BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News COPYRIGHT 1993 ISSN 1055-4548 April 1993 Volume 6, Issue 4 Edition 1 Table Of Contents ----------------- Article Title Author Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff From The Editor................................Scott Hollifield Letters to the Editor..........................BTN Readers Plagiarism 101.................................Mark Maisel The Matrix Comes To The Rescue!................Rocky Rawlins Our Wonderful State, Part II...................Lurch Henson Ashes To Ashes.................................Gwendolyn Norton InfoMarket Express.............................Edward Brzezowski RoboBBS: An Introduction.......................Jeff Vaughn American Tyranny...............................Damion Furi The CCITT 28.8 KBPS Standard: Some Background..U.S. Robotics Local Music In April...........................Judy Ranelli Macintosh BBSs in Birmingham...................Gregory Jackson Review: Colorado Jumbo 250mb Trakker...........David Moss Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions, etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN, even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood of such damages occurring. With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles, please forward a copy of your publication to: Mark Maisel Publisher, BTN 606 Twin Branch Terrace BHAM, AL 35216 (205) 823-3956 We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing all of this and not get too serious about it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T ! The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios. ADAnet One Alter-Ego Bone Yard Bus System The Castle Channel 8250 C.A.B. Crunchy Frog DC Info Exchange Final Frontier Gateway BBS Hardware Hotline Homewood's Hell Hole Joker's Castle Lemon Grove Martyrdom Again?! The MATRIX Milliways BBS Night Watch The Outer Limits Owlabama BBS Owl's Nest Playground Safe Harbor Southern Stallion Starbase 12 Teasers BBS T.G.U.E. BBS Thy Master's Dungeon Weekends BBS (Please note that this list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.) If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as a free BTN distributor. Thanks. SH ----------------------------------------------------------------------- N E W S F L A S H ANNOUNCING BY POPULAR DEMAND!! THE ***RETURN*** OF THE ---===***>>> BTN PARTY <<<***===--- !!!!!!! Date: 5/1/93 Time: 6:00 p.m. Place: Home of Mark and Kathy Maisel 606 Twin Branch Terrace, Vestavia What: BTN Party If you need further directions, please call (205)-823-3956. If you reach the answering service, do leave a message. Your call will be returned, provided you leave a valid phone number in the message. We will probably have some snack foods on hand and soft drinks. If you have a preference as to food, then be sure to bring it. If you are of legal age, you will be expected to bring your own alcoholic beverage. If you are not, then don't bring any as you will be asked to leave. Do not bring any illegal substances or items or you will also be asked to leave. The Vestavia Police are not known to be as forgiving as have been the Birmingham Police. A primitive map follows. MM, Pub The easiest route is to get on Columbiana Road via either US HWY 31 or I-65N exit to Vestavia/Hoover. Proceed up Columbiana to Tyler Road. Take Tyler Road to Twin Branch Drive. Take the left fork to Twin Branch Terrace. Our House is the next to last on the right side of the street. The "X"'s mark the location. The asterisks refer to traffic lights. The first is at the I-65N exit and goes directly onto Columbiana. The second is Columbiana³ ³ and Tyler. The third is Hackberry/Southland and Tyler. ³ US ³ ³ HWY³ This map is not drawn to scale! ³ 31 ³ ¿ ¿Columbiana ³ ³ HackberryÀ¿ \ \ À¿Road ³ ³ Lane À¿ \ I-65 \ À¿ ³ ³ À¿ \ \ À¿ ³ ³ __________Tyler Road____________________*3_______\_________\*2 ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ \ ¿\ ³ ³ ³Twin Branch ³Donna ³Paden À¿ \ À¿ \ ³ ³ ³Drive ³Drive ³Drive À¿Southland \ À¿ \ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ À¿Drive \ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ\ *1 ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄ¿ \ \ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ\ÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ \ ÚÄÄÁ¿ \ ³ ³ \ ÚÙ ³Twin Branch \³\ ³ ÚÙXXX ³Terrace ³ \³ ³ XXX ³ ³ ³ Á_____Á__________________Swiss Lane_____ ³ ³ BTN NEEDS SIG ED! COULD BE BOFFO HUZZAHS FOR WHIZ PEN! In other words, we need someone to write our monthly Computer Related Special Interest Groups column. This is the same feature which Barry Bowden has been contributing, or, as it turns out, not been contributing, for quite a while now. Seriously, Barry is no longer able to keep the SIG schedule up-to-date, and if anyone wants to step in his shoes, please leave me mail on the Matrix or Crunchy Frog. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- From the Editor by Scott Hollifield Well, to hell with this business of coming up with something new to write about every month. There's plenty of other stuff in this month's BTN to occupy your attention, so I'm taking a holiday from the column this month, sort of, except to say that next month is BTN'S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY and we'd really appreciate any kind of special input or contribution anyone has to offer. I suppose I will make mention of the unusually copious heap of articles we have -- this is more like it! (Although *more* wouldn't be bad.) Lurch continues his tribute to the state of his birth (I assume) from where he left off two months ago. Gregory Jackson, a first-time BTNer, turns in an interesting introduction to Birmingham's three new Macintosh boards (even if two of them don't answer). We'd like to give a special welcome to Gwendolyn Norton, whose messages on the Crunchy Frog generally have the effect of making people stop, blink and wonder if they've walked into the wrong room -- our ultimate goal here at BTN is to eventually make the whole city feel that way; hence, Gwendolyn's debut as a BTN contributor. We've got a grand total of three technical pieces this time around, including Jeff Vaughn's long-awaited answer to the question, "What's so great about Robo BBS anyway?" Local muse Judy Ranelli is back to tell you which local bands you're going to see this month, without ever wondering why. And last but never least, Damion Furi is pleased to present, for our listening pleasure, a little something we like to call... "American Tyranny". (Oh... sorry, thought I was introducing a Sinatra tune for a second there.) Something I should also say is, contrary to what I said last month, James Minton's takeover of our monthly BBS List will have to be put on hold for another month it seems. James has been really busy this month so I graciously compiled the List myself this month. I suppose that's all there is to say. Remember, submitting an article to BTN is about the easiest thing in the world - and, we're proud to announce, is covered under the new Clinton health-care package, so it's free as well - just upload your private submission to either The Matrix or Crunchy Frog, and let me and/or the sysop know about it in a private message. That's all there is to it! Next month, I hope to have BTN on the shelves a little early so that my staff and I can unwind at the Maisels' party (take a peek at this month's Newsflash for details). See you on May 1st! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Letters to the Editor No letters this time around, people. Get those meaningful missives in! Leave 'em to me on The Matrix or Crunchy Frog, or through Internet at scott.hollifield@the-matrix.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Plagarism 101 by Mark Maisel This piece doesn't have much to do with plagarism but I figure it will catch your attention and I do intend to indulge in a bit before I'm through. Scott has done an excellent job with BTN despite all manner of typical problems including Scott's notorious habits. I like it and hope he is inclined to continue for the foreseeable future. This issue is filled with all kinds of good stuff as is regular for BTN. In order for it to stay that way, YOU need to make sure to enlist today and make your contributions on a regular basis. If you are already among the elite BTN troop, then hop to it and make sure your editor can count on you. Ultimately, it is you that make BTN what it is. I like it and I hear from most of you that you do too. Lets do what we can to make sure it remains that way. Ask not what your BTN can do for you, but you can do for your BTN! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MATRIX COMES TO THE RESCUE! A Special Announcement by Rocky Rawlins and the Matrix The MATRIX has just arranged to acquire F/X BBS. We intend to honor all F/X BBS Subscriptions and will be contacting all F/X Subscribers as soon as we have the information available. If you were an F/X Subscriber and are currently a MATRIX Subscriber we will credit your account with the difference once we figure out the appriate way to convert them. We will also be adding the File Libraries from F/X that don't duplicate our existing libraries. We know there are some bad feelings about the unexpected demise of F/X which was due to factors beyond the Sysop's control and we hope that this will at least partially compensate all F/X Subscribers for their loss. We know that there is no way that we can replace F/X and the unique personality which Ken gave it but we will do the best we can. We will post further news of our progress in the NEWS screen as we make more headway. If anyone has a Colorado 250 or QWK-80 compatible tape drive we could borrow for a few days to read the tapes, we would be very grateful. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Wonderful State Pt. ][ or MORE Stupidity by Lurch Henson I hate it when this happens... Yeah, I'm still pissed, but this time it's not "from on high", this time it's the little officials that love to stick thier administrative noses into everyone else's pies... I've been living by myself for a month or so, kinda nice, and not bothering to wear all that much while doing it... Not much point, in my opinion... Well, I'm not the only one that thinks that way. I know quite a few people that strip down when they come in from work, just feel better in skin. No one really cares all that much, either, MOST of the time. It's that MOST that kills you.... I know a woman that has a three year old girl. Some changes HAVE to happen when you have children, sure, but that DOESN'T mean that you have to let piddly little government officials mess with your life. You see, she just happens to live in government subsidized housing. She's going to have to move soon, because the combined salaries of her and her husband makes their rent higher than if they lived elsewhere, but until they do that, they have to put up with idiots that think their positions make them God. She's always living in fear of "Child Services". She enjoys "going natural", but of course can't anymore. Doesn't matter that I know a few nudist families, and that the children aren't harmed in the slightest by being raised that way. Doesn't matter that the children in such families usually have FEWER, not more, hangups about all sorts of things, the least of which is a healthy attitude towards their, and other's, bodies. None of that matters in the least, because if CS dropped in on them JUST ONCE, and found them wearing less than they though was appropriate, bye-bye baby.... Problem is, it's not just things like that that alot of people would say "Well, SURE, if they're being INDECENT!" (don't get me started on that one.....), it's also stupid little things like the normal activities of 3 year olds. She recently heard from the police, because a neighbor called them about her kid shouting. Now she's just waiting to hear from CS, so she can explain that ALL 3 year olds love to talk and shout all the time. The ones I've known have. They've learned how to talk, and take great pleasure in showing you they can do it at great volume. Silly little things like that. Things that no one who's ever been around children would think twice about, but that these petty officials that think they are the guardians of society, and have ultimate power over the lives of all the people in their districts, take as reason enough to shuffle children around to people often much worse than their parents could be. I know of quite a few parents, single and families, that have either lost, or been threatened with the loss, of their children, simply because some "official" thought they knew better than the parents what was good for their children. Don't get me entirely wrong, some people should NOT have children, and I am WELL aware that sometimes it can be a hard call as to whether or not a situation deserves relocating them, but that just means you study the situation more, NOT that you jerk the kids out of their home until you find out you've made a mistake, then NOT give them back because you have to find a way to cover it up! I think a goodly number of these idiots need to be transfered to sanitation, and some people with children of their own, and a conscience, put in their places. Think about the power they have, and think about what could happen if someone decided to make a crank call to them, complaining about YOU and YOUR mistreatment of your children. All such complaints MUST be checked out, you know.... How would you like the police coming to see if YOU are a good parent or not? ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashes To Ashes by Gwendolyn Norton As I sat in the relatively uncleansed hallway, my attention was completely captured as one of the world's most persecuted heroes drifted past. The most underrated and abused do©gooder to human societies paused as my gaze rested heavily upon it. It paused, beckoning me closer, asking me to speak in its name, to show others of its sufferings and its achievements, and I, dumbfounded, agreed. It was a tall task I had agreed to, indeed, for few people have the patience or the wits to listen to an explanation of the merits of the dustball. Although its first merit is a bit superficial, it does deserve recognition. Dustballs are truly universal things. No matter what country you are in, you can always find a dustball. It is this universiality that has allowed it to become essential to the pride of the housekeepers of the "civilized" societies. While not every household can afford fancy furniture or carpets, anyone can shoo away dustballs. Sans dustball, there would hardly be a standard of household cleanliness. Their second merit, is by far their worthiest. This is the invaluable role that they play in our economy. The dustball has created an entire market to meet the standards of household cleanliness that it has already taken measures to set. There are countless sprays and cleaners dedicated to destroying our dusty friends. These countless sprays and cleaners are made in countless factories which employ an even more countless number of workers. Then there are the maids who are employed by high society to use these products for them. And then, as the final link in the chain, these maids eventually die and become dustballs themselves. Based upon these two merits alone (although there are many many others, such as the roles that they play in crime labs) how can anyone fail to see the significance that they play in our lives? How can we continue to treat such heros as second class citizens? I, for one, will be harboring as many of the dusty darlings as possible and shall l grant them asylum from the rest of the cruel disinfectant crazed world. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This service was brought to my attention by its provider, Edward Brzezowski. I thought it was interesting and would seem so to you. I'd like to see your opinions in letters to either Scott or myself. I'd like to apologize for being a month late in presenting this but events conspired against me. MM, Pub. ******************* ATTENTION COMPUTER USERS *********************** InfoMarket Express: Where information is bought and sold online. -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Making virtual publishing a reality" Anyone can call InfoMarket Express (no subscription or registration fees or hourly connect charges) and upload a file for sale. There is no upload or storage charge for people wishing to sell files on the system. Sellers (providers) make money every time their file is sold -- 50% of the price they place on the item. Buyers can select files on InfoMarket Express, purchase them via credit card, and receive their purchases immediately upon credit card authorization (approx. 1 min.). Files for sale can be virtually anything that can be sold in an electronic format, including original articles, reports, newsletters, books, software, etc. Our system is available to all users without a startup fee, doesn't require special access software, provides 14.4k v.32bis modem connections and can be accessed by IBM PCs and MACs. Set your telecommunications software for VT-100, ANSI emulation for best results. InfoMarket Express is in its final beta testing stage. You may wish to give it a try and consider using this type of system to distribute any material you feel may be of value to others. The InfoMarket data line is (908) 879-7209, 14.4k v.32bis. We need your help to "stock the shelves" and look forward to your call! Important note: 908 is not a 900#, but a new area code in New Jersey. InfoMarket, Inc. P.O. Box 815 Chester, NJ 07930 01/16/93 ehb ----------------------------------------------------------------------- RoBo BBS Introduction Written By : Jeff Vaughn RoBoBBS is a new BBS out on the market. It was designed by Seth Hamilton and released Jan. 20, 1993. RoBo BBS is essentially a EGA/VGA only, full-time graphics package with animation capability. First thing i know most people would say, "Graphics with modeming don't mix. Too Slow". That's what i thought at first. I originally heard about RoBo BBS from a friend. He had no idea where to find the BBS, but knew it was something unusual. I was calling long-distance one night, looking for some new doors for TGUE and just happened to come up on the description i heard. I had told my Remote Sysop about it earlier that night. He noticed it first, then I picked up on it. So we downloaded RoBoTerm. The BBS gives you the option when you log in. It was a 'free' download, something we just couldn't turn down. After downloading it, we called back and got the BBS package, roughly 650k. The BBS took maybe 5 minutes to set up. Well, this was because we'd put together at least a dozen other BBS in the past and it kinda runs along the same lines after you've done it that many times. After setting up the BNU fossil driver, the BBS worked like a charm. RoBo uses the old-style files format. A "FILES.BBS" will be located in every directory. I believe Remote Access does the same, but don't quote me on that. RoBo also uses a "Hudson" style message base for it's messaging. A file called ROBOCFG.EXE handles all the configuration. It's all set up in one big bundle, no loose files to fool with. I mentioned before about some people's problem with the BBS' speed. Seth Hamilton took care of that problem. Upon your first time you call the BBS, yes, it will be a little slow. You will notice the terminal program displaying the words "DOWNLOADING" & "DECOMPRESSING". This is the good part. The terminal program downloads all the BBS' icons on the first run (that is, if you go through the BBS entirely and see all it's functions). The rest of your calls, the terminal recieves the signals and displays the appropriate icons for each area. A simple, unique, and fast way of doing things. Don't worry, the icons are decently small and RoBoTerm can cross-reference one BBS' icons with another's. For you who consider yourself "creative", this is the BBS for you. RoBo BBS comes with RoBoDraw, the BBS' graphic screen creation package. RoBoDraw has a built-in animation feature, so you can do your worst and look your best at it. No more ANSI limitations, grab a mouse and go. RoBoDraw has 16 colors and 6 fonts to choose from. There are practically no limits to what you can do with the package. Pictures can even be limited to security levels. The selection is right on the drawing screen. There are 2 modes to work with, edit and draw. You can tell RoBoDraw to clear the screen before it displays the picture also. A Sysop can design menus like MAIN, BULLETIN, DOORS, or anything he/she can dream up. One of the nicest things about RoBo BBS is the fact that you can 'import' icons from Windows (ah yes!). There is a small software package that will allow you to 'pluck' icons off Windows and use the for RoBo BBS. There is also a package called RIM300.ZIP that allows you to put scattered icons all together in you own personal package. RoBoConfig also comes with an icon editor feature. If you don't like Windows' icons, design your own. RoBo is very versitile. When you get to talking about on-line doors, RoBo BBS has it convered. RoBo BBS uses Remote Access' DORINFO#.DEF style for doors. Of course, anyone with access to DoorFix (a package that can be found on The Matrix) can remedy ANY interface problems with doors made to fit other BBS packages. RoBo BBS drops out of it's EGA/VGA mode to run doors. It has to, most doors are ASCII/ANSI right now. The author is talking about writing an interface in a future version to convert ANSI to EGA/VGA mode. This i hope to see soon. For nighlty events, RoBo BBS has 4 built-it, which are in the RoBoConfig program, of course. Each have a time (24 hour mode) and can be set to "-1" to disable them. EVENT1-4.BAT are the batch files used for nightly events. I know a Sysop's main concern is security of his/her system and its files. RoBo BBS has that covered. Since everything is graphic, only a Sysop can do "Sysop" functions. As Seth puts it, "it's bullet-proof security". I am a little skeptical about that phrase, but i'll take his word on it. As for virus problems, RoBo BBS comes with a batch file called SCANFILE.BAT which un-archives a file, scans it, and re-archives it. The nice thing is, ScanFile will convert ANY archive type file into the set type you have specified into RoBo BBS. Say you want all your files to be ".ARJ", just modify the SCANFILE.BAT to do so. It will, with ease. There is also an independant ScanFile called RoBoScan. RoBoScan will do really joe cool things like inset your BBS ad, remove someone else' BBS ad, and removes all the worry of working a batch every time you want to change something. RoBoScan replaces the old SCANFILE.BAT with it's own. In my own opion, some of RoBo BBS' way of doing things are a little old, but then again, so are most BBS packages on their first version. I am currently speaking to Seth Hamilton about some of the ways he could 'upgrade' the package. But have no delusions, the software is VERY functional for today's Syops needs. As a last note, any Sysop needing help or support with RoBo BBS may contact me. Before it went down, TGUE, my own Robo BBS, was the Alabama hub of RoBoLink, a echo specifically for RoBo boards. It originates in Ontario. Anyone interested in joining up, feel free to contact me. I can be reached on most PCBoard BBSs in town. I'm a regular on the Matrix, so you may even catch me there, online. Oh yeah, i almost forgot, I am the moderator of conference #94 on The Matrix, the "RoBo" conference. You can direct all your questions there if you like. I also moderate confernce #104, the BBS ads conference on The Matrix. So, have fun folks. I hope you enjoy it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- American Tyranny by Damion Furi NOTE: Before I go any further, please pay close attention to this article. It isn't my usual off-the-wall article. I have researched this subject in some depth and have come to the conclusions you're about to read only after reading about some of the most cold-blooded behind-the-scenes shenanigans that it has ever been my displeasure to endure. ---------------- NOITUTITSNOC ---------------- You're probably curious as to why I've spelled "CONSTITUTION" backwards. I did it to get your attention, and to make a point; the point being that backwards is how our precious Constitution is being "enforced." And I use the term "enforced" very loosely, indeed. First, let's set the stage. The United States of America has been officially operating under a declared national emergency since 1933. This emergency has never been cancelled, retracted or denied, and in fact has been declared twice again since then, once in 1950 and again in 1971. Roosevelt, Truman, and Nixon, respectively, are responsible for these declarations. More then 200 statutes are currently in effect because of this "emergency." However, since we've been living with these statutes for 60 years, few people regard them as "emergency measures" anymore. On October 28, 1969 (two days before my 2nd birthday, in fact), President Nixon signed Executive Order 11490, titled "Assigning Emergency Preparedness Functions to Federal Departments and Agencies." Briefly, Executive Order 11490 authorizes plans and assigns responsibilities for complete takeover by the U.S. Federal Government of every facet of life in the United States. In short, it is American dictatorship staring at us straight down the so-called "judgement" of our highest political leader, the President. You don't believe me? You had better, if you value what freedoms you have remaining to you in this country. But don't take my word it. Go to the library's government documents branch, across the street from the main branch. Ask for the Federal Register, Executive Order 11490. I would give it all here, but I don't care to type that much and Scott probably wouldn't publish it anyway (it would make a sizeable text file all by itself). [Ed.: Maybe in a slow month.] How could an Executive Order be so all-encompassing, you ask? A reasonable question. This was my first thought, also. Technically, the Executive Branch is not Constitutionally authorized to exercise legislative powers. But I found out that not only can the President issue whatever executive order he chooses, but neither Congress nor the Supreme Court has ever defined the parameters of an executive order. Further, the only Executive Order that has ever been successfully challenged, as near as I could tell, was in 1952. President Truman attempted to nationalize the steel industry with an executive order, which was struck down by the Supreme Court. But in 1959, Chief Justice Warren declared that the Court did not "...decide whether the President has inherent authority to create such a program, whether congressional action is necessary, or what limits on executive or legislative authority may be..." This decision is in reference to Greene v. McElroy 360 U.S. 474, 508; the question dealt with action taken under Executive Orders about the safeguarding of official information. Please keep in mind that Executive Orders have the force of law. Those of you that are aware of my prediction of a full-scale revolution to happen within 50 years have been aware that I haven't been happy with the direction the U.S. has been taking within the last 50+ years. Those of you that are aware of my strenuous objections to President Clinton's election are aware that I amended my prediction to 30 years within days of his inauguration. In light of this new (to me) information, I am amending my prediction yet again. This time, I say that all bets are off. That our society is diseased is self-evident. That our strength is largely illusory somewhat less so, but still evident. That public confidence in our officials, police, judiciary, and military are at an all-time low is also self-evident. I don't feel any need to make my case; none of us are feeling very secure right now, and damned few of us have ever felt secure in the "good intentions" and motives of organizations larger and more powerful than the individual. A revolution could begin any minute. For what I know to the contrary, one or more revolutionary organizations may already have been launched. Executive Order 11490 could be invoked at any minute. After all, 11490 provides no definition of "national emergency" (NONE!), nor is one necessary; we have been living under a declared and uncontested state of emergency for the last 60 years. We have unknowingly been living under the threat of totalitarion rule for the past 23 years. I find this threat to be unconscionable, unconstitutional, and absolutely unforgiveable. Do what you will, but I don't intend to be within 100 miles of U.S borders when the hammer comes down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ THE CCITT 28.8 KBPS STANDARD: SOME BACKGROUND --------------------------------------------- The standard for 28.8 Kbps dial-up communications being developed by the CCITT will stretch the limits of dial-up telephone lines. But don't expect to be sending files at top speeds immediately. Dale Walsh, vice president for advanced development at U.S. Robotics, Inc., cautions that most users won't be able to achieve the maximum speeds permitted under the standard right away. When the standard is adopted, modems that conform should be able to transmit at 19.2 Kbps on lines where a modem conforming to V.32bis (the current high-speed standard) can now transmit at 14.4 Kbs. But Walsh, a member of the CCITT committee developing the standard, says it is being formulated with the increasing digitization of dial-up phone networks in mind. The improved quality of phone lines, as much as any modem technology improvements, has made high speed dial-up communications possible" says Walsh. "We are designing the standard keeping in mind that phone networks will use more and more digital circuits and digital central office switches." Consequently, speeds in the neighborhood of 28.8 Kbps will be the exception, rather than the rule--at least until the public switched telephone network becomes completely digital. "I'd say when it's finished in a year or so, the standard will allow 19.2 Kbps transmissions on 80 percent of all lines, 24 Kbps on 50 percent of all lines, and 28.8 Kbps communications on 20 percent of all lines," says Walsh, who also helped develop the CCITT V.32bis standard for 14.4 Kbps dial-up communications. "As the phone networks improve, top speeds will be more easily achieved, so I think it's more realistic to think of it as a 19.2 Kbps standard that is sometimes capable of higher speeds. A common misconception is that the coming 28.8 Kbps standard will allow speeds of 115.2 Kbps, when combined with V.42bis data compression. Walsh noted that such calculations are based on an assumption that V.42bis allows 4 to 1 data compression. Outside the lab, V.42bis allows compression ratios between 2 to 1 and 3 to 1, meaning that under REAL LIFE conditions, the forthcoming standard will allow maximum throughput of about 86.4 Kbps. "It's a mistake to use the 28.8 number and max everything out from that," said Walsh. Not that the 28.8 Kbps standard doesn't have its advantages. After all, 19.2 Kbps is an improvement over 14.4 Kbps. And the forthcoming standard will adjust for line conditions, a critical factor in high-speed data communications--like no previous standard. The standard under development will include a "probing" function that the modem can use to "sound out" the quality of the phone line. That will allow the modem to optimize transmissions to take advantage of available bandwidth. "We are still working on the training sequences," says Walsh. "But before transmission starts, the standard will enable the modem to determine what band- width is available and how to best position the signal to match available band- width." The standard achieves higher speeds through its ability to use more of a line's bandwidth, not just the center portion of the channel used under current standards. "It will more closely match the modulation scheme to what's available," says Walsh. "That way, the modem can shape the transmissions to adapt precisely to the channel, which is very important if you want to transmit at high speeds. The most recent committee meeting was held last month. Still to be agreed upon are such critical issues as training sequences, coding schemes, and signaling rates. Walsh said he expects the committee to reach final agreement in 1993, with official CCITT adoption likely in 1994. While some have taken to calling the standard under development V.Last, Walsh isn't convinced this will be the final modem standard. After all, he notes, no one thought dial-up phone lines would ever be this noise-free, and further advances in that area could make even higher speed dial-up communication possible. "I'm certain we'll have at least a fax version of this standard as the quality of phone lines keep improving," he said. "We're trying to be sure that this standard will serve users into the year 2000. But modem standards are like wars: you always think it's going to be the last one." U. S. ROBOTICS, INC, (NASDAQ:USRX) (800)DIAL-USR voice for more information. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Local Music In April by Judy Ranelli Sun. 4 LIFE, SEX AND DEATH at The Nick Henry Rollins never scared me. G.G. Allen is too comical and melodramatic. Both of them wish they had the effect of Stanley, singer for LSD. HE stinks like a well-ripened bum. He consistently fouls the women's room of the Nick with different body excretions (yes, that too). He is backed by a girlish metal act replete with pointy guitars and long blond hair. Yet he manages to drag all viewers into his own sewer. I recommend this show unhesitatingly for the open-minded and self-confident. Wed. 7 PINKY THE STABBER at Louie Louie Chris Hendrix, bassist for PtS, is wearing a knee brace at press time from dancing at the Alice Donut show three weeks ago. Attend and earn your own. Fri. 9 SUGAR LA LA'S at the Rock'n Horse Either Rock'n Horse or Rockingham Palace has closed. I think it's the latter... so here's the Sugar La Las to make you question your sexuality and giggle nervously. Sat. 10 "Six Pack" (A MET Z, GRISTLE TWINS, four other bands) at The Nick Yes, I like the Gristle Twins after having finally seen them. A Met Z is of course always entertaining. Last month's six-band extravaganza had an audience comprised of the memebers of each band waiting their turn to play. Oh well. Mon. 12 SPACE CAMP at The Oasis I KEEP TELLING YOU! But you just won't listen, will you? Bad dog. Tues. 13 SWEET BAMBOO at The Nick They may be great or awful, but you win points if you can tell me what "sweet bamboo" means in Southern parlance. I know, of course. Wed. 14 FIVE-EIGHT at The Chukker (Tuscaloosa) Well, they're damned good, so I had to put them in again. Sat. 17 BARKING TRIBE/SPRAYTRUCK The Tribe are putting out another recording, grinds the rumor mill. Spraytruck constitute unknown waters. Mon. 19 SPUNKADILLY -- CD release party at The Chukker (Tuscaloosa) They sure are weird, folks. They sure are. I am pleased that they are eating the grapes of success, strange appearances and all. Have you done anything weird today? Wed. 21 BAD LIVERS at The Nick Gawd, they are punk rock bluegrass and well worth our money. I approve. Fri. 23 THE BISQUITS at Zydeco Will (Bushmen) Kimbrough struggles to get that middle name outta there for good. Fri. 30 SUGAR LA LA'S/GRISTLE TWINS Goo-goo bars float in the miasma that is my mind. ALL DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE SANS NOTICE One Sunday this month, can't remember when, is "Punk Off Night" at the Nick with music from Tim Vice's recording collection and no cover. Some little guy at Southplace was under the impression that I own the Nick. I state for the record now that It Is Not My Fault and I have No Responsibilty or Ownership in That Club Whatsoever. The Ticks are all pleased that our own Ed Reynolds was on the list in the Black and White reader's choices for Local Hero of B'ham. Where are the other female guitarists in this town? Come, I challenge you. And finally, Carol Griffin informs me that she's NOT a sex symbol and those playtex nipples are NOT meant to be attractive. Until Next Time.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Macintosh BBSs In Birmingham Written by Gregory Jackson and Guido Jones Compiled by Gregory Jackson Today, there is a growing movement in the BBS community of Birmingham. The Mac users of Birmingham are becoming involved in the telecommunications culture. We all know that there are a few Macintosh users floating around out there trying to find the niche on a Big Blue Board. Fortunately, accommodating sysops would allow for separate conferences and file transfer sections to accommodate their minority brethren. As a Macintosh user, I was heartened by this support. Again this characterizes the spirit of Birmingham's BBS community. There has been a few Macintosh-based boards in the past that have faded from the memory of all but the most staunch Macintosh telecommunications diehard. In fact when I came to Birmingham, I spent a whole weekend calling every BBS listed in BTN, registering and leaving messages just to find one of my own. The nice thing was along the way I got to experience the diversity of the telecommunications community, some of the nicest people you would want to meet. Then it happened -- I found the granddaddy of them all: the Metro Mac. MetroMac BBS went online three years ago as a customer support bulletin board for Communication Arts, Inc., a local service bureau. In the spirit of community service, Communication Arts opened the BBS to the public after hours, and, on weekends, provided access to the message bases and shareware libraries. As more and more Mac users have come online, MetroMac has upgraded from a Plus to an SE/30 and added faster modems, a CD-ROM, and additional hard drives. In the past few years, MetroMac's libraries have grown to include over 10,000 Macintosh shareware and public domain applications, utilities, sounds, games, clip art, etc. Weekly online editions of MetroMac News gives reviews of select shareware programs and keeps you up to date on the latest Macintosh news. MetroMac features an extremely intuitive graphical user interface for Macs called TeleFinder that lets you access messages, Email, and software in the familiar point-and-click Macintosh way. TeleFinder features an autodialer, built-in mail editor, address book, Find File function, and the ability to view text, pict, and MacPaint files while online. Full-color BBS icons, online sounds, and balloon help under System 7 enhance the experience of a MetroMac connection. An offline mailer even lets you send and receive electronic mail at a predetermined time. In the near future, MetroMac plans to add support for 24-hour public access, a FidoNet gateway, and a Windows version of TeleFinder. MetroMac can be accessed at 205-323-6306, and supports TeleFinder, ASCII and ANSI terminal interfaces. The free TeleFinder software is available from Communication Arts, the Birmingham Apple Core, and The Matrix. The Cow's Head is also a Mac board, although some of its users think that it's a PC board. Close your eyes and dream a while... You slip your bare feet from between the sheets, reaching for the warm, carpeted floor. As your toes flex in an agony of expectation, they are met instead by cool blades of wild, uncut grass. Startled, you yank your foot back, only to find your bed has cut out on you, and flown back to Earth on autopilot. You open your eyes. Taking a slow gaze about the surrounding countryside, you see cows by the thousand, grazing quietly, minding their business... but wait! Over there, are those two bovines slinging CowPudding at each other? And, could they be yelling to each other in MooTalk? Yes, Holy Cow they are! Not far from their slick hides of smooth, stylish MooSkin, a rather conspicuous sign declares, "The Yelling Match, Judge Guido Presiding..." Your mind begins to wonder. Who is this Guido character? And, why does he pass time in a Cow pasture, listening to personalities clash? MOOOO!!! The very man you are wondering about has just appeared. He's riding one of the cows. It would seem an ordinary cow, yet, there is something quite queer about his steed's physique. Holy Cow, a second time! The Cow is missing a head, and above its neck, where doe eyes and smooth muzzle would traditionally reside, you bear witness to a Macintosh Classic! But the Cow's Head wears a Cow's face, and even chews electronic grass. "Glad to meet you," says the man. "Welcome to the Cow's Head. Name's Guido. Guido Jones. And you are...?" You answer his questions, and he answers yours. A small chat becomes a discussion on Clintonomics, abortion, or the differences between Holstein and Jersey cow milk. The chat ends, and you watch Guido disappear into the horizon. He gave you something before he left, something valuable: free run of the pasture. So you run, barefoot and half-bucknaked. You run to the next section of field, SportsTalk, and see Merlin and others root for their HomeyCows. Trotting further still, you encounter the Musicians, Slick and Co. You find more to do than you thought you could, because Macintosh computers aren't supposed to be so great for anything like a BBS, right? But what - the Cow is a Macintosh? Oh! One of those little computers with the Apple on the front, like the, well, like what the Cow had for a Head! Well, it must be good for something then. You think for half a second, and before you know it, you're happy you woke up in a strange Cow Pasture, stranded in the middle of a sensational nowhere. You decide to put the Cow's Head number in your computer directory, and make plans to call every day for as long as your body can take the ensuing lack of sleep. You're hooked, Macintosh BBS or not, because you love it. Because you want it. Because it's good. The newest Macintosh in town is the Frat House BBS run by yours truly. I run the FirstClass 2.0 software that also allows a GUI interface for the Mac. Also, the Frat House BBS is a member of the OneNet network of Macintoshes. OneNet is global in nature with over 200 conferences to echo. It allows a pipeline of fresh Macintosh software into Birmingham, and allows businesses to advertise for free all over the world on the network. OneNet has links to Japan and Europe, with links coming to Africa, Russia and other former communist states. Together, the MetroMac, Cow's Head, and Frat House BBS offer a variety of features and personalities to keep Macintosh users satisfied. We also realize that we must give something back to the IBM community that help sustain us trough the lean times. Cow's Head is an easy to use system that supports IBM files and conferences. The MetroMac and Frat House while a little more difficult at the present should in the summer have a windows graphical interface that will make calling these boards a joy for IBMers as well as for the Macintoshes that call it home. [Editor's Note: The numbers for all three of the boards mentioned in this article are listed in our Known BBS Numbers List, but we should also mention that calling the given number for the Frat House gives a recording saying that the number has been disconnected, and also that no one answers at the Cow's Head. BTN accepts no liability for any potential trauma incurred in failing to reach these boards.] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Product Review *** Product: Colorado Jumbo 250mb Trakker. External Tape Drive Backup System. Manufacturer: Colorado Memory Systems Inc. MSRP: $548.00 ( This is the retail price, although I have shopped around and found the price to be as low as $429.00. Compatibility: IBM PC, PC Compatible, XT, AT, PS/1, PS/2, Laptops, Notebooks, Novell Netware 2.2 / 3.11, Novell Netware Lite & Lantastic, Yes, Even Mac's. System Requirements: DOS 2.1 or higher, 1 Parallel Port, 450 kb of conventional memory free. ( although 550 kb will produce better results). Trakker accessories: The Trakker comes with it's own power cord, a software back up program ( 3.5" 720kb diskette ), an installation guide, users manual, and a compat- ibility guide with a list of optional accessories that are available from Colorado Memory Systems. ( Tape sold separately for $31.95 or 3 for $76.00 ) ( My tapes are QIC-80 250mb ) Now for the test. The front of the box advertises "Plug And Play In- stallation". So, that's the first test I wanted to conduct. When a manufacturer advertises this sort of thing, I am always leary. So, after installing the software, ( which went without difficulty ) configuring it, ( also without difficulty ) I stuck a tape in and started the software. Test number 1. Backup Machine: 486/25 - 627,727kb free conventional memory. ( Which matters since the software runs in conventional. Also, I have 1 meg devoted to Smartdrv, which may or may not help on speed, since the weakest link is the parallel port itself.) Files selected: 842 Total Megabytes: 40,761,770 Compression Standard: "Save Space" Which equals 50% compression. Time: A whopping 34 mins 16 sec. Test number 2. Backup Same Machine. Files Selected: 554 Total Megabytes: 30,723,168 Compression Standard: "Save Time" Which equals 40% compression. Time: 31 mins. 46 sec. You're right. I've got a problem. Ok, so now it's time to open the manual. The manual reveals some sample backup times. Which are as follows; Sample Times to Backup 10mb file-by-file in minutes. Computer type Data Compression Off Save Space Save Time 80386/33 5:29 3:09 2:58 80386/25 5:29 5:48 3:10 80386/16 5:29 8:03 4:32 80286/8 5:29 14:58 9:07 None of this added up. Or at least, not according to my tests. A quick call to tech support at Colorado Memory Systems revealed my problem. I had selected Zip files for backup. Since these files are already compressed all I was really doing was making them larger by adding a header to each file. Secondly, I was swapping out to a new tape for each test. This takes time for the tape to position itself in the cartridge. Tech support suggested I insert a new tape, allow it to position itself, select No Compression, and then do the backup. I found tech support quite helpful and courteous, also it's a toll free number. I reconfigured the software, this time selecting No Compression, and set out for test number three. Test number 3. Backup Same Machine Files selected: 556 Total Megabytes: 31,357,394 Time: 8 min. 16 sec. Now that's more like it! The restore times are a little slower, but still in this ball park. Evaluation: Thumbs Up! For having a toll free support number. Thumbs Up! For operating a BBS ( 303-635-0650 ) where tech suport informed me that I can call and download the latest release of their software. Thumbs Up! For having the forethought to add a Parallel out-put on the back of the system so I can still use my printer. Thumbs Up! On size. 4.6" wide, 2.65" high, 9.5" deep. For the user that has a desk with no room left, this will fit! Also, weighing in at a mere 5 lbs. will insure that you will be able to easily move this product from machine to machine. Thumbs Up! For ease of installation. Just plug it into your parallel port, install the software, and you are ready to go. Thumbs Down! For the size of the receptacle at the end of the power cord. It is so large that you will have to unplug the neighboring plug(s). This makes it inconvenient for those of us who rely on every plug in the power strip. Thumbs Down! For noise. Although the software has a feature that will allow you to do scheduled backups while you sleep, the system will wake you if it is in the same room or even near the same room. I can hear the system running 20 feet away. But, in an office environment, this would pose no problem. Thumbs Down! For warranty. ( 1 Year ) At this kind of price I would expect longer coverage. Although this warranty is in comparison with other manufacturers. Comments: This product is not for the individual who only has one machine. For this type user, the internal version connected to the floppy controller would be the ideal way to go, being much faster as well. This product IS for the individual who has more than one machine. I can make a backup from one machine, simply disconnect the parallel cable, connect to machine number two, and I'm on my way to a second backup. The times I recorded were with a unidirectional parallel port. Significant improvement in time will be achieved by swapping to the new enhanced port. Overall, the Trakker suits my needs to a tee. I have three machines that I was constantly backing up (with floppies). The idea of having to tear three machines down to install three internal tape backup systems was more than I could bear. The only other alternative would have been to network the three. I have made several incremental backups since I did the timing tests, and can now add that The Trakker not only performs the backups without a hitch, but fast as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This service was brought to my attention by its provider, Edward Brzezowski. I thought it was interesting and would seem so to you. I'd like to see your opinions in letters to either Scott or myself. I'd like to apologize for being a month late in presenting this but events conspired against me. MM, Pub. ******************* ATTENTION COMPUTER USERS *********************** InfoMarket Express: Where information is bought and sold online. -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Making virtual publishing a reality" Anyone can call InfoMarket Express (no subscription or registration fees or hourly connect charges) and upload a file for sale. There is no upload or storage charge for people wishing to sell files on the system. Sellers (providers) make money every time their file is sold -- 50% of the price they place on the item. Buyers can select files on InfoMarket Express, purchase them via credit card, and receive their purchases immediately upon credit card authorization (approx. 1 min.). Files for sale can be virtually anything that can be sold in an electronic format, including original articles, reports, newsletters, books, software, etc. Our system is available to all users without a startup fee, doesn't require special access software, provides 14.4k v.32bis modem connections and can be accessed by IBM PCs and MACs. Set your telecommunications software for VT-100, ANSI emulation for best results. InfoMarket Express is in its final beta testing stage. You may wish to give it a try and consider using this type of system to distribute any material you feel may be of value to others. The InfoMarket data line is (908) 879-7209, 14.4k v.32bis. We need your help to "stock the shelves" and look forward to your call! Important note: 908 is not a 900#, but a new area code in New Jersey. InfoMarket, Inc. P.O. Box 815 Chester, NJ 07930 01/16/93 ehb ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area Special note: Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed on the Matrix to either me, Scott Hollifield or to James Minton. (James can also be more speedily reached on his own board, Outer Limits.) Also, if anyone has any information about networks listed at the bottom with "uncertain at press time", let us know. NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE SUPPORTED TYPE 221-B Baker Street 856-7034 1200-2400 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3) 854-9074 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] ADAnet One (Node 4) 854-5863 2400-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, ad] Alcatraz BBS 608-0880 300-9600 VBBS 6.0 [he, vi] Alter-Ego BBS 925-5099 1200-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] Asgard 663-9171 300-9600 V.32 WWIV 4.21a [ez, al, te] Baudville (Node 1) 980-1089 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 2) 991-2095 300-14400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 3) 991-9144 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Baudville (Node 4) 995-0013 300-2400 Major BBS 6.02 [none] Bert's BBS 424-2872 300-2400 WWIV 4.21 [none] Bone Yard, The 631-6023 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [fi, ez] Boy's Room 674-8117 300-2400 Wildcat! 3.55 [none] Bus System 987-5419 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [none] Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-14400 USR HST WWIV 4.12 [ez, th, al] Cannibal Cafe 942-9576 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [vi, da, he] Castle, The 841-7618 300-2400 Image 1.2 [none] Castle Rock 995-9900 1200-19200 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al, he] Channel 8250 (Node 1) 744-8546 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Channel 8250 (Node 2) 744-5166 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, un] Christian Apologetic 808-0763 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 3.55 [ez, wi, bc, ru] Cow's Head 856-2465 1200-2400 Hermes 1.7 [none] Crunchy Frog (Node 1) 823-3957 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] Crunchy Frog (Node 2) 823-3958 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, lu, ll] DataLynx BBS 328-7688 300-2400 WWIV 4.21 [ez] DataWorks BBS! 664-0406 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [un, sm, dv, rf, rs, in] Den, The 933-8744 300-9600 USR HST ProLogon/ProDoor [ez, mn, il] Digital Publishing 854-1660 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat! 3.01 [pl] EcoBBS 933-2238 300-2400 VBBS 5.6 [al, vi] Faction, The 995-2757 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Family Smorgas-Board 744-0943 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, np, ag, ve, ad] Final Frontier 838-5634 300-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Flip Side 798-3961 300-2400 Renegade 8.27 [none] Frat House 252-1274 300-9600 V.42bis FirstClass 2.09 [none] Gamer's Online 942-4581 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Genesis Online (Nodes 1-4) 620-4144 300-14400 V.32bis Major BBS 5.3 [mr] Guardian, The 425-1951 1200-9600 V.32bis VBBS 6.0 [vi, ga] Hacker's Corner 674-5449 1200-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5 [none] Hardeman's BBS 640-6436 1200-14400 Wildcat! 3.51 [wi, di, bc] Hardware Hotline 631-6629 300-14400 V.32/42 VBBS 6.0 [none] Headland, The 991-0947 300-14400 V.32bis VBBS 6.0 [he, vi] Highlander BBS 856-9391 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [none] Homewood's Hell Hole 870-9067 2400-14440 V.32bis VBBS 5.6 [he] Hoots With Owls 520-9540 1200-14400 V.32bis TriBBS 3.3 [cc, tr] Illuminatus BBS 871-0489 1200-9600 VBBS 6.0 [vi, al] Infinite Probability 791-0421 2400-14400 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] Intruder Enterprizes 969-0870 300-9600 V.32 VBBS 5.6 [vi, al] Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, un] KickAxis BBS 733-0253 1200-14400 USR DS VBBS 6.0 [he] Last Word 663-4721 300-2400 VBBS 6.0 [sn] Lemon Grove 836-1184 300-12000 V.42bis SLBBS 3.0 [fi, sl] Lion & The Unicorn 424-1599 1200-57600 VBBS 5.6 [ga, al, vi, lo] Lumby's Palace 520-0041 300-14400 VBBS 6.0 [he] Magic City 664-9883 300-14400 V.42bis Wildcat! 3.55 [cc, dx, tr, wi] Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-14400 USR HST PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-14) 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Nodes 20-23) 323-6016 9600-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MATRIX, The (Node 25-26) 458-3449 9600-14400 V.32bis PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn, th, il, in, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr] MetaBoard 854-4814 300-14400 USR DS Opus CBCS 1.73 [fi, ad] MetroMac BBS 323-6306 300-2400 TeleFinder 3.0 [none] Milliways BBS 956-3177 1200-14440 V.32 VBBS 6.0 [he, vi, al] Missing Link 853-1257 300-16800 USR DS C-Net Amiga 2.31 [none] Neon Moon 477-5894 300-14400 TriBBS 4.0 [dx] Night Watch 841-2790 1200-14400 USR DS TriBBS 4.01 [cc, tr, di, fi, ez, ab] Nirvana 942-6702 300-14400 V.32bis VBBS 6.0 [al, vi, at, rp] Outer Limits (Node 1) 425-5871 1200-14400 USR HST Wildcat! 3.60 [fi, do, ec] Outer Limits (Node 2) 426-2939 1200-14400 V.32bis Wildcat! 3.60 [fi, do, ec] Owlabama BBS 856-2521 1200-14400 GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, cc, tr, sc, ab] Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-14400 USR DS PCBoard 14.5 [ez, mn] Party Line 856-1336 300-14000 V.32bis TriBBS 4.0 [cc, tr, di] Penny Arcade 699-4625 300-2400 Running Force! 3.75 [none] Playground 681-5070 2400-14000 V.32 TriBBS 4.0 [tr, di, cc, ez, al, fr] Posys BBS 854-5131 300-9600 V.32 PCBoard [none] Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNet [none] Razor's Edge 995-0412 1200-2400 VBBS 5.6 [he, al] Safe Harbor (Node 1) 665-4332 300-2400 GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, il] Safe Harbor (Node 2) 665-4355 300-14400 USR DS GTPower 17.06 [gt, ez, mn, il] Sam's Domain 956-2757 1200-14400 VBBS 6.0 [da, he] Safety BBS 581-2866 300-2400 RBBS-PC 17.4 [none] Sleepy Hollow 970-0518 300-2400 VBBS 5.6 [al] Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-2400 V.32/42bis PCBoard 14.5 [none] ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2 [ez] StarBase 12 647-7184 300-2400 TriBBS 4.0 [ez, mn] Teasers 987-0122 300-2400 WWIV 4.21 [al] Thy Master's Dungeon 940-2116 300-57600 V.32/42bis PCBoard 14.5 [fr] Torch Song 328-1517 300-9600 V.32 Wildcat 3.6 [pr, se, st, do] Weekends BBS 841-8583 2400-16800 USR DS Wildcat! 3.6 [none] Willie's DYM (Node 1) 664-9902 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 2) 664-9903 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 3) 664-9895 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Willie's DYM (Node 4) 664-9896 300-2400 Oracomm Plus [or] Ziggy Unix BBS 991-5696 300-1200 UNaXess [none] The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below the names of many of the bbs' in the list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion. ad = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped ag = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic al = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic an = Annex Network, uncertain at press time at = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented bc = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented bh = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic cc = City2City, a national network, multi-topic cd = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution cf = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic da = DateNet, uncertain at press time de = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers di = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south eastern United States do = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors ec = EchoNet, uncertain at press time ez = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network fa = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic fi = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic fr = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion ga = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time gl = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic gt = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic he = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic ic = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic il = ILink, an international network, multi-topic ic = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic in = InterNet, an international network, linking businesses, universities, and bbs', multi-topic ll = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence lo = LocalNet, uncertain at press time lu = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented ma = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems mj = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews mn = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic mr = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic np = NPN, a national network for new parents or = OraNet, a national E-mail network pl = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic pr = PrideNet, a local homosexually oriented network rf = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists ri = RIME, an international network, multi-topic rb = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic rp = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games rs = RoseNet, a national network, technically oriented ru = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans sc = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology oriented se = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the southeastern United States sh = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games sl = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic sm = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic sn = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games st = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented te = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented th = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented tr = TriBBS Net, a national network, multi-topic un = Uni'Net, an international network, multi-topic ve = VETLink, a national network for military veterans vi = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic wi = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic ww = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let me know via a message on the main board of The Matrix or Crunchy Frog. The following BBSs appeared to be down or malfunctioning the last time I tried to verify their existence. If you have any information on their status, please drop me a line. Bert's BBS Castle Rock Cow's Head Frat House Hacker's Corner Homewood's Hell Hole Hoots With Owls Safe Harbor Sleepy Hollow Thy Master's Dungeon -----------------------------------------------------------------------