Posted by d on 02/03/06 19:11

"Alex" <samalex@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1138984929.349434.135970@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Hey Guys --
>
> Being an old-time BBS user and someone who would love to have this same
> community on the Internet, I have an idea. I love the nostalgia of
> BBSes, but this might be a neat way to not only bridge BBS echos and
> the Internet, but also bring new life to the BBS-type message boards.
>
> Here's my thoughts ... Create a message system similar to the Fidonet
> echos of days past, but using an Internet-based messaging system. I
> know Synchronet has something similar, but it's more of a web front end
> that reads the Synchronet BBS message areas. I'm talking something
> similar to PHPBB or some of the other popular web-based message forum
> apps used. A system that would give website folks the ability to
> bridge their content into a greater 'echo' so others could join the
> network, subscribe to the echo, and get those messages on their
> website.
>
> How this helps BBSes is if the protocols or standards of Fidonet-type
> boards could be used and a bridge built, these message systems could
> also be accessable from old-school boards as well. This way if someone
> participated in say a Network Security or Linux Security echo, they
> could visit any number of websites or BBSes to get their messages.
> Each sysop or webmaster could cater the site to their own needs (like
> BBSes used to be), but the content was the same and ever changing.
>
> I see SO many folks creating small message forums on their website, but
> like a BBS that's not on Dovenet, Fidonet, Familynet, or any of hte
> other BBS networks, what's the point... if such websites could get
> active content brought to their website each day this would work. The
> problem I see with BBses now'days is the ratio between BBS users and
> sysops is virtual 1:1. If everyone runs a BBS why connect to someone
> else's. Well that's not so on the Internet. Most Internet folks don't
> run their own website, so this methodology is closer to the BBS
> methology of echos and such.
>
> I'd suggest just like on Fidonet to get a connection you'd need to get
> with a Net Coordinator to get setup, but once connected you're set.
> And like Fidonet there probably needs to be some form of rule base to
> keep such networks from turning into a pukefest like the Newsgroups.
>
> Just a thought... this worked great for BBSes before, so why not carry
> it into the WWW now? It brings the community back, and with alittle
> control to help things move along it'd also bring another source for
> awesome content.
>
> Would something like this be doable? I'm not the best programmer, but
> I'd be more then willing to do whatever I could to get something like
> this moving. Also getting plugins for programs like PHPBB to work with
> it would be critical.
>
> Thanks for any comments or suggestions. If a standard was created and
> put into play, it'd sure give folks the ability to create other
> networks ... so this could grow.
>
> Thanks again --
>
> Sam

If you can think of it, it's possible. Maybe not with an entirely-PHP
solution, but that sounds quite straight-forward to implement... I'd need
to get some specifics before I could comment further ;)

dave

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