Dial up BBS - wow

xlar54 · October 12, 2008, 08:04 AM

Just logged on to Borderline BBS... Andrew's dial up in CA. At 1200 bps, man does that bring back memories. Did some searching around for other dial ups, obviously none were local.. still trying to figure out why in the day and age of internet access, cell phones and the like, why long distance charges still exist. Rather ridiculous if you ask me. Still, if you havent tried this, dust off the modem and give them a call - his web page below:

http://cottonwood.servebbs.com/

Great work, Andrew, on keeping this alive. Expect a call periodically

Just gotta figure out how to circumvent the dial up charges...magickjack...hmmm...

Andrew Wiskow · October 12, 2008, 08:57 AM

Thanks for the call and the support, xlar54.

If you signed up for a new account today, you'll be validated and have full access when I get home from work tonight (about 7½ hours from now).

And to save you the bother of searching, you won't find any other Commodore-run dial-up BBS's because mine is the only one.

BigDumbDinosaur · October 12, 2008, 09:38 AM

QuoteJust gotta figure out how to circumvent the dial up charges...magickjack...hmmm...

Get those blue boxes out of storage! :laugh:

RobertB · October 12, 2008, 02:27 PM

Quote from: xlar54 on October 12, 2008, 08:04 AMStill, if you havent tried this, dust off the modem and give them a call...

Yup, I've called the BBS a few times. I just have to remember to do it "periodically".

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

xlar54 · October 13, 2008, 12:48 AM

Blue boxing... whoa. Been a long time since Ive heard that phrase too..

Andrew, about how many callers a week do you get?

Andrew Wiskow · October 13, 2008, 02:12 AM

On Borderline BBS, I normally get 2-3 callers a week. On Cottonwood BBS, I normally get 5-6 callers a DAY. Obviously, the Telnettable option is more popular. But as long as there are people who continue to call Borderline BBS, I'll continue to run it. I'd have to go a whole month with no calls before I'd consider taking it down.

RobertB · October 31, 2008, 02:58 PM

Quote from: Andrew Wiskow on October 12, 2008, 08:57 AMAnd to save you the bother of searching, you won't find any other Commodore-run dial-up BBS's because mine is the only one.

At the #acug chat tonight, I was talking to a Canadian gentleman who wants to start up a dial-up BBS so that he wouldn't have to worry about thugs coming into a telnet BBS.

Only the serious C= users need apply,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/

Andrew Wiskow · November 01, 2008, 07:55 AM

Quote from: RobertB on October 31, 2008, 02:58 PMAt the #acug chat tonight, I was talking to a Canadian gentleman who wants to start up a dial-up BBS so that he wouldn't have to worry about thugs coming into a telnet BBS.

I'll believe it when I see it. I've heard people talk about putting up a dial-up BBS, but I think most of them get discouraged when they discover just how much work goes into putting one up, and then get even more discouraged when they discover just how few people call. That's pretty much what happened with Charles' Master's Kingdom BBS.

xlar54 · November 01, 2008, 11:42 PM

Thing is - and maybe its just wishful thinking - but I would revert back 100% to dial up BBSing, if there were more boards, and people would join in the message boards. I suppose we're really spoiled by the speed of the net, instant downloads, etc. IMHO, even Qlink's resurrection has been hurt by the IRC channel link. Evil internet... :/

Now excuse me while I bittorrent the entire Gamebase 64...

RobertB · November 02, 2008, 06:43 AM

Quote from: Andrew Wiskow on November 01, 2008, 07:55 AM...then get even more discouraged when they discover just how few people call. That's pretty much what happened with Charles' Master's Kingdom BBS.

I think Charles just did not stick long enough with it. He should have regularly announced it as a by-line in his postings... and it would take awhile to build up a clientele. Also, if IIRC, the BBS kept going up and then down -- difficult to attract people if the BBS is not regularly there. Well, the point is moot now; he cannot afford to have another phone line.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
CommVEx v5 info - http://www.commodore.ca/forum and click on ComVEX

Andrew Wiskow · November 03, 2008, 06:42 AM

Quote from: RobertB on November 02, 2008, 06:43 AMI think Charles just did not stick long enough with it.

Precisely... I tried explaining that to him, but he didn't seem to "get it". Then, at the end, he thought he could run it on a "by request" basis. Well, that obviously didn't work. You've got to run it "all or nothing". In the end, he chose nothing.

Blacklord · November 03, 2008, 11:30 AM

Quote from: Andrew Wiskow on November 03, 2008, 06:42 AM
Quote from: RobertB on November 02, 2008, 06:43 AMI think Charles just did not stick long enough with it.

Precisely... I tried explaining that to him, but he didn't seem to "get it". Then, at the end, he thought he could run it on a "by request" basis. Well, that obviously didn't work. You've got to run it "all or nothing". In the end, he chose nothing.

That's rather like the really early days (early 80's) - a lot of boards were like that, call once, hang up, the sysop would plug the moem in (or set it to answer if it was manual) then dial back in again

xlar54 · November 03, 2008, 11:50 AM

I "ran" one back in the day too.. I was 15... and the best I could do was hook it up after midnight - all my parents would allow... until one night when I forgot to unplug the other phone extension :/ The only way to get callers back then like that, was to put up warez... but at 15, I couldnt even afford that. Today, I probably wouldnt run one, but rather enjoy just being a caller.

Blacklord · November 03, 2008, 04:21 PM

Quote from: xlar54 on November 03, 2008, 11:50 AM
I "ran" one back in the day too.. I was 15... and the best I could do was hook it up after midnight - all my parents would allow... until one night when I forgot to unplug the other phone extension :/ The only way to get callers back then like that, was to put up warez... but at 15, I couldnt even afford that. Today, I probably wouldnt run one, but rather enjoy just being a caller.

I recently acquired a clone XT - I'm seriously considering putting it up as a dial-up (running QuickBBS 2.04) & adding in a selection of vintage door games (from the late 80's era).

I've actually built the 'bones' of the board - amazing how well that particular piece of software has managed to age actually. Apart from the fact it ain't Y2K compatible, you can make it look like anything available now (ie EleBBS or Synchronet).

The actual machine is optioned to the hilt as well, has a 2mb Intel Above board & an EGA card + IBM Enhanced Color monitor - both the board & the monitor would've cost a kings ransom in the day. Comparable for me at the time was bog standard 640k & a CGA card (using my Amiga's 1081).

Probably won't get many callers but I don't really care

Andrew Wiskow · November 04, 2008, 02:35 AM

For the first incarnation of Cottonwood BBS as a dial-up BBS running in Portland, Oregon, I was a 12-year-old SysOp.

I called a few PC boards back then, but I never really cared for them much. I much preferred the "feel" of the Commodore boards.

Andrew Wiskow · November 04, 2008, 02:36 AM

... and I still do!

Blacklord · November 04, 2008, 08:07 AM

Quote from: Andrew Wiskow on November 04, 2008, 02:35 AM
For the first incarnation of Cottonwood BBS as a dial-up BBS running in Portland, Oregon, I was a 12-year-old SysOp.

I called a few PC boards back then, but I never really cared for them much. I much preferred the "feel" of the Commodore boards.

I migrated the board fairly early off my A1000 to the XT (still as an Amiga board though) mainly because the quality of software for the PC tended to be somewhat higher (probably start a flame war now). I tended to prefer to call BBS's based on PC's as well as they were (in general) faster & somewhat more customisable than competing platforms.

Horses for courses perhaps.

Lance

6502Dude · November 04, 2008, 12:59 PM

I called up the BBS tonight using Vic-20 and a homebrew TTL to RS232 convertor.
I was using Vic Term 40 as terminal program, running as rom image from MegaCart.

Dial up bbs on Vic-20 brought back some great memories.

My first dial up calls were made circa 1983 with Vic-20 and using a telephone company surplus 110bps modem.

(The modem weighed about 20 lbs and was 12" x 12" x 8" high).

Blacklord · November 04, 2008, 02:27 PM

My first one was a 300 baud fully manual job - in fact it was even connected to a dumb terminal

Wyse 50 or something IIRC

Andrew Wiskow · November 04, 2008, 03:33 PM

Quote from: 6502Dude on November 04, 2008, 12:59 PM
I called up the BBS tonight using Vic-20 and a homebrew TTL to RS232 convertor.
I was using Vic Term 40 as terminal program, running as rom image from MegaCart.

6502Dude, congrats on getting it to work.

It was fun chatting with you, if only briefly. I hope you enjoyed your trip back in time.

Andrew Wiskow · November 04, 2008, 03:34 PM

Quote from: Blacklord on November 04, 2008, 02:27 PM
My first one was a 300 baud fully manual job - in fact it was even connected to a dumb terminal Wyse 50 or something IIRC

My first modem was a Commodore 1660 (300 baud) modem. My first "online experience" was with QuantumLink. I "discovered" BBS's a couple weeks later.

xlar54 · November 04, 2008, 04:17 PM

Same here. My first was a 1660. It was like discovering a new dimension or something. Listen to a dial process, then wow... characters starting to stream across my screen. From some other computer out there. awesome. Then a 1670 and the game was on. Soon I found that 2400 Aprotek modem, which to this day is still an oddity to me as my understanding is that a 64 cant reliably do 2400 bps, yet it managed to do a very good job. I never got a Switflink or T232 - after the 128 I went to an Amiga 500, where 19.2 was the norm.

So if there are any other Tennessee folks out there considering a C= board, Im your first caller. I tossed the idea around of running my own as stated, but again.. I think I have more fun being a caller.

Speaking of connectivity though... I build a 7404 adapter for the userport, and it worked fine awhile back. When I recently got everything out again, I couldnt get a connection. Can you guys help refresh my memory - do I need a null modem adapter as well? (seems logical that I would) I thought for sure I would have packed that up with everything if I needed it, but I cant find it in that stuff anywhere.

bacon · November 04, 2008, 05:09 PM

I'm ever so slightly envious of you guys. My first online experience was surfing the web at university in 1995, using Netscape on a Mac of some kind.

When I had a C64 (and later an Amiga) in the 80s, I knew about modems and I knew you could connect to other computers over the phone lines but I didn't know about BBSs or anything. Besides, call rates were so high in Sweden back then that my parents would never have let me connect the computer to the phone line anyway.

My first time on a BBS with a Commodore was a couple of years ago when I used my C128 with RR-Net and GuruTerm to connect to a telnet BBS.

Blacklord · November 04, 2008, 07:22 PM

Well I successfully telneted into the XT tonight, so I only have, oh, half a million more menus to write & it'll be back online

Andrew Wiskow · November 05, 2008, 02:09 AM

Quote from: Blacklord on November 04, 2008, 07:22 PM
Well I successfully telneted into the XT tonight, so I only have, oh, half a million more menus to write & it'll be back online

Only half a million?