Hello,
So a pain point seems to be Users so unfamiliar with BBSing that the commands are not type of mind and they vary from bbs to bbs.
Specifically the message commands within MCI. I even find it difficult to respond and leave messages without "?" several times and by the time I page through I forget the command I was looking up.
Is there like an FAQ that anyone has done to give Users a quick reference to the most used commands in like a pdf form to send to them via email or text?
Frustration leads to non-use in my mind. The easier we can make it for people to use the old BBS's the more usage I would think we would get.
@bucko @x-tec
So a pain point seems to be Users so unfamiliar with BBSing that the commands are not type of mind and they vary from bbs to bbs.
This is something they have to overcome with more frequent use and it is hard if they never used a BBS as they are use to internet click and point.
You can change the main menu commands with ecs to make them more logical to you and unique to Lexicon. Make it what you like and they will learn, tyring to make it like all the rest is hard as the good boards will use their own unique commands and the rest of the BBS' just use software default commands which varries from BBS brand to brand.
Have fun with it and make Lexicon original menus!!
The Kats Alley BBS -=[ tka.8bitboyz.com:6400 ]=- ....Running Image 3.0 for the C64
8-Bit Boyz BBS -=[ bbs.8bitboyz.com:6502 ]=- ....Running Mystic on Windows
WEB -=[ www.8bitboyz.com ]=-
Hmm....I was looking at from the other way around actually. Not changing Image but a better way to educate users ....general people... with a quick and dirty this is how you post on the message boards ...this is how you send email...in a form that can be sent to a modern device so that they can readily have access to it.
The less painful something is the more it'll get used. At this point in technology if something is to hard or confusing its just not going to get used....its hard enough getting your hardware and softeware configured to even get to the BBS then when people are there trying to use it ...should be made as easy as possible education wise ... we are stuck with the aged software the way that it is I get that ...but maybe a discord for users to re-educate the use of BBS's
I don't know....
I do know people are excited to get on they get on and then maybe post one simple thing and kind of disappear....and one thing that @palkat said in another post was most users end up being sysops on other boards... this may be part of it as while the commands are slightly different on other boards they are similar enough to avoid a steep learning curve for a sysop.
There is a large retro community everyone hates twitter and Facebook why aren't BBS's having more of a comeback than they are...only thing I can come up with is ease of use. I see new users get to the Main prompt and just stop........
That's my rant for today..... 😀
Hmm....I was looking at from the other way around actually. Not changing Image but a better way to educate users ....general people... with a quick and dirty this is how you post on the message boards ...this is how you send email...in a form that can be sent to a modern device so that they can readily have access to it.
The less painful something is the more it'll get used. At this point in technology if something is to hard or confusing its just not going to get used....its hard enough getting your hardware and softeware configured to even get to the BBS then when people are there trying to use it ...should be made as easy as possible education wise ... we are stuck with the aged software the way that it is I get that ...but maybe a discord for users to re-educate the use of BBS's
Actually a year ago I created a video on something like that showing the basic use of Image BBS (User end), using message boards, email, edit user settings, feedback and so on... I know I have that video in my library, I think it is time to post it so it is available to all being they can see in action how to do it as it might help what your pointing out. Stay tuned for that one! 😉
The Kats Alley BBS -=[ tka.8bitboyz.com:6400 ]=- ....Running Image 3.0 for the C64
8-Bit Boyz BBS -=[ bbs.8bitboyz.com:6502 ]=- ....Running Mystic on Windows
WEB -=[ www.8bitboyz.com ]=-
@sutehk I dug up the one I did and I am adding to it today. I think this might help your quandary!
The Kats Alley BBS -=[ tka.8bitboyz.com:6400 ]=- ....Running Image 3.0 for the C64
8-Bit Boyz BBS -=[ bbs.8bitboyz.com:6502 ]=- ....Running Mystic on Windows
WEB -=[ www.8bitboyz.com ]=-
Palkat is right, each BBS has it's own learning curve.. I currently run 5 different BBS softwares, each one has it's own way of doing things.. When people call and use it they will learn the in's and out's of the software. What you could do is take the menu's of each section and create a pdf of what each command does. Pretty much just what the ? does. You can make the file available to download or share it via social media.. Other then people learning how to use it there really isn't much more...
Bucko
Wrong Number Family of BBS'
Website: www.wrgnbr.com
Wrong Number ][ BBS - wn2.wrgnbr.com:23 (Mystic BBS)
Wrong Number ]I[ BBS - wn3.wrgnbr.com:6400 (CNet Amiga BBS)
Wrong Number IV BBS - wn4.wrgnbr.com:3000 (Image BBS v3.0)
Wrong Number VI BBS - wn6.wrgnbr.com:6411 (ORIGINAL Wrong Number ][ Retro 1993 BBS)
Bucko's Den BBS - bdn.wrgnbr.com:6428 (One of only two known C-Net 128 Boards!!)
The Time Warp BBS - twb.wrgnbr.com:6896 (Centipede 128 Dual Line BBS)
twb.wrgnbr.com:6897
I keep thinking of throwing my two cents in, but I've got a web page devoted to in-progress documentation. There is a summary of MCI and text editor commands included. User commands could be very easily added.
but maybe a discord for users to re-educate the use of BBS's
I've had one for quite some time: https://discord.com/channels/775490546943787019/775979830612197377