Text 30322, 94 rader
Skriven 2016-01-05 19:40:57 av David Drummond (3:640/305)
  Kommentar till text 30302 av Earl Croasmun (1:261/38.0)
Ärende: A terminal program is required? By whom?
================================================
On 5/01/2016 13:40, 1:261/38 wrote:

 >> I still don't understand where you found that definition of a BBS? The
 >> one about a terminal program.

 EC> It was not a definition. It was a one-sentence lead-in to a Wikipedia
 EC> page entry that David tossed in.

Here's the whole thing:

A bulletin board system, or BBS, is a computer server running custom software
that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once
logged in, the user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading
software and data, reading news and bulletins, and exchanging messages with
other users through email, public message boards, and sometimes via direct
chatting. Many BBSes also offer on-line games, in which users can compete with
each other, and BBSes with multiple phone lines often provide chat rooms,
allowing users to interact with each other.

 EC> None of the actual definitions that I have seen limit one to use of a
"terminal." And that is probably wise,
 EC> since not all modern web-interface bulletin boards have a telnet option,
 EC> and yet they are still bulletin boards.

The user is still interacting with the system. There is no (remote) user
interaction offered by my node. I have included the word "remote" here or next
thing you will be telling me that every computer that can be logged into the
the OS level is a BBS.

 EC> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system

 EC> The same article goes on to talk about web browsers, FTP, even packet
 EC> radio as later applications of the "BBS" concept, beyond the early use
 EC> of actual terminals.

The packet radio is merely the transport mechanism - like POTS dial up, or
telnet, or http. If there can not be an interactive user session there is no
BBS.

 EC> It also gets into GUI and even the old RIP systems that used pictures.

Still systems that interact with the user. Just as Binkp is not designed to do
that, nor is Jammnntp

 EC> But David just keeps repeating the "terminal program" phrase from the
 EC> opening sentence, as if that is a definition.

It suggests an interactive user session. That is not possible at my node.

What about all of the other "features"?

* Once logged in,

A user cannot log into my system -  there are no user accounts (outside of the
OS account)

* the user can perform functions such as uploading and downloading software and
data,

No users, no uploading or downloading process offered.

* reading news and bulletins,

no "news" or bulletins can be posted or read.

* and exchanging messages with other users through email, public message
boards, and sometimes via direct chatting.

does this include every mail server ie SMTP or MS Exchange?

There are no local message areas at my system - nor any users (outside of the
OS account).

* Many BBSs also offer on-line games, in which users can compete with each
other, and BBSs with multiple phone lines often provide chat rooms, allowing
users to interact with each other.

* none of that either - no users to interact with each other.

 EC>  Funny thing, though. If you CLICK on the phrase "terminal program,"
Wikipedia takes you to the
 EC> page on "terminal emulators."  Here you learn that "Though typically
 EC> synonymous with a shell or text terminal, the term terminal covers all
 EC> remote terminals, including graphical interfaces."

But not client/server processes - all that are presented by my node.

-- 

regards
David

--- Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; rv:31.0) Gecko/20100101 Thunderbird/31.7.0
 * Origin: Cleveland, Qld, Australia (3:640/305)