<center><a href = "https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/28/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-8-part-1/"><img src = "https://images.hive.blog/DQmNqRpybygarTWh6hi2sygEEQ1JSPFCHRtqW65gJGe3ZeL/d811.jpeg"></a></center>

<center><a href = "https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/28/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-8-part-1/"><img src = "https://images.hive.blog/DQmNaWL4wRwQ8N86rquWPqbNEKQKSxvjSnmfsg9AaAKfcPD/d812.jpeg"></a></center>

If I'm counting right, this is the eighth 5.25" disk I have documented the contents of so far (see the last one <a href = "https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/17/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-7/">here</a>). All of them so far are from a batch I picked up at a thrift store a number of years ago. As I have been digging through these disks, it has become obvious that at least some of them were once owned by someone named Connie A. Buys who used to run the "Close Encounters" Special Interest Group (SIG) on Delphi in the mid 1980s. 

Many of these disks have forum messages, e-mails and chat session logs. All of this is pre-internet stuff and I don't know if there are any archives in existence today of what was on Delphi in the 1980s. In any case, much of this stuff would have been private at the time and some of it is quite personal. 

<center><a href = "https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/28/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-8-part-1/"><img src = "https://images.hive.blog/DQmPyjPKDoTVxjQgDjGEPcT7qyxtXfGBZX5ceHnwDeb4Yxc/d813.png"></a></center>

<center><a href = "https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/28/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-8-part-1/"><img src = "https://images.hive.blog/DQmVK6W4TMTkErWV6Q4hz5vT7ULSF8RqzBM339ry3ECEiPn/d814.png"></a></center>

This contents of this disk (descriptively labeled "File Disk") will be split up into multiple posts since it contains a number of documents, some of which are pretty long. This first document (ARNE.DOC) is a series of e-mails questioning whether or not one of the participants in the SIG is of the appropriate age (i.e. 18+). 

---
ARNIE.DOC
---


 
 
    #11         14-OCT-1985 19:47:26                                        MAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     ARNE,@MGRS.DIS,CABUYS      
 Subj:   Close Encounters SIG & Age Restriction
 
 Hello Arne,
 
 It has come to my attention that there is some question about how old you are.
 
 One of the membership requirements we have in Close Encounters sig is that
 one must be 18 years old or older.
 
 This information has been included in many areas of the sig, including the
 non-member message and new-member messages available to you when you first
 accessed this sig.  It is a formal part of my contract with Delphi that I
 must enforce to the best of my ability.
 
 This information is also available to you in the Announcements> Membership
 section of the sig for review at any time and other such notices calling
 *all* sig members attention to this have been posted to be read automatically
 upon entry to the sig.
 
 Just in case you missed it, tho, I would like to quote as follows:
 
 "Membership in 'Close Encounters' is restricted to persons who are at least
 18 years of age or older...Although it's difficult to verify age via this
 medium, anyone found to have violated the age requirement will be denied
 access to the sig at the discretion of the sig managers."
 
 Other sig members have indicated that you are 17.  If this is the case, then
 I will have to remove you from the membership.  If this is not the case, and
 you can verify it by honestly telling me your age, then you can remain.  If
 you feel insulted that we are going to such great pains about this, then 
 perhaps Close Encounters is not really the sig for you.
 
 Please reply to this message by Wednesday, October 16, before 11 PM EST or I
 will have no choice but to take the necessary action.
 
 Thank you.
 
 -Connie A. Buys, Sig Manager
 -John Yerger, Asst. Manager
 -Joey, SysOp
 
 
MAIL> 
 
 
    #12         14-OCT-1985 20:38:01                                        MAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::ARNE        
 To:     CABUYS
 Subj:   arne
 
 Dear Ms. Ca  Bus ys,
    It has come to my attention that there is some question about my age.
 For the record, I am 28.  S Naturally, th  since this information is not being
 imparted to you by one of your cronies from years gone by, I don't expect
 you to belive it.
                                                                            eve it.
                             Arne
 
 
MAIL> read 18
 
 
    #18         15-OCT-1985 08:22:50                                        MAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::ARNE        
 To:     CABUYS
 Subj:   beinf g ornery
 
 Well, connie, looks like i'm in the process of being canned for  rom the sig...
 guess you're just doin' your job....would "We'll always have Parie s s" be
 laying in t on a bit too thick?
                                        arne
 
 
MAIL> read 19
 
 
    #19         15-OCT-1985 10:17:45                                        MAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::JOHNWG      
 To:     JOEY,JOHNMYSELF,CABUYS
 Subj:   Could you please give me an explanation of this?  Thanks, John
 
 From:   BOS1A::SERVICE      14-OCT-1985 13:28
 To:     JOHNWG
 Subj:   I think ARNE didn't like being excluded from Close Encounters..
 
 From:   BOS1A::ARNE         13-OCT-1985 00:04
 To:     SERVICE
 Subj:   Close Enc SIG
 
 Dear Service,
    When I started using Delphi heavily about a month ago, several people
 warned me in no uncertain terms about how cliquish the place was.  I thought
 they had an axe to grind for some other telecom service, so I just let it
 pass.
    Tonight the SIG managers of Close Encounters proved to me the hard way
 that I was mistaken.
    After joining the scheduled conf, the sysops started asking about my age
 which never seemed to be a prob with any         lem any other time in that SIG.  When I
 started joking about remembering World War I, they mde  ade some rather Gestapo-
 like comments about owing them straight answers, then promptly barred me
 from the conference.
    I had offered to call the SIG mgr and convince him voice-to-voice of
 my age but the option of siml ply excluding someone who wasn't a SIG mgr
 himself (or one of ther=  ir older cronies) was apparently so much easier.
    Later I learned that the mgr's traded quips about how strange I was
 and not fit material for their SIG anyway.
    When the heavi y usage I (and heavy bills) of September and October fall
 back to the little-or-no-usage of the pro evious months, this first-hand
 demonstration of cliquishness and cronie  y-in sm in the Close Encounters group
 is the reason why.
 
                              Very truly yours,
                              Arne
 
 P.S. I/ 'm not yet quick enough to know how to send copies of this to
 other users, so i    but if you wig sh to send copies to JOEY, JOHNMYSELF, and 
 CABUT YS, I would appreciate it.
 
 
MAIL> read 1
 
 
    #1          15-OCT-1985 18:28:37                                     NEWMAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     ARNE,JOHNMYSELF,JOEY,CABUYS      
 Subj:   age question
 
 
 Arne,
 
 I honestly have no reason to *not* believe you about your age.  I was simply
 trying to clear up a misunderstanding before it got out of hand, but it appears
 I was too late to do that.
 
 I see no reason, now that you have answered my question, to bar you from the
 sig and conferences.  I do regret and apologize for any inconvenience this may
 have caused you, and very much regret that such circumstances have caused you
 to have a bad opinion of us.  Please do understand that I was doing what I
 felt was necessary as Sig Manager in accordance with the terms of my contract
 with Delphi.
 
 If you wish to discuss this any further, please do call me collect at
 (904)-388-2531.  I do wish I had been on line at the origination of all this
 problem because I would have accepted your offer at the time about making the
 call.
 
 -Connie A. Buys, Sig Manager
 
 
MAIL> 
 
 
    #1          15-OCT-1985 18:33:06                                     NEWMAIL
 
From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     @MGRS,CABUYS      
 Subj:   The Question of Age
 
 It's true that we are having kids show up in the sig.  And it's true that we
 are having adults show up who are offended when asked their age.
 
 From this date on, I will personally handle any question about age.  Until I
 can handle it, if I'm unavailable at the time of its occurrence, then the
 member is to be treated as any other member of the sig.
 
 Remember the users are paying our way here.  We must not be harsh, or appear
 offensive or unkind to them and they require handling with kid gloves.  This
 sig is young yet but has a good potential if we cultivate it carefully
 
 Thank you both co-operation and understanding it this.
 
 -Connie
 
 
MAIL> list arne.doc
 
 
  
  
     #11         14-OCT-1985 19:47:26                                        MAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     ARNE,@MGRS.DIS,CABUYS
 Subj:   Close Encounters SIG & Age Restriction
  
 Hello Arne,
  
 It has come to my attention that there is some question about how old you are.
  
 One of the membership requirements we have in Close Encounters sig is that
 one must be 18 years old or older.
  
 This information has been included in many areas of the sig, including the
 non-member message and new-member messages available to you when you first
 accessed this sig.  It is a formal part of my contract with Delphi that I
 must enforce to the best of my ability.
  
 This information is also available to you in the Announcements> Membership
 section of the sig for review at any time and other such notices calling
 *all* sig members attention to this have been posted to be read automatically
 upon entry to the sig.
  
 Just in case you missed it, tho, I would like to quote as follows:
  
 "Membership in 'Close Encounters' is restricted to persons who are at least
 18 years of age or older...Although it's difficult to verify age via this
 medium, anyone found to have violated the age requirement will be denied
 access to the sig at the discretion of the sig managers."
  
 Other sig members have indicated that you are 17.  If this is the case, then
 I will have to remove you from the membership.  If this is not the case, and
 you can verify it by honestly telling me your age, then you can remain.  If
 you feel insulted that we are going to such great pains about this, then
 perhaps Close Encounters is not really the sig for you.
  
 Please reply to this message by Wednesday, October 16, before 11 PM EST or I
 will have no choice but to take the necessary action.
  
 Thank you.
  
 -Connie A. Buys, Sig Manager
 -John Yerger, Asst. Manager
 -Joey, SysOp
  
  
 MAIL>
  
  
     #12         14-OCT-1985 20:38:01                                        MAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::ARNE
 To:     CABUYS
 Subj:   arne
  
 Dear Ms. Ca  Bus ys,
    It has come to my attention that there is some question about my age.
 For the record, I am 28.  S Naturally, th  since this information is not being
 imparted to you by one of your cronies from years gone by, I don't expect
 you to belive it.
                                                                            eve it.
                             Arne
  
  
 MAIL> read 18
  
  
     #18         15-OCT-1985 08:22:50                                        MAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::ARNE
 To:     CABUYS
 Subj:   beinf g ornery
  
 Well, connie, looks like i'm in the process of being canned for  rom the sig...
 guess you're just doin' your job....would "We'll always have Parie s s" be
 laying in t on a bit too thick?
                                        arne
  
  
 MAIL> read 19
  
  
     #19         15-OCT-1985 10:17:45                                        MAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::JOHNWG
 To:     JOEY,JOHNMYSELF,CABUYS
 Subj:   Could you please give me an explanation of this?  Thanks, John
  
 From:   BOS1A::SERVICE      14-OCT-1985 13:28
 To:     JOHNWG
 Subj:   I think ARNE didn't like being excluded from Close Encounters..
  
 From:   BOS1A::ARNE         13-OCT-1985 00:04
 To:     SERVICE
 Subj:   Close Enc SIG
  
 Dear Service,
    When I started using Delphi heavily about a month ago, several people
 warned me in no uncertain terms about how cliquish the place was.  I thought
 they had an axe to grind for some other telecom service, so I just let it
 pass.
    Tonight the SIG managers of Close Encounters proved to me the hard way
 that I was mistaken.
    After joining the scheduled conf, the sysops started asking about my age
 which never seemed to be a prob with any         lem any other time in that SIG.  When I
 started joking about remembering World War I, they mde  ade some rather Gestapo-
 like comments about owing them straight answers, then promptly barred me
 from the conference.
    I had offered to call the SIG mgr and convince him voice-to-voice of
 my age but the option of siml ply excluding someone who wasn't a SIG mgr
 himself (or one of ther=  ir older cronies) was apparently so much easier.
    Later I learned that the mgr's traded quips about how strange I was
 and not fit material for their SIG anyway.
    When the heavi y usage I (and heavy bills) of September and October fall
 back to the little-or-no-usage of the pro evious months, this first-hand
 demonstration of cliquishness and cronie  y-in sm in the Close Encounters group
 is the reason why.
  
                              Very truly yours,
                              Arne
  
 P.S. I/ 'm not yet quick enough to know how to send copies of this to
 other users, so i    but if you wig sh to send copies to JOEY, JOHNMYSELF, and
 CABUT YS, I would appreciate it.
  
  
 MAIL> read 1
  
  
     #1          15-OCT-1985 18:28:37                                     NEWMAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     ARNE,JOHNMYSELF,JOEY,CABUYS
 Subj:   age question
  
  
 Arne,
  
 I honestly have no reason to *not* believe you about your age.  I was simply
 trying to clear up a misunderstanding before it got out of hand, but it appears
 I was too late to do that.
  
 I see no reason, now that you have answered my question, to bar you from the
 sig and conferences.  I do regret and apologize for any inconvenience this may
 have caused you, and very much regret that such circumstances have caused you
 to have a bad opinion of us.  Please do understand that I was doing what I
 felt was necessary as Sig Manager in accordance with the terms of my contract
 with Delphi.
  
 If you wish to discuss this any further, please do call me collect at
 (904)-388-2531.  I do wish I had been on line at the origination of all this
 problem because I would have accepted your offer at the time about making the
 call.
  
 -Connie A. Buys, Sig Manager
  
  
 MAIL>
  
  
     #1          15-OCT-1985 18:33:06                                     NEWMAIL
 
 
 From:   BOS1A::CABUYS       "CONNIE"
 To:     @MGRS,CABUYS
 Subj:   The Question of Age
  
 It's true that we are having kids show up in the sig.  And it's true that we
 are having adults show up who are offended when asked their age.
  
 From this date on, I will personally handle any question about age.  Until I
 can handle it, if I'm unavailable at the time of its occurrence, then the
 member is to be treated as any other member of the sig.
  
 Remember the users are paying our way here.  We must not be harsh, or appear
 offensive or unkind to them and they require handling with kid gloves.  This
 sig is young yet but has a good potential if we cultivate it carefully
  
 Thank you both co-operation and understanding it this.
  
 -Connie
  
  
 ---

Read more: https://www.megalextoria.com/wordpress/index.php/2017/09/28/digital-archaeology-codex-floppy-disk-8-part-1/