Subj : Re: ANSI art
To   : MRO
From : multiplemiggs
Date : Sun Oct 26 2025 22:41:00

 MR> The internet was enticing, but also what was bad for bbses 
 MR> is how sysops operated.  many sysops were close minded and not eager to
 MR> adopt  new things.  I think the best thing to do if it was affordable
 MR> was to bridge  bbsing into the internet and web.
 MR> 
 MR> Also sysops were always in it for themselves, and that doesn't really
 MR> build  strength.  Combine that with cliques that formed and that divides
 MR> it  more.
 MR> 
 MR> You can see cliques being bad for bbsing in the telnet age. I saw a 
 MR> msg network that was elitist fall apart dude to lack of activity and 
 MR> interest.  activity and interest is from diversity. if you dont have
 MR> that,  you're dying a slow death.  Another one now lets anybody in. 
 MR> that might be  too little too late.
 MR> 
 MR> The important thing to remember is that a bbs is a system for users to 
 MR> interact with. It's for socalizing, maybe gaming and maybe files.
 MR> 
 MR> If you don't look at it that way,  you are doomed.  if you are in it for 
 MR> yourself, all that will be there is yourself.
 MR> 
 MR> Since covid bbsing has lost even more users.  I'm not sure if we will
 MR> ever  get regular callers again. I'm not sure that we offer what people
 MR> want.   I  myself spend a lot of time with friends on telegram talking
 MR> and posting vids  and memes. that's more enjoyable than a bbs.
 MR> ---
 MR>  þ Synchronet þ ::: BBSES.info - free BBS services :::
This is very true. Without the users it's just an empty platform. 

Well there might be an increase coming with all the age verification crap that is happening on the internet where there's new interest in BBS's and Telnet. Outside of that I guess the reality of the user base is a lot of us in our 40's - 50's reliving the BBS scene from our youth, and some young new users from the retro computing and small / decentralized web scenes. 

What changes too is when there's users using a platform out on necessity. Back when BBS's were at their peak it was in part that there was little else for the average user. The same thing can be said for CB. Back then our landline was still a partyline so using a modem was out of the question, and long distance was pricey so many of us used CB out of necessity in a lot of ways.

.... I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
 * Origin: The Bottomless Abyss BBS * bbs.bottomlessabyss.net

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