dave@oldcolo.UUCP (Dave Hughes) (12/25/89)
I have managed to log on tonight, Christmas Eve, to the 1st BBS
inside the USSR. Its in Tallinn, Estonia. Phone number
Country Code +7, City Code 0142, Number 422 583. You can't dial
that direct from the US. I had to use the technique I use to
call my son's modem in China - using a voice phone branched
off the modem, going through two operators. Got it at 1200
baud, 7S1, Bell212.
Below is most of that 30 minute first session. The software
resembles a public domain US package. The Finns from Helsinki
helped set it up.
I editied out redundant menus and some line noise.
-----
atd
CONNECT
CONNECT 1200 / 12-25-89 (03:12)
Eesti BBS # 1
PCBoard (R) - Version 14.1/D
Do you want graphics (Enter)=no?
** EESTI BBS # 1 **
Welcome to Tallinn !
Tere tulemast Tallinnasse !
What is your first name? dave
What is your last name? hughes
DAVE HUGHES not found in USER's file.
(R) to re-enter your name or (C) to continue logon as a new user? C
New Users see this File
Would you like to register with us (Enter)=yes?
(------------)
Password (One word please!)? ...
(------------)
Re-enter password to verify? ...
(------------------------)
City and State calling from? Colorado Springs, Colo
(-------------)
Business or data phone # is? 7196324111
(-------------)
Home or voice phone # is? 7196362040
(------------------------------)
Brand of CPU you are using? Toshiba Laptop MSDOS
Please wait - Adding name to Quick Index File ...
Registration Information Saved .
***** Eesti BBS # 1 *****
15/12/89
Conferences added, preferably use ProDoor to read & enter messages.
Command: OPEN 1 or DOOR 1.
*************************************
14/12/89
Tere tulemast Tallinna seltskonda.
We established BBS system just today. We are newcommers into the
Bulletin world.
We have a lot to learn, please be patient with us.Keep in touch.
Our number is +7 0142 422 583.
Scan Message Base Since 'Last Read' (Enter)=yes?
(Ctrl-K) or (Ctrl-X) Aborts, (Ctrl-S) Suspends.
Scanning Main (0) .....
Msgs For You: None
Msgs From You: None
# Msgs Found: 58
Press (Enter) to continue?
(----------1---------2---------3---------)
(M123456789012345678901234567890123456789)
MBase Areas: XXXXXX
MBase Scans: XXXXXX
Caller Num.: 270
Lst Date On: 12-25-89
Expire Date: None
# Times On : 1
Page Length: 23
Expert Mode: Off
Security Lv: 20
# Downloads: 0
# Uploads : 0
Bytes Avail: 1024000
L/Msg. Read: 0
High Msg. #: 90
Active Msgs: 89
Tr/Protocol: None
Press (Enter) to continue?
============================[ Main Menu ]=================================
A)bandon Conference H)elp Functions O)perator Page T)rans. Protocol
B)ulletin Listings I)nitial Welcome OPEN a DOOR TS)Txt Srch Msgs
CHAT between NODEs J)oin a Conference P)age Length Set U)pload a File
C)omment to SYSOP K)ill a message Q)uick Msg Scan V)iew Settings
D)ownload a File L)ocate Files(name) R)ead Messages W)rite User Info
E)nter a Message M)ode (Graphics) REPLY to Msg(s) X)pert On/Off
F)ile Directories N)ew Files(date) RM)Re-Read Mem # Y)our Per. Mail
G)oodbye (Hang up) NEWS file display S)cript Question Z)ippy DIR Scan
(28 min. left) Main Board Command? j
=======================[ Conference Listings ]===============================
# Description
1 - EestiSuomi - Discussions in Estonian, Finnish, English
2 - Internat - Discussions in English only, the international ones
3 - IBMPC- The hardware and sofware matters in any languages
4 - Othercomp - The stories about the other computers
5 - Telecom - The messages for Estonian companies
6 - Private - This is for the private mail only
7 - UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, PLEASE DON'T DISTURB
Conference # to join (Enter)=none? 1
EestiSuo (1) Conference Joined
Scan Message Base Since 'Last Read' (Enter)=yes? ~r
(Ctrl-K) or (Ctrl-X) Aborts, (Ctrl-S) Suspends.
Scanning EestiSuo (1) .
Msgs For You: None
Msgs From You: None
# Msgs Found: 9
(13 min. left) EestiSuo (1) Conference Command? r
(H)elp, (1-9), Message Read Command? 1-9
Date: 12-17-89 (00:41) Number: 1
To: ALL Refer#: NONE
From: TIMO AUKIA Read: HAS REPLIES
Subj: HYV[[ JOULUA Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
No kun kerran alueen nimi on Eesti/Suomi, niin kirjoitellaan
suomeksi.
Toivottavasti edes joku ymm{rt{{. On hienoa, ett{ Viron asiat ovat
alkaneet menn{ parempaan suuntaan. Toivottavasti Suomen pys{htynyt
hallitus {ly{{ my|s nousta Stalinismin sulkeutuneisuudesta. Eik{ t{ss{
sitten mit{{n muuta asiaa olekaan, kuin Hyv{{ Joulua kaikille
Virolaisille.
(H)elp, (1-9), Message Read Command? 2
Date: 12-17-89 (04:55) Number: 2
To: ALL Refer#: NONE
From: SAMI ROPPONEN Read: (N/A)
Subj: KUVARUUTUEDITORI Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Onneksi tll saa puhua suomea.
Kertokaa, miten saa kuvaruutueditorin (fullscreeneditor) plle?
(H)elp, End of Message Command? h
(End of Message) Command - Function Help
----------------------------------------
Commands Available to All:
(Enter) contines on with message read function
(N) stop reading messages
(NS) continue reading messages in non-stop format
(T) thread read (forward) (or T+)
(T-) thread read (backwards)
(#) a specific message number between 1 and 9999999
(+) or (-) added to the end of a (#) forces either a
forward or reverse read respectively.
(+) alone reads messages forward from present position
(-) alone reads messages backwards from present position
(RE) enter a reply to the message just read
(M) memorize that message number for later return
(RM) return to a previously "memorized" message number
(TS) begin a text search of message header information
(NEXT) reads next higher message number available
(PREV) reads next lower message number available
(K) kill the message
(E) edit the "To:" and "Subj:" of the message header
and 'Echo' flag if applicable
Additional Commands Available for Sysops ONLY!
(P) "protect" the message (make it "private")
(U) "unprotect" the message (make it "public")
(F) find caller's USERS file record and display
(MOVE) Move the message to another conference
Comments: If you do not have a security level necessary to perform the
Sysop functions above, do NOT attempt to enter those commands
as excessive attempts to do so may lock you out of this system!
Commands can be stacked together at this prompt if desired.
(11 min. left) EestiSuo (1) Conference Command? r
(H)elp, (1-9), Message Read Command? 7
Date: 12-23-89 (00:09) Number: 7
To: ALL Refer#: NONE
From: GILES TODD Read: (N/A)
Subj: HELLO Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
Hi. Congratulations {on your BBS.
Giles (phoning from the UK).
(11 min. left) EestiSuo (1) Conference Command? e
(-------------------------)
To (Enter)=`ALL'?
Subject (Enter)=abort? MERRY XMAS FROM USA
Message Security (H)=help?
Enter your text. (Enter) alone to end. (72 chars/line, 25 lines maximum)
(------------------------------------------------------------------------)
1: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU IN ESTONIA, AND
2: THE REST OF THE USSR, AND YOUR FINLAND FRIENDS FROM ALL OF US
3: COWBOYS IN COLORADO IN THE UNITED STATES.
4: I have left a message in the International Section, xDbut there
5: is a little English here too!
6: And Congratulations on the fine BBS - as I understand it the
7: first in the USSR!
8: I am a veteran American 'onliner', running a series of systems
9: myssel fromthe Old Colorado City District of
10: Colorado Springs Colorado, 11: USA, at the foot of 14,000 foot Pikes Peak
mountain in the Rocky Mountains.
13: I will call back and *really* exercise your system, and if you
14: do not mind, even critique, from one who spends 4 hours a day
15: online,. and have operated from one-line BBSs in 1981 to my
16: current multi-user Unix 386 system with global
17: Usenet, for general use, education, politics, business, and
18: {_culture. My system number in the USA is Area Code 719 and
19: number 632-4111 at 1200 baud, 8N1. And my global usenet
20: address is dave@oldcolo.uucp.
21: I have exhanged many messages via Tokyo,
CAUTION: Auto-Disconnect in (3) min.!
and US with Sergei Alexandrov in Moscow at Novosti.
22 And with one of my sons in China - by direct conenct dial.
Two lines left before message is full!
24: So once again from a veteran who has seen
25: em all. Terrific start. Global networking, here we come!
Text Entry is Full ...
(A)bort, (C)ontinue, (D)elete, (E)dit, (H)elp, (I)nsert, (L)ist, (S)ave
Text Entry Command? s
Saving Message # 10 ...........
(2 min. left) EestiSuo (1) Conference Command? f
====================[ Main Board File Directory ]=============================
1 - PCBoard Software Text Files
(H)elp, (1-2), File List Command? 1
************* Directory 1 - PCBoard Bulletin Board Software ***************
PCB12DOC.ARC 5506 10-01-87 PCBoard Ver. 12.0 Changes Documentation
(H)elp, (1-2), File List Command?
(1 min. left) EestiSuo (1) Conference Command? g
{_
Minutes Used: 29
NO CARRIER
-----------
Also, the following message was the only one - composed
today, Christmas Eve, in the International Section. To
which I replied warmly, with also greetings to Mikael
and Raisa Gorbechev.
---
Date: 12-24-89 (15:04) Number: 1
To: ALL Refer#: NONE
From: JUSSI ROKKA Read: (N/A)
Subj: HELLO Status: PUBLIC MESSAGE
HELLO!
Is anybody here?
Christmas wishes to all...
Jussi
==================================
--
Dave Hughes Old Colorado City Communications
"It is better to light one screen than cursor the darkness"
hplabs!hp-lsd!oldcolo!daveroy@phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) (12/27/89)
In <236@oldcolo.UUCP> dave@oldcolo.UUCP (Dave Hughes) writes: > I have managed [...] to log in to the 1st BBS inside the USSR. Its in > Tallinn, Estonia [...] Below is most of that 30 minute first session. > [...] >City and State calling from? Colorado Springs, Colo >Business or data phone # is? 7196324111 > Home or voice phone # is? 7196362040 You've heard of spelling flames and grammer flames? Well, I guess this could count as an ethnocentricity flame (but a polite one). I don't think it's reasonable to expect somebody in Estonia to recognize that "Colo" means "Colorado, USA", nor to recognize what those phone numbers are. The standard way of specifying a phone number in an internationally useful way is a plus sign followed by the country code, followed by the rest of the number with spaces delimiting the various parts (city or area code, exchange, etc). Thus, you would have done better to give your number as "+1 719 632 4111", which would be interpreted as "do whatever you have to do to get an international line, and then dial this number." Note that the "1" right after the "+" is the country code for the US and Canada (and various Carribean islands) and has nothing to do with the "1" you probably have to dial for long distance inside the US. -- Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute 455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,philabs,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy "My karma ran over my dogma"
ash@mlacus.oz (Ash Nallawalla) (01/02/90)
Someone commented on the way an international telephone number was written. Our telecom regularly asks people to quote numbers in the recommended manner, e.g. +1 212 555-1212, +61 3 820-1434 etc. I know of two problems with this idea: In Australia the capital cities mainly have two-digit area codes, and I would describe my phone number locally as (03) 823-1959. An overseas visitor who onlyhad my "international" number, ie 61 3 823-1959, had no luck calling me from another part of Australia - because he falsely assumed that the internal area code was 003 (country areas use three-digit area codes, and 003 is probably a valid code). In other countries, the area codes run to four, possibly five digits, for country areas. The main problem is likely to be the BBS software which was US in origin. It probably gave the caller no option but to enter a (xxx) xxx-xxxx format number. I have seen a similar BBS package in use in Melbourne, where I had to enter my 03 area code as 003, as it wouldn't let me past otherwise. Let me mount my soapbox: Unfortunately for the rest of us most computer software and literature is North American in origin. No hassles there, but how many coupons have you seen where a country field is shown? I have great fun trying to sneak in "Australia" in a City or Street field. I feel sorry for British readers whose addresses run into6-8 lines and wonder how they fill in US coupons. For some time I received a magazine via Austria because in the days of five-digit US Zip codes the mail house decided to abbreviate the country name to AUSTA and put in the the Zip field! (Fall off soapbox) Re abbreviating Colorado: I once had a similar problem. I sent a QSL card request to a radio station in Pt Girardeau, MO but I tried to be smart and spelled out the state as Montana. The station got my letter some months later and gave a little lesson in geography (in the nicest way). Even now I have to stop and think whether Massachusetts is MA or MS, Minnesota is MN or MI etc. It is safer to spell out or use a non-USPS abbreviation. (I remember when PA was Penna!) . -- ============================================================================= Ash Nallawalla [D[D[D Tel: +61 3 823-1959 Fax: +61 3 820-1434 ZL4LM/VK3CIT Postal: P.O. Box 539, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia.