Re: [INF] She should have...

bug <bla...@nospamkonto.pl> wrote:
:           ,-    .--.      .--.    -.           
: ,    /\   :(   .'  .' 5USD `.  `.   );   /\    ,
: ._.'  \  '.".'  .( per min. ).  `.".'  /  `._.
:  """"-.\_.-"_.-"-.)        (.-"-._"-._/.-""""
: 
:>BBS?
: 
:    Bulletin Board Service, right? Still don't know how to do this. :)

        Search

www.google.com

        for "GT Power" and "WWIV" and "BBS software".

        It is only useful locally because of the cost
of long distance calls.

        Up until 1993 there was a telephone service
called "PC Pursuit" in the US which allowed unlimited
long distance calls for $30 US per month, provided
that _ONLY_ computer modem data calls were made.

        This allowed me to call any BBS and capture
the ANSI ART logon screens and view ANSI and ASCII
ART drawings.
        Some programs like GT Power were capable
of sending and receiving any of the 254 printable
IBM character set, except the control characters.
        Usenet will handle the ESCAPE character (CHR(27)
decimal) used by ANSI terminals, but it has to be 
entered as another character, maybe #26 decimal,
I forgot.
        For a while I read an Asian ASCII newsgroup
and occasionally somebody would send ANSI codes to
turn color on in the header.
      
        ASCII pics are greatly enhanced by being
able to use the IBM high character set, but that
won't work in windoze unless somebody provides
a font with all the high characters in it.

        The advantage of a computer Bulletin Board
System is that the system operator (Sysop) has full
control of the system, and can implement anything
that supports IBM high characters or ANSI ART.
        GT Power has both a user version, and a
HOST BBS version (which can also be used as a
user terminal program).
        It is also the most capable, supporting
ANSI music which plays through the computer speaker,
but most of the terminal programs that supported
ANSI music did not compensate for fast machines,
and the wav and MP3 music is much better quality
than ANSI music.  

        There are still a few BBS call-in systems,
but are usually commercial, or for a local hobby
or social group. 
        I have considered starting one for ANSI
and ASCII ART, and my favorite hobby, Gravity.

Joe Fischer 

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