Hello Pat!
Wednesday September 24 1997 08:57, Pat Knox wrote to Anne Mcreary:
 PK> following up a message from Rick Paul Thomson to Anne Mcreary:
 >> Checking out the feed connections for this echo.  The traffic seems
 >> to have
 >> died. ???
 PK> I am seeing responses to this Anne, but I never saw the original.
 PK> Does that tell you how messed up things are on my end right now?
Isn't that WEIRD!!!  I'm beginning to think that the only reliable way to get 
mail is by way of internet transfer! :(  It used to be that FIDO was able to 
transport the mail and normally it would be pretty reliable until a "sudden" 
glitch hit and we'd lose a little, but more and more as nodes are closing 
down it seems we have less and less reliability.
Although the internet offers a more "instant gratification" when it comes to 
delivery of email and the viewing of Wonderful Web Sites, it also has it's 
drawbacks -- The impersonality is gigantic.  There is also everything and 
anything out there that one may or may not want to become involved with.  We 
have to be wise enough to protect not only ourselves, but our children and 
our BBS users from things that may be "unsuitable" in a Family rated BBS.
I truly believe this is going to be our hardest year ever in FIDO.  There has 
started to be a very slight "upswing" in the number of nodes in our local 
FIDO network.  If this is any indicator of other places, then possibly, folks 
are beginning to want to come back to the "free" "faster" more "personal" 
hobbiest BBS for their echomail needs.
I know that I have suddenly started picking up new users here locally in 
town, and I'm also picking up some folks who have just recently purchased 
some "older" pc equipment and don't have the newest, latest, greatest 
equipment. Their modems are slower than a lot of BBS's allow, but they are 
able to pick up their echo mail and the files they desire at the modem speed 
they are working with from my BBS, when they may not even be allowed the time 
or security level to get *anything* at say 9600 baud and under.
I remember the days when we had a 1200 baud modem, and when we went to 2400 
we thought we were "screaming" down the electronic highway.  Perhaps as 
Sysops we need to remember our "beginnings" and make it happen again for 
someone new.
If we can provide a better service, a more user friendly service and a more 
FAMILY oriented service, and get the word out as much as we possibly can, we 
will be able to perpetuate and revitalize our FIDO system and other FTSC 
related networks.
Take care!
Anne McReary
mcreary@oz.net
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