___    ___   _   _  _   _  _____   ___   _____  _   ___   _   _   ____
  / _ \  / _ \ | \ | || \ | ||  ___| / _ \ |_   _|| | / _ \ | \ | | / ___|
 | | |_|| | | ||  \| ||  \| || |__  | | |_|  | |  | || | | ||  \| || |__
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  \___/  \___/ |_| \_||_| \_||_____| \___/   |_|  |_| \___/ |_| \_||____/
                © 1999 Quest Technologies/Bedlam Enterprises

      Advertise, Advertise & Advertise A Little More - By Danny Corkin

Bulletin Board Systems, what a fascinating thing they are indeed, and this
is coming from a veteran BBS User, who is only 15 years old!!!

So, why do the current batch of regulars in the UK enjoy using these Amateur
Systems so much?  It's quite simple really...a well set-up BBS has a well
arranged File area for Users - AMIGA and PC alike - to Download and Upload
Files at ease using a simple Terminal Program.  A decent BBS must also have
connections in the form of National and International Mail Networks, a few
Online Games, and last - but most definitely not least - a friendly,
dedicated SysOp.

But sadly, the BBS Scene in the UK is deminishing - not the actual amount of
Bulletin Board Systems - but the number of Users.  I have an good example of
this, a great BBS in Lincoln, Most Wanted BBS, closed down about a year ago,
after being around for about 5 years.  It had a great User-Base of nearly
300 Users, and the vast majority of those Users were Locals.  When Most
Wanted BBS closed down, it was the turn of Skull Monkey BBS to take over
the crown of Lincoln's BBSes, but it seems that hardly any of these former
Most Wanted BBS Users have moved over to Skull Monkey BBS or the later
appearing Joker's World BBS and The Power House BBS.  Where have these Users
gone?  Surely the Internet, but why can't they come back?  The simple fact
is that now, in Lincoln, the BBS Scene is in a strange state of affairs,
with a new BBS popping up every now and again, but the Users just not being
there.  So, what the BBS Scene needs to prosper once again in my opinion, is
a good Local User-Base.

So I send a message out to all SysOps who genuinely want to bring in
Callers: Advertise, Advertise, and Advertise a little more.  CoNnEcTiOnS
Magazine is an excellent start to this, but in my opinion BBS Advertising
MUST go Local, perhaps more importantly than Nationally.

Come on SysOps, for many of you BBSes are your pride and joy, so make all
that effort it took you installing all those Doors become worthwile, and
Advertise in your Local Newspaper, a Regional publication - such as Diamond
Free-Ads, and this very National Electronic publication, CoNnEcTiOnS.  Think
for a minute of all that work you put into your BBS, and how many Users you
could do with.  Advertise your BBS in as many places as humanly possible!!!

Regards

Danny Corkin "Zeus" (Co-SysOp Of The Power House BBS)