What ever happened to Galacticomm?

[Ungodly]

I used to run a 13 line BBS running Galacticomm's MajorBBS. It was a good run for the two years I had it up. People mostly played multi-player Doom and Doom II. The up-swell in popularity of the internet in early 1995 and then the popularity of Quake online killed it. I couldn't afford any internet connection (digital 56k or otherwise) for her, so I closed her down.

I was cleaning out the closet and found an old box full of 28.8 external modems (the fastest avalable then...and expensive, too), a then-fancy 16-port serial board that is probably now worthless, and all of the software that I spent thousands of dollars for.

I tried to logon to www.gcomm.com, but it goes to netvillage now. I know there was an attempt at a class-action lawsuit against GComm. What ever happened with that? I know some VAR bought GComm towards the end of my run, but I can't remember who. Does anyone still run MajorBBS or it's successor, WorldComm (I think that's what they called it)?

All comments encouraged and welcomed.

 

[piku]

13 line BBS? Whoa! The most we had around here were 1 lines!

damn BBSes were so damn fun! fyi, all of the ones around here used WWIV and Renegade, but towards the latter end of it a couple new ones started using some other one, which I don't remember

In fact, this forum is just about the only internet forum that acctually reminds me of BBSes... you know, how everbody sorta knows everybody.

 

[DaveJ]

Hehe, BBSes were cool... used to run a 3 line Spitfire-based BBS back in HS (not my decision, it was there when I got there... ) but we eventually converted to Renegade after our original Spitfire disks were "corrupted"...

Dave

 

[Ungodly]

Well, my whole intention for the multi-line BBS was to offer a dedicated arena for playing dial-up multi-player DOOM that did not have anything to do with the expensive ($2.50{US} per hour??) DWANGO (Dial-up Wide Area Network Gaming Operation). And that didn't include what you'd spend for the long distance call to reach the DWANGO server! Remember: Before Quake and the internet came along, multi-player games were only IPX compatible and required an emulator to identify your modem as a network interface. This is something most people don't even have to think about today with the latest iteration of Windows. But back then, under DOS, it was a real challenge for some to load the interface/drivers. And then a real challenge to make sure the other players had the same release version of the game as you in order to play.

It was very common to have all 13 lines full on Friday and Saturday nights...and this was just from users in my city. Then the growth of the internet and Quake's easy IP playability overshadowed my operation tremendously. Now you can logon to your ISP and search the internet with GameSpy and find hundreds players online in any number of games at all hours of the night.

I love what multi-player gaming has evolved to. However, it is sometimes difficult to think of the $$ I spent back then on something that was so short-lived. Don't get me wrong....it was my own inability to grow to incorporate the internet into my BBS (which was easily done with the right hardware, software, and connection from a provider). But that would have been even more foolish of me to throw those dollars into that money pit. I made the decision to abandon it from a cost/benefit standpoint.

Back to the reason I originally posted: Whatever happened to Galacticomm? Their MajorBBS was the #1 choice of professional BBSes across the world so I know somebody out there knows something about it. I see that netvillage.com owns the domain now and they mention their beginnings extend from the BBS days but I know for a while the gcomm.com domain name was parked. So.....?

On a side note: Does anyone still run a dial-up BBS these days? I know....why would you need to....I just thought I'd ask.


TW

 

[Eli]

01/14/2000 09:11p <DIR> Galacticomm


It's still around. You can still purchase the software, I believe.

The only thing keeping MBBS alive is MajorMUD. Oh, and it's WorldGroup, not Worldcomm

Contact me if you want to play on my BBS.

There are actually a lot of BBS' still around, but they're absolutely nothing like they used to be ..

Ahh.. The days of dialing up BBS'.. I can hear the 2400baud connect screech like it was yesterday... Teleconference.... Sigh... Those were the days.

C'mon everyone, repeat after me.. Doo .. Doo .. Doo .. Doo .. Deet! BZZCHHHT! <-- There has to be a lot of people here that had 2400baud modems..


Our local free computer magazine has a listing of BBS' in the back. It used to be nearly two pages. Now there's 6 entrys, two of which are MBBS based. Yes, they are dialup and telnet.

 

[b0red]

I miss those old BBS online games. LORD (Legend of the Red Dragon), Pimp Wars, Global Wars, Usurper, Food Fight... Ahh... Memories...

 

[Eli]

I have LORD but nobody plays it. heh.

 

[Heavy DB3]

Oh, how I loved the smell of modems in the morning.

Back around 1995, I used to run a Worldgroup BBS which I called Virginia online. I had such big plans for that system, I can't tell you. I wanted to one day compete with the big boys - Compuserve, AOL, and my favorite, Prodigy.

I actually raised about $14,000 thru a private stock offering as I was going all in! I was quite naive as I knew little about computers, but I managed to not only configure the BBS and the file server but also write the custom logon script for my fractional T-1 line.

For my file offerings and USENET feeds I installed a satellite dish on the property and spent days trying to figure out how to format the virtual data dump that came down each day. I remember that the only thing I couldn't figure out how to do myself was configuring the door game server as it used Linux, which I knew nothing about. Luckily for me, my mom actually knew a young kid in our neighborhood who knew Linux and offered his services for a position as a co-sysop and some pizza.

I bought a long u-shaped table and loaded it up with gear, including three Pentium II computers (one for the BBS, one for the satellite feed, and one for the game server) and an 8GB external hard drive, which was expensive as heck back in the day. Once it was up and running, I offered 8 lines (6 U.S. Robotics Courier 56K dial-up lines and 2 telnet lines), Web access, forums, games, files, and chat. I even made log-on access discs, like the major dial-up services did, and distributed them all over town.

I couldn't believe I was actually making more money per subscriber per month than AOL. Most of my gamers opted for the premium $19.95/mo plan with unlimited access time, while the others chose either the $12,95 or $15.95/mo plans. Man, I loved going to the mailbox each week, getting those subscription checks. Most of my traffic was driven by LORD players but I quickly realized I needed more lines as the MUD players were hogging up most of my capacity. It was a great problem to have, though.

Alas, at about 6 months and just over $800/mo in, my plans for world domination came to a screeching halt when my next-door neighbor's trees grew into a power transformer and blew up half the electricity on my street, frying most of my equipment and 5 of my 6 modems. The cost to recover was just too great, and right when a needed a substantial upgrade.. Just like that, I was out of business. It's just as well as the worldwide web caused a mass extinction of bulletin boards just a year or so later. It sure was fun while it lasted, though.

 

[shortylickens]

HEY NEW GUY!

This thread is 21 years old.

Everyone who posted in it died long ago. Their grandchildren may or may not have access to the accounts.

 

[Heavy DB3]

HEY NEW GUY!

This thread is 21 years old.

Everyone who posted in it died long ago. Their grandchildren may or may not have access to the accounts.

LOL. I know, but I just couldn't help myself.

 

[brianmanahan]

Alas, at about 6 months and just over $800/mo in, my plans for world domination came to a screeching halt when my next-door neighbor's trees grew into a power transformer and blew up half the electricity on my street, frying most of my equipment and 5 of my 6 modems. The cost to recover was just too great, and right when a needed a substantial upgrade.. Just like that, I was out of business. It's just as well as the worldwide web caused a mass extinction of bulletin boards just a year or so later. It sure was fun while it lasted, though.

that's too bad

maybe in some alternate universe you ended up as the internet magnate

 

[Heavy DB3]

that's too bad

maybe in some alternate universe you ended up as the internet magnate

Wouldn't that be sweet? I think I may have actually been to one of those universes but not that one.