From: Les_Jenkins@lppl.mi.org (Les Jenkins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.datacomm
Subject: Re: need help writing a terminal/bbs system
Date: 7 Apr 92 05:19:06 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Les's Place BBS

In a message dated Mon  6 Apr 92 15:19, Dtiberio@csws17.ic.sunysb.edu (davi
wrote:

 D>  I do not take this as a flame, but here are my comments:

 D>  It does not require my terminal to use the bbs. That would be
 D> restrictive suicide. 

Deja Vu.

 D>  It takes advantage of the concepts that make the Amiga the Amiga.

Such as?

 D>  No one has done it yet, and this makes life so much easier. Most
 D> bbs programs are a real pain for the caller to use, and this is not
 D> due to the speed the bbs operateat.

How are they a pain? In what ways specifically? 

 D>  All of the graphics will be performed by the calling system and
 D> not the host system. Along with the music. 

Deja Vu.

[...bunch of stuff deleted...]


 D>  My BBS system is exactly what the world needs. Period. No BBS
 D> in existance would compete, and believe me I have seen them all.
 D> And you may call it a burden because it introduces new methods. Didn't
 D> they say the same when they went from kermit to xmodem to ymodem to
 D> zmodem? And not one of these offers what I have to offer in my
 D> new protocols, which have already been tested.

Deja Vu, again. I keep saying Deja Vu because I have heard all of this
before. Seems like every few years someone is promising an amazing new BBS
system that will use a specialized term program to do things "no other BBS
can do." In fact, some of the very abilities you mention were promised way
back in 86 or 87 when I was Beta-Testing Atredes BBS software which is now
known as Skylink. In all fairness to Michael Cox, he did develop an ANSI
sub-set that allowed for 16 color hi-res graphics to be drawn on the user's
screen and did end up with the ability to read mouse inputs to do many of
the things you are claiming haven't been done. He also said that his BBS
would allow you to up/download and read messages at the same time. At
least, thats what I was told would be added.

Those bits that did work worked rather slowly and none of my users felt
like booting up a custom term program JUST to have pretty pictures. (I am
certain it helped much when Jack put the Skypix protocol into JR-Comm, but
at the time no one cared enough to bother with it.) Many aspects of the
system, including the music and being able to upload/download and read
messages at the same time, never have appeared as far as I know.

First, you're assuming that every BBS sysop has the artistic talent needed
to make the pretty graphics or you're planning on sticking them with
pre-generated scenes making the systems all look alike. Neither is a very
good option. You're also assumming that the Sysop knows how to write music.
I, and I am probably not the only sysop like this, have trouble doing up
half-way decent ANSI screens so I am not worried about 16 color hi-res
graphic interfaces. I say all of this in regards to your statement "My BBS
is exactly what the world needs. Period." All I can say is "Good Luck" and
let me know when you have a working prototype as I will really have to see
it to believe it.

                                   ===Les===

P.S. Last I heard in the rumor mill at least two other major BBS packages
for the Amiga were also designing special features and abilities requiring
a special term program as well so you'll find you have lots of competition
on the horizon, that is if anyone really pulls it off at a reasonable
speed.

-- Via DLG Pro v0.991

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