The Sorceress of the Internet by K. Dale Sidebottom (Editor's preface: Increasingly, I find Gaelyne Gasson at the center of important events in our eight-bit community. She is fast becoming the central nerve network for much of the Commodore world, particularly here in North America. I wanted to find out more about her, to let you get to know her "up close and personal." For this, we must go to Australia! I think you are gong to enjoy the trip. - KDS) Editor: At first, you lived in the United States, and Rod Gasson lived in Australia. I understand that you met on Fidonet. What is Fidonet and how did that work out? The way Fidonet works on a BBS (Bulletin Board System) is that you phone the BBS with your computer and then go to the message area of your interest such as "CBM". You would then read the messages and if you had anything to contribute, reply to the message just as you do with a mailing list. Your message would be saved on the bulletin board computer. Later in the day (usually middle of the night), the bulletin board would connect to a "hub" BBS and they would exchange the day's messages in all the various conferences. Eventually (within a few days) the message you responded to would arrive on bulletin boards all around the world. Times have changed a little and now many Fidonet messages also travel via the Internet, so it's much quicker than it used to be. Now when Fidonet was in its hey day, it wouldn't be unusual for there to be hundreds of new messages every day in the CBM message area. Other message areas were equally busy. It could take an hour or more a day to read all the interesting messages about Commodore stuff from the world over. There's a format (called QWK) for BBS messages that allow people to download all their favorite message areas (plus any personal mail) in one big "packet" to read and respond to offline. The advantage to this is that your phone line wouldn't be tied up for hours on end and you could read and reply to the messages at your leisure. And, since the messages were already on your computer, you could save them or print them for later use as well. The problem for a very long time was that this luxury didn't exist at all for Commodore users. And you know how we hate being excluded from having something nice. We could download the packets, but there were few programs that could "unarchive" the packet into its regular files. Plus, there weren't any programs that allowed us to easily read the messages they contained. On my own, with a little experimentation I found that most of the text in the packets were just ASCII text with some added characters and such for the beginning of each new message. I used a combination of a little program that would convert some of the odd characters used in the format to carriage returns. Then I'd convert the packet to GeoWrite format with WrongIsWrite and read the messages. The downfall is that it didn't really allow me to read AND reply to them. It did let me do lots of neat things that I hope the WAVE will take advantage of in the future though, things like saving information to text-albums. In June 1992, Rod announced his first QWKRR128 program (a native C128 program) that allowed us to (at first) read the messages in these packets, and later he added the ability to reply to messages. This was a BIG challenge as the reply packet needed to be archived in a format the BBS could accept -- meaning that it had to be in a non-Commodore format. Today we take some archive formats such as Zip for granted, but this was no easy feat. Thanks to help from George Hug, Rod was able to add a feature to his program to create non-compressed zip archives of reply messages in a format the most BBS's will accept. This was a major hurdle. Until June 1992, I'd never heard of Rod. I just knew there had to be a way to make use of these QWK packets on the Commodore and had been using my own combinations of programs to achieve that end. I was just thrilled to bits that Rod had created his program, but I didn't have a C128 and his program doesn't work on the 64. This didn't stop me from sharing my ideas with him in the CBM echo about what I thought a good offline mail reader should have, and Rod listened to me and often either used my suggestions or he'd already implemented the same things as his thinking has often been similar to mine. (WOW, is it too early to see a budding romance?) I didn't get to see his program in action until October 1992 when I finally had a C128 of my own. It was love at first load. Once I could see the program I had still more suggestions and features that I thought would improve on an already pretty awesome program. The CBM echo was very busy for a long time with messages regarding QWKRR, and it wasn't just Rod and I, as many people helped to shape the program. Today we're seeing a similar situation with the WAVE development in the COPS mailing list. In January 1994, an article I wrote about QWKRR came out in BBS Magazine (I had a monthly Commodore column in this magazine at the time). I mailed Rod a copy of the magazine as well as a section of my CMD FD drive manual so he could have it for use with implementing some specific things in QWKRR that had to do with FD drive. As he'd sent me a picture of himself for the magazine article (which I had to beg and plead for), and since we'd been pen pals in the CBM echo for so long, I also sent him my photo that had been taken for the magazine. In a message in the CBM fidonet echo on 9 Feb 94, I typed to Rod about how nice his program was and how his attitude of liking things to be nice was something that really had shown throughout QWKRR128, and in a joking manner suggested that if it weren't for certain circumstances that I'd propose to him in an instant. His reply, on 13 February ONLY included my proposal and the shortest message he's ever written to date: "I accept." After that, we had some private messages on the now defunct 221B Baker Street BBS. We were both phoning there long distance, and that wasn't something we could afford to keep up for long. Eventually we began exchanging QWKRR mail packet messages with each other via direct modem calls to each other twice a week. Our public friendship continued and we had a very private relationship of friendship and more as well. In March 1994, I decided to go to Australia and meet Rod, but being practical and cautious we decided not to rush things, so I didn't actually leave until April 1995. We got on so well in person that the few weeks stay needed to be extended, so we had it officially extended and I stayed until April 1996, when according to law, I had to leave. This was really hard for both of us. Some of my thoughts and feelings on this are online at http://gaelyne.com/inoz.html, quoted below. ------------------------------------------------------------------- After spending a year with Rod (from April '95- April '96), I had to leave Australia so that I could begin the process of immigration. I think the day I left had to have been one of the hardest in my life. I don't think anything could have prepared me for the shock of leaving Rod and coming back to the US. It was a difficult time for me. Emotionally, I was kinda on a holding pattern. Physically, I was exhausted. I felt at such a loss not to have him next to me to share things with. We had (and still have) things for which to be grateful for...and one of them is that the Internet exists and we could communicate with each other daily, either through Email or chatting with each other online. Still, it can never replace being able to share moments, whispers, hugs and kisses. I enjoyed our silences as much as our discussions. About the only thing that really kept me going is setting up a new Internet account in the states so Rod and I could share mail and so I have both the Australian and CBM echoes to read and participate in. I kept busy (or at least out of trouble) by working on Web pages and The Internet For Commodore Users book (TIFCU). While back in the States, I applied for a permanent residency Visa to return to Australia. The visa I applied for was as Rod's "defacto" spouse. In Australia, you don't need to be actually married - if you are together for a long time, it's considered the same as if you were actually married. This really suits us as it's as if we've always been together. We had to supply proof of our relationship and since we had messages and letters from people all around the world to both of us, plus phone bills, this wasn't a hard task. In November 1996, I received a phone call from the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. asking me to arrange for delivery of my Visa, and I arrived in Australia for life on December 13, 1996. On January 24, 1999 I became an Australian citizen. My reasoning for doing so was two-fold. As a citizen it means they can never "send me back" (not that there'd ever be a reason to), and I'd be able to vote. As an American, it bugged me that I would have to pay taxes but wasn't allowed to have my say in elections. While waiting for the Visa to be approved in 1996, I took to using Rod's last name as my own. Once I arrived back in Australia, I legally changed my last name to Gasson, as at that point, we were certain we'd continue our lives together forever, but not with the piece of paper and ceremony, since it really wasn't a requirement. Get the Rice!!! We're planning to have our first (and only ever) BBQ in October between our birthdays, and plan to have a surprise wedding ceremony during the day. The date and time is set for October 15th (2000) at 4 p.m., and we plan to capture the event on the web with one or two webcams if we can manage it. Our webcams also take static JPEG type pictures so there'll be no problem with sharing the event with our Commodore friends. Editor: I would also like to know what "Videocam" actually is. Is it a website, an FTP site, an internet services business, or all the above? Actually it's all of the above and more. In 1991, Rod started "VideoCam Services", a one person small business repairing VCRs and camcorders. Our workshop today is the same as he started back then, with a few changes. During slow days and in the evenings, he would work on his QWKRR program. This is much like Maurice Randall's car garage where he works during the day and occasionally works on the WAVE. When I arrived back in Australia permanently, we changed VideoCam Services to a partnership. We no longer repair camcorders (a change made a couple years ago), but we've expanded our repairs to include CDs and DVDs. This has always been "Rod's side" of VideoCam Services, as he's very particular about many things relating to repairs and customers. This is good, because this is where he really shines. As a business, we also published The Internet for Commodore Users, and once this was published I worked towards developing the Internet side of our business. This includes web design and web hosting, as well all of our online Commodore support. The Internet side of our business has been a slow but steady development. A few years ago the repair side was the main income earner, but now both are nearly even. We have three websites that fall within the VideoCam Services name, the first one being for our main business (http://videocam.net.au), the second for our Web Development (http://vcsweb.com), and the third but largest is our Commodore Support site (http://cbm.videocam.net.au). Of course, with our Commodore Support site and the Internet book, we needed a place where people could download Commodore files and so that's where the FTP site (ftp.videocam.net.au) stems from. Originally, the first VideoCam Services website was started before the book was published and was hosted with our Internet provider at that time. Not long after the first edition of TIFCU came out, we decided to go online permanently, as this allows us to have the most control over our online services (including web pages belonging to other people). It's due to this change that we can have mailing lists such as TIFCU and COPS. Our Internet work includes setting up and keeping systems running on the server computer. Rod's very good in this area and a good portion of his time is now spent monitoring the various log files and such to maintain our server. My contribution is in designing and maintaining all of our web pages and developing sites for our clients. Editor: Please tell me exactly what it costs for you to help us when data moves through your website? I understand that in Australia, you do have to pay something for data transmission. How do these costs affect your situation? We did a break down for Email (this includes mailing lists), the Commodore Website, the FTP site and Newsgroups for a month. We excluded some of the mail for our personal mail. The amounts are as follows: Mailing Lists $30.00 CBM Web site data 60.00 FTP site data 20.00 Newsgroup data 5.00 Total Cost: $115.00 month This totals to about $1380 a year excluding the cost of hardware and modems. About half of this is recovered in Commodore Telnet memberships. Some is also recovered through book and CD sales, and of course the Commodore people who've chosen to have their web hosting with us have also contributed. This is the first that we've ever done a full accounting for our financial contributions of the Commodore support, and it's rather sobering. The expenses could also be looked upon as advertising, support, and goodwill. Still, I'm sure more than a few accountants would look at these figures and tell us we're insane. In regards to our Telnet memberships, we try to have as many Commodore related newsgroups and Fidonet echos online as we can. As well as having the Commodore mailing lists, we also have the comp.sys.cbm and comp.binaries.cbm newsgroups and naturally also have the CBM, CBM-128 and CBM-GEOS Fidonet echos available too. In addition to this, I moderate an echo in Fidonet named CLASSIC_COMPUTERS which is for discussion of any older model computer type. It came about because we didn't like emulator discussion in the CBM echos. The messages in the Fidonet areas are sent automatically once an hour to the Fidonet BBS system we belong to. It's now a remarkably smooth system in this regard. Unfortunately the Fidonet echos have become smaller because of the Internet but there are still quite a few of us Commodore supporters who participate in them. Rod's QWKRR128 program is still in use, and can also be used for reading Email and newsgroups offline. The requirement for this is that the Internet provider must have a set up for creating QWK mail packets. This is something that's also part of our Telnet memberships, as we do have the required program online and at least a couple of our Commodore members download their mail and newsgroups to read and reply offline using QWKRR128. As Rod's time is now spent on other things, we no longer require a shareware fee for his program. We made the registration program for it available from our FTP site, and also put the source code QWKRR was created with online as well, so that perhaps others interested can expand upon it. I think it's really excellent as it is. The built in editor is as complete a word processor as many commercial programs. Editor: Thanks again for being such a good sport.. Thank Rod, too! I know that you would not be doing this without his support!! That's for sure. I really wouldn't be the same without him. He's sure been the nicest thing ever to happen in my life. Cheers, Gaelyne (From June 2000 Lucky Report (Louisville KY), via the Commodore Information Center, http://home.att.net/~rmestel/commodore.html) (Return to the Commodore Article Index to view the wedding photos.)