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RBBS in a Box Volume 1 #2
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RBBS_vol1_no2.iso
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090z
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requiem.txt
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1985-03-15
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SUBMITTED BY: Jim Anderson - SysOp MSB - Billings, MT
REQUIEM FOR A SYSOP
-------------------
Excerpt from an article in "PC WEEK", Nov. 20, 1984:
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there is an
ample supply of free software that's yours for the asking.
All you have to do is dial up, make a connection, browse
through a couple of menus, check over long lists of available
software, make your choices and start downloading.
- + - + - + -
Exchange of E-Mail between sysop and BBS user:
Well, John, the good news is that the faulty file has been
fixed but the bad news is that your downloading privileges
have been revoked. I just went through the last two months
of logs and came up with some interesting statistics. During
that time you have logged on 23 times, downloaded 66 files
and uploaded NONE. You have called for chat twice, and left
a total of two messages on the board, one requesting a
specific program and the other informing me of a disk error
in a download file. I can only draw the conclusion that you
are interested in this board for ONE REASON ONLY -- to rape
hell out of the download menus. I've left plenty of messages
regarding PARTICIPATION in the BBS and the Message Base, but
you either haven't read them or else you ignored them.
Sorry, but one-way streets just don't hack it around here.
Jim.
Jim, I have been taking part in the BBS. Every time I log on
I read all the new messages.
John.
John, I just can't help but feel that in all that time you
could have atleast said "Hi" or "Thanks for the downloads" or
SOMETHING to acknowledge that there's a real live human being
on this end.
Jim.
- + - + - + -
Except for power failures, my computer has been continually
running since Nov. 11, 1982, and has fielded over 12,000
telephone calls operating as a BBS. Back then, it was a joy
to be a part of the realm of computer telecommunications --
now it's a drag. It seems to me that a "GIMMEE" attitude has
pervaded the whole arena of BBSing, with callers interested
in nothing more than material gains in the way of software.
My board is far from the busiest, being isolated in the
"foreign country" of Montana, but an average day will see
about 20 or 25 calls to the system. An average day will also
see about three or four messages (of ALL types, including
E-Mail) being posted. The typical log entry shows so-and-so
logging on, going to the file transfer area, downloading
several files and then logging off. Thanks, that's why I
started up a BBS, to supply people with free programs. Really
makes my day to see that I've spent all this time and money
just to watch pigs at the trough.
Whatever happened to the COMMUNICATIONS in
telecommunications? Is this the result of the Computer Age,
that people don't talk or communicate with each other? Are
we getting so totally in tune with our equipment that we're
excluding PEOPLE? If so, then Orwell's predictions are tame
in comparison with the reality. Who took the BULLETIN BOARD
out of Bulletin Board System? The file transfer section of
my board is shiny from daily use, but the bulletin section is
obscured by cobwebs. The thought has crossed my mind more
than once just to load up a host program and let people grab
whatever programs look interesting.
"Do you have a logon code for this system (Y/N) ==> Y <=="
"What is your account number? 775"
"What is your logon code? PASSWORD"
"INVALID LOGON CODE"
"Do you have a logon code for this system (Y/N) ==> Y <=="
"What is your account number? 305"
"What is your logon code? PASSWORD"
et cetera, ad infinitum et ad nauseam.
Hackers. Or so they'd like to believe. Vandals, pests, yes.
Hackers? They should be so talented, devoted and lucky. Why
do these computerized delinquents find such delight in trying
to break into bulletin boards? Don't they realize that
sysops are ordinary people just like themselves trying to
find a little enjoyment in their hobby? Why pick on me? I'm
spending a lot of time and money trying to provide people a
service for free, and they want to go and spoil it for
everyone. Heck, if they want onto the system, all they have
to do is apply for a logon. Why make life difficult for
everyone? Leave me alone. Go pick on CompuServe.
Caller logs on. Leaves E-Mail to a friend. Lines only fill
half the screen, so he's probably using a Commodore 64. Goes
to file transfer section, and selects UltraTerm protocol.
Chooses a file that indicates it's a TRS-80 program. BBS
goes to send, he figures out that he's somewhere he doesn't
want to be and drops carrier.
Another caller logs on four times in a row, but keeps losing
carrier before he can do anything. Probably phreaking on a
cheapie phone service.
Another caller successfully downloads a file. Sit. Wait.
Wait some more. System eventually times out and drops him.
I'm not the most polite person in the world and I'm certainly
not one to stand on ceremony, but I am old enough to remember
what manners were. They also went down the tubes with
"communications" and "bulletin boards." Whoops! Dropped
carrier! So what? If it's a halfway decent system, it'll
reboot. Well, I'll just go to bed while downloading this
long file, the system will eventually throw me off and
reboot. Never mind that there's other people wanting to call
into the board. Who cares that the sysop climbs the walls
when he sees someone drop carrier or time-out on the system?
Lately I've gotten into the habit of dropping carrier ON MY
END for the worst offenders. One good hang-up deserves
another.
Along with all the other goodies that have bitten the dust,
there's good old APPRECIATION. As I mentioned before, my BBS
has fielded over 12,000 calls. Out of all of them, I have
gotten maybe a dozen messages saying "Thanks for running your
BBS." That's about one "Thank You" per THOUSAND calls!
Unfortunately, it seems that people think they have all this
automatically coming to them. It's their right! Sorry to
disillusion anyone, but that just ain't so. The master
switch for this system is two feet away, and I'm not so
decrepit that I can't hit it in a flash. Alternatively, I
can ban anyone I wish from my system. Callers use this BBS
at my forbearance only, and it's not a God-given right. It's
a sysop-given privilege! I sincerely feel that we should
proclaim a "Sysop Appreciation Day." We certainly don't get
any on a day-to-day basis!
Don't get me wrong. There ARE joys and benefits in running a
BBS, although sometimes in my nether moods I'm hard pressed
to enumerate them. But the fact is, there have been many
occasions when I've rested my finger on the switch with the
idea of going offline forever.
Now for the moral of the story. I'm only one sysop among
many, and I'm not trying to evoke sympathy for myself through
this article. The point is that almost every sysop around
has these feelings to some extent or another. And further,
most of these sysops (especially the best and most devoted
ones) are going to reach a saturation point and wind up
depriving the general public of their services. I foresee a
day coming, and very soon at that, when the high quality
BBS's will be all gone. So all this is really a plea for
everyone to shape up their acts before it's too late. If
nothing else, when you're on a bulletin board, leave a little
message to the sysop. "Thanks for the use of your system" or
"Fine BBS you have here." Let them know they're appreciated.
When I see a message like that, I say to myself, "THAT's why
I'm doing all this!" Sysops are real, live human being with
feelings and emotions. Let's start treating them as such!
- + - + - + -
EPILOGUE: Twelve hours after the above was written, I find
out that one of my best friends (with higher than normal
access to the system) has allowed a third party to use her
logon. That's forbidden for anyone on my BBS to do, but it
hurts even more because a valued and trusted friend who
should have known better went and did it. That's the final
straw. The Most Significant Byte BBS is no longer in
existence.
Jim Anderson, Ex-Sysop
The Most Significant Byte BBS
Billings, Montana
January 13, 1985
NOTE: I agree completely with Jim in his above comments, if
not his action. I find it difficult to comprehend the mind
of individuals, who take those of us who, through our
generosity and good nature, are supplying them, free of
charge, this service. Please note, this attitude of SysOps
is spreading and BBS's around the country are disappearing or
getting more difficult to access. I certainly hope this
action in tiny Billings, Montana has some effect on the
community of computerists. Don't abuse a good thing!
Dave Williams, still SysOp
Magic City RBBS
Billings, MT