You may have bought your modem so that you can receive timely reports from the branch office, but telecommunications offers much more than that. The computerized bulletin board system (BBS), for example, serves much the same purpose as the bulletin board at the grocery store - the exchange of information, that commodity that computers deal so effectively with. A few generous souls have taken on the duties of Sysop (short for SYStem OPerator) of their own bulletin board systems, inviting us, via the telephone lines, into their living rooms 24 hours a day. Here's the first installment in a series of reviews of Chicago area systems.
The Word Processing BBS
312/491-6995 (Evanston). 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, 300/1200 baud. Running IBBS version 5.04. Sysop: Henry Kisor. Open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, except when in use by Sysop. Registration (free) and validation required for full access.
This interesting BBS is part of a new trend in bulletin boards - dedication to a particular topic. In this case, Chicago Sun-Times columnist Henry Kisor moderates a lively message base and file library devoted to word processing. Here you can find descriptions of all sorts of patches to venerable old WordStar, along with discussions on using such state-of-the-art programs as WordPerfect 4.1 and XyWrite III.
Messages here are not of the Hi-thought-I'd-send-you-a-message-how's-your-Atari variety, but thoughtful discussions covering many aspects of word processing and computing issues. If you leave a message, you'll generally get a reply. Gene Plantz's IBBS software, which this board has been running since February 1, is a welcome advance over the American E-Mail software previously used.
A real treat on this BBS is Sysop Kisor's columns, which include reviews of products like WordPerfect 4.1, AI:Typist, Turbo Lightning, and Gem Write, as well as columns on 1985 favorites and 1986 trends. Kisor writes in an economical, colorful style, and his columns are full of good sense and good reading.
The file download library is full of printer utilities, file conversion and archiving utilities, word processing utilities, and Kisor's columns. Definitely worth a call if your interests include word processing.
The Business/Professional BBS
312/940-6496 (Deerfield). 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, 300/450/1200/2400 baud. Running RBBS-PC version CPC13.1A software. Sysop: Ron Fox. Open from 4:00 PM (approximately) to 7:30 AM weekdays, 24 hours per day on weekends and holidays. Registration (free) required for access.
Ron Fox's Business/Professional BBS offers a variety of message and file bases of interest to IBM PC and other users. The emphasis here is not on games, but on open, informative discussions of other areas of computing.
To promote discussion, Fox maintains a series of conferences, which are message bases grouped by topic, such as the artificial intelligence and database management systems conferences. Both of these conferences are open to all users; to join in the discussion, just indicate your desire to join, send a message, and check back later for a response. These two conferences contain many intelligent and informative messages, so much so that I captured a number of them with my communications software and printed them for further perusal.
Unfortunately, there isn't a great deal of activity in these conferences, but the few who do contribute are worth reading.
The file section contains a large number of files organized by topic into directories, making it easy to locate files on a particular subject. Highlights here are the directories of Lotus 1-2-3 and Symphony worksheets, Framework files, and utilities. Particularly worthwhile is the artificial intelligence directory, containing public domain versions of PROLOG and LISP, as well as bibliographies for further reading.
The Chat Boards
ASCII Connection 312/284-6124 (Chicago), The Bunker 312/759-9191 (Lemont), Cross Talk 312/969-1145 (Downers Grove), Kaleidoscope 312/968-4820 (Darien), The White Zone 312/759-2882 (Lemont), Your Imagination 312/964-9517 (Downers Grove). All 300 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. All open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Most operate on a subscription basis (rates are usually $12.00 monthly), but you can log on for a few minutes as a visitor.
Take an Apple II computer, six or seven telephone lines and modems. Add software that monitors each phone line, transmitting to all other lines a participant's "handle" and message as soon as it's received. Then open the system to anyone. The result might look like this:
(A3:Jo-Jo) Hello, All (A4: *DUDE*) HI jo (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) how do you know jodie dude? L4 .. 1 Minute left (A4: *DUDE*) I've talked to her before [A6:Johnny B] ya, sure (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) oh where ya live? (A4: *DUDE*) Who me? (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) yah you (no the other dude on the system) [A6:Johnny B] no, the pope (A1:ROAD RUNNER) he (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) well? [A6:Johnny B] what about me? (A4: *DUDE*) You're a smart ass J.B. L4 .. Disconnected ( *DUDE*)
I'll explain as much of this as I can. The header at the start of each message is the caller's handle, that is, the name they've made up to use on chat boards. A header like this (A3:Jo-Jo) means "Jo-Jo" calling on line 3. Also, *DUDE* was disconnected because his time ran out. Read on to see if you can discern the meaning of the rest.
(A1:ROAD RUNNER) heh (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) come on dude where ya live? [A6:Johnny B] who cares (A1:ROAD RUNNER) heh (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) he's a rotten liar (A1:ROAD RUNNER) heh [A6:Johnny B] he means he talked to her on the modem (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) where's all the action tonight?
A new caller announces his presence...
6:COMMODORK USER) DUH...I HAVE A COMMODORE 64 L1 .. Connected (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) hola uno! (A4:FEROCIOUS) he (A3:Jo-Jo) How did you get the name "Tubbs"? (A6:COMMODORK USER) SLURP...DUHH L3 .. 1 Minute left
And another new caller screams in capitals with a keyboard macro...
(A1:FOOTBALL FARLEY) WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN JOINING "VITRUE OF GOD" OR "FOOTBALL"? PRICE OF ONLY 25 CENTS. YOU TOO, CAN BE ONE OF US. FREE >FOOTBALL<IN FRONT OF YOUR NAME, FREE SUNDAY PRAYERS AND PENALTIES! INTERESTED? (A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) you ever watch miami vice ? duh... (A6:COMMODORK USER) DUHHHH COMMODORE AMIGA..DUHH (A3:Jo-Jo) No. (A4:FEROCIOUS) hehehe
A controversy is brewing...
(A2:Tubbs(Miami Vice)) im going i hate those jerks (A4:FEROCIOUS) HI 3 (A1:FOOTBALL FARLEY) WANT TO JOIN? YOU CAN BE FOOTBALL FEROCIOUS.. OR FOOTBALL TUBBS (A4:FEROCIOUS) No way It sounds gay (A2:Football Tubbs) are you satisfied? L2 .. Disconnected (Football Tubbs) (A4:FEROCIOUS) hehehe (A3:Jo-Jo) What is all this? L4 .. 1 Minute left (A4:FEROCIOUS) Don't listen to this guy JO L6 .. Disconnected (COMMODORK USER) (A3:Jo-Jo) Who is he? <A2:Spike] What's going on here (A3:Jo-Jo) Tell me more, FARLEY? L6 .. Connected (A4:FEROCIOUS) O god gimme a break (A1:FOOTBALL FARLEY) WE ARE STARTING A NEW RELIGION CALLED "FOOTBALL" MAKE YOUR NAME "FOOTBALL JO-JO" (A3:Jo-Jo) I don't think so... <A2:Spike] Hi DL L4 .. Disconnected (FEROCIOUS) (A1:FOOTBALL FARLEY) MAKE YOUR NAME FOOTBALL SPIKE <A2:Spike] This is getting ridiculous..I just called <A6:>-[ ** DL ** ] Go Ahead and make my day ... L4 .. Connected <A2:Spike] Hi 4 L1 .. 1 Minute left <A2:Spike] Bye Farley (A1:FOOTBALL FARLEY) WATCH, AND JOIN L1 .. Disconnected (FOOTBALL FARLEY) (A4: FEROCIOUS) HI again
A new caller arrives on line 1. All rush to greet him...
L1 .. Connected< <A6:>-[ ** DL ** ] Hi 1 (A4: FEROCIOUS) HI 1 <A2:Spike] Hi 1 L3 .. 1 Minute left (A1:) I WANT TO START A MOVIE DATABASE. (A4: FEROCIOUS) What?
A pause for a moment...
(A4: FEROCIOUS) Well, why isn't anyone talking?
Chat boards are quite an interesting sociological phenomenon. It's about the only place where you can have a discussion with six individuals and not know who they are, much less such details as their sex or age.
But calling the dialogue on most chat boards a discussion may be too generous. With so many participants arriving and departing, much of the activity consists of greeting new callers and wishing well to those who are leaving. Additionally, the delays in typing a response to a message, coupled with the fact that there may be several strains of conversation going on at once, impose a level of anarchy on the whole process.
Although it's possible to have intelligent conversations with adult-minded callers on some chat boards, much of the activity seems oriented toward younger computerists. School and name-calling, for example, are frequent topics. But get yourself a handle and give chat boards a try - you may make new friends.