Hello, All!

Ward Christensen, co-founder of first online BBS system and creator of XMODEM, dies at 78.

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Ward Christensen had created a file transfer protocol for sending binary computer files through modem connections, which was called, simply, MODEM.

Later improvements to the program motivated a name change into the now familiar XMODEM.

The success of this project encouraged further experiments. Christensen and Suess became enamored of the idea of creating a computerized answering machine and message center, which would allow members to call in with their then-new modems and leave announcements for upcoming meetings.

http://bbsdays.com/people/ward_christensen/
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It's so strange that XMODEM is still alive (I used it to upload an OS into a broken Mikrotik router several months ago). It was just a hack on top of the CP/M filesystem. History is so weird.

Best regards,
dp.

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20230304
* Origin: All is good in St. John's Wood (2:5001/100.1)

Re: Ward Christensen died
By: Dmitry Protasoff to All on Sun Oct 13 2024 11:47 pm

Ward Christensen, co-founder of first online BBS system and creator of XMODEM, dies at 78.

Oh, man. That's a bummer. RIP Mr. Christensen.
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #14:
First name of Emlio - that's at least half a beaner, let you off for $10 - Hank Norco, CA WX: 65.6øF, 73.0% humidity, 3 mph W wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)

Hello, Rob!

Monday October 14 2024 18:52, you wrote to me:

Oh, man. That's a bummer. RIP Mr. Christensen.

From facebook:

Daan van Rooijen

One of the most beautiful anecdotes to come out of the history of Bulletin Board Systems, must be the one from ONE BBSCON in 1993, when the organizers wanted to honor Ward for his major contributions to the world of modeming (well, he invented the BBS, and the XModem protocol), knowing that he was very modest and quite shy.

The speaker asked all people in attendance who operated a BBS to stand up. Then he asked those, who'd only had their BBS since 1992 to sit down again. Then, those who'd only had one since 1991, 1990, 1989, et cetera. When he finally got to 1978, only one man was left standing, and the speaker said "Ladies and gentlemen, Ward Christensen" - at which point the whole crowd stood up again to give him a well deserved standing ovation.

(It's been quite a while since I heard this story, so I hope I've reproduced it correctly).
RIP Ward Christensen, and thanks for all that you have made possible.

Best regards,
dp.

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20230304
* Origin: All is good in St. John's Wood (2:5001/100.1)

Dmitry,

Oh, man. That's a bummer. RIP Mr. Christensen.

From facebook:

Do you have Dutch ancestors ?

\%/@rd

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: Many Glacier - Preserve / Protect / Conserve (2:292/854)

Hello, Ward!

Tuesday October 15 2024 16:05, you wrote to me:

Do you have Dutch ancestors ?

Definitely not. I did a DNA test when IBM and National Geographic were doing a mega-project to trace different nationalities in the 00s and to my great disappointment, I turned out to be an average Russian from the Northwest (with traces of Finnish ancestry, about 18%. Very typical!).

If your grandmother is Romanian - you can get a Romanian passport. If your grandmother is Jewish - you can get an Israeli passport. If your grandmother is Russian - you can get some tasty soup (borscht) and fried potatoes with meat + shot vodka :)

Best regards,
dp.

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20230304
* Origin: All is good in St. John's Wood (2:5001/100.1)

Hello, Dmitry!

18 Oct 24 01:25, from Dmitry Protasoff -> Ward Dossche:

I did a DNA test when IBM and National Geographic were doing a mega-project to trace different nationalities in the 00s and
to my great disappointment, I turned out to be an average Russian from
the Northwest (with traces of Finnish ancestry, about 18%. Very
typical!).

I did a 23andme test when they had a huge discount on Black Friday. I failed. They sent me a second-round test and I failed again. "Our laboratory tried to process your second sample, but was unfortunately unable to." They fully refund and did not allow to take it again. "Our laboratory made multiple attempts with each sample, so it is unlikely that a third sample would be successfully analyzed. We sincerely apologize that we aren't able to provide you with 23andMe results."

I still do not know who I am.

Best Regards, Nil
--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20240306
* Origin: FidoNet member since 1995 (2:5015/46)

I still do not know who I am.

Vladimir Vladimirovich will be shocked to learn ...

\%/@rd

--- DB4 - 20230201
* Origin: Many Glacier - Preserve / Protect / Conserve (2:292/854)

Hello, Nil!

Friday October 18 2024 04:24, you wrote to me:

I did a 23andme test when they had a huge discount on Black Friday. I failed. They sent me a second-round test and I failed again. "Our laboratory tried to process your second sample, but was unfortunately unable to." They fully refund and did not allow to take it again. "Our laboratory made multiple attempts with each sample, so it is unlikely
that a third sample would be successfully analyzed. We sincerely
apologize that we aren't able to provide you with 23andMe results."

I still do not know who I am.

Why do you keep going to the scammers all the time and repeatedly to the same ones? :)

Best regards,
dp.

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20230304
* Origin: All is good in St. John's Wood (2:5001/100.1)