THE March 1994 BULLETIN BOARD . SYSTEMS cy, eA | TAI ee cal Tite Internet 6) $ arewane Taino tein What Can You Do with the Open Multimedia Document Retrieval Systems MagiComm, Inc. Parallax Development Corporation Group Decisionware and Electronic Democracy Consensus Systems, Inc. MagiComm, Ince. MajorSoft Inc. Novell LAN Access Galacticomm, Ine. Language Add-on Options (Spanish, German, French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, RiPscrip, etc.) Astrocom Multimedia BSI Technologies Galacticomm, Inc. Infima Medcom Information Systems Online Store Studio 5 Liguria SRL Techtrade TeleGrafix Communications Inc. Online Shopping/Order Entry/Auctions a eno BSI Technologies DataSafe Publications Durand Communications Network Excalibur! Software Galacticomm, Inc. Infinetwork Developer’s Toolkit and C Source Cole ae Galacticomm, Inc. Integrated Fax Capabilities Galacticomm, Inc. MagiComm, Inc. The Business BBS Super CD-ROM Management Farwest BBS Mountain Rose Multi Media “Dial-Out” with Scripts Galacticomm, Inc. Logicom, Inc. Just about anything you want. That’s because The Major BBS is a completely open-ended platform for creating your own unique online service. You can choose from a huge selection of off-the-shelf software — just a small fraction of which is represented here — offered by over 100 third-party developers. Most of these add-ons integrate into your BBS as DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries). No shelling to DOS is required. And because these DLLs are written in C and Assembly, = ae) a they provide far greater performance and flexibility than script languages or dBase derivatives. You can run all this from a single com ultaneous im puter and support up to 256 s bee users via modems, serial connections, Architecture of The Major BBS ? Mail Networks of All Kinds (FIDO, RIME, QWK, MajorNet, etc.) Crystal Vision, Inc. DigiTel Inc. MLP Associates ProStar Computer Corporation Public Data Network Tessier Technologies, Inc. Programmable xBase Capability Integrated Solutions, Inc. The Business BBS Direct X.25 Connectivity Galacticomm, Inc. Internet Mail and Newsgroups Galacticomm, Inc. Teleconference Links and Worldwide Chat ProStar Computer Corporation Public Data Network Tessier Technologies, Inc. Outstanding Multi-Player Games Computel High Velocity Software, Inc. Jabberwocky Logicom, Inc. MajorSoft Inc. M.B. Murdock & Associates Tessier Technologies, Inc. WilderLand Software Credit Card Verification DataSafe Publications Photograph/Image Databases Durand Communications Network The Business BBS Advanced Account Management East Side Computing High Velocity Software, Inc. Parallax Development Corporation ProStar Computer Corporation Sirius Software Tessier Technologies, Inc. side U.S. and Canada call 305-583-5990). X.25 circuits, and Novell LAN channels. No other BBS platform gives you this power. Need “doors” capability too? You can hook up additional machines and instantly use the programs written for multi-node BBSes as well. To quote Newsbytes, “The Major BBS is one of the most powerful and expandable boards available, yet it is extremely easy to install and run.” For more information, see your local deal- er, or give us a call at 1-800-328-1128 (out- And team up with BBS developers that link you into everything else. (GALACTICOMM IF YOU HAD THREE WISHES, Takeaclosclookand you'llsee why so many sysopsare switching to the Synchronet Multinode Bulletin Board System. Forone, messagenet- working issecond nature for Synchronet. Notonly does Synchronetsupport FidoNet, QWK, and PostlLink (RIME) message net- works, but network considerationsare integrated into every aspect of the BBS. Synchronet'shierarchical message and file areasare the perfect organizational solution fortoday’s multi-network messageand CD-ROM fileareas. Synchronet has many builtin features that other packages either don't offeror require an addon, suchas multichannel and private key by key chat, offline reader features, and multiuser CD-ROMsuppott. First time operators appreciate Synchronet’s elegant menudriven configuration, while experienced sysops revelin its wealth of options and flexibility. The list goesonand on. But don'ttake our word forit, check out the competition first. With Synchronet, you won't need three wishes. Synchronet Wildcat##!IM PCBoard/M MajorBBS Node license $199 $799 $440 $508 Multitasker $200 $200 $200 Yes 8 port /O $300 $800 $995 $575 $500 Multinode chat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Multichannel chat Yes Extra No Yes Yes Private key by key chat Yes No No Yes Yes Offline reader support Yes Yes Extra $199 $99 QWK networking Yes Yes Extra No Yes FidoNet import/export Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Send/receive NetMail Yes Yes No No Yes PostLink (RIME) support Yes Extra Yes Extra No RIPscrip GUI support Yes No No Extra No Novell/DOS support Yes Yes Yes Yes No 976/900 billing support Yes No No Extra Extra Real-time node activity alerts Yes No No Yes Yes Enhanced CD-ROM support Yes Yes Yes Extra Extra Multiuser SDK Yes No Extra Extra Extra Incoming FAX support Yes No No No No Chat between doors Yes No No Yes No Bidirectional file transfers Yes Yes Yes No No Multiple user command sets Yes No No No No Supports DOS doors 6 types 1 type 3 types No No Hierarchical msg & file areas es fe) o No No Extemal transfer protocols Yes Yes Yes No No Total price $699 $1799 $1635 $1282 $1494 Prices\do not include CPU or modems. Features and prices compiled fram vendorsupplicd information 2/93, are subject to change without notification. Wildcat!IM, PCBoard/M, MajorBBS, TBBS, QWK, FidoNet, PostLink, RIME, RiPscrip, Novell, and DOS arc trademarks or their respective companies. Commercial or Shareware Toss/Scan utilities are required for same message network technologics. YOU COULD TOSS THE OTHER TWO. ' sop : 2 IY Why seed t aya have a special “multi Syvnenronar 3 2 tS port” version? Because Synchronet was de- /wquttinode Bulletin Board System Software ' signed from the ground up as a high-speed multinode BBS capable of running up to 10 Undeniable Value rT nodes on a single 486. It's advanced inter- rupt driven output design combined with 2 Node License $ 99 DESQview optimizations maximize 4 Node License $ 149 CPU utilization, allowing Synchronet 16 Node License $ 199 to out perform other systems running special “multiport” versions on expen- 250 Node License $ 399 sive coprocessed I/O cards. For performance, Multiuser SDK FREE Node license upgrades arc available for the difference plus 10%. features, and value, nobody beats Synchronet. Minor revision upgrades can be downloaded free of charge. aiDigital Dynam Ics Download the Free demo version: P.O. Box 501 Yorba Linda, CA 92686 (714) 529-9525 2400bps (714) 529-5313 9600+bps v.32 (714) 529-6328 voice (714) 529-9721 FAX (714) 529-9721 9600+bps ZyXel (714) 529-9547 9600+bps HST THE BULLETIN ONTENTS BOARD SYSTEMS MAGAZINE VOLUME 5, NUMBER 3 MARCH 1994 FEATURES PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ° eye Richard Paquette ¥ 10 Galactic Ambitions Staff Report ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John P. Carcione 18 Doing It All at DSC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Staff Report Richard W. Robi Jr. ee COLUMNS DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION Terry Wilson, Rainbow Creek Studios 99 Trader’ § Lounge, Oasis i in the Desert, ART DIRECTOR Solar FX, Fascinations pacar az0 BBS Notebook by Alan R. Bechtold PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION 6 . é Beth Tomasello 32 Electronic Frontier Foundation NEWSSTAND CIRCULATION DIRECTOR The Law and BBS Users by Shari Steele William A. Townsend 36 Message ina Bottle SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT Novice Nook by Walter Ledbetter Starr Fulfillment Corp. 900 Haddon Ave., Ste 326 38 Home Sweet School Sarees ete 08108 BBS Callers: Who Are They? By Richard Lowell Harding ia a 42 Trivial Parsuits, Callers Guide, itorial and Advertising — We cun be contacted online = at “The Livewire BBS,” which is the suppor! BBS, set and Perfect Spelling modem at 8,N,] and cull 1-609-235-5297. Voice Office : number is: 1-609-953-9110; Fax is: 1-609-953-7961; Unele Hank’s Shareware Reviews by “Uncle™ Hank Hurteau hardcopy mailing address is: Callers Digest Inc, 701 ’ Stokes Rd, Medford, NJ 08055. 44 Murphy's Laws of BBS Calls Subscriptions USA aoe Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lance Whitney i 1 Yr. (12 issues) $30 $50 a A Bee Bey B80 * 920 48 Commodore Smorgasbord Commodore Connections by Gaelyne R. Moranec . Call our order HOTLINE ut 1-800-822-0437 8am4pm - : EST, Mon-Fri.and charge your subseription tw your Visa | 90 (ut of the Box and Endlessly Screaming or MasterCard, or send check, money order payable to Meee: by Vi R. Volk Colfers Digeat-Inc: odem Discounts by Victor R. Volkman Entire contents copyright ©1994 Callers Digest, Inc., ull AY} WEB WAIS and Gopher - rights reserved, Materiul in this publication MAY NOT : , 1 Ad be reproduced in any form without written permission InterNet Made Easy by Mike Robinson from the publisher of BBS Magazine. 60 Mail Call BBS Magazine (ISSN #1055-2812) is published monthly F ; é by Callers Digest, Inc. 701 Stokes Rd., Medford, NJ Macintosh Online by Michael A. Kuykendall 08055. Callers Digest, Inc. is not responsible for the,opin- ions expressed by contributors. Questions and vomments DEPARTMENT S are welcomed. Unless otherwise instructed, we assume all rights to letters, arlicles, or other communicutions sent to a Callers Digest. Inc. as unconditionally assigned for publi- { I eadme.txt cation. Material not accompanied by a stamped, self- : addressed envelope will not be returned. Uploads are 6 Newswire accepted only in ZIP format at “The Livewire BBS,” 609- q "235-5297 (HST, 8.N.1}). 62 Book Shelf , i | POSTMASTER: Please send all change of address (with 64 Authorized CD Snb BBS List | old label und new uddress) to: Starr Fulfillment Corp.. 900 | ted eat ; .. Ste 326, Collingswood, NJ 08108. 66 Classified Ads | z 68 Advertiser's Index ister geeartagMhascaseteenosiertnertcaao MARGH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE (0 cvvesssscscossesssresnsccssccuesnecssescusereccsncnersatrnesassonerasssonee ae Rusty Edie Dual Eliminator Rusty n Edie’s BBS announces the introduction of their Dual Eliminator. Simply plug your phone line to the Dual Eliminator and then plug the Dual Elimin- ator into your modem. This devide consists of 2 passive electronic filters that handle both high and low frequency noise from the phone line. Both high and low frequency are independently adjustable with knobs that mount on the front of the unit. Surge protection is provided by an electronic varistor. bs | A light emitting diode, also mounted on the front of the unit, glows whenever the device is eliminating noise from the phone lines. This device can solve the majority of noise | problems associated with telecommuni- cations today, and is sold with a 30 day, | money back guarantee. They sell for $25 each plus $4 shipping and handling. To order, call Rusty n Edie’s at 216-726-4217, | fax to 216-726-3595 or call their BBS number 216-726-2620; they will accept | Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Rusty n Edie’s BBS 7393 California Ave. Youngstown, OH 44512 Sein tea —__— G —_____ a readme.txt § ae a month to go until BBS EXPO ’94 in Washington, 1).CY For all those wishing to find out the latest on the elec- tronic bulletin board frontier, and computer communica- tions in general, consider this close to the last call. April 5-7 will mark the first BBS This month our attention has EXPO, an exposition to bring you been caught by Galacticomm, Inc. closer to the developers of products and Datamax/Satalink Connection you use each day...to meet those peo- BBS. ple and get the inside story on what’s Nearly two years ago BBS in store for the coming year, and what Magazine looked into to expect as we approach the millen- Galacticomm, Inc. (creator of The nium. It’s “a big year for experiment- Major BBS), and found a company ing,” said the Philadelphia Inquirer. taking off. This time we find it in We agree, and BBS EXPO ’94 will full flight with a new version of help to bring it all (experiments, The Major. advancements and breakthroughs) a DSC BBS (Datamax/Satalink into clear focus. @9 Connection) is sort of a conglomer- To be held at the Sheraton ate BBS in Pennsylvania. The BBS Washington Hotel, the expo (as men- began small then incorporated tioned last month) is not only names other boards to become quite a and faces, it’s also exhibits by big powerhouse service. From Internet and small companies and informative to Clarinet, DSC offers it. seminars by the chief experts in the Next Month: RoboBOARD/FX business. And without going into and Software Creations BBS. lengthy detail, we should also men- tion attendees can expect a few sur- prises. Bottom line is if you use a BBS in a any fashion and want to stay connect- (Chand tt (Chinon Uh r ed, you’ll be missing more than just a C good time by staying home April 5-7. We hope to see you there. Editor-in-Chief MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE — cverevsrscreccareccsssscesascecsescsrsaccsecresscsnsescevessccssncesccenccceseuesesanses Che Capital News US Edition BBS Expo ’94 WASHINGTON, DC — The nation’s capital has been designated to host the firsc annual BBS con- vention of its kind. This convention is intended for anyone interested in che fast growing “infor- mation superhighway” provided by local BBSs, information services such as Prodigy, Compu- Serve, GEnie, etc. The sponsor, BBS Magazine (aka BBS Callers Digest), intends to bring together its readers with companies that represent the latest in BBS soft- ware, communications, utilities and hardware. Companies include: Clark Development Co. Inc. (PC Board) Durand Communications (DC Net) Electronic Frontier Foundation Galacticomm, Inc. (Major BBS) Planet Systems, Inc. ZyXel, Inc. Educational forums will include: © BBS Software BBSs Today and Tomorrow © Using BBSs and Online Service ¢ BBSs and the Law, Electronic Democracy * BBSs Networking: Internet, Fidonet, QWK * Modems, Telecomm Software, Shareware * Connecting to the Internet for Users/Sysops * Which Hardware and Software to Use Playing host to this evene is The Sheraton Washington Hotel, 2660 Woodley Road, NW (photo upper right). Located in northwest Washington, DC, The Sheraton Washington is in an excellent setting for BBS EXPO. Set two miles from downtown DC, minutes from National Airport and a few miles from the Balt/Wash International Airport, the award-win- ning Sheraton Washington Hotel combines first- class amenities, restaurants and an experienced exhibit service department to provide a first-class venue for BBS EXPO. Medford, NJ Corporate buyers, resellers, operators of bulletin board systems and regular BBS callers looking to acquire the latest in software are hungry for infor- mation on what's over the horizon. Technological advances, new products, additions co the old The sponsor, BBS Magazine intends to bring together its readers with companies that represent the latest in BBS software, communications, utilities and hardware, plus much more. ones... these are all of chief interest to atcendees of BBS EXPO. From the hobbyist to the experi- enced BBS system operator to the executive using electronic bullecin boards strictly co increase sales, all backgrounds and interests will be represented. aD OCA Sone neeneneeeemoneasnerenraerreuaeeNneonennieenne seas heeeeaneeenaneeyAaeEENtHeE EE OONE ESSEC RNG SOOT ELD ERE RHODES LSOAEAGLESEUEESROOHHSOEEES HOOP ODES OOOUEDI ESOT NOSE SEA DEOH ODEN EOHENERUORDEHNOeEAsANASNGOHOEFHSOHOONDSSTELOES ICO SED ES ES>OSOeLONeEenH nen nansnnan sens: REGISTRATION FORM MAILING INFORMATION: (Please print clearly) Full Name Address Daytime Number Fax Number City State/Zip Code Province/Postal Code/Country BBS Name/Phone ATTENDEE BADGE INFORMATION: (Please princ clearly) Name Tile Company METHOD OF PAYMENT: (Visa (1) MasterCard L) Check LI Money Order Tf paying with credit card, credit card # Expiration Date: Signature: BBS EXPO 794 april 5-7, 1994 April 5-7 Sheraton Washington Hotel In WaehinetSn: pc Along with many exhibits and onsite demon- strations from leading and startup companies in the industry, the show will present educational forums held by experts in each of che related fields. The cost to get connected is only $195 for all chree days or $100 for one day. College stu- dents with current ID cards can purchase a com- plete chree day pass for only $125, or $65 for a one-day pass. If purchased after March 5, three- day registration will cosc $250. Scudene regis- tration will be $195. Registration forms should be mailed in wich check or money order as soon as possible. Please make all check or money orders payable to: BBS EXPO You can also fax your registration form using a Visa or MasterCard to 609-953-7961. For more information please call BBS EXPO ac 609-953-5955. Sales information 203-254-0500. Amount Enclosed $ Total to be charged Charged by: Callers Digest, Unc. F aw. MEONE’S TELLING SECRETS: a> © : em lake note: A newly published book aight have, you Panui ri safet “Searets of a Super Hacker” (Loompanics Unlimited.205 pages). by an aut knowii only as The Kinightmare. p prov ides readers with hi i hacking. not to mention ~BBS Exploitation.” *Bypas | “Cyashing BBSs” and “Trojan Horses,” those, st to BBSs that. when run by the sysop, ety out pg a gnnients suc veh ds collecting passwords. ” my /. Knightmare,-while.w riting authoritatively, helpfully y breaks the. 1 into SK af smaller sections; allowing the uninitiated lo; to keep up oe. is t Pe "The \ Sia overs subjects Re. the et {hae sking to."The Hacker's Ethie.” A helpful. % glossary is included. as are thorough: pe ae (with one ev en | offering common ons for would-bé cracke rs). , Vithsan introduction by Gang Branwyit : ¢ ‘ond cover by Bart Nagel. “Seere $.of a Super — . Hackers a sort of textbook for dny: one con-~ cemed About the security of their eum 7 Sysops mity find it necessaty tu reac one, expecially their callers. read inf first A Ble) ato cca LTS «Nr © themes fains a storehouse: of over 650,000 Shareware proyrams snd files on a BBS Users Gan access through Compuserve. Since il was established in 1983, more than 10.000 enthusiasts have posted shareware on Exec-PC. while hundreds of thousands of users have accessed the library to d-load shareware. Exec-PC’s Hyperscan online search feature is able to search 20,000 files every two sec- onds. For more information, contact CompuServe at 5000 Arlington Centre Blvd., Box 20212, Columbus, OH 43220, or call (614) 457-8600. Spider Island Enhances TeleFinder BBS for Macintosh IRVINE, CA — Spider Island Software, maker of TeleFinder, the Mac BBS, has released version 3.2 of its Group Edition Host software with sig- nificant new features most frequently requested by users and sysops. TeleFinder 3.2 now gives users the ability to view GIF files in addition to PICT format files and their captions while online, thereby providing the opportunily to automatically decom- press and view graphic files while d- loading them. In addition, TeleFinder 3.2 now includes built-in drivers for V.Fast modems from Hayes. US Robotics and Microcom. When using V.Fast-compat- ible modems and V.42bis compression, TeleFinder is capable of achieving file transfer rates exceeding 100,000 bits/sec. Spider Island has also announced that it now supports Internet Mail access via InterF inder, a third-party mail gateway that supports the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) common- ly used for sending mail over the Net. Finally, on top of its Mac GUI and text-based support for standard TTY, YT100 and ANSI terminal connections, TeleFinder 3.2 now optionally supports Windows users TeleFinder User for Windows. For more information, contact Spider Island Software 4790 Irvine Blvd., Suite 105-347, Irvine, CA 92720 or call voice (714) 669-9260, BBS (714) 730-5785 or fax (714) 669-1383. GEMini Acari CLROM Available WALNUT CREEK. CA — We know you Atari users are out there...here’s something new just for you. The GEMini CDROM for Atari com- puters, featuring 616 megs or 2.872 public domain programs, shareware programs and commercial demos for the Atari ST, TT and Falcon computers (as well as graphics and text for the Lynx and Jaguar video game systems), is now available from Walnut Creek CDROM. Walnut Creek has set up the CDROM in a logical tree structure, which simplifies searching for and run- ning files. Sysops can install the GEMini CDROM on an Atari or MSDOS BBS. All the non-compressed files have a corresponding compressed version. BBSs supported include PCBoard, opus, Wildcat, RBBS, Spitfire and Maximus. For more information, contact Walnut Creek CDROM, 1547 Palos Verdes Mall, Suite 260, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, or call voice (800) 786- 9907, fax (510) 674-0821. Or contact Edward McGrath at (510) 674-0783. Help for Women Online For women seeking help with their information and networking needs, Women’s WIRE (Worldwide Information Resource & Exchange), described as the first international, interactive computer network dedicated to women, just might be the answer. Women’s WIRE, the product of WIRE Network’s, Inc. out of San Francisco, CA, last fall held phase one of its project to educate and train women about cyberspace and online communications. Fifty Califormia non- profit women’s community-based ser- vice providers and public policy orga- nizations took part. Phase two, in January, was to provide free one-on-one training, technical assistance and accounts on WIRE. If you are a woman interested in get- ting involved, contact Women’s WIRE at voice (415) 615-8989, or e-mail to info@wire.net. erat MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE Correction: In the Modem Discounts column of our Dec. 93 issue we misused the term “closeout offer” when referring to Practical Peripherals’ special pricing deal on the PM14400FXSA modem (3215/$190 each for five or more). As — for the PM14400FXMT, the regular sysop discount applies: $155 each.. Practical Peripherals has no intention of discontinuing or “closing out” either modem. Further, the special offer has been extended to the end of this month. The Skinny SOFTWARE VENTURES, CORP. has upgrad- 4 ed its MicroPhone line to include mul- ; tiple sessions and Internet access tools. : THE WASHINGTON POST CO. is planning : to dispense an electronic edition of The Washington Post newspaper. At presstime, CISCO SYSTEMS INC. was _ reportedly planning to announce sup- — port for AppleTalk Remote Access in one of its communications servers. The announcement was planned for MacWorld Expo in San Francisco. ONLINE YELLOW PAGES, along with dis- play advertising, will be offered online following an alliance of Prodigy Services Company and NYNEX. APPLE COMPUTER INC. is offering a fami- ly of remote access items aimed at making dialing easier, cellular connec- tions better and x.25 support through — 2 an extension. 51 i PERFORMANCE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL oe 23] and ZIFF DESKTOP INFORMATION plan to distribute the multimedia features of _ ay : Ziff magazines, which include PCWeek and Mac WEEK, electronically over x PSICable Internet paige 2 beta testing on a new Redes desig to link the Internet’s Usenet news- groups with Lotus Notes. : Au Du anennuercccosecnoatesanecesonsquavesecenesessenenesae contains 350 Megs of PC Shareware & PD software. Including Special CD-ROM Benchmark and Test Utilities written by our programming staff, & NOT available on any other CO-ROM Discs. Our Special Test Utilities measure throughput as well as access time in a reliable and consistent manner for a meaningful real-world benchmark for CD drives. The Disc and Interface Software are fully functional (Even for BBS Use) and not crippled in any way. When purchased separately Mega Demo and Test is $14.00 plus $6.00 for S&H However for a Limited Time This Demo and Test CD-ROM Disc is Free with any CD Disc purchase. These are the Only Shareware & PD CD-ROM Discs with both a DOS, and a Windows 3.1 “Hypertext” Retrieval Interface. Plus All CD Discs are BBS Ready, and Include files.bbs plus our BBS Door with our "Remote User" Mouseable Pull-Down Menu Interface. PROFIT PRESS 824 E. Ft. Lowell Rd., Tucson, AZ 85719 Info (602) 770-0000 FAX (602) 770-0005 BBS (602) 770-0008 The prices tisted above do not include shipping and handling. Special shipping and shipping to foreign countries is available. cz - ORDERS ONLY! CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-843-7990 Mega and FAO Thi So what’s different about our CD-ROM Discs. . . Besides Interface Software That’ll Blow Your Socks Off? The archive files have all been read and indexed by our hypertext search engine which creates a file on the CD-ROM Disc that allows for searches on unique words and phrases. This means that the user can search the entire discin less than 10 seconds and the search will include ALL of the documentation INSIDE the archive files. For DOS and Windows 3.1 users we provide both MegaSearch and MegaWin our Graphical Search and Retrieval Software that allows the user to view 256 Color Gifs, Animated Color Fii’s, play SOUND BLASTER sound Files, plus view and search for text strings INSIDE the archive files, all with just one keystroke or mouse click. $79.00 ea. SER OL 6 r p WF a 3 ; Af / - 5 “CD-ROM? ‘ ‘Windows: Windows Shareware / Pubic Domain PC Shareware Spectacular 650 Megs 1 Pius Gigs Uncompressed! Our Newest in the Mi Our Newest in The Mega CD-ROM This Disc Contains Gace Utilities of All Our CD-ROM Discs are "BBS Ready" & include files.bbs, plus MegaDoor & MegaTerminal. Both rograms fully support the hypersearch lookup eatures of MegaSearch. MegaTerminal is our "Remote BBS Graphical User Interface" for MegaDoor that allows the remote user to access MegaDoor using... Mouseable Pull-Down Menusina Windowed Environment! Try It, It's unlike anything seen before on public BBS systems. Call our BBS at (602) 770-0008. Select Doors from the main menu, tun door #1, enter ! to download MegaTerminal, DZ: read the short document megaterm.doc, install as instructed and experience MegaTerminal! $79.00 ea. a = ATyY Ai 7 1 Games. PC Games, Graphics & Sounds Windows Series. Contains PC Games from Shareware Series. Contains Utilities of All Types, Word Processors, Data Base, Communications, Graphics Tools, CAD, Hoty, Cares, Spots S00 Fes? », Games, les, 256 Color GIFs, Fu's, Bibles, Fonts, Windows Programs, BBS, Plus Much More! sNblich Direct Price Types, Windows Application Programs of All Types, Windows Communications Programs, Windows Games, Windows Fonts, Windows 256 Color Graphics .BMP, Windows Sound Files .WAV, Windows Drivers and Icons, plus OS/2 Shareware, and Much Much More! Companies such as Apogee, and Epic, plus many many others. Game Bytes Electronic Magazine, with file categories that include Arcade, Adventure, Puzzles, Mind & Strategy, War Games, Card Games, RPG Games, Plus 256 Color GIF's, FU's of all types & Includes Sound Files, MOD, .ROL, WAV & VOC This Disc Contains Hacking, Phreaking, Tone Box Information, Anarchy, Subculture, Magic, Intemet & Computer Security Secrets, Bomb Plans, | Qur Exclusive! FBI & Police Net Files, Virus Code, Sick & Twisted G Occult, Even Ham Radio Files, Plus Much Much More! Everything Fun raphics, UFO, Special Price and Interesting That Absolutely No One Wants You to Know About! Includes MegaSearch for those Fascinating Late Night Text Searches. & (If You Dare) for BBS there's files.bbs Plus MegaDoor and MegaTerminal. $39.00 S.RLP. $79.00 ea. $49.00 CD-ROM Worids Bes! "The Best of the Best" $39.00 each or The Full Set All 3 Only! Volumes 1, 2, & 3 "Best of the Best" For Adults Only "GOLD" i SET Genuine SONY. Caddies $3.50 each with any "Wife Proof Labels” Each Over 600 MegaBytes Disc Purchase Limit of 10 selling Sharewar spare Many Not On FAO 123 - 256 Color SVGA Gif's with NO BBS Logos! Plus Animated FLI's, GL’s, & DL’s, Includes Games, and Fanlasy Text Files. S.R.P. $79.00 each. Public 3 Disc Set 1,892 Megs contains over 16,000 Files! All 3 Only! 569.00 SET LO, Volumes 1,2, & 3 For Adults Only "Wife Proof Labels” 256 Color SVGA GIF's, Plus Animated FLI's, GL’s, & DL's Includes Games, & Fantasy Text Files. 3 Disc Set 1,892 Megs - 16,000+ Files! S.R.P. for this Set of 3 Discs $199.00 Domain CD-ROM Disc will be bundled with all Gateway 2000 modems. business and consumer markets. DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. and The New York Times Company have announced the content of the New York Times (as carried by The New York Times News Service) will be distributed by Dow Jones Business Information Services beginning this spring. The Times Co. also struck a deal with America Online to deliver The NY PACIFIC BELL recently filed four Video Dialtone applica- tions with the FCC. P. Bell has its eye on creating a communica- tions superhighway for California. MICROSOFT CORP. plans this year to give Times Online, an interactive service about 2,000 in the Seattle area remote scheduled to launch sometime before access to its corporate LANs through April. ISDN connections. FUJITSU NETWORK SWITCHING of America is offering an asynchronous transfer mode gateway giv- ing end-users the opportu- nity lo access growing broadband public info highways. HOUSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS plans to provide full Internet access begin- ning in 1995, at the start of the next Congress. Access will include, among other things, databases offering information about voting records and legislation. HEWLETT PACKARD COMPANY of California has acquired the rights to the trademark PC Dashboard from No Sweat Software, Inc., a Virginia corpora- tion. PC Dashboard has been upgraded and now goes by the name Starting- Line. MICROCOM INC., of Norwood, Mass., is now offering a remote network server with V.fast modem technology and a Microsoft Windows- based interface. APPLE COMPUTER INC., reportedly has plans to build an electronic news and information network. The service will be com- peting with the likes of America Online CompuServe and Prodigy. TRAVELING SOFTWARE’S CommWorks for Windows By Modem: 408-847-0665 MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE vw PRODIGY SERVICES CO. announced that its e-mail] gateway to the Internel gen- erated 200,000 messages for each of its first two months of service. SYMANTEC CORP. has released Disk Doubler 4.0, its noted com- pression utility for the Macintosh. Also for the Mac, E-Machines, the divi- sion of SuperMac Technology Inc., has announced Simply TV: a card allowing any television to become a Mac display. 2am Ee celllence @realine! GALA Scott Brinker Discussing The WE W “really cool things’ with Nearly two years ago BBS Magazine sat down with Tim Stryker, founder and chairman of the board of Galacticomm, Inc., (creator of The Major BBS) for a revealing interview. This time we look to Scott Brinker, president and CEO, for an update about the goings-on at the mullti- million dollar company, including the recent release of The Major BBS 6.2. Major BBS, customer satisfaction and other Galacticomm's energetic CEO Scott Brinker. rinker was the company’s second customer back in 1986 and later acted as its general manager (among other things) until he was named to his current post a year ago this month. ; At 22, Brinker has an intense confidence in his products that stretches beyond his years, frequently stressing the importance of customer satisfaction. And as we found out, the formula is working. Tell us what’s been happening over the past 22 months. Well, everything has gone gangbusters. Sales have doubled, our staff has doubled, our customer base has doubled, our third-party developers have doubled, the size of our facilities has doubled — we’re thrilled to be in the heart of it. Over a year ago, we unveiled the Version 6 platform, which enabled add-on options to plug into the BBS directly as DLLs. I think it’s a breakthrough that has made The Major BBS the most open-architecture bulletin board system around, and it has really fueled our growth. Two years ago we had 20 employees. Now we’ve got 40 peo- ple on board, over 100 third-party developers, close to 300 dealers and VARs worldwide...and over 15,000 multi-user systems sold into business, education, government and enter- tainment applications. We’ve taken on a leading role in the acceptance of graphic technology for BBSs, such as RIPscrip. And we’ve given a lot of attention to the international market, supporting almost a dozen translations of the BBS into languages around the globe, from Spanish and German to Czech and Hungarian. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE It’s no secret you’re now running the company. But how did this come about? Well, for many years I ran a third-party company in Fort Lauderdale [Moonshae Telecomm and later Galactic Innovations...Brinker also worked summers for Galacticomm in ’87 and ’88] that developed add-on products for The Major BBS, such as a multi-user database and the hit game Kyrandia {which later inspired Virgin Games’ Legend of Kyrandia]. We also ran the largest public BBS in the southeast, Moonshae Isles, so we worked closely with Galacticomm on a regular basis. At the time, my company was rich in engineering talent, but relatively low on project capital. Galacticomm was almost in the opposite situation. So in December of 1990, we decided to merge the two companies, and I came on board as vice pres- ident. Over the years I’ve dug into everything from marketing to engineering to sales support. When Stryker decided to tum over the helm, I was delighted to take on the challenge. Of course, it means 15-hour days and seven-day work-weeks, but when you do what you love and love what you do, there’s never enough hours in the day. Were you attending school while running these companies? I finished 11th grade in high school and was allowed early admission to the University of Miami because of the work I was doing...there I studied computer science and electronic CONTINUES... I Tim Stryker, Galacticomm’s founder, with an example of his computer-generated artwork. music. When our company merged with Galacticomm IJ took a leave of absence from the university. Tell us about the others at Galacticomm. Ym working with what Id call 39 of the most talented and dedicated people I’ve ever known. Bert Love, who has about 20 years of experience with communi- cations hardware and software, is our vice president of research and develop- ment. He’s worked with big companies, such as General Datacomm and Hitachi, on everything from modem design to ISDN. He works closely with Chris Robert, our director of technolo- gy. Chris and I have worked together for the past four years, and he’s the lead engineer in Version 6 and 6.1, as well as our Fax/Online project. Richard Skurnick, who was a part- ner in my previous software company, is our director of operations. Sheri Robert is our director of marketing. [In fact, Sheri and Chris were married a year after meeting at Galacticomm]. And Michael Hunt is our chief finan- cial officer and head of administration. It’s a very horizontally managed company, so it’s only fair to say that all of the employees have an entrepreneur- ial stake in its success. I could fill a Earl Morton, production foreman for Galacticomm hardware and software. bl book with their individual credentials and accomplishments. Where does that leave Stryker? He’s published his book, “Think a Little,” on the evolutionary perspectives of the future of civilization. And he’s done some rather extensive research on electronic democracy. In fact, he’s formed a new company, Consensus Systems, Inc., for the purpose of devel- oping advanced multi-user polling and debate software [Brinker said Stryker is keyed into the development of electron- ic democracy, or superdemocracy, where the need for legislative represen- tation would be eclipsed by citizens’ abilities to vote directly on issues via electronic technology]. He’s also released some fantastic computer-gen- erated art on film and canvas. But he’s still with Galacticomm? Oh yes, he’s chairman and still has his fingers in the pie, so to speak. Thus far we have been talking in gen- eral terms. Specifically, what’s new on the software front? Well, we’ve just unveiled Version 6.2 of the Major BBS, and phones are ring- ing off the hook. We’ve made four major enhancements (no pun intended, he says) to the baseline package. First, we’ve rewritten our File Library from scratch. A full-screen ANSI file manager lets you quickly scroll through the files, tag them for download later, view detailed informa- tion (including the contents of ZIP files), or download one immediately and return right back to the list. It’s got superb support for CD- ROMs, with quick file logging and a “copy before download” option. The search capabilities are rather snazzy, too, with options to search not only for keywords and file names, but also for recently added files as well as the most commonly downloaded ones. And one of our third-party developers, Mountain Rose Multi Media, has an add-on for the Library that lets you have an unlim- ited number of CD-ROM “servers” CONTINUES... NOW YOUR IMAGINION Imagine a continuous stream of _nhew data flowing into your BBS . non ~ stop 24-hours a day... 4° ./- OK * Imagine having ‘daily access to . _almost.any conference‘network .° Stic and Internet/Gsenet news groups... a . Imagine your long ‘distance’ . M2 phone bills dropping by as much . SOME OF THE PLANET CONNECT © as 80% or'more.. . . > - D@€T@ FEEDS: os With a Planet Connect satellite data system “Liat e - RIME +. you can automatically and inexpensively . Feceive an amazing amount of new data , “Fido-net (conferences and file areas) each day. >i... ° wire NaNet - ° i Monthly subscription ee for Ta ae lL conference nets are as low as $30.00 , ° . MajorNet - - per month. The two foot satellite data - ILink ° : syatemn can be purchased for gnly ge . Pee i INK . or leased for only $18.50 per mont ° “oe .’ RoseNet Our two foot diameter satellite dish . OREO. R ° i sysiem comes complete with cable and ne ta . .Intelec ‘a video tape to assist your installation : . The system Is easy to install and requires ; +. : o. -G'n Inet almost no maintenance. a! : " Planet Earth - Break away from those high nriced ees 0 . Phone bills and increase your menu ion RCTS so City yi City | of data at the same time. Call today oie A - ° Microsoft . or a free video and site chec . x = call new, quantities are rated due me" ; . ea >K o the high demand for this revolution . SmartNet: ’ In BBS communications. . er a 3 a; ay Internet/Usenet News Groups * Pe amet | , * Senta National Weather ° (satellite, radar, & maps) * ONMEct eee —= USA Today Decisionline. : Planet Se inc. . pine . National TV Listings - ° 213 Abbey Roa eee Z * Newport, TN 37821 Bite, More feeds’ are being added each , VOICE 615-623-8300 © - , _ month. Watch our ads for future additions. Fax 615-623-8751" * * *Availability of some net material Is subject to net approvals. HST Bes pee =8203 . ee. Be Membership In the nets must be obtains through is nets. . Fidonet 1:3615/50 : *Satisfaction is guaranteed. Try our system for 60 days and receive a complete refund less shipping costs if you are not completely satisfied. _ ThéPier Shareware CD-ROMs The HOTTEST and most CURRENT CD-ROMs on the market! [THREE - DISC SET SPECIAL FoR onLY $59.00 The Pier Exchange ‘e 4* a | < — x ee» €, < . \ 640x480x16 up to 1024x768x256 SVGA. JPEG realtime photos (JFIF compliant). Nn Online GIF’ Previewing from file areas. Point and shoot interface. \ Dragging windows, buttons and scrollers. Realtime icon transfers (no duplications). \ Word processor message editor. Users can upload, download and print messages. - \ Lightning fast database files system. h Seamless CD-ROM support. \ Resuming Auto ZModem. Multiline Chat. N Programmable input Templates and Menus. é - r > é > he < Multilanguage support. ANSI support. Bullet Proof Security. Virus scanner support. Message and file forums. Call back verifier & Time Bank Included. Multiline/Local LAN support. DESQview’ multiline ready. DigiBoard, Fossil, UART support. Free Tel-FX graphical terminal. VGA‘/SVGA drawing package included. Only DOS required! Five minute install. Free Telephone Support! = 53 or: = == aise SSS : Gy ay Ltt: 29 2 ’ Semana cana nar | 3 3 Reremel| Sl Otome THIET PURI wi = | reais Ca Orders & Info 1-800-363-ROBO PP = Demo System 1-819-682-7771 AV od — are, Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc. on vy ‘ 173 Prentiss Street, Aylmer PO, JOH SV8 ew RoboBOARDiand, Tel-FX | atrodemarks'of Hamilton TeleGraphics Inc All it ems are the property oftheir resp ivaowners. "@ Go » So ele ee ee Re eee eee SL” C€ Doing ita Datamax/Satalink On New Years day in 1989 a 2400 baud, single line, 80-meg BBS called Satalink went online in Warminster, PA. Five years later the system has a new name, 10 gigabytes and 60 lines. It was a busy five years. DSC fip. Hai Pur ftp Copgiight 199) BSC-Wwicemet Ail BILATS RISERVEO 1 Pratocol - Use this cuneate rect citex F arlultet This system is cca WEA iceset! t fast fetcreet Ceased Telephoor ile. If gow are oot familiar oo bow ftp works oe bighly reccomend that gon icad op om the cobject (inst You will seed ta teow the (lp addrezs gow want io cegecs! files fice ax wll ax heu a basic keouledge af ihe (1p commied cei to use this ccmmicd. for more Iafoimition aed a tangle cessiom dexmload BSC_FTP.Z1 According to Satalink’s sysop, Ron Brandt, the system’s original theme was messaging. A key goal was getting the BBS hooked up to a satellite so it could provide information found on no other board. The satellite link worked for a time, transmitting Usenet, but shortly thereafter transmission was lost when the satellite firm’s parent company elected to drop the free Usenet feed. Undaunted, Brandt pressed on. It wasn’t long before three mail net- works were installed (RIME, Fidonet and Smartnet), and within a few months of launching the system Satalink was running on one of the first versions of lantastic with two lines. Said Brandt: with a total of 255 conferences avail- able through Sam Smith’s Prodoor, Satalink was a one-stop provider of echomail at the time. That October the system moved to Huntingdon Valley, PA, and two more nodes were added. In March of 1990 Brandt made the decision to take the board from hobby to business. Though still running it from his house, Brandt was now able to give the system his full attention. [Link was added; Satalink became one of the few systems to offer Usenet News and Internet e-mail (with the help of Ed Hopper’s UUPCB pack- age); conferences jumped to 800; and, wee MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE onnection several support conferences were added for local software companies. Satalink further distinguished itself by becom- ing only the 21st BBS joining the ASP. Expansion continued with Satalink acquiring other local BBSs, including the four-line UnderDog PCBoard. Then came DATAMAX. Merge DATAMAX BBS, owned by Carmen DiCamillo, was a four-line system with the largest database in the tri-state area. The merger of the two, according to Brandt, made for the perfect setup. The two systems combined names to form Datamax/Satalink Connection BBS, currently known as the DSC BBS. “Our common goal was to provide an online service with a huge file collec- tion and access to all major mail net- works,” said DiCamillo, now DSC pres- ident. “We also wanted to provide connectivity to wide area networks, such as Internet.” Today DSC, a VoiceNet company known as Pennsylvania’s largest BBS, is jointly run by Brandt (vice president and system manager) and DiCamillo in office space in Ivyland, not far from Philadelphia. BBS Continued Growth The PCBoard 15.0 system has contin- ued to grow, with features such as local access numbers in 350 cities (callers purchase a block of time for a fee), user-friendly live Internet access with ftp/telnet services (callers get real-time access to millions of sites in 40 coun- tries; a unique reverse ftp protocol allows Internet callers to log onto DSC and d-load through the Net), a full Usenet feed of over 3,000 newsgroups and plenty more. A summary follows: e A variety of media for information exchange, including mail messages from 12 networks. Messages in most conferences are echoed worldwide. Software engineers (from left) Rudy Kappra and Kurt Reimer, John Prenis, hard- ware engineer, Carmen DiCamillo, president, Ron Brandt, vice president and system manager and Stephanie DiCamillo make {* up DSC BBS. ws jr Over 5,000 conferences. Thousands of files. e International echo mail. © Gaming conference. © Vendor support conference. ¢ Online technical assistance. e Large adult conference. ¢ Custom scanning. ¢ Local product support conferences. ASP and ASAD approved files. DSC features include: e Multi-node setup for “no wailing” service. Over 10 gigabytes online. Member of the DVNET (Desqview File Network). Member SDN/WORKS! (Shareware Distribution Network). Member PDN (Programmers Distribution Network). Member WINNET (MS Windows file distribution network). Member SDS (Shareware Distribution System). QMAIL and MarkMail Offline Mail Doors. King of the Board, Super Slots, Trade Wars, Pegjump and more. Callers expecting a broad array of files will not be disappointed with DSC. Program categories include utilities, education, networking, games, data- base, CAD, graphics, word processing, communications, desktop publishing, virus scanning and business applica- tions. Seventy-six in all. Besides those already mentioned, networks include Usenet, Smartnet, Treknet, Annex, AdultLink, Throbnet, AfterDark and AdultNet. And as for the adult, DSC offers a copious supply of TAPPING THE NET There are plenty of avenues for those wanting to e-mail via Internet. But, as DSC puts it, messaging is just the tip of the iceberg. Inter- net provides access to over a million hosts worldwide; resources to millions of available file archives for every known computer plat- form and the ability to instantly connect to a computer anywhere on the planet Creating a system to offer the Internet live to its members posed a difficult task for DSC. “We approached this project fully realizing that a serious amount of software could be required, since the Internet is primarily a Unix oriented wide-area network,” said DiCamillo. “Since Unix-type shell access is readily avail- able, we felt that providing an ‘easier’ user interface would be highly desirable — and a necessary requirement for our software to meet.” Brandt and DiCamillo defined the opera- tion specs and began hardware implementa- tion in conjunction with DSC hardware expert John Prenis. Software engineers Kurt Reimer and Rudy Kappra set about the job of writing the software. Two-and-a-half man years later, the project was finished. Today the software interface consists of the TCP/IP drivers and the application inter- face to the users that are accessible from the BBS menu as simple commands. Telnet — The telnet command allows users to log onto any Internet host...it’s menu-driven so inexperienced users can sim- ply select a site (such as the Library of Congress) from a list. At that point, the con- nection is immediately made. FTP — The ftp function allows users to connect to a network computer. Once the link is established, commands such as “dir” and CD allow callers to change and list the con- tents of the remote host’s directories. Files from the Internet host can be transferred by issuing the “get” command and a file name. “To complete the integration we needed to provide access to our system from the Internet,” said DiCamillo. And they did just that. Using a terminal server, users can telnet to DSC. After other protocols proved inefficient, the DSC team decided to develop their own. What they came up with is a reverse ftp, !et- ting users flag or select files for d-load. The system then prompts the user for the host name, account, etc. The DSC system then will automatically initialize an ftp session with remote hosts, log in and put selected files into the user's root directory. Clarinet Datamax/Satalink Connection also provides Clarinet, an electronic newspaper with live United Press International newswire information and news about the computer indus- try. Being that the newspaper is online, callers can quickly perform searches for subjects of interest. UPI articles also have keywords for fur- ther topics, and they’re coded accord- ing to priority and location. Components include general, interna- tional, financial, technology, local, sports and headline news and fea- tures. Membership Of chief importance to many callers, of course, is an affordable member- ship — DSC offers plenty of options. A basic membership gives users two hours a day of online time, a three- meg daily d-load limit, access to all conferences (except Adult and Usenet/Internet) and use of Fidonet. Memberships include a reference guide for getting the most out of the system. Price of the basic member- ship is $20 for three months, $35 for six months or $50 for a year. And keep in mind, DSC allows you to pick and choose precisely which options you'd like, thereby keeping costs where you want them. Additional options include more time, access to adult files and mes- saging, and access to the Usenet and MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE (ver paws i a) Ron Brandt works on the system as Carmen DiCamillo looks an. ae faprvee ‘ Internet e-mail and ftp/telnet. A year subscription with everything will run $285. With six employees and a current membership of 4,700, DSC’s DiCamillo and Brandt have a simple goal in mind: “...new and innovative wide area networking for the future,” Brandt said. DSC can be reached at (215) 443- 7390 for V.32bis/14.4; (215) 443- 5830 for HST/DUAL; dsc.voicenet.com for telnet via Internet; or, (215) 674-9290 voice. For local access numbers, call voice (800) 521-2733. Write to them at 17 Richard Road, Ivyland, PA 18974. mH sevens) IMB TEAMate UNLX’ Bulletin Board Software Is your group just standing Client/Server Design. around? TEAMate's client/server design moves the user interface Meerkats instinctively to the local workstation for increased performance. GUI work together. People don't. client software conforming to the established standards for We can’t guarantee your group TRE RS MIRE ic will cooperate as well as the Meerkats but with MMB TEAMate they will have access to the information and UNIX workstations makes it easy for your users (Opel. Stared east: Server software is available for HP-UX, IBM RS/6000, SUN and SCO. All servers sup- they need, when they need it, wherever they are. Since 1985 we’ve been building easy-to-use port terminal emulation multiuser communica- and client access via tions software designed for modem and TCPAP. Operating commercial information utilities. Put Your In fact, MMB a: TEAMate is the only °° 7 bulletin board and electronic Company On line! publishing software with an integral text * With MMB TEAMate manager, content retrieval, conferencing, custom forms, | you can easily set up a cost effective communications system topic data structure and customizable GUI clients for all | tailored to your exact requirements. Call us and we'll customize popular workstations. TEAMate for your application so you can try before you buy. MMB TEAMate Call (800) 832-6022 or (310) 318-1322 Fax (310) 318-2162 E-Mail bobb@mmb.com MMB Development Corporation, UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX Systems Laboratones 904 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 BBS NOTEBOOK BY ALAN R.~ BECHTOLD Trader's Lounge Bradenton, Florida Oasis in the Digital Desert Boone, lowa Solar FX Corpus Christi, Texas Fascinations Rock Springs, Wyoming — scncne QQ ccvscesscescssescarssenscsosscssasasessecsccasscescsseesorsazscessecesesees ss MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE (= cvrevescececsessenesscccsssosssosseosescnsessrscnscssrecacasenessenssnaronensossnoocosees aa) TO 3’ e wound up last month’s journey in Hawaii. _ I’m so fond of warm, balmy , ae climes and spring is just around the corner, so I thought it’d be good to start out this month by catching some more rays. That’s why we’re beginning this month’s zig-zag, path across America with a visit to Bradenton, Florida. Situated just east of the tiny strip of land off the Western coast known as ~Eongboat Key, just south of St. Petershurg, this comfort- able town is home of... ( 4 Trader's Lounge SYSOP: Thomas Flynn LOCATION: Bradenton, Florida PHONE NUMBER: 813-739-2952 MODEM TYPE: Digicom 38400bps BBS SOFTWARE: Oracomm Plus MOTTO: “Come and Join the Fun” Bradenton, with roughly 35,000 people, isn’t huge. But it’s definitely niiiice. A warm climate and the salty winds off the Gulf of Mexico make this burg a place not to be left. Sysop Thomas Flynn has recreated this warm sense of community on his BBS, Trader’s Lounge. When I called, Tom was work- ing diligently on a complete upgrade of the system, including a switch to new BBS software. “My users were constantly complain- ing about the inter-node chat on the previous BBS software,” Tom said. “They also complained about system slowdowns a lot. I was using one machine with a multitasker to run two/three lines on the old system. After changing to a native multiline BBS package, most users are thrilled with the performance and the chat. They’re kinda’ miffed about the change in user interface, but they’re getting used to it.” It’s often hard to find a system oper- ator willing to switch to an entirely new system based on user demand, but Tom said that’s his philosophy. “I gear my BBS around the users,” he said. “Unless you have users actively calling your system, you don’t HAVE a system, but rather just an expensive personal toy. I have never used ratios for mes- sages or files. I give out time limits that are similar to those given out by other gorse MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE BBSs for contributors. If there’s any- thing I hated as a caller it was spending all my time (what little I was given) looking for something that I needed, only to find what I was hunting for was out of bounds simply because it would take too long to download it or the file was too big. I’m not the only person who won't call those BBSs which require a message posted for every file downloaded, or one upload for every 10 downloads, etc. Those boards seem to get a lot of garbage files.” Instead, Tom has always done things a bit differently. “I like to give verified users from 60 to 90 minutes a day. This lets users look around and do what they need to do without feeling rushed. It also allows people with slower modems to access and download those files they can’t get elsewhere. I still don’t under- stand why a sysop should care WHAT a user does with his allotted time. Isn’t it the users’ time?” A good point. And possibly one of the reasons why this system is so busy with active, interesting people. According to Tom, he sees the usual array of three types of callers: gamers, file hounds and chatters. “These are the same types as you'd find on most any BBS as far as I can tell,” he said. “The major difference is that I know all my callers. I get to know them and they get to know me. This has more to do with how I verify my users with a voice call than anything else. Most of my users have come to expect me to remember them and what conversations we’ve had. They really seem to like the © ONS IN WES eae personal attention and interest in them that they get on my BBS.” Tom said he keeps some strange hours at his “other” job and, as a result. he’s on the hoard with the nightowls. “I work the night shift with a variety of hours/days worked, so Pm home and on the machine when most sysops are sound asleep.” he said. “I get quite a lot of users who log on at wee hours of the morning, page me. then log right off if I don't answer them.” Many of the active users on Trader’s Lounge communicate with each other, loo. The system's nice variety of sub- boards offer access to message confer- ences, both local and internationally networked, covering a wide range of interests. I found sections for discus- sion of such diverse topics as technical issues, Amiga computers, Macintosh compulers, out of body experiences, classified ads, political matters, Florida sights, home schooling, health issues, Apple computers, Commodore comput- ers, cooking, diving, singles and more. Many of these sub-boards also offer their own download areas. This is where callers will find hundreds and hundreds of files. I found loads of files on the numerous menus, and Tom is aclively adding new selections all the time. In just the couple of days between my calls to Trader’s Lounge, the list of new files added to the system was impressive. For example, I found KALAKH.ARYJ, an intriguing Russian game of logic and strategy: FGOD- MON4.ZIP, another logic and strategy game with multiple levels, this time based around a fairy tale theme; STEL- CON.ZIP, an interesting new VGA space battle game; SOLAR.ARJ, a new arcade game from Epic MegaGames; several interesting BBS and modem- related programs and utilities, and too many more programs to list here. The most interesting new file I found, however, was something of inter- est to Barney haters everywhere: BAR- NEY.ZIP. This is an archive containing two .BMP Windows graphics files — one displaying the sickeningly-sweet dinosaur on a wanted poster and the other making him an integral part of a re-designed Jurassic Park logo. Funny stuff! And this sort of thing is going up on the system all the time. Tom has also recently added a CI)- ROM drive to the system and plans to add three more soon. More files, folks. Add to this list a fine matchmaker program, a BBS database, and Oracomm’s built-in online text adven- ture game, and you've got a solid mix of entertainment, interaction and informa- tion. In addition to the new CD-ROM drives, Tom fully intends to continue building a better system. “I’m setling things up to start writing a game designed for multi-user play from the ground up,” Tom said. “I’m tired of door games that claim to be multi-user and ‘interactive’ then fall face first. So that will start here shortly. I’ve also added a second hard drive that almost quadruples my slorage capacily. Pll be adding a new phone line within the next month and I hope to upgrade to OS/2 so I can run the OS/2 version of Oracomm very soon. It has features which can’t be found in the DOS ver- sion.” Trader’s Lounge is still basically BBS Software & Hardware This Month’s Advertised Specials The Major BBS 6.1, 2-user The Major BBS 6.1, 8-user MBBS RIPscrip Add-on MBBS Fax/Online Add-on MBBS Entertainment Collection Wildcat! Single Line BBS Wildcat! 1-10 Line BBS ........... Online Blackjack/Hangman Doors DigiBoard 8 Port Comm. Card Call our BBS at 209-277-3333 for latest product information and to download our complete catalog! Featuring... The Major BBS » Wildcat! » DigiBoard » CD-Discs Door Software + and more! BBS Technologies For orders/info call 209-277-3300 today! eeveeescaeee eeee New! Version 6.1 of The Major BBS This latest version now supports “doors” to a second machine, multi-lingual/multi-protocol support for easy use of RIPscrip graphics, better messaging, and more! The Major BBS is the only BBS that supports up to 256 simultaneous users on a single machine, direct X.25 and LAN access, and plug-in DLL add-ons. You can expand the system with online fax services, databases, order 4182 W. Robinson Ave, Fresno, Ca. 93722 entry, Internet access, a C developer’s toolkit, and some of the hottest multi-player entertainment in the industry. A new RIPscrip add-on includes an integrated RIPaint and a complete out-of-the-box graphics interface! CALL! free, especially to long-distance callers who bother to register, but Tom is very appreciative of all regular callers who make cash contributions to the system. He is currently offering three subscrip- tion levels which expand upon what he offers non-paying callers. Level one — $10 per year — allows you 75 minutes and 2 megabytes of downloads daily. Level two — $15 yearly — gets you 90 minutes’ access and 2 megabytes of downloads daily. Level three — for a donation of $40 or more — gets you Premium access, with 120 minutes online per day and unlimited down- loads — FOR LIFE. All subscribers also get access to special contributors’ areas and to numerous doors. Tom apologized for the clutter while I was looking around the system. He was still re-constructing things after the software switch — but I’ll bet by the time you read this he’ll have it all rolling smoothly and growing nicely. You should definitely check it out. Unfortunately, it’s time to move on, leaving the sounds of construction behind us as we lay our harchats on the Nationwide Local Access As Low As S2/Hr. Wi -! = o Ww = -/ 2 Oo t 2) Q Zz = oc ve = my t 4 = lu WwW = ' ” a, =) fe) a o = n Ww [em WwW - z = Oo a) (800) 753-4223 VOICE To find your local-access number online call: (317)359-5199 DATA 14400 8N1 shelf by the door. Despite my love of the sea, it’s time head north and east to Iowa, where the weather often takes harsher turns. Fortunately, it’s almost spring now. Besides, this part of the country is always beautiful. The crisp, post-winter air will do us all some good, too. Winter wheat is up and the corn is going into the ground as we enter the city of Boone, a burg with barely 12,000 people, many of whom regularly call... Oasis in the Digital Desert SYSOP: Ryan Myers LOCATION: Baonem! PHONE NUMBE Myers put the system online in June of 1993, as a service to local computer users. “I’ve seen other towns that are smaller, and they have more boards, so I figured there must be enough support for another one here,” he explained. “I Combining fhe Power of Printed Classified / Ad Papers Acrass the U.S. REAL-time multi-channel, multi-conference, private or public free-for-all or selective multinode chats. For SysOp to User chats, enjoy our full-featured REAL-time split-screen chat. also wanted to provide users in this town some entertainment because, with only one board in the area, other callers get a lot of busy signals. | figured I would help slow down the occurrence of busy signals users get because now they can call here, too.” The entertainment Ryan spoke of is provided in the guise of a number of interesting game doors. “I find that most of my users are big fans of door programs, for some unknown reason,” he said. “I’m just not a real big fan of doors myself — but that’s only my opinion. I do play them occasionally, but I don’t make it a habit.” Sull, Ryan has made a point of gather- ing loads of online game doors for the callers to play, including a hot nationwide Operation Overkill If BBS-to-BBS tour- nament. [ also found Casino, The ANSI Art Galleries, TradeWars 2002, Solar Realms, Junknews, Pit, Modem Warfare and Pimpwars when I called. Access to the game doors — and to an extensive area of adults-only entertainment — is available to all supporting subscribers. CONTINUES... [ts for KLAL/ How does REAL configurability sound? We're talking about TOTAL control. The SysOp can alter everything from system prompts and logon sequences all the way to the code within the Virus Protection System. With REAL RIP support, SySOps can create PERFECT RIP menu screens without a mouse, color monitor, or expensive drawing program. To Order Powerboard Software call: 1-800-THINKCOM For other inquiries Or FREE test-drive and brochure call: 914-833-3479 914/833-3623 fax PLN <= ng S BBS MAGAZINE Support and Information BBS: 914/833-1479 V32 834-7830 HST NulQ Software, Inc. Larchmont, NY 10538-0832 Ryan said he'd like to see more “average” callers to his system — those looking for message bases and files. Man, those doors MUST be popu- lar. Most system operators complain about having too many file hogs. And I can’t figure out why Ryan wouldn't get more callers looking for files. Oasis in the Digital Desert offers more than two gigabytes of shareware and freeware programs to choose from, and Ryan is constantly adding new files to the list. Available downloads are arranged into 60 different categories — everything from text files. ANSI art, stuff for youngsters and financial/productivity software to movies and animation demonstrations, communications pro- grams, sound files, complete BBS pro- grams and more. Supporting sub- scribers can also access a new CD-ROM drive Ryan was in the process of installing when I called, offering roughly another half a gigabyte of files. Unfortunately, this won’t be available to first-time callers, but look for bulletins about which discs will be offered when you call — he'll be rotat- ing several and they could be just the ones you're looking for. Oasis in the Digital Desert is also an authorized distributor of popular share- ware programs from Apogee, Software Creations and Epic Megagames. Again, I was surprised, but Ryan also mentioned he'd like to see more callers interested in messaging. Oasis in the Digital Desert offers callers access to plenty of interesting confer- ences on a broad variety of topics, including selections from three echo- mail networks (FidoNet, ITCnet and SWCSnet). There are definitely plenty of topics for message fans to tackle. Available message conferences range from general local conversation, amateur radio, ASP, general complain- ing, arcade games and CD-ROM topics to Star Trek, Windows, the White House and more, Plenty to keep you chatting forever and a day with inter- esting folks all over the world. In fact, Ryan feels strongly about communications as the future of BBSing unfolds. “BBSing is a newer form of communications that is taking over person-to-person talk by voice, and applying new technology to the entire thing.” he said. SWCSnet is perhaps the most inter- esting network offered here. This is a new one — it wasit really open to public access yet when I called, but Ryan explained this is an echomail message base for a new online shop- ping center he recently added to the system. “Users can order CD-ROMs to computer hardware right online with a credit card,” he said. “I did this as part of the mail network I’m in the process of setting up with another board, called SaveWare Computer Shopping Network. Users can buy things directly from me, but it actually comes from the‘ main BBS — SaveWare, in Chicago. This network will be better known as SWCSnet.” Although the supporting echomail network wasn’t running yet, the store itself was online and offered a fine assortment of interesting products for prices I thought were fair to excellent. 1 found an online catalog of CD-ROM discs and a complete selection of com- puter motherboards, disk drives, moni- tors, printers and more — new and refurbished. This is well worth looking into and promises to grow quickly as the network opens up and spreads. And you can get a first look on Oasis in the Digital Network. The system is a perfect reflection of its surroundings. Cozy, caring and uncomplicated, with clean, straightfor- ward menus offering you a choice of ASCII, color ANSI or RIP operation. Ryan told me all callers get access to the system after registering at no charge — but that access is extremely limited. To really get into things, you'll want to subscribe. There are a variety of supporting subscriber options avail- able to you, from $5 for 60 minutes a day for 60 days to $25 for 90 minutes per day for a full year ($35 gets you 90 minutes of access per day for TWO full years — an excellent value). I like the name, the system operator, the feel of the system and what it has to offer. You can’t ask for much more than that. This one deserves a call. But, alas, I sense some late winter weather coming on. It’s time to move along, this time south again, all the way to Texas, back to the Gulf of Mexico. We're going down to Corpus Christi, a beautiful coastal city perched just MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE == across the bay from North Padre Island. a favorite stop of mine on vacations with the family, along our route to South Padre Island. Yes, despite the pretty beaches and temperate climate, there ARE modem users here...plenty of them. And no wonder, with systems like... Solar FX often attached hunter and con\pule: blessed with a surprising sense of humor. He’s also operated one of the largest bulletin boards in his area — BlueWater BBS, — for more than two years. I’ve known Tony for quite a while now and I have to admit I always look forward to hearing what he’s up to next. What he’s been up to is a merger with another large local BBS, bringing together years of experience and a broader spectrum of services for callers. The result is the birth of a new BBS — Solar FX — which combines the best of BlueWater BBS and CCAT BBS. “In order to maintain a quality board, manpower was needed,” Tony said. “Now Dave Burke and Steve Fernandez, of CCAT BBS, in partner- ship with myself and Bruce Claunch, are providing the concerted effort to make Solar FX what it is.” The new system consists of a 486DX host networked with 2 386DX’s, to han- dle the nodes & utilities. The system is fast and fun, but Tony didn’t start oul so sophisticated. “After being a BBS caller for a couple of years, I soon found I didn’t have the time and hard disk storage I needed for the collection of files I wanted to keep,” he explained. “One day, out of the blue, one of the local sysops called me and asked if I wanted to buy his machine — BBS software, modem and all. After making the purchase, I remember thinking, ‘What have I done?,’ but all there remains of that original system now are ofession. An avid anatic, Tony’s the 5 1/4” disks which held the BBS software. The original software wasn’t able to support the rapidly growing demands of the system’s users so, after a few weeks, I switched to WildCat and have been very pleased with it.” Tony said most Solar FX callers are looking for files. “With the current file count numbering over 40,000, it’s not hard to imagine what most users come here for,” he explained. “With a con- stant flow of new files obtained daily, from various sources, we have become known as the source in this area for hard-to-find files. This influx of new & updated files, on a daily basis, ensures that our most demanding users receive their daily fix of new ‘virus free’ soft- ware.” Here Tony paused and chuckled. “Many of our users have been treated in the emergency room for IC (Integrated Circuits) tracks on their arms,” he added, smiling wickedly. “With the efforts of multiple sysops, as well as authors directly uploading to the system, our most rewarding experi- ence is when we pluck a piece of new software off the vine the day of its release and have it available for down- load the very same day.” That’s what you can expect to find often on Solar FX, thousands of fresh, new programs and text files to choose from every day — roughly two giga- bytes’ worth. You can also select from 6 different CD-ROMs, also chock full of the latest quality programs and utili- ties, including Pier 3, NightOwl 9, NightOwl 10, Shareware Vault Gold, Cream of the Crop 2 and CD Win Box. Plenty to choose from, to be sure! A strong interest of Tony’s is online communications among the users. “Another enjoyable activity as sysop is networking with people from all around the country, from all walks of life,” he said. “Drawing from the pool of knowl- edge they have and offering, in exchange, any information I might have. “In fact, I believe the word ‘BBS’ no longer applies to what some services, such as Solar FX, offer to today’s user,” Tony continued. “It’s more accurate to call it an information exchange. Users exchange knowledge with each other as well as gain access to programs which can aid them in their everyday life. No longer does the information gained through access stay at home in the ‘hobbyist’ mode. Instead, it goes into the workplace, to help them perform their jobs more effectively. And not just programs, but technical knowledge gained through the exchange of mail throughout the echoes. Many compa- nies have echoes directly related to their products and businesses tap into knowledge that the end users (as well as the companies they work for) hold.” Toward that end, Tony’s always tried his best to provide all the echomail and local conferences his users requested when he ran BlueWater BBS — but quickly found it to be a costly proposi- tion. “I didn’t feel I could provide all the requested echoes without breaking the piggy bank,” he said, “so we added the ‘Planet Connect’ satellite data ser- vice to Solar FX and literally opened up the world to our callers. The impact has been vast amounts of information and files which can be brought into the system at a nominal price. Not being restricted to a few echoes, we now can tap the entire backbone of the Fido net- work, as well as a few other notable message networks, thus broadening the knowledge base available to our users.” The system now offers access to more than 600 different message con- ferences and Tony said many of the callers have shifted their focus from a file addiction to communicating, through the networks, with other BBS users all over the world. Access to a vast array of Internet e-mail and Usenet newsgroups is also offered on the sys- tem. And, since the satellite connection also pulls in literally thousands of new files each week — you won’t have to worry about taking care of EITHER addiction on Solar FX. The only side effect of this transfor- mation into the satellite age is the impression it gives some of Tony’s neighbors. “They laugh when they see my back yard,” he said. “Tt looks like a satellite farm with a dish for data and another dish for TV.” As if that weren’t enough, you can also find a nice assortment of electronic magazines on Solar FX — including GENESIS Daily News (an excellent general news wire service), CompuMag, HI-TECH HOME Weekly, Thinking Magazine. Business Sense and Astra Review from my own BBS Press Service. You can read these, in addi- tion to Computer Underground Digest and far too many more to list in this column, in some really fine special doors created to make accessing the online magazines and browsing their pages easy and enjoyable. In fact, easy and enjoyable would be the perfect description for this entire system. Tony and crew have been working into the wee hours implementing full RIP graphics sup- port on Solar FX and the result is some of the most stunningly beautiful, some- times downright funny and always CONTINUES... Macintosh Online 404-988-9904 ¢ PD/Shareware ¢ Software Giveaways ¢ Demos ¢ Tech Info Home of the ¢ More!!! Online Mac Users’ Group Over 130 different conferences!!! Large free Classifieds section. BBS! MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE “Best BBS on the planet.” A Sr” < || Chann GUI Over 3,000,000 calls! 617-354-5776 2400 - 14.4 v.32bis PO Box 338, Cambridge, MA 02238 WE HAVE \ Ele =| S| = N THE MOST SOPHISTICATED ONLINE NETWORK IN THIS = / THE WORLD, IS YOUR GLOBAL CONNECTION. ACCESS VIA FU URE LOCAL DIALUPS. IT'S EASY WITH KEYBOARD OR rh J¥NL, MOUSE, AND SIMPLE PULL-DOWN MENUS. AND. . EMOTICONS, “ EVEN SAY. IT. r WITH MUSIC. e CHAT CAN WE TALK? YES. ONE-ON-ONE OR IN ONE OF SEVERAL ONLINE GATHERING PLACES. * FORUMS POST YOUR MESSAGE AND FIND LIKE SOULS. ¢ ADLINE GRUISE THE DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS, LOCALLY OR BY AREA GODE. °© SHAREWARE DON'T BUY THAT SOFTWARE UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN THE DEMO. REAL ESTATE COLOR IMAGES AND TEXT HELP YOU FIND YOUR DREAM HOUSE (OR LOSE THE MONEY PIT), QUALIFY FOR A MORTGAGE, EVEN INSURE YOUR DREAM. ¢ SHOPPING ON- LINE VENDORS HAVE DEALS YOU CAN'T REFUSE. ¢ TRAVEL GOTTA GO? CHOOSE YOUR DESTINATION AND OUR ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCY WILL GET YOU THERE. © GAMES DEFINITELY NOT CHILD'S PLAY. © SATISFY THOSE MOGUL URGES WITH A VARIETY OF FINANCIAL SERVICES AND ELECTRONIC PERIODI- CALS. ¢ ACCESS AVAILABLE DOS, WINDOWS, MAC e THE FREIGHT $10 PER MONTH MEMBERSHIP FEE, 10¢ A MINUTE COMMUNICATION CHARGE GIVES YOU UNLIMITED USE OF THE MILLENNIUM NETWORK AND FREE ACGESS TO THE INTERNET. IT'S PAINLESS. TO ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP 1-800-736-0122 charming menus and screens I've seen on a RIP-compatible BBS yet. The sys- tem’s RIP interface was still under construction when [| called to check out the board, but what I saw was enough to impress me. I know it’s going to get even better as they continue their work. Of course, Solar FX also offers clean, colorful ANSI menus and ASCII menus, too. Needless to say, with all this to offer, Solar FX has attracted a huge active user base. So many, in fact, that Tony said it’s hard to define a typical What’s OnLine? © Multi-Node Chat Network Tools caller. “If you had to pick one of our users out of a line-up. you probably couldn't,” he said. “Our typical users are hobbyists by nature. They thrive on the satisfaction they get from seeing the variety of files and message areas that we offer. Users have come to expect the user friendly environment Solar FX provides. We understand users have different comfort zones, and we feel our service fills each of them. We all remember when we first started on a BBS: we needed full HELP screens. Then we progressed beyond our Ist- e Hot Adult Graphics e Windows, Netware, OS/2, and Lantastic e Ham Radio and Shortwave Listening e MIDI and Soundblaster Files * QWK Packets for off-line reading of over 400 worldwide conferences ¢ Internet and Fidonet E-Mail Access ° 4.5 Gigabytes — New Files Daily 609-753-2540, HST & V.22 609-753-2605, HST & V.32 609-753-1549, HST & V.32bis grade experience, lo a more advanced level of use.” You'll find all those levels of experi- ence on Solar IX, interacting, chatting, playing online games, reading the mag- azines and — of course — download- ing TONS of files. Still, there’s one type of caller Tony said he and his partners would like to see on the system more often — the business and professional BBS user. “We would like to see more professionals who would use our resources as an extension of their own knowledge, putting to use the tips, tricks, and tidbits of information on the system which would enhance their abil- ity to perform their jobs in a more effective way.” If you haven’t ever called Solar FX, give it a try. Even if you’ve called Tony and Bruce’s BlueWater BBS or Dave and Steve’s CCAT BBS in the past, it’s a whole new system now. And the changes are STILL going on. Tony told me he plans to add more lines, better graphics and more CD-ROM drives to the system as soon as possible, and plans are already under way to gel Solar FX set up as an Internet host. That’s just what is planned for the IMMEDIATE future. Even better — access to Solar FX is absolutely free. Subscribers get access to more lines and longer time online, but all registered callers gain admit- tance to the entire system. Tony admits spiraling costs will eventually force the partners to limit free access or, possi- bly, to eliminate it altogether — but you've still got time to see this system for yourself at no cost other than a little long distance...and you’re already racking that up pretty regularly any- way, right? I recommended this one! Ahh. These seaside visits always do me so much good. But, even the best of things must come to an end. After our visit to Solar FX, leaving this lovely area of the country is even harder, but we must press on...there’s still one more side-trip we must take...moving north and west again to complete our zig-zag journey for this month. ..all the way to the wilds of Wyoming. Here we stop in Rock Springs, another lovely lit- tle town (do I detect a small-town theme here?), located in the southwest corner of the state. Despite the sparse popula- tion, the landscape is marvelous and it’s here we find an active BBS called... Fascinations the task of running a BBS by default. “I have been involved in BBSing for eight years,” he said. “This was the one hobby I never got tired of. We had one BBS in town, and I was a co-sysop on it. Then, in October of 1992, the opera- tor of that system received a job advancement which required that he move out of state. I felt we needed a BBS in town, so I took over his phone lines and started Fascinations BBS.” I'm sure a large number of Rock Springs computer users and callers from around the country are glad Monte decided to keep things rolling. Through his dedicated efforts, the two-line system plays host to a good selection of callers from all walks of life and areas of inter- est. “The typical user is a common, everyday person who likes computers,” Monte explained. “Most of my users are filers — they like to check out new soft- ware. They’re on a quest to find just the right software to suit their needs.” File hounds shouldn’t go away from Fascinations unhappy. I found more than 200 different file areas when I called the system — everything you could imagine, including FOUR sec- tions of programs and utilities for home use, plus sections for educational files, games, desktop publishing, databases, BBS systems, calculators, editors, financial programs, graphics, sound and more. More than 600 megabytes on hard disk. And Monte had just added 2 CD-ROM disc drives before I called, rotating 6 different discs for a total of roughly 35,000 more files to choose from. The first two weeks of the month you can download files from MegaRom 1 and NightOwl, the third week Shareware discs 1 and 2, and the fourth week Shareware discs 3 and 4. Monte told me he’d like to see more people calling to play the excellent selection of online games he’s put online. When I called, I found more than 25 online challenges to choose from — including Murder Warfare, Star Flight, Refraction, Klondike, Pit, Traps, Casino, Nuclear Strike, Black Jack, Choice 3 Games, Devastation, Global War, Dark Castle, Roulette, Horse Racing, Phantasia, Jet Fighter and more. Well worth even a long dis- tance call for fans of online games. Monte said he’d like to see more of his users taking advantage of FidoNet echomail conferences, but, like the other systems covered this month, I couldn’t find any reason why they wouldn’t, once they saw the message areas available on the system. I found dozens, in all variety of interests, when I called — many of them linked via FidoNet to more than 19,000 other par- ticipating boards around the world. But that’s not all. Fascinations is also a local computer store and (believe it or not) gift shop. Callers can request help with their purchases online, or haul their equipment down to the store Monte operates to get them repaired or pick up new items. Monte will also custom tailor areas on the board for companies, pro- viding you with your own corporate mes- sage base and data transfer areas which are private to your company. Like the motto says, Fascinations continues to grow. “In the near future, I'd like to add more storage for down- loads, an information database and prizes for the callers,” Monte said. “I feel a BBS should he a place where you can get information you need. It should be a place people can call and have fun, too — children and adults. And it should be low-cost and easily accessible.” Monte’s accomplished these goals — and more — with Fascinations. Subscriptions are available for just $30 per year (offering one hour of access per day and, apparently, unlimit- ed downloads — MC and Visa accepted for signup right online). And Monte has just added RIP graphics to the system, making it much easier to use — and prettier, too! “This is a long-overdue feature,” he said. “The graphics are great and the speed is good, too. This is a feature I’ve been looking for for years and at last it’s here!” You should consider being “here,” too. Fascinations is a good example of yet another small-town system with big- town value and all the amenities of a warm, cozy community. Well worth your visit! Regrettably, that wraps up yet anoth- er monthly traverse down the electronic highway. If Kooky will just find me my comb, we can get back on Route 66 and head for home once again. As usual, don’t bother to unpack that travel bag. It’s just a few weeks until we hit the road again. See youthen. t= Coa cend Sra) DATA LINE 1:908-572-5762 V32B, V42B 14,400 BPS DATALAND Edison, New Jersey On-Line Games and CD-Roms ANS! Graphics. 1000's of ADULT Files DATALAND! BBS DATA LINE 2:908-572-9233 MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE The Livewire BBS Support board for BBS Magazine (print and Online Edition) and Livewire Doors. Subscribe online or register doors using V/MC. Internet — Publisher@BBSCD.COM e Fidonet — 1:226/36 Get ad rates, insertion forms and deadlines. 609-235-5297 CALL FOR A FREE LOOK! The Law and BBS Users BY SHAR! STEELE The Electronic Frontier Foundation Fighting for or over a year now I’ve been trying to keep you informed of many of the legal issues that should be important to those of us communicating online. This time [d like to tell you a bit about the organization for which I work, the Z Electronic Frontier Foundation, and highlig some of the work we’ve bee doing to protect theyights.o BBS users and sysop = gour right The Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF, was founded in June of 1990 by Mitch Kapor, of Lotus 1-2-3 fame, and John Perry Barlow, a computer aficiona- do probably best known for the lyrics he writes for the Grateful Dead. Mitch and John’s paths had crossed before, but a series of events in the BBS world served as the catalyst to b tis them together to form EFF. Theg#@vents were the seizures of do: of BBSs throug / he country by h Service aff ( it. 1990, of W ki hon t lic s a Idfigthy eshg peed with pine illeseiBaining access ‘ pufemowned by the telepho th in Atlanta, Geg wid eee ee Ea 1 dit gteuan ge > a CO} — = a of a “pigphie rument agfaomedl scapes. Wh A infkugfometite ‘eo, witchttoerst } ue yi Ur nA e nies of ’ buf, he young gi § fr padoy It was eco know p EFI1I1 d t since it explamiei she workings e telephone -tines dedicated to the emjempency 911 system, was published fran electronic newsletter and distributed throughout the country that the Secret Service ment, erereeee MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE —_— decided to act. And act they did. On May 8, 1990, the Secret Service served 27 search warrants in 14. cities throughout the United States. On that single day, they confiscated 40 computers and seized over 23,000 disks. The young man who committed the initial trespass was arrested, and subsequently pled guilty and went to prison. The publisher of the electronic newsletter that originally dis- tributed the story was arrested. (Charges were dropped on the third day of his tal when it was established that the E- Abctiment did not actually contain 3 prietary information.) But the real straw that broke the camel’s back was the seizure of equip- mepdelonging to Steve Jackson bout Steve Jackson -Gamies before, $0 I won’t go into tsmendous detail here. Suffice it to say Steve Jackson Games published to he used to play fantasy games. ho Secret Service seizure, the co PEIRBS, business records and manuscripts of a soon-to-be-released book were confiscated and held for over \ four months. During that time, Steve ‘Jackson was required to lay off half of his work force. When the computers 7 and disks were finally returned, it was evident that all of the electronic mail on the BBS had been read by Secret Service agents. As it turns out, Steve Jackson Games had never had a copy of the E-911 document on its computers in the first place, and the Secret Service decided not to press charges. Mitch Kapor and John Perry Barlow were both users on the same electronic bulletin board system, called the WELL, out of Sausalito, California. Discussions on the WELL over those months were full of the horror and frustration users felt over the tum of events and the lack of any good place to go for help. Organizations that traditionally played the role of pro- tecting civil liberties, such as the ACLU, had too limited an understanding of the technology involved. Computer lawyers at the time were more attuned to the needs of large companies rather than civil liber- ties issues. There seemed to be a gap in basic civil liberties protections for the users of new technologies. Mitch and John decided to form the Electronic Frontier Foundation to fill that gap. As John Perry Barlow states in his wonderfully written piece on the state of the electronic world at that time, Crime and Puzzlement, EFF “will help to create for America a future which is as blessed by the Bill of Rights as its past has been.” One of the first things EFF did was initiate a law- suit against the United States Secret Service on behalf of Steve Jackson Games and the users of that company’s bulletin board system, alleging that the stored e-mail messages were protected speech and that publishers like Steve Jackson Games had special protections from having their systems seized, and that that had been violated. We won the Steve Jackson Games case (although the judge held that the unread e-mail messages were not “intercepted”). And since we’ve come on the scene, we’ve prided ourselves in providing legal assistance and advice to BBS users and sysops who call on us for help. We’ve worked to ensure that federal laws and regulations that would infringe upon the rights of users of high technology are debated and discarded. We’ve helped lawyers understand the nuances of the technology so they could provide adequate defense for their clients. We’ve written documents to courts to help them focus on critical civil liberties issues. Of equal importance to our day-to- day work, assisting individuals with legal problems, is our vision of the EFF MEMBERSHIP FORM Return this form to: Regular Member $40 Please charge my Card #: Signature: CONTACT INFORMATION: Name: Address: Telephone: E-mail: PRIVACY POLICY: Ca i a a i a oo eee on a a eee eo one ee ee future and the policy work in which we engage to further that vision. EFF’s Open Platform proposal, which calls for the National Information Infrastructure (NII) to protect free speech and provide access to all, has just been introduced in the House of Representatives in a bill by Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA). We have also worked hard to ensure that individuals have the freedom to choose the technology they wish to use to protect their privacy and have fought to make government information acces- sible to anyone who requests access. EDUCATIONAL MISSION. Along with our legal work, we have taken on the role of educating people of the legal issues and what they can do to help. EFF is com- mitted to giving you current information on the critical issues that will affect your online communications. We post bul- letins to the Internet Usenet group comp.org.eff.news and pass them around the major BBS networks. Future bul- letins will include calls for e-mail cam- paigns, important legislative and judi- cial news, and updates on EFF’s work. EFF, with a grant from the Apple Computer Information Library, com- missioned the writing of a free tutorial entitled, The Big Dummy’s Guide to the Internet, available in electronic formats in both ASCII (DOS) and Hypercard (Mac) free of charge. In fact, all EFF publications, in both electronic and MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE | prefer to be contacted by: US Mail Membership Coordinator, Electronic Frontier Foundation, 1001 G Street, NW, Suite 950 East, Washington, DC 20001 YES! | wish to become a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation! f would like to join as a Student Member $20 | would like to make an additional donation of $ Enclosed is a check payable to the EFF in the amount of $ VISA MC AMEX Exp Date: Fax: E-mail We occasionally share our mailing lists with other organizations promoting similar goals. However, EFF respects the individual's right to privacy and will not distribute your name without explicit permission. ____| grant permission for EFF to distribute my name and contact information to organizations sharing similar goals. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a nonprotit, 501(c)3 organization supported by contributions from individual members, corporations, and private foundations. Donations are tax-deductible. paper formats, are free. We have just begun distributing a directory of supporting BBSs to all EFF members. BBS sysops who are members of EFF are listed in the directory, and all supporting sysops can request a diskette with all of EFF’s major publications and newsletters (including the Big Dummy’s Guide) that can be posted to their boards. EFF is also planning to have its own BBS up and running early this year. When fully operational, the EFF BBS will fea- ture conference mail from several net- works including FidoNet and Usenet. the full selection of files available from EFF's {tp archive. EFF membership materials, bulletins on the latest issues affecting civil liberties in cyberspace, and more. EFF is currently accepting tax-deductible donations of hardware and money to help us start our BBS. EFF is a membership organization, and we could use your support. If you believe in the work we do, we hope you'll take a minute or two to fill out the attached membership application and join with us. There’s still much to do to ensure that users on the Electronic Frontier are guaranteed their very basic constitutional rights. Shari Steele is Director of Legal Services at the Washington office of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Send her your legal questions at ssteele@eff-org (Internet) or c/o BBS Magazine. | Ce eee } | 1 | | CRIS, THE WORLD’S FIRST 'LDON’T JUST BREAK THE WALLS. | FACE IT. ON LINE, EVERYTIME, YOU WANT TERRIFIC QUALITY AND RIDICULOUSLY LOW COST. | (TOSSING IN SOME INCREDIBLE SPEED PROBABLY WOULDN’T HURT... WHILE YOURE AT IT.) CRIS DELIVERS, AT A VELOCITY SO FAST YOU WON’T EVEN HAVE TIME TO BLOW YOUR MIND. EXPAND YOUR UNIVERSE. BREAK OUT OF OLD MOLDS AND RESTRICTIONS. SEE WHERE YOUR IMAGI- NATION CAN TAKE YOU. ENJOY A REAL BC / AC (BEFORE CRIS / AFTER CRIS) EXPERIENCE. | CRIS PROVIDES FULL INTERNET ACCESS. SENDING AND RECEIVING E-MAIL IS NOT A PROBLEM. | BBS DireEcr, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO CONNECT DIRECTLY TO YOUR FAVORITE BBS’S, IS AVAILABLE TO YOU. TELECONFERENCING IS SIMPLE WITH CRIS, AS IS OUR GUI [GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE. ] INSIDE CRIS ARE “TONS” OF MULTIPLAYER, REAL-TIME GAMES. OR IF YOU’D LIKE TO SIMPLY CHAT. JUMP ON. CRIS IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT IDEA FOR SYSOPS, SINCE IT ALLOWS USERS WORLD- WIDE ACCESS TO YOU. WITH CRIS, THERE ARE NO BARRIERS. ON-LINE SUPER SYSTEM. BLOW ’EM AWAY WITH CRIS! THE PRICE IS MORE THAN RIGHT. $10.00 For FIVE HOURS ON CRIS. ADDITIONAL TIME AT LOCAL ACCESS LONG DISTANCE ACCESS * CALL 1-800-877-5045 © CALL 1-517-895-0510 © CHOOSE OPTION NUMBER 5 ¢ FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS ¢ FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND YOUR | — TO JOIN CRIS. LOCAL ACCESS NUMBER — © TO GET YOUR LOCAL ACCESS NUMBER, © DIAL THAT NUMBER, AT CONNECTION TYPE @D, TYPE GO PHONES. THEN PRESS ENTER, AFTER TERMINAL = PROMPT, 400 Forty-FirsT STREET © DIAL THAT NUMBER, AT CONNECTION TYPE @D, Press ENTER AGAIN, AT THE @ PROMPT, Bay Cry, MI 48708 THEN PRESS ENTER, AFTER TERMINAL = PROMPT, | Tyre C CRIS. 1-517-895-0500 (voIcE) Press ENTER AGAIN, AT THE @ PROMPT, © WELCOME TO CRIS! 1-517-895-0529 (FAX) Tyre C CRIS. E-malL SIMON @ crisecom ¢ WELCOME TO CRIS! et oO00-745-CRIS NOVICE BY WALT LEDBETTER Message ina bottle Forum or conference? 7 A Private or public? Getting messages to the right place takes more than luck. "_/ost BBSs are pretty uch! alike in regard to the ‘steps in sending a message. The caller is required to choose an area, forum, or conference where the mes- sage will appear and enter the name of the receiver. 99 66 Essentially, “forum,” “con- ference” and “area” are syn- onymous with “category” and are virtually unlimited in number. On my BBS are nine conferences ranging from General Messages to Homeschooling, Teacher and Student forums and Tutoring. I’ve seen literally page after page of topic areas on other BBSs where callers can read and respond to messages. If a caller desires to initiate a welcome message — introducing him or her to the other callers on a BBS — that mes- sage would fit in with the theme of a conference called “General Messages,” or more specifically, “New Callers.” Messages concerning a problem with downloading would be more appropri- ately placed in a conference area refer- ring to problems rather than in a “General” conference. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE Choosing a more specific conference assures that more readers interested in that topic will see the message and offer help. On a one-node BBS, one where only a single caller may dial in al a time, there are some terms I should define: Local mail and echo mail If such a BBS is self-contained, mail sent to and read on this type of BBS is referred to as “local mail.” Callers to this BBS will be able to communicate only with each other. Conversely, there are other boards which participate in “echo-mail,” and callers from many BBSs may communicate. Public and private mesages Local mail may be responded to in two ways —- public or private. Some confer- ence areas on BBSs will allow private messages to be written, others only public messages. A General Conference will usually allow only pub- lic messages, so sensitive information should not be included in a public con- ference (personal or sensitive messages should be put into the appropriate topic area, especially where they will be writ- ten as a private message). Callers should be very cautious about this and peruse the topic areas noting which ones are public and which ones allow private messages. | once deleted a message between two callers on my BBS where one gave directions to her house in a public conference, even describing the area. One should nol, in a public message, tell virtually hundreds of strangers where the com- OPERATE A BBS FOR PROF/T/ Industry insiders’ "secret weapon” shows you how it’s HEALZLY done PLUS: The industry’s leading "tips and tricks” monthly newsletter, direct contact with noted BBS author/ editor/entrepreneur Alan R. Bechtold, the ability to network with other successful system operators, and Much Much More! An ongoing seminar by mail GUARANTEED to help you profit from America’s hottest new at-home business opportunity! .-ALL for LESS than $15 per Morn! Call or write for free details 7ODA Y/ eR < With Your Modem The Momthly Qiuiide for Online Pntreprencurs 8125 S.W. 2ist Street, Topeka, KS 66615 913-478-9239 (DATA) 913-478-3157 (VOICE) puter is located, inviting possible bur- glary. | mention this only to heighten one’s awareness. In general, know where your messages are going and be sensible about personal information. (uoting messages BBSs often allow a message writer to “quote” part of a previous message in the reply of that message. When this is incorporated, the original author will better understand the reply, especially if he or she calls back a month or so later. Quoting also helps outline the reply, covering all the questions asked previously. This helps assure fewer calls to cover the topic. I’ve also found that quoting can show the name of the message receiver and helps me remem- ber who I’m writing to, especially if answering more than one letter on the same topic. WK packets Next time I'll describe a helpful method of sending and retrieving mail with something called the .QWK pack- et. This will allow a caller’s new mes- sages to be zipped up into a file and downloaded to the computer. After log- ging off, the caller views and replies to mail on his own time, then dials up the BBS and uploads the replies. When calling long distance, the money saved by this method is really appreciated. (To read how this is done with a Mac, take a look at Michael Kuykendall’s Macintosh Online column in this issue.) Cyberspace has no boundaries If you’re new to modeming AND this column, my goal is to instill the caller with a desire to make friends with oth- ers out there in cyberspace. What you've heard is true: Teachers can share ideas, lesson plans and files with other teachers, parents and stu- dents. Students can learn about their online peers. Shut-ins can gain a new sense of self-esteem by communicat- ing with people they otherwise would never meet. The benefits of modeming are boundless. Just keep dialing. SUBURBAN PCBoard Ver. 15.0 708-636-6694 SOFTWARE Home of King of the Board Strike 93 Word Nerd BBS 913-478-1189 (FAX) MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE HOM school days, good old gold- en rule days...readin’, writin’ and ’rithmetic?” Well, things in today’s class- rooms just aren’t the same. Fifty years back, the worst discipline cases involved gum chewing, smoking ciga- rettes and paper spitballs. Modern classrooms some- times involve much more serious offenses. CALLERS: BY WHO Computerized classroom is almost here However, all is not lost. Dramatic advances in electronics are transform- ing the classroom into advanced learn- ing centers and unlimited educational opportunities for 21st-century kids. The information highway is winding its way over hills and through valleys across America. It’s making its pres- ence felt in large cities and small, and in rural towns everywhere. Vice President Al Gore foresees a time coming when information from sci- ence to the humanities will be available to every student “at the simple touch of a computer switch and an online modem.” That time is close at hand! Wired desk, video blackboard Can you picture how the small, tight, back-breaking desk of yesteryear will be replaced by a 100 percent comput- erized version? A fingerprint touch or perhaps a voice-activated command turns on the pupil’s electronic desk and workstation. No bulky monitor. Instead, the screen is built neatly into the desk sur- face for a combination writing and com- MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE ARE RICHARD LOWELL HARDING THEY ? Pp pe er — Sweet SCHOO Me Technology changes learning at home and in the classroom puting area. Each machine is net- worked, not only to the teacher’s com- puter but to thousands of classrooms and universities around the globe, via a rooftop satellite dish. The old, slate blackboards are already scheduled for a facelift. Large video screens for inter-school or visual conferences will replace the former dull boards. According to the NII (National Information Infrastructure) prospectus, portable, handheld computers will let kids do their homework offline or online, right in their own homes. The units will be connected directly to the school network for research or instruc- tional assistance. Hlome-schooling families In the Connecticut community of Cheshire, there lives a five-member family which has discovered the excite- ment and educational values of home schooling, computers and BBSs. In his letter to BBS Magazine, Richard Shalvoy wrote, “For several years, my wife and I have been home- schooling (HS) our children. We have received a tremendous amount of sup- port from fellow home schoolers that we have met via BBSs. “Home schooling is not such a com- mon thing YET, but on these BBSs we have met hundreds of like-minded peo- ple. Through these people, we have got- ten an education ourselves and now are in a position to help others with their questions.” This is the Shalvoys’ story. Three years ago, their oldest daugh- ter, Stacy, was introduced to the home classroom instead of the public/private school classroom of most youngsters. Stacy Shalvoy says in retrospect, “I feel very special in my family. It was because of me and my education that our family got involved in this idea of learning at home...and all the good things connected with HS.” “Tt’s neat to be able to wander around my house or read a textbook in a relaxed way on the living room sofa or my bed, if I want to. There isn’t any pressure on me. I study and do my schoolwork when and where I want. The choice of time and place is mine to make.” Stacy is now 13 years old. Her younger sisters, Joanna, 9, and six- year-old Becky, have also received excellent teaching and instruction from their mother, Karol Ann, and their dad, Richard. They recognize the benefits of per- sonally tutoring their children on a one- to-one basis: Home Schooling is finan- cially affordable; it also eliminates a number of the undesirable problems such as violence, etc. which so often bother school kids across America. But, best of all, it gives the children an even closer togetherness in a two-parent fam- ily, plus a solid educational foundation. Richard says, “Home schooling pro- vides close involvement with our youngsters and gives us the marvelous chance to work one on one or perhaps one on two with our offspring. HS is a very positive and pleasant experience for young and old alike.” A day at home To those unfamiliar with HS, it should be pointed out that the quality of edu- cation is top-notch. Each day, the stan- dard school curriculum of English, Math, History, etc. are carefully sub- scribed to. During the year, a portfolio review is required by the state of Connecticut in order to verify that genuine teaching and learning by the pupils at home has been taking place. The offline computer is always a great help to the kids. Joanna , a 4th- grader, enjoys all sorts of games, edu- cational software and word processing. She keeps a computer list of various books she has read and prints out the titles as part of her educational portfo- lio presentation. She enjoys “Balloon Speller” to improve her vocabulary by electronics. Or, “Outnumbered” to sharpen her math skills, played like a game. The Shalvoy children from have demonstrated the worth of HS by their excellent performance levels, which actually exceed those of the public school system. And today, by some estimates, more than 500,000 American children are being educated in HS programs. Parent as teacher Although some families utilize the ser- vices of a tutor, most of the time the par- ents serve in the role of teacher. In the Shalvoy home, the usual routine of bus schedules, delays and long period- breaks of the average school day do not exist. Teaching preparation for the parents LEARNING IS TH/S FUN? The Shalvoy children (from left) Stacey, Becky and Joanna. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE = sve is not difficult. Subject manuals are always available, however the majority of adults find they are already quite familiar with the subject contents. Richard says, “Many just start out and wing it perfectly.” Actual teaching time each day varies greatly from home to home. Stacy says, “Some kids spend as little as three hours a day studying, while others go slower and take all day. It’s up to the student. “Home schooling lets us work together with mother and dad on special projects. We can even take vacation trips as we are not tied to school calen- dars. We have both the time and free- dom to choose the place to set up our classroom, at home or many miles away We just carry our school with us.” Stacy reflected, “In our home school, we just study till we’re done.” BBS high It was Karol Ann, the mother in the Shalvoy family, who discovered the benefits and opportunities in BBSs and an online introduction to Prodigy. Other BBS and electronic services like GEnie and National Videotext (NVN) have followed. “Teacher Mom” found that computer CONTINUES... learning could he fun, as well as instructional. Her students discovered “unlimited fun times” in Prodigy’s Kids Area. For example, “Krazy Kaptions” helps them with grammar and NOVA provides a rich introduction to science. Even six-year-old Becky has found her favorite electronic spot at her online “Sesame Street.” Richard Shalvoy observes, “It’s great. The youngsters can do all the computer hook-ups on their own. No parental assistance is required.” Each of the Shalvoy girls spend at least an hour a month with Prodigy. And Stacy finds that E-Mail gives her a chance to keep updated with her friends, near and far away. No huge expensive financial outlay for the online connection is required for the Shalvoy family. A 286 AT clone with an 80-meg HD, a 9600 bps modem and a Panasonic KPX 1124 printer does the job nicely. “AMIPRO” and “Microsoft Works” are family favorites. Richard served as a software beta- tester for Prodigy’s “Mail Manager.” And in the past few months, the MAGAZINE () 1 year USA $30; CANADA $50 YOU CAN CHARGE VISA OR MASTERCARD BY CALLING 1-800-822-0437 (10 am — 4 pm est) ! I 1 ! 1 1 1 I 1 t I I i I I I 1 1 I i 1 i 1 \ H | © Enclosed is my check for $ | L Credit card (circle one) i ! # H ! Signature 1 i] | Name 1 Address 1 City 1 ! State/Zip Code I 1 H 1 MAIL TO: Callers Digest, Inc., 701 Stokes Rd., Medford, NJ 08055. If paying by credit card. you may FAX this form at (609) 953-7961. Don't miss another issue Subscribe Today VISA M/C saeceee MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE sex Shalvoy’s have gotten online with Internet e-mail. Family gatherings In truth, HS has given Karol Ann, Richard, Stacy, Joanna and Becky a chance to travel and talk “by computer and modem” to lots of people across the country. They were able to make lots of new friends from Florida to Texas, California and the Pacific Northwest. “The BBS channels work so well for our family,” Richard Shalvoy says. “It gives us the chance to get together with hundreds of like-minded people —- without leaving our home. Problems that may have bothered us for years can be answered for us in a single night on the BBS.” One of the greatest benefits online connections (to other home schoolers) has brought goes beyond academic help, to emotional insight and guid- ance. Pupils at home or in public schools are human beings and some- times behavioral instruction is as important as book learning. The BBS connection has proven a valuable tool 1 2 years USA $50; CANADA $90 Exp. date Lee ee = = = = for the Shalvoy household in this area, To illustrate the value of the BBS connection, the Shalvoy family posted a notice about a Latin unit they were working on and requested online input from other HSs. They received a num- ber of replies and were presented with the opportunity to gel resource materi- als without leaving home. Kids and computers Heidi E.H. Aycock from North Carolina is a freelance writer and online advisor to the popular magazine, Kids and Computers. Like the Shalvoy family, she recognizes that kids have plenty of room to talk and explore the various areas for fun and learning on the Prodigy Network. In her recent article, “Kids Only, No Grownups Allowed,” Heidi is informed by her youngsters, “No eavesdropping here, Mother, you’re too old.” But she admits that she’d sometimes like to know some of the provocative questions and answers that are exchanged between the kids. Prodigy’s private forums “just for kids” is divided into two sections, according to Heidi Aycock. “There is a forum for teenagers and also an under 12-year-old online-area.” The former can contain epic tales of heroes and dragons. The “Kids By Kids” depart- ment has a great amount of interactive programming for the young. She hearti- ly recommends Prodigy as an excellent tool for fun and learning. So the old tune “School days” has a brand new ring across the U.S. Sure, there’s still plenty of reading, writing and arithmetic...But also high-tech com- puters, modems, electronic education, friendships and family home schooling. I think it’s a great new melody. If you are interested in learning more about HS, please contact the Shalvoys on Prodigy or National Videotex. Your turn Like the Shalvoy family, BBS Magazine is open to your comments, questions and online stories. If you are interested in being interviewed for this monthly column, please call our office at: 609- 953-9110 from 10 am to 4 pm (est). Or write in care of this magazine. Samm USENET NEWS IN ; i y Provide local UUCP and dialup Usenet connection. © Fast news delivery Thousands of news groups Eliminate costly phone charges Easy installation Antenna as small as 18-inches ¢$? ¢ @ © Comfortable pricing CURRENT PAGESAT CUSTOMERS 415/424-0384 + Fax 415/424-0405 + 800/227-6288 992 San Antonio Rd. Palo Alto CA 94303 E-Mail info@pagesat.net Include your postal address. Satellite Delivered MONEY — ctiminate tetco charges. Customers shopping for a Board will look for a service that provides Usenet News. PageSat offers 24-hour a day satellite delivery of thousands of Usenet News groups as well as E-Mail. PageSat's Satellite Delivered Usenet News System Software for DOS, WINDOWS™ and UNIX e DALLAS REMOTE IMAGING e SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC ACCESS The Usenet News Feed System is supported by popular BBS software packages e PC BOARD e TBBS ¢ MAJORBBS e PCBUUCP e WILDCAT = * ZIPNEWS PageSat is a commercial Internet access provider with 56K and T-1 service. SYSTEM ¢ NORTHERN LIGHTS BBS e AQUILLA BBS ¢ DATA WORLD BBS e THE MATRIX e BLACK GOLD BBS e ASR PageSat Inc. im: UNCLE HANK'S SHAREWARE Revizws BY “UNCLE” HANK HURTEAU Trivial Pursuits, A Callers Guide and the Fast Track to Perfect Spelling General Trivia by Dan Linton and Jason Blochman GENTRV.ZIP Almost everyone likes trivia. Some are better than others, but it’s still sometimes fun to play. There are several trivia games for the PCs but none are quite as nice as the family of games associated with TRIVIA SHELL by Dan Linton and Jason Blochman. First, let’s take a look at one called General Trivia. As you might expect, there are questions relating to a broad range of topics, such as history, U.S. presidents, states, science, etc. — 15 categories in all. Before beginning, though, players must set up the game. One to four participants can play after each name is entered. You can then choose one of three skill levels and set other options such as Hints on/off, Correct Answer on/off and more. The game defaults to Intermediate play, which is a multiple choice test where you are given four choices. You can also opt MARCH 1994 to try the Beginners level — True or False questions — or Advanced — answers are keyed in. But whatever you decide, you can be sure the questions will not be easy. This game will certainly test your knowledge. To play any of these trivia games you will need at least an EGA display. A mouse is rec- ommended, although not neces- sary. The graphics are first rate and it’s easy enough to play that you'll be guessing answers in no time at all. At the start I mentioned that General Trivia was one of a whole family of trivia games. These were all written around a product called TRIVIA SHELL, by the above-mentioned authors. What this means is that even if you have no knowl- edge of programming, you can have a share in a trivia game by creating questions and answers dealing with a specific topic. So, as you can imagine, there are several different games relat- ing to many topics already available or “in the works.” To cre- BBS MAGAZINE ale your own database of questions and answers, you would use another product called TRIVIA PREP by Bob Falk. Everything else will be done for you, even the creation of stunning graphics! If you would like more informa- tion on compiling a set of trivia questions, see the documentation in any of the TRIVIA SHELL games. The shareware versions include about 100 questions. To get more, you need to register. There are 3 lev- els of registration: CLASSIC — 300 questions, $11.95 DELUXE — 600 questions, $16.95 GOLD — 1000 questions, $21.95 CALLRGD CALLRGD.ZIP Here’s one for any user calling a PCBoard BBS. Put together by Clark Development (PCBoard creators), it is a very well done PCBoard Callers Guide which has been converted to hypertext. All the commands are covered in depth with explanations on how to stack com- mands. The first area you will want to look at is “Logging In.” After a summary and explanation of the questions PCBoard asks you when you first log on, you are shown a typical menu. You can then click on any item with your mouse and that command is explained in full. And, since this is Hypertext, if you see a word in brackets, you can click on that for more information. Other selections include General Information, Stacking Commands and Basic Command Usage. Besides the information mentioned above, CALLRGD includes some help- ful appendixes. Appendix A explains how to use the Boolean Text Searches when using the TS, Z, or WHO com- mands. It shows how to make best use of searches with the and/or switches. Appendix B is a Modem Primer. It takes the mystery out of such terms as V32bis, HST, MNP and more. Appendix C helps you set your modem for optimum performance. But probably of most interest to callers will be Appendix D. This one has to do with file transfers. It shows users (step-by-step) how to upload and down- load, including explanations of the dif- ferent protocols available. Appendix E is a glossary of terms you might encounter on any BBS. This program can be invaluable to the new user as well as the “seasoned” power BBSer. PCBoard sysops will most definitely want to make this avail- able to all their callers. With a mini- mum of time, anyone can master PCBoard. JSPELL ver 2.0 JSPELL20.ZIP by Joohee Jeong Here we have the next generation of shareware spell checkers. JSPELL is slick as they come, and easy to use with a mouse or keyboard. Misspelled words can be replaced with just a mouse click or they can be added to your personal dictio- nary. A dictio- nary manager is included allowing you to add or edit your dictionary files. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE = s- From the manual: FEATURES Ease of use: Mouse support and online help. Speed: Fast loading dictionary, spotting misspelled words, and finding sug- gestions for near- ly all mis- spelled words. Dictionary: Multiple user dictionaries, file spe- cific dictionary, and an accom- panying dictionary manager. TeX support: Versatile and user config- urable. Foreign character support: extended ASCII character or TeX commands (e.g., GV’odel, Erd\H{o}s) Undo: Up to 400 steps. Network support: Each user can have his/her own configuration and personal dictionary while sharing the executables and the base dictionary with other users. One of the nice features is the UNDO command, something many other spell checkers don’t have. This can come in handy after you’ve replaced a misspelled word with the wrong cor- rection. I seem to do that all the time! JSPELL certainly deserves a look. You'll like this one. Registration is $27. HAV I BY NG FUN LANCE WHITNEY Murphy's Laws — OL BBS Calls If it hasnt gone wrong yet, look out. w— ‘he concept of Murphy’s Law is an apt one in my life. The realization that “if anything can go wrong, it will” is something each of us can relate to. That’s why the Murphy’s Law theme is one that writers often shamelessly steal, er, uh, I mean, adapt. You’ve probably seen columns using the Murphy’s Law concept in just about every magazine, from Boy’s Life to Cosmopolitan. Well, being as shameless as the next guy, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and ‘adapt’ the Murphy’s Law motif and see if I could apply it to BBS users. What follows is my takeoff on the Murphy’s Law concept—my list of Murphy’s Laws for BBS callers. Law of the modem The day after you buy an expensive new modem, the price of that modem will drop by at least 50 per- cent. The dip switches on your modem will always be in the most awkward positions imaginable. Whatever COM port your modem needs to run properly will be the only COM port not available. The bigger your hangover from last night’s party, the louder your modem’s connecting noise the next morning. Law of the call Whenever you call an unknown, untested BBS number in the middle of the night, it will be the home phone number of an angry old lady who has caller ID and whose son-in- law, as she will tell you upon her return call, carries a badge in his wallet. Dialing the number of a national, toll-free bulletin board is futile. Why? Thousands of other BBSers across the country also have the number and are calling it at the same time you are. The really great bulletin boards are never in your local calling area. You keep hoping your favorite bulletin board will get Internet MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE access. But when it does, it becomes so popular you can no longer get through. You always forget that one BBS password you didn’t write down because you were positive you'd never forget it. Murphy for him Your wife, who rarely visits you at your computer, will stop by at the exact moment you're viewing some of the finer points of a just-down- loaded Cindy Crawford file. Murphy for her You finally meet the guy you’ve been chatting with the past few months on that singles’ BBS...only he’s not Bill Gates’ billionaire cousin as he claimed to be online. E-mail The e-mail you send to Bill Clinton will include a sarcastic comment about kidnapping Hillary, a com- ment you're sure you deleted before you sent the message but which somehow got stuck in there anyway, causing the Secret Service to burst through your door with assault weapons at 2 a.m. the next morning. You'll eventually mistype one important character in an e-mail address so that your message to your friend Florence in Saint Paul gets sent to someone named Saint Paul in Florence. Public BBS messages At least 50 percent of all public BBS messages, intended for all, are private conversations that make sense only to the two people writing the messages. No matter how tactfully you com- pose a public BBS message, expect an angry, sarcastic or generally belittling reply {rom someone. Whenever you think a question you ask in a BBS message is dumb, it prob- ably is. Whenever you think a question you ask in a BBS message isn’t dumb, it probably is. Technical difficulty Whatever solution you devise to fix one problem with your modem, it inevitably will lead to at least six other problems. Calling technical support to solve a problem won’t help because your hard- Off-Peak Full Internet Access ware company will simply blame your software, and your software company will simply blame your hardware. Whenever you have a confusing technical problem with your modem, reading the manual will confuse you even further. According to a sysop, whenever a BBS caller has technical trouble on a BBS, it’s always the caller’s fault. According to BBS callers, whenever they have technical trouble on a BBS, it’s always the sysop’s fault. Murphy and the BBS You'll always log on to a bulletin board at the precise moment someone in your house needs to use the phone. Any truly great bulletin board is either illegal, immoral or too expensive. The excitement you feel over using a fantastic new bulletin board lasts until your next phone bill. Time flies, especially on a bulletin board that charges by the hour. The more expensive a commercial bulletin board is, the more confusing and awkward and time-consuming it Telnet-Gopher-WAIS-FTP-Archie-Usenet-Email will be to use. Your favorite commercial bulletin board finally sets up flat-rate pricing for basic services. But the only thing it counts as basic services are the weath- er and hockey scores. Miscellaneous Murphy's Laws Any bill you pay electronically will get sent to the wrong company. A file that takes three hours to download will always fail during the last 10 seconds. You'll finally delete that shareware program you downloaded two years ago and haven’t used once, then immedi- ately discover a need for it. The first time you forget to scan your file downloads for viruses will be the first time in your life you'll actually get a virus. A BBS caller and his money are soon parted. ‘iid Lance Whitney is a freelance writer who specializes in computers and comedy. He's a member of the Westchester PC Users Group in New York State. ¢ EXEC-PC ¢ Rusty & Edie’s ComStar Global Access BBS Available at 9600 baud from most major cities. The Global Access BBS Dialing Network can be accessed from almost anywhere in the world with a local phone call. Users are presented with a state of the art menu system which allows you to simply select where you want to go, push the button, and it takes you there for $3.95/hr. off-peak, weekends, and holidays. Full Internet access is simply another menu selection, with no time limit and no extra charges. Prices are for continental US only. Foreign rates are available. For more information call. G- Aliechnologies, Inc. Inc. voice 1-8 00-3 77-3 2 8 2 data 1-704-334-9030 MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE SS, BUC@VER So Ea Ee-| 1206 Kenilworth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28204 - P.O. Box 31474, Charlotte, NC 28231 - Phone 704/334-3282 - FAX 704/334-6880 Online Photograph Database and Catalog Order Entry Durand Communications Network proudly announces the DC Net Online Photograph Database. This powerful multi-line database is 100% configurable to meet your application needs. Now you can create your own business database application or use one of our ‘turn-key’ applications to provide complete database services. With DC Net, you can have up to 16 databases online at one time. The latest addition to the DC NET Online Photograph Database family of products is Order Entry v1.0. Callers can search a graphical database, view photographs and order products online. Order Entry can link to any custom designed DC NET database application. Features ag Net v2.0 Multiple images and text on the same screen Move, resize or tile multiple images online or offline ~ Terminal program is 100% RiPscrip compatible ~ Attach up to 10 photographs or text files to any record ~ View up to 7 pages of detail for every record Print photographs online or offline ~ Bill only successful database searches | » Offline viewing of images with DC Slideshow ~ Support for BMP, PCX, GIF, TIF, TGA and CMP | ~ Most images compress to 8k-15k » Shareware terminal program distributed royalty free Onder Evtiy v7.0 100% configurable to meet your Order Entry needs ~ Configurable shipping and payment methods \ ~ Define distributor discounts ~ Complete user-account level! security ~ Review orders and totals before ordering ~ Automatically calculates taxes and shipping ~ Automatically generates E-Mail P.O. ~ Complete mouse support --RIPscrip graphics fA AD IDENT ial patent DEMO BBS: 805-964-2833 (8N1) - t CELTEEELEG. “a Comeral Into WESTCOAST 5276 Hollister Torna A RS. jee oe % lax: (805) cmc vinne SE OULIITSS et, BITE on iawn Bathoan CONREE FILEX™ The first Windows program to let you manage files on a remote PC over the modem. No more transfer protocols! No more complicated compression schemes! FILEX handles it all for you — automatically! FEATURES * Remote/Local File Management * Remote Hard Drive Display * Automatic Compression * 100% Error-Free Transmission * Background File Transfers * Bullet-Proof Security * Automatic Modem Configuration FILEX provides easy installation, automatic modem configuration and an easy- to-use intuitive interface that replaces your existing file manager for Windows. Using our own proprietary technology, all you have to do is click on the telephone icon to dial another PC running FILEX. Once connected, you will see the remote PC’s hard drive directory beside one of your own drive directory trees on your desktop; and then seamlessly click-and-drag ready-to-edit files between them, in the background of the remote PC if necessary! CALL TODAY FOR YOUR FREE COPY 1-800-999-7771 MASTERCARD © Synergy Communications, Inc. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. Sclol VISA - CONNECT-A-FRIENDSSYV Limited Offer Santa Barbara — 'New York WE ARE GIVING AWAY SUPER FAST!!! FILEX is FAST!!! Using proprietary Automatic File Compression (AFC), FILEX is able to double or triple modem throughput and is capable of moving data at up to 38.4 kilobytes per second with a fast enough modem. Even ona 2400 baud modem, a 60 page word processing document can be transferred in just 60 seconds. That’s 500% faster than PC to FAX! To introduce our new product, we are offering a free CONNECT-A-FRIEND DIG& to the first 100,000 people who ask for it. Previously available only to registered users, the CONNECT-A-FRIEND package includes: the full version of FILEX Software on 3.5” disk, comprehensive on-line help, a Quick Reference Instruction Card to get you up and running, and 3 free installation support calls. System Requirements: 286 (386 recommended) or higher PC or PS/2; min. 2Mb RAM; Windows 3.1; DOS 3.3 (or higher); 3.5" high density disk drive; 870K free hard disk space; Windows compatible monitor; a modem. Available in 3.5” high density format only. There is a non-refundable $9.95 shipping and handling charge (Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery). Have your credit card ready: Visa Mastercard or Amex accepted. Only available in the U.S. Available only for Windows 3.1. Offer limited to one per person. Offer expires 3/31/94 or when 100,000 copies of disk have been given away. SEllENGy AMERICAN EXPRESS A DURAND COMPANY CimMmMMODORE Commodore Smorgashord Hints, tips and the inside scoop Mice come home If you've been looking for a mouse for your Commodore 64/128, you’ve proba- bly discovered they’ve become scarce. Personally, I think they scurried over- seas when they heard about our high speed devices that make using GEOS, and therefore mice, easier. The good news is CMD (Creative Micro Designs, Inc.) is doing something about it. They’re importing mice from overseas, and CMD is in the design phase of developing their own mouse for the Commodore 64/128. They’re giving serious consideration to developing a true proportional track ball. Both mouse and track ball should be able to utilize mouse drivers (such as for GEOS) that are already in existence for the 1351 mouse. New GEOS support CMD has also become the source for all Commodore GEOS programs previously manufactured and distributed by Geoworks (formerly Berkeley Softworks). Creative Micro Designs, Inc will handle customer support for the Commodore GEOS products, as well as manufacture and distribute the prod- ucts. Geoworks will retain actual own- ership of the programs. This is good news, as customer support for Commodore GEOS programs was dwin- CORN BY GAELYNE R. dling at Geoworks, and CMD has a good reputation for solid customer sup- port. Maurice Randall’s geoShell is also available from CMD, with the same price as direct from the author, $24.95. GeoShell is an alternative to GEOS DeskTop, suited for those who prefer to type in direct commands rather than use the icon-based DeskTop. Version 2.2 has many additional features including copying across partitions when used with a CMD device. For more information contact CMD at (413)-525-0023. DESO1.SEX and DESO2.SFX A new version of Desterm, the C= 128 terminal program, is now available. It’s a big advantage is for RAMLink owners and BBG owners. Desterm 2.01 allows file transfers to RAMLink partitions, which the previous version did not. In fact, version 2.00 did not even “see” RAMLink as a disk drive. Desterm 2.01 is only an interim release, howev- er. Matthew Desmond dropped support for Desterm while in the Beta testing process for version 2.01. The program was picked up by pro- grammer Steve Cuthbert, who released the program “as is”, including the ini- tial “Beta Test 2.01” screen. Because of this, I suggest only those users who are already familiar with Desterm 2.00 use this update, and of those, if you eeertene MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE scout MORANEC don’t have a RAMLink, RAMDrive or BBG unit, you should probably stick with the 2.00 version until the next release of Desterm is available. While this Beta version makes a world of dif- ference to the owners of the above men- tioned devices, it has a few problems in it: 1581 users have to save all files twice, otherwise the files don’t save properly; the script files don’t work as well as they should. There’s also very scant docs included with this release. Perhaps the next release will swat the bugs and remove the Beta notice from the opening screen. Registration for the program is $25. Those who already registered are asked to pay $10 if they wish the next 3 pro- gram versions to be mailed directly to them. Otherwise new versions will be available for download at a variety of sites. Steve Cuthbert can be reached at: Box 196, Radway, Alberta, Canada, TOA-2V0, or via Internet at: steve.cuth- bert@cuehere.greysage.edmonton.ab.ca. WAVPLAY.ARC WAVPLAY.ARG, found on many bul- letin boards, lets us Commodore users download Windows sound files that have filename extensions of .WAV. Waveplay will play the sound clips and can save them as Commodore .RAW files. There are a wealth of WAV files available, as many BBSs with CD- ROMs have entire CD’s online with nothing but .WAV files. Some of them are really quite interesting to hear. Waveplay has a toggle for old and new style SID chips, for the newer C=64s have a slightly different SID chip mak- ing the sound quality different. The Compression Kit Mad Man Software is releasing Version 2 of The Compression Kit. The Compression Kit (CKit) compresses Commodore 64/128 disk files and entire disks or directories into smaller files. It is completely menu driven, which makes it far easier for non- experts to use. Included with the CKit are file and disk/partition copiers, an archive program and another utility called a “BOA”. Think of a Boa Constrictor and you’ll immediately get the idea. “BOAs” are entire disks or partitions that are “swallowed whole” as a boa constrictor would do, com- pressing every piece of information about a disk into 1 or more files. In fact, the picture on the front of the manual shows a boa constrictor squeez- ing a helpless disk drive! The ability to compress 1541 disks into a series of files has been available with the Zipcode program, but there has never been a utility to compress larger style disks such as the 1571 or 1581 until The Compression Kit came onto the scene. This is a completely CMD drive friendly program. As mentioned above, it will copy entire partitions and can use the same CMD device as both source and destination drives, really speeding up many of the routines. Users fortunate enough to own two sep- arate CMD products such as a RAMLink and Hard drive or FD series drive can back up or copy partitions from one device to the other. Another very useful feature is the ability to archive entire native mode partitions to back them up. The program allows users to define a block size for the backups so you can use several disks, if necessary, to back up large parti- tions. It’s not a speed demon, but speed was sacrificed for reliability. Every function from copying to creating and dissolving BOAs are verified, making it very reliable for storing very important data. The Compression Kit requires a security key inserted in the joystick port to use. Files archived with the CKit can be dissolved using a stand- alone program called the Decomper, which is fully distributable on BBSs. In other words, you don’t have to own the Ckit to dissolve files archived with it. Version 2 includes a larger buffer based on the available equipment a user has. It’s said to utilize the VDC chip within the 128 for additional buffer space, and will also use RAM Expansion Units and/or DACC parti- tions in RAM devices for additional buffer space. Version 2 also has better compression rates. The Compression Kit is available from Mad Man Software for $39.95 plus $5 shipping and han- dling. Upgrades are available for either $4.95 or $9.95, depending upon how much of an upgrade is necessary. For more information, call 307-632-1178. OMNI128 BBS Update The price of OMNI 128 BBS is $65 (manual $15). Virtual memory of a type is now in use in the BBS, in a special editor program called BIGMEM, which lets the sysop edit text or system data files up to approximately 180 - 190 CBM blocks in size, about 5 times the normal capacity of the operating editor! The BBS program was reviewed in the Jan. ’94 issue of this magazine. QWKRRI128 V4.0 Rod Gasson has sent out Beta versions of the offline mail reader QWKRR128 version 4.0, and I’m happy to report that the editor is much better than ver- sion 3.5. Version 4.0 is a complete revamp of the offline reader and includes a new QPX program to help dissolve the pro- gram, set disk device numbers, and automatically begin Indexing the mail packet for faster reading. The taglines feature allows users to move through several tagline files simply by pressing one key. A TWIT feature allows you to either ignore people listed in the TWIT file, or to search for and read messages from the TWIT list. It’s convenient enough that I use it to read messages MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE == = from selected people. Those in my TWIT are actually folks I consider to be VIPs. Gasson doesn’t plan on changing the name of the feature to TWIT/VIP because it tickles his sense of humor to “TWIT” the moderators of various con- ferences. Considering that the Commodore 64 and 128 computers have both RUN and STOP on the same key, this seems only natural that our TWIT functions would also act as a search for Very Important Persons whose mes- sages we wouldn’t want to miss! Net Mailing Hint I’ve found a new use for MACRO keys: Macro keys make sending mail through the Internet, with their long addresses, painless. Simply add the internet addresses to your term program’s macros and save them. Pressing one or two keys to send the long address, such as mine: g.moranec@genie.geis.com is much easier using a macro. Remember, you’re using a computer — the idea is to use it to make things easier. aaa Gaelyne Moranec is a freelance writer; editor of CEE-64 Alive!, a disk maga- zine for Commodore 64 users; secretary and co-editor for her local Commodore User’s Group; and, co-sysop on Ancient Heart BBS in Saginaw, Michigan. She can usually be found in the CBM F[DOnet echo. BBS INCOME | Free Report on how to go from $0 to $3,000 per month in BBS income in as little as 90 days! making information on how to operate a BBS for profit. It outlines powerful marketing secrets including unique ways of finding new subscribers and how to get them to pay you top dollar; guaranteed ways to generate other revenue plus the secrets to getting free publicity and being able to accept credit card payments; plus much more. Limited quantity. InfoLink 56089 29 Palms Hwy. Ste 254-CD Yucca Valley, CA 92284 1(619)228-9653 FAX 1(619)369-1185 | This valuable report reveals money | Prepard by the publishers of the book How To Successfully Run A BBS For Profit. MODEM DISCOUNTS BY VICTOR R. VOLKMAN Out of the Box and . pe sree i Hayes Optima 288+FAX passes the test, and then some. s this went to press, [’d y Hayes Optima ‘AX only a short time. Hayes has been deluged by the intense interest in this new product. Although they usually ship Sysop Discount orders as fast as they come in, Hayes is running a two- week backlog at this time. Normally, credit card orders can be fulfilled in as little as two days. duke ‘al “INGA that Hayes products generally dont require much (if any) tweaking and their factory settings are adequate for almost all uses. Since v.FC technology is so new (as of this writing) I haven’t yet had any V.FC callers. However, the major BBSs of the world are bringing them online including the Salt Air BBS (home of PCBoard’ and Hayes Online BBS (toll free 1-800-USHAYES). My initial use of this modem from the caller’s per- spective (i.e. dialing out) has been very exciling. Before I share my benchmarks, a few words about my hardware and soft- ware configurations. I currently run six modems off of a 486-DX2 66Mhz com- puter with IMB external cache and 16MB RAM. Each of the six modems runs in a separate DESQview DOS win- dow with 640K RAM (or so). Four of the nodes go through an Arnel SmartPort 4 serial card with 64K onboard RAM. The other two nodes are eoneaas MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE @ if Bees - S SII FS a a aS; above 38,400 bps. “jen 22/% For the transfer test, Tue typical setup that many readers" have. Specifically, I used a 16550A COM port opened at 38,400 in con- junction with Omen Technology’s pop- ular DSZ.COM external Zmodem proto- col driver. Again, this session took place inside of DESQview, which was also running five other modems live. Transferring compressed .ZIP files, I routinely achieved V.FC download speeds as high as 3009 cps. This is about double my usual v.32bis/v.42bis rate and quite amazing considering the other activity going on in the system. Another test involved downloading the Electronic Industries Association CONTINUES... TABLE fa — SYSOPS HIGH-SPEED MODEM DISCOUNTS BY VENDOR AND MODEL TYPE V.32TERBO, V.FC 2 VENDOR/ 9600 Y.32 14400 V.32BIS 14400 V.32BIS PRODUCT EXTERNAL INTERNAL EXTERNAL OR ¥.34 EETERNAL a Aceex N/A 1496V P* 1496V+* N/A $290 $320 AT&T N/A 3721-B1-001* 3710-A1-201* N/A Paradyne $160 $180 PC $190 Mac ATI 9600 ETC/E N/A N/A N/A Technologies $275 CPI/ ViVa 9642e ViVa 14.4 ViVa 14.4 N/A ViVa $176 $180 $196 Digicom Scout Scout Plus Scout Plus N/A Systems $248 $266 $276 cies ayers ee OR er 9624PC+ 9624LE+ $340 $350 Forval N/A 14400 (Int.) 14400 (Ext.) N/A $375 $405 N/A Optima 144B* Ultra 144 Optima 288+FAX $179 $249 ___v.FC 28.8k $288 i Optima 144+FAX* $179 PC Optima 144+FAX* $179 Macintosh SatisF'ax/400 14.4 EX N/A o2 $269 Bs SatisFAX/400e* $245 MT1432BA* * Modems with an asterisk include 14,400 baud F. Sot TENE Ss 1. All internal modems are assumed to Noles on Table I: yh ee Oe eee eee TABLE Ib — SYSOPS MODEM ACCESSORY DISCOUNTS BY VENDOR 3 VENDOR PART # PRODUCT DESCRIPTION SYSOP PRICE Hayes Corp. 08-00593 —______ ISDN PC Adapter abies Sah 8450 08-00509 Dee eS US Ce oe SI » re $450 E 08-00156 —————SCO&ESP.- 2.0 Enhanced Serial 1-Port $ 69 08-00456 ESP 2.0 Enhanced Serial 2-Port $ 89 MultiTech CC216A Rackmount for 16 modems. no PS $175 PS216A Power Supply for RackMount $ 85 USRoboties N/A High-speed Dual-Async Serial Card $ 50 Ven-Tel DS1200-3PR Rackmount for 16 modems. w/PS $425 ZyXEL N/A High Speed I/O (1P/2S/1G) 1 16550 $ 30 N/A High Speed I/O (1P/2S/1G) 2 16550 $ 45 TABLE Il — SYSOP BUYERS RESTRICTIONS - IMPORTANT! VENDOR BBS MUST HAVE AFTER BUYING MAXIMUM NUMBER CREDIT CARDS CONTRACT BEEN UP AND IT, YOU MUST OF MODEMS YOU ACCEPTED FOR WORKING FOR... USE IT FOR... MAY BUY... PURCHASE Aceex currently 6 months 1 per phone. none No Maximum AT&T 6 months 6 months 1 per phone. VISA Paradyne No Maximum Mastercard American Ex. ATI currently 6 months I per phone. none Technologies No Maximum CPI/ 2 months 12 months 1 per phone. VISA ViVa No Maximum MasterCard Digicom currently 6 months 1 per phone. none Systems No Maximum Forval N/A N/A No Maximum none Hayes Corp. 6 months unspecified 1 per phone. VISA (may be lime Max. 4, may MasterCard waived) be negotiated Intel currently 12 months 1 per phone. VISA Max. 4. MasterCard American Ex. * MultiTech currently unspecified 1 per phone. none, must have or plan to time No Maximum Cashier's Check Practical currently unspecified 1 per phone. VISA Peripherals lime No Maximum Mastercard Supra currently unspecified 1 per phone. VISA Corp. time No Maximum Mastercard USRobotics 6 months 6 months 1 per phone. VISA No Maximum Mastercard Ven-Tel 6 months 6 months 1 per phone. VISA No Maximum MasterCard Zoom Double the # of Visa Telephonics 6 Months 9 Months current phone MasterCard lines on the bbs Amex ZyXEL 3 months 6 months 1 per phone. VISA No Maximum MasterCard * Indicates no personal checks accepted. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE (EIA) standard “text” file for data transfer tests. This file, approximately 1 MB in size, sustained a 3277 cps rate across the entire transfer. Transfer rates of the .ZIP and text files might have been better on a standalone sys- tem without a multitasker; however I prefer to test equipment in a real-world scenario whenever possible. A Supra low price This past year has seen modem manu- facturers leapfrogging each other sever- al times to give you the best deal. This time Supra jumps over the competition in offering the lowest priced Sysop Discount of all time. On October 26th, 1993, Supra announced price cuts in its Sysops Discounts. Specifically, the Supral’A XModem V.32bis external modem has been reduced to just $149, representing a $100 price cut. Also, the SupraF'axModem-IPC V.32bis internal modem has been reduced to just $129, representing a $70 price cut. These are the only two modems currently offered by Supra in their Sysop Discount plan. All modems support 300-2400bps, v.32 (9600 bps), MNP 2-5, V42bis, 9600 send/receive fax (v.27ter/29), CLASSes 1 & 2 (fax software-fax modem communication standards), v.32bis (14400 bps) and v.17 (14400 fax). The units come complete with Caller ID. VoiceMail support will be available in the near future. This is all packaged in Supra’s famous small case (1” high x 4.5” wide x 6.5” long). The internal’s are a full height, 8-bit, half card. The external modems have 4 lights (RD/SD/OH/TR) and an LED display. The display will show the connection rate, compression protocol, error cor- rection protocol, etc. in a cycling fashion. Contacting Supra: 503-967-2400 (main 8-5pst) 503-967-2401 (Fax) 503-967-2410 (Sales 6-5pst) 800-727-8772 (Sales 6-5pst) 503-967-2440 (Technical Support 8- 4:30pst) 503-967-2444. (BBS, 8 lines, v32bis 24hr.) CompuServe 76004,565 GEnie SupraTech Bix SupraCorp American Online SupraCorp2 InterNet supra@supra.com FidoNet 1:357/4 or in the SUPRAFAX echo (To: SUPRA CORP) Price and performance I’ve boiled down all the price ar! per- formance data from the manufacturers into a simple chart (see Table Ia). The minimum performance level is v.32 (9600 bps), since this is the worldwide high-speed standard. All modems also must have v.42bis for error correction and data compression to make this list. The rightmost column of Table la shows all modems faster than 14400 bps that support at least v.32bis stan- dards. In practice, I recommend only v.32bis (14400 bps) modems for sysops. The v.32bis offers 50% inore throughput than v.32 for between 5 to 15% extra cost. I expect that many manufacturers will quietly discard v.32 modems from production as soon as v.FAST/v.34 (22000 to 28000 bps) modems go into production. Beware of upgrade plans to v.FAST/v.34 modems: these can run you from $100 to $300 for such an upgrade. Some vendors offer more than just modems to the sysops that join their program. For example, Hayes Corp. offers 50% to 70% off discounts on the high speed serial ports and ISDN adapters. Other vendors offer big dis- counts on modem rackmounts. A rack- mount reduces the tangle of multiplying power supplies and becomes economi- cal for sysops planning on eight or more of the same brand modem. See Table Ia for a complete listing of modem acces- sories available. Restrictions If you’re the sysop of a BBS that has been operating 24-hours per day for the last six months, then you’re automati- cally eligible for any of these discounts. Table II shows the minimum operating requirements as given by each manu- facturer. Some manufacturers only require that you are currently running a BBS at time of ordering. A few, such as Hayes, may actually waive the current operating requirement. Once you receive your modem, you're expected to keep the BBS up and running between six and twelve months (requirements vary). Generally, the modem is yours to do whatever you want with after this period expires. Some manufacturers may ask you to never sell modems purchased on a dis- count plan. Modem resellers, such as computer stores, are generally excluded from participation in discount plans. Most manufacturers allow you to pur- chase up to one modem per incoming BBS phone line. The only exception CONTINUES... OQ 24 Nodes O Adult Files ODOS QO Windows 0 OS/2 O Graphics 0 Rime Q ILink QO Internet QO Usenet Email O Win NT & Unix Files <4,7 (6.3 Gigabytes Online Q (408) 655-1096 14400k Q (408) 655-8297 UsR HST cal QO) (408) 655-4211 ZyxEL 16.8k C) (408) 655-8346 usR 16.8k O) 450+ Conferences Online Games MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE #Aiducator’s BBS 305-894-0894 — 1200-38400 Baud $20 per year * 24 Hours * Sysop, Walt Ledbetter An Educational BBS for Students, Parents, Teachers, and Tutors Home of Tutbbs21-Tutorial on BBSs, Procedures, Term Papers 1200-38400 Baud ¢ Virus Information ° Messages © Online Tutoring * Educational Files ¢ Communications Files « Teacher Files * Door Games « File Requests * With an Education Your Future ts Unlimited! nly One Multi- é “34 re / : “You started at to build a multi-user BBS, ‘You had dreams about the service your system would provide, the problnis-yo would solve and th¢ money you would make. But you didn’t heats for the pile of hardware you would liye with every day and now it controls your life. l As ypu compared tose of software you missed the fact that the design philosophy of most BBS Wy 3 forces marty hardware decisions of you. ONLY TBBS allows you to achieve high perfor- mance t ath’ 64 high s hed lines on a single cru with NO custom hardware, ‘And only TBBS gives you the option of i UM xBASE databasing ith the TDBS expénsigh module and compiler, ’ True yoo is the ability to spend ey your time as you wish. Talk to real multi-user BBS aysops. You'll notice that only TBBS operators talk rey about ideas, not pone and software. For / , over ten years TBBS has eprogoed them the igedom | to ies custom systems Bey cAn live with? No one gets mote e capability with Ibs impact oh I 2 their life than a TBBS Sysop. You can wh 64- user TBBS Zu for aI, 995 (32-user ih Tudor PY i ras 21) Mee Ron and use the money LITT} Dennnone Bunt Roaan PeRopOD Sane —- you gaved on hard-/ mont Wy Ware to ‘celebrate ACSULTT x your's success. ari / 303. -699- 656 5 j for more. infor mation and access to a demon- stration system. * / , ; a eSoft, Incorporated 15200 E. Girard Ave. “SSuite 3000 4’ Altrora, co 80014 A 303-69926565 a A ives You True Freedom’ *Picture shows complete 16 user TBBS/TDBS System. TABLE IV — VENDOR CONTACT INFORMATION VENDOR CALL THEIR BBS DOWNLOAD IF YOU HAVE NAME AT THIS NUMBER THIS FILE. QUESTIONS OR AND... PROBLEMS CALL.. Aceex (416)538-9999 ACEEX.ZIP (416)538-0101 AT&T Paradyne (813)532-5254. ATTSYSOP.TXT (800)554-4996 ATI Tech. (416)756-4591 SYSOPLAN.ZIP (416)756-0718 CPI/ViVa (805)499-9646; (215)746-9948 CPIA.TXT (800)854-7600 Digicom (508)262-1412 SCOUT.TXT (508)262-1277 Forval (408)294-3065 FORVAL.ZIP (408)294-0526 Hayes Corp. (404)446-6336; (800)USHAYES H9GSYSOP.TXT (404)840-9200 Intel (503)645-6275 OFFER.TXT (503)228-9707 MultiTech (612)785-9875: (800)392-2432 PRICE.TXT (612)785-3500 Pract. Per. (805)496-4445 SYSBBS.TXT (805)497-4774 Supra Corp. (503)967-2444 SYSOP.TXT (503)967-2400 USRobotics (708)982-5092 SYSDEAL.TXT (708)982-5010 Ven-Tel (408)922-0988 SYSDEAL.TXT (408)436-7400 Zoom Teleph. N/A N/A (800)631-3116 Zyxel (714)693-0762 ZYXEL.TXT (714)693-0804. is Zoom, which allows up to two modems per existing phone line. However, if you plan to purchase more than four modems at the discount price, then you should talk to someone before placing your order. Multiple modem orders may require you to submit copies of phone bills as proof. At that point, there may be traditional quantity discounts available. Nearly all of the modem vendors are accepting VISA and Mastercard for orders. However, Accex, ATI, Digicom, Forval, and MultiTech still do not accept credit cards for orders. In those cases, you must submit a cashier’s check or money-order. Personal checks often require additional clearing time which just holds up your order. One requirement, which goes for CONTACT VIA EMAIL t.bradshaw@paradyne.com wolfgang@netcom.com tlacy@hayes.com GO PPIFORUM (CompuServe) supra@supra.com nearly all vendors, is that they general- ly expect at least a one-line advertise- ment somewhere in your welcoming screens. For example: “Using the finest Model YYZ modem from Acme Modem Co.” would be perfectly acceptable in all cases. Most vendors will expect you to cre- ate a special account on your BBS for them to verify at least one of your phone numbers. They don’t like to have to sign on without a pre-existing account. Order Processing and Availability Delivery times and schedules vary radi- cally, so your mileage may vary. My own experience with Hayes Corporation is that they will generally ship Sysop Let’s Talk ae - FREE FLIER SF-=S 290 Berlin #45, Clinton, MA 01510 Gitehand Sewell Farding 508-365-9745 OnGine GFinswers Astrology Stress Control and lots, lots more... Handwriting Tarot Reports Interviews Computers orders within 48 hours. I have also ordered from Practical Peripherals and they have a mandatory three week wait- ing period before they ship. On the far extreme, US Robotics guarantees a two to six week waiting period. Table III summarizes the published processing schedules of each manufacturer. Remember, the manufacturers are doing you a favor by offering discounts below retail. Please observe courtesy. For Canadian, European, and other sysops outside the U.S., you may or may not be eligible for a discount offer. Please check carefully ahead of time to avoid disappointment. You may want to check with their European subsidiaries before contacting the U.S. office. Gaal Victor R. Volkman has been researching modem prices since 1991. once MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE COC INTERNET ACCESS DATABANK StartYour Savings Account Today 913-842-7744 Voice 913-842-6699 1473 HWY 40, Lawrence, KS email:info @ databank.com telnetable:bbs.databank.com imu At BBSCON ’93, while other vendors were busy getting their pictures taken, we spent our time listening to you. The result: The Major BBS Version 6.2. We created a brand-new file library, rewrote polls and ques- tionnaires, integrated RIPscrip graphics, added QWK mail, turbo-charged MHS message importing, and fine-tuned our performance for 57.6K channels. And that's just what we changed in our 2-line starter kit. All this is in addition to what you have come to expect from Galacticomm: lots of simultane- ous users on one computer, a very open architecture, and super connectivity via modems, serial ports, LANs and X.25. To see the difference, give us a call at 1-800-328-1128 (or 305-583-5990 outside the U.S. and Canada). And enjoy the benefits of a BBS company that listens to you. (Competitive upgrades available.) betaae \¥ fi \y , a" _ : be Ss te \ ng . ~— in . ' Ls : ~ ; x i) “ot The Major BBS’ Integrated QWK ~ mail for reading and writing messages offline. A new file library with full-screen tagging, super CD-ROM support, ~ aufo DIZ-file extraction, y library categories, advanced keyword searching, and | much more. | Out-of-the-box RIPscrip interface, with auto-detect and dynamic menuing. (Integrated RIPaint is optional. y A new polls facility with intelligent branching, account macros, aufo-tallying, and granting of files, keys, and online time. Documented support for 100 simultaneous users on 28.8K modems with half downloading at 90% efficiency, and the rest using the other services of the system — all on a single Pentium machine. CTICOMM 4101 SW 47th Ave. ¢ Suite 101 « Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314 BBS: (305) 583-7808 © Fax: (305) 583-7846 ° Voice: (305) 583-5990 _ INTERNET MADE BY MIKE ROBINSON WEB, WAIS and Gopher Tour guides in cyberspace t’s understandable the hties were known as the decade of computer revolu- tion. The pure processing power of the average com- puter seemed to double every year. Corporate America, seeing a way to improve earnings, along with home users, put the “electronic abacus” in almost every aspect of soci- ety. The PC became a household acronym. Kids were mastering Macs. So where does that leave us here in 1994? The Information Age. Granted, the term is not a new one, and it too has been used to describe the eighties. But I believe that the hot topic of this decade will be how to manage large amounts of information. Terms such as client/server and rela- tional database basically describe dif- ferent theories or technologies that are used to manage massive amounts of data effectively. Imagine the amount of information a company like AT&T gen- erates every day, or just one year’s worth of tax forms the IRS keeps on file. Meanwhile, I seem to have trouble balancing my checkbook each month. The Internet is no different. Over the past ten years, it has grown from a small, hacked-out networking scheme to a gigantic international system net- working millions of users who each have a different need or reason to be connected. Tapping into the Information Age Currently, there are three major ways to access information on the Net: Gopher, Wide Area Information Search (WAIS) and World-Wide Web (WEB). And there is Archie: a client-server database program able to search thou- sands of anonymous FTP sites for a particular file. But it has a specific goal in mind, and differs greatly from the others. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE EAS Y Gojther is}des{gned around an easy-to- ~ use] menu-driven interface. Its primary objdctive js tg make access to other seryices s}mule. These services can vaiy widely, from online databases and campus directories to Archie, Knowbot (see BBS ine, Oct. 1993) and even|file transfers. You can also access anyother Gopher available on the Internet, referred to as Gopherspace. So if you don’t like the Gopher site you normally use, you can search around until you find the one you like. Prior to Gopher, accessing free ser- vices was disorganized and often frus- trating. Every service has a unique method of operation, so you might have to learn ten sets of commands to access ten different services. With Gopher, you need only lear how to use one set, and let Gopher handle the rest. One of the benefits of Gopher is that each site can set it up to best meet the needs of its users. For example, one Gopher site might make access to vari- ous databases very easy, while another site focuses on current news events. Each Gopher site is set up and main- tained by a system administrator. What this means is that one administrator with few duties has the time to create an excellent Gopher menu system, another administrator who is over- worked will probably have a bare bones menu system. If you have an existing telnet con- nection and want to reach an existing Gopher site, try telnetting to port 70 of that site (again, see Oct. ‘93) The cor- rect syntax would be ‘telnet gopher.site.name 70’. If the site allows open access, which it should, you will be directly connected. WAIS If you need the ability for complex data searching, Gopher will probably fall short of the mark. This is where WAIS comes in. WAIS is a searching program that can scan a wide array of electronic texts, even on many charging a fee for access. But don’t be misled, you're not actually accessing these services — those that are pay-based, such as the Dow Jones Information Service, will require you to pay to retrieve the arti- cles at that site. WAIS will simply tell you where there are articles that match your search. There are problems with WAIS, however. For example, if you were seeking the actual words to the nursery thyme Jack and Jill, searching for “Jack and Jill” would result in every text that had the words “Jack” and “Jill” in them — not what you really wanted. However, if your search is spe- cific, WAIS is an excellent resource. Another problem with WAIS is due to the nature of the Internet. As the Internet grows, so does the available information. Searching for particular items can be slow, and is often-times outdated. The best way to use WAIS is to integrate it with Gopher or another similar system. WEB The newest and most powerful Internet searching tool is World-Wide Web. It is based on hypertext technology, so once you’ve found something you want you can quickly go to other closely related items. If you’ve used a Macintosh, you’ve probably seen an example of hypertext. For example, if you are viewing information on a type of health care, you might be able to jump to pension plans, dental or vision care, or even President Clinton’s plan for nationalized health care. The WEB is very new technology, hence, very few sites are available. Unless you absolutely need it, stick with Gopher and WAIS for now. Given BBS Magazine a year or two to develop, WEB promis- es to be a very exciting. The WEB is also developing faster in Europe, which means that information found with it will not be limited by our national boundaries. Word Watch BANDWIDTH. Bandwidth refers to the maximum capacity able to be transmit- ted with a given medium. Compare the bandwidth of a 9600 baud modem to a 10 Megabit-per-second direct ethernet connection, and you'll see why band- width is important. Books Connecting to the Internet: A Buyer's Guide, by Susan Estrada. This is a well- written book for the mid-level manager. If you’re responsible for getting con- nected, this book will guide you through the many possibilities, listing advantages and disadvantages of each. “Connecting” also includes basic pricing information, a glossary of terms and an overview of Internet technology. =m Mike Robinson can be reached at mrobinsn@wharton.upenn.edu ONE CALL Gets it ALL?! * Live Internet feed with ftp & telnet ¢ Full Usenet feed with 4,000 + Newsgroups ¢ 1,000 International mail conferences from: |Link, Rime, FidoNet, SmartNet, Treknet, Annex ONLINE! Heard Of It Maybe and Not Sure What IL1S OF NOW tO get It on your BBS? Available as a Door program or in text format. It is available by subscription only. To view it right now, call the Livewire BBS (609) 235-5297 and type BBSCD at the main board prompt. If you would like to order the Online! edition, please contact us at 609- 953-9110 between 10 & 4 (est), or any other time at: 609-231-1757 and leave a message for Richard. We will return your call within 24 hours. Subscriptions accepted ontine al The Livewire BBS, (609) 235-5297. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE & Internet E-mail. * HOT adult BBS action with original Gifs, Textfiles, massive archive collection, game doors & sizzling network mail from ThrobNet, AdultLinks, AdultNet & AfterDark * Diverse [0 gigabyte file library with daily submissions from the Internet, 30 file distribution networks, original author postings & ASP files *Local Access Telephone Numbers in 350 Cities, Call (800) 521-2733 for the Local DSC Number in Your Area Datamax/Satalink Connection BBS V.32bis 14.4 (215)443-7390 HST/DS(215)443-5830 telnet via Internet: dsc.voicenet.com MACINTOSH BY MICHAEL A. Mail Call Trafficking messages the QWK way ver the past few is, ’ve been delving the dark side of telecommunicating...the Internet. Conveniently, my wife (the computer widow I married over 6 years ago) is attending a local college and has an Internet account. Consequently, I have an account. ON Several friends and I have been dis- cussing the ramifications of all the information and things accessible via modem, and the information overload it has caused. The Internet has lots of great sites for Mac software, tools, you name it. The University of Minnesota has a great site, with many sites mirror- ing the info there. On a mirror site, you can find telecom programs to allow you — if you are hooked up through TCP/IP on your Mac — to send e-mail worldwide, get files, etc., and provides a nice user-friendly Mac interface with which to work. There’s even a comm package created exclusively for play on MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons), which are scattered all over the Internet. But no matter how much info and general “stuff” is available, you'll never learn it all. There’s too much there. And there’s not enough time to get it all down, but boy is it fun to play. Speaking of saving time, Id like to address programs that allow you to take your mail, compress it into one packet, download it for offline reading, replying and finally preparation for upload. Many Mac host software packages allow you to do this fairly easily. First Class has BulkRate 1.72, the current version I believe, that allows you to bundle all your messages together, then read and MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE = «+ NE KUYKENDALL reply to them offline at a later date. NovaLink Pro does the same thing, through the use of an external. But since most of the BBSs out there are not Mac boards, (unfortunately) then we have to come up with ways to deal with PC host software and the way they deal with messages. The squeeze The standard method used in com- pressing messages down into a packet for later use is through the use of a door, and the creation of a file called a .QWK packet. A .QWK packet is usu- ally a .Zip file with your messages, two files called “MESSAGES.DAT” and “CONTROL.DAT” (which contain info about your messages, such as the con- ferences they are from, etc) and several other miscellaneous files. When online, you can use the door to compress your new messages, then download the file to your hard drive. Once you’ve done that you can start your post-processing, so lo speak. To aide with the post-processing, there are several utilities and programs that will help you read messages and prepare replies, then compress the reply back into a packet — called a -REP packet — that you upload to the board the next time you log on. Some of these utilities that we will examine include QWK 1.30 and Freddie 1.25 OWK 1.30 This program, by Bob Blaylock, allows you to convert your messages, after they have been unzipped, over to a word processing file that you can read and set up your replies in. There are many shareware packages that will unzip the -QWK packet for you, including UnZip 2.0, and ZipIt 1.1.1. You must, howev- er, make sure NOT to strip linefeeds or convert the files it extracts in any way. Using some of Bob’s embedded commands to tell the program what are replies, who the messages are to, etc., you can then run the file back through QWK 1.30 to create a .REP packet that you can upload. Now this may seem difficult for novices having to use com- mands in your file, almost like a pro- gramming language, but it’s worth it. The beauty of the package is in the power it gives to the user. You can password-protect a message, make a message a non-echo message — so it won’t be sent over the network — add and drop conferences, and more. The program sounds complicated, but is easy to learn and to quickly use. QWK 1.30 is a shareware package, $10, and your money may be sent to Bob Blaylock, 580 Pintura Drive, Santa Barbara. CA 93111. His AOL address is “TheBob.” Freddie 1.25 Freddie is another offline reader of interest. After you unzip your mes- UNCLE HANK’S SHAREWARE REVIEW NEWSLETTER Published bi-monthly, this newsletter takes a good look at some of the best Shareware available today. Each issue contains reviews from a wide variety of areas. Always in plain English. For a sample issue, send $2 to: Uncle Hank’s Shareware, 8 Hendrick St., Easthampton, MA 01027 Send $10 with this ad, you can subscribe for 1 yr. (6 issues) & save $2. Make checks payable to Hank Hurteau sages, simply launch Freddie. If you’re using System 7, you can drag-and-drop the .QWK packet onto Freddie, then ZipIt will automatically unzip the file for you. Once you are in Freddie, it will ask you to select one of the files from your unzipped packet. Freddie then reads the “CONTROL.DAT” file and creates a bookmark file. The bookmark is actually a database used to store all the information about the packet being opened. After you save the bookmark file, Freddie then reads the “MESSAGES.DAT” file, which con- tains the text of the messages you pulled off the BBS. Freddie next reads the “NEWFILES.DAT” file which con- tains info about all the new files that the BBS has received since you last checked. Then the packet is sorted, the main window opens and the fun begins! The main window provides info about the BBS you downloaded from and when you downloaded, and pro- vides a quick route to the Files, News, and Bulletins windows with buttons you can quickly push. There’s also a Mail button that will bring up the “Conferences,” “Incoming,” and “Incoming index” windows. I won’t tell you how to do everything from here (you can download the pack- age and see for yourself) because the documentation that comes with it is very easy to follow and understand. However, I do want to point out a few features that I found very nice when working with Freddie. While reading your incoming messages, Freddie has little arrows that allow you to advance quickly through your messages, or you can search your messages for a charac- ter string to cut down on your read time. Freddie allows you to easily quote from messages in your replies, and you can even create your own unique tagline for replies. Taglines are the lit- tle messages “tagged” on the end of each message you see online. Kind of a neat way to personalize your messages, though some have gotten into a bad habit of using it to advertise a service or business. Most use it as a way to insert funny quotes or sayings. To cre- ate a .REP packet you just have to go under the File menu to “Create REP”. It’s that easy. Freddie makes for a friendly inter- face that, if you’re not careful, will have you smiling while reading messages. Freddie is a shareware package, $15, and money should be sent to Kem Tekinay, 75-05 64th Place, Glendale, NY 11385. Kem’s AOL address is “KemT”. Freddie may be found on most online services and local BBSs. Next month, we will look at CounterPoint 2.3, an offline parser, reader and packer that works with mailers like Cope, Tabby, WhiteMailer, Formula-1, Mac Woof, and some QWK doors, as well as some other FidoNet mail packages. Until then, keep con- nected. Ha Michael A. Kuykendall is a veteran Mac User and crony from the days of 64K ROMs and 400K floppies. He has been an overworked officer for 3 Mac User Groups, written for several computer publications around the country, and is currently President/Sysop/General Flunky for the Online Macintosh Users Group, based out of Atlanta, Georgia. MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE = -=- THE NEXT wENERATION BES PCBoard. Home of Trek Trivia Online. Lots of Files, Message Networks, FidoNet 1:266/19 After Dark Adult Network. Visa/MasterCard accepted online. 609.482.7345 Internet Basics by Walt Howe and Steve Lambert $27, 420 pages Funny thing, that Internet. The network eliminates the need for paper, in many cases, but to get in the inside lane of the Net a book is required (well, very helpful). There are plenty of them out there, and now there’s another “Internet Basics” (Random House Electronic Publishing), by Walt Howe (chief moderator for Delphi Internet Services Corporation) and Steve Lam- bert (a freelance writer and co-founder of Online Press. Inc.), was composed mostly online as a simple on-ramp to the vast network of information and entertainment found on the Internet. A big plus with “Internet Basics” is its explanations in non-technical terms about how to access the hundreds of forums, games and chat lines available to anyone with a PC and modem. To boot, the book includes five free hours of time on Delphi Internet Services to get you started. Mostly Windows With Just Enough DOS by Herbert Schildt $24.95, 480 pages Here’s an interesting one. Want to get the most out of Microsoft Windows, but know little about the DOS operating system? For computer Johnny-come- lately’s and others looking to freshen up, “Mostly Windows With Just Enough DOS” (Osborne/McGraw-Hill) might be the one for you. The book, by Herbert Schildt (mil- lion-selling computing author), is tar- geted at both users familiar with DOS and are moving to Windows and for new users who have Windows already installed on their system. Said Schildt: “To fulfill the promise of Windows’ power, a solid working knowledge of DOS is required. This book will make Windows users more productive and give them the back- ground they need to work with DOS confidently and easily.” The volume moves from a discussion of fundamental background on to DOS basics (such as DOS prompts, simple commands, files and directories). Then the relation between the two is probed. Windows’ Program Manager, File Man- ager and other utilities are described in detail and more advanced commands, such as batch files are also explained. A helpful “How To” appendix is also provided with quick instructions for specific tasks. Pro Audio 16: The Official Book by Ivan Luk and David M. Golden $34.95, 512 pages, illustrated Computers: Silent no more. That’s the message from “Pro Audio 16: The Official Book” (Osborne/McGraw-Hill) by Ivan Luk and David M. Golden (last collaborating on Sound Blaster: The Official Book). True, desktop sound is here in spades, but for many it’s not quite as easy as what meets the ear. The authors know this. That’s why they’ve spent over 500 pages looking into all Pro Audio products — the noted 16-bit sound cards from Media Vision — introducing readers to the world of sound card technology, includ- ing hardware installation, sound basics, software and enhancements. Inside the book lies comprehensive instruction and troubleshooting tips for hard/software installation, including MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE = discussion of Windows drivers; tips and techniques for solving joystick prob- lems, interrupt conflicts and compati- bility problems; operating instructions for simplifying use of the software bun- dled with the Pro Audio 16 family of cards; a 3.5 disk loaded with software designed to enhance performance and capabilities of the Pro Audio 16 cards; and, CD-ROM drive information cover- ing everything from buying and installing to configuration and trou- bleshooting. The Official SimCity Planning Commission Handbook by Johnny L. Wilson $19.95, 232 pages SimCity, the realistic city planning game from Maxis Software, has just been re-released as SimCity Classic. In order to help the thousands of new “urban planners” as they discover SimCity Classic for the first time, Osborne/McGraw-Hill has recently published ‘The Official SimCity Classic Planning Commission Handbock” by Johnny L. Wilson, editor of Computer Gaming World. Based on Oshorne/McGraw-Hill’s top-selling “SimCity Planning Commission Handbook,” first pub- lished in 1989, The Official helps play- ers master the intricacies SimCity. Included between the covers is everything readers need to enjoy the game, including the a full descnption of the icons and menus used when cre- aling a cily. The book also explores the urban planning model on which SimCity Classic is based and examines the real- life consequences of all planning deci- sions. =m Full Text Searching Need to add powerful full path text searching software to your business BBS? Cheetah is the solution! Cheetah was designed by APDI, a leader in the BBS service industry. APDI listened to corporations, associations and government agencies who need a simple full text searching software to work with their BBS. From these talks APDI designed and developed Cheetah. Cheetah enables you to search online for any combination of words in seconds! Cheetah lets your users access large amounts of data quickly and easily. Cheetah also performs phase and proximity searches. Users can specify word proximity within a paragraph or sentence and the file viewer conveniently highlights all found text. Unlike other full text searching software, Cheetah was specifically designed for BBSs. Cheetah keeps track of users’ time left on the BBS, mode settings, modem status and even allows users to download their search results using any compression software they choose. Cheetah handles any text - newsletters, magazines, even government regulations! Cheetah is available in both serial port and Digiboard versions and works out of the box on Novell networks. Cheetah comes with an unlimited user license per BBS. So if you work for a corporation, association or government and run a BBS, or just have the task of building one, call APDI at 1-800- 785-APDI and find out more about Cheetah’s ability to give your users what they need. See us at: 7 a ao - America’s Information Technology Forum March 22, 23, 24 Washington Convention Center BBS Expo April 5, 6, 7 Washington, D.C. Cust} Marc Burnett at APDI’s BBS Controls Professional Business Bulletin Boards Companies looking for a serious BBS company to provide a wide range of services are choosing APDI. APDI is devoted to providing professional BBS services to corporations, associations and government agencies throughout the United States. Typical APDI clients are organizations that need turnkey BBS solutions or advanced technical on-site support. APDI provides installation and support for WildCat!, PCBoard, TBBS, and Searchlight. APDI is a Certified Mustang Software Integrator (CMSD. APDI frees up precious time for you and your staff to concentrate on marketing your new BBS. Most of APDI’s corporate customers find it advantageous to let APDI run the BBS for them at APDI’s location. APDI provides all equipment (like the BBS center shown above) and handles all technical support and navigation issues on your BBS. APDI’s fiber- optic cabling ensures crystal clear connections and communications to your bulletin board system. Many businesses wish to put a database online but find it difficult to locate programmers with the skills to assist them. APDI has a skilled database development staff and is on the FoxPro and Paradox development teams. Call and find out why so many of the largest corporations in the world dial into an APDI BBS every day! Application Programming & Development, Inc. j=) 6805 Coolridge Drive, 2nd Floor Ma Camp Springs, MD 20748 ‘Si Ro-- AREY Business BBS Beat— 1-800-785-APDI — Authorized (D SUB BBS List s more BBSs register the CD-SUB program, they will be listed in the next issues. Each registered BBS gets free access to The Livewire BBS 609-235-5297 for newer versions. If you regis- tered and are not listed, please give us a voice call (1-609-953-9110, 8 a.m. — 4 p.m., M — F; EST) to make the correction. LISTED IN ORDER OF AREA CODE: Chuck’s Attempt BBS ........sseeseesereee Chuck Ammann ...........:000+ 201-729-2602 The Third Millennium...........::scseccesees Jim Fromm.....sccesscessseseesees 208-664-2983 The Soul Connection ..........:cssecessseseeees Mike Demski ...........cc0000 210-674-1242 USSInvermesswitsnacseccn etre ters Jonathan McGirr ................ 214-245-9315 Collector’s Edition ...........:.ccscecsssseeesees entiul tpncticctsccitiveschicss 214-351-9859 The Lonesome Dove BBS. ..........ses-s000 Matthew Peacock .............+5 214-699-7142 Community Netlink ............csccsescesreees Kassie Stevenson................ 216-324-6410 PG@2ONIO a ealestierasccces eter acretiee Norm Henke ..........sseecsesoes 216-381-3320 First Due Bulletin Board System .......... Francis Fowler ..............000+ 301-949-1927 Shareware Express BBS .........scccsesseeees Shawn Bogardus ..............+ 301-963-4453 Megabiter II). .:csc..:.:.cscctsetesssseveesrssseseseee George Belcher..............050++ 314-281-8598 Griswold’s Private Reserve ............0.000 Jim Kelland ........ cece 316-788-7520 Warp Factor BBS .........scscsessorsecsersees Mark Stewart .......:.ss.scceeee 404-773-7966 Music Connection ...........:sececeseeceeseeener David Coleman ...............0++ 404-936-0550 Rereltine BBS inc.ict-s.s. cess rss tee Tom Serface .......cescsccesesoeee 408-364-2789 Wayne’s World BBS ...........scsesessreeseees Wayne Belvin ............sc000 409-769-4249 entertain me bbs! ........sessssesssevcssreneees Shawn Cupec ......:-sesseseeveee 412-845-1959 Uncle Hank’s BBS ...........-seseeeeeseeeeerees Hank Hurteau ...........c0c0 413-527-8977 Platinum Express ........ssccsssssscssessesseoes Glenn Jarvis ............ cc eeseeee 416-770-6917 Chemeketa Online ..............:cceceeoeeeeeee Bob Hunter ............cscsscesees 503-393-5580 Southern Online Services ..........:..s00+ Russell Jackson ..............--- 504-356-0790 Computer Solutions of Hammond BBS ...Sidney Egnew..........:sses0e 504-542-9600 Wolfs Den BBS ........ccceccscesceecseereereeeeee Keith Shinkle ..............:0000+ 505-678-0902 Computer Confident ...........ccesseesseeseers Edward Zdrok, ..........:0s:000+8 508-528-2295 Schunix — Pub UNIX ........ eeeeseeereeeeee Robert Schultz ..............0000 508-853-0340 The Moonflower BBS .............:cs:0+ese0e00 Peter Link ........csssesscneeeees 509-891-6148 The Night Owl ID 0.0... sesssscessceseneneeenes Danny Dyess «0.0.0.1... 512-836-4262 Ranch House BBG.............:ssceecsssserserees Larry Easley ......ccsesesesees 512-945-9304. Your Software Resource ........sscseccseseees John Woodstock .............+++° 516-736-6662 The Wish Book ..........:::cscsssssessseessensere Lorne Shantz ...........::0see+ 602-258-7113 The Ghost House BBS .........csssssseseeeeee Michael Haley ..............000 606-441-2130 Mheitivewine BBS \.-...:sc.-csesrssceetasceornrs Richard Paquette ..............- 609-235-5297 Next Generation BBS ...........:csseeseeseeee John Carcione ..............00+8+ 609-482-7345 WAG BSa Berta vier ersd. sa 5 scceee ee are Bob Watson ..........cscseceeeeee 609-587-2672 Radio Wave BBS ......csssesssecsrscessseteeeees Tyler Myers .....-..scsscsscsesees 609-764-0812 MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE —— crsrssvsceseresceeraceessoncereassererecsoeseueratennnensvesensscasnacsesnansartananeecons OLRM BIRS) occa ae eee Bob Browne .....csccscccccsccecrserseees 609-768-6585 BACOVAITUTMIS IDOI. c- Ext-$179/Int-$159; Courier=> Ext-$489/Int-S439. PreRapture Solutions, 1806 Albany St., Durham NC 27705 (NC residents add 6% tax) Orders ONLY=> 800-SELLCOM ext 73 Visa/MC. Inquiries call (919) 286-1502 Ext 42. AT I/O cards w/16550 Fifo high speed serial chips. GVC 14400 baud ext/int fax/modem and more PC components. Wholesale prices. Call Pacific Micro, Inc. 908-220-9500. SUBSCRIBE TODAY Call Toll-Free 1-800-822-0437 charge your subscription to Visa or MasterCard. PCBuucp version 2.0 Because you have better things to do with your time! The ultimate PCBoard Internet/Usenet gateway! Powerful Setup and Install programs 2 HRaa compatibility HAAR As low as 75.00! i Unlimited free support and upgrades PCBoard 14.5 and 15.0 compatible Direct PageSat & Planet Connect satellite Automatic mail & news File Attachments Built-in LISTSERV & FTPMAIL functions Redistribution of mail & news 613-236-1138 Fax/BBS 613-236-1481 stems info@merlin-systems.on.ca 16550 Uart chips and double socketed AT 1/0 boards. Reasonable prices, online orders accept- ed by calling (301) 654-2554. ONLINE MAGAZINES Two electronic online titles in publication a full year now available for Sysops at a low monthly price. First is: WEST COAST MUSIC REVIEW — Monthly reviews of fourteen or more new releases plus edi- torial, features, interviews with recording artists, book reviews, classic CD. No advertising. No bias. We only review product we recommend. » Second title is: COMPUTER VIRUS WEEKLY — A “news in review’ column, intended to keep your readers up THE | BULLETIN zene BOARD SYSTEMS | MAGAZINE PAGESAT coca: MARCH 1994 BBS MAGAZINE sarees ADVERTISER'S CLARK DEV. CO., INC... GUS teen DATABANK DATALAND DIGITAL DYNAMICS.. Scere So COE ESOC SCO OCC CROCE cE CS SACRE 34, 35 EDUCATOR’S BBS BSC RTE nN Coteenerenssncnesescntreracseteecansestersctdsseecassestrescstsedreescorsss 34, 55 FILE EXPRESS GARLIQUE GRAPHICS ..... GLOBAL ACCESG............cccsesseseeees PCB-UUCP PICS ONLINE PIER EXCHANGE «.......0.....cccsssssscscsescsrsceccecseccorsecensencaseosnesacerse 14 PLANET SYSTEMG..... PROFIT PRESS RUSTY-N-EDIE’S BBS......... SUBURBAN SOFTWARE ............cssccssnsssenccocsssrenenessenssernesseeees 3T TRADERS CONNEGTION vice. -occssccescasssecscscecvenseseseascsensessesese 25 UNCLE HANK’S NEWSLETTER ............cscccsssssesescseeenensenecsersees io date with the latest antiviral software releases, the latest major viral programs released, confer- ences, seminars and gossip. » Free back issues if you subscribe NOW.. for more information on how to get started with both online publications, please contact Janice Pickwell at 604-526-3373 Fax 604- 526-0607 or Internet E-Mail: Janice@cyberstore.ca If your favorite computer retailer, newstand, book store, etc. doesn’t carry BBS Magazine, then have them call us at: 609-953-9110 for more details on how they can have BBS Magazine in their store. BBS CALLERS DIGEST ONLINE! .......eeecsseesnscceesestssesensens 59 BBS EXPO eae ceenwennenaenercnsenneceoenseesenennnmawesenannecvescuscraneennconesuenes ac ccanecannencescoccroncerersrcsssoseversatvereessenaseusasenssaecceeonesntec! ONLINE ANSWERS PC Board allows you to be you! our own — Other BBS programs may restrict your configuration choices through hardware or software limitations. PCBoard’s only limitation is your imagination! Any Way You Want It. Configure your system for virtually any hardware configuration you desire. We don’t restrict your hardware choices to a specific brand or manufacturer. The Amazing PPL Compiler While other manufacturers may provide expensive “work around” methods to add additional software features to your system, we make it easy and seamless with our PPL compiler. Simply write your application in a “Basic-like” language, compile, and attach your work directly to PCBoard’s native mode of operation. Simple, clean and fast! With our PPL compiler, you have complete control over your board’s operation. Plus you maintain long term software compatibility with our PPL. When a new version of PCBoard is released, your current PPL applications will continue to function flawlessly -normally without modification Free Demo Disk For a complimentary copy of our fully operational demo, or information about our competitive trade-in program, call us at 800.356.1686 or 801.261.1686. Professional Bulletin Board Software By sponsoring BBS EXPO ’94, BBS Magazine will bring together its readers with companies that represent the latest in BBS software, communications, utilities and hardware, plus much more. Corporate buyers, resellers, operators of Participants include: bulletin board systems and regular BBS callers interested in the latest in software are hungry @ Clark Development Co. Inc. (PC Board) for information on what’s over the horizon. @ Durand Communications (DC Net) Technological advances, new products, @ Electronic Frontier Foundation additions to the old ones... these are all of : chief interest to attendees of BBS EXPO. @ Galacticomm, Inc. (Major BBS) @ Planet Systems, Inc. @ ZyXel, Inc. For more information please call BBS EXPO at 609-953-5955.