DP Tool Club 8/CDASC08.ISO/VRAC/MARK24_A.ZIP/WHATS.NEW

Text File | 1993-09-16 | 15KB | 312 lines

 Mark and Cindi Sherman disclaim all warranties as to this software,
 whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied
 warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose,
 functionality, data integrity or protection.

 Trademarks of other companies mentioned in this documentation or elsewere
 appear for identification purposes only and are the property of their
 respective companies and individuals.

 Boyan is one of the finest communication programs around.
 Support the Shareware concept, please register Programs with their Authors.

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 Version 2.4

 Built in support for 20 (TWENTY) DOORS is here.  And more could be added
 later, if needed.  Doors require Ansi.Sys to be loaded for caller and SysOp.

 The CONFIG.SYS command that I'm now experimenting with is:

 DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS /x

 I'm using Dos v. 6 and I do not remember if that applies
 for Dos's v. 5 ANSI.SYS command syntax, please do check before loading.

 It was hard, but now your Luxury Mark Host can, and will run Doors that use
 the exclusive Mark & Cindi Sherman's "On the Fly Door.Sys file Maker" (TM)
 thus, in effect allowing you to run Doors written for the big guys, like
 Wildcat! (TM), PcBoard by Clark Development Corp., GAP, etc.

 This is POWER and FREEDOM folks!  ...I wish you luck trying to decide what
 Doors to choose for your Mark Host Ver. 2.4.  ...because you will have to
 choose between 1000's!  <GRIN>

 Your copy of Mark Host now types back to User when he/she requests chat!
 That is being accomplished through the use of a built in Artificial
 Intelligence Door the sort of Eliza.   Thank you Rich Waugh.

 Dean Buffington helped to improve the Remote Doorway Drop to Dos, and he
 hopes to be able and start to be a distributor of Mark Host.

 It will not stop here.  We have more to offer you guys, so stay tuned!

 Please read Mark.Txt before attempting to install your new Power Horse,
 ...and, I know you will enjoy this one: It comes with Jackpot Slots!  <G>

 Version 2.3dß

 Found a bug in the files scroll mode combined with [V]iew files that was
 sometimes causing an endless loop error.

 Also, Transcan was checking an unapropiate directory after the  Hs-Link
 Bi-directional transfers.

 Still trying to find a way to run Doors with only 400 K of available
 conventional memory.

 Version 2.3cß

 We are working on Doors at the present time.

 Don't know if it's going to work out, and what kind of Doors we can use,
 since we can't swap the main program to free memory yet, so we go to see.

 One thing is for sure:  Crank up Boyan's memory left for Dosshell as much
 as possible (375 - 400 Kb)

 Version 2.2

 I am giving you guys a nice, colorfull WELCOME.MSG Ansi file that I use here,
 in New York.  It is to be put into your Host message directory, and it would
 be displayed nicelly, before a caller sees the prompt to enter his/her name.
 If you would like to show a different one, you could use an Ansi editor,
 (like The Draw), and draw another, go "color wild", Mark Host supports it!

 Added an extra re-change of Connect speeds and Parity, in the Welcome block.
 Thank you Lee Breeden for suggesting this!

 Gene Stone, a friend and user of Mark Host happened to have made a mistake
 and lost his Database of Users together with all the Passwords and Telephone
 numbers.  In this version, you will find that Mark Host will backup your
 Host.Cnf file (that's where all your Host info. is being kept), everytime
 it gets changed.  That would be when:

 1.  A user is added to the list of callers after the Validation process.
 2.  A user has changed his/her Password.
 3.  A user modifyed his/her user's level with the Level Increase feature.
 4.  SysOp modifyed a user's level from the SysOp's menu.
 5.  SysOp camed back from the Host Configuration, (SysOp's menu).

 The copy of the file is named Host.Bak, and you could find it in the
 Directory where Host.Cnf file is located (usually in the main Boyan Dir.)

 Version 2.1

 More improvements to the Call Back Validation feature.
 It will now check and rejects anything else ...than numbers in ...the phone
 number,  Example:  @$/>+=(*
 Also, it will reject numbers shorter than 5 digits.
 Fixed a bug in the Tab block that would cause the Host to go back to the
 Welcome screen.  Thank you, Danny!

 Version 2.0

 Your Luxury Host will check if the caller's Phone number was previously
 called (more than 10 times):  If yes, it will refuse to call again there.

 If the DONTCALL (ASCII file) is found in your Boyan's phone subdirectory,
 a search would be performed against the caller's number.

 If the caller's number will be matched to a line that contains a phone
 number followed by the word "SKIP" then, again, your host will refuse to
 call that number.  This is good if a kid wants to make your Computer call
 Hospitals, Police, Informations, and so on!

 In my town (New York City) several numbers that begin with 411,540,976 are
 charge (fee) information access numbers.  For obvious reasons, the Host
 comes programmed to reject numbers that begin with the above, but if you'll
 like to change that, you can manually edit the Script:
 Look in the |UserNotFound block, somewhere around line 440.

 No number will be called back if matched with another Bbs's Phone number
 found in your DONTCALL list.

 Several friends suggested that instead of getting this pretended "sysop"
 rejected, the Host should continue with the log on.  I'm not really sure
 if this is a safe ideea, but here's what it was added in this version:
 The caller will be asked if he/she is *The* SysOp of that matched Bbs.
 If the answer will be "No", he/she will have to start all over, and be
 asked to enter the *REAL* phone number.

 If the answer is "Yes", Mark Host will see if it can get you access on
 that Bbs, asking this "sysop" if YOU can have an account with that Bbs.

 The callers will have to leave you a [C]omment to the SysOp and input info
 about themselves.

 Unless they'll enter an acceptable Level Increase Code, after that, they
 will be logged off, subject to your manual Level Upgrade.

 Version 1.9

 A few bugs were found in the earlier versions:  If the carrier was detected
 when starting the Host, the User wouldn't be recorded in the DataBase.
 Also you shouldn't get the message "Unable to open" when the Host searches
 for duplicate numbers.  (If the list exists, of course!)

 Host will no longer keep on creating a new available files list every time
 a user chooses to list files.  I figured that would put unecessarilly stress
 on your Hard Drives.  So, now, during the same call, and unless the User's
 level gets changed, he/she would get a list of the same files list it was
 created on minute #1 of the connection.

 Only 1 (one) attempt is now made to call back a user.  If he/she couldn't
 type "ATA" then will have to call back and re-request another Validation.
 That simplifies the macros and looping, and is much error free ...I hope.

 Users will still be granted a total of 10 TOTAL attempts per phone number.

 If the User's account exists, but the level is missing, the Host would now
 assign level 1 to the New User.  If the Password is missing it would keep
 the extended info together with that particular Level.

 Many thanks to Bill Walensky for finding the bug ...Am I spelling your name
 right, Bill?

 Version 1.8

 MARK.BSC Host now fully suports Bi-directional file transfers using the
 great HS-Link protocol, and will let SysOp chat with the User at the same
 time!
 The file upload checker will scan after a Bidirectional Download in the
 right TEMP upload path, if it detects a file was Uploaded.

 Version 1.7

 A bug was fixed in this version; when a user would try to download *.*
 (the whole directory), Z modem would refuse to send the files.

 Now the whole Upload block has been rewritten.  A few changes have been
 made to the way MARK.BSC creates the list of files to be uploaded but
 DOS 5.0 is needed if the caller wants to Download all the files...

 Two friends of mine, (from Canada), called and told me that in their towns
 they had a few callers that would call their HOST modes and getting their
 Call Back Verification to call repeatedly Government and Fire Department
 Offices and, they asked me to do something about it.  I sat down and wrote
 a couple of new blocks that improve the MARK.BSC call back feature, in the
 sense that it will allow  SysOps to simply put a ASCII file called "DONTCALL"
 in the subdirectory (where the phone directories are located), and MARK.BSC
 will compare the caller's phone number against this Database.
 I've tested it with a database being as long as ten pages, and the latest
 Version (1.8) found a number, all the way, at the end in about 30 seconds.
 So, I suggest that if you would like to play it safe, you should list BBS's
 Phones in your area, Police, Hospital numbers, etc. to prevent letting any
 jokers pull your leg.  One idea would be to download a Bbs numbers list and
 use it.

 A couple of other friends of mine, who I kindly thank for their input,
 said that they would like to see an "OK to dial Area Code" configuration
 Menu, instead of having to manually edit the script (and changing my own
 local area codes that Mark Host used to come with).
 So, I added a few new blocks:
 Now, the next time you boot the new version of MARK.BSC will prompt you to
 enter area codes to call back, and grant them to a new user/caller that
 would like to be validated.  This list can now be renewed, at any time from
 the SysOp menu, thus allowing SysOps a good level of flexibility!

 How about the teenager who is in the process of configuring HIS host,
 and all he needs from *Your* Host is a callback test?

 ...Well now MARK.BSC will make a record of all the dialed numbers in a file
 called "HISTORY" (also located in your subdirectory where you keep your
 phone directory):  If the Call Back Validation feature has called a number
 10 (ten) times and this User didn't get validated yet, the 11th time it will
 refuse to dial that number.  I'm sure this will be appreciated by the
 BOYAN HOST SysOps who live in a big city, i.e. New York, Los Angeles,
 Toronto, Chicago, etc, where there is 24 hours a day of modem activity.

 Folks, I wish I could keep up with the long distance phone bills and be able
 to include the familiar TRANSCAN upload checker, written by Mr. Craig Dunstan
 in every MARK.BSC version.  Unfortunately, that makes the size of the ZIP
 file almost as big as the whole BOYAN program.  So, now that I'm not
 including TRANSCAN in the latest packages, you have several options:

 1)  Download a previous version of MARK.BSC, widely available on any
 popular BOYAN BBS and extract the TRANSCAN files, which are the same.

 2)  Find the latest TRANSCAN on your own.  It should be easy to find as it
 is a popular WILDCAT file upload checker.  Look for it under TSCNXX.ZIP,
 where XX is the latest version number.

 3)  Get the widely available and popular McAffee ViruScan and put it
 anywhere in your path, preferrably in your BOYAN directory.
 MARK.BSC should be able to delete viruses, if any are found.
 ...I appreciate your understanding in this matter!

 Last but not least, MARK.BSC will now allow the SysOp to simply enter the
 name of a User in the Host's users list.
 This particular person will NOT need to pass the Call Back Validation
 procedure.  You can enter the User's Name, his/her Level, Phone number and
 whatever data is missing, this User will be prompted to enter that on his
 next logon, and your Host Call Back feature will be bypassed.

 That's about it folks.  Let me know how you liked these changes.
 ...And if you're thinking that the next versions will support doors,
 conferences, online games etc., then, you might not be too far off!
 I'm thinking about writing this in C so that it would run even faster,
 but I like to stick with BOYAN scripts for now so that you SysOps can
 easily customize them, according to your needs!

 Version 1.0 - 1.5

 The latest MARK.BSC is now an advanced Boyan HOST that supports Mail Runs,
 and System Events, Call back Validation, comes with and suports Upload
 file Checker, four (4) separate Uploads paths and Levels,  File
 Descriptions, Message privacy and Personals.

 Several cosmetic improvements were brought, also the typing speed in the
 Message mode is much faster.

 Another new feature is the capability to Toggle your HOST Log:
 It can now be accomplished from the SysOp's menu or from Remote.

 SysOps can now also Erase the Log Remotely and run Boyan macros!

 ---------------------------   IN THE END   --------------------------------

  ---  If you haven't try MARK.BSC yet, you're in for a LUXURY ride.  ---

 My thanks and appreciation goes to Justin Boyan of Boyan Communications
 the maker of the great Boyan 5.0 that we all have today, and to the fine
 people that wrote previous scripts, which parts of them might have been
 used as ideas and blocks in this one and others:  Lee Breeden, Ronald A.
 Cronenwett, Paul Burkle, Matthew Waldron, Dave Muscato and many others
 which I apologize for not listing them here, now, but my thoughts go
 to you too.

 If you'd like to thank us for the time spent writing this, and get
 some advice setting up your new Host, you can send what you can to:

             P.O. Box 4162,  L.I.C.  NY 11104  New York.

 We are trying to save some money and register the programs that we use,
 but anything, (like old hardware, software, disks, etc.) will be welcomed.

 For our contributors, the latest version of this script, Markxx.zip plus
 support, is available from 718 786 6134,,,,,  Number needs to be dialed as
 shown (with commas at the end). When prompted for the "Level Increase Code"
 just enter your personal Password.

 Not necesarilly the very latest version if it, could be found on:

 Computers & Dreams    Tel. [phone]
 Ivyland               Tel. [phone]
 Boyan Ed's Home       Tel. [phone]
 My Place Bbs          Tel. [phone]
 Alpha Omega           Tel. [phone]
 Intelec               Tel. [phone]
 A-Mega Bbs.           Tel. [phone]
 Moondog, New York     Tel. [phone]
 NY Running Board      Tel. [phone]
 Consultant Bbs.       Tel. [phone]
 Jim's Pc Paradise     Tel. [phone]
 Maria's Castle Bbs    Tel. [phone]
 10-30 Bbs New York    Tel. [phone]

 Happy modeming!
                   Mark & Cindi.
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