BBS offers information

MRC News, February 5, 1996. Page 3

Students with a computer and modem have the opportunity to access course information, schedules and e-mail through the SCITECH Bulletin Board System (BBS), operated by Steve Swettenham, Instructional Assistant, Lab Stores in the Faculty of Science and Technology.

In the computer world, his other title is SYSOP, or Systems Operator for the BBS.

“We started in 1993 and experimented with a Macintosh and PC version, but we eventually settled on the PC version,” he said. “We convinced companies in the United States to provide us with the software in order for the BBS to work as an extension of the classroom.”

Swettenham explained that the BBS has about 560 users, and numbers continue to grow since the system was opened in September 1994. The BBS is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and logs about 1,000 calls a month.

It can be entered by any computer, regardless of its processing power. Students are presented with a full graphical interface with options that include forum, a public information centre, e-mail where students can send messages with attachments, software libraries, Internet utilities and a registry where students can talk to one another.

One of the more useful aspects of the system is the ability to download course descriptions and materials, from home. Most of the College’s Faculties are represented on the system, including a counselling forum where students can discuss counselling and career issues with College Counsellor Jack Dobbs.

“The course information is not available to the public, but other information about the College, including photos, ca be downloaded from the site,” Swettenham said.