Nonetheless, the BBS and some of its implementations still flourish for many business applications. In addition, despite the robust revolution of the Internet and its impact on how we communicate, meet new people, and bond with them, the BBS feature functionality is being enhanced in ways that push the boundaries on how we define online communities.

Still, before delving into the BBS model, we must ask why creating and becoming involved in an online community is important. Some of the reasons to use tools to enhance the sense of community for us as individuals, consumers, or vendors are to:

• Build stronger and deeper relationships with (our or other) customers and people with like interests. An online community is only one part of a comprehensive interpersonal strategy, but is an important one. For a business, defining a better relationship online and one that can be more easily cultivated can encourage increased online usage by customers, generating sometimes significant cost savings.
  
  
• Increase online traffic. Some online community models are designed more altruistically to help a group with common interests. Leveraging the demographic homogeneity of a group allows for the solicitation of advertising that can subsidize ongoing costs. To achieve advertising success though, a community must usually have demonstrable evidence of critical mass.
  
  
• Facilitate discussion and interaction. We live busy lives today. Often in our professional lives or as we pursue personal interests, we do not know everything that we could or should. Having a focused encyclopedia-like resource that contains not only facts but also discusses comments and thoughts of others who have resolved issues that we face can diminish the frequency of our failures. Think of the potential in every online community as a best practices compendium on any topic!

Example. Byron Zaner is one of many trying to build such communities. Zaner’s community, ConstructionBusinessResource.org, is structured as an educational and support non-profit focused on a specific community that is very busy. It is intended to be a clearinghouse and online learning center for the many small independent construction contractors nationwide. Combining Webinar-based education with chat rooms and a variety of other resources, he is empowering an underserved group of entrepreneurs.

The role for a BBS. Defining the value of the BBS experience and applying its approach to online community building and the solving of other business problems requires expert perspective. Recently, I spoke with Nate Hammond, President of NetVillage LCC (netVillage.com), about how it leverages lessons learns and in many cases continues installing and upgrading old BBS implementations. Hammond explained that developing a contemporary online presence introduces many issues that must be addressed. They may be categorized in a few areas:

• Security. On the Web and off, this is a pervasive issue. Even in the days before the Internet, BBSs were subject to attacks that were often as simple as "can I get in without knowing the phone number?" Think about the movie War Games.
  • Security patch fatigue. In the Internet-based world, thwarting attack means staying one step ahead, and often just responding, to revealed vulnerabilities of the common Web servers. For example, for many of us, simply avoiding Microsoft Web Services would be a strategy to reduce the fatigue of constant patches. 
  • Anti-spider evasion. Our communities are sometimes intended to be closed to non-members. The search technology used to search the Web can reveal underlying information that is not adequately protected. Thus, having a way to avoid these tools would be advantageous.
  • Message boards encryption. Some communities would like collaboration in a more secure environment. Topics discussed may be confidential and even subject to regulatory requirements discussed below. Passwords to get in and even fully encrypted full sites may be appropriate.
  • Communication central. The traditional email model allows for mail to take a circuitous route wherein it is temporarily stored on many servers throughout its journey from sender to recipient. The BBS and chat model stores the messages in a central repository, conveying a higher degree of certainty that prying eyes will not have access to contents.
    
    
• Regulatory requirements. Meeting the mandates of and implementing compliance with legislated and regulated rules can be difficult in many Web-based applications. For example, some users and companies would like all HIPAA*-compliance systems not to use the public infrastructure of the Internet for exchange of information, especially between service provider and insurer. Others demand this for Defense and Homeland Security-based communications and community building between contractor and subcontractor. (*Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
  
  
• Bandwidth for delivery. The BBS model was based on using analog phone lines with very narrow bandwidth. Optimization of every transmitted bit was the focus of the better BBS system developers. Leveraging that low bandwidth as community needs expand can enhance the value of BBS, even in an Internet-connected world. We are paying for the bandwidth!

Developing the right platform for an online community -- intranet, extranet, and Internet strategy -- is comprised of many elements. How do we want to communicate and exchange ideas with future customers, existing customers, employees, vendors, and payors? Examining how BBS software can change our culture and vision is a useful exercise.

CHAIM YUDKOWSKY, CPA, CITP, is president of Byte of Success Inc., a technology consulting company specializing in helping small and mid-size business grow using technology. He is available for both consultation and speaking. He may be reached at cyudkowsky@byteofsuccess.com.