Welcome to Online Servant! This stack system is a “front end.” It automates and simplifies your use of GEnie. This is "Open Beta" software. It contains all the functions necessary to handle GEnie mail and bulletin board communications, automatically. File transfers and much more are planned for future versions of Servant.
Instructions and documentation are contained in the Online Help section of Online Servant Stuff. Please read over this file and then try out Servant!
The best stack to launch first is “Online Servant 126.”
UPGRADING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS:
See the “Upgraders Read Me” file.
SUPPORT
Online support is available in the MacPro RT bulletin board, page 480;1, in Category 26. Additional assistance will be made available to registered users in the future.
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
To run Online Servant, you need either HyperCard 2.0v2 or later, or the HyperCard Player (which currently ships with Macs). And you need System 6.0.5 or later, depending on which version of HyperCard you have. It runs just fine on System 7.
Please set the Memory: Current Size of your HyperCard application to 1800K (use “Get Info” in the Finder). If you are short on space, 1500K works for most people.
HARDWARE NEEDED
Servant should run on any Mac from a Plus through a Quadra (with caches on). It is 32-bit clean. It is designed for use with any Hayes-compatible modem. Servant will ask you if you need to set a special modem "AT"-command initialization string. You may use either the Modem Port or Printer Port to connect your modem. ADB modems which use special software to patch themselves in to the serial port may work with Servant, but none have been tested.
Servant requires a Mac with 4 Megs of RAM with System 7 (2.5 Megs if running under non-Multi-Finder with System 6.0.x), and a hard disk with at least 600K free. As you save messages, Servant can use a great deal of disk space. Delete old message stacks as needed to conserve space.
ACCESS TO GENIE
Online Servant supports U.S. & Canadian access to GEnie through GEnie and SprintNet access ports (but not AlaskaNet). An experimental logon procedure for West Germany is included in this version. If your country or method of access is not supported, please send GEnie mail to P.COLLINS and I'll program yours next.
IMPORTANT NOTICES:
1. Do not leave your other Communications application running when you go online with Servant. Only one application can use the Modem Port at a time (unless one uses the Printer Port, of course). However, there's no need to shut off certain fax-modem software (such as FAXstf).
2. At this time, Servant must visit the non-Basic*Services page of any RT (including Basic* bulletin boards) to check for and read the RT banners. This means there could be a slight charge for this visit, particularly when a banner is read.
To keep any charge to a minimum, Servant only visits the page no more than once in 24 hours to check for a new banner (and the check only takes a few seconds). And, a banner is only read when the Sysop has updated it with new information (unlike GEnie's normal menu mode, where you see a short banner each time you enter). Of course, there's no charge to read the System banner when Servant logs on.
SHAREWARE INFO (This also appears in Online Help)
If you decide to keep and use Online Servant, please send me the shareware payment of $20. This entitles you to use Servant, get help from the author, and free upgrades! You’ll get more attention from me, and eventually a printed manual, too. Just click the "Print registration card" button on the Help Card. The level of response I receive will determine the priority I give to improving Servant (adding file transfers, and much more) versus other projects. If you are already registered, thank you!
This version of Servant is Open Beta. It has been released to GEnie users to use and enjoy while the next shareware release version is being prepared. For support, click the support button on the Mail card.
DISCLAIMERS
GEnie and General Electric Information Systems Company do not sponsor or support Online Servant. It is an independently developed software product.
Use this software at your own risk. Paul Collins and One Click Systems make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the enclosed computer software product, its performance, or its fitness for any particular purpose.
