HUMAN SERVICES FIDO NETWORK Social service workers create a decentralized computer network using Fidonet software The Computer Users in Social Service (CUSS) network has announced the beginning of a network of electronic bulletin boards for communication and information sharing among social service workers. The network is decentralized. It is made up of local and regional bulletin systems that all use the same bulletin board software, FidoNet, which allows them to dispatch messages from one system to another. FidoNet started out as a software program designed to set up an electronic bulletin board system that other computer operators could call up and use. In about two years-now with over 1000 FidoNet nodes- it has become one of the most unique, and very decentralized, communication systems in the country. One of the distinctive qualities of Fidonet that has inspired such rapid network building is its ability to have messages automatically switched from one node to another, thus providing an inexpensive way to relay messages from one region of the country to another, or one specific network to another. Several of the existing CUSS Fidonet nodes operate specialized bulletin board systems. A node in Kentucky focuses attention on use of computers by the disabled; in Seattle the host computer focuses on federal human service programs. For More Information: Dick Schoech, CUSS Network Coordinator, University of Texas, PO Box 19129, Arlington, JX 76019-0129 THE HUMAN CARE NETWORK United Way of America's Human Care Network provides electronic mail and database services The Human Care Network is a nation-wide telecommunications network that has been designed to help human-service organizations share information among themselves. It is a joint venture of United Way of America and Mutual of America. The system provides electronic mail, database access, information and data manipulation, online storage of information, computer-based training, a calendar and schedule system, and project management software. The database information includes information on United Way's campaign allocations and Dow Jones financial information. Users can access software on the mainframe computer host for statistical analysis, graph production, and database management. There is a $250 one-time fee for software, manuals, and user ID. Additional IDs cost $50 each. The price of using the system varies from $10/hour to $37/hour depending on the service. Electronic mail is free to Fair-Share United Way organizations. For More Information: Human Care Network, United Way of America, 701 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2045, 703-683-7828 or 703-836-7100 MUSICIANS COMPUTERIZED BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS Herbie Hancock, Joe Walsh, Jeff Lorber and many other musicians are using bulletin board systems to exchange digital music Computer music buffs in Dallas this last summer organized the American MIDI Users Group and created a new bulletin board system (BBS) to support it. The bulletin board system is open 24 hours. Access to the message downloading areas is free. Members who pay a $20 per year membership fee get the AMUG newsletter and access to some specialized data on the bulletin board system. It is stocked with song files, synthesizer patches and MIDI equipment news-MIDI, the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, nearly the standard language for computer-controlled instruments. The song files are written with such programs as the Jim Miller Personal Composer, Southworth Total Music or Texture. The AMUG bulletin board can be called (with a modem) at 214-276-8902. There are other computer music bulletin boards, including: Roland Digital BBS, operated by Roland Corporation, makers of keyboards and sequencers, 213-438-6783. Music Net in Beekman, New York is a consumeroriented service, stocked with music product Fall/Winter 1986 RAIN Page 35
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