Things have been busier than usual in ANALOG's Atari SIG. The Forum has turned over almost 38,000 messages, making it the busiest Forum on Delphi. Message thread topics include everything from rumors to news and gossip. Stop in and put, in your two cents' worth! Or, if you have a technical question, post it in the Forum; you're almost guaranteed to get an answer-the ANALOG Atari SIC membership represents one of the largest Atari resources anywhere.

New ST SIG
    To unify the ST offerings and better organize the database, the ANALOG Atari SIG has been expanded to include a new ST SIG. The SIG is accessed by typing ST at the ANALOG > prompt (although, by the time you read this, the SIG may have gained its own entry on the main GROUPS menu). If you have an ST computer or if you are just interested in what's going on with the STs, be sure to drop by. Just as in the ANALOG SIG, the databases of the ST SIG are packed with useful and unique programs, reviews and information files, and many more are added every week.

Weekly Conferences
    The Atari ST SIG is now hosting a realtime conference each Tuesday to 10 p.m. EST You'll find the conferences an excellent venue for sharing information about Atari computers, getting answers to questions and meeting new friends. Even though the conference is being held in the ST SIG, 8-bit computer owners are encouraged to attend.
    If you haven't yet used Conference on Delphi, here's a quick guide. To get to Conference, type CONFERENCE (or just CO at the Atari SIG main menu, as shown:

ANALOG's ATARI SIG Menu:
Announcements	Request Free Upload
Conference	Set Preferences
Databases	Topic Descriptions
Entry Log	Who's Here
Forum (Messages)	Workspace
MAIL (Electronic)	Help
Member Directory	Exit
Poll

ANALOG > What do you want to do? CO

    You'll be moved to the Conference Menu, which lists the major conference commands:

Welcome to the ANALOG's ATARI SIG Conference System

Conference Menu:
WHO (list groups)	PAGE a user
JOIN a group	NAME nickname
EXIT
CONFERENCE >

    If you type WHO at the CONFERENCE > prompt, you'll see a list of who's currently online in the Atari SIG. Members who are in the conference area will have parentheses around their names. Any conference groups will also be listed-by number and name-and the group listings will show who is in each group.
    You have to enter a conference group before you can chat with others. To do so, type JOIN, followed by the number or name of the group. Once you're in, type your comments; they'll be displayed to everyone else in the group, and you'll be able to read what everyone else types. (A number of special commands are available to you while you're in a conference group. Type /HELP for a list.)


    If you wish to talk with another member who's online anywhere on Delphi, type PAGE, followed by the name of the member. If the member comes to the conference area and accepts your page, a conference group will be created for you.
    To adopt a "handle" for use while you're in conference, type NAME followed by the handle you wish to use.
    (All of these commands can be used while you are in a conference group, as well, but they must be preceded by a slash (/). For more information, type HELP at the CONFERENCE > prompt, or /HELP while you are in a conference group.)
    The Atari SIG Conference area is a great place to meet and chat with other Atari users any time, by the way. (And, as you know if you've been in the Atari SIG, you'll find someone in the SIG most any time of day or night.)

International Additions
    Delphi has two new offerings on its Library menu: Terra Nova and city/country information files.
    Terra Nova is an international/foreign language area accommodating Spanish, Japanese, German, French, Esperanto and English (which is a foreign language to many Delphi members). Terra Nova databases and Forums contain information and HELP files in appropriate languages for each area. The area should be a welcome addition for foreign userse-specially the large number of users who log in from Argentina's Delphi (called SISCOTEL), and the extremely active community of callers from Japan (who were formerly accommodated by the NIPPON group-a sub-SIG in the Micro Artists' Network). Anyone who is studying or otherwise has an interest in another language will also find this area useful.
    The city/country information files are accessed through selections labeled "Metroline" and "Worldline" Each area prompts you for the name of a city or country, then provides a menu offering hotel, travel, cultural and other information on the section.

Collectibles Topic Added to Hobby Shop
    "The Hobby Shop"-Delphi's SIG for model builders and other hobbyists-has added a "Collectibles" topic to their databases. This topic accommodates collectibles of all kinds-from stamps and coins to antiques.

    In addition to numerous other books, Michael A. Banks is the author of DELPHI: The Official Guide and The Modem Book, both from Brady Books. You can write to him via Email on Delphi to membername KZIN.