Acropolis

ACropolis

Original author(s)	Robert Bequette
Initial release	November 1986 (1986-11)
Written in	Turbo Pascal
Operating system	MS-DOS
Platform	IBM PC

   87Jul29 6:10 am from Robert Bequette

        Well, I just finally got copies of the CitaNews.  I had 
no idea of the network of Citadels and its "mutant" children. 
Since it was asked for in one of them I am here to tell about my 
particular "mutant": Acropolis.

        I guess I should start with a little history: 

        The following is not meant to offend anyone, if it does 
I'm sorry, but it is an important part of the history of 
Acropolis. 

        It started out last September  as a question to me from 
another man (Will Bennett) on one of the local DYM's asking if I 
knew of any BBS for gays in Sacramento.  I replied that there 
were none and then the conversation evolved into a discussion of 
the need for one and the general shortcomings of DYM.  It 
started out with Will supplying the hardware and me writing a 
custom BBS for it.

        Since I have been a fan of Citadel since first running 
into them about two years ago, it was natural for me to select 
it as the format of choice.  And on November 1, 1986 Acropolis, 
Sacramento's first and only BBS dedicated to the interests of 
gay and bisexual men, was up and running. As for one supplying 
the hardware and the other software, it no longer matters since 
on Acropolis's first month anniversary Will and I moved in 
together.  For those of you wondering where the name Acropolis 
comes from it means "A Greek Citadel" (there is a joke in there 
somewhere). 

        Ok, enough of that.  The current incarnation of 
Acropolis (version 1.8) is essentially Citadel (the original) 
with extensive matchmaking capabilities; the current 
questionnaire (with 214 different test points!) is tailored to 
gay males but can easily be reworded to match all combinations. 
The only things missing are XModem transfers and the <.R>ead 
lobol-New commands, both of which are being included in the 
first complete rewrite christened "version 2.0".  In addison to 
matchmaking, several other things have been in 1.8 or are being 
added to 2.0:

        Multiple user levels being extended from four to eight.

        <.R>ead ocate ew/orward which search messages 
for a string. 

        Users can delete their private mail. 

        "Random" mail a message to someone, but you're not told 
who.  

        All the sysop functions are being moved into the BBS itself. 

        There are several new sysop functions including: Setting 
the function keys, undeleting an account, controlling a user's 
access to the board (time limit and so on), doing a password 
dump and so on. 

        Several new type of room options: Auto-record message in 
a text file.  Disclaimer message printed on entry to a room.  A 
Sysop+> room like the Aide*> room; Sysop room is to Aides like 
private rooms are to regular users. Chats are automatically 
recorded to a text file. The only change to the Aide commands is 
that they no longer have the ability to delete accounts but they 
will be able to suspend access to it. 

        There are lots of other little things, but then this 
message would be much too long.

        Acropolis is currently running 24 hours a days with a 4 
Meg message base (we get A LOT of private mail), and about 150 
active (call at least once every three weeks) callers, 64 rooms 
(going to 128). The phone number is (916) 967-5817.

        System configuration: IBM PC/AT clone, 30 Meg hard 
drive, 1.2 Meg floppy, 3.5" 720K floppy, Hayes Smartmodem 2400b.

        Version 1.8 and below will not be released into public 
domain, but 2.0 and up will be released in two versions: one 
with and one without matchmaking.  Release will be in both 
executable and Turbo Pascal source.

        What's in the future? 2.1 will support multi-user 
(under plain vanilla PC-DOS), and after that hopefully networking. 
Plains are also under way to port it over to the Macintosh and 
Amiga.  -- Robert Bequette