*********************** DOOR WORLD MAIL BAG ************************* Questions and Comments may be sent to Door World Magazine at the following locations: FidoNet 1:332/107 InterNet dwendlg@bcn.net WWW: http://www.bcn.net/~dwendlg Door World support BBS 1-413-684-0145 Or any of the FidoNet door echoes /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Dear Door World: One thing don't shut the thing down You want more articles I will give you some On what I don't know yet, but I'll think of something. Also the thing about BBS system dying and fading away, Ya that can happen IF we don't start offering something as good as or better than the Internet. For one thing the graphics need to be Improved and I am not just talking about going to Rip graphics I mean yeeesh! There is some stuff out there for getting just as good of graphics as AOL. For example I use Powrbbs and its awesome! The graphics are great with its special powergenerator it can take any graphics you got and throw them on the BBS .bmp .gif etc. I mean who can top quality like that. Also we need to start thinking a little different Technology changes so we must change we need to offer more services and make them easier to use. The Internet Is a primitive monster in my opinion its ease of use just aint that great. Advertising is also a Problem I seem to find that everybody advertizes on other BBSes and computer magazines but that does not quite cut it you would not believe how many people out there own computers get on the Internet and a ton of other garbage but have no IDEA what a BBS is they have never heard of such a thing. We need to get the information about us and our BBSes out there, for we have many advantages for one everybody you deal with is local and you can get to know everybody on a more personal nature. If you want local services who needs to go through all that Internet garbage when you can hop on your local BBS. Now there is also Doors to look at here. Doors are part of the life blood of my BBS but there is so much trash out there! Thats why I am thankful for Myles and his reviews letting us know about quality games out there. One thing about Doors is To many Sysops rely on them and them alone you should not just make a door game BBS but a BBs that has many different features. Doors along with everything else should be considered one of the many features of a BBS not the main feature. I could go on in this vein alot more but I shall quit for now but I hope this encoureges you guys (Dave you hit that nerve!) I appreciate what you guys are doing. Now I better get going and think of something to write an article on. Also if you have never seen Powrbbs I suggest you give their support BBS a call and check it out their number is (516) 822-7396 for 14400 or (516) 822-7568 for up to 28800. Sincerely, Jeremy Hoyle Hi Jeremy, Are you advertising for PowerBBS? Your comments are heard and appreciated. I know Myles will be glad to hear that all his hard work is not being missed! Where is that article? Editor ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Subj : BBS Newsletter 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 DW> MC> Exactly... it's rare that these magazines ever mention (let DW> MC> alone feature) systems like Renegade, TriBBS, Spitfire or DW> MC> Maximus. And of course there are a lot less popular boards DW> MC> and utilities than those. Here's another angle to consider. Although I and others like me have been influenced by the larger commercial BBS packages, we are not in the spotlight merely because we choose to remain as small free hobby systems. I'd say the attention paid to MajorBBS was a great influence on my decision to purchase it for my own, but I don't think that they pay much regard to sysops in the hobbyist category. I have discovered that there were many like myself out there when Galacticomm announced Worldgroup, and its initial pricing. I still have not upgraded to Worldgroup for the simple reason that it would cost an arm and a leg to make my BBS perform as it does now under it, even after Galacticomm's later decision to go back on its original pricing. Such a change was just fine for the big guy across town with 23 lines and Internet connectivity, but is highly impractical for me, seeing as much of what Worldgroup offers, would not benefit me. There are systems out there who have much more at stake than mine, and they are running Maximus, Spitfire, Renegade, and I feel that there needs to be some outlet of expression for those of us in the "not-for-profit-but-merely-for-fun" category. I will be looking forward to taking a look at Door World Magazine... -Alan Thanks for the opinion Alan... Editor //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Re: BBS Newsletter As with any commercial magazine the money for them comes from advertisers which means 'support the ones that advertise'. It would be like shooting ones self in the foot to do otherwise. Mind you I don't agree but it's a fact of life, just like because the internet is big money most publications do not acknowledge anything else exists. There was a time when all there were, were hobby BBS and a few services like Compuserve & The Source. Sometimes the world forgets the humble beginnings.... Bob Well I don't know Bob, the internet has been out there as long as BBSes have been around. One of the problems with advertising for a Door related magazine is that most Shareware Door authors do not have great loads of advertising cash sitting around. I have had other people ask why we don't give the magazine away to the BBS world and let the advertisers pay for the cost. If the Shareware market continues as is, I don't think many door authors are going to be able to afford any high price advertising. Just take a look at Boardwatch magazine. Most of the big BBS companys advertise there but you never see any door authors. Even though it would be a great way to advertise for them. Editor //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hello Door World, Just dl the Dec95 issue of your mag and noticed that Carlos Garcia had not sent you the latest update to his distr sites.. I have set up a home page for his products at http://www.island.net/~mperks/rpg2100.html All his products can be dl from that site... I also have a personal page that talks about my bbs and the package that I run. It's URL is http://www.island.net/~mperks Check it out... Btw Do you need anymore distr sites for your product... I have a small bbs that has lots of capablities and I like to use it to the fulliest.. I would be willing to have all your product online in its own file area plus setup quick dl access to people that log in as a certain name.. I can also have all your files freqable... ( nice spelling ) Let me know... I have a big reg push on know for Terra firm It seems the users like it Hopefully someone will reg it soon... Just a little about me I am 32 yrs old and do the BBS thing as a hobby and I do not see me going down for a while as I like it too much. Oh yeah a comment about BBS dying Lets hope not I feel that sure everyone is into the NET like myself but I feel that progressing from BBS to the NET will always occur.. Even though I am new to it all ( 1 yr up) I feel that BBS and the Internet will always co-exist. The need will be always there for a user to call a local number dl files for free ( no connection rate ) and play the odd game... Those who make doors and other utilities will always be needed.. Sure we will see some cool Internet BBS but they will be the CADILACS of the BBS world You still see the odd Volkswagon around Thanks for your time I hope you take me up on my offer... Mike Perks The Back Alley BBS Parksville BC Canada 604-248-7289 1:3411/12 HI Mike, Thanks for the great letter! Yes we did take you up on your offer. how could we resist! Mike Perks is now an official distribution site of Door World Magazine and our web sites are interlinked just for fun! Editor ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Dear Door World: As a Shareware Developer and System Administrator, I feel your role in the development of the BBS community is vital to the future of all system administrators. With this in mind, I would like to take this opportunity and invite you to join the nations largest alliance of sysop's. I've included at the bottom of this email our misson and goal statement and hope that you will assist ISG in the formation of this alliance of System Administrators. The International Sysop's Guild - working towards a diversed community - 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 The International Sysop's Guild is open to all "active" sysops, running any BBS, anywhere world wide. We charge no fees and make no demands, we only ask you to listen to what we have to say and think about it before responding "We only want to excel and enrich what our callers see." This is an alliance of System Operators. Our goal is to set standards for the member BBS's, to better serve our callers. To in essence, make more information and services available to a greater number of people. To promote the use of BBS's and telecommunications as more than just another useless computing hobby. It is our goal to provide a level of exemplary services through the interaction of all the member BBS's, and to be of assistance to our callers, and each other whenever we can. As a group we can effect representation within local, state, and national lawmaking circles. We can petition Telephone Companies, Media, and The FCC to see what BBSing is all about. We feel it's time to blend our resources and take the next big step forward. To pool our ideas and knowledge and present them in a new format "a coalition" of all Sysop's working together for the same excellence. It's time to combine our efforts towards the better BBS! With an association like this we can have a show of good citizen users, state or nationwide with several hundred BBS systems as members. This association will expend an all out effort to have competent bulletin board sysops from all areas of the globe. For subscription to The International Sysop's Guild, send email to listserv@tds.org - in the msg body include: SUBSCRIBE ISG-L . This came in one day so I thought I would reprint it here in case any sysops find it interesting. Editor /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hi! Read your whining in Door World about not getting enough feedback. :) SO...ta-ta! I created a menu just for the magazine and there is now a letters to the editor button where they can send Email directly to you at 1:332/107. They're not very talkative though, so don't get your hopes up. :) Please let me know if you receive this so that I can confirm I set this up right. Thanks! JD PS: They don't talk much but they DO read the magazine! I just remembered to install the December issue because a caller told me I needed to add "ECHO OFF" to my batch file. Also, if you prefer you can reply by Internet to: jesus.dacal@sunshine.com //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hi Jesus, I'll try to stop whining long enough to answer your letter! . You've heard that the sqeaky wheel gets the grease. Well now I am a believer! We at Door World are pleased that you are enjoying the work we put into the Mag, but we have to ask, what is wrong with your users that they don't talk much? Editor //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hello Dave, I just read your article on the "death" of BBSs in Decembers Door World Magazine. From what I have been reading and hearing, I think you are, unfortunatly, right. I keep hearing about the demise of the local BBS due to the overwhelming popularity of the Web. I just wanted to give you a ray of hope here (I hope). I have been running a BBS in Colorado Springs, CO for 2 years under my own name and 6 years prior to that as a co-sysop of another one here in the Springs. My current on, Redbeard's Cove, has two lines on it. I average over 60 callers a day here and I'm sure I would get more if I put more phone lines in. It's very rare to see a node waiting for a caller. I'm hoping that is a sign that there is still a good market for the local BBS. One trend I have noticed lately which is disturbing though is that of the calipar of person that calls in. It seems that the users, on the average, were more friendly in years past. A sysop does tire of having to play "kindergarten cop" on his own board all of the time. I went through this about a year ago when it seemed that every other caller was out to screw the system. Luckily just I was getting really sick of it and threatend to shut down, my friendly users started helping me out. Over the corse of about 2 months,they managed to get the word out to the community that misbehaved people were not welcome on my board and it cleaned up real nicely. Since then I have had almost no problems with any users. I have actually had quite a few people that became regular users that were running from the internet. They claim that the environment on the internet is too cold, and they were sick of the flame wars. I have also been active on the internet for the past five years or so and tend to agree with them. So, in a nut shell, I see exactly were you are comming from on the article but I truly hope that the local friendly atmosphere can save the BBS. Thanks for your contribution to Door World. I have several users here that do read it, so your not going un-read. Thanks Jim Raver Redbeard's Cove Fido 1:128/202 HI Jim, Thanks for the great feedback. I will always enjoy calling my local boards just for the local friendly flavor. You are correct in that the internet is a huge cold place. I hope that door games, echos and the local conversation will always draw folks in to the local BBS. Unfortunatly most new computer users only insite into the online world is through such operations as AOL. They miss all the great local stuff! Editor /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hi, Stan here form Island Net Madness in Colorado Springs, CO. Just would like to know how do i subsribe to a hardcopy of the info posted here?. Thanks BTW: Looks real nice!! PS: Is there any talk out there of the newest DOOR game that everyone wants to get there hot hands on? Thanks Again, Stan Hi Stan, The demand for a hard copy has not been great and we really wanted to center our work around the online BBS version. After all, that's what we really are all about. We have been thinking about doing a Word for Windows type document that many non-sysops could pick up here or at our web site to read on their home computers. We will also be publishing our articles soon on our web site so folks can read it that way. Thanks for the nice comment and about the newest door game. I think folks are waiting for Dustin Nulf's worm hole door which is in testing so it shouldn't be long. Editor /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hi Thought I would give you some feedback for some reason this month was the first month that I have seen the file come down the dish from Planet Connect and grabbed it up and installed it the second I saw it.. Please Please encourage your authors to continue to support the magazine. These types of informational magazines are going to keep us alive and up to date in the BBS world. Many times I simply do not have the time to wade through all the new stuff coming in it is very overwhelming we need some experts to wade through the bad ones and give us there reviews of the good games out there a strong game section always enhances a BBS perception.. We will be subscribing here shortly but pass on to all of your regular columnist that we need them out here... Todd Cochrane Sysop Hafa Adai Exchange 301-994-9460 Also we are always looking to support any door author with there own private file area!!! Thanks Todd, We did indeed pass on the info to our writers and we also received your reg for Door World thank you. We forgot to add the FILE_ID.DIZ information to the Door World archive this month so I'm sure lot's of systems which rely on this info missed it! Our dumb mistake. We will not forget it this month! Editor ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// RV> NT> DoorWorld is an on-line magazine with lots of articles and RV> NT> ads from authors and sysops. Roann Vecchia occasionally RV> NT> makes announcements in here about it. I just wish they'd put RV> NT> a file_id.diz in their archives. ;) RV> RV> Consider it done. I will include it in the next months archive! Also, great! ;) That way when it comes across the filebone I'll know what it is. ;) RV> could you send me your WEB site url again so that I may link it in from RV> our Door RV> World web site. Sure! Here it is, along with other stuff you don't want to know. ;) They added that "2" to www2 this week and now I have to tell all my links about it. ;) SSS DOORS INTERNET FTP: ftp ftp.southwind.net /users/n/nannette ftp europa.com /outgoing/DOORS/STAR ftp ftp.ldl.net /pub/bbs_doors/nthacker http://www2.southwind.net/~nannette/ nannette@southwind.net BBS: 316-522-7829 SHINING*STAR -- FIDONET Support Echo SSSDOORS -- Shining Star Software File Distribution Network Thanks Nannett, Your URL has been linked in here at Door World. Just thought I would post this here in case others are looking for you! Editor ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// BBS Newsletter!!! > I've only read 1 issue of boardwatch in my lifetime, > but from what I saw, they focus on the biggest boards, and > the most expensive bbs software. No talk of anything else... > and of course, internet.... blah... MA> This is why so many people are frustrated with it...they focus ONLY on MA> the commercial boards and on huge investments that are way beyond the MA> reach of many of us. That's why I think there should be a newsletter MA> for people who are at the not-quite-beginner-but-not-corporate MA> level....I'm working on it now (getting the financing, etc.) Not to spoil your plans, but having followed this thread, the possible answer is exposing itself... WHY hasn't someone(s) come up with a general draft letter, describing ALL of the dysfunctions of boardwatch (and other mags) that don't support the "little_guy" and their monumentive efforts to better the bbs world be written? It could be posted here, on this echo, (with moderator approval, of course) so that ALL SysOps' can print it off, sign it, complete with their addressess and FIDO/InterNet addresses and phone numbers. Marketing (Sales) and Advertising is only but ONE avenue that a mag. has to consider when trying to appeal to their "audience". SysOps, by and large already have an understanding of this; for if something doesn't "sell" on their system, they have to shuffle something into it's place to appease their callers. Magazines, although not on the same electronic stratosphere, MUST consider the same qualifyers as a SysOp must... There is STRENGTH in UNITY. I am kind of surprised that someone hasn't noticed this... A lot of talk/writing is occuring...and nothing is getting done! To startup a newsletter is fine; but it is also COST_PROHIBITIVE, [unless] Advertising helps to meet the cost...OR you do the work for next-to- nothing (yourself) which can be really costly on a personal basis. Sometimes it is less costly to "fix" the problem at-hand, then to create another entity; EVEN if at the onset, that YOU do so BELIEVE in what you're doing. Yes, you can envision yourself doing this, this coming Year and perhaps Next Year....but how about the year after that? A lot of things CHANGE... May you consider ALL of your options... you may be a stronger LEADER in fixing the current problem; then fixing it with a fix. Walter Schlifer (Sysop 1978-1986; 1995-?) I took this one from the echos because I still am having a hard time understanding that the means for all this is right here in Door World Magazine and folks seem to missing it. Soon we are also going to start publishing the mag on our web site as well! Editor �