We have some users who have an immediate need for mail-and-file services within the institution and the local area. These are doctors and researchers who basically need to be able to exchange information and to post and download files (like grant application notices, etc.). It sounds like a simple BBS system is all they would need, but I kind of hate to institute this as a truly stand-alone system, because I just -know- someone else is going to want to join in, or someone from outside our region will join the workgroup, etc. LISTSERVs offer the file archiving and mail management services but I get the impression that "uploading" to the archives is not as simple as in the BBS model. The advantage, of course, is that anyone with Internet access can get to the resources, without necessarily having to make a long distance call. Again, though, this will be local-calling-area-only, at least for a while. Gopher is the best menuing system I've seen for simple distribution but lacks the facility for the user to send messages and files upstream. Are there BBS-like products for use on Interneted machines (pc, Mac, VAX/VMS)? (Would -prefer- not UNIX but we could learn...) At the same time, what BBS packages do you prefer these days and why? It's been a long time since I looked at BBS packages (RBBS, etc.) so I'm pretty well out of touch with what's the current crop of features. Where should I go to find out? Thanks for any comments and advice! Theodore Allan (Ted) Morris, University of Cincinnati Medical Center 513-558-0177V, -2682F, [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], WB8VNV Previous politically-incorrect tag-line removed.