
Sunday 31-Oct-93 20:42:15

--1250--

R> Well Ken, it looks like you have the Joinlink (JL) working perfectly.  I
R> have had it setup for auto joinlinks now for a couple of days and it has
R> been working so far.

Are you going to (or have you) posted a regular date/time schedule?
(Certain days of every week, at certain hours.)
I'm sure others would like to link-up with you.

Everyone that sets-up a regular JL session should add it to the BBSLIST
COMMENT lines.

All we'd have to do is [S]earch COMMENTS for "JOIN" to see:
> Join-link sessions every Friday, 10pm-11pm

(I sure wish BBSLIST/COMMENTS could be longer than 55 chars.  We could add
extremely specific details about the bbses.  Maybe 4 lines @ 55 chars each,
220 chars.)

--1251--

The same way we can maintain 100s of tiny, individual "Mail:Users/*/_alias"
files for our "network aliases", I'd also like a global "_alias"
file to be implimented.

I could instruct all callers to use "MS foo@" to reach a certain party,
without having to require every caller edit/add it onto their own personal
"network aliases" list.  (Saving time/effort/disk-space/standardizing.)

Of course, his "Mail:Users/*/_alias" would be searched first, and
the global "_alias" would only be searched if a matched isn't found
there.

And maybe a special "Mail:User/0/" dir could be set aside to mean
"global acct" for this "_alias" file (and others coming later down the
road).

Mail:Users/0/_alias
           ^
           |
           Special global reserved dir

It would also be handy if the "_alias" file allow comment-lines as reminders.
They'd just be stripped/ignored:
> ken      Ken Pletzer@1:2410/215     ; CNet-BBS author
> bill     Bill Beogelein@1:2410/207  ; Amiga ShareWare HQ SysOp
> areafix  AreaFix@1:2410/243         ; To turn echos on/off
> myfeed   Dan Brown@1:2410/243       ; My feed
> greg     Greg Day@1:2410/193        ; Net Echo Coordinator (NEC)
> af       AreaFix@1:2410/243         ; To turn echos on/off
> jim      Jim Selleck@1:2410/215     ; Who???

--1252--

I think this would be a pretty common need/desire...

I have a "few" items (or responses) that are currently PUBLIC, but
definitely should be changed to PRIVATE.  As well as, a "few" PRIVATE
ones, that I'd like to open up to PUBLIC discussion.

How do I toggle an item's (or response's) PUBLIC/PRIVATE flag?

Would it be feasible to add it to "AT"s VDE?

--1253--

I'd love to maintain a sub with the UNIQUE-DIR string of MATRIX and
have CNetToss toss/scan all netmail there instead on my mailbox.  (Of
course, anyone could turn CARBON-COPY on/off, as needed.)

A very handy way to keep track of all my old/new mail.

Is this planned (or possible)?

(Of course, if you didn't have a "MATRIX" sub, CNetToss would work as
it does now.)

--1254--

Jim, CNet's old BBS phone # is still in the BBSLIST.
313-981-1524

--1255--

OK, CNet-Arexx gurus, how would I do this one....

I have an arexx-pfile that needs to use 'FindAccount' to change a handle
into an account number.

But if the handle doesn't exist, the familiar "6-name user-list" is shown
and the "Enter number, name, +, -, or [RETURN]:" prompt.

Since this arexx-pfile may also be run as an unattended event, it
would just sit there forever.

Is there a way to force 'FindAccount' to NOT show the "6-name user-list"?

I was hoping something like "FindAccount handle!" would work, but doesn't.
                                               ^
                                               ^

--1256--

And as long as Ken is in that part of the code...

I'm gathering a mile long list of network-aliases.

1> MS ken@
2> Mail "Ken Pletzer" at Future World, Livonia MI [Yes]?

If line #2 could also show fido-address/phone#/cost, it would be
greatly appreciated.

(And/or take into account routing-directions.)

--1257--

TB> But even so, using SoundEx would be better than the current method, since
TB> it depends on the first letter too.

I too get bitten with things like "FINGER Brazilian" when I can't remember the
"THE", or the user's first name.

How about wildcard support?

"FINGER *braz*" (or whatever part or the name you COULD remember)

--1258--

D> freq boss@
D> is a lot easier than
D> freq first last@?:???/??.?
        ^^^^^^^^^^
Do you have to specify a first/last name for freqs?

But I would like to have "freq boss@" become "freq x:xxx/xxx" if I have it
aliased like tham.



But then I'll want non-network aliases supported too.  :-)

>MS pest
Would send to "Bill Beogelein" if I had an alias entry of:
> pest     bill beogelein

--1259--

Ken, at what point does CNetToss write-out its dup-table files?

It appears to wait until ALL areas have been tossed.
Would it be feasible to write the dup-tables immediately after EACH
area is finished being tossed?

If something goes wrong 1/2 way through the toss, and I have to
reboot/retoss, all the dups can then be tossed to bad (or nil) instead
of getting retossed into the subs.

--1260--

Is a full-screen Visual Data Editor (VDE) planned for editing the
voting topics and variables?  (A great CNet standard way of doing things.)

Would it be tricky (impossible?) to do because VOTE is an external prg?

Ken are you planning one?  Or should one of the users tackle it?

(A VDE for the conf-preferences would be handy too.)

And maybe even one for the float/voting process itself.

(I guess users would need a new "Use VDEs" VS "Use line-editing" flag
in their accounts.  It would also come in handy if anyone did VDEs for
ET/EP/EU, too.)

VDEs are just too slick to pass-up.  I'm addicted.

--1261--

S>  > Well I increased the amount of files that can be uploaded to 999 but
S>  > amaint
S>  > STILL won't adopt more than 29 files per base each time it is run. I'm
S>  > thinking that it may have to do with the size of editor's buffer set up
S>  > in
S>  > RAM.

S> Nah, it shouldn't have anything to do with the editor buffer. Try
S> increasing the limit on selected files.

This was discussed before.  I forget which variable determines AO limits.
Buffers, selected-files, U/Ls per day, etc.

Personally I think AO should not be dependant on any of these related (or
unrelated) var settings.
AO should be either "unlimited" or have "a separate AO limit".
Can anyone list a few reasons why you'd only want to AO 37 instead of 62 files
in a auto-AO sub?  Wouldn't you nearly always want to get them all?
I don't see a need for "a separate AO limit" (or any limit).

And for manual-AO...
Wouldn't you nearly always want to get all the files that match your wildcard
specs?  Not just 32% of them???

--1262--

PB> Great POST-3.0 feature.

I'll leave Ken to decide which are pre-3.0, post-3.0, or garbage.

My suggestion would be to save major changes (or anything that will
require heavy testing) for v3.1.

And go with no (or minor, minimum testing needed) additions to v3.0.


But I hope v3.1 isn't too far off...

Fidonet echo....
--- cut here ---
The creators of Remote Image Protocol are also working on an
Amiga version of RIPTerm.  I have no release date yet, but I will have one
soon.
                                Douglas Cootey
                                DRC Sequential Graphics
--- cut here ---

I was VERY surprised to see the creators of RIP even thinking about the Amiga.
(Or even knowing it exists.)

--1263--

JS> I have been asking Ken for a demo version for some time.  It is a great
JS> idea.

I started asking him in June 1990.

I've heard rumors that CNet w/o the keyfile COULD be given to others.
Then I heard NO, it can't.
Then yes again, the no again, so I gave up on listening to the rumors.

What is the status of v2.63 as of today?

Hatching it into ADS and SAN (1 phone call) would put it in the hands of
countless SysOps running non-CNet software, worldwide.  (As well as the
CALLERS to those systems.)

U/Ling it to CompuServe would make it available to over 600,000 Amiga and
non-Amiga users.

Putting it in the Fred-Fish collection (floppy and CD) would also help.

Here's something I sent Ken in Oct 1990...
                                   ^^^^
Ken, count my 1 vote towards releasing a demo version of C-net.
You should be able to cripple it enough to make it hack-proof,
by still show prospective buyers what they are getting for
their $$$.   You could limit/disable things like:
 1) Limit of 10 registered users.
 2) Limit of 1 registered user (name==DEMO, password==DEMO).
 3) Limit 3 file/msg areas.
 4) #ifdef/#endif-out all serial I/O creating just a "local" mode only.
 5) No UL/DL at all.
 6) Limit of 10 files online, 10 msg threads.
 7) No passworded log-in accounts supported.
 8) Only allow 5 callers per day.
Any 1 or more of the above, (or all of them) should do it.  (I'd
recommend #2 and/or #7.)  I've heard so many great things about C-net,
but I've gotten burned by buying, now 4, other BBS packages total over
$500.00.  I can't make this expensive mistake again and again.

Our voice chat was very, very informative.  I'm still getting a
regular stream of "Bill, it's a really, really great BBS!" from
many current C-net sysops.  But this doesn't really tell me anything
detailed, concrete, as to "why?".

--1264--

HM> AK> base entered "REGARDLESS" of access level.

The users ACCESS LEVEL doesn't effect showing of the entry/exit text.
It's their HELP LEVEL, a big difference.

HM> AK> Even better yet, an option to run a script file when "Entering and or
HM> AK>  Exiting"
HM> AK> a particular bin would be even nicer. And again, this would be
HM> AK>  Un-Abortable by ANYONE!

HM>    Ken, this is a GREAT idea!  Perhaps you can make CNet look for a
HM>    "entry.[scr]ipt" and "exit.[scr]ipt" or maybe "entry.DOS" and
HM>    "exit.DOS" in EACH subboard's data directory..  This would solve

Since any text file can also run DOS/Arexx/C prgs via MCI, all that would be
needed is to "show a text file".  (Why step backwards and limit it just to
*.DOS scripts?)

I always felt that a user's help level (0-3) should just display a matching
"sys.entry.#" file.

"sys.entry" should be shown if the correct "sys.entry.#" isn't found.

Currently level #3 (SuperUser) is set-up to NOT show anything.
If it showed sys.entry.3, we'd be all set.

What the philosophy comes down to is:
1)  The sysop should be able to over-ride the user's settings and show him the
files that the sysop wants to be displayed.
2)  The caller should be able to over-ride the sysop's settings and SKIP a
file that the sysops wants to be displayed.

Which one is "better"?

--1265--

PB> I would like to see a fully operational BBS with limits configured into it
PB> and CRC checks to make sure those limits are not changed (hacked) easily.

#4 would be, by far, the most hack-proof.

4) #ifdef/#endif-out all serial I/O creating just a "local" mode only.

I can't imagine anyone disassembling the uncommented 266,000 byte cnet:bbs
executable, writing all the serial I/O in assembler, and re-inserting it all,
all the correct spots, and re-compiling into a 100% working executable.

--1266--

M> For some reason I'm not getting some netmail into my mailbox.  Toss log
M> shows that the netmail was imported.  But it does not show up.. Now if I

This happened to me, but just once.
I'm not sure if I was running CNetToss v2.95/6/6a.

I wish I would have saved that netmail packet before I tossed it to nil:.
Maybe there was something slightly different about it.

JS> I suggest the
JS> addition of a few diagnostic functions in TOSS right about where the
JS> "IMPORTED" message is displayed in the log, perhaps something indicating
JS> success or failure of opening the recipient's mail file.

A good debug-mode to add to CNetToss would be to rename (instead of delete)
the tossed netmail files.
1)  We could toss a 2nd time.
2)  We could save/forward these packets to Ken.
3)  If worse came to worse, we could binary-read the file and at least see
    the msg-text.

If you run "CNetToss DEBUG" then it'll rename Inbound:00000024.SA0 into
Inbound:00000024.SA0.001 *.002 *.003.  (As well as Jim's suggestion.)

(Those are suggestions, NOT current features.)

--1267--

JS>   Everyone, sorry for quoting myself in toto like that, but I wanted a
JS> copy of this to go directly into Ken's mailbox!!

JIM, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STOP OVER-QUOTING!!!!????

(Just kidding.)

I often see a msg, and think, "Gee, so-and-so would love a copy."
"Or so-and-so should definitely read this."
Is there a fast, simple way to do this?
(Without re-quoting it.  Bothersome in the local bases, and a big no-no in a
networked base.)

Maybe have the same "mail FOward" cmd also work from the response/pass prompt?
It would just forward response X (or the current response) to user Y.
(Hopefully the same, already existing, mail-forward code-function could be
used.)

Inversely, I VERY often need to MOve a mail-item from mail into a sub.

Both/either feature would be great.

--1268--

Jim, before I forget....

In few of the subs here, we CAN'T turn on Carbon-Copy.
Please consider "EL"ing them into "Yes/def/ON" or "Yes/def/OFF".
(Anything is better than "No/Forbidden".)
"Yes/def/ON" would be ideal.

I'm not sure which subs, or how many.
(At least 4 in "(dir) Networking systems".)

Many users are probably missing many msgs addressed to them, due to this.

--1269--

I added Future World's phone # into this WABL Nov. 93 edition.

--1270--

So if you find a msg (or 20) getting tossed to BAD, how do you find why?
(I'm sure many users are going to be asking this after v3.0 is released.)

If CNetToss would tell us in the 1st line of the msg, that would be great....

> AREA:TAGNAME (Bad)
> AREA:TAGNAME (Dup)
> AREA:TAGNAME (Empty)
> AREA:TAGNAME (No sub)
> AREA:TAGNAME (Full)
> AREA:TAGNAME (Unknown)
> AREA:TAGNAME (Whatever)   (Can anyone think of other types?)

Even if CNetToss was *incorrectly* tossing msgs to BAD, we could at
least see what it "thinks" is the reason for doing so.

--1271--

I would much rather see CNetToss have a few cmd-line options instead
of just one CONFIG/TOSSER "Send dupe echomail to BAD" possibility.

We would list which msg-types would get tossed to BAD, all others would
go to nil:
> CNetToss BAD DUP EMPTY NOSUB ALL UNKNOWN
                   ^^^^^
   My feed sends 1 empty msg as part of its polling-process.
   I'd love to toss it to nil:, but NOT toss everything there, too.
   (I assume this is currently impossible?)

--1272--

> item: 3
> file: ar131.lha (66560 bytes, 0m 51s, 0 xfers, 0 cps best)
> on  : Thu  4-Nov-1993  3:39a
> info: Amiga Report ISSUE 1.31
>  (UNFINISHED FILE) (NOT YET TESTED)

Will someone please finish this U/L?
Thanks.

Would anyone (other than me) like to see CNet display:
> (45% UNFINISHED FILE)
> (12% UNFINISHED FILE)
> (97% UNFINISHED FILE)

I think a user (the original U/Ler or anyone) would be more likely to
complete an upload if they knew that they were just 3% away from
getting the full U/L byte/file credits for the transfer.

--1273--

Nicholas, you obviously know your arexx coding.

How about another problem I'm having...

'loadScratch' 99                   /* Load data of user ID #99 */
'getScratch' 3; 'transmit'  RESULT
'getScratch' 4; 'transmit'  RESULT
'getScratch' 7; 'transmit'  RESULT

Everything seems to work, but "7".
It should show the time-remaining (in 1/10ths mins) for user #99.

Instead it appears to show the time-remaining for user running this
arexx-script.

Any hints?  Anyone?

--1274--

I'm seriously considering posting 90% of my future comments as "anonymous".

I feel people respond (or fear to respond), or react differently
when they see certain names.  (And my, er ah, "active" (big mouth) style.)

I remember it as if it was only yesterday...
Posting my first msg on the first BBS I called.
Should I?    I have a question.
Will I appear too stupid, too bold, too vague, too wordy, too harsh?
OR
I want to help.
Will I offend others?  Will I be criticized for my facts/opinions?
If I am, I'll never post anything again.  I'll never help anyone.
I'll never call here again.  I'll sell my modem.

JUST POST IT!

It's only a string of bytes lined-up in a certain pattern on someone's
harddrive, in someone's basement.  It's not the end of the world.

--1275--

My callers seem to not use expire-mail much, so I guess this is more of
a problem for some systems, rather than others.

If Ken does impliment the amaint-killing of expire-mail, I hope it is NOT
through the 1-by-1 checking of every user's mailbox, checking every piece of
mail he has.

500-users, each with 10 pieces of mail, that's 5000 checks, just to find what
could be 1-2 (or 0) pieces of expire-mail.

And I hate to ask for yet another pointer-file, and yet another level of
complexity added, but I don't know how this could be done quickly/efficiently
otherwise.

Some kind of a pointer/tracker-file of who has expire-mail.
Amaint checks there, and sees the acct-IDs to check.
Only those are checked/purged.

BA> 500-users, each with 10 pieces of mail, that's 5000 checks, just to
BA> find what could be 1-2 (or 0) pieces of expire-mail.

P> Name ONE CNet bbs with 5000 pieces of private mail!

I can name 0.

My old BBS had 2300 users, I'm not sure how many pieces of mail they had.

It didn't have (thank god) 500 fidonet subs and 1800 usenet subs, like some
BBSes have these days.  Or 50,000 msgs, like I have online now.

And with CNet carbon-copies of local/fidonet/usenet msgs going into their
mailboxes, I don't think an average of 2.3 pieces-per-user is too odd.

But I think it is not time-efficient to search even 1000 pieces of mail every
night to find the few (or 0) pieces that are about to expire that day.  Do
you?  The pointer-idea is much more time-efficient.

I'm just saying, let's do this as fast, time-efficient, clever, full-featured
as other areas of CNet...

> Delete all expired expire-mail.
> Delete all read mail >x days old.
> Delete all unread mail >x days old.

0-3 of the above would do it.

I'm sure someone (you?) would start work on a pfile for it if we:
1) heard from Ken that this wasn't going to be added into CNet/Amaint
   itself.
2) got full docs on the *correct* way to do it.
It would be a waste to start work on a pfile without both.

--1276--

I don't know if this is a bug, or a "feature"...

Read an item with 30 responses.
By hitting RETURN, you read response #1, #2, #3, #4, kill #4, and you then
immediately are jumped down to the last response.  When you should just be
able to continue reading at #5.  (Now called #4, or where ever you left off.)

--1277--

Here on FW, under CNet v2.96, a user reports that...

In a sub that has reached it's max-item count, even resuming an existing U/L
is impossible.

I guess CNet is assuming a "resume" is really "an additional file-item".

Not a big deal, but I'd like to see "resume" ignore max-item limits.

After all, the item is already "there", but in a useless partial state.

Users can give-up (and later forget about) resuming after hitting "this sub is
full" msgs.

Anything/everything that can be used to encourage UL-completion should be
possible.

--1278--

"Well, you can group-chat with other users" is just 1 of 20+ cmds that
COULD be implimented during join-link sessions.

Another BBS software package currently allows about 5 cmds.

Instead of trying to decide which cmds to impliment, or in which order,
or how many (opinions will differ), and adding support for them 1-by-
1, it could be covered completely (as well as allowing all future
cmds), quite nicely, with something like...

A user calls a BBS that is Join-Linked to 25 other BBSs.
He enters "JUMP 13" and all his future cmds for msg-reading/searching,
file-searching, ULing/DLing, fingering, WHOing, OLMing, everything,
are forwarded to BBS #13 in the chain.  That BBS executes the cmd, and
the results are sent back to the user.  He can later JUMP to other
systems, or JUMP back to his original "call-in" BBS.

If it's too tricky to initially allow ULing/DLing, too, then maybe
just the others.

--1279--

This is just an idea, NOT how it currently works...

FILE - list only files
MESS - list only non-files

ITEM - list only items
RESP - list only responses

By far the most powerful, giving the longest list of combos...
SCAN FILE ITEM
SCAN FILE RESP
SCAN FILE          (both file-items and file-responses)
SCAN MESS ITEM
SCAN MESS RESP
SCAN MESS          (both msg-items and msg-responses)

Scan exact (and only) what you are looking for.

--1280--

I often use the common pratice of adding MCI-codes {*n} {#n} {$n} to
add new cmds to my CNet:BBSmenu.  (To display files, run arexx/C/DOS
pfiles, DOS-cmds, etc.)

I'd definitely like to track this in the logs.
(To check for usage, bugs, popularity, etc.)

Which are the corresponding CONFIG/LOG items?

I currently have 100% of my users set-up to 0-31 log-flags.
And 0% of the CONFIG/LOG items set to "log only in remote".

MCI_Says, ArexxSays, ReadFile, ReadText, etc, still won't log my
CNet:BBSmenu additions.

I was assuming "CONFIG/LOG MCI_Says" controlled this?
No?  A bug?

--1281--

Is it common (desirable) to have netmail specifically NOT tack on the
sending system's address?

But specifically does for echo-mail.


Would it be possible/feasible to have BOTH automatically tack-on the sending
system's address?  (So that it wouldn't be forgotten.)


(Jim, your netmail doesn't have an address.  I'm not sure if this is
an oversight, or a desired.)

--1282--

In JOIN-CONF...

Please consider relabel "/XR #8" for better clarity.

> 8 Capture-buffer.... Closed
instead of:
> 8 Scribe file....... Closed

Also, in the captured-text file, a LINE-FEED is needed after the "user
left" string.

> (0) SysOp: Test
> ---- SysOp has left (09-Nov-1993  8:52p).(0) SysOp: open
> ---- SysOp has left (09-Nov-1993  8:55p).(0) SysOp: test
> ---- SysOp has left (09-Nov-1993  8:55p).---- SysOp has left (09-Nov-1993  8:55p).

--1283--

> What can you tell me about ISDN connections?

Info (and systems) are scarce.

For the following files, dial 313-473-2020.
Log-in under the special "Name=FREE Password=FREE" acct.
Type "FIND ISDN*"...

U/L'ed DLs Filename   EXT Size Description
====== === ============== ==== ===========
20-Sep   0 ISDN_TN    LHA   2K IBM BBS list of ISDN systems in Tennessee as
                               of 24Aug93

31-May   0 ISDNBBS    LHA   3K List of multi-lined ISDN 64000bps BBSes,
                               worldwide

21-Dec   0 ISDN       LHA  17K BoardWatch Mag on ISDN from Jan93

(You should be D/Ling within 30 secs of your first call, even without
starting an account.)

I wonder which Amiga-BBS software is going to be the first to directly
support (and have the first online systems running) 64000bps ISDN
connections???

--1284--

Ken, any plans on making your (now) local "3.0 Beta Testers" sub into a
Fidonet echo?  It wouldn't take much.  I'd certainly like to read&write posts
at my leisure on my system, instead of tying-up 1 of your lines here.

Maybe just echo it to me?
Or maybe echo it to all beta-testers that wish to receive it?

Your costs:  $0.00

--1285--

IF> and supposedly tossed it.  But when I logged on....nothing.  I looked
IF> everywhere on the harddrive, but it is totally gone.  Anybody else have
IF> this happen???

To the best of my knowledge, I only lost 1 inbound piece of netmail.

It's kind of hard to know if netmail is being lost, because what you don't
get, you don't realize was lost.  (???)
And until this bug can be found/fixed, I'm running a weekly DOS-event...

> Search >>Logs:Netmail.LOG Logs:Toss netmail   ;;; Save netmail info
> Date                     >Logs:Toss           ;;; Then delete log

And frequently looking at my Logs:Netmail.LOG file.



Or try an experiment next time you get some inbound netmail....
> Make a copy of the inbound:packet file, and toss it 50 times.
> Do you get 50 successful copies of it in your mailbox?  49? 25? 5? 0?

--1286--

What does it mean when running "RR" from the pfile-menu, ends with:

RR> 570  subboards found in sysdata:subboards3
RR> 0    subboards orphans killed
RR> 569  subboards remain active

Doesn't 570-0=570?

--1287--

DS> 2. Why can we only move a listing within a directory using the ML x x and
DS> not move it outside of that directory or subboard.  I just want to move

It would be handy to move subs anywhere we wanted.
Just like "MOVE" an item.
It presents you with a list of subs and you can ":" "/", too.

I'd like to do both.  Maybe have the latter work like this...

> ML x y      (moves within the current dir)
> ML x        (gives list of subs, with full / and : movement allowed)

Maybe something to keep in mind for CNet v3.1.


DS> 4. During Amaint it shows Checking:xxxxx and if a subboard has been
DS> deleted
DS> it shows a blank Checking: Maybe it should say Checking:Subboard Deleted
DS> or better yet just skip it.

I'd also like to see amaint # these subs as they are displayed.
If you have 543 subs, start at 543 and count-down to 1.
You'll know you have x more remaining to go.
(It would NOT reflect physical sub #s, or online sublist #s.)

DS> 5. When you do a AL you can't use a macro for the first three prompts if
DS> you place a number for the #2 prompt. IE `142``

I'd also like to see "AL" and "EL" list the 3 paths in the same order.
Currently "EL" lists them as:
> Path to data dir    :
> Path to part0/CD/net:
> Unique dirname      :

and "AL" lists them as:
> Unique dirname      :
> Path to data dir    :
> Path to part0/CD/net:

They should list them in the same order.  ("EL" should be changed.)
And "EL" and "AL" should use the same wording to describe them.
(I'm confused enough already.)

DS> 8.  How about automatic macros...  Say you enter a sub directory and you
DS> have 30 directories and you want to run a macro 30 times.  You have from
DS> pulldown (ONLINE) Play Macro then the next selections are Logon, CTRL/E or

A) Pull-down menus can't be used from remote.
B) I'd rather not define/use/re-define macros over and over again.
C) Who can live with just 2 macros?
D) Non-SysOps might need more macro-power too.

I would like to see CNet start using some of that DRAW-EDIT record/playback
power elsewhere too...

1) ^FOO turns on recording.
2) All the keystrokes you hit, are recorded.
   (Yes, including ctrl-keys, and VDE UP/DOWN/LEFT/RIGHT movements and
   other things that we currently can't put in ^E/^F.)
3) ^FOO turns off recording.
4) ^FII plays back your keystrokes.
(Who has a list of free ^KEYS that are still available?)

I'd use this billions of times in the full-screen editor alone.
I can't even imagine all the non-editor uses too.

--1288--

S> This is a bug ken, I just tried it out....if you set the "max items per
S> sub" over a certain amount (Don't quite know what it is exactly yet...1000
S> works, 9999 doesn't) it will report "This subboard is temporarily closed".
S> I guess this could be a memory thing like you said...if you set the number

What is this variable actually telling CNet?

1) The SysOp wants to limit this sub to 9999 items.
2) Allocate enough memory for 9999 items.
   (Even if there are only 17 items now.)
3) Both.

If it isn't already, CNet really should just be doing #1.
#2 should be "allocate memory on the fly, as needed, no more, no less".
(Otherwise it is extremely wasteful, setting aside millions(?) of bytes, for
the current 17 items, just because "some day" there might be 9999 of them.)

--1289--

> --- version 2.08    12-Feb-1992
>
> 11.   When specifying the arguments for a DOS pfile, you may insert
>    AREXX 'getuser' type strings as arguments to the pfile.  See page
>    77 for a list of GETUSER numbers.  Use the character % followed
>    by the GETUSER number.  For example, with the arguments of
>
>       %1 %40
>
>    the DOS pfile will be passed arguments consisting of the user's
>    handle and ID number.  You may need to use quotes to surround
>    arguments which may contain spaces.

Ken could this VERY handy/powerful "%x" expansion be made
to also work with things like:

{$0 Echo >t:filename %1}

Currently the "%1" is not expanded at all.

--1290--

1> Enter current password:
2> Enter the NEW password:
3> Again just to be sure!:
4> Password changed!

If a user tries to change his password, and fails, CNet should tell him:
> Password NOT changed!

This should be done if things fail at #1 (doesn't enter correct OLD password).
Or #2 (just hits RETURN).
Or #3 (if #2 and #3 do NOT match).

I've had users that think they've successfully changed their password,
when in fact, they haven't.  (And CNet doesn't tell them of the failure.)

They, of course, can't log back in, trying to do so with their "new" password.

--1291--

I> The commands that I would think would be most useful would be most useful
I> would be:
I> 1) OLM
I> 2) CC
I> 3) who
I> 4) finger

They'll be 100 different opinions on which cmds to impliment 1st, and in which
order.

In addition to yours, I would find "INFO" "AG" "AM" and especially "FIND"
invaluable.  (Search for the files you need BEFORE you have to call around to
that system.)  Maybe some kind of char-marker is needed for the lines
in BBSMENU that signifies "This cmd is also allowed in join-links, as
well as with direct call-ins".

But any command that is global and a 1-shot type "Execute this cmd, and send
me back the results" should be possible.


--1292--

HH> the EMSI at the ansi prompt it loads trapdoor. Its alot better to have
HH> cnet opened instead of trapdoor answering

I would love to see this feature!!!

But what about non-EMSI connects?

Who has a list of ***ALL*** the possible connect strings CNet would have to be
looking for?

If it's just as simple as "look-for-these-strings and call TrapDoor if you get
them", I can't imagine CNet NOT having this feature.  Is it really that
simple?

Maybe these "connect-strings" could be placed in text-file list so they can be
configged easily.

--1293--

DD> I know how to send netmail through Cnet, but how do you send carbon
DD> copies of that mail? *** Data Daddy ***

I don't think it can be done.

Wouldn't it be great if we could just have a special NETMAIL sub?
And keep a read'able/sort'able/search'able/scan'able/autopurge'able record of
all our in/out netmail?

I don't think that can be done either.

If you desire stuff like this, you better mention it to Ken.

--1294--

RM> How do you figure out this kind of info?  Does Ken have some sort of
RM> secret list of all these things?  I would assume he would have SOMETHING!
RM> I just wish he would make it available!

Definitely!
Much too much is kept "secret".
But not this.
See #191 in Ken's CNet read-me file for the codes that produce DL-counts and
RESPONSE-counts.

As for "which lines of BBSTEXT do I edit?"...
You are on your own, many can be figured out based on their content.
But many lines like "\c2(%s)", are anybody's guess.

I can't imagine Ken keeping the descriptions of all 2104 lines of BBSTEXT in
his head.  Maybe he does.  If there's documentation for this, I've never seen
nor heard of it.

I'd love to be able to put comment-lines right in the BBSTEXT file.
You or I or Ken could mention little descriptions right in the file.

--1295--

Jim,

> (5) Amiga JUST FOR FUN> u
> Sorry, too many files!

> (4) Amiga Disk Utilities> u
> Sorry, too many files!

just thought you'd like to know.


Also, I'd love to see CNet automatically mention "This sub is full" to
ALL callers (or at least SysOps) upon entering that sub.

--1296--

When I [k]ill a vote-topic (subboard and vote-menu) CNet tries to execute:
SnoopDOS> delete >NIL: M:1.3/vote3 all

It should be doing:
SnoopDOS> delete >NIL: M:1.3/vote/3 all
                                 ^
                                 ^Missing "/"

Otherwise all killed topics/choices/text/talley/totals files will hang
around forever.

--1297--

Whenever I do an "AL" to create a new subboard, and use:
> Copy from physical sub#    : xxx
It also copies that sub's "Last message serial#".

Should I always reset this back to 0 for this new sub?
Should CNet do it automatically?
Does it cause a problem if a new, empty sub starts with msg ser #1692
instead of 0?

--1298--

"Terminus" a very nice, very powerful, very popular term prg...

> Terminus tentative plans are:
>
> 2.1 - Add RIP support.  RIP is an acronym for Remote Image Protocol
>       that is gaining popularity in the IBM PC world and is the
>       intended graphics replacement for SkyPix which was dropped
>       from Terminus.
>
> 2.2 - Add Hydra protocol.  Hydra is the only publically documented
>       full-duplex (2-way) transfer protocol that I've come in contact
>       with so far.  It originated on the IBM PC and hopefully has some
>       support there.

I sure hope CNet will support Hydra by that time also.
Otherwise, terminus users won't have any 2-way Amiga BBSes to call.
Type "FIND hyd*" for more info.

--1299--

> SA MESS BY "JOHN THE WIZARD" SINCE 10

"SA" is nothing more than "SG NEW"
Maybe CNet is getting confused because you are asking for "NEW" and
"SINCE 10" at the same time.
(But if that's it, CNet "should" be responding with something like
"conflicting date/time ranges used", instead of "user not found".)


WORKS> SG MESS BY "JOHN THE WIZARD" SINCE 10
(Scan Global)

"HELP;RANGES" is a good start.
Maybe 2 changes:
OLD> by {user}
OLD> to {user}
NEW> by "user name"
NEW> to "user name"
(To show double-quotes are needed.)

And definitely expand its current list of 3 Examples into about 10 of the
most commonly used ones.
OLD> Examples:
OLD> S FAVORITE              Look for the sysop's favorite items
OLD> D TOME                  Download the items addressed to you
OLD> R MESS TOME             Read items and responses addressed to you

Actual, working examples are the best way to learn.

--EOF--

Friday 19-Nov-93 17:00:43

-Bill "Mr. BBS" Beogelein, 810-473-2020, 2-line HST 14.4k USR-DS, 1:2410/207

