Memorial Day Geek Style
Submitted by Scott Dowdle on Mon, 2007-05-28 14:28.
BBS
Do you remember the time BI (Before Internet)? I do. I got my first computer in 1983 and my first modem shortly thereafter. In 2005 a guy by the name of Jason Scott released a documentary on 3 DVDs entitled The BBS Documentary. He released it under a creative commons license. I pre-ordered it and was one of the first couple of hundred folks to get a copy. The BBS Documentary brought back such memories. Hey, I used BBSes for about 12 years before the Internet became available to me... so on this memorial day, why not take a walk down memory lane with me. Hey, I even met my wife on a BBS.
Part 1: BAUD
Part 2: Sysops and Users
Part 3: Make it Pay
Part 4: Fidonet
Part 5: Artscene
Part 6: HPAC (Hacking Phreaking Anarchy Cracking)
Part 7: No Carrier
Part 8: Compression
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BBS Documentry
Submitted by Edward Dunagin (not verified) on Mon, 2007-05-28 19:31.
Scott,
I really enjoyed you BBS thingy. I ran a dos BBS in Ohio from 1985 thru 1900 or so. Then I started an Internet BBS and ran it for a couple of year and then set up a Web site for the same purpose.
This brought back many menories. Thanks very much.
Peace.....ed
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Being a SysOp
Submitted by Scott Dowdle on Tue, 2007-05-29 09:18.
Ed,
I ran a few BBSes myself. The first one was in Memphis Tennessee and was run from two single-sided 3.5" floppy drives on an Atari ST. Then I ran one for a few months in Urbana Illinois. Then in 1986 I moved to Great Falls and started one there... which I ran for a couple of years.
I ran a few different BBS packages on the Atari ST including Michtron BBS and FoReM BBS. Michtron was multitasking and I could be on it while one caller was on... but eventually I switched to FoReM (or was it FoRuM?) BBS so I could connect to the network they were running (kinda like Fidonet). The name of the BBS was The Outer Limits.
My BBS in Great Falls only lasted for a year or two... and then I became a regular user. Then in 1995 a few ISPs started offering dialup PPP service and virtually ever BBS in Great Falls closed down. I was done around 1996 or 1997.
--
TYL, Scott
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For my Atari friends