http://wiki.synchro.net/ 2026-04-12T08:48:11+00:00 http://wiki.synchro.net/ http://wiki.synchro.net/_media/wiki:logo.png text/html 2010-02-24T04:16:07+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:development?rev=1266984967&do=diff Development History (2000) Original Document, Rob Swindell, October 2000 The Beginning I, Rob Swindell, started writing Synchronet BBS Software from scratch in 1990 (at the age of 20). At that time, I had been programming in C for about a year and a half. Needless to say, some of the early design decisions, I would've made differently today (hindsight is always 20/20). When browsing the code, keep in mind there are still portions of the source that have remained unchanged for the past ten yea… text/html 2010-03-08T16:40:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:digital_dynamics?rev=1268066419&do=diff Digital Dynamics (1992-1995) Digital Dynamics was a private company created by Rob Swindell in 1992 for the purpose of selling Synchronet BBS and related software and hardware packages directly to Sysops around the world. Mike Swindell was instrumental in the launching of Digital Dynamics, the creation of all advertising and other press materials, and the successful marketing of Synchronet in the early to mid 1990s. text/html 2022-02-02T22:25:18+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:feedback?rev=1643840718&do=diff Earliest Feedback Regarding Synchronet (1991) From Steve Deppe's backup floppies, snippets of Vertrauen's new user validation emails from the first days of running Synchronet open to the public: To : Digital Man Title: Hi From : Nightwing #27 Date : Wed Jul 17 22:33:53 1991 RE: Validation This software looks terrific. So I can finally do my batch uploads with no worries? Sounds great to me. To : Digital Man Title: Validation From : Beemer #28 Date : Wed Jul 17 23:16:04 1991 RE: Val… text/html 2024-04-04T21:13:36+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:hack93?rev=1712265216&do=diff Synchronet/DSZ "Hack" of 1993 In August of 1992, I began to hear rumors that there was a known vulnerability in Synchronet and some Synchronet BBSes were suspected to have been “hacked” (using dial-up modems as was the means of the day). It wasn't until my good friend text/html 2023-02-28T22:44:11+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:index?rev=1677624251&do=diff History It all started sometime in 1990. Here's a Telix log file that Steve Deppe archived from 1990, showing that Steve downloaded (at 2400bps!) this “new bbs” source code that Rob started developing (in Turbo C) in November of 1990: 90-11-27 23:21:34 Telix Usage Log Opened. 90-11-27 23:22:16 Connected with : RS line 1 sys dnet 90-11-27 23:22:16 ++ At phone # : 1 714 529-9525 90-11-27 23:22:16 ++ Settings : 2400,N,8,1 90-11-27 23:49:43 Download using Zmodem protocol. 9… text/html 2018-12-20T02:51:11+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:manifesto?rev=1545274271&do=diff The Digital Manifesto (1996) “The Internet Killed the BBS Star” (Synchronet: Past, Present, and Future) Original Document, Rob Swindell, August 1996 If you're reading this message, then you probably are or have been at some time interested in Synchronet BBS software in some way, shape or form. If you don't know what Synchronet is, then you'll probably be bored to death. :) text/html 2025-03-20T20:32:43+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:memorial?rev=1742502763&do=diff In Memoriam This page is for the remembrance of pioneering and influential people in the BBS community that have passed on. Steve Deppe Steven Brent Deppe (May 22, 1958 - July 10, 2014) A.K.A. Ille Homine Albe Early contributor to Synchronet BBS Software and mentor to Digital Man. Chuck Forsberg Charles Alton "Chuck" Forsberg (May 6, 1944 – September 24, 2015) Inventor of YMODEM and ZMODEM file transfer protocols. text/html 2025-07-11T03:44:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:newcfgfiles?rev=1752205478&do=diff New Config Files (introduced in v3.20) Synchronet v3.20 introduces a new primary configuration file format using ini file syntax. Sysops can upgrade a Synchronet v3.1x configuration to v3.20 by running 'jsexec upgrade_to_v320.js' either before (preferably) or after upgrading their Synchronet executable binary files to v3.20. The text/html 2024-09-14T20:50:57+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:newfilebase?rev=1726347057&do=diff New Filebase (introduced in v3.19) The new filebase files are stored in the same database location as before (e.g. data/dirs/), but the file extensions and storage formats are different: Purpose Old New Index (e.g. filenames) text/html 2023-07-19T00:25:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:newuserbase?rev=1689726358&do=diff New Userbase (introduced in v3.20) Synchronet v3.20 introduces a new primary user database file format and naming: data/user/user.dat -> user.tab The secondary user data files (data/user/####.ini) remain as-is. Why the change? The Synchronet user.dat text/html 2022-02-02T20:15:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:origins?rev=1643832955&do=diff Digital Man's Discussions w/Steve on Synchronet Development (1991) Steve Deppe (Ille Homine Albe) archived his emails (to 5.25“ floppy disks!) back in 1991 and he saved the following exchanges with Rob (Digital Man) discussing some of the earliest development of “the new text/html 2019-07-25T00:18:24+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:v2development?rev=1564013904&do=diff Synchronet Version 2 Development History Imported from the old Synchronet v2 docs/sbbs.hst file: Legend: ! Bug Fix * New Feature & Change of Operation Each line begins with one of the modification types listed in the legend above and then followed by a single digit (0-9) rating the importance/severity of the modification (0 being least significant). *********************************** June 2, 1994 Version 2.00a Released *********************************** !0 When a directory was set… text/html 2026-03-17T09:50:37+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:versions?rev=1773741037&do=diff Synchronet Version Number History and Release Dates Version Level Date Change Summary 1A00 Alpha 04/27/91 Before Digital Dynamics 1A05 Release 02/19/92 1A08 Release 05/29/92 First commercial release (as Digital Dynamics) 1A09 Release text/html 2021-02-18T02:47:00+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://wiki.synchro.net/history:waynebell_chat?rev=1613616420&do=diff Digital Man's Captured Chat with Wayne Bell (1992) Wayne Bell was the creator of WWIV BBS Software. Due to my familiarity with WWIV, both as a user and a sysop, I originally modeled the Synchronet BBS user experience (the “look and feel”, color scheme, command keys/combinations, etc.) on that of WWIV. Because of this, there were often rumors that Synchronet was a