Why run a BBS via the internet?

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Tracy

Tracy

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Sure... let's give it a try. I like to go back to my roots!
So, I grabbed a new VPS from Contabo (they are cheap and easily spun up) to give a try at running an old fashioned BBS via the Internet.
Currently I'm playing with WWIV, which back in the day was one of the "big" paid offerings. No, you can't access it via a web browser. You have to use a Telnet client, which for most will kill it. But it's going to be a fun adventure to document the process of as I go along.

Anyone else have the desire to go back to the past and do the same?
 
Boy, I forgot what a PITA setting up discussion areas in the old BBS software was. The internet based stuff has pushed way past back then.
 
Forums are in itself are a "niche" when compared to social media. I can't imagine there are too many that would fire up Telnet to participate on a BBS...

Following though.
 
Cedric said:
Too much hassle. If yours was the only thing online, maybe. But I wouldn't waste any time on it.
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Gaining new knowledge is never a waste of time, especially when it can be used to generate content for a site.
I am debating between Synchronet BBS and Mystic BBS after I'm through playing with WWIV. I had forgotten why I disliked WWIV so much during the BBS days and why I settled on Maximus/2.
The one nice thing about WWIV is apparently it also has the ability to use FidoNet built in so you don't need a separate mailer on the Linux version also.
If you think about it... that was one of the original forms of "federation". 🤔
 
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Tracy said:
Gaining new knowledge is never a waste of time, especially when it can be used to generate content for a site.
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Yes, but that content also has to be valuable.

If there's no interest in setting up a BBS (you would know, and it seems like not much from forum admins), why post that kind of content over setting up a XenForo forum from scratch? The latter would get more visits.
 
frm said:
If there's no interest in setting up a BBS (you would know, and it seems like not much from forum admins), why post that kind of content over setting up a XenForo forum from scratch? The latter would get more visits.
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If there was "no interest", it's doubtful that the developers would continue to code for it.
That's like asking why folks will set up ham radios when a cell phone can do more. ;)

Synchronet, which I am currently playing with appears to also have a built in web server for it, so it may be able to do both.
 
As an example - and yes, it's still being played with as I learn it.

Home: FlashBack Central

bbs.redneckhost.com bbs.redneckhost.com

If you notice, you can actually log in from the web using using telnet link.

Screen Shot 2025-03-10 at 6.02.41 AM.png
 
Cedric said:
I don't even know what I'm looking at.
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A web browser tab screenshot that allows access to an old fashioned BBS from a good old fashioned browser and not a telnet app/program.
It's what you see when you click on that internet link above it. ;)
You can either use it that way, or use the Home/Forum/Files links.


Screen Shot 2025-03-10 at 3.58.26 PM.png

Screen Shot 2025-03-10 at 3.54.42 PM.png

When logged in
and entering a post


Screen Shot 2025-03-10 at 3.56.59 PM.png

It's kind of a neat implementation.

Oh, and let's not forget the best part of the old style BBS's...

Screen Shot 2025-03-10 at 4.02.15 PM.png

The game doors! :ROFLMAO:

BTW, apparently BBS's are still a "thing" with a segment of society.

 
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Cedric said:
And they say forums haven’t evolved! 😜
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It's really not hard to evolve from 1980's tech. The sad thing is, several things offered via BBS sites cannot be easily duplicated on current sites.
Hell, way back then we had a form of "federation" that allowed interaction on sites across the world from one site to another without logging into other sites (what one would now call federation but back then was known as FidoNet). Rather ironic that folks are reworking what was available 30 years ago and thinking it is new.
How many internet websites have you visited that actually had "game doors" for users to play games via their site?
I know on my multi-node BBS back in the 1990's those were popular, as well as the ability to download offline the messages in areas you were interested in.
How may websites (forums specifically) offer that ability now?

I would argue that in many ways we have devolved.
 
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Cedric said:
Arcades were huge back in the days of IPB 1.3. Slowly that faded away though, but I always loved them. Times just change, they faded away for a reason.
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But what was that reason?
Was it because it was "too much trouble to implement" and providers stopped offering that ability or because users didn't want to use it. I would argue that it was the former.
Hell, look at the current impact of gaming on phones. I'd argue once more it was more the former than the latter. When someone can offer similar ability that one can get on their mobile device on a website, they will start slaying many BS "post only' sites.
 
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Tracy said:
But what was that reason?
Was it because it was "too much trouble to implement" or because users didn't want to use it. I would argue that it was the former.
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They were easy to implement, several platforms had their own arcade plugin. But I'm guessing people just didn't care for them anymore. And it got even harder when flash disappeared.
 
Cedric said:
They were easy to implement, several platforms had their own arcade plugin. But I'm guessing people just didn't care for them anymore. And it got even harder when flash disappeared.
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Cellular/mobile "gaming" will quickly argue that point.
There are other offerings/ability beyond flash. Could it involve downloading bespoke code to use? Sure.. but where is the pursuit of that aspect?
Remember... those pursuits back then were not that much different than the "needs" of today. Developers pushed the boundaries.
Sadly, too many (especially developers) are still stuck in the past... and I put the Xenforo developers at the forefront of that argument.
Blinders are frequently a hindrance and not a benefit. Synchronet is a simple example.
 
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Cedric said:
Yes well we know almost every person transitioned to use their phone rather than computer.
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But there is still a significant number of users that would argue that point, especially when considering the niche.

Screen Shot 2025-03-11 at 8.01.30 AM.png

The question remains... are there enough of us old shits still playing on the internet that might want to "flash back" to our origins?
Personally.. I would have no issues with interacting with a Maximus/2 internet enabled site (does not exist) that was still tied into FidoNet.
 
Cedric said:
Personally am always looking for flashbacks, but more to the 00s rather than before. It depends on the age I guess. People are always nostalgic for certain things.
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I had a lot more fun running the BBS's than I do with websites. And generally the users were a different breed than users today,
 
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