BTN:  Birmingham Telecommunications News

COPYRIGHT 1992            ISSN 1055-4548

October 1992    Volume 5, Issue 9

Table Of Contents
-----------------
Article Title                                  Author
Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
Publisher's Corner.............................Mark Maisel
From The Editor................................Scott Hollifield
Life On The Lines..............................Bernie Starchaser
Traditions.....................................Lurch Henson
BBS ProFile: Maggie Harden.....................The Bishop
BBS Spotlight: Alter Ego.......................Eric Hunt
Letters to the Editor..........................No one
Special Interest Groups (SIGs).................Barry Bowden
Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff

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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN

We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
information in our publication.  We assume no responsibility for damage
due to errors, omissions, etc.  The liability, if any for BTN, its
editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
of such damages occurring.

With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles.  We publish
monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
publication.  If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
in a particular issue.  It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
content of the articles prepared by our writers.  Our writers own their
work and it is protected by copyright.  We allow reprinting of articles
from BTN with only a few restrictions.  The author may object to a
reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
article's original title are retained.  If you use one of our articles,
please forward a copy of your publication to:

Mark Maisel
Editor, BTN
221 Chestnut St.
BHM, AL 35210-3219
(205)-956-0176

We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
you like it.  We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
all of this and not get too serious about it.

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        F R E E B I E :  G E T  I T  W H I L E  I T S  H O T !

The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no
charge to any existing upload/download ratios.

ADAnet One              Alter-Ego               Arkham Asylum
Channel 8250            Little Kingdom          Joker's Castle
Crunchy Frog            Owl's Nest              The Bus
The MATRIX              Abject Poverty          Night Watch
The Outer Limits        Teasers                 Kiriath Arba
DC Info Exchange        Owlabama BBS            Safe Harbor
Southern Stallion       Martyrdom Again?!       Lemon Grove
Medicine Man            F/X BBS                 Thy Master's Dungeon
Playground

If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
me know via EZNet so that I can post your board as a free BTN
distributor.  Thanks.  SH

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                          N E W S  F L A S H


                   BTN HAS A NEW EDITOR!  (See below.)



                        CRUNCHY FROG HAS MOVED!
           The new numbers are (205)823-3957 for Node 1, and
                       (205)823-3958 for Node 2.



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Publisher's Corner
by Mark Maisel


(After being relieved from the burdensome duties of editing BTN, Mark
had so much time on his hands, he didn't bother writing a Publisher's
Corner.  Well, the guy WAS moving to a new house all month.  Bug him
for a new article, and while you're at it, ask him when the next BTN
party is.  He LOVES that.  - Scott H.)


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FROM THE  EDITOR
       ^new
by Scott Hollifield



   My friends, today begins a bold but uncertain new dawn in our shared
history.  Arm in arm, we stand on a teetering precipice, staring
unflinchingly at the future with steel in our eyes and fire in our
hearts.  To those who said we would never make it, I say, "We are here."
For those who say we'll never go further, I say, "Give us a chance."  A
chance, friends.  That's all we ask.  Give us a chance... and I'll show
you miracles.

   Wait a minute.

   What the hell am I talking about?  I'm not running for political
office.  I'm already there!  I've got the power!  And there's not a darn
thing any of you can do about it!

   For those of you whose ears have not yet received the thundering
cry, my name is Scott Hollifield, and yes, I am the new editor of BTN.

   I've been associated with BTN since its inception.  Let me give you
a little bit of background.

   In the early part of 1988, I conducted what was known then as "The
First Annual Breezin' Birmingham BBS Awards Survey".  (Don't ask me to
explain what "Breezin'" means; old users of Channel 8250 will know.)
The survey, which was little more than a (very) glorified opinion poll
about local BBS's, got a lot of attention, and the results of it were
published in the very first issue of BTN, back in April of '88.

   I went on to conduct a second and third annual survey, whose results
were also published in BTN.  Unfortunately, I lost interest and never
made it to a fourth.

   A year ago, I took over the BTN "ProFile" column from Chris Mohney,
who had carried it for three years and was now moving to Tuscaloosa.
Under my disciplined grasp, it managed to last another three months.

   In April of this year, I started a series of columns in BTN called
"Stop On A DYM", a chat-based interview segment with users of Willie's
Dial-Your-Match which was intended to run five months.  It never made it
past the first installment.

   So based on my record, I'm going to skip trying to sell myself as a
committed editor.  The word "commitment" is, in fact, in my dictionary,
but I haven't seen my dictionary since I used it to write term papers in
high school.  I could try to persuade everyone that I am dedicated, that
I truly BELIEVE in making BTN the best thing since microwave ovens, that
I hope to take it another fifty issues and beyond, blah blah blah, but
that would be misleading.

   I can't promise anything.  I can't guarantee that BTN will continue
the same high standards of integrity and professionalism set by Mark
Maisel <ahem>.  All I can say is, keep reading.

   Anyone remember when I conducted the first BBS survey back in 1988?
Remember how everyone just talked and talked about it, for months? Even
though it really wasn't a great big life-shattering deal, it unleashed a
fireball of intrigue and controversy?  My ultimate aim is to make BTN
like that, only monthly.

   I'll need help.  I already have some of it (and thanks to them).
A lot of the writers who wrote for Mark have pledged to keep on writing,
and a couple who've never written before have even said they'd start.
(One of these, who makes his BTN debut this month, is someone I'm glad to
be welcoming back to the local BBS scene: Bernie D. Starchaser, who was
around Way Back When It All Began, and whose name was even mentioned in
the first issue of BTN.  It's true, Bernie!  Go download it and read it!)

   However, you might have noticed that this issue of BTN is pretty
skinny.  If anyone wants to submit an article, which would be greatly
appreciated, please upload it to either Crunchy Frog or The Matrix, as a
PRIVATE upload, and leave me mail telling me what the filename is.
Being a BTN writer is cool.  Being a BTN writer is hip.  You want to be
a BTN writer.

   I will be working in a few subtle, more conventional changes into
BTN, along with the more large-scale clandestine ones I have in the
works.  <Heh heh.>  For instance, the Known BBS Numbers list has been
slightly reorganized, and, as is evident, it's getting messier and
messier.  In the coming months, we may decide to clean it up a bit -
suggestions are welcome.

   That should do it for this month - I would talk some more, but I'm
on a deadline.  Next month: A bigger issue!  (Hopefully.)  Plus - the
official BTN endorsement for President of the United States!  Be here!


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-Life On The Lines-

by Bernie D. Starchaser



    I am continually impressed with the advances made in the BBS Scene
since I was a regular, oh so long ago.  It's simply amazing to see
systems boasting 14,000 bps and more, especially when I can remember
2400 bps seeming like virtually instantaneous transmission.  Even more
incredible is The Matrix's gigabytes of storage when I can remember
running my own BBS (such as it was) on two floppies.  Times, they are
a-changin'.

    Now in the old days, back when the now-legendary Fox Trap 80 was
up, BBS systems were simpler.  And yet, they had a certain elegance.
Back then, you didn't have all this high-speed, large-scale technology
so you had to make do with what you DID have.  And as I remember, the
Trap had a very impressive setup for it's day.  There were numerous
message bases, even back before networks.  One in particular which I
miss was the Warboard.

    This was an area simply devoted to what today is known as
"flaming".  Users would enter bald statements to start something, such
as "Motley Crue sucks!"  Then all the "Crue" fans would jump in,
maligning viciously the person posting the offending statement.  Then
others would join in in support of the first.  Later, as this
progressed, still others would pop up wondering what all the fuss was
about, or taking the position that BOTH sides were idiots, or whatever.
We had all sorts.  The "rodents", the regulars, those who took sides
with these and the "devil's advocates" who attacked either side out of
sheer bloody-mindedness.  Ah, those were the days!

    Another element missing from the modern "scene" is the "Continuing
Story" board.  This was a message area where the most outrageous tales
would spring up.  One person would start the story by writing a one
paragraph opening, ending midsentence at a critical point.  The next
caller would pick up where the last left off, ending his or her message
in a similar fashion.  Needless to say, anyone reading the entire thread
would be amazed that apparently intelligent people could come up with
such stark idiocy.  Idiocy it may have been, but it was still funny!

    The Breezin' conference, I'm happy to say, still exists, albeit on
a different board.  Breezin' was a place that those of us bored with the
Warboards sort of drifted to.  The adversarial quality of the
conversation there remained, but on a higher intellectual plane.  And
yet, it was different from such conferences as "argument" on the Frog,
in that the conversation was always sort of light.  Political and
religious discussions just never came up.  Maybe we weren't mature
enough to care about these things, or more likely we were simply more
interested in music.  I dunno...

    Well, as some old hands will remember, I always used to end
messages on Breezin' with a musical or poetic quote.  I think that was a
good tradition, and I shall continue it with any other BTN offerings
that Mr. Hollifield is able to read without gagging.

IT"S GREAT TO BE BACK!

-------------------------------

"It's not as if this barricade,
Blocks the only road;
It's not as if you're all alone,
In wanting to explode;

Someone set a bad example,
Made surrender seem alright;
The act of a noble warrior,
Who lost the will to fight;

And now you're trembling on a rocky ledge,
Staring down into a heartless sea,
Done with life on a razor's edge,
Nothing's what you thought it would be;

All of us get lost in the darkness,
Dreamers learn to steer by the stars;
All of us do time in the gutter,
Dreamers turn to look at the cars;
(turn around and turn around and turn around)
Turn around and walk the razor's edge,
Don't turn your back and slam the door on me

No hero in your tragedy,
No daring in your escape,
No salutes to your surrender,
Nothing noble in your fate;

Christ, what have you done???"
-"The Pass"  by Lee, Lifeson, and Peart ---> RUSH
From album "Presto"

BCNU!
-Bernie D. Starchaser-

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                              Traditions

                                  or


                  Why do People do Such Stupid Things?


                                  by

                             Lurch Henson


   Tradition.  What is it?  WHY is it?  What's a Tradition?  A
Tradition is something done long enough or often enough to become either
habit, or required (which soon becomes habit anyway).  That's not the
dictionary definition, that's my definition, I can't afford a
dictionary, so you get to suffer with mine....  Anyway, a Tradition is
something you do, sometimes without really knowing why.  Something that
has "always been done that way", even if it's really stupid.  Most
colleges that have Frats on them will be a great place to learn about
Tradition......IF you like being paddled in your underwear and covered
in oil before being sent out into the woods blindfolded (just an
example, mind you, no one would EVER REALLY do that, right?).  Schools
aren't the only place, either.  You can find Traditions almost anywhere
you look, even if you don't realize that's what you're playing with.

   For instance, my partner and I have quite a few Traditions, some
of which we've kept up, others of which have fallen by the wayside.
Back when I was still working in Lower Alabama and would drive down
there every two weeks to go to work, the first thing I would do would be
to drop in on him and wake him up (he worked nights, slept during the
day). Once he got dressed we'd head out to Taco Bell....make a run for
the border.  Standard order was a 10 pack of tacos apiece.  The girls
working the counter would see us coming through the door, and when we
got to the register, they would already have our seperate orders
totalled up, all we had to do was hand them the cash, then pick up the
food.  How did it start?  He asked me if I felt like going to the new
Taco Bell they'd FINALLY built in the town I kept my P.O. Box in, and I
said yes.  After that, we just naturally headed there, again and again,
until it became habit.  Tradition.  Something we KNEW was going to
happen.  My first meal in Lower Alabama would ALWAYS be a 10 pack of
tacos at Taco Bell, Friday evenings, somewhere between 5 and 8pm
(depending on when I drug my butt out of Birmingham and hit the road),
once every two weeks.  If we didn't show up, the girls asked where we
were the next time one of us came in.  This kept up until I stopped
working in LA, and my trips became very infrequent.  And I miss the
border runs....  It was the time I caught up on everything my ex-wife
was doing in town, stabbing me in the back....the time I caught up on
how our little side business was running....the time we discussed
anything and everything bothering either one of us....and even the time
that I reconciled with a man that had been one of the greatest friends a
guy could have.  A friend of mine that I'd had bad words with, and
missed.  We met at my partner's place one afternoon when I hit town, he
came on the run with us, and at the end of it it was as if the
intervening years had never occured, things were CLOSE to back to normal
between the three of us (The Warriors Three ride again.....).

   Doesn't sound like a Tradition to you?  Tough.  Not everyone has to
like every Tradition, you know.....  Not every one of those guys in
their underwear in the woods are having a good time either, believe it
or not.  But enough of them DO, or enough of them don't dislike it
enough to stop it, so it goes on.  Tradition.

   Ok, don't like my border runs?  Here's another one for you....how
about the BTN parties?  Tradition.  Plain and simple.  Somewhere down
the line Mark had a bout of temporary (maybe?) insanity, and opened his
house up to the general BTN readership.  Then he did it again.  And
again.  And even a few more times.....  When I first started talking to
people online, they asked me if I were going to the BTN party.  Sure,
why not, meet all these people I've been talking to.  Sounds great.  So
I did.  In the past two years I've missed ONE of them, and that was for
personal reasons, not because I couldn't make it (I still showed up at
that one, but not until about 2:30am).  I even drove 200 miles up here
on a weekend I worked in LA, attended the party, then drove 200 miles
back down there to go to work the next day, before returning the day
after that to B'ham for good again (that's when I could afford gas
money).  But then, I'm a little crazier than most.  Most of the people
that do a long haul to get here are only coming from Georgia, or coming
back from Huntsville or Tuscalusa after a trip away from town.  The
point being, after Mark had had a few of these things, they got to be
expected....looked forward to....missed when they didn't happen.  He
started a Tradition, whether he wanted to or not, whether he realized it
or not.

   Since then, there have been other groups on the BBSs that have tried
to start a few Traditions of their own.....which is the main reason for
this article (Ah-HA!  He finally got to IT!).....  I myself have missed
each one of these fledgling Traditions when they've tried to get off the
ground, though I am told that at least one of them went off fairly well.
It seems there was a (non-BTN) roast given somewhere near Christmas, I'm
sure many of you heard about it, some may have gone to it...I would
have, but I was out of town at the time.  At the roast, I'm told that
there was an award presented....something called a POTY award....  When
the weather turned warmer, the same people put together a picnic,
invited alot of the people on the boards out to have fun, and proceeded
to enjoy themselves (for the most part anyway.  I hear some of the
people that left smelling like spoiled cream weren't too happy later in
the day... <<Smile>> ).  The guys that put all of this together have
seperated due to personal differences, but I think it's a step in the
right direction, the establishment of more Traditions here in our BBS
community.  More Traditions that encourage the use of the systems. More
Traditions that draw more Users onto the boards, and show the rest of
the world that not all computer Users are "geeks", that many of us
appear much like normal (I hate that word), everyday people...

   Since then, there has been a second picnic, and a "get-together" at
a coffee shop, each held, one by one, the other by the other, by the
same guys that did the first picnic and roast.  They're doing their
part, trying to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for the rest of us to
play in, how about we do our part and play, eh?  Call around to a few
more BBSs than you planned to this morning....read a few more messages
than you normally would, see what's happening on the systems around
you....you might be surprised at just how far out of the computer these
Traditions can come............and you might just find yourself getting
into some lively discussion....and having a little fun.  See you all
online......


                                               9209.28
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BBS ProFile
by The Bishop

-----------

  As I feel that the spotlighting of certain users and/or sysops
provides a way for the online community to get to know that person
better, I have brought the BTN ProFile back to life.  Originally done by
Chris Mohney, the ProFile ended its first run in December 1991.  The
questions are still the same, but if enough feedback requesting new
ones is received, then the ProFile will be slightly edited(read
"mauled").  However, for the time being, we will start out with someone
I feel is long overdue...    TB
-----------


GODDESS #1/SYSOP PRO FILE: Maggie Harden


Age:  This is one of those trick questions, Right???  To be perfectly
     honest, I generally vacillate between adolescence and old age.
     It depends on the particular phase of the moon, I think.

Birthplace:  In a galaxy far far away ... already been done, huh?
     Alright, I wuz bawn in a cotton patch, thurd chil of poah share-
     croppers ... yeech, makes me sound like Scarlett O'Hara on a
     bad day.  This one's better:  The lightening etched intricate
     patterns across the midnight sky.  Two spectacular bolts seized
     each other, entwining around themselves as they raced for the
     ground.  Created out of the blinding brilliance  of the strike,
     a new Goddess stood fearlessly alone ...
     Ok, Ok, <sigh....>, Birmingham.

Occupation:  I'm not real sure, but I get paid for it!  Has something
     to do with machine shops, reading calipers and silkscreening.

My hobbies include:  Computer bulletin boards (who would'a thought
        it?),  photography, art, swimming, and <snicker> ... a few
        more.

Years telecomputing:  Somewhere between 7 and 8 years.

Sysop & Zoo Keeper, past/present/future of:  The Alter Ego BBS

My oddest habit is:  Hanging around with Saints.

My greatest unfulfilled ambition is:  To take a photograph that is
     Pulitzer Prize material.

The single accomplishment of which I am most proud is:  A nearly perfect
     emulation of my cat Nermal.

My favorite performers are:   Lou Gossett, Glen Close, Mary Chapin
     Carpenter, Jethro Tull and The Moody Blues.

The last good movie I saw was:  Hook

The last good book I read was:  I honestly haven't read a really GOOD
     book lately, but my all time favorite is ILLUSIONS, THE
     ADVENTURES OF A RELUCTANT MESSIAH by Richard Bach.

If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played by:
     Whoopie Goldberg.

My pet peeves are:  People younger than me who complain about getting
     old!!!

When nobody's looking, I like to:  Play my air guitar.  I'm really quite
     proficient at it!


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BBS Spotlight
   by Eric Hunt


1) Name of the BBS:
       THE ALTER EGO

2) Name of the sysop:
       MAGGIE HARDEN, SYS-GODDESS#1

3) BBS software used:
       PCBoard 14.5

4) How long have you been sysoping:
       I have been Chief Zoo Keeper of the Alter Ego for over two and
       a half years.

5) Are you a subscription only / completely free / hybrid of the two
BBS?
       Totally and absolutely 100% fee free -- and it comes in
       seven yummy flavors!

6) How many incoming phone lines and approximate disk space? Do you
support high speed modems? If so, what type(s)?
       I have one -- count 'em -- ONE incoming phone line.
       My harddisk has just enough space to hold one cup of coffee.
       Yes, I support high speed modems in all endeavors.  I feel they
       should have the same rights as .... oh .... not quite what you
       meant, huh?  I am currently using a Courier HST that supports up
       to 9600 baud.

7) Is your BBS primarily a files BBS, primarily a message based BBS,
or a combination of the two?
       I scoff at files and thumb my nose at them!!!  Files, indeed!
       The Alter Ego is primarily message based BBS geared towards
       blatant insanity.

8) If you've sysop'd more than just this BBS, briefly list previous
endeavours and their lifespans.
       Before starting the Ego, I spent over four years as co-sysop
       of The Connection.  This makes a grand total of about six and
       a half years I have worked in some sort of sysoping capacity.
       Now, some may wonder if this has possibly caused some sort of
       irreversible brain damage.  Nonsense!!!  Hello??? ... this IS
       Pizza Hut Delivery, isn't it???  Hello???

9) What made you decide to take the masochistic plunge and become a
sysop:
       The power!!!  The prestige!!!  The fame!!!  The fortune!!!
       Well, actually there was this time -- way back when I was a
       child -- I tied my cat up in a tree (yes, there WERE trees and
       cats way back then!). I have felt the need for self-flogging
       since that time.
       Then there WAS that time I fed poison pizza to Dean
       Costello .... nah, no guilt on that one!

10) What is the general 'thrust' or area of specialty for your BBS:
       <snicker>  It is HOME for many of the "less than normal".
       The Alter Ego is a strange mixture that runs from serious to hyper-
       silly.  Most of the conferences on the Ego are local, though we do
       carry a few echoed conferences.  Any board is only as strong as the
       users that support it. Consequently, I let my more frequent users
       have considerable input in the direction the board takes.

11) (optional) What is your regular job/career to support this
leeching hobby of sysoping?
       Since pulling off train robberies has gotten to be such a difficult
       business (ever tried to catch an AmTrak on horseback?), I have had
       to resort to real work (sad, but true). I work at a research
       center.

12) What are your plans for the coming year?
       I don't even know what my plans for the coming week are --
       now you want me to plan a year in advance???

13) Where would you like your BBS to go over the next 5 years?
       Frankly, a sailboat cruise to Martinique would be nice.
       Other than that, it will go exactly as it has in the past --
       it will endeavor to make it's users happy and amuse me in the
       process.

14) What do you feel the highlights of your BBS are?
       Most definately my users!!!  Maybe I am biased, but I think I have
       the greatest group of users in the BBS community.

15) What is your personal vision of the 'ideal user?'
       He should stand about 6 foot tall, have blue eyes, look good in
       tight jeans......you just HAD to ask, didn't you?
       Seriously, the "ideal user" is one who feels free to participate
       in the board.  He/she should feel comfortable not only leaving
       messages, but in offering comments, suggestions and even criticism
       when he/she feels it is needed.

16) What is the thing you've enjoyed most about providing your BBS?
       Again, my users.  I have met some of the greatest people I have
       ever known since the Ego started.  I enjoy the interaction we
       have with each other.  It feels like "family" -- sometimes
       deranged family, but family just the same.

18) What is the funniest story you can tell about your BBS and/or
your users?
       Probably all of the polling and politicing by the candidates
       of last years Pervert of the Year (POTY) Contest.

Here's a space to write a paragraph or two to cover any
points/details/questions I missed, yet you feel should be addressed.
       Being a sysop and running a board has got to be fun.  When it
       ceases to be enjoyable and starts to be "work", then it is time to
       sit back and let it roll on it's own merit for a while.  If it is
       a good board and has a good group of users, it will survive while
       you take a breather and regroup.

       I have been fortunate, in that I have two great co-sysops.  The
       only thing left to cover is a great big thanks to both of
       them -- to Saint George for helping me keep this monster on
       line and to Bob Crawford for helping me keep the message
       bases alive.  Thanks guys!!!  I couldn't have done it without
       you!!!

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Letters to the Editor

    As promised, here are the responses I've received that seem to belong
here.  If you wish to make it here, please feel free to leave Scott
Hollifield a message on either the main message base of THE MATRIX or in
any EZNet message base.  He'll get it one way or the other.  MM

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SIG's (Special Interest Groups), Computer Related
-------------------------------------------------

BEPCUG                              CCS
Birmingham East PC Users Group      Commodore Club South
Jefferson Sate Jr. College          Springville Road Library
Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114            2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
3rd Friday, 7-9 PM                  3rd Monday (Amiga)
Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM)  7:30-10 PM

BCCC                                BIPUG
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club  Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group
POB 59564                           UAB Nutrition Science Blg
Birmingham, Al 35259                RM 535/541
UAB School of Education, Rm 153     1st Sunday (delayed one week
2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM              if meeting is a holiday)
Rusty Hargett 854-5172              Marty Schulman 967-5883

BACE                                FAOUG
Birmingham Atari Computer           First Alabama Osborne Users
Enthusiast                          Group
Vestavia Library, downstairs        Homewood Library
2nd Monday, 7 PM                    1st Saturday, 1PM
Benny Brown 822-5059                Ed Purquez 669-5200

CADUB                               BGS/CIG
CAD Users of Birmingham             Birmingham Genealogical Society/
Homewood Library                    Computer Interest Group
3rd Tuesday, 6:30PM-8:30PM          Birmingham Public Library
Bobby Benson 791-0426               3rd Floor Auditorium
                                   3rd Sunday, 2:30 PM
                                   Robert Matthews 631-9783 or
                                   Bone Yard BBS

RAHSPCUG
Ramsay Alternative High School PC Users Group
Ramsay High School
1800 13th Avenue South
last Wednesday of each month (September-April)
from 3:02-3:35
Lee Nocella 581-5120

SIG's, Non-Computer Related
---------------------------

BBC                                 Birmingham Astronomy Club
Blue Box Companions                 Subject: Astronomy
Subject: Dr. Who                    Hoover Public Library
Hoover Library                      4th Tuesday, 7:00PM
1st Saturday, 2PM-5PM               P.O. Box 36311, B'ham, AL 35236

If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed,
please let us know by sending E-Mail to Barry Bowden on
The Matrix BBS.

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Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area

   NAME                    NUMBER     BAUD RATES   MODEM    BBS SOFTWARE
                                      SUPPORTED    TYPE

129 ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3)  854-9074   1200-2400             PCBoard 14.5
129 ADAnet One (Node 4)     854-5863  9600-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
13  Alter-Ego BBS           925-5099   1200-9600    USR HST  PCBoard 14.5
4(0 Arkham Asylum           853-7422   300-14400    USR DS   VBBS 5.50
(+  Asgard                  663-9171    300-9600    V.32     WWIV 4.21a
   Baudville (Node 1)      640-4593    300-2400             Major BBS 5.3
   Baudville (Node 2)      640-4639    300-2400             Major BBS 5.3
   Baudville (Node 3)      640-7243    300-2400             Major BBS 5.3
   Baudville (Node 4)      640-7286    300-2400             Major BBS 5.3
2   Bone Yard, The          631-6023    300-9600    USR HST  PCBoard 14.5
13  Bus System              595-1627    300-2400             PCBoard 14.2
17+ Byte Me!                979-BYTE! 2400-14400    USR HST  WWIV 4.12
   Castle, The             841-7618    300-2400             C-Base 2.0
16  Channel 8250 (Node 1)   823-3957   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
16  Channel 8250 (Node 2)   823-3958   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
$   Christian Apologetic    808-0763   300-14400    V.32bis  Wildcat! 3.55
13_ Crunchy Frog (Node 1)   956-1755   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
13_ Crunchy Frog (Node 2)   956-0073   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
1   DataLynx                933-1974  1200-14400    V.32/V.42bis   WWIV 4.21
   Deep Space 9            980-1089    300-2400             Wildcat!
138 Den, The                933-8744    300-9600    USR HST  ProLogon/ProDoor
)   Disktop Publishing      854-1660    300-9600    V.32     Wildcat! 3.01
*   Drawing Room            951-2391    300-2400             Wildcat! 3.02
   EcoBBS                  933-2238    300-2400             WWIV 4.21
   Elysian Fields          620-0694    300-2400             Telegard 2.7
3^  F/X BBS (Node 1)        823-5777   300-14400    USR DS   PC Board 14.5
3^  F/X BBS (Node 2)        822-4570   300-14400    V.32bis  PC Board 14.5
3^  F/X BBS (Node 3)        822-4526   300-14400    V.32bis  PC Board 14.5
12\]>?/{}-Family Smorgas-Board  744-0943    300-2400         PCBoard 14.5
   Final Frontier          681-6148    300-2400    USR DS   Wildcat! 3.50
   Genesis Online (Nodes 1-4)  620-4144    300-2400         Major BBS 5.3
   Graphics Zone (Node 1)  870-5306    300-2400    MNP4     TBBS 2.1(16)
   Graphics Zone (Node 2)  870-5329    300-2400    MNP4     TBBS 2.1(16)
   Hacker's Corner         674-5449   1200-2400    MNP4     PCBoard 14.5
$*  Hardeman's BBS          640-6436  1200-14400             Wildcat! 3.51
   HellBound BBS           444-9043  2400-14400             VBBS 5.52
   Hoots With Owls         520-9540    300-2400             TriBBS 3.0
2   I.S.A. BBS              995-6590    300-9600    USR HST  Remote Access
(40+Infinite Probability    791-0421   2400-9600    V.32     VBBS
   Intruder Enterprizes    969-0870    300-9600    V.32     VBBS 5.5
2   Island                  870-4685   2400-9600    V.32     Hermes 2.0
136 Joker's Castle          664-5589   300-14400    USR DS   PC Board 14.5
   Killing Fields          780-8845    300-2400             WWIV 4.21
4(  Kiriath Arba            681-8374    300-2400             WWIV 4.21
   Labrynth                681-0002    300-2400             CNetAmiga 2.17
2   Lemon Grove             836-1184   300-12000    V.32/42bis  Searchlight
+   Lion & Unicorn          856-2464    300-9600    V.32     WWIV 4.21
1   Little Kingdom (Node 1) 969-0007    300-9600    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
1   Little Kingdom (Node 2) 969-0008    300-2400    MNP4     PCBoard 14.5
13  Magnolia BBS            854-6407   300-14400    USR HST  PCBoard 14.2
1378%@[ MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-10)  323-2016    300-2400         PCBoard 14.5
1378%@[ MATRIX, The (Nodes 11-14) 323-6016  9600-14400  USR DS PCBoard 14.5
1378%@[ MATRIX, The (Node 15)     458-3449  9600-14400  V.32   PCBoard 14.5
#   Medicine Man BBS        664-5662   300-14000    V.32bis  GTPower 17.00
29  MetaBoard               254-3344   300-14400    USR DS   Opus
   Missing Link            853-1257    300-2400             C-Net Amiga 2.18g
   Monster, The            967-4839    300-2400             Telegard 2.7
^&* Night Watch             841-2790   1200-2400             TriBBS 2.11
+   Nirvana                 942-6702    300-2400             WWIV 4.21
2   Outer Limits            425-5871   1200-9600    USR HST  Wildcat! 3.01
#   Owlabama BBS            856-2521    300-2400             GTPower 17.00
13_ Owl's Nest              680-0851   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
^&* Party Line              856-1336   300-14000    V.32bis  TriBBS 2.11
&*  Playground              836-4200    300-2400             TriBBS 2.11
   Pooh's Korner           980-8710   300-14400    USR DS   Wildcat! 3.5
%   Pro-Electric            980-8836    300-9600    V.32     Proline 2.065
   Quiet Zone, The         833-2066    300-9600    V.32     ExpressNET
#   Safe Harbor (Node 1)    665-4332    300-2400             GTPower 17.00
#   Safe Harbor (Node 2)    665-4355   300-14400    USR DS   GTPower 17.00
   Safety BBS              581-2866    300-2400             RBBS-PC
   Song Remains The Same   995-0794    300-2400             VBBS
1!_ Southern Stallion       631-0262    300-14400   V.32bis  PCBoard 14.5
   Sperry BBS              853-6144    300-2400    V.32     PCBoard 14.5
1   ST BBS                  836-9311    300-2400             PCBoard 14.2
+   Teasers                 987-0122    300-2400             WWIV 4.20
   Thy Master's Dungeon    940-2116    300-9600    V.32     TriBBS 2.11
!   Torch Song              328-1517    300-2400             Wildcat 3.01
7_! Wanderer, The           836-0603   300-14400    V.32/42bis  Wildcat! 3.00
+   Wild Side               631-0184    300-1200             WWIV 4.20
   Willie's DYM (Node 1)   979-1629    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
   Willie's DYM (Node 2)   979-7739    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
   Willie's DYM (Node 3)   979-7743    300-1200             Oracomm Plus
   Willie's DYM (Node 4)   979-8156    300-1200             Oracomm Plus
(   Word, The               833-2831    300-2400             WWIV 4.12
   Ziggy Unaxess           991-5696    300-1200             Unaxess

The many symbols you see prior to the names of many of the bbs' in the
list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange
or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion.

1 = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
2 = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
3 = RIME/Metrolink, an international network, multi-topic
4 = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
5 = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic
6 = Uni'Net, an international network, multi-topic
7 = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
8 = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
9 = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
0 = VirtualNet, national network, multi-topic
= = TcNet, not certain at publication time
! = PrideNet, a local homosexually oriented network
# = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic
$ = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
% = InterNet, an international network, linking businesses,
   universities, and bbs', multi-topic
^ = City2City, a national network, multi-topic
& = TriBBS Net, a national network, multi-topic
* = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south
   eastern United States
( = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems
) = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic
_ = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented
+ = ANet, a local network, adult oriented
\ = MJCN, an international network, religion-oriented
@ = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games
[ = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology
   oriented
] = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented
< = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic
> = FamilyNet, not certain at publication time
? = ICDM, not certain at publication time
/ = CFN, not certain at publication time
{ = CDN, not certain at publication time
} = NPN, not certain at publication time
- = AgapeNet, not certain at publication time


If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let us
know via EzNet.


The following BBS numbers responded with rings but no answer when we
attempted to verify their existence.  If you have any information
concerning their status, please leave me mail on The Matrix or Crunchy
Frog:

Bus System      Elysian Fields      I.S.A. BBS      Island
Killing Fields

- Scott Hollifield
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