BBS Listings to Offer More Information
by Jim Manchester, Editor-in-Chief
Computer News Group, Inc.
Over the years, Computer News Group has published detailed listings of
Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) available throughout North and South Carolina.
We want to expand and continue that effort as we consolidate all of our North
and South Carolina publications into the bigger and better `Carolina Computer
News' which debuts in October.
For the most part, we have also published the names and numbers of BBSs
without regard for the special interests for which they were created.
Recent press coverage in the traditional daily newspapers has noted the
concern that parents and others have about BBSs that provide adult material
and/or are gathering places particularly for adults. As the "Information
Gateway to the Carolinas," we want to help parents and others provide the
best environment for children as is humanly possible. Therefore, we have
made it policy that all BBSs must be registered with our publication before
they can be included in our published listing.
This will also provide us with the opportunity to offer more detail about
the special interests some of our BBSs provide. From cooking to fiction to
games to the latest in paramedical technology, there is something for everyone
in the BBS world.
The registration process is simple. The System Operator (SysOp) fills out
the registration form and mails or faxes it to us. We put the BBS on our
dialer system which periodically checks to make sure the BBS is still in
operation. And, then we publish its listing in `Carolina Computer News.'
System Operators will provide their names, addresses, and voice phone numbers
-- which will be held in strict confidence. In turn, all registered SysOps
will be given a free subscription to `Carolina Computer News.'
Please note: This policy is not meant to discourage and BBS from being
listed in our publication or to try to stifle free speech in any way. BBSs
who want their audiences to be adults will simply be footnoted accordingly
so they can be identified by both those who want to use them, and by those
who wish to exercise good parental supervision. Hobbyists and interest focus
groups can make notes on their registration form, and we can include those
notes in our listing.
