▁b idd ing ▁efforts ▁for ▁A uss ie con ▁Three , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁A uss ie con ' s ▁representative ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁Science ▁F iction ▁Society ' s ▁Mark ▁Prote ction ▁Committee . ▁Smith ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Science ▁Fant asy ▁Society , ▁the ▁C inc inn ati ▁Fant asy ▁Group ▁and ▁General ▁Techn ics . ▁ ▁Smith ▁is ▁known ▁within ▁f andom ▁for ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁and ▁collection ▁of ▁ant ique ▁printing ▁techniques ▁and ▁devices , ▁such ▁as ▁hect ograph s , ▁letter press es , ▁spirit ▁dup lic ators , ▁m ime ograph s ▁and ▁ob sole te ▁computers . ▁ ▁Personal ▁and ▁professional ▁life ▁Smith ▁is ▁founder ▁and ▁president ▁of ▁Dick ▁Smith ▁Software , ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁computer ▁consult ing ▁and ▁network ▁engineering ▁firm ▁in ▁the ▁Chicago ▁area . ▁Prior ▁to ▁that , ▁he ▁developed ▁software ▁for ▁such ▁companies ▁as ▁North rop ▁Gr um man , ▁U . S . ▁Rob ot ics ▁and ▁ 3 Com . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁professional ▁work , ▁Smith ▁cont ributes ▁to ▁science ▁fiction , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁consult ant ▁to ▁such ▁authors ▁as ▁Freder ik ▁P ohl ▁and ▁Mike ▁Res nick . ▁ ▁Smith ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁invent ors ▁of ▁a ▁" Method ▁and ▁protocol ▁for ▁connecting ▁data ▁calls ▁using ▁R 2 ▁signal ing " ▁granted ▁U . S . ▁Pat ent ▁ 6 , 2 3 3 , 2 3 7 ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁He ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁text book ▁L