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-
- WP SERVICES
-
- The following paragraphs describe the White Pages. Not your local
- telephone directory, but the packet radio directory known as "White
- Pages". You help supply the information for "WP", and you can also
- use it to find the HomeBBS, QTH and ZIP Code of your friends on packet.
-
- "White Pages" is a distributed database of packet users showing their
- Name, HomeBBS, QTH and ZIP Code. It is updated and queried by means
- of packet messages, allowing stations from all over the world to take
- advantage of the data it contains. The MailBox program developed and
- distributed by Hank Oredson, W0RLI, collects this information and
- forwards it to Regional and Global servers. As users enter their Name,
- HomeBBS, QTH, and ZIP Code into the MailBox user file, the software
- automatically assembles a message containing all of the latest user
- information and daily sends it to the local Regional Server and then
- W9ZRX Global Server. Use of Regional Servers allows for faster
- responses to local inquiries and minimizes the WP traffic which must
- be forwarded to the Global Server. You can easily make use of the
- packet White Pages information, both at W9ZRX and at your local W0RLI
- Type MailBox.
-
- You may make inquiries of your local server's WP datbase using the
- "I" command. Simply enter I followed by the callsign you'd like
- information about. If you wanted information on WB9LOZ, for example,
- you would enter: I WB9LOZ. You may make this type of inquiry when
- logged on to any W0RLI MailBox system. Note that there are several
- other "I" commands available to make different kinds of queries of
- your local WP database. For example, the "IZ" command allows you to
- obtain the callsigns of all stations withing a zip code or zip code
- range. Use the Help command at your local MailBox for more details
- on the uses of the "I" commands.
-
- Information from the W9ZRX Global Server may be obtained remotely
- by sending a message to "WP @ W9ZRX". You can also update the
- Server database with new information. One message can contain several
- lines, including a combination of queries and updates.
- Since the messages are read and answered by the WP software, rather
- than a person, each line must have the correct format. One of the
- following formats must be used:
-
- <callsign> ?
- <callsign> @ <BBS> <zip code> <name> <QTH>
-
- The first form is a query. It will cause a message to be returned to
- you giving the home BBS, QTH and zip code of the person with the
- given callsign. If the information is not available from the WP
- database, the return message will tell you so. The second form adds
- or changes the entry for the given callsign. Replies will be sent
- to the originating station at their home BBS.
-
- Here is an examples of a message to the W9ZRX White Pages Server.
-
- Suppose you are N6CDJ and want to know the HomeBBS's of KF6PU and
- AA6TN, and want to send current information on your station. You
- would send a message to WP like this:
-
- (At the prompt, enter:)
- SP WP @ W9ZRX
- Enter title of message:
- Query/Update (Actual content not critical)
- Enter text:
- KF6PU ?
- AA6TN ?
- N6CDJ @ KJ6EO 91505 Wally Burbank, CA
- (Control Z)
-
- NOTE: When updating or adding an entry to WP, MAKE SURE that the
- information is accurate.
-
-
- All W0RLI Type Servers which handle a WP message will respond to the
- sender with any information they have available. As a result, you
- might receive more than one response to your WP query.
-
- It is important to note here that when you check into a new MailBox,
- you should always enter the same information that you have at previous
- times. Choose ONE MAILBOX as your HomeBBS, the one where you want all
- of your messages delivered, and enter that callsign every time you're
- asked. If you enter two or more different MailBox calls at various
- times, your mail could end up being sent round and round from station
- to station.
-
-