BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News COPYRIGHT 1993 ISSN 1055-4548 June 1993 Volume 6, Issue 6 Edition 1 Table Of Contents ----------------- Article Title Author Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff From The Editor................................Scott Hollifield Spring Comdex '93 - present............................Mark Maisel Special Anniversary Section [ Women and Telecommunications '93 - present.....Gwendolyn Norton [ Known BBS Numbers '88-'93 - present............compiled by Scott Hollifield "Available For Chat"...........................Jeff Vaughn Mail Doors, Continued..........................David Moss How I Spent My Saturday........................Lurch Henson Telecommunications.............................Damion Furi Masquerade.....................................Harlequin/Lady Ariana A Little Dazed, A Little Confused, And A Little Excited ...............................................Jeff Vaughn Known BBS Numbers..............................James Minton ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions, etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN, even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood of such damages occurring. With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles, please forward a copy of your publication to: Mark Maisel Publisher, BTN 606 Twin Branch Terrace BHAM, AL 35216 (205) 823-3956 We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing all of this and not get too serious about it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T ! The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios. ADAnet One Alter-Ego Bone Yard Bus System The Castle Channel 8250 C.A.B. The Comfy Chair! Crunchy Frog DC Info Exchange Final Frontier Gateway BBS Hardware Hotline Homewood's Hell Hole Joker's Castle Lemon Grove Martyrdom Again?! The MATRIX Milliways BBS Night Watch The Outer Limits Owlabama BBS Owl's Nest Playground Safe Harbor Southern Stallion Starbase 12 Teasers BBS T.G.U.E. BBS Thy Master's Dungeon Weekends BBS (This list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.) If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as a free BTN distributor. Thanks. Please note a slight change in our distribution policy! The local boards in this list get BTN *first*, to the best of our ability. -SH ----------------------------------------------------------------------- N E W S F L A S H BTN's FIFTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION CONTINUES!! See the special bonus feature in this month's issue. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From the Editor by Scott Hollifield Blah blah blah BBS pornography. Blah blah Channel 13. Blah blah blah Rocky Rawlins blah. Blah the Matrix, blah Pam Huff. Bob Crawford blah blah blah Atlantic Ocean blah blah. Blah blah protest, blah blah civil disobedience, blah social change, blah blah, etc. Blah blah Mark Maisel, blah Comdex. Blah everybody else; blah blah special anniversary section continued, blah blah. Blah next month, et al. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Spring Comdex '93 by Mark Maisel Once again, another Comdex is behind me and I'm glad. I always look forward to the shows and enjoy them, but there is a special satisfaction in having it behind me. They are really draining and the time they take from my other activities makes it really tough to catch up once I get home and sleep for a few days to recover. The Georgia World Congress Center expansion is nice. The MARTA train station is directly across the street from the site so commuting via rail is quite attractive and leaves one sane at the end of a frenzied day of mingling, gawking, and otherwise enjoying Comdex. The traffic in Atlanta is pretty stout stuff. It doesn't quite compare to New York City but it is getting there. I had to drive some because of parties after the show so I did my share of rush hour madness. Fortunately, it was limited exposure and I had Raymond Hugh to keep me company and mock the traffic. The Center is a huge facility and was not at all taxed to host all exhibitors who chose to exhibit for all comers. As a matter of fact, substantial room remained empty in both halls so Spring Comdex has plenty of room to grow if the Interface Group can market Atlanta better than it has in the past. This year, IBM and Microsoft were attempting to make friends and influence people. Respectively, they were hawking the latest versions of their new operating systems, OS/2 2.1 and Windows NT. I didn't spend much time with either of them as my mission was oriented toward graphics. I did stop at one of the five IBM booths to ask some questions about the new OS/2 only to find that IBM still has a problem with some of its people not knowing a damned thing about their products. The woman I talked to could not answer any of my questions about the new release. I asked real basic questions like, "What is different in the new OS/2?". Her answer to that was, "I don't know. They seem the same to me." Is this scary or what? Microsoft provided space for myriad vendors who have written applications and utilities for Windows NT. I thought it was a good way to show the products and the new operating system. Word Perfect was another vendor trying to entice folks. They showed the new Word Perfect 6.0 for MS-DOS as well as many other products for a variety of platforms. I stopped to check out the new Word Perfect since I have become quite the Word Perfect junkie over the past few years. I liked what I saw though the graphics mode available in it was awfully slow on the machine I used at their booth. The software, as I recall, was not the release version so maybe they'll get it running better before it is released. The big change I was hoping for is included in the new version; support for True Type fonts. I have Corel Draw 3.0 and it came with oodles of TT fonts. It will be nice to have access to them from DOS and Windows. As I stated earlier, my primary focus was graphics. There were lots of video adapter manufacturers there and I met with several of them, hoping to obtain press information and evaluation units for review. I also met with folks from Viewsonic and Sampo in regards to same for their line of SVGA monitors. Viewsonic has a particularly impressive new monitor they say will begin shipping in July. It is a 21 inch, microprocessor controlled, multi-frequency monitor with a .26 mm dot pitch, color control, and a top resolution of 1600x1200 pixels. Needless to say, it is quite impressive. It is also expensive as the list price is around $2400. If you are doing heavy duty CAD, DTP, or other graphics work, you should definitely consider this monitor when becomes available. I was very impressed though I'd be terrified to have something that large on my desk. I expect that the DOS prompt would be nearly an inch tall. Nothing at the show really caught my eye as have some things at shows past. I would say, however, that this show was an excellent one, as such things go, since the overall quality and quantity of exhibits was very high. It was impressive and informative, a tough thing to accomplish in such chaos. If you wanted to go and didn't, it is too bad. You missed a good one. The nightlife was fun too. I always like Spring Comdex because all my Atlanta friends and those who are traveling show junkies like me get together for parties and socializing after the show. Sunday before the show, Valeria Palmer hosted a dinner at her home for mostly ByteBrothers participants and lurkers. We viewed the latest GIFs, FLIs, and photos as well as swapping stories. Monday, we had a dinner at Manuel's Tavern in the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta. It was a lot of fun though there was some confusion that prevented some folks from finding us. Wednesday evening, Hayes Microcomputer Products (the modem folks) gave a reception for bbs types, sysops, and other folks who were interested. It was a lot of fun. Jim Harrer (Mustang Software), Mark Herring (Sparkware), and Dennis Hayes (Hayes Microcomputer Products) spoke to the assemblage briefly. Dennis spoke primarily about ISDN implementation. If you don't know what ISDN is, please say so in a letter to the editor and we'll whip up a tutorial. ISDN is a potentially wonderful way to increase flexibility and throughput on your phone lines that is not receiving nearly the publicity or push it should from the Regional Bell Operating Companies. I made some grumbling noises and one of the guys from Hayes overheard me. He came over and introduced himself. Terry Rutter is his name and he knows a great deal about ISDN. We had a very nice chat for 20-30 minutes and I now have a good source for information about ISDN should there be any interest in an article. I hung around after the show had ended, waiting for Friday as I was invited to a barbecue in north Georgia. It was great! Thanks to Greg Roberts for the fresh shoulder and ham and to Johnny & Paula Bridges for extending the invitation. It was an hour drive to and from the Bridges residence but it was well worth it. It was a great week and while I'm glad it is over, I can't wait to do it again. As a matter of fact, I'll be leaving at the end of June for PC Expo, yet another computer show that takes place each year in New York City. This will be my first time at this show and I hope to have exciting things to share from that when it is over. Unfortunately, I'll probably miss the July issue but I'm sure it will keep till August if it must. In closing and totally unrelated to Comdex, I am taking this space to solicit suggestions for articles to be written by me for BTN. I have already taken a suggestion from Damion that I will try to have ready for the July issue. Please feel free to leave me a message on MATRIX main board or in EZNet as I check those places most often. If you are not local or do not have access to these places, you can send me e-mail via the Internet at the following address: PCWMARK@AOL.COM. You may also reach me on CompuServe at Mark Maisel,71154,365. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SECTION Featured herein are a couple of special features which weren't ready in time for last month's issue: Gwendolyn Norton's comments on being a female BBS user in 1993, and my own BBSography of the last five years. Enjoy, friends. -------------------------- Women in BBSing, Or the Lack Thereof by Gwendolyn Norton While the number of women using modems has been slowly increasing, women are still an underwhelming minority in the BBS community. I became even more aware of as this as I was trying to find women onŠline to ask their opinions for this article. Practically every time that I logged on to The Matrix, I was the only female on. This article is a compilation of popular theories as well as my own interpretations on the scarceness of women in BBSing phenomenon. For starters, I think that one big reason that most females never even touch a computer is social conditioning and stereotypes. Whenever someone portrays a computer nerd, it is ALWAYS a male (such as can be seen on the present EGGO commercial.) This kind of repeat conditioning advertises it as something that females would not be interested in the same way the Barbie and My Little Pony suggest that males would not be interested in them by always portraying girls playing with them in the commercials. Also, for the females who choose to be "fashionably stupid" because the men that they are interested in prefer to be smarter than their women, computers have the image of being for intelligent people (hence why they are operated by nerds.) However, the increasing simplicity and user friendliness involved with modeming and computers in general decreases the need for technical knowledge and opens the doors for socializing is likely largely accountable for the building increase in our numbers. However, for those who do get into modeming (almost without exception because they are an active male user's wife, girlfriend, or sister) they are often quite horribly harassed and leave before they ever get their roots planted. Although I have experienced this from men of all ages, mostly the males responsible for driving the females off are 13-year-olds exploring the world of hormones. Female new users have no way of realizing that the guy explicitly proposing sex to them is some 8th-grader, and instead pictures someone older and more threatening. It takes a sense of humor to put up with the various offers/ proposals/predictions of future encounters. I tend to find them rather amusing (laughing at them, not with them) and remain completely unoffended. One of the more amusing opening lines that I ever got from one of these cases was, "Hey, baby! Wanna chat? Wanna do OTHER things?" Assuming females to be innocent and naive, he went on to explain to me what he had meant by "OTHER things." However, even what's amusing at first can become annoying, as one case (luckily, this only happened this once) went on to constantly plague me with chat requests, messages ("I love you. There, I shocked you, didn't I?"), and would continuously jump into chat with me while I was waiting for another node to answer. He was eventually locked out due to the complaints of others. So, what can be done to increase the female population in the BBS community? Well, for either gender, you can encourage your female friends towards modeming, accenting on the communication benefits and the simplicity of the process. For males, if you're planning on proposing sex to someone electronically, save it for an adult section that would deem it appropriate. For females, if you get harassed, don't be driven away by it. Either laugh at the guy and forget about it, or if you are truly offended, leave a message explaining what happened to the sysop. S/he can check the chat records and verify your claim. I have noticed in the last four months a drop off in over-the-modem sexual propositions to me. Maybe it's because all the males out there who wanted to proposition me have already done so, as I have been calling BBSs for over a year and a half now, or more hopefully the guys involved have either been warned by sysops or users to stop, or have gotten the idea that what they might have considered to be a bit of fun was actually horribly offending some users and stopped of their own volition. Whatever the means, the ends are certainly desirable and hopefully will aid in a continued increase in the female population of our BBS community. ------------------------- -----------==========----------- Known BBS Numbers for the Birmingham Area 1988 - 1993 -----------==========----------- What you're about to see is a more-or-less complete index to all the full-time bulletin board systems to grace our fair city since the beginning of BTN's publication in April 1988. The list itself is pretty self-explanatory. Note that each system's ORIGINAL number is given; if a board changed numbers, the newer number is noted below the name in brackets. SUPER-IMPORTANT!! PLEASE NOTE! that this is ONLY a representation of the BBS lists that appeared in BTN from issue #1 to last month. It is NOT intended to be a completely accurate chronology of exactly when systems went up and went down; the month and year given indicate the issue of BTN in which the BBS was listed. Therefore, any errors inherent in those original lists will be carried over into this list. In other words, don't come complaining to me because your board was up for longer than it says in this list! This list only reflects what was in BTN, which, I think we can all heartily say, is neither divine nor error-proof. It should also go without saying that this list is provided merely for the historically curious; for a list of boards that are CURRENTLY ACTIVE, please refer to the BBS list at the end of this issue of BTN. 221-B Baker Street 856-7034 January 1993 - present Abject Poverty 680-9680 January 1991 - May 1991; July 1991 - August 1991 ADAnet One 854-9074, 854-2308, 854-0698, 854-5863 February 1992 - present [changed from The Connection] Alcatraz BBS 608-0880 March 1993 - present Alter-Ego BBS 925-0707 June 1990 - present [changes number to 744-7733 as of November 1991] [changes number to 925-5099 as of April 1992] America Online 324-0193 April 1988 - October 1989 [upgrades to three nodes (adding 324-0194, 324-0195) as of August 1988] [upgrades to four nodes (adding 324-0194, 324-0195, 251-2344) as of October 1988] [nodes 1-3 changes number to 323-2016 as of June 1989] [upgrades to five nodes as of July 1989] [changes to The Matrix as of November 1989 -- see The Matrix] American BBS 674-1851 April 1988 - November 1991 Amiga Alliance 631-2846 April 1988 - August 1988, April 1989 - June 1989 [changes number to 631-8367 as of April 1989] Amiga Alliance II 631-0262 January 1991 - August 1992 APCO BBS -- see Penny Arcade Apple Valley 854-9661, 854-9662 April 1988 - July 1988 [changes to Pinson Valley as of August 1988 -- see Pinson Valley] Arkham Asylum 853-7422 January 1991 - October 1992 Asgard BBS 663-9171 February 1992 - present Asylum BBS 988-0477 August 1988 Baudville BBS 640-4593 October 1991 - present [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 640-4639) as of November 1991] [upgrades to 4 nodes (adding 640-7243 and 640-7286) as of April 1992] [upgrades to 5 nodes (adding 592-4684) as of November 1992] [downgrades to 4 nodes as of January 1993] [changes numbers to 980-1089, 991-2095, 991-9144 and 995-0013 as of April 1993] Beltron BBS 836-3846 April 1988 Bert's BBS 424-2872 December 1992 - April 1993 Birmingham BBS 251-2344, 251-8033 April 1988 - August 1988 [node 1 merges with America Online as of October 1988] Birmingham BBS 854-5131 April 1992 - May 1992 Birmingham Business BBS 856-0679 June 1988 - December 1988 Bloom County 856-0587 February 1991 - February 1992 The Bone Yard 631-6023 October 1992 - present Boy's Room 674-8117 April 1993 - present Bullseye BBS 942-9576 January 1992 Bus System BBS 595-1627 April 1988 - November 1990; January 1991 - present [changes number to 987-5419 as of January 1993] Byte Me! BBS 979-2983 October 1988; April 1989 - present Camelot BBS 856-0679 June 1990 - February 1992; September 1992 Cannibal Cafe 942-9576 January 1993 - present The Castle 841-7618 February 1992 - present Castle Rock 995-9900 December 1992 - present Cat House 854-5907 November 1989 - August 1990 Channel 8250 785-7417 April 1988 - present [changes number to 744-8546 as of April 1989] [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 744-5166) as of May 1990] Christian Apologetic 808-0763 March 1992 - present Club Phoenix 942-0252 October 1988 - December 1989 CM(ee) BBS -- see VCM(ee) BBS Commodore Club-South 853-8718 April 1988 - November 1988 The Commodore Zone 856-3783 February 1990 - May 1992 The Connection 854-9074, 854-2308 April 1988 - January 1992 [node 1 only listed as of March 1990] [node 2 re-instated as of December 1990] [upgrades to 3 nodes (adding 854-0698) as of February 1991] [upgrades to 4 nodes (adding 854-5863) as of November 1991] [changed to ADAnet One as of February 1992 -- see ADAnet One] Cow's Head 856-2465 February 1993 - April 1993 Crow's Nest 951-5678 May 1990 - July 1990; February 1991 Crunchy Frog 956-1755 January 1989 - present [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 956-0073) as of July 1991] [changes numbers to 823-3957 and 823-3958 as of October 1992] The Dancin' Deers 980-0048 June 1991 Darkhold BBS 681-0002 November 1992 - December 1992 DataLynx 322-3425 February 1991 - May 1992; September 1992 - present [upgrades to 2 nodes (changing to 933-6784 and 933-7032) as of April 1992] [changes number to 933-1974 as of September 1992] [changes number to 328-7688 as of December 1992] DataWorks BBS! 664-0406 March 1993 - present Deep Space Nine 980-1089 June 1992 - March 1993 [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 991-2095) as of March 1993] [merges with Baudville as of April 1993] The Den 925-0707 December 1991 - present [changes number to 933-8744 as of April 1992] Digital Publishing BBS 854-1660 July 1991 - present [called Disktop Publishing BBS, July 1991 - February 1993] The Dog House 425-9255 August 1990 - June 1991 Domino Effect 853-4675 April 1992 Downgrade Evolution 823-4858 October 1991 - January 1992 Draco's Tavern 664-5589 December 1990 Dragon's Hoard 833-3790 November 1990 - May 1992 Drawing Room 951-2391 September 1992 - March 1993 D3 Systems 663-2759 October 1988 - January 1991 Duck Pond 822-0956 October 1988 - December 1990 Eazy's Playhouse 870-0434 September 1989 - November 1989; February 1990 - September 1990 EcoBBS 933-2238 September 1992 - present The Edge of Oblivion 520-0230 June 1991 - January 1992 Electric Requiem 680-9753 August 1990 - September 1990 Elite Empire 967-8479 August 1988, November 1988 - January 1989 Elite Fleet 853-1257 August 1989 - July 1990 Elysian Fields 620-0694 September 1992 - December 1992 Emerald Castle 871-6510 May 1990 - August 1990 Empire BBS 428-6074 January 1992 - June 1992 EZNet Central 785-7417 March 1990 - December 1990 The Faction BBS 995-2757 April 1993 - present Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 December 1991 - present Fear & Loathing 985-4856 June 1988 - November 1988 Final Frontier 681-6148 September 1992 - November 1992 Final Frontier 838-5634 May 1993 - present Flip Side 798-3961 October 1991 - January 1992; December 1992 - present FM Station 680-9772 June 1991 - August 1991 Forest Palace 942-4581 January 1993 - February 1993 The Fortress BBS 664-9040 May 1988 - June 1988, August 1988 - July 1989 Frat House 252-1274 March 1993 - April 1993 F/X BBS 823-5777 January 1992 - January 1993 [upgrades to 3 nodes (adding 822-4570 and 822-4526) as of February 1992] Gamer's Online 942-4581 April 1993 - present Gateway BBS 854-5131 August 1989 - October 1989 Gateway BBS 425-8772 December 1992 - March 1993 Genesis Online 620-4144 June 1992 - present Gizmo's Atari BBS 854-0698 June 1989 - January 1990 Graphics Zone 870-5306, 870-5329 September 1990 - February 1993 The Great Underground Empire -- see T.G.U.E. BBS The Guardian BBS 425-1951 March 1993 - present Hacker's Corner 674-5449 May 1990 - October 1990; March 1991 - April 1993 The Hanging Tree 938-2145 October 1990 - January 1991 [changed to The Round Table as of February 1991 -- see The Round Table] Hard Disk 987-0794 January 1992 - March 1992; June 1992 - September 1992 Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 June 1991 - present Hardware Hotline 631-6629 February 1993 - present The Headland BBS 991-0947 January 1993 - present HellBound BBS 444-9043 October 1992 - January 1993 Highlander BBS 856-9391 March 1993 - present Homewood's Hell Hole 870-0967 January 1993 - present Hoots With Owls 520-9540 September 1992 - April 1993 Illuminatus BBS 871-0489 November 1992 - present Infinite Probability 791-0421 February 1992 - December 1992; March 1993 - present Intruder Enterprizes 969-0870 September 1992 - present I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 April 1989 - June 1991; October 1991 - October 1992 Island BBS 870-4685 September 1992 - January 1993 The Islands BBS 870-7776 April 1989 - September 1990 Ivory Tower 833-0616 June 1988 Jim's Place 787-5512 April 1989 - October 1989 Joker's Castle 744-6120 November 1988 - present [number changed to 664-5589 as of January 1991] KickAxis BBS 733-0253 January 1993 - present Killing Fields 780-8845 September 1992 - October 1992 Kingdom of Teletech -- see Teletech BBS Kiriath Arba 681-8374 February 1992 - November 1992 K-9 Corner 424-8202 October 1990 - August 1991 Labyrinth BBS 681-0002 September 1992 - October 1992 Lands of Brittania 791-0421 May 1990 - September 1990 Last Word 663-4721 January 1993 - present Lemon Grove 836-1184 April 1992 - present The Levee 681-8636 February 1991 Lion & Unicorn 856-2464 September 1992 - present [changes number to 424-1599 as of November 1992] Liverpool Connection 856-0267 October 1991 - November 1991 Little Kingdom 823-9175 November 1989 - October 1992 [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 823-9192) as of April 1990] [changes numbers to 969-0007 and 969-0008 as of August 1990] Long Island 631-0184 June 1991 - July 1991 Lumby's Palace 520-0041 April 1993 - present LZ Birmingham 870-7770 May 1988 - April 1990 The Madhouse! 428-3061 July 1991 - November 1991 Magic City 664-9883 January 1993 - present Magic Star 591-1571 April 1988 Magnolia BBS 854-6407 April 1988 - present Martyrdom Again?! 491-2876 July 1991 - August 1991 The Matrix 323-2016, 251-2344 November 1989 - present [changed from America Online as of November 1989] [upgrades to 6 nodes (adds 323-0799) as of April 1991] [upgrades to 7 nodes (adds 323-6016) as of January 1992] [upgrades to 15 nodes as of September 1992] [upgrades to 25 nodes as of January 1993] [upgrades to 26 nodes as of March 1993] Medicine Man 664-5662 February 1992 - November 1992 MetaBoard 254-3344 December 1991 - present [changes number to 854-4814 as of March 1993] MetroMac BBS 323-6306 April 1993 - present Microtech Comm. 951-5678 March 1991 - May 1991 Milliways BBS 956-3177 December 1992 - present Missing Link 853-1257 August 1990 - present Misty Mountain 979-8409 May 1988 - August 1988 Misty Mountain II 969-2052 July 1988 - August 1988 The Modem Mission 491-8946 September 1989 - October 1989 The Monster BBS 967-4839 October 1991 - November 1992 Morbid Curiosity 592-4161 May 1992 Music Alley BBS 969-2416 April 1988 - July 1988 Myth Drannor 699-5811 September 1990 - January 1992 Neon Moon 477-5894 January 1993 - present Night Watch 841-2790 November 1991 - present Nirvana BBS 942-6702 April 1992 - present Nouveaux BBS 871-5551 July 1988 - January 1989 Optical Illusion 853-8062 October 1991 - June 1992 The Other Side 520-0230 March 1992 - May 1992 Ouija Board 669-0623 March 1992 - May 1992 Outer Limits 969-3262 November 1988 - January 1990; October 1990 - present [changes number to 985-1725 as of October 1990] [changes number to 425-5784 as of May 1992] [changes number to 425-5781 as of January 1993, and upgrades to two nodes (adding 426-2939)] Outside It's America 951-2473 October 1990 - November 1991 Owlabama BBS 833-8345 August 1991 - present [changes number to 833-7176 as of November 1991] Owl's Nest 680-0851 September 1990 - present Panic Zone 870-0434 October 1990 Paradise City 853-1439 June 1991 - May 1992 Party Line 856-1336 April 1992 - present PC Exchange Link 663-2759 February 1991 - August 1991 Penny Arcade 226-1841 April 1988 - October 1988; November 1989 - January 1990; December 1992 - present [listed as APCO BBS as of May 1988] [listed as Scott's Penny Arcade as of June 1988] [goes back to Penny Arcade as of October 1988] [changes number to 699-4625 as of December 1992] Pinson Valley 854-9661, 854-9662 August 1988 - May 1989 [changed from Apple Valley] [node 2 listed only as of April 1989] Pirate's Cove 942-7429 August 1990 - February 1991 Playground BBS 836-4200 September 1992 - present [changes number to 681-5070 as of April 1993] Point of No RETURN 664-9609 April 1988 - November 1988 Pooh's Corner 980-8710 November 1991 - October 1992; December 1992 Posys BBS 854-5131 November 1989 - December 1989; May 1990 - June 1990; August 1990 - May 1991; November 1992 - present Primary One 853-1175 December 1988 - April 1989 Pro-Electric BBS 980-8836 September 1992 - October 1992; December 1992 Professional's Board 856-0679 January 1989 - May 1990 Programmer's Shack 871-3356 March 1991 - August 1991 ProSoft Systems 853-8718 December 1988 - January 1990 Psycho's Den 592-2545 May 1989 - June 1989 [changes to Radio Free TROAD as of July 1989 -- see Radio Free TROAD] The Quiet Zone 833-2066 January 1991 - December 1992; February 1993 - present Radio Free TROAD 592-2545 July 1989 - November 1989; May 1990 - July 1991 [changed from Psycho's Den] [changes number to 592-6234 as of May 1990] [changes number to 979-6183 as of August 1990] Raven BBS 674-6214 April 1988 Raven's Bluff 681-4096 March 1992 - June 1992 Raven's Manor 681-4096 November 1992 - December 1992 Razor's Edge 995-0412 January 1993 - present Realm of Tarot 870-7776 October 1988 - February 1989 Reaper's Keep 853-6560 January 1993 RiverSide BBS 663-6015 July 1988 - August 1988 Road Kill 987-0794 November 1991 - December 1991 Role Player's Paradise 631-7654 November 1988 - July 1990 The Round Table 938-2145 February 1991 - March 1992 [changed from The Hanging Tree] Safe Harbor 665-4355 June 1990 - present [upgrades to 2 nodes (adding 665-4332) as of February 1992] The Safety BBS 581-2866 October 1991 - present Sam's Domain 956-2757 April 1993 - present Sandwich Shop 226-1872 June 1990 Shadetree BBS 787-6723 November 1989 - May 1991 Sherwood Forest 838-1432 March 1991 - April 1991 68FREE 933-7518 April 1988 - May 1989 SkyNet 674-0852 June 1992 Sleepy Hollow 970-0518 January 1993 - April 1993 Smitty's BBS 849-7349 October 1988, December 1988 - April 1989 Song Remains The Same 995-0784 September 1992 - October 1992 Southern Regiment 647-9176 May 1988 - August 1988 Southern Stallion 631-0262 September 1992 - October 1992; January 1993 - March 1993 [changes number to 699-4797 as of January 1993] Source Line 674-0952 March 1991 - May 1991 Sparta PCBoard 979-0193, 979-0196 April 1989 - June 1989 [upgrades from 4 nodes to 6 as of May 1989] Sperry BBS 853-6144 April 1988 - present ST BBS 836-9311 April 1988 - present Starbase 12 647-7184 January 1993 - present Strattosphere BBS 833-7612 July 1991 - August 1991; March 1992 - April 1992 [changes number to 428-1066 as of March 1992] Strawberry Fields 856-0267 February 1992 - March 1992 Teasers BBS 987-0122 October 1991 - present Teletech BBS 674-0852 February 1990 - October 1990 [listed as The Kingdom of Teletech as of April 1990] T.G.U.E. BBS 681-0002 January 1993 - March 1993 Thy Master's Dungeon 940-2116 June 1992 - present Torch Song 328-1517 September 1992 - present Trade Mart BBS 787-5512 February 1989 Trauma Room 823-9127 December 1992 - March 1993 Triangle BBS 933-8227 April 1992 - June 1992 Twilight Zone 856-3783 October 1988 - January 1990 Ultra-Vision BBS 856-1593 August 1989 - October 1989 Vampire's Crypt 833-8494 December 1990 - February 1991 VCM(ee) BBS 655-4059, 655-4065 May 1990 - September 1992 [listed as CM(ee) BBS as of July 1991] Venus BBS 424-2872 May 1993 - present Victory Express 425-0731 May 1990 - July 1990; September 1990 - August 1991 [changes number to 425-0821 as of September 1990] Viper's Pit 856-2464 November 1992 - January 1993 Wanderer BBS 836-0603 September 1992 - December 1992 Warrior River 520-9540 April 1992 - August 1992 Waste Lands 991-5184 November 1992 - December 1992 Weekends BBS 841-8583 December 1992 - present Wildfire 1 942-9576 February 1992 - May 1992 Wild Side 631-0184 February 1992 - November 1992 Willie's DYM 979-1629, 979-7739 August 1988 - present [upgrades to 4 nodes (adding 979-7743 and 979-8156) as of July 1990] [changes numbers to 664-9902, 664-9903, 664-9895 and 664-9896 as of December 1992] Willie's RBBS 979-7743 August 1988 - June 1990 [merges with Willie's DYM as of July 1990] Wonderland Avenue 699-5811 February 1992 - June 1992 The Word BBS 833-2831 June 1991 - October 1991; December 1991 - March 1993 Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 June 1988 - July 1990; October 1990 - present /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ "Available for Chat" by Jeff Vaughn Hello again folks. It's time again for me to put my keyboard to the test and talk about something mildly interesting or amusing. Since The Matrix has just upgraded to version 15.0, there's a little something to work with this issue. One of my favorite past times is using the CHAT function on Matrix. There are three good reasons for this. One, Rocky has roughly eighteen lines running simulultaneously. Two, there are thousands of people to abuse. Three, the CHAT has finally upgraded to a bareable level. In the earlier versions of PCBoard, the node chat, well, sucked. That's the only way to describe it. BBS software like Telegard, VBBS, and WWIV had long since gone to real-time chat and i was quite used to it since i ran a BBS some time back myself. PCBoard's chat was a constant wait state and if someone was a bad typist, you really had to have some serious patience to chat. Now all that has changed. The new version 15.0 of PCBoard has greatly improved it's chat function. It has upgraded to a real-time chat with channels insted of the old (G)roup chat or one on one with only one channel. Below is a cut and paste from the Matrix of the command list of the CHAT function. Everything below is 100% accurate to the letter. ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() Node Chat Functions ------------------- Subcommands: (G) (Q) (X) (CALL) (CHANNEL) (ECHO) (IGNORE) (HANDLE) (MENU) (MONITOR) (PRIVATE) (SEND) (SHOW) (SILENT) (TOPIC) (WHO) (G) Goodbye, logoff system (Q) Quit chat, return command prompt (CALL) Calls another user into chat (CHANNEL) Change to another topic (or channel) (ECHO) Enable "echo" mode (IGNORE) Ignore input from one or more nodes (HANDLE) Change your name (or handle) for use in chat (MENU) Redisplay the menu regardless of Novice/Expert status (MONITOR) Toggles monitoring of channels (optionally accepts numbers indicating which channels to monitor) (NOECHO) Disables "echo". Non-Echo Mode is useful for split-screen chatting. (PRIVATE) Make a conversation (or channel) private (PUBLIC) Make a conversation (or channel) public (SEND) Send a private message to another node in chat (SHOW) Show users currently in chat (SILENT) Toggle display of user entrance and exit information (TOPIC) Change the topic for the current channel (WHO) Display who is online and what they are doing Description: Node chat allows 2 or more people to communicate with each other across separate nodes of the BBS. A Channel is a separate group of people or topic of conversation. There are 255 channels available. Use of the SHOW command will allow you to see what converstations, by topic, are currently taking place and who is involved in each. The MONITOR command will let you listen in on all non-private channels to help you decide which conversations you might wish to join. Typing MONITOR alone will toggle the function on or off. Typing MONITOR followed by numbers will monitor specific channels. A Handle simply allows you to identify yourself without requiring that your entire name be used. A Handle does not hide your identity (as seen by a WHO command in PCBoard) but merely provides you the ability to be known by another name while in chat. An Open Discussion is one in which others may freely join. A Private Discussion prevents others, not already in the channel, from monitoring or joining. The PRIVATE command can be used to make a channel private. The PUBLIC command will make it public again. Channel #1 can never be made private which leaves it open for newcomers to the chat. During the course of an open discussion you may notice other callers joining in. An announcement of each arrival or departure is made to let you know who is in chat. The SILENT command can be used to turn these announcements off. The CALL command lets you invite other users into your chat session. These users may already be in group chat, or they may be out in the main part of the BBS. As long as the user has not made himself unavailable and isn't busy performing other duties you may issue a CALL command to request his presence in chat. It should be understood that the caller may decline your offer to chat. NOTE: The CALL command is the ONLY way that someone outside of a Private Discussion can join. Once you CALL the user, a flag is set that allows that user join. The SEND command can be used to privately send a one line message to another caller that is already in group chat. The caller does not need to be in the same channel as yourself. The IGNORE command allows you to ignore the input coming from one or more nodes. If a caller, in your channel, is becoming a nuisance, that caller can be ignored. However, ultimately the better solution would be to switch to another channel and make it private. The NOECHO command allows you to disable the input echoing that normally occurs. With echoing enabled, your system must be capable of handling ANSI cursor position commands and even then you are limited to ONE line of text that can be typed ahead while another caller is typing. With echoing disabled, ANSI is no longer required and since a local split screen is used, none of the text is transmitted until you press enter so you may type more than a single line of text while others are typing. Type ECHO to re-enable echoing. ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() Some of you might have noticed the SEND command. That's a nice little quirk that ORACOMM has used for quite some time. It allows one user to send a one-liner to another user privately. It's sneaky, I like it (grin). I would say that in the last two months, the CHAT has picked up a good 80%. A friend of mine, Marikae Worley, and I were constantly getting into group chats after she got a computer and we seemed to arrtact a lot of attention. We'e been known to easily have 8-12 people chatting at once. Believe me, on the old group chat function, it was totaly chaos, which was great 'cause that's what we had intended in the first place. Names that are commonly known around the Matrix like our own Sysops (Tom Egan and Rocky Rawlins), Richard Foshee, Scott Hollifield (yes, our own BTN editor), and several others get on the chat occasionally and create thier own personal havok for the fun of things. [Editor's Note: I deny everything.] Since the introduction of handles to the new CHAT, the names have become quite colorful as well (yes, you all know who you are). I have to give Richard credit for some of the more creative handles (grin). I can honestly say that i've probably had some of the most interesting (that's one way of putting it) concersations in my life on the CHAT lines. People tend to get very open behind the screen. Sometimes they get a little out of control, but a user should know what he or she is getting into once they type that CHAT command. It ain't Kansas by a long shot and is too weird to the Twilight Zone. A hint to the naive, expect anything in there. As a last note, if you happen to log on and want someone to abuse, you can find me on channel 42 usually (it's a Hitchhiker thing). Don't forget to bring a towel. Signed: Kilroy Acknowledgements : PCBoard and Rocky for the info, Van Halen for the tunes while i wrote, Richard for the notes "Behave yourself" , Cadence and Ivory for somebody to kick out while i was having a private conversation, and thanks ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail Doors.... continued by David Moss In the last issue of BTN, Damion Furi and myself wrote articles covering the two most popular mail doors (MarkMail and Tomcat). In this issue we'll cover the offline reader. The offline reader I have selected is OLX-TD. Defined, this acronym stands for "Off-Line Xpress, Test Drive." OLX-TD is a shareware mail reader and can be found on most of the bulletin boards around town. The registration cost for this program is $40.00. With that said, let's talk about shareware programs for a minute. There are a lot of good shareware programs that are written for the purpose of allowing you to "try it before you buy it." OLX is no exception. This test drive version does come with a lot of features, but with registration, you'll get even more, as with all shareware. So please consider registering your shareware. This will insure the continuing quality of shareware in the future. The shareware version of OLX comes in self extracting form. The full name of the file is: OLX-TD.EXE. You will need to make a directory for this program. Also, you will need about 525k free disk space. The program comes with a 69-page manual that is comprehensive enough even for the tough questions. Once you've made the directory, copy the file "OLX-TD.EXE" into that directory and type OLX-TD. The files will self- extract and you will be ready to go. The first item on the agenda is to browse through the documentation that comes with OLX. The name of this file is OLXTD.DOC. It will give you some good information about the use of the program. The documentation of OLX is very in-depth, so I will not cover it. I will leave that to the user. Now after browsing the documentation, and becoming familiar with some of the options available to you, it's time to open the program. Type OLXTD and the main screen appears. The first thing we'll do is cover setup. You'll notice that in the lower right of the screen the ALT-N - Configuration on the menu. This is where we want to go. Hold down the "ALT" key and tap the "N" key. This will bring up the Configuration Screen. The first item is to define which directories you will keep your QWK and REP packets. QWK's are the packets you will download from your favorite board, REP's are the replies that you will be sending back. Here, I accepted the defaults of the home directory of C:\OLXTD. Next is the General configurations. I accepted the defaults here also. You may want to change some of these settings, but for now they should be sufficient to get started. Next is the Toggles configuration. Since this is more of a customization option than anything else, I accepted the defaults. You can always come back later to customize these settings to suit you. Next, is the Editor configuration. I accepted the internal editor provided with OLX. Next is the Replies option. Here again I accepted the defaults. Next is the Packers option. Unless you are dealing with an exotic packer, accept all the defaults here. Make sure the packers are in your path. Other than this, I see no reason to change any of these. Next are the final three: Colors, Function Keys, and ALT Keys. I accepted all of the defaults on these as well. So far, I've learned that OLX comes ready to use. Unless you have some need to alter the basic configuration, I would accept the defaults across the board. You will notice that OLX comes with a sample QWK from Mustang Software. This is a Welcome QWK which will take you on a tutorial of OLX. I highly recommend going through this tutorial. Ok, by now you're ready to make your mail run to your favorite board. One note here: your communications software will download the QWK to the directory you have specified in the set-up of that software, usually the "down" directory. However, you have told OLX that your QWKs will be in the home diretory of OLX. The solution is, that after every mail run, you copy the QWK to the home diretory of OLX. This can best be achieved by a simple batch file that will do it automatically. One other note: if you leave the QWKs in your "down" directory, the next time you wish to download a new QWK, your communications software will look in the "down" directory and see that the QWK is already there and you will not get the new QWK. The solution here is to erase the old QWK prior to downloading the new one. This too, is best achieved by writing a batch file that will perform this chore for you. Now, simply copy the QWK to the home directory of OLX, start OLX, highlight the name of the QWK and hit . OLX will unzip the QWK, and allow you to read the messages as you choose. You will have the option of replying to each of the messages or continuing without replying. Upon opening the QWK a separate screen will appear that will give you the option of reading the new Bulletins, News, Mail, and the new Files list of the particular board you have selected. The new files list is invaluable to all of us, as it will keep you up to date on new uploads to the bulletin board. This was covered in the first part of these articles, and I would consider setting the mail door up to deliver this to you as well as the bulletins and the mail. Back to OLX. You will notice the options in the upper right corner of the screen. Reply, Next, Prev, ( for previous message ) Index, and Other. At any time, while reading a message, you have the option of replying to that message. Simply position the mouse on the Reply box or use the "R" key. OLX will then present a pop-up screen that will ask you to confirm the choices of: From, To, Subject, Private, Carbon Copies, Return Receipt, Conference #, and the Tagline you wish to use. A couple of notes on these subjects; follow the general rules of etiquette, watch the profanity, do not attack the individual, if engaged in a debate, debate the issue not the person, DON'T TYPE EVERYTHING IN UPPERCASE, THIS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING, consider leaving the reply "Private" or "Public", public mail generates new mail for you, private mail generates very little, if any. Confirm the other choices such as Conference #. If everything is agreeable, then the "F10" key is used to edit the reply. During a reply, you will have the option of quoting the original message. Here, you should quote enough of the original message so that others will have the gist of the conversation. Delete the lines that have no bearing on the subject in question. In OLX the command to delete the line is "Ctrl Y." If this conference is being echoed long distance, then remember that the sysop pays for this out of his/her own pocket. So delete the appropriate lines as well as all the old tag lines. After your reply, you will be given another chance to confirm the choices you originally made. Once you are satisfied, the "F10" key saves the reply into a REP packet ready for upload when you are finished reading the rest of the mail in this packet. A couple of final notes: when you are ready to send the reply back, rember that the REP is in the home directory of OLX. This is often the most troublesome area. Here is how I do it, I call the board, enter the mail room, select "U" for upload, at the prompt I hit the "Page Up" key, next I hit to accept my default of Zmodem, next, I turn on the "Insert" key where I type the complete path to the REP, in my case it's C:\olx\ you won't have to enter the name of the REP, that will already be displayed for you. I have just recently learned the fast way into Tomcat, the mail room of Wildcat bulletin boards, it is (!John Doe Password) without the parentheses. This command takes you straight to the mail room on the Wildcat board where the sysop has granted fast access. You should enter this all on one line. This command is different from the regular fast access command in that you would replace the "!" with an "*" in front of the "Firstname." The "*" in front of the "Firstname" takes you straight to the Main Menu. Remember, if the sysop does not allow fast access, then these commands will not work. Final comments: At any time, while in OLX, remember that the F1 key provides on-line help. The F3 key provides a "Pick List" of options that are available on a particular subject. When selecting a mail reader, keep in mind that there are several to choose from. If you find one a bit complicated, then try another one. I do not endorse any in particular. I have just selected OLX as the one to write about for this article as it is one of the most popular ones on the bulletin boards. However, it is the one I have chosen to use as my personal mail reader. If you do find one you like, then please consider registering it. You will get a lot of added features for a nominal cost. Last but not least, don't hestitate to ask the sysop of the board you happen to use for assistance. I have never found a system operator that is not willing to spend time to help someone get acquainted with the mail room. The system operator is there and knowledgeable, so don't be timid about asking questions. I do it all the time! NOTE ON SLMR FROM DAMION FURI: OLX-TD is a the commercial version of SLMR (Silly Little Mail Reader, also known as SLiMeR). Current SLMR users may want to seriously consider switching because of the new utilities included with the package. SLMR provides nothing more than a limited tagline manager, and the basic ability to unarchive, read, edit, and re-archive .QWK and .REP packets. OLX-TD allows the user to delete, rename, sort, and mark as unread the available .QWK packets. Because SLMR was abandoned to the public domain, many users (myself included) have hacked out the random Fn screen characteristic of the unregistered version. Since SLMR is now impossible to register, my understanding is that this is legal (I could be wrong; I'm not an attorney). The $40 registration is more than worth it for the majority of OLR users. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- How I Spent My Saturday or Jeez, I'm Tired.... by Lurch Henson Well, I'm kinda glad that's all over with, though knowing the state of TV news in B'ham, it won't be for long..... Let's see, how did *I* spend last Saturday? Hmmmmmmmm, not sleeping, like I should have been, that's for sure.... In fact, I didn't sleep from Thursday night through Saturday night, and FELT IT too.... Ok, Saturday morning arrives.....I get off of work around 7am, jump in the car and hunt down the Southern Museum of Flight, a place I've never been to before.... I find it, a little later than I wanted to, and stand around out front with Bob and his cohorts.... When the museum lady finally shows up, I helped them carry in some of their last minute goodies (including some popcorn, something I KNOW Lindy didn't have with him... <> ), and then stood around heckling Bob while he warmed up for take-off. (And yes, people, Bob DID fly into the trees at the end of the runway during one of his practice take-offs....I guess he just wanted to get it out of his system, eh?) Anyway, not too long after we got inside, other people started showing up, and I let them take over my heckling duties (Bob seems to draw this out of people....he's SO much fun to rib), while I stood around and watched things for awhile. As take-off time approached, he kicked off the engines on the plane, and let it "warm-up", for dramatic effect, I suppose... Someone decided that I wasn't doing enough, so they shoved Bob's video camera in my hands and told me to walk around and film everything. Tom Egan managed to have a tape delivered right before take-off, so he covered what I didn't, and there should be plenty of GIFs and a few tapes of everything available soon (or already, by the time you read this). After Bob cleared the trees at the end of the runway, and was on his way to France, Tom told me I could put away my gun, then told Bob he was going to have had me shoot him if he screwed it up and didn't make it off the ground. I don't think Bob would have noticed.... <> After he was well on his way, I handed the camera off to someone else, said my good-bye's, and went home to get out of my uniform and get cleaned up. I caught a quick shower, checked my msgs on Teasers, then rushed out to make it to the picketing. I managed to get there just as Rocky was getting everyone together, and herding them all across the street. From what I was told, Channel 13 said that if we showed up, THEY would show up, and would cover the story. I guess that was too much to hope for, eh? Anyway, WE showed up....we DEFINITELY showed up. I've heard many different counts of how many people were actually there, but the one time, early in the demonstration, that I counted heads I came up with about 56, and that's not including the people that were out of my sight around the various corners....because we were spread out quite some distance at the time. I made the mistake of standing on the side of the street with the 13 sign, and got rather burnt. Took me several days to heal from the damage, but I consider it as having been in a good cause. I got smart after about a half hour and moved to the other side of the street, standing in the shade of the large tree on the corner, watching all the people drive by, trying to read what we had on our signs (mine said "13 Misled You"). I think we actually might have had too many people there to be truly effective in getting the word out, because people couldn't read the signs, there were too many of them to read while in motion (the accident that happened when we first walked out should show that). But, those stopped at the light DEFINITELY knew that all these people were more than slightly upset at Channel 13, even if they didn't know why.....(Janet's oldest son did a great job of rushing out to the cars stopped in traffic and handing out the little Matrix handouts, though, so some people managed to learn a few things that day). After we'd been out there about two hours, Rocky gathered everyone together, snapped yet another picture (Tom made sure the event was WELL documented in both film and video), and sent everyone on their way. I'm VERY glad that he did it that way, because I REALLY didn't like the idea of it ending up being 5 or 6 people standing around waving a sign late in the afternoon, after everyone else had drifted off, because you KNOW that would be the time 13 would come down off the hill to cover the picketing. (One little side note here. A friend of mine that couldn't show up because she was walking a dog in the Doo-Da parade that day told me that there were several Channel 13 people in the dunking booth at Doo-Da Day. If we'd known about that at the time, wouldn't it have been fun to show up there, and line up at the booth, smiling for the cameras while dunking the 13 people? We could have carried our signs over there and made our point, while spending the dunking money on yet another good cause, the Humane Society.) When I left the demonstration, I hustled back to the museum to see how Bob was doing, to see if he had splattered on the pavement or ran into a tree (ask him about the reporter that scared the Hell out of him at 4000 feet.... <> ). By this time I was REALLY feeling the lack of sleep, and was probably less supportive of Bob than I should have been, but I figured he needed a good ribbing to keep him going, and he WAS doing it for a good cause, remember..... So, I looked around the museum a little, talked to the woman that ran it for a few minutes, and told Bob I'd be back that evening to watch over things for him like I'd promised. I stumbled out the the car and managed to get back to the house ok, and when I got here I fell out into the bed, not in the mood to deal with anyone or anything for a few hours, hoping to be able to sleep. No go, phone rings, have to deal with a few problems, fall out again. Phone rings again.....few more things to deal with.....fall out again.... You get the idea, one thing after another, and SURPRISE, time to get dressed and head out to the museum. I pull on my uniform, go see the woman running the place, make a few suggestions to her concerning security a the place, then lockdown, and watch Bob fly awhile. After things have run smoothly for awhile, and nothing is going wrong, I take off and get me some sleep....FINALLY. P.S. That was Saturday....Sunday I ran back out to the museum, and donated some archaic computer equipment, and a few bucks I couldn't spare, to Bob's cause, and heckled him a little more. As time for his landing approached, more and more of the BBS community showed up to see if he'd actually make it, or if he'd screw up and land it somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. By the time he was approaching the airport, he had quite a few people leaning over his shoulder, and a TV camera and newspaper reporter practically in his lap. I know Lindy had it rough after flying 33 1/2 hours, but he was alone in the cockpit, he didn't have to worry about everyone in the room, and at home later on the news, watching him crack up. Bob did a nice job of it, and after flying all the way across the ocean only missed it by 40 feet....I'd call that good shooting, wouldn't you? P.P.S. I know this isn't my normal raving, but to tell you the truth, I really didn't feel like it tonight, and besides, I'm sick as a dog right now, and you're lucky to get anything from me this month.... Hope it isn't TOO disjointed....I know I'm going to have fun reading this when Scott puts out BTN this month....it'll be a surprise to me.... <> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Telecommunications by Damion Furi I have been immersed in Turbo Pascal, Unix, system configuration arguments with my mother, my girlfriend's BOOMING flower business, and a lot of other things. Consequently, I didn't have time to write a technical article on OLR-related subjects (scheduled for June), and I apologize to everyone that was looking forward to it; I will make every effort to resume my part of the OLR series next month. I do have an announcement to make, though, that will probably be of interest to the majority of BTN readers. I am currently in the midst of designing a comprehensive modular integrated telecommunications package for active BBS users and sysops. The basic idea is to cover all bets in one package in such a way as to make it easy for novices and advanced users alike to maximize the potential of BBSes and related services. The following is my current list of potential modules: 1) Terminal 2) Offline Mail Reader (similar to RoboMail) 3) Tagline Manager (multiple assignable files) 4) Spell-Checker (10,000 words + user entries) 5) Dictionary (10,000 words + user entries) 6) Thesaurus (5,000 words + user entries) 7) Bulletin Board System 8) Archive Interface (such as SHEZ) 9) File Catalog Utility w/disk stuffer 10) Automated Utility (such as RoboComm) 11) Script Language w/compiler 12) Universal Editor w/ANSI art capability 13) BBS QWK Door 14) Fax Utility w/OCR 15) DataCore Shareware Security (unregistered) Version 1.0 is scheduled to be a single node system. Version 2.0 is scheduled to be a multi-node system with a multi-tasking kernal for internal module use (the multi-tasking capability with not be available for unrelated software use). Context-sensitive hypertext help will be available from version 1.0 and up. Each module will have a number of hooks available for external additions, including third-party software. For example, my editor will be for use with all of my modules, but you could install one or many third-party external editors in whatever fashion suits you. As another example, you could use either my QWK mail door or another one (such as MarkMail or BGQWK) with the BBS module. Originally, I had scheduled six months for designing this behemoth. However, after actually getting into this, I have moved this deadline to one year. Further, after having outsmarted myself in numerous ways, I have decided to throw the door open for suggestions. If you have a pet peeve about your favorite communications-oriented software (DOS only; this will NOT be a Windows, OS/2, or DesqView compatible package), or if your favorite package has some exceptional quality, or if you simply have a wish list, please let me know. Your contribution to this project stands an excellent chance of being incorporated. For example, editor macros will be assignable as: Fn, ALT+Fn, CTRL+Fn, SHIFT+Fn, CTRL+ALT+Fn, SHIFT+ALT+Fn, SHIFT+CTRL+Fn, and SHIFT+CTRL+ALT+Fn, for a total of 96 possible macros. If someone can demonstrate that this will not be sufficient, I will seperately define left and right SHIFT keys (for 180 possible macros) and leave the physical problems of actually accessing these keystrokes to the user, AND I'll make it possible to use named macros (stored as files) WordPerfect 5.1-style. I may do that anyway. All user-configured files will be in ASCII format, rather than some cryptic format that I would have to design. The editor will have a special forms utility included that will allow the user to specify file type to be edited; it will come up in a dBase IV-style predefined fields setup, so that no one can accidentally create a file that my modules can't read. As much as possible, I'm going to write the software equivalent of Silly Putty, and let my users worry about how to implement it. Your input is requested. For those of you that took one look at this and decided that I'm not going to let it go cheap, you're right. However, each module will be available for registration independently of the rest, and each module will be totally independent of the other modules (for example, you will be able to use my QWK door with PCBoard or GT Power instead of MarkMail or BGQWK). My BBS module will be designed to compete against PCBoard and WildCat!; my offline mail reader will be designed to compete with RoboMail; my automated utility will be designed to compete with both RoboComm and IntelliComm; my terminal will be designed to compete with Telix and QModem, etc. This is in terms of practical usage, not price. In terms of price, my package will probably be somewhat more expensive. The advantage is that it will be worth every penny. The drawback is that shareware users that have a bad habit of not registering their software won't like it. The shareware version will be built around what I call the DataCore, which will utterly control every aspect of every module. The shareware version of each module will work ONLY with the DataCore present, and only on the following schedule: 1 - 30 days = Fully Enabled 31 - 60 days = Nagware* 61 - 89 days = Crippleware** 90 days = Self-destruct*** * Minor nags will pop up at random, but well-spaced, intervals. Nags will not interefere with normal operations. ** Annoying utilities and functions will be disabled. *** The DataCore will perform a series of events that result in the modules being rendered unusable; the only way to get around this will be a complete re-installation from scratch (even user-configured files won't be useful). Registered users will receive a special version of the module(s) that will not rely on the DataCore, and will execute MUCH faster. Users that register the entire package at once will receive a discount and a completely integrated system with certain functions and utilities that other users won't receive. Source code will not be distributed. Again, I am actively soliciting suggestions. You may contact me via The Matrix, Alter Ego, Crunchy Frog, Owlabama, Weekends, DPA, or Nirvana. Many thanks! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Masquerade Clutching your invitation in your hand, you find yourself facing the entranceway to what appears to be the manor house of an ancient plantation. Forsaken by humanity, this world seems frozen in time; even the Spanish moss which adorns the ceiling of the veranda dares not stir. You glance down at the silver-embossed invitation. The time and place are correct. As you approach, the double doors swing silently open. Before you is a long corridor lined with doors and illuminated by ten candlelit chandeliers hanging from high Gothic arches. The faint strains of a Rococo waltz beckon to you from somewhere within. A chill draft envelops you as you step into the dimly lit interior. Your eyes are drawn to the massive inlaid doors which fill the far end of the corridor. The intricate melody grows imperceptibly louder as you wander deeper into the labyrinthine structure. After walking for several moments, you are overcome by a sudden disquieting feeling. Glancing upward, you realize that you seem to have made no progress: ten chandeliers hang before you. You look back, momentarily confused. The corridor extending into infinity is featureless. Impulsively, you reach for the nearest doorknob. Your hand closes on nothingness. The doorway fades into oblivion and you find yourself facing a blank wall. Startled, you glance about. The large silver-inlaid doors loom not three feet before you. As you step cautiously forward, the ceiling-high mahogany doors swing slowly inward, revealing an immense ballroom. The haunting tune entwines you as you step forward into the light of three crystal chandeliers and innumerable candles in silver and crystal wall brackets. Mirrors catch the candlelight and splinter it into rainbow shards on the gleaming ebony floor. Silver cornices sparkle above the wine coloured velvet draperies. A dais lies at the far end of the room, draped in black velvet, and a small army of silver and ebony chairs with deep velvet cushions line the champagne tinted walls. You walk slowly forward into the spacious room, hearing the doors close softly behind you. A backward glance shows no visible presence; you appear to be alone in the room. The music intensifies suddenly, and you whirl to see one corner of the room filled with a seated chamber ensemble. They play on, seemingly oblivious to your presence, as you cross the room toward the dais. Before you are halfway there, you notice a sudden change in the quality of the light. It takes you a moment to locate the source, a shimmering field of luminescence at the center of the dais. As you watch, it takes on the outlines of a human and begins a prismatic shift toward darker hues. In the space of a single breath, the light is gone and before you stands one of the strangest figures you've ever laid eyes on. The newcomer stands about six feet tall, with silver-streaked black hair braided over one shoulder and deep green eyes. His slightly angular features are covered with white powder and greasepaint almost in the style of a clown, with a red diamond surrounding each eye and his mouth. He is dressed in a bulky gray duster and darker suit, and holds a chrome guitar in his left hand. His right rests on the silver swept hilt of a rapier jutting from inside his coat. His eyes meet yours and he grins widely and sincerely. "Good evening to you, my friends!" he calls out, in a clear voice, and suddenly you realize that you are not alone. You stand in the midst of a crowd of people, whose eyes are all fixed on the figure on the dais. "I am Lord Harlequin, Primus of House Merinita, and I welcome you to the Masquerade!" Harlequin sets the guitar down almost reverently, then leaps off the dais and strides quickly across the room toward you. He clasps your hand in both of his, smiles, and greets you by the name and title given in your invitation. He goes through the crowd, welcoming everyone. As he passes, you notice that his ears are slightly pointed, and the left one appears to be made of steel. Before you have much time to think about it, however, he begins leading everyone forward. "Gather round, everyone. There's a bit of business to resolve before we get started, so if you would just take a seat, or stand if you prefer..." Harlequin trails off as he ascends the dais. He lifts his guitar from one of the two chairs and turns back to face the crowd. "Ours is a gathering of noble, enlightened souls, but I find that one rule is indeed necessary to sustain the atmosphere of the Masquerade. All correspondences must be in the descriptive style, as you see here. "I'm sure many of you have myriad questions to ask, and I promise that I shall try to answer them as best I can. However, I have a small matter to attend to at the moment, and I shall leave you in care of your very capable hostess, Lady Ariana. I will return as soon as I can, and hopefully more properly attired for the occasion." Harlequin steps backward, shifting colors, and vanishes. As the pale, slender woman rises from the left of the two chairs on the dais, you realize that she has been there all along. Her shimmering white gown, simply cut with wide sleeves and a deep V neckline, reaches the ground. Her waistlength amber curls are adorned only by a wreathe of white flowers. A distinct hush falls over the room, and she addresses you in a light melodic voice. "I bid you welcome, noble guests, for I am Ariana Elanor. I formally declare the commencement of the Masquerade, and bless it as I am able. And now, a toast, as we await the return of the Master," Ariana gestures imperceptibly and several female servants in very simple champagne tinted robes weave throug the crowds bearing intricately etched circular silver trays. Each tray is laden with flowing crystal goblets overlaid with silver in a delicate pattern. Ariana takes one from a passing tray and it immediately fills with a slightly iridescent clear liquid. Taking a goblet from the nearest tray, you watch it fill with a similar substance. Ariana raises her glass, her grey-blue eyes filling with memories. "To the shafts of sunlight that filter through the clouds tprovide us with illumination, to the healing moonlight which floods the midnight world, and to the stars which guide and keep us." Ariana drains her glass in a single toss. Taking a sip, you find that it tastes of honeysuckle and something else you can't identify. As you finish your drinks, the champagne-clad women return to collect the goblets. Harlequin reappears in the now-familiar prismatic gateway, this time dressed in Baroque finery, all black. He carries a violin case under one arm and the rapier hangs at his side. Ariana steps to the edge of the dais, and Harlequin kisses her hand lightly and assists her to the floor. He then leaps up to the front of the dais and turns to face the crowd. "Let the Masquerade begin!" he shouts. The musicians take to their instruments and the low hum of strings fills the air. Harlequin places the violin case on the dais and opens it, revealing a beautiful Stradivarius. As he raises the instrument to his shoulder, the very air seems to stir, ghostly figures whirling into substantiality. Ariana curtsies to a tall, dark-headed shade. He takes her in his arms and they seem to fade into the panorama. And then Harlequin brings down the bow and launches the orchestra into Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre". He moves with the music, lost in his art. Now the room is full of dancers, spirits whirling and laughing and beckoning for you to join them. Your gaze, however, is drawn back to the violinist. Every move Harlequin makes is grandiose and expressive. It seems almost as if he's drawing the music out of the air by sheer force of will. And then he locks eyes with you, grins widely, and winks. The dance continues. Lord Harlequin Lady Ariana --- The Masquerade is a private conference for aspiring writers and roleplaying enthusiasts. Direct inquiries and requests for admittance to Harlequin, in care of the Crunchy Frog BBS, (205)823-3957 or 823-3958. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "A little dazed, a little confused, and a little excited" by Jeff Vaughn Well, here we are again, standing at a crossroads. I just wrote a very large article concerning Led Zeppelin, and a week later I hear they're getting back together. It's all too bizzare, and a little phenomenal. I would consider this a bogus rumor, but I heard it on a morning news show on ABC and that's really not to be taken lightly. For the last thirteen years I have been a diehard Led Zeppelin fan, and one of my lifetime wishes was to go to a Led Zeppelin concert. For a long time, I was really down because of the fact that the band split up in 1979 and all had claimed they would never get back together because of the loss of John Bonham. Now it seems as though my dream may come true. Jimmy Page and David Coverdale had recently taken on a joint venture that was to be originally called "The Page/Coverdale Experiment" and then they changed it to just "Page/Coverdale". David Coverdale, having a voice that was close to Robert Plant was an ideal choice, and I think Page had that in mind when they got together. Coverdale wasn't going very far since the break-up of WhiteSnake, so he had everything to gain by accepting. Jason Bonham had recently put together a band named "Bonham" and released only 2 albums. Both of their albums, in all realities, really bombed. There were maybe 2 good songs on the entire set and you can't tour on just two songs. John Paul Jones, I have heard, has been doing session music and not much more. He's sorta been out of the picture because he was considered the 'silent' member of the group. Robert Plant seemed to have the best running solo career of the group. Plant went on after Led Zeppelin and put out great albums such as "Principle of Moments" and "Now and Zen". Personally, I think "Manic Nirvana" really sucked and I only listened to the tape once. That was a wasted $8. When Plant put out "Now and Zen" he claimed that he didn't want to recreate Led Zeppelin, but I guess he couldn't help it. The whole album had a Zeppelinish sound to it. "Principle of Moments" had a few good cuts on it such as "The Big Log" and "In The Mood". Jimmy Page went on several ventures. Only one of them seemed to get slightly noticed and that was when Page pieced together a band called "The Firm" and recorded a song called "Radioactive". The song had ultimate Zeppelin guitar licks in it, but didn't have the Plant voice to back it. I believe their most memorable moments were when the band got back together for their reunion jams. People crowded and they felt like Led Zeppelin again. Honestly, I think that's the way it should be. Some people say there's no room for Led Zeppelin in the '90s. I totally disagree. There are too many memories and too much good music to throw away. All Zeppelin has to do is bend a little without breaking the Zeppelin sound. I believe it can be done. As a final word, all I can say is I, for one, will look forward to their return if the rumors are true. Welcome back, guys....... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed on the Matrix to James Minton or in a Sysop Comment on Outer Limits. Also, if anyone has any information about networks listed at the bottom with "uncertain at press time", let me know. NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE SUPPORTED TYPE 221-B Baker Street 856-7034 1200-2400 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3) 854-9074 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] ADAnet One (Node 4) 854-5863 2400-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] Alcatraz BBS 608-0880 300-9600 VBBS 6.0 [he, vi] Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 1200-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] Asgard 663-9171 300-9600 V.32 WWIV 4.21a [ez, al, te] Baudville (Node 1) 980-1089 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 2) 991-2095 300-14400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 3) 991-9144 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 4) 995-0013 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Bone Yard, The 631-6023 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [fi, ez] Boy's Room 674-8117 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.55 [none] Bus System 987-5419 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [none] Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 USR HST WWIV 4.12 [ez, th, al] Cannibal Cafe 942-9576 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [vi, da, he] Castle, The 841-7618 300-2400 Image 1.2 [none] Castle Rock 995-9900 1200-19200 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al, he] Channel 8250 (Node 1) 744-8546 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Channel 8250 (Node 2) 744-5166 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Christian Apologetic 808-0763 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 3.55 [ez, wi, bc, ru] Crunchy Frog (Node 1) 823-3957 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] Crunchy Frog (Node 2) 823-3958 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] DataLynx BBS 328-7688 300-2400 WWIV 4.21 [ez] DataWorks BBS! 664-0406 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [un, sm, dv, rf, rs, in] Den, The 933-8744 300-9600 USR HST ProLogon/ProDoor [ez, mn, il] Digital Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.01 [pl] EcoBBS 933-2238 300-2400 VBBS 5.6 [al, vi] Faction, The 995-2757 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, np, ag, ve, ad] Final Frontier 838-5634 300-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Flip Side 798-3961 300-2400 Renegade 8.27 [none] Gamer's Online 942-4581 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Genesis Online (Nodes 1-4) 620-4144 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 5.3 [mr] Guardian, The 425-1951 1200-14400 V.42bis VBBS 6.0 [vi] Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 1200-14400 Wildcat! 3.51 [wi, di, bc] Hardware Hotline 631-6629 300-14400 V.32/42 PCBoard 14.5 [none] Headland, The 991-0947 300-14400 V.32bis VBBS 6.0 [he, vi] Highlander BBS 856-9391 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [none] The Holodeck BBS 663-7229 300-9600 V.32 [none] Homewood's Hell Hole 870-9067 2400-14440 V.32bis VBBS 5.6 [he] Illuminatus BBS 871-0489 1200-9600 VBBS 6.0 [vi, al] Infinite Probability 791-0421 2400-14400 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] Intruder Enterprizes 969-0870 300-9600 V.32 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, un] KickAxis BBS 733-0253 1200-14400 USR DS VBBS 6.0 [he] Last Word 663-4721 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [sn] Lemon Grove 836-1184 300-12000 V.42bis SLBBS 3.0 [fi, sl] Lion & The Unicorn 424-1599 1200-57600 VBBS 5.6 [ga, al, vi, lo] Lion's Den 969-5733 USR DS [none] Lumby's Palace 520-0041 300-14400 VBBS 6.0 [he] Magic City 664-9883 300-14400 USR DS Wildcat! 3.55 [cc, di, tr, wi] Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-14400 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-14) 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 15.0 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Nodes 20-23) 323-6016 9600-14400 USR DS PCBoard 15.0 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Node 25-26) 458-3449 9600-14400 V.32bis PCBoard 15.0 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MetaBoard 854-4814 300-14400 USR DS Opus CBCS 1.73 [fi, ad] MetroMac BBS 323-6306 300-2400 TeleFinder 3.0 [none] Milliways BBS 956-3177 1200-14440 V.32 VBBS 6.0 [he, vi, al] Missing Link 853-1257 300-16800 USR DS C-Net Amiga 2.63 [cn] Neon Moon 477-5894 300-14400 TriBBS 4.0 [dx] Nirvana 942-6702 300-14400 V.32bis VBBS 6.0 [al, vi, at, rp] Outer Limits (Node 1) 425-5871 1200-14400 USR HST Wildcat! 3.60 [fi, do, ec, pn] Outer Limits (Node 2) 426-2939 1200-16800 ZyXEL Wildcat! 3.60 [fi, do, ec, pn] Owlabama BBS 856-2521 1200-14400 GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, cc, tr, sc, ab] Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] Party Line 856-1336 300-14000 V.32bis TriBBS 4.0 [cc, tr, di] Penny Arcade 699-4625 300-2400 Running Force! 3.75 [none] Playground 681-5070 2400-14000 V.32 TriBBS 4.0 [tr, di, cc, ez, al, fr] Posys BBS 854-5131 300-9600 V.32 PCBoard [none] Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNet [none] Razor's Edge 995-0412 1200-2400 VBBS 5.6 [he, al] Safe Harbor (Node 1) 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, il] Safe Harbor (Node 2) 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, il] Sam's Domain 956-2757 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [da, he] Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC 17.4 [none] Southern Stallion 322-3816 300-16800 V.32bis PCBoard 15.0 [none] Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 V.32/42bis PCBoard 14.5 [none] ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [ez] StarBase 12 647-7184 300-2400 TriBBS 4.0 [ez, mn, cc] Teasers 987-0122 300-2400 WWIV 4.21 [al] Thy Master's Dungeon 940-2116 300-57600 V.32/42bis PCBoard 14.5 [fr] Torch Song 328-1517 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat 3.6 [pr, se, st, do] Venus BBS 424-2872 300-2400 WWIV 4.22 [cy, te, al] Weekends BBS 841-8583 2400-16800 USR DS Wildcat! 3.6 [none] Willie's DYM (Node 1) 664-9902 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 2) 664-9903 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 3) 664-9895 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 4) 664-9896 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Ziggy Unix BBS 991-5696 300-1200 UNaXess [none] The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below the names of many of the bbs' in the list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion. ad = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped ag = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic al = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic an = Annex Network, uncertain at press time at = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented bc = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented bh = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic cc = City2City, a national network, multi-topic cd = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution cf = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic cn = CNet, multi-topic cy = Cybernet, uncertain at press time da = DateNet, uncertain at press time de = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers di = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south eastern United States do = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors ec = EchoNet, an international network, multi-topic ez = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network fa = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic fi = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic fr = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion ga = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time gl = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic gt = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic he = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic ic = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic il = ILink, an international network, multi-topic ic = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic in = InterNet, an international network, linking businesses, universities, and bbs', multi-topic ll = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence lo = LocalNet, uncertain at press time lu = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented ma = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems mj = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews mn = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic mr = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic np = NPN, a national network for new parents or = OraNet, a national E-mail network pl = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic pn = PoliceNet, an international network, law-enforcement only pr = PrideNet, a local homosexually oriented network rf = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists ri = RIME, an international network, multi-topic rb = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic rp = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games rs = RoseNet, a national network, technically oriented ru = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans sc = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology oriented se = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the southeastern United States sh = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games sl = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic sm = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic sn = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games st = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented te = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented th = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented tr = TTN, a national network, multi-topic un = Uni'Net, an international network, multi-topic ve = VETLink, a national network for military veterans vi = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic wi = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic ww = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic Special note: Night Watch BBS will be down until further notice. -----------------------------------------------------------------------