A summary for those that haven’t been keeping up with this series:
I found a number of 5.25″ disks at a thrift store a number of years ago. I finally got around to acquiring a 5.25″ disk drive and extracting the contents a while back. Since then I have been posting the contents here.
Based on the contents, at least some of these disks were apparently once owned by someone named Connie who used to run the “Close Encounters” Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s.
A specific definition of this SIG was found in a document on one of the disks: “This SIG, known as ‘Close Encounters’, is a forum for the discussion of relationships that develop via computer services like the Source, CompuServe, and Delphi. Our primary emphasis is on the sexual aspects of those relationships.”
This service was text based and was accessed via whatever terminal program you used on your computer to dial in to Delphi’s servers. Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I don’t know if there are any archives in existence today of what was on Delphi in the 1980s. In any case, much of this stuff would have been private at the time and probably wouldn’t be in such archives even if they existed.
This post includes the contents of DEBSHOP.DOC dated October 17th, 1985. It is an e-mail or document describing an idea to set up online shopping on Delphi. It’s pretty lengthy with a bunch of examples.
See the previous post here.
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DEBSHOP.DOC
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read shop Name: SHOPPING SKETCHES Type: DOCUMENT Date: 17-OCT-1985 14:56 by DEB Peter....my outlline, comments and (kinda) how shopping will work. These are not short, but I have sent them to the folks interested in being vendors, and they like it. These are NOT docs, just ideas about how I put together the *FlagShip* shopping. ** Keywords: FORMATS, SHOPPING, SKETCH, DEB Contents: 1 CATEGORIES (Size: 6509) /File=01$DEB$CATAGORY.TXT Count: 2 2 FIELDS (Size: 6307) /File=01$DEB$FIELDS.TXT Count: 1 ACTION> ? ACTION Menu: Next Group/File Help Download Exit Xmodem Download Move/Rename Topic List (Unformatted) Edit Display Delete Group Description ACTION> (Next, Down, Xm, List) DIS Display: CATEGORIES Product Category Menu: ACCESSORIES BOOKS AND MAGAZINES COMPUTERS DISKETTES & SUPPLIES DRIVES & STORAGE PERIPHERALS INTERFACES MODEMS MONITORS PRINTERS SOFTWARE SUPPLIES FOR PRINTERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE OTHER PRODUCTS Product Category: ACCESSORIES The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> TYPE Displayed <WORD> SPECS(RS-232,IEEE,ETC) Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: BOOKS AND MAGAZINES The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> BOOK OR MAGAZINE Displayed <WORD> AUTHOR/PUBLISHER NAME Displayed <WORD> TYPE(DISK,SUBSCRIPT.,ETC) Displayed <WORD> TOPIC Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: COMPUTERS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: DISKETTES & SUPPLIES The current searchable fields are: Displayed <NUMBER> SIZE DISKETTE(5.25/3.5) Displayed <WORD> TYPE (SS,SD,DS,DD) Displayed <WORD> ACCESSORY Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: DRIVES & STORAGE PERIPHERALS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> TYPE(DISK DRIVE, TAPE,ETC) Displayed <WORD> DISK FORMAT (1541,8250,ETC) Displayed <WORD> COMPUTER Displayed <WORD> PORT USED Displayed <WORD> I/O BUS TYPE (SERIAL,IEE) Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: INTERFACES The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> TYPE:(PRINTER,RS-232,IEEE) Displayed <WORD> COMPUTER Displayed <WORD> PORT USED Displayed <WORD> EXTERNAL DEVICE OBJECTIVE Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: MODEMS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <NUMBER> BAUD RATE (300,1200,2400) Displayed <WORD> PLUG COMPATIBLE (RS232, CBM) Displayed <WORD> AUTO-DIAL/ANSWER TYPE Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: MONITORS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> COLOR/MONOCHROME Displayed <WORD> SIGNAL TYPE Displayed <WORD> SOUND (YES/NO) Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: PRINTERS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> PRINT HEAD(DOT MATRIX,DAISY) Displayed <NUMBER> SPEED (IN CPS) Displayed <WORD> CONNECTION-CBM,CENTRONIC,ETC Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: SOFTWARE The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> CATEGORY (TOPIC) Displayed <WORD> COMPUTER Displayed <WORD> MEDIUM (DISK,CART,ETC) Displayed <WORD> AGE LEVELS Displayed <WORD> PERIPHERAL SUPPORT Displayed <WORD> AUTHOR Displayed <WORD> VERSION Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: SUPPLIES FOR PRINTERS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> TYPE:(PAPER,RIBBON,ETC) Displayed <WORD> SIZE Displayed <WORD> TRACTOR FORMS (Y/N) Displayed <WORD> COLOR Displayed <WORD> RIBBON TYPE (PRINTER) Displayed <WORD> COMPOSITION SPECS Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Product Category: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> COMPUTER(64,C128,B128,ETC) Displayed <WORD> PROTOCOL(XMODEM,PUNTER,ETC) Displayed <WORD> TERMINAL OR BBS Displayed <NUMBER> BUFFER SIZE (IN KILOBYTES) Displayed <WORD> PERIPHERALS SUPPORTED Displayed <WORD> VERSION Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER Displayed <NUMBER> BAUD RATES (300,1200,2400) Displayed <WORD> MODEM SUPPORTED Product Category: OTHER PRODUCTS The current searchable fields are: Displayed <WORD> TYPE Displayed <WORD> COMPUTER Displayed <WORD> MODEL Displayed <WORD> MANUFACTURER Displayed <NUMBER> PRICE Displayed <WORD> ADVERTISER ===================================== I just spent two hours putting up the above shell for the SIG Shopping area. More searchable fields can be added if we need, but I would like to keep it fairly stable and not change it for the members. Each searchable field should have just a LIMITED number of valid entries, and I will EDIT each Vendor's listing in the shopping database if the searchable entries in the fields do not meet with the specified valid ones we are keeping. This might sound harsh, but it's one of the few ways we can guarantee the members can find what they are looking for during SEARCHes. I will prepare another list again for anyone not receiving the list of valid entries to the searchable fields. Any Vendor wishing to include something in a field that does not already appear on the list should first check with me. In the meantime, please enter your products carefully in the Shopping area, and do not forget to enter your Vendor profile. Any troubles, just contact me in mail. I am compiling a list of suggestions and additional features for future revisions to the SHOPPING program. Holler if you have any ideas, as this is just the first version, and changes WILL happen. Given the current condition of Delphi, I will make no targetted date for the first Shopping announcement for the members. ((grin)) Lets just say as soon as there are some products entered there, we will put it up! I am also in the process of writing both the Vendor instructions and the member instructions, any suggestions for either of those departments, just blast away at me!!! deb! ACTION> Display: FIELDS Follows are the valid and suggested entries for each searchable field in the Shopping Area, divided by category, and listed under each field. Note that both the ADVERTISER and PRICE fields are added automatically and you do not have to add this information more than the once when you initially enter the product. Both the Price and ADVERTISER fields can be toggled so that they do not show as searchable fields in each catagory since they show already as part of the information header. Your feedback on this toggle would be appreciated. Right now, it shows, but I have a feeling it is an unneccesary thing for the folks to have to look at. Multiple searchable entries can be made in any field. When you enter the keywords into the field, and you want more than one to be searchable, just enter each one, and separate it with a slash. For Instance, you'd like to make sure that if a user with a HAYES 1200 modem knows your software is capable of both supporting HAYES commands and running 1200 or 300 baud, you could enter: BAUD: 300/1200 MODEM SUPPORT: HAYES/HES II/1650/1660/1670 If the user searches for either 1200 or 300 baud software, he will get your product when he narrows the search down to his particular kind of modem, but at the same time you are allowing the fellow with the HES II to do the same! Product Category: ACCESSORIES Searchable Fields: TYPE [What kinda Accessory is this?] cable board surge protection power supply SPECS(RS-232,IEEE,ETC) [what's it work on?] pet to IEEE (P to I) IEEE to IEEE(I to I) RS-232 MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: BOOKS AND MAGAZINES Searchable Fields: BOOK OR MAGAZINE Book Magazine Diskette AUTHOR/PUBLISHER NAME TYPE(DISK,SUBSCRIPT.,ETC) Subscription Back Issues Diskette TOPIC PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: COMPUTERS Searchable Fields: MODEL 64 C128 B128 Plus/4 MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: DISKETTES & SUPPLIES Searchable Fields: SIZE DISKETTE(5.25/3.5) 5.25 3.5 TYPE (SS,SD,DS,DD) SS SD DS DD color ACCESSORY cleaner case notcher label MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: DRIVES & STORAGE PERIPHERALS Searchable Fields: TYPE(DISK DRIVE, TAPE,ETC) Disk Drive Floppy Disk add-on card tape wafer drive hard disk drive RAM Disk Speed-up for 1541 DISK FORMAT (1541,8250,ETC) 1541 1001 8050 other COMPUTER 64 C128 B128 PLUS/4 PORT USED [where does this thing plug in to my computer?] serial user cartridge cassette joystick I/O BUS TYPE (SERIAL,IEE) serial IEEE RS232 MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: INTERFACES Searchable Fields: TYPE:(PRINTER,RS-232,IEEE) [what's it interface TO?] printer RS-232 IEEE external controller COMPUTER 64 C128 B128 PLUS/4 PORT USED serial user cartridge cassette joystick EXTERNAL DEVICE OBJECTIVE [what kinda peripheral is this interface made for talking to?] centronics IEEE RS-232 other MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: MODEMS Searchable Fields: BAUD RATE (300,1200,2400) 300 1200 2400 PLUG COMPATIBLE (RS232, CBM) CBM RS-232 AUTO-DIAL/ANSWER TYPE 1650 1660 HES II Mitey Mo Hayes Other None MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: MONITORS Searchable Fields: COLOR/MONOCHROME color monochrome amber green SIGNAL TYPE RGB composite other SOUND (YES/NO) yes no MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: PRINTERS Searchable Fields: PRINT HEAD(DOT MATRIX,DAISY) Dot Matrix Daisy Wheel SPEED (IN CPS) CONNECTION-CBM,CENTRONIC,ETC CBM Centronics RS-232 IEEE MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: SOFTWARE Searchable Fields: CATEGORY (TOPIC) Game Education Music Graphics Utility Language Copy Compiler Database Word Processor Home Application COMPUTER 64 C128 B128 PLUS/4 MEDIUM (DISK,CART,ETC) Disk cartridge tape AGE LEVELS PERIPHERAL SUPPORT Disk Tape printer Joystick K-Pad BI-80 BusCard II AUTHOR VERSION MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: SUPPLIES FOR PRINTERS Searchable Fields: TYPE:(PAPER,RIBBON,ETC) paper ribbon color paper label accesory SIZE TRACTOR FORMS (Y/N) yes no COLOR RIBBON TYPE (PRINTER) Star Okidata 1525 1526 Epson COMPOSITION SPECS # bond (size) carbon film multi strike nylon MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER Product Category: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE Searchable Fields: COMPUTER(64,C128,B128,ETC) 64 C128 B128 PLUS/4 PROTOCOL(XMODEM,PUNTER,ETC) XMODEM PUNTER RAVICS B Protocol other none TERMINAL OR BBS terminal bbs BUFFER SIZE (IN KILOBYTES) PERIPHERALS SUPPORTED Disk Tape Printer BI-80 BusCard II Data-20 80 Col card VERSION MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER BAUD RATES (300,1200,2400) 300 1200 2400 MODEM SUPPORT Hayes Compatible 1650 1660 1670 Hes II Mitey Mo Other 1600 Product Category: OTHER PRODUCTS Searchable Fields: TYPE COMPUTER MODEL MANUFACTURER PRICE ADVERTISER ACTION>
