Reprinted from September 1996, M.I.C.R.O. Scope, The Newsletter of The Mile High Computer Resource Organization Denver, Colorado Volume XII No 11 "My Favorite Boards" by Joe Draganosky Are you tired of paying your internet provider for busy signals? Do you wish the hoopla about surfing the net would die down? Is there a gnawing sense of despair in the pit of your stomach when you realize that you will probably never have your own web page? And do some of you feel homeless because you don't even have an E-mail address? Relax. It's just another rat race. Your spot in the pecking order really doesn't depend on how often you are online. But if your fingers get twitchy then you're staring at the welcome page of your comm program, there are alternatives and they only cost a dime. Denver is awash in BBS's. Most are OK, some downright lousy, and others stimulating enough to call as often as the urge strikes. In statistics this idea is called the bell shaped curve. I'm going to review the 1% of BBS's that to me stand apart enough to offer something significant. My criteria are simple; the phone call must be in the Denver area; the sysop must be conscientious; use of the BBS is free; and finally, there has to be something unusual about the board that invites you to call. Our club's BBS is included in this list and we all know what a great job Jim Kochmann has been doing for all these years. Here are a few of my other favorite boards, in no particular order. Eat, drink and be merry, for... Big Boys BBS Sysop: Big Boy Phone: XXX-XXXX "You're connected to the best chili and oysterettes modem joint in the world. Pop a lid, loosen your tie and have sun fun. Body noises OK". So reads the welcome screen on Big Boys BBS. Orginator of the Colorado BBS megalist, big boy also offers support software for users and sysops, a primer on BBSing, a giant joke database, pro PGP and anti-microsoft literature, and an adult area. His claim to fame is, of course, the BBS list. Published twice monthly for years, it includes every known system in the state along with detailed comments about the particulars of each one and his experience with them. For example, he has been ejected from more than one BBS. Now a smaller mind would be tempted to remove the sysop from the list, but not big boy; he's above such petty nonsence. Instead, he lets you know he was kicked off and then gives you more information, such as "the sysop was a navy man but don't like profanity", or, one of my favorite quotes, "pimple faced geeks". His perserverance in publishing such a list, month after month, and keeping it thoroughly updated is commendable. This tells you that the guy has a ear to the ground, and in fact, he boast that his files carry all viewpoints, no matter who's PO'ed. The topics cover everything from pro hemp to FBI raids on BBS's to a FAQ on Ayn Rand's objectivism. As he says, everybody either loves or hates big boy, but nobody is neutral. The guy is OUTRAGEOUS; who would believe he's 70? Featured in the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News and Boardwatch... In memory of my best friend in cyberspace, this "NyukNyuk, is for you!" You will always be remembered for the stands you took, the distance you went to making BBSing what it was... The hobby that started it all, The Internet Started Here... |
