BBS Listings to Offer More Information by Jim Manchester, Editor-in-Chief Computer News Group, Inc. Over the years, Computer News Group has published detailed listings of Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) available throughout North and South Carolina. We want to expand and continue that effort as we consolidate all of our North and South Carolina publications into the bigger and better `Carolina Computer News' which debuts in October. For the most part, we have also published the names and numbers of BBSs without regard for the special interests for which they were created. Recent press coverage in the traditional daily newspapers has noted the concern that parents and others have about BBSs that provide adult material and/or are gathering places particularly for adults. As the "Information Gateway to the Carolinas," we want to help parents and others provide the best environment for children as is humanly possible. Therefore, we have made it policy that all BBSs must be registered with our publication before they can be included in our published listing. This will also provide us with the opportunity to offer more detail about the special interests some of our BBSs provide. From cooking to fiction to games to the latest in paramedical technology, there is something for everyone in the BBS world. The registration process is simple. The System Operator (SysOp) fills out the registration form and mails or faxes it to us. We put the BBS on our dialer system which periodically checks to make sure the BBS is still in operation. And, then we publish its listing in `Carolina Computer News.' System Operators will provide their names, addresses, and voice phone numbers -- which will be held in strict confidence. In turn, all registered SysOps will be given a free subscription to `Carolina Computer News.' Please note: This policy is not meant to discourage and BBS from being listed in our publication or to try to stifle free speech in any way. BBSs who want their audiences to be adults will simply be footnoted accordingly so they can be identified by both those who want to use them, and by those who wish to exercise good parental supervision. Hobbyists and interest focus groups can make notes on their registration form, and we can include those notes in our listing.