Text 762, 72 rader
Skriven 2007-03-25 11:36:14 av Peter Knapper (3:772/1.10)
    Kommentar till text 758 av Michael Cassidy (28.ftscpubl)
Ärende: Fidonet, XML, Internet
==============================
Hi Michael,

 MC> Hello, everyone.  I have been out of Fidonet for a while, 

Welcome back! I would be interested in hearing your reasons for "leaving" and
now returning to Fidonet...

 MC> and am just recently
 MC> trying to become a more active member in having a local 
 MC> community (virtual),
 MC> which is what I believe a BBS really is, that is also internationally
 MC> connected, which is what I believe Fidonet is and should be -- a means for
 MC> connecting smaller communities and connect parts of 
 MC> them to make more (virtual)
 MC> international communities.

This part of your message relates to what Maurice and I are discussing, and
brings about the difference between what Fidonet is, and what a BBS is. 

I see the 2 entities as being completely separate, but also in need of each
other. Fidonet barely discusses how a BBS should operate, other than describe
the interface point between the BBS and Fidonet (EG message formats), however
if you change the user interface for Fidonet then you MUST accomodate all
existing Systems in Fidonet, at the risk of cutting them off completely.

Please note that what I am NOT saying is that your thoughts are wrong, but have
you really thought it through considering all existing Fidonet members.

Can I even dare to suggest that from my perspective, I dont see Fidonet as an
ideal platform on which to build your desires, I am confident that there are
better ways of acheiving your desires (at Fidonets loss).


 MC> If we really
 MC> want Fidonet to begin to grow again and flourish (I 
 MC> know I do), we have got to
 MC> adjust to the future.  This means we have got to find a 
 MC> way for BBS systems and
 MC> message networks to "grow up" a little bit.

So you are really talking about a BBS here, and the only reason that Fidonet
comes into it is because its the transport mechanism for the BBS. I do think it
is VITAL that people differentiate between the 2 elements, because a transport
mechanism such Fidonet can theoretically move anything around.

 MC> ... and I always ask myself -- "Why hasn't fidonet 
 MC> moved to adopt some of
 MC> the new technologies, which would allow people such as myself to enter the
 MC> arena and provide functionality and capabilities 
 MC> without having to go back and
 MC> re-learn/re-member old technologies that I have left behind?".

The reality is that Fidonet HAS moved on, the bulk of Fidonet traffic is no
longer using the PSTN, its using the internet for transport. What you are
talking about is simply the presentation of the content that Fidonet is
transporting.

And in case its not already obvious, I am against putting graphical content
into the BBS interface, that is simply turning a BBS into something that
already exists in another format, a Web Server, however there are many other
issues surrounding that. I think what you are wanting can much more easily be
done using other technologies already in use today. 

Have you considered using a private mailing list? Email can contain all that
you are wanting, its just the distrubution you desire that is not yet clear
with me.

Cheers...............pk.


--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Another Good Point About OS/2 (3:772/1.10)