[HN Gopher] IRATA.ONLINE: A Community for Retro-Computing Enthus...
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       IRATA.ONLINE: A Community for Retro-Computing Enthusiasts
        
       Author : Bluestein
       Score  : 208 points
       Date   : 2024-12-14 19:42 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (irata.online)
 (TXT) w3m dump (irata.online)
        
       | ThinkBeat wrote:
       | This is really cool. Except that a hub for retro computing should
       | not point people to Facebook to keep up with news.
       | 
       | """ New developments on IRATA.ONLINE happen fast! Check the
       | Facebook group for everything from new PLATOTerm ports,
       | scheduling workshops and events, to announcements of new content
       | on the service itself! """
        
         | simultsop wrote:
         | That's really odd, if they did it for privacy reason they
         | missed some news.
        
         | yalok wrote:
         | What are the specific reasons that this is a problem?
         | 
         | Asking without any bias, just curious if there're any other
         | reasons than what I already know...
        
           | toomuchtodo wrote:
           | Platform lock in.
        
           | aleph_minus_one wrote:
           | Facebooks spies on you, and makes reading the news without an
           | account hard.
        
           | timmytokyo wrote:
           | Not everyone has a facebook account.
        
           | arlattimore wrote:
           | Next to zero organic reach in Facebook, so you'd have to pay
           | to make sure your followers actually see it. Might as well
           | post it on your own website, build an email list, let users
           | subscribe to RSS - at least you own that and aren't renting
           | it from Facebook.
        
           | kxrm wrote:
           | As a retro enthusiast I am not on Facebook or on any social
           | media websites except maybe this one. Too often these days
           | there is an assumption that we have presence on social media.
           | 
           | Build your own channels, stop building in other kingdoms.
        
             | tssva wrote:
             | Let me clear up any confusion. You are definitively on this
             | website.
        
           | armitron wrote:
           | I don't have a facebook account, none of my family has a
           | facebook account, none of my friends have a facebook account,
           | most of my colleagues don't have facebook accounts.
           | 
           | As far as we're all concerned, if it's solely on facebook, it
           | doesn't exist.
        
           | jandrese wrote:
           | With Facebook you will always be a slave to their algorithm.
           | It may or may not decide to show your updates to the people
           | who subscribe to your feed. They may ban your account for no
           | discernible reason at any time and trying to talk with
           | support to get it straightened out is a nightmare.
           | 
           | Having a newsfeed on your site that also posts to Facebook is
           | generally a better approach. Don't leave yourself at the
           | mercy of a giant faceless corporation that doesn't care about
           | you.
        
         | tschak wrote:
         | Hi. I run IRATA.ONLINE. Where should I post news? :) -Thom
        
           | aleph_minus_one wrote:
           | On the website, of course (ideally provide an RSS or Atom
           | feed, too).
        
           | detourdog wrote:
           | Start a mailman List.
        
           | stray wrote:
           | On a gopher site!!! Maybe a dial-up BBS?
           | 
           | Realistically, on your own website. I've never used Facebook.
           | Never will.
        
             | tibbon wrote:
             | As a .plan file on a finger service?
        
           | huimang wrote:
           | The site itself (it could be statically generated) with an
           | RSS feed, a mailing list, and/or a matrix channel.
        
           | mindcrime wrote:
           | Usenet.
        
           | ddingus wrote:
           | You can also just submit happenings like any other
           | contributor here.
        
           | Bluestein wrote:
           | My chance to congratulate you on the site and work!
        
       | anonzzzies wrote:
       | I am. And it is the best thing. Happiness on a level for no money
       | that money alone cannot buy.
        
       | MomsAVoxell wrote:
       | Would be great if this could be accessed with an iPad .. anyone
       | working on an iOS client?
        
         | tschak wrote:
         | The web client can be used on any system with a suitable web
         | browser. Press the orange button on the website. :)
        
       | mechagodzilla wrote:
       | Ooh, I wish there was a Kaypro port!
        
         | ddingus wrote:
         | Does the Kaypro do graphics?
         | 
         | If so, there is a client written in C, I believe.
        
           | mechagodzilla wrote:
           | The kaypro '84 variants can do 160x100 graphics (each
           | character is a 2x4 block of pixels, and the screen is 80x25
           | characters).
        
             | kjs3 wrote:
             | And there were add-on boards that gave higher resolution
             | (very relatively speaking) graphics.
        
       | leoc wrote:
       | 'irata' means 'angry [woman]', fwiw.
        
         | foft wrote:
         | Also read it backwards
        
           | elpocko wrote:
           | 'namow yrgna' means 'atari'
        
           | leoc wrote:
           | Since it's a PLATO-based system it seems more natural to look
           | for a classical allusion than anything related to Atari, no?
        
           | davidw wrote:
           | It's also the planet you land on in the M.U.L.E. game.
        
       | foft wrote:
       | Thom did great work on the Plato stuff. Also be sure to check out
       | his Fujinet work, really nicely done. Ported to many platforms
       | too.
        
       | mechagodzilla wrote:
       | The PTerm app no longer works on modern MacOS unfortunately.
        
         | mfro wrote:
         | Yep. Per the developer(s):
         | 
         | NOTE: 12/1/2024 - We are aware that the Mac DMG does not
         | install on Mac OS Sequoia. You can try the Java Pterm until
         | such time that the programmer can get a new Mac and test and
         | build a new package.
         | 
         | https://cyber1.org/pterm.asp
        
       | empressplay wrote:
       | You can connect to it via the cross-platform microM8 Apple IIe
       | emulator https://paleotronic.com/microm8 -- there's an option on
       | the startup menu screen to connect to irata.online using the
       | Apple II DHGR client
        
       | evaneykelen wrote:
       | Is this in any way related to the Irata of Commodore 64 fame? The
       | site doesn't seem to contain a reference. The Irata I knew from
       | the C64 demo scene is https://csdb.dk/scener/?id=4380
        
         | ddingus wrote:
         | Not that I am aware of. It is a revival of the PLATO networked
         | learning environment.
        
       | pieterhg wrote:
       | This is amazing.
       | 
       | Are there any Windows 3.11 programs that support PLATO?
       | 
       | I'd love to add this by default on my virtual PC at pieter.com.
        
       | dang wrote:
       | Related:
       | 
       |  _Irata.online: A PLATO service for retro computing enthusiasts_
       | - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32600338 - Aug 2022 (26
       | comments)
       | 
       |  _Irata.online a modern implementation of the PLATO computing
       | system_ - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24207044 - Aug
       | 2020 (1 comment)
        
       | anothername12 wrote:
       | Well now I know what I'm sinking time into this Christmas break!
        
       | smusamashah wrote:
       | Can someone explain what this is? It says its a community, so is
       | it forum? But if it is than what does it mean by installing it?
       | Or is it a forum software that anyone can install on one of the
       | compatible platforms to start a new community?
        
         | car wrote:
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTmWcGhlXqA
        
           | larodi wrote:
           | Sorry, i get what the PLATO system is (was?), but I can't get
           | what the IRATA.ONLINE is and how its related. Is it a revival
           | of this PLATO., or a PLATO system, what's the cool thing
           | about it? that you can get Apple II to connect to a service
           | and stream ASCII?
           | 
           | Really, this video is not really descriptive, and question by
           | @op stays.
        
             | roywiggins wrote:
             | https://irata.online/#features seems to cover it? It's a
             | multi-user terminal system where you can log in, send text
             | to other users, and run games and applications. It's not
             | clear if the server software is available, but the links
             | are to various client software for connecting to their
             | service.
        
       | unit149 wrote:
       | ioctl man page lists a non-negative value that is floored as a
       | return value indicating user error. given that it is written in
       | standard libc, all the PLATO-based note-taking archival systems
       | that regress in a linear fashion depending on how much bandwidth
       | one is working on.
        
       | Aeolun wrote:
       | Retro computing with those massive modern buttons with insane
       | padding rings a bit...
        
       | car wrote:
       | For context:
       | 
       |  _Donald Bitzer, a pioneer of cyberspace and plasma screens, dies
       | at 90_
       | 
       |  _He helped shape cyberculture as the father of PLATO, a
       | computer-based educational network that sparked the development
       | of plasma screens and digital messaging._
       | 
       | https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/12/13/donald-...
       | 
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42406158
        
       | ddingus wrote:
       | Man, I have to get my 800xl running again.
       | 
       | This looks very interesting!
        
         | Bluestein wrote:
         | I had one of those. Good times! Also, came with a (treasured)
         | spacefighting game on a cartridge (can't remember the name) and
         | another - rather more strange one - on a listing, where you
         | could run a (rather detailed) nuclear plant. Great machine ...
        
           | ddingus wrote:
           | Probably Star Raiders. Great Game!
        
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       (page generated 2024-12-15 23:01 UTC)