SM> No need Michael...  running a BBS, hopefully to make a profit, is a
 SM> legitimate Home_Office endeavor after all...
I thought so - but the topic has been discussed many times before.
 SM> Our BBS is similar... 6 incoming lines, 8 CDs online at all times with
 SM> another couple dozen available thru Rom Door, reliable FIDO mail, 80+
 SM> registered game doors that are HEAVILY played, EMAIL capacity, and
 SM> sysops who will actually help folks with questions. We ask a whopping
 SM> $18/year.
I have 21CDs, Sattelite file feeds, Usenet newsgroups, Free Internet
e-mail, (I had intenet PPP access), 6 gigs online HDs, registered
(nearly) everything ... etc...
 SM> The subscriptions don't begin to even cover the phone bills.
Like I said - flush the twenty dollar bills down the toilet.
 SM> oooh...  we still get plenty of callers, but getting them to subscribe
 SM> is the problem. What's draining your caller base?
Restrictions - and obnoxious fellow sysops. I started strongly
suggesting contributions/subscriptions several years ago. Fellow
sysops, gave FREE file access - but never had anything worthwhile.
There was even a sysop (now the NC of the net) that sponsored a
message area that was satiracly named DIAL-A-DOG (or something like
that - not sure as I was locked out).
After dozens of obnoxious, nasty messages, about calling DENVER for
their files -- because they don't charge for them (((even if it is
long distance!!))) -- I probably became rather obstinate. There were
bad checks written to me - for access, attempts to crash the board,
personal slanderous messages on other message areas --- all because I
asked for $10 a year.
I probably allienated a good share of the callers. I just got tired of
leeches, and freeloaders. I even had one guy bang on my door at 11:30
PM - drunk - to subscribe to my board for ONE MONTH!!! He then
proceeded to download nearly 700 files during that 30 days; then he
left when the system shut him down. He left messages on other boards
- saying how I was not a very nice person.
Well, it goes on and on. With a limited caller base in this area - I
have never gotten the kind of user that I wanted. A couple of messages
here and there -- upload a file now and then - play a few games ----
So I am now a "BY INVITATION ONLY" BBS. I really don't care if people
don't call. I have a few good callers - and they make me happy.
Michael Hughes
internet: hu8989mi@meteor.uscolo.edu
Moderator: SINGLE_PARENTING
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