There are two forms of external communication available on the Deep Thought BBS, each of which has a public and a private component:
GATEWAYS
• Public:
This is where the BBS connects with another BBS (usually also operating under FirstClass), and exchanges messages in selected conferences. This means that, for example, if you post a message in the Trade & Exchange conference on DT, it will also appear in the corresponding conference on a number of other BBSs around Auckland and elsewhere. DT currently has gateways to Global Control, CDL Support Online, Technicom2, Information Electronics and TELL.
• Private:
You can send a message to someone on another BBS that is connected via a gateway simply by addressing the message to them and adding the name of the BBS at the end, after a comma. For example, to e-mail my brother Gavin on Global Control BBS, you would address the message as:
Gavin Lambert, Global Control
You only need to type up to “... ,Glob”, and it will figure out the rest. Also, you don’t need to get the name exactly right for FirstClass BBSs, so long as you specify enough to render a unique entry in the board’s user directory, eg "Gav Lam,Glob" will do. If the mail was not deliverable, the gateway will return an NDN message telling you why.
INTERNET & USENET
• Public:
Called Usenet, this is the news service on a worldwide network of university and corporate computers, known as the Internet. Usenet messages are also organised into areas of interest as with DT’s conferences, but they are called newsgroups. A message posted into one of these newsgroups (when this feature is available on DT) will propagate around the world, and be read by hundreds of people. Note: on DT we usually differentiate between Usenet and Internet as being the public and private components, though in fact Usenet is technically part of the Internet. This is done for clarity reasons.
• Private:
If you have Internet e-mail access, you can send a message to just about anyone who has an electronic mail address, anywhere in the world. Internet e-mail is handled in the same way as gatewayed e-mail, since Internet access is just a specialised form of gateway. To send a message, you simply send it to the receipient’s address as given, and add “, Internet” on the end (note the comma). You can find more information on this in an introductory message in the PrvInternet Members conference. Internet e-mail is not free: we are charged by Auckland University for the service. It is very cheap when compared to other forms of communication, though. The costs as of the above date are 3c per kilobyte for international e-mail and 1c per K for NZ-wide e-mail (or free for mail to the Kiwi BBS). A minimum charge of 10c per message is applied. Both sending and receiving e-mail incurs charges at these rates.
For both posting to Usenet and Internet e-mail access, you will need the following:
1. A signed declaration and deposit against expenses to be returned (see the message in Deep Thought Info entitled “Usenet/Internet - Use” for more information).
2. An alias to use instead of your full name (this should be specified on the declaration form). You should choose an alias of 8 or less characters, without any spaces... perhaps a shortened form of your name, e.g. dlambert, or anything you like. For example, I have the alias “dejal”, so my Internet address is:
dejal@deepthought.kiwi.gen.nz
The stuff after the “@” symbol will be the same for all users on Deep Thought.
3. Some text for your .sig file. This is an electronic signature, which is automatically appended to all Internet or Usenet messages you send. It typically includes your real name, Internet e-mail address, and often a favourite quote or other information. Again, more information (including the default .sig and my one for comparison) is provided in the introductory message in PrvInternet Members. It is not necessary to set up your own .sig file until once you have Internet e-mail (or Usenet posting) access.
If you have any queries, please e-mail the Administrator mailbox.
