--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00000 Date: 07/06/96 From: ROB MARLOWE Time: 08:09am \/To: RICHARD PORTSMOUTH (Read 9 times) Subj: BBS'S 1/2 Subject: BBS'S Richard, Thanks for the summary of what you look for in a BBS. I'm printing out a copy so I can use it to point out the advantages of using my system when folks call us for information. Just a few thoughts... Service: A voice line is pretty much mandatory. It's even better if it has voice mail to handle callers who call when you are talking to someone else. Also, I'm amazed at how many boards have come and gone over the last 11 years we've been up simply because the sysops of those boards don't even respond to messages on their own boards. RP>When scanning the local computer press for BBS numbers, I look for: RP>- The name in the "BBS Name" column. If the name sounds interesting then I We'd probably be a split decision then. We're listed as "The Inner Sanctum BBS" in many of the computer geek lists and "Marlowe & Associates" in the yellow page listings for "Computers - Bulletin Board Systems" and "Internet Service Providers". Your point is well taken though...funky names are not as likely to grab today's new callers as they did years ago. RP>- In the "Comments" column I look for an interesting description (not the > typical "We have tons of files, messages and games" type). I need to We're a system with all that stuff that caters to newbees and the chat crowd. Defining how to market that to avoid the trap you've indicated above was VERY difficult. As it turned out, we sort of slid into being primarily a chat system in spite of all that other "stuff". I fully agree with your point though that you've GOT to define your system in terms that distinguish it from all the others in town. RP>- Are there enough phone lines. I don't bother calling boards with less > than 4 lines because I know it will be hassle connecting. We wouldn't have met your criteria for the first eight years we were online. You might at least give the smaller boards a try once just to see if there is any potential. RP>When checking out a board, I look for: RP>- Do they use a proprietary interface? For example, if it's "Windows only" > I may not have the necessary hardware or software. I hate to say it, but I'm afraid that the world is rapidly pushing toward a Windows interface. The point and click crowd sometimes have problems negotiating a hot key system. Give me ANSI any day! RP>- Does the sysop respond to the users, or does he/she ignore them? If I The number one killer of Bulletin Board Systems! RP>- Message bases and networks. Is the board connected to the major nets? > Does it offer Internet e-mail and perhaps Usenet newsgroups? I Depending on what's hot in a particular area, a sysop not willing to run every echo in the world could still be responsive to requests from callers to add specific echos. We did so a month or so ago, adding three or four echos I don't particularly care about. I not only got an annual subscription to the BBS, but a new Internet customer and he's been raving all over town about how good we are. The "net" cost to me to do that? Zip. It just took a couple of messages to get the appropriate echos turned on by my NEC. Customer service is key. RP>- Files. Is there a good selection or is it dominated by games, GIF's and Are the files rotated or replaced on any sort of regular basis? We've found BBS ready CDs to be an ideal solution. They come already scanned for virii, they are easy to install, and you can hang one or more CD changers on your system (we've got three six CD changers for a total of 18 disks online at once) and have tens of thousands of files with relatively little grief. RP>- Is the board available when I call? I see no point in using a board > that is plaqued by technical problems. This is the flip side of the busy signal issue you mentioned earlier. RP>- Competitive pricing. As a consumer, I'm not the least bit interested in > how much it costs the sysop to run his/her system, any more than I'd be > interested in what it costs a store owner to keep his store in peration. > I'm ONLY interested in the value I will receive for MY money. Careful. You MAY care how much it costs the sysop if those costs are related to the quality and stability of the service. We compete with folks offering "free" bbs access. It costs money to run a BBS with 12 phone lines and a full time Internet connection. We make no apologies for charging. Likewise, many Internet services push $15 "all you can eat" pricing. (Continued to next message) --- QMPro 1.53 Tribble -> * Tribble sees a Klingon -> # --- FLAME v1.1 * Origin: Inner Sanctum - Full Internet Svc (813) 848-6055 (1:3619/21) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00001 Date: 07/06/96 From: ROB MARLOWE Time: 08:09am \/To: RICHARD PORTSMOUTH (Read 9 times) Subj: BBS'S 2/2 Subject: BBS'S (Continued from previous message) There are two ways that they can make it work economically. They can buy a very small (56k) pipe to the Internet or they can over sell their phone lines. This makes for sluggish performance and/or busy signals. Sometimes even this doesn't save them from the economics and they go belly up. We maintain general parity with other services in our area. We offer 60 hours for $20 and have just switched our $40 unlimited account to 150 hours per month. GTE is now offering unlimited access in our area for $20 a month. How can we compete? There are qualitative differences between dealing with us and dealing with GTE that make the apparent price advantage they have a non-issue for most people. We describe those differences in detail when folks call. As for the folks who want 600 hours of connect time a month...GTE is welcome to them. The local ISPs in this area are moving AWAY from unlimited accounts as fast as possible as they are all discovering that the more unlimited accounts you have, the more money you lose. There are simply some customers that you can NOT afford to have. Knowing who those customers are is important for your long term survival. RP>Just as important is the stability of the board. I need some assurance >that if I subscribe, the board will be around at least long enough for my >subscription to expire. Far too many boards close after a few months in >operation. We stress the fact that we are the oldest BBS in the area and that we have been online since 1985. Our biggest ISP competitor is just about to celebrate their first birthday online. They have no BBS for support and how long they will be in business is certainly an open question. Having a track record that extends more than a decade is now a BIG advantage for us, especially every time some other startup disappears on 4 hours notice. Summary: While we've been talking specifically about Bulletin Board Systems and online services, these general principles apply to ALL businesses and ESPECIALLY to small home based businesses. It's a dog eat dog world out there and we need to carefully define what it is we sell, define the advantages of our product are for the customer, price it at a fair price/value point, get the word out that we sell it (The yellow pages are a must), and provide the customer support that today's consumers demand. --- QMPro 1.53 Tribble -> * Tribble sees a Klingon -> # --- FLAME v1.1 * Origin: Inner Sanctum - Full Internet Svc (813) 848-6055 (1:3619/21) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00002 Date: 07/07/96 From: HOWARD SCAGGS Time: 11:38am \/To: SUE MATTHEWS (Read 9 times) Subj: Introduction > > I'm sure you meant to say "running a 24 hr BBS". If you're not > Howard... you need to check your facts... there is no FIDO > do, but it's not necessary. All that's required is that a > FIDO capable mailer be online during ZMH. .. that's one hour I stand corrected. I should have said "system" instead of "BBS". Later... --- * Origin: 1:154/288 (1:154/288) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00003 Date: 07/07/96 From: SUE MATTHEWS Time: 07:38am \/To: MATTHEW JOHNSON (Read 9 times) Subj: SALUTATION/BUSINESS LTR > Says who? Says the moderator... > > You may not have noticed but I'm not solid matter, I'm a person. Then read the echo rules Matthews... This thread needs to end immediately. Thanks, Sue Matthews Moderator --- InterMail 2.29c * Origin: Com-Dat II - Mail Node, Hillsboro OR, Hayes 28.8 (1:105/330) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00004 Date: 07/07/96 From: STEVEN PASETTI Time: 04:38pm \/To: BARBARA O'KEEFE AND JACK SMITH (Read 9 times) Subj: Re: Computer Graphics Scanner > What computer scanner gives the most "bang" for the > buck? Thanks! I like the Apple Color OneScan, a full page color scanner. It requires that you have a SCSI adapter, though, and much of the software made for it is for Macintosh. You may want to call Apple to find out if it is indeed compatible with PCs. Regards, < tevie P. / ======== -=> spas8846@uriacc.uri.edu ... Apple's new pocket computer: Macintoosh ************************** * TAG ... You're it! 1.0 * ************************** --- IM/TG/GECHO PRO * Origin: Our House BBS Pawcatuck, CT (860)599-3970 (1:320/128) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00005 Date: 07/07/96 From: MATT BEDTELYON Time: 10:08am \/To: SUE MATTHEWS (Read 9 times) Subj: FS: BBS Closes! Hello Sue! Sorry about that Sue, I must have hit the wrong key! ------------------------------------------------------ ) Matt Bedtelyon, Essexville Michigan ( ) Voice 517-892-5518 / BBS 517-892-5079 ( ) Internet: mattb@megabite.com / Fidonet: 1:239/675 ( ------------------------------------------------------ --- Platinum Xpress/386/Wildcat! v1.2j * Origin: MEG*A*BITE : CD-ROM Drives for Sysops! (1:239/675) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00006 Date: 07/06/96 From: DAVE CHANCE Time: 01:35pm \/To: RICHARD PORTSMOUTH (Read 9 times) Subj: BBS's In reply to a message from Richard Portsmouth to Dave Chance: I guess that sort of depends on what your specialty is. There must be sufficient interest around here to support at least 4 boards that cater mostly to users of Atari computers. I don't know what their caller base is or how many other users like myself call all of them but it's nice to know that that kind of support is out there. I know that the IBM based Bicycle specialty bopard is still relatively small, but it's new and growing and inn addition to being VERY computer capable, the Sysop does have a passion for mountain Biking. Multnomah County Library offers free access to the Internet but I haven't been able to make vwery good use of it yet as I'm still learning my way around. As time goes by and I learn how, I hope to spend some time on the WWW as I understand it's available through that source. Cya! --- T-Mail v3.53 [JetMail 0.99beta21] * Origin: Realm of the Alternate Eternities [503-649-7915] (FidoNet 1:105/318) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 184 HOME OFFICE Ref: DBC00007 Date: 07/06/96 From: DAVE CHANCE Time: 02:12pm \/To: MICHAEL HUGHES (Read 9 times) Subj: SORRY In reply to a message from Michael Hughes to Dave Chance: Well, apparently my first response didn't get through so here I am back at the Realm of Alternate Realities, one of the local Atari boards(Run on an Atari by diehard Atari fans). In addition to the at least 4 Atari boards, we have locally 2 Commodore boards one of which (Twisted Sky) has one of, if not THE, most complete catalogs of file for the Commodore on this coast if not the country. We also have 2 other boards that support any type of computer and these are sort of Meeting places for people like myself who have interests in computers other than IBM or MAC, although they support those as well. Unfortunately for me, there are no CP/M boards, although there is a local support group but in all these cases, the people who run the boards are very dedicated to their projects and supportive of their caller base. In fact, the Atari folks are almost aggressively so. As an owner of Ataris, Commodores, Texas Insrtruments 99/4as (we have a 99/4A users group that maintains a bulletin board that I call regularly also),and Kaypros, it's a comfort to me to know that there is this kind of support out there. --- T-Mail v3.53 [JetMail 0.99beta21] * Origin: Realm of the Alternate Eternities [503-649-7915] (FidoNet 1:105/318)