HARDWARE

Initially, the SciTech BBS was piloted on a Mac SE with 1st BBS software (1st Desk Systems Inc.) and a single 14.4K modem. The BBS software was changed to Synchronet which required a PC computer. Hence, a PC 486 – 66 MHz was built with  20 MB RAM, a 2 GB hard drive, 3 phone lines, 4 local area network connections, and 25 TCP/IPA  nodes.  A PC 386 – 33 MHz with 8 Mb RAM and 540 hard drive provided the college mainframe doorway connect to the PC 486. The PC 386 also served as a development tool, archival library, and emergency backup for the PC 486. The hardware was built from donations, and old parts scavenged from the institution garbage. It is noteworthy that both aforementioned Mac and PC computer systems had been donated by the Environmental Program through the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, with hosting and management by the Department of Lab Stores.  Synchronet was used for a short period of time until I was able to migrate to the Galacticomm BBS software and building of a generic IBM compatible Pentium PC: P133MHz with 32 MB of RAM and two 1.2 GB hard drives, as a major upgrade from the PC 486. The PC 386 replaced the PC 486 and was redeployed as a student computer in the chemistry tutorial centre.  A Galacticomm communications board (supporting up to 8 modems) was eventually installed to support three modem lines with 56K high speed fax/data modems. There was also student access via Local Area Networks and Internet (FTP/TELNET/WWW).

SOFTWARE

The SciTech BBS began with the 1st BBS software, described by the Macintosh Product Registry¹ magazine as “a programmable relational database and bulletin board” that “has messaging and file transfer capabilities, and the Host module automatically maintains an activity log” (“Desktop Communications / Telecommunications Software,” 1990, p.61). However, the Macintosh application was replaced in a few months with Synchronet BBS on MS-DOS, as it had more complex account security and features. Although Synchronet BBS proved useful, it did not have the expanded features and modularity (including modem communications expansion board hardware) integrated with the Major BBS software on MS-DOS version 6.2. Galacticomm changed the Major BBS to Worldgroup for the Microsoft Windows platform. The final ISP software package installed on the SciTech ISP was Worldgroup 3.0 on Microsoft Windows NT4.

All the BBS applications tested and deployed in a production environment were initially donated to our educational BBS project. In example, the Major BBS software was donated by Galacticomm in support of developing BBS technology for the classroom and was featured at NECC ’94. INTERNET, Web BBS, and LAN connectivity modules provided the widest possible access for students. Other modules from third party vendors had been added to enhance the functionality of specific portions of the ISP such as Online Shopping. In addition, various software accessories have been graciously donated to the Faculty of Science and Technology between 1993 and 1999, included a site licence for LXR·TEST and Xword Java Applet.

The SciTech ISP (aka SciTech BBS) had the following services:

• 38 users online simultaneously
• Full accounting and security
• Full dial-up Internet (WWW/FTP/TELENT servers and clients)
• Domain Name Service
• Client/server module
• Local and Internet email (SMTP and POP3) and news (NNTP, newsgroups, and forums)
• QWK-Mail
• SPAM Stopper
• IRC client
• RLogin client
• Finger server and client
• Ident Server
• Listservers and infoservers
• File libraries and file transfer
• Polls and Questionnaires
• Registry of Users
• Multimedia teleconference (including whiteboard)
• Doors applications (i.e., Lotus123, Recipes etc.)
• Global controls
• Webmagic (web development, management, accounting,and security)
• Omni-mall (Online Commerce)
• Community Calendar
• Fax Online
• Logon/Logoff Notices
• Remote Sysop
• Custom Menues/RIP/Controls
• Weblines (World Wide Web BBS hosting interface)

Worldgroup Module Name (Scitech ISP, July 1999)

• Menuing System
• Custom RIP Lib. Download
• Omni-Mall for WG 3.1
• OmniMall for WG3NT
• World-Wide Web Server
• DPI POS Module
• Internet Aliasing
• Domain Name Service
• Fax/Online
• Online Facsimile Service
• File Libraries
• Finger Client
• Finger Server
• Electronic Mail
• Forums
• FTP Client
• FTP Server
• Ident Server
• Doors
• SMTP Services
• NNTP Services
• Logon Notices
• Polls and Questionnaires
• POP3 Server
• QWK-mail
• Registry of Users
• Rlogin Client
• Remote Sysop Menu
• Teleconference
• WL Scheduler
• WorldLink Transfer
• WL Teleconference
• Telnet Client
• Account Display/Edit
• Web Server Active HTML
• Logoff (end session)
• Flower Shop
• ActiBase Client Server
• Editor
• Client/Server Mode14
• File Transfer Service
• Data Entry Service
• Menu-ize Global Commands
• Mountain Mail

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