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Silky

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As usual, all of the notes added in after the conversation are in red.

<duvvit> Hi Silky, thanks for your time.

<SILKY3> no problem

<duvvit> Okey, to start off this interview,

<duvvit> Q. What was the main reason you set up your website? (The tne.net/silky/ one)

<SILKY3> Silky's was started for two reasons. At the time there really was no webbased help pages for K&P - there was an area on Compuserve (very expensive) and an area on AOL

<SILKY3> Maxis and Europress had a very small site, no interactivity, and very few games

<duvvit> ahhh...

<SILKY3> I wanted to learn HTML - and it seemed like a perfect project

<SILKY3> my background was also in old-fashioned BBSs

<SILKY3> I brought that desire for users to interact with each other onto the web with me

<duvvit> I see...

<SILKY3> Silky's is over 2 years old now - and I was building the site for 9 months before I ever launched it

<SILKY3> so for me - it's going on 3 years old

<duvvit> cool! :)

<SILKY3> I needed a project that was deep enough to learn on - and it seemed a good project that needed an interactive site

<duvvit> Q. You mentioned earlier about your background in old fashioned BBSs, before we continue any longer, can you please tell me more on your actualy background?

<SILKY3> well, I was a sysop on a Bulletin Board System for a good many years

<SILKY3> BBSs seem to have died now - but really, they haven't

<duvvit> Really? How would you explain that? :)

<SILKY3> all a BBS was - was an electronic means of users getting together to chat, leave files for one another, leave messages in forums

<SILKY3> but typically - they were local users - dialing a local number

<SILKY3> so they were grouped by geography

<SILKY3> close enough to the box to call up directly

<SILKY3> now - the same thing happens on the web - but the users are global - and they come together thru websites by topic

<duvvit> go on... :)

<SILKY3> really - the same things - just a little different way to get at them

<SILKY3>and the users are from all over.

<SILKY3> I had a forum on our BBS for K&P before the web

<SILKY3> had all of 2 users locally interested in it

<SILKY3> now the userbase is global

<SILKY3> and hundreds of folks visit

<SILKY3> BBSs aren't dead - they've just changed their userbases - and focus a bit

<duvvit> Well, silky, as a matter of fact, I tried calling many BBSs not long ago, and what really happened what that most of them were really "killed" :D

<duvvit> unfortunately...

<SILKY3> the traditional ones have suffered

<SILKY3> it takes quite a bit of capital to keep a traditional dialup one running

<SILKY3> very expensive

<duvvit> oic... that explains it then.

<SILKY3> when their users jumped ship to the net - a lot of them had to close

<duvvit> Q. So, silky, how long have you been on the net then?

<SILKY3> I remember seeing an article in PC magazine - about the same time I launched Silky's

<SILKY3> author was questioning if it was possible to make a web based BBS - I remember thinking that I ALREADY had one <g>

<duvvit> :D

<SILKY3> Silky's was live 2 years ago in October

<SILKY3> had to move it a few times - but it's never gone down, knock on wood

<duvvit> yep :D

<SILKY3> and moving a site this large can be a bit of a trick

<duvvit> Q. Considering your present status as a GREAT WEbmistress, how do you feel about making Silky's and especially The Comments Wall?

<SILKY3> when we started to host - that was, and still is, our primary focus - tools to help designers create interactive sites

<SILKY3> well - I design sites for clients, I don't have nearly as much time as I'd like to devote to Silky's anymore

<SILKY3> one nice thing about an interactive site - the users themselves keep it going in large part

<SILKY3> Rikus has volunteered to help catchup some of the games

<SILKY3> that is usually the biggest complaint I receive

<duvvit> Complaint?

<SILKY3> he's working on submissions received in July now

<SILKY3> yeah, I get months behind on games

<SILKY3> it takes a long time to process them

<SILKY3> on average - about an hour a game

<SILKY3> I don't just throw the files I receive up there

<duvvit> No wonder the Games section take a long time to place up :)

<SILKY3> they are all opened - to make sure they are complete files, etc

<duvvit> btw, What actually happened to Jon? I thought he was making the Games page?

<SILKY3> you'd be amazed the number of bad files that come in

<SILKY3> I don't really know what happened to Jon

<SILKY3> he volunteered to help - and did a great job on May

<SILKY3> but he either had problems, or figured out he had bitten off more than he could chew

<SILKY3> not sure bout that - he never wrote me, I saw a note on the wall that he was having some problems

<duvvit> OIC,

<SILKY3> that's ok, I appreciate his help with May

<duvvit> :D

<SILKY3> Rikus finished all the June submissions, and those are up

<SILKY3> at this rate, we might actually be current before too long

<SILKY3> he's doing a great job

<SILKY3> I hate being so far behind, but many days - I'll get 5 or 6 files

<SILKY3> just no way I have time to keep up

<SILKY3> just sorting the bad files from the good takes a long time

<SILKY3> some days 3 out of 5 submissions are just setup.bin or some such thing, just not complete

<SILKY3> I'm not going to just throw up every file - that wastes a ton of time with folks downloading bad files

<SILKY3> I'd rather a little more time be spent on this end - than have a library full of unusable downloads

<SILKY3> as to the wall

<SILKY3> I just cleaned it off a couple days ago

<duvvit> Q. IC

<duvvit> whoops

<SILKY3> and I left my little tirade at the bottom - as a reminder

<duvvit> Q. So how do you actually manage the Wall nowadays? Considering you did get very angry over what we were writing a month ago... :)

<SILKY3> folks do tend to take advantage of it - using it for flames - things that would be best kept to e-mail

<SILKY3> I put up the forums for flames - I wish folks would do it there

<SILKY3> I see every single post that goes up - it all comes to my email

<SILKY3> I just wish folks would have a little more appreciation of the resource - and not abuse it

<duvvit> hmmm

<SILKY3> I go in every so often and clean it off

<SILKY3> unlike the forums - every visit has to load every comment

<SILKY3> so spamming it causes a lot more wasted time than a stray comment in the forums

<duvvit> Silky, can you please tell me more about that day when you were sooo angry? What actually made you so angry? Was it becuz you had a bad day? Or was it becuz yo really were too angry with some peple?

<SILKY3> It was actually several things

<SILKY3> I had gotten about 10 letters that week - folks whining....yes whining, that they had just sent me a game, and it wasn't up yet

<SILKY3> I try to write those folks back - explaining how far behind I am

<SILKY3> a few posts that were just totally inappropriate

<SILKY3> folks using MY free services - to sell THEIR services - HEY FOLKS *I* HOST FOR A LIVING

<SILKY3> and just the general petty bickering going on

<SILKY3> that is not what the wall was put there for

<duvvit> hmm...

<SILKY3> I had put up *nice* reminders - and I don't think anyone even read them

<SILKY3> It was a matter of the last straw snapping

<duvvit> I understand what you mean...

<duvvit> Well, Silky - aside from all the "notsogood" stuff ;), Why, or how, did KNP manage to interest you?

<duvvit> ...that even caused you to make a really cool website all about it?

<SILKY3> At the time - I was working a part-time job at Best-Buy - selling computer software

<SILKY3> I remember the day that K&P hit the shelf - I was the one that stocked it

<SILKY3> and I also bought the very first copy out of that store

<SILKY3> I've always been a wanna-be programmer

<SILKY3> the concept intrigued me

<duvvit> :)

<SILKY3> something simple enough that even a non-programmer like me could actually make something useful with

<SILKY3> I immediately saw it was a useful tool for many things besides games

<SILKY3> I made Smokey for my little boy

<SILKY3> he played it a long time - he was only 7 at the time

<SILKY3> it's really not much as a game, it's only claim to fame was the dragon - and I didn't make that

<SILKY3> I have used it for many other things besides "games" tho

<duvvit> :D

<SILKY3> presentations - electronic greeting cards - tests

<duvvit> Cool! Are there any other samples besides Smokey?

<SILKY3> I always thought that potential was never explored or talked about and promoted enough with K&P

<SILKY3> not really - I've used it to help my kids with class projects, etc

<SILKY3> very useful little apps - but nothing anyone else would want to see

<duvvit> hmmm.... :)

<SILKY3> with the advent of C&C - THEN they promote it as a presentation/business tool

<SILKY3> but K&P actually had a lot of potential there I don't think many folks explored

<duvvit> Yes, that is very true

<SILKY3> even today - I see folks talking about "selling" their games

<duvvit> heh

<SILKY3> which - of course...you need the license for

<SILKY3> but folks are really missing the boat

<SILKY3> this won't compete with Doom or Quake

<SILKY3> but as educational software - or as an interactive storybook

<SILKY3> this COULD easily be used to make commercial products - indeed, it has been

<SILKY3> folks are gonna have to get over the "blow it up" stuff - and onto more "useful" applications

<SILKY3> childrens education software has a HUGE potential

<duvvit> However, not many of us like to make educational software. What can you say to that?

<SILKY3> Don't try to make the next Doom in this - and think you can sell it

<SILKY3> the technology has the consumer very jaded

<SILKY3> their MIGHT be some potential in puzzel games

<SILKY3> logic games

<SILKY3> if they are well done

<SILKY3> don't try to compete in areas you don't have the tools - at least commercially

<duvvit> hmmm....

<SILKY3> stick to what this does best

<SILKY3> making things go boom - on a commercial quality level - ain't it

<duvvit> Well, to conclude this interview (cuz I gtg soon :) ) :

<SILKY3> that ignores the strengths and advantages this DOES give you

<duvvit> What plans do you have for the future? both for yourself, and your website?

<SILKY3> well - I've started a new server

<duvvit> oh yes, it's "web toys", right?

<SILKY3> it's very much like TNE - but we also do a lot of remote CGI work

<SILKY3> yes, www.webtoys.net - .com is an adult site

<duvvit> uh..ewww... :)

<SILKY3> the .net is very important <g>

<duvvit> LOL :D

<SILKY3> webtoys is geared to give folks some of these tools we have always offered - but remotely

<SILKY3> so they don't necessarily have to move their site

<SILKY3> we also host

<SILKY3> site isn't quite complete, but it will be up and fully operational very soon

<duvvit> :D

<duvvit> Well, what can you say to all potential game makers out there, Silky?

<SILKY3> take the time to plan out your games before you just throw something up on a screen

<SILKY3> develop some plots - and some gameplay

<SILKY3> my own game is an example of what NOT to do

<SILKY3> Smokey isn't much of a game really

<duvvit> :)

<SILKY3> it served the purpose it was built for

<SILKY3> but as a "game" it's not much

<duvvit> yep :D

<duvvit> but it still was playble. Really :)

<SILKY3> yeah, the dragon is cool

<SILKY3> and I can't take credit for him

<duvvit> :)

<SILKY3> a young man I met thru Compuserve did him

<duvvit> It was pretty cool too, the dragon :)

<SILKY3> yeah, that's the only "claim to fame" in that one

<SILKY3> the dragon is very cool

<duvvit> Well, I think I gotta go. Thanks for the time, Silky :D

<SILKY3> he made him in a copy of his Dad's 3D studio

<SILKY3> my pleasure

<duvvit> 3d-studio? No wonder!!!

<duvvit> :D

<duvvit> Well, See ya!

<SILKY3> later

/// INTSILKY.HTM FILE ENDS ///

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