THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502090091
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RYAN KEEFER, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
IMAGINE WALKING into a corridor where shelves are piled high on both sides with files of information, all within your reach. Stroll farther, and there are forums where you can discuss whatever comes to mind. No, it's not virtual reality; it's a bulletin board system.
Bulletin board systems, or BBSs, are places to exchange files and ideas electronically, via computer, over the phone line. The large, commercial BBSs like Prodigy, America Online and Compuserve are fairly well-known. Yet most users are unaware of the small, local bulletin boards that offer entertainment and information, many times at no charge.
Many people first try local BBSs to get video game hints and new games to download onto their machines. But slowly they realize that they are missing out on something big: the message bases.
Message bases are a bunch of people who post messages for other users to read. You can get free technical support as well as information about anything from music to games to television shows.
Using commercial bulleting boards isn't cheap. The larger pay boards offer five to 10 free hours to start, but after those hours are used up, you're on a time clock. It's amazing how fast users gobble up those hours.
``I tried Prodigy,'' said Norview High School junior Gary ``Comic Man'' McCoy, who has been using computers for more than seven years. ``It was way too expensive and not as much fun as local boards.''
An average session on a commercial board consists of several things, all of which take time and count toward those per-hour charges. Reading mail, checking out cool, new video clips from movies and games for your computer and random browsing keep the clock ticking.
If a file looks interesting, the user will want download it, or copy it to their computer. This is time-consuming. Animation and sound files are huge, and some can take 30 minutes to download.
Enter one of the chat rooms to ``talk'' to other users in the BBS, and even more time elapses as you become deeply embroiled in discussions ranging from new album releases to school to tips on video games. Faintly in the background, you hear the ticking, a constant reminder that the cash register is ringing, a reality that takes away some of the enjoyment.
Noncommercial bulletin boards have gotten a bad rap lately. It seems that the only BBSs you hear about are the XXX-rated boards and the ones on which credit card thieves and virus producers lurk.
These are exceptions, though. Most bulletin boards attract normal people who like to talk to other people and get inexpensive software for their computers.
``People online can be crazy and serious; there's a balance,'' said Kempsville senior, Jason ``Mouth'' Jordan. ``It can be pretty cool sometimes.''
One may think that local boards' message bases are limited when compared to a commercial service, but this is not true. A growing number of the local boards are hooking up to BBSs next door and across the world, creating networks. Some of the larger networks include Internet, Fidonet and Infinet.
One board, Beast's Lair, a favorite of many locals, has access to approximately 10 fairly large networks, including Fidonet, Infinet and Internet. All of these networks are available to users at no charge. Given that most teens earn minimum wage, it's nice that there are services available to the working poor.
Some local boards try to go the route of larger BBSs and charge for access. ``Most that have gone to being pay boards are not worth it,'' said local system operator Kathleen Baer. ``I can go to the board next door and get the same thing. There are plenty of free boards out there.''
Another advantage of local boards is that the system operator (sysop) is around a lot of time. Good luck catching the system administrator on one of the larger boards.
``You call Prodigy or America Online and there's nobody there,'' Baer said. ``Locally, there's usually a sysop nearby.''
Many smaller boards don't charge, even with features like Internet e-mail. There are time limits to allow more users to communicate. If users want more daily time, sysops are usually more than happy to help, especially if you participate in conversations rather than simply lurk, a term that describes users who seldom respond to messages.
While commercial boards offer great services like reference materials and stock quotes, local boards have personality, and that doesn't cost a cent. You can use that $9.95 minimum fee for more important things, like gas or lunch money. MEMO: SOME LOCAL BBSs
Beast's Lair, 425-1618
Megabyte, 488-2595 or 488-6840
Selective Source, 471-6776
Poster's Paradise, 399-6940 ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Ryan Keefer is a junior at Great Bridge High School.
by CNB