[GreenKeys] Changes In ITTY

[George B. Hutchison]

GreenKeyers - - -

This past weekend a minor but significant change was incorporated
into the way ITTY Works.

The e-mail input feature previously would put an incoming item at the
head of the message queue for an ASAP transmission. After
transmission the item would drop from the queue, and not be seen
again unless it was re-sent or the ITTY wire room staff would re-
enter it into the queue. The result was that when nothing had been
submitted via e-mail or locally, the empty the system would revert to
callbands which were repeated until something new came in via e-mail
or we had added an item here at ITTY Central. This made for an
ultimately boring circuit if the usual contributors were through for
the day.

Bill revised the software such that the scheme now puts an incoming
message at the head of the queue for transmission as it always has,
but at the same time it puts the item into an auxiliary file. When
the news queue has been exhausted and down to nothing but callbands,
at the end of the last callband the callband file is reloaded, and
the new auxiliary file is loaded on top of it. The system then first
transmits the auxiliary file items in the sequence received and
stored, then when empty sends the callband file until it is empty and
then repeats the reload sequence.

The aim is to make sure that there is more copy on the circuit and
fewer callband transmissions, making the circuit more interesting in
that it assures there are more itemes of news than callbands.

Once a day the ITTY Newsroom staff will edit the auxiliary file so
that older items are purged, keeping the content on the circuit
relatively new and thus interesting.

Steps are being taken to allow selected individuals to remotely work
with the ITTY scheduling system so that when it does have problems
and the wire room staff is at the disco or the pub, those not out on
the dance floor or enjoying their pint of ale can manipulate the
system just as if they were sitting here in the ITTY Brown Suede
Chair.

Another item which has been inquired about is the use of the "ZCZC"
all-call code, so that those with selective printing can cause their
machines to ignore the callbands and just print actual stories. We
will approach this problem in the next week or so.

For the time being if you so wish to add the "ZCZC" code to your
submissions, please feel free to do so, but add a story header two
lines below the "ZCZC" code, so that the body of your item will look
something like this:

ZCZC

POPE, AL SHARPTON & JESSE JACKSON TO HAVE ECUMENICAL SUMMIT

STORY STORY STORY STORY BLAH BLAH BLAH

END OF STORY

(The ITTY system automatically adds "NNNN" to the end of each item)

Thanks to those who use and watch ITTY, we are now up to an
average of 3 users that have it on 24/7. With the winter months
approaching usage is sure to go up, and we want those who want
their machines to run to have a circuit to watch that approaches
that which AP and UPI used to offer radio stations and newspapers,
and at the same time have content more interesting that what is
left of formerly responsible and fair media offer on radio and 
television.

George - W7TTY - ITTY Central