• innovations back in the day

    From August Abolins@2:221/1.58 to Tony Langdon on Wed Jan 13 12:19:06 2021
    Hello Tony!

    ** 05.04.19 - 18:08, Tony Langdon wrote to August Abolins:

    Just before the internet/www browser approach took off, there was a
    very interesting BBS solution by Shotgun BBS.

    This approach and RIP turned out to be too little too late for the BBS scene. Sad, as there was a bit of innovation at the time. I never got to try any of the graphical BBS interfaces.

    The graphics were much better than the ansi offerings in standard bbses at the time. Mouseble too.

    The concept was brilliant, IMHO.


    Regards,
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.36
    * Origin: /|ug's Point, ONT, CANADA (2:221/1.58)
  • From Ward Dossche@2:292/854.1 to Tony Langdon on Wed Jan 13 12:19:06 2021
    The concept was brilliant, IMHO.

    Yes, if only it had caught on a few years earlier. :)

    My mother always used to say "if our cat were a cow the milkman didn't need to stop".

    Ward
    --- AfterShock/Android 1.6.8
    * Origin: Baby-Glacier (2:292/854.1)
  • From Charles Pierson@1:106/127 to August Abolins on Wed Jan 13 14:27:09 2021
    On 13 Jan 2021, August Abolins said the following...

    Just before the internet/www browser approach took off, there was a AA>> very interesting BBS solution by Shotgun BBS.

    This approach and RIP turned out to be too little too late for the BBS scene. Sad, as there was a bit of innovation at the time. I never got try any of the graphical BBS interfaces.

    The graphics were much better than the ansi offerings in standard bbses
    at the time. Mouseble too.

    The concept was brilliant, IMHO.

    I remember RIP, and I kind of liked it. Shotgun I don't recall. I don't know for sure that I would say RIP was better, anymore than I'd say ANSI was
    better than C=64 graphics.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: theoasisbbs.ddns.net:1357 (1:106/127)
  • From Jay Harris@1:229/664 to August Abolins on Wed Jan 13 18:25:42 2021
    On 05 Apr 2019, August Abolins said the following...

    The graphics were much better than the ansi offerings in standard bbses
    at the time. Mouseble too.

    The concept was brilliant, IMHO.

    If you want to experience it today:

    ftp://vert.synchro.net/main/comm/riptel.msi

    Download and install RIPtel and call the BBS built into the address book (Black Flag) - It's a full RIP BBS, it won't even let you call it with an ANSI terminal.


    Jay

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/01/05 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: Northern Realms (1:229/664)
  • From August Abolins@2:221/1.58 to Jay Harris on Thu Jan 14 01:28:00 2021
    Hello Jay!

    ** On Wednesday 13.01.21 - 18:25, Jay Harris wrote to August Abolins:

    If you want to experience it today:

    ftp://vert.synchro.net/main/comm/riptel.msi

    Download and install RIPtel and call the BBS built into the
    address book (Black Flag) - It's a full RIP BBS, it won't
    even let you call it with an ANSI terminal.

    VERY nice! It's pretty much how I remembered how it worked. It
    provided a very "fast" performance over dialup back then since a
    lot of the graphics and menus were pre-loaded client side.

    No annoying scrolling of the main menus or screens except for
    some of the text info within a frame.

    I'm wondering if rip could be viable on a smartphone. Seems like
    messaging and basic bbs functions would be a good fit for
    devices like that.



    --
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: Got mobile? FUTURE4FIDO = https://tinyurl.com/yx9z6d37 (2:221/1.58)
  • From Charles Pierson@1:106/127 to August Abolins on Thu Jan 14 07:11:23 2021
    On 14 Jan 2021, August Abolins said the following...
    If you want to experience it today:

    ftp://vert.synchro.net/main/comm/riptel.msi

    Download and install RIPtel and call the BBS built into the
    address book (Black Flag) - It's a full RIP BBS, it won't
    even let you call it with an ANSI terminal.

    VERY nice! It's pretty much how I remembered how it worked. It provided a very "fast" performance over dialup back then since a
    lot of the graphics and menus were pre-loaded client side.

    No annoying scrolling of the main menus or screens except for
    some of the text info within a frame.

    I'm wondering if rip could be viable on a smartphone. Seems like messaging and basic bbs functions would be a good fit for
    devices like that.


    I'm pretty sure that it would be possible. The question is are there enough BBSes around the utilize RIP to make it worth the time and effort?

    Theoretically, anything that can be done on a desktop or laptop could be be done on a smartphone or Tablet. You just have to account for the difference
    in hardware.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: theoasisbbs.ddns.net:1357 (1:106/127)
  • From August Abolins@2:221/1.58 to Charles Pierson on Thu Jan 14 09:37:00 2021
    Hello Charles!

    ** On Thursday 14.01.21 - 07:11, Charles Pierson wrote to August Abolins:

    I'm wondering if rip could be viable on a smartphone.
    Seems like messaging and basic bbs functions would be a
    good fit for devices like that.


    I'm pretty sure that it would be possible. The question is
    are there enough BBSes around the utilize RIP to make it
    worth the time and effort?

    The number of bbses does not matter at this time. What matters
    is if the concept can even be implemented. Maybe some existing
    concepts of Rip technology can be utilized and make the
    necessary adjustments for smartphone/tablet detection.

    Building a traditional app from scratch for smartphone/tablet
    devices that serves bbs functions sounds like too much work.
    Utilizing existing open-source such as what Telegram provides
    (where people are encouraged to provide customized clients) is
    the closest one can get to "get something done".

    But maybe Rip can provide the direct connections to specific
    bbses that this hobby seems to be grounded on.


    Theoretically, anything that can be done on a desktop or
    laptop could be be done on a smartphone or Tablet. You
    just have to account for the difference in hardware.

    When I first experienced Rip sessions, it seemed unlike anything
    else out there at the time. The typical scrolling screens of
    most computer interfaces were tedious.
    --
    ../|ug

    --- OpenXP 5.0.48
    * Origin: Got mobile? FUTURE4FIDO = https://tinyurl.com/yx9z6d37 (2:221/1.58)
  • From Charles Pierson@2:280/464 to August Abolins on Thu Jan 14 11:31:09 2021
    On 14 Jan 2021, August Abolins said the following...
    I'm pretty sure that it would be possible. The question is
    are there enough BBSes around the utilize RIP to make it
    worth the time and effort?

    The number of bbses does not matter at this time. What matters
    is if the concept can even be implemented. Maybe some existing
    concepts of Rip technology can be utilized and make the
    necessary adjustments for smartphone/tablet detection.
    Building a traditional app from scratch for smartphone/tablet
    devices that serves bbs functions sounds like too much work.
    Utilizing existing open-source such as what Telegram provides
    (where people are encouraged to provide customized clients) is
    the closest one can get to "get something done".


    That's the trick. You don't have to build a traditional app from scratch. I haven't looked into RIP much, simply because I haven't seen much mentio of
    it. But if the source code for it is open source, that code can be used in
    the Android app. The only new coding would be cosmetic and perhaps any mouse functions to touchscreen, for example. I would think most of the rest of new code would be a matter of adjusting what accesses the X86 hardware to the comperable armf hardware.

    I'm by no means an expert on the subject. But from what I'm picking up, I believe that if a program works on a Raspberry Pi, it should work on an
    Andoid device.

    If my programming ability was better, I'd start compiling apks with available source codes for various BBS related programs just to see how they work as
    is. I'm silly like that.

    But maybe Rip can provide the direct connections to specific
    bbses that this hobby seems to be grounded on.

    That's an option. A specialized app to connect to a specific BBS. For a new person to BBSing, it'd probably be a fair introduction.
    Theoretically, anything that can be done on a desktop or
    laptop could be be done on a smartphone or Tablet. You
    just have to account for the difference in hardware.

    When I first experienced Rip sessions, it seemed unlike anything
    else out there at the time. The typical scrolling screens of
    most computer interfaces were tedious.
    --

    Scrolling screens only bothered me when a BBS had multiple pages of ANSI artwork on their log in that you couldn't bypass.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: theoasisbbs.ddns.net:1357
  • From Jay Harris@1:229/664 to Charles Pierson on Thu Jan 14 14:10:39 2021
    On 14 Jan 2021, Charles Pierson said the following...

    That's an option. A specialized app to connect to a specific BBS. For a newperson to BBSing, it'd probably be a fair introduction.

    That reminds me of when I was back in high school. I saved a HyperTerminal connection file to a 3.5" floppy and passed them out for free at school.

    Not sure if that ever got me any new callers, but I like to think it did.

    Now-a-days yeah, you'd need your own app. Maybe print out a QR code with a link to the app or something to make it appealing...


    Jay

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/01/05 (Raspberry Pi/32)
    * Origin: Northern Realms (1:229/664)