Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!hao!gatech!udel!rochester!cornell!batcomputer!sun!dave From: dave@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Dave Goldblatt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Bulletin Board Software Needed (long) Message-ID: <464@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> Date: 28 Feb 88 17:21:25 GMT References: <4131@pucc.Princeton.EDU> <660002@otter.hple.hp.com> <901@ut-emx.UUCP> <9662@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> <975@ut-emx.UUCP> Reply-To: dave@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Dave Goldblatt) Organization: Clarkson University, Madstop, NY Lines: 106 Summary: Opus vs. WWIV (let this be the final one, please?) In article <975@ut-emx.UUCP> emp@ut-emx.UUCP (naDev~tlhIngan~putulu) writes: > >....if this was some sort of really smart-assed referrence to me, let me take >a moment to totally burst your bubble. > Not totally, 'cuz I'm going to burst yours too. :-) > >....I've been running BBS's sine 1986. I've dabbled in RBBS (WIth emphasis on >the fact that it's BS), ran Genesis for all of two days (it was in Beta-Test, >but even then I couldn't tailor it to my needs), and finally wound up using >WWIV because it had the source code available for ALL segments of the program. ....I've been running bulletin boards since 1982. I've looked at RBBS, but it was more a first attempt at a bulletin board than anything else; supposedly it's improved over the years, but I've never been interested in it. I've had WWIV 3.1 running on a bulletin board on Long Island for over two years now, and had it on another for about a year and a half. While it is nice to have source, WWIV has it's problems. The message handling facility is very weak. The editor is very simple as well, lacking any advanced features (I don't consider word-wrap to be an advanced feature). The file area does have a couple of nice touches (it shows who uploaded files, for example). But it has a very limited set of transfer protocols, and in the version I have, doesn't support anything more sophisticated than Ymodem (and it isn't even Ymodem-batch). It's communications routines aren't tremendously fast, but they are adequate. The user file is set to a max of 300 by default, although it could be changed. It uses Turbo overlays a lot, however, and I've run out of memory on it a number of times trying to have too many users, etc. (on a 640K machine) > >....after running my board for about 6 months, I was given a copy of Opus to >try out. It did NOT have source code in any form, and simply was too damn >"Bland" for my tastes. Also, there was no newscan for the files section >(a feature the thing STILL doesn't have!). You are correct -- the source to Opus is not available to the general public, for the simple reason that with only one central authority working on it, we can be sure there won't be hacked or other tampered versions out there. This DID happen with WWIV. If there is a feature you want to see in Opus, send code . It will be put in after being tested to determine if a) it works, and b) others would benefit. "The thing" does have a new file scan (for each message area). Try the "f*" command (documented, and has been in place since Opus version 1.00). Obviously, you're not even close to being an expert on Opus. (not that anyone is, including the author.. :-) (Opus doesn't have bugs; it has mites. :-) >[...]but NONE of them have source code. It has not been released, and from what >I've been told by some users down here that KNOW the guy who wrote Opus it >will NEVER be released. Correct. See above. > >....so, if you've got the source code, then consider yourself lucky. I, for one >would like to see how it's structured. Opus structures are publicly available, and always have been. You can file request them from my board (1:260/360) as OPROCS.ARC; they have been made available to users/sysops can write their own external programs, protocols, etc. for Opus. (Opus by default supports Xmodem, Ymodem, SEAlink, and Zmodem, and external protocols for Kermit and a number of others are publicly available). >But from what we know down here (and we're only a 5-hour drive from Dallas), (what does proximity to Dallas have anything to do with it? If WWIV supported netmail, you wouldnt need to drive down to Dallas to ask Wynn a question. :-) > source isn't available for Dopus, and you are obviously talking through your > hat. I agree with the original respondent to your posting about the use of the word "dopus"; he's correct. Just because YOU don't like something (or are unable to figure it out), doesn't mean it isn't as good as, or possibly better, than YOUR favorite. > >Discalmer: If I'm wrong, then POST the source code and prove it! > It's "disclaimer". Maybe you _should_ calm down, but then again.. I still would like to know what your burning need for source is, if you're not going to tamper with the program; almost everything in Opus is configurable. Anyhow, I really am not interested in continuing this discussion. If you're interested in netmail, file requests, echo conferences, and so on, I suggest you look at Opus. It's free (not shareware, it's _free_), whereas Fido v12 and TBBS are not. WWIV is nice if you are running a local-only bulletin board and you like to tinker with source (I do, and did, but I like Opus more). It is also shareware ($25 donation suggested). So enough of this, ok? Lot of spool space being used on this discussion.. :-) -dg- Internet: dave@sun.soe.clarkson.edu BITNET: dave@CLUTX.Bitnet uucp: {rpics, gould}!clutx!dave Matrix: Dave Goldblatt @ 1:260/360 Disclaimer: I don't work for anybody. :-)