1.3: About this document (rec.roller-coaster)
Description
This article is from the Roller Coaster FAQ, by Geoff Allen geoff@eecs.wsu.edu with numerous contributions by others.
1.3: About this document (rec.roller-coaster)
The rec.roller-coaster FAQ is posted on the 20th of every month to
rec.roller-coaster, rec.answers, and news.answers. Why the 20th, you ask?
Because the patent for LaMarcus Thompson's Switchback Railway was issued on
January 20, 1885. The Switchback Railway is widely considered to the the
first modern roller coaster. (Thanks to Dave Altoff for his list of coaster
dates which helped me pick a good date to commemorate with the FAQ.)
The rec.roller-coaster FAQ is also available in a hypertext version on the
World Wide Web as http://www.eecs.wsu.edu/~geoff/coaster_faq/.
The plain text version of this document comes in three parts. Part 1 offers
a table of contents to the posts, plus a general introduction. Part 2
offers general roller-coaster info -- abbreviations, definitions,
information on organizations, and references for the roller
coaster/amusement park enthusiast. Part 3 contains lists and statistics
relating to coasters. It is also the most volatile section, more likely
than the others to be changed.
The rec.roller-coaster FAQ was originally compiled by Dave Rounds
(dave@bcco.com), then maintained by Bill Buckley
(buckley@powdml.enet.dec.com), and has now fallen into my hands (Geoff
Allen, geoff@eecs.wsu.edu). Comments and questions are most welcome via
e-mail to Geoff.
You can get a copy of the latest version of this document via anonymous FTP
from the "official" roller-coaster FTP site, gboro.rowan.edu, in directory
/pub/Coasters (more on the site later). You can also get a copy from the
official archive of news.answers, which is on rtfm.mit.edu in the directory
/pub/usenet-by-group/rec.roller-coaster. (A lot of other interesting FAQs
are there, too. The name under which a FAQ is archived appears in the
Archive-name: line at the top of the article. This FAQ, for example, is
archived as roller-coaster-faq/part1, 2, and 3. If you just want to browse
there, try directory /pub/usenet-by-hierarchy, where the dots in newsgroup
names represent directories. So these documents are in
/pub/usenet-by-hierarchy/rec/roller-coaster.)
If you don't know how to use FTP, or don't even know if you can at your site
(not all sites can), ask a knowledgeable user at your site.
Special thanks to all the contributors, commentators, error-correctors and
others who've helped to make this FAQ possible. They are (in no particular
order):
* Mark Wyatt (of Inside Track magazine)
* William "Buck" Buckley (buckley@powdml.enet.dec.com)
* Me, Geoff Allen, geoff@eecs.wsu.edu
* Ronnie Swain, swain@aludra.usc.edu
* Tom Obszanski, Tom"-"Obszanski@cup.portal.com
* betsyp@apollo.hp.com
* Ken Denton, SYSOP@elan.glassboro.edu
* little gator aka s. mudgett, scm@harvee.billerica.ma.us
* Kara L. Robinson, KROBINSO@Kentvm.Kent.edu
* Michael A. Cornell, mac18@po.CWRU.Edu
* Chris Toomer, toomer@cs.colostate.edu
* Paul Asente, asente@mv.us.adobe.com
* Patty Winter, winter@apple.com
* Tom Maglione, maglione@media.mit.edu
* Bill Figie, wjf@controls.ccd.harris.com
* Sharon Crichton, sharonc@meaddata.com
* maniac, MANIAC@ozone.com
* Justin Garvanovic (of First Drop Coaster Club),
Justin@frstdrop.demon.co.uk
* Martin I Lewison, milst1+@pitt.edu
* Matthew Crowther, crowther@crl.com
* Brian Peters, bpeters@pit.legent.com or coasterfun@aol.com
* Jeffrey L. Seifert, Jeffrey263@AOL.COM
* Ty Fluharty, napha@pgh.nauticom.net
* Jan Fitzurka, jannie@city-net.com
* Jim Whelan, 73467.2141@compuserve.com
* Bill Bishop, wdbishop@dictator.uwaterloo.ca
* Nora G.
And now.... On with the show!!!!!!!
Continue to:
My Books
