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09/25/05 - I decided to fire up mTelnet and 'call' around a few BBS's that
I visited while I was active in Renegade programming as well as after I
had presumptiously laid Renegade to rest (Patrick Spence decided to allow
another person a shot).  My first visit was "Dreamland BBS", the SysOp
"dm" had been a longtime Renegade supporter, was an Renegade BBS Alpha
node back in the "hay day" and offered much assistance to me when I was
the Renegade programmer.  Upon my visit to his BBS, I took notice he was
running Mystic BBS (a nice BBS package, however, it seems the creator of
this package got the dreaded "BBS Programmers Flu"), astonished to say the
least, I decided to visit the Mystic BBS website.  Upon my visit there and
reading that it's creator seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth,
I read a post by "grem" which read simply : "It's not like someone's going
to steal the source and get lots of money and fame by releasing their own
Mystic-based BBS software. BBSs are long past those days. Even if nothing
happens with the project after the source is released it's still not a
loss; nothing happens as it is anyway."  -- I thought, "How true."

Before this goes further, I want to say this; I DID make a promise to
Patrick Spence to NOT release the source code.  That out of the way, I did
make such promise indeed, however, it was under the impression we were on
a friendly and mutual relationship.  Recently it seemed for whatever
reason, I was shunt out.  I'm not a man of revenge and I'd like to think I
do not act immaturely, however, this "shunting" of sorts was enough for me
to consider that promise made years ago to be null void.

That brings us to the release of the Renegade BBS version Y2K (the first
Y2K compliant version of Renegade released by me - Jeff Herrings) Alpha
revision 2 (the reason for the 2nd revision is an embarassing one...
simply, put; I compiled and "zipped up" the wrong directory of a 'version'
that still had obvious and ridiculous bugs in it, due to my excitement of
releasing the first Renegade Y2K compliant version).  I decided to upload
the source code to the "Dreamland BBS" first, then suffice to say, I
visited every and any BBS I could to ensure it was released and the word
got out.

Needless to say, upon visiting bbsdocumentary.com (which I often do and am
still contemplating on purchasing the DVD's now or actually allow my wife
to purchase them for me as a present) today on 09/27/05, low-and-behold
the source code has already made it's way around [the world --
undoubtedly].   However, with the description of "Purported Renegade 2
Source."  So I felt the need to clarify the reasons, blanks and confusion,
as well as confirm the source code that I released is authentic and
-should- compile with no issues (using Turbo Pascal 7.0 atleast).

It's time the world is allowed to have what was so ridiculously guarded
after it was obvious that the "BBS scene" was dying (for the lack of a
better word).  The only reason I can come up with as to why any source
code to a FREE software would be kept "locked up" is because the
programmer  (s) wish to keep the "recognition" that he/she/they are...
'THE' programmers (ie. arrogance).  Aside from, of course, promises made
for software such as Renegade BBS, albeit, it is said, "Promises are made
to be broken."  Releasing the source code is my LAST contribution to
Renegade (may many talented persons hopefully revive it and get it up to
speed - not to discredit the current programmers!) and simply... the
BBSers.
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