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by Brian
Gallagher Boardwatch Magazine, April/May 1994
Among all of the conventioneers at last year's ONE BBSCON in Colorado
Springs, getting the latest on one of the fastest growing industries on
the globe, two sysops, Andrew Bilski and Tony McClenny, set the
foundations to do some growing of their own. While the idea of merging
their two PCBoard BBSs, Bilski's Main Frame (301) 654-2554 in Germantown,
MD, and McClenny's Virginia Connection, (703) 648-1841 in Reston, VA, had
been brought up before - nothing really came of it until the August trade
show.
For McClenny, a retired business executive, and Bilski, a computer
specialist for an accounting firm, creating one of the Washington D.C.
area's largest boards is simply a Capitol idea. Today the two talk turkey
about modems, machines, Telnet and Internet galore, but 15 years ago they
were working apart.
As the manager of a 25,000 square foot warehouse style retail store in
1979, McClenny took a night class in computers at a local college to get
caught up on new technologies. The moment he saw the realities of
computers and what they could do, he saw possibilities and applications
not only for the business, but also in the education of his children. So,
it came as no surprise when there was a computer under the family tree
that Christmas.
Thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean, a young Andrew Bilski
in Krakow Poland, "...wanted to see how it was in this country." When
opportunity knocked in 1980, he answered. Before arriving on our shores he
had two impressions of America, largely reflected in popular opinions
among Poles... 1)In America money grows on trees, and 2)In America all
you can afford is window shopping. What he found was a harsher reality.
After being here only a short while, he was shot numerous times during a
robbery while walking home from a midnight mass in the Washington, D.C.
area.
With two bullets still lodged inside of him he recovered and
perservered.
Undaunted by this sizable setback, Bilski's eyes turned not to this
unfortunate turn of events, but to technology. For the longest time he was
intrigued by the Commodore 64 computer with 300 baud modem, but the $600
purchase price just wasn't in his budget. When the price dropped to $200
in 1983, he couldn't afford not to get one. As is always the case with
natural born sysops, Bilski couldn't resist setting up his own BBS, and in
just over a year The Main Frame was born. Why did Bilski call his board
Main Frame? "I say hey ... small computer, big name - let's go for it!"
Meanwhile, McClenny kept up on his computer classes and assisted
computerizing the company he worked for. This had its rewards, by 1984 he
was promoted to district manager, in charge of 11 stores, with over $140
million in annual sales. The new position came with a temporary relocation
to Virginia Beach separating him not only from the family, but from his
latest greatest hobby - a BBS he was running for friends on a TRS 80.
While in Virginia Beach, McClenny took seriously ill and was unable to
work for three months. This illness turned out to be a blessing in
disguise
as it became a pit stop on McClenny's travels down the Information Super
Highway.
Being away from his BBS and away from work McClenny started going a
little
stir crazy. To alleviate his boredom, he talked a friend into driving him
to town, (he was too weak to drive), where he purchased his first IBM PC
along with RBBS. The rest of what happened is now called the Virginia
Connection, and it started as a way to fill the 10 meg hard drive on
McClenny's new computer.
As time passed the two fledgling sysops took the steps that would
eventually lead them to each other's doors. Bilski replaced his aging and
limited Commodore with an IBM PC and loaded it with PCBoard and became a
charter member of the Capital Area Sysops Association, where he and Bilski
would become better acquainted. Bilski and McClenny met regularly at the
CASA mettings and continued exchanging ideas for several years, which
eventually led to Bilski's proposing a merger about a year and a half ago.
While that didn't go through, they did decide to merge into the same hotel
room at ONE BBSCON last year - cutting their expenses and doubling the
area they could cover at the event.
During the convention each took "pages and pages of notes" and joked
about
merging their two boards from time to time over meals, but it was always
light-hearted chat. The real winners from the show turned out to be the
users - as both sysops came away with new additions to their boards.
McClenny added PC Catalog to the Virginia Connection, and Bilski found his
golden thread of Internet through Brad Clements' Murkworks Software,
(315) 265-4717.
A short while after the show the joking stopped and the idea of merging
the two boards again surfaced, but this time nobody was laughing. As an
interesting turn of events, it was McClenny who approached Bilski with the
merger idea on this go 'round, and early this year - knowing that they
were doubling many efforts, Bilski agreed. The merger involves a bit of
work including reworking the software for the two systems, merging two
5000 member databases, and piles of paperwork associated with such a
venture. While it is a big step, both men are looking forward to their new
creation with excited anticipation.
The WorldNet, (703) 620-8900, will offer 33 lines, extensive Internet
with
Telnet, over 12 gigabytes of files, and if everything goes as planned -
will be open for business April 1 - no fooling!
Besides the BBS, the two also plan on utilizing Bilski's talents and
expertise as a certified Novell engineer by installing PCBoard for
companies, organizations and individuals. Bilski, who works for his
employer on a reduced schedule of three days per week - considers the
possibility of one day working full time as a sysop. If this happens, it
is likely he will spend most of his time engrossed with the Internet, and
tinkering with Telnet.
Listening to him talk about telnetting you'd think you were listening
to a
1950s radio commercial, "It is new, unique and fun to use Telnet." he
says, but it doesn't take long for you to realize that he isn't trying to
sell you on anything - he's just excited. Watching people telnet to his
board from Italy, Brazil, Singapore and Japan, is the thrill of his day.
And for good reason - it seems that Telnet has been very, very good to
him. A certain Christina "Tina" Hughes, the significant other in Bilski's
life who is on assignment in Japan for the company she works for,
telnetted a "Yes" from Japan this last Valentine's Day onto Bilski's Main
Frame. Bilski's comment, "She took her time to decide, but I got my answer
and I'm happy about it." It seems that merging and BBSing are in all
facets of Bilski's life.
While many smaller BBS operators fear one day being swallowed by the
larger services, eventually drowning in an online sea of anonymity, these
two have ensured their existence as one of the big fish to be contended
with in the D.C. area. Thanks to the cyber realm, the much fabled and
ballyhooed "Land of Opportunity" seems to be just that, at least for one
Polish immigrant. And for many others, whether they are in America,
Africa, Europe or Eurasia - opportunity seems to exist wherever a phone
line, computer, modem and will come together.
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