# Fascinating tech humor from the mid-80s - any context? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 9, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642 "2016-01-09T23:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/1 "2016-01-09T23:56:37Z")
I’m fascinated by this humorous tirade from the past (mildly NSFW language): [Documentary: The LoserUsers](http://rmitz.org/bbsloser.html) It’s a great read (love the 80s references to Mr. T, the KGB, etc.) but can anyone provide context? I vaguely recall pre-internet “bulletin boards” and “sysops” from the 1990s but this seems to be an even more specialized subculture. Were you part of this world? And what in the hell was “AE/Catfur” (another great name) used for? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/2 "2016-01-10T00:57:58Z")
Catfur was software used with half-duplex modems (those that could only either send or receive) to switch modes periodically and thus emulate full duplex operations. From Wiki: > [@](#): > > The Apple-CAT II also supported the Bell 202 protocol, which allowed half-duplex 1200 bit/s operation when connecting to another Apple-CAT II modem. This was an exceptionally rare feature; modems with “full” 1200 bit/s operation were expensive devices intended to be used with minicomputers and mainframes, and typically cost thousands of dollars. Since the 1200 bit/s mode was half-duplex, or one-way only, the users would normally have to decide in advance which direction transmissions would proceed. > > However, software was used to work around this limitation as well. File transfer programs written specifically for the Apple-CAT II’s 202 mode, such as Catsend and the later CatFur, periodically paused and reversed transmission direction, so the receiving computer could acknowledge receipt of a stream of data, and, in the case of CatFur, could add a short chat message to the sender in the middle of the one-way file transfer. Many bulletin board systems (BBSs) running CatSend and then CatFur were set up to transfer warez. The 202 CatFur protocol could only be used by a user running another APPLE-CAT II. I’m still reading the tirade but one important point to remember is that BBSes had a very limited number of lines so each person calling in and, well, being stupid was keeping another member out while they were there. You typically had limited access, both in time and privileges, until you proved yourself worthy of having more of each. So even the “nondescript user” who doesn’t seem to be doing anything “wrong” was cluttering up a line and not contributing anything. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/3 "2016-01-10T01:02:34Z")
BBS - Bulletin Board System, very much like a modern message board except you have to log out/hang up to give someone else a chance to log in and, possibly, reply. Sysop - System Operator, guy (always a guy) who owns the PC and modem and runs the BBS. His parents own the phone line so he has to share. AE - ASCII Express, telecommunications software for the Apple II series that allowed file sharing. CAT - Crappy Novation modems. Lost market to Hayes. I still spoke some Hayes until recently. CatFur - File transfer program that used a quirk in Novation modems that allowed up to 1200 baud transfers when most communications were still at 300 baud. Baud rate - The number of bits transferred per second. There are eight bits to a byte, or a single ASCII character, and another two or so were used for housekeeping, so the effective transfer rate with a 300 baud modem is thirty characters per send. Files took a long time to send. I was a nondescript user with a Tandy Color computer and a 300 baud Hayes modem. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/4 "2016-01-10T03:25:50Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Baud rate - The number of bits transferred per second. There are eight bits to a byte, or a single ASCII character, and another two or so were used for housekeeping, so the effective transfer rate with a 300 baud modem is thirty characters per send. Files took a long time to send. Not quite. Baud rate is signal changes per second. Earlier modems sent one bit per signal change, so the bit rate equalled the baud rate. But a 14400 bps modem sent 6 bits per signal change, so it operated at 2400 baud, but 14400 bps. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/5 "2016-01-10T03:34:45Z")
And to think I got an A in that class! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/6 "2016-01-10T04:30:24Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I was a nondescript user . . . Me, too–I think I had a 600 baud on an IBM, and tried out BBSes mostly out of technological curiosity as a kid. I didn’t really spend much time on them except for the WELL, so while I can’t say I was “part of this world,” I more or less get it. That said, this guy isn’t really that funny. In a way, what’s really fascinating is that he must have taken himself way too seriously to even write such a thing. And it does demonstrate that, in some ways, online interactions haven’t changed that much in thirty years. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/7 "2016-01-10T04:47:45Z")
Yeah, I noticed that none of his Losers were of the “takes this BBS thing way too seriously” variety… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/8 "2016-01-10T17:35:43Z")
Thanks for the info. So this was basically a snapshot of the very first generation of Apple users? And what was “Daltoned” software? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/9 "2016-01-10T17:41:05Z")
I didn’t do much public BB stuff back then, I was on private BBs for business, generally no access limitations. But when I did get on the public boards on occasion I was the guy hacking the sysop’s password and creating mischief. Nothing destructive, but I’m afraid one sysop hosed his system trying to figure out how I got in. And don’t look at me that way, I was helping out anyone who wasn’t a jerk and letting them know how to make their system more secure. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/10 "2016-01-10T19:24:19Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Thanks for the info. So this was basically a snapshot of the very first generation of Apple users? And what was “Daltoned” software? Not just Apple. The BBSs were accessible by any computer. I got in at the tail end. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/11 "2016-01-10T20:05:50Z")
Any authentic SysOp from that era would never use the term “loser” or “LoserUser”. Everyone knew the proper spelling was “luser”. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fascinating-tech-humor-from-the-mid-80s-any-context/742642/12 "2016-01-10T20:34:34Z")
If you want a lot more of this, check out [http://www.textfiles.com/](http://www.textfiles.com/)