Hi SysOps,

I'm new at running a BBS. Running into general setup issues and learning how the system works has been a lot of fun!

The problem I'm having now is thinking more about design and theme. I have a framework of a board in place and have it connected to fsxNet. I do plan on putting some DOOR games in place and even added a Gopher client. However, I haven't figured out what the PURPOSE of the board is and what the cohesive experience is for users.

The name "Mirrored Lands" for my board came from a concept of a kind of
virtual fraternal order/gaming group that my friends had but, never really
took off. But, I'm not sure if that works for what the board is.

I guess my question is, how did you come up with what you wanted to "do" with your board and then how did you go about establishing a solid theme around that? How did your board evolve over time?

Also, did you do the ANSI theme design yourself or did you use a group like ANSIGARDEN? What tutorials or information on ANSI art design did you use to help get started?

Thanks,
Lord Gareth

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Mirrored Lands BBS (21:4/174)

On 26 May 2020, Lord Gareth said the following...

I'm new at running a BBS. Running into general setup issues and
learning how the system works has been a lot of fun!

I actually forgot how much "work" it was getting everything setup. That must have been something I blocked out when I last ran a BBS back in the late 90's.

Once you get it up & going it seems to just be a matter of maintenance, which
I guess is what I mostly remember doing.

I have a framework of a board in place and have it connected to fsxNet.

If you haven't looked at DOVE-Net yet I'd recommend a look. It's fairly
active and you can setup your own account and join all in the same day.

However, I haven't figured out what the PURPOSE of the board is and
what the cohesive experience is for users.

I don't know that my board has a specific purpose either. When I last ran a BBS it seemed my users were all about the door games. There were a couple of users that were fairly active in the message bases, but they were few and far between. I tend to look at my board as a "general purpose" BBS with maybe a focus on quality over quantity.

I'd rather have door games installed that people actually use rather than having say 100 games with only one or two of them actually receiving any attention. The same goes for message networks, I'm surprised how quiet
Fidonet is now-a-days. I spend most of my time reading fsxNet & DOVE-Net now because that seems to be where all the people are.

I guess my question is, how did you come up with what you wanted to "do" with your board and then how did you go about establishing a solid theme around that? How did your board evolve over time?

Right now, like you, I'm in the middle of (re-)launching my BBS. So we'll see how it actually evolves. Right now I'm setting it up similar to the way it
was in the late 90s and see where usage (if any) actually steers the
direction.

Back then there were boards who specialized in door games, others in message networks and some in having huge file bases. I tried to be the best of all
3, even going so far as buying a 5 disc CD-ROM drive and having the latest "Night Owl" CD's imported into the file bases.

I remember one thing I hated about the CD Changer, whenever it switched discs the whole computer would lock up for 3 or 4 seconds. So if I had one user running LORD, another user browsing the file bases and me using the computer, the whole system would seemly lock up for a moment while the disc switched.

I'm not sure how a file-base-centric BBS would do today with web apps taking over almost everything we do, and X/Y/Z-Modem method of downloading certainly seems antiquated to today's standards.

Also, did you do the ANSI theme design yourself or did you use a group like ANSIGARDEN? What tutorials or information on ANSI art design did
you use to help get started?

Somewhere at my parent's house up north there is either a burned CD or a Zip Disk with the last backup of my BBS I took before shutting it down. I'm
hoping when I'm up there next (after this covid thing is settled down) to hopefully find it. I've re-created the menus in The Draw the best I could
from memory.

Back then I was shameless for stealing ANSI from all over the place to use on my board. In the beginning I had pretty much the same menu for every screen (much the way I have it now) - By the end of it, I had different cartoon characters on every menu (Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, etc) all ripped from ANSI groups found on the internet & even other boards.


I'd be interesting in hearing from some more seasoned SysOp's who have been running a BBS longer than I have. What usage patterns have you noticed over time? How many active users do you have?

Paging Tiny! I remember dialing up your board when I lived up in Bracebridge where I ran the original Northern Realms. It was long distance from where I was, but it was worth the call even back then. I think that's when I started using London Telecom or something similar to save on Long Distance.

.J.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Northern Realms BBS | bbs.nrbbs.net | Binbrook, ON (21:3/110)

On 26 May 2020, Lord Gareth said the following...

Also, did you do the ANSI theme design yourself or did you use a group like ANSIGARDEN? What tutorials or information on ANSI art design did
you use to help get started?

I am awful at ansi. Just not an artist at all. My current favorite theme is a mix of a couple I got from Ansigarden. Luciano Ayres is the artist behind Ansigarden and he's damn good. Currently working on a custom theme for me and
I am excited.

I guess my question is, how did you come up with what you wanted to "do" with your board and then how did you go about establishing a solid theme around that? How did your board evolve over time?

My original board back in the '90s was called Shadowland. I love horror and stuff like that and got the name from the Peter Straub book. The name of the board changed when I registered my first domain in '99 or so and
shadowland.com was already taken so changed it to Shadowscope. Still stuck
with the horror theme though and haven't had a desire to change it.

-=>Richard Miles<=-
-=>Captain Obvious<=-
-=>bbs.shadowscope.com<=-

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/05/17 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Shadowscope BBS | bbs.shadowscope.com | Temple, GA (21:1/157)

That can always be the hard part, check other BBS's out & ansi's & see what
catches your eye & what may work for your theme you want your BBS.

I guess my question is, how did you come up with what you wanted to "do" with your board and then how did you go about establishing a solid theme around that? How did your board evolve over time?

Once your have a theme/name/concept for your board, work around that & make
things related to that theme. Like mine "The Unknown Realm" guess is more
dark/death theme related, so for me alot theme wise would be death/dark
type things. Back in 80-90's it was a different era compared to today thats
for sure. Back then mine was considered more a "Pirate/Private BBS" back
then, 0-7 Day warez etc, Most were into files & messages more then doors.
Now a days im trying to gear it to Messages & Doors, but also need callers
to find out what works to get those :)

Also, did you do the ANSI theme design yourself or did you use a group like ANSIGARDEN? What tutorials or information on ANSI art design did
you use to help get started?

I was never the best at ANSI art, Usually used others ANSI & edited it around
what i felt worked for my BBS. I also try & leave there signature on them too
since its only fare they still get the credit for making them, i just
modified it to work for my bbs after all.
Trial and error when it comes to making your own,play around with things &
see where it takes ya.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Unknown Realm [9o5] (21:3/111)

Hi SysOps,

I'm new at running a BBS. Running into general setup issues and
learning how the system works has been a lot of fun!

Hello and welcome to the hobby.

The problem I'm having now is thinking more about design and theme. I have a framework of a board in place and have it connected to fsxNet. I do plan on putting some DOOR games in place and even added a Gopher client. However, I haven't figured out what the PURPOSE of the board is and what the cohesive experience is for users.

How common this is. I remember putting together my first BBS around
1989/1990, I had a ton of ideas but couldn't really decide on anything in particular. In those days I concentrated on having the latest files
available, mainly BBS related and overall utility related. I also made use
of the macros in a big way so as to give the appearance of a dynamic
interface, rather than static. After a while I removed the echo/netmail from the board and went direct BBS dialup rather than through FrontDoor. Every sysop and their dog had echomail and nobody was reading it on my BBS.

Also, did you do the ANSI theme design yourself or did you use a group like ANSIGARDEN? What tutorials or information on ANSI art design did
you use to help get started?

Personally I did my own ANSI stuff but not pictures. I like pictures don't
get me wrong, but getting out to find them back then was not as easy as now. So I did boxes, menus, etc, in addition to the display macros and it looked pretty good in the end.

I'm not sure if you're a web designer or have done basic web pages in the
past, but I was on a BBS recently where the sysop mentioned that 80% of his calls are via his web interface, so catering to the different types of customers I would say is fairly important.

I'd be interested in seeing what you come up with in the end.

Thanks,
Dean.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Buckeye Telegraph (21:3/108)

Thank you for all of your responses. You've given me some amazing feedback
and thoughts around things.

I think I'm probably going to load a few good doors, a few message nets, and limit my own boards to one or two. I don't want my BBS to just be a
collection but, something people will enjoy and use.

I'm leaning towards a fantasy theme and just thinking through the elements of it.

It would be interesting to have a space for philosophy/theology but, I also know people can get very "protective" of their positions in those regards and it can become more of a shouting match than a conversation.

Thank you again!

-Lord Gareth

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Mirrored Lands BBS (21:4/174)

I thought of what I think will be a good concept overall. Mirrored Lands was originally referring to an order that protected different sacred "realms"
which actually were different types of games.

One realm was Minecraft, another Tabletop Gaming, etc. I thought of a way to broaden that concept to be a bit more universal.

The Mirrored Lands refer to the worlds in which we see and find ourselves through the experiences of others. These experiences can be via games (of
all kinds), movies, music, books, art, and most importantly, through the sharing of real life experiences between each other.

In short, the Mirrored Lands BBS is a place where yes, there are games and connections to message nets where great conversations can be had, but, the
main board itself is to share life experiences to help each other grow and to feel that sense of connection to each other.

It will still eventually have a fantasy theme to it with some elements of gaming and some concepts from books/movie series sprinkled here or there.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Mirrored Lands BBS (21:4/174)

I think I'm probably going to load a few good doors, a few message nets, and limit my own boards to one or two. I don't want my BBS to just be a collection but, something people will enjoy and use.

LG ...

I think we have all been there at one point, if not on a regular bases, managing content. What I have found with a lot of BBS's and networks is that many tend to be focused on Tech and SysOp support. They have incredible ANSi and scripts/mods, however if your target base isn't a SysOp or someone into programming ... that users experience will fall flat once they hit the menus.
I have shifted my focus away from configuration and ANSi for a while to focus on the content I want my BBS to represent from a file base and message base prospective (and doors of course,) and the story line theme I would throw in
as a top third. I recently logged onto a BBS of a SysOp I frequently have dicussion with over the nets. When I hit the menus, I must have spent an
hour engaged on his BBS. It wasn't the scripts, nor the ansi. It was the networks selected that I didn't have, that had general topic discussion, and the unbelievable size of file areas he had available to freely leech
(kidding .. although I downloaded 8). Some of the best BBS's I like the best are like the aforementioned, however I also love BBS's that stick to theme
and run with it. I'm bad with names but Believe Black Flag is one of them as an example ... another is strickly doors, but the ANSI story line as you
guide through the BBS is so fun to read and participate in, if I were in to doors, I'd be hooked on that site.

I'm leaning towards a fantasy theme and just thinking through the
elements of it.

It would be interesting to have a space for philosophy/theology but, I also know people can get very "protective" of their positions in those regards and it can become more of a shouting match than a conversation.

in 1989 I was really into mafia movies -- goodfellas, godfather,
untouchables, etc... read the book "the wiseguy." I was also running an ... ummm ... underground type of BBS thing. So the two merged into the name and theme. To create unique content, prior to Wiki mind you, I bought a book on the history of the Mafia. It gave me so many creative ideas to incorporate into the names of security levels, names of message areas, and menus. In addition, ideas for ANSi. So if your interests are
philosophy/theology/fantasy .. sometimes books or a movie can get the
creative juices flowing.

Hope this helps

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (21:1/165)

On 26 May 2020, Lord Gareth said the following...

It would be interesting to have a space for philosophy/theology but, I also know people can get very "protective" of their positions in those regards and it can become more of a shouting match than a conversation.

There's a saying that one shouldn't discuss religion or politics in the workplace. That also seems to be the case in a lot of online message
forums...

.J.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: Northern Realms BBS | bbs.nrbbs.net | Binbrook, ON (21:3/110)

Hi!
I am a rookie in the BBS's, just a 5 mounths ago I did it my own BBS.
About the ANSI draw I'm not an artist and I started drawing some ugly ANSI
and ASCII.

Also I used some ANSI's from ANSI GARDEN :)

Then a friend did it a conversor and actually I used for all my draws in the BBS. It can converter any picture in a ANSI, depends from the original
picture (colors, resolution, etc) the conversion its better or not.
By now it's not a public but if you want to know how it is working take a
look in to my BBS.

The theme of my BBS it's Msx Computers, that's the principal theme from my
BBS.

Get luck with your BBS!

:)

*Sotano Msx BBS*
telnet sotanomsxbbs.org:23
<Ultimo usuario activo de Msx en Ibiza>

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: SotanoMsx Bbs (21:1/150)

I had a brainstorm last night and ended up cutting my Main menu down significantly. I still have many other menu mods to make in order to fully realize the concept.

Thanks,
Lord Gareth

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Mirrored Lands BBS (21:4/174)

Then a friend did it a conversor and actually I used for all my draws in the BBS. It can converter any picture in a ANSI, depends from the
original picture (colors, resolution, etc) the conversion its better or not. By now it's not a public but if you want to know how it is working take a look in to my BBS.

Do you know the software or web site you used for .GIF to ANSI conversion? I found the original one that worked well back in the 80-90's, but DosBox
doesn't seem to want to play with it. It freezes during the conversion of a 16kb .gif file. I used to like using it to get a head start on the basic outline prospective of a drawing, and help with shadowing. I don't care if
the converter only does grayscale, but those I've found online spit out
garbage (as in a bunch of numbers/letters ..)

File I found: ANSICV22.EXE combined with READGIF.EXE ... readgif is what freezes in DOSbox.

-Doug

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (21:1/165)

significantly. I still have many other menu mods to make in order to fully realize the concept.

Yea not all options are needed on the menus these days, just the basics.
Leaves more room for ANSI work i suppose that way :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Unknown Realm [9o5] (21:3/111)

The conversor I use by the moment it's a prototype, just I am testing. It
works well with any format (jpg,png,jpeg, etc...) with no size limit. Depends the original picture to convert (the colour) the ANS will be better or not
and some times you need modify the ANS converted (but not too much).

When the conversor will be finished I will tell you or post here ;)

:)

*Sotano Msx BBS*
telnet sotanomsxbbs.org:23
<Ultimo usuario activo de Msx en Ibiza>

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: SotanoMsx Bbs (21:1/150)

I had a brainstorm last night and ended up cutting my Main menu down significantly. I still have many other menu mods to make in order to fully realize the concept.

Yeah, I've done the same thing. The "stock" Mystic menus are great for
showing all the stuff you can do out-of-the-box, but there are a lot of
things I'll never use.

I use ANSI menus, so I actually left the commands in there, so I can use them if I want, but they don't take up room in the menu :)


|14▐ |07Alpha
|14▄▌ |13Card & Claw BBS
|06▐ |05cardandclaw.com:8888

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/04/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Card & Claw BBS (21:4/158)

Yeah, I've done the same thing. The "stock" Mystic menus are great for showing all the stuff you can do out-of-the-box, but there are a lot of things I'll never use.

I use ANSI menus, so I actually left the commands in there, so I can use them if I want, but they don't take up room in the menu :)

Ha! I thought I was the only one who less common functions active "just in case." I took it a step further and just copied the original menu and from
my new "menu" created an invisible hotkey to access the original ... They're nice to have "just in case" my brain cells don't recall a command and/or if I decide to add a function to the new menu (from the old) later. I set the hot key to s255 and done.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (21:1/165)

Yeah, my main menu is down to around 10 items. I removed some of the message functions. Some I moved to a special Email menu I created, others I moved to the sysop menu.

Still working on things though.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Mirrored Lands BBS (21:4/174)