Rational PC mail , was Re: PGP on BBS

Marc@mit.edu writes:
>
>What you are all talking about here is a solved problem.  Many such
>network protocols exist.  SLIP is probably the best example.  If you
>use SLIP to connect to the BBS instead of a dumb terminal connection,
>you get a real network link which supports multiple connections to
>multiple destinations.  And free SLIP implementations exist.  The
>author of one of the most popular is on this list, in fact.


It is a solved problem. It doesn't even require SLIP. I spent lots
of hours over the past year trying to get SLIP to work with
the GMU computers. it is officially "not supported"

With NUpop and Eudora, SLIP is optional. The NUpop docs say
that SLIP slows down the transfer, and recommends simple ASCII
async connection using a reliable modem (MNP or V42/V.42bis)

>Of course, this requires that your "terminal" be somewhat intelligent,
>but even a lowly 8088 PC running DOS can run SLIP.
>
>If you do this, all you need is a BBS which supports network services,
>instead of the current menu-based sort of systems we have now.  If you
>want to encrypt, you do so locally.  In fact, you'd probably do almost
>everything locally.

Using a computer as a computer is clearly the way to go. There
are a number of low-cost or free Unix providers, I expect that
they do, or can be talked into supporting POP.

I expect that current terminal/menu based BBSes will disapear
once folks realize how much better easier, faster, and all
around better programs that use computers as computers work.

Pat


Pat Farrell,      Grad Student                       pfarrell@cs.gmu.edu
Department of Computer Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
PGP key available via finger or request           #include standard.disclaimer

>Using a computer as a computer is clearly the way to go. There
>are a number of low-cost or free Unix providers, I expect that
>they do, or can be talked into supporting POP.

     I agree that it's the best way to go, but as you will see below
it's not (IMHO) what's best for everyone.

>I expect that current terminal/menu based BBSes will disapear
>once folks realize how much better easier, faster, and all
>around better programs that use computers as computers work.

     I think a wide variety of services need to be provided in order
to allow each person to use computer systems in their own way.  For
example, the following are all popular types of systems that each
have a large following:

     CompuServe, Prodigy, GEnie, etc.
     Bulletin Board Systems (dial-up, non-Internet related)
     VMS
     UNIX

     If BBSes were eliminated in the long run, many users would have
to learn the more difficult UNIX or resort to CI$ et al or VMS.  I
personally use BBSes, UNIX, and VMS (in no particular order) and
enjoy each for its special abilities.  BBSes are a totally different
environment than UNIX, thus I think they will stick around for quite
a while.  They allow the sysadm to provide much more personality and
creativity than UNIX with very little knowledge of the underlying
operating system by comparison.

Chael Hall

--
Chael Hall
nowhere@bsu-cs.bsu.edu, 00CCHALL@LEO.BSUVC.BSU.EDU, CHALL@CLSV.Charon.BSU.Edu
(317) 285-3648 after 4 pm EST