REAL OPERATORS GUIDE...
                  Brought to you by the Hexagon Suite
                                                   ...RULES TO LIVE BY

     1.  Real operators don't call themselves "SysOp" and don't have 
         silly handles.
             Ever seen operators with handles such as "THE MASTER" or 
         "TECHRAT" or some such other nonsense?  Have a little 
         dignity.  And "SYSOP" is such a meaningless handle.
             This goes for users in general as well.  If you're going 
         to be using a handle for the rest of your lifetime in the 
         modem world, why not pick an appropriate and interesting one? 

     2.  Real operators know how to spell, and have a moderate grasp 
         of English grammar.
             How many systems have you called on which the operator 
         couldn't spell to save his life?  If you're heading an 
         organization designed for the distribution of free 
         information (presumably that's why most people run a system 
         in the first place), shouldn't you have enough of a grasp of 
         the English language to get your point across at all?

     3.  Real operators can type faster than 20 words per minute.
             Every get into chat with a system operator only to find 
         out he types slower than your grandmother?  It's a rather 
         worrying experience.  This doesn't mean that an operator 
         should be able to type 120 words per minute with 100% 
         accuracy; merely that he should be able to get his point 
         across in a minimal amount of time.  After all, if you're 
         going to be communicating with all your users via this medium 
         -- the typewriter -- you'd better be able to type.

     4.  Real operators don't pick silly names for their system.
             How many systems have you seen around the country called 
         "THE TAVERN" or "FORTRESS"?  Again, if you're going to go 
         through the trouble of putting up a system, why not give it 
         an interesting title?  Different titles always attract more 
         users than the same old same mold.

     5.  Real operators write their own system software.
             Most users are tired of calling systems with the same old 
         software used by a hundred others -- Wildcat, QuickBBS, and 
         the like grow old very quickly.  In addition, that 
         "UNREGISTERED EVALUATION VERSION" message at each log on 
         tends to get on the nerves as well.  If you're going to put 
         up a system, why not do the original authors of it the 
         courtesy of _registering_ their system software package? 
             If you don't have the expertise necessary to write your 
         own system, perhaps you shouldn't be running one at all.  
         Good systems are characterized by the computer literacy of 
         the management. 

     6.  Real operators run their systems 24 hours a day.
             Ever seen "Call this BBS -- from 9pm to 6am.  It's run on 
         my own private line..."?  Why bother putting up a system if 
         it's only going to be up on a partial time schedule?  All 
         this does is complicate things for both the user and the 
         operator.  The user is never sure of when are the exact times 
         allowed to call the system, and because of this, the operator 
         gets calls from modems all the time.  In addition, many BBS 
         lists don't have a field for hours up, so new users getting 
         the BBS number from there may not even _know_ that it's not 
         24 hours.  And I'm almost embarrassed to say I've called a 
         system that had call-waiting on the phone line!  Users would 
         kick each other off trying to get on. 

     7.  Real operators don't call other systems on their own system 
         line. 
             It's a little ridiculous to tie up the system that you've 
         put all your time and effort (and perhaps money) to set up 
         just to get onto a few other systems.  For God's sake, get 
         another phone line! 

     8.  Real operators have a separate, distinct phone line for their 
         system. 
             This follows a few of the other guidelines above.  If 
         you're going to invest in system software, you might as well 
         go the extra length and get a separate phone line for it.  
         Otherwise...why bother?

     9.  Real operators run their system off a hard drive of 
         reasonable size.
             How many systems have you called and been shocked to find 
         out that they're running off of two floppy disks?  Be 
         serious.  You can't have any system worth calling on only a 
         meg or so.

    10.  When real operators call other systems, they don't advertise 
         their system at the end of their every post.
             It's annoying to see "CALL MY BBS -- 408-555-1212" at the 
         end of someone's post every single time.  If anything, this 
         would probably make other users _not_ want to call your 
         system.

                                 -)(-