BBS interview

[ElliotLakeCanada]

I was the first child aged 10 who created my own BBS complete with failsafe code, using error checking to ensure the code never broke into basic, all errors, usernames, passwords were logged using a database on 5 1/4" disk. Permissions for guests, new users, and Members as well as sysop. And had a full array of things to do depending on privledges. Timer for each member of 10 mins per call, and no more than 5 calls a day. I was awarded a plaque of achievement for this.

[girlstorm09]

i wonder if teens and nerds were addicted to BBS when it was around like how people are addicted to the internet today:P

[vk4akp]

He looks like a TI user!! LOL. Poor Ba$tard. Should have got himself a Commodore 64! ;) .-.-.

[daevczen]

@vk4akp Don't insult my friend, nerd.

[ElliotLakeCanada]

Just to add to disconnect users I used a piece of code that would disconnect users and it was +++ATH once the user seen this bye bye offline they went. I used a Hayes smart modem 1200 baud. and i also used a COCO 3 hehe loved it

[dashwarts]

Too bad I wasn't around then...

P.S. Whatever happened to Hayes?

[databeer]

TERMINAL EMULATOR 2 FOREVER!

lol

[KJeLDaR]

Is there any life left in internet? i mean... is there some corner where you can feel again those old days? (Those old days that i sadly never lived...)

[atari26003]

1 year later i find this.

yes there is some lol. and if you want to know it use telnet to connect to them.

I would love to start one but i don't have the time.

[timaster1]

Yes, for real. I hadn't seen the PHP version yet, haven't played those games in years. Back then I was a huge fan, enough to disassemble the interpreter and fix several bugs so that the newer Z-code games would work (only the Z-code v3 games, i.e. Leather Goddesses, and others) Most of the newer games worked on a stock TI, two of them required a Supercart due to memory requirements. I also did an 80 column version for the Geneve and the 80-column card TI's.

[timaster1]

What is interesting is that the computer in the scene where Bill Cosby is holding a computer up, isn't a TI-99/4A but is a TI-99/2, which was never released.

[daevczen]

Dang. You are right. Sorry! Another factual error that we made is that Scott Adams didn't create Zork.

[timaster1]

Very true... as a point of trivia, I was the person who ported all the dozen or so Infocom games to the TI, that Infocom didn't release themselves. Got my TI back in '81, and actually have a couple of 99/2's in my posession, amongst other old stuff :)

[daevczen]

For real? Are you familiar with the php version online at thc dot net? There, I seem to be lost in the underworld because navigating through it is rather buggy. What gives?

[atomofthought]

Nice video. That guy Robert is on top of Geek Pyramid though.

Atom

[daevczen]

That would make him a sort of geek pharoah, then: gliding along the information Nile through the netherworld, or rather *etherworld*?

[servertest]

Whoa. The memories. Pretty parallel to alot of us fogies I'm sure. My BBS ran AtariLink BBS on an Atari 1200XL, started using 300 baud, then went to 1200, then 2400. Crazy how now we can watch video of each other talking through a browser... seems like only ysterday...

[daevczen]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.

[ron7006]

This was like putting Merlin in a trance.

He's trying to connect to the bunny network right now.

It's so great!!

[daevczen]

Dood! Merlin is great in all totality!!

[OnOffPT]

That's a nice report.

It's like "The Beggining"

[daevczen]

1) What does BBS stand for? 2) Describe Robert's first modem. 3) Why was is it problematic? 4) What was his first computer? 5) What sort of games did he play on his computer? Name one. 6) What was the first programming language that Robert learned? 7) Why did Robert expand his computer? Give specific details. 8) What was offered on his BBS 9) What was his BBS called? 10) Describe how his BBS communicated with other networks. 11) How large were downloads back then?