Msg: 4395 *Conference*
06-14-93 09:12:01
From: RICHARD HANSON
To : RON BLIZZARD
Subj: REPLY TO MSG #4389 (SORRY)
---- Ron: I appreciate your concerns about dropping carrier vs. using the (G)oodbye to log off. We're okay on this end either way. This host, TBBS on a DOS computer is very fault tollerant. Dropping carrier only results in the line being reset. No harm is done. There once was a time, back 14 years ago, when carrier drops resulted in a crashed host, and damaged file allocation table on the boot disk--back before hard disks. I recall rebuilding FAT's almost every day, back then. I was running TBBS on a TRS 80 Model 3, and a 4, under Newdos80. The software was okay but the equipment was just too slow and uncertain. Even the little things made it crash. It used to worry me a lot. I couldn't take a vacation without wondering if the host would crash as we drove out the driveway for a weeks vacation. To this end, I once hired club member Paul Perry, a local young high school geek, to baby sit the house and the host. At last I didn't have to worry. In 1987, when I finally installed a DOS computer as the host under TBBS, I was pleasantly surprised to finally have a stable host. Of course, I was constantly backing it up, but noted that it never, never, never carshed. My comfort level got the point that I don't back up the host for several months, or years! Yes, you read that right... years! Hmmm... that reminds me... it has been about 3 years since I backed up this host. I'll make a note to think about doing it... one day real soon. :) Thanks again for your concerns. Dropping carrier happens every day around here with no harm done but it is VERY NICE of you to present your concerns--much appreciated, sir. -Rick-