Subj : Local vs Network message boards
To   : SoDa7
From : AKAcastor
Date : Fri May 03 2024 11:01 pm

 S> I think that one of the best things regarding the BBS 
 S> are their local boards, because I tend to call often a 
 S> board that offers a good message base on these, with 
 S> interesting messages and conversations.

I think my opinion may be coloured by my past experience being almost entirely using (and running) small BBSes.  Rural life in the 90s meant only a couple BBSes in the local calling area, and a fairly small user base on all of them.  Local message activity was minimal.  But all the boards were on Fidonet and in the early 90s it was booming.

There were regional echoes that were great at the time, shared across a dozen or two BBSes in nearby towns.  The semi-local aspect definitely made things more interesting.

My preference tends to be to post on network message bases (fsxNet specifically) as that opens the conversation up to readers on a number of BBSes, while feeling somewhat targeted and not feeling like shouting out into the void of social media.

I only really read messages on my own BBS (for fsxNet) and a couple others regularly - I don't have the habit of checking others on a consistent basis, so I miss out on conversations in local areas of other boards.  Network message areas also give the option to use one's BBS software of choice, or to setup a point, which gives the power users some control over how they read mail.

Local areas on BBSes could have some more capacity for becoming truly unique areas, while network message areas will tend to have some level of compromise as to what is acceptable for all the boards involved.  Keeping local areas alive and thriving on a BBS is no easy feat, it is great to see boards like 2oFB doing so well!


Chris/akacastor

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