Groups > alt.folklore.computers > #234833

Re: SDF Public Access Unix System

From	cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross)
Newsgroups	alt.folklore.computers
Subject	Re: SDF Public Access Unix System
Date	2026-06-02 17:30 +0000
Organization	PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
Message-ID	<10vn3vd$gqd$1@reader1.panix.com> (permalink)
References	<10n5v7t$36bss$1@dont-email.me> <87jysix95j.fsf@rpi3> <10vmd5e$vc$1@reader1.panix.com> <20260602091754.00000c7a@gmail.com>

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In article <20260602091754.00000c7a@gmail.com>,
John Ames  <commodorejohn@gmail.com> wrote:
>On Tue, 2 Jun 2026 11:01:02 -0000 (UTC)
>cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross) wrote:
>> But they are not something that needs defense on their technical
>> merits.
>
>They're also not something that needs an unprovoked pithy dismissal,
>for that matter.

I see you snipped out all of the relevant context of my message,
to focus (I think) on something that someone else said earlier.

Please don't do that.  Respond to that person, if you wish, but
don't make it appear that I am saying things I am not.

>None of this stuff is *necessary,* in the grand scheme of things,
>except for what society demands we use in order to get through life,*
>and the world is full of unsettling creeps who would be perfectly happy
>for us to consider *everything* outmoded except for whatever they're
>trying to sell us on. (D'you really think Facebook is sandboxing out-
>side links and displaying them in an in-app web browser because they
>care about anyone's security!?)
>
>* (You *do* remember your online banking password? It's okay if you
>  don't, just use our app! But if you need to reset it, hope you hung
>  onto that old e-mail address you lost when the ISP sold out to AT&T,
>  or you can set up biometric 2FA that we pinky-swear we won't sell to
>  Palantir...!)
>
>We're still on Usenet/BBSes/IRC/Web fora/freakin' *Gopher* because they
>are specific ways of interacting with the larger world that we *like,*
>and even prefer to whatever is currently the mainstream. All of these
>things are Considered Outmoded by that standard; what's the point in
>having a pissing match over which is *more* obsolete!?

Since you are responding to my message, I imagine you are
responding to something that you think that I said.  However, I
never suggested that anyone not use whatever you want.  In fact,
in part of my message you did not quote, I encouraged folks to
log into BBSes if they want.  Have at it.

However, I also said that most BBSes expose a captive,
menu-driven interface.  That is a factual statement, not an
opinion.  Moreover, it is similarly factual that those
interfaces are neither as generally powerful nor as expressive
as unfettered access to a timesharing system: as evidence, I
offer that many (most?) BBSes run on top of such systems; those
systems can host BBSes, but BBSes, as application programs,
cannot host timesharing operating systems.  That's not a dig on
BBSes; again, it's just a factual statement.  I said that it is
unclear to me that this is better, but that's just an
observation: it was not accompanied by an opinion, let alone a
value judgement.  Depending on context, I can see arguments
either way.

Finally, I don't think that BBSes need defense on their
technical merits versus operating systems.  BBSes are programs.
Use them if you want to, or don't if you don't want to.  It is,
however, factually inaccurate to say that are as general as a
multiuser, multiprogrammed, multiprocessing operating system.
The comparison doesn't even make sense; it's like arguing that a
screwdriver is better than a chair: they're different categories
of things.

	- Dan C.

Thread

SDF Public Access Unix System rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2026-02-14 21:09 +0000
  Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Rich Alderson <news@alderson.users.panix.com> - 2026-02-14 17:31 -0500
  Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Daniel <me@sc1f1dan.com> - 2026-02-15 11:12 -0800
  Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Beej Jorgensen <beej@beej.us> - 2026-02-17 19:07 +0000
    Re: SDF Public Access Unix System "Kurt Weiske" <kurt.weiske@realitycheckbbs.org.remove-oru-this> - 2026-02-18 07:50 -0800
      Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Daniel <me@sc1f1dan.com> - 2026-02-18 09:45 -0800
      Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Beej Jorgensen <beej@beej.us> - 2026-02-19 03:15 +0000
        Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-02-19 03:49 +0000
        Re: SDF Public Access Unix System "Kurt Weiske" <kurt.weiske@realitycheckbbs.org.remove-d7b-this> - 2026-02-19 07:16 -0800
          Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Juancho <eternal@notreally.com> - 2026-05-31 06:57 +0200
            Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-05-31 08:46 +0100
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Peter Flass <Peter@Iron-Spring.com> - 2026-05-31 08:11 -0700
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-05-31 17:58 +0000
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-04 11:49 +0100
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-04 16:09 +0000
                Mastodon (and the fediverse) (was: Re: SDF Public Access Unix System) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-05 09:53 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) gmc@metro.cx (Koen Martens) - 2026-06-05 09:03 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) "Kerr-Mudd, John" <admin@127.0.0.1> - 2026-06-05 17:28 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) SpallsHurgenson(NG) <user14325@newsgrouper.org.invalid> - 2026-06-05 16:47 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-05 23:57 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-06 07:07 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Jonathan Lamothe <jonathan@jlamothe.net> - 2026-06-06 14:59 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-06 21:16 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-07 00:23 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Jonathan Lamothe <jonathan@jlamothe.net> - 2026-06-07 09:28 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-07 16:15 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) drb@ihatespam.msu.edu (Dennis Boone) - 2026-06-07 16:42 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-07 23:11 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-08 00:58 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-06-08 00:21 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Jonathan Lamothe <jonathan@jlamothe.net> - 2026-06-06 14:56 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-07 00:11 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-06-07 00:17 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-07 02:33 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Jonathan Lamothe <jonathan@jlamothe.net> - 2026-06-07 09:25 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) The True Melissa <thetruemelissa@gmail.com> - 2026-06-07 12:24 -0400
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Daniel Cerqueira <dan.list@lispclub.com> - 2026-06-07 07:05 +0100
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-07 08:04 +0000
                Re: Mastodon (and the fediverse) Root Badger <admin@rootbadger.com> - 2026-06-07 18:43 +0000
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Jonathan Lamothe <jonathan@jlamothe.net> - 2026-06-01 12:34 -0400
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Daniel Cerqueira <dan.list@lispclub.com> - 2026-06-01 20:11 +0100
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-06-04 11:52 +0100
            Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Daniel <me@sc1f1dan.com> - 2026-06-01 14:06 -0700
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Charlie Gibbs <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> - 2026-06-02 01:46 +0000
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross) - 2026-06-02 11:01 +0000
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com> - 2026-06-02 09:17 -0700
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross) - 2026-06-02 17:30 +0000
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System "Kurt Weiske" <kurt.weiske@realitycheckbbs.org.remove-9jk-this> - 2026-06-02 07:25 -0700
                Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2026-06-02 22:00 +0000
              Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Juancho <eternal@notreally.com> - 2026-06-03 19:50 +0200
      Re: SDF Public Access Unix System Nuno Silva <nunojsilva@invalid.invalid> - 2026-02-21 10:11 +0000

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