COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS

WHAT IS CB?     CompuServe's CB Simulator is an electronic conferencing program.
It's a little like CB radio, except you use a computer or terminal and, instead
of speaking into a microphone, you type at a keyboard.

Think of it as a computerized party line, with maybe two dozen or so people
typing away to each other all at once.

There are many practical uses for CB: business conferences, networking, and easy
and inexpensive way for disabled people to communicate.  For most of us, no
matter who we are or where we are located, CB is just plain fun!

YOUR CB HANDLE     CBers use "handles" instead of real names. This adds to the
fun.  Thus, Debbie becomes Silver, Mark is Ferrari, Terry is Cupcake, and Sandy
is Sandy (oh, well).  Your handle can be up to 19 characters long, and can
consist of any letters, numbers and special characters you choose (except you
cannot use an asterisk, pound sign, brace or control-character). Choose a handle
that is descriptive of you (your job, hobby, fantasy, interests, etc.) and
please be sure to use good taste. If you want to change your handle, you can
quite easily.  (See below.)

On CB you will notice many people whose handles are contained within asterisks.
These are reserved handles, for use by CB Club members.  If you find that you
enjoy using CB (and we expect that you will), you'll want to spend considerable
time online talking with your new-found friends.  Select the CB CLUB item from
the CB main menu (GO CB) to read how you can use CB at greatly reduced rates.

HOW CB WORKS     There are three bands of CB, called the GENERAL CB BAND, ADULT
I CB BAND and the ADULT II CB BAND.

The GENERAL CB BAND contains channels for general discussion and game playing.
All newcomers to CB are invited to access Channel 2 on the GENERAL CB BAND every
evening between 6pm and 2am Eastern Time USA, where a friendly and knowledgeable
team of CB Helpers is ready to welcome you and answer your questions.

The ADULT I CB BAND and the ADULT II CB BAND are for adult conversation. Members
under the age of 18 are not welcome on these bands.  Still, all CompuServe
guidelines for behavior do apply (GO CBGUIDELINES to read those) Parents, please
supervise your children's use of the CB Simulator.

Select the band you want to use from the CB main menu (GO CB), or you can go
directly to one of the bands by typing:  GO CB-1 (for the GENERAL CB BAND), or
GO CB-2 (for the ADULT I CB BAND) or GO CB-3 (for the ADULT II CB BAND).

Once you've selected a CB band, you will be asked for your CB handle.

     WHAT'S YOUR HANDLE?

See the discussion above about CB handles.  Enter your handle, and you then are
told which channels are in use and by how many people.  Then you are asked which
channel you wish to transmit on.

CHANNELS     There are 36 channels on each band of CB.  Some are set aside for
specific interests.  To see a list of all assigned channels on a band, type a
carriage return when you are asked for a channel (you can see this list again
when you are on CB by typing /CHANNEL.

When you select a channel, this becomes your "open" channel, meaning the place
where you will send and receive messages from others who are on that channel,
too.

WHICH CHANNELS ARE IN USE     When you first access CB, you are told which
channels are in use. For example:

     1(39)  2(12)  5(2)  9(1)
     17(21) 30(9) 33(14) 35(4)
     Grp(42)

This means that there are 39 people on Channel 1, 12 on Channel 2, etc.  There
are 42 people in "Group," the private talk area away from open channels.  Once
you are on a channel, you can see this Status Report again by typing /STATUS.
This time, the channel you are on will be displayed with a pound sign (#).

YOUR CB JOB NUMBER     Every time you access CB, you are assigned a temporary
"job number."  This job number is used by other CBers online at the same time
you are to find out information about you or to send private information to you.
Your job number appears in User Listings and with every message you type.  (See
below.) To see your own job number, type:

     /JOB

TRANSMITTING     After you are on a channel, you can transmit to other people,
as well as read their transmissions.  Anything you type that does not begin with
a forward slash will be sent as a message from you as soon as you press the
ENTER (or RETURN) key. Everyone else on your channel (and everyone on other
channels who is monitoring your channel) will be able to read what you've typed.
They'll know that you sent the line, because CB automatically puts a Band
designator, Channel, CB job number and Handle in front of all of your messages.
For example, if you are on the GENERAL CB BAND, Channel 2, your CB job number is
14, your handle is MEGAMORRIS and your message is HI, I'M NEW, your message is
displayed as:

     (A2-14,MEGAMORRIS) HI, I'M NEW

Your message line should be 139 characters or less.  When more than one line is
needed to send a message, many CBers use the ellipsis convention, that is, they
end the first partial line with "..." and follow that with additional line(s) to
get their message across.  For example:

     (A5-164,Lips) Well, Joe, I'd never want to be the first to
     to have to tell you this but...
     (A5-164,Lips) I was talking with Judy the other day and she
     told me...

Well, you get the idea.

CB COMMAND FORMAT     CB commands begin with a forward slash (/). Any line you
type that begins with a forward slash will perform the action you requested, and
will not be seen by other people on your open channel.  CB commands can be
abbreviated to uniqueness. For example, to get a list of CB commands while you
are on CB, you can type /HELP or just /HE.

JUMBLED LINES     While you are typing in a line, someone else may type theirs
and send it, making for some confusion on your screen.  For example, if you are
typing HIYA!, your screen might look like this:

     (A6-3,Rapid Willy) where did you say you live, John?
     HI(A6-82,*Lucille*) hugs, Catfish!
     YA!

Your HIYA! got broken up by that message from *Lucille* and now you wonder if
it's been cancelled out entirely or just messed up. Neither.  Your line is still
HIYA! and it's waiting for you to press ENTER to send it.  When you do, it will
appear on everyone else's screen on your channel as a complete message line.

HINT:  Do not look at the screen while you type.  Send your line and then look
up and read the incoming lines.  If you get confused about what your line looks
like so far, press CONTROL-V to view it (you may have to do this more than once
if there are a lot of incoming lines); you then can edit it or send it as-is. If
you change your mind about sending your line, you can cancel it by pressing
CONTROL-U.  Remember, though, that once you press the ENTER key, your line is
sent and cannot be edited or cancelled.

If you prefer, you can stop the echoing of your typing by using the command:

     /NOECHO

Then, you will be typing "blind," but then CB will display your lines back to
you just like messages from other CBers.  To turn echoing back on, type:

     /ECHO


SPEED TYPISTS TAKE NOTE     To prevent anyone from trying to jam a channel by
transmitting a buffer, CB clocks your lines.  If you send a few short lines in
rapid succession, CB may think that you are trying to jam the channel and stop
your transmissions.  If you get the message that you are typing too fast and
that you should wait 6 seconds before transmitting again, just follow the
instructions.

SPECIAL SOFTWARE AVAILABLE     If you are using a computer instead of a
terminal, there are many "split screen" and "window" programs you can use to set
up your monitor so that your lines are never impacted by incoming lines. Ask a
CB HELPER or other CBers about which CompuServe forum might have software you
can download either free or as shareware.  (If you use an IBM compatible or a
Macintosh, we recommend that you order the CompuServe Information Manager,
called CIM.  It has a special interface for CB that makes conferencing easy and
fun.)

LURKING     "Lurking" is the term for just watching an open channel conversation
and not taking part in it.  It's a good idea to lurk for a minute or two to get
an idea of the kind of conversation taking place before you jump in.

CHANGING CHANNELS     You may find that the conversation on your open channel is
not to your liking.  Or you may decide you would rather be on another channel.
To change channels, type /CHANNEL #, where # is the channel number you want to
move to.  The CBers on your current channel aren't told that you are leaving
unless you choose to tell them so.  For example:

     /CHANNEL 3

moves you to Channel 3, which now is your open channel.

WHAT CHANNELS ARE IN USE     To see which channels now are active and how many
people are on each, type /STATUS.

WHO ELSE IS ON CB     After you've used CB a few times, you'll have formed some
friendships and you may want to seek out certain people.  To see who else is on
the same channel with you, type:

     /USERS

To see who is on another channel, type /USERS #.  For example, to see who is on
Channel 4, type:

    /USERS 4

To see everyone who is on the same CB band you are on, type:

     /USERS ALL Depending on the time of day, this might produce a list of 200
or 300 CBers.  To cancel a long list, type CONTROL-O.

To see only those CBers who are on open channels, type:

     /USERS OPEN

To see only those CBers who are in private groups, type:

     /USERS GROUP

Any of the above commands will display a User List, which might look like this:
     Job  User ID      Node    Chn/Grp   Handle
     ---  -----------  ----    -------   -------------------

       8  70003,1403   CSG         G    *Huny B*
      26  76004,400    LTR      1       Jasper
      29  76004,1560   SAC     17       Mr. T's
      32  76703,277    WPL      1       *CUPCAKE*
     129  70006,522    WBU         G    *LooLoo*
     143  70006,1004   LUB     17       Master of Disguise

This User List shows the current job numbers, User ID's, nodes (point of network
connection), location on CB (on an open channel and/or in a private group) and
handle of all CBers in the category you specified who are on the same band with
you.

NOTE:  CBers running the CompuServe Information Manager software (CIM), might be
shown as being on an open channel and in a private group at the same time, as
they can transmit in both areas.

FINDING SOMEONE     If you are looking for a special friend, it can be
exasperating to go through a User List over and over. With the /WHO command, you
can look for that person easily.  You need to know the person's User ID or their
handle (exactly as they type it).  For example, to look for *LooLoo*, whose User
ID is 70006,522, you could type either of these:

     /WHO *LooLoo*

     /WHO 70006,522

If she is on CB at the time, CB will show you her line from a User List:

     29  70006,522    CSG   1   *LooLoo*

Once you know a CBer's current job number, you can enter the command as:

     /WHO 29

and you'll see the same information as above.

MONITORING     You can send and receive messages on only one channel at a time,
but you can receive messages from as many as two other channels. To monitor the
conversation on another channel, type /MONITOR # (where # is the channel
number).  You can specify up to two channels at once by typing /MONITOR # #. For
example:

     /MONITOR 3 7

If you are on Channel 1, now you'll see messages from Channels 1, 3 and 7;
you'll be able to send messages only on Channel 1. This can become quite
confusing if the channels are busy.  Often, folks find themselves responding to
a line typed by someone on another channel, sometimes with embarrassing results!

If you type a /STATUS command while you are monitoring other channels, it might
look like this:

     1(7)# 3(12)* 5(9) 7(2)*
     14(8) Grp(32)

where the # is the channel you are on, and the *'s indicate the channels you are
monitoring.

To stop monitoring other channels, type:

     /UNMONITOR 3

or:

     /UNMONITOR 3 7

CHANGING YOUR HANDLE     To change your handle to Joe, type:

     /HANDLE JOE

You can change back to the handle you were using when you first came onto CB by
typing:

     /HAN *

DISPLAYING USER ID'S    Since anyone on CB can change his/her handle at the drop
of a hat, many people keep track of their friends by their User ID's. To have CB
display the User ID of everyone who sends a line on your open channel, type:

     /UID

Then, message lines might appear like this:

     [70006,522] (A1-34,*LooLoo*) Naw, Foxy!

To stop the display of User ID's, type:

     /NOUID

SQUELCHING BAD GUYS     If someone on CB is being offensive or disruptive, you
can stop him/her from appearing on your screen. Use the /SQUELCH command with
the person's User ID, handle (exactly as they use it) or job number:

     /SQUELCH MURPHY

     /SQUELCH 70003,1403

     /SQUELCH 197

You won't see anymore lines from this person, unless you later decide to
unsquelch him/her by typing:

     /UNSQUELCH

This command does, though, unsquelch EVERYONE you've squelched during this CB
session.

TALKING PRIVATELY     On open channel, we all talk back and forth to each other.
Everyone on the channel - and everyone monitoring the channel - can see our
message lines. If you want to hold a private conversation with one or more
CBers, use the private group area. To start a group, you invite someone (by job
number):

     /INVITE 32

The CBer with job number 32 will receive an invitation to your group.  He/she
will be told to type /JOIN (and your job number). For example:

     /JOIN 10

If the CBer does type this, you are informed that he/she has joined you and the
two of you now are in a private group.  Of course, the CBer can choose to ignore
your invitation.

Once in a group, either of you can invite more people in.  You can have as many
group members as you like.

To leave a group (either one where you've been having a conversation or one
where you've gotten tired of waiting for someone to respond to your invitation),
type:

     /BREAK

Other group members, if any, will be informed that you have left the group.

While you are in a group, you still can get Status Reports or User Lists, or
search for specific CBers.

If you prefer not to receive any invitations to private group, type:

     /NOINVITE

To be able to get invitations later, type:

     /INVITE

SINGLE LINE PRIVATE TALK     While on open channel or in a private group, you
can send and receive one-line private messages from anyone else on the band. To
send a private message to job number 3, for example, you might type:

     /SEND 3 HI HON, HOW ARE YOU TONIGHT?

The receiver will see your message, with your User ID, job number and handle
attached.

To avoid being interrupted by private messages, you can type:

     /NOSEND

Anyone who tries to send a private message to you will be informed that you do
not wish to be disturbed.  To allow receipt of private messages again, type:

     /SEND

CB PROFILES     If you want to know more about a CBer, check to see if he/she
has a CB Profile.  Profiles are voluntary, and are submitted for approval by
CompuServe.  To submit your own profile, type GO CBPROFILE at any ! prompt.  You
are asked for your handle, your location, age, computer used, occupation and
interests.  You can choose not to answer any of the questions by simply pressing
ENTER.  Within 3 business days after you have submitted a profile, you will
receive CompuServe Mail informing you that your profile either was or was not
approved.  If it was approved, it will be a part of your identity whenever you
access CB.

To read the CB profile of anyone who is on CB at the time, you must specify
their User ID, handle or job number.  For example:

     /PROFILE 12

OTHER INFORMATIONAL COMMANDS     To read the CB Bulletin again (the Bulletin you
are shown when you first access the band), type:

     /BULLETIN

To see the current day, date and time, type:

     /TIME

To see the time at several major cit
ies around the world, type:

     /WTIME

To see where a node is located (the communications link a CBer dials to access
CompuServe), type the /NODE command and the three-letter code for that node, as
shown in a User List.  For example:

     /NODE WBR

and you will be informed that WBR = Columbus, Ohio.

LEAVING CB     To leave CB entirely, use one of the following commands:

     /EXIT - takes you to the CB Main Menu

     /MAIN - takes you to page CIS-1

     /TOP - takes you to your own TOP menu

     /GO  - takes you to the specified page on CompuServe.  For example, /GO
CBFORUM

     /FIND - leaves CB and searches for the specified topic.  For example, /FIND
PETS

     /OFF - logs you off of CompuServe

CONTROL CHARACTERS There are several control characters you can use while within
the CB Simulator.  Enter a control character by holding down the control key and
pressing the desired letter key.

Control-V If your typing seems to run together with what other people are
sending, use Control-V to redisplay the line you are typing so that you can
preview it before you send it with the ENTER key. You may have to try Control-V
more than once before it works, if output to your screen is quite heavy.

Control-U Use this to erase a line and start over (of course, if you've pressed
ENTER, the line has been sent and you cannot erase it).


Control-O If you are looking through a long User List and wish to stop it and
return immediately to your open channel, Control
-O will stop the listing.  If
you are on an open channel and output to your screen is scrolling so rapidly
that you cannot get a word in edgewise or enter a command, Control-O will halt
all of that output for a second or two.  You will lose whatever messages are
being sent to you during that short time, but you will get a "breather" and you
then can type in a message or a CB command.

Control-C This does a quick exit from CB and returns you to the CB main menu.

AUTOMATIC LOGOFF     If you fall asleep at your keyboard (as sometimes happens)
or you are distracted and forget to log off, your job will be logged off
automatically after 20 minutes of no input from you.  If you just want to lurk
on CB and not type any messages, be sure to type something at least every 20
minutes (maybe a /STATUS command) so that you aren't logged off.

THE CB CLUB     CompuServe offers two different pricing plans for people who
want to use the CB Simulator frequently at reduced rates.  In addition to using
CB at up to 2400 baud modem speed at these special low rates, CB Clubbers get a
reserved handle on CB. To learn more about the CB Club, type GO CBCLUB at any !
prompt.

Now you know all there is to getting started on CB.  Select either the GENERAL
CB BAND, ADULT I CB BAND or the ADULT II CB BAND from the CB main (GO CB), enter
a handle, choose a channel (remember, Channel 2 on the GENERAL CB BAND is
recommended for Newcomers in the evenings because there are HELPERS available to
answer your questions), and have fun!
