Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc
Subject: Re: j: Re: Popular BBS system
From: dogbowl@dogbox.acme.gen.nz (Kennelmeister)
Date: Fri, 11 Dec 92 19:48:15 +1300
Organization: The Dawghaus BBS, Palmerston North, New Zealand (+64 6 357 9245)


v120qldp@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (JAY WALKER) writes:

> A few reasons why I hate Waffle:
> 
> 	- No color at all.  Totally <barf> black and white

RTFM

>       - Having to type entire words instead of single keys (how stupid)

RTFM

>       - Installation is a pain (I never did figure it out)

I had my one up and rinning in less than an hour

>       - It takes up a lot of memory - Waffle requires something like
> 		48 buffers while WWIV only requires 20 (this is off the top of
> 		my head but I'm probably close).  It also takes up more
> 		physical memory.

True.

>       - If a user doesn't have read or post access to a newsgroup, he can
> 		still see it, contrary to WWIV.  (How many times have you
> 		gotten feedback wondering why a user can't read or post?)

Attempts to reach groups that users don't have acccess to will be met
with an automatic  message that they don't have access to that group.

>       - You need special programs (i.e. FOSSIL drivers and net-mailers) that
> 		WWIV doesn't.

FOSSIL isn't necessary unless a high speed modem is used.
Netmailer is part of the waffle package.

> 	- Everything you get but don't want (including stuff in German, Swedish
> 		and who knows what else) is saved in junk instead of deleted.

You can set things so that subs your feed can't/won't are junked totally
and invisibly. This is done on a per-newsgroup basis so that new groups
don't just dissappear.
You can also set the junk pile to only keep a few messages. With an
external expiry program, you can have newsgroups expire on a time basis
from 1 hour to 10 years, total, group and individually selectable.
(and all at the same time)

> 	- As soon as the modem connection is made, the welcome screen is
> 		displayed.  You don't have to sit and wait for Binkley or some
> 		other external (read: written by a different person who also 
> 		requires registration) program to wake up.

Is this a reason to hate Waffle? I prefer having the welcome screen come
up straight away, which is the standard waffle setup.

> 	- Files and subdirectories are scattered all over the place.

Only if you let them - my waffle directory tree looks just like
your wwiv tree, and I don't go to any particular pains to keep
it tidy. I have over 600 Usenet newsgroups on my bbs.

> 	- Nearly all net subs (our term) are moderated so you don't get all 
> 		the stupid test posts and other bullshit posts.  Everything is 
> 		paid for by the SysOps themselves instead of by the government 
> 		so we don't put up with waste.

There are moderated subs available. The more serious ones usually are.
You can select which groups your feed will give you.
You don't have to carry groups you don't want.

Having the setup that currently exists makes Usenet extremely immune
to political grandstanding by hub sites. Fidonet in particular seems
to be full of electronic power junkies.

>       - Net subs for modding.  I don't believe there are any on Usenet.  I
> 		do read junk here and haven't seen anything like it.

Read news.admin.misc, news.admin.policy and news.groups.

>       - It's a piece of cake to go from independant board to netted board
> 		and vice-versa.  A little adjustment in the utility program and
> 		unzipping or deleting an external program is all it takes.

Waffle can be a stand alone or net site. I was standalone for 3 months,
and all it took to goto net was to add 5 lines in my setup files to ID
my system to my feed.

>       - A WWIV SysOp can be in more than one net, and even start his own.

I am a Usenet site, also part of the AUN (a local uucp net),
have access to fido, have a WWIV gateway program (though
there are NO wwiv bbs's locally) and can mail compu$erve and GEnie
users.
Can you do that from your WWIV site for an outlay of
$30 (shareware reg for the binary), plus connection fees?

> 	- There are literally THOUSANDS of people working on improving WWIV by
> 		writing mods.

Same for Waffle.

>       - Usenet is a lot more carte blanche except in the following way:
> 	- If you want to host your own net sub, you go right ahead and do it
> 		instead of begging strangers on alt.config or whatever.whatever
> 		to let you do it.

Bullshit. Perhaps you would like me to create alt.flame.jay.walker as an
example of how easy it is to do?.....

--
Alan B                           See Janet's ball. See John's chainsaw
Dogbowl@dogbox.acme.gen.nz       See Spot run. Run, Spot, run!
Dawghaus BBS +64 6 357-9245      Far too slow......
Palmerston North, New Zealand    Spot's in bits. Run Janet Run!