Found this while digging thru my archives.... makes ya go hmmm...
===
REQUIEM FOR A SYSOP
===================
Exchange of E-Mail between the Sysop Jim and a BBS User John:
----------------------------------------
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bad news is that your downloading privileges have been revoked.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 at
least said "Hi" or "Thanks for the downloads" or SOMETHING to acknowledge
that there's a real live human being on this end.
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.It 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.
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. 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 beings 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, 1984
===
REQUIEM FOR A SYSOP
===================
Exchange of E-Mail between the Sysop Jim and a BBS User John:
----------------------------------------
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 at
least said "Hi" or "Thanks for the downloads" or SOMETHING to acknowledge
that there's a real live human being on this end.
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.It 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.
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. 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 beings 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, 1984
