THOUGHTS ON THE INTERNET

                      From Brian Burke

There must be quite a few of us now on `The Web'. I was prompted
to think of how few people I knew on `the net' following a
circular from Alex the other day on MSN. Although the subject
matter was limited to MSN I guess my other contacts are relatively
few.

It's true to say that if you enter a `web-chat' area that friends
are easy to come by. Why, you can talk to folks all over the
world. Most of the people I know who indulge in this activity have
freephone modem access via a Cable company. In Nottingham we have
several POPs who are Diamond Cable based. If you're also connected
to Diamond then it's free calls after 6.00pm through to 8.00am and
all over the weekend.  I'm limiting my own activity at present to
E-Mail and solution/hints searches pending connection to Diamond
later this year.

The ability to download solutions is a two edged sword. On the one
hand you don't have to bother Sue and others with your game
queries at funny times of the day and can obtain a quick answer if
you are stuck in a game. On the other you do, depending on your
willpower of course, lose the urge to keep trying `just one more
time', as the solution's just a Yahoo or Lycos search away.

I used to play games in tandem with friends at work. We'd set off
on this or that RPG or Adventure, and help each other along. I'd
guess that's why many of us have really fond memories for the
older games. They took ages to play, we slogged away and the sheer
exhilaration of solving a problem left a warm feeling.

I do like the freedom that the E-Mail aspect of the Net provides.
I have a friend in Scotland who's an early bird, whereas I turn-in
after midnight (it's not true that I only turn on when there's a
full moon). The E-Mail facility allows us to communicate at our
own pace and at our own choice of time.  Of course we chat on the
phone from time to time. The danger of the Net is that you could
lose that sort of personal touch.  But with voice and video
connections reasonably imminent then this too will be able to be
achieved at the Terminal/Desktop in time.

Just a note on my MSN name. When I logged-on I entered my own
name. Too bad, can't use that - someone else has it. OK, how about
`Amigan' seeing as I used to have one. No no, not that either. I
tried another, but to no avail. I was struggling then. I searched
my brain for a familiar word to use and then I had it! "What's
your favourite game genre" (I said to myself)?  of course - CRPG.
Amazingly this was free and so, on MSN.....it's me!









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