In all of my pursues I only found 20-4-BEERS and Absinthe having extensive, sometimes rare file collections. Of course if somebody is interested in ancient Amiga warez,then Amiga elite boards are still the place.

But in most BBSes that look unique I don't find so much activity in files department. Any pointers that could prove me wrong?

I'm not looking for anything particular. More about general feeling that the files sections with whatever niche/cliche idea behind the collection.. is managed with care by its sysop.

Pointers?

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

But in most BBSes that look unique I don't find so much activity in files department. Any pointers that could prove me wrong?

I start to work on TLP's file areas when I put it back on the road, but I've not been able to get ANY file transfer to work reliably after that it was
kinda pointless and left it via http. Seems to be a latency problem with what it takes to get the thing online in the first place.

Spec


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: Good Luck and drive offensively! (21:3/101)

I'm not looking for anything particular. More about general feeling that t files sections with whatever niche/cliche idea behind the collection.. is managed with care by its sysop.

So true, I tried to add something unique to my board which is added every now and then.

Pointers?

Yep, it takes something unique to retain visits I guess :P.

op!

... Press any key to continue or any other key to quit...

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: TheForze - bbs.theforze.eu:23 (21:3/126)

But in most BBSes that look unique I don't find so much activity in files department. Any pointers that could prove me wrong?

While my BBS _has_ a file area, I've tended to figure that this is something that is just better done with the internet.

As opposed to messaging, ANSI, and door games, where I think BBSs do it better, or at least differently enough in useful ways.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

While my BBS _has_ a file area, I've tended to figure that this is something that is just better done with the internet.

On one hand I agree /mostly/, but there is something to be said for the way some BBSes have a lot of retro archives indexed in the unique way a BBS does. Searching for files and reading through file descriptions on BBSes is a better experience for me than trawling through FTPs :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/02/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: m O N T E R E Y b B S . c O M (21:4/173)

hollowone wrote to All <=-

I'm not looking for anything particular. More about general feeling
that the files sections with whatever niche/cliche idea behind the collection.. is managed with care by its sysop.

I have a collection of PHAC t-files from the '90s that I kept along, and t-files from a couple of writing groups I was loosely affiliated with.
It's nice to remember when we thought the next Hunter S. Thompson would
be writing t-files on BBSes.




▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
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▌ ▌ A ▐░
▌ The Absolute Truth About The Fossil Pigs! ▌ ?▐░
▌ & A ▀▀▀▀▀░
▌ OMNIBOT 2000 Tfile ▐░
▌ Distribution ▐░
▄▄▄▄▄ Written & Originated by: Pressed Rat (Presto) Centere ▐░
▌? ▐ - RoR - ▐░
▌ A ▐_____________________________________________________________________▐░
▌ ?▐ Shawn-Da-Lay Boy Productions, Inc.··································▐░
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░░░The HQ of SDBP, Inc - 510/237/8563░░PolySpock Project - 510/524/3649░░░
░Drop Sites░░░░░░ Hollow's Renaissance - 510/669/9432░░░░░Drop Sites░░░░░░







<oink> <oink>
<oink> The Absolute Truth About the Fossil Pigs! <oink>
<oink> <oink>


Hi there, heathens, and all you froods quite curious about the
Fossil Pigs. I'm here to deliver the gospel, pure and simple. Listen and
be anointed with the everlasting truth!

Although you may not know it, the Screaming Lifeforms are probably
taking a Huge bite out of your otherwise comfy caterpillar-busting ranch
egg kouch potato life. You know that ringing in your ears when you're
trying to think, take a test, or get to sleep? THOSE are the Screaming Lifeforms at work. They're eating your brain cells at an alarming rate,
and each time they crack another cell membrane inside your little ol'
noodle, they scream with orgasmic pleasure. Since this is occurring at
an incredible speed and there are a humungous number of them, it all
comes together as one low-level whine.

THIS, my friend, is the fundamental theorem of the Fossil Pigs. The
Screaming Lifeforms are a problem that can NOT be solved by ordinary
human reasoning! Notice how the more you think about that annoying ring
in your ears, the louder it gets? Aha! But a solution exists, of course.
That solution, you see, is the Fossil Pigs.

The Fossil Pigs are a small band of prehistoric, petrified, stone
cold dead pig remains. They're mostly skeletal; a few still have a rotting eyeball or a bit of bristly tail left. They were laid into the ground long, long ago, before our birth. The WHY is not important here; the fact is
that they have now resurfaced to aid us, the mortal victims of their arch-enemies, the Screaming Lifeforms. If properly called upon, our
friends the Fossil Pigs will rise up in holy wrath, and send their spectral minions, the Evil Twin Bunnies, to our rescue.

--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

On one hand I agree /mostly/, but there is something to be said for the way some BBSes have a lot of retro archives indexed in the unique way a BBS does. Searching for files and reading through file descriptions on BBSes is a better experience for me than trawling through FTPs :)

Yeah, things like file_id.diz being widely used certainly helps with getting useful amounts of metadata for all the various files.

But if I'm putting in the effort of putting together a file area, I feel like a _very_ simple HTML page with link, description, and space for a photo would be easier to look through.

But in saying all of this, I realize I mostly just go to individual sites for individual programs, depending on what I'm looking for, which is problematic when those sites aren't available.

And the sites that host lots of files that aren't from the host tend to be garbage sites, at which point a BBS is almost certainly better anyway.

So, okay, yeah, mostly agreeing, too. :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

Pointers?

Yep, it takes something unique to retain visits I guess :P.

You have gotten my attention, sir! :)

-h1

... "No comment" is a comment.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: TheForze - bbs.theforze.eu:23 (21:3/126)

While my BBS _has_ a file area, I've tended to figure that this is somethi that is just better done with the internet.

It all depends, my friend :) it all depends :>

-h1

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: TheForze - bbs.theforze.eu:23 (21:3/126)

While my BBS _has_ a file area, I've tended to figure that this is so that is just better done with the internet.

It all depends, my friend :) it all depends :>

I guess the important part is to keep good backups and preferably decent meta data.

And then some form of copies that are controlled by someone else, lest our unfortunate demises lead to unfortunate data loss.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

I guess the important part is to keep good backups and preferably decent meta data.

And then some form of copies that are controlled by someone else, lest
our unfortunate demises lead to unfortunate data loss.

Well.. true admins don't do backups I heard back in the 90s :) fortunately some did!

Sometimes eating honey is just fine... no need to chew bees
instead :)

-h1

... Xerox Alto was the thing. Anything after we use is just a mere copy.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbs>>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)

Well.. true admins don't do backups I heard back in the 90s :) fortunately

Chuckle.. I used to do backups until the tape drive decided it had had enough and would persistantly unspool tapes. After that all bets were off. I had to many drives with to much data to back up effectively.

Spec


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: Good Luck and drive offensively! (21:3/101)

Chuckle.. I used to do backups until the tape drive decided it had had enough and would persistantly unspool tapes. After that all bets were
off. I had to many drives with to much data to back up effectively.

I remember when I used to make backups onto CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. And probably still have some of them stashed away at my brother's place.

But now, the idea of backing things up 4GB at a time is... horrifying, even if that's plenty for certain subsets of data.

But I went to using external drives a long while ago. And then do things like leave one at my brother's place or mom's place.

Bit harder when I don't see them very often. So, at this point it's a backup to my only-available-on-the-local-network media server, and a shared folder that syncs between my laptop and desktop. The former being for dealing with stupid April errors (meaning I delete something I shouldn't have), and the latter being both for convenience and so that data loss is minimal if I lose a hard drive.

None of these things help in the case of a fire that destroys everything, though, but I think that's half the reason I keep using Google Photos.

That said, I should probably back up my BBS again, but in the sense of getting a not-on-the-server backup.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

off. I had to many drives with to much data to back up effectively.

I remember when I used to make backups onto CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. And probably still have some of them stashed away at my brother's place.

Back then it was a weird setup of 4x286 networked each sharing its two
drives. So after the tape drive fritzed there was nowhere for a backup. While one of those had a CD in it, I'm pretty sure there was never a burner that I had DOS drivers/software for, or sufficient space anywhere to create the
image that would've needed to be assembled for burning.

In this day and age, I just make copies of the VMs.. usually to the NAS some times a USB HD..

Spec


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: Good Luck and drive offensively! (21:3/101)

burner that I had DOS drivers/software for, or sufficient space anywhere to create the image that would've needed to be assembled for burning.

I imagine, in that era, your choices were tape drives or a large handful of disks.

Though when the drives were 120MB or something, 1.44MB went a bit further. And Zip disks a bit further, though I don't recall what people chose for backups, if they had backups at all.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)

I imagine, in that era, your choices were tape drives or a large handful of disks.

Most of the drives were only 40, 60, 80s with a 120 and I can't recall what else now... it came out to ~5-600Mb at the time... even the tape was getting light on by that stage, it was only a 40 as well. I think as a serious backup medium floppies were shot after ~40Mb turns into a lot of floppies really quickly after that.

Spec


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: Good Luck and drive offensively! (21:3/101)

Spectre wrote to Adept <=-

Most of the drives were only 40, 60, 80s with a 120 and I can't recall what else now... it came out to ~5-600Mb at the time... even the tape
was getting light on by that stage, it was only a 40 as well. I think
as a serious backup medium floppies were shot after ~40Mb turns into a
lot of floppies really quickly after that.

SCSI DDS tape drives were the way to go - we used them at work and
recycled tapes, so I could bring home old bulk-erased tapes. They'd
store 2gb and later 4GB, and with compression could go above that.

SCSI was a lot faster than the floppy interface. I always wondered why
ATA tape drives didn't become a thing - most ATA motherboards could
support 4 devices and most people had 2 (primary hard drive and an
optical drive)



... Do you know where you are?
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

SCSI DDS tape drives were the way to go - we used them at work and recycled tapes, so I could bring home old bulk-erased tapes. They'd
store 2gb and later 4GB, and with compression could go above that.

SCSI was hiddeously expensive and hard to find here. DDS and DAT tapes were certainly spacious enough though. Mostly the Mac guys had SCSI stuff, it was the only interface on your Mac of the time.

PC's here were still mostly MFM or IDE...

SCSI was a lot faster than the floppy interface. I always wondered why
ATA tape drives didn't become a thing - most ATA motherboards could support 4 devices and most people had 2 (primary hard drive and an

That also was later... on the type of setup I was using you only had 2 drive ISA interface cards. Not to many of them were even configurable, you just
used the two ports it gave you. You've got me wondering now if I ever saw ATA tape storage though...nope even the 350s are still floppy..

Spec


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
--- SuperBBS v1.17-3 (Eval)
* Origin: Good Luck and drive offensively! (21:3/101)

Pointers?

Yep, it takes something unique to retain visits I guess :P.

You have gotten my attention, sir! :)

Thank you for your visit and message :). This is what we do it for!

oP

... Live every day as though it were your last. One day, you'll be right

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/24 (Linux/64)
* Origin: TheForze - bbs.theforze.eu:23 (21:3/126)