JEUX SANS FRONTIERS - BY RALPH BANCROFT

    Don't  tell  the  boss, but this is going to cost a bundle.  I've spent
    the  last  week  delving  through  the  delights  of  Compulink's   new
    conferencing  system  and  I  have  to  tell  you - I'm hooked.  CIX or
    Compulink Information eXchange to give it the verbose title - has taken
    the bulletin board to it's logical conclusion.

    For  some  time  Compulink's  bulletin board has been sinking under the
    weight of too many callers and a system that,  to  be  charitable,  was
    never designed for 24 hour a day multi-user use.

    Even  before  the  overworked  components  in one of the AT compatibles
    driving the system decided to give up the ghost, the search was on  for
    an alternative more up to the job.

    The quest took the user group to the University of Guelph in Canada and
    a piece of software with the user-cuddly name of Cosy.

    The good folk in Guelph came to the conclusion that trying to  organise
    a  meeting where you could get more than two people in the same room at
    the same time was a waste of space.

    So they developed an electronic alternative that  removed  the  spatial
    and  temporal  constraints,  while  also  liberating  speakers from the
    angstof addressing a public meeting.

    Bulletin boards were a  step  along  this  road,  but  they  had  their
    limitations.   They  only  had a limited number of message areas, which
    could only be set up by the sysop (system operator) and were so  widely
    drawn  that  you  wasted  more  than  a  few smackers ploughing through
    endless drivel that you had not the slightest interest in reading.

    The CIX/Cosy liberation is that control is in the hands  of  the  user.
    Anyone,  anywhere  can organise a discussion group - called conferences
    and often sub-divided into topics - set the agenda and  "moderate"  the
    course of the debate.

    The  conferences  can  be  either  open (anybody can join in) or closed
    (sorry it's by invitation  only).   The  effect  is  electrifying.   In
    thefew  weeks  that  CIX has been "live", more than 20 conferences have
    been established, covering  everything  from  the  continuing  saga  of
    public  domain software (open) to the more minority interests of the US
    Imigration Reform Group (closed).

    Even companies have latched on the idea - Borland was  early  into  the
    fray with a conference providing user support, news and information.

    Some  of the conferences are lively;  others are a mine of information.
    I now know why Amstrad PC 1512's try to boot off drive D or E.  I  also
    know how you can get around the problem.

    There  is even a chat mode for those who need to engage in a real time,
    interactive conversation with someone else who is on line at  the  same
    time.

    Now if all this sounds too good to be true, you would be right.

    Firstly,  it  don't work properly - well not yet.  CIX is still in it's
    running in phase.  The mail facility has yet to be installed  and  last
    week the Guildford telephone exchange was showing signs of distress.

    Getting  through  on  a  reliable  telephone  line was like an obstacle
    course.  Secondly,  there  is  is  a  cost  to  go  with  the  benefit.
    Compulink  has  invested  over  10,000 pounds in CIX (ED true figure is
    around 50,000) and, not unreasonably, is looking to get  some  of  it's
    dosh  back.  So it is run as a "user supported" service.  New users get
    free use for a week to try it out.

    After that you have to flash the plastic if you want to carry on  using
    it.

    Now some think this ain't on.  For myself, as an old hack, I know there
    is no such thing as a free lunch and this is even more fun.

    Ralph is moderating a CIX conference called PCBW/GRAPEVINE.