HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: toma@sail.LABS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs,comp.bbs.misc
Subject: Re: Is BBS the correct name?
Keywords: BBS jargon, semantics, growth, info systems
Date: 7 Sep 92 13:49:37 GMT
Reply-To: toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Followup-To: alt.bbs
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

In article <72080@apple.Apple.COM> sac@Apple.COM (Steve Cisler) writes:
>I'd like to hear from BBS sysops and others about what
>the limits are tothe definition or an electronic bulletin
>board system.

Well if you want to get technical, if the system has means to leave
public messages for other callers, then it is a Bulletin Board System.
That is, after all, how things got started. I would like to add the
word "free" to the definition, but I'm sure that would be debated these
days!

By this definition, a system offering either local public messages,
fido echoes, or netnews would be a BBS, as would Prodigy (!).
On the other hand, a system that only allowed file downloads or
private messages (such as most "support BBSes") would not qualify.

>Is it a state of mind?

Certainly!

-- 
Tom Almy
toma@sail.labs.tek.com
Standard Disclaimers Apply
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: jonwd@uwtc.washington.edu (Jon Wiederspan)
Subject: Re: Mac-based BBS SW?
Reply-To: jonwd@uwtc.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 16:29:56 GMT

I think the best system is the FirstClass Communications System.  A demo version
should be available at wuarchive or any other major Mac ftp site.  If you can't
get it there, let me know and I'll mail it to you.

FirstClass Communications System is available from:

SoftArc Inc.
805 Middlefield Rd., Suite 102
Scarborough, Ontario  MIV 2T9  Canada
Tel (416) 299-4723
FAX (416) 754-1856
Online BBS (free)  (416) 609-2250

The latest version and demos can be downloaded from the BBS, as well as getting
answers to questions.
From: grant@bluemoon.rn.com (Grant DeLorean)
Subject: Re: Coherent Re: The bogus Nixpub Posting
Organization: Blue Moon
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 92 15:21:22 GMT

richard@nacjack.gen.nz (Richard Vowles) writes:


>>    Wait there...Coherent is Unix, just based on an old release,
>>and develop/licensed to someone other then AT&T...if you throw this
>>in with OS2/DOS (don't know what QNX is *frown*), then are you
>>going to throw in Linux also...that isn't licenced to AT&T??

>QNX is POSIX compatable, i.e it is more UNIX than UNIX itself. Of course,
>Nixpub is for these inferior UNIX systems, so QNX shouldn't be included.

>[A dedicated QNX person]
>Hex

 As a person who has finally gotten rid of all the QNX stuff I had around
here (all licenses, software, network cards, etc) I suggest you seek
serious psychological help... QNX is as superior to UNIX as dog crap is
to filet mignon... 
-- 
\   Grant DeLorean  - IHMSA & NRA Life Member -  (grant@bluemoon.rn.com)   /

   Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.  -- Euripides
From: davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: Sad to say...
Date: 9 Sep 92 12:58:24 GMT
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

larry@gator.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes:

>mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings) writes:

>>exception of Waffle) on the Fido technology or DOS side. There are
>>*dozens* of small, special interest networks using Fidonet style
>>networking on mainly DOS machines.

>true, but a good percentage of them have counterparts available
>on usenet -- there are around 2500 newsgroups on usenet,
>and maybe 500 on fidonet?

I'm not sure, but I took it that Al Billings was talking about
small, special interest networks in a *local* area.

As for the 2500 newsgroups on USENET, I can't get all of them,
but from the list I have from UUNET, none of them look like what
I would call *local* small, special interest networks. By that
I mean something like up to say 50 machines in an area maybe
50 miles in diameter.

Could you guys specify what you're talking about a bit more?
I'd like to know.

Thanks,

Dave

--
Dave McLane 
JUNET: davidg@aegis.or.jp (ONLY within Japan: post otherwise)
Nagaokakyoshi, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81-75-951-1168 Fax: +81-75-957-1087
From: peter@global.hacktic.nl (Peter Busser)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re2: Shame on Fidonet
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 14:07:56 GMT
Organization: Global Village 1

davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:

>cblaise@moose.uvm.edu.UUCP (Chris Blaise) writes:

>>	IMHO, administation in fidonet is not much different than
>>usenet.  You have your good guys and your bad guys.

>Excuse me, but I don't believe you can compare the administration of
>Fidonet and the non-administration of USENET. 

There *IS* administration in USENET. Only the nature of administration is
different. In FidoNet(tm) the administration is centralized and therefore
clearly vissible. In USENET the administration is distributed and therefore
not clearly vissible. Although details depend on the network you chose as
a feed.

Greetings,
Peter Busser
Xref: sparky alt.bbs:6023 comp.bbs.misc:948 comp.misc:3704
From: marc@r-node.gts.org (Marc Fournier - Sys Admin)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs,comp.bbs.misc,comp.misc
Subject: Re: The bogus Nixpub Posting
Date: 14 Sep 92 22:41:35 GMT
Organization: R-node Public Access UNIX System (416-249-5366) 24hrs.

In article <1992Sep14.153811.9624@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>In <=6vnh-d@dixie.com> jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:
>
>And so now YOU have to try to really start up the thread by once again
>being nasty to someone.  Do you EVER post anything that isn't a flame
>against someone or something?  If not, your recommendation about kill
>files is certainly a good one.  If so, I have yet to see it anywhere.
>
	Hey!!  This is one time that I agree with John.  The 
discussion had died down to almost nothing and this guy pops up and
complains that it should be moved to email!!  If they guy didn't like
the thread, it is very very easy to add it to the kill file.  there
were alot of people who had very strong comments about the way that
John was going about things (and I was one who disagreed with John's
methods) and in my opinion, if someone didn't like the thread, then
just don't read it.

	Don't flame a guy for offering an opinion, which is what
John did...and which I just did.  Thinking someone should conform
to that opinion is flame'able...not the opinion itself!!

Marc
-- 
Marc G. Fournier      | R-node Public Access Unix running UnixBBS 1.03
Etobicoke, Ontario    | 416-249-5366   24hrs 7 days/week   network email
voice: 249-4230       | shell/feed accounts available   1800+ newsgroups
marc@r-node.pci.on.ca | Telebit T3000/SupraModem2400/Cardinal 2400  FREE
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: jfoy@glia.biostr.washington.edu (Jeff Foy)
Subject: Waffle offline reader door (Piet!!)
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 1992 19:47:07 GMT



In alt.bbs you write:


>Hi All,

>I am new with usenet , but i am running a PCBoard system , with Waffle
>as a door.

You have my compliments. That type of set up takes a lot of work to
get going. (not to mention maintaining...)

>But now my question.
>Are there ofline readers for waffle (compaired QWK readers) or something
>like that.

>I am looking something my users can download the News and read and post
>home.

>I 'll hope i get some feedback

Well, if you're interested, I know of a QWK mail door for Waffle. I have
no idea how it handles conference-name mapping but it does work. It's
called Waffline mail. It's located in PD1:<MSDOS.WAFFLE> on Simtel20 as
WAFM100.ZIP. The source code isn't located there but I have a copy if
you're interested.

Jeff

--
Jeffery Foy -- Either: jfoy@glia.biostr.washington.edu -or-
                       foysys!jeffery@cs.washington.edu
             *** FREE BILL & KATHY SWAN ***
-*- Happy as a clam to be using Professional YAM -*-  :)

-- 
Jeffery Foy -- Either: jfoy@glia.biostr.washington.edu -or-
                       foysys!jeffery@cs.washington.edu
             *** FREE BILL & KATHY SWAN ***
-*- Happy as a clam to be using Professional YAM -*-  :)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: fsspr@acad3.alaska.edu (Sean P. Ryan, Hardcore Alaskan)
Subject: Re: Sad to say...
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41.UAC
Organization: University of Fairbanks, Alaska...no wait, that's not right...
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 23:21:00 GMT

In article <Bu5pus.Gxv@gator.rn.com>, larry@gator.rn.com (Larry Snyder) writes...
> 
>most of us started with fidonet, then mature into usenet

Funny, I started with Usenet.  Actually, I started with Compuserve and
other such services, then I discovered Usenet.  I also realized just
what I was getting for the money I was paying to the commercial services
(read: not a whole hell of a lot).  From there, I discovered WWIVnet and
started using Fidonet (I can't say that I "discovered" it, as I had
known of its existence for quite some time).

So, since I used Usenet first, I guess I kind of expect everywhere else
I frequent to be more like Usenet, which produces some interesting
situations at times.

************************************************************************
Sean Patrick Ryan, Hardcore Alaskan*****Internet: fsspr@acad3.alaska.edu
WWIVnet: 220@9704*CFN: au414*IRC: RadioKAOS, Aoxomoxoa*Ph: (907)488-8365
BITnet: FSSPR@ALASKA****Snail: P.O. Box 83381, Fairbanks, AK  99708-3381
***"I'm gonna Kentucky Fried Chickenize your prostate surgery." - Oswald
Bates, In Living Color***Disclaimer?  BWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!***
From: dawson@willard.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: looking for a window or windows based Waffle usenet reader
Date: 14 Sep 92 14:42:36 GMT
Organization: Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814

bazelman@pcs.uucp (Rudy Bazelmans) writes:

> I just started using waffle and I love it but I am not at all thrilled
> with the news reader.  
> 
> Does anyone know of any window-based or MS/Windows-based news
> reader that is compatible with waffle usenet groups?

There are none, yet, to my knowledge.  This question might find more 
answers in comp.bbs.waffle, by the bye.

> 
> 
> thanks alot


-- 
dawson@willard.UUCP (Willard Dawson)
Willard's House BBS, Atlanta, GA -- +1 (404) 664 8814
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: ST21519@VM.CC.LATECH.EDU
Subject: Re: Sad to say...
Organization: LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 22:00:49 CST

>Do you have any information on the volume in k-bytes for Fido?
 
Depends on what echos (if any) you wish to pickup.  I used to be a member of
Fidonet with a 1200bps modem before we went to war to get oil and I happily
just maintained a node number to email friends with.  Now I'm a 14400bps type
of guy and pickup 200-300k nightly for myself and one other node local to me.
My bill usually averages $50-$75 per month since I am LD from my hub.
 
 
Eddie Rowe Fidonet#1:19/124.0
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: bjpocock@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu (Beastor the Mad)
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 02:33:47 GMT


>: What if they mentino that they smoke an occasional joint?  What if they
>: mention an interest in receiving a blowjob (illegal under most states'
>: sodomy laws)?  You are a fucking pig, and I'm surprised you have any users
>: at all.  Rename your BBS to The Entrapment BBS and put your cards on the
>: table.
>
>I guess you can rename my system the entrapment BBS as well.  I like to
>know who my users are so if someone uploads commercial software I know
>who it is and where to send the pirate police.  And guess what?  If a
>company finds out you have pirated software they like to know who
>downloaded it as well so they can contact them..
>
>You are such a fool if you think I am going to endorse illegal activity on
>my system.  Other sysops will feel the same way

Holy jesus... I thought the first guy was pretty far fetched... but my GOD!
Jesus, if I was a sysop I'd blacklist your number and tell all my sysops to
to... good thing you have your own BBS.

I have pirated software, I don't upload it, but stuill... contacting the POLICE?
I mean, I might kick the guy off but I'd never ever do that...

Jeez... I'd be scared to go on your board... and so would thousands of other
users.  MAN... I have some files which I believe to be shareware, but since
there is no docs I don't know... and if I upload it, and it turns out to be
comercial... HOLY SHIT... I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D DO THAT.

SO what do you do... put up an ELITE section then CALL THE COPS everytime 
someone downloads it?

PS>... I HAVE PIRATED SOFTWARE... not on my board.. but about 50% of what I
have is.  It's cause I just don't have the cash.  SO BUST ME COPPERS!  Also,
while your at it... BUST ALL MY FRIENDS, AND 80% of all computer users.

PSS... You don't happen to believe in KGB tactics do ya?
.
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: jdecarlo@mitre.org (John DeCarlo)
Subject: Re: Sad to say...
Organization: MITRE Corporation, McLean  VA
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 19:16:52 GMT

In article <2687@aegis.or.jp> davidg@aegis.or.jp (Dave McLane) writes:

>Yes, I believe Fidonet mainly (only?) runs on IBM-compat PC/XT/AT's.
>UNIX runs on AT's and many other machines as well so instead of being
>able to adapt fast, it uses the lowest-common-demoninator approach.

Well, the "mainly" part is true, but Fidonet-technology programs are out 
there for Amiga, Mac, PC-compat (DOS, Windows, OS/2), Unix, and others.  I'm 
not sure if anything was ported to an old PDP, but someone had access to one 
and threatened to :-).

John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own
Fidonet:  1:109/131  Internet:  jdecarlo@mitre.org
From: 00cchall@bsu-ucs.uucp (Chael Hall)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: ** ChaelBoard 2.18 avail thru FTP **
Date: 15 Sep 92 17:03:02 GMT

I just FTPed CB218.ZIP to wuarchive.wustl.edu.  The file is about 360KB in size
and contains a fully working unregistered version of ChaelBoard and Door Dude.
Please FTP it (they allow anonymous) and try it out if you are interested.  I
appreciate feedback through this group or e-mail (see below).

Filename:  cb218.zip (371,000 bytes appx.)
Location:  /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS
Site:      wuarchive.wustl.edu


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chael Hall                       "I hate it when that happens!"
00CCHALL@LEO.BSUVC.BSU.EDU
00CCHALL@BSUVAX1.BITNET
nowhere@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
(317) 285-3648 (voice)
From: fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Date: 13 Sep 92 18:11:36 GMT
Organization: Right Bleedin' Church of Libertine Obfuscatology

In <BuH7sx.AFL@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> hucke@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (Matt Hucke) writes:

>Did the person who posted the original message say he was taking the
>initiative?  no!  so you call people "fucking pigs" based on something
>they never did or claimed they'd do.  It is obvious to anyone (well,
>almost anyone) that he was only trying to protect himself.  If that
>makes someone a "fucking pig", then we should all be proud to bear that
>title.

Here's the original quote:

>In <1992Sep11.120808.8933@crd.ge.com> davidsen@ariel.crd.GE.COM (william E Davidsen) writes:

>>  To put it simply, if someone posts something legally actionable, like
>>a PIN number, where to buy drugs, etc, I want to be able to point the
>>police at the poster and away from my system.

Sounds like they are taking the initiative, claiming that they would do it,
and turning rat on their users to protect themselves from the police.

If you run a system that does not support illegal activity, then it is a
very rare occurrance when something like that gets posted.  On systems I am
familiar with it happens at most 3 times per year.  When it happens, you
simply delete it, and either warn, restrict, or delete the user, depending
on your policies.  I see absolutely no need to point the police at the
poster.   The police do not routinely scan private BBSes for such
information, at least not yet.  If we are lucky, they never will.  The
phone company doesn't do that when you talk about illegal things on the
telephone - I think it requires some sort of injunction or warrant before
such information is turned over.  

Do these sysops take the information and promise it will be held in
strictest confidence?  Usually not.  And the original poster revealed how
willing he would be to contribute to the erosion of personal freedoms in
this country, by willingly turning over personal information about his
users, in the event that the police "come after him." 

This is nothing more than a smokescreen to justify an unjustifyable policy.

-- 
    / \      Reverend fnord                 | "King Kong died for your sins!"
   /   \     fnord@panix.com                | 
  / <0> \                                   | "Don't just eat a hamburger, 
 /_______\   Church of Obfuscatology, Inc.  |  eat the HELL out of it!"
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: larry@gator.rn.com (Larry Snyder)
Subject: Re: Fidonet sux, fee for access.
Keywords: Fidonet
Organization: The Gator Public Access Unix Site - 219-289-3745
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:54:06 GMT

murph@buscard.fidonet.org (Brian Murphy) writes:

>Yeah, Fidonet people have this document that even states is intentionally
>written to be vague but they worship that stupid thing like it's some sort of
>bible or something.

it's bullshit.  Pure and simple.  Policy 4 (or whatever they call it
these days) is for the kids.

>Did you notice the tone of Randy Bush's last posting?  He's a big-wig in
>Fidonet.  You can be sure Mr. Murphy won't be getting back into that network

who cares?  Anyone can get suckered into being a big wig in Fight-O-Net

-- 
Larry Snyder                                    internet: larry@gator.rn.com
keeper of the Gator                                  uucp: uunet!gator!larry
From: Steven_P._Oliver@bearsden.UUCP (Steven P. Oliver)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: BBS Trial
Date: 10 Sep 92 01:49:14 GMT
Organization: The Bear's Den BBS   (715) 839-7997

There are many demo BBS software packages out there. The best bet is to
determine what you want in the software. I prefer QBBS, but many
Universities use TBBS.  RBBS is very maintenance free (as is QBBS) and both
are known to run well on the older XT and other models.  QBBS can be picked
up at many boards free of charge and even if you decide to keep it, I
believe the registration cost is about $55.00 so it won't break any
pocketbooks.  It can carry 200 message areas and more nice features and
only takes moments to set up.  Good luck.

-- Via DLG Pro v0.992
From: weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us (Dean Kerl)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Date: 15 Sep 92 16:59:27 GMT
Organization: yenta unix pc, rio rancho, nm

cblaise@moose.uvm.edu.UUCP (Chris Blaise) writes:
>	The law is still basicly unclear about who is responsible.  I
>personally would not like to take the chance and therefore, on the systems
>I SysOp, we don't allow for "true" email.  Basicly we tell the users
>that e-mail can and will be read by the Sysops, etc., etc., but make
>it clear that we don't normally read email along with our combined
>reads.

The law is NOT unclear. Get a copy of the Electronic Communication
Privacy Act. The ECPA states that you as sysop may read users 
private E-Mail, but you can't divulge it to others. It would be
a violation if you read a private message, then posted it in a
public area. If you post a message that no mail can be considered
private, then all mail should be considered public by your users.
You as sysop are not responsible if 2 of your users use "private"
email to break the law. If you are aware of it and take no action,
you ARE responsible.

Dean
weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us
-- 
Dean Kerl
weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
From: steveh@orbital.demon.co.uk (Stephen Hebditch)
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Organization: TQM Communications, London, UK
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 15:54:39 GMT

In article <110.11709@uonline.com> rjus@uonline.com (ren_just) writes:
>As someone else stated, you are using *MY* computer and before you use
>*MY* computer I want to know a little about you.  We aren't overly nosy,
>but just trying to protect our own butts.  With this sue happy society
>we have, our little BBS can become a big, expensive legal problem.  Last
>time I checked, Compuserv, Prodigy, Delphi, (the big boys) all want your
>real name as well.    

There is one major difference, however. With CompuServe et al you not
only tell them who you are but they also tell you who they are. With a
great many bulletin boards you have no idea who you're calling. Aren't
BBS callers entitled to know something about who they're dealing with
too?

-- 
Stephen Hebditch  TQM Communications  steveh@orbital.demon.co.uk +44 836 825962
From: weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us (Dean Kerl)
Newsgroups: alt.bbs
Subject: Re: Big Brother BBS policies
Date: 13 Sep 92 18:30:26 GMT
Organization: yenta unix pc, rio rancho, nm

fnord@panix.com (Cliff Heller) writes:
>No, you moron.  Of course you don't let illegal information stay on your
>computer.  Of course you don't let a user who posts illegal information
>stay on your computer.  But if you take the initiative and inform the
>police about that person, then you most certainly ARE a "fucking pig"

I agree with you. I don't allow any illegal activitiy on my BBS, but
I sure as hell don't help the police out. When a commercial program
is uploaded to my BBS, I delete and tell whomever uploaded it not to
let it happen again.

I would suggest that any sysop get a copy of "Syslaw" by Lance Rose. It
has the answers to just about any question when it comes to the law and
your BBS. I think his address is elrose@well.sf.ca.us, but I'm not 100% 
sure about that.

I also don't care about real names, phone #'s, etc.. on my system. I
do require them when a purchase is made with a credit card just to
cover my ass. Oh, I don't read private E-Mail, nor do I watch what
my users type either. This attitude has helped my BBS grow, since
people know that they don't have to worry about big brother on my 
system. I'm up to 39 phone lines now, and I'm adding 4 more shortly.
 
Dean Kerl
weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us

-- 
Dean Kerl
weenie@yenta.alb.nm.us