By Amy Fredette
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Winning first place in an ASUA student programming contest enabled two UA seniors to introduce a computer bulletin board system to the Internet. The BBS designed to give affiliates the opportunity to "talk" about different subjects and issues.
Cat Chat is a computer program that allows University of Arizona students, faculty and alumni to communicate with each other on-line about current events; residence life; music; religion; lesbian, bisexual and gay issues; and university majors.
Co-creators Brendan Johnson, a management information systems senior, and Paul Gallegos, a creative writing senior, introduced the bulletin board system Aug. 16, after collecting $1,000 in winnings from the Associated Students and an additional $1,000 from the Hardware and Computer Knowledge Society (HACKS), a campus computer club.
Johnson is president of HACKS and Gallegos is vice president.
"I'm excited," Johnson said. "It's a new system that allows students and faculty to talk on an equal level without reprisal."
In the early to late 1980s, the term "hacker" was used to define people who would break into computers and steal information. The actual term is "cracker."
Hacking, however, is an individual's ability to create a "fast, efficient way to fix something like hardware or software problems, or to create a computer program," Gallegos said.
Although some people have chosen to reveal their true identities on Cat Chat, Gallegos suggests that users create nicknames to prevent potential problems.
The service does not want there to be repercussions on students who use their names, he said.
"It's a good place to tell your views about things," said Chris Marion, an accounting and management information systems senior who accesses the service. "People are on an equal basis and the anonymity helps to bring some communication forward."
To ensure that only UA affiliates use the system, the program rejects all connections from non-affiliates.
Johnson and Gallegos also have created sports homepages that are specific to various UA sports teams and include team rosters and statistics, individual athlete information and photographs.
In an advanced and technological world, Gallegos said that people need to be computer literate in order to be successful.
Said Gallegos, "We need people to understand where the technology's headed and to be able to function (accordingly) in society. You can't advance in society without all parts of society being literate."
To access Cat Chat, enter the command "telnet (space) bbs". To access sports homepages, enter the command "http://www.HACKS.Arizona.edu/sports/". Any questions about the bulletin board service can be directed to Ranma@Shurakai.HACKS.
Arizona.edu.