Many of the Parti users had migrated over from a student created BBS called BBS1 (circa 1985) which was accessed from its creator's personal account "astran" on the University of Iowa mainframe computer PrimeA.
The original message system was concealed inside their "Draw Poker" game and allowed the creators the ability to convey progress and leave notes regarding current projects.
The software eventually was altered and passed around by a rogue sysop in a version known as "STEALTH" which could be compiled and executed on a user's own personal account.
The main message system files were no longer safe or private once the general user population learned the directory names.
The anonymity of a handle was proven to be non-existent and the cracked software allowed anybody to read any file they chose and track users back to their originating personal accounts.
At its peak just before the rise of the World Wide Web, it supported more than a thousand users online simultaneously and a virtual velvet-roped queue in which hundreds more waited to log in when the system was very busy.
The popularity of ISCA as a meeting place, hangout, and occasionally a virtual dive bar gives a glimpse of what modern day chat rooms would become.
The cutover was scheduled for "sometime in 1998" and would have enabled the BBS to very easily run on commodity hardware (Intel PCs) rather than expensive, proprietary, and increasingly hard-to-obtain HP workstations.
Most of the functionality remains identical with a few changes, such as adding eXpress message retention, and removing delays during registration and idle account deletions.
ISCABBS ran on an HP Visualize model B132L workstation, with a 132 MHz processor, 192 MB of RAM, and two 2 GB SCSI disks.
Recently an annual "CampNic" is held at Whitebreast Campground at Lake Red Rock near Knoxville, IA for more "outdoorsey" meetings of the members of ISCABBS.
Membership of the new ISCA is open to all BBS users subject to approval by a 2/3 majority of existing members and payment of annual dues.