The HAK5 BBS...

[gonzooo]

Hi, I've been checking the BBS out (I missed out on that time in history; got into network stuff when we got a dial-up modem in '95, or something like that...) and during the registration process some of the information ended up wrong.

How do I edit my registration info? Couldn't find it in the menu (settings menu, etc.).

[hak5matt]

pm me your info gonzooo and I'll change it for you.

Matt

[computoman]

I did the bbs ritual in the late '80s. There were just a forum via the tele instead of the internet. Back then you had to send files via assci. Which meant you had to translate binary files to to hex and back. Good trivia question. How many centuries would it take to send a revision3 podcast at 300 baud? There is a video going around about those old days. Brings back memories of things best not talked about......

[gonzooo]

There is a video going around about those old days. Brings back memories of things best not talked about......
I saw this movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460402/) a couple of years ago, and it made me think of all the things I did that people who got on to the Internet later probably wouldn't ever experience; the good things, the bad but ultimately nostalgic things that would annoy you back in the day. Everything.

They don't necessarily have to be big things; but just like the fact that some people haven't ever experienced the joys of getting past 18:00 for cheaper call rates and be ecstatic because that was "online time".

I thought about that stuff because here was this thing (hanging out on BBSs) I'd never get to genuinely experience and it made me feel like I'd missed out.

Off-topic:
The same applies to computer security, in my opinion: Things just seemed more interesting back in the old days. Obviously, things being more secure nowadays is a good thing, but apart from reckless tech (WLAN, RFID(?), etc.) things just seem more dull.

[davmoo]

How many centuries would it take to send a revision3 podcast at 300 baud?

I'm gonna show my antiquity here...I started out on a teletype and 75 baud. I remember being truly awestruck and speechless the first time I saw 1200.

While in most ways I think today's internet is better, I must admit that I do think there was more of a sense of comradery among members back in the BBS days. Most BBSes were local, and if users wanted to get together and have a party, the words "plane tickets" or "travel agent" were not so necessary.

Of course, there is one other thing I do miss about "the good ol' days"...if I did some of the stuff now that I did back then, I'd be in a federal prison...although I do wish I had thought of hiding stuff in fake pineapples back then ;)

[computoman]

Yep, I miss the gool old days too. Gopher, Veronica, and other neat programs. Makes you remember when everything was done via email. Our local library had dial up resources. Did a school report or two that way. I also remember writing my first modem program that supported xmodem file transfer.

Yep. a lot of finance companies used the old teletypes and acoustical modems to connect to the local credit bureau. Sometimes they would forget to change the password when an employee left. It was very easy to emulate the keystrokes needed to access the credit bureau accounts from the C=64 so I am told. Keeping passwords secret and changing passwords on a regular basis (when there is employee turnover also) should be paramount. The movie Wargames is a good example of this.
ascii rules!

[davmoo]

Teletypes made great error consoles...every time an error printed, teletypes were so loud that everyone in the building knew it :)

[randyisarealboy]

i'm so damned lost.

[computoman]

Teletypes made great error consoles...every time an error printed, teletypes were so loud that everyone in the building knew it :)

I bet it was fun working at a news agency that had several of those old teletype terminals.

[davmoo]

I didn't work at a news agency, but I did work in a data center that had a couple dozen of those things online at any given time, along with some high speed line printers, a few card punches and readers, and a serious air conditioning system. I wore ear plugs when ever I was in the room with them. Otherwise quitting time was like coming out of a rock concert. If everything was going at the same time, it was impossible to carry on any kind of vocal conversation. The telephone was so useless we didn't even bother to answer it (assuming we could hear it ring). We used hand signals (yes, including that one :D ) or passed notes to each other.

The old tape drives like you see in science fiction movies...those things were pretty loud too.

Thinking about this, I guess its no surprise now that I have rather s**ty low frequency hearing.

[computoman]

I was being hypothetical. I did not mean you worked at one.

[computoman]

The first commercial programming job I had was on old datapoint equipment using databus and rpgII. I think my terminal was an 8200. They had the giant platter disk packs with 10 megabytes (yes that is right not gigabyte.) that sounded like jets taking off and took a few minutes to come up to speed. When we booted all the machines at the same time, it was eerie. It is a shame the kids now a days missed all the fun.

[davmoo]

I've got one of those disk packs out in my barn. People think I'm joking when I tell them a pack that huge only holds a few meg. And the machines to read them were the size of a typical home clothes washer.

[dtkflex]

Thanks for setting up the BBS on HAK5, it was really nostalgic and also tested my memory since I haven't run too much is command line environments for at least 10 years.

It was great to look around and try to remember how the BBS types setups worked.

[snubs]

I've been playing LORD every day :D

Woohoo! If you havent checked it out yet, do it! Legend of the Red Dragon is an awesome BBS game!

[smd75jr]

Is the BBS still up?
I cant seem to access it.

[seshan]

I think it's dead :(