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BBS FILE by ROBIN HOWELLS
- Originally published in PC Australia, July
1986 and ported to the Net by Carla Perry (the guilty party!) :-)
The Down Under BBS
(Bulletin Board System)
started with a dream in 1978 - in fact it was a Dream 6800 kit
computer, built by Greg Hudson when he was 24 years old.
"It had a
massive 1 K memory," he recalls. "All programming had to be done in
hex and there was no external storage. So when you switched it off
you had to be ready to program it again." Now, users of the Down
Under BBS know that each time they log on they might find a new
feature carefully written into the program. The main menu often
offers a surprise.
"I decided
to start the BBS on August 4, 1985 for the public benefit," Hudson
says. "I chose the name, Down Under, because I was selling software
in the US and wanted a distinctively Australian name". The software
was Star Trek Adventure, a text file adventure game with fine
graphics, written by him originally for the TRS 80. It was adapted
first for the Peach computer and at $15 is a bargain for the IBM PC
and compatibles.
I've still got that Star
Trek game on a 360K floppy !!! - Greg.
In less than
a year the Down Under BBS has attracted between 40 and 50 users each
day, with a few more at weekends. There are around 360 regular users
and over 600 irregular users. Only 13 women use the board. Most
people spend between 20 to 30 minutes on the BBS. If you do not
manage to log on at your first call, keep dialing!
Hudson has
added 15K of source code to the original 35K program running the
Down Under code to the original BBS to support a host of original
features. The improved program has been turned into a standard ASCII
BASIC file, which is still under 30K for the whole BBS because it is
compiled. In the downloadable files area, selective directories are
available including Communication, Finance, Games, Music, Newfiles,
Pictures, Unprotection and Utility categories.
The board is
used to promote products which Down Under Software has for sale,
plus special monthly deals.
The main
users are businessmen and students from the Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology. Asked to predict developments in BBS here
in the next two years, Hudson is not modest. "They'll just have to
keep up to me," he says. "I'm in the process of writing a multi-user
interface with the Down Under BBS. It will have an interactive chat
mode. I believe that is not available on any other BBS in Australia
at the moment."
When this
feature is added, three people at a time (two external users and the
sysop using a local console) will be able to use it. However, Hudson
is planning to expand it with 10 Telecom lines.
Down Under
BBS runs on a PC clone which sports 640K, two serial ports, parallel
and joystick ports, clock/calendar, a DTC hard disk controller, two
outputs to run color and monochrome monitors simultaneously, two
Chinon 360K floppy disk drives and a 22M Tandon hard disk. A NetComm
2123 SmartModem logs callers in at 300 baud and 1200/75 and another
NetComm SmartModem 1234 connects at 300, 1200/75 and 2400
baud.
WOW! A 22 MEG Hard Disk
& 2400 baud modem! How did I cope? :-) - Greg.
Recent
figures show that a surprising 51 per cent of calls come in at
1200/75 and 49 per cent at 300 baud. (This was before the 2400 baud
access became available). Down Under BBS has probably become so
popular because it is continually evolving. Like a Vegemite
sandwich, it is distinctly Australian, and very
addictive.
Robin Howells is a
prolific PC communicator who can be contacted on the Down Under
BBS.
Bulletin Board Stats:
Sysop: Greg Hudson
Phone
number: (03) 429 5819 or 429 8079 (2400
baud only)
Hours of operation: 24
hours
Baud rates: 300, 1200/75,
2400
Protocol: 8 data bits, 1 stop bit,
no parity (all modes).
Access:
Free. (Users can make a voluntary
$10 contribution). Correct names and suburbs
are required)
Time limit: No daily
limit but 60 minute maximum per call.
Files for downloading:
Around 250, all
for IBM PC and compatibles. Another 15M of
software now on floppy disks is to be progressively
added to the hard disk as it is
evaluated.
Comments: Devoted Sysop ensures
that the appearance of this BBS often changing in subtle ways. Top Ten users listing could be a
definitive guide to some BBS fanatics.
Messages are a good mix of technical, personal,
humorous and 'neighbors over the back fence'.
Useful utilities always appearing among
downloadable files. Very busy
board.
Content © 2002 Robin Howells All
rights reserved
original design, layout and web authoring by
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