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wiki:user:digital_man [2022/01/10 22:37] – [Siloed Development] typo digital man | wiki:user:digital_man [2023/04/10 22:47] – Digital man |
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====== Digital Man's Web Log ====== | ====== Digital Man's Web Log ====== |
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| ===== Is Synchronet PD or l33t? ===== |
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| I feel weird answering this rhetorical question because Synchronet has been (or wanted to be) **both** PD and l33t at different times during its history and perhaps now it's just a totally moot and silly question to be asking at all. What am I even talking about, you might ask? |
| * **PD** stands for "Public Domain", which back in the day meant a BBS was legit and only contained/encouraged legal content (e.g. public domain or shareware files) |
| * **l33t** is r0dent-speak for "Elite", which is how BBSes referred to themselves back in the day when they housed archives of illegally copied software (or "pirate warez") or shared other illicit information |
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| I started Synchronet when I was 20 years old, as a project to replace WWIV BBS Software, because I wanted a //stable// multi-node support BBS for my file-transfer oriented elite BBS! New users of [[bbs:Vertrauen]] had to know the current New User Password (NUP), were given a lengthy technical proficiency exam, and required to submit a written request for access, including reference - All the hallmarks of an Elite BBS. My co-sysop and I had fun actively harassing and hazing users of the BBS that we felt were less than deserving of our respect. We had a good time at the expense of many r0dentia. |
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| After the reach of Synchronet extended beyond my local circle of (now ex-)WWIV Sysop friends, I started to add features inspired by commercially-successful multiuser BBS packages (e.g. MajorBBS) and listen to sysops and add more "main stream" features that were being requested by the sysops of more "legit" systems. |
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| When I decided (at my brother's urging) to move Synchronet completely into the commercial realm, I started to look more closely at the competition in the PD/mainstream BBS software market (e.g. Wildcat!, PCBoard, etc.) and copy the features that were most in demand (e.g. QWK support) while moving my own BBS into the role of a mainstream support BBS and removing all questionable content and new user unfriendly features. I also continued to follow the development of WWIV and its derivatives (TAG, Telegard, Renegade) and while I always thought these "scene" software packages had a more appealing aesthetic than the main stream packages, I was really trying to appeal to the commercial BBS sysops, since they were more likely to be willing and able to pay for their software of choice. |
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| After I started advertising Synchronet in BBS-related magazines, I used to prompt "Guest" logins for their voice phone number so I could call them some time after they logged-off to ask if they had any questions (in attempt to drum up sales, which was pretty effective actually). I recall one particular prospective guest sysop that didn't spend much time online before hanging up: When I called him back, I could tell by his voice that he was much more "mature" than I; he did not hesitate to tell me how put off he was by the "look" of Synchronet (the colors, maybe the terminology or the command keys used) and he said: "I know what kind of BBS this is and I'll have no part of that!" before he rudely hung-up his handset. |
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| So while I always tried to make Synchronet more visually appealing than the purely-functional BBS programs of the era (think Maximus, Opus, Fido, MajorBBS), I never went to the extremes of many others (e.g. Searchlight, Forum hacks, Robo/FX) - my focus really was on file transfers, multi-node chat, door games, and messages. And while I did kind of abandon the "elite" scene pretty early in the commercialization of Synchronet, I don't think it ever fully belonged in the commercial/PD BBS software group either. |
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| Someone recently described Synchronet as the "professional" option for BBS software in 2023, but not what the "cool kids" usually run (that preference being Mystic BBS software). I take that both as a compliment and a challenge! |
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===== What's Wrong With FidoNet? ===== | ===== What's Wrong With FidoNet? ===== |