[& the] Temple of the Screaming Electron: Probably the largest
non-Internetworked repository of computer hacking, subversive,
conspiratorial information in the United States. If you want
information, and don't have access to the Internet, this is your
one-stop shopping convience.
- Mondo 2000, A User's Guide to the New Edge
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
NIRVANAnet(tm): & the Temple of the Screaming Electron (which bills
itself as "raw data for raw nerves"), cited in this column before as
home of the irreverent and off-the-wall message area name (and currently
the home of "My Hair is Very Pretty"), is the milk and honey mothership
of an equally off-the-wall Bay Area network called NIRVANAnet(tm).
BBS membership in NIRVANAnet(tm) is small and seems to be quite fluid.
Member boards agree to allow immediate validation of users and the use
of handles. An eccentric BBS name and an ability to cleverly label
message areas ("Tell Me About Your Mother"; "My CPU Kicks Butt") seem to
be part of the gestalt.
Our BBS network, NIRVANAnet, started several years ago with three systems in the Bay Area that had the same basic philosophies. It was decided that since their message bases were very similar, and since they all shared the same basic philosophies on how to run a BBS system (no registration, trust your users, freedom of speech reigns supreme, knowledge should be available to everyone, no discrimination based on age, sex, religion, drug use, or mental stability, etc.) they decided to form NIRVANAnet. The network has since grown to seven systems (with six operational and one currently relocating). The original premise is still alive with what we believe is one of the best message bases offered in the country. We allow and encourage user aliases, which in turn promotes a level of honesty and frankness that would be otherwise absent from the discussion areas. We pride ourselves on believing that a user can dial up a bulletin board without giving up their identity and/or personal privacy. Here is the current list of NIRVANAnet systems... Burn This Flag 408/363-9766 San Jose Zardoz &TOTSE 510/935-5845 Walnut Creek Jeff Hunter realitycheck 510/527-1662 Albany Poindexter Fortran Lies Unlimited *JUST-MOVED* ???????? Mick Freen My Dog Bit Jesus 510/658-8078 Berkeley Suzanne d'Fault New Dork Sublime 415/864-DORK San Francisco Demented Pimiento The Shrine 408/747-0778 Sunnyvale Tom Joseph
&TOTSE 510/935-5845 Walnut Creek, CA
Burn This Flag 408/363-9766 San Jose, CA
realitycheck 415/666-0339 San Francisco, CA
Governed Anarchy 510/226-6656 Fremont, CA
New Dork Sublime 805/823-1346 Tehachapi, CA
Lies Unlimited 801/278-2699 Salt Lake City, UT
Atomic Books 410/669-4179 Baltimore, MD
Sea of Noise 203/886-1441 Norwich, CT
The Dojo 713/997-6351 Pearland, TX
Frayed Ends of Sanity 503/965-6747 Cloverdale, OR
The Ether Room 510/228-1146 Martinez, CA Tiny
Hacker Heaven 860/456-9266 Lebanon, CT
The Shaven Yak 510/672-6570 Clayton, CA
El Observador 408/372-9054 Salinas, CA
Cool Beans! 415/648-7865 San Francisco, CA
DUSK Til Dawn 604/746-5383 Cowichan Bay, BC
The Great Abyss 510/482-5813 Oakland, CA
"Raw Data for Raw Nerves"
Q. What is DOVE-Net?
A. DOVE-Net is a message network connecting numerous BBSes and the users on
those BBSes together through QWK and Fido networking technologies. DOVE-Net
consists of primarily Synchronet {tm} BBSes. This is due to the fact that
the co-founders of DOVE-Net are also the developers of Synchronet BBS
software. DOVE-Net is not limited to one specific BBS package and welcomes
any QWK or Fido network compatible BBS to join as long as their software of
choice does not interfere with the operation of the network in any way.
Q. Why the name DOVE-Net?
A. Two BBSes began DOVE-Net back in 1989. These BBSes were Vertrauen (Home
of Synchronet BBS Software) and The Beast's Domain (Home of Domain
Entertainment BBS Add-ons). The word DOVE came from DOmain VErtrauen,
much like the word MODEM came from MOdulator DEModulator. It has nothing
to do with that species of bird or the symbolism of peace, but we have
nothing against those things either. It was a small network that needed
a small name.
Q. What is the focus of DOVE-Net?
A. Connecting BBS sysops and users without a lot of politics and red tape.
DOVE-Net requires no "application processing time" or "node numbers" to
be assigned. While the capabilities of DOVE-Net rival those of more
technically complex networks, it has none of the setup complexities as
reflected by the fact that many of the systems on DOVE-Net are managed by
first-time sysops. DOVE-Net allows (or rather encourages) the use of color
codes in messages (preferably using the Synchronet Ctrl-A standard, but
Wildcat, PCBoard, Celerity, Renegade, and WWIV color codes are also
supported in Synchronet BBS software and may also be used). DOVE-Net allows
the use of aliases, ANSI encoded messages (when necessary for animation)
and use of high-ASCII characters. There are no strict "hubbing" rules;
pretty much anyone that's willing to feed anyone else is encouraged to do
so. DOVE-Net is moderated only by the founders of the network so there
aren't different rules for different message areas that users need to
remember. Private messages are allowed, but when possible, routed NetMail
is preferred. DOVE-Net has very few rules, and the few that do exist are
often bent.
