152 lines
9.2 KiB
Plaintext
152 lines
9.2 KiB
Plaintext
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Net Mail Doc
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NET MAIL is public or private messages transmitted from one BBS to another
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BBS. This is accomplished by Addressing the Message to a particular BBS.
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NetMail is not only for SysOps but can be used by anyone (often by prior
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arrangement if a long distance call is required ..for example for someone
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in Nashville sending a message to someone in California). You can in fact,
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on quite a few systems, make arrangements with the SysOp to send a file to
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another BBS for pick up by a friend.
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When we send to another BBS we use thier NetWork Address. If the BBS you
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are on has a NetMail message section, chances are, they are a member of a
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Network. How to enter messages in the NetMail area depends quite a lot on
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the BBS software. But most all of the Software will prompt you for a Net,
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and Node Number of the BBS you are sending to. Sometimes (depending on the
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Network) you may even need to know the Zone and Region of the BBS. It is
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really not as complicated as it sounds -- Imagine trying to explain how
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the telephone system works to someone who has never used it. It's easy
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once you get the hang of it.
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a typical GhotiNet Address: (GhotiNet is a Network. Prononunced Fish Net)
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^^^^^^^^ 6:5555/422
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| ^ ^^^^ ^^^
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Network Name | | |
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ZONE ---| | |---NODE
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NET
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Network - a Group of BBSs which all have the ability to exchange
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mail via a common carrier and similar software. In the case
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of GhotiNet all systems are Binkley compatable (which
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follow the FTS (Fido Technical Standards).
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Nodelist - a listing that the BBS software uses as a `phone-book'
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of members of the Network. In a Network BBSs refer to each
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other by thier Network address. GhotiNet calls thier
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Nodelist GHOTLIST.
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Zone - the largest division of the Nodelist often a Continent or
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as in GhotiNet the entire Network uses the same Zone.
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Region - the Next to the largest division of the Nodelist. a
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region may be as small as a state and as large as many
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states. Ghoti divides thier regions into individual states
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from an alpha listing starting with states of the U.S.A.
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Net - a `local' group of BBSs which usually are within local
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calling area. In the above example it is local GhotiNet
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5555.
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Node - a BBS or System. A private Node is a Private System which
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all mail is routed through thier Hub. GhotiNet uses even
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numbers for full time Systems or BBSs and odd numbers for
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part-time or private systems.
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Bridge - in the case of a BBS it is a BBS belonging to more than
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one Network who can send NetMail to either, or (as in the
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case of Control Systems) other BBSs can send mail addressed
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to his BBS which will then be readressed and sent into the
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other Network. In the case of two Networks with totally
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different technologies the BBS is often called a Gateway.
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Hub - A network mail helper. A BBS which routes mail (and Files)
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in the Network. In some cases a Hub may supply an entire
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segment of the community with echos or even route to Long-
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distance Nodes within a local Net. A Hub can be a NetHub or
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a Regional Hub or even a Star System which routes within
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the entire Zone or Network.
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Coordinators - a SysOp who has volunteered to help out and
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coordinate activity within the Network. Activity such as
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keeping the correct listings in the Nodelist. To join a
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Net you would apply with the Network Coordinator (NC) in
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your local area. There are also Regional Coordinators (RC)
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and Zone Coordinator(s).
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-------
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Now remember that NetMail and EchoMail are really two different flavors of
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mail. Consider Echomail public conversations and Netmail more of a
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one-on-one communication. And don't let anyone kid you, the SysOp can
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always read Private mail.
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Often in an echo you will see what is known as an origin line. An origin
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line is always at the end of a message to let everyone know the originating
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systems address. For example;
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*Origin: The Best BBS in New York City "Izzies Hideout" (8:3542/221.0)
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It often includes a slogan and the Name of the BBS. The address (X:XXXX/XXX.X)
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is defined as Zone:Net/Node.Point - we will need this address in order to send
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netmail to the person writing the message.
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Lets say John on Izzies HideOut wrote a message in an Echo which you wanted
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to give a private response to. Now you couldn't do that in the echo and even
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if the BBS you were using supported private messages in that echo, it would
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most likely not be recieved as a private message. Net mail is the way to go.
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Go to the Net mail message area of the BBS and enter a message. Many BBS
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software handles Net Mail prompts differently. You can almost bet that if
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your message will require a Long Distance call the software will reqire you
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to obtain credit with the system to send your message. Many SysOps will be
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most happy to oblige and the cost is often very small. This may require you
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to send the SysOp some small donation to cover the call, in much the same
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way if i used your phone to make a long distance call. On many BBS's the ?
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will get you help at any prompt. You will need to enter the Name of the
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person you are sending to and the address of the BBS which he reads his mail
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on. For the address if the Zone is the same then you do not need to enter a
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Zone in the address. You do however always need to enter a Net/Node Number.
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Most BBS software has not caught up to point technology yet so you do not
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need to worry about it. But if it is important I would drop a line to the
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SysOp to be sure they forward the message to the point system. In GhotiNet
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Points are not used. The philosphy being that Private systems are considered
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an integral part of the community as well as full time BBS's.
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A bridge is a BBS that belongs to more than one Network. Often a bridge
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supports sending net mail to either one zone or another or, in the case of
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different networks, one network or the other.
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A word about Zones; It is not always that a BBS that you use supports Net
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Mail to all the zones. The SysOp does not often compile `other' nodelists
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than the Network they belongs to. If you see an address with leading zeros
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(and without a zone reference), for example 008/010 then it is a GtNet
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message and that message can only be responded to by either GtNetMail or if
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the BBS you are using connects to a Gt/Fido Bridge. There are currenlty only
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a handfull of these bridges in existance. The first is in Nashville TN and
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called CONTROL SYSTEMS (007/001, 1:116/36, 6:5555/30 and 7:721/29). Many of
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the Sysops in Nashville who carry the Gt Echos will send a message through
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the Bridge for you. Zones 1, 2, and 3 is traditionally FidoNet and i believe
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a recent addition of zone 4 also) - in FidoNet zones are geographic by
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continent. Zone 6 is GhotiNet (pronounced Fish Net) growing Nation wide and
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originating in Nashville TN. Zone 7 is AlterNet which now encompasses
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America, Canada, and Europe. Zone 8 is RBBS Net. Zone 9 is Phoenix Net. If
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you see a different looking address (different from the Net/Node technology)
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such as @System.My.Comp.Bob.etc it is often an address of UseNet or
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Compuserv or other<tm> Nets which may even be a commercial network. Many
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UseNet bridges are currently members of GtNet, FidoNet and AlterNet.
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Now you must realize that there is a difference between Echo mail and Net
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Mail. If you send a Net message (private) to 6:5556/318 to John Smith only
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John Smith (and the SysOp) would be able to read that message.
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Often a Moderator will refer two users fighting or carrying on to use
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Net Mail. Net mail originally was the only form of communication that
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was available. A message went from one BBS to another. Echo mail was
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designed as conferenced Mail to share and have everyone participate.
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Originally the `echoing' software supported only all public messages (non-
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Private). Since then the technology has changed and there is software which
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supports private messages in echos though it is not currently being used.
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There are exceptions to the rule though and upon this writing i know of at
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least two echos which support private messages. The ADULT Echo - a FidoNet
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National Echo which is for adult singles only and the GAMEROOM Echo - a
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Nashville Local echo.
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