20-Sep-92 21:57:50

--226--

>EA, Edit Account `23
But this will restrict ALL EA usage for those users.  He's just
trying to restrict 'edit their own acct' usage.

We have to be careful and NOT ask Ken to add things that will limit
things that we might need to do from remote.  It's great to
have a secure system, but not if it limits *your* possibilities,
too.

You might need to view a password, set the System Maintenance flag,
edit acct #1 from remote.  Change a group definition, change a
subboard parameter, change an acct, from a non-ansi remote terminal.
We always had, but recently lost, ALL capabilities of doing any of
those things.  I hope more and more 'loses' aren't coming up.
Progress is great.  But at what cost?

It doesn't need be this way.
C-net is fully capable (but current doesn't) allow you to set
limits to those you wish to limit, and NOT limit those you don't
wish to limit.  (Like the sysop himself.  The guy that owns
and operates the whole thing.)

I'd like to see more and more things like:
1)  "You can't edit any acct with an access level higher than yours."
2)  SubOp access doesn't mean totally unlimited D/Ls.

And less things like:
1) Even if you have subop access, even if you have sysop access, even
if you are level #23, even if you are local, you STILL need to enter
'ID' and *2* passwords to do certain things.

2) Seeing 'you can't make any more "calls" to the system today' and
locking me out of my own BBS, WHILE I'M SITTING RIGHT HERE AT
THE TERMINAL IN THE LOCAL MODE.

--227--
RD>  It sounds like you guys went and ran Amaint as a Pfile.  That screws up
RD>  acct number one real good.   Running maint as you are online is a NO NO!.
RD>  RED DOG

Is this true?
If so, it d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y needs a safe-exiting,
"*** Can't run while online." check.
Well worth the 1-2 additional lines of code.

--228--
How about "Z 'mystring' 1-4,10-20"?
With wildcarding you could make 1 search do the work of 5?
(Without waiting the full 5x for the searches.)

'this&that'
'mine|yours'
'(this&that)|(mine&yours)'
Most likely stick to AmigaDOS 2.04 wildcard standards instead.
"? #/ * tilde-not, (grouping), etc...

It would be for powerusers only, of course, but I think that
includes many of us.

--229--
Is there an open-to-the-public-all-about-CnetBBS area?
CL_CNET_PUBLIC
         ^ Tells it is open to the public
    ^ Tells it is about Cnet-BBS
^ Tells it is a Clink Echo
--230--
>I use legal Amiga C..  Using Lock(), Examine() and ExNext().
Is this what Ken recommends?
1) Find/lock/open/read/close the catalog's raw data files.
2) Send a request to the ctrl panel asking for this data.

#2 is the only 1 that can guarantee full future life-time expansion
compatibility.  Is #2 even available?  (Even though you've never used it,
using #1 instead.)


--231--
Alternate networks...

Can someone list a handful of pro/cons regarding what is gained/lost
by starting an entirely new network instead of using Fidonet and just
creating a new echo for their needs.  If you are part of five
networks, you'll have to be assigned 5 different node #s, maintain,
update, compile 5 different full node lists, non-support by certain
frontdoors, etc, etc.  Splintering everyone it small groups.

What benefits do you gain?  Instead of just using all existing
node #s, nodelists, etc, but just creating tagname FOO_MINE if you
(for whatever reason) aren't happy with Fidonet's own FOO echo.
--232--

>I change alot within the first 2000 lines of BBSTEXT!
As my post stated, it was a request for KEN to stop changing BBSTEXT,
not us.  This is the only way *we* can be secure in the knowledge that
*our* modified BBSTEXT files won't have to be updated over and over again.

Ken would make a commitment that he'd only APPEND all new additions
to BBSTEXT onto the end of the file, not INSERT changes in the middle.
It would instantly eliminate the need for the MANY different
schemes we've all seen for trying to update our BBSTEXT files.

It's NO additional work on Ken's part.
It in noway limits future expansion of BBSTEXT.
It in noway prevents us from changing our copies of BBSTEXT.
It makes all BBSTEXT-updaters unnecessary.
Updated BBSTEXT files could be installed in secs instead of hours.
(Just cut/paste the new 1-10 LAST lines of Ken's new BBSTEXT onto
the END of our heavily modified BBSTEXT.)
No need to worry about the current "if I have 1 line missing from
BBSTEXT, the whole system is scrambled".

Can anyone post a few disadvantages that outweigh these 6 advantages?


--233--

item: 2
subj: NS Bug (for 2.30)
from: Analog Kid
on  : Wed 16-Sep-1992 12:07a

 Well, Ken, It looks like you have areas that some of us users cant see, or the
 Numbering system at the Log-On File Scanning is messed up. This is what I get!

 NS

 3 subboard(s) report new uploads since your last call.

 Quick-browse these new files now [Yes]? Yes
 *Subboard (3) Amiga Telecommunications
   1 15-Sep  14 XPRBI101      LZH  60K XPR Bi-Modem v1.01
 (1) Browse (*, Download, Read, Quit)>

 *Subboard (11) AREXX program files
   1-15-Sep   0 ViewLog_v1.0  LZH   3K
 (1) Browse (*, Download, Read, Quit)>

 *Subboard (16) Upload to Ken
More[Y,n,c]              1 15-Sep   0 CNetText      LHA  20K Text Descriptions of the CNet BBS
                                       Software Product
 (1) Browse (*, Download, Read, Quit)>

 Why is 11 Arexx Programs, and 16 Uploads to Ken. Is this counting all bins?
 This is really confusing. If you are counting bins Why dont you use like (1/1)
 for Subdir1 Bin 1. or even

 Suboard (Subdir #1 Bin #1) Arexx Program Files.

 This would make it a little more understandable!
 --->Analog Kid<---

There has been 1 response.


More responses. Respond, Pass or ENTER to continue>

#1/1 from: Bill Allen  (=)
     to  : Analog Kid
     on  : Wed 16-Sep-1992  5:21p

 I agree.
 What should ALWAYS be shown to the caller, are the #s he'd need
 to type to get to the subboard.
 Global bin counts (??? just guessing, undocumented feature) can't
 (and shouldn't) be used to enter that sub, so why show them to the user?

 Subboard names can't (and shouldn't) be used to enter that sub.
 (But should remain visible for reference purposes.)

> (1;3;12) AREXX program files
> (2;32;2) Upload to Ken
 The user knows exactly how to navigate to get to these subs.

 Ken would better see the great need for this if he had the 100-200
 sub/sub/sub (nested 5+ levels deep) boards that some systems have.

 This missing "how do I get there" feature, coupled with no way to
 specify global marking/download (D 'thisFile.lha' * 'thatFile.zip')
 really hampers things in an otherwise very powerful, very complete file
 catalogging system.
--234---

Shawn McNeece, I saw your long list of the elusive 7-digit arexx
getuser codes.  Much appreciated.  Did you do this 'by hand'?  Has
anyone put together an arexx script that would scan the latest cnet.h
file and generate all those codes automatically?  Always updated to
the current release.  Ken could even run it and include the code-list
on the master disks.  I see sooooo many people asking for these, it's
a shame we can't get this info into the hands of those that need it
most.  (Those that can write simple arexx scripts but steer clear when
asked to figure out the getuser values based on the cnet.h file.)

--235--
If Ken doesn't add it, I'm sure someone else will beat him to the
punch.  Personally, I'd like to see C-net as "The Worlds First Amiga BBS
to support Bi-Modem".

There are other authors looking into this....
Who'll be the 1st?

Paragon/Starnet, DLG Pro BBS (formerly Dialog Pro), Amber BBS (100%
68000 mach language), XenoLink BBS (by Jonathan Forbes, LZ author),
BBS-PC! (Micro Systems Software v4.20), AD-BBS, Custom BBS, Link BBS,
MultiPlex BBS (Paragon-clone), Tag BBS (ShareWare), IDS MultiBoard
BBS, Ateredes BBS (SkyPix(tm) graphics), PONS BBS, Inlet BBS, Metro
BBS, BBX BBS (by Steve Tibbet, VirusX/TaskX/ScreenX author), Majestic
BBS, Petra BBS (Shareware), Ami-Express (by Joseph Hodge/Mike Thomas),
ANET BBS, Tempest BBS, AmigaLine BBS, CMA-BBS (PD v1.0d), VBBS BBS (by
Express Paint author Steve Vermeulen), PBBS BBS (Un-published #?),
CBBS BBS, SoftSpan BBS (PD by M.Wolfskehl v1.1 on FF disk #373),
TransAmiga BBS (ShareWare), Citadel BBS, Falcon BBS, A-Line BBS,
AmigaLink BBS (Author online @ SWHQ Marc Nagy), 4D-BBS, Sterling BBS,
BoardMaster BBS (by Black Belt Systems), GFA-BBS (by Andre Decourtney,
written in GFA Basic), Stellar BBS (v0.99n non-working, IBM WWIV
clone), Skyline BBS (new release summer '91), Pro BBS (with C src, by
David R. Stromberger), Elite BBS (by Nick Smith), Baud Bandit BBS,
FreeForm BBS (Ken Schenke), WWIV BBS, ShadoeGate BBS, Spectra BBS
(ShareWare v1.23 as of 01Sep91), MAX BBS (v1.00 as of 30-Jun-91),
Minotaur BBS, Proteus BBS, Ncomm Host System, Ultimate BBS by
LightSpeed Software, EXCELSIOR BBS by Sycom Development, Trinity BBS
by Rodney Martin.

I thought the whole point of external protocol libs was that they
could be added/dropped/changed by the end-user easily.  Maybe
bi-modem would require some minor work on Ken's part.

Instead of specifically adding bi-modem support, I'd like to see Ken
just add the full power for *US* to add/drop/change it.  The
next 10 new protocols that come out of the next 5 years could all
be dropped right in.  Ken would NOT have to continually add specific
support for them.

--236--
Count another big vote for Bi-modem support.
But before it'll move into wide spread use, it'll need both a term
and a BBS that supports it.
I'd like to see C-net as the BBS.
But who's going to write the term for non-cnet sysop use?
(C-net sysops could always use the built-in TERM, but what
will the other 3,000,000 Amiga users run to access Bi-modem?
And don't say, "Buy an IBM" :-)
--237--
[D]
>Sorry, item n is a post, not a file.
How many people would like to be able to [D]ownload (or [Y]ank) the
msg's *text* if an 'item is a post, not a file'?
(Right from the "respond/pass prompt".)
No need to stop reading the thread, yank that 1 msg, then try and
continue reading right where you left off.

>Respond/Pass: Download          (The post and all responses.)
>Respond/Pass: Download 0        (Just the original post.)
>Respond/Pass: Download 2,4,6-9  (Just these responses.)
Read, read, I want to save this text [D], read, read, save, read...

--238--

I take it that Ymodem-G can't do 'resume' or 'auto-DL-mode'?
(C-net's Ymodem-G or anyone's Ymodem-G?)
Two very nifty features missing from an otherwise fast, nifty protocol.

--239--

When I call any C-net with a CD-ROM online (and more and more of them
are popping up everywhere) there is a very lengthy wait while the
system does a check for new U/Ls on the CD.  (10000s of files in 600megs.)
There (of course) aren't/can't be any.  I don't want to DROP all the
CD subboards, for I DO want these scanned during text searches, etc.

This there a way for a SysOp to mark entire dir-subboards with a
"last-new-ULs-date" so all subboards (and subsubboards) within them
would just be quickly skipped entirely when SA, BA, RA, are executed.

(But searched when I run text searches, and all other non-date searches.)

--240--

Would it be possible to get a list of names of the beta-testers,
so I could contact them directly?
How many are there?  They definately need to take a few bows.

--241--

ken> CNet AMIGA 2.30 (c)1990-92
ken>  /.../
ken>  /.../
ken> C-Net AMIGA v2.2+
That MCI-code version #, sure would come in handy.

--242--

Regarding range specifying keywords...
Is there a counterpart to the "MESS" modifier that will only list
items with files attached?  "FILE" perhaps.

--243--

Missing 'SysText:sys.help.extract' file online and on the master disks.
When the system tells you to read it in several places, for more info...
> Enter another topic (or MENU): HELP
> /.../
> /.../
> /.../
> Other topics of interest:
> CREDITS         EXTRACT
>
> Enter another topic (or MENU): EXTRACT
> There is no help available on EXTRACT.
--244--

Would it be possible to automatically save all group-conf text
to a file.  For 2 reasons:
1)  To allow the sysop to check on the goings on there.
2)  I'm sure when a few knowledgeable users start chatting the discussions
    can get very good/informative.  They are never seen by anyone other
    than the 2-4 people in conf at that time.

A midnight-maintenance script could delete this file thus restarting things.
(Or rename it, saving the last x days of text each in a different file.
Or arc it for D/L.)

--245--

When a user 1st joins a group-conf would it be possible to display the
last 12 (or so) lines of discussion?

Would help cut-down on the common "what are you guys talking about?" each
time a new person joins.  (As well as encourage the new user to join in
on the discussion.)

--- Bill Beogelein, Amiga ShareWare HQ, 1:2410/207, 313-473-2020 HST-DS 14.4k
