Msg: 2970 *Conference*
08-05-92 20:29:12
From: DAVID FIRTH
To : RICHARD HANSON
Subj: REPLY TO MSG #2950 (DOWNLOAD/CSIS?)
Regarding my CI$ and GEnie use, I am mostly a message browser. I limit my access to only a few forums, namely M100SIG and Borland Programming A (Turbo Pascal) on CI$ and Laptops and Borland on GEnie. By calling on a regular basis, there are less messages to weed through. I always scan the headings to decide which messages are important. This is vital when I use my M100 instead of my PC -- slower speeds make mistakes like long scrolls costly to my patience. I keep notes on where the forums I visit are located. I use keywords that are specific when I search for files. On CI$, I make full use of the IBM File Finder's features. I do not download much. Being a programmer helps that! For example, I recently looked around for some M100 books. A gentleman on CI$ hooked up with me and I now have the Hidden Powers book and a tech ref coming for a good price. I made good use of E-Mail there. Oh yes, before I log on, I plan what I want to do and where I want to go. It also doesn't hurt to have been using these services for a number of years. I sympathize with new users or confused users -- it took me a while to learn the ropes. I pride myself on being able to putz around with computers (confusers as my former college roommate says), but the big info services can be cryptic.