Subj : RPG BBS'S
To   : Alex Clarke
From : Ed Williams
Date : Fri Oct 13 2000 03:43 am

AC>EW>I've jotted it down, will see if there's any interest.  I've always
AC>EW>wondered what a sysop considered "slim pickins".  I've got some 30
AC>EW>users who have called in the last 90 day's (after that I delete
AC>EW>their accounts).  I get about 4-5 calls a day, but average 60 calls
AC>EW>a week, most of them happen on Thursday for some odd reason.
AC>                Hmm.. by slim, I mean anorexic..
AC>     there's 3 bbs's in town, and only one caller that I know about.
AC>                     ME..
AC>         I haven't had a real caller in months.

What a shame.  Most of the callers I've had here I've personally met.
Some come off our web page (groaning and mumbling).  But the majority
of the activity on here comes from the members of our D&D club.  Hell
we're even making money on the deal (of course all the funds go into
the club account so we can purchase more stuff to advertise).

So far this year we've taken in some $240 in membership dues and over
$400 in donations.  We've purchased some nice business cards, paid a
professional to redo our web page, put many D&D books into the club
library, and paid for the monthly and admin costs related to our web
page.  And we've still got nearly $300 in there, which we're using to
purchase an Embosser to give away personalized Player/DM awards.
(That's expensive).

We've got really nice membership cards made up, and are getting ready
to re-introduce our newsletter again.  We also give away prizes
(always some type of D&D Material) for several of the contests we have
online.

The local hospital provides us with a free meeting room for our D&D
games twice a month.  That was a big help, we used to have to pay for
the rooms (now we just get sucked dry by internet fee's).

Despite all this, and our massive advertising, I admit the supply of
people is far from large.  We're a small group, but growing slowly,
and I think better than when Fidonet was huge.  People who come to our
club, know what they want.  People who call the BBS, call because we
do stuff there they can't get anywhere else.

But we're excited.  As you mentioned the supply of D&D players is
rather low right now, I expect that to grow tremendously shortly.  And
when it does, people in this town will indeed remember us, and they
will call the BBS.  I still at this time add 1-3 new callers a week to
the database, most don't stay long, but that's an interest that's out
there.

Good luck up there, hopefully things will turn around.

Ed..

---
 þ OLXWin 1.00b þ All wiyht.  Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?
 # Origin: The Goblin Reach BBS/www.goblinsreach.org/719-522-1488 (1:128/148)
 * Origin: ConchGate (1:106/357.0)

.