Early online paintball in New Zealand

Early online paintball in New Zealand developed through dial-up bulletin-board systems, inter-BBS networking and early World Wide Web services during the mid-1990s. Documented services included PaintNet, Mordor BBS, the Paintball Express website at paintball.co.nz and the later NZ Paintball Online service.

Bulletin-board systems

Before widespread public use of the World Wide Web, New Zealand paintball players used dial-up bulletin-board systems to exchange messages and information.

In 1995, Paintball Express advertised a dial-up bulletin-board service through which customers could download product listings. The company separately promoted access to PaintNet through Mordor BBS.[1]

PaintNet

PaintNet was a free electronic network operated by several members of the Auckland paintball team Kamo Karzi. Rob Maddox described the network in the article “Using the Net to Catch New Players”, published in Australian Paintballer in late 1995.[2]

The network carried general paintball discussion, tactical and technical advice, team messages, event listings and advertising. By the time of Maddox’s article, PaintNet connected nine bulletin-board nodes. Messages were also posted nightly to the Usenet newsgroup OtherNet.PaintNet.[2]

Players could access the network through participating systems including Mordor BBS in Auckland. Maddox was listed as the contact for Mordor BBS.[2]

Inter-BBS tournament

PaintNet organised an inter-BBS four-player stock-class tournament. Each participating bulletin-board system entered a team representing its users.

The tournament was won by the Mordor BBS team of Psyg, Allison, Hobbit and Wolf.[2]

Paintball Express website

Paintball Express announced plans for a website in an advertisement published in late 1995.[1] By April–June 1996, paintball.co.nz was operating as the company’s website. It provided prices, product photographs, paintball information and online ordering.[3]

New Zealand Internet-domain directories identified paintball.co.nz with Paintball Express in October 1996 and March 1997.[4][5] These records establish that Paintball Express controlled the domain during this period.

The domain was later associated with NZ Paintball Online, operated by Rob Maddox. The date and circumstances under which control passed from Paintball Express have not yet been established from contemporary published records.

Significance

The surviving records show that several distinct services contributed to New Zealand paintball’s early online presence:

• PaintNet provided discussion and communication between bulletin-board systems.
• Mordor BBS served as one of PaintNet’s Auckland access points.
• Paintball Express used its own bulletin board for commercial information.
• paintball.co.nz provided a commercial World Wide Web presence by 1996.
• NZ Paintball Online subsequently used paintball.co.nz under Rob Maddox.

PaintNet and Mordor BBS were associated with Maddox and members of Kamo Karzi, while the first documented operator of paintball.co.nz was Paintball Express. They should therefore not be treated as a single organisation.

See also

• Paintball Express
• Kamo Karzi
• Paintball in New Zealand
• History of paintball

References

1. Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. Advertises the company bulletin board, fax-on-demand service, planned website and access to PaintNet through Mordor BBS.
2. Rob Maddox, “Using the Net to Catch New Players”, Australian Paintballer, December 1995–February 1996. Describes PaintNet, its bulletin-board nodes, Usenet connection, Mordor BBS and the inter-BBS tournament.
3. Australian Paintballer, April–June 1996, Paintball Express advertisement. Advertises paintball.co.nz, product information, photographs and online ordering.
4. New Zealand Internet domain directory, October 1996. Lists paintball.co.nz as “Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland”.
5. New Zealand Internet domain directory, March 1997. Lists paintball.co.nz as “Paintball Express (NZ), Auckland”.