On (16 Sep 02) Bob Short wrote to Frank Vest...

Hello Bob,

FV> Viability and vitality can be measured several ways. As example:
FV> Fidonet is a message network. If there are two Fidonet Nodes that
FV> produce dozens, maybe hundreds, of message a day each and pass these
FV> messages back and forth, is that not viable and showing vitality?

 BS> Frank, you're a true optimist.  ;-)

Well!...  If you're gonna insult me. :-))

 BS> Do you really think this hobby could survive such a drop in member-
 BS> ship, before it sank due to all the holes left?  If we were to lose
 BS> 80 or 90%, it would be the true death knoll some of the doomsdayist
 BS> complain about.

Depends on how the holes are filled. :)

 BS> Don't get me wrong... I'l likely be one of those few remaining...

Hmmm. Maybe we should set up a session level and packet password to
plug one of them "holes" just in case? ;-)

This is a liitle bit off topic here, but I'll say this as I have said
before. Fidonet is a message network. It depends on messages to be
"alive". In days past, it took many systems (Nodes) spread across the
earth to supply enough access for the people (Users and Sysops) to
generate the flow of messages because of the cost of long distance
phone calls and other factors. Today, that isn't the case. The
Internet allows more access with less systems and more people
regardless of distance.

In times past, systems that had multiple access lines spent hundreds
of dollars per month, not counting cost of equipment, to offer
Fidonet access to the "local" community /ONLY/. Today, one system can
offer the same access to the world for the cost of a DSL connection to
the Internet and, maybe, a domain name with static IP address.

Don't get me wrong. I want to see Fidonet grow, or at least not
shrink, but the loss of Nodes isn't the catastrophe that it once was.

Yes, I think that one BBS system in each state in the U.S.A., using
Fido Technology, via the Internet, could make Fidonet viable, if not
vital.

Regards,

 Frank

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/flv
http://biseonline.com/r19

--- PPoint 3.01