TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: BBS: The Documentary

Re: BBS: The Documentary

Steven Lichter (diespammers@ikillspammers.com)
Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:23:59 GMT

T wrote:

> In article <telecom0.0.5@telecom-digest.org>, christopherz.lee@gmail.com
> says:

>> Yeah! A retro of old skool 80s geek out there at
>> http://geekvideo.blogspot.com/2007/02/bbs-documentary.html

> Awesome -- lots of younger people remember the BBS which is amazing.

> Here's how I got into it. Back in 1982 I'd just graduated high school
> and bought myself a Radio Shack DC-1 modem. This was the one where you
> had to dial then flip the switch when you detected carrier, etc.

> I did so on the advice of a friend who told me about this cool new thing
> called the BBS. Providence, RI had but one BBS at the time called
> NYBBLINK. About a month after I'd gotten the modem NYBBLINK went belly
> up.

> So I pressured my friend and together we built a BBS package for the
> TRS-80 Model III called Syslink. Well, Syslink begat PowerCor and
> PowerNet. The guy who built the Power* systems was Andy Green, who then
> formed Intelicom Data Systems or IDS. IDS is now Conversent
> Communications.

> So all because I bought a modem and had nothing to connect to. Imagine
> that.

> For a few years in the late 80's I was the sysop for Syslink, but by
> then it was running on a PC under TBBS.

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: I started my BBS'ing in 1979 under the
> tutalage of Randy Seuss in Chicago, but instead of the software and
> computer he operated, I chose to use an Apple ][+ and a variation on
> the People's Message System of Bill Blue. I got the Apple in 1981 and
> thought that was better to use than the older OSI C-l-P machine I had.
> I kept *Lakeshore Modem Magazine* alive through the end of 1985 at
> which point I was pretty much involved in Usenet all the time. During
> that same time period I was also sysop of the Chicago Public Library
> BBS for about three years, but that (CPL) was on a volunteer basis
> (which is not to say my own BBS made any money, either!) PAT]

The article and video were very interesting to me having ran an Apple
II BBS from 1984 until 2003. The system is still right next to my new
Macs, but is no longer on line, the BBS is up and still runs, just no
modem. Some year I might even put a modem back on it and see what
happens.

The Only Good Spammer is a Dead one!! Have you hunted one down today?
(c) 2007 I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot In Hell Co.

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Have you considered running that BBS
(the one without a modem) on a high speed broadband line, or given
the number of hackers and spammers these days, is that too risky? PAT]

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