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!CSELECT-H1,23,000416 !EDITMSG-H,24,001773 !EDITLTR-H,24,003044 !NOVMSG-H1,23,004265 !NOVMSG-H2,23,005678 !EXPMSG-H1,23,006921 !NOVLTR-H1,23,008316 !NOVLTR-H2,23,009535 !EXPLTR-H1,23,010749 !NEWUSER1,23,011948 !NEWUSER2,23,013381 !NEWUSER3,23,014844 !NEWUSER4,23,016252 !NEWUSER5,23,017756 !NEWUSER6,23,018973 !NEWUSER7,23,020189 !NEWUSER8,23,021452 +++++ CONFERENCE SELECT MENU HELP SCREEN +++++ *** HELP FOR CONFERENCE SELECTION MENU *** The Conference Selection Menu is simply a list of conferences of which you are a member. The menu provides a quick way to 1) see which conferences have new messages, and 2) go to those conferences quickly. There may be more than one screenful of selections. To scroll forward, press <ENTER>. To scroll backward, press <TAB>. To select a conference, simply type in its number or a few letters of its name, then press <ENTER>. You will then go directly to that conference's menu screen. If you are interested in joining new conferences, type "AVBL" and press <ENTER>. You will see a listing of conferences that you may join. To join a conference here, type the appropriate number and press <ENTER>. If the conference is public, you will immediately become a member. If not, additional instructions will appear on your screen. When you no longer wish to be a member of a conference, use the "REMOVE" command. For example, if you wished to remove the conference MACINTOSH, you would type "REMOVE MACINTOSH." Then, the MACINTOSH conference would no longer appear on the menu nor be accessible with the "N" command from conference menus. +++++ EDITOR HELP FOR MESSAGES +++++ *** EDITOR HELP SCREEN *** COMMANDS: A)bort - Abort editor; do not post message on system C)ontinue - Add more text starting at the end of a line or the letter D)elete - Remove line(s) from the message E)dit - Edit one or more lines in the message by search-and-replace H)elp - This screen I)nsert - Insert text before an existing line in the message L)ist - Display the message by screenfuls S)ave - Exit editor; post message on system T)itle chg - Change the topic/reply name LINE NUMBERS: Line numbers are used with the Continue, Delete, Edit, Insert, and List commands. You can input line numbers either on the command line, or when the editor prompts you to do so. Delete, Edit, and List also accept multiple line numbers (called line ranges). To input a line range, simply place a dash ("-") or a colon (":") between the beginning and ending line numbers. Here are examples of entering line numbers on the command line: D 5 deletes line five E 1-10 allows you to edit lines one through ten >>> PRESS "ENTER" TO PROCEED <<< +++++ EDITOR HELP FOR LETTERS +++++ *** EDITOR HELP SCREEN *** COMMANDS: A)bort - Abort editor; do not send letter C)ontinue - Add more text starting at the end of a line or the letter D)elete - Remove line(s) from the letter E)dit - Edit one or more lines in the letter by search-and-replace H)elp - This screen I)nsert - Insert text before an existing line in the letter L)ist - Display the letter by screenfuls S)end - Exit editor; send the letter LINE NUMBERS: Line numbers are used with the Continue, Delete, Edit, Insert, and List commands. You can input line numbers either on the command line, or when the editor prompts you to do so. Delete, Edit, and List also accept multiple line numbers (called line ranges). To input a line range, simply place a dash ("-") or a colon (":") between the beginning and ending line numbers. Here are examples of entering line numbers on the command line: D 5 deletes line five E 1-10 allows you to edit lines one through ten >>> PRESS "ENTER" TO PROCEED <<< +++++ HELP FOR MESSAGE MODE / NOVICES, PAGE 1 +++++ (Pg. 1) *** MESSAGE MODE HELP *** The message reading mode is controlled by commands that are combinations of plain English words. To assist you in remembering these words, the most common ones are listed on a line near the bottom of your screen while you are looking at messages. Here is a complete list of useful commands: UNREAD or NEXT UNREAD MESSAGE Goes to the next conf. message you haven't read NEXT MESSAGE Goes to the next reply in the current topic PREVIOUS MESSAGE Goes to the previous reply in the current topic NEXT TOPIC Goes to the next topic in the conference PREVIOUS TOPIC Goes to the previous topic in the conference SEND REPLY TO EVERYONE Allows you to post a reply message to a topic SEND REPLY TO AUTHOR Allows you to send a private letter to the author of the message you are reading CREATE TOPIC Allows you to post a new topic in the conf. HELP Brings this screen EXIT Exit to the conference menu Yes, that's it! These are all the commands you will use in the message reading mode. There are several quick ways of entering commands, and they are explained on the next page... +++++ HELP FOR MESSAGE MODE / NOVICES, PAGE 2 +++++ (Pg. 2) *** MESSAGE MODE HELP *** You can enter commands in one of two ways: 1) by typing the command out in full, or 2) by using shortcut keys. If you wish to use the first method, simply put your keyboard in lowercase mode. This is done by pressing the "Caps Lock" key on your computer or terminal until lowercase letters are produced. To correct mistakes, use the BACKSPACE key. To finish entering a command, press the ENTER key. The second method, as you might expect, is much faster. To form the words used in the commands, you simply press a single letter that represents one or two words. To take advantage of this method, your keyboard must be in UPPERCASE mode. Here are the shortcut keys: <N>=NEXT <T>=TOPIC <S>=SEND REPLY <C>=CREATE <P>=PREVIOUS <M>=MESSAGE <E>=TO EVERYONE <H>=HELP <U>=UNREAD <A>=TO AUTHOR <X>,<Q>=EXIT In addition, there are several other important shortcut keys. These keys only take effect when the command line is blank: <ENTER>=(next screen of message) <SPACE>=NEXT UNREAD MESSAGE <TAB> =(previous screen of message) +++++ HELP FOR MESSAGE MODE / EXPERTS +++++ *** MESSAGE MODE HELP *** The commands for the expert message reading mode are very simple; they do not involve words, but rather single keys that take effect immediately. If you are using an ANSI, VT100, VT102, or compatible terminal/computer, the keys are even easier to remember. Here are the keys: Command ANSI, VT100, VT102, etc. Regular ASCII terminal ------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------ NEXT UNREAD MESSAGE <SPACE> <SPACE> PREVIOUS TOPIC <left arrow> <f> NEXT TOPIC <right arrow> <h> PREVIOUS MESSAGE <up arrow> <t> NEXT MESSAGE <down arrow> <g> (previous screen) <keypad 5> <TAB> (next screen) <keypad 2> <ENTER> SEND REPLY TO EVERYONE <!> <!> SEND REPLY TO AUTHOR <@> <@> CREATE TOPIC <*> <*> HELP <?> <?> EXIT <ESC> <ESC> <ESC> <ESC> Note: Uppercase letters work the same way they did in novice mode. +++++ HELP FOR LETTER READING MODE / NOVICES, PAGE 1 +++++ (Pg. 1) *** LETTER MODE HELP *** The letter reading mode is controlled by commands that are combinations of plain English words. To assist you in remembering these words, the most common ones are listed on a line near the bottom of your screen while you are looking at your letters. Here is a complete list of useful commands: NEXT LETTER Goes to the next letter in your mailbox PREVIOUS LETTER Goes to the previous letter in your mailbox SEND REPLY TO AUTHOR Allows you to send a private letter to the author of the letter you are reading DELETE LETTER Deletes the letter you are reading and removes it from your mailbox CREATE LETTER Allows you to create and send a letter HELP Brings this screen EXIT Exit to the post office menu These are all the commands you will use in the letter reading mode. There are several quick ways of entering commands, and they are explained on the next page... +++++ HELP FOR LETTER READING MODE / NOVICES, PAGE 2 +++++ (Pg. 2) *** LETTER MODE HELP *** You can enter commands in one of two ways: 1) by typing the command out in full, or 2) by using shortcut keys. If you wish to use the first method, simply put your keyboard in lowercase mode. This is done by pressing the "Caps Lock" key on your computer or terminal until lowercase letters are produced. To correct mistakes, use the BACKSPACE key. To finish entering a command, press the ENTER key. The second method, as you might expect, is much faster. To form the words used in the commands, you simply press a single letter that represents one or two words. To take advantage of this method, your keyboard must be in UPPERCASE mode. Here are the shortcut keys: <N>=NEXT <L>=LETTER <S>=SEND REPLY <C>=CREATE <P>=PREVIOUS <A>=TO AUTHOR <H>=HELP <D>=DELETE <X>,<Q>=EXIT In addition, there are several other important shortcut keys. These keys only take effect when the command line is blank: <ENTER>=(next screen of letter) <TAB> =(previous screen of letter) +++++ HELP FOR LETTER READING MODE / EXPERTS +++++ *** LETTER MODE HELP *** The commands for the expert letter reading mode are very simple; they do not involve words, but rather single keys that take effect immediately. If you are using an ANSI, VT100, VT102, or compatible terminal/computer, the keys are even easier to remember. Here are the keys: Command ANSI, VT100, VT102, etc. Regular ASCII terminal ------------------- ------------------------ ------------------------ PREVIOUS LETTER <left arrow> <f> NEXT LETTER <right arrow> or <SPACE> <h> or <SPACE> (previous screen) <keypad 5> <TAB> (next screen) <keypad 2> <ENTER> SEND REPLY TO AUTHOR <@> <@> DELETE LETTER <keypad 7> <minus sign> CREATE LETTER <*> <*> HELP <?> <?> EXIT <ESC> <ESC> <ESC> <ESC> Note: Uppercase letters work the same way they did in novice mode. +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 1 +++++ THE GRAND CENTRAL TUTORIAL -------------------------- As you have probably noticed already, the Grand Central Message System is not similar to ordinary text-based BBS's. For starters, Grand Central (or "GC" for short) takes advantage of something called the "ANSI terminal standard" to create an orderly full-screen environment. Next, GC treats private mail and public messages separately, eliminating the time-consuming "mail search" used by other BBS's. Finally, public messages in conferences are organized by topic, rather than by the order they were written; this allows one to look at all messages pertinent to a topic without complicated "threading" commands. The down side to these features is that they take some getting-used-to. Make no mistake: GC was designed to be easy to learn. But you will have to abolish your conceptions of the "typical BBS" in order to get the most out of GC. The purpose of this tutorial is to help you grasp the fundamentals of GC. Once the tutorial is complete, you can go exploring, and use the regular help screens for assistance with specific commands. This tutorial consists of eight screens. You can read it all now, or exit and refer back to it later. The information contained here is essential, however, and reading it will spare you some confusion. +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 2 +++++ Note the time indicator! ---> You may be familiar with the concept of conferences from other BBSes. Conferences are simply public or semi-public message areas devoted to a specific subject area. When you first start GC, you are in the "main message base." This is a conference devoted to general discussion about BBS issues. The menu you see there, aptly called the "Main Menu," serves as the launching point to get to other conferences as well as the Post Office. But before you go off looking at conferences, you must tell GC which ones you wish to join. To do this, you go to a place called the "Conference Selection Menu." The first time you go there, you will see a mostly-blank screen. This reflects the fact that you haven't joined any conferences yet. If you type the "AVBL" command, you will see a list of all conferences which you are allowed to join. To join a conference, simply type its number or part of its name. From then on, GC will consider you a member of the conference unless you decide to revoke that membership. After you have elected to go to a particular conference, you are taken to that conference's menu screen. Each conference menu screen contains the conference's unique logo as well as the actual menu. From that menu you can read and create messages, go to other conferences, or perform several other tasks. +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 3 +++++ Now that you know how to join conferences, it is time to learn how about the messages in them. As mentioned earlier, GC's conferences are organized by topic. How does this work? When someone in a conference wishes to start discussion of a new topic, he or she creates a new TOPIC. Assuming this is an interesting topic, other people will want to put in their two cents' worth, so they make REPLIES TO A TOPIC. Both the original topic message and the replies to that topic message are automatically grouped together by GC, allowing you to look at all messages relevant to a topic at the same time. How will this actually look on the screen? Topics are easily identified by a banner such as "*ORIGINAL* (10 replies)". On the other hand, replies have a banner such as "REPLY 1 OF 10". Here's how to read a conference's messages: when you are at a conference's menu screen, type "R" to enter the message-reading mode. GC immediately takes you to the first message in the conference you haven't read. Very often, a message will be too big to be displayed on one screen. If this is the case, you will see ">>> MORE <<<" displayed near the bottom of the screen. To move to the next screen, press <ENTER>. To go to the previous screen, press <TAB>. This is a convention you will see often in GC (notice the bottom of this screen!). +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 4 +++++ How does one move to a different message? The method you will probably use the most is to go to the next unread (i.e., new) message. To use this method, you need only press <SPACE>. You will be then be taken to the next message you haven't yet read. A caution is in order here: if you start reading new messages in a conference, you should read ALL new messages in that conference at some time during the call (which is what you would normally do anyway). Otherwise, GC may show you some "new" messages that you have actually read before. In addition to going to the next unread message, there are several other commands to move around within a conference. You can learn more about these from the regular help screens. However, this is an appropriate time to describe how to enter commands in general. GC's novice commands are all in plain English; we'll use "NEXT TOPIC" as an example. You can enter this command in either of two ways. The first method is to actually type out "next topic," or an acceptable abbreviation such as "nxt tpc." To use this method, you must type lowercase letters to enter the command. The second and simpler method is to put your keyboard in uppercase mode (i.e., CAPS LOCK on) and press "N" followed by "T." As you type these two letters, the words "next" and "topic" will appear on the screen. This time-saving method can be applied to any message- or letter-reading commands you give GC. +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 5 +++++ Now it is time to explain how you can enter your own messages. If you wish to make a reply to the topic you are currently reading, use the "SEND [reply to] EVERYONE" command (or "S"-"E" using the shortcut method). If you wish to create a new topic in the conference, use the "CREATE TOPIC" command ("C"-T"). In either case, you are taken to GC's editor, which allows you to write and edit messages. If you have used the RBBS editor before, you will be in familiar surroundings. GC's editor is line-based just like RBBS', but with several important differences. For one, GC allows you to delete or edit multiple lines at once. Also, GC automatically reformats your message as you edit it, so you will never need to worry about "line margins" again. However, it is very important that you start paragraphs with a <TAB> or separate them with a blank line so the reformatter will work properly. More information on editor commands is available from the editor help screen. Sending private mail to the author of a message is as easy as giving a "SEND [reply to] AUTHOR" command ("S"-"A"). The GC editor is used in this command as well. +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 6 +++++ As mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, GC separates private mail from public messages as much as possible (one obvious exception is the "SEND [reply to] AUTHOR" command just described, which sends *mail* in reply to a *message*). As an GC user, you are given a mailbox in GC's Post Office that will receive letters others send to you. There is no "mail search" involved; you are informed of newly-arrived letters on the GC's startup screen. To read what's in your mailbox, you need only go to the Post Office and use the "R" command to go into the letter-reading mode. You will find that reading letters is very similar to reading messages. The only difference here is that you are working with letters, instead of messages. Therefore, you would use a "NEXT LETTER" command in place of "NEXT MESSAGE" and so on. Also, there is no facility for reading "unread" letters, since you can tell by the screen display whether a letter is new or not. One final difference is that you can delete letters with a "DELETE LETTER" command after you are finished with them. Turn the page for a quick summary of several important concepts... +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 7 +++++ To summarize, here are the three most important keys used by GC: -------------------------------- --------------------------- | | | | | E N T E R | | T A B | | (or RETURN) | | | -------------------------------- --------------------------- - is used to scroll forward when - is used to scroll backward more than one screen of (opposite of <ENTER>) information is available - is used to start paragraphs - is used to finish entering in the editor commands ------------------------------------------------------ | | | S P A C E | | | ------------------------------------------------------ - is used to go to the next unread message when reading messages +++++ GC TUTORIAL, PAGE 8 +++++ In the preceding text, we have attempted to briefly describe the important features of Grand Central. You can get more information on specific features from the help screens in the message-reading mode, the letter-reading mode, and the editor. If you have problems with understanding how to use GC in general, use the "M" command at the main menu to mail a letter to the Sysop. If you have problems or concerns about a specific conference, use the "M" command at that conference's menu to mail a letter to the conference moderator. You can re-read this tutorial at any time by using the "T" command at the main menu. Enjoy Grand Central! It is a tool for effective and efficient communication among people.