~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Phido Phreaks now bring to you: :An In-DEPTH look at Tuna Fish/Deep-6! Written November 20th, 1986, 10:35 EST by Magnetic Surfer. "Catch the wave." -:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:- It all started out sometime in January of 1986. A young man in the 616 area known as Thomas Jay Fish discovered the world of modems and bulletin boards. He was only 14, but he knew that this was a world beyond anything he could have ever imagined. A world where he wouldn't get teased...a world where he could be king...a perfect world, like the kind he read about in the Xanth series. Sadly, this was not to be true--but I digress. First, he needed a handle. Being the imaginative soul that he is, he quickly decided on "Tuna Fish". He then proceeded to plague the area bulletin boards with worthless posts, clog their log files with "LEECH ALERT", and only just recently, set up Deep-6, his very own BBS. Currently running on GBBS with 2 drives, soon it will have two 800K double sided drives. But what of the leech behind the legend? What of the shy, retiring, slightly lisping faggot behind all the rumors and hoopla? We decided to investigate, but first, we needed a reporter. We drew straws and I lost. So, taking a deep breath, holding it, placing an oxygen mask on my face, and covering my ass with a pair of steel-plated Levi's, I went to Fish's house. The following is the interview, verbatim (for all practical purposes). -:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:- Magnetic Surfer: Hi, I'm Magnetic Surfer, I'm here for the interview. Tuna Fish: That's a funny name. MS: Not half as funny as Tuna Fish...anyway, what first gave you the inspiration to name yourself "Tuna Fish"? TF: Probably my last name. MS: That's very imaginative. TF: Thank you. Do you want the rest of that Snickers bar? MS: Uh...no. TF: Thanks. MS: Back to the interview. A lot of people have said your board sucks donkey hooters. Any comment? TF: WHO'S BEEN SAYING THAT? MS: Not me. But I will say that they have even funnier names than you. Wiley, Runaway, you name it...practically the whole 616. TF: Tell me who it was and I'll blow up their computer with my paisley box! MS: Go look for yourself. Any comment on the recent attempts to crash Deep-6? TF: Well I made sure it'll never happen again. I got the best Apple programmer in the state to make it uncrashable. MS: I heard something about that. Wasn't that Silver Ghost? TF: Yeah, I think that's what he called himself... MS: Well didn't you know that he's a member of Phido Phreaks? TF: Fido Freaks? MS: Yes. The group that's been heading the list at insulting you, your board, etc...as a matter of fact, I just heard Silver Ghost the other day chuckling about how he put backdoors all over the place in your system. TF: He's lying! I would have seen them! MS: Well let's leave that for a bit. In the meantime, I wanted to ask you a rather important question. A lot of people have been unfavorably comparing you to Matt Ackerat. They point out a lot of similarities, like high voice, low age, low computer knowledge, being a puny little obnoxious geek, and stuff like that. Any comment? TF: Now wait a minute-- MS: That's interesting. TF: I DIDN'T FINISH! MS: I know. I was told that I had to cut you off if you ever started talking so you wouldn't bore me to death. TF: WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!? MS: I forgot. Now then, back to your board. Do you think I could actually see the setup? You know, take some pictures for the interview and all that? TF: I suppose so. Here, it's down in my basement... MS: How appropriate. What's that? TF: Er, ah, nothing. My dead cat collection. MS: Fascinating. (Ugh...) Strange, they all look like they're in pain. Can I take a closer look? TF: NO! NO, DON'T-- MS: My god, every single one of these cats has an asshole the size of New York. TF: COME ON! The basement steps are right this way. MS: Wow. So this is Deep-6. (cough cough) Quite an impressive setup, I must say. TF: Yeah, but it'll be even better when I get my 800K drives. MS: Yes, but didn't Double Helix tell you that those drives are slow, cheap, and really suck? TF: HE'S JUST JEALOUS! MS: I don't see why, since he's got a 10 meg Sider. We'll let that slide. Let's see the board from the sysop's angle, eh? TF: Sure, just let me kick this guy off. MS: That's kind of rude, don't you think? TF: Why...I do it whenever I need to use my system. It's mine, you know, not theirs. MS: I guess I get the idea. Mind if I take pictures? TF: Nope. MS: Cool. But at least let me see what the guy's doing and who he is first. TF: Oh all right...hold on... ONLINE: COUNT NIBBLE Local Console ONd a file. Filename to upload: ULTIMA X SIDE 1<364> Ready to rece^XSuddenly you are blown into a billion tiny pieces which scatter all over the universe. Bye-bye! CALLER OFFLINE MS: Fascinating. Don't you think you were being just a little abrupt with him? TF: Nah. MS: I take you also don't believe that was the real Count Nibble, nor that he was really going to upload Ultima Ten. TF: Not a chance. I read those loser files too, ya know. All those geeks who try to cutdown my board would love to fool me like that and give them remote sysop access but this guy ain't no fool. Nope. MS: Back to the board. TF: Sure. LOCAL LOGON Welcome to Deep-6 300/1200 baud 24 hours 616 344 8567 Enter your user number (>1 Enter your password (>XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ... On-line: SYSOP Greetings, oh mighty sysop master sir! (Grovel grovel grovel) MS: How come it didn't ask you that stupid question "Will you post?" TF: Cause I'm using the local logon mode and it knows it's me. MS: I take it that's the same reason it skipped over that nonabortable welcome message you have accusing everyone of ragging on you and leeching. TF: Yes, why? MS: Never mind. Silver Ghost did all the mods, I take it? TF: Well, I did that one there where if you're the sysop it gives you that message. MS: Ah, an ego-massager. Just what every kid wants for Christmas. Back to the system. Last caller: COUNT NIBBLE You last called: Barely 2 hours ago There are new bulletins There are new users There are new uploads You have mail waiting! Read it now?Y --------------------------------------- Feedback from: COUNT NIBBLE Dated: About 42 minutes ago Subject: Yer system I heard about this system cause a friend of mine told me you and Silver Ghost did the programming for it. Looks good, not too many posts but I guess you havent been up that long. Well seeing as how you're a friend of SG I'll put ya on my distribution list. Over at Terrapin Station we just released Ultima X but we haven't distributed it too much yet. Trust me, dude, your users will fall to the ground in awe when they see you got it. Later, Count Lazlo Hollifeld-Nibble /\oo/\ R]eply, A]gain, K]ill, N]ext:K MS: I take it you still don't believe it was the real Count Nibble. TF: Of course not. Killed There's more... --------------------------------------- Feedback from: SILVER GHOST Dated: About 6 hours ago Subject: You, sir, are dead. Unless you can somehow explain the fact that every mod I did is now being credited to you, you are in serious trouble. I even called Count Nibble and told him to put you on his wares list, and this is the thanks I get. Fine. Let's see how long your scuzzball little system lasts without me. Take care, asshole. -:TSG- R]eply, A]gain, K]ill, N]ext:K MS: Now what- TF: HE'S JUST BLUFFING! MS: I hope this is true. (Well maybe not...) Now what? TF: Well I think there's more, then we go to the new users. Killed There's one more... --------------------------------------- Feedback from: FROGGER Dated: About 4 1/2 hours ago Subject: D00D! K-AWESUMS YYSOPMTEM YA GOT AHERE!!!1! I CAN GET YYOU RTHE LATEST WATRZ, DO YAS WANT SNEAKERS PART 6/ I GOT THAT AND LTS MORE !!11!!!1! I ALSO GOT SOME NEW CODES ON TEHAT MMCI THINGIE SO I;L LET YA HAVE THEM F YOU GIVE METHT REMOTE SYOSPACCES YA PROMISERD ME1! WELL ALLARTER D00D00! ................. . . .F . R . O . G . G . E . R .................. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! R]eply, A]gain, K]ill, N]ext:R MS: Oh, god... TF: What? MS: Never mind. Reply to FROGGER... Subject: Re: D00D! Okay?Y Your message may be up to 100 lines long. ^S to save, ^H for help Sure thing dued, I'll get right on it. Thanks fer the ware, and don't forget to post at least once every call! TUNA FISH ^S Saving....Saved Killed That's it for the mail. Want to update new users?Y There have been 2 new callers since your last update. #1 Signon name: THOMAS COVENANT Real name: COME OFF IT, FISH. Phone number: JEEZUS CHRIST. A]dditional data, U]pgrade, D]elete:D Deleted MS: Why'd you do that? I know the guy, he's cool. TF: He didn't leave his real name or phone number. MS: Oh that reminds me, you left feedback on some system somewhere asking the sysop to give you some guy's real name and phone number. Why? TF: Cause the guy himself didn't give em to me and he was ragging on me and my board and posting shit about me all over. MS: (The fact that everything he said is true hardly matters, I guess...) Well back to the system. #2 Signon name: THE BLACK TURTLE Real name: GREG DIDDLY Phone number: 616-344-8567 A]dditional data, U]grade, D]elete:A Calling from: KALAMAOZOO MICHIGAN Age: FOURTE A]dditional data, U]pgrade, D]elete:A --------------------------------------- Feedback from: THE BLACK TURTLE (newuser) Dated: About 27.3 hours ago Subject: ME I DIDNT FGET ENOUGH ROOM IN THE SIGN ON THING TO PU TMY AGE, I AM FOURTEEN, AND I WOULD LILKE VERY GHIGH ACESS. !@#$%^&*()THE BLACK TURTLE)(*&^%$#@! R]eply, U]pgrade, K]ill mail, D]elete user:U Level:40 Status: THE BLACK TURTLE Level 40 Ranking: Remote Sysop S]ave, A]bort:S Saved THE BLACK TURTLE to user file MS: Was there any real reason to give him that high of an access level? TF: I've got my reasons. MS: (They're probably butt buddies...) Ahem...well, Mr Fish, I think I've seen enough. Enough to make me sick. Thanks for your time. TF: No problem. (k) 1986 A Three Sheets to the Wind Production  I heard about this system cause a friend of mine