
[The following CompuServe thread is reproduced with the permission 
of Jack Hammond, who offered his opinions on several BBS packages].


#: 6239 S1/BBS Programs [B]
    18-Dec-89  10:18:44
Sb: St. Simple BBS: WINNER?
Fm: Jack Hammond 71260,306
To: ALL

Well folks for the last two weeks I have been trying out four of what I had
called "stupid simple" BBS systems for a closed system in my rual Indiana
country. (ARCE has proven rock hard reliable.) The following were recommended
by the members: Sapphire, Wildcat, RRBS, Searchlight, and in addition I tried
a system called the Personal ORACOM BBS that is in the library of this system.

THE WINNER?  A HINT: RRBS IT WASN'T.  WILL POST A THREAD WITH THE WINNER EARLY
TUESDAY MORNING.

PS> Thanks to all the people who left threads with suggestions.


#: 6259 S1/BBS Programs [B]
    18-Dec-89  23:40:05
Sb: #6239-St. Simple BBS: WINNER?
Fm: Steve Rosen 71260,2411
To: Jack Hammond 71260,306 (X)

Man...I can see authors biting their nails and wondering if their hard-worked
package will now be dubbed, 'Stupid Simple.'  "The envelope please..." :-)


#: 6261 S1/BBS Programs [B]
    19-Dec-89  01:32:42
Sb: #6239-#St. Simple BBS: WINNER?
Fm: Jack Hammond 71260,306
To: Jack Hammond 71260,306 (X)

THE NONSTARTER

* RRBS: This BBS program is hard enough for experienced users to set up -as
soon as I saw the doc files I erased it and moved on.

THE RUNNER UPS:

* PERSONAL ORACOM BBS: Its claim that it easy to set up is not true -- in my
opinion.

* WILDCAT: If I was looking for a system where the main desire was to download
and upload software and doors I guess this would have worked.  But its age is
starting to show.  I don't like crippled or reduced shareware anyway.

THE FIRST RUNNER UP:

* SAPPHIRE: Set up wasn't as simple as they claimed but compared to others it
is simple.  But it lacks even minimum features.  And the features it have are
barebones -- the authors even state that in the doc.

THE WINNER:

* SEARCHLIGHT: Good features -- especially the E-mail feature with its full
feature screen editor -- and its doc has the best explaination about how BBS
work and setup.

Finally, We hope to have this BBS in my county (sorry I said country) up and
running in three months.  Let you know how things work out.  Again thanks to
the members of I-Forum.



There is 1 Reply.

#: 6280 S1/BBS Programs [B]
    19-Dec-89  12:00:46
Sb: #6261-#St. Simple BBS: WINNER?
Fm: Rick Heming\WILDCAT! BBS 75236,3312
To: Jack Hammond 71260,306 (X)

Now, the rebuttals ;-)

Apparently you checked the older WILDCAT! ver. 1.03 rather than the new
test-drive released on 11-1-89.  Sorry.

WILDCAT! TD isn't crippled at all!  The new release is a full-featured system
with almost anything a BBS user might want including access to IFNA Net and
Echo -ail support.  The only feature you could conceviably suggest it lacks is
a door interface and multi-line, both of which are available in the registered
release.

Mustang Software's/WILDCAT!'s authors are ASP members and until they suggest
that WILDCAT! is crippled I'd prefer to not see it portrayed as such.  It's
just what it says, a test-drive program which is fully operational with
virtually every feature for a program of its type, andy many features not
found on others. (no flame Jack, just using your message as a forum)

There is 1 Reply.

#: 6292 S1/BBS Programs [B]
    19-Dec-89  18:47:25
Sb: #6280-St. Simple BBS: WINNER?
Fm: Jack Hammond 71260,306
To: Rick Heming\WILDCAT! BBS 75236,3312

Dear Rick:

I apologize for the "cripple" remark.  I was told it was not the full feature
version before I set it up and that stuck after I tested it to the message on
IBMBBS.  Further more I did not realize that the features it lacked was the
DOORS and multi-lines.  The first feature is not of importance to my use so it
is not of importance and the second also requires registration and additional
fee for SEARCHLIGHT.  So in reality it would not have matter if those two
items had been on the test drive version of WILDCAT!

Now why I still preferred SLBBS over WILDCAT!  My use for a BBS is basically a
mini-CIS forum and E-mail base.  The need for downloading anything but ASCII
files is non-existent.  DOOR are also in that catagory.  If my requirement was
for the ability to upload or download program files or to activate programs
within the BBS WILDCAT! would have been the winner.  But that is not the
requirement.

Finally, to be frank, SLBBS is a clear winner in two features: its texts
editor and the doc. which goes in to as much detail as possible to make clear
how modems and BBS work.

                               Best Jack

