Daniel B: trois petit chat, chapeau de paille, paillasson, somnambule, buletin, tintamare, marabout, bout d'cigare, garde fou, fou de rage, rage de dent, dentifrice...
moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to rich-c rich-c: salut, Daniel Daniel B: hi rich rich-c: yiou are on early again - are you at the University? Daniel B: no... at home rich-c: on the slow connection ;-) Daniel B: yes rich-c: me too, though I am getting a hunch it may change rich-c: Frances is agitating for us to get DSL Daniel B: You need an high-speed connection? rich-c: well, she thinks that we do Daniel B: you need it? or because the others have it? rich-c: she does not like having teh phone line blocked so much Daniel B: good point rich-c: which may be a bad conscience - these days she is online more than I am, I think rich-c: with DSL the phone is still available Daniel B: yes, but you risk more internet attacks. high speed connect without protection is a gold mine for hackers. rich-c: who said anything about without protection? Daniel B: and the cost? rich-c: my computer is guarded six ways from Sunday (an Anglo expression) rich-c: unlimited use for $35/mo but I have to buy the modem, NIC card, maybe router Daniel B: it sounds like a racket rich-c: since it has to be networked anyway, it means two can be online at once rich-c: yes, we have always had good pricing on dial-up because the CRTC made Bell and the other telcos wholesale line access cheap rich-c: but the CRTC has allowed the telcos to keep very high wholesale prices on DSL bandwidth Daniel B: about me... AtariAge will release Double Breakout during PC5. rich-c: what is PC5? Daniel B: PhillyClassic 5th edition. It's a gaming expo. rich-c: aha - pity George isn't on, he might be interested Daniel B: normally oriented on classic games.. now more oriented on new games. rich-c: when is it? Daniel B: it'S after mid-march rich-c: sort of in the March Break period, or university reading weeks Daniel B: http://www.phillyclassic.com/ rich-c: the release - will it be as a Colecovision game or as a port for the Atari 2600 or 7800? Daniel B: Double Breakout? it's onw of my Coleco projects rich-c: and you have not done a port to the Atari system? Daniel B: no, they decided to start releasing Coleco games last year with a DRUM simulator named CV-DRUM. Now, they purchased about 500 new plastic casings to build more ColecoVision games and ask homebrewers if they have done new Coleco games. rich-c: that sounds like you just might have a fairly useful potential market, Daniel rich-c: after all you have a number of potentially salable games as I recall Daniel B: yes, but it sounds a bit like "coleco fans doesn't have the potential to release their games". it's why the james' coleco web site project will be the first step to the real indepence. rich-c: I would not necessarily endorse that feeling, Daniel rich-c: I think that the classic games fans are a group with much in common rich-c: it is time that the rivalry and ill feeling between the systems was dropped Daniel B: Yes, but in the gaming history, Atari and Coleco were rivality... even between gamers. Last year, remarks on Gamepack by some guys doesn't denied this fact. rich-c: some people are slow to grow up, but you should not let that be your problem rich-c: these days classic computer users are few enough they need to stick together Daniel B: Anyway, it will be good for me to establish a stable "homepage" to sale my new creations. rich-c: yes, and I gather that is what you are doing with james Daniel B: It's the main objective. The second one is offering a service to make and sale cartridges from other coelco games creators. rich-c: with james in Japan and you here in Canada, that is going to be a challenge rich-c: the advantage is that james has enough French to work smoothly with you and enough English to keep the web page smooth rich-c: do you have a supply of new or used cartridges? Daniel B: Yes, very smoothly smooth =-P Daniel B: Right now, I have enough material to build 75 cartridges. Daniel B: AtariAge have material to build 500 rich-c: that I suspect should be more than enough to meet demand for quite a while rich-c: it will be fascinating to see what their sales will be like Daniel B: With the Atari games they already sale... I suppose their technic is professional. rich-c: well, let's say they offer games for sale - how many they actually sell may be another mateer Daniel B: with the number of Atari collectors who pay for new Atari games during gaming expo... Daniel B: the answer is probably 200 cartridges per game. rich-c: that's Atari game cartridges, I assume? Daniel B: yes, because the maximum of selling games for the new Coleco games is about 100-150 cartridges rich-c: that6's 150 at one show? and, one title or all total? Daniel B: total... in one show it's 100 Daniel B: 100 cartridges of my project Coleco Miss Space Fury were sale during CGE (Classic Gaming Expo) rich-c: still, even 100 in one show, even a big one, is a surprisingly large number rich-c: what sort of sales are they getting away from the show? rich-c: did Atari Age handle that, or was it gooddeallgames? Daniel B: both use "online store" to sell stuff Daniel B: but they are also present in gaming expos rich-c: which sells more games? Daniel B: AtariAge sell Atari games. GoodDealGames sell no Atari Games. The only commun point is they both want the Coleco market now rich-c: sorry, I should have asked which sells more Coleco games? Daniel B: right now, I can'T say... because AtariAge is just starting releasing Coleco games. After the PC5, AtariAge will be the one who sell more new Coleco titles. rich-c: is there any advantage in selling through one or the other in terms of the royalty you get? Daniel B: actually... no Daniel B: both gives me 5$ per game Daniel B: both accepted to give me two free copy of my game rich-c: well, if they are doing all the advertising, marketing and show attendance, and the manufacturing, that does not sound too bad rich-c: like, 100 cartridges at $5 per cartridge, you can stand - especially in US $ Daniel B: yeah, but I can't judge AtariAge now, it's too soon... So I can't really compare. Daniel B: GDG doesn't give me this money... I received "STUFF". rich-c: yes, there's a long history of funny bookkeeping in the business, where royalties are concerned Daniel B: it's why I give a chance to AtariAge now rich-c: think about a signed contract with audit rights - and maybe an advance against sales Daniel B: difficult to sign contract when everything is already not under my control. Daniel B: all the talking is done by e-mail Daniel B: and most of the time there is no "choice" Daniel B: only demands Daniel B: I mean ... request rich-c: that does not matter, an email agreement is a legal documewnt now, I believe rich-c: if they have made an agreement with you, I'd say it's enforceable rich-c: the only question is whether the US has similar legislation to Canada's and I think they do rich-c: (ah yes - les anglais keep mistaking "demander" for a synonym of "exiger")
moved to room Meeting Place Daniel B: yeah, but in the other side, I can't do anything because the laws said that I can't work in US without the green(?)card
changed username to Guy B. Guy B.: Greetings!!! rich-c: hello Guy, welcome aboard Daniel B: Hi Guy! Guy B.: Didn't have to work today. Daniel B: because I can't work in US, I can't sell in US... so I have no choice and let someone in US sell my games during expos. rich-c: so why should you need to work in the US? you can sell software to a US company from a base anywhere Guy B.: But, probably next Saturday. rich-c: but today, enjoying yoour day off, Guy? rich-c: Daniel has a US outfit wants to manufacture and sell his Colecovision games Guy B.: Been busy today. Finally washed my car today. So, did everyone else since we got really nice weather today. Daniel B: the weather? ... good... sunny rich-c: it has been fairly pleasant here too, but Pamela has the van yoday Guy B.: Sunny, and in the 50's here. Might hit 60 tomoroow. rich-c: you may remember her talking about helping Allyson to move Daniel B: here it's still cold but I can see water outside rich-c: we're about 7C - call it 45 Daniel B: I think here it's 32 degrees rich-c: the north side of our street has melted enough to expose fringes of grass, but not our side Daniel B: outside, it smells like spring Guy B.: Seems not everyone has gotten the warmer weather. You'll get it soon. rich-c: oh yes, they're talking high 40s for us next few days, some rain next week Daniel B: personnaly I don't like WARM... when it's getting too hot ... with humidity here... I can't support rich-c: it will help clear some of teh ice out of the driveway, I hope Guy B.: We are expecting that on Monday, then the 40's next week for us. What any snow we have left will be all melted. rich-c: hot and humid is not something Quebec City is too familiar with, even in hottest summer rich-c: won't say it doesn't happen, but it's rare Guy B.: He's too far north isn't he? Daniel B: it's why I like Quebec... I can support the weather. rich-c: yes, and by the time it gets there, the Ohio Valley smog has been much attenuated Daniel B: We can live without air conditioner. Guy B.: It's good that you can tolerate the weather there. Just when we get warmer. Some of us are getting sick at work. I got hit with a sinus infection. rich-c: yes, I have experienced very pleasant days in Quebec, but none that were uncomfortably hot rich-c: Pamela is complaining about a cold or something, too rich-c: but I have barely had a cold since I retired Guy B.: My co-worker Jean, has been out since Tuesday. Think she has the flu. Daniel B: Like I said before, I give a chance to AtariAge with my Double Breakout project. If it goes well, I will probably release another game. rich-c: it is late in the season for that - she is unlucky rich-c: by all means, Daniel rich-c: I would think it is far better for you to simply collect the royalties, if Atari Age will deal honestly rich-c: it costs a lot of money to make games and go to shows to sell them, and the sales might not support it Guy B.: I know. Seems some of us are now getting sick after a long hard winter and now that we are getting the warm weather. rich-c: I've heard the theory, Guy, that some cold germs can't stand the really icy weather but become active when it warms up Guy B.: If the video game industry didn't collapse in the 80's. Atari could have still survived. rich-c: there is a theor that if Jack Tramiel hadn't been running it, Atari would have survived Daniel B: yes, spring it's beautiful but many problems have to be stoped like NIL virus (a gift form US) and also nice big bugs from japan who looks like "ladybug" (another gift from US). Daniel B: bugs doesn't know frontiers. Guy B.: I think he really ran that company into the ground. I read an article back sometime ago that when the E.T. game came out. Atari made so many carts they thought the game would be a big hit since the movie was. Instead it was the biggest flop that Atari ever made. rich-c: yes, Guy, and then he jumped to Commodore and ruined that Guy B.: He was at Commodore before he came to Atari. rich-c: anyw2ay, Daniel, the West Nile virus is from Africa, though I do believe it first arrived in North Merica via the US Guy B.: And we really got hit with that back two years ago. rich-c: and were you talking about that Asian longhorn beetle we are having trouble with? rich-c: yes, Guy, I believe it came in through an east coast port and have been working its way west ever since Guy B.: We had that too in 2001. Chicago had to cut down almost 4 dozens trees when the beetle invaded there. Daniel B: it was a biological plan to eliminate a problem... and became a problem rich-c: we have a couple of areas almost a square mile each where they've had to cut down all the trees Guy B.: I think it was more trees than that now. Now we get an occisional report. But if one has been spotted. That tree is cut down and chipped immediately so, it won't spread any further. rich-c: with the Asian longhorn, they have to cut down every tree for 500 yards around Guy B.: And the beetle came aboard some pallets from China. rich-c: yes, it was in the pallet wood rich-c: they;re talking of having 40,000 trees cut and chipped here by spring rich-c: and then there's that emerald bark beetle or something down in Detroit and southwestern Ontario, too Guy B.: So, the past two summers. The state has been putting wanted ads in the paper for everyone to be on the lookout for the Asian Long Horned Beetle. Guy B.: I wouldn't be surprised how many trees there. It seems the silver maple is the beetle's favorite. rich-c: our government hasn't put out ads, but the newspapers and tvstations have been pushing the story so hard they don't need to Guy B.: Same here. Now we all know what it looks like and what it does. Everyone knows what to do if one has been spotted. rich-c: it's really heartbreaking - some beautifully treed neighbourhoods are now just belts of brown desolation Guy B.: But, the good news is that all those trees were replaced with new ones. But, it will be years before they grow high again. rich-c: yes, when fire blight got our rowan tree, we paid extra for a more mature sapling, but it was years before we had a respectable lawn tree again rich-c: and then we had to take a linden because teh fire blight is still around Guy B.: The drought was that bad? rich-c: now the cedar waxwings never visit our neighboiurhood any more, and hardly any robins Guy B.: The robins came back here this week. rich-c: no, fire blight is a fungus disease that attacks mainly rowan trees, though it can annoy apple and pear trees too Daniel B: Sorry... it looks like it's time to eat. I have to go. Take care! bye! rich-c: bye Daniel. see you Wednesday! Guy B.: Oh, I didn't know that. Can it spread to others? Daniel B: si dieu le veut Daniel B: see you next week! Daniel B: *poof* rich-c: eh bien, adieu! Guy B.: Bye Daniel, see you next week.
Daniel B left chat session rich-c: yes, birds pick up the fungus spores and carrey it from tree to tree Guy B.: My Netzero account was finally canceled last week. rich-c: usually on apple or pear trees it will just affect one limb, not the whole tree Guy B.: Oh gee. So, it can spread just by the birds picking it up and dropping it on a branch. rich-c: right, I remember your mentioning you wre dimping them Guy B.: It took them 3 weeks to do it. rich-c: I though they offered DSL too, don't they? Guy B.: No, they have something called Hi-Speed. It uses the regular phone line, it uses a different technology to speed up uploading the webpages. But, unlike DSL, it does not speedup downloading of files like music, etc. rich-c: right - that Hi-Speed is a software trick, it involves I think some page pre-fetching or something rich-c: whether it works at all depends on your surfing habits rich-c: we had an outfit offering it here about a month ago - I thought their flyer skated the edge of fraud Guy B.: Some compression technology that grabs the pages then uploads it a at higher speed. And only works with Internet Explorer. You know that last worm virus that was around? We got hit with that at work. rich-c: you did? but surely you have full firewalls and anti-virus by now? Guy B.: I was fine here at home. At work, the mail server was hit when someone opened up the attached file that came with it. rich-c: or does the company rely of a hardware firewall gateway and no protection within? rich-c: migod, don't thesee people EVER learn? that's ridiculous rich-c: don't they even have an anti-virus running on the network servers? Guy B.: We have a virus scanner installed on all of the computers and the servers. Most of the time, it does a good job of catching anything suspicious. But, I have no idea how often they update the dat files on the software. But, at noon, if there's a new update for Windows 2000 available. It automatically downloads it, installs and we have no choice but to reboot our systems. Guy B.: Rich, most of us know that. But the newcomers, well they have to be educated on that. rich-c: well keeping up with the Windows updates is of high importance, of course Guy B.: You did here that Microsoft will continue Windows 98 support through 2006. rich-c: but any good virus scanner usually has a heuristic element that lets it question even a virus that isn't in its database rich-c: oh yes, and needless to say that pleased my considerably Guy B.: Mine on my Ahtlon doesn't need any updates. But the free one Antivir. I update it every week on the other four systems. rich-c: me, I have my Anti-Vir set to remind me to update every 21 days - it seems sufficient rich-c: what do you have on the Athlon that doesn't require updates? Guy B.: I updated the Dell last night. Have to do the other three. It reminds me if I haven't done one for two weeks. rich-c: unfortunately with Anti-Vir it's a rather tedious process rich-c: they keep updating every part, not just the database rich-c: but then AVG is just the same, so what can you do? Guy B.: The update program is good, sometimes it takes awhile depends on what new version and files need to be updated. The last one, the whole thing got updated after it's been only the scan engine or the signature files. rich-c: mind you, Norton is just as bad or even worse rich-c: and for that matter so is McAfee Guy B.: Really? Now, I can see why it's overpriced. Guy B.: Then I'm glad I went for the free one. rich-c: well, I got the whole Norton System Works package for a very reasonable price rich-c: but I am not using GoBack and removed the anti-virus in favour of Anti-Vir Guy B.: I've noticed that Cleensweep is now part of the System Works. They use to sell that alone, but not anymore. rich-c: GoBack has some funny requirements that mean you can't use Partition Magic or a dual boot rich-c: I have Cleansweep and have used it but I am a long way from impressed Guy B.: Probably would mess it up. Good idea on not installing it. rich-c: yes, I fortunately have this habit of reading the help file before I install something, or at least use it Guy B.: The uninstallers that come with the programs are good, but you have to watch to see if everything is taken off. rich-c: well, some things are shared dlls and you don't want them taken off rich-c: but I suspect Norton may lean too far in the other direction, though I cant prove it Guy B.: Norton has become too overpriced with there software. Same goes for McAfee. And if you have an older version of the software. They might not even support it anymore unless you upgrade (more money). rich-c: yes, there were early editions that promised updates (not upgrades, just the database) forever and those still work Guy B.: I know that Liveupdate has been updated a little more and I have done that. rich-c: Norton omit to tell you that if you don't use automatic update (which expires) there's a manual back door rich-c: anyway, I got my copy out of a Dutch auction at eBay for under $20 Guy B.: Ah, at least you got a good price for it. rich-c: I may have got $20 worth of use out of it but not the regular retail price of around $100 or so rich-c: and Ghost simpoly wont work and Norton wont tell me why Guy B.: Boy, and what happens if your hard drive crashes? You won't even have a backup and you have to do everything over agian. rich-c: damn thing gives me an error message that isn't covered in the manual rich-c: oh, the software I got with the new DVD writer lets me make a drive image; I've already done so rich-c: there aer other freebie drive imaging programs out there too (like XXcopy) but they are hard to use Guy B.: Ok, so you're set. Just hope it will be able to restore that if a problem arises. rich-c: but as I guess you know, I have about 60 good safe freeware sites bookmarked rich-c: yes, there's a restore function with it Guy B.: XXcopy? I'm trying to find one, so I can make an image of the larger hard drive to the other hard drive. rich-c: I've been saved from one hard disc failure by my backup so I believe in being prepared rich-c: just do a search on Google, you'll find a download site very quickly Guy B.: Ok, I'll try it. rich-c: I'd offer to send you my bookmarks but you'd end up getting everything and that would be excessive Guy B.: no doubt about that. rich-c: you don't need 20 sites on Formula One racing, all the automotive chat boards, where to see a movie of a hip replacement live and in colour... rich-c: anyway, Frances has gone out for a bit, and Pamela is due back with my truck - have to shut down soon rich-c: you be with the gang on Wednesdqay? Guy B.: I better let you go then. I'll see you on Wednesday then. rich-c: OK, good having you on. Bye for now! Guy B.: Bye
Guy B. left chat session rich-c: *poof*
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moved to room Meeting Place
left chat session
moved to room Meeting Place
changed username to TOMOZ