Winter 1991 Volume 3 No. 4

Opposing Views On The War And Technology

Hats Off to Patriot

To the editor,

Regardless of your position on

the conflict in the Persian Gulf, I

believe it is important to note the

effectiveness of the Patriot Missile

Defense System. This remarkable

possible saved countless other lives

by averting retaliation on Iraq from

Israel. I believe this is a vivid

example of the role that engineering

has in our society.

As an engineer and former auto

worker, I have been sensitive to the

many claims that American engineer-

ing is “second rate” and the source

of inferior technology. The Patriot

take a close look at developing

advanced technology and cultivation

people with advanced skills to coun-

ter threats like the ones we are

seeing today.

Hats off to the men and women

of Raytheon, developers of the Pa-

triot, for a job well done.

Dr. Paul J. Eagle

Assistant Professor

Amateurs Needed More Than Ever. . 1

Coco Corner.. . . . . . . . . . . 2

Bringing Automation Home. . . . . 3

BBS Discussion On The War.. . . . 4

Computers for the People. . . . . 9

Amateurs Are Needed

More Than Ever

Dear Editor,

The war against Iraq calls into

question the purpose of the Amateur

and success of these weapons, a

great victory has been claimed for

them.

These weapons have been devel-

oped by professionals. Their pro-

claimed overwhelming success would

suggest that amateur computing is no

longer needed. It seems like pro-

fessional computing can accomplish

with near 100% efficiency any task

and in general about the great vic-

tory they have won, you should agree

the Amateur Computerist is no longer

needed or wanted.

But...should you believe what

is being said about the “smart”

weapons? Those who developed and

produced these weapons also devel-

oped and deployed the shuttle Chal-

lenger and the Hubble telescope.

With the first introduction of a new

war partially a beta-testing of

these new “smart” weapons and estab-

lishing them as battle tested so

they can sell better?

Secrecy and single source of

information has never conveyed a

picture that has held up when other

sources of information become avail-

able. National Public Radio, while

whole-heartedly conveying the cen-

probably more like 60%. The British

press reported a 50% success rate.

It is also being acknowledged that

some Patriot missiles misfired and

one out of every three U.S. anti-

tank launchers misfired at least

occasionally.

The first premise of the Ama-

teur Computerist is that amateurs

have been and remain essential to

to Fortune 500 companies and major

universities as the only possible

profitable market. It took the

anti-Vietnam war spirit and the

activities of groups like the San

Francisco Homebrew Club to develop

computers for the people. It was

only because of this grassroots

pressure and under the democratic

rules of open and non-proprietary

uncensored flow of information and

ideas. It is the sharing of innova-

tions, the acknowledged building of

each others’ advances that distin-

innovation. The professionals,

corporations and governments seek

secrecy, patents, copy protection,

etc.

When the purposeful confusion

is pierced, it will turn out that

the Amateur Computerist and journals

like it are needed even more that

ever. The truth about the war and

about the problems with the latest

technology can only be uncovered and

memory location. You need to treat

PEEK as a variable, since it returns

a number that must either be printed

on the screen, assigned to a vari-

able, or used in a numeric expres-

sion. Here are some examples of

PEEK in use:

10 PRINT PEEK (3455)

20 A = PEEK (3455)

30 PRINT (CHR$(PEEK(3455)))

With that out of the way, let’s turn

our attention to the memory area

between 1024 and 1535, inclusive.

If you prefer hexadecimal, and you

really have no reason to, it’s &H400

to &H5FF. This area is your screen.

The PEEK numbers you get for any of

While you’re at it, remember that

COMPUTERS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS WHAT

YOU PUT INTO THEM!

deciding what they want to buy for

home use. However, this isn't nec-

essarily helpful to the neophyte.

Ask six computer experts which ma-

chines to buy, and you're very

likely to get six different answers.

So who's got the right advice

for you? The answer is that you do.

Other people bought their systems

for reasons that may be very differ-

computer buyer has to answer is:

"What do you want your computer to

do for you?"

Many first-time buyers want a

computer to run games and educa-

tional software for children. Oth-

ers intend to run home management

software such as budgets, recipes,

schedules, and address books whiles

turning out occasional letters. But

to buy is simple a matter of decid-

ing which one offers the most fea-

tures for the money you can afford

to spent. A trip to stores in your

area that sell computers and pro-

grams will quickly give you the

answer. Look at the programs that

are available for each type of com-

your bills but not be able to keep

track of your tax deductions.

You should also ask for a

hands-on demonstration of the pro-

grams to make sure that they are

easy to use and easy to understand.

While a business may be able to buy

software and discard it if it's not

right, the average person can't

afford to take that sort of costly

works best for you – not the one

that your cousin likes best.

Once you pick the right pro-

grams for you, read the boxes to

find out what features to buy with

your computer. Pay attention to the

brand of printers and mice that your

that it can't be run on another

brand of computer.

If you are not doing CAD. or

artwork at home, you can cut the

price of your system by several

hundred dollars by buying a less

expensive monitor and monitor card.

You can also cut the cost of your

system by buying a smaller hard

drive. Although many offices need

programs can also make use of

cheaper mice and cheaper printers,

but check the package that you are

buying first. The first-time buyer

is better off buying only the prod-

ucts listed on the package itself.

Once you've bought your com-

puter and programs, the next step is

(Editor’s note: there was a differ-

ence of opinion on the staff regard-

ing censorship of the following

article. Some of the staff felt

censorship is offensive. Others

felt certain words in the article

were offensive. We need input from

our readers on where they stand on

this censorship.)

During the recent war, most of

involving over 250,000 people went

unreported in major newspapers like

the Detroit News and Detroit Free

Press; there was scant mention of it

in the New York Times, etc. During

the recent war, it became clear that

the American people need an alterna-

tive form of media if they are to

maintain any semblance of free

speech or free press during the

war to discuss and debate those

views. A recent article reprinted

in the magazine Utne Reader, no. 44,

March/April 1991 describes the im-

portant role that discussion and

debate have played historically in

bringing about needed social change.

(See "Salons through history", by

John Berendt, originally from Es-

quire, November, 1990.) Other arti-

from a discussions about the war on

a limited access bulletin board in

Michigan.

Item 13 01:43 Jan15/91 John L.

Crisis in the Gulf

How do people feel about the

Gulf crisis, the draft, the prospect

of lots of innocent people dying. I

realize that that was fairly nebu-

lous. I just thought it would be

eignty, etc., they just seem kind of

hollow in the face of war. I guess

that I thought that maybe by this

point in the time line, we could do

away with "real politic" and "hard

ball." Kind of naive, but it is a

thought. (sorry for the misspells)

Jan15/91 20:48 13:2) Andy M.

One thing first...I'm not a paci-

fist. I do believe that there are

to work. War now is unnecessary and

wrong. Bush screwed us all by putt-

ing us into a classical dilemma: if

we don't act tonight, we're a bunch

of soft Western turkeys. If we do

act tonight, we're just stupid.

This deadline stuff is a bunch of

nonsense.

dissent was heard from Americans.

Only when destruction and killing

began did it hit people that this

was all "for real." Of course those

opposed to war should let the admin-

istration know how they feel, but

I'm sad to say no amount of love-

bead rattling will now alter the

course of events.

Jan19/91 00:08 13:7) Jesse W.

days ago at the Onion. You

know...the one where it was raining

cats and dogs? Well, I listened to

some of the speakers, and I listened

to the a****** standing next to me,

and I almost decided that it was

good that we were at war.

Unfortunately, protests attract not

movement on this campus and around

the country. It in my eyes is a

political anti-war movement. While

I happen to agree to various extent

with some of the points made by the

movement, this is neither the time

nor place to politicize it. I would

prefer (and consider myself to be) a

Peace Activist based on morals,

spirituality, religion, emotion

for your opposition. Self-suffering

to instill change in the hearts of

others, rathe r than intimidation of

others. My beliefs are largely

Gandhian in nature. Peace

Jan20/91 23:22 13:11) Larry K.

In a broad sense, any "anti-war" (or

"pro-war") activity will be "politi-

own agenda is nothing new and should

be expected. Many feel just that

way about most of the protest activ-

ity on this campus. It 's important

to try to see past that to those who

are truly concerned about the issue

and are not out to exploit the occa-

sion. What are those people saying?

My point was that even the most

genuine, well meaning protesters

war" or "In Support of our

Soldiers". I mean, I was one of the

first to jump on the bandwagon for

the SRC protests. I seriously

considered "going in" with the peo-

ple who took the administrative

offices. However, what can possibly

be the point of protesting the war?

This is such b*******.

Jan23/91 11:31 13:20) Melissa L.

The protests are not anti-Ameri-

can... that is the same b*******

that protestors heard in the 60's

and 70's. I could not believe the

mentality of the counter-demonstra-

tors when they started shouting

things like, "You pinko commies! Go

back to where you came from if you

of protestors do not hate our troops

for being there... we hate Bush for

putting them there. I don't want

these people dead – I want them to

come home, alive, NOW. I think it

is more "anti-American" to support

them being there – and dying – then

to want them to come home.

troops morale, will just cause casu-

alties.

Jan23/91 21:01 13:22) Andy M.

Manuel, if our troops had not been

in Vietnam, they would not have been

called baby-killing m************.

If our troops had not been in Viet-

nam, they would not have been killed

and tortured.

If our troops were not in Iraq right

Manuel, I don't see any factual

evidence backing up your claim that

the protests during the Viet Nam war

caused a lengthening of the con-

flict, and a "dishonorable with-

drawal." If you can prove it to me,

I will be glad to listen. From what

I understand, the war was prolonged

believe in the rights guaranteed by

the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

One can be against U.S. involvement

in the mid-east and still support

the troops. We all want them home

alive.

Jan24/91 16:03 13:25) Andy M.

Unpatriotic are the couch potatoes

who sit at home and don't do any-

thing, just like the majority of our

I'd like to see the troops home

alive and victorious. Elizabeth: It

may be patriotic to defend the

"right" of people to burn flags if

they want to (especially Iraqi

flags!), but actually BURNING an

American flag is NOT patriotic at

all (unless, of course, one's "pa-

ing the government of your native

land. Where's your consistency?

Jan26/91 13:29 13:31) Andy M.

I think I missed something very

large and important here. Manuel,

will you fill me in on what Jesse

mentions in 13:30? Thanx.

Jan26/91 14:52 13:32) Eric F.

Andy re: 4: While I think voting is

an absolute necessity, I also feel

we need to go farther. Issue educa-

tion of our self and others is vital

to prepare us to vote "correctly"

(and to encourage candidates to

support these issues). And I be-

lieve is these fail, in going far-

ther. I do believe that the student

movement of the sixties helped end