The thing is, unless I am mistaken, (and I could be), to log onto a FirstClass BBS, don't both Mac and Windows users need to be using the FirstClass client? Or can anyone log in using whatever telnet client or terminal they please?
If it is the former, then you are limiting your potential user base right off the bat, because most people will consider it a hassle to have to download, and possibly purchase, a special client, just to log onto a BBS.
I have never really used FirstClass, and don't know what kind of feature set it has compared to Hermes, which admittedly, is quite limited in itself, but Hermes is free, and anyone with any telnet client can connect to a Hermes BBS, such as mine.
Granted, Hermes has a lot to be desired, and it hasn't seen serious development in ages, but as far as free BBS software is concerned, Hermes and Public Address have to be the best out there right now. Again, please check out my BBS to see what I've managed to do with Hermes during the past few weeks since I set up my old BBS again: endtimeprophecy.org:23.
I really would like to see the Macintosh BBS scene revived with real Macintosh BBSes using Mac BBS software and running on Macs. I know that BBS'ing is for the most part passe, but hey, I got this bug!
On a related note, has anyone here tried using a recently developed telnet client called Nally. It is currently at version 1.3.3. I can't run it on my machine because it is too slow for Leopard. If anyone has used it, how is it? In particular, how well, or how bad, does it display ANSI graphics...not just ANSI colors, but real ANSI graphics, such as on BBSes? Is it as good as, or better than, SyncTERM?
Oh, one other thing: if anyone here has any experience with Python or Jython, I am interested in hearing from you. What Hermes really, really needs, is some new externals/doors, such as games, BBS enhancements, etc., because right now, there is only Leech, and the Python external that I wrote called "Get-To-Know-You"...and I don't have any programming experience in any language. If you are interested, please send me a private message, and we can communicate via email, or even on my BBS.
Thanks!