Reviving Mostly Harmless BBS

 It has been over 3 years since I last decided to get back into the BBS scene. A lot has happened in those 3 years, but I have decided that I would like to try and create a more community focused, slower, drama‑free discussion vs social media feeds, retro/“secret clubhouse” vibe BBS for folks tired of the impersonal, lack of focus stuff that fills the modern web.

Folks like me who are older and were around and participated in the early days of the BBS movement... well before the internet, will appreciate the retro feel and the slower, more deliberate feel of of interacting with others on a BBS.

The BBS is still a work in progress again.

BBS Tech - The foundations for modern tech

If you were a sysop in the late 80's and early to mid-1990's you saw first hand the foundations of the future of tech. 

Right around the the turn of the 21st century, a mere 10 years later, tech began to rapidly change, bring newer and more innovative and efficient ways to do things with technology. Things got smaller, faster, more creative, useful and affordable. Gaming went to a whole new level. Phone technology brought us real life "Star Trek" types of uses and applications. Data storage got smaller and larger. Network connectivity started it's climb to where it is today - taken for granted it is so commonplace.

But during the heyday of the BBS, things were different. Home computers were relatively still a new thing. My first computer was an IBM XT that had 64k of memory, no hard drive, a 3.5" and 5.25" floppy drives and a 15" CGA monitor. All of that, in 1990, cost me about $500. That was a lot of money.

Fast forward to about 1992 and I ended up purchasing, what was then a relatively high end computer. It was a Packard-Bell 486DX. It had 16MB of RAM and two 3.5" floppy drives. In addition to the computer, which did not come with a hard drive, I bought a 250MB hard drive for $200 (a steal back back then), a VGA monitor, and a 14.4k modem. All said and done I paid nearly $1000 for that system. There are watches now that have more computing power than that whole system did.

All that being said, however, this is where the foundations of modern tech really started. So briefly, I will talk about a few things that the BBS era brought to the table.

First and foremost it brought the concept of network connectivity to the mainstream. The BBS realm saw the rise of interconnected BBS networks such as FIDONet, UUCPNET, WWIVnet, and others. These were basically the precursors to the modern USEnet networks. Learning about protocols, nodes, hubs, and the basics of network connectivity was a necessity for a successful BBS. It also served many modern day network professionals with their first taste of networking.

While modem connections were slow back then, they also provided not only the ability to connect to a BBS, but to fledgling online services such as AOL Online, Compuserve, and Prodigy (The Big Three) - the precursors to the modern internet.

Behind networking came understanding computer hardware. Back then, you didn't really have "plug and play" and configuring things such as IRQ's, COM ports, motherboard jumper switches, and RAM allocation were real struggles. 

Alongside the hardware struggles were understanding things such as programming the BBS software (many use C, Turbo C or C++), installing applications (mostly games) with the proper settings for functionality, and configuring necessary files when using networks like FIDOnet.

Conversely, this made a BBS sysop probably one of the most technically savvy people you would find in terms of sheer knowledge of hardware, software, and networking. 

Some of the foundations for today's tech

So let's list some BBS era things that laid the foundations for modern technology. 

BBS Doors - These games were usually turn based, text driven games that you could play against other members of the BBS. The king of the BBS door games was by far Trade Wars 2002.  It has been cited as an inspiration of game developers like Paul Sage (Ultima Online), Josh Johnston (Jumpgate), Eric Wang (Earth and Beyond) and Pete Mackay (Star Citizen).

Forum/Mail Networks - As referred to earlier, BBS networks such as FIDOnet, UUCPNET, WWIVnet and others laid the foundations for the modern USEnet and forum/mail type network exchanges.

BBS Networking - Using a modem over a phone line had its limitations, but that didn't stop BBS users and sysops from pushing the technology to its max. Dial-up networking was the launchpad for understanding how to connect not only to a BBS, but to online services, network exchanges, forum/mail networks, and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. The internet and modern network technology really started right here with the dial-up modem.

Chat, Forums, and Blogs - The BBS is the father of all three of these technologies. The BBS system, in the form of message boards, was the first way to "speak" with others in a computerize environment. Your messages, while not instantaneous, could then be read and commented on by not just one person, but others, pretty much how modern forum and blog comments work today. Some BBS software had a psuedo-chat function that would allow you to talk to one person alone (a direct message (DM) if you will) that were the beginnings of online, real-time chat services such as ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger and PowWow.

Downloadable Software - It is no secret that even before the internet in the days of the BBS, downloading illegal software or adult content trumped everything else. Many BBS systems had file areas that contained what was called "shareware" back in the day that you could download and upload to the BBS system. You could do the same with adult images (also videos, but due to connection speeds and file sizes, these were very rare). Alongside the shareware programs came "warez" - which was basically preregistered programs or programs that contained a "keygen" that would allow you to create a bogus product key to register the program. Warez was HUGE during the BBS years.  So, while it isn't a great thing, it is still to this day the same as it was back then - adult content and illegal software rule the online world.

Wrapping up

So, while the list is certainly not exhaustive, it is clear that back in the days when BBS ruled the computer world, the tech that was available, while archaic to modern standards, was cutting edge and the catalyst of the world we currently reside where technology is mostly just taken for granted.

I would love to hear your stories, experiences and thoughts! 

Why a BBS today is relevant, IMHO

There are adults alive today that have absolutely no concept of what a BBS is/was. Simply put, once the internet came along, the BBS world came to a screeching halt and faded into obscurity - for the most part.

The BBS world was akin to record albums when CD's came out, and CD's to MP3 and MP3's to streaming audio... technology kept marching on and everything else relegated to history.

But like most things in the world, a cycle happens and old becomes new again. This is true in music, fashion and even technology. The growth of BBS systems, while not in the traditional sense using a phone and modem, has been steady the past couple of years. But are they relevant in an instant gratification world?

Here's why I think they are.

Background and comparison

So let's talk briefly about what a BBS was and compare that to it's modern equivalents.

Then: Back in the 1990's you used your telephone (no, not cell phone... we're talking wired land line) and connected a modem to your computer that would in turn allow others who dialed your number with their modem and a terminal emulator (Procomm Plus, Hyperterminal, etc) to connect to your system.

Needless to say, speed was not part of the equation.

You then logged into the BBS and you could hold discussions with others via message boards. This was not like chat where it was instantaneous. You posted a message and then waited for others to respond. It was slow, especially if the BBS only had one phone line. 

I will say that, for the most part, when you posted a message, there was a bit of thought that went into it. You had time to think out responses, to reflect on other peoples posts. The slower pace was a benefit, not a detriment.

You could also play text-based games called "doors" (such as Tradewars, Legend of the Red Dragon, etc) and you could upload and download files (I'll create a whole other post about uploads and downloads, warez [software obtained illegally], adult images, etc. in another post).

You had to have patience in every aspect of using a BBS. The other thing is, back then, most of the time you called local area code BBS's because of long distance phone charges (something the youth of today have no clue about) which meant your BBS community, nine times out of ten, was local to you and BBS system users became almost like family.

Now: The internet came along and the one single thing it accomplished was to make things almost instantaneous. Message forums and blogs replaced BBS message boards and not only did the amount of people viewing your message increase, so did the time it took to get responses. But chat applications like ICQ, AOL, etc. took communication to a whole new level. Not only was it instantaneous, it was worldwide.

Add to that you could now find virtually anything you were looking for online, download and upload (again, the early days warez and adult images ruled... and while warez is definitely still out there to this day, adult content rules the internet).  

The biggest difference is that communication between people no longer required locality. The world was literally wide open. While some forums and blogs are more personal, the majority of them you are a tiny speck in a vast ocean of users. The concept of a tight knit community where the people involved actually get to know the other members of the community personally is the exception, not the rule today.

And unlike the thought out, reflective posts of the BBS days, most interaction these days is knee-jerk with little to no thought/research involved in questions and responses. Not always the case, but it is the more common scenario.

Get to the point already Nic!

So, why do I think running and being a member of a BBS is relevant today? 

1. You have a better chance at having a tight-knit community. You and your users have something in common, whether that is interests, locality or nostalgia. This means you are not that speck in the vast ocean of users. You have a name, you have value.
2. Discussions become more meaningful. They are also better thought out, reviewed and presented. Quality over quantity.
3. There is still good tech to be learned. If you are a tech geek there is still lots of ways to stretch your skill set - whether that be in the programming of the BBS, the networking, understanding the base operating system better in order to get the most from your BBS. Mixing old tech and new tech takes skill and effort.

Conclusion

In the end modern BBS systems will most likely only be visited by those who are seeking to rekindle their BBS/sysop days of yore. The majority of the world is clueless as to what a BBS was/is and could care less if asked.

But for those willing to take the dive and rediscover or discover for the first time, the joys and benefits that being part of a BBS can offer, I say all the best to you and I hope your adventure brings you insight not only into yourself but into others.

Setting up SyncTERM

In this post I will explain how to install and configure a basic SyncTERM setup. This setup will be using Windows but SyncTERM installs just as easy on Linux and OS X.

I am not going to get into all the advanced configurations, SyncTERM does a lot, but just enough to get you up and running and connecting to a BBS (this example, unashamedly, uses my BBS as the example).

So, on to the how-to!

(Screen shots are at the bottom of the directions)

1. Download SyncTERM for your operating system HERE. (Pay attention to where you download the file)
2. Launch the setup program from the download location.
3. At the following screen (see IMG1) you either select to have a populated list of BBS’s or start with a blank list (I prefer to uncheck the box as opposed to deleting BBS’s I won’t connect to at a later time).
4. The rest of the installation is pretty much just clicking NEXT
5. Check the box to launch SyncTERM at the end of the install.
6. When SyncTERM loads you will see the following screen (see IMG2)
7.  Press the”insert” key on your keyboard to create a new entry and enter the name of the BBS (see IMG3)
8. Under “Connection Type” choose “Raw” (Yes, you will be connecting via Telnet, but choosing Raw will aleviate problems withing with the external apps in the BBS.) (See IMG 4)
9. Now enter the address of the bbs. It can either be an IP address or an actual name (in this case we use my BBS in which the IP is attached to a domain name). If you do enter the IP DO NOT enter the port afterwwards, that will be done in the next step. (see IMG5)
10. That will add the BBS to the list, now press “F2” to edit listing and you will see specialized settings for this BBS. All you need to worry about is the “TCP Port” this is where you will put the port number in if the BBS specifies one other than port 23. If they do not, enter 23 (my BBS uses port 2323, so that is displayed)(see IMG6).
11. You are now able to conenct to the listed BBS by selecting it and hitting “Enter”
12. And that my friends is all there is to setting up SyncTERM to connect to a BBS!

What the hell is a BBS?

What the hell is a BBS?

Back in the late 80′ and early 1990’s this would have been a stupid question. During those decades before the Internet, BBS’s (Bulletin Board System) ruled supreme, the Sysop (System Operator) was considered a VIP, and being “online” was in vogue.

That was 30 or more years ago. Technology has grown so large and common place that there are adults alive now who do not even know a world that was without email, the world wide web, social media, Facebook, etc. The concept of connecting over a VERY slow phone line and not having instant gratification is alien to them. They never got to hear the “modem handshake” sound of getting connected.

So, there are LOTS of resources on the web to tell you about the glory days of the BBS. I will make some blog posts that will talk a little more in detail about the how’s and why’s and what-for’s.  For now just know that a BBS is slightly similar to modern day forums, social media and chat.

What is Mostly Harmless BBS?

Mostly Harmless BBS is connected to via a “telnet client”. You don’t have to know details, you just need to download one, set it up (super easy, I’ll teach you in a blog post), and connect. That is the easy part. The hard part is losing your concept of modern technology and dive into a world where graphics were NOT king, content and community was.

1. Mostly Harmless BBS is a WWIV BBS that has a few main focuses: The first is community and content. The message boards are the meat and potatoes of the BBS. It’s focus is on BBS tech (how-tos, discussion, reminiscing), Linux, and a little bit of levity for those who enjoy old-school British comedy. But the focus is to bring like-minded people together in a smaller, more manageable community at a slower pace. Quality, not quantity.
   
   
2. The second  is for fun and reminiscing. A lot of us in our 40’s, 50’s and 60’s embraced this technology many years ago. Getting to enjoy it again, converse with fellow “bbsers” and remember why some of us actually ended up in the IT field as a career choice because of the BBS. Plus, there are online games that predate most, but not all, DOS games and were the catalysts for modern gaming.

To share the BBS spirit with others and help teach a new generation of the joys it can still bring. ‘Nuff said.

So, now what?

Get logged in!! Here is a super quick start:

• Download SyncTERM
• Connect to harmless.ignorelist.com 2323
• Create an account
• HAVE FUN!

Sure, there are other steps in there, which as I said, I will cover in detail in a blog post. But for the most part, that is really it. A BBS can be accessed regardless of computer age, graphics ability and operating system. It’s literally available to the masses!

Be sure to read the blog posts with the tags bbs, newby, syncterm in them and you’ll be on your way!