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**  The following bulletin was uploaded to the Phoenix by 'The Hacker' **
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   THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SYSOPS IN THE WORLD, WORKING HARD BEHIND THE
   SCENES TO KEEP THEIR BOARDS UP, TO MONITOR THE MESSAGE CENTERS AND
   TECHNICAL FORUMS, E-MAIL, AND CONFERENCES, TO OPEN DOORS FOR
   INTERACTIVE ADVENTURE AND CHESS GAMES, AND TO SEE THAT THE BOARD
   IS ALWAYS WELL-STOCKED WITH THE LATEST SHAREWARE/FREEWARE.  A RECENT
   COUNT ESTIMATED  BOARDS AT ABOUT 20-30,000, AND THE NUMBER IS
   INCREASING MONTHLY.  WHAT ABOUT THE POOR SYSOPS?  THOSE GENEROUS
   GUYS AND GALS WHO PROVIDE AN EXPENSIVE COMPUTER AND PHONE CONNECTION
   FOR THE USE OF OTHER PEOPLE, MOST OF WHOM THEY DON'T KNOW, WILL NEVER
   MEET, AND WHO ARE LIKELY TO BEAT THEM TO A PARKING PLACE?

   NEVER-ENDING ARE THE TASKS OF POLICING HACKED COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE,
   CLEANING UP THE OBSCENITY, PORNOGRAPHY, SILLINESS, AND JUST PLAIN
   STUPID PROGRAMS, KEEPING ALERT FOR VIRUSES AND TROJAN HORSES,
   AND ALL THE WHILE POLITELY AND WISELY ANSWERING QUERIES FROM NEW USERS.
   THERE'S NO MONEY IN IT AND NEW AND LARGER HARD DRIVES ARE ALWAYS NEEDED.
   BY THE TIME A BOARD HAS BEEN ON THE AIR SEVERAL MONTHS,  THE HARRIED
   PROPRIETOR HAS MUCHO DINERO TIED UP IN THIS PURELY ELEEMOSYNARY
   ENTERPRISE .  THEIR WIVES AND MOTHERS ARE FUMING ABOUT THAT EXTRA PHONE
   LINE AND THE CHUNKS OF TIME SPENT ENGINEERING OR PRESIDING OVER WHAT
   MUST BE THE MOST THANKLESS TASK IN THE WORLD!

   A NUMBER OF INTERVIEWS HAVE BEEN DONE WITH SYSOPS. CORNY AS IT MAY SOUND,
   IT IS ANOTHER MODE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE.  MANY SYSOPS ARE SCOUT MASTERS,
   SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS, LITTLE LEAGUE UMPS AND COACHES.  OR THEY MAY BE
   THE CHILDREN OF SUCH PEOPLE.
   SYSOPS WANT TO SERVE THEIR FELLOW HUMANS, AND FEEL THIS IS A WAY THEY CAN
   DO IT BEST,  AT LEAST FOR RIGHT NOW.  THEY WANT TO MEET NEW PEOPLE WITH
   SIMILAR INTERESTS, THEY WANT TO SERVE THEM, THEY WANT TO RAISE THE QUALITY
   AND LEVEL OF DISCOURSE AND MUTUAL ENLIGHTENMENT, TO REALIZE THEIR COMMON
   INTERESTS AND, PERHAPS DOWN THE ROAD, WORK TOGETHER TO ADVANCE THESE.
   THEY ARE MOSTLY TECHIES AND WOULDBE TECHIES.  THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING NEW
   AND DIFFERENT.  THEY MARVEL AT THE TECHNOLOGY AND WANT AN EXCUSE TO TINKER
   WITH IT.  THEY ARE WILLING SERVANTS OF PROGRESS, AND THE PROSGRESS OF
   TECHNOLOGY NEVER SLEEPS.  FOR SOME SYSOPS, IT IS MOTIVE ENOUGH SIMPLY TO
   BE OUT THERE ON THE LEDGE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, OVERLOOKING THE PRECIPICE,
   JUST  TO SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN OUT THERE.  ISN'T THIS THE SAME MOTIVE THAT
   DRIVES PEOPLE TO CLIMB MOUNTAINS, OR TO TAKE UP WIND GLIDING?
   THEY LOVE THEIR COMPUTERS, AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM. LIKE DOG
   OWNERS SHOWING THEIR PETS, THIS ENABLES THEM TO SHOWCASE THEIR MACHINES
   MANY ARE ALSO SKILLED PROGRAMMERS.  THEY LOVE THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING
   OWN SOFTWARE, AND, ON A BULLETIN BOARD, CAN SHARE THEIR WORK WITH OTHERS,
   WITHOUT INVESTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN STARTUP COSTS.
   MANY ÓYSOPS ARE MOTIVATED BY THE DESIRE TO COLLECT FREEWARE/SHAREWARE FOR
   THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS TO TRY OUT THEIR OWN IDEAS ON OTHERS.  SOME SYSOPS
   LOOK UPON THE TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF AUGMENTING THEIR SOCIAL LIVES, TO MEET
   COMPUTERISTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX, IN SOME CASES TO TALK SMART, FUNNY, DIRTY,
   ETC. ONLINE, TO EXPAND THEIR OWN EGOS, TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN SOCIAL, AS WELL
   AS TECHNICAL, SKILLS.  SYSOPS ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISCOVERED THE SOCIAL, AS
   WELL AS THE TECHNOLOGICAL, OPPORTUNITIES WHICH FLOW FROM KEEPING AN ORDERLY
   HOUSE.  THEY ENJOY THE TASKS OF BEING A SYSOP, IT KEEPS THEM OUT OF TROUBLE,
   AND KEEPS THEM FROM KICKING THE DOG.

   IS THERE A TOUCH OF WACKINESS IN SOME SYSOPS?  THAT IS PUTTING IT MILDLY!
   YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE NUTTY TO SIT UP ALL NIGHT TYPING AWAY IN A FURY
   (WHILE YOUR LOVER WAITS IN A WARM BED) AND GOING TO WORK IN THE MORNING
   UNKEMPT AND UNRESTED, AND TELL YOURSELF "I HAD FUN!"

   ISN'T THERE AN ELEMENT OF NUTCAKE IN EVERY INTERESTING PERSON?  MOST SYSOPS
   ARE RATIONAL, LEVEL HEADED PEOPLE, SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CAREERS.  FROM
   MEETING THEM DURING THE DAY, YOU WOULDN'T GUESS WHAT THEY DID AT NIGHT, IN
   THE PRIVACY OF THEIR OWN HOMES.  MEMBERS OF THE BOARDS ARE CONSENTING
   ADULTS (AND TEENYBOPPERS).
   WHAT OTHERWISE RATIONAL PEOPLE COULD SPEND HOURS WATCHING THE BLOCKS AND
   BYTES ROLL BY, DISCOURSING WITH FACELESS FIENDS AND FRIENDS, TICKLING THE
   KEYBOARD AND EXCHANGING OFTEN VACUOUS AND INSULTING MESSAGES, IS A LESSON
   IN HUMILITY.  WHAT GIFTED PEOPLE SHOULD VOLUNTEER TO CONDUCT THE PROCESS AT
   THEIR OWN EXPENSE IS A VALUABLE LESSON IN PSYCHOLOGY.
   THIS KNOWLEDGE OF PEOPLE SHOULD BROADEN OUR INSIGHT, OUR TOLERANCE, AND OUR
   UNDERSTANDING.  KNOWING AND LOVING A SYSOP, IF ONLY ON A NETWORK IS A
   HEALTHY ANTIDOTE TO CONTEMPORARY PHILISTINISM!  ÉT IS A PRESCRIPTION FOR
   MENTAL HEALTH AND FOR SAVING OUR MICROS FROM THE HOT HOUSE OF USER
   ISOLATION.  BY LOGGING-ON TO SOME SYSOP'S BOARD, WE JOIN THE CONTEMPORARY
   REALITY STREAM, DECLARING OURSELVES VULNERABLE AND ONLINE TO A SPHERE OF
   REAL EVENTS AND EMOTIONS.  WE JOIN THE MODERN WORLD.
   THE PROOF IS THAT SYSOPS AND THEIR BOARDS ARE WINNING NEW USERS EVERY DAY.
   LOG-ON TONIGHT AND SHOW THAT YOU LOVE A SYSOP TODAY!  THEY DO AN ESSENTIAL
   AND THANKLESS TASK, AND DESERVE OUR THANKS.
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