From Newsgroup: alt.bbs
Hi shinobi,
On 4/14/20 3:18 PM, shinobi wrote:
.... from what I know the BBS are still communicating with each
other.
That's my understanding too. I talk with a few people that still run
BBSs, most of which are still part of FidoNet.
And the protocols used are evolving.
I was not aware that the protocols were still evolving. I knew that the communications mechanisms were. But I thought they were still using the
same / quite similar protocols as they were 20 years ago, e.g. QWK & BINKP.
From my knowledge the basic communication protocols between BBS
is currently BINKP for Messages and Files. But before it was QWK
packed exchanged via commute lines.
That matches my limited understanding.
When You had a point in FidoNet You used offline mail client.
I thought you could do offline email even without a point. More
specifically, I thought you could have the board package up your email
for you to download and read / reply / compose email while disconnected
from the board.
I thought that a point was a (small) board of sorts that wasn't a proper participant in FidoNet / FTN, in that it relied on the node that you
were a point of. But I thought that you could otherwise control the (multiple) user(s) at the zone:net/node.point address. Conversely, you
were dependent on the SYSOP of a node to manage addresses on their board.
I could have been wrong when I formed this conclusion and easily misremembering things now.
That was used to read and write mail. The mail was then packed
into a packet file. And the file was sent through the phone line via
modem. In that time it was common to write down a mail, read echomails (conferences). Then pack Your mail and let the computer call to the
HUB and send it during the night (cost effectiveness).
*nod*
I thought it was courtesy, especially on busy boards and / or boards
with few lines, to connect, transfer email & files, then disconnect
while reading & replying. Then re-connect to send anything pending in
your Outbox.
We still see this type of behavior with email clients that aren't
connected all the time. — I've lost count how many times I've told
Outlook users to check their Out Box and to hit Send & Receive when they complained that people didn't get their email.
The packet was compiled in the QWK format. The response was in REP
packet.
Do you know if there was any difference in QWK and REP packets? Or was
it simply a naming convention to help indicate if it was headed down
towards a client vs coming back up from a client?
When You connected to Your HUB via modem You used XMODEM, YMODEM or
ZMODEM to download / upload the QWK Packet.
ACK
These times You connect via Telnet. And use XMODEM, YMODEM or ZMODEM
to download / upload QWK packet as above.
ACK
I should learn more about XMODEM / YMODEM / ZMODEM. I know that telnet
is not 8-bit clean. So that tells me that XMODEM / YMODEM / ZMODEM
don't need 8-bit clean connections, or that they gracefully deal with communications errors from the non-8-bit clean channel and recover.
If You have enough resources You can stay on-line and write the
messages and read it via the telnet session. So this is no longer
needed.
I think you could do the same thing back in the day, but that was
considered impolite. (See above.)
If You're a Sysop You use BINKP to connect to other Systems. That is
another protocol that allow exchange of messages and files between
Bulletin Board Systems. But still You can use QWK to exchange mail
between the BBS. The messages are then stored in JAM format in
message bases.
I've heard of all of those; BINKP, QWK, and JAM before, but I didn't
have the proper context to put them in.
The BBS uses addresses in the format zone:net/node.point. It's
hierarchical structure. What I described above with the QWK over the
modem was in term You had a point. That meant You had message editor,
tossed the mail and mailed via mailer software. Then according to the routing the mail was parsed at the node and distributed according to
the routing rules. It could stay in the NET or if it was a Netmail
it was distributed to another Zone. The Zones was distributed geographically. And the main principle of this design was to keep
the last flow of data between the zones. The reason were the dial-up
costs between states. And therefore the NET's had it's own conferences distributed in the given geographical location.
*nod*
The above is rather my opinion than the complete description of all
the protocols used. It comes out of my own experience and practice.
If You're interested in more depth see the protocols specifications:
BBS Protocols Specificatins [ BINKP JAM TELNET QWKE XMODEM YMODEM
ZMODEM ]
I'll check them out as time permits.
As you can see from my delayed reply, there are other priorities.
Edutainment fits in when there's spare time to give it the attention
that it deserves.
--
Grant. . . .
unix || die
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