Who Knows What Madness Lurks in the Heart of a SysOp? One SysOp's Opinion By Jim Westbrook JimNet RBBS [512] 837-0953 Why do some folks turn to being a SysOp? There are as many answers as there are SysOps, however, it is the objective of this article to illustrate one of the less obvious motivations. Tom Mack, and many others, offer the stated objective of freely exchanged information and ideas as the foundation of their bulletin board systems. While technically correct, free speech being a tenet of this country, this hardly explains why someone would voluntarily commit a significant financial investment to the project. Many other system operators offer the explanation that they "provide a service to the community". Although true, again this fails to explain the motivation required. The same is true of those want "to do it better", citing a level of frustration with the systems currently available. A BBS represents a major investment of time and effort on the part of the system operator in addition to the financial aspects of dedicating a computer, modem, phone line (with monthly bill), and time allocation for the on-going process of system maintenance. Altruism, however sincere, only partly explains their actions. Shakespeare is credited with the line, "...all the world is but a stage, and we but players." Therein lies the motivation that seems the most likely to permit someone to justify the expense and investment of time and effort to the task of becoming and continuing to be a system operator. The return on his/her investment is seldom, if ever, tangible. However, the intangible returns of pride in one's craftsmanship, self-satisfaction in a job well done, and a sense of power are all significant factors. The sense of power is akin to that of a director of a play or film. The end product is to some degree dependent upon the performance of others (users or actors) although the performance is orchestrated by the director or SysOp. The director obtains the desired results by instruction of the actors. If the actors repeatedly fail to achieve the desired results then they are subject to dismissal from the role. The power to control others' actions rests with him. This is paralleled for a SysOp, he obtains the desired result through instruction of the users in the permissible activities on his system. Those users who fail repeatedly to achieve the results (by violating the system rules of operation for example) are subject to dismissal (deletion) by the SysOp. The sense of power is the result of this control. The satisfaction derived by the director of a play when it is performed to the criteria he established is shared by a SysOp when the users of his system make use of it within the framework he has established. In the case of the director, his instructions were understood and executed as intended. Ditto for the SysOp, the users were able to utilize his system based on his instructions and in the manner he intended. The pride in one's work (craftsmanship) is somewhat more nebulous to define than the other areas. This is obviously closely related to the success of the project at hand. Without success it is doubtful that anyone could sustain a pride in his work. The pride comes from repeated success, the director gets good results from several groups of actors. The SysOp gets good results accumulatively from more and more users. The SysOp has, additionally, the impetus of the artist (in this case making him like a painter as well). The "screen art" he has created in the form of menus, bulletins, welcome messages, and so on, closely correlate to other forms of visual art. They are "hung" on the electronic gallery walls for the viewing and scrutiny of the public as surely as if they were framed watercolors in an art museum. This is not just a willingness to submit to public scrutiny on the part of a SysOp, it is a genuine desire. A SysOp is both director and actor since he actively participates in the discussions on-line. He is the set designer, the producer (after all it's his equipment and funding), and to some extent the audience as well. Perhaps the above explains the motivation to be a SysOp, but it is my contention that the principle factor is a desire for public recognition of his "art". Without this impetus few would ever become a SysOp, and even fewer would continue the role. Altruism is socially acceptable whereas seeking public recognition is frequently criticized. -- The Central Texas SysOp Association