
            Using the Wisconsin Network - Part 14
                   by Andy Nemec, KB9ALN

     Last time we finished our look at your station and how it
works with the network. We covered reccomended TNC parameter
settings, and talked about how these affect network
performance.

     But no matter how well your TNC and radio are "tweaked",
your operating habits can also affect network and LAN
performance. They can also affect your enjoyment of this mode.
Many people are not quite clear on some aspects of packet
operation, and this can frustrate them and keep them from
enjoying the potential of this mode.

     One of the more popular Packet Radio activities to be
found is the daily check-in to the local BBS. As simple as
this ritual may be, there is a great potential that is largely
unused in most of the BBS's that are in use in Wisconsin.

     Most of the BBS's in this state are called MSYS. It is a
particular kind of program written by Mike Pechura, WA8BXN.
Simple functions are easy enough to use, if you are familiar
with them. Some of the more complex functions are often
ignored; some folks simply have not explored them. We will not
cover all of these, but will tell you how to more efficiently
utilize one of these BBS's, so you can get the maximum
enjoyment out of it, and be nicer to your packet neighbors. In
this installment, we will cover the reading of packet
messages. The next part will cover sending. The following, we
will look at the MSYS node operation.

     First, there are some things you should know about MSYS.
Although it is a capable program, it can be a "channel hog".
It has a tendency to be very aggressive, and will do a very
thorough job of dominating the LAN frequency. This affects
your use of it, you can aggravate the situation or help to
alleviate it. There are also some MSYS BBS's that perform a
dual function; they are not only BBS's, but Network Nodes as
well. Lastly, there are certain things you should know before
you start sending "flood" messages (commonly called
bulletins), no matter what type of BBS that you send them
from.

     First, a few BBS basics. Those messages you read that
come from all over the country (and the world) are passed from
one BBS to another, bucket-brigade style. What appears on your
local BBS will very likely appear on any other BBS you visit
in the state. Each BBS has what is called a "hierachical
address", and that is how your personal messages make their
way to you, your home BBS has a unique address. It is best to
choose a home BBS that is close to you. It will save a lot of
time, and it very likely is no different than the one that you
have in your town.

     Now, about your "home" BBS. Everyone who elects to send
and receive packet mail must choose one (and ONLY one) home
BBS. You choose your home BBS when you register at a given
BBS. Once you register a BBS as your home BBS, you have a
hierarchical address at that BBS. If you have any doubt as to
what your hierarchical address is, or how to register at a BBS,
leave a message to the sysop of that BBS and he or she will be
happy to help you out.

     The hierarchical address is most significant if you expect
to receive a reply to any message. There are 3 basic types of
messages; personal, bulletin, and NTS traffic.

     Personal messages are just that - intended to a
particular person and no one else. When you log into an MSYS
BBS, you will be notified if you have mail waiting for you.
 
     On the current versions of the MSYS BBS software,
bulletins are listed by catagory. When you log in, you will
see a listing of such catagories, which is drawn from the
"To:" address of the message.

     NTS traffic is found by using the LT command. Many people
do not realize that this command exists. It is easy enough to
use and can be helpful to pass local NTS traffic.

     Recent versions of MSYS BBS software is oriented toward
simple operation. As was said earlier, you will get a listing
of your personal mail when you log in. For example, I may see
something like this if I have personal mail waiting for me
when I log in:

Welcome Andy, to KB9ALN-5's MSYS BBS in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

You have unread mail, please kill when read:

MSG # TR  SIZE TO     FROM   @BBS   DATE     TITLE
33989 PN  2112 KB9ALN N9PAY KB9ALN  960401  April Fools!
Enter right 1 digits of msg #'s to read or enter for none

To read the message, I would send the last right-hand digit
(in this case, 9) to the BBS and it will display the message.
It's that simple. If I did not want to read this message just
yet, I would hit the Enter key. I could later list this
message with the LM command, and read it as well.

     Bulletins are just as easy to read, but can often cause a
great flood of packets that can greatly disrupt the LAN
frequency and the network, if done in a sloppy manner. Most
people are familiar with the L command. This simply lists new
messages that are on the BBS. The problem with this command is
that it is not selective at all - it will list all the
messages the BBS has received since you last logged on. You
will see a great many listings for things that you may not
have an interest in. This is a waste of the frequency. As I
said before, MSYS is a very aggressive program. A LIST command
will make it very hard to share the channel with others.

     There is a much better alternative, though. When you log
onto the BBS, a list of message catagories is nicely displayed
for you. If you have an interest in For Sale items, look at
the catagory called SALE. You can list only the messages in
this catagory by typing L SALE. This way, you get a chance to
read the messages you want without jamming up the frequency
looking at a list of messages you don't want.

     Periodically, the BBS will pause and ask you:
"More? [Y]es, No, Continuous?"
To receive another screenful, hit the return key. Sending an N
will stop the listing. Sending a C is Rude! This means that
the BBS will send a listing of messages that will not pause
until it is done. NEVER do this, you will tie up the LAN or
Network for a significant amount of time.  This is one
"feature" that should immediately be written out of the MSYS
program; it is pointless and causes more problems than it is
worth.

     Sending the BBS LC will give you a listing of the message
catagories, should you list one catagory and forget what other
message catagories are available. XC toggles between an
automatic listing of catagories when you log in, and no
listing of catagories at log-in

     Reading a bulletin is much the same as reading a personal
message. As before, the BBS will periodically pause and ask
you if you want more, or if you would like to read one of the
messages. It will prompt you for a certain number of digits in
the message number. You would type in those digits, and it
will display the message. Hint: You may read more than one
message in succession, and you must give the proper number of
digits. For example, if the BBS askd you for the right 3
digits of the message number, and the message number is 26095,
then you will send 095 . You will need to send the 0 in order
for the BBS to correctly interpret the message number.

     This covers the basics of reading messages. Next time, we
will cover the correct way to send a message or a bulletin.

   ***End of Part 14***
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