Mailbox (BBS) · Scene document

The DreamList Archive

The DreamList was the phone book of the Swiss and Liechtenstein mailbox scene: a monthly updated directory of the systems in both countries – with phone number, speed, sysop, software and network addresses. Founded in 1989 by "Byte Rider"; later "D-Light" carried the list forward. Freely distributed over Fidonet, Usenet, IRC and the still-young internet of the time.

Nine issues from 1991 to 1996 are archived here, roughly twice a year. Together they show the whole Swiss scene – from its rise to its decline, as the internet replaced the mailboxes. And they are an independent record of how Empire BBS grew over the years.

Empire BBS over time

The same mailbox, issue by issue – from the first mention in 1991 to the last surviving list in 1996. The development can be read straight out of the entries: more lines, bigger hard drives, ISDN, new network addresses.

The DreamList was maintained by hand and wasn't always consistent – Liechtenstein appears sometimes as "Eschen/FL", sometimes as "Vaduz/FL", and occasionally an entry was missing entirely. That's why Empire BBS shows up under changing headings across the issues.

  1. Not listed yet.

    Empire BBS isn’t listed here yet – the mailbox only went online later in 1991. This issue shows the scene right before that.

  2. 075 3 4926 Empire BBS          H96 ---P  Roman Kuser, 190 megs

    The earliest evidence: Empire BBS with an HST modem (H96) and a 190 MB hard drive, sysop Roman Kuser.

  3. ^075 3 4926 Empire BBS         24  ---P  Roman Kuser, 170mb, Amiga, IBM
    ^075 3 5984 Empire BBS         H96                             44:8010/904

    Half a year later with a second line and the addition “Amiga, IBM”.

  4. 075 3 4926 Empire BBS          24  ---P  Roman Kuser, 170mb, Amiga, IBM
    075 3 5984 Empire BBS          H

    Two lines, 170 MB. The scene is growing noticeably.

  5. 075373 4926 Empire BBS         24  IA--X  Roman Kuser, 620mb   44:8010/904
    075373 5984 Empire BBS         +H+V IA--X                      44:8010/901, 2:301/416

    Grown considerably: 620 MB and its own network addresses in AmiNet (44:8010/…) and Fidonet (2:301/416).

  6. 075373 5984 Empire BBS........ +H+V iAs-X  Roman Kuser........ 2:301/416
    075373 4926 Empire BBS........ H    iAs-X  CD-ROMs............ 44:8010/901
    075370 1085 Empire BBS........ IM   iAs-X  Roman Kuser........ 2:301/472

    Three lines under the “Eschen/FL” heading, including one ISDN line (2:301/472) and a CD-ROM offering.

  7. 075370 1136 Empire BBS........ +H+T iAs-XL Roman Kuser........ 44:8010/901
    075370 1137 Empire BBS........ +H+V iAs-XL CD-ROMs, ISDN...... 44:8010/904
    075370 1085 Empire BBS........ IM   iAs-XL Roman Kuser........ 2:301/472

    Now listed under “Vaduz/FL”, with a T modem (V.FC/Terbo), ISDN and several network addresses.

  8. 075370 1136 Empire BBS........ +H+T iAs-XL Roman Kuser........ 44:8010/901
    075370 1137 Empire BBS........ +H+V iAs-XL CD-ROMs, ISDN...... 44:8010/904
    075370 1085 Empire BBS........ IM   iAs-XL Roman Kuser........ 2:301/472

    Empire BBS at its peak – so was the scene, with over 700 systems nationwide.

  9. |Empire BBS      |075-3701136 |14.4|  |   |                    |R.Kuser  |pAs-|F-I-E-|--C-|Xeno|44:8010/901   USR21|
    |                |075-3701137 |14.4|  |   |                    |         |    |      |    |    |44:8010/904    DUAL|
    |                |075-3701085 |ISDN|  |   |                    |         |    |      |    |    |2:301/472          |

    The latest surviving issue, in the new table format: two 14.4k lines and one ISDN line, running Xenolink.

How many mailboxes there were

The issues themselves sometimes state the number of listed systems – from a good 550 (early 1994) to the peak of over 700 (spring 1995) and then the decline, as the internet replaced the scene. A chart is coming once the figures from all the years have been cleanly evaluated.

All issues in the original

Every issue in its original state – from the editor's news through all the regions to the explanations of the columns.(Wide – the view scrolls horizontally and scrolls vertically within the window.)

February 1991
Dream BBS List · February 1991

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1991-02.txt)

May 1991Empire listed
Dream BBS List · May 1991

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1991-05.txt)

November 1991Empire listed
Dream BBS List · November 1991

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1991-11.txt)

May 1992Empire listed
Dream BBS List · May 1992

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1992-05.txt)

May 1993Empire listed
Dream BBS List · May 1993

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1993-05.txt)

February 1994Empire listed
Dream BBS List · February 1994

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1994-02.txt)

December 1994Empire listed
Dream BBS List · December 1994

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1994-12.txt)

March 1995Empire listed
Dream BBS List · March 1995

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1995-03.txt)

February 1996Empire listed
Dream BBS List · February 1996

↓ Download original (dreamlist-1996-02.txt)

© 1989–1996 Byte Rider / D-Light. The DreamList was deliberately distributed for free at the time and is reproduced here in the original as a historical document; the rights belong to the original publishers. Several issues come from publicly archived Usenet and scene sources.