Re: Orphaned Apple II user!

[fl332@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (John L. Graham)]

Our user group (Apple-Dayton) moved from a Hermes BBS to FirstClass
about a year and a half ago. Despite what FirstClass promises the text
interface is buggy and a pain to use, but it is functional once you
get used to it. At the moment we're struggling with a series of problems
that seem to be more hardware & modem related than a problem with FC.
I use PT3.1 to access the FC BBS all the time. Set your software up for
VT-100 or ANSI emulation and you'll do okay. Be prepared for a shock
the first time you logon and be sure to check out the Help and Commands
files (just type Help or Commands). In particular read the sections on
pre-emptive I/O, it'll help you move around. Good luck with the file
library. We found the library system unworkable particularly for Apple II
files, so we're using the conference system for our libraries. Also,
your Apple II users will have _no_ administrative functions (like
approving files) so you'll need a SysOp that understands their II users
will need help managing your file libraries. In a word, FirstClass is
a LOT of fun for your Macintosh users, but marginally functional for
your Apple II users (IMHO). To make things a more equitable we're in
the process of setting up a dedicated Apple II BBS that will network
into the FC BBS. At the moment it looks like we'll be using FutureVision
running on a IIGS for that purpose. I've got an alpha site running right
now and hope to have a beta site installed next week.

-John