A Famous Person?

        And they're off....Welcome to The Checkered Flag BBS and I'm your 
host, Pete Farias, SysOp.        

        A famous person? Nope.  Just me, Pete.  You don't need to be famous 
to run a successful BBS but the important factor is that you need to have an
interest in people.  Plus a computer. :)

        I've been running a bulletin board system for about seven (7) years 
but it wasn't always as easy as it is now.  I began by calling a BBS called
VetLink #1.  I was a good and faithful user with my 1200 baud modem (ya'know
the old ones that you had to put the phone handset into).  Since I had only 
a 300 baud at work the 1200 was EVERYTHING.  Needless to say, I thought I 
died and went to heaven the SysOp, Joe Peck came to my house and installed a
2400 baud modem which he had purchased with his own money.  I watched with 
much confusion as he removed a bunch of disks from his coat and all of a 
sudden I was 1:321/210...Berkshire Estates BBS.  Although excited, I must 
admit I did not have a clue in the world what to do with this thing people 
were already calling.  I watched them call and didn't even know what to do
when they (p)aged me on that old OPUS system.

        It's 1995 and times have changed.  I'm now running a Wildcat! BBS 
with baud rates up to 38400 and currently am the FidoNet HUB for Berkshire
County.  

        A few years back I decided to combine hobbies and started an echo
called AUTORACE.  The focus of course is auto racing which receives 
tremendous use by both racing enthusiasts and drivers.  I was lucky to find
a GREAT Moderator (Don Horton) who has forgotten more about auto racing than 
I know.  He's EVERYTHING!.  I now have one of the BEST Winston Cup drivers
calling here daily under an assumed name, as he wouldn't call under any other
circumstances.  He's in Rockingham right now and I just got through chatting
with him from his cellular modem and Pentium set up(Boy have modems changed).

        I have asked fellow friends and sysops why the hell we do this.  What
a hobby!  I don't get a hell of alot out of it: no parts for the computer, no
money.  BUT, what I DO get out of it is that I'm providing a service to a lot
of people.  Some call to read echoes that I import from all over the planet.
Some like the Buy-Sell-Trade.  Some like AUTORACE(created by yours truly) and
Some like my RACENET stuff...  It's a good feeling to provide for folks... 
THAT'S why we do it.

        I just wish Rusty would let me print his damn name!...OOPS!

Until we meet again...
                         -Pete-
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