         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
