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DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DRT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOOR Registration Telethon SysOp's Manual Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Robert Edwards NSGA # 6725, Winter Harbor, ME 04693 BBS (207)963-2683 Voice (207)963-7056 DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- COPYRIGHT NOTICE DRT is Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards. This document is Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards. No parts of DRT or this document may be copied in part or in whole, except as provided in the license included with DRT. DISCLAIMER Robert Edwards and The RaJE Computer Emirates make no warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with the respect to this software and accompanying documentation. IN NO EVENT SHALL ROBERT EDWARDS OR THE RAJE COMPUTER EMIRATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER SUBSEQUENT LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE THIS PROGRAM, EVEN IF ROBERT EDWARDS OR THE RAJE COMPUTER EMIRATES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. TRADEMARKS DRT is a trademark of The RaJE Computer Emirates. !!! A NOTE ON GENDER !!! Throughout this manual references are made to he/him/his. I am not a sexist and struggled hard with a way to convey my point without offending a particular sex. I couldn't. If I tried replacing every occurrence of he with he/she and him with him/her, the text seemed to loose its point. If you are offended by this I am sorry. If you can come up with a better solution I would be grateful if you would pass this on to me. Phone numbers can be found in the text of this manual. Thank You. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction....................................................... 1 1.1 The Problem........................................................ 1 1.2 The Solution....................................................... 1 2.0 DRT Files as Delivered............................................. 1 3.0 System Requirements................................................ 3 3.1 Installing A New Version Of DRT.................................... 3 3.2 First Time Installation............................................ 3 (DRT.CTL Menu)..................................................... 4 (DRT.DAT Menu 1)................................................... 6 (DRT.DAT Menu 2)................................................... 7 (DRT.DAT Menu 3)................................................... 9 4.0 Understanding The DRT.LOG File.....................................11 5.0 Installing A New Telethon..........................................11 5.1 Calling An Existing Telethon.......................................11 5.1A Batch File Call....................................................12 5.1B SF.BAT File Call...................................................12 5.1C Other..............................................................12 6.0 Maintaining A Telethon.............................................13 6.1 Understanding the Lock-Out Feature.................................13 7.0 Mouse Support......................................................14 8.0 Tech Support.......................................................14 9.0 Upgrades...........................................................14 Appendix A - File Descriptions.............................................15 Appendix B - DRT Support Sites.............................................17 Appendix C - Commonly Asked Questions......................................18 DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 1 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- 1. INTRODUCTION: Whew! Ahhh, done with all that legal mumbo-jumbo. No lets get to the real reason you are reading this document: "What can DRT do for a BBS?". DRT is a program designed to help the SysOp of a computer based Bulletin Board System (BBS) register often used Shareware by requesting the BBS users to pledge money for a particular program. 1.1 THE PROBLEM Most SysOps (You included, I hope) truly desire to register things such as their BBS software, file transfer protocols, and online games (DOORS). Although very few ever do. The cost is just overwhelming. Some BBS's resort to charging their users just for the access (Pay boards). Others request money in return for more time/options on the board. And the rest just run without registered software! 1.2 THE SOLUTION SysOps start using DRT (DOOR Registration Telethon). This powerful package is used to request pledges from users on individual programs. Thus, if a user plays Global War(tm) every day, why shouldn't he help pay for the registration? With DRT, the user is provided a tidy means of seeing why he should help register a particular DOOR and his usage of the DOOR in relation to the other BBS users. Then he can choose to pledge and be provided check and mailing instructions or just return to the DOOR. 2.0 DRT FILES AS DELIVERED This version of DRT should have been delivered with the following files: FILE NAME SIZE DATE TIME ------------------------------------------- ADDRESS.TXT 562 09-03-91 08:25p BUG.RPT 2,448 09-04-91 12:17p DRT.DOC 48,687 09-06-91 03:53p DRT.EXE 46,640 09-03-91 08:14p DRT.HLP 1,078 05-14-91 11:26a DRTBOOT.80 554 09-03-91 09:15p DRTBOOT.ANS 2,204 09-03-91 09:10p DRTBULL.EXE 9,645 07-11-91 04:04p ENHANCE.RPT 2,253 09-04-91 12:31p PROD.80 582 09-05-91 04:53p PROD.ANS 580 09-05-91 05:18p READ.ME 1,059 09-05-91 05:52p REGISTER.ME 4,530 09-05-91 06:08p THANKS.TXT 583 09-05-91 04:54p If any files are missing, or are of different size/date, call a RaJE Distribution Site for the latest version. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 2 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 3 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- INSTALLATION 3.0 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - A fully operational BBS with associated hardware/software. - IBM PC/XT/AT(tm) or compatible. - 200k memory. - A fully Hayes(tm) compatible modem. - A hard disk drive. - A Fossil driver. 3.1 INSTALLING A NEW VERSION OF DRT - As this is the first public release of DRT you are not installing a new version. However, if DRT is upgraded in the future just follow the instructions included with the upgrade. 3.2 FIRST TIME INSTALLATION - Make a directory for DRT. The name is not important but we will assume it to be 'C:\DRT'. - Unarchive the DRT distribution file in DRT's directory. - From the DOS prompt type: DRT SETUP - You should see the following screen: **************************************************** ********************* Warning ********************** ** This program will install DRT in the current ** ** directory and initialize all associated files. ** ** ** ** Is this what you REALLY want to do? ** ** ** **************************************************** **************************************************** - Type: Y - DRT will create a few files it needs and then display the 'EDIT CONTROL FILE' menu. It looks like this: DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 4 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DOOR Registration Telethon (DRT) Setup Version 1.0 ************************* Edit Control File (DRT.CTL) ************************ * (A) [ ] - Registration Code File Version: 1.0 * (B) [Robert ] [Edwards ] - SysOps Name * (C) [The Force! Demon-Sion BBS ] - BBS Name * (D) [ 3] - Start requesting money on this call * (E) [ 0] - Locked Baud Rate: 0 if none * (F) [ 1] / [ 20] - Smallest / Highest dollar amounts to accept * (G) [C:\BBS\BULLS ] - Full path for bulletins * (H) [DRT.ANS ] / [DRT.80 ] - Ansi / Ascii DRT bulletins * (I) [Prod.ANS ] / [Prod.80 ] - Ansi / Ascii Prod Screen file name * (J) [DRTBOOT.ANS ] / [DRTBOOT.80 ] - Ansi / Ascii Boot-Off Screens * (K) [ 30] - Days after pledge to lock user out for non-payment * (L) [C:\BBS\DATA ] - Full path for DOOR files * (M) [FALSE] - Enable Lock-Out option? * * >----------------------=< Martha Comment Controls >=-----------------------< * * (N) 3-Look Martha! They're back! Maybe they like it * (O) 6-Martha, I know they like it. Maybe they'll help pay for it. * (P) 9-Hey, as much as you use it, help pay for it!!! * * Press desired key, or X to end. * Press Z to abort. ****************************************************************************** - Arggghhhh! You say. It's not as bad as it looks. DRT is very powerful and thus requires a lot of options. Lets break each of the above lines down to make it easy: (A) - This is where you will place your registration code when your register DRT (You are planning on registering it, right?). The File Version info is to allow compatibility of DRT.CTL file during upgrades. (B) - SysOps Name. Your first and last name go here. (C) - BBS Name. Your BBS's name. (D) - Start requesting money on this call. This is the number of times a user must enter a DOOR before a request for a pledge is made. DRT keeps track of the number of times each user has accessed each DOOR. Too low of a value here may discourage your users from trying new DOORs. Too high of a number may make it difficult to register your DOORs. (E) - Locked baud rate. If you do not lock your comm port (Required for most high speed modems) enter a 0 here, otherwise enter the speed at which the comm port is locked. (F) - Smallest / Highest dollar amounts to accept. This sets your limits for pledges. When a user decides to pledge he will be given a choice of 10 dollar amounts ranging between the two values entered DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 5 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- here. The lower number must be in a range of 1 - 5 while the larger number must be greater than 15. Be realistic in your expectations for pledges. (G) - Full path for bulletins. This is where the DRT Bulletins created by DRTBULL.EXE will be placed. Even if you do not plan on using bulletins a valid pathname must be entered. (H) - Ansi / Ascii DRT bulletins. The name of the ANSI/ASCII Bulletins created by DRTBULL.EXE. You MUST enter valid filenames. (I) - Ansi / Ascii Prod Screen file name. The name of the prod screens to be displayed to users (Explained later). You MUST enter valid filenames. (J) - Ansi / Ascii Boot-Off Screens. Screen to be displayed before booting someone off (Explained later). You MUST enter valid filenames. (K) - Days after pledge to lock user out for non-payment. (L) - Full path for DOOR files. Tells DRT where to find the DORINFO1.DEF / DOOR.SYS / PCBOARD.SYS / CALLINFO.BBS files (Depending on the command line). Example: C:\BBS\DATA (M) - Enable Lock-Out option? Tells DRT to enable the lock-out features (Explained later). (N) / (O) / (P) - The dreaded Martha Comments. A humorous feature of DRT allows the uses of the newly coined term 'Martha Comments'. Up to three comments are allowed. The number represents the call to start posting the message. Only one comment will be displayed per call. (X) - Exits this menu and saves data in the DRT.CTL file. (Z) - Aborts the edit session WITHOUT saving the new data. Understand? Modify the parameters as you see fit. Don't worry about making mistakes because DRT will check most of these BEFORE you are allowed to exit this menu. And secondly, you can easily modify the parameters at any time with the 'DRT MAINT' command line. - Now on to the next menu: EDIT DRT DATA FILE. It looks like this: DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 6 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DOOR Registration Telethon (DRT) Setup Version 1.0 ************************* Edit DRT data File (DRT.DAT) *********************** ** Short * Long Name * Status * ****************************************************************************** ** A * DRT * DOOR Registration Telethon * Under Evaluation* ** B * * * Unused Record * ** C * * * Unused Record * ** D * * * Unused Record * ** E * * * Unused Record * ** F * * * Unused Record * ** G * * * Unused Record * ** H * * * Unused Record * ** I * * * Unused Record * ** J * * * Unused Record * ** K * * * Unused Record * ** L * * * Unused Record * ** M * * * Unused Record * ** N * * * Unused Record * ** O * * * Unused Record * ****************************************************************************** * Page 1 of 4 * Press desired key, or X to end. * Press Pg-Up / * Pg-Dn for other pages. ****************************************************************************** - Arggghhhh! Again rings in the air. And again, it's not as bad as it looks. As a matter-of-fact, this menu is MUCH easier than the previous one. DRT currently supports concurrent telethons for 50 DOORS (DRT itself uses 1 record so the SysOp may run 49 telethons). Only 15 DOOR summaries are displayed at once (use the page-up & page-down keys for additional DOORs). Keys A - O select the display of a specific DOORs telethon. Let's break down the columns: SHORT - This is the short name for the DOOR telethon. LONG NAME - The complete name of the DOOR to be registered. CURRENT STATUS - Registered, Awaiting Pledges etc. - To start a telethon or modify a currently running telethon press the appropriate key (A - O). The following menu will then be displayed (Yes, another one): DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 7 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DOOR Registration Telethon (DRT) Setup Version 1.0 ************************* Edit DRT data File (DRT.DAT) *********************** * * Record 2 of 50 Status: Unused Record * * (A) [ ] - Short DOOR name (Must qualify as a filename prefix) * (B) [ ] - Long DOOR name * (C) [ 0] - Registration fee * [ 0] - Total Pledged * (D) [ 0] - Total collected * [ 0] - DOOR usage * [08/06/1991, 22:14:48] - Date/Time this DOORs Telethon started * [08/06/1991, 22:14:48] - Date/Time of last call to this DOOR * (R) [Mark this DOOR as registered] * * >=-----------------------=< Reasons to Register >=------------------------=< * (E) [ ] * (F) [ ] * (G) [ ] * (H) [ ] * (I) [ ] * * Press desired key, or X to end. * ****************************************************************************** - Arggghhhh! Please! Come up with another distress call. And once again it isn't that bad. You know the routine: (A) - Short DOOR name (Must qualify as a filename prefix). The data for this telethon will be stored in a file named xxxxxxxx.DAT (Where xxxxxxxx = whatever you define as the short name). That is why the short name must qualify as a filename prefix. Example: If you are running a telethon to register Global War(tm), make the short name 'GWAR'. Then the data file for Global War's telethon will be named 'GWAR.DAT'. Understand? (B) - Long DOOR name. Just what is says. If we use the previous example the long name would be 'Global War'. (C) - Registration fee. The fee to register the DOOR in whole dollars. If the cost is $25.00 then enter 25. (D) - Total collected. Use this option to mark users as paid. Another menu will be displayed (An example follows in a few lines). (R) - Mark this DOOR as registered. Use this to tell DRT that you have received your registration for this DOORs telethon. (E) / (F) / (G) / (H) / (I) - Enter some of the reasons the DOOR author gives to register this DOOR. THESE OPTIONS ARE VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!! If you expect your users to fork over some of their hard earned money you need to provided them with sound reasons to do so. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 8 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- In almost all DOOR documentation you will find the perks and incentives to register the DOOR. Place the key ones here. If you are trying to register a DOOR that offers nothing for registration try putting things like 'Because you are still using this DOOR' etc. - When your friendly mailman brings you some pledges, you will enter into this menu (for the DOOR you received the pledges) and type the letter D (Total Collected). And poof! Another menu: DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 9 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DOOR Registration Telethon (DRT) Setup Version 1.0 ************************* Edit DRT data File (DRT.DAT) *********************** * * * # of* Date of * Total * Date of * Total * * Username (First 25 chars)*Calls*Last Call * Pledged * Pledge * Paid * ************************************************************************** * A * Robert Edwards * 0*08/06/1991* * * * B * * * * * * * C * * * * * * * D * * * * * * * E * * * * * * * F * * * * * * * G * * * * * * * H * * * * * * * I * * * * * * * J * * * * * * * K * * * * * * * L * * * * * * * M * * * * * * * N * * * * * * * O * * * * * * * ************************************************************************** * Press desired key, or X to end. Page 1 of 7 * Press Pg-Up / * Pg-Dn for other pages. ****************************************************************************** Uggghhh! That's better, I was getting tired of "Arggghhhh!". And once again it is very simple: (A - O) - User. The SysOp is automatically enrolled in EVERY telethon. The rest of the space (99) is used to record online user status. Select the appropriate key to log payment (A small menu will be displayed asking how much was received). Each of the columns are self-explanatory but... We will go over them just in case: USERNAME - The users name as reported by the DOORFILE (IE: DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, PCBOARD.SYS, or CALLINFO.BBS). If the users name is longer than 25 characters, only the first 25 will be displayed. # OF CALLS - Total number of times the user has accessed "THIS" telethon. NOT the number of times he has called your board! DATE OF LAST CALL - Just that, the date that the user last accessed "THIS" telethon. NOT the last time he called your board! TOTAL PLEDGED - Amount the user has pledged to "THIS" telethon. DATE OF PLEDGE - The date the user made a pledge (Used in conjunction with the Lock-Out feature). TOTAL PAID - The amount of money you have received from the user for "THIS" telethon. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 10 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- >>>>>>>>>> A NOTE ABOUT COLORS <<<<<<<<<< The users are color coded for your convenience: - GREEN = User has not yet been asked to pledge money (controlled by CALL TO BUG ON variable in the DRT.CTL menu). - RED = User has been asked to pledge money but has not yet made a pledge. - YELLOW = User has pledged money but has not yet paid. - BLUE = User has pledged and paid! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< - Now that you have seen all the menus, and should have DRT somewhat configured for you system we still need to do a couple of things. - With a text editor modify the file 'ADDRESS.TXT' to contain check and mailing instructions. This file will be displayed to the user when a pledge is made. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! If you do, the users will be given my name and address. I won't complain if people start sending me money, nor will I be held liable. - Don't forget to register this DOOR. It has been VERY successful on both of the RaJE boards (Force! Demon-Sion & Middle Earth) during Beta testing. You will be surprised on how quickly your users are to give up a buck or two if they are provided a very tidy and formatted way to do so. It is time to register DRT if you have any success with it at all. - You can now start each of your telethons at your leisure. Chapter 5 describes procedures required to do this. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 11 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- 4.0 UNDERSTANDING THE DRT.LOG FILE - The DRT.LOG file provides the SysOp with information pertaining to the functioning of DRT. It was modeled after FORCE!(tm) BBS log file: ***************************************************************************** Command : DRT ac dorinfo1.def DOOR : Alpha Colony 6 (Usage: 86) User : Bob Specyalski (Usage: 11) Called on: Sunday, 9/1/1991 * 14:14:01 Remind : User reminded of $3.00 Pledge made 9 Days ago. Executed : Exit.................................................. AT 14:14:29 ***************************************************************************** - COMMAND = The command your batch file used to call DRT. - DOOR = Long name of the DOOR to register and number of times this DOOR has been used since the telethon started. - USER = User name as reported by DOORFILE (IE: DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, PCBOARD.SYS, or CALLINFO.BBS) and the number of times the user has accessed this DOOR since the telethon started. - CALLED ON = Date and time of this access. - Various: other entries to let you know what the user did (IE: View other pledges, view DRT status, Pledge, Reminded of Pledge, Thanked for Pledge, etc...) 5.0 INSTALLING A NEW TELETHON - You must have completed the FIRST TIME INSTALLATION STEP. - Run the maint option of DRT (Type: DRT MAINT) - Select option "(D) [Edit Data File(s)]". This will bring you to the EDIT DRT DATA FILES menu. - Select a free (unused) record. - You MUST fill in options A-C (DOOR long name/Short name and Registration FEE). Options E-I can be used to tell the user the benefits of registering this DOOR (Highly recommended! Tell the user what they get for registering and they are more likely to pledge and pay). In depth explanation of these options can be found within chapter 3.2. - Now that DRT knows all it needs to about your DOOR, you have to call it PRIOR to loading your DOOR. This is explained in the next chapter. 5.1 CALLING AN EXISTING TELETHON DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 12 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- - You must have completed the INSTALLING A NEW TELETHON step. A. BATCH FILE CALL - This is the recommended way to call DRT. The reason: This is how my BBS runs and thus, how DRT was designed. - With a text editor, edit your batch file for the DOOR. You will insert the following lines BEFORE the call to the DOOR. I will use my Global War(tm) batch file as an example: * BEFORE * Echo off REM WAR.BAT for Global War. Uses DORINFO1.DEF (Force! Option E) C: cd\Doors\Gwar WAR /R E:\BBS\DATA\DORINFO1.DEF * AFTER * Echo off REM WAR.BAT for Global War. Uses DORINFO1.DEF (Force! Option E) REM Call DRT telethon for Global War E: CD\BBS\UTIL\DRT DRT Gwar Dorinfo1.def REM DRT complete, now call Global War C: cd\Doors\Gwar WAR /R E:\BBS\DATA\DORINFO1.DEF - The REM lines are remarks and are not needed. Notice that the first thing you do is change to the DRIVE and DIRECTORY that contains DRT. - Next, call DRT with the following convention: DRT [Door Short Name] [DOORFILE name] - In the above example, I used Gwar as a short name for Global War (In the DRT data file), and I am telling DRT to look for the DORINFO1.DEF file (The path for the DORINFO1.DEF file is contained in the DRT.CTL file. Refer to chapter 3.2) B. SF.BAT FILE CALL - Identical to the above example except all DOOR calls are contained in the SF.BAT file. C. OTHER - I just don't know. If your BBS does not support batch file calls you will need somehow to change DRIVE and DIRECTORY to the DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 13 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DRT directory and then call DRT as in the above examples. I will be glad to assist in the installation of DRT for these type of BBS's. Just call my board and leave a message explaining the Name of your BBS software and how it calls DOORS. Once we get you up and running I will include this information in the future DRT documentation. 6.0 MAINTAINING A TELETHON - You should already be able to maintain a telethon. Here are a few key point to remember: (A) COLLECTING MONEY: When you receive money from your users be sure to mark the user as paid (reference chapter 3.2). This will update the telethon status but, more importantly, the next time the user access the DOOR, they will be thanked for their payment and sent directly into the DOOR. (B) MARKING A DOOR AS REGISTERED: When you receive the registration for the DOOR, be sure to mark it is registered in the DRT data files (Reference chapter 3.2). This will show the DOOR as registered when the user requests DRT status or when bulletins are made with the DRTBULL.EXE utility. Be sure to normalize your BATCH file. Reverse the procedures used in chapter 5.1. (C) GENERATING REPORTS: Several reports can be generated (Screen and/or file) to display DRT's status. Browse through these, you may find some of them quite useful. 6.1 UNDERSTANDING THE LOCK-OUT FEATURE - DRT has a powerful function: LOCK-OUT. We will discus the finer points of this feature. Lock-Out is controlled by several factors: 1) Do you have Lock-Out enabled? 2) Lock-Out days. 3) How many days ago did the user pledge but still hasn't paid? A lock-out condition is described as: "A user made a pledge and has not yet paid AND that pledge was made more than Lock-out-Days ago". Confused? Lock-out-Days is controlled in the DRT.CTL menu. If the number of days a pledge has been unpaid is greater than Lock-out-days the user is in a lock-out condition. If you have lock-out enabled in the DRT.CTL menu, the user will be displayed the file 'DRTBOOT.ANS' or 'DRTBOOT.80' (Ansi or non-ansi user). Then he will be unceremoniously booted off of your BBS. (In order for this to work properly your modem must be fully Hayes compatible, a more forgiving interface is being designed for v2.0). If you do not have lock-out enabled, the user will be told that he could be locked out at any time with a strong recommendation to pay the pledge quickly. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 14 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- If the user is within 15 days of a possible lock-out condition, he will be displayed the file 'PROD.ANS' or 'PROD.80' (Ansi or non-ansi user). You are free to be as creative with the Boot and Prod screens as you like, so have fun. One final note. If you do not wish to have anything to do with the lock-out feature or the prodding feature, set the Lock-out-days to 255. 7.0 MOUSE SUPPORT - DRT is designed to utilize a MicroSoft Compatible mouse in the setup and maint routines. It will auto-sense the existence of the mouse driver and use it if present. Mouse usage is quite simple. Click the mouse on the LINE of the choice you desire. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE OVER THE KEY YOU WISH. Just on the same line. Both mouse buttons function the same. 8.0 TECH SUPPORT - Tech support is extended to both registered and non-registered users for installation assistance and bug reports. - Enhancement requests are accepted from only registered users. - Fill out the appropriate form (BUG.RPT or ENHANCE.RPT) and mail to a DRT support site. - An online BUG and ENHANCEMENT reporting system will be in place by December 1991. To access this call a DRT support board. 9.0 - UPGRADES - DRT will be upgraded as needed. Work on version 2.0 has already begun. This will be a complete rewrite conforming to Object Oriented Programming standards. The look and feel of the SysOp maint portion will be greatly enhanced. The price of version 2.0 will increase slightly to compensate for the extra effort and man hours involved. REGISTRATION CODES FOR VERSION 1.0 WILL WORK WITH ALL FUTURE VERSION AND THUS THE UPGRADE WILL BE FREE. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 15 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- APPENDIX A FILE DESCRIPTIONS The following is a brief description of files that are contained in the DRT distribution archive OR are created by DRT: ADDRESS.TXT - Address file. This file should contain check and mailing instructions for your users. YOU NEED TO EDIT THIS FILE TO REFLECT YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. IF THIS FILE DOES NOT EXIST THE USER WILL BE GIVEN THE DRT SUPPORT BOARD ADDRESS! BUG.RPT - DRT bug report form. If you encounter a bug in DRT, fill this form out and mail it to a DRT support site. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRT.CTL - DRT control file. This file contains information you have provided for DRT to execute (Created during DRT SETUP). This file IS required for DRT to execute. DRT.DAT - DRT data file. This file contains general information you have entered pertaining to each telethon (Created during DRT SETUP). This file IS required for DRT to execute. DRT.DOC - DRT SysOps Manual. Your reading it even as we speak! This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRT.ERR - DRT error file. Created when DRT encounters an unexpected error. The contents of this file are used to fill out the BUG.RPT report. NOTE: An error code of 1 is generated when a user is locked out. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRT.EXE - DRT executable file. This is the DRT program. This file IS required for DRT to execute. DRT.HLP - Text file displayed when user requests online help. This file is delivered containing only a brief description of the shareware concept. You may modify this file to fit your needs. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRT.LOG - DRT log file. This file contains useful information about each users DRT session (Created or appended upon each DRT activation). If this file grows to big, just delete it. It will be recreated at the next DRT execution. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRT.WRD - DRT word file. This file is for a future release and contains no data (Created during DRT SETUP). This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRTBOOT.80 - ASCII file displayed when a NON-ANSI user is locked out. File name is configurable in the DRT.CTL menu. You may modify this file to fit your needs. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 16 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- DRTBOOT.ANS - Ansi file displayed when an ANSI user is locked out. File name is configurable in the DRT.CTL menu. You may modify this file to fit your needs. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. DRTBULL.EXE - DRTBULL executable file. This is the DRTBULL program. Only required if you wish to generate bulletins for DRT. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. ENHANCE.RPT - DRT enhancement request. If you are a registered user of DRT and want to suggest an enhancement, fill this form out and mail it to a DRT support board. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. PROD.80 - ASCII file displayed when a non-ANSI user is within 15 days of a possible lock-out condition. File name is configurable in the DRT.CTL menu. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. PROD.ANS - ANSI file displayed when an ANSI user is within 15 days of a possible lock-out condition. File name is configurable in the DRT.CTL menu. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. READ.ME - Text file containing any last minute changes and rudimentary instructions. REGISTER.ME - DRT registration form. To register DRT, fill this form out and mail it to the address indicated on the form. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. REPORT.DRT - DRT report file. Created or appended to by the report functions in DRT MAINT. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. THANKS.TXT - Thank you file. This file contains your personal thank you to the user for paying their pledge. If this file does not exist the user will be give a 2 line thank you. This file IS NOT required for DRT to execute. ????????.DAT - These files vary. The prefix of the file name is the short name of the telethon (DOOR to register). These files contain critical user information for the telethon. These files ARE required for DRT to execute. DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 17 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- APPENDIX B DRT SUPPORT SITES ---===<<< ********** ********** ********** ********** ********** >>>===--- The Force! Demon-Sion BBS (Birth site of RaJE Computer Emirates) 1(207)963-2683 US ROBOTICS HST 14400 (300/1200/2400/4800/7200/9600/12000/14400) SysOp: Robert Edwards NSGA # 6725 WINTER HARBOR, ME 04693 ---===<<< ********** ********** ********** ********** ********** >>>===--- Middle Earth (Co-Home of RaJE Computer Emirates) 1(915)520-2112 300/1200/2400 SysOp: James Edwards Apartment # 1007 5266 West Loop 250 North Midland, TX 79707 ---===<<< ********** ********** ********** ********** ********** >>>===--- DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 18 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- APPENDIX C COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q. When a user makes a pledge, they are displayed the wrong check and mailing instruction. Why? A. You need to either modify or create a file called "ADDRESS.TXT" in your DRT directory. This file should contain your check and mailing instructions. Q. I have been running DRT for several weeks and have received no pledges. Am I doing something wrong? A. Maybe. First, is DRT activating before the user enters the DOOR. If not refer to the chapter on CALLING A TELETHON. If your users are just refusing to pledge I would look at two other items. 1) Did you configure the Telethon with Reasons To Register? If you provide the users with the benefits of helping register the DOOR they are inclined to do so. 2) Did you set the acceptable pledges unrealistically? If so, bring them down. Q. I don't understand the calling convention: DRT [DOOR Short Name] [DOORFILE] A. DOOR Short Name is the short name you gave the telethon in the DRT.DAT menu. DOORFILE can be: DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, CALLINFO.BBS, PCBOARD.SYS. If your BBS does not support one of these standards you must use a DOOR file converter. Several are available in the share ware market. Q. What do you mean by DOORFILE path? A. DRT needs to know where your BBS places the DOORFILE (DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, CALLINFO.BBS, PCBOARD.SYS). DOORFILE path is simple the directory that your BBS places these files when they are created. Q. I am running a telethon for 2 DOORs. GWAR needs a DORINFO1.DEF and HANGMAN needs a PCBOARD.SYS. Do I need to somehow convert all my DOORs to use one DOORFILE type? A. NO! Each and every time you activate DRT it can use a different DOORFILE. That is why you must specify the DOORFILE type on the command line. Just use separate command lines: DRT Gwar Dorinfo1.def DRT Hangman PCboard.sys Q. DRT thinks John Smith is online when Joe Blow really is. Why? A. Most probably you have told DRT the wrong DOORFILE type. You must specify the DOORFILE that was just created for the DOOR the user was trying to go into. Review both your batch file. Q. I have found what I think is a bug in DRT. What should I do? DOOR Registration Telethon v1.00 Page 19 Copyright (C) 1991 by Robert Edwards -=< ALL RIGHTS RESERVED >=- A. 1) Write down the date and time of the bug. 2) Write down the date and time of the file DRT.ERR (If it exists). 3) View the file DRT.ERR (If it exists) and write down its contents. 4) Archive (PKZIP, LHARC, etc) or save to a floppy the following files: *.DAT DRT.CTL DRT.ERR (If it exists) 5) Fill out the DRT Bug Report (BUG.RPT) file and mail to a DRT support site. (An online bug reporting system should be in place by December 1991). Q. My BBS does not require the use of a Fossil driver. Can I still use DRT? A. Yes, but... DRT needs to access the Fossil. Obtain a Fossil driver (BNU, X00, or any other standard Fossil) and install it on your computer. If your BBS doesn't need a Fossil it will ignore it but this will allow DRT to access the Fossil. Q. I installed a telethon and have decided to remove it. How can I do this? A. DRT was designed to provide as much user confidence in the SysOp as possible. Therefore, removal of a telethon after it starts could lead to shaky practices by some (not you) unethical SysOps. Third stage review of DRT identified that we were a little off of the mark on this point and a little back tracking is required. Work has begun on a comprehensive editor to allow the removal of telethons or users from the data files. We look for this utility to be available late '91 or early '92. A valid DRT registration code is required for its use. Q. I just wanted to tell you that DRT has helped me register 95% of all my DOORs and I am looking forward to v2.0. Can I be a beta test site? A. Thanks! (My brother asked that question by the way) I will be offering beta test site status to the first group of registered DRT SysOps (Look for the early stages of DRT v2.0 by second/third quarter '93).