When I first posted this page in July of 1997, I had no idea that it would
keep me interested for so long. I did not start keeping copies of the
regular changes until May of 1998. Here are the introductions
since then.
May 3, 2000
This, the first update of the century, is a reflection on the past. In keeping
with the theme, the first addition is an index to past updates
to this page, a sort of "CU Over the Years" chronology. The best part of
this update however, is the four articles.
Three long-term CUers -
Joker39,
agl, and
Russ_UK - have written about what CU has been like for them over
the years. All have been on CU since nearly the beginning in 1995. The
fourth article is contributed by
CL.
Having been on CU for about a year, he is a relative newcomer and
provides a good view of how CU looks to someone who has not spent y
ears watching it change. Although the theme is the same for each story,
it is fascinating to see how each of them views CU in their own way.
There is a lot of nostalgia, and good times in these articles, but also
hope and happy anticipation for the future. I think you will enjoy reading
them.
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CU Then and Now
- by agl
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CU Then and Now
- by CL
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CU Then and Now
- by Joker39
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CU Then and Now
- by Russ_UK
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Past Introductions
- by Lady Xeen
December 10, 1999
This latest addition is a major work that Russ_UK and I
created together.
The CU-SeeMe Encyclopedia
CUers are unique on the internet. Some of our terms are our own,
some are shared with other net users, and some are similar but slightly
different. With that in mind, we have come up with a reference that is
uniquely for CU. We welcome any comments and requests for new entries.
October 10, 1999
I call this the Negativity Edition of the Reading Room. You might be
expecting these pages to be all rants about wankers but negativity has
many forms.
Vickie's list is slightly anti-wanker but it is an honest effort to
help others.
CU-BoreMe, however, expects others to make the effort for him -
a well-written article about a dull attitude.
Experienced CUers will not be surprised that the next addition,
"CU Rules of the Road",
is written by a refmon - 12 rules, 11 of them start with the word "DON'T".
And finally, as you probably expected, there are two new links of the
anti-wanker type.
"Hey Wanker" tries to soften the message with cuteness, but still
focuses on bad experiences.
"To Whom It May Concern" does not even try to be tolerant, it is pure
hostility. I hope these pages help vent the bad feelings and we can all
go back to having fun. CU on the refs.
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Don't let this happen to you... by Vickie
- a classic list of the most over used and hated phrases of
CU
-
CU-BoreMe by Rob Rummel-Hudson
- well-done piece by a newby with a
"you all must amuse me" attitude
-
CU Rules of the Road by Daffi Duck
- one word - DON'T
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Beekers: Hey Wanker ! by Beekers
- cute but hostile
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To Whom It May Concern by Gypsy
- very bitter, someone needs a CU break
August 10, 1999
This time I only have one addition... or 12 additions, depending on how
you look at it. We all know CU is the best way to chat we have ever seen,
but what else are people using it for? Broadcasting live from conventions
and concerts seem to be natural uses for CU. NASA was sending live
video from their control room almost as soon as CU was invented. Over
the years, many different experiments have been tried, some so clever
that they seem obvious now, and some so strange that they can only be
viewed with a strong sense of humor. I have tried to list as many different
types of experiments as I could find. You will have to decide for yourself
which ones are clever and which ones are strange.
CU-SeeMe EXPERIMENTS AND EVENTS
May 20, 1999
These latest additions are very special - they are all creative writings
by CU users about people and events on CU.
The strong emotion of Slider's tribute to Kerry...
the concern and hope of "Growing up on CU" ...
LHM's insightful stories, told in poetry...
the warm empathy of LL's fantasy...
Jae's bold affection for the friends she has made on CU...
they all speak of things we have experienced and struggled to express.
If you see these artists on the refs, please remember to thank them for
putting our thoughts and feelings into words.
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Precious Moments
- by Slider
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Growing Up On CU
- contributed anonymously
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Meeting
- by LHM
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The Dance Continues
- by LHM
-
Lady of the Shadows
- by LLBellyLint
-
The Color of Friendship
- by Jae
-
If I Didn't Love You
- by Jae
March 20, 1999
This edition concentrates on the history of CU, starting with
CU SeeMe Resources , a brief history of CU programs.
See you on the Internet shows what people were saying about CU 3
years ago. The next addition,
Excerpts From "Getting Even: What Men Don't Want Women To Know
About The Internet",
is from an upcoming book; we can consider it a warning about where our
future history could lead. To tie them all together, I have included a link
to a
weekly discussion group where people are meeting to talk about the
past and the future of CU. Attendance has been small but lively. Finally,
to bring us back to the present, that last addition is another great
article from CUNow! by CEJ -
Are All You People PERVERTS?!?!
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CU SeeMe Resources
- a brief history of CU programs
-
See you on the Internet by Geof Wheelwright
- 1996 article from the Canada Computer Paper Inc.
-
Excerpts From "Getting Even: What Men Don't Want Women To Know
About The Internet"
- a one-sided view of CUing
-
CU-SeeMe Online Discussion Group by Murray Gordon
- Weekly discussion group
-
Are All You People PERVERTS?!?! by CEJ
- a good, sensible article about adult refs
January 10, 1999
I was a little late updating these pages because of the holidays. Hopefully,
all of you were too busy celebrating to read this anyway.
It seems appropriate that, with the new year starting, these latest additions
represent a reflective mood; looking at the past, commemorating the good,
noting places where improvement can be initiated.
ms. ann thrope's pages were redone around July, I think. Her page
"Net.art as it happened"
(subtitled "This used to be my playground")
is a diverse compilation of adventures in CUing and a truly unique and
friendly look at ourselves.
Three years ago, this letter appeared in the CU mailing list:
Jail Time For Using CU-SeeMe?
I thought it was amusing to look at the concerns we had then.
CUNow! by CEJ
is "a free web zine that specializes in news and
information regarding CUSeeMe reflectors, their society
and culture." - a welcome addition to our community.
This web zine includes the article titled
Jerk!,
a new approach to CU ettiquette. It is aimed at those of us
that have been using CU for awhile instead of newbies. I recommend that
everyone read it before trying to deal with all the new people who got
cameras for Christmas show up on the refs.
In place of the fifth article in this edition, I am adding a few quiet lines, in
memorial to Kerry. Kerry gave CU that incredible feeling
of family that is so hard to find. Always there, in good times and bad,
smiling radiantly or ranting in anger, she shared the whole person with us.
Not everyone loved her equally, but her effect on our community is
undeniable. She made our world better, more 'real', and we are all richer
people for having known her. You are missed, Kerry. I hope your journey
now is as wonderful as the journey we had together here.
-
-
Net.art as it happened
- a diverse compilation of adventures in CUing
-
Jail Time For Using CU-SeeMe?
- Some concerns from 1995
-
CUNow!
- Free web zine that specializes in news and
information regarding CUSeeMe reflectors, their society
and culture
-
Jerk!
- A broad approach to CU ettiquette
-
To Kerry
October 15,1998
One day in September, this web page, "
Streak's spot",
appeared warning that the Texas ref, more commonly known as
Streak's, would close soon. Streak's ref had been open since 1993 and
was one of the classic places to visit. Its closing is a major event
in the CU world as it was a place where newbies and old-timers all
could feel comfortable. To mark
this change in an era, I am dedicating this month's additions to
Streak - to thank him for his contributions to
CU and to wish him well now that he has graduated.
"Reflector War Ends in Two Fatalities" is a news article with links that
should satisfy your curiosity about what happened to the ref. On a more
personal level, Slider's "A Place in Time" is a moving expression of how
we feel about losing a ref. Although Streak's scanner is not new, it has
a new home and a few improvements so I included a link to it and to his
new page. The new page also has a link to his Refmarshal Proxy Server Help
page. Finally, since I was not hanging out at Streak's so much, I had
time to finish the Ladies' Defense Page - tips, tactics, and techniques to
help ladies have more fun and less hassles on the refs.
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Streak's Spot
- Announcing the closing of the UT Reflector
-
Reflector War Ends in Two Fatalities
- News article including links to the participant's views
-
Places in Time
- by Slider
-
Streak's Web Reflector Scanner
- Version 2.9
-
The CU-SeeMe Network
- Streak's new home
-
Ladies' Defense Page
- Tips to help ladies take care of themselves on the refs
August 16,1998
Here are August's additions to this library of CU works.
I seem to be updating this page every two months with five new
additions. This update has three additions from long time CU users, Baldy,
Garnett, and Streak, and two additions from first-time (and probably
last-time) users.
Refmons... some people hate them, others love them. Either way, they are
a fact of life on the refs now.
Baldy's article is a long-overdue look from a refmon's point of view.
Garnett's article successfully captures the nostalgia we feel for a favorite
reflector that changes or closes (like the old IBM ref).
The two articles by first time users should be amusing to those of us that
stuck it out and got comfortable on CU. Streak has allowed me to post his
response to one of them. Thanks for sticking up for us, Streak :-)
Finally, the last addition links to an online counseling service using CU.
Please don't think I am suggesting that any of us need it ;-) I just thought
it was an interesting CU-SeeMe event.
-
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What is a refmon? by Baldy
- Short, to-the-point description of what a refmon does
-
The Golden Age of CU by Garnett
- A journal covering the summer of 1997 on the Zippo ref
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Microsoft.orgy by Andrew Leonard
- A journalist describes what he and his wife see when they
research video conferencing software. It won't suprise regular CUers, but is
an interesting look at how outsiders see things.
-
Comment to Brian by Brandon Hudgeons
- Another view of CU by non-CUers from a 1997 forum about
Virtual Communities
-
The thread starts here
-
Streak's response to the Comment to Brian
- A well-supported and balanced view from someone who knows
-
Wired Senses Online Counseling
- I wonder if they have a program for CU addiction?
June 21,1998
Here are June's additions to this library of CU works.
I think this is the best mix of types that I have had yet.
For the artist in you, Jae is back with another piece of her unique poetry.
Two historical pieces are included - the CU Final Report and the Neonudism
article. The final report from Cornell University
is more technical than usual but since it marks a change in era for
CU Users, it is a must-read.
The article on neonudism is a heavy read but has some sociological and
psychological points it tries to make.
On the other hand, the journal and the survey additions very easy to read.
In fact the journal (Harry Wanker) is mostly pictures.
The survey, "CU Hall of Shame", is not a true survey but it provides a
good sampling of the types of bad behaviour that can happen. The variety
of offenses may surprise you.
I hope you enjoy the new links.
-
-
Ode de Maria........
- A poem by Jae
-
Cornell University's final report on their CU-SeeMe project
- A milestone in the history of CU-SeeMe
- "
NeoNudism is an art event that combines voyeuristic viewing and surrogate
participation in a live CUSeeMe two-way video link-up."
- It also has a link to a
longer article.
-
CU Hall of Shame
- It is not officially a survey but it provides a good sampling of the
types of bad behaviour that can happen.
-
Harry Wanker's Hunk of Web
- A Journal
May 16, 1998
Here are May's additions (I skipped April) to this library of CU works.
This month is mostly non-fiction except for more imagery from
LLBellyLint.
Non-fiction does not mean dry and boring though. Os'
glossary
is fun to read. He has also bravely tackled a CU problem
on his page
"Not Everyone is a Nice Guy".
Since White Pines' latest stories are exclusively business stories
(an insightful change, btw),
Refland's contest
is now the best source for people stories. Finally,
Squeek
has nicely provided a means for CUers to make announcements. The
technical announcements are still there, but there are also concert
announcements and new ref announcements.
I hope you enjoy the new links.
