gnu@sun.uucp (John Gilmore) (06/07/84)
An underground is not just for getting away from the cops. I used to run the PCNet ABBS in San Francisco. At the time it was the only technical BBS in SF; the other three or four were all "gay oriented" systems or charged money to subscribe. Many of the gay BBS's had an "underground" section which would permit some privacy of communications. Part of the reason for this was to avoid freaking out the Bible Belt types who called the system. Their phone numbers appeared on the usual lists of hundreds of BBS systems, and their and my BBS's got about 50% local calls and 50% one-time long distance callers. The regular callers would often leave messages about how great the circle jerk was in the back room at some gay bar the night before, etc. Also, entrance to the "underground" section typically required some sort of password, which you'd have to get from the SYSOP (System Operator -- the computer hobbyist whose bedroom or closet the system sat in). This made it possible for the SYSOP to select reasonable people as undergrounders as well as permitting the general public to read and contribute aboveground. In typical use, each BBS (like each Usenet newsgroup) would have a "community" of users who would correspond regularly. When an underground section existed, the community would usually meet there. It provided a way to escape from the jerk types who I'm sure you've seen on Usenet.