Sysops, fill in the blank: When new users visit my BBS, the thing I hope they appreciate the most is _______. reddit / bbs ---------------------------------------------------------------------- codefenix · 2022-05-31 21:03 Whether you're a long-time sysop, a new sysop today, or used to be a sysop, what's the one thing about your board you want(ed) users to enjoy the most? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Mehtevas1978 · 2022-05-31 21:04 When I ran mine I was hoping they'd appreciate the 125 registered doors and fidonet I had ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-05-31 21:14 Nostalgia. I'm 37 now, but was in my early teens when BBS was being phased out by the internet with the advent of 14400, 19200, 38400 bps modems. After the big jump to 57600 it was all but dead, but remember how exciting it was. I remember, lying in my bed one evening, when I was about 13 years- old. It was raining outside and I was staring at the street lights refracting upon the droplets of rain condensating on my bedroom windows -a Pavlovian response I suppose, but one I'll never forget, the transition from BBS to Windows 95, Wolfenstein and the King's Quest series. If you can replicate that, you're golden. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Otherwise-Willow6904 · 2022-05-31 21:25 I guess it's always the work we put into them. I have worked hard to make sure it doesn't look like a BBS right out of the can. Custom screens and menus. Even though it's hard to get some games registered now, I do have many that are. Carry overs from the past, free released keys and such. I just want people to enjoy it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- quentinnuk · 2022-05-31 21:28 I was a sysop in 1982 and wrote my own bbs software in pascal on an Apple ii. Key features were it was Citadel like, with floors and rooms, and I made it timeshare for two users simultaneously. This was all before Fidonet and Doors, so there was no networking or games, so mainly I hoped people liked the Citadel style (which was little known then) and that you could see who was logged on and chat to the other user live in real time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- lagavulin16yr · 2022-05-31 21:58 ANSi welcome screen. I put countless hours into those! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wrongway · 2022-05-31 23:10 Operator breaks into chat... ... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- slewp · 2022-05-31 23:29 Link to your bbs ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dmine45 · 2022-05-31 23:45 The variety. I have a lot of door games, message forums, and files. I also have two dial up lines, and two different BBS software running (Synchronet and WWIV). Hoping the variety will keep them coming back. Diamond Mine Online - [bbs.dmine.net](https://bbs.dmine.net) ports 24 and 2323 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gnu2tux · 2022-06-01 00:12 An easy to use experience for non BBS-savvy users. Having made the documentary 'Back to the BBS', connecting to tons of BBSes during my research process, I thought that a lot of BBSes really weren't suitable (from an ease of use perspective) to people that have never used them or have been away from them for 20+ years (like me). I would like to think that if a 'newbie' or returning BBS user came to my BBS, they would be able to understand how to use it with little to no guidance. bbs.alsgeeklab.com:2323 My BBS features a retro aesthetic, in-keeping with the general theme of my YouTube channel. It is also heavily customised with lots of mods and doors to make it a unique experience. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- BadnewzSHO · 2022-06-01 01:36 The fact that I ran one of the fastest 0-day Amiga warez boards in the world, and would help contribute to its success. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- mro_0000 · 2022-06-01 07:06 That I'm the best there every was, the best there ever will be and I am god's gift to bbsing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- acetaminophenpt · 2022-06-01 08:29 Probably something where I spent most of my time and most users didn't really care about ---------------------------------------------------------------------- wildfire98 · 2022-06-01 10:51 This is the way. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-01 10:51 [removed] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- codefenix · 2022-06-01 11:22 Don't ever change. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Souporsoaker · 2022-06-01 11:38 How did you do the time sharing? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- robbiew · 2022-06-01 14:26 Since most users tend to be sysops themselves, I'd say it's access to an easy to setup game server (gOLD mINE) they can use on their own BBS! AlphaComplex.us:2323 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- pebcak · 2022-06-01 16:14 It's been decades since I was on BBS's until just recently. I'm starting to get the hang of it, but the menus for navigating message systems are just so bad. And when I manage to get to a network & topic that looks good, the first time I log in it wants to show me every single message as a new message, starting from the oldest first. I'm just not getting it, or it's really bad UI. It's too bad, because these BBS nets are one of the big draws for me. Other than that, some custom ANSI menus are pretty hard to read and it takes getting used to. I really appreciate extravagant ANSI art, but please keep the menu options legible. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- som3otherguy · 2022-06-01 18:08 My lightbar menus. We figured out how to use your arrow keys, on a BBS! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dcpanthersfan · 2022-06-01 18:25 My dedication to keeping them running when I don’t notice the power flicker or check on the web server from time to time. Still need to get off my ass and get Murder Motel working. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- germdisco · 2022-06-01 19:51 The overall theme/character of it. I used some school systems that were bland and had no personality of their own. I was much more fascinated by the ones that were set up by individuals and had a sense of concept and identity. (Co-sysop on two modem-based systems, also forum and upload moderator elsewhere, haven’t run my own yet) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gnu2tux · 2022-06-01 21:06 Agreed. That's why I went for simplicity on my board ---------------------------------------------------------------------- byteknight6 · 2022-06-01 23:38 New content - I try to update the BBS daily. At least somebody's posting! cqbbs.ddns.net:6800 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-02 13:24 by downvoting my comment you are validating my greatness ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-02 13:25 my fan downvoted you. i WAS amazing years ago, but i have been very out of practice and trying to enjoy life. i really pulled off some amazing stuff and i had the mental energy, focus and drive to do a lot of stuff for bbsing with helping people and running my sites and my bbses. nobody could compete with me back then ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-02 13:25 BORING ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-02 13:27 that's good that you put in the work. it's sad that even now, a lot of people are not releasing the doorgame keys they have to the bbs community. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2022-06-02 13:29 all you need to do is adjust your msg pointer dates. what bbses are you having problems with? what menus are you having problems reading? usually our msg functions are real streamlined, efficient and easy to use. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SoykaBlyat · 2022-06-02 20:14 BBS terminal software is the problem. What the hell do you use to connect on all major platforms is a stumbling block, I've found. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gnu2tux · 2022-06-02 22:48 Well, I actually think that one is pretty easy to answer if you have a modern computer. Use Syncterm or NetRunner. Everything just works great. If you are connecting using a retro machine like a commodore64, then of course YMMV depending upon the terminal software you use. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- the_deserted_island · 2022-06-04 06:13 The ability to connect to something that was important to them and I'd download, install, or connect to it if I could. Shortly after finding my first BBS I had a live conversation in a chat room with someone from Africa which blew my mind. Connecting people online became a theme in my BBS, career, and life. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PublicWifi · 2022-06-05 21:58 My answer as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GrimpenMar · 2022-06-15 23:17 Sorry for the thread necromancy, but I've been doing the nostalgia BBS dive for barely over a week. I can heartily recommend both NetRunner and SyncTerm. Having said that, it took me a bit to discover them and get them going. I kind of wish there was a nice "How to BBS in 202*x*" readily available that walks newbs and returning veterans who haven't touched anything in 25 years a leg up on the splash page of most BBSes. [The BBS corner](http://www.bbscorner.com/usersinfo/) had the best basic guide I found, and pointed me to SyncTerm, which in turn also pointed me to NetRunner. I wish it had a bit more detail, but between that, [The Telnet BBS Guide](https://www.telnetbbsguide.com/faqs/how- to-telnet/), discovering this Reddit, plus just trying things, I'm muddling through. Now I just need a QWK mail client recommendations for Linux. Using Multimail currently. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gnu2tux · 2022-06-15 23:24 Hopefully if you watch part one of Back to the BBS,.you'll see "how to BBS in 202x" is easily explained. I walk through the process in the video step by step. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- GrimpenMar · 2022-06-16 05:27 Yes! I watched the first episode, but the irony is that I didn't find the video (and Al's Geek Lab BBS) until after I'd figured most of it out. It's probably more of how I fell back into checking out the BBS scene. I knew there was Telnet connectable BBSes, so I searched for Telnet BBSes, found some, and telnetted to them. *Then* I started struggling trying to remember setting up my terminal for ANSI + CP437. And how to get the default telnet client to work with ZModem/YModem, etc. And how to read QWK offline mail. *Then* after I struggled through, I found this subreddit, and all it's associated links and resources. I guess I wish more BBSes had a easily downloadable Noob text file they offered to new users. I guess by that point, the person connecting is already using telnet to connect, and there would be problems of how to get it to the new user connecting, possibly with PuTTY and no ZModem support. I mean I first connected to a BBS last week, so I figured it out. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- gnu2tux · 2022-06-16 10:41 Interesting point! Noted!