European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 3, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Trends the problems of Patricia Wettig and Timothy Busfield As Nancy and Elliot of a thirty some things have computer communicators dashing for their  Yack about to via computers when Karen Krugman of Birmingham mich., Learned that Nancy was unhappy with Elliot and Elliot was falling apart at the seams she Felt she had to talk to someone about it. So when a thirty so me things was Over she turned off the to collected her thoughts and called 350,000 of her closest friends. No dial Era a cramp either. That a because Krugman is one of a growing number of serious passionate to viewers who use their personal computers to Trade information reviews off the Wall opinions Industry insiders gossip and revelations. All about television. From their computer monitors these hackers can even participate in heated debates about the latest plot lines on their favorite shows. You need three things to join this National network of vide philes a computer a Modem a a Little Box that can Cost anywhere from $40 to $400 and enables computers to Send and receive messages Over phone lines and membership in an on line service. The major on line services currently available include Compuserve Prodigy Genie America online a link and pc link. They have Only about 1 million customers among them but subscriber numbers Are growing As people with Home computers begin to realize their versatility. Home shopping travel reservations news wire reports Stock Market quotations and electronic mail Are just some of the features most services offer. Everything from Chat to Home banking is available at fees ranging from a Flat $9.95 a month for unlimited use to As much As $ 18 per hour on line plus the Cost of the phone Call every time a caller logs on. All of these services also provide television news and soap opera summaries. In fact there a a a circulation War going on and Competition is stiff. Genie offers a daily feature called a Showbiz round table a which gives subscribers the Chance to quiz popular stars and producers via monopoly by mail when will it end monopoly players need no longer buy a Board to get vicarious thrills Over gobbling up Choice pieces of property on Boardwalk Park place and other famous Sites. Would be Wheeler dealers can be the Boot the hat the race car or the thimble when they participate in a new mail order monopoly game in which a computer Rolls the Dice. Patience is a virtue in this version of the famous game. Each round of moves takes about key boarded questions and answers exchanged on screen. America online has a similar Star feature which has presented the likes of Tony Dow of a leave it to Beaver and Harry Anderson of a night  Prodigy retains the services of Hollywood entertainment columnist Marilyn Beck and movie critic Gene Siskel to respond to users queries. Even better than these authorized titbits though Are the real scoops that on line users Are privy to. Compuserve for instance offers an electronic a bulletin boards on which broadcast professionals can Exchange information and gossip. Since any Compuserve subscriber can read the messages on this bulletin Board things do tend to slip out every now and then. What kind of information gets leaked online users found out that the new a Brady Bunche series a the Bradys a would not be renewed before most fans even knew it was on the air. And a former a dark shadows Crew member told hackers about plans to resurrect the series As a to movie before the new cast two weeks. Why would anyone want to play in a game that extends the already seemingly endless hours of monopoly into weeks months and years mail games founder Glenn Leyba of mail games the Gaithersburg mde a company behind the game said the answer can be found in the fascination monopoly has held for people since Parker Brothers first immortalized the streets of Atlantic City n.j., 55 years ago. The game which now has versions with different Street names for Many different countries lets players become business moguls by buying up property and charging opponents to use it. It has been a hit in just about All its variations. This latest incarnation a in which the players communicate with one another and with was hired. This logging on business can become highly addictive especially for people who work at Home. It does no to take Couch potatoes Long to become computer potatoes. In a Way its an obsessive Hobby like Ham radio operating or listening to the Short wave late into the night. A thirty something fan Krugman works at Home but As a subscriber to several on line services she stays glued to her High tech computer six to eight hours a Day. Another computer bulletin a aboard member a Jennifer Morgan who lives near Dallas stays on her computer from 7 . A until at least Midnight. I talk a til my fingers  one ironic note to All of this As a general Rule those most Active in communicating via computer about television tend to watch a lot less of it than they used to. And with no regrets. One screen it seems is just about As Good As another. To guide mail games which controls the computer by mail a does eliminate one aspect. There Are no snap decisions. A with this game a Leyba said a a there a nobody standing Over you telling you to buy or sell a  in the games first year Leyba advertised in magazines devoted to mail order games to attract 24 players a six games of four people apiece. Players Are charged a set amount a in real Money a to participate. Leyba said he checked out his product with trademark and copyright attorneys before marketing the game. He said he has avoided using the style and design of the game although the game literature does suggest use of a monopoly Board to follow along. Associated press