AP>in September 1995. Now, it has less than 250. National BBS numbers
AP>are harder to come by, but two years ago Boardwatch magazine founder
AP>Jack Rickhard was saying there were about 60,000 BBSs in the United
AP>States. Today, estimates range from 30,000 to 45,000."  He is then
AP>quoted as having said about Fidonet, "...each BBS that subscribes is
AP>a node" and that "Fidonet is losing between 200 and 250 nodes a
AP>week." 
AP>The article lays the blame, as many of us have been doing, on the
AP>advent of software that lets users see graphics on the World Wide
AP>Web. This is said to have been the beginning of the end for BBS
AP>boards even though some software companies began offering more
AP>visually appealing BBS programs because that hasn't been enough to
AP>offset the Web's appeal. The article then states, "As a result, BBS
AP>operators say the number of users of their systems has declined,
AP>particularly over the past year. In response, many are shutting down
AP>their systems. Those who charge for system access but don't offer
AP>some way to get to the Internet are suffering the most...."
 
For folks willing to take a subscription route on Deep Space Nine BBS,
there will be a 1-800 number available shortly. If anyone is interested,
please let me know as soon as possible. This is not a business venture,
of course, but it is something that might help improve the BBS.
 
Deep Space Nine is typically very reliable with mail...since i'm the
moderator of TEEN ECHO..I have to make sure my mail gets in and out. :)
 
Later,
                                                        Jay Fuller
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Internet: jfuller@pcs-i.net                   Fidonet Netmail: 1:3607/22
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   "Replace your sex drive with a disk drive, and you become a SysOp!"
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