NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #30/NN_1992_30.iso/spool/comp/bbs/misc/1481

Text File | 1992-12-11 | 2.7 KB | 55 lines

Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc
Path: sparky!uunet!caen!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!hucke
From: [e-mail] (Matt Hucke)
Subject: Re: WWIV and K00l Jerks
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1992 18:41:20 GMT
Lines: 44

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Paul Jason Clegg) writes:

)I've seen a lot of discussion going on about how this board is really bland,
)and this one is dominated by 13-year olds posting "K00l" messages (I won't
)mention names... WWIV!).

It's hardly "dominated"...  in this areacode, for example, the five WWIV
boards are all run by people over 20, while the 13-year-olds prefer Maximus.

)Personally, I like color.  I don't like overkill, but I like color nonetheless.
)I despise black and white when dealing with bulletin boards.  But, I think, at
)the same time, that the board should be configurable enough that you can use
)Black and White if you really, really wanted to (don't expect me to call it,
)tho.)

WWIV allows each user to chose whether they want ANSI color, ANSI b&w, or no
ANSI at all, by choosing menu options that toggle two bits in their personal
record.

) In various fits of boredom, created several menus, and did the very
)simple thing of CHANGING T to F in the menus  (Geez, guys, if you don't like
)their key definitions and have the code, change 'em!  It's gotta be the
)easiest thing to do in the entire code!).

I've considered doing this, but left them the way they were because when a
user calls a WWIV bbs, they expect the WWIV keymap, and changing it would be
confusing.  I did add a few alternate methods, though: /G to logoff, .s to
save in the internal editor, = to list message titles (like 'rn' has), etc.

)Conclusions:  A good sysop can take a WWIV board and make it look as
)professional as they want.  A bad sysop can take a "professional" BBS package
)and turn into "K00l" ANSI crap.  The best board, therefore, is the one that
)you can make do what you want.  In my case, I'm trying to write my own.  :)

Exactly.  The quality of the board has very little to do with the choice of
software, it depends on the mentality, maturity, and programming skill of
the sysop.  With WWIV, you see a wide variation, because it's easy to install
(any K00L K!D with pkunzip can do it), but in the hands of a good
programmer the potential is enormous.
--
"In brightest day, in blackest night     | [e-mail]
no evil shall escape my sight.           | Novell janitor
Let those who worship evil's might       |-------------------------------
beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"      --GREEN LANTERN