Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!netsys!vector!gryphon!richard
From: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Newsgroups: news.admin
Subject: Re: What exacly is a BBS
Summary: DOn't ask OM
Message-ID: <7712@gryphon.CTS.COM>
Date: 13 Oct 88 04:55:52 GMT
Reply-To: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton)
Followup-To: alt.bbs
Organization: Trailing Edge Technology, Redondo Beach, CA
Lines: 63

In article <5354@juniper.uucp> yelorose@juniper.UUCP (The Dangling WANGer) writes:
>In article <6919@nsc.nsc.com> nessus@nsc.nsc.com.UUCP (Kchula-Rrit) writes:
>>
>>     I am still curious; what comprises a BBS?  What distinguishes one
>>from a "real" USENET site?
>
>...ok, let's hit this point by point:
>
>
>
>1) A BBS is generally confined to communications within a specific area code.
>   USENET is essentially free of said constraints.

Ever hear of PC Persuit ? The geographic barriers have dissolved.

>2) A BBS generally has no more than two lines of access. A net node can have
>   far more than that (tho it doesn't mean they're being used efficiently -
>   just look at P*rt*l!)

LOTS of BBS's have multiple lines, or lines on a rotary. Some net sites
have a very small number of phone lines.

>3) A BBS is usually administered by one person, who assumes all of the system
>   maints upon him/her/itself. A Net node usually involves so damn much work 
>   that it takes several people to keep up with the sysmaint and other assorted
>   paperwork BS.

This is rediculous. 

>4) BBS's usually support a mutitude of FTP's, while from what I've seen teh
>   Net only offers the accursed Kermit & Binary FTP's. Then again, see 5)

The NET doesnt support anything. The individial host provides it. 
(I'm not speaking for ARPA stuff)

>5) The average BBS user is between 14 and 22 in age (down from 1986 figures,

Bizarre. We must hang out in different circles.

>6) With regards to postings, BBS' tend to be less policed than the net as a
>   whole is. In most cases, however, boards that practice censorship tend to
>   go belly up inside of a year, while those that only act when the poster
>   is TOTALLY off the deep end tend to last twice that long. The reason this
>   doesn't work on the Net falls back to the fact that BBS' tend to be locally
>   centered, almost as if a microcosm of sorts. It's far easier to both control
>   and let loose a small group with limited outside access than to do the same
>   for a macrocosm like the Net.

Wait a minute, are you talking about Tejas ?

>...anyway, I hope that helps clear up a few things.

Hardly.

The real test, is, after your modem connects and it says BBS, then it's
a BBS.



-- 
 You, Richard Sexton, have sent the most vile piece of mail to me of anyone,
 by far.                      -- Stuart A. Werbner
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM    {backbone...err, well connected site}!gryphon!richard