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Current as of: December 1992 1. Welcome to the world of GEnie What is GEnie, anyway? GEnie stands for the General Electric Network for Information Exchange. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? That's why we call it GEnie, for short. But the word is more than a handy acronym. It's an accurate description of the magical world you enter whenever you sign on. In seconds, your computer can whisk you away to hundreds of amazing places. GEnie opened its electronic doors to the computing public on October 1, 1985. And the response was phenomenal. GEnie is one of America's fastest-growing on-line services. Our subscribers hail from over two dozen nations - from the United Kingdom to Australia, Canada to the Philippines. But what exactly can you do with GEnie? Here's a short list of the worlds that await you... o Worldwide news, weather and sports o College classes for credit o High school tutoring o Investment management tools o Challenging multi-player games with graphics o Real-time chats with intriguing people o Dozens of special-interest discussion areas o Travel services for booking airlines, hotels and more o Vacation planning assistance o Over 100,000 software files to download o 33,000-article electronic encyclopedia o Unlimited electronic mail to all GEnie subscribers o Worldwide faxing of messages And that's just the tip of the iceberg. GEnie is a growing, changing world with new features and services added every month. Three tiers of services GEnie features an innovative structure that's designed to save you money. Instead of lumping all our services into one category, we've divided them into three different levels, each with its own rate. GEnie*Basic Services Talk about value! For a low monthly subscription fee, GEnie*Basic Services gives you unlimited non-prime time usage. Which means you can explore dozens of exciting, informative GEnie areas to your heart's content - without watching the clock.*1 For more details about GEnie*Basic Services, please see Chapter 2.*2 GEnie Value Services These services make up the heart of GEnie. From the craziest graphical game to the most technical computer RoundTable, there are literally hundreds of places for you to explore. And all at an hourly rate which you'll find to be a terrific value. GEnie$Professional Services Information doesn't get any fresher or more pertinent than what you'll find with these premium services: Dow Jones News/Retrieval(tm), Charles Schwab Brokerage Services(tm), The Official Airline Guides Electronic Edition(tm) Travel Service, Pop-Med health information and more. GEnie offers you these invaluable tools at cost-effective rates. Premiums vary with each company, so be sure to inquire about rates before you use the service. GEnie rates To learn the current rates for GEnie*Basic, GEnie Value and GEnie$Professional Services, type *RATES or RATES at any main menu prompt. Rates for some GEnie services vary based on prime and non-prime time. These hours are determined by the time zone associated with your GEnie account. * 1 Telecommuniation surcharges, where appliciable, still apply. * 2 GEnie*Basic is not available in all countries. In a hurry to sign on? If you simply can't wait to start exploring GEnie (and we can't say we blame you), simply follow the abbreviated steps below. If you'd prefer more detailed information, please turn to Chapter 3. However, it would be a good idea to look over the brief navigation commands in Chapter 3, "Navigating GEnie", before you sign on. These commands make getting around GEnie a snap. 1. Instruct your software to dial the local GEnie access number. 2. When the word "CONNECT" appears on your screen and/or the modem light labeled "CD" comes on, you've reached GEnie. 3. Type HHH. Be sure to do this within two or three seconds after connecting to GEnie. 4. The prompt "U#=" will appear on your screen. 5. Type your User ID, a comma, then your password (don't use any spaces). Then hit <RETURN>. Here's an example of what you would type if your User ID was ABC12345 and your password was "cloudz". U#=ABC12345,cloudz After a brief pause, GEnie will welcome you and take you to the opening menu. How to sign up for GEnie If you're not a GEnie subscriber already, follow these simple instructions to sign up. (These instructions apply to U.S. and Canada only; to subscribe from other countries, please see Chapter 10, "International Access"). 1. Set your communications software for half duplex (local echo), at 300, 1200 or 2400 baud. 2. Dial toll free: 1-800-638-8369 (in Canada, call 1-800-387-8330). Immediately upon connection, type HHH. 3. When you see the U#= prompt, enter SIGNUP then press <RETURN>. 4. Have a major credit card ready. In the U.S., you may also use your checking account number. 2. GEnie*Basic Services Your money's worth - and a lot more If you like the idea of a good value - and who doesn't? - you're going to love GEnie*Basic Services. For a single monthly subscription fee, GEnie*Basic Services gives you unlimited access to more than 100 products and services during non-prime hours. You can explore GEnie*Basic Services from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. local time Monday through Friday, around the clock on Saturday and Sunday, plus all day on GEnie holidays. (For a list of holidays, type *GENIE or GENIE, then choose the menu item for Holiday Schedule). At all other hours, prime-time rates apply. Imagine... you could use GEnie*Basic Services for 118 hours a week - for just your monthly subscription fee (plus taxes, where applicable). Just try to find a value like that from any other online service! Surcharged phone numbers. There are a couple of exceptions to the flat rate of GEnie*Basic Services: surcharged phone numbers and 9600-baud access. For the current surcharge fees, type *RATES or RATES. If you live in a remote area, you may be required to pay a per-hour telephone access surcharge to call GEnie. This charge would apply at all times - including when you use GEnie*Basic Services. Type *PHONE or PHONE to see GEnie's phone access numbers and to check whether yours is surcharged. Which services are included? With GEnie*Basic Services, you'll have access to more than 100 services. News, hobbies, games, GE Mail, entertainment, shopping and personal finance are only a handful of the areas included in GEnie*Basic Services. For a complete, up-to-date list of all GEnie*Basic Services, type *INFO at any menu prompt, then select the menu item for List of GEnie*Basic Services. How to stay within GEnie*Basic Services To avoid surprises in your GEnie fees, it's important to know how you can stay within GEnie*Basic Services. We've made it easy, with three simple clues. They are labeled in the following illustration, which is the main menu of GEnie*Basic Services. GEnie*Basic *BASIC Page 8001 GEnie*Basic Services 1.[*]GEnie Users' (GENIEUS) BB 2.[*]Aladdin Support BB's 3.[*]GEnie News, Index & Information 4.[*]Send/Read GE Mail 5.[*]User Settings/Billing Info. 6.[*]Entertainment Services 7.[*]Travel Services 8.[*]Money Matters/Personal Fin. 9.[*]Hobby & Leisure Services 10.[*]Education Services 11.[*]General Interest Services 12.[*]Classic Games 13.[*]News, Sports and Weather 14.[*]Shopping Services 15.[*]About GEnie Services 16.[*]Surveys from GEnie 17.[*]GEnie Info Library To summarize, just be sure to use keywords that start with "*", such as *NEWS; or navigate using the four-digit page numbers beginning with 8, such as 8123. (During non-prime time hours, all GEnie*Basic products and services appear on menus with an asterisk ("*") preceding the name.) Pretty easy, isn't it? But to make certain you don't accidentally stray outside GEnie*Basic Services, a message will appear on your screen: "Leaving GEnie*Basic Services." Remember, as long as you stay within GEnie*Basic Services as explained above, you won't pay a penny extra in GEnie charges. Everything's included in your monthly subscription fee. How to reach GEnie*Basic Services Every time you sign on to GEnie, you'll see the GEnie Announcements page. It's our way of keeping you informed about new products and exciting activities. It will look something like this... GEnie Announcements (FREE) 1. Now Available!!! New Version of "Closing Quotes"..............MONEY 2. Meet publisher Suzy Dodd of HomeSchooler Fame!.................ERT 3. New Version of PCALADDIN available for downloading............PCALADDIN 4. Amiga Users Enjoy An Interactive GEnie Calendar...............STARSHIP 5. The NEW GeoWorks Support RT...................................GEOWORKS 6. Italian Cooking RTC Class..April 24th.........................HOBBY 7. Profie in your own Secretarial/Office Service Business........HOSB 8. Shuttle Discovery launch info and mission updates in.........*SPACE 9. GemStone III Thief RTC on Spril 23rd at 9:00 pm ET in.........MPGRT 10. DR DOS Competitive Upgrade REDUCED! SAVE $$ .. .............EXPRESS 11. Apple II Users Join the Hypermedia Generation!................A2 12. Live Conference this Thursday at 9:00 pm ET...................Aviation Enter #, <H>elp, or <CR> to continue? At the prompt, you can select any item number to get more information, or type in a product's keyword or page number if you know it. But if you want to go directly to GEnie*Basic Services, simply type *BASIC or M8001. GEnie will zip you instantly to the main menu of GEnie*Basic Services. Or just press <RETURN> and choose the GEnie*Basic option on GEnie's TOP menu. Should you ever have any questions about GEnie*Basic Services, the answers are easy to find: type the keyword *INFO at any menu prompt. Your time there is free! 3. The ABC's of GEnie Signing on to GEnie This section gives you detailed instructions for getting your computer "talking" to GEnie. If you're pretty familiar with computers, modems and online services, you can skip most of this material. For abbreviated sign-on instructions, turn back to section 1. What you need To hook up to GEnie, you'll need a personal computer that includes a keyboard, a monitor and some sort of mass storage device - usually a disk drive. Because GEnie is a friendly system, it works with virtually any brand or type of microcomputer. In addition, you'll need a modem, the device that allows your computer to communicate over ordinary telephone lines. But a modem can't do its job without instructions, so you'll also need communications software (sometimes called terminal emulation software). One usually comes packaged with your modem, and others are available in GEnie's RoundTable Libraries or in your local computer stores. This software routes data to and from your modem, as well as setting up the correct protocol for communicating with GEnie. A protocol is simply an agreed-upon procedure for how data will be transferred. Your protocol settings Once your computer and modem are powered up and your communications software is running, it's time to make sure your protocol settings are correct. This will ensure that your computer and GEnie will be speaking the same "language" to each other. All software works differently, so check the instructions for yours and tell your computer to use these protocol settings (they're also called parameters): o 300, 1200, 2400 or 9600 Baud o 8 Data Bits o 1 Stop Bit o No Parity o Local Echo (or Half Duplex) (As an alternate, you can use 7 Bits, Even parity.) In standard computer jargon, you may see these settings referred to as "8N1, local echo". Connecting to GEnie Now that you have all the details squared away, it's time for the fun part: signing on to GEnie. Just follow these simple steps: 1. Instruct your communications software to dial the local GEnie access number. (If your software doesn't have an auto-dial feature, you'll have to dial the number manually). 2. When you've hooked up with GEnie, the word "CONNECT" will appear on your screen, and/or the modem light labeled "CD" will comes on. 3. Immediately, type HHH. Be sure to do this within two or three seconds after connecting to GEnie. 4. The prompt "U#=" will appear on your screen. This is GEnie's way of asking for your User ID number and your password. 5. Type your User ID, a comma, then your password (don't use any spaces). Then hit <RETURN>. For example, if your User ID is ABC12345 and your password is cloudz, here's what you would type: ABC12345,cloudz<RETURN> The letters in your User ID and password can be typed in upper- or lower-case letters. After a brief pause, GEnie will welcome you. You'll be informed if you have any letters waiting, then GEnie will display a menu of timely announcements and new features. If you are interested in more information, just enter the announcement number. Once GEnie gives you more details on that announcement, you'll be given the option of going directly to the area of interest. After you've read any announcements of interest to you, press <RETURN> and GEnie will take you to the main, or TOP menu. To review, here is how the log-on sequence will appear on your screen... CONNECT <-- You've connected with GEnie. HHH <-- You type this to let GEnie know you're there U#=ABC12345,cloudz <--GEnie asks for your User ID and password. Type your User ID, a comma, and your password (no spaces), then press <RETURN>. A few words about echoes The duplex or echo setting needs to be set so that your computer echoes what you type; in other words, so you can see your typing on your computer screen. GEnie expects your computer to be in Local Echo mode, which is also called Half Duplex. If you can't see what you're typing when you sign on to GEnie, most likely you're not set up for Local Echo. This setting is opposite from what you'll encounter on some local bulletin boards, which is why we're bringing it up. Your communications software usually controls your echo setting. If you need to change it, check the instructions. Your GEnie identity On the GEnie system, you identify yourself in several different ways. There's the way you identify yourself to GEnie, the identity you use to receive mail, and your identity on Real-Time Conferences, Chat Lines and Bulletin Boards. It may sound complicated, but it really isn't. Let's take it one identity at a time... Your User ID and password Each time you sign on to GEnie, you'll use your User ID and your password. Your User ID and a temporary password are assigned to you by GEnie when you first subscribe. The permanent password, which you receive in the mail, may be changed at any time. Think of your User ID and your password as your keys to GEnie. Just as you wouldn't give your keys to a stranger, you should never give them out to anyone. For fast identification, a GEnie client representative will ask you only for your User ID when you call our 800 number. Never give either your User ID or your password to anyone online. Write them down in a place where you can find them, but no one else can. For security reasons, it's wise to change your password several times a year. At any prompt, simply type *PASSWORD or PASSWORD and follow the instructions. It only takes a few seconds. Your GE Mail address When you join GEnie, you're assigned a GE Mail address, which is used by others to send you electronic letters. It also appears as your identification when you leave messages on a Bulletin Board and when you upload a file. Your address will be in the form of your first initial and last name. If more than one person on GEnie has a similar name, a number will be used to keep the names separate. For example, lots of John Smiths join GEnie, so you may see GE Mail addresses like J.SMITH18 or J.SMITH103. If you want to change your GE Mail address, type *FEEDBACK or FEEDBACK and send GEnie a note explaining the new mail address you want. Because there is a fee for this service, also indicate in your note that you're aware of the fee. (Type *RATES or RATES to see what the current fee is.) Before you request the new address, check to be sure that it isn't already taken. Try to address a GE Mail letter to the address you want (see Chapter 4 if you don't know how to do this). If GEnie accepts the name at the "To:" prompt, the name is already taken and you'll have to choose another one. To be safe, you should choose at least two different names and include them in your letter to FEEDBACK. Please remember these guidelines when choosing a new GE Mail address: 1. A GE Mail address may contain up to 12 characters. 2. The first character of the address must be a letter; it can't begin with a number or a symbol. 3. The only acceptable symbols within an address are periods and hyphens. No blank spaces can be used. 4. When an address change is performed, there is a 24- to 48-hour processing time. You won't be able to access GE Mail during this time. 5. When you change your GE Mail address, any letters still in your current mailbox will be purged from the system. They cannot be restored. The "description" field is the name shown when sending GE Mail. It appears to the right of your GE Mail address. A few pointers: 1. There is no charge to change the description field. 2. It may contain a maximum of 30 characters and/or spaces. 3. Upper- and lower-case letters are allowed in this field. 4. If you prefer to be anonymous on GEnie, you should request that your description field read the same as your GE Mail address, or provide us with the name you want displayed. This field cannot be blank. Your Handle and Nickname When you are in Chat Lines, you can choose a name to appear alongside your GE Mail Address. This is called a Handle. Also, you can pick a name that you'll be known as when you're in a Real-Time Conference or on a Bulletin Board. This is called a Nickname. For more information on selecting these names, check the corresponding chapters later in this manual. GEnie menus - your online road map Even though GEnie is a vast computer system, full of interesting areas to explore, our menu system makes it easy to find your way around. It's helpful to think of the menus as being arranged in a pyramid. The uppermost menu, as you might guess, is called our TOP menu. It's the most general of all the menus. As you move down the pyramid, each menu becomes increasingly specific. (By the way, if you ever feel totally lost on GEnie, type TOP and you'll find yourself back at the familiar TOP menu.) Moving from menu to menu is a simple matter of typing the name of the menu, called a keyword, or entering a navigation command, such as the menu's page number. (For more details about online navigation, see the upcoming section called "Navigating GEnie".) Anatomy of a menu All GEnie menus are set up the same way. For purposes of demonstration, let's take a closer look at the TOP menu... GEnie TOP Page 1 GE Information Services 1.[*]GEnie*Basic Services 2.[*]GEnie Information 3.[*]Billing and Setting Information 4. Communications (GE Mail & Chat) 5. Computing Services 6. Travel Services 7. Finance & Investing Services 8. Online Shopping Services 9. News, Sports & Features 10. Multi-Player Games 11. Career/Professional Services 12. Business Services 13. Leisure Pursuits & Hobbies 14. Education & Reference Services 15. Entertainment Services 16. Symposiums on Global Issues 17. Leave GEnie (Logoff) Enter #, <H>elp? What you'll find on the TOP menu Here's a brief description of the services you see listed on the TOP menu. 1. GEnie*Basic Services. Choose this item to reach the main menu of GEnie*Basic Services. Notice the asterisk "*" after the number on the menu; it's a visual hint of selections included in the flat-rate GEnie*Basic Services. By choosing this option, you can find everything you want in GEnie*Basic Services (including the option in the next two selections). Plus, you can feel secure that you haven't ventured outside of GEnie*Basic Services. See Chapter 2 for more details. 2. GEnie Information. Here's how you can reach GEnie's online Index of Products & Services, which is a complete list of every GEnie product and service. This is also where you'll find an online User's Manual and information about GEnie news and policies. This area can also be reached from the main menu of GEnie*Basic Services. 3. Billing and Setting Info. Need to check your billing information? Want to change your terminal settings? Select this item. This area can also be reached from the main menu of GEnie*Basic Services. 4. Communications (GE Mail & Chat). Choose this option to access GEnie's electronic mail or live chat areas. You'll be able to read or send electronic letters, transfer files to other users, send a fax message or chat with GEnie users from around the globe. 5. Computing Services. This selection whisks you to a menu of computer- specific RoundTables. These popular areas are packed full of the latest in freeware and shareware computer programs, plus hardware and software manufacturer support, computer news and more. 6. Travel Services. Don't plan a trip without checking out this selection. Right at your fingertips, you'll find weather information, flight schedules and bookings, hotels and restaurants in specific cities, destination information, tour books and more. 7. Finance & Investing Services. This is your gateway to GEnie's "dollars and sense" area. From investments to financial news, this section is packed with valuable, timely facts. From here, you can access Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service and Charles Schwab Online Brokerage Services. Not to mention GEnie's closing stock quotations, the Investors' RoundTable and more. 8. Online Shopping Services. From fresh candy to used cars, if shopping's your bag, here's the place to stop. Visit the GEnie Mall, browse the wares of many fine vendors, check our classified ads, give a friend a gift of GEnie access time, or order GEnie products. Shopping has never been so relaxing. 9. News, Sports & Features. Drop in for coverage of local, regional and national news, plus specialized news in computing, business, finance and entertainment. You can search stories by category and topic, and even access a custom clipping service. 10. Multi-Player Games. Sharpen up your competitive spirit. This area is filled with exciting games you play against other GEnie users from around the world. From familiar card games to breathtaking graphical shoot-outs, you've got to play these games to believe them. 11. Career/Professional Services. Whether you're a doctor, lawyer, pilot, photographer, desktop publisher or other professional, here's the place to communicate with your peers and get useful career information. Use the Bulletin Board to keep current, attend Real- Time Conferences with industry leaders, and scour the RoundTable Libraries for files with the latest career information. 12. Business Services. Ready to get down to business? Drop by here for a wealth of information on topics ranging from small business opportunities with the Air Force to running your own business. Other features include the Dow Jones News/Retrieval Service and The Official Airline Guides Electronic Edition. 13. Leisure Pursuits & Hobbies. There's more to life than work, so these RoundTables and services help you explore the lighter side of living. Dive into the Scuba RoundTable. Tap your roots in Genealogy. Tinker under the hood in Automotive. Satisfy your itch to learn the latest in flea control in Pet-Net. The list goes on and on, so stop by and see for yourself. 14. Educational & Reference Services. GEnie's reference library is open 24 hours a day. Search Grolier's Encyclopedia, take a course or receive tutoring online, check out the Rensselaer RoundTable, plus much more. 15. Entertainment Services. Let us entertain you! Talk to your favorite science fiction writers or the cast and crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Swap jokes, rave about your favorite music, or get movie and record reviews to learn what's hot and what's not. 16. Symposiums on Global Issues. Here's the site for topnotch discussions on the top issues of the day. In the Public Forum, topics include current events, social issues and non-profit information. The Japan, Deutschland, California and Florida RoundTables explore cultural trends and events affecting the entire world. The Spaceport and Military RoundTables cover legislation and news which influence national policies. 17. Leave GEnie (Logoff). Choose this option to sign off GEnie and end the phone connection. Or, you can type BYE at almost any menu prompt. Navigating GEnie Selecting menu items To select an item from any GEnie menu, simply type the number you see beside the item. Then press <RETURN> (or <ENTER>, depending on your keyboard). Although using menus to move through GEnie is self-guiding and pretty easy, it's not always the most efficient way to get around. That's why we give you some alternate navigation techniques - keywords and the MOVE command. Keywords Each GEnie product or service has its own keyword, which appears in upper- case letters, centered at the top of the menu. To move to the menu you want, simply type the keyword, then press <RETURN>. You can use upper- or lower-case letters, but you can't abbreviate the keyword. For example, to reach the GE Mail menu, you would type *MAIL <RETURN>. This time-saving technique works at almost every GEnie prompt, except for Bulletin Boards, libraries and in GE Mail command mode. Keywords are very descriptive of the menus they'll take you to. To reach the IBM PC RoundTable, for instance, the keyword is IBMPC. (Notice the lack of spaces; keywords are typically just one word.) The Writers' RT is reached with the keyword WRITERS. To stay within the low-cost GEnie*Basic Services, always use keywords which begin with an "*", such as *NEWS. The MOVE command Almost all GEnie menus and sub-menus have their own page number. It appears in the top right-hand corner of the menu. If you know the page number of the menu you want, you can move there directly with the MOVE command. For example, the page number of the Macintosh RoundTable is 605. You can zip there instantly by typing MOVE 605 <RETURN>. To save typing, abbreviate the command to a single letter. Simply type M 605 (or m 605). You don't have to put a space between the M and page number, it's up to you. To stay within the low-cost GEnie*Basic Services, always use four-digit page numbers beginning with an 8, such 8004. You can take page-number navigation one step further by appending a menu selection to your MOVE command. Add a semi-colon, followed by the number of the menu selection. Staying with the example above, let's say you want to reach the Libraries section of the Macintosh RoundTable. The Libraries are Menu Item 3. So to move there directly, type M 605;3. Sign-on shortcuts Once you're familiar with GEnie, you can use page numbers to speed things up from the moment you sign on. If you know the service you want, you can add it to your log-on sequence. For instance, if you want to go to the Chat Lines menu (page 400, keyword CHAT) as soon as you sign on, you would type: ABC12345,cloudz,400 Then simply hit <RETURN> after the announcement menu to go to your requested destination. (This example assumes that ABC12345 is your User ID and "cloudz" is your password.) If you're navigating by page numbers, you can go a step further and select a menu item during log-on. In the example above, Menu Item 4 takes you into the Chat Lines. To choose it during log-on, type: ABC12345,cloudz,400;4 Or, let's say you want to log-on and check your mail. The GE Mail menu is page number 8004. Menu Item 2 is List Unread Mail. Your log-on sequence would look like this:(1) ABC12345,cloudz,8004;2 (1) If you are outside America in an area where GEnie*Basic Services aren't available, use page 200 instead of 8004. Backing up If you move to a menu and realize you've come to the wrong place, don't worry. Just type P or PREVIOUS. GEnie will back you up to the prior menu. When you're navigating by menus, it's like making an electronic U-turn. Remember, if you get lost, you can always type TOP to get back to GEnie's main menu. Controlling text display Stopping text on your screen As your screen fills up with text, you may not to be able to read it fast enough. Press CONTROL-S to say "Stop!" and GEnie will stop sending text. (CONTROL-S is typed by holding down your CONTROL key and pressing "S" at the same time). To tell GEnie to resume sending text, press CONTROL-Q. These commands are handy while reading your mail or listing a directory of files. Built-in pauses Most text displays have pauses built into them. After a certain number of lines, the text will pause and you'll see this prompt: Press <RETURN> or <S>croll? To continue with the text display, hit your Return key. Type S if you want the rest of the text displayed non-stop. You can control the number of lines displayed on your screen before GEnie pauses. Type *SET or SET and choose Review/Update User Settings. Getting help Help is only a keystroke away on GEnie. If you need assistance with a menu or activity, type H or HELP and GEnie will display help about the area you're currently using. If you are in the Chat Lines or in a Real-Time Conference, you must precede your HELP command with a slash: /HELP. (In fact, all commands in Chat Lines and RTCs must begin with a slash.) If you are in the GE Mail editor, type *H or *HELP. The BREAK key To interrupt the display of any text - and the execution of most commands and menu selections - press your BREAK key. GEnie will stop what it's doing and return you to the most recent menu or prompt. For example, if you're reading a long document and decide you've seen enough, press BREAK and GEnie will stop displaying the document. All new users are assigned true break - ASCII 0 - as their default BREAK key. If you'd prefer to use another key, type *SET or SET and select the GEnie Setup Script. You'll be prompted for a new BREAK key selection. If you get lost If you find yourself in totally unfamiliar territory and don't know where to go next, type the keyword TOP. You'll find yourself back at that familiar GEnie menu. (Or, within GEnie*Basic Services, type *BASIC to reach the main GEnie*Basic menu.) Turning menus off and on As you become a more experienced user, you may choose to do away with menus altogether. If you type COMMAND (abbreviated C), you'll find yourself in an advanced command mode. If you were at the TOP menu on page 1, all you'd see is this: P 1? That's not much information, is it? Command mode only tells you the page number that you're on, then waits for you to enter a keyword, menu item or navigation command. It's very fast, but you can see why it's designed for advanced users. You can turn the display of menus back on at any time by typing COMMAND (or C) again. If you want to see the full menu for the page you're on, yet stay in command mode, type ? and press <RETURN>. GEnie's Index of Products & Services GEnie provides a handy online index to help you locate products, keywords and page numbers. To reach the index, type the keyword *INDEX or INDEX at almost any prompt. Searching by topics. If you're looking for something in particular, or if you're curious about what GEnie has to offer, select the menu item "Keyword Search for Products" at the *INDEX or INDEX menu. You'll be prompted to enter a word associated with the service you're seeking. Examples could be "finance," "music," or "pets." GEnie will search its index and display a customized menu of services which address your area of interest. If you select one of the services presented, GEnie will describe the service briefly and give you its keyword and page number. You'll also be asked if you want to move to that service. Getting a list of keywords and page numbers. At the *INDEX or INDEX menu, you can choose to see a complete list of all GEnie services, along with their corresponding keywords and page numbers. It's a good idea to capture this information in your software buffer or capture it to disk, so that you can review it while you're offline or print it out later. Aladdin - the GEnie front-end program GEnie Aladdin is an amazing software program that operates as a "front-end" to GEnie. It automates the popular GEnie features, such as GE Mail, Bulletin Boards and software Libraries. Aladdin automates the GEnie index so that you can find services quickly and easily. It includes a full-screen text editor which makes composing GE Mail messages a snap. Best of all, GEnie minimizes your online time, and lets you take your time composing messages when you're offline. Aladdin is currently available for the Atari ST and for the IBM PC and compatibles. Programs are in the works for Macintosh and Amiga. Each version of Aladdin has its own RoundTable with a Bulletin Board, Library and Real-Time Conference areas. These Bulletin Boards are part of GEnie*Basic Services, while the Libraries and Real-Time Conferences are charged at GEnie Value Services rates. You can download and use the Aladdin software at no extra charge beyond the cost of connect time. To learn more, type *ALADDIN or ALADDIN at any GEnie prompt. This will take you to the Aladdin support area. To download Aladdin, look for the correct menu option on the the PC Aladdin or ST Aladdin page. 4. GE Mail GE Mail is a powerful, yet easy-to-use system for sending information to others electronically. Simply by pressing a few keys, you can mail letters, notes, text files and even programs to any GEnie user. Your GE Mail address Just as every household has a unique address for receiving regular mail, each GEnie user has a unique address for receiving GE Mail. Your GE Mail address was assigned to you when you first joined GEnie. It's usually a version of your name, such as J.SMITH27. Reaching the GE Mail menu To get to the GE Mail menu from the TOP menu, enter *MAIL or MAIL. Most GE Mail options are GEnie*Basic Services. Options related to Attached Files, which is a GEnie Value Service, appear only on the MAIL menu page. See page 4 for more information about GEnie*Basic Services. Here's a sample of the GE Mail menu: GEnie MAIL Page 200 GE Mail 1.[*]Display Queue of GE Mail Letters 2.[*]Read GE Mail 3.[*]Read (List) All Letters in your Mailbox 4.[*]Read (List) Letters From Specific User 5.[*]Read (List) Letters From Specific Date 6.[*]Compose and Send GE Mail Online 7.[*]Upload a Text Letter 8.[*]Search GE Mail Directory 9.[*]GE Mail Command Mode 10.[*]About Attach Files 11. Send (Upload) Attach Files 12. Receive (Download) Attach Files 13.[*]Send FEEDBACK to GEnie All of these menu items will be explained in this chapter. Checking your mail Every time you sign on, GEnie tells you if you have any mail waiting. You can also check your mail by going to the GE Mail menu and selecting Menu Item 1, Display Queue of GE Mail Letters. GEnie will show you a brief description of your new, unread mail. This is also called a queue list. For example, if your GE Mail address is J.SMITH, your queue list could look like this: Queue# Item From To Sent Subject 1 0116099 STU J.SMITH 99/07/06 A question 2 0067543 B.EVANS WATTS 99/07/06 It's a girl! 3 0154396 MBS J.SMITH 99/07/08 Lunch? Let's examine the six columns of information in the queue list: Queue# The order in which the letters were sent to you. Item A seven-digit identification number assigned to every GE Mail letter. You'll use this number with some of the more advanced mail commands. From The GE Mail address of the person who sent you the letter. To The GE Mail address of the first person the letter was sent to. In the above example, you'll note that you received the second letter, even though it was addressed to WATTS. This means that you are one of multiple people the letter was sent to or that the sender mailed you a carbon copy. Sent The year, month and day the letter was mailed. Subject The title or subject of the letter. This is entered by the sender. Reading your mail Reading your new letters is a breeze. Just select Menu Item 2, Read GE Mail. GEnie will automatically display your new letters on your computer screen. If you wish, you can instruct your computer to capture the letter to a disk or send it to your printer (check your software instruction manual for details). If you want to pause the letters as they scroll by, press CONTROL-S (hold down your Control key and press S at the same time). To resume scrolling, press CONTROL-Q. A typical GE Mail letter will look something like this: Item 0048589 99/06/30 11:21---- | From: WEEKS Margie Weeks | This is the date To: J.SMITH Jerry Smith and time the letter was sent. Sub: Notice of Meeting Just a reminder that there's a meeting of the Macintosh User's Group on July 2 at 11:00 p.m. EST in RTC Room 5. I'll send you a copy of the agenda as soon as it's finished, so keep an eye on your GE Mail mailbox! Hope to see you at the meeting. Margie =END= <-- Indicates the end of a letter. You can even read your new letters without going to the GE Mail menu. Just type this special shortcut command at any GEnie main menu prompt: READ. How long your mail is held After you read (or list) a GE Mail message, it will remain in your mailbox for five days. You'll still have access to it, using the LISt command described in the GE Mail Command Mode section on page 28. After five days, the letter is automatically purged from your mailbox. If someone sends you a letter that stays unread for 30 days, it will be purged automatically. Purged messages cannot be restored. List all letters in your mailbox Select this option (Menu Item 3) when you want to read every letter in your mailbox - including your new letters and the ones you've already seen. List letters from specific users This choice (Menu Item 4) lets you read letters from a specific person. When prompted, enter that person's GE Mail address. GEnie will list any letters sent to you from that address. List letters from a specific date When you choose this option (Menu Item 5), GEnie will prompt you for a date. Type it in this format: YYMMDD. GEnie will then display all letters created on that date. Search GE Mail Directory Don't know someone's GE Mail address? Don't panic! You can use Search GE Mail Directory to find the GE Mail address of any GEnie subscriber. When you select this option, you'll be prompted to enter the last name of the person whose address you want. If you're not sure of the exact spelling, you can also enter a fragment of the name. For example, entering "William" would find the last names Williams, Williamsen and Williamson. Next, you'll be prompted to enter the person's first name. Press <RETURN> to find all users with the selected last name(s). GEnie will search the GE Mail address database and display a list of names and addresses. If your search finds more than 20 possible matches, you'll get a message showing the number of matches and will be given the option of refining your search using a first name, a state/province, or a country. If the search is too broad, you'll be asked to start over again. Sending a letter There are several ways to send GE Mail. The simplest is to select Menu Item 6, Compose and Send GE Mail Online. This method is described in detail below. You can also use the GE Mail Command mode. It's explained later in this chapter. When you select Menu Item 6, GEnie will prompt you for the information needed to send the letter: To: Type the GE Mail address of the person you're writing to. GEnie will tell you if the address doesn't exist. Carbon Copy: Type a GE Mail address here if you want others to receive copies of the letter. You can even type your own GE Mail address. Press <RETURN> if you're not sending carbon copies. Sub: Describe the subject of the letter in 30 characters or less. To send the same letter to more than one person, enter multiple addresses after the "To:" prompt and separate them with commas. For example: M.WEEKS,RICE,R.COOK,K.CRAWFORD would send the letter to those four people. The same trick works at the "Carbon Copy" prompt. After responding to these three prompts, GEnie will ask you to enter the text of the letter. A line number prompt will then appear: 1> That's your cue to start writing your letter. You must press <RETURN> at the end of every line. For easy reading, keep your lines under 80 characters. GEnie will automatically display the next line number. These numbers come in handy if you need to edit the letter, which is described on page 25. When you're ready to send the letter, press <RETURN> to get to the beginning of a new line and type *S <RETURN> to send it. That's all there is to it. Here's an example of how to create and send a GE Mail letter: To:M.WEEKS Carbon Copy: <--- Press <RETURN> if you're not sending a Carbon Copy. Sub:A Place to Stay You must end each line Enter letter text: / with a <RETURN> 1>I know you folks might be headed up my way / 2>next month. Terrific! Just wanted to let you know 3>that if you need a place to stay, look no 4>further. We've got plenty of space and the kids 5>love having company. Drop me a line and let 6>us know the dates of your trip. 7> 8>Looking forward to seeing you! 9>*s <------------This command mails (sends) the letter. 6097441 Created 99/09/15 20:11 6097441 Sent 99/09/15 20:11 To:M.WEEKS | The letter's unique item number. Here's another handy shortcut: to write and send a letter from almost anywhere on GEnie, type SEND at any prompt. Editing letters Many times, you'll want to review your letter before you send it. Or maybe you'll want to change a word or a line. GEnie provides you with many commands for editing your letter as you write it. All of these commands must be typed at the beginning of a line, immediately after the line number prompt. Also, every command must begin with an asterisk (*). Please note the format of the commands carefully. Many of them contain commas that must be included. Basic GE Mail Editor Commands *M #/old text/new text/# Modify. Finds and replaces text, displaying the line(s) after the change. The "#" is the number of the line on which you want the change to occur. For a demonstration, see the example below. To:M.WEEKS cc: Sub:A Place to Stay Enter letter text: 1>I know you folks might be headed up my way 2>next month. Terrific! Just wanted to let you now 3>that if you need a place to stay, look no 4>*M 2/now/know/ |____________The "2" tells GEnie to modify line 2 only. 2 next month. Terrific! Just wanted to let you know 4> <---- The next line number prompt appears automatically. As an option, you may change text globally by omitting the line number and using this command format: *M,/old text/new text/* However, please note that global text changes may require you to use spaces around the old and/or new text. This will tell GEnie to change only whole- word occurrences. In the example below, fixing the error with a global Modify command would require you to type the command this way: *M,/ now / know /* Without the spaces before and after the text, the word "know" in Line 1 would have been changed to "kknow." *CHA,/old text/new text/# Change. Exactly the same as the *M command, but it does not display the modified lines. *CHAV,/old text/new text/# Change and Verify. Exactly the same as the *M command, but it displays any changed lines both before and after the change. *CHAVC,/old text/new text/# Change and Verify Change. Identical to *M; it just takes longer to type. *D,# Delete. Deletes a line of text, a range of lines or a combination of both. For example, *D,1,4,7-10,18 would delete lines 1, 4, 7 through 10 and 18. *H Help. Displays a menu of commands. *I,# Insert. Lets you insert lines of text after the specified line. Enter a <RETURN> with no spaces to end this mode. *L also ends the insert mode. You cannot use the editing commands which begin with an asterisk while in the insert mode. *L List. Displays the letter you're editing. As with *D, you can specify combinations of lines to display. *#,new line of text Replaces the specified line with the new line of text. *S Send. Sends or mails your finished letter. *X Exit. To exit the GE Mail editor without sending your letter. Advanced GE Mail Editor Commands *TO,Address1,Address2,... Replaces the "TO:" list with these new GE Mail addresses. *CC,Address1,Address2,... Replaces the "Carbon Copy" list with these new GE Mail addresses. *ATO, Address1, Address2,... Add to TO: Lets you add people to the "To" list by entering additional addresses. *ACC, Address1, Address2,... Add to CC: Lets you add more people to the "Carbon Copy" list by entering additional addresses. *UP Upload. For uploading a letter you composed off-line. Make sure this letter has been saved on your disk as an ASCII or text file. Most word processors will allow you to do this; check your instruction manual. You must have a carriage return at the end of each line. If you want a blank line, make sure you type at least one space before you press <RETURN>. Hit your Break key when you're finished uploading. When the next line number prompt appears, you can use any of the editing commands shown here. Be sure to use the *L command to list your letter and make sure it looks the way you want. Edit it, if necessary, then use the *S command to send it. *SUB,New Subject Subject. Replaces the Subject line of a letter. *N Next. Mails the letter you're writing and returns you to the "TO:" prompt to begin your next letter. *W Wipeout. Erases all text in the current letter. You are repositioned back to the TO: prompt so that you can start over. *R Resequence. Renumbers your text lines, removing any gaps left by deleted lines. *B Build. Lets you enter text without the line number prompts. A <RETURN> must be entered at the end of each line. Hit your Break key when you're finished. *LOC,/text/# Locate. Locates the specified string of text. The # indicates the number of occurrences to find. Don't enter a number if you just want to find the first occurrence. Use an asterisk to locate all occurrences. GE Mail Command Mode When you select this option from the GE Mail menu, you're entering a very powerful mode. While it gives you a lot of flexibility in creating and sending letters, it's intended for advanced GEnie users. Here's the only prompt you receive when you enter GE Mail Command Mode: Command? Then you can enter any of the commands listed below. These can be abbreviated to their first three letters (shown here in upper case). However, you may type them in upper- or lower-case letters. GE Mail Command Mode/Basic Commands ENTer Use this to begin creating a letter. GEnie will display the "TO:" prompt, then you may follow the same steps described earlier for writing and sending a letter. All of the editing commands beginning with an asterisk can also be used. EXIt Allows you to leave the GE Mail Command Mode and return to the GE Mail menu. LISt Shows all the unread mail waiting in your queue. LISt ALL Shows all your unread letters, plus the mail that you've already read which is still available in your holding queue. LISt # Shows the specified letter from the queue list. (see DISplay). LISt ####### Shows the letter specified by its seven-digit item number. DISplay Use this command to check on the status of a letter. GEnie will show you a one-line description of each letter, including the queue and item numbers. (Options for the display command are identical to LIST). To see if a message has been read by its recipient, type DISplay followed by the letter's item number or queue number. HELp Gives you a quick list of commands and explanations. CANcel ####### Deletes a letter which you've already sent; ####### is the letter's seven-digit item number. The recipient will not see the letter unless it was already read. GE Mail Command Mode/Advanced Commands ACCept To begin uploading a letter you composed off-line. Hit your Break key to terminate input. Note: Attached File uploads are not available in GE Mail Command Mode. Please see the description for the *UP command on page 28 for details about uploading text letters. LISt=YYMMDD Displays all letters created on the date specified. You may also use >YYMMDD for letters created after a date, or <YYMMDD for letters created before a date. (With all LIST commands, only letters still in the queue or holding file will be displayed. If a letter is not shown, it has been purged). LISt TO:ADDRESS Shows all letters you've sent to the specified GE Mail address. LISt FROM:ADDRESS Shows all letters you've received from the specified GE Mail address. LISt SUBJECT:SUBJECT' Displays all letters with Subject line matching the subject you specify. The apostrophes are required. REPly # or REPly ####### Use this to begin creating a letter which is automatically addressed to the sender of the specified letter. REPly # ALL Same as above, but also addresses your reply to everyone who was carbon copied in the specified letter. TBAtch For uploading a letter you composed off-line. Addresses, Carbon Copies and Subject (on separate lines) must precede the text of the letter. Hit your Break key when you're finished uploading. Here's an example of how to use this handy command. M.WEEKS <-----Type the receiver's address first. S.SMITH73 <-----Carbon copy addess(es) go next. Enter blank line for none. Musicals <-----Type the letter's subject on the third line. Here's a list of the Sondheim musicals you admired in my record collection last weekend. You should be able to find most of them in any good-sized record store. Talk to you soon! <----For blank lines between paragraphs, type two Merrily We Roll Along spaces on a new line, then press <RETURN> Company Pacific Overtures Sweeney Todd Sunday in the Park With George Into the Woods Your musical friend, Sam *s DELegate ADDRESS Transfers every letter you receive to the specified GE Mail address. (It's a lot like Call Forwarding.) Use your own address when you want to stop transferring your letters. DEFER # or DEFER ####### When you look at your list of unread letters, you may know that there are some you don't want to read. Use this command to remove the letter from your queue, using its queue number or item number. This command causes the letter to be marked as read. Attached Files The Attached File capability allows you to send and receive binary files via electronic mail. You can send spreadsheets, scripts, text files, and more to any GEnie user - all error-free. Use the Send (Upload) Attached File option to transmit a file, or Receive (Download) Attached File to receive a file. When someone sends you an Attached File, you'll receive a standard GE Mail message, which will tell you that you have an Attached File waiting. Attached Files are an easy way to send any kind of data to any GEnie user. GE Mail to Fax GE Mail to Fax is a feature of the GE Mail system which enables you to send GE Mail messages to facsimile machines anywhere in the world. The recipient does not have to be a GEnie subscriber or know anything about GE Mail or its commands. At this time GE Mail to Fax supports only outbound messages; you may only send electronic mail messages to a Fax machine. There is currently no provision for receiving messages from Fax machines into GE Mail. If you are acquainted with the GE Mail system, GE Mail to Fax Service should be easy for you to use. Messages may be sent from the GE Mail Command Mode or by selecting Send A Fax Message from the Fax menu. For more detailed instructions, select the menu option GE Mail to Fax Instructions. Receiving machines must be Group III fax terminals that conform to CCITT standards. Group III fax machines are the most common in use today. It is very likely that a fax machine used in fax-to-fax mode will be compatible with the GE Mail to Fax Service. While it is GEnie's intent to deliver to all Group III Fax machines, there may be instances when we won't be able to deliver to certain models of Fax machines. Any time GE Mail to Fax Service is unable to deliver your message, a non-delivery status message will be sent to you and no message charges will be incurred. What you need to send a message Other than your GEnie account, the only thing you need is the "address" of the recipient's fax machine. In other words, you need the machine's complete telephone number, including country code, city code, exchange and extension. GE Mail to Fax Service uses the same country code as international direct dial long distance telephone calling. You can review a list of country codes by selecting Menu Item 3, GE Mail to Fax Country Codes and Zones. You can also search for a country code while addressing your fax-bound message. About Message Delivery GEnie will attempt to deliver your GE Mail to Fax Service message as soon as possible - usually within 30 minutes of the time you created the message. There are many variables which may affect the time required to deliver your message. These include: o The volume of Fax-bound traffic in the GE Mail to Fax Service system. o Availability of the receiving fax machine (the machine may be busy, out of paper, switched off, etc.) o Quality of phone service in the area of the receiving machine. If the initial attempt to deliver your Fax message is unsuccessful, GE Mail to Fax Service will retry for a two-hour period. If the transmission still isn't successful, the session will be terminated, a non-delivery notice will be sent to you, and no message charges will be incurred. How to get more help If you need help using the GE Mail system or the GE Mail to Fax Service capability, you can call Client Services from anywhere in the United States or Canada at 1-800-638-9636. If you're calling from outside the United States or Canada, please phone: 1-301-251-6475. Note: If you subscribe to GEnie through one of our distributors, please contact the distributor's Client Services Operation for further assistance. GE Mail to Fax Service Billing GE Mail to Fax Service fees will be posted to your account at least once a month. Fax message charges will be incurred regardless and independent of the menu the Fax message originated from. GE Mail to Fax rates vary, depending on the country. For current rate information, select GE Mail to Fax Rates on Menu Page 205. 5. RoundTables Just as the name implies, RoundTables are places for like-minded people to gather and exchange news, views and ideas. Think of them as electronic clubs. GEnie is loaded with dozens of RoundTables, encompassing almost every subject you could imagine - from automotive to aviation, military to public issues, genealogy to home business. (For a complete list, type *INDEX or INDEX.) Because GEnie's RoundTables are so full of information, with so many different ways to exchange it, we've divided each RoundTable into three separate areas: Bulletins Boards are the place to leave messages, questions and comments for the other RoundTable members to read. Real-Time Conferences are live (and lively!) discussion groups. They usually schedule their meetings in advance. Libraries are the places you visit to exchange software or text files with the RoundTable members. You can upload (send) or download (receive) files here. Each of these RoundTable sections has its own chapter in this manual. Sysops - the RoundTable leaders Every RoundTable has a set of leaders, usually called Sysops (short for System Operator). They're the folks responsible for maintaining and running the RoundTable. They're here to answer your questions, schedule Real-Time Conferences, and make sure files uploaded to the Libraries work correctly and are free of viruses. When you enter a RoundTable, you'll generally see a message telling you who the Sysops are. Feel free to drop them a note via GE Mail if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. Many RoundTables allow you send a message to the Sysop by selecting a menu item on the main menu of the RoundTable. The RoundTable menu When you enter a RoundTable, you'll often see a series of banners with information from the Sysops. There might be announcements of upcoming events or contests, or perhaps some tips for using the RoundTable. If you wish to freeze the information on your screen so that you can read it, press CONTROL-S (hold down your Control key and press S at the same time). When you want the information to resume scrolling, press CONTROL-Q. After the introductory banner, GEnie will display the RoundTable's main menu. Here's an example of the IBM PC RoundTable menu (most of them look very similar): GEnie IBMPC Page 615 IBM PC RoundTable by Charles Strom 1. IBM PC RoundTable Bulletin Board 2. IBM PC Real-Time Conference 3. IBM Software Libraries 4. About the RoundTable 5. RoundTable News 6.[*]Feedback to Sysops 7. RoundTable and Library Help 8. IBM Product Support RT 9. Aladdin Support RT 10. Newsbytes News Network Enter #, <P>revious, or <H>elp? You can then select which area of the RoundTable you wish to enter. For complete information about using the Bulletin Board, Real Time Conferences or Libraries, please refer to their respective chapters in this manual. 6. Bulletin Boards GEnie's Bulletin Boards are places where you can read and respond to messages posted by others. It's the perfect place to swap information, get solutions to problems, or discuss topics of interest. Many of GEnie's Bulletin Boards - except for those about computing, gaming and CALC (Computer-Assisted Learning Center) - are included in GEnie*Basic Services. That means you can read and post messages to your heart's content, without thinking about connect-time fees. (See Chapter 2 for more information about GEnie*Basic Services.) How Bulletin Boards are organized Because Bulletin Boards are packed with lots of information on a wide variety of subjects, they're highly organized places. Otherwise, you'd never be able to find anything! It may be helpful to visualize a filing cabinet to understand the organization of a Bulletin Board. Think of the Bulletin Board as a big filing cabinet. Each drawer represents a different Category. Inside each drawer are folders with different Topics. And inside each folder may be many papers with different Messages. As a GEnie subscriber, you can create both Topics and Messages. Some Bulletin Boards have Categories that are private. These may be restricted to the RoundTable staff or to owners of certain software. If you think you should have access to a private category, send GE Mail to the Sysop (System Operator) of the RoundTable. Bulletin Board basics The Bulletin Board prompt Every GEnie Bulletin Board has an identical system of prompts. It's a very powerful system, and may seem a little confusing at first glance. But don't worry. Once you've got it mastered, you can use any GEnie Bulletin Board with ease. Let's look at the menu-like prompt you'll find on every Bulletin Board: Category 1 Club Business 1. CATegories 10. INDex of topics 2. NEW messages 11. SEArch topics 3. SET category 12. DELete message 4. DEScribe CAT 13. IGNore category 5. TOPic list 14. PROmpt setting 6. BROwse new msgs 15. SCRoll setting 7. REAd messages 16. NAMe used in BB 8. REPly to topic 17. EXIt the BB 9. STArt a topic 18. HELp on commands Enter #, <Command> or <HEL>p 1 ? <--- At the prompt, you can enter the number or the first three letters of the command. You can probably guess what most of the commands do. We'll take a quick look at each of them, followed by more detailed instructions on the major commands. 1. CATegories. Displays a list of all Categories in the Bulletin Board and tells you which Category you're currently attending. 2. NEW messages. Tells you how many new messages have been added to each Topic in the current Category since you last visited the Bulletin Board. 3. SET category. Use this option to change from your current Category to a different one. 4. DEScribe CAT #. Gives you a more detailed description of the specified Category. 5. TOPic list. Displays a list of all Topics in the current category. This will help you find specific information, as well as help you avoid duplication if you decide to start a new Topic. 6. BROwse new msgs. When you select this handy option, GEnie displays allnew messages in all Categories and Topics. If you only want to see new messages in the current Category, type BROwse CAT. 7. REAd a message. A very flexible command for reading messages. See "Bulletin Board Basics" for detailed instructions. 8. REPly to a topic. Use this option to add your own comments to a topic. 9. STArt a topic. Bulletin Boards are very dynamic. If you want to get people talking about a particular subject that applies to the current Category, use this command. 10. INDex of topics. Displays a comprehensive list of all Topics in all Categories of the Bulletin Board. 11. SEArch topics. Here's a handy way to find specific information. You'll be prompted to enter a search string and given the option of searching all Categories or just the current Category. 12. DELete message. Use this command to kill a message you've created. You can't delete anyone else's messages. 13. IGNore category. A powerful command for ignoring new messages in topics or Categories you're not interested in. Ignoring a topic means GEnie won't inform you of new messages posted there. 14. PROmpt setting. Lets you set how descriptive GEnie's prompts are. The options are PROmpt FULl, PROmpt BRIef and PROmpt NONe. Don't change this setting till you're familiar with the Bulletin Board system. 15. SCRoll setting. Use this command to tell GEnie how many lines of text to display before pausing. This setting only stays in effect for your current session. 16. NAMe used in BB. All messages you leave on the Bulletin Board (BB) will show your GE Mail address. If you'd like a nickname to appear as well, select this option. 17. EXIt the BB. Use this to leave the BB. Please note that you can't use keywords from the Bulletin Board prompt. You must use the EXIt command first. However, you can use the Move command (see earlier section on "Navigating GEnie"). 18. HELp on commands. Displays a brief set of instructions for using each of the Bulletin Board commands. You can also get help on specific commands. For example, typing HELp IGN would display help on the IGNore command. Using a Bulletin Board In general, the method for using a Bulletin Board depends on what you're looking for. If you're hunting for specific information, you can use the SEArch or INDex commands to locate topics which might contain what you need. However, many people use Bulletin Boards to keep abreast of more general information, or simply for entertainment. You can use the REAd command with the DATe option to back-track slightly and to read messages of interest to you. On subsequent visits to the Bulletin Board, you can use the BROwse command to keep up with conversations, or the REAd command with whatever options suit your fancy. Eventually, you may find Topics or Categories that you want to IGNore permanently. How messages are displayed The following illustration shows how messages are displayed on GEnie's Bulletin Boards. You'll see that the system is quite logical and easy to follow. Category 5 Freeware/Software Topic 1 Mon Jul 6, 1999 Sub: Who has a speech generator? The topic sets the theme for Does anybody out there own a speech generator? I need the messages instructions for using it. people leave. 2 message(s) total. ************ ------------ Messages are Category 1, Topic 1 listed in the Message 1 Tue Jul 7, 1999 order entered K.CRAWFORD [Kevin] at 23:56 EST and are separated by dashes If you're referring to Talkworks, I have a copy. ------------ Category 1, Topic 17 Message 2 Wed Jul 8, 1999 J.RICE [Judi] at 07:37 EST I have a copy of it (with instructions). It's freeware. I'll upload it to the library next week so you can download it. ------------ REPly to topic, QUIt reading STArt new topic, #,#-# read prior PERmanently ignore this topic or <RETURN> to continue ? After the messages are displayed, GEnie gives you the list of prompts shown in the above example. At this point, you can enter a reply to the Topic, start a brand new Topic, or quit and return to the main Bulletin Board prompt. For example, to re-read Message 3 from the current Topic, type 3 and press <RETURN>. To re-read Messages 4 to 7, type 4-7 and press <RETURN>. To read messages from the next Topic, simply hit <RETURN>. If you select REPly or STArt, GEnie will prompt you for the appropriate information. Replying to a Topic After all new messages for Topic have been displayed, you can enter REPly to enter a message of your own. GEnie will respond like this: Enter memo text. Type *s to send, *h for help. 1> Simply type in the text of your message and press <RETURN> at the end of each line. A line number prompt will appear automatically for the next line. If you want to change your message as you enter it, you can use the same editing commands available in GE Mail (see GE Mail section). To finish your message and send it to GEnie, type *S <RETURN> at the beginning of the last line. Formatting Bulletin Board messages. The only difference from entering messages in GE Mail is in formatting. Bulletin Board messages are formatted automatically to the screen width of the person who reads it (GE Mail doesn't do that). For example, let's say you enter a message this way: 1>Just wanted to drop 2>you a 3>note and say hello. 4>*S If the person reading your message has an 80-column screen, it will look like this: Just wanted to drop you a note and say hello. Sometimes, you might want your message to look exactly the way you enter it. Perhaps you've typed in a chart or some poetry. If that's the case, don't end your message with the *S command. Instead, use *SN, which stands for Save Noformat. In the example above, using *SN instead of *S on Line 4 would have created a message that appears like this to the reader: Just wanted to drop you a note and say hello. To check and see how a message will look before you send it, use the *PREview command. It's similar to *LISt, but shows how the message will appear to the reader. If your communications software offers an upload feature, you can upload your message text. At the 1> prompt, type *UP <RETURN>. When GEnie responds by displaying "Ready For Input," upload the text file, following the instructions for your particular software. Hit your Break key to end the upload mode, then type *S <RETURN> to send the text. Starting a new Topic Before you start a new Topic, carefully check existing Topics in all Categories to make sure the topic doesn't exist already. Duplicate Topics could be very confusing, so they're always closed by the Sysop, with a reference to the first Topic. To create a new Topic in any Category, you must be in that Category. If you're not in the right place, use the SET command to get to the appropriate Category.Next, type the STArt command. GEnie will prompt you for the Topic's subject: Enter the topic Subject <------- (39 characters maximum) -------> With a limit of 39 characters, think of this as just a label for your Topic. You can get more descriptive in a moment. After you type the subject and press <RETURN>, GEnie will prompt you for the Topic text: Please enter a summary of the Topic (limited to 3 lines). Type *X to abort. Enter memo text. Type *S to send, *H for help. 1> Simply type your text and press <RETURN> at the end of each line. The next line number prompt will appear automatically. You can edit your text using the same commands available in GE Mail (see GE Mail section). Remember, you're limited to three lines of text. This text will appear every time a GEnie user reads messages from your topic. Be as descriptive as you can. When you're finished, use *S to send your topic to GEnie. (If you change your mind and want to cancel what you've written, enter *X at one of the line prompts.) Finally, GEnie will tell you the number assigned to your Topic and ask if you want enter the first message. Topic 9 has been started and marked. Do you want to enter the first message? (Y/N) Press 'Y' to enter the first message, which can be a more detailed description of your Topic. Again, type *S at the beginning of a new line to send your message. Note: The Sysop (System Operator) of the Bulletin Board can edit your 39- character subject heading, as well as your three-line description. And although you can create a Topic, only the Sysop can delete it. If you need the topic header edited or deleted, send GE Mail to the Sysop and include the Category number and Topic number. Bulletin Board (BB) commands GEnie's Bulletin Boards offer a wide range of flexible commands for creating and reading Topics and messages. All commands can be abbreviated to three characters and can be typed in upper- or lower-case letters. If you're in PROmpt FULl mode, you can also select commands by typing the associated number. The first time you enter a Bulletin Board, or if you haven't visited that Bulletin Board for more than 30 days, all messages in Topic 1 of Category 1 are considered "new" - as if you haven't read any of them. All other messages are considered "not new." This is to keep first-time visitors from being overwhelmed by the thousands of messages in a Bulletin Board. However, you can still read any messages, by specifying a particular Topic. Basic Commands BROwse Lets you read all new items in all Categories. The first time you enter a Bulletin Board, all messages in Topic 1 of Category 1 are new. Also, if you haven't visited a Bulletin Board for 30 days, the same set of messages revert to new again. BROwse CAT Lets you read new messages in the current Category only. For example, to read new messages in Category 4, you would type SET 4 to make that the current Category, then issue the BROwse CAT command. BROwse NOReply Lets you read new messages without being prompted for a reply at the end of each Topic. BROwse CAT NOReply For reading new messages in the current Category only, without being prompted for a reply. BYE Logs you off the Bulletin Board and GEnie. CATegories Displays a complete list of Categories in the Bulletin Board. EXIt Exits the Bulletin Board and returns you to the previous menu. The same as QUIt and STOp. HELp or HELp XXX or HELp ALL Displays a list of Bulletin Board commands, or details on the specific command. For example, HELp BROwse would display information about the BROwse command. HELP ALL displays details about every Bulletin Board command. IGNore ALL Ignores all new messages in the Bulletin Board. This simply means that all messages are marked as "not new." IGNore CAT Ignores all new messages in the current Category. IGNore #-# Ignores new messages in a single Topic or a range of Topics. Example: IGNore 5, or IGNore 2-6. INDex Displays a descriptive index of all Topics within all Categories. This is a quick way to find out what each of the Topics is about. MARk Allows you to mark a Topic within a Category. This command is for use with the REAd and RAM commands (see BB Advanced Commands). NEW Tells you how many new messages are in each Topic. NEW ALL Tells you how many new Topics and messages are in every Category (except for the Categories you've canceled). QUIt Exits the Bulletin Board and returns you to the previous menu. The same as STOp and EXIt. REAd Topic Range (required) Message Range Options This is the basic format of the powerful REAd command. Please note that only the first parameter, Topic Range, is required. For example, REAd 3-9 would read all messages in Topics 3 through 9 in the current Category. The other parameters are optional. READ ALL Lets you read all messages in the current Category. REAd # or REAd #-# Lets you read the messages in the specified Topic or range of Topics. REAd # AUThor=name or REAd #-# AUThor=name Lets you read messages in Topic # written by the person whose GE Mail address is specified by "name." The command doesn't care about upper- or lower-case letters and you can specify any beginning portion of the name. For example, REAd 7 AUThor=S would list messages in Topic 7 by anyone whose GE Mail address begins with "S". Note: in the LiveWire Exchange Bulletin Board, all names are considered to begin with "<". In the above example, enter REAd 7 AUThor=<S to look for "S" names on the LiveWire Exchange Bulletin Board. REAd # CATegory=#-# or REAd #-# CATegory=#-# Lets you read messages in the specified range of Categories. You can combine this with the NEW option to read new messages in a range of Categories: REAd ALL NEW CATegory=#-#. REAd # DATe=YYMMDD or REAd #-# DATE=YYMMDD Lets you read messages in the specified topic range by the date they were entered. Use "=" to see messages written on a single specified date. Or, use "<" the ">" symbols to messages written before or after the specified date. For instance, REAd DATe>990621 would display all messages in the current Category written on or after June 21, 1999. Don't put any spaces before or after the =, < or > symbols. REAd # LASt or REAd #-# LASt Displays the last messages entered in the Topic. REAd 6 LASt shows you the last message in Topic 6. REAd # MARk or REAd #-# MARk or REAd ALL MARked Displays all the messages in the Topics you've marked in the current Category. REAd # NEW or or REAd #-# NEW or REAd ALL NEW Displays all new messages in all Topics in the current Category. REAd 1-4 NEW would display all new messages in Topics 1 to 4 of the current Category. REAd # NOReply or REAd #-# NOReply or REAd ALL NOReply Lists messages without prompting you for a reply. This is very handy when you're listing messages from a variety of Topics for reading off-line. This command can be combined with other READ options: REAd 1-5 NOReply CAT=3-7 would display all the messages in Topics 1 to 5 from Categories 3 to 7, without pausing for a reply. REAd # NOText or or REAd #-# NOText or REAd ALL NOText Displays only who made the response and when it was made. The text of the letter is not displayed. For example, REAd ALL NOT would list the header (with no text) of all the messages in the current Category. REPly # Lets you enter a reply to the specified Topic in the current Category. If you omit the Topic number, GEnie will prompt you for it. SET # Lets you change to the specified Category. SET 5 would take you to Category 5. STOp Exits the Bulletin Board and returns you to the previous menu. The same as QUIt and EXIt. Advanced commands ATTendees Displays the name, the GE Mail address and the date the Bulletin Board was last accessed by each user in the current Category. CANcel # Lets you stop participating in a Category, which means it will no longer be part of the ALL Categories group. GEnie will stop informing you about new messages in that Category. Please note that you can't quit the current Category; first, you must move to another Category using the SET command. Also, you can never quit Category 1. DELete or DELete Topic# Message# Lets you delete your own message from a Topic. DES # Gives you a brief description of the specified Category. IGNore #-# PER Lets you permanently ignore all messages in a Topic or range of Topics. Even new messages will be ignored. Use UNIgnore if you change your mind. IGNore ALL PER Ignores all existing Topics in the entire Bulletin Board. However, new Topics will show up. IGNore CATegory PER Ignores all existing topics in the current Category. MARk # Marks the specified Topic for use with the RAM command (see below). NAMe All messages you leave on the Bulletin Board will be labeled with your GE Mail address. If you'd like a nickname to appear as well, select this option. PROmpt Lets you select from three different prompt settings. PROmpt FULl gives you complete menus. PROmpt BRIef gives you a short prompt, like this: Command: CATegories, TOPics, READ, REPly BROwse, SETcat, EXIt, or HELp 1 ? PROmpt None is for advanced users; it only gives you the number of the current Category and a question mark: 1 ? RAM Short for REAd ALL MARked. A quick command for reading all new messages in the Topics you marked with the MARk # command in all Categories. REStore # # Lets you restore a message you've created and deleted. The format is: REStore topic# message#. For example, to un-delete message 27 in Topic 6, enter REStore 6 27. Please note that you can't restore a message if the Sysop deleted it. SCRoll Lets you specify how many lines are displayed on your screen before you see the "RETURN or <S>croll" prompt. A length of 0 means no scrolling. This command only stays in effect during your current session. To change the setting permanently, use the *SET command from almost any prompt outside the Bulletin Board. SEArch /text/ Lets you search Topic descriptions for the specified text. The text must be at least three letters long; don't worry about using upper- or lower-case letters. However, the slashes are required, both before and after the search text. GEnie will ask if you want to search all Categories. If you say no, only the current Category will be searched. As a shortcut, you could enter SEArch /text/ ALL. STArt Lets you start a new Topic in the current Category. GEnie will prompt you for all the required information. UNIgnore or UNIgnore #-# or UNIgnore ALL If you used the IGNore PERmanent option, you can use this command to cancel it. 7. Real-Time Conferences (RTCs) Each GEnie RoundTable offers a special area for Real-Time Conferences. The RTC is an electronic meeting place where members gather to discuss topics of interest. Each RTC contains "rooms" where the Sysop (System Operator) schedules guest speakers or sets up special discussion groups on a particular theme. With the Sysops's cooperation, you can even organize your own meetings. Most of the commands used in the RTC are identical to those used in the Chat Lines. Learning a few special RTC commands will enable you to participate fully in GEnie's stimulating and informative RTCs. Getting started To learn when an RTC is scheduled to be held, watch for special announcements that appear when you enter the RoundTable. Notices are also posted in the logon banners, the Bulletin Board section of the RoundTable, and in the "About The RoundTable" selection on the main RoundTable menu. To move to the RTC area, enter the RoundTable and select the Real-Time Conference option from the menu. Joining a meeting Most RTCs are organized into separate meeting rooms. As you enter the RTC area, GEnie will tell you how many people are in each room and display the name assigned to you for the meeting. Unlike the Chat Lines, you cannot choose a name or handle; your GE Mail address is your name. Assuming that your GE Mail address was J.SMITH, you'd see a message like this: Address of <J.SMITH> will be used. All messages you type during the meeting will appear with your GE Mail address name. However, you can add a name to appear with it; see the /NAME command under RTC Basic Commands). For example, here's what GEnie would display if you typed, "Hello. Sorry I'm late for the meeting." <J.SMITH> Hello. Sorry I'm late for the meeting. Please note that particpating in a meeting will be easier if your communications software offers a split screen, chat mode or keyboard buffer feature. Choosing the room Meetings are usually scheduled in advance, with the room number included in the meeting notice, so you'll probably know which room you want to visit. Choose the correct by answering the prompt: What ROOM (1-3)? The Sysop may have posted a note on the door with details about the meeting. The note will be displayed as you enter the room. For instance, if you chose Room 3, the entrance may appear like this: Room 3, the Guest Speaker Room Notice on door: This meeting is for those interested in the new communications software. The software developer, Ms. Sanders, will be available for questions at the end of the meeting. ** <J.SMITH> is here. You're now inside the meeting room. Welcome! However, if you're late for a meeting or if your attendance is not desired for some reason (such as privacy), the meeting leader may have locked the door to the room. In that case, you'd get this message: The door to that room is locked. Please choose another? You would have to choose another room to enter. If you still want to enter the room, use the /KNOck command explained below. Taking part in a meeting If you're familiar with the Chat Lines commands, you already know most of what you need to participate in the RTC. These commands are repeated below, along with a few RTC special commands. (As is usually the case on GEnie, only the first three letters of the command are needed and you can use upper- or lower-case letters.) All RTC commands must be preceded by a slash "/". The commands can be entered anytime during the RTC. Please note that communications software that offers a split screen, type-ahead buffer, or chat mode makes RTCs and Chat much easier to follow. Basic Commands /KNOck # A meeting leader may limit access to a meeting by locking the door. The /KNOck # command (where # is the number of the locked room) allows you to get the attention of the meeting leader. When you knock, the leader receives this message: <J.SMITH>, Job 9 is calling. The meeting leader can then decide to unlock the door and/or send you a message. However, if you see a Do Not Disturb sign when you try enter to the room, the /KNOck command won't work. /RAIse hand Sometimes, a meeting leader will put a room in Listen Only mode. In that case, you need to be recognized by the leader before you can speak. Simply type the /RAIse command to get the leader's attention. When the leader recognizes you, you're free to enter your message. /ROLl the dice RTCs are sometimes used for games. This command allows you to roll GEnie's electronic dice. The command format is /ROLl nDs where "n" is the number of die (from 1 to 20) and "s" is the number of sides on each die (up to 100). The default is one six-sided die. /ROOM # Use this command to move from one RTC room to another. For example, if you're in Room 3 and you want to visit Room 1, enter /ROOm 1. Feel free to change rooms as often as you wish, as long as the meetings you want to attend are open. (Note that this command is identical to the /CHAnnel # command you use on Chat Lines.) /NAMe In an RTC, you are always identified by your GE Mail address. However, you can add a nickname using the /NAMe command. If your GE Mail address is J.SMITH, you could type /NAMe Jimmy. Others in the RoundTable will see both names. For example: <[Jimmy] J.SMITH> Good evening, everyone! What's up? /BYE To leave the RTC and sign off GEnie, enter this command. /BLAnk Inserts a blank line after every message typed by the users. This can make it easier to keep the various conversations straight. /EXIt Takes you out of the RTC and back to the GEnie menu. /HELp or ? Displays a quick list of RTC commands. /STAtus # Displays a list of users in the specified room. Nicknames and job numbers are shown. If you type /STA without a number, you'll get a list of users for the room you're in. /TIMe Displays the current time (U.S. Eastern Time). Advanced commands. /CALl job# Use this command to get someone's attention. For example, if Job 7 is in a private conversation with another user, type /CALl 7. They would receive a message like this: ** <[Jimmy] J.Smith> is calling. /ECHo Use this command to turn on the echo mode. In this mode, you will see your own messages displayed after you press <RETURN>. When you enter the RTC, you are automatically in echo mode. To turn it off, use the /XECho command. /MONitor # This command lets you listen to conversations in several rooms at once. You can talk only in your current room, but you can listen to as many as four other rooms. To hear what's happening in Room 3, for example, type /MON 3. While you are monitoring, all messages are preceded by the room number of the person speaking. To stop monitoring a room, use the /XMOnitor # command. /PRIvate # Sometimes, you may want to speak with someone without anyone listening in. That's what the /PRIvate command is all about. To start a private conversation with someone whose job number is 12, simply type /PRI 12. They'll receive this message: ** <[Jimmy] J.Smith> Job 5 requests you in the private mode. When they respond by typing /PRI 5, you'll see this: You are now private with Job 12. As long as you stay in private mode, no one else can see your conversation and you won't see messages from any other users. You can only speak privately with one person at a time. To exit the private mode, both users should type the /XPRivate command. /SCRamble code The scramble mode is a way to have a private conversation with several users at once. Only people who know your four-character scramble code will be able to see your messages. The conversation will be invisible to everyone else. However, you will still see messages from users who are not in the scramble mode. You can tell others your scramble code by using the /SEND command. (See below). For example, if you choose "Star" as your scramble code, you and any other users can enter scramble mode by typing /SCR Star. Exit this mode with the /XSCramble command. /SENd # message Here's a handy way to send private messages to anyone in the RTC. If the person's job number is 15, you could send a message by typing: "/SENd 15 Where have you been?" They would see this: ** <[Jimmy] J. Smith> [Job 27] Where have you been? /SQUelch # When you type this command, you'll stop seeing any messages typed by the user with job number you specify. Use the /XSQuelch command to start seeing their messages again. /USErs This command tells you how many users are in each active room. Rooms without users are not shown. /WHO # Displays the nickname, GE Mail address, room and state of the person with the specified job number. Similar to the /SHOw # command. /XBLank Tells GEnie to stop inserting blank lines between the messages you see. /XECho Turns off the echo mode. The messages you enter will no longer be echoed back to you by GEnie. /XMOnitor # Use this command to stop monitoring the room specified. Users on that channel will be notified that you've stopped monitoring. /XPRIvate To end a private conversation with another user, enter this command. /XSCramble Turns off the scramble mode. See /SCRamble above. /XSQuelch Tells GEnie to begin displaying messages from any users you have squelched. See /SQUelch above. 8. Libraries GEnie's RoundTables contain Libraries which are brimming with software programs and informational files which you can download to your computer. You'll discover a vast variety of public domain (free!) programs, shareware files and demo software. The programs available range from games to business software to computer utilities to high-quality graphics. Most of these files are compressed to save you downloading time; see the upcoming section in "Download a file" for details about de-compressing files. GEnie's Libraries are also filled with how-to articles, tips, and other valuable information. You'll find that the contents of the Libraries vary in each RoundTable. In general, the Computing RoundTables feature software and related information, while the Professional and Leisure RoundTables contain mostly articles and information. Be forewarned that most GEnie Libraries contain a lot of files - often, there are thousands. If you use a command to list all the files in a Library, be prepared to use the CONTROL-Q and CONTROL-S commands to stop and start the listing. To abort the listing, hit your Break key. To visit the Library area of a RoundTable, select Menu Item 3 from the main menu of the RT. Mac RoundTable Software Library Library: ALL Libraries 1. Description of this Library 2. Directory of Files 3. Search File Directory 4. Browse through Files 5. Upload a New File 6. Download a File 7. Delete a File You Own 8. Set Software Library 9. Save Current Software Library 10. Instructions for Software Exchange 11. Directory of New Files 12. Join/Ignore Library Category The Library menu The menu for each Library is very similar. As an example, let's take a look at the Macintosh Library menu shown on the previous page. Then we'll explain each Menu Item in turn. 1. Description of this library As you might guess, you can choose this option for a general explanation of the type of files included the Library. If you're set up for "ALL Libraries" (the default), you'll receive an overall description. 2. Directory of files Displays a brief description of each file in the current Library category. If you're set up for "ALL Libraries," the list will include every file in every current Library category. Most Libraries contain hundreds of files, so it's best to save the listing to a disk or send it to your printer so you can review it later. To stop the listing, hit your Break key. Here's the beginning of a sample listing: No. File Name Type Address YYMMDD Bytes Access Lib ----- ------------------------ - ------------ ------ ------- ------ --- 247 SOLITAIRE X J.SMITH 990521 18000 90 3 Desc: A classic card game 243 SLOTS.SIT X J.JONES 990518 48520 149 3 | Desc: Great slot game! | / | / Use this number to identify The more bytes, the longer the file you want to download. a file will take to download. The directory gives you nine pieces of information about each file: No. A reference number assigned to the file. You specify this number when you download the file. File Name The name of the software file. Many file names contain a period, followed by a three-character suffix. This suffix gives you information about the type of the file and whether it's been compressed (see the upcoming section in "Download a file" for an explanation of common suffixes). Type Indicates whether the file is Binary (X) or seven-bit ASCII (7). With some exceptions, Binary files are programs you can run on your computer (assuming your computer is compatible with this file). These may be games, utilities or other applications. ASCII files are usually text files, such as articles or instructions. Address The GE Mail address of the person who put the file in the library. YYMMDD The date the software was put in the library. Bytes The approximate size of the file. The higher the number, the longer it'll take to download. Accesses The number of times the file has been downloaded by GEnie members. This number can give you a hint about the file's popularity. Lib The number of the Library category where the file is stored. Desc: A very brief description of the file. You can get more details by using the Browse Through Files or Download a File options. 3. Search file directory Here's a handy way to sort through the Library for specific kinds of files. When you choose this option, GEnie will prompt you for three pieces of information: Search String, Uploader Address and Number of Days Back. Enter a Search String describing the type of file you're looking for. If you were looking for a speech synthesizer, you could try Talk, Speech or Synthesizer. If you're looking for files uploaded by a certain person, enter their GE Mail address when you're prompted for Uploader Address. Otherwise, press <RETURN> to search all addresses. Note that either a search string or an uploader address must be entered. To limit your search to more recent files, enter a number at the Number of Days Back prompt. For example, type 180 to scan files uploaded during the last six months. If the upload date doesn't concern you, hit <RETURN>. Before you search the file directory, it's sometimes best to have All Libraries selected. A file you consider educational might be located in the Utilities Library, for instance. If the search doesn't locate any files, try using a more general Search String. 4. Browse through files Choose this option to see a full description of every file in a Library (or in All Libraries, depending on your current Library setting). After each file description, GEnie will present you with several options. You can skip to the next file, list the file (if it's a text file), download the file, or quit and return to the Libraries menu. GEnie will continue to describe every file until you select Quit. 5. Upload a new file Uploading is the term for sending a file from your computer to GEnie, and placing it in the Library. The first step is to make sure you're in the Library where you think the file belongs. Then choose the Upload A New File option. GEnie will then lead you through a series of prompts, asking you for the file name, a short description and a longer description of the file. Short descriptions are limited to 36 characters, long descriptions have a maximum of 10 lines. When typing the long description, press <RETURN> at the end of each line; GEnie will prompt you for the next line. Type *S on a line when you're finished. If necessary, the Sysop will edit your file description. You'll also be prompted for a series of keywords, which are used when someone selects the Search File Directory option. Next, GEnie will ask you to select an upload protocol. GEnie will then display your file name, GE Mail address and the brief file description so that you can check them for accuracy. When you see the READY FOR INPUT prompt, start your upload. (Follow the instructions for your particular communications software). When the the upload is complete, press your Break key. Finally, GEnie will ask if you want to put the file in the Library. If you enter "Y," the file will be placed in temporary storage until the Sysop can make sure the upload worked properly and that the file is in good shape All files are checked for viruses before they are released. Here is a sample transcript of the entire upload process: Library: 3 - Games Billing clock stopped.. no charges for this upload! Enter the name of the file you are uploading. There is a maximum length of 24 characters for file names. <----------------------> ?Banana Mania.SIT Enter a SHORT description of the file you are uploading. Maximum of 36 Characters. <----------------------------------> ?Falling Bananas Arcade Game Enter a LONGER description of the file. Maximum of 10 lines, Type *S to save. 1>In this game, your most controls a monkey tha runs through the jungle 2>catching bananas as they fall from the trees. Good graphics and funny 3>music. Runs in color if you have it! Compressed with StuffIt. 4>Requires Mac 512 or higher. Freeware... enjoy! 5>*s Enter a list of Keywords, comma separated. ?game, arcade,color,music,bananas,fun,freeware Select Upload Protocol 1. Seven Bit Text 2. XMODEM 3. XMODEM (CRC) Which item?2 File: BANANA MANIA.SIT Addr: J.SMITH Desc: Falling Bananas Arcade Game When you see READY FOR INPUT, start your XMODEM upload. READY FOR INPUT Upload Complete. Was the upload OK? Do you want to put the file in the library (Y/N)? 6. Download a file Downloading a binary file To download a binary file from the Library to your computer, select Download a File from the Library menu. (You can also choose to download a file you encounter while using the Browse Through Files option). GEnie will respond with this prompt: Enter Download Request or <H>elp? You can enter either the reference number of the file or the exact file name. If your communications software supports multiple file downloads (you'll need to have the Ymodem or Zmodem protocols), you can type a series of file numbers separated by commas. GEnie will give you a description of the file, followed by another prompt: Press <RETURN> to skip, <D>ownload, <L>ist, or <Q>uit Type <RETURN> if you decide not to download the file. Press D to download it, or L to list it to your computer screen. A word of warning: Listing is for text files only; most binary files shouldn't be listed. They usually make your computer behave very strangely. If you press D, GEnie will ask you to select a protocol: Select Download Protocol 1. XMODEM 2. XMODEM (w/1K blocks) 3. YMODEM 4. ZMODEM These various protocols determine how your computer works with GEnie to receive the file and check it for errors. Check the instructions with your communications software to see which protocol(s) you can use. Finally, GEnie will tell you to begin the download. If you're not sure how to receive the file, read the instructions for your software. If you need to abort the download process, press CONTROL-X (hold down your Control key and press X) or follow your software's instructions. Downloading a 7-bit (ASCII) file This process is very similar to downloading a binary file. Your download prompt will look like this: Press <RETURN> to skip, <D>ownload, or <Q>uit. If you select Download, GEnie will ask you to Turn on your Capture File, which is how you'll save the file to a disk or send it to your printer. Look in your software manual under Capture or Capture Buffer. When GEnie has finished sending the file, you'll be told to turn off your Capture File. Compressed files (packed, squeezed or stuffed) Most Library files are compressed. This reduces the size of the file, saving you download time - not to mention money. You can usually tell if a file is compressed by looking at its name. If it ends with a period followed by one these three-letter suffixes, you can be sure it's compressed: ARC, CPT, GIF, LZH, PIT, SIT, ZIP or ZOO. Other files may be compressed as well. You can't use or run any of these files until you transform them back to their un-compressed state. You'll need a special utility to do this. It should be available from the Library where you found the compressed file. Check in the About The RoundTable item on the main menu of the RoundTable for information about compressed files. 7. Delete a file you own Choose this option to remove one of your own files from the Library. GEnie will prompt you for the necessary information. You can only delete files which you uploaded to GEnie. 8. Set Software Library If you want to limit your Searches or your Browsing to certain types of files, select this option. GEnie will display a list of file categories for you to choose from. You'll also see "ALL Libraries" on the list; select this item to include all the Library categories when you do a Search or Browse. GEnie will "remember" your category choice only as long as you're in the Library. Your choice is forgotten when you leave, unless you select Save Current Software Library. 9. Save Current Software Library When you select this option, GEnie remembers the Library category you selected with the Set Software Library command explained above. The next time you visit the Library, your Library category will be set automatically. Naturally, you can change your mind at any time by using the Set Software Library option again. 10. Instructions for Software Exchange Provides you with hints and tips for uploading and downloading software. A handy place to look if you run into trouble. 11. Directory of New Files Displays brief information about all the files presented to the Library since your last visit. It's a great way to find the hot new files. On your first visit to the Library, all the files will be new - the list could be quite long. Hit your Break key if you want to stop the listing. On subsequent visits, you'll see only the files released since your last visit. 12. Join/Ignore Library Category Many libraries contain thousands of files in dozens of Library categories. You can use this option to ignore categories you're not interested in. This will prevent unwanted files from appearing when you perform a search or request a directory listing. If you change your mind, select this option again and rejoin the Library category. 9. LiveWire Chat Lines Let's talk about it! GEnie's LiveWire Chat Lines let you talk to people from all over globe - all from your computer keyboard. Chat Lines are divided into 40 separate lines, which are usually called channels. You could find people talking about different things on every channel. Or everybody might be on one channel, having a huge group discussion. On Chat Lines, you never know what to expect - and that's half the fun! The LiveWire Menu To enter the Chat Lines, type the keyword CHAT at any menu prompt on GEnie. Or use the MOVE command by typing M 400. You'll be whisked to the LiveWire Chat Lines menu: LiveWire Chat Lines Handle: The Shadow | | 1. About LiveWire Chat Lines | 2. LiveWire Help and Hints -This is your current handle. 3. What's Happening in LiveWire Choose Menu item 5 if you want 4. Enter Chat Lines to choose a new one. 5. Change/Reserve Chat Lines Handle 6. LiveWire Club Services 7. LiveWire Exchange: Bulletin Board 8. LiveWire Chronicle: News & Rumors 9. Chat Lines Software Libraries 10. System-wide Schedule of Events 11. This Week In History 12. GEnie User Profiles <---- Here's a handy way to find out 13.[*]FEEDBACK to Bonbon about your fellow Chat Line friends. Chat Clubs GEnie offers several clubs for fans of the Chat Lines. These clubs can save you quite a bit of money in connect time. For details, select Menu Item 6, LiveWire Club Services. For current club rates, type *RATES or RATES. Entering the Chat Lines To sign on to the LiveWire Chat Lines, select Menu Item 4, Enter Chat Lines. What could be simpler? Choosing a handle GEnie will then ask you to choose a "handle." That's the name you'll be known by in the Chat Lines. Every time you type a message, your handle will appear with it. It's GEnie's way of helping you keep track of who is saying what. Your handle can be almost anything you like (except for reserved words like GEnie and Sysop). Use your favorite nickname, a fictional character, or a word that describes your personality or profession. The goal is to make your handle interesting and distinctive. You'll find that handles can be a great way to stimulate conversation. Handles can be 1 to 24 characters long and can include punctuation. Type your handle when you see this prompt: Job: 21 What is your HANDLE (1 to 24 characters) ? "Job 21" indicates the job number which GEnie assigns to you when you enter the Chat Lines. It will be a different number every time you sign on. The number is used in certain Chat Lines commands, which we'll get to in a moment. To speed things up when you enter Chat Lines, you can pre-set your handle by choosing Menu Item 5 on GEnie page 400, or by typing *SET or SET. GEnie will then remember your handle. The next time you enter Chat Lines, you'll see a different prompt: Job 21 Handle of <The Shadow> will be used. OK? (Y/N)? Answer "yes" to enter Chat Lines, or "no" if you want to use a different handle for this session. Choosing a channel Next, GEnie will tell you how many users are on each of the 40 channels. Then you can choose the channel you want to enter. The prompt looks like this: What CHANNEL (1 to 40) ? If you press <RETURN> without typing a number, you'll be assigned automatically to Channel 1. Don't worry too much about your choice - you can channel-hop to your heart's content. Exploring the channels can be a lot of fun. You'll discover that some channels may have different characteristics each night. Conversations in Chat Lines Let's assume that your handle is The Shadow and you selected Channel 16. As you enter the channel, you'll see this message. ** <The Shadow> is on. Welcome to Channel 16. The double asterisks (**) are used to indicate that a message has been generated by GEnie, and not by another user. As you enter the channel, everyone will receive a message that you've arrived. Your screen will begin to fill up with messages from other users. Their messages are always preceded by their handle, framed in angle brackets (< >). Remember, entering a channel is like arriving at a party that's already in progress. It may take a moment or two to pick up on the drift of the conversation. Here is an example of what you might see... ** <The Shadow> is on. <-- Note the askerisks generated by GEnie. <L.A. Surfer> Greetings, dude! Are you a fan of old radio shows? <Wacky Lady> Rosie, I'm not sure I agree with you. <SLEEPY> I say Rosie's right. But what do I know? Hiya Shadow. <Rosie> C'mon... it can't POSSIBLY work. Remember what happened to Lucky Luke when he tried it? ** <Papa & Mama Bear> is on. <Papa & Mama Bear> The Bears are back! What did we miss? <L.A. Surfer> Rehi, Bears. We're still deep in debate here. Jump right in! :) Entering messages It's time to join in! It's nice to start out by sending a greeting to everyone. Just type "Hi, everyone!" or something like that (you don't need to use quotation marks). Your message isn't sent until your press <RETURN>. If you don't want to send a message, press CONTROL-X instead of <RETURN>. As you're typing, messages sent by others may scroll over your text; this is normal. GEnie will keep things straight and your message will be displayed the way you typed it. Many communication programs have a chat mode, or allow buffered keyboard input. These features allow you to keep what you're typing separate from other people's messages. Check the instructions for your communications software for details. So go ahead. Join the conversation, start a new discussion, or just sit back and watch the fun. Chat Lines commands The LiveWire Chat Lines offer you several commands for moving between channels, listening in on other channels, sending private messages and much more. These commands are explained below. Remember to enter each command at the beginning of a line and to precede it with a slash "/". Otherwise, GEnie will think you've entered a regular message and will display it for everyone to see. Basic commands /BLAnk Inserts a blank line after every message typed by the users. This can make it easier to keep the various conversations straight. /BYE To leave the Chat Lines and sign off GEnie, enter this command. /CHAnnel # Here's how you move from channel to channel. For example, moving to channel 27 is simply a matter of typing /CHA 27. Feel free to change channels as often as you like. /EXIt Takes you out of the Chat Lines and back to the main Chat Lines menu. /HANdle new handle Use this command to give yourself a different handle. For instance if you type /HAN Sky Pilot, you will see this message from GEnie: ** <Sky Pilot> was <The Shadow> Your handle is now <Sky Pilot> /HELp or ? Displays a quick list of Chat Lines commands. /STAtus # Displays a list of users on the specified channel. Handles and job numbers are shown. Type /STA * for a list of all users. If you type /STA without a number, you'll get a list of users for the channel you're on. /TIMe Displays the current time (U.S. Eastern Time). Advanced commands /CALl job# Use this command to get someone's attention. For example, if Job 7 is in a private conversation with another user, type /CALl 7. They would receive a message like this: ** <The Shadow> is calling. /ECHo Use this command to turn on the echo mode. In this mode, you will see your own messages displayed after you press <RETURN>. When you enter Chat Lines, you are automatically in echo mode. To turn it off, use the /XECho command. /MONitor # This commands lets you listen to conversations on several channels at once. You can talk only on your current channel, but you can listen to as many as four other channels. To hear what's happening on Channel 9, for example, type /MON 9. While you are monitoring, all messages are preceded by the channel number of the person speaking. Let's say you're on channel 11 and you're monitoring channels 7, 9 and 13. You might see something like this: To stop monitoring a channel, use the /XMOnitor # command. When you're monitoring, channel numbers precede each message. (7) <What a Guy> I agree. It was the funniest movie I've seen in years. (13) <Margie> Quite a crowd tonight! Everyone must be drawn to my magnetic presence. haha! (11) <Little Louie> I could kick myself.. I feel asleep during the fourth quarter and missed everything. (13) ** <Runner> is on. (7) <Bookworm> Sorry, Guy. I didn't get it. I guess I don't appreciate slapstick. /PRIvate # Sometimes, you may want to speak with someone without anyone listening in. That's what the /PRIvate command is all about. To start a private conversation with someone whose job number is 12, simply type /PRI 12. They'll receive this message: ** <The Shadow> Job 5 requests you in the private mode. When they respond by typing /PRI 5, you'll see this: Job 12 has joined you in private mode. As long as you stay in private mode, no one else can see your conversation and you won't see messages from any other users. You can speak privately with one only person at a time. To exit the private mode, both users should type the /XPRivate command. /SCRamble code The scramble mode is a way to have a private conversation with several users at once. Only people who know your four-character scramble code will be able to see your messages. The conversation will be invisible to everyone else. However, you will still see messages from users who are not in the scramble mode. You can tell others your scramble code by using the /SEND command. (See below). For example, if you choose "Star" as your scramble code, you and any other users can enter scramble mode by typing /SCR Star. Exit this mode with the /XSCramble command. /SENd # message Here's a handy way to send private messages to anyone on the Chat Lines. If the person's job number is 15, you could send a message by typing: "/SENd 15 Where have you been?" They would see this: ** <The Shadow> [Job 27] Where have you been? If you don't want to receive messages from a specific user, type /NOSend #, where # is the user's job number. Or type /NOSend without a job number to prohibit any users from sending messages. /SHOw handle Use this command to get a little information about a user. GEnie will display their GE Mail address, their current channel and the state they reside in. It's very similar to the /WHO command. /SQUelch # When you type this command, you'll stop seeing any messages typed by the user with job number you specify. Use the /XSQuelch command to start seeing their messages again. /USErs This command tells you how many users are on each active channel. Channels without users are not shown. /WHO # Displays the handle, GE Mail address, channel and state of the person with the specified job number. Similar to the /SHOw # command. /XBLank Tells GEnie to stop inserting blank lines between the messages you see. /XECho Turns off the echo mode. The messages you enter will no longer be echoed back to you by GEnie. /XMOnitor # Use this command to stop monitoring the channel specified. Users on that channel will be notified that you've stopped monitoring. /XPRivate To end a private conversation with another user, enter this command. /XSCramble Turns off the scramble mode. See /SCRamble above. /XSQuelch Tells GEnie to begin displaying messages from any users you have squelched. See /SQUelch above. Chat Lines lingo You'll soon discover that conversations on the Chat Lines are peppered with funny terms, abbreviations and even little drawings made from punctuation marks. It's helpful to understand this jargon, and even more fun to use it! Here's a brief list of some of the lingo you're likely to see. But if someone uses a term you don't understand, go ahead and ask them to explain it. What You See What It Means ------------ ------------- AFKB I'm away from my keyboard. b4 before BCNU I'll be seein' you. brb I'll be right back. BTW by the way c u l8tr See you later. go pri Go into private mode. GR8 That's great. grin something was amusing groan I can't believe you said that. hahahaha Something was very funny HAHAHA Something was really funny lurker Someone who watches without talking MORF Are you male or female? OIC Oh, I see. re About (as in, re last night) ROTF Rolling on the floor (laughing) - also ROTFL LOL Laughing out loud TTFN Ta ta for now. GMTA Great minds think alike IMHO In my humble opinion WTG! Way to go! UR You are. wave Said to someone who's monitoring - also ~~ [][] Hugs :) A smiley face (look at these sideways!) ;) A winking smiley face :D Open-mouth grin :P A face with the tongue sticking out :( A sad face :/ Frustrated or perturbed =:O Surprised LiveWire Exchange: Bulletin Board Here's the place to post electronic messages or respond to messages left by others. You can change information, find solutions to problems or talk about topics of interest. The Bulletin Board is organized into subject areas referred to as Categories. These range from Computer Dating to Astrology. To learn how to use this or any GEnie Bulletin Board, please see Chapter 6. 10. International Access and Rates ------------------------------ GEnie Access from Public Data Networks - PDN -------------------------------------------- Outside the USA, GEnie is available through direct access in Canada, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. GEnie is available through PDN (public data network) access in an additional 21 countries. To gain access to GEnie in countries with no direct GEnie access, the user must contact the local PTT (equivalent of a telephone company) or look in the telephone book for data service providers. In each country the pricing, terms, support and service will be different. Unfortunately, GEnie does not have any information to assist in obtaining local PDN access. Contact, pricing and access information changes so frequently that the only reliable source of information is the local PDN itself. GEnie is available via PDN in the following countries: Australia Norway Belgium New Zealand Denmark Philippines Finland Portugal France Singapore Hong Kong South Africa Ireland South Korea Italy Spain Mexico Taiwan Netherlands United Kingdom To gain access to GEnie, (after obtaining local PDN access): 1. Connect to the local PDN using PDN access instructions. 2. Enter the following information all on one line: 3136 (GE Information Services' DNIC) 9 (Indicates PAD Service) 00 (Indicates Asynchronous Service) Example: 3136900 OR... 31369000000000 (If the PDN requires the full X.121 address). Contact the local PDN representative for help with addressing if you have trouble. The GE Information Services network, GEnie's network, will distinguish the access speed automatically. 3. At the prompt: U#= Enter: XJM11997,PDN <RETURN> You will be given an electronic form to fill out, including name, mailing and billing addresses, and international credit card. Please fill out this form to sign up for GEnie access. 4. After filling out the signup form, a startup package will be mailed to your mailing address. This includes a contract, which must be returned before the account can be validated. To save time, the contract may also be faxed to GEnie; the fax number will appear on the contract. Non-Prime Prime The rates for PDN usage are: 300/1200/2400 $8.00 $20.00 There is no signup fee. A manual is not included, but may be ordered for $28.95 (which includes shipping and handling). GEnie rates are in addition to your local PDN access rates and fees. Prime time is in effect from 8 AM to 6PM EST (EASTERN time, U.S.A.) weekdays (Monday through Friday). Non-prime time is all other hours and includes GEnie holidays. GEnie in Germany, Austria, Switzerland: PRIME NON-PRIME ----- ----------------------- $27 $18 (300/1200/2400 baud) Note: In a few areas there is a $2/hour remote access surcharge. Some third party services may be subject to specific country restrictions or surcharges. For more information and local signup procedures and access numbers, call or write: Customer Service Desk-GEnie GE Information Service Robert-Bosch Strasse 6 5030 Huerth-Efferen, Germany (49) 2233-6091 To sign up to GEnie, call the Customer Service Desk-GEnie in Germany to request the closest dialup access number, and then dial and follow the below procedures: GEnie Germany ------------- To connect to GEnie through DATEX-P: From Network Type to Network Comments ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [Upon Connection] .[Return] Full-Stop (period) + Return Key 2. Wait for "DATEX-P" SET 2:0,5:1,12:1 Set PAD parameters (2:0 is ECHO OFF, 5:1, 12:1 is flow- control) 3. Wait for Carriage Return R 45221040880 GEIS NUA for WestGermany (OR) R 45221090880 alternate GEIS NUA 4. Wait for U#= XTX99628,GENIE Sign-up User# and password. GEnie Switzerland ----------------- To connect to GEnie through GE Network: From Network Type to Network Comments ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [Upon Connection] HHH for speed detection 2. Wait for U#= XTX99628,GENIE Type in signup user# comma and password. If you would like more information you can call or write Huerth-Effern at the phone/address above. GEnie Austria ------------- To connect to GEnie through DATEX-P: From Network Type to Network Comments ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [Upon Connection] .[Return] Full-Stop (period) + Return Key 2. Wait for "DATEX-P" SET 2:0,5:1,12:1 Set PAD parameters (2:0 is ECHO OFF, 5:1, 12:1 is flow- control) 3. Wait for Carriage Return R 26191115 GEIS NUA for Austria (OR) R 26191110 alternate GEIS NUA 4. Wait for U#= XTX99628,GENIE Type in signup User# comma and password. GEnie Japan ----------- For information about signing up in Japan use the following number to reach their Client Services or write them at the following address. PHONE: 0120-00-9805 (TOLL FREE#) NEC VAN MARKETING DIVISION 5-7-1,Shiba, Minato-ku TOKYO, JAPAN 108-01