Title: BBS - Advanced Technology - Virtual Reality


                      Written BY: Michael T. Huggett
                       SysOp of: Dark Steel Systems


        It has been thought that Bulletin Board Systems were only 
        for those who had lots of time on their hands, a small dark 
        room and an incurable need to 'hack' at a computer keyboard 
        till the wee hours of the morning.  

        Times obviously have changed.  The bulletin board system; 
        better known as a BBS has taken root in many places and 
        for many different reasons.  At this time there is a BBS for 
        every topic you can think of.  They carry huge file areas, 
        conference areas and other special features which at one 
        time hadn't even been thought of.  As the evolution of the 
        BBS architecture gradually becomes more powerful, the limits 
        of their use begins to diminish.

        The latest craze (at least in Canada) is the use of graphical
        interfaces such as RIPscripts.  RIP stands for Remote Imaging
        Protocol, thus it has enhanced the quality of graphics that a 
        BBS SysOp can offer to his/her users.  There are also several 
        other forms of graphics modules that will enhance a BBS to the 
        near-graphic quality of a windows environment.  So, you ask, what 
        will the future bring?

        Good question!

        The future is incredible!  The quality of software that is 
        being produced along with advanced hardware engineering, we 
        are slowly coming upon the age of virtual reality.  The ability 
        to be anywere and do anything from the comfort of your own 
        home via a virtual network.  Imagine if we combined a virtual 
        environment with the Architectural idea of a Bulletin Board 
        System.  No longer would we be sitting at a terminal reading 
        the letters and words of messages, we would be speaking them 
        in real time to another user, who in reality could be hundreds 
        of miles away, but within the virtual room would be sitting 
        across from us.

        Imagine if you offered a dating service on-line.  There are 
        a great many BBSs today that offer such features.  Imagine 
        if you could call the BBS (in virtual reality mode), walk 
        into a 'waiting room', and look for someone else to enter it 
        with the details of your liking.  Imagine if you could get 
        over the hurdles of first dates simply by being on-line with 
        another user.  For BBSs that offer Adult material, well... 
        need we say more?!  The ideas that could be offered would 
        be endless, of course this would bring into play a very large 
        question of morality, or for the newer generation, political 
        correctness.

        Essentially we can see by way of these few examples, the power
        of such a system.  The need that would arise for regulations 
        as well as the need for scanning the users that will use the 
        system.  

        The future of technology and Bulletin Board Systems is 
        limitless.  We take it one step at a time.  Each day we 
        evolve to greater and more efficient means of communication. 
        Though the power of technology is impressive as much as it 
        is useful, there will always be issues at hand that must be 
        dealt with.  The use of technology and communication should 
        be aimed at bringing the world closer together, in a balanced 
        way; in a way that will help people to learn how to interact 
        and understand others including the environment around them.  

        It should have the goal of educating the masses towards a 
        peaceful living, a healthful living.  So much time is wasted 
        by people carrying grudges, which could cause such features 
        as virtual reality to carry a strong negative undertone.  
        Yet technology is what it is.  It will continue to expand 
        to new areas.  It will continue to break down barriers.  
        
        Will there every be a limit?  WIll we ever reach an end?  
        I suppose we will have to wait and see.