Terminate : Bad News & Good News
Ken Turner
This was in the Fidonet Comms news area and is re-posted here for the
information of all loyal Terminate users.
(3970) Sun 21 Aug 94 23:22
By: David Segall
To: All
Re: Terminate or CAIN? 1/2
St:
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@MSGID: 5:7107/3...@fidonet.org 8b0504b1
With SPECIAL THANKS to Chris Kenward [now sysop of FONiX Info Systems in
the UK], I have received the original three files of version 1.56 of
Terminate via FTP this weekend.
Don't hold your breath. It's awful.
Firstly, as reported by the sysop of Almac BBS [where the program was
first released] to our own [Tim "Cellular" Jackson] there is a huge
problem with the second and third files. The ZIP files came in perfect
and the UNZIP all good and well. Terminate has always had an integrity
CRC checker which runs on the files inside the ZIP as it installs. The
second and third files fail it's own check.
At this stage it isn't worthwhile uploading the files to any BBS in this
country. This program gets a huge BARF and it could very well be the
shareware flop of BBSing history.
The main comms package, however, is contained inside the first file and
it installs, without all the attachments [including the help files], and
with some warnings that you are not getting the full program. The
installation stuff contains a few screens of background even though
version 1.56 is supposed to be freeware.
It is important to realise that there is a huge business dispute going
on between Bo Bendsten and a crowd called Intershop headed none other
than by one George Collins, whose name I have mentioned before. This
Intershop crowd, comprising a team of Eastern European programmers [the
Ruskies did, after all, produce Tetris! :-)] have rewritten Terminate
from scratch. The program is intended to be called CAIN. If it isn't
CAIN, it also isn't ABEL! :-) The program was written in a matter of
weeks and it's hard to believe that it was ever tested.
It looks like Terminate and it's called Terminate but it isn't
Terminate. Well, that isn't quite true because in some places
[including the EXE files], it's called CAIN.
You can't install it over your existing Terminate files and it doesn't
recognise the Terminate configuration files or the phonebook. Entering BBS
details in the dialling directory is something one has to master because
it's totally different from any other comms package I have ever tried.
ENTER doesn't dial a BBS.
In fact, nothing about the program is intuitive. It takes a little
figuring out to do a lot of things, although configuration is much the
same. Some of the options you get in the Toggles aren't there. There
are just blank lines.
The program also comes with a QWK reader but it's an apology for a
reader.
This is a lesson in how not to produce shareware. Software - any
software - succeeds because it is a good program in its own right. You
don't get anywhere in the shareware market running down other authors.
The installation screens contain some defamatory remarks about Bo
Bendsten. Even if what is said there is true, it isn't necessary and
its not going to invite registrations. I believe that there is even
more of this "interesting background reading" in two ASCII files within
the two archives that don't work. Here is a smattering of what I have
already seen on the international networks:
[ Begin external quotes... ]
* Quote from MATTHEW WALDRON to RADEK TAUS dated 08-18-94.
Question: Who is the new programming team?? And it wouldn't be GEORGE
COLLINS, would it??
Enter into public record the following:
Date: Mon, 08-01-94 (09:42) Number: 133 Refer: 0
To: ALL
From: BO BENDTSEN
Subj: George Collins
George Collins has nothing to do with Terminate or me!
Even though he tries and act like it by forwarding my letters.
There will be no discussion about George Collins in any way, since
this matter is closed and George Collins is not a registration site of
Terminate. Please do not believe anything you read and wait for a public
announcement which will be inside version 1.5.
Please everyone read the BRITAIN.DOC inside Telix.
Bo Bendtsen
-------------------------------------------
To: BO BENDTSEN
From: GEORGE COLLINS
Subj: George Collins
BB>George Collins has nothing to do with Terminate or me!
Wrong, you owe me more than *11,000 Bo, and users an explanation
for your continued piracy vis a vis Intershop Ltd.
Why is it that you wish to parade this nonsense in public rather than
settling your debts in private? Why is it that you still refuse to
answer letters or 'phone calls. Do I have to track you down and visit
personally before you will address your obligations?
Let's get this straight: you pay your debts and meet your obligations
to me, Intershop Ltd and your users and THEN (and only then) can you
expect me to have "... nothing to do with Terminate or <Bad Bendtsen>!"
BB>Even though he tries and act like it by forwarding my letters.
I note you are not denying their authenticity...
BB>There will be no discussion about George Collins in any way, since
BB>this matter is closed and George Collins is not a registration site of
BB>Terminate.
Wrong again. You may succeed in your censorship attempts in your own
DAN BBS conference Terminat (from which you have so far banned anyone
that comes out with the truth) but there's an old saying: truth will
out...
The most diplomatic thing I can say is that you're a very confused
man, Bo.
Succinctly: I was never a reg. site for Terminate.
Interstop was the reg.site for Terminate as is clear from the
documentation within Terminate and the invoices they issued.
I acted as your (unpaid) publisher for nearly a year. When you did the
deal with Intershop Ltd over the copyrights and publishing rights
Intershop Ltd were kind enough to take me on as General Manager.
Before that date I acted ON YOUR BEHALF in running your T-REGS
facility.
(And that is why I will refer TO THE POLICE AS FRAUD ANY ATTEMPT TO
DISABLE THE KEYS ISSUED FROM THAT FACILITY ON YOUR BEHALF.
I really think you'd better run back to Denmark where the jails
are more comfortable...)
Before you agreed to the transfer of copyrights YOU (and
Intershop Ltd) agreed that I could carry on running that facility for
a period of two years. That's why I moved to Sark and that's why you
owe me more than *11,000 for cancelled leases, removal expenses and
equipment if you want me to cease and desist from operating T_REGS
according to your (and later Intershop Ltd's) instructions...
First step might be to write or 'phone me to say you've changed your
mind, don't you think? - or don't you have the nerve to commit
yourself to paper with a REAL signature at the bottom or the nerve to
'phone someone you've welched on and publicly libelled?
BB>Please do not believe anything you read and wait for a public
BB>announcement which will be inside version 1.5.
And approximately WHEN can we expect this long awaited event?
Matthew Waldron *08-17-94* *21:15*
---
* 1st 2.00b #781bt * Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=[End Quote]=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
*
[ ...End external quotes ]
Don't for one minute believe that I am supporting Bo Bendsten or taking
his side. But this sort of thing, even if it is true, makes me wonder
what sort of crowd the producers of CAIN are. CAIN has not been
programmed, produced and released in an objective and gentlemanly
manner. What kind of support can we expect from Intershop?
I hear now that Bo Bendsten is going to be producing version 1.5 of
Terminate, his own version, during the next 7 days.
---
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Disclaimer - The views expressed here are my own (alone) etc..
Brian Mullaney
>Just goes to show - befor posting messages worldwide, check at home first.
>This was in the Fidonet Comms news area and is re-posted here for the
>information of all loyal Terminate users.
>With SPECIAL THANKS to Chris Kenward [now sysop of FONiX Info Systems in
>the UK], I have received the original three files of version 1.56 of
>Terminate via FTP this weekend.
To bad 1.56 has nothing to do with Bo Bendtson, and was released by
George Collins/ Radek Taus
>Don't hold your breath. It's awful.
>and the UNZIP all good and well. Terminate has always had an integrity
>CRC checker which runs on the files inside the ZIP as it installs. The
>second and third files fail it's own check.
Maybe because Collin's programmers arn't as good as he thinks
>At this stage it isn't worthwhile uploading the files to any BBS in this
>country. This program gets a huge BARF and it could very well be the
>shareware flop of BBSing history.
Why don't you grab 0150ter1.zip and 0150ter2.zip, the real version
supported by Bo
>Don't for one minute believe that I am supporting Bo Bendsten or taking
>his side. But this sort of thing, even if it is true, makes me wonder
>what sort of crowd the producers of CAIN are. CAIN has not been
>programmed, produced and released in an objective and gentlemanly
>manner. What kind of support can we expect from Intershop?
Probably none at all- after all, George Collins/Radek Taus, when
requested, can't seem to locate their 'signed' contract with Bo-
Just as Bo can't seem to locate the money he was allegedly paid by them
>I hear now that Bo Bendsten is going to be producing version 1.5 of
>Terminate, his own version, during the next 7 days.
Its been out since the 22nd, and it works great
(i'm using it now)
Brian
--
Brian Mullaney | NRA N-SSA | bmul...@pluto.njcc.com
M. Hannibal Toal
and used it for several weeks.
Though I did rather like Terminate, it seemed that the vt100 emulation
was kind of buggy, when I called my local unix system and tried to
use emacs, it was damn near impossible, it was so screwed up. It's kind
of a shame, since Terminate was about all a modem user could hope for in
a comm program :)
Any word on this from the "folks in the know?"
Brian Mullaney
>Though I did rather like Terminate, it seemed that the vt100 emulation
well, i can say that the vt100 emulation works fine now
it now has complete fax capability
the tmail system was expanded to include qwk replies
Brian
(happy Terminate 1.5 user)
Ken Turner
In article <hannibal....@las1.iastate.edu> hann...@iastate.edu (M. Hannibal Toal) writes:
> When the previous version of Terminate was released, I downloaded it
> and used it for several weeks.
Presumably this was the version that has been renamed as CAIN?
Lots of welcome screens befor you get down to the nitty gritty?
> Though I did rather like Terminate, it seemed that the vt100 emulation
> was kind of buggy, when I called my local unix system and tried to
> use emacs, it was damn near impossible, it was so screwed up. It's kind
> of a shame, since Terminate was about all a modem user could hope for in
> a comm program :)
>
> Any word on this from the "folks in the know?"
Bo's own latest version of Terminate (1.50) is available from wuarchive.wustl.edu
in the Simtel/msdos/terminate directory (I think)
Just d/led it - going to check it out over the weekend.
Cheers
Ken
Daryk Hall
> Why don't you grab 0150ter1.zip and 0150ter2.zip, the real version
> supported by Bo
Do you know where this is available in the USA? Either by FTP or on which
BBS? I just called The Backdoor BBS, a (former) reg site of Terminate, and
they don't have anything even related to Terminate anymore!!! The phone #
for Xenobia (the other reg site) is no good anymore, although I think the
sysop moved and has a new number...
Blain Nelson
I just grabbed it today from wuarchive.wustl.edu in the
pub/ms-dos_uploads/terminate directory.
Blain
Tom Almy
>Do you know where this is available in the USA? Either by FTP or on which
>BBS? I just called The Backdoor BBS, a (former) reg site of Terminate, and
>they don't have anything even related to Terminate anymore!!! The phone #
>for Xenobia (the other reg site) is no good anymore, although I think the
>sysop moved and has a new number...
I've seen another reply mentioning wuarchive.wustl.edu, which is where I
picked it up. The reg site is now:
mediacom - USA telephone numbers:
1-817-542-2401 Voice (9am-5pm CST, M-F; Sat. 10am-6pm CST)
1-817-542-2402 Voice (9am-5pm CST, M-F; Sat. 10am-6pm CST)
1-800-542-5430 Voice (Registration Orders Only)
1-817-542-2404 Fax (24 hrs/day, 7 days a week)
1-817-542-2405 BBS (USRobotics 28.8k VFC modem)
1-817-542-2406 BBS (USRobotics 28.8k VFC modem)
mediacom - USA's Fidonet Addresses are 1:395/640 or 1:395/641
--
Tom Almy
tom....@tek.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Cong Do
: hann...@iastate.edu (M. Hannibal Toal) writes:
: >Though I did rather like Terminate, it seemed that the vt100 emulation
: well, i can say that the vt100 emulation works fine now
: it now has complete fax capability
: the tmail system was expanded to include qwk replies
It is not fully VT-100 compatible. When I run Lynx (a text WWW browser
because I cannot afford to get a SLIP account), it has many weird symbols
and the highlighting is off. Yes, I do use the VT-102, ANSI/VT-100, and
whatever else there is. Lynx doesn't work right with any of the terminal
emulations. I also ran a Unix program called vttest that thoroughly
tests the VT-100 commands, and everything looked screwed up. I ran
Telemate and switched to VT-100 emulation and everything worked fine.
Telemate also has nice multithreading. You can load a view file, edit a
file, and download something concurrently. It may not have all of the
fancy features of Terminate, but it does let you do more than one thing
at once. While you're viewing a file or changing some parameters, the
text is still updated in the background.
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