___ ___ _ _ _ _ _____ ___ _____ _ ___ _ _ ____
/ _ \ / _ \ | \ | || \ | || ___| / _ \ |_ _|| | / _ \ | \ | | / ___|
| | |_|| | | || \| || \| || |__ | | |_| | | | || | | || \| || |__
| | _ | | | || || || __| | | _ | | | || | | || | \__ \
| |_| || |_| || |\ || |\ || |___ | |_| | | | | || |_| || |\ | ___| |
\___/ \___/ |_| \_||_| \_||_____| \___/ |_| |_| \___/ |_| \_||____/
© 1999 Quest Technologies/Bedlam Enterprises
E D I T O R I A L
A Word From Dunkie
Welcome to Issue Six of CoNnEcTiOnS. This month hasn't been the best of
months for the UK BBS Scene, with CoNnEcTiOnS regretably reporting 9 BBS
Closures since last Issue. Only 2 out of these 9 BBS Closures were down to
Hardware Failure, the remaining 7 sighted the lack of Calls to their BBSes
as the main reason for closure. So...did these SysOps do everything they
possibly could to get the Callers in, and aid the survival of their BBSes?
NO!!! Only 2 out of these 7 BBS Closures actually bothered to advertise in
CoNnEcTiOnS, and the remaining 2 BBS Closures due to Hardware Failure, have
also never bothered to advertise in CoNnEcTiOnS, so when these eventually
re-open, who is going to know that they have indeed re-opened if they don't
advertise in CoNnEcTiOnS?
CoNnEcTiOnS was at the World Of Amiga Show 1999, held July 24th and 25th, in
Kensington, London. There I had the chance to meet and speak to Ben Vost
(Editor Of AMIGA FORMAT) in person about AMIGA FORMAT's support for the UK
BBS Scene. Not many of you will be aware of this, but it was only through
my constant bending of Nick Veitch's (Ex-Editor Of AMIGA FORMAT) and Ben
Vost's ears over the phone, that AMIGA FORMAT started their FREE BBS ADVERTS
column. However, despite achieving this marvellous result for the UK BBS
Scene, Ben Vost informed me that I was the only person who contacts him
regarding the UK BBS Scene, and that very few SysOps have taken up the offer
of FREE Advertising in AMIGA FORMAT. The current Issue of AMIGA FORMAT is
witness to this fact, with only 16 BBSes actually advertising in the
Magazine, including our own Quest BBS and Bedlam BBS!!! What kind of
image does this represent to Ben Vost, let alone the 14,644 Readers of AMIGA
FORMAT, about the UK BBS Scene?
CoNnEcTiOnS believes that "NO PUBLICITY IS BAD PUBLICITY", and I feel rather
saddened that my hard work in bringing the UK BBS Scene back to people's
attention appears to be wasted. The Internet maybe doing the UK BBS Scene
some real damage, but it's the SysOps who are really sticking the knife into
the back of the UK BBS Scene, by not actively promoting and supporting it.
I spoke to a few SysOps at the World Of Amiga Show 1999, and their carefree
attitude astounded me, most could not be bothered to advertise, but all were
complaining about the lack of Calls they were getting to their respective
BBSes!!! This kind of attitude seems to be widespread through the UK BBS
Scene, and it's this kind of attitude that, honestly, makes my blood boil!!!
What's the point of SysOps moaning about their lack of Calls, if they're
not prepared to do something about it? SysOps seem to think that if they
sit on their butts long enough, someone else like CoNnEcTiOnS, will do all
the hard work for them, and their situation will improve. IT WON'T!!!
SysOps are going to have to start helping themselves, if the UK BBS Scene is
to survive. CoNnEcTiOnS has given them that chance, and now after 6 Issues,
surely SysOps must realise that CoNnEcTiOnS is not just a flash-in-the-pan
publication, and that CoNnEcTiOnS can and does achieve results. SysOps who
advertise in CoNnEcTiOnS are witness to this fact, you only have to read
previous Issues' Correspondence and Articles to know this. So...my message
to SysOps, is that you are going to have to start meeting CoNnEcTiOnS half-
way, I cannot keep justifying £300+ phone bills, checking where your BBSes
are located. It's a darn sight easier for you to find CoNnEcTiOnS, than it
is for ME to find YOU...and if I can't find you...then neither can potential
Callers to your BBS. Dwell on this thought...I feel I've done everything I
possibly can to aid the UK BBS Scene, it's now up to YOU to work with me,
rather than work against me!!!
See you Next Issue...
Dunkie (SysOp Of Quest BBS)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Word From Pete
Welcome to Issue Six of CoNnEcTiOnS. Every New User that calls Bedlam BBS
has to fill out a questionnaire, so that I can keep track of how well both
CoNnEcTiOnS and any other BBS Advertising I have, is achieving results:-
(Q) Where did you get the number for this BBS?
(A) From the CoNnEcTiOnS Magazine.
(Q) Give me the name and number of another BBS that you call?
(A) Can't mate...never been on a BBS before.
Well this has been the case for 5 New Users I had in a week, and I find it
hard to believe that there are still people out there that HAVE NEVER been
on a BBS before. Yet we all know where they HAVE been...yep...on the
Internet, the place that is devouring poor old BBSes one by one. As SysOps,
we know that we can't hope to compete with the Internet on an equal footing,
but surely we can make a better fight of it than what we are doing at the
present!!! When the idea for CoNnEcTiOnS was first conceived, we knew that
people would think that it would be a nine-day-wonder, and would cease after
a couple of Issues, but here we are issuing another and bigger edition than
ever, hoping to attract those people, like the ones above, that have never
been on a BBS before.
What we at CoNnEcTiOnS did expect was a better feedback from SysOps, telling
us if the Magazine had helped to increase their User base and number of
Calls, but sadly only a few have taken the time to drop us a line. So how
are we supposed to know if CoNnEcTiOnS is working for the UK BBS Scene, if
people can't be bothered to give us feedback...so come on guys, let's try
and prolong the UK BBS Scene for a few more years, let us have your views,
on the UK BBS Scene, whatever they may be!!! Also we need your ASCII (Text)
Adverts for your BBSes...time is running out!!! There are 9 BBSes this
month that have finally closed down because of a lack of Calls. How many
will it be next month?
See you Next Issue...
Pete Laird (SysOp Of Bedlam BBS)