Hi,

I've joined recently, but with exctatic passion toward the discovery.
Although 40+ and with nominal chance to discover BBSes back in the days, I'd totally missed them and jumped to Internet directly somehow 95+.

It was cool back then, global reach, irc, usenet, community + knowledge. little commercialism and totally no marketing and surveilance bullshit we have in the web today.

I'm excited, like pornographically excited with the clean experience I find here.

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I don't yet understand the structure. especially the structure of the conversation.. it's equally flat and slow to scan. I get the feeling that I've found cool people and a lot of topics to follow-up on but not easy to get focused.

Any advices how to overcome it?

cheers,
hollowone (dude from Poland)

---
þ Synchronet þ Amiga City - The BBS for the Amiga - more than 4,000+ files

Re: kind of new here, but reading carefully
By: hollowone to All on Wed Sep 09 2020 01:27 pm

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I don't yet understand the structure. especially the structure of the conversation.. it's equally flat and slow to scan. I get the feeling that I've found cool people and a lot of topics to follow-up on but not easy to get focused.

When you're used to the threaded experience of the web, the older free for all style can definitely take some getting used to. Things to consider:

1) Experiment with different boards/reader options on the boards to find a style you find most pleasing
2) In relation to the above, some options do allow for some thread organization. echicken's reader does this, and I think there's a threaded option in the Digital Distortion message reader. Many offline readers offer this functionality if you need.
3) Give adjustment some time, many find that the lack of being locked into only watching certain threads means they feel more engaged.
4) Enjoy whatever approach you decide to take. Unlike something like facebook where the experience is curated, the BBS experience allows you to try different approaches, aesthetics, and even boards as a whole while still accessing the same message networks.
---
Underminer - The Undermine BBS
þ Synchronet þ The Undermine - bbs.undermine.ca:423

On 09 Sep 2020, hollowone said the following...

Hi,
I've joined recently, but with exctatic passion toward the discovery. Although 40+ and with nominal chance to discover BBSes back in the days, I totally missed them and jumped to Internet directly somehow 95+.

It was cool back then, global reach, irc, usenet, community + knowledge. l commercialism and totally no marketing and surveilance bullshit we have in web today.

I'm excited, like pornographically excited with the clean experience I fin here.

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I don't yet understan structure. especially the structure of the conversation.. it's equally fla slow to scan. I get the feeling that I've found cool people and a lot of t to follow-up on but not easy to get focused.

Any advices how to overcome it?

Welcome to the scene. As someone still relatively new to BBSing (I was born
in '96, so I was born around the time the BBSing scene died out to give way
to the net) I can only suggest that take it one step at a time not let stuff overwhelm you - I also suggest that if you're following a certain subject
that you search the subject name in that message base (if the board you're on supports it) and read it chronologically. That's what I'd do.

Born too late to experience the scene.
Born just in time to see it come back.
Nodoka Hanamura - NeoCincinnati BBS SYSOP - neocinci.bbs.io

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: NeoCincinnati BBS - neocinci.bbs.io:23

On 09-09-20 13:27, hollowone wrote to All <=-

@VIA: VERT/AMIGAC
Hi,

I've joined recently, but with exctatic passion toward the discovery. Although 40+ and with nominal chance to discover BBSes back in the
days, I'd totally missed them and jumped to Internet directly somehow
95+.

Maybe a bit young? I'm 50+, discovered BBSs in my early 20s. :) And I first got on the Internet in 1994. It was a very different place then, more quality, less crap. :)

It was cool back then, global reach, irc, usenet, community +
knowledge. little commercialism and totally no marketing and
surveilance bullshit we have in the web today.

Yes, I really enjoyed the Internet back then. It's a different place today.

I'm excited, like pornographically excited with the clean experience I find here.

Haha I'm not touching that one, so to speak! :D :D :D

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I don't yet understand the structure. especially the structure of the
conversation.. it's equally flat and slow to scan. I get the feeling
that I've found cool people and a lot of topics to follow-up on but not easy to get focused.

Any advices how to overcome it?

Try an offline reader, like Multimail, and use the QWK upload/download feature of your local board. That will at least make going through messages quicker. While we are online all the time these days, it's amazing what a difference being "disconnected" from the network for readong/writing messages can make. :)

Also, just give yourself a bit of time to get used to how things work here - there are subtle differences from modern email conventions. Like top posting for replies, which is normal for business emails is very much frowned upon here. It's best to structure replies like this one, where you quote relavent parts and respond to each point individually.

And just keep participating, you'll pick up more as you gain experience. We were all newbies to BBSing once - I've been doing this for 29 years now, on and off. :)


... A perversion of nature... how exciting!
--- MultiMail/Win v0.51
þ Synchronet þ Freeway BBS, Bendigo Australia. freeway.apana.org.au

On 09-09-20 17:16, Underminer wrote to hollowone <=-

When you're used to the threaded experience of the web, the older free
for all style can definitely take some getting used to. Things to consider:

I use my head for threading, but that relies on quirks of mine that allow me to do that. The doenside is I am much more sensitive to network and server lag, which is why I read and post offline, to keep me isolated from those issues - and I love taglines, as well. ;)


... Beauty times brains equals a constant.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.51
þ Synchronet þ Freeway BBS, Bendigo Australia. freeway.apana.org.au

I've joined recently, but with exctatic passion toward the discovery. >Although 40+ and with nominal chance to discover BBSes back in the days, I'd to
ally missed them and jumped to Internet directly somehow 95+.

I got into BBSing in 1988. In 1997, I moved to my current location about
an hour (and a long distance phone call) away from where I lived in 1988.
In this area, everyone went straight to the Internet. There were only a
few folks who'd had a home PC long enough to know what a BBS was.

If it was not for the Internet, and telnet, I would likely have no "local" users at all.

Welcome to BBSing! I cannot help with your other questions, but hopefully someone can.

Dumas in Kentucky, USA


* SLMR 2.1a * Married, Who me? I can't mate in captivity!

---
þ Synchronet þ CAPCITY2 * capcity2.synchro.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/Rlogin/HTTP

Vk3jed wrote to Underminer <=-

On 09-09-20 17:16, Underminer wrote to hollowone <=-

When you're used to the threaded experience of the web, the older free
for all style can definitely take some getting used to. Things to consider:

I use my head for threading, but that relies on quirks of mine that
allow me to do that. The doenside is I am much more sensitive to
network and server lag, which is why I read and post offline, to keep
me isolated from those issues - and I love taglines, as well. ;)

I definately recommend using an offline reader. I use Multimail. For me it makes the differences between "barely usable" and "pleasant to use".


... MultiMail, the new multi-platform, multi-format offline reader!
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

On 09-11-20 09:46, Dennisk wrote to Vk3jed <=-

I definately recommend using an offline reader. I use Multimail. For
me it makes the differences between "barely usable" and "pleasant to
use".

I use Multimail as well. It's available for most platforms and works well. :)


... It's innocence when it charms us, ignorance when it doesn't.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.51
þ Synchronet þ Freeway BBS, Bendigo Australia. freeway.apana.org.au

Hello hollowone!

** On Wednesday 09.09.20 - 09:27, hollowone wrote to All:

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I
don't yet understand the structure. especially the
structure of the conversation.. it's equally flat and slow
to scan. I get the feeling that I've found cool people and
a lot of topics to follow-up on but not easy to get
focused.

Any advices how to overcome it?

I'll jump in and recommend you start exploring the option of
using an offline reader as well.

I use something called OpenXP. It is traditionally designed
to operate as a point. It requires a leeeetle bit of technical
setup with your favorite BBS system, but the results are worth
it.

For example, to understand the "structure of the conversation"
as you say above, OpenXP can provide a graphical thread-tree
of a conversation:

References of "kind of new here, but"
929 09.09 hollowone kind of new here, but reading carefully
1406 09.09 ÃÄÄUnderminer
646 10.09 ³ ÀÄÄVk3jed
811 11.09 ³ ÀÄÄDennisk Re: kind of new here, but
468 11.09 ³ ÀÄÄVk3jed
2282 10.09 ÃÄÄVk3jed
874 10.09 ÃÄÄDumas Walker kind of new here, but rea
+! 903 11.09 ÀÄÄAugust Abolins


And then you can jump to any "related" message.

For more info about OpenXP, hop over to:

https://openxp.kolico.ca

I've put up some screenshots on what it looks like, and info
on where to get it.


--
../|ug

---
þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

Vk3jed wrote to Dennisk <=-

On 09-11-20 09:46, Dennisk wrote to Vk3jed <=-

I definately recommend using an offline reader. I use Multimail. For
me it makes the differences between "barely usable" and "pleasant to
use".

I use Multimail as well. It's available for most platforms and
works well. :)

Me three!



... All hope abandon, ye who enter messages here.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ Synchronet þ Palantir BBS * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL

VK3JED wrote to DENNISK <=-

I use Multimail as well. It's available for most platforms and works well. :)

As do I :)

... What is mind? No matter! What is matter? Never mind! - Homer S.
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.52
þ wcQWK 8.0 ÷ Omicron Theta * Memphis, TN * winserver.org

Re: Re: kind of new here, but reading carefully
By: Ogg to hollowone on Fri Sep 11 2020 08:09 am

But for a newbie I must also say, it's confusing, as I

I use something called OpenXP. It is traditionally designed
to operate as a point. It requires a leeeetle bit of technical
https://openxp.kolico.ca

I've put up some screenshots on what it looks like, and info

This program needs better documentation.

HusTler
havens.synchro.net:23

---
þ Synchronet þ Havens BBS havens.synchro.net

Hello HusTler!

** On Friday 11.09.20 - 10:59, hustler wrote to Ogg:

I use something called OpenXP. It is traditionally
designed to operate as a point. It requires a leeeetle
bit of technical https://openxp.kolico.ca

I've put up some screenshots on what it looks like, and info

This program needs better documentation.

The OpenXP program has built-in context sensitive help, via
the F1 key. The website above is just my way to duplicate
that content so that it is S)earchable.

Other than that, once the program is configured with a
network, most of the other stuff is easy to navigate and learn
through the menus.

Give it a go, and see! ;)

---
þ Synchronet þ End Of The Line BBS - endofthelinebbs.com

On 09-11-20 07:43, Gamgee wrote to Vk3jed <=-

I use Multimail as well. It's available for most platforms and
works well. :)

Me three!

Definitely a popular choice. :)


... What do you mean off topic??!!! There's a topic?
--- MultiMail/Win v0.51
þ Synchronet þ Freeway BBS, Bendigo Australia. freeway.apana.org.au

On 09-11-20 09:43, ROBERT WOLFE wrote to VK3JED <=-

@VIA: VERT/OTHETA

VK3JED wrote to DENNISK <=-

I use Multimail as well. It's available for most platforms and works well. :)

As do I :)

Seems a significant proportion of us use it. :)


... ** ERROR ** Unable to insert witty tagline.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.51
þ Synchronet þ Freeway BBS, Bendigo Australia. freeway.apana.org.au