I hope this email finds everyone well, and that we have some linked BBSes with lurkers floating around.

There are several Fido echoes where we can talk about Zone politics, World politics, global warming, global corruption, last night's recipe and every flavor of BBS left standing. How about a place for talk that avoids all that?

Let's find out how you're holding up, what you're doing to cope with the current situation, what your favorite coffee blend is, what you're reading, what new show has you binge watching, and maybe go down the french press versus pour-over debate?

--kW


ND: Peet's Sumatra, pour-over in a SOMA FM mug
--- SBBSecho 3.10-Win32
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

Kurt Weiske wrote to All <=-

I hope this email finds everyone well, and that we have some linked
BBSes with lurkers floating around.

There are several Fido echoes where we can talk about Zone politics,
World politics, global warming, global corruption, last night's recipe
and every flavor of BBS left standing. How about a place for talk that avoids all that?

Let's find out how you're holding up, what you're doing to cope with
the current situation, what your favorite coffee blend is, what you're reading, what new show has you binge watching, and maybe go down the french press versus pour-over debate?

Good to meet you.

ND: Peet's Sumatra, pour-over in a SOMA FM mug

I love SOMA FM

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Hello Daniel!

** On Sunday 17.05.20 - 02:36, Daniel wrote to Kurt Weiske:

ND: Peet's Sumatra, pour-over in a SOMA FM mug

I love SOMA FM

Never heard of SomaFM before. Checked it out. Nice concept, but it's up
to something even when not being used. I loaded the main page, picked a channel to listen to, sounded great, but the stream was data-heavy at
about 1MB every 15-20 seconds! Killing the player did not stop the
download data activity. Closing the website did not stop the download activity either! What is it doing even when the player and the site are closed?


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

Hello Daniel!

** On Sunday 17.05.20 - 02:36, Daniel wrote to Kurt Weiske:

ND: Peet's Sumatra, pour-over in a SOMA FM mug

I love SOMA FM

Never heard of SomaFM before. Checked it out. Nice concept, but it's
up to something even when not being used. I loaded the main page,
picked a channel to listen to, sounded great, but the stream was data-heavy at about 1MB every 15-20 seconds! Killing the player did not stop the download data activity. Closing the website did not stop the download activity either! What is it doing even when the player and the site are closed?

No idea. I stream it off my media server.

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

picked a channel to listen to, sounded great, but the stream was data-heavy at about 1MB every 15-20 seconds! Killing the player did not stop the download data activity. Closing the website did not stop the download activity either! What is it doing even when the player and the site are closed?

I don't use the player - you can download a M3u file that opens up in
Winamp.


... I'll be unstoppable when I get started.
--- MultiMail/DOS v0.52
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

Excellent idea! Nothing worse during a pandemic then adding a heated
political debate into the stress. Frankly, I've had zero interest in the TV, facebook, nor twitter or text messaging. I've stayed in touch with my family via Marco Polo, because I can see and hear their voices, without having to schedule a time to join a zoom call. And my passion outside of tech, is landscaping, turf managment, flowers, shrubs, trees, ponds, pergolas,
gardening ... I like building and caring for the aforementioned. So from a coping prospective a good 6 hour day in the sun, with nothing but the sounds
of birds and lawn mowers .. sandwiched between some BBS time ..has been very healthy for my blood pressure.

Yourself Daniel?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground BBS (1:227/702)

Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel <=-

Excellent idea! Nothing worse during a pandemic then adding a heated political debate into the stress. Frankly, I've had zero interest in
the TV, facebook, nor twitter or text messaging. I've stayed in touch with my family via Marco Polo, because I can see and hear their voices, without having to schedule a time to join a zoom call. And my passion outside of tech, is landscaping, turf managment, flowers, shrubs,
trees, ponds, pergolas, gardening ... I like building and caring for
the aforementioned. So from a coping prospective a good 6 hour day in
the sun, with nothing but the sounds of birds and lawn mowers .. sandwiched between some BBS time ..has been very healthy for my blood pressure.

Yourself Daniel?

Restoration of my C64 breadbin has been fun. Got my plane ready for annual inspection. Restored a dead headset.

My spouse and I are closer now than ever, so that's great. I don't know.

You know, I find it really difficult to keep contact with my friends. They're hard to have a sustained conversation with on text message and forget the notion of talking on the phone. I have one friend who'll call to talk for any period of time. The rest, nah.

It was like that before, but the lockdown made it worse.

Daniel Traechin

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

On 5/17/2020 7:53 PM, between "Doug Cooper : Daniel":

Excellent idea! Nothing worse during a pandemic then adding
a heated political debate into the stress. Frankly, I've had
zero interest in the TV, facebook, nor twitter or text
messaging. I've stayed in touch with my family via Marco
Polo, because I can see and hear their voices, without
having to schedule a time to join a zoom call.

PMFJI, but I've never heard of the app called Marco Polo. I was doing a little reading up on it, but it sounds a lot like the other video chat programs. Is MC a kind of store-n-forward video chat system akin to leaving a voice message on someone's phone, but with video?

For an app that is completely free, and ad-free, there are sure a lot of people behind it based on the company group picture! How do they finance MC with so many salaries to pay for?

--- Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 (Windows/20100228)
* Origin: nntp://rbb.fidonet.fi - Lake Ylo - Finland (2:221/360.0)

Daniel,

You know, I find it really difficult to keep contact with my friends. They're hard to have a sustained conversation with on text message and forget the notion of talking on the phone. I have one friend who'll call to talk for any period of time. The rest, nah.

It was like that before, but the lockdown made it worse.

I discovered that owning my own business. People use text as a form of ToDo list. I would get random texts as late as midnight on weekend, with clients making requests. that I used to think I had to reply to right away. Most requests or concerns required a phone conversation for clarity and or explanation. They would refuse to talk on the phone and I'd spend hours scripting a carefully worded email. My friends, same way. They'll send a brief text or facebook message, but it's a short conversation that fizzles
out due to lack of substance. I've really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for
smart phones ... it's allowed each friend/family member to actually speak and reply to questions. For the current circumstances, it's been the only format I've found that has allowed me to stay connected to those I'd normally see. You download the ap and invite them .. then text and call them until they download it (takes persistance lol) but once they do, it becomes viral. It's like text, but you have to do so via video. Friends and family can reply
with a video only, when they have time (or look presentable) to so. It's replaced any other form of communication other then the telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Doug

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground BBS (1:227/702)

PMFJI, but I've never heard of the app called Marco Polo. I was doing a little reading up on it, but it sounds a lot like the other video chat programs. Is MC a kind of store-n-forward video chat system akin to leaving a voice message on someone's phone, but with video?

For an app that is completely free, and ad-free, there are sure a lot of people behind it based on the company group picture! How do they
finance MC with so many salaries to pay for?

--- Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 (Windows/20100228)

August,

Think of it like texting. You make a video to a specific person or group
that you creaete (so for example I have a group called "Family," but also
have individuals (including those within my family group) where we have more private conversations. The Ap notifies the person they have a video. When they have time and look presentable, they can watch the video and reply by simply clicking record, speaking, then hitting send. You can also upload videos from your camera roll. I made a video to walk my family through Busy Kid, an allowance ap for kids, and uploaded that to the Family group so they could see how it works, as they were interested. So it's like TEXTING, but with video. The great thing about it are two fold: 1. you don't have to schedule a time for a facetime party or zoom call 2. its 100% free. It's a very fun platform and very easy to use.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground BBS (1:227/702)

Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel <=-

Daniel,

You know, I find it really difficult to keep contact with my friends. They're hard to have a sustained conversation with on text message and forget the notion of talking on the phone. I have one friend who'll call to talk for any period of time. The rest, nah.

It was like that before, but the lockdown made it worse.

I discovered that owning my own business. People use text as a form of ToDo list. I would get random texts as late as midnight on weekend,
with clients making requests. that I used to think I had to reply to right away. Most requests or concerns required a phone conversation
for clarity and or explanation. They would refuse to talk on the phone and I'd spend hours scripting a carefully worded email. My friends,
same way. They'll send a brief text or facebook message, but it's a
short conversation that fizzles out due to lack of substance. I've
really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for smart phones ... it's allowed each friend/family member to actually speak and reply to questions. For the current circumstances, it's been the only format I've found that has allowed me to stay connected to those I'd normally see. You download
the ap and invite them .. then text and call them until they download
it (takes persistance lol) but once they do, it becomes viral. It's
like text, but you have to do so via video. Friends and family can
reply with a video only, when they have time (or look presentable) to
so. It's replaced any other form of communication other then the telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell
them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline. This seems to have
been a major success with this lockdown adn work from home (which is now permanent with my agency).

Daniel Traechin

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Hello Daniel!

** On Monday 18.05.20 - 23:32, Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper:

really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for smart phones ...
... It's replaced any other form of communication other then the
telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell
them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

I did not realize that the Gemini is so recent! That one is a nice combination smartphone+keyboard. I like it.

But I can't think of such spending right now.

Which model do you have? Did you order yours from the UK, or did you find
a domestic seller in your USA?

Their top model with the extensive network features looks to be designed
for the frequent glob-trotter. Probably overkill for a domestic like me.

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline.

Same here. My Blackberry is activated as a phone primarily because I only use it to access internet via the data services, but no one knows the
phone number.

I only "open" my landline to calls from 7p-9p only. Ringer is off the rest
of the time. I just grew tired of picking up the phone for the bogus spam calls and surveys.


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

Hello Daniel!

** On Monday 18.05.20 - 23:32, Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper:

really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for smart phones ...
... It's replaced any other form of communication other then the
telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell
them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

I did not realize that the Gemini is so recent! That one is a nice combination smartphone+keyboard. I like it.

That was the selling point. I hate virtual keyboard and this clamshell guarantees no breakage of screen. It can be a phone too and is built to be one as well.

But I can't think of such spending right now.

I bought mine last year and is the same model as the one linked. They have a phone and another one being kickstarted at the moment that is more slider.

Which model do you have? Did you order yours from the UK, or did you
find a domestic seller in your USA?

I have the gemini PDA

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for
good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of dust as it sits on one
of my network switches.

Their top model with the extensive network features looks to be
designed for the frequent glob-trotter. Probably overkill for a
domestic like me.

I use it for SMS and to ssh into my home network. Occasionally I'll fire up my irc client. I have keepass and my two factor auth. Then, naturally email.

I don't use google services on it.

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline.

Same here. My Blackberry is activated as a phone primarily because I
only use it to access internet via the data services, but no one knows
the phone number.

My last smartphone was the blackberry Key One before my obese manager sat on it
and bent the frame. Out went the battery with the onion-skin thin battery cable
as it scampered on the floor. I reactivated my old smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for
phone insurance again. But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

If I were to ever get a smartphone again it would be a blackberry. Have you seen the blackberry phone made by Punkt? That would be it for me. Second link below.

I'm a real fan of minimalism and that takes the cake.

I only "open" my landline to calls from 7p-9p only. Ringer is off the
rest of the time. I just grew tired of picking up the phone for the
bogus spam calls and surveys.

I used to have that problem. My phone's a POTS only within the house. Otherwise, it's a digital line. I setup my call rules to block all calls but those whitelisted. So anyone who knows me can call. And my bank plus few other debtors can call me if needed. So when my phone rings, it's only those who I intend to call me. Any other business needing to reach me can do so via email, which they prefer to do anyway.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-lady is a highlight of my day too.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel <=-

without having to schedule a time to join a zoom call. And my passion outside of tech, is landscaping, turf managment, flowers, shrubs,
trees, ponds, pergolas, gardening ...

Weeding, painting, planting, sweeping, fixing ourdoor furniture, building
new shelving...seen a lot of people buying home projects at local hardware stores. We just planted a tone of new plants, and had an odd off-season winter-like storm passing through - watering everything nicely.

--kW



... The most easily forgotten thing is the most important
--- MultiMail/XT v0.52
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper <=-

You know, I find it really difficult to keep contact with my friends. They're hard to have a sustained conversation with on text message and forget the notion of talking on the phone. I have one friend who'll
call to talk for any period of time. The rest, nah.

I've had a weekly zoom drinking call with some old BBS friends of mine from the Dial-up days - we had 9-10 people filling the screen at one point. Get- togethers were a rarity as we've all moved out of the SF bay area, but it's nice to meet up by video again.

I don't think we would have done this if the SIP hadn't happened.

There's a weekly BBS gettogether on MRC on wednesdays that's pretty fun.

--kW


... The most easily forgotten thing is the most important
--- MultiMail/XT v0.52
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

Daniel wrote to August Abolins <=-

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

That does look awesome. How's the battery life?

I've wanted to make a phone into a laptop replacement, with some of the new cloud apps and a Bluetooth keyboard it's almost possible. A clamshell
palmtop with bluetooth and a cellular radio would be killer.

I was smitten with the IBM Palmtop from Japan, the Toshiba Libretto, and to
a lesser extent the Atari Portfolios and HP 95/100/200lx designs.

smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since
the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for phone insurance again.
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I remember those Blackberry years - I spent years with the model with the 7290, then the Pearl, then a Curve, then one of the newer touchpad models. loved the keyboard, but I borrowed a iPhone 3GS from work and never looked back.

Loved the Blackberry Enterprise Server - I could tell it *only* to notify me if certain people emailed. Saved on a lot of distraction. Getting android to do the same is tricky; the Samsung app has a feature to accomplish this but Gmail doesn't.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

There are a handful of similar sized phones on Amazon, not sure which ones support 3G networks, but I've always had a thought of going with a feature phone and cutting out all of the apps. Use the phone just to communicate.

I used to have an old Nokia 3100 Classic I'd keep around to try out - the Punkt is a hell of a lot cooler looking. I'd need a Montblanc pen and a leather journal to go with it. :)


... Emphasize the flaws
--- MultiMail/XT v0.52
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

On 16 May 2020, Kurt Weiske said the following...

Let's find out how you're holding up, what you're doing to cope with the current situation, what your favorite coffee blend is, what you're reading, what new show has you binge watching, and maybe go down the french press versus

First two days off in a row from work I've had since February as I am "essential". Has been awesome and I've had way too much coffee sitting here at home.

Very little TV lately in the house, at least for me, due to work. I'm sure my wife and girls have been binging though.

I have a press as well as a plain old Mr Coffee but I have to say I enjoy the guilty pleasure of preferring my Keurig with a nice dark roast.

-=>Richard Miles<=-
-=>Captain Obvious<=-
-=>bbs.shadowscope.com<=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/05/17 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Shadowscope BBS | bbs.shadowscope.com | Temple, GA (1:3634/24)

Kurt Weiske wrote to Daniel <=-

Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper <=-

You know, I find it really difficult to keep contact with my friends. They're hard to have a sustained conversation with on text message and forget the notion of talking on the phone. I have one friend who'll
call to talk for any period of time. The rest, nah.

I've had a weekly zoom drinking call with some old BBS friends of mine from the Dial-up days - we had 9-10 people filling the screen at one point. Get- togethers were a rarity as we've all moved out of the SF
bay area, but it's nice to meet up by video again.

I don't think we would have done this if the SIP hadn't happened.

There's a weekly BBS gettogether on MRC on wednesdays that's pretty
fun.

Who hosts it? I don't see the adverts

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Kurt Weiske wrote to Daniel <=-

Daniel wrote to August Abolins <=-

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

That does look awesome. How's the battery life?

Not too sure man.

I've wanted to make a phone into a laptop replacement, with some of the new cloud apps and a Bluetooth keyboard it's almost possible. A
clamshell palmtop with bluetooth and a cellular radio would be killer.

They have a USB -> HDMI that does that very thing. Keyboard/mouse on bluetooth and you're set. The gemini has two type C connectors. One for charging, the other for video output so you can charge while it is on display. It's hella.

I was smitten with the IBM Palmtop from Japan, the Toshiba Libretto,
and to a lesser extent the Atari Portfolios and HP 95/100/200lx
designs.

smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since
the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for phone insurance again.
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I remember those Blackberry years - I spent years with the model with
the 7290, then the Pearl, then a Curve, then one of the newer touchpad models. loved the keyboard, but I borrowed a iPhone 3GS from work and never looked back.

Loved the Blackberry Enterprise Server - I could tell it *only* to
notify me if certain people emailed. Saved on a lot of distraction. Getting android to do the same is tricky; the Samsung app has a feature
to accomplish this but Gmail doesn't.

That's gone now. Blackberry is now a cybersecurity outfit.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

There are a handful of similar sized phones on Amazon, not sure which
ones support 3G networks, but I've always had a thought of going with a feature phone and cutting out all of the apps. Use the phone just to communicate.

The current blackberry models are modern smartphones. They do 3g, 4g/lte, etc. The one i had was a sprint LTE model.

I used to have an old Nokia 3100 Classic I'd keep around to try out -
the Punkt is a hell of a lot cooler looking. I'd need a Montblanc pen
and a leather journal to go with it. :)

The punkt also has a lte connection that allows hotspotting.

Daniel Traechin

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

On 19 May 2020, Daniel said the following...

There's a weekly BBS gettogether on MRC on wednesdays that's pretty fun.

Who hosts it? I don't see the adverts

Don't remember if it's Hawk or who but I see them all the time. Hop on if
you get the chance. I am normally working unfortunately and can't join in but most of the boards running MRC you should be able to join in.

-=>Richard Miles<=-
-=>Captain Obvious<=-
-=>bbs.shadowscope.com<=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/05/17 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Shadowscope BBS | bbs.shadowscope.com | Temple, GA (1:3634/24)

Richard Miles wrote to Daniel <=-

On 19 May 2020, Daniel said the following...

There's a weekly BBS gettogether on MRC on wednesdays that's pretty fun.

Who hosts it? I don't see the adverts

Don't remember if it's Hawk or who but I see them all the time. Hop on
if you get the chance. I am normally working unfortunately and can't
join in but most of the boards running MRC you should be able to join
in.

I just got out of a day of meetings. Working at home still, and likely will from now on.

I'll check and see if MRC has any action going on. Going to log in thru bottomlessabyss.

Daniel Traechin

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Quoting Kurt Weiske to All <=-

the current situation, what your favorite coffee blend is, what you're reading, what new show has you binge watching, and maybe go down the french press versus pour-over debate?

Favorite blend is from my friends farm in Cuba. Has no name, he just
brings me some everytime he comes back to Canada and we go through it
in days. LOL

I use a drip machine for the most part (lazy) and I do have a high
quality espresso machine that I use for the above coffee. Day to day
is whatever is on sale.

Shawn

... Yeah, I fired a warning shot... Into his chest.

--- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F
* Origin: Tiny's BBS - telnet://tinysbbs.com:3023 (1:229/452)

Hello Daniel!

** On Tuesday 19.05.20 - 06:16, Daniel wrote to August Abolins:

I have the gemini PDA

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off
+ free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

Yes.. at the current advertised price, it would have to be a significant "sale" before I make a serious consideration.

Based on the models holding the unit to their heads, it seems borderline larger than I would like a phone to my head.

I thought my Blackberry Q10 was heavy at 135g (majority of the weight is
the 2100mAh battery), but the gemini is a bit more than twice as heavy.
Not sure if I would want to carry that in a suit pocket.

Is the battery of the gemini removable?

I don't use google services on it.

You are very disciplined! :)

My last smartphone was the blackberry Key One..
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I warmed up the to Q10 keyboard very quickly. VERY smart idea to have the little raised corners on the keys.

If I were to ever get a smartphone again it would be a blackberry.
Have you seen the blackberry phone made by Punkt? That would be it for
me. Second link below.

I'm a real fan of minimalism and that takes the cake.

Never heard of that one. It *is* nice and small. But the price isn't! LOL

How would you do texting with it? C = 3 presses on 2? F = 3 presses on
3? No thanks.

I am finding that the Q10 is a fine temporary phone when I need to call my office to check messages or to have on hand for emergency when travelling.
I ordered a genuine belt holster for it. I really can't complain since
the phone was practically just given to me when the previous owner damaged the usb charging port. Instead, I just have two extra batteries and one
of them is in an external charger at the ready.

I used to have that problem. My phone's a POTS only within the house. Otherwise, it's a digital line. I setup my call rules to block all
calls but those whitelisted. So anyone who knows me can call. And my
bank plus few other debtors can call me if needed. So when my phone
rings, it's only those who I intend to call me. Any other business
needing to reach me can do so via email, which they prefer to do
anyway.

I could do something similar, but I refuse to subscribe to caller-id
features on my POTS phone. The base price would be over $100/yr. I don't care about receiving calls that much to justify that.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-
lady is a highlight of my day too.

You're a flirt! LOL.

I don't have the dicipline to write cheques, stuff envelopes and mail them out in time before the due dates anymore.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

Thanks for the links. They were an interesting visit.

../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

Yes.. at the current advertised price, it would have to be a
significant "sale" before I make a serious consideration.

Mhm

Based on the models holding the unit to their heads, it seems
borderline larger than I would like a phone to my head.

I use it as it is designed for, a PDA.

I thought my Blackberry Q10 was heavy at 135g (majority of the weight
is the 2100mAh battery), but the gemini is a bit more than twice as
heavy. Not sure if I would want to carry that in a suit pocket.

It's basically two 'phones' in one that folds into a clamshell. like a mini-laptop with aluminum. It's heavy but it suits my purposes. It's definitely
not for everyone.

Is the battery of the gemini removable?

No.

I don't use google services on it.

You are very disciplined! :)

No, it just isn't necessary for my uses. I have a few apps that are available on f-droid that don't require google services and, well, Google doesn't even know my android install exists.

Never heard of that one. It *is* nice and small. But the price isn't!
LOL

Yeah, I know. It's pricey.

How would you do texting with it? C = 3 presses on 2? F = 3 presses
on 3? No thanks.

No idea. If so that would be a stunning no from me. But then, my PDA is there for texting.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-
lady is a highlight of my day too.

You're a flirt! LOL.

shhh

I don't have the dicipline to write cheques, stuff envelopes and mail
them out in time before the due dates anymore.

Yeah, not for everyone surely.

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Hello Doug!

** On Monday 25.05.20 - 01:54, Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel:

I'm about ready to go back to a land line as well.

Why?

I keep Facebook because my family is on there and I don't even read
what they say. My dad, at 74 is posting his daily schedule and
expects the family to read it.

He's found a purposeful activity. Keep encouraging it. FB is fairly
simple. I steered my mom to FTN echomail in the pre-FB days. She
mastered the quoting and cleaning up of wrapped lines very nicely. She participated in a few online forums too.

...and I'm not sifthing through 10,000 cat meme's to get to his
schedule update posted within my newsfeed. So, we're in a pickle.

That is one of the annoyances of FB for me.. lack of proper S)earch in a regular personal account. Otherwise, FB resembles one long continuous toilet-paper roll of meaningless crap: photos of food, stupid shared memes/jokes, etc.

But I found out that a Group account does allow S)earches. Maybe have a group account for your dad.

One wish ... on my list .. is a network with no more then 20 GENERAL
TOPIC discussion areas that are more user focused, active, and non
SysOp or Tech related to enjoy. During times like we are in right
now, a break for WORK, Politics, and this virus are of value. But
I'm finding many networks, even Fido, only have active echos within
HAM Radio, politics, BBS related topics.

This echo, COFFEE_KLATSCH, is a good home-base to start from. Then, find another echo that might interest you, and try to steer people to that to continue those specific topics.

I'm hovering in MOVIES, INTERNET, CATS_MEOW (pets), FILM. The top non-
tech echos are:

COOKING 8.87%
WEATHER 6.46%
HOME_COOKING 5.96%
RECIPES 5.75%
NHL 2.30%
MEMORIES 1.54%
POLITICS 1.11%
DADS 0.57%
ENGLISH_TUTOR 0.22%

I'm not sure how we attract new and or past BBS USERS (not current
SysOps) when focused so internally

Put out posters in your community at places like grocery stores,
laundromats, post offices.

.... but ... if I must discuss Licensed Turf Management here ... feel
free to ask about crap grass, grubs, proper fertilization timing,
etc.... I have a bit of experience witin it.

There's a fido echo HOME_N_GRDN for that. Start posting and let people
here know that you're writing there.

Thanks for th welcome and the echo. This should be a good break for me. And if anyone desires ... give my BBS a connect .... It's, like any, a work in development, but I'm commited to daily changes to keep it fresh, configured, funcitonal, and relevant. And it's inception was April 2020.
So ... your feedback in email would be awesome! Good or bad.

www.theunderground.us:10023

Your "Breaking News" write-up at telentbbsguide.com is very good! Produce
a condensed version of that and get it posted at physical bulletin boards
or produce a pamphlet (3-fold version) that can be placed with retailers
in your community. Maybe even a local bookstore would welcome to have it!



../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline. This seems
to have been a major success with this lockdown adn work from home
(which is now permanent with my agency).

Daniel Traechin

Where do you get a sat phone? I'm about ready to go back to a land line as well. I keep Facebook because my family is on there and I don't even read
what they say. My dad, at 74 is posting his daily schedule and expects the family to read it. If I dare call during that time, he gets pretty
irritated. So I've explained to him that I have my own schedule, do not use social media to post my schedule, and that if he's engaged in some church event, going out of town, or whatever, to simply email me or call. He has
yet to comply, and I'm not sifthing through 10,000 cat meme's to get to his schedule update posted within my newsfeed. So, we're in a pickle. But I
only use facebook to post photos of my kids to the family, and have my
facebook locked down to family. Use twitter with TOR and VPN, fake email,
and user name, to Poke at people when in the mood. Other then that, I'm done with the over stimulation to politics and the COVID19 crisis "we're in it together" campaigns -- and -- non stop ads and politician updates. I watch
the local news in the AM for the weather, get the basic headlines from them. If a topic of value comes up, I read it online. I pray for a day that we get back to WORLD news. I remember when it used to consist of wars, human right violations, planes being lost in the sea, etc... As opposed to 24x7 "hate trump" or "love trump" media (at least here in the states). It's been a very very long and mentally taxing 5+ years. So my hobbies keep me sane.

One wish ... on my list .. is a network with no more then 20 GENERAL TOPIC discussion areas that are more user focused, active, and non SysOp or Tech related to enjoy. During times like we are in right now, a break for WORK, Politics, and this virus are of value. But I'm finding many networks, even Fido, only have active echos within HAM Radio, politics, BBS related topics. I'm not sure how we attract new and or past BBS USERS (not current SysOps)
when focused so internally .... but ... if I must discuss Licensed Turf Management here ... feel free to ask about crap grass, grubs, proper fertilization timing, etc.... I have a bit of experience witin it.

Thanks for th welcome and the echo. This should be a good break for me. And if anyone desires ... give my BBS a connect .... It's, like any, a work in development, but I'm commited to daily changes to keep it fresh, configured, funcitonal, and relevant. And it's inception was April 2020. So ... your feedback in email would be awesome! Good or bad.

www.theunderground.us:10023

Thanks,

Doug

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (1:227/702)

Weeding, painting, planting, sweeping, fixing ourdoor furniture,
building new shelving...seen a lot of people buying home projects at
local hardware stores. We just planted a tone of new plants, and had an odd off-season winter-like storm passing through - watering everything nicely.

NICE!!! Those are all my expertise and passions. I just built a 12x12ft garden, with fence and and built a nice arbor entrance with gate. I have two climbing roses to wrap the arbor entrance. I've planted tons of vegies ...
In addition planted a few strategic sections of my yard with wild flowers to attract bees, butterflys, and humming birds, built a pergola, cleaned my
pond, and tilled my 20 yards of flower beds to help newer shrubs establish
and have "leg groom" to grow. I wish I could post pictures. I'm quite proud of the work I've done. It's a great experience being able to enjoy the outdoors. It was 85 today! Will be in the 90's tomorrow so my New Mexico Hatch Chilis are being hardened to be planted in 9 days. Jalapeno, and bell peppers also going into the ground soon.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (1:227/702)

Hello Doug!

** On Monday 25.05.20 - 01:54, Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel:

...I'm not sure how we attract new and or past BBS USERS
(not current SysOps) when focused so internally .... but ... if I must discuss Licensed Turf Management here ... feel free to ask about crap grass, grubs, proper fertilization timing, etc.... I have a bit of experience witin it.

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there, but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

MEANWHILE, I've got a turf question for you.

My shop shares a little laneway with a neighbor:

http://pics.rsh.ru/img/grassIMG_20200605_140456_v8fump0a.png

Neighbour is on the left, I'm in the right. BUT, legally the whole
laneway belongs on the neighbour's property line.

I use it to park my vehicle there for the day and to access my back door beside the propane tanks.

For several years, I've been mowing down the grass and weeds with a
portable (electric) weed wacker. I used an electric mower once as well.
But quite frankly I'm getting quite tired of the whole process. Except
for repairing and repainting their exterior wall on the left, they don't
do anything about the weeds that crop up. Apparently, I'm the only one
using the laneway to access my back door on occassion. But they blocked
off their door (the black one at the very end) and never use it. So, why would they even care about the grass/weeds, right?

Is there an inexpensive way to get rid of the grass and weeds once and for all? And don't say Roundup. :/


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.44
* Origin: (2:221/1.58)

I'm about ready to go back to a land line as well.

Why?

August,

We both kind of prefer the written word then Tick Tock right? I think I've read you discuss that. We are to a point in society where people look at
their phones in the middle of a conversation with you and never look up. My wife texts me from the other room. My Dad facebook messages me a quick
update on his schedule rather then calling. Customers use text as a day planner, invasivly texting on weekends in the late evening hours, or during a family movie night. It's getting to the point where when people need to
solve a problem they email, or text. But dare ask them to pick up the phone and they act afraid and or inconvenienced. My wife, and I love my wife,
don't get me wrong, it's just easier to use real reference then point fingers .. her dad wants to buy us a chest freezer for her past birthday. She'll get online and see that it says "call store for details, no online orders," and she'll call her dad and simply say "They don't have any." Instead of simply calling the store and inquiring. Or If there is a problem with an inaccurate charge to her account from a retailer, she'll send a quick email, forget
about it, and never get it resolved. Or, my past clients, would ask "why do
I have weeds?" Well .. that requires a lot of questions, a lot of
explanation to type within email. So I'd try to call -- they won't answer.
So I used to spend over an hour compiling an email explaining their
situation, after reviewing their home, and it would go unread. I'm to a
point, until I own another business (Learning HTML right now ..) that if someone wants to talk to me they can call. I don't reply to texts from
family or friends, other then BBS friends. But not those that I've known for years. I don't reply to their emails either. They wanna talk -- call.
There is no substitute then hearing my dads voice, or seeing him face to
face. Not to mention that if not careful, people read tone into written communication, most of the time inaccurately. I literally could have taken a lot out of context to my newbie questions on FSXnet, but has not trained themselves to read with postive intent, they usually read tone into messages incorrectly. So, while I'm joking about a land line .. albeit their dang
cheap right now ... I treat my cellpone as one while unemployeed. Oh, and younger generations want to do a job interview via text too .. I never hired those that did.

Now smart phones have their place. I love the instant access to stocks, or weather, or my schedule, alarms, etc.... but not a replacement for human interaction, nor a rude distraction to someone who is genuinly trying to communicate with me.

He's found a purposeful activity. Keep encouraging it. FB is fairly simple. I steered my mom to FTN echomail in the pre-FB days. She mastered the quoting and cleaning up of wrapped lines very nicely. She participated in a few online forums too.

Yeah ..... Oddly he did not find a purposeful activity .. he grudgenly
adopted it and now uses it annoyingly, assuming everyone is able to see his messages. When I try to show him stuff like that .. he becomes a grump.
lol! He's a "self sustained living, retired minister" who lives in a town of no more than 50 people. He's funny, but when my children tried to connect
with him via the "Child Safe Facebook Messenger" feature .. he immediatly assumed it a scan and scalded us for having enough technology to deal with
and how it was likely a scan to steal his credit card information. lol! God love him ...

That is one of the annoyances of FB for me.. lack of proper S)earch in
a regular personal account. Otherwise, FB resembles one long continuous toilet-paper roll of meaningless crap: photos of food, stupid shared memes/jokes, etc.

But I found out that a Group account does allow S)earches. Maybe have a group account for your dad.

See my FSXnet reply to the above, however a quick add .. I started a facebook group to do videos and text on all things turf care. I have tons of videos
to edit and upload. And they are much more user friendly then the general
news feed.

This echo, COFFEE_KLATSCH, is a good home-base to start from. Then,
find another echo that might interest you, and try to steer people to
that to continue those specific topics.

Took your advice -- the DAD echo. I'm starting a FidoNet All Pro Dad group,
so any dads reading, go check it out. It's an excellent program that I'll be coordinating the material of for you to enjoy with your kids. It was onlyh
$50 for the year to be a "Captain," but was able to establish it as a FidoNet All Pro Dad Chapter .. and allows me access to all of the Family first
content. Next up August -- Lawn Care. But my HTML online class has consumed my time to write the material in text for a BBS format.

Put out posters in your community at places like grocery stores, laundromats, post offices.

Thats a cool concept I had not thought of. My sister, Mary, is a 40 year old Hippie stil hanging out at the Festivals with the 20 somethings. However, she's an incredible artist, very well known in her scene, and is at those to either display her paintings, or kinda odd to me, but paints on stage with
the bands playing .. Apparently it's a thing and she's requested every
weekend year round. I'll speak to her regarding that. She'd have the hook ups. But I do feel that the Millenials are very into Retro / Nostalgia, and have more in common with us GenX / Boomers that BBS then we think -- they too value their privacy, want annonymity, like to speak their minds, enjoy retro stuff, and prefer local community feel. And they too hate facebook ;)

You, I'm sure very much rember, the day of each SysOp sending $5-$10 a month
to the hub to make the long distance call out of state for networking? What
if we did that for facebook, snap chat, or other ads? I've also noticed that
a lot of BBS pages are set up as archive/historical purposes, and/or are not clean and user friendly; beit in UI or or in the nomenclature used to
describe what a BBS is. While it's silly to think we can reinvent acronymns, when hitting a landing page, maybe using the word "Apps" instead of "Files,"
or "Games" instead of "Doors," or "Blogs" instead of "Echos" would be
examples of ways to modernize the URL facing marketing toward BBS's. In addition, to your point, there are grass roots marketing that is simple and free, and could collect a few users. However, as a busines owner, you know, frequency and debth witin marketing is what creates the most clicks and traffic. Which also leads me to whether or not we are utilizing google (is
it called ad words?) correctly? I think, totally unrelated words: COVID, TRUMP, etc... included within our text can surely draw more clicks then "founded in 1989, My BBS was ..." Being strategic in how URL's are created, with click tracking tools can assist greatly. Lastly, I know two guys that
can redirect web traffic (albeit not always for long) to their website as opposed to another ... I don't like those dirty tactics. However, I think we have an excellent, relevant, and very much alive format of "Social Media"
that people crave from the mainstream tech companies out there; without the flaws .. however minus the photos ... which some just won't ever get or understand.

Your "Breaking News" write-up at telentbbsguide.com is very good!

Thank you! Can't wait till you call! :) I'll work on being less wordy. I free write. I don't have the patience to sentence combine, and reduction lol!

Glad I finally got the rescan on this echo ... love these types of conversations!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (1:227/702)

Hello Doug!

** On Monday 08.06.20 - 08:38, Doug Cooper wrote to August Abolins:

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there,
but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

I received a "rules" auto-bot but thats about it. I'll double check today, maybe post a quick test message and I'll reply if I get it :)

Excellent. The updated/correct tagname is HOME_N_GRDN (with underscores).

I've "posted" a copy of your original message there. If that works, I'll reply to this message over there. See ya!


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.44
* Origin: (2:221/1.58)

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there,
but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

I received a "rules" auto-bot but thats about it. I'll double check today, maybe post a quick test message and I'll reply if I get it :)

Is there an inexpensive way to get rid of the grass and weeds once and
for all? And don't say Roundup. :/

No weed spray is permanent .. you CAN use round up and enjoy the dirt for
good majority of the year, however dirt and sun is present, weeds will always grow. There are millions of weed seeds that live in the soil, blow through
the air, and that birds and other wildlife "dispense of." The lowest maintenance solution is gravel; and to help ensure weeds don't grow from the soil through the gravel would be a good landscape fabric and /or plastic.
It's not the "most affordable" solution, but the lowest maintenance. Many times a gravel yard will bring it out and relatively level it for nothing
more than the delivery fee. And gravels is rather cheap per the ton.
However, that would require the owners permission of course.

The other alternative to weed control is to get grass growing well. The best time to plant seed is in fall when temperatures are cooler. A good overseeding, starter fertilizer (If you can get it where you live, it has potash in it ..) lightly blanketed with loose straw, and lightly watered to keep the seed moist until it sprouts, will get the grass up and growing
better then in temperatures over 80 degrees. The obvious challenge is that
any grass wil not handle the heavy traffic of vehicles, which is why I'd lean more toward gravel for the area pictured. I would think the owner should own or split the expense which can help.

Otherwise, I'm afraid your only option to killing off grass AND weeds is roundup. That or diesel fuel I hear does the trick :) I can't imagine that smelling well, nor be safe to "apply' during the heat.

Vinegar does NOT work, so regardless of what you read, Vinegar would be considered a contact herbicide if used for this purpose, and at best just temporarly injurs the leaves of the plant, small ones will die, but not most
of what I see in the picture. To kill off thistle and any root spreading
weed, a systemic herbicide is necessary -- gets into the plant and blocks a function of photosynthesis, causing the plant to fail, down to the root.
Most systemic herbicides are designed not to kill grass, other then the
"grass and weed killers" which all share the same basic chemical as round-up, just under a different label.

Hope this helps...

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (1:227/702)

Hello Doug!

** On Monday 01.06.20 - 23:28, Doug Cooper wrote to August Abolins:

I'm about ready to go back to a land line as well.

Why?

....It's getting to the point where when people need to solve a
problem they email, or text. But dare ask them to pick up the phone
and they act afraid and or inconvenienced.

Some of my suppliers have a totally annoying customer-care process over
the phone. Too many sub menus to pick. Then, often the only option
provided is to leave a message. They migh call back, but then I might be occupied with something else in the store and can't really pick up.

Other suppliers just instruct the caller to file a grievance or concern
via email.

My wife, and I love my wife, don't get me wrong.. [[..]] Or If there
is a problem with an inaccurate charge to her account from a
retailer, she'll send a quick email, forget about it, and never get
it resolved.

Then that would tell me that the money is not significant or not
important. ;) BUT.. the email can be good paper-trail or proof of activity.

Or, my past clients, would ask "why do I have weeds?" Well .. that requires a lot of questions, a lot of explanation to type within
email. So I'd try to call -- they won't answer. So I used to spend
over an hour compiling an email explaining their situation, after reviewing their home, and it would go unread.

In my biz, it's easier to use email for describing book details and
prices. Your gardening/landscaping biz had many more elements to deal
with. I too could spend an hour or so doing research and compiling a message. But then, it serves as a fine copy and a record of my work. If
I did it just over the phone, the work is simply ephemeral and can
disappear into forgetfulness.

..I don't reply to texts from family or friends, other then BBS
friends. But not those that I've known for years. I don't reply to
their emails either. They wanna talk -- call.

My landline phone is only "on" between 7p-9p, and the answering machine is OFF. Sometimes I forget to disable the "Do Not Disturb" mode on the
phone! LOL

There is no substitute then hearing my dads voice, or seeing him face
to face. Not to mention that if not careful, people read tone into written communication, most of the time inaccurately.

That reminds me of an incident when my mom who was quite confident and proficient in using email entered into a 4-way conversation with her
sisters who were using their sons or daughters as proxy and the
conversation just went off the rails for no reason. The tone of a written phrase or two was misinterpreted. A conference call would have been a
good solution, but it was hard to coordinate everyone available at the
same time.

...So, while I'm joking about a land line .. albeit their dang cheap
right now ... I treat my cellpone as one while unemployeed.

Are you getting spam calls on the cell? I'm afraid to disclose my number
for fear that I would end up with a neverending stream of unsolicited
calls triggered by someone's compromised cell phone.

Oh, and younger generations want to do a job interview via
text too .. I never hired those that did.

I have never encountered that! I would discredit a person who inquired or applied for a job that way.

Now smart phones have their place. I love the instant access to
stocks, or weather, or my schedule, alarms, etc.... but not a
replacement for human interaction, nor a rude distraction to someone
who is genuinly trying to communicate with me.

It can be a real challenge to juggle a live customer who is standing right
in front of me and deal with the phone when it rings. I hate those incidents. But, most of the time I can pick up the phone and ask the
caller if I can call back or if they can wait until I finish a current
sale.

I'd also rather like to have a phone that I could cradle between my
shoulder and my head. Today's cordless phones are totally useless in an environment where I need to be on the phone while completing a cash
register transaction and taking notes!

But I found out that a Group account does allow S)earches. Maybe
have a group account for your dad.

See my FSXnet reply to the above, however a quick add .. I started a facebook group to do videos and text on all things turf care. I have
tons of videos to edit and upload. And they are much more user
friendly then the general news feed.

FB makes it pretty easy to build a page with content like that. Hope the result is satisfactory for you. Is it getting interest?

Took your advice -- the DAD echo. I'm starting a FidoNet All Pro Dad group... [[snip]] ..Next up August -- Lawn Care. But my HTML
online class has consumed my time to write the material in text for a
BBS format.

You are juggling a lot of things!

You, I'm sure very much rember, the day of each SysOp sending $5-$10
a month to the hub to make the long distance call out of state for networking?

Yes.. I remember something like that was suggested when I joined Fidonet
and a few other nets. But in my case the main hubs that were making the
LD calls had good paying jobs and did not mind doing it out of pocket.
The occassional meet-up was encouraged where people could buy a dinner or
a beer.

What if we did that for facebook, snap chat, or other ads?

That could be a nightmare to maintain. Who would do it? Fidonet has the site fidonet.org. It's not very modern or interesting though. It seems to
be under tight control and there is not much passion or interest to
leverage it to be something more exciting.

I've also noticed that a lot of BBS pages are set up as archive/ historical purposes, and/or are not clean and user friendly; beit in
UI or or in the nomenclature used to describe what a BBS is.

I see that too. However, there are a handful of sysops who have rather
fine web calling cards for their BBSes. I posted a modest list of the
ones I thought were rather cool - but that was over a year ago. I'll try
to revisit the ones I can remember and let you know.

While it's silly to think we can reinvent acronymns, when hitting a landing page, maybe using the word "Apps" instead of "Files," or
"Games" instead of "Doors," or "Blogs" instead of "Echos" would be examples of ways to modernize the URL facing marketing toward BBS's.

OR.. use BOTH terms side-by-side like this: Apps/Files, Games/Doors Blogs/Echos/Forums.

Only the latter one bothers me. I always wondered how the heck did the
term blog ever arise to represent an online list of posts. A blog sounds like something that one would pick out of their nose! LOL

A blog is generally a continuous list of posts by one person. The blog
system has "comments" that serve as feedback, but that's about it. An
echo is entirely different and encourages dialog.

In addition, to your point, there are grass roots marketing that is
simple and free, and could collect a few users. [[snip]] .. I think, totally unrelated words: COVID, TRUMP, etc... included within our
text can surely draw more clicks then "founded in 1989, My BBS was
..."

I'm not fond of trick words to steer traffic. Instead, I think just something like "alternative , efficient, no-ads.." would be better.

Being strategic in how URL's are created, with click tracking
tools can assist greatly.

Even my openxp.kolico.ca page could use better words so that google could hopefully list it in the first page of results.

Lastly, I know two guys that can redirect web traffic (albeit not
always for long) to their website as opposed to another ... I don't
like those dirty tactics. However, I think we have an excellent,
relevant, and very much alive format of "Social Media" that people
crave from the mainstream tech companies out there; without the flaws
.. however minus the photos ... which some just won't ever get or understand.

Your words "alternative, relevant, alive, social media" + "no ads, no tracking" would be fine terms to use to help highlight WHY echomail might
be exactly what many people might prefer. The trick is to get the word
out there!

Your "Breaking News" write-up at telentbbsguide.com is very good!

Thank you! Can't wait till you call! :)

OMG. Something has always seemed to pull me in another direction and I
would forget. About a year ago I was on a mission to find specific BBSes that offered Bluewave. From that, I settled with less than a hand full as regular destinations. Now, I'm even weeding off calling those BBSes directly; I prefer using my OpenXP system. ;)

Glad I finally got the rescan on this echo ... love these types of conversations!

This is a l-o-n-g multi-screen one! Maybe we need to break it up into separate topics?


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.45
* Origin: (2:221/1.58)

On 01 Aug 2020, August Abolins said the following...

Only the latter one bothers me. I always wondered how the heck did the term blog ever arise to represent an online list of posts. A blog
sounds like something that one would pick out of their nose! LOL

It's short for Weblog, which was originally Web Log. Been around a lot longer than the software which is mostly used for them now (Wordpress). I hand coded mine originally, then moved to a php based software called Movabletype, then finally Wordpress.

-=>Richard Miles<=-
-=>Captain Obvious<=-
-=>bbs.shadowscope.com<=-

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