From: baja_az@SPAMWHAMjuno.com   
      
   [Was Subject: - What is the best telnet program.]   
      
   On Thu, 25 Sep 2003 17:23:11 -0400, Kilowatt   
    wrote:   
      
   > I use to use bbs before the internet was mainstream.   
      
   > I sure do miss it.  It was so much easier to locate what you   
   > were looking for than ftp.   
      
   Well...yes.  But in the meantime, if you're looking for files, perhaps   
   you could increase your use of such tools as Archie, gopher and the   
   few remaining Jughead and Veronica servers.  Try out some of the   
   e-mail based offline resources listed in that excellent reference   
   document currently maintained by Gerald Boyd, namely: "Accessing the   
   Internet by E-mail FAQ."  It's periodically posted here (most recently   
   on 16 Sep), or you can retrieve it from the FAQ archives.  Your   
   activity may help keep alive these very useful resources.   
      
   > I know that bbs never went away but I feel that they could   
   > make a comeback and I would like to try finding some good   
   > ones.  I frequent usenet so I feel like I am still in the   
   > click.   
      
   > Anyone want to tell me the best way to start this again?   
      
   I'll take a stab at it.   
      
   First, though, let me offer my sincere thanks for raising a very   
   timely subject.  Thanks to the ravages of pathogens circulating on the   
   Internet recently, I can't recall ever seeing the level of frustration   
   among Internet e-mail and USENET users being so high.   
      
   As seen in the Internet Traffic Report, the performance index of the   
   Net in North America has been in the range of 80-90% recently, whereas   
   earlier this year it was running around 95-98%.  Out of 78 NA backbone   
   routers, six (8%) were down.  Traffic in some of the high volume   
   USENET forums has been far more chaotic than usual.   
      
   What's more, there is little relief in sight, thanks to continuing   
   vulnerabilities in certain popular software and ongoing efforts to   
   exploit them.  Protective measures appear unable to keep pace with the   
   onslaught.  All sorts of people are actually LOOKING for alternatives.   
   Some of them think a BBS is merely a standalone message board at a Web   
   site, while others don't have even =that= much of a clue.  It occurs   
   to me that SysOps are missing a golden opportunity to promote their   
   proven solutions.  Marginal utility kicks in and opportunity knocks!   
      
   Here are some actions you can take as a prospective user:   
      
   1) Find a suitable BBS watering hole and participate in the forums,   
   especially if the board gives you access to any USENET newsgroups.   
   The board wouldn't necessarily have to be your best choice - just one   
   that can serve as a bootstrap.  Migrate later if necessary.   
      
   2) When participating in USENET forums, occasionally mention in your   
   articles and followups that you are accessing it via a BBS on the   
   amateur computing nets.  Use offline mail and news readers; the   
   tearlines and taglines will generate interest among the uninformed.   
   Write your own custom promotional .sig or tagline.   
      
   3) Try to persuade ISPs to accomodate offline mail and news in QWK,   
   SOUP, BW and similar formats.  For example, target ISPs that offer   
   shell accounts.  (Long ago I used to access USENET via QWK/REP from   
   the shell account at Concentric, my ISP at the time.  They also had an   
   in house BBS and a huge multi CD file repository on a separate   
   server.)  Even better, become a member of a community based ISP such   
   as a FreeNet and pressure the BoD or steering committee to implement   
   BBS-like offline mail and news.   
      
   4) Set up your =own= BBS and become a Point off of an established   
   board - whether it's just a part time endeavor, or even if you're the   
   only user of your board.  Invite your friends and acquaintances to   
   access your board.  Experience up "close and personal" just how much   
   "fun" it is, and better appreciate why SysOp'ing is truly a matter of   
   personal interest, enthusiasm and generosity.   
      
   5) Work with SysOps to ensure the integrity of their systems.  SysOps   
   can't watch everything all the time.  Report bugs and flagrant abuses,   
   minimize demand during peak hours, and try to reciprocate for benefits   
   realized.   
      
   Obviously there is a certain user-provider dynamic here, so there are   
   likewise some expectations of SysOps to make their services more   
   appealing (but which expectations are largely ignored).  Perhaps that   
   area is better left for another thread, though.   
      
   [To the general audience: I SysOp'ed a part time board for seven   
   years, until Net 9 shut down in the summer of 2001.  (Net 9 wasn't   
   quite my first choice for subject matter, but it was the closest thing   
   available.)  I'd like to join or start an FTN net for emergency   
   preparedness and disaster response activities, possibly to include   
   gateways to appropriate USENET newsgroups.  Feel free to unmung my   
   address in the "From:" header above and reply off-NG if desired.   
   Thanks!]   
      
   HTH,   
   Lee_K   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)