ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/HATCH/WWIVNEWS.ZIP/9403_8.NWS

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 24KB | 501 lines

Or you could look at it this way.. A byte consists of 8 bits.

Num:  7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
bit:  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      | | | | | | | |
      | | | | | +-+-+-Color            (0-7)
      | | | | +-------Intensity        (8)
      | +-+-+---------Background color (0-7)*(16)
      +---------------Flashy           (128)

Bits 0 through 2 are the color. Bit 3 when set is intensity, bits 4 through
6 are the background color, and bit 7 is for the flashy..

Therefore a bit sequence like this:  10001100   Would give you 128+8+4=140,
the flashing red. Remove bit 7 and you're left with 00001100 which is
only 8+4=12.

                                                         King Lerxt
                                                         WWIVnet 1@8863

Editor's Reply:

Ah yessss, the good old stock WWIV colors. To this day, I've never fully
understood why Wayne Bell chose those colors in the first place - especially
the dull white on black! Of course, while flashing red is useful when
used sparingly, the fact remains that most people find it annoying as hell
when used too much. Combined with the fact that a *lot* of registered
Sysops have chosen to actually change the stock WWIV color defaults to
something more aesthetically pleasing - and a lot of them use color #6
now redefined as non-flashing red - and combined with the fact that we have
this thing called WWIVnet and its subs...well, you get the picture.

In any case, thanks for the briefer, Kink Lerxt!

───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
               │          PC Pursuit Bites the Dust!         │
               │              by H2o Doc (1@5284)            │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

This article contains an internal memo from Sprint regarding the demise of
what was once the best friend of file leech and Sysop alike, PC Pursuit. The
memo was originally reposted on the Usenet newsgroup comp.dcom.telecom by
the group's moderator, Patrick Townson. All editorial content and commentaries
after the actual memo are Patrick's, and not mine.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

An internal memorandum was circulated recently to employees of Sprint
announcing the discontinuance of the PC Pursuit program as of April 1.
A copy of the internal memorandum was forwarded to the Digest along with
a letter being mailed as of this date to customers of PCP and 'host
customers' which receive connections from PCP users. The memo is first,
followed by the letter to customers.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

The following letters are being sent to our customers starting today.
I want to briefly explain the phase-out plan and important differences
between PC Pursuit services and Host outdial services.

PC Pursuit and PC Business Call will be phased out at 12:01 AM, April
1, 1994. At that time we will cancel all remaining TAMS ID's which are
identified to be PC Pursuit or PC Business Call. After this time, cus-
tomers with these ID's will no longer be able to place calls to the
outdial rotaries. However OUTDIAL CAPABILITIES WILL STILL REMAIN ON
THE NETWORK FOR HOST-INITIATED OUTDIAL CALLS AND CALLS INITIATED WITH
NON-PC PURSUIT TAMS ID'S.

It is product management's intent to phase out all forms of outdial on
the network within the next 12-18 months. During the next coming months,
we will identify all outdial activities from all hosts and standard
TAMS IDs, domestic and international, in order to quantify the impact
of such a pbase out. However, at this time, we are cancelling PC Pursuit
and PC BusinessCall accounts only. We suggest no further responses be
given to outdial opportunities in RFP's or opportunity requests.

We will meet with you to discuss the phase out plan and ask for any
comments or suggestions. There may be significant dissatisfaction
displayed by some of our more vocal PC Pursuit customers. We have set
up an 800 number so that these people can vent their frustration (see
letter below). We would appreciate it if no product manager names were
given to any customer, as these calls are extremely long, and for the
most part, non-productive. Inquiries coming from the press should be
directed to Media Relations, which will make arrangments to answer
questions and conduct interviews. Norm Black at 404-359-6096 is the
contact for all media inquiries or Evette Fulton at 202-328-7411.
Stephen Rys (x-5743) or Paul Golder (x-5797) will handle internal
issues associated with the phase out.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: The copy of the above in my possession
is not signed. Next follows a letter to customers dated January 24,
1994.   PAT]

Dear Customer:

Over the past several months, Sprint has conducted a thorough business
evaluation of the PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall services. Based on the
results of this evaluation, Sprint's PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall
services will be discontinued April 1, 1994. We regret any inconvenience
this may cause you.

We are talking this step in order to focus our resources on the growing
demand for local dial-in access to online, "informatin provider" computer
hosts which are directly connected to SprintNet. The continued growth
in the number and variety of these dedicated hosts and host applications
has minimized the need for PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall. Today,
access to these host based applications far surpasses teh usage of
dial-out access via PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall.

Your PC Pursuit or PC BusinessCall ID/password will become inoperable
on April 1, 1994 per this notification. No further charges for these
services will be billed to your credit card or electronic funds transfer
account after this April 1, 1994 date. If you would like to discontinue
your service prior to April 1, 1994 please call 1-800-877-2006 between
the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM, Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard
Time.  If you have already discontinued your PC Pursuit or PC BusinessCall
service, please disregard this notification.

(signed)

Sprint Data Product Management

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

(The following letter is in the mail to five host customers which allow
for PC Pursuit calls directly to their hosts.)

January 24, 1994

Dear (personalized):

Over the past several months, Sprint has conducted a thorough business
evaluation of the PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall services. Based on
the results of this evaluation, Sprint's PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall
services will be discontinued, effective April 1, 1994. We regret any
inconveneince that this may cause you or your users.

All PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall customers are receiving the enclosed
letter which includes a 60-day notice of the discontinuation of the
services. On April 1, 1994, all PC Pursuit and PC BusinessCall ID/passwords
will become inoperable, which will require that these users select an
alternative method to access your host.

If you would like to discuss alternative dial-up access to SprintNet,
please contact your sales representative, or call 1-800-877-2006.


(signed)

Sprint Data Product Management

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: So there you have it, officially from
Sprint. PCP is discontinued as of April 1. The rumors have been going
around for quite some time, since even before Sprint discontinued
accepting new customers for the service a few months ago.

FYI, a bit of history: the old Telenet system began operation in the
early 1970's. Its E-Mail service called 'Telemail' was the first of
its kind I think. Just about ten years ago, in 1983-84 the PC Pursuit
service began, initially with just seven or eight cities which were on
outdials, and about the same number of places which had local indials.
But initially, the service operated in a different way. PC Pursuit had
its own indials, and for purposes of security, it operated on a callback
scheme. Users dialed into the PC Pursuit links, identified themselves,
then were called back at the phone number of record at Telenet. Once
connected by callback, *then* the user was allowed to make a single
connection to the one of seven or eight places served including Chicago.
After each call, the connection was dropped and the user had to dial
back in again through the callback modems for another session. All
connections were at either 110 or 300 baud initially, and within a
year or so of starting the service, 1200 baud was available in quite
a few places. Within about a year also, the callback scheme was dropped
and users began calling in on the 'regular' indials for Telenet in
their local area.

I was a customer of PC Pursuit from its second week of operation
through about two years ago, although in the last year or so of my
membership I used it rarely. The Net Exchange BBS was started about
a year after PC Pursuit itself started, and was intended as a place
for users to ask questions and make comments. In the beginning, to
reach the Net Exchange BBS, one had to use the Washington, DC outdials
and dial a seven digit number, or dial direct to the same seven digit
number (plus area code) if one could not 'get through' on PC Pursuit
due to congestion. Since 1990, the Net Exchange BBS has been a distri-
bution point for TELECOM Digest, with each issue of the Digest made
available to NetXBBS users in the 'files' area.

Initially, the service allowed unlimited nighttime and weekend useage
for $25 per month, on open account billing. The open account billing
was discontinued after a couple years because of considerable abuse
and fraud by customers, and it was grandfathered only to those of us
who had had it all along. All new customers had to pay by credit card
or EFT. Toward the end of my subscription there were only two or three
of us still on the system using open account billing. A few years
ago, due to abuse by users who were racking up many, many (in the
hundreds of) hours each month, the program was changed to allow for
25/50 hours per month at the rate of $25/$50 per month, with additional
hours above the limit at an extra fee. Also a few years ago, the original
Telenet network was sold to Sprint, the company which runs it today.
As Telenet, it was part of GTE.

In the late 1980's I wrote an essay which was distributed on Usenet
and quite a few independent BBSs called 'Let Your Fingers do the Walking'
which discussed a bug in the Telenet network at that time which permitted
connection to *any host* -- 'authorized outdial' or not -- with a legitimate
PC Pursuit ID/password. I listed several international points which could
be reached via Telenet including the British Telecom Master Clock and
the Master Clocks of a few other countries including Japan and the Hong
Kong Telephone Company. I discussed connections to the host systems on
several data networks accessible through those network's gateways to
Telenet, and how to use the outdials of those other networks after first
gatewaying to them via Telenet using ones PC Pursuit password. I included
network addresses for several live, 'online' terminals at the help desks
of those other networks where one could 'chat' interactively with
whoever was on duty. Management at Telenet was quite upset with me for
publishing that article, and the loopholes were closed shortly after
it appeared on the net.

From the beginning of the Telenet network until just a couple years
ago, Telenet was assigned 'area code' 909 for its administrative use
since all hosts on the network otherwise had addresses of the form
xxxyyy or xxxyyyy where xxx was the area code where they were located
and yyy or yyyy was the 'address'. 909yyy or 909yyyy was used to
connect with the Telenet administration itself. Numerous addresses
of the form 909xxx connected to all sorts of test ports for network
diagnostic purposes. Some were 'loop arounds', others presented curious
results when one connected to them.

So, about ten years after it started, PC Pursuit is dead. In the
beginning it was a radical, very modern innovation. A decade later,
it is just another way of connecting, and not a very good one at that.
So from a nostalgic point of view, I am sorry to see it go, but from a
business and effeciency standpoint, its demise is overdue.

───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
               │           A Cheat Sheet for WWIV            │
               │           Crystal Wizard #1 @5295           │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

While stock WWIV does have some decent online help, even as a Sysop I've had
the need for some sort of "quick reference card" to help remember commands
from time to time. As a service to WWIVnetters everywhere, I've prepared such
a beast from the WWIV documentation itself. Feel free to print this out and
post them somewhere near your BBS for future reference.

   ╔═════════════════╗
   ║ E-Mail Commands ║
   ╚═════════════════╝

 A        Answer and delete the mail that you have just read.
 D        Delete the mail that you have just read.
 F        Forwards the mail to another user.
 G        Go to another piece of mail
 I        Ignore that piece of mail.
 Q        Quit reading mail.
 R        Re-read the mail you have just read.
 S        Answer and Save
 -        Back to Previous Letter
 +        Forward to next letter
 V        Validate letter writer
 U        Edit user list for the letter writer
 C        Same as U but doesn't clear screen first
 O        Send Form Letter to letter writer
 Z        Zap Letter
 P        Pest Response
 N        Add node to subscriber list for networked sub.


   ╔════════════════════════════╗
   ║ Message Base Read Commands ║
   ╚════════════════════════════╝

 Any number  Move to that message base number
 - and +     Move back or forward one message base
 A           Private response to message poster
 B           By-pass remaining messages on current base
 C           Continuous read mode
 D           Delete post
 E           Extract to file
 L           Load text from disk to use as post
 M           Move Message
 P           Post message
 Q           Quit Reading
 R           Re-read message
 T           Titles
 U           Make an anonymous post NOT anonymous
 W           Response post with RE:
 X           Toggle Net Val Status


   ╔════════════════════════════════╗
   ║ Sysop and Co-Sysop Information ║
   ╚════════════════════════════════╝

WAITING FOR CALL (WFC) Commands

?            List WFC commands
[Spacebar]   Logon from the keyboard
A            Answer phone
B            Boardedit
C            Chainedit
D            Diredit
E            Edit text file
F            DOS functions
G            Gfileedit
I            Init votes
L            Log of the day
M            Read all mail
N            Net log
P            Pending Files
Q            Quit and terminate the BBS program
R            Read your mail
S            Status display
T            Terminal program
U            Uedit
Y            Yesterday's log
Z            Zlog
/            Force callout
.            Force "War Dialing" of net connection
=            Run RESETF
`            Obtain network information
J            Conference Editing
X            Check environment settings


// COMMANDS FROM THE MAIN MENU

LOG              Displays today's Sysop log
NLOG             Displays network activity log
YLOG             Displays yesterday's Sysop log
ZLOG             Displays log of past system usage
UEDIT            Runs the Uedit procedure
IVOTES           Runs voting initialization program
STATUS           Displays current system status
VOTEPRINT        Creates VOTING.TXT in the GFILES directory
TEDIT            Edit a text file located in the GFILES directory only
?                Online menu of Sysop and Co-Sysop commands
BOARDEDIT (BE)   Runs Boardedit procedure.
DIREDIT (DE)     Runs Diredit procedure.
CHAINEDIT (CE)   Runs Chainedit procedure.
GFILEEDIT (GE)   Runs Gfileedit procedure.
CONFEDIT (JE)    Permits Sysop to define and edit conferences.
INSTEDIT (IE)    Permits Sysop to have limited editing of Instances.
ALLOWEDIT (AE)   In Transfer area, allows editing of ALLOW.DAT.
DOS              Drops to DOS.
CHAT             Toggles the scrolllock key
STAT             Stack and Heap Info.
RELOAD           This reloads the bulletin board's menus into memory
RESETF           Reset NAMES.LST.
REBOOT           Reboot the computer.
EDIT             Runs the Sysop editor
LOAD             Loads a file from anywhere on the system into a workspace.
CHUSER           Allows the Sysop to temporarily change to another account.
MAILR            Allows the Sysop to read all mail.
,                List Network Logs


TRANSFER SECTION // COMMANDS

UPLOAD           Upload files to the current directory.
UPLOADALL        Same as UPLOAD; acts on all BBS file directories.
REN              Allows a filename, or its description, to be changed.
MOVE             Allows a file (or files) to be moved
SORT             Sorts the current directory (or all dirs) by filename.
M                Move a file. Same as //MOVE.
R                Remove any file entry from the file listing.
UPLOADFILE       Take file descriptions from a description
                 file created by another BBS software.
RSORT            Sort files in order of oldest first.
ALLOWEDIT (AE)   edit the ALLOW.DAT file.
CONFEDIT (JE)    Permits Sysop to define and edit conferences.

Hope this helps you as much as it helped me!

───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
               │            How to be a Good Co-Sysop        │
               │              by Louie (IceNET 6@1)          │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Over the years we've seen dozens of text files on how to be a good sysop.
Heck, there's even a couple of *books* on the subject! But have any of you
ever seen anything on how to be a good *Co-Sysop*? Hopefully, this article
will fill that gap.

QUALIFICATIONS, ANYONE?
───────────────────────

Before I go any further, your probably wondering what the heck *my* own
qualifications for writing are article like this are. Well, right now I am a
Co-Sysop on both of Jim's (IceNET 1@1) boards, and I've been a Co-Sysop on TGWN
(IceNET @1) for a while now. Recently Jim asked for help on his second board,
Paragon (WWIVnet @7654), as well. I was more than happy to lend him a hand
there too. I am also aCo-Sysop on several boards in the WNY Area, although I
mainly confine my roamings to The Keep of Ultimate Evil (IceNET @7), Artificial
-NON-Intelligence (IceNET @7667) and the The Sanitarium (IceNET @5).


UNDERSTANDING THE DEVIOUS MIND OF THE SYSOP
───────────────────────────────────────────

Before you can go further here it will help to understand what a Sysop is
first. A Sysop is the person that owns the board, pays the bills, and has
the number one account.

The first two stipulations there are obvious, but the last some may question.
Why is the Sysop the guy with the number 1 account? Because that is usually
the account that gets the feedbacks, complaints, and complements under normal
circumstances. The person who owns that account is the one that people think
of as the sysop, whether those people are users or other Sysops. It is from
that account that the Sysop normally deals with other sysops in the network,
and in most cases it's required that the Sysop conduct any official network
business from that particular account!

Yes, there may be some exceptions to this general rule, but exceptions are not
the general rule. That is why they are called exceptions.


SYSOPS AND CO-SYSOPS
────────────────────

There are three difference classes of BBSers. Sysops, Co-Sysops and Users.
Every now and then you hear of the weird half beast called the "Remote Sysop",
but I don't believe in their existence. There are only sysops (the person
owning the #1 account) and Co-Sysops. A Co-Sysop with a 255 is just a very
trusted Co-Sysop. With this in mind, I don't see any reason for the fourth
class of "Remotes".

Besides, to do any real major work on a board it is a great help to be
local to the BBS computer. Yes, you can do a lot from remote, but I can't
stand doing anything more than adding a sub or two that way. To do major
work, being local is almost a requirement. Case in point, recently Jim
wanted some major remodeling of Paragons message base section done. I could
have done the remodeling from remote but it would have taken a long time to
do. I was reluctant to do it because of the time it would have taken. So,
Jim then invited me over to his place so that I could do the work there.
What would have been a good 15 hour job from remote only took about 6 hours
from the local keyboard.
One thing that does bug me a bit are those Co-Sysops that sign posts "Co-Sysop
of This-That Board". The way I figure it, this is just a power trip gimmick.
After all, if a user calls a board regularly they should know who the
Co-Sysops there are, and don't need to be reminded all the time.

The reason I figure that it's just part of power tripping is like this:
signing all posts as "Co-Sysop" normally is done just to intimidate those
persons the Co-Sysop is talking to. If people are talking about abortion, or
some other debate topic, and some Co-Sysop signs a post "Co-Sysop of this
board", then you have intimidation. It might not be intended, but it will
have this effect. Whether intentional or otherwise does not matter; it is
the effect that matters.

There are only two cases I can think of where I would sign a post as
"Co-Sysop":

1) When dealing with a new user.

2) when dealing with other Sysops in the network.

Both of these, I should add, usually only occur in e-mail situations.

Now, I don't expect the sysops in the network to take my "Co-Sysop" as
meaning anything either when I deal with them. Just sometimes, if they know
me a little, instead of going through Jim I can cut out the middle man and
get something done quicker by sending the mail myself I'll do it. Normally
who I am dealing with there knows a little about me already, such as
Midnight Tree Bandit (the Weirdo of WWIVlink fame).

There are several things that Co-Sysops can do for the Sysop of a board. I am
going to list some of the things I have done in the past. These are not
the only things that a Co-Sysop can do, but they are the obvious ones that
are seen around in common existence. They are :

1) Sub-board Management.
2) Transfer Section Management.
3) On-Line Chains Management.
4) User Record Management.
5) The Resident Modder.
6) A little of everything.


SUB-BOARD MANAGEMENT
────────────────────

This is the guy who keeps the subs of a board moving. He posts a lot.
Deletes "below-par" posts. Network Validates the net subs the board hosts.
Keeps track of who posts and who doesn't. Help people out in regards to the
sub-boards.

Posting a lot is very important for a Co-Sysop of this type to do. Leading by
example is much easier than just telling people what to do. If some Co-Sysop
just posts "Why aren't you all posting here?" or "Post or Die" messages, then
people are going to think the Co-Sysop is just plain weird.
I will admit, I've done both of those, but I try for messages like that
to be more humorous than anything else. I post a lot on the subs. If I post
something on the political sub I know that I can get others to respond
because they will disagree with me. Then, as long as I am staying on topic