ccRequiem for a SysOp

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From: Philip Ritzenthaler 

Date: 1 Oct 85 00:31:04 GMT

This file was "borrowed" from the Indianapolis EpsonNet TBBS run by Steve
Brown, 881-3849, and transferred to Indy Net One 6-19-85.

Note from The Capt. - think about it, guys.

Excerpt from an article in "PC WEEK", Nov. 20, 1984:

"There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there is an ample supply of
free software that's yours for the asking. All you have to do is dial up,
make connection, browse through a couple of menus, check over long lists of
available software, make your choices and start downloading."
exchange of e-mail between sysop and bbs user:

----------------------------------------------

Well, John, the good news is that the faulty file has been fixed but the bad
news is that your downloading privileges have been revoked. I just went
through the last two months of logs and came up with some interesting
statistics. During that time you have logged on 23 times, downloaded 66 files
and uploaded none. You have called for chat twice, and left a total of two
messages on the board, one requesting a specific program and the other
informing me of a disk error in a download file. I can only draw the
conclusion that you are interested in this board for one reason only -- to
rape --- out of the download menus. I've left plenty of messages regarding
participation in the BBS and the message base, but you either haven't read
them or else you ignored them. Sorry, but one-way streets just don't hack it
around here. Jim.

Jim, I have been taking part in the BBS. Every time I log on I read all the
new messages. John.

John, I just can't help but feel that in all that time you could have at least
said "hi" or "thanks for the downloads" or something to acknowledge that
there's a real live human being on this end. Jim.

- - - - - -

Except for power failures, my computer has been continually running since Nov.
1, 1982, and has fielded over 12,000 telephone calls operating as a BBS. Back
then, it was a joy to be a part of the realm of computer telecommunications --
Now it's a drag. It seems to me that a "GIMMEE" attitude has pervaded the
whole arena of BBSing, with callers interested in nothing more than material
gains in the way of software. My board is far from the busiest, being
isolated in the "Foreign Country" of Montana, but an average day will see
about 20 or 25 calls to the system. An average day will also see about three
or four messages of all types, including E-Mail) being posted. The typical
log entry shows so-and-so logging on, going to the file transfer area,
downloading several files and then logging off. Thanks, that's why I started
up a BBS, to supply people with free programs. Really makes my day to see
that I've spent all this time and money just to watch pigs at the trough.


Whatever  happened to the communications in telecommunications? Is this the
result of the computer age, that people don't talk or communicate with each
other? Are we getting so totally in tune with our equipment that we're
excluding people? If so, then Orwell's predictions are tame in comparison
with the reality. Who took the bulletin board out of bulletin board system?
The file transfer section of my board is shiny from daily use, but the
bulletin section is obscured by cobwebs. The thought has crossed my mind more
than once just to load up a host program and let people grab whatever programs
look interesting.

Do you have a logon code for this system (y/n) ==> y <=="  "What is your
account number? 775". "What is your logon code? Password" "Invalid Logon Code"
Do you have a logon code for this system (y/n) ==> y <==". "What is your
account number? 305". "What is your logon code? Password" et cetera, ad
infinitum et ad nauseam.

Hackers. Or so they'd like to believe. Vandals, pests, yes. Hackers? They
should be so talented, devoted and lucky. Why do these computerized
delinquents find such delight in trying to break into bulletin boards? Don't
they realize that SysOps are ordinary people just like themselves trying to
find a little enjoyment in their hobby? Why pick on me? I'm spending a lot
of time and money trying to provide people a service for free, and they want
to go and spoil it for everyone. Heck, if they want onto the system, all they
have to do is apply for a logon. Why make life difficult for everyone? Leave
me alone. Go pick on Compuserve.

Caller logs on. Leaves E-Mail to a friend. Lines only fill half the screen,
so he's probably using a Commodore 64. Goes to file transfer section, and
selects Ultraterm protocol. Chooses a file that indicates it's a TRS-80
program. BBS goes to send, he figures out that he's somewhere he doesn't want
to be and drops carrier.

Another caller logs on four times in a row, but keeps losing carrier before he
can do anything. Probably phreaking on a cheapie phone service.

Another caller successfully downloads a file....sit...wait....wait some more.
system eventually times out and drops him.


I'm not the most polite person in the world and I'm certainly not one to stand
on ceremony, but I am old enough to remember what manners were. They also
went down the tubes with "Communications" and "Bulletin Boards." Whoops,
dropped carrier! So what? If It's a halfway decent system, It'll reboot,
well, I'll just go to bed while downloading this long file, the system will
eventually throw me off and reboot. Never mind that there're other people
wanting to call onto the board. Who cares that the sysop climbs the walls
when he sees someone drop carrier or time-out on the system? Lately I've
gotten into the habit of dropping carrier on my end for the worst offenders.
One good hang-up deserves another.

Along with all the other goodies that have bitten the dust, there's good old
appreciation. As I mentioned before, My BBS has fielded over 12,000 calls.
but of all of them, I have gotten maybe a dozen messages saying "Thanks for
running  your  BBS." That's about one "Thank You" per thousand calls,
unfortunately, it  seems that people think they have all this automatically
coming to them. It's their right! Sorry to disillusion anyone, but that just
ain't so. The master switch for this system is two feet away, and I'm not so
decrepit that I can't hit it in a flash, alternatively, I can ban anyone I
wish from MY system. Callers use this BBS at my forbearance only, and it's
not a God-given right. It's a SysOp-given privilege! I sincerely feel that we
should proclaim a "sysop appreciation day." We certainly don't get any on a
day-to-day basis!

Don't get me wrong. There are joys and benefits in running a bbs, although
sometimes in my nether moods I'm hard pressed to enumerate them. But the fact
is, there have been many occasions when I've rested my finger on the  switch
with the idea of going offline forever.
Now for the moral of the story. I'm only one SysOp among many, And I'm not
trying to evoke sympathy for myself through this article. The point is that
almost every sysop around has these feelings to some extent or another. And
further, most of these SysOps (especially the best and most devoted ones) are
going to reach a saturation point and wind up depriving the general public of
their services. I foresee a day coming, and very soon at that, when the high
Quality BBS's will be all gone. So all this is really a plea for everyone to
shape up their acts before it's too late. If nothing else, when you're on a
bulletin board, leave a little message to the sysop. "Thanks for the use of
your system", or "Fine BBS you have here." Let them know they're appreciated.
when I see a message like that, I say to myself, "That's why i'm doing all
this!" Sysops are real, live human beings with feelings and emotions. Let's
start treating them as such!



- - - - - -



Epilogue:  Twelve hours after the above was written, I find out that one of my
best friends (with higher than normal access to the system) has allowed a
third party to use her logon. That's forbidden for anyone on my bbs to do,
but it hurts even more because a valued and trusted friend who should have
known better went and did it. That's the final straw. The Most Significant
Byte BBS is no longer in existence.



Jim Anderson, Ex-SysOp
The Most Significant Byte BBS
Billings, Montana
January 13, 1984


