From International Viewpoints (IVy) Issue 20 - January 1995
See Home Page at http://www.ivymag.org/
Clearing and Computers
by A. Cybernaut, Great Britain
YOU'D BE SURPRISED at some of the information that scrolled past my
computer screen during 1994.
There were the spate of new affidavits by Stacey and Robert Vaughan
Young, the Aznarans and the Tabayoyons(1).
There were the John Zegal tape transcriptions(2).
There was insight into the controversial IRS decision(3), and news
from
Germany on the C of $ fracas there. There was even a transcript of
the OT3 pack!
At the same time, there was plenty of information for those who prefer
to leave the C of $ in the past and get on with Clearing Technology
in the present. Flemming Funch released his Transformational
Processing
book in bite-sized chapters. Allan Hacker made his Acceptance
materials
available. There was regular stimulating discussion of the whole range
of Clearing Technology.
Dennis Stephens' TROM was only one of the many hot subjects in '94.
First impressions and reports were circulating within hours of its
appearance. Stephens himself contributed clarification on certain
technical points. TROM made a sizable impact and computer buffs can
now subscribe to a special TROM-only information service, receiving
regular 'TROM comm'. Such services are known as LISTSERVs
and I'll be talking more about these later on.
Participants in this computer world range from feisty(4) Old
Timers to interested newcomers. Super Squirrels, Ex(panded)
Scientologists,
seasoned critics, and even the occasional C of $ die-hard all have
their say - to an estimated audience of some seventy to eighty
thousand subscribers all around the globe.
Computer 'conferences'
There are currently two main conferences (or 'newsgroups'
to use the proper term) of special interest to IVy readers.
The first is known as 'alt.clearing.technology', hereafter
referred to as a.c.t, and the second is 'alt.religion.scientology'
which we'll call a.r.s.
a.c.t is devoted mainly to the discussion of Clearing Technology(5)
in its broadest
definition - encompassing all varieties and flavours of clearing -
and is by far the more rational newsgroup of the two.
In contrast, a.r.s is often a battleground, as critics,
'churchies' and Free Zoners slug it out.
Both are worth reading though. There are plenty of interesting nuggets
to be found on a.r.s if you can just filter out the 'noise',
plus it gives an idea of the current public perception of the C of
$ (not particularly good).
There are many different Independent groups and individuals
represented,
all of whom have the freedom to communicate publicly or privately
as they see fit. Commercial advertising is not encouraged,
as the purpose of such newsgroups is the simple provision of
information
and the interchange of ideas. However, the quality of information
available is high, and the potential rewards of communication are
great. You can leave messages or data on a newsgroup and receive an
answer within the hour from the other side of the globe.
This is a great way to meet kindred spirits scattered all around the
planet and get (back?) in comm with them. There's nothing nicer than
enjoying a friendly electronic mail exchange!
Of course there are already many worthy contacts out there in
cyberspace,
and most will be happy to strike up a comm line. There's a loose
network
of Captain Bill-trained C/Ses who use the computer lines to discuss
C/S issues and other matters. Flemming Funch and Joachim Steingrubner
are on-line, as are David Mayo and Sarge Gerbode. Your good editor,
Ant, is here, as is the redoubtable Homer Wilson Smith who started
the a.c.t newsgroup, and a whole host of others who you'll
recognise.
Having said this, it should be emphasised that not only Independents
frequent the newsgroups. Yup - big brother is most certainly listening
in, and that may put some people off. It's possible to become
anonymous
and adopt a pseudonym if this concerns you at all (but don't try 'The
Squirrel' - it's already been done!)
List Servers
I mentioned the TROM list server ('TROM-L') earlier, which
supplies you with a steady stream of TROM-related info via electronic
mail. List servers can be created to forward and receive electronic
mail on any subject, and are worth knowing about. Once you have
'subscribed'
to the list of your choice, it's just a question of waiting for the
mail to arrive in your electronic mailbox.
You can even receive the 'best of' newsgroups a.c.t
and a.r.s by subscribing to listservs CLEAR-L and LRH-L respectively.
This way you get the data you need without the time-wasting 'noise',
and you keep your phone bills down.
How to join the fun
Really, no self-respecting Clearing Practitioner should be without
access to these fantastic resources. So how do you go about getting
connected ? Just follow the steps below and you'll be there in
no time:
1. Get a computer
I would recommend a PC compatible, available from a multitude of
sources(6).
You can get away with a lower-powered
model as this kind of work is not especially demanding on the machine.
A '386 25SX' model should be quite sufficient and won't cost
you an arm and a leg(7).
2. Get a modem
A modem is an electronic box which sits between your computer and
your telephone socket. The faster the better, as this will help to
keep your phone bills down. Look for a '14,400 bps (bits per second)'
modem, or faster if you can afford it. A 14,400 bps model will cost
about 100 sterling.
3. Get an account
Get an account with an 'Internet Service Provider'. A what?
OK, imagine a powerful computer which can exchange information with
a vast number of other similar computers around the world. The Service
Provider typically owns several such machines. You use the superior
resources of the big computer(s) to communicate with the outside
world,
for a monthly charge plus the cost of your phone calls (effectively.)
Phone charges will be the same as a normal inland call to the Service
Provider's location, even if you are using the computer to talk
to someone in Australia! You can minimise phone call charges by
choosing
an SP (!) who supplies a 'Local Access Point' (also known
as a 'Point of Presence') near you. In other words, if you
live in Birmingham, choose a Service Provider who serves from
Birmingham
for the cheapest possible solution. UK readers - see the enclosed
list of Service Provider companies for more details.
4. Get the appropriate software
The software you will need varies according to the Service Provider,
and will usually be provided by them, often free of charge. Whenever
you want to 'commune by computer', this will provide the immediate
interface for you to do so. It will dial up the Service Provider's
computer and make all the connections. You will then be presented
with a range of options - simple controls that you can use to
tell the 'host' computer what you want it to do. For example
you might select 'Usenet News' in order to activate the
Internet Newsgroup program, by typing an 'N' at your keyboard.
You could then type the name of the newsgroup that you wish to browse.
For our purposes this would be 'alt.clearing.technology' or
'alt.religion.scientology', but realise that you have the
potential to reach thousands of other newsgroups, on subjects from
Archery to Zen! The Service Providers will generally bend over
backwards
to help you get up and running, so don't worry if it all seems a bit
alien just now...
The above example of connecting to a newsgroup is hypothetical only,
as you'll find that each Service Provider has their own unique way
of doing things.
Service providers (SPs)
Generally there are two main types of SP: (forgetting Type Three for
now!!)
Bulletin Board-style providers like Compuserve, CIX and Delphi are
arguably easier for the beginner to master. In addition to their
various
non-Internet options, they offer a limited GATEWAY onto the Internet.
Direct connection-style providers like the BBC Networking Club,
Cityscape,
Demon, Dircon and Genesis aren't quite as easy to get going. However,
they allow unlimited Internet access for the more adventurous.
Either type of Service Provider will get you onto the Clearing
newsgroups.
There are two main questions to ask of your prospective SP:
1.Do you have a Local Access Point near me?
2.Are there any surcharges, especially for Internet
access?
The future
Finally, a word about the future. There have been excited
communications
on alt.clearing.technology regarding the prospect of AuditNet. This
is a vision of auditing taking place across the Internet, with the
PC in Birmingham, England, say, in session with a Clearing
Practitioner
in Baltimore, USA, facilitated by computer! Digital technology would
be employed to transmit relevant data (Clearing Practitioner and
his/her commands on video, PC's responses on video, meter reads, TA)
from one computer to the other. Session admin. could be automated,
with template worksheets and automatic Time/TA/Needle movement
logging. Coupled with automatic TA adjustment, the practitioner
becomes more and more free to observe the PC (albeit through an
electronic via).
The technology for full digital 'video conferencing' is already
available, and digital e-meters are apparently here too, so it is
all quite possible. Initial implementations of AuditNet are likely
to be on a slightly more mundane level, until video-conferencing
becomes
more generally established and cost effective. The emphasis will be
on getting the processing done! It's a controversial subject, but
it could put clearing into much wider use while taking the load off
the travelling practitioner. The technology to facilitate the above
is steadily getting better and faster. While I find it hard to imagine
traditional face-to-face processing being replaced, who knows what
the seed of AuditNet could eventually grow into?
Meanwhile, there is plenty to be gained by joining
the band of dedicated Independents who frequent the Information
Highways.
Apart from the obvious benefits of communicating with your fellow
Free Zoners, it is an excellent way of getting acquainted with the
wonders of the Internet in general, where it is possible to find
just about any information you need - data, images, animation,
video, software - but that's another story... Hope to see you
in Cyber Space soon!
(1)These were legal statements
giving data on conditions in the church, etc.
(2)John Zegal made four cassette tapes in
the period '83 to '85, describing the reasons behind the split from
the church, etc.
(3)Where the church was granted backdated tax exempt status.
(4)US Dialect. full of life and high spirits. World Book Dictionary
(5)Clearing
as a term seems to be used either as a synonym for scientology, or
to describe procedures aligned with scn principles. Ed.
(6)Other types, for example a Mac, can be used.
(7)I suspect an old 8086 machine one can pick
up second hand and cheap would be sufficient.