uk.glb RIP

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
It seems such a shame, but I think this newsgroup has finally deceased.
There was a time when I'd log in every morning and have hundreds of
newe posts to read. Now there hasn't been any activity for four weeks.

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.
But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old largely
redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and such are the
kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.
While we're talking of the past, I was rummaging through some old photos
(real chemicals on paper photos) yesterday.

I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and had
to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years back.

Loading Image...

Cheers,

--
Neil Matthews in Impington, Cambridge, UK

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com

Lyn Davd Thomas

2014-06-29 09:57:19 UTC

On Sun, 29 Jun 2014 09:44:24 GMT

Post by Neil Matthews
I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and
had to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years
back.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~neilm/Pride89a.jpg
Cheers,

Mmmmmmm that brought back some memories...

The question is what do we do with the newsgroup if it has effectively
died... not much of anything comes here - even spam seems to have died
a death (compared to the levels we once faced).

Robert Marshall

2014-06-29 12:23:47 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.

I much appreciated that piece - as back in the 60s, I used to take a
bus to school passing by Cemetery Junction before a change to another
bus at Reading railway station. (Sonning->Reading->Theale)

Post by Neil Matthews
But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old
largely redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and
such are the kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.

True!

Robert

--
La grenouille songe..dans son chÃ¢teau d'eau
Links and things http://rmstar.blogspot.com/

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-06-29 19:10:39 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th
June. But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old
largely redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and
such are the kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.
While we're talking of the past, I was rummaging through some old
photos (real chemicals on paper photos) yesterday.
I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and had
to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years back.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~neilm/Pride89a.jpg
Cheers,

That is such a nice photo. I was so happy then. And looking at it (I've
just printed it off oto photo paper), I feel a real pang. What the hell
happened to me, how did I end up so empty and alone.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Lyn Davd Thomas

2014-06-29 19:39:39 UTC

On Sun, 29 Jun 2014 19:10:39 GMT

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
That is such a nice photo. I was so happy then. And looking at it
(I've just printed it off oto photo paper), I feel a real pang. What
the hell happened to me, how did I end up so empty and alone.

*hugs* Peter, you aren't totally alone.

paul

2014-06-30 17:33:44 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.

I liked that, it tells a very finely observed story. I wonder if the
sound those new hybrids make (or at least the one Pete drives) is an
improvement on those at Crick.

Post by Neil Matthews
But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old largely
redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and such are the
kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.

Alas, it looks that way; only binary traffic seems to be booming.

Post by Neil Matthews
While we're talking of the past, I was rummaging through some old photos
(real chemicals on paper photos) yesterday.
I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and had
to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years back.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~neilm/Pride89a.jpg

As I sit under a dull greying sky that's a welcome sight.

And, there's no-one to be seen in some half-thong Mankini.

--
paul (C) © 2014 is mine

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-06-30 17:51:15 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.

I liked that, it tells a very finely observed story. I wonder if the
sound those new hybrids make (or at least the one Pete drives) is an
improvement on those at Crick.

Thank you. The bus itself is very quiet, apart from the diesel
generator in the back. Our hybrids drive only on the electric motor,
the diesel engine just drives the generator which charges the
batteries. It will rev up if the batteries are draining due to the
motor drawing more current when either accelerating or climbing hills,
but it can also rev up if the bus has been standing for a few minutes
with the engine off.

Post by Neil Matthews
But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old largely
redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and such are the
kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.

Alas, it looks that way; only binary traffic seems to be booming.

As I sit under a dull greying sky that's a welcome sight.
And, there's no-one to be seen in some half-thong Mankini.

That is the sort of garment I would never wear, even 25 years ago when
that photo was taken.

The saddest thing is that he hasn't spoken to me for 18 years, his
doing, not mine. And the other sad thing is that even now, I think I
still love him.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Robert Marshall

2014-06-30 20:10:38 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.

I liked that, it tells a very finely observed story. I wonder if the
sound those new hybrids make (or at least the one Pete drives) is an
improvement on those at Crick.

This post from uk.rec.humour appears to fit here (curious syntax in the
rest of that sentence too)

http://www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk/bus/premier-routes.aspx

" the overwhelming majority of local people live within a few hundred
years of a bus stop "

maybe then usenet will be back in fashion...

Robert

--
La grenouille songe..dans son chÃ¢teau d'eau
Links and things http://rmstar.blogspot.com/

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-07-01 19:52:39 UTC

Post by Robert Marshall

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th June.

I liked that, it tells a very finely observed story. I wonder if the
sound those new hybrids make (or at least the one Pete drives) is an
improvement on those at Crick.

This post from uk.rec.humour appears to fit here (curious syntax in the
rest of that sentence too)
http://www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk/bus/premier-routes.aspx
" the overwhelming majority of local people live within a few hundred
years of a bus stop "
maybe then usenet will be back in fashion...
Robert

We have been operating buses in Reading for quite a long time.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Steven Rossi

2014-08-30 07:33:43 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th
June. But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old
largely redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and
such are the kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.
While we're talking of the past, I was rummaging through some old
photos (real chemicals on paper photos) yesterday.
I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and had
to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years back.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~neilm/Pride89a.jpg
Cheers,

I regret about the state of abandon of Usenet. It's a technology I just
recently started getting interested in, and one of the things I
appreciate about it is the fact that it's not proprietary, unlike
Twitter, Facebook & co.

I'm sorry but I couldn't resist the temptation to take a look at that
picture. It's so awesome! I'm eighteen, and I've been to the last three
Prides. Apart from the clothing and the moustaches, they didn't look
much different from the one in the picture (they were maybe a bit more
flamboyant), but I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, as I wasn't even
born) it took guts to take part in a Pride in '89.

I'd love to hear some of your stories, about how was being gay in the
past decades or about anything else, and if you have other pictures you
feel like sharing I'd love to have a look at them!

Steven

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-02 14:48:55 UTC

Three weeks. There was your nice little piece, A Round Trip on 8th
June. But, yes, life moves on and new technologies render the old
largely redundant. These days Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat and
such are the kings and poor old Usenet gets barely a look-in.
While we're talking of the past, I was rummaging through some old
photos (real chemicals on paper photos) yesterday.
I came across this from Pride '89 (I think) and thought of you and had
to smile, just as you were doing in the sunshine there 25 years back.
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~neilm/Pride89a.jpg
Cheers,

I regret about the state of abandon of Usenet. It's a technology I just
recently started getting interested in, and one of the things I
appreciate about it is the fact that it's not proprietary, unlike
Twitter, Facebook & co.
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist the temptation to take a look at that
picture. It's so awesome! I'm eighteen, and I've been to the last three
Prides. Apart from the clothing and the moustaches, they didn't look
much different from the one in the picture (they were maybe a bit more
flamboyant), but I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, as I wasn't even
born) it took guts to take part in a Pride in '89.
I'd love to hear some of your stories, about how was being gay in the
past decades or about anything else, and if you have other pictures you
feel like sharing I'd love to have a look at them!
Steven

Well, I'm the one on the left of that photograph. I'd been out all of
two years when that was taken. The gut standing next to me was my then
boyfriend. I'm actually four years older than him and I was 34 when
that was taken. I still have that waistcoat, but the cap went the
following year, replaced by a similar one (which I still have). The
thing in my hand is a small Kodak 35mm camera. That's in the loft
somewhere, though I haven't used it for quite some time, I use my
digital cameras mainly.

I've never considered myself as brave, but I guess I must have quite a
reslitiant nature. I've survived being blackmailed, raped, queerbashed
three times, spat at in the street, shunned etc. Some things I'd kept
secret until very recently.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Steven Rossi

2014-09-03 23:01:18 UTC

Post by Steven Rossi
I regret about the state of abandon of Usenet. It's a technology I just
recently started getting interested in, and one of the things I
appreciate about it is the fact that it's not proprietary, unlike
Twitter, Facebook & co.
I'm sorry but I couldn't resist the temptation to take a look at that
picture. It's so awesome! I'm eighteen, and I've been to the last three
Prides. Apart from the clothing and the moustaches, they didn't look
much different from the one in the picture (they were maybe a bit more
flamboyant), but I believe (correct me if I'm wrong, as I wasn't even
born) it took guts to take part in a Pride in '89.
I'd love to hear some of your stories, about how was being gay in the
past decades or about anything else, and if you have other pictures you
feel like sharing I'd love to have a look at them!
Steven

You both look so adorable and happy!
I must admit I didn't recognize the camera, even though I love film
cameras. My main camera is a 35mm Zenit (from about 1985, I think) I
bought from eBay. I inherited an old SCSI film scanner from my parents,
but it's very slow and doesn't do colours too well (and also the SCSI
interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern computers), so at the
moment I'm trying to decide if I should get a new flatbed scanner or
just go for a digital camera...

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
I've never considered myself as brave, but I guess I must have quite a
reslitiant nature. I've survived being blackmailed, raped, queerbashed
three times, spat at in the street, shunned etc. Some things I'd kept
secret until very recently.

I'm deeply sorry you had to go through all that. I feel like I (and my
generation) owe you a very big debt of gratitude, as if now people can
be out at 15 with little fear and without getting queerbashed, it's
because of what you guys have started in the '70s-'80s. So, I know it's
a cold comfort and probably won't make you feel any better, but thanks
for being that resilient, you've actually made the world a better place.

Steven

Niles

2014-09-04 09:06:39 UTC

Post by Steven Rossi
and also the SCSI
interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.

n

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-04 21:24:47 UTC

Post by Steven Rossi
and also the SCSI
interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.
n

Nothing was in those days. I spent from 1979 to 2003 working as an
Analyst/Programmer and the four years before that reading Computer
Science at The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton (it was going through its
pretentious phase).

Now, of course, I use Apple stuff (iPhone 5S, iPad Mini, iMac,
MacBook). It all just works.

Yes, I'm yet another of those irriating smug Apple people. It's like
the Borg. Resistance is futile.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Steven Rossi

2014-09-05 12:37:44 UTC

and also the SCSI interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern
computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.
n

Yeah, I can imagine that...

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
Nothing was in those days. I spent from 1979 to 2003 working as an
Analyst/Programmer and the four years before that reading Computer
Science at The Polytechnic, Wolverhampton (it was going through its
pretentious phase).

Wow, that's cool! How was programming in the '70s-'80s? What programming
languages did you use?

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
Now, of course, I use Apple stuff (iPhone 5S, iPad Mini, iMac, MacBook).
It all just works.
Yes, I'm yet another of those irriating smug Apple people. It's like the
Borg. Resistance is futile.

Yeah, I'm some kind of Apple guy myself (I try to avoid being irritating,
though :D). I prefer Macs to iPhones and iPads, as they're a bit more
free; I really can't stand the closed nature of their mobile platform.
I also have an old Power Macintosh lying around, my SCSI experience with
that computer is as close to plug-and-play as it could be. It's a pity
that it has a 300 MHz processor, 128MB of RAM and a 10 Mbit Ethernet
card...

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-05 17:18:49 UTC

and also the SCSI interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern
computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.
n

Yeah, I can imagine that...

Wow, that's cool! How was programming in the '70s-'80s? What programming
languages did you use?

I started with Basic Plus under RSTS/E on DEC PDP11 computers, then
VAX/VMS and VAX Basic.
I'd also used PL/1 and DL/1 on an IBM Mainframe.
In latter years, it was PowerBuilder and Oracle 7.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Steven Rossi

2014-09-06 07:50:10 UTC

and also the SCSI interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern
computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.
n

Yeah, I can imagine that...

Wow, that's cool! How was programming in the '70s-'80s? What programming
languages did you use?

I started with Basic Plus under RSTS/E on DEC PDP11 computers, then
VAX/VMS and VAX Basic.
I'd also used PL/1 and DL/1 on an IBM Mainframe.
In latter years, it was PowerBuilder and Oracle 7.

I see. I know none of them, forgive my ignorance. Did you have fun,
programming those machines? :)

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-06 16:48:03 UTC

and also the SCSI interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern
computers

It wasn't exactly plain sailing old computers either.
n

Yeah, I can imagine that...

Wow, that's cool! How was programming in the '70s-'80s? What programming
languages did you use?

I started with Basic Plus under RSTS/E on DEC PDP11 computers, then
VAX/VMS and VAX Basic.
I'd also used PL/1 and DL/1 on an IBM Mainframe.
In latter years, it was PowerBuilder and Oracle 7.

I see. I know none of them, forgive my ignorance. Did you have fun,
programming those machines? :)

I did. I was young and had few cares. I had my bike, good disposable
income. They were good times, I just wish I'd appreciated it more at
the time.

Things change so quickly in computing. In those days, the memory was
much smaller and one had to develop techniques to optimise the code.
Programs had to be small and very efficient. Memory was measured in
kilobytes rather than megabytes. You have to remember that those
computers would compare fairly badly to a typical tablet (such as my
iPad Mini) even though they were the state of the art at that time.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Claudio Calvelli

2014-09-06 20:24:09 UTC

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
I started with Basic Plus under RSTS/E on DEC PDP11 computers, then
VAX/VMS and VAX Basic.
I'd also used PL/1 and DL/1 on an IBM Mainframe.
In latter years, it was PowerBuilder and Oracle 7.

Oh is that what one talks about here these days? Well, I have the
distinction of having had naked pictures of my own PDP-11 (i.e. with the
circuit board visible) published on ScotsGay, so I suppose it's
perfectly all right.

Me, I was being subjected to FORTRAN on a HP-2100A in 1976; I still
remember having to enter the bootloader code via the front panel so the
thing could load its operating system (I don't think the one I used
actually had any form of ROM). Not sure I've yet recovered from that
but it was fun at the time.

C (hmmm, new email address since I've posted ahem years ago, sorry if
this causes more work to the moderators).

Niles

2014-09-07 12:05:48 UTC

Post by Claudio Calvelli
Me, I was being subjected to FORTRAN on a HP-2100A in 1976;

I think some of the big credit card systems are still running that.

n

Claudio Calvelli

2014-09-07 14:24:10 UTC

Post by Claudio Calvelli
Me, I was being subjected to FORTRAN on a HP-2100A in 1976;

I think some of the big credit card systems are still running that.

No, credit card systems would definitely be COBOL not FORTRAN.
And if you have access to the definition of the protocols used to
clear payments and credit card transaction, well, my first impression
on reading them a few years ago was "This looks like something right
out of a COBOL (-74) program". One could almost see the credit card
number being defined as "PIC 9(16)". Doubt things have changed much
as that would requre updating the firmware on millions of credit
card machines.

Anyway, I just have the urge to mention INTERCAL as another example of
programming language from the 70s :-)

C

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-07 17:30:47 UTC

Post by Claudio Calvelli
Me, I was being subjected to FORTRAN on a HP-2100A in 1976;

I think some of the big credit card systems are still running that.
n

I liked FORTRAN, though I preferred ALGOL.

ALGOL 60 mainly. ALGOL 68 was a little weird.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-04 21:18:56 UTC

Well, I'm the one on the left of that photograph. I'd been out all of
two years when that was taken. The guy standing next to me was my then
boyfriend. I'm actually four years older than him and I was 34 when
that was taken. I still have that waistcoat, but the cap went the
following year, replaced by a similar one (which I still have). The
thing in my hand is a small Kodak 35mm camera. That's in the loft
somewhere, though I haven't used it for quite some time, I use my
digital cameras mainly.

You both look so adorable and happy!
I must admit I didn't recognize the camera, even though I love film
cameras. My main camera is a 35mm Zenit (from about 1985, I think) I
bought from eBay. I inherited an old SCSI film scanner from my parents,
but it's very slow and doesn't do colours too well (and also the SCSI
interface is quite a hassle to work with on modern computers), so at
the moment I'm trying to decide if I should get a new flatbed scanner
or just go for a digital camera...

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
I've never considered myself as brave, but I guess I must have quite a
resilient nature. I've survived being blackmailed, raped, queerbashed
three times, spat at in the street, shunned etc. Some things I'd kept
secret until very recently.

However, I've ended up sad and lonely. Never thought that was going to
happen to me.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

Steven Rossi

2014-09-05 12:37:54 UTC

Post by Steven Rossi
I'm deeply sorry you had to go through all that. I feel like I (and my
generation) owe you a very big debt of gratitude, as if now people can
be out at 15 with little fear and without getting queerbashed, it's
because of what you guys have started in the '70s-'80s. So, I know it's
a cold comfort and probably won't make you feel any better, but thanks
for being that resilient, you've actually made the world a better place.
Steven

However, I've ended up sad and lonely. Never thought that was going to
happen to me.

I'm sorry about that too. There's an old Italian proverb, it says
something like "hope is the last to die"; don't you think so? :)

Peter Martin Baggett

2014-09-05 17:22:53 UTC

However, I've ended up sad and lonely. Never thought that was going to
happen to me.

I'm sorry about that too. There's an old Italian proverb, it says
something like "hope is the last to die"; don't you think so? :)

I hope they're right. In four months time I'll be 60. At 32, when I
came out I'd had the silly idea that I'd be happily settled down with
someone. Of course, then, we never imagined that we'd have marriage
equality. All that suddenly came out of the blue.

--
Pete Baggett BSc (Hons)
WWW.WULFRUNIAN.NET
***@BTInternet.com

m***@gmail.com

2014-09-24 19:00:19 UTC

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
It seems such a shame, but I think this newsgroup has finally deceased.

People don't use usenet anymore. And posting in the google groups just doesn't work. So, after the success of soc.motss on Facebook I have set up uk.gay-lesbian-bi on Facebook. Come join us!

Mike (mik/mikkie/etc)

Lyn David Thomas

2014-09-25 07:53:12 UTC

On Wed, 24 Sep 2014 19:00:19 GMT

Post by m***@gmail.com

Post by Peter Martin Baggett
It seems such a shame, but I think this newsgroup has finally deceased.

People don't use usenet anymore. And posting in the google groups
just doesn't work. So, after the success of soc.motss on Facebook I
have set up uk.gay-lesbian-bi on Facebook. Come join us!
Mike (mik/mikkie/etc)

Good to see you Mik, only issue is I don't use facebook!

Lyn David Thomas

2014-09-26 07:43:05 UTC