
                                                    
                                                    
              
                       
                      
                 

                  m    a    g    a    z    i    n    e

Hi!

Well, since there is an overwhelming number of people wanting know more
about ambient magazine, how to submit an article and all the latest info
on it, and since I end up basically writing the same thing over and over
again, I've made this FAQ.  Please don't think I'm being impersonal
because any questions you may have after reading this will be answered
by me.

---->I have a topic in mind.  What do I do now?
        Well, simply write the article.  If you want to write about
        anything, just write it with your trusty word processor and save
        it in ASCII format.  Then just send it over to this account
        (lithium@ripco.com), and I'll take care of it from there.
        Please include your full name or what you want the author's name
        to be.  Some people prefer to use their internet address, so
        that people interested in contacting them personally may do so
        in e-mail.

---->Where can I get a copy of ambient magazine?
        Right now, the first issue is not out.  The program is finished,
        but is being enhanced daily.  Basically, all we need is the
        articles, which are coming in quickly every day.  We will
        release it when we deem that we have enough content for the
        first issue.  It shouldn't be long... perhaps by September,
        1994.

---->Is there a mailing list?
        Right now, there is not.  However, every person that emails me
        at this address inquiring in some form or another about ambient
        is on a list, and it may be turned into a mailing list when we
        get the software set up and all the mechanics worked out.

---->How is ambient using multimedia?
        Well this is a rather recent addition to ambient magazine.  It
        is based on the hypertext of information manipulation.  The text
        can include demonstration objects, like sound and graphics
        files.  These files can be imbedded in the text.  If you have,
        for instance, an article that you wrote about the work of
        Picasso, you could include a scanned image of a pertinent
        Picasso work, and when the user reads about the painting, he can
        view it simply with a mouse click.  Similarly, if you would like
        to include digitized sound, that is also possible.  One of the
        current submissions include some sound that is imbedded into an
        article explaining the author's band.

---->What format must the multimedia files be in and how do I send them?
        Preferably, the graphics should be in GIF file format, but
        really anything is desirable.  The magazine supports only 16
        colors right now, but may be upgraded to 256 colors later, so
        please send your 8-bit 256 color files, if possible.
        Sound files should be in WAV format, if possible.  If not, you
        can output it to a raw data format, but be sure to mention what
        type (i.e., number of bits, speed, etc.)
        All multimedia files should be uuencoded and also sent to this
        address.  Please keep the filesizes low so other authors may
        submit files, also.

---->What type of hardware do I need to run ambient magazine?
        Well, as of now, we plan on releasing ambient magazine in three
        basic forms:
                1) It will be available by anonymous FTP on the Internet
                and bulletin boards.  This will be the full multimedia
                executable version of ambient.  You will need an
                IBM-compatible machine that is running Windows 3.1 or
                greater to use it.  A sound board is recommended, but
                not required.
                2) It will be available by anonymous FTP, but only the
                text will be in the archive.  In this form, you can
                download the file if you have a Macintosh or other
                computer and still be able to view it in Ascii format.
                It will not, however have the imbedded graphics and
                sound files and will not have the GUI.  It will only
                include text.  The site as of now is:
                etext.archive.umich.edu.
                3) It will be available online on the World Wide Web
                service.  I know little about this, or how it functions.
                All I know is that like note above in #2, the text will
                only be available.
        To run the actual program, you need an IBM-compatible with
        Windows 3.1 or higher.  However, this is not necessary to view
        the text.  It is, however HIGHLY recommended, to take advantage
        of all ambient has to offer.

