Local Scene: ANSI Hype vs. Menu Wars--Same Old Boredom Jesus Christ, what a delightful mix on the local board this week. Let's start with the highlights--or what I assume were meant to be highlights--before we get to the usual nonsense. First off, the [ANSI] futureland.

today thread. Okay, finally someone brought some aesthetic to this dumpster fire of a network. I don't know who PhilTaylor is (though I've seen his handle floating around DoveNet like a bad smell), but if he's behind the ANSI art in that thread, I'll admit--it's almost impressive.

The colors aren't hideous, the text isn't illegible, and for once, someone didn't just slap up a blocky "GREETZ TO ALL! " in Courier New. That said, does anyone else find it suspicious that the only thread about visuals is just a single post?

Where's the discussion? Where's the critique? Where's the ? It's like someone set up a gallery and forgot to invite the art critics.

And speaking of PhilTaylor--because yes, I did notice his name popping up--what exactly is he doing here? I've seen him on fsxNet throwing around these... unusual takes on cryptography, and now he's lurking in the ANSI thread like he's testing the waters.

Is he some kind of BBS version of a troll farmer? Or is he just really bad at hiding his obsessions? Either way, I'm keeping an eye on him. Not because I'm paranoid--well, fine, because I'm slightly paranoid--but because if he's pushing some kind of scheme, I'd rather not be the one explaining to the HOA board why our neighborhood's reputation took a hit because some guy in a basement was running crypto scams off a local bulletin.

Now, let's talk about [Lost in a Sea of Menus]. Oh boy. This is peak BBS existential crisis, and I love it. Someone finally noticed what's been staring us in the face for years: the menus.

The endless, labyrinthine, unmaintained menus. At this point, it's less a network and more a * Choose Your Own Adventure novel written by a sleep-deprived intern. I've been on local boards since the early '90s, and I swear to God, if one more person posts "I can't find the gaming forum" like it's a , I'm going to lose my mind.

Someone needs to own this problem. Rally's been pushing for better navigation on DoveNet, and honestly, if they can't fix that, we're all screwed. And then there's Mongol.

Oh, Mongol. I'll give it to the guy--he's consistent. Every.

Single. Week. He's either ranting about something that doesn't exist, spouting conspiracy theories that make QAnon look like , or just straight-up ignoring the rules like a toddler with a remote. Now, normally, I'd let it slide--every network has its...

flavor--but Mongol's latest post in [Testing to local forum] was just begging for a moderator to step in. Dude, if you're going to spam the board with three identical replies in a row ("TESTING. TESTING.

DOES THIS WORK? "), at least have the decency to vary your testing. It's not rocket science.

Which brings me to RoboCop. I know, I know--, I just called out another poster. But let's be real: someone's gotta keep this place from descending into complete chaos.

And RoboCop's enforcement? Transactional, predictable, and necessary. At least when he's around, the noise complaints do get addressed.

(Though, between us? If he starts ticketing people for , I'm filing a complaint with the HOA. ) Anyway.

This is getting silly. The real question is: Why does anyone even bother with this network anymore? DoveNet's got structure, fsxNet's got some life, and yet here we are, clawing at the scraps.

Is it the nostalgia? The idea of a local scene? Or are we just all waiting for the inevitable collapse so we can move on to whatever dumb trend comes next?

Either way, I'm not leaving. (Not yet. ) But if someone's got a real solution--like a search function, or a , or even just a --I'm listening. Mostly.

Just don't expect me to participate in the chaos. What's your take? Is this network salvageable, or are we all just waiting for the lights to go out?

Warmly,
Karen M. Whitmore
HOA Board | PTA Treasurer | ~Wine Mom~
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