Yusupov's House: Difference between revisions
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'''Yusupov's House''' was a bulletin board system (BBS) based in [[Ghent]], Belgium, | '''Yusupov's House''' was a [[bulletin board system]] (BBS) based in [[Ghent]], Belgium, operated by [[Michel Vuijlsteke]] between 1990 and 1995. It was a single–line system running under DOS with [[QuickBBS]] software and connected to [[FidoNet]] as node '''2:291/1925'''.<ref name="VuijlstekeAbout">Michel Vuijlsteke, "Over mezelf", blog.zog.org, <span class="plainlinks">[https://blog.zog.org/about https://blog.zog.org/about]</span>, accessed 1 October 2025. (in Dutch)</ref><ref name="Nodelist">“Nodelist history search: History of node 2:291/1925,” NodeHist, accessed 1 October 2025, https://nodehist.fidonet.org.ua/?address=2%3A291%2F1925</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
Vuijlsteke launched the | Vuijlsteke launched the BBS in 1990 on a personal computer equipped with a USRobotics Courier/Sportster 2400 baud modem. In 1992 he upgraded to a [[ZyXEL U-1496]], enabling connections at 14.4 kbit/s. The system offered standard message boards, freeware file areas, and a small selection of door games. It also carried Vuijlsteke’s ANSI artwork, created with ''TheDraw'', which gave the board a distinctive visual identity.<ref name="VuijlstekeInterview">Michel Vuijlsteke, interview, 1 October 2025. Interview about memories of his BBS, Yusupov's House.</ref> | ||
Although listed in | Although listed in national BBS directories, Yusupov’s House attracted only a handful of regular users and was mostly accessed by random callers. According to Vuijlsteke, unexplained calls to the system’s telephone line continued for years after the BBS had been shut down, a sign that people were still attempting to connect long after its closure.<ref name="VuijlstekeAbout" /> | ||
== Name == | == Name == | ||
The | The title ''Yusupov’s House'' was chosen spontaneously. While reading Leo Tolstoy’s ''[[War and Peace]]'', Vuijlsteke opened the book at random and encountered the sentence, “I was driving past Yusúpov’s house just now.” He adopted it immediately as the name of the board.<ref name="VuijlstekeInterview" /> | ||
== Closure == | == Closure == | ||
The | The system was discontinued in 1995 following the introduction of [[Trumpet Winsock]], which enabled Vuijlsteke to connect to the Internet via dial-up under Microsoft Windows. With the spread of consumer Internet access, the practical need to maintain a personal BBS quickly disappeared.<ref name="VuijlstekeInterview" /> | ||
== Legacy == | == Legacy == | ||
No | No message archives, file collections, or other artifacts of Yusupov’s House are known to have survived. Its existence is chiefly recorded in Vuijlsteke’s later writings and recollections.<ref name="VuijlstekeAbout" /> | ||
Although modest in scale, Yusupov’s House illustrates the transition from grassroots BBS culture to the commercial Internet in Belgium. Running the system introduced Vuijlsteke to online community management, digital publishing, and technical experimentation at a time when such practices were rare outside specialist circles. | |||
He would go on to become one of Belgium’s early Internet professionals, creating websites commercially by 1993–1994. In 1995 he joined [[Netpoint]], among the first Belgian web development companies, which later evolved into part of [[Unit4Agresso|Amercom België]]. His later work included roles in information architecture, advertising technology, and eventually user experience leadership at [[Ghent University]].<ref name="VuijlstekeInterview" /><ref name="VuijlstekeAbout" /> | |||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 32: | Line 36: | ||
* [[FidoNet]] | * [[FidoNet]] | ||
* [[History of the Internet in Belgium]] | * [[History of the Internet in Belgium]] | ||
* [[Michel Vuijlsteke]] | |||
== References == | == References == | ||
Latest revision as of 10:40, 4 October 2025
| Yusupov's House | |
|---|---|
| Sysop | Michel Vuijlsteke |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Closed | 1995 |
| City | Ghent |
| Country | Belgium |
| Software | QuickBBS |
| Operating System | DOS |
| Modem Speeds | 2400, 14.4k |
| Networks | FidoNet (2:291/1925) |
Yusupov's House was a bulletin board system (BBS) based in Ghent, Belgium, operated by Michel Vuijlsteke between 1990 and 1995. It was a single–line system running under DOS with QuickBBS software and connected to FidoNet as node 2:291/1925.[1][2]
History
Vuijlsteke launched the BBS in 1990 on a personal computer equipped with a USRobotics Courier/Sportster 2400 baud modem. In 1992 he upgraded to a ZyXEL U-1496, enabling connections at 14.4 kbit/s. The system offered standard message boards, freeware file areas, and a small selection of door games. It also carried Vuijlsteke’s ANSI artwork, created with TheDraw, which gave the board a distinctive visual identity.[3]
Although listed in national BBS directories, Yusupov’s House attracted only a handful of regular users and was mostly accessed by random callers. According to Vuijlsteke, unexplained calls to the system’s telephone line continued for years after the BBS had been shut down, a sign that people were still attempting to connect long after its closure.[1]
Name
The title Yusupov’s House was chosen spontaneously. While reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Vuijlsteke opened the book at random and encountered the sentence, “I was driving past Yusúpov’s house just now.” He adopted it immediately as the name of the board.[3]
Closure
The system was discontinued in 1995 following the introduction of Trumpet Winsock, which enabled Vuijlsteke to connect to the Internet via dial-up under Microsoft Windows. With the spread of consumer Internet access, the practical need to maintain a personal BBS quickly disappeared.[3]
Legacy
No message archives, file collections, or other artifacts of Yusupov’s House are known to have survived. Its existence is chiefly recorded in Vuijlsteke’s later writings and recollections.[1]
Although modest in scale, Yusupov’s House illustrates the transition from grassroots BBS culture to the commercial Internet in Belgium. Running the system introduced Vuijlsteke to online community management, digital publishing, and technical experimentation at a time when such practices were rare outside specialist circles.
He would go on to become one of Belgium’s early Internet professionals, creating websites commercially by 1993–1994. In 1995 he joined Netpoint, among the first Belgian web development companies, which later evolved into part of Amercom België. His later work included roles in information architecture, advertising technology, and eventually user experience leadership at Ghent University.[3][1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Michel Vuijlsteke, "Over mezelf", blog.zog.org, https://blog.zog.org/about, accessed 1 October 2025. (in Dutch)
- ↑ “Nodelist history search: History of node 2:291/1925,” NodeHist, accessed 1 October 2025, https://nodehist.fidonet.org.ua/?address=2%3A291%2F1925
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Michel Vuijlsteke, interview, 1 October 2025. Interview about memories of his BBS, Yusupov's House.