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- RIME(tm), an Introduction
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- This part of the primer deals with how you, as a user, can
- get the most from the RIME(tm) network. It was written in
- response to your requests and will hopefully answer your
- questions on how to use the Relay to your best advantage.
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- RIME(tm) has been in existence since early 1988. It was
- started by Bob Shuck and was originally composed of a small
- group of 10 or so Washington D.C. BBSs. Dissatisfaction
- with the software that the then "UpLink" network was using, a
- casual conversation with Kip Compton and the addition of a
- board in New York gave birth to PCRelay Software and the
- RIME(tm) Network.
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- As you read this text please remember that if there is a
- subject you do not understand, the NewUsers conference on
- RIME(tm) boards is always available for all questions. If
- your sysop does not carry the NewUser conference, why not ask
- him/her to do so. Never be embarrassed to ask a question on
- this network. We were all new users once too. No question
- is ever considered too dumb . . . and really, RIME(tm) people
- are a friendly lot!
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- WHAT IS RIME(tm)?
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- RIME(tm) is a world wide network of electronic bulletin board
- systems (otherwise known as a BBS) that join hands to form an
- electronic mail system. Messages you enter on one BBS are
- copied to another BBS. That BBS in turn copies your message
- along with it's own messages to yet another BBS. This is
- known as echoing or relaying. When you leave a message or
- "mail" on a participating board, that message is copied to
- all other boards that participate in the network. The fact
- that your messages travel from bulletin board to bulletin
- board is the only thing that makes your message different
- from entering a message on a purely local bulletin board.
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- The common goal: To provide a environment for the friendly
- exchange of messages with others all over the world.
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- RIME(tm) provides user support for a wide variety of special
- interest groups and product support for a wide variety of
- products. In fact, if you want to find a wider variety of
- subjects you'd have to join a pay network like The Source or
- CompuServe.
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- From all parts of the US, Canada, Europe, South America and
- the Far East you'll find members of RIME(tm).
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- Terminology:
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- NODE: A bulletin board system (BBS) that calls another
- bulletin board system (called a Hub) in order to transfer
- mail. A node does not receive mail directly from any other
- BBS. (that is, no one calls it to transfer mail.)
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- HUB: A bulletin board system (BBS) that may or may not call
- another Hub to transfer mail, but is called by one or more
- nodes to transfer mail.
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- REGIONAL HUB: A Hub that does call another Hub to transfer
- mail. It is called a Regional Hub because when the network
- was designed, a Hub was placed in each of the major regions
- to minimize long distance phone charges.
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- SUPER-REGIONAL HUB: One of several Hubs located in different
- geographic locations. These Hubs are appointed by the
- Steering Committee. Generally, Regional Hubs call a
- Super-Regional Hub, which in turn, calls the NetHub.
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- NETHUB:The "home" of RIME(tm), operated in Bethesda, Maryland
- by Bonnie Anthony. All Super-Regional Hubs call the NetHub
- for their mail packets.
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- Terminology:
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- ID CODE:A one to eight character string which contains
- letters only. Each node has a unique IDCODE which is used to
- identify that node in the network. The IDCODE appears at the
- bottom of every message that is "relayed" thruout the
- network.
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- HUBID:An ID for a HUB which always starts with the first
- three letters HUB. A HUB ID is not used to identify a node,
- but rather the Hub that a group of nodes call to transfer
- mail.
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- Then there are the conference hosts. A conference host is in
- charge of a particular conference (defined later), just as
- the Steering Committee is in charge of the network.
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- On the RIME(tm) Network, coordinating the conferences is a
- big job, and is currently handled by several people. You
- should familiarize yourself with who does what:
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- The unsung heros of ANY network are the sysops! These are the
- people who go to great expense providing equipment and phone
- lines so you can converse with the world. The sysop is always
- the first line of defense in case a problem arises.
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- HOW DOES MY MAIL GET TO ME?
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- Each day your local bulletin board calls its Regional Hub,
- usually in the middle of the night. At that time all new
- messages users have entered on the BBS are uploaded to the
- Regional Hub. Then, your board downloads a packet containing
- all the public messages from every other BBS on the network,
- plus the private, routed and encrypted messages for any user
- who has a private mailbox on the board. (The specialized
- types of messages are described below.)
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- The Regional Hub takes this packet and adds it to packets
- from other boards connected to it and creates larger, more
- complete packets. These packets contain messages, files and
- requests from each board that calls the Regional Hub. At
- least once a day, usually twice, the Regional Hub calls the
- Super-Regional Hub which calls the NetHub.
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- The NetHub takes the incoming packet of hub mail and returns
- to the Super-Regional Hub all the mail it received since that
- Hub last called. The Nethub then adds the new mail it
- received to the waiting mail for all other Hubs. This is all
- done automatically.
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- The Regional Hub takes all the mail it received from the
- Super-Regional Hub and adds it to the packet for your board
- (and all the other boards connected to it.)
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- Then you call your local board and either download the mail
- to read using your off-line reader or read and reply to the
- new mail on the board.
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- FEATURES AVAILABLE TO USERS
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- Some of the features, such as file sends and requests are not
- normally directly available to users. However, if a unique
- file is mentioned in a conference message, you might ask your
- sysop if he could obtain that file for you.
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- Please remember that most Hubs call long distance for their
- mail and files increase the time and therefore expense of
- file transfers. Do not request files that you could obtain
- from one of the local boards in your area.
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- The important feature, for you, of PCRelay software is its
- ability to transfer messages within a conference area,
- between bulletin boards.
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- A conference is a message area that is specific to one
- particular topic of interest. There are almost 300
- conferences currently defined on RIME. Your BBS probably does
- not carry all of the conferences as the disk space required
- for this may be high.
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- Your sysop may carry conferences that are both relayed and
- not relayed. If you have any questions about whether a
- particular conference is relayed, please ask your sysop.
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- When you enter your message in a relayed conference you may
- be asked if you wish to "ECHO" the message. If you say "Yes"
- your message will be sent out to all other participating
- bulletin board Systems. If you answer "No" the message
- remains on your local bulletin board and is not transferred
- within the network. When you relay your message, please
- remember that it is being copied to over 850 boards.
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- Although there will be reference numbers on the message, it
- is considered polite to quote a few lines from the message
- you are responding to. That helps the recipient remember the
- "conversation" even if he reads the message days later.
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- Please be aware that every participating bulletin board
- system will have a different set of reference numbers for the
- same set of messages. This is due to the different times
- that each board started receiving the particular conference.
- Therefore you should not reference a message number unless
- you are talking with someone on the same bulletin board.
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- USING OFF-LINE READERS
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- Off-line readers are a method by which you may read messages
- from a BBS while off-line (i.e. not logged on.) You start by
- logging on to a bulletin board, briefly, to download your
- messages. Then, by using one of the off-line reader programs,
- you may spend all the time you need reading messages,
- entering replies and any new messages you may come up with.
- When you are finished, you log back on to the BBS, briefly,
- in order to upload your replies and any new messages you may
- have created.
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- The process of uploading and downloading messages may be done
- in one phone call. Log on to the BBS, upload your new
- replies, download the new messages that have been entered
- since the last time you were on, then log off the BBS. Those
- of you who call long distance may prefer this approach as it
- helps to reduce long distance changes by doing the whole
- process in one phone call.
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- The use of an off-line reader may save you telephone charges
- by also shortening your daily total on-line time, and, at the
- same time, it allows more users per day to access your local
- BBS.
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- USER COURTESIES
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- Did you know that if you use all upper case letters, that
- other users think you are shouting at them? Remember to turn
- off your CAPS LOCK key when you go to enter a message.
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- Some users think that the way to get started is to answer
- every message they see. That sometimes works but often it
- serves to annoy the other users who are already engaged in
- some kind of dialog in the conference. When you enter a
- conference for the first time, feel free to say hello and
- introduce yourself. Then sit back and read a few days worth
- of mail. In that time you will probably discover the trends
- of the conference and that you have something substantial to
- say as well.
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- The conference host is a valuable asset in a conference. The
- hosts run the conference, introduce topics of general
- interest to the conference members to enlarge discussions,
- oversees that the messages stay on topic, provides
- information and acts as a liason between users and the powers
- that be above him/her.
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- When a CH (conference host) asks you to end a thread, or move
- the discussion along, please be aware that they have been
- enpowered to enforce the conference rules in their
- conference. If you feel that you are being treated unfairly,
- there are recourses open to you. These do not involve public
- discussion in the conference itself.
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- NOTE:
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- If you think that you have a good idea for a conference, or
- would like to host a conferences, please send a R/O message
- to James Wall (IDCODE=DREAM)in the COMMON conference. To
- start a conference you need to have the topic clearly
- defined, a conference host available that would be suitable
- for that conference, and 10 nodes and 5 hubs willing to agree
- to carry that conference. James will be more than happy to
- help you get started in publisizing your idea and seeing if
- there is interest on the network for that topic.
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