/|\  How to Connect to the Atari BBS's
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--==-=--===--=-=-=

> Hi Doc,
> If you can make me a step by step manual, I give it a go!
> Cheers,
> Sijmen. / Mr Atari

     That is the least I can do for someone who made a movie player for the
Atari 8-bit and the MyIde interface.  To matter the fact, this message is
being sent out as a general invitation to a few that may or may not have
known about the growing number of Atari BBS's that are being set up over
telnet.  (Or didn't know there was a movie player for the 800xl or ide
interface I suppose as well.)  :)
    This is also my submission for the A-One online newsletter and IMAGE
newsletter at the same time!  ;)

    The next big part of this will talk about what a BBS is and how to
connect.  If you have a good grasp on all that, and just want to know the
actual BBS locations and what to find on them, skip past on this next part
till you find the big Atari symbol made in ASCII art and the title heading
Here are the addresses and what to look for once there.

/|\   WHAT IS A BBS?

    I always feel I should just put this blurb in when talking about the
BBS's.   I mean, though many Atari users are fully aware of what they are, I
am happy to say that we have such a new crowd, many brought in by the
internet, that they don't know.  In short, we have new blood and that is a
very good thing.
     A BBS, plain and simple, is some hobbyist setting up their own computer
to answer incoming calls from other hobby computers.  The visiting person
leaves messages on this computer for other visitors, plays games while
visiting, sends and receives files, and all that.
     Oh, and BBS stands for "Bulletin Board System."  Think of a cork board
where notes are thumb tacked to it throughout the day and that is a good
visual idea of what this is.

/|\  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND THE INTERNET?

    Probably not much.  So let's look at what an Atari BBS has to offer.
    First off, the internet!  Since all the BBS's are connected through the
internet, they are actually better in a way than their "good ole days"
counterparts where the BBS was either local or a long distance charge was
involved.  At one time you might have found five Atari BBS's in a local
dialing area and hundreds of other BBS's.  Today, that feeling is there once
again, thanks to the internet as hundreds of BBS's are springing up like
weeds, and at least five BBS's (so far) are within dialing range once more,
so to speak.  ;)
     The Atari BBS's offer a segway of the internet that the Atari 8-bit
computers can easily understand and use.  They are usually 40 column, and
feature ATASCII characters, which was the Atari special type of ASCII
character set.   Because of this, having a real Atari or Atari emulator to
visit the Atari BBS's is nice to see the creative ATASCII art that has been
created.  And even more fun is the ATASCII "Break Type" movies where people
have taken this art and made short cartoons.
     In truth, when you are on Atari BBS's you will be and see things that
few will ever see.  That road less traveled will make all the difference.
;)

     It is important to briefly note that through BBS's, both Atari and
non-Atari, you can read E-mail, check newsgroups (like the Atari 8 and ST
newsgroups), and other activities are possible.  And there are BBS's and
services out there that have a web browser online that you can call with the
Atari computer and surf the web with.  The browser is all text and might
take a bit of getting used to; however, it is interesting to search Google
using an Atari 400.  :D
     
HOW DO I GET THERE?

     At the end of this brief introduction, I will feature the locations on
how to get to the various Atari BBS's.  But the ways to get there would
include...

1) finding a local BBS that has both a dial in number and the means to
"telnet" out.  In this way, you are borrowing the internet connection of
another computer that you will connect the Atari computer to via phone.
Once you connect to that other computer, you would select the telnet option,
and enter in the address like "telnet://bfbbs.no-ip.com" getting you to
where you need to go.  In this case, that other BBS acts as a bridge.  If
you want to try this option and don't mind a long distance call, let me
suggest the following numbers...

Collin County   972-562-8064
    Log in, from main menu hit A for Arcade, 8 for other places
    And then 7 or 8 chooses already listed Atari BBS's.

Family-Net BBs 972-496-0650
    Log in, and at the main prompt type "Telnet" and then at the next prompt
type the address, for example "bfbbs.no-ip.com"

    The best mostly accurate list for looking up such a service close to
you, if there is one (and they can be rare) can best be found at
www.bbsmates.com.

    Trick in these cases is to call using bobterm in ASCII.  Once you have
telnetted to the other BBS and connected, you can then switch your term
program to ATASCII and enjoy the Atari BBS as it was meant to be enjoyed.
When you exit the Atari BBS and return to the host BBS you called to get
that Atari BBS, make sure to switch back to ASCII.

2) Use a more modern Computer (or non-Atari)
    This is perhaps the easiest way to start and try this out.  Alan Sharkis
is a well known Atari user who has logged on for quite some time with this
method.  First, for about any modern computer go to your internet browser
and enter in the address line something like "Telnet://bfbbs.no-ip.com" and
the browser will open (hopefully) the right program to take you to that BBS
location.  It will be understandable, though not with the ATASCII character
set.
     There are solutions for seeing ATASCII characters on the PC.  One is
found at http://www.atarimax.com called the Atari Terminal Simulator (ATS)
which is freely downloadable.  This will only view Atari 40 column ATASCII
BBS's, but does a fine job of it.    There is one question...

"Dr. Clu,
I quickly see that for me to access BF BBS this computer seems to need to
emulate a terminal program!  Might you suggest one?  Using Windows XP, the
connection is not the best; was able to connect once out of 5 or 6 attempts.
Of the 4 options to use the BBS, which one should be chosen?
Be well.
 Sparky!"

      Well Sparky, I have to admit, I have been able to use the ATS on Win
98 and 2000 very well, but have run into trouble with it under XP.  I'm sure
this can be worked out, and will tinker with at work when my boss isn't
looking.  :D  But in the meantime, try logging on with Hyperterm.  Check it
out, have fun writing to Atari users, and we'll work out the rest in time.
For now, we would love and even need your company so come on over!  ;)

3) APE interface PC gateway.
     Speaking of www.atarimax.com, Stever Tucker made this wonderful ability
in the windows version of APE (the program and cable that lets you make a PC
an Atari's bit...er..slave.  :D)  there is a great ability to tap into the
PC's internet.  Bring up the APE program on the PC, Bobterm on the Atari,
and Bobterm will notice the internet out there.  Now you can enter in a
telnet address and it will take you right to it.  Nice and basically cheap
setup, and great way to take advantage of the internet setup on your PC.

4) Serial to ethernet interfaces.  (UDS-10/ MSS-1, etc)
     The buzz word in Atari BBS'ing these days is a fabulous device that
allows your Atari to connect to it via the serial port.  The device has a
serial port on one end, and a lan port on the other.  This device will add
your Atari to your home internet network.

      "Internet what?  Hold on pilgram... What in tarnation are you talking
about?"

      Ok, at home, maybe you have cable modem or DSL.  Maybe you have one of
those little fangled routers that let you share this service with more than
one computer.  That is what I'm talking about.  From that router, you have
cables going to your PC, and a few other PC's, and now you can have a cable
that goes to your Atari computer as well.
      These serial to ethernet interfaces emulate a modem.  You say "AT" in
the term program, the interface, like a modem, will say "OK".  I have the
UDS-10, and I was able to set the interface up using an Atari computer and
nothing else.  The interface has enough smarts to give you a menu to set it
up.  Setting it up might take some work, but I, or Marius or anyone else
with a UDS-10/100 or MSS-1 would be willing to help if you ask nicely.
      Once this interface is setup, you hit a macro on Bobterm, and quicker
than dialing in, instantly you are on.  And all that macro has to say is
"ATDT213.10.217.144/8888"  Just like you were dialing a phone number, but in
this case it is the Atari BBS's IP address over the internet.  Kewl eh?


       ._,-,_.    
       ||| |||     HERE ARE THE ADDRESSES...
       ||| |||    
       ;|| ||:     ... AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR ONCE THERE...
     ./ /| |\ \.  
     |./ :_: \.|  

Current Atari BBS List 01/12/2005

Atari Inside            telnet://213.10.217.144/8888
Boot Factory            telnet://bfbbs.no-ip.com
Closer To Home          telnet://cth.dtdns.net
Mousenet BBS            telnet://atari-bbs.kicks-ass.net
Inside the 8-bit        telnet://216.78.138.17/8888 or 8889 (two lines)

CHAT ONLY  (This BBS is not run on a Atari or Atari emulation but
            makes a simple chat room to reach with an Atari computer)
Www.atarinews.org       telnet://216.240.173.22
    (ANSI terminal like Ice-T suggested)
Tuesday chat at  8 pm CST
Thurday chat at  8 pm CST
Sunday  chat at 10 am CST (Also known as the Europe chat)

    What you will find when you arrive at these BBSs are usually a nice
ATASCII drawing if you have a term program that supports that.  If not, they
usually have a creative non-ATASCII one.
    Being Pro! BBSs (the type of BBS program they are running) most of them
have a Q command which will give you a quick scan of the messages other
have written.  It will say you are on message 1 of 50... Skip to like 45 by
hitting either a J for jump to number, or G for goto number.  Just be
careful that the G is not for Goodbye.  :)  Read the last ten messages,
maybe read the rest later or not.  But see what has been written there.
     Then you can hit sometime like R for reply, or P for Post a new
message, and that is how you jump in and have fun.  Leave your message, and
hopefully in turn others will write back.

     Cartoons at the main menu is where those ATASCII break type cartoons
are.  Usually quite entertaining.  Just remember, these are not regular
graphics, but key characters placed around each other to look like a picture
or graphics.  A fun artform in its own self.

     Games section at the main menu usually has a selection of simple games
like Kingdom, online Chess, and so on.

SO ONE BIG QUESTION... WHY?!?
                      -------

     And the question comes up again.. Why?
     These places make a great place to leave messages to other Atari users.
But then you can do that in E-mail.
     These places offer a great place for discussions... But then there are
newsgroups for that.
     These offer a place to share files, but the you can do that on the
internet too.

     But you know what is really fun?  Turning off the rest of the world for
a bit, and turning on a Atari computer, and only that.  And with whatever
means listed above, or others not listed, calling BBSs, checking mail and
the newsgroups, and then stopping off in that bit of Atari with the ATASCII
graphics and just being off in another rarely seen world.  A world that
belongs to you a few others.
     And then you realize that your Atari computer is connected to another
Atari computer on the other side.  A fun thought.

     And maybe youll turn on the rest of the world... Or maybe a day will
go by when you dont have to if you dont want to.  Just you and your Atari
computer taking care of business.  Always fun to dream.


(I know youll questions, to matter the fact, Im hoping on it.  ;)  Write
me at greg.goodwin ( A T ) rdfig (D O T ) net.)

(Oh yeh, ST Users, I know these are mainly 8-bit BBSs, but please do
stretch your STs legs and come by and visit.  And there is talk on a ST BBS
making a return, so stay tuned...)
