rb@ccivax.UUCP (rex ballard) (10/10/85)
> > REQUIEM FOR A SYSOP > ------------------- > I just went >through the last two months of logs and came up with some interesting >statistics. During that time you have logged on 23 times, downloaded 66 files >and uploaded NONE. You have called for chat twice, and left a total of two >messages on the board, one requesting a specific program and the other ^^^ like a "PD" 1-2-3 clone?? > informing me of a disk error in a download file. > Whatever happened to the COMMUNICATIONS in telecommunications? > Who took the BULLETIN BOARD out of Bulletin Board System? >The file transfer section of my board is shiny from daily use, but the > bulletin section is obscured by cobwebs. >The Most Significant Byte BBS is no longer in existence. The Coroner's Report: This represents a case of what I call "The Community Theater" syndrome. The actors, directors, and producers open up a "Community Theater" where no one is paid, everyone is volenteer, and the audience gets to see the show for less than the price of a matinee movie. After a while, more "Community Theaters" open, again all volunteer. Now, the best Actors "Leave for Hollywood" where they will get paid. The Audience is disappointed because their "Star" has left. Soon, everybody has left but the Producer, and a few "green" performers. They wonder what went wrong. This guy, had a BBS that was "all volunteer". People hang on the line because "It's free", they suck a bulletin board of it's download files, then post them to some other board, to get "download priviledges". I would hope that the Sysops could find a happy medium between "free for all", and $6-$25/hour. I would gladly give my visa card number AND some "share-ware" which could be "sold" for a "couple of bucks", if you billed me at say $1/hour plus $1/program. I'd like to be able to MAKE a little too! If you don't want to take my VISA #, then let me "wire" something to you. You want me to use your Bulletin Board? Give me a simple editor so I can write "Knee-Jerk" responses to articles as I read them. I don't like having to write a response off-line and then try to locate it when I get back on again. If you REALLY want me to be active, give a better rate (free to half) on the BBS side. If you have advertisers, I'll probably at least get on the "mailing list". I get reluctant to put my name on some "PD" item that will end up all over the country with my name, and a couple of newly induced bugs in it. I'd rather call you on Telenet or something and avoid "Voice Long Distance" phone bills too! That way we BOTH stay honest. If you want to be a Software Distributer, then charge accordingly. Even a "Type In" program is worth the price of the magazine it came from. If you want to be a Bulletin Board, get some contriversial topics like religion, politics, sex, music, and abortion. Listen to talk radio, that will give you an idea of what "sells". Get some contriversial writers to contribute. Get things started with good "polarizing views". A good topic list is whatever is on the Supreme Court Docket. Then, sit back an watch the hard disk fill!