🚀 go-pugleaf

Randy Crawford wrote:
> 
> klaatu wrote:
> >
> > thedirectory of BBSes and Internet Access Providers wrote:
> > >
> > > klaatu (root@earthops.org) wrote:
> > > : BBSes? Does anyone actually call them anymore? Hasn't anyone ever heard the
> > > : saying, "That's as old as a BBS"?
> > >
> > > Yes they do. If you don't like BBSes, don't call them.
> >
> >[...] I'd rather hang on-line with people I may never meet, but who occasionally
> > are well-mannered credentialed professionals with morals and ethics.
> 
> Morals and ethics... on USENET?  :->  Boy are *you* in the wrong place!

Hey, I did say "occasionally". Admittedly this is less the case since AOL started
mailing free starter disks to everyone in the world...


> 
> >
> >[...] If we were all the same the world would be v-e-r-y boring.
> >
> > Ah, yes, that's why I like the Internet! Instead of having to find some sysop
> > who's not on an access-control powertrip, and hoping that I won't offend them or
> > their users, I can say what I want, and if I am confronted with someone who's
> > opinions differ, there's absolutely no problem. Neither of us can really do a
> > damned thing about getting the other's access cancelled, and the absence of
> > potential for power-over turns one-way one-sided forums into true debates, which
> > rarely if ever occur on any single-system BBS.
> 
> Perhaps disagreements between user and the-powers-that-be occur less often on
> Usenet than BBSes, but you're hardly invulnerable.  If you doubt it, try the
> following:
> 
> 1) Repeatedly post irrelevant drivel to a serious newsgroup.

Tasteless but not actionable, usually. Mostly you just get killfiled.

> 2) Crosspost a bunch of newsgroups a few too many times.

Hmmm. Well, that usually depends on who complains. 

> 3) Spam all the newsgroups even once.

There is that.

> 4) Post sexual material that features underage participants.

That's criminal.

> 5) Threaten another user.

That's criminal.

> 6) Mailbomb someone.

Arguable criminal, depending on the laws in their jurisdiction and the ownership of
the system. Not a good idea anyway, turnabout's fair play. Besides, for all you know,
the mailbomb you sent was to some domain fronting for the military... very bad
practice.

> 7) Place minimally controversial content on your personal web page at your
>    place of employment.

That's between you and the employer. His system, his time, your job.

> 
> I'll put money on the probability that any one of these will result in angry
> email to you AND your ISP/employer.  It's increasingly NOT the wild west out here.

I didn't say that it was! I literally and legitimately meant that it's not the
personal property of some lifeless geek with nothing better to do than to live to
post, not that I should talk. But the point is that I can, within the constraints of
Netiquette and the limits placed on free speech, say whatever the heck I want. If I
want to (and can) do a better job of debating a point in opposition to my sysop, I'm
not going to get bounced. 

And in the absence of doing any of the Seven Big No-Nos listed above, my ISP isn't
going to bounce me as long as I pay my fees.

> 
> >
> > As one sysop said, well, coming onto my BBS is like coming into my house. And
> > he's right. I take it to the street, the Mainstreet of the world of
> > communications, UseNet.
> 
> Hmm.  As a relatively long time Usenet denizen (> 7 years), I would say that in
> the past couple of years, the internet has become more of a Backalley than a
> Mainstreet.

How so? Bandwidth availability way down?

> 
> >
> > If you want to crouch in one little dimly-lit virtual room that's completely
> > isolated from the larger world of online communications, go right ahead.
> 
> Have you ever heard of RIME?  Probably 90% of the BBSes in the DC area are
> connected via RIME just as far and wide as the internet.  RIME bulletin boards
> (and BBSes) have worldwide distribution.  They have since *well* before the
> WWW existed.

Yes, and I've heard of FIDO too. And then again, people got along just fine ridign
horse before cars came along. And yes, of course, cars (and the internet) brought
with them all sorts of new problems... but people generally went with the future, and
relegated the past to history.

> 
> You also might want to check out the content on The Well, or AOL or a sundry of
> other BBS variants.  There's a lot of good stuff out there that's not on the
> Internet.

Oh, I'm quite sure there is! But I already pay enoguh for my internet connection
without having to direct-dial to some BBS and pay by the hour while it forces
downloads of proprietary software onto my system.

> 
> >
> > I shall continue to scoff.
> 
> Actually, we well-mannered credentialed professionals wish you would take your
> negative and elitist attitude elsewhere.

I suppose I could scathingly inquire if by any chance you worked for one of those
providers such as Genie or AOL or whatever, but that would be rude, if not pointless.


> 
> <...spoken in a clipped british accent, of course...>

Quite right, ol 'bean.

Actually, in effect, I'm running a BBS of my own, 'earthops.org', since I have no
dial-in, no real users, and a paucity of drivespace. I guess I could always go back
to DOS and run a BBS, but frankly, I like interacting with a larger world, and it
costs me a heck of a lot less to run 'earthops.org' than it does to run Searchlight
or Citadel.


> 
> --
> Randy
> crawford@mrj.com

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