Freaks Macintosh Archive/Freaks Macintosh Archive.bin/Freaks Macintosh Archives/Phreaking⁄Wardialers/Phreaking texts/StartBBS.txt

Text File | 1999-01-28 | 40KB | 693 lines

                                Starting a BBS
                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                 Ken Sukimoto
                           SYSOP, The DownTown BBS
                       [phone], Los Angeles, CA
                                January, 1991

 ****************************************************************************
                                    PREFACE
                                    ~~~~~~~
 Every SysOp at one time or another is asked by a user, "How do I start my
 own BBS?". This file was originally written by Jerry Shifrin (whom I never
 met, conversed or had contact with) in 1987. I found the basic structure of
 his text file to be a start for a message I was composing in reply to such
 an inquiry. Times have changed since 1987 and like everyone, I have my
 opinions about different programs, etc. Where Mr. Schifrin and I agree, I've
 left the information intact; in those places where we disagree, I've
 modified it to reflect MY advice.

 In previous attempts in e-mail, I've had to turn the tables on the user who
 wants to start a BBS and get answers from them to questions like, "How much
 are you willing to spend?; What is the BBS for? Is there a theme or an area
 of emphasis for the BBS?" For a simple question like, "How do I start a
 BBS?", there is an equally simple - but unsatisfactory - answer, "Do it!".
 The answer they really want is a lot more complex and involves many
 variables.

 In this paper I'll attempt to give you some idea of what you're letting
 yourself in for, but I'll probably overlook some of the areas which you'll
 need to know about. For example, I won't be telling you how to make
 directories, perform a back up (these are so elementary, that you should set
 this file aside and learn these functions before even attempting to start a
 BBS) or which files to cache, how many clock ticks for each session under
 DesqView (these are specific to each BBS package and beyond the scope of
 this file). I won't tell you specifically what you should get in the way of
 hardware - I'll only recommend. Each BBS should be different and unique in
 its own way - if you duplicated MY BBS, it would be boring to you and me!

 So, You're looking at making your BBS unique, having to make decisions
 before you've even decided if you WANT to run a BBS! If this sounds
 discouraging, I'm sorry - but I don't want to disillusion anyone into
 starting a BBS and complain later - this deprives the BBS community of
 someone who would have contributed, if only they had know going in, what was
 involved in running a BBS. As far as the technical aspect, don't worry,
 SYSOPs as a breed are very helpful and most will be happy to help you out
 with problems you run into with your software.

 Since I use THE MAJOR-BBS (from Galacticomm, Inc., 4101 SW 47th Ave, #101,
 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 [305-583-5990, voice]), my current experience is
 with multi-line BBS software - however, I've run WWIV, Wildcat, QBBS and GAP
 software in the past. Regardless of software, most of the areas will be
 similar for whichever system you select.

 ****************************************************************************

                           DISCLAIMER AND LEGALESE
                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Every file or document ever written has this paragraph in it and why should
 this one be different? I am writing this paper based on the best information
 available to me at this time. In the interest of maintaining my personal
 integrity, I ask that any changes/corrections/comments be made in the form
 of a remark appended to COMMENT.TXT which should be included in this archive
 and not to this file. Feel free to add to COMMENT.TXT if you see an error or
 if you differ with my opinion, but please include your name, date and
 reference the areas where we differ in data/opinions. If you are a BBS
 author/SysOp/or knowledgable user who finds an error with my observations,
 please don't take offense - I bear no malice towards any program!

 Permission is granted to distribute this file and to excerpt portions,
 provided it is done in context and without selective editting, with
 appropriate credit given to myself and this document. Reproduction in whole
 is prohibited without written permission from the author.
 ****************************************************************************

                        "Why am I gonna start a BBS?"
                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The first question you should ask yourself is "Why am I thinking about
 starting a BBS?"

 Hopefully, it's not to make money. You will surely end up paying more in
 terms of hardware, software, supplies and telephone charges than you will
 ever take in from user donations. At best, you can hope to recover your
 operating expenses, but you should really write off your original outlay for
 equipment and consider your personal labor a donation.

 Well, what else can you expect? A lot, if you provide a high-quality service
 and attract a good set of users, you will benefit from it in several ways:

 1. Software
    Good users will reciprocate for their download activities by uploading
    other software they've come across while cruising other boards. Of
    course, you'll get a lot of junk, but you'll also get a number of good
    packages you'll enjoy using.

 2. Information
    BBS's have become the best place to share information about new hardware,
    software, vendors, books, etc. They are also the best place to get help
    with hardware or software problems.

 3. Friends and business contacts
    It's not unusual for casual conversations on bulletin boards to develop
    into friendships, business arrangements and sometimes even marriages.

 4. Karma
    Call it what you like, but by offering a good bulletin board service,
    you're giving something back to the community which probably helped you
    along with free soft-ware, advice, etc.

 5. Personal satisfaction
    In this category, you can put 'ego' and that feeling you can't quite put
    a label on .. call it satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

 If these reasons aren't enough to motivate you to start a BBS and there are
 other goals, expect to spend a lot of time and work to attain them. The
 reasons above are about the only reasonable goals you can expect to attain
 early on in your role as SysOp.
 ****************************************************************************

                        "What Type of BBS do I want?"
                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Before you go rounding up hardware and software, you should make some
 decisions right away on what type of BBS you want to run. You might already
 have an idea of what the purpose of the BBS is - file transfers; message
 bases; networks you want to join, such as Fidonet/PC Relay/WWIVnet/etc; on-
 line games; CB type chat; dating/social/matchmaking or combinations of these
 and the many other features possible in a BBS. Making these decisions early
 makes the selection of software (and the related hardware) a lot easier.

 For example, a BBS that wants to specialize in chatting should be a multi-
 line BBS; if your budget or other circumstances don't allow for an AT class
 machine and multiple phone lines, then you should either change the emphasis
 or delay putting up the BBS until your circumstances allow meeting these
 requirements.

 If you want to run a files transfer BBS, you should look at BBS packages
 that offer a variety of protocols and consider a high speed modem - users
 that are files oriented are usually high speed users also.

 If it's messages you want, consider BBS programs that have a user friendly
 message editor - if it's difficult to read and enter messages, your users
 are not going to be very active in reading and posting. Check for BBS
 software network compatibilty - select networks that carry conferences that
 interest you and your potential users. Check for the availability of network
 hubs and relay sites. It does little good to run a BBS program that has very
 few relay points. When you find a relay hub or site, find out what high
 speed connections they use (this will become important later - network mail/
 message packages can become very large and you'll want to make these
 transfers at high speed).

 It is difficult enough to run a BBS without starting off with strikes
 against you!
 ****************************************************************************

                       SELECTING A BBS SOFTWARE PACKAGE
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 If you don't have a definite idea of what kind of BBS you want, but just
 know you want to run one, you might want to dial into a variety of your
 local boards and decide which of these is easiest for you, as a user, to
 navigate. Decide which board does what you want your BBS to accomplish best.
 Keep one thing in mind though - it becomes boring to the user to see two
 BBSes that are virtual clones of each other!

 Performance is also of crucial importance. It's no fun to pay long-distance
 charges to use a slow board. The meter keeps on running, whether or not
 you're doing anything useful.


 OK, before you select hardware and install a phone line, you should select
 the software you want to run your BBS. I'm making some assumptions here;
 you have a reasonable (vague term, I know) budget and you'll be running the
 BBS on an IBM or compatible PC using PC or MS-DOS.

 You have three main categories, then sub-choices within each of those. The
 main categories are Single Line Systems; Multi-line/Multi-CPU Systems and
 Multi-line/Single CPU Systems.
 ============================================================================

 Single Line Systems are the most elementary and are what most SysOps will
 start with. They allow a single remote caller to access your BBS PC and
 post messages; transfer files; and depending on the options, access doorway
 games and features. With only one caller on the system at a time, the
 minimum requirement for a Single Line System is usually a PC-XT class
 computer.

 Although the majority of these programs are commercial, there are a several
 Public Domain programs available. There are a number of shareware programs -
 the enhanced features become enabled after registration. Some commercial
 programs have limited versions available for evaluation purposes. The PD and
 shareware programs are usually found through BBSes that operate under that
 software; large information services like Compu$erve and Shareware Disk
 Distributors (PC-SIG; The Public Software Library; etc).

 Programs in this category, authors/distributors and approximate cost are:
 FIDO        (author unknown; PD?; $??)
             I believe this software is Public Domain. It is the basis for
             the FidoNet International Network. I haven't seen very many
             new FIDO BBSes starting up, but there is a large base of older
             established BBSes running this software.
 GAP         (GAP Development; commercial; $75)
             Based in Southern California (Home BBS is in North Orange County
            - AC 714; support BBSes in AC 818 and Northern CA), this is a
             PC-Board 'work alike'. Will interface with the PC-Board based
             PC-Relay/Smartnet network and run many, but not all, PC-Board
             RBBS and Wildcat! doorways/games. Support available through
             Support BBSes or over PC-Relay Conferences. Demo version
             available for evaluation. Will upgrade to a multi-line version.
 OPUS        (author unknown; ??; $??)
             Possibly PD or shareware. Interfaces with the FidoNet network.
 PC Board    (Clark Development; commercial; $100+)
             Based in Utah; very popular software with a large number of
             third party utilities/doorway programs/on-line games. Basis for
             the PC-Relay network. Very professional package with on going
             upgrades and enhancement. Support available through Salt-Air BBS
             (Home BBS in Utah) and/or over PC-Relay Conferences. Demo
             version available for evaluation. Will upgrade to a multi-line
             version.
 QBBS        (QuickBBS, Inc; shareware; $40)
             Early versions were by Adam Hudson of Colorado; newer versions
             by QuickBBS, Inc of Florida. Interfaces with FidoNet network.
             VERY configurable (with accompanying complexity in setting up).
 RBBS        (Remote BBS - Capitol PC Users Group; PD)
             The so-called 'Granddaddy' of BBS programs. Although it has been
             around for a long time, it is still supported and undergoing
             enhancements. I believe it is compatible with the PC-Relay
             Network.
 RyBBS       (author unknown; shareware; $??)
 Searchlight (author unknown; shareware; $??)
 TAG         (author unknown; shareware; $??)
 Telegard    (author unknown; shareware; $??)
             Home BBS is in Michigan; very similar in user functions to WWIV,
             but interfaces with the FidoNet Network.
 Wildcat!    (Mustang Software; commercial; $100+)
             Headquartered in Bakersfield, CA; professional software
             supported by a Home BBS and through conferences in PC-Relay;
             PC-Relay Network compatible. Demo version available for
             evaluation. Will upgrade to a multi-line version.
 WWIV        (World War IV by Wayne Bell; shareware; $50)
             Shareware program supported by a Home BBS (Amber BBS in the 213
             area code) and a national network of regional support BBSes. It
             is also the basis for WWIVnet. Registration also purchases the
             source code (written in C language), making modifications
             possible for programmers.
 ============================================================================

 Multi-line/Multi-CPU Systems are actually the most complex to set up, but
 since they are an outgrowth of a Single Line System (they are basically the
 single line system with record locking routines added by the software author
 to allow multiple users to access the BBS software). Because of this
 feature, it is possible to go to multiple lines with the same software
 interface as a single line system. The advantages of this type of system
 over the single CPU Multi-line system are easy transition from the single
 line version; the ability to run external protocols; and since each line
 (node) is running on its own CPU in most cases, relatively little loss of
 speed due to multiple users on-line simultaneously.

 Typically, these systems operate with the BBS software located on a Local
 Area Network (LAN) server. Each caller accesses the BBS by connecting to a
 workstation modem, which is in turn connects to the server via the LAN.

 For maximum performance, the server should be an AT class machine with a
 network throughput of at least 2mb/sec to XT class workstations. As you can
 see, a multiple line system of this type involves a sizable investment in
 CPU's and networking hardware (and expertise).

 In some cases, it is possible to run multiple sessions of the BBS software
 on a single CPU under a program such as DoubleDOS, Windows, TopView or
 DesqView - however, since this involves time- slicing, there is a large
 overhead on the system, causing the system to run slower.

 The software to operate multiple sessions is complex; I know of no PD or
 shareware multi-line software available; the following are all commercial
 packages:

 GAP         (GAP Development; $125+) see single line version for basic info
             Incremental upgrades depending on number of lines.
 PC-Board    (Clark Development; $150+) see single line version for basic
             info. Incremental upgrades depending on number of lines.
 Searchlight (Author Unknown; Price unknown)
 Wildcat     (Mustang Software; $200+) see single line version for basic info
             Incremental upgrades depending on number of lines.
 ============================================================================

 Multi-line/Single CPU Systems are programs written with the ability for
 multiple users to be logged on to one host BBS computer simultaneously.
 Although some software will run on an XT class PC, the recommended PC for
 running these types of systems is an AT and depending on the number of
 simultaneous users, a 386 with expanded (and/or extended) memory. To go
 beyond 4 lines will usually require a serial interface adapter such as a
 DigiBoard, Stargate card or Galactibox.

 DLX      (Richard Gilman/The On-line Store; $395 and up; 5 to 32 lines)
          Primarily geared for social type BBSes; can be configured for use
          as a business oriented BBS for tech support purposes. Not highly
          recommended for files oriented BBSes - no enhanced protocols.
 MajorBBS (Galacticomm, Inc; $67 and up; 2 to 64 lines)
          Base BBS program is for 2 lines with an upgrade cost of $300 for
          each doubling of lines (4,8,16,32 and 64 lines). Modular add ins
          for enhanced chat and games; file library; on-line shopping mall;
          custom menus and more. Source code available (required if you wish
          to use 2 add-in modules) and many 3rd party games and routines. The
          only program in this category to currently offer Kermit and Zmodem.
 OraComm  (Surf Computers)
 TBBS     (ESoft; $895 and up; 16 to 32 lines)
          The Bread Board System - modular BBS program that has the ability
          to allow multiple callers to access multiple databases (option).
 ============================================================================

 I'm quite sure that there will be notes found virtually immediately in the
 COMMENT.TXT file included in this archive that will fill in the blanks, add
 further information, add other programs, and correct any errors I might have
 made about the different programs. But, remember, when deciding on the
 software, keep in mind that it is like paying for the right tools. Chosing
 the right software to make it easier to run your system is worth the money
 you've paid as it will quickly be recovered in terms of your time saved and
 aggravation.

 Once you've settled on a system, establish contact with a BBS in your area
 running on that software. If the software is public domain or shareware,
 you'll probably be able to download it from there. Make sure the SYSOP
 understands what you're doing so that he or she will be more forgiving of
 the large amount of downloading you're about to do.

 If the software is commercial, the SysOp can more than likely tell you how
 and where to purchase it.
 ****************************************************************************

                            HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Well, let's go over some of this in a bit of detail. Now that you've decided
 on the software, you'll know what it requires in the way of hardware. They
 all will require a PC, monitor, hard disk and modem.

 Please! Don't assume you can just run the BBS when you're not using it - to
 operate a popular BBS, you really have to dedicate the hardware to the
 bulletin board, otherwise your callers will get frustrated at the sporadic
 system availability.

 For a general purpose BBS, you should plan on at least a 40 megabyte hard
 disk - forget the minimum the software docs states (unless it suggests
 more). Your BBS software, utilities, message files and logs will easily
 consume 4-5 megabytes. You'll be surprised at how quickly the rest of it
 fills up with files for downloading. In Southern CA, at this time, the norm
 appears to be from 66 to 120 megabyte capacity, with more and more BBSes
 going to 200+ megabytes. If you don't have the capacity currently, don't let
 it discourage you - but do keep it in mind for future growth and as a
 possible reason for slow initial user response.

 Since a BBS server will be showing mostly text data, a monochrome monitor
 will do in most cases; however, if you wish to see what your color callers
 see, a color monitor is recommended/required. There is really no need for
 VGA on the BBS server - I use EGA on my BBS server.

 You should have another PC for your own usage and for BBS maintenance. This
 PC would be used to test your new uploads; for your own personal BBSing (I
 still call out to other boards - because you're a SysOp doesn't mean you
 can't call others!); personal use (games, etc); and in my case, since the
 BBS specializes in VGA graphics, I have the VGA on this other PC to review
 the VGA files.

 If your budget doesn't allow a separate PC, an alternative is to run the BBS
 on an AT class machine using a program like DoubleDOS, Windows, Taskview or
 Desqview and connect two monitors (if the BBS software allows this), and use
 the second partition for BBS maintenance and personal use. But, you should
 realize that having this type of complicated operating environment is much
 more fragile and will fail with certain ill-behaved software. It will also
 slow down the performance of your BBS software (regardless of what others
 may tell you!).

 Phone lines - You should run the BBS on its own separate phone line! Do NOT
 use your voice line and run a BBS with limited hours, expecting to use your
 voice line for personal calls. You will find yourself awakened at all hours
 with the screech of a modem greeting you.

 A few hints when ordering phone lines - get the cheapest service possible,
 there is little need for Tone Dialling (unless you plan on calling out, even
 then, it's not necessary); rather than paying extra for being unlisted, just
 have it listed under your first initial with no address; password protect
 the ability to make any changes to your BBS phone number service with the
 phone company - there have been cases of malicious users having call waiting
 added, other services installed on BBS lines, even having the number changed
 without the SysOps knowledge, not to mention the expenses involved.

 I would suggest that for the BBS, you get the best modem you can afford.
 Many of the inexpensive modems which promise Hayes compatibility, really are
 not fully compatible and may not operate correctly when used for a BBS.
 Additionally, the more expensive modems have better equalization circuitry
 which will give your callers cleaner connections. Also, consider getting at
 least a 2400 bps modem - they are the current 'norm' and the price
 difference is virtually nil.

 9600bps service is an entirely different discussion! There are so many pros
 and cons to the different types of 9600bps modems now available - unless
 your BBS will be files oriented; you have the budget to afford it and your
 users also have 9600, it is best to wait until a standard emerges.

 Ideally, you would have a tape back-up drive - if not, You will need disks -
 lots of disks. You should have at least two sets for backup and alternate
 between them. Also, you'll want to periodically move some things offline:
 outdated or low-usage files, older messages, caller logs, etc. Naturally,
 you could just trash this stuff, but I find it occasionally helpful to keep
 them available for reference.
 ****************************************************************************

                               UTILITY SOFTWARE
                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 You'll find that having the right suite of utility software tools will ease
 your workload and improve your system performance. For most of these, there
 are public domain or shareware alternatives. In general, I prefer the
 commercial packages - you will be using these a lot and for most of them
 will require reasonable support and updates.

 1. Backup utility - unless you can have a tape drive, you should invest in a
    backup program such as Fastback, Norton Backup or the backup program that
    is included with Central Point Softwares PC Tools. An alternative is the
    DOS BACKUP program, but you'll find the commercial programs to be faster,
    more reliable, easier to use for both backup and restore, and able to put
    more data on each floppy.

 2. Cache utility - depending on the BBS software and how much (if any)
    extended or expanded RAM is in your system, a cache utility will add a
    good deal to the performance of your system.

 3. Disk Optimizer - with all of the disk activity to message bases, system
    logs, files, etc., eventually your hard disks will become hopelessly
    fragmented, increasing your system overhead. A disk organizer will
    defragment your files, minimizing disk wear and tear and the time it
    takes to access files. Programs in this category are VOpt (Golden Bow
    Software); COMPRESS (part of PC Tools); Speedisk (from Norton Utilities);
    Optune (Gazelle Software) or the shareware program DOG.

 4. Disk Maintenance utility - considering that your system will be running
    night and day for months on end without interruption (hopefully),
    eventually you will have some disk problems. The right maintenance
    utility can sometimes save you from having to do a full disk restore.
    Programs in this area are PCTOOLS (Central Point Software); the Mace
    Utilities or the Norton Utilities. Spinrite II (Gibson Research) is also
    highly recommended for hard drive maintenance.

 5. Editors - I'm sure you have your own favorites here, so whatever I say
    will probably be ignored, but I would suggest that you need two different
    editors - a full-function wordprocessor for composing lengthy messages,
    bulletins, etc. and a quick little editor for making little fixes to
    directories, configuration files, etc. I use Word 5.0 from Microsoft for
    the large stuff and either QEDIT, shareware from Sammy Mitchel ($35) or
    the text editor in Norton Commander 3.0 for all the little things.

 I'd really suggest that you not stint on these tools. It's like working on a
 car -- the right tool can turn a difficult task into a real breeze, and the
 less time you spend on maintenance the better. You'll have plenty of other
 things which will consume your time.
 ****************************************************************************

                               Getting Started
                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                             Decisions, Decisions

 Before you even start setting up your BBS, You have a number of decisions to
 make on how you will run your board. I can't begin to touch the surface of
 all these, but will describe a few of them.

 1. Open or restricted access?
    Will you let anyone dial in and access all of your board's facilities
    (down-loads, messages, conferences, doors, etc.)? Or will you restrict
    access to those who have registered, answered a questionnaire, read your
    bulletins, mailed in a form, sent you a check, etc.?

    Many SYSOPs restrict access to those who have answered a questionnaire
    and been validated. A few go so far as to personally call each and every
    new user and chat with them before granting full access. Others allow
    limited access until the caller completes a questionnaire. Some apply a
    "sanity check" on user information (sometimes calling them if it looks
    suspicious) and then grant full access.

 2. Free or Pay?
    Will you accept, request, or demand payment for use of the board? There
    are pros and cons to each of these alternatives. If you accept payments
    at all, then you are committing yourself to keeping the board available
    and probably allowing your paying callers to tie up your board without
    any other participation. Is it worth the income to you to have a paying
    caller logon every few days and do nothing but download? If you demand
    payment, then you may be excluding people who could possibly enrich your
    board in other ways. On the other hand, if your board is totally free and
    open, then you may find yourself swamped with people who do nothing but
    download.

    I would suggest that, until your board is fairly well established, you do
    not insist on payment. You may wish to provide incentives for people to
    contribute money to your boards operation - access to special areas,
    extra time, exemptions, etc.

 3. File transfers?
    There are some BBSes that do not allow transfers at all. Once again, this
    is a personal choice and depends on your viewpoint and the capabilities
    of your system and hardware.

 4. Transfer ratios?
    Many SYSOPs monitor upload to download ratios, at least for their non-
    paying callers. A typical ratio is requiring at least one upload for each
    10 or 20 downloads. A few SYSOPs are tougher, demanding 1:3 or 1:5
    ratios. I guess the question is whether you're doing this in order to
    collect software or if you're trying to provide a public service. I'd
    suggest being fair about this - set a realistic ratio and enforce it
    strictly.

 5. Adult material and/or on-line Games?
    If you allow on-line games and/or adult material on your board, then you
    will certainly get your share of immature callers of all ages. On the
    other hand, games are a important part of most people's computer usage.
    What to do? What to do? Beats me.

 6. 300 bps callers?
    Many SYSOPs restrict 300 bps callers since some tend to be in the
    category of immature or new computer users and they can't make as
    efficient use of your facilities as callers with faster modems. Again, by
    doing this, you may deprive yourself of good, contributing callers who
    happen to lack a faster modem or line conditions prevent a fast
    connection. Some BBS programs work around this problem by allowing low
    speed callers on-line only during specific hours.

 7. Operator page?
    Do you want callers to be able to page you by sounding an alarm on the PC
    speaker? It's nice to be helpful and available to your callers, but I'm
    amazed at the number of people who feel free to page you in the middle of
    the night!

 Well, there are hundreds of other decisions you'll have to make to set up
 your board, but this should give you some feel for the kind of stuff you're
 getting into. Although these items are covered in the BBS documentation as a
 configuration item, you've seen how they can often be difficult decisions to
 make - there's no set rule or correct answer.

                    After the decisions - More Decisions!
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 There is no way I can cover how to configure each BBS package! But there are
 suggestions I can pass on that can save you some time and headaches. With
 most BBS packages, you'll find it fairly easy to do the initial setup. You
 should be able to get going by just taking most of the defaults, though as
 you become familiar with all of the features you'll want to start
 customizing things right away. My first suggestion - DON'T!

 I suggest avoiding things like doors, graphic displays, conferences,
 networks, timed-events, and the like until you become comfortable with the
 system's operational characteristics. Start out small with a few directories
 for transfers, and a few message bases until you know where you want to go.

 The initial temptation is to start calling all your friends and inviting
 them to log on to your BBS. Believe me, cherish these moments of non-
 activity and use them to learn your software! You might know the software
 like the back of your hand from the caller point of view, but it's a
 different look now! You will have commands available to you that you never
 knew existed (or you knew, but didn't have access to).

 Once you've grown comfortable with these new commands and capabilities,
 learn what you CAN'T do. You'll find yourself bombarded with requests for
 items and features when users start logging on - some are realistic and
 others are not so realistic or practical.

 As you approach the time to put the BBS on line, you'll have logged on to
 your BBS in the local mode (most software allows this) as the SysOp. You
 should also log on in the other modes that your software allows to ensure
 that a user in that mode sees what you want them to see - nothing more and
 nothing less. While doing this, you should put your new found knowledge
 aside and put yourself in the position of the person at that level;
 determine if the software is confusing and adjust it (if possible). While
 configuring my BBS, I looked back at my past experiences and, where
 possible, changed things to eliminate what I didn't like and enhanced what I
 did like.
 ****************************************************************************

                            You're Up and Running!
                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                              Daily Maintenance

 You're up and running and you're watching people log on and off your BBS.
 Now, it's time for daily maintenance. You really need to check your board at
 least once a day. At first, this might seem like fun, but after awhile, it
 becomes a bit of a drag.

 1. Message check
    You really MUST read (at least scan) every message on your board. Your
    standards are your own, of course, but I'd suggest making sure that no
    one is promoting software piracy, phone phreaking, or whatever else you
    consider offensive. Some SYSOPs disallow bad language; I don't feel
    strongly about that, but I don't want to have anyone leave abusive
    messages on the board.

 2. Registration
    You should promptly register new callers, especially if you require that
    they complete a questionnaire to gain access to your board. It's
    discouraging for someone to make several long-distance calls before
    they're allowed to access the BBS.

 3. File check
    You should do at least a quick check of any uploaded files to ensure that
    people haven't uploaded undesirable software; that files requiring
    approval get approved; that files are in the appropriate area; and if
    possible, you should verify that the software doesn't contain a "Trojan",
    or "virus".

 4. Respond to questions
    Your callers will really appreciate it if you're consistent in replying
    to their questions within a reasonable length of time. You should be
    responsive if you want to attract a good set of callers.

 5. BBS software maintenance
    I perform an incremental back up daily of my BBS files. After several
    multi-hour rebuilds of corrupted data files, I've developed a cautious
    approach to keeping a current back up.
 ****************************************************************************

                              Weekly Maintenance
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 There are several maintenance activities which are needed every week or so.

 1. File maintenance
    Take the time to verify that you aren't keeping several copies of the
    same program with different names, or that you don't have out-of-date
    versions of a package. If you let file maintenance drag on for a month or
    so, you will find yourself faced with an almost insurmountable task.

 2. Backups
    I know it's a real drag, but you really should do backups on a weekly
    basis. At the very least, you should back up your user records and the
    message bases.

 3. Message cleanup
    If you have an active message base, and your software doesn't do this
    automatically, you should probably go though it once a week, deleting
    older or irrelevant messages.
 ****************************************************************************

                             Monthly Maintenance
                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 You may need to do these things more or less frequently depending on your
 board's activity.

 1. User maintenance
    Unless your software does this automatically, eventually your user
    records will have a large number of entries for people who haven't called
    in quite a while. They may have lost interest, moved, or died. People who
    haven't called in a while should be purged from your user records.

 2. Message base maintenance
    Likewise, your message base should be purged of outdated or deleted
    messages. In most software, the larger these files become, the slower the
    software runs.

 3. Caller log
    For an active board, this file can easily grow quite large. You should
    probably start a new log at least once a month.

 4. Full backups
    C'mon now - at least once a month!
 ****************************************************************************

                             Periodic Maintenance
                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Here's a list of other things you'll want (or need) to do periodically:

 1. Hardware maintenance
    Optimize the hard drive; give your machine a good cleaning every so
    often. Dust or clean all the exposed surfaces, vacuum around the
    keyboard, vents, etc. Clean your monitor! Dusty, greasy monitors are hard
    to read.

 2. Software upgrades
    You'll probably want to check with the BBS author about upgrades to your
    BBS software and with others and their respective programs. I'd suggest
    making a back up and keeping copies of the previous versions until you've
    verified the correct operation of new releases in your environment. Also
    related to upgrades is staying in touch with the authors - give them
    feedback about their programs and suggestions/bug reports.
 ****************************************************************************

                                   Epilogue
                                   ~~~~~~~~
 Now it's up to you! Just remember that a BBS without callers isn't very
 worthwhile. Be firm with them, but be nice -- you'll reap dividends in the
 long run. You should attempt to provide an interesting and entertaining
 forum for users to interact in. Their input should be welcome and solicited
 when making decisions about the BBS. Also keep in mind that every BBS
 started somewhere -- you'll make mistakes, but if you work at it, you'll end
 up with an operation you can be proud of.

 Finally, keep in mind that there are hundreds (thousands?) of other SYSOPs
 who have already gone through the hassle you've set out to deal with. The
 vast majority of these people will be happy, even eager, to help you out.
 Feel free to ask how they've dealt with the problem with which you're
 struggling. You'll be amazed at just how helpful SysOps can be.