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From: root@zswamp.fidonet.org (Geoffrey Welsh)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.modems
Subject: Forming a Global BBS List.
Message-ID: <6982.27DB0F09@zswamp.fidonet.org>
Date: 10 Mar 91 17:16:40 GMT
Organization: Izot's Swamp BBS - Kitchener, Ontario
Lines: 37

In a letter to All, Marc North (Marc_North@mindlink.UUCP ) wrote:

 >        I am forming a global list of BBS's.

   Please DON'T.

   You are taking on a task which, if you were to perform it well (and 
responsibly) would both occupy *all* of your time and cost you thousands of 
dollars a month.

   I used to run a BBS in Toronto, but moved it in August of 1987.  I know the 
people who, several months later, got that old phone number and, to this day, 
they are receiving modem calls.  I couldn't figure out why until I started 
stumbling accross "authoritative" BBS lists published as recently as last 
summer giving that number as an active BBS!

   BBSes come and go, they move, and you can't possibly keep track of all of 
the systems you're going to list.  Misprints happen.  I sincerely doubt 
that you have any idea of the scope of your project, and you have not stopped 
to think out carefully the the damage that a badly maintained list will do.

   If you *must* continue, I suggest that you start with the FidoNet nodelist.  
Updated weekly, it contains nearly 10,000 listings worldwide, most of which 
are public access BBS systems.

   Geoff

P.S.: This probably belongs in alt.bbs, not comp.dcom.modems. 

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long after you and I have discovered new worlds.        - me