-=> Quoting Joe Martin to All on 02-19-11  11:37 <=-

 JM> Since the web took over years ago and with the essential replacement
 JM> of 56k modems with hi-speed cable/DSL connectivity, what is it that
 JM> could potentially get people back into a BBS?  Maybe we should actually
 JM> define (by todays standards) what a BBS is/should be first.  Is it the
 JM> message basing, file downloading?  Seems all this can be done on a
 JM> website as is via blogging/FTP.  Certainly in my mind the dialup aspect
 JM> is gone, I mean why pay for a phone call, when the internet will get
 JM> you there free (so to speak).  So we can assume the internet is the
 JM> connection medium of choice.  So after that what features would be

Speaking just as a user, that doesn't use the internet much, except for
email and telnetting to bbses...  Yes, the internet is how I connect
(since local dialup is gone for me), but I've only been using telnet. 
The message bases, both local and Fidonet (as well as another smaller
net or two) are my primary draw still.  Not a files person at all, and
only mildly a games person (KOTB and Scrabble is just about all)...  I
don't do blogs or Facebook... I prefer the bbs and that milieu....

 JM> Do you kinda get where I'm coming from with the questions I'm asking
 JM> here?  So don't be offended by my observations/questions, but rather
 JM> see it for what it is, a fact finding mission.  Well, opinions are okay
 JM> too! 

I don't have a problem with having more ways to access a bbs, as long as
I can still access as I do.  And as a semi-Luddite, I think there should
be some backwards compatability... not everyone is going to want to or
be able to have the latest, greatest or "best", even if there's any
agreement on what that might be be...  I'm still using DOS on a pentium
II (just after the math co-processor fix), and it works just fine for
what I use the computer for.  On the rare occasion that I do anything on
the web it's with a text-based browser.  Now, I'm not in the "ruling"
class of Fido, not even a sysop, just a dedicated long-time bbs user. 
And any of my sysops (or former sysops) can tell you that I've done my
part to keep the bbses (and Fido, etc) going.  :)

So there's my two cents worth... some observations etc for your
hopper... ;)

ttyl        neb

... "Are you mad?" - "Only when the moon is full."

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