                   POST ROAD MAILER GREEN EDITION BETA

README for Release 1.05A Beta (post105a.zip)

 Obtaining file
 --------------
 
          ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/incoming/post105a.zip
   or     ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/demos/post105a.zip
   or     http://www.tiac.net/innoval/post105a.zip
 
 Please read the following document completely.  You must have a licensed
 copy of the Post Road Mailer installed to run this beta. You can obtain a 
 full function demonstration copy of the supported release of the Post Road
 Mailer (Release 1.03A) by downloading post103a.zip from Hobbes or the 
 InnoVal Code Center. See note at bottom of this file on how to obtain a
 licensed copy of the Post Road Mailer.
 
          ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/os2/demos/post103a.zip
   or     http://www.tiac.net/innoval/post103a.zip
  
 
 Short Instructions
 ------------------

 (1) File any MIME attached files in your inbasket. You may not be able to
     access them from your in-basket after installing the new release.
 
 (2) Shut down the Post Road Mailer.
 
 (3) Backup your PostRoad directory and inbasket directories.  We recommend
     that you create zip files for each directory and store them in another
     directory.
 
 (4) Unzip post105a.zip in your PostRoad directory. Restart the Post Road
     Mailer.
 
 (5) For this next step, you must be connected to the Internet.  Click on
     Help from the menu bar and then click on Release Information.  Download
     the file (URL = http://www.tiac.net/innoval/release.txt).  After the
     file has been downloaded, click on Transported Files.  You can drag the
     file to an editor or the WebExlorer to read it.  You can also create an
     association for any files with an extension of txt.
 
 (6) Send technical comments and questions to postsvc@ibm.net.  Please
     include the word BETA and the release number in the subject line.  Doing
     so will help the technical support group distribute the notes and help
     get responses out quicker.  Send general correspondance to
     innoval@ibm.net.

 
 WHAT IS NEW
 -----------
 
 Two significant MIME enhancements, support of ISO Latin-1 (8859-1) and
 support of multiple attachments (Multipart/Mixed), have been implemented.
 Identically named files will not overlay existing files.
 
 Support for encoding and decoding UUencoded files has been added. Most 
 UUencoded files are automatically detected and decoded without any need to 
 manually mark text.  Identically named files will not overlay existing
 files.
 
 You can now swipe-mark URL style FTP references in an email note or news
 article and retrieve the referenced file without the need of another FTP
 tool.  Simply click on Features on the menu bar and then Download after you 
 have swipe-marked a reference.  If you are connected to the Internet, the
 file will be retrieved immediately.  If you are not connected you will be
 able to stack requests until later when you reconnect.  Due to widespread
 availability of web sites, many people and organizations are starting to use
 web sites for general file distribution.  We have, therefore, also included
 file retrieval via HTTP protocol.  A pop up window is provided to allow you
 to correct URL formatting errors, and if necessary, to enter an ID and
 password for FTP.
 
 All attached (transported) files are placed in a reserved directory and
 assigned a unique name.  This is true for MIME files, UUencoded files, and
 files retrieved with FTP and HTTP references.  A new container control, the
 Transported Files Container has been implemented to allow you to see a list
 of files that have been received.  It lists a unique temporary file name,
 the intended file name if known, the sender, subject, file size and the 
 date.
 
 You can drag files from the Transported Files Container to many OS/2
 applications, to folders, and to the desktop.  You can also invoke most
 applications by establishing file extension associations and dragging the 
 file to the association.  Associations work with most Windows and DOS
 applications as well as with OS/2 applications.  You can also 
 use the right mouse button for save-as, deleting, editing if text, or
 unzipping a file.
 
 The Transported Files Container menu bar includes an option for defining and
 executing a virus scan. For example, you can stipulate that you want to
 run the following IBM antivirus program (available from Hobbes)
 
   IBMAVSP D:\POSTROAD\MYID\TRANFILE -ALLFILES -NLOG
 
 Other virus programs can be used. You can invoke the virus scan from the
 menu bar for a particular file or for all transported files.
 
 News-As-Mail. With this feature you can establish "news" in-baskets for 
 specified news groups.  This is an ideal approach for monitoring low volume
 and moderated news groups.  You can think of it as one or more news groups
 being treated in the same manner as a POP3 mail server.  You can act upon
 articles as though they were notes.  You can forward them as mail to other
 individuals or a nicknamed group, file them to folders, etc.  You can also
 post to news groups as you would from a news reader and include any number
 of email addresses in the same posting.  News-as-mail supports UUencoded
 attachments, MIME attachments, and ISO Latin-1.  News-as-mail should not be
 confused with the Post Road News Reader which is a high performance, fully
 featured offline/online newsreader with various threading options including
 true reference threading.

 Example: To create an in-basket for comp.os.os2.announce

   Select Create Inbasket from File pulldown

   Fill in sending protocol information, e.g. SMTP or POP3 server.

   Enter name of news group: comp.os.os2.announce

   Click the refresh button. The first time you download articles, set
   your time zone.

 All 1995 licensed customers of the Post Road Mailer will receive a free copy
 of the news reader when it is released.  They will also have an opportunity
 to beta test the news reader.
 
 Mail redirection has been added as a filter option and a menu bar option for
 in-baskets. This is similar to forwarding except that 1) from and reply-to 
 headers are not modified from the original note and 2) you can not edit the 
 note or add comments.
 
 The 48K size limit in the compose and reply window has been eliminated. It 
 is now possible to import very large text files into the compose window.
 Although you can also import UUencoded files, we recommend that you use the 
 attachment feature to do so. MIME files should also be added to a note
 using the attachment feature. You can also include a large text file by 
 typing an imbed tag into the body of the note. The file will be imbedded at
 send time. The format for the tag is ".im fullpath"
 
 Send-to-all and send-to-some have been added as options when replying to a 
 multi-addressed note. A dialog box will give you the option of selecting 
 addressees.
 
 If you click the right mouse button on the address book icon in the compose 
 window, you will be presented with a list of the last few addressees to whom
 you sent mail. You can select any of these addressees. This is convenient 
 for following up to a previous note you sent.
    
 You can now create canned paragraphs and note templates in a reserved
 directory and use the right mouse button in the compose window to select one
 or more for inclusion in the compose window. This is an alternative to the 
 import text file method. Create a directory called QUICK as a subdirectory
 of the POSTROAD directory. You may place up to 20 text files or templates in
 this directory.
    
 You can now sort folders alphabetically.  You can also drag them to
 reposition them.
    
 News Group Blocker: An optional feature, designed for home use, to allow you
 to block certain news groups, is not included with the first build. This
 feature, that will be included in both the mailer and the news reader, will 
 enable you to create and maintain a password secured file of string
 arguments that will preclude seeing certain news groups.  This is completely
 optional and can be turned on and off with a password.
    
 PGP:  Support for PGP is included.  We regret that we can not provide PGP
 programs, documentation, or guidance on obtaining or using PGP software. We 
 recommend that you obtain advice from the news groups.
 
 Word wrapping methodology has been improved for forwarded notes.
    
 Alternate view.  This is a smaller window with single line entries for the
 inbasket and file folder items.  The font is initially small and you may
 want to drag in another font.  The font will stick between sessions.  You
 can switch between views at any time.
    
 You can now include headers with notes when filing them to a folder. 
    
 Please remember this is beta code and your input is very valuable to us. As 
 bug reports and ideas are sent to us, we will compile a list of most items
 for your information.  We will provide a special file which you can access
 at any time by clicking on Help and selecting Product Information.  You can
 also find out information about the latest release.  You must be connected
 to the Internet to use this feature.  Please send all email to
 postsvc@ibm.net with the word BETA and the release number in the
 subject line. For example BETA 105A.
    
 If you wish to participate in this beta release we want to particularly
 thank you for your help.  We believe that in working together we all benefit
 together. We hope that you will also join with us in the soon to be released
 beta of the Post Road News Reader.
 
 Known Limitations
 -----------------
 
 The FTP and HTTP file transfer function is currently hardwired with a 60 
 second connection threshhold, a 60 second idle time threshhold, and well
 known ports. This will be fixed in an upcoming build.
 
 You can not drag notes (pop files) beyond the application boundary, as you
 can files in the Transported Files Container. This will be fixed.
 
 File folders open somewhat slower with the alternate display mode. This is
 being investigated.
 
 In news-as-mail, when selectively retrieving split UUencoded files from news
 groups, you must mark each file for retrieval. It is not sufficient to mark
 only the (0/x) or (1/x) file. This is an oversight bug that will be fixed.
 
 A facility to mark uuencoded files within a note, rather than having the 
 Post Road Mailer extract them, is not implemented. That will be accomodated 
 in an upcoming build. A utility is included call PostUU.exe that can be used
 to encode and decode files. For instructions on using the utility, type
 PostUU in an OS/2 full screen window. For the most part, files are decoded 
 automatically without any problem and it is unlikely that you will need to 
 use any manual methods.
 
 If notes are written using ISO Latin-1 text, outbound UUencoded files can
 not be attached.  To attach files, either use MIME attachments or limit text
 portion of note to plain text.  This is a temporary limitation.  Mailers
 capable of reading ISO Latin-1 generally support MIME, therefore this is not
 considered to be a serious limitation.
    
 
   
Obtaining a licensed copy of the Post Road Mailer
-------------------------------------------------

Indelible Blue  1-800-776-8284  &  http://www.indelible-blue.com
InnoVal (914)835-3838           &  http://www.aescon.com/innoval
OS/2 Express 1-800-672-5945
Software House International (908)764-9393



End Note: Additional documentation is in a file called miscdocs.zip

End of File
