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ShareWare OnLine 2
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ShareWare OnLine Volume 2 (CMS Software)(1993).iso
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SF01-92.ZIP
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1992-01-25
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╔════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ╟─┐
║ K E E P I N G I N T O U C H ║ │
║ ═══════════════════════════════ ║ │
║ SPITFIRE Monthly Support Newsletter ║ │
║ for registered SPITFIRE Sysops! ║ │
║ January 1992 ║ │
║ Compliments of BUFFALO CREEK SOFTWARE ║ │
║ Buffalo Creek's BBS * 515-225-8496 ║ │
║ 38400/19200/9600/24400/1200 Baud ║ │
║ 2 Nodes ║ │
║ ║ │
╚═╤══════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Edited by Jacque Shipley
The Mother Board BBS - (515) 986-3464 - 19200 Baud
Sysop Of The Month by Walt Crede
Roam This Fertile Land - (515) 288-8755 - 2400 Baud
Newly Registered SPITFIRE BBS List by Ann Woltz
Other Contributions As Noted
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Notes from the author of SPITFIRE! ╟─┐
╚═╤═══════════════════════════════════════╝ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
As announced in last month's newsletter, listed below are the active
registered Spitfire boards state by state and country by country. These
statistics may not be 100% accurate but they are compiled using the most
up to date information that we have. These statistics are arrived at by
using only those boards operating with version 3.1. So in other words,
we assume any sysop who has not upgraded to version 3.1 is no longer
operating a board or is no longer operating SPITFIRE. Therefore those
boards are not calculated in this data even though we are aware of some
SPITFIRE boards operating with older versions.
Alaska......... : 14 Missouri....... : 14 Washington..... : 18
Alabama........ : 7 Mississippi.... : 9 Wisconsin...... : 12
Arkansas....... : 12 Montana........ : 2 West Virginia.. : 6
Arizona........ : 40 North Carolina. : 19 Australia...... : 11
California..... : 105 North Dakota... : 1 Brazil......... : 1
Colorado....... : 5 Nebraska....... : 24 Canada......... : 89
Connecticut.... : 15 New Hampshire.. : 1 England........ : 7
Delaware....... : 17 New Jersey..... : 16 Finland........ : 1
Florida........ : 46 New Mexico..... : 4 France......... : 7
Georgia........ : 18 Nevada......... : 34 Guam........... : 1
Iowa........... : 38 New York....... : 31 Holland........ : 4
Idaho.......... : 8 Ohio........... : 34 Israel......... : 1
Illinois....... : 50 Oklahoma....... : 10 Italy.......... : 1
Indiana........ : 19 Oregon......... : 10 Netherlands.... : 9
Kansas......... : 13 Pennsylvania... : 30 New Zealand.... : 14
Kentucky....... : 5 Rhode Island... : 5 Ontario........ : 1
Louisiana...... : 21 South Carolina. : 16 Philippines.... : 1
Massachusetts.. : 15 South Dakota... : 6 Portugal....... : 2
Maryland....... : 11 Tennessee...... : 9 Puerto Rico.... : 5
Maine.......... : 18 Texas.......... : 65 Scotland....... : 1
Michigan....... : 17 Utah........... : 5 Switzerland.... : 1
Minnesota...... : 4 Virginia....... : 15 Japan.......... : 2
Please note the close competition between many of the states. For
example, Oklahoma and Oregon both claim ten SPITFIRE boards. There are
many running neck and neck. How about it Missouri, are you going to be
ahead of Alaska a year from now? How about you Georgia, are you going
to be ahead of Maine a year from now? I think it would be fun to see
states competing with one another. What do you think?
We feel it is important to note that SPITFIRE has been registered
1396 times and according to our information 1053 of these boards are
still active. If my calculations are correct, this means there is a
75% success rate among SPITFIRE sysops. This 75% rate is well in excess
of the national average.
We will soon be removing all boards who have not upgraded to SPITFIRE
v3.1 from our various lists in the very near future. We will remove them
from our lists assuming that they are no longer operating or are no
longer operating SPITFIRE as their system. Time is very quickly running
out in regard to upgrading to SPITFIRE v3.1. In the event you know of
someone who has not upgraded, you should tell them that they are going to
loose their SPITFIRE free upgrade rights if they do not upgrade. Thank
you.
The SPITFIRE v3.2 upgrade notices and upgrade request forms have been
mailed. Copies of SPITFIRE v3.2 will be compiled in the order the upgrade
request forms are returned. Thank you for your continued support and
promotion of SPITFIRE.
Thanks.... visit with you next month....
Mike and the rest of the Buffalo Creek Gang
╒════════════════════════════════════╕
│ SPITFIRE DISKETTE EXCHANGE UPDATE │
╘════════════════════════════════════╛
The SPITFIRE utility diskette exchange program is now being handled by
David Van Horn, Visions II BBS. Anyone wishing to receive copies of SF
utility programs can use the DISKXCHG.REG form to order the desired
programs. DISKXCHG.REG is available for download from Buffalo Creek's
BBS (515-225-8496) and provides complete details on how your order can
be placed.
╒═══════════════════════════╕
│ SFCHKUP SPITFIRE UTILITY │
╘═══════════════════════════╛
No computer systems are as vulnerable to virus infected software as
those used to operate BBSs. As Sysops, we allow our expensive computer
equipment to be extensively used by complete strangers. Thus, BBS systems
become easy prey to the intentional "prankster" or innocent victim to the
caller who unknowingly passes along a virus infected program.
What can Sysops do to protect their investment? There are a number of
software products available that are capable of detecting virus infected
programs; both shareware and commercial. On the shareware market, McAffee's
SCAN.EXE is perhaps the most reputable. Similarly, representing the
commercial market is Central Point's Anti-Virus, capable of detecting
over 500 viruses.
Products such as these, are handy tools that enable the Sysop to
protect their systems. However, checking the files is a manual process
that must be done frequently to ensure continued protection. That is
where SFCHKUP goes a bit further. Buffalo Creek Software's SFCHKUP
automates the process of checking files uploaded to the BBS for possible
viruses.
SFCHKUP uses your favorite virus checker to scan for viruses on each
file uploaded to your BBS. By using SFINIT.BAT to execute SFCHKUP, each
file uploaded to the BBS can immediately be scanned for possible viruses
before making it available for download.
Typical configuration for SFCHKUP requires that all files uploaded
be placed in a directory called \CHKUP1 for node 1, \CHKUP2 for node 2,
etc. The exact processing performed by SFCHKUP is determined by the
commands which the Sysop includes in CHKUP.BAT. Once the integrity of
the file uploaded has been tested, it is MUVed to the appropriate
download directory and made available for download to your callers.
A sample CHKUP.BAT is included in the distribution package but may
be modified to suit your needs. It is in the CHKUP.BAT you would
include the commands required to scan for viruses using your favorite
anti-virus software.
However, don't stop there...because SFCHKUP can do much, much more!
Use CHKUP.BAT to test the integrity of the file uploaded by confirming
that no errors exist in the file compression. Test the integrity of
*.GIF files as well. If you use Katz's .ZIP format and wish to
keep a universal compression format on your system, decompress
PAK, LZH, ARC or ARJ files and compress them back as ZIPs. (This
would apply to any compression format you elect to use on your
BBS.) Erase undesirable files from within the compressed file, such as
PKUNZIP, PKZIP or COMMAND.COM. Also, by adding a line to SFCHKUP.BAT,
you can immediately add your BBS's logo comment to the file. You
may wish to avoid any processing of a particular file at all, for
instance, *.TXT file which are uploaded. This can also be accomplished
in your CHKUP.BAT. Your CHKUP.BAT can be written to erase any
files that do not pass integrity checking or you may simply prefer
to place them in another directory (such as \BADFILES) for further
inspection. As you can see, you set the limits of what processing
you wish to accomplish with SFCHKUP by the CHKUP.BAT file you
create.
Quoting from SFCHKUP.DOC;
It is entirely up to you, the Sysop, how you utilize SFCHKUP
and its associated CHKUP.BAT file. You can make it as simple or as
elaborate as you please. Sysops who devise a unique methodology are
encouraged to share it with the rest of the SPITFIRE BBS community
by posting it in a message or uploading it to Buffalo Creek's BBS!
The functions described above, in itself, makes SFCHKUP a very
worthwhile utility that you will want to include as a part of your
SPITFIRE BBS system. However, there is more!
Unique to SFCHKUP, this utility will, in addition, update the SPITFIRE
SFUSERS.DAT. If a file is uploaded that does not pass the integrity
testing, the caller's statistics are updated and no credit is received
for the upload. Should this happen, the Sysop may also choose to use
SFCHKUP.MSG. SFCHKUP.MSG can be used to notify the caller the next time
they call the BBS, that the uploaded file failed to pass the file integrity
checking.
╒════════════════════╕
│ SYSOP-OF-THE-MONTH │
╘════════════════════╛
Chuck Dearbeck
The Bad Attitude BBS
Erie, Pennsylvania
Chuck stumbled onto computers after his brother Paul bought one and
he saw all the neat stuff Paul could do with it. He especially liked
that he could call over the phone with it, leave messages and talk to
people from other parts of the country.
"I took some computer classes," he commented. "and while going to
school my wife and I started a business called Power User. We distribute
shareware through mail order and at computer shows. I'm 36 years old and
except for numerous lay-offs have been employed as a welder in local boiler
shops since my teens. Recently, what we had only considered our hobby
for four years has turned into a full-time business.
"In 1988, my brother Paul, who also runs a SPITFIRE BBS (The Animal
Farm in Jacksonville, Florida), sent me a new bulletin board software
package named SPITFIRE he had been running and said it was the best around.
We've been hooked ever since! My wife, Gay Ann, has more patience and a
better temperament so she has taken over the Sysop duties. I've been
demoted to maintenance with the official title of BBS janitor.
"I enjoy when a caller who has never seen a SPITFIRE BBS logons on,
they just can not believe how easy it is to use. I think that goes for
the Sysop/Janitor side too! I never cared much for the "everything but
the kitchen sink" approach and am glad to see SPITFIRE hasn't gained much
weight over the four years we've been involved with it.
"We started running 'Power User BBS' on a 30MB XT and ran that for about
a year before changing the name to "The Bad Attitude BBS." We are now
running two nodes with two GIG of hard drive space and a CD-ROM. For the
years we've been running The Bad Attitude we were basically a free board
but a short while back we changed to a subscription BBS. We have mixed
feelings about where BBSing is headed, but 'times...they are a-changing.'"
╒════════════════════════════════════╕
│ NEWLY REGISTERED SPITFIRE SYSTEMS │
╘════════════════════════════════════╛
A hearty welcome is extended to the following, who have
recently become public registered SPITFIRE Bulletin Board Systems:
The Information Booth.....................209-368-3660...9600 Baud
Mark Carpenter, Sysop.............................Lodi, California
Tacotel Amsterdam.......................+3120-637-0987...2400 Baud
Rob V.D. Viffersdijk, Sysop.....................Amsterdam, Holland
Concession Stand..........................713-332-0818..19200 Baud
Robert Dickson, Sysop...........................League City, Texas
HEALTH WISDOM Q&A.........................702-433-0818...2400 Baud
Stanley Johnson, Sysop...........................Las Vegas, Nevada
CaroWare BBS..............................704-437-9937...2400 Baud
Mark Barry, Sysop........................Morganton, North Carolina
The Roundhouse............................602-247-9322...2400 Baud
Jim Johnson, Sysop................................Phoenix, Arizona
DX Online Information Service.............617-581-9023...2400 Baud
Michael Klein, Sysop...........................Lynn, Massachusetts
Camelot...................................401-849-5017...2400 Baud
George Warch, Sysop........................Middleton, Rhode Island
PC Disk Downunder.......................64-09-837-1639...2400 Baud
Hargon International Limited................Henderson, New Zealand
Union Connection..........................803-324-2905...2400 Baud
Benny Dawkins, Sysop.....................Rock Hill, South Carolina
The Information Connection................317-462-4835...2400 Baud
Gary Davis, Sysop..............................Greenfield, Indiana
The Place BBS.............................801-943-4616...2400 Baud
Mario Giordani, Sysop.........................Salt Lake City, Utah
Big Town..................................919-239-1800...2400 Baud
David Creveling, Sysop......................Lucoma, North Carolina
The Magic Mind Bender.............Phone Number Unknown...2400 Baud
Jeff Clarkson, Sysop.........................Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Cyperus City BBS..........................602-633-2755...2400 Baud
Bryan West, Sysop................................Glendale, Arizona
Wild Blue.................................902-434-7290...2400 Baud
Kel Jeffries, Sysop.................Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Kastle Krypton............................609-426-9002...2400 Baud
Michael Ahern, Sysop......................East Windsor, New Jersey
The Cave..................................318-741-3400...2400 Baud
Daniel Nabors, Sysop.......................Bossier City, Louisiana
The Hour Glass............................302-678-1613...2400 Baud
Fred Christy, Sysop................................Dover, Delaware
J.E.N.A. BBS..............................312-528-2650...2400 Baud
Armando Rosario, Sysop...........................Chicago, Illinois
The Neutral Zone BBS......................916-251-4051...2400 Baud
Bill Lock, Sysop............................Sacramento, California
Network-Link BBS..........................317-251-4051...2400 Baud
Larry Maclellan, Sysop.......................Indianapolis, Indiana
The "Us" Project..........................302-529-1650...9600 Baud
Walt Mateja, Sysop............................Wilmington, Delaware
The H.O.T. BBS............................513-941-7390...2400 Baud
Jay Neff, Sysop...................................Cincinnati, Ohio
NiteChills................................402-734-4924...2400 Baud
Chris Kuchma, Sysop................................Omaha, Nebraska
The Charmed BBS...........................602-486-2375...2400 Baud
Dennis Rice, Sysop...............................Glendale, Arizona
The Media Center..........................304-353-3170...2400 Baud
Scott Westerman, Sysop.............................Pekin, Illinois
V.O.I.C.E. BBS............................313-532-9986...9600 Baud
Jim Samples, Sysop..........................Redford Twp., Michigan
Visions One BBS...........................519-336-8493..38400 Baud
Glenn Ogilvie, Sysop.......................Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
Genesis Systems...........................401-683-6795..12000 Baud
Eric Bishop, Sysop........................Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Viper 1 BBS...............................208-832-4706..38400 Baud
Earl Pedersen, Sysop...........Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho
Ron's Room................................410-969-2244...2400 Baud
Ronald Eglof, Sysop...............................Severn, Maryland
In addition, there were 9 new private SPITFIRE BBS Systems
registered. These private SPITFIRE BBS's included registrations
from: Manly Vale, Australia; Englewood, Colorado; Topeka, Kansas;
Fayetteville, North Carolina; Peabody, Massachusetts; Omaha,
Nebraska; St. Louis, Missouri; Edmington, Alberta, Canada;
and Smyrna, Georgia.
There were 24 registrations for whom registration information was
incomplete. These included BBS's in: Maryville, Washington; Stanmore,
Australia; Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada; Gloucestershire, England;
Los Angeles, California; Brisbane, California; Richardson, Texas;
Hamilton, Ohio; Tullula, Illinois; West Chicago, Illinois; Worchester,
Massachusetts; Las Vegas, Nevada; Denton, Texas; Hays, Kansas; Las
Vegas, Nevada; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Las Vegas, Nevada; Guaynabo,
Puerto Rico; Somerset, Kentucky; East Hartford, Connecticut; Las Vegas,
Nevada; Lincoln, Nebraska; Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Keystone
Heights, Florida.
The increase in registrations where information is incomplete is
largely due to Buffalo Creek's Software's new policy of accepting
on-line Mastercard and Visa credit card registrations.
JUST A REMINDER...the newsletter is always looking for
contributions. Please forward any articles in ASCII text to
either Buffalo Creek's BBS or The Mother Board BBS.