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                         ONE BBSCON
             BROADMOOR HOTEL - COLORADO SPRINGS
                    AUGUST  25 - 29  1993

                    "SUCCESS OR FAILURE"
                      by  Michael Gray


    ONE BBSCON - A Bulletin Board Sysop/User Convention, this year
    held in beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado at the BroadMoor
    Hotel. The BroadMoor Hotel has Pikes Peak in it's backyard and
    the clear blue Colorado Sky above except when it's raining.

    I decided this year to make the infamous trip by automobile to
    ONE BBSCON the drive taking just over 14 hours from our
    offices. This being the second year for the BOARDWATCH
    MAGAZINE sponsored & host of ONE BBSCON.

    Bulletin Board Operators & Enthusiast from around the world
    met under one roof for sessions on almost all aspects of BBS
    Communications. Sessions at the conference covered such topic
    areas as: How to Make Money with a BBS Track, Legal/Social
    Issues Track, Corporate/Business Applications Track,
    Government/Education Track, Technical Topics Track,
    Graphics/Interface Track, InterNet Track,Survey of BBS
    Software Track, Networks & Connectivity Track,  Caller
    Software - Terminal Programs & Offline Readers Track, Wildcat!
    BBS Track, Tbbs BBS Track, PCBoard BBS Track, Major BBS Track,
    MacIntosh BBS Track, and Miscellaneous Sessions.

    The opening conference welcome session was impressive with
    Jack Rickard , President, ONE Inc. Editor, Boardwatch Magazine
    hosting. Phil Becker, President, eSoft, Inc., gave a moving
    speech with film clips on three overhead screens of the
    association of the NFL, Auto Racing, and other areas that are
    or have been using Bulletin Boards to carry on daily business
    activities. Jim Harrer, President, Mustang Software Inc.
    (Wildcat! BBS), got us all on our feet with an objective to
    show us all how long BBSing has been going. Jim, had eveyone
    sit back down in order of years in running a bulletin board. A
    few sat down after running a BBS for 3 years and more on five
    years...on and on till we reached Ward Christensen the only
    one left standing. Ward started his bulletin board in 1977 on
    CBBS software.

    Ward Christensen is the author of the very FIRST BBS software
    package. Yes, Ward was the very first SYSOP running the first
    BBS at 300 Baud. Ward also authored the XMODEM file transfer
    protocol and his BBS package he programmed is "CBBS".

    Next, Jim Harrer had us on our feet again to discover who had
    the most users on there perspective BBS systems.  To all's
    amazement the numbers were getting over 50,000 and still
    people were standing. Can you guess who had the most? It was
    Software Creation with over 67,500 total users, also to note
    that Software Creations also won the number one favorite BBS
    to call in Boardwatch Magazines yearly top 100.

    Can I say that ONE BBSCON in it's second year was a success?
    YES! I think it was a success just to be able to have the BBS
    industry join together under one roof. To be able to meet the
    guy or gal in person who you usually talk to in chat mode. To
    share each others ideas, to gain knew friendships, to learn
    and further ones education on the BBS industry, to talk with
    the BIG names of the industry as if talking with an old
    friend..was totally FANTASTIC! Success...Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I hope you will read the other articles in this issue of
    InterNational Online Magazine as I try to fill you in on all
    the happenings of ONE BBSCON.. Maybe YOU will make the trip
    next year, which, by the way is rumored to be in Atlanta, Ga.

    Michael Gray - Publisher InterNational Online Magazine

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