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1993-08-08
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VBBS Area Subscriber 6.10.06
============================
Copyright Neil J Marshall 8th August 1993
TransatlanticBBS
1 @ 440 VirtualNET
Neil J Marshall @ 2:440/211 Fido
Introduction
============
This utility simplifies the process of subscribing to and
hosting networked message areas in VNET-type networks.
It works on the principle that all a SysOp would want to do
to subscribe to an existing message area is to browse through
the SUBSLIST, and select the ones to which you want.
Similarly, if a SysOp wants to create a new message area for
the network, all that should be needed is to give the message
area a Title and select the type, Secured or AutoSubscription.
VAREA should do the rest. And it does.
Installation
============
Place the VAREA program in your main VBBS directory, and
ensure you have a copy of the SUBSLIST.NET in your VBBS
network directory. The SUBSLIST.NET must be in the "new"
format, in other words the lines look like this:
Area # Host # Nodes Flow Topic
------ ------ ----- ---- -----------
10440 440 43 55 Harpoon Forum
Daily Maintenance
=================
VAREA should be run once a day as an event, using the following
command line:
VAREA NETWORKID=# /AUTO /VERIFY /DELETE
For message areas you host, this will:
o Process subscription requests and unsubscription requests
for any AutoSubscription message areas
o Remove any "unknown" nodes from the subscription lists of
any Secured or AutoSubscription message areas
o Check if you are still the host of the message area, and
if not, make a backup copy of the subscription list with
a .OLD file extension, then convert the message area
to one to which you subscribe
o Delete incoming subscription requests to AutoSubscription
once they have been processed
For message areas to which you subscribe, this will:
o Check if any of the message areas have changed host, and
if so send a subscription request to the new host
o Check if any of the message areas have been deleted from
the SUBSLIST, and if so cancel your subscription to it.
VAREA does not delete the "local" message area, in case
it is popular with your callers, in which case you might
consider becoming the new host
Finally, if you are the SUBSLIST Co-ordinator for the network,
This will:
o Check if any message areas have a host that has left the
network, and if so delete the entry in the SUBSLIST
o Process any requests to create new message areas, issue
them with area numbers, and add them to the New Areas
section at the end of the SUBSLIST
Since all VAREA's communication through the network is EMAIL,
you will see messages in your mailbox from VAREA. The ones that
it has processed will have the word "Done" in the message title.
The only EMAILs that VAREA will not process automatically are
subscription requests for Secured message areas.
Browsing The SUBSLIST
=====================
If you want to browse the SUBSLIST, use the following command
line:
VAREA NETWORKID=#
This will present you with a screen that looks like this:
│ Type │ │Description │Nodes│Flow│Topic │
│AutoReq│ │ANSI Artwork │ │ │Art │
│AutoSub│ │ANSI Elite │ 15│ │Art │
│Secured│ │Art: Throughout History │ 2│ │Art │
│AutoSub│Host│NAPLPS Graphics Forum │ 9│ │Art │
│Secured│ │American BBS Association Forum │ 34│ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoReq│ │BBS Success │ │ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoReq│ │Business of BBSing │ │ │Bulletin Boards │
->│Secured│ │Computer Underground Digest │ 4│ │Bulletin Boards │<-
│Secured│ New│InfoNET1 Q&A │ 0│ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoSub│ │Internet Discussion │ 60│ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoSub│ │National SysOp's Flame Base │ 15│ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoReq│ │On-Line Services │ │ │Bulletin Boards │
│AutoSub│ │WWIV-Support │ 85│ │Bulletin Boards │
│ │ │{Spacebar subscribes/drops} │{C creates new} {Q Quits}│
There are currently 3 types of message area in VNET-type networks:
o AutoRequest (AutoReq) can be subscribed to by anyone in the
network. Messages spread very quickly through the network
because they do not have to go via the message area's host
o Secured (Secured) can only be subscribed to at the discretion
of the host. Messages spread more slowly through the network
because they have to go via the message area's host
o AutoSubscription (AutoSub) can be subscribed to by anyone
in the network. Messages spread slowly like Secured areas
because they have to go via the message area's host
Message areas are grouped into topics, so you can browse all
the available areas on a particular theme in the space of a few
screens.
New message areas are identified with a "New" next to the
description of the area, as demonstrated on the InfoNET1 Q&A
area above.
Message areas which you host are identified with a "Host" next
to the description of the area, as demonstrated on the NAPLPS
Graphics Forum area above.
Message areas to which you subscribe have the Description
highlighted, that is shown as black on white instead of the
normal white on black.
The Nodes column shows the number of BBS that subscribe to
the area, and the Flow column shows the average number of
messages a day that the area gets.
The -> and <- at the edges of the screen point to the message
area that you are currently examining.
You may browse up and down the SUBSLIST using the arrow keys
and the page up and page down keys.
When you have finished browsing the SUBSLIST, the Q key will
quit VAREA and will implement any actions you have taken.
Subscribing to Message Areas
============================
You can subscribe to the message area that the -> <- is
pointing at by hitting the SPACEBAR.
You can also cancel your subscription to a message area
that is highlighed by hitting the SPACEBAR.
When VAREA finishes, you will be asked to supply the following
information for each message area that you have just subscribed
to:
Database Group
Maximum messages
Read Security Level
Write Security Level
Minimum Age
Access Flag
Tagline File Number
Handle/Real Name/Anonymous
Random Title File Number
QWK Conference Number
Co-SysOp/Moderator User Number
Net Validate
This information is used to set up an entry in VCONFIG,
Database Configuration, Message Areas for each newly
subscribed message area.
After VAREA has completed, you must always run VCONFIG,
Database Configuration, Compile Network Information.
If the message area is AutoRequest, that is all that is
needed to start receiving messages.
If the message area is AutoSubscription, an EMAIL will be
sent to the host of the message area. On receipt of this
EMAIL his copy of VAREA will add you to the subscription
list and you will start to receive messages. If you check
your ONELINERs you will see when the host SysOp has received
the request.
If the message area is Secured, an EMAIL will be sent to
he host of the message area. On receipt of this EMAIL it is
up to the SysOp to decide if and when he will manually add
you to the subscription list. If you check your ONELINERs
you will see when the host SysOp has received the request.
Hosting Message Areas
=====================
If you want to add a new message area to the SUBSLIST, you
must first decide on the Topic that the message area is to be
listed in, the message area type (Secured or AutoSubscription)
and the Description, which is limited to 32 characters.
Ensure that the -> <- is pointing to a message area in the same
Topic as you want your new message ar