[comp.unix.microport] proposal for news usenet section

sandy@turnkey.TCC.COM (Sanford 'Sandy' Zelkovitz) (04/20/88)

I would like to propose the adoption of a new section under comp.unix called
comp.unix.bbs. This section would specialize in news and related items about
public access unix/xenix systems. Within this section would be software to
run your own public access system, modifications for the above mentioned
software, and announcements of public access systems. Further, I would also
like to propose that this section be unmoderated since most system
administrators that run such systems would be more than qualified to moderate
their inputs.
 
Since I am not familiar with the protocols necessary to start a new section,
I hope that others would help me with this task.
 
Firstly, my original contribution to this new section will be my source code
for XBBS. Secondly, I will make known which systems are running XBBS as a
public access system. Since many are running the code internally, they
will not be known. Finally, I can relay all messages that I receive from
others, that call my system concerning this section, onto this section.
 
Finally, I propose that ONLY free access systems be allowed to "advertise"
their existence since this section would NOT be available for profit seekers.
 
I would appreciate the input from others along with the necessary requirements
for the birth of this new section.
 
Sanford ( Sandy ) Zelkovitz       XBBS  714-828-0288

                     ......!ihnp4!hermix!alphacm!sandy
                     ......!ucbvax!ucivax!icnvax!alphacm!sandy
                     ......!trwcb!ucla-an!alphacm!sandy
                     ......!uunet!ccicpg!turnkey!alphacm!sandy

davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) (04/21/88)

  I like the idea, but I'm not sure there's a lot of need for it in the
mind of the backbone. There is a mailing list, but it isn't very active.
How about an alt.sysop group?
-- 
	bill davidsen		(wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
  {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me

root@mjbtn.UUCP (Mark J. Bailey) (04/22/88)

I believe there is already a whole branch of the network called 'pubnet'
which is geared for public access systems.  They have a pubnet.talk and
pubnet.sysop for topics of importance, and also a pubnet.sources for PD
software to support such activities.  

Check with you news host and see if you can get them.

Hope this helps.

Mark.

-- 
       Mark J. Bailey  _____________________________________________________
      _________________\                                              _____|
     >                          @ Nashville            Knoxville    _/
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   > 	Jackson +                 <*> MURFREESBORO          _/
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<______________________________________________+_______/        JobSoft     
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 FIDO: Mark Bailey at Net/Node 1:116/12                  Murfreesboro, TN  USA

manes@dasys1.UUCP (Steve Manes) (04/24/88)

In article <185@turnkey.TCC.COM> sandy@turnkey.TCC.COM (Sanford 'Sandy' Zelkovitz) writes:
>
>I would like to propose the adoption of a new section under comp.unix called
>comp.unix.bbs. This section would specialize in news and related items about
>public access unix/xenix systems. Within this section would be software to
>run your own public access system, modifications for the above mentioned
>software, and announcements of public access systems. Further, I would also
>like to propose that this section be unmoderated since most system
>administrators that run such systems would be more than qualified to moderate
>their inputs.
 
I second the motion, with all due self-serving arm-waving (I just released
Magpie/*ix as user-supported software).  Usenet itself is about both
BBSing and Unix so I'm kind of surprised that such a newsgroup doesn't
already exist.

With the affordability of high-powered micros and the increasing emigration
from DOS to *ix I've seen (maybe I'm too close to it all) an explosion in
*ix BBSes here in NYC.  I think the mainstream sysop is learning that Unix
and Xenix are the ideal operating systems for running a BBS: they're
naturally multiuser and, since a BBS is a pretty low-demand process, you
can run a very active system (3 or 4 lines) with very little overhead.
Most importantly, you don't lose local access to your machine for other
jobs.  And, with vp/IX and DOSMerge, you can still have your cake.

>Firstly, my original contribution to this new section will be my source code
>for XBBS.
 
I'll upload my Magpie/Xenix386/286 packages (uport's on the way).  I'm
distributing Magpie in executable form only for a number of reasons
irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

For those who haven't used it (few outside NYC have), Magpie is a
tree-structured, archival, mostly command-driven BBS.  In terms of message
recovery, searching and message base control (basically, you "navigate" on
Magpie) nothing comes close.  The downside is that it's not an easy BBS to
learn.  Anyone interested in seeing Magpie (and downloading it), please
call the number in the .signature.

I think this could be a very interesting discussion group for a broad
demograph of Usenet users.

-- 
+-----
+ Steve Manes
+ decvax!philabs!cmcl2!hombre!magpie!manes       Magpie BBS: 212-420-0527
+ SmartMail:  manes@magpie.MASA.COM