Please allow me to get somewhat off topic for a minute. This is not a
"made up" story to look like a parallel. If you wish to change the
word "Camaro" with "a popular BBS software package", you may find that
there are similaries. Life is like that...
 
I started as a teenager looking at Firebirds, but decided that a
Camaro was the best choice for me. It was fast and sleek and turned
heads. I have been true to Camaro ever since. When it was new, I cut
my teeth on being a weekend mechanic, tinkering with the plugs and
points. I even installed a ram-air (vacuum cleaner hose into the
air filter). People laughed, but it seemed to work fine. That 67
Camaro served me fine until 1976 when it showed its age. Reluctantly,
I upgraded to a newer version. It was similar, had many of the same
features, yet was radically different in other ways. I soon bacame
"one" with it.
Years later, a nasty rumor surfaced. That was that Chevrolet was
thinking of dropping the Camaro line. I wrote a letter to them and
objected. A new version came to be. I have been upgrading ever since.
Each time my Camaro showed its age and I had learned all I could
and did all I could to it, I upgraded. I don't like to say that
I got tired of the car, but rather I wanted others to experience
the fun I had. All in all, I have owned 6 Camaros since that first
1967. The current version is showing its age but I don't like the
looks of the competition. I never have. If Chevrolet stops making
Camaros and mine finally wears out or I have "pressed the envelope"
and find no further thrill, I would be forced into some other non-
Camaro model.
Being true to a car may sound as silly as being true to your school
or your BBS software; but it happens. It happens until you find
that you no longer have anything in common, or have lost interest
in playing with the same spark plugs over and over again. Sometimes
you just have to change cars, or cities or software packages. 
I have the time and need to tinker with the BBS, and since I am
tired of the same version, I've switched to something new and have
solved a number of problems in a few short days. I hated to switch,
but I felt it was time. Whether I regain callers lost to the Web
remains to be seen. If not, then at least I have found something
to occupy my time for a while.
The new BBS software has its plusses and minuses, but now I finally
have something to tinker with again.
I wish the development team luck. I am worried that the ready supply
of people wanting to play on a BBS is diminishing rapidly.
It has been a nice ride but the garage can only hold one car at
present. Maybe our paths will cross as we drive along.
Regards,
By now, a Grizzled Opus Veteran and a hriible speller...
mark_shultise@hp.com
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/2222
1:133/2512
--- Maximus 3.01
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