<HTML><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10>Subj:	<B> Traveller-digest V1999 #1447</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10></B><BR>
Date:	12/5/99 11:38:59 PM Pacific Standard Time<BR>
From:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
Sender:	owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Reply-to:	traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
To:	traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><BR>
</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><BR>
Traveller-digest      Monday, December 6 1999      Volume 1999 : Number 1447<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.<BR>
All rights reserved.<BR>
<BR>
The following topics are covered in this digest:<BR>
<BR>
Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
RE: Just to see what happens..<BR>
Re: 3D star maps<BR>
Re: Why Visit Other Worlds?<BR>
Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
Re: 3D star maps<BR>
Re: 3D star maps<BR>
Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
Re: Australia reclassified to type 3 Government...<BR>
Re: Sci fi films<BR>
Re:  K.I.S.S! (was Professional Stereotyping)<BR>
Re : Professional Stereotyping<BR>
Re: OT: Must buy game (No go on Nova)<BR>
<BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 21:58:38 -0600<BR>
From: "Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
<BR>
On 12/05/99 at 06:37 PM,  shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson) said:<BR>
<BR>
>> Like Captain O'Brien and the recent drill he called?  We had a naked<BR>
>> PC running around the corridors and eventually getting stuffed into<BR>
>> a Vacc Suit.  Say, isn't there a "Protection from harm while naked"<BR>
>> advantage in GURPS.  Maybe I should charge Cory some points, huh,<BR>
>> what do you think?  <g><BR>
<BR>
>Consider that the more likely option is just stuffing him into a<BR>
>"rescue ball" and leaving him there. Rescue balls have large<BR>
>transparent areas so that rescuers can tell if there's anybody<BR>
>inside, and if they need help. <BR>
<BR>
>By Traveller TLs they'll likely be made of plastics that won't pass<BR>
>UV and the like, letting you make them almost *totally* transparent.<BR>
<BR>
>So until the end of the drill, you'll have "naked guy under glass" on<BR>
>display. :-)<BR>
<BR>
You'll be pleased to know that one of the crew who didn't have his<BR>
suit with him..this was a drill on the tarmac..did precisely that.<BR>
He jumpped into a rescue ball and rolled it down the corridor toward<BR>
the airlock.  That blocked our "naked guy" from escaping back down<BR>
the corridor allowing him to be "saved" by being stuffed into a<BR>
suit.  Bruce, you want to tell 'em *why* you called the drill?  <g><BR>
<BR>
Eris<BR>
- -- <BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"Eris Reddoch" <eris@pcola.gulf.net>    using MR/2 ICE #245<BR>
- -----------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 20:07:53 -0800<BR>
From: Jesse DeGraff <jdegraff@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: RE: Just to see what happens..<BR>
<BR>
:D<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -----Original Message-----<BR>
From: owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
[mailto:owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com]On Behalf Of Douglas E.<BR>
Berry<BR>
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 6:12 AM<BR>
To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: RE: Just to see what happens..<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
At 10:04 AM 12/5/1999 -0800, you wrote:<BR>
>Well, if you READ the news section ;)<BR>
<BR>
Yesh.  Become a brilliant artist and they get all testy on ya...<BR>
- -- <BR>
<BR>
Douglas E. Berry       gridlore@mindspring.com<BR>
http://gridlore.home.mindspring.com/index.html<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 19:23:17 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> Via electronic medium on 12/5/99 4:31 AM, mark.s.peace@dunelm.org.uk wrote:<BR>
><BR>
>> This is no. of destinations within 1 parsec but more than 0.1 parsecs. <BR>
> (This<BR>
>> last restriction will hopefully stop binary companions showing as Jump-1<BR>
>> destinations.)<BR>
><BR>
> Good thinking, but what about destination binaries? If you are at star A,<BR>
> and stars B and C are within .1 parsecs of each other, won't your system<BR>
> consider both to be valid destinations? And they could be a binary (or<BR>
> trinary, given a star D.) Only way I see around it is to go through and<BR>
> cluster all stars within .1 parsec and treat them as singular destinations.<BR>
> Sounds like a heck of a lot of work.<BR>
><BR>
> On the other hand, First In seems to imply that companion stars can have<BR>
> their own planetary systems. Depending on the orbital position of the main<BR>
> worlds around either star, a single jump exit point may be equally<BR>
> attractive to visit either world. but on other occassions you will need a<BR>
> separate exit point for each world.<BR>
<BR>
"Near" binaries have the stars within a few AU of each other, for<BR>
example, as I recall from an old Asimov science essay, if the Sol<BR>
system was a binary similar to Alpha Centauri A&B, the second star<BR>
would be in the orbit of Uranus(?). It'd be *very* bright in the night<BR>
sky, but wouldn't appreciably affect the seasons. <BR>
<BR>
You *could* chose to come out of jump halfway between the stars, but<BR>
more likely you'd come out near the *planet* you intended to visit. <BR>
<BR>
The *third* star in the Alpha Centauri system is Alpha Cenauri C,<BR>
better known as "Proxima Centauri" because it's so close to our system.<BR>
It's about half a light year (1/6 to 1/7 of a parsec) from the A/B<BR>
pair. Say around 30-35 *thousand* AU. <BR>
<BR>
Far companions are legitimate destinations as far as *I* am concerned.<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 19:35:00 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Why Visit Other Worlds?<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
>>Kenji Schwarz<BR>
>>Rejected Apprenticeship Applicant, Famille Spofulam <BR>
> ...<BR>
>>> Precisely. Now quit your whining and design a weapon of mass destruction.<BR>
>><BR>
>>I'm working on a wood-burning XBoat and a big-game gauss hunting rifle<BR>
>>that fires small magnetized frogs.  Will these do?<BR>
><BR>
>   Sure. But a _real_ Spofulam would have realized the advantages of using<BR>
> highly geneered tad-poles for seeking rounds with enhanced aerodynamic<BR>
> characteristics. Hmm, I wonder if they could be encouraged to develop<BR>
> pyrokinetic talents to improve effects on soft-skin vehicles...?<BR>
<BR>
Much simpler to geneer beetles. Specifically, go for a version of the<BR>
bombardier beetle that has a *much* harder/denser shell, and that<BR>
produces nitric acid and hydrazine in seperate storage sacs (hey, the<BR>
*real* ones produce something like 60-80% *hydrogen peroxide* in sacs,<BR>
given that, the other isn't really all that much harder). <BR>
<BR>
On impact the beetle will rupture the sacs, resulting in a nice<BR>
fireball effect. And yyoui can also airdrop the critters or just leave<BR>
themn laying around. When sufficiently annoyed, they'll squirt the sac<BR>
contents which upon reacting should have an effect similar to a *small*<BR>
grenade or incendiary. <BR>
<BR>
Stomping on one while wearing combat boots could cost you your foot.<BR>
but the odds are good that the *beetle* will survive. :-)<BR>
<BR>
And the reaction from the blast should send the beetle flying at bullet<BR>
velocities. Thus the reinforced shell. If it hits a tree, it'll take a<BR>
while to dig itself out. If it hits a soft tisuue body (fruit, animal,<BR>
whatever) it can just eat it's way out. <BR>
<BR>
I expect it'll take them several days to recharge. Nice little "area<BR>
interdiction" critter.<BR>
<BR>
For extra points make them fond of "organic wastes", but not very happy<BR>
about having fresh deposits dumped on them. Exploding slit trenches<BR>
anyone? <BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 19:44:41 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> I'm in need of technical advice. I'm attempting to break down and<BR>
> defining both current and future communications technologies,<BR>
> including those that may be purely science fiction which might work<BR>
> well within the Traveller setting.  The Communications skill within<BR>
> Traveller is, at least for me, too broad, too encompassing.  If one<BR>
> were to break down the communications technology discipline into<BR>
> separate technical areas of expertise or subspecialities what would<BR>
> be.<BR>
<BR>
> Looking through literature that I have available these technologies<BR>
> and terminologies keep showing up (I know basically what they are but<BR>
> I am unsure as to exactly where they fit):<BR>
<BR>
> POTS<BR>
<BR>
Plain Old Telephone Service. Either analog with a 300-3000 HZ<BR>
bandwidth, or digital, with a 64kbps channel carrying ??-4000 Hz audio<BR>
digitized at a sampling rate I'd have to look up. <BR>
<BR>
> Satellite <BR>
<BR>
Can refer to orbiting communications relays *or* it can refer to<BR>
equipment packages well seperated from the phone exchange (Central<BR>
Office) that carry out many of the functions of the switching gear. <BR>
<BR>
As an example, a lot of small towns are non serviced by "satellite"<BR>
mini-switches. These handle the switching for calls inside the town<BR>
without needing to relay anything back to the central switch, but calls<BR>
leaving town go to the central switch and are passed on (possibly to<BR>
another "satellite" switch in the next town over). This prevents having<BR>
to dedicate an entire 10,000 numbers to a town that is unlikely to ever<BR>
have *1000* numbers in use, and avoids having to run cables for *every*<BR>
line (or a high speed trunk line) between the twon and the switch.<BR>
Instead, the trunk only needs to be able to handle the maximum number<BR>
of calls entering/leaving the town at once. <BR>
<BR>
Think of it as a sort of glofified PBX.<BR>
<BR>
> Laser/Maser, Infrared, Microwave Radio, Copper Cable, Wireless<BR>
> (Cellular), Lightwave (Fiber Optics, SONET, FDDI), VHF/UHF, ELF, AM/FM,<BR>
> TV/Video (CCTV/NTSC/PAL), ISDN, ADSL, T1, Global Networks (TCP/IP,<BR>
> SNA, X.25, Frame Relay, ATM), Enterprise Networks.<BR>
<BR>
Here you have a bunch of communication "technologies" (delivery<BR>
systems, aka "hardware") mixed in with a bunch of communications<BR>
*protocols* (aka software/firmware). <BR>
<BR>
Laser, maser, IR, Microwave, copper cable, fiber optics are all ways of<BR>
moving a signal from point A to point B. "Point to Point Link technologies"<BR>
<BR>
Cellular is a multi-point technology. <BR>
<BR>
ELF/HF/VHF/UHF are all "band designators" for radio transmission.<BR>
<BR>
AM/FM/PM are modulation types, though to most folks AM refers to<BR>
"commercial broadcast radio" (In the US, in the 560 to 1600 kHz range),<BR>
and FM refers to "commercial broadcast radio" (in the US in the 88 to<BR>
108 MHz range).<BR>
<BR>
TV is usually a broadcast commercial service in the VHF/UHF bands,<BR>
using 5 MHz bandwidth channels to carry visual and audio info. NTSC/PAL<BR>
and SECAM are the (currently) most popular "protocols" for encoding the<BR>
visual signals in TV. CCTV is "closed circuit TV"<BR>
<BR>
I could go on, but the basic point is that you need to seperate the<BR>
*media* (what is "physically" carrying the signal), the protocol (how<BR>
the signal is "encoded" onto the media, and the *content* (what sort of<BR>
signal is being sent). <BR>
<BR>
Content is fairly simple. "text", sound, image. Morse code and teletype<BR>
are both simple "text". Fax is the simplest "image", and telephone is<BR>
about as simple as you can make "sound".<BR>
<BR>
Media are fairly simple too. <BR>
1. wire/cable<BR>
   a. copper wire<BR>
   b. optical fiber<BR>
2. EM signal<BR>
   a. Radio (ELF thru microwave)<BR>
   b. Light<BR>
   c. Gamma/X-ray?<BR>
3. other <BR>
   a. sound pulses thru water<BR>
   b. meson beam pulses<BR>
   c. modulating gravity?<BR>
   d. ????<BR>
<BR>
Protocols are just ways of getting content encoded appropriately for<BR>
media. And they can actually be pretty much *ignored* from the point of<BR>
view of both players and refs. The only time they might affect play is<BR>
if you had a situation where the ref *chose* to have the players run<BR>
into incompatible equipment. In which case either there had better be a<BR>
place where they can buy a protocol converter (like the ones you can by<BR>
so you can use a PAL VCR to display a PAL tape on an NTSC TV) or they'd<BR>
better be willing to wait a *long* time while their electronics whiz<BR>
tries to get the specs on both protocols and *build* a converter. Which<BR>
should take weeks to months. <BR>
<BR>
> Possible future and fictional technologies:<BR>
> Meson, Tachyeon, Subspace, Proton, Warp, etc. Am I missing something.<BR>
<BR>
These are all "media" (ie "what is being used as a medium of<BR>
communication"). <BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 19:18:59 PST<BR>
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)<BR>
Subject: Re: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
In mail you write:<BR>
<BR>
> This is my equivalent analysis based on the Gliese data with 25 parsecs of<BR>
> the Sun.<BR>
><BR>
> This is no. of destinations within 1 parsec but more than 0.1 parsecs. (This<BR>
> last restriction will hopefully stop binary companions showing as Jump-1<BR>
> destinations.)<BR>
<BR>
.1 parsec is ~20,000 AU. Making it a distance properly covered by jump.<BR>
Far companions (such as Proxima Centauri) deserve their own entry. :-)<BR>
<BR>
I'd be tempted to take it all the way down to .001. That's 200 AU<BR>
(well, 203, but why quibble).<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred<BR>
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 05:32:05 +0100 (MET)<BR>
From: Tommy Grav <tommy.grav@astro.uio.no><BR>
Subject: Re: 3D star maps<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 5 Dec 1999, Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
<BR>
>The *third* star in the Alpha Centauri system is Alpha Cenauri C,<BR>
>better known as "Proxima Centauri" because it's so close to our system.<BR>
>It's about half a light year (1/6 to 1/7 of a parsec) from the A/B<BR>
>pair. Say around 30-35 *thousand* AU. <BR>
<BR>
Proxima Centauri is most likely not a companion to Alpha Centauri A&B<BR>
but a star travelling through the area and are this time close to <BR>
the binarie star. It is phenomena like this that is thought to be<BR>
the force behind ejection of material from the Oort cloud, the <BR>
source of the long period comets.<BR>
<BR>
>Far companions are legitimate destinations as far as *I* am concerned.<BR>
<BR>
Why shouldn't they be :-) <BR>
<BR>
>Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)<BR>
<BR>
Tommy Grav<BR>
- -------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
tommy.grav@astro.uio.no     http://www.uio.no/~tommygr/  <BR>
Institute of Astrophysics, UiO, No  <BR>
IMTU tn++t4+tg+ ru+ge++ !3i jt+au+st+ls hi++dr-so++zh-sy-sw++ <BR>
 <BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 23:32:08 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
> >>ObTrav> Hmm, I don't know, maybe pressure drills on starships. What<BR>
> >>kind of funny things could happen during _those_?? <weg><BR>
> ><BR>
> > Like Captain O'Brien and the recent drill he called?  We had a naked<BR>
> > PC running around the corridors and eventually getting stuffed into<BR>
> > a Vacc Suit.  Say, isn't there a "Protection from harm while naked"<BR>
> > advantage in GURPS.  Maybe I should charge Cory some points, huh,<BR>
> > what do you think?  <g><BR>
> <BR>
> Consider that the more likely option is just stuffing him into a<BR>
> "rescue ball" and leaving him there. Rescue balls have large<BR>
> transparent areas so that rescuers can tell if there's anybody inside,<BR>
> and if they need help.<BR>
> <BR>
> By Traveller TLs they'll likely be made of plastics that won't pass UV<BR>
> and the like, letting you make them almost *totally* transparent.<BR>
> <BR>
> So until the end of the drill, you'll have "naked guy under glass" on<BR>
> display. :-)<BR>
<BR>
That sounds like something from an art exhibit (no doubt funded by the<BR>
NEA).  Instead of "Still Life With Woodpecker" (as in the Tom Robbins<BR>
novel), you have "Agitated Life With...."<BR>
<BR>
Oh, yeah.  This is a family list.  Forget I said anything....<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 22:39:23 -0800<BR>
From: "Luther Martin" <tml@ksarul.com><BR>
Subject: Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
<BR>
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.<BR>
<BR>
- ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01BF3F71.93DC35C0<BR>
Content-Type: text/plain;<BR>
	charset="iso-8859-1"<BR>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable<BR>
<BR>
My input:<BR>
<BR>
A communiucation system has to solve a few general problems including:<BR>
<BR>
1. How are signals created, sent,and received<BR>
3. How management functions, like how point-to-point links are managed =<BR>
and how end-to-end links are managed<BR>
<BR>
Part 1 is where the sci-fi stuff comes in. Meson beams, etc. You can =<BR>
basically send information by changing either the phase, frequency, or =<BR>
amplitude of a signal. The details of how this is done varies a lot from =<BR>
technology to technology, but the very same mathematics which governs =<BR>
one governs them all. If you understand the basics of electromagnetics, =<BR>
quantum mechanics (the Fourier analysis is rolled into this), =<BR>
statistics, etc, all of these technologies are very similar. So if you =<BR>
understand the workings of a TL9 *whatever* you can probably pick up the =<BR>
workings of a TL12 *whatever else* system without too much difficulty. =<BR>
Math is math, and Fourier Analysis is Fourier Analysis.<BR>
<BR>
Part 2 are really part of the protocols used. The technology here is =<BR>
probably similar enough so that a person with experience with one =<BR>
protocol family can understand another family with minimal training (at =<BR>
most a few days). These skills are different enough that you could argue =<BR>
that another new skill needs to be created, say "networking," which =<BR>
covers this stuff. Although mathematics does not come to your rescue and =<BR>
make all of these technologies similar, the fact that you will always =<BR>
have the same problems to solve makes the solutions understandable to an =<BR>
experienced network engineer.=20<BR>
<BR>
People who Part 1 things may know about Part 2 things, but don't need =<BR>
to. Similarly, people who do Part 2 things don't need to know or =<BR>
understand Part 1 stuff. I say make it two separate skills =<BR>
"communications" and "networking." This will make sense to players for =<BR>
at least the next 20 years or so.=20<BR>
  ----- Original Message -----=20<BR>
  From: Alex Ingram=20<BR>
  To: Traveller Mailing List ; traveller@lists.imagiconline.com=20<BR>
  Sent: Sunday, December 05, 1999 1:23 PM<BR>
  Subject: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
  I'm in need of technical advice. I'm attempting to break down and =<BR>
defining both=20<BR>
  current and future communications technologies, including those that =<BR>
may be=20<BR>
  purely science fiction which might work well within the Traveller =<BR>
setting.=20<BR>
  The Communications skill within Traveller is, atleast for me, too =<BR>
broad, too encompassing.=20<BR>
  If one were to break down the communications technology discipline =<BR>
into separate technical=20<BR>
  areas of expertise or subspecialities what would be.=20<BR>
  Looking through literature that I have available these technologies =<BR>
and terminologies=20<BR>
  keep showing up (I know basically what they are but I am unsure as to =<BR>
exactly where they fit):=20<BR>
<BR>
  POTS, Satellite, Laser/Maser, Infrared, Microwave Radio, Copper Cable, =<BR>
Wireless (Cellular),=20<BR>
  Lightwave (Fiber Optics, SONET, FDDI), VHF/UHF, ELF, AM/FM, TV/Video=20<BR>
  (CCTV/NTSC/PAL), ISDN, ADSL, T1, Global Networks (TCP/IP, SNA, X.25,=20<BR>
  Frame Relay, ATM), Enterprise Networks. Possible future and fictional =<BR>
technologies:=20<BR>
  Meson, Tachyeon, Subspace, Proton, Warp, etc. Am I missing something. =<BR>
Thanks!=20<BR>
<BR>
  Alex Ingram=20<BR>
   =20<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01BF3F71.93DC35C0<BR>
Content-Type: text/html;<BR>
	charset="iso-8859-1"<BR>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable<BR>
<BR>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"><BR>
</FONT><FONT  SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><HEAD><BR>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =<BR>
http-equiv=3DContent-Type><BR>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=3DGENERATOR><BR>
<STYLE></STYLE><BR>
</HEAD><BR>
<BR>
<DIV>My input:</DIV><BR>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
<DIV>A communiucation system has to solve a few general =<BR>
problems=20<BR>
including:</DIV><BR>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
<DIV>1. How are signals created, sent,and =<BR>
received</DIV><BR>
<DIV>3. How management functions, like how point-to-point =<BR>
links are=20<BR>
managed and how end-to-end links are =<BR>
managed</DIV><BR>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
<DIV>Part 1 is where the sci-fi stuff comes in. Meson =<BR>
beams, etc.=20<BR>
You can basically send information by changing either the phase, =<BR>
frequency, or=20<BR>
amplitude of a signal. The details of how this is done varies a lot from =<BR>
<BR>
technology to technology, but the very same mathematics which governs =<BR>
one=20<BR>
governs them all. If you understand the basics of electromagnetics, =<BR>
quantum=20<BR>
mechanics (the Fourier analysis is rolled into this), statistics, etc, =<BR>
all of=20<BR>
these technologies are very similar. So if you understand the workings =<BR>
of a TL9=20<BR>
*whatever* you can probably pick up the workings of a TL12 *whatever =<BR>
else*=20<BR>
system without too much difficulty. Math is math, and Fourier Analysis =<BR>
is=20<BR>
Fourier Analysis.</DIV><BR>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
<DIV>Part 2 are really part of the protocols used. The =<BR>
technology=20<BR>
here is probably similar enough so that a person with experience with =<BR>
one=20<BR>
protocol family can understand another family with minimal training (at =<BR>
most a=20<BR>
few days). These skills are different enough that you could argue that =<BR>
another=20<BR>
new skill needs to be created, say "networking," which covers this =<BR>
stuff.=20<BR>
Although mathematics does not come to your rescue and make all of these=20<BR>
technologies similar, the fact that you will always have the same =<BR>
problems to=20<BR>
solve makes the solutions understandable to an experienced network =<BR>
engineer.=20<BR>
</DIV><BR>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
<DIV>People who Part 1 things may know about Part 2 =<BR>
things, but=20<BR>
don't need to. Similarly, people who do Part 2 things don't need to know =<BR>
or=20<BR>
understand Part 1 stuff. I say make it two separate skills =<BR>
"communications" and=20<BR>
"networking." This will make sense to players for at least the next 20 =<BR>
years or=20<BR>
so. </DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20<BR>
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =<BR>
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px"><BR>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV><BR>
  <DIV=20<BR>
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =<BR>
black"><B>From:</B>=20<BR>
  <A HREF="3D">Alex =
Ingram</A>=20<BR>
  </DIV><BR>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A HREF="3D">Traveller Mailing List</A> ; <A=20<BR>
  href=3D"mailto:traveller@lists.imagiconline.com"=20<BR>
  =<BR>
title=3Dtraveller@lists.imagiconline.com>traveller@lists.imagiconline.com=<BR>
=20<BR>
  </DIV><BR>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, December 05, 1999 =<BR>
1:23=20<BR>
  PM</DIV><BR>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Communications =<BR>
Engineering=20<BR>
  Technology</DIV><BR>
  <DIV><BR>
</DIV>I'm in need of technical advice. I'm attempting to =break down=20  and defining both <BR>
current and future communications technologies,=20  including those that may be <BR>
purely science fiction which might =work well=20  within the Traveller setting. <BR>
The <I>Communications</I> skill =within=20  Traveller is, atleast for me, too broad, too encompassing. <BR>
If one =were to=20  break down the communications technology discipline into separate =technical=20  <BR>
areas of expertise or subspecialities what would be.=20  <BR>
Looking through literature that I have available these technologies =and=20  terminologies <BR>
keep showing up (I know basically what they are but =I am=20  unsure as to exactly where they fit):=20  <BR>
POTS, Satellite, Laser/Maser, Infrared, Microwave Radio, Copper =Cable,=20  Wireless (Cellular), <BR>
Lightwave (Fiber Optics, SONET, FDDI), =VHF/UHF, ELF,=20  AM/FM, TV/Video <BR>
(CCTV/NTSC/PAL), ISDN, ADSL, T1, Global Networks =(TCP/IP,=20  SNA, X.25, <BR>
Frame Relay, ATM), Enterprise Networks. Possible future =and=20  fictional technologies: <BR>
Meson, Tachyeon, Subspace, Proton, Warp, =etc. Am I=20  missing something. Thanks!=20  <BR>
Alex Ingram <BR>
&nbsp; </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
- ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01BF3F71.93DC35C0--<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 00:56:45 -0600<BR>
From: Black ICE <wombat@premier.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Communications Engineering Technology<BR>
<BR>
Leonard Erickson wrote:<BR>
> <BR>
<<snip>><BR>
> <BR>
> AM/FM/PM are modulation types, though to most folks AM refers to<BR>
> "commercial broadcast radio" (In the US, in the 560 to 1600 kHz range),<BR>
> and FM refers to "commercial broadcast radio" (in the US in the 88 to<BR>
> 108 MHz range).<BR>
<BR>
BTW, what is "phase modulation" (I assume that's what "PM" stands for),<BR>
and how does it work?  I understand amplitude and frequency modulation<BR>
(comes from having a SIGINTer as a roommate a few years back), but phase<BR>
modulation just doesn't ring any bells with me.<BR>
<BR>
<<snip>><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
- -- <BR>
AuricTech Shipyards Journeyman Gearhead<BR>
"Gold-Plated [tm] solutions for copper-plated problems!" (r)<BR>
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9776<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 01:54:47 EST<BR>
From: GypsyComet@aol.com<BR>
Subject: Re: Morons with wrenches [was sci-fi films]<BR>
<BR>
>Like Captain O'Brien and the recent drill he called?  We had a naked<BR>
>PC running around the corridors and eventually getting stuffed into<BR>
>a Vacc Suit.  Say, isn't there a "Protection from harm while naked"<BR>
>advantage in GURPS.  Maybe I should charge Cory some points, huh,<BR>
>what do you think?  <g><BR>
<BR>
 "Bullet-proof Nudity." I think it originated with Macho_Women_With_Guns, <BR>
actually.<BR>
<BR>
GC<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 17:47:30 +1000<BR>
From: "The Roc" <roc@kewl.com.au><BR>
Subject: Re: Australia reclassified to type 3 Government...<BR>
<BR>
- ----- Original Message -----<BR>
From: Josh W. Spencer <macmanjws@earthlink.net><BR>
To: <traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 1999 10:07 PM<BR>
Subject: Re: Australia reclassified to type 3 Government<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
> You sure that's not the result of the failed referendum Down Under? :) :)<BR>
><BR>
> BTW...When does FOOTY season start?<BR>
><BR>
<BR>
A good question you say.  It's changed over the last several years, so I<BR>
can't answer that question now (I lost track!:) , but pretty soon, it will<BR>
be perpetual, they are trying to make it a year-round thing now!<BR>
<BR>
- -- The Roc<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 23:59:02 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: Sci fi films<BR>
<BR>
> From: "Thomas Vickers" <redroach@flex.net><BR>
<BR>
> Think of it this way. Imperial ships are clean because they have lots of<BR>
> crew and troops on board. When not busy, they polish, they shine, they are<BR>
> kept busy by officers.<BR>
<BR>
"If it moves, salute it.  If it doesn't move, clean it and paint it."<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 00:10:25 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re:  K.I.S.S! (was Professional Stereotyping)<BR>
<BR>
> From: Kyle Schuant <kyle3054@yahoo.com><BR>
<BR>
> Kyle screamed and replied:<BR>
> Aargh! help! save me from the Bureaucratic Process!<BR>
> must everything be discussed, debated, decide by<BR>
> committee and quality assured? are there not things we<BR>
> can just do? with the BEMs firing death rays at you,<BR>
<BR>
Sure there are, and legal procedures are not one of the things you're<BR>
going to do in response to BEM BFG fire.  Some things you do on a very<BR>
short time fuse, and some things you take some time to think about and<BR>
plan, and even engage in peer review or something similar.  That's true<BR>
both in real life (tm) and RPGs.  <BR>
<BR>
A good example of doing quality assurance and drafting procedures in a<BR>
time-critical situation was shown in Apollo 13, when the ground people<BR>
had to make a rectangular air filter fit into a round filter slot and<BR>
then tell the astronauts what they did and how they did it.  I remember<BR>
the chief NASA engineer coming into the engineers' meeting with a bunch<BR>
of gear and dropping it on the table and then saying, "OK, we have to<BR>
make this fit into this using only that in __ hours."  They actually<BR>
typed up a procedure and dictated it to the astronauts.  <BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 22:57:41 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re : Professional Stereotyping<BR>
<BR>
> om: "Douglas E. Berry" <gridlore@pop.mindspring.com><BR>
I had written:<BR>
> >And "need" is not a rhetorical device in those two<BR>
> >sentences.  If the problem isn't fixed, the person<BR>
> >with the problem may die or suffer some grievous<BR>
> >physical harm.  <BR>
<BR>
Doug replied:<BR>
 <BR>
> *grin*  Unless you have my doctor.  He's so fed up with my body that unless<BR>
> I can show him blood, in large amounts, he waits a week before ordering<BR>
> anything.  Even then we've discovered the universal cure: go see Dr.<BR>
> Waltuch.  No matter what the complaint it clears up in the waiting room.<BR>
<BR>
That doctor should be an X-Files episode -- at least the second part of<BR>
the story.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Date: Mon, 06 Dec 1999 00:13:41 -0800<BR>
From: "Glenn M. Goffin" <gmgoffin@pacbell.net><BR>
Subject: Re: OT: Must buy game (No go on Nova)<BR>
<BR>
> From: "Chris Seamans" <semo@pil.net><BR>
> Subject: Re: OT: Must buy game (No go on Nova)<BR>
<BR>
> Nope. It's not Spanish for "no go". That would be "no va", and the accented<BR>
> syllables are reversed, so it wouldn't even really sound the same. This is<BR>
> a very popular urban legend, but its status as legend has been verified.<BR>
<BR>
Written "Nova" still looks enough like "No va" to convey that meaning.  <BR>
<BR>
> The Chevy Nova did fine in Spanish speaking markets.<BR>
<BR>
I don't have contradictory or supporting facts.<BR>
<BR>
- --Glenn<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
End of Traveller-digest V1999 #1447<BR>
***********************************<BR>
<BR>
To unsubscribe to Traveller-Digest, send the command:<BR>
<BR>
unsubscribe traveller-digest<BR>
<BR>
in the body of a message to "traveller-request@lists.imagiconline.com".<BR>
If you want to subscribe something other than the account the mail is<BR>
coming from, such as a local redistribution list, then append that<BR>
address to the "subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe<BR>
"local-traveller":<BR>
<BR>
subscribe traveller-digest local-traveller@your.domain.net<BR>
<BR>
A non-digest (direct mail) version of this list is also available; to<BR>
subscribe to that instead, replace all instances of "traveller-digest"<BR>
in the commands above with "traveller".<BR>
<BR>
Multi-Player Games Network http://www.mpgn.com<BR>
</XMP></FONT><FONT  COLOR="#0f0f0f" BACK="#fffffe" SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10><BR>
<BR>
----------------------- Headers --------------------------------<BR>
Return-Path: <owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
Received: from  rly-yg04.mx.aol.com (rly-yg04.mail.aol.com [172.18.147.4]) by air-yg05.mail.aol.com (vx) with ESMTP; Mon, 06 Dec 1999 02:38:59 -0500<BR>
Received: from  lists.imagiconline.com (lists.imagiconline.com [204.85.32.11]) by rly-yg04.mx.aol.com (v66.4) with ESMTP; Mon, 06 Dec 1999 02:38:39 -0500<BR>
Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost)<BR>
	by lists.imagiconline.com (8.9.3/8.9.2) with SMTP id CAA18381;<BR>
	Mon, 6 Dec 1999 02:37:57 -0500 (EST)<BR>
	(envelope-from owner-traveller@lists.imagiconline.com)<BR>
Received: by lists.imagiconline.com (bulk_mailer v1.12); Mon, 6 Dec 1999 02:37:40 -0500<BR>
Received: (from majordom@localhost)<BR>
	by lists.imagiconline.com (8.9.3/8.9.2) id CAA18342<BR>
	for traveller-digest-outgoing; Mon, 6 Dec 1999 02:37:40 -0500 (EST)<BR>
	(envelope-from owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com)<BR>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 02:37:40 -0500 (EST)<BR>
Message-Id: <199912060737.CAA18342@lists.imagiconline.com><BR>
From: owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com (Traveller-digest)<BR>
To: traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Subject: Traveller-digest V1999 #1447<BR>
Reply-To: traveller@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
Sender: owner-traveller-digest@lists.imagiconline.com<BR>
<BR>
</HTML>
