Marc@mit.edu writes:

What you are all talking about here is a solved problem. Many such network protocols exist. SLIP is probably the best example. If you use SLIP to connect to the BBS instead of a dumb terminal connection, you get a real network link which supports multiple connections to multiple destinations. And free SLIP implementations exist. The author of one of the most popular is on this list, in fact.

It is a solved problem. It doesn't even require SLIP. I spent lots of hours over the past year trying to get SLIP to work with the GMU computers. it is officially "not supported" With NUpop and Eudora, SLIP is optional. The NUpop docs say that SLIP slows down the transfer, and recommends simple ASCII async connection using a reliable modem (MNP or V42/V.42bis)

Of course, this requires that your "terminal" be somewhat intelligent, but even a lowly 8088 PC running DOS can run SLIP.

If you do this, all you need is a BBS which supports network services, instead of the current menu-based sort of systems we have now. If you want to encrypt, you do so locally. In fact, you'd probably do almost everything locally.

Using a computer as a computer is clearly the way to go. There are a number of low-cost or free Unix providers, I expect that they do, or can be talked into supporting POP. I expect that current terminal/menu based BBSes will disapear once folks realize how much better easier, faster, and all around better programs that use computers as computers work. Pat Pat Farrell, Grad Student pfarrell@cs.gmu.edu Department of Computer Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA PGP key available via finger or request #include standard.disclaimer