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by RalnerGlannella =.
Certified Data Processor =

‘Data Communications: different things to different users -

-One of the more fascinating fields. of. microcomputer usage is
_ the area of Data Communications. In its broadest sense, data
- communications covers any process whereby data is sent from
one device to another, be it facsimile machines,. automated teller
machines, or even old-fashioned telex.: However, most. microcom-
puter users usually use the term when referring to a process -
_ whereby one uses a device called a modem to connect a computer
~ ' to the telephone system, and then by.means of a communications
_. program one can communicate with another computer similarly
connected to the telephone system. Se
-The other computer can be anything from another micro set up
just, to receive that particular call to a large computer called a
‘mainframe’ which functions as a communications clearing house

for many end users using a variety of computers or computer ter- .
_ minals. In addition, one finds whole networks of computers and:

_communications lines providing a large variety of information —
services. The most common of these include electronic mail ser-. -

vices, stock market listing services, research information services, *

electronic ‘bulletin boards’ where one may obtain public domain -

software (software with no copyright, and therefore free or

_. almost free). . .
_ Access to any of these services is controlled by passwords pro-

vided by the operators of the various services. Information ser-

vices seem to be coalescing into two camps: first, the commercial
services, and secondly what I would call ‘recreational’. Commer-

- cial information services such as stock listing and analysis ser-

- vices, news services, and more specialized. services such as legal or
resource industry data services ‘can be identified by one main fac-.
tor — they can-cost the user quite a bit of money. For example,

- accessing data from the large American data provider Lockheed
Dialogue can run cost the subscriber $70 per hour and more, not
including dialing charges. Most users of these services are
businesses or government agencies that need to access.very .
specific information. Up until the emergence of home and small

_. ‘business computers, information services were limited to these

_. large. providers. > —. ee
- Along with the increase. in small business and home computers.

came the development of what many call the personal computer.

- networks and information services. Most often called ‘bulletin

boards’, these have been set up by enthusiasts or groups of en-

‘thusiasts primarily for the fun-and challenge of sharing informa- _

tion over distance. Typically many of these attempt only to
recoup’small operating costs and therefore cost much less. In
some cases subscription fees are even waived, In many ways these
people are enthusiasts similar to the HAM radio operators.

What can one obtain from such a ‘bulletin board’? Almost all
bulletin boards offer a library of computer programs that go by
the labels ‘freeware’ and ‘shareware’. These are programs that
either are public domain (no copyright) or may be copyrighted
~ but the author has decided the program is not worth commercial .
publication. Common programs found here include games, home
use programs (checkbook managers, etc.), and utility programs —
which one can use to fine-tune ones computer system. Bulletin
hoards also offer electronic mail and messaging, and often com-

puter conferencing whereby users can exchange ideas about cer-
tain topics,
What makes bulletin boards and other such services fascinating
_ is the great variety in both content and scope. One encounters
services that may be just local, or regional, or national or inter- .
national. Similarly, one service may have a wide range of
material while the next may only carry information over a couple
of specific topics. In our next installment we'll look at a local
bulletin board. :

ra

"Se:
In some key places, Ducks Unlimited Canada and other

__ conservationists have been coming first. For more than 50 years
we've been building, improving and managing the wetlands and
eesential to hundreds of other living things, including people.
We've been inthe fortront because wo know wit realy mvs
come first...

ravenna Sunes sot sera at

ronan reser te ee a

| healBy Environment cee . Det es ‘
- - + : : : aa Pe iw oan. owe agp
. - cont : +.

“ . ’ 5

GORDON HANSON: Zimhelt
given a hero’s welcome.

Gordon Hanson, the MLA
for Victoria and NDP critic for
Fisheries, Native Affairs, Sports
and Recreation, stopped briefly

at the.Terrace Airport .on Sept. .

22 enroute to meet with the peo-
ple of Moricetown for a tour of
their sawmill and community. —

by Nancy Orr

Later he attended the NDP’s .

Northern Regional Conference

~ in Smithers, where he chaired a

‘munity Centre was delivered las

panel.on fisheries with Lar

=] ‘NDP northern meeting
mnitalk Oe ee

Guno,.MLA for. Atlin, >
After the conference, he sum-
marized by. telephone for the

Terrace Review.the discussions, -

on local issues concerning his-re-
sponsibilities:
e On. the reported disastrou

steelhead fisheries on the Skeena_

and its effect on sports fishing
and tourism, Hanson ‘reiterated:
the NDP’s basic position that all
users, native, commercial ‘and

_ sports, must be directly involved |
in negotiations to address the .

serious decline in fishing stocks...
@ On the signing of the historic
Framework Agreement with the
‘Nisga’a and federal government,
at which he was an observer, he
said that land claims is the most
important issue in the province
and underlies all discussions. ‘‘It
is necessary to educate the party
and the province of the details of
the process,’’ said Hanson.

_ “People have nothing to fear.”

@ On the Alcan Completion
Project and its effect on water in

the Nechako and upper Fraser, -

the NDP are concerned about
the agreement being reached —
“It is contrary to the con-
stitutional powers of the federal
Fisheries Act,”? said Hanson,
“cand the people of the region
have been left out.”

zs

The payment for the B.C. Lottery

t week by Skeena MLA Dave Parker. The cheque for $9,383

_ was accepted by Thornhill Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission chairman Cleo Lax-
ton and Les Watmough, Thornhill director for the reglonal district.

“It was great.”

assessed

- At the:regional conference in

“the Hudson Bay Lodge. on Fri-~

day evening, the guest speaker -

“was. Dr, . Bill. Rees of UBC)”.

whose’ topic : was sustainable
development. = sit
.. “Dave Zirnhelt, newly-elected

MLA from.Cariboo, was given a |
hero’s welcome,” said Hanson. —

- Qn Saturday Jim Fulton, MP.

for Skeend, spoke of the larger - os eal
ecological problems and en-".--”

vironmental criteria, 0.
- Mike Harcourt, NDP leader,
was the ‘keynote speaker at the:

final banquet in Telkwa. The —
emphasis was on sustainable
development and negotiating

land claims. Cos
Hanson was enthusiastic’
about his co-chairmanship (with
Dr. Owen Anderson, regional
director-general of Indian- Af-.
fairs in B.C.) of the Native Par- —
ticipation Committee for ‘the.
Commonwealth Games in

January, 1990 in Auckland, — —

New Zealand. On the final night
of the games, a spectacular rais- _

ing of a Totem Pole, carved by —

Tim Paul, will be linked by.
satellite to a second pole-raising
in Victoria, with 35. native

dancers and paddlers taking
part, and more than 300 million
viewers around the world.

Fund’s share of renovation costs to the Thornhill Com:

ALL THORNHILL ARE

SCHOOL DISTRICT #88 (TERRACE)

NOTICE |

AREA PLAYING-FIELDS WILL .
BE SPREAD WITH GRASS FERTILIZER ON:

OCTOBER 6

.: »  ALL-TERRAGE-AREA PLAYING FIELDS WILL ~
“BE SPREAD WITH GRASS FERTILIZER ON:

-  OCTOBERS