EIGHT BIT SOFTWARE THREE YEARS AGO ... (probably four by the time I get this finished) A 5 line entry in the letters column of a computer journal caught my attention. A popular board game called RISK (I think) had been computerised by an enthusiast and free copies were on offer ... THE BEGINNING OF 8-bit Software Communications were growing in popularity as the prices of modems began to fall below #100, with basic secondhand units costing as little as #10 ... Public Domain Software, even for 8-bit BBC machines, was not new. The concept of public domain had been around since the advent of the bulletin board system. Bulletin boards in those days consisted of a Computer, Disc Drive, Modem and Communications Software usually housed in some sad persons bedroom. Other sad people with a similar setup would log onto the bulletin board using a "ring back" system (dial, let ring twice, hangup, dial again - the computer then answers the phone). The more wealthy usually had a dedicated phone line and/or a hard disc drive in addition to the equipment above - these were the kind of people who could be sad for their country. From these bulletin boards, you could meet sad friends, swap sad ideas, tell sad jokes, and download sad software submitted by other sad users. Again, professors of sadness would join national organisations such as Micronet & Prestel which offered a similar service to the private bulletin boards - at a price. Joking (and sadness) apart - it is my opinion that this was the birthplace of BBC public domain software - there was megabytes of the stuff and it wasn't just all one-liners. The main problem was the "them and us" situation that appeared to exist between modem and non-modem owners in the world of the BBC - neither seemed to be aware of the other's presence. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "Postal" public domain for the BBC however WAS a fairly new idea, even though the same had been available on other 8-bit machines such as the Atari XL, XE etc. for years ... The year was 1990 and the time was late summer. Several pieces of software were under development for a small bulletin board by the name of Resolve Communications (I would like to point out that this bulletin board was NOT run by a sad person). The idea was to complete and test the software and make it available for downloading on the bulletin board system (BBS). "Systems Comms" and "Systems Phone" as they became branded were duly put up for download & comments were encouraged. Other software at the time included AMPLE code for users of the Hybrid Technologies Music 500/0 systems. Encouraged by the response, non-modem owners were given the opportunity to write and obtain software currently available from the Resolve BBS. Enquiries received were answered by issuing a disk containing the 3rd Systems issue which had grown with the addition of "Systems Bank". Within a week the volume of enquiries had grown considerably. Most of the enquiries were referring to "PD library lists" and it soon became apparant that we had been mis-quoted somewhere as "starting a public domain library" which at the time was far from the truth. Access to computers was currently being denied by household refurbishment, so 50 letters were run off on an IBM at work. The letters informed any future enquirers of our situation, and that they should try one of the other addresses listed if they wanted Public Domain software. The source of the enquiries had finally been identified in one of the computer magazines which had mistakenly advertised us as a new Public Domain library which dealt exclusively with 8-bit BBC Micro Computers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The BBC had been replaced by the archimedes over 2 years ago. The new arc was faster, more colourful, better sounding, multitasking, and had recently introduced a standard Graphical User Interface (GUI) in the form of RISC OS ... There was no doubt at the time that the future for Acorn and their user base lay with the archimedes. Acorn had been quoted as saying that they would continue producing the Master for "as long as there was sufficient demand". This inevitably meant that the 8-bit BBC Master would be wound down over a period of time - it made economic sense to do so. Starting a public domain library for such machines was out of the question. However, a new PD software library for the archimedes seemed like a good idea. There were four problems that had to be faced: 1. There were already well established libraries for the archimedes. 2. We had no access to any PD software for the archimedes. 3. We were not acquainted with any users of the archimedes. 4. We didn't actually own an archimedes. My teacher and mentor always said to me that there is always a way round any problem if you are prepared to spend a little time thinking beforehand. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 we eventually solved using common sense, but it was trying to solve number 4 without cash (and legally) that probably killed it at the end of the day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Someone (who had obviously studied deduction to degree standard) suggested that we think about opening a public domain library for the 8-bit BBC machines, afterall we already had software, free advertising and over 40 interested users ... So the decision was made to operate a small public domain library for the 8-bit BBC ... but we wanted it to be different. We had to have something that none of the other three BBC PD libraries were offering, otherwise the exercise would simply be a lot of hard work for little reward. So what exactly constituted a PD library? Using my mentor's advice, we sat down and thought (... and thought ... and thought). It was eventually decided that a public domain library consisted of the following components: 1. Access to a large pool of non-copyrighted software. 2. The means to advertise the PD's existence & address. 3. The availability of necessary hardware. 4. Suitable organisational / programming / documentation skills. 5. Customers purchasing software from library. 6. Programmers contributing towards library. There was a problem with number 1; we had no software apart from "Systems" and AMPLE, although with the addition of "Systems Server" (recently completed and tested) they would form a starting point. Theoretically, once we were known, more software would flow in from eager users. We had already been advertised so number 2 was no problem. Future advertising was not considered at this time. The general opinion was that if we lasted three months we would start worrying about future advertising. All hardware was available - 4 disc drives, 2 model Bs, 2 printers, 6502 Tube, ATS Adapter, Modem & Line - that was number 3 sorted. Number 4 could only be gained through experience. Only fate would determine numbers 5 and 6. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- So we had the structure of what we beleived constituted a typical public domain library. What had to be done now was to add the extra "magic" ingredient that would make & keep people interested? What kind of people use public domain libraries and what do they want out of them? ... After 2 and a half weeks difference of opinions (arguments, mud slinging & slanging matches) we had what we thought the user wanted from a public domain library - the most popular towards the top. 1. Users are looking for inexpensive, interesting, quality software ? 2. Programmers are looking for fame and glory - to be recognised ? 3. All parties want a fast service. 4. Any PD system must be easy to use and understand. 5. Users / Programmers may wish to make contact with each other ? It was not perfect, but it was a start. All that remained was to change the first 6 points about what constituted a public domain library, whilst bearing in mind the second 5 points about what the user wanted from a public domain library. The end result should be the formula for the "unique" public domain library that would get us noticed. Six days later, we had the solution: 1. Software should be issued on a monthly or bi-monthly basis depending on demand & software availability (rather like magazine discs). This should keep users in close contact with the library. 2. Each issue would go out with a questionnaire which MUST be completed in order to obtain further software from the library. These comments would be published for the programmers and should keep their interest and talent with our library. 3. A newsletter would be included with as many issues as possible. This would provide the programmers with their feedback together with any other essential information for the issue. 4. Any correspondence received would be answered the same day. This should build ourselves a reputation for speed of service. 5. Provided users returned the correct media, the service would be free of any handling charges. Point five to me personally was the most important point - the service had to be free. It was common knowledge to us that the vast majority of computing talent lay in the computer clubs of the nation's schools. It was no use relying on adults to supply the software for the library as many lacked the necesary commitment and enthusiasm. In our opinion, school children had more commitment & enthusiasm than the EC had butter mountains, with programatical talent on a similar scale. From the young programmers we knew, 95% of them were on "pocket-money" budgets and I felt that it would have been unforgiveable at the time to have charged them away from the library. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We wanted users to talk to each other. We wanted users to WANT to talk to each other. We needed to provide the means for users to talk to each other. We needed a system to manage it all ... Fortunately, the 50 letters produced on the IBM had not been posted. These letters (informing the enquirer that no PD library existed) were of no use now and were discarded. Household refurbishment was continuing to cause problems so the IBM was warmed up again and a new standard letter drafted. The stem of enquiries was continuing to grow, and it soon became apparant that a system had to be devised to allocate "customer numbers" to the enquiries - after all if things worked out, our users who would be continually writing back to us. Fresh from the world of communications, an idea was hit on to develop a software utility that enabled users to write messages to each other electronically. In a nutshell, the user would write his/her message, the program would save it to disc and the disc would be returned to us. Upon receipt of messages, we would forward the messages to the correct user on the next issue disc. This facility was seen as one of the major features that would be unique to us and would make us really stand out from other PD libraries. There was no time to develop the software in time for the next planned issue, so it was decided to devise a "customer referencing system" which could be used by the messaging software when it was developed. In all, 4 different systems were considered in the space of a week. The problem was getting users to remember their reference number off by heart, as this would encourage the use of any future messaging system we developed. We were so concerned that our users should remember their customer numbers that "experts" were consulted (well, pub friends actually). It transpired that on average, humans could only remember a maximum of three "nonsensical" characters in a row (by 11pm this had reduced to 1 - almost). So the maximum user base was 999. We never thought we would ever have 1000+ users, but enquiries (which would also be allocated customer numbers) could well exceed 1000. Including letters in the three character "User ID" (as it was eventually dubbed) would increase possible combinations to 46,656. Omitting the O's (too like 0's), the I's (too like 1's), and the S's (too like 5's) brought possible combinations down to 35,937. For statistical purposes, it was also decided to "regionalise" the users. We achieved this by catagorising the first character of the user ID number. For example, all users living in Leicestershire would have a ID beginning with the number 1; so all Leicestershire users would have an ID ranging from 100 to 1ZZ. A quick & dirty program taking 30 minutes to construct dealt with the allocation of user ID's from hereon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All items are identified by use of a name. Most human beings are referred to by their name, or some version of it. Villages, Towns, Cities, countrys, continents and planets are referred to by a simple name. Governments, businesses, corner shops, clubs, societies and public domain libraries are identified by their name. So why didn't our public domain library have a name? ... The most obvious, simplest task in the establishment of any organisation - the name - had been overlooked. The computer magazine that advertised us, having also discovered the problem, had obliged by christening us "8-bit PD". It was not the name we would have liked but it did have its advantages - namely the "8" which guaranteed us the top billing in all alphabetical public domain listings. We did actually name the library "Sevenash Systems", the first name being derived from the base address - 7 ASHdale, and the second name adopted from the "Systems" labels on which the first 3 issues were based on. It was thought that the name "8-bit PD" was nice and punchy and to attempt to change it at this late stage would only cause confusion, not to mention the demotional effect it would have in the magazine listing charts. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE INTERMEDIATE YEARS They say that problems always come in three's, and 8-bit Public Domain was going to be no exception ... The response to issue 4 was quite pleasant considering that it only contained 4 programs with no kind of menu system. Completed questionaires were flowing in thick and fast and programmers newsletters were being compiled using these comments. The icing on the cake was that software was being submitted by new members and within a week we had enough to fill an 80 track DFS disc. We decided not to place all the software we had received on the issue 5 disc, as we would not have any left for issue 6 and we had no time left for creating programs ourselves. We had already faced a problem which delayed issue 5 by 1 week. The user ID generation program had sprouted a bug which resulted in random ID's being generated irrespective of where the member lived. Our "regionalisation" of 8-bit PD members was therefore out of the window. The process of allocation new ID's to new members was slowed as a result as we had to check carefully for duplication. The concept of the user number had been adopted enthusiastically by our members. Many seemed to like the mysterious air of the user number and frequently used their number rather than their names - so much so that we had difficulty in identifying some people. There seemed to be a lot of shy people out there who could contribute to an organisation without surrendering their anonimity (?). Our second problem was rather more serious. "We" had suddenly become an "I". 8-bit PD would not have been possible without the help of Bryan who had helped and supported me in setting up the public domain library in it's first three months. Bryan was off to the United States to seek new challenges, and 8-bit PD was going to suffer as a result. I was going to miss him a hell of a lot over the next 18 months. No-one else seemed interested in taking Bryan's place, so I had to go it alone or stop. Our third problem (or my first problem as I was on my own) was system malfunction. Household refurbishment had drawn to a close and the computer room was restored to its former glory, except that none of it seemed to work any more. With Bryan gone I could no longer make use of his BBC and thus the software submissions I was continuing to receive could not be run. The situation was extremely frustrating and lasted 3 days until a new CPU was found for one BBC, and a new floppy disc controller for the other. Issue 5 eventually hit the streets together with the customary questionaire. This was the first issue to contain a user front end in the form of teletext graphics and a menu bar from which the user selected the programs to load. All teletext work was done using Acorn User's "Eco-Ed" software which was published in the mid-eighties. Mode 7 screens were created using this system and saved to disc. The menu graphics were just *LOADed back onto the screen and the menu selection bar inserted by the program. It was not a watertight program (as 6502 TUBE & some shadow ram users discovered) but it was quick and gave 8-bit PD some form of identity. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We live in a democratic society where citizens have the freedom of choice. Computer users have a vast choice in the software they acquire. The very essence of a Public Domain library is the fact that users can choose the programs they like from a software pool. To put only one piece of software on an entire 8-bit PD issue disc is obviously very unwise ... Issue 6 went out (late) with the usual newsletter (containg apologies) and a selection of sampled sounds. I had never heard sampled sounds on a BBC and was very pleased to be able to include them so early in the life of 8-bit PD. Questionaires returned with issue 6 all praised the sampled sounds - in addition to the mandatory three programs they had to comment on at the time. 8-bit PD was being regarded as the best 8-bit PD library in the UK - or so I was told - and I knew it was the unique quality of software like this that was earning this reputation. I have to confess that I was beginning to enjoy the success of 8-bit PD which was now boasting over 100 enquiries with a 70% turnover into new members. Some very talented individuals were joining the library and there was plenty of software to fill each issue disc down to the last byte. Someone had put together a "Play by Mail" game called Urban War. This was a role-play type system on which users could take their turn then post the disc to the next player and so on. The problem was that the software filled a double sided 80 track DFS disc. Blinded by the current success of 8-bit PD, I saw Urban War as an easy issue and thus issue 7 consisted of that one program and nothing else - not even a menu system. Looking back some two to three years later, I wonder what members of 8-bit PD must have thought on receiving issue 7. The younger members which made up about 60% of the library at the time all thought Urban War was a big hit and provided plenty of comments which were duly passed on. Other, more mature members, were not so happy and saw nothing in Urban War - not due to the software itself but due to the lack of variety and CHOICE that 8-bit PD members had by now become accustomed to. Issue 7 damaged the reputation of 8-bit PD and membership dormancy rose by about 15 compared to it's usual 3 or 4. New members for whom issue 7 was their first issue were understandably unimpressed by the lack of variety and began asking why 8-bit PD only issued one program per month? All in all it was an explosive cocktail which came within a gnat's whisker of costing 8-bit software it's life. Rather than shrugg off the problem, a solution was put in place to ensure that large items of software were given their rightful airing, but not at the expense of filling space on a monthly disc - and the rather unceromoniously named "TBI Pool" was born. TBI actually stood for "Too Big for Issue disc" and contained software that fell into that category. In the end it worked very well - having the advantage of adding a new service to 8-bit Software and the reward of becoming staggeringly popular. Urban War was requested time and time again by new members to 8-bit Software starting issue 8 onwards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It was becoming apparant that the newsletters and software reviews which accompanied each issue disc were becoming as popular as the actual software itself ... If I remember correctly, I had been hinting on starting an 8-bit PD screen magazine ever since the first newsletter (maybe issue 6?) and never thought at the time that it would ever become a reality. For a start, over 60% of the time spent putting together an issue disc was spent writing and printing the newsletters and program reviews. If an "on-screen" disc based magazine was to be a realistic option then two problems had to be tackled. Firstly, the magazine was going to require disc space and secondly I had to find someone willing to write and edit it as my time-bank was already well overdrawn ... TO BE CONTINUED (one day) ...