A friend is asking me to help him set up a BBS for his business. Particularly, he's wanting to utilize Syncronet to keep up with his customer's tabs. He runs a small bar with a membership fee for some upper-crust types.
Anyway, I told him about the "Credit Transfer Bank" door (https://web.synchro.n et/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3rd&file=CTB.ZIP) because he wanted to allow his members to be able to help each other out with their tabs if they were in a pinch.
Also, I told him about
"DTELLER" (https://web.synchro.net/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3 rd&file=DTELLER.ZIP)
and "DSHOPPER" (https://web.synchro.net/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=s bbs_3rd&file=DSHOPPER.ZIP)
because he'd like to be able to allow his customers to buy credits using ABA routing and account numbers, or credit/debit cards.
I'm not new to programming. I've been doing it since the mid-80's.
However, my skills are rather dated, and I'm definitely green to Javascript and Baja.
Eventually, he'd like to add a web interface, but that's further down the road and not an immediate desire. He'll make do with making BBS accounts for his members and showing them how to use it on their phones using a term app.
So, I'm reaching out for help. Anyone interested?
Digital Man: You can probably guess this is why I kept asking about CTB and whatnot a while back...lol
A friend is asking me to help him set up a BBS for his business. Particularly, he's wanting to utilize Syncronet to keep up with his customer's tabs. He runs a small bar with a membership fee for some upper-crust types.
Anyway, I told him about the "Credit Transfer Bank" door (https://web.synchro.n et/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3rd&file=CTB.ZIP) because he wanted to allow his members to be able to help each other out with their tabs if they were in a pinch.
Also, I told him about
"DTELLER" (https://web.synchro.net/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3 rd&file=DTELLER.ZIP)
Re: credits
By: Sys64738 to All on Tue Nov 30 2021 11:57 pm
A friend is asking me to help him set up a BBS for his business. Particularly, he's wanting to utilize Syncronet to keep up with his customer's tabs. He runs a small bar with a membership fee for some upper-crust types.
Anyway, I told him about the "Credit Transfer Bank" door (https://web.synchro.n et/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3rd&file=CTB.ZIP) because he wanted to allow his members to be able to help each other out with their tabs if they were in a pinch.
Also, I told him about
"DTELLER" (https://web.synchro.net/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=sbbs_3 rd&file=DTELLER.ZIP)
and "DSHOPPER" (https://web.synchro.net/api/files.ssjs?call=download-file&dir=s bbs_3rd&file=DSHOPPER.ZIP)
because he'd like to be able to allow his customers to buy credits using ABA routing and account numbers, or credit/debit cards.
I'm not new to programming. I've been doing it since the mid-80's. However, my skills are rather dated, and I'm definitely green to Javascript and Baja.
Eventually, he'd like to add a web interface, but that's further down the road and not an immediate desire. He'll make do with making BBS accounts for his members and showing them how to use it on their phones using a term app.
So, I'm reaching out for help. Anyone interested?
Digital Man: You can probably guess this is why I kept asking about CTB and whatnot a while back...lol
This all just screams at me: wrong tool for the job.
Domain teller and shopper used dial-up modems for credit card authorizations, I don't even know if they would work any more (haven't the credit card auth standards/methods changed since the 90's?) and certainly those programs can't be registered/purchased any longer.
And terminal apps on phones are terrible. Unless his upper-crust customers are all all old computer/BBS nerds (like us), no one is going to want to use this idea.
This all just screams at me: wrong tool for the job.
Domain teller and shopper used dial-up modems for credit card authorizations, I don't even know if they would work any more (haven't the credit card auth standards/methods changed since the 90's?) and certainly those programs can't be registered/purchased any longer.
And terminal apps on phones are terrible. Unless his upper-crust customers are all all old computer/BBS nerds (like us), no one is going to want to use this idea.
you are really barking up the wrong tree here. this isnt really a good idea. he should just learn to use excel.
he doesnt want to run a bbs, he wants a custom program for his own use and he's cheap.
there's POS systems used at vending machines that take custom cards and allow you to load them up and use them, and transfer to other members. he should probably look into this. but like i said, he's cheap and wants something custom for free probably.
A friend is asking me to help him set up a BBS for his business. Particularly, he's wanting to utilize Syncronet to keep up with his customer's tabs. He runs a small bar with a membership fee for some upper-crust types.
because he'd like to be able to allow his customers to buy credits using ABA routing and account numbers, or credit/debit cards.
road and not an immediate desire. He'll make do with making BBS accounts for his members and showing them how to use it on their phones using a term app.
Eventually, he'd like to add a web interface, but that's further down the
So, I'm reaching out for help. Anyone interested?
I have to admit that I'm a little taken aback. I guess I assumed you would be encouraged that someone wanted to use the system you built in a new way. :(
Also, he's interested in providing them with a "club" exclusive email address and messaging/chat which Synchronet provides. Ultimately, he wants something (Synchronet or not) that would serve as the backbone nuts and bolts but with a web/app interface.
I have to admit that I'm a little taken aback. I guess I assumed you would be encouraged that someone wanted to use the system you built in a new way. :(
idea. he should just learn to use excel.
I offered to do that very thing for him, but he's also interested in the email, messaging, and chat features that Synchronet provides which excel doesn't.
He's certainly not very tech-savvy, but he sees something useful in Synchronet that he feels could be utilized in a new relevant way.
Eccentric...oh yes. He's definitely that.
he doesnt want to run a bbs, he wants a custom program for his own use and he's cheap.
Well, yes and no. He does want to run it like a bbs but for a specific clientelle. Cheap? You got that right! lol
I failed to mention it in my original post, but he'd also interested in using the messaging, chat, and email features as well. He didn't see much use in the file areas.
He is willing to pay, but yes he is cheap.
There's an entire market of point-of-sale software out there, surely with several options that meet your friend's needs.
Using Synchronet for this is a strange approach. At best, it would serve as a "platform" providing a few network services, user accounts, and a scripting engine. Just about everything else would be a custom job.
I won't lie to you, it's technically possible, but most likely there'd be a lot of dev work involved. Security of customer data would be a real concern.
Using a terminal on a modern phone is miserable. I say that as a dedicated textmode user who would dearly love for it to be otherwise. I'm skeptical that your friend's customers would find it tolerable.
Maybe there's something about your friend's customer base which makes this an attractive option, but that seems unlikely. These days, users of the sort of system you're talking about would want a proper mobile app. Failing that, a good web application would do.
I *could* do it, but I don't think my conscience would allow it. Or that I have the time. Or that I want the liability. Or that your friend would want to pay the bill. And if I get hit by a bus, you're left with this weird Frankenstein's monster of a BBS integration and nobody to support it.
It's a wild idea and fun to talk about, but I'd really recommend looking at a proper modern solution.
What can I say? He's weird. They're weird. Although they'd probably describe themselves as "eccentric" rather than weird.
Trust me. He's been coming at me about this for months. I've offered plenty of alternatives. If all else fails, then I'll just tell him that everyone thinks he's a kook for wanting to do it, nobody wants to help, and I won't talk about it any more because people are starting to look at me strangely. Ha!
Trust me. He's been coming at me about this for months. I've offered plenty of alternatives. If all else fails, then I'll just tell him that everyone thinks he's a kook for wanting to do it, nobody wants to help, and I won't talk about it any more because people are starting to look at me strangely. Ha!
Basically, you can't "make" somebody like BBSing - they'll either be into it or not. They either have to be predisposed to the medium, or he's going to have to meet them at their level (eg. a mobile app). It's a matter of whether their eccentricity pairs well with some service that Synchronet provides.
Is this club/business a thing that already exists? Is he already collecting membership fees from people? How does he keep track of it at the moment if so?
I'm happy to "help", if that means answering questions about how to do stuff (i.e. in JavaScript, since this is the Sync-JavaScript Programming sub).
| Sysop: | Chris Crash |
|---|---|
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