Replying to a message of Ole Juul to Nancy Backus:

What do you mean by "fly by telnetters"? That they just
check things out and never come back? Or that they don't take a lot of

I mean you never see them again. One original login and
that's it. Most of the logins on a lot of boards are like
that. Bear in mind that I've been doing "cold calls". By
that I mean checking lists that are published and then
going to the boards without any knowledge, expectation,
or recommendation from somebody. One would have a different
experience if one was to visit known boards, such as
a recommendation from somebody here.

Since it was set up in 2004 my system has had precisely two people
long in (besides me). Neither was local, and both checked in only once.

The other night I was sitting up here and the BBS line rang, was answered, dropped carrier, etc. After the third or fourth iteration I picked up the attached
phone and surprised the fellow that had been calling. He was looking for dial-up
systems and testing them to see how slowly he could connect with them, we talked for several minutes. He wasn't local either, he said he was located in Canada. FWIW he successfully connected with mine at 4,800 bps.

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)

Hi Bob,

Since it was set up in 2004 my system has had precisely two people
long in (besides me). Neither was local, and both checked in only once.

So that would be 1/3 people per year. :)

The other night I was sitting up here and the BBS line rang, was answered, dropped carrier, etc. After the third or fourth iteration I picked up the attached
phone and surprised the fellow that had been calling. He was looking for dial-up
systems and testing them to see how slowly he could connect with them, we talked for several minutes. He wasn't local either, he said he was located in
Canada. FWIW he successfully connected with mine at 4,800 bps.

Hehe, I guess you had that set in a config somewhere.

I met an American fellow on the boards who has been trying
all the dialup boards. Greg Goodwin, if you see him about.
He got himself a flat rate plan and decided he was going to
get his moneys worth.

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)

Iowa eh? You might know the ISCA board then. I've been using
that one lately. There's usually a few people on and a couple
of dozen during the peak hours. I don't think it is connected
with the university any more and probably a mere shadow of
it's old self, but active by modern standards. It also has
the best, by far, interface I've seen to date.

Cheers,
Ole



... A Smith & Wesson *ALWAYS* beats 4 Aces.

--- MBSE BBS v0.95.6 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Omicron Theta * Grand Island, NY * CentOS Powered! (1:261/20)

Replying to a message of Ole Juul to Bob Ackley:

I met an American fellow on the boards who has been trying
all the dialup boards. Greg Goodwin, if you see him about.
He got himself a flat rate plan and decided he was going to
get his moneys worth.

I've heard the name, he hasn't logged in here.

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)

Iowa eh? You might know the ISCA board then.

Never heard of it. The only other BBS I'm aware of in Iowa
is in Boone, and that one might be inactive. There aren't
any others (that I know of) within about 100 miles of me in
any direction.

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)

To Bob and anybody that wants to try an interesting board.

The ISCA is run by the Iowa Student Computing Association
and is located in Iowa City, Iowa. They've been going
strong since 1989 but I think they have some history that
goes back further. If you log on during the day, you'll
usually find 10 or more people on there. There's no Fido,
but is similar in that the remaining people have been
BBSing for a long time. I don't think they have a POTS
interface but have always been telnet based, though now
they also have a java telnet gateway. Anyway, they have
a guest login which is very functional and they are at
bbs.iscabbs.com

Cheers,
Ole


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

HI Ole,

On Mon 2038-Mar-01 22:22, Ole Juul (1:3634/12) wrote to Bob Ackley:

To Bob and anybody that wants to try an interesting board.

The ISCA is run by the Iowa Student Computing Association
and is located in Iowa City, Iowa. They've been going
strong since 1989 but I think they have some history that
goes back further.

Bob is out in the sticks, no internet. HIs fido is old
school, regular modem, no telnet access.

Much as my system is, except Bob doesn't have a local
dial-in isp where he lives even.
I'd heard of the isca though. USed to have quite a few
student friends from that school, and from Iowa state when I lived there.


Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Radio REscue net operations BBS (1:116/901)

Bob is out in the sticks, no internet. HIs fido is old
school, regular modem, no telnet access.

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future. It's going to be interesting. Around here
we got wireless a few years ago, but there is no
cable or dsl available. We're lucky and only got
it because the govt was trying to get outlying
communities connected, and wer're on the other side
of a mountain where they put a tower for a larger
community. If it wasn't for that, we'd be stuck with
dialup or using satellite for our internet. I do
think satellite is available almost anywhere, the
only problem is it's quite expensive.

Much as my system is, except Bob doesn't have a local
dial-in isp where he lives even.

I thought I was living in the sticks. We get bears in
the garden, people still do hand mining, and the
nearest store is 12 miles away.

I'd heard of the isca though. USed to have quite a few
student friends from that school, and from Iowa state when I lived there.

It seems to be a nice community.

Cheers,
Ole



... "Keyboard? How quaint!" - Scotty

--- MBSE BBS v0.95.6 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Omicron Theta * Grand Island, NY * CentOS Powered! (1:261/20)

Hi Ole,

On Tue 2038-Mar-02 03:47, Ole Juul (1:261/20) wrote to Richard Webb:

Bob is out in the sticks, no internet. HIs fido is old
school, regular modem, no telnet access.

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future. It's going to be interesting. Around here
we got wireless a few years ago, but there is no
cable or dsl available. We're lucky and only got
it because the govt was trying to get outlying
communities connected, and wer're on the other side
of a mountain where they put a tower for a larger
community. If it wasn't for that, we'd be stuck with
dialup or using satellite for our internet. I do
think satellite is available almost anywhere, the
only problem is it's quite expensive.

INdeed it is, quite spendy in fact.

I still wonder if they're really thinking right on all this
wireless. IT ain't like tv where it's one way, form
broadcaster to user. FUll duplex wireless is going to eat
tons of spectrum, get a couple hundred folks each watching
their own streaming video, listening to streaming audio,
shooting photos of the grandbrats around, etc. IT just
don't scale to real available to everybody. IN fact some of the cellular companies who offer this are finding themselves in a bandwidth crunch already, but I guess this conversation is drifting toward moving to another echo, possibly the
internet echo, also available on the fine bbs where you read this one.

Much as my system is, except Bob doesn't have a local
dial-in isp where he lives even.

I thought I was living in the sticks. We get bears in
the garden, people still do hand mining, and the
nearest store is 12 miles away.

YEp, been there, our old place that we were blown to after
Katrina, way out in the sticks. HEre I"m the south edge of
town, as I said, at the end of the trunk for telco switching station, I still see deer and other fauna in the trees in my backyard quite regularly.

I'd heard of the isca though. USed to have quite a few
student friends from that school, and from Iowa state when I lived there.

It seems to be a nice community.

University of IOwa has many such. Iowa CIty, Iowa is a nice university town in
fact.

Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Radio REscue net operations BBS (1:116/901)

Hi Richard,

I still wonder if they're really thinking right on all this wireless.
IT ain't like tv where it's one way, form broadcaster to user.
FUll duplex wireless is going to eat tons of spectrum, get a couple
hundred folks each watching their own streaming video, listening
to streaming audio, shooting photos of the grandbrats around,
etc. IT just don't scale to real available to everybody. IN fact

I haven't had a problem and we only have 1.5MB here. The Canadian
average is more than 4 times higher. I don't mind the speed but
I would appreciate if they charged accordingly. We pay the same as
everyone else. Anyway, the thing is that wireless is cheap to
install compared to anything else. Putting in DSL for 20 users
just isn't going to happen. Cable is out of the question because
they would have to run a cable to every house. The cost would
be astronomical and people already have sattelite TV which they
are happy with. So that is why the government put out some
incentives about 5 years ago to help small providers set up
towers to cover rural areas. There simply isn't any other way
to do it. We were lucky here that there is a community of
maybe 200 houses just the other side of the mountain so we
can share the tower.

some of the cellular companies who offer this are finding themselves
in a bandwidth crunch alread

Well we will never get cellular here either. Some people already
asked because they figured that the same tower could be used
for the cell. It probably could, but still the phone company
laughed so loud I can still hear the echo.

but I guess this conversation
is drifting toward moving to another echo, possibly the internet
echo, also available on the fine bbs where you read this one.

Oops, I guess I should have moved it there. (Too late now) :)
Anyway it is for both "DOS" and "internet" isn't it?
Oh, and the official title includes "BBS" as well. <g>

Cheers,
Ole

--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32
* Origin: Vertrauen - vert.synchro.net (1:103/705)

Replying to a message of Ole Juul to Richard Webb:

Bob is out in the sticks, no internet. HIs fido is old
school, regular modem, no telnet access.

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future.

The government doesn't have to do anything. I can get a satellite
hookup if I want one. I don't.

The government's "help" totally destroyed the wind power industry
beginning in the 1930s, the last company finally folded in the mid-
1950s. Part of the problem was that the makers of the low voltage/DC appliances needed by the then state of the art wind generators stopped
making them. Of course, wind power is currently enjoying a resurgence -
even at the small user level, and without any government "assistance."
I hope one day to be able to put one in, along with a backup gasoline/
diesel generator and get off the grid completely.

It's going to be interesting. Around here
we got wireless a few years ago, but there is no
cable or dsl available. We're lucky and only got
it because the govt was trying to get outlying
communities connected, and wer're on the other side
of a mountain where they put a tower for a larger
community. If it wasn't for that, we'd be stuck with
dialup or using satellite for our internet. I do
think satellite is available almost anywhere, the
only problem is it's quite expensive.

Much as my system is, except Bob doesn't have a local
dial-in isp where he lives even.

I thought I was living in the sticks. We get bears in
the garden, people still do hand mining, and the
nearest store is 12 miles away.

I'd heard of the isca though. USed to have quite a few
student friends from that school, and from Iowa state when
I lived there.

It seems to be a nice community.

Cheers,
Ole

... "Keyboard? How quaint!" - Scotty

-!- MBSE BBS v0.95.6 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
! Origin: Omicron Theta * Grand Island, NY * CentOS
Powered! (1:261/20)

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)

Quoting Ole Juul to Nancy Backus on 28 Feb 10 01:37:00 <=-

What do you mean by "fly by telnetters"? That they just
check things out and never come back?

I mean you never see them again. One original login and
that's it. Most of the logins on a lot of boards are like
that. Bear in mind that I've been doing "cold calls". By
that I mean checking lists that are published and then
going to the boards without any knowledge, expectation,
or recommendation from somebody. One would have a different
experience if one was to visit known boards, such as
a recommendation from somebody here.

Ah. That's what I thought you meant, but wanted to make sure. :) I've
seen a fair number of those on the "better-populated" boards, too. Most
of them appear to be using aliases, maybe they get scared off by boards
that want real names... or maybe they are only flitters anyway.. dunno.

Or that they don't take a lot of time when
online? I don't answer messages online, but I still
consider myself a
user, for the boards I check in on every night...

Of course, if you come back then you're a user. :)

However, the board is nice and clean in it's setup, and always
works fast. Thankyou Mr Sysop, is all I can say. I guess
I should leave him/her a message and say that there. :)
Especially since it's looking like my main Fidonet hookin.

I did leave a message right after I wrote that. He hasn't
answered or logged in yet.

Dunno if it's just a problem with my primary Fido board and DOS_INTERNET
or what, but I didn't get this (or other messages from this board) at
HOLODECK, which is my primary one. I see it, though, at all the others
that have this echo... So I'm answering from another of my backups. I

I think there is a problem somewhere. Another board which you
had said (IIRC) worked, is Omicron Theta. It looks like
some messages didn't make it there either. However, I thought
you said that The Valley (the one in question here) worked.

No, the Valley didn't work either... but then, stranger still, was that Waldo's wasn't working either... and that the problem seemed to be
exclusively (at least among the echoes I read) one with DOS_INTERNET.
Maybe one of the links somewhere along the way decided that that was a
dead echo and deleted it... just speculation on my part though. My
sysop here at Holodeck didn't have a clue what might be causing it, and
hadn't done anything at all that might have been part of it, so it would
have had to be upstream from us... In any case, at the moment anyway,
things seem to be going fine, and messages are getting to Holodeck, too.

see that you've been visiting this one (Waldo's Place USA), too... at
least I'm guessing that Voxigo is you, as that was your blog name...

Yep that's me. I used the name for that blog for fun because
it is my postal code (v0x 1g0) and then it seemed that all
the boards wanted an alias so I used that. I have never used
an alias before in my life anywhere. It feels really strange
and I always thought it was kinda stupid. However it seems
the rest of the world doesn't so I'm just trying to fit in.

Even boards that seem to encourage aliases, I always use my real name.
But then, I got into this through genealogy, where one's real name is
part of the message.... I've used an alias only in a local message area
where there was role-playing going on, to get into the game of it... but otherwise I've always and only used my real name. That way, no matter
what board I'm calling, I'll get any messages to me... which is the main
point of this anyway, at least to me. :)

Anyway, Waldo's (where I am now) is looking like my best
bet for fido anywhere, and I like the sysop, so The Valley
might be put on the back burner. That means they will have
zero calls. :( I'd better check by one in a while. :)

Waldo's is a good place. It's one of my regular backups, and was a
primary for a while, before Holodeck came back. Holodeck was one of the
very first boards I ever used, originally as dialup... yes, it's local
to me...

I wasn't ignoring the request... just haven't been doing message
packets for a week, with too much going on in real life this week...

Real life? How quaint. <G> hehe Good for you!

Yeah, well... ;) BBSing tends to be a stress-relief for me... except
for when things get too busy, and I get more brain-dead... less fun
then, of course... ;)

I'm sure you'll like it. I'll e-mail it and you can edit or
turn down as you wish. Gimme a few days. (I'm on Fido time) <VBG>

I'll watch for it... and try to not take to long to get back to you on
it, when I do get it... ;/

ttyl neb

... My computer isn't that nervous. It's just a bit ANSI.
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.20
* Origin: The Holodeck BBS telnet://holo.homeip.net:2323 (1:261/1381)

Quoting Bob Ackley to Ole Juul on 28 Feb 10 07:15:54 <=-

Replying to a message of Ole Juul to Nancy Backus:

I mean you never see them again. One original login and
that's it. Most of the logins on a lot of boards are like

Since it was set up in 2004 my system has had precisely two people
long in (besides me). Neither was local, and both checked in only
once. The other night I was sitting up here and the BBS line rang, was answered, dropped carrier, etc. After the third or fourth iteration I picked up the attached phone and surprised the fellow that had been calling. He was looking for dial-up systems and testing them to see
how slowly he could connect with them, we talked for several minutes.
He wasn't local either, he said he was located in Canada. FWIW he successfully connected with mine at 4,800 bps.

I remember 4800... I was at 2400 for ages, long after there were faster modems... Then we did a minor upgrade to 4800... I think we made the
jump to 14400 from there... I was away, hubby was downloading my
packets, and decided that it was just too slow, so did the upgrade...
quite the surprise for me when I got back from my trip. :) Sysop was
also surprised to see what was ostensibly me suddenly going way faster
than normal... <G>

ttyl neb

... If bacteria could survive that oven, it deserves to kill me.
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.20
* Origin: The Holodeck BBS telnet://holo.homeip.net:2323 (1:261/1381)

Bob Ackley wrote to Ole Juul:

Bob is out in the sticks, no internet. HIs fido is old
school, regular modem, no telnet access.

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future.

The government doesn't have to do anything. I can get a satellite
hookup if I want one. I don't.

We'll that's what I was thinking about. Since AT&T has started
talking publicly about how they are going to migrate away from
copper some of us could get stuck with very expensive or
even _no_ telephone service. As the copper lines continue to be
removed and subscribers continue to fall, the cost of maintaining
the remaining users will go up. I can't say when, but it would
not surprise me if copper just dropped away in a few years.
For those that don't have possiblity (or money) for voip, this
could pose a problem. That's what I mean by "government
intervention". I think there at least will be pressures when
people with low income or old age pension can't call 911.

The government's "help" totally destroyed the wind power industry
beginning in the 1930s, the last company finally folded in the mid-
1950s. Part of the problem was that the makers of the low voltage/DC appliances needed by the then state of the art wind generators stopped making them. Of course, wind power is currently enjoying a resurgence - even at the small user level, and without any government "assistance."
I hope one day to be able to put one in, along with a backup gasoline/ diesel generator and get off the grid completely.

Here in Canada, the government has been giving "assistance" in
the form of incentives to large companies for setting up
alternative energy generation. In Ontario they started a large
enterprise using solar panels. The cost was going to be 40 cents
per KW but I think it ended up higher than that. The idea is
that if they don't help this industry along, it won't get started
and it won't get cheaper. We'll see.

Cheers,
Ole





... "640K ought to be enough for anybody." Bill Gates '81

--- MBSE BBS v0.95.6 (GNU/Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: Omicron Theta * Grand Island, NY * CentOS Powered! (1:261/20)

Hi Nancy,

I mean you never see them again. One original login and
that's it. Most of the logins on a lot of boards are like
that. Bear in mind that I've been doing "cold calls". By

<snip>

Ah. That's what I thought you meant, but wanted to make
sure. :) I've
seen a fair number of those on the "better-populated"
boards, too. Most
of them appear to be using aliases, maybe they get scared
off by boards
that want real names... or maybe they are only flitters
anyway.. dunno.

Actually, outside of Fido it appears that almost everyone
uses an alias. Check out the larger boards where Fido is
not the central feed such as the Diskshop or Vertrauen.
Now that I know some of the aliases used there, I see them
all over the place. It is not a particularly friendly
crowd and the talk is mostly about games they used to play
when they were younger. Definately a sociologically
interesting group, but I don't think they "get scared off"
by using real names. It's just the way it works in that
culture.

Re: Voxigo

Yep that's me. I used the name for that blog for fun because
it is my postal code (v0x 1g0) and then it seemed that all
the boards wanted an alias so I used that. I have never used
an alias before in my life anywhere. It feels really strange
and I always thought it was kinda stupid. However it seems
the rest of the world doesn't so I'm just trying to fit in.

That blog started out to be a playful idea for trivial
babble but has turned out to be centered around my ideas
about minimal resource computing. I have another blog
with my real name.

Even boards that seem to encourage aliases, I always use my
real name.
But then, I got into this through genealogy, where one's
real name is
part of the message.... I've used an alias only in a local

That's why I've always (excepting the voxigo incident) used my
real name online. It is indeed part of the message. It keeps me
honest, and like genealogy it leaves a trail of stuff about
me for others when I'm dead.

message area
where there was role-playing going on, to get into the game
of it... but

I think there is a lot of role playing going on these days.
Far too many adults are playing games and by doing that
learn undesirable behaviour. Perhaps it's my artistic/autistic
side, but I don't feel at home or even welcome in that
environment. Although I did spend many years with actors
and on the stage. Somehow the non-artistic role players
don't come off as friendly. A lot of games seem to center
around clearly unfriendly themes like competitive violence.

otherwise I've always and only used my real name. That
way, no matter
what board I'm calling, I'll get any messages to me...
which is the main
point of this anyway, at least to me. :)

I'm with you! Communication is where it's at. :)

Yeah, well... ;) BBSing tends to be a stress-relief for
me... except
for when things get too busy, and I get more brain-dead...
less fun
then, of course... ;)

I wish I could say that. So far BBSing has been quite
stressful. The jerkie cursor, the slow boards, the varying
interfaces, the sometimes dysfunctional editors, and
sometimes unfriendly people, makes it a difficult world
for me. Anyway, I'll get there. Although I am very
fluent and relaxed on the web, I want to embrace many
channels of communication so I persevere with the BBS.
It also works well in my command line only world.

I didn't think it would be necesary, but perhaps the
only really functional way to use a BBS is with an off
line reader. With telnet it should not be needed because
there is no "time" in the sense that we used to have
with modems. In fact there is no reason to not stay
logged in for days like on a web forum, however the
writing (like this) is very difficult because the
server is not well suited for it. Luckily Waldos
gives ample time to write. Other boards dump you
uncerimoniously back on the command line before you can
save a long post. Anyway thats a topic for (perhaps many)
other posts. :)

Cheers,
Ole


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

...

but I guess this conversation
is drifting toward moving to another echo, possibly the internet
echo, also available on the fine bbs where you read this one.

Oops, I guess I should have moved it there. (Too late now)
:) Anyway it is for both "DOS" and "internet" isn't it?
Oh, and the official title includes "BBS" as well. <g>

Please don't move it. I am tracking too many echos already.
Don't need another one.



BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Well, to be frank, I'd have to change my name.
* Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
* Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)

...

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future.

The government doesn't have to do anything. I can get a
satellite hookup if I want one. I don't.

As he said, too expensive. This is one case I agree with you,
the govt doesn't have to do anything. Sometimes living somewhere
you chose means giving something up.

The government's "help" totally destroyed the wind power
industry beginning in the 1930s, the last company finally
folded in the mid- 1950s. Part of the problem was that the
makers of the low voltage/DC appliances needed by the then
state of the art wind generators stopped making them. Of

12 volt equipment has been around for a long time, for motor
homes and travel trailers. And motor generators are surprisingly
efficient. Though expensive at high power levels.

course, wind power is currently enjoying a resurgence -
even at the small user level, and without any government
"assistance."

Don't be so sure. There is an awful lot of govt money going into
wind power. Some of it research, some tax incentives, and some
just buying and installing and using the equipment.

I hope one day to be able to put one in,
along with a backup gasoline/ diesel generator and get off
the grid completely.

Something that has been a dream of many since the early '70s.
Hydro power was big back then also.

Get the early copies of the Mother Earth News from that era.

...

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

... Veni, Vidi, Ventilate (I came, I saw, I opened a window)
* Silver Xpress V4.5/P [Reg]
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5a
* Origin: FidoTel & QWK on the Web! www.fidotel.com (1:124/311)

Hi Nancy,

Quoting Ole Juul to Nancy Backus on 02-18-10 22:54 <=-

It really looks like they are not users but fly by telnetters,
as I call them. (sometimes me too!) It's funny, but I honestly
think that I really am the only _user_, including the sysop.

What do you mean by "fly by telnetters"? That they just
check things
out and never come back? Or that they don't take a lot of

I mean you never see them again. One original login and
that's it. Most of the logins on a lot of boards are like
that. Bear in mind that I've been doing "cold calls". By
that I mean checking lists that are published and then
going to the boards without any knowledge, expectation,
or recommendation from somebody. One would have a different
experience if one was to visit known boards, such as
a recommendation from somebody here.

time when
online? I don't answer messages online, but I still
consider myself a
user, for the boards I check in on every night...

Of course, if you come back then you're a user. :)

However, the board is nice and clean in it's setup, and always
works fast. Thankyou Mr Sysop, is all I can say. I guess
I should leave him/her a message and say that there. :)
Especially since it's looking like my main Fidonet hookin.

I did leave a message right after I wrote that. He hasn't
answered or logged in yet.

Dunno if it's just a problem with my primary Fido board and
DOS_INTERNET
or what, but I didn't get this (or other messages from this
board) at
HOLODECK, which is my primary one. I see it, though, at
all the others
that have this echo... So I'm answering from another of my
backups. I

I think there is a problem somewhere. Another board which you
had said (IIRC) worked, is Omicron Theta. It looks like
some messages didn't make it there either. However, I thought
you said that The Valley (the one in question here) worked.

see that you've been visiting this one (Waldo's Place USA),
too... at
least I'm guessing that Voxigo is you, as that was your
blog name...

Yep that's me. I used the name for that blog for fun because
it is my postal code (v0x 1g0) and then it seemed that all
the boards wanted an alias so I used that. I have never used
an alias before in my life anywhere. It feels really strange
and I always thought it was kinda stupid. However it seems
the rest of the world doesn't so I'm just trying to fit in.

Anyway, Waldo's (where I am now) is looking like my best
bet for fido anywhere, and I like the sysop, so The Valley
might be put on the back burner. That means they will have
zero calls. :( I'd better check by one in a while. :)

-+-
BTW, Nancy, can I send you e-mail, or do you only do
bbs mail? The reason I ask is that I would like to quote
most of what you said in some of the previous posts for
a blog story. Either with your name or anonymous. I would
perfer to shoot you what I would publish so you could
OK it first. Let me know how to proceed (or not). :)

I wasn't ignoring the request... just haven't been doing
message packets
for a week, with too much going on in real life this
week...

Real life? How quaint. <G> hehe Good for you!

depending on what
you want to use, I can let you know about whether or not to
use my name
with it... I'm not generally doing anything directly on
the net. And,
yes, I'd prefer to see what you were planning to publish
ahead of the
fact, so as to OK it first. :)

Sounds good. I just read everything you wrote and it seemed
like a great point of view from a Fido old timer - and you
basically went to all the trouble of writing a whole chapter!
Because of your experience you provide a valuable point
of view. Whether or not it coincides with mine is totally
irrelevant in this case. It just seemed perfect. Anyway,
I'm sure you'll like it. I'll e-mail it and you can edit or
turn down as you wish. Gimme a few days. (I'm on Fido time) <VBG>

ttyl,
Ole


* Origin: (1:3634/12)

Replying to a message of bob klahn to BOB ACKLEY:

...

That's really interesting. I wonder what the government
is going to do about that kind of situation in the
future.

The government doesn't have to do anything. I can get a
satellite hookup if I want one. I don't.

As he said, too expensive. This is one case I agree with
you, the govt doesn't have to do anything. Sometimes
living somewhere you chose means giving something up.

The government's "help" totally destroyed the wind power
industry beginning in the 1930s, the last company finally
folded in the mid- 1950s. Part of the problem was that the
makers of the low voltage/DC appliances needed by the then
state of the art wind generators stopped making them. Of

12 volt equipment has been around for a long time, for
motor homes and travel trailers. And motor generators are
surprisingly efficient. Though expensive at high power
levels.

Most of that 12v stuff came along after the government destroyed the
wind power industry. RV stuff is pretty much restricted to use in
RVs. And in any case much of that low voltage
equipment ran something like 36v.

course, wind power is currently enjoying a resurgence -
even at the small user level, and without any government
"assistance."

Don't be so sure. There is an awful lot of govt money going
into wind power. Some of it research, some tax incentives,
and some just buying and installing and using the
equipment.

I hope one day to be able to put one in,
along with a backup gasoline/ diesel generator and get off
the grid completely.

Something that has been a dream of many since the early
'70s. Hydro power was big back then also.

Get the early copies of the Mother Earth News from that
era.

I have them. I also have a (softcover) book that they published on the subject.

---
* Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)