Amiga Collections: MegaDisc/MegaDisc 08 (1988)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)[WB].zip/MegaDisc 08 (1988)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)[WB].adf/ARTICLES/Modeming2

Text File | 1988-05-28 | 13KB | 287 lines

         Modeming Along.... Part 2


How to use a BBS
================

Ok, so now you know what to do with a modem, you rush away, send a cheque
and your very own modem arrives a few days later. You struggle through the
manual for about 5 minutes to connect it to the computer, and you say
"what now???". The modem looks very nice sitting there with a few blinking
lights,but how dos it work???

Depending on whether or not you bought a SMARTMODEM, the procedure is
slightly different.

For a smartmodem, you pull down "dial" from your communications software
window (what, no software?? Get a Public Domain one from us, or buy
something like GPTERM - see MD7) and type in the number you want to ring.
Ok, no problems.. 525-6970... the modem makes telephone type sounds and
starts to ring, the ringing stops, and a whistle comes on instead.

For a DUMB MODEM, your telephone handset has to be plugged in to the back
of the modem. You make sure that the modem is turned onto "phone" setting
(should be a switch or a dial on the front) and you pick up the handset
and dial the number as you would if you were making a voice call. When the
computer you are ringing answers, flick the switch to modem and put the
handset down.

Either way, you have connected to your first bulletin board!!! The BBS
works out what speed you are calling at (use 300/300 first time to make
sure, some BBSs aren't as fast as others) and then starts to talk to you.
Sometimes nothing happens, press <CR> (Carriage Return) and you should see
some action. The computer's LOGON SCREEN will slowly appear, it may look
something like this....

Thank you for calling....

+-------+
| A BBS |
+-------+

First name:

If the logon screen looks more like

'[47,36m+--------+
| '[38m A '[37mBBS

etc, then change your terminal type on your comms software to VT100
emulation, or ANSI graphics ON .... this is because the '[47m is telling
your computer to change colours so you have a technicolor logon...

"Arrrgghhhh, what now???" Just answer the questions, it's very easy.

First name: Stephen
Last  name: Hudson
[there will be a slight pause while the BBS checks to see if it knows you]
Calling from (City,State): Miranda, NSW

[don't put Sydney, NSW or Brisbane,Qld... for large cities use you suburb]
some times the BBS may say something like:

Are you a new user <Y/N>: Y

So now the BBS realises that it has got a new user. The first thing that
should come up is a document prepared by the SYSOP telling new users what
the system is about, and any rules/regulations it might have.

The next thing that will happen is that you will get the option to
register yourself. This will tell the BBS a few details about yourself and
the sysop will decide if you are a hacker trying to crash his system or
not. Registration details include your home ph number, so that if something
goes wrong with the BBS he can ring whoever was on last to see if they did
anything unusual to try and work out why the board went boing. Also, it
enables the SysOp to trace hackers at work.

Some boards will then say, "thanks for registering, it will take the sysop
24hrs to approve your access" in which case you are left no option but to
log off the board straight away. In which case you ring back the next day
and if you have been honest about the details you will find that the BBS
knows you. This time your logon will look slightly different, as you would
have provided a password with your registration to identify yourself....

First Name: Stephen
Last  Name: Hudson
Password  : ********

and you will be in. As a quick sideline, choose your password carefully.
To make it harder for hackers, use your car rego number, your date of
birth backwards, you pin number entered twice etc etc, anything unusual
but easy to remember. Never use your name, a lot of hackers have breached
security on larger networks by discovering someone who used his first name
as his password!!!!!

A few details may come up about your status on the board, don't worry
about them, it won't mean anything to you yet. Sometimes a message
containing the latest system news {this message is called a bulletin}
might appear. Just read it , they are usually interesting and helpful.

Then the system will say something like "Checking for any mail addressed
to you (or Marked Mail!). Dont panic when nothing happens, depending on
how many messages have been left in the system since you had last logged
on it will take anything from 1 sec
to 1 minute. So don't hang up, just sit tight and wait!

Then some sort of menu will appear.

Here's where I can't really help you any further, as menus vary from
system to system, depending on what the SysOp of the board has, and what
he prefers his options to be. However, every board will have a few
standard features.


Bulletin Boards --- Standard Features
=====================================

Somewhere along the line you will encounter a LOGOFF FEATURE. Usually this
will be a period '.', G for Goodbye, L for Logoff or X for eXit... the
menu will tell you which one. Choosing this option will put you on a
logoff option, where you can usually choose to abort your logoff 'coz
you made a blunder, or to leave a message to the SysOp or to really
logoff. Logging off the BBS you will see an exit screen along the lines
of -
"Thanx for calling A BBS" and the bulletin board will hang up the phone.
If you have a  smartmodem it will say "NO CARRIER" and will hang up your
phone for you. Dumb modems will require you to flick the switch back to
phone.

Always, where possible, use this option to leave a BBS, rather than just
hanging up on it. On some systems the BBS freaks out when a caller drops
carrier (hangs up prematurely). In any case, no SysOp will be overly
pleased with a caller who continually drops carrier.


Next feature... the message base. Usually there will be a variety of
subject areas, like Amiga Virus Talk, Amiga Programmers Section, General
Chat Area, Comedy Board etc etc.... when you choose one of these again you
will see a fairly standard list of options...

#1: <E>nter a message, <P>ost a message, <L>eave a message etc etc
This will enable you to leave a letter to someone. The first thing the
BBS should ask you is who you are sending the letter to. For the first
time you might want to enter "All" and just say "Hi, I am a new user,
leave me some mail!".... or you might want to send a letter to the
SYSOP....
Some Systems may say Private <Y/N> or something similar... that is, is
this message private.... If you specify private, it means that only you,
the SYSOP and the person receiving the mail can read it. Otherwise
everyone will be able to read your message .
  Once you have entered your message you will be provided with another
list... Save message, Delete line, Edit line, Abort message.... etc
 Usually you will just want to Save the message.... and the functions are
usually self-explanatory and have some sort of HELP option if you get
stuck.

#2: <R>ead mail...
Obvious what this one does.... but the next option might throw you a little. It may come up with something like this
<F>orward or <R>everse multiple
<I>ndividual
<S>can message headers
<M>arked mail....

 and the list goes on. Forward and Reverse multiple reads are fairly
simple, they just mean start at one message (you will have to specify the
number next thing) and read all the public messages one at a time
preceding or following that one....

Individual messages means read a particular message. You might have read
all the new mail in the system and written down #3000 to remind you to
re-read it.... or someone might have left you a message saying "Bozo, I
already explained that in message #30 00"....

Marked mail is the important one. Most good boards will give the option at
the very start of the logon to read your marked mail. Marked mail is mail
addressed to you that you havent read yet....

The other options vary, but aren't really important the first few times
around, so read the system help files on how to use them.

FILES ET ALL...

Nearly every BBS will have some sort of file section. Here you can Upload
a  file (send a file UP to the board) or Download a file (receive a file
down the telephone line). Files will vary from IFF pictures that local
artists have drawn, to public domain software like games or spreadsheets.

An important feature to note is whether the file is 'arc'ed, 'zoo'ed or
maybe even 'warp'ed. Most arced files will end in .arc, zooed files .zoo
and warped files .warp or .wrp. Arc, Zoo and to a lesser extent Warp are
all file compacters, they shrink the size down so it takes less time to
transmit or receive the file across the phone. If a file has been treated
like this, you will have to untreat it before you can use it. This means
you should run ZOO or ARC or WARP (whichever is appropriate) on the file
first, and then you will be able to use the resulting files. Conversely
you should arc, zoo, warp  any files you send to the board. Arc and Zoo
are both public domain programmes and available on most boards and on most
terminal program disks. Instructions are built into the programs. [ed:ie,
in the CLI, enter something like   > warp ?   or    > arc ?      , and the
same goes for any well-written CLI command.]

With UP/DOWN LOADING FILES, you will have to use a PROTOCOL, which you
usually define when you register... protocols in the public domain include
Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, Xmodem CRC, ASCII etc etc. Xmodem and Xmodem CRC
are fairly standard, and are probably the safest to use for starters.
However, Zmodem is the fastest.... Don't worry too much about the
protocols, all they are is just a standard way of sending & receiving
information, with or without built-in error checking. Xmodem CRC has a
99.7% accuracy in transmiting due to the built in error checking
routines... this ensures that you receive the right info, and don't get a
file full of garbage.


CHAT WITH SYSOP/ PAGE SYSOP ETC

This beeps a bell a few times on the sysop's end which tells him that
somebody wants to talk to him (or her... please excuse my sexism). If you
are having troubles, or want to know something about the system, use this
option to enter a direct typing mode with the sysop of the board.
Etiquette is unwritten, but usually the sysop says hi first... and when
you have finished typing your line or two, press return a few times to let
him know you are finished. This is what a typical chat session will look
like:

Paging Sysop...... [beep beep....]

hello there NEW USER, how are you, Steve here [the sysop]


Oh hello steve. Just wanted to tell you that I read your articles in
megadisk and thought you should be shot. [you]


No problems... In future don't wake me at 3 in the morning just to tell me
this... [etc etc etc]


Dead easy... eh??


NETMAIL/ECHOMAIL

This is an option which some boards have... which is very similar to
normal message areas... except for one major thing!!! All the messages you
enter here are sent around Australia, and some overseas!!!! The same of
course holds true for the messages you read....
The areas here are standard from BBS to BBS. There are areas such as LTUAE
(Life the Universe And Everything) a general chat area, C conferences for
C programmers etc.
Every message that is put onto the system will be sent to the next board
in the net, which will send it to the next board and so on.
So, wherever in the world you may be, if you want to send a message to me
you just address the message to stephen hudson in the LTUAE section, and
it will eventually find its way to me. In these sections can be some very
interesting messages, as thousands of people leave them!!! Depending on
the setup, you may have to pay for STD messages... in which case you will
have to set up a credit account with the board.

GENERAL BBS ETIQUETTE.

Exact etiquette on a system will differ from one board to the next.
There are, however, a few rules of thumb you should try to stick to where
ever you go:
#1: Never drop carrier (ie log off prematurely by hanging up early when
you haven't chosen the "logoff" option.!!!

#2: Always try to leave a message saying "Hi, I am so-and-so, my hobbies
are etc" when you first can to "ALL" in the general chat section.

#3: Wherever possible leave messages in the correct section. EG: If you
are talking about the quality of floppy disks available.. leave it in the
computer talk section.

#4: Always, always, always!!! tell the sysop how wonderful his board is!
:-) That's all for now Folks...

The rest is now up to you... but look for my following articles which will
review some of the AMIGA BOARDS to be found here in Oz and overseas...
They might help you decide on which boards to ring.
Any further queries can be sent to me either at PO BOX 640, Miranda NSW
2228, or send them c/o Megadisc. Thanx for bearing with me.

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