\begindata{text,539028584} \textdsversion{12} \template{help} \define{global } \chapter{Andrew Bulletin Boards } If your site has set up the Andrew Message System (\helptopic{AMS}) so that you can read Bulletin Boards, this file describes to users how to access them and what's available. To learn about setting up a bulletin board system, see the Bboards.ins document under /usr/andrew/doc/ams (where /usr/andrew is your BASEDIR of Andrew software). This is how the document looks at Carnegie Mellon. It contains references to files that you may not have, like "networks" and "networks-access". This document provides an overview of electronic bulletin boards available on Andrew. It has the following sections \description{\leftindent{ What bulletin boards are Reading messages on bulletin boards \leftindent{What bboards exist? What order are they in? What's on them?} Sending messages to bulletin boards \leftindent{Local bboards External bboards Restricted bboards} Creating a bulletin board Private bulletin boards Getting old messages from tape Reporting problems Related Tools }} For information on reading and subscribing to bulletin boards using a particular Andrew Message System program, see the\italic{ }help document for that program ( \italic{\helptopic{Messages}} , \italic{\helptopic{VUI} }, or\italic{ \helptopic{CUI}} ). \section{What bulletin boards are} \leftindent{Electronic bulletin boards are like regular (non-electronic) bulletin boards in that they are places where people can read and post messages. In Andrew Message System programs, a bulletin board is a "folder," which is essentially a collection of messages about a topic. There are so many bulletin boards, and they are so different from one another that it is difficult to make an accurate blanket statement that describes what sort of interaction occurs on a bulletin board without being overly general and meaningless. Basically, any kind of written interaction can take place on a bulletin board, but most bulletin boards have customary ways that people interact on them. }\section{Reading messages on bulletin boards} \leftindent{\bold{What bboards exist? } The Message system supports tree-structured message folders. The structure consists primarily of a set of top-level bboards (called "nodes" or "parent" bboards) under which there are sub-bboards (called "children"). For example, "andrew" is a top-level node or parent, and "andrew.ms" is a sub-bboard or child of it. The sub-boards are bboards in their own right and can be nodes for other bboards. For example, "andrew.ms" is a parent for "andrew.ms.batmail." Here are the top level bulletin boards and descriptions: \italic{official} - Restricted posting bboards that contain official information from various places. \italic{academic} - Bboards for courses. \italic{andrew} - Bboards of interest to Andrew users. \italic{andy} - Bboards of interest to people using experimental software being developed at the ITC.. \italic{assocs} - Top-level node for user-created sub-nodes pertaining to various associations, formal and informal, among people at CMU. \italic{cmu} - This is the top level node for campus-wide bboards, like "market". Bboards upder the cmu level may be distributed to other systems on campus. \italic{graffiti} - Uncensored scribbling. \italic{hobbies} - Top level node for user-created subnodes on various pastimes. Groups organized around a particular hobby should consider creating an assocs bboard. \italic{magazines} - Bboards edited by individuals on a variety of different topics. \italic{org} - Bboards devoted to university organizations, including bboards imported from the Computer Science (cs) and Psychology departments. \italic{dow-jones} - Bboards that are part of the Dow Jones News and Information Service. See the \italic{\helptopic{dow-jones}} help file for more information. \italic{netnews} - Worldwide bboards from the Netnews service obtained over the Usenet network. \italic{internet} - Worldwide distribution lists presented as bboards. Originally distributed across the ARPAnet (internet), and now distributed across internet, bitnet and other external networks. } \leftindent{\bold{What order are they in? } The bulletin boards are listed in three groups. The first group consists of all the bboards under the "official" parent. The second group consists of the rest of the Andrew-local bboards. The third group consists of bboards not local to Andrew, imported from other systems. Within these groups, the bboards are organized alphabetically.} \leftindent{You can change the order in which bulletin boards (and all your folders) appear when they have new messages. Of course you can't change the order for everybody -- only for your own folders. Instructions and examples for how to do this are }\leftindent{in the \italic{\helptopic{ams-subsorder} } help file.} \leftindent{\bold{What's on them?} Often the best way to find out what a bulletin board is like is to read some messages on it. If you are using Messages, you can also click on the help icon next to the bboard name and chose "Explain what it is" from the dialogue box that appears. Some the the bulletin boards have explanations, and some do not. The help document \italic{\helptopic{usenet}} has a brief description of some of the netnews bboards. }\section{Sending messages to bulletin boards} \leftindent{Before you start posting on bulletin boards (sending messages to them), you might want to read some old articles from the bboard \indent{netnews\leftindent{.news.announce.newusers}} about electronic communication ettiquite and posting guidelines. \bold{Local bboards.} "Local" in this context means local to Andrew, not to Carnegie Mellon. To post a message to an Andrew bboard, use an Andrew Message System program and fill in the To: header as follows: \leftindent{To: \italic{bboard.name}} For example, to post to andrew.gripes, your To: header would look like: \leftindent{To: andrew.gripes} \bold{External bboards}\bold{. } Bulletin boards which users can post to but which are not part of the Andrew system are under the "netnews", "internet" and sometimes the "org" node. Sending to them is like sending to Andrew-local bboards (use the bboard name as an address), with two major differences: 1. The amount of time it takes for your message to be posted to an external board may be longer. With external-to-Andrew bboards, your message is sent to the network from which the bboard originates, so it may take one to three days to appear on the Andrew listings. 2. When an external address validates, it looks different than local addresses. So, if you choose \bold{Reply} for an external bboard, the address that is automatically filled in to the To: header may look odd, but you can usually depend on it to appear in a format appropriate for the target network. }\leftindent{\bold{Restricted bulletin boards.} Below is a list of local and non-local bboard parents and nodes that are either unavailable or have restricted posting from Andrew accounts: official org org.cs.market org.cs.general dow-jones Bboards which appear under these nodes are likewise restricted. So, for example, official.andrew has restricted posting because it exists under the parent "official." In addition to these restricted bboards, some of the external bboards are "moderated" meaning that you can not post on them directly. See the post called "Rules for posting to Usenet" on netnews.news.announce.newusers for more information on which groups are moderated. Efforts to circumvent the restricted nature of these bulletin boards (to force posting on bboards for which you are not authorized) can result in your mail and bulletin board privileges being revoked. The ability to enjoy electronic mail and bulletin boards on Andrew is not guaranteed to those who abuse these privileges. } \section{Creating a bulletin board} \leftindent{See the help document \italic{\helptopic{createbb}} for information on creating a bulletin board.} \section{Private bulletin boards} \leftindent{ If you think you would like to set up a private bboard, read the \italic{ \helptopic{privatebb}} help document. } \section{Getting old messages from tape } \leftindent{For a variety of reasons, bulletin board messages are not kept on-line for an indefinite period of time. If you find that you want to read messages but are not able to access them from one of the Andrew Message System programs (Messages, CUI, or VUI), you might want to request that the bulletin board you are interested in be temporarily restored from a backup tape. See the \italic{\helptopic{backups}} help document for instructions on requesting backups from tape. All bulletin boards are not created equal with regard to how long their posts remain on-line, how frequently backup tapes are made of their posts, and how long those backup tapes are kept. The help file \italic{\helptopic{bbpurge}} contains an explanation of the differential treatment of bboards with regard to backing up and purging, and another file called \italic{\helptopic{bbpurge-schedule}} presents the same information in table form.} \section{Reporting problems with mail and bulletin boards} \leftindent{\bold{Problems with sending or reading a message. }}\leftindent{If you have problems with mail or bulletin board posts, send mail to \bold{advisor}. It is helpful to include in your message to advisor the name of the bulletin board and/or the headers from the message that is causing you problems (if you got a message returned to you). The "headers" are what you see when you scroll up past To, Subject, and Date in the body region of the Messages window. \bold{Problems with the Messages program. }If you have problems with the Messages program, on the back menu card in SendMessage is an option called \bold{Compose Bug Report}. When you choose this, the To field is automatically addressed for you and a template is provided (with some of your configuration information already filled in) to assist you in making an informative problem report. \bold{Controlling who can send you mail}. If there are pressing reasons for you to restrict the set of other users from whom you can receive mail, you should send mail to \bold{advisor}.}\leftindent{ } \section{Related tools} Select (highlight) one of the italicized names, and choose "Show Help on Selected Word" from the pop-up menu to see the help document for: \leftindent{\italic{\helptopic{Andrew}}\leftindent{ (the Tour) }\italic{\helptopic{ams-subsorder}} \italic{\helptopic{arpa} \helptopic{bitnet} \helptopic{createbb} \helptopic{CUI} \helptopic{dow-jones} \helptopic{mail} \helptopic{Messages} \helptopic{networks} \helptopic{networks-access} \helptopic{privatebb} \helptopic{SendMessage} \helptopic{usenet} \helptopic{usenetbb} \helptopic{VUI}}} \begindata{bp,537558784} \enddata{bp,537558784} \view{bpv,537558784,1445,0,0} Copyright 1992 Carnegie Mellon University and IBM. All rights reserved. \smaller{\smaller{$Disclaimer: Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice, this permission notice, and the following disclaimer appear in supporting documentation, and that the names of IBM, Carnegie Mellon University, and other copyright holders, not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software without specific, written prior permission. IBM, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, AND THE OTHER COPYRIGHT HOLDERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO THIS SOFTWARE, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS. 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