Hi, Holger...   
      
   HG>DS>   Like the old song "Standing On The Corner, Watching All The Girls   
   HG>DS> Go By". :)   
      
   HG>Yes, I remember that one.   
      
     Several years ago, when I was still able to work (before becoming   
   disabled), I was listening to "big band and swing" music of the 40's,   
   and one employee said "Are you trying to get old before your   
   time??"...to which I replied "You're d@mn right, I am". :)   
      
   HG>It seems to me that the Fido era at this BBS may soon end and only   
   HG>memories of nice people will be remembered.   
      
     Nowadays, kids are too into their iPads and tablets. You can't   
   interest them in ANY hobby...BBSing, ham radio, or otherwise.   
      
     Compound that with the "ham radio old timers" who say "we never did it   
   that way before"...and who just despise the new technology (such as   
   "internet radio" (VoIP))...which has become a necessity for ham radio   
   operators like myself, who live in antenna restricted/prohibited   
   environments...we can't get new hams to replace those who let their   
   licenses lapse, or who are dying off. Computers are so much a part of   
   the ham shack now, anyway.   
      
     The nice thing is that with my laptop, a wi-fi card, an external   
   monitor, DV Dongle (D-Star), the programs of D-Rats, Echolink, and   
   Outpost, plus a desktop mic and speakers, I can do a demo of Packet (via   
   telnet), Echolink, D-Star, and D-Rats, virtually anywhere...and I did   
   that at an area high school ham radio club. One of the selling points   
   was that "you don't have to worry about the expense of rigs, power   
   supplies, antennas, towers, coaxial cable, SWR meters, etc. -- as long   
   as you have a computer, soundcard, speakers, mic, plus DSL or broadband   
   internet...once your license has been verified, you're good to go". I   
   even have operated from a moving train. :)   
      
     One ham out in El Paso, Texas, was showing his grandson his "shack",   
   because his grandson asked Grandpa "what's the big deal about ham   
   radio??". Well, the little one wasn't impressed...until Grandpa used   
   D-Star and D-Rats to send a text message to his grandson's   
   cellphone...at which point, the kids eyes lit up. "WOW!!". The ham said   
   "you can reply to it"...that got him hooked. :)   
      
     The same is true nowadays for websites. My HTML knowledge is VERY   
   BASIC...and it's easier for those who do NOT have a fast computer,   
   and/or who are still on dial-up internet access...and that's true in   
   many of the rural areas of Arkansas. With a simplistic format (no fancy   
   videos, audio, graphics, etc.), it doesn't take the page forever and a   
   day to load up.   
      
     Besides, when I visit a website, I don't want to have to look to find   
   a needle in a haystack, for the one piece of information I'm looking   
   for.   
      
     Yet, the "basic site" offends all those with faster computers and DSL   
   or broadband connections, because they want a site with all the bells,   
   whistles, and graphics. The thing is, if a site is "loaded up", those on   
   dial-up internet, with slower computers, or even using speech   
   synthesizers to view pages, will visit that "loaded site" ONLY   
   ONCE...and tell others "what a lousy site it is".   
      
     In this regard, it's best to have the main page with 2 links...one for   
   the "basic page", and one for the "loaded page". That way, people can   
   choose which one they want. Sometimes, you can get a webmaster to do   
   both pages, but workload wise, it's better to have 2 separate   
   webmasters. To me, it's the K.I.S.S. philosophy...Keep It Short And   
   Simple.   
      
   HG>The BBS (as the name implies) was started for hams by a ham (me) to   
   HG>serve my users with programs and bulletins for radio amateurs. There   
   HG>were and still are a lot of other interests catered for but that was   
   HG>the main thread.   
      
     I got involved with BBSing, after being on one done at the local   
   college (I think it's an internal one for the students only now)...and   
   that's how I met the woman who eventually became my wife. I was going to   
   have a weather theme for the BBS, as it was before I got into ham radio.   
      
   (Continued to next message)   
   ---   
    þ OLX 1.53 þ According to the Weather Channel, Hell just froze over.   
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
                                                                                     
   --- Virtual Advanced Ver 2 for DOS    
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS (1:19/33)