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.