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───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ Type 0 Forum │
│ Edited by Omega Man (1@5282) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The Type 0 Forum is WWIVnews' "Letters To The Editor" section. Comments,
criticisms, questions, and suggestions can be sent to WWIVnews c/o 1@5282.
WWIVnews reserves the right to edit any submissions for either clarity,
punctuation, or spelling, but will endeavor to maintain the content integrity
as close to that originally submitted as possible.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Dear Editor:
I have been running a WWIV based bbs since 10/10/92 in a small rural community
in North Carolina. My Board Now has 60 subs 20+games and over 500 good files.
My question is after all is said and done, what is the best way to get users to
use the network. I have tried everything sort of closing the transfer section,
to get people to use the subs, yet if they use them at all, all they do is read
them. I have rebuilt the user base in this town that has diminished over the
last few years due to the younger users, going of to college, etc. and have
managed to find older users who I know have opinions of what is going on in the
world, yet I cant seem to stress to them the benefits of using the network on
a regular bases.
I am writing to you, in the hopes that you have run into this sort of thing
before, and have written, or posted an article in WWIVnews, about increasing
sub usage, and can mail me a copy of it, or at least, open a debate about it
in your forum where all of us can reap the benefits of what tends to be the
most costly aspect of being a sysop.
Lord Agar (1@29950)
Editor's Reply:
Lord Agar's query echoes the one common dilemma that has plagued the majority
of sysops since Ward Christiansen first implemented Xmodem: How to keep one's
BBS from deteriorating into a haven for file leeches.
As most of us have come to realize by now, there doesn't seem to be any
real answer to this problem. This is due primarily to the fact that while most
sysops agree the problem exists, there are differences of opinion as to just
how serious this problem really is.
Some sysops see file sections as being deadly to a BBS. When a file is
downloaded, the board's availability for message traffic and other functions is
reduced. As a result, the message traffic slows to a crawl in both directions,
which is anathema for any message-oriented BBS. These sysops usually close
their file sections to all users, but in turn find that their user base begins
to dwindle in size unless the message bases are of a nature that promotes
continue dusage.
Some other sysops see file sections as a necessary evil, and find a common
ground by granting the message readers more time on the system per call, and
enforcing upload/download ratios to at least ensure that the system gets in as
much as it gets out. This compromise tends to work in most cases, and its
degree of success appears to depend upon the nature and content of the file
areas.
Still more sysops could care less about the message bases, and have their BBS's
set up for file transfers only. However, virtually all of them have at least
one message base which they use to post system news and bulletins. Getting the
users to newscan this sub can be the same as pulling teeth without implementing
one of the several mods designed to force a newscan of a particular sub.
So, as you can see, there's really no clear cut solution to the problem. The
suggestion I make to most people is to take the compromise position. Making a
file leech use the subs is the same as leading a waterlogged horse to water and
trying to make him drink against his will. Strict enforcement of file ratios
tends to chase most leeches off for other leeching grounds, which in turn gives
your posters and not-so-leechers a bit more time to use the board to its
fullest.
I invite everyone to send in their comments on this problem, as its effects
help determine whether a BBS is successful or not.
Dear Editor:
Everyone, no matter what our age, likes to be recognized for our achievements.
But once we have gotten the recognition we so painlessly strived for, is it the
type we wished, or the bad kind, the recognition that under all our flash and
BS, lies code that is difficult to read, or code that is incomplete or just
doesn't work.
Everyone makes mistakes, and its easy to miss a piece of code that needs
to be added, but its how many mistakes on how many mods that separates the C
programmers from the C wannabees.
I received an email from a BBS'er who used one of my mods, and what little
he/she said, was music to my ears. The mail said, "I installed you JRFCLR2.MOD,
and it worked great and was easy to install!" And with that, he/she signed
their handle.
While there is really no set format or style for sending out mods, with the
exception of the header suggested by Filo, their are some standard conventions
for posting mods that should be used.
Step one: remind the modder to back up their source. While that would seem to
be a basic thing, we are constantly getting new users who might not even know
the basics and need the reminding. I have even seen people give the commands for
doing the backups. I feel this is a useless gesture though, as if they need that
much help, your going to have to go to their home anyway, just to show them
where their compiler is.
Step two: show the what and the where of how to implement your mod. The only
difference between a hard mod to install and an easy one is how well the coder
documented the procedure. The instructions you include with your mod should be
clear and concise, and nothing should be left to chance or second guessing. For
example, a search for <this line> is fine, but if <this line> occurs in more
than one place, be sure to specify which one. And if adding a string to a *.str
file is needed, or modification of an add on utility or whatever is required,
document that, as that is part of the mod, believe it or not!
Step three: Proper credits. In C and C++, code reuseablity is an important part
of the language assets. The ability to use existing procedures and routines, in
whole or part, makes us all more productive programmers. As a result we need to
make certain that we share the credit with those who have shared their code.
Many may disagree, but I feel all else is a waste of time and or "paper". The
need to inform everyone of one's lack of responsibility for their code that you
use, or the fact that the code was your first or fiftieth, is really irrelevant
in the end. Same goes for your family history, I might add.
So long as I can keep my code clean, my mods easy to install and bug free, I
won't have to worry, as the end product speaks for itself.
Rebel 1 (1@2620)
Editor's Reply:
Rebel 1's commentary here echoes - albeit in a more sedate tone - most of the
points I made in a previous editorial concerning the debugging and
documentation of mods sent over the Modnet. All of us who've worked with
Wayne's code and implementing Modnet submissions have experienced at least
once in our efforts a mod whose author either didn't document a needed change
to something in COM.C or CONIO.C, or failed to mention the need to include a
variable or two in a procedure header, or even included undocumented calls to
a procedure that wasn't part of stock WWIV source in the first place, and can't
be found in any of the Modnet collections.
On the other side of the fence, of course, is the issue of proper accredation
of source material. Nobody likes to see someone else get credit for hard work
they didn't perform, and the same goes triple for programmers. As a result, at
least twice a month there can be heard the cries of "PLAGIARISM!!" on the
Modnet Discussion sub - usually over someone's total duplication of a sublist
(void) or dirlist(void) replacement - and brief flames erupt until Filo steps
in to put them out.
What's really funny about this, in a morbid sort of way, is that quite a few of
these mods tend to be preceded with "This is my *first* mod"...
However, proper credit is a two-edged sword. Some modders, in a near-zealous
attempt to give due credits, have been known to make their acknowledgements and
kudos longer than the mod itself! In some cases it's even obvious that the
modder spent more time "thanking the academy" than he did cleaning up the mod
and documenting the installation procedures. A suggestion to all modders,
whether experienced or novice, is to follow Filo's guideline for submissions to
the Modnet, and use the standard mod header. An example of this header appears
every issue in Filo's Mod of the Month column, and can be expanded slightly to
allow for proper credits to be given to previous mods. For example, an expanded
header would look like this:
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Mod Name: OMEGA_1.MOD Mod Author: Omega Man 1@5282 │
│ Difficulty: Pet Rock IQ Req'd Date: May 31,1993 │
│ WWIV Version: 4.22 │
│ Files Affected: All │
│ Description: Upgrades all versions of TAG, Telegard and Renegade to the │
│ latest version of WWIV in the only ethical way possible. │
│ Credits: Martin Pollard, Eric Oman, et al, for Telegard. │
│ Whassisname, for Tag │
│ Whassisothername, for Renegade │
│ 1@1, for WWIV │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Again, Rebel 1 speaks quite a bit of proper philosophy here regarding the
posting of mods. Mods need to be documented properly, and appropriate credit
given where said credit is due.
───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ @506 Usenet Gateway Policy Changes │
│ by Zaphod Beeblebrox │
│ (1@6250, 1@506, bryen@tfsquad.mn.org) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Editor's Note: In light of a rise in abuses of gateway privledges on several
of the @5xx gateways, 1@506 has requested that the following bulletin be
included in WWIVNews. In the interests of helping insure some semblance of
smooth internetworking between WWIVNet and Usenet, and to help prevent further
cases of gateway abuse, here is Zaph's bulletin, printed in its entirety
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Over the past few weeks I have noticed an alarming increase in disallowed
traffic through the WWIVNet <-> Usenet gateway located at @506, WWIVNet. For
technical and traffic reasons, certain items are NOT allowed to pass through
this system. Such items are listed in the information file for the gateway,
available by sending email to faq-request#tfsquad @506.
It has come to my attention that a number of people are using the gateway
without first obtaining this file. It is important that you are aware of the
policies regarding the use of the gateway at @506, because unintentional misuse
of the gateway by even ten people can wreak traffic havoc on this end.
So, for those of you who have not obtained this file and are using the gateway,
here is a quick overview of the policies related to gateway usage at tfsquad:
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
- NO mailing list subscriptions are allowed without prior approval. If you do
not know what this is, then don't worry; if you do want to take a mailing
list through the gateway, ASK FIRST. Failure to do so will more than likely
result in your being banned from gateway usage.
- NO ftpmail is allowed, period. Again, if you do not know what this is, then
don't worry.
- Please keep in mind the 32k limit on messages imposed by WWIVNet. Usenet is
not limited in such a manner, so anytime you ask for a file or something that
may be greater than 32k in length, chances are it will come through my
gateway larger than 32k and be bounced back to the sender.
- Please obtain prior approval from 1 @506 before attempting to receive
anything larger than 30k.
- Please keep your usage of the gateway down to around 15k/day unless you have
approval for more traffic.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
These rules only apply specifically to @506. However, most of the other 5xx
gateways have similar, if not more strict, rules in place. Please be polite
and mail 1 @5xx before attempting to use their gateway.
There are actually reasons for these rules other than my "egotism," as I've
been accused of. Traffic which comes through @506 must be received by me from
my Usenet connection, processed, and then sent back out via the WWIVNet
transport mechanism. Please keep in mind that because of the way WWIVNet
operates, traffic must often pass through three, four, maybe more systems when
moving from my system to yours, costing the systems in between here and there
valuable long distance dollars.
I believe that my gateway serves a valid and useful purpose within the WWIVNet
community, and so long as it's used properly, it can and probably will continue
to operate for some time. However, there is no better way to shut down a
service than by intentionally misusing it.
Also, please make your users aware of these rules. A significant amount of the
traffic that comes through here is from non #1 accounts who will probably not
read this.
As usual, any questions/comments/concerns should be addressed to 1 @506.
───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
│ WWIV-Compatible Networks List │
│ (April Final Edition) │
│ 37 Networks Included │
│ by Red Dwarf (1@6264) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Contains updated entries for M.A.G.Net, TeenNet, and DarkNET.
Contains new entries for TARDISNet, ZNET, NOVAnet, OgdenNet,
SnotLink, and Chess_Net.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Sample Network Entry:
Name [Content] (Nodes) (Date)
Primary Netaddress, Other Address, ...
Hosting BBS - Phone Number
Description Line One
Description Line Two
Handles, Application, Updates
Name : Network's Name
Nodes, Date : Number of nodes on <date>
Hosting BBS, : You may wish to call here for network support
Phone Number and/or setup files.
Desription : Sent to me by the network coordinator
Handles : 'Handles' will appear if this net allows aliases, 'Real Names'
will appear if aliases are not allowed.
Application : Is this network's application in the master application file?
Updates : Does this network use automated update software?
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
To submit an entry, use the application included at the end of this file.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
APEX
WWIVNet @13600, WWIVLink @13600
Purgatory BBS - 306-665-0274
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CaffNet
WWIVNet @3101
Star-Lit BBS - 301-229-2957
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CHAOSnet
WWIVNet @9404
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Chess_Net [Specific] (5) (4-4-93)
WWIVNet @5915
The Duke of Earl - 509-291-3760
Handles, No, No
Dedicated to the philosophy of chess.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
C/NET
WWIVNet @6956, IceNET @6956
Cold Fusion - 619-434-1482
Handles, Yes, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DarkNET
IceNET @5805
Storm Blade - 508-368-7971
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DeathNet [] () ()
WWIVNet @19982
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DEEPnet
WWIVNet @7405, IceNET @7405, WWIVLink @17405
Deep Space 8 - 704-553-0780
Handles, No, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DragNET
WWIVNet @2936, IceNET @2913
Toon Town - 209-323-9412
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DragonNET
WWIVNet @7670
Cool World - 716-681-7341
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
DragonsNet [Specific] () ()
WWIVNet @6263
Unlimited Enterprises - 612-871-7625
Handles, No, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EliteNET [General] (29) (2-17-93)
IceNET @2462
Alley Closed BBS - 214-238-8121
Handles, Yes, Yes
"The No-Nonsense Network" Totally democratic network using all
members' opinions and votes. Close and friendly network.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ExpressNET
WWIVNet @6754
Data Express - 617-247-3383
Handles, No, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
EagleNet [General] (12) (2-18-93)
IceNET @7676
Berek's Homeland - 716-826-4698
Handles, No, No
EagleNet was set up so that users and sysops could order things that
they use everyday and have it sent to their doorstep.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FIITAnet
WWIVNet @9957
Baxter BBS - 919-878-0054
Handles, No, No
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FILEnet [] () (1-28-93)
WWIVNet @8306
Pocket Universe - 803-552-8654
Handles, No, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
GayNet [Specific] (28) (2-1-93)
WWIVNet @15283, WWIVLink @25283
Handles, Yes, Yes
Alternate Lifestyles- don't have to be gay, lesbian, or bi to join. No gay
bashing allowed.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
IceNET [General] (706) (4-29-93)
IceNET @1, WWIVNet @7663, WWIVLink @17652
The Great White North - 716-837-0044
Handles, Yes, Yes
Full featured network, fast updates, hundreds of message bases to choose
from. A friendly place to be. Highly rated, one of the best.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
InfiNet [Specific]
WWIVNet @3082, WWIVLink @13051
The Dead Beat Club - 310-599-0479
Handles, Yes, Yes
An exclusively Southern California network. We specialize in regional
topics and making the local BBS scene better.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
InsanityNet
WWIVNet @8355, IceNET @8385
Handles, No, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
M.A.G.Net [General] (10) (4-29-93)
WWIVNet @7107
Psycho BBS - 701-780-9168
Handles, No, No
M.A.G.Net was created to give newer BBSes a way to share information
with other BBSes and help them in getting their BBS going.
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
NorthStarNET [] () ()
WWIVNet @6259, IceNET @6259, WWIVLink @16259
AeroTech BBS - 612-935-3505
Handles, Yes, Yes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
NOVAnet [General] (3) (4-2-93)
IceNET @2351
? - 213-294-5387
Handles, No, No
NOVAnet is a Programmers Club as well as a general discussions
ranging from the Entertainment Industry to Electronics.