welcome/introduction #1, from Atlantic_Coast, 268 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Using Virtual Access
This section will teach you the basics of how to use Virtual Access and CompuServe.
For a general tutorial on using Virtual Access you should refer to the local:tutorial/welcome messages.
Enter takes you to the next unread message.
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welcome/introduction #2, from Atlantic_Coast, 1783 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Setting Up CompuServe and Virtual Access
Before you can connect to CompuServe and read/reply to messages you need to setup Virtual Access and CompuServe to talk to each other. This is running a "Set Options" process and will setup the various CompuServe defaults to be the way that Virtual Access expects them.
It will not prevent WinCIM or CS3/4 from running or change it's operations in any way whatsoever.
The easiest way to do this is to run the Comms Wizard and fill in all of the information it requests, let it connect to CompuServe and set everything up.
To run the Comms Wizard double click the following link FILE://comwiz.exe or use the menu entry, tools, Operate on Message.
For some people the Comms Wizard fails to work properly, as it's auto detection routines cause problems for Windows. If this happens to you then you should do this process manually.
Setup the communications parameters in File|Comms Setup|CIS.
On the service tab make sure that your Name, CompuServe User ID and CompuServe Password are correct (and if you have one your Personal Address).
On the comms tab make sure that you have the correct telephone number, port (where your modem is connected) and baud rate (use 14400 for setting things up - change it later). Click the modem button and select your modem if it is there to get the correct init. string, otherwise use AT&F or AT&F1 as the init. string.
After doing this try a connect to CompuServe by selecting Admin, Connect, select CIS in the service list box and then hit the Set Options button.
Virtual Access will then connect to CompuServe and set things up correctly.
After this procedure has completed once (either by the Comms Wizard or by the process outlined above) you should not need to do it again.
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welcome/introduction #3, from Atlantic_Coast, 1164 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Joining CompuServe Forums
When you have joined a CompuServe forum with Virtual Access, and downloaded some messages from it, Virtual Access will present it to you just as it is presenting this one.
So how do you join a CompuServe forum?
First bring up the list of CompuServe forums (Message menu, Subscribe/Unsubscribe and chose CIS from the dropdown at the top and click on the Forum List tab at the bottom). Select one that seems interesting to you and then click the Join button. (The VACCESS forum is an excellent one to join). This brings up a dialog asking you to choose what to collect on your FIRST visit to the forum.
Now this has put that action in the queue for processing, but nothing has happened yet.
You can close the Subscribe/Unsubscribe window down. When you next connect to CompuServe, Virtual Access will go and retrieve information about the various sections available for that forum and the messages that you indicated. This message collection only applies for the first connection.
If you know the forum name and it's not listed in the list, simply choose Message, Join Unlisted and fill in the settings on that dialog.
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welcome/introduction #4, from Atlantic_Coast, 1291 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 3
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Subject: Collecting Messages
Collecting Messages
OK. Now you've joined some (maybe one, maybe more) forums. How do you actually collect the messages from those forums?
You need to tell Virtual Access what bits of the forum to collect.
To do this, select the Message menu, and then Subscribe/Unsubscribe, select CIS from the dropdown at the top and click on the Member tab at the bottom - this shows you the forums you are joined to and that Virtual Access knows about.
Click on a forum name to open it out, select the section that you are interested in and hit the full or header buttons. Repeat this for each forum. When you are happy with your selections hit the save button and save it to default.sel
Now next time you connect to CompuServe (Ctrl+T, then Connect), messages will be collected. Virtual Access will collect the messages in the sections you have indicated, go offline and then build up its message base structures for you to browse and reply to.
(Power Tip : What you have created is a "selection" file. You can have many different selection files for different purposes - you can have one that just collects from one important forum, for use during the day at peak times, one for all forums - for use after 6pm, one to go to various entertainment forums etc.)
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welcome/introduction #5, from Atlantic_Coast, 1013 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 3
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Subject: What if you failed to join the forum?
What if you failed to join the forum?
Well while CompuServe lists many things as forums (i.e. you can GO to them) they often aren't, and this can prove to be immensely frustrating.
If this is the case Virtual Access will normally give you a message saying that it didn't seem to be a proper forum and couldn't be joined. Almost always the GO word you have used has taken you to a menu page, one of those choices from there will lead you into the forum itself.
So what you should do is do a manual connection (File, connect, CIS, manual) then when online type GO <whatever the word you used was>.
This will take you to the menu, try out the various menu options, one of them will be the one that takes you through to the forum, On the right-hand side of the screen displayed in capitals will be the proper word used to get to the forum.
So now you should log off (type bye, press return)
Then inside Virtual Access try to join using that word discovered.
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welcome/introduction #6, from Atlantic_Coast, 1655 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Starting a Thread - Composing a Message
Suppose you want to say something new in a section. Then you should start a new thread.
To do this from the menus, select Message, Post New Message (or select the single speech balloon icon on the toolbar or just press the S key - there are usually several ways of doing any given action within Virtual Access).
Compose posts a message into the current section as the start of a new thread. You should use Compose instead of Reply when you wish to start a conversation on a new subject, as opposed to 'joining in' to an existing discussion. If you use Compose when you meant to Reply, the discussion will go all over the place, and it will be hard for others to follow it.
Once you begin a Compose, the Virtual Access message editor will open. You will be asked for name of the person to send the message to, and the subject of the message. (Remember that everyone in the forum can read the message though - if you want to send the message privately then you should use Email).
You can address the message to anyone that you want, but if in doubt then ALL or SYSOP are good "general" identities to send the message to. After addressing the message press the TAB key to move to the Subject field and type in a meaningful subject (maximum of 25 characters - this is a CompuServe limit). Then press the TAB key once more to shift into the body area of the message editor, where you can type in what you want to say.
The normal Windows shortcuts are supported in the message editor. In addition clicking on the message editor window with the RIGHT mouse button will bring up a context sensitive menu.
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welcome/introduction #7, from Atlantic_Coast, 719 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 6
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Subject: Replying to a message
Replying to a message
This is a Reply to message #6
Use this method to keep continuing discussion on a subject in one place. Use Post New Message to start new threads.
Making a Reply is easy. Browse the messages until you are looking at the message you want to reply to. Then select from the menus message, Reply To Message (or press the R key, or click on the Reply Icon (it looks like a pair of speech balloons one blue, one red). Up will pop the message editor, into which you can type your comment. (There is no need to address the reply to anyone - Virtual Access does that automatically). When you are happy with your reply press OK.
Replies are frequently called comments.
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welcome/introduction #8, from Atlantic_Coast, 912 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
What we have been discussing so far has been Forum "stuff". This is public; many people can see what you are doing/saying. Email (Electronic Mail) is private. This is the crucial difference between the two.
Computer conferencing is the electronic analogue of the noticeboard, meeting, seminar, magazine and the newspaper letters column. Most things we do in groups are better supported in forums - either general forums open to all interested in the subject, or closed forums for a particular group.
Electronic mail is analogous to individual letters, telephone calls, memos or Faxes. Use it when you want to contact named individuals. The electronic form of mail is quicker, automatically identified and dated, and can be processed in a computer after you receive it.
So how does Virtual Access handle your Email? The following messages discuss this in a bit more detail.
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welcome/introduction #9, from Atlantic_Coast, 765 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Incoming Email
Incoming Email
Your incoming CompuServe mail messages from other users are posted into a 'dummy' forum called Mail and into a section called Messages (unless you use mail rules to cause specific messages to be placed into other folders).
There is no need to join to the Mail forum: you will be joined to it automatically as soon as mail is sent to you (or is sent by you) - if you run the Comms Wizard it will send a message to Atlantic_Coast to initialise this pseudo-forum.
You can Reply to mail, mark mail as Read or Unread and perform similar functions with it, just as you can with forum messages. You do all these things in exactly the same way as you did for forum messages, using the same keyboard (or icon or menu) shortcuts.
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welcome/introduction #10, from Atlantic_Coast, 821 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Sending Mail - Replying to Messages
Sending Mail - Replying to Messages
A common use of mail is to send personal replies to forum messages (or other Email messages). To do this just view the message you want to answer by mail and then select Message, Post New Mail from the menus (or press the M key or select the mail icon (a letter)).
This brings up the mail message editor. Select the Originate button and the nickname of the recipient will be placed in the To: field. Then you just need to click in the various other fields (or Tab into them) and type in a subject, a message, and (optionally) whom the message is to be copied to (the CC: field).
Note: You do not need to CC a message back you yourself - Virtual Access automatically makes a copy of it for you, it does this to maintain the threading.
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welcome/introduction #11, from Atlantic_Coast, 785 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Sending mail - new messages
Sending mail - new messages
You can send messages to anyone whose electronic id you know - you don't have to wait until they post or mail you a message. Just click on the Mail icon (or if using the menus - Message, Post New Message, or press the M key) and the Message Editor will appear. You can type in the subject, message and Cc's as before (don't forget, you don't need to copy to yourself).
If you want to send Email to someone NOT on CompuServe, but on the Internet then you need to type in his or her full Internet address. (You don't need the normal CompuServe prefix (>INTERNET) or to surround the name with quotes or anything like that, Virtual Access works out that it's going to a non-CompuServe person and handles that for you.)
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welcome/introduction #12, from Atlantic_Coast, 469 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Sending Mail - The Address Book
Sending Mail - The Address Book
Virtual Access has a powerful address book where you can store frequently used Email addresses.
From the mail editor, select the To: button (or on the menus - Tools, Address Book, or Ctrl+B) to bring up the address book.
Using this you can insert To or CC addresses easily.
The Addressbook has a whole host of other functions. Right clicking on the Addressbook, gives you access to these
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welcome/introduction #13, from Atlantic_Coast, 283 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Mailing multiple recipients
Mailing multiple recipients
Simply put all their nicknames in the To: field, separated by semicolons. You can do the same in the CC: field as well.
You can also insert multiple addresses together in the address book using its group features.
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welcome/introduction #14, from Atlantic_Coast, 711 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 8
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Subject: Sending Binary Files By Email
Sending Binary Files By Email
You can send binary files to other CompuServe users very easily.
You start off by addressing an email message to the person you want to send the file to and then select the Attach File button. You will then be prompted to select the file to send. That's it.
Next time you connect the file will be sent to the person, along with notification that the file has been sent.
You can use this function to send binary files to people who are not on CompuServe; CompuServe mail will automatically MIME encode the file so that it can be posted via the Internet. You should make sure that the recipient knows what to do with a MIME encoded file.
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welcome/introduction #15, from Atlantic_Coast, 496 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Library Lists and Downloading Files
Most sections on CompuServe have associated Library Lists (some don't), and these Library Lists store files. There are many thousands of files that can be downloaded and it can be bewildering to decide what to download.
Using Virtual Access, you can download the list of files in a particular Library List. You can then browse this list offline and download those files that are of interest to you.
The next few messages details these functions.
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welcome/introduction #16, from Atlantic_Coast, 678 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 15
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Subject: Collecting Library Lists
Collecting Library Lists
To collect a Library list, select any section of the forum in the MessageBase window and hit the refresh button (or right click and then choose Refresh File Lists or from the menus Special, Refresh File Lists).
Virtual Access will ask you for parameters for the library lists. Use the Browse button to select the libraries you want to collect information from. If you leave the other parameters blank then all will be collected, filling them in restricts the information to match the filled in parameters.
The next time you connect to CompuServe, Virtual Access will collect the Library lists you requested.
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welcome/introduction #17, from Atlantic_Coast, 591 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 15
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Subject: Downloading Files from Collected Library Lists
Downloading Files from Collected Library Lists
To do this you should switch to the File Lists tab, or the all tab. Select a library by double clicking on it. You can now read the library messages and when you see a file you wish to collect use Actions, Download file to mark the file for download.
Next time you connect the files will be downloaded to your download directory. (The download directory is probably ~\vapath\download\ but to check where it is, look under File, Comms Setup, CIS, Service Tab, Download Directory).
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welcome/introduction #18, from Atlantic_Coast, 292 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
Comment to 15
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Subject: Downloading a Known File
Downloading a Known File
If you know the name of a file then there is a shortcut to download it. Simply read the section whose associated File List has the file in it and then select Special, Download File. Type the name into the dialog box and click OK.
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welcome/introduction #19, from Atlantic_Coast, 493 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Connecting to CompuServe
OK so how do you connect to CompuServe?
File, Connect, (or Ctrl+T or the telephone icon), CIS, Connect. Sit back and watch what happens while Virtual Access connects to CompuServe, posts your messages and mail, reads new messages and mail and collects various other items that you have requested (File Lists, files, online today, what's new, billing details etc.). Then Virtual Access goes offline and integrates that information into your Message base.
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welcome/introduction #20, from Atlantic_Coast, 543 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Types of Connections
Virtual Access has 3 types of connection.
1. "Connect" which does everything then logs off.
2. "Actions Only" which is faster than Connect as it does not collect forum messages but does everything else and then logs off (good for use in the day-time to keep up on mail but avoiding a lot of time online).
3. "Manual" logs you on to CompuServe (inserting your name and password) and leaves you there to do whatever you want - no automatic control at all. In manual mode you can only access ASCII areas of CompuServe.
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Welcome/introduction #21, from Atlantic_Coast, 1424 chars, Feb 28 19:55 1999
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Subject: Registering Virtual Access
After you have used Virtual Access for a few days you will be eager to register it, in order that it will not time out and lock your out from accessing the mail and newsgroup messages you have gathered.
It's very easy to register Virtual Access.
The best way is to connect to our Secure Web Server at the following address
Alternatively you can use the Purchase Wizard that Virtual Access comes with in order to send an Email to order Virtual Access. All you have to do is select Help, Purchase This Copy (or press the Purchase button on the initial opening screen, or run the Purchase Wizard from the Virtual Access group).
This will run a Purchase Wizard that will ask you for all the information needed to purchase copies of Virtual Access (or our complementary product the PlusPack).
After you have provided all the information in this a mail message will be formulated containing the information and sent out when you connect to the Internet. The Purchase Wizard can encrypt your credit card details if you are concerned about sending your Credit Card details out over the Internet.
We aim to deal with all orders within 48 hours once we receive them, and you should receive an email reply from us in that time period containing registration details, however sometime it does take a little longer.
