Copyright: (c) Virtual Technology Corporation (v4/b203)


Help Contents
Welcome to the Virtual Access Highway

 See Also


Welcome to Virtual Access

 See Also


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Roadmap for Getting Connected

Roadmap for Mail and Messages

Roadmap for VA Options School


Roadmap for Getting Connected

 See Also


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Welcome to Virtual Access

Roadmap for Mail and Messages

Roadmap for VA Options School


Roadmap for Mail and Messages

 See Also


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Welcome to Virtual Access

Roadmap for Getting Connected

Roadmap for VA Options School


Roadmap for VA Options School

 See Also


Related Topics

For more information, see:

Welcome to Virtual Access

Roadmap for Getting Connected

Roadmap for Mail and Messages


Getting Connected

 See Also

To setup the connection to a remote service

The sequence for setting up and getting started is different for each service. Click on the service you want to set up:

CompuServe 	CIX	Internet (includes CIXIP and CISINET)

Documentation available

The Virtual Access support areas contain the following files:

•	text files for information about installing Virtual Access

•	the manual in Microsoft Word 6 format

•	a viewer for reading the manual if you do not have MS Word

Documentation within the program

•	Welcome sections for each service with information for installing and using the program

•	the standard help file with information on how to perform each function

•	the roadmap help file you are reading now

The print manual is intended to guide you through the basics of setting up and using Virtual Access. The help system has been written to provide information on how to perform each function.

♦ Notes

1) The Welcome section for each service you installed has information for getting started and using Virtual Access. It is strongly recommended that you read through the Welcome messages first.

2) New users to on-line services and off-line readers may find the manual useful for going through the program step by step.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

Comms Setup for CIX

Comms Setup for the Internet

For more information about connections, see Connect to a Remote Service.

For more information about getting connected, see:

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

 See Also

Run the Comms Wizard

The Communications Wizard does the initial setup for Virtual Access on CompuServe.

There is an icon for this program in the Virtual Access group or you can run the COMWIZ.EXE program in the Virtual Access installation directory.

If you have problems with the Wizard, you can perform these steps manually. See What the CompuServe Wizard Does for more information.

The Wizard must be completed successfully for Virtual Access to work correctly.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 2 - Request to Join A Forum

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

For more information about getting connected, see:

What the CompuServe Wizard Does

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


What the CompuServe Wizard Does

 See Also

Communications Setup (done by the Wizard)

This step collects the information needed to connect to CompuServe and logon. This includes your modem setup, where you connect to CompuServe, your logon and password.

These settings can be changed using File | Comms Setup menu.

For more information about the communications setup, see Comms Setup for CompuServe

Set Options on CompuServe (done by the Wizard)

The global options on CompuServe are changed for fast collection of messages. This step connects to CompuServe, changes the options and disconnects.

You can perform this step manually using Special | Others | Set CIS Options and then use File | Connect, highlight the CIS service and press ACTIONS ONLY.

For more information about Set Options see Set Service Options on CompuServe.

Set Options must be completed successfully for Virtual Access to work correctly.

GO BACK TO: Step 1 - Comms Setup

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

 See Also

Even though you may have joined a forum on CompuServe using other software, Virtual Access needs be told the name of the forum and the sections and libraries of the forum.

To join a forum if you know the forum name

1.	Select the Message menu and click on Join Remote

2.	Enter the name of the forum to join and the name you use on the forum.

For more information about join, see Join a Forum on CompuServe.

To join a forum if you don't know the forum name

1.	Select the Message menu and click on View Service Forums to display a list of all services and select CIS (forums).

2.	Browse this list to find the forum name and then press the JOIN Button.

If the list does not exist, see Get a CompuServe Forum List for more information.

Review your actions

You can review the forum(s) you have selected to join, by File | Review (or press the F2 key). The Review Outbasket, which is displayed before each connection, shows all the actions that will be performed when you connect to CompuServe.

For more information about reviewing actions, see Review Outbasket.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 3 - Connect and Join Forum

 Getting Support


Related Topics

For more information about getting connected, see:

Get a CompuServe Forum List

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Get a CompuServe Forum List

 See Also

If a list of CompuServe forums does not exist, you can collect one from CompuServe.

Request Virtual Access to collect the Forum List

1.	Select the Messages | Join menu and click on View Service Lists to display a list of all services and select CIS (forums).

2.	Since the list doesn't exist, Virtual Access will ask if you want to collect one. Press YES to enter the action in your Outbasket

Connect to CompuServe

1.	You will now need to connect to CompuServe to collect the list

2.	Select the File menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

3.	In the connect window, highlight CIS and press the ACTIONS ONLY button.

4.	The Review Outbasket window will open and should contain the action "Collect Forum List"

5.	Press OK to connect to CompuServe and collect the list.

GO BACK TO: Step 2 - Join a Forum

 Getting Support


Related Topics

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

 See Also

This step will connect to CompuServe, join the requested forum(s) and gather the forum information needed by Virtual Access.

Even if you are already a forum member, you must join the forum again using Virtual Access so that Virtual Access can collect the forum announcements and the message sections and libraries names.

Connect to CompuServe

1.	Select the File menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

2.	In the connect window, highlight CIS and press the CONNECT button.

3.	The Review Outbasket will open and contains a list of all actions to perform - join forums in this case.

4.	Press OK to connect to CompuServe and join the forums.

For more information about review see Review Outbasket.

For more information about connections, see Connect to a Remote Service.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 4 - Download Messages

 Getting Support


Related Topics

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

 See Also

After you join a forum, Virtual Access knows the names of the sections for the forum. You can then select the sections to download and the type of message of download.

To select sections

1.	Select the Messages | Join menu and click on Sections to Collect to open the dialog box

2.	Every forum you have joined with Virtual Access is listed on the left

3.	Click on a forum name to display the sections for that forum

4.	For each section you can download:

Full - all new messages in that section

Headers - only the header information for all new messages

Roots - only the headers of new threads, but not any replies

None - don't collect anything for the section.

5.	Repeat for all forums you want to download

For more information see Sections to Collect for CompuServe.

Connect to CompuServe to Download the Messages

After selecting the sections, you connect to CompuServe and actually collect them.

1.	Select the File menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

2.	In the connect window, highlight CIS and press the CONNECT button.

3.	The Review Outbasket window will open and contains a list of all actions to perform - download messages or headers in this case.

4.	Press OK to connect to CompuServe and join the forums.

For more information about review, see Review Outbasket.

For more information about connections, see Connect to a Remote Service.

Next Step: GO TO: Roadmap and Continue on the Road

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for CompuServe

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

 See Also

Communications Setup (done by the Wizard)

This step collects the information needed to connect to CIX and logon. This includes your modem setup, where you connect to CIX, your logon and password.

These settings can be changed using File | Comms Setup menu..

For more information about the communications setup, see Comms Setup for CIX

Next Step: GO TO: Step 2 Join Conferences

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

 See Also

Before you can join a conference, you will need to collect a list of all conferences currently available on CIX.

To Collect the Conference List

1.	Select the Message menu and click on View Service List click on CIX (conferences) in the dialog box

2.	If the conference list is not available, Virtual Access will ask if you want to collect one. Click on YES to download on the next connection to CIX

3.	Select File menu and click on Connect to open the connect window.

4.	 In the Connect Window, make sure CIX is the highlighted service and press the Actions Only button.

5.	The Review Outbasket window is displayed. Press OK and Virtual Access will collect the conference list

To Join a Conference

1.	Select the Message menu and click on View Service List and click on CIX (conferences) in the dialog box to display the conference list

2.	Highlight the conference you want to join and press the JOIN button. You will join the conference on your next connection to CIX.

♦ Note

For existing CIX users, Virtual Access will recognize all conferences you are already joined to and collect all new messages in those forums.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 3 Collecting Messages

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

 See Also

Connect to CIX to Collect Messages

1.	Select File menu and click on Connect to open the connect window.

2.	 In the Connect Window make sure CIX is the highlighted service and press the Connect button.

3.	The Review Outbasket window is displayed. Press OK and Virtual Access will connect and collect the messages for all conferences you have joined.

For more information about the connection process, see Connect to a Remote Service.

Next Step: GO TO: Roadmap and Continue on the Road

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

 See Also

Get your Winsock Software Working

The most important step for connecting to the Internet is to make sure you have a working winsock connection. Ashmount does not modify any existing winsock information or provide any winsock software.

The steps for getting the winsock setup depends on your operating system and the specific winsock you are using. Please note if you are using a 16 bit winsock, such as Trumpet or the CompuServe Internet dialer, you must use the 16 bit version of Virtual Access.

Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.x users should set up Dial Up Networking (DUN) for their Internet connections. Windows NT 3.x users should setup Remote Access Server (RAS).

Once you have a working winsock connection to your Internet provider, you are ready to set up Virtual Access.

For more information, see:

Trumpet Winsock Notes

Dial Up Networking Notes

Remote Access Service Notes

♦ Notes

1) Test the connection to your Internet Provider with the winsock before trying to connect with Virtual Access.

2) The Welcome section in each service you installed has information for getting started and using Virtual Access. It is strongly recommended that you read through these first.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 2 - Communications Setup

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

 See Also

Communication Settings (done by the Net Wizard)

The Net Wizard collects information about your Internet Service Provider. The Netwiz icon should be in the Virtual Access group or you can run NETWIZ.EXE in the installation directory.

You configure this information in File | Comms Setup. For more information, see Comms Setup for the Internet

♦ Notes

1) If you are using Dial Up Networking or RAS, you can link Virtual Access and the DUN entry in the File | Comms Setup | Dial-Up tab by checking Use Dial Up Networking and selecting the appropriate entry.

2) If you are using a 16 bit winsock, your winsock must be capable of autodialing for Virtual Access to be able to connect and disconnect from your ISP.

3) If your winsock cannot autodial, you will need to connect to your ISP manually and then tell Virtual Access to connect. After Virtual Access has finished its work online, you will need to disconnect manually.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 3 - Collect Newsgroup List

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

 See Also

The next step is to collect the newsgroups available from your provider. To collect a list.

Collect a list of available newsgroups

1.	Select the Messages | Join menu and click on the View Service Lists item and select the appropriate Internet service

2.	As the list is not available when you install Virtual Access , Virtual Access will respond with the message "No newsgroup list available locally. Mark for collection?" Press OK

Review your actions

1.	To review the actions waiting to happen you can use File | Review Outbasket (or the F2 key), in this case it should display "Collect the Newsgroup List"

Connect and collect newsgroup list

1.	To connect to your Internet Provider, open the Connect Window using File | Connect.

2.	Make sure your Internet service is the highlighted service and press the CONNECT button.

3.	Virtual Access will display the Review Outbasket window. Press the OK button and Virtual Access will collect the newsgroups available.

For more information about the connection process, see Connecting to the Internet.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 4 - Collect Messages

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

 See Also

Once you have collected the newsgroup list, you can decide which ones you want to read.

To Subscribe to a Newsgroup

1.	Select the Message menu and click on the View Service Lists item

2.	Select the Internet service you want to subscribe to newsgroups from to open the Newsgroup Selector dialog box

3.	Select the newsgroup you want to subscribe to and press HEADERS or FULL to subscribe and collect.

4.	Check the "Subscribed" button at the bottom left of the dialog to see the groups you have subscribed to.

♦ Notes

1) You can select multiple newsgroups to subscribe at one time

2) You can look for newsgroups using the FILTERED button at the bottom of the screen and the filter box for text to look for. See Subscribe to Newsgroups for more details of how filters work. The * character is used as a wildcard.

Next Step: GO TO: Step 5 Collect Messages

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

Support


Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

 See Also

Once you have the newsgroup list and indicated what newsgroups you want to collect, you're ready to connect and download them.

To Collect Newsgroup Messages

1.	Select the File Menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

2.	Make sure your Internet service is selected in the service list

3.	Press the CONNECT button

4.	A list of all newsgroups you have subscribed to is displayed in the Review Outbasket Window

5.	Press OK to start the connection

For more information about the connection process, see Connecting to the Internet.

Next Step: GO TO: Roadmap and Continue on the Road

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Comms Setup for the Internet

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Support


Support

 See Also

We hope that this roadmap, the manual and help file will answer most of your questions. However, if you can't find the information you need, Ashmount support is available on several on-line services, or directly from Ashmount Research. As we are a small company, our preferred method of providing support is by the on-line services, but if your problem is urgent, please call or fax us.

		USA		Europe
Sales		1-800 4VAMAIL		+44 171 831 4000
Support		(612) 924 0540		+44 171 831 4000
Fax		(612) 915 1133		+44 171 831 4400
Internet		support@vamail.com		support@ashmount.com
CompuServe		70007,5437		70007,5437
WWW		www.vamail.com		www.ashmount.com
Address		Virtual Technology Corporation		Ashmount Research Ltd.
		3100 West Lake Street		9-10 Southampton Place
		Suite 400		London
		Minneapolis		WC1A 2EA
		MN 55416		United Kingdom
		USA
Newsgroup Support

In addition to the above, we maintain our own support newsgroups on the company server. To access these newsgroups within Virtual Access, install the Ashmount or VAMail service.

To access from another program, point to the news.ashmount.com server.

Product Information

Information about various Ashmount products is available from the Help | Product Information menu item.

Copyrights

Windows, Windows 95 and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Some of the software is copyrighted as follows:

© Portions Copyright Summit Software 1993-1997

© This software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group


Related Topics:

For more information about getting connected, see:

Getting Connected

CompuServe -- Step 1 Comms Setup

CompuServe -- Step 2 Request to Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 3 Connect and Join Forum

CompuServe -- Step 4 Download Messages

CIX -- Step 1 Getting Connected

CIX -- Step 2 Join Conferences

CIX -- Step 3 Collecting Messages

Internet -- Step 1 Winsock Setup

Internet -- Step 2 Comms Setup

Internet -- Step 3 Collect Newsgroup List

Internet -- Step 4 Subscribe to Newsgroups

Internet -- Step 5 Collect Messages from Newsgroups

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Roadmap for Getting Connected

Roadmap for Mail and Messages

Roadmap for VA Options School


Mail and Messages

 See Also

The Mail and Messages section contains summary information about common actions to get you started. See the main Virtual Access Help file for full information on each command.

The following actions are covered:

•	Read messages and mark them

•	Get Full Text of Header

•	Reply to messages

•	Start a new thread (message)

•	Read and Send Mail

•	Add a signature to your messages

•	Review Outbasket to see your messages before uploading

•	Connect and upload your replies and messages

•	Manage your message base - keep or delete messages, ignore threads

•	Prune - introduction to removing messages

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Read Messages

 See Also

To mark a message as read

1.	Press the <ENTER> key. Virtual Access will then move to the next unread message When you have read the last message in a folder, Virtual Access will jump to the next folder with unread messages.

OR

2.	Press the spacebar. Virtual Access will then move to the next unread message. When you have read the last message in a folder, Virtual Access will not move to the next folder.

♦ Notes

1) When new messages are added to the message base, the Reading Window displays information about the message:

•	the Unread Symbol is placed next to each new message to indicate it has not been read.

•	the Root Message Symbol indicates the start of a new thread that has replies to the original message

•	the Root Missing Symbol indicates the message is a reply, but the original message is not in your message base.

2) As you read each message, you can mark it read by pressing <Enter> or the space bar which removes the Unread Symbol. This makes it easy to tell which message you have already seen.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Reading Order

Next Unread

Mark Message Read

Mark Message Unread

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Getting Full Text of Headers

 See Also

For CompuServe and Internet services, you can select whether to download the full text of every message or just the message header.

To mark a header to collect full text

1.	Press the period key. Virtual Access will remove the Unread Symbol and replace it with a Fetch Symbol.

To mark a header as read but not collect full text

1.	Press the <ENTER> key, which removes the Unread Symbol. Virtual Access will then move to the next unread header.

♦ Notes

1) When new message headers are added to the message base, the Reading Window displays information about the header:

1.	if the header belongs to an existing thread, it is inserted into the thread

2.	if the header starts a new message thread (or is 'broken' from an existing thread) it is presented in boldface type

3.	the Unread Symbol is placed next to each new message header to indicate it has not been read.

2) New messages added to threads that you have marked with the Fetch Symbol will be recognized and added to the review list for collection on your next connection.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For information about headers, see:

Fetch Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Write Replies

 See Also

To write a reply

1.	Select the Message menu and click on Reply to Message

2.	The Message Editor window opens for you to type your reply

3.	When you click on the OK button, the reply is sent to the Outbasket to wait for the next connection and the Reply Bubble Symbol is displayed.

♦ Notes

1) Pressing the right mouse button displays a list of editing options, including a spell checker.

2) If a portion of the message is highlighted, it is automatically included when you start a reply.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Message Editor

Review Outbasket

Signatures

Reply to a Message

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Write New Messages

 See Also

To start a new thread

1.	Read a message in thefolder where you want to send the message.

2.	Select the Message menu and click on Post New Message

3.	Fill in the fields

TO: Enter the addressee - applicable only to CompuServe

SUBJECT: Enter the subject of the message

Text window: write the message here

4.	When you have finished writing your message, press the OK button to store it in the Outbasket to be sent on your next connection.

♦ Notes

1) Pressing the right mouse button displays a list of editing options, including a spell checker.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Message Editor

Review Outbasket

Signatures

Start a New Thread

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Mail

 See Also

Mail is received into the default mail folder MESSAGES. You can route mail messages into different folders using Tools | Message Filters | Mail Rules.

To reply by mail

1.	Read the message you want to reply to by mail

2.	Select the Message menu and click on Mail Reply to Sender item.

3.	Write the text of the reply.

4.	When you press the OK button the mail message is sent to your Outbasket until the next connection and the Reply Bubble Symbol is displayed.

To write a new mail message

1.	Select the Message menu and click on the Post New Mail item.

2.	Fill in the fields

SERVICE - the service to send the mail message

TO: Enter the email address of the person

CC: List of additional email addresses to send a carbon copy of the message

SUBJECT: Enter the subject of the message

TEXT WINDOW: For writing the message

3.	Write the text of the reply.

4.	When you press the OK button the mail message is sent to your Outbasket until the next connection

♦ Notes

1) Pressing the Right Mouse Button brings up a menu with several options, including a spell checker.

2) The Attach file button is used to send files by mail. See Send Binary Files for more information.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Send Mail

Reply to Mail

Mail Rules

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Signatures

 See Also

A signature is text that is automatically added at the end of all your messages, usually your name and contact details, to save you having to type them in every time.

To add a signature for the entire service

1.	Highlight the service in the MessageBase Window

2.	Select the Edit menu and click on My Signatures

3.	Enter the text.

To add a signature for a specific group or folder

1.	Highlight the group or folder in the MessageBase Window

2.	Select the Edit menu and click on My Signatures

3.	Enter the text.

♦ Notes

1) Each signature is limited to 320 characters.

2) CompuServe Only: put a space before each line of text so it will display properly

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Signatures

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Review the Outbasket

 See Also

Review Outbasket allows you to check your messages before you send them to the remote service.

To review messages

1.	Select the File menu and click on Review Outbasket

To edit message in review

1.	Highlight the message in the review window and click on the Edit button

2.	Make the changes to the message

♦ Note

1) Review Outbasket is also called when you connect to allow you to check your messages before sending them.

2) In the workgroup version, only one person can review a service at the same time

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Review Outbasket

Review Outbasket Window

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Connect

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Connect

 See Also

To connect, upload your messages and download new messages

1.	Select the File menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

2.	In the Connect window, highlight the service to connect to and press the CONNECT button.

To connect and only upload your messages

1.	Select the File menu and click on Connect to open the Connect Window

2.	In the Connect window, highlight the service to connect to and press the ACTIONS ONLY button.

♦ Notes

1) CompuServe and CIX: If you have Fetch Mail checked in the Comms Setup, both connection types collect waiting mail.

2) Internet: If SMTP or POP3 is enabled, waiting mail is always collected.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Connect to a Remote Service

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Manage Messages

Prune Your Message base


Manage Messages

 See Also

As you read your messages, you may want to place flags on them to indicate different options. The flags are displayed in the left column of the thread window.

Keep a Message

 Retains the message and it will not be removed from the message base. Press the letter K to toggle keep on/off

Delete a Message

 Flags the message to be removed the next time you run Prune. Press the letter D to toggle delete on/off

Ignore a thread

 Marks the thread as read and changes the color. Any new messages added to the thread are also marked as read when you go to read that section. Press the letter I to toggle ignore on/off.

♦ Notes

1) Messages marked for delete are not removed until the Prune command is run manually.

2) Virtual Access has several tools for managing your local message base. When you are comfortable with the basics, read the main help file section on Managing Messages, Copy to Folder, bookmarks and advanced search capabilities. These capabilities can be very useful in organizing information.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Prune

Keep Messages

Delete Messages

Ignore a Thread

Bookmark Messages

Manage Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Prune Your Message base


Prune Your Message base

 See Also

Messages are not removed from the message base until you run Prune.

To run Prune

1.	Select the Tools | Messagebase Management menu and click on Prune.

2.	Check what you want to Prune: the current section, the sections highlighted in the MessageBase Window or the entire message base

To set options for Prune

1.	Select the Tools | Messagebase Management menu item and then click on Prune Options.

2.	The default value is used for any section not explicitly listed

3.	Click the ADD button to add section for special settings.

♦ Notes

1) You can use the Virtual Access scheduler to schedule prune to run at specific times.

2) In the workgroup version, only users with administrator access can run Prune

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Prune

Prune Options

Keep Messages

Delete Messages

For more information about using Virtual Access, see:

Mail and Messages

Read Messages

Getting Full Text of Headers

Write Replies

Write New Messages

Mail

Signatures

Review the Outbasket

Connect

Manage Messages


VA Options School

 See Also

There are many options within Virtual Access. They are all grouped together on tabs in the Tools | Options menu item.

Options include the following:

•	Appearance of the windows, including point size, font and colors for the Reading Window

•	Toolbar icons

•	the Reading Order

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information ,see:

Virtual Access Options

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Toolbar

 See Also

Tools | Options | Toolbar Tab allows you to determine which icons are on the toolbar and in which order.

To change the toolbar

1.	Select the Tools | Options menu and click on Toolbar tab to display the toolbar dialog

2.	Highlight the icon you want on the toolbar in the left window

3.	Place the cursor (click once) in the right window where you want to insert the icon above

4.	Press the Add Key

Additional Toolbar Options

•	Tooltips - text that is displayed when you move the cursor over the icon

•	Vertical - toolbar on the left of the screen

•	Large buttons - bigger icons

♦ Tip

The left column contains all available icons within Virtual Access. They are in menu order with icon-only functions at the bottom.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Options - Toolbar

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Full or Short Menus

 See Also

Virtual Access has two sets of menus:

•	The full menus with all available commands

•	A subset of menu items containing the most frequently used commands

To change to short menus

1.	Select the View menu and click on Short Menus

To change to full menus

1.	Select the View menu and click on Full Menus

♦ Note

1) You may find using the Short Menus easier when getting started and then switch to Full Menus to use the advanced Virtual Access commands.

2) Many of the commands are also available as keyboard commands.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Full Menu Commands

Short Menus

Keyboard Commands

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Message Base Window

 See Also

Click on the image for information about the screen.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


The Search box is for quickly finding the name of a service, group or folder.

The Search function looks for a match of the characters. As each character you type finds a match, the MessageBase Window scrolls to the match.

The search box display can be turned on or off using the Right Mouse Button popup menu. If checked, the search box is displayed.


Toggles the display of the Search Box on/off at the top of the MessageBase Window.


The display of buttons on the right of the MessageBase Window are turned on or off using the Right Mouse Button popup menu.

If checked, the buttons are displayed.


Sets the group flags in the MessageBase.


The View Tab that displays all groups and folders in the MessageBase Window.

Note that File Lists are displayed in a different color from message folders for services that have both message and file areas.


The View Tab that displays only the message folders in the MessageBase Window


The View Tab that displays only the File List folders in the MessageBase Window.


The View Tab that displays only the mail folders in the MessageBase Window.


The main part of the MessageBase Window which displays the services, groups and folders in your local message base.


The (P) indicates that the folder has been postponed in the reading order


The (Special) flag indicates the folder is internal to Virtual Access


The (Sysop) flag indicates you have remote sysop/moderator privileges for the group.


The red number indicates the number of unread messages in the group or folder


Opens the Reading Window and displays the selected folder.


Resign allows you to stop reading messages and delete folders or groups. On some services, it allows you to stop collecting messages. For more information, see Resign/Delete Folders.


Joins you to a folder locally in your message base. This is most frequently used with Multiple IDs or the Workgroup version.


Displays a Signature dialog box for you to enter the signature you want to use.

The signature applies to the selected groups or folders you have highlighted in the MessageBase Window.


Displays a dialog box to refresh the File List for a group or folder.


Displays a dialog box allowing you to add or remove participants from the selected groups or folders.


Calls the Build dialog to recreate the indexes and thread information in your MessageBase. For more information, see Build.


Calls the Prune dialog to delete messages and threads from the message base for the selected folder(s) you have highlighted. For more information, see Prune.


Calls the help system for the MessageBase Window.


Calls the Find dialog to look for text in the selected folders.


Calls the Mark as Read dialog to mark the selected folders as read


Reading Window

 See Also

The Reading Window is where you view messages. It has three main areas:

•	Thread Pane showing the threading information and message status symbols

•	Message Pane showing the current message

•	Information line that divides the Thread and Message Panes. The Information Bar can display information such as the message subject, number or the date.

The Right Mouse Button will display popup menus with common actions in the Thread and Message Windows and on the Information Bar.

Click on an option below to see the popup menu for each area of the MessageBase Window

Thread Window Popup Menu

Information Bar Popup Menu

Message Window Popup Menu

♦ Notes

1) You can also select fonts and colors for many areas of the Reading Window by selecting Tools | Options | Appearance Tab.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Options - Appearance

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Information Bar Popup Menu

Thread Window Popup Menu

Message Window Popup Menu

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Information Bar Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere on the Information Bar. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Thread Window Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere on the Thread Window. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Message Window Popup Menu

 See Also

The following menu is displayed when you click the Right Mouse Button anywhere on the Message Window. Click on the menu item for information about each function.


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Goes to the MessageBase Window. The shortcut key is the number 1


Zooms the Reading Window to display only the Thread Pane. The shortcut key is the number 2


Displays the Reading Window with both the Thread and Message Panes. The shortcut key is the number 3


Zooms the Reading Window to display only the Message Pane. The shortcut key is the number 4.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show each message and all replies.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show only the root (first) message of each thread and not the replies.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show the messages in the order they were posted.


Changes the display of the Thread Pane to show only unread messages. This does not display any messages in the thread that you have already read.


Opens the Options dialog to change the display of the Reading Window fonts and colors.


Opens the Copy to Folder dialog box to allow you to copy the message to another folder.


Opens the Print dialog box to print messages.


Opens the Save As dialog to save messages to a file


Copies the selected text to the clipboard.


Opens the Operate on a Message dialog box to allow you to decode a message, go to a Web reference or a message reference in Virtual Access.


Open the GoTo Message box. If a message number is selected or is contained within a message with the # symbol, it is inserted into the GoTo box.


Toggles the text in the Message Pane between proportional and fixed font.


Toggles the headers between full headers, commonly used headers and no headers.


Calls in the dialog to download a file.

If you highlight a filename in the message, it will be inserted into the dialog.


Calls in the dialog to change the sort order of the Thread Pane and messages.

The options are: Threads, Roots Only, Chronological and Unread only


Reply to the message you are viewing in the Reading Window


Creates a new message in the folder you are viewing in the Reading Window


Reading Order

 See Also

The reading order determines where Virtual Access will go when you press Enter after reading all messages in a section.

To set the reading order

1.	Select the Tools menu and click on Options and then click on the Read Order tab

2.	In the Options list on the left, select the section you want to insert in the Reading Order

3.	In the Reading Order list on the left, place the cursor on the item you want to insert BELOW

4.	Press the ADD key

♦ Notes

1) The order can be set by specific service, group or folder. There is also an option to read all mail regardless of the folder names or service at the top of the Options list (*.Mail/*)

2) You can select multiple folders at the same time. They are added in the same order as in the Options list.

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more information, see:

Options - Reading Order

Navigating the Message Base

Mark Message Read

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Appearance Options

Display Options

System Options


Appearance Options

 See Also

The Tools | Options | Appearance tab controls the look of several of the Virtual Access windows.

For example in the Reading Window you can specify:

•	the point size and font of the Thread Pane

•	the point size and font of the Message Pane

•	colors for personal and workgroup involvement

For more information see: Options - Appearance

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Display Options

System Options


Display Options

 See Also

The Tools | Options | Display tab controls some of the display within Virtual Access.

The one most generally changed is what is displayed on the Information Bar in the Reading Window.

For more information see: Options - Display

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

System Options


System Options

 See Also

The Tools | Options | System tab are functions that affect the entire Virtual Access installation.

The options you may want to review and possibly change are:

1.	Maximum backups retained - the number of connections to backup into the BACKUP subdirectory.

2.	Import Options - Stop import of messages during a connection - you may find that you get better download speeds if import does not run until after the connection is finished.

For more information see: Options - System

Next Step: Click on the See Also at the top of the page for other related topics.

 Getting Support


Related Topics:

For more of the Virtual Access Options School, see:

Toolbar

Full or Short Menus

Message Base Window

Reading Window

Reading Order

Appearance Options

Display Options


Go and Enjoy the Online World

Virtual Access is a very flexible and powerful program and can be used in many different ways to enhance your exploration of the online world. As you experiment, you will develop your own ways of using it.

You can also learn much, and receive endless friendly help, by joining the Virtual Access support areas.

There are a lot more features in Virtual Access than are covered in this introduction. You are encouraged to read the manual and the help file for more details.

 Getting Support


Glossary of Terms

This is the full Glossary from the main help file. Not all of these terms are used in the Roadmap Help. They are included for reference.

A

Alias

Archie

Article

ASCII

Ashmount support forums

ATM

B

Backbone

Bandwidth

Baud/Bits per second (bps)

BBS

Binary

Bookmark Symbol

C

Cancel Symbol

CISINET

CIX

Client

CSi

CSLIP

Cyberspace

D

Dedicated Line

Delete in Thread Symbol

Delete Symbol

Dial-up

Digest

Discussion group

Disk Symbol

DNS

Download Pending Symbol

DUN

E-mail

E

Encryption

Ethernet

F

FAQ

Fetch Symbol

Finger

Firewall

Flame

Flist Symbol

FTP

G

Gateway

Gopher

H

Headers

HMI

Home page

Host

HTML

Hypertext

I

IMAP

Information Bar

IRC

ISDN

ISP

J

K

Keep in Thread Symbol

Keep Symbol

L

LAN

Leased line

M

Mail reflector

Mailing list

Message Count Icon

Message Pane

MIME

MMM

Modem

MUD

Multipart Encoded Message

N

Navigation keys

Netfind

Netiquette

Netnews

NISA forum

NNTP

O

P

Packet

Ping

POP3

Postmaster

PPP

Pseudo Folder

Q

Quoting

R

RAS

Reading Window

Remote host

Reply Bubble Symbol

Root Message Symbol

Root Missing Symbol

Router

S

Search Header Information

Service provider

Signature

Site

SLIP

SMTP

Spam

Subscribe

T

TCP/IP

Tele-commuting

Thanks

Thread Pane

U

UNIX

Unread Message in Thread Symbol

Unread Symbol

URL

Usenet

Usenet Moderator

Username

UUEncode

V

View Tab

View Window

Virtual Access support

Virus

W

Winsock

World Wide Web (WWW)

X

Y

Z


A~


Alias

A shortened form of a long name, used to facilitate sending messages. Alias can also be used as a short name for a list of people.


Archie

A lookup tool for locating files that are publicly available by anonymous FTP.


Article

A message in a newsgroup.


ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. The set of 255 characters recognized by most computers. These characters are plain text with no formatting information.


Ashmount support forums

Ashmount on-line support is available on the following services:

Service	Forum/Conference	ID
CompuServe	Ashmount	70007,5437
CIX	ashmount	ashmount
Internet	www.ashmount.com	support@ashmount.com
	www.vamail.com	support@vamail.com


ATM

Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a high speed packet switching technology using small packets (cells) of fixed size. ATM is also known as "fast packet."


B~


Backbone

The primary long-distance connections on the Internet.


Bandwidth

The volume of information that can be sent over a network in a specified time.


Baud/Bits per second (bps)

Terms used to describe the measures of speed needed to send data from one computer to another.


BBS

Bulletin Board System/Service. An electronic system in which people dial up by modem to send and receive messages and files.


Binary

The data format which stores graphics, sound and sound files.


Bookmark Symbol

The small picture indicating the message marked is part of the active bookmark set


C~


Cancel Symbol

 The small picture indicating that Virtual Access will withdraw this message from the remote service next time you connect.


CISINET

The name of the Virtual Access service for accessing CompuServe as an Internet Service Provider for newsgroup access.


CIX

CIX within Virtual Access refers to CompuLink Information Exchange, a conferencing system located in the UK.

CIX on the Internet refers to Commercial Internet Exchange, a consortium of commercial Internet service providers.


Client

The user of a server or service.


CSi

CompuServe Interactive, also know as CompuServe Information Services (CIS). CompuServe is a large conferencing system in the US with access around the world.


CSLIP

A newer, faster SLIP that uses compressed packets.


Cyberspace

The whole collection of sites and electronic exchanges on the Internet


D~


Dedicated Line

A phone line used for 24 hour network communications.


Delete in Thread Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message there is a deleted messages in a collapsed thread that will be removed the next time Prune is run.


Delete Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message will be deleted the next time Prune is run.


Dial-up

An connection using a modem and a phone to dial to a remote service.


Digest

A group of mail messages sent together instead of one at a time. Some mailing lists can be received either as one long message daily (digest) containing new messages or with each message received individually.


Discussion group

A group of people exchanging messages on a given topic.


Disk Symbol

 The small picture in a Library or File List indicating that Virtual Access has downloaded the file.


DNS

Domain Name System is a distributed database translating computer names (like ashmount.com) into numeric Internet addresses for transferring your messages and commands across the Internet.


Download Pending Symbol

 The small picture in a Library or File List indicating you have told Virtual Access to download the file.


DUN

Dial Up Networking is the function within Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.x that lets you dial into the Internet or another computer.

Windows NT 3.x has the same feature, but is called Remote Access Service (RAS).


E-mail

Electronic mail. The sending of messages from one person to another by computer.


E~


Encryption

The scrambling of a message so that it can't be deciphered without a proper decryption key.


Ethernet

Common Local Area Network (LAN) hardware.


F~


FAQ

Frequently Asked Question(s). Newcomers to discussion groups often ask questions which have been asked and answered many times before. To help these newcomers (and to save the trouble of trotting out the same old answers) old hands often create FAQs - lists of common questions and their answers.


Fetch Symbol

 The small picture indicating that you have told Virtual Access to download the full text for the message.


Finger

An Internet command for displaying information about a specific user.


Firewall

A firewall is a security system designed to protect a local network of computers from outside interference.

Hardware or software based filtration of traffic between locations on a network according to administrator defined rules. A Firewall's primary purpose is to ensure that only authorizedtraffic can pass into or out of the firewall protected areas.

Such authorization can be based upon the identity of the individual or machine, the size of the traffic items, the nature of the message or command, the time of day and many other conditions. Firewall devices are increasingly being combined with and sold as proxy servers, however they need not be so.


Flame

An angry reaction to an on-line message and often a personal attack. Although common, they are not considered good netiquette.


Flist Symbol

 CIX Only. The small picture on the Information Bar indicating there is a Flist associated with the current topic.


FTP

The file transfer protocol often used to send files around the Internet. There are public ftp sites where you can download public domain and shareware programs, updated drivers for your PC's graphics card and many other useful files.


G~


Gateway

A link between two systems which may otherwise be incompatible; often a link between two on-line systems.


Gopher

A menu based system for exploring Internet resources.


H~


Headers

Lines prefacing a mail message which give information about the message including its source, destination, subject and delivery route.


HMI

Host Micro Interface is a proprietary protocol used on CompuServe.


Home page

A first menu of predefined World Wide Web locations (resources).


Host

A computer which makes up a network. This is also used to refer to the central computers on a conferencing system such as CompuServe or CIX.


HTML

Hyper-Text Markup Language. The language used to communicate on the World Wide Web.


Hypertext

A method of linking related documents, graphics and multimedia objects.


I~


IMAP

Internet Message Access Protocol used by some mail servers.


Information Bar

The area separating the Thread Pane and the Message Pane in the Reading Window.


IRC

Internet Relay Chat. A worldwide Internet conferencing system.


ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network is a high-speed, digital connection over a phone line which requires special equipment at both ends, individual or business; sometimes known as IAP; Internet Access Provider.


ISP

Internet Service Provider. The company that provides you with your connection to the Internet.


J~

No entries for this letter.


K~


Keep in Thread Symbol

The small picture indicating that there is a kept message in a collapsed thread. Kept messages are not removed from the message base by Prune.


Keep Symbol

 The small picture indicating that the message will be kept and not removed from the message base by Prune.


L~


LAN

Local Area Network is a system connecting multiple computers together.


Leased line

A permanently connected telephone line between two locations.


M~


Mail reflector

Software that automatically distributes incoming messages to mailing list members.


Mailing list

A discussion group which uses E-mail to communicate.


Message Count Icon

 The small icon on the Status Bar showing how many messages have not been read yet. Double clicking on this icon will update the unread message count.

 This icon is also available to be placed on the toolbar to refresh the unread message count.


Message Pane

The area of the Reading Window that contains the message text.


MIME

Multimedia Internet Mail Extensions is a standard that lets you attach files to mail messages to send to people. The file is converted into text and embedded in a mail message that is sent with your e-mail; the mail server at the other end will re-attach it to the mail message.


MMM

Multi-media messaging. Communications which include various forms such as sound, graphics and video.


Modem

A device which allows digital computer data to be sent and received via analog phone lines.


MUD

Multi-User Dungeon - a text-based multi-user role playing game , like Dungeons & Dragons(TM), running on a server on the Internet. You can connect using Telnet and join in with other players. Sometimes referred to as MUSHes, MUCKs and MOOs.


Multipart Encoded Message

An MIME or UUEncode message that is stored in more than one messages.

This is often done in Usenet newsgroups as the total size is too large for many systems.


N~


Navigation keys

These are the keystrokes for the most common tasks.

You will find them to be the quickest way to read and reply to messages.


Netfind

A service for looking up someone's electronic address.


Netiquette

Network etiquette for communicating appropriately, particularly in newsgroups.


Netnews

The collection of Usenet news groups distributed worldwide.


NISA forum

NISA is the New Information System Architecture on CompuServe that only supports HMI access to the forums.


NNTP

Net News Transfer Protocol is the standard method for distributing Usenet newsgroups across the Internet. NNTP allows you to download just the headers or the full messages. Virtual Access uses this to allow you control which messages you download.


O~

No entries for this letter.


P~


Packet

A unit of data transmission on a network.


Ping

A program used to verify an active connection to an Internet site.


POP3

Post Office Protocol 3 is an advanced Internet mail service that allows your ISP to store your mail for you until you dial in. You may also be able to store collected mail for reference for a certain time.


Postmaster

The general anonymous E-mail account for a network, used for questions and for mail to a person whose address in unknown. You can generally address mail questions to postmaster@site.


PPP

Point-to Point Protocol is a low bit rate highly reliable connection protocol for TCP/IP and other network protocols, designed for use over telephone lines. The alternative is SLIP.


Pseudo Folder

A Virtual Access folder that exists locally, on your hard drive, not on a remote service

Pseudo folders are used to hold messages such as ACTIONS/INFORMATION that reports the results as each connection..

Many pseudo folders are read-only since you cannot send messages to them.


Q~


Quoting

When you reply to an e-mail message or a Usenet post you can include the message you are replying to, marked with ">" characters. It is considered good netiquette not to include more of the message than necessary.


R~


RAS

Remote Access Server. A computer which you can dial up to get access to facilities, for example a company Local Area Network.

RAS is also the name of a function within Windows NT 3.x that lets you dial the Internet or another PC.

Windows 95 and Window NT 4.x have the same feature, but it is called Dial Up Networking (DUN).


Reading Window

The window where you read messages.

It contains the Thread Pane, the Message Pane and the Information Bar.


Remote host

Another computer on a network which you are accessing.


Reply Bubble Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message has a reply that has not been uploaded.


Root Message Symbol

There are two symbols that indicate the root message (a message to which there are comments and replies):

 Indicates a root message and that the thread is collapsed so no replies are displayed.

 Indicates a root message and the thread is expanded showing any replies.


Root Missing Symbol

 The small picture indicating that the Root, or first message of a thread, is not in your local message base.


Router

A system that transfer data between two networks that use the same protocols.


S~


Search Header Information

The "header" for search purposes is all header fields (including all Internet header fields), except for CIX Conference messages.

For Internet header fields, the search can be done on specific header fields by using a regular expression on the field. For example, From:*part_or_all_of_address* would only search the From: field.

CIX Conference message have only the message number, the message date and for replies, the message number it is a reply to.

Note that the local service messages do not have a header.


Service provider

A company which provides access to the Internet, also referred to as Internet Service Provider (ISP).


Signature

The last part of a message, usually the author's name, E-mail address, and a short comment or quote. Virtual Access can add signatures automatically to your messages.


Site

A group of administered computers.


SLIP

Serial Line Internet Protocol is a low bit rate highly reliable connection protocol for TCP/IP, designed to work over telephone lines. C.f. CSLIP. The alternative is PPP.


SMTP

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is used to send e-mail across the Internet. Some Internet Providers send your e-mail to you by SMTP as well and this allows you to receive mail under several different names at the same account (e.g. support@ashmount.co.uk, sales@ashmount.co.uk) but this is more complicated to set up than a POP3 mail connection. You also have to collect your mail by dialing in directly to the service and the mail is not stored on the server after you have collected it.


Spam

A message, usually commercial advertising, sent indiscriminately to many inappropriate places on the Internet, usually by e-mail or via Usenet newsgroups. This is a form of net abuse.

In response, many Net users send large mail messages in an attempt to overload the spammer's account


Subscribe

To join a discussion group, thus automatically receiving messages and being able to send messages.


T~


TCP/IP

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol is the protocol used for sending information between computers connected to the Internet.


Tele-commuting

The act of letting your work travel digitally rather than your body physically.


Thanks

Many people have helped develop this file. I would like expressly thank:

Mike Oriss for the title and encouragement to write this file.

Richard Day for the roadmap graphics and his patience in doing all the revisions.

The testers who have reviewed and commented on this file and found several subtle errors.

Ed King for help with the initial design and his generous support and encouragement.

My neighbor, Eileen Gibson, who fed me cups of coffee and let me vent my frustration with Winhelp compilers, even though she didn't understand a word.

My colleagues at Ashmount for their help and support (and general patience in putting up with me).

Brandy J. Williams


Thread Pane

The area of the Reading Window that contains the threading information, message number, author and text information.


U~


UNIX

An operating system used by many computers and popular on Internet hosts.


Unread Message in Thread Symbol

 The small picture indicating that there is a message in the thread that you have not read yet. Applies to collapsed threads only.


Unread Symbol

 The small picture indicating the message has not been read


URL

Uniform Resource Locator

A format for specifying the protocol, server (if required) and directory path to a file. URLs are used to on the Internet to specify web pages, FTP, etc.

In addition, Virtual Access uses URLs in the message text to specify the location of files to be decoded or viewed.


Usenet

A collection of Internet discussion groups using the NNTP protocol to exchange news articles.


Usenet Moderator

A person who controls submissions to a discussion group.


Username

The ID of a user account on a computer.

You may have several usernames:

•	Your local Virtual Access username to logon to Virtual Access

•	Each remote service may have different usernames


UUEncode

A method of encrypting a binary file into ASCII for transmission across the Internet.

To send binary mail via the Internet, the file must be encoded by the sender and decode by the receiver. Virtual Access will do both automatically.


V~


View Tab

The tabs at the bottom of the Message Base Window that show different views of the message base. The default tabs are: All, Messages, File Lists and Mail.


View Window

The window used for displaying messages. It is displayed in two parts:

•	Message Pane - contains the message text

•	Thread Pane - contains the threading information, message number, author and text information.


Virtual Access support

		USA		Europe
Sales		1-800 4VAMAIL		+44 171 831 4000
Support		(612) 924 0540		+44 171 831 4000
Fax		(612) 915 1133		+44 171 831 4400
Internet		support@vamail.com		support@ashmount.com
CompuServe		70007,5437		70007,5437
WWW		www.vamail.com		www.ashmount.com
Address		Virtual Technology Corporation		Ashmount Research Ltd.
		3100 West Lake Street		9-10 Southampton Place
		Suite 400		London
		Minneapolis		WC1A 2EA
		MN 55416		United Kingdom
		USA
Newsgroup Support

In addition to the above, we maintain our own support newsgroups on the company server. To access these newsgroups within Virtual Access, install the Ashmount or VAMail service.

To access from another program, point to the news.ashmount.com server.


Virus

A program which infects a legitimate program and attempts to damage the system in some way.

It is a good idea to check all files you download before running them.


W~


Winsock

A Windows add-on that allows you to use the TCP/IP networking protocol. You need to have WINSOCK.DLL running before you can use any Internet software. Windows 95 and Windows NT come with their own Winsock, as do may Internet software packages


World Wide Web (WWW)

World Wide Web. A hypertext-based system that allows browsing of available Internet resources.


X~

No entries for this letter.


Y~

No entries for this letter.


Z~

No entries for this letter.