The Falcon FacTT File

The Falcon FacTT File was launched by Kev Beardsworth, Colin Fisher-McAllum and Roger Derry in December 1993. Originally a user group for Falcon owners, the FFF was set up to encourage user to help user.

Things either move on or stagnate, the FFF cannot be accused of standing still. First we produced a listing of members and their set ups using Roger's NameNet Address Manager. It wasn't long before Hints & Tips were being sent in by members, these were added to the listing. Kev and Colin started writing reviews of the new soft/hardware they bought and published them in the listing. Again the adventurous members sent in their articles for inclusion. NameNet coped well but the text content was by now getting very heavy and we wanted to include screenshots... Along came the excellent ST-Guide. Now, as you can see we have moved on again to HTML format and publish AtariPhile the all Atari platform magazine.

As we share a common CPU, the Motorolla 68030, owners of TTs and PAKs were invited to join us. A Falcon FacTT File message echo was opened on NeST and the distribution of the monthly listings joined the 20th century and is hatched into the world as an encrypted archive to protect members personal data. The echo proved popular and to spread it wider was gated with FanFiles. Having been bitten by the comms bug our own BBS has been opened, 42BBS is the home of the Falcon FacTT File and offers closed message and file areas to members as well as the usual Networked echoes. Running 24 hours a day at speeds up to 28,800 on +44 (0)1256-895106, 42BBS is open to all, but FFF members have the bonus of extra online time and download limits.

If you are thinking of buying a new Word Processor, find a member who has the one you are interested in and give them a call to ask what they think of it. Or if you have just bought a printer and having trouble setting it up with a DTP program, look for a member with the same or similar set-up and call for advice. In this way you will soon build up a group of contacts with similar soft/hardware and general computing interests.

The completed and signed membership form (if under 18 years signed by a parent or guardian and noted as such) must be received by us, with a High Density disk and return postage (or International Postage Coupons). The file itself is a NameNet Address Manager data listing of all members. We supply a shareware version of NameNet, [members may register at special rates]. The listing is updated and distributed monthly with the latest AtariPhile which is published bimonthly.

Falcon FacTT File membership is free. All we ask members to do is, if joining or upgrading by post, always supply return postage and, if you have some new PD/Shareware (or the fruits of your own programming!) that would be of interest to other members, put it on the disk. We do not run a PD library but use some of the supplied PD/Shareware to fill the FFF disk.

Therefore, without return postage and/or a disk [if required] we will not be able to respond.