A service file stores important information for each "service" or BBS. This information is divided over five windows:
Service window
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Host name:
The name of the service or BBS. For the Address Book to work correctly, it's important that this name match the Service name in any Address Book entries for that service. (If the BBS is gatewayed to other BBSs, use the name that appears after the comma on gated messages.)
UserID:
This is your unique account name on that BBS; it may be the same as your screen name, it may not. If you convert an existing FirstClassﾂｮ settings file, the UserID is automatically imported for you.
Password:
Your password on the FirstClassﾂｮ BBS. Again, this can be automatically imported from a FirstClassﾂｮ settings file. Note that passwords and UserIDs that use extended characters (characters generated by holding down the option key or with ASCII values higher than 127) cause problems with the FirstClassﾂｮ CLUI, and thus with BulkRate.
Phone number(s):
You can enter multiple phone numbers for a BBS; if one is busy, BulkRate will dial the next number in the list.
Mailbox settings
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Incoming mailbox name and Outgoing mailbox name.
These two entries are very important. They determine which files BulkRate will use for incoming and outgoing mail for that BBS. Although you can type into the appropriate fields, I recommend that you use the "Create" buttons to create new files, this way you can choose the location of these files as well. (The location must be on a mounted volume; BulkRate will not mount network volumes for you.)
Auto-delete... mail on close
If checked, these will cause mail that has been marked as read or sent mail (as appropriate) to automatically be deleted when you close a list window.
Auto-delete mail over... days old
If you check this and enter a number of days, mail older than the number of days you specify will be flagged for delete when you open the mailbox. This will result in automatic deletion when you close the window unless you reset the flags manually.
Sort/Reverse sort
These options allow you to specify how you would like each mailbox to be sorted when opened.
Exchange settings
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"Look for conferences in:" (Conference path list)
The conference path list is simply a list of paths to conferences. The default is:
Home
Home:BulkRateToRead
This default instructs BulkRate to read all flagged conferences on the Desktop (Home) and inside the "BulkRateToRead" folder, which can be found on the Desktop.
Do not put the names of actual conferences here unless you wish BulkRate to look for flagged conferences INSIDE those conferences. In other words, if there is a conference called "Member Forum" on the Desktop, "Home" is enough to get BulkRate to find it. "Home:Member Forum" would fail.
Do not make the mistake of putting "Home:Mailbox" in this list. This would cause BulkRate to open your Mailbox and look for flagged conferences INSIDE your mailbox. Instead, if you wish to have BulkRate read your Mailbox, the default entry of "Home" should do it for you, since your Mailbox is in the "Home" or Desktop level.
Note that due to a limitation of the FirstClassﾂｮ CLUI (Command Line User Interface), you cannot use paths that include spaces. That's why the default "BulkRateToRead" folder has no spaces in its name.
You can create additional folders on your desktop and have BulkRate read what's in them simply by adding more lines to the conference path list; for example:
Home
Home:BulkRateToRead
Home:OtherToRead
"DON'T read these conferences:" (Don't read list)
This list simply tells BulkRate which conference not to read; this is especially useful if there are conferences on the Desktop you do not want BulkRate to read. (Otherwise, simply do not place their aliases in the BulkRateToRead folder.) Put each conference name on a seperate line. Do not include path information.
"DON'T read messages from these people:" (Kill list)
Similar in concept to the above list; this list targets certain people whose messages you do not want BulkRate to read. Besides putting annoying people in this list, you can also put yourself in this list to keep BulkRate from picking up mail you have just sent. Put each name on a seperate line.
Your screen name:
If you would like BulkRate to refrain from putting your name into the cc list when you reply to a message, put your name as it appears on the BBS in this field. This may or may not be the same as your UserID.
Use threaded replies:
This checkbox controls whether or not BulkRate records the information needed for threaded replies when you generate a reply. See the chapter on threaded replies for more info..
Delete mail from server in excess of ___ msgs:
Checking this option will cause BulkRate to delete messages in your FirstClass MailBox in excess of the number you specify. Enter the maximum number of messages to keep in your FirstClass MailBox. After sending your outgoing mail and processing file retreival requests, BulkRate will delete any messages in your FirstClass MailBox in excess of this number.
File transfers
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This dialog allows you to tell BulkRate from which conferences you would like BulkRate to automatically download files, and how large you will allow an automatically downloaded file to be. Remember that you can always issue a file retreival request to have BulkRate retrieve an attached file.
Modem settings
The modem settings window is touched on briefly in "Getting Started"; see the "Modems" chapter for more information on this window.
