Re: Re: BBSLink QWK Network
By: Ennev to KK4QBN on Tue Oct 31 2017 07:51:04
Please be advised the BBSLink QWK Packet Network no longer exists as
far as KK4QBN BBS is concerned. This is why I have deactivated ALL QWK
nodes that connected to this BBS.
It would have been a great idea if people actually participated in it.
Never and don't have any ill will. I must admit I was considering participating, but consistency in the availability of your system from what I was reading in dove.net felt flaky.
I'm sory, I dont know where you get your information from, but since the dawn of telnet BBS systems I have ran two, 1 being Warzone BBS which stayed online close to 4 years, Yes I had my issues with it, BUT I also was a great steward to the services I provided on the system, If an issue popped up, we always had backup servers, or I would find someone to backup to keep the service going, and that time I was hubbing around 4 QWK networks (Active QWK networks) and gated 3 FTN to QWK networks. I Also ran an RLOGIN services for gamers that is similar in nature to BBSLink, LONG BEFORE anyone else had any type of idea to do this..
I first started doing this because I was one of the VERY FEW (More than likely just myself and Deuce) who ran Synchronet off FreeBSD, and DOS emulation of doorgames just DID NOT exist at that time.. so, at first I mainly ran it for myself, and then I decided to do some more customization to the RLOGIN server to allow other BBS systems to use it, This was in the infancy of the JS engines, etc being incorporated into SBBS, so I rigged up batchfiles to create users on the RLOGIN system to make it looks seemless and had other countermeasures in place to keep people from cheating.
I ran my BBS for many years, under Synchronet with an occassional hiccup here and there, but it was'nt nothing I could'nt handle. Even with envious TROLLS like one that still floats around these message groups trying to undermine my efforts. You will not see my name in too many places as a contributor for ideas that have help make synchronet what it is today, but I have contributed MANY.
IIRC the TWITLIST feature came about because myself and a guy called Angus Mcleod loved to argue a lot.. But it was'nt none of this TRIGGERED trolling arguments you see today that should belong on facebook, it actually was intilectual arguments, that ended up going no where, but all in all, we all remained friends.. or at least tolerated each other.
Some Ideas I've thrown out is what has made the first release of the synchronet webserver what it is. Before users could create users from the website, I created an executable with QBASIC nonetheless that could be pulled up as a cgi-bin to create users on the fly from a webpage. this was before 'makeuser' ever existed.. I'm straying off topic a bit..
I've created crappy IGMS for LORD, I've created MANY MANY door setup how-tos (PRE WIKI) that still more than likely can be found on VERT. I Have done much to help MANY in the BBS community.. I would SSH and RDP to peoples systems to help with their systems, BUT I WOULD NOT DO IT FOR THEM, if they wanted to be a sysop they needed to show the effort, thats the issue with this hobby today, people want their little piece of nostalgia, or play their doorgames, but don't want to put the time required into.. I can understand if they don't have time, but it gives them NO REASON TO CHEAT, so they can have their gleaming moment in the sun.
I had many years and manhours tied into WarZone BBS, and the seperate RLOGIN server that had about 25 or more clients when lightening took it all out, and YES, as one troll who had nothing better to do than to run a background check on me, I had SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES, mainly OPIATES, After my BBS was lost to nature, I was completely lost to DRUGS, UNTIL I got busted, and attended 2 years of Drug Court, had to attend NA, etc.. I must say, in this area NA is BULL, too much Meth running around, going to NA would make you want to get high before you left.. anyway.. I created my own "NA" type recovery meetings, completely court sanctioned, which consisted of meditation, and just plain "How was your day, Talkin". I know I'm well off topic now, but this sets up WHY I act as I do to trolls, and cheaters. We already have enough in life that takes up too much of our time. We sit down at the BBS after work or whenever for release, only to find out a message you have written has had some smartA$$ reply to it, making fun of your mom or a friends dead mother. Or your go to play a game that you have been working so hard at just to find out that someone had artificially inflated their stats.
That tends to piss me off and I don't care to shout it out from the rooftops to let someone know to not trust these people. I Did'nt say Mark did this, I did not blame him, per say.. But In PTEOS, for that user to have that type of resources in that short of a time, the player editor HAD TO BE USED. No other way around it. I respect Mark for what he has created, it is something I would NEVER have the technical know how to do. (the way the system autenticates). I see he has put TONS of time and work into his system, but he said he did not do this, and I tend to believe him. which will only leave one option. there is some way into his system for someone to cheat. Because the the resources and money this certian player has in that game just could not been achieved naturally.. maybe in a full one month period, but no.. My charachter has been on just as long as that one, and all those resources appeared within a 3-4 day period.. The resources he has spread around that game count up into the multi billions, the game is completely STOCK, no IGMS.. nothing.
I have ran a BBS on and of since 1992 or so, and PTEOS, has always been a game incuded on my BBS whenever possible, I know it like the back of my hand.
I apologize to EVERYONE about the posting on the BBSLink wall, but other players needed to know.
the postings would have stopped there IF the TROLL @@@@@@@ did'nt get on there and start antagonizing the whole situation. As far as I know this TROLL does NOT know me, and I do not know him or her, yet they post as if they have known me for years, which leads me to believe its another troll on these networks using an alias. either way, I don't care.. as I posted on the wall, I will not say anything else. Mark promised that he would look into the issue and I believe him. after that I apologized to him and said this was the end of my postings. THEN the trolling started to try to get me started back up.
I posted this post because I have received 7 calls in the last 2 days of sysops wanting to sign up to a network that does'nt exist. I also still get about 10 different BBS systems poll my FTP for packets to this network that does'nt exist. like I said, that shows you how much people really pay attention to their BBS, they throw it up, turn it on and leave, glance every day or so to make sure it has'nt crashed, and walk away.. those same BBS systems are the ones that still have all the default menus and ansis.. I've deleted/deactivated all of these qwk nodes, and now some are even calling back trying to join again.
This is why I posted this notice in DOVENET ADS.. Because it's the only area that I advertised the BBSLink QWK Network.
Never and don't have any ill will. I must admit I was considering participating, but consistency in the availability of your system from what I was reading in dove.net felt flaky.
When I go online, I STAY online except when issues come up, and at times they do. I go down once weekly to backup the complete system.. that takes close to two hours. I do it at slow times. I'm not financially endowed like many of you, so if I have a peice of hardware breakdown (like a HDD) sometimes it may take a minute to get a replacement, my HDD crapped out on me a few weeks ago, Luckily EVERYTHING was saved, EXCEPT the BBSLink Network, because I had'nt backed up after creating it. So when I went back up, and though (well it gets no traffic anyway) I might as well not open it back up.. only one or two participated..
Whats the use in a full network for 2 people? The only real cool purpose it had was transport of the BBSLink score files, updated 4 times daily.. but for JS savy sysops, they could have just pulled them straight off Marks server on the fly.
Just as I stated to Mark, If I knew the BBSLink Wall existed, I would'nt have thought of creating BBSLink QWK Network. I thought gamers needed a place to communcated with each other and talk game strategy, I even made individual game echos private, so teams could speak amongsts themselves. I believe it was a good concept, but no one wants to particapte in messages anymore unless their trolling others (not true, but it happens a lot for the little traffic we get).
Anyone who wants to take the network over has my blessing, but must
also contact Mark Mearns, the one who runs BBSLink for his blessing.
Here too, I felt bad. I was cautious because I didn't know if it had Mark's blessing, i should have asked if you had.
For sure I had Marks blessing, that would have been down right rude of me to do something like that. I made it Explicitly clear in both the setup file and the advertisments of BBSLink QWK Network, that they were TWO DIFFERENT ENTITYS, It was explained that the BBSLink QWK Packet Network was created by a DIEHARD FAN of an EXCELLENT IDEA, and I STILL feel that way.
But there are issues with it, all I did was point them out. there would have been NO argument if the TROLL would have kept his mouth shut.
This same troll has the same IP address as a SYSOP of an unnamed BBS, and that IP address was also found in my hack.log and was automatically added to my IP.CAN by SBBS, This Troll first started on me in dovenet general, I believe, unprovoked, I have never spoke with him or her before. the troll sent a message to me about another troll I was dealing with *** (three letter name) before then I have NEVER had any correspondance with the first one.
After this was over, the SYSOP of unnamed BBS emailed me asking why his IP address was banned from connecting to mine, I checked both the hack.log and ip.can and that IP was added automatically, I explained that to him, and the R****** troll has been at my throat since then.
I want PEACE. I have twitlisted EVERYONE of the trolls, Yet any change the one that starts with R gets he jumps my ass.. I don't know him or care to know
him, I just want to be left alone...
and if I'm playing a networked doorgame, I expect it to be fair. When I ran the RLOGIN server for all the other BBS systems, I NEVER participated in the games myself.. A sysop really should'nt. Mark has stated to me that he does'nt play the games on BBSLink, and I for one believe him. BUT.. something is not right with this users account on PTEOS, there is no way in natural hell it can get that hight that quickly.
p.s. I would really appreciate if you would find another way to express your problem with bbslink that the wall. All theses multi lines entries are a real eyes sore. I don't expect poetry. I put myself in the boots
of a regular user/player and i would just skip trough and probably be annoyed. I considering removing the wall form my login sequence and
leave it as a menu option. It's not fun anymore.
I have taken out of MY login sequence, because I promised to Mark on it that I would not post about it again, UNTIL THAT TROLL REPLIED..
No worries man.. you will only see single entries from me on it if any.. I'll try my best to ignore the troll, but when I'm attemting to make something come to light that affects us ALL, and all i get for it is flack, I tend to get pissed..
I know those guys are doing it only to pull my strings, but EVERYONE of them are doing nothing but helping to KILL this hobby even more.
I know your not having fun with bbslink, but now your also contributing into killing it for others.
Actually I am, Most games I am playing are a blast..
Again I want to urge that I don't have any hard feeling. I usually refrain jumping into confrontation, i know i don't have the full
I agree with you, you've worded this well, and it tellse what you want to tell, with dignity and respect.. its really that simple..
pictures of the situation, but at the end games are just games and bbs are just bbs. It's something we do freely without any reward, when it's no longer fun we have to considered why we do it.
Your're correct.. I try to remind myself it's just a game.. but when you're investing time into a game and keep getting knocked down by someone YOU KNOW did'nt get there normally, it tends to piss one off (me at least) but that does'nt piss me off as much as when I bring it to light and I get called names by a troll, I did not address him in any of those messages, and I actually told him to mind his own business, I was'nt speaking with him (After Mark and I had Dialog). I should have really just emailed Mark about it again, but at that time truthfully I thought it would be better to have it public so players would know whats going on.
BBSLink is Fun, It gives Sysops who cannot setup door games well the opportunity to have games on their system, sysops with linux or FreeBSD who do not know how to setup DOSemu/FreeDOS. It gives all those sysops a great resource, but all of that is undermined if a handful of cheaters is allowed to reign supreme. right?
I'm finished with this topic, and as I told Mark, I appreciate the great product, because I created one kind of like this back in 2005 or so and it was very popular, most of those sysops are not here not vouch for it.. some have died.. others just went away..
But I'm just as easy to get along with as anyone and will help anyone as much as I can, but I will not tolerate trolls, liars and cheats.. that simple.
call it whining..(I know you have'nt, the troll has on numerouse occasions) call it what you want but I will stick up for honesty and will also stick up for people who are being bullied by others. at times this gets me in the middle of some crap, and creates enemys.. I know we cannot BAN these trolls.. they'll just come back as someone else and start over, but we can stop giving them a voice by not replying to them.. and I no longer will.
I don't understand why someone I have done nothing to except maybe have a differing opinion would go to the lengths they go to to try to discredit me amongst my peers. as far as running background checks on me... I've been more than upfront about everything I've been through. I'm not ashamed, I'm a better person for that today.
But I WILL NOT stand for someone being a bully. point blank.
Sorry about the typos i always make a few.
Oh, same here.. hope you got through this book without it burning your retinas.
Smile and (Half) the World Smiles With You, Frown and You Frown Alone
Agreed!
Take care.
--
Tim Smith (KK4QBN)
KK4QBN BBS
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* Synchronet * KK4QBN BBS - bbs.kk4qbn.com - Chatsworth GA USA