MetaZine Issue #2

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               |\/|etaZine<BR>
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"Now It's Ok To Be Square"<BR>
VOL 1, Issue 2, August 15, 2000<BR>
Editor: Joshua Dickerson, editor@metasquares.com<BR>
Coeditor: Michael Barnathan, compnut78@cs.com<BR>
Publisher: Joshua Dickerson<BR>
http://www.MetaSquares.com/metazine<BR>
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<BR>
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Feel free to distribute this letter freely to all of your<BR>
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<BR>
<BR>
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          Advertisement<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Make Money For..<BR>
Surfing, eating, sleeping, chatting, having a start page,<BR>
playing games, giving your opinion, beta testing, filling<BR>
out surveys, searching the net, listening to music, reading<BR>
sending email, using your screensaver, shopping, and more<BR>
<BR>
  http://eye-say.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
============================================================<BR>
              IN THIS ISSUE<BR>
============================================================<BR>
<BR>
  1. Words From The Editor<BR>
  2. Poll: New Name<BR>
  3. NEWS FLASH!<BR>
	New Host (update)<BR>
  4. Article: Top 10<BR>
  5. Feature Article:<BR>
        The Latest Version Of Metasquarer (update)<BR>
  6. Feature Web Site<BR>
  7. The Quote<BR>
  8. Subscription Management<BR>
  9. Contact Information<BR>
<BR>
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1.  Words From The Editor<BR>
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<BR>
Welcome fellow Metasquarers.  This is the ezine for all <BR>
Metasquare & Metasquarer information.  We hope to send this <BR>
ezine bi-weekly.  On time. Packed with information.<BR>
<BR>
As promised, we have sent you the second issue!  This issue<BR>
is not as great as the last, because we need a new host and<BR>
money.<BR>
<BR>
There are several ways for us to make money.<BR>
<BR>
1.) Refer your friends<BR>
2.) Get them to join MetaZine so that we can get the 500<BR>
    people necessary to begin selling ads<BR>
3.) Donate to us by going to:<BR>
    http://www.metasquares.com/msquarer/donations.html<BR>
4.) You can also click on the banners or text advertisements<BR>
    on any page in the MetaSquares site<BR>
<BR>
Thank You to all that support us!<BR>
<BR>
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2. Poll<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
We are working on setting up a polling system called <BR>
"RobPoll".  We hope that this will increase the number of<BR>
people voting in the poll. <BR>
<BR>
New Poll:  NO NEW POLL(S)<BR>
mail:  compnut78@cs.com to suggest a poll<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Results From "How much(if anything) do you think Metasquarer<BR>
should cost until we get Fusion?"<BR>
<BR>
Free	   25%<BR>
$1 once    8.33%<BR>
$5 once	   33.33%<BR>
$10 once   16.67%<BR>
$10 a year 16.67%<BR>
(choices with less than 1% will not be displayed)<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
To participate:<BR>
In order to participate in the poll you have to be a member<BR>
of Egroups (http://egroups.com).  Then you have to join<BR>
MetaSquares Newsletter (http://metasquares.com).  Upon<BR>
logging into your egroups account, there will be a link<BR>
for the poll.  Go there and vote.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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3. NEWS FLASH!:  New Host (update)<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
Last Time:<BR>
--Due to problems between Metasquares creator, Michael<BR>
--Barnathan, and metasquares host, Morris Bryan, <BR>
--Metasquares.com & Metasquarers.com will no longer be hosted<BR>
--with MorrisBryan.com.<BR>
--<BR>
--This has come after much downtime and arguing between the<BR>
--two parties.  <BR>
<BR>
--Mike is currently searching for a host that can support his<BR>
--site and the programs.  Anybody that can contribute any<BR>
--money or bandwidth at this time would be of great help.<BR>
--<BR>
--Metasquares.com will be releasing an article on the new site<BR>
--as soon as the site is up and running.<BR>
--<BR>
--If you have any thing to contribute or know someone that<BR>
--does, please contact mike at compnut78@cs.com<BR>
--<BR>
<BR>
UPDATE:<BR>
We have an update to the last message.  The site is now up and<BR>
running.  It does not look as good as the old one and has <BR>
4 popups on everpage but atleast we have a host.  The better<BR>
part about the new design is that in now works with both<BR>
Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer.<BR>
<BR>
If you had difficulty accessing the site before or now and<BR>
wish to download the newest version of MetaSquarer, go to<BR>
http://metasquares.com<BR>
<BR>
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4. Article:  MetaCubes<BR>
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<BR>
Mike Barnathan, creator of MetaSquarer, has just announced<BR>
that he will begin work on MetaCubes aka Meta3.  He says<BR>
that this game will be in 3D so that you can build squares<BR>
or cubes!  The board will be 8x8x8 instead of MetaSquarer's<BR>
board which is only 8x8 and in 2D.  It is supposed to have<BR>
the same features that MetaSquarer has, and then some.  <BR>
<BR>
Mike has said that he will continue to work on MetaSquarer<BR>
because it is easier and is working (for the most part).<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
          Advertisement<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
This could be your ad!<BR>
Yes that is right.  This could be your ad.  Are you<BR>
interested in reaching a wide audience at a low cost?  Do <BR>
you have a business to promote?  Well, now you can promote<BR>
it here.  We offer lots of different styles of ads.  You <BR>
can reach the entire subscription base!<BR>
<BR>
GO THERE: http://eye-say.com/metazine/advertisers/<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
5.  Feature Article<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
The Latest Version Of Metasquarer<BR>
<BR>
If you have been to the new metasquares.com lately, you would<BR>
have noticed that there is a new site and that there is a new<BR>
version of Metasquarer.  Mike is calling it "Metasquarer v.<BR>
5.5.56".  This article features the good and the bad of this<BR>
new program.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The Good...<BR>
<BR>
The first thing that you will notice upon installing is a<BR>
notice that says "Thanks to Fusion, you may use the updater <BR>
again".  This takes care of "irccontrol2.ocx" bug.  Thank You<BR>
Mike.  We are all ecstatic to hear that there should not be <BR>
anymore crashes caused by this bug.<BR>
<BR>
Next is the updater.  You may have noticed that the updater<BR>
does not work to update TO Build 56.  However, it does<BR>
update from Build 56 to the future versions.<BR>
<BR>
I love this.  Mike has incorporated a Top 10 script into<BR>
the website and the game.  Now you give your email address<BR>
when you first start the game.  Then it will register your<BR>
score every time that you play.  This feature is optional.<BR>
(I came up with the idea and Mike put it to work)<BR>
<BR>
Have you noticed that in the older versions that your score<BR>
would reset quite often?  Me too.  This has been fixed with<BR>
a tolerance control for the rating system.<BR>
<BR>
There is a new look for the main screen.  It offers a<BR>
"quit button" (like we didn't know where it was ;-);<BR>
preferences so that you can change the sounds, your<BR>
connection, the appearance; a link to the Top 10; a one-click<BR>
link to the help which is very important for all the newbies.<BR>
Personally, my favorite feature is the Top 10.  You can see<BR>
more than just the Top 10.  You can select the number of<BR>
users that you wish to see.<BR>
There are also more options to choose from on the menu.  A<BR>
link to the rules, some info, and a peek into other people's<BR>
games which will not be ready until the next build.<BR>
<BR>
Help now launches your default .chm file viewer, <BR>
regardless of location.<BR>
<BR>
Added 300wins plugin, after noticing 500wins wasn't <BR>
possible in many games.  This was a big problem.  This plugin<BR>
will let you play past the 150 points.  When using this plugin<BR>
you can play up until 300 points.  You can access it when you<BR>
go to challenge a person to a game.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
The Bad...<BR>
Sorry Mike, since this is an ezine for MetaSquares, I thought<BR>
that it should also display it's downfalls.<BR>
<BR>
It has increased it's size.  It went from 2.32 mb to 2.33.<BR>
This makes me laugh because it is such a small change and it<BR>
is unnoticeable.  I am sure that no one cares about this but<BR>
I figured "what-the-heck".<BR>
<BR>
Just like Microsoft. When something new comes out it has more<BR>
bugs that need to be fixed.  Since it takes a lot of money<BR>
and time to fix these things I will not "rag" on Mike for it.<BR>
However, I will still list the current bugs.<BR>
1.) If you are disconnected by the server, then attempt to <BR>
    reconnect, the client may crash.<BR>
2.) Metasquarer has not been tested on Windows 2000, nor on <BR>
    machines behind a firewall.<BR>
3.) Metahost is not always hidden, however, he is usually hidden<BR>
I am not sure of other bugs, but these are the ones that are<BR>
known and I sure that there are more.<BR>
<BR>
Skins don't work on the new version.  Since there is only one<BR>
skin in the archive and Build 57 should have this working<BR>
again, no one should get upset over it.<BR>
<BR>
Everybody is waiting for a chance to play against the computer.<BR>
How come we can't play against the computer.  I have been<BR>
waiting for this ever since I was introduced to the game.<BR>
<BR>
DOWNLOAD v. 5.5.56: http://metasquarer.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
HOLD ON!!!<BR>
Immediately after releasing Build 56, Mike released Builds<BR>
57 and 58!  Information on these Builds will be released<BR>
in a special notice due out later today (or tomorrow).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
How did I do for my first "Feature Article"?  Tell me.<BR>
email:  editor@metasquarer.com<BR>
<BR>
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6. Feature Web Site<BR>
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Cubist's Metasquares Page<BR>
http://members.aol.com/Cubist<BR>
<BR>
Could someone say detailed? This site is the most detailed <BR>
when it comes to information about playing the game. It <BR>
doesn't have much about bringing it back, but it's a really <BR>
good site to brush up on your game.<BR>
<BR>
Go there:  http://members.aol.com/Cubist<BR>
<BR>
Interested in becoming a feature site?  Want to get tons of<BR>
visitors?  Go to "link to us" at <BR>
http://eye-say.com/metazine/about/link.htm<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
          Advertisement<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
This could be your ad!<BR>
Yes that is right.  This could be your ad.  Are you<BR>
interested in reaching a wide audience at a low cost?  Do <BR>
you have a business to promote?  Well, now you can promote<BR>
it here.  We offer lots of different styles of ads.  You <BR>
can reach the entire subscription base!<BR>
<BR>
GO THERE: http://metasquares.com/metazine/adinfo.htm<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
8.  The Quote<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
"If everyone just refered one friend, than no one would<BR>
ever be without someone to play!"<BR>
    -- Joshua Dickerson, Editor, from www.eye-say.com<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
7.  Subscription Management<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
To SUBSCRIBE or join this Newsletter:<BR>
Go To http://Metasquares.com/metazine<BR>
<BR>
To UNSUBSCRIBE or be removed from this Newsletter:<BR>
Go To http://Metasquares.com/metazine<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
8.  Contact Information<BR>
------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
Thank You<BR>
Joshua Dickerson (eye-say.com) - editor@metasquarer.com<BR>
Michael Barnathan - webmaster@programmerfaq.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
You can find Joshua on MetaSquarer.<BR>
Nickname: Groundup<BR>
<BR>
You can find Mike on MetaSquarer.<BR>
Nickname: Mike<BR>
<BR>
      +---------------------------------+<BR>
      |             Links               |<BR>
      +---------------------------------+<BR>
      | http://metasquares.com          |<BR>
      | http://metasquarer.com          |<BR>
      | http://metasquares.com/metazine |<BR>
      | http://eye-say.com              |<BR>
      +---------------------------------+<BR>
</PRE>