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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 87 responses total. |
cross
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response 50 of 87:
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Mar 15 09:32 UTC 2018 |
resp:46 Sure, that's fine. Security is something we're at least not
terrible at, if not perfect at either. Advertise away!
resp:47 Hmm. I'll have to look at backtalk to see what's crashing.
The issue with backtalk is that it's basically a programming language
interpreter (the language looks a lot like PostScript, believe it
or not) and it emits markup specific to some kind of "theme". So
instead of using e.g. CSS to style consistent markup, we emit FONT
tags and antiquated things like that. Cleaning it up is almost not
worth it: I'd rather rewrite it in a managed language so it never
segfaults.
As Kent mentioned in resp:48, fronttalk is a perl front-end to
backtalk. It needs a rewrite, too.
I started it with Attospan, which can read and parse every "item"
file on both Grex and M-Net, but am also swamped at work and
haven't had much time for it.
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swolf154
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response 51 of 87:
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Mar 15 15:09 UTC 2018 |
If I could find an Open Source Bulletin Board system for openbsd (Free) would
that be an option to install on Grex? I'll bet it's out there and I have the
time to research and find it.
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cross
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response 52 of 87:
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Mar 15 15:14 UTC 2018 |
That's exactly what you're typing into now. The sum of Grex's many parts
is, in a very real sense, a superset of what a "BBS" is.
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swolf154
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response 53 of 87:
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Mar 15 19:14 UTC 2018 |
I realize it's a Bulletin board system. My concern is
the BackTalk (Web) side of Fronttalk. It needs some
fixes. I'm gonna research this further. I read some of
papa's page today.
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tfurrows
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response 54 of 87:
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Mar 15 19:40 UTC 2018 |
The thing that I love about SDF's bboard is specifically that it's not on the
web. I believe monochrome BBS had a similar debate in the past and decided
to keep their content off the web.
The web is so overrun with forums and every other kind of mass communication.
I'm not against progress or technology, but I'm not sure having a
web-accessible BBS is important to the kind of people that would use grex.
Maybe what we should look at are the things that are working well for other
public access unix systems. IRC seems to be very popular on several of them.
Command-line social tools are what I personally love (com, party, bbs, bboard,
writo, bbj, botany, feels). What else are the other public unix systems doing
well that draws in users?? I don't think a web forum is it.
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swolf154
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response 55 of 87:
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Mar 15 20:26 UTC 2018 |
I was more or less thinking of ways to attract "NEW" users. To me a new user
is someone that recently came on line. Not seasoned veterans. Hey..I'm
getting kick out of reasearching backttalk. I would just like to spruce up
the web side to attract the newbie. I have no problem keeping things as is.
I'm a big advocate for "If it aint broke, don't fix it".[A[A[D[D
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tfurrows
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response 56 of 87:
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Mar 16 04:11 UTC 2018 |
Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that you're actively trying to find
ways to help promote, keep it up!
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swolf154
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response 57 of 87:
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Mar 16 10:35 UTC 2018 |
I'm just trying to get a feel for what type of users to bring in. Would you
say users looking for a minimal approach to online services? I've been
browsing the gopher sites and I can see where gopher would like to go. I need
to change my thinking. Meantime I have a lot of reading to do. Spent all day
reading the Backtalk manual. The script language makes sense to me. Probably
cause I'm not a programer. I would really like to get Backtalk functional with
Lynx but I'm not sure if a login is possible using lynx. I can read the
messages anonymously but that's it. Is there anyway to get color into the
text?
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swolf154
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response 58 of 87:
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Mar 17 21:26 UTC 2018 |
Ok. I get it. Agora and Coop still work on the Web side of BackTalk.The
others are DOA. Just for "Argument Sake" What would it take to "fix it" f
the Web side is going to be down a while I'll let people know. If BackTalk is
only usable from CLI I can let people know that too. This a reply from the
my Web browser. (Note for me).
I agree tfurrows. The Web is polluted with message boards but people like
the point and click stuff. If you visit these boards, even the free shell
accounts and IRC is fading away. I think the internet craze over . They want
YouTube and Music Videos. That said what's the attraction at Grex? Why
would someone SSH to a prompt and go through the validation process to
get a Grex account? For the memories of the good old years? Is Grex just
another BBS on the list of thousands?? Is it place for programmers or folks
that want to learn programming? Help me out here. I'm "Dazed and
Confused" LOL
The ad is in my Gopher site if you want take a look at it.
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walkman
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response 59 of 87:
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Apr 14 23:44 UTC 2018 |
Some things from the past (vinyl records, muscle cars, crystal Pepsi)
come back and people enjoy them. But the reality of BBS is that most
people are unfamiliar and the numbers of people that would care are
dwindling. I don't see young people caring. I tried to teach my teenager
Linux but he'd rather play his PS4.
Realistically, I don't expect anyone to care when I re-cap a Commodore
or get it on the Internet with a NIC+ adapter. Tinkering and reminiscing
is a mostly solo effort. It may even be unhealthy. I'm guilty of it but
I don't expect most people to care or understand.
There are lots of twitter accounts dedicated to such things. I tried to
engage but it got exhausting really quick. There are a lot of people who
can't move on. It's sad.
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tod
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response 60 of 87:
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Apr 21 14:05 UTC 2018 |
AND MY LOCAL TELCOMAKES IT
UNFRIENDLY TO USE THIS
HAYES MODEM CARTRIDGE ON
THIS COCO2 WITH THE OLD
B&W TV. ARE THERE
ANY MODEM DIALOUT BANKS
STILL AROUND FROM MERIT?
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cmccabe
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response 61 of 87:
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Apr 26 00:24 UTC 2018 |
Hi folks. This is my first time using fronttalk (I just noticed someone else
using it while w'ing the current users, and had to test it out). Looking back
on this recent discsusion, I would love to talk more to all of you about this.
I think there is a big opportunity for the reinvigoration of Grex around
people who see the value of command line social computing as an alternative
to commercial social media. I have my own particular concerns about corporate
media -- that it is killing democracy -- so I think that alternatives are very
important. But I also think that text-based social computing is just fun;
and from what I see (sdf.org, tilde.town, blinkenshell.org, many others) a
lot of other people do too. Now I only have to figure out how to really use
fronttalk so I can find this thread again. If you don't hear from me, someone
please email me at cmccabe@sdf.org
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swolf154
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response 62 of 87:
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Apr 28 02:54 UTC 2018 |
Well, I'm up to the task Carl. Whatever that may be. If you're having
trouble with fronttalk try using "gboard" at grex. It's very similar to
"bboard" on sdf so you might have a smaller learning curve using it.
Meanwhile let's keep the conversation going on how to attract new users
to grex.
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cmccabe
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response 63 of 87:
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Apr 29 02:38 UTC 2018 |
Ok, I figured it out. No need to email me @SDF :)
Cross mentioned in response 43 about the hackerspace model like hashbang.sh.
I love that idea. tfurrows seems interested too (off-board discussion). How
can we most effectively go about fleshing that idea out?
cross and kentn, I see both your names on the Grex staff list. Is that list
up to date, and is there a way we can engage the others in this discussion?
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walkman
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response 64 of 87:
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May 7 22:44 UTC 2018 |
#60 Ha ha ha ha
-------
This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I'm logged into an old BBS
And I can't get back to fronttalk this way
And the modem lights are fading fast today
For here
Am I am typing on a terminal
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there's nothing I can do.
#CrystalPepsiForever
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papa
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response 65 of 87:
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May 12 03:41 UTC 2018 |
Having (hopefully) finally figured out how to get Fronttalk to keep
track of my conference reading progress (see resp:garage,45,17), I am
now face with the task of catching up with 25+ years of accumulated
items and responses. I was thinking that I needed a program to catch-up
my conference reading status by automatically going through the conf's
and marking every item and response as "read". That way I could then use
the NEXT and READ NEW commands in FT to easily scan the conf's for new
items and responses since my previous visit.
However, since yesterday in spare moments I've been using READ NEW to
skim part of the backlog in dribs and drabs selected by FT's mysterious
algorithm, and have found myself enjoying exploring Backtalk's dusty and
ancient corridors.
Of course a lot of garbage has built-up over the decades and many items
are worth no more time than a glance at the opening post, but there are
a lot of well-hidden gems in there.
Today I have been exploring conf:Language and conf:International. Feel
free to join me in exploring Grex's Backtalk catacombs!
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cross
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response 66 of 87:
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May 13 01:27 UTC 2018 |
"fixseen" is your friend. :-)
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papa
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response 67 of 87:
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May 13 06:48 UTC 2018 |
FIXSEEN is useful to know. Thanks.
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tod
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response 68 of 87:
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May 14 19:34 UTC 2018 |
re #64
#CrystalGravy
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papa
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response 69 of 87:
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May 16 12:27 UTC 2018 |
Grex has a conf:Laundry conference!
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mijk
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response 70 of 87:
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Dec 27 20:54 UTC 2018 |
:D You are pure class papa! After you have finished mining Grex for gold;
if you get bored - there are 25+ years of conferences to read at mono.org
(monochrome BBS) ssh mono@mono.org :)
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papa
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response 71 of 87:
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Dec 31 14:33 UTC 2018 |
No rest for the wicked. ;)
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mijk
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response 72 of 87:
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Dec 31 22:05 UTC 2018 |
papa: you havn't time to be wicked - with another decade of conference posts
to read still
(or the inclination even if you hadn't: still good to keep busy eh? :) ) .
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mijk
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response 73 of 87:
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Dec 31 22:07 UTC 2018 |
btw:
Happy New Year!! :)
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tod
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response 74 of 87:
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Jul 17 03:28 UTC 2021 |
Happy 2021!!
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