Hello Mike!

** On Tuesday 20.01.26 - 12:10, Mike wrote to Ogg:

What's wrong with having the same info and "bring together information"
right in the technology that it aims to promote? ie. via echomail.

Nothing wrong with a web-forum interface for messages, but then
export/share those messages in echomail here or via FTN.

Theoretically, that should be doable, but unfortunately not with my level of knowledge! I can only refer people to contacts in the FTNs on the
forum and, if necessary, provide the required software. As I already
wrote to Phigan, I don’t see the forum as competition, but as a possible starting point for those interested.

Sysops are poor advertisers of their own systems. They are not the ones who will go out and promote their sites on other channels.

At best there are places that list bbses: https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/, and even http://www.synchro.net/sbbslist.html ..is pretty good.

I don't think you will have a place that will act as a hub for actual sysops. Sysops already lurk/contribute either on their own systems or communicate on the sysop-based echoes that they need technical information about for their own partiular bbs software.

[...] We don’t just want to appeal to the 50-70+ year-olds, but also draw the younger generation’s attention to this hobby; at a place where they would search (Google for example).

Younger generations who are already enamoured my Discord, Element, Facebook, etc.. will likely stay there.

There is atleast one "bbs" that kinda emulates a full BBS message-base system on Discord: The Underground BBS. It's a pretty good way to share images and files without a lot of exceptions that FTN might require.

He has #mystic, #wwiv-bbs, and #telegard-bbs support areas.

I am concerned that 'we' may further isolate ourselves through our stance, since there is no agreement on how the hobby can be presented in the best way.

Many will say that "BBS" is just the way it was during the dialup days. Along came the webby "the forum" approach when internet became more ubiquitous in people's homes. So, technically, a forum is a sort of bulletin board. After all, a true Bulletin Board is still the paper type seen at grocery stores and post offices!

But what separates most traditional online BBSes from webby forums are games. So, it really depends on what the visitor is looking for.

On the other hand: Why not support this project for a while with as much unity as possible? What do you have to lose? A simple example: If 250 people could spend 5 minutes of their time each week to introduce a new feature (hardware or software), upload a program, or help solve a problem. Then even more people would become aware of this forum as a possible first point of contact for this hobby. The possibilities are truly diverse!

OK.. sounds like you want that to be a sysop place to share tips and info. Fine. But that's not going to do much to attract new people to bbsing, I think.

Good luck with attracting sysops to the cause.

In any case, I do not see myself at all in the role of a traitor to the cause, but rather take a different approach to the solution!

... Platinum Xpress & Wildcat!..... Nice!!!!
-+- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v7.0

I do believe that Platinum Xpress was one of the first "bbs software"s that supported an internet interface for visitors. But is it still being developed/supported?


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