

                           The World Scene / Bonijoni

                                   Article #2


       Greetings all...

         Last article i wrote about what happend to the world scene, and why
    the scene is so sux. Its true, the scene is pretty sux... From time to
    time i'm doing new file check on my board and damn i cant found nothing
    to run. Okay, not true, I do find something to Unzip. There are several
    files worth unzipping. Okay, unzipping them. From 10 different ZIPs.. I
    succeed to install only 5! (Bad CRC of software, UnInstallble
    shit, Missing Serial Numbers etc). Then, trying to run some files, and
    hell all are shit (Did anyone checked the Jumping Jack shit.. Hoped to
    see some S.VGA version of the well known arcade, instead found a shity
    thing that can be programmed in 50K and would have looked better... not
    to mention that this shit required 10Mb of HD space... eheh). At the end
    I called my brother and we start playing Mortal Kombat 2.
         People, when the quality will beat the quantity. I can see uploads
    of 70Mb each day! but not much of them worth having.. seriously, Who got
    the time to download and execute 25 files of 1.44Mb of CD-RIP shit? Not
    to mention that there is no justification for huge CD games, when the
    same game can be programmed at 8-10 Mb. All we want is the real arcade,
    not all the multimedia shit on the game openning.


       The SYSOP side in all the scene
         I've been a sysop for over 6 years... I start running a board using
    2400 modem without error correction on 8 hours line. When stuff from the
    scene didnt come on regular cuz no one knew how to bring it (they used
    to bring files using IsraNet , with lame 2400). But the scene grew, and
    30Mb each week of games was quite easy to get.. therefor better modems
    speed was required. 14400 became the standart. Back then we used AT&T
    cards to bring files, and we easily brought lots of them. Since being
    one of few bringing stuff to israel, my board became the most popular
    board in israel (my board is One Man Crew ofcourse). So, when people
    asked for access but had nothing to give.. they start paying some
    donations, and after a year I start running 3 lines system. Currently
    i'm running 8 nodes system (6 public and 2 private).
         Okay.. Those days... Every month there are 1.5 gigs of Uploaded
    stuff. And usuaully worth having. Even with my 8 gig HD, There wont be
    any way to keep all shit online. I'm now having most games and software
    of the year 94 online (4 gig almost). Very soon i'll have to get those
    offline, cuz i dont have much space online. One way is to worm those
    files (and true, all files are bring wormed on CD-ROMs), but i cant put
    all CD-ROMs online... I probably can put 3-4CD-DRIVES online..
    maximum.. but that wont help me much. I tried checking prices of juke
    box, but 100 CDs Juke box cost something like $7000 !!!
         Some words about my board... I've seen lately some lists of private
    boards in israel. Well, They removed 1 MANCREW off the list, just
    because we are in the public list A-LIST. They are claim about privacy
    of some boards, but hell checking them out, made me realize that no one
    got to my standart, and they all have much to learn. Hell, The Removal
    of 1MANCREW from the list didnt make me angry... nor less people call
    my board or anything. My board is one of the popular, and everyone has
    fair chance to get in. Well, instead of checking who is more private on
    the scene, or which board is worth calling or not.. start trading on the
    boards, and let each trader decide for himself. My board currently has
    the most foreign callers.. They has all reason to prefer my board over
    other... It has the most lines not to mention 2 privates. It has
    the best modem quality (28.8K v.34 is much better then v.32bis in
    connection). All the modems on my board are 28.8K. Not the mention it
    has the best online Megs. They get good ratio when they show that they
    care about the board, and believe me they trade for hours and they
    improve the scene! So, to all of those who writing down the
    lists, if you respect yourself , you should write all boards, even tho
    if its hard for you to give the board so many credits, thats because it
    deserve it.
         Sysops doesnt have all time to check around the files on the board.
    Therefor the quality checkup should be done by the traders. I'm sure if
    you will ask your sysop to get access to the nuke program on the board,
    he will happy to give it.. And every fake file you will know about.. you
    should nuke. Groups should make lots of test before releasing something.
    After all its the Group credit. I know that if i'll download something
    of some group, and it will not work, and obviously will be fake, it will
    take lots of time and many people convincment to make me download other
    files from the specifiec group releases' again.


      How to improve the Scene ?
         First, The scene should not relay upon releases. There is that mail
    thing that we always talking about! And for that matter I found out that
    PCBoard is really shity program from the Mail side. Okay, There is lots
    of mail (internet and fidonet), and sometimes its hard to find your
    hands and legs... But making confrence of cool mail with cooldudes who
    will write there, something with nicknames and scene stuff, and average
    mail flow can make its really cool mail system. I'm intend to transfer
    mail thru internet, that will make some conectivy to other world boards.
    (read more about BBSs and internet).
         Since most software goes to CDROMS, i can see that everything will
    be soon on CDROMs. This will make CDROMs cheaper, and will make it at
    the price of regular Floppy drive. Not to mention that CDWriters getting
    cheaper, and i believe that till the end of this year, it will drain
    under the $500 limit. Cuz of that obviously all piracy will go to CDROMs
    copying (Like floppy piracy back then before BBSs). Since CDROMs will
    get to anyone hands, there will be CD Protection. Therefor,Cracks will
    be required! That is where BBSs will be back.. All the Cracks will be
    spread using BBSs! This reminds me when there was the scene on the
    Commodore 64, 12 years ago.. (Long time, hehe).. We used to get
    everything on floppy. Also today, we will get everything of CDs.
         Dont forget that CRACK / TRAINERS/ SOLVES is something that can
    only be spread using BBSs, and everyone knows how must they are.
         Other way to improve scene is to get BBSs with more line, and
    descene multinode chat program. This way people will call for chatting
    with others on scene matters. This reminds me all the voice confrence
    chats we used to make long time ago. It was cool to get 3-4 hours and
    talk with many people about all the scene, all the gusip around. To
    imrpove chats, it will be wise to use a protocol for downloads, which
    will add capabilities of both download/uploads and multinode chatting
    (i've seen SMODEMPROshould have this feature, but havent seen it..).
    If BBS software will start running unix, and will give thier info Using
    TCP/IP, there shouldnt be a problem doing several download sessions and
    other sessions etc.


      Bulletin Boards and Internet:-
         Well, Yes.. not only CDROMs got the scene to die, but also the
    internet... Well, not really.. The internet on one hand got many people
    to prefer internet upon BBSs. On the other hand, internet got many
    people to purchase modem, and they all looking for BBSs as well. But
    still internet in the end, will be the main issue, and BBSs will be kept
    on the side. The only way to fight your enemies is to join them. That is
    why i am calling Private boards sysops to join the internet. I'm
    currently working on fast line to the internet, which will be running
    24hours a day. This way, many people from the outside will be calling in
    and put some stuff online... I know that internet has sux interface, but
    BBSs dont! Well, if they will join we will be able to benefit from both
    nice interface and both internet.
         If BBSs could run TCP/IP it could have helped alot.
    Download / Uploads / Chats at the same time, as well as other Internet
    sessions. Bulletin boards are more safe. On internet everyone can
    connect you easily without paying much. This way Private should keep
    thier self much more private. FTPing in your site can make lots of
    problems... thats because password spreading can hold into lots of
    problem with software companies and others. Private boards should not
    stop doing the complicated Apply shit, and every sysop should check if
    anonymous should get access on the board, as today, and even more.
         Internet will improve speed between boards. Not to mention that if
    you have full time connection to internet, you can put an open link to
    another BBS on the internet and transfer new files.
         But, internet require different hardware to run it well. To run
    internet and give services to people, the best way will be to put UNiX
    software (on PC enviroment or other UNiX based machine). But making it
    on DOS enviroment will be hard... Windows NT or OS/2 can give you the
    best solution.. but still you will have to switch BBS software... And
    lots of hardware requirements. On regular modems you can put maximum of
    4 modems.. So, 40 Lines board is 10 Computers. Quite hard to setup. Or,
    to put Terminal Server. This is the best solution, but hell go find
    software that will support it.
         My main point, to keep the scene alive, think big. Getting BBSs
    bigger. The Scene already exist on the internet. Currently, even more
    then BBSs. To keep both Internet scene and BBSs scene, they should
    become one. Scene should not be kept on FTPs on the internet. It should
    be on BBSs.. but it also should happen using the internet. The fastest
    and cheapest way to make it happen.


     Last Words...
         Well.. I have more to say, and it wont be my last article. I'll
    give more ideas and will remind old scene sharks how it was back then.
    The scene is not just files.. Its hacking/phreaking/mailing and more.
         If anyone intend to put this article on magazine, go ahead... but
    do not change it in any way.. Not to mention how layme it will look, its
    also not ethic.
         I would like to write the scene rules.. And get all groups to sign
    it. We are the people who are running the scene, and therefor we are the
    ones to make the scene standarts.
         I'm always for more ideas and comments.I'm availble on 1 MANCREW
    system. For those who are reading it has the number sure, and probably
    got an account. I'm off.


          Adios,
            Bonijoni
