The art scene depends on the new blood (newbies) to continue its existence. Inazone has touched upon one of these factors in the fact that the public boards that are left are pretty much the only 'public' place left to display ANSI in its 'pure' and native form.
Ansi really does need BBSs to survive.. it's just the basic law of 'supply-and-demand'.. there's less pressure to supply a product if there's no demand for it.. and BBSs were the ones, traditionally, that demanded ansi.. and ascii too, although I would say to a lesser degree.
But the thing I've been saying for the last few years is this: How long have we all been saying "But we need BBSs for ANSI to survive"? Let's face it bulletin boards are long gone, but we're all still drawing ANSI, ASCII and even RIPscript (which was never of any real use except for looking at)..
Reason to draw the mediums that are currently around (and the ones that have recently emerged) will always exist. The quality of art alone determines it's demand. If people appreciate the aesthetic qualities of any artform they'll find a way to use it, no matter what.
Agreed. It's not like oil paintings and shit like that serve any purpose other than to look at and get inspired by.. Sure, you could use one as a doorstop or a nifty place mat, but its really just art in the end..
But what of ASCII? Surely, this medium is in the same boat?
And let's touch another point also. What do people think of the goading that usually happens when someone comes on IRC to request a piece of artwork? Or the immediate dismissal of any newbie as a lamer? Surely this is not the way to keep the scene alive, but rather a way to kill it off..
Let's discuss this seriously.
By Etana on Friday, January 1, 1999 - 02:55 pm:
BBSs are becoming frightfully rare these days.. recently I had to throw back up my own board, DoDEL, in order to host an echomail net for a friend who was going to be out of town for nine months. The fact was, her board was the only public node left on this net and, as active as the net is, it would have been in serious trouble if the only nodes left were private ones.. that's how close to extinction the BBS scene is.
I don't think there's any reason for boards to die.. they offer a different kind of community than the Internet--a local one with the possibility of meets and closely knit echomail nets.. although I don't think boards are vital anymore to the survival of the art scene as a whole, they do matter a great deal to the survival of ansi. Again, what is desperately needed is "new blood."
When my friend comes back, my BBS will go down again.. I had my day to run a board--I'm a university student now and I have a few other things on my mind--but I sincerely hope that I am not amoung the last of the BBS sysops. That would truly be a shame..
By Dangermouse on Friday, January 1, 1999 - 10:02 pm:
My point is this, draw for the sake of drawing -- who gives a toss about supply and demand.. If you like, the demand is the people who want to see and download your packs, so supply them :)
By Pariah on Wednesday, January 20, 1999 - 06:52 pm:
By Dangermouse on Thursday, January 21, 1999 - 01:38 pm: