news

News from Kent and Elsewhere

BICA Issue No. 6: September 1987

CSAC Bulletin Board

We have been able to iron out some of the problems with the Bulletin Board, and it should now be working. It offers access to Lucy: you can run some of our programs, copy some of the files, send messages, and chat with other users. The information about current events is collected more or less as it falls into our hands, and entered when we have a moment to spare: we particularly welcome information about seminars, Visiting Anthros from other countries, projects in hand and so on: you are all extraordinarily welcome to contribute items. You can use the message service to do this.

You can access the Bulletin Board via JANET (Joint Academic Network) or via PSS. For all PSS connexions our number is: 234222715151 . This also works from continental Europe, e.g. we know for certain that it works from Cologne via their Post Office network (which is called DatexP). The number connects you to the University of Kent Gateway, and you have to log on to the UKC gateway. You do that with the login name:

and using the password:

You will then get a prompt for a `gate command'. You should type

You will then be prompted to log on to Lucy, and should give the name and password as:

1. csa-c
2. (password:) 12 anthro

The complexity of logging on twice, once to the gate and then to Lucy will be eliminated in the next months: you will be able to log on direct to Lucy. We are promised that it should be clear from the messages on your screen which login procedure you should follow. But if you have trouble doing one procedure, try the other.

Once you have got through to Lucy we have a very friendly hold-your-hand set of procedures set up by Michael Fischer: a series of prompts and menus which are all self-explanatory. To get the full range of Bulletin Board facilities you will need to go through a registration procedure: Lucy will only transfer files to you if she knows your address; and the displays in some of the programs need to know what type of terminal you are using. This information has to be obtained from each user: once you have given it, Lucy will remember who you are. You can also by-pass that interrogation if you want to browse and explore; and you can register at a later time if you want to copy stuff to your own machine. In general terms: until you register, your terminal will appear much dumber than it probably is.

RAI update

The RAI has replaced their aged Televideo system with a desktop publishing system, using an IBM AT Compatible Ventura Publisher (by Xerox), and a laser printer They are using it to produce both Anthropology Today and Man, although they are still using commercial typesetting. Contact Gustaf Houtmann at the RAI for more details.

Word-processing with exotic characters

1. David Zeitlyn (DZ11%CAM.PHX@CAM.ENG-ICF) writes: `...are you aware that the Summer Institute of Linguistics ... now have produced a software package allowing word processing with standard AND international phonetic alphabets SIMULTANEOUSLY, moreover it runs on portables and I've actually seen it running 60km from where I work¹ on a portable (Sharp) run from solar cells!!! Most incredible SIL are prepared to give copies of the software for the cost of the documentation ($25)... I can tell you more if you need it.'

2. Roy Ellen (rfe@uk.ac.ukc) has a set of macros for UNIX ditroff , which produces diacritics for Polish texts.

Linguistics

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Texas has equipped an Anthropological Linguistics lab with MacIntosh microcomputers acquired under a grant from Project Quest (a local Industry-driven project). Contact Dr. Greg Urban, University of Texas, Austin 78712 for more information.

Discounted hardware

BICA has been informed of a source for MacIntosh+ microcomputers for educational use at a price of \(sp895 +VAT. There are also substantial discounts for other Apple equipment. Contact Michael Fischer (mf1@uk.ac.ukc), Eliot, The University of Kent, CT2 7NS for details.

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