IPTIA BBS List & Archive reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-04-27 15:17 * World's largest index of telnetable Bulletin Boards, MUDs and similar services. * Fidonet echomail and Usenet message archive with over 4 million messages from the 1980's through the present. * Graphical representations and video of the ebb and flow of Fidonet membership. * Large ANSI/ASCII art gallery * Historic file library. * No Ads * No Personal Data Collected [https://www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/](http://www.ipingthereforeiam. com/bbs/) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PraiseBobSlackOff · 2020-04-27 15:39 Solid job capturing that mid-90s look and feel! It's kind of funny how "No Personal Data Collected" is mentioned. That is until you dial 99% of these boards as a new user and they want to know your real fist/last name, date of birth, city, mother's last name, last 4 of the social sec # and POTS line number. :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-04-27 17:07 I only run the website and my own boards ;-) However, I do have to point out that a lot of BBSes have trouble with miscreants and are trying to establish some level of accountability. Also, many of those newuser questionaires haven't been changed since the days of dialup :-( ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-04-27 17:17 I actually am going for a 90s look and feel. Not a lot of people get that. They prefer to criticize my web skills. :-/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-04-27 17:56 This is a really well-put together website. How are you assembling the site list and keeping it up to date because that looks exhausting. Thing I learned: Way more MUDs out there than I would have expected. Also, we need some boards in Africa. There were back in the 90s, but I guess, not anymore. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-04-27 18:23 I use a variety of methods to find new sites, including scraping other lists, echos, newsgroups, forums, and some secret herbs and spices. For most things, I depend on the Power of Perl ;-) I have put a lot of effort into getting African sites with little luck at all. They had an active scene in the 90s, but I can't find much active so far. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-04-27 18:40 > For most things, I depend on the Power of Perl ;-) Hahaha, I had to laugh. Part of me thinks, "You know, I probably should learn something a little less hoary," but I am too lazy, since I know for anything I need, I can use Perl. I keep meaning to just switch to Python but man, I am too lazy. I remember sending echomail to a board in the Ivory Coast back in 92 or 93, and kind of amazed that I was able to do that at the time. Occasionally I will do some late night insomnia poking around using Shodan. FTP, Websites, and the like, devices that answer on the telnet port, I can find, but so far, no public systems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Scoth42 · 2020-04-27 22:12 Dates back to the original BBS era. They tended to be local, at least to the area code, and they were intended as much as connecting local people as being "online". I remember as a kid in the 80s going to lots of BBS meetups, and my parents would frequently meet up with BBS friends for coffee or drinks or whatever. Smaller boards tended to end up with tighter-knit groups and the sysop would send postcards or christmas cards or whatnot. If you had trouble with a board you could call the sysop, or they might call you if they saw you having trouble getting on or something. Even as often as BBSes are compared to the early internet and messageboards/websites it's hard to explain to people who didn't live through it how different having the local flavor was. Even telnet boards lose that. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PraiseBobSlackOff · 2020-04-27 22:46 I get it. I went through all that. Just the idea that boards still ask for this is a bit absurd. That or they just don’t want to change a lot of the default settings. As soon as I hit up a board and the new user setup asks for this info, it’s an alt-h. Done. Just a modern first world gripe of mine! Don’t listen to me! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PraiseBobSlackOff · 2020-04-27 22:47 That’s why I gave you props for it! That shit’s fully Netscape ready! Cheers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-05-29 13:42 Found one... [https://www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/?step=detail&id=19727](https:// www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/?step=detail&id=19727) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-05-29 16:02 We should mail him saying "he represents Africa" and put all sorts of pressure on him to carry the entire continent on his shoulders. NO PRESSURE MAN BUT WITHOUT YOU AFRICA GOES DARK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-05-29 18:51 Found another one in my own database that I overlooked: [https://www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/?step=detail&id=18635](https:// www.ipingthereforeiam.com/bbs/?step=detail&id=18635) Democratic Republic of the Congo ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-05-29 18:54 That is even more interesting. I wonder if there is one in BHUTAN, getting away from Africa a bit. Bhutan is a country you never hear anything about. Ever. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-05-29 21:07 I think this is in Idaho. But this site seems to be using the same geolocation DB you are, and also says Congo: https://tools.keycdn.com/geo?host=102.141.18.88 However, I noticed when I telnetted in that it was snappy in terms of echoing characters back. The web front end for this geolocates in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, which seems more probable. While it is possible there's a sCeNE board in The Congo, for some reason I find that improbable. https://tools.keycdn.com/geo?host=catch22bbs.com If so I am devastated. The version of GeoLite City & Country I have says "IP address not found" at the command line, so it's an odd one. I want a BBS in The Congo to call so bad. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-05-29 21:15 I find it amusing any board thinks I'm going to give them my phone number. I get why retroboards ask it. There's no reason for a Synchronet or Mystic board to ask me that. LOL no. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Iron_Slug · 2020-05-30 15:04 I've moved the Catch-22 BBS to Idaho in my database At least the "Test BBS" still seems to be in South Africa. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SqualorTrawler · 2020-05-30 17:59 Yeah, "Test BBS" has got the flag and everything in the login; I think we're set on that one. I weep for the Congo today.