communicate  with  its subscribers in the chat can
make your wish come true in several ways
by means of telnet and dedicated line.  
                                          
                                          
X.2S input address : (02S04) 4400l40200
                                          
Telnet login address: dionis.vis.infotel.ru
                                          
                                          
For guest  entry  to system  follows
enter  login  guestto the request "Enter your
name".  For information about possible commands
Dionysus use command "?". Should
Please note that, as a guest, you will have
give limited rights when working in
system. Session duration 20 minutes
chickpeas. And one more important point! If
you  entered the "Meeting" subsystem (chat's
usually   are held  in evenings   after
21:00  MSK), then as  it is better for the guest of the system
total  immediately same introduce yourself and name
your name,  because  all  guests  for ob-
communicating on the same face, and when communicating, agree-
lass,  still more convenient and more pleasant,
when they call you by name. :)           
                                          
                                          
                              Alex Noman  
                                          
                      e-mail: Noman@i.am  
                                          
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