Editor's Corner

Interviews: A learning experience

Interviews? Well, that's what they are. I've been doing them just because it seemed like a good idea. From the response of the people I've asked for interviews from, they think so too. :-)

Of course interviews are just questions that are asked of a person, group or organization to gather information to publish or whatever. In reality, anyone could do this. <hint> :)

What is really interesting is what is learned from the answers to the questions. I'm not talking about the basic answers of one interview. I'm talking about insights from several interviews that suddenly `jump out at you'. Here's an example that has 'jumped out at me':

When I first got into BBS'ing, there were many systems that were large and, maybe, profitable. As time went on, those systems fell by the way. This might have been due to the Internet, but I wonder? Anyway, in the process of interviewing software authors, I notice one thing that most have in common. That is the feeling that BBS'ing has come `full circle'. The common comments are to the effect of `BBS'ing has now returned to what it started as, a hobby' and the hope that those software authors that still have an interest in BBS software will realize that their software isn't going to make them a lot of money.

This is much like the Citizen Band radio craze that started a few years ago and then died out. For a while, everyone had a `CB' and was talking to whoever they could. Then, the whole thing dropped... almost over night. Some time after that, there was a small restart of the craze, but it never got to the height it once was. Then, it leveled off to the hobby side and is still out there today. I wonder if BBS'ing will see this same thing?

Just some food for thought.

Enjoy BBS'ing,

Frank