Frank developed and maintained the BBS for years before the Internet became a reality for the group. We sent messages to each other, made available group notices and business information, and uploaded and downloaded hundreds of files containing shareware programs. Many of us checked the BBS daily, as we do now with e-mail. It was one of the vital services of the SPCUG, and we knew it.
Some of the duties of the BBS Sysop were (taken from our job descriptions): On a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week basis, maintain and run the Sacra Bytes BBS for the club. Historically, this BBS computer system is located in the Sysop’s home. This is, of course, subject to change pending situation changes and Steering Committee meeting decisions. The Sysop may designate any SPCUG member as an assistant (or co-Sysop). The Steering Committee may override any decision the Sysop may make. Sacra Bytes, currently a three-line, DOS-based electronic bulletin board system, needs daily maintenance. Hands-on work with the hardware and software is necessary at least twice a day, every day (when at all possible), to insure the constant smooth operation of the system. The Sysop or one of his designated assistants can do some of that maintenance remotely. Should the Sysop need to be away from the BBS (out of town, for example) for any extended period of time, then a member (or members) need to be assigned the task of maintaining the BBS system. The daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance of the BBS shall include (but not be limited to) the following:
Hard drive maintenance. This includes scanning the drives for errors and routine de-fragmentation of the drives on a regular basis.
Running and upgrading anti-virus software.
Making regular backups to the auxiliary hard drive (daily) and to the tape backup (monthly).
Seeing that the message base does not exceed the systems drive space (daily).
Seeing that the mail runs to a local ISP are working correctly and are running at least six times a day. This includes the downloading of news groups.
And…make certain that the public messages not become offensive to other members—along with other policing of the system when necessary. Maintain a shareware/files database that is virus-free and is free of commercial or pirated software. Insure that the system is run in accordance with federal, state, and local laws. Answer all mail from members in a timely and accurate manner.
Insure the system is available to members and officers at all times. See to it that all operating system and program software are upgraded as necessary. Insure that any commercial software, operating system, or shareware being used by the BBS is registered to the club.
Insure the system is not being violated or damaged by vandals. This includes insuring callers’ accounts are not "hacked" or otherwise tampered with. This is best achieved by reviewing the BBS logs on a daily basis. Insure the integrity and privacy of files and/or messages that are intended to be private.
Check the accuracy of the caller database—that is, purge non-members who do not call regularly and insure member’s accounts are maintained correctly. Insure the privacy of caller information, such as password and other personal information. Also, verify and upgrade all new callers/members (daily).
Regular inspection and cleaning of all hardware including the keyboard, hard drives, floppy drives, tape drives, monitor, UPS, and power supply.
Plus…make sure everybody "plays well together," along with maintaining a presence that the majority of callers find agreeable. Keep monthly statistics on BBS activity. Make regular reports to the Steering Committee regarding BBS activity and the general condition of the BBS hardware and software. Act according to the direction of the Steering Committee and in the best interests of the Sacramento PC Users Group.
Frank joined the SPCUG in June of 1988. Since then he has held the offices of BBS Systems Operator (Sysop), Vice President, President, Archivist/ Historian, and Tradeshow Coordinator. Frank has also been a member of many committees and helped with numerous events and administration duties.
Volunteer Thanks
Ken Hopkins and Milt Hull do a great deal for the group, and have done so on a long-term and consistent basis. I’m aware of some of these duties because I usually get to the general meeting early. If I arrive at 5:30 p.m., both of them are there—setting up for the meeting and greeting that night’s presenters. Milt is our Program Coordinator and Ken is the Meeting Coordinator. Their jobs require many phone calls and the coordinating of our general meeting presenters during the month leading up to a meeting. Many of us have probably pretty much taken the main program for granted. Can you imagine being with out it?
Volunteer Openings
Please take a look at the following volunteer openings. If you think you can help, contact the "contact person" for that position, or e-mail Stan.
- We need several volunteers who will visit as many computer stores as possible on a monthly basis and ask them to have our membership information available to their customers. If we could get into the big stores like Frys, CompUSA, and Computer Warehouse, we would probably get a lot of coverage.
Other big computer sellers include office stores like OfficeMax, Staples, and Office Depot. Also, include electronic stores like Good Guys, Circuit City, Best Buy, and even Radio Shack. Then there are the other computer-specific stores like the Gateway stores and all the mom-and-pop computer stores. Contact: Ken Hopkins.
- An additional volunteer(s) is needed to do the research on area computer stores for an "area guide to computer stores" booklet. We would want to know the name of the store, all of their locations in the area (and phone numbers), the product lines they carry, and any additional relevant information.
We may also include a consultant section in the guide. This guide would be updated and published periodically as a PDF. This would be a handy resource for everyone.
We could sell ad space in this publication, but not require it for entry. We would create a form for the volunteer or the store to fill out. Contact: Ken Hopkins.
- More writers are needed for Sacra Blue and eBlue. The commitment required can vary considerably.
Those with an area of expertise are invited to suggest column ideas to the Content Editor, Tom Anderson. This would usually involve a regularly-scheduled article on a particular topic, like SQL, Excel, Linux, or something else.
You could also write tips for a tips column, which might also be used as filler. New writers could also write news articles about current events; evaluate hardware and/or software and write product reviews; or write stories about how you solved some computer problem. Contact: Ken Hopkins.
- We need someone to chair an SPCUG Online StartUp SIG specifically for those new and non-members who need help with getting "online" to see and navigate our Web site. This SIG should narrowly and repeatedly provide ONLY the following help and education:
- Modem setup and usage (DUNS) (Possibly offer cheap, flat-fee, hands-on help to get them started).
- ISP choices and setup (portal and non-portal issues).
- Beginning e-mail client software use.
- Browser setup and general use.
- Access to and navigation of the SPCUG Web page.
- Downloading and installing of the Adobe PDF reader.
- Using the PDF reader to view and print Sacra Blue.
- Direct the (non)member toward our other SIGs and full membership services for any issues beyond this limited scope.
I am sure you will find volunteer work for the group very rewarding, and it could even create some interesting opportunities for you. You may be surprised how little time is involved in some of the positions that offer great benefit for the group.
