168 lines
9.0 KiB
Plaintext
168 lines
9.0 KiB
Plaintext
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SO YOU WANT TO BE A SYSOP
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by
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Al Gutkin "The Tax Board"
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714 974-3730
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PREFACE
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Here I am, 3AM in the morning, can't sleep. Why? because tomorrow
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is the big day. Installation of PCBOARD version 10. For the other
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sysops using PCBOARD, it's no biggie, for me, it could mean doomsday,
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but it won't, cause I'm tough. Right??????
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Should I worry nooooo. Then why can't I sleep? Could it be that
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I've only been running this board for 2 weeks. Nooooo, I'm tough.
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After all, "age and treachury can always defeat youth and ability".
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Why did I do this thing, Bulletin Board? Who needs it?
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I WAS A NEW USER, ONCE
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Yep, thats the truth. But, I won't tell you when. Actually, it
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it was 7 years ago, that I touched my first computer. A Radio Shack
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model 1. You know the one that had two floppies that couldn't remember
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that they were there, even the techs at Radio Shack didn't know they
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were there. I found that out when I went back. They didn't even know
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what a utility program was then. I ended up giving to charity and taking
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a deduction for $ 5,000. I bought an Alpha Micro, used it for six years
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in my business. I felt on top of the world, I learned how to change the
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menus myself. Dazzled my clients, dazzled my secretary, thank god I
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didn't know any modern day IBM type programmers back then, I couldn't
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take the laughing and funny faces that they would make. Boy, have I
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come a long way.
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The biggest gain of knowledge came in the last year, when I was
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introduced to DOS. YEH, I never met dos before. After DOS, came my
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introduction to Mr. Modem. Thats where the trouble started, and I
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introduced myself back to the real computer world. My god, there's
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people out there that like to talk computers, not only like to talk
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computers, but actually develop programs that other people can try for
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free. WOW, I never new this existed. Hey!!, come look at my computer,
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I'm talking to another computer. Look at the color menus and graphics,
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how did they do that? Yep, my exact words, "trust me".
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HERE COMES THE SYSOP. (What is a SYSOP?)
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We all know what a Sysop is, it's probably in the encyclopedia,
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"ancient monster, that eats computers and has ultimate power over
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modem users" That sounds like the definition. Well, I know that
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I don't have the personality to become a Sysop. I'm too friendly,
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outgoing, and busy to become a Sysop. Besides, who needs that kind
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of power? In addition, my personality is in voice, not written
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communication, no-one can see my face through a computer. All I have
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is my speaking personality, developed over the years to overcome my
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slow loss of hair.
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GUESS WHAT, I'M GONNA BE A SYSOP.
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Yea, I won't do it for real. I'll just set up two computers between
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my office and home and transfer files. That way I can work at home and
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be with my family more. When I mentioned that to my wife, I had to put
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my hand over my nose so she wouldn't see it getting bigger with every
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word that I said.
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In order to start a bulletin board, even if it's for private use,
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you need software. Well, I remember seeing some of that on Free Bytes.
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Next step, call Free Bytes and take some software. No couldn't do it
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there, I only was allowed 35 min per day. The Weasel Board, yea, I got
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alot of time there. Poor Weasel Board, I tied up the phone for hours
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trying to get bulletin board software. I kept getting waylayed by the
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ski reports. Finally got the software, but never used it, got involved
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with "A LADIES ROOM" instead. You know, the FIDO Ladies Room.
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I could have also been arresed as a rapist. I just looked at the stats.
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for Free Bytes. 50 down, 1 up. I'm ashamed. I'll just give em all
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back. Oh, he only has 300,000k of space left.
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Darlene was real nice, she gave me some tips, mentioned RBase 4000,
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for the text part, then we made a deal, I'm the new Tax person. Users
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will ask me questions and I'll call the board with an answer. Lady Bug
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was my first and last customer. A LADIES ROOM HAD A DISK CRASH.
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Meanwhile, I managed to get PCBOARD from Kenny and the CROW'S NEST.
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I de-arched it, set it up, by God, it worked. The docs, written by
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Fred Clark and Associates, said in big letters. THIS IS NOT FOR THE
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NOVICE SYSOP. WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO ANSWER BABY QUESTIONS. Of course
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I added some of my own words to that, the docs weren't that harsh.
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Well, I now had my private bulletin board. I mailed Fred some $$$$
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which I usually do when I get good software and bango, I'm a full
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fledged SYSOP. Of course, I was the only user. When the Crows Nest
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or the others were busy, I just called myself. Weird Huh?
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GOING PUBLIC
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I had the board set up and operational so going public wasn't that
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hard. However, before I could get my new tel. number set up and menus
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changed I registered with Fred's organization. My first great experience
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came when Fred called the Board, to verify it's existance, and reached
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the board that was set up in my office. Guess what? I still was using
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Fred's Salt Air Graphics. Would have liked to see the look on Fred's
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face when my modem answered and Fred's own introduction came up. Bet
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Fred thought he was loosing his mind, and calling himself.
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Underdog in the state of WASH. helped. Sal the dog, enabled me to
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compile some of the best business software in the West. The only
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difference is with me, its free. Don't knock Sal, he spends all his
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free time scouring the nation for the best. His phone bill must look
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look like AT&T's annual report.
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THE GRAND OPENING - NEWYEARS DAY
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NO ONE CALLED. Of course not, who had the number? Oh, heck, how
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do you market a bulletin board? Put an add in the paper? Got a great
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idea @@@@@. I called the local BIG TIME SYSOPS and left comments. Oh
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what a dummy, I was. Yea, I got calls. Don Phelps of FREE BYTES was
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the first. He left me a nice message of encouragement and left just as
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fast as he came. Well thanks to the generous help of the local experienced
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sysops I finally got some users. No-One stayed for more than 3 Min.
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Why, because I had a boring board. Didn't know how to extend my
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outgoing personality through the computer. What to do? Failure Setting
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In.
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RECOVERY
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By chance, I called David Dennen, LaVern and PC STREET. He's Mr.
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personality, and I won't tell you how old. Dave intercepted the call
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and heard my woes. Guess he saw the nice comment I left. Anyhow, now
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my board "THE TAX BOARD" has gone through some radical changes.
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We have great bulletin and conference areas. Fun and knowledge for all.
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Still give tax and business advice, but we also cater to friendly
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people. We, are "USER FRIENDLY". Need help, we're still here, getting
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bigger every day, but no too big to loose the personal contact with you.
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THANKS
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My way of giving thanks is to attach a list of the boards that
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I was using before doing it on my own. Give em a call, tell them
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that you like their graphics, ask for help. After all, what are we
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here for? Sysops are just like you and me, friendly people, trying
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to offer YOU, the computer user, a service. AND IT'S FREE. CAN'T
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BEAT THAT. If you can, tell us and we'll try and beat the price.
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THE BEST THAT I KNOW OF
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If you have more - lets share
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SALT AIR 1 801 266-0328 home of PCBOARD private
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CROWS NEST 714 493-3819 busy, but real good
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LA VERN & PC STREET 714 596-0084 the personal touch - good
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FREE BYTES 714 775-0116 loads of progs.
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TAKE-A=BYTE 714 847-5025 wide variety
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CONSULTANTS EXCHANGE 714 842-6348 progrmmers bbs
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THE TAX BOARD 714 974-3730 THAT'S ME !! tell me what
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UNDERDOG BBS WA. 1 206 725-9233 best progs. in US, subscription
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A LADIES ROOM 714 832-2273 Crash, be back end of Jan.
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FIDO PLACENTIA 714 524-8351 educational - talk to a teacher
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SUNSET BAR & GRILL 714 733-0288 good variety, lots of time
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THE WEASEL BOARD 714 998-4149 specializes in the arts. Hum?
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AL GUTKIN - The Tax Bd. 714 974-3730 THATS ME AGAIN - free ad.
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THE MED BOARD 714 964-0454 Doctors Bd. Learn about Aids
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TBD BBS CARONA 714 735-0865 Independent contractor bd.
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WELLSPRING UCI 714 856-7996 University of Cal. Irvine
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DIAMOND BAR BBS 714 861 1549 Connected with the Crows Nest
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ANAHUG 714 774-7860 New to my list - looks good
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