For a change this month I have decided to concentrate on one feature of the service offered by COMPUNET. Heres a small example and conversation held on Compunets "Partyline" which is a multi-user chat feature where up to 8 people can chat amongst themselves, move to other rooms or create private rooms to hold conferences. Anything you type is echoed to the screen for all to see. You can also change your `alias` which by default is your compunet ID (mine is SPADGE) to anything that takes your fancy and also you can choose to IGNORE someone and not send to people you particularly don`t like! This conversation was held one night and features a number of people, such as KATT, perhaps the most obnoxious, disgusting and immoral member of Compunet, that aside he`s a good laugh and like him! Another chap called DICEY is also mad and very objectionable but unlike KATT is liked by almost everybody. TOP-CAT is a Scottish Pink-Floyd fan called Dave and is just getting to grips with an Amiga he has borrowed... Its fairly difficult following the converation as somethings said only mean things to certain other people.. You will also notice that some strange spelling and abbreviations are used, this is usually to convey character and simply for speed, there are words used by everyone too.. laughter is used as hehe and capitals are reserved for emphasis/shouting so you can get the drift of the mood of the person concerned. As we join the conversation, I have just logged back on after my Amiga crashed halfway through.. damned annoying.. KATT: istel? (Istel is the company that handles all the phonelines etc for Compunet TOP-CAT: and whenever anyone gets chucked Rightttttttttttttttttttt off the first question is usually "Istel?" which means "Are you SPADGE: having problems with your nodes!") god knows.. just bombed out TOP-CAT: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm Ah! thats it KATT: i was gunna say seen any good demos lately MH1 has entered PartyLine in LOBBY (As you can see, someone has just entered the room, by default as KATT: soon as anyone joins Partyline hint hint hahaha they are put into the LOBBY which is the general meeting place and SPADGE: everyone present in the room is i forgot what i was gonna say also listed, you can always get a current listing by typing *WHO TOP-CAT: which lists EVERYONE on Partyline Hi M and the room that they are in) SPADGE: arg not AGAIN! KATT: did you lose all my previous brill text? SPADGE: did u like u9? MH1: hi all TOP-CAT: Hi M SPADGE: yes the lot katt SPADGE: (damn) KATT: yea a scream my ment not big enough tho KATT: i have to swear a lot agian then TOP-CAT: MH1 - you new? SPADGE: well if you send me some ace psy questions u get loads of mentions IVAN has entered PartyLine in LOBBY KATT: big ones? MH1: not exactly TOP-CAT: Ives!!! IVAN: Coooeee its a Katt SPADGE: oh yes big ones KATT: not stuck at the bottom in a dark corner ones IVAN: and a Spadge TOP-CAT: Mh1 - you been on Pline b4 then?? IVAN: and a Top-cat! SPADGE: (Lots of people have their own ey up all way of saying HELLO, its usually HI, YO, LO, HELLO but MH1: I prefer EY UP which is a yes Yorkshire expression and means roughly hello) TOP-CAT: Oh Users in PartyLine: (This is what you get if you type *WHO - a listing of the KATT LOBBY people present and where they SPADGE LOBBY are. Fortunatly everyone is TOP-CAT LOBBY the lobby.) MH1 LOBBY IVAN LOBBY IVAN: and a... a... a MH1!Woowowowoweee KATT: so small you need 100000x vision to read them ones SPADGE: what is a MH1? TOP-CAT: Mh - what 3 years ago? SPADGE: ok katt i get the message ! TOP-CAT: Dunno Spadge was wondering that myself IVAN: Its a.... IVAN: A species. A rare speciies KATT: well spadge afetr you hid from me at the show..... TOP-CAT: I think Mh1 should learn to type maybe SPADGE: didnt hide from you katt, one look, driven to drink KATT: hahahahah yer b*****d and one 'oi yer ****' (The stars arent part of Pline but you always need some if Katts about) MH1: I've been on C'net for about 5 years and an MH is someone who can type but only slowly... KATT: or was it two? TOP-CAT: Mh - ah.. well you dont come on often then, hmm? SPADGE: you were gonna bloody gob me! IVAN: Yo! Mh1! Do you get down and dig that funky beat on Tuesdays or Thursdays? SPADGE: looked well irritated KATT: well wot can you expect at least yerd have known it was me! TOP-CAT: Ives? IVAN: Ahem! KATT: i had just had hassle wiv sum skinny git anyhow MH1: yes I'm on all the time its just the whole things not as good as it was SPADGE: i saw your badge and was gonna hassle you TOP-CAT: Mh1 - oh please dont start.. I hate people that say all this SPADGE: tc well it isnt is it? hehehe KATT: thats y you hid your badge then TOP-CAT: argh!! hehe (yes it is( SPADGE: yes MH1: I'm not getting at anyone TC! IVAN: Skinny git? Sounds like Aidan, Eddy C. or the guy in the chipper down the rooad TOP-CAT: Mh.. I know.. clamus down us IVAN: The git bit only applies to the chipper MH1: clamus??? IVAN: bye IVAN has left PartyLine. (Looks like IVAN has had enough) TOP-CAT: Calus downus KATT: no security guard sez wheres your passs sonny! TOP-CAT: What I mean is.,. CLAM DOWN MH1: Oh right SPADGE: hehe katt we didnt have such problems in our suits KATT: whos not calm tc? TOP-CAT: Katt... dunno.. but it sounded good KATT: id have loved tyto ha seen that spadgey MH1: you got one of those as well TOP-CAT: Errrr? SPADGE: pervert KATT: me? MH1: a duffkeyboad TOP-CAT: Not me SPADGE: i got a photo.. yes you so dont deny it! MH1: see? TOP-CAT: Wanna go for a chat (ooer) mh? TOP-CAT: since you type Sooooooooo slow MH1: why not lead on KATT: oh you wanted a snap of the most handsome guy in the uni as well (me) TOP-CAT has left the room. (Ooo-err two people leave MH1 has left the room. and head off to a private room) SPADGE: nah s'ok we already done the horror disc KATT: scintillating wit SPADGE: it is isnt it! Users in PartyLine: KATT LOBBY SPADGE LOBBY dave (TOP-CAT) PUB (Well if they can go to the steve (MH1) PUB pub so can we, watch this!) SPADGE: ang on You are now in LAMB&FLAG. (Yaaah!) There is no one else here! KATT has been called. (You can *CALL people too) TRANCER has entered PartyLine in LOBBY (TRANCER is one of the Cnet nice guys) KATT has entered the room. SPADGE: thats better, familiar surroundings Users in PartyLine: KATT LAMB&FLAG SPADGE LAMB&FLAG dave (TOP-CAT) PUB steve (MH1) PUB TRANCER LOBBY KATT: ahhh so this is wot it looks like SPADGE: yeah.. KATT: whens u10 due then? SPADGE: wot do you want? SPADGE: 2 weeks KATT: wot do i want? SPADGE: drink yer git? KATT: slow again SPADGE: my round SPADGE: yes.. this working is knacking you out KATT: urrrmmmm quadrouple vodka and orange then KATT: too reet sexy girlies tho SPADGE: yes ok, quad vodka and orange and 3 pints of beer missus SPADGE: girlies? hmm dunno if you can order em over bar SPADGE: bar staff ugly old wrinklies tho (no offence if they are reading!) KATT: hahaha KATT: you wanna go to a decent pub mate MH1 has entered PartyLine in LOBBY KATT: no its agony when im workin i cant say **** off to people SPADGE: hehe KATT: and its the WIG AN QUILL KATT: tempting when they hang on at 11:30 SPADGE: silly name SPADGE: this in salisbury then or what? KATT: yup city cntre (almost) SPADGE: arg! gotta book a coach or train tomoz KATT: where too? SPADGE: forgot about that! to london KATT: y? SPADGE: to meet dr awesome and his mates SPADGE: for some drinkies SPADGE: from norway KATT: o no theyll hit squad me SPADGE: yes.. u are a marked wo(man) KATT: i like norway nice place but booze practically non existant SPADGE: not what i have heard KATT: every1 will seee my crap spelling now KATT: booze is taxed really high over there KATT: i didnt get pissed once! SPADGE: theyre used to mine so its no big deal SPADGE: not surprised you tight fisted sod! KATT: can i type a message to the readers then? SPADGE: ok SPADGE: cos im going soon KATT: wait till i fink it up then SPADGE: hurry up SPADGE: or send it with disc/psych stuff KATT: HI ALL YOU U10 READERS HAVE A SHITTY LIFE LUV KATT KATT: any good? SPADGE: there you are,, ok,, not too bad, SPADGE: im off now! KATT: can i say rick lemons a ******? SPADGE: so neet and seeya tomoz (poss) SPADGE: if you must KATT: nitey nite yea tommoz after pub SPADGE: pub? KATT: drinkin not workin SPADGE: me pub? KATT: no me SPADGE: im on a diet SPADGE: gonna say im clean! KATT: you a diet hahaha SPADGE: YES me SPADGE: no drinkies KATT: well ill be on about 11:30 ish SPADGE: no chippies SPADGE: ok i'll remember to avoid pline around that time KATT: remmember to save this convo SPADGE: will try Users in PartyLine: KATT LAMB&FLAG SPADGE LAMB&FLAG dave (TOP-CAT) PUB john (TRANCER) PUB KATT: hahahah bye then GoodBye! See you soon. That then was an example of Partyline, its different every time you`re on and some conversations can take place over many hours into the early hours of the morning. Ok, so how much does it all cost? Partyline is part of COMPUNET, a large network system for C64, Amiga and ST. Subscription to compunet is about 40quid per quarter, this gets you GOLD subscription which allows FREE connection to the system after 6pm and all weekend. All you pay is the telephone costs which isnt too bad as most towns have a phone line for it and that means its going to cost 52p or so per hour. Partyline costs 1pound an hour, this does not go on your phonebill or compunet charges but from a seperate compunet account - which you can put money in as you see fit. That way you can control your spending and not get carried away! (Partyline IS addictive). You will also need a modem of course, if you already have one, why not try the Compunet demo (disc 444) which allows you around the demo compunet database - you cant try Pline though.