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-
- DRIP Version 2.00
- Release Package
-
- DRIP is a program intended solely for its entertainment value, generally
- derived from running the program surreptitiously on another person's
- machine.
-
- When DRIP runs, it produces no messages or other signs of its activity,
- installing itself inline with INT 8, the clock interrupt. It remains
- totally dormant until SCROLL LOCK is depressed, then remaining active
- until SCROLL LOCK is depressed again. When active, each time the clock
- interrupt executes (about every 1/22 second), it decrements a timer
- value which is a pseusdorandom value of varying maximum limit to see if
- it DRIP is due to run. If so, it examines the screen memory to locate a
- character on the screen which has free space beneath it. That character
- is moved downscreen until it either falls off the screen entirely, or
- encounters another character in its fall and comes to rest over it.
- The result is that randomly selected characters on the screen appear
- to 'fall off the screen'.
-
- The interval between activations of the program is a pseudorandom function
- with a maximum value which decreases by a half every 64 characters moved, so
- that by the time a few hundred characters have been moved, it is running
- reasonably continuously.
-
- DRIP is capable of moving one character on the screen at a time. However,
- for a variation, DRIP may be run more than once, installing a copy of itself
- each time it is run. The result is that there will be a maximum number of
- simultaneously moving characters equal to the number of installed copies.
-
- DRIP is totally transparent to any running programs (except, perhaps the
- few that mess around with the clock interrupt). It has no effect
- whatever on the running system when not activated, and minimal effect
- (a slight execution time burden on the clock interrupt) when it is
- active. It has been tested on CORONA, COMPAQ, and IBM machines, including
- various video cards and modes. The only objectionable effect seen to date
- is slight screen 'snow' during the burst of screen ram activity when
- DRIP is hunting for a character to move when it runs, this occuring
- on some inexpensive display adaptors. Most machines' displays
- handled the activities of DRIP without complaint.
-
- DRIP was written and is released as a generalized giggle for the PC
- user community. It may be freely copied and distributed for its intended
- purpose. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD MODIFICATIONS BE MADE TO DRIP
- AND THE RESULT RELEASED TO OTHERS, NOR MAY DRIP BE SOLD FOR PROFIT.
- Every effort has been undertaken to produce and release a fully
- debugged and safe program. It has been carefull written and extensively
- tested. However, the final responsibility is up to the user to ensure
- that DRIP runs correctly with particular programs, and to ensure that
- his copy of DRIP is itself intact. The author assumes no responsibility
- for consequences arising from the use of DRIP.
-
- G. Masters May, 1987 Thousand Oaks, CA
-
- <end of document>