Techstuff By Terry Cobb There are 30 of us now although only 5-10 call in with any regularity. As with most BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems), many call in and read only. Don't be shy about leaving messages. Your 2 cents is worthwhile. The more participation, the more interesting and useful the board can be. Modems are getting so inexpensive now that almost anyone who has a computer can afford to add a modem. I just got a flier from Egghead advertizing 2400 baud modems with send/receive FAX included for $50. This includes software, amazing. When I started this board, I bought the same brand modem same speed with send only fax (which I've never used) for just over $100. Perhaps some of us computer junkies have a slower modem that we have replaced that we could sell to others. With enough of us subscribing and calling in, ask a question to the whole section with one call and a lively discussion can take place. What can "Techstuff" be used for? Keeping in touch. A quick note to someone you haven't talked to in a while. My policy is that all messages should be made public unless truly confidential. That gives others something to read and react to. Even a "Hello Joe" can alert another caller that someone they know is on the board. There is a bulletin called users that lists the current users of the board. I try to keep it up to date. Looking for props or other items for a production. Ask the whole region at once or at least the ones reading the board. Discussion How to do something Issues of pertinence to the Region Anything else you want to talk about Research. Don't know how to do a new process? Check out the Sol conference. Sol is short for solutions. Have a neat way to do something? Post it. We all would like to avoid re-inventing the wheel on every production. Research. Don't know where to buy/rent something? Check out the Source conference. And if you have a source for an unusual product, or maybe not so unusual, post it for the rest of us. Don't find what you want in a conference? Leave a message and ask the other users. When you find out, post it in the conference. Files Updates of software I just posted the newest Windows drivers for the ProAudio Spectrum Sound card Passing information New feature. With the new software version, file uploads can be personalized. That means that you can specify a particular person that is to be allowed to download the file. You can also carbon copy to others. Choose A)ll for general uploads for everyone. If you're working on a project with someone from another location you can pass copies of text, drawings, etc. back and forth as computer files several times a day rather than waiting several days for the mail. Public domain or Shareware computer programs Windjammer - A sound sequencer for IBM Windows - Shareware. A CAD program. File compression utilities. No copyrighted materials please. Task specific software written by members of the region None at the moment Eventually, Text of past issues of "In the Wings" Any other information the group thinks appropriate. (Callboard (USITT national's BBS) is archiving theatre floorplans and is talking about sound effects files) but they're on a mainframe computer. General information about anything and interesting threads from the message area. Most articles for "In the Wings" are uploaded to the board then Konrad downloads them and merges them into the newsletter. By using computer file transfer, he doesn't have to retype them. Saves a lot of time. Diagrams and pictures can be transferred the same way but need to be in a separate file in the IBM PCX format. Use the new feature described above to address to Konrad Winters. Modems- protocol - a fancy term for the vocabulary of the modem communications. In this case, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. This is set in your modem program. Echo - Whether your modem sends characters to your screen or not. Usually set to off/no and everything is sent from the BBS (including your typing). If you can't see your own typing, turn it on. If you see double characters, turn it off. Line Feeds - IBM computers automatically send a line feed at the end of each line. This pushes the cursor down the page one line. So if you have an IBM type computer line feeds is usually off/no. Again, if text prints on top of the last line turn it on, if everything is double spaced turn it off. MNP- A modem compression protocol (remember, vocabulary). This is not currently supported by the Techstuff BBS modem. If you have a modem w/ MNP, turn it off in the setup before dialing. This may change by the time you read this. Look for a notice when you call in. Baud Rate- This is how fast the two modems, your and mine can send bits between them and understand each other. The fastest speed at this end is 2400 bits per second. If yours is slower, that's OK. The faster one can usually adapt. Faster speeds mean lower long distance bills. However, if you're reading as you go, 1200 is about the fastest that most people can read a scrolling screen. Hardware protocols - Xon/Xoff or DSR/CTS, etc are between you and your modem only. Autolog Files - Called script, action, command, or some other type of file depending on your communication software. These are simply a series of commands to automate the process of connecting to the BBS. Check your Software documentation for details. Capture Files - A file that records every character that you type and those sent from the bulletin board. This is an ASCII file that can be read later from any word processor. Highly recommended. With this, you don't have to try to write things down while online. If you're on long distance and have a higher speed modem, download or read everything as fast as it will transfer, hang up, and read it at your leisure. If you want to reply to anything, you can call back. File Protocols - The vocabulary the modems use to transfer a file. The BBS current supports ASCII, Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, and Kermit. Choose ASCII for message uploads (See hints below). Choose one of the others that works on your modem program for file transfers. Do not use ASCII for program file transfers. Hints 1. Messages, don't double space between paragraphs, the BBS software interprets a blank line as the end of the message. If you want to leave an empty line put a period (.) on the line. 2. To save long distance, compose in your word processor. Save in ASCII or Dos format (Ctrl F5) for Wordperfect. Call in, start the message process, enter name and subject. When asked to enter message, upload the ASCII file. Remember, no blank lines. Believe me, a message will upload much faster than you can type. When the upload is done save the message as usual. ( on blank line, S>ave, pUblic, pRivate, etc.) 3. Unless private business, make all messages public. Then everyone can read and comment on them if desired. 4. Notice the bottom of the screen. This is especially important is you are using conferences. Many screens look alike especially is you are in black and white. When you try to exit a conference or sub-board, read the instructions, carefully. The logic is a bit arcane is my opinion. For instance, you have to quit to Main to get out of a subboard. Otherwise, you think that you're back in the Main Board when you're not. 5. For IBM, you must have the file ANSI.SYS in your config.sys file to use the graphics screens. I don't know about Macs. 6. I have established the convention in program file descriptions that the first three letters followed by a period will identify the computer the program requires (IBM., MAC., .) If you upload program files please use them and if you see a file not labeled leave me a note. Unless you have special boards and software, one computer type program will not run on any other computer type machine. 7. You can't ruin the bulletin board trying things out. If you can't make something work, feel free to experiment. At worst if you get totally confused or the BBS quits responding, Hang up, wait a minute or two for it to reset and call back. (While waiting, take a few deep breaths, get up and stretch, get a drink, whatever. Don't put your fist through your monitor, it doesn't help. If you have never tried remote communications, it always starts out a little frustrating. Kind of like a new language. Don't give up. It can get to be fun once you figure out the basics. 8. Leave me (sysop) a message if you can't figure something out or a feature is not working as you expect. Call me if you're having trouble getting started at (410-455-2497) (afternoons are best). 9. A modem can be on the same phone line as your other phones. I have three phones and an answering machine on the line with my modem at home. Don't pick up a phone while using the modem. You can't use the phone line for voice and modem at the same time. Call waiting creates problems for some people. 10. The BBS is online 24 hours a day 7 days a week, generally. This machine is also my sound synthesis machine at school, so there are periods that the computer is used for other purposes. If you will get a busy signal it means that someone else is on the BBS or the machine is being used for something else. Wait a few hours and call back if it's morning or afternoon, a few minutes at night. 11. Use compression for files is possible. It saves disk space and saves money on long distance phone calls. Pkzip is available in the PAK directory for IBMs. We're working on finding an acceptable format and program for Macs. If you're unsure or don't know how. Upload anyway. Just leave me a note and I'll zip for you. The first time you sign in just give the information requested. Take your time and spell things correctly. If you make an error, continue and when you're asked "Are you xxxxx yyyy?", answer no and start again. When asked for a password, choose something you can remember. This is not a high security operation, yet anyway, so keep it simple. If you forget your password, call me and I can look it up. Once you're in, browse around, try things, if you can't figure something out or it doesn't seem to work the way you think it should, leave me a message and I'll try to help. Make these messages public and perhaps others can help too. The most common problem in navigation is the q)uit command from sub menus. You don't quit to the previous menu but can quit to another menu. Read carefully. So join in, we'll all learn something, and have a good time along with it.