Date:  Feb 16 2000 09:06:30 EST  
From:  "John Stefani"   
Subject:  Remembering the Great C-Net 64 BBS's  


I say "C-Net 64" because in Windsor-Essex, it was the software of 
choice for running a BBS. Unless you were one of the two folks 
who were running New Image software (an solid-running C-Net v12 
lookalike by a former C-Net programmer). To me, calling those 
1200 baud C64 BBS's was the best time I had. They were 
technically primitive compared to the BBS's that run on today's 
PC's. But we had something then that doesn't exist today - FUN! 
And the BBS's were busy. While today the few BBS's still in 
existance are lucky to get five calls a day, the popular BBS's of the 
'80s never went five minutes without a call. Sometimes you had to 
autodial for hours to get through to the biggies, like Essex 
Download, Tranzit Zone, The Beacon (running then on C-Net 128), 
Hacker's Haven, GB BBS, Synthetic Technologies, Spirit of 64, 
and on and on. And the GT's. Did we ever have GT's. We could 
pack a restaurant. We were like one big family. Sometimes not 
always happy. But, hey... even families quarrel sometimes. The 
message bases were busy as hell. Discussions as mundane as 
"what do you like on your pizza?" could yeild 200 responses...and 
usually interesting ones too. It was quite a time, and I miss it very 
much. Even the internet, with all its superiority, is not as much 
*FUN* as those days in the '80s. Call it senseless nostalgia. But 
that's the way I feel. And I'm willing to bet if you ask alot of folks 
who were around during that time they will say the same thing. 
There were bad times too. Good friends were won and sadly 
sometimes lost too, but I still miss those C-Net 64 days. Mind you 
I'm also starting to miss the FIDO Net 246 as well, so I may just 
need a visit with a psychiatrist.  :)

I give Dan Rather credit for being the last of the last to keep holding 
on. Not only is he keeping his BBS running, but he's trying to keep 
it alive with activity. Which is a challenge these days.

Anyone else remember some of those great Commodore BBS's. Is 
there anyone out there who was around then. I really miss seeing 
some of those old names. And in some case, I really miss some of 
those old faces too!

Regards,
John