Friday, 28 June 1996 20:07:56, Michael Hughes wrote to Kurt Weiske Subject:
SORRY
 KW>> So, offer them something the internet doesn't offer. Local
 KW>> conversation. Arcane information. Conspiracy theories. A chance to
 KW>> open their minds.
 MH> Done that - been there - got the T-Shirt. :)
 MH> I have joined several nets in the past - wierd nets - something
 MH> different. No luck at all. If a BBS does not offer LORD - then people
 MH> don't call.
May I jump in on this one ? I've never operated a BBS , but have been
a user for years now. I go out of my way not to call game boards mainly
because I don't play and I can never get on it anyway , that's is they
are busy for hours and populated primarily by teenagers.
 MH> I would sure like to see some specialty ideas. Geneology is an
 MH> idea - I don't know how it would go over. Has anyone done any research
 MH> as to what users want? I sure would be interested in seeing how BBS
 MH> systems develop to a specialty type board.
Demigraphics not long ago said most users were male and 40ish I suppose
that's changed some in the last year of so with the huge volume of
computer sales the last couple of Christmases. I suspect ol' Dad is
still the main operater though.
 MH> My interests are so broad - electronics, computing, reading,
 MH> business, family topics ... that is the types of things I enjoy. But it
 MH> seems rather ridiculous to have a huge system like mine - with
 MH> satellite and all - just to carry a few specific things. The satellite
 MH> feed offers so much - it is a shame not to carry it.
Your interests pretty much represent mine, but I've found I'm not
a common denominater which it comes to what I think the public will
buy, so I'm not sure we're the norm on this. Maybe the satellite
can give you the diversity of being all things to all people and
allow you to cover all the bases as it were.
 MH> A lot of boards tend to too "non" specific, like myself. I carry
 MH> 100,000 files online, access to ever echo the Fidonet backbone offers,
 MH> dozens of other nets through Planet Connect, I just wonder if it is
 MH> over powering to some callers.
Could be, but it seems that would be a plus instead. How many lines in
do you have ? Could I in theory access just about anytime I call ?
that's what is important to me, when I have the time to BBS I want on
now not later. You know alot of boards here are offering point addresses
which gives the user access to full fido or any net the board carries
without the BBS being required to carry every echo. It also makes doing
a mail run easy and fast and of course you've got me as a user for
ever. My bosshub supports my comm software and even automatically sends
me the latest versions and add-on modules. You think I'll be leaving
him anytime soon? Not bloody likely.
 MH> Due to the moderator declaration that BBSs are on topic - I sure
 MH> would like to know what to do. Has anyone advertised thier system? How
 MH> did you determine your specialty?
I think you're approaching it the right way. Like this. Poll as many
sysops and users as you can. Ask the sysops what is working for them
as well as what's not. Success in any business usually comes from
emulating the successful. Ask the users and keep a tally to see what
pops up the most often. There are a few sysops here that advertise
in the little shoppers and newspapers in with the computers for sale
ads. I don't know if it does any good, but the ads a inexpensive and
you would be hitting a targeted market.
 MH> Bottom line is - yes, I run the board for myself and my interests
 MH> -- but I like to have callers too.
One of the hottest boards in Tulsa had about 30 lines in and ran
primarily an online chat board. He sold units of time like 100
hours for 30 bucks. He had all sorts of packages of time at assorted
pricing. It was fun, women users flocked to it. It seemed almost
addictive to some, but he had problems paying the phone bill and
sold to someone else. They've restuctured and are operating today
altough I've not called the new one because they didn't honor any
of the old subscriptions and I was left hanging with 50 prepaid
hours. That's happened to me twice now on two payboards. You can
see how this would make users leary of them.
This is only one users perspective, but I hope some part of it
might be of some insight. Good Luck.
 -=> Later on, Dan <=-
Live and Direct from the Indian Nations
Dan Thurman - Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Tuesday, 2 July 1996 at 6:03.
Fido : 1:170/810.15 - Internet : dan.thurman@p15.mo.gratisnet.com
URL  : 
.!. All things are difficult before they are easy.
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