Apple IIe - Manual (Page 17)

Page 17 of 74 IIe
Printed: Tuesday, March 4, 2003 10:40:15 AM
Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards came into being back in 1978 as a way for local computer club members to
exchange messages with each other and share programs by phone.
Today there are over 300
computerized bulletin boards in the United States, and you don't have to belong to a computer
club to use one. All you need is a computer, a modem, communications software, and the phone
number of your local BBS (Bulletin Board System).
You can get that from your computer dealer
(in some cases, he'll be a SYSOP, the system operator of a bulletin board), from a computer
club, or from one of the BBS articles that frequently appear in computer magazines.
Bulletin boards are popular for three reasons:
They're free. You don't have to subscribe or pay for connect time the way you do with an
information service.
They're a source of free software some of it professional quality, some of it hopelessly
bug-ridden.
They're a good way to meet people.
Data Base
Data base programs are for keeping track of lists of information: mailing lists, client
information, inventories, addresses, phone numbers, test results, itineraries, medical and
dental records any information you now store on forms or index cards.
Data is just a fancy word for information. A data base is a central clearing-house for
information. Once you write your information into a data base program, you can retrieve the
information any time you need it. You can also have the data base program cross reference that
information with other information in the data base. For example, you can retrieve a list of
all customers who placed orders last month, or a list of all students who scored 100% on at
least one test.
Businesses use data base programs to keep track of customer records and inventory. You can use
the same kind of program at home to keep a record of your valuables (for insurance purposes),
to catalog your stamp or coin collection, to keep membership records for a club, to keep
statistics on a sports team, and more.
Educational Software
Programs that teach are called educational software, or courseware.
Computers are good teachers because they give you a chance to learn at your own speed in an
interactive, entertaining way.
To give you an idea of how entertaining a computer program can
be, there's a program that teaches touch typing in the guise of a shoot 'em up game. Letters
and words are fired at your spaceship from the four corners of the screen, and you have to type
the correct letter or word before the letters crash into your vehicle.
Educational software isn't just for kids. There are programs that help you prepare for college
entrance exams and that tutor you in foreign languages for your next trip abroad.
Computer-Aided Instruction
Teachers who want to try their hand at programming can use a programming language designed
especially for educators called PILOT, short for Programmed Inquiry, Learning, Or Teaching.