ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/HATCH/WWIVNEWS.ZIP/9403_9.NWS

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 23KB | 442 lines

others will also stay on topic because they are mainly responding to me.

The one problem I have found with this formula is "BBSing Burnout". I can get
so involved in debates at times that I don't want to call a board I'm a co- on
because I don't really want to post a message on some debate topic at times.
(I know, some of you reading this are thinking that Post-Aholic Louie doesn't
want to post sometimes. Wow! But then, I even amaze myself at times).

When I then call, finally, I have so much work to do on the board that I don't
want to deal with much really. Just to much to do that then I don't want to do
it because there is so much to be done.

Deleting "Below Par" posts is very important as well. If users are posting bad
messages it can be worse than having users than don't post at all. Keeping the
message bases stocked with high quality posts is something that is very
important for a boards.

But what should be deleted? That can be a difficult question to answer at
times. The obvious things that have to be deleted are those messages that
are just vulgarity. Sometimes new users just log on a board and post a
message of everything vulgar they ever heard. Things like that should always
be deleted.

What *is* vulgar? I normally just regulate vulgarity to things without a
point. A list of swear words about the Sysop. Now, there are adult subs on
some boards, and what might be vulgar to one person might not be to another.
Keeping those adult posts to the adult subs is something that should be
enforced though.

Also, keeping posts on topic is important as well. What might be "Below par"
on the political sub might be perfect for the General sub. That's where
the Co-Sysop just hits "M" and moves the post to the proper sub. Normally I
follow that up with an e-mail to the user that made the simple mistake and
explain what I did and why.

Now, network validation is something that also means dealing with "below
par" posts. Network validation means reading, and possibly posting on, the
subs hosted by the board your a Co-Sysop on. On TGWN and Paragon net-validation
is turned on in //BOARDEDIT for all the subs Jim hosts.

I read the subs determine for each post weather it meets our standards for the
sub in question. I also have some special rules for network subs that I
enforce. The rules I use are something I recommend for all systems in the
network for boards that host a sub. They are :

1. Delete anything with profanity in it. There are people out there that
   don't mind swear words, and there are people who do mind. If your hosting
   a sub you want to appeal to the widest possible audience, normally, and
   that probably means enforcing a no profanity rule.

2. Delete anything that is short and doesn't really say anything.  "I'm
   Pro-Choice/Life" as a whole post doesn't really say much. I delete those
   regularly. What is wanted are longer, well thought out, posts that say
   something. Another example is the "I agree" posts that are seen sometimes.

3. Quotes and Tag lines. This is something that I saw posted by the
   master, Wayne Bell himself, once. He pointed out that if somebody quotes
   a long post and only adds a few lines of commentary such as "Your wrong."
   doesn't add much. Why post it. Say why the person is wrong is what would
   be proper. Now, if a message has quotes in it from a previous message,
   add up the quoted lines and if the added text exceeds the amount quoted,
   then let it go through. It text from the poster is not equal to or greater
   than the quoted text, delete it. The network costs money, and Sysops don't
   need to be paying for a message to be sent out twice.

   Tag line length I also add it to the number of lines quoted. I don't see
   tag lines as worth while to the post. If 14 lines are quoted and there
   is a 3 line tag line, that is at least 17 lines of text that should have
   been added to it. If there are not at least 17 lines of added commentary,
   I normally delete the post.

4. Things that should have been said in e-mail : Somebody who posts something
   like "Hey, Wizard. What's your phone number so I can call and talk to you
   about this" should be deleted as well. Posts like that don't need to
   be read by the 100 or systems that subscribe the IceNET national General
   Sub. That is much easier to ask in e-mail.

5. Lastly, flaming and warring should be deleted. This probably goes
   without saying though.

[Flamecasting Editor's nOTE: Yeah, *right* Louie...:-)]!

Except for the last point, there may be exceptions to each of these
general rules about deleting network posts. But exceptions are just that,
exceptions. They are not the general rule.

Just in case your wondering why these rules are important... They are
important because of the costs of the network. IceNET is run by Sysops that
pay phone bills for long distance calling. The LD bills cost more money the
longer they take and the more bytes in a net packet means more transmission
time. Thus, the sysops are then paying to have messages they (or there
users) don't really want to read sent to them.

On TGWN (IceNET @1) we host many subs. The IceNET National General Sub
probably has about 1200 messages go out on it a month. That is 1200 posts
that met the standards we use around here. There are probably 2000 total
messages on it, but I delete a large number of them. Imagine the network
costs if I didn't delete all the "I agree"/"Your Wrong" type of posts.

At the moment, I validate the following Subs hosted by TGWN on a regular
basis. The IceNET National General sub the busiest, by far... But the
Sports, Politics and Philosophy subs are big traffic net subs as well.
IceNET National General has about 90 subscribers, while those other three have
about 40 subscribers each. The music discussion sub, IBM Tech an gaming subs
are also high traffic for the number of subscribers that they have. (Did you
really think I wasn't going to plug the subs that I run???? :) hehehe)

Sub-Type  Host  Note   Sub Name
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
6         1    RTN     Computer Wizards of the North (IBM Tech Talk)
7         1    RTN     Illuminati (Poetry Sub)
8000      1    RTN     Scarlett Letters
18006     1    RTN     Jimi Hendrix's Talk Show (Music discussions)
28000     1    RTN     Network Sports
38000     1    RTN     Software Discussion/Gaming
48000     1    RTN     Ice NET National General
58000     1    RTN     Philosophy Sub
61000     1    RTN     Political Thought and Remark
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


KEEPING TRACK OF POSTERS
────────────────────────

There is something I like to do on boards I'm aCo-Sysop on: I will go through
uedit every now and then and compile a list of the top posters on the board.
I then post it for all to see, as most people like to receive recognition for
their efforts. If some user has posted 300 times on a board, they might like
to be singled out for the job well down. It also gives something for the new
users to shoot for.


HELPING USERS
─────────────

This is something that applies to all types of cosysops, but maybe a little
more with message bases than in other areas. Message bases are what users
read. They read, post and talk to people. If they have a problem doing this,
then help from theCo-Sysop will be appreciated a little more so than with
other areas.


TRANSFER SECTION MANAGEMENT
───────────────────────────

I'm going to be up front with you here. I have never really done the job
of a Transfer Section cosysop, except in emergency situations at times when
the board wouldn't have any available disk space for posting. I would then
wander in to the Transfers and delete some old file that was 500k large or
something so that people could post again.

The two best cosysops I know who do the transfer section management
particularly well are Perseus (IceNET 9@7) and Trigger (Trigger@7654).

What this job entails, basically, is checking new uploads and keeping
files in the proper directorys (ie, Keeping games in the games section and
out of the business spreadsheets section).

Checking new uploads entails making sure things are newer software. Making
sure the latest PD Stuff uploaded is the latest version. Making sure that
there are no virii present by running the McAffee Stuff on the uploads.
Making sure they are in the proper Zip format, or whatever the local standard
of compression is, Zip, Arc, Arj, Pak, ect... Locally we all use Zip, though
we do have a few who love Arj around here. Arc, of course, is a dead issue.

It seems the accepted Standard we use on Paragon and TGWN are Zip compression.
We also have rules about keeping things virus free (da) and if a virus is
detected we try to inform everybody we can of the program in question, who
uploaded it, and weather it was intentional or not. We also like to have it
so that all the available software is less then 1 year old, and that it is
the lastest version of the PD program in question.

Jim is throughly anti-pirate software, and we do not tolerate pirate files
being uploaded to us.

Also keeping files in the proper transfer directory is important as well.
Keeping giffs in the giff directory. Keeping business software in the
business directory. This is important in order to give the users the best in
public domain downloads.

I think you could say that manageing the transfer section isn't difficult but
can be very time consumeing due to theCo-Sysop in question having to upload
and download a lot.

We also like to think that Paragon is better at serving downloading sysops due
to its being a WWIV Source distribution site. Jim tells me that right now
there are about 50-55 sysops with verifyed accounts on Paragon for that
purpose.


ONLINE CHAIN MANAGEMENT
───────────────────────

This is the person in charge of the games section in most cases. "Online
Chain Management" just sounds better, IMHO. TheCo-Sysop in charge of the
chains makes sure that users are not just being game leeches. Makes sure
that games are secondary and not the only reason people are calling.

This means that theCo-Sysop should go through the //LOG and //YLOG and
make sure people are posting if they are playing games. He might also run
the On-line Games sub, if there be such a sub on the system. Where people
could talk Tradewars, Globule Wars, Space Dynasty, ect...

One of the most popular games is Tradewars. A Co-Sysop in charge of running
the games may be running a Tradewars Tournament. Personally, I think
tournament are nuts. I think the ideal tradewars game is in competeing
against other users, and not having to fight a Co-Sysop with Tedit as well. I
think the game is already close to perfect and doesn't need help to make it
better.

I should also note that I think making sure people are posting as well as
playing games is more important than running Tournaments. Games should be
secondary to posting.


USER RECORD MANAGEMENT
──────────────────────

This means a variety of things. Making sure that users are posting, making
sure that new users are real people and not somebody looking to have a second
account with which to play Tradewars or leech more files and even deleteing
users that have not called in a long while.

The main thing of this job is voice validating users. Calling them and
telling them your calling from the BBS and saying your just making sure they
are real people. It might help to ask them a question about their account as
well. Asking their age might catch some 14 year old kid off guard who
claimed he was 23 so that he could have access to adult subs. You don't want
minors on subs like that. Legal problems as well as moral problems with
minors and adult material.

It can also entail giving out SL Raises. If a user is calling the board
and doing a good job posting, uploading, and not being a big game leech,
then after a certain length of time of doing well for the board they deserve
a reward of having more time on the board with which to be better. Usually I
would go through once a month, and if a user had continued to post a lot I
would give them a 10 point SL raise. The limit would be an 80 SL though.
Those with the high SL might even be considered for being made a Co-Sysop in
the future if another might be needed.

Deleteing old users that have not called in a while is a good idea as well.
You don't want user records taking up space on the hard drive. And more users
in the files the slower than WWIV runs. Besides, you normally get several
users that call once and then never call back. No real sense in keeping those
persons around. They are not contributing to the board.

THE RESIDENT MOD EXPERT
───────────────────────

Heavily modded boards usually have a Sysop who mods his own board a lot.
Some boards, though, have sysops who can't program really. So since they
want a modded board, they would ask a BBSer who they know to be a good C
programmer to mod their board for them.

These are the type of people who know how to program in C, and are the
local Techie experts normally.

What makes for a good mod? Well, a good mod is something that has a function
on the board. That simplifys sometime, or adds something that should be in
WWIV normally. They also help to make a board have a slightly different look
and feel from other wwiv boards. Now, don't get me wrong... I see very little
wrong with stock WWIV. There are some minor things I might add here and there
though. These are the reasons for mods.

While I'm on my soapbox here, I'd like to take a moment and comment on what I
feel is the worst mod ever created: the Random Title Mod. Sorry, but this mod
serves no useful purpose in my opinion. Sure, it's humorous the first few
times you see it, but after seeing 100,000 random title the affect wears off.

If you want a good example of a good mod, that would be the mod that allows
you to know what sub your reading while reading posts. Another good mod might
be the Sysop Avialiable for chat status that you see sometimes.

In short, a mod should have a purpose. It shouldn't just be in for the sake
of having another mod.


Co-Sysop OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF NONE
─────────────────────────────────────

This what what, I think, most cosysops really do. This combines everything
from above, plus a little more. He talks with his Sysop a lot about board
related things. The read and post on the subs, look at the logs and wander
through Uedit and make sure that the users are all who they claim to be.
Maybe play games. Basically, super users that help the Sysop of the board
out.

There are several things a good WWIVCo-Sysop should do every call and pay
attention to. They should almost always look at the sysops logs : //LOG,
//YLOG,; the activity //ZLOG; the network info //NLOG and //PENDING; and
look at the boards daily //STATUS. These are important commands that can
show you whats going on. You can then investigate things that look out of
place with regards to all the Co-Sysop jobs that I described.

Some other things that can be looked at and done are to make voting questions
with //IVOTES. Find out what people are thinking and look at what
democracy with the users might bring you. Just make sure that you don't give
them weird answers to give if you what serious feedback with the voting
section.

Manageing the general files section can be another minor thing to do.
Locally, in 716, we have a BBS publication called the WNY BBS Quarterly and
we like to have it in gfile sections on BBSes so that users around the area
can read it. So, I put it in the gfiles all the time when a new update of it
comes out. I also keep the BBS List on the boards straight. No use having
dead boards listed in the BBS List. So, every now and then, I edit the BBS
list and keep it updated. I take out old dead BBSes and add in the newer
boards that have gone up. This helps to keep people from asking every now
and then why they can't get through to some board that went down a year
ago...but that is still in BBS lists on boards around the area. At least
with the lists on TGWN and Paragon.

This has been a long article and I'm getting tired now. A lot of this is
philosophical thinkings on what a Co-Sysop should do. How to do it is another
all together. Different people have different ideas on how to get things
done. No one way is better than other ways. If what your doing works, don't
change it. I think a lot of new sysops and cosysops could use this advise
constructively. None of it is gospel and please don't take this all to mean
that I am preaching the word of the Holy Modem in the Sky or anything. ;-)

───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
               │             Dateline: @#$*()#!              │
               │     Editor's Notes by Omega Man (1@5282)    │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Been a while, hasn't it?

As I'm writing my monthly column for WWIVnews, I'm looking at the other
machine, and taking note of who's calling. Why look, it's JAFO, wanting to
know where the latest WWIVnews is! Guess I should break into chat and
tell him, eh?

Whoops! The little pes...er..guy logged off before I could get OS/2 to shell
over and let me access that particular window! Oh well, he'll just have to
look in his DATA directory just like everyone else I suppose.

What's that? You've been looking in your DATA directories as well, and
havn't seen a thing?

Guess you're entitled to an explanation, eh?

Well, this time around, things got piled up work wise, which eliminated 99%
of my free time, ruined a relationship that was just this side of popping
the question, and damn near caused me an ulcer in the process. Add to this
a network foulup, two system upgrades and a hard disk crash that wiped the
September-November issue off the face of the planet for all eternity.

It was enough to make a grown man switch to decaf, let me tell you...

However, two things did come to pass of positive nOTE: OM now has a *real*
machine from which to run the BBS, as well as one to run everything from
Doom to OS/2, and I've a job with a company that's put me in charge of their
tech support department.

With those in hand, who needs a wife with a kid anyway? Nobody, save for
me, perhaps...:-(

(Excuse me for a minute...I need to punt some idiot off who's complaining
about not being able to post messages on her first logon...Hell, it's probably
just JAFO using a fake account anyway...)

There, that's done with. Anyway, the job situation of last year brings up
this month's OMsop's Fableless Moral. Without going into serious details
that would bore each of you to tears, let's just say the moral of that
story is this:


OMsop's FABLELESS MORAL
───────────────────────

Kids, if you take on a contract job, make sure of two things:

     1) Your duties are spelled out to the letter, and that the rest of
        the staff is informed not to pester you for help on matters that
        do not pertain to your duties one iota.

     2) The person who hires you for the job is not a complete and utter
        idiot, and is capable of not only making rational decisions but
        dedicated to keeping promises made.

End of moral.

Now, WWIVnews is essentially back on schedule. The next issue is slated for
a March 31 release - about 4 weeks from now. This particular issue will be
a nonspecific issue, with no real theme. However, this will be followed on
April 15th by the first ever April Fool's issue of WWIVnews. With that in
mind, here's the official Call for Articles for that auspicious issue:


FORMAL CALL FOR ARTICLES: APRIL FOOL'S WWIVNEWS
───────────────────────────────────────────────


Folks, WWIVnews is looking for a few good humorists, satirists, hoaxters,
pranksters, hosers, and anyone else who can spin a good yarn. For this issue,
we need humor articles that are close enough to be believeable, but are
recognizeable as phony when you finally read between the lines.

If you want a great example of how this should be done, go grab last April's
_PC Computing_ (and the April before that, too), and read Penn Jilette's
April Fool's column. That's what I'm looking for in the way of humor. Something
that's fake, but at first glance doesn't look like it.

This means articles on WWIV utils that are bogus as hell. This means mods
for WWIV that are bogus, worthless, and *not* written by Apollo. This means
TechNOTES reports on products that don't exist, can't exist, won't exist,
and probably exist only in Bill Gates' nightmares.

In short, I want a _National Lampoon_ send-off of WWIVnews for Tax Day. Most
of us are going to need that laugh right around then, and WWIVnews is going
to provide it.

So, send your article submissions in ASAP for this issue, as well as the
March 31 edition. As usual, I'll be soliciting articles left and right
for both issues, and rest assured I'll even see if I can get Wayne and
Filo to contribute a pair for their columns!

Oh, and as a side nOTE, names will be changed to protect the guilty. Not
by much, but they will be changed :-)

That's it for this issue. Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks!

┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                             Closing Credits                               │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ WWIVnews is an independent newsletter NORMALLY published every 6 weeks as │
│ a service to the WWIV community of sysops & users. The opinions & reviews │
│ expressed herein are the expressed views of the respective writers, & do  │
│ not necessarily reflect those of the WWIVnews staff. Reproduction in whole│
│ or in part is allowed provided credits are given. All rights reserved by  │
│ WWIVnews, and all articles are copyright of their respective authors.     │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ The source site for WWIVnews is the Klingon Empire BBS (512-459-1088),    │
│ WWIVnet node @5282. Requests for information regarding articles and other │
│ editorial submissions, as well as back issue requests and the WWIVnews    │
│ Writer's Guide, can be sent in e-mail to the WWIVnews editor, c/o 1@5282. │
├───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│            WWIV and WWIVnet, copyright 1986,1990 by Wayne Bell            │
│  Any product or company mentioned or reviewed herein are copyrighted of   │
│  their respective owners, creators, and other corporate pseudoentities.   │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘