From: James M. Knecht <o-zee@pointblank.com>
Subject: Thanks...
Date: Sunday, April 18, 1999 2:35 AM

Greetings All,

	This is more then likely my last letter that will be posted in the
alt.bbs newsgroups. You all may know my feelings about the RIP
emulation. I am strongly for it. With the rapid decline of BBS's around
the world, I think more and more SysOp's need to start making changes if
they want to be around in the year 2,000. My opinion is that it will not
happen if SysOps do not start adding graphics in to there systems. The
WEB has killed BBS's because of the graphics they have. I mean how many
WEB sites have to linked to where it was all text and no graphics? None.
	With that said, Saturday evening, I had a very involved conversation
with Pat Clawson from Telegrafix's communications. These are the people
who have strived for many years to try and help keep BBS's alive with
there award winning RIP graphics. He had expressed many ideas on how he
tried to make the RIP emulation a standard for the online community.
Many of his idea's were briliant to say the least. But due to the
resistance from the BBS community, the ideas have never really taken
off.
	My conversation started with my request for a windows version of
RIPTerm to be developed for dial up BBS's like my own. But due to the
lack of intrest from the BBS community, due to the continuious bitching
about how they should get everything for free and they demand they kiss
there ass while doing so. Telegrafix's have decided to discontinue there
future development of the RIPTerm product, unless more intrest and less
bitching is paid to the RIPTerm product.
	For many years I have had a dream to make the best BBS I could possibly
be created. With the help of the Renegade BBS and its developers I was
able to create a GREAT looking system! I have paid countless dollars in
having doors and addon programs to be developed and registered. Now that
I am ready to get the system going it will only die as fast as it opens.
This is due to the RIPTerm software. Under windows the software will not
install properly and with all the new hardware avaiable the support is
not there. I tried to tell many of you SysOps out there that RIP
graphics is probably the last way to keep BBS's alive. But unfortunatly,
due to the "Know it all SysOp's" out there you think its just a waste of
time. I mean many of you SysOps out there throw your BBS on the internet
using Netmodem or another simuliar product and you atart getting 25-50
calls a day. Big deal BBS's at one point would get 75-100 calls a day
from local Dial Up users. Now being you are on the internet and reaching
a world wide audiance you should get 1,000-2,000 calls a day! But you
don't!
	Maybe you can help me understand this. What are you waiting for before
doing something to generate more intrests in BBS's? Maybe you should
start paying more attention to the people who spend all of there time
developing products and thinking of new ideas to help BBS's stay alive
in the future, rather then paying attention to the people who say
getting your BBS on the internet is the only way to go.
	BBS's ARE NOT dead. But you can bet they sure will be if you keep doing
the same thing you are doing now. So if you run a BBS now or are
thinking of opening a BBS you have to ask yourself; Are you going to
follow, or are you going to lead? If you decide to follow, the best of
luck to you. If you are willing to go that extra step and lead, then
drop me an E-Mail, I would like to hear from you.
	But for those SysOps out there who think you should get everything for
free, and get your asses kissed while doing so. Then do the whole BBS
community a favor. Close up your system, open a web site and let the
decent SysOps out there continue to try and bring BBS's back to what
they once were.

Thanks

James