Let me tell all the children a bedtime story.
Once upon a time there was no Internet, and those who had computers were isolated without access to new software and all the things we now take for granted.
At first I was sure the only use for plugging the phone into my computer was to send faxes, but without someone to fax it was shortlived. My friend Gene Deel told me that I could connect with other computers via a phone line!
Using ProComm Plus (which incidentally looks nothing like what it does today) I connected with Cole's Kingdom (which appears to be down now so I'm linking a cached page) and began a bold new journey.
More BBSs appeared in Sparta, including one I ran for a while. It was unsatisfactory though, digital inbreeding. It was a closed system.
I then found a file that had 1-800 BBSs on it, and the world opened up. I found some kids who turned me on to war dialing and soon I had access to new people, new files, new worlds.
SysOps would tend to lock out access to the kids we let in on our new discovery. BBSs were accessible only briefly, then we moved on, digital nomads.
I made a few friends that I still have today. But the Internet came to town, and soon people stopped BBSsing all together.
I post this bit of history, because I wonder where so many of those friends I made on 800 BBSs went to. All the kids who used to use Bark BBS, where did you go? It's my hope that if anyone finds my mention of Bark BBS then they will leave a comment on here so that I'm not the only fool who reminisces about it.
Matt - 9/11/2006 10:43:00 AM
You and I must have started this whole "computer" thing at the same time, for I remember the worlds opened up by the BBS.
Actually, I remember LORD best.
Chuck - 9/11/2006 11:09:00 AM
Legend of the Red Dragon.
Man, you wouldn't believe how many people tried to pay me to upgrade their accound on that game.
Out of all the door games, I liked Land of Devistation the most. It wasn't nearly as popular as LORD though.
I think I got my first computer in '92 or '93, I found BBSs around a year later.
PiCKleBro - 9/12/2006 09:11:00 PM
I would play a LOD mmo man...that would rock..hehehe. Anywho - dropping you a line mang!
Chuck - 9/12/2006 10:15:00 PM
I think Anarchy Online was supposed to be like that. The graphics were certainly better than LODs, but I couldn't do it. I don't have time for an MMORPG in my life right now (perhaps ever).
PiCKleBro - 9/20/2006 04:38:00 PM
While we're dropping names...
ACiD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACiD_Productions
Chuck - 9/20/2006 09:43:00 PM
I've looked around for ACiD stuff and not ever found any. Good name drop.
They were the DeviantArt of the 90's. Only the best of the best could get in. Wonder if there are any of those ANSI packs are still floating around the net?
Chuck - 9/20/2006 09:45:00 PM
I wasn't looking very hard apparantly...
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