        ͻ
                                                    Ŀ
              K E E P I N G   I N   T O U C H        
                      
            SPITFIRE Monthly Support Newsletter      
              for registered SPITFIRE Sysops!        
                        March 1996                   
           Compliments of BUFFALO CREEK SOFTWARE     
             Buffalo Creek's BBS * 515-225-8496      
                   28800 through 1200 Bps            
                          2 Nodes                    
                                                     
        ͼ 
          
                    Edited by Jacque Shipley
       The Mother Board BBS - (515) 986-3464 - 28800 Bps
                Sysop Of The Month by Walt Crede
      Roam This Fertile Land -  (515) 288-8755 - 14400 Bps
         Newly Registered SPITFIRE BBS List by Ann Woltz
                  Other Contributions As Noted


ͻ
    Notes from the author of SPITFIRE!   Ŀ
ͼ 
  

I just want to leave a very quick message to apologize for this delay
in the publication of this newsletter.  The responsibility of the
delay belongs to me and not Jacque Shipley (Jacque always does good).
I have been experiencing some fairly serious problems in our family
and I ask for your prayers.  Hopefully things will be back to normal
(better) soon.  Thank you.

                         Until next time, may God bless you...
                         Mike, Ann & family


͸
 SPITFIRE UTILITY REVIEWS 
;

LOGUTL v1.1


   LOGUTL  is  a  new  addition to the league of SPITFIRE callers log
processors.  LOGUTL  has  the  ability  to  strip  local logins from
CALLERS.LOG, and output the resulting log to a file named  according to
the  current date.  LOGUTL also can create a bulletin to display
statistics gained from the CALLERS.LOG file.  (such as the number of
uploads, downloads, total calls, etc.)

   Many utilities which create SPITFIRE  bulletins for display have a
built-in selection of bulletin styles for the sysop to choose  from.
This  allows  the  sysop  to  use  whichever one best suites his/her
taste.  LOGUTL has the built-in  capability to output just one style of
bulletin.  However, through the use of what is called a  "display
configuration  file",  LOGUTL  can  generate  virtually any style of
bulletin the sysop chooses.  The sysop simply creates the appropiate
ASCII, ANSI, and/or  RIP  bulletins  as  usual,  but inserts special
display codes.  LOGUTL is then responsible for replacing these codes
with the correct information.  Because LOGUTL also supports the  use of
a  special  "space  compensator  code",  it  will  not throw any
elaborate graphics in the display configuration file out of line.

   Those of you who are interested in trying out this new utility can
download  LOGUTL11.ZIP from  Buffalo Creek's BBS,  or call  The Data
Sector BBS at (717) 485-5914 and download it from there.


Article Contributed by Eldon Martin
Sysop of The Data Sector BBS - (717) 485-5914


͸
 BARGAIN HUNTING??? 
;


   "A solid product, fairly priced with superb author support" has
always been the SPITFIRE tradition.  SF Sysop, Tim Ward, is continuing
that tradition with his doorgames.  Some reading this article may
already be familiar with Tim's Pyramid (TPYRA120*.*).  It's a
highly-addictive solitaire card doorgame.  Registration is $10 and the
shareware version allows complete evaluation.  Like Mike Woltz, Tim
just won't seriously cripple his programs.
 
   Now that everyone has had time for a serious yawn<G>, let's get to
the startling news.  Tim has released two more doorgames.  Monte Sol
and TriPeaks are Tim's latest efforts (TMONT100*.* & TRIPK100*.*).  The
same $10 registration works for all three doorgames.  No, I am NOT
saying that they are $10 each.  All three doorgames can be registered
for $10 total!!!!!  I honestly believe that this is the best bargain
I've seen in doorgames.
 
   Don't let the reasonable price fool you!!!  All three doorgames have
great graphics, lots of nice features and are multi-node capable.  All
three are just plain fun.  Pyramid has been my number one card doorgame
for over a year without a single lock.  Monte Sol and TriPeaks are
proving equally stable and popular.
 
   The files are available for download on BCS.  They are available for
freq or download at Tim's Ultimate House Of Fun, Columbia SPITFIRE, The
River's Edge, The Wizard BBS (Australia) or Moore Fun BBS.  For those
preferring the InterNet route, the files are available at ftp.ldl.net.
 
   Many thanks go to Mike Woltz for starting the SPITFIRE tradition.
Many thanks go to Tim Ward for continuing that tradition.  I would tell
you more about the doorgames, but I really need to go play
TriPeaks<LOL>!!


Article Contributed by Della Moore
Sysop of Moore Fun BBS - (316) 221-2408

  
͸
 SPITFIRE BOARD-OF-THE-MONTH 
;

                                 Neil Toland
                             Wapello's Little BBS

   What a Nice way to start a day!  Opened up my mail and there was a
note from Jacque Shipley telling me to log onto BC BBS, and that I'd be
pleasantly surprised when I did.  So, between loading the kid's cereal
bowls, I did just that.  A note was there from Mike Woltz telling me
that Wapello's Only Little BBS had been selected as SPITFIRE's Board of
the Month!

   Quite an unexpected event for this little SF board with a caller
base of 55 in a town populated with 2000 folks located along the banks
of the Iowa River.

   This all got started roughly two years ago.  The kids and I went to
Best Buy one day, brought home a Packard Bell mini tower and a printer
and started pluggin stuff in - we ruined the printer in the process and
it's been downhill ever sense.

   Had a friend in a nearby town that used to run SPITFIRE and he
showed me how to get on a bulletin board.  Next thing I did was to get
his copy of SF and start playing - didn't download it cause I didn't
know how!

   Decided I had better get this software registered, so I called BC
BBS, tried to register online, and gave Mike a credit card number from
an expired credit card - my wife doesn't normally allow me access to
those things.

   After getting a voice call from Mike to square all that stuff up I
was up and running with a 2400 baud internal modem in a Packard Bell
with a 250 meg hard drive and 4 megs of ram.  Over night I became the
towns Computer expert - and I knew a grand total of 5 DOS commands.

   Before long I got a REAL modem - a 9600 baud external MultiTech.  My
older Brother (a MAC man and a Real whiz) handed it down to me.
Thought I was really flying - as the rest of the world was at 14.4 or
28.8.  I didn't have a clue.  Needless to say, I had a heck of a time
with the modem.  But, one Saturday morning, Mike Woltz called me up
voice once again and bailed me out.  Guess he got tired of my constant
messages to him on BC BBS and figured that was his easiest way out.

   About now along comes Paul Peterson and SF Net. Yea sure, I told
him, I'ld love to get involved - what do I do?  Never met Paul but I
bet he's bald by now.

   Things continued their downward spiral with the addition of a 14.4
USR modem, a P90, more hardrives, Windows, network cards....one thing
just lead to another.  Now everything's tied togather with Win 95 and
connects are to my MultiTech MultiModem at 28.8 baud.  Have all the SF
Net conferences, a few FIDO conferences (yea, had to try Frontdoor as
well), 13 little file areas and 8 - 10 door games.

   That's about all there is to Wapello's Little BBS - other than the
folks behind it.  There's me (the mess maker), my 3 Kids (Josh is 16,
Ben is 12, and Liz is 10), and Mary Ann (the wife aged ??).  They
reboot the machine when I'm gone.
   
   There's also Jeff Frieden and Steve Cochran (a couple of local
fellas that hate it when I call em up and say, "wouldja try this for
me?")

   All of what little I've accomplished is mainly attributable to SF
Net and the Many Fine folks which have been involved: Mark Popsicle for
showing me what Windows was capable of, Della Moore for all sorta
stuff, Bill McGarrity for his recent patience in helping me with FD,
Paul Peterson for not locking me out....and Lots and Lots of others.

   Have to extend a special thanks to Mike Woltz for writing SPITFIRE
which forced me to learn more than 5 dos commands and to Jacque Shipley
for her time and efforts with SF Net - where I was able to learn
another 3 or 4 DOS commands.  This has been and continues to be Great
Fun.

                 Thank ya from Wapello's Only Little BBS!


͸
 SPITFIRE SYSOP-OF-THE-MONTH 
;        

                             Everett Miller
                           The River's Edge BBS
                   Ftp Administrator, Light Speed Data Links
                            1:3613/10 @ fidonet
                              emiller@ldl.net


   It is quite an honor to receive the recognition of SPITFIRE Sysop of
the Month.  One that I really feel I quite do not deserve.  I want to
thank the person(s) responsible for the nomination and also Mike W. for
the selection.  Without Mike there wouldn't be SPITFIRE, and there
wouldn't be a Sysop of the Month.

   Let's see, I am 36 years old, married for almost 15 years with 2
children: Joy, age 12, and Stephen, age 9.  I am a mortgage banker for
a small mortgage company in Phenix City, AL, my wife, Karen, teaches
math in a local high school.  We live in Columbus, GA, app. 100 miles
south of Atlanta, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River (hence, the
name The River's Edge BBS).  I have lived here all of my life although
I am originally from Munich, Germany (yes, I'm a product of the Army
School of Parenting, ie. an Army Brat).

   I first came into contact with SPITFIRE in June of 1993 when I
finally decided to set up my own bbs.  I had "discovered" the online
world through work at a local bank and after reviewing about 8 or 9
different bbs packages I picked SPITFIRE because it was the easiest to
set up and run.  Today, after 2 1/2 years of growth and learning,
SPITFIRE is STILL the easiest to set up and run.  It is the absolute
best all-around BBS package available!

   The River's Edge went online 10/1/93 on a 286 computer with 2 meg of
RAM and a 40 meg harddrive.  Today, thanks to supportive users, a
good-paying job and, most recently, Mother Nature and my insurance
company, the BBS now runs on a 120 mhz Pentium with 32 meg RAM, 2.1 gig
hard drive and 6 CD-ROMS online with 2 nodes, all running under OS/2
Warp.  There have been several ups and downs since 10/93 but SPITFIRE
has been the constant throughout it all.

   I first began the BBS with the idea I'd provide a real service to
the local community and as a result, makes buckets of money <hee hee,
the blindness of youth>.  Today, the River's Edge is a hobby BBS with
users all over the world, trying to meet the needs of the BBS community
by providing a site for sysops to obtain the latest and greatest of BBS
Doors and BBS utilities; and, in connection with a local internet
service I am proud to say that the River's Edge is being successful in
this endeavor.  Presently, some 12 or 13 of the best door programmers
are using The River's Edge as a file distribution site.  The file
distribution service is a free file storage and distribution activity
that provides both BBS distribution as well as internet distribution.
It has been wildly successful and it is the crowning achievement of the
River's Edge to date.

   For any who might be interested in knowing about another SPITFIRE
resource on the internet.  I am ftp administrator for a local net
provider and the emphasis I've chosen is BBS Doors and Utils and
SPITFIRE.  Presently, there is a rather large selection of SPITFIRE
utils available at the ftp site and also Tim Ward of T&T Software is
using the file distro service of the net site as a way to market his
doors and SF utils.  With the doors area going strong I am now shifting
my attention to expanding and increasing the SF offerings.  If you know
of any SF authors that would be interested in free internet
distribution and promotion of their files I'd appreciate your passing
my info along to them.  The net site address is ftp.ldl.net/pub/*.  My
personal address is emiller@ldl.net and my homepage is
http://www.ldl.net/~emiller.  The homepage is brandnew and is already
in the process of upgrading and improving.

   Well, as they say back home 'nuf said'.  Again, my heartfelt thanks
to Mike Woltz for producing an awesome bbs package.  It truly has been
the shortest distance between two points for me.  I would also thank
the many other SPITFIRE sysops who have provided me with help and
technical assistance over the last 2 1/2 years.  They are too numerous
to mention (says something about my native intelligence, doesn't it!)
but, nonetheless, they are appreciated!



͸
  NEWLY REGISTERED SPITFIRE SYSTEMS 
;

   A hearty welcome is extended to the following, who have
recently become public registered SPITFIRE Bulletin Board Systems:

The Black Box.................................204-222-4346...14400 BPS
Pete Szekely, Sysop.........................Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The Wackey World..............................603-226-2891...14400 BPS
Debra Blomquist, Sysop.........................Penacook, New Hampshire

Crash and Burn................................610-253-4945...14400 BPS
Garry Musselman, Jr., Sysop.......................Easton, Pennsylvania

Dave's Castle.................................716-223-1982...28800 BPS
David M. Packard, Jr., Sysop.........................Macedon, New York

ModeMManiac...................................804-766-0888...28800 BPS
Larry Boven, Jr., Sysop..............................Hampton, Virginia

Entrepreneur's Workshop.......................214-428-4173...14400 BPS
David Hallum, Sysop......................................Dallas, Texas

The White Mountain............................903-533-9099...28800 BPS
Jason Smith, Sysop........................................Tyler, Texas

Microstar BBS...............................48-22-632-7964...16800 BPS
Microstar Co., Ltd., Sysop..............................Warsaw, Poland

PEE DEE On Line...............................803-661-0888...14400 BPS
MIX, Sysop....................................Florence, South Carolina

Heartland.....................................BBS Phone & Baud Unknown
Mike Lamp, Sysop.........................................Spencer, Iowa

Channel 8...............................011-81-3117-625462...14400 BPS
Daniel Verastiqui, Sysop................................APO/AP Address

Voyager BBS...................................209-388-0385...14400 BPS
Ron Ferdick, Sysop..................................Merced, California

CyberPrayer BBS...............................317-747-9795...14400 BPS
Carlis Wilson, Sysop...................................Muncie, Indiana

PaperWorkers BBS..............................401-724-3524...14400 BPS
United Paperworkers Int'l Union, Sysop.........Pawtucket, Rhode Island

B-BBS.........................................216-577-9703...28800 BPS
Brian Bradshaw, Sysop....................................Andover, Ohio


     In addition, there were 2 new private SPITFIRE BBS System
registered.  These private SPITFIRE BBS were registered to Sysops in:
San Marcos, Texas; and Metairie, Louisiana.


     There are 5 registrations for whom registration information  
was incomplete.  These included BBS's in: Shapleigh, Maine; Winfield,
Kansas; Eunice, New Mexico; Wilsonville, Oregon; and Landover, Maryland.


     The increase in registrations where information is incomplete is
largely due to Buffalo Creek's Software's policy of accepting on-line
Mastercard and Visa credit card registrations.


     JUST A REMINDER...the newsletter is always looking for
contributions!  Please forward any articles in ASCII text to either
Buffalo Creek's BBS or The Mother Board BBS.
