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 Protocols On The Old-Boy Network By Fritz Nelson In Huntsville, Ala., where Intergraph (which is in our NT NFS review) , Motorola, Adtran and other high-tech vendors call home, my family lives. I have lived and worked there, and I visit occasionally. There's a breakfast restaurant in Huntsville called Eunice's, which is a landmark of sorts, and it's home to The Liar's Table. You're given a certificate for embellishing too much, and while lore has it that the table owes its existence to local politicians, the thought hasn't escaped me that this is where all the Huntsville high-tech vendors come to hold their press conferences.  It was in Huntsville that I learned first hand about the old-boy network. I speak of it gingerly because Network Computing is written predominantly by males. When our editors get together and the testosteron
e forms a haze in the room, I worry that our female editors will recoil in disgust. Here's an example of what they endure--an e-mail conversation for our
network-play games review.
Mike Fratto: "All right, rabbits. Joel [Conover] has done his part in getting us the games (oh, thanks for popcorn; very funny). The Syracuse lab will kick butt. Any takers?" Greg Yerxa [Wisconsin lab]: "The losers must eat the packing peanuts we sent. You must eat them prepared as specified by the victors. I, for one, have tried them and found them quite tasty. When properly prepared, I imagine they taste even better." Dan Backman [Syracuse]: "Just 'cause they call 'em peanuts doesn't mean they're a substitute for Beer Nuts, Greg. While I prefer Doritos, far be it from me to judge cheesehead dietary habits." Yet the women on our staff are strong, mature and accepting. Amused, they often join in. Mostly, they show us men the way. Personally, I've always relied on Patricia Schnaidt to lead. Here's a woman who puts up with e-mail like this: "Good writing and quite timelyÉ By the way, you are a pretty woman (I couldn't resist)." And we never let her forget the reader who told her she has a cute nose. But now Patricia is leaving us, traveling to our sister (brother?) publication, Windows Magazine. She has been my boss and my mentor for three years. We are all better for her having been here, for she was bold enough to push us to new levels of excellence. I will miss her especially: She was brave enough to let me try new things and kind enough to laugh with me at my mistakes; and then push me onward. In Eunice's, where Southern hospitality runs as deep as the old-boy network, you don't just help yourself to coffee, you pour for everyone. So allow me to pour the drinks as David Willis offers the following, fitting toast: "Tricia, we want to make sure you get a running start in your new job. Here are a few ideas: "· \/\/ | |\| |) () \/\/ S. The magazine for the burgeoning so ftware piracy market. Strong distribution potential in Asian markets. You'll save on printing costs by just using a copy machine. Back section features ads for disk duplicators, lawyers. "· YO! WinDoZe! The computer magazine targeted at the inner-city buyer. Features on best bass response from your computer's subwoofer; the gangsta-geek movement; reviews of computers with the best gold-trim option. Columnists include ChatMaster Flash, CmeSeeme and Notorious G.P.F. "So, out with IP Switches. In with A/B switches. "Out with multiplatform=NT, Unix and NetWare. In with multiplatform=Windows95 and NT. "Sadly, out with Networkologist. "Here's hoping you do as well with Windows as you have with Network Computing. We owe so much of our success to you. Thanks for everything."
Fritz Nelson, fnelson@nwc.com
By Joe Caponi Updated December 5, 1997 
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