TAG
T.A.G. (usually written TAG) is a freeware bulletin board system for MS-DOS, written in Turbo/Borland Pascal and released from 1986 to 1999 by "The TAG Team" of Troy, Michigan. The original authors were Robert Numerick and Victor Capton; Randy Goebel, Paul Loeber, Paul Williams and Alan Jurison joined the team in later years. TAG began as a fork of early WWIV source code and grew into a full-featured system with its own FidoNet-compatible mail processor (TagMail), a menu editor, a string compiler for customising every prompt and, from version 2.6, multinode support.
At its peak just over 1,000 TAG boards were running, mostly in the United States and Canada, with the heaviest concentration around Detroit, where TAG had a friendly rivalry with Telegard, another Detroit-area WWIV descendant. TAG was always free; the team asked only for optional donations and a small handling fee for disks by mail.
Each release was split into companion packages that share a version suffix: TAGS (start-up package for a new board, including the installer), TAGM (main program, TAG.EXE and TAG.OVR), TAGD (documentation), TAGR (Pascal and C record structures for third-party developers), TAGC (conversion utilities for upgrading data files), TAGU (update releases and release notes) and TAGW (spell-check dictionary). To bring up a new board you need the TAGS, TAGM and TAGD packages of the same version.
Version 2.7 (May 1994) was the last major release, adding RIP graphics and JAM message base support; 2.7b, 2.7c and 2.7d were maintenance updates, and the final release was 2.7d2, a Y2K fix, in December 1999.
Release chronology
Dates are taken from the RELEASE.DOC in each package, or from file timestamps where noted.
| Version | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5c | 1989 | Referenced in the November 1989 HOWTOTAG guide as the current version |
| 2.5f | 1 Jul 1990 | Start-up package still named GFILE25F |
| 2.5g | 2 Oct 1990 | Complete set of start-up, programs, documentation and record structures |
| 2.5g patch | Apr 1991 | Security patch fixing two problems |
| 2.6 | 1 Jan 1992 | Major upgrade; 2.5g documentation remained current |
| 2.6b | 19 May 1992 | First multinode release; introduced the TAGINST installer and MCONFIG |
| 2.6c | 21 May 1992 | Follow-up two days after 2.6b |
| 2.6d | 23 Jan 1993 | New main and menu documentation; first release credited to "The T.A.G. Team" |
| 2.6e | 27 Apr 1993 | EXE/OVR bug-fix release only |
| 2.6f | 1 Sep 1993 | Internal QWK offline mail support |
| 2.6f1 | late 1993 | Minor update, referenced by the 2.7 conversion package |
| 2.7 | 3 May 1994 | Last major release; RIP graphics and JAM message bases |
| 2.7b | Oct-Nov 1994 | Maintenance patch; CHAT.DAT chat tunes |
| 2.7c | 28 Dec 1994 | Maintenance patch |
| 2.7d | 1 Jan 1998 | Full EXE/OVR replacement after a three-year gap |
| 2.7d1 | 1999 | First Y2K fix, mentioned in the 2.7d2 notes |
| 2.7d2 | 26 Dec 1999 | Final release; JAM message base Y2K fix |
This category holds the core TAG Team releases every sysop needed. Optional official packages (nodelist indexer, spell-check dictionary, record structures for developers) are in TAG Team Add-Ons, the monthly TAGLIST BBS lists are in TAG BBS List, and third-party utilities, doors and sysop guides written for TAG are in TAG Utilities.
21 archives
Subcategories
| Title | Year | Files | Size | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG 2.5f Start-Up Package (GFILE25F) | 1990 | 6 | 50.5 KB | Robert Numerick start-up package TAG TAG Team Victor Capton |
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Start-up package and associated documentation for TAG 2.5f, released 1 July 1990 by Robert Numerick and Victor Capton. Contains START25F.DOC (start-up instructions by Victor Capton), BBS25F.ZIP (starter files for the main BBS directory), SUPP25F.ZIP (supplementary data files), NEWUSERQ.ZIP (sample new-user questionnaire) and ANSIMENU.ZIP (sample ANSI menus).
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| TAG 2.5g Main Documentation (TAGD25G) | 1990 | 4 | 109 KB | documentation TAG TAG Team |
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Main documentation package for TAG 2.5g, released 2 October 1990. MAIN25G.DOC is the complete 315 KB sysop manual (installation, configuration, user records, message and file sections, doors, protocols, events); MENU25G.DOC documents the menu system and menu editor; DOORSYS.TXT is the DOOR.SYS door-interface standard that TAG supports. Companion packages: TAGS25G (start-up), TAGM25G (programs), TAGR25G (record structures).
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| TAG 2.5g Main Programs (TAGM25G) | 1990 | 6 | 264.5 KB | Robert Numerick TAG TAG Team Victor Capton |
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Main program package for TAG 2.5g, released 2 October 1990 by Robert Numerick and Victor Capton. Contains TAG.EXE and its TAG.OVR overlay file, NEW25G.DOC (update documentation covering the changes and conversion issues from 2.5f), ADD2LIST.TXT (questionnaire for the national TAG listing) and REQDISK.TXT (how to order TAG on disk from the TAG Team, P.O. Box 4214, Troy, MI). Requires the TAGS25G start-up package for a new installation; TAGD25G has the full manual.
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| TAG 2.5g Start-Up Package (TAGS25G) | 1990 | 8 | 57 KB | start-up package TAG TAG Team |
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Start-up package for a new TAG 2.5g board, released 2 October 1990. START25G.DOC gives the step-by-step start-up instructions (CONFIG.SYS settings, directory layout, first login); BBS25G.ZIP holds the starter files for the main BBS directory, SUPP25G.ZIP the supplementary data files, NEWUSERQ.ZIP a sample new-user questionnaire and ANSIMENU.ZIP sample ANSI menus. Also includes ADD2LIST.TXT (national BBS listing questionnaire) and REQDISK.TXT (ordering TAG on disk). Use together with TAGM25G (programs) and TAGD25G (documentation) for a complete installation.
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| TagMail v2.41 | 1990 | 11 | 190 KB | echomail FidoNet TAG tagmail |
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TagMail version 2.41 (October 1990), the FidoNet-compatible echomail and netmail processor for TAG. Contains TAGMAIL.EXE, MAKEPRM.EXE (parameter file builder), MSGUSERS.EXE, RENUMBER.EXE (message base maintenance), MAILWAIT.EXE (mail-waiting notification), sample batch files (TMSHELL.BAT, MW.BAT), DOCS_240.ZIP (documentation), MENU_240.ZIP and SAMP_240.ZIP (sample menus and configuration) and TMTEST.LST, the list of TagMail beta-test sites. TagMail works alongside a FidoNet mailer such as BinkleyTerm or FrontDoor.
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| TAG 2.5g Security Patch (PATCH25G) | 1991 | 4 | 7 KB | patch security TAG TAG Team |
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System patch for TAG 2.5g (April 1991) fixing two security problems. Patch #1 (PATCH25G.EXE) writes corrections into TAG.OVR to remove local per-directory archive testing (ZIPFT/ARCFT/LZHFT/PAKFT.BAT), which could be abused; global archive testing is unaffected. Patch #2 adds the DSZ "restrict" option to batch uploads via the included CDD.EXE and DSZBATUL.BAT wrapper, and applies to any TAG version with the protocol editor.
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| TAG 2.6 Conversion Package (TAGC26) | 1992 | 9 | 78.5 KB | conversion TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Conversion package to upgrade a TAG 2.5g system to version 2.6, released 1 January 1992. CONV26.EXE converts the 2.5g data files; CONV26.DOC is the conversion and update documentation and warns to allow two to three hours, as 2.6 made major changes. Also includes FILETEST.BAT, STATUS.MSG and BATCHUL.ZIP (batch upload protocol files).
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| TAG 2.6b (Multinode) Update Documentation (TAGU26B) | 1992 | 4 | 9.5 KB | documentation multinode TAG TAG Team |
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Update documentation package for TAG 2.6b, the first multinode release, dated 19 May 1992. TAG26B.DOC explains the changes and bug fixes from 2.6 to 2.6b; RELEASE.DOC lists the full 2.6b release set (TAGM26B main programs, TAGC26B conversion, TAGR26B Turbo Pascal 6.0 record structures, TAGS26B start-up with the new TAGINST.EXE installer, plus the unchanged TAGW26 dictionary package). PCM.805 is a banner from Pacific Coast Micro BBS, from which this copy was redistributed.
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| TAG 2.6b Conversion Package (TAGC26B) | 1992 | 5 | 56.5 KB | conversion multinode TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Conversion package for upgrading TAG 2.6 to 2.6b, dated 19 May 1992. CONV26B.EXE converts the data files (documented in CONV26B.DOC) and MCONFIG.EXE is the new utility for setting TAG directory paths from DOS (MCONFIG.DOC). Companion to TAGU26B, the 2.6b (multinode) update documentation already in this category.
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| TAG 2.6c Start-Up Package (TAGS26C) | 1992 | 61 | 83.8 KB | start-up package TAG TAG Team |
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Start-up package for a new TAG 2.6c board, dated 20-21 May 1992. Pair with TAGM26C and the 2.5g/2.6 documentation.
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| TAG 2.6d Conversion Package (TAGC26D) | 1993 | 3 | 9.4 KB | conversion TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Conversion package for upgrading TAG 2.6c or 2.6c1 to 2.6d, released 23 January 1993. CONV26D.EXE converts the data files; CONV26D.DOC documents the process. RELEASE.DOC marks the 2.6d release set as required for new or existing systems: TAGM26D, TAGD26D (new main and menu documentation), TAGS26D, TAGC26D, TAGN26D (nodelist compiler), TAGR26D (Borland Pascal 7.0 and C record structures) and TAGW26.
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| TAG 2.6f Conversion Package (TAGC26F) | 1993 | 5 | 14.5 KB | conversion QWK TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Conversion package for upgrading TAG 2.6d or 2.6e to 2.6f, released 1 September 1993. CONV26F.EXE prompts for the new fields 2.6f needs, including QWK conference numbers and names for each message base (2.6f added internal QWK offline mail support); CONV26F.DOC documents it. TAGARC.BAT and TAGUNARC.BAT are the new archiver batch files used for QWK packets. Existing systems must run this before installing TAGM26F.
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| TAG 2.6f Main Programs (TAGM26F) | 1993 | 10 | 340.8 KB | QWK TAG TAG Team |
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Main program package for TAG 2.6f, released 1 September 1993. Existing 2.6d/2.6e systems must run TAGC26F first
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| TAG 2.7 Conversion Package (TAGC27) | 1994 | 4 | 15.3 KB | conversion RIP TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Conversion package for upgrading TAG 2.6f or 2.6f1 to 2.7, released 3 May 1994. CONV27.EXE converts the data files (CONV27.DOC documents the steps) and RIPSEND.BAT is the new batch file TAG 2.7 uses to send updated RIP icons to callers. Required only for existing systems; new boards use TAGS27 instead.
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| TAG 2.7 Documentation (TAGD27) | 1994 | 6 | 129.1 KB | documentation TAG TAG Team |
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Documentation package for TAG 2.7, released 3 May 1994
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| TAG 2.7 Main Programs (TAGM27) | 1994 | 10 | 391.5 KB | JAM RIP TAG TAG Team Victor Capton |
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Main program package for TAG 2.7, released 3 May 1994. Contains TAG.EXE and its TAG.OVR overlay, TAGSTR.EXE (the string compiler) with the MSTRDEF.TXT and TSTRDEF.TXT default user and system string files, FINDRIP.EXE (builds the RIP icon list), MCONFIG.EXE/DOC (set TAG paths from DOS) and NEW27.DOC, the 2.7 update documentation.
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| TAG 2.7 Start-Up Package (TAGS27) | 1994 | 72 | 76.1 KB | start-up package TAG TAG Team |
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Start-up package for a new TAG 2.7 board, released 3 May 1994 and required for new systems only. INSTALL.EXE unpacks the starter directories from BBS27.ZIP (main BBS directory), DFILE27.ZIP (data files) and AFILE27.ZIP (alternate text files); START27.DOC walks through the first-time setup. Also includes ANSIMENU.ZIP and RIPMENU.ZIP (sample ANSI and RIP menus), NEWUSERQ.ZIP (sample new-user questionnaire) and REQDISK.TXT (ordering TAG on disk). Use with TAGM27 (programs) and TAGD27 (documentation).
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| TAG 2.7b Maintenance Release (TAGU27B) | 1994 | 7 | 123.8 KB | patch TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Maintenance release patching TAG 2.7 Standard to version 2.7b Changes described in TAG27B.DOC: a new default MSTRDEF.TXT, RemoteAccess-style CHAT.DAT chat-call tunes with a configurable page length, and assorted fixes. Must be applied on top of TAGM27 before TAGU27C.
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| TAG 2.7c Maintenance Release (TAGU27C) | 1994 | 6 | 22.9 KB | patch TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Maintenance release patching TAG 2.7b to version 2.7c TAG27C.DOC lists the changes. Requires 2.7b (TAGU27B) already applied.
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| TAG 2.7d Maintenance Release (TAGU27D) | 1998 | 6 | 337.7 KB | JAM TAG TAG Team upgrade |
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Maintenance release bringing any TAG 2.7 or later system to version 2.7d, dated 1 January 1998. Unlike the 2.7b/2.7c patches this is a full replacement. TAG27D.DOC lists the changes
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| TAG 2.7d2 Y2K Maintenance Release (TAGU27D2) | 1999 | 3 | 314.2 KB | Alan Jurison TAG TAG Team upgrade Victor Capton Y2K |
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The final TAG release: version 2.7d2, dated 26 December 1999. 2.7d2 corrects a JAM message base Y2K issue. Contacts given for problems are Alan Jurison and Victor Capton.
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