UT gave up too soon!

Happy Monkey · 11-07-2016, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Atlantic

Did any direct-access, telephone-dial-up BBSes survive the internet’s proverbial asteroid? Sure enough, there are about 20 known dial-up BBSes in North America. And of those, only a handful have been running non-stop since the mid-1990s. These are the true dinosaurs walking among us. Who dares to run such antique systems, and why? Have any of them been left running by accident like the BBS in my dream? I had to find out.

And I thought I'd missed the era of BBSs.

xoxoxoBruce · 11-07-2016, 12:21 PM

That was interesting, something I'd never experienced. When I was working for Westinghouse as a machine tool programmer in 1968-69, I'd write a program, put it on punch cards, drive it from south of Philly to north of Philly, and transmit it to Pittsburgh. The computer there would process it(please God, no bugs) and send it back in a few hours on punch cards with a real paper printout.

lumberjim · 11-07-2016, 01:30 PM

hey weird. My dad worked for Westinghouse in the late sixties doing punch cards. He was in Baltimore though.

elSicomoro · 11-07-2016, 02:32 PM

I read this over the weekend...still amazed that they exist.

Undertoad · 11-07-2016, 03:57 PM

The old telephony is gone... old school modems will just slowly stop working as new VoIP systems take over everything.

I'm happy they go on with it, but this is now like broadcasting on a frequency that nobody can tune to.

fargon · 11-07-2016, 04:39 PM

I still use a ATT Western Electric push button table top telephone. It's connected to a fiber optic line but it still works.

Undertoad · 11-07-2016, 05:09 PM

The problem is, the modem signals don't necessarily work over the VoIP protocols that work for voice.

11-07-2016, 12:21 PM	#2
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	That was interesting, something I'd never experienced. When I was working for Westinghouse as a machine tool programmer in 1968-69, I'd write a program, put it on punch cards, drive it from south of Philly to north of Philly, and transmit it to Pittsburgh. The computer there would process it(please God, no bugs) and send it back in a few hours on punch cards with a real paper printout. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

11-07-2016, 01:30 PM	#3
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	hey weird. My dad worked for Westinghouse in the late sixties doing punch cards. He was in Baltimore though. __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

11-07-2016, 04:39 PM	#6
fargon Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: La Crosse, WI Posts: 8,924	I still use a ATT Western Electric push button table top telephone. It's connected to a fiber optic line but it still works. __________________ Annoy the ones that ignore you!!! I live a blessed life I Love my Country, I Fear the Government!!! Heavily medicated for the good of mankind.

11-07-2016, 02:32 PM	#4
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I read this over the weekend...still amazed that they exist.

11-07-2016, 03:57 PM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The old telephony is gone... old school modems will just slowly stop working as new VoIP systems take over everything. I'm happy they go on with it, but this is now like broadcasting on a frequency that nobody can tune to.

11-07-2016, 05:09 PM	#7
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The problem is, the modem signals don't necessarily work over the VoIP protocols that work for voice.

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