The USBBS List: Off-line Edition Start Page
View The USBBS List:
This off-line edition of the USBBS list may be viewed by selecting one of the categories
below. In this edition, all categories are sorted alphabetically by U.S. state/city,
then Canadian province/city. The sort method will change from edition to edition to allow
different systems to be listed near the top of the categories.
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USBBS News and Changes:
Edition #216 News
A Letter from the Editor,
An "edition" of USBBS (such as #216) occurs when the USBBS contents
are all combined into a .ZIP or self-extracting .EXE. These are no
longer released once-per-month, or on any scheduled basis or interval.
The more often new BBS systems are listed on USBBS, the more often an
"edition" will be published. At this time, I estimate an "edition"
will be published three or four times a year.
It is important to note that USBBS -is- updated between editions. To
view new listings added between "editions" see the "View" pages at
www.usbbs.org.
I see a very positive side to the new "edition" release intervals.
Now, when someone sees a new edition of USBBS, they will know it
is substantial. Back in the eighties and well into the nineties,
a large part of a large BBS community eagerly downloaded new USBBS
editions as soon as they came out, because they knew each month was
a substantial change since the last. For the last few years, only
the "faithful" did this, as members of the now small BBS community
knew there was nothing substantially new from one month to the next.
My thanks to everyone for their continued support of the USBBS
List during its recent long hiatus. A special thanks to those who
conveyed their support and understanding during this time. Thanks to
Daryl Stout, Max Stolz and Christopher Friend for some of the updates
to this edition.
A huge thanks to John Cooper for continuing to send updates during this
hiatus even though it appeared they might never be used. John said
that as long as I refused to proclaim the list 'dead', he had faith
I would resume publication some day. Thank you sir.
Please read the next section for changes to the USBBS List.
Brent Yandell
USBBS List Editor
Edition #216 Changes
NOTE: The nomenclature "###" is referred to often below, as in
USBBS###.ZIP. The ### refers to an edition number of USBBS, such
as 216 (USBBS216.ZIP).
There were 97 new listings added to this edition. We were able to
verify 220 of the listings from the last edition of USBBS as "up".
There were 269 listings deleted from the last addition. There are
still an additional 121 listings marked for deletion (not responding)
in this edition. We will continue to try to reach them, and if not
they will be deleted in the next edition.
USBBS distribution .ZIP and self-extracting .EXE files now contain
an off-line browser (HTML) edition of USBBS. After extraction,
select _START.HTM to view the off-line version of the USBBS List.
Both distribution files still contain text versions of the list.
The self-extracting version of the USBBS List has been remodeled.
The new version runs in Windows only. After the user runs the USBBS
self-extracting file, the _START.HTM file will automatically be
displayed in the user's web browser.
An extended description field has been added to the list. This text
may be up to 70 characters long and allows for a brief comment or
description of the listing. This field begins in column #140 of
USBBS###.LST. Note: as this is a new field, it will take some time
for the list to become populated with this information.
A file named ABOUT###.TXT replaces USBBS###.NWS and USBBS###.TXT
in the USBBS distribution archives. This file contains news,
how-to and information about USBBS.
There are minor changes to USBBS###.LST abbreviations and structure.
Great care was taken not to mix things up too much, for the sake
of existing USBBS###.LST viewing software, scripts and doors.
Changes include:
- Columns 48-49 indicate the month and year the listing was last
updated. Column 48 (previously unused) is the month, "a" thru "l"
("a"=January, "l"=December). Column 49 is the year, "a" thru ???
("a"=2004, "b"=2005 and so-on). Column 49 used to be the number of
months since the last update relative to the current USBBS issue.
Since USBBS is no longer published monthly, this was no longer
possible to figure. The "!" used in column 49 to indicate a BBS
was not answering has been expanded and moved to column 58.
- Column 58 (status indicator) has been expanded:
"space" indicates no change
"*" indicates "new or changed"
"!" indicates the system has been reported as not answering and
will be deleted in the next issue unless updated. "!" is used
when ALL LISTED access methods are reported as not answering.
"?" indicates a system's Telnet is answering, but Dial-up is not.
"#" indicates a system's Dial-up is answering, but Telnet is not.
- If column 140 contains a "+" character, it indicates an extended
description follows in columns 141 through 210.
- "Shotgun" has been added as a BBS software type. It is
designated by a lower-case "a" in column 46.
- A short -[NewsAlert]- caption was added in USBBS###.LST files
(near the end) which applications (on-line viewing scripts and
doors) may pull and display to the caller. For example, this
edition's news alert is:
USBBS News Alert: June, 2004 is the USBBS List's 20th Anniversary!
The USLIST.EXE file is no longer available or enclosed with USBBS.
This was useful for viewing the contents of USBBS ZIP files. This
functionality was replaced by the browser (HTML) files now enclosed
in the USBBS ZIP files. This utility was also designed to create
update files which members of the BBS community could use to help
update USBBS. While this was widely used upon its introduction 1997,
the last few years have yielded hardly any USLIST.EXE based updates.
USBBSDoor version 6.5 will be released the first week of May for
Sysops who can run DOS doors on their systems. USBBSDoor adds
compatibility for the new features of the USBBS List (listed above).
Download USBDOR65.ZIP by clicking on the USBBSDoor button at
www.usbbs.org.
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About The USBBS List:
The USBBS List is the oldest and one of the most respected BBS listings in North America.
It has been published since June, 1984... for over 19 years!
USBBS contains listings of:
- Systems with a dial-up telephone number.
- Systems with Telnet access.
- Systems with Web access (login using browser)
- Systems with any combination of the above access methods.
The USBBS List's two missions are:
(1) The first USBBS mission is to be a starting point for someone looking
for a BBS to call. It has never been the ambition of the USBBS List to
list every BBS in existence or to include everything there is to know about
a BBS which is listed. Such an attempt would be futile at best.
(2) The second mission is that USBBS is and always has been an absolutely
FREE service to the BBS community, both for BBS Sysops and for BBS users.
There is no charge for a BBS to be listed on the USBBS List, and there is
no charge for a caller to use the USBBS List.
The USBBS List is available on many fine bulletin boards around North
America and on the Internet. Wide distribution of the USBBS List is
permitted and encouraged. If you are a Sysop, download the current
list from www.usbbs.org and post it in your file section as a service
to your users. If you are a BBS user, upload it to the boards you use.
Volunteers are always needed with:
- Adding systems not on the USBBS List.
- Reporting systems "up" which are already on the list.
- Deleting systems which no longer exist.
If you are interested in lending a hand, send the editor
a note to: usbbs.editor@verizon.net. Just helping with a few boards
on the list would be a BIG help.
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How to Add, Update or Delete a Listing:
NOTE: There are no fees to be listed on or use the USBBS List.
To add, change or delete a listing on the USBBS List:
- Surf to www.usbbs.org.
- Click on the "Update" button to Add or Change a BBS.
- Click on the "Delete" button to Delete a BBS.
Revisions submitted by other means will not be incorporated into the
list. This insures the list contains complete and accurate information.
To submit multiple (more than ten or so) additions, changes, deletions
or BBS "up" reports, contact the editor at usbbs.editor@verizon.net
for assistance.
Requirements for inclusion on the USBBS List:
- The BBS must welcome ALL callers.
- Dial-up BBS - 24 hour, 7 days per week service.
- Telnet BBS - Substantially 24 hour, 7 days per week service.
- Web BBS - There must be a user-name/password log-in on the site.
Although the US in USBBS is U.S. (as in U.S.A.) there are Canadian
systems listed as well. Non-U.S. and non-Canada listings are accepted
if they are a Telnet BBS and offer English as a language selection.
These criteria are admittedly subjective and rest in the discretion of
the editor of the list. The editor reserves the absolute, discretionary
right to determine appearance, format and content of the USBBS List.
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Brief USBBS List History:
- 1984: Pete Olympia, USBBS founder and first editor, started the "RBBS List"
and later changed the name to "USBBS". For many years it was also
often (mistakenly) called "Darwin's List", after the Darwin BBS
run by Pete, which was the first home of the USBBS List.
- 1986: Meade Friersen becomes a USBBS co-editor, handling the "PC-Pursuit"
designations in USBBS. PC-Pursuit was a service of US Sprint which
allowed callers to dial systems in and around major cities for a
monthly fee.
- 1987: PCBoard becomes the most listed BBS software in USBBS. Previously,
the most listed was RBBS. PCBoard would remained the most listed BBS
software in USBBS for the next twelve years. USBBSDoor 1.0 released.
- 1988: Meade Friersen becomes the second USBBS editor. Robert Blacher dedicates
a node of his Computer Connections BBS to being the USBBS home BBS. The number of
systems listed in USBBS tops 1000.
- 1991: Meade begins accepting USBBS updates at his Compuserve mail account
(a very early sign of the times to come?).
- 1992: Bob Breedlove becomes the third USBBS editor. Bob added a news
file to the USBBS archive, the first time USBBS was distributed with
more than one file in the ZIP. The number of systems listed in USBBS
tops 2000. The 100th edition of the USBBS List is published.
- 1993: The number of systems listed in USBBS tops 3000.
- 1994: Bob begins distributing USBBS on the Internet, first in Usenet then
as a FTP download. The number of systems listed in USBBS tops 4000.
- 1995: Bob begins the first USBBS web site under the Channel 1 BBS domain,
provided by Brian and Tess Miller.
- 1996: The number of listings tops 5000 on the USBBS List in June. It
would remain above 5000 for the next ten months.
- 1997: Brent Yandell becomes the fourth USBBS editor, and immediately adds
Telnet addresses to the USBBS List.
- 1999: Brent obtains the "www.usbbs.org" URL, and moves the web site to
space provided by Roy Timberman, a former Sysop. Web BBS Log-in
addresses are added to the USBBS List. Wildcat/WinServer software becomes
the most listed BBS software in USBBS.
- 2001: The 200th edition of the USBBS List is published. Meade
Frierson, the USBBS List's second editor, passed away in September.
- 2004: As of June, USBBS has been published for 20 years. For the first
time, USBBS permits a free-form text area (up to 70 characters) for an additional
comment to help describe a listing. Synchronet becomes the most listed BBS
software in USBBS.
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Disclaimer and License:
DISCLAIMER
List accuracy is not assured. Use this material entirely at your own
risk. All information is submitted to the editor by the BBS community.
No attempt is made by the editor to verify any information submitted.
Anyone who uses any of the USBBS files assumes any and all liabilities
for anything which may result as a consequence of such use. Under no
circumstances shall Brent Yandell be liable for any loss of profit or
any other damages, including but not limited to special, incidental,
consequential, or other damages, arising out of the use or inability
to use any or all of the USBBS files.
The editor reserves the absolute, discretionary right to determine
the appearance, format and content of the USBBS List.
LICENSE
Free distribution of the USBBS List is permitted and encouraged as an
upload/download to Bulletin Board Systems and around the Internet.
No modifications may be made to ANY of the USBBS List files, including
the addition or removal of ANY files in the archive (.ZIP or .EXE) in which it
is distributed. The USBBS List may not be bundled with any other
product or service.
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This page was created on May 1, 2004
If over a few months old, contact the web site at
www.usbbs.org for a newer edition.
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