• Sparky

    From Cougar428@VERT to ALL on Wed Feb 1 12:48:00 2023
    Hello all;

    I have recently started using the BBS net services again. in the
    late 80's/early 90's, I was an avid fan and used to download QWK
    packets and read them offline with the reader QMail Deluxe 2 and had
    John Hancock 3 for taglines. I registered both of these
    applications using the shareware system at the time. Alas, I don't
    have the floppies that were sent to me with the .key files that you
    had to use to register them.

    I have been trying to find a way to contact the creators. I realize
    there is little to no chance of this happening. So JH3 I can use
    the shareware version without registering. But for the Deluxe2
    reader, it will only read the main board and limits me to reading 40
    (I think) messages. This is a limitation I can't get around.

    So I tried looking for Mark Herring who created the software, and by
    the way he also created the QWK format. Much to my suprise, Mark
    (Sparky) Herring had been the victim of a 'swatting' attack by
    someone who wanted one of his instagram or twitter handles. When
    his house was swatted, he ended up dying of a heart attack at age
    60. This happened in 2021.

    This really makes me feel sad. Some pissant wanted his instagram
    name so they started having pizza's delivered to his (and his
    family's) house at all hours of the day and night. Then they
    started threatening him using the internet to claim he was a
    pedophile or some other nasty criminal.

    Pretty sad that an outstanding person like Mark Herring lost his
    life due to an idiot that wanted his 'handle' so he could sell it
    for a profit. I guess no one will ever register Deluxe2 again.

    Makes me angry thinking about it. Sorry for the rant.

    Cougar


    ... He's got a magnet! Everyone BACKUP!!

    ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.20

    ---
    þ Synchronet þ Vertrauen þ Home of Synchronet þ [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net