05:23 <sn0wmonster> i understand the issue with it (flooding, distracting from discussion, etc), but as someone who loves ASCII/ANSI/PETSCII art, i have had trouble finding a channel that is friendly to it. even this channel would likely kick/ban if i started posting it, on-topic or otherwise, so i started ##ASCIIart. if there's any ASCII/ANSI/PETSCII art enthusiasts, you're welcome there to share any there without fear of being kicked :)

06:33 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: I wrote my given name in code page 437 line drawing characters, as used on my personal Web site, http://brolin.be/ . I have the same text/art in a file named brolin.ans that can be used in /etc/issue (correct file name?) to be printed on a *nix virtual terminal before the program named login runs.

06:43 <sn0wmonster> hehe

06:48 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: Do you have a connection to the developer of SkiFree? I forgot his name.

06:50 <brolin_empey> Chris P.?

06:51 <brolin_empey> Yes, Chris Pirih.

06:53 <sn0wmonster> https://skifree-snowmonster.github.io/footprints

06:53 <sn0wmonster> ^ the connection

06:53 <sn0wmonster> :)

07:09 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: I redd that page. The referenced [1] is neat but it is significantly different than the original SkiFree: apparently it does not support using the numeric keypad for control, it appears to lack the three courses beginning just below the starting position, it lacks dogs and chair lifts. I skied (sp?) 4220 m downhill from the starting position but I did not see the yeti (you?).

07:09 <brolin_empey> [1] https://basicallydan.github.io/skifree.js/

07:10 <sn0wmonster> indeed. it's not a good port :)

07:15 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: It is not a port, it is a partial recreation made by a fan. SkiFree is written in C (not JavaScript) using the Microsoft Windows API and is still closed source. SkiFree was released 4 years before Netscape introduced JavaScript.

07:17 <sn0wmonster> indeed. a partial recreation that doesn't satisfy the thrill of getting chased by the yeti

07:19 <brolin_empey> I do not think there was even a GUI Web browser for Windows when SkiFree was released in 1991. IIRC, Chello was the first Web browser released for Windows but Chello was not released until 1993 or maybe 1992 at the earliest.

07:22 <brolin_empey> Windows 3.0, released on 1990‑05‑22, already used a hypertext help system that resembles an early GUI Web browser, though.

07:23 <sn0wmonster> Was Gopher out yet at that time?

07:46 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: The English-language Wikipedia says “Gopher system was released in mid-1991…”.

07:53 <brolin_empey> TIL that there is a Gopher interface to Wikipedia.

07:57 <brolin_empey> sn0wmonster: Anyway, I originally wanted to say that I have more experience with SkiFree than with skiing In Real Life. :-D

08:04 <sn0wmonster> brolin_empey, let's hope the same perils don't exist for skiing in real life! :)

08:09 <brolin_empey> I live near real mountains, some of which are used for skiing, but driving down long or steep hills or even mountains makes me worry about my brakes failing from using them too much.

16:27 <brolin_empey> s/Chello/Cello/gi

16:29 <brolin_empey> Yes, the first (GUI) Web browsers for Microsoft Windows were released in 1993.

16:29 <Joerg-Neo900> ?

16:30 <Joerg-Neo900> -ECHAN?

16:33 <brolin_empey> Joerg-Neo900: Read the recent backlog for this channel. I was replying to my conversation with sn0wmonster.

16:34 <sn0wmonster> which is much appreciated -- so much history of computing is better than the present :(