I'd really like to re-introduce myself with a great big, "Hi!" I am allergic t o short posts, so for that, I'm only sort of sorry. :)

During the peak of the Apple II BBS days (mid-to-late 80's), I ran a BBS called "The Future", with its theme intended to show off new code, new versions, new doors, anything at all - if it was new, I wanted it. Mind you, I was a punk ki d back then, but I kept that BBS going in various states through 1989, when I t ransitioned off Apple II and built my first PC (386/SX30). The Future rose aga in under just about every variation of BBS software, FidoNet mailer (ok, there were only really 2 back then that had major buy-in). Anyway, I kept The Future up and running on various formats, having figured out how to port message and user bases from one software to another. I joined FidoNet back in 1992, and by 1994, poof! College took over my life and the BBS got shelved. It would come back for a couple quick revival attempts but by then the wave had had passed an d any users a BBS had, were theirs. I wish I had made backups on better media, or I would have TProBBS v4.2f running in KEGS. Anyway, I digress. Anyway, ju st wanted to say hey to everyone, and now that I have a Synchronet BBS online, I'm sure you'll see me beg, borrow and steal for users. J/K - I did this as mor e of an infrastructure project than for users. I'm hopeful that when the dust settles and I have everything reworked the way I prefer it, combined with any u ser feedback on door suggestions (beyond the obvious LORD and ar2002), I should be in a really good place to help provide services to the larger community. I 'm sitting on business-class 1gig symmetrical fiber, and enough storage to keep quite a good history of messages, local and abroad. I'm hoping that when I ta lk to the net coordinator, I'll get to keep my FidoNet address of 1:282/1010. I had no idea my hands retained so much muscle memory from those days, and havi ng to enter all that information over and over again every time my whimsy said it was time to move onto the next BBS software.

That was then. I am a kid no longer, and I truthfully just want to live back i n the BBS era where people were nice and communities came together instead of h ow social media split us apart. Yeah, strong feelings about anything that was not the BBS era. In total truth, I did so much with computers before I even tu rned 8 years old. I feel like I've seen 99% of "it all", and the other 1% is me shouting at myself. Being a BBS Sysop was the one thing in my life that nob ody could take away from me, and I made some very good friends (of whom I miss greatly). It's my ultimate goal to be able to take an active part in the BBS s cene's renewal, and to leave the legacy of what was the best of those times to repeat itself now.

So, if anyone remembers a kid named Brian from Coon Rapids, MN that was either on the computer chatting up someone, or out on my rusty bicycle getting much ne eded fresh air. That's me.

Finally, since I didn't think a rebirth would go over well with the name I had used all those decades ago, I decided to name my Synchronet BBS "The Down-Lo". Over the years, I became a regularly playing live musician, playing guitar, bas s and drums, and getting into CB Radio (Shout out to the Lucky 7's)! I hope I get to know as many of you as will allow, and see where this lands. I'd be sur prised if anyone even knew me back then, but I've been Winzlo on the
Internet sometime before 1993, and it's stuck. Take care, y'all!

I feel alive!

--
Brian Davidson <Winzlo>
The Down-Lo BBS - Telnet/SSH: bbs.winzlo.com
---
þ Synchronet þ My Brand-New BBS
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Winzlo wrote to All <=-

I'd really like to re-introduce myself with a great big, "Hi!" I am allergic t o short posts, so for that, I'm only sort of sorry. :)

Welcome back! It'll be interesting if you see any familiar
names/handles around the boards. I started on Fido about the time you
did, but in 415/San Francisco.




... Shut the door and listen from outside
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
þ Synchronet þ .: realitycheckbbs.org :: scientia potentia est :.
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Re: Re: Back after 30 years!
By: poindexter FORTRAN to Winzlo on Sun Mar 29 2026 10:36 am

Welcome back! It'll be interesting if you see any familiar names/handles 415/San Francisco.

Thanks. So far, nobody I recognise by name or alias. I can't imagine that many people are so committed as to bring back their BBS after an impressive layer of dust, or have the needed skill/infrastructure to achieve hosting a BBS. For me, 30 years of Linux and a few years less of Internet expreiience did a great job preparing me for ntot only my past career, but for this as well.

Not taht everyone needs to know everything about my life, I got hit by a car as a pedestrian back in 2017. Physical therapy was a bust, and my bicep was cramping any time I tried to use my right arm. It forced me into early retirement, and it took me 7 years to get most of that use of my left arm back. I bring this up because I'm always out here somewhere. I may still be getting used to navigating Synchronet, but it's getting easier and more logical every day. Kudos to Rob for that. In order to get MRC to work, I had to do some fiddling with some JS files, and this morning I finally got the BBS to link into the Synchronet IRC Network. This reminds me of the thrill of success that these kinds of feats had when they were done for the very first time. I feel like that fire in me is starting to build.

Thanks for reaching out!

Winzlo
--
Brian Davidson <Winzlo>
The Down-Lo BBS - Telnet/SSH: bbs.winzlo.com
---
þ Synchronet þ The Down-Lo BBS * Telnet/SSH: bbs.winzlo.com * https://winzlo.com/
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)