Subj : Echomail could use a landing page
To   : Charles Pierson
From : August Abolins
Date : Thu Nov 19 2020 01:42:00

Hello Charles!

** On Wednesday 18.11.20 - 23:31, Charles Pierson wrote to August Abolins:

 CP> I deleted everything else for simplicity.

As will I!  Good idea. ;)


 CP> The focus of your posts has been seemingly Google search and landing page
 CP> to explain echos, BBS, and the like.

Sort of. The landing page would be a kind of LIST of available  
echos for Telegram users.  Added to that could be links to  
other information.  HOW people get there is not exclusive to  
google. It would be up to existing users/sysops and even  
moderators to get the word out.  Over time, as more people  
visit the landing page a google prioritizes the results and  
makes the page more relevent thus making the effort to find  
fidonet echos suitable for Telegram easier.


 CP> I've been saying you need something before that to get people to the
 CP> point of even knowing what to search for.

True. Start talking.  ;)  As you may or may not notice, I have  
included some info in my Origin line space. That is another  
kind of "start".


 CP> Going through your reply here, you finally acknowledged that you need to
 CP> get the word out so people know what to search for. That's all that I've
 CP> been saying.

Great. We agree.  Whew!  That was going rough for a bit. ;)


 CP> So we're mostly on the same page, but the focus was different. Good.

The landing page was just another approach to advertise and  
inform.  It was primarily inspired by the books2read link you  
provided (I will not provide the link to keep Fidonet  
"distinct" from the web).   ;)


 CP> Again, my point is How do you join an echo without having learned about
 CP> BBSes and echo's first?

From observing how people use their devices, they are not  
going to first install Telnet software to visit a BBS that may  
or may not have the "message boards" as they would call them.

That is what you are proposing should be done, first.

However, I am proposing to tell people to join Telegram and  
utilize the invite links to reach new "message boards" that  
are not inundated with ads, trackers and the stuff like that.   
And...they can do this from the phones that they are holding  
in their hands right now.  Just three steps. [1] install  
Telegram if not already, [2] select invite link [3] start  
messaging. The rest is discovered in community.


 CP> I'm not actually disagreeing with you. I'm just focused more on the fact
 CP> that people need to learn about it's existence than on a nice looking web
 CP> page for them to find when they have learned enough to search for more
 CP> information.

Gotcha.  But I think we are repeating ourselves.  Promote,  
advertise any way you can.


 CP> Maybe once they learn about it, they experience some echo conversations
 CP> through Telegram. Maybe the get introduced through a BBS's Web Interface,
 CP> maybe something else that hasn't been thought of yet.

Yes.. the discovery process begins for the user.

As for "something else that hasn't been thought of yet".. I am  
not sure some sysops even want anything new beyond what they  
know. (That's my reference to the reaction Telegram is having  
on select few people.)


 CP> But the simple fact of the matter is that you have to find a way to get
 CP> people interested, or the rest of it is an exercise in futility.

I think I can stir up interest on my side.  The sysops need  
all the help they can get if they enjoy seeing users  
discovering echomail.


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